69 research outputs found

    Evaluation Design for Community-Based Physical Activity Programs for Socially Disadvantaged Groups: Communities on the Move

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    Background: As interventions are not yet successful in substantially improving physical activity levels of low socioeconomic status groups in the Netherlands, it is a challenge to undertake more effective interventions. Participatory community-based physical activity interventions such as Communities on the Move (CoM) seem promising. Evaluating their effectiveness, however, calls for appropriate evaluation approaches. Objective: This paper provides the conceptual model for the development of a context-sensitive monitoring and evaluation approach in order to (1) measure the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of CoM, and (2) develop an evaluation design enabling the identification of underlying mechanisms which explain what works and why in community-based physical activity programs. Methods: A cohort design is proposed, based on multiple cases, measuring impact, processes, and changes at each of the distinguished levels. The methods described in this paper will evaluate both short- and long-term effects, costs, and benefits of CoM. Results: Testing of the proposed model began in October 2012 and is on-going. Conclusions: The design offers a valid research strategy for evaluating the effectiveness of community-based physical activity programs. Internal validity is guaranteed by the use of several verification techniques such as triangulation. The multiple case studies at the program and community levels enhance external validit

    A Longitudinal Observational Study of Medical Cannabis Use and Polypharmacy among Patients Presenting to Dispensaries in Pennsylvania

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    Background: Cannabis use is increasing among adults to treat a variety of health conditions. Given the potential for interactions and adverse events, it is important to assess the use of medical cannabis along with other concomitant medications when assessing for polypharmacy. Methods: The objective of this observational, longitudinal study was to examine medical cannabis (MC) use along with concomitant medications over 12 months in patients with serious medical conditions enrolled in the Pennsylvania (PA) Department of Health’s (DOH) Medical Marijuana Program and to collect and catalog which forms of MC patients are taking along with their concomitant medications. Results: There were 213 participants who completed the baseline surveys in full, and 201, 187, and 175 who completed the 1, 6, and 12-month follow-up surveys. The mean age of the participants was 41.3 years, and 54.5% were female. The mean number of MC products taken at baseline was 3.41 and 3.47 at the 12-month survey. Participants took an average of 3.76 (SD 3.15) medications at baseline and 3.65 (SD 3.4) at 12 months. Most commonly used concomitant medications at baseline included vitamins (42.3%), antidepressants (29.1%), analgesics (22.1%), herbal products (19.7%), and anxiolytics (17.8%). Conclusion: Participants used multiple medical cannabis products to treat a number of medication conditions in conjunction with multiple medications

    Refinement of 1p36 Alterations Not Involving PRDM16 in Myeloid and Lymphoid Malignancies

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    Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to characterize 81 cases of myeloid and lymphoid malignancies with cytogenetic 1p36 alterations not affecting the PRDM16 locus. In total, three subgroups were identified: balanced translocations (N = 27) and telomeric rearrangements (N = 15), both mainly observed in myeloid disorders; and unbalanced non-telomeric rearrangements (N = 39), mainly observed in lymphoid proliferations and frequently associated with a highly complex karyotype. The 1p36 rearrangement was isolated in 12 cases, mainly myeloid disorders. The breakpoints on 1p36 were more widely distributed than previously reported, but with identifiable rare breakpoint cluster regions, such as the TP73 locus. We also found novel partner loci on 1p36 for the known multi-partner genes HMGA2 and RUNX1. We precised the common terminal 1p36 deletion, which has been suggested to have an adverse prognosis, in B-cell lymphomas [follicular lymphomas and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with t(14;18)(q32;q21) as well as follicular lymphomas without t(14;18)]. Intrachromosomal telomeric repetitive sequences were detected in at least half the cases of telomeric rearrangements. It is unclear how the latter rearrangements occurred and whether they represent oncogenic events or result from chromosomal instability during oncogenesis

    Nuclear Lesions During Rat Hepatocarcinogenesis. I. Measuring the Sister-Chromatid Exchanges During Initiation, Promotion and Progression of Rat Hepatocarcinogenesis Induced with Diethylnitrosamine

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    Cytogenetic endpoints such as sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs), chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei (MNs) have been widely used as indicators of genetic damage. However, no systematic attempts have been made to correlate the levels of these cytogenetic endpoints with the different steps of carcinogenesis. In the present report, the induction, accumulation and persistence of SCEs and high frequency cells (HFCs) were measured in liver cells during the initiation, promotion and progression steps of rat hepatocarcinogenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN). The results indicate that lesions leading to SCEs accumulate during initiation only. When DEN administration is longer than the duration of this first step, SCE values stabilize. After stopping the carcinogenic treatment, the SCE levels decrease to control values whether or not promotion and progression occur

    Nutrition strategy for the Dhaka Food Systems Project

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    This document provides the nutrition strategy for the Dhaka Food System project, which WUR implements with FAO over the period 2019-2023. The first chapter provides the rationale for developing a nutrition strategy and methodology. In chapter two a nutrition situation analysis is presented for the Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA). Chapter three describes the strategic pathways for the DFS project to contribute to nutrition outcomes in the DMA. These strategic pathways are related to the analytical framework used by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition to transform food systems for healthier diets. Chapter four describes the cross-cutting strategies needed to achieve the intended nutritional results. The last chapters add suggestions for the creation of an action plan for the Thematic Clusters

    Critical topics in Bangladesh’s and Nigeria’s food system related policies : An exploratory policy review

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    Nigeria and Bangladesh from a food systems perspective. Its aim is to identify the most important policy topics identified in current p[policies related to nutrition and healthier diets at the national level. The key questions addressed were: 1) What are the critical topics from a food system’s [perspective, highlighted in national policies, to be addressed in order to improve food system’s outcomes and healthier diets? 2) How do food system related topics relate to the current agendas of existing platform initiatives? The analysis serves to demonstrate which domains of the food system have the emphasis of policy in both countries. For Bangladesh, the study concluded that the documents tend to focus on the food production side as well as the consumer side, alongside market connectivity, improving market infrastructure and reducing price volatility, while the transportation, shortage, processing, and retail functions of a food value chain tend to receive less attention. For Nigeria, the study concluded that there is a clear production issue: insufficient food is produced for national consumption and high postharvest losses are high. This in combination with a growing population and rapid urbanization leads to inequalities between rural and urban areas, between the North and South of the country and between women and men, and the risk of conflict situations put the food system under pressure. The triple burden of nutrition is well recognised, as well as food safety issues. The findings show that in Nigeria the emphasis is on interventions at storage, distribution, processing, retail and marketing level and with interventions directed at the consumer. Finally, the results are compared to the results of the A4NH P4HD Platforms Identification study from 2017, to see how the goals of the platforms identified align with the most important themes at national level. The findings of this study in relation to the Platform identification study indicate that platforms may be more focused on the day-to-day practice and build on historically grown consensus what to address, and not necessarily adopt forward looking current policies

    Deletions of the 3 ' BCR and 5 ' ABL regions in patients with Philadelphia-positive chronic myeloid leukemia: a one-step process occurring in about 10% of the cases without any evidence of genetic instability in the target cells

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    Deletions of the 5' ABL region adjacent to the t(9;22)(q34;q11) have recently been reported in 8-32.7% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The deletions were visualized with fluorescence in situ hybridization using, in the majority of the cases, the Vysis LSI BCR/ABL ES (extra signal) probe. In our series, 10 of 99 CML patients (10.1%) were characterized by a 5'ABL deletion. We show that 3' BCR losses are observed in nearly all the cases with 5' ABL deletions. Moreover, the different genetic events (Philadelphia chromosome formation; 5' ABL and 3' BCR deletions) occur simultaneously in a one-step process without any evidence for genetic instability in the target bone marrow cells. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

    Evaluation Design for Community-Based Physical Activity Programs for Socially Disadvantaged Groups: Communities on the Move

    No full text
    Background: As interventions are not yet successful in substantially improving physical activity levels of low socioeconomic status groups in the Netherlands, it is a challenge to undertake more effective interventions. Participatory community-based physical activity interventions such as Communities on the Move (CoM) seem promising. Evaluating their effectiveness, however, calls for appropriate evaluation approaches. Objective: This paper provides the conceptual model for the development of a context-sensitive monitoring and evaluation approach in order to (1) measure the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of CoM, and (2) develop an evaluation design enabling the identification of underlying mechanisms which explain what works and why in community-based physical activity programs. Methods: A cohort design is proposed, based on multiple cases, measuring impact, processes, and changes at each of the distinguished levels. The methods described in this paper will evaluate both short- and long-term effects, costs, and benefits of CoM. Results: Testing of the proposed model began in October 2012 and is on-going. Conclusions: The design offers a valid research strategy for evaluating the effectiveness of community-based physical activity programs. Internal validity is guaranteed by the use of several verification techniques such as triangulation. The multiple case studies at the program and community levels enhance external validit
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