DEMOGRAPHIC AND LIFE DOMAIN FACTORS AFFECTING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING OF PARTICIPANTS IN A MARATHON-RUNNING EVENT

Background: Subjective well-being, as individuals’ cognitive and affective evaluations of their satisfaction with life, depends on a wide range of factors, the importance of which is yet to be explored. Aim: This paper investigates the importance attributed by individuals for evaluating their subjective well-being in terms of five demographic (gender, age, family status, education, income) and five life domain factors (life and environment quality, health, job status, free time, social and institutional environment). Methodology: A quantitative research was conducted via a questionnaire distributed to 1,017 individuals, addressing the most important life domains affecting subjective well-being, including demographic variables. Results: All five life domain factors are considered as important for individuals’ subjective well-being, although the level of importance attributed differs according to their demographic profile. Education and income have a positive and strong relationship with subjective well-being. Discussion: According to existing literature, demographic factors affect subjective well-being; and moreover, this study suggests that the importance of various life domains for individuals’ subjective well-being depends on their demographic profile, with education and income playing a major role on life evaluation.  Article visualizations

INFLUENCE OF THE ANKLE JOINT DORSIFLEXION ON THE EXECUTION OF VERTICAL JUMPS

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the differences in the execution of vertical jumps between individuals with good and poor ankle dorsiflexion ability. Thirty (30) males and thirty (30) female P.E. students, after being evaluated for ankle dorsiflexion, formatted the flexible and inflexible groups (FG and IFG) and executed vertical jumps. In the SQJs the IFG exhibited more inclination of the trunk at the beginning of the jump, while in the CMJs and the DJs they applied greater forces and produced greater peak angular accelerations in all joints. The IFG, by leaning forward the trunk, underwent a greater injury risk for the low back while executing the SQJs. On the other hand, they underwent an increased injury risk for the achilles tendon by raising the heels off the ground and applying greater forces during the DJs

SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND ENGAGEMENT IN COMMUNITY SPORTS ACTIVITIES

Physical activity and sports participation have significant benefits for physical and mental well-being, an emerging literature examines the impact of sports participation on subjective well-being. Identifying the existing literature gap regarding sport attending’s relationship with subjective well-being, this study will examine whether sport attending also have significant and positive effects on individuals’ life satisfaction. This study seeks to establish a relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being by distinguishing active and non-active participation. Subjective well-being was measured through life satisfaction in a sample of 1,017 active and non-active participants in a local Marathon event. Individuals who actively participated in the Marathon event reported higher life satisfaction compared to non-active participants. Education and frequency of participation were found to be significant mediation factors of the sports participation - subjective well-being relationship, with more educated and more frequent participants reporting higher life satisfaction. Engagement in community sports activities upgrades subjective well-being, and the power of this relationship is affected by specific demographic variables

Improved PCR-Based Detection of Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections Using a Next-Generation Sequencing Approach to Assay Design

The soil transmitted helminths are a group of parasitic worms responsible for extensive mor- bidity in many of the world’s most economically depressed locations. With growing empha- sis on disease mapping and eradication, the availability of accurate and cost-effective diagnostic measures is of paramount importance to global control and elimination efforts. While real-time PCR-based molecular detection assays have shown great promise, to date, these assays have utilized sub-optimal targets. By performing next-generation sequencing- based repeat analyses, we have identified high copy-number, non-coding DNA sequences from a series of soil transmitted pathogens. We have used these repetitive DNA elements as targets in the development of novel, multi-parallel, PCR-based diagnostic assays

The increased sensitivity of qPCR in comparison to Kato-Katz is required for the accurate assessment of the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infection in settings that have received multiple rounds of mass drug administration

Background The most commonly used diagnostic tool for soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is the Kato-Katz (KK) thick smear technique. However, numerous studies have suggested that the sensitivity of KK can be problematic, especially in low prevalence and low intensity settings. An emerging alternative is quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Methods In this study, both KK and qPCR were conducted on stool samples from 648 participants in an STH epidemiology study conducted in the delta region of Myanmar in June 2016. Results Prevalence of any STH was 20.68% by KK and 45.06% by qPCR. Prevalence of each individual STH was also higher by qPCR than KK, the biggest difference was for hookworm with an approximately 4-fold increase between the two diagnostic techniques. Prevalence of Ancylostoma ceylanicum, a parasite predominately found in dogs, was 4.63%, indicating that there is the possibility of zoonotic transmission in the study setting. In individuals with moderate to high intensity infections there is evidence for a linear relationship between eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces, derived from KK, and DNA copy number, derived from qPCR which is particularly strong for Ascaris lumbricoides. Conclusions The use of qPCR in low prevalence settings is important to accurately assess the epidemiological situation and plan control strategies for the ‘end game’. However, more work is required to accurately assess STH intensity from qPCR results and to reduce the cost of qPCR so that is widely accessible in STH endemic countries.Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data

Pooling as a strategy for the timely diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminths in stool: value and reproducibility

Background The strategy of pooling stool specimens has been extensively used in the field of parasitology in order to facilitate the screening of large numbers of samples whilst minimizing the prohibitive cost of single sample analysis. The aim of this study was to develop a standardized reproducible pooling protocol for stool samples, validated between two different laboratories, without jeopardizing the sensitivity of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays employed for the detection of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Two distinct experimental phases were recruited. First, the sensitivity and specificity of the established protocol was assessed by real-time PCR for each one of the STHs. Secondly, agreement and reproducibility of the protocol between the two different laboratories were tested. The need for multiple stool sampling to avoid false negative results was also assessed. Finally, a cost exercise was conducted which included labour cost in low- and high-wage settings, consumable cost, prevalence of a single STH species, and a simple distribution pattern of the positive samples in pools to estimate time and money savings suggested by the strategy. Results The sensitivity of the pooling method was variable among the STH species but consistent between the two laboratories. Estimates of specificity indicate a ‘pooling approach’ can yield a low frequency of ‘missed’ infections. There were no significant differences regarding the execution of the protocol and the subsequent STH detection between the two laboratories, which suggests in most cases the protocol is reproducible by adequately trained staff. Finally, given the high degree of agreement, there appears to be little or no need for multiple sampling of either individuals or pools. Conclusions Our results suggest that the pooling protocol developed herein is a robust and efficient strategy for the detection of STHs in ‘pools-of-five’. There is notable complexity of the pool preparation to ensure even distribution of helminth DNA throughout. Therefore, at a given setting, cost of labour among other logistical and epidemiological factors, is the more concerning and determining factor when choosing pooling strategies, rather than losing sensitivity and/or specificity of the molecular assay or the method.Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated

A Novel, Species-Specific, Real-Time PCR Assay for the Detection of the Emerging Zoonotic Parasite Ancylostoma Ceylanicum in Human Stool

Historically, Ancylostoma ceylanicum has been viewed as an uncommon cause of human hookworm infection, with minimal public health importance. However, recent reports have indicated that this zoonotic hookworm causes a much greater incidence of infection within certain human populations than was previously believed. Current methods for the species-level detection of A. ceylanicum rely on techniques that involve conventional PCR accompanied by restriction enzyme digestions. These PCR-based assays are not only labo- rious but they lack sensitivity as they target suboptimal regions on the DNA. As efforts aimed at the eradication of hookworm disease have grown substantially over the last decade, the need for sensitive and specific tools to monitor and evaluate programmatic successes has correspondingly escalated. Since a growing body of evidence suggests that patient responses to drug treatment can vary based upon the species of hookworm that is causing infection, accurate species-level diagnostics are advantageous. Accordingly, the novel real-time PCR-based assay described here provides a sensitive, species-specific diag- nostic tool that will facilitate the accurate mapping of disease endemicity and will aid in the evaluation of progress of programmatic deworming efforts

Pooling as a Strategy for the Timely Diagnosis of Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Stool: Value and Reproducibility

Background: The strategy of pooling stool specimens has been extensively used in the field of parasitology in order to facilitate the screening of large numbers of samples whilst minimizing the prohibitive cost of single sample analysis. The aim of this study was to develop a standardized reproducible pooling protocol for stool samples, validated between two different laboratories, without jeopardizing the sensitivity of the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays employed for the detection of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Two distinct experimental phases were recruited. First, the sensitivity and specificity of the established protocol was assessed by real-time PCR for each one of the STHs. Secondly, agreement and reproducibility of the protocol between the two different laboratories were tested. The need for multiple stool sampling to avoid false negative results was also assessed. Finally, a cost exercise was conducted which included labour cost in low- and high-wage settings, consumable cost, prevalence of a single STH species, and a simple distribution pattern of the positive samples in pools to estimate time and money savings suggested by the strategy. Results: The sensitivity of the pooling method was variable among the STH species but consistent between the two laboratories. Estimates of specificity indicate a \u27pooling approach\u27 can yield a low frequency of \u27missed\u27 infections. There were no significant differences regarding the execution of the protocol and the subsequent STH detection between the two laboratories, which suggests in most cases the protocol is reproducible by adequately trained staff. Finally, given the high degree of agreement, there appears to be little or no need for multiple sampling of either individuals or pools. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the pooling protocol developed herein is a robust and efficient strategy for the detection of STHs in \u27pools-of-five\u27. There is notable complexity of the pool preparation to ensure even distribution of helminth DNA throughout. Therefore, at a given setting, cost of labour among other logistical and epidemiological factors, is the more concerning and determining factor when choosing pooling strategies, rather than losing sensitivity and/or specificity of the molecular assay or the method