Validity of self-reported measures of workplace sitting time and breaks in sitting time

CLARK, B. K., A. A. THORP, E. A. H. WINKLER, P. A. GARDINER, G. N. HEALY, N. OWEN, and D. W. DUNSTAN. Validity of Self-Reported Measures of Workplace Sitting Time and Breaks in Sitting Time. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 43, No. 10, pp. 1907-1912, 2011. Purpose: To understand the prevalence and potential health effect of prolonged workplace sedentary (sitting) time, valid measures are required. Here, we examined the criterion validity of a brief self-reported measure of workplace sitting time and breaks in sitting time. Methods: An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to assess workplace sitting time (h.d(-1)) and breaks from sitting per hour at work in a convenience sample of 121 full-time workers (36% men, mean age = 37 yr, 53% office based). These self-reported measures were compared with accelerometer-derived sedentary time (hours per day, = 100 counts per minute) during work hours. Results: Self-reported sitting time was significantly correlated with accelerometer-derived sedentary time (Pearson r = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.22-0.53), with an average sitting time 0.45 h.d(-1) higher than average sedentary time. Bland-Altman plots and regression analysis showed positive associations between the difference in sitting and sedentary time and the average of sitting and sedentary time (mean difference = -2.75 h + 0.47 x average sitting and sedentary time; limits of agreement = +/- 2.25 h.d(-1)). The correlation of self-reported breaks per sitting hour with accelerometer-derived breaks per sedentary hour was also statistically significant (Spearman r(s) = 0.26, 95% confidence interval = 0.11-0.44). Conclusions: This study is the first to examine the criterion validity of an interviewer-administered questionnaire measure of workplace sitting time and breaks in sitting time using objective criterion measures. The workplace sitting measure has acceptable properties for use in observational studies concerned with sedentary behavior in groups of workers; however, the wide limits of agreement suggest caution in estimating individuals' sitting time with high precision. Using self-reported measures to capture patterns of workplace sitting (such as breaks in sitting time) requires further development

Adults' past-day recall of sedentary time: reliability, validity and responsiveness

Purpose: Past-day recall rather than recall of past week or a usual/typical day may improve the validity of self-reported sedentary time measures. This study examined the test-retest reliability, criterion validity, and responsiveness of the seven-item questionnaire, Past-day Adults' Sedentary Time (PAST). Methods: Participants (breast cancer survivors, n = 90, age = 33-75 yr, body mass index = 25-40 kg.m(-2)) in a 6-month randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle-based weight loss intervention completed the interviewer-administered PAST questionnaire about time spent sitting/lying on the previous day for work, transport, television viewing, nonwork computer use, reading, hobbies, and other purposes (summed for total sedentary time). The instrument was administered at baseline, 7 d later for test-retest reliability (n = 86), and at follow-up. ActivPAL3-assessed sit/lie time in bouts of >= 5 min during waking hours on the recall day was used as the validity criterion measure at both baseline (n = 72) and follow-up (n = 68). Analyses included intraclass correlation coefficients, Pearson's correlations (r), and Bland-Altman plots and responsiveness index. Results: The PAST had fair to good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.32-0.64). At baseline, the correlation between PAST and activPAL sit/lie time was r = 0.57 (95% CI = 0.39-0.71). The mean difference between PAST at baseline and retest was -25 min (5.2%), 95% limits of agreement = -5.9 to 5.0 h, and the activPAL sit/lie time was -9 min (1.8%), 95% limits of agreement = -4.9 to 4.6 h. The PAST showed small but significant responsiveness (-0.44, 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.04); responsiveness of activPAL sit/lie time was not significant. Conclusion: The PAST questionnaire provided an easy-to-administer measure of sedentary time in this sample. Validity and reliability findings compare favorably with other sedentary time questionnaires. Past-day recall of sedentary time shows promise for use in future health behavior, epidemiological, and population surveillance studies

Investigating the effectiveness of three school based interventions for preventing psychotic experiences over a year period – a secondary data analysis study of a randomized control trial

INTRODUCTION: Psychotic experiences (PEs) are associated with increased risk of later mental disorders and so could be valuable in prevention studies. However, to date few intervention studies have examined PEs. Given this lack of evidence, in the current study a secondary data analysis was conducted on a clustered-randomized control trial (RCT) of 3 school based interventions to reduce suicidal behaviour, to investigate if these may reduce rates of PEs, and prevent PE, at 3-month and 1-year follow-up. METHODS: The Irish site of the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe study, trial registration (DRKS00000214), a cluster-RCT designed to examine the effect of school-based interventions on suicidal thoughts and behaviour. Seventeen schools (n = 1096) were randomly assigned to one of three intervention arms or a control arm. The interventions included a teacher training (gate-keeper) intervention, an interactive educational (universal-education) intervention, and a screening and integrated referral (selective-indicative) intervention. The primary outcome of this secondary data-analysis was reduction in point-prevalence of PEs at 12 months. A second analysis excluding those with PEs at baseline was conducted to examine prevention of PEs. Additional analysis was conducted of change in depression and anxiety scores (comparing those with/without PEs) in each arm of the intervention. Statistical analyses were conducted using mixed-effects modelling. RESULTS: At 12-months, the screening and referral intervention was associated with a significant reduction in PEs (OR:0.12,95%CI[0.02–0.62]) compared to the control arm. The teacher training and education intervention did not show this effect. Prevention was also observed only in the screening and referral arm (OR:0.30,95%CI[0.09–0.97]). Participants with PEs showed higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, compared to those without, and different responses to the screening and referral intervention & universal-education intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first evidence for a school based intervention that reduce & prevent PEs in adolescence. This intervention is a combination of a school-based screening for psychopathology and subsequent referral intervention significantly reduced PEs in adolescents. Although further research is needed, our findings point to the effectiveness of school-based programmes for prevention of future mental health problems. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-15107-x

Mitogen- and Stress-Activated Protein Kinase 1 Regulates Status Epilepticus-Evoked Cell Death in the Hippocampus

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling has been implicated in a wide range of neuronal processes, including development, plasticity, and viability. One of the principal downstream targets of both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/MAPK pathway and the p38 MAPK pathway is M itogen- and S tress-activated protein K inase 1 (MSK1). Here, we sought to understand the role that MSK1 plays in neuroprotection against excitotoxic stimulation in the hippocampus. To this end, we utilized immunohistochemical labeling, a MSK1 null mouse line, cell viability assays, and array-based profiling approaches. Initially, we show that MSK1 is broadly expressed within the major neuronal cell layers of the hippocampus and that status epilepticus drives acute induction of MSK1 activation. In response to the status epilepticus paradigm, MSK1 KO mice exhibited a striking increase in vulnerability to pilocarpine-evoked cell death within the CA1 and CA3 cell layers. Further, cultured MSK1 null neurons exhibited a heighted level of N-methyl-D-aspartate-evoked excitotoxicity relative to wild-type neurons, as assessed using the lactate dehydrogenase assay. Given these findings, we examined the hippocampal transcriptional profile of MSK1 null mice. Affymetrix array profiling revealed that MSK1 deletion led to the significant (>1.25-fold) downregulation of 130 genes and an upregulation of 145 genes. Notably, functional analysis indicated that a subset of these genes contribute to neuroprotective signaling networks. Together, these data provide important new insights into the mechanism by which the MAPK/MSK1 signaling cassette confers neuroprotection against excitotoxic insults. Approaches designed to upregulate or mimic the functional effects of MSK1 may prove beneficial against an array of degenerative processes resulting from excitotoxic insults

Relationship of television time with accelerometer-derived sedentary time: NHANES

CLARK, B. K., G. N. HEALY, E. A. H. WINKLER, P. A. GARDINER, T. SUGIYAMA, D. W. DUNSTAN, C. E. MATTHEWS, and N. OWEN. Relationship of Television Time with Accelerometer-Derived Sedentary Time: NHANES. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 822-828, 2011. Purpose: To examine the relationship of self-reported television (TV) viewing time with accelerometer-derived total sedentary time and to determine whether it differs by subgroup. Methods: Using data for adults (>= 20 yr) from the 2003-2004 and 2005-2006 nationally representative US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES; n = 5738), linear regression models examined the associations of categories of self-reported TV viewing time (< 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 95 h.d(-1)) with accelerometer-derived sedentary time (< 100 counts per minute; h.d(-1)). Spearman rho assessed the correlation between participants' rankings on the two measures. Analyses were stratified by gender, age, race/ethnicity, and, in the 2003-2004 NHANES cycle, by work status among working-aged adults (20-65 yr, n = 2069). Results: TV viewing time was significantly associated with sedentary time, with positive associations for all gender, age, race/ethnicity groups, and for those not working or working part-time, but not for those in full-time work. However, correlations between rankings of the measures were only "fair" overall (rho = 0.22) and were similar for all gender and racial/ethnic groups and for those of mid- and older age but not for those of younger age (20-39 yr, rho = 0.05). In the working-aged subgroup, there was also a fair correlation between the measures for those not working (rho = 0.22) but no significant correlation for those in part-time (rho = 0.14) or full-time work (rho = 0.03). Conclusions: Associations of TV viewing time with accelerometer-derived total sedentary time were statistically significant, but correlations were of only fair magnitude, and the strength of the relationship was not consistent across all population subgroups. These findings suggest that TV viewing time has an influence on overall sedentary time at a population level; however, measurement of sedentary time in other domains is also important

Joint associations of poor diet quality and prolonged television viewing time with abnormal glucose metabolism in Australian men and women

Objective. To examine the independent and joint associations of diet quality and television viewing time with abnormal glucose metabolism (AGM) in men and women

Immunogenicity of COVID ‐19 vaccines in patients with follicular lymphoma receiving frontline chemoimmunotherapy

Summary: Immune responses to primary COVID‐19 vaccination were investigated in 58 patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) as part of the PETReA trial of frontline therapy (EudraCT 2016–004010‐10). COVID‐19 vaccines (BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1) were administered before, during or after cytoreductive treatment comprising rituximab (depletes B cells) and either bendamustine (depletes CD4+ T cells) or cyclophosphamide‐based chemotherapy. Blood samples obtained after vaccine doses 1 and 2 (V1, V2) were analysed for antibodies and T cells reactive to the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein using the Abbott Architect and interferon‐gamma ELISpot assays respectively. Compared to 149 healthy controls, patients with FL exhibited lower antibody but preserved T‐cell responses. Within the FL cohort, multivariable analysis identified low pre‐treatment serum IgA levels and V2 administration during induction or maintenance treatment as independent determinants of lower antibody and higher T‐cell responses, and bendamustine and high/intermediate FLIPI‐2 score as additional determinants of a lower antibody response. Several clinical scenarios were identified where dichotomous immune responses were estimated with >95% confidence based on combinations of predictive variables. In conclusion, the immunogenicity of COVID‐19 vaccines in FL patients is influenced by multiple disease‐ and treatment‐related factors, among which B‐cell depletion showed differential effects on antibody and T‐cell responses

Phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics and quantum state reconstruction for physical systems with Lie-group symmetries

We present a detailed discussion of a general theory of phase-space distributions, introduced recently by the authors [J. Phys. A {\bf 31}, L9 (1998)]. This theory provides a unified phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics for physical systems possessing Lie-group symmetries. The concept of generalized coherent states and the method of harmonic analysis are used to construct explicitly a family of phase-space functions which are postulated to satisfy the Stratonovich-Weyl correspondence with a generalized traciality condition. The symbol calculus for the phase-space functions is given by means of the generalized twisted product. The phase-space formalism is used to study the problem of the reconstruction of quantum states. In particular, we consider the reconstruction method based on measurements of displaced projectors, which comprises a number of recently proposed quantum-optical schemes and is also related to the standard methods of signal processing. A general group-theoretic description of this method is developed using the technique of harmonic expansions on the phase space.Comment: REVTeX, 18 pages, no figure

Tissue Glucocorticoid Metabolism in Adrenal Insufficiency:A Prospective Study of Dual-release Hydrocortisone Therapy

Background: Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) require life-long glucocorticoid (GC) replacement therapy. Within tissues, cortisol (F) availability is under the control of the isozymes of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD). We hypothesize that corticosteroid metabolism is altered in patients with AI because of the nonphysiological pattern of current immediate release hydrocortisone (IR-HC) replacement therapy. The use of a once-daily dual-release hydrocortisone (DR-HC) preparation, (Plenadren®), offers a more physiological cortisol profile and may alter corticosteroid metabolism in vivo.Study Design and Methods: Prospective crossover study assessing the impact of 12 weeks of DR-HC on systemic GC metabolism (urinary steroid metabolome profiling), cortisol activation in the liver (cortisone acetate challenge test), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (microdialysis, biopsy for gene expression analysis) in 51 patients with AI (primary and secondary) in comparison to IR-HC treatment and age- and BMI-matched controls.Results: Patients with AI receiving IR-HC had a higher median 24-hour urinary excretion of cortisol compared with healthy controls (72.1 µg/24 hours [IQR 43.6-124.2] vs 51.9 µg/24 hours [35.5-72.3], P = .02), with lower global activity of 11β-HSD2 and higher 5-alpha reductase activity. Following the switch from IR-HC to DR-HC therapy, there was a significant reduction in urinary cortisol and total GC metabolite excretion, which was most significant in the evening. There was an increase in 11β-HSD2 activity. Hepatic 11β-HSD1 activity was not significantly altered after switching to DR-HC, but there was a significant reduction in the expression and activity of 11β-HSD1 in subcutaneous adipose tissue.Conclusion: Using comprehensive in vivo techniques, we have demonstrated abnormalities in corticosteroid metabolism in patients with primary and secondary AI receiving IR-HC. This dysregulation of pre-receptor glucocorticoid metabolism results in enhanced glucocorticoid activation in adipose tissue, which was ameliorated by treatment with DR-HC