The effect of a nutrition education intervention on school-age boys attending a sports camp

RESUMOIntrodução: Modificações nos padrões alimentares e nos estilos de vida a nível mundial estão a levar ao aumento daprevalência da obesidade infantil, tornando-se imperativo explorar estratégias eficazes para prevenir e tratar esta doença.Objectivos: Este estudo não randomizado controlado avaliou a eficácia de uma intervenção de educação alimentar de curtaduração (4 horas, distribuídas por 5 dias) na melhoria dos conhecimentos dietéticos, qualidade alimentar e z-score de IMC de26 meninos em idade escolar (6 a 11 anos) a frequentar um campo de férias desportivo.Metodologia: Tanto o grupo de intervenção (n=26) como o grupo controlo (n=39) foram avaliados imediatamente antes e6 semanas após a intervenção (Índice de Massa Corporal e KIDMED foram avaliados em ambos os grupos; questionário deconhecimentos de nutrição foi aplicado apenas no grupo de intervenção).Resultados: No grupo de intervenção, foi observada uma diminuição significativa no z-score de Índice de Massa Corporal(p<0.05), sem alterações significativas nos conhecimentos nem na qualidade alimentar. No grupo controlo, não se verificaramalterações significativas em nenhuma das variáveis.Conclusões: Os campos de férias desportivos que integram intervenções de educação alimentar podem ser uma estratégiapromissora no combate à obesidade infantil.ABSTRACTIntroduction: Changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns worldwide have led to an increased prevalenceof childhood obesity, becoming imperative to explore e"ective strategies to both prevent andtreat this disease.Objectives: This non-randomized controlled trial evaluated the e"ectiveness of a short-term nutritioneducation intervention (4 hours, distributed over 5 days) on improving the dietary knowledge, dietquality and Body Mass Index-for-age z-score of 26 school-age boys (6 to 11 years old) attending aholiday sports camp.Methodology: Both intervention (n=26) and control (n=39) groups were evaluated immediatelybefore and 6 weeks after the intervention (Body Mass Index and KIDMED were evaluated for bothgroups; while nutrition knowledge questionnaire was only for intervention group).Results: In the intervention group, a significant decrease was observed in BMI z-score (p<0.05), butthe overweight and obesity prevalence remained unchanged. No significant changes in knowledgeand diet quality were found in both groups. In the control group, there were not significant changesfor any variable.Conclusions: Holiday sports camps with nutrition education interventions can be a promising strategyto combat childhood obesit

Effect of Zeba (Super absorbent polymer) to combat the impacts of increased temperature and irrigation interval on growth and yield attributes of Chilli (Capsicum annum)

It is very important to use adaptation technologies in crop fields to mitigate the adverse effect of increasing temperature and limited amount of water on crop growth and yield. Application of Super Absorbent Polymers is one of the technologies which can be used to overcome the impacts. This study was conducted at the Open University of Sri Lanka, during the period of 2019 to 2021. Experimental design consisted with three factors, i.e. temperature conditions (32-33 0C and 35-360C), irrigation intervals (3days, 5days and 8days) and application of Zeba (Super Absorbent Polymers) (2g of Zeba and with not Zeba). Treatments were arranged in Complete Randomized Design with three replicates. Growth and yield parameters of chilli were collected and statistical analysis of the data (ANOVA) was performed using Three-Factor Factorial Design and compared for the significance by using a Revised Least Significant Difference  test at p=0.05. According to the results, Zeba positively influences to mitigate the adverse effect of increased temperature and water stress condition imposed by longer irrigation interval. Under ambient temperature condition, treatment with Zeba, three day irrigation interval showed the highest yield of chilli. However, the yield of that crop was not significantly different from the treatments with five day irrigation interval and eight day irrigation interval under ambient temperature condition with Zeba. Therefore, due to the no significant difference, treatment with Zeba and eight day irrigation interval can be named as the best cost-effective treatment which can be used to cultivate with limited amount of water under ambient temperature condition. Under increased temperature condition, treatment with Zeba, three day irrigation interval showed the highest yield. However, it is not significantly different from the treatment of five day irrigation interval, with Zeba under increased temperature condition. Therefore, under increased temperature condition, irrigation interval can be extended up to five day when plants were treated with Zeba

Results of the MRI substudy of the intravenous magnesium efficacy in stroke trial

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background and Purpose:&lt;/b&gt;Although magnesium is neuroprotective in animal stroke models, no clinical benefit was confirmed in the Intravenous Magnesium Efficacy in Stroke (IMAGES) trial of acute stroke patients. The Magnetic Resonance in IMAGES (MR IMAGES) substudy investigated the effects of magnesium on the imaging surrogate outcome of infarct growth.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; IMAGES trial patients in participating centers were randomized to receive either intravenous magnesium or placebo within 12 hours of stroke onset. Infarct growth was defined as volume difference between baseline diffusion-weighted imaging and day 90 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image lesions. Patients who died were imputed the largest infarct growth observed.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; Among the 90 patients included in the primary analysis, there was no difference in infarct growth (median absolute growth, P=0.639; median percentage growth, P=0.616; proportion with any growth, P=0.212) between the 46 treated with magnesium and 44 with placebo. Infarct growth correlated with NIHSS score change from baseline to day 90. There was a trend showing baseline serum glucose correlated with infarct growth with magnesium treatment, but not in the placebo group. The mismatch frequency was reduced from 73% to 47% by increasing the mismatch threshold from &#62;20% to &#62;100% of core volume.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Infarct growth, confirmed here as a surrogate for clinical progression, was similar between magnesium and placebo treatment, paralleling the main IMAGES trial clinical outcomes. Glucose was a covariate for infarct growth with magnesium treatment. A more stringent mismatch threshold to define penumbra more appropriately would have excluded half of the patients in this 12-hour time window stroke study.&lt;/p&gt

Nonextensivity in Geological Faults?

Geological fault systems, as the San Andreas fault (SAF) in USA, constitute typical examples of self-organizing systems in nature. In this paper, we have considered some geophysical properties of the SAF system to test the viability of the nonextensive models for earthquakes developed in [Phys. Rev. E {\bf 73}, 026102, 2006]. To this end, we have used 6188 earthquakes events ranging in the magnitude interval $2 < m < 8$ that were taken from the Network Earthquake International Center catalogs (NEIC, 2004-2006) and the Bulletin of the International Seismological Centre (ISC, 1964-2003). For values of the Tsallis nonextensive parameter $q \simeq 1.68$, it is shown that the energy distribution function deduced in above reference provides an excellent fit to the NEIC and ISC SAF data.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, standard LaTeX fil

Numerical evaluation of the flange thickness effect on the contact stress and prying action in T-Stub steel connection

Este artículo presenta un estudio numérico utilizando el programa ANSYS para análisis de conexiones de acero tipo «T» denominadas «T-Stub», en las cuales puede darse el fenómeno de acción de palanca. El efecto de apalancamiento en los tornillos de la placa ha sido estudiado antes, pero la localización de las fuerzas de palanca ha sido simplificada. El efecto del espesor de las placas de conexión «T-Stub» en las áreas de contacto entre ellas y un soporte rígido ha sido investigado en este artículo diferentemente de lo que se encuentra en la literatura técnica, en que dicho fenómeno es estudiado entre bases flexibles. La conexión ha sido discretizada con elemento de sólido 3D y elementos de interfaz. En los análisis realizados se adoptan diferentes espesores de la placa y tornillos de diámetros distintos en los cuales se ha aplicado una precarga. En este artículo se presenta una discusión sobre la magnitud de los esfuerzos en los tornillos y la extensión del área de contacto efectiva entre la placa y un soporte rígido.This paper presents a numerical study of «T-Stub» steel connections using FEM analyses. In such connections prying action phenomenon may take place. Prying action effect on the bolts has been studied before but the location of the prying action forces has always been simplified. The effect of the thickness of «T-Stub» flanges on contact areas between flanges and support base is investigated in this paper. A 3D finite element model is used and interface elements are employed for the investigation. Nonlinear FE analyses are undertaken on connection with different flange thickness and bolt preload with two bolts. Nonlinear gap elements are used as interfaces. Discussion and conclusions on contact areas and stresses, prying action distributions and resultant of loads on bolts in the «T-Stub» connections are presented.Peer Reviewe

Solvent Effect on Electrochemical CO₂ Reduction Reaction on Nanostructured Copper Electrodes

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) is a sustainable alternative for producing fuels and chemicals, although the production of highly desired hydrocarbons is still a challenge due to the higher overpotential requirement in combination with the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Tailoring the electrolyte composition is a possible strategy to favor the CO2RR over the HER. In this work we studied the solvent effect on the CO2RR on a nanostructured Cu electrode in acetonitrile solvent with different amounts of water. Similar to what has been observed for aqueous media, our online gas chromatography results showed that CO2RR in acetonitrile solvent is also structure-dependent, since nanocube-covered copper (CuNC) was the only surface (in comparison to polycrystalline Cu) capable of producing a detectable amount of ethylene (10% FE), provided there is enough water present in the electrolyte (&gt;500 mM). In situ Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that in acetonitrile solvent the presence of CO2 strongly inhibits HER by driving away water from the interface. CO is by far the main product of CO2RR in acetonitrile (&gt;85% Faradaic efficiency), but adsorbed CO is not detected. This suggests that in acetonitrile media CO adsorption is inhibited compared to aqueous media. Remarkably, the addition of water to acetonitrile has little quantitative and almost no qualitative effect on the activity and selectivity of the CO2RR. This indicates that water is not strongly involved in the rate-determining step of the CO2RR in acetonitrile. Only at the highest water concentrations and at the CuNC surface, the CO coverage becomes high enough that a small amount of C2+ product is formed