Validity of a four-factor modelunderlying the physical fitness in adults with intellectual disabilities a confirmatory factor analysis

Purpose: To use confirmatory factor analysis to test whether a four factor might explain the clustering of the components of the physical fitness in adults with intellectual disabilities (FID). Relevance: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are significantly weaker than individuals without ID at all stages of life. These subjects might be particularly susceptible to loss of basic function because of poor physical fitness. Participants: We studied 267 adults with intellectual disability of the Spanish Special Olympics Games. Methods: The four-factor model included: the flexibility, the strength, the balance and the cardiorespiratory endurance with 9 variables of the fitness assessment. Analysis: The construct validity of the model was assessed through the factor loadings, interpreted as the correlation between the variables in the model and their underlying factor, which is the FID construct. Results: Factor loading were 0,55 for the passive knee extension, o,52 for Functional shoulder rotation, −0.71 for the timed-stand test, 0.58 for the grip test, 0.75 the single leg stance with eyes open, 0.69 single leg stance with eyes closed, 0.72 for the resting heart rate, 0.56 for the two-minute step test (2MST) 0,97 for 2 minutes after finish 2MST. The four-factor model also showed a good fit to the data, as indicated by a high comparative fit index (CFI=0,93) and a low standardized root mean square residual (SRMR=0,072) Conclusions: A four underlying factor has shown acceptable validity to represent FID Implications: The new model of FID can offer understanding better these construct in this special populationUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The effects of physical activity interventions on glycated haemoglobin A1c in non-diabetic populations: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Epidemiological evidence suggests that physical activity has a positive effect on reducing glycated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels not only in diabetics, but also in healthy subjects. Moreover, a positive association of HbA1c levels with cardiovascular disease and mortality in non-diabetic populations has recently been reported. This is a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to estimate the effects of physical activity on glycaemic control measured by HbA1c levels in non-diabetic populations; and to determine which type of physical activity has a greater influence on glycaemic control. Methods and analysis The search will be conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from inception to mid-2017. Randomised controlled trials, non-randomised experimental studies and controlled pre–post studies written in English, Portuguese, French or Spanish will be included. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies will be used to assess the risk of bias for studies included in the systematic review. Standardised pre–post intervention mean differences of HbA1c will be calculated as the primary outcome. Subgroup analyses will be performed based on the characteristics of physical activity intervention and population included in the studies.This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not for profit sectors. IC-R is supported by a grant from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (FPU13/01582). BP is supported by a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BPD/108751/2015). CA-B and MG-M are supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU13/03137 and FPU15/03847, respectively)

Elastic electron scattering from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran: experimental and theoretical studies

We report the results of measurements and calculations for elastic electron scattering from 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran (C4H8O2). The measurements are performed with a crossed electron-target beam apparatus and the absolute cross-sections are determined using the relative flow technique. The calculations are carried out using the Schwinger multichannel method in the static-exchange plus polarization (SEP) approximation. A set of angular differential cross-sections (DCS) is provided at five incident energies (6.5, 8, 10, 15 and 20 eV) over an angular range of 20–130°, and the energy dependence of the elastic DCS at a scattering angle of 120° is also presented. Integral elastic and elastic momentum transfer cross-sections have also been derived and calculated. The results are compared with those of recent measurements and calculations for the structurally similar molecule tetrahydrofuran (C4H8O)

Prevalence and trends of thinness, overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 3-18 years across Europe: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Increasing prevalence of both thinness and excess weight during childhood and adolescence is a significant public health issue because of short-term health consequences and long-term tracking of weight status. Monitoring weight status in Europe may serve to identify countries and regions where rates of these disorders are either slowing down or increasing to evaluate recent policies aimed at appropriate body weight, and to direct future interventions. This study protocol provides a standardised and transparent methodology to improve estimating trends of thinness, overweight and obesity in children aged 3-18 years and adolescents across the European region between 2000 and 2017. Methods and analysis This protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook. To identify relevant studies, a search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. From the selected studies, relevant references will be screened as supplemental sources. Finally, open search in websites from health institutions will be conducted to identify weight status data not published in scientific journals. Cross-sectional, follow-up studies and panel surveys reporting weight status (objectively measured height and weight) according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria, and written in English or Spanish will be included. Subgroup analyses will be carried out by gender, age, study year and country or European region. Discussion This study will provide a comprehensive description of weight status of children and adolescents across Europe from 2000 to 2017. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. This study will use data exclusively from published research or institutional literature, so institutional ethical approval is not required

Levels and patterns of objectively assessed physical activity and compliance with different public health guidelines in university students

ArticleBackground Physical activity (PA) is associated with health enhancement. The aim of this study was to assess: 1) levels and patterns of PA in university students by using accelerometers; and 2) the percentage of fulfilment of PA recommendations for adults, according to different public health guidelines. Methods Observational cross-sectional study (Cuenca’s Adults Study) involving 296 (206 women) healthy Spanish university students aged 18–25 years old. Participants wore the ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Total PA, steps and time spent in sedentary time, light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) was assessed, and the prevalence of sufficient PA was calculated according to various public health guidelines. Results No sex differences in total PA were found. University students were more sedentary during weekend days than weekdays (p<0.05). Only 30.3% of participants accumulated 30 min/day at least five days a week of MVPA. A total of 5.4% of students met the recommendation of 150 min/week of MVPA or 75 min/week of vigorous PA, in PA bouts of at least 10 min. using the same definition, but on five or more days a week, only 0.5% students were found to meet the recommendation. In addition, only 0.5% of students met the recommendation of 30 min/day of MVPA, at least five days a week and in bouts of at least 10 min. Finally, 28.1% of the students met the recommendation of 10,000 steps/day. Conclusions Our study shows a high incidence of sedentary time in university students. The number of students meeting PA recommendations significantly differed depending on the recommendation proposed. Specific strategies to promote PA in this population are necessary as well as an agreement as to which PA guidelines should be used.Fundación para la Investigación SanitariaMinistry of Health and Consumer AffairsInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIRed de Investigación en Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de Salu

Agreement between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and quantitative ultrasound to evaluate bone health in adolescents: The PRO-BONE study

Purpose: The present study aims to investigate the association between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters and the intermethods agreement in active males. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, bone health (by DXA and calcaneal QUS), physical activity (by accelerometers), and anthropometrics measurements were assessed in 117 active adolescents (12–14 y old). Bivariate correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationships between DXA standard regions of interest and QUS parameters. Intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman plots were used to assess the level of agreement between bone mineral content regions derived from DXA and stiffness index. The measurements were z score transformed for comparison. Results: Most QUS parameters were positive and significantly correlated with DXA outcomes (stiffness index: r = .43–.52; broadband ultrasound attenuation: r = .50–.58; speed of sound: r = .25–.27) with the hip showing the highest correlations. Moreover, the present study found fair to good intraclass correlation coefficients of agreement (.60–.68) between DXA and QUS to assess bone health. The Bland–Altman analysis showed a limited percentage of outliers (3.2%–8.6%). Conclusion: QUS device could represent an acceptable alternative method to assess bone health in active adolescent males

How people interact with a chatbot against disinformation and fake news in COVID-19 in Brazil: The CoronaAI case

Background: The search for valid information was one of the main challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the development of several online alternatives. Objectives: To describe the development of a computational solution to interact with users of different levels of digital literacy on topics related to COVID-19 and to map the correlations between user behavior and events and news that occurred throughout the pandemic. Method: CoronaAI, a chatbot based on Google's Dialogflow technology, was developed at a public university in Brazil and made available on WhatsApp. The dataset with users’ interactions with the chatbot comprises approximately 7,000 hits recorded throughout eleven months of CoronaAI usage. Results: CoronaAI was widely accessed by users in search of valuable and updated information on COVID-19, including checking the veracity of possible fake news about the spread of cases, deaths, symptoms, tests and protocols, among others. The mapping of users' behavior revealed that as the number of cases and deaths increased and as COVID-19 became closer, users showed a greater need for information applicable to self-care compared to following the statistical data. In addition, they showed that the constant updating of this technology may contribute to public health by enhancing general information on the pandemic and at the individual level by clarifying specific doubts about COVID-19. Conclusion: Our findings reinforce the potential usefulness of chatbot technology to resolve a wide spectrum of citizens' doubts about COVID-19, acting as a cost-effective tool against the parallel pandemic of misinformation and fake news

Agreement Between Standard Body Composition Methods to Estimate Percentage of Body Fat in Young Male Athletes.

This is author's accepted manuscript.Final version available from Human Kinetics via the DOI in this record.PURPOSE: To examine the intermethods agreement of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to assess the percentage of body fat (%BF) in young male athletes using air-displacement plethysmography (ADP) as the reference method. METHODS: Standard measurement protocols were carried out in 104 athletes (40 swimmers, 37 footballers, and 27 cyclists, aged 12-14 y). RESULTS: Age-adjusted %BF ADP and %BF BIA were significantly higher in swimmers than footballers. ADP correlates better with DXA than with BIA (r = .84 vs r = .60, P < .001). %BF was lower when measured by DXA and BIA than ADP (P < .001), and the bias was higher when comparing ADP versus BIA than ADP versus DXA. The intraclass correlation coefficients between DXA and ADP showed a good to excellent agreement (r = .67-.79), though it was poor when BIA was compared with ADP (r = .26-.49). The ranges of agreement were wider when comparing BIA with ADP than DXA with ADP. CONCLUSION: DXA and BIA seem to underestimate %BF in young male athletes compared with ADP. Furthermore, the bias significantly increases with %BF in the BIA measurements. At the individual level, BIA and DXA do not seem to predict %BF precisely compared with ADP in young athletic populations.This work was done as part of the PRO-BONE study. It has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. PCIG13-GA-2013-618496. M.V.N-F. received a PhD Student Internships Abroad scholarship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq; process: 200340/2015-8) and a Brazilian PhD Student scholarship from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP; process. 2016/18436-8 and 2017/11732-3). E.U-G. received a PhD scholarship from Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (2014/10340). A.C.F.M. received a postdoctoral scholarship from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP; process: 2014/13367-2 and 2015/14319-4)

Glycosylated haemoglobin as a predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Glycosylated haemoglobin level (HbA1c) is an indicator of the average blood glucose concentrations over the preceding 2–3 months and is used as a convenient and well-known biomarker in clinical practice. Currently, epidemiological evidence suggests that HbA1c level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary heart disease and heart failure. This protocol aim is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine relationships of HbA1c levels with cardiovascular outcomes and cause of death, and to analyse the range of HbA1c levels that is a predictor of cardiovascular disease and/or mortality based on data from published observational studies. Methods and analysis The search will be conducted using Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science databases from their inception. Observational studies written in Portuguese, Spanish or English will be included. The Quality In Prognosis Studies tool will be used to assess the risk of bias for the studies included in the systematic review or meta-analysis. HRs for cardiovascular outcomes and causes of death with 95% CIs will be determined as primary outcomes. Subgroup analyses will be performed based on cardiovascular outcomes, cause of death studied, and type of population included in the studies. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review will synthesise evidence on the potential of using HbA1c level as a prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease outcomes and/or mortality. The results will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Ethics approval will not be needed because the data used for this systematic review will be obtained from published studies and there will be no concerns about privacy

Macrocyclic colibactin induces DNA double-strand breaks via copper-mediated oxidative cleavage.

Colibactin is an assumed human gut bacterial genotoxin, whose biosynthesis is linked to the clb genomic island that has a widespread distribution in pathogenic and commensal human enterobacteria. Colibactin-producing gut microbes promote colon tumour formation and enhance the progression of colorectal cancer via cellular senescence and death induced by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs); however, the chemical basis that contributes to the pathogenesis at the molecular level has not been fully characterized. Here, we report the discovery of colibactin-645, a macrocyclic colibactin metabolite that recapitulates the previously assumed genotoxicity and cytotoxicity. Colibactin-645 shows strong DNA DSB activity in vitro and in human cell cultures via a unique copper-mediated oxidative mechanism. We also delineate a complete biosynthetic model for colibactin-645, which highlights a unique fate of the aminomalonate-building monomer in forming the C-terminal 5-hydroxy-4-oxazolecarboxylic acid moiety through the activities of both the polyketide synthase ClbO and the amidase ClbL. This work thus provides a molecular basis for colibactin's DNA DSB activity and facilitates further mechanistic study of colibactin-related colorectal cancer incidence and prevention