Changing the practice learning landscape

Engagement in real life practice has long been acknowledged as the most effective way to learn a trade or profession and practice learning is consistently highlighted by nursing and midwifery placement students for its impact on both their professional and personal development. The paper examines the current complexities of practice learning that have emerged from educational reform and policy and debates the increased interest in the development of alternative approaches to practice learning in the UK

A Pilot Study of the Effects of a Tailored Web-Based Intervention on Promoting Fruit and Vegetable Intake in African American Families

Background: The current study examined the effects of a Web-based tailored parenting intervention on increasing fruit and vegetable intake in African American families. Methods: Forty-seven African American parents (mean age, 41.32±7.30; 93.6% female) with an adolescent (mean age, 13.32±1.46; 59.6% female) participated in a Web-based autonomy-support parenting tailored intervention session to increase both parent and youth fruit and vegetable (F a Web-based information phase, and a goal-setting and action plan phase. Self-reported measures of parenting skills [based on autonomy (choice), support, and communication] and FandV intake (assessed as average daily intake) were assessed at baseline and at a 1-week follow-up session. Results: There was a significant increase in parents' self-reports of daily fruit intake from pretest to the 1-week follow-up. Parent and adolescent combined FandV intake also significantly increased from pretest to 1-week follow-up. Overall, parents reported that the program was easy to navigate and that they enjoyed participating in the Web-based online program. Conclusions: Current findings provide preliminary support for an autonomy-support parent tailored Web-based program for improving dietary intake in African American families.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140334/1/chi.2013.0070.pd

Perceptions of Environmental Supports for Physical Activity in African American and White Adults in a Rural County in South Carolina

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the association between perceptions of social and safety-related environmental attributes and physical activity (PA) and walking in African American and white adults. METHODS: In a random-digit–dial telephone survey, 1165 adults in a rural county in South Carolina answered questions about their perceptions of social and safety-related environmental supports for PA and their overall PA and walking behavior. Social perceptions included whether neighbors could be trusted or were perceived to be physically active. Safety-related perceptions included neighborhood safety, the safety of public recreation facilities, problems with unattended dogs, traffic volume, and streetlight quality. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between environmental supports and PA and walking stratified by race. RESULTS: No association between perceived neighborhood environmental supports and PA or walking was observed in African Americans. Among whites, individuals who perceived their neighbors as active were twice (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19–3.25) as likely to report meeting the recommendation for PA compared with individuals who did not report their neighbors as active. Whites who perceived their neighbors as active were 2.5 times (95% CI, 1.54–4.08) as likely to report meeting the recommendations for walking than whites who did not, and whites who perceived their neighborhoods as safe were 1.8 times (95% CI, 1.03–3.12) as likely to report meeting the recommendations for walking than whites who did not. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that perceptions of certain social and safety-related environmental supports were strongly associated with meeting the recommendations for PA and walking among white but not African American adults

Accelerometry cut points for physical activity in underserved African Americans

Background: Despite their increased use, no studies have examined the validity of Actical accelerometry cut points for moderate physical activity (PA) in underserved (low-income, high-crime), minority populations. The high rates of chronic disease and physical inactivity in these populations likely impact the measurement of PA. There is growing concern that traditionally defined cut points may be too high for older or inactive adults. The present study aimed to determine the self-selected pace associated with instructions to walk for exercise and the corresponding accelerometry estimates (e.g. Actical counts/minute) for underserved, African American adults. Method: Fifty one participants (61% women) had a mean age of 60.1 (SD=9.9) and a mean body mass index of 30.5 kg/m2 (SD=60). They performed one seated task, on standing task, and three walking tasks: strolling ; walking for exercise ; and walking in an emergency. Results: The average pace for strolling, walking for exercise, and walking in an emergency were 1.62 miles per hour (mph; SD=.51), 2.51 mph (SD=.53), and 2.86 mph (SD=.58), respectively. Regression analyses showed that the predicted counts/minute for a pace of 2.0 mph (which is used as the criterion for moderate exercise in this study) was 1075 counts/minute (SEM=73). Conclusions: The cut point associated with subjectively determined moderate PA is similar to those previously published for older adults and extends to the use of adjusted cut points to African American populations. These results indicate that accurate cut points can be obtained using this innovative methodology

Using process evaluation for program improvement in dose, fidelity and reach: the ACT trial experience

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how formative program process evaluation was used to improve dose and fidelity of implementation, as well as reach of the intervention into the target population, in the "Active by Choice Today" (ACT) randomized school-based trial from years 1 to 3 of implementation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The intervention integrated constructs from Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory to enhance intrinsic motivation and behavioral skills for increasing long-term physical activity (PA) behavior in underserved adolescents (low income, minorities). ACT formative process data were examined at the end of each year to provide timely, corrective feedback to keep the intervention "on track".</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Between years 1 and 2 and years 2 and 3, three significant changes were made to attempt to increase dose and fidelity rates in the program delivery and participant attendance (reach). These changes included expanding the staff training, reformatting the intervention manual, and developing a tracking system for contacting parents of students who were not attending the after-school programs regularly. Process outcomes suggest that these efforts resulted in notable improvements in attendance, dose, and fidelity of intervention implementation from years 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 of the ACT trial.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Process evaluation methods, particularly implementation monitoring, are useful tools to ensure fidelity in intervention trials and for identifying key best practices for intervention delivery.</p

Myeloid protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) deficiency protects against atherosclerotic plaque formation in the ApoE-/- mouse model of atherosclerosis with alterations in IL10/AMPKa pathway

Objective: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most prevalent cause of mortality among patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, due to accelerated atherosclerosis. Recent evidence suggests a strong link between atherosclerosis and insulin resistance due to impaired insulin receptor (IR) signaling. Moreover, inflammatory cells, in particular macrophages, play a key role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and insulin resistance in humans. We hypothesized that inhibiting the activity of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), the major negative regulator of the IR, specifically in macrophages, would have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects and lead to protection against atherosclerosis and CVD. Methods: We generated novel macrophage-specific PTP1B knockout mice on atherogenic background (ApoE−/−/LysM-PTP1B). Mice were fed standard or pro-atherogenic diet, and body weight, adiposity (echoMRI), glucose homeostasis, atherosclerotic plaque development, and molecular, biochemical and targeted lipidomic eicosanoid analyses were performed. Results: Myeloid-PTP1B knockout mice on atherogenic background (ApoE−/−/LysM-PTP1B) exhibited a striking improvement in glucose homeostasis, decreased circulating lipids and decreased atherosclerotic plaque lesions, in the absence of body weight/adiposity differences. This was associated with enhanced phosphorylation of aortic Akt, AMPKα and increased secretion of circulating anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), without measurable alterations in IR phosphorylation, suggesting a direct beneficial effect of myeloid-PTP1B targeting. Conclusions: Here we demonstrate that inhibiting the activity of PTP1B specifically in myeloid lineage cells protects against atherosclerotic plaque formation, under atherogenic conditions, in an ApoE−/− mouse model of atherosclerosis. Our findings suggest for the first time that macrophage PTP1B targeting could be a therapeutic target for atherosclerosis treatment and reduction of CVD risk

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Deficiency in Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase PTP1B shortens lifespan and leads to development of acute leukemia

This work was performed with the funds from the Wellcome Trust ISSF grant to M. Delibegovic and BHF project grant to M. Delibegovic (PG/11/8/28703). S. Le Sommer is a recipient of the University of Aberdeen Institute of Medical Sciences PhD studentship. Conflict of interest: Authors declare there are no conflicts of interests.Peer reviewedPostprin

New Young Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Molecular Cloud 2/3 Region

Forty new low mass members with spectral types ranging from M4-M9 have been confirmed in the Orion Molecular Cloud 2/3 region. Through deep, I, z', J, H, K photometry of a 20' x 20' field in OMC 2/3, we selected brown dwarf candidates for follow-up spectroscopy. Low resolution far-red and near-infrared spectra were obtained for the candidates, and 19 young brown dwarfs in the OMC 2/3 region are confirmed. They exhibit spectral types of M6.5-M9, corresponding to approximate masses of 0.075-0.015 M_solar using the evolutionary models of Baraffe et al. (1998). At least one of these bona fide young brown dwarfs has strong Halpha emission, indicating that it is actively accreting. In addition, we confirm 21 new low mass members with spectral types of M4-M6, corresponding to approximate masses of 0.35-0.10 M_solar in OMC 2/3. By comparing pre-main sequence tracks to the positions of the members in the H-R diagram, we find that most of the brown dwarfs are less than 1 Myr, but find a number of low mass stars with inferred ages greater than 3 Myr. The discrepancy in the stellar and substellar ages is due to our selection of only low luminosity sources; however, the presence of such objects implies the presence of an age spread in the OMC 2/3 region. We discuss possible reasons for this apparent age spread.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 52 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables; main body: 23 page