Measuring physical inactivity:do current measures provide an accurate view of "sedentary" video game time?

BACKGROUND: Measures of screen time are often used to assess sedentary behaviour. Participation in activity-based video games (exergames) can contribute to estimates of screen time, as current practices of measuring it do not consider the growing evidence that playing exergames can provide light to moderate levels of physical activity. This study aimed to determine what proportion of time spent playing video games was actually spent playing exergames. METHODS: Data were collected via a cross-sectional telephone survey in South Australia. Participants aged 18 years and above (n = 2026) were asked about their video game habits, as well as demographic and socioeconomic factors. In cases where children were in the household, the video game habits of a randomly selected child were also questioned. RESULTS: Overall, 31.3% of adults and 79.9% of children spend at least some time playing video games. Of these, 24.1% of adults and 42.1% of children play exergames, with these types of games accounting for a third of all time that adults spend playing video games and nearly 20% of children's video game time. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of time that would usually be classified as "sedentary" may actually be spent participating in light to moderate physical activity

End-of-life care for aged care residents presenting to emergency departments

Background: The number of patients from Aged Care presenting to acute care is increasing, many of whom have a life limiting illness. Aims: To identify differences in relation to Aged Care Residents presenting to Emergency departments who died during a hospital admission compared to those who were referred to the hospital based palliative care. Methods: Review of a stratified random sample of 90 Aged Care residents transferred to acute care who died during admission in 2009; half the sample received palliative care. Comparisons were made with regard to age; gender; co-morbidities; symptoms, investigations and active treatment; prior admissions and costs. Results: The median age of patients was 87.5 years, 61% were female and 38% had three or more admissions in the year prior to death. Patients with a length of stay of four or more days were 2.98 times (CI, 95%:1.11-8.03) and patients with agitation were 3.08 (CI 95%:1.10- 8.64) times more likely to be referred to palliative care. Patients who received palliative care had significantly fewer investigations or active treatment in the 24 hours prior to their death (p< 0.01) and palliated patients had significantly lower average costs per day of admission ($1022, SD=$441) compared to those who were not palliated ($831; SD=$ 1041) (p< 0.001). Discussion: Our study indicates there is a difference between dying patients who received palliative care compared to those who did not in an acute care setting. Further research into the outcomes of patients discharged back to Aged Care facilities for palliative care warrants investigation

Salivary melatonin onset in youth at familial risk for bipolar disorder

Melatonin secretion and polysomnography (PSG) were compared among a group of healthy adolescents who were at high familial risk for bipolar disorder (HR) and a second group at low familial risk (LR). Adolescent participants (n = 12) were a mean age 14 ± 2.3 years and included 8 females and 4 males. Saliva samples were collected under standardized condition light (red light) and following a 200 lux light exposure over two consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory. Red Light Melatonin onset (RLMO) was defined as saliva melatonin level exceeding the mean of the first 3 readings plus 2 standard deviations. Polysomnography was also completed during each night. HR youth, relative to LR, experienced a significantly earlier melatonin onset following 200 lux light exposure. Polysomnography revealed that LR youth, relative to HR, spent significantly more time in combined stages 3 and 4 (deep sleep) following red light exposure. Additionally, regardless of the group status (HR or LR), there was no significant difference in Red Light Melatonin Onset recorded at home or in the laboratory, implying its feasibility and reliability

The impact of a deep-water plunging breaker on a wall with its bottom edge close to the mean water surface

The impact of a deep-water plunging breaker on a finite height two-dimensional structure with a vertical front face is studied experimentally. The structure is located at a fixed horizontal position relative to a wave maker and the structure’s bottom surface is located at a range of vertical positions close to the undisturbed water surface. Measurements of the water surface profile history and the pressure distribution on the front surface of the structure are performed. As the vertical position, (the axis is positive up and is the mean water level), of the structure’s bottom surface is varied from one experimental run to another, the water surface evolution during impact can be categorized into three classes of behaviour. In class I, with in a range of values near , where is the nominal wavelength of the breaker, the behaviour of the water surface is similar to the flip-through phenomena first described in studies with shallow water and a structure mounted on the sea bed. In the present work, it is found that the water surface between the front face of the structure and the wave crest is well fitted by arcs of circles with a decreasing radius and downward moving centre as the impact proceeds. A spatially and temporally localized high-pressure region was found on the impact surface of the structure and existing theory is used to explore the physics of this phenomenon. In class II, with in a range of values near the mean water level, the bottom of the structure exits and re-enters the water phase at least once during the impact process. These air–water transitions generate large-amplitude ripple packets that propagate to the wave crest and modify its behaviour significantly. At , all sensors submerged during the impact record a nearly in-phase high-frequency pressure oscillation indicating possible air entrainment. In class III, with in a range of values near , the bottom of the structure remains in air before the main crest hits the bottom corner of the structure. The subsequent free surface behaviour is strongly influenced by the instantaneous momentum of the local flow just before impact and the highest wall pressures of all experimental conditions are found

Assessment of first and second degree relatives of individuals with bipolar disorder shows increased genetic risk scores in both affected relatives and young At‐Risk Individuals

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113761/1/ajmgb32344.pd