Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations

Effect of 8 weeks Pilates training on physical fitness indices in breast cancer patients: a clinical trial study

Background and Objective: Breast cancer and related treatments induce various physical symptoms. One of suggested method for preventing or reducing physical symptoms is exercise training. This study was done to evaluate the effect of 8 weeks Pilates exercises physical fitness indices in breast cancer patients. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study 30 female breast cancer patients were divided into intervention (n=15) and control (n=15) groups by block randomization method. Pilates exercise for 8 weeks, 3 days a week for 60 min in every session was performed in Patients in interventional group but patients in control group did not participate in any regular physical activity. Flexibility, coordination, back and hand strength and muscular strength were determined using Wells, alternate hand wall toss, one leg –stance, back and handgrip dynamometer, sit up tests, respectively. Results: Pilates exercises significantly increased flexibility, balance, coordination, back and hand strength, muscular endurance and sit up in interventional group in compared to controls (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pilates exercise improves physical fitness indices in women with breast cancer

The Effect of Six Week Resistance Training on Muscle Regeneration in Tumor- Bearing BALB-C Mice

Background & Objective: Many cancer patients suffer from cachexia or cancer-induced muscle atrophy. Cachexia can have various causes one of which is the reduction of muscle regeneration. Resistance training has been suggested as one of the proper stimulator of increasing muscular regeneration. The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of resistance training on two factors of regeneration including PAX7 and eMHC, tumor-free weight and tumor weight of mice.  Materials & Methods: This study was a kind of experimental intervention. Subjects of the study included 10 BALB-C mice (age: 6 weeks) which CT-26  tumor was transplanted to them. Mice were divided into two groups of resistance training (n=5) and control (n=5) randomly. Training group performed six-week progressive resistance training and control groups were kept in cages without any exercise intervention. At the end of the experiment, gastrocnemius muscle was taken for evaluating related factors. Data were analyzed using the independent t-test. Results: There was no significant difference in PAX7 between two groups of training and control, but eMHC reduced significantly in training compared to the control group (P=0.038). Tumor-free bodyweight of training group increased significantly compared to the control group (P=0.0004) and there was no significant difference in tumor weight between two groups of training and control. Conclusion: Although resistance training does not increase tumor growth but probably reduce some muscle regeneration factors in cancer-bearing mice. So, for improving muscular regeneration in cachexia bearing patients, probably resistance training is not a good choice. However, more future researches are required