699 resultados para Physical factors
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AIM: Studies have provided insights into factors that may facilitate or inhibit parent-infant closeness in neonatal units, but none have specifically focused on the perspectives of senior neonatal staff. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions and experiences of consultant neonatologists and senior nurses in five European countries with regard to these issues. METHODS: Six small group discussions and three one-to-one interviews were conducted with 16 consultant neonatologists and senior nurses representing nine neonatal units from Estonia, Finland, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The interviews explored facilitators and barriers to parent-infant closeness and implications for policy and practice and thematic analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: Participants highlighted how a humanising care agenda that enabled parent-infant closeness was an aspiration, but pointed out that neonatal units were at different stages in achieving this. The facilitators and barriers to physical closeness included socio-economic factors, cultural norms, the designs of neonatal units, resource issues, leadership, staff attitudes and practices and relationships between staff and parents. CONCLUSION: Various factors affected parent-infant closeness in neonatal units in European countries. There needs to be the political motivation, appropriate policy planning, legislation and resource allocation to increase measures that support closeness agendas in neonatal units. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08
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Previous research has highlighted the importance of positive physical activity (PA) behaviors during childhood to promote sustained active lifestyles throughout the lifespan (Telama et al. 2005; 2014). It is in this context that the role of schools and teachers in facilitating PA education is promoted. Research suggests that teachers play an important role in the attitudes of children towards PA (Figley 1985) and schools may be an efficient vehicle for PA provision and promotion (McGinnis, Kanner and DeGraw, 1991; Wechsler, Deveraux, Davis and Collins, 2000). Yet despite consensus that schools represent an ideal setting from which to ‘reach’ young people (Department of Health and Human Services, UK, 2012) there remains conceptual (e.g. multi-component intervention) and methodological (e.g. duration, intensity, family involvement) ambiguity regarding the mechanisms of change claimed by PA intervention programmes. This may, in part, contribute to research findings that suggest that PA interventions have had limited impact on children’s overall activity levels and thereby limited impact in reducing children’s metabolic health (Metcalf, Henley & Wilkin, 2012). A marked criticism of the health promotion field has been the focus on behavioural change while failing to acknowledge the impact of context in influencing health outcomes (Golden & Earp, 2011). For years, the trans-theoretical model of behaviour change has been ‘the dominant model for health behaviour change’ (Armitage, 2009); this model focusses primarily on the individual and the psychology of the change process. Arguably, this model is limited by the individual’s decision-making ability and degree of self-efficacy in order to achieve sustained behavioural change and does not take account of external factors that may hinder their ability to realise change. Similar to the trans-theoretical model, socio-ecological models identify the individual at the focal point of change but also emphasises the importance of connecting multiple impacting variables, in particular, the connections between the social environment, the physical environment and public policy in facilitating behavioural change (REF). In this research, a social-ecological framework was used to connect the ways a PA intervention programme had an impact (or not) on participants, and to make explicit the foundational features of the programme that facilitated positive change. In this study, we examined the evaluation of a multi-agency approach to a PA intervention programme which aimed to increase physical activity, and awareness of the importance of physical activity to key stage 2 (age 7-12) pupils in three UK primary schools. The agencies involved were the local health authority, a community based charitable organisation, a local health administrative agency, and the city school district. In examining the impact of the intervention, we adopted a process evaluation model in order to better understand the mechanisms and context that facilitated change. Therefore, the aim of this evaluation was to describe the provision, process and impact of the intervention by 1) assessing changes in physical activity levels 2) assessing changes in the student’s attitudes towards physical activity, 3) examining student’s perceptions of the child size fitness equipment in school and their likelihood of using the equipment outside of school and 4) exploring staff perceptions, specifically the challenges and benefits, of facilitating equipment based exercise sessions in the school environment. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Evaluation of the intervention was designed as a matched-control study and was undertaken over a seven-month period. The school-based intervention involved 3 intervention schools (n =436; 224 boys) and one control school (n=123; 70 boys) in a low socioeconomic and multicultural urban setting. The PA intervention was separated into two phases: a motivation DVD and 10 days of circuit based exercise sessions (Phase 1) followed by a maintenance phase (Phase 2) that incorporated a PA reward program and the use of specialist kid’s gym equipment located at each school for a period of 4 wk. Outcome measures were measured at baseline (January) and endpoint (July; end of academic school year) using reliable and valid self-report measures. The children’s attitudes towards PA were assessed using the Children’s Attitudes towards Physical Activity (CATPA) questionnaire. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C), a 7-day recall questionnaire, was used to assess PA levels over a school week. A standardised test battery (Fitnessgram®) was used to assess cardiovascular fitness, body composition, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. After the 4 wk period, similar kid’s equipment was available for general access at local community facilities. The control school did not receive any of the interventions. All physical fitness tests and PA questionnaires were administered and collected prior to the start of the intervention (January) and following the intervention period (July) by an independent evaluation team. Evaluation testing took place at the individual schools over 2-3 consecutive days (depending on the number of children to be tested at the school). Staff (n=19) and student perceptions (n = 436) of the child sized fitness equipment were assessed via questionnaires post-intervention. Students completed a questionnaire to assess enjoyment, usage, ease of use and equipment assess and usage in the community. A questionnaire assessed staff perceptions on the delivery of the exercise sessions, classroom engagement and student perceptions. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Findings showed that both the intervention (16.4%) and control groups increased their PAQ-C score by post-intervention (p < 0.05); with the intervention (17.8%) and control (21.3%) boys showing the greatest increase in physical activity levels. At post-intervention, there was a 5.5% decline in the intervention girls’ attitudes toward PA in the aesthetic subdomains (p = 0.009); whereas the control boys had an increase in positive attitudes in the health domain (p = 0.003). No significant differences in attitudes towards physical activity were observed in any other domain for either group at post-intervention (p > 0.05). The results of the equipment questionnaire, 96% of the children stated they enjoyed using the equipment and would like to use the equipment again in the future; however at post-intervention only 27% reported using the equipment outside of school in the last 7 days. Students identified the ski walker (34%) and cycle (32%) as their favorite pieces of equipment; with the single joint exercises such as leg extension and bicep/tricep machine (<3%) as their least favorite. Key themes from staff were that the equipment sessions were enjoyable, a novel activity, children felt very grown-up, and the activity was linked to a real fitness experience. They also expressed the need for more support to deliver the sessions and more time required for each session. Findings from this study suggest that a more integrated approach within the various agencies is required, particularly more support to increase teachers pedagogical content knowledge in physical activity instruction which is age appropriate. Future recommendations for successful implementation include sufficient time period for all students to access and engage with the equipment; increased access and marketing of facilities to parents within the local community, and professional teacher support strategies to facilitate the exercise sessions.
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Malnutrition, nutritional deficiency, or undernutrition is an imbalanced nutritional status resulting from insufficient intake of nutrients to meet normal physiologic requirements. Malnutrition in childhood has both short-term consequences and long-term consequences on mental and physical health as well as the overall health development of children. Of all regions in the world, the Asia and the Pacific region has achieved the fastest rate of economic growth. There is no evidence that this rapid economic growth translates into a decline in malnutrition of children in Asian countries such as India.
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The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is currently one of the most widespread and abundant wild ungulates in the Iberian Peninsula and is extremely important both ecologically, as a key species for the functioning of the ecosystems, and economically, as a major game species. In Iberia, red deer populations are subjected to different management systems that may affect the physical condition of the individuals, with further consequences for population dynamics. Studies investigating the effects of management practices and environmental conditions on the performance of red deer are still rare regarding Mediterranean ecosystems. Much of the knowledge concerning the ecology of red deer and the impact of management on its physical condition is based on studies conducted in northern and central regions of Europe, where climatological features and management practices differ from those observed in the Mediterranean areas of Iberia. Studies on a biogeographical scale can provide important insights into the relationships between species and a particular environment and contribute to the development of more targeted and appropriate management practices. The optimisation of sampling procedures and the fine-tuning of pre-existing analytical techniques are also fundamental to a more cost-effective monitoring and, therefore, are of enormous value to wildlife managers. In this context, the main aims of this thesis were: 1) to optimise the procedures used to assess the physical condition of red deer; and 2) to identify relevant management and environmental factors affecting the nutritional condition and stress physiology of red deer in the Mediterranean ecosystems of Iberia, as well as any potential interactions between those factors. Two studies with a methodological focus, presented in the first part of the thesis, demonstrated that the physical condition of red deer can be evaluated more simply, using more cost- and time-effective procedures than those traditionally used: i) it was shown that only one kidney and its associated fat is enough to assess nutritional condition in red deer; and ii) the feasibility of using near infrared spectroscopy to predict the concentrations of stress hormone metabolites was demonstrated using faeces of red deer for the first time. Subsequently, two large-scale observational studies, conducted in representative red deer populations found in Mediterranean Iberia, highlighted the importance of considering seasonal environmental variations and variables related to hunting management practices to better understand the nutritional and physiological ecology of red deer. High population densities had adverse effects on the nutritional condition of the deer and were associated with increased stress levels in natural populations without supplementary feeding. Massive hunting events involving the use of hounds were also identified as a potential source of chronic stress in red deer. The research presented in this thesis has clear implications regarding the management and monitoring of red deer populations in Mediterranean environments and is intended to help wildlife managers to implement more effective monitoring programmes and sustainable management practices.
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In the last decade, the clinical reasoning in physical therapy has been to develop systems for physiotherapists to make clinical decisions rapidly, effectively and efficiently, in response to the increasingly complex needs of health and rehabilitation units. Some studies show the importance of walking aids during rehabilitation from some diseases, and after surgery for arthroplasty in the elderly population, and in elderly patients with balance disorders, muscle weakness or in people with diabetes mellitus. Walkers are important devices that aid the rehabilitation process. The use of a walker is recommended for gait changes and imbalance due to various factors, such as surgery of the lower limbs or neurodegenerative changes, especially in the early recovery period.
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The fundamental purpose of fisheries management is to ensure sustainable production over time from fish stocks, preferably through regulatory and enhancement actions that promote economic and social well being of the fishers and industries that depend on the resource. To achieve this purpose, management authorities must design, justify and administer (enforce) a collection of restraints on fishing and fishery-related activities. Productivity and management of the fisheries should be based on the understanding that they are complex and dynamic systems. Physical, chemical and biological components support a community of organisms that is unique to the these systems. All these components are in constant change but mainly dictated by human interference in the water body ecosystem.
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This report is based on the investigation of the factors affecting population characteristics and relative abundance of Nile perch in selected sites of Kagegi Gulf Lake Victoria Uganda in the month of November 2006. Nine (9) stations were sampled at depth strata of 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 and 30-40 m the mean catch rates were as follows; 8.75±5.5, 4.77±2.3, 6.33±0.3 and 1.34±1.1 tonnes per square kilometer respectively. The catch rates differed at various depth levels with p-value of 0.2940 at 5% level of significance. Limnological parameters were temperature 25.15±0.28, 23.68±0.20, 24.74±0.13 and 25.3±0.20°C; pH of 8.0±0.00, 7.7±0.11; 7.66±0.33 and 6.32±0.14, dissolved oxygen 7.37±0.24, 6.44±0.30, 6.32±0.14 and 6.22±0.14 mg/l; Total nitrogen 589.82±97.2, 514.34±68.8, 690.44±257.8 and 809.03±45.02 µgL-respectively with a p-value of 0.4392 at 5% level of significance. Prey type of Nile perch indicated 65.2% of haplochromine in 0-10 m depth and other strata >10 metre were dominated by Caridina nilotica. Generally investigations indicated that the catch rates of Nile perch at Kagegi gulf in various depth strata probably depended on both the physical and chemical parameters mentioned above.
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Several studies have supported a beneficial role of dietary flavonoids in reducing the risk/progression of chronic diseases (including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type-2-diabetes, cognitive dysfunction, age-related bone disease). Their beneficial properties are likely to be affected by their structure, distribution in foods, food matrix, life habits (physical activity). Most dietary polyphenols reach the colon where they are metabolized to phenolic acids by gut bacteria. Lack of knowledge of the factors affecting flavonoid metabolism and bioavailability hinders understanding of their health effects. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the effect of factors on bioavailability and metabolism of dietary polyphenols from orange juices (OJ) in in vitro and in vivo studies. In chapter 3, the variability of orange juice polyphenolic content was assessed using in vitro models of the human gastrointestinal tract. Chapter 4 investigated the reduced urinary phenolic acids after OJ and yoghurt (Y) in humans compared to OJ alone using in vitro models of the human gut. In chapter 5, raftiline and glucose were tested for effects on metabolism of hesperidin (flavanone not OJ). In chapter 6, an intervention study of 4 weeks moderate intensity exercise determined whether exercise affected bioavailability and metabolism of OJ flavanones in healthy sedentary females. The studies in this thesis showed that food sources, food matrix and physical exercise may determine the significant variations in bioavailability and metabolism of flavonoids, seen in a number of studies. These factors could result in differences in bioactivity and bioefficacy of polyphenols, and need to be taken into account in further studies of the effects of flavanones on disease risk.
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In health and epidemiological research, the Healthy Lifestyle (HLS) is often invoked as an explanation for inconsistent effects. Modifiable components of the HLS are advocated as a panacea for the most common threats to public health. Biases resulting from the HLS are theorized to result from covariance among its components. This covariance has not yet been formally modeled. Furthermore, no mechanism has been proposed to explain this covariance among these factors. Using three large nationally representative samples, I evaluated the HLS as a latent variable. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) I evaluated the degree to which the shared variance of HLS components is accounted for by personality traits, and tested the HLS as a mediator of the personality health relationship. Across all three samples, the HLS fits well as a latent variable, is partially accounted for by personality traits, and mediates the effects of personality traits on health. In all cases personality traits have direct effects on health independent of the HLS. These results suggest that the utility of personality traits as predictors of health exceeds that provided by commonly used lifestyle predictors.
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Objetivo: Verificar a prevalência e os fatores associados ao sobrepeso e à obesidade entre adolescentes de uma escola pública em Campinas, São Paulo. Métodos: Estudo observacional, transversal, realizado entre julho e setembro de 2013, com 107 jovens entre 15 e 19 anos que cursavam o ensino médio em uma escola pública do município de Campinas, São Paulo. Utilizou-se um questionário para investigar dados sociodemográficos e fatores de risco para sobrepeso e obesidade. Além disso, verificaram-se dados clínicos (peso, altura, pressão arterial). Resultados: A amostra se caracterizou com predomínio de mulheres (n=65, 60,7%) com 16,5 anos em média e renda familiar entre 2 e 4 salários mínimos (n=53, 49,5%). A prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade foi de 18 (16,8%) e 9 (8,4%), respectivamente. Destaca-se que 62 (58%) sempre omitiam uma refeição, 54 (50,5%) sempre se alimentavam vendo televisão e 56 (52,3%) não praticavam atividade física fora da escola. Tentar e não conseguir fazer dieta foi associado ao sobrepeso e à obesidade, e autoimagem curvilínea foi associada à obesidade. Conclusão: O estudo revelou que parte significativa da amostra estava com sobrepeso ou obesidade. A falha em manter uma dieta e a autoimagem curvilínea associadas às alterações nutricionais sugerem que os adolescentes tinham consciência dessas alterações e se preocupavam com o próprio peso, a ponto de buscarem a dieta para tentar emagrecer.
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Preschool can have positive effects on the development of a healthy lifestyle. The present study analysed to what extent different conditions, structures and behavioural models in preschool and family-children's central social microsystems-can lead to differences in children's health resources. Using a cross-sectional mixed methods approach, contrast analyses of "preschools with systematic physical activity programmes" versus "preschools without physical activity programmes" were conducted to assess the extent to which children's physical activity, quality of life and social behaviour differ between preschools with systematic and preschools without physical activity programmes. Differences in children's physical activity according to parental behaviour were likewise assessed. Data on child-related outcomes and parent-related factors were collected via parent questionnaires and child interviews. A qualitative focused ethnographic study was performed to obtain deeper insight into the quantitative survey data. Two hundred and twenty seven (227) children were interviewed at 21 preschools with systematic physical activity programmes, and 190 at 25 preschools without physical activity programmes. There was no significant difference in children's physical activity levels between the two preschool types (p = 0.709). However, the qualitative data showed differences in the design and quality of programmes to promote children's physical activity. Data triangulation revealed a strong influence of parental behaviour. The triangulation of methods provided comprehensive insight into the nature and extent of physical activity programmes in preschools and made it possible to capture the associations between systematic physical activity promotion and children's health resources in a differential manner.
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South Asians migrating to the Western world have a 3 to 5-fold higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and double the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the background population of White European descent, without exhibiting a proportional higher prevalence of conventional cardiometabolic risk factors. Notably, women of South Asian descent are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as they grow older compared with South Asian men and, in addition, they have lost the cardio-protective effects of being females. Despite South Asian women in Western countries being a high risk group for developing future type 2 diabetes and CVD, they have been largely overlooked. The aims of this thesis were to compare lifestyle factors, body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy South Asian and European women who reside in Scotland, to examine whether ethnicity modifies the associations between modifiable environmental factors and cardiometabolic risks and to assess whether vascular reactivity is altered by ethnicity or other conventional and novel CVD risks. I conducted a cross-sectional study and recruited 92 women of South Asian and 87 women of White European descent without diagnosed diabetes or CVD. Women on hormone replacement therapy or hormonal contraceptives were excluded too. Age and body mass index (BMI) did not differ between the two ethnic groups. Physical activity was assessed and with self-reported questionnaires and objectively with the use of accelerometers. Cardiorespiratory fitness was quantified with the predicted maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) during a submaximal test (Chester step test). Body composition was assessed with skinfolds measured at seven body sites, five body circumferences, measurement of abdominal subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and liver fat with the use MR spectroscopy. Dietary density was assessed with food frequency questionnaires. Vascular response was assessed by measuring the response to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside with the use of Laser Doppler Imaging with Iontophoresis (LDI-ION) and the response to shear stress with the use of Peripheral Arterial Tonometry (EndoPAT). The South Asian women exhibited a metabolic profile consistent with the insulin resistant phenotype, characterised by greater levels of fasting insulin, lower levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) and higher levels of triglycerides (TG) compared with their European counterparts. In addition, the South Asians had greater levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for any given level of fasting glucose. The South Asian women engaged less time weekly with moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and had lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness for any given level of physical activity than the women of White descent. In addition, they accumulated more fat centrally for any given BMI. Notably, the South Asians had equivalent SAT with the European women but greater VAT and hepatic fat for any given BMI. Dietary density did not differ among the groups. Increasing central adiposity had the largest effect on insulin resistance in both ethic groups compared with physical inactivity or decreased cardiorespiratory fitness. Interestingly, ethnicity modified the association between central adiposity and insulin resistance index with a similar increase in central adiposity having a substantially larger effect on insulin resistance index in the South Asian women than in the Europeans. I subsequently examined whether ethnic specific thresholds are required for lifestyle modifications and demonstrated that South Asian women need to engage with MVPA for around 195 min.week-1 in order to equate their cardiometabolic risk with that of the Europeans exercising 150 min.week-1. In addition, lower thresholds of abdominal adiposity and BMI should apply for the South Asians compared with the conventional thresholds. Although the South Asians displayed an adverse metabolic profile, vascular reactivity measured with both methods did not differ among the two groups. An additional finding was that menopausal women with hot flushing of both ethnic groups showed a paradoxical vascular profile with enhanced skin perfusion (measured with LDI-ION) but decreased reactive hyperaemia index (measured with EndoPAT) compared with asymptomatic menopausal women. The latter association was independent of conventional CVD risk factors. To conclude, South Asian women without overt disease who live in Scotland display an adverse metabolic profile with steeper associations between lifestyle risk factors and adverse cardiometabolic outcomes compared with their White counterparts. Further work in exploring ethnic specific thresholds in lifestyle interventions or in disease diagnosis is warranted.
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Vegetative propagation of superior conifer trees can be achieved e.g. through rooted cuttings or rooted microshoots, the latter predominantly through in vitro tissue culture. Both techniques are used to achieve rapid multiplication of trees with favorable genetic combinations and to capture a large proportion of the genetic diversity in a single generation cycle. However, adventitious rooting of shoots (cuttings) is often not efficient due to various problems such as scarcity of roots and cessation of their growth, both of which limit the application of vegetative propagation in some conifer species. Many factors are involved in the adventitious rooting of shoots including physical and chemical ones such as plant growth regulators, carbohydrates, light quality, temperature and rooting substrates or media (reviewed by Ragonezi et al. 2010). The focus of this review is on biological factors, such as inoculations with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, plant- growth-promoting rhizobacteria and other endophytes, and mycorrhizal fungi, which were found to stimulate adventitious rooting. These microorganisms could contribute not only to adventitious root development but also help in protecting conifer plants against pathogenic microorganisms, facilitate acclimation and transplanting, and contribute to more sustainable, chemical-free forests.
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BACKGROUND: More than 80 % of all terrestrial plant species establish an arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis with Glomeromycota fungi. This plant-microbe interaction primarily improves phosphate uptake, but also supports nitrogen, mineral, and water aquisition. During the pre-contact stage, the AM symbiosis is controled by an exchange of diffusible factors from either partner. Amongst others, fungal signals were identified as a mix of sulfated and non-sulfated lipochitooligosaccharides (LCOs), being structurally related to rhizobial nodulation (Nod)-factor LCOs that in legumes induce the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. LCO signals are transduced via a common symbiotic signaling pathway (CSSP) that activates a group of GRAS transcription factors (TFs). Using complex gene expression fingerprints as molecular phenotypes, this study primarily intended to shed light on the importance of the GRAS TFs NSP1 and RAM1 for LCO-activated gene expression during pre-symbiotic signaling. RESULTS: We investigated the genome-wide transcriptional responses in 5 days old primary roots of the Medicago truncatula wild type and four symbiotic mutants to a 6 h challenge with LCO signals supplied at 10(-7/-8) M. We were able to show that during the pre-symbiotic stage, sulfated Myc-, non-sulfated Myc-, and Nod-LCO-activated gene expression almost exclusively depends on the LysM receptor kinase NFP and is largely controled by the CSSP, although responses independent of this pathway exist. Our results show that downstream of the CSSP, gene expression activation by Myc-LCOs supplied at 10(-7/-8) M strictly required both the GRAS transcription factors RAM1 and NSP1, whereas those genes either co- or specifically activated by Nod-LCOs displayed a preferential NSP1-dependency. RAM1, a central regulator of root colonization by AM fungi, controled genes activated by non-sulfated Myc-LCOs during the pre-symbiotic stage that are also up-regulated in areas with early physical contact, e.g. hyphopodia and infecting hyphae; linking responses to externally applied LCOs with early root colonization. CONCLUSIONS: Since both RAM1 and NSP1 were essential for the pre-symbiotic transcriptional reprogramming by Myc-LCOs, we propose that downstream of the CSSP, these GRAS transcription factors act synergistically in the transduction of those diffusible signals that pre-announce the presence of symbiotic fungi.