Search

Introduction: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of experiencing lower quality-of-life, fatigue, and depression. Few randomized controlled trials have studied the effect of physical activity (PA) on these in adult long-term CCS. This study investigated the effect of a 1-year individualized PA intervention on healthrelated quality-of-life (HRQOL), fatigue, and distress symptoms in adult CCS. Methods: The SURfit trial randomized 151 CCS =16 years old, <16 at diagnosis and =5 years since diagnosis, identified through the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry. Intervention participants received personalized PA counselling to increase intense PA by =2.5 h/week for 1 year. Controls maintained usual PA levels. The authors assessed physical- and mental-HRQOL, fatigue, and distress symptoms at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. T-scores were calculated using representative normative populations (mean = 50, standard deviation = 10). Generalized linear mixed-effects models with intention-to-treat (ITT, primary), and three per-protocol allocations were used. Results: At 12 months, ITT (-3.56 larger decrease, 95% confidence interval -5.69 to -1.43, p = .001) and two per-protocol analyses found significantly lower fatigue. Physical-HRQOL improved significantly in two per-protocol analyses at 12 months. No other effects were found. Conclusion: SURfit showed that increased intense PA over 1 year improved fatigue in adult CCS. Survivors should be recommended PA to reduce the burden of late-effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a field extension L/K$L/K$ we consider maps that are quadratic over L$L$ but whose polarisation is only bilinear over K$K$. Our main result is that all such are automatically quadratic forms over L$L$ in the usual sense if and only if L/K$L/K$ is formally unramified. In particular, this shows that over finite and number fields, one of the axioms in the standard definition of quadratic forms is superfluous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a calculus of mates for functors to the ∞-category of ∞-categories and extend Lurie's unstraightening equivalences to show that (op)lax natural transformations correspond to maps of (co)cartesian fibrations that do not necessarily preserve (co)cartesian edges. As a sample application, we obtain an equivalence between lax symmetric monoidal structures on right adjoint functors and oplax symmetric monoidal structures on the left adjoint functors between symmetric monoidal ∞-categories that is compatible with both horizontal and vertical composition of such structures. As the technical heart of the paper, we study various new types of fibrations over a product of two ∞-categories. In particular, we show how they can be dualised over one of the two factors and how they encode functors out of the Gray tensor product of (∞, 2)-categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains controversial whether physical activity promotes bone health in childhood cancer survivors (CCS). We aimed to assess the effect of a one‐year general exercise intervention on lower body bone parameters of CCS. CCS ≥16 years at enrollment, <16 years at diagnosis and ≥5 years in remission were identified from the national Childhood Cancer Registry. Participants randomized to the intervention group were asked to perform an additional ≥2.5 hours of intense physical activity/week, controls continued exercise as usual. Bone health was assessed as a secondary trial endpoint at baseline and after 12‐months. We measured tibia bone mineral density (BMD) and morphology by peripheral quantitative computed tomography and lumbar spine, hip and femoral neck BMD by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry. We performed intention‐to‐treat, per protocol, and an explorative subgroup analyses looking at low BMD using multiple linear regressions. One hundred fifty‐one survivors (44% females, 7.5 ± 4.9 years at diagnosis, 30.4 ± 8.6 years at baseline) were included. Intention‐to‐treat analysis revealed no differences in changes between the intervention and control group. Per protocol analyses showed evidence for an improvement in femoral neck and trabecular BMD between 1.5% and 1.8% more in participants being compliant with the exercise program. Trabecular BMD increased 2.8% more in survivors of the intervention group with BMD z‐score ≤−1 compared to those starting at z‐score >−1. A nonstandardized personalized exercise programs might not be specific enough to promote bone health in CCS, although those compliant and those most in need may benefit. Future trials should include bone stimulating exercise programs targeting risk groups with reduced bone health and motivational features to maximize compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Living in single parent and blended families or as an only child—compared to living in two‐parent biological families or with siblings, respectively—is associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) in cross‐sectional studies. However, longitudinal research addressing the children's BMI in this context is scarce. Further, little is known about the association between family structure and metabolic health. Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the association between both aspects of family structure with BMI and a metabolic score (MetS). Methods: Cross‐sectional data from 7804 children participating in the European multi‐center I.Family study (2013/2014) and longitudinal data from 5621 children who also participated previously in the IDEFICS study (2007–2010) were used. Family structure was assessed by a detailed interview. BMI z‐score and the MetS were based on measured anthropometry, blood pressure, high‐density lipoprotein, blood glucose, and triglycerides. Linear regressions were performed to model associations between family structure with BMI and MetS. Results: Children from single‐parent families had higher BMI z‐scores in the cross‐sectional (β = 0.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.001 to 0.18) and longitudinal analyses compared to those from two‐parent families. Cross‐sectionally, the number of siblings was associated with lower BMI z‐scores (β = −0.07, 95% CI: −0.10 to −0.03) and lower MetS (β = −0.14, 95% CI: −0.26 to −0.01). Longitudinally, only children between baseline and follow‐up had higher BMI z‐scores at follow‐up (β = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.14) compared to stable siblings. Conclusion: Obesity prevention measures should focus on single‐parent households and families with an only child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All living organisms adapt their membrane lipid composition in response to changes in their environment or diet. These conserved membrane‐adaptive processes have been studied extensively. However, key concepts of membrane biology linked to regulation of lipid composition including homeoviscous adaptation maintaining stable levels of membrane fluidity, and gel‐fluid phase separation resulting in domain formation, heavily rely upon in vitro studies with model membranes or lipid extracts. Using the bacterial model organisms Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, we now show that inadequate in vivo membrane fluidity interferes with essential complex cellular processes including cytokinesis, envelope expansion, chromosome replication/segregation and maintenance of membrane potential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that very low membrane fluidity is indeed capable of triggering large‐scale lipid phase separation and protein segregation in intact, protein‐crowded membranes of living cells; a process that coincides with the minimal level of fluidity capable of supporting growth. Importantly, the in vivo lipid phase separation is not associated with a breakdown of the membrane diffusion barrier function, thus explaining why the phase separation process induced by low fluidity is biologically reversible. SYNOPSIS: Key concepts of membrane biology linked to regulation of lipid composition have been predominantly assessed in vitro via model membranes or lipid extracts. Here, living bacteria are found to be surprisingly tolerant towards changes in membrane fluidity, thus questioning the dogma that careful regulation of membrane fluidity is critical for supporting general activities of membrane‐associated processes. Low membrane fluidity triggers reversible, large‐scale lipid phase separation and protein segregation in intact, protein‐crowded membranes of living bacteria.In vivo gel‐fluid phase separation determines the minimal level of fluidity capable of supporting growth, but is not associated with a breakdown of the membrane diffusion barrier function.Lipid phase separation drives segregation of membrane proteins into the fluid phase and severely limits and confines lateral diffusion of membrane proteins.Very low levels of membrane fluidity interfere with essential cellular processes including cytokinesis, envelope expansion, chromosome replication/segregation and maintenance of membrane potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Elevated cardiometabolic risk (CMR) is an important factor for cardiovascular diseases later in life while physical fitness seems to decrease CMR. Objective: Thus, the aim of the present study is to assess the association between muscular fitness (MF) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on CMR in European children, both cross‐sectional and longitudinally. Methods: A total of 289 children (49.5% males) from eight European countries, aged 6 to 9, with longitudinal information on blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL‐cholesterol, homoeostasis model assessment, body mass index, data on fitness level, objectively measured physical activity (PA), diet quality, and total screen time were included. A CMR score was calculated and dichotomized. MF and CRF were also dichotomized. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal multilevel logistic regressions adjusting for lifestyle behaviours were performed. Results: Reaching a high level of MF during childhood as well as remaining in that level over‐time were associated with an 82% and 62% lower probability of high CMR at follow‐up, respectively. Also, children who became top CRF over time, showed a 77% lower probability (P < 0.05) of being in the highest CMR quartile at follow‐up, independently of sociodemographic and lifestyle indicators. Conclusions: A high MF at early childhood and during childhood reduces the odds of having CMR. Same occurs with the improvement of CRF during childhood. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing fitness to avoid CMR already in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that quadratic and symmetric L-theory of the integers are related by Anderson duality and that both spectra split integrally into the L-theory of the real numbers and a generalised Eilenberg-Mac Lane spectrum. As a consequence, we obtain a corresponding splitting of the space G/Top. Finally, we prove analogous results for the genuine L-spectra recently devised for the study of Grothendieck-Witt theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research from Western populations describes abdominal obesity as a low‐grade inflammatory disease; less is known from tropical areas with high pathogen burden. Objectives: This cross‐sectional study investigated whether obesity contributes to low‐grade inflammation in 587 individuals from randomly selected households in Zanzibar. Materials and Methods: The Association between obesity indices (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], and percentage body fat [%BF]), leptin, and inflammatory markers (C‐reactive protein [CRP], interleukin‐6 [IL‐6] and tumor‐necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α]) was investigated using multinomial logistic regression analysis, accounting for ordinal outcome variables with four categories; 1st–4th quartile. Results: Study participants were between 5 and 95 years; 49.6% were male. Mean serum levels were; leptin: 4.3 ± 5.2 ng/ml, CRP: 0.19 ± 0.42 µg/ml, IL‐6: 2.8 ± 5 pg/ml, and TNF‐α: 5.3 ± 5.2 pg/ml. Obesity indices were associated with leptin and CRP in the third and fourth quartiles in single models. In combined models, associations were observed between BMI (OR = 6.36 [95% CI, 1.09; 34.12]); WC (OR = 4.87 [95% CI, 1.59; 14.94]); and %BF (OR = 19.23 [95% CI, 4.70; 78.66]) and leptin in the fourth quartile; also between %BF and CRP in the third quartile (OR = 3.49 [95% CI 1.31; 9.31]). Conclusion: Total body fat was associated with low‐grade inflammation in this tropical population rather than body fat distribution such as abdominal obesity. This may increase the risk of insulin resistance and other obesity‐related metabolic and cardiovascular health endpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study uses survey data from the I.Family Study to investigate the association between adolescent and peer overweight in a sample of adolescents aged 12–16 from six European countries. We find clear evidence of peer effects on body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat, which are stronger among adolescents at the upper end of overweight distribution. We also provide evidence that both consumption of less healthy foods and time spent in leisure time physical activity and audio‐visual media are positively associated with similar behaviours among friends. These observations may suggest that peer effects on adolescent overweight operate by influencing friends' behaviour patterns, especially unhealthy food consumption and physical (in)activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indirect qualitative MRI of pulmonary function is feasible using the paramagnetic effects of oxygen physically dissolved in blood. In this study, a more quantitative oxygen-enhanced pulmonary function test based on the slope of a plot of R1 vs. oxygen concentration-the oxygen transfer function (OTF)-was developed and tested in a pool of five healthy volunteers and five patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The lung T1 relaxation rate, R1, under normoxic conditions (room air, 21% O2), and the response to various hyperoxic conditions (40%-100% O2) were studied. Lung T1 in healthy volunteers showed a relatively homogeneous distribution while they breathed room air, and a homogeneous decrease under hyperoxic conditions. Lung T1 in CF patients showed an inhomogeneous distribution while they breathed room air, and the observed lung T1 decrease under hyperoxia depended on the actual state of the diseased lung tissue. In the selected group of CF patients, areas with reduced OTF also showed reduced perfusion, as confirmed by qualitative contrast-enhanced MR pulmonary perfusion imaging. The results demonstrate that this completely noninvasive oxygen-enhanced pulmonary function test has potential for clinical applications in the serial diagnosis of lung diseases such as CF. Magn Reson Med 51:1009-1016, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of a noninvasive, rapid and quantitative pulmonary perfusion mapping method using a two-compartment tissue model in combination with a 1H spin labeling technique. Materials and Methods: Ten healthy volunteers and three patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) were examined on a 1.5-T whole-body scanner. Global and selective lung T1 maps based on an inversion recovery Snapshot FLASH technique were acquired from each subject with breath-holds at end-expiration. For comparison, corresponding Gd-DTPA-enhanced 1H MR perfusion images were also obtained from each CF patient. Results: Quantitative perfusion maps were calculated from the global and selective T1 maps. The measured perfusion rates of the upper right lung in volunteers ranged from 400 to 600 mL/100 g/minute. The method showed a high intra-study reproducibility and low relative errors. In CF-patients, perfusion defects detected using Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging were also detected using the spin labeling method. The perfusion rates of diseased lung tissues were less than 200 mL/100 g/minute. Conclusion: Noninvasive, robust and quantitative 1H MR mapping of pulmonary perfusion was successfully performed using a rapid lung T1 mapping in combination with spin labeling within the imaging slice. The proposed method has the potential to provide both important qualitative functional information and quantitative pulmonary perfusion rates in various lung diseases at various stages without the need of contrast agents. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2003;18:260-265. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In isolated membranes, posttranslational regulation of quinol oxidase activities can only be determined simultaneously for all oxidases - quinol oxidases as well as cytochrome c oxidases - because of their identical localization. In this study, a refined method to determine the specific activity of a single quinol oxidase is exemplarily described for the alternative oxidase ( AOX) isoform AOX1A from Arabidopsis thaliana and its corresponding mutants, using the respiratory chain of an Escherichia coli cytochrome bo and bd-I oxidase double mutant as a source to provide electrons necessary for O2 reduction via quinol oxidases. A highly sensitive and reproducible experimental set-up with prolonged linear time intervals of up to 60 s is presented, which enables the determination of constant activity rates in E. coli membrane vesicles enriched in the quinol oxidase of interest by heterologous expression, using a Clark-type oxygen electrode to continuously follow O2 consumption. For the calculation of specific quinol oxidase activity, activity rates were correlated with quantitative signal intensity determinations of AOX1A present in a membrane-bound state by immunoblot analyses, simultaneously enabling normalization of specific activities between different AOX proteins. In summary, the method presented is a powerful tool to study specific activities of individual quinol oxidases, like the different AOX isoforms, and their corresponding mutants upon modification by addition of effectors/inhibitors, and thus to characterize their individual mode of posttranslational regulation in a membranous environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction From April 2008 to August 2010 the Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS) intervention aimed to encourage healthier diets, higher physical activity levels and lower stress levels among European children and their families. While the intervention was intended to improve children's health, we also wished to assess whether there were unwelcome aspects or negative side-effects. Therefore all parents of children who participated in the IDEFICS intervention were asked for their views on different aspects of the intervention. Methods A total of 10,016 parents of children who participated in the IDEFICS survey and who were involved in the intervention were invited to complete a questionnaire on positive and negative impacts of the intervention. Responses to each of the statements were coded on a four point Likert-type scale. Demographic data were collected as part of the baseline (T0) and first follow-up (T1) surveys; intervention exposure data was also collected in the T1 follow-up survey. Anthropometric data was collected in the same surveys, and child's weight status was assessed according to Cole and Lobstein. After initial review of the univariate statistics multilevel logistic regression was conducted to analyse the influence of socio-economic factors, child's weight status and intervention exposure on parental responses. Results In total 4,997 responses were received. Approval rates were high, and few parents reported negative effects. Parents who reported higher levels of exposure to the intervention were more likely to approve of it and were also no more likely to notice negative aspects. Less-educated and lower income parents were more likely to report that the intervention would make a lasting positive difference, but also more likely to report that the intervention had had negative effects. Parents of overweight and obese children were more likely to report negative effects - above all, that 'the intervention had made their child feel as if he/she was 'fat' or 'overweight.'' Conclusion While the results represent a broad endorsement of the IDEFICS intervention, they also suggest the importance of vigilance concerning the psychological effects of obesity interventions on overweight and obese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The objective of this paper is to investigate differences in diets of families in intervention versus control communities 5 years after the Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants intervention ended. Methods Altogether, 4,691 families from the I.Family study with at least one participating parent and one child are included in this analysis. Diet quality indicators, defined as propensities to consume fat, sugar, water and fruit and vegetables, are calculated from a 59-item food frequency questionnaire. Multilevel linear models with random intercepts for study centre are used to determine whether mean diet indicators, calculated at the family level, differed as a function of previous exposure to the intervention. Results Families in the intervention communities reported a significantly lower sugar propensity (19.8% vs. 20.7% of total food items, p < 0.01) and a higher water propensity (47.3% vs. 46.0% of total beverages, p < 0.05) compared with families in the control communities, while fat and fruit and vegetables propensities were similar. No significant diet differences between intervention and control children were present at the Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants baseline. Discussion This result indicates better diet quality in intervention families, which was not present in children when their diets were assessed before the intervention, and gives some cause for optimism regarding the sustainability of some aspects of the diet intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The objective of this paper is to evaluate the behavioural effects, as reported by the parents of the participating boys and girls, of the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS) intervention. Methods The effectiveness of the IDEFICS intervention was evaluated through a cluster-controlled trial in eight European countries (control and intervention communities in each country) including more than 16,000 children. The 2- to 9.9-year-old children in the intervention group were exposed to a culturally adapted intervention that aimed to prevent childhood obesity through the community, schools/kindergartens and family. Parents completed questionnaires to measure water, soft drink and fruit juice intake; fruit and vegetable intake; daily TV viewing and other sedentary behaviours; daily physical activity levels and strengthening of the parent-child relationships at baseline and follow-up (2 years later). Mixed models with an additional random effect for country were used to account for the clustered study design, and results were stratified by sex. Results The pan-European analysis revealed no significant time by condition interaction effects, neither for boys nor girls, i.e. the analysis revealed no intervention effects on the behaviours of the IDEFICS children as reported by their parents ( F = 0.0 to 3.3, all p > 0.05). Also very few significances were found in the country-specific analyses. Positive intervention effects were only found for sport club participation in Swedish boys, for screen time in weekends for Spanish boys and for TV viewing in Belgian girls. Conclusion Although no expected intervention effects as reported by the parents on diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours could be shown for the overall IDEFICS cohort, a few favourable intervention effects were found on specific behaviours in some individual countries. More in-depth analyses of the process evaluation data are needed to obtain more insight into the relationship between the level of exposure to the intervention and its effect. © 2015 World Obesity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]