Walking works wonders: a workplace health intervention evaluated over 24 months

Walking Works Wonders (WWW) is a workplace intervention designed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour. WWW involves tailoring health information according to employees’ readiness for change. The approach recognises that when attempting to motivate behaviour change, success is greater when interventions align with recipients’ attitudes and beliefs. The impact of the tailored approach was investigated by comparing tailored interventions with standard conditions and control groups in a 24-month longitudinal study in 10 worksites across the UK. Employees who received either a standard or tailored intervention demonstrated significantly higher self-reported work ability and improved organizational commitment, job motivation, job satisfaction, and a reduction in intention to quit the organization. The tailored interventions significantly reduced BMI and waist circumference compared to standard and control conditions. Workplace health interventions designed to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour are likely to be more effective where the information is tailored to employees’ readiness to change

Molecular Analysis of Serum and Bronchoalveolar Lavage in a Mouse Model of Influenza Reveals Markers of Disease Severity That Can Be Clinically Useful in Humans

Background: Management of influenza, a major contributor to the worldwide disease burden, is complicated by lack of reliable methods for early identification of susceptible individuals. Identification of molecular markers that can augment existing diagnostic tools for prediction of severity can be expected to greatly improve disease management capabilities. Methodology/Principal Findings: We have analyzed cytokines, proteome flux and protein adducts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and sera from mice infected with influenza A virus (PR8 strain) using a previously established non-lethal model of influenza infection. Through detailed cytokine and protein adduct measurements of murine BAL, we first established the temporal profile of innate and adaptive responses as well as macrophage and neutrophil activities in response to influenza infection. A similar analysis was also performed with sera from a longitudinal cohort of influenza patients. We then used an iTRAQ-based, comparative serum proteome analysis to catalog the proteome flux in the murine BAL during the stages correlating with “peak viremia,” “inflammatory damage,” as well as the “recovery phase.” In addition to activation of acute phase responses, a distinct class of lung proteins including surfactant proteins was found to be depleted from the BAL coincident with their “appearance” in the serum, presumably due to leakage of the protein following loss of the integrity of the lung/epithelial barrier. Serum levels of at least two of these proteins were elevated in influenza patients during the febrile phase of infection compared to healthy controls or to the same patients at convalescence. Conclusions/Significance: The findings from this study provide a molecular description of disease progression in a mouse model of influenza and demonstrate its potential for translation into a novel class of markers for measurement of acute lung injury and improved case management.Singapore. National Research FoundationSingapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (ID-IRG research program

Spectroscopic studies of carbon containing molecules and their break-up in PISCES-A

We have used the PISCES-A facility in order to study the behavior of carbon containing molecules in a representative plasma with parameters close to that of a tokamak boundary layer, CH{sub 4}, C{sub 2}H{sub 2}, C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, CO, and CO{sub 2} molecules were introduced through a slit aperture into a helium plasma and the radiation from these due to electronic excitation was spectrographically recorded. The imaging of the plasma onto the entrance slit of a 1.33m McPherson optical spectrometer was chosen in such a way that simultaneous information about spectral and spatial distribution of the emission could be obtained by an attached photographic camera and an optical multichannel analyser (OMA). The recorded spectra show that many features in previously obtained spectra from limiters originate -- beside from hydrocarbons -- from carbonoxides, which seem to play a major role in the transport of carbon and oxygen. It was also possible to calibrate the radiation intensity of several molecular bands versus the known molecular influx so that an absolute determination of these fluxes from the wall of a fusion device could be done. Measurements of the attenuation of the individual species were carried out, which describe the penetration of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms into a discharge by taking into account individual steps in the molecular breakup process. 36 refs., 35 figs

Impact of a physical activity program on the anxiety, depression, occupational stress and burnout syndrome of nursing professionals

OBJECTIVE: to assess the effects of a workplace physical activity (WPA) program on levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, occupational stress and self-perception of health and work-related quality of life of a nursing team in a palliative care unit.METHODS: the WPA was conducted five days per week, lasting ten minutes, during three consecutive months. Twenty-one nursing professionals were evaluated before and after the intervention, with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Maslch Burnout Inventory, and the Job Stress Scale. The changes in self-perceived health and work-related quality of life were measured using a semi-structured questionnaire.RESULTS: the WPA did not yield significant results on the levels of anxiety, depression, burnout or occupational stress. However, after the intervention, participants reported improved perceptions of bodily pain and feeling of fatigue at work.CONCLUSION: the WPA did not lead to beneficial effects on occupational stress and psychological variables, but it was well accepted by the nursing professionals, who reported improvement in perceptions of health and work-related quality of life

Dysphoric milk ejection reflex: A case report

Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) is an abrupt emotional "drop" that occurs in some women just before milk release and continues for not more than a few minutes. The brief negative feelings range in severity from wistfulness to self-loathing, and appear to have a physiological cause. The authors suggest that an abrupt drop in dopamine may occur when milk release is triggered, resulting in a real or relative brief dopamine deficit for affected women. Clinicians can support women with D-MER in several ways; often, simply knowing that it is a recognized phenomenon makes the condition tolerable. Further study is needed

Characteristics of ascitic fluid in the alcoholic cirrhotic

A prospective study was conducted to define the characteristics of ascitic fluid in alcoholic cirrhotics with and without spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP); to correlate these with findings in the peripheral blood; and to determine whether the use of counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) for bacterial antigens will aid in the early diagnosis of SBP. Fifty-one alcoholic cirrhotics had simultaneous determination of their blood or serum and ascitic fluid for the following: WBC and differential count, RBC, LDH, amylase, glucose, total protein, and protein electrophoresis, CIE for pneumococcal and Klebsiella antigens, culture for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and mycobacteria, and cytology. Of the 51 patients, 2 had SBP (4%). In the other 49 patients (54 sera and ascitic fluids), CIE was positive for pneumococcal antigen in 4/54 sera and in 3/54 ascitic fluids. The mean WBC count in the ascitic fluid was 349. In 4% the count was above 1000, in 18% between 501–1000, and in 32% between 301–500; polymorphs were >30% in 19/54 (32%). Specific gravity was >1.020 in 10/54 (22%), and ascitic fluid total protein of 3.0g/100 ml or above was noted in 24% (12/54). Mean ascitic fluid/serum ratios of total protein, albumin, and globulin were 0.31, 0.33, and 0.30 respectively, and mean ascitic fluid/serum ratios of LDH, amylase, and glucose were 0.54, 0.79, and 1.04. All cultures (except those with SBP) and cytology were negative. Our study confirmed the observation of others, that a significant number of noninfected cirrhotics have increased ascitic fluid WBC, % polymorphs, specific gravity, and total protein concentration. CIE was not helpful in the early diagnosis of SBP.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44388/1/10620_2005_Article_BF01333710.pd

Annual variations in the number of malaria cases related to two different patterns of Anopheles darlingi transmission potential in the Maroni area of French Guiana

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>With an Annual Parasite Incidence (API) of 132.1, in the high and moderate risks zones, the Maroni area of French Guiana has the second highest malaria incidence of South-America after Guyana (API = 183.54) and far above Brazil (API = 28.25). Malaria transmission is occurring despite strong medical assistance and active vector control, based on general WHO recommendations. This situation is generated by two main factors that are the social and cultural characteristics of this border area, where several ethnic groups are living, and the lack of understanding of transmission dynamics of the main mosquito vector, <it>Anopheles darlingi.</it> In this context, entomological data collected in two villages belonging to two different ethnic groups of the French border of the Maroni River, were retrospectively analysed to find out how the mosquito bionomics are related to the malaria transmission patterns.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were provided by human landing catches of mosquitoes carried out each month for two years in two villages belonging to two ethnic groups, the Amerindians Wayanas and the Aloukous of African origin. The mosquitoes were sorted by species, sex, date, hour and place of collection and processed for <it>Plasmodium sp</it>. parasite detection. The data were compiled to provide the following variables: human biting rates (HBR), parity rates (PR), numbers of infective bites (IB), entomological inoculation rates (EIR) and numbers of infected mosquitoes surviving enough to transmit (IMT). Spatial and temporal differences of variables between locations and during the night were tested by the Kruskall-Wallis analysis of variance to find out significant variations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The populations of the main mosquito vector <it>An. darlingi </it>showed significant variations in the spatial and temporal HBR/person/night and HBR/person/hour, IB/person/month and IB/person/hour, and IMT/village/night and IMT/village/hour. In the village of Loca (Aloukous), the IMT peaked from June to August with a very low transmission during the other months. The risks were higher during the first part of the night and an EIR of 10 infective bites per person and per year was estimated. In the village of Twenke (Wayanas), high level of transmission was reported all year with small peaks in March and October. The risk was higher during the second part of the night and an EIR of 5 infective bites per person and per year was estimated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>For the first time in the past 40 years, the mosquito bionomics was related to the malaria transmission patterns in French Guiana. The peak of malaria cases reported from August to October in the Maroni region is concomitant with the significant peak of <it>An. darlingi </it>IMT, reported from the village of Loca where transmission is higher. However, the persistent number of cases reported all year long may also be related to the transmission in the Amerindian villages. The <it>An. darlingi </it>bionomics for these two close populations were found significantly different and may explain why a uniform vector control method is inadequate. Following these findings, malaria prevention measures adapted to the local conditions are needed. Finally, the question of the presence of <it>An. darlingi </it>sub-species is raised.</p

Predictive factors of adherence to frequency and duration components in home exercise programs for neck and low back pain: an observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Evidence suggests that to facilitate physical activity sedentary people may adhere to one component of exercise prescriptions (intensity, duration or frequency) without adhering to other components. Some experts have provided evidence for determinants of adherence to different components among healthy people. However, our understanding remains scarce in this area for patients with neck or low back pain. The aims of this study are to determine whether patients with neck or low back pain have different rates of adherence to exercise components of frequency per week and duration per session when prescribed with a home exercise program, and to identify if adherence to both exercise components have distinct predictive factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cohort of one hundred eighty-four patients with chronic neck or low back pain who attended physiotherapy in eight primary care centers were studied prospectively one month after intervention. The study had three measurement periods: at baseline (measuring characteristics of patients and pain), at the end of physiotherapy intervention (measuring characteristics of the home exercise program) and a month later (measuring professional behaviors during clinical encounters, environmental factors and self-efficacy, and adherence behavior).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Adherence to duration per session (70.9% ± 7.1) was more probable than adherence to frequency per week (60.7% ± 7.0). Self-efficacy was a relevant factor for both exercise components (p < 0.05). The total number of exercises prescribed was predictive of frequency adherence (p < 0.05). Professional behaviors have a distinct influence on exercise components. Frequency adherence is more probable if patients received clarification of their doubts (adjusted OR: 4.1; p < 0.05), and duration adherence is more probable if they are supervised during the learning of exercises (adjusted OR: 3.3; p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have shown in a clinic-based study that adherence to exercise prescription frequency and duration components have distinct levels and predictive factors. We recommend additional study, and advise that differential attention be given in clinical practice to each exercise component for improving adherence.</p