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Effect of Physical Exercise on Telomere Length: Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Telomere length (TL) is a marker of cellular health and aging. Physical exercise has been associated with longer telomeres and, therefore, healthier aging. However, results supporting such effects vary across studies. Our aim was to synthesize existing evidence on the effect of different modalities and durations of physical exercise on TL. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the needs and expectations of individuals with physical disabilities and their interventionists for the use of a virtual reality physical activity platform in a community organization. METHODS: We performed an umbrella review and meta-analysis. Data sources included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. We selected systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials evaluating the effect of physical exercise on TL. RESULTS: Our literature search retrieved 12 eligible systematic reviews, 5 of which included meta-analyses. We identified 22 distinct primary studies to estimate the overall effect size of physical exercise on TL. The overall effect size was 0.28 (95% CI 0.118-0.439), with a heterogeneity test value Q of 43.08 (P=.003) and I² coefficient of 51%. The number of weeks of intervention explained part of this heterogeneity (Q_B=8.25; P=.004), with higher effect sizes found in studies with an intervention of less than 30 weeks. Exercise modality explained additional heterogeneity within this subgroup (Q_B=10.28, P=.02). The effect sizes were small for aerobic exercise and endurance training, and moderate for high-intensity interval training. CONCLUSIONS: Our umbrella review and meta-analysis detected a small-moderate positive effect of physical exercise on TL, which seems to be influenced by the duration and type of physical exercise. High quality studies looking into the impact of standardized, evidence-based physical exercise programs on TL are still warranted.

Humans↗

Statistical modelling of the formulation variables in non-viral gene delivery systems.

Traditionally, optimisation of a gene delivery formulation utilises a study design that involves altering only one formulation variable at any one time whilst keeping the other variables constant. As gene delivery formulations become more complex, e.g. to include multiple cellular and sub-cellular targeting elements, there will be an increasing requirement to generate and analyse data more efficiently and allow examination of the interaction between variables. This study aims to demonstrate the utility of multifactorial design, specifically a Central Composite Design, in modelling the responses size, zeta potential and in vitro transfection efficiency of some prototypic non-viral gene delivery vectors. i.e. cationic liposome-pDNA complexes, and extending the application of the design strategy to more complex vectors, i.e. tri-component lipid:polycation:DNA (LPD). The modelled predictions of how the above responses change as a function of formulation show consistency with an extensive literature base of data obtained using more traditional approaches, and highlight the robustness and utility of the Central Composite Design in examining key formulation variables in non-viral gene delivery systems. The approach should be further developed to maximise the predictive impact of data across the full range of pharmaceutical sciences.

Cells, Cultured↗

Primer on medical genomics part V: bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics is the discipline that develops and applies informatics to the field of molecular biology. Although a comprehensive review of the entire field of bioinformatics is beyond the scope of this article, I review the basic tenets of the field and provide a topical sampling of the popular technologies available to clinicians and researchers. These technologies include tools and methods for sequence analysis (nucleotide and protein sequences), rendering of secondary and tertiary structures for these molecules, and protein fold prediction that can lead to rational drug design. I then discuss signaling pathways, new standards for data representation of genes and proteins, and finally the promise of merging these molecular data with the clinical world (the new science of phenomics).

Computational Biology↗

Need for optical and low vision services for children in schools for the blind in North India.

CONTEXT: Children admitted in blind schools need low vision assessment for improving functional vision (useful residual vision). AIM: To ascertain the need for spectacles and magnifiers as low vision devices (LVD) in children with useful residual vision, attending blind schools. SETTING AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional study conducted in 13 blind schools in Delhi, North India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of a total of 703 children (less than 16 years of age) examined, 133 (18.91%) with useful residual vision were refracted and analyzed. High addition plus lenses (range 5-30 diopters) were used as spectacle magnifiers for near LVD assessment. "World health organization (WHO)/ prevention of blindness (PBL) eye examination record for children with blindness and low vision", was used to collect data. SPSS (statistical package for the social science), version 10.0 was used for analysis. RESULTS: Based on the vision of 133 children at initial examination, 70.7% children were blind and 12.0% were severely visually impaired (SVI). 20.3% children improved by at least one WHO category of blindness after refraction. With best correction, 50.4% children were still blind and 13.5% were SVI. Visual acuity in the better eye after refraction in 47 children (35.3%), improved with spectacles. Children with aphakia (17), coloboma (5), refractive error (5) and microphthalmos (4) benefited from spectacles. Of 124 children with low vision but having useful residual vision, 51 (41.1%) were able to read N-10 unaided or with distance spectacles and 30 children (22.6%) improved to N-10 with spectacle magnifiers and were prescribed the same. CONCLUSION: Visually impaired children with aphakia and congenital anomalies of the eye benefit from refraction and low vision services.

Adolescent↗

From psychosomatic medicine to consultation-liaison psychiatry.

OBJECTIVE: To trace the movement from psychosomatic medicine to consultation-liaison psychiatry, the forces at work in shaping the change, and the extent to which the change is reflected in the latest revisions of the International classification of diseases (ICD-10) and the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, third revision (DSM-III-R). DATA SOURCES AND SELECTION: Identification of important trends in the field was aided by discussions with fellow members of the panel of compilers of the consultation-liaison psychiatry literature review expert list published bi-annually in General Hospital Psychiatry. The expert list is based on appropriate literature searches. DATA SYNTHESIS: Psychosomatic medicine continues as a science, studying the relationships between biological, psychological and social phenomena in health and disease. The main advocates of the clinical application of the concepts and findings of psychosomatic medicine are now the general hospital consultation-liaison psychiatrists and their allied health professional colleagues. The mainstreaming of psychiatry into medicine has accentuated the role of the consultation-liaison psychiatrist. In attempting to translate the advances in the field into a new taxonomy, both ICD-10 and DSM-III-R have created a new language that hinders understanding by a medical profession perhaps now less prone to resistance to holism. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for a valid taxonomy that addresses the most common form of psychiatric presentation in the community, that of physical/psychiatric co-morbidity, and for outcome studies based on such a taxonomy. Consultation-liaison psychiatrists need to educate their colleagues about the changes in concepts and terminology.

Holistic Health↗

How will we know "good" qualitative research when we see it? Beginning the dialogue in health services research.

OBJECTIVE: To lay the foundation for an explicit review and dialogue concerning the criteria that should be used to evaluate qualitative health services research. Clear criteria are critical for the discipline because they provide a benchmark against which research can be assessed. DATA SOURCES: Existing literature in the social sciences and health services research, particularly in primary care and medicine. PRINCIPAL FINDING: Traditional criteria for evaluating qualitative research are rooted in the philosophical perspective (positivism) most closely associated with quantitative research and methods. As a result, qualitative research and methods may not be used as frequently as they can be and research results generated from qualitative studies may not be disseminated as widely as possible. However, alternative criteria for evaluating qualitative research have been proposed that reflect a different philosophical perspective (post-positivism). Moreover, these criteria are tailored to the unique purposes for which qualitative research is used and the research designs traditionally employed. While criteria based on these two different philosophical perspectives have much in common, some important differences exist. CONCLUSION: The field of health services research must engage in a collective, "qualitative" process to determine which criteria to adopt (positivist or post-positivist), or whether some combination of the two is most appropriate. Greater clarity about the criteria used to evaluate qualitative research will strengthen the discipline by fostering a more appropriate and improved use of qualitative methods, a greater willingness to fund and publish "good" qualitative research, and the development of more informed consumers of qualitative research results.

Health Services Research↗

Bellmanism: the distortion of reason.

Single-issue compound or class related anxieties about chemical exposures are often the focus of concern for groups that seek to affect the regulatory process itself or the regulatory status of compounds that have passed through it. A characteristic of these groups is an imperfect understanding and use of science, in particular in the evaluation of data. Studies which have been discredited are cited repeatedly and the role of confounding factors is not generally acknowledged. The regulation of medicines, devices, pesticides and some household chemicals depends on the use of a methodology that follows strict protocols. This involves testing in many systems including mammals, other vertebrates, invertebrates, soil macrobiota or ground water, as examples, with often well-defined schemes of interpretation which facilitate extrapolation between species. A complex risk evaluation will then be made for different groups (by age, sex, or occupation, say) or targets (patients, farmers, consumers and vulnerable non-human species). Focusing on an effect in a single group may suggest interventions which will be damaging for others.

Animals↗

[Oral carcinoma in 34 dogs].

In a retrospective study, the epidemiologic data, treatment results and survival times of dogs with an oral squamous cell carcinoma in the period 1983-1996 have been reviewed, using the data base of the Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. The etiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma in dogs is unknown. For various reasons, such as extent of the disease, active treatment was undertaken in only 22 out of 34 dogs. Two dogs were lost during follow-up. Sixteen of the remaining 20 dogs who underwent surgical treatment for their oral squamous cell carcinoma were alive, one year postoperatively, apparently without tumour. Postoperative radiotherapy may even improve the survival rates.

Animals↗

Human space experiments in SL-J: preparation and conducted.

This experiment investigated how human beings achieve visual stability during body movements, including fine motion on the ground. When humans are exposed to an environment with different gravity vectors, the programmed behavior on the ground must be changed, that is, it is reprogrammed. This is called habituation or familiarization. This experiment focuses on visual, vestibular and somatosensory perception coordination and how it changes in microgravity as compared to a 1-G environment. We examined these issues under microgravity during the mission Spacelab Japan [correction of Japane] (SL-J) mission with the cooperation of the Japanese Payload Specialist (PS), Dr. Mohri. In this paper we describe how the first human life science experiments were conducted and how the data processed is being.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

[The quality of life of the elderly in Germany].

The quality of life of the elderly in Germany is described in respect to selected aspects of objective living conditions and subjectively perceived quality of life. On the background of a general trend to an "aging society" a new situation has arisen for the elderly in unified Germany. The analyses depend on representative data from official statistics and the social sciences and they are concerned with demographic characteristics, distribution of wealth, and indicators of well-being. The conclusion is that, on the whole, the elderly cannot be regarded as a social problem; moreover, the challenge is to correct social inequality among the elderly people.

Aged↗

Breast feeding in a Saudi Arabian community. Profile of parents and influencing factors.

OBJECTIVE: Although bottle feeding is the main infant feeding mode in most societies, human milk is considered the most appropriate food for human infants. The aim of this study is to gather statistics regarding breast feeding prevalence, influencing factors for engaging in, and demographic characteristics of breast feeding in general population. METHODS: This is a random cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted in Al Kharj Health Centre, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between the period of November 2000 through to February 2001. Mothers of childbearing age with at least one child were interviewed by trained interviewers. The sample was divided into 3 groups according to the mode of feeding: exclusive breast feeding, partial breast feeding, which included some breast feeding and some bottle feeding and exclusive bottle feeding. A statistical analysis was performed using statistical package for social sciences software package, (version 10.0). The response data were subjected to chi-square test, and Spearman's correlation analyses. RESULTS: Seven hundred and four mothers were interviewed. The mean age of mothers, fathers, and most recently born child were 30-years, 37-years, and 15.7-months. Partial breast feeding was the most common mode of infant feeding in this sample, with 66.1% of mothers engaging in this mode (p<0.00001). Exclusive breast feeding was the next most common, with 27.3% of mothers engaging in this mode. Finally, exclusive bottle feeding was the least common (6.7%). Four main demographic factors significantly related to the exclusive mode of breast feeding were husbands' educational level, advice received regarding breast feeding, whether or not a milk sample given at discharge from hospital, and whether or not contraception used. A positive significant correlation was found between breast feeding and mother's age, father's age, age of most recently born child, parity, number of children previously breast fed, and duration of previous breast feeding. CONCLUSION: Partial breast feeding is the dominant mode of feeding in our community, although the influencing factors and behavioral factors are similar in breast feeding and partial breast feeding groups. The most significant factors affecting the outcome of breast feeding are modifiable by health education.

Adult↗

[Quality assessment of ginseng by chemical fuzzy pattern recognition].

Water and liquor extracts of ginseng simulating its habitual preparations used in the practice of traditional Chinese medical science were prepared from 25 samples, and data reflecting its chemical constituents as a whole were obtained by ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma source (ICP). Antifatigue, antidiuretic, and macrophage phagocytosis experiments were carried out to determine the pharmacologic actions of the extracts. Results obtained with the extracts on mice were compared mutually and with those obtained on placebo-treated ones in the respective pharmacologic experiments. Based on the results of the three pharmacologic experiments, features were selected from among the chemical data and fuzzy equations formulated hereby were solved to ascertain the effective constituents with different weights and their compatibility. Finally, correlation analysis was carried out, and a new scheme for the quality assessment of ginseng has been worked out. The methodology proposed is of general significance to the formulation of quality assessment schemes for Chinese traditional medicines and the ascertainment of their bioactive constituents.

Animals↗

[The gender debate from the pedagogic perspective].

The question of form and extent of biological and/or cultural influences on female and male behaviour and performance is marking a major focus in present scientific research. Accordingly, a broad spectrum of approaches in research and interpretations of results is available. The recent debate on sex and gender is offering two basic objectives for research in education science: First, the critical review of the data and results on sex specifics presented in respect to the articulation of educational aims, topics and methods. Second, the intensified research focus on the developmental consequences of gender and gender roles for boys and girls, women and men. The pedagogical focus is discussed regarding the following three objectives: 1. developmental conditions in early ontogeny, 2. the question of sex specific differences in cognitive abilities in respect to school performance of adolescents, and 3. teaching knowledge on "sex" and "gender" in schools.

Adolescent↗

HealthGrades opening up methodology to review.

Workshop topics include risk-adjustment methodology and statistical models. The science behind this type of health care data still is in the nascent stage. Use by employers and consumers should drive quality improvement.

Health Facilities↗

Laser-assisted new attachment procedure in private practice.

Three private dental practices conducted a retrospective analysis of patients receiving the laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP). Retrospective results were compared to clinical trial data from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA) to determine if outcomes from a controlled clinical trial can be duplicated in private practice. Results also are compared with published results of other surgical and nonsurgical therapies for inflammatory periodontal disease.

Adult↗

[Mechanism analysis of optimized model of conversion from farmland to forestland in the hill-gully sub-region of Loess Plateau].

Conversion from Farmland to Forestland Program (CFF) is one of the six great ecological forest programs in China. This study covered the CFF model area of the hilly-gully sub-region of loess plateau, and introduced system dynamics and other latest theories and methodologies. Based on the analysis of five modules including that of the site observation of field stations and extensive investigations, and over 10000 original data obtained in the fields of natural science, social science and economics, the operational mechanism of the optimized model was studied. The optimized operational models integrated maximized ecological, economic and social benefits, while sustainability concepts were proposed for typical CFF sites: The Pinus tabulaeformis + Platycladus orientalis + Zanthoxylum spp. + Robinia pseudoacacia model at the eroded flat ridges of the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The result showed that the ecological, economic and social benefits of the optimized model reflected by main indexes were the best or better, and in the other models, either individual one was the best or others were not. From the viewpoint of comprehensive comparison of three great benefits, the optimized model was most excellent, and had eminent difference comparing to other ones through F test. The relationship between ecological and social benefit was eminent positive correlative. Social benefit was the same with economical one at some degrees. The relationship between ecological and economical benefit was more complicated. On the whole, they were positive correlative, but the economical benefit was not the greatest when the ecological one was the greatest. In general, from the viewpoint of largest comprehensive benefit, the three great benefits were not all the best, indicating that the combination of the modules must be reasonable. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of CFF, we must choose the optimized combination of ecological, economical and social benefits, and can't only pursue any one maximum of three great benefits.

China↗

Nurses' perceptions of their psychiatric nursing competencies in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province.

This research report discusses the results of a quantitative exploratory descriptive survey which investigated specific psychiatric competencies of nurses who completed the R425 diploma programme and who were working in psychiatric clinical units in and around Durban and Pietermaritzburg during 2003. Forty-five nurses completed questionnaires, indicating their perceptions of their psychiatric nursing competencies on Likert scales and by responding to open-ended questions. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, (SPSS) was used to analyse the data from the 45 completed questionnaires. Findings revealed that nurses who completed the R425 programme, and who were working in psychiatric clinical units, perceived themselves to be competent in performing some of the psychiatric clinical competencies contained in the questionnaires, but not all.

Adult↗

[Characteristics of references between GSCC and CST for Semi-Luvisols].

In this paper, the references between Genetic Soil Classification of China (GSCC) and the Chinese Soil Taxonomy (CST) for GSCC-Semi-Luvisols were conducted, and their quantitative and spatial distribution characteristics within CST were studied, based on the 1 : 1 M Soil Database of China, which consists of 1 : 1 M digital soil map, soils profiles attribution database and soil reference system of China. Being a reference system for converting soil names in GSCC into those in CST, ST and WRB, respectively, Chinese Soil Reference System was a computerized retrieving system jointly developed by the experienced scientists of pedology and computer science. The comparison fields and laboratory investigation data of their soil profiles with diagnostic horizons and characteristics related in the target soil classification systems, and 2,540 typical soil species names corresponding in CST, ST and WRB systems were determined, respectively, which were selected from Soil Attributes Database because of their complete sets of attribute data. Finally, the system and reference database were established. "GIS linkage based soil type" method linked the records in the Soil Reference Database to the Soil Spatial Database. In this method, all records of soil profiles in Soil Reference Database as well as their soil reference name in other classification systems were allocated one by one onto corresponding soil type polygons in Soil Spatial Database on the GIS platform, according to the principles of soil type identity and similarity, parent material identity and likeness, and the location of soil profiles relative to linked target polygons. Area statistcs of all soils were conducted based on the polygons. The results showed that GSCC-Semi-Luvisols was a type of GSCC soil with a total area of 427,843.1 km2,which could be sorted to 4 CST Orders, i. e., Luvisols (51.3%), Cambosols (35.2%), Isohumosols (10.7%) and Anthrosols (2.8%), and further into CST 22 Groups and 38 Subgroups. All dark grey forest soil, superficial gleyed black soil, and leached dry red soil of GSCC subgroups could be sorted to Calcaric Hapli-Gelic Cambosols, Pachic Argi-Udic Cambosols and Typic Ferri-Ustic Luvisols of CST subgroups, respectively, and all grey cinnamon-like soil, calcareous grey cinnamonic soil and dry cinnamon soil could be sorted to Typic Ustic Cambosols. Making the reference was so complicated that there was no one to one reference relationship among other soils. The analysis of the area ratios and standard deviations of a certain GSCC soil classified by CST showed that the lower the unit for reference, the easier the reference would be. The results of this study were of high reference value to proper reference GSCC and CST, and to the application and development of CST.

China↗