The use of web-based interventions to prevent excessive weight gain

We reviewed web-based interventions for overweight and obesity prevention. A literature search was conducted using seven electronic databases. Manually searched articles were also included. Thirty studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 13 studied physical activity, eight studied dietary practices and nine studied a combination of physical activity and dietary practice. Twenty-eight of the studies (93%) reported positive changes in moderate to vigorous physical activity level, fruit and vegetable intake and psychological factors. A meta-analysis showed there were improvements, though not significant, in fruit and vegetable consumption (standardised mean difference, SMD = 0.61; 95% CI =-0.13 to 1.35) and physical activity (SMD = 0.15; 95% CI =-0.06 to 0.35). The review suggests that web-based interventions are a useful educational tool for increasing awareness and making healthy behaviour changes in relation to an excessive weight gain problem.     

Determination of discretionary salt intake in an iodine deficient area of East Java-Indonesia using three different methods

As salt is a potential vehicle for delivering iodine to a population, study on salt intake is important. Many methods have been used to measure iodised-salt intake, but the methods were suspected to be inaccurate. A new method, called a lithium-marker technique, has been considered as suitable and safe; hence it has been proposed as a gold standard for measuring the actual salt intake of an individual. We conducted a study to determine discretionary salt intake using the lithium marker technique. The study shows that the total salt intake for children (N = 15) and mothers (N = 15) were 5.4+/-2.1 g/d and 5.8+/-1.7 g/d respectively in which 48.5+/-17.1% and 50.5?17.3% were discretionary salt. The discretionary salt intake measured using lithium marker (2.53 +/- 1.2 g/d for children and 2.99 +/- 1.5 g/d for mother) were significantly lower than using 24-hour salt recall (7.01+/-2.44 g/cap/d) and salt weighing (6.00+/-1.8 g/cap/d) (p<0.001). In conclusion, the discretionary salt intake by 24-hour salt recall and salt weighing were over estimated as compared to the lithium-labelled salt measurement. It is recommended that the level of iodine fortification in salt be increased up to 80-100 ppm of KIO3 to provide iodine intake of 150 microg/d.     

Imaging and drug delivery using theranostic nanoparticles

Nanoparticle technologies are significantly impacting the development of both therapeutic and diagnostic agents. At the intersection between treatment and diagnosis, interest has grown in combining both paradigms into clinically effective formulations. This concept, recently coined as theranostics, is highly relevant to agents that target molecular biomarkers of disease and is expected to contribute to personalized medicine. Here we review state-of-the-art nanoparticles from a therapeutic and a diagnostic perspective and discuss challenges in bringing these fields together. Major classes of nanoparticles include, drug conjugates and complexes, dendrimers, vesicles, micelles, core-shell particles, microbubbles, and carbon nanotubes. Most of these formulations have been described as carriers of either drugs or contrast agents. To observe these formulations and their interactions with disease, a variety of contrast agents have been used, including optically active small molecules, metals and metal oxides, ultrasonic contrast agents, and radionuclides. The opportunity to rapidly assess and adjust treatment to the needs of the individual offers potential advantages that will spur the development of theranostic agents.     

Emotional Intelligence,Hardiness, and Smoking: Protective Factors Among Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Smoking is the biggest threat to public health, and it remains a serious cause of death in the world. It even causes acute and chronic diseases in passive smokers. Remarkably, the age of the onset of cigarette smoking is decreasing. Therefore, it is essential to increase our knowledge concerning the attitudes among adolescents toward cigarette smoking. The present study sought to examine the association among hardiness, emotional intelligence, and attitude toward cigarette smoking in adolescents. The participants comprised of 550 high school students (ages 16 to 19 years, M = 17.1, SD = .93) from Tehran. They completed the Personal Views Survey, Assessing Emotions Scale, and Attitudes Towards Smoking Scale. The structural equation modeling estimated that adolescents with a high ability for hardiness and emotional intelligence were more likely to report negative attitude toward cigarette smoking. The findings showed that hardiness and emotional intelligence were protective factors against smoking in adolescents. Therefore, these findings reinforce the importance of hardiness training and emotional intelligence training in preventing cigarette smoking in adolescents.