The Effectiveness of a Combined Healthy Eating,Physical Activity,and Sleep Hygiene Lifestyle Intervention on Health and Fitness of Overweight Airline Pilots: A Controlled Trial

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a three-component nutrition, sleep, and physical activity (PA) program on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and health behaviors in overweight airline pilots. (2) Methods: A parallel group study was conducted amongst 125 airline pilots. The intervention group participated in a 16-week personalized healthy eating, sleep hygiene, and PA program. Outcome measures of objective health (maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max), body mass, skinfolds, girths, blood pressure, resting heart rate, push-ups, plank hold) and self-reported health (weekly PA, sleep quality and duration, fruit and vegetable intake, and self-rated health) were collected at baseline and post-intervention. The wait-list control completed the same assessments. (3) Results: Significant group main effects in favor of the intervention group were found for all outcome measures (p < 0.001) except for weekly walking (p = 0.163). All objective health measures significantly improved in the intervention group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001, d = 0.41–1.04). Self-report measures (moderate-to-vigorous PA, sleep quality and duration, fruit and vegetable intake, and self-rated health) significantly increased in the intervention group when compared to the control group (p < 0.001, d = 1.00–2.69). (4) Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that a personalized 16-week healthy eating, PA, and sleep hygiene intervention can elicit significant short-term improvements in physical and mental health outcomes among overweight airline pilots. Further research is required to examine whether the observed effects are maintained longitudinally.     

Effects of the tropical ginger compound, 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate, against tumor promotion in K5.Stat3C transgenic mice

ABSTRACT: The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a tropical ginger derived compound 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), suppresses skin tumor promotion in K5.Stat3C mice. In a two-week study in which wild-type (WT) and K5.Stat3C mice were co-treated with either vehicle, ACA, galanga extract, or fluocinolone acetonide (FA) and tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), only the galanga extract and FA suppressed TPA-induced skin hyperproliferation and wet weight. None of these agents were effective at suppressing pTyr705 Stat3 expression. However, ACA and FA showed promising inhibitory effects against skin tumorigenesis in K5.Stat3C mice. ACA also suppressed phospho-p65 NF-kappaB activation, suggesting a potential mechanism for its action.     

Adverse events caused by MRI contrast agents: Implications for radiographers who inject

This article provides a comprehensive literature review regarding side effects both minor and major associated with contrast agent injection. This includes a discussion of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), which remains highly topical. Radiographers now commonly are responsible for injection of contrast agent in patients, in keeping with their extended role. Therefore it is incumbent on them to understand the agents they inject, the contra-indications for injection and any potential associated risks, so that they can act and react accordingly in a timely manner. The need for this knowledge was made very evident after the recent death of a patient from anaphylactic shock when there was a delay in mounting the appropriate procedure. This paper represents a synthesis of relevant articles and reflects on the results, before drawing appropriate conclusions particularly those of special relevance to radiographers.     

Citation analysis as a measure of article quality,journal influence and individual researcher performance

The research-related performance of universities, as well as that of individual researchers, is increasingly evaluated through the use of objective measures, or metrics, which seek to support or in some cases even replace more traditional methods of peer review. In particular there is a growing awareness in research communities, government organisations and funding bodies around the concept of using evaluation metrics to analyse research citations. The tools available for ‘citation analysis’ are many and varied, enabling a quantification of scientific quality, academic impact and prestige. However there is increasing concern regarding the potential misuse of such tools, which have limitations in certain research disciplines.This article uses ‘real world’ examples from radiography research and scholarship to illustrate the range of currently available citation analysis tools. It explores the academic debate surrounding their strengths and limitations, and identifies the potential impact of citation analysis on the radiography research community.The article concludes that citation analysis is a valuable tool for researchers to use for personal reflection and research planning, yet there are inherent dangers if it is used inappropriately. Whilst citation analysis can give objective information regarding an individual, research group, journal or higher education institution, it should not be used as a total substitute for traditional qualitative review and peer assessment.     

Erythrocyte and mononuclear blood cell magnesium concentrations are normal in hypomagnesemic patients with chronic renal magnesium wasting.

The purpose of this study was to determine the plasma, erythrocyte, and mononuclear blood cell (MBC) magnesium concentrations in patients with chronic, severe hypomagnesemia due to a chronic magnesium-wasting tubulopathy.

Six patients with Bartter's syndrome and five patients with magnesium-wasting tubulopathy were compared with normal subjects. We determined magnesium in plasma, erythrocytes, and MBCs.

Patients with chronic magnesium-wasting tubulopathy had a significantly lower plasma magnesium concentration than controls, but erythrocyte magnesium concentration and MBC magnesium concentration and content did not differ significantly between patients and controls.

Two disorders with chronic magnesium-wasting tubulopathies are associated with a low plasma magnesium concentration but normal erythrocyte and MBC magnesium.     

Development and reliability of a Motivational Interviewing Scenarios Tool for Eating Disorders (MIST-ED) using a skills-based intervention among caregivers

The aims of this study were to develop an eating disorder scenarios tool to assess the motivational interviewing (MI) skills of caregivers and evaluate the coding reliability of the instrument, and to test the sensitivity to change through a pre/post/follow-up design. The resulting Motivational Interview Scenarios Tool for Eating Disorders (MIST-ED) was administered to caregivers (n = 66) who were asked to provide oral and written responses before and after a skills-based intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up. Raters achieved excellent inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlations of 91.8% on MI adherent and 86.1% for MI non-adherent statements for written scenarios and 89.2%, and 85.3% for oral scenarios). Following the intervention, MI adherent statements increased (baseline = 9.4%, post = 61.5% and follow-up 47.2%) and non-MI adherent statements decreased (baseline = 90.6%, post = 38.5% and follow-up = 52.8%). This instrument can be used as a simple method to measure the acquisition of MI skills to improve coping and both response methods are adequate. The tool shows good sensitivity to improved skills.