bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Setting the Stage
Authors: Talisse Robert B
Published: September 2024

This chapter clarifies the book’s central thesis that responsible citizenship calls for occasions of solitary reflection, moments when citizens can be alone with their thoughts. In addition, it explains that the book is a work of prescriptive and normative democratic theory-it seeks to provide an account of what we must do to improve democracy. It then sketches the core argument that the polarization dynamic undermines our democratic capacities from within. The idea of the “curative fallacy” is introduced. This is the error of mistaking a preventative measure for a curative one. Accordingly, the task of repairing democracy is not simply that of figuring out how current dysfunctions could have been averted.
Reading Tolkien
Authors: Townend Matthew
Published: September 2024

This brief chapter introduces J. R. R. Tolkien’s two major works, The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-5), and explores how an encounter with these works has been life-changing for millions of readers. It also discusses how Tolkien’s works have changed the common culture, in the development of the fantasy genre in his wake (in a variety of forms and flavours) and the prominence of many of his names and motifs in modern discourse.
Sources
Authors: Townend Matthew
Published: September 2024

This chapter considers some of the main sources and inspirations for J. R. R. Tolkien’s writings. It discusses the emergence of modern ‘medievalism’ as a cultural phenomenon, following the rediscovery in the nineteenth century of medieval language and literature as a creative resource. For Tolkien, Old English, Middle English, and Old Norse (his areas of professional expertise) were especially productive as a source of inspiration, and the chapter supplies examples of the many ways in which Tolkien adapted and re-deployed elements from these medieval languages and literatures. The chapter also explores more modern and contemporary forms of writing that left their mark on Tolkien’s works, such as folklore and fairy tales, early fantasy literature, children’s literature of the so-called Golden Age, and modern adventure stories.
Seeding the rule of law
Authors: Huq Aziz Z.
Published: September 2024

The idea of the rule of law distills ideas that developed earlier under different rubrics and varying verbal formulations in both ancient and early modern theorizing about the state. This chapter focuses on the three most canonical figures—the ancient Greek thinker Aristotle, the French aristocrat and proto-sociologist Charles-Louis de Secondat (known too as the Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, or just Montesquieu), and the English Whig thinker, political activist, and imperial administrator John Locke. These thinkers did not use the phrase “rule of law,” but nevertheless are commonly perceived as its forebearers. It then takes on the peculiar, persistent myth that the Magna Carta lies at the root of the rule of law—and rejects that idea as anything more than a fable.
Important antimicrobial dosing considerations for transitions of care: Focus on thrice-weekly dosing in hemodialysis
Authors: Tsai Y Vivian , Soto Caitlin , Crawford Garrett , Dzintars Kathryn
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The objective of this clinical review is to evaluate current literature and propose optimal dosing strategies for thrice-weekly postdialytic administration of select antimicrobial agents in individuals receiving chronic intermittent hemodialysis (iHD).

The optimization of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) for patients receiving chronic iHD presents a prime opportunity for stewardship intervention. By utilizing the existing vascular hemodialysis access instead of inserting an additional peripheral catheter for antimicrobial administration, the risk for potential clinical complications (e.g. vein thrombosis, catheter-associated infections) can be minimized. In addition to vancomycin and aminoglycosides, literature evidence also supports the use of thrice-weekly cefazolin, ceftazidime, cefepime, ertapenem, and daptomycin given after dialysis sessions.

Conclusion

Optimal dosing strategies of antimicrobials during transitions-of-care are imperative, especially in those receiving OPAT with iHD. While different dosing strategies may exist for each antimicrobial agent, other factors such as the modality of hemodialysis and site/severity of infection should be considered when choosing the optimal dosing regimen.
Management of obesity
Authors: Cross Lourdes
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This review summarizes the comprehensive management of obesity with a focus on the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of anti-obesity medications.

Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic disease with significant health risks, requiring a multifaceted approach to treatment. While most approved weight loss medications have modest effects, newer medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have shown greater than 15% reduction in baseline weight. Optimal selection of therapy requires taking into consideration patient factors, such as comorbidities and goals, and medication-related factors, including weight loss efficacy, contraindications, and improvements in cardiovascular risk. As the availability of anti-obesity medications increases, multidisciplinary care teams will play an important role in selecting optimal strategies for long-term health benefits in individuals with obesity.

Conclusion

The expanding array of anti-obesity medications provides valuable treatment options alongside lifestyle interventions and surgical approaches for managing obesity and reducing weight-related health risks. As this therapeutic area continues to grow, selecting optimal agents and educating patients on administration, monitoring, and potential adverse effects will be critical for improving overall outcomes.
Comparison of a radiofrequency electric and magnetic field source-based job-exposure matrix with personal radiofrequency exposure measurements
Authors: Turuban Maxime , Kromhout Hans , Vila Javier , de Vocht Frank , Vallbona-Vistós Miquel , Baldi Isabelle , Cardis Elisabeth , Turner Michelle C
Published: September 2024

Objectives

Assessing occupational exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) presents significant challenges due to the considerable variability in exposure levels within and between occupations. This spatial and temporal variability complicates the reliable evaluation of potential health risks associated with RF-EMF exposure in the workplace. Accurate assessment methods are crucial to understand the extent of exposure and to evaluate potential health risks, especially given the potential for higher exposures in occupational settings compared to the general population. This study compares the historical RF-EMF exposure estimates in the INTEROCC RF-EMF job-exposure matrix (RF-JEM) with recent personal measurement data collected in 2 countries as part of the OccRF-Health study, to assess the broader applicability of the RF-JEM.

Methods

Weighted kappa (kw) coefficients and Spearman rank correlation tests were performed to assess the alignment between RF-JEM estimates and measurements for 8 h time-weighted average exposure intensity and prevalence estimates across various occupations. The comparisons were mainly based on 22 jobs having ≥5 measured workers in the OccRF-Health study.

Results

Poor agreement was found for both exposure prevalence and intensity between both methods (kw < 0.1). RF-JEM values likely overestimated exposure levels for both electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields (mean percentage difference >194%) compared to current personal measurements.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that the INTEROCC-JEM likely overestimates current exposure intensity levels in the measured jobs. Adopting a semiquantitative JEM could also mitigate misclassification errors due to exposure variability, improving accuracy in exposure assessment. These findings indicate the need for more targeted personal measurements, including among highly exposed workers, and for potentially considering new exposure metrics to more accurately assess occupational RF-EMF exposures in occupational epidemiological research.
Knowledge Graphs for drug repurposing: a review of databases and methods
Authors: Perdomo-Quinteiro Pablo , Belmonte-Hernández Alberto
Published: September 2024

Drug repurposing has emerged as a effective and efficient strategy to identify new treatments for a variety of diseases. One of the most effective approaches for discovering potential new drug candidates involves the utilization of Knowledge Graphs (KGs). This review comprehensively explores some of the most prominent KGs, detailing their structure, data sources, and how they facilitate the repurposing of drugs. In addition to KGs, this paper delves into various artificial intelligence techniques that enhance the process of drug repurposing. These methods not only accelerate the identification of viable drug candidates but also improve the precision of predictions by leveraging complex datasets and advanced algorithms. Furthermore, the importance of explainability in drug repurposing is emphasized. Explainability methods are crucial as they provide insights into the reasoning behind AI-generated predictions, thereby increasing the trustworthiness and transparency of the repurposing process. We will discuss several techniques that can be employed to validate these predictions, ensuring that they are both reliable and understandable.
Algorithm-agnostic significance testing in supervised learning with multimodal data
Authors: Kook Lucas , Lundborg Anton Rask
Published: September 2024

Motivation

Valid statistical inference is crucial for decision-making but difficult to obtain in supervised learning with multimodal data, e.g. combinations of clinical features, genomic data, and medical images. Multimodal data often warrants the use of black-box algorithms, for instance, random forests or neural networks, which impede the use of traditional variable significance tests.

Results

We address this problem by proposing the use of COvariance MEasure Tests (COMETs), which are calibrated and powerful tests that can be combined with any sufficiently predictive supervised learning algorithm. We apply COMETs to several high-dimensional, multimodal data sets to illustrate (i) variable significance testing for finding relevant mutations modulating drug-activity, (ii) modality selection for predicting survival in liver cancer patients with multiomics data, and (iii) modality selection with clinical features and medical imaging data. In all applications, COMETs yield results consistent with domain knowledge without requiring data-driven pre-processing, which may invalidate type I error control. These novel applications with high-dimensional multimodal data corroborate prior results on the power and robustness of COMETs for significance testing.

Availability and implementation

COMETs are implemented in the cometsR package available on CRAN and pycometsPython library available on GitHub. Source code for reproducing all results is available at https://github.com/LucasKook/comets. All data sets used in this work are openly available.
A novel case of reactive perforating collagenosis in a patient with cutaneous infiltration of Epstein–Barr virus-positive angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Chacko Rachael S , Shah Payal C , Duprat Gabrielle E , Chapman Michael Shane , Yan Shaofeng , Dagrosa Alicia T
Published: September 2024

Reactive perforating collagenosis (RPC) is a cutaneous disorder that has rarely been associated with haematological malignancies. We present the case of a 47-year-old man with a 6-month history of Epstein–Barr virus-positive angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) who was undergoing chemotherapy and had an extremely pruritic, papular eruption that had worsened over the past 7 months. Skin biopsy findings revealed RPC. He was treated with triamcinolone cream and hydroxyzine alongside his chemotherapy; this resolved his symptoms. This patient’s case offers a unique clinicopathological presentation of RPC in the setting of AITL in the skin and demonstrates the importance of a dermatologist's management of cutaneous disorders in patients with cancer to improve their quality of life.
Cancer Characteristics, Prognoses, and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer in Patients With Crohn’s Disease—A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study, 2009-2019
Authors: Johansen Martha Pollen , Wewer Mads Damsgaard , Krarup Peter-Martin , Burisch Johan , Nordholm-Carstensen Andreas
Published: September 2024

Background and Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Crohn’s disease (CD) on patient and cancer characteristics and mortality in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

This was a nationwide cohort study of patients diagnosed with CRC in Denmark from 1 January, 2009 to 31 December, 2019. Cancer characteristics were retrieved from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group registry and merged with a nationwide cohort for inflammatory bowel disease. The main outcome was all-cause mortality in CRC patients with and without CD, comparing CD patients with CRC with those in the general CRC population (non-CD CRC), evaluated by adjusted Cox regression analysis and propensity score matching.

Results

Of 38 077 CRC patients, 245 (0.6%) had CD. The median age at cancer diagnosis was 69 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 60-76) for CD-CRC and 71 years (IQR: 64-78) for non-CD CRC (p < 0.001). Most cancers were located in the right colon in the CD-CRC group. CD was not associated with increased all-cause mortality in the cohort overall. CD patients with colon and rectal cancers and UICC Stage III tumors had a higher mortality rate in both multivariate {hazard ratio (HR) 1.60 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.13-2.27), p = 0.008} and univariate analyses (HR 1.57 [95% CI, 1.11-2.22], p = 0.011). In the propensity score-matched analysis, CD was not associated with increased mortality for colon cancer (HR 1.06 [0.82-1.36], p = 0.7) or rectal cancer (HR 1.25 [0.79-1.98], p = 0.3).

Conclusions

This nationwide study identified distinct features of colon and rectal cancers in patients with CD that have implications for the timing of diagnoses, disease course, and mortality specifically in UICC Stage III disease.
Impact of whole-body and skeletal muscle composition on peak oxygen uptake in heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schmid Veronika , Foulkes Stephen J , Walesiak Devyn , Wang Jing , Tomczak Corey R , Tucker Wesley J , Angadi Siddhartha S , Halle Martin , Haykowsky Mark J
Published: September 2024

Aims

Heart failure (HF) has a major impact on exercise tolerance that may (in part) be due to abnormalities in body and skeletal muscle composition. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess how differences in whole-body and skeletal muscle composition between patients with HF and non-HF controls (CON) contribute to reduced peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak).

Methods and results

The PubMed database was searched from 1975 to May 2024 for eligible studies. Cross-sectional studies with measures of VO2peak, body composition, or muscle biopsies in HF and CON were considered. Out of 709 articles, 27 studies were included in this analysis. Compared with CON, VO2peak [weighted mean difference (WMD): −9.96 mL/kg/min, 95% confidence interval (CI): −11.71 to −8.21), total body lean mass (WMD: −1.63 kg, 95% CI: −3.05 to −0.21), leg lean mass (WMD: −1.38 kg, 95% CI: −2.18 to −0.59), thigh skeletal muscle area (WMD: −10.88 cm2 , 95% CI: −21.40 to −0.37), Type I fibres (WMD: −7.76%, 95% CI: −14.81 to −0.71), and capillary-to-fibre ratio (WMD: −0.27, 95% CI: −0.50 to −0.03) were significantly lower in HF. Total body fat mass (WMD: 3.34 kg, 95% CI: 0.35–6.34), leg fat mass (WMD: 1.37 kg, 95% CI: 0.37–2.37), and Type IIx fibres (WMD: 7.72%, 95% CI: 1.52–13.91) were significantly higher in HF compared with CON. Absolute VO2peak was significantly associated with total body and leg lean mass, thigh skeletal muscle area, and capillary-to-fibre ratio.

Conclusion

Individuals with HF display abnormalities in body and skeletal muscle composition including reduced lean mass, oxidative Type I fibres, and capillary-to-fibre ratio that negatively impact VO2peak.
142 Mountaineering – an opportunity for inclusion
Authors: Pustivšek Suzana , Čič Marjeta , Nowakk Jurček , Filipčič Maja
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Mountaineering play an important role in Slovenian society. In recent years, we have seen an attempt to include people with disabilities into Mountaineering. They have fewer opportunities to participate in recreational activities in an accessible way. The aim of the project is to increase the health-promoting physical activity of people with disabilities/special needs and to improve social integration through hiking. It also aims to improve inclusion by creating a supportive and safe environment for all participants. The project will develop and test methods for inclusion of different groups that can be implemented on a broad scale.

Project

Part of Alpine association of Slovenia is also a mountaineering committee for people with disabilities/special needs. The committee is active in two main areas: firstly, in training experts (guides, teachers, social workers, experts in other disability organisations) and volunteers with the basic skills to conduct mountaineering activities for the target group and secondly, in organising free mountain tours for people with disabilities to improve their everyday life, give them equal opportunities to experience nature, help them socialise and motivate them to lead a more active lifestyle. Several stakeholders are involved in the organisation and implementation of the activities: Sonček – Cerebral Palsy Association of Slovenia, Slovenian Paraplegic Association, Dystrophy Society of Slovenia, Multiple Sclerosis Association of Slovenia and Slovenian Scouts. The evaluation of the project is based on the number of training programmes and walks carried out per year, the number of participants and their subjective evaluation of the individual walks. in 2023, 39 events (2632 participants) were organised and 4 repetitions (78 participants) of the training programme were carried out.

Conclusion

The project is a unique platform for promoting integration in sport and health-enhancing physical activity, which has a strong impact on the biological, sociological, and psychological aspects of participants’ health. The project is an example of good practise of inclusion in HEPA.
181 Assessing the Feasibility of a 12-week Structured Exercise Programme in Improving Physical Function in Cardiovascular Disease Patients’
Authors: Fitzmaurice Daire , Herring Matthew , Woods Catherine , Carson Brian
Published: September 2024

Background and Purpose

Evidence supports the use of physical activity and exercise for the management of existing chronic disease. Exercise Referral Schemes (ERS) are one way to encourage physical activity participation in people living with a chronic disease to self-manage their own conditions and symptoms. Participants are referred by a healthcare professional to participate in a structured, supervised exercise programme. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of one such scheme (ULMedX) in improving the physical function of participants with cardiovascular disease.

Methods

This study utilised a pre-test post-test design (N = 29, 89.7% males; total mean age 66.17 ± 10.9 years). Participants engaged in twice weekly exercise sessions for 12 weeks focused on cardiovascular endurance and complimented by local muscular endurance training of main muscle groups. Assessments were completed at baseline and at 12-week follow up and included lower body strength (5-times sit-to-stand test), upper body strength (grip strength dynamometer), and aerobic capacity (6-minute walk test). Statistical analyses were mostly conducted using a paired-samples t-test, apart from lower body strength which used Wilcoxon-signed ranked test as data was non-normal.

Results

100% of participants completed assessments at baseline with 86.21% of participants completing assessments at 12-week follow-up. The ULMedX programme had a mean attendance rate of 55.31 ± 32.22% over 12-weeks. There was a significant difference in dominant hand grip strength (p = 0.038, d = 0.37) and 5-times sit to stand scores (p = .025), but no significant difference in non-dominant grip strength (p = 0.18, d = 0.19). There was also a significant difference in the 6-minute walk test scores (p = .001, d = 0.667) with an average increase of 26.48 ± 39.72 m across all participants, which is also a clinically meaningful change.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the ULMedX exercise programme may play a significant role in improving aerobic capacity and lower limb strength for those living with cardiovascular disease. This clinically meaningful improvement could lead to an improved quality of life for these participants.

Funding

Study funded by the Health and Wellbeing Division of the Health Service Executive in Community Healthcare Organisation 3.
229 Evaluation of the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents with Disabilities
Authors: Bardid Farid , Hutzler Yeshayahu , Aubert Salomé , Pozeriene Jurate , Ng Kwok
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Physical activity provides a wide range of health benefits for children and adolescents with disabilities (CAWD). However, despite CAWD being at higher risk of physical inactivity, there is a lack of surveillance systems that capture physical activity data of CAWD. To address this gap, the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity of CAWD was set up with 14 participating countries/jurisdictions (Ng et al., 2023) based on the methodology of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance’s Global Matrix 4.0 (Aubert et al., 2023). This study aims to evaluate the process, outcome, and impact of the Global Matrix of Para Report Cards.

Methods

The evaluation was informed by the Global Matrix 3.0 evaluation process (Aubert et al., 2020). Process, outcome, and impact indicators were informed by online surveys, reports/publications, and website analytics of the special issue published in Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly.

Results

Two online surveys have been completed by 64-71% of targeted respondents. Moderate-to-high satisfaction rates were reported for the development of and participation in the Global Matrix initiative and open-ended comments reported issues (e.g., data availability, inconsistency in definitions) and positive feedback (e.g., networking/collaboration, visibility). The participating Report Card teams assigned and contributed a total of 139 physical activity grades—overall physical activity, organised sport, active play, active transport, physical fitness, sedentary behaviour, family and peers, schools, community and environment, government—to the Global Matrix of which 45% were incomplete. Twelve Report Card teams published a short Para Report Card article for their country. As of February 2024, >47,000 views have been recorded for the special issue comprising the Global Matrix and country Para Report Card articles.

Conclusions

This evaluation highlights the need for more discussion on the definitions of disability and benchmarks of physical activity indicators to improve the grading process and more support in accessing and synthesising data related to CAWD. These are important steps to support inclusion and representation of CAWD in (inter)national surveillance of physical activity and health.
224 Longitudinal associations between flexibility, motor competence, and self-reported physical activity during adolescence
Authors: Huhtiniemi Mikko , Jaakkola Timo
Published: September 2024

Purpose

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between flexibility, motor competence, and self-reported physical activity among Finnish adolescents over four years. Previous research indicates a lack of longitudinal studies exploring the developmental patterns of flexibility, motor competence, and physical activity.

Methods

At baseline, 1147 (582 boys, 565 girls) Finnish adolescents aged 11.27 (0.33) years participated in the study. Data was collected annually in five time points when students were in Grades 5 to 9. Students’ flexibility was measured using squat, lower back extension, and left and right shoulder stretch. Motor competence was measured using the throwing-catching combination, continuous 5-leaps, and lateral jumping tests. Physical activity was measured using a questionnaire. A Random-Intercept Cross Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM), including repeated measures (within-level) and latent levels (between-level) of flexibility, motor competence, and physical activity was used to analyze the data. Sex and body mass index (BMI) were used as covariates in the analysis.

Results

At the between-level, a stable positive association over four years was found between flexibility and motor competence [.36, (.04)] and between motor competence and physical activity [.47, (.04)]. However, flexibility was not found to be associated with self-reported physical activity over time. The covariate results showed that being a girl was negatively linked to motor competence [-.12, (.03)] and physical activity [-.12, (.04)] but positively to flexibility [.41, (.03)]. Higher BMI was negatively linked to all study variables. The results at the within-level also revealed some cross-lagged relationships among the study variables.

Conclusions

The findings of this study indicate that students’ flexibility is positively linked to motor competence during adolescence. In other words, students with higher flexibility also have higher motor competence, and vice versa. As flexibility and physical activity were not associated over time, it might be that the positive development of flexibility is more related to participating in activities with diverse motor skills demands rather than meeting the physical activity guidelines.

Funding source

The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture funded this study.
189 Development of the Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health in Northern Ireland (Y-PATH NI) Study
Authors: Carlin Angela , McClelland Julia , Gallagher Alison , Belton Sarahjane , O’Brien Wesley , Murphy Marie
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health (Y-PATH) programme is an evidence-based physical literacy intervention, aimed at enhancing provision of physical education (PE). Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Y-PATH at increasing children’s physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills in Ireland. As Northern Ireland (NI) has different curricular provision, this study will consult with key stakeholders (pupils, teachers, parents) to test the acceptability of Y-PATH and adapt intervention content for delivery in NI post-primary schools.

Methods

The development phase involved reviewing the NI PE curriculum, a cross-sectional online survey with NI pupils (n = 1541, 11-14 years), focus groups (n = 17) with pupils aged 11-16 years, and interviews with parents and teachers (n = 15). In addition, 22 pupils participated in a Youth Advisory Group and were asked to provide feedback on intervention resources and proposed data collection measures for future feasibility testing. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were run for quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, data were summarised, and themes were generated.

Results

Participants reported wanting to take part in more physical activity with their friends, during school time and to be given a choice of activities in their PE classes. Parents in NI indicated that they thought the Y-PATH programme would be beneficial for children and reported that they would be willing to be involved with the parent component of the intervention, while teachers noted some concerns in relation to the additional workload the intervention might entail. Feedback from the Youth Advisory Group suggested proposed outcome measures were acceptable, with detailed feedback provided on the design and functionality of Y-PATH resources, for example, the student journal.

Conclusions

The findings from this study suggest that the Y-PATH intervention would be suitable for schools in NI. The adapted Y-PATH NI programme will be tested in a feasibility trial and a process evaluation will determine the fidelity and acceptability of the Y-PATH intervention within the NI setting. These findings will help policymakers and researchers develop interventions that will be effective in increasing physical activity levels amongst youth.

Support/Funding Source

This study is funded by Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke.
199 EDUcational Course Assessment TOOLkit (EDUCATOOL): development and application in a Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) promotion intervention
Authors: Matolić Tena , Jurakić Danijel , Jurakić Zrinka Greblo , Maršić Tošo
Published: September 2024

Purpose

The evaluation of educational courses on HEPA promotion often lacks an empirically defined evaluation framework. Thus, our primary aim was to develop an assessment toolkit called EDUCATOOL, grounded in Kirkpatrick’s evaluation framework, and to assess its measurement properties. Our second goal was to apply EDUCATOOL to evaluate the Sports Club for Health (SCforH) educational course.

Methods

EDUCATOOL was developed through a rigorous four-stage process: 1) literature review, 2) drafting questionnaires based on 150 topic-related publications and discussion among three researchers, 3) refining the questionnaires through the Delphi method including five multidisciplinary experts, and 4) a consultative process with 20 potential end-users. The toolkit was then utilised to evaluate the SCforH educational course, completed by 840 participants from 34 European countries. Participant types included: a) representative of sports club, b) representative of sports association, c) representative of governmental body, d) representative of public health institute and National Physical Activity Focal Point (“HEPA promotors & researchers”), f) academic staff in a higher education or research institution, g) higher education student, and h) other.

Results

EDUCATOOL consists of a post-course questionnaire, follow-up questionnaire, user manual, and data processing calculator. Both questionnaires demonstrated a good fit for Kirkpatrick’s 4-factor model, encompassing Reaction, Learning, Behavioural intent (post-course)/Behaviour (follow-up), and Expected outcomes (post-course)/Results (follow-up). Internal consistency, test-retest reliability factorial validity, and convergent validity were found to be adequate for both questionaries. The SCforH course received high ratings from all participant types, with median scores ranging from 8.00 to 9.00 out of 10 for individual items and from 20.00 to 21.67 out of 25 for each of the four summary components. HEPA promotors and researchers rated the outcome components most highly compared to other participant types.

Conclusions

The EDUCATOOL toolkit represents a valuable resource for evaluating the effectiveness of educational courses and fostering evidence-based practices in various HEPA promotion interventions. Findings from the SCforH course evaluation indicate that innovative and engaging methods in HEPA promotion are well-received by various types of stakeholders.

Support/Funding Source

The study was funded by Erasmus+ Collaborative Partnerships grant (ref: 613434-EPP-1-2019-1-HR9 SPO-SCP) and Croatian Science Foundation (ref: DOK-2020-01-8078).
148 The energy expenditure of different strategies to break up prolonged sedentary behaviour in office workers
Authors: Vanherle Jen , Nieste Ine , Franssen Wouter , Op ‘t Eijnde Bert
Published: September 2024

Background

Since the millennium shift, the number of people who work in an office environment has increased up to 30%. This leads to an increase in sedentary behaviour (SB), which has been associated with numerous chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. The underlying mechanisms are attributed to metabolic processes, including a higher postprandial glucose and lipid concentration, associated with the low energy expenditure of SB.

Purpose

As studies now show that interrupting SB can acutely improve metabolic markers such as glucose regulation, this is an emerging field of research. Even more so because interruptions in SB, in terms of intensity, range from standing breaks to high-intensity physical activity breaks. In order to better compare different strategies for interrupting SB in an office environment, it is important to know the energy expenditure associated with these strategies. Therefore, this study was performed to compare the energy expenditure of two different strategies to interrupt prolonged SB that can be implemented in an office environment to enhance cardiometabolic health.

Methods

In this cross-sectional observational study, indirect calorimetry was used to determine the energy expenditure in three different simulated office environments (prolonged SB, 2min walking breaks @ 3km/h, standing breaks) for a duration of 15 minutes. This technique is based on measuring the oxygen uptake and CO2 production to calculate the associated energy expenditure and substrate oxidation.

Results

Eleven participants completed all simulated office environments. There was a significant increase in energy expenditure in standing breaks compared to prolonged SB (+0.11 kcal/min, p = 0.02) and walking breaks compared to both prolonged SB (+0.49 kcal/min, p < 0.001) and standing breaks (+0.38 kcal/min, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study suggests that indirect calorimetry can be used to determine the energy expenditure of different strategies to interrupt prolonged sedentary behaviour. Future studies should consider energy expenditure when studying the cardiometabolic health effects of reducing sedentary behaviour by implementing interruptions.

Support/Funding Source

This study was funded by Hasselt University.
150 Workplace physical activity practices for small-and medium-sized enterprises: identification of features that work in real life
Authors: Vandaele Frank , Puig-Ribera Anna , Väänänen Ilkka , Farías-Torbidoni Estela , Dorado Víctor , Matas Sergi , Codina-Nadal Anna , Aumatell Eva , De Clerck Ine , Mas-Alòs Sebastià
Published: September 2024

Background and Objectives

In the current landscape of workplace well-being policies, the promotion of adequate physical activity (PA) has gained prominence. Extensive peer-reviewed literature outlines essential components for effective PA initiatives. Building upon Väänänen et al.’s (2022) scoping review of grey literature, this study aims to assess which of the identified initiatives are most feasible for inclusion in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the European Region of the World Health Organization.

Methods

A questionnaire to evaluate the feasibility was administrated to 82 experts from 26 countries, including the Worksite HEPA promotion working group and experts contacted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe (HEPA focal points). These experts rated the initiatives on positive attributes for practice transfer (effectiveness, practicality, adaptability, generalizability, and cost-benefit) using a 5-point Likert scale. Ratings were categorized by company size, and experts provided recommendations for their countries or regions on a scale of 1-10. Subsequently, an online Delphi panel of experts gathered qualitative feedback on the initiatives with the highest scores, facilitating consensus for their inclusion in a European PA Toolkit tailored for SMEs.

Results

Through three waves, 28 experts assessed a total of 390 initiatives. Forty-three initiatives were considered most feasible for SMEs because they reached a minimum score of 20/25 on positive attributes for practice transfer plus any attributed scored below 4. These initiatives were appraised feasible for SMEs, obtaining a recommendation score of at least 7. After two rounds of Delphi panels involving six experts, no consensus was reached on which of the 43 initiatives were most feasible for SMEs.

Conclusions

The 43 initiatives that were considered feasible through the questionnaire-based assessment, covered all Workplace PA initiative categories identified by Väänänen et al. 2022 (Active work and living; Exercise and fitness programs; Management and leadership; Communication and dissemination; and Facilities). The experts found the underlying concept of these initiatives inspiring for European SMEs. However, they are not transferable to every context. Further research is needed to determine the conditions that must be met to make these concepts feasible across various contexts.

Funding Source

World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
S03-3: Building the case: Understanding facilitators and barriers to rolling out Fame in Ireland
Authors: McCullagh Ruth , Skelton Dawn , Horgan Frances
Published: September 2024

Purpose: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) reports that 19% of people aged >50 fall annually. In 2021, the population of > 65s reached 742,300, and is set to reach 1 million within 10 years, with the associated cost of falls se to exceed €2 billion. In 2022, a population health-improvement project, AFFINITY supported the training of Physiotherapists (HSE staff) and Exercise Professionals (community-based private and sole providers) to deliver FaME throughout Ireland, with 120 instructors now trained. However, as previous UK implementation studies have shown, FaME roll-out is complex, with local contexts needing consideration.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate and improve the early-adopter sites of FaME in Ireland, thereby providing valuable information for its future implementation in the Irish landscape.

This evaluation study follows the HSE Change Guide; an experience-based co-design action research approach. Three early-adopter sites with varying methods of funding, managing, and delivering FaME have been identified. Using mixed-methods, we are completing the key activities, DEFINE, DESIGN, and DELIVER. We are DEFINing (1) current referral processes to improve equity and reach to people who may fall; (2) the cost, effectiveness (on falls rate, balance, functional independence and well-being), and perceived appropriateness of FaME, and (3) suitable local exercise/activity programmes for participants to maintain independence and function after FaME. From this data, issues in the FaME roll-out will be identified. At co-DESIGN, key stakeholders including PPI representatives, service-users and service-providers, and FaME commissioners, will identify practical local solutions. Finally, in DELIVER, with the local solutions implemented, we will re-explore and re-measure to detect the effects of the change.

We will disseminate the outcomes to public, commissioners and academic parties. The existing UK implementation toolkit will be adapted for the Irish context.

This project will provide valuable information on equitable access, follow-on options, and how best to foster collaborations to ensure the best outcomes for older people and health services. The findings will help to make informed decisions about effective delivery, helping older people to get up and stay active, reducing social isolation, loneliness and dependency.
S05-3: Slovenian pathway to active and healthy ageing
Authors: Knific Tjasa , Horvat Martina , Nadrag Petra , Založnik Pika
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Slovenia's demographic indicators are rapidly increasing (21% older persons aged 65+ in 2023). Falls in Slovenia account for 53% of all deaths due to external causes and mortality of the elderly due to falls is 2.5 times higher in Slovenia than in other EU countries. Due to aforementioned reasons Slovenia modified the national prevention program Together for health for the needs of the elderly, focusing on the health sector, patients’ homes and local communities.

Development

We modified the existing program, which generally promotes physical literacy for fall and frailty prevention. We successfully implemented national postgraduate training for health workers at the primary level of health care in the field of PA prescription and preventive treatment of the elderly (more than 700 specially trained health workers). We implemented multidisciplinary preventive treatment of those living at home, which is conducted by home nurses and is based on various geriatric syndromes, including falls.

Implementation

National Institute of Public Health Slovenia is testing a new approach, which will bring new competencies for health, social workers and NGOs in falls screening and prescriptions of PA for falls prevention, which will bring treatment closer to the patient's home and will relieve the burden on Slovenian healthcare.

Evaluation

In 2022, a total of 2117 patients were treated in PA for health workshops, 36% (n = 769) of them were over 65 years old. 58% were sufficiently physically active and results from national monitoring of aerobic capacity, strength, balance, and mobility show promising trends. Out of 13744 patients (mean age 81 years) who were home screened for falls in 2023, 49% were assessed as risky for falls.

Conclusions

The program has shown improvement in the results in the majority of participating patients in all existing treatments for active and healthy aging, in the health sector and at the patients’ home. In coming years, we will focus on long term evaluation of PA behavior in the elderly who participate in the program. We expect closer cooperation with the sports sector in providing supportive activities in local communities when the PA treatment in the health care system has ended.
S11 How to increase the reach of HEPA promotion among socially disadvantaged groups?
Authors: Murphy Niamh
Published: September 2024

Participation in physical activity (PA) has many benefits beyond improvements in physical health, like improved mental health, social connections, and certain skills. People from socially disadvantaged groups may benefit most from these outcomes, yet, programs that aim to increase physical activity participation among such groups often struggle with reaching and engaging adequate numbers of participants. This is unfortunate, because no matter how effective a program is for improving health and PA participation, its success and continuation is largely determined by its initial reach. In this symposium, chaired by Niamh Murphy from SETU Waterford in Ireland, we present recent insights obtained through research and practice into factors that affect the reach of physical activity interventions for various marginalized groups.

Maike Till, Karim Abu-Omar, and Heiko Ziemainz from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany, discuss findings of the community-based participatory research project “BIG”, which explored how women in difficult life situations can best be reached and encouraged to participate in physical activity. The results showed, among others, that this may require distinct approaches for women in urban and rural areas.

Jennifer Thomas, Diane Crone, Nic Bowes, Katie Thirlaway, Robert Meyers, and Kelly Mackintosh from Swansea University in Wales, UK, studied the barriers and opportunities for reaching and recruiting young people experiencing homelessness. They will present the most important factors that they identified at organizational, individual and intervention levels.

Kirsten Verkooijen, Daniëlla van Uden, Güven Alarslan, Dico de Jager and Annemarie Wagemakers from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands will present the most important lessons regarding program reach, based on their experience with multiple physical activity programs that are specifically designed for socially disadvantaged groups.

Finally, Seamus Nugent, a sports inclusion development officer of the Kilkenny Recreation and Sports Partnership in Ireland, will bring in a practice perspective on reaching, and providing inclusive, meaningful physical activity opportunities for children and adults living with disability in Ireland.
The contributions of direct and indirect selection to the evolution of mating preferences
Authors: Servedio Maria R
Published: September 2024

Many influential mathematical models of sexual selection have stressed that mating preferences evolve due to correlations that build between mating preferences and preferred display traits—that is, through indirect selection. Nevertheless, there is a perception that indirect selection should generally be overwhelmed by direct selection, for example, in the form of search costs. Recent work by Fry has used quantitative genetic models to argue that in many cases, including when there are direct benefits (a fecundity advantage to mating with the preferred male), direct and indirect selection may be of similar magnitude. Here, I use population genetic models, in which the strength of the genetic correlation is an emergent property of evolution at mating preference and display trait loci, to assess the relative contributions of direct and indirect selection to the evolution of mating preferences. For the cases of direct benefits and of indirect benefits with fixed and frequency-dependent search costs, I outline parameter values of fecundity benefits, preference strengths, and search costs for which indirect selection on female preferences can potentially predominate. I also analyze male mate choice under polygyny, showing that direct selection will always outweigh indirect selection except when there are direct benefits.
Targeted mutation of BnaMS1/BnaMS2 combined with the RUBY reporter enables an efficient two-line system for hybrid seed production in Brassica napus
Authors: Shen Xiaoxiao , Dong Qing , Zhao Xiang , Hu Limin , Bala Sukanta , Deng Songyue , Zhao Yanyan , Duan Qun , Liu Zilong , He Hanzi , Fan Chuchuan
Published: September 2024

The recessive genic male sterility (RGMS) method has several benefits in hybrid seed production; however, it is seldom employed in industrial hybrid seed production owing to the difficulty of producing an ample number of pure male-sterile seeds. In this study, we present an efficient methodology for developing a two-line strategy to produce hybrid seed through targeted mutation of BnaMS1 and BnaMS2 in conjunction with the RUBY reporter in Brassica napus. In this method, male-sterile lines were successfully created directly from different elite rapeseed breeding lines through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis and enhanced Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. To establish an efficient transgenic maintainer, three seed production technology (SPT) cassettes carrying a functional BnaMS1 gene linked to different reporters (DsRed, BnaA07.PAP2, and RUBY) were tested and compared in rapeseed. The results indicated that the PMR-based reporter possesses advantages such as phenotypic stability and ease of identification at early stages, making it an ideal tool for rapid and efficient screening. Subsequently, ideal transgenic maintainer lines with a single hemizygous copy of the SPT cassette were successfully developed in the context of Bnams1Bnams2 double mutants. The progeny from crossing the maintainer line with its male-sterile counterpart exhibited a 1:1 segregation pattern of nontransgenic male-sterile and male-fertile maintainer plants, distinguishable by seedling color. This biotechnological approach to male sterility offers promising prospects for improving the propagation of recessive genic male-sterile plants and the development of hybrid seeds in rapeseed. Furthermore, it is simple to adapt this technique to more Brassica crops.
Log Topological Recursion Through the Prism of x-y Swap
Authors: Alexandrov A , Bychkov B , Dunin-Barkowski P , Kazarian M , Shadrin S
Published: September 2024

We introduce a new concept of logarithmic topological recursion that provides a patch to topological recursion in the presence of logarithmic singularities and prove that this new definition satisfies the universal $x-y$ swap relation. This result provides a vast generalization and a proof of a very recent conjecture of Hock. It also uniformly explains (and conceptually rectifies) an approach to the formulas for the $n$-point functions proposed by Hock.