Six-week Study Research Articles

The efficacy and safety of velagliflozin over 16\u2009weeks as a treatment for insulin dysregulation in ponies

BackgroundA previous six-week (wk) study demonstrated the potential of the sodium-glucose linked transport inhibitor velagliflozin as a novel treatment for equine insulin dysregulation. The present study examined the safety and efficacy of velagliflozin over 16 wk. of treatment, and over 4 wk. of withdrawal. Twenty-four insulin dysregulated ponies were selected, based on their hyper-responsiveness to a diet challenge meal containing 3.8 g non-structural carbohydrates (NSC)/kg bodyweight (BW). Ponies with serum insulin > 90 μIU/mL either 2 or 4 h after feeding were enrolled, and randomly allocated to receive either velagliflozin (0.3 mg/kg BW orally once daily, n = 12), or a placebo (n = 10–12) for 16 wk. The subjects were fed 7.5 g NSC/kg BW/day to maintain a fat body condition. Safety was assessed through daily monitoring, veterinary examination, and the measurement of fasting blood glucose, biochemistry and haematology. Efficacy at reducing post-prandial hyperinsulinemia was assessed using a diet challenge every 8 wk. during treatment and 4 wk. after withdrawal.ResultsVelagliflozin was well accepted by all subjects and caused no adverse effects or hypoglycaemia. Post-prandial serum insulin (insulin Cmax) did not change significantly in the control animals over the entire study period (P = 0.101). In contrast, insulin Cmax (mean ± SE) concentrations fell over time in the velagliflozin-treated group from 205 ± 25 μIU/mL in wk. 0, to 119 ± 19 μIU/mL (P = 0.015) and 117 ± 15 μIU/ml (P = 0.029) after 8 and 16 wk. of treatment, respectively. Although the insulin Cmax in this group was not significantly lower than in controls at wk-8 (P = 0.061), it was lower at wk-16 (P = 0.003), and all 12 treated ponies were below the previously-determined risk threshold for laminitis at this time. After 4 wk. withdrawal, the insulin Cmax returned to 199 ± 36 μIU/mL in the treated group, with no rebound effect.ConclusionsVelagliflozin appears to be a promising and safe treatment for equine insulin dysregulation, bringing post-prandial insulin concentrations below the laminitis risk threshold, albeit without normalising them.

Agency and high school science students' motivation, engagement, and classroom support experiences

Agentic engagement is a potential gateway to improving the classroom climate and adolescent students' motivation. The current investigation provided the first test of daily and short-term longitudinal relations between U.S. high school science students' agentic engagement during class and their psychological need satisfaction, other forms of engagement (behavioral, cognitive, emotional), and perceptions of teachers' autonomy relevant practices. Analyses were based on a six-week diary study with 208 urban and suburban U.S. high school students from 41 science classes. Multilevel modeling analyses suggested that agentic engagement predicted an increase in concurrent and longitudinal perceived teacher autonomy support, need satisfaction, and other forms of engagement. Mediational analyses supported theoretical depictions of agentic engagement as emerging out of an autonomy supportive context and dynamically shaping that context and students' motivational experiences over the course of an instructional unit. The implications and fit of the findings with theory are discussed.

Consumption of yacon flour improves body composition and intestinal function in overweight adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Yacon root is a natural source of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and it has been studied for its potential effect as a functional food. However, FOS in the in natura root are rapidly hydrolyzed. Thus, the use of dehydrated products such as flour ensures stability of FOS. The effect of chronic consumption of yacon flour on body composition, food intake and of biochemical variables concentration has not yet been evaluated in humans. Thus, we evaluated the effects of yacon flour consumption on these variables associated with excess body weight. Twenty-six adults (31.3±8.5 years) with excess weight (30.4±2.4kg/m2, 40.16±6.7% body fat) participated in this randomized, double-blind, six-week study. Subjects were randomly allocated to one of the experimental groups (control (n=13) or yacon flour (n=13)), received the prescription of energy-restricted diets (- 500kcal/day) and daily consumed a breakfast drink not containing or containing 25g of yacon flour (0.1g of FOS/kg body weight). At the beginning and at the end of the study, biochemical analyses (glycemia, insulinemia, lipid profile and liver function markers), anthropometrics (weight, waist, hip and neck circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter), body composition (lean mass, total body fat, trunk fat, android fat and gynoid fat), blood pressure, intestinal function, and food intake were assessed. Daily yacon flour consumption was well tolerated, did not cause adverse gastrointestinal effects, increased dietary fiber consumption, promoted greater body weight, waist circumference, waist to height index, sagittal abdominal diameter, and body fat reduction, besides improving bowel function in comparison to the control group. Yacon flour served as a natural fiber supplement and proved to be an effective adjuvant to be used in nutritional strategies to control excess body weight.

Testing a pain self-management intervention by exploring reduction of analgesics\u2019 side effects in cancer outpatients and the involvement of family caregivers: a study protocol (PEINCA-FAM)

BackgroundPain is one of cancer patients’ most frequent and distressing symptoms; however, analgesics’ side effects often increase symptom burden. Further, with the home rapidly becoming the primary cancer care setting, family caregivers (FCs) commonly play central roles in patients’ pain self-management, but with little or no preparation. One US-tested intervention, the PRO-SELF© Plus Pain Control Program (PCP), designed to support cancer outpatients and their FCs in pain self-management, is currently being tested in the Swiss multi-centre PEINCA study. The current PEINCA-FAM study is a sub-study of PEINCA. The aims of PEINCA-FAM are: a) to test the efficacy of the adapted German PRO-SELF © Plus PCP to reduce side effects of analgesics; b) to enhance patients’/FCs’ knowledge regarding cancer pain; and c) to explore FCs’ involvement in patients’ pain self-management.MethodsThis mixed methods project combines a multi-centre randomized controlled clinical trial with qualitative data collection techniques and includes 210 patients recruited from three oncology outpatient clinics. FCs involved in patients’ pain self-management are also invited to participate. After baseline evaluation, eligible participants are randomized to a 6-week intervention group and a control group. Both groups complete a daily pain and symptom diary. Intervention group patients/FCs receive the weekly psychoeducational PRO-SELF© Plus PCP interventions; control group patients receive usual care. After completing the six-week study procedures, a subsample of 7–10 patients/FCs per group and hospital (N = 42–60) will be interviewed regarding their pain management experiences. Data collection will take place from April 2016 until December 2018. An intent-to-treat analysis and generalized linear mixed models will be applied. Qualitative data will be analysed by using interpretive description. Quantitative and qualitative results will be combined within a mixed method matrix.DiscussionIn clinical practice, specially trained oncology nurses in outpatient clinics could apply the intervention to reduce side effects and to enhance patients’/FCs’ self-efficacy and pain management knowledge.Trial registrationThe PEINCA study is registered in the Clinical Trials.gov site (code: NCT02713919, 08 March 2016).

Energy requirements for ICU burn patients in whom the total body surface area affected exceeds 50 percent: a practical equation.

Energy requirement estimations are crucial for major burn patients' nutrition management. To find a practical equation for patients with burns over >50% of their total body surface area (TBSA)in an intensive care unit (ICU). We conducted a six-week follow-up study of 21 ICU burn patients aged 17-28 years (second- and third-degree burns, TBSA: 50-90%) who were prescribed enteral nutritional support. The energy consumption ratio (ECR) was calculated by dividing the actual energy intake by the estimated energy requirement. Linear regression was used to evaluate the stability of each equation and the wound healing rate over time. All included patients survived. On the fifth day, among the seven equations used, the ECRs of those dependent on the basal metabolic rate and body weight, namely, 35 kcal/kg BW, BMR × 1.5, and the Toronto formula, reached 74%, 71% and 69%, respectively. The ECRs for the abovementioned formulae achieved nutritional support goal sufficiency (0.9-1.1) from the third week. Additionally, with every 1% increase in the Energy Consumption Increase Rate per week, the wound healing rate increased from 0.35% to 0.80% per week. Both the 28 and 35 kcal/kg BW formulas had the smallest regression coefficients (0.46) over 6 weeks. The 35 kcal/kg BW equation was suitable for young patients with burns over >50%TBSA in the ICU because it could be applied without equivocation, in time, and with acceptable wound healing rates. Additionally, it was well tolerated and contributed to stable management with feeding simplicity.

Acquisition, study abroad and individual differences

AbstractThe current study examines the combined effect of type and quantity of contact with the target language on the second language development of a variable structure, ‘subject pronoun expression’ in L2 Spanish. A written contextualized task and a language contact questionnaire were given to 26 second language learners of Spanish before and after a six-week study abroad in Valencia, Spain. Their selection of overt and null subject pronouns was compared to native speakers from the study abroad region as well as to learners and native speakers in previous research in a US university context. Results suggest that learners with higher rates of self-reported contact with native speakers while abroad approximate the Valencian native speaker norms more at the end of study abroad than those who report fewer contact hours. However, differences between the groups at the beginning of study abroad indicate that characteristics other than contact hours also differentiate the two learner groups.

Waterbird response to variable-timing of drawdown in rice fields after winter-flooding.

Wetland loss and degradation have been extensive across the world, especially in California’s Central Valley where over 90% of the natural wetlands have been converted to agricultural and urban uses. In the Central Valley today, a much smaller network of managed wetlands and flooded agricultural fields supports almost five million waterfowl and half a million shorebirds. Over 50% of waterbird habitat in the Central Valley is provided by flooded agricultural land, primarily rice (Oryza sativa). Each year non-breeding waterbird habitat decreases in the late winter as flooded agricultural fields are drained after waterfowl hunting season in late-January to prepare for the next crop. This study evaluated a practice called ‘variable drawdown’ that involves delaying the removal of water from rice fields by 1, 2, and 3 weeks to extend the availability of flooded habitat later into February and March. We studied waterbird response to variable drawdown in 2012 and 2013 at twenty rice farms throughout the northern half of the Central Valley. The staggered drawdown created a mosaic of water depths throughout the six-week study period. The 3-week delay in drawdown supported more dabbling ducks than earlier drawdowns in the first half of the study and more shorebirds and long-legged wading birds during the second half of the study. The timing of highest use of each drawdown treatment differed for each waterbird guild; dabbling ducks, geese and swans benefited at the beginning, then long-legged wading birds, followed by shorebirds. Despite the presence of appropriate water depths for shorebirds across the treatments during the entire study period, shorebird densities were highest near the end of the study when the 3-week-delayed drawdown was providing the majority of the habitat on the landscape. This suggests that shorebirds may have concentrated in our study fields due to decreasing availability of shallow water habitat elsewhere. The practice of variable drawdown successfully extended the availability of waterbird habitat provided by post-harvest flooded rice fields later into winter.

Improved Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Functioning in Students with Autism Following School-Based Smartglasses Intervention: Multi-Stage Feasibility and Controlled Efficacy Study.

Background: Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) commonly demonstrate prominent social communication deficits, symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and chronic irritability. These challenges hinder academic progress and frequently persist despite educational, behavioral, and medical interventions. An assistive smartglasses technology may aid these individuals, especially if the technology is efficacious in ecologically-valid school settings. This study explored the feasibility and efficacy of Empowered Brain, a computerized smartglasses intervention designed as a socio-emotional behavioral aid for students with ASD. Methods: This two-part six-week study involved four school children with ASD from a public elementary school. The study incorporated an initial three-week feasibility stage followed by a three-week controlled longitudinal efficacy stage. Both stages involved the use of a twice-daily socio-emotional intervention with the smartglasses. Educators completed pre-intervention and post-intervention Aberrant Behavioral Checklist (ABC) ratings at the start of the feasibility stage, and weekly during the efficacy stage. Primary outcome measures were improvements in the ABC subscales of irritability, hyperactivity, and social withdrawal. Results: Students in both feasibility and efficacy stages demonstrated improvements (decreases) in irritability, hyperactivity, and social withdrawal compared to a baseline period and control periods, respectively. Participants in the controlled efficacy stage demonstrated decreased ABC subscale scores of 90% for irritability, 41.6% for hyperactivity, and 45.6% for social withdrawal. An intervention exposure-response improvement in irritability and hyperactivity was found during the efficacy stage. Educators rated the technology as superior or vastly superior compared to other assistive technologies. Conclusion: A substantial number of school children with ASD demonstrate chronic and impairing cognitive and behavioral challenges. This study provides evidence that Empowered Brain, a smartglasses-based socio-emotional aid for autism, is both feasible and efficacious in improving symptoms of social withdrawal, irritability, and hyperactivity in students with autism. The improvement is demonstrated as part of a longitudinal school-based intervention. Further studies involving larger samples and incorporation of randomized controlled trial methodology are underway to further elucidate the impact of this technology.

QuantifyMe: An Open-Source Automated Single-Case Experimental Design Platform.

Smartphones and wearable sensors have enabled unprecedented data collection, with many products now providing feedback to users about recommended step counts or sleep durations. However, these recommendations do not provide personalized insights that have been shown to be best suited for a specific individual. A scientific way to find individualized recommendations and causal links is to conduct experiments using single-case experimental design; however, properly designed single-case experiments are not easy to conduct on oneself. We designed, developed, and evaluated a novel platform, QuantifyMe, for novice self-experimenters to conduct proper-methodology single-case self-experiments in an automated and scientific manner using their smartphones. We provide software for the platform that we used (available for free on GitHub), which provides the methodological elements to run many kinds of customized studies. In this work, we evaluate its use with four different kinds of personalized investigations, examining how variables such as sleep duration and regularity, activity, and leisure time affect personal happiness, stress, productivity, and sleep efficiency. We conducted a six-week pilot study (N = 13) to evaluate QuantifyMe. We describe the lessons learned developing the platform and recommendations for its improvement, as well as its potential for enabling personalized insights to be scientifically evaluated in many individuals, reducing the high administrative cost for advancing human health and wellbeing.

MULTI-CENTRE STUDIES OF THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS AND THE PREDICTIVE VALUE OF ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS.

Endometriosis can be difficult to diagnose clinically and models that use symptoms to predict whether the disease is present or not are based on limited patient populations. Endometriosis also influences health-related quality of life, but little is known about its impact across the world. We therefore initiated two integrated multicentre studies to collect prospective, standardised, epidemiological data, to 1) examine the global impact of endometriosis and relative effect of risk-factors, and 2) develop a symptom-based diagnostic tool. The Global Study of Women's Health (GSWH) and the Women's Health Symptom Survey (WHSS) prospectively recruit 18-45 year old women having a laparoscopy across 23 and 19 centres, respectively, worldwide. Women with a previous surgical diagnosis of endometriosis are excluded. Multi-lingual patient questionnaires and a surgical questionnaire, incorporating validated instruments, are used to collect the data. The GSWH aims to recruit >2,000 women by December 2009; the WHSS to recruit 1,000 women in each of the two model-generating and validation stages. A six-week pilot study in Oxford, UK, established the feasibility of the study protocols. Of 32 eligible women, 27 participated (response rate - 84.4%); 26% completed the questionnaire online. Endometriosis was found in 47.4%. Extrapolating the recruitment rates from the pilot study, the target sample sizes for the GWSH and WHSS were deemed feasible. Using standardised data collection, the GSWH and WHSS will provide insight into the global impact of endometriosis and develop a validated, symptom-based, diagnostic tool. They have the potential to provide the basis for future, longitudinal, follow-up studies and a collaborative Endometriosis Biobank implementing standardised collection of DNA and tissue samples.

Effects of Restrained, External, and Emotional Eating Styles on Weight Gain Among Female Students at Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia

ABSTRACT: Continuous weight gain increases the risk of coronary heart disease. This research was a six-week prospective cohort study aimed at identifying the effects of restrained, external, and emotional eating styles on weight gain by controlling energy intake, physical activity, and socioeconomic status. A total of 40 female students were assessed at three points within a six-week period. Eating styles were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire based on restrained, externality, and psychosomatic theories. There was a significant weight gain of 0.32 kg on average among female students. Twenty-five percent of respondents experienced changes in eating style, while the rest were consistent with one eating style. A significant effect on weight gain was found only in external eating before and after being controlled by energy intake (p<0.05). This indicates that external eating, rather than emotional eating and restrained eating, drives weight gain among female college students. This study also found that the proportion of restrained eating was higher in students with normal weight than in those who were overweight, whereas emotional eating was higher in underweight students than overweight students, and external eating was higher in underweight students than obese students. In conclusion, external eating may cause weight gain, yet restrained and emotional eating are not necessarily effective ways to control weight either. Therapies to stop the weight gain epidemic are urgently needed.

Identifying and Evaluating User Requirements for Smartphone Group Fitness Applications

Social support can improve adherence to physical activity and healthy eating behavior change, and recently, smartphone fitness applications which provide interventions to groups of users are increasingly popular. However, the types of social support provided in the applications, and the features/approaches used to offer the support, vary widely. It is unknown which approach is the best to meet users’ requirements. We conducted a mixed methods study to identify user requirements for social support in group fitness applications. We then developed MyFitnessTeam based on these requirements and evaluated it in a six-week field study. We found that participants desired informational and emotional support, and for group fitness applications to provide daily challenges that they could complete with their support network. MyFitnessTeam significantly improved adherence to fitness behaviors, with men having significantly higher adherence levels than women and participants who were inactive at baseline achieving similar adherence levels to the most baseline-active participants. Groups of friends were more likely to exchange informational support but emotional support was low for both friends and strangers, due to lack of knowledge on when and how to offer such support. We propose five design recommendations to promote supportive interactions in group fitness applications.

Adjunctive Light Therapy Found Effective for Bipolar Depression

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article PsychopharmacologyFull AccessAdjunctive Light Therapy Found Effective for Bipolar DepressionNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:20 Oct 2017https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.pp10b3AbstractA study finds that daily midday light therapy can lower depressive symptoms and improve the odds of remission in patients with bipolar disorder without a significant risk of emergent mania.Mood stabilizers such as lithium or valproate are known to be effective at controlling manic symptoms associated with bipolar disorder, but many patients continue to experience residual depressive symptoms while on these medications. Antidepressants are an option, but studies suggest that they are not as effective for bipolar depression as unipolar depression. iStock/Rocky89A study published October 3 in AJP in Advance suggests that adjunctive midday light therapy may lower depressive symptoms in people with bipolar disorder without increasing the risk of having mania reemerge.Lead author Dorothy Sit, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Psychiatric News that her group had initially planned to evaluate the effects of morning light (the time typically used when treating unipolar depression) on patients with bipolar disorder, but three of the four participants in their pilot study developed hypomania.After consulting with experts in light therapy and reviewing the available literature, the researchers decided to evaluate the effects of midday light exposure on patients with bipolar disorder. For this six-week study, 46 adults with bipolar I or II disorder, who had elevated depressive symptoms, randomly received either a 7,000-lux bright white light unit or a 50-lux dim red light machine. They were instructed to use their light machine once daily between 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., starting at 15 minutes per session and increasing by 15 minutes each week to a target duration of 60 minutes daily. The participants all remained on a mood stabilizer, and some were also taking an adjunctive antidepressant. As Sit explained, this was a different approach to light therapy: “Studies normally start at the full light duration, but we modeled our protocol after medication studies where the dose is gradually escalated,” she said. The goal was to build up the participants’ tolerance to the light and further decrease the risk of hypomania or other side effects like headaches.After six weeks, patients treated with bright white light therapy had lower average scores on their SIGH-ADS (Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Scale With Atypical Depression Supplement) than those using the dim red light—9.2 versus 14.9, respectively. The bright light group also showed a significantly higher remission rate (achieving a SIGH-ADS score of 8 or less) than the control group—68.2 percent compared with 22.2 percent, respectively.The observed improvements in the bright light group were first evident after about four weeks, which Sit said is the same as seen in other light therapy studies. “It is encouraging that we were able to achieve this robust response even though we took measures to optimize tolerability,” she said.Both groups experienced minimal side effects, and there were no instances of mood switching during the study.While Sit noted that more research is needed to understand how the timing of light therapy affects depression and the long-term effects of the therapy, she believes light therapy is an option for outpatient clinicians who treat bipolar patients. She said that she believes light therapy could be an especially attractive option to manage depressive symptoms in special populations like older adults or pregnant women with bipolar disorder, where there are greater risks in using multiple medications. This study was supported by awards from the National Institute of Mental Health and the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation. Uplift Technologies Inc. donated the light boxes used in the study. ■Back to Psychopharmacology Newsletter Table of Contents ISSUES NewArchived

Paroxetine versus Venlafaxine and Escitalopram in Korean Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Rater-blinded, Six-week Study.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of escitalopram, paroxetine and venlafaxine in Korean patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodsA total of 449 Korean MDD patients were recruited in a six-week, randomized, rater-blinded, active-controlled trial and were evenly randomized to paroxetine, venlafaxine, or escitalopram treatment.ResultsWhen comparing the mean difference for the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) total scores during six weeks, paroxetine (−6.4±0.4, and −5.4±0.4, respectively) was found to be significantly superior to escitalopram (−3.7±0.5 and −3.1±0.4, respectively). Venlafaxine had a significantly lower MADRS total score (−5.4±0.4) than escitalopram. When adjusting baseline variables, the response, according to the MADRS and HDRS scores, in the paroxetine group was greater than that for the escitalopram group (odds ratio [OR]=2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.42–4.16 for MADRS; and OR=2.32, 95% CI=1.35–3.97 for HDRS) and the venlafaxine group (OR=1.94, 95% CI=1.17–3.21 for MADRS; and OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.03–2.83 for HDRS). Despite that the overall tolerability was high and similar among the three groups, a total of 268 subjects (59.7%) prematurely discontinued treatment, representing the main limitation of the present study.ConclusionAlthough a low study completion rate limits generalizability, our findings suggest that paroxetine might be superior to escitalopram in Korean MDD patients. Further studies should be conducted to draw a definite conclusion.

An open-treatment six-week study of the clinical effectiveness of Paliperidone Palmitate in schizophrenia: data from acute units in Spain (SHADOW study)

Objectives: To evaluate clinical evolution of patients with schizophrenia admitted in acute units because of a relapse and treated with once-monthly Paliperidone Palmitate (PP1M).Methods: This multicentre, open-label, prospective observational study followed patients with schizophrenia treated with PP1M in acute psychiatric units for up to 6 weeks.Results: Out of the 280 enrolled patients, 61 received PP1M as antipsychotic monotherapy, and 219 in combination with other antipsychotics. The average Clinical Global Impression–Schizophrenia (CGI-SCH) score decreased from 4.7 at baseline to 3.3 at final visit (p < .0001); the change was clinically and statistically significant both in patients treated with PP1M in monotherapy and in combination with other antipsychotics. Clear improvements in functioning and high patient satisfaction with the treatment were observed. Time from admission to PP1M therapy initiation correlated with the length of hospital stay (p < .0001); earlier start of PP1M treatment was associated with shorter hospital stay. Adverse events were reported in 7.1% of patients (all non-serious).Conclusions: PP1M was effective and well tolerated in treatment of acute episodes of schizophrenia both in monotherapy and in combination with other antipsychotics in clinical setting. Early start of PP1M therapy in acute schizophrenia episodes might help to shorten hospital stay.

Effects of Losartan, Tempol, and Their Combination On Renal Nitric Oxide Synthases in the Animal Model of Chronic Kidney Disease

AbstractDown-regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and NO deficiency in the kidneys have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study we examined the effects of losartan, tempol, and combined treatment on three NOS isoforms expressions, kidney NO content and NOS correlation with renal function and structure in the early stage of adriamycin (ADR)-induced CKD in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Rats were divided into control group, and four other groups which were treated with ADR and received vehicle, losartan (L, angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker), tempol (T, redox-cycling nitroxide) or T+L treatment (by gavage) in a six-week study. Reduction of all NOS isoforms expressions were significantly improved by losartan or tempol, and correlated with proteinuria amelioration. Combined treatment induced down-regulation of constitutive NOS isoforms, whilst inducible NOS was up-regulated and followed by increased nitrite content and a significant decline in the glomerular filtration rate. Losartan or tempol prevented ADR-induced neoexpression of vimentin in the glomeruli and tubulointerstital areas, whereas de novo vimentin expression was still observed in the atrophic tubules and in the interstitial fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in combined treatment. It can be concluded that single treatments, contrary to combined, were effective in improving NO bioavailability and slowing down the progression of CKD.

Utilizing Gamification Approaches in Pervasive Health: How Can We Motivate Physical Activity Effectively?

Persuasive health systems such as wearable trackers and mobile applications can facilitate self-reflection on one’s physical activity. The gamification approach incorporates game design elements with persuasive systems to encourage more physical activity. However, some investigations have shown that using gamification to promote physical activity could have contradictory effects. To explore the conflicted findings in more detail, we designed and studied FitPet – an interactive virtual pet-keeping mobile game focused on encouraging physical activity. In a six-week field study, its effectiveness was evaluated and compared with two other gamification strategies, the goal-setting strategy and the use of social communities. Findings are that the social interaction strategy was the most effective intervention among these three. Contrary to prior research, goal-setting was not found to be as effective at providing motivation compared to social interaction. Although FitPet failed to promote significantly higher levels of physical activity, participants enjoyed this approach and provided design insights for future research: implementing social components and more challenging gameplay.

Comparison of affect-regulated, self-regulated, and heart-rate regulated exercise prescriptions: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Recent evidence has highlighted the potential benefits of affect- and self-regulated exercise prescriptions for the promotion of physical activity and exercise behavior (Baldwin et al., 2016; Williams et al., 2015, 2016). However, questions remain about which characteristics of the exercise prescriptions make them more effective. ObjectivesThis study will compare exercise prescriptions with and without choice, and with and without an emphasis on affective valence, to determine which method of intensity regulation is most effective for increasing walking behavior. DesignParallel-groups randomized controlled trial. MethodsInsufficiently active (less than 90 min per week of moderate-intensity activity) adults will be recruited to participate in a six-week study consisting of a two-week baseline period and four-week intervention. Walking behavior will be measured objectively using consumer-based activity monitors, and based on self-reported data. Other outcome measures will include affective attitudes, variables related to intrinsic motivation, self-reported compliance, resting heart rate, and weight. Participants will be randomized to one of four walking programs that either regulate intensity based on the choice of the intensity or based on heart rate, and either have or lack an emphasis on the affective valence of exercise. ConclusionsRecruitment and onboarding has begun. Results of this randomized controlled trial are expected to be available by the middle of 2018.

Bioremediation of Diesel-contaminated Soil by Composting with Locally Generated Bulking Agents

ABSTRACTHerein, we conducted a study toward understanding the impact of composting of the diesel-contaminated soil with some locally available bulking agents (rice husks (RHs), sawdust (SD), and wood chips (WCs)). In order to ascertain the effectiveness of petroleum degradation by the process assayed, we compared the protocols with monitored natural attenuation (MNA). The overall degradation pattern was modeled with non-linear regression by comparing the experimental data with first and second-order kinetic equations. At the end of the six-week study, the amount of total petroleum hydrocarbon removed from contaminated soil was 98.26 ± 1.33% (amendment with SD + RHs + WCs), 96.89 ± 1.20 (RHs amendment), 96.55 ± 1.29% (amendment with SD), 90.01 ± 0.22% (WCs amendment), and 85.02 ± 0.21% (MNA). The degradation of TPH trends followed a second-order kinetic model for all the four compost treatments while the MNA was found to follow a first-order (slower) degradation pattern. In general, the results of the parameter estimate showed that amendment with mixture of the three bulking agents was 1.08 (8%) slower (k2 = (1.289 ± 0.16) × 10−5 (g mg−1 d−1), r2 = 0.991) than SD amendment alone (k2 = (1.392 ± 0.14) × 10−5 (g mg−1 d−1), r2 = 0.995). However, the mixture of the bulking agents was found to be 1.67, 1.41, and 2.4 times faster than amendments with WCs, rice, and MNA, respectively. The phytotoxicity test revealed that all the compost treatments except WCs resulted in germination index of ≥80% after six weeks of bioremediation tests. The outcome of the current investigation confirms the effectiveness of bulking agents (especially when combined) in the supply of nutrients for the bioremediation of diesel-impacted soil.

The “You and I” of Happiness: Investigating the Long-Term Impact of Self- and Other-Focused Happiness-Enhancing Activities

It is commonly known in the positive psychology literature that people who want to increase their happiness ought to engage in so-called happiness-enhancing activities. Building on this stream of research, work that emphasizes the duality of happiness (affect vs. meaning) is introduced in order to propose a new conceptualization of happiness activities. The new conceptualization distinguishes between self- and other-focused happiness activities, and argues for the importance of other-focused activities over self-focused ones. Results from a six-week long study show that other-focused happiness activities consistently outperformed self-focused ones in terms of raising participants’ levels of happiness. Although self-focused happiness activities also increased happiness, by showing increases over time relative to participants’ baseline level, other-focused happiness activities consistently outperformed such increases.