The family partners for health study: a cluster randomized controlled trial for child and parent weight management.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test a two-phased nutrition and exercise education, coping skills training, and exercise intervention program for overweight or obese low-income ethnic minority 2nd to 4th grade children and their parents in rural North Carolina, USA. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out with 358 children (7-10 years) and a parent for each child (n=358). General linear mixed models were used to determine the effects of the intervention on weight, adiposity, health behaviors, and eating and exercise self-efficacy by examining changes in children and parents from baseline to completion of the study (18 months). RESULTS: At 18 months, children in the experimental group did not have a significantly decreased body mass index (BMI) percentile (P=0.470); however, they showed a reduction in the growth rate of their triceps (P=0.001) and subscapular skinfolds (P<0.001) and an improvement in dietary knowledge (P=0.018) and drank less than one glass of soda per day (P=0.052) compared with the control group. Parents in the experimental group had decreased BMI (P=0.001), triceps (P<0.001) and subscapular skinfolds (P<0.001) and increased nutrition (P=0.003) and exercise (P<0.001) knowledge and more often drank water or unsweetened drinks (P=0.029). At 18 months, children in the experimental group did not show significant improvement in eating (P=0.956) or exercise self-efficacy (P=0.976). Experimental parents demonstrated improved socially acceptable eating self-efficacy (P=0.013); however, they did not show significant improvement in self-efficacy pertaining to emotional eating (P=0.155) and exercise (P=0.680). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that inclusion of children and parents in the same intervention program is an effective way to decrease adiposity and improve nutrition behaviors in both children and parents and improve weight and eating self-efficacy in parents.

Evaluation of UT/LS hygrometer accuracy by intercomparison during the NASA MACPEX mission.

Acquiring accurate measurements of water vapor at the low mixing ratios (< 10 ppm) encountered in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) has proven to be a significant analytical challenge evidenced by persistent disagreements between high-precision hygrometers. These disagreements have caused uncertainties in the description of the physical processes controlling dehydration of air in the tropical tropopause layer and entry of water into the stratosphere and have hindered validation of satellite water vapor retrievals. A 2011 airborne intercomparison of a large group of in situ hygrometers onboard the NASA WB-57F high-altitude research aircraft and balloons has provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate progress in the scientific community toward improved measurement agreement. In this work we intercompare the measurements from the Midlatitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX) and discuss the quality of agreement. Differences between values reported by the instruments were reduced in comparison to some prior campaigns but were nonnegligible and on the order of 20% (0.8 ppm). Our analysis suggests that unrecognized errors in the quantification of instrumental background for some or all of the hygrometers are a likely cause. Until these errors are understood, differences at this level will continue to somewhat limit our understanding of cirrus microphysical processes and dehydration in the tropical tropopause layer.

Gender differences in perceived intensity and affect of pain between athletes and nonathletes.

The present investigation was conducted to test empirically possible gender differences between athletes and nonathletes on measures of perceived intensity and affect of pain. Athletes were 7 male and 7 female NCAA Division I track athletes. The nonathletes, 7 men and 7 women, were randomly selected from undergraduate classes in physical activities. Responses on visual analogue scales for perceived pain intensity and pain affect were recorded for a cold-water pressor test. Significant group differences examined by Bonferroni contrasts indicated differences between nonathletic women and the other 3 groups on intensity of pain and for male and female athletes on pain affect, as well as for male athletes and nonathletes on pain affect. Univariate analyses of variance indicated significant differences on intensity and affect associated with pain. Research must explore whether differences are related to socialization or personality.

Bone changes in congenital cytomegalic inclusion disease.

We report the case of a female infant born with cytomegalic inclusion disease, in whom bone changes were present in x-rays of the tibiae and femora. She was the mother's first child and was born 8 days postmature after a normal delivery; birthweight 2.52 kg. Many infarcts were seen in the placenta. The mother had a feverish illness at the 7th month of gestation, diagnosed by family doctor as influenza. No drugs had been given.