Development and evaluation of the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation to deliver Physical Activity in School Scale (COM-PASS).

BACKGROUND: Teachers are recognized as 'key agents' for the delivery of physical activity programs and policies in schools. The aim of our study was to develop and evaluate a tool to assess teachers' capability, opportunity, and motivation to deliver school-based physical activity interventions. METHODS: The development and evaluation of the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation to deliver Physical Activity in School Scale (COM-PASS) involved three phases. In Phase 1, we invited academic experts to participate in a Delphi study to rate, provide recommendations, and achieve consensus on questionnaire items that were based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behavior (COM-B) model. Each item was ranked on the degree to which it matched the content of the COM-B model, using a 5-point scale ranging from '1 = Poor match' to '5 = Excellent match'. In Phase 2, we interviewed primary and secondary school teachers using a 'think-aloud' approach to assess their understanding of the items. In Phase 3, teachers (n = 196) completed the COM-PASS to assess structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: Thirty-eight academic experts from 14 countries completed three rounds of the Delphi study. In the first round, items had an average rating score of 4.04, in the second round 4.51, and in the third (final) round 4.78. The final tool included 14 items, which related to the six constructs of the COM-B model: physical capability, psychological capability, physical opportunity, social opportunity, reflective motivation, and automatic motivation. In Phase 2, ten teachers shared their interpretation of COM-PASS via a 20-min interview, which resulted in minor changes. In Phase 3, CFA of the 3-factor model (i.e., capability, opportunity, and motivation) revealed an adequate fit to the data (χ2 = 122.6, p < .001, CFI = .945, TLI = .924, RMSEA = .066). The internal consistencies of the three subscale scores were acceptable (i.e., capability: α = .75, opportunity: α = .75, motivation: α = .81). CONCLUSION: COM-PASS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing teachers' capability, opportunity, and motivation to deliver physical activity interventions in schools. Further studies examining additional psychometric properties of the COM-PASS are warranted.

Changes in the continuous leaping performance of Finnish adolescents between 1979 and 2020.

The aims of this secular trend design study were: 1) to investigate whether the continuous leaping performance of Finnish adolescents (mean age 14.99 ± .61 years) changed between 6 data sets collected between 1979 and 2020, and 2) to analyse if variation in leaping performance increased from 1979 to 2020. The data for this secular trend study of 6 cohorts were collected in 1979 (n = 599), 1995 (n = 498), 1998 (n = 796), 2003 (n = 2383), 2010 (n = 1383), and 2020 (n = 719). All cohorts performed the 5-leaps test, following the same protocol. Between-cohort differences in scores were analysed using a General Linear Contrast Model. Between-cohort differences in variance were tested using Chi-square-based between-group tests. Sex, age, and BMI were used as covariates in the secular trend analyses. Continuous leaping performance demonstrated a decreasing trend in both girls and boys. Specifically, girls' scores were stable between 1979 and 1995, decreased from 1995 to 2010 and remained stable thereafter. Boys leaping performance improved from 1979 to 1995, was stable until 2003, and had declined by 2020. Within-group variation in continuous leaping was greater in girls and boys during the first decades of the 21st century than previously.

Fundamental movement skills in adolescents: Secular trends from 2003 to 2010 and associations with physical activity and BMI.

The aim of this study was to examine the secular trends in fundamental movement skills (FMS) among 15- to 16-year-old adolescents at 2 assessment points scheduled in 2003 and 2010 and to investigate the associations between FMS, physical activity (PA), and body mass index (BMI). In 2003, self-reported PA, weight and height, and objective FMS scores were collected from 2390 students, and in 2010, similar data were generated from a second sample of 1346 students. FMS were assessed during both assessment phases using 3 identical objective FMS tests that were figure 8 dribbling, jumping laterally, and coordination track tests. This study indicated that the sum index of FMS did not change among the boys and the girls between 2 data collection points. However, findings demonstrated a secular decline in coordination test scores in both gender groups between 2 measurement points but an improvement in girls' object control skills between 2003 and 2010. The results also showed that FMS had a significant main effect on BMI in both gender groups, whereas the main effect of PA on BMI was not significant for either gender group. Results also demonstrated that there was no significant interaction effect between FMS and PA on BMI in either of the girls' or the boys' groups.

Prospective clinical and serological follow-up in early childhood reveals a high rate of subclinical RSV infection and a relatively high reinfection rate within the first 3 years of life.

Children encounter repeated respiratory tract infections during their early life. We conducted a prospective clinical and serological follow-up study to estimate the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) primary infection and reinfection rates in early childhood. Sera were collected from 291 healthy children at the ages of 13, 24 and 36 months and antibody levels against RSV antigens were determined by enzyme immunoassay. The RT-PCR method was also used for identifying the possible presence of RSV in symptomatic patients. At ages 1, 2 and 3 years, 37%, 68% and 86%, respectively, of studied children were seropositive for RSV. In children seropositive at age 1 year, RSV reinfection rate was at least 37%. Only one of reinfected children showed evidence for a third reinfection by age 3 years. Of children who turned RSV seropositive between ages 1 and 2 years, the reinfection rate was 32% during the third year of life. The mean antibody levels at primary infection were very similar in all age groups. The average decrease of antibody levels was 25-30% within a year. In 66 cases RSV infection was identified by RT-PCR. RSV infection rate in early childhood is 86% and reinfection rate is around 35%. This prospective serological follow-up study also provided evidence for the presence of RSV infections in children that did not show clinical signs warranting RSV RNA detection.

Motivational climate, goal orientation, perceived sport ability, and enjoyment within Finnish junior ice hockey players.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relations among situational motivational climate, dispositional approach and avoidance achievement goals, perceived sport ability, and enjoyment in Finnish male junior ice hockey players. The sample comprised 265 junior B-level male players with a mean age of 17.03 years (SD = 0.63). Players filled questionnaires tapping their perceptions of coach motivational climate, achievement goals, perceived sport ability, and enjoyment. For the statistical analysis, players were divided into high and low perceived sport ability groups. Multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed an indirect path from task-involving motivational climate via task-approach goal to enjoyment. Additionally, SEM demonstrated four other direct associations, which existed in both perceived ability groups: from ego-involving motivational climate to ego-approach and ego-avoidance goals; from ego-approach goal to ego-avoidance goal; and from task-avoidance goal to ego-avoidance goal. Additionally, in the high perceived sport ability group, there was an association from task-involving motivational climate to enjoyment. The results of this study reveal that motivational climate emphasizing effort, personal development and improvement, and achievement goal mastering tasks are significant elements of enjoyment in junior ice hockey.

Fundamental movement skills and physical fitness as predictors of physical activity: A 6-year follow-up study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which fundamental movement skills and physical fitness scores assessed in early adolescence predict self-reported physical activity assessed 6 years later. The sample comprised 333 (200 girls, 133 boys; M age = 12.41) students. The effects of previous physical activity, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were controlled in the main analyses. Adolescents' fundamental movement skills, physical fitness, self-report physical activity, and BMI were collected at baseline, and their self-report energy expenditure (metabolic equivalents: METs) and intensity of physical activity were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire 6 years later. Results showed that fundamental movement skills predicted METs, light, moderate, and vigorous intensity physical activity levels, whereas fitness predicted METs, moderate, and vigorous physical activity levels. Hierarchical regression analyses also showed that after controlling for previous levels of physical activity, sex, and BMI, the size of the effect of fundamental movement skills and physical fitness on energy expenditure and physical activity intensity was moderate (R(2) change between 0.06 and 0.15), with the effect being stronger for high intensity physical activity.

Longitudinal associations among cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, motor competence and objectively measured physical activity.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate cross-lagged associations in motor competence, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness and accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) engagement. DESIGN: One-year prospective follow-up study. METHODS: A sample was 491 (275 girls; M at baseline=11.27, SD=.32) Finnish physical education students. Students' motor competence was assessed by (1) two-legged jumping from side to side test, (2) throwing-catching combination test and (3) 5-leaps test. Their cardiorespiratory fitness was analyzed by a 20-m shuttle run test and muscular fitness by curl-up and push-up tests. Additionally, students' MVPA was measured objectively by hip-worn accelerometers. RESULTS: Results demonstrated that: (1) cardiorespiratory fitness measured at Grade 5 was the only significant predictor of later MVPA and this association appeared only in the boys' group, (2) MVPA assessed at Grade 5 significantly predicted cardiorespiratory fitness in the girls' group, (3) cardiorespiratory fitness collected at Grade 5 associated with muscular fitness, locomotor and stability skills in both girls and boys, and (4) locomotor skills measured at Grade 5 predicted significantly muscular fitness, locomotor and manipulative skills in both sex groups. CONCLUSIONS: Elementary school years are important in providing students with experiences in physical activity (PA) which leads to improvements s in cardiorespiratory health. Additionally, this study showed that cardiorespiratory fitness collected at Grade 5 associated with later muscular fitness, and locomotor and stability skills in both sex groups. These findings are noteworthy because muscular fitness in youth has several health-related benefits and motor competence in childhood and adolescence has positive association with later PA engagement.

Plutonium in the air in Kurchatov, Kazakhstan.

Weekly air samples of 25000 m(3) volume were taken with two air samplers over a period of one year in 2000-2001 in the town of Kurchatov in Kazakhstan. For another three-month period in 2001, the samplers were run in the city of Astana, about 500 km west of Kurchatov. (137)Cs, Pu and U concentrations were determined from the filters. Pu activities in Kurchatov varied in a 100-fold range; median (239,240)Pu activities were 100 nBq/m(3) and (238)Pu activities 34 nBq/m(3). The corresponding values for Astana were considerably lower: 29 and 9 nBq/m(3), respectively, and in half of the filters the (238)Pu activity was below the detection limit. Plutonium concentration correlated with the amount of dust retained on the filters only at the highest dust loads. Also no correlation between wind speed and the plutonium activity in the filters was observed. Thus, resuspension does not seem to be the mechanism responsible for the airborne plutonium. No clear seasonal variation of Pu air concentration was observed, though levels were somewhat elevated in February to April. There was no correlation between the plutonium and (137)Cs concentrations. In most of the filters the cesium concentration was below the detection limit, but in those filters where it could be detected the cesium concentration was practically constant at 3.9+/-1.6 microBq/m(3). Dose estimation for the inhalation of the airborne plutonium gave a low value of 0.018 microSv/a for the inhabitants in Kurchatov, which is about a thousand times lower than the dose caused by the naturally occurring (210)Po. Air parcel trajectory analysis indicated that the observed Pu activities in the air could not unambiguously be attributed to the most contaminated areas at the Semipalatinsk Test Site.

Fenfluramine therapy in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients: effects on body weight, glucose homeostasis, serum lipoproteins, and antipyrine metabolism.

The usefulness of fenfluramine (F), in association with diet therapy, was investigated in 13 obese non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with poor diabetes control on a previous sulfonylurea regimen (SU). A double-blind crossover comparison of F and placebo (P) consisted of two 7-wk treatment periods. F was administered in stepwise increased and subsequently reduced doses, while the doses of SU were kept unchanged. There was a significant weight loss in F-treated obese subjects as compared with treatment by P. The fasting levels, and particularly the postprandial blood glucose (BG) levels, were significantly lower during F than during P administration. Serum fasting insulin and blood lactate concentrations remained unchanged during the trial. Serum triglycerides and cholesterol decreased during F administration. HDL-cholesterol and apoprotein A-I increased slightly, while apoprotein B decreased during F, but not during P administration. The effect of fenfluramine on hepatic drug metabolism was assessed by using the antipyrine test. F did not cause significant changes in antipyrine metabolism. Fenfluramine therefore seems to be useful as an adjunct to diet and SU therapy in obese non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

The ratios of serum bioactive/immunoreactive luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone in various clinical conditions with increased and decreased gonadotropin secretion: reevaluation by a highly sensitive immunometric assay.

Serum bioactive and immunoreactive LH and FSH were measured in clinical conditions with increased or decreased gonadotropin secretion. Gonadotropin immunoreactivity was measured using a conventional RIA (I) and an ultrasensitive immunofluorometric method (F). Bioactive (B) LH was assessed by the mouse interstitial cells in vitro bioassay, and B-FSH using the immature rat granulosa cell assay. Acute GnRH stimulation of adult men (n = 6) increased LH levels measured by the different methods 4.3- to 5.3-fold. The B/I ratio of LH increased from 2.34 +/- 0.21 to 3.71 +/- 0.36 (mean +/- SEM) at 120 min (P less than 0.05), but no change was found in the B/F ratio. After ovariectomy of premenopausal women (n = 6), the LH levels increased in 1 week 4- to 6-fold, the B/I ratio from 1.85 +/- 0.22 to 2.59 +/- 0.24, and the B/F ratio from 1.78 +/- 0.22 to 2.90 +/- 0.30 (P less than 0.05 for both). In addition, the LH levels were measured during GnRH agonist treatment of ovarian carcinoma (n = 8), endometriosis (n = 8), and prostatic carcinoma after orchiectomy (n = 8). In the two former groups, serum B-LH decreased in 1 month to undetectable levels (less than 0.5 IU/L), and in the prostate cancer patients to 1.2 (0.8-1.9) IU/L (log mean and range of +/- SEM). The concomitant decline of I-LH was to 1.5-1.9 IU/L in the agonist-treated female patients, and that of F-LH to 0.10-0.15 IU/L; in the prostate cancer patients, respectively, these values were 7-8 and 0.3-0.7 IU/L. The B/I and B/F ratios during the agonist treatments could only be calculated in the prostate cancer patients (in the others, B-LH became undetectable). The B/I ratio decreased from 2.34 +/- 0.5 to 0.14 +/- 0.03 (P less than 0.01), but no suppression was found in the B/F ratio from a pretreatment value of 3.6 +/- 0.8. B-, I-, and F-FSH levels were measured in the GnRH agonist-treated orchiectomized prostate cancer patients. The pretreatment level of B-FSH was 154 (137-175), that of I-FSH was 38.0 (34.4-42.0), and that of F-FSH was 39.8 (35.3-44.9) IU/L. The B/I ratio of FSH was 3.76 +/- 0.49, and the B/F ratio was 3.53 +/- 0.59. The mean B-FSH level decreased during treatment by 87-93.5%, that of I-FSH by 98%, and that of F-FSH by 91.5% (P less than 0.01 for all).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Fatty acid composition of serum cholesteryl esters in relation to serum lipids and apolipoproteins in 3-18-year-old Finnish children and adolescents.

Serum cholesteryl ester (CE) fatty acids, serum lipids and apolipoproteins were analysed from 1348 Finnish children aged from 3 to 18 years. The study was part of a comprehensive survey of coronary heart disease risk factors and their determinants in Finnish children and adolescents. The percentage of CE linoleate (18:2) had significant negative correlations with the serum concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides as well as apo B. The associations of HDL to CE fatty acids were weak, although there was a significant positive correlation of CE-18:2 to HDL cholesterol and apo A-I. The ratio of HDL to total cholesterol and the ratio of apo A-I to apo B increased strongly in quintiles of increasing percentage of CE-18:2. In conclusion, the present results show significant associations between serum CE fatty acid composition and the different components of serum lipoproteins among free-living Finnish children and imply a relation between the quality of dietary fats and serum lipoproteins within this population.

A discriminative framework for detecting remote protein homologies.

A new method for detecting remote protein homologies is introduced and shown to perform well in classifying protein domains by SCOP superfamily. The method is a variant of support vector machines using a new kernel function. The kernel function is derived from a generative statistical model for a protein family, in this case a hidden Markov model. This general approach of combining generative models like HMMs with discriminative methods such as support vector machines may have applications in other areas of biosequence analysis as well.

In vitro Ca-P precipitation on biodegradable thermoplastic composite of poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-DL-lactide) and bioactive glass (S53P4).

Bioactive properties of composites containing poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-DL-lactide) with molar ratio 96/4 and bioactive glass (BAG), S53P4, were tested in vitro. The glass content in the tested materials was 40, 60 or 70 wt%, and two granule size ranges (<45 and 90-315 microm) were used. The composites were analysed for their apatite-forming ability. This was determined as a function of time by the dissolution pattern of Si and Ca ions and structural changes on the specimen surfaces. Composite specimens were immersed in simulated body fluid at 37 degrees C for up to 6 months. The changes in Si and Ca concentrations of the immersion medium were determined with UV-Vis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The calcium phosphate precipitation and apatite formation were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infra-red spectroscopy (IR) using the attenuated total reflectance (ATR) system. The SEM and SEM-EDX analysis of the depositions formed on the composite surfaces was in line with the changes in ion concentrations. The clearest results with IR were seen in the material containing 60 wt% small glass particles. The results indicate that composites containing over 40 wt% BAG granules are bioactive, and that a higher BAG surface area/volume ratio favors the apatite formation in vitro.

Effect of industrial pollution on soil-to-plant transfer of plutonium in a Boreal forest.

Plutonium in a forest ecosystem was studied at different distances from the copper and nickel smelter at Monchegorsk, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Soil and plant samples were collected 7 (site A), 16 (B), 21 (C) and 28 (D) km from the smelter and at a reference site situated in Finland, 152 km from Monchegorsk. The deposition of Cu in litter and in the organic layer decreased from 10700 mg/m2 at site A to 33 mg/m2 at the reference site, the deposition of Ni from 14300 to 29 mg/m2. From the reference site to site A, the volume of the litter layer increased almost five-fold. Most of the 239,241Pu in soil was found in the organic layer and in the litter layer. When industrial pollution increased, the content of 239,240Pu in the litter layer increased (from approx. 0.5 at site D to 15 Bq/m2 at site A) whereas, that in the organic layer decreased (from approx. 20 at site D to 5 Bq/m2 at site A). Four different plant species typical for the subarctic environment were collected at each sampling site: Deschampsia flexuosa (forest hair grass); Empetrum nigrum (crowberry); Vaccinium myrtillus (blueberry); and Vaccinium citis idaea (lingonberry). The concentration of 239,241Pu increased with pollution in Deschampsia flexuosa (from approx. 2 at site D to 7 mBq/kg at site A), Empetrum nigrum (from approx. 3 at site D to 14 mBq/kg at site A) and Vaccinium myrtillus (from approx. 1 at site D to 8 mBq/kg at site A). In Vaccinium vitis idaea, the Pu concentration did not have any clear trend of association with pollution. With the exception of Vaccinium vitis idaea, the aggregated transfer factors of plutonium (m2/kg) for the plants studied increased almost ten-fold from site D to site A, the range being 3 x 10(-5)-3 x 10(-4) m2/kg for Deschampsia flexuosa, 7 x 10(-5)-5 x 10(-4) m2/kg for Empetrum nigrum and 3 x 10(-5)-3 x 10(-4) m2/kg for Vaccinium myrtillus. The most likely explanation for the higher transfer factors of plutonium near the smelter is contamination of the plants by litter rather than root uptake.

Plutonium in Finnish Lapps--an estimate of the gastrointestinal absorption of plutonium by man based on a comparison of the plutonium content of Lapps and southern Finns.

The plutonium body burden of five male Lapps was determined through radiochemical analysis of bone, liver and lung samples, and compared with the body burden of male southern Finns. Tissue burdens of plutonium were found equal in the Lapps and southern Finns. The mean content of 239,240Pu in bone (ribs), liver and lung of the Lapps was 0.045, 0.42 and 0.033 pCi/kg wet wt (1.7, 15.5, 1.2 mBq/kg), respectively. The average body burden of plutonium in the Lapps was 1.1 pCi (41 mBq). The 137Cs, 90Sr, 210Po and 210Pb contents of tissue samples were analyzed to estimate the amount of reindeer tissue consumed by the Lapps studied. The 137Cs content in liver and lung of the Lapps was, on the average, 2160 and 1180 pCi/kg wet wt (79.9 and 43.7 Bq/kg), respectively. In southern Finns both liver and lung content of 137Cs was less than 50 pCi wet wt (less than 1.9 Bq/kg). For 210Po, the liver and lung values were 86.2 and 8.2 pCi/kg wet wt (3.2 and 0.3 Bq/kg) in the Lapps and 15.4 and 3.9 pCi/kg wet wt (0.6 and 0.1 Bq/kg) in southern Finns, respectively. The inhalation intake of 239,240Pu of male Lapps during the period 1954-1978 was about 13 pCi (0.48 Bq) and that of southern Finns about 18 pCi (0.67 Bq). The estimated values for dietary intake were 535 pCi (19.7 Bq) and 36 pCi (1.3 Bq), respectively. The fractional absorption factor of 239,240Pu from the GI tract of man was estimated to be (8-9) X 10(-4), which is somewhat higher than that presently suggested by the ICRP for soluble plutonium compounds (1 X 10(-4)).

Effect of chemical pollution on forms of 137Cs, 90Sr and 239,240Pu in arctic soil studied by sequential extraction.

The aim of the present study was to determine the forms of 137Cs, 90Sr and 239,240Pu occurring in different soil horizons using sequential extraction of samples taken from four sites located along a pollution gradient from the copper-nickel smelter at Monchegorsk in the Kola Peninsula, Russia, and from a reference site in Finnish Lapland in 1997. A selective sequential-leaching procedure was employed using a modification of the method of Tessier, Cambell and Bisson ((1979). Analytical Chemistry, 51, 844-851). For 137Cs the organic (O) and uppermost mineral (E1) layer were studied, for 90Sr and 239,240Pu only the uppermost organic layer (Of). The fraction of 137Cs occurring in readily exchangeable form in the organic layer was about 50% at the reference site and decreased as a function of pollution, being 15% at the most polluted site in the Kola Peninsula. There was a clear positive correlation in the O layer between the distance from the smelter and the percentage of 137Cs extracted in the readily exchangeable fraction (Spearman correlation rsp = 0.7805, p = 0.0001), whereas in the E1 layer no correlation was evident. The distribution of 90Sr in the Of layer was similar at all sites, with the highest amounts occurring in exchangeable form and bound to organic matter, whereas stable Sr showed a somewhat different distribution with the highest amount in the oxide fraction. Most of the 239,240Pu was bound to organic matter. Chemical pollution affected the exchangeable fraction of 239,240Pu, which was about 1% at the most polluted site and 4-6% at the other sites.

Sediment accumulation of organic halogens in pristine forest lakes: Tracking of a single defined discharge of pulp bleaching wastewater.

Sediment accumulation of organic halogen was studied in two forest lakes, one pristine and one which received 30 m(3) of biologically purified bleaching wastewater from a kraft pulp mill in 1979 equivalent to ca. 2 kg of adsorbable organic halogen (AOX). Lake sediments were dated with(210)Pb,(134)Cs and(137)Cs and the annual deposition rates of organic halogens and organic matter were calculated. Organic bound halogen contents of the sediment aged 150 years was 180 microg Cl g(-1) d.w. in both lakes. The concentration of organic bound halogen at the topmost 6 cm of the sediments (less than 20-years-old) ranged from 45 to 80 microg Cl g(-1) d.w. This suggests that solvent extractable halogen had enriched in the older sediment layers. The deposition of extractable organic halogen (EOX) in the lakes in 1950's was 4 to 5 mg Cl m(-2) a(-1). Since then, the deposition of EOX doubled in both lakes. The deposition of organic matter increased concomitantly from 50 g m(-2) a(-1) to 110 g m(-2) a(-1) in Lake Mustalampi and from 35 g m(-2) a(-1) to 62 g m(-2) a(-1) in Lake Pyylampi suggesting that the increase in the deposition of organic halogen followed the increase in the deposition of organic matter. Of the 2 kg of organic halogen discharged into the lake, 5% or less was detected in the sediment in tetrahydrofuran extractable form 15 years later.