(C) 2012 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: Because epidemiological data on circulating HIV subtypes among HIV-positive patients in the state of 3-Methyladenine research buy Parana were not known until now, the aims of this study were to describe the genetic diversity profile of HIV-1 in treated patients in Parana,

Brazil, and report the differences in protease (PR) and reverse transcriptase (RT) mutations in HIV-1 subtypes. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2003 to 2006. Plasma viral RNA of 389 patients was extracted and PR and RT genes were polymerase chain reaction-amplified and sequenced. Sequences were subtyped and examined for antiretroviral resistance mutations. Data on gender of patient harboring the viruses and past history of antiretroviral treatment were also collected. Results: Most viruses were either subtype B (61.44%) or subtype C (20.57%). Subtype C and F were more frequent in women (p < 0.00). The prevalence of subtypes was similar over the years studied. The most frequent RT mutations in all subtypes were M184V and mutations at codons 215, 41, 103, 67, 219, and 190. Mutations 41L, 210W, 215YF, and 74V were significantly more prevalent on subtype B, and the mutation 106M was significantly more prevalent on subtype C. The most frequent major PI mutations in all subtypes occurred at codons 46, 82, and 90. PR mutations 32I, 46I,

and 84V PF-4708671 clinical trial were significantly more prevalent ALK inhibitor on subtype B. The minor PI mutations on codons 36, 93, and 63 were more prevalent on subtypes F, C, and B, respectively. Conclusion: We concluded that the predominant strain of HIV-1 in Parana is subtype B, followed by subtype C. Some mutations at PR and TR had subtype predominance

in accordance with other authors’ report.”
“Purification of n-BuOH fraction from 80% ethanol extract of Hypericum thasium Griseb. resulted in the isolation of three new compounds 3′,4,5′-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-O-alpha-L-arabinosylbenzophenone (1), 3′,4,5′,6-tetrahydroxy-2-O-alpha-L-arabinosylbenzophenone (2), and 3′,4-dihydroxy-5′-methoxy-2-O-alpha-L-arabinosyl-6-O-beta-D-xylosylbenzophenone (3) along with a known flavonoid glycoside quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside (4). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis as well as HRESIMS. The isolated compounds (1-4), as well as quercetin, and kaempferol previously isolated from EtOAc fraction were screened against MAO-A inhibitory activity. When tested against the MAO-A quercetin and kaempferol displayed IC50 values of 19.6, and 17.5 mu M, respectively. The IC50 values for MAO-A inhibition by compounds (1-4) were 310.3, 111.2, 726.0, and 534.1 mu M, respectively. Standard inhibitor (clorgyline) exhibited MAO-A inhibition with an IC50 value of 0.5 mu M. (C) 2012 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

However, the suitability of this strain as a choice in anxiety studies has been questioned. In this study, we performed two pharmacological characterizations of this strain in both the open-field and the light/dark tests. Methods: We examined the changes in the anxiety-like behaviors of C57BL/6Jmice exposed to chlordiazepoxide (CDP), an anxiolytic PI3K inhibitor drug, at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg, picrotoxine (PTX), an anxiogenic drug, at doses of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg, and methylphenidate (MPH), a psychomotor stimulant drug, at doses of 5 and 10 mg/kg, in a first experiment. In a second experiment, we tested CDP at 2.5 mg/kg, PTX at 2 mg/kg and MPH at 2.5 mg/kg. Results: Results showed an absence of anxiolytic-like

effects of CDP in open-field FDA approved Drug Library and light/dark tests. Light/dark test was more sensitive to the anxiogenic effects of PTX than the open-field test. Finally, a

clear anxiogenic effect of MPH was observed in the two tests. Discussion: Although C57BL/6J mice could not be a sensitive model to study anxiolytic effects in pharmacological or behavioral interventions, it might be a suitable model to test anxiogenic effects. Further studies are necessary to corroborate these results. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“A 57-year-old man presented to the ophthalmology clinic with a red right eye. He denied pain, diplopia, tearing, and blurred vision. His medical history included asymptomatic annular plaques on the trunk and extremities for at least a decade. Ophthalmological examination revealed a necrotizing scleritis of the right eye. Examination of the skin demonstrated variable sized annular plaques with central atrophy, some with prominent indurated border and yellow discoloration.

No periorbital lesions were present. find more The ocular lesion rapidly progressed and areas of scleral melting developed in the right eye, which eventually required a scleral patch graft. The left eye also developed necrotizing scleritis with areas of scleral melting. Two sets of skin biopsies were performed a few weeks apart. An initial set of skin punch biopsies revealed extensive palisading granulomatous inflammation throughout the dermis, extending into the subcutis. The accompanying perivascular mononuclear infiltrate contained the collections of plasma cells. Scattered multinucleated giant cells were noted. The possibility of necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum was suggested. Subsequent skin biopsies showed more prominent and extensive necrobiosis, raising the possibility of necrobiotic xanthogranuloma. Protein electrophoresis was performed, which revealed an IgG lambda monoclonal protein.”
“Introduction: Computational methods have been widely applied to toxicology across pharmaceutical, consumer product and environmental fields over the past decade. Progress in computational toxicology is now reviewed. Methods: A literature review was performed on computational models for hepatotoxicity (e. g.

A small cohort of ‘high-risk for stroke’ patients will undoubtedly benefit from intervention and our goal must be to identify and treat these individuals, rather than continuing with a policy of mass intervention that benefits very few patients in the long term.”
“Aims: Intradetrusor botulinum toxin type-A injections are a novel therapy for treatment of neurogenic overactive bladder resistant to parasympatholytic treatment. In rare cases, however, it may be associated with generalized muscle weakness. Single-fiber electromyographic (SFEMG) analysis of neuromuscular jitter (NJ) was used to study OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX (R)) migration to striated muscle. Methods:

learn more This study comprised a prospective, single-center investigation of 21 spinal cord find more injured patients receiving intradetrusor OnabotulinumtoxinA. Clinical tolerance was assessed through muscle testing and para-clinical tolerance by systematic analysis of NJ in muscles distant from the bladder. Results: Twenty-one patients (13 males, 8 females) received one intradetrusor injection of 300U OnabotulinumtoxinA. Mean age was 42.1 +/- 14.4 and mean number of injections prior to study inclusion was 2.6 +/- 1.7. Clinical and para-clinical assessments were performed on average 26 days +/- 8 days post-OnabotulinumtoxinA injection. Seven patients had abnormal NJ results

on SFEMG, but no patient had evidence of blocking. Four patients complained of tiredness (one with NJ abnormalities). Conclusions: Patients showed good tolerance to intradetrusor OnabotulinumtoxinA injections. Tiredness was not associated with generalized muscle weakness since testing remained unchanged

and NMJ was normal in three of four patients. NJ analysis was abnormal in 7 of 21 patients, but this was not considered serious and there was no evidence of muscle fiber block. These results support the safety of bladder injections of OnabotulinumtoxinA and suggest that, although migration of OnabotulinumtoxinA to other muscle groups may impair NJ function in a minority of patients, this does not correlate with symptoms of tiredness selleck products or muscle weakness. Neurourol. Urodynam. 30:1533-1537, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“Vertical-banded gastroplasty (VBG) was once a common bariatric procedure. It has fallen out of favor due to the emergence of the adjustable gastric band and late complications including band erosion and stenosis. Options for revision include conversion to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or VBG reversal via gastrogastrostomy. Patients undergoing revision of a previous VBG were identified. VBG reversal was performed laparoscopically. Conversion to RYGB was performed by both laparotomy and laparoscopy. Perioperative outcomes and long-term weight loss were evaluated. A total of 34 patients with a previous open VBG underwent revision over a nearly 8-year period (January 2003 to September 2010).

(Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol

Oral Radiol Endod 2010; 109: 385-391)”
“This study adds to a previous morphological work (paper I) with further characterization of the developed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends containing amylopectin, which made use of an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) as a melt-compoundable carrier for the polysaccharide in the biopolyester. The effect of using glycerol PLX-4720 chemical structure as compatibilizer was also characterized. Water and oxygen transport parameters, mechanical properties, and comparative biodegradability tests were evaluated for the blends. From the results, the barrier properties to oxygen were only seen to improve at 0% RH and mostly for the PLA-EVOH blends, which furthermore showed a positive deviation from the rule of mixtures. At

high relative humidity, the blends showed somewhat poorer barrier performance due to the comparatively higher improvement in barrier of the neat PLA at 80% RH. Interestingly, room temperature biodegradability testing suggested that low additions of the blending elements seemed to facilitate the biodegradability of the biopolyester. Despite the fact that properties Citarinostat were not so dramatically improved, incorporating renewable resources within PLA seems as a potentially viable route to reduce PLA supply dependency, retain good optical properties and to overcome some drawbacks associated to the use of this biopolyester. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 119: 3708-3716, 2011″
“A strong perpendicular magnetic selleck PD-1 抑制剂 anisotropy (PMA) is formed in an MgO/CoFeB/Pd unit structure for an MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction. The most important factors for a strong PMA are the composition and the thickness of the CoFeB layer. A strong PMA is observed for the samples fabricated using the CoFeB target with a high Co/Fe ratio and annealed at 300 degrees C for 1 or 2 h. The PMA is formed up to a CoFeB layer thickness as thick as 2.5 nm, although the strongest PMA, with an out-of-plane coercivity of 1068 Oe and a PMA energy density of 2.7 X 10(6) erg/cc, is seen at a CoFeB thickness of 2.0 nm. The systematic study indicates that the PMA is attributed not to the interface effects

but rather to the bulk effect of forming a Pd-rich, Co-Pd alloy, as confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile and x-ray diffraction experiments. The thick CoFeB layer is expected to reduce the template effect from the Pd layer during the annealing, and therefore increase the tunneling magnetoresistance of the MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction. (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3516497]“
“Objective. In vivo studies of antimicrobial PDT in animal models of oral candidosis are scarce and the association of porphyrin and LED light has not been evaluated for in vivo photoinactivation of Candida. In this study the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on the inactivation of Candida albicans in vivo was evaluated.

Study design.

The incremental change of the SP wave vector and the see more DOS are also observed with increasing dielectric constant of the material on top metal layer. Previous experimental results on interactions between semiconductor excitons and nanostructured

Ag/Au SPs are considered and explained using such SP DOS.”
“Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common childhood diagnosis, leading to prescription of all antibiotic in the United States. Although antibiotics are used in children with AOM, in part, to Shorten the duration of symptoms, no instruments have been developed to track early changes in Symptoms from the parent’s point The goal of the present study was to develop and evaluate a parent-reported symptom scale for children with AOM (AOM-SOS) for use as an outcome measure in AOM treatment trials.

Methods: From a pool of 28 potential symptoms, we selected 7 on the basis of parent questionnaire, expert interviews, and review of the literature (or inclusion in the AOM-SOS. We administered the AOM-SOS to a primary-care sample of children aged 6-25 months enrolled in a study of nasopharyngeal bacterial colonization. Children were seen for well visits, illness visits, and AOM follow-up visits. At each visit, parents completed the AOM-SOS

and their children were examined by trained otoseopists, As part of the evaluation of the AOM-SOS, we examined the association between each item on the questionnaire and the clinical diagnosis of AOM while adjusting for the presence of upper respiratory tract infection. To assess responsiveness, we examined the change in AOM-SOS CP-673451 manufacturer scores in patients with AOM who were seen for follow-up within 3 weeks of diagnosis.

Results: We evaluated 264 children (mean age, 12.5 months at entry) GSK2879552 manufacturer at a total of 642 visits. We diagnosed AOM at 24% of the visits. Each item on the questionnaire was significantly associated with the clinical diagnosis of AOM (P < 0.001 for each), before and after adjusting for the presence or absence of upper respiratory infection. The mean AOM-SOS score at visits when AOM was diagnosed was 3.71, compared with 0.96 at visits

when AOM was not diagnosed (P < 0.001). Internal reliability of the scale its measured by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84. AOM-SOS scores in children with AOM who were otoscopically improved decreased by all average of 2.81 points (standardized response mean = 0.73).

Conclusions: We have developed a short symptom scale for children with AOM. This study provides preliminary data on the performance of the AOM-SOS in a primary care sample of children.”
“The effects of addition of two chemical blowing agents in cellular rubber blend of natural rubber (NR) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) at a fixed blend ratio of 1 : 1 on cure characteristics, and mechanical and morphological properties were invesigated. The chemical blowing agents used in this work were Oxybis (benzene sulfonyl) hydrazide (OBSH) and Azo dicarbonamide (ADC).

Through the DIL tests, the characteristic free volumes are found to be sensitive to the change of glass forming ability (GFA). The Pd(40)Cu(30)Ni(10)P(20)

BMG has a quite small V(f-sr). For a series of Fe-Cr-Mo-C-B-(Er) BMGs, Fe(48)Cr(15)Mo(14)C(15)B(6)Er(2) with the largest GFA is identified to have the largest Vf-gt and smallest Vf-sr. The correlation between V(f-sr) and the squares of critical diameters of these iron-based BMGs can be fitted as a negative exponential function with high accuracy. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3549819]“
“Introduction: histone deacetylase activity Recombinant P-selectin glycoprotein ligand IgG fusion protein, rPSGL-Ig (YSPSL), a fusion protein of human P-selectin ligand and IgG1-Fc, blocks leukocyte adhesion and protects against ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) in animal models.

Patients

and Methods: This randomized 15-center, double-blind, 59-patient Ph2a study assessed YSPSL’s safety in recipients of deceased-donor kidney allografts and its potential efficacy in improving early graft function. Two doses and two dosing modalities were evaluated.

Results: No drug-specific toxicities or increased adverse event rates were noted. Two YSPSL-treated patients died of causes determined as unrelated to study drug. YSPSL did not reduce the incidence of dialysis within the first PFTα in vitro week post-transplant (41% in treated vs. 20% in placebo patients). Renal function endpoints scored at post-operative days 1 & 2 were also not impacted by YSPSL. However, at day 5, the fraction of patients with serum creatinine above 6 mg/dL was lower in the YSPSL vs. placebo group (26% vs. 55%, p = 0.043). Large variations in the dialysis-delayed graft function (DGF) rates were observed between centers, independently see more of treatment assignment, indicating subjectivity of this endpoint.

Conclusion: In this first Ph2a study in kidney transplantation, YSPSL was safe but did not impact the dialysis-DGF rate. Further

studies with more objective efficacy endpoints are required to define the impact of YSPSL on early renal allograft function.”
“An inactivation mechanism study on A549 cancer cells by means of a dielectric barrier discharge plasma needle is presented. The neutral red uptake assay provides a quantitative estimation of cell viability after plasma treatment. Experimental results show that the efficiency of argon plasma for the inactivation process is very dependent on power and treatment time. A 27 W power and 120 s treatment time along with 900 standard cubic centimeter per minute Ar flow and a nozzle-to-sample separation of 3 mm are the best parameters of the process.

Five Chipstrate dosimeters were fixed to the patient’s skin around the thorax (right and left paravertebral, right and left parasternal, and sternal positions), one dosimeter was attached to the forehead, and one to the pubis. The operator was equipped with one dosimeter on the forehead at eye level and a ring dosimeter was worn on the right hand.

Results: Based on the maximum radiation dose of 9.2 mSv measured at the operator’s hand in a single implantation session, it might be recommended to conservatively

limit the number of implantations to four per month (an annual limit value of 500 mSv). At a mean dose of 1.2 mSv, this number can be increased sevenfold.

Conclusion: In patients, incipient deterministic radiation effects can theoretically Alvocidib Cell Cycle inhibitor be observed at dose area product > 400 Gy center dot cm2, a dose applied in 2.9% of CRT implantation procedures. Special follow-up programs are considered necessary for these patients and for operators, as the latter may be exposed over many years given the unknown long-term impact of chronic radiation exposure and the nature of current complex electrophysiology and device procedures. (PACE 2010; 1003-1012).”
“This study was organized to see whether vitamin E, as a strong antioxidant, could

affect the abnormalities of testis structure caused by para-nonylphenol (p-NP) Belnacasan during its development. A total of 32 female Wistar rats after mating were divided into four groups (n = 8): control, vitamin E (100 mg kg(-1) per day), p-NP (250 mg kg(-1) per day) Bucladesine and p-NP + vitamin E. The rats were treated from the seventh day of pregnancy till the twenty-first day. After weaning, the male pups were divided into the same groups and were treated orally for 90 days. Finally, the right testis was

fixed, processed, stained and studied using stereological methods. The weight and volume of testis, volume of seminiferous tubules and its diameter, thickness of the basement membrane, height of the germinal epithelium, total number of types A and B spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatid and Sertoli cells were significantly reduced in p-NP group when compared with other groups. Co-administration of vitamin E and p-NP compensated for the adverse effects of p-NP on the above parameters. In addition, treatment with only vitamin E caused a significant increase in diameter, basement membrane thickness and height of germinal epithelium, number of spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Co-administration of vitamin E with p-NP could prevent the adverse effects of p-NP on the testis structure during its development.”
“A cold-smoked salmon factory was surveyed for a period of 1 year (2008-2009) for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the processing line, processing environment, personnel, raw materials and product (cold-smoked salmon).

Urine samples were collected from the mice at the end of the exposure period, and the arsenic species were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. All detectable arsenic species showed strong linear correlation with the administered dosage. The methylation patterns were similar in all three groups with a slight decrease of dimethylarsinic acid/As(V) ratio in the 500-mu g/L group, which corresponded to the significantly higher arsenic retention in the tissue. The results indicate that urinary arsenic could be used as a good biomarker for internal dose and potential biological effects. Different

PF-562271 order doses of arsenic exposure could result in different degrees of methylation, excretion, and tissue retention, and this may contribute to the understanding of arsenic carcinogenicity. Copyright (C) 2011, Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.”
“A series of triply-responsive copolymer hydrogel was firstly synthesized via free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide,

4-[(4-(acryloyloxy)ethoxy) phenylazo]benzoic acid (AEPAZA), a water-soluble azobenzene-containing comonomer, and crosslinker. The properties of the hydrogel were subsequently investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and gravimetry. UV-Vis spectra showed that the copolymer hydrogel had a reasonable trancis photoisomerization rate upon UV irradiation and a relatively slow recovery rate in dark. The critical solution temperature (CST) of the copolymer hydrogel decreased with increasing of AEPAZA content and subsequently shifted higher value after UV irradiation. find more Meanwhile, the phase transitions profile became slower and broader

with the incorporation of AEPAZA, which could be partly counterbalanced by UV irradiation. The CST could also be affected by the pH value of buffer solution. In addition, equilibrium swelling behavior clearly showed that the swelling ratio could be modulated by temperature, light, and pH. These stimuli-responsive properties should be very important for controlled release delivery system. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012″
“The diagnosis of premature Bindarit cost ovarian failure (POF) is based on the finding of amenorrhea before the age of 40 years associated with follicle-stimulating hormone levels in the menopausal range. It is a heterogeneous disorder affecting approximately 1% of women < 40 years, 1:10,000 women by age 20 years and 1:1,000 women by age 30 years. POF is generally characterized by low levels of gonadal hormones (estrogens and inhibins) and high levels of gonadotropins (LH and FSH) (hypergonadotropic amenorrhea).

Review of significant articles regarding genetic causes that are associated with POF.

Heterogeneity of POF is reflected by a variety of possible causes, including autoimmunity, toxics, drugs, as well as genetic defects.

5T, 67-96% at 3T, and 62-90% for the Euro-CMR registry cases. The intra-class correlation coefficient for the global quality score was 0.83.

Conclusions: The described criteria for the assessment of CMR image quality are robust with a good inter- and intra-observer agreement. Further research is needed to define the impact of image quality on the diagnostic and prognostic yield of CMR studies.”
“Background: Cerebral microbleeds (MBs) on gradient echo T-2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are associated with the severity of cerebral microangiopathies. This study investigated the contributions of nascent deep MBs to stroke recurrence. Methods: We prospectively

analyzed nascent deep MBs in patients admitted to our hospital who were treated for Z-IETD-FMK nmr index strokes between April 2004 and November 2009. The number of nascent deep MBs was counted on T-2*-weighted MRI scans around 1 year after the index strokes, selleck and compared to previous MRIs on admission. Stroke recurrence-free rate curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method using the log-rank test. The odds ratio for nascent deep MBs was derived using a multivariate logistic regression model that was based on

recurrent strokes and other risk factors. Results: We evaluated the MRIs (interval between MRIs 14.6 +/- 5.9 months) of 508 patients (207 women; 68.9 +/- 11.5 years), with a follow-up period of 44.1 +/- 15.4 months. Repeated T-2*-weighted MRI scans revealed 256 nascent deep MBs in 116 of 508 patients. The incidence of deep intracerebral hemorrhage was significantly greater in patients with nascent deep MBs than those without (2.0% vs 0.4% per year, respectively; P < .0001). Multivariate analyses revealed that the rate of nascent deep MBs was significantly elevated in patients whose stroke recurrences took the form of deep Selleckchem CRT0066101 intracerebral hemorrhages (odds ratio 5.41; P = .007), when adjusted for hypertension, preexisting MBs, and other risk factors. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that nascent deep MBs might be associated with stroke recurrence, in particular with

deep intracerebral hemorrhage.”
“Asynapsis of homologous chromosomes at the pachytene stage has been associated with gametogenic failure and infertility, but the cellular mechanisms involved are currently unknown ill human meiocytes. In mice, the protein encoded by the breast-cancer susceptibility gene Brca1 has been described to direct kinase ATR (ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related) to any unpaired DNA at the pachytene stage, where ATR triggers H2AX phosphorylation, resulting in the silencing of those chromosomes. In this study, the distribution of ATR, BRCA1 and the phosphorylated histone gamma H2AX is assessed by immunofluorescence in human oocytes and it is found that they localize at unpaired chromosomes at the pachytene stage.

Interobserver agreement was measured with weighted kappa statistics. McNemar tests were used to compare

sensitivity between the readers. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the effects of body mass index, patient sex, and type of CT scanner on appendiceal visualization.

Results: The kappa statistics for each reader pair were as follows: 0.97 for agreement between readers 1 and 2, 0.93 for agreement between readers 2 and 3, and 0.92 for agreement between readers 1 and 3. Each reader clearly identified buy Baf-A1 the entire appendix in 213 (96.0%), 209 (94.1%), and 205 (92.3%) of the 222 patients without a history of appendectomy. When unsurely or partly visualized appendices were included, the frequencies increased to

99.1% (n = 220), 98.7% (n = 219), and 97.3% (n = 216), respectively, find protocol for readers 1, 2, and 3. These frequencies rarely differed between the readers. (P values ranged from .021 to greater than .99.) The three readers consistently reported that the appendix was not visualized in the 37 patients who had undergone appendectomy. None of the tested variables significantly affected appendix visualization.

Conclusion: Most normal appendices are visualized on thin-section LD unenhanced CT images reviewed with the sliding slab averaging technique. (C) RSNA, 2009″
“BackgroundThere is growing concern about declining levels of physical activity in childhood cancer survivors. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated adventure-based training and health education program in promoting changes in exercise behavior and enhancing the physical activity levels, self-efficacy, and quality of check details life of Hong Kong Chinese childhood cancer survivors.

MethodsA randomized controlled trial, two-group pretest and repeated post-test, between-subjects design was conducted to 71 childhood cancer

survivors (9- to 16-year-olds). Participants in the experimental group joined a 4-day integrated adventure-based training and health education program. Control group participants received the same amount of time and attention as the experimental group but not in such a way as to have any specific effect on the outcome measures. Participants’ exercise behavior changes, levels of physical activity, self-efficacy, and quality of life were assessed at the time of recruitment, 3, 6, and 9months after starting the intervention.

ResultsParticipants in the experimental group reported statistically significant differences in physical activity stages of change (p<0.001), higher levels of physical activity (p<0.001) and self-efficacy (p=0.04) than those in the control group. Besides, there were statistically significant mean differences (p<0.001) in physical activity levels (-2.6), self-efficacy (-2.0), and quality of life (-4.3) of participants in the experimental group from baseline to 9months after starting the intervention.