Pilot and Feasibility Study to Assess the Impact of Fermented Vegetable Consumption on the Gut Microflora in Women

Abstract Background Complications after neurosurgical operations can have severe impact on patient well-being, which is poorly reflected by current grading systems. The objective of this work was to develop and conduct a feasibility study of a new smartphone application that allows for the longitudinal assessment of postoperative well-being and complications. Methods We developed a smartphone application “Post OP Tracker” according to requirements from clinical experience and tested it on simulated patients. Participants received regular notifications through the app, inquiring them about their well-being and complications that had to be answered according to their assigned scenarios. After a 12-week period, subjects answered a questionnaire about the app’s functionality, user-friendliness, and acceptability. Results A total of 13 participants (mean age 34.8, range 24–68 years, 4 (30.8%) female) volunteered in this feasibility study. Most of them had a professional background in either health care or software development. All participants downloaded, installed, and applied the app for an average of 12.9 weeks. On a scale of 1 (worst) to 4 (best), the app was rated on average 3.6 in overall satisfaction and 3.8 in acceptance. The design achieved a somewhat favorable score of 3.1. One participant (7.7%) reported major technical issues. The gathered patient data can be used to graphically display the simulated outcome and assess the impact of postoperative complications. Conclusions This study suggests the feasibility to longitudinally gather postoperative data on subjective well-being through a smartphone application. Among potential patients, our application indicated to be functional, user-friendly, and well accepted. Using this app-based approach, further studies will enable us to classify postoperative complications according to their impact on the patient’s well-being.

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Online art therapy in elementary schools during COVID-19: results from a randomized cluster pilot and feasibility study and impact on mental health

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health ◽

10.1186/s13034-021-00367-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise ◽

Terra Léger-Goodes ◽

Geneviève A. Mageau ◽

Geneviève Taylor ◽

Catherine M. Herba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Elementary School ◽

Art Therapy ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

School Children ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Children’S Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Emerging literature on the current COVID-19 crisis suggests that children may experience increased anxiety and depression as a result of the pandemic. To prevent such school and mental health-related problems, there is a timely need to develop preventive strategies and interventions to address potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on children’s mental health, especially in school settings. Results from previous child clinical research indicate that art-based therapies, including mindfulness-based art therapy, have shown promise to increase children’s well-being and reduce psychological distress. Objective The goal of the present pilot and feasibility study was to compare the impact of an emotion-based directed drawing intervention and a mandala drawing intervention, on mental health in elementary school children (N = 22), in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both interventions were group-based and delivered online and remotely. A pilot study using a randomized cluster design was implemented to evaluate and compare both interventions in relation to child anxiety, depression, inattention and hyperactivity symptoms. Results Analyses of covariance revealed a significant effect of the type of drawing intervention on levels of inattention, after controlling for baseline levels. Participants in the emotion-based directed drawing group showed lower inattention scores at post-test, when compared to participants in the mandala group. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses showed significant decreases in pre-to-post scores for levels of hyperactivity for the complete sample. Conclusion Overall, results from this pilot and feasibility study showed that both an emotion-based directed drawing intervention and a mandala drawing intervention may be beneficial to improve mental health in elementary school children, in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. From a feasibility standpoint, results indicate that the implementation of both interventions online and remotely, through a videoconference platform, is feasible and adequate in school-based settings. Further work incorporating larger sample sizes, longitudinal data and ensuring sufficient statistical power is warranted to evaluate the long-term impact of both interventions on children’s mental health.

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The impact of a multilevel childhood obesity prevention intervention on healthful food acquisition, preparation, and fruit and vegetable consumption on African-American adult caregivers

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980018003038 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Angela CB Trude ◽

Pamela J Surkan ◽

Elizabeth Anderson Steeves ◽

Keshia Pollack Porter ◽

Joel Gittelsohn

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Low Income ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Family Members ◽

Fruit Intake ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Food Acquisition ◽

Multilevel Studies ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the secondary impact of a multilevel, child-focused, obesity intervention on food-related behaviours (acquisition, preparation, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption) on youths’ primary caregivers.DesignB’More Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) group-randomized controlled trial promoted access to healthy foods and food-related behaviours through wholesaler and small store strategies, peer mentor-led nutrition education aimed at youths, and social media and text messaging targeting their adult caregivers. Measures included caregivers’ (n516) self-reported household food acquisition frequency for FV, snacks and grocery items over 30 d, and usual FV consumption in a sub-sample of 226 caregivers via the NCI FV Screener. Hierarchical models assessed average treatment effects (ATE). Treatment-on-the-treated-effect (TTE) analyses evaluated correlation between behavioural change and exposure to BHCK. Exposure scores at post-assessment were based on self-reported viewing of BHCK materials and participating in activities.SettingThirty Baltimore City low-income neighbourhoods, USA.ParticipantsAdult caregivers of youths aged 9–15 years.ResultsOf caregivers, 90·89 % were female; mean age 39·31 (sd9·31) years. Baseline mean (sd) intake (servings/d) was 1·30 (1·69) fruits and 1·35 (1·05) vegetables. In ATE, no significant intervention effect was found on caregivers’ food-related behaviours. In TTE, each point increase in BHCK exposure score (range: 0–6·9) increased caregivers’ daily fruit consumption by 0·2 servings (0·24 (se0·11); 95 % CI 0·04, 0·47). Caregivers reporting greater social media exposure tripled their daily fruit intake (3·16 (se0·92); 95 % CI 1·33, 4·99) and increased their frequency of unhealthy food purchasingv. baseline.ConclusionsChild-focused community-based nutrition interventions may also benefit family members’ fruit intake. Child-focused interventions should involve adult caregivers and intervention effects on family members should be assessed. Future multilevel studies should consider using social media to improve reach and engage caregiver participants.

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Post-operative Recovery Exercise Programme using Yoga (PREPY). A feasibility study of the impact of yoga on the recovery of patients who have undergone surgical resection for lung cancer

European Journal of Cancer ◽

10.1016/s0959-8049(17)30638-x ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 ◽

pp. S173

Author(s):

K. Clarke ◽

J. White ◽

R. Frazer ◽

K. Steffenson ◽

S. Dixon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Surgical Resection ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Exercise Programme ◽

Recovery Exercise ◽

Operative Recovery ◽

The Impact

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The Impact of a Functional Circuit Training Program in People with Chronic Stroke: A Non-Randomized Feasibility Study

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation ◽

10.7243/2055-2386-8-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 6

Author(s):

Margaret A Roos ◽

Gregory T Thielman ◽

Lora Packel ◽

Stephen T Moelter ◽

Svetlana Khakhina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Chronic Stroke ◽

Circuit Training ◽

The Impact

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Prospective Analysis of Food Consumption and Nutritional Status and the Impact on the Dietary Inflammatory Index in Women with Breast Cancer during Chemotherapy

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11112610 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 2610 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Isis Danyelle Dias Custódio ◽

Fernanda de Paula Franco ◽

Eduarda da Costa Marinho ◽

Taísa Sabrina Silva Pereira ◽

Mariana Tavares Miranda Lima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Dietary Inflammatory Index ◽

Food Groups ◽

Time Points ◽

Inflammatory Index ◽

The Impact ◽

Time Point

Considering the implications of adverse effects of chemotherapy (CT) and the potential impact of diet on patients’ recovery, this study aimed to prospectively evaluate the association between the consumption of food groups, patients’ Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) scores, and their nutritional status. Anthropometric and dietary assessments of 55 women with breast cancer (BC) were performed at three time points. T0 is the time point after the first CT cycle, T1 is the time point after the intermediate CT cycle, and T2 is the time point after the last CT cycle. We identified a significant increase in weight, body mass index, and waist circumference during CT. Consumption of poultry and eggs was higher in T1 when compared to T2, while consumption of total fruit and total vegetables was higher at T0 compared to T1 and T2. The diet became more pro-inflammatory over the course of treatment (X2(2) = 61.127), and was related to higher abdominal adiposity. Total fruit (T0: R2 = 0.208, T1: R2 = 0.095, T2: R2 = 0.120) and total vegetable consumption (T0: R2 = 0.284, T1: R2 = 0.365, T2: R2 = 0.580) predicted DII® change at the three-time points. Meanwhile, consumption of total grains was significantly associated only with T1 (R2 = 0.084) and T2 (R2 = 0.118), and consumption of simple sugars was significantly associated only with T0 (R2 = 0.137) and T1 (R2 = 0.126). Changes in food consumption led to an increase in the inflammatory profile of the diet, suggesting the necessity to improve the guidelines during and after CT. These results reinforce the need to promote healthier eating practices in concert with maintaining a healthy nutritional status in women with BC treated with CT.

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Analysis of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption by Children in School Canteens Depending on Selected Sociodemographic Factors

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina55070397 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (7) ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Łuszczki ◽

Sobek ◽

Bartosiewicz ◽

Baran ◽

Weres ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Body Height ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽

Fruit And Vegetable ◽

Bar Code ◽

School Canteen ◽

The Impact

Background and Objectives: Eating habits acquired or changed during childhood are likely to track into adulthood. Due to the fact that nutritional behaviours are not so strongly formed among children, it is easier to change and develop them in children than in adults. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of selected sociodemographic factors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption (i.e., age, parents’ body mass index, parents’ level education, duration of breastfeeding, child’s time spent in front of computer/television) among children in school canteens. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 106 participants (52 girls, 54 boys) aged 6–12. The frequency of consuming fruits and vegetables at a school canteen was assessed using bar code cards for two weeks. Body composition estimates were obtained using a foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis, body height was measured using a stadiometer Seca 213. The questionnaire contained questions about selected factors which can have an influence on fruit and vegetable consumption. In the study group, 13.2% of participants were overweight and 17.9% were obese. Results: Our results showed a statistically significant relationship between age and fruit and vegetable consumption, and it increased with age in both sexes. Conclusions: Bearing in mind the various conditions discussed when shaping the eating habits of pre-school- and early-school-aged children, the importance of proper nutritional education should be stressed both among children and parents.

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PQ and Harmonic Assessment Issues on Low-Cost Smart Metering Platforms: A Case Study

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s20216361 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (21) ◽

pp. 6361

Author(s):

Giovanni Artale ◽

Giuseppe Caravello ◽

Antonio Cataliotti ◽

Valentina Cosentino ◽

Dario Di Cara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Power Quality ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Low Voltage ◽

Low Cost ◽

Distribution Networks ◽

Smart Metering ◽

Energy Metering ◽

Instrument Transformers ◽

The Impact

This paper presents a feasibility study on how to implement power quality (PQ) metrics in a low-cost smart metering platform. The study is aimed at verifying the possibility of implementing PQ monitoring in distribution networks without replacing existing smart metering devices or adding new modules for PQ measurements, thus zeroing the installation costs. To this aim, an electronic board, currently used for remote energy metering, was chosen as a case study, specifically the STCOMET platform. Starting from the specifications of this device, the possibility of implementing power quality metrics is investigated in order to verify if compliance with standard requirements for PQ instruments can be obtained. Issues related to device features constraints are discussed; possible solutions and correction algorithms are presented and experimentally verified for different PQ metrics with a particular focus on harmonic analysis. The feasibility study takes into account both the use of on-board voltage and current transducers for low voltage applications and also the impact of external instrument transformers on measurement results.

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