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Introduction: Following NOVA (part 1) and the approval of the subcutaneous (SC) route of administration of natalizumab by the European Medicines Agency, an extension phase of the NOVA phase IIIb study (part 2) was initiated to collect patient preference data for SC versus intravenous (IV) dosing in patients receiving every-6-week (Q6W) dosing of natalizumab. This study was performed to evaluate patient preference for SC versus IV natalizumab administration and explore the efficacy, safety, and pharmacology characteristics of both routes of administration. Methods: In part 2, participants received natalizumab (Tysabri®) 300 mg via IV infusion Q6W for 36 weeks and then were randomized to 48 weeks of crossover treatment (24 weeks SC Q6W and 24 weeks IV Q6W, or vice versa). The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants who indicated a preference for natalizumab SC administration on the Patient Preference Questionnaire. Results: A total of 153 participants were randomized in NOVA part 2. Of 123 with patient preference data, 108 (87.8%) preferred the SC route of administration for natalizumab over the IV route; 102 (82.9%) specified "requires less time in the clinic" as the reason for the SC preference. Conclusion: In NOVA (part 2), most participants on Q6W dosing of natalizumab preferred SC administration versus IV administration. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03689972. Infographic: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service animals can play an integral role in the lives and education of students with disabilities. In addition to assisting with physical tasks, service animals can improve confidence, independence and quality of life for students, as well as help them to meet their educational goals. Teachers, coaches and administrators should have the knowledge and skills necessary to support and collaborate with students as they engage with their service animals in and outside of school. The purpose of this article is to educate school personnel about service animals and to help facilitate the successful integration of service animals into schools. Specifically, the article defines service animals and outlines the rights of students with disabilities and their service animals. It also provides recommendations for teachers and coaches to help promote inclusion in physical education and athletics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In exploring older physical education textbooks there is a renewed appreciation for past leaders and their foresight in critical areas of our profession. While a number of ideas have been floating around in the physical education world that are thought of as new or improved concepts: Terms such as social emotional learning, physical literacy, mastery, the whole child, and along with the notion of the importance of quality teaching and assessment, appear in numerous publications and/or popular websites. However, looking back at old textbooks these ideas are not new but recycled and reused good ideas from long ago. It reminds us that much of what we believe about quality physical education is often rooted in other eras - that the past is still the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) are a potentially useful biomarker for assessing the efficacy of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments. Objective: To compare levels of sNfL in patients with MS who switched from natalizumab every 4 weeks (Q4W) to extended interval dosing (EID) and patients who remained on Q4W dosing in real-world clinical practice. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of samples from patients treated with natalizumab from 2010 to 2015 at a single center in the United States. Levels of sNfL were compared in patients who stayed on Q4W dosing or who switched to EID (parallel-arm analyses) and during Q4W and EID periods in patients who switched to EID (pre- and post-switch analyses). Results: The analysis included 139 patients (Q4W: n = 79; EID: n = 60). After adjustment, levels of sNfL did not significantly differ between patients who remained on Q4W dosing and those who switched to EID in parallel-arm analyses (adjusted Q4W-EID difference = 0.51 pg/mL; p = 0.60) or pre- and post-switch analyses (adjusted difference = 0.96 pg/mL; p = 0.10). Conclusion: These sNfL biomarker results suggest that the effectiveness of natalizumab is maintained in patients who switch from Q4W dosing to EID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being generally recognised as Camus' most important philosophical essay, L'Homme révolté (1951;trans. The Rebel, 1953/1954, rev.1956) is rather neglected in the scholarship and enjoys a limited readership, especially among Anglophone critics and readers – a fact brightly reflected in the questionable quality of the only English translation, by Anthony Bower, and in the decision of Hamish Hamilton and Penguin, Camus' publishers in the UK, to cut about thirty pages of text from their edition, 'in the interests of economy.' (This startling admission, hidden in a footnote to Herbert Read's Introduction in 1953, disappeared from the Penguin edition in 2000, though the textual excisions remain). This essay examines one brief but crucially important section of L'Homme révolté concerned with Rousseau's Du contrat social (1762). It explores the centrality of Camus' analysis of Rousseau's essay and its influence on the French Revolution to the arguments of L'Homme révolté, especially as these pertain to political or revolutionary violence. It also examines in close detail some striking parallels between Camus' analysis of Rousseau and that found in essays by Isaiah Berlin (1952) and Philip Pettit (2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment with natalizumab once every 4 weeks is approved for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, but is associated with a risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Switching to extended-interval dosing is associated with lower progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy risk, but the efficacy of this approach is unclear. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of natalizumab once every 6 weeks compared with once every 4 weeks in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.Methods: We did a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3b trial (NOVA) at 89 multiple sclerosis centres across 11 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Western Pacific. Included participants were aged 18-60 years with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and had been treated with intravenous natalizumab 300 mg once every 4 weeks with no relapses for at least 12 months before randomisation, with no missed doses in the previous 3 months. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1), using a randomisation sequence generated by the study funder and contract personnel with interactive response technology, to switch to natalizumab once every 6 weeks or continue with once every 4 weeks. The centralised MRI reader, independent neurology evaluation committee, site examining neurologists, site backup examining neurologists, and site examining technicians were masked to study group assignments. The primary endpoint was the number of new or newly enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions at week 72, assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of assigned treatment and had at least one postbaseline MRI, relapse, or neurological examination or efficacy assessment. Missing primary endpoint data were handled under prespecified primary and secondary estimands: the primary estimand included all data, regardless of whether participants remained on the assigned treatment; the secondary estimand classed all data obtained after treatment discontinuation or study withdrawal as missing. Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of study treatment. Study enrolment is closed and an open-label extension study is ongoing. This study is registered with EudraCT, 2018-002145-11, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03689972.Findings: Between Dec 26, 2018, and Aug 30, 2019, 605 patients were assessed for eligibility and 499 were enrolled and assigned to receive natalizumab once every 6 weeks (n=251) or once every 4 weeks (n=248). After prespecified adjustments for missing data, mean numbers of new or newly enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions at week 72 were 0·20 (95% CI 0·07-0·63) in the once every 6 weeks group and 0·05 (0·01-0·22) in the once every 4 weeks group (mean lesion ratio 4·24 [95% CI 0·86-20·85]; p=0·076) under the primary estimand, and 0·31 (95% CI 0·12-0·82) and 0·06 (0·01-0·31; mean lesion ratio 4·93 [95% CI 1·05-23·20]; p=0·044) under the secondary estimand. Two participants in the once every 6 weeks group with extreme new or newly enlarging T2 hyperintense lesion numbers (≥25) contributed most of the excess lesions. Adverse events occurred in 194 (78%) of 250 participants in the once every 6 weeks group and 190 (77%) of 247 in the once every 4 weeks group, and serious adverse events occurred in 17 (7%) and 17 (7%), respectively. No deaths were reported. There was one case of asymptomatic progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (without clinical signs) in the once every 6 weeks group, and no cases in the once every 4 weeks group; 6 months after diagnosis, the participant was without increased disability and remained classified as asymptomatic.Interpretation: We found a numerical difference in the mean number of new or newly enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions at week 72 between the once every 6 weeks and once every 4 weeks groups, which reached significance under the secondary estimand, but interpretation of statistical differences (or absence thereof) is limited because disease activity in the once every 4 weeks group was lower than expected. The safety profiles of natalizumab once every 6 weeks and once every 4 weeks were similar. Although this trial was not powered to assess differences in risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, the occurrence of the (asymptomatic) case underscores the importance of monitoring and risk factor consideration in all patients receiving natalizumab.Funding: Biogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze Latin American physical education (PE) teachers' intentions toward teaching students with disabilities. Participants: 474 in-service PE teachers from 5 different Latin American countries. Method: Descriptive survey. Data were collected using a modified version of the Physical Educators' Intention Toward Teaching Individuals With Disabilities Survey. Multiple-regression analysis showed significant differences in the attitudes of teachers by gender, the number of adapted-PE courses taken, and years of experience working with individuals with disabilities. Results: The predictor variables had a significant impact on the participants' intentions toward teaching children with disabilities; however, the effects of these predictor variables differed between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the complexity and heterogeneity of a system grows, the challenge of specifying, documenting and synthesizing correct, machine-readable designs increases dramatically. Separation of the system into manageable parts is needed to support analysis at various levels of granularity so that the system is maintainable and adaptable over its life cycle. In this paper, we argue that operads provide an effective knowledge representation to address these challenges. Formal documentation of a syntactically correct design is built up during design synthesis, guided by semantic reasoning about design effectiveness. Throughout, the ability to decompose the system into parts and reconstitute the whole is maintained. We describe recent progress in effective modelling under this paradigm and directions for future work to systematically address scalability challenges for complex system design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined temporal trends in body mass index (BMI) among United States adults with intellectual disability (ID) participating in Special Olympics from 2005 to 2010. In addition, the prevalence of obesity was compared with published National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) statistics. After data cleaning, 6,004 height and weight records (male = 57%) were available from the Special Olympics International Healthy Athletes Health Promotion database for the calculation of BMI. Rates of overweight and obesity were very high but generally stable over time. Compared with NHANES statistics, the prevalence of obesity was significantly higher for Special Olympics female participants in each data collection cycle. Integrated efforts to understand the social, environmental, behavioral, and biological determinants of obesity and among Special Olympics participants are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined temporal trends in body mass index (BMI) among United States adults with intellectual disability (ID) participating in Special Olympics from 2005 to 2010. In addition, the prevalence of obesity was compared with published National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) statistics. After data cleaning, 6,004 height and weight records (male = 57%) were available from the Special Olympics International Healthy Athletes Health Promotion database for the calculation of BMI. Rates of overweight and obesity were very high but generally stable over time. Compared with NHANES statistics, the prevalence of obesity was significantly higher for Special Olympics female participants in each data collection cycle. Integrated efforts to understand the social, environmental, behavioral, and biological determinants of obesity and among Special Olympics participants are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the degree to which youth with and without chronic conditions in the United States met physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep duration guidelines.Design: A cross-sectional study using data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health.Participants: A total of 24 405 youth (aged 10-17 years) with and without 1 of 19 prevalent chronic health conditions who participated in the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health.Measures: Parents reported on the time spent by their children in PA, screen time, and sleep.Analysis: Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted to estimate and compare health behavior guideline adherence rates among children with and without chronic conditions.Results: Overall, 18.7% of children with chronic conditions did not meet any health behavior guidelines compared to 15.6% of children without chronic conditions. Children with hearing impairments, diabetes, and depression were most likely to not meet any health behavior guidelines (27.9%, 25.4%, and 21.7%, respectively). Of the 3 guidelines, children with and without chronic conditions were least likely to meet the PA guideline (18.6% and 21%, respectively).Conclusions: This study identifies specific groups of children with chronic conditions that are most at risk of not meeting health behavior guidelines. The findings highlight specific behaviors in most need of intervention for children with chronic conditions; PA was identified as the most frequently unmet guideline. Overall findings suggest a need for a more integrated, holistic view of health promotion for children with chronic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Surveillance of overweight trends among youth with chronic conditions can inform the prioritization of funding, research and intervention. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to utilize the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data to provide current estimates of the prevalence of overweight among US youth with common chronic conditions. A secondary purpose was to examine parental concern about weight status among youth with chronic conditions who were overweight. Methods: This study included children aged 10 to 17 years with (n=10 997) and without (n=13 408) chronic conditions from the 2016 NSCH. Estimates of overweight, and parental concern for weight status, were compared among youth with 19 common chronic conditions and youth without chronic conditions. Results: Overall, youth with chronic conditions were significantly more likely to be overweight compared with youth without chronic conditions (35.4% vs 27.8%). Overweight was most prevalent among youth with diabetes (56.4%), intellectual disabilities (53.6%) and hearing impairments (46.1%). Parents of youth with chronic conditions who were overweight were significantly more concerned that their child's weight was too high than those without chronic conditions. Conclusions: This study identifies youth with chronic conditions, particularly those with certain conditions, as being in need of prioritization of funding, research and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Networks can be combined in various ways, such as overlaying one on top of another or setting two side by side. We introduce 'network models' to encode these ways of combining networks. Different network models describe different kinds of networks. We show that each network model gives rise to an operad, whose operations are ways of assembling a network of the given kind from smaller parts. Such operads, and their algebras, can serve as tools for designing networks. Technically, a network model is a lax symmetric monoidal functor from the free symmetric monoidal category on some set to Cat, and the construction of the corresponding operad proceeds via a symmetric monoidal version of the Grothendieck construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have a significantly higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes than the general population. Evidence that lifestyle and/or behavioural interventions, such as participation in Special Olympics, decreases the risk of developing diabetes in adults with IDD could help minimize health disparities and promote overall health in this population. Methods: This was a 20‐year retrospective cohort study of adults with IDD (30–39 years) in the province of Ontario, Canada, that compared hazard rates of diabetes among Special Olympics participants (n = 4145) to non‐participants (n = 31,009) using administrative health databases housed at ICES. Using cox proportional hazard models, crude and adjusted hazard ratios were calculated for the association between the primary independent variable (Special Olympics participation status) and the dependent variable (incident diabetes cases). Results: After controlling for other variables, the hazard ratio comparing rates for developing diabetes between Special Olympics participants and non‐participants was 0.85. This represents a 15% reduction in the hazard among Special Olympics participants when followed for up to 20 years. This result was statistically significant and represents a small effect size. Conclusions: Special Olympics could be considered a complex intervention that promotes physical activity engagement through sport participation, health screenings, and the promotion of healthy eating habits through educational initiatives. This study provides evidence that Special Olympics participation decreases the rate for developing diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty-five youth with visual impairments (13.5 ± 2.1yrs, 13 girls and 22 boys) walked four 100-meter distances while wearing two units (right and left placement) of three brands of voice-announcement (VA) pedometers (Centrios Talking Pedometer, TALKiNG Pedometer, and Sportline Talking Calorie Pedometer 343) and a reference pedometer (NL2000). Registered pedometer steps for each trial were recorded, compared to actual steps assessed via digital video. Inter-unit agreement between right and left VA pedometer placement was low (ICC range .37 to .76). A systematic error was observed for the VA pedometers on the left placement (error range 5.6% to 12.2%), while right placement VA pedometers were at or below ± 3% from actual steps (range 2.1% to 3.3%). The reference pedometer was unaffected by placement (ICC .98, error ∼1.4%). Overall, VA pedometers demonstrated acceptable accuracy for the right placement, suggesting this position is necessary for youth with visual impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global crisis impacting individuals' mental health. Climate anxiety is an emerging area of interest within popular culture and the scientific community. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms underlying climate anxiety. We provide evidence that climate anxiety is related to gray matter volume in the midcingulate cortex as well as its level of functional connectivity with the insula cortex. These neuroanatomical and neurofunctional features of climate anxiety are involved in identifying and anticipating potential threats within the environment and preparing an appropriate action response to such threats. These neural correlates align with those observed in anxiety disorders. Yet, climate anxiety itself as well as the neural correlates of climate anxiety were related to pro-environmental behavior. This may suggest that the midcingulate and insula are part of a network linked to an adaptive aspect of climate anxiety in motivating behavioral engagement. • Greater levels of climate anxiety associated with lower levels of midcingulate cortex gray matter volume. • Greater levels of climate anxiety associated with greater functional coupling between the midcingulate and insula cortices. • Pro-environmental behavior was correlated with greater climate anxiety and lower midcingulate cortex volume. • Structural and functional components of the brain's salience network linked to climate anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to cross-validate skinfold and anthropometric measurements for individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Estimated body fat of 14 individuals with DS and 13 individuals without DS was compared between criterion measurement (BOP POD¨) and three prediction equations. Correlations between criterion and field-based tests for non-DS group and DS groups ranged from .81 - .94 and .11 - .54, respectively. Root-Mean-Squared-Error was employed to examine the amount of error on the field-based measurements. A MANOVA indicated significant differences in accuracy between groups for Jackson's equation and Lohman's equation. Based on the results, efforts should now be directed toward developing new equations that can assess the body composition of individuals with DS in a clinically feasible way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of motor skill proficiency during childhood is cumulative and influenced by physical growth and maturation, genetic potential, affordances in the physical and social environment, and the interactions between these factors. Therefore, typically during childhood, the trajectory of change in motor proficiency is positive. To lend developmental validity to the revision of the Test of Gross Motor Development—3rd edition (TGMD-3), this longitudinal study examined whether the skills and subtests of the TGMD-3 changed as might be expected from grade 3 to grade 4 among 277 children. The findings of this study lend support to the developmental validity of the TGMD-3 in that (1) there was within-individual change in the expected direction for both locomotor and ball skills, (2) consistent with the majority of research, boys had significantly higher ball skills scores than girls in both grade 3 and grade 4, and (3) the mean percent of maximum possible scores were in the range of approximately 60–75, which demonstrates that the majority of 8- and 9-year-old children had not reached a ceiling on this test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a critical need for high-quality population-level data related to the health of individuals with intellectual disabilities. For more than 15 years Special Olympics International has been conducting free Healthy Athletes screenings at local, national and international events. The Healthy Athletes database is the largest known international database specifically on the health of people with intellectual disabilities; however, it is relatively under-utilized by the research community. A consensus meeting with two dozen North American researchers, stakeholders, clinicians and policymakers took place in Toronto, Canada. The purpose of the meeting was to: 1) establish the perceived utility of the database, and 2) to identify and prioritize 3-5 specific priorities related to using the Healthy Athletes database to promote the health of individuals with intellectual disabilities. There was unanimous agreement from the meeting participants that this database represents an immense opportunity both from the data already collected, and data that will be collected in the future. The 3 top priorities for the database were deemed to be: 1) establish the representativeness of data collected on Special Olympics athletes compared to the general population with intellectual disabilities, 2) create a scientific advisory group for Special Olympics International, and 3) use the data to improve Special Olympics programs around the world. The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes database includes data not found in any other source and should be used, in partnership with Special Olympics International, by researchers to significantly increase our knowledge and understanding of the health of individuals with intellectual disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To examine both body mass index (BMI) status and waist circunference (WC) in a large international sample of adult Special Olympics participants from Latin America. It also explored the association of age and sex with obesity in this population. Materials and methods. BMI and WC records from a total of 4 174 (2 683 male and 1 491 female) participant records from the Special Olympics International Health Promotion database were examined. Results. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was quite high (i.e. > 40%), but generally lower than studies involving adults with intellectual disabilities from Europe and the USA. Chi-square analyses revealed that both increasing age and being female significantly predicted levels of overweight, obesity, and WC. Conclusions. These results suggest that efforts need to be made to prevent and reduce rates of overweight and obesity among Latin American Special Olympics participants, particularly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of motor skill proficiency during childhood is cumulative and influenced by physical growth and maturation, genetic potential, affordances in the physical and social environment, and the interactions between these factors. Therefore, typically during childhood, the trajectory of change in motor proficiency is positive. To lend developmental validity to the revision of the Test of Gross Motor Development--3rd edition (TGMD-3), this longitudinal study examined whether the skills and subtests of the TGMD-3 changed as might be expected from grade 3 to grade 4 among 277 children. The findings of this study lend support to the developmental validity of the TGMD-3 in that (1) there was within-individual change in the expected direction for both locomotor and ball skills, (2) consistent with the majority of research, boys had significantly higher ball skills scores than girls in both grade 3 and grade 4, and (3) the mean percent of maximum possible scores were in the range of approximately 60-75, which demonstrates that the majority of 8- and 9-year-old children had not reached a ceiling on this test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than the general population. In clinical trials, natalizumab significantly improved HRQoL and reduced relapse rates and disability progression in patients with relapsing MS. In a 1-year analysis of patients included in the current study, HRQoL improvement occurred within 3 months of natalizumab initiation and continued for 1 year thereafter. However, natalizumab's long-term efficacy in improving HRQoL has not been studied. Methods: In this longitudinal, observational, single-arm US study, HRQoL and treatment satisfaction were evaluated in MS patients receiving intravenous natalizumab 300 mg every 4 weeks in clinical settings. Patients completed surveys at baseline and every 6 months for 3 years and reported the following measures: Short Form-12 Version 2 (SF-12v2), Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29), and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication. Results: In this study, 120 patients completed ⩾3 years of natalizumab treatment. Significant HRQoL improvements were evident from baseline to year 3 by increases in SF-12v2 Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary scores (P⩾0.01) and decreases in MSIS-29 physical and psychological scores (P⩾0.0001). Patients with less physical disability (baseline Disease Steps [DS] 0-2) had significant improvement from baseline to year 3 in SF-12v2 PCS (P⩾0.05) and MSIS-29 physical scores (P⩾0.05). Physical HRQoL outcomes in patients with baseline DS 3-6 remained stable over 3 years. Treatment satisfaction increased significantly from baseline to year 1 (P⩾0.0001) and was maintained in the following 2 years. Conclusion: Patients reported physical and psychological HRQoL improvements over 3 years of natalizumab treatment, supporting the long-term efficacy of natalizumab in real-world settings. Lower baseline disease activity and earlier treatment were related to better outcomes, indicating the importance of starting natalizumab early in the disease course. Treatment satisfaction increased after natalizumab initiation and remained high over 3 years of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 18-protein multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity (DA) test was validated based on associations between algorithm scores and clinical/radiographic assessments (N = 614 serum samples; Train [ n = 426; algorithm development] and Test [ n = 188; evaluation] subsets). The multi-protein model was trained based on presence/absence of gadolinium-positive (Gd+) lesions and was also strongly associated with new/enlarging T2 lesions, and active versus stable disease (composite of radiographic and clinical evidence of DA) with improved performance (p < 0.05) compared to the neurofilament light single protein model. The odds of having ≥1 Gd+ lesions with a moderate/high DA score were 4.49 times that of a low DA score, and the odds of having ≥2 Gd+ lesions with a high DA score were 20.99 times that of a low/moderate DA score. The MSDA Test was clinically validated with improved performance compared to the top-performing single-protein model and can serve as a quantitative tool to enhance the care of MS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though much has been written on sport education (SE) as it relates to more traditional invasion games such as basketball rugby, and ultimate disc, little work has been carried out on its use with disability sport or children with disabilities in general. As such, the purpose of this project was to determine the effect sport education roles had on athletes with visual impairments and blindness during a 3-day goalball experience. Findings suggest that both athletes and their coaches had a deeper understanding and more positive view of sport having participated in these roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to provide information for successfully working with students who identify as transgender. It provides insight into the topic from the perspective of an elementary school physical educator and that of a student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many low- and middle-income countries have experienced an epidemic of obesity in the last few decades. However, no studies have examined the relationship between country economic status and weight status among adults with ID. This study compared the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity among adult Special Olympics participants by country economic status. A total of 19,295 (men, n = 12,037) measured height and weight records were available from the Special Olympics International ( SOI) Health Promotion database. The 159 countries in the database were recoded according to the World Bank's classification of country economic status as: low-income, lower middle-income, upper middle-income, and high-income. Body mass index ( BMI; kg/m2) prevalence rates were calculated for underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity for men and women by economic status. Odds ratios, adjusted for age and sex, were used to examine differences in BMI by country economic status. Overall, 31.9% of SOI participants from low-income economies, 48.6% from lower middle-income, 43.6% from upper middle-income, and 66.0% from high-income economies had BMI indices outside of the normal range. For the low-income countries, the proportion of underweight and overweight/obesity was similar (17.2% and 14.7%, respectively). For the other three levels of economy, participants with BMI levels outside the normal range were largely overweight/obese, rather than underweight. Women, older participants, and those from higher-income countries were much more likely to be overweight/obese. Considerably, more research on the key behaviors associated with BMI status and the extent to which environments (economic, social, and physical) are obesogenic is needed to explain these differences and to begin to design interventions that can be both targeted for persons with ID and coherently implemented across sectors and settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience high rates of depression. Evidence indicates that physical activity, or participation in a sports club, in a supportive social environment has mental and physical health benefits. Adults with IDD, on average, engage in low levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to compare the rates of depression among young adult Special Olympics participants with IDD compared to non-participants with IDD. Methods: This was a 20-year retrospective cohort study of young adults (19–29 years) with IDD in the province of Ontario, Canada that compared rates of depression among Special Olympics participants (n = 8710) to non-participants (n = 42,393) using administrative health databases housed at ICES (formerly the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences). Using cox proportional hazard models, the crude hazard ratios were calculated for the association between each independent variable and the dependent variable. Results: After controlling for other variables, the hazard rate for depression among Special Olympics participants compared to the hazard rate for depression among non-participants generated an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.51. Over the 20-year follow-up, the participants were 0.51 times as likely to develop depression as non-participants; this represents a 49% reduction in risk among Special Olympics participants. This result was statistically significant and represents a medium effect size. Conclusion: Future research is needed on how much of this risk reduction is related to a physiological response to physical activity/exercise, and how much is related to the social connectedness of being part of a group participating in Special Olympics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a map from the classifying space of a discrete Kac–Moody group over the algebraic closure of the field with p elements to the classifying space of a complex topological Kac–Moody group and prove that it is a homology equivalence at primes q different from p . This generalizes a classical result of Quillen, Friedlander and Mislin for Lie groups. As an application, we construct unstable Adams operations for general Kac–Moody groups compatible with the Frobenius homomorphism. Our results rely on new integral homology decompositions for certain infinite dimensional unipotent subgroups of discrete Kac–Moody groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Individuals with intellectual disabilities are at higher risk for health disparities including overweight and obesity; however, little is known at the population level about the BMI status of children and youth with intellectual disabilities. This study is a secondary analysis of BMI status (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese) in children and youth (8-< 18 years) participating in Special Olympics by country economic status. Methods A total of 14,032 participants (n = 8,856 male) measured height and weight records were available from the Special Olympics International Health Promotion database. The 141 countries in the database were re-coded according to the World Bank's classification of country economic status. BMI prevalence rates were calculated for underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity for children and youth using IOTF cutoffs by economic status. Chi-squared analyses and Fisher's exact test were used to examine differences in weight status by economy and sex. Findings Overall, 27.87% of Special Olympics participants from low-income economies, 31.04% from lower middle-income, 25.29% from upper middle-income, and 42.36% from high-income economies had BMI levels outside of the normal range. The low-income countries had higher rates of underweight and the high-income countries had higher rates of obesity. Conclusions The high levels of both underweight and overweight/obesity found in this population of children and youth participating in Special Olympics represents a double burden of health risk. More research is needed to understand why this population experiences such disparities in BMI status and to develop health promotion initiatives targeted at this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] This study compared the obesity rates of children and youth with intellectual disabilities in the USA with existing prevalence rates of children and youth in the USA. [•] Obesity was based on BMI derived from the Special Olympics International Healthy Athletes database. [•] Special Olympic participants (12–<19 years) had significantly higher levels of obesity than the national average in 2007–2008 and 2009–2010. [•] Male Special Olympic participants in the 8–11 years age group were more likely to be obese than female Special Olympic participants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Late-term thrombosis associated with drug-eluting stents may be due to the non-selective actions of antimitogenic drugs on endothelial cells, leading to delayed vascular healing after stenting angioplasty. Currently, there is a need for stent-based therapies that can both attenuate neointimal hyperplasia and promote re-endothelialization. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of a resveratrol (R)- and quercetin (Q)-eluting stent with that of a bare metal stent (BMS) on neointimal hyperplasia and re-endothelialization in a rat model of arterial angioplasty and stenting. Miniature stents (2.5×1.25mm) were sprayed with nanocomposite coatings containing two concentrations of R:Q (50:25μg/cm2 (RQ1) or 150:75μg/cm2 (RQ2)). The stents were deployed into the common carotid artery of rats and their impact on vascular remodeling was compared to that of BMS. Luminal stenosis in arteries stented with RQ2-eluting stents was reduced by 64.6% (p<0.05) compared to arteries stented with BMS. Accompanying this effect was a 59.8% reduction in macrophage infiltration (p<0.05). There were no differences found between RQ1 and BMS. Finally, the RQ2-coated stent accelerated re-endothelialization by 50% compared with BMS (p<0.05). Thus, compared with BMS, local delivery of R and Q from a stent platform significantly reduced in-stent stenosis, while promoting re-endothelialization. These data suggest that R and Q may be favorable candidates for novel stent coatings, potentially reducing the risk of late thrombosis associated with drug-eluting stents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rationale: A number of cancer chemotherapeutic agents have been associated with a loss of memory in breast cancer patients although little is known of the causality of this effect. Objectives: To assess the potential cognitive effects of repeated exposure to chemotherapeutic agents, we administered the selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen or the antimetabolite chemotherapy, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil, alone and in combination to mice and tested them in a learning and memory assay. Methods: Swiss-Webster male mice were injected with saline, 32 mg/kg tamoxifen, 3.2 or 32 mg/kg methotrexate, 75 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil, 3.2 or 32 mg/kg methotrexate in combination with 75 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil once per week for 3 weeks. On days 23 and 24, mice were tested for acquisition and retention of a nose-poke response in a learning procedure called autoshaping. In addition, the acute effects of tamoxifen were assessed in additional mice in a similar procedure. Results: The chemotherapeutic agents alone and in combination reduced body weight relative to saline treatment over the course of 4 weeks. Repeated treatment with tamoxifen produced both acquisition and retention effects relative to the saline-treated group although acute tamoxifen was without effect except at a behaviorally toxic dose. Repeated treatment with methotrexate in combination with 5-fluorouracil produced effects on retention, but the magnitude of these changes depended on the methotrexate dose. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that repeated administration of tamoxifen or certain combination of methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil may produce deficits in the acquisition or retention of learned responses which suggest potential strategies for prevention or remediation might be considered in vulnerable patient populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the importance of assessing sports education (SE) for students with physical disabilities. It denotes the steps in applying assessment system in SE including the identification of students' learning output, development of assessment tools, and the usage of data for student physical performance. It cites the applicability of such assessment in improving sports programs for physically-disabled students.

Abstract: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases. This family includes EGFR/ErbB1/HER1, ErbB2/HER2/Neu ErbB3/HER3, and ErbB4/HER4. For many years it was believed that EGFR plays a minor role in the development and progression of breast malignancies. However, recent findings have led investigators to revisit these beliefs. Here we will review these findings and propose roles that EGFR may play in breast malignancies. In particular, we will discuss the potential roles that EGFR may play in triple-negative tumors, resistance to endocrine therapies, maintenance of stem-like tumor cells, and bone metastasis. Thus, we will propose the contexts in which EGFR may be a therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because T cell differentiation leads to an expanded repertoire of chemokine receptors, a subgroup of G protein-coupled receptors, we hypothesized that the repertoire of G proteins might be altered in parallel. We analyzed the abundance of mRNA and/or protein of six G protein α-subunits in human CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets from blood. Although most G protein α-subunits were similarly expressed in all subsets, the abundance of Gαo, a protein not previously described in hematopoietic cells, was much higher in memory versus naive cells. Consistent with these data, activation of naive CD4+ T cells in vitro significantly increased the abundance of Gao in cells stimulated under nonpolarizing or TH17 (but not TH1 or TH2)-polarizing conditions. In functional studies, the use of a chimeric G protein α-subunit, Gαqo5, demonstrated that chemokine receptors could couple to Gαo-containing G proteins. We also found that Gαi1, another α-subunit not described previously in leukocytes, was expressed in naive T cells but virtually absent from memory subsets. Corresponding to their patterns of expression, siRNA-mediated knockdown of Gαo in memory (but not naive) and Gαi1 in naive (but not memory) CD4+ T cells inhibited chemokine-dependent migration. Moreover, although even in Gαo- and Gαo1-expressing cells mRNAs of these α-subunits were much less abundant than Gαi2 or Gαi3, knockdown of any of these subunits impaired chemokine receptor-mediated migration similarly. Together, our data reveal a change in the repertoire of Gαi/o subunits during T cell differentiation and suggest functional equivalence among Gαi/o subunits irrespective of their relative abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against α4-integrin is a first-in-class disease-modifying therapy for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis. Natalizumab is highly effective but has been associated with a risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Since the efficacy of natalizumab in relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis is viewed as superior to first-line agents, a growing number of neurologists are using natalizumab as the treatment of choice for patients with worsening MS. Owing to the recently reported cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a panel of neurologists met in February 2009 to discuss best practices for the use of natalizumab, with the goal of developing consensus-based recommendations on patient management to minimize the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The panel consisted of a cross section of academic and community neurologists from the United States who treat multiple sclerosis in large centers and have extensive experience with natalizumab (approximating 2000 patient-years combined experience). This paper summarizes the panel's recommendations on the following: (1) appropriate patient selection for natalizumab; (2) routine monitoring and management of adverse events during natalizumab therapy; and (3) clinical vigilance monitoring and risk reduction for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug release from therapeutic biomedical films such as drug-polymer composite coatings on drug eluting stents is a highly complex and poorly understood process. The dynamics of drug release and the evolution of surface morphology during release have direct impact on the performance of the device. This information is not easily accessible, and there have been few systematic studies to investigate drug release from biomedical coatings in real time. In this study, the complementary analytical techniques of confocal Raman microscopy, in-liquid atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high performance liquid chromatography were used to examine real-time mobilization and release of the drug rapamycin from polyisobutylene-block-polystyrene thin films, during immersion in buffered saline for 12 h. Each technique was found to have distinct limitations in either temporal or spatial resolution; in combination, however, the overlapping techniques provided a level of detail that is not available using any single approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this study was both to investigate if children with intellectual disability (ID) spend more time watching television and on the computer than their peers without disabilities and if total screen time correlates with physical activity in these same children. Methods Participants were 9 children with ID matched with 9 children without ID, aged 7-12 years. Participants were matched by gender, age, and body mass index (BMI). Parents logged after-school television and computer time. Physical activity was recorded with accelerometers. Results Mann-Whitney tests revealed no difference between television or computer time between the groups. Correlations between physical activity and screen time revealed that children without ID had a low relationship between physical activity and screen time (τ = -.11, p = .64). Conversely, children with ID had a moderate relationship between physical activity and screen time (τ = .56, p = .04). Conclusions These results suggest that there might be different patterns of sedentary behaviours between children with and without ID, indicating that unique interventions may be needed for individuals with ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concern that adjuvant cancer chemotherapy agents cause cognitive impairment in a significant number of patients has been expressed by patients and healthcare providers, but clinical studies have yielded conflicting results to date. We directly tested two commonly used chemotherapeutic agents in a mouse model of learning and memory. In the present study, mice were conditioned to respond for a liquid reinforcer (Ensure solution) in the presence of an audible tone on day 1 as a measure of acquisition and were then required to perform the same response on day 2 as a measure of retrieval and retention. Methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil were administered prior to the day 1 session. Methotrexate (1.0–32 mg/kg) alone failed to alter mean latency acquisition, retrieval, or reinforced response rates. Similar to scopolamine, a known amnesic in this assay, 5-fluorouracil (3-75 mg/kg) failed to alter response rates or acquisition latency on day 1 but significantly altered latency to retrieve a previously learned response on day 2. In combination, 3.2 mg/kg methotrexate plus 75 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil significantly increased day 1 and day 2 acquisition and retrieval latencies without altering response rates or motivation to respond as measured by progressive ratio responding. Taken together, these data demonstrate that 5-fluorouracil causes increased latencies for retrieval of previously learned behavioral responses and that combination of chemotherapeutic agents may produce greater delays than either agent alone, including when neither agent alone does so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the goals of Healthy People 2010 is to eliminate health disparities of people with disabilities. However, there is a deficit of information on physical activity levels in children with mental retardation (MR) in both the school and out of school environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical activity levels of elementary school-aged children with and without MR in both school, after-school and weekend environments. Accelerometers were used to record physical activity levels of nine children with mild MR and 33 children without (NMR). Four multiple regressions were performed to identify the difference between groups while accounting for age, gender and BMI. While at school, physical activity levels for children with MR were significantly lower during both recess and physical education, p < 0.001, p < 0.001 respectively, After school and weekend physical activity levels for children with MR were significantly lower, p < 0.001, p = 0.006 respectively. The findings of this study indicate that the disparity in physical activity in individuals with MR begins as early as the elementary school years and is measurable across environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma membrane cholesterol is critical for neutrophil chemotaxis, although how cholesterol affects chemotactic signaling pathway has not been clearly delineated. Here we demonstrate that cholesterol was absolutely required for polarized redistribution of key chemotactic mediators in human neutrophils in response to all chemoattractants tested (fMet-Leu-Phe, and the chemokines CXCL1, CXCL8 and CXCL12). In particular, PI3K and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5 triphosphate (PIP3) failed to accumulate at the front and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) at the back of chemoattractant-stimulated neutrophils after cholesterol depletion. Cholesterol depletion did not affect early chemoattractant signaling events such as G-protein activation, intracellular calcium flux or G-protein-independent endocytosis-linked signaling, including the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Hck and Fgr transduced by β-arrestin. During cell polarization, F-actin assemblies redistributed the cholesterol-rich microdomains and cytoskeleton-anchored proteins, including CD16 and CD44 from the leading edge. These data suggest that spatial polarization of chemotactic mediators is orchestrated by protein:protein interactions that organize cholesterol-rich domains of the plasma membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the following: (a) the relationships among the latent constructs of fundamental motor skills (FMS), health-related physical fitness (HI-IF), and observed body fatness in South Korean adolescents with mental retardation (MR); (b) the indirect effect of fundamental motor skills on body fatness when mediated by health-related fitness; and (c) whether the degree of MR and gender affects these relationships. Students ages 13 to 18 years (287 boys and 134 girls) were recruited for the study. Separate structural equation models were estimated based on gender and the level of disability: mild or moderate MR. Group differences in the model structure were not found, so the data were combined and a single model estimated. The results showed that FMS significantly contributed to HRF (standardized effects B = .53), p < .01 and indirectly contributed to decreased body fatness mediated by HRF (-.27), p < .01. HRF directly contributed to decreased fatness (-.50), p < .01. The results from this study support the importance of both increased FMS and increased HI-IF in relation to decreased body fatness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors suggest incorporating pedometers into the physical education curricula for schoolchildren, especially children with visual impairment, as a way to combat childhood obesity. The authors offer activity ideas to incorporate pedometers into physical education classes and to encourage children with visual impairment to participate more fully in the classes. They also urge physical education teachers to promote physical activity outside the school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Examine the effects of father-child involvement and neighborhood characteristics with young children's physical activity (PA) within a multilevel framework. Design. Cross-sectional analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Cohort 1998. Setting. Nationally representative sample. Subjects. Data were available for 10,694 kindergartners (5-6 years; 5240 girls) living in 1053 neighborhoods. Measures. Parental report of child's PA level, father characteristics (e.g., time spent with child, age, education, socioeconomic status, hours worked), family time spent doing sports/activities together, and neighborhood quality (e.g., safety, presence of crime violence, garbage). Child weight status, motor skills, ethnicity, and television viewing were used as covariates. Analysis. Multilevel structural equation modeling with children nested within neighborhoods. Results. At the child level father-child time and family time doing sports together were positively associated with children's PA. At the neighborhood level parental perception of a neighborhood's safety for children to play outside fully mediated the effect of neighborhood quality on children's PA. Overall 19.1% and 7.6% of the variance in PA was explained at the child and neighborhood levels, respectively. Conclusions. Family-based interventions for PA should consider father-child time, with this contributing to a child's overall PA level. Further, neighborhood quality is an important predictor of PA only to the extent by which parents perceive it to be unsafe for their child to play outdoors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of disability awareness for students using the sport education model (SEM) in the U.S. It is stated that the primary goal of the SEM is for disabled students to become competent, literate and enthusiastic sportspersons. According to the authors, disability simulation exercises in inclusive settings can promote the acceptance of students with disabilities. To ensure successful awareness program, physical education teachers need to provide an environment of acceptance that will give such students the opportunity to be physically active. Also, it is important that educators need to explain to the students without disabilities to have a positive attitude to physically and mentally-challenged students.

This paper presents the results of a series of four psychophysical experiments carried out to study the appearance, annoyance, and detectability of common digital video compression artifacts. The approach chosen in this paper was to use synthetic artifacts that look like "real" artifacts, yet are simpler, purer, and easier to describe. This approach allowed the control of the amplitude, distribution, and mixture of different types of artifacts. The algorithms for generating four of the most common types of artifacts: blockiness, blurriness, ringing, and noisiness, are described. The psychophysical experiments performed used video sequences containing different combinations of the generated synthetic artifacts. In these experiments, subjects were asked to detect any impairment and rate its annoyance. With the data gathered, the probability of detection and annoyance values were determined as a function of the total squared error. The results showed that "original video" (content) has a significant effect on both the detection threshold and the mid-annoyance parameter, while the "artifact signal type" does not. It was also found that these two parameters are highly correlated and linearly related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twentieth-century research demonstrated that Homer's"Iliad" and "Odyssey" began as part of an ancient Greek oral tradition, and were passed down by word of mouth through generations of oral poets before and for some time after the invention of the alphabet. As the twenty-first century dawns, the modern (re)discovery of these unwritten origins is exerting an enormous influence on how we understand and teach the poems, presenting new answers to the ages-old "Homeric Question"—Who was Homer?—and suggesting comparisons with living oral epic traditions on five continents. By paying attention to the trademark structures and idiomatic values of Homer's language, the bequest of oral tradition, we can "read" the poems more faithfully. The perspective from oral tradition solves such stubborn and longstanding challenges as the heavy repetition of phrases and scenes, as well as the non-chronological order and anti-climactic ending of the "Odyssey." Oral tradition can also show how Penelope emerges as a full-fledged hero—in some ways even more central a figure than her husband Odysseus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper studies global asymptotic stability for positive solutions to the equation with and . The paper includes a discussion of stability for a wide class of symmetric rational difference equations which includes the type studied here as well as several other in the recent literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]