A calibration study was conducted to determine the threshold counts for two commonly used accelerometers, the ActiGraph and the Actical, to classify activities by intensity in children 5 to 8 years of age. Thirty-three children wore both accelerometers and a COSMED portable metabolic system during 15 min of rest and then performed up to nine different activities for 7 min each, on two separate days in the laboratory. Oxygen consumption was measured on a breath-by-breath basis, and accelerometer data were collected in 15-s epochs. Using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, cutpoints that maximised both sensitivity and specificity were determined for sedentary, moderate and vigorous activities. For both accelerometers, discrimination of sedentary behaviour was almost perfect, with the area under the ROC curve at or exceeding 0.98. For both the ActiGraph and Actical, the discrimination of moderate (0.85 and 0.86, respectively) and vigorous activity (0.83 and 0.86, respectively) was acceptable, but not as precise as for sedentary behaviour. This calibration study, using indirect calorimetry, suggests that the two accelerometers can be used to distinguish differing levels of physical activity intensity as well as inactivity among children 5 to 8 years of age.

Various measures and sources of data provide different perspectives on quality of life. No "gold standard" exists; so a combination of methods and sources is likely to provide the most complete picture of quality of life.

Bright light appears to have a modest but measurable effect on sleep in this population, and ambient light may be preferable to stationary devices such as light boxes.

No abstract

RBC transfusions are relatively common and on the rise among younger CKD-ND patients who are anemic and progress to ESRD. Efforts to decrease the use of transfusions may be important for potential transplant candidates who progress to ESRD.

BACKGROUND.Despite improvement in mammography screening attendance,

This study looks at the difference between the macroscopic and microscopic appearances of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a sample of 55 consecutive patients admitted for routine total knee replacement for osteoarthritis. At the time of surgery the macroscopic appearance of the ACL was classified as normal, moderately damaged (fissured) or completely ruptured. The excised ACL was sent for histological examination and grading. The macroscopic appearance of the ACL at surgery was compared to the severity of disease on microscopic examination. At surgery, 31 ACLs were found to be macroscopically normal: 22 of these (71%) showed moderate to severe disease on microscopic assessment. Thus a macroscopically normal ACL does not necessarily imply histological integrity. This has clinical implications in other areas of knee surgery including Unicompartmental Knee Replacement which require a fully functional intact ACL.

BACKGROUND.A previous study compared the performance (sensitivity, specificity,