School-based physical activity intervention improves the physical fitness of the adolescent girls and their mothers

To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based exercise program on the body composition and physical fitness of girls and their mothers. In a semi-experimental study we included 70 subjects [35 high-school girl students as well as their mothers] in 2007. All the students, whose mothers volunteered to take part in the study, were in first to third grades of high school and randomly selected from five high schools in the city. The study was run at Neda high school in Sanandaj-Iran. Eligible subjects participated in an exercise program for 12 weeks, ninety minutes per session, two times per week. The subjects followed the same exercise programme, at the same time in the same place. Measurements included cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, height, weight, body-mass index [BMI], waist and hip circumference. Age mean [standard deviation] for girls and mothers was 15.00[1.60] and 40.00[3.80] respectively. In girls, the intervention had significant effect on weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference [p<0.05]. Physical fitness tests including muscle strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance were significantly different between the pre-test and post-test measurements [p<0.05]. In mothers body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference declined significantly [p<0.05]. Flexibility test was not significantly affected over time, despite an increase in muscle strength and cardiovascular endurance [p<0.05]. The highest correlations were found between the mother's participation index and the girl's participation index [r: 0.48, p< 0.001]. The exercise program was effective in improving physical fitness

Changing practice of rectal cancer surgery in Pakistan

To describe the presentation and pathology of rectal cancer, and to evaluate the local experience after total mesorectal excision at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. A retrospective study of two hundred cases of carcinoma rectum that had undergone total mesorectal excision at Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro Pakistan was carried out from January 1998 to December 2007.The cases were admitted through outpatient and emergency departments. The demographic details of each patient and variables such as clinical presentation, tumor location, Dukes staging, TNM staging, operations and complications were recorded on proformas. Each patient was followed up at two months for one year, every four months for three years and annually thereafter. Male to female ratio being almost equal 1.6:1, Age ranged from 14-70 years. Site of tumor at upper one third 25%, middle one third 30% and lower one third 45%. Majority of patients [more than 62%] were in Dukes B Group. There were no postoperative deaths, complications occurred in a total of 59 [29.5%] patients, which were mostly colostomy related [13.0%]. The abdominal wound infection 5%, anastomotic dehiscence 1.0%, urinary tract infection 5%, and impotence occurred in 1.5%. In 20% patients' local recurrence was detected. Total mesorectal excision is a safe and feasible technique for rectal cancer surgery with acceptable perioperative morbidity and adequate local disease control