Background: Consumer activity monitors and smartphones have gained relevance for the assessment and promotion of physical activity. The aim of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of various consumer activity monitor models and smartphone models for measuring steps. Methods: Participants completed three activity protocols: (1) overground walking with three different speeds (comfortable, slow, fast), (2) activities of daily living (ADLs) focusing on arm movements, and (3) intermittent walking. Participants wore 11 activity monitors (wrist: 8; hip: 2; ankle: 1) and four smartphones (hip: 3; calf: 1). Observed steps served as the criterion measure. The mean average percentage error (MAPE) was calculated for each device and protocol. Results: Eighteen healthy adults participated in the study (age: 28.8 ± 4.9 years). MAPEs ranged from 0.3–38.2% during overground walking, 48.2–861.2% during ADLs, and 11.2–47.3% during intermittent walking. Wrist-worn activity monitors tended to misclassify arm movements as steps. Smartphone data collected at the hip, analyzed with a separate algorithm, performed either equally or even superiorly to the research-grade ActiGraph. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of smartphones for physical activity measurement. Measurement inaccuracies during intermittent walking and arm movements should be considered when interpreting study results and choosing activity monitors for evaluation purposes.

Clearly stated national recommendations for physical activity (PA) are available in many nations. Yet, their impact on national level policy-making might be considered modest at best. This paper analyses the approach selected to curtail this problem in Germany. Academics, government institutions and relevant stakeholders worked in collaboration to produce a series of national recommendations for PA and PA promotion published in 2016. Since their publication, these recommendations have achieved a measurable political impact through a systematic approach focused on dissemination and implementation strategies. For example, the German Conference of Health Ministers has acknowledged the national recommendations, endorsed their dissemination and proposed that they are included in measures within the Federal Prevention Act. Since their publication, the national recommendations have yielded satisfactory political impact. The contributing aspects might partially be explained by the Multiple Streams Approach.

The two-minute walk test (2MWT) is a frequently used walking capacity test in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). However, less is known about its relevance with regards to walking capacity during free-living walking performance. Therefore, the ecological validity of the 2MWT was tested by 1. computing free-living minutes with the same intensity (cadence) as during the 2MWT and 2. investigating the relationship between 2MWT cadence and minutes with the same cadence during free-living walking. 20 pwMS aged 44.2 ± 12.2 (Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 3.1 ± 1.4) performed a 2MWT and wore an accelerometer for seven days. The number of pwMS reaching 100%, 90%, 80% or 70% of 2MWT cadence for at least one minute a day and minutes/day with at least 100%, 90%, 80% and 70% of 2MWT cadence during free-living walking was calculated. Six participants reached 100% of the 2MWT cadence for at least one minute/day during free-living walking. A total of 80% 2MWT cadence was the first intensity category that was reached by all participants during free-living walking. No significant correlation was found between cadence in the 2MWT and minutes in which this cadence was reached during free-living walking. Ecological validity with regard to walking intensity could not be confirmed in our study sample.

The RET (rearranged-during-transfection protein) protooncogene triggers multiple intracellular signaling cascades regulating cell cycle progression and cellular metabolism. We therefore hypothesized that metabolic imaging could allow noninvasive detection of response to the RET inhibitor vandetanib in vivo. Methods: The effects of vandetanib treatment on the full-genome expression and the metabolic profile were analyzed in the human medullary thyroid cancer cell line TT. In vitro, transcriptional changes of pathways regulating cell cycle progression and glucose, dopa, and thymidine metabolism were correlated to the results of cell cycle analysis and the uptake of ³H-deoxyglucose, ³H-3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine, and ³H-thymidine under vandetanib treatment. In vivo, the tumor metabolism under vandetanib was monitored by small-animal PET of tumor-bearing mice. Results: Vandetanib treatment resulted in the transcriptional downregulation of various effector pathways with consecutive downregulation of cyclin expression and a G₀/G₁ arrest. In vitro, vandetanib treatment resulted in the decreased expression of genes regulating glucose, 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine, and thymidine metabolism, with a subsequent reduction in the functional activity of the corresponding pathways. In vivo, metabolic imaging with PET was able to assess changes in the tumoral glucose metabolism profile as early as 3 d after initiation of vandetanib treatment. Conclusion: We describe a metabolic imaging approach for the noninvasive detection of successful vandetanib treatment. Our results suggest that PET may be useful for identifying patients who respond to vandetanib early in the course of treatment.

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Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund 2016 wurden erstmals „Nationale Empfehlungen für Bewegung und Bewegungsförderung“ für Deutschland veröffentlicht. Der folgende Beitrag stellt das assoziierte Forschungsprojekt kurz vor und fasst die Empfehlungen für ältere Erwachsene sowie für Erwachsene mit einer chronischen Erkrankung zusammen. Methodisches Vorgehen Für die Empfehlungen für Bewegung wurden systematische Literaturrecherchen, kriteriengeleitete Qualitätsbewertungen sowie Inhaltsanalysen und -synthesen von international vorhandenen Bewegungsempfehlungen angewandt. Für die Empfehlungen für Bewegungsförderung wurden 3 systematische Literaturrecherchen zu den Themenfeldern Wirksamkeit, Kostenwirksamkeit und Qualitätssicherung von Intervention zur Bewegungsförderung durchgeführt. Ergebnisse Ältere Erwachsene und Erwachsene mit einer chronischen Erkrankung erzielen durch regelmäßige körperliche Aktivität bedeutsame Gesundheitswirkungen. Eine zentrale Bewegungsempfehlung für beide Zielgruppen ist es, möglichst 150 Minuten moderate oder 75 Minuten intensive Ausdaueraktivitäten, bzw. eine entsprechende Kombination, verteilt über die Woche zu erzielen. Weiterhin sollten muskelkräftigende Aktivitäten an mindestens 2 Tagen pro Woche durchgeführt werden. Bewegungsförderung gelingt für beide Zielgruppen dann, wenn sie in den Lebenswelten dieser Zielgruppen stattfindet und ihnen passgenaue Maßnahmen zur Bewegungsförderung anbietet. Dies können z. B. Bewegungsberatungen sein. Schlussfolgerungen Mit der Entwicklung evidenzbasierter „Nationaler Empfehlungen für Bewegung und Bewegungsförderung“ liegt ein wichtiger Baustein für die Initiierung und Umsetzung von Maßnahmen der bewegungsbezogenen Gesundheitsförderung in Deutschland vor. Die spezielle Formulierung dieser Empfehlungen für die Zielgruppen älterer Erwachsener und Erwachsener mit einer chronischen Erkrankung ist international einmalig.