Leadership in food policy: raising a foodie part II

Obesity is experiencing a problematic rise in America. Children develop habits that potentially last a lifetime, which also dictate their medical fate. The focus of this study was to identify and decrease the factors of childhood obesity through education, healthy eating, and changes in food choices through surveys administered by the researchers. Previous research has linked obesity to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and chronic diseases in children through decreased physical activity and poor diet due to the lack of essential nutrition knowledge. Other factors contributing to childhood obesity include poor food preparation/creation, deceptive advertising, cultural habits, and an increased demand for fast and convenience foods; leaving children’s recognition and desire for healthy food choices clouded. The purpose of this study was to discover the factors contributing to childhood obesity in the Hispanic culture. Therefore, childhood obesity factors were explored that related to and specifically linked food purchases, childhood activities, and eating patterns. The study took place with a prevalently Hispanic population within Springdale, Arkansas. The findings indicated that price, as well as nutrition and taste, were major factors when purchasing food. In addition, what a child ate, the amount of food the child ate, what the child weighed, and if the child participated in some form of exercise were determined to be factors contributing to childhood obesity

Benchmark: Impact of Weight Loss Education on Obese Patients

Objective: With an epidemic as severe as obesity, it is paramount that healthcare professionals be aware of the overarching negative effects the disease can contribute to the human body. If constructive dialogue can be achieved between patient and provider without suspicion of bias or judgment, we would potentially experience an elevated willingness of patients to follow treatment steps. Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. “Most of the world\u27s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight” (WHO, 2021). “More than 4 in 10 Americans are obese now” (Gordon, More than 4 in 10 Americans are now obese: CDC 2020). Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using several different databases. The databases used for this search were the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database accessed through the University of Texas at Tyler school library resources. A total of three randomized control trials and three systematic reviews were selected. Conclusion: By evaluating research evidence it is apparent that the responsibility of addressing patient weight loss as a healthcare provider presents an exigent task. Simply telling a patient that they need to lose weight or that they need to decrease caloric intake is not enough for the patient to be motivated and for long-term maintenance. Having patients comfortable with talking about weight loss with a provider in a nonjudgement zone and discussing treatment options, maintenance, and giving personalized nutrition packets to patients may be more efficient with decreasing a patient’s BMI overall

ErbB2 enhances mammary tumorigenesis, oncogene-independent recurrence and metastasis in a model of IGF-IR-mediated mammary tumorigenesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR) and ErbB2 (Her-2) are receptor tyrosine kinases implicated in human breast cancer. Both proteins are currently the subject of targeted therapeutics that are used in the treatment of breast cancer or which are in clinical trials. The focus of this study was to utilize our inducible model of IGF-IR overexpression to explore the interaction of these two potent oncogenes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ErbB2 was overexpressed in our RM11A cell line, a murine tumor cell line that overexpresses human IGF-IR in an inducible manner. ErbB2 conferred an accelerated tumor onset and increased tumor incidence after injection of RM11A cells into the mammary glands of syngeneic wild type mice. This was associated with increased proliferation immediately after tumor cell colonization of the mammary gland; however, this effect was lost after tumor establishment. ErbB2 overexpression also impaired the regression of established RM11A tumors following IGF-IR downregulation and enhanced their metastatic potential.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has revealed that even in the presence of vast IGF-IR overexpression, a modest increase in ErbB2 can augment tumor establishment <it>in vivo</it>, mediate resistance to IGF-IR downregulation and facilitate metastasis. This supports the growing evidence suggesting a possible advantage of using IGF-IR and ErbB2-directed therapies concurrently in the treatment of breast cancer.</p

Caveolin-1 expression is elevated in claudin-low mammary tumor cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Caveolin-1 is a scaffolding protein found in plasma membrane invaginations known as caveolae. Caveolin-1 can regulate a number of intracellular processes such as signal transduction, cholesterol metabolism and vesicular transport. With respect to breast cancer caveolin-1 has been observed in both tumor cells and stromal cells surrounding tumors however most of the recent research has focused on how the loss of caveolin-1 in the stromal cells surrounding the tumor alters the tumor microenvironment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Caveolin-1 expression was evaluated in (1) mammary tumors induced by the transgenic overexpression of the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR), (2) mammary tumors that became independent of IGF-IR signalling and acquired a claudin-low genotype, (3) two murine mammary epithelial tumor cell lines and (4) two murine mammary claudin-low tumor cell lines.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that mammary tumors induced by IGF-IR overexpression expressed low levels of caveolin-1 while mammary tumors that became independent of IGF-IR signalling expressed considerably higher levels of caveolin-1. Interestingly, pockets of caveolin-1 positive cells could be observed in some of the IGF-IR-induced mammary tumors and these caveolin-1 positive cells were associated with tumor cells that expressed basal cytokeratins (cytokeratins 5 and 14). This caveolin-1 expression pattern was maintained in the murine mammary tumor cell lines in that the epithelial mammary tumor cell lines expressed little or no caveolin-1 while the claudin-low cell lines expressed caveolin-1.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our model indicates that mammary tumor cells with epithelial characteristics lack caveolin-1 while mesenchymal tumor cells express caveolin-1 suggesting that caveolin-1 may serve as a marker of mammary tumor cells with mesenchymal characteristics such as claudin-low breast tumors.</p

A comparison of leg length and femoral offset discrepancies in hip resurfacing, large head metal-on- metal and conventional total hip replacement: a case series

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A discrepancy in leg length and femoral offset restoration is the leading cause of patient dissatisfaction in hip replacement surgery and has profound implications on patient quality of life. The aim of this study is to compare biomechanical hip reconstruction in hip resurfacing, large-diameter femoral head hip arthroplasty and conventional total hip replacement.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Sixty patient's post-operative radiographs were reviewed; 20 patients had a hip resurfacing (HR), 20 patients had a Large Head Metal-on-metal (LHM) hip replacement and 20 patients had a conventional small head Total Hip Replacement (THR). The leg length and femoral offset of the operated and unoperated hips were measured and compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Hip resurfacing accurately restored hip biomechanics with no statistical difference in leg length (<it>P </it>= 0.07) or femoral offset (<it>P </it>= 0.95) between the operated and non-operative hips. Overall HR was superior for reducing femoral offset discrepancies where it had the smallest bilateral difference (-0.2%, <it>P </it>= 0.9). The traditional total hip replacement was least effective at restoring the hip anatomy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The use of a larger-diameter femoral head in hip resurfacing does not fully account for the superior biomechanical restoration, as LHM did not restore femoral offset as accurately. We conclude that restoration of normal hip biomechanics is best achieved with hip resurfacing.</p

Maternal Preeclampsia and Neonatal Outcomes

Preeclampsia is a multiorgan, heterogeneous disorder of pregnancy associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Optimal strategies in the care of the women with preeclampsia have not been fully elucidated, leaving physicians with incomplete data to guide their clinical decision making. Because preeclampsia is a progressive disorder, in some circumstances, delivery is needed to halt the progression to the benefit of the mother and fetus. However, the need for premature delivery has adverse effects on important neonatal outcomes not limited to the most premature infants. Late-preterm infants account for approximately two thirds of all preterm deliveries and are at significant risk for morbidity and mortality. Reviewed is the current literature in the diagnosis and obstetrical management of preeclampsia, the outcomes of late-preterm infants, and potential strategies to optimize fetal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia

Extracellular Matrix Proteins and Tumor Angiogenesis

Tumor development is a complex process that relies on interaction and communication between a number of cellular compartments. Much of the mass of a solid tumor is comprised of the stroma which is richly invested with extracellular matrix. Within this matrix are a host of matricellular proteins that regulate the expression and function of a myriad of proteins that regulate tumorigenic processes. One of the processes that is vital to tumor growth and progression is angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting vasculature. Within the extracellular matrix are structural proteins, a host of proteases, and resident pro- and antiangiogenic factors that control tumor angiogenesis in a tightly regulated fashion. This paper discusses the role that the extracellular matrix and ECM proteins play in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis