Adolescent BMI trajectories with clusters of physical activity and sedentary behavior: An exploratory analysis

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify distinct body mass index (BMI) trajectories associated with weight classification, and to examine demographic characteristics and clusters of obesogenic behaviours in adolescents with these trajectories. Methods: Data were extracted from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (n = 1,006, Grades 5–8). The independent variables were physical activity (accelerometer and child report), sports participation, television/video watching time and recreational computer use. The dependent variable was raw BMI. Growth mixture modelling, mixture modelling and independent t-test analyses were used. Results: Two distinct BMI trajectories were identified – one with the mean BMI within the Overweight–Obese classification (≥85th percentile) and the other within the healthy weight classification (5th– 84th percentile). Two clusters of physical and sedentary behaviours were identified in adolescents with the Overweight–Obese BMI trajectory. These clusters differed in the type of sedentary behaviour (computer vs. television/video). Three clusters were identified in adolescents with the Healthy Weight BMI trajectory. These clusters differed in levels of physical activity and types of sedentary behaviour. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of multi-dimensional obesogenic behavioural patterns and highlights the importance of understanding types of sedentary behaviour in adolescents

Downloaded from Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

Abstract In light of the current economic conditions and the subsequent increased pressure on nonprofit organizations to collaborate, many nonprofit organizations are developing and conducting cross-sector workplace giving campaigns to increase philanthropic activity. Although some scholars have focused on the implications of such activities for for-profit organizations, little research has been conducted to better understand employee-level giving behaviors in charitable workplace campaigns. This longitudinal study focuses on workplace givers and the impact of individual-level factors on actual donation amounts in two annual workplace campaigns at a large public university from 2001 to 2008. Results show that salary consistently predicts giving amounts across campaigns; length of service, however, only predicts giving amounts in one campaign. Being promoted and receiving tenure led to employees donating less, whereas being promoted while already tenured led to employees donating more. We close the article with a discussion of the managerial implications of our findings

The History Engine: Doing History with Digital Tools

Article on the History Engine Project, an online archive consisting of thousands of narratives written and contributed by undergraduates

Parent perceived barriers and facilitators of children's adventurous play in Britain: a framework analysis

This is the final version. Available on open access from BMC via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: The data obtained and analysed in the current study are available via the following link: https://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8793-1.BACKGROUND: From a public health perspective there is growing interest in children's play, including play involving risk and adventure, in relation to children's physical and mental health. Regarding mental health, it is theorised that adventurous play, where children experience thrilling, exciting emotions, offers important learning opportunities that prepare children for dealing with uncertainty and help prevent anxiety. Despite these benefits, adventurous play has decreased substantially within a generation. Parents have a key role in facilitating or limiting children's opportunities for adventurous play, but research identifying the barriers and facilitators parents perceive in relation to adventurous play is scarce. The present study therefore examined the barriers to and facilitators of adventurous play as perceived by parents of school-aged children in Britain. METHODS: This study analysed data from a subsample of parents in Britain (n = 377) who participated in the nationally representative British Children's Play Survey. Parents responded to two open-ended questions pertaining to the barriers to and facilitators of children's adventurous play. Responses were analysed using a qualitative Framework Analysis, an approach suitable for managing large datasets with specific research questions. RESULTS: Four framework categories were identified: Social Environment; Physical Environment; Risk of Injury; Child Factors. Social Environment included barriers and facilitators related to parents, family and peers, as well as community and society. Dominant themes within the Social Environment related to perceptions about the certainty of child safety, such as supervision and the safety of society. Beliefs about the benefits of adventurous play for development and well-being were also important in the Social Environment. Physical Environment factors focused on safety and practical issues. Risk of Injury captured concerns about children being injured during play. Child Factors included child attributes, such as play preference, developmental ability and trait-like characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Improved understanding of what influences parent perceptions of adventurous play can inform public health interventions designed to improve children's opportunities for and engagement in adventurous play, with a view to promote children's physical and mental health.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)UKR

Mutation-Independent Allele-Specific Editing by CRISPR-Cas9, a Novel Approach to Treat Autosomal Dominant Disease

CRISPR-Cas9 provides a tool to treat autosomal dominant disease by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) gene disruption of the mutant allele. In order to discriminate between wild-type and mutant alleles, Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) must be able to detect a single nucleotide change. Allele-specific editing can be achieved by using either a guide-specific approach, in which the missense mutation is found within the guide sequence, or a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM)-specific approach, in which the missense mutation generates a novel PAM. While both approaches have been shown to offer allele specificity in certain contexts, in cases where numerous missense mutations are associated with a particular disease, such as TGFBI (transforming growth factor β-induced) corneal dystrophies, it is neither possible nor realistic to target each mutation individually. In this study, we demonstrate allele-specific CRISPR gene editing independent of the disease-causing mutation that is capable of achieving complete allele discrimination, and we propose it as a targeting approach for autosomal dominant disease. Our approach utilizes natural variants in the target region that contain a PAM on one allele that lies in cis with the causative mutation, removing the constraints of a mutation-dependent approach. Our innovative patient-specific guide design approach takes into account the patient’s individual genetic make-up, allowing on- and off-target activity to be assessed in a personalized manner

Living with early-stage dementia: a review of qualitative studies

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SEDLIN Forms Homodimers: Characterisation of SEDLIN Mutations and Their Interactions with Transcription Factors MBP1, PITX1 and SF1

BACKGROUND: SEDLIN, a 140 amino acid subunit of the Transport Protein Particle (TRAPP) complex, is ubiquitously expressed and interacts with the transcription factors c-myc promoter-binding protein 1 (MBP1), pituitary homeobox 1 (PITX1) and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1). SEDLIN mutations cause X-linked spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia tarda (SEDT). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the effects of 4 missense (Asp47Tyr, Ser73Leu, Phe83Ser and Val130Asp) and the most C-terminal nonsense (Gln131Stop) SEDT-associated mutations on interactions with MBP1, PITX1 and SF1 by expression in COS7 cells. Wild-type SEDLIN was present in the cytoplasm and nucleus and interacted with MBP1, PITX1 and SF1; the SEDLIN mutations did not alter these subcellular localizations or the interactions. However, SEDLIN was found to homodimerize, and the formation of dimers between wild-type and mutant SEDLIN would mask a loss in these interactions. A mammalian SEDLIN null cell-line is not available, and the interactions between SEDLIN and the transcription factors were therefore investigated in yeast, which does not endogenously express SEDLIN. This revealed that all the SEDT mutations, except Asp47Tyr, lead to a loss of interaction with MBP1, PITX1 and SF1. Three-dimensional modelling studies of SEDLIN revealed that Asp47 resides on the surface whereas all the other mutant residues lie within the hydrophobic core of the protein, and hence are likely to affect the correct folding of SEDLIN and thereby disrupt protein-protein interactions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies demonstrate that SEDLIN is present in the nucleus, forms homodimers and that SEDT-associated mutations cause a loss of interaction with the transcription factors MBP1, PITX1 and SF1