Effect of Exercise Dosages on Adiposity Indices in Overweight Girls

Objective. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of two exercise dosages on reducing adiposity in minority girls. Materials and methods. Sixty-two overweight Hispanic and African-American girls participated in one of two intense summer interventions in Houston, TX: Intervention A (exposure to about 40 hours physical activities) or Intervention B (exposure to 60 hours of physical activities). Adiposity indices (percent body fat, waist circumference, body mass index) were taken pre- and post-intervention. Results. Intervention B had a significantly greater decrease in adiposity indicators (p= 0.006) when compared to Intervention A. Waist circumference displayed the most significant decrease (p = 0.001). Both interventions significantly increased daily minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (p= 0.020). Conclusions. Intense physical activity interventions may effectively reduce abdominal fat in minority girls

Promoting Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity in Overweight Minority Girls

There is limited research on the types of activities that are most effective for promoting MVPA in children. Purpose. To assess which types of activities elicit MVPA in overweight minority girls. Methods. Sample consisted of 31 overweight (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) Latina and African-American girls (mean age 10.3 ± 1.2 years). Participants wore an Actical accelerometer each day for 8 hours for 15 days to assess engagement in MVPA during their participation in a three-week activity intervention that included traditional fitness, sport skills, games, dancing, and flexibility sessions. Results. On average 62% of participants met the MVPA recommended guidelines (60 min/5d/wk) with an average of 68.5 ± 14 minutes of MVPA across the three weeks. Traditional fitness sessions elicited the highest percent of MVPA (mean time spent in MVPA = 32%), followed by dancing and games (mean time spent in MVPA = 21%), sports skills (mean time spent in MVPA = 18%), and flexibility (mean time spent in MVPA = 7%). Step aerobics and rumba fitness elicited the highest proportions of MVPA. Conclusion. Traditional fitness activities were identified as the most successful in eliciting MVPA in overweight Latina and African American girls

Physical Activity in Latino Children: Research and Its Implications

Childhood obesity affects children across all ages and genders. However, Latino children and adolescents are at an increased risk, with one out of three Latino children (ages 2-19) being classified as overweight. Physical inactivity is deemed a major factor contributing to the energy imbalance that leads to excess adiposity. The aims of this study are twofold: 1) to present relevant research regarding Latino children’s physical patterns, influences on their physical activity, and interventions designed to promote physical activity and fitness in this population; and 2) to discuss implications derived from this research to help health educators, practitioners, and policy makers increase awareness, and to motivate and enable Latino children to adopt an active lifestyle. Research reveals that Latino children and adolescents are consistently less active than their white counterparts. Latino girls are, in particular, at an increased risk for inactivity. Few studies have investigated the factors that contribute to low levels of physical activity among Latino children. Moreover, few physical activity interventions have involved Latino children. Some of our recent research studies have filled some gaps, including providing information on what physical activities Latino children like, what they intend to do, what they are actually doing, and where and when they do physical activity. Based on our research and review of related literature, we made specific physical activity recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. These individual points should be applied and integrated within a broad framework and used in combinations to develop multi-component, coordinated approaches to enhancing physical activity among Latino youth

Hispanic Maternal and Children\u27s Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety Related to Walking and Cycling

This study examined neighborhood safety as perceived by children (mean age=10 years) and their mothers, and its association with children\u27s physical activity. For all eight safety items examined, children perceived their environment as less dangerous than mothers (p\u3c0.05). None of the multiple regression models predicting children\u27s physical activity by safety perceptions were significant (p\u3e0.10). The maternal perception model explained the highest percentage of variance (R2=0.26), compared to the children\u27s perception model (R2=0.22). Findings suggest that future studies should explore relations between self-reported and objectively measured safety barriers to Hispanic youth walking and cycling

Hispanic maternal and children's perceptions of neighborhood safety related to walking and cycling

AbstractThis study examined neighborhood safety as perceived by children (mean age=10 years) and their mothers, and its association with children's physical activity. For all eight safety items examined, children perceived their environment as less dangerous than mothers (p<0.05). None of the multiple regression models predicting children's physical activity by safety perceptions were significant (p>0.10). The maternal perception model explained the highest percentage of variance (R2=0.26), compared to the children's perception model (R2=0.22). Findings suggest that future studies should explore relations between self-reported and objectively measured safety barriers to Hispanic youth walking and cycling

Permissive and Restricted Virus Infection of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

Recent RNA interference (RNAi) studies have identified many host proteins that modulate virus infection, but small interfering RNA 'off-target' effects and the use of transformed cell lines limit their conclusiveness. As murine embryonic stem (mES) cells can be genetically modified and resources exist where many and eventually all known mouse genes are insertionally inactivated, it was reasoned that mES cells would provide a useful alternative to RNAi screens. Beyond allowing investigation of host-pathogen interactions in vitro, mES cells have the potential to differentiate into other primary cell types, as well as being used to generate knockout mice for in vivo studies. However, mES cells are poorly characterized for virus infection. To investigate whether ES cells can be used to explore host-virus interactions, this study characterized the responses of mES cells following infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and influenza A virus. HSV-1 replicated lytically in mES cells, although mES cells were less permissive than most other cell types tested. Influenza virus was able to enter mES cells and express some viral proteins, but the replication cycle was incomplete and no infectious virus was produced. Knockdown of the host protein AHCYL1 in mES cells reduced HSV-1 replication, showing the potential for using mES cells to study host-virus interactions. Transcriptional profiling, however, indicated the lack of an efficient innate immune response in these cells. mES cells may thus be useful to identify host proteins that play a role in virus replication, but they are not suitable to determine factors that are involved in innate host defence

Genome-wide evolutionary dynamics of influenza B viruses on a global scale

The global-scale epidemiology and genome-wide evolutionary dynamics of influenza B remain poorly understood compared with influenza A viruses. We compiled a spatio-temporally comprehensive dataset of influenza B viruses, comprising over 2,500 genomes sampled worldwide between 1987 and 2015, including 382 newly-sequenced genomes that fill substantial gaps in previous molecular surveillance studies. Our contributed data increase the number of available influenza B virus genomes in Europe, Africa and Central Asia, improving the global context to study influenza B viruses. We reveal Yamagata-lineage diversity results from co-circulation of two antigenically-distinct groups that also segregate genetically across the entire genome, without evidence of intra-lineage reassortment. In contrast, Victoria-lineage diversity stems from geographic segregation of different genetic clades, with variability in the degree of geographic spread among clades. Differences between the lineages are reflected in their antigenic dynamics, as Yamagata-lineage viruses show alternating dominance between antigenic groups, while Victoria-lineage viruses show antigenic drift of a single lineage. Structural mapping of amino acid substitutions on trunk branches of influenza B gene phylogenies further supports these antigenic differences and highlights two potential mechanisms of adaptation for polymerase activity. Our study provides new insights into the epidemiological and molecular processes shaping influenza B virus evolution globally

Molecular Epidemiology and Evolution of Influenza Viruses Circulating within European Swine between 2009 and 2013

The emergence in humans of the A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus, a complex reassortant virus of swine origin, highlighted the importance of worldwide influenza virus surveillance in swine. To date, large-scale surveillance studies have been reported for southern China and North America, but such data have not yet been described for Europe. We report the first large-scale genomic characterization of 290 swine influenza viruses collected from 14 European countries between 2009 and 2013. A total of 23 distinct genotypes were identified, with the 7 most common comprising 82% of the incidence. Contrasting epidemiological dynamics were observed for two of these genotypes, H1huN2 and H3N2, with the former showing multiple long-lived geographically isolated lineages, while the latter had short-lived geographically diffuse lineages. At least 32 human-swine transmission events have resulted in A(H1N1)pdm09 becoming established at a mean frequency of 8% across European countries. Notably, swine in the United Kingdom have largely had a replacement of the endemic Eurasian avian virus-like (“avian-like”) genotypes with A(H1N1)pdm09-derived genotypes. The high number of reassortant genotypes observed in European swine, combined with the identification of a genotype similar to the A(H3N2)v genotype in North America, underlines the importance of continued swine surveillance in Europe for the purposes of maintaining public health. This report further reveals that the emergences and drivers of virus evolution in swine differ at the global level.IMPORTANCE The influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus contains a reassortant genome with segments derived from separate virus lineages that evolved in different regions of the world. In particular, its neuraminidase and matrix segments were derived from the Eurasian avian virus-like (“avian-like”) lineage that emerged in European swine in the 1970s. However, while large-scale genomic characterization of swine has been reported for southern China and North America, no equivalent study has yet been reported for Europe. Surveillance of swine herds across Europe between 2009 and 2013 revealed that the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus is established in European swine, increasing the number of circulating lineages in the region and increasing the possibility of the emergence of a genotype with human pandemic potential. It also has implications for veterinary health, making prevention through vaccination more challenging. The identification of a genotype similar to the A(H3N2)v genotype, causing zoonoses at North American agricultural fairs, underlines the importance of continued genomic characterization in European swine

Body fat and fitness improvements in Hispanic and African American girls

Objective: The design of effective obesity interventions to reduce adiposity and increase fitness in minority children is a public health priority. This study assessed the effectiveness of a summer intervention in lowering adiposity and increasing aerobic endurance in minority girls. Methods: 99 Hispanic and African American girls and their mothers participated. During the intervention, girls attended daily exercise, nutrition education, and counseling sessions from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Mothers attended 2-h weekly exercise, nutrition, and counseling sessions. Percent body fat, abdominal fat, and aerobic endurance (1-mile run/walk minutes) data were collected at pre- and post-intervention. Results: A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to test differences in adiposity indicators and aerobic endurance. Findings indicated statistically significant reductions in percent body fat (p \u3c .001), abdominal fat (p \u3c .001), and 1-mile run/walk minutes (p \u3c .001). Conclusions: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a summer intervention in reducing adiposity indicators and increasing aerobic endurance