Harsh Parenting and Food Insecurity in Adolescence: The Association with Emerging Adult Obesity

In the U.S., as of 2012, more than one in three youth were overweight or obese [1]. This is a critical health issue, as being overweight or obese (OW/OB) during adolescence increases the risk of adulthood diseases, including but not limited to cardiovascular and heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and osteoarthritis [2]. Understanding the pathways to obesity is critical for implementation of successful prevention and intervention programs. One of the pathways leading to OW/OB is through social and economic experiences within the family

Early Menarche as an Alternative Reproductive Tactic in Human Females: An Evolutionary Approach to Reproductive Health Issues

The age at which a female reaches sexual maturity is critical in determining her future reproductive health and success. Thus, a worldwide decline in menarcheal age (timing of first menstrual period) may have serious long-term consequences. Early menarcheal timing (first menstrual period before age 12) can have a negative effect on fecundity, as well as the quality and quantity of offspring, and may consequently influence population growth or decline. In this paper, we apply an evolutionary framework to modern human health, and assess both proximate and ultimate consequences of declining menarcheal age. Examination of human reproductive health within an evolutionary framework is innovative and essential, because it illuminates the ultimate consequences of a declining age of menarche and facilitates new ways of thinking about the long-term and intergenerational transmission of health and disease; thus, an evolutionary framework lends itself to innovative public health and policy programs. In this paper, we examine whether or not early menarche is an alternative reproductive tactic that modern human females employ in response to a stressful environment, and whether or not early menarche is ultimately beneficial

Harsh Parenting and Food Insecurity in Adolescence: The Association with Emerging Adult Obesity

In the U.S., as of 2012, more than one in three youth were overweight or obese [1]. This is a critical health issue, as being overweight or obese (OW/OB) during adolescence increases the risk of adulthood diseases, including but not limited to cardiovascular and heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and osteoarthritis [2]. Understanding the pathways to obesity is critical for implementation of successful prevention and intervention programs. One of the pathways leading to OW/OB is through social and economic experiences within the family.This is an accepted manuscript from an article published as Lohman, Brenda J., Meghan T. Gillette, and Tricia K. Neppl. "Harsh parenting and food insecurity in adolescence: the association with emerging adult obesity." Journal of Adolescent Health 59, no. 1 (2016): 123-127. Doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.03.024. Posted with permission.</p

The readiness assurance process in online team‐based learning classrooms

This chapter describes best practices to address the challenges posed for implementing the second stage of team-based learning (TBL), the Readiness Assurance Process (RAP), in online settings, and uses the experience of expert TBL users to suggest strategies for maintaining the essential aspects of the pedagogy.Open access articleThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Implementation of smoking cessation guidelines in the emergency department: a qualitative study of staff perceptions

Abstract Background The US Public Health Service smoking cessation practice guideline specifically recommends that physicians and nurses strongly advise their patients who use tobacco to quit, but the best approach for attaining this goal in the emergency department (ED) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize emergency physicians’ (EPs) and nurses’ (ENs) perceptions of cessation counseling and to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation of the 5 A’s framework (Ask-Advise-Assess-Assist-Arrange) in the ED. Methods We conducted semi-structured, face-to-face interviews of 11 EPs and 19 ENs following a pre-post implementation trial of smoking cessation guidelines in two study EDs. We used purposeful sampling to target EPs and ENs with different attitudes toward cessation counseling, based on their responses to a written survey (Decisional Balance Questionnaire). Conventional content analysis was used to inductively characterize the issues raised by study participants and to construct a coding structure, which was then applied to study transcripts. Results The main findings of this study converged upon three overarching domains: 1) reactions to the intervention; 2) perceptions of patients’ receptivity to cessation counseling; and 3) perspectives on ED cessation counseling and preventive care. ED staff expressed ambivalence toward the implementation of smoking cessation guidelines. Both ENs and EPs agreed that the delivery of smoking cessation counseling is important, but that it is not always practical in the ED on account of time constraints, the competing demands of acute care, and resistance from patients. Participants also called attention to the need for improved role clarity and teamwork when implementing the 5 A’s in the ED. Conclusions There are numerous challenges to the implementation of smoking cessation guidelines in the ED. ENs are generally willing to take the lead in offering brief cessation counseling, but their efforts need to be reinforced by EPs. ED systems need to address workflow, teamwork, and practice policies that facilitate prescription of smoking cessation medication, referral for cessation counseling, and follow-up in primary care. The results of this qualitative evaluation can be used to guide the design of future ED intervention studies. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT00756704http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109527/1/13722_2013_Article_234.pd

Lower levels of maternal capital in early life predict offspring obesity in adulthood

Background: As of 2013, 65% of the world’s population lived in countries where overweight/obesity kills more people than being underweight. Evolutionary perspectives provide a holistic understanding of both how and why obesity develops and its long-term implications. Aim: To test whether the maternal capital hypothesis, an evolutionary perspective, is viable for explaining the development of obesity in adulthood. Subjects and methods: Restricted-use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health; n = 11 403) was analysed using logistic regressions. The sample included adolescents and their biological mothers. Results: The odds of obesity in adulthood increased by 22% for every standard deviation increase in lack of maternal capital (Exp (B) = 1.22, p < .001). That is, individuals whose mothers were young, of an ethnic minority and had short breastfeeding durations were more likely to be obese in adulthood, even after controlling for other factors in infancy, adolescence and adulthood. The results showed that those whose mothers had lower capital were more prone to later life disease (specifically, obesity). Conclusion: The maternal capital perspective is useful for explaining how and why early life characteristics (including maternal resources) predict obesity in adulthood. Implications of the findings are discussed

Proteogenomic insights into the biology and treatment of HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

We present a proteogenomic study of 108 human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Proteomic analysis systematically catalogs HNSCC-associated proteins and phosphosites, prioritizes copy number drivers, and highlights an oncogenic role for RNA processing genes. Proteomic investigation of mutual exclusivity between FAT1 truncating mutations and 11q13.3 amplifications reveals dysregulated actin dynamics as a common functional consequence. Phosphoproteomics characterizes two modes of EGFR activation, suggesting a new strategy to stratify HNSCCs based on EGFR ligand abundance for effective treatment with inhibitory EGFR monoclonal antibodies. Widespread deletion of immune modulatory genes accounts for low immune infiltration in immune-cold tumors, whereas concordant upregulation of multiple immune checkpoint proteins may underlie resistance to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 monotherapy in immune-hot tumors. Multi-omic analysis identifies three molecular subtypes with high potential for treatment with CDK inhibitors, anti-EGFR antibody therapy, and immunotherapy, respectively. Altogether, proteogenomics provides a systematic framework to inform HNSCC biology and treatment.[Display omitted]•A systematic inventory of HNSCC-associated proteins, phosphosites, and pathways•Three multi-omic subtypes linked to targeted treatment approaches and immunotherapy•Widespread deletion of immune modulatory genes accounts for loss of immunogenicity•Two modes of EGFR activation inform response to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodiesHuang et al. report a proteogenomic study on 108 HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). In addition to creating a comprehensive resource for pathogenic insights, multi-omic analysis identifies therapeutic hypotheses that may inform more precise approaches to treatment