Step Counts of 10- to 11-Year-Old Children by Ethnicity and Metropolitan Status

Background: The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis by combining 2 pedometer data sets to describe and analyze pedometer-determined steps/day of children by ethnicity and metropolitan status. Methods: Participants were 582 children (309 girls, 273 boys; 53% Hispanic, 26% Caucasian, 21% African American) age 10 to 11 years (M = 10.37 ± 0.48) attending 1 of 10 schools located in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Participants wore a research grade pedometer for at least 3 week/school days. Mean steps/ day were analyzed by gender, ethnicity, and metropolitan status. Results: Statistical analyses indicated 1) boys (12,853 ± 3831; P \u3c .001) obtained significantly more steps/day than girls (10,409 ± 3136); 2) African American (10,709 ± 3386; P \u3c .05) children accumulated significantly less steps/day than Hispanic (11,845 ± 3901) and Caucasian (11,668 ± 3369) children; and 3) urban (10,856 ± 3706; P \u3c .05) children obtained significantly less steps/day than suburban (12,297 ± 3616) and rural (11,934 ± 3374) children. Conclusions: Findings support self-report data demonstrating reduced physical activity among African American children and youth, especially girls, and among children and youth living in urban areas. Possible reasons for these discrepancies are explored

Step Counts of Non-White Minority Children and Youth by Gender, Grade Level, Race/Ethnicity, and Mode of School Transportation

Background: The purposes of this study were to describe and analyze the steps/d of nonwhite minority children and youth by gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, and mode of school transportation. A secondary purpose was to compare the steps/d of minority children and youth to their Caucasian grade-level counterparts. Methods: Participants were 547 minority youth grades 5 to 8 from 4 urban schools. Participants wore sealed pedometers for 6 consecutive week/school days. Three hundred and ten participants responded to a questionnaire concerning their mode of transportation to and from school. Results: Statistical analyses indicated a main effect for gender (F(3,546) = 13.50, P \u3c .001) with no interaction. Boys (12,589 ± 3921) accumulated significantly more steps/d than girls (9,539 ± 3,135). Further analyses also revealed a significant main effect for mode of school transportation (F(2, 309) = 15.97, P \u3c .001). Walkers (12,614 ± 4169) obtained significantly more steps/d than car (10,021 ± 2856) or bus (10,230 ± 3666) transit users. Conclusions: Minority boys obtain similar steps/d as their Caucasian grade-level counterparts; minority girls obtain less steps/d than their Caucasian grade-level counterparts. Minority youth who actively commute are more likely to meet PA recommendations than nonactive commuters

Step Counts of Non-White Minority Youth by Gender, Grade Level, and Mode of School Transportation

Background: The purposes of this study were to describe and analyze the steps/d of nonwhite minority children and youth by gender, grade level, race/ethnicity, and mode of school transportation. A secondary purpose was to compare the steps/d of minority children and youth to their Caucasian grade-level counterparts. Methods: Participants were 547 minority youth grades 5 to 8 from 4 urban schools. Participants wore sealed pedometers for 6 consecutive week/school days. Three hundred and ten participants responded to a questionnaire concerning their mode of transportation to and from school. Results: Statistical analyses indicated a main effect for gender (F(3, 546) = 13.50, P \u3c .001) with no interaction. Boys (12,589 ± 3921) accumulated significantly more steps/d than girls (9,539 ± 3,135). Further analyses also revealed a significant main effect for mode of school transportation (F(2, 309) = 15.97, P ≤ .001). Walkers (12,614 ± 4169) obtained significantly more steps/d than car (10,021 ± 2856) or bus (10,230 ± 3666) transit users. Conclusions: Minority boys obtain similar steps/d as their Caucasian grade-level counterparts; minority girls obtain less steps/d than their Caucasian grade-level counterparts. Minority youth who actively commute are more likely to meet PA recommendations than nonactive commuters

Cyclosporin A differentially inhibits multiple steps in VEGF induced angiogenesis in human microvascular endothelial cells through altered intracellular signaling

The immunosuppressive agent cyclosporin A (CsA), a calcineurin inhibitor which blocks T cell activation has provided the pharmacologic foundation for organ transplantation. CsA exerts additional effects on non-immune cell populations and may adversely effect microvascular endothelial cells, contributing to chronic rejection, a long-term clinical complication and significant cause of mortality in solid-organ transplants, including patients with small bowel allografts. Growth of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a critical homeostatic mechanism in organs and tissues, and regulates vascular populations in response to physiologic requirements. We hypothesized that CsA would inhibit the angiogenic capacity of human gut microvessels. Primary cultures of human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells (HIMEC) were used to evaluate CsA's effect on four in vitro measures of angiogenesis, including endothelial stress fiber assembly, migration, proliferation and tube formation, in response to the endothelial growth factor VEGF. We characterized the effect of CsA on intracellular signaling mechanisms following VEGF stimulation. CsA affected all VEGF induced angiogenic events assessed in HIMEC. CsA differentially inhibited signaling pathways which mediated distinct steps of the angiogenic process. CsA blocked VEGF induced nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFAT, activation of p44/42 MAPK, and partially inhibited JNK and p38 MAPK. CsA differentially affected signaling cascades in a dose dependent fashion and completely blocked expression of COX-2, which was integrally linked to HIMEC angiogenesis. These data suggest that CsA inhibits the ability of microvascular endothelial cells to undergo angiogenesis, impairing vascular homeostatic mechanisms and contributing to the vasculopathy associated with chronic rejection

The Mars Science Laboratory Organic Check Material

The Organic Check Material (OCM) has been developed for use on the Mars Science Laboratory mission to serve as a sample standard for verification of organic cleanliness and characterization of potential sample alteration as a function of the sample acquisition and portioning process on the Curiosity rover. OCM samples will be acquired using the same procedures for drilling, portioning and delivery as are used to study martian samples with The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite during MSL surface operations. Because the SAM suite is highly sensitive to organic molecules, the mission can better verify the cleanliness of Curiosity's sample acquisition hardware if a known material can be processed through SAM and compared with the results obtained from martian samples

A 3-Month interdisciplinary Process Drama Program to Build Social Skills in Pre-Schoolers with ASD: A Feasibility Study

Objectives: To test the feasibility and effect of an interdisciplinary process drama program targeting social skill development in 3-5 year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) characteristics To develop a paradigm for testing brain-behavior relationships related to social skills in these children using EEG and testing its ability to detect intervention-related changes. Background: Social skill deficits are a hallmark cause of disability in ASD. Such disability is of critical concern given the rising prevalence (1 in 54 Utah children) of ASD. [1] As children learn through social experiences, difficulty in social interactions can limit development and ability to succeed in school and eventually employment. One possible contributor to social interaction difficulties in ASD is a deficit in theory of mind (ToM), the ability to understand others\u27 perspectives, proposed to rely on memories of cognitive and emotional events that allow one to experience others\u27 situations as if they were one\u27s own. [2.3] Children with ASD have deficits in ToM [2,3] and show aberrant neural activation patterns in areas most typically activated during ToM tasks in healthy children. [4,5] An effective intervention fostering generalizable social skill development in children with ASD remains elusive. We propose to address this need with an interdisciplinary process drama intervention involving collaboration among occupational therapists (OT), theatre faculty/teachers, and speech language pathologists (SLP) to improve social interactions in preschoolers with ASD. Process drama may be an excellent medium for fostering social skill development due to the ability to create specific learning experiences in an autotelic manner [6] in which people experience the embodied cognition and emotions without conscious commitment to abstract social skill improvement goals. The scenes can emphasize social and emotional cues and explicit identification of scene-related feelings for the formation of social cognitive and emotional memories that can be recalled as the basis for later social functioning.[3] Process drama programs foster communication development in typically developing children [7] and a few studies have shown such programs enhance social skills of children aged 8-17 with ASD [8,9] However, targeting process drama intervention in preschool children may have the greatest potential for effect on ToM and subsequent social skill development. The overpruning hypothesis [10] proposes that ASD results from abnormal neural pruning in widespread neural networks, with weaker long-range connections being more vulnerable to major disruption. As neural connections strengthen through experience,[11] providing interventions targeting desired processing will strengthen associated connections making them less susceptible to pruning and resulting in preserved function. Peak synaptic density for auditory and prefrontal cortices, both involved in social skills, occurs between age 3-5 years [11], suggesting an optimal period for strengthening connections through intervention. Impact: The deficits in social skills of people with ASD significantly affect their ability to function in society. These deficits take a large toll on families and on independence and employability of the individual. Finding effective interventions to facilitate social skills would have a large impact on society by reducing disability in this prevalent population. Results: The primary goal of the proposed study is to gather preliminary data on potential utility of an interdisciplinary process drama intervention to improve social skills in children with ASD. We will address the following specific aims: 1) determine the feasibility of: a) the protocol for collecting neural activation data via EEG on preschoolers with ASD characteristics; b) conducting a 3 month, 3x/week process drama intervention program led by a collaborative team of theatre teachers, OTs and SLPs aimed at improving social skills. 2) Determine preliminary effects of this interdisciplinary intervention on: a) increasing positive social behaviors; b) changes in neural activation during social tasks

Initial Impact of Tailored Web-Based Messages about Cigarette Smoke and Breast Cancer Risk on Boys\u27 and Girls\u27 Risk Perceptions and Information Seeking: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates a causal link between both active smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and breast cancer (BC). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the initial reactions of girls and boys to tailored Web-based messages that describe the relationship between SHS and BC, using a parallel, single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. METHODS: This trial was nested within a cycle of an ongoing longitudinal study of 1498 students from 74 secondary schools. Self-reported assessments were used to evaluate the impact of study messages on participants\u27 risk perception and interest in obtaining additional information after participants were randomized by schools to control or intervention groups. The intervention group received a tailored visual message (based on gender and Aboriginal status) about BC and tobacco smoke. The control group received a standard visual message about smoking and cancer. RESULTS: SHS exposure was identified as a BC risk factor by 380/1488 (25.54%) participants, during the preintervention analysis. Compared to the female participants in the control group (491/839, 58.5%), girls who received the intervention (339/649, 52.2%) were 14% more likely to agree that exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Nonsmoking girls who received the intervention were 14% more likely to agree that starting smoking would increase their BC risk (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Compared to the male participants in control group (348/839, 41.5%), boys who received the intervention (310/649, 47.8%) were 10% more likely to agree that girls\u27 exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18). Compared to controls, girls who received the intervention were 52% more likely to request additional information about SHS and BC (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.12-2.06). CONCLUSIONS: Brief gender-sensitive messages delivered via the Internet have the potential to increase awareness and to stimulate information seeking about the risk for BC associated with SHS

Initial Impact of Tailored Web-Based Messages About Cigarette Smoke and Breast Cancer Risk on Boys’ and Girls’ Risk Perceptions and Information Seeking: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Recent evidence indicates a causal link between both active smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and breast cancer (BC). Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the initial reactions of girls and boys to tailored Web-based messages that describe the relationship between SHS and BC, using a parallel, single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. Methods: This trial was nested within a cycle of an ongoing longitudinal study of 1498 students from 74 secondary schools. Self-reported assessments were used to evaluate the impact of study messages on participants’ risk perception and interest in obtaining additional information after participants were randomized by schools to control or intervention groups. The intervention group received a tailored visual message (based on gender and Aboriginal status) about BC and tobacco smoke. The control group received a standard visual message about smoking and cancer. Results: SHS exposure was identified as a BC risk factor by 380/1488 (25.54%) participants, during the preintervention analysis. Compared to the female participants in the control group (491/839, 58.5%), girls who received the intervention (339/649, 52.2%) were 14% more likely to agree that exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Nonsmoking girls who received the intervention were 14% more likely to agree that starting smoking would increase their BC risk (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Compared to the male participants in control group (348/839, 41.5%), boys who received the intervention (310/649, 47.8%) were 10% more likely to agree that girls’ exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18). Compared to controls, girls who received the intervention were 52% more likely to request additional information about SHS and BC (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.12-2.06). Conclusions: Brief gender-sensitive messages delivered via the Internet have the potential to increase awareness and to stimulate information seeking about the risk for BC associated with SHS

Modulation of experimental mesangial proliferative nephritis by interferon-γ

Modulation of experimental mesangial proliferative nephritis by interferon-γ. The observation that interferon-γ (IFN-γ) inhibits cell proliferation and collagen synthesis of a variety of cell types in culture has suggested that IFN-γ may be useful in the treatment of fibroproliferative diseases. We administered recombinant IFN-γ subcutaneously (105 U/kg/day for 3 days) to rats, beginning one day after the induction of mesangial proliferative nephritis with anti-Thy 1 antibody. IFN-γ reduced glomerular (primarily mesangial) cell proliferation by 44% at days 2 and 4 compared to vehicle injected control rats with anti-Thy 1 nephritis (that is, proliferating cells that excluded the macrophage marker, ED-1, P < 0.001). Despite the inhibition of mesangial cell proliferation, IFN-γ did not reduce the overall extracellular matrix deposition (by silver stain) or deposition of type IV collagen or laminin (by immunostaining) at 4 or 7 days, and glomerular type IV collagen and laminin mRNA levels were increased (1.4 and 1.7-fold) at 4 days relative to controls. The inability of IFN-γ treatment to reduce mesangial matrix expansion may relate to the fact that IFN-γ treated rats had a twofold increase in glomerular macrophages (that is, ED-1 positive cells, P < 0.001 at 2 and 4 days) with an increase in oxidant producing cells (day 2, P < 0.05) and a 1.6-fold increase in glomerular TGF-β mRNA expression (4 days). This suggests that the effect of IFN-γ to inhibit mesangial cell proliferation in glomerulonephritis may be offset by the ability of IFN-γ to increase glomerular macrophages and TGF-β expression. These data also show that IFN-γ can partly dissociate the mesangial proliferative response from the extracellular matrix expansion in glomerulonephritis

Defining the genetic susceptibility to cervical neoplasia - a genome-wide association study

Funding: MAB was funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) Senior Principal Research Fellowship. Support was also received from the Australian Cancer Research Foundation. JL holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Genome Epidemiology. The Seattle study was supported by the following grants: NIH, National Cancer Institute grants P01CA042792 and R01CA112512. Cervical Health Study (from which the NSW component was obtained) was funded by NHMRC Grant 387701, and CCNSW core grant. The Montreal study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (grant MOP-42532) and sample processing was funded by the Reseau FRQS SIDA-MI. The Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the ALF/LUA research grant in Gothenburg and Umeå, the Lundberg Foundation, the Torsten and Ragnar Soderberg’s Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the European Commission grant HEALTH-F2-2008-201865-GEFOS, BBMRI.se, the Swedish Society of Medicine, the KempeFoundation (JCK-1021), the Medical Faculty of Umeå University, the County Council of Vasterbotten (Spjutspetsanslag VLL:159:33-2007). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscriptPeer reviewedPublisher PDFPublisher PD