The iCook 4-H Study: An Intervention and Dissemination Test of a Youth/Adult Out-of-School Program

Objective: To describe outcomes from intervention and dissemination of iCook 4-H. Design: Five-state, community-based participatory research and a randomized, controlled trial followed by a 5-state, nonrandomized dissemination test of the iCook 4-H curriculum with control and treatment groups. Setting: Community and university sites. Participants: Youths aged 9−10 years and their adult food preparer; 228 dyads in the intervention and 74 dyads in dissemination. Intervention(s): Theoretical frameworks were Social Cognitive Theory and the experiential 4-H learning model. Six 2-hour, biweekly sessions on cooking, eating, and playing together followed by monthly newsletters and boosters until 24 months, expanded to 8 sessions for dissemination. Main Outcome Measure(s): Youth body mass index (BMI) z-scores, measured height and weight, and youth/adult program outcome evaluations surveys. Analysis: Linear mixed models, group, time, and group £ time interaction for BMI z-score and program outcomes changes. Significance levels = P ≤ .05; interaction term significance = P ≤ .10. Results: In intervention, treatment BMI z-scores increased compared with controls based on significant interaction (P = .04). For odds of being overweight or obese at 24 months, there was no significant interaction (P = .18). In dissemination, based on significant interaction, treatment youths increased cooking skills (P = .03) and treatment adults increased cooking together (P = .08) and eating together (P = .08) compared with controls. Conclusions and Implications: iCook 4-H program outcomes were positive for mealtime activities of cooking and eating together. The program can be successfully implemented by community educators. The increase in BMI z-scores needs further evaluation for youths in cooking programs

The iCook 4-H Study: An Intervention and Dissemination Test of a Youth/Adult Out-of-School Program

Objective To describe outcomes from intervention and dissemination of iCook 4-H. Design Five-state, community-based participatory research and a randomized, controlled trial followed by a 5-state, nonrandomized dissemination test of the iCook 4-H curriculum with control and treatment groups. Setting Community and university sites. Participants Youths aged 9–10 years and their adult food preparer; 228 dyads in the intervention and 74 dyads in dissemination. Intervention(s) Theoretical frameworks were Social Cognitive Theory and the experiential 4-H learning model. Six 2-hour, biweekly sessions on cooking, eating, and playing together followed by monthly newsletters and boosters until 24 months, expanded to 8 sessions for dissemination. Main Outcome Measure(s) Youth body mass index (BMI) z-scores, measured height and weight, and youth/adult program outcome evaluations surveys. Analysis Linear mixed models, group, time, and group × time interaction for BMI z-score and program outcomes changes. Significance levels = P ≤ .05; interaction term significance = P ≤ .10. Results In intervention, treatment BMI z-scores increased compared with controls based on significant interaction (P = .04). For odds of being overweight or obese at 24 months, there was no significant interaction (P = .18). In dissemination, based on significant interaction, treatment youths increased cooking skills (P = .03) and treatment adults increased cooking together (P = .08) and eating together (P = .08) compared with controls. Conclusions and Implications iCook 4-H program outcomes were positive for mealtime activities of cooking and eating together. The program can be successfully implemented by community educators. The increase in BMI z-scores needs further evaluation for youths in cooking programs

Development of the iCook 4-H Curriculum for Youth and Adults: Cooking, Eating, and Playing Together for Childhood Obesity Prevention

The objective was to describe the development process of a curriculum (iCook 4-H) targeted to low-income, rural, and/or diverse youths and their adult primary meal preparer to promote cooking, eating, and playing together. Lessons learned highlighted the importance of grounding the curriculum in Social Cognitive Theory and applying the experiential 4-H learning model using a multiphased, community-based participatory approach with cyclical development and evaluation, and key modifications made for dissemination and distribution. Findings across 4 testing phases over 6 years and 5 states demonstrated the time-intensive, cyclical process that required flexibility with fidelity to form a hands-on, interactive curriculum

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program

The purpose ofthis document is to describe research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) for the Federal Columbia River Estuary Program. The intent of this RME effort is to provide data and information to evaluate progress toward meeting program goals and objectives and support decision-making in the Estuary Program. The goal of the Estuary Program is to understand, conserve, and restore the estuary ecosystem to improve the performance of listed salmonid populations. The Estuary Program has five general objectives, designed to fulfill the program goal, as follows. 1. Understand the primary stressors affecting ecosystem controlling factors, such as ocean conditions and invasive species. 2. Conserve and restore factors controlling ecosystem structures and processes, such as hydrodynamics and water quality. 3. Increase the quantity and quality of ecosystem structures, i.e., habitats, juvenile salmonids use during migration through the estuary. 4. Maintain the food web to benefit salmonid performance. 5. Improve salmonid performance in terms of life history diversity, foraging success, growth, and survival. The goal of estuary RME is to provide pertinent and timely research and monitoring information to planners, implementers, and managers of the Estuary Program. In conclusion, the estuary RME effort is designed to meet the research and monitoring needs of the estuary Program using an adaptive management process. Estuary RME's success and usefulness will depend on the actual conduct of adaptive management, as embodied in the objectives, implrementation, data, reporting, and synthesis, evaluation, and decision-making described herein

Development of selective agonists and antagonists of P2Y receptors

Although elucidation of the medicinal chemistry of agonists and antagonists of the P2Y receptors has lagged behind that of many other members of group A G protein-coupled receptors, detailed qualitative and quantitative structure–activity relationships (SARs) were recently constructed for several of the subtypes. Agonists selective for P2Y1, P2Y2, and P2Y6 receptors and nucleotide antagonists selective for P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors are now known. Selective nonnucleotide antagonists were reported for P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y6, P2Y11, P2Y12, and P2Y13 receptors. At the P2Y1 and P2Y12 receptors, nucleotide agonists (5′-diphosphate derivatives) were converted into antagonists of nanomolar affinity by altering the phosphate moieties, with a focus particularly on the ribose conformation and substitution pattern. Nucleotide analogues with conformationally constrained ribose-like rings were introduced as selective receptor probes for P2Y1 and P2Y6 receptors. Screening chemically diverse compound libraries has begun to yield new lead compounds for the development of P2Y receptor antagonists, such as competitive P2Y12 receptor antagonists with antithrombotic activity. Selective agonists for the P2Y4, P2Y11, and P2Y13 receptors and selective antagonists for P2Y4 and P2Y14 receptors have not yet been identified. The P2Y14 receptor appears to be the most restrictive of the class with respect to modification of the nucleobase, ribose, and phosphate moieties. The continuing process of ligand design for the P2Y receptors will aid in the identification of new clinical targets

E-NTPDases in human airways: Regulation and relevance for chronic lung diseases

Chronic obstructive lung diseases are characterized by the inability to prevent bacterial infection and a gradual loss of lung function caused by recurrent inflammatory responses. In the past decade, numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of nucleotide-mediated bacterial clearance. Their interaction with P2 receptors on airway epithelia provides a rapid ‘on-and-off’ signal stimulating mucus secretion, cilia beating activity and surface hydration. On the other hand, abnormally high ATP levels resulting from damaged epithelia and bacterial lysis may cause lung edema and exacerbate inflammatory responses. Airway ATP concentrations are regulated by ecto nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E-NTPDases) which are expressed on the mucosal surface and catalyze the sequential dephosphorylation of nucleoside triphosphates to nucleoside monophosphates (ATP → ADP → AMP). The common bacterial product, Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS), induces an acute reduction in azide-sensitive E-NTPDase activities, followed by a sustained increase in activity as well as NTPDase 1 and NTPDase 3 expression. Accordingly, chronic lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF) and primary ciliary dyskinesia, are characterized by higher rates of nucleotide elimination, azide-sensitive E-NTPDase activities and expression. This review integrates the biphasic regulation of airway E-NTPDases with the function of purine signaling in lung diseases. During acute insults, a transient reduction in E-NTPDase activities may be beneficial to stimulate ATP-mediated bacterial clearance. In chronic lung diseases, elevating E-NTPDase activities may represent an attempt to prevent P2 receptor desensitization and nucleotide-mediated lung damage

The Future of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hand Surgery - Combining Evolutionary Pharmacology and Surgical Technique

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease of uncertain aetiology, which is characterized primarily by synovial inflammation with secondary skeletal destructions

Integration of P2Y receptor-activated signal transduction pathways in G protein-dependent signalling networks

The role of nucleotides in intracellular energy provision and nucleic acid synthesis has been known for a long time. In the past decade, evidence has been presented that, in addition to these functions, nucleotides are also autocrine and paracrine messenger molecules that initiate and regulate a large number of biological processes. The actions of extracellular nucleotides are mediated by ionotropic P2X and metabotropic P2Y receptors, while hydrolysis by ecto-enzymes modulates the initial signal. An increasing number of studies have been performed to obtain information on the signal transduction pathways activated by nucleotide receptors. The development of specific and stable purinergic receptor agonists and antagonists with therapeutical potential largely contributed to the identification of receptors responsible for nucleotide-activated pathways. This article reviews the signal transduction pathways activated by P2Y receptors, the involved second messenger systems, GTPases and protein kinases, as well as recent findings concerning P2Y receptor signalling in C6 glioma cells. Besides vertical signal transduction, lateral cross-talks with pathways activated by other G protein-coupled receptors and growth factor receptors are discussed