1,993 publications from this institution
Less is known about how neighborhood environments relate to sedentary time as compared to physical activity. This study examined relations of perceived and objective neighborhood environments with TV time, total screen time, total sedentary time, sedentary time at home, sedentary time in the home neighborhood, and time spent at home, in 524 12–16 year olds. Better perceived aesthetics and a perceived neighborhood environment index were related to less TV and screen time, and greater cul-de-sac density was related to less total and home sedentary time. Greater street connectivity, mixed land use, and an objective neighborhood environmental index were related to more total sedentary time. Findings suggest that some neighborhood environment attributes may not have the same potential influences on limiting sedentary time as they do for supporting physical activity.
There seems to be a consensus that family influences on dietary habits are important, but few studies have addressed this issue directly. To clarify inconsistent findings, we studied the aggregation of dietary fats, sodium, and calories in 95 Anglo and 111 Mexican-American families. Their diet was determined by 24-hour recall, a three-day food record, and a food frequency questionnaire, along with a measure of the urinary sodium-potassium ratio. There was evidence of moderate aggregation of all dietary variables in both ethnic groups. In Anglo families, spouse-spouse, but not sibling-sibling, correlations tended to be significant. The diets of the younger children, but not the older children, were related to their parents’ diets. In Mexican-American families, both spouse-spouse and sibling-sibling correlations tended to be significant. The mothers’ diets were more highly correlated with the children’s diets than were the fathers’.
1012 Understanding of physical activity patterns in young people has been hampered by reliance on self-report measures of behavior and inability to compare measures across youth of varying ages. The purpose of this Current Issue session is to present findings from a major study designed to enhance understanding of the patterns and correlates of physical activity in youth of a wide age range. The unique aspects of this study are that it (a) was designed and implemented by a multi-disciplinary group of investigators, (b) long-term objective monitoring was used to assess youth physical activity, (c) children in grades 1 through 12 were studied, and (d) potential social and environmental determinants of physical activity were assessed. Survey data were collected from more than 1100 youth, and monitor data were completed by a subset of 385. The first paper quantifies age and sex differences in moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity. Other papers examine social and environmental correlates of physical activity, differences in correlates among normal-weight and overweight youth, and gender differences in parent-child associations in physical activity.
No abstract is provided for this article.
IkappaB kinase gamma (IKKgamma) (also known as NEMO, Fip-3, and IKKAP-1) is the essential regulatory component of the IKK complex; it is required for NF-kappaB activation by various stimuli, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1 (IL-1), phorbol esters, lipopolysaccharides, and double-stranded RNA. IKKgamma is encoded by an X-linked gene, deficiencies in which may result in two human genetic disorders, incontinentia pigmenti (IP) and hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with severe immunodeficiency. Subsequent to the linkage of IKKgamma deficiency to IP, we biochemically characterized the effects of a mutation occurring in an IP-affected family on IKK activity and NF-kappaB signaling. This particular mutation results in premature termination, such that the variant IKKgamma protein lacks its putative C-terminal Zn finger and, due to decreased mRNA stability, is underexpressed. Correspondingly, IKK and NF-kappaB activation by TNF-alpha and, to a lesser extent, IL-1 are reduced. Mutagenesis of the C-terminal region of IKKgamma was performed in an attempt to define the role of the putative Zn finger and other potential functional motifs in this region. The mutants were expressed in IKKgamma-deficient murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) at levels comparable to those of endogenous IKKgamma in wild-type MEFs and were able to associate with IKKalpha and IKKbeta. Substitution of two leucines within a C-terminal leucine zipper motif markedly reduced IKK activation by TNF-alpha and IL-1. Another point mutation resulting in a cysteine-to-serine substitution within the putative Zn finger motif affected IKK activation by TNF-alpha but not by IL-1. These results may explain why cells that express these or similar mutant alleles are sensitive to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis despite being able to activate NF-kappaB in response to other stimuli.
Abstract In contrast to phorbol esters, multiple doses of diacylgycerols are needed to differentiate U937 human monoblastic leukemic cells to a macrophage-like phenotype. Although both of these agents similarly activate protein kinase C in vitro, it is not known why these agents appear to have differing biologic effects. One possibility is that they regulate gene transcription in slightly different ways. Regulation of gene transcription by phorbol esters is complex and involves the stimulation of the transactivating proteins Jun and Fos which form dimers and bind to the AP-1 enhancer elements (5'-TGAGTCA-3'). To understand whether diacylglycerols regulate gene transcription similarly to phorbol esters and to examine whether activation of AP-1 enhancer activity is correlated with differentiation, we have treated U937 human monoblastic leukemic cells with these agents and examined activation of transcription from AP-1 enhancer elements. We find that, although a single dose of diacylglycerol, like phorbol esters, is sufficient to elevate mRNA levels of both the c-jun and c-fos protooncogenes, in contrast to phorbol esters there is no increase in either Jun protein or activation of AP-1 enhancer activity. However, multiple doses of this agent given over 24 h stimulate repeated elevations in c-jun and c-fos mRNA, increases in Jun protein, and enhancer activation. Treatment of U937 cells with ionomycin, a calcium ionophore, also stimulates an increase in c-jun mRNA, but neither activates AP-1 enhancer activity nor stimulates differentiation of these cells. However ionomycin functions to enhance the effects of diacylglycerols both on transcriptional activation and U937 differentiation. These results suggest a complex regulation of AP-1 enhancer activity in U937 cells by diacylglycerols involving both transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Maximal activation of AP-1 enhancer elements, and not changes in jun and fos mRNA, is correlated with increases in markers of U937 differentiation. These changes may be important in the early events leading to differentiation of hematopoietic cells.
Based on data drawn from a random-digit-dial probability sample of adults in a major American metropolitan area, this study supports the perspective that self-efficacy is domain specific and that outcome efficacy is distinct from self-efficacy. Data were collected by telephone interviewers which were administered by telephone interviews to 525 respondents with a 64.1% completion rate. Sample demographic summary statistics closely approximated population parameters. Five orthogonal factors emerged from analysis of self-efficacy and outcome efficacy items. The five factors represented self-efficacy with regard to nutrition, medical care, exercise, and with a set of neutral control items relating to political behavior, and with the outcome efficacy items for each behavioral domain. Hypotheses relating scores for each factor with a number of behavioral indicators were tested. Only four of 125 correlations failed to support hypothesized relationships, lending evidence for the discriminant validity of the self-efficacy dimensions.
The relationship of classroom teachers’ leisure time physical activity and their conduct of physical education classes was investigated. Eighteen 4th- and 5th-grade teachers reported on their leisure physical activity and had their physical education classes observed systematically during 4 consecutive semesters. Correlational analyses confirmed that more active teachers taught physical education differently from those that were less active. Teachers who were more active provided students with increased physical fitness activities, and the teachers themselves spent more time promoting physical fitness during lessons. The study provides some support for the hypothesis that physically active teachers provide higher quality physical education.
The theme of this commentary is to discuss the need for, and challenges of, conceptualizing, implementing, and evaluating multilevel health behavior change interventions. Ecological models, recommendations from national and international authoritative groups, and growing evidence all support the need for interventions designed to change multiple levels of influence, including individuals, social environments, organizations, built environments, and policies, to achieve population improvements in public health. Though multilevel interventions are becoming more common in practice, they are still under-used, and research on multilevel interventions is relatively rare. Drawing on examples from physical activity, several types of evidence are summarized to demonstrate that multilevel interventions are feasible and can be effective. Serious challenges to implementing and evaluating multilevel interventions include the need for teams with diverse expertise, lack of control over intervention implementation, unpredictability of timelines, managing complex teams over extended periods, and need to apply unfamiliar and less-rigorous study designs and methods. Recommendations are offered for changes in training, funding priorities, and academic incentives that could lead to more and better multilevel interventions.
We evaluated the efficacy of the Stanford Quit Kit, an eight-page self-administered smoking cessation program. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive the Quit Kit (n = 142) or a delayed intervention (n = 65). Confirmed abstinence (p < .05) and reduced smoking among continuing smokers (p < .002) were greater in the Quit Kit group than in the control group at the two-month follow-up. At the six-month followup 10.6 percent of the Quit Kit subjects were confirmed as abstinent. From these results we conclude that well-designed, self-administered behavior change materials can assist chronic smokers in quitting.
Transcription factor NF-KB plays a major role in many physiological and pathological processes while its regulation is best understood in inflammatory and immune system. The central event in NF-KB signaling pathway is the activation of IKK complex, the convergent point of diverse NF-KB activation signaling. This review addresses the cell signaling of IKK and NF-KB activation in response to various immune and inflammatory stimuli as revealed by the analysis of mice and cells lacking specific signaling transducers. NF-KB, IKB, IKK and the Canonical Pathway for NF-KB Activation
Variations in physical activity and aerobic power are examined in relation to age and gender of children and adolescents. Reviews of the world literature show aerobic power relative to body mass remains stable from ages 6 to 16 for males, but for females it declines about 2% per year. Overall, males are about 25% more fit than females. Reviews of nine studies using standardized self‐reports or objective measures of physical activity revealed that males are about 15 to 25% more active than females. Over the school age years, a consistent decline in physical activity is seen, with males decreasing about 2.7% per year and females decreasing about 7.4% per year. These data suggest that older youth and females are at increased risk of obesity because of a sedentary lifestyle. Key words: cardiorespiratory fitnesscardiovascular endurancefitnessbody composition
