Publications

Anglo- and Mexican-American preschoolers at home and at recess: activity patterns and environmental influences.

Habitual physical activity in children is related to physical fitness and appears to mediate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. We studied the physical activity patterns and associated variables of a large bi-ethnic cohort of 4-year-old children from low to middle socioeconomic families. Trained observers coded the behavior of 351 children (150 Anglo-American, 201 Mexican-American; 182 boys, 169 girls) during two 60-minute home visits and two unstructured recesses lasting up to 30 minutes each at 63 different preschools. Findings indicated that although children were much less active at home, there were low but significant correlations between their activity patterns at home and during recess (r = .13). Children who had activity-promoting toys at home also tended to have them available during preschool recess (r = .20). Ethnic differences were evident for both activity and environmental variables. Mexican-American children were less active than Anglo children at home (p less than .002) and during recess (p less than .03), thus adding to the adult literature that has found Mexican-Americans to be less active than Anglos, and supporting to the notion that physical activity life-style habits may be established in early childhood. In both settings, Mexican-American children spent more time in presence of adults (home, p less than .04; recess, p less than .03) and had access to fewer active toys (home, p less than .001; recess, p less than .05). Gender differences were also evident for both activity and environmental variables.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

How the environment shapes physical activity A transdisciplinary research agenda

No abstract is provided for this article.

Identification of a new JNK inhibitor targeting the JNK-JIP interaction site

JNK is a stress-activated protein kinase that modulates pathways implicated in a variety of disease states. JNK-interacting protein-1 (JIP1) is a scaffolding protein that enhances JNK signaling by creating a proximity effect between JNK and upstream kinases. A minimal peptide region derived from JIP1 is able to inhibit JNK activity both in vitro and in cell. We report here a series of small molecules JIP1 mimics that function as substrate competitive inhibitors of JNK. One such compound, BI-78D3, dose-dependently inhibits the phosphorylation of JNK substrates both in vitro and in cell. In animal studies, BI-78D3 not only blocks JNK dependent Con A-induced liver damage but also restores insulin sensitivity in mouse models of type 2 diabetes. Our findings open the way for the development of protein kinase inhibitors targeting substrate specific docking sites, rather than the highly conserved ATP binding sites. In view of its favorable inhibition profile, selectivity, and ability to function in the cellular milieu and in vivo, BI-78D3 represents not only a JNK inhibitor, but also a promising stepping stone toward the development of an innovative class of therapeutics.

The virtual special section of active transport papers from the 2017 active living research conference

No abstract is provided for this article.

Active Commuting and Sociodemographic Factors Among University Students in Spain

Commuting to university represents an opportunity to incorporate physical activity (walking or biking) into students' daily routines. There are few studies that analyze patterns of transport in university populations. This cross-sectional study estimated energy expenditure from active commuting to university (ACU) and examined sociodemographic differences in findings.The sample included 518 students with a mean age of 22.4 years (59.7% female) from 2 urban universities in Valencia, Spain. Time spent in each mode of transport to university and sociodemographic factors was assessed by self-report.Nearly 35% of the students reported walking or biking as their main mode of transport. ACU (min/wk) were highest for walkers (168) and cyclists (137) and lowest for motorbike riders (0.0) and car drivers (16). Public transport users, younger students, low socioeconomic status students, and those living ≤ 2 km from the university had higher energy expenditure from active commuting than comparison groups. Biking was highest among those living 2-5 km from the university.Our findings suggest that active commuting and public transit use generated substantial weekly energy expenditure, contributed to meeting physical activity recommendations, and may aid in obesity prevention.

The association of school environments with youth physical activity

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the association of school environmental characteristics with student physical activity on campus. METHODS: Physical activity areas (n = 137) at 24 public middle schools were assessed for area type, size, and improvements (e.g., basketball courts). Student physical activity and the presence of equipment and supervision were directly observed before school, after lunch, and after school. RESULTS: Environmental characteristics explained 42% of the variance in the proportion of girls who were physically active and 59% of the variance for boys. CONCLUSIONS: School environments with high levels of supervision and improvements stimulated girls and boys to be more physically active.

The SCAPES Questionnaire: Psychometric evaluation of scales to measure correlates of leisure time physical activity

No abstract is provided for this article.

Transcriptional repression by the HDAC4–RelB–p52 complex regulates multiple myeloma survival and growth

Although transcriptional activation by NF-κB is well appreciated, physiological importance of transcriptional repression by NF-κB in cancer has remained elusive. Here we show that an HDAC4-RelB-p52 complex maintains repressive chromatin around proapoptotic genes Bim and BMF and regulates multiple myeloma (MM) survival and growth. Disruption of RelB-HDAC4 complex by a HDAC4-mimetic polypeptide blocks MM growth. RelB-p52 also represses BMF translation by regulating miR-221 expression. While the NIK-dependent activation of RelB-p52 in MM has been reported, we show that regardless of the activation status of NIK and the oncogenic events that cause plasma cell malignancy, several genetically diverse MM cells including Bortezomib-resistant MM cells are addicted to RelB-p52 for survival. Importantly, RelB is constitutively phosphorylated in MM and ERK1 is a RelB kinase. Phospho-RelB remains largely nuclear and is essential for Bim repression. Thus, ERK1-dependent regulation of nuclear RelB is critical for MM survival and explains the NIK-independent role of RelB in MM.

Autophagy, Inflammation, and Immunity: A Troika Governing Cancer and Its Treatment

Regulation of IKK

Trans-activation of an upstream early gene promoter of bovine papilloma virus-1 by a product of the viral E2 gene.

Factors Influencing the Performance of Volunteers Who Provide Physical Activity in Middle Schools

Increasing physical activity among youth represents a national health goal, and using volunteer activity providers at schools offers one possible solution. This paper describes results from a program to recruit volunteer physical activity providers in middle schools. Twenty-one volunteers provided 850 physical activity hours at seven schools, including 575 activity sessions and 7,186 student contacts. Volunteers who received incentives offered more minutes of activity, conducted more activity sessions, reached a greater number of students, and logged more student-minutes of physical activity than those who received none. Male volunteers provided more activity minutes than female volunteers, but females were marginally more successful in engaging female students. Results can help guide schools to more effectively increase student physical activity throughout the school day.

Supplementary Data from Concurrent Disruption of the Ras/MAPK and NF-κB Pathways Induces Circadian Deregulation and Hepatocarcinogenesis

Supplementary Data from Concurrent Disruption of the Ras/MAPK and NF-κB Pathways Induces Circadian Deregulation and Hepatocarcinogenesis

Standing Breaks During Prolonged Sitting Improve Glycemic Control And Endothelial Function: A Crossover Laboratory Trial

Purpose: Older adults are less likely to meet physical activity guidelines and spend more time sitting than younger adults. Aging adults have elevated cardiometabolic disease and cancer risk, which can be exacerbated in postmenopausal women due to hormonal shifts and increased adiposity. The postural change of standing increases muscle contractions and arterial blood flow and induces compensatory changes in heart rate and blood pressure. Thus, interrupting prolonged sitting with brief standing breaks may be a feasible approach to improve aging-associated metabolic and vascular health outcomes. Methods: Postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity (n = 79; age 67 ± 7y) were enrolled in a three-condition, randomized crossover trial. Participants completed three supervised, 5-h experimental conditions: Prolonged sitting (Control), frequent Sit-to-Stands (STS - 2 min stand every 15 min), and Hourly Standing Breaks (HSB - 8 min stand every hour). Each standing break condition included 40 min of total standing time but varied in number and duration of breaks. Standardized liquid meals were consumed at 0 min (M1) and 180 min (M2). Blood samples were collected across the condition periods to determine the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for glucose and insulin during the total and post-meal periods: 0-300 min, 0-120 min, and 180-300 min. Condition impact on superficial femoral artery endothelial function was assessed using flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Linear mixed models compared iAUC and FMD ratio (5 h-to-baseline) values between experimental and control conditions. Results: There was no evidence of between-condition differences (p > 0.05) for insulin and glucose iAUCs from 0-300 min. However, STS significantly lowered 2-hr postprandial blood glucose excursion after M2 compared to after M1 by -13.4% (p = 0.04). Control and HSB had significantly higher 2-hr postprandial insulin excursions after M2 compared to after M1 (+10.9%, p = 0.03; +11.5%, p = 0.02, respectively). Both STS and HSB significantly mitigated the negative effect of prolonged sitting on FMD-measured endothelial function observed in the control (+17.9%, p < 0.001 and + 22.5%, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Brief, low-intensity interruptions of sitting time with standing acutely improves endothelial functioning in older women. Supported by: National Institute of Aging (P01 AG052352) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (UL1TR001442)

[Children who work on the streets of Tijuana. An epidemiological profile and the prevalence of experimentation with tobacco].

To develop an epidemiological profile of children that work in the streets of Tijuana, Mexico, and to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking in this group, as well as the prevalence of those factors associated with tobacco experimentation.cross-sectional.Children aged 8 through 15, who work in the streets of Tijuana were included. Demographic, socioeconomic, and smoking related variables were analyzed.The study included 110 children, with a mean age of 11.43 years. Of these 91.7% live with one or both of their parents; 60% attend school and an additional 30% did so in the past. Only 6.4% of these children are the principal economic support of the household, and 51.8% reported an average daily income of $US 10 or less. Only 9.1% reported experimentation with tobacco, and 31% of them tobacco prompting (in the form of lighting up a cigarette) by an adult of the family; this is significantly more frequent on behalf of the father than of the mother (21.8% vs 4.5% p < 0.001).Most of the children under 15 years of age who work in the streets of Tijuana live with their parents and maintain close relationships with their family. Most of them attend school and work in the streets only to complement the family income. Their tobacco experimentation is not greater than that of other children of the same age group.

Sestrins Orchestrate Cellular Metabolism to Attenuate Aging

Validity of the Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS)

No abstract is provided for this article.

Identification of an oncoprotein- and UV-responsive protein kinase that binds and potentiates the c-Jun activation domain.

The activity of c-Jun is regulated by phosphorylation. Various stimuli including transforming oncogenes and UV light, induce phosphorylation of serines 63 and 73 in the amino-terminal activation domain of c-Jun and thereby potentiate its trans-activation function. We identified a serine/threonine kinase whose activity is stimulated by the same signals that stimulate the amino-terminal phosphorylation of c-Jun. This novel c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK), whose major form is 46 kD, binds to a specific region within the c-Jun trans-activation domain and phosphorylates serines 63 and 73. Phosphorylation results in dissociation of the c-Jun-JNK complex. Mutations that disrupt the kinase-binding site attenuate the response of c-Jun to Ha-Ras and UV. Therefore the binding of JNK to c-Jun is of regulatory importance and suggests a mechanism through which protein kinase cascades can specifically modulate the activity of distinct nuclear targets.