45 In 1997 the Health Education Authority began a process of expert consultation and review of the evidence surrounding the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity for young people in England. The outcome of this process was the production of 'Young and Active' - a document which sets out a series of policies and recommendations aiming to maximise the opportunity for young people to participate in a lifetime of regular health-enhancing physical activity. The core national recommendation states that all young people should participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour per day. The document emphasises the role that a wide range of agencies and organisations can play in encouraging this new message. It has been used as a basis for an extensive programme of professional education involving a wide range of professionals who work with young people and/or physical activity. Different approaches were used including a series of briefing days, consultation meetings, scientific articles and inserts in professional journals. The aim of this process was to inform professionals of the new national recommendations on youth physical activity so that they can take them forward within their organisations.
Researchers are encouraged to become involved in translating research findings to policy and practice for the purpose of enhancing health impact. A model of five pathways of research translation is proposed that allows researchers to use a pathway that fits their needs: research, practice, business, policy, and public opinion pathways.
716 We investigated changes in leisure and work physical activity (PA) over 8 years in 113 Mexican-American (MA) and 75 Euro-American (EA) women (baseline age=31 yr) who had a 4-year-old child at baseline. Participants completed 2 Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall (PAR) interviews 6 months apart at baseline and 2 additional PARs 6 months apart 8 years later. Data from the two PARs at each measurement period were averaged. At baseline, subjects averaged 7.3 hours of leisure PA and 3.7 hours of work PA weekly. At follow-up, they averaged 12.5 hours of leisure PA and 7.5 hours of work PA weekly. MA and EA women had similar overall PA levels (i.e., daily energy expenditure (EE) at baseline (p < .10) and at follow-up (p < .58), and both groups increased PA over time (p < .001). Significant tracking in daily EE (r = .35; p < .001) and in moderate (r = .47; p < .001) and vigorous (r = .47; p < .001) work PA was evidenced over time for MAs. Daily EE (r = .32; p < .005) and moderate (r = .42, p < .001) and vigorous (r = .27, p < .02) work PA also tracked for EAs. Results indicate PA tracks over 8 years in MA and EA women, with tracking stronger in work than in leisure environments. The finding that both groups increased PA over time is contrary to the usual finding that PA declines with age. This unexpected increase may be attributed to changes in mothers' roles as children aged from 4 to 12 years. Further study on how the many roles of motherhood influence PA is recommended. Supported by NIH HL52449
Death receptors (DRs) are more than simple killers: they control cell growth, proliferation, and survival, thereby playing a pivotal role in immune and inflammatory responses. Some of these phenomena might be explained by aberrant reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and metabolism, which can lead to oxidative stress. A key signaling molecule of DR-initiated intracellular pathways, receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1), orchestrates a complex control of multiple responses and may link DR-associated signaling complexes to ROS production by mitochondria. Yet, RIP1 is also an important regulator of endogenous anti-oxidants and ROS scavenging enzymes, because it is required for nuclear factor kappaB activation that results in expression of anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidant proteins. Alteration of RIP1 function may result in ROS accumulation and abnormal c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase activation, affecting inflammatory responses, innate immunity, stress responses, and cell survival. These molecular mechanisms may be involved in neoplastic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases.
A telephone survey of randomly-sampled churches, labor unions, supermarkets and restaurants was conducted in San Diego, California to determine the level o
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 aim of this study was to obtain accelerometer count cut points that correspond to physical activity performed at moderate (3-5.99 METs), vigorous(6-8.99 METs) and very vigorous (≥9 METs) activity in school aged children. Subjects were 80 (41 F, 39 M) youths ranging in age from 6 to 18 years. The students performed treadmill walking and running at 3 different speeds at 0 grade, randomly assigned, for 5 min, with a 5 min rest between speeds. Data collected included the average of the last 2 min for VO2 in liters per min and counts per min from a CSA single-plane monitor worn on the right hip. A regression equation had been calculated predicting METs from counts and age. The equation had been validated with 50 and cross-validated with 30 of the subjects and then rerun with the total 80 students. The final equation was used to calculate counts from a given MET value and age. For students <12 years old, the energy expenditure was ≥3.8 METs for the lowest speed and counts were not calculated. For other ages, counts were determined for 3 METs, and for all ages for 6 and 9 METs. For a 6 year old, cut points were 2100 for 6 METs and 5392 for 9 METs. For a 12 year old, cut points were 527 for 3 METs, 3719 for 6 METs and 6910 for 9 METs. For an 18 year old, 2146 for 3 METs, 5338 for 6 METs, and 8529 for 9 METs. These cut points should be useful to both practitioners and researchers who wish to examine attainment of national physical activity standards in youth.
No abstract is provided for this article.
The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) were originally identified by their ability to phosphorylate c-Jun in response to UV-irradiation, but now are recognized as critical regulators of various aspects of mammalian physiology, including: cell proliferation, cell survival, cell death, DNA repair and metabolism. JNK-mediated phosphorylation enhances the ability of c-Jun, a component of the AP-1 transcription factor, to activate transcription, in response to a plethora of extracellular stimuli. The JNK activation leads to induction of AP-1-dependent target genes involved in cell proliferation, cell death, inflammation, and DNA repair. The JNKs, which are encoded by three different Jnk loci, are now known to be regulated by many other stimuli, from pro-inflammatory cytokines to obesity, in addition to UV-irradiation. Targeted disruption of the Jnk loci in mice has proved to be a critical tool in better understanding their physiological functions. Such studies revealed that the JNKs play important roles in numerous cellular processes, including: programmed cell death, T cell differentiation, negative regulation of insulin signaling, control of fat deposition, and epithelial sheet migration. Importantly, the JNKs have become prime targets for drug development in several important clinical areas, including: inflammation, diabetes, and cancer.
