Perceived neighborhood environment and park use as mediators of the effect of area socio-economic status on walking behaviors

Background: Access to local parks can affect walking levels. Neighborhood environment and park use may influence relationships between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and walking.

Methods: Self-report data on perceived park features, neighborhood environment, park use, neighborhood walking and sociodemographics
were obtained from a sample of Australian adults, living in high/low SES areas. Surveys were mailed to 250 randomly selected households within 500m of 12 matched parks. Mediating effects of perceived environment attributes and park use on relationships between area-SES and walking were examined.

Results: Mean frequency of local park use was higher for high-SES residents (4.36 vs 3.16 times/wk, P < .01), who also reported higher levels of park safety, maintenance, attractiveness, opportunities for socialization, and neighborhood crime safety, aesthetics, and traffic safety. Safety and opportunity for socialization were independently positively related to monthly frequency of visits to a local park which, in turn, was positively associated with walking for recreation and total walking. Residents of higher SES areas reported an average 22% (95% CI: 5%, 37%) more weekly minutes of recreational walking than their low SES counterparts.

Conclusion: Residents of high-SES areas live in environments that promote park use, which positively contributes to their weekly amounts of overall and recreational walking.

Validity and reliability of instruments to assess potential mediators of children's physical activity : a systematic review

This paper aimed to (1) identify potential mediators reported in children's physical activity interventions; and (2) review the psychometric properties of measures of potential mediators included in such interventions. A systematic search of the literature was conducted and studies that reported potential mediators and/or the psychometric properties of measures of potential mediators were retrieved and reviewed. The studies were reviewed for the following psychometric properties: face/logical, construct, and criterion validity; and test–retest and internal consistency (factor analysis and Cronbach's α) reliability. Twenty-one potential mediators were identified from 24 published children's physical activity intervention studies; 17 individual, three social, and one physical environmental. Overall, there was considerable variation in the reporting of the psychometric properties of these measures. Reliability properties (specifically Cronbach's α) were more commonly reported than validity properties; however, for many potential mediators, the quality of these measures was low. Future studies should examine the psychometric properties of measures of potential mediators to ensure appropriate, valid and reliable instruments are used. This will assist in the ability to accurately determine the efficacy of physical activity interventions among children.

Relationship between inflammatory cytokines and self-report measures of training overload

It has been purported that inflammatory cytokines may be responsible for the aetiology of overtraining. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported measures of overtraining and inflammatory cytokines. Eight elite male rowers were monitored in their natural training environment for 8 weeks prior to the 2007 Rowing World Championships. During this period of intense endurance training, self-report measures of overtraining and inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-) were assessed fortnightly. Consistent with previous findings, proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF- were significantly associated (p ≤ 0.05) with measures of depressed mood, sleep disturbances, and stress. Similarly, IL-6 was significantly associated (p ≤ 0.01) with measures of depressed mood, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. These results are consistent with previous hypotheses describing how overtraining may be caused by excessive cytokine release, and lend further support for a cytokine hypothesis of overtraining.

Oleocanthal, a natural anti-Inflammatory compound in extra virgin olive oil

Recent research on the olive oil phenolic, oleo canthal has led to speculation that it may confer some of the health benefits associated with a traditional Mediterranean diet. Oleocanthal produces a peppery, stinging sensation at the back of the throat similar to that of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), ibuprofen. This led to the hypothesis that the perceptual similarity between oleocanthal and ibuprofen may indicate similar pharmacological properties. Subsequent studies have proved the hypothesis and oleocanthal was shown not only to inhibit inflammation in the same way as ibuprofen does, but it was found to be substantially more potent than this NSAID. It is important to note that inflammation has been demonstrated to playa significant role in the development of a number of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and certain types of cancers. Therefore, as a result of dietary feeding with olive oil as a part of the traditional Mediterranean diet, a reduction in inflammation produced by oleocanthal is speculated to be the potential mechanism that is partially responsible for the health benefits associated with this dietary pattern. This review summarizes the current knowledge on oleocanthal, in tenns of its physiological and sensory properties, as well as a discussion on the factors that have the ability to affect oleocanthal concentrations in extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs).

Applications of aptamers in nanodelivery systems in cancer, eye and inflammatory diseases

Aptamers are an interesting class of molecules that have potential in many facets of human health. They are characterized by high affinity and specificity to their targets, are small in size, have similar properties to antibodies, but are made synthetically. All of these properties, among others, give aptamers the potential to diagnose, image and treat like no other molecules. By combining the unique properties of aptamers with the ever expanding field of nanotechnology and all it has to offer, we are entering a very promising new area of targeted nanodelivery treatments. These treatments have found success in the complex disease processes of cancer, eye and inflammatory diseases.

Recent advances on the possible neuroprotective activities of Epstein-Barr virus oncogene BARF1 protein in chronic inflammatory disorders of central nervous system

Multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases in which cells of the central nervous system (CNS) are lost or damaged are rapidly increasing in frequency, and there is neither effective treatment nor cure to impede or arrest their destructive course. The Epstein-Barr virus is a human gamma-herpesvirus that infects more than 90% of the human population worldwide and persisting for the lifetime of the host. It is associated with numerous epithelial cancers, principally undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric carcinoma. Individuals with a history of symptomatic primary EBV infection, called infectious mononucleosis, carry a moderately higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). It is not known how EBV infection potentially promotes autoimmunity and central nervous system (CNS) tissue damage in MS. Recently it has been found that EBV isolates from different geographic regions have highly conserved BARF1 epitopes. BARF1 protein has the neuroprotective and mitogenic activity, thus may be useful to combat and overcome neurodegenerative disease. BARF1 protein therapy can potentially be used to enhance the neuroprotective activities by combinational treatment with anti-inflammatory antagonists and neuroprotectors in neural disorders.

MicroRNA in human cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the non-coding RNAs that act as post-translational regulators to their complimentary messenger RNAs (mRNA). Due to their specific gene silencing property, miRNAs have been implicated in a number of cellular and developmental processes. Also, it has been proposed that a particular set of miRNA spectrum is expressed only in a particular type of tissue. Many interesting findings related to the differential expression of miRNAs in various human diseases including several types of cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic diseases have been reported. Deregulation of miRNA expression in different types of human diseases and the roles various miRNAs play as tumour suppressors as well as oncogenes, suggest their contribution to cancer and/or in other disease development. These findings have possible implications in the development of diagnostics and/or therapeutics in human malignancies. In this review, we discuss various miRNAs that are differentially expressed in human chronic inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and the further prospective development of miRNA based diagnostics and therapeutics.

Developing negotiation decision support systems that support mediators : a case study of the Family_Winner system

Negotiation Support Systems have traditionally modelled the process of negotiation. They often rely on mathematical optimisation techniques and ignore heuristics and other methods derived from practice. Our goal is to develop systems capable of decision support to help resolve a given dispute. A system we have constructed, Family_Winner, uses empirical evidence to dynamically modify initial preferences throughout the negotiation process. It sequentially allocates issues using trade-offs and compensation opportunities inherent in the dispute.

Coping strategies and social support as predictors and mediators of eating disorder carer burden and psychological distress

Purpose Caring for someone with an eating disorder is associated with a high level of burden and psychological distress. While models for the prediction of carer burden have previously been investigated, these have typically neglected the role of coping strategies and social support. Thus, the current study will examine predictors of both carer burden and carer psychological distress in eating disorder carers. Further, the mediating roles of coping strategies and social support will be investigated.
Methods Fifty-six carers completed a self-report questionnaire assessing burden, psychological distress, needs, expressed emotion, coping strategies and social support.
Results Use of maladaptive coping strategies was a unique predictor of both burden and psychological distress. Further, maladaptive coping was a consistent mediator on the outcome of carer burden. Social support, however, did not significantly predict, or mediate, carer burden.
Conclusions Interventions focusing on teaching appropriate coping strategies would benefit carers.

Links between pollen, atopy and the asthma epidemic

Pollen allergy has been found in 80–90% of childhood asthmatics and 40–50% of adult-onset asthmatics. Despite the high prevalence of atopy in asthmatics, a causal relationship between the allergic response and asthma has not been clearly established. Pollen grains are too large to penetrate the small airways where asthma occurs. Yet pollen cytoplasmic fragments are respirable and are likely correlated with the asthmatic response in allergic asthmatics. In this review, we outline the mechanism of pollen fragmentation and possible pathophysiology of pollen fragment-induced asthma. Pollen grains rupture within the male flowers and emit cytoplasmic debris when winds or other disturbances disperse the pollen. Peak levels of grass and birch pollen allergens in the atmosphere correlated with the occurrence of moist weather conditions during the flowering period. Thunderstorm asthma epidemics may be triggered by grass pollen rupture in the atmosphere and the entrainment of respirable-sized particles in the outflows of air masses at ground level. Pollen contains nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced) oxidases and bioactive lipid mediators which likely contribute to the inflammatory response. Several studies have examined synergistic effects and enhanced immune response from interaction in the atmosphere, or from co-deposition in the airways, of pollen allergens, endogenous pro-inflammatory agents, and the particulate and gaseous fraction of combustion products. Pollen and fungal fragments also contain compounds that can suppress reactive oxidants and quench free radicals. It is important to know more about how these substances interact to potentially enhance, or even ameliorate, allergic asthma.

Antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic activities in extra virgin olive oil

The Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower incidence of chronic degenerative diseases and higher life expectancy. These health benefits have been partially attributed to the dietary consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by Mediterranean populations, and more specifically the phenolic compounds naturally present in EVOO. Studies involving humans and animals (in vivo and in vitro) have demonstrated that olive oil phenolic compounds have potentially beneficial biological effects resulting from their antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This paper summarizes current knowledge on the biological activities of specific olive oil phenolic compounds together with information on their concentration in EVOO, bioavailability and stability over time.

Early age alcohol use and later alcohol problems in adolescents : individual and peer mediators in a bi-national study

This paper examines whether there is cross-national similarity in the longitudinal relationship between early age alcohol use and adolescent alcohol problems. Potential mechanisms underlying this relationship also are examined, testing adolescent alcohol use, low self-regulation, and peer deviance as possible mediators. Students (N = 1,945) participating in the International Youth Development Study, a longitudinal panel survey study, responded to questions on alcohol use and influencing factors, and were followed annually over a 3-year period from 2002 to 2004 (98% retention rate). State-representative, community student samples were recruited in grade 7 in Washington State, United States (US, n = 961, 78% of those eligible; Mage = 13.09, SD = .44) and Victoria, Australia (n = 984, 76% of those eligible; Mage = 12.93, SD = .41). Analyses were conducted using multiple-group structural equation modeling. In both states, early age alcohol use (age 13) had a small but statistically significant association with subsequent alcohol problems (age 15). Overall, there was little evidence for mediation of early alcohol effects. Low self-regulation prospectively predicted peer deviance, alcohol use, and alcohol problems in both states. Peer deviance was more positively related to alcohol use and low self-regulation among students in Victoria compared to students in Washington State. The small but persistent association of early age alcohol use with alcohol problems across both samples is consistent with efforts to delay alcohol initiation to help prevent problematic alcohol use. Self-regulation was an important influence, supporting the need to further investigate the developmental contribution of neurobehavioral disinhibition.