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Background Little is understood about the economic factors that have influenced the nutrition transition from traditional to store-bought foods that are typically high in fat and sugar amongst people living in the Canadian Arctic. This study aims to determine the pattern of household food expenditure in the Canadian Arctic. Method Local food prices were collected over 12 months in six communities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Dietary intake data were collected from 441 adults using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Money spent on six food groups was calculated along with the cost of energy and selected nutrients per person. Results Participants spent approximately 10% of total food expenditure on each of the food groups of fruit/vegetables, grains and potatoes, and dairy, 17% on traditional meats (e.g. caribou, goose, char, and seal liver), and 20% on non-traditional meats (e.g. beef, pork, chicken, fish, and processed meats). Non-nutrient-dense foods (NNDF) accounted for 34% of food expenditure. Younger participants (<30 years) spent more on NNDF and less on traditional meats compared with the older age groups. Participants with higher levels of formal education spent more on fruit and vegetables and less on traditional meats, when compared with participants with lower levels of formal education. Conclusions Participants spent most household income on NNDF, a possible consequence of generation discrepancy between younger and older participants. The tendency toward NNDF, particularly among youth, should be addressed with an assessment of predictive factors and the development of targeted approaches to population-based interventions.

Knowledge of the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in older adults has primarily come from studies of clinically depressed, functionally impaired or cognitively impaired individuals, and in predominately White samples. Limited minority representation in depression research exposes the need to examine these associations in more ethnic/racially diverse populations. We sought to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognition in a sample of non-demented older African Americans recruited from surrounding U.S. cities of New York, Greensboro, Miami, and Nashville (N=944). Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Cognition was evaluated with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Test scores were summarized into attention, executive function, memory, language, and processing speed composites. Controlling for age, education, reading level, and sex, African American older adults who endorsed more symptoms obtained significantly lower scores on measures of memory, language, processing speed, and executive functioning. Further investigation of the causal pathway underlying this association, as well as potential mediators of the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive test performance among older African Americans, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, may offer potential avenues for intervention. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–8)

To elucidate factors that influence African American willingness to participate in health-related research studies. The African American Alzheimer disease research study group at North Carolina A&T State University designed an in-person questionnaire and surveyed more than 700 African American adults on their willingness to participate in health-related research studies. The questionnaire was distributed and collected in a nonclinical setting during the years 2008 and 2009. This study was approved by the North Carolina A&T State University Institutional Review Board. Of the 733 valid respondents, 16% had previously participated in a health-related research study. Of these, more than 90% were willing to participate again in future research studies. Of the 614 who had never participated in a research study, more than 70% expressed willingness to participate. The majority (75%) of experienced research study participants (RSP) were older than 40 years compared with 45% of non-research study participants. Experienced research participants were also twice as likely to have a college degree compared with non-research study participants. Seventy-three percent of non-research study participants were willing to participate in research studies in the future. The factors that were probable impediments to participation included lack of time and trust. Men with knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study were 50% less likely to be willing to participate compared with those who had not heard of Tuskegee Syphilis Study. African Americans are willing to participate in health-related research studies. Several factors such as the appropriate incentives, community trust building, outreach, and community partnership creation are necessary for engaging minority participants. Incorporating factors that target African American enrollment in research design and implementation, such as increased training of minority health ambassadors and African American researchers and public health specialists, are needed to better engage minorities across generations, in research.

The objective of the study was to explore the influence of knowledge of institutional prevention programs and policies on binge drinking among Black Americans attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Two thousand forty-one Black American students, aged 18-53 were asked to complete a brief demographic questionnaire and the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. The 765 male (37.5%) and 1276 female (62.5%) students did not differ significantly in age (p=ns). Following informed consent, students were asked to complete a brief demographic questionnaire and the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. Knowledge of campus drug and alcohol prevention programs significantly influenced binge and non-binge drinking patterns, χ(2)10.22, p=.006. Belief that there was campus level concern about preventing drug and alcohol use also significantly influenced binge and non-binge drinking patterns, χ(2)9.17, p=.01. Knowledge of campus policies did not influence binge drinking patterns. Knowledge of institutional prevention programs are a more potent influence on alcohol consumption on the campuses of HBCUs than knowledge of policies.

We describe an activity that uses cards to simulate evolution. The mechanism of the evolutionary pressure in the simulation is clearly indicated for the students. This simulation is useful for allowing student experimentation by varying conditions.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been associated with several mutations in the gene encoding Human Cardiac Troponin I (HCTnI). A missense mutation, which occurs in the inhibitory region of HCTnI (HCTnIR145G ), replaces an arginine residue at position 145 with a glycine. In an attempt to determine the biochemical and physiological ramifications in muscle contraction due to HCTnIR145G and its association with the disease HCM, this study focused on how the missense mutation within HCTnI affects its inhibitory function and molecular interactions within the troponin complex. Results from several different assays indicate that the inhibitory function of HCTnIR145G in actin-tropomyosin (Tm) activated myosin ATPase assays was significantly reduced as compared to the wildtype protein. In reconstituted thin filament systems, when HCTnIR145G was complexed with HCTnC and HCTnT (TnR145G) only partial inhibition of the actin-Tm activated myosin ATPase activity was observed in the absence of Ca2+ compared to wildtype Tn complex (HCTnT-HCTnI-HCTnC). There was no significant difference in the maximum level of actin-Tm activated myosin ATPase activity between wildtype Tn and TnR145G in the presence of Ca2+ . To study the effects of HCTnIR145G on steady state force development and relaxation of unregulated force, HCTnI and HCTnIR145G complexed with HCTnC were used to reconstitute HCTnT displaced skinned cardiac muscle fibers. The results indicated a significant reduction in the ability of the HCTnC/HCTnIR145G complex to inhibit force in the absence of Ca2+. In addition, skinned fibers reconstituted with the mutant complex were not able to recover maximum force development as compared to the wildtype complex. Moreover, a moderate increase in the Ca2+ dependence of force development was observed in skinned fibers reconstituted with the mutant complex. These results demonstrate impaired inhibition in reconstituted and skinned muscle systems as well as impaired force development and an increase in the Ca2+ sensitivity to force development. HCTnIR145G could be associated with contractile dysfunction in cardiac muscle resulting from abnormal interactions within the thin filament and between the thin filament and thick filament of cardiac muscle. Biacore and fluorescence measurements did not reveal a significant change in the binding affinity between HCTnIR145G and HCTnC in different metal ion buffer conditions. However, the data did reveal a trend in that the WTHCTnI had a lower affinity for HCTnC than HCTnIR145G in the absence of Ca2+. Circular dichroism measurements, to access the effect of the Arg145Gly mutation on the secondary structure of TnI, revealed that the mutation does not change the alpha helical content of the protein. Furthermore, HCTnIR145G co-sediments with the actin-tropomyosin complex in the absence and presence of Ca2+. Clearly, we observe an alteration in the inhibitory function of HCTnIR145G, that could be due to an alteration in the interaction between TnI and TnC. These results do not eliminate the possibility that this mutation has an indirect effect on other troponin subunits that indirectly affects the ability of TnI to inhibit muscle contraction.