Television viewing, food preferences, and food habits among children: A prospective epidemiological study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obesity has increased since the early 1980s, and despite numerous attempts, effective strategies to counter this worldwide epidemic are lacking. Food preferences are established early in life and are difficult to change later. There is therefore a need to identify factors that influence the development of food preferences. Our aim was therefore, to investigate cross-sectional and prospective associations between TV viewing habits and food preferences and habits, respectively. We hypothesized that more TV viewing was associated with less healthy concomitant and future food preferences and food habits.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data are from the Danish part of European Youth Heart Study (EYHS) I and II, a prospective cohort study conducted among 8-10-year-old and 14-16-year-old Danes in 1997-98. Six years later 2003-04 the 8-10-year-olds were followed up at age 14-16 years, and a new group of 8-10-year olds were included. Data were analysed using mixed linear regression analysis. Cross-sectional analyses included 697 8-10-year-olds and 495 14-16-year-olds. Prospective analyses included 232 pupils with complete data at baseline and follow-up. Associations between TV viewing habits and the sum of healthy food preferences (ΣHFP), and the sum of healthy food habits (ΣHFH), respectively, were examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Inverse cross-sectional associations between TV viewing (h/day) and both ΣHFP and ΣHFH were present for both the 8-10-year-old and the 14-16-year-old boys and girls. The frequency of meals in front of the TV (times/week) was also inversely associated with ΣHFP among 8-10-year-old boys, and with ΣHFH in all sex- and age groups. Among girls, baseline TV viewing (h/day) was directly associated with adverse development in the ΣHFP during follow-up. The concomitant 6-year changes in ΣHFH and TV viewing (h/day) were inversely associated in boys.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Long time spent on TV viewing, and possibly to a lesser degree, frequent consumption of meals during TV viewing, seem to be associated with generally having unhealthy food preferences and food habits among school-aged children. These associations, however, were not generally persistent after 6 years of follow-up.</p

An efficient approach to finding Siraitia grosvenorii triterpene biosynthetic genes by RNA-seq and digital gene expression analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Siraitia grosvenorii </it>(Luohanguo) is an herbaceous perennial plant native to southern China and most prevalent in Guilin city. Its fruit contains a sweet, fleshy, edible pulp that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The major bioactive constituents in the fruit extract are the cucurbitane-type triterpene saponins known as mogrosides. Among them, mogroside V is nearly 300 times sweeter than sucrose. However, little is known about mogrosides biosynthesis in <it>S. grosvenorii</it>, especially the late steps of the pathway.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, a cDNA library generated from of equal amount of RNA taken from <it>S. grosvenorii </it>fruit at 50 days after flowering (DAF) and 70 DAF were sequenced using Illumina/Solexa platform. More than 48,755,516 high-quality reads from a cDNA library were generated that was assembled into 43,891 unigenes. De novo assembly and gap-filling generated 43,891 unigenes with an average sequence length of 668 base pairs. A total of 26,308 (59.9%) unique sequences were annotated and 11,476 of the unique sequences were assigned to specific metabolic pathways by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. cDNA sequences for all of the known enzymes involved in mogrosides backbone synthesis were identified from our library. Additionally, a total of eighty-five cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and ninety UDP-glucosyltransferase (UDPG) unigenes were identified, some of which appear to encode enzymes responsible for the conversion of the mogroside backbone into the various mogrosides. Digital gene expression profile (DGE) analysis using Solexa sequencing was performed on three important stages of fruit development, and based on their expression pattern, seven <it>CYP450</it>s and five <it>UDPG</it>s were selected as the candidates most likely to be involved in mogrosides biosynthesis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A combination of RNA-seq and DGE analysis based on the next generation sequencing technology was shown to be a powerful method for identifying candidate genes encoding enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of novel secondary metabolites in a non-model plant. Seven <it>CYP450</it>s and five <it>UDPG</it>s were selected as potential candidates involved in mogrosides biosynthesis. The transcriptome data from this study provides an important resource for understanding the formation of major bioactive constituents in the fruit extract from <it>S. grosvenorii</it>.</p

Cure of Chronic Viral Infection and Virus-Induced Type 1 Diabetes by Neutralizing Antibodies

The use of neutralizing antibodies is one of the most successful methods to interfere with receptor–ligand interactions in vivo. In particular blockade of soluble inflammatory mediators or their corresponding cellular receptors was proven an effective way to regulate inflammation and/or prevent its negative consequences. However, one problem that comes along with an effective neutralization of inflammatory mediators is the general systemic immunomodulatory effect. It is, therefore, important to design a treatment regimen in a way to strike at the right place and at the right time in order to achieve maximal effects with minimal duration of immunosuppression or hyperactivation. In this review, we reflect on two examples of how short time administration of such neutralizing antibodies can block two distinct inflammatory consequences of viral infection. First, we review recent findings that blockade of IL-10/IL-10R interaction can resolve chronic viral infection and second, we reflect on how neutralization of the chemokine CXCL10 can abrogate virus-induced type 1 diabetes

Determinantes do comportamento alimentar: uma revisão com enfoque na família Determinants of eating behavior: a review focusing on the family

O comportamento alimentar ocupa atualmente um papel central na prevenção e no tratamento de doenças. A alimentação durante a infância, ao mesmo tempo em que é importante para o crescimento e desenvolvimento, pode também representar um dos principais fatores de prevenção de algumas doenças na fase adulta. Freqüentemente a família, os fatores sociais e os ambientais podem influenciar o padrão alimentar das crianças. O objetivo desta revisão foi abordar os diversos fatores ambientais envolvidos na aquisição de hábitos alimentares na infância. Os artigos selecionados foram pesquisados nas bases de dados Medline e SciELO considerando o período de 1978 a 2007. Foram utilizados os termos em ingles: children's eating patterns, children's dietary quality, determinants of children's eating patterns e em português. São apresentados os resultados de algumas investigações mais relevantes nesta área. Embora alguns desses fatores sejam inatos e, por isso, necessitem de um controle mais rigoroso, ressalta-se o papel determinante da família na formação dos hábitos alimentares saudáveis, pois a modificação de um hábito alimentar durante a fase adulta tem, em geral, alta taxa de insucesso. Além disso, outros fatores, como a escola, a rede social, as condições socioeconômicas e culturais, são potencialmente modificáveis e influenciam no processo de construção dos hábitos alimentares da criança e, conseqüentemente, do indivíduo adulto.<br>Eating behavior currently has a central role in the prevention and treatment of illnesses. Eating patterns during childhood, while important for growth and development, also represent one of the main factors that can prevent diseases in adulthood. Such eating patterns are frequently influenced by family, social and environmental factors. The objective of this review was to approach the many environmental factors involved in the acquisition of eating habits during childhood. The selected articles dating from 1978 to 2007 were found in the Medline and SciELO databases. The following keywords were used in Portuguese and English: children's eating patterns, children's dietary quality and determinants of children's eating patterns. The results of some more relevant researches in this area are presented. Although some factors are innate and thus need a more rigorous control, the determinant role played by the family in forming healthy eating habits is emphasized since attempts to modify eating habits during adulthood usually fail. Additionally, other factors such as school, social network and cultural and socioeconomic conditions are potentially modifiable and influence the process of building the child's eating habits and so that of the adult