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Latino early adolescents have a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Interventions to address healthy eating among Latino youth frequently focus on fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Reflection spectroscopy assessed skin carotenoid (SC) levels has been proposed as an easy, noninvasive method to evaluate FV intake, but validation studies involving ethnically diverse youth are lacking.This study aimed to assess the association between reflection spectroscopy-measured SC scores and self-reported FV intake among low-income, urban, Latino early adolescents, controlling for potential confounding factors.This study was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data from a community-based intervention program (Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables) involving Latino fathers and adolescents to improve paternal parenting practices and youth energy balance-related behaviors.Participants were 195 low-income, Latino early adolescents (aged 10 to 14 years). Data were collected in the Minneapolis/St Paul metropolitan area from 2017 to 2020 during fall or winter months.SC scores were measured using reflection spectroscopy, usual intakes of FV and carotenoid compounds were estimated based on the assessment using 24-hour dietary recalls.Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to estimate associations of SC scores and each dietary component and potential confounding factors after assessing variables for inclusion in the analyses.The mean SC score was 225 ± 95. The mean FV and total carotenoid intakes were 3.3 ± 0.5 servings/day and 8,360 ± 786 μg/day, respectively. Higher SC scores were observed among youth who had higher FV (β = .37 and P0.01) or total carotenoid intakes (β = .31 and P0.01). SC scores measured during fall were higher than scores measured during winter. Study participants with higher home FV availability and accessibility had higher SC scores.Findings supported using SC score as a potential easy-to-use indicator of FV intake among Latino youth with consideration of seasonal variation and home FV availability and accessibility.

Frequency of consuming foods prepared away from home has been associated with lower diet quality among adults and adolescents in several earlier studies. Nutrient and food group intake and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores were compared among a U.S. nationally representative sample of adolescents (12–19 years, n = 3975) by frequency of consuming food prepared away from home ≤2 times/week (n = 2311) versus &gt, 2 times/week (n = 1664) using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011–2018. Regression analyses were used to compare intakes among adolescents by frequency of eating meals prepared away from home adjusting for covariates. Older (16–19 years) vs. younger (12–15 years) adolescents and those from homes with higher vs. lower family income to poverty ratios had greater frequency of eating meals prepared away from home. Intakes of nutrients of concern for adolescents including choline, vitamin D, potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, folate, iron, and total HEI-2015 scores and component scores for total vegetables, and greens and beans were lower among adolescents who consumed meals prepared away from home more vs. less often. However, no differences were noted among food group intakes considered good sources of nutrients of concern such as total fruit, total vegetables, whole grains, and total dairy, except for beans and peas by frequency of eating foods prepared away from home. Greater frequency of eating foods prepared away from home was associated with lower diet quality among adolescents in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents.

Alkali-heat DNA extraction, a rapid and economical method, was evaluated for use in the detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in food using real-time PCR assays. Alkali-heat DNA extracts led to highly sensitive detection (102-104 CFU/mL) of stx and O-antigen genes in beef liver, ground beef, sliced pork, cheese, lettuce, radish sprouts, tomato, and spinach, equivalent to the sensitivity obtained using a commercial DNA extraction kit that utilizes proteinase K lysis, and silica membrane purification. Although there were differences in DNA concentration and purity between DNA extraction methods, the sensitivity of real-time PCR assays was similar. These results indicate that alkali-heat DNA extraction is a viable method when testing food products with real-time PCR assays for the presence of stx and O-antigen genes.

Background Food security status has been assessed as a representative score for households; however, different members in the same household may perceive and report food insecurity differently. A high prevalence of food insecurity has been reported among Latino households, therefore understanding differences in reporting food insecurity by Latino father-mother dyads may improve accuracy of assessment and plans to address food insecurity. This study aimed to 1) determine demographic characteristics and/or food-related factors associated with perceptions of food security status among Latino father-mother dyads, and 2) identify factors associated with discordance in perceptions of food insecurity between dyads. Methods Baseline data were used from a community-based, youth obesity prevention program among Latino families (n = 106 father-mother dyads). Food security was assessed with a 2-item food insecurity screen. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between reporting food security status and predictor variables for fathers, mothers, and dyad-discordant responses. Results Food insecurity was reported by 39% of fathers and 55% of mothers. Adjusted odds of reporting food insecurity were significantly higher for fathers perceiving their neighborhood was unsafe vs. safe (OR: 3.7, p OR: 3.2, p OR: 4.1, p OR: 5.5, p OR: 3.4, p OR: 3.1, p Conclusions Differential factors were associated with reporting food security among Latino father-mother dyads. Nutrition education for fathers that improves awareness of home food supplies and a better understanding of how food accessibility influences maternal perceptions may improve dyad discordance in reporting household food security.

Acculturation may influence diet and health outcomes among Asian adults in the U.S., therefore associations were examined between acculturation and diet and health indicators among a population-based sample of U.S. Asian adults. Asian adults (20–65 years) (n = 1401) participating in the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were categorized as less (n = 825) and more acculturated (n = 576) based on an acculturation scale (country of birth, length of U.S. residence, language spoken at home). Food group and nutrient consumption, Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) scores and health indicators were compared by acculturation level using multivariable regression models adjusted for covariates. More versus less acculturated participants were more likely to have higher family incomes and more education. More versus less acculturated participants also had lower HEI-2015 component scores for total vegetables, greens and beans, and added sugars and saturated fats (indicating less conformity to guidelines), lower intakes of dietary fiber, higher intakes of added sugars and solid fats, and higher body mass index. No other associations were observed between acculturation and health and disease indicators. Findings can be used by public health professionals to implement programs tailored to more acculturated U.S. Asian adults to improve diet and health.

Seafood provides nutritional benefits, but is not commonly consumed by most Americans. Regression analyses were used to examine associations between self-reported seafood intake frequency, diet quality and health indicators among U.S. adults (20–65 years) based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2011–2016) (n = 11,478). A low percentage (14 %) consumed seafood ≥8 times/month. The proportion consuming seafood ≥8 times/month was higher among foreign-born compared to U.S.-born adults and those with more education and higher incomes. Individuals consuming seafood intake ≥8 times/month had higher Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores, greater intakes of protein, cholesterol and alcohol, certain vitamins and minerals, most monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fruits, vegetables and total meat, and lower intakes of carbohydrates, total sugars, saturated fatty acids, dairy, refined grains, and solid fats and added sugars than those consuming seafood

Background Latino family-centered, community-based intervention studies to prevent childhood obesity have primarily involved mothers; therefore, little information about father participation is available. A Latino father-focused program to prevent adolescent obesity was conducted with low participation from some fathers. Objective The study aim was to determine factors associated with fathers’ attendance in an adolescent obesity prevention program. Study Design, Settings, Participants Data were from 147 fathers participating in the Padres Preparados, Jovenes Saludables program, a randomized controlled trial to prevent Latino adolescent (10-14 years) obesity. Eight weekly (2-hour) sessions were conducted in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area (2017-2020). Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or waitlist control groups after baseline data collection. Measurable Outcome/Analysis The program facilitator recorded father presence or absence at each session. Attendance data were used in cluster analysis to identify attendance patterns. Predictor variables were measured at baseline with surveys and via anthropometric measures, including demographics, socioeconomic status, adolescent weight status, adolescent weight concerns, food-related activities with adolescents, family meal frequency, food assistance program participation, family stress, number of children, neighborhood safety, assigned group, site, and session season. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between attendance patterns and predictor variables after assessing appropriateness for inclusion in regression models. Results Three attendance patterns were identified for all fathers: consistently high attendance (52%), declining attendance (18%), and non-attendance (30%). Compared to fathers with a consistently high attendance pattern, fathers with a non-attendance pattern were more likely to be assigned to the waitlisted control group (OR: 7.9 [95% CI: 2.6-23.9]; P Conclusion Maintaining contact with control families during waiting periods and providing online sessions to increase flexibility for low-income families could address Latino father non-attendance.

Laser-capture microdissection was used to isolate external germinal layer tissue from three developmental periods of mouse cerebellar development: embryonic days 13, 15, and 18. The cerebellar granule cell-enriched mRNA library was generated with next-generation sequencing using the Helicos technology. Our objective was to discover transcriptional regulators that could be important for the development of cerebellar granule cells-the most numerous neuron in the central nervous system. Through differential expression analysis, we have identified 82 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) from a total of 1311 differentially expressed genes. In addition, with TF-binding sequence analysis, we have identified 46 TF candidates that could be key regulators responsible for the variation in the granule cell transcriptome between developmental stages. Altogether, we identified 125 potential TFs (82 from differential expression analysis, 46 from motif analysis with 3 overlaps in the two sets). From this gene set, 37 TFs are considered novel due to the lack of previous knowledge about their roles in cerebellar development. The results from transcriptome-wide analyses were validated with existing online databases, qRT-PCR, and in situ hybridization. This study provides an initial insight into the TFs of cerebellar granule cells that might be important for development and provide valuable information for further functional studies on these transcriptional regulators.

During mammalian embryogenesis, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) originate from mesoderm-derived endothelial cells in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region and placenta (PL). Later, HSPCs expand in fetal liver (FL) and migrate to bone marrow (BM) shortly before birth. Understanding global transcriptional regulation governing HSPC emergence from embryonic stem/induced pluripotent stem cells is necessary to devise clinical applications, such as novel transplantation approaches. In this study, to assess transcriptional dynamics during development, we performed cap analysis of gene expression on 10 developmental murine HSPC populations isolated from the AGM region, PL, FL, and BM and identified 15,681 transcripts across HSPC ontogeny. We performed microarray analysis of AGM-derived HSPCs at 9.5 and 10.5 days postcoitum (dpc) and identified 40 differentially expressed genes, 23 confirmed as significantly changed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. We conclude that a transcriptional switch point occurs in HSPC ontogeny between 9.5 and 10.5 dpc in the AGM region.

BackgroundCap analysis of gene expression (CAGE) is a 5' sequence tag technology to globally determine transcriptional starting sites in the genome and their expression levels and has most recently been adapted to the HeliScope single molecule sequencer. Despite significant simplifications in the CAGE protocol, it has until now been a labour intensive protocol.MethodologyIn this study we set out to adapt the protocol to a robotic workflow, which would increase throughput and reduce handling. The automated CAGE cDNA preparation system we present here can prepare 96 'HeliScope ready' CAGE cDNA libraries in 8 days, as opposed to 6 weeks by a manual operator.We compare the results obtained using the same RNA in manual libraries and across multiple automation batches to assess reproducibility.ConclusionsWe show that the sequencing was highly reproducible and comparable to manual libraries with an 8 fold increase in productivity. The automated CAGE cDNA preparation system can prepare 96 CAGE sequencing samples simultaneously. Finally we discuss how the system could be used for CAGE on Illumina/SOLiD platforms, RNA-seq and full-length cDNA generation.