Hungry is not safe: A mixed methods study to explore food insecurity in early care and education.

The early care and education (ECE) environment has the potential to affect both children and their families. Food insecurity in ECE and its management may be an important influence. Objectives of this mixed methods study were to (1) elicit prominent themes relating to teacher experiences with food insecurity (in the classroom) through qualitative interviews; (2) translate interview themes into survey items and analyze survey data to explore generalizability of the qualitative findings; and (3) provide preliminary data on properties of a new tool to study the influence of food insecurity in the ECE setting. An exploratory sequential mixed methods design (QUAL → quant) was used. Twenty-eight interviews about teacher experiences with food insecurity were followed by 781 surveys to assess generalizability of interview findings. Qualitative themes highlighted that ECE teachers are concerned about children's food insecurity in their classroom; ECE teachers have developed their own set of strategies to manage their concern; and teachers often struggle with what to do. Quantitative results demonstrated many teachers had the same concerns and used the strategies described in the interviews. Further, in exploratory analyses, ECE teachers with Food Insecurity scored significantly higher on all scales (e.g., Food Insecurity Concerns, Struggle with Addressing Food Security) in both adjusted and unadjusted analyses. ECE teachers with Food Acquisition Stress had higher scores on Strategies to Address Food Insecurity with Families in adjusted analyses.

Real World Tracking of Modified Ride-On Car Usage in Young Children With Disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Go Baby Go is a community program that provides modified ride-on cars to young children with disabilities. AIMS: (1) To describe the real world modified ride-on car usage of young children with disabilities; (2) To compare subjectively reported modified ride-on car usage recorded by parents with objectively reported usage based on electronic tracking data. METHODS: 14 young children (1-3 years old) with disabilities used a modified ride-on car for three months. RESULTS: On average, parent-reported activity log data indicated that children used the modified ride-on car for 17.8 minutes per session (SD = 9.9) and 195.1 total minutes (SD = 234.8) over three months. Objective tracking data indicated 16.5 minutes per session (SD = 8.6) and 171.4 total minutes (SD = 206.1) over three months. No significant difference of modified ride-on car usage was found between parent-reported activity log data and objective tracking; yet, the mean absolute difference between tracking methods was 96 minutes (SD = 8.6) and suggests over- or under-reporting of families. Children used the modified ride-on car more in the first half compared to the second half of the three-month period (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study may inform future research studies and local chapters of the Go Baby Go community program.

A diet containing a high- versus low-daidzein level does not protect against liver steatosis in the obese Zucker rat model.

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide. Obesity increases the risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through adipokine dysregulation and inflammation. Previously, we have reported that a high-isoflavone soy protein isolate (HISPI) diet is associated with significantly heavier body weights and reduced liver steatosis in obese Zucker rats (OZR) compared to a casein diet. The objective of this study was to investigate whether daidzein, a soy isoflavone in HISPI, is responsible for increased body weight gain or reduced liver steatosis. We hypothesized that a casein diet containing high daidzein (HD) compared to low daidzein (LD) would mitigate hepatic steatosis in female OZR. We used 19 five-week-old female OZR (fa/fa). Rats were randomly assigned to a modified AIN-93G diet containing HD (0.121 g kg-1 feed) or LD (0.01 g kg-1 feed). Rats were weighed twice weekly. Feed intake was measured once weekly, and kcal per kg of body weight was calculated. After 8 weeks, rats were sacrificed. Serum and livers were collected. Sections of the liver lobe were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Steatosis was semiquantitated as a score of 1 to 4 based upon the relative degree of steatosis within hepatocytes: (1) <25%, (2) 25%-50%, (3) 50%-75%, and (4) >75%. Serum leptin and adiponectin were measured by ELISA. Our results did not show significant differences in mean liver steatosis scores, body weights, energy intake, and serum leptin and adiponectin levels between diet groups. In conclusion, daidzein may not be the main component of HISPI responsible for increasing body weight or reducing liver steatosis in OZR.

Relationship between level of HbA1C and breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes and cancer are public health issues worldwide; studies have shown that diabetes is related to increased breast cancer mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between HbA1C and obesity with tumor stage and mortality among breast cancer patients. METHODS: Data for 82 patients with breast cancer (36-89 years of age, diagnosed /treated 1999-2009) were provided by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Data Trust Warehouse. Survival time was estimated from start date of service to date of last follow-up or date of death. The Kaplan-Meier method provided analysis of survival curves for two groups of HbA1C (HbA1C < 6.5% vs HbA1C ≥ 6.5%) and two groups of BMI (BMI < 30 vs BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2); survival curves were compared using log-rank tests. Associations between HbA1C and BMI, and between HbA1C and tumor stage were determined by chi-square. RESULTS: The relationship between tumor stages and HbA1C was not statistically significant (X2 = 0.093, p = 0.47, df = 1). The relationship between obesity and HbA1C was statistically significant (X2 = 6.13, p = 0.013, df = 1). Log-rank tests did not show statistically significant differences between survival curves (HbA1C curves, p = 0.4; Obesity curves, p = 0.09). CONCLUSION: While there was a statistically significant association between HbA1C and obesity, there were no significant associations found with this analysis. However, there are clinically meaningful relationships based on observed trends. Future directions for research may involve exploring a larger sample of patients and the role of therapeutic regimens on blood sugar control and BMI of breast cancer patients and influence on cancer prognosis.

Non-Faradaic Electrochemical Detection of Exocytosis from Mast and Chromaffin Cells Using Floating-Gate MOS Transistors.

We present non-faradaic electrochemical recordings of exocytosis from populations of mast and chromaffin cells using chemoreceptive neuron MOS (CνMOS) transistors. In comparison to previous cell-FET-biosensors, the CνMOS features control (CG), sensing (SG) and floating gates (FG), allows the quiescent point to be independently controlled, is CMOS compatible and physically isolates the transistor channel from the electrolyte for stable long-term recordings. We measured exocytosis from RBL-2H3 mast cells sensitized by IgE (bound to high-affinity surface receptors FcεRI) and stimulated using the antigen DNP-BSA. Quasi-static I-V measurements reflected a slow shift in surface potential () which was dependent on extracellular calcium ([Ca]o) and buffer strength, which suggests sensitivity to protons released during exocytosis. Fluorescent imaging of dextran-labeled vesicle release showed evidence of a similar time course, while un-sensitized cells showed no response to stimulation. Transient recordings revealed fluctuations with a rapid rise and slow decay. Chromaffin cells stimulated with high KCl showed both slow shifts and extracellular action potentials exhibiting biphasic and inverted capacitive waveforms, indicative of varying ion-channel distributions across the cell-transistor junction. Our approach presents a facile method to simultaneously monitor exocytosis and ion channel activity with high temporal sensitivity without the need for redox chemistry.

Programmable ion-sensitive transistor interfaces. I. Electrochemical gating.

Electrochemical gating is the process by which an electric field normal to the insulator electrolyte interface shifts the surface chemical equilibrium and further affects the charge in solution [Jiang and Stein, Langmuir 26, 8161 (2010)]. The surface chemical reactivity and double-layer charging at the interface of electrolyte-oxide-semiconductor (EOS) capacitors is investigated. We find a strong pH-dependent hysteresis upon dc potential cycling. Varying salinity at a constant pH does not change the hysteretic window, implying that field-induced surface pH regulation is the dominant cause of hysteresis. We propose and investigate this mechanism in foundry-made floating-gate ion-sensitive field-effect transistors, which can serve as both an ionic sensor and an actuator. Termed the chemoreceptive neuron metal-oxide-semiconductor (CνMOS) transistor, it features independently driven control gates (CGs) and sensing gates (SGs) that are capacitively coupled to an extended floating gate (FG). The SG is exposed to fluid, the CG is independently driven, and the FG is capable of storing charge Q(FG) of either polarity. Asymmetric capacitive coupling between the CG and SG to FG results in intrinsic amplification of the measured surface potential shifts and influences the FG charge injection mechanism. This modified SG surface condition was monitored through transient recordings of the output current, performed under alternate positive and negative CG pulses. Transient recordings revealed a hysteresis where the current was enhanced under negative pulsing and reduced after positive pulsing. This hysteresis effect is similar to that observed with EOS capacitors, suggesting a field-dependent surface charge regulation mechanism at play. At high CG biases, nonvolatile charge Q(FG) tunneling into the FG occurs, which creates a larger field and tunes the pH response and the point of zero charge. This mechanism gives rise to surface programmability. In this paper we describe the operational principles, tunneling mechanism, and role of electrolyte composition under field modulation. The experimental findings are then modeled by a Poisson-Boltzmann formulation with surface pH regulation. We find that surface ionization constants play a dominant role in determining the pH tuning effect. In the following paper [K. Jayant et al., Phys. Rev. E 88, 012802 (2013)] we extend the dual-gate operation to molecular sensing and demonstrate the use of Q(FG) to achieve manipulation of surface-adsorbed DNA.

Programmable ion-sensitive transistor interfaces. II. Biomolecular sensing and manipulation.

The chemoreceptive neuron metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor described in the preceding paper is further used to monitor the adsorption and interaction of DNA molecules and subsequently manipulate the adsorbed biomolecules with injected static charge. Adsorption of DNA molecules onto poly-L-lysine-coated sensing gates (SGs) modulates the floating gate (FG) potential ψ(O), which is reflected as a threshold voltage shift measured from the control gate (CG) V(th_CG). The asymmetric capacitive coupling between the CG and SG to the FG results in V(th_CG) amplification. The electric field in the SG oxide E(SG_ox) is fundamentally different when we drive the current readout with V(CG) and V(ref) (i.e., the potential applied to the CG and reference electrode, respectively). The V(CG)-driven readout induces a larger E(SG_ox), leading to a larger V(th_CG) shift when DNA is present. Simulation studies indicate that the counterion screening within the DNA membrane is responsible for this effect. The DNA manipulation mechanism is enabled by tunneling electrons (program) or holes (erase) onto FGs to produce repulsive or attractive forces. Programming leads to repulsion and eventual desorption of DNA, while erasing reestablishes adsorption. We further show that injected holes or electrons prior to DNA addition either aids or disrupts the immobilization process, which can be used for addressable sensor interfaces. To further substantiate DNA manipulation, we used impedance spectroscopy with a split ac-dc technique to reveal the net interface impedance before and after charge injection.

Integrating immigrant minorities: developing a scale to measure majority members' attitudes toward their own proactive efforts.

The present study is based on the premise that the integration of ethnic minorities may involve more than the majority's expression of tolerance. In order to promote inclusion, the majority may have to play a more active role in the integration process. We describe the development and validation of a new psychometric scale which assesses majority members' attitudes toward their own proactive contribution to the integration of immigrants within three domains: cultural and structural efforts, and openness to diversity. The scale is investigated by analyses of internal structure and exploration of construct validity in relation to relevant social psychological and personality constructs in a sample of 486 Norwegian university students (28% male, mean age = 26.5, SD = 6.08). Factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure and the estimated reliability of an additive scale was satisfactory (Cronbach's α = 0.91). The scale correlated negatively with measures of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation, and positively with global identity. It was weakly related to the personality traits agreeableness, intellect, extraversion, and conscientiousness. The potential utility of the scale in both applied and experimental social psychological studies are discussed.

Globalization, neo-liberalism and community psychology.

A longitudinal analysis (1984-2005) of media language in Norway is presented, demonstrating how the current globalized capitalist market ideology is now permeating this long-established Scandinavian welfare state. This ideological shift carries powerful implications for community psychology, as traditional welfare state values of equal services based on a universalistic principle are set aside, and social and material inequalities are increasingly accepted. The methodology developed in the present study may serve as a "barometer of community changes", to borrow a metaphor used by Sarason (2000).