Dorsolateral Striatum Engagement Interferes with Early Discrimination Learning.

In current models, learning the relationship between environmental stimuli and the outcomes of actions involves both stimulus-driven and goal-directed systems, mediated in part by the DLS and DMS, respectively. However, though these models emphasize the importance of the DLS in governing actions after extensive experience has accumulated, there is growing evidence of DLS engagement from the onset of training. Here, we used in vivo photosilencing to reveal that DLS recruitment interferes with early touchscreen discrimination learning.

Identification of a novel gene regulating amygdala-mediated fear extinction.

Recent years have seen advances in our understanding of the neural circuits associated with trauma-related disorders, and the development of relevant assays for these behaviors in rodents. Although inherited factors are known to influence individual differences in risk for these disorders, it has been difficult to identify specific genes that moderate circuit functions to affect trauma-related behaviors. Here, we exploited robust inbred mouse strain differences in Pavlovian fear extinction to uncover quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with this trait.

Chronic Ethanol During Adolescence Impacts Corticolimbic Dendritic Spines and Behavior.

Background: Risk for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in adulthood is linked to alcohol drinking during adolescence, but understanding of the neural and behavioral consequences of alcohol exposure during adolescence remains incomplete. Here, we examined the neurobehavioral impact of adolescent chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) vapor exposure in mice.

Methods: C57BL/6J-background Thy1-EGFP mice were CIE-exposed during adolescence or adulthood and examined, as adults, for alterations in the density and morphology of dendritic spines in infralimbic (IL) cortex, prelimbic (PL) cortex, and basolateral amygdala (BLA).

Using Secondary 24-Hour Dietary Recall Data to Estimate Daily Dietary Factor Intake From the FLASHE Study Dietary Screener.

Introduction: The National Cancer Institute's 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study utilized a 27-item Dietary Screener tailored to adolescent eating patterns that assessed the frequency of intake of several foods and beverages in parent-adolescent dyads. This study estimated intake of fruits and vegetables (FVs), dairy, added sugars, and whole grains for screener respondents using existing, nationally representative, 24-hour dietary recall data.

Methods: Dietary Screener items were converted from frequency responses to daily intake.

Characterizing Rural Food Access in Remote Areas.

Residents of rural areas may have limited access to healthy foods, leading to higher incidence of diet related health issues. Smaller grocers in rural areas experience challenges in maintaining fresh produce and other healthy foods available for customers. This study assessed the rural food environment in northeast Lower Michigan in order to inform healthy food financing projects such as the Michigan Good Food Fund.

The Future of the Small Rural Grocery Store: A Qualitative Exploration.

Objectives: Rural communities face unique challenges to and opportunities for offering more healthful foods and are often understudied in comparison to their urban counterparts. The purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative assessment of rural storeowners' perceptions of their communities, their business practices, and factors that influences their viability, sustainability, and ability to support healthy food choices.

Methods: We conducted interviews with storeowners (N = 15) in small stores in rural Nebraska and explored perceptions of business practices, role in the community, and consumer demand for more healthful foods.

Auxiliary measures to assess factors related to food insecurity: Preliminary testing and baseline characteristics of newly designed hunger-coping scales.

The objective of this paper is to describe the development and preliminary testing of new scales to assess hunger-coping behaviors in a very low-income population. Very low-income adults (≥ 19 years), caregivers to at least one child (n = 306) completed a survey in a community setting (e.g.

Features in Grocery Stores that Motivate Shoppers to Buy Healthier Foods, ConsumerStyles 2014.

Unlabelled: We examined nine features in grocery stores shoppers reported motivated them to purchase more healthful foods in the past month. Features were compiled from common supermarket practices for each of the 4 Ps of marketing: pricing, placement, promotion, and product. We examined percentages of the features overall and by shopping frequency using Chi square tests from a 2014 cross sectional web-based health attitudes and behaviors survey, ConsumerStyles.

Household food insecurity as a determinant of overweight and obesity among low-income Hispanic subgroups: Data from the 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey.

An estimated 78% of Hispanics in the United States (US) are overweight or obese. Household food insecurity, a condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food, has been associated with obesity rates among Hispanic adults in the US. However, the Hispanic group is multi-ethnic and therefore associations between obesity and food insecurity may not be constant across Hispanic country of origin subgroups.

Prefrontal inputs to the amygdala instruct fear extinction memory formation.

Persistent anxiety after a psychological trauma is a hallmark of many anxiety disorders. However, the neural circuits mediating the extinction of traumatic fear memories remain incompletely understood. We show that selective, in vivo stimulation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)-amygdala pathway facilitated extinction memory formation, but not retrieval.

Development and Testing of a Revised Cooking Matters for Adults Survey.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to: (1) develop and psychometrically test a survey designed to assess Cooking Matters for Adults (CMA); and (2) assess changes in outcomes from pre- to post-pilot testing in English-speaking CMA classes to support the construct validity of the survey.

Methods: Cognitive interviewing participants were drawn from a low-income convenience sample in Omaha, Nebraska (N = 21). The survey included items to assess dietary patterns and choices, sociodemographics, and psychosocial correlates.

Factors influencing food preparation behaviours: findings from focus groups with Mexican-American mothers in southern California.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to explore food preparation behaviours, attitudes, meal planning and shopping among Mexican-American mothers.

Design: Data were collected through four focus groups with mothers of Mexican origin/ancestry who considered themselves to be the primary food preparer. Topics included food preparation behaviours and influencers (culture, family, attitudes, barriers, meal planning and shopping).

A workplace farmstand pilot programme in Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of a workplace farmstand programme through the utilization of an online ordering system to build awareness for local food systems, encourage community participation, and increase local fruit and vegetable availability.

Design: A 4-week pilot to explore feasibility of workplace farmstand programmes through a variety of outcome measures, including survey, mode of sale, weekly sales totals and intercept interviews.

Setting: A large private company in Sarpy County, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

Nutrition-related policy and environmental strategies to prevent obesity in rural communities: a systematic review of the literature, 2002-2013.

Introduction: Residents of rural communities in the United States are at higher risk for obesity than their urban and suburban counterparts. Policy and environmental-change strategies supporting healthier dietary intake can prevent obesity and promote health equity. Evidence in support of these strategies is based largely on urban and suburban studies; little is known about use of these strategies in rural communities.

Fruits and vegetables as a healthier snack throughout the day among families with older children: findings from a survey of parent-child dyads.

Most U.S. youth fail to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables (FV) however many consume too many calories as added sugars and solid fats, often as snacks.

Development and implementation of the National Cancer Institute's Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey to assess correlates of fruit and vegetable intake in adults.

Background: Low fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is a leading risk factor for chronic disease globally as well as in the United States. Much of the population does not consume the recommended servings of FV daily. This paper describes the development of psychosocial measures of FV intake for inclusion in the U.

Developing an agenda for research about policies to improve access to healthy foods in rural communities: a concept mapping study.

Background: Policies that improve access to healthy, affordable foods may improve population health and reduce health disparities. In the United States most food access policy research focuses on urban communities even though residents of rural communities face disproportionately higher risk for nutrition-related chronic diseases compared to residents of urban communities. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the factors associated with access to healthy, affordable food in rural communities in the United States; and (2) prioritize a meaningful and feasible rural food policy research agenda.

Mechanisms to medicines: elucidating neural and molecular substrates of fear extinction to identify novel treatments for anxiety disorders.

The burden of anxiety disorders is growing, but the efficacy of available anxiolytic treatments remains inadequate. Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders focuses on identifying and modifying maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving, and has a testable analogue in rodents in the form of fear extinction. A large preclinical literature has amassed in recent years describing the neural and molecular basis of fear extinction in rodents.

The food and water system: impacts on obesity.

The Weight of the Nation™ (WON) conference was held in Washington, D.C. This article presents the issues and topics presented and discussed within the Food and Water System: Agriculture, Access and Sustainability track.

Stakeholders' interest in and challenges to implementing farm-to-school programs, Douglas County, Nebraska, 2010-2011.

Introduction: Schools are uniquely positioned to influence the dietary habits of children, and farm-to-school programs can increase fruit and vegetable consumption among school-aged children. We assessed the feasibility of, interest in, and barriers to implementing farm-to-school activities in 7 school districts in Douglas County, Nebraska.

Methods: We used a preassessment and postassessment survey to obtain data from 3 stakeholder groups: school food service directors, local food producers, and food distributors.

Prefrontal single-unit firing associated with deficient extinction in mice.

The neural circuitry mediating fear extinction has been increasingly well studied and delineated. The rodent infralimbic subregion (IL) of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been found to promote extinction, whereas the prelimbic cortex (PL) demonstrates an opposing, pro-fear, function. Studies employing in vivo electrophysiological recordings have observed that while increased IL single-unit firing and bursting predicts robust extinction retrieval, increased PL firing can correlate with sustained fear and poor extinction.

New NSLP guidelines: challenges and opportunities for nutrition education practitioners and researchers.

The recent revisions of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) requirements are designed to align with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The introduction and implementation of the new NSLP has been received with positive and negative reactions from school food professionals, students, parents, and teachers. To promote student health, this is an important time for policy makers, practitioners, and researchers to implement and evaluate strategies to support the new NSLP guidelines.

It is better to be a fat ex-smoker than a thin smoker: findings from the 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey-National Death Index linkage study.

Objective: The aim of this research was to compare the risk of all-cause mortality and mortality from all cancers combined, lung cancer, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus between normal-weight smokers and overweight or obese ex-smokers.

Methods: Data were from 1997 to 2004 National Health Interview Survey (with response rates ranging from 70% to 80%) which were linked to records in the National Death Index. Mortality follow-up was through 31 December 2006.

The Validity and reliability of the Comprehensive Home Environment Survey (CHES).

Few comprehensive measures exist to assess contributors to childhood obesity within the home, specifically among low-income populations. The current study describes the modification and psychometric testing of the Comprehensive Home Environment Survey (CHES), an inclusive measure of the home food, physical activity, and media environment related to childhood obesity. The items were tested for content relevance by an expert panel and piloted in the priority population.