Food Regulation in Biblical Law

Everyone needs to eat, yet most societies and many world religions limit the available food supply by practicing some form of dietary restriction. However, biblical law presents a special case because "few [societies] systematically define all animals as permitted or forbidden and invoke divine authority for the instructions." For at least two thousand years, people have wondered why such a complex and comprehensive system of food regulation as is found in biblical law would fail to offer any sort of explanation of its underlying purpose. None of the proposed answers to this question has gained uniform acceptance, and this paper will not attempt to solve this age old puzzle. Instead, I will describe the Bible's food laws and then discuss the various theories that try to answer the question of why these laws were created

Effects of an online hearing conservation program for college musicians

The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an online hearing conservation program for college musicians (n = 24), focusing on short-term changes in knowledge about hearing loss, attitudes towards noise, and beliefs about hearing loss and hearing protection. In addition, this study aimed to determine college musicians’ perceptions of the course content and design to examine the feasibility of using this online platform for the delivery of healthcare information. Study participants completed pre-test and post-test surveys evaluating immediate changes in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. An additional follow-up survey was administered one month after completion of the online hearing conservation program to assess short-term changes. The participants also completed a post-course evaluation to determine the overall strengths and weaknesses of the online hearing conservation program. Based on the data analyses, it appeared that following participation in the online hearing conservation program, college musicians demonstrated certain positive changes related to hearing loss. A series of Wilcoxon-signed rank tests used to analyze pre-test, post-test, and follow-up knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs demonstrated statistically significant improvements in knowledge about hearing loss and beliefs about hearing loss and hearing protection use. Descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis were used to determine college musicians’ perceptions of the online hearing conservation program content and design. Based on these analyses it appeared that the online hearing conservation program was well-received by college musicians. Participants widely agreed that the course increased their knowledge related to hearing loss, presented content in an organized manner, and was organized in a way that helped them learn. The results of this study suggest that the online hearing conservation program represents a dynamic, interactive, and time- and cost-effective alternative to traditional face-to-face hearing education courses for college musicians. While future research should use larger samples of musicians and focus on long-term changes in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs, the online hearing conservation program presented in this study will provide music educators with a new and alternative way to promote hearing health, while indirectly cultivating a culture of responsibility and accountability related to hearing health in music

An Extremely Compensatible Cigarette by Design: Documentary Evidence on Industry Awareness and Reactions to the Barclay Filter Design Cheating the Tar Testing System

BACKGROUND; The Barclay cigarette (Brown & Williamson) was introduced in 1980 in the USA in the most expensive launch in history. In the USA and around the world, Barclay was later determined to have a grooved filter design that was compromised by human smokers in the normal act of smoking, but that was measured as ultra-low tar using the standard tar testing protocol. OBJECTIVES; To evaluate whether Brown & Williamson knew of the compensatability of Barclay during the design process and before it was released; to evaluate initial responses of competing tobacco companies to Barclay, before complaints were made to the Federal Trade Commission in 1981.METHODS; Internet databases of industry documents (Tobacco Documents Online, Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, Brown & Williamson Litigation discovery website, Guildford and major company websites) were searched using key words, key dates, and targeted searches. Documents related specifically to the development, evaluation and release of the Barclay cigarette and related to the responses by competing tobacco companies were examined. RESULTS; Documents indicate the manufacturer was aware of Barclay design problems and was planning, before release, to respond to criticism. Competing companies quickly detected the filter groove stratagem and considered developing their own similar filter, but eventually backed off. CONCLUSION; The design problems with Barclay were readily understood by cigarette manufacturers, including the maker of Barclay, before official governmental evaluations occurred. Testing involving measured exposures to human smokers may in the end be crucial to identifying problems with novel cigarette designs

Estrogen- and Progesterone (P4)-Mediated Epigenetic Modifications of Endometrial Stromal Cells (EnSCs) and/or Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSCs) in the Etiopathogenesis of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammatory condition in which endometrial tissue appears outside the uterine cavity. Because ectopic endometriosis cells express both estrogen and progesterone (P4) receptors, they grow and undergo cyclic proliferation and breakdown similar to the endometrium. This debilitating gynecological disease affects up to 15% of reproductive aged women. Despite many years of research, the etiopathogenesis of endometrial lesions remains unclear. Retrograde transport of the viable menstrual endometrial cells with retained ability for attachment within the pelvic cavity, proliferation, differentiation and subsequent invasion into the surrounding tissue constitutes the rationale for widely accepted implantation theory. Accordingly, the most abundant cells in the endometrium are endometrial stromal cells (EnSCs). These cells constitute a particular population with clonogenic activity that resembles properties of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). Thus, a significant role of stem cell-based dysfunction in formation of the initial endometrial lesions is suspected. There is increasing evidence that the role of epigenetic mechanisms and processes in endometriosis have been underestimated. The importance of excess estrogen exposure and P4 resistance in epigenetic homeostasis failure in the endometrial/endometriotic tissue are crucial. Epigenetic alterations regarding transcription factors of estrogen and P4 signaling pathways in MSCs are robust in endometriotic tissue. Thus, perspectives for the future may include MSCs and EnSCs as the targets of epigenetic therapies in the prevention and treatment of endometriosis. Here, we reviewed the current known changes in the epigenetic background of EnSCs and MSCs due to estrogen/P4 imbalances in the context of etiopathogenesis of endometriosis

Global Health Governance and the Commercial Sector: A Documentary Analysis of Tobacco Company Strategies to Influence the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Heide Weishaar and colleagues did an analysis of internal tobacco industry documents together with other data and describe the industry's strategic response to the proposed World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

\u27Treats\u27, \u27sometimes foods\u27, \u27junk\u27: A qualitative study exploring \u27extra foods\u27 with parents of young children

Objective The present study investigated parents\u27 understanding and approaches to providing energy-dense and nutrient-poor \u27extra foods\u27 to pre-school children and explored variation between parents of low and high socio-economic status in relation to these issues. Design We conducted thirteen focus groups. Data were subject to framework analysis. Setting Child-care centres in distinctly socially disadvantaged and socially advantaged areas. Subjects Eighty-eight parents of children aged 3-5 years. Results The three most common terms parents identified to describe foods that are not \u27everyday foods\u27 were \u27treats\u27, \u27sometimes foods\u27 and \u27junk\u27. Parents\u27 perceptions regarding what influences them in providing food to their children included seven sub-themes: (i) the influence of the child; (ii) food-related parenting practices; (iii) health considerations; (iv) food costs and convenience; (v) external factors perceived as influencing their child; (vi) factors related to child care; and (vii) social influences and occasions. Parents\u27 decision-making processes regarding provision of \u27extra foods\u27 related to moderation and balance. Parents generally expressed the position that as long as a child is eating healthy foods, then treats are appropriate; and for many parents, this might apply frequently. All groups described the health of their child as an influence, but parents in low socio-economic groups were more likely to describe immediate concerns (dental health, behaviour) in relation to avoiding sugar-dense food or drink. Conclusions The belief that provision of \u27extra foods\u27 can be frequent as long as children are eating a healthy balance of foods is factored into parents\u27 decision making. Challenging this belief may be important for reducing the consumption of \u27extra foods\u27 by young children