Poverty and plenty: the divided American plate

What are the economic, social, political, community and individual actions needed to address short and long-term solutions of food insecurity and poverty? This paper will consider hunger and poverty terms, trends, health and nutrition impacts, as well as consider proposed local, regional, and national intervention solutions and strategie

The New England Food System in 2060: Envisioning Tomorrow\u27s Policy through Today\u27s Assessments

This Essay analyzes how the New England states\u27 planning processes are envisioning revitalized local, state, and regional food systems. This Essay has five parts. First, it begins with examining compelling reasons for promoting more sustainable food systems based on national and global trends, and identifies strategies for promoting regional food systems approaches with a brief introduction to the major influences on the national and New England food system. Second, it describes the states\u27 planning efforts and their enabling legislation or source of authority. The Essay then introduces the New England Food Vision 2060 (the Vision) an emerging discussion of food system possibilities that models potential food production options for the region based on different food based scenarios. The Vision is not a plan or prescription for each state, but rather serves to generate critical thought regarding the direction and aspirations for regional food systems. Likewise, given the goal to have ongoing updates of the Vision, this project will likewise be influenced by individual state plans and strategies. Thus, the Vision represents an opportunity for continuous dynamic interchange among those committed to designing and developing a New England food system Learning Action Network. By applying “collective impact” strategies to food system advancement, the network will be poised to advance regional food justice, food policy access, and system sustainability (i.e., good food). Next, the Essay analyzes the key policy challenges that are presented by a desire for a more self-sufficient regional food system, such as local ordinances, land use and zoning laws, institutional procurement policy, and food access issues. This section offers a brief overview of how the Federal commerce clause (including the dormant commerce clause), and compact clause influence the scope of local, state, and regional policy. Finally, the paper concludes by identifying how the Vision can assist in identifying legal issues that researchers and scholars should focus on when engaging in food system planning now and in the future. This interdisciplinary Essay challenges readers to think critically, and across traditional doctrinal and disciplinary barriers, about the possibilities for New England\u27s “good food” future

A cross-sectional analysis of undergraduate medical student attitudes towards interprofessional education

No abstract available

Protecting the sanctity of human life: The Catholic Church & her relationship with HIV/AIDS prevention

Though prevention is the most stressed component of the global fight against HIV/AIDS, global agreement regarding the most successful prevention method does not exist. For example, the majority of the medical and scientific community agrees that condoms and other safe-sex practices are the key to reducing the number of HIV transmissions, while the Catholic Church and her ranking officials claim that abstinence and monogamy are the only moral solutions. This Thesis examines the policies of the Church, including her dedication to the protection of the sanctity of human life, in an attempt to determine if the Church\u27s words are shaping HIV/AIDS prevention and if there is an opening for a reprioritization on her stance on condoms without abandoning her principles. At the conclusion of this Thesis, it is established that the Church\u27s own policies could support the use of condoms for disease prevention without compromising on her morals or canon

Investigating determinants of macular pigment optical density and macular pigment distribution in adults aged 45--73: Can enhanced analytical techniques improve the ability to predict macular pigment status?

This research assessed the relationships of dietary, sex, and biochemical factors to macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and macular pigment (MP) distribution in 108 adults. Dietary assessment tools were evaluated for their ability to predict MP status. Macular pigment was assessed at four foveal sites and one parafoveal site. An average composite macular pigment value (CMPV) was calculated based on the MPOD results. Group mean MPOD results from most to least central retinal locations, were 0.43 (SE +/- 0.017), 0.36 (SE +/- 0.013), 0.28 (SE +/- 0.012), and 0.13 (SE +/- 0.008), respectively. The CMTV was 0.26 (SE +/- 0.0 11). Those with blue iris color were found to have higher MPOD at the 1.00° (p = 0.008), and 2.00° (p = 0.01) sites and CWV results (p = 0.02) compared to those with hazel eyes. Significantly lower MPOD were evident at the 1.00° (p = 0.02) and 2.00° (p = 0.001) sites and for CMTV (p = 0.02) when BMI ≥ 27 compared to BMI \u3c 27. Higher MPOD were associated with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables using average consumption estimations derived from a seven item fruit and vegetable screening tool, while a 24-hour carotenoid guided food recall did not predict MPOD. Multiple significant linear relationships were detected for dietary intakes of the carotenoids lutein and beta-cryptoxanthin based on FFQ results Additional nutrients with multiple significant associations were vitamins A and C, and iron. Mean serum lutein and lutein/zeaxanthin concentrations for the sample were significantly associated with MPOD at the 0.167°, 0.50°, 1.00° sites, and CMPV results. Cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C were not associated with MPOD while triglycerides were significantly associated with MPOD at the 0.167° (p = 0.03) and 1.00° (p = 0.02) sites. Fasting serum lipoproteins of total cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations were significantly associated with some serum carotenoid concentrations, while LDL-C and HDL-C were not significantly associated with serum carotenoid concentrations

The New England Food System in 2060: Envisioning Tomorrow\u27s Policy Through Today\u27s Assessments

As the local food movement gains critical mass around the country, deep and important issues concerning food system policy arise. The modern American food system spans from agricultural production to food processing to food consumption, and finally, to health outcomes. The system’s components include economic, environmental, social, political, and scientific aspects that interact in ways that far outstrip any one discipline’s capacity to analyze and resolve problems. Additionally, the system is profoundly shaped by a complex architecture of laws and regulation. With much credit to the local and regional food movements, people have begun to question not only the current food system, but also the laws that support it. As this critique moves forward, people are asking what vision exists for the future of food at the local, state, and federal levels. Most New England states have begun this discussion by engaging in state and regional “good food” planning. This Essay analyzes how the New England states’ planning processes are envisioning revitalized local, state, and regional food systems. This Essay has five parts. First, it begins with examining compelling reasons for promoting more sustainable food systems based on national and global trends, and identifies strategies for promoting regional food systems approaches with a brief introduction to the major influences on the national and New England food system. Second, it describes the states’ planning efforts and their enabling legislation or source of authority. The Essay then introduces the New England Food Vision 2060 (the Vision), and emerging discussion of food system possibilities that models potential food production options for the region based on different food based scenarios. The Vision is not a plan or prescription for each state, but rather serves to generate critical thought regarding the direction and aspirations, for regional food systems. Likewise, given the goal to have ongoing updates of the Vision, this project will likewise be influenced by individual state plans and strategies. Thus, the Vision represents an opportunity for continuous dynamic interchange among those committed to designing and developing a New England food system Learning Action Network. By applying “collective impact” strategies to food system advancement, the network will be poised to advance regional food justice, food policy access, and system sustainability (i.e., good food). Next, the Essay analyzes the key policy challenges that are presented by a desire for a more self-sufficient regional food system, such as local ordinances, land use and zoning laws, institutional procurement policy, and food access issues, This section offers a brief overview of how the Federal commerce clause (including the dormant commerce clause), and compact clause influence the scope of local, state, and regional policy. Finally, the paper concludes by identifying how the Vision can assist in identifying legal issues that researchers and scholars should focus on when engaging in food system planning now and in the future. This interdisciplinary Essay challenges readers to think critically, and across traditional doctrinal and disciplinary barriers, about the possibilities for New England’s “good food” future

Mfsd14a disruption causes globozoospermia

The Mfsd14a gene, previously called Hiat1, encodes a transmembrane protein of unknown function with homology to the solute carrier protein family. To study the function of the MFSD14A protein, mutant mice (Mus musculus, strain 129S6Sv/Ev) were generated with the Mfsd14a gene disrupted with a LacZ reporter gene. Homozygous mutant mice are viable and healthy, but males are sterile due to a 100-fold reduction in the number of spermatozoa in the vas deferens. Male mice have adequate levels of testosterone and show normal copulatory behaviour. The few spermatozoa that are formed show rounded head defects similar to those found in humans with globozoospermia. Spermatogenesis proceeds normally up to the round spermatid stage, but the subsequent structural changes associated with spermiogenesis are severely disrupted with failure of acrosome formation, sperm head condensation and mitochondrial localization to the mid-piece of the sperm. Staining for β-galactosidase activity as a surrogate for Mfsd14a expression indicates expression in Sertoli cells, suggesting that MFSD14A may transport a solute from the bloodstream that is required for spermiogenesis.This work was funded by a Ford Physiology Fund Endowment (WHC).This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Bioscientifica via http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/REP-15-055

New England Food Vision: Healthy Food for All, Sustainable Farming and Fishing, Thriving Communities

A New England Food Vision proposes changes in food production, distribution, and consumption reaching from the most rural areas to the densest cities—across the entire food system. The New England Food Vision Writing Team has been working since 2011 to produce a bold vision that calls for our region to build the capacity to produce at least 50% of clean, fair, accessible and just food for New Englanders by 2060. The Vision includes a set of guiding assumptions and calculations that sketch a future in which diverse local and state food systems are supported by and in turn support a regional sustainable food system. The roles of the writing team include production of a New England Food Vision document, including input from regional stakeholders at the annual New England Food Summits, discussions at various meetings, presentations, and via an online survey