The Gleaning Workshop Project; A Workshop Curriculum for the Heartside Gleaning Initiative of Grand Rapids, MI

The Heartside Gleaning Initiative Project, founded by Grand Valley professor Lisa Sisson, has made incredible strides in its mere one season of operation. The project gathers unsold produce from the two local Grand Rapids farmers markets, and brings it to lower-income residents of the Heartside Neighborhood of the city. These residents don’t have access to this bounty of produce regularly, and the Gleaning Initiative Project has made the possibility of regularly having such fruits and vegetables more of a reality. While this project has undeniably made great waves of progress in the well-being and nutrition of the Heartside Neighborhood, one primary issue is that many of the recipients don’t have substantial experience in cooking with a wide array of vegetables. The goal of the Gleaning Workshop Project is to provide the residents of the Heartside Neighborhood with a basis of techniques, tips, and practices to aid them in preparing the produce they receive from the Gleaning Initiative Project. The Gleaning Workshop’s plan is to conduct eight workshops per year, each focusing on a different aspect of nutrition and food preparation. Our hope is to develop a well-balanced curriculum of workshops, that will both aid and inspire the recipients of Gleaning Initiative produce in making healthy and delicious food choices

The Impact of an Online Happiness Course on Subjective Happiness Among College Students

Background: This research examined the subjective happiness of students enrolled in either a 5-week happiness or a 5-week recreational course, both administered online. Studies have shown improvements in college students’ well-being after teaching them behavior modification strategies, in a face-to-face setting, similar to those implemented in the present study. In addition, the past three decades of research on positive psychology has provided extensive evidence of the beneficial impact of happiness, or positive psychological interventions (PPIs), on various aspects of well-being. These include emotional variables related to stress.Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an evidence-based online happiness course on subjective happiness among college students. Methods: Participants (N = 74) were self-selected based on course enrollment. The population of interest was college students (18 – 22 years of age). An online survey methodology was utilized for data collection of pretest/posttest measures of subjective happiness.Results: Participants in both the happiness and recreational courses reported increased measures of subjective happiness, although there was no significant difference between group meansConclusion: Future research investigating university-based happiness courses and other interventions, using a variety of delivery formats, is recommended to determine the most effective ways to improve overall happiness in student populations

Dietary changes associated with an intervention to reduce sedentary behavior in women

Master of ScienceDepartment of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and HealthSara K. RosenkranzEvidence from physical activity interventions suggests that women, in particular, may overcompensate for exercise energy expenditure by increasing caloric intake. Sedentary behavior and poor diet quality are independent risk factors for many major chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is unknown whether insufficiently active women alter dietary quality or caloric intake when participating in an intervention to reduce sedentary behavior. Insufficiently active women (n=49) working full-time sedentary jobs were randomized into one of two 8-week sedentary interventions occurring during the work week [short breaks (SB) (1-2 min every half hour, n=24) or long breaks (LB) (15 min twice daily, n=25)]. Dietary information was collected through 3-day food records at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Dietary quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010). CVD risk factors (systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), fasting cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose, and body mass index) were assessed at baseline and week 8. For all participants there were no changes in AHEI-2010 scores over time (baseline: M=53.4, 95% CI [49.2, 57.6], week 4: M=50.3, 95% CI [45.9, 54.7], week 8: M=48.4, 95% CI [44.1, 52.7], p>0.05). Average caloric intake in the SB group (baseline: M=1943.8 kcals/day, 95% CI [1716.2, 2171.5], week 4: M=1728.8 kcals/day, 95% CI [1462.4, 1995.2], week 8: M=1616.8 kcals/day, 95% CI [1450.2, 1783.4]) decreased significantly from baseline to week 4 (p=0.015) and baseline to week 8 (p=0.002). There were no significant changes in caloric intake in the LB group (p>0.05) at either time point. In all participants, absolute changes in LDL were positively correlated with absolute changes in caloric intake (r=0.473, p=0.005). There were no other significant associations between changes in dietary quality or caloric intake with changes in any other CVD risk factor (p>0.05). Following an 8-week sedentary intervention in the workplace, insufficiently active women did not alter their dietary quality, but decreased caloric intake. Future research should explore sedentary interventions compared to physical activity interventions in women as a means to create negative energy balance, as sedentary breaks throughout the day may be effective for improving health outcomes

Does dietary intake change during an intervention to reduce sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease risk? A randomized comparative effectiveness trial

Citation: Casey, K., Mailey, E. L., Rosenkranz, R. R., Swank, A., Ablah, E., & Rosenkranz, S. K. (2018). Does dietary intake change during an intervention to reduce sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease risk? A randomized comparative effectiveness trial. BMC Nutrition, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-018-0223-1Background: Evidence from physical activity interventions suggests that women, in particular, may overcompensate for exercise energy expenditure by increasing caloric intake. Sedentary behavior and poor dietary quality are independent risk factors for many major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether insufficiently active women, accumulating less than 60 min per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, alter caloric intake or dietary quality when participating in an 8-week intervention to reduce sedentary behavior and CVD risk. A secondary aim was to determine whether the two treatment groups differed from one another in dietary intake while participating in the intervention. Methods: Insufficiently active women (n = 49) working full-time sedentary jobs were randomized to one of two treatment groups to reduce sedentary behavior during the workweek: short-break (1–2 min breaks from sitting every half hour, SB), or long-break (15 min breaks from sitting twice daily, LB). Three-day food records were collected at baseline, week 4 and week 8. Dietary quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010). Risk factors for CVD were assessed at baseline and week 8. Results: For all participants, average caloric intake decreased significantly from baseline to week 8 by approximately 12% (Δ = − 216.0 kcals, p = 0.003). Average caloric intake decreased significantly over time for the SB group (Δ = − 369.6 kcals, p = 0.004), but not the LB group (Δ = − 179.5 kcals, p = 0.17). There was no significant difference between SB and LB groups with regard to calories from baseline to week 8 (F = 0.51, p = 0.48). Total AHEI-2010 scores did not decrease significantly for all participants (Δ = − 4.0, p = 0.14), SB (Δ = − 5.2, p = 0.16), or LB groups (Δ = − 4.5, p = 0.67). Conclusions: Following an 8-week intervention to reduce sedentary time, insufficiently active women decreased caloric intake over time, however there were no differences between SB and LB groups. In all participants, dietary quality was not altered over time. Future studies should explore sedentary reduction interventions compared to physical activity interventions as a means to create negative energy balance, as frequent sedentary breaks may be effective for improving health outcomes in women. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT02609438, retrospectively registered November 20, 2015

Prospectus, September 5, 2012

PC HOSTS SECOND ANNUAL KICK FOR THE CURE TOURNAMENT, What You Need to Know About Bicycling, Debate Team Looks to Continue Success, Parkland Honors Program Provides Outlet for Academic Excellence, Parkland Hosts High Noon Lecture with Derek Dallas, Buster Bytes\u27 Guide to Crowd Funding, Candidate Statements for Fall Election, New Fitness Center Exceeding Expectations, Parkland Volleyball Bounce Back After Tournament, Review of Circa Survive\u27s Violent Waveshttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2012/1018/thumbnail.jp

Hypertension Education and the Burlington Housing Authority

Background: • 2/3 seniors are hypertensive (\u3e140/90 mm Hg) • Hypertension is the most common risk factor for premature heart disease and stroke • Non-modifiable risk factors: race, age, sex, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia • Modifiable risk factors: smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol • Clinical trials show that lifestylemodification and medications can reduce the incidence of adverse outcomes associated with hypertension • Patient education is a high priorityhttps://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1026/thumbnail.jp

Establishment of a gnotobiotic pig model of Clostridioides difficile infection and disease

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium known to be the most common cause of hospital-acquired and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. C. difficile infection rates are on the rise worldwide and treatment options are limited, indicating a clear need for novel therapeutics. Gnotobiotic piglets are an excellent model to reproduce the acute pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) caused by C. difficile due to their physiological similarities to humans and high susceptibility to infection. Here, we established a gnotobiotic pig model of C. difficile infection and disease using a hypervirulent strain. C. difficile-infected pigs displayed classic signs of C. difficile infection, including severe diarrhea and weight loss. Inoculated pigs had severe gross and microscopic intestinal lesions. C. difficile infection caused an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines in samples of serum, large intestinal contents, and pleural effusion. C. difficile spores and toxins were detected in the feces of inoculated animals as tested by anaerobic culture and cytotoxicity assays. Successful establishment of this model is key for future work as therapeutics can be evaluated in an environment that accurately mimics what happens in humans. The model is especially suitable for evaluating potential prophylactics and therapeutics, including vaccines and passive immune strategies.Instituto de VirologíaFil: Nyblade, Charlotte. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Parreño, Gladys Viviana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Parreño, Gladys Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Parreño, Gladys Viviana. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Zhou, Peng. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Hensley, Casey. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Oakes, Vanessa. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Mahsoub, Hassan M. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Mahsoub, Hassan M. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod‑Borne Pathogens; Estados UnidosFil: Kiley, Kelsey. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Frazier, Maggie. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Frazier, Annie. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Zhang, Yongrong. University of Maryland at Baltimore. Department of Microbial Pathogenesis; Estados UnidosFil: Feng, Hanping. University of Maryland at Baltimore. Department of Microbial Pathogenesis; Estados UnidosFil: Yuan, Lijuan. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Estados UnidosFil: Yuan, Lijuan. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod‑Borne Pathogens; Estados Unido

Composition of the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) complex in Drosophila melanogaster

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is caused by homozygous mutations in the human survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. SMN protein has a well-characterized role in the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), core components of the spliceosome. SMN is part of an oligomeric complex with core binding partners, collectively called Gemins. Biochemical and cell biological studies demonstrate that certain Gemins are required for proper snRNP assembly and transport. However, the precise functions of most Gemins are unknown. To gain a deeper understanding of the SMN complex in the context of metazoan evolution, we investigated its composition in Drosophila melanogaster. Using transgenic flies that exclusively express Flag-tagged SMN from its native promoter, we previously found that Gemin2, Gemin3, Gemin5, and all nine classical Sm proteins, including Lsm10 and Lsm11, co-purify with SMN. Here, we show that CG2941 is also highly enriched in the pulldown. Reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation reveals that epitope-tagged CG2941 interacts with endogenous SMN in Schneider2 cells. Bioinformatic comparisons show that CG2941 shares sequence and structural similarity with metazoan Gemin4. Additional analysis shows that three other genes (CG14164, CG31950 and CG2371) are not orthologous to Gemins 6-7-8, respectively, as previously suggested. In D.melanogaster, CG2941 is located within an evolutionarily recent genomic triplication with two other nearly identical paralogous genes (CG32783 and CG32786). RNAi-mediated knockdown of CG2941 and its two close paralogs reveals that Gemin4 is essential for organismal viability

Composition of the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) Complex in \u3cem\u3eDrosophila melanogaster\u3c/em\u3e

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is caused by homozygous mutations in the human survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. SMN protein has a well-characterized role in the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), core components of the spliceosome. SMN is part of an oligomeric complex with core binding partners, collectively called Gemins. Biochemical and cell biological studies demonstrate that certain Gemins are required for proper snRNP assembly and transport. However, the precise functions of most Gemins are unknown. To gain a deeper understanding of the SMN complex in the context of metazoan evolution, we investigated its composition in Drosophila melanogaster. Using transgenic flies that exclusively express Flag-tagged SMN from its native promoter, we previously found that Gemin2, Gemin3, Gemin5, and all nine classical Sm proteins, including Lsm10 and Lsm11, co-purify with SMN. Here, we show that CG2941 is also highly enriched in the pulldown. Reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation reveals that epitope-tagged CG2941 interacts with endogenous SMN in Schneider2 cells. Bioinformatic comparisons show that CG2941 shares sequence and structural similarity with metazoan Gemin4. Additional analysis shows that three other genes (CG14164, CG31950 and CG2371) are not orthologous to Gemins 6-7-8, respectively, as previously suggested. In D.melanogaster, CG2941 is located within an evolutionarily recent genomic triplication with two other nearly identical paralogous genes (CG32783 and CG32786). RNAi-mediated knockdown of CG2941 and its two close paralogs reveals that Gemin4 is essential for organismal viability