Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction

Background: The predominant etiology for erectile dysfunction (ED) is vascular, however limited data are available on the role of diet. A higher intake of several flavonoids reduces diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk but no studies have examined associations between flavonoids and erectile function.   Objective: To examine the relationship between habitual flavonoid sub-class intakes and incidence of ED.   Methods: We conducted a prospective study among 25,096 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Total flavonoid and subclass intakes were calculated from food frequency questionnaires collected every 4 years. Participants rated their erectile function in 2000 (with historical reporting from 1986) and again in 2004 and 2008.   Results: During 10 years of follow-up, 35.6% reported incident ED. After multivariate adjustment, including classic CVD risk factors, several sub-classes were associated with reduced ED incidence; specifically flavones (RR 0.91:95%CI=0.85,0.97; p-trend=0.006), flavanones (RR 0.89;95%CI=0.83,0.95; p-trend=0.0009), and anthocyanins (RR 0.91;95%CI=0.85,0.98; p-trend=0.002) comparing extreme intakes. The results remained significant after additional adjustment for a composite dietary intake score. In analyses stratified by age, a higher intake of flavanones, anthocyanins and flavones was significantlyassociated with a reduction in risk of erectile dysfunction only in men <70 years old and not older men (11-16% reduction in risk (p - interaction 0.002, 0.03, 0.007 for flavones, flavanones and anthocyanins respectively). In food-based analysis, higher total fruit intake, major sources of anthocyanins and flavanones, was associated with 14% reduction in risk of ED (RR 0.86;95%CI=0.79,0.92; p=0.002).The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition AJCN/2015/122010 Version 3.    Conclusions : These data suggest that a higher habitual intake of specific 24 flavonoid-rich foods are associated with reduced ED incidence. Intervention trials are needed to further examine the impact of increasing intakes of commonly consumed flavonoid-rich foods on men’s health

A Summer in Bosnia and Herzegovina

As a fellow for the Center for Global Education\u27s Summer Global Internship Program in 2014, I traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina where I had the opportunity to study, work, and volunteer abroad. It was a summer of growing in compassion and understanding; a summer of experiencing new cultures, foods, and religions; a summer of finding new passions and forming friendships; and most of all, a summer of transformation in which I gained new leadership, professional, and international skills

Sex, milk, and cookies: Tackling sexual health promotion on a Catholic college campus

A great divide exists among parents, policy makers, educational institutions, and the public at large regarding how to prevent the negative consequences of sexual activity among young adults. Some educators believe that sex education programs should promote abstinence as the best behavioral goal for students; however, a more intense debate surrounds whether this should be the only message that adolescents receive about sex or just one element of a more comprehensive view of sexuality and informed sex choices. Catholic colleges face a particularly difficult challenge in deciding what information to provide to students and more significantly, which topics to avoid due to their conservative values. It is clear that adolescence and young adulthood is a high-risk period for sexual risk-taking behaviors that increase the probability of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009). Yet, religiously affiliated colleges and universities struggle to provide the information students need to stay healthy and have fulfilling sexual relationships. The following literature review explores the ongoing debate concerning abstinence-only versus comprehensive sexual education and suggests with principles of health care ethics and ethical theories that Catholic college campuses take a comprehensive approach to sexual health promotion that not only respects the sexuality of each student but also encourages students to make informed decisions about sex. The culminating pilot study emphasizes the need for sexual health education at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University and recommends specific strategies for producing sexual health promotion programming in the future

Development of enterococci and production of tyramine during the manufacture and ripening of Cheddar cheese

peer-reviewedThe effect of six strains of enterococci (three strains of Enterococcus faecalis, and one strain each of Ec. faecium, Ec. durans and Ec. casseliflavus) on flavour development and tyramine production in Cheddar cheese during manufacture and ripening was studied in two trials. No strain produced gelatinase or haemolysin and all of them grew well during manufacture reaching 107 colony forming units (cfu)/g in 6 h, after which they remained more or less constant during at least 48 weeks of ripening. There was no relationship between tyramine production in a broth containing tyrosine and tyramine production in the cheese. All strains, except Ec. casseliflavus, produced tyramine in the cheese, with the greatest concentration (162 mg/kg) being produced by Ec. durans after 9 months ripening at 8 ºC. There was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) between the flavour of the control cheese and any cheese containing an enterococcus. Nevertheless, cheese made with Ec. faecium E-24 received the best score in each trial at both time points. No off-flavours were found. Regarding proteolysis, only Ec. faecalis E-140 showed significant (P < 0.05) increases in both phosphotungstic acid and pH 4.6 soluble N. It is concluded that enterococci have little effect on the flavour of Cheddar cheese.This project was partly financed under FAIR Contract CT97-3078 from the E

Metrological research into the foot measurement found in the celtic oppidum of Manching

Sin resume

Nutrition Education Program Assistants: A Leverage Point for Collecting Authentic Program Data

Extension administrators and educators wonder why low-income audiences refrain from participating or underparticipate in educational opportunities. This may be due to a gap between administrator or educator views of program participation barriers versus the lived experience of low-income audiences. Virginia Cooperative Extension worked to bridge this gap in perspectives by using Nutrition Program Assistants as a leverage point for recruiting and gathering authentic data on program participation from low-income individuals. Even though program assistants rarely serve in this role, their connection with low-income clientele and groups that serve them is invaluable for gathering authentic program data

The Role of Evaluation in Determining the Public Value of Extension

Extension has developed a strong evaluation culture across the system for the last 15 years. Yet measures are still limited to the private value of programs, looking at problems in a linear way and at isolated efforts. Across the country, Extension evaluators and administrators need to step up to help answer the so what? question about complex issues and related programming through stronger evaluation that leads to articulating the public value of Extension work

Evaluating for Impact: Professional Development Educational Content Delivery Through Learning Communities

The National 4-H Council Learning Priorities team developed educational content for professional development to increase evaluation capacity and evaluation skills for 4-H educators. Extension specialists in Oregon, Vermont, and Virginia piloted Evaluating for Impact curriculum through learning communities. Lessons learned from the pilot project include the overall success of content in increasing individual participant evaluation skills, reflection on the comprehensive and academically rigorous nature of the curriculum, a need for an experienced evaluator to lead the circles, and an ability to customize the curriculum to the evaluation levels of participants