Next Steps from a School Gardening Partnership Conference (AGES: Academic Gardening to Enrich our Students): Expanding the Impact of School Gardens Through Higher Education, K-12 School and Community Coalitions

Research suggests that there are many benefits of school gardens for students, teachers and community. Not only can they help children eat more fruits and vegetables and be more physically active, they can help to create learning opportunities and increase teacher satisfaction. In Worcester, Massachusetts, a city with high poverty and food insecurity rates, a broad community coalition formed to brainstorm novel implementation models to improve the use and sustainability of school gardens. The group decided to foster new collaborations among higher education, K-12 schools and community organizations. The innovative idea was that higher education could meet their need for real-world application of various curricula, such as education, business, urban agriculture, marketing, horticulture, sustainable development, and engineering, through the implementation of school gardens. The resulting conference called AGES (Academic Gardening to Enrich our Students) united school teachers, professors, administration and community partners. The sessions featured information on: 1) successful models of higher education-K12 school garden partnerships, 2) building school gardening into the curriculum (psychosocial skills, STEM, environmental sciences, project-based learning, nutrition, healthy lifestyles), 3) research evidence on the benefits of school gardens, 4) strategies for building community through gardening, and 5) garden planning and maintenance. US Representative Jim McGovern was the keynote speaker, highlighting the importance of this collaborative work

Freund's vaccine adjuvant promotes Her2/Neu breast cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inflammation has been linked to the etiology of many organ-specific cancers. Indirect evidence suggests a possible role for inflammation in breast cancer. We investigated whether the systemic inflammation induced by Freund's adjuvant (FA) promotes mammary carcinogenesis in a rat model in which cancer is induced by the <it>neu </it>oncogene.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The effects of FA on hyperplastic mammary lesions and mammary carcinomas were determined in a <it>neu</it>-induced rat model. The inflammatory response to FA treatment was gauged by measuring acute phase serum haptoglobin. In addition, changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis following FA treatment were assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Rats receiving FA developed twice the number of mammary carcinomas as controls. Systemic inflammation following FA treatment is chronic, as shown by a doubling of the levels of the serum biomarker, haptoglobin, 15 days following initial treatment. We also show that this systemic inflammation is associated with the increased growth of hyperplastic mammary lesions. This increased growth results from a higher rate of cellular proliferation in the absence of changes in apoptosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data suggests that systemic inflammation induced by Freund's adjuvant (FA) promotes mammary carcinogenesis. It will be important to determine whether adjuvants currently used in human vaccines also promote breast cancer.</p

A High-Density EEG Investigation into Steady State Binaural Beat Stimulation

Binaural beats are an auditory phenomenon that has been suggested to alter physiological and cognitive processes including vigilance and brainwave entrainment. Some personality traits measured by the NEO Five Factor Model have been found to alter entrainment using pulsing light stimuli, but as yet no studies have examined if this occurs using steady state presentation of binaural beats for a relatively short presentation of two minutes. This study aimed to examine if binaural beat stimulation altered vigilance or cortical frequencies and if personality traits were involved. Thirty-one participants were played binaural beat stimuli designed to elicit a response at either the Theta (7 Hz) or Beta (16 Hz) frequency bands while undertaking a zero-back vigilance task. EEG was recorded from a high-density electrode cap. No significant differences were found in vigilance or cortical frequency power during binaural beat stimulation compared to a white noise control period. Furthermore, no significant relationships were detected between the above and the Big Five personality traits. This suggests a short presentation of steady state binaural beats are not sufficient to alter vigilance or entrain cortical frequencies at the two bands examined and that certain personality traits were not more susceptible than others

Means and Standard Deviations of Cortical Power Spectral Density (in µV) by Condition.

<p>N = 31.</p

Neo Group Membership including total numbers and percentages.

<p>N = 31.</p><p>Note: Neuro = Neuroticism, Extra = Extraversion, Open = Openness to Experience, Consc = Conscientiousness, Agree = Agreeableness.</p

Correlations of Beta, Theta Experimental and Control Frequency Binaural Beat Cortical Powers in Divided Cortical Areas and NEO Personality Traits.

<p>N = 31.</p>*<p> = Significant to 0.05 (Two tailed).</p>**<p> = Significant to 0.01 (Two tailed).</p><p>Note: Neuro = Neuroticism, Extra = Extraversion, Open = Openness to Experience, Consc = Conscientiousness, Agree = Agreeableness, BCon = Beta Control, TCon = Theta Control.</p

Means and Standard Deviations of Reaction Time (ms) in the Vigilance Task during Beta binaural beat stimulation, Theta stimulation and Control conditions.

<p>N = 31.</p

Theta Cortical Power Spectral Density by Personality Trait, Trait Score and Condition.

<p>N = 31.</p

Beta Cortical Power Spectral Density by Personality Trait, Trait Score and Condition.

<p>N = 31.</p