Effects of methionine deficiency and ethanol ingestion on acetaminophen metabolism in mice

The interaction of the effect of dietary methionine (met) deficiency on the maintenance of hepatic glutathione (GSH) concentrations and the effect of chronic ethanol (EtOH) ingestion on the activity of the hepatic microsomal oxidation system were studied in relation to acetaminophen (ACAP) metabolism in mice. In the first study, adult, male mice were fed a diet that provided approximately one-half of the met requirement for 4 weeks and given a 15% EtOH solution as the sole source of drinking water in a 2 x 2 factorial design. The extent of ACAP-induced hepatotoxicity was greater in the met deficient mice, as shown by a reduced median lethal time following a lethal dose of ACAP and an increase in plasma glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (PGOT) activity following a sublethal dose. A more marked increase in PGOT activity was seen as a result of the interaction of met deficiency and EtOH consumption. Initial GSH levels were decreased and depletion following ACAP injection was greater in the met deficient groups. In the second study, mice were pair-fed an EtOH-containing liquid diet for 4 weeks that provided 46 or 100% of the met requirement in a 2 x 2 factorial design. There was an increase in hepatic microsomal protein content, relative liver weight, and hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase activity in the EtOH-fed groups indicating induction of microsomal oxidation by EtOH. Serum inorganic sulfate, hepatic free met, and GSH concentrations were decreased following a 300 mg/kg BW i.p. dose of ACAP. As in the first study, GSH depletion was greater in the met-deficient mice. The difference between the extent of (\u2735)S-met and (\u2714)C-methyl-met incorporation into hepatic proteins did not reflect differences in the hepatic transsulfuration pathway activity due to met deficiency. HPLC analysis of urinary ACAP conjugates showed a decrease in the amount of ACAP-sulfate conjugate excreted in the met deficient mice and an increase in excretion of ACAP sulfate and mercapturic acid derivatives by the EtOH-fed mice. These findings indicate that met deficiency compromises ACAP disposition in the mouse resulting in greater ACAP-induced hepatotoxicity and that chronic EtOH consumption may potentiate this effect by causing an increase in the formation of activated ACAP

Common Sunflower Seedling Emergence across the U.S. Midwest

Predictions of weed emergence can be used by practitioners to schedule POST weed management operations. Common sunflower seed from Kansas was used at six Midwestern U.S. sites to examine the variability that 16 climates had on common sunflower emergence. Nonlinear mixed effects models, using a flexible sigmoidal Weibull function that included thermal time, hydrothermal time, and a modified hydrothermal time (with accumulation starting from January 1 of each year), were developed to describe the emergence data. An iterative method was used to select an optimal base temperature (Tb) and base and ceiling soil matric potentials (ψb and ψc) that resulted in a best-fit regional model. The most parsimonious model, based on Akaike\u27s information criterion (AIC), resulted when Tb = 4.4 C, and ψb = −20000 kPa. Deviations among model fits for individual site years indicated a negative relationship (r = −0.75; P \u3c 0.001) between the duration of seedling emergence and growing degree days (Tb = 10 C) from October (fall planting) to March. Thus, seeds exposed to warmer conditions from fall burial to spring emergence had longer emergence periods

Critical review of behaviour change techniques applied in intervention studies to improve cooking skills and food skills among adults

BACKGROUND: Cooking and food skills interventions have grown in popularity; however, there is a lack of transparency as to how these interventions were designed, highlighting a need to identify and understand the mechanisms of behavior change so that effective components may be introduced in future work. This study critiques cooking and food skills interventions in relation to their design, behavior change techniques (BCTs), theoretical underpinnings, and outcomes. METHODS: A 40-item CALO-RE taxonomy was used to examine the components of 59 cooking and food skills interventions identified by two systematic reviews. Studies were coded by three independent coders. RESULTS: The three most frequently occurring BCTs identified were #1 Provide information on consequences of behavior in general; #21 Provide instruction on how to perform the behavior; and #26 Prompt Practice. Fifty-six interventions reported positive short-term outcomes. Only 14 interventions reported long-term outcomes containing BCTs relating to information provision. CONCLUSION: This study reviewed cooking and food skills interventions highlighting the most commonly used BCTs, and those associated with long-term positive outcomes for cooking skills and diet. This study indicates the potential for using the BCT CALO-RE taxonomy to inform the design, planning, delivery and evaluation of future interventions

Parenting practices and adolescent eating behaviors in African American families.

Parents play an important role in developing the eating behaviors of their children by adopting specific parenting practices. As the prevalence of obesity is high amongst African American adolescents, investigations into associations of specific parenting practices and adolescents' eating behaviors are essential. In this exploratory study, 14 African American parent-adolescent dyads were interviewed to characterize the influence of eight different parenting practices on the consumption of three main food categories (dairy, fruits and vegetables, and unhealthy snacks). The results revealed that authoritarian parenting practices were correlated with a higher BMI percentile in adolescents, whereas modeling and monitoring are correlated with a higher parent BMI. In addition, reasoning, monitoring, modeling, and authoritative parenting practices were associated with less unhealthy snack consumption among adolescents. Reasoning and monitoring were the only parenting practices associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. Finally, a significant correlation was found between eating fruits and vegetables and unhealthy snacks and the location of eating. In conclusion, different parenting practices and environmental factors may impact BMI and food consumption of African American dyads. The results of this study can be used to guide improvement in, and/or development of, nutritional education interventions considering the cultural differences of racial minorities

Parents\u27 Calcium Knowledge Is Associated with Parental Practices to Promote Calcium Intake Among Parents of Early Adolescent Children

The study reported here aimed to identify the relationship of parents\u27 calcium knowledge with diet-related parental practices and determinants of calcium knowledge. A cross-sectional survey was conducted measuring parental practices, calcium knowledge, and demographics. A convenience sample of 599 racially/ethnically diverse parents of children 10-13y completed questionnaires. Higher education and having a daughter were associated with higher calcium knowledge; being Asian or Hispanic and born outside the U.S. were associated with lower calcium knowledge. Parents with greater calcium knowledge were more likely to engage in healthy parenting practices. These factors may be important considerations for Extension educators in nutrition education

Winter Cereal Rye Cover Crop Decreased Nitrous Oxide Emissions During Early Spring

Despite differences between the cover crop growth and decomposition phases, few greenhouse gas (GHG) studies have separated these phases from each other. This study’s hypothesis was that a living cover crop reduces soil inorganic N concentrations and soil water, thereby reducing N2O emissions. We quantified the effects of a fall-planted living cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop (2017, 2018, 2019) on the following spring’s soil temperature, soil water, water-filled porosity (WFP), inorganic N, and GHG (N2O-N and CO2–C) emissions and compared these measurements to bare soil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, where years were treated as blocks. Rye was fall planted in 2017, 2018, and 2019, but mostly emerged the following spring. The GHG emissions were near-continuously measured from early spring through June. Rye biomass was 1,049, 428, and 2,647 kg ha–1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. Compared to the bare soil, rye reduced WFP in the surface 5 cm by 29, 15, and 26% in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and reduced soil NO3–N in surface 30 cm by 53% in 2019 (p = .04) and 65% in 2020 (p = .07), respectively. Rye changed the N2O and CO2 frequency emission signatures. It also reduced N2O emissions by 66% but did not influence CO2–C emissions during the period prior to corn (Zea mays L.) emergence (VE). After VE, rye and bare soils N2O emissions were similar. These results suggest that nitrous oxide (N2O-N) sampling protocols must account for early season impacts of the living cover

Cooperative Extension as a Partner in Creating Healthy Communities: An Environmental Scan

health and wellness, chronic disease prevention and management, curriculum, Cooperative Extension, Extension, health programming, Health and Wellness Framework, ECOP Action Team

Relationship between family racial/ethnic backgrounds, parenting practices and styles, and adolescent eating behaviors.

Obesity is more prevalent among racial minority children in the United States, as compared to White children. Parenting practices can impact the development of children's eating behaviors and habits. In this study, we investigated the relationships among racial/ethnic backgrounds, parenting practices and styles, and eating behaviors in adolescents. Fifty-one parent-adolescent dyads were interviewed to characterize parenting practices and styles, as well as the consumption of dairy, fruits and vegetables, and unhealthy snacks. Height and weight were measured to calculate parent BMI and adolescent BMI-for-age percentiles. Three parenting practice categories-modeling, authoritative, and authoritarian-were found to be related to race/ethnicity. A higher score in authoritarian parenting practices was related to higher BMI percentiles among African American adolescents, whereas a higher score in monitoring practices was related to lower BMI percentiles among non-Hispanic White adolescents. Modeling, reasoning, and monitoring led to higher consumption of fruits and vegetables among adolescents; however, the consumption of unhealthy snacks was higher with rule-setting and lower with reasoning and authoritative practices. Finally, an analysis of the relationships between environmental factors and snack intake showed that adolescents consumed significantly more unhealthy snacks when performing other activities while eating. In conclusion, the findings from this study suggest that families' racial heritages are related to their parenting practices, BMI percentiles, and their adolescents' food consumption and eating behaviors. The results of this study can be used to develop and improve adolescent nutrition education and interventions with consideration of their racial/ethnic backgrounds

The Role of Cooperative Extension in Chronic Disease Prevention and Management: Perspectives from Professionals in the Field

Chronic diseases are strongly associated with premature death and increased health care costs. Nearly half of American adults report they have one or more chronic health conditions. Cooperative Extension is calling for refocus to refine and align with broader efforts to promote public health by supporting the prevention and management of chronic disease. The success of this refocus is dependent on a shared vision between funding agencies, stakeholders, and Extension. As part of developing this shared vision, the Chronic Disease Health Implementation Team surveyed 152 Extension administrators, faculty, and Extension Agents/Educators to determine their perception of the role of Extension in chronic disease prevention and management in the next century. Respondents answered the open-ended question, “What role should Cooperative Extension have in working to reduce chronic diseases in America for the next 10, 25, and 100 years? Analysis with grounded theory identified three themes. The respondents perceived the role of Extension professionals as educators and collaborators in chronic disease prevention and management who focus on influencing individuals and environments. As educators, Extension should deliver evidence-based programs to communicate, inform, facilitate, and teach. As collaborators, Extension should facilitate and nurture partnerships to effect changes in chronic disease prevention and management