Developing Internal Partnerships to Enhance a Local Foods Campaign

The Connecticut 10% Campaign teaches consumers about local foods and garden opportunities while supporting communities by promoting relevant changes in behavior. It was hypothesized that several Extension programs have similar goals and could partner to increase impact. A survey of University of Connecticut Extension personnel gauged knowledge of programs administered by the 10% Campaign team and interest in future collaboration. Results are being used to strategically plan for future programming. Extension systems addressing challenges and opportunities related to local foods elsewhere may face challenges to internal collaboration and benefit from knowledge of the findings from Connecticut

Exploring Options for Local Foods Campaigns

Buy local campaigns educate consumers about local foods opportunities and have the potential to change consumer behavior by encouraging increased purchasing of local products. Initiatives nationwide strengthen communities through entrepreneurship. An analysis of buy local initiatives conducted through Extension, departments of agriculture and economic development, and nonprofit organizations around the country shed light on the structures of those initiatives and best management practices for communicating with target audiences. Program staff use a variety of communication tools, including social media, advertising, and events, to reach diverse community groups. Findings stimulate consideration of how Extension might build capacity of buy local programs through collaboration and communication efforts

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

A review of The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness, by Lolly Daskal

Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins

A review of Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins, by Mark Schaefer

Ready or Not? UConn Extension Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

We conducted an attitude and opinion survey of UConn Extension personnel regarding workplace and home emergency preparedness. Our primary focus was on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Respondents were aware of the benefits of knowing CPR, with a majority having taken a CPR course. Respondents were generally aware of the benefits of knowing how to use AEDs, but only a minority had had AED training. They indicated a preference for home over workplace preparedness training, although they recognized workplace preparedness as important. These findings suggest that emergency and disaster education be focused on home preparedness, which will result in workplace preparedness too

Acarbose improves health and lifespan in aging HET3 mice

To follow‐up on our previous report that acarbose (ACA), a drug that blocks postprandial glucose spikes, increases mouse lifespan, we studied ACA at three doses: 400, 1,000 (the original dose), and 2,500 ppm, using genetically heterogeneous mice at three sites. Each dose led to a significant change (by log‐rank test) in both sexes, with larger effects in males, consistent with the original report. There were no significant differences among the three doses. The two higher doses produced 16% or 17% increases in median longevity of males, but only 4% or 5% increases in females. Age at the 90th percentile was increased significantly (8%–11%) in males at each dose, but was significantly increased (3%) in females only at 1,000 ppm. The sex effect on longevity is not explained simply by weight or fat mass, which were reduced by ACA more in females than in males. ACA at 1,000 ppm reduced lung tumors in males, diminished liver degeneration in both sexes and glomerulosclerosis in females, reduced blood glucose responses to refeeding in males, and improved rotarod performance in aging females, but not males. Three other interventions were also tested: ursolic acid, 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole (HBX), and INT‐767; none of these affected lifespan at the doses tested. The acarbose results confirm and extend our original report, prompt further attention to the effects of transient periods of high blood glucose on aging and the diseases of aging, including cancer, and should motivate studies of acarbose and other glucose‐control drugs in humans.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148418/1/acel12898.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148418/2/acel12898_am.pd

The Role of Host Traits, Season and Group Size on Parasite Burdens in a Cooperative Mammal

The distribution of parasites among hosts is often characterised by a high degree of heterogeneity with a small number of hosts harbouring the majority of parasites. Such patterns of aggregation have been linked to variation in host exposure and susceptibility as well as parasite traits and environmental factors. Host exposure and susceptibility may differ with sexes, reproductive effort and group size. Furthermore, environmental factors may affect both the host and parasite directly and contribute to temporal heterogeneities in parasite loads. We investigated the contributions of host and parasite traits as well as season on parasite loads in highveld mole-rats (Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae). This cooperative breeder exhibits a reproductive division of labour and animals live in colonies of varying sizes that procreate seasonally. Mole-rats were parasitised by lice, mites, cestodes and nematodes with mites (Androlaelaps sp.) and cestodes (Mathevotaenia sp.) being the dominant ecto- and endoparasites, respectively. Sex and reproductive status contributed little to the observed parasite prevalence and abundances possibly as a result of the shared burrow system. Clear seasonal patterns of parasite prevalence and abundance emerged with peaks in summer for mites and in winter for cestodes. Group size correlated negatively with mite abundance while it had no effect on cestode burdens and group membership affected infestation with both parasites. We propose that the mode of transmission as well as social factors constrain parasite propagation generating parasite patterns deviating from those commonly predicted