At My Best 4-5-6: Users’ observations of a health education curriculum-support resource

Background and context: At My Best 4-5-6 is a curriculum-support resource intended primarily for elementary generalist or physical and health education specialist teachers in Canada. Created by Physical and Health Education Canada and AstraZeneca, At My Best 4-5-6 aims to educate students about—and encourage healthy behaviours related to—physical activity, healthy eating, and emotional wellness. Objective: At My Best 4-5-6 is a relatively new program that is now being subject to a pilot-revision-pilot process. Given the lack of research literature focused upon the first iteration’s implementation, the objective was to complete an investigation of teachers’ observations related to the resource. Method: A cross-sectional survey design utilized both quantitative and qualitative data collected through on-line surveys. The data gleaned from 66 survey questions were analysed to explore program implementation and effectiveness, as well as overall teacher opinions regarding At My Best 4-5-6. Results and conclusion: We share results focused upon the following: 1) demographics: users, locations, schools, and usage, 2) need for and suitability of At My Best 4-5-6, 3) implementation, and 4) cultural relevance. Given these results, we offer some discussion and concluding observations related to present and future versions of At My Best 4-5-6. Moreover, we suggest such concluding observations might be of particular interest to others engaged in the creation, dissemination, and/or research of similar health education curriculum-support resources.Historique et contexte: À mon meilleur 4-5-6 est une ressource conçue comme soutien au programme d’études à l’élémentaire et visant surtout les enseignants généralistes ou les enseignants spécialistes en éducation physique ou en éducation à la santé au Canada. Créé par Éducation physique et santé Canada et AstraZeneca, À mon meilleur 4-5-6 a pour objectif de conscientiser les élèves quant à l’activité physique, une saine alimentation et le bienêtre émotionnel. Objectif : À mon meilleur 4-5-6 est un programme relativement récent qui fait maintenant l’objet d’un processus d’essai de modification. Compte tenu du manque de documents de recherche portant sur la mise en œuvre de la première version du programme, notre objectif était d’enquêter sur les observations des enseignants relatives à la ressource. Méthode: Une étude transversale a porté sur des données quantitatives et qualitatives provenant d’enquêtes enligne. Les données tirées de 66 questions d’enquête ont servi dans l’analyse de la mise en œuvre et l’efficacité du programme, ainsi que les opinions globales qu’ont les enseignants de cette ressource. Résultats et conclusion : Nos conclusions portent sur les quatre points suivants : 1) des données démographiques : usagers, emplacements, écoles et usage, 2) la nécessité et la pertinence de À mon meilleur 4-5-6, 3) la mise en œuvre, et 4) la pertinence culturelle. En nous appuyant sur ces résultats, nous offrons des éléments de discussion et des observations finales en lien avec les versions actuelle et future de À mon meilleur 4-5-6. Nous proposons, de plus, que de telles observations finales pourraient intéresser tout particulièrement les personnes impliquées dans la création, la diffusion ou la recherche de telles ressources conçues comme soutien au programme d’éducation à la santé.

Soybean bioactive peptides and their functional properties

Soy consumption has been associated with many potential health benefits in reducing chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin-resistance/type II diabetes, certain type of cancers, and immune disorders. These physiological functions have been attributed to soy proteins either as intact soy protein or more commonly as functional or bioactive peptides derived from soybean processing. These findings have led to the approval of a health claim in the USA regarding the ability of soy proteins in reducing the risk for coronary heart disease and the acceptance of a health claim in Canada that soy protein can help lower cholesterol levels. Using different approaches, many soy bioactive peptides that have a variety of physiological functions such as hypolipidemic, anti-hypertensive, and anti-cancer properties, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects have been identified. Some soy peptides like lunasin and soymorphins possess more than one of these properties and play a role in the prevention of multiple chronic diseases. Overall, progress has been made in understanding the functional and bioactive components of soy. However, more studies are required to further identify their target organs, and elucidate their biological mechanisms of action in order to be potentially used as functional foods or even therapeutics for the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases

Soybean Bioactive Peptides and Their Functional Properties

Soy consumption has been associated with many potential health benefits in reducing chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin-resistance/type II diabetes, certain type of cancers, and immune disorders. These physiological functions have been attributed to soy proteins either as intact soy protein or more commonly as functional or bioactive peptides derived from soybean processing. These findings have led to the approval of a health claim in the USA regarding the ability of soy proteins in reducing the risk for coronary heart disease and the acceptance of a health claim in Canada that soy protein can help lower cholesterol levels. Using different approaches, many soy bioactive peptides that have a variety of physiological functions such as hypolipidemic, anti-hypertensive, and anti-cancer properties, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects have been identified. Some soy peptides like lunasin and soymorphins possess more than one of these properties and play a role in the prevention of multiple chronic diseases. Overall, progress has been made in understanding the functional and bioactive components of soy. However, more studies are required to further identify their target organs, and elucidate their biological mechanisms of action in order to be potentially used as functional foods or even therapeutics for the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases

A multicomponent, elicitor-inducible cystatin complex in tomato, Solanum lycopersicum

*We assessed the ability of the fungal elicitor arachidonic acid to induce cystatin genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), using a cDNA expression library from arachidonate-treated leaves. *The cDNAs of two novel cystatins were isolated, coding for an approx. 11-kDa protein, SlCYS10; and for a 23.6-kDa protein, SlCYS9, bearing an N-terminal signal peptide and a long, 11.5-kDa extension at the C terminus. Both genes were induced by arachidonate but not by methyl jasmonate, an inducer of the 88-kDa eight-unit cystatin, multicystatin, accumulated in the cytosol of leaf cells upon herbivory. *A truncated form of SlCYS9, tSlCYS9, was produced by deletion of the C-terminal extension to assess the influence of this structural element on the cystatin moiety. As shown by kinetic and stability assays with recombinant variants expressed in Escherichia coli, deleting the extension influenced both the overall stability and inhibitory potency of SlCYS9 against cysteine proteases of herbivorous organisms. *These findings provide evidence for a multicomponent elicitor-inducible cystatin complex in tomato, including at least 10 cystatin units produced via two metabolic routes.This work was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and by the Fonds Québécois pour la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (Québec). C.G. was the recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Centre de Recherche en Horticulture of Laval University. A.K. was the recipient of a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation

A molecular and proteomic investigation of proteins rapidly released from triticale pollen upon hydration

Analysis of Triticale ( 7Triticosecale Wittmack cv. AC Alta) mature pollen proteins quickly released upon hydration was performed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry. A total of 17 distinct protein families were identified and these included expansins, profilins, and various enzymes, many of which are pollen allergens. The corresponding genes were obtained and expression studies revealed that the majority of these genes were only expressed in developing anthers and pollen. Some genes including glucanase, glutathione peroxidase, glutaredoxin, and a profilin were found to be widely expressed in different reproductive and vegetative tissues. Group 11 pollen allergens, polygalacturonase, and actin depolymerizing factor were characterized for the first time in the Triticeae. This study represents a distinctive combination of proteomic and molecular analyses of the major cereal pollen proteins released upon hydration and therefore at the forefront of pollen-stigma interactions.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

The α’ subunit of β-conglycinin and various glycinin subunits of soy are not required to modulate hepatic lipid metabolism in rats

Purpose: This study examined the effect of soy proteins with depletion of different subunits of the two major storage proteins, β-conglycinin and glycinin, on hepatic lipids and proteins involved in lipid metabolism in rats, since the bioactive component of soy responsible for lipid-lowering is unclear. Methods: Weanling Sprague Dawley rats were fed diets containing either 20% casein protein in the absence (casein) or presence (casein + ISF) of isoflavones or 20% alcohol-washed soy protein isolate (SPI) or 20% soy protein concentrates derived from a conventional (Haro) or 2 soybean lines lacking the α’ subunit of β-conglycinin and the A1-3 (1TF) or A1-5 (1a) subunits of glycinin. After 8 weeks, the rats were necropsied and liver proteins and lipids were extracted and analysed. Results: The results showed that soy protein diets reduced lipid droplet accumulation and content in the liver compared to casein diets. The soy protein diets also decreased the level of hepatic mature SREBP-1 and FAS in males, with significant decreases in diets 1TF and 1a compared to the casein diets. The effect of the soy protein diets on female hepatic mature SREBP-1, FAS, and HMGCR was confounded since casei

A multicomponent, elicitor-inducible cystatin complex in tomato, Solanum lycopersicum

*We assessed the ability of the fungal elicitor arachidonic acid to induce cystatin genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), using a cDNA expression library from arachidonate-treated leaves. *The cDNAs of two novel cystatins were isolated, coding for an approx. 11-kDa protein, SlCYS10; and for a 23.6-kDa protein, SlCYS9, bearing an N-terminal signal peptide and a long, 11.5-kDa extension at the C terminus. Both genes were induced by arachidonate but not by methyl jasmonate, an inducer of the 88-kDa eight-unit cystatin, multicystatin, accumulated in the cytosol of leaf cells upon herbivory. *A truncated form of SlCYS9, tSlCYS9, was produced by deletion of the C-terminal extension to assess the influence of this structural element on the cystatin moiety. As shown by kinetic and stability assays with recombinant variants expressed in Escherichia coli, deleting the extension influenced both the overall stability and inhibitory potency of SlCYS9 against cysteine proteases of herbivorous organisms. *These findings provide evidence for a multicomponent elicitor-inducible cystatin complex in tomato, including at least 10 cystatin units produced via two metabolic routes.This work was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and by the Fonds Québécois pour la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies (Québec). C.G. was the recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Centre de Recherche en Horticulture of Laval University. A.K. was the recipient of a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation