The Pleasures of Eating

Eating is necessary, and in most cases, pleasurable. If one derives pleasures from eating, one has reasons for doing so. These pleasures, the foods that make eating pleasurable, and the people who eat such foods will be discussed in this paper. The pleasures of eating is an interesting topic and should provide you with some interesting and amusing thoughts. I have heard of people who love certain foods because of their dainty and beautiful appearance. And then, too, I have heard of people who have favorite foods because they have such a pleasurable feeling after having partaken of these foods. Frankly, I think that such people derive no pleasure at all from eating. I eat my favorite foods because I like them, and not because they look pretty. When I eat them, I eat too much, and to hell with the after effects. I may not live so long for eating in such a manner, but I really enjoy it while I do live

Phytochemical comparison of Puccinellia arctica to Poa pratensis, Puccinellia langeana, and Puccinellia phryganodes for evidence of chemical defense

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2000Puccinellia arctica is a species of arctic grass that is unpalatable to Canada geese, Branta canadensis, and may be an effective and non-lethal means of controlling the growing populations of urban Canada geese that are problematic in many areas of North America. The secondary metabolite profile of P. arctica was compared to the metabolite profiles of three palatable grass species to determine the plausibility that P. arctica is chemically defended. The volatile and non-volatile secondary metabolite profiles of both P. arctica and the palatable grasses were the same. No alkoloids were detected in any of the grasses. Condensed tannin levels were similar in all of the grasses. Gallotannin levels were higher in the palatable grasses than in P. arctica. However, ellagitannin levels were higher in P. arctica than in the palatable grasses and may be responsible for its unpalatability to Canada geese

Resilience Only Gets You So Far: Volunteer Incivility and Burnout

Although multiple factors have been found to induce burnout in volunteers, studies examining relationships among volunteer coworkers as a potential stressor are sorely lacking. Through the lens of conservation of resources (COR) theory, we investigated coworker (i.e., from both paid and unpaid coworkers) incivility as a predictor of burnout in a sample of volunteers. COR theory postulates that environmental stressors lead to burnout or other negative outcomes by depleting an individual’s resources. The present study also explored resilient coping as one factor that might help volunteers cope with the burnout emanating from incivility. Using regression, we found that incivility from paid and unpaid coworkers was positively associated with burnout. Resilient coping was tested and confirmed as a moderator of this relationship. Specifically, resilient coping was a useful buffer when the relationship between incivility and volunteer burnout was weaker, but was less effective at higher levels of incivility and burnout. Implications are discussed

Applying Business Analytic Methods To Improve Organizational Performance In The Public School System

This work applies business analytics techniques to the setting of the public school system to improve educational attainment in both junior high and high school in the United States. In particular, this paper reviews common factors identified in the literature as influencing a student’s success in secondary school, discusses how those factors could be digitized and collected through information systems and theorizes how big data and analytics could be further applied to these organization to manage their performance. We then look at the uses of analytics in schools to see how well they match and identify areas for improvement. This work hopes to show that there has been a large effort to digitize some of the prediction factors; however, a large number of the more readily influenced factors have yet to be digitized and used to make evidence based decisions to improve student outcomes in the public school system

Moving Toward a Collective Impact Effort: The Volunteer Program Assessment

Volunteers are essential to the operation of many nonprofits, but some experience challenges in retaining their volunteer workforce. The Volunteer Program Assessment (VPA) seeks to address this issue by helping organizations to identify strengths, growth areas, and recommendations for improving volunteer experiences. To maximize the effectiveness of VPA’s mission, the organization is moving toward a collective impact (CI) approach. Although not developed as a CI effort, the program currently exemplifies many of its characteristics, which have been instrumental in expanding reach to more organizations. We examine VPA’s alignment with collective impact and outline how VPA will continue to improve efforts

Collective Impact Strategies: Introduction to the Special Issue

The societal and cultural issues facing humanity are far greater than any nonprofit, for-profit, university, or government agency to address adequately alone. Whether poverty, water shortages, socio-economic inequality, natural disasters with lasting effects, or any number of other challenges facing our communities, organizations must band together to secure the impact needed to truly create change. Increasingly, communities are turning to collective impact as an approach that brings together the collective resources of multiple institutions to address a community-identified problem or need. While a somewhat new approach, there is a growing body of evidence of supporting the effectiveness of using the collective impact approach to addressing wicked problems (Bridgeland et al., 2012; Christens & Inzeo, 2015; Kania, Hanleybrown, & Splansky Juster, 2014). As anchor institutions, Metropolitan Universities have a unique opportunity and responsibility to initiate and promote social change in a way that also advances their mission. Unlike other institutions for higher education, Metropolitan Universities are most suited for targeting social change because of the type of communities they serve and their location within large municipalities. Participating in collective impact is increasingly seen as one approach to this. This issue includes case studies and practical papers to prepare Metropolitan University administrators, faculty, and staff to initiate, facilitate, and strengthen collective impact initiatives in their communities

THE EFFECTS OF AGING ON SKELETAL MUSCLE MORPHOLOGY AND NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION OF THE LEG EXTENSORS

The purpose of the present study was to examine the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), thigh skinfold thickness (SF), maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) peak force (PF), and the log-transformed EMG and MMG amplitude (RMS)-force relationships (vastus lateralis [VL] and rectus femoris [RF]) of isometric step and ramp muscle actions of the right leg extensors for individuals between the ages of 20-75 years. In addition, myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content of the VL was analyzed to characterize individual fiber type composition. Fifty-seven healthy men volunteered for this investigation and were categorized into groups by age: 20-25 (n = 10; mean ± SD age = 22.3 ± 2.5 yrs; stature = 177.5 ±7.3 cm; mass = 82.0 ± 17.2 kg), 30-35 (n = 10; age = 32.3 ± 1.6 yrs; stature = 175.4 ± 6.8 cm; mass = 89.8 ± 13.4 kg), 40-45 (n = 10; age = 42.6 ± 2.3 yrs; stature = 180.0 ± 6.2 cm; mass = 86.7 ± 11.2 kg), 50-55 (n = 8; age = 52. 9 ± 1.9 yrs; stature = 174.8 ± 6.1 cm; mass = 93.6 ± 11.7 kg), 60-65 (n = 9; age = 62.8 ± 2.1 yrs; stature = 175.0 ± 6.3 cm; mass = 83.6 ± 12.1 kg), and 70-75 (n = 10; age = 73.5 ± 2.5 yrs; stature = 171.5 ± 7.2 cm; mass = 80.2 ± 12.8 kg) years of age. Thigh SF measurements were taken from the VL and the mid-thigh muscle CSA, from a peripheral quantitative computed tomography scanner, was taken at the site of MMG electrode placement. Subjects performed two MVCs, nine submaximal voluntary contractions (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% MVC of the highest pre-testing MVC value) in random order, and two 6-s isometric ramp muscle actions from 10 to 100% of their MVC. Linear regression models were fit to the natural log-transformed EMGRMS and MMGRMS-force relationships. In addition, Bergstrom muscle biopsies were taken from the VL and were analyzed for MHC isoform content. Type I MHC isoform content was higher for the 70-75 (mean ± SD 45.8 ± 5.3%) than the 20-25 age group (37.48 ± 3.94%). For MVC PF, the 20-25 (746.2 ± 305.2 N) and the 30-35 (812.9 ± 230.7 N) age groups were higher than the 70-75 (459.7 ± 223.4 N) age group. Muscle CSA was greater for the 30-35 (190.8 ± 7.9 cm2) than the 60-65 (148.6 ± 20.4 cm2) and 70-75 (140.0 ± 22.1 cm2) age groups and, furthermore, the 40-45 (182.5 ± 43.1 cm2) age group had a greater muscle CSA than the 70-75 age group. There were no age-related differences for SF thickness and a terms from the isometric step and ramp EMGRMS and MMGRMS-force relationships. However, there were muscle-related differences for the a terms (collapsed across age groups), such as, the a terms for the VL were greater than for the RF for the isometric step and ramp EMGRMS and MMGRMS-force relationships (except for isometric ramp MMGRMS-force relationship). For the b terms from the isometric ramp MMGRMS-force relationships, there were differences between the 20-25 (0.60 ± 0.16) and 70-75 (0.32 ± 0.12) age groups, however, there were no other age-related differences for b terms from the isometric step and ramp EMGRMS and MMGRMS-force relationships. In addition, there were muscle-related differences for the b terms from the isometric step and ramp EMGRMS and MMGRMS-force relationships (except for isometric ramp MMGRMS-force relationship). For example, the b terms for the RF were higher than the VL (collapsed across age groups).The results for the present study indicated that there were no age-related changes for SF thickness and the a terms from the EMGRMS and MMGRMS-force relationships. The a terms (gain factors) have previously reflected differences in subcutaneous fat over the muscle. Therefore, since SF thicknesses were not different amongst the age groups, it is expected that there were no differences in the a terms. However, there were muscle-related differences for a terms, where the VL a terms were higher than the RF. These discrepancies between the a terms were likely the result of subcutaneous fat differences between the muscles with the VL having less subcutaneous fat than the RF. In addition, the results of the present study indicated that that there was an age-related increase in percent type I MHC isoform content with the 70-75 age group having a significantly greater amount of type I MHC isoform content than the 20-25 age group. The b terms from the log-transformed MMGRMS-force relationship from the isometric ramp contractions reflected the MHC isoform content differences between the two groups (20-25 vs. 70-75 age group) since the b terms were lower for the 70-75 age group than the 20-25 age group. There were age-related differences in MVC PF and muscle CSA that did not match the age-related differences in MHC isoform content or the b terms from the MMGRMS-force relationships. Thus, the b terms from the MMGRMS-force relationships reflected differences in motor control strategies between individuals with known type I MHC isoform content differences, but not the age-related in muscle strength or size. For EMGRMS-force relationships, there were no age-related changes for the b terms, which suggested that the EMGRMS-force relationships were unable to distinguish between different motor control strategies, between individuals with known MHC isoform content differences, or among age groups. In conclusion, the log-transformed MMGRMS-force model may be an attractive model to monitor changes in fiber type composition during the aging process when type II fibers are lost. With additional research, the log-transformed MMGRMS-force model may be a useful, noninvasive criterion for the diagnosis of sarcopenia

Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2015 - Statistical Tables

Describes background checks for firearms transfers conducted in 2015 and presents estimates of firearm applications received and denied annually since the effective date of the Brady Act in 1994 through 2015. Statistical tables provide data on the number of firearm applications processed by the FBI and state and local agencies, number of applications denied, reasons for denial, and estimates of applications by jurisdiction and by each type of approval system. Findings are based on data from BJS's Firearm Inquiry Statistics program, which annually surveys state and local background checking agencies to collect information on firearm background check activity and combines this information with the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System transaction data to generate national estimates.Highlights:Since the effective date of the Brady Act on February 28, 1994, through December 31, 2015, nearly 197 million applications for firearm transfers or permits were subject to background checks and more than 3 million applications (1.5%) were denied.Nearly 17 million applications for firearm transfers were received in 2015, up from an estimated 15 million in 2014.About 1.4% of the nearly 17 million applications for firearm transfers or permits in 2015 were denied: about 107,000 by the FBI and about 119,000 by state and local agencies.Among state agency reporters, denial rates in 2015 were 3.0% for purchase permits, 1.5% for instant checks, 1.1% for other approval checks, and 1.1% for exempt carry permits.Local agencies denied 4.2% of applications for purchase permit checks and 1.1% of applications for exempt carry permits