Chemerin is associated with metabolic syndrome phenotypes in a Mexican-American population

Context: Chemerin is a novel adipokine previously associated with metabolic syndrome phenotypes in a small sample of subjects from Mauritius. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether plasma chemerin levels were associated with metabolic syndrome phenotypes in a larger sample from a second, unrelated human population. Design, Setting, Patients, and Intervention: Plasma samples were obtained from the San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS), a large family-based genetic epidemiological study including 1431 Mexican-American individuals. Individuals were randomly sampled without regard to phenotype or disease status. This sample is well-characterized for a variety of phenotypes related to the metabolic syndrome. Main Outcomes: Plasma chemerin levels were measured by sandwich ELISA. Linear regression and correlation analyses were used to determine associations between plasma chemerin levels and metabolic syndrome phenotypes. Results: Circulating chemerin levels were significantly higher in nondiabetic subjects with body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2 compared with those with a BMI below 25 kg/m2 (P < 0.0001). Plasma chemerin levels were significantly associated with metabolic syndrome-related parameters, including BMI (P < 0.0001), fasting serum insulin (P < 0.0001), triglycerides (P < 0.0001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.00014), independent of age and sex in nondiabetic subjects. Conclusion: Circulating chemerin levels were associated with metabolic syndrome phenotypes in a second, unrelated human population. This replicated result using a large human sample suggests that chemerin may be involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome.

Education to gain sustainability : analysis and approach from the experience obtained from two high school systems in mexican rural communities

The decade “Education for Sustainability” is just emerging and one of its goals emphasized the importance of considering the currícula in a transdisciplinary and community based programs. This includes recognizing local and regional interests as relevant topics into the currícula. “Education for sustainability” does not appear to have a strong basis on their actions as its theoretical discourse does. The study we present here about content analysis in the curricula of two high schools systems in rural Mexican communities is an example. In this research we analyzed: 1) how the curricula is oriented towards forest management and the way is connected to the social reality of the communities; 2) how does the learning process develops in the classroom and its dynamics with teachers and students and 3) how does the environmental learning take place. Results revealed that more research is needed with adolescents in order to change the educational structure in rural Mexican high schools.

Environmental learning in adolescents from a Mexican community involved in forestry

Education can generate knowledge and foster a change in attitude provided that people feel individually and collectively responsible for the state of the environment. San Juan Nuevo Parangaricutiro is an internationally recognised indigenous community located in western Mexico that manages its forest sustainably through a community-based forest enterprise. However, recent research has shown that both children and young people from the community show little interest in participating in forest activities or working in forest enterprise and have a poor standard of environmental knowledge. Our research project assessed the environmental learning process of 32 high-school pupils in three settings: at school at home and in a forest enterprise. The opinions of teachers and adults of teaching subjects which focus on communal forest management were collected using various methods (questionnaires, observation and interviews) and analysed. The results show that school and home alike are important places for learning. However, environmental issues were not much addressed in the schoolroom or in conversations between parents and children. Furthermore, no connection between the activities of the forest enterprise and the school curriculum was found.

Mexican wave ban reflects sponsor tyranny

The public showed an agitated reaction towards the ban on Mexican wave at the MCG, which reveals something about contemporary sport watching in Australia and perhaps about contemporary Australian cities. Cricket has developed the concept of sport as entertainment. The real issue with the wave is about proprietary control over the entertainment taking place inside the stadium. Entertainment organised by the stadium managers, which they and their sponsors can make money from, is all right, but spontaneous entertainment, even something as tame as the Mexican wave, is forbidden.

The use of table and cooking salt in a sample of Australian adults

Dietary sodium, the major source being salt, is associated with hypertension. Australian adults consume more than the recommended amount of salt and approximately 15% of dietary sodium comes from salt added at the table and during cooking. Objective: To determine the frequency of and the demographic characteristics associated with discretionary salt use. Design: A cross sectional survey conducted in shopping centres within Metropolitan Melbourne. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing discretionary salt use and attitudes to salt intake. Outcomes: Four hundred and seventy four surveys were collected (65% female, 77% Caucasian, 64% holding a university qualification). Eighty nine percent of respondents were classified as salt users and 11% as non-salt users. Of the salt users 52% reported that they always or sometimes add salt during cooking and at the table. Those of Asian descent and younger respondents aged 18-24 years were more likely to be salt users (chi2=12.3, df=2, p<0.001; chi2=19.2, df=5, p<0.01). Conclusion: Discretionary salt use remains high. To successfully reduce population dietary salt intake public health campaigns are urgently required and need to include consumer advice to reduce discretionary salt use, whilst reducing the salt added to processed foods. Such campaigns should include younger age groups and should be appropriate for all ethnic backgrounds to raise the awareness of the risks of a high salt diet on health.

Volunteering in a school kitchen garden program : cooking up confidence, capabilities and connections!

This paper reports on the evaluation of a kitchen garden program in primary schools in Victoria, Australia. It focuses on the motivations, impacts, and issues associated with volunteering in the program. The study revealed that volunteers are drawn from a range of sources, including: families of current and former students, former teachers, local residents, clients of aged care and/or disability services, other schools and communities, local universities, community organizations, the community services sector, and the corporate sector. Benefits to volunteers included: opportunities to use time productively, an increased sense of belonging, learning opportunities, and an increased sense of self-worth and enjoyment. For schools, volunteers enhanced engagement between the school and the local community, enabled them to engage more effectively with hard to reach groups, and increased student engagement. In addition, the involvement of volunteers improved the sustainability of the program, improved communication between teachers and families of students from minority ethnic groups, and gave students the chance to relate to new people, to learn from their experience and to have fun in working with the volunteers. Perhaps the most telling benefits to flow both to students and to volunteers were not the “three Rs—reading, w’riting and a’rithmetic” but the three Cs—confidence, capabilities, and connections. However, a clearly identified issue was the importance of matching volunteers’ motivations and needs with the roles they play to sustain current levels of volunteering and, therefore, the program itself.

Effect of sorghum flour addition on in vitro starch digestibility, cooking quality and consumer acceptability of durum wheat pasta

Whole grain sorghum is a valuable source of resistant starch and polyphenolic antioxidants and its addition into staple food like pasta may reduce the starch digestibility. However, incorporating nondurum wheat materials into pasta provides a challenge in terms of maintaining cooking quality and consumer acceptability. Pasta was prepared from 100% durum wheat semolina (DWS) as control or by replacing DWS with either wholegrain red sorghum flour (RSF) or white sorghum flour (WSF) each at 20%, 30%, and 40% incorporation levels, following a laboratory-scale procedure. Pasta samples were evaluated for proximate composition, in vitro starch digestibility, cooking quality, and consumer acceptability. The addition of both RSF and WSF lowered the extent of in vitro starch digestion at all substitution levels compared to the control pasta. The rapidly digestible starch was lowered in all the sorghum-containing pastas compared to the control pasta. Neither RSF or WSF addition affected the pasta quality attributes (water absorption, swelling index, dry matter, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, and springiness), except color and hardness which were negatively affected. Consumer sensory results indicated that pasta samples containing 20% and 30% RSF or WSF had acceptable palatability based on meeting one or both of the preset acceptability criteria. It is concluded that the addition of wholegrain sorghum flour to pasta at 30% incorporation level is possible to reduce starch digestibility, while maintaining adequate cooking quality and consumer acceptability.

Modern kitchens : and what their owners say of the speed, comfort, economy and convenience of electric cooking

"In the pages of this booklet we have given you actual quotations from a few of the many letters which we have recived from delighted users of Electric Ranges." -- blurb.

Jamie's Ministry of Food: quasi-experimental evaluation of immediate and sustained impacts of a cooking skills program in Australia

To evaluate the immediate and sustained effectiveness of the first Jamie's Ministry of Food Program in Australia on individuals' cooking confidence and positive cooking/eating behaviours.

Wider impacts of a 10-week community cooking skills program - Jamie's Ministry of Food, Australia

Jamie's Ministry of Food (JMoF) Australia is a 10-week community-based cooking skills program which is primarily aimed at increasing cooking skills and confidence and the promotion of eating a more nutritious diet. However, it is likely that the program influences many pathways to behaviour change. This paper explores whether JMoF impacted on known precursors to healthy cooking and eating (such as attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, cooking enjoyment and satisfaction and food purchasing behaviour) and whether there are additional social and health benefits which arise from program participation.

Theory and practice in environmental education: a Mexican case study

The new Mexican national curriculum proposes that Environmental Education (EE) should be a transversal topic in teachers’ practice, promoting actions for the environment. After teachers’ participation in my case study, they changed from only providing environmental information to acting to address environmental issues, implementing Participatory Action Research.