Associations between teacher support and students' fruit and vegetable consumption in low-income elementary schools in central Texas

Background. Similar to parent support in the home environment, teacher support at school may positively influence children's fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. This study assessed the relationship between teacher support for FV consumption and the FV intake of 4th and 5th grade students in low-income elementary schools in central Texas. Methods. A secondary analysis was performed on baseline data collected from 496 parent-child dyads during the Marathon Kids study carried out by the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at the University of Texas School of Public Health. A hierarchical linear regression analysis adjusting for key demographic variables, parent support, and home FV availability was conducted. In addition, separate linear regression models stratified by quartiles of home FV availability were conducted to assess the relationship between teacher support and FV intake by level of home FV availability. Results. Teacher support was not significantly related to students' FV intake (p = .44). However, the interaction of teacher support and home FV availability was positively associated with students' FV consumption (p < .05). For students in the lowest quartile of home FV availability, teacher support accounted for approximately 6% of the FV intake variance (p = .02). For higher levels of FV availability, teacher support and FV intake were not related. Conclusions. For lower income elementary school-aged children with low FV availability at home, greater teacher support may lead to modest increases in FV consumption.^

Patenting genes and gene sequences: Analysis of public health implications and the law

At issue is whether or not isolated DNA is patent eligible under the U.S. Patent Law and the implications of that determination on public health. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued patents on DNA since the 1980s, and scientists and researchers have proceeded under that milieu since that time. Today, genetic research and testing related to the human breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 is conducted within the framework of seven patents that were issued to Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation between 1997 and 2000. In 2009, suit was filed on behalf of multiple researchers, professional associations and others to invalidate fifteen of the claims underlying those patents. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which hears patent cases, has invalidated claims for analyzing and comparing isolated DNA but has upheld claims to isolated DNA. The specific issue of whether isolated DNA is patent eligible is now before the Supreme Court, which is expected to decide the case by year's end. In this work, a systematic review was performed to determine the effects of DNA patents on various stakeholders and, ultimately, on public health; and to provide a legal analysis of the patent eligibility of isolated DNA and the likely outcome of the Supreme Court's decision. ^ A literature review was conducted to: first, identify principle stakeholders with an interest in patent eligibility of the isolated DNA sequences BRCA1 and BRCA2; and second, determine the effect of the case on those stakeholders. Published reports that addressed gene patents, the Myriad litigation, and implications of gene patents on stakeholders were included. Next, an in-depth legal analysis of the patent eligibility of isolated DNA and methods for analyzing it was performed pursuant to accepted methods of legal research and analysis based on legal briefs, federal law and jurisprudence, scholarly works and standard practice legal analysis. ^ Biotechnology, biomedical and clinical research, access to health care, and personalized medicine were identified as the principle stakeholders and interests herein. Many experts believe that the patent eligibility of isolated DNA will not greatly affect the biotechnology industry insofar as genetic testing is concerned; unlike for therapeutics, genetic testing does not require tremendous resources or lead time. The actual impact on biomedical researchers is uncertain, with greater impact expected for researchers whose work is intended for commercial purposes (versus basic science). The impact on access to health care has been surprisingly difficult to assess; while invalidating gene patents might be expected to decrease the cost of genetic testing and improve access to more laboratories and physicians' offices that provide the test, a 2010 study on the actual impact was inconclusive. As for personalized medicine, many experts believe that the availability of personalized medicine is ultimately a public policy issue for Congress, not the courts. ^ Based on the legal analysis performed in this work, this writer believes the Supreme Court is likely to invalidate patents on isolated DNA whose sequences are found in nature, because these gene sequences are a basic tool of scientific and technologic work and patents on isolated DNA would unduly inhibit their future use. Patents on complementary DNA (cDNA) are expected to stand, however, based on the human intervention required to craft cDNA and the product's distinction from the DNA found in nature. ^ In the end, the solution as to how to address gene patents may lie not in jurisprudence but in a fundamental change in business practices to provide expanded licenses to better address the interests of the several stakeholders. ^

Los tres cuerpos del boxeador profesional

Basado en tres años de observación participante y aprendizaje en un gimnasio de boxeo para negros de la parte sur de Chicago, este artículo reconstruye las sensaciones vividas por los luchadores profesionales y la experimentación de la instrumentalidad corporal, belleza y ética - los "tres cuerpos" que juntos definen la distintiva "aisthesis" de la práctica pugilística como habilidad corporal y negocio en los barrios pobres. Esto sirve para sostener que el boxeo profesional ofrece no muchas posibilidades de crecimiento económico, como la promesa de diferenciación social y más aún trascendencia: la ética profesional del sacrificio posibilita a los boxeadores escapar del mundo cotidiano y crear un universo sensual y moral "sui generis" donde un trascendente ser masculino puede ser construido.

Sobre la evolución de las letras caballerescas en los siglos XVI y XVII

En esta revisión de documentos de los siglos xvi y xvii, que contienen letras caballerescas, proponemos algunas líneas de evolución y desarrollo de esta literatura emblemática desde su recolección y edición en cancioneros de principios del siglo xv, hasta su puesta en escena en elaborados torneos de invención de los siglos xvi y xvii. No pretendemos plantear una hipótesis cerrada e irrefutable, sino apenas abrir caminos de lectura e interpretación de esta particular lyra minima utilizada en la representación de lo caballeresco, que aún está por compilarse y estudiarse

Los tres cuerpos del boxeador profesional

Basado en tres años de observación participante y aprendizaje en un gimnasio de boxeo para negros de la parte sur de Chicago, este artículo reconstruye las sensaciones vividas por los luchadores profesionales y la experimentación de la instrumentalidad corporal, belleza y ética - los "tres cuerpos" que juntos definen la distintiva "aisthesis" de la práctica pugilística como habilidad corporal y negocio en los barrios pobres. Esto sirve para sostener que el boxeo profesional ofrece no muchas posibilidades de crecimiento económico, como la promesa de diferenciación social y más aún trascendencia: la ética profesional del sacrificio posibilita a los boxeadores escapar del mundo cotidiano y crear un universo sensual y moral "sui generis" donde un trascendente ser masculino puede ser construido.

Sobre la evolución de las letras caballerescas en los siglos XVI y XVII

En esta revisión de documentos de los siglos xvi y xvii, que contienen letras caballerescas, proponemos algunas líneas de evolución y desarrollo de esta literatura emblemática desde su recolección y edición en cancioneros de principios del siglo xv, hasta su puesta en escena en elaborados torneos de invención de los siglos xvi y xvii. No pretendemos plantear una hipótesis cerrada e irrefutable, sino apenas abrir caminos de lectura e interpretación de esta particular lyra minima utilizada en la representación de lo caballeresco, que aún está por compilarse y estudiarse

Los tres cuerpos del boxeador profesional

Basado en tres años de observación participante y aprendizaje en un gimnasio de boxeo para negros de la parte sur de Chicago, este artículo reconstruye las sensaciones vividas por los luchadores profesionales y la experimentación de la instrumentalidad corporal, belleza y ética - los "tres cuerpos" que juntos definen la distintiva "aisthesis" de la práctica pugilística como habilidad corporal y negocio en los barrios pobres. Esto sirve para sostener que el boxeo profesional ofrece no muchas posibilidades de crecimiento económico, como la promesa de diferenciación social y más aún trascendencia: la ética profesional del sacrificio posibilita a los boxeadores escapar del mundo cotidiano y crear un universo sensual y moral "sui generis" donde un trascendente ser masculino puede ser construido.

Sobre la evolución de las letras caballerescas en los siglos XVI y XVII

En esta revisión de documentos de los siglos xvi y xvii, que contienen letras caballerescas, proponemos algunas líneas de evolución y desarrollo de esta literatura emblemática desde su recolección y edición en cancioneros de principios del siglo xv, hasta su puesta en escena en elaborados torneos de invención de los siglos xvi y xvii. No pretendemos plantear una hipótesis cerrada e irrefutable, sino apenas abrir caminos de lectura e interpretación de esta particular lyra minima utilizada en la representación de lo caballeresco, que aún está por compilarse y estudiarse

Case Study of Applied LIP Approach/Activities in the Philippines The Training Services Enhancement Project for Rural Life Improvement (TSEP-RLI) Experience

TSEP-RLI was a technical cooperation project jointly conducted by GOP thru DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and GOJ thru JICA aimed at institutionalizing the training program for Rural Life Improvement (RLI) at the (ATI). As expected, farmers, fisherfolk, women, youth and extension agents were provided with efficient and effective training services from ATI leading to the improvement of quality of life in the rural areas through efforts of human resource development. The ATI- Bohol was chosen as the model center where participatory trials and various activities of the project were undertaken for five years. These activities were participatory surveys and data collection of on-farm and off-farm productive activities; planning workshop for RLI; feedbacking of survey results and action plans to the community and the Local Government Units (LGUs), and signing of Memorandum of Agreement between the Project and participating LGUs. The above activities were done to facilitate the planning and development of most effective and necessary rural life improvement activities, to confirm the willingness of the people to support and participate and to formalize the partnership between the Project and the LGUs. Since the concept of rural life covers a vast range of activities, a consensus had been reached that the total aspects of rural life be grasped in three spheres, namely, Production & Livelihood (P/L), Rural Living Condition (RLC) and Community Environment (C/E). The RLI for Ubi (Yam) Growers was one of the pilot activities undertaken in two pilot barangays and the target beneficiaries were members of the Rural Improvement Club (RIC- a group of organized women) with the LGU of the Municipality of Corella as the implementing partner. During the planning workshop, the barangay residents articulated their desire to promote production and processing of ubi (sphere on P/L - as the entry point), lack of nutritious food was one of the identified problem (sphere on RLC- expansion point) and environmental degradation such as deforestation, and soil erosion was another problem articulated by the community people (sphere on C/E- expansion point). Major activities that were undertaken namely, Ubi cooking contest, cooking/processing seminar, training courses on entrepreneurial development, ubi production and storage technology, packaging and product design, human resource development and simplified bookkeeping motivated the beneficiaries as well as developed and enhanced their skills & capabilities while strengthening their associations. Their participation to the 5 ubi festivals and other related activities had brought some impacts on their economic and rural life improvement activities. The seven principles of TSEP-RLI include the participatory process, holistic approach, dialogical approach, bottom -up training needs assessment, demand-driven approach, cost sharing approach and collaborative implementation with other agencies including LGUs and the community.

Chapter 7 Clusters of Modern and Local Industries in Vietnam

Since the introduction of the Doi Moi ('renovation') economic reform in 1986, Vietnam has experienced a transformation of its economic management, from a central planning economy to a market-oriented economy. High economic growth, created by the liberalization of activities in all sectors of the economy, has changed the economic structure of the country, and the once agriculture-based and poverty-stricken land now generates a midlevel income and possesses many industrial bases. Economic growth has also changed the landscape of the country. Business complexes have been built in metropolises like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and rice fields have been converted into industrial zones. As the number of enterprises increased, areas began to emerge where many enterprises agglomerated. Some of these 'clusters' were groups of cottage industry households, while many others were large-scale industrial clusters. As Porter [1998] argues, industrial clusters are the source of a nation's 'competitive advantage'. McCarty et al. [2005] indicate that in some key industries in Vietnam, some clusters of enterprises have been created, although the degree of agglomeration differs from one industry to another. Using industry census data from 2001, they include dot density maps for the 12 leading manufacturing industries in Vietnam. They show that most of the industries analyzed are clustered either in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (or both). Among these 12 industries, the garments industry has the greatest tendency to cluster, followed by textile, rice, seafood, and paper industries. The fact that industrial clusters have begun to form in some areas could be a positive sign for Vietnam's future economic development. What is lacking in McCarty et al. [2005], however, is the identification of the participants in the industrial clusters. Some argue for the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam's economic development (e.g. Nguyen Tri Thanh [2007], Tran Tien Cuong et al. [2008]), while others stress the impact of foreign direct investments (FDI) (for example, Tuan Bui [2009]). Adding information about the participants in the above cluster study (and in other studies of spatial patterns of location of enterprises) may broaden the scope for analysis of economic development in Vietnam. This study aims to reveal the characteristics of industrial clusters in terms of their participants and locations. The findings of the study may provide basic information for evaluating the effects of agglomeration and the robustness of the effects in the industrial clusters in Vietnam. Section 1 describes the characteristics of economic entities in Vietnam such as ownership, size of enterprise, and location. Section 2 examines qualitative aspects of industrial clusters identified in McCarty et al. [2005] and uses information on the size and ownership of clusters. Three key industries (garments, consumer electronics, and motor vehicle) are selected for the study. Section 3 identifies another type of cluster commonly seen in Vietnam, composed of local industries and called 'craft villages'. Many such villages have been developed since the early 1990s. The study points out that some of these villages have become industrialized (or are becoming industrialized) by introducing modern modes of production and by employing thousands of laborers.

Growth strategies in a greener world

Two new developments in the global landscape - growing concerns towards global warming and the rising prices of commodities – require countries to craft new growth strategies. These recent developments in the global market offer fresh industrial opportunities as well as difficulties for developing countries embarking on industrialization. In this paper, we examine current developments in global market that would affect industrialization prospects in East Asia and explores development strategies that are suitable for development based on export oriented manufacturing industries in a green world.

Therapeutic metaphors in engineering: how to cure a building structure

Cognitive linguistics have conscientiously pointed out the pervasiveness of conceptual mappings, particularly as conceptual blending and integration, that underlie language and that are unconsciously used in everyday speech (Fauconnier 1997, Fauconnier & Turner 2002; Rohrer 2007; Grady, Oakley & Coulson 1999). Moreover, as a further development of this work, there is a growing interest in research devoted to the conceptual mappings that make up specialized technical disciplines. Lakoff & Núñez 2000, for example, have produced a major breakthrough on the understanding of concepts in mathematics, through conceptual metaphor and as a result not of purely abstract concepts but rather of embodiment. On the engineering and architecture front, analyses on the use of metaphor, blending and categorization in English and Spanish have likewise appeared in recent times (Úbeda 2001, Roldán 1999, Caballero 2003a, 2003b, Roldán & Ubeda 2006, Roldán & Protasenia 2007). The present paper seeks to show a number of significant conceptual mappings underlying the language of architecture and civil engineering that seem to shape the way engineers and architects communicate. In order to work with a significant segment of linguistic expressions in this field, a corpus taken from a widely used technical Spanish engineering journal article was collected and analysed. The examination of the data obtained indicates that many tokens make a direct reference to therapeutic conceptual mappings, highlighting medical domains such as diagnosing,treating and curing. Hence, the paper illustrates how this notion is instantiated by the corresponding bodily conceptual integration. In addition, we wish to underline the function of visual metaphors in the world of modern architecture by evoking parts of human or animal anatomy, and how this is visibly noticeable in contemporary buildings and public works structures.

Seismic Risk Scenarios in Puerto Principe (Haiti). A Tool for Reconstruction and Emergency Planning

The 12 January 2010, an earthquake hit the city of Port-au-Prince, capital of Haiti. The earthquake reached a magnitude Mw 7.0 and the epicenter was located near the town of Léogâne, approximately 25 km west of the capital. The earthquake occurred in the boundary region separating the Caribbean plate and the North American plate. This plate boundary is dominated by left-lateral strike slip motion and compression, and accommodates about 20 mm/y slip, with the Caribbean plate moving eastward with respect to the North American plate (DeMets et al., 2000). Initially the location and focal mechanism of the earthquake seemed to involve straightforward accommodation of oblique relative motion between the Caribbean and North American plates along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system (EPGFZ), however Hayes et al., (2010) combined seismological observations, geologic field data and space geodetic measurements to show that, instead, the rupture process involved slip on multiple faults. Besides, the authors showed that remaining shallow shear strain will be released in future surface-rupturing earthquakes on the EPGFZ. In December 2010, a Spanish cooperation project financed by the Politechnical University of Madrid started with a clear objective: Evaluation of seismic hazard and risk in Haiti and its application to the seismic design, urban planning, emergency and resource management. One of the tasks of the project was devoted to vulnerability assessment of the current building stock and the estimation of seismic risk scenarios. The study was carried out by following the capacity spectrum method as implemented in the software SELENA (Molina et al., 2010). The method requires a detailed classification of the building stock in predominant building typologies (according to the materials in the structure and walls, number of stories and age of construction) and the use of the building (residential, commercial, etc.). Later, the knowledge of the soil characteristics of the city and the simulation of a scenario earthquake will provide the seismic risk scenarios (damaged buildings). The initial results of the study show that one of the highest sources of uncertainties comes from the difficulty of achieving a precise building typologies classification due to the craft construction without any regulations. Also it is observed that although the occurrence of big earthquakes usually helps to decrease the vulnerability of the cities due to the collapse of low quality buildings and the reconstruction of seismically designed buildings, in the case of Port-au-Prince the seismic risk in most of the districts remains high, showing very vulnerable areas. Therefore the local authorities have to drive their efforts towards the quality control of the new buildings, the reinforcement of the existing building stock, the establishment of seismic normatives and the development of emergency planning also through the education of the population.

The nature of gypsum mortars for external rendering in Spain. Traditional manufacture and mineralogy

The present work focuses on gypsum mortar manufactu red in traditional kilns and used historically as exterior rendering. A documentation survey has been carried out followed by an experimental analysis using geological techniques. Conclusion shows that traditional gypsum is formed by anhydrite and inert active impurities (crystalline amorphous silica; cl ays and hydraulic phases) produced by the craft manufacture process of the system, in a kiln with a 200ºC to 1000ºC temperature interval, and continuo us fuel supply during 36 hours. Anhydrite together wit h the hydraulic phases set at consecutive time peri ods and with the presence of moisture improve the physi cal and mechanical properties of the final product. The hydration system is of great complexity and sho ws a very slow kinetics when in presence of impurities

Promotion of intangible heritage as a tool to strengthen revitalisation of historic centres: the case of de Monumenta Programme in the City of Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul State) Brazil

The preservation of tangible cultural heritage does not guarantee effective revitalisation of urban historic areas as a whole. The legacy of our history consists not only of paintings, sculptures, architectural monuments and public spaces, but also the safeguarding of immaterial aspects of social life, such as oral traditions, rituals, practices, knowledge and craft skills. From 1999 to 2013, 26 Brazilian cities benefited from the Monumenta Programme - a national cultural policy that involved institutions, the private sector and the local community. The purpose of the programme was to stimulate economic growth and increase cultural and social development of the historic centres. Moreover, it sought to increase the number of residents in the benefited areas as defined in its agenda (IDB, 1999; MinC & Programa Monumenta, 2006). Using the Historic Centre of Porto Alegre as a case study, this paper examines how this cultural programme enables demographic change through the promotion of intangible cultural heritage, e.g. by supporting educational projects. The demographic flow was analysed using the microdata of the Populations Censuses (years 2000 and 2010) available from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The results showed an increase in low-income residents the areas that participated in the programme. This increase may have been motivated by a set of cultural-educational projects under the auspices of the Monumenta Programme. The retraining of artisans of Alfândega Square, the training of low-income youth for restoration work and the implementation of the "Black Route Museum in Porto Alegre" (Bicca, 2010) are just some examples of what was done to improve the local community's economy, to encourage social cohesion and to enhance the awareness of cultural diversity as a positive and essential value in society.