The impact of a cooking and gardening summer camp experience on the fruit and vegetable consumption of elementary school-aged children

Childhood obesity is a significant public health problem. Over 15 percent of children in the United States are obese, and about 25 percent of children in Texas are overweight (CDC NHANES). Furthermore, about 30 percent of elementary school aged children in Harris County, Texas are overweight or obese (Children at Risk Institute 2010). In addition to actions such as increasing physical activity, decreasing television watching and video game time, decreasing snacking on low nutrient calorie dense foods and sugar sweetened beverages, children need to consume more fruits and vegetables. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2002, about 26 percent of U.S. children are meeting the recommendations for daily fruit intake and about 16 percent are meeting the recommendations for daily vegetable intake (CDC NHANES). In 2004, the average total intake of vegetables was 0.9 cups per day and 1.1 cups of fruit per day by children ages four to nine years old in the U.S. (CDC NHANES). Not only do children need effective nutrition education to learn about fruits and vegetables, they also need access and repeated exposure to fruits and vegetables (Anderson 2009, Briefel 2009). Nutrition education interventions that provide a structured, hands-on curriculum such as school gardens have produced significant changes in child fruit and vegetable intake (Blair 2009, McAleese 2007). To prevent childhood obesity from continuing into adolescence and adulthood, effective nutrition education interventions need to be implemented immediately and for the long-term. However, research has shown short-term nutrition education interventions such as summer camps to be effective for significant changes in child fruit and vegetable intake, preferences, and knowledge (Heim 2009). ^ A four week summer camp based on cooking and gardening was implemented at 6 Multi-Service centers in a large, urban city. The participants included children ranging in age from 7 to 14 years old (n=64). The purpose of the camp was to introduce children to their food from the seed to the plate through the utilization of gardening and culinary exercises. The summer camp activities were aimed at increasing the children's exposure, willingness to try, preferences, knowledge, and intake of fruits and vegetables. A survey was given on the first day of camp and again on the last day of camp that measured the pre- and post differences in knowledge, intake, willingness to try, and preferences of fruits and vegetables. The present study examined the short-term effectiveness of a cooking and garden-based nutrition education program on the knowledge, willingness, preferences, and intake among children aged 8 to 13 years old (n=40). The final sample of participants (n=40) was controlled for those who completed pre- and post-test surveys and who were in or above the third grade level. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the reported intake of vegetables and preferences for vegetables, specifically green beans, and fruits. There was also a significant increase in preferences for fruits among boys and participants ages 11 to 13 years. The results showed a change in the expected direction of willingness to try, preferences for vegetables, and intake of fruit, however these were not statistically significant. Interestingly, the results also showed a decrease in the intake of low nutrient calorie dense foods such as sweets and candy.^

Kids nature camp

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Investigació en el camp d'aprenentatge de la Noguera. Quines valoracions realitzen les escoles usuàries ?

Els Camps d’Aprenentatge són uns Serveis Educatius de la Generalitat de Catalunya distribuïts pel territori Català. Personalment penso que són poc coneguts pels docents, per això, la meva investigació tracta de conèixer la seva història i descobrir quins temes es treballen en cadascun. Principalment, investigo el Camp d’Aprenentatge de la Noguera situat en la meva població, Sant Llorenç de Montgai, per aprofundir-me en aquest i descobrir el seu funcionament. D’aquesta manera, pretenc potenciar aquests serveis educatius que utilitzen estratègies metodològiques innovadores. Pel que fa la part pràctica d’aquesta recerca, analitzo les valoracions que van realitzar els centres escolars del primer i l’últim curs, per tal d’observar l’evolució i el creixement d’aquest CdA. A més, també analitzo les observacions de la sortida realitzada amb els infants de P-5 i 1r de Primària de l’escola Dos Rius de Camarasa. Per acabar, es troben les conclusions d’aquesta investigació.

Dynamics of a minimal model of interlocked positive and negative feedback loops of transcriptional regulation by cAMP-response element binding proteins.

cAMP-response element binding (CREB) proteins are involved in transcriptional regulation in a number of cellular processes (e.g., neural plasticity and circadian rhythms). The CREB family contains activators and repressors that may interact through positive and negative feedback loops. These loops can be generated by auto- and cross-regulation of expression of CREB proteins, via CRE elements in or near their genes. Experiments suggest that such feedback loops may operate in several systems (e.g., Aplysia and rat). To understand the functional implications of such feedback loops, which are interlocked via cross-regulation of transcription, a minimal model with a positive and negative loop was developed and investigated using bifurcation analysis. Bifurcation analysis revealed diverse nonlinear dynamics (e.g., bistability and oscillations). The stability of steady states or oscillations could be changed by time delays in the synthesis of the activator (CREB1) or the repressor (CREB2). Investigation of stochastic fluctuations due to small numbers of molecules of CREB1 and CREB2 revealed a bimodal distribution of CREB molecules in the bistability region. The robustness of the stable HIGH and LOW states of CREB expression to stochastic noise differs, and a critical number of molecules was required to sustain the HIGH state for days or longer. Increasing positive feedback or decreasing negative feedback also increased the lifetime of the HIGH state, and persistence of this state may correlate with long-term memory formation. A critical number of molecules was also required to sustain robust oscillations of CREB expression. If a steady state was near a deterministic Hopf bifurcation point, stochastic resonance could induce oscillations. This comparative analysis of deterministic and stochastic dynamics not only provides insights into the possible dynamics of CREB regulatory motifs, but also demonstrates a framework for understanding other regulatory processes with similar network architecture.

Dynamics of a minimal model of interlocked positive and negative feedback loops of transcriptional regulation by cAMP-response element binding proteins.

cAMP-response element binding (CREB) proteins are involved in transcriptional regulation in a number of cellular processes (e.g., neural plasticity and circadian rhythms). The CREB family contains activators and repressors that may interact through positive and negative feedback loops. These loops can be generated by auto- and cross-regulation of expression of CREB proteins, via CRE elements in or near their genes. Experiments suggest that such feedback loops may operate in several systems (e.g., Aplysia and rat). To understand the functional implications of such feedback loops, which are interlocked via cross-regulation of transcription, a minimal model with a positive and negative loop was developed and investigated using bifurcation analysis. Bifurcation analysis revealed diverse nonlinear dynamics (e.g., bistability and oscillations). The stability of steady states or oscillations could be changed by time delays in the synthesis of the activator (CREB1) or the repressor (CREB2). Investigation of stochastic fluctuations due to small numbers of molecules of CREB1 and CREB2 revealed a bimodal distribution of CREB molecules in the bistability region. The robustness of the stable HIGH and LOW states of CREB expression to stochastic noise differs, and a critical number of molecules was required to sustain the HIGH state for days or longer. Increasing positive feedback or decreasing negative feedback also increased the lifetime of the HIGH state, and persistence of this state may correlate with long-term memory formation. A critical number of molecules was also required to sustain robust oscillations of CREB expression. If a steady state was near a deterministic Hopf bifurcation point, stochastic resonance could induce oscillations. This comparative analysis of deterministic and stochastic dynamics not only provides insights into the possible dynamics of CREB regulatory motifs, but also demonstrates a framework for understanding other regulatory processes with similar network architecture.

Exilio y autotraducción en la narrativa testimonial concentracionaria argentina : El caso de The Little School. Tales of Disappearance and Survival in Argentina, de Alicia Partnoy (1986)

Algunos escritores exiliados a partir de la última dictadura militar argentina (1976-1983) tradujeron ellos mismos sus textos para publicarlos en el país de exilio. Un ejemplo es el de Alicia Partnoy, autora de The Little School. Tales of Disappearance & Survival in Argentina, quien habiendo escrito un testimonio en español sobre su paso por el campo de concentración La Escuelita, ubicado en Bahía Blanca, se dedicó a traducirlo al inglés para su publicación en Estados Unidos en 1986. Sus numerosas ediciones, primero en el extranjero y más tarde en Argentina, lo ubican entre una de las obras más importantes de la narrativa testimonial concentracionaria argentina. Una forma de abordarlo reside en el análisis sobre el proceso y el resultado de la autotraducción, lo cual permite aportar elementos de reflexión acerca de la necesidad de los supervivientes exiliados de dar a conocer su experiencia en el exilio, algo que sobrepasa, incluso, las barreras lingüísticas

Exilio y autotraducción en la narrativa testimonial concentracionaria argentina : El caso de The Little School. Tales of Disappearance and Survival in Argentina, de Alicia Partnoy (1986)

Algunos escritores exiliados a partir de la última dictadura militar argentina (1976-1983) tradujeron ellos mismos sus textos para publicarlos en el país de exilio. Un ejemplo es el de Alicia Partnoy, autora de The Little School. Tales of Disappearance & Survival in Argentina, quien habiendo escrito un testimonio en español sobre su paso por el campo de concentración La Escuelita, ubicado en Bahía Blanca, se dedicó a traducirlo al inglés para su publicación en Estados Unidos en 1986. Sus numerosas ediciones, primero en el extranjero y más tarde en Argentina, lo ubican entre una de las obras más importantes de la narrativa testimonial concentracionaria argentina. Una forma de abordarlo reside en el análisis sobre el proceso y el resultado de la autotraducción, lo cual permite aportar elementos de reflexión acerca de la necesidad de los supervivientes exiliados de dar a conocer su experiencia en el exilio, algo que sobrepasa, incluso, las barreras lingüísticas

Exilio y autotraducción en la narrativa testimonial concentracionaria argentina : El caso de The Little School. Tales of Disappearance and Survival in Argentina, de Alicia Partnoy (1986)

Algunos escritores exiliados a partir de la última dictadura militar argentina (1976-1983) tradujeron ellos mismos sus textos para publicarlos en el país de exilio. Un ejemplo es el de Alicia Partnoy, autora de The Little School. Tales of Disappearance & Survival in Argentina, quien habiendo escrito un testimonio en español sobre su paso por el campo de concentración La Escuelita, ubicado en Bahía Blanca, se dedicó a traducirlo al inglés para su publicación en Estados Unidos en 1986. Sus numerosas ediciones, primero en el extranjero y más tarde en Argentina, lo ubican entre una de las obras más importantes de la narrativa testimonial concentracionaria argentina. Una forma de abordarlo reside en el análisis sobre el proceso y el resultado de la autotraducción, lo cual permite aportar elementos de reflexión acerca de la necesidad de los supervivientes exiliados de dar a conocer su experiencia en el exilio, algo que sobrepasa, incluso, las barreras lingüísticas

Chapel and Educational Facility, U. S. Army, Camp Wildflecken, Germany, 1980-1983

[Conceptual Sketch], untitled. Blue ink sketch on steno pad paper, 6x9 inches [from photographic copy by Lance Burgharrdt]

Chapel and Educational Facility, U. S. Army, Camp Wildflecken, Germany, 1980-1983

[Conceptual Sketches], untitled. Ink sketches on two sides of graph paper, 8 1/2 x 11 inches [from photographic copy by Lance Burgharrdt]

Overnight Summer Music Camp and the Impact on its Youth: A Case Study

This qualitative case study explores an overnight music camp, Camp Encore Coda. The purpose is to gain an understanding of the environment, uncovering the unique ways it impacts the social and musical developments of its participating youth while contrasting it to that of the traditional classroom. Framed by the concept of multidimensional growth, data were collected using surveys, interviews, focus group, and observations. The study uncovered exorbitant levels of social and musical growth among the youth; all directly linked to isolation from technology, communal living, and musical immersion in a community of practice. There lacks a significant amount of music education research attempting to explore and provide an initial evaluation of the learning opportunities unique to overnight music camps. This is particularly significant for music educators who strive to continue the advancement of the field through positive impact on students inside and outside of the school classroom.