Context: Current public health policy recommends weight loss for obese individuals, and encourages energy-restricted diets. Others advocate an alternative, 'non-diet' approach which emphasizes eating ...in response to physiological cues (eg hunger and satiety) and enhancing body acceptance. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a 'health-centered' non-diet wellness program, and to compare this program to a traditional 'weight loss-centered' diet program. Design: Six-month, randomized clinical trial. Setting: Free-living, general community. Participants: Obese, Caucasian, female, chronic dieters, ages 30-45 y (n=78). Interventions: Six months of weekly group intervention in a non-diet wellness program or a traditional diet program, followed by 6 months of monthly after-care group support. Outcome Measures: Anthropometry (weight, body mass index); metabolic fitness (blood pressure, blood lipids); energy expenditure; eating behavior (restraint, eating disorder pathology); psychology (self-esteem, depression, body image); attrition and attendance; and participant evaluations of treatment helpfulness. Measures obtained at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 1 y. Results (1 y after program initiation): Cognitive restraint increased in the diet group and decreased in the non-diet group. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in many metabolic fitness, psychological and eating behavior variables. There was high attrition in the diet group (41%), compared to 8% in the non-diet group. Weight significantly decreased in the diet group (5.9±6.3 kg) while there was no significant change in the non-diet group (-0.1±4.8 kg). Conclusions: Over a 1 y period, a diet approach results in weight loss for those who complete the intervention, while a non-diet approach does not. However, a non-diet approach can produce similar improvements in metabolic fitness, psychology and eating behavior, while at the same time effectively minimizing the attrition common in diet programs.
The purpose of the study: carry out an ecological typification of the territory of agricultural land use and model the sustainability of agricultural landscapes by assessing agro-ecological factors. ...Research methods: general scientific methods were used: observation, description, comparative, historical, modeling. When studying the structure, system analysis was used, analysis and synthesis methods were used to identify agro-ecologically homogeneous areas and territories of the same type, cartographic methods were used to zoning and compile cartographic material, and information analysis was used to model agricultural landscapes. Research results. A study of the agricultural lands of an economic entity with an area of more than 87 km2 showed that it consists of five landscape areas that are universally susceptible to degradation processes. As a result of a comprehensive analysis of agricultural landscapes, factors limiting the productivity of agricultural crops were identified. The agro-ecological assessment of landscapes made it possible to typify agricultural land and zone the territory. For each agro-ecotype of land, a complex of agro-, phyto-, reclamation measures has been developed aimed at increasing the sustainability of agricultural landscapes, as well as land use models that allow predicting the use of land resources for a multi-term perspective. Conclusions. 1. The scientific article presents the results of a study of the agro-ecological state of agricultural land use through agro-ecological typification of land, carried out on the basis of an analysis of limiting factors and conditions affecting the adaptive potential of agricultural plants. 2. It has been established that the agricultural landscapes of the study area are actively used in agricultural production (mainly crop production) and are everywhere subject to degradation processes. It was determined that land use includes five landscape areas that differ significantly in area and morphological characteristics. The ecological classification of lands at the local level (level of an economic entity) is shown, highlighting groups, subgroups, classes, subclasses, genera and subgenera. Limiting agro-ecological factors and conditions inherent in the study area were identified and its zoning was carried out. It was found that the agro-ecological state of the territory (assessed using more than ten indicators) differs significantly among agricultural groups. The assessment of the agro-ecological state made it possible to draw up a unique map-scheme of land agro-ecotypes and develop a set of agro-, phyto-, and reclamation measures aimed at optimizing agricultural land use. Three models of agricultural land use aimed at increasing the sustainability of agricultural landscapes are presented, with calculated forecast characteristics. 3. The results of scientific research can be used in the organization, monitoring, protection of agricultural lands and management of the sustainability of agricultural landscapes at the local level.
Virus-like particles generated by the heterologous expression of virus structural proteins are able to potentiate the immunogenicity of foreign epitopes presented on their surface. In recent years ...epitopes of various origin have been inserted into the core antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBV) allowing the formation of chimaeric HBV core particles. Chimaeric core particles carrying the 45 N-terminal amino acids of the Puumala hantavirus nucleocapsid protein induced protective immunity in bank voles, the natural host of this hantavirus. Particles applied in the absence of adjuvant are still immunogenic and partially protective in bank voles. Although a C-terminally truncated core antigen of HBV (HBcAgΔ) tolerates the insertion of extended foreign sequences, for the construction of multivalent vaccines the limited insertion capacity is still a critical factor. Recently, we have described a new system for generating HBV ‘mosaic particles’ in an
Escherichia coli suppressor strain based on a readthrough mechanism on a stop linker located in front of the insert. Those mosaic particles are built up by both HBcAgΔ and the HBcAgΔ/Puumala nucleocapsid readthrough protein. The particles formed presented the 114 amino acid (aa) long hantavirus sequence, at least in part, on their surface and induced antibodies against the hantavirus sequence in bank voles. Variants of the stop linker still allowed the formation of mosaic particles demonstrating that stop codon suppression alone is sufficient for the packaging of longer foreign sequences in mosaic particles. Another approach to increase the insertion capacity is based on the simultaneous insertion of different Puumala nucleocapsid protein sequences (aa 1–45 and aa 75–119) into two different positions (aa 78 and behind aa 144) of a single HBcAg molecule. The data presented are of high relevance for the generation of multivalent vaccines requiring a high insertion capacity for foreign sequences.
This article examines the process of forming a culture, the main characteristics of the emotional and spiritual attitude to the world, and the transition of emotions into the artistic and sensual ...imagery sphere. The necessity of researching petroglyphs, as the earliest sign systems, was revealed and substantiated; they reflect the initial stage of the formation of ancient art. For the first time, the model of the ancient ritual ceremonies was directly related to the religious beliefs found in the petroglyphs, with their semantic filling, which allowed to reveal the cosmogonic functions of ritual melodies in the process of perception of the world.
Education has a great share in the development of a country. Countries that invest in education are developing in all respects. There are many factors that affect education, but the most important of ...them is the teacher. Because other factors affecting education do not make sense without a teacher. The better the teachers are trained, the more appropriate the working conditions, the better the quality of education, and thus the establishment of a modern, peaceful country. This study aims to determine professional mobility levels of secondary school teachers. Mixed research method was used in the study. A total number of 146 teachers including 60 teachers in the control group and 86 in the experimental group participated in the study. Results confirmed the effectiveness of activities to update students’ pedagogical experiences as a necessary step in the development of professional pedagogical mobility. Results are discussed with relevant literature and recommendations for further research and practices are provided.
An abstract of a study by Shenoy et al, evaluating the ability and acceptance of vegetable juice to help meet the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) vegetable recommendations from the 2005 ...U.S. Dietary Guidelines, is presented. Ninety healthy women (66) and men (24),40-65 years old were randomized to 0 (control), 8 or 16 oz vegetable juice daily for 12 weeks. All groups were counseled on the DASH diet and encouraged to increase their vegetable consumption. They conclude that 9 out of 10 adult Americans do not meet vegetable recommendations due to barriers, such as convenience, cost, taste, perishability. Vegetable juice is an easy, acceptable way to help meet DASH vegetable recommendations.
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