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Both the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) Programs serve low-income women and children at high risk for health disparities, yet they do not have a formal state-level partnership in Connecticut. Both programs serve children up to age five, yet children's participation in the WIC Program declines sharply after 2 years of age, limiting the potential benefits of cross-program participation. The goal of this study is to examine current and prospective collaboration efforts among the WIC and HS/EHS Programs in Connecticut and identify barriers to collaboration. An online survey was administered to staff from both programs. Six focus groups were held in January, 2012 with staff and participants from both programs. Results showed areas of existing collaboration between local WIC and HS/EHS Programs, yet also identified many areas where relationships could be strengthened or established. Common themes that were identified included a need for more knowledge among staff about the other program, collaboration involving sharing of client information, and improving referral procedures. Staff from both programs strongly expressed interest in a cross-program collaboration (73 % of HS staff and 86 % of WIC staff). This research serves as a framework for how a state-level collaboration could be established in Connecticut, to enable these two programs to work together more efficiently and effectively for the benefit of mothers and children. Results can provide other State WIC Programs with a blueprint for collaborating with HS/EHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Examine relationships between food security, diet quality, and body mass index (BMI) among food pantry users. Methods: Convenience sample of 212 food pantry clients in Hartford, CT from June, 2010 to May, 2011. Main outcomes included food security (United States Department of Agriculture module), fruit and vegetable consumption (Block Screener), and BMI (stadiometer and digital medical scale). Chi-square tests, Spearman correlations, and logistic regression models were analyzed. Results: Over half of the sample (50.5%) had very low food security. Mean BMI was 29.5 kg/m2. Age was positively associated with food security (P < .01). Food-secure participants were twice as likely to eat fruit, vegetables, and fiber as food-insecure participants (P - .04). Women were 4 times as likely to be obese as men (P < .01), yet food insecurity was not associated with obesity in this sample. Conclusions and Implications: Ensuring the nutritional adequacy of donated food is an important consideration for food donors and pantry staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development and implementation of a transnational middle level teacher education program, specifically based on the educative needs of young adolescent students and their teachers in American Samoa. For more than 30 years, the University of Hawai'i has partnered with the American Samoa Department of Education to provide undergraduate degrees in elementary education to a total of 647 graduates. While elementary education in American Samoa encompasses kindergarten through eighth grade, professional development needs specific to middle grades teachers have not been adequately addressed through these programs. In 2009, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa pioneered a graduate-level middle level teacher education program in American Samoa, the first program of its kind to focus on young adolescents' learning needs in this Pacific island territory. The 2011 Middle Level Master of Education degree (MLMED) cohort was the first group of inservice teachers ever to receive specialized middle grades teacher training in American Samoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that the ability to detect potentially dangerous skin lesions is not improved by viewing a pamphlet describing the characteristic features of such lesions. A different approach to improving this skill was investigated in this study. 100 student recruits were tested to investigate the effect of practice at distinguishing between dangerous and nondangerous skin lesions. Around 30 minutes of such practice, viewing 360 pictures of skin lesions, provided a significant advantage in making decisions about a target set of dangerous and nondangerous lesions, compared to no practice or practice with a filler task. Viewing a skin cancer pamphlet for 5 min. at the beginning of the experiment made no difference to the speed or accuracy of decisions regarding the test lesions. The results are interpreted as evidence for a form of implicit learning of a skin cancer detection skill, a finding that is consistent with what is known of the nature of expertise in dermatologists. The results also point to the ineffectiveness of pamphlets to engender such expertise in the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Genetic diagnosis of HERDA in an adult, working horse with mild signs • Clinical presentation demonstrates a mild case in a homozygote • HERDA may have other genetic factors influencing severity that need further research. Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA) is an autosomal recessive condition present in the American Quarter Horse and other related breeds. Resulting from a mutation in the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase B (PPIB) gene, HERDA is homologous to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in humans. Characterized by fragile, hyperelastic, skin, HERDA affected horses often present first with slow-healing wounds usually on the dorsum, and resulting in atrophic scars, seromas, and ulcers. As there is no treatment for the condition affected horses are typically reported to be unrideable, and if persistent wounds are sufficiently severe, may require euthanasia. This case report describes clinical presentation and genetic diagnostics of HERDA in an 8-year-old horse with notably mild clinical signs, previously undiagnosed. On recommendation from the referring veterinarian, the horse owners pursued genetic diagnostics for HERDA following development of painful dorsal skin lesions under the saddle area during a riding clinic. The individual was confirmed homozygous for HERDA c.115G>A missense mutation in the PPIB gene by commercial testing service (Etalon Diagnostics Inc.). Further objective studies on the severity and clinical presentation of HERDA are necessary to evaluate complex elements of this disease. Furthermore, mildly affected individuals may be underdiagnosed as a result of not demonstrating the clinical signs that commonly encourage genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Examine relationships between adult obesity, childhood overweight, and food insecurity. Design: Cross-sectional retrospective study. Setting: Community settings in Hartford, Connecticut. Participants: Convenience sample of 200 parents and their 212 children, aged 2-12. Main Outcome Measures: Adult obesity (Body Mass Index [BMI] > 30), childhood overweight (BMI-for-age > 95th percentile), and household food security (U.S. Department of Agriculture module). Analysis: Chi-square tests between weight status and socioeconomic characteristics. Multinomial regression analyses to determine risk factors for adult obesity and childhood overweight. Results: Over half of parents (51%) were obese, and almost one-third of children (31.6%) were overweight. Over half of households were food insecure. Food insecure adults were significantly more likely to be obese as those who were food secure (Odds Ratio [OR]=2.45, p=.02). Being a girl and having an obese parent doubled the likelihood of children being overweight (OR=2.56, P=.01; OR=2.32, P=.03). Children with family incomes below 100% of poverty were half as likely to be overweight as those with higher incomes (OR=.47, P=.05). Food insecurity did not increase odds of childhood overweight. Conclusions and Implications: Obesity prevention programs and policies need to address food insecurity and gender as key risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many animals, I SLC45A2 i encodes a transmembrane protein in melanocytes that is hypothesized to transport molecules necessary for proper melanosome function. Coat and skin color dilution phenotypes caused by variants in I SLC45A2 i are documented in multiple vertebrate species.[[1], [3]] In equines, mutations in the I SLC45A2 i gene, located on chromosome 21, are responsible for the I cream i , I pearl i and I sunshine i dilutions.[[5]]. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores whether social capital—a measure of trust, reciprocity and social networks—is positively associated with household food security, independent of household-level socioeconomic factors. Interviews were conducted in 330 low-income households from Hartford, Connecticut. Social capital was measured using a 7-item Likert scale and was analyzed using household- and community-level scores. Household food security and hunger were measured using the US Household Food Security Module. χ2 tests were used to examine associations between social capital, food security and household demographic characteristics. Logistic regression was used to examine whether household- and community-level social capital decreases the odds of household hunger, and to estimate which household characteristics increase the likelihood of having social capital. Consistent with our hypotheses, social capital, at both the household and community levels, is significantly associated with household food security in these data. Community-level social capital is significantly associated with decreased odds of experiencing hunger (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.47 [95% CI 0.28, 0.81], P<0.01), while controlling for household socioeconomic status. Results show that households with an elderly member are over two and a half times as likely to have high social capital (AOR=2.68 [1.22, 5.87], P<0.01) than are non-elderly households, after controlling for socioeconomic status. Having a household member who participates in a social or civic organization is also significantly associated with having higher levels of social capital. Social capital, particularly in terms of reciprocity among neighbors, contributes to household food security. Households may have similarly limited financial or food resources, but households with higher levels of social capital are less likely to experience hunger. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]