Biology journal assignment in APA formatAnswers 1Bids 1Other questions 10

I have an article about bioactives in blueberries along with the requirements page that has questions to be answered. There are specific questions that have to be answered. The paper has to be 2-4 pages in APA format. It is due at 3pm eastern time today. I copied both papers, the article and requirements page on here along with also uploading them.  The article is:  Bioactives in Blueberries Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Obese, Insulin-Resistant Men and Women1–4April J. Stull, Katherine C. Cash, William D. Johnson, Catherine M. Champagne, and William T. Cefalu*Center for the Study of Botanicals and Metabolic Syndrome, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, LA 70808AbstractDietary supplementation with whole blueberries in a preclinical study resulted in a reduction in glucose concentrations over time. We sought to evaluate the effect of daily dietary supplementation with bioactives from blueberries on whole-body insulin sensitivity in men and women. A double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical study design was used. After screening to resolve study eligibility, baseline (wk 0) insulin sensitivity was measured on 32 obese, nondiabetic, and insulin-resistant subjects using a high-dose hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (insulin infusion of 120 mU(861 pmol)×m22×min21). Serum inflammatory biomarkers and adiposity were measured at baseline. At the end of the study, insulin sensitivity, inflammatory biomarkers, and adiposity were reassessed. Participants were randomized to consume either a smoothie containing 22.5 g blueberry bioactives (blueberry group, n = 15) or a smoothie of equal nutritional value without added blueberry bioactives (placebo group, n = 17) twice daily for 6 wk. Both groups were instructed to maintain their body weight by reducing ad libitum intake by an amount equal to the energy intake of the smoothies. Participants’ body weights were evaluated weekly and 3-d food records were collected at baseline, the middle, and end of the study. The mean change in insulin sensitivity improved more in the blueberry group (1.7 6 0.5 mg×kg FFM21×min21) than in the placebo group (0.4 6 0.4 mg×kg FFM21×min21)(P = 0.04). Insulin sensitivity was enhanced in the blueberry group at the end of the study without significant changes in adiposity, energy intake, and inflammatory biomarkers. In conclusion, daily dietary supplementation with bioactives from whole blueberries improved insulin sensitivity in obese, nondiabetic, and insulin-resistant participants. J. Nutr. 140: 1764–1768, 2010.IntroductionIncreased consumption of berries has been shown to improve cognitive function, risk of cardiovascular disease, and cancer (1,2). Studies have also reported that specific berries, i.e., blueberries, have antidiabetic effects. Specifically, a study performed in mice (3) found that supplementation withwhole blueberries reduced the blood glucose area under the curve (AUC)5 in vivo and cell culture studies (4,5) demonstrated increased glucose uptake in vitro (6). In addition, inflammatory genes have been reduced in mice after consuming blueberry bioactives, which suggests an antiinflammatory response (3). The purported health benefits from blueberries have been attributed to their phenolic bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins, which also have antioxidant properties (6–8). Given the concern regarding the ability to greatly increase and maintain an individual’s fruit and vegetable consumption over a long-term period (9), the role of dietary supplementation with bioactive components in blueberries remains a very attractive and feasible daily dietary intervention. To the best of our knowledge, there is no human research that has reported on the efficacy of increased blueberry bioactive consumption on insulin sensitivity by using the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique (10), which is the gold standard for measuring in1 Supported in part by the NIH training grant T32 AT004094 (supporting A.J.S.), by the United States Highbush Blueberry Council, and P50AT002776-01 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Office of Dietary Supplements (W.T.C.), which funds the Botanical Research Center of Pennington Biomedical Research Center and The Biotech Center of Rutgers University. This project used facilities that are supported in part by Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (NIH P20-RR021945) and Clinical Nutrition Research Unit (NIH 1P30-DK072476) center grants from the NIH. 2 Author disclosures: A.J.Stull,K.C. Cash,W. D. Johnson, andC. M.Champagne, no conflicts of interest. W. T. Cefalu received research funds from the United States Highbush Blueberry Council. 3 This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01005420. 4 Supplemental Figure 1 and Table 1 are available with the online posting of this paper at jn.nutrition.org. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] edu.5 Abbreviations used: AUC, area under the curve; hsCRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; MCP-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1; TNFa, tumor necrosis factor-a.ã 2010 American Society for Nutrition. 1764 Manuscript received April 13, 2010. Initial review completed May 18, 2010. Revision accepted July 12, 2010. First published online August 19, 2010; doi:10.3945/jn.110.125336. by guest on January 11, 2014jn.nutrition.orgDownloaded from 6.DC1.html http://jn.nutrition.org/content/suppl/2010/09/20/jn.110.12533 Supplemental Material can be found at:vivo insulin action. Therefore, this project’s overall objective was to examine the role of dietary supplementation with bioactives in freeze-dried whole blueberry powder on insulin action in vivo with the use of hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps in individuals who were obese, nondiabetic, and insulin resistant. We hypothesized that increased daily consumption of blueberry bioactives, based on preclinical data, would be effective in increasing insulin action in vivo and ultimately result in improved insulin sensitivity in a human population at high risk for type 2 diabetes.Subjects and MethodsSubjects. Participants inthe study were recruited fromthe Greater Baton Rouge area. A total of 32 men and women completed all evaluations (Supplemental Fig. 1). Those included were adults ($20 y old), obese (BMI between 32 and 45 kg/m2), and insulin resistant (nondiabetic). The exclusion criteria included: 1) diabetes; no diabetes status was confirmed by a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test; 2) medications known to affect glucose metabolism; 3) untreated thyroid or chronic liver, renal, or cardiovascular disease; 4) a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse, or psychiatric disease prohibiting adherence to study protocol; 5) history of allergic reactions to blueberries; 6) consuming berries, grapes, and wine .3 times/wk; and 7) fluctuation in body weight . 5% in the preceding 2 mo. The Institutional Review Board for human subjects at Pennington Biomedical Research Center reviewed and approved the study protocol. All participants gave written consent prior to starting the study.Study design.This study design was double blinded, placebo-controlled, and randomized. All study evaluations and measurementswere performed onparticipantsthat had fasted for 10h. Aweekwasdefined as7 d (6 2 d).Clinical intervention and source of whole blueberry bioactives. The freeze-dried whole blueberry powder was prepared by the United States Highbush Blueberry Council (USDA oversight). The whole blueberry powder was made from a 50/50 mixture of 2 varieties of highbush blueberries, Tifblue (Vaccinium ashei) and Rubel (Vaccinium corymbosum). The whole blueberries were freeze-dried, milled, and stored in aluminum cans under nitrogen. Based on the compositional analysis, the 45 g of blueberry powder contained 1462 mg of total phenolics, 668 mg of anthocyanins, and 16.02 mmol TE of antioxidants (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). Also, the 45 g of blueberry powder that was provided to the participants equated to an amount of bioactives in ~2 cups of fresh whole blueberries. After the participants were assessed as being insulin resistant (glucose disposal rate # 650 mg/min), they were randomized to receive twice daily a smoothie with blueberry bioactives added or an identical smoothie without blueberry bioactives (i.e., placebo) (Supplemental Table 1). The participants were instructed to consume 1 smoothie at breakfast meals and the other smoothie at dinner meals (at least 6 h apart). The smoothies were prepared in the metabolic kitchen and a week’s supply of frozen smoothies was provided in a cooler for the participants to pick up at each weekly visit. Participants were instructed to keep the smoothies frozen, thaw them in the refrigerator, avoid exposing them to direct heat, and avoid adding any other ingredients to them. For study compliance, the participants verbally reported their smoothie consumption to the dietitian at each visit. A compliance of .75% was mandatory for continued participation in the study.Physiologic assessments. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps (10) were performed to assess insulin sensitivity after a 10-h fast. Participants were admitted into the inpatient research unit the evening prior to their insulin sensitivity testing day and consumed a eucaloric standardized meal (50% carbohydrates, 35% fat, and 15% protein). The next morning, an i.v. catheter was placed in an antecubital vein for infusion of insulin and glucose. A second catheter was inserted in a dorsal vein of the contralateral arm for blood withdrawal. The hand was placed between aheating pad for arterialization of venous blood sampling. During the 45 min prior to the clamp, bloodsamples were collected every 15 min for glucose and insulin. Then insulin was administered at a primedcontinuous infusion rate of 120 mU(861 pmol)×m22×min21 for 2 h and blood samples were collected every 5 min for glucose and every 15 min for insulin during this period. Serum insulin was measured by a Siemens Immulite 2000 using immunoassay with chemiluminescent. A variable infusionof dextrose (20% solution) was given to maintainserum glucose concentrations at ;5.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL). Arterialized serum glucose was measured using a YSI 2300 Stat Plus glucose analyzer (model no. 2300 STAT Plus D) and Beckman Coulter DXC600. During the steady state (last 30 min of clamp), the mean rate of exogenous glucose infusion was corrected for changes in glycemia and divided by fat-free mass to assess insulin sensitivity.Body weight/fat distribution. Fat-free mass, fat mass, and body fat percentage were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with CV for measurements assessed at 0.6, 1.1, and 1.1%, respectively. Overall, biologic, instrument, and reader variability was assessed at ~10%.Serum inflammatory biomarkers and lipids. During the baseline of the clamp, blood was collected for measuring serum inflammatory biomarkers, including high sensitivityC-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFa), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). TNFa and MCP-1 were measured on a Luminex system using kits from Millipore. High sensitivity C-reactive protein was measured by automated immunoassay as assessed on a Siemens 2000 instrument. In addition, the serum lipid profile was measured (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol). Triglycerides and total cholesterol were measured by using a Beckman Coulter DXC600 and HDL-cholesterol was measured by using a Trinity DXC600. LDL-cholesterol was based on a calculation [cholesterol 2 (1/ 5 triglycerides) – HDL].Food records and questionnaires. At the screening visits, a registered dietitian instructed participants to record a detailed 3-d food record (i.e., 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day). Participants were asked to provide labels and/or recipes for accuracy of the food records. The dietitian reviewed the food records for accuracy and completeness. Based on their eating patterns and usual intake, participants were counseled by the dietitian on ways to remove ~2000 kJ/d (500 kcal/d) from their daily intake to compensate for the energy consumed in the blueberry and placebo smoothies. Food records were also administered at the midpoint and end of the study. The food records were analyzed using the Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Food Diary Program (Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation). Participants were asked to maintain their current body weight and physical activity or they would be eliminated from the study. The participants’ body weights were measured weekly to monitor weight maintenance. A change of $1 kg of body weight was addressed by the dietitian and proper counseling was provided. They also reported adverse events and changes in medication during the study. The smoothie rating and fruit/wine questionnaires were also used in the study. Before starting the study, participants were given the opportunity to taste the smoothie for acceptability. The fruit/wine questionnaire was administered at each visit as a reminder to abstain from berries, grapes, juices that contained berries and grapes, and wine throughout the study. The rationale for these questionnaires was to eliminate consumption of anthocyanin-containing foods and drinks.Statistical analysis. All analyseswere performedusing SAS version 9.2. Repeated-measures ANOVA with week as the repeated factor was used to compare the blueberry with placebo groups. Differences between the blueberry and placebo baseline characteristics were analyzed by a 2-sample t test (continuous data) and within groups analyzed by a paired t-test. Categorical data were summarized as counts and analyzed by chisquare tests. Nutritional value of food intake was analyzed by mixedmodel ANOVA. P # 0.05 indicated a significant difference between the groups. Data were expressed as means 6 SEM.Effect of blueberries on insulin sensitivity 1765 by guest on January 11, 2014jn.nutrition.orgDownloaded from ResultsAt baseline, the groups did not differ in age, body composition, lipid profile, blood pressure, and inflammatory biomarkers (Table 1).Energy intake, body composition, and metabolic variables. Throughout the study, the groups did not differ in energy and macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) consumption (data not shown) or in body weight or adiposity (Table 1). In addition, the inflammatory biomarkers, lipid profile, and blood pressure did not differ between the study groups from the beginning to the end of the study (Table 1). None of these variables changed within each group during the treatment period (Table 1).Insulin sensitivity. When evaluating the percent change of insulin sensitivity, 67% of the participants (10 of 15) randomized to the blueberry group had at least a 10% or greater favorable change in insulin sensitivity, whereas only 41% of the placebo participants (7 of 17) demonstrated this change (Fig. 1). Themeanchangeininsulin sensitivitywasimprovedsignificantly more in the blueberry group compared to the placebo group (Fig. 2). Also, the percent change in insulin sensitivity was greater in the blueberry group (22.2 65.8%) than in the placebo group (4.9 6 4.5%) (P = 0.02).DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first reported human study that evaluated the effect of daily dietary supplementation with bioactives in blueberries on whole-body insulin sensitivity in obese, nondiabetic, and insulin-resistant men and women. The uniqueness of this study relates to the design, which wasrandomized, double blinded, and placebo controlled. By design, the blueberry and placebo smoothies were identical in physical appearance and macronutrient content with the exception of adding the blueberry bioactives to the blueberry smoothie. Another strength of the study was the use of the most precise metabolic technique for assessing whole-body insulin sensitivity, i.e.,hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps.The majorfindingwasTABLE 1 Anthropometrics and serum biochemistry of obese, insulin-resistant participants before (pre) and after (post) the blueberry and placebo treatments1VariablesBlueberry Placebo Pre Post Pre PostRace (African American/Caucasian), n/n 8/7 — 8/9 — Gender (male/female), n/n 2/13 — 3/14 — Age, y 54 6 3 — 49 6 3— Body weight, kg 98.7 6 3.1 99.1 6 3.1 102.9 6 3.4 103.4 6 3.5 BMI, kg/m2 36.8 6 0.9 37.0 6 0.9 38.0 6 0.9 38.2 6 1.0 Body fat, % 40.9 6 1.3 40.9 6 1.3 42.5 6 1.4 42.8 6 1.4 Fat mass, kg 40.8 6 2.0 40.8 6 2.0 44.2 6 2.3 44.7 6 2.3 Lean mass, kg 58.7 6 2.1 58.7 6 2.1 59.2 6 2.0 59.4 6 2.1 Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg 116.9 6 3.2 115.2 6 3.2 122.6 6 3.7 118.5 6 3.2 Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg 73.5 6 2.3 73.2 6 1.9 75.7 6 1.9 76.6 6 2.1 Serum biochemistry2 Glucose, mmol/L 5.7 6 0.1 5.7 6 0.1 5.9 6 0.1 5.9 6 0.1 Insulin, pmol/L 132 6 15 140 6 17 142 6 15 148 6 16 Triglycerides, mmol/L 1.53 6 0.18 1.66 6 0.17 1.44 6 0.21 1.67 6 0.26 Cholesterol, mmol/L 5.34 6 0.21 4.76 6 0.24 5.18 6 0.19 4.65 6 0.18 LDL cholesterol, mmol/L 3.28 6 0.21 2.88 6 0.19 3.22 6 0.18 2.84 6 0.17 HDL cholesterol, mmol/L 1.35 6 0.08 1.12 6 0.06 1.30 6 0.07 1.05 6 0.06 C-reactive protein, mg/L 5.3 6 1.3 6.9 6 1.8 6.9 6 1.1 8.5 6 1.9 TNFa, ng/L 7.4 6 1.5 6.2 6 1.0 11.5 6 4.3 6.5 6 0.5 MCP-1, ng/L 358 6 37 377 6 44 401 6 58 396 6 381 Values are means 6 SEM, n = 15 (blueberry) or 17 (placebo) except TNFa, where n = 11 or 13, respectively. 2 Blood was drawn from participants after a 10-h fast.FIGURE 1 Percent change in insulin sensitivity in individual obese, insulin-resistant men and women who consumed the blueberry (black bars) or placebo (white bars) smoothies for 6 wk. % D = [(postintervention 2 preintervention)/preintervention] 3 100. Values are means 6 SEM, n = 15 (blueberry) or 17 (placebo).1766 Stull et al. by guest on January 11, 2014jn.nutrition.orgDownloaded from that daily consumption of whole blueberry bioactives for 6 wk improved insulin sensitivity in a population at high risk for type 2 diabetes compared with ad libitum dietary intake alone. Consumptionofsmoothies(in the caseofthisstudy, bioactives in blueberries) may be a more attractive and convenient dietary approach for those adults who do not consume the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. In the current study, we made sure that the energy in the smoothies did not contribute to any body weight gain. Specifically, our study dietitian worked with the participants during the weekly visits to eliminate 2000 kJ/d (1000 kJ/smoothie) from their diets to compensate for the energy provided by the smoothies. As such, the participants were able to maintain a constant body weight throughout the study. The observation that insulin sensitivity increased withouta change inbodyweight suggests thatthe blueberrybioactives had a direct effect on increasing whole-body insulin action. The current study evaluated the synergistic effect of all the bioactive compounds in blueberries. Limited data exist on using whole blueberries as the intervention. In a previous preclinical study, DeFuria et al. (3) used a comparable dose of an identical freeze-dried whole blueberry powder and observed similar health effects to the current clinical trial. The study showed that mice who consumed a high-fat diet with blueberries for 8 wk had a lower plasma glucose AUC during a 90-min intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test compared with the mice fed the highfat diet alone. Plasma insulin concentrations were unchanged. These results suggest that blueberries improved the high-fat diet–induced hyperglycemia. However, Prior et al. (11) found that freeze-dried whole blueberry powder did not affect the plasma glucose AUC during a 120-min intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test in high-fat diet–induced obese mice. Perhaps the null finding was due to the type of freeze-dried blueberry powder usedin the experiment, whichwas different from thecurrent and previous (3) studies or the specific technique used could have potentially lacked the precision to adequately assess carbohydrate metabolism. It is well established that any change in adiposity can greatly alter whole-body insulin sensitivity (12). In the current study, body weight was kept constant throughout the study, so that it would not be a confounding factor that contributed to the improved insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, participants were instructed not to alter their physical activity during the study. Even after controlling for certain variables, as expected for human studies, there was variability in insulin sensitivity values for both treatment groups. However, compared with the placebogroup overall, insulin sensitivity improved significantly more in the blueberry group without any changes in body weight, adiposity, or energy intake. Also, no changes in body composition were observed in diet-induced obese mice fed whole blueberries (3). Another study (11) found the opposite in that whole blueberry supplementation increased body weight and adiposity in mice that were fed a high-fat diet with added blueberries compared with mice fed only a high-fat diet. The increase in the body weight and adiposity of the mice throughout the study could have potentially affected the outcome of unobserved improvements in glucose tolerance with whole blueberry supplementation, as discussed previously. Emerging data have clearly linked inflammation to adiposity with significant reports on the mechanisms by which inflammation at a whole-body level attenuates insulin action (13). Specifically, DeFuria et al. (3) found that supplementing obese mice with blueberries reduced the gene expression for inflammatory biomarkers TNFa and interleukin-10. Unfortunately, significant changes were not observed in all the measured inflammatory biomarkers (MCP-1, interleukin-6, and inducible nitric oxide synthase). In the current study, consumption of the daily dose of bioactives in blueberries did not alter the participants’ inflammatory biomarker profile, which consisted of hsCRP, TNFa, and MCP-1. The previous study (3) and current study cannot be compared because of the different research species and evaluations of inflammatory biomarkers [gene expression (3) vs. serum (current study)]. Given the enhanced insulin sensitivity in the group randomized to the blueberry bioactives, a determination of insulindependent or -independent signaling pathways in muscle would provide a cellular basis contributing to the understanding of the clinical effect. However, muscle biopsies were not obtained in the current study and cellular mechanisms were not evaluated. Some may view this as a study limitation, but we did evaluate whole-body insulin sensitivity, which is a critical step before evaluating cellular mechanisms. Furthermore, an in vitro study showed (4) that 21-h incubation of the blueberry extract in muscle cells enhanced glucose uptake only in the presence of insulin. Another study (5) found that 6-h treatment of fermented blueberry juice with and without insulin increased glucose uptake into the muscle and adipocyte cells. However, the nonfermented blueberry juice had no effect on glucose uptake. The fermented blueberry juice also increased the phosphorylation/activation of proteins in the insulin-independent pathway (i.e., AMP-activated protein kinase) and did not phosphorylate/ activate proteins in the insulin-dependent pathway (i.e., AKT and ERK1/2). These results suggest that the addition of fermented blueberry bioactives increased glucose uptake into the cells in an insulin-independent mechanism. More cellular mechanistic studies are warranted to elucidate the specific cellular pathway involved in the improvement of insulin sensitivity that was observed when blueberries were consumed in our study. In conclusion, our double-blinded and placebo-controlled study showed that daily dietary supplementation of bioactives in freeze-dried whole blueberry powder improved insulin sensitivity over 6 wk in obese, nondiabetic, and insulin-resistant participants. The bioactives in blueberries enhanced insulin sensitivity independent of any changes in inflammatory biomarkers or adiposity. This study is not conclusive, but it strongly suggests a need to further explore the cellular mechanism for the effect. In addition, our study suggests the need for studies of longer duration that will evaluate blueberries and their potential role in improving insulin sensitivity in an insulin-resistant human population.FIGURE 2 Mean change in insulin sensitivity in the obese, insulinresistant men and women who consumed either the blueberry or placebo smoothies for 6 wk. D = postintervention 2 preintervention. Values are means 6 SEM, n = 15 (blueberry) or 17 (placebo).Effect of blueberries on insulin sensitivity 1767 by guest on January 11, 2014jn.nutrition.orgDownloaded from Acknowledgments A.J.S. designed research, conducted research, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript; C.M.C. and K.C.C. designed dietary research, conducted dietary research, and collected and analyzed dietary data; W.D.J. performed statistical analysis; and W.T.C. was the principal investigator who designed research and had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.Literature Cited1. Bagchi D, Sen CK, Bagchi M, Atalay M. Anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties of a novel anthocyanin-rich berry extract formula. Biochemistry (Mosc). 2004;69:75–80, 1 p preceding 75. 2. Papandreou MA, Dimakopoulou A, Linardaki ZI, Cordopatis P, KlimisZacas D, Margarity M, Lamari FN. Effect of a polyphenol-rich wild blueberry extract on cognitive performance of mice, brain antioxidant markersandacetylcholinesteraseactivity.BehavBrainRes.2009;198:352–8. 3. DeFuria J, Bennett G, Strissel KJ, Perfield JW II, Milbury PE, Greenberg AS, Obin MS. Dietary blueberry attenuates whole-body insulin resistance in high fat-fed mice by reducing adipocyte death and its inflammatory sequelae. J Nutr. 2009;139:1510–6. 4. Martineau LC, Couture A, Spoor D, Benhaddou-Andaloussi A, Harris C, Meddah B, Leduc C, Burt A, Vuong T, et al. Anti-diabetic properties of the Canadian lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. Phytomedicine. 2006;13:612–23.5. Vuong T, Martineau LC, Ramassamy C, Matar C, Haddad PS. Fermented Canadian lowbush blueberry juice stimulates glucose uptake and AMP-activated protein kinase in insulin-sensitive cultured muscle cells and adipocytes. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007;85: 956–65. 6. Youdim KA, Shukitt-Hale B, MacKinnon S, Kalt W, Joseph JA. Polyphenolics enhance red blood cell resistance to oxidative stress: in vitro and in vivo. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2000;1523:117–22. 7. Hosseinian FS, Beta T. Saskatoon and wild blueberries have higher anthocyanin contents than other Manitoba berries. J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55:10832–8. 8. Faria A, Oliveira J, Neves P, Gameiro P, Santos-Buelga C, de Freitas V, Mateus N. Antioxidant properties of prepared blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) extracts. J Agric Food Chem. 2005;53:6896–902. 9. Blanck HM, Gillespie C, Kimmons JE, Seymour JD, Serdula MK. Trends in fruit and vegetable consumption among U.S. men and women, 1994–2005. Prev Chronic Dis. 2008;5:A35. 10. DeFronzo RA, Tobin JD, Andres R. Glucose clamp technique: a method for quantifying insulin secretion and resistance. Am J Physiol. 1979; 237:E214–23. 11. Prior RL, Wu X, Gu L, Hager TJ, Hager A, Howard LR. Whole berries versus berry anthocyanins: interactions with dietary fat levels in the C57BL/6J mouse model of obesity. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56: 647–53. 12. Reaven GM. Insulin resistance: the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2008;37:581–601. 13. Shoelson SE, Lee J, Goldfine AB. Inflammation and insulin resistance. J Clin Invest. 2006;116:1793–801.1768 Stull et al. by guest on January 11, 2014jn The requirements page is:  BIO 119 – Biology for Health Professionals Journal Assignment The assignment is worth 60 points (39 drafts/21 final)    This is an INDIVIDUAL assignment!   The objective of this assignment is to provide you with experience in evaluating scientific research papers.  The abilities to understand and critically analyze the results of a scientific journal article are critical in the healthcare field.  For this assignment, you will evaluate how the scientific method has been applied in a peer-reviewed journal article.   You will complete this assignment in four sections (39 points) and then submit a final revised paper (21 points).  Due dates for all components are listed on your syllabus – do not forget!!  Every section is graded and details are explained below and in the rubric.     For this assignment, you are required to provide a summary of the scientific method as it was presented by the journal authors.  Refer to the following information when completing your paper.   Format:   ·                     The paper shall be about 2-4 pages in length, double-spaced, and 12-font type.   ·                     Include your name at the top right hand corner of the first page.   ·                     Title:  The title should be centered at the top of the first page of your paper, single-spaced, in 12-font type.  Choose a title that concisely explains the topic of your paper. ·                     A title page is not required.   Grammar and spelling:  The paper shall be written with proper grammar and free of spelling errors.  Use spell check, and carefully read your paper prior to turning it in.  ½ point will be deducted for each spelling or grammatical error.   Evaluation of Scientific Method and Research: Identify and describe the following components of the scientific method in the body of your paper:   Section 1:  Definitions and Observations (8 points) ·         Definition of Terms and Concepts:  Define any important terms and concepts so that the reader understands the topic of the journal article.  You will likely need to reference additional sources of information.Make sure you properly cite the source(s) of your information. ·         Observations and Previous Studies:  Describe the observations that led the authors to conduct this study.  This information can usually be found in the background information and discussion sections of the article.  Describe at least one previous study that led the authors to investigate the current topic. ·         Question:  In your own words, state the question that the authors are trying to answer in their experiment.  The question should be specific enough that it leads to the framing of a good hypothesis.  This should be written in the form of a question.   Section 2:  Hypothesis and Experimental Design (10 points) ·         Hypothesis:  State the hypothesis provided by the authors of the article.  Make sure that you identify the statement as the hypothesis (i.e., “The hypothesis is…”).  The hypothesis should be written in your own words.  It should be specific and written in the proper format. ·         Experiment:  Describe the experiment as it is outlined in the journal article.  The following components must be included: ·         Independent variable:  State the independent variable. ·         Dependent variable:  State the dependent variable. ·         Controlled (constant) variables:  List the controlled variables used by the authors during the experiment. ·         Control and experimental groups:  Identify the control and experimental groups. ·         Description of experiment and data collection:  Describe the steps of the experiment.  Include a description of how data and results were collected.You will need to cite the journal article as the source for the details.  Section 3:  Summary and Interpretation of Results(12 points) This section requires that you read the article, summarize the results with specific details from graphics in the paper, and explain the results of the study.  This section will be 1 – 3 paragraphs long, depending on the paper.  This section must contain the following: ·         Summary of results:  Describe the results of the authors’ experiment for each dependent variable.  Be specific and include examples of the qualitative and/or quantitative results.  Compare and contrast the results of the control and experimental groups. ·         Reference to grap

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Making a Difference She felt trapped. Sleet pattered on Ashes bedroom window casting tiny droplet shadows on her face. She frowned at the quaint New England street that laid undisturbed on this dreary Saturday winter afternoon. “If only, if only” Asha kept repeating in her head. “If only I had money, I would travel all over the world. If only Mom could see things my way, this wouldn’t be so hard.” Three knocks on the door interrupted Asha from her thoughts. “Asha, another one came today,” her mother said excitedly as she handed Asha a hefty white envelope. “That’s five schools that sent you acceptance packages. Do you know which one you want to go to?” Asha walked towards her mother, slowly taking the package away. Walking towards her desk, where a small pile of packages occupied a corner, she threw the new one on top of the pile and let out a sigh. “Honestly, Asha,” her mother raised her voice as she lifted her hand to her hips. “Most people would be excited to get all of these acceptance packages. It’s been two weeks! Every day I ask you, you say that you’re thinking. Thinking is fine, but not talking about it is ridiculous! What if the deadline already passed? We need to choose the best one and work out the finances. Everything has a deadline and you haven’t decided yet?” “Mom,” Asha fixed her eyes on her mother’s fuzzy blue slippers, “we’ve been through this. College is not for me. I’m not ready to jump into four years of studying, papers, exams.” “Not for you!” Her mother took in a long breath before letting out a loud and angry sigh. “Asha, you have the opportunity to go to college, something I did not have. It’s the smartest choice for you. What will you do if you don’t go to college? I can’t support you forever. What, you’re just going to stay at McDonald’s flipping burgers all day? That’s not a career, and you can’t get a career unless you go to college.” “No!” Asha lifted her dark brown eyes and made eye contact with her mother. A cold chill ran down the back of her neck. Her legs seemed like it was suddenly made out of lead, planting her firmly on the carpeted floor. “I,” Asha shrugged, “I just know I won’t like college. I was so happy to know that I’ll be done with high school soon, that I’ll be able to go anywhere in the world, to see the world. I want to get out of this town and just meet new people. But you keep forcing me to go to college, and.” “Forcing you!” Her mother was on the verge of screaming at her daughter. “I did not force you to do anything. I did not strap you to your chair and make you fill in those application forms.” Her mother took a step closer to Asha and lifted her chapped skinny forefinger at her. “I will not give you money so that you can waste by traveling around the world. What good will that do? College is an investment. When you get a college education, you have a good chance of getting a good career, a good start in life. I already paid for all the application fees to the colleges that you chose. You will go to college!” Before Asha could put in another word, her mother had already stormed out of the room. Turning towards the envelopes on her desk, a tear fell down her face. An unexpected splurge of rage that once lied dormant in her screamed in her head. Ashes hands grabbed the envelopes and swung them at the floor. I don’t want to go! I don’t want to go! She kept repeating to herself through her clenched teeth and now wet face. Tears fell from her chin and splattered on one listless envelope under her foot. Sobbing and trembling from anger, her hands closed on a corner of the envelope. She remembered that Mr. Jones, the college counselor, once asked Asha, “What are you passionate about?” All she could say was that she didn’t know if she had a passion for anything. After a quiet dinner with her mother, Asha reluctantly took out the folders from the packages and laid them on her bed. Looking from one colorful cover to another, she began to remember. Last summer, she worked at a science camp. She was assisting the children in their lessons on the ecosystem of the area. “I didn’t know anything about the ecosystem!” she told Mark, another worker there. “But Ms. Brown said that there’s a two-week training course for me. They were paying me to learn about the ecosystem. Then they paid me to teach the kids. It was great!” It was Ashes first summer job and she loved the idea of being paid to hike through the woods with the campers. Mark was the Nature trail instructor whom she assisted. One day, they walked to a green pond. The children were going to catch some bugs and other organisms and identify them. “Ewwww!” said one of the campers. “I don’t want to touch that water. It’s dirty!” “It’s not dirty,” Mark replied. “It’s just duckweed. Ducks and swans love them. If you want to see dirty, go to a rural village in Mali and see what they have to drink. Now, that’s some dirty water, but they still drink it, and it didn’t killed them. I think you can manage to get a little of this pond water on you.” While eating dinner in the mess room, Asha asked Mark what he meant when he told the camper about the dirty drinking water condition in Mali. “Did you actually go to Mali and see people drinking dirty water? Or did you make that up to convince the kid it’s okay to touch the pond water?” “Oh, I didn’t make it up.” Mark was surprised that Asha thought that he lied. “About five years ago, I joined the Peace Corps and volunteered in a small village in Mali. My project was to build two wells for the village. You see, Asha, before the wells were built, the people would go to a stream and get their water from there. During the dry season, the stream would run real low, even stop running. So they walk to a pond and get their water from there. Now, the water is untreated. Animals go to the pond and stream and drink from there, even do their dirty business there. So you can imagine how bad the water is. When I went, the children were sick, they were dying.” “That’s horrible!” Asha was dumfounded. She couldn’t believe that such a place existed where children died because they didn’t have clean water. Surely the government had to fix the problem, she thought. If the children in my town started dying, there would be an uproar and things would get fixed. “That’s why the Peace Corps sent me there with four other volunteers. I worked on wells and water systems before, so they wanted me to build a water system for the villagers. It took two years to get the wells. The villagers didn’t have much money or expertise, so it took a lot of talking, planning, and negotiating. But when the wells were done, you should have seen them. They were crying for joy.” “They were crying, just because they now have water?” Asha asked in disbelief. “Of course! They were happy because they now know that their children won’t die from drinking dirty water. They were able to get water within ten minutes walking instead of hours.” “That’s ridiculous,” Asha splurted. “Um, what is?” Marked asked, confused as to what Asha thought to be ridiculous. “That such a thing can exist in today’s world.” Asha flushed with anger. “We have bottled water, sodas, juices, liquor. We have so many water products to choose from and you’re telling me that in some parts of the world people don’t even have water? Plain old water? I mean, if you said that this happened a hundred years ago I would understand it. But today, still?” “It’s unfair, I know. But they live in impoverished conditions. The government has forgotten them. They want to get clean water, they want to pull themselves out of poverty, but they don’t have the resources or opportunities like we do.” “So they’re stuck in some kind of vicious cycle?” Asha asked incredulously. “Something like that.” Ashes mind was racing. She still couldn’t believe that such inequality existed. Men have gone to the moon. Humans found different ways to create energy. People created nuclear bombs. And yet there are children out there that can’t drink clean water? Have we misplaced our priorities? “Why did you do it? Why did you go?” Asha couldn’t believe why anyone would choose to live in poverty for two years. Mark fell silent and dreamily looked at the ceiling as if the answer was written there. “Honestly, I was bored. I was bored with working in the office, doing the same things every day. The pay was great, but I wasn’t happy. I wanted to do more, feel better about myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I am a worthy person. So I went, in hopes that by helping others I could help myself.” Ever since that day, Asha had hoped to join the Peace Corps. She was bored with school and the same routine that goes on in her life. Nothing was exciting anymore, she didn’t feel the passion that some of her classmates felt when they talked about college or what they wanted for a career. Life was a monotonous mindless task. Breakfast on Sunday morning with her mother was as quiet as the dinner from the night before. Asha gulped, straightened her back, and lifted her head. “Mom,” she said loudly, “I know you want me to go to college. But, I want to do something good for others first. I want to join the Peace Corps.” Her mother’s eyes widened as her lips thinned. Slowly placing the newspaper that she was reading down on the table, she took in a deep breath. “Asha, the Peace Corps is a good organization. But, it’s too dangerous for you. It’s not easy. And, you will be gone for years. You’re too young.” “But, I want to do something important. Something good. Like a week ago, Mark, you remember the guy I worked with at the summer camp? Anyway, he sent me an e- mail about this boy in Malawi that built a windmill to make electricity for his house. I think his name was William. Anyway, he was only fourteen and all he had were old tractor parts and a bicycle. But he made electricity! And he didn’t even finish high school. He had to drop out because he couldn’t afford the tuition. Then he started building more windmills for other families, and now, he’s making lots of money, traveling the world, telling his story.” “That’s a good story, an inspiring one, but Asha, how will volunteering help you get a good job. How will it help you pay the bills? Why can’t you volunteer later, after you retire?” “Because, Mom,” Asha was getting desperate, “I don’t know when I’ll die. I could die tomorrow. And if I do, I’ll regret for not doing the things I wanted to do.” “Asha! Don’t talk like that. You’re not going to die tomorrow.” “But I could. No one knows when they are going to die. Haven’t you heard of the phrases “seize the day‟ or “live in the moment?” Her mother’s lips curled on the side. It meant that she was holding a laugh. Seeing that this was her opportunity to convince her mother, Asha continued. “Mom, I can make a difference out there. There’s this eight-year-old kid, Ryan from Canada. He came home one day, bent on building a well. He just learned from his teacher that there were people in the world that were dying because they didn’t have clean water. Ryan raised $70 and sent it to an organization that built a well in a Ugandan village. But the well cost more than $70, so he got his friends, neighbors, his community to raise the rest of the money. And now, he has his own organization, building wells around the world. Mom, I want to be able to make a difference too!” “I know, but honey…” “I’m good with kids and I’m a fast learner. I’m tough. You see how I can work part-time and go to school full-time without ever missing a class. You see how I get good grades and get all these acceptance letters from colleges. I can make it in the Peace Corps. And you know, colleges and employees will see that I’m a well-rounded person. Not only do I do well in school, I help others out. I get work experience by being in the Peace Corps, I get to meet new people, I get to see the world. It’s an investment.” Her mother looked at her daughter who had suddenly seemed to grow up right before her eyes. She was proud, but very worried. “Asha, you are a good person. You have a big heart. But I just don’t think it’s safe for an eighteen-year-old to go live in some run-down village with diseases and little food and water. What about the people? How do you know if they will be nice to you? What will you do if you get sick? Is their doctor good enough to help you? It’s a big risk. And besides, you’ll be gone for over a year, to a place where it would be difficult for me or your friends to visit you. And when you come back, your friends would already be well on their way to land their first real job, and you’ll be lagging behind. Have you really thought this through?” In truth, Asha hadn’t thought it through. Her idea of being in the Peace Corps was more romantic than practical. She never thought that she wouldn’t be able to see her friends for years. It never crossed her mind that she might not be able to see her mother either. A bit scared and confused, Asha fell quiet. I still don’t want to go to college, but Mom’s right. I’m not ready for the Peace Corps yet. She felt as defeated as the half-eaten bagel that sat cold on her plate. “I had a friend who joined the Peace Corps, years ago,” her mother continued. “I think she was in Vietnam. Anyway, I would remember getting letters from her telling me how hard life was over there. She missed her bed, her shower, her friends and family. But she felt like her expertise in education really helped the community, and that’s why she stayed. Asha, the Peace Corps is hard to get into. You need to be able to offer them skills that they want. You’re just becoming an adult, just learning of your skills. Go to college, get your skills. And if you still want to join the Peace Corps, I wouldn’t object. Okay? For now, let the volunteers help build wells and such.” Her mother looked at her daughter with warm gentle eyes. Asha took a bite of the bland and stale bagel and finished her orange juice. “I have some homework to do. Thanks Mom.” Asha hurried off to her room, softly closing the door behind her. Pacing around the room, twisting and untwisting a small part of her long black curly hair around her finger, she began to talk to herself. “Mom’s right. I hate it when she’s right.” Asha sighed and crossed her arms around her chest as she paced some more. “I know I want to volunteer, but I don’t think I’ll last for two years. But I don’t want to go to college, not yet anyway.” Frustrated, she went on the Internet to look at the Peace Corps‟ website. Just looking at the information section showed that a lot is required from a volunteer. Asha wasn’t so sure anymore if she wanted to join. She typed in Peace Corps alternatives on a search engine and saw a list of websites. One, caught her eye, Global Volunteer Network. There were various programs to choose from and they had different time commitments, from a week to six months. Now this is something I can do. “Asha!” Her mother yelled from downstairs. “Lunch!” Asha had lost track of time. She spent the morning looking at different websites and at the different schools that accepted her. The rumbling in her stomach encouraged her to go downstairs. “Well?” Her mother asked. “Um, what?” Asha was confused. Was she supposed to answer something? “You didn’t answer me when I asked you if you were going to go to college and wait to join the Peace Corps. You just left.”“Oh.” Asha chewed on her curry chicken and rice as she tried to think of something that might convince her mother. “I understand your concern, Mom. And you’re right, the Peace Corps is hard. It requires a lot from me. But I still don’t want to go to school.” Her mother placed her fork down. “Not yet anyway.” Asha quickly inserted that in to stop a fight that she could feel was brewing. “Maybe if I can just volunteer for a few months. Then go to school. I looked at the acceptance letters, and most of them allow me to start in the spring semester. I won’t lag far behind my friends. Besides, the volunteer work would help me decide what I want to do for my career. I’ll choose a school that offers a lot of majors. That way I can have plenty to choose from.” Picking up her fork, and carefully chewing her food while deep in thought, her mother gently asked, “where do you want to go? What do you want to do?” “South Africa. I want to teach the kids there about health.” “I thought you wanted to build wells?” “I do. But, I don’t have the skills. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. But health and water issues are related. Clean water save lives. But health education ensures that lives will continued to be saved.” Asha was intently cutting the chicken with her knife and fork that she couldn’t have seen the big smile that briefly appeared on her mother’s face. After lunch, Asha asked her mother to go to the bedroom with her. She wanted to show her an e-mail from Mark. Dear Friends, I am back with the Peace Corps, this time in India. The rural village that I am in are suffering greatly from the lack of clean drinking water. They have a well, but it’s polluted. Women and children are sick. Most of the people here don’t even have enough money to feed themselves, let alone see a doctor. I am sending you this e-mail asking you to donate whatever amount you can to help us build a safe water system here. We will also purchase LifeStraws for people to use while they wait for their water system to be built. Attached is a picture to show you how desperate these people are. Thank you, Mark The picture was of a young woman who was holding a bundle of cloth. The caption read: A young mother holding her dead child. The child died from diarrhea. Diarrhea, easily treatable, is the second leading cause in infant mortality worldwide, especially in regions without clean drinking water. “Oh, that’s terrible,” Ashes mother spoke softly. “Mom, just look at her face. She’s not sad and she’s not angry. She looks…” “Defeated,” her mother could not have chosen a better word. “It’s as if this wasn’t the first time she had loss a child to diarrhea. She’s giving up.” Her mother sighed. “Asha, I’m happy and proud that you feel like helping others. But I’m just concerned about your safety. Can’t you just raise some money here for, whatever that life straw thing is, and send it to Mark? Why do you have to leave?” “Mom, first off, LifeStraws are awesome. They’re literally straws that you carry around and they filter whatever water you are drinking. You can stick the straw in a pond and suck up the water and it gets filtered.” Asha couldn’t believe that her mother didn’t know what LifeStraws were. “Okay, so LifeStraws are great. We can raise the money and buy a whole bunch and send it to Mark.” Her mother was exasperatedly trying to convince her daughter to not embark on what she considered to be a lofty and dangerous mission. “No, Mom. I don’t want to just raise money. I want to travel. I want to help people with my bare hands.” This was the only thing she ever felt passionate about and the thought of not being able to pursue it was frightening her. “I found an organization, they have volunteer programs for up to six months. I’ll come back in time for school. Mom, I really want to do this.” “I know you do.” Her mother continued to stare at her daughter, not knowing how else to convince her to stay. “Why don’t we talk more about this tonight? Get more information about the volunteer work, get the forms, choose the school you want to go to, and we’ll sit down and sort things out. Okay?” “Okay,” Asha smiled as her mother kissed her on the forehead before walking out of the room. Returning to her window that was covered with water droplets, Asha looked out at the empty street. So this is what passion feels like. I love it.

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FIN 571 / DQ #1 – Volatility in the Stock MarketAnswers 1Bids 1Other questions 10

Discuss the current stock market situation and whether or not the volatility in the stock market will continue in the short term. I started using this topic in 2010 and market volatility continues to be a concern. Discuss the ability (or lack thereof) to predict future market returns.  Is this related to the way markets operate post-recession or is it due to the slow, uncertain economic recovery?   Does this volatility signal a market correction in the future?   *** minimum 300 words***

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‘Innovation Applied’ Please respond to the following:Answers 1Bids 0Other questions 10

Business Administration Capstone class. Must be 300 words must cite work. ‘Innovation Applied’ Please respond to the following: Analyze the different approaches to innovation discussed in this chapter to determine which approach you think would be the greatest value to the greatest number of organizations. Explain your rationale.Create one innovative approach that is not discussed in the textbook for increasing the amount of innovation within a large company. Describe this approach in detail and explain how companies could benefit from it.

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