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This study extends the empirical findings of the use of continuous, lecture-embedded assessments to increase engagement and enhance learning. Outcome data (exam performance and attendance rates) from college students in three upper-division business course sections who took quizzes and wrote two-minute papers (test group) were compared to outcome data in the same course in which the assignments were not given (control group). Students in the test group reported increased engagement, motivation to study, self-efficacy, and more thorough note taking, and they attributed these improvements to the assessments. Serendipitous findings were positive group dynamics, development of comprehensive study plans, and a greater appreciation of how theory informs practice. Implications are discussed.

Curriculum concepts successfully used to teach third-year medical students about spirituality in health care can be readily adapted for use in any professional or preprofessional health curriculum. (Contains 1 figure.)

Investigated ethnic and gender differences in frequency of use and healthfulness of bag lunches at school. Surveys of middle school students and their parents indicated that one-half of students brought bag lunches, with boys doing so more often than girls. There were ethnic differences in the use of seven foods and whether foods were regular or low fat. (SM)

The object of this study was to determine whether students attending schools with self-service salad bars consume a greater amount of fruits and vegetables compared with students using preportioned servings and to evaluate the relationship between number of items offered and fruit and vegetable consumption. Two hundred ninety-four students in first through fifth grade were randomly selected from two schools with salad bars and two with preportioned servings. Weights of fruit and vegetable items were measured pre- and postconsumption and interobserver agreement [+ or -]1 g was [greater than or equal to]95%. Presence of a salad bar was not associated with greater fruit and vegetable consumption. Fruit and vegetable consumption was positively related to the number of fruit and vegetable items offered at salad bars (P<.05), adjusting for sex and grade. Fruit and vegetable variety was associated with elementary school-age children's fruit and vegetable consumption when using salad bars. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:1789-1792.

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) 1992 policy statement granted genetically engineered foods presumptive GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status. Since then, divergent views have been expressed concerning the scientific support for this policy. This paper examines four sources to better understand the basis for these claims: 1) internal FDA correspondence; 2) reports from the National Academy of Sciences; 3) research funded by US Department of Agriculture from 1981 to 2002; and 4) FDA's proposed rules issued in 2001. These sources reveal that little research has been conducted on unintended compositional changes from genetic engineering. Profiling techniques now make this feasible, but the new debate centers on the functional meaning of compositional changes. Key words: unintended effects, scientific evidence, substantial equivalence

The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) 1992 policy statement was developed in the context of critical gaps in scientific knowledge concerning the compositional effects of genetic transformation and severe limitations in methods for safety testing. FDA acknowledged that pleiotropy and insertional mutagenesis may cause unintended changes, but it was unknown whether this happens to a greater extent in genetic engineering compared with traditional breeding. Moreover, the agency was not able to identify methods by which producers could screen for unintended allergens and toxicants. Despite these uncertainties, FDA granted genetically engineered foods the presumption of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and recommended that producers use voluntary consultations before marketing them. Key words: unintended effects, food safety, scientific uncertainty

Targeting has been defined as a method by which goods, services, or other programmatic actions are delivered to groups or individuals who have specific characteristics. Similarly, politics refers to the social processes that determine who gets what, when, and how. This similarity suggests there may be utility in undertaking an explicit analysis of how the science and the politics of targeting relate to one another. Accordingly, this article outlines a technical/scientific framework regarding targeting and, using one element of this framework [sensitivity and specificity analysis], demonstrates that recent shifts in politics and policy in the United States can be more clearly understood when viewed from this angle. Then, the article outlines a basic framework on politics and uses it to demonstrate that one of the most fundamental features of our training, practices, and outlook (specialization) holds obvious benefits for advancing research but has three undesirable effects in the realm of policy: 1) it directly or indirectly encourages narrow, partial solutions to complex problems, some of which may have unintended effects on health or well-being for the very people we seek to help; 2) it creates a cumulative demand for research dollars, specialized interventions, and policy attention that far exceeds available resources and capabilities; and 3) it often prevents us from developing and advancing the common agendas and mutual support required to be effective in political and policy realms. The article concludes that more explicit analysis along these lines could strengthen our effectiveness in the policy realm. KEY WORDS: * targeting * food * nutrition * policy * trade-offs * values * rhetoric * liberals * conservatives

This study characterized the nutrient intakes of participants in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) who used nutrient supplements, compared with those who did not, and examined the variation in these relationships across different sociodemographic subgroups. Dietary intakes from food sources for eight key nutrients were examined from the 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Two measures of overall diet quality were also included in the analysis. Findings revealed that supplement use in FSP participants was positively associated with nutrient densities for iron, calcium, fiber, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C and with overall diet quality. However, the direction and magnitude of this association varied across age, gender, and ethnic groups for iron, saturated fat, fiber, vitamin A, and one measure of overall diet quality (Z-score). Thus, results show that supplement use is not uniformly associated with more healthful diets among FSP participants., The U.S. marketplace for dietary supplements is large and changing rapidly. National surveys indicate that dietary supplements are used by roughly 50 percent of the U.S. population (Balluz, Kieszak, Philen, [...]

Several U.S. professional organizations that develop research-based dietary recommendations for the public support the position that most nutrients can and should be obtained by consuming a balanced diet. This position differs from the widespread and growing use of supplements by the public and changes in public policy currently under consideration, such as the proposal to allow nutrient supplements to be purchased with food stamps. This study investigated the attitudes and beliefs of a diverse sample of food stamp-eligible women concerning the relationship among food, health, nutrient supplementation, and associated lifestyle factors; these findings were then related to ongoing policy dialogue. The findings suggest the need to clarify the policy goals, conduct a more systematic examination of potential strategies for achieving those goals, and broaden the set of explicit criteria used when considering supplement-related policies in this population., Many U.S. organizations that develop research-based national dietary recommendations support the position that nutrients required by healthy people can be obtained by consuming a balanced diet (Pelletier & Kendall, 1997). [...]