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Agricultural land management may influence crop nutritional quality. However, few studies have explored potential connections between crop quality with different land management strategies. We analyzed mineral and crude protein concentrations in spring wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) samples from a study in Mandan, ND conducted from 2006 to 2014. The study introduced a perennial forage phase into an annual spring wheat cropping system, in three to four replicates, and previously found yield benefits and enhanced soil parameters in the perennial forage treatments. We determined whether integrating a perennial forage phase into continuous wheat would also affect crop nutritional quality by measuring wheat grain mineral and protein concentrations. Crude protein concentration was greater (p <.05) when wheat followed alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and increased linearly after 2–5 yr of established alfalfa. We observed comparable wheat grain crude protein and mineral concentrations between continuous annually fertilized wheat and unfertilized wheat following perennial forages. Negative correlations (p <.001) were observed between wheat grain yield and crude protein, potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and zinc (Zn) concentrations. Discriminate multivariate analyses showed, with 96% predictive accuracy, that differences in crude protein and mineral concentration were largely driven by year of wheat harvest. Differences between harvest years were likely due to timely precipitation at critical Growth Stage 3, during spikelet development. Study outcomes highlighted the important role of perennial forages and environmental factors to influence protein and mineral concentration in spring wheat grain. Core Ideas: Perennial forages benefit annual cropping systems. Wheat grain samples were analyzed for mineral and protein concentration. Protein was greater when wheat followed alfalfa versus intermediate wheatgrass. Grain quality was similar between annual cropping and wheat following perennials. Grain mineral and protein concentrations were influenced by environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Emotional eating is associated with obesity, though less is known regarding factors that predict emotional eating episodes in children and adolescents. Objectives: To investigate whether moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or total activity counts 60 minutes prior to psychological stress predicted stress‐related eating and positive emotional eating (ie, eating while happy), and whether adiposity (z‐BMI) moderated these associations. Methods: Participants were drawn from a prior study of siblings (N = 77; mean age = 15.4 ± 1.4 years) discordant for weight status (39 non‐overweight siblings, 38 siblings with overweight/obesity) who completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol with accelerometer‐based assessment of physical activity. Results: Greater MVPA was associated with lower stress‐related eating across the sample. Lower total activity (between‐person effects) and lower MVPA (within‐person effects) were associated with greater stress‐related eating for siblings with greater z‐BMI. Greater total activity was associated with lower positive emotional eating for siblings with lower z‐BMI (between‐ and within‐person). Conclusions: Findings demonstrate potential regulating effects of prior physical activity on emotional eating at the individual and momentary level, though there are nuances depending on z‐BMI. Future work is needed to examine underlying mechanisms and timescale of effects, and particularly the extent to which enhancing MVPA time among youth with z‐BMI may mitigate momentary risk of stress‐related eating episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habituation is a decrease in responding to a repeated stimulus. Operant responding and salivation measure habituation in eating behaviour research. Stress may increase eating by acting as a distractor, yielding spontaneous recovery and prolonging responding for food. Our research tested differences in the ability of cognitive and interpersonal stressors to recover responding for food. We also tested heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure of habituation. Twenty women worked for portions of macaroni and cheese for 15 trials on three separate laboratory visits. Between the 12th and 13th trial, one of three different stressor types (speech, stroop and subtraction) was presented during each visit. HRV was measured continuously throughout the laboratory visits. Responding for food declined across the 12 trials with no difference in rate of habituation by visit (p > 0.8) There was no difference between stressor type in the magnitude of spontaneous recovery after each stressor (p > 0.8). Rates of habituation of HRV variables correlated (p < 0.02) with the rate of operant responding habituation. Cognitive and interpersonal stressors do not differ in their ability to recover reduced responding for food. HRV variables may measure habituation to food similar to operant responding. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative reinforcing value of food (RRVfood) is positively associated with energy consumed and overweight status. One hypothesis relating these variables is that food reinforcement is related to BMI through usual energy intake. Using a sample of two hundred fifty-two adults of varying weight and BMI levels, results showed that usual energy intake mediated the relationship between RRVfood and BMI (estimated indirect effect = 0.0027, bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.0002-0.0068, effect ratio = 0.34), controlling for age, sex, minority status, education, and reinforcing value of reading (RRVreading). Laboratory and usual energy intake were correlated (r = 0.24, P < 0.001), indicating that laboratory energy intake could provide an index of eating behavior in the natural environment. The mediational relationship observed suggests that increasing or decreasing food reinforcement could influence body weight by altering food consumption. Research is needed to develop methods of modifying RRVfood to determine experimentally whether manipulating food reinforcement would result in changes in body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies determined whether interval exercise reduces children's stress reactivity. For Experiment 1 children completed interval exercise ( n=14) or watched TV ( n=14) for 25 min. After 20 min rest children completed a speech task. Speech-induced diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity was dampened in the exercise group ( p<.05). For Experiment 2 children ( n=22) completed interval exercise-speech and TV-speech conditions on separate days. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometry and aerobic fitness estimated by submaximal exercise. DBP, systolic BP, and heart rate (HR) reactivity to the speech stressor were dampened ( p<.05) after exercise compared to TV watching. Fitness was positively associated with HR reactivity. Interval exercise that mimics usual patterns of physically active play dampens cardiovascular reactivity to interpersonal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between cardiovascular stress reactivity and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) has been established in adults, but not yet studied in children. Cardiovascular reactivity to an ad lib speech was measured in 20 boys and 20 girls age 11.0 ± 1.4 years. Measures included heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure reactivity, and mean common carotid artery IMT. Sequential regression analyses were used to establish the incremental increase in R2 for the prediction of IMT due to cardiovascular reactivity independent of age, socioeconomic status, race, percentage body fat, and baseline BP or HR. SBP reactivity (β=0.002, , p<.05), but not DBP reactivity ( p=.12) or HR reactivity ( p=.82), independently predicted carotid artery IMT. This study provides initial evidence that SBP reactivity is associated with IMT and perhaps the early pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Perennial forages influence mineral and protein concentrations in annual wheat cropping systems."

The article discusses a study which aimed to compare targeting increased eating of healthy foods versus reducing intake of high energy-dense foods within the context of a family-based behavioral weight control program. Children were assigned to a family-based behavioral treatment that targeted increasing fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy versus reducing intake of high energy-dense foods. Results show that children in the increase healthy food group showed greater reduction in zBMI compared to children in the reduce high energy-dense food group.

The article discusses research being done on stress reactivity and central adiposity in children. It references a study by James N. Roemmich et al published in the 2007 issue of "Obesity." Reactivity to psychological stress will initiate the antecedents of heart disease before adolescent age. Stress affects the food choices of individuals toward consumption of energy-dense foods.