From Part to Whole: Developing an Appreciation of Kuna Molas as Collectibles

Abstract

In the Kuna language the word mola is polysemous, with meanings which include cloth, a rectangular panel of appliquéd cloth and a complete blouse. A pair of mola panels joined together with a yoke and sleeves form a mola blouse, thus the word mola means both part and whole of an item of clothing. Sewn and worn by Kuna women and girls, molas have become identified with Panama and mola panels have become the quintessential tourist souvenir. Parallels are made between the meaning and iconic role of the Kuna mola and art forms from other indigenous cultures. Individual mola panels are found in the collections of major ethnographic, art, and textile museums and there are many private collectors in the US, Europe, Japan and Australia. The role of the mola blouse as part of the dress ensemble of Kuna women is frequently not appreciated, since complete mola blouses form a small part of many collections. The display of mola panels as artworks in ethnographic and art museum exhibitions promotes their intrinsic aesthetic qualities and contributes to distancing them from their role as a component of dress. The meaning of molas may be considered to be polyvalent: Kuna women who sew and wear molas and Kuna communities may derive various meanings; there may be various meanings attributed to specific designs; and outsiders may derive different meanings. The attraction of molas to the Western eye is explored in terms of Kuna ethnoaesthetic principles and choice of iconography, as well as aesthetic appreciation. Molas may be interpreted as early examples of craftivism and contemporary collectors are attracted to their handmade qualities.     

Nutrient database improvement project: The influence of U.S.D.A. Quality and Yield Grade on the separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef rib and plate

Beef nutrition is important to the worldwide beef industry. The objective of this study was to analyze proximate composition of eight beef rib and plate cuts to update the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Furthermore, this study aimed to determine the influence of USDA Quality Grade on the separable components and proximate composition of the examined retail cuts. Carcasses (n = 72) representing a composite of Yield Grade, Quality Grade, gender and genetic type were identified from six regions across the U.S. Beef plates and ribs (IMPS #109 and 121C and D) were collected from the selected carcasses and shipped to three university meat laboratories for storage, retail fabrication, cooking, and dissection and analysis of proximate composition. These data provide updated information regarding the nutrient content of beef and emphasize the influence of common classification systems (Yield Grade and Quality Grade) on the separable components, cooking yield, and proximate composition of retail beef cuts.     

Food-compatible method for the efficient extraction and stabilization of cranberry pomace polyphenols

Cranberry pomace is a byproduct of cranberry processing and is comprised of seeds, skins and stems of the cranberry fruit. While cranberry pomace contains beneficial polyphenols, including proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, it is not a palatable source of these compounds and is typically discarded. In this study, we have developed and optimized a method to extract polyphenols from cranberry pomace using aqueous ethanol, a food grade solvent. Biochemical characterization of the pomace extract showed the presence of a broad range of polyphenols also present in cranberry juice concentrate. By co-drying cranberry pomace extract with a protein-rich food matrix, such as soy protein isolate (SPI), we have developed a method to produce a cranberry polyphenol–SPI complex (CBP-SPI) containing 10% cranberry polyphenols. Unlike dried cranberry pomace extract alone, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and total polyphenols were found to be highly stable at 37 °C in the CBP-SPI powder. The extraction and stabilization of cranberry pomace polyphenols using SPI provides an innovative approach for utilizing pomace in the development of novel food ingredients.     

Antiviral activity of donkey milk protein fractions on echovirus type 5

Antiviral activity of Ragusano donkeys' milk proteins was investigated for the effect on echovirus type 5, known to infect the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Three protein fractions were tested; casein (CN), whey protein (WP) and a low molecular whey protein fraction (LWP; <30,000 Da). The antiviral activity of WP and LWP was tested on echovirus type 5 at three concentrations (1, 5 and 10 mg mL^?1); CN was assessed only at the lower concentration. All donkey milk protein fractions showed significant inhibition on virus replication at the concentration of 1 mg mL^?1, and both WP and LWP fractions showed significant inhibition on the virus replication at all concentrations tested. The strongest antiviral effect was observed for the WP fraction. These findings show that the different whey proteins in donkey milk, probably acting in synergy, exert antiviral activity on echovirus 5 and might contribute to prevent gastrointestinal virus infections in humans.     

Atmospheric DMSO degradation in the gas phase: Cl-DMSO reaction. Temperature dependence and products

The reactions of Cl atoms and ClO radicals with CH3-SOCH3 (DMSO) have been studied using the discharge flow method with direct detection of DMSO, CO, and products by mass spectrometry. The absolute rate constant at room temperature measured for reaction 1, (CH3)2SO + Cl --> products, was k(1) = (1.7 +/- 0.3) x 10(-11) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1). For reaction 2, (CH3)2SO + ClO --> products, only an upper limit could be established, k(2) < or = 6 x 10(-14) cm3 molecule(-1) s(-1) Reaction 1 has been found to proceed through adduct formation and further decomposition involving the cleavage of the C-S bound. The pressure effect on the Cl-DMSO reaction from 0.5 to 3 Torr was negligible, and the temperature dependence in the range 273-335 K was also very slight. The results obtained are related to previous studies of sulfur compounds, and the atmospheric implications are also discussed in relation to the homogeneous sinks of DMSO. Tropospheric lifetimes of DMSO based on average Cl and ClO concentrations and the measured rate constants have been calculated showing that the contribution of reaction 1 must be of minor relevance in the marine boundary layer. Reaction 2 is so slow that it does not play any role within the atmospheric sulfur chemistry.     

Enhanced biodegradation of iopromide and trimethoprim in nitrifying activated sludge

Iopromide (an X-ray contrast agent) and trimethoprim (an antibacterial drug) are frequently detected pharmaceuticals in effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and in surface waters due to their persistence and high usage. Laboratory-scale experiments showed that a significantly higher removal rate in nitrifying activated sludge as compared to conventional activated sludge was observed for both iopromide and trimethoprim. When the activity of the nitrifying bacteria was inhibited, the percent removal of iopromide decreased from 97 to 86% while trimethoprim removal decreased from 70 to 25%. The metabolite of iopromide identified when nitrification was not inhibited was a dehydroxylated iopromide at the two side chains. However, when the nitrifying bacteria were inhibited the metabolite identified was a carboxylate, formed during the oxidation of the primary alcohol on the side chain of iopromide. These results suggest that the nitrifying bacteria are important in the observed biodegradation of iopromide in the activated sludge with higher solid retention time (SRT). Results from the laboratory-scale study were corroborated by the observed removal efficiencies in a full-scale municipal WWTP, which showed that iopromide (ranging from 0.10 to 0.27 microg/L) and trimethoprim (ranging from 0.0.08 to 0.53 microg/L) were removed more effectively in the nitrifying activate sludge which has a higher SRT (49 days) than in the conventional activated sludge (SRT of 6 days). In nitrifying activated sludge, the percent removal of iopromide in the WWTP reached 61%, while in conventional activated sludge, average removal was negligible. For trimethoprim, removal was limited to about 1% in the conventional activated sludge, while in the nitrifying activated sludge, the removal was increased to 50%.     

Responses of lactating Holstein cows to chilled drinking water in high ambient temperatures

In Experiment 1, 12 lactating Holstein cows were provided drinking water of either 10.6 or 27.0 degrees C for 24 h/d in a changeover design to examine the effects of water temperature on feed intake, water intake, respiration rate, rectal temperature, plasma thyroid hormone concentration, and milk yield. The 1st wk of each 3-wk treatment period was for adjustment and the next 2 wk were comparison periods. Least squares means for DM intake as a percentage of body weight were 3.68 and 3.57 for 10.6 and 27.0 degrees C treatment groups. Water intakes in liters per kilogram of dry feed consumed as a percentage of body weight were 21.3 and 20.3. Respiration rates were 70.5 and 81.0 breaths per minute; rectal temperatures were 39.7 and 39.9 degrees C, Triiodothyronine averaged .88 and .75 ng/ml; thyroxine, 42.4 and 39.2 ng/ml; cortisol, 3.03 and 2.06 ng/ml; and progesterone in milk, 4.58 and 3.15 ng/ml for the 10.6 and 27.0 degrees C treatment groups. Milk yield averaged 25.9 and 24.7 kg/d and FCM averaged 25.6 and 23.6 kg/d, respectively. In Experiment 2, 24 cows given a choice of chilled or warm water showed a clear preference (about 98%) for the warm water. If cows are given chilled water of 10 degrees C continuously, no warm drinking water should be available. Chilled drinking water lowered respiration rates and body temperatures and increased feed intake and milk yield.     

Putative association between a new polymorphism in exon 3 (Arg109Cys) of the pancreatic colipase gene and type 2 diabetes mellitus in two independent Caucasian study populations

The protein encoded by the pancreatic colipase (CLPS) gene is an essential cofactor needed by pancreatic triglyceride lipase (PNLIP) for efficient dietary lipid hydrolysis. Since the inhibition of lipase activity was shown to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, we tested the hypothesis that genetic variations in the CLPS and PNLIP genes are associated with type 2 diabetes; 47 unrelated subjects were screened for polymorphisms of the CLPS and PNLIP genes. A nested-case control study of 192 incident type 2 diabetes subjects and 384 sex- and age-matched controls taken from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Potsdam Cohort (EPIC) was employed for association studies. The Metabolic Intervention Cohort Kiel (MICK) consisting of 716 males was used for verification. A novel putative functional polymorphism (Arg109Cys) was identified in the CLPS gene. The frequencies of the Arg/Cys genotype were 2.6% in EPIC and 2.2% in MICK study subjects. No homozygotes for the Cys/Cys genotype were found in either study population. Logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant association of the Arg/Cys genotype with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The odds ratios estimated by the model were 3.75 (95%CI = 1.13-12.49, p = 0.03) in EPIC and 4.86 (95%CI = 1.13-20.95, p = 0.03) in MICK. No comparable associations were found with other traits of the insulin-resistance syndrome (e. g.; body mass index, waist to hip ratio). In conclusion, we obtained evidence in two German Caucasian study populations that the variant of the rare CLPS Arg109Cys polymorphism might contribute to increased susceptibility of type 2 diabetes.     

Comparison of calcium lactate with chlorine as a washing treatment for fresh‐cut lettuce and carrots: quality and nutritional parameters

The efficacies of calcium lactate and chlorine washing treatments of fresh‐cut lettuce and carrots were compared during storage at 4 °C over 10 days. The gas composition of packages, colour, enzyme activity, texture, sensory attributes, microflora and levels of ascorbic acid and carotenoids were evaluated at 1, 3, 7 and 10 days. Calcium lactate treatment was not significantly different to chlorine treatment (p < 0.05) in terms of maintaining colour, texture and acceptability of fresh‐cut lettuce and carrots during the entire storage period. The washing treatments did not affect levels of ascorbic acid of fresh‐cut lettuce or carrots. Carotenoid levels were higher in calcium lactate‐treated carrots than chlorine‐treated samples at the end of storage. Mesophilic, psychrotrophic and lactic acid bacteria counts were not significantly different between treatments for both vegetables. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry