bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical activity levels and body weight in a nationally representative sample in the European Union
Authors: Vaz de Almeida Maria Daniel , Graça Pedro , Afonso Cláudia , D'Amicis Amleto , Lappalainen Raimo , Damkjaer Soren
Published: June 2008

Objectives

The main objectives of this pan-European study were: (1) to identify different types of physical activity and the time devoted to them, (2) to assess physical activity/inactivity at work and in leisure time, and (3) to determine self-reported body weight and height.

Design and subjects

In each member state of the EU, approximately 1000 adults, aged 15 years or more, were selected to participate in an interview-assisted face-to-face questionnaire on physical activity and body weight. In each country, sample selection was quota-controlled to ensure national representativeness. Overall, 15 239 subjects in the EU completed the study.

Results

On average in the EU, nearly three-quarters of the population participate in some kind of activity. In general, the highest proportions of participants were found in the Nordic countries and the lowest in the southern ones. At the European level, the five most common activities include walking, gardening, cycling, keep fit and swimming. Higher participation rates were found among men, younger subjects and those with a higher level of education. The majority of Europeans fall within the normal body mass index (BMI) range but more than one-third are overweight (31%) or obese (10%) and 11% have a BMI below 20.

Conclusions

Several risk groups related to physical activity emerge from this survey: women, those with a lower level of education, older subjects, the overweight/obese and the underweight. Programmes to promote physical activity need to be tailored to the different groups identified in each country/region in order to increase adherence of non-participants and for the maintenance of those already engaged in activities.
Perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity in a nationally representative sample in the European Union
Authors: Zunft Hans-Joachim Franz , Friebe Dietlinde , Seppelt Brigitte , Widhalm Kurt , de Winter Anne-Marie Remaut , Vaz de Almeida Maria Daniel , Kearney John M , Gibney Michael
Published: June 2008

Objective

To examine the attitudes of consumers, in particular their perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity from all EU member states, and having a measure of prevailing levels of activity, inactivity and self-reported body weight and body shape.

Design

Cross-sectional survey using an interview-assisted face-to-face questionnaire.

Setting

The survey was conducted between March and April 1997 in the 15 member states of the EU.

Subjects

Overall, 15 239 EU subjects, classified according to sex, age (six levels) and highest level of education attained (primary, secondary or tertiary), completed the survey. Sample selection of subjects in each EU member state was quota-controlled to ensure they were nationally representative.

Results

The most important motivation for people to participate in physical activity is to maintain good health (42%), to release tension (30%) and to get fit (30%). The importance of the health argument is highest in older persons and in subjects with a primary education level. Only 13% of the EU population (16% of women, 10% of men) perceived losing weight as a benefit of physical exercise. The most important barriers to increase physical activity are work or study commitments (28%) and the subjects' belief that they are not ‘the sporty type’ (25%). There is considerable between-country variation in the answering pattern within the EU.
Dietary intake and gallbladder disease: a review
Authors: Tseng Marilyn , Everhart James E , Sandler Robert S
Published: June 2008

Objective

Dietary intake has long been looked upon as a potentially modifiable risk factor for gallbladder disease (GBD), here defined as either having gallstones or having had surgery for gallstones. This paper reviews the epidemiological evidence for an association between dietary intake and GBD, focusing on six dietary factors that have received the most attention in studies in this area: energy intake, fatty acids, cholesterol, carbohydrates and fibre, calcium and alcohol. The objectives of this review are to evaluate the potential usefulness of altering the diet to prevent GBD and to consider future research in this area.

Design

We reviewed all English-language epidemiological studies on diet and cholelithiasis that were cross-sectional, cohort or case–control in design and that were indexed in the Medline database from 1966 to October 1997.

Results

A positive association was suggested with simple sugars and inverse associations with dietary fibre and alcohol. No convincing evidence was found for a role for energy intake or intake of fat or cholesterol. Variable means of ascertaining cases and inaccurate measurement of dietary intake may contribute to variation in results across studies.

Conclusions

Some specific components of the diet that may affect GBD include simple sugars, fibre and alcohol, but whether risk for GBD can be reduced by altering intake of a specific dietary factor has not been established. Although no specific dietary recommendations can be made to reduce risk of GBDper se, a ‘healthy’ diet aimed at reducing risk of other diseases might be expected to reduce risk for GBD as well.
Randomized clinical trial comparing different iodine interventions in school children
Authors: Zhao Jinkou , Xu Fujie , Zhang Qinlan , Shang Li , Xu Aixiang , Gao Yuan , Chen Zhigao , Sullivan Kevin M , Maberly Glen F
Published: June 2008

Objective

The purpose of this trial was to compare three different iodine interventions.

Design

School children aged 8–10 years were randomized into one of three groups: group A was provided with iodized salt by researchers with an iodine concentration of 25 ppm; group B purchased iodized salt from the market; and group C was similar to group B with the exception that they were given iodized oil capsules containing 400 mg iodine at the beginning of the study. Salt iodine content was measured bimonthly for 18 months and indicators of iodine deficiency were measured at baseline and 6, 9, 12 and 18 months after randomization.

Results

The prevalence of abnormal thyroid volumes, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) body surface area reference > 97th percentile, was 18% at baseline and declined to less than 5% by 12 months in groups A and C, and to 9% after 18 months in group B. Results for goitre by palpation were similar. The median urinary iodine was 94 μgl−1 at baseline and increased in all groups to > 200 μgl−1 at the 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions

In this population of school children with initially a low to moderate level of iodine deficiency, the group receiving salt with 25 ppm (group A) was not iodine deficient on all indicators after 18 months of study. When the iodine content of the salt varied, such as in group B, by 18 months thyroid sizes had not yet achieved normal status.
Relationship between cigarette smoking and nutrient intakes and blood status indices of older people living in the UK: further analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 years and over, 1994/95
Authors: Walmsley CM , Bates CJ , Prentice A , Cole TJ
Published: June 2008

Objectives

To examine the relationship between cigarette smoking and a range of nutrient intakes and blood status indices in older people.

Design

National Diet and Nutrition Survey: cross-sectional survey of nationally representative sample of people aged 65 years and over.

Setting

Mainland Britain during 1994/95.

Subjects

1191 people (619 male, 572 female) aged 65 years and over, of whom 920 were living in private households and 271 were living in institutions.

Results

Cigarette smoking was inversely correlated with intakes of antioxidants and other micronutrients after adjustment for age, sex and domicile. Cigarette smoking was also inversely correlated with a number of antioxidant micronutrient status indices including plasma vitamin C and the carotenoids (but not vitamin E status indices), and with other micronutrient status indices, including plasma pyridoxal phosphate, red cell and serum folate, after adjustment for age, sex, domicile and the corresponding nutrient intake. Previous cigarette smoking or cigar/pipe smoking was not generally associated with lower nutrient intakes or status indices, however, both current and previous cigarette smoking was associated with increased concentrations of acute phase indicators. Further adjustment for total energy intake and/or sociodemographic, health and drug usage variables attenuated only a few of the associations observed.

Conclusion

Older people who smoke cigarettes are at increased risk of suboptimal antioxidant and other micronutrient intakes and status, but the lower intakes found in cigarette smokers only partly explain their reduced blood indices.
Perceived barriers of, and benefits to, healthy eating reported by a Spanish national sample
Authors: López-Azpiazu Isabel , Martínez-González Miguel Ángel , Kearney John , Gibney Michael , Martínez J. Alfredo
Published: June 2008

Objective

A national survey was developed in order to assess the difficulties and the potential benefits that the adult Spanish population perceive when they try to eat a healthier diet and also to help nutrition educators to develop relevant and specific strategies to promote healthy eating.

Design

The study survey was carried out according to an established protocol on a representative sample of 1009 Spanish subjects over 15 years of age selected by a multi-stage procedure. This study belongs to a partnership in a pan-European survey about food, nutrition and health. The analysis was focused on the evaluation of the seven most frequently chosen barriers and benefits.

Results

There was a trend to select as the main barriers: ‘irregular work hours’ (29.7%), ‘willpower’ (29.7%) and ‘unappealing food’ (21.3%), while ‘prevent disease’ (73.6%) was the most frequently selected benefit to healthy eating. About 20% of the subjects said they did not have any difficulty eating healthier and most people believed that healthy eating was associated with at least one benefit.

Conclusions

In Spain, nutrition educators should be aware that an irregular and busy lifestyle, willpower and food-related factors (such as price and unappealing foods) are the main perceived barriers to healthy eating. Conversely, the prevention and health promotion aspects are the main perceived benefits.
Intake of fruits and vegetables in smokers
Authors: Birkett Nicholas J
Published: June 2008

Objectives

To examine intake of fruits and vegetables in smokers and non-smokers.

Design

Secondary analysis using general linear modelling approaches. Food intake measured using a food frequency questionnaire approach.

Setting

The community (the population of the province of Ontario, Canada).

Subjects

Members of the general public (n=38,000).

Results

Smokers ate substantially less fruit and fruit juice then non-smokers with heavy smokers eating the least. Heavy smokers were between four and six times more likely to be eating less fruit than recommended. Similar but less marked differences were noted for vegetable intake. Smokers also obtained a larger part of their total caloric intake from fats.

Conclusions

While smoking cessation remains the primary target for lung cancer prevention, attention should also be given to dietary interventions in smokers in order to improve their nutrition. Such interventions might also be expected to reduce the risk of other cancers (e.g. colon cancer).
Vegetable and fruit consumption associated with anthropometric, dietary and lifestyle factors in Spain
Authors: Agudo Antonio , Pera Guillem ,   EPIC Group of Spain
Published: June 2008

Objective

To evaluate the association of vegetable and fruit intake with several demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle and dietary factors.

Design and setting

Cross-sectional analysis. Information on habitual diet was collected by means of the diet history method. Association of vegetable and fruit intakes with other factors was assessed separately by means of multiple lineal regression and the cumulative odds model.

Subjects

39 622 healthy subjects aged 29–69 years from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort in Spain.

Results

Fruit intake increased with age, education and physical activity and decreased with intake of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol; smoking and alcohol consumption were also negatively associated with fruit, with a very low consumption for current smokers and heavy drinkers. Vegetable intake increased with education and physical activity and with intake of unsaturated fatty acids, mainly mono-unsaturated. Former smokers consumed more vegetables than never or current smokers and non-consumers of alcohol ate less vegetables than consumers, among whom no differences were observed. All these estimates were adjusted by energy and body mass index (BMI).

Conclusions

When assessing the association of fruit and vegetables with chronic diseases it is important to take into account confounding factors. Furthermore, it would be useful to study dietary patterns including several interrelated factors.
Reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire among fourth to seventh grade inner-city school children: implications of age and day-to-day variation in dietary intake
Authors: Field Alison E , Peterson Karen E , Gortmaker Steve L , Cheung Lilian , Rockett Helaine , Fox Mary Kay , Colditz Graham A
Published: June 2008

Objective

To assess the reproducibility and validity of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to classify children and adolescents in terms of daily servings of fruits and vegetables and intake of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, vitamin C, phosphorous, calcium and iron.

Design

FFQs were collected in the autumn of 1993 and 1994. Four 24-hour diet recalls were collected during the same 1-year period and their mean was compared to the FFQ diet estimates.

Setting

Low income, inner-city state schools.

Subjects

A sample of 109 inner-city fourth to seventh grade students.

Results

The 1-year reproducibility of the FFQ, assessed with Spearman correlations, was lower among the fourth and fifth (range:r= −0.26 to 0.40) than the sixth and seventh grade students (range:r= 0.18–0.47). After adjusting for day-to-day variation in dietary intake, for most nutrients and foods the correlations between the FFQ and the 24-hour recalls remained greater among the junior high school students (fourth to fifth grade range:r= 0.0–0.42; sixth to seventh grade range: = 0.07–0.76).

Conclusions

Inner-city sixth and seventh grade students demonstrated the ability to provide valid estimates of intake of calories, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin C over the past year. However, children in the fourth and fifth grades experienced some difficulty in completing the FFQ. Our results suggest that, before using this instrument with fourth and fifth grade children, investigators should assess whether study participants can think abstractly and are familiar with the concept of ‘average intake’.
Nutrition, physical activity and health status in Europe: an overview
Authors: Gibney Michael J
Published: June 2008

Introduction:

The European diet is characterized by a wide variation in every aspect of eating from the timing of meals to the composition of meals. In general, there is a tendency in terms of dietary advice towards lower fat intakes in order to reduce saturated fatty acid intake and to reduce the risk of obesity. Such diets are most successful and yield the most favourable metabolic profile when there is an adequate level of physical activity.

Obective:

The aim of the present paper was to explore how the composition of dietary fat changes across the EU with low- and high-fat diets and to explore levels of physical activity and attitudes to physical activity across the EU.

Design:

The paper draws on data contained in reports and supplements of the Institute of European Food Studies in the EU.

Results:

There is a clear trend for southern EU states to have higher MUFA intakes and lower SFA intakes than northern EU states. However, for both geographic regions, the fatty acid composition of dietary fat was similar in groups with lower or higher dietary fat intakes. Physical activity was ranked low by consumers (n = 15,000) for its importance in relation to health and the prevention of weight-gain. Some 47% agreed that their present level of physical activity is sufficient. 78% agreed that being 13 kg heavier would not be detrimental to health and 30% agreed that the main benefit of physical activity was to relieve stress.

Conclusions:

(i) The present strategy of lowering dietary fat intake does not alter dietary fat composition and (ii) there is a high level of ignorance among consumers of the benefits of physical activity and the adverse effects of excess body-weight.
Micronutrients: interaction between physical activity, intakes and requirements
Authors: Fogelholm Mikael
Published: June 2008

The present literature review examines the following questions: (a) What is the evidence that micronutrient requirements are increased in physically active people? (b) Is there an association between physical activity and micronutrient intake? (c) Are there any significant differences between indices of micronutrient status between physically active and inactive people? The available data suggest that micronutrient requirements are increased in physically active people because of increased losses through sweat, urine and faeces, and an increased need for defence against free radicals. However the evidence is controversial, and it is not possible to make any quantitative estimations. Micronutrient requirements in moderately active people are not likely to be very much above the levels recommended for the general population. The intake of micronutrients increases with increasing energy intake. Therefore, physically highly active people (athletes) have higher micronutrient intakes than untrained subjects. However, moderate physical activity does not necessarily affect daily micronutrient intake. The available indices of micronutrient status do not support the belief that micronutrient status is compromised in highly trained athletes, even without use of dietary supplements. Hence, there are no reasons to believe that the situation would be different in people who are only moderately active. The results suggest that micronutrient status is adequate for health and functional performance in physically active people who follow a normal, mixed Western diet.
The effects of nutrients on mood
Authors: Benton David , Donohoe Rachael T
Published: June 2008

A recent major theory was that a meal high in carbohydrate increased the rate that tryptophan enters the brain, leading to an increase in the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin that modulates mood. Although such a mechanism may be important under laboratory conditions it is unlikely to be of significance following the eating of any typical meal. As little as 2–4% of the calories of a meal as protein will prevent an increased availability of tryptophan. Arguably the food with the greatest impact on mood is chocolate. Those who crave chocolate tend to do so when they feel emotionally low. There have been a series of suggestions that chocolate's mood elevating properties reflect ‘drug-like’ constituents including anandamines, caffeine, phenylethylamine and magnesium. However, the levels of these substances are so low as to preclude such influences. As all palatable foods stimulate endorphin release in the brain this is the most likely mechanism to account for the elevation of mood. A deficiency of many vitamins is associated with psychological symptoms. In some elderly patients folate deficiency is associated with depression. In four double-blind studies an improvement in thiamine status was associated with improved mood. Iron deficiency anaemia is common, particularly in women, and is associated with apathy, depression and rapid fatigue when exercising.
The influence of physical activity on mental well-being
Authors: Fox Kenneth R
Published: June 2008

Objective:

The case for exercise and health has primarily been made on its impact on diseases such coronary heart disease, obesity and diabetes. However, there is a very high cost attributed to mental disorders and illness and in the last 15 years there has been increasing research into the role of exercise a) in the treatment of mental health, and b) in improving mental well-being in the general population. There are now several hundred studies and over 30 narrative or meta-analytic reviews of research in this field. These have summarised the potential for exercise as a therapy for clinical or subclinical depression or anxiety, and the use of physical activity as a means of upgrading life quality through enhanced self-esteem, improved mood states, reduced state and trait anxiety, resilience to stress, or improved sleep. The purpose of this paper is to a) provide an updated view of this literature within the context of public health promotion and b) investigate evidence for physical activity and dietary interactions affecting mental well-being.

Design:

Narrative review and summary.

Conclusions:

Sufficient evidence now exists for the effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of clinical depression. Additionally, exercise has a moderate reducing effect on state and trait anxiety and can improve physical self-perceptions and in some cases global self-esteem. Also there is now good evidence that aerobic and resistance exercise enhances mood states, and weaker evidence that exercise can improve cognitive function (primarily assessed by reaction time) in older adults. Conversely, there is little evidence to suggest that exercise addiction is identifiable in no more than a very small percentage of exercisers. Together, this body of research suggests that moderate regular exercise should be considered as a viable means of treating depression and anxiety and improving mental well-being in the general public.
Physical activity and diet in 5 to 7 years old children
Authors: Müller Manfred James , Koertzinger Inga , Mast Mareike , Langnäse Kristina , Grund Andreas
Published: June 2008

Objective:

To assess the possible associations between physical activity, diet, social state and overweight in children.

Design:

Crossectional study on 1468 children aged between 5 and 7 years old in Kiel, northwest Germany.

Methods:

Assessment of physical activity and social factors by a questionnaire, food frequency record, body composition analysis by anthropometrics and bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Results:

23% of our children were overweight or obese. Low levels of physical activity (as assessed by TV viewing time) were associated with increased body mass index and a higher prevalence of overweight. TV-viewing of more than 1 h per day was associated with a high consumption fast food, sweets, chips and pizza whereas fruits and vegetables were less frequently consumed. Overweight, inactivity and unhealthy eating habits were seen more frequently in families with a low social status.

Conclusions:

In 5 to 7 years old children, overweight is associated with physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits and a low social status. Primary prevention efforts should be directed to low income families.
Diet and physical activity – interactions for health; public health nutrition in the European perspective
Authors: Sjöström Michael , Yngve Agneta , Poortvliet Eric , Warm Daniel , Ekelund Ulf
Published: June 2008

For the majority of European adults, who neither smoke nor drink excessively, the most significant controllable risk factors affecting their long-term health are what they eat, and how physically active they are.

Scientists are supposed to clarify to policy makers and health professionals the usefulness of their health messages. However, to be able to do that, a more detailed understanding is needed of the basic mechanisms behind the effects on health of diet and physical activity and, especially, the two in combination. Further, better methods for assessment of nutrition and physical activity in the population have to be developed, and more and better baseline data have to be collected. Increased and more efficient interventions are then needed. People trained and competent in the new discipline of Public Health Nutrition are required.

Through the stimulating support that the European Commission, as well as other national and international partners, are presently giving to the development of Public Health Nutrition across Europe, we can hope for an increased mobility, networking and understanding between European nutrition and physical activity professionals. This will most likely result in greater and better policy making, strategy development, implementation and evaluation. We now have a great possibility to develop the integrated field of preventive nutrition and health enhancing physical activity.
Nutrient intake trends among African-Caribbeans in Britain: a migrant population and its second generation
Authors: Sharma Sangita , Cade Janet , Riste Lisa , Cruickshank Kennedy
Published: June 2008

Objective:

To explore British African-Caribbean (AfC) nutrient intake by migration status (place of birth), diet (traditional Caribbean or more European) and age and relate this ecologically to coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates.

Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting:

Inner-city Manchester, UK.

Subjects:

Two hundred and fifty-five adults of AfC origin aged 25–79 years, randomly sampled from population registers.

Results:

Caribbean-born people (mean age 56, and mean time in Britain 30 years) had significantly lower per cent energy from total and saturated fat than younger British-born AfC people (mean age 29 years) (31.3% vs. 35%, difference in total fat 3.7%, 95%CI 2–5%; in saturated fat 10.9% vs. 12.6%, difference 1.7%, 95%CI 1–2.5%). The Caribbean-born group also ate more fruit (+84 g day−1, 95%CI 36–132 g day−1) and green vegetables (+26 g day−1, 95%CI 3–49 g day−1). Men following a traditional diet (>= 5 days week−1) similarly had a lower per cent energy from fat, at 30.4%, than less traditional eaters, at 33.1% (difference 2.7%, 95%CI 0.7–4.8%). African-Caribbean women, at relatively greater CHD risk than AfC men, had higher body mass indices (BMIs) than AfC men. Compared with national data, AfC subjects consumed some 7% and 5% less energy from total fat and saturated fat, respectively, with over 9% more from carbohydrate. However, there was marked convergence towards the national average in the youngest AfC groups aged 25–34 years, whatever their place of birth.

Conclusions:

Caribbean birthplace has an independent effect on total fat intake and percentage of energy from fat. Together with higher fruit and vegetable intake, these results are consistent with the dietary fat/antioxidant/CHD hypothesis.
Taste and food preferences as predictors of dietary practices in young women
Authors: Drewnowski Adam , Henderson Susan Ahlstrom , Levine Alisa , Hann Clayton
Published: June 2008

Objective:

To investigate links between taste responses, self-reported food preferences and selected dietary outcomes in young women.

Methods:

Subjects were 159 women, with a mean age of 27.0 years. Taste responses were measured using aqueous solutions of 6−n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and sucrose. All subjects completed a 171-item food preference checklist, using nine-point category scales. Food preference data were reduced using principal components factor analyses, with the internal consistency of factor-based subscales established using Cronbach's alpha. Dietary intakes, available for a subset of 87 women, were based on 3 days of food records. Estimated intakes of carbohydrate, fibre and β-carotene were the key dietary outcome variables.

Results:

Genetically-mediated sensitivity to the bitter taste of PROP was associated with reduced preferences for Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach and coffee beverages. Higher preferences for sucrose in water were associated with increased preferences for sweet desserts. Food preferences, in turn, were associated with measures of current diet. Reduced acceptability of vegetables and fruits was associated with lower estimated intakes of carbohydrate, fibre and β-carotene.

Conclusions:

Taste responses to sucrose and PROP were predictive of some food preferences. Food preferences, in turn, were associated with food consumption patterns. Given that taste responsiveness to PROP is an inherited trait, there may be further links between genetic taste markers, eating habits and the selection of healthful diets.
A method to compensate for incomplete 24-hour urine collections in nutritional epidemiology studies
Authors: Johansson Gunnar , Bingham Sheila , Vahter Marie
Published: June 2008

Objective:

To develop a method to make use of incomplete 24-hour urinary samples in nutritional epidemiology, especially when validating the dietary intake of nitrogen (protein), sodium and potassium.

Design:

Urinary data for men and women collected in three different studies were evaluated. The concentration of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) in one 24-hour urine sample per person was compared with the concentrations of nitrogen, sodium, potassium and creatinine.

Setting:

Men and women living in Cambridge, UK and women living in the town of Varberg, Sweden.

Subjects:

In total, this study consists of data from 73 Swedish women (20–50 years of age), 165 UK women (50–65 years) and 75 UK men (55–88 years).

Results:

On average four out of 10 people in this study had a PABA recovery below 85%. The linear regression equations for urinary excretion of nitrogen, sodium and potassium in relation to PABA recovery were y = 2.3 + 0.088 * x (r = 0.99), y = 45 + 0.82 * x (r = 0.87) and y = 19 + 0.60 * x (r = 0.93), respectively.

Conclusions:

The linear regression equations can be used for adjusting urinary nitrogen, sodium and potassium in urinary collections in cases where the PABA recovery is below 85%. Since it is common to obtain 24-hour urine collections with a PABA recovery below 85%, this method should increase the usefulness of biological markers of food intake in nutritional epidemiological studies and also increase the possibilities to study people that previously have been part of the drop-out group or the group with low motivation and cooperation. It is important to stress that we have not studied the relationship between PABA recovery and various urinary variables below the PABA recovery of 50%. Thus, in a case of PABA recovery below 50%, we do not recommend the use of this method to compensate for incomplete collections.
Assumptive Worlds and Images of Agency: Academic Social Policy in the Twenty-first Century?
Authors: Taylor-Gooby Peter
Published: June 2008

As many commentators have pointed out, the pressures facing modern welfare states are formidable. One response by government is to place greater emphasis on a policy-making paradigm that rests on an individual rational actor account of agency. This finds its intellectual home in the leading tradition of neo-classical economics, its ideological home in a politics of active citizenry and equality of opportunity and its institutional home in the mechanisms by which the Treasury currently directs social policy.

The resulting policies have strengths in delivering productivity improvements and responsiveness to consumer demand, but weaknesses in accommodating the value positions of an increasingly diverse society, in sustaining the social cohesion necessary to the continuance of state welfare and in confronting the structural basis of some social interests. These issues have traditionally been recognised in the sociology of values, the psychology of trust and the political science of power.

One strength of academic social policy is that it is a field of study in which a number of disciplines are deployed. The ascendancy of one paradigm may obscure the contribution of others. It is hard for social policy academics to gain recognition when they speak a different language from that of policy making at the highest level.
‘At Least I Can Do Something’: The Work of Volunteering in a Community Beset by Worklessness
Authors: Baines Susan , Hardill Irene
Published: June 2008

The voluntary sector has been mainstreamed into public policy with consequences that include more reliance upon the time, commitment and skills of volunteers. In many policy initiatives to combat social exclusion, volunteering is cast as a form of self-improvement and re-training for the workforce. Qualitative research in a disadvantaged community, however, uncovered the persistence of more traditional forms of volunteering associated with mutual support and identification with the needs of others. Policies intended to broaden the base of the volunteer workforce need to recognise and nurture the intrinsic rewards of volunteering.
Review Article: The Governance of Activation
Authors: van Berkel Rik , Borghi Vando
Published: June 2008

This article presents a review of relevant literature on the issue of the governance of activation. The article starts with some general comments on the state of the art of research on the governance of activation. Putting governance into practice in new service provision models in the policy areas of activation and social policy, the review continues with a discussion of publications on some of the characteristics of these models: marketisation, decentralisation, inter-agency cooperation and individualisation of service provision. It also looks at literature on the implementation of activation, as this provides insight into governance issues from an organisational and street-level perspective.
Magnetic local time extent of ion outflow during substorm recovery
Authors: Fuselier S. A. , Claflin E. S. , Moore T. E.
Published: June 2008

Ions from the Earth's ionosphere are an important component of the coupled magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. These ions are accelerated out of the ionosphere in the auroral zone. As they gain altitude, a fraction of them are charge exchanged, producing energetic neutrals. These neutrals (in the energy range from ∼10 to ∼300 eV) are imaged by the Low Energy Neutral Atom (LENA) imager on the Imager for Magnetopause to Aurora Global Exploration spacecraft. From these images, the instantaneous local time extent of the ion outflow is determined. These data show that, during times of substorm recovery, the local time extent of the outflow is large and variable, typically centered on the dayside, but often extending over nearly the entire auroral oval. The local time extent appears to encompass the ionospheric footprint of the cusp.
Effective cloud fractions from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument: Theoretical framework and validation
Authors: Stammes P. , Sneep M. , de Haan J. F. , Veefkind J. P. , Wang P. , Levelt P. F.
Published: June 2008

The Dutch‐Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board NASA's EOS‐Aura satellite is measuring ozone, NO2, and other trace gases with daily global coverage. To correct these trace gas retrievals for the presence of clouds, there are two OMI cloud products, based on different physical processes, namely, absorption by O2–O2 at 477 nm (OMCLDO2) and rotational Raman scattering (RRS) in the UV (OMCLDRR). Both cloud products use a Lambertian cloud model with albedo 0.8 and contain the effective (i.e., radiometric) cloud fraction and the cloud pressure. First, the theoretical framework for the Lambertian cloud model is given and the concept of effective cloud fraction is discussed. Next, an intercomparison of the effective cloud fractions from both products is presented, as well as a comparison with MODIS cloud data. It is shown that the O2–O2 and RRS effective cloud fractions correlate very well (95%) but that there is an offset of about 0.10. From MODIS geometric cloud fraction and cloud optical thickness data a MODIS effective cloud fraction was calculated. The effective cloud fractions from OMCLDO2 and MODIS show a high correlation of 92% with a very small offset (0.01). In order to guide users, a summary of the validation status of effective cloud fraction and cloud pressure from the OMCLDO2 and OMCLDRR cloud products is presented.
Atmospheric 210Pb and 7Be in ambient aerosols over low‐ and high‐altitude sites in semiarid region: Temporal variability and transport processes
Authors: Rastogi N. , Sarin M. M.
Published: June 2008

Time series measurements of 210Pb and 7Be made on ambient aerosols, collected from a low‐altitude urban site (Ahmedabad, 23.0°N, 72.6°E, 49 m asl) and a high‐altitude station (Mt. Abu, 24.6°N, 72.7°E, 1680 m asl) located in a high‐dust semiarid region of western India, reveal characteristic pattern of temporal variability consistent over three years (2000–2002). The relatively high concentrations of 210Pb (>1 mBq m−3) during wintertime (November–February) are dominated by continental air masses from the northeast; whereas lower values during the summer months (April–May) and southwest monsoon season (June–August) are associated with (southwesterly) maritime air. The concentration of 210Pb in individual rain events at Ahmedabad, collected during the southwest monsoon for the same three‐year period, also exhibits large variability (range of 3–367 mBq L−1; volume‐weighted mean of 74 mBq L−1). This first set of data on the simultaneous measurements in rain and aerosols from a semiarid region is useful in deriving scavenging ratio (SR = 290) of 210Pb. On the basis of data for the three consecutive years (2000–2002), we find that both dry and wet deposition fluxes of 210Pb center around 2–4 mBq cm−2 a−1, suggesting relative dominance of dry deposition in a semiarid region. When used in conjunction with 210Pb, 7Be provides information on the vertical mixing of air masses. During the dry season (January–May and September–December), abundances of 7Be and 210Pb (mBq m−3) in ambient aerosols over Ahmedabad (7Be, 1.9 ± 0.1 to 6.0 ± 0.3; 210Pb, 0.32 ± 0.03 to 1.9 ± 0.2) and Mt. Abu (7Be, 3.8 ± 0.2 to 7.6 ± 0.3; 210Pb, 0.39 ± 0.05 to 1.8 ± 0.2) do not show any covariance, suggesting their usefulness as independent tracers of air masses and pollutants transport. Assuming literature‐based constant 222Rn flux and measured abundance of 210Pb in aerosols, a model‐based approach has provided a simple way to ascertain residence time of tropospheric aerosols, varying from ∼5 days during the dry season and ∼2 days in the wet season. These results attempt to fill a major existing gap for the south Asian region under Global Atmospheric Watch program.
North American continental margin records of the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum: Implications for global carbon and hydrological cycling
Authors: John Cédric M. , Bohaty Steven M. , Zachos James C. , Sluijs Appy , Gibbs Samantha , Brinkhuis Henk , Bralower Timothy J.
Published: June 2008

The impacts of the Paleocene‐Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) (∼55 Ma), one of the most rapid and extreme warming events in Earth history, are well characterized in open marine and terrestrial environments but are less so on continental margins, a major carbon sink. Here, we present stable isotope, carbonate content, organic matter content, and C:N ratio records through the PETM from new outcrop sections in California and from cores previously drilled on the New Jersey margin. Foraminifer δ18O data suggest that midlatitude shelves warmed by a similar magnitude as the open ocean (5°C–8°C), while the carbon isotope excursion (CIE), recorded both in carbonate and organic matter δ13C records, is slightly larger (3.3–4.5‰) than documented in open ocean records. Sediment accumulation rates increase dramatically during the CIE in marked contrast to the open ocean sites. In parallel, mass accumulation rates of both organic and inorganic carbon also increased by an order of magnitude. The estimated total mass of accumulated carbon in excess of pre‐CIE rates suggests that continental margins, at least along North America, became carbon sinks during the CIE, mainly because of weathering feedbacks and rising sea level. This result is significant because it implies that the negative feedback role of carbon burial on continental margins was greater than previously recognized.
Is the observed NAO variability during the instrumental record unusual?
Authors: Semenov Vladimir A. , Latif Mojib , Jungclaus Johann H. , Park Wonsun
Published: June 2008

Observed multidecadal variability (30 yr running means, trends, and moving standard deviations) of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the instrumental record is compared to that simulated by two different coupled general circulation models in extended‐range control experiments. Simulated NAO exhibits strong low frequency fluctuations, even on multi‐centennial time scale. Observed multi‐decadal NAO variations agree well with the model variability. Trend probability distribution functions, observed and simulated, were not found to be different with statistical significance. Thus, multi‐decadal NAO changes similar to those observed during the instrumental record, including the recent increase in 1965–1995, may be internally generated within the coupled atmosphere‐ocean system without considering external forcing.
Microhemorrhages in Nonfatal High-Altitude Cerebral Edema
Authors: Kallenberg Kai , Dehnert Christoph , Dörfler Arnd , Schellinger Peter D , Bailey Damian M , Knauth Michael , Bärtsch Peter D
Published: June 2008

Vasogenic edema in the corpus callosum is a characteristic finding in high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). Furthermore, microhemorrhages have been found at autopsies in brains of HACE victims. The objective of this study was to determine if microhemorrhages also occur in nonlethal HACE. Consequently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in patients who had suffered from HACE and in patients who had suffered from severe acute mountain sickness (AMS) by applying imaging techniques highly susceptible to blood or blood remnants. Two experienced neuroradiologists independently evaluated the exams blinded to clinical data. The MRI was performed 2 to 31 months after the event. The MRI of the HACE patients revealed multiple hemosiderin depositions in the brain—predominantly found in the corpus callosum—indicative of microhemorrhages. These changes were not present in the three AMS patients. In summary, hemosiderin deposits detectable by MRI predominantly in the corpus callosum indicate that microhemorrhages occur in nonlethal HACE, which may serve as a novel diagnostic MRI sign for HACE even many months after the event.
Scalar products of elementary distributions
Authors: Droz-Vincent Philippe
Published: June 2008

The Schrödinger equation with point interaction in one dimension is revisited in a simple framework where the “singular” potential is defined as a symmetric operator in a natural way. The main tool is a scalar product of the elementary distributions constructed after a commutative (and well-ordered) field extension of R followed by complexification. A contact with the hyper-real numbers that arise in nonstandard analysis is possible but not essential, our extensions of R and C being obtained by a quite elementary method.
A positron-probe system for arterial input function quantification for positron emission tomography in humans
Authors: Lee Kihak , Fox Peter T. , Lancaster Jack L. , Jerabek Paul A.
Published: June 2008

We developed an intra-arterial positron-probe (β+-probe) system to measure the arterial time-activity concentration in humans for quantitative compartmental modeling of positron emission tomography studies. Performance was characterized in vitro, by using a uniform phantom to calculate dead time, linearity, and absolute detector sensitivity. In vitro evaluations in a uniform phantom showed a system dead time of 2.5μs, linear regression between measured and true count rates with R2=0.999, and detector sensitivity of 6.9–7.0counts∕skBq−1ml. These met or exceeded values of previously reported systems.
Numerical characterization of the Ga interstitial self-diffusion mechanisms in GaAs
Authors: Levasseur-Smith Kevin , Mousseau Normand
Published: June 2008

Recent diffusion experiments by Bracht and Brotzmann [H. Bracht and S. Brotzmann, Phys. Rev. B 71, 115216 (2005)] show that the dominant charge states for GaI diffusion in GaAs should be 0 and +1 with surprisingly high enthalpy barriers of 5.45±0.12 and 5.80±0.32 eV, respectively. Using the activation-relaxation technique, coupled with the ab initio code SIESTA, we identify possible migration pathways and barriers for these two charge states. In the +1 charge state, we observe two different migration paths between tetrahedral sites surrounded by Ga atoms (tetra[Ga−Ga]), implicating either a tetrahedral interstitial surrounded by As atoms (tetra[Ga−As]) or a ⟨111⟩-oriented split configuration, with total barriers of 1.4 and 1.3 eV, respectively. Including formation energy, the enthalpy barriers that we find are lower than the experimentally derived values. We analyze the possible causes and the significance of this discrepancy and offer a partial explanation based on the correction method used for finite-size effects.
Low-noise 0.5THz all-NbN superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer for submillimeter wave astronomy
Authors: Li Jing , Takeda Masanori , Wang Zhen , Shi Sheng-Cai , Yang Ji
Published: June 2008

We report the detection of spectral line emission from CO (J=4–3) at 0.46THz using a low-noise 0.5THz superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer incorporating NbN∕AlN∕NbN tunnel junctions (with an energy gap of 5.6meV) and a NbN∕MgO∕NbN tuning circuit, which is installed on a 30cm submillimeter telescope. Uncorrected receiver noise temperatures as low as 149K are measured on the telescope from 0.45–0.50THz for an unoptimized device. Moreover, the 0.5THz all-NbN SIS mixer exhibits high stability in a considerably large dc bias range and low noise at significantly high temperatures compared with a 0.5THz Nb SIS mixer.
Localized and extended deformations of elastic shells
Authors: Vaziri Ashkan , Mahadevan L.
Published: June 2008

The dried raisin, the crushed soda can, and the collapsed bicycle inner tube exemplify the nonlinear mechanical response of naturally curved elastic surfaces with different intrinsic curvatures to a variety of different external loads. To understand the formation and evolution of these features in a minimal setting, we consider a simple assay: the response of curved surfaces to point indentation. We find that for surfaces with zero or positive Gauss curvature, a common feature of the response is the appearance of faceted structures that are organized in intricate localized patterns, with hysteretic transitions between multiple metastable states. In contrast, for surfaces with negative Gauss curvature the surface deforms nonlocally along characteristic lines that extend through the entire system. These different responses may be understood quantitatively by using numerical simulations and classified qualitatively by using simple geometric ideas. Our ideas have implications for the behavior of small-scale structures.