bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study of the structures and reactions of some methyl substituted unsaturated C18 ester intermediates in the synthesis of a racemic mixture of 10‐methyloctadecanoic acid
Authors: Lie Marcel S. F. , Jie Ken , Leung David W. Y.
Published: February 2007

Methyl 10‐undecenoate was hydrated to methyl 10‐hydroxyundecanoate using mercury (II) acetate in aqueous tetrahydrofuran (THF). Chromic acid oxidation of methyl 10‐hydroxyundecanoate gave methyl 10‐oxoundecanoate, which was hydrolyzed to 10‐oxoundecanoic acid. Reaction of n‐octyl magnesium bromide complex in THF with 10‐oxoundecanoic acid furnished 10‐hydroxy‐10‐methyloctadecanoic acid after hydrolysis. The latter compound was esterified, and dehydration of methyl 10‐hydroxy‐10‐methyloctadecanoate withp‐toluenesulfonic acid in benzene gave a mixture of unsaturated branched fatty ester intermediates:viz. methyl 10‐methyl‐9‐octadecenoate, 10‐methyl‐10‐octadecenoate and 10‐octyl‐10‐undecenoate. Treatment of the mixture of unsaturated branched fatty ester intermediates with mercury (II) acetate in methanol gave exclusively methyl 10‐methoxy‐10‐methyloctadecanoate. Epoxidation of the same mixture of unsaturated fatty esters withm‐chloroperbenzoic acid provided a mixture of epoxy derivatives: methyl 9,10‐epoxy‐10‐methyloctadecanoate, 10,11‐epoxy‐10‐methyloctadecanoate and 2‐octyl‐oxirane‐nonanoate. Catalytic hydrogenation of the mixture of unsaturated fatty esters gave a racemic mixture of methyl 10‐methyloctadecanoate, which was hydrolyzed to 10‐methyloctadecanoic acid. The structures of the mixture of unsaturated branched fatty ester intermediates and their derivatives were characterized by chemical and spectroscopic analyses.
Autoxidation of polyunsaturated triacylglycerols. II. Trilinolenoylglycerol
Authors: Frankel E. N. , Neff W. E. , Miyashita K.
Published: February 2007

The hydroperoxides and secondary products formed from trilinolenoylglycerol autoxidized at 40°C were isolated and characterized to clarify the mechanism of oxidative deterioration of polyunsaturated vegetable oils. The products were purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified either as intact triacylglycerols spectrophotometrically, or after lipolysis (pancreatic lipase) and capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The products included 9‐, 12‐, 13‐, and 16‐mono‐,bis‐, tris‐hydroperoxy, 9‐ and 16‐hydroperoxy epidioxy, 9‐ and 16‐hydroperoxy bicycloendoperoxy and 9,12‐, 13,16‐, and 9,16‐dihydroperoxy linolenoylglycerols. The mono‐hydroperoxides and sydroperoxy epidioxides were the only main products initially formed at peroxide values (PV) below 30.Bis‐ and tris‐hydroperoxides were formed consecutively as minor products from the mono‐hydroperoxides at PV's between 31 and 47. Hydroperoxy bicycloendoperoxides and monodihydroperoxides were also formed as minor secondary products at PV's above 75. HPLC analyses show a small preference for the formation of 16‐hydroperoxides on the 1(3)‐position over the 2‐position of trilinolenoylglycerol. However, there was no selectivity for the formation of the 9‐, 12‐ and 13‐hydroperoxides and for the hydroperoxy epidioxides between the 1(3)‐ and the 2‐positions in trilinolenoylglycerol. Mono‐hydroperoxides and hydroperoxy epidioxides of linolenate triacylglycerols may be important precursors of volatile compounds contributing to oxidative deterioration of vegetable oils.
Employing community data to investigate social and structural dimensions of urban neighborhoods: An early childhood education example
Authors: McWayne Christine M. , McDermott Paul A. , Fantuzzo John W. , Culhane Dennis P.
Published: February 2007

The present study sought to define neighborhood context by examining relationships among data from city‐level administrative databases at the level of the census block group. The present neighborhood investigation included 1,801 block groups comprising a large, northeastern metropolitan area. Common factor analyses and multistage, hierarchical cluster analyses yielded two dimensions (i.e., Social Stress, Structural Danger) and two typologies (i.e., Racial Composition, Property Structure Composition) of neighborhood context. Simultaneous multiple regression analyses revealed small but statistically significant associations between neighborhood variables and academic outcomes for public school kindergarten children.
Altered Lipid Parameters in Hepatic Subcellular Membrane Fractions Induced by Fumonisin B1
Authors: Burger H.‐M. , Abel S. , Snijman P. W. , Swanevelder S. , Gelderblom W. C. A.
Published: February 2007

Alteration of lipid constituents of cellular membranes has been proposed as a possible mechanism for cancer promotion by fumonisin B1 (FB1). To further investigate this hypothesis a dietary dosage which initiates and promotes liver cancer (250 mg FB1/kg) was fed to male Fischer rats for 21 days and the lipid composition of plasma, microsomal, mitochondrial and nuclear subcellular fractions determined. The effect of FB1 on the cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), as well as sphingomyelin (SM) and the phospholipids‐associated fatty acid (FA) profiles, were unique for each subcellular membrane fraction. PE was significantly increased in the microsomal, mitochondrial and plasma membrane fractions, whereas cholesterol was increased in both the microsomal and nuclear fraction. In addition SM was decreased and increased in the mitochondrial and nuclear fractions, respectively. The decreased PC/PE and polyunsaturated/saturated (P/S) FA ratio in the different membrane fractions suggest a more rigid membrane structure. The decreased levels in polyunsaturated fatty acids in PC together with a pronounced increase in C18:1ω9 and C18:2ω6 were indicative of an impaired delta‐6 desaturase. The increased ω6/ω3 ratio and decreased C20:4ω6 PC/PE ratio due to an increase in C20:4ω6 in PE relatively to PC in the different subcellular fractions suggests a shift towards prostanoid synthesis of the E2 series. Changes in the PE and C20:4ω6 parameters in the plasma membrane could alter key growth regulatory and/or other cell receptors in lipid rafts known to be altered by FB1. An interactive role between C20:4ω6 and ceramide in the mitochondria, is suggested to regulate the balance between proliferation and apoptosis in altered initiated hepatocytes resulting in their selective outgrowth during cancer promotion effected by FB1.
Hypothesis on chlorosome biogenesis in green photosynthetic bacteria
Authors: Hohmann-Marriott Martin F. , Blankenship Robert E.
Published: February 2007

Chlorosomes are specialized compartments that constitute the main light harvesting system of green sulfur bacteria (GSB) and some filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs (FAP). Chlorosome biogenesis promises to be a complex process requiring the generation of a unilayer membrane and the targeting of bacteriochlorophyll, carotenoids, quinones, and proteins to the chlorosome. The biogenesis of chlorosomes as well as their presence in two distinct bacterial groups, GSB and FAP, remains enigmatic. The photosynthetic machinery and overall metabolic characteristics of these two bacterial groups are very different, and horizontal gene transfer has been proposed to explain chlorosome distribution. Chlorosomes have been considered to be unique structures that require a specific assembly machinery. We propose that no special machinery is required for chlorosome assembly. Instead, it is suggested that chlorosomes are a special form of lipid body. We present a model for chlorosome biogenesis that combines aspects of lipid body biogenesis with established chlorosome characteristics and may help explain the presence of chlorosomes in two metabolically diverse organism groups.
Identification and characterization of microRNAs from the bovine adipose tissue and mammary gland
Authors: Gu Zhiliang , Eleswarapu Satyanaryana , Jiang Honglin
Published: February 2007

We report the identification of bovine miRNAs by cloning small RNAs from adipose tissue and the mammary gland. Fifty‐nine distinct miRNAs were identified, five of them were not homologous to known mammalian miRNAs, and many of them had 3′ and/or 5′ end variants. Ribonuclease protection assays indicated that miR‐23a and miR‐24, whose genes are closely located on the same chromosome, were co‐expressed in different tissues. The assays also suggested a role for several miRNAs in the mammary gland and a role for miR‐133, a previously known skeletal and cardiac muscle‐specific miRNA, in the rumen, an organ unique to the ruminant.
Redundant promoter elements mediate IL‐3‐induced expression of a novel cytokine‐inducible gene, cyclon
Authors: Hoshino Akemi , Fujii Hodaka
Published: February 2007

Cytokines control cell differentiation, proliferation, and function by regulating gene expression program. Physiological roles and induction mechanisms of cytokine‐inducible genes are not fully understood. Here, we identified a novel immediate‐early cytokine‐responsive gene, cyclon (cytokine‐induced protein with coiled‐coil domain), which is induced in a hematopoietic cell line by interleukin 3 (IL‐3). cyclon gene encodes a phosphorylated nuclear protein consisting of repetitive sequences in the amino‐terminus and a coiled‐coil domain in the carboxyl‐terminus. A novel transient reporter assay revealed that mouse cyclon promoter contains redundant elements for IL‐3‐induced gene expression.
Residue‐level prediction of DNA‐binding sites and its application on DNA‐binding protein predictions
Authors: Bhardwaj Nitin , Lu Hui
Published: February 2007

Protein–DNA interactions are crucial to many cellular activities such as expression‐control and DNA‐repair. These interactions between amino acids and nucleotides are highly specific and any aberrance at the binding site can render the interaction completely incompetent. In this study, we have three aims focusing on DNA‐binding residues on the protein surface: to develop an automated approach for fast and reliable recognition of DNA‐binding sites; to improve the prediction by distance‐dependent refinement; use these predictions to identify DNA‐binding proteins. We use a support vector machines (SVM)‐based approach to harness the features of the DNA‐binding residues to distinguish them from non‐binding residues. Features used for distinction include the residue's identity, charge, solvent accessibility, average potential, the secondary structure it is embedded in, neighboring residues, and location in a cationic patch. These features collected from 50 proteins are used to train SVM. Testing is then performed on another set of 37 proteins, much larger than any testing set used in previous studies. The testing set has no more than 20% sequence identity not only among its pairs, but also with the proteins in the training set, thus removing any undesired redundancy due to homology. This set also has proteins with an unseen DNA‐binding structural class not present in the training set. With the above features, an accuracy of 66% with balanced sensitivity and specificity is achieved without relying on homology or evolutionary information. We then develop a post‐processing scheme to improve the prediction using the relative location of the predicted residues. Balanced success is then achieved with average sensitivity, specificity and accuracy pegged at 71.3%, 69.3% and 70.5%, respectively. Average net prediction is also around 70%. Finally, we show that the number of predicted DNA‐binding residues can be used to differentiate DNA‐binding proteins from non‐DNA‐binding proteins with an accuracy of 78%. Results presented here demonstrate that machine‐learning can be applied to automated identification of DNA‐binding residues and that the success rate can be ameliorated as more features are added. Such functional site prediction protocols can be useful in guiding consequent works such as site‐directed mutagenesis and macromolecular docking.
Evidence for the silicate source of relict soils on the Edwards Plateau, central Texas
Authors: Cooke M. Jennifer , Stern Libby A. , Banner Jay L. , Mack Lawrence E.
Published: February 2007

Relict soils provide insights into Quaternary soil formation and erosion on the Edwards Plateau of central Texas and into soil-forming processes in karst terranes. Late Quaternary climate-driven soil erosion produced a mosaic of thick and thin soils on the Edwards Plateau landscape. Thick soils on uplands of the Edwards Plateau are interpreted to be relicts of a formerly more extensive soil cover that was eroded during the late Pleistocene to middle Holocene. The relict, thick soils are silicate-rich and most commonly overlie the relatively silicate-poor Cretaceous Edwards Limestone, which supports the idea that the thick soils did not form from weathering of the underlying limestone. Other potential sources of silicates for the relict soils include dust, alluvial sediments, and the Del Rio Clay, a stratigraphically higher but locally eroded clay-rich unit. Here we investigate the geographic distribution, texture, clay-sized mineralogy, rare earth element geochemistry, and neodymium isotope composition of the relict soils. We have found that the relict, thick soils are deeply weathered soils that occur dominantly over the Edwards Limestone and have a high clay content and a neodymium isotope composition that is similar to that of the Del Rio Clay. Thus, we propose that in situ weathering of the Del Rio Clay, along with partial weathering of the upper portion of the underlying Edwards Limestone produced thick chert- and clay-rich soils over resistant limestone. In areas like the Edwards Plateau, where pure limestones are interbedded with clay-rich strata, the overlying clay-rich strata must be considered as a possible silicate source to soils on pure limestone bedrock.
Why ask if tenure is necessary?
Authors: Buck Jane L.
Published: February 2007

Although the target article is groundbreaking and creatively conceived, there are troubling questions regarding its methodology and conclusions. The sample in the authors' study was drawn from a popular magazine's lists; there is no recognition of the fact that most faculty are now off the tenure track; and comparisons are made with the British system with no supporting data.
The simple arithmetic of tenure
Authors: Donderi Don C.
Published: February 2007

Academic opinions are irrelevant to the value of tenure. Facts are relevant, and the facts are that tenure protects some academics from losing their jobs because they communicate unpopular information, and that some untenured academics do lose their jobs because they communicate unpopular information.
The untouchables: Benefits, costs, and risks of tenure in real cases
Authors: Farley Frank
Published: February 2007

The exceptional importance of the Ceci et al. study for the debate over tenure is noted, particularly the perceived importance of academic rank relative to tenure status. Beyond the significance of academic freedom lie important issues of the costs and benefits of tenure that now need to be addressed in equally rigorous research involving extensive, detailed consideration of actual cases.
The preservation of academic freedom: Tenure is not enough
Authors: Franz Elizabeth A. , Hayne Harlene
Published: February 2007

The original purpose of tenure has become clouded by the process by which it is granted. In New Zealand, tenure and academic freedom are separate, with academic freedom protected by legislation. Clearly, tenure is neither necessary nor sufficient to protect academic freedom. Individuals and universities must do more to guard academic freedom in order to encourage, nurture, and protect it.
Tenure and academic freedom: Prospects and constraints
Authors: Ceci Stephen J. , Williams Wendy M. , Mueller-Johnson Katrin
Published: February 2007

In our target article, we took the position that tenure conveys many important benefits but that its original justification – fostering academic freedom – is not one of them. Here we respond to various criticisms of our study as well as to proposals to remedy the current state of affairs. Undoubtedly, more research is needed to confirm and extend our findings, but the most reasonable conclusion remains the one we offered – that the original rationale for tenure is poorly served by the current system as practiced at top-ranked colleges and universities.
Compulsions and cultural rituals: The need for a drive-motivational framework
Authors: Behrendt Ralf-Peter
Published: February 2007

Instinct theory parsimoniously clarifies the relationships between emotions, such as fear and anxiety, and perceptions, thoughts, and actions. Its acceptance allows more elegant insights into riddles of obsessions and compulsions. Their relationship to anxiety and dysexecutive function needs to be explained, as does their characteristic egodystonia, while avoiding the pitfalls of cognitivist, empiricist, and teleological thinking.
What else is driving ritualized behavior, besides the “Hazard-Precaution system”? Developmental, psychopathological, and ethnological considerations
Authors: Benga Oana , Benga Ileana
Published: February 2007

The target article presents arguments for a motivational system dedicated exclusively to the detection of, and reaction to, particular threats to fitness, the so-called “Hazard-Precaution System,” which, according to the authors, drives ritualized behavior. We approach the issue of a motivational system from three perspectives – developmental, psychopathological, and ethnological.
Ritualized behavior in animals and humans: Time, space, and attention
Authors: Eilam David
Published: February 2007

A study of the organization of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rituals in time and space illuminates a postulated mechanism on shifting focus in action parsing, from mid-ranged actions to finer movements (gestures). Performance of OCD rituals also involves high concentration rather than the automated, less attended performance of rituals in normal and stereotyped behaviors in animals and humans.
Contextual features of problem-solving and social learning give rise to spurious associations, the raw materials for the evolution of rituals
Authors: Fessler Daniel M. T.
Published: February 2007

If rituals persist in part because of their memory-taxing attributes, from whence do they arise? I suggest that magical practices form the core of rituals, and that many such practices derive from learned pseudo-causal associations. Spurious associations are likely to be acquired during problem-solving under conditions of ambiguity and danger, and are often a consequence of imitative social learning.
Multicultural religious and spiritual rituals: Meaning and praxis
Authors: Hageman Joan H.
Published: February 2007

This commentary argues against the theory that cultural ritual behavior is meaningless or that ritual action is solely a by-product of fear-based precautionary and action-parsing systems. Humans demonstrate the ability to spontaneously change their use of proximate intentions and attribute ultimate intentions to ritual actions that are not dependent upon fear or physical and emotional/mental dysfunction.
What is the relevance of Boyer & Lienard's model for psychosocial treatments?
Authors: Huppert Jonathan D. , Cahill Shawn P.
Published: February 2007

Boyer & Lienard's (B&L's) model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) rituals does not completely conform to our clinical experience with patients, and the clinical implications of their model is not described by the authors. We discuss potential differences of opinion regarding both the nature of OCD and the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of symptoms, and how emotional processing theories can account for treatment effects.
Ritualized behavior in sport
Authors: Jackson Robin C. , Masters Rich S. W.
Published: February 2007

We consider evidence for ritualized behavior in the sporting domain, noting that such behavior appears commonplace both before a competitive encounter and as part of pre-performance routines. The specific times when ritualized behaviors are displayed support the supposition that they provide temporary relief from pre-competition anxiety and act as thought suppressors in the moments preceding skill execution.
Ritual pathology and the nature of ritual culture
Authors: Merker Bjorn
Published: February 2007

Boyer & Lienard's (B&L's) biological model of ritual achieves a rather straightforward account of features shared by ritual pathology and the idiosyncratic rituals of children; but complexities accrue in extending it to human ritual culture generally. My commentary suggests that the ritual cultural traditions of animals such as songbirds share structural features, handicap-based origin, as well as the enabling neural mechanism of vocal learning with human ritual culture.
Does meditation swamp working memory?
Authors: Pyysiäinen Ilkka
Published: February 2007

Religionists often presuppose that “mysticism” aims at somehow emptying the mind. In the light of evidence, however, meditation seems rather to consist of ritualized action without an explicit emphasis on subjective experience. Boyer & Lienard's (B&L's) theory of ritualized action as “swamping” working memory thus might help explain the effects of meditation without postulating experiential goals the “mystics” obviously do not have.
Universal sex-specific instantiations of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Saad Gad
Published: February 2007

Numerous sex differences in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) instantiations are likely universal, as the associated evolutionary threats and concerns onto which they map were differentially important to the two sexes. Hence, although some ritualized behaviors or thoughts are indeed culture-specific, others are both culturally and temporally invariant as they are rooted in universal Darwinian etiologies (e.g., the sex differences in OCD symptomatology posited here).
An intrusion layer in stationary incompressible fluids Part 2: A solitary wave
Authors: FORBES LAWRENCE K. , HOCKING GRAEME C.
Published: February 2007

The propagation of a solitary wave in a horizontal fluid layer is studied. There is an interfacial free surface above and below this intrusion layer, which is moving at constant speed through a stationary density-stratified fluid system. A weakly nonlinear asymptotic theory is presented, leading to a Korteweg–de Vries equation in which the two fluid interfaces move oppositely. The intrusion layer solitary wave system thus forms a widening bulge that propagates without change of form. These results are confirmed and extended by a fully nonlinear solution, in which a boundary-integral formulation is used to solve the problem numerically. Limiting profiles are approached, for which a corner forms at the crest of the solitary wave, on one or both of the interfaces.
Lipid, protein and carbohydrate intake in relation to body mass index: an Italian study
Authors: Randi Giorgia , Pelucchi Claudio , Gallus Silvano , Parpinel Maria , Dal Maso Luigino , Talamini Renato , Augustin Livia SA , Giacosa Attilio , Montella Maurizio , Franceschi Silvia , La Vecchia Carlo
Published: February 2007

Objective

To analyse the association between macronutrient intake and body mass index (BMI).

Design

A series of hospital-based case–control studies.

Settings

Selected teaching and general hospitals in several Italian regions.

Subjects

A total of 6619 subjects from the comparison groups of the case–control studies were included in the analysis.

Methods

We obtained data from a validated 78-item food-frequency questionnaire submitted between 1991 and 2002. For various macronutrients, the partial regression coefficient (variation of BMI (kg m− 2) per 100 kcal increment of energy intake) was derived from multiple linear regression models, after allowance for age, study centre, education, smoking habits, number of eating episodes and mutual adjustment for macronutrients.

Results

BMI was directly associated with protein intake among women only (β = 0.68) and with unsaturated fats in both genders (for monounsaturated fats β = 0.27 for men and 0.26 for women; for polyunsaturated fats β = 0.27 for men and 0.54 for women), and inversely related to carbohydrates (β = − 0.05 for men and − 0.21 for women) and number of eating episodes in both genders (β =  − 0.42 for men and − 0.61 for women) and to saturated fats among women only (β =  − 0.57).

Conclusions

These results confirm and provide convincing evidence that, after allowance for selected covariates including total energy intake, a protein-rich diet is not inversely related to BMI, and a carbohydrate-rich diet is not directly related to BMI.
The influence of fruit and vegetable intake on the nutritional status and plasma homocysteine levels of institutionalised elderly people
Authors: Bermejo LM , Aparicio A , Andrés P , López-Sobaler AM , Ortega RM
Published: February 2007

Objective

To determine the difference in the nutritional status of elderly people depending on their consumption of fruits and vegetables, and to study the possible association between the consumption of these foods and different cardiovascular risk factors, especially total plasma homocysteine (t-Hcys) levels.

Design, setting and subjects

A cross-sectional study in 152 institutionalised older people from Madrid aged ≥ 65 years. Food and nutrient intakes were recorded over 7 days using the ‘precise individual weighing’ method. The weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences of all subjects were recorded, as were their α-erythrocyte glutathione reductase, serum B6, B12and folate levels, erythrocyte folate levels, t-Hcys levels, serum lipids and blood pressure. The experimental population was then divided into tertiles depending on the serving intake of fruit and vegetables (T1, < 2.29 servings day− 1; T2, 2.29–2.79 servings day− 1; and T3, >2.79 servings day− 1).

Results

Compared with T1 subjects, T3 subjects showed consumptions of cereals, pulses, meat, fish and eggs closer to those recommended (P < 0.05). In addition, the contribution of their diet towards covering the recommended daily intake of vitamin B1, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin C, B12, vitamin A, and P, Mg, Zn and Fe was higher. The intake of fibre increased with consumption of fruit and vegetables (r = 0.6839,P < 0.001). T3 subjects also had better serum and erythrocyte folate levels than T1 and T2 subjects (P < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between the consumption of fruit and vegetables and serum folate (r = 0.2665,P < 0.01) and with erythrocyte folate levels (r = 0.2034,P < 0.05), and a negative correlation with t-Hcys (r = − 0.2493,P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Greater consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with better food habits, increased vitamin and mineral intakes and lower t-Hcys levels. Considering that the fruit and vegetable intake in Spanish elderly people is very low, it is recommended that the consumption of fruits and vegetables by elderly people be increased.
Comparison of buffet and à la carte serving at worksite canteens on nutrient intake and fruit and vegetable consumption
Authors: Lassen A , Hansen KS , Trolle E
Published: February 2007

Objective

To evaluate the nutritional composition of worksite canteen lunches and to examine the impact of two meal serving systems on employee intake, i.e. buffet style with a fixed price for a varied number of dishes and à la carte style with a separate price for each item on the menu.

Design

Laboratory technicians observed employees' food selection and collected identical dishes. Food items were weighed separately to calculate the content of fruit and vegetables. The content of protein, fat and ash of each dish was chemically analysed and the carbohydrate and energy content calculated.

Setting

Fifteen randomly chosen worksite canteens in Denmark: eight canteens serving buffet style and seven canteens with an à la carte line.

Subjects

one hundred and eighty randomly chosen employees having lunch at the worksite canteens.

Results

The average percentage energy from fat was 37 ± 12 among men and 33 ± 12 among women. No association was found between the meal serving system and energy intake or macronutrient composition. Eating at canteens serving buffet style, on the other hand, was associated with an increased intake of fruit and vegetables, on average 76 g, and a lower energy density of the food for both genders.

Conclusion

The results highlight the possibilities of promoting healthy food choices in the catering sector and the need to identify models of healthy catering practice. Serving buffet style appears to be a promising strategy in order to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in food served away from home.
Characteristics of misreporters of dietary intake and physical activity
Authors: Rasmussen Lone Banke , Matthiessen Jeppe , Biltoft-Jensen Anja , Tetens Inge
Published: February 2007

Objective

To characterise misreporters of energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE).

Design

Cross-sectional study, using a validated position and motion instrument, ActiReg®, as the reference method to study misreporters of EI and of EE. EI was measured using a dietary record and EE using a physical activity questionnaire (PAQ). Misreporters were defined as subjects outside the 95% confidence limits of agreement between EI or EE reported/EE measured.

Setting

Free-living Danish volunteers.

Subjects

One hundred and thirty-eight volunteers aged between 20 and 59 years.

Results

Body mass index, smoking, ‘try to eat healthily’ and worries about weight were related to degree of under-reported EI. The percentage energy from added sugar was lowest (P < 0.001) and the percentage energy from protein (P < 0.001) highest in under-reporters compared with acceptable reporters. Subjects who reported being very physically active at work or in leisure time reported a higher EE than measured EE compared with less physically active subjects (P < 0.05). Likewise, subjects who regard themselves as fit or very fit reported a higher EE than subjects who regard themselves as moderately fit (P < 0.05). Possible over-reporters reported less time as very light activity (P = 0.007), more time as moderate activity (P = 0.01) and more time as vigorous activity (P = 0.02) than acceptable reporters.

Conclusions

Under-reporting of EI should always be taken into consideration; however, only a few characteristics of under-reporters are consistent among studies. Misreporting of EI was more prevalent than misreporting of EE. The level of physical activity more than the time spent involved in various activities was misreported.
An objective examination of consumer perception of nutrition information based on healthiness ratings and eye movements
Authors: Jones Gary , Richardson Miles
Published: February 2007

Objective

Previous research on nutrition labelling has mainly used subjective measures. This study examines the effectiveness of two types of nutrition label using two objective measures: eye movements and healthiness ratings.

Design

Eye movements were recorded while participants made healthiness ratings for two types of nutrition label: standard and standard plus the Food Standards Agency's ‘traffic light’ concept.

Setting

University of Derby, UK.

Subjects

A total of 92 participants (mean age 31.5 years) were paid for their participation. None of the participants worked in the areas of food or nutrition.

Results

For the standard nutrition label, participant eye movements lacked focus and their healthiness ratings lacked accuracy. The traffic light system helped to guide the attention of the consumer to the important nutrients and improved the accuracy of the healthiness ratings of nutrition labels.

Conclusions

Consumers have a lack of knowledge regarding how to interpret nutrition information for standard labels. The traffic light concept helps to ameliorate this problem by indicating important nutrients to which to pay attention.
Perceptions of weight and associated factors of adolescents in Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Shi Zumin , Lien Nanna , Nirmal Kumar Bernadette , Holmboe-Ottesen Gerd
Published: February 2007

Objective

To describe perceptions of weight of adolescents and associated factors.

Design

Cross-sectional survey in 2002.

Setting

Eight public middle schools in two distinct socio-economic areas of Jiangsu Province, China.

Subjects

Eight hundred and twenty-four adolescents (aged 12–14 years) and 628 of their parents.

Methods

Self-administered questionnaires for students and their parents were used to collect the data. Height and weight of the students were measured.

Results

One-third of the girls perceived themselves as overweight, while only 8.9% were actually overweight or obese according to the World Health Organization definition. On the other hand, 15.0% of the girls considered themselves underweight, while 5.6% were underweight according to the definition. Among the boys, one-fifth of those defined as overweight perceived their weight as normal. Furthermore, 23.9% perceived themselves as underweight when in fact only 4.9% were classified as underweight according to the definition. About one-quarter of the students dieted in the past year. Adolescents who perceived themselves to be overweight dieted and skipped breakfast more often. They also had lower intake frequencies of animal foods, Western foods and milk/yoghurt. No disparity was observed in the intake frequency of fruits and vegetables between the groups of different weight perception. Parents' weight norms seemed to favour overweight in both genders, but especially among boys.

Conclusions

Both overweight and underweight concerns were common among girls, while a higher body weight was favoured by normal-weight boys and their parents. Distorted weight perceptions in adolescents, as well as dieting, are problems that need appropriate intervention.
Comparative Evaluation of Different DNA Extraction Procedures from Food Samples
Authors: Bernardo G. Di , Gaudio S. Del , Galderisi U. , Cascino A. , Cipollaro M.
Published: February 2007

Five methodologies for extracting DNA from food samples are described. The food products analyzed are from either soybean or maize. They were selected on the basis of the mechanical, thermal, and chemical treatments that they had been subjected to during industrial processing. DNA preparations were evaluated for purity, yield, and average fragment size. Two endogenous genes, soybean lectin gene and alcohol dehydrogenase gene (adh1), were used to assess the degree of DNA degradation at different stages of the transformation chain. The goal of this study was to determine the role that extraction methods play in DNA amplification in order to select the best protocol for a food sample. This comparative evaluation can be specifically useful for detection of genetically modified ingredients in a variety of food matrices.
Cloud droplet sedimentation, entrainment efficiency, and subtropical stratocumulus albedo
Authors: Bretherton C. S. , Blossey P. N. , Uchida J.
Published: February 2007

The effect of cloud droplet sedimentation on the entrainment rate and liquid water path of a nocturnal nondrizzling stratocumulus layer is examined using large‐eddy simulations (LES) with bulk microphysics. In agreement with a prior study by Ackerman et al. (2004), sedimentation is found to decrease entrainment rate and thereby increase liquid water path. They suggested this is due to reduction of boundary‐layer turbulence. Our simulations suggest otherwise. Instead, sedimentation reduces entrainment by removing liquid water from the entrainment zone. This inhibits two mechanisms that promote the sinking of entrained air into the cloud layer–entrainment‐induced evaporative cooling and longwave radiative cooling. A sensitivity study shows that the radiative effect is less important than the reduced evaporation. A possible parameterization of the effect of sedimentation on entrainment rate in a mixed layer model is proposed and tested. Since the droplet sedimentation rate is inversely related to cloud droplet (and presumably aerosol) concentration and nearly nondrizzling marine stratocumulus are widespread, sedimentation impacts on stratocumulus entrainment efficiency should be considered in climate model simulations of the aerosol indirect effect.
A scheme for lunar inner core detection
Authors: Williams James G.
Published: February 2007

Very precise measurements of the lunar gravity field could detect a solid inner core. For synchronous rotation, the equator planes of the inner core and mantle should be tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane and precess along that plane with the same 18.6 yr period. Generally, two different tilts would cause a static inner core gravity field to appear as small periodic (27.212 d) variations in the mantle‐referenced C21 and S21 coefficients. Tidal variations also contribute to the C21 variation so a much improved k2 Love number would be required. Model computations suggest that the inner core signature is likely to be very small requiring sensitive gravity measurements. In principle, a signature analogous to the Moon's should be present for other synchronous satellites with interior liquid layers and also Mercury.
Probabilistic prediction of real‐world time series: A local regression approach
Authors: Laio Francesco , Ridolfi Luca , Tamea Stefania
Published: February 2007

We propose a probabilistic prediction method, based on local polynomial regressions, which complements the point forecasts with robust estimates of the corresponding forecast uncertainty. The reliability, practicability and generality of the method is demonstrated by applying it to astronomical, physiological, economic, and geophysical time series.
Electron temperature climatology at Millstone Hill and Arecibo
Authors: Lei Jiuhou , Roble Raymond G. , Wang Wenbin , Emery Barbara A. , Zhang Shun‐Rong
Published: February 2007

In this paper, ionospheric electron temperature (Te) data for more than two solar cycles measured by the incoherent scatter radars (ISR) at Millstone Hill (42.6°N, 71.5°W) and Arecibo (18.3°N, 66.7°W) are compared with the theoretical Te calculated from the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (NCAR‐TIEGCM) to investigate the temporal variations of Te. The comparisons are made for both low and high solar activity conditions and for three seasons: equinox, summer, and winter. The observations show that the diurnal variation of Te is characterized by morning and evening peaks at Arecibo and by a morning peak at Millstone Hill. The occurrence and strength of the peaks at Arecibo are significantly different from those at Millstone Hill. Daytime Te tends to increase with solar activity at both stations below ∼300 km. Te above 300 km generally decreases with solar activity; however, it increases with solar activity in equinox and summer at Arecibo, whereas it does so only in summer at Millstone Hill. The TIEGCM model can reproduce these variations. However, the modeled evening peak is weaker than that from observations at Arecibo. The simulations show that the daytime bulge of Te tends to occur at low latitudes and high solar activity, as seen in the observations, and the significant morning peak at low solar activity over Arecibo is associated with the equatorial anomaly. Moreover, an interesting feature predicted by the model is that the midday Te at the F2 peak height increases with solar activity when F10.7 values are less than about 100 × 10−22 W m−2 Hz−1 or larger than 190 × 10−22 W m−2 Hz−1 at Millstone Hill; so does at Arecibo when F10.7 values are larger than 100 × 10−22 W m−2 Hz−1. As a result, a positive correlation between daytime Te and Ne occurs under these conditions.
Geomorphic constraints on listric thrust faulting: Implications for active deformation in the Mackenzie Basin, South Island, New Zealand
Authors: Amos Colin B. , Burbank Douglas W. , Nobes David C. , Read Stuart A. L.
Published: February 2007

Deformed fluvial terraces preserved over active thrust‐related folds record the kinematics of folding as fault slip accumulates on the underlying thrust. In the Mackenzie Basin of southern New Zealand, the kinematics revealed by folded fluvial terraces along the active Ostler and Irishman Creek fault zones are inconsistent with traditional models for thrust‐related folding in which spatially uniform rock uplift typically occurs over planar fault ramps. Instead, warped and tilted terraces in the Mackenzie are characterized by broad, continuous backlimbs and abrupt forelimbs and suggest folding through progressive limb rotation. By relating this pattern of surface deformation to the underlying thrust with a newly developed, simple geometric and kinematic model, we interpret both faults as listric thrusts rooted at depth into gently dipping planar fault ramps. Constraints on the model from detailed topographic surveying of deformed terraces, ground‐penetrating radar over active fault scarps, and luminescence dating of terrace surfaces suggest slip rates for the Ostler and Irishman Creek faults of ∼1.1–1.7 mm/yr and ∼0.5–0.7 mm/yr, respectively. The predicted depth of listric faulting for the Ostler fault (0.7−0.2+0.1km) and the Irishman Creek fault (1.3−0.5+0.1km) generally agrees with geophysical estimates of basin depth in the Mackenzie and suggests control of preexisting basin architecture on the geometry of active thrusting. Despite the potential effects of changes in fault curvature and hanging wall internal deformation, the methodology presented here provides a simple tool for approximating the kinematics of surface deformation associated with slip along listric, or curviplanar, thrust faults.
Characteristics of winter cyclone activity in the northern North Atlantic: Insights from observations and regional modeling
Authors: Tsukernik Maria , Kindig David N. , Serreze Mark C.
Published: February 2007

Fields from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis are used in conjunction with simulations from Polar MM5 to examine regional processes contributing to cyclone development in the sub‐Arctic/Arctic sector of the North Atlantic. Strong deepening of systems (>6 hPa/6 hours) is especially common south of the tip of Greenland and in the vicinity of the mean Icelandic Low (IL). A secondary maximum is located just south of Svalbard. Composite analyses of strongly deepening systems in these areas point to the influence of pronounced preexisting low‐level temperature gradients linked to ocean currents, the sea ice margin and ocean‐land contrasts. The area of preferred deepening near Svalbard corresponds to the northernmost penetration of open water in the North Atlantic. Impacts of Greenland's orography are prominent in the synoptic complexity of the region. Typical synoptic situations, examined as case studies, include splitting, or “bifurcation” of cyclones at the southern tip of Greenland; orographic cyclogenesis in the lee of Greenland, at the location of the mean IL; and deepening of preexisting systems near the IL. Orographic influences are clearly captured in Polar MM5 simulations for which control runs of the three cases are compared to runs for which the orography of Greenland is removed.
Origin of cathodoluminescence from Si nanocrystal/SiO2 multilayers
Authors: Kim Sung , Park Yong Min , Choi Suk-Ho , Kim Kyung Joong
Published: February 2007

Ion beam sputtering has been used to grow 50-period SiOx∕SiO2 multilayers (MLs) and single-layer SiOx under varying conditions of oxygen content (x). Annealing these materials at 1100°C has led to the formation of Si nanocrystals in the SiOx layers and some of them have been hydrogenated to passivate Si dangling bonds. The photoluminescence (PL) peak of the MLs blueshifts from 1.44to1.63eV as x increases from 1.0 to 1.8. Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra of the MLs at 77K have two major emission bands in the near infrared (1.66eV) and yellow (2.18eV) spectral ranges at x=1.0, which are referred to as low-energy (LE) and high-energy (HE) bands, respectively. As x increases up to 1.8, the LE and HE CL bands show blueshifts to 2.16 and 2.64eV, respectively, which are more than two times stronger than the PL. After hydrogenation, the CL intensities are enhanced more greatly at larger x. Through these and other experimental data including CL spectra of the single-layer SiOx and the effect of temperature on the CL of the MLs, the HE and LE bands are shown to be nanocrystal related and others defect related.
Nickel silicide formation using multiple-pulsed laser annealing
Authors: Setiawan Y. , Lee P. S. , Pey K. L. , Wang X. C. , Lim G. C. , Chow F. L.
Published: February 2007

The effect of multiple-pulsed laser irradiation on Ni silicide formation in Ni(Ti)∕Si system was studied. A layered structure consisting of both crystalline NiSi2 and Ni-rich Ni–Si amorphous phases with a protective TiOx overlayer was formed after five-pulsed laser annealing at 0.4Jcm−2. Different solidification velocities caused by a variation in the atomic concentration across the melt have led to the formation of this layered structure. On the other hand, by increasing the number of laser pulses, a continuous layer of polycrystalline NiSi was obtained after a 20-pulsed laser annealing at 0.3Jcm−2 laser fluence. Its formation is attributed to a better elemental mixing which occurred during subsequent pulses. Enhancement of surface absorption and remelting of the phases formed is proposed as the mechanism governing the continuous NiSi layer formation.
Properties of dielectric dead layers for SrTiO3 thin films on Pt electrodes
Authors: Finstrom Nicholas H. , Cagnon Joel , Stemmer Susanne
Published: February 2007

Dielectric measurements as a function of temperature were used to characterize the properties of the dielectric dead layers in parallel-plate capacitors with differently textured SrTiO3 thin films and Pt electrodes. The apparent thickness dependence of the permittivity was described with low-permittivity passive (dead) layers at the interfaces connected in series with the bulk of the SrTiO3 film. Interfacial capacitance densities changed with the film microstructure and were weakly temperature dependent. Estimates of the dielectric dead layer thickness and permittivity were limited by the film surface roughness (∼5nm). The consequences for the possible origins of dielectric dead layers that have been proposed in the literature are discussed.
Local and noncontact measurements of bulk acoustic wave velocities in thin isotropic plates and shells using zero group velocity Lamb modes
Authors: Clorennec Dominique , Prada Claire , Royer Daniel
Published: February 2007

An original method for material characterization with acoustic waves is presented. The measurement of the longitudinal and shear wave velocities in thin isotropic plates or shells is performed locally on the same face without any mechanical contact. We exploit the resonance that occurs at the minimum frequency thickness product of the first order symmetric (S1) and of the second order antisymmetric (A2) Lamb modes. At these frequencies the group velocity vanishes, whereas the phase velocity remains finite. Then, the energy, which cannot propagate in the structure, is localized in a zone of diameter half the wavelength. The vibrations are excited in the thermoelastic regime by a laser pulse and detected at the same point by an optical interferometer. For these two Lamb modes we have computed the variations of the frequency thickness product versus Poisson’s ratio. The resonance frequency ratio, which is independent of the plate or shell thickness, provides an absolute and local measurement of Poisson’s ratio. Provided that the plate thickness is known, each resonance frequency allows us to determine in a single shot the bulk acoustic wave velocities VL and VT. Since it is based on frequency measurements, the method, tested on a large number of materials, is very accurate.