bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydroxy fatty acids through hydroxylation of oleic acid with selenium dioxide/tert.‐butylhydroperoxide
Authors: Knothe G. , Weisleder D. , Bagby M. O. , Peterson R. E.
Published: February 2007

Oleic acid was hydroxylated in the allylic positions with the selenium dioxide/tert.‐butylhydroperoxide system to give 8‐hydroxy‐9(E)‐octadecenoic acid, 11‐hydroxy‐9(E)‐octadecenoic acid and the novel 8,11‐dihydroxy‐9(E)‐octadecenoic acid. This is a viable method for obtaining hydroxy fatty acids. The unsaturated hydroxy acids were hydrogenated with the hydrazine/air system to give the cor‐responding saturated products. 8,11‐Dihydroxyoctadecanoic acid thus obtained is also a novel compound. The saturated and unsaturated dihydroxy products were obtained aserythro/threo isomers as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance.
Thermoplastic extrusion—the mechanism of the formation of extrudate structure and properties
Authors: Tolstoguzov Vladimir B.
Published: February 2007

Systems processed by thermoplastic extrusion can be regarded as heterophase polymer melts of incompatible water‐plasticized biopolymers. In the process of thermoplastic extrusion, proteins and polysaccharides are melted at high pressure and temperature below the temperature region of their thermal decomposition. Dispersed particles of these systems can be deformed in flow. The mixed‐melt anisotropic structure, formed in flow, is fixed by rapid conversion of the melt jet that lets the extruder die from a viscous state to a rubber‐like state and then to a glassy state caused by cooling and drying. Incompatibility of proteins and polysaccharides in their water‐plasticized melt mixtures impacts on structure formation and texturization during thermoplastic extrusion.
Heat‐induced geometrical isomerization of α‐linolenic acid: Effect of temperature and heating time on the appearance of individual isomers
Authors: Wolff Robert L.
Published: February 2007

The formation of linolenic acid geometrical isomers (LAGIs) was studied in linseed oil that was heated under vacuum in sealed ampoules at different temperatures (190–260°C) for several durations (2–16 h). A temperature of about 190°C seems to be necessary to induce the formation of LAGIs. At higher temperatures, disappearance of linolenic acid follows a first‐order kinetic. The formation of LAGIs increases with both heating time and temperature, degrees of isomerization of linolenic acid higher than 50–60% could easily be obtained by simply heating the oil under vacuum. Side reactions remain at a low level. The mean probabilities of isomerization of individual ethylenic bonds are similar to those determined in linolenic acid‐containing oils marketed in European countries, 41.9, 4.7 and 53.3% for double bonds in positions 9, 12 and 15, respectively. The di‐trans t,c,t (trans,cis,trans) isomer is formedvia the mono‐trans c,c,t andt,c,c isomers by a two‐step reaction. The proportions of thec,c,t andt,c,c isomers (relative to total LAGIs) decrease linearly with the heating time. The proportion of thec,t,c isomer is only slightly affected by this parameter; however, it increases with temperature. The proportion of thet,c,t isomer increases linearly with heating time at each tested temperature, at the expense of thec,c,t andt,c,c isomers. However, there is no simple relationship linking the disappearance of each of the mono‐trans isomers and the formation of the di‐trans isomer.
Determination of oil content in oilseeds by analytical supercritical fluid extraction
Authors: Taylor Scott L. , King Jerry W. , List Gary R.
Published: February 2007

The total oil content of soyflakes, canola seed and wetmilled corn germ were determined by analytical supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with carbon dioxide as the extraction solvent. Results obtained by SFE were in excellent agreement with those obtained by a conventional Soxhlet technique with organic solvents. The analytical‐scale SFE technique yielded average means within one standard deviation of the means derived from the organic solvent‐based methodology. Matrices containing both high and low oil content were successfully extracted with carbon dioxide at comparable precision to that obtained with the standard procedure. The supercritical fluid‐based technique appears to be a suitable replacement for traditional extraction methods with organic solvents, thereby potentially eliminating the costs associated with solvent disposal and exposure of laboratory personnel to toxic and flammable solvents.
Cobaltothiocyanate colorimetric analysis for homologous polyoxyethylated alkyl amides
Authors: Lin John T. , Cornell Donald G. , Micich Thomas J.
Published: February 2007

Cobaltothiocyanate colorimetry has been used for quantitative analysis of polyethoxylates in biodegradation and environmental studies. Usually, the calibration parameters (slope and intercept of a calibration line) for the cobaltothiocyanate colorimetry are dependent on ethylene oxide chain length. To make the colorimetric method useful for polyoxyethylated surfactant mixtures, where the average chain length is polydispersed, a condition was found yielding parameters independent of chain length in a homologous series of polyethoxylates within a limited chain length range. The dependency can be correlated to the thermodynamics of the ethylene oxide‐cobaltothiocyanate complexation and the solvent extraction.
Effect of dietary fat upon aflatoxicosis in rats fed torula yeast containing diet
Authors: Wells P. , Aftergood L. , Parkin L. , Alfin‐Slater R. B.
Published: February 2007

This study was designed to study the possible interrelationships between Torula yeast, vitamin E, and the dietary fat source on aflatoxin‐induced tumors. Rats were fed Torula yeast‐containing basal diets which included 1.7 ppm aflatoxin B1 with either lard, corn oil or no fat, and with or without vitamin E supplements for 3 months. Thereafter, the respective diets without aflatoxin were fed for ca. 9 months. Animals receiving the vitamin E‐deficient diets had a high mortality. Although the vitamin E‐deficient, aflatoxin‐treated rats had lower wt gains than did the vitamin E‐deficient controls, they lived twice as long. In addition, regardless of the dietary fat source, the kidneys and adrenals of these vitamin E‐deficient, aflatoxin‐supplemented rats were found to be significantly heavier than the controls, and plasma cholesterol levels were elevated. Increased amounts of liver lipid were observed in response to aflatoxin in both corn oil‐fed and fat‐deficient rats. No such differences were observed in the responses of the vitamin E‐supplemented groups to aflatoxin. On the corn oil diet, aflatoxin administration resulted in an increased deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cholesteryl ester and phospholipid fractions in livers of vitamin E‐deficient rats and the phospholipid fraction of vitamin E‐sufficient rats. The vitamin E‐deficient rats exhibited necrosis of the liver, which was alleviated when aflatoxin was included in the diet, and calcification of the kidneys, which was potentiated by the dietary aflatoxin. No tumors were observed in these animals. In animals maintained on vitamin E‐sufficient diets for 1 year, growth was depressed as a result of aflatoxin administration with the greatest depression occurring in the group fed corn oil. Spleen wt were decreased in all groups given aflatoxin. However, there were no changes in either plasma or liver cholesterol or total liver lipids which could be attributed to aflatoxin administration. When aflatoxin was fed with lard, the cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, and free fatty acid fractions of plasma had decreased amounts of the C20:4 acid. In the cholesteryl ester fraction only, this change was accompanied by increased levels of C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 acids. In the liver phospholipids, there were increased levels of mono‐ and polyunsaturated fatty acids and decreases in the saturated fatty acids. All of the animals receiving aflatoxin exhibited severe necrosis and tumor formation in the kidneys; the animals fed lard had the highest level of involvement and those in the fat‐free group the least. Liver pathology was the least marked among the rats fed the fat‐free diet. Since aflatoxin‐induced tumors are rich in lipids, the fat‐free diet may be protective to the animal.
Fatty acid composition of castor oil by Gas‐Liquid chromatography
Authors: Sreenivasan B.
Published: February 2007

Acetylation of fatty acid methyl esters from castor oil makes possible accurate determination of all components in a single run by gas‐liquid chromatography with butanediol succinate as the stationary phase.
Selective hydrogenation of soybean oil in the presence of copper catalysts
Authors: Okkerse C. , de Jonge A. , Coenen J. W. E. , Rozendaal A.
Published: February 2007

Many investigators associate the poor keeping properties of soybean oil with its linolenic acid content. On the other hand the high linoleic acid content is a desired property from a nutritional point of view. We have therefore developed a process for the preferential reduction of the linolenic acid content by selective hydrogenation. Conventional catalysts for the hydrogenation of fats have a rather low selectivity in this respect. When linolenic acid in soybean oil is hardened (e.g., with a nickel catalyst), most of the linoleic acid is converted into less unsaturated acids.

It was found that linolenic acid is hydrogenated much more preferentially in the presence of copper catalysts than in that of nickel and other hydrogenation catalysts. At a linolenic acid content of 2%, soybean oil hardened with nickel catalyst contained about 28% linoleic acid, whereas with copper catalyst the hardened soybean oil contained 49% linoleic acid.

By means of our process it is possible to manufacture a good keepable oil of, e.g., I.V. 115 and containing 1% linolenic acid and 46% linoleic acid. The storage stability of this product is comparable with that of sunflower‐seed oil. A liquid phase yield of 86% is obtained after winterization at 5C for 18 hr.

The high selectivity for linolenate reduction of copper catalysts must be ascribed to the copper part of the catalyst. Investigations into the structure of the catalyst indicate that the active center consists of copper metal crystallites; whether these centers are promoted by the carrier or traces of other substances is under investigation.
Worksoftening of margarine and shortening
Authors: Haighton A. J.
Published: February 2007

Margarine and butter have a certain yield value which is mainly determined by the fact that the fat crystals do not move in respect of each other but are fixed in a tridimensional network. The permanent network greatly contributes to the total hardness (60舑80%). This contribution can be determined by kneading the sample isothermally and by measuring the hardness before and after kneading. The decrease in hardness is called the 舠structural hardness舡 and the relative decrease the 舠worksoftening.舡 These values give a certain impression of the plasticity of the product at a certain hardness, while the Spreadability Index, which can be calculated from the structural hardness and the worksoftening, is a good measure for spreadability.
Composition and positional distribution of fatty acids in phospholipids isolated from pork muscle tissues
Authors: Kuchmak M. , Dugan L. R.
Published: February 2007

The composition and positional distribution of fatty acids in phospholipids isolated from four locations of a hog carcass is presented. Variations in fatty acid composition of phospholipids were found depending upon the location in the carcass. The total unsaturated fatty acid content averaged 34.3 mole % for lecithin, 52.5 mole % for phosphatidylethanolamine, 40.3 mole % for phosphatidylserine and 41.3 mole % in sphingomyelin. The cephalins had a much higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids than lecithin. The chief saturated fatty acid in lecithin and sphingomyelin was palmitic and in cephalins it was stearic. A snake venom enzyme preparation(Crotalus adamanteus) hydrolyzed primarily unsaturated fatty acids in phosphoglycerides and the higher the percentage of unsaturation within the fatty acid the higher percentage of hydrolysis occurred. The unsaturated fatty acids were found chiefly at the theॆ‐position and the saturated fatty acids at thea‐position in the phosphoglycerides.
Hydrocarbons in irradiated beef and methyl oleate
Authors: Merritt Charles , Walsh J. T. , Bazinet M. L. , Kramer R. E. , Bresnick S. R.
Published: February 2007

The presence of hydrocarbons among the volatile compounds in food products, particularly in irradiated meat, was first discovered by Merritt and his co‐workers in 1959 (5,6). It is the purpose of this paper to focus wider attention on this significant discovery and to report briefly on new work which relates the formation of hydrocarbons in irradiated meat to lipids.
Optimizing rooting of jojoba stem cuttings: Effects of basal wounding, rooting medium and depth of insertion in medium
Authors: Palzkill David A. , Feldman William R.
Published: February 2007

Seedling populations of jojoba are extremely heterogeneous; about 50% of the plants are nonproducing males, and many of the females are low‐yielding or are otherwise undesirable. Asexual propagation methods allow the increase and use of only desirable plants. Rooting of stem cuttings is the most commonly used asexual method; however, unsatisfactory results sometimes still occur when using this method, so it requires further refinement. In this study, three factors suspected to play an important role were studied: rooting medium, basal wounding and depth of insertion in the medium. Three media [perlite/vermiculite, 1:1 (vol/vol); peat/perlite/vermiculite, 1:1:1 and peat/perlite, 1:1], woundingvs. not wounding, and insertion of one or two nodes below the surface of the medium were compared. The base (2.5 cm) of each cutting was treated with potassium salt of indole butyric acid, 1000 ppm prior to insertion into the medium, and cuttings were rooted on a heated propagation bench under intermittent mist. The experimental design was a 3×2×2 factorial and was replicated five times. Sixteen cuttings were used per experimental unit. The study was repeated. Rooting percentage was significantly affected only in the first repetition and then only by media. The peat/perlite medium resulted in significantly less rooting than did the other two media. However, averaged over both repetitions, rooting averaged 74% for perlite/vermiculite, 78% for peat/perlite/vermiculite and 64% for peat/perlite. Depth of insertion and wounding did not affect rooting percent in either repetition of the study. Both deeper insertion and wounding resulted in roots emerging from along a greater length of the stem at the basal end of the cuttings. Cuttings with two nodes inserted into the medium averaged root emergence along a 54% greater length of the stem than those with only one node inserted. With wounding, roots emerged along 17.3 mm of the stem, while without wounding, emergence occurred only along 7.0 mm of the stem. The better root system resulting from wounding and deeper insertion into the medium would likely result in better performance of the cutting when transplanted to a field.
Productivity and cytogenetic characteristics of guayule. Screening of plants from the mapimi region
Authors: de Rodriguez Diana Jasso , Sánchez José Luis Angulo , Godina Francisca Ramirez , Reza Regino Morones , Garcia Raúl Rodríguez
Published: February 2007

Guayule plants were screened in the region of Mapimi (Durango, Mexico) to evaluate physicochemical parameters for selection of increased productivity. The objective was to characterize rubber, and resin content, stem diameter, rubber molecular weight and cytology of these plants to identify and select high productivity sites. Samples were collected from nine locations within the Mapimi Region. Inflorescences containing young floral buds of the same plants were selected to determine ploidy level. Cytogenetic results showed the presence of di‐, tri‐ and tetraploids. Samples for rubber and resin analysis were cut from the branches. Genetic variation in molecular weight and molecular weight distributions for rubber was measured. Significant differences were found in resin content and stem diameter between the sampling sites, but differences were not significant for the rubber content between sites. A productivity parameter was defined and used to identify two locations where guayule genotypes exhibited the best characteristics for commercialization. This information may increase the industrial development and understanding of the polymerization bioprocess.
Response of direct‐seeded guayule to preemergence herbicides
Authors: Foster M. A. , Kleine L. G. , Moore J.
Published: February 2007

Direct‐seeding guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) in west Texas has been successful; however, seedlings grow slowly and are extremely susceptible to weed competition. An effective preplant or preemergence herbicide is necessary for establishment. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of preemergence herbicides on guayule stand establishment by direct seeding. Experiments were initiated on a Dalby clay in 1991 and 1992 at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Guayule Research Site near Fort Stockton, Texas. Conditioned guayule seed (Mexican Bulk) was planted 10 mm deep on raised beds with a Gaspardo SV255 pneumatic planter at 100 seeds/m. The following herbicides were applied immediately after planting: dimethyl 2,3,5,6‐tetrachloro‐1,4‐benzenedicarboxylate (DCPA) [4.5, 9.0, 11.0 kg ai/ha (hectare)], pendimethalin [N‐(1‐ethylpropyl)‐3,4‐dimethyl‐2,6‐dinitrobenzenamine] (0.3, 0.6, 1.1 kg/ha) and prodiamine [N3,N3‐Di‐n‐propyl‐2,4‐dinitro‐6‐(trifluoromethyl)‐m‐phenylenediamine] (0.3, 0.6, 1.1 kg/ha). Herbicides were applied in a 0.5‐m band on each bed by using a CO2‐powered backpack sprayer with a single‐nozzle boom delivering 300 L/ha at 172 kPa pressure. The lowest rates of all herbicides did not significantly reduce guayule stand density in 1991 when compared to the control. DCPA at 9.0 kg/ha was adequately selective in both studies. Guayule stand reduction varied from only 2% with DCPA at 4.5 kg/ha in 1991, to 71% with 1.1 kg/ha of pendimethalin in 1992. DCPA (4.5 and 9.0 kg/ha) would be recommended for preemergence weed control, depending on soil type, when direct seeding guayule. Based on row spacing recommendations for transplants, at least three established seedlings/m would be required for an acceptable guayule stand. Seeding rate could be reduced and still allow for effective preemergence weed control.
Patterns and ecological consequences of abiotic heterogeneity in managed cork oak forests of Southern Spain
Authors: Quilchano C. , Marañón T. , Pérez‐Ramos I. M. , Noejovich L. , Valladares F. , Zavala M. A.
Published: February 2007

Spatial heterogeneity of abiotic factors influences the structure and function of forests and must be taken into account for their conservation and sustainable management. In this study, we evaluate the heterogeneity of abiotic environmental variables in managed cork oak (Quercus suberL.) forests in southern Spain at patch, site and regional scales. The extent of spatial heterogeneity depended on the environmental variable examined and the scale considered. For example, soil Mn and P and light availability in the understorey were very heterogeneous at the regional scale, while soil N had low regional heterogeneity, but high spatial variability, at patch scale, attributed to open overstorey and grazing disturbance. There was a general trend of increasing heterogeneity with spatial scale. We also study the effects of a silvicultural practice—shrub clearing on the forest environment and its consequence for spatial heterogeneity. Shrub clearing increased understorey light and decreased its spatial heterogeneity with idiosyncratic effects on soil properties and their spatial heterogeneity at each site. Finally, we compare the heterogeneity (estimated by the coefficient of variation) obtained in these cork oak forests with a database compiled from published studies on other forest environments. The comparison revealed a remarkable extent of abiotic heterogeneity in the cork oak forests studied, suggesting that a sustainable management of these forests should combine intrinsic and human induced abiotic heterogeneity to preserve crucial ecological processes and to maintain high levels of biodiversity.
Remarks on global controllability for the Burgers equation with two control forces
Authors: Guerrero S. , Imanuvilov O.Yu.
Published: February 2007

In this paper we deal with the viscous Burgers equation. We study the exact controllability properties of this equation with general initial condition when the boundary control is acting at both endpoints of the interval. In a first result, we prove that the global exact null controllability does not hold for small time. In a second one, we prove that the exact controllability result does not hold even for large time.

Ce papier concerne l'équation de Burgers visqueuse. On étudie les propriétés de contrôlabilité exacte de cette équation quand on contrôle les deux extrémités de l'intervalle. Dans un premier résultat, on démontre que la contrôlabilité globale à zéro n'est pas vraie pour un temps petit. Enfin, dans un deuxième résultat on démontre que la contrôlabilité exacte n'est pas vraie pour un temps long.
RNA interference targeting α8 integrin attenuates smooth muscle cell growth
Authors: Zargham Ramin , Wamhoff Brian R. , Thibault Gaétan
Published: February 2007

α8 integrin gene silencing has been shown to result in the stress fibre disassembly. Stress fibres are required for cell adhesion to promote passage through cell cycle. Thus, we hypothesized that α8 integrin gene silencing might affect vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth. Short interference RNA (siRNA) targeting α8 integrin in rat VSMCs resulted in reduced DNA synthesis. Moreover, siRNA‐α8 integrin prevented thrombin‐induced proliferation. RhoA plays a critical role in regulating VSMC growth. α8 integrin co‐immunoprecipitated with RhoA and siRNA‐α8 reduced membrane associated RhoA. Our data suggest that α8 integrin expression is critical for VSMC growth, which has potential implications in postangioplasty neointimal hyperplasia.
Effect of iron supplementation on physical growth in children: systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Sachdev HPS , Gera Tarun , Nestel Penelope
Published: February 2007

Objective

To evaluate the effect of iron supplementation on physical growth in children through a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Data sources

Electronic databases, personal files, and hand search of reviews, bibliographies of books, abstracts and proceedings of international conferences.

Review methods

RCTs evaluating change in anthropometry with interventions that included oral or parenteral iron supplementation, or iron-fortified formula milk or cereals, were analysed.

Results

Twenty-five trials (26 cohorts) had relevant information. There was no evidence of publication bias. The pooled estimates (random effects model) did not document a statistically significant (P<0.05) positive effect of iron supplementation on any anthropometric variable (weight-for-age, weight-for-height, height-for-age, mid upper-arm circumference, skinfold thickness, head circumference). Significant heterogeneity was evident, and its predictors included greater weight-for-age in supplemented children in malaria hyperendemic regions and greater weight-for-height for children above 5 years of age, but a negative effect on linear growth in developed countries and with supplementation for 6 months or longer.

Conclusions

This review did not document a positive effect of iron supplementation on the physical growth of children. The identified predictors of heterogeneity should be considered as exploratory and requiring confirmation, not conclusive
Validity of a food-frequency questionnaire for elderly men in southeast China
Authors: Jian Le , Binns Colin W , Lee Andy H
Published: February 2007

Objective

To investigate the internal validity of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for a case–control study of prostate cancer in southeast China.

Design

A comprehensive questionnaire comprising a quantitative FFQ and a short food habit questionnaire (SFHQ) was developed and modified from previous cancer and nutritional studies. The Goldberg formula (ratio of energy intake (EI) to basal metabolic rate (BMR), EI/BMR) was used to assess the validity of the FFQ by making comparisons with physical activity levels. Physical activity levels were measured by the estimated total metabolic equivalents (MET) and the ratio of energy expenditure (EE) to BMR (EE/BMR). Correlation analyses were undertaken to compare the SFHQ variables with those of the quantitative FFQ.

Setting

Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.

Subjects

A total of 404 men over 45 years old with or without prostate cancer were recruited from eight hospitals.

Results

The partial correlation coefficients, controlling for age and family history of prostate cancer, were moderate to high (P < 0.05) for preserved foods intake, fat consumption and tea drinking variables between the SFHQ and the quantitative FFQ. The average EI/BMR was 1.72, with 76% of subjects exceeding the Goldberg cut-off value of 1.35. Apart from weight, BMI, EE/BMR and MET, there were no significant differences in characteristics between low (< 1.35) and normal EI/BMR groups.

Conclusions

The FFQ is demonstrated to be a valid instrument to measure energy and food intake for elderly men in southeast China.
Participants' willingness to consume soy foods for lowering cholesterol and receive counselling on cardiovascular disease by nutrition professionals
Authors: Schryver Tamara , Smith Chery
Published: February 2007

Objectives

To determine if participants would be interested in consuming soy foods to lower cholesterol in primary and secondary prevention of heart disease, and to identify the role physicians and registered dietitians have in providing dietary advice, about soy foods or other foods, for participants with elevated cholesterol.

Methodology

Qualitative data from 12 focus groups were gathered from a convenience sample of 74 adults, aged 18–91 years, with and without high cholesterol (total cholesterol >200 mg dl−1). Participants were recruited from Minneapolis/St. Paul mainstream and natural foods grocery stores. Focus group interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim. Common themes were identified, coded and compared using NVivo computer software.

Results

Participants believed diet, lifestyle and genetics were the cause of high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Few participants were aware of the Food and Drug Administration health claim for soy protein, yet many were willing to consume soy as part of lifestyle modification to prevent CVD. They reported preferring food and exercise over medication to treat high cholesterol. Few participants had ever received dietary advice from physicians on treating high cholesterol or CVD, and most doubted the accuracy of such advice. They believed registered dietitians were the most credible source of nutrition counselling and expressed an interest in physician referrals to dietitians.

Conclusions

A collaboration and referral system between physicians and registered dietitians could increase CVD patients' consumption of soy foods as a means potentially leading to a reduced risk of heart disease in participants.
Alcohol and dietary fibre intakes affect circulating sex hormones among premenopausal women
Authors: Maskarinec Gertraud , Morimoto Yukiko , Takata Yumie , Murphy Suzanne P , Stanczyk Frank Z
Published: February 2007

Background

The association of alcohol and fibre intake with breast cancer may be mediated by circulating sex hormone levels, which are predictors of breast cancer risk.

Objective

To evaluate the relationship of alcohol and dietary fibre intake with circulating sex hormone levels among premenopausal women.

Methods

A total of 205 premenopausal women completed a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline and after 2 years; blood samples taken at the same time were analysed for circulating sex hormone concentrations, including oestrone (E1), oestradiol (E2), free E2, progesterone, androstenedione and sex hormone-binding globulin, by radioimmunoassay. We used mixed models to estimate least-square means of sex hormone concentrations for alcohol intake categories and quartiles of dietary intake.

Results

After adjustment for covariates, alcohol consumption was moderately associated with higher circulating oestrogen levels; those who consumed more than one drink per day had 20% higher E2(Ptrend= 0.07) levels than non-drinkers. In contrast, higher dietary fibre intake was associated with lower serum levels of androstenedione (−8% between the lowest and highest quartiles of intake,Ptrend= 0.06), but not oestrogens. Similarly, consumption of fruits (−12%,Ptrend= 0.03), vegetables (−9%,Ptrend= 0.15) and whole grains (−7%,Ptrend= 0.07) showed inverse associations with androstenedione levels.

Conclusions

The consistency of the observed differences in sex hormone levels associated with alcohol and fibre-rich foods indicates that these nutritional factors may affect sex hormone concentrations and play a role in breast cancer aetiology and prevention.
Physical activity, diet and gene–environment interactions in relation to body mass index and waist circumference: The Swedish Young Male Twins Study
Authors: Karnehed Nina , Tynelius Per , Heitman Berit L , Rasmussen Finn
Published: February 2007

Objective

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between genetic susceptibility to obesity, physical activity (PA), dietary fibre, sugar and fat intakes and 4-year changes in body mass index (BMI) and attained waist circumference (WC) in a cohort of 287 monozygotic and 189 dizygotic young adult male twin pairs. Increased knowledge about interactions between genes and environment may provide insight into why some individuals are more prone to obesity than others.

Design

Information about PA, BMI, dietary habits, WC and potential confounders was collected by questionnaire in 1998 and 2002. The cohort data were analysed by mixed linear models.

Results

Twins with low PA attained larger WC than twins with high PA (difference 2.5 cm; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3, 3.6). The twins with the lowest fibre intake were found to have attained the highest WC and to have increased most in BMI (difference between highest and lowest fibre intakes: 1.6 cm, 95% CI 0.4, 2.9 and 0.45 kg m−2, 95% CI 0.15, 0.76, respectively). Furthermore, our results suggested the presence of interactions so that twins with genetic susceptibility to obesity were more prone to have larger WC if sedentary than twins without genetic susceptibility.

Conclusion

PA and a diet rich in fibre may be protective against weight gain among younger adult men. An interaction between PA, genes and attained WC is a novel finding which needs confirmation by other studies.
Habitual fish consumption and risk of incident stroke: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)–Norfolk prospective population study
Authors: Myint Phyo K , Welch Ailsa A , Bingham Sheila A , Luben Robert N , Wareham Nicholas J , Day Nicholas E , Khaw Kay-Tee
Published: February 2007

Objectives

To examine the association between fish consumption and stroke risk.

Design

Prospective population cohort study.

Setting

Norfolk, UK cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC–Norfolk).

Subjects

Subjects were 24 312 men and women aged 40–79 years who had no previous history of stroke at baseline.

Methods

Fish consumption was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire at baseline in 1993–1997 and stroke incidence ascertained to 2004.

Results

A total of 421 incident strokes were identified (mean follow-up=8.5 years, total person-years=209 238). There were no significant relationships between total fish, shellfish or fish roe consumption and risk of stroke in men and women after adjusting for age, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, physical activity, alcohol consumption, fish oil supplement use and total energy intake using Cox regression analyses. Oily fish consumption was significantly lower in women who subsequently had a stroke (odds ratio (OR) for consumers vs. non-consumers=0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51–0.94,P=0.02). The trend in men was similar but not significant (OR for consumers vs. non-consumers=0.88, 95% CI 0.65–1.19,P=0.41).

Conclusions

There was no consistent relationship between fish consumption and stroke in this British population. Inconsistencies in the observed health effects of fish consumption in different populations may reflect different patterns and type of fish consumed and preparation methods.
The Paradox of Voter Participation? A Laboratory Study
Authors: LEVINE DAVID K. , PALFREY THOMAS R.
Published: February 2007

It is widely believed that rational choice theory is grossly inconsistent with empirical observations about voter turnout. We report the results of an experiment designed to test the voter turnout predictions of the rational choice Palfrey–Rosenthal model of participation with asymmetric information. We find that the three main comparative statics predictions are observed in the data: the size effect, whereby turnout goes down in larger electorates; the competition effect, whereby turnout is higher in elections that are expected to be close; and the underdog effect, whereby voters supporting the less popular alternative have higher turnout rates. We also compare the quantitative magnitudes of turnout to the predictions of Nash equilibrium. We find that there is undervoting for small electorates and overvoting for large electorates, relative to Nash equilibrium. These deviations from Nash equilibrium are consistent with the logit version of Quantal Response Equilibrium, which provides a good fit to the data, and can also account for significant voter turnout in very large elections.
A Public Transformed? Welfare Reform as Policy Feedback
Authors: SOSS JOE , SCHRAM SANFORD F.
Published: February 2007

This article analyzes the strategic use of public policy as a tool for reshaping public opinion. In the 1990s, “progressive revisionists” argued that, by reforming welfare, liberals could free the Democratic Party of a significant electoral liability, reduce the race-coding of poverty politics, and produce a public more willing to invest in anti-poverty efforts. Connecting this argument to recent scholarship on policy feedback, we pursue a quantitative case study of the potential for new policies to move public opinion. Our analysis reveals that welfare reform in the 1990s produced few changes in mass opinion. To explain this result, we propose a general framework for the analysis of mass feedback effects. After locating welfare as a “distant-visible” case in this framework, we advance four general propositions that shed light on our case-specific findings as well as the general conditions under which mass feedback effects should be viewed as more or less likely.
The Priority of Democracy: A Pragmatist Approach to Political-Economic Institutions and the Burden of Justification
Authors: KNIGHT JACK , JOHNSON JAMES
Published: February 2007

Politics reflects a seemingly incontrovertible condition—any imaginable human population is diverse across multiple, overlapping dimensions including material interests, moral and ethical commitments, and cultural attachments. Such diversity means, in turn, that disagreement and conflict are unavoidable. Under these circumstances politics largely consists in contests over the contours of shared institutional arrangements. Given that there almost always are a number of ways to institutionalize social interaction, any population occupying the circumstances of politics must determine which institutional form or arrangement to rely on in any particular domain. The “priority” of democracy, on our account, derives from its usefulness in approaching this crucial task. This priority derives from features that are, in our view, unique to democracy, namely a level of reflexivity that distinguishes it from other ways of coordinating ongoing social interaction. As we demonstrate, much of the literature on social institutions tacitly and improperly privileges a quite different component of our institutional arrangements, namely markets. We show that once one clarifies the premises and argumentative strategies common to this literature, it simply is not possible to sustain the privilege it accords to markets. In fact, we argue that the analytical models and explanatory strategies that institutionalists deploy actually sustain our case for the priority of democracy.
Beyond Fractionalization: Mapping Ethnicity onto Nationalist Insurgencies
Authors: CEDERMAN LARS-ERIK , GIRARDIN LUC
Published: February 2007

This paper theorizes the link between ethnicity and conflict. Conventional research relies on the ethnolinguistic fractionalization index (ELF) to explore a possible causal connection between these two phenomena. However, such approaches implicitly postulate unrealistic, individualist interaction topologies. Moreover, ELF-based studies fail to articulate explicit causal mechanisms of collective action. To overcome these difficulties, we introduce the new index N* of ethnonationalist exclusiveness that maps ethnic configurations onto political violence. This formalization is confirmed statistically in regression analysis based on data from Eurasia and North Africa.
The Politics of the Personal: A Liberal Approach
Authors: BRETTSCHNEIDER COREY
Published: February 2007

Feminist thinkers have long criticized liberal theory's public/private distinction for perpetuating indifference to injustices within the family. Thinkers such as Susan Okin have extended this criticism in evaluating the theory of political liberalism, suggesting that this theory's reliance on a public conception of citizenship renders it indifferent to the way in which the internal politics of the family can undermine equality. However, I argue in this article that the feminist concern to ensure equality within the domestic sphere can in fact be incorporated into a reconstructed account of political liberalism. Central to mystrong public reconstructionis the principle ofpublicly justifiable privacy, according to which the public/private distinction itself must be formulated with reference to the values of free and equal citizenship. On my account, the public values of citizenship should figure prominently in evaluations of family life. This reformulation of the public/private distinction answers feminist critics who suggest that political liberalism fails to offer a politics of the personal.
AN INTERVIEW WITH PERCY GRAINGER, 15 MAY 1946
Authors: Floyd James Michael
Published: February 2007

The following interview between Percy Grainger and Daniel Sternberg was broadcast live over radio on 15 May 1946. Richard Morse, then conductor of the Baylor Golden Wave Band, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, captured the interview onto a 16-inch, 33 1/3; rpm acetate transcription record. The original recording is currently owned by Mrs. Richard Morse, the widow of Richard Morse.

The existence of this recording was brought to my attention by my dear friend Paul Concilio, a relative of Mrs. Morse. Because the original recording is in poor condition, Mr. Concilio transferred the recording to a compact disc using software to filter noise. This improved the recording greatly; however, portions of the interview are still indistinct. I am grateful to Mrs. Richard Morse and Mr. Concilio for their support and invaluable assistance in this project.
Zur prädiktiven Validität des neuropsychologischen Entwicklungs-Screenings NES
Authors: Renziehausen Anja , Petermann Franz
Published: February 2007

Zusammenfassung. Der prädiktive Wert besonders frühkindlicher Entwicklungsdiagnostik wird immer wieder infrage gestellt. Die prognostische Aussagekraft scheint in Bezug auf unauffällige bzw. mäßig auffällige Kinder eher gering zu sein. In der vorliegenden Studie wird die prognostische Validität eines Entwicklungs-Screenings überprüft. Es wurden 124 unselektierte Kinder längsschnittlich jeweils zum Zeitpunkt der pädiatrischen Vorsorgeuntersuchungen U4, U5, U6 und U7 (3. - 4., 6. - 7., 10. - 12., 21. - 24. Lebensmonat) mit dem Neuropsychologischen Entwicklungs-Screening für die ersten beiden Lebensjahre (NES) untersucht. Es zeigten sich in allen Altersstufen signifikante Beziehungen zwischen den Dimensionen des NES. Signifikante Stabilitäten über alle Altersintervalle, also einen Prognosezeitraum von knapp zwei Jahren, ergaben sich jedoch hauptsächlich für die Kinder, deren Screening bezogen auf den Gesamttestwert ein auffälliges bis grenzwertig auffälliges Resultat ergeben hatte. Weniger stabil hingegen waren die Ergebnisse für die als unauffällig eingestuften Kinder. Jedoch konnte belegt werden, dass das NES seinen Anspruch als Screening-Test erfüllt, diejenigen Kinder mit dem größten Entwicklungsrisiko prognostisch valide zu identifizieren.
A sensitivity analysis of the land‐surface scheme JULES conducted for three forest biomes: Biophysical parameters, model processes, and meteorological driving data
Authors: Alton P. , Mercado L. , North P.
Published: February 2007

We conduct a sensitivity/uncertainty analysis of the land‐surface scheme JULES focusing on biophysical parameters and model processes that govern light propagation and canopy photosynthesis. We find that current simulations of productivity/energy‐exchange are limited as much by their approximate representation of complex physical processes as they are by the accuracy to which their biophysical parameters can be specified. This inference is made for three forest biomes: sparse, boreal needleleaf; dense, tropical broadleaf; and temperate broadleaf of intermediate density. Within the present study, the most influential biophysical parameters are light‐limited quantum efficiency (α), the Rubisco‐limited rate of photosynthesis at the top of the canopy (Vcmax) and the near‐infrared transmittance of vegetation (TNIR). Assuming respective, current uncertainties of 0.02, 20 μmol/m2/s and 0.16 in these aforementioned parameters, predictions of Gross Photosynthetic Product (GPP), latent heat (LE), sensible heat (H) and upwelling thermal radiation (R) vary by ∼20%, ∼10%, ∼35% and ∼0.3%, respectively. Current representations of canopy photosynthesis and stomatal conductance yield comparable uncertainties in simulated GPP and LE and a ∼60% uncertainty in H. For canopy photosynthesis, explicit treatment of sunfleck penetration and leaf orientation are important elements in the calculation. Of the meteorological variables that drive the land‐surface scheme, the downwelling fluxes of radiation in the shortwave and longwave vie in importance with the most influential biophysical parameters. The results from our study are partly biome‐dependent. Thus ground albedo and leaf area index (LAI) assume greater importance in sparsely vegetated systems.
Role of Mediterranean SST in enhancing the European heat wave of summer 2003
Authors: Feudale L. , Shukla J.
Published: February 2007

During summer 2003 Europe was affected by one of the driest and most persistent heat waves. During this event, the Mediterranean Sea surface temperature (SST) was exceptionally warm (SST anomalies of 2–4°C). We investigate the possible role of the Mediterranean SST in enhancing the amplitude of the heat wave. Several Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) sensitivity experiments were conducted with and without Mediterranean SST anomalies. First it was found that the AGCM was able to simulate the evolution and structure of the heat wave using observed global SST anomalies. The experiment with SST anomalies over the Mediterranean only was also able to simulate the upper level anticyclone over central Europe, even though it was weaker, and about half of the amplitude of the heat wave of the global SST anomaly experiment.
Variability in global top‐of‐atmosphere shortwave radiation between 2000 and 2005
Authors: Loeb Norman G. , Wielicki Bruce A. , Rose Fred G. , Doelling David R.
Published: February 2007

Measurements from various instruments and analysis techniques are used to directly compare changes in Earth‐atmosphere shortwave (SW) top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) radiation between 2000 and 2005. Included in the comparison are estimates of TOA reflectance variability from published ground‐based Earthshine observations and from new satellite‐based CERES, MODIS and ISCCP results. The ground‐based Earthshine data show an order‐of‐magnitude more variability in annual mean SW TOA flux than either CERES or ISCCP, while ISCCP and CERES SW TOA flux variability is consistent to 40%. Most of the variability in CERES TOA flux is shown to be dominated by variations global cloud fraction, as observed using coincident CERES and MODIS data. Idealized Earthshine simulations of TOA SW radiation variability for a lunar‐based observer show far less variability than the ground‐based Earthshine observations, but are still a factor of 4–5 times more variable than global CERES SW TOA flux results. Furthermore, while CERES global albedos exhibit a well‐defined seasonal cycle each year, the seasonal cycle in the lunar Earthshine reflectance simulations is highly variable and out‐of‐phase from one year to the next. Radiative transfer model (RTM) approaches that use imager cloud and aerosol retrievals reproduce most of the change in SW TOA radiation observed in broadband CERES data. However, assumptions used to represent the spectral properties of the atmosphere, clouds, aerosols and surface in the RTM calculations can introduce significant uncertainties in annual mean changes in regional and global SW TOA flux.
Relation between sea level and bottom pressure and the vertical dependence of oceanic variability
Authors: Vinogradova Nadya T. , Ponte Rui M. , Stammer Detlef
Published: February 2007

The relation between large‐scale sea level and bottom pressure variability is studied using long (50‐yr) simulations of a general circulation model under realistic forcing. Admittance and coherence analyses are used to characterize the bottom pressure and sea level relationship as a function of period, horizontal spatial scale, and location. At the model grid scale (1°), bottom pressure is found to be essentially equivalent to sea level at periods <30 days, except in the tropics. This equivalence still holds for longer periods (∼100 days), but only at high latitudes (>60°) and in shallow depths (<200 m). Elsewhere, bottom pressure and sea level fields can differ significantly. Results indicate an increase of the importance of baroclinic signals with decreasing latitude and spatial scale, with significant baroclinic signals at intra‐seasonal and longer periods present in many subtropical and mid‐latitude regions. Variability is clearly baroclinic at inter‐annual periods, regardless of location and spatial scale. Results have broad implications for the interpretation and processing of both satellite altimetry and gravity data and for their assimilation into numerical models.