bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
You can't always get what you want: Evolution and true beliefs
Authors: Schloss Jeffrey P. , Murray Michael J.
Published: January 2010

McKay & Dennett (M&D) convincingly argue against many proposals for adaptively functioning misbelief, but the conclusion that true beliefs are generally adaptive does not follow. Adaptive misbeliefs may be few in kind but many in number; maladaptive misbeliefs may routinely elude selective pruning; reproductively neutral misbeliefs may abound; and adaptively grounded beliefs may reliably covary with but not truthfully represent reality.
Adaptive misbeliefs and false memories
Authors: Sutton John
Published: January 2010

McKay & Dennett (M&D) suggest that some positive illusions are adaptive. But there is a bidirectional link between memory and positive illusions: Biased autobiographical memories filter incoming information, and self-enhancing information is preferentially attended and used to update memory. Extending M&D's approach, I ask if certain false memories might be adaptive, defending a broad view of the psychosocial functions of remembering.
Adaptive self-directed misbeliefs: More than just a rarefied phenomenon?
Authors: Zawidzki Tadeusz W.
Published: January 2010

I argue that adaptive, self-directed misbeliefs are likely more prevalent and important than McKay & Dennett (M&D) claim. Humans often falsely interpret their own behavior in terms of culturally afforded categories. Despite their falsity, such self-interpretations are often adaptive because of our disposition to behave consistently with them. This makes us easier to interpret by similarly enculturated interactants.
Moulin Rouge! and the Undoing of Opera
Authors: YANG MINA
Published: January 2010

While Moulin Rouge! (2001) riffs on and even exaggerates conventions from classic Hollywood backstage musicals, it owes a clear debt to an even earlier musico-dramatic genre – the opera. Combining operatic and film musical elements with those of pop videos, contemporary cinema and the rave scene, Baz Luhrmann's film engages with many of the thorny issues that have concerned opera critics of late, such as power, gender, exoticism, authorship, and identity construction and performance. The spotlight on the central love triangle of a consumptive courtesan, a writer and a wealthy patron makes possible a deeper scrutiny of traditional gender roles in the production and reception of Western art. The film's formulaic plot and the backstage musical format render transparent the commercial impetus behind the creative process and demystify the role of the Romantic artist-genius. Finally, the transnational and transhistorical elements of the film – a mostly Australian production team and crew, American and British pop songs, a Parisian backdrop, the Bollywood-inspired show-within-a-show, numerous anachronisms that refuse to stay confined within the specified time setting of the late nineteenth century – disrupt the Classical ideals of artistic unity and integrity and suggest new postmodern geographies and temporalities. This article considers how Luhrmann, by simultaneously paying homage to and critiquing operatic practices in Moulin Rouge!, deconstructs and reinvents opera for the postmodern age.
THE PERIODICITY OF CRISES. A SURVEY OF THE LITERATURE BEFORE 1850
Authors: BESOMI DANIELE
Published: February 2010

This article examines the literature on the periodical recurrence of economic crises up to the 1840s, illustrating how awareness of this phenomenon was far more widespread than the few existing histories of business cycle theories indicate, that observations of this phenomenon began much earlier than previously documented, and also that early writers were more interested in emphasizing the intermittent return of crises rather than their precise timing.
Editorial Note
Authors: Mitkov Ruslan
Published: January 2010

Natural Language Engineering (NLE) enters the second decade of the twenty-first century having established itself as a leading forum for high-quality articles covering all aspects of applied Natural Language Processing research, including, but not limited to, the engineering of natural language methods and applications. It continues to promote first class original research and bridge the gap between traditional computational linguistics research and the implementation of practical applications with potential real-world use. The journal has responded in several ways to the ongoing interest in and growth of research in this area. In 2007 NLE increased its number of pages per issue, thus enabling the publication of more articles. As of January 2010, new publication types are also promoted. In addition to welcoming articles which report on original, unpublished research, the journal now invites surveys presenting the state of the art in important areas of Natural Language Engineering and Natural Language Processing (such as tasks, tools, resources or applications) as well as squibs discussing specific problems. Book reviews and reports on industrial applications will continue to have a prominent place in the Journal. Conference reports, comparative discussions of Natural Language Engineering products and policy-orientated papers examining, for example, funding programmes or market opportunities, are welcome too. Special issues will remain an important feature of the Journal. We envisage one special issue per year, on average. Special issues are selected on a competitive basis after regular calls for proposals.
Are the lowest-cost healthful food plans culturally and socially acceptable?
Authors: Maillot Matthieu , Darmon Nicole , Drewnowski Adam
Published: January 2010

Objective

Nutritious yet inexpensive foods do exist. However, many such foods are rejected by the low-income consumer. Is it because their use violates unspoken social norms? The present study was designed to assess the variety and cost of the lowest-cost market basket of foods that simultaneously met required dietary standards and progressively stricter consumption constraints.

Design

A mathematical optimisation model was used to develop the lowest-cost food plans to meet three levels of nutritional requirements and seven levels of consumption constraints.

Subjects

The nationally representative INCA (National Individual Survey of Food Consumption) dietary survey study of 1332 adults provided population estimates of food consumption patterns in France. Food plan costs were based on retail food prices.

Results

The lowest-cost food plans that provided 9204 kJ/d (2200 kcal/d) for men and 7531 kJ/d (1800 kcal/d) for women and met specified dietary standards could be obtained for <1·50 €/d. The progressive imposition of consumption constraints designed to create more mainstream French diets sharply increased food plan costs, without improving nutritional value.

Conclusions

Minimising diet costs, while meeting nutrition standards only, led to food plans that provided little variety and deviated substantially from social norms. Aligning the food plan with mainstream consumption led to higher costs. Food plans designed for low-income groups need to be socially acceptable as well as affordable and nutritious.
Reproducibility of an FFQ validated in Spain
Authors: de la Fuente-Arrillaga Carmen , Vázquez Ruiz Zenaida , Bes-Rastrollo Maira , Sampson Laura , Martinez-González Miguel Angel
Published: January 2010

Objective

To evaluate the reproducibility of a semi-quantitative FFQ used in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) project.

Design

The data that were analysed were collected from an FFQ answered twice by a 326-participant subsample of the SUN project (115 men, 35·3 %; 211 women, 64·7 %), with either less than 1 year or more than 1 year between responses. The questionnaire included 136 items. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were calculated to evaluate the magnitude of the association between both measures after energy adjustment and correcting for within-person variability. We also evaluated misclassification by quintiles distribution.

Results

The highest corrected correlations among participants who answered before 1 year were found for PUFA (r= 0·99). Among participants who answered after 1 year between both questionnaires, olive oil had the highest corrected correlation (r= 0·99). The highest percentage of gross misclassification, lowest quintile in FFQ1 and highest quintile in FFQ2 or highest quintile in FFQ1 and lowest quintile in FFQ2 was for cereals, fish or seafood, andn-3 fatty acids (7·6 %). Alcoholic drinks had the highest percentage of reasonable classification, same or adjacent quintile, in FFQ1 and FFQ2 (86·4 %).

Conclusions

Our study suggests that FFQ reproducibility is acceptable for participants who answered the same questionnaire twice less than 1 year apart. Participants who answered FFQ more than 1 year apart showed worse values on reproducibility. We consider this Spanish FFQ as an important, valid and reproducible tool in nutritional epidemiology.
They think they know but do they? Misalignment of perceptions of lifestyle modification knowledge among health professionals
Authors: Parker Whadi-ah , Steyn Nelia P , Levitt Naomi S , Lombard Carl J
Published: January 2010

Objective

The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices of public-sector primary-care health professionals and final-year students regarding the role of nutrition, physical activity and smoking cessation (lifestyle modification) in the management of chronic diseases of lifestyle within the public health-care sector.

Design

A comparative cross-sectional descriptive quantitative study was conducted in thirty primary health-care facilities and four tertiary institutions offering medical and/or nursing programmes in Cape Town in the Western Cape Metropole. Stratified random sampling, based on geographical location, was used to select the health facilities while convenience sampling was used to select students at the tertiary institutions. A validated self-administered knowledge test was used to obtain data from the health professionals.

Results

Differential lifestyle modification knowledge exists among both health professionals and students, with less than 10 % achieving the desired scores of 80 % or higher. The majority of health professionals seem to be promoting the theoretical concepts of lifestyle modification but experience difficulty in providing practical advice to patients. Of the health professionals evaluated, doctors appeared to have the best knowledge of lifestyle modification. Lack of time, lack of patient adherence and language barriers were given as the main barriers to providing lifestyle counselling.

Conclusions

The undergraduate curricula of medical and nursing students should include sufficient training on lifestyle modification, particularly practical advice on diet, physical activity and smoking cessation. Health professionals working at primary health-care facilities should be updated by providing lifestyle modification education as part of continuing medical education.
Taking ideas and discourse seriously: explaining change through
discursive institutionalism as the fourth ‘new institutionalism’
Authors: Schmidt Vivien A.
Published: February 2010

All three of the traditionally recognized new institutionalisms –
rational choice, historical, and sociological – have increasingly sought to
‘endogenize’ change, which has often meant a turn to ideas and discourse.
This article shows that the approaches of scholars coming out of each of
these three institutionalist traditions who take ideas and discourse
seriously can best be classified as part of a fourth ‘new institutionalism’
– discursive institutionalism (DI) – which is concerned with both the
substantive content of ideas and the interactive processes of discourse in
institutional context. It argues that this newest of the ‘new
institutionalisms’ has the greatest potential for providing insights into
the dynamics of institutional change by explaining the actual preferences,
strategies, and normative orientations of actors. The article identifies the
wide range of approaches that fit this analytic framework, illustrating the
ways in which scholars of DI have gone beyond the limits of the traditional
institutionalisms on questions of interests and uncertainty, critical
junctures and incremental change, norms and culture. It defines institutions
dynamically – in contrast to the older neo-institutionalisms’ more static
external rule-following structures of incentives, path-dependencies, and
cultural framing – as structures and constructs of meaning internal to
agents whose ‘background ideational abilities’ enable them to create (and
maintain) institutions while their ‘foreground discursive abilities’ enable
them to communicate critically about them, to change (or maintain) them. But
the article also points to areas for improvement in DI, including the
theoretical analysis of processes of ideational change, the use of the older
neo-institutionalisms for background information, and the incorporation of
the power of interests and position into accounts of the power of ideas and
discourse.
Why do small states have big governments?
Authors: Remmer Karen L.
Published: February 2010

Building on the literature on public finance, this article explores the
consequences of political scale for government spending. The central
argument is that the tendency for small political units to have big
governments is not merely the result of economies of scale in the provision
of public goods, but a reflection of the greater pressures for public
spending faced by politicians in smaller and more homogeneous political
units. The importance of such political pressures relative to other
influences on spending is assessed on the basis of subnational data by
comparing the relationship between size and spending under democracy and
dictatorship. To the extent that government expansion is driven by citizen
demands, the impact of size on spending may be expected to be more
pronounced under democratic than authoritarian governance. Results from a
time-series cross-sectional analysis of growth in government spending are
consistent with this expectation. Government growth is shaped not only by
the population size of political units but also by the interaction between
regime and size. Analysis of spending patterns under democratic rule further
indicates that size is an important determinant of spending even after
controlling for variations in citizen preferences, political institutions,
electoral competitiveness, and economic performance. The results have
important theoretical implications for the study of fiscal policy and
democratic governance around the world because they suggest that political
scale conditions the linkages between citizens and the state, creating
widely varying incentives for government growth across differently sized
political units.
Imitation and supranational politics: some lessons from the European
Ombudsman and the European Court of Auditors
Authors: Kourtikakis Kostas
Published: February 2010

Why do certain European Union (EU) institutions look so much like
institutions in its member states? The article asserts the reason for this
similarity is that these structures have been ‘copied’ from the member
states to the EU and provides a historical institutionalist explanation for
this process of institutional transfer. The theory of isomorphism provides
the analytical foundation for understanding institutional imitation in the
EU, while the European ombudsman (EO) and the European Court of Auditors
(ECAs) serve as the empirical case studies on which the theory is tested.
The article finds that previously existing institutional arrangements matter
not only by molding actor preferences in relation to an upcoming
institutional transfer, but also by restricting their options and behavior.
Specifically, the founding of the EO and the ECAs was the result of
pressures exercised by the European Parliament, a supranational body, and
the governments of the EU member states. In order to achieve the transfer,
those actors had to navigate established institutional practices, primarily
the ones associated with the negotiation of new treaties, which are
necessary for the addition of new institutions to the EU institutional
edifice.
Effect of a Klamath algae product (“AFA-B12”) on blood levels of vitamin B12 and homocysteine in vegan subjects: a pilot study
Authors: Baroni Luciana , Scoglio Stefano , Benedetti Serena , Bonetto Chiara , Pagliarani Silvia , Benedetti Yanina , Rocchi Marco , Canestrari Franco
Published: January 2010

Vitamin B12 is a critical nutrient that is often inadequate in a plant-based (vegan) diet, thus the inclusion of a reliable vitamin B12 source in a vegan diet is recommended as essential. Unfortunately, many natural sources of vitamin B12 have been proven to contain biologically inactive vitamin B12 analogues, inadequate for human supplementation. The aim of this non-randomized open trial was to determine whether supplementation with a natural Klamath algae-based product (“AFA-B12”, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae algae plus a proprietary mix of enzymes) could favorably affect the vitamin B12 status of a group of 15 vegan subjects. By assessing blood concentration of vitamin B12, folate, and more importantly homocysteine (Hcy, a reliable marker in vegans of their B12 absorption), the vitamin B12 status of the participants at the end of the 3-month intervention period, while receiving the Klamath-algae supplement (T2), was compared with their vitamin B12 status at the end of the 3-month control period (T1), when they were not receiving any supplement, having stopped taking their usual vitamin B12 supplement at the beginning of the study (T0). Compared to the control period, in the intervention period participants improved their vitamin B12 status, significantly reducing Hcy blood concentration (p=0.003). In conclusion, the Klamath algae product AFA-B12 appears to be, in a preliminary study, an adequate and reliable source of vitamin B12 in humans.
Die Theorie der Dependenzpflege – ein konzeptioneller Rahmen für die Einschätzung, Stärkung und Förderung elterlicher Kompetenzen
Authors: Holoch Elisabeth
Published: January 2010

Elterliche Kompetenzen sind mitbestimmend für den Bedarf eines Kindes und seiner Bezugspersonen an professioneller Pflege. Ein Grund hiefür liegt im Einfluss der elterlichen Kompetenzen auf die gesunde Entwicklung eines Kindes. Dies gilt insbesondere für Säuglinge und Kleinkinder. Sie sind in der Entwicklung ihrer angeborenen Fähigkeiten, sich selbst und ihr Verhalten regulieren zu können, auf die Wahrnehmung und angemessene Beantwortung ihres Verhaltens durch ihre engsten Bezugspersonen angewiesen. Die Ausdifferenzierung der Fähigkeiten zur Selbstregulation ist eine Voraussetzung für eine gesunde Entwicklung. Die Zunahme an Schlaf- und Fütterstörungen sowie an Interaktionsproblemen im Säuglings- und Kleinkindalter deutet darauf hin, dass Eltern vermehrt auf Unterstützung bei der Wahrnehmung und Entwicklung ihrer elterlichen Kompetenzen angewiesen sind. Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerinnen können hierzu einen entscheidenden Beitrag leisten. Voraussetzung dafür ist, dass sie über ein pflegefachlich definiertes Konzept elterlicher Kompetenz verfügen. Die Theorie der Dependenzpflege, insbesondere das Konzept der Dependenzpflegekompetenz, werden dargestellt und auf die Frage hin untersucht, inwiefern sie einen theoretischen Rahmen für die systematische Einschätzung, Stärkung und Förderung präventiver elterlicher Kompetenzen durch Gesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerinnen bieten können. Abschließend werden Themen für eine weiterführende Erforschung der elterlichen Dependenzpflegekompetenz und die Notwendigkeit für eine vertiefende Konzeptualisierung der Theorie der Dependenzpflege aufgezeigt.
Impact of BrO on dimethylsulfide in the remote marine boundary layer
Authors: Breider T. J. , Chipperfield M. P. , Richards N. A. D. , Carslaw K. S. , Mann G. W. , Spracklen D. V.
Published: January 2010

We have used a global three‐dimensional chemical transport model coupled to a detailed size‐resolved aerosol microphysics module to study the impact of BrO on dimethylsulfide (DMS) in the remote marine boundary layer. Our model results suggest BrO contributes 16% of the global annual DMS oxidation sink. This effect is most profound over the SH oceans where low NOx concentrations and a high sea salt aerosol source, coupled with high DMS concentrations, drives a large contribution of BrO to DMS oxidation (>20%). Bromine chemistry also results in an 18% reduction in the global DMS burden and lifetime. In addition, when we use an alternative DMS source parameterization resulting in a factor 2 increase in DMS flux the release of bromine from sea salt aerosol increases by 50–60% in the southern hemisphere summer because of additional aerosol acidity. This suggests a possible DMS‐SO2‐sea salt‐BrO marine aerosol feedback mechanism that acts to reduce the sensitivity of the DMS lifetime to increases in DMS emission.
Transoceanic infragravity waves impacting Antarctic ice shelves
Authors: Bromirski Peter D. , Sergienko Olga V. , MacAyeal Douglas R.
Published: January 2010

Long‐period oceanic infragravity (IG) waves (ca. [250, 50] s period) are generated along continental coastlines by nonlinear wave interactions of storm‐forced shoreward propagating swell. Seismic observations on the Ross Ice Shelf show that free IG waves generated along the Pacific coast of North America propagate transoceanically to Antarctica, where they induce a much higher amplitude shelf response than ocean swell (ca. [30, 12] s period). Additionally, unlike ocean swell, IG waves are not significantly damped by sea ice, and thus impact the ice shelf throughout the year. The response of the Ross Ice Shelf to IG‐wave induced flexural stresses is more than 60 dB greater than concurrent ground motions measured at nearby Scott Base. This strong coupling suggests that IG‐wave forcing may produce ice‐shelf fractures that enable abrupt disintegration of ice shelves that are also affected by strong surface melting. Bolstering this hypothesis, each of the 2008 breakup events of the Wilkins Ice Shelf coincides with wave‐model‐estimated arrival of IG‐wave energy from the Patagonian coast.
AIRS impact on precipitation analysis and forecast of tropical cyclones in a global data assimilation and forecast system
Authors: Zhou Y. P. , Lau K.‐M. , Reale O. , Rosenberg R.
Published: January 2010

The impact of assimilating quality‐controlled Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) temperature retrievals obtained from partially cloudy regions is assessed, with focus on precipitation produced by the GEOS‐5 data assimilation and forecasting system, for three tropical cyclones: Nargis (April 27 ‐ May 03, 2008) in the Indian Ocean, Wilma (October 15–26, 2005) and Helene (September 12–16, 2006) in the Atlantic. It is found that the precipitation analysis obtained when assimilating AIRS cloudy retrievals (AIRS) can capture regions of heavy precipitation associated with tropical cyclones much better than without AIRS data (CONTRL) or when using AIRS clear‐sky radiances (RAD). The precipitation along the storm track shows that the AIRS assimilation produces larger mean values and more intense rain rates than the CONTRL and RAD assimilations. The corresponding precipitation forecasts initialized from AIRS analysis show reasonable prediction skill and better performance than forecasts initialized from CONTRL and RAD analyses up to day‐2.
Direct numerical simulation of an iron rain in the magma ocean
Authors: Ichikawa H. , Labrosse S. , Kurita K.
Published: January 2010

Core formation in terrestrial planets is a complex process, possibly involving several mechanisms. This paper presents a direct numerical simulation of one of these, the separation of an emulsion of metal in a magma ocean. The model, using a fully Lagrangian approach called the moving particle semi‐implicit method, solves the equations of fluid dynamics, including a proper treatment of surface tension. It allows investigation of the balances controlling the distribution of drop size and velocity, in both two‐ and three‐dimensional situations. A scaling analysis where buoyancy is balanced by both surface tension and inertia correctly predicts the average values in these quantities. The full calculation gives an average drop radius of 1.5 cm falling at a velocity of about 30 cm s−1. Analysis of the full distribution remains interesting and shows that a significant part of the smallest droplets is entrained upward by the return flow in molten silicate and might be entrained by succeeding thermal convection. In addition, we investigate the conversion of gravitational energy into viscous heating and the thermal equilibration between both phases. We find that viscous heating is essentially produced at the surface of iron drops and that thermal equilibration is dominated by advection. Scaling thermal diffusion to chemical diffusion leads to the estimation that the latter would happen in less than 100 m in the magma ocean.
Healthy Living Cambridge Kids: A Community‐based Participatory Effort to Promote Healthy Weight and Fitness
Authors: Chomitz Virginia R. , McGowan Robert J. , Wendel Josefine M. , Williams Sandra A. , Cabral Howard J. , King Stacey E. , Olcott Dawn B. , Cappello Maryann , Breen Susan , Hacker Karen A.
Published: January 2010

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a community‐based healthy weight intervention on child weight and fitness. Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) have monitored BMI and fitness annually since 2000. Annual increases of overweight and obesity from 2000 (37.0%) to 2004 (39.1%), triggered a multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, health care, and public health professionals to mobilize environmental and policy interventions. Guided by the social‐ecological model and community‐based participatory research (CBPR) principles, the team developed and implemented Healthy Living Cambridge Kids (HLCK), a multicomponent intervention targeting community, school, family, and individuals. The intervention included city policies and community awareness campaigns; physical education (PE) enhancements, food service reforms, farm‐to‐school‐to‐home programs; and family outreach and “BMI and fitness reports”. Baseline (2004) to follow‐up (2007) evaluation design assessed change in children's weight and fitness status. A cohort of 1,858 K‐5th grade children participated: 37.3% black, 14.0% Hispanic, 37.1% white, 10.2% Asian, 1.7% other race; 43.3% were lower income. BMI z‐score (0.67–0.63 P < 0.001) and proportion obese (20.2–18.0% P < 0.05) decreased, and mean number of fitness tests (0–5) passed increased (3.7–3.9 P < 0.001). Whereas black and Hispanic children were more likely to be obese at baseline (27.0 and 28.5%, respectively) compared with white (12.6%) and Asian (14.3%) children, obesity among all race/ethnicity groups declined. Concurrent with a 3‐year community intervention, modest improvements in obesity and fitness were observed among CPS children from baseline to follow‐up. The CBPR approach facilitated sustaining policies and program elements postintervention in this diverse community.
Changes in School Environments With Implementation of Arkansas Act 1220 of 2003
Authors: Phillips Martha M. , Raczynski James M. , West Delia S. , Pulley LeaVonne , Bursac Zoran , Gauss C. Heath , Walker Jada F.
Published: January 2010

Changes in school nutrition and physical activity policies and environments are important to combat childhood obesity. Arkansas Act 1220 of 2003 was among the first and most comprehensive statewide legislative initiatives to combat childhood obesity through school‐based change. Annual surveys of principals and superintendents have been analyzed to document substantial and important changes in school environments, policies, and practices. For example, results indicate that schools are more likely to require that healthy options be provided for student parties (4.5% in 2004, 36.9% in 2008; P ≤ 0.0001) and concession stands (1.6% in 2004, 19.6% in 2008; P ≤ 0.0001), ban commercial advertising by food or beverage companies (31.7% in 2005, 42.6% in 2008; P ≤ 0.0001), and offer skim milk options for students in cafeterias (white milk: 26.1% in 2004, 41.0% in 2008, P ≤ 0.0001; chocolate milk: 9.0% in 2004, 24.0% in 2008, P ≤ 0.0001). They are less likely to have vending machines available during the lunch period (72.3% in 2004, 37.2% in 2008; P ≤ 0.0001) and to include sodas in vending machines (83.8% in 2004, 73.5% in 2008; P ≤ 0.0001). Other changes were noted in foods and beverages offered in the cafeteria, in classrooms, and at school events, as well as in fund‐raising and physical activity practices. A significant number of school districts have modified physical education requirements for elementary schools and developed policies prohibiting the use of physical activity as a punishment. We conclude that Arkansas Act 1220 of 2003 is associated with a number of changes in school environments and policies, resulting from both statewide and local initiatives spawned by the Act.
BOUNCE: A Community‐based Mother–daughter Healthy Lifestyle Intervention for Low‐income Latino Families
Authors: Olvera Norma , Bush Jill A. , Sharma Shreela V. , Knox B. Brook , Scherer Rhonda L. , Butte Nancy F.
Published: January 2010

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a family‐based exploratory community study titled BOUNCE (Behavior Opportunities Uniting Nutrition, Counseling, and Exercise) to increase physical fitness and activity in low‐income Latino mothers and daughters. The BOUNCE study consisted of a 12‐week exercise (e.g., Latin dance), nutrition education, and counseling intervention. The design included a two‐arm parallel group assignment to an experimental group (EG; included 26 mother–daughter dyads) and comparison group (CG; included 20 mother–daughter dyads). Pre‐ and postintervention 20‐Meter Endurance Shuttle Run Test and accelerometry were used to measure children's aerobic capacity and physical activity, respectively. For the mothers, the Rockport Walk test and Non‐Exercise Physical Activity Rating test were employed to assess aerobic fitness and physical activity. Anthropometric, demographic, and dietary assessments were also collected pre‐ and postintervention. Differences in outcome measures between groups were tested using repeated measures analysis of covariance. The BOUNCE intervention had a significant effect on EG Latino daughters' aerobic capacity (P = 0.044). Although not statistically significant, EG daughters reported a higher reduction of high fat food and sweetened beverages and an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption compared to CG daughters. Similarly, EG mothers reported more strategies to increase fruit/vegetable consumption and reduce fat intake compared to CG mothers. No changes in physical activity or BMI were observed between EG and CG mother–daughter dyads.
Common Genetic Variants in Fatty Acid–Binding Protein‐4 (FABP4) and Clinical Diabetes Risk in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study
Authors: Chan Kei‐Hang K. , Song Yiqing , Hsu Yi‐Hsiang , You Nai‐Chieh Y. , Tinker Lesley F. , Liu Simin
Published: January 2010

Adipocypte fatty acid–binding protein‐4 (FABP4/adipocyte P2) may play a central role in energy metabolism and inflammation. In animal models, defects of the aP2 gene (aP2−/−) partially protected against the development of obesity‐related insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerosis. However, it is unclear whether common genetic variation in FABP4 gene contributes to risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) or diabetes‐related metabolic traits in humans. We comprehensively assess the genetic associations of variants in the FABP4 gene with T2D risk and diabetes‐associated biomarkers in a prospective study of 1,529 cases and 2,147 controls among postmenopausal women aged 50–79 years who enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI‐OS). We selected and genotyped a total of 11 haplotype‐tagging single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) spanning 41.3 kb across FABP4 in all samples. None of the SNPs and their derived haplotypes showed significant association with T2D risk. There were no significant associations between SNPs and plasma levels of inflammatory and endothelial biomarkers, including C‐reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), E‐selectin, and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM‐1). Among African‐American women, several SNPs were significantly associated with lower levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1), especially among those with incident T2D. On average, plasma levels of VCAM‐1 were significantly lower among carriers of each minor allele at rs1486004(C/T; −1.08 ng/ml, P = 0.01), rs7017115(A/G; −1.07 ng/ml, P = 0.02), and rs2290201(C/T; −1.12 ng/ml, P = 0.002) as compared with the homozygotes of the common allele, respectively. After adjusting for multiple testing, carriers of the rs2290201 minor allele remained significantly associated with decreasing levels of plasma VCAM‐1 in these women (P = 0.02). In conclusion, our finding from a multiethnic cohort of postmenopausal women did not support the notion that common genetic variants in the FABP4 gene may trigger increased risk of T2D. The observed significant association between reduced VCAM‐1 levels and FABP4 genotypes in African‐American women warrant further confirmation.
Effect of Dietary Monosodium Glutamate on HFCS‐Induced Hepatic Steatosis: Expression Profiles in the Liver and Visceral Fat
Authors: Collison Kate S. , Maqbool Zakia M. , Inglis Angela L. , Makhoul Nadine J. , Saleh Soad M. , Bakheet Razan H. , Al‐Johi Mohammed A. , Al‐Rabiah Rana K. , Zaidi Marya Z. , Al‐Mohanna Futwan A.
Published: January 2010

It has previously been shown that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exhibit alterations in both hepatic and adipose tissue metabolism, and the dietary factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of NAFLD are likely to be multifactorial. Using C57BL/6J mice, we examined whether chronic exposure to low‐dose dietary monosodium glutamate (MSG), high‐fructose corn syrup (HFCS), or a combination of the two, vs. control would affect metabolism and hepatic and visceral fat gene expression in adult male progeny. A maternal diet containing 20% HFCS and/or dietary MSG (97.2 ± 6.3 mg/kg body weight (bw), provided in the drinking water) was offered ad libitum from 3 weeks before mating, and continued throughout gestation and weaning until the progeny reached 32 weeks of age. Liver and abdominal fat gene expression was compared with control animals fed isocaloric standard chow under identical conditions. HFCS induced hepatic steatosis and increased the expression of genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Conversely, dietary MSG elevated serum free fatty acids (FFAs), triglycerides (TGs), high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C), and insulin, together with the expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism and bile synthesis. The HFCS+MSG combination elevated hepatic TGs, serum FFAs, and TG levels. In visceral white adipose tissue, both MSG and HFCS diets increased the expression of transcription factor Srebf2 and decreased expression of Ppargc1a, while downregulating the expression of mitochondrial respiratory chain components. MSG increased the expression of several genes implicated in adipocytes differentiation. We hypothesize that HFCS may promote hepatic steatosis, whereas dietary MSG induces dyslipidemia and markers of insulin resistance.
The Influence of a High‐Fat Dietary Environment in the Fetal Period on Postnatal Metabolic and Immune Function
Authors: Odaka Yukino , Nakano Mana , Tanaka Tomoko , Kaburagi Tomoko , Yoshino Haruka , Sato‐Mito Natsuko , Sato Kazuto
Published: January 2010

Few reports show whether a high‐fat (HF) dietary environment in the fetal period affects immune function or the development of lifestyle‐related disease at maturity. We examined the influence of an HF dietary environment in the fetal period on postnatal metabolic and immune function. A total of 16 pregnant mice were given control (CON) diet and 16 were given HF diet in the gestational period, from mating to delivery. After delivery lactating mice were given either CON or HF diet, resulting in four groups. After weaning, the offspring mice were given the same diet that their mothers received during lactation. HF dietary intake in the postnatal period increased fat pad weights, serum glucose, and leptin levels. An HF diet in the fetal period resulted in fewer splenic lymphocytes, a thinner thymic cortex, and impaired antigen‐specific immune reactions. Furthermore, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α production and serum triglyceride levels were elevated in the fetal HF group. In addition, the HF‐HF group showed a consistent decrease in ovalbumin (OVA)‐specific IgG and elevation of IgE, associated with advanced fatty changes in the liver. Results from this study suggest that HF environment during the fetal period induces epigenetic propensity toward obesity and immunological burden in part due to increased adipose tissue mass, significant reduction in the number of immune cells and decreased activities of immune cells.
Impact of ligands on CO2 adsorption in metal-organic frameworks: First principles study of the interaction of CO2 with functionalized benzenes. II. Effect of polar and acidic substituents
Authors: Torrisi Antonio , Mellot-Draznieks Caroline , Bell Robert G.
Published: January 2010

Intermolecular interactions between the CO2 molecule and a range of functionalized aromatic molecules have been investigated using density functional theory. The work is directed toward the design of linker molecules which could form part of new metal-organic framework materials with enhanced affinity for CO2 adsorption at low pressure. Here, the focus was on the effect of introducing polar side groups, and therefore functionalized benzenes containing NO2, NH2, OH, SO3H, and COOH substituents were considered. The strongest types of intermolecular interactions were found to be: (i) between lone pair donating atoms (N,O) of the side groups and the C of CO2 (enhancement in binding energy of up to 8 kJ mol−1 compared to benzene); and (ii) hydrogen bond interactions between acidic protons (of COOH and SO3H groups) and CO2 oxygen (enhancement of 3–4 kJ mol−1). Both of these types of interaction have the effect of polarizing the CO2 molecule. Weaker types of binding include hydrogen-bond-like interactions with aromatic H and π-quadrupole interactions. The strongest binding is found when more than one interaction occurs simultaneously, as in C6H5SO3H and C6H5COOH, where simultaneous lone pair donation and H-bonding result in binding energy enhancements of 10 and 11 kJ mol−1, respectively
Modeling the single-gate, double-gate, and gate-all-around tunnel field-effect transistor
Authors: Verhulst Anne S. , Sorée Bart , Leonelli Daniele , Vandenberghe William G. , Groeseneken Guido
Published: January 2010

Tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) are potential successors of metal-oxide-semiconductor FETs because scaling the supply voltage below 1 V is possible due to the absence of a subthreshold-swing limit of 60 mV/decade. The modeling of the TFET performance, however, is still preliminary. We have developed models allowing a direct comparison between the single-gate, double-gate, and gate-all-around configuration at high drain voltage, when the drain-voltage dependence is negligible, and we provide improved insight in the TFET physics. The dependence of the tunnel current on device parameters is analyzed, in particular, the scaling with gate-dielectric thickness, channel thickness, and dielectric constants of gate dielectric and channel material. We show that scaling the gate-dielectric thickness improves the TFET performance more than scaling the channel thickness and that improvements are often overestimated. There is qualitative agreement between our model and our experimental data.
Subwavenumber charge-coupled device spectrometer calibration using molecular iodine laser-induced fluorescence
Authors: Lambert Joseph G. , Hernandez-Diaz Carlos , Williamson J. Charles
Published: January 2010

Spectrometers configured with charge-coupled devices (CCD) or other array-based detectors require calibration to convert from the pixel coordinate to a spectral coordinate. A CCD calibration method well suited for Raman spectroscopy has been developed based on the 514.5 nm Ar+ laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectrum of room-temperature molecular iodine vapor. Over 360 primary and secondary I2 LIF calibration lines spanning 510–645 nm were identified as calibrant peaks using an instrumental resolution of 1 cm−1. Two instrument calibration functions were evaluated with these peaks: a second-order polynomial and a function derived from simple optomechanical considerations. The latter function provided better fitting characteristics. Calibration using I2 LIF was tested with measurements of both laser light scattering and Raman spectra. The I2 LIF reference spectra and the signal spectra were recorded simultaneously, with no cross talk, by separating the two signals spatially along the vertical axis of the CCD imager. In this way, every CCD image could be independently calibrated. An accuracy and a precision of ±0.05 cm−1 were achieved with this calibration technique.
Effect of the external fields on the polar and dielectric properties of Eu0.8Y0.2MnO3
Authors: Moreira J. Agostinho , Almeida A. , Ferreira W. S. , Chaves M. R. , Vilela S. M. F. , Tavares P. B. , Kundys B. , Ranjith R. , Prellier W.
Published: January 2010

Eu 0.8 Y 0.2 MnO 3 has been widely studied due to its very distinctive phase diagram, where it is still poorly understood the actual ferroelectric character of the low temperature magnetic phases. In order to figure out what is the origin of the microscopic mechanisms that drive its behavior, we carried out a detailed study of the displacement currents for both different starting conditions and polarizing electric fields, and of the field dependent magnetodielectric effect in Eu0.8Y0.2MnO3 ceramics. The experimental results provide clear evidence for the existence of two dipolar systems, one stemming from an electric field-induced process, likely associated with the isovalent substitution of Eu3+ by the smaller off-center Y3+ ions at A-lattice sites, which is independent of any cooperative phenomena occurring in the system. The other dipolar system, strongly dependent on the existence of the first one, drives the polar behavior of the nonmodulated magnetic phase AFM-2, stable in the temperature range of 23–30 K, and is associated with the ferroelectric character of this phase. The magnetic field dependence of the complex dielectric constant clearly shows that the magnetodielectric effect is strongly dependent on the phase it is being considered, and provides further evidence for the ferroelectric character of the AFM-2 phase referred to above.
Enhanced leakage current properties of Ni-doped Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films driven by modified band edge state
Authors: Seo Hyungtak , Kim Young-Bae , Lucovsky Gerald , Kim Il-Doo , Chung Kwun-Bum , Kobayashi Hikaru , Choi Duck-Kyun
Published: January 2010

1% Ni-doped barium strontium titanate (BST) thin film deposited at room temperature reveals the significantly enhanced leakage current performance which is extraordinarily effective for low temperature applications. Significant leakage current suppression of >2 orders was achieved for electric fields from 0.25 to 2 MV/cm in Pt/Ni-doped BST/Pt metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor cells compared to undoped BST. For Ni doping at the 1% level, the spectral dependence of (i) the imaginary part of the complex dielectric constant, ε2, obtained from the rotating compensator enhanced spectroscopic ellipsometry and (ii) OK1 absorption spectra obtained from synchrotron x-ray absorption spectroscopy shows significant differences (0.26±0.15 eV) in the conduction band edge trap depth relative to undoped BST. The valence band (VB) edge x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis reveals the Fermi energy level downshift of 0.4 eV for Ni-doped BST toward the VB edge. There is a direct correlation between these changes in band edge states of BST thin films with Ni doping and the improved electrical performance in MIM capacitors led by the qualitatively different charge injection mechanism. The proposed transition metal doping process and analysis approach provide a pathway for charge injection control driven by band edge state changes in other perovskite oxides for low temperature (i.e., room temperature) applications.
CO-promoted formation of the alkali-oxygen bond on Ni(111)
Authors: Politano A. , Marino A. R. , Chiarello G.
Published: January 2010

High-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy was used to study the coadsorption of alkali metals (Na, K) and oxygen on clean and CO-modified Ni(111) surfaces. We unambiguously show that on an alkali-precovered surface, the alkali-O bond was not formed upon O2 exposure. On the contrary, the alkali-O bond was readily observed by exposing to O2 the Ni(111) surface precovered with an alkali+CO phase. This enhanced oxidation rate of alkali metals in the presence of CO molecules was ascribed to the short-range CO-induced modification of the electronic charge of alkali-metal adatoms.
Influence of confinement on temporal stability of plane jets and wakes
Authors: Biancofiore L. , Gallaire F.
Published: January 2010

It has been recently shown [M. P. Juniper, “The effect of confinement on the stability of two-dimensional shear flows,” J. Fluid Mech. 565, 171 (2006)] that the absolute instability of a two-dimensional jet/wake was favored when confined in the normal direction by two flat plates. In this paper, we confirm the destabilizing influence of confinement using the temporal stability analysis of an idealized Kelvin–Helmholtz flow in a plane channel with surface tension that serves as a model of confined jet/wake flow. We show that there is a region in the wavenumber-confinement parameter plane where the confinement increases the instability of the flow. The joined influence of density ratio and confinement is also studied.
Atomic scale characterization of Mn doped InAs/GaAs quantum dots
Authors: Bozkurt M. , Grant V. A. , Ulloa J. M. , Campion R. P. , Foxon C. T. , Marega E. , Salamo G. J. , Koenraad P. M.
Published: January 2010

Several growth procedures for doping InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) with manganese (Mn) have been investigated with cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. It is found that expulsion of Mn out of the QDs and subsequent segregation makes it difficult to incorporate Mn in the QDs even at low growth temperatures of T=320 °C and high Mn fluxes. Mn atoms in and around QDs have been observed with strain and potential confinement changing the appearance of the Mn features.
Correlation between dielectric breakdown strength and interface polarization in barium strontium titanate glass ceramics
Authors: Huang Jiajia , Zhang Yong , Ma Tao , Li Hongtao , Zhang Linwen
Published: January 2010

The correlation between the dielectric breakdown performance and interface polarization was studied by the measurements of the dielectric breakdown strength and impedance spectroscopy as a function of sintering temperatures in a BaO–SrO–TiO2–Al2O3–SiO2 glass ceramic system. It was found that dielectric breakdown strength strongly depends on the interface polarization. The sintering temperature dependence of breakdown strength is attributed to the variation in interfacial polarization based on the results of complex impedance analysis.
High-Jc MgB2 Josephson junctions with operating temperature up to 40 K
Authors: Chen Ke , Zhuang C. G. , Li Qi , Zhu Y. , Voyles P. M. , Weng X. , Redwing J. M. , Singh R. K. , Kleinsasser A. W. , Xi X. X.
Published: January 2010

Sandwich-type MgB2/MgO/MgB2 Josephson junctions with Au or MgB2 interconnection were fabricated using hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposited MgB2 thin films and RF-magnetron-sputtered MgO barrier. The junctions show properties similar to those in high-Jc Nb junctions with Jc up to 275 kA/cm2 at 4 K, which remains nonzero up to 40 K. Critical current modulations by applied magnetic field and constant voltage steps under microwave radiation were observed. Combined with the larger energy gaps in MgB2 than in Nb, the junctions presented here allow simple MgB2 digital circuits to work over 20 K or with a clock speed above 1 THz.