bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noise Exposure During Pregnancy, Birth Outcomes And Fetal Development: Meta-Analyses Using Quality Effects Model
Authors: Dzhambov Angel M. , Dimitrova Donka D. , Dimitrakova Elena D.
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND: Many women are exposed daily to high levels of occupational and residential noise, so the effect of noise exposure on pregnancy should be considered because noise affects both the fetus and the mother herself. However, there is a controversy in the literature regarding the adverse effects of occupational and residential noise on pregnant women and their fetuses. AIM: The aim of this study was to conduct systematic review of previously analyzed studies, to add additional information omitted in previous reviews and to perform meta-analyses on the effects of noise exposure on pregnancy, birth outcomes and fetal development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Previous reviews and meta-analyses on the topic were consulted. Additionally, a systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Internet was carried out. Twenty nine studies were included in the meta-analyses. Quality effects meta-analytical model was applied. RESULTS: Women exposed to high noise levels (in most of the studies ≥ 80 dB) during pregnancy are at a significantly higher risk for having small-for-gestational-age newborn (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.38), gestational hypertension (RR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.58) and infant with congenital malformations (RR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.79). The effect was not significant for preeclampsia, perinatal death, spontaneous abortion and preterm birth. CONCLUSION: The results are consistent with previous findings regarding a higher risk for small-for-gestational-age. They also highlight the significance of residential and occupational noise exposure for developing gestational hypertension and especially congenital malformations.
Pollen Morphology and Viability Relates to Seed Production in Hybrid Roses
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Akond Masum , Riaz Atif , Qasim Muhammad , Younis Adnan , Farooq Amjad
Published: November 2014

Fertility of hybrid tea roses is often reduced due to their interspesific origin but also to intensive inbreeding. New genotypes used as pollen donors represent an economic risk for a breeding program, as their influence on seed production is unknown. In this study 9 garden rose genotypes were selected from a company database as high fertile or low fertile male parents, according to the number of seeds per hybridization. Pollen morphology and in vitro germination of the selected genotypes were characterized. Pollen was either small (mean diameter = 30 urn), shrunken, and irregular (abnormal), or large (mean diameter = 30 urn), elliptical and crossed by furrows (normal). High correlations were found between the number of seeds produced per hybridization and the pollen diameter (r = 0.94) or the percentage of normal pollen (r = 0.96). In order to evaluate the predictive power of the models, we conducted regression analyses and performed a validation experiment on genotypes not present in the database and without background information on fertility. Pollen diameter and percentage of normal pollen were characterized and fitted in the regression models for seed set predictions. Validation with an independent dataset gave a good prediction for 83.3% of the data. This indicates that using either the mean pollen diameter or the percentage of normal pollen resulted in effective fertility prediction. Moreover cluster analysis of the data classified all the cultivars into various groups with varying fertility. This tool could enhance the genetic variability in crossings between hybrid tea roses, thus creating possibilities for less economically risky exploitation of new tetraploid genotypes as male parents.
Effects of Water Stress on Germination of Yarrow Populations (Achillea Spp.) From Different Bioclimatic Zones in Iran
Authors: Shanjani Parvin Salehi , Izadpanah Masoumeh , Mohamadpour Mohamad Reza
Published: November 2014

The effects of water potential on germination were studied in 18 wild populations of three yarrow species (Achillea tenuifolia, A. vermicularis and A. filipendulina) from different bioclimatic zones in Iran. Water potential between 0 and -0.6 MPa were obtained using polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG-6000) solutions. The study of water stress on germination showed that, regardless of the species and the populations, the lowering of the water potential reduced the capacity for germination and early seeding growth. These results indicated a strong genetic potential for drought tolerance during germination within each species. These differences in germination ability of wild populations of each species might be attributed to intraspecific variations resulting from the effects of natural selection and genetic pool background.
Barriers to and Facilitators of Access and Participation in Community-Based Exercise Programmes from the Perspective of Adults with Post-stroke Aphasia
Authors: Blonski Diane C. , Covert Megan , Gauthier Roxanne , Monas Alanna , Murray Danielle , O'Brien Kelly K. , Mendelson Anita Debbie , Huijbregts Maria
Published: November 2014

Purpose: To explore communication-related experiences with accessing and participating in community-based exercise programmes from the perspective of adults with post-stroke aphasia. Methods: Adults with mild to severe post-stroke aphasia were recruited from the Aphasia Institute (AI), Toronto, Canada, for a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured, in-depth one-on-one interviews. Participants were asked to identify facilitators of, barriers to, and strategies for joining and participating in exercise programmes. Interview data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Ten adults with mild (40%), moderate (40%), or severe (20%) aphasia participated in this study. The majority of participants were men (60%) aged 60–69 years (40%). Participants experienced a combination of communication, environmental, and personal facilitators of and barriers to accessing and participating in community-based exercise programmes. Strategies to enhance participation can be applied at both programme and individual levels. Conclusions: Findings may inform clinical practice and programming to optimize access to and participation in community-based exercise programmes for adults with post-stroke aphasia.
Seeing in Plain Sight – Installations in Flight
Authors: Lunberry Clark
Published: November 2014

Observing from on high what from below remains unseeable is discussed and described in this article, examining specific instances in the writings of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, the novelist Marcel Proust, the earthwork artist Robert Smithson, and the author’s own 2012 art installation undertaken at the University of Toronto. In each case, an airplane offers a staging ground for the imagining of a more expansive kind of sight: one that, in the final account, may leave the one seeing caught and divided in the lofty dream of panoramic perception. With such imagined flight, one leaves the world while never having left it, living in its place a Hamletic dream of elevation and escape that keeps one securely “bounded in a nutshell…a king of infinite space.”
The Actor Who Wasn’t There: Economies of Absence in Virtual Ecologies
Authors: Roof Judith
Published: November 2014

Cinema machines have striven in increasingly elaborate ways to eliminate any sense of the foundational absence of the cinematographic apparatus that underwrites the wonder of its spectacle. Recent digital media technologies play out the hoaxic economy of virtual lures offered by layered sound and imaging apparatuses. The last fifteen years of filmic present absence or absent presence result from a series of attempts to produce cinematically the illusion of spatiotemporal presence when, by definition, nothing in the cinema is actually “there” except resurrected light and sound wave patterns. Deploying the spatial geometries of 3D mapping combined with mechanisms of human sensory perception, these digital machines displace physiological mechanisms of perception into the modes by which images and sound are captured and transmitted.
Taken-Away to Mann’s Magic Mountain
Authors: Gauthier Darcy
Published: November 2014

This article attends to things “taken-away” in Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg, 1924). I take my cue from Mann’s description the novel’s own “diseased element”: its narrative time, out of which “something has been taken-away, like the spring from a corrupted clock” (etwas hinweggenommen gewesen wie die Feder einer verdorbenen Uhr), and I extrapolate this to consider its relation to many other things taken-away in and from the novel. I ask the question, what is lost and, more importantly, produced in being taken-away? In order to develop this question, I rely on insights from psychoanalysis (especially Lacanian) into the relationship between lack and desire. I end with an attempt to historicize this by questioning the politics of taken-awayness, especially in relation to the First World War.
Listening for Lost Creeks: Recollecting Absence via Alberto Caeiro and Eirin Moure
Authors: Moore Isabel A.
Published: November 2014

This article traces the buried creeks of Toronto through Eirin Moure’s Sheep’s Vigil by a Fervent Person, which translates and transports Alberto Caeiro’s O Guardador de Rebanhos from rural Portugal to urban pastoral. Undermining more recent attempts to resurrect or disinter the creeks lost beneath the city grid, Moure’s and Pessoa/Caeiro’s anti-anaesthetic poetics and plural persons promise neither the pathetic personification of urban water, nor a problematic return to aural or lyric presence. Taken together, their polyglot Sheep instead perform an adverse pastoralism, one that recollects the potentially anaesthetic effects of aestheticizing creeks (among other things) and unburies our poetic fallacies about Nature by rendering them present as fetishes.
Spelling errors and keywords in born-digital data: a case study using the Teenage Health Freak Corpus
Authors: Smith Catherine , Adolphs Svenja , Harvey Kevin , Mullany Louise
Published: November 2014

The abundance of language data that is now available in digital form, and the rise of distinct language varieties that are used for digital communication, means that issues of non-standard spellings and spelling errors are, in future, likely to become more prominent for compilers of corpora. This paper examines the effect of spelling variation on keywords in a born-digital corpus in order to explore the extent and impact of this variation for future corpus studies. The corpus used in this study consists of e-mails about health concerns that were sent to a health website by adolescents. Keywords are generated using the original version of the corpus and a version with spelling errors corrected, and the British National Corpus (BNC) acts as the reference corpus. The ranks of the keywords are shown to be very similar and, therefore, suggest that, depending on the research goals, keywords could be generated reliably without any need for spelling correction.
The reluctant oracle: using strategic annotations to add value to, and extract value from, a signed language corpus
Authors: Johnston Trevor
Published: November 2014

In this paper, I discuss the ways in which multimedia annotation software is being used to transform an archive of Auslan recordings into a true machine-readable language corpus. After the basic structure of the annotation files in the Auslan corpus is described and the exercise differentiated from transcription, the glossing and annotation conventions are explained. Following this, I exemplify the searching and pattern-matching at different levels of linguistic organisation that these annotations make possible. The paper shows how, in the creation of signed language corpora, it is important to be clear about the difference between transcription and annotation. Without an awareness of this distinction – and despite time consuming and expensive processing of the video recordings – we may not be able to discern the types of patterns in our corpora that we hope to. The conventions are designed to ensure that the annotations really do enable researchers to identify regularities at different levels of linguistic organisation in the corpus and, thus, to test, or build on, existing descriptions of the language.
A multi-dimensional analysis of register variation in Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Sardinha Tony Berber , Kauffmann Carlos , Acunzo Cristina Mayer
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we present a Multi-Dimensional analysis of Brazilian Portuguese, based on a large, diverse corpus comprising forty-eight different spoken and written registers. Previous research in MD analysis includes multi-register investigations of a range of languages, including English, Spanish, Somali and Korean, among others. At the same time, a large body of literature on text varieties in Brazilian Portuguese exists, but previous research focusses on specific aspects of one, or at the most, a few varieties at a time and, therefore, does not present a comprehensive picture of register use in the linguistic community of Brazilian Portuguese speakers. In this study, we attempt to fill this gap by employing the MD framework, enabling researchers to account for a large number of different registers, based on a wide repertory of linguistic features. The analysis revealed six dimensions of variation, which are presented, illustrated and discussed here.
How close to Hegel is ‘close’? Revisiting Lawlor on Derrida's Early Logic
Authors: Galetti Dino
Published: November 2014

This article aims to restore a way to approach Derrida by revisiting the essentialist ‘logic’ that Leonard Lawlor put forward in 2002. Lawlor argues that the early Derrida developed a ‘logic of totality’ from Hyppolite's reading of Hegel, which formed the basis for a ‘logic of contamination’ and différance; moreover, Lawlor demonstrated such progress. We will situate his implicit premises before following his sequential argument, and thus isolate how Lawlor is aware that Derrida disputes Hyppolite's basic premises and outcomes, so as to suggest the difficulty is methodological. By that we will support Lawlor's discovery that Derrida's earliest work can be approached ‘logically’, so as to help re-orientate both an approach and strands of thought that Derrida helped to inspire.
Gold(I)-catalysed synthesis of a furan analogue of thiamine pyrophosphate
Authors: Iqbal Amjid , Sahraoui El-Habib , Leeper Finian J
Published: November 2014

An analogue of thiamine having a furan ring in place of the thiazolium ring has been synthesised by a short and efficient route, involving gold(I)-catalysed cyclisation of an alkynyl alcohol to form the furan ring. The furan analogue of thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) was also made and tested for binding to and inhibition of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) from Zymomonas mobilis (overexpressed in E. coli with a N-terminal His-tag). It is a very strong inhibitor, with a Ki value of 32.5 pM. It was also shown that the furan analogue of thiamine can be functionalised at the C-2 position, which will allow access to mimics of reaction intermediates of various ThDP-dependent enzymes.
Maladie d'Alzheimer et involution
Authors: Deboves Pauline , Vivès Jean-Michel
Published: November 2014

Prenant appui sur les conceptions de Jackson et Freud, les auteurs proposent d’entrevoir l’évolution de la maladie d’Alzheimer comme une involution du système de représentation du sujet dément, marquée par une altération progressive des processus secondaires puis des processus primaires. Cette involution amènerait alors à découvrir des parcelles des processus originaires (Aulagnier) pour lesquels le monde perceptif semble dominer. Toute la question a été de pouvoir envisager une manière de penser l’originaire, sachant que le sujet a eu accès à des processus plus élaborés. La frustration impliquée par cette involution du fait de l’incapacité à rendre présent un objet absent est illustrée par une étude du cri, et demande une attention particulière dans la préservation de l’environnement du sujet dément à un stade sévère.
La place du genre dans les revendications mémorielles gays et lesbiennes
Authors: Schlagdenhauffen Régis
Published: November 2014

La définition du « genre du nous », appliquée aux revendications de reconnaissance des victimes homosexuelles du nazisme, met en lumière des tensions qui traversent les collectifs militants gays et lesbiens. À travers l’analyse de deux projets commémoratifs (Berlin et Amsterdam), l’auteur montre qu’elle est révélatrice de deux types de registres argumentatifs antinomiques. L’un, dirigé vers le passé, exclut les femmes de la commémoration (parce qu’elles n’étaient pas légalement persécutées) ; l’autre, orienté vers l’avenir, les inclut selon un principe universaliste de lutte contre l’homophobie.
Is Elderspeak Appropriate?: A Survey of Certified Nursing Assistants
Authors: Lombardi Nathaniel J. , Buchanan Jefirey A. , Afierbach Shelby , Campana Kristie , Sattler Adam , Lai Duc
Published: November 2014

Elderspeak
is a form of patronizing speech that is sometimes used with older adults and can result in unintended negative consequences. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working in long-term care facilities may be particularly prone to using elderspeak because they frequently interact with vulnerable and frail older adults who require assistance with activities of daily living. The purpose of the current study was to assess contextual variables that may prompt the use of elderspeak by CNAs. One hundred thirty-four CNAs completed a 36-item questionnaire intended to determine their evaluations of the appropriateness of elderspeak in a variety of contexts. Results indicated that specific resident-related variables (e.g., age, cognitive impairment) and situational variables (e.g., the absence of others during a CNA–resident interaction) were associated with higher ratings of appropriateness of elderspeak. These findings may have implications for improving communication training for CNAs. [
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40
(11), 44–52.]
Diabetes Screening in the Workplace
Authors: Gulley Tauna , Boggs Dusta , Mullins Rebecca , Brock Emily
Published: November 2014

The prevalence of diabetes has increased worldwide and the pathophysiological problems associated with diabetes increase the potential for employees' physical disabilities. These complications, including neuropathy, nephropathy, and visual impairment, negatively impact the job performance of employees and compromise workplace safety. Occupational health nurses can provide diabetes screening programs to employees and identify chronic disease risk factors early. This article describes an occupational diabetes screening program at a major corporation in Belize, Central America, defines diabetes, outlines the diabetes teaching plan, and presents the demographics of the participants and results of the screening. Cultural considerations and recommendations for future occupational diabetes screenings are proposed.
Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic
Authors: Phillips Jennan A.
Published: November 2014

The Ebola virus disease epidemic now constitutes an international public health emergency. Occupational and environmental health nurses can collaborate with international colleagues to halt Ebola virus transmission within Africa, protect workers from exposures, and prevent another pandemic.
Study of a pilot photovoltaic-electrolyser-fuel cell power system for a geothermal heat pump heated greenhouse and evaluation of the electrolyser efficiency and operational mode
Authors: Blanco Ileana , Pascuzzi Simone , Anifantis Alexandros Sotirios , Scarascia-Mugnozza Giacomo
Published: November 2014

The intrinsic factor of variability of renewable energy sources often limits their broader use. The photovoltaic solar systems can be provided with a power back up based on a combination of an electrolyser and a fuel cell stack. The integration of solar hydrogen power systems with greenhouse heating equipment can provide a possible option for powering stand-alone greenhouses. The aim of the research under development at the experimental farm of Department of Agro-Environmental Sciences of the University of Bari Aldo Moro is to investigate on the suitable solutions of a power system based on photovoltaic energy and on the use of hydrogen as energy vector, integrated with a ground source heat pump for greenhouse heating in a self sustained way. The excess energy produced by a purpose-built array of solar photovoltaic modules supplies an alkaline electrolyser; the produced hydrogen gas is stored in pressured storage tank. When the solar radiation level is insufficient to meet the heat pump power demand, the fuel cell starts converting the chemical energy stored by the hydrogen fuel into electricity. This paper reports on the description of the realised system. Furthermore the efficiency and the operational mode of the electrolyser were evaluated during a trial period characterised by mutable solar radiant energy. Anyway the electrolyser worked continuously in a transient state producing fluctuations of the hydrogen production and without ever reaching the steady-state conditions. The Faradic efficiency, evaluated by means of an empirical mathematic model, highlights that the suitable working range of the electrolyser was 1.5÷2.5 kW and then for hydrogen production more than 0.21 Nm3h–1.
Molecular differentiation and pathogenicity of Aviadenoviruses isolated during an outbreak of inclusion body hepatitis in South Africa
Authors: Joubert Hilda W. , Aitchison Henry , Maartens Louis H. , Venter Estelle H.
Published: November 2014

Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) is a member of the genus Aviadenovirus and causes a number of economically important poultry diseases. One of these diseases, inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), has a worldwide distribution and is characterised by acute mortality (5% – 20%) in production chickens. The disease was first described in the United States of America in 1963 and has also been reported in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and Ireland, but until now, not in South Africa. Adenoviruses isolated from the first outbreak of IBH in South Africa were able to reproduce the disease in chicken embryo livers. The aim of the present study was to characterise the viruses and determine the pathogenicity of the FAdV strains responsible for the first reported case of IBH in South Africa. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the L1 loop region of the fowl adenovirus hexon gene using degenerate primer pair hexon A/B was used to identify the viruses that were isolated. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the amplification products was used for the differentiation of 14 isolates of fowl adenovirus. Sequencing of the PCR products followed by amino acid comparison and phylogenetic analysis using the L1 loop region of the hexon protein was done to determine the identity of the isolates. Amino acid sequences of the hexon genes of all the South African isolates were compared with those of reference strains representing FAdV species. Amino acid comparison of 12 South Africa field isolates to FAdV reference strains revealed a high sequence identity (> 93.33%) with reference strains T8-A and 764. Two of the isolates had high sequence identity (93.40%) with reference strains P7-A, C2B and SR48. Phylogenetic analysis of the L1 loop region of the hexon protein of all 14 South African isolates was consistent with their RFLP clusters. The mortality rates of embryos challenged with 106 egg infective doses (EID50) FAdV 2 were 80% – 87% and mortality rates for embryos challenged with 105.95 (EID50) FAdV 8b were 65% – 80%.
In Silico Prediction of Synthetic Lethality by Meta-Analysis of Genetic Interactions, Functions, and Pathways in Yeast and Human Cancer
Authors: Wu Min , Li Xuejuan , Zhang Fan , Li Xiaoli , Kwoh Chee-Keong , Zheng Jie
Published: November 2014

A major goal in cancer medicine is to find selective drugs with reduced side effect. A pair of genes is called synthetic lethality (SL) if mutations of both genes will kill a cell while mutation of either gene alone will not. Hence, a gene in SL interactions with a cancer-specific mutated gene will be a promising drug target with anti-cancer selectivity. Wet-lab screening approach is still so costly that even for yeast only a small fraction of gene pairs has been covered. Computational methods are therefore important for large-scale discovery of SL interactions. Most existing approaches focus on individual features or machine-learning methods, which are prone to noise or overfitting. In this paper, we propose an approach named MetaSL for predicting yeast SL, which integrates 17 genomic and proteomic features and the outputs of 10 classification methods. MetaSL thus combines the strengths of existing methods and achieves the highest area under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of 87.1% among all competitors on yeast data. Moreover, through orthologous mapping from yeast to human genes, we then predicted several lists of candidate SL pairs in human cancer. Our method and predictions would thus shed light on mechanisms of SL and lead to discovery of novel anti-cancer drugs. In addition, all the experimental results can be downloaded from http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/zhengjie/data/MetaSL .
Evidence of Autochthonous Chagas Disease in Southeastern Texas
Authors: Garcia Melissa N. , Aguilar David , Gorchakov Rodion , Rossmann Susan N. , Montgomery Susan P. , Rivera Hilda , Woc-Colburn Laila , Hotez Peter J. , Murray Kristy O.
Published: November 2014

Autochthonous transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States is rarely reported. Here, we describe five newly identified patients with autochthonously acquired infections from a small pilot study of positive blood donors in southeast Texas. Case-patients 1–4 were possibly infected near their residences, which were all in the same region ∼100 miles west of Houston. Case-patient 5 was a young male with considerable exposure from routine outdoor and camping activities associated with a youth civic organization. Only one of the five autochthonous case-patients received anti-parasitic treatment. Our findings suggest an unrecognized risk of human vector-borne transmission in southeast Texas. Education of physicians and public health officials is crucial for identifying the true disease burden and source of infection in Texas.
Using Mass Media Campaigns to Reduce Youth Tobacco Use: A Review
Authors: Allen Jane Appleyard , Duke Jennifer C. , Davis Kevin C. , Kim Annice E. , Nonnemaker James M. , Farrelly Matthew C.
Published: November 2014

Objective.

This review synthesizes the published literature on using mass media campaigns to reduce youth tobacco use, with particular focus on effects within population subgroups and the relative effectiveness of campaign characteristics.

Data Source.

A search of PubMed and PsycINFO conducted in March of 2014 yielded 397 studies with 34 suitable for inclusion.

Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria.

Included were quantitative studies that evaluate an antitobacco media campaign intended to influence youth cognitions or behavior or explore the relative effectiveness of campaign characteristics among youth.

Data Extraction.

An automated search and assessment of suitability for inclusion was done.

Data Synthesis.

Study outcomes were compared and synthesized.

Results.

Antitobacco media campaigns can be effective across racial/ethnic populations, although the size of the campaign effect may differ by race/ethnicity. Evidence is insufficient to determine whether campaign outcomes differ by socioeconomic status (SES) and population density. Youth are more likely to recall and think about advertising that includes personal testimonials; a surprising narrative; and intense images, sound, and editing. Evidence in support of using a health consequences message theme is mixed; an industry manipulation theme may be effective in combination with a health consequences message. Research is insufficient to determine whether advertising with a secondhand smoke or social norms theme influences youth tobacco use.

Conclusion.

Our recommendation is to develop antitobacco campaigns designed to reach all at-risk youth, which can be effective across racial/ethnic populations. Research priorities include assessing campaign influence among lower SES and rural youth, disentangling the effects of message characteristics, and assessing the degree to which this body of evidence may have changed as a result of changes in youth culture and communication technology.
Screening and Counseling for Tobacco Use in Student Health Clinics: Reports of Health Care Providers
Authors: Sutfin Erin L. , Swords Darden C. , Song Eun-Young , Reboussin Beth A. , Helme Donald , Klein Elizabeth , Wolfson Mark
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

To assess tobacco screening and counseling in student health clinics, including facilitators, barriers, and associations with campus- and state-level variables.

Design.

We conducted a mixed-methods study with an online survey and qualitative interviews.

Setting.

Study setting was student health clinics on college campuses.

Subjects.

Subjects included 71 clinic directors or designees from 10 Southeastern states (quantitative survey) and 8 directors or designees from 4 Southeastern states (qualitative interviews).

Measures.

Quantitative measures included demographics, screening and counseling practices, clinic-level supports for such practices, perceptions of tobacco on campus, institution size, public/private status, state tobacco farming revenue, and state tobacco control funding. Qualitative measures included barriers and facilitators of tobacco screening and counseling practices.

Analysis.

Logistic and linear regression models assessed correlates of screening and counseling. Qualitative data were analyzed using multistage interpretive thematic analysis.

Results.

A total of 55% of online survey respondents reported that their clinics screen for tobacco at every visit, whereas 80% reported their clinics offer counseling and pharmacotherapy. Barriers included lack of the following: time with patients, relevance to chief complaint, student self-identification as a tobacco user, access to pharmacotherapy, and interest in quitting among smokers. In multivariable models, more efforts to reduce tobacco use, student enrollment, and state-level cash receipts for tobacco were positively associated with clinic-level supports.

Conclusion.

This study highlights missed opportunities for screening. Although reports of counseling were higher, providers identified many barriers.
Knowledge of Sugar Content of Sports Drinks is Not Associated with Sports Drink Consumption
Authors: Zytnick Deena , Park Sohyun , Onufrak Stephen J. , Kingsley Beverly S. , Sherry Bettylou
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

To examine U.S. adult knowledge of the sugar content of sports drinks and whether this knowledge and other characteristics are associated with their sports drink consumption.

Design.

Nonexperimental.

Setting.

Nationally representative 2011 Summer ConsumerStyles survey data.

Subjects.

3929 U.S. adults.

Measures.

The outcome variable was sports drink consumption in the past 7 days. The main exposure variable was knowledge about sports drinks containing sugar. The covariates were sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, and weight status.

Analysis.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for adults consuming sports drinks ≥1 times/wk after controlling for other characteristics.

Results.

Approximately 22% of adults reported consuming sports drinks ≥1 times/wk. Most adults (71%) agreed that sports drinks contain sugar; however, this agreement was not significantly associated with adults' sports drink consumption. The odds of drinking sports drinks ≥1 times/wk were significantly higher among younger adults aged 18 to 64 years (OR range: 5.46–2.71), males (OR = 2.09), high-school graduates (OR = 1.52), and highly active adults (OR = 2.09).

Conclusion.

There were disparities in sports drink consumption by sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity level; however, knowledge of sports drinks' sugar content was not associated with consumption. Understanding why some population groups are higher consumers may assist in the development of education, providing those groups with a better understanding of sports drinks' nutritional value and health consequences of excessive sugar consumption in any form.
Receipt and Timing of Pregnancy-Related Preventive Health Messages Vary by Message Type and Maternal Characteristics
Authors: Oza-Frank Reena , Kachoria Rashmi , Keim Sarah A. , Lynch Courtney D. , Klebanoff Mark A.
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

To determine when women receive pregnancy-related preventive health messages and to examine differences in receipt timing by maternal characteristics.

Design.

The cross-sectional secondary analyses used data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).

Setting.

The study used PRAMS responses from Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio.

Subjects.

Study participants were women with a recent live birth.

Measures.

Health messages included mental health, safe medications, smoking, alcohol, and illegal drugs. The timing of message receipt was categorized as early (preconceptionally and prenatally) or late (prenatally only/never).

Analysis.

Weighted χ2 tests and multivariable logistic regression were used for analysis.

Results.

Among n = 3446, women with unintended pregnancies received all messages, except safe medications, significantly more early vs. late compared with women intending pregnancies (all p < .01). In multivariable analyses, there were no significant associations between timing of receipt and pregnancy intention, parity, preconception insurance status, or adequacy of prenatal care for any of the health messages. Hispanic women had increased odds of receiving the messages early compared with non-Hispanic white women, as did high school graduates vs. women with more education and women with lower household incomes vs. women with higher incomes.

Conclusions.

Women who may be perceived to be at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and/or engaging in high-risk behavior (minorities, lower education, lower income) appear to be getting messages early more often than do other women; messages are not reaching all women equally.
Municipal Officials' Participation in Built Environment Policy Development in the United States
Authors: Lemon Stephenie C. , Goins Karin Valentine , Schneider Kristin L. , Brownson Ross C. , Valko Cheryl A. , Evenson Kelly R. , Eyler Amy A. , Heinrich Katie M. , Litt Jill , Lyn Rodney , Reed Hannah L. , Tompkins Nancy O'Hara , Maddock Jay
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

This study examined municipal officials' participation in built environment policy initiatives focused on land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation.

Design.

Web-based cross-sectional survey.

Setting.

Eighty-three municipalities with 50,000 or more residents in eight states.

Subjects.

Four hundred fifty-three elected and appointed municipal officials.

Measures.

Outcomes included self-reported participation in land use design, transportation, and parks and recreation policy to increase physical activity. Independent variables included respondent position; perceptions of importance, barriers, and beliefs regarding physical activity and community design and layout; and physical activity partnership participation.

Analysis.

Multivariable logistic regression models.

Results.

Compared to other positions, public health officials had lower participation in land use design (78.3% vs. 29.0%), transportation (78.1% vs. 42.1%), and parks and recreation (67.1% vs. 26.3%) policy. Perceived limited staff was negatively associated with participation in each policy initiative. Perceptions of the extent to which physical activity was considered in community design and physical activity partnership participation were positively associated with participation in each. Perceived lack of collaboration was associated with less land use design and transportation policy participation, and awareness that community design affects physical activity was associated with more participation. Perceived lack of political will was associated with less parks and recreation policy participation.

Conclusion.

Public health officials are underrepresented in built environment policy initiatives. Improving collaborations may improve municipal officials' policy participation.
Associations between Extracurricular Activity and Self-Regulation: A Longitudinal Study from 5 to 10 Years of Age
Authors: Piché Geneviève , Fitzpatrick Caroline , Pagani Linda S.
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

Health promotion in youth is likely to benefit from enhancing academic achievement and physical activity. The present study examines how kindergarten childhood self-regulation skills and behaviors predict involvement in both structured and unstructured physical and nonphysical extracurricular activities in the fourth grade. As a second objective this study also investigated how kindergarten childhood participation in extracurricular activities predicts classroom engagement, reflective of self-regulation, by the fourth grade.

Design.

Secondary analyses were conducted using prospective-longitudinal data.

Setting.

The Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, Quebec, Canada.

Subjects.

Participants were randomly selected at birth from a stratified sample of 2694 born in Québec, Canada, between 1997 and 1998. Participants were included if they had complete data on teacher ratings of child self-regulation as measured by classroom engagement and parent ratings of sports participation (n = 935).

Measures.

Teachers reported self-regulation skills in children through a measure of classroom engagement. Parents provided reports of child participation extracurricular activities.

Analysis.

Ordinary least-squares regressions were conducted.

Results.

A higher-frequency kindergarten involvement with structured physical activities was associated with fourth-grade classroom engagement (β = .061, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .017, .104). Better kindergarten classroom engagement predicted more frequent participation in fourth-grade structured physical activities (β = .799, 95% CI: .405, 1.192) and team sports (β = .408, 95% CI: .207, .608).

Conclusion.

Results suggest mutual relations between physical activity and self-regulation from kindergarten to grade four. This suggests strong learning skills indicative of self-regulation and opportunities to participate in supervised physical activities or sports teams may help children develop healthy dispositions and behaviors in emerging adolescence.
Predictors for Persistent Overweight, Deteriorated Weight Status, and Improved Weight Status during 18 Months in a School-Based Longitudinal Cohort
Authors: Seo Dong-Chul , King Mindy H. , Kim Nayoung , Sovinski Danielle , Meade Rhonda , Lederer Alyssa M.
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

To examine predictors for persistent overweight/obesity, deteriorated weight status, and improved weight status among students who participated in a school-based obesity prevention intervention from fall 2009 to spring 2011.

Design.

Longitudinal assessment of a school-based cohort was conducted to determine the characteristics of students who remained overweight/obese, improved their weight status, or showed deteriorated weight status during an 18-month period.

Setting.

Eleven schools in southern Indiana, northwestern Kentucky, and southeastern Illinois.

Subjects.

N = 5309 students in 4th through 12th grade.

Measures.

Weight, height, and self-reported physical activity and nutrition behaviors of students were measured at baseline and 6, 12, and 18 months.

Analysis.

SAS 9.3 was employed to examine predictors for the three different weight categories using logistic regression.

Results.

Low socioeconomic status (SES) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.56 and p < .001, AOR = 1.35 and p = .0069, respectively) and higher soda intake (AOR = 1.07 and p = .0016, AOR = 1.08 and p = .0278, respectively) increased the odds of belonging to persistent overweight/obesity (30.6%) and deteriorated weight status (6.9%), compared to the persistent nonoverweight status group.

Conclusion.

While SES is an important determinant of weight category change, students' screen time and soda consumption may be important factors. Schools and families may be able to successfully focus on these modifiable risk factors, decreasing the burden of childhood obesity.
The Association of Meal Practices and other Dietary Correlates with Dietary Intake among High School Students in the United States, 2010
Authors: Demissie Zewditu , Eaton Danice K. , Lowry Richard , Kim Sonia A. , Park Sohyun , Grimm Kirsten A. , Merlo Caitlin , Harris Diane M.
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

To examine behavioral and environmental factors that may be related to dietary behaviors among U.S. high school students.

Design.

Data were obtained from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study, a cross-sectional study.

Setting.

The study was school-based.

Subjects.

Study subjects were a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 to 12 (n = 11,458).

Measures.

Variables of interest included meal practices, in-home snack availability, and intakes of healthful foods/beverages (fruits, vegetables, water, and milk) and less healthful foods/beverages (fried potatoes, pizza, and sugar-sweetened beverages).

Analysis.

Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to examine associations of meal practices and snack availability with dietary intake. Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for race/ethnicity and grade.

Results.

Eating breakfast daily, frequent family dinners, and bringing lunch from home were associated with higher odds of consuming at least three healthful foods or beverages. High fast-food intake was associated with lower odds of healthful dietary intake and higher odds of sugar-sweetened beverage intake (female OR = 3.73, male OR = 4.60). Students who mostly/always had fruits and vegetables available at home had increased odds of fruits (female OR = 3.04, male OR = 2.24), vegetables (female OR = 2.12, male OR = 1.65), water (female OR = 1.82, male OR = 1.85), and milk intake (female OR = 1.45, male OR = 1.64).

Conclusion.

Encouraging daily breakfast consumption, frequent family dinners, and fruit and vegetable availability at home may lead to higher intakes of healthful foods among high school students.
Relationship between Intervention Dose and Outcomes in Living Well with Diabetes—A Randomized Trial of a Telephone-Delivered Lifestyle-Based Weight Loss Intervention
Authors: Goode Ana D. , Winkler Elisabeth A. H. , Reeves Marina M. , Eakin Elizabeth G.
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

To examine associations of intervention dose with weight, physical activity, glycemic control, and diet outcomes in a randomized trial of a telephone counseling intervention.

Design.

Study design was a secondary analysis of intervention group.

Setting.

Study setting was primary care practices in a disadvantaged community in Australia.

Subjects.

Participants were adult patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 151).

Intervention.

Up to 27 telephone counseling calls were made during 18 months.

Measures.

Intervention dose was assessed as the number of calls completed (in tertile categories). Primary outcomes were weight and HbA1c, and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity via accelerometer. Secondary outcomes were dietary energy intake and diet quality via a validated questionnaire.

Analysis.

Analyses employed were bivariate associations of call completion with sociodemographics, and confounder-adjusted linear mixed models for associations of call completion with outcomes (multiple imputation of missing data).

Results.

Only previous diagnosis of depression/anxiety had a statistically significant (p= .008) association with call completion. Call completion was significantly associated with weight loss (p < .001) but not the other outcomes (p > .05). Relative to low call completion, mean weight loss (as a percentage of baseline weight) was greater in the high–call completion group by −3.3% (95% confidence interval, −5.0% to −1.5%).

Conclusion.

Increased dose of intervention was associated with greater weight loss. More needs to be done to retain patients for the duration of weight loss and behavior change interventions, particularly those with diabetes and comorbid depression, who were the most difficult to engage.
Association of Concurrent Healthy Eating and Regular Physical Activity with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in U.S. Youth
Authors: Loprinzi Paul D. , Lee I-Min , Andersen Ross E. , Crespo Carlos J. , Smit Ellen
Published: November 2014

Purpose.

Examine whether concurrently consuming a healthy diet and regularly being physically active among U.S. youth is more favorably associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers than other physical activity and dietary patterns.

Design.

Cross-sectional.

Setting.

United States (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) 2003–2006.

Subjects.

Two thousand six hundred twenty-nine youth (6–17 years).

Measures.

Healthy Eating Index (HEI), accelerometer-determined physical activity, biomarkers, and anthropometry. Four categories were created: consuming a healthy diet (top 40% of HEI) and active (sufficient to meet guidelines); unhealthy diet and active; healthy diet and inactive; and unhealthy diet and inactive.

Analysis.

Multivariable regression.

Results.

Children consuming a healthy diet and who were active had significantly lower waist circumference (β = −5.5, p < .006), C-reactive protein (CRP) (β = –.2, p < .006), and triglycerides (β = −27.9, p < .006) than children consuming an unhealthy diet and who were inactive. Children engaging in both healthy behaviors had significantly lower CRP (β = –.11, p < .001) and total cholesterol levels (β = −7.8, p = .004) than those only engaging in sufficient activity; there were no significant differences in biomarker levels among children engaging in both healthy behaviors and those only consuming a healthy diet. No associations were significant for adolescents.

Conclusion.

Concurrent healthy eating and regular physical activity among children is favorably associated with CVD biomarkers when compared with unhealthy diet and inactivity.
Optimal Rules for Central Bank Interest Rates Subject to Zero Lower Bound
Authors: Singh Ajay Pratap , Nikolaou Michael
Published: November 2014

The celebrated Taylor rule provides a simple formula that aims to capture how the central bank interest rate is adjusted as a linear function of inflation and output gap. However, the rule does not take explicitly into account the zero lower bound on the interest rate. Prior studies on interest rate selection subject to the zero lower bound have not produced derivations of explicit formulas. In this work, Taylor-like rules for central bank interest rates bounded below by zero are derived rigorously using a multi-parametric model predictive control framework. This framework is used to derive rules with or without inertia. The proposed approach is illustrated through simulations. Application of the approach to US economy data demonstrates its relevance and provides insight into the objectives underlying central bank interest rate decisions. A number of issues for future study are proposed.