bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First Amendment Implications of Restricting Food and Beverage Marketing in Schools
Authors: Graff Samantha K.
Published: January 2008

This article explores how the First Amendment bears upon a school district policy restricting junk food and soda marketing in public schools. The article highlights a clash between two fundamental American beliefs: that a public school should be a sheltered training ground for democratic citizenship and that the strength of the free market economy is dependent upon corporate access to consumers including children. The article begins by describing the “commercial speech doctrine,” which explains why the First Amendment might be implicated in a school district advertising policy. The article then touches on actions a school district might take without involving the First Amendment. Next, the article distinguishes between two First Amendment standards of review that a court could apply to a school district advertising policy and argues that a “forum analysis” is the appropriate approach. The article identifies three types of advertising policies that should survive a forum analysis.
Childhood Overweight and the Built Environment: Making Technology Part of the Solution rather than Part of the Problem
Authors: Hillier Amy
Published: January 2008

The changing nature of how children engage with their physical environment is one factor in the dramatic increase in childhood overweight. Children today are engaging much less with the world outside their homes in terms of physical activity and much more in terms of eating. Technological innovations in media have contributed to these changes, keeping children inside and sedentary during more of their playtime and exposing them to highly coordinated advertising campaigns. But researchers are increasingly looking to technology for solutions to understand how children interact with their built environments and to make changes that promote healthy living. This article reviews many of these innovations, including the use of geospatial technologies, accelerometers, electronic food and travel diaries, and video games to promote physical activity and healthy eating. It also explores some of the other possibilities for harnessing the potential of technology to combat the childhood overweight epidemic.
Calories for Sale: Food Marketing to Children in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Linn Susan , Novosat Courtney L.
Published: January 2008

Budgets for marketing to children have spiked well into the billions, an escalation that mirrors the rise in childhood obesity rates. Children are targets for a maelstrom of marketing for all sorts of products enabled by sophisticated technology and minimal government regulation. Despite the fact that recent studies document links between food advertising and childhood obesity, a significant proportion of marketing that targets children is for energy-dense, low-nutrient food. Moreover, advances in digital technology allow marketers to find more direct, personalized gateways to reach young audiences that sidestep parental authority and bank as much on the unknowing parent as the gullible child. Cataloguing the depth and breadth of child-centered food marketing while discussing grassroots strategies for instituting change, the authors argue that parents can no longer keep pace either with innovations in advertising or increased spending, suggesting the need for more stringent government regulations on food marketing to children.
Children, Television Viewing, and Weight Status: Summary and Recommendations from an Expert Panel Meeting
Authors: Jordan Amy B. , Robinson Thomas N.
Published: January 2008

Overweight and obesity among American children has reached epidemic proportions. More than 9 million youth between the ages of six and nineteen years are considered overweight, and more than 80 percent of overweight adolescents will go on to become obese adults. Research has indicated a wide range of factors believed to contribute to obesity among children, but of growing concern is the potential contribution made by children's media use. In April 2006, an expert panel meeting was convened to meet and address children, television viewing, and weight status. This article reviews the evidence discussed at this meeting about the role that media, specifically television, play in the prevalence of overweight among children. It lays out the panel member's conclusions about the most promising strategies for reducing the negative effects of television on children's weight status and makes recommendations for future research that is needed to fully understand the relationship.
The Effects of Food Marketing on Children's Preferences: Testing the Moderating Roles of Age and Gender
Authors: Chernin Ariel
Published: January 2008

A large body of research suggests that food marketing affects children's food preferences, short- and long-term dietary consumption, and purchase requests directed to parents. It is frequently argued that younger children are more susceptible to marketers' messages than older children because they do not understand the persuasive nature of advertising; however, little direct evidence supports this claim. Employing an experimental design, this study examined the influence of food marketing on children's preferences and tested whether age (and gender) moderated the effects of ad exposure. The sample consisted of 133 children between the ages of five and eleven. Results indicated that exposure to food commercials increased children's preferences for the advertised products. Age did not moderate this effect; younger and older children were equally persuaded by the commercials. Boys were more influenced by the commercials than girls. Implications for the study of food marketing to children are discussed.
Children's Healthy Weight and the School Environment
Authors: Leviton Laura C.
Published: January 2008

As people became aware of the epidemic of childhood obesity, policy makers and public health practitioners called for the schools to change their environments to encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity. This article describes recent policy developments and clarifies what can and cannot be expected of schools based on existing and emerging evidence for prevention of childhood obesity.
Assessing the Feasibility and Impact of Federal Childhood Obesity Policies
Authors: Brescoll Victoria L. , Kersh Rogan , Brownell Kelly D.
Published: January 2008

Research on childhood obesity has primarily been conducted by experts in nutrition, psychology, and medicine. Only recently have public policy scholars devoted serious work to this burgeoning public health crisis. Here the authors advance that research by surveying national experts in health/nutrition and health policy on the public health impact and the political feasibility of fifty-one federal policy options for addressing childhood obesity. Policies that were viewed as politically infeasible but having a great impact on childhood obesity emphasized outright bans on certain activities. In contrast, education and information dissemination policies were viewed as having the potential to receive a favorable hearing from national policy makers but little potential public health impact. Both nutrition and policy experts believed that increasing funding for research would be beneficial and politically feasible. A central need for the field is to develop the means to make high-impact policies more politically feasible.
Childhood Obesity Prevention: Successful Community-Based Efforts
Authors: DeMattia Laure , Lee Denney Shannon
Published: January 2008

One out of every three children is overweight. Obesity is linked to increased risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, liver disease, hypertension, and heart disease. As the numbers of children with chronic disease goes up, so will the strain on the U.S. health care system, including the cost of health care. The Ecological Model of Childhood Overweight allows one to consider how an individual child's weight is influenced by characteristics ranging from the individual to the society. This article focuses on community characteristics that interact with children's weight status. It reviews community-based programs and whether they are successfully slowing the rate of childhood obesity, including demonstrations of recipe preparation, community gardens, and school-based curricula. It concludes with suggestions for intervention efforts and funding priorities focusing on high-risk populations of low-income overweight women of childbearing years. Interventions that occur during preconception may be true primary prevention of childhood obesity.
Giftedness of Chinese Students in Hong Kong: Perspectives From Different Conceptions of Intelligences
Authors: Chan David W.
Published: January 2008

This study examined the self-perceived intelligences (multiple intelligences, emotional intelligence, and successful intelligence) of 498 Chinese gifted students in Hong Kong. Based on the associations among perceived intelligence scores, three dimensions could be distinguished to describe giftedness and could be interpreted as global giftedness, socioemotional giftedness, and artistic giftedness. Using profiles of perceived intelligences, students could be classified as falling into four clusters of supersmart students, socioemotionally gifted students, modest gifted students, and artistically gifted students. The supersmart students engaged in more activities related to leadership and creativity than the other clusters of students, with the modest gifted students reporting the least engagement. The supersmart students, however, were rated by teachers as less emotionally mature, showing less concern for others, and more likely to have behavioral conduct problems than the socioemotionally gifted students. Implications of the findings for conceptualizing giftedness and working with different groups of gifted students are discussed.
From Primary Goods to Capabilities
Authors: Nelson Eric
Published: January 2008

The capability approach to distributive justice, as defended by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, represents perhaps the most influential recent attempt to reconcile the competing demands of liberty and equality. Specifically, capability theorists have claimed that their insistence on the universal cultivation of a set of capabilities for basic human “functionings” is fully consistent with a liberal neutrality commitment. Their reason is that these capabilities are, like Rawls's primary goods, rational to want “whatever else one wants.” This article suggests, in contrast, that the capability approach fails to satisfy the neutrality requirement endorsed by both Sen and Nussbaum. It further suggests that the non-neutral character of the approach reflects its Rawlsian lineage, and raises serious doubts about the coherence of Rawls's account of primary goods.
Being the Good Soldier
Authors: Lambert Eric G. , Hogan Nancy L. , Griffin Marie L.
Published: January 2008

Correctional institutions rely on staff to accomplish a variety of tasks and objectives to ensure the safety and security of society. A significant body of research has focused on characteristics and attitudes of correctional staff to uncover positive work outcomes. One area that rarely appears in the correctional literature is organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), which refers to those prosocial work behaviors in which employees engage that reflect extra effort and benefit the organization. This study examined the influence of work environment variables (i.e., organizational commitment, job stress, and job involvement) and individual-level characteristics on OCB. The results indicate that organizational citizenship behavior is affected by both organizational commitment and job stress. Findings are discussed in terms of possible policy implications for correctional organizations as well as the need to examine further the reciprocal nature of the employee/employer relationship.
Denial and Minimization Among Sexual Offenders
Authors: Langton Calvin M. , Barbaree Howard E. , Harkins Leigh , Arenovich Tamara , Mcnamee Jim , Peacock Edward J. , Dalton Andrea , Hansen Kevin T. , Luong Duyen , Marcon Heidi
Published: January 2008

The relationship between sexual recidivism and posttreatment denial and minimization was examined among 436 sex offenders followed up for an average period of more than 5 years. Treatment completion status and psychopathic traits, both established predictors of sexual recidivism also associated with denial and minimization, were included in survival analyses to remove their confounding influence on the focal relationships. The potential role of actuarial risk as a moderating variable was also investigated. A dichotomous variable reflecting denial and minimization failed to predict sexual recidivism. However, among a subset of 102 sex offenders who received no additional treatment after completing an initial program, the interaction between actuarial risk and scores on a continuous measure of minimization predicted sexual recidivism. Implications for assessment, particularly the need to move beyond dichotomous operationalizations of denial and minimization, and treatment were discussed.
“Women Could Be Every Bit As Good As Guys”
Authors: Laurendeau Jason , Sharara Nancy
Published: January 2008

This article examines two action sports—skydiving and snowboarding—as cases of women on men's turf and explores the construction of gender in the ways women negotiate space in these male-dominated arenas. It investigates some of the ways in which women's participation in these activities is constrained and the strategies women employ to carve out spaces for themselves in these sporting contexts. Women in both sports tend to engage in strategies rooted in middle-class and liberal notions of resistance. Most of these exemplify what researchers have called “reproductive agency.” Some strategies, however, seem to exemplify “resistant agency.” The article explores the potential of these strategies to bring about meaningful social change.
The Print Media Coverage of Skiing and Snowboarding in Britain
Authors: Stone Jacqui , Horne John
Published: January 2008

Content analyses of sport in the media have primarily focused on mainstream sports or major sporting events, and few have looked at winter sports or studied the print media in Britain. This article seeks to address this gap by examining the British print media portrayal of athletes representing Snowsport GB—the national governing body for skiing and snowboarding—in the season 2004—2005. Concentrating on themes common to other media content analyses and some that have not been widely explored before—gender, stardom and risk—this article analyses representations of British male and female skiers and snowboarders. Differences in coverage according to type of snowsport (skiing or snowboarding) are identified and recommendations for further research into the media coverage of snowsport in Britain are made.
Local Media Coverage of Sports Stadium Initiatives
Authors: Delaney Kevin , Eckstein Rick
Published: January 2008

This article empirically investigates media coverage of 23 publicly financed stadium projects in 16 U.S. cities. Typically, media coverage uncritically supports these initiatives but, occasionally, it offers a far more critical view. In addition, the media in many cities take a “hybrid” approach, which is neither completely critical nor uncritical of these projects. The authors contend that media approaches matter a great deal in helping or hindering a stadium initiative. However, this impact is highly dependent on the unity and strength of the city's local growth coalition, which usually develops and champions these projects. A relatively critical media can seriously impede a stadium project, but only when the local growth coalition is weak or fragmented. Conversely, an uncritical media often becomes the primary institutional booster of stadium projects in cities with a weak growth coalition.
From Straight to Gaie? Quebec Sportswomen's Discursive Constructions of Sexuality and Destabilization of the Linear Coming Out Process
Authors: Ravel Barbara , Rail Geneviève
Published: January 2008

Sport is often perceived as affected by heteronormativity; however, it also seems to facilitate the expression of nonconventional sexualities. In this article, the authors explore the narratives of 14 young Francophone sportswomen from Montreal (Quebec, Canada) who identify themselves as “ gaie,” “lesbian,” “bisexual,” or refuse labels altogether. A feminist poststructuralist approach is used to examine their discursive constructions of gender, sexuality, and sport. More specifically, the article aims to investigate the coming out process and the expression of nonconventional sexualities in sport. In line with queer theory, the findings challenge the heterosexual/homosexual binary, the idea of a fixed sexuality, and the linearity of the coming out process. The results also suggest that the coming out process and the expression of nonnormative sexualities may be influenced by sport.
Future Time in Microeconomics: An Alternate Approach to its Study
Authors: McDermott John F.M.
Published: January 2008

The article is an immanent critique of mainstream microeconomics, particularly of its treatment of time. In support of that, a behavioral microeconomic paradigm is formulated. The article includes an analysis of sets of transactions that require positive time intervals for their completion such that they are not comprehended within Arrow-Hahn general equilibria criteria. JEL classification: B21, B41, D50
Cooperatives, Labor, and the State: The English Labor Economists Revisited
Authors: Davis Peter , Parker Martin
Published: January 2008

The article attempts to reopen a discussion about the legacy of the English labor economists. In the past they have been essentially seen as utopian radicals who predated Marx in certain respects but were superseded by his mature analysis. The authors claim that it is important to re-examine the validity of this position and suggest that in many respects the English labor economists have been misrepresented. Contemporary conditions also make this an important issue because both social democrats and anti-state radicals are now examining the market-based and voluntarist associational strategies first put forward by Hodgskin, Thompson, and Bray. The article also examines their emphasis on issues of the role of intellectual labor and collective self-help and suggests that this might help us understand why worker associations have found it difficult to compete in the market economy. The article ends with a call for a much wider and sustained research interest into the contemporary global cooperative movement, which the paper claims is a modern heir to the English labor economists' ideas.

JEL classification: B14, B31, P13
Social Inequalities, Social Capital, and Health of Canadians
Authors: Reza Nakhaie M. , Smylie Lisa K. , Arnold Robert
Published: January 2008

Research has demonstrated that social inequality affects public health. Social capital theory has shown that social exchange, social contacts, and social support are also important. We test social inequality and social capital, using the data from the National Population Health Survey, 1996—7. We find weak support for capital theory and show that effects often depend on measures of social capital and health. Social capital appears less useful in explaining the health status of Canadians.

JEL classification : I10, I18, D63
Are Girls Really Becoming More Violent? A Critical Analysis
Authors: Luke Katherine P.
Published: January 2008

This article analyzes the current debate over whether girls' violence is increasing. An examination of the evidence and arguments reveals that public and professional concern over girls' violence is more reflective of cultural anxiety over changing social norms regarding race and gender than an actual increase in girls' violence. Thus, there is a need to expand the existing terms of this debate and challenge assumptions about the relationship between violence and masculinity. The author calls for greater involvement of social work education, practice, and research in the issues surrounding girls' violence.
Eugenics, “Degenerate Girls,” and Social Workers During the Progressive Era
Authors: Kennedy Angie C.
Published: January 2008

The U.S. eugenics movement, which sought to encourage the “wellborn” to have children and actively discourage and even prohibit the “unfit” from having children, became increasingly popular and influential during the Progressive Era, shaping public discourse, emerging social work practice approaches, and state and federal public policy. This article details the eugenics movement; examines why young women, particularly those who were poor, non-Anglo-Saxon, and living in urban areas, were targeted as the key to preventing the unfit from propagating; and explores the relationship between eugenics and early social workers, focusing particular attention on their work with young women.
Civil Unions and the Recognition of Lesbian Relationships
Authors: Madill Marg
Published: January 2008

Since April 26, 2005, women in same-sex relationships in Aotearoa/New Zealand have been able to enter into civil unions. This article reflects on the Civil Union Bill as a means of recognizing the diversity of lesbian families and relationships. There has been little critical exploration of the bill in Aotearoa/New Zealand; however, the development of such scholarship here and internationally is necessary. Such reflection is relevant to the social work profession because it widely claims to recognize and be inclusive of diverse forms of families and relationships.
Running the Routes Together
Authors: Collinson Jacquelyn Allen
Published: January 2008

The mundane, concrete practices of social life have remained underanalyzed, unproblematized, even taken for granted by some social theorists, despite their being constitutive of the very foundation of social life. Despite a growing corpus of ethnographic studies within the sociology of sport, little analytic attention has been devoted to the concrete practices of actually “doing” sporting activity. Based on data derived from a collaborative auto-ethnographic study of distance runners, this article analyzes the ways in which two runners jointly accomplish running-together. The article also examines and “marks” some of the knowledge in action that underpins the production of running-together, analyzed in relation to three specific areas: ground and performance, safety concerns, and “the other,” in the form of training partner(s), highlighting the importance of aural and visual components. It concludes with a call for more detailed analytic descriptions of sporting practices to better ground more abstract generalizations about sporting phenomena.
Writing History for Eternity
Authors: Prus Robert
Published: January 2008

Whereas ethnography is generally envisioned as a nineteenth- and twentieth-century development, a text on How to Write History developed by Lucian (a Greek-speaking Syrian in the classical Roman era) provides an instructive reference point for contemporary scholarship. Envisioning history as an account of some event or developmental feature of community life, Lucian insists that these accounts will be of greatest value when written for posterity rather than “the historical moment.” While identifying a number of lesser flaws and more substantial failures in people's attempts to develop histories, Lucian also indicates how these projects might more viably be pursued. Approaching Lucian's text as an instance of transhistorical scholarship as well as a cross-cultural reference point for ethnographic analysis and building on a somewhat parallel commentary developed by Michael Schwalbe (1995), this article considers the lessons of both statements for contemporary considerations of human group life.
Images of Life
Authors: Rampton Tammy B. , Rosemann Jessica L. , Latta Aimee L. , Mandleco Barbara L. , Olsen Roper Susanne , Dyches Tina T.
Published: January 2008

This qualitative, descriptive study used photography to capture important symbols in the lives of 16 siblings living in families raising a child with Down syndrome (CWDS). Content analysis revealed two categories: people/nonpeople. The people category included family members and friends, whereas the non-people category included objects, animals, and buildings. Similarities/differences also were noted according to age and gender. Seven- to 9-year-olds took more snapshots of themselves and their parents than did the other age groups; the 10-to 12-year-olds and 13- to 15-year-olds took more photographs of the CWDS than did the younger age group. Female siblings took more snapshots of their typically developing brothers/sisters, family members in mixed groups, and people not in their family than did male siblings. Male siblings took more photographs of their parents and themselves. Results validate the importance of gathering qualitative data from children and confirm the use of photography as one of these methods.
Mothering During War and Postwar in Bosnia
Authors: Robertson Cheryl Lee , Duckett Laura
Published: January 2008

The study aim was to describe displaced Bosnian mothers' experiences caring for their children during and immediately after the war (1992-1995). Mothers described their progression into war, through war, and into vastly changed lives. Using ethnographic methods, narrative data were collected near Sarajevo, Bosnia, from 14 displaced women who participated in one to three interviews each between 1996 and 1999. Data from the semistructured interviews were analyzed to determine patterns in participants' descriptions of mothering during war. Four common themes of mothering were identified in the data: “on the move,” “I have to feed them,” “living somewhere in between,” and “still living the war inside.” As care providers and policy makers develop initiatives to improve the health of women and children during complex humanitarian emergencies, there is much to learn from the narratives of Bosnian women about their extraordinary struggle to protect the lives of their children amid violence and loss.
California's Infrastructure Deficit
Authors: Crane David
Published: January 2008

There is a gap between the needs of California's economy, the services required for its citizens, and the capacity of its existing infrastructure. California's transportation systems, water systems, courts, fire and police stations, prisons, and other forms of infrastructure were built for 25 million people, but the state has a population of 37 million now and is projected to grow to 60 million by 2050. It is clear that California needs to consider these and all other reasonable forms of financing to rebuild its infrastructure.
Analysis of the Impacts of the Number of Bidders Upon Bid Values
Authors: Sheng Li  , Foulger Joshua R. , Philips Peter W.
Published: January 2008

During the past decade in the United States, many public owners have implemented contractor prequalification criteria to increase the probability of building projects being completed on time, within budget and according to specifications. However, restricting the number of bidders runs the risk of reducing competitive pressures and increasing the accepted bid price. In an analysis of 927 building projects in Utah, this research finds that owners can partially offset the effect of a reduced number of bidders by timing their projects to seasonal or cyclical periods of construction slowdown or by bundling their projects together into a single, larger project.
Trainee teachers' understanding of content/language connections
Authors: Silver Rita Elaine
Published: January 2008

The developing understandings of teacher-trainees of language and content connections in `subject' teaching in Singapore's bilingual primary schools are explored in this article. I narrate the development of the project, the trainee responses, and my own reflections on the process. Throughout, I take an Exploratory Practice (Allwright, 2003) stance by attempting to understand teacher-trainee understanding, to adopt a more collegial attitude in the teacher-trainer/teacher-trainee relationship, and to integrate appropriate research methods with relevant teacher training activities.
The Myopathy of Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease: Part 1. Functional and Histomorphological Changes and Evidence for Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Authors: Pipinos Iraklis I. , Judge Andrew R. , Selsby Joshua T. , Zhen Zhu  , Swanson Stanley A. , Nella Aikaterini A. , Dodd Stephen L.
Published: January 2008

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that a myopathy is present, contributes, and, to a certain extent, determines the pathogenesis of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD). These works provide evidence that a state of repetitive cycles of exercise-induced ischemia followed by reperfusion at rest operates in PAD patients and mediates a large number of structural and metabolic changes in the muscle, resulting in reduced strength and function. The key players in this process appear to be defective mitochondria that, through multilevel failure in their roles as energy, oxygen radical species, and apoptosis regulators, produce and sustain a progressive decline in muscle performance. In this 2-part review, we highlight the currently available evidence that characterizes the nature and mechanisms responsible for this myopathy. In part 1, the authors review the functional and histomorphological characteristics of the myopathy and focus on the biochemistry and bioenergetics of its mitochondriopathy. In part 2, they then review accumulating evidence that oxidative stress related to ischemia reperfusion is probably the major operating mechanism of PAD myopathy. Important new findings of a possible neuropathy and a shift in muscle fiber type are also reviewed. Learning more about these mechanisms will enhance our understanding of the degree to which they are preventable and treatable.
State of the Art Reviews: Methods of Evaluation: Issues and Implications for Physical Activity Referral Schemes
Authors: Gidlow Christopher , Johnston Lynne H. , Crone Diane , James David V. B.
Published: January 2008

In the pursuit of evidence-based practice, the common focus on controlled research within physical activity and health promotion has created a restricted view of the acceptable type of evidence on which practice should be based. To improve our understanding of physical activity (and other behavioral) interventions, a more holistic approach to evaluation is required. In the context of physical activity referral schemes, this article considers the implications of adhering to this narrow definition of “acceptable” evidence and the importance of recognizing alternative evaluative approaches.
State of the Art Reviews: Development of Fitness in Children: The Influence of Gender and Physical Activity
Authors: Keller Betsy A.
Published: January 2008

The influences of gender and physical activity on the development of fitness are reviewed from early childhood to late adolescence. Changes in parameters of fitness prior to puberty are driven predominantly by neuroendocrine-mediated factors, although physical activity level may be influenced largely by sociocultural factors prior to and following puberty. Thus, it is still unclear to what extent environment versus genetics accounts for gender differences in fitness. Future studies need to account for all factors known to explain gender differences in fitness to better differentiate intrinsic versus environmental causes. Consequently, one must consider if and to what extent a gender comparison study actually reveals true, inherent gender differences compared with sociocultural and/or cultural influences. Nevertheless, differences in fitness between girls and boys that are influenced by sociocultural factors should be considered when devising programs to promote physical activity and enhance fitness in youth. Fundamentally, the role of parents and primary caregivers in modeling physical activity and influencing the fitness level of their child cannot be overestimated.
State of the Art Reviews: The Oatmeal-Cholesterol Connection: 10 Years Later
Authors: Andon Mark B. , Anderson James W.
Published: January 2008

Ten years have passed since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed their review of the literature pertaining to the consumption of whole-oat sources of soluble fiber and a reduction in blood cholesterol concentrations. Since that time, data have continued to accumulate regarding oat-soluble fiber consumption, cholesterol, and other physiologic vectors related to cardiovascular health. The objective of this review was to compare the findings of more contemporary analyses of the oat and cholesterol-reduction literature to determine if newer information is consistent with the original conclusion reached by the FDA. A number of formal assessments have been conducted subsequent to the FDA review, and virtually all have reached the same conclusion, namely, consumption of oats and oat-based products significantly reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations without adverse effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or triglyceride concentrations. In addition, a number of new insights about the potential benefits of oats have emerged over the past 10 years. These more recent data indicate that including oats and oat-based products as part of a lifestyle management program may confer health benefits that extend beyond total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction.
Pharmacy Review: Promoting Physical Activity in Youth: A Pharmacist's Reflections
Authors: Prevost Rebecca R.
Published: January 2008

Pharmacists have the unique opportunity to promote physical activity as an obesity prevention lifestyle measure while providing medication counseling. Common childhood disorders treated with medications include asthma, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, juvenile arthritis, and mental disorders. Medications are always associated with benefits and risks; in some situations, the medication may allow a child to enjoy physical activity that otherwise might not be possible. In other situations, the medication may cause side effects that could result in physical limitations. Educational efforts on the benefits of physical activity to reduce the risk of chronic disease must be enhanced.
Physical Activity: The Epidemic of Obesity and Overweight Among Youth: Trends, Consequences, and Interventions
Authors: LaFontaine Tom
Published: January 2008

Childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity are an epidemic problem in the United States. Studies show that approximately one third of youth are overweight or obese, representing a tripling since the 1960s and 1970s. The average male and female adult in the United States has gained 25 lbs and 24 lbs, respectively, since 1962. The body mass index of the average adult has increased from 25 to 28. Among youth, the average body mass index has increased from 21.3 to 24.1 since 1963. This increase in bodyweight among adults and youth is partially due to the decreased levels of physical activity. The economic and health consequences of this epidemic are enormous. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, a disease that was rare among youth 20 to 30 years ago, now represents as many as 45% of all cases of diabetes among youth. Cardiovascular risk factors are worsened in overweight and obese youth, and early evidence of atherosclerosis manifested by endothelial dysfunction and increased coronary artery calcium is present in a high percentage of overweight youth. Numerous psychosocial problems also are increased among overweight and obese youth. However, there are numerous examples in the scientific literature of successful approaches to the prevention and management of overweight and obesity in youth. This article summarizes statistics concerning the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity among youth; discusses the numerous physical and psychosocial consequences of overweight and obesity among youth; and presents information regarding interventions that have been demonstrated to be effective in preventing childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity.
Parametric studies of welding distortion in fillet welded structure based on FEA using iterative substructure method
Authors: Zhang L.J. , Zhang J.X. , Serizawa H. , Murakawa H.
Published: January 2008

Using an in house finite element (FE) code developed based on the idea of iterative substructure method (ISM), this paper presents a numerical study to evaluate the effects of welding sequence, fixture condition and prestrain on the residual welding distortion in a fillet welded structure. The results show that welding sequence has appreciable influence on residual distortion, appropriate fixture can greatly reduce angular distortion in the workpiece and application of prestrain can significantly reduce the residual distortion. Taking advantage of the high efficiency of ISM, the optimum scheme of prestrain has been numerically predicted within practical time based on a systematic investigation.
Effect of oxygen content in He–O2 shielding gas on weld shape in ultra deep penetration TIG
Authors: Lu S.P. , Fujii H. , Nogi K. , Sato T.
Published: January 2008

The effect of the shielding gas concentration on the weld shape was studied for the moving bead on plate TIG welding of SUS304 stainless steel under He–O2 mixed shielding. The small addition of oxygen to the helium base shielding gas can precisely control the oxygen content in a liquid pool and the weld shape. Oxygen is a surface active element for stainless steel. When the oxygen content in the liquid pool is above the critical value of ∼ 70 ppm, the weld shape suddenly changes from a wide shallow type to a deep narrow one due to the change in the Marangoni convection from the outward to inward direction on the liquid pool surface. Weld shape variations influenced by the welding parameters including welding speed, welding current and electrode tip work distance under pure He and He–0.4%O2 mixed gas shielding were systematically investigated. The investigation results showed that the final shape of the TIG weld depends to a large extent on the pattern and magnitude of the Marangoni convection on the pool surface, which is governed by the combined effect of the oxygen content in a liquid pool, temperature coefficient of the surface tension (dσ s/d T) and the temperature gradient on the pool surface (d T/d r, r is the radius of the weld pool surface). It is considered that the change in welding parameters alters the temperature distribution and gradient on the pool surface, and thus, affects the magnitude of the Marangoni convection and final weld shape.
Shielding gas brazing of martensitic stainless steel with copper free silver based filler metals
Authors: Leinenbach C. , Gelder N. , Bissig V. , Gattiker F. , Klotz U.E.
Published: January 2008

In the present work, the applicability of the copper free silver based alloys Ag–15Mn and Ag–5Pd as filler metals for shielding gas brazing of the martensitic stainless steel X3CrNiMo13-4 was investigated. The joints were examined with respect to their microstructure, their corrosion behaviour in aequous NaCl solution as well as – in the case of the specimens brazed with AgPd5 – their mechanical performance under tensile and torsion loading. Specimens brazed with Ag– 15Mn showed pronounced oxidation in the Ar/H2 shielding gas atmosphere as well as a low corrosion resistance in 0 ? 5M NaCl solution. The filler metal Ag–5Pd showed very good brazing results. With this filler metal, defect free and corrosion resistant joints with an ultimate tensile strength of 800 MPa and a low cycle fatigue strength of 490 MPa could be produced.
Friction welding – critical assessment of literature
Authors: Maalekian M.
Published: January 2008

Friction welding is now well established as a means of joining many different types of materials, because it has proved itself to be a reliable and economical way of producing high quality welds. The present paper introduces different friction welding processes, their advantages and shortcomings. The history of friction welding and typical applications are also reviewed. In the context of friction welding, a number of subjects, such as frictional behaviour, joining mechanism, interface temperature and heat generation, still exist, where different concepts for explanation of the physical mechanisms have been proposed by different investigators. To clarify some inconsistencies in the interpretation of the friction welding process, a thorough review and critical assessment of the literature associated with this process is attempted.
Radial basis function neural network model based prediction of weld plate distortion due to pulsed metal inert gas welding
Authors: Pal S. , Pal S.K. , Samantaray A.K.
Published: January 2008

Welding shrinkage and distortion affect the shape, dimensional accuracy and strength of the finished product. This work concerns the prediction of welding distortion in a pulsed metal inert gas welding (PMIGW) process. Six different types of radial basis function network (RBFN) models have been developed to predict the distortion of welded plates. Six process parameters, namely, pulse voltage, background voltage, pulse duty factor, pulse frequency, wire feed rate and the welding speed, along with the root mean square (RMS) values of two sensor signals, namely, the welding current and the voltage signals, are used as input variables of these models. The angular distortion and the transverse shrinkage of the welded plate are considered as the output variables. Inclusion of sensor signals in the models, as developed in this work, results in better output prediction.
Effect of variable electrode force on weld quality in resistance spot welding
Authors: Sun H.T. , Lai X.M. , Zhang Y.S. , Shen J.
Published: January 2008

Resistance spot weldability is defined as the acceptable welding current ranges as determined by the weld lobe in resistance spot welding. Nowadays many studies have focused on the effect of welding current and welding time under constant electrode force on the weld quality and weldability. There is little research on the influence of variable electrode force on the weld quality and weldability because of the difficulty in controlling variable electrode force using pneumatic gun. In the present study, first, the influence of three stages of electrode force, including squeeze force, welding force and forging force, on the quality of welds is analysed. Then a design of experiment approach is applied to analyse the influence of the three stages of electrode force on welding quality and thus to obtain optimum parameter of variable electrode force by controlling the electrode force with servo gun. The comparisons of tensile shear strength, nugget size, weld lobe width and wear rate of electrode tip between variable force and constant force are carried out. The results show that the weld quality and weldability can be increased evidently using optimum parameter of variable electrode force without accelerating the electrode wear rate.
Microstructural and flow characteristics of friction stir welded aluminium 6061-T6 extrusions
Authors: Hamilton C. , Dymek S. , Blicharski M. , Brzegowy W.
Published: January 2008

Tin plated 6061-T6 Al extrusions were friction stir welded in a 90° butt weld configuration. A banded microstructure of interleaved layers of particle rich and particle poor material comprised the weld nugget. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the strong presence of tin within the particle rich bands, but TEM foils taken from other microstructural regions showed no indication of Sn containing phases. Since tin is limited to the surface of the preweld extrusions, surface material flowed into the nugget region to form the particle rich bands, while the particle poor bands originated from material within the extrusion thickness. The morphology of the principle strengthening phases indicated the relative temperature profile across the welded joint, and hardness profiles of as welded specimens consistently displayed the lowest hardness on the retreating side. Specimens that were solution heat treated and aged after welding revealed a normalised hardness profile across the weld.
Medicare Coverage, Medicare Costs, and Medical Technology
Authors: Ruby Gloria , Banta H. David , Burns Anne Kesselman
Published: January 2008

One possible approach to containing Medicare costs involves explicit changes in Medicare's coverage policy with respect to medical technology. This paper first describes the development and diffusion of medical technology in general and then describes how technologies are identified, assessed, and approved for payment by Medicare. Currently, cost is neither a criterion nor an explicit issue in coverage decisions, although coverage policy is an integral part of payment policy. A combination of policies to reduce the rates of adoption and use of certain technologies is needed–including cost considerations in technology assessments for coverage decisions, limiting diffusion of technology to certain providers and sites, limiting utilization to certain indications, and tightening administrative processes. Finally, the interaction between coverage policy and DRG payment needs to be explored more thoroughly.
Politics and Bioethical Commissions: “Muddling Through” And the “Slippery Slope”
Authors: Mendeloff John
Published: January 2008

When they have addressed highly controversial subjects, the bioethical commissions of the last decade have tended to avoid explaining the ethical justifications for their recommendations. This omission is consistent with the typical preference of policymakers for “muddling through” because it is often possible to reach agreement on specific decisions even when disagreeing sharply on principles. In bioethical policy, this omission of reasons has some special consequences. It allows commission members to ignore “slippery slope” arguments, which are based on the claim that the logic of justification adopted to address the current problem will ultimately lead us to great harms. Case-by-case decision-making– along with the omission of reasons for decisions–will tend to highlight the benefits of innovation, and downplay possible long-term effects that might be ethically upsetting.
A Proposal for Cadaver Organ Procurement: Routine Removal with Right of Informed Refusal
Authors: Matas Arthur J. , Arras John , Muyskens James , Tellis Vivian , Veith Frank J.
Published: January 2008

In order to alleviate the shortage of vital organs for transplant, we propose a system of routine removal of cadaver organs with an option of informed refusal by family. Unless an individual registered an objection during his or her lifetime, or unless the family objected to the procedure, clinicians would be permitted routinely to salvage vital organs for transplant. Our proposal charts a middle path between the current ineffective policy based on “encouraged voluntarism” and “presumed consent” policies that promise effectiveness at the cost of violating traditional ethical and legal principles. In this article, we analyze the failure of the current regime, articulate a policy of routine removal subject to the right of informed refusal, and defend this policy against several possible objections.
Organized Medicine and Scandinavian Professional Unionism: Hospital Policies and Exit Options in Denmark and Sweden
Authors: Heidenheimer Arnold J. , Johansen Lars Nørby
Published: January 2008

Strikes by junior hospital doctors over the issue of on-call remuneration in Denmark and Sweden in 1981 are analyzed to clarify the impact of public-sector cost-control policies on intra- and interprofessional solidarity within the Scandinavian professional peak associations. The junior doctors' grievances could find expression either through increased “voice” within the medical negotiating machinery, or by pursuing the exit option in having the medical associations quit the peak associations. The article explains why the “exit” option was selected in Denmark, while in Sweden the granting of additional voice helped persuade the medical association to withdraw its exit threat and to remain within the peak association. The two cases are interpreted as presaging a divergence in the paths being taken by the various Scandinavian welfare states.