bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adaptive management: where are we now?
Authors: RIST LUCY , CAMPBELL BRUCE M. , FROST PETER 
Published: August 2012

SUMMARYAdaptive management (AM) emerged in the literature in the mid-1970s in response both to a realization of the extent of uncertainty involved in management, and a frustration with attempts to use modelling to integrate knowledge and make predictions. The term has since become increasingly widely used in scientific articles, policy documents and management plans, but both understanding and application of the concept is mixed. This paper reviews recent literature from conservation and natural resource management journals to assess diversity in how the term is used, highlight ambiguities and consider how the concept might be further assessed. AM is currently being used to describe many different management contexts, scales and locations. Few authors define the term explicitly or describe how it offers a means to improve management outcomes in their specific management context. Many do not adhere to the idea as it was originally conceived, despite citing seminal work. Significant confusion exists over the distinction between active and passive approaches. Over half of the studies reporting to implement AM claimed to have done so successfully, yet none quantified specific benefits, or costs, in relation to possible alternatives. Similarly those studies reporting to assess the approach did so only in relation to specific models and their parameterizations; none assessed the benefits or costs of AM in the field. AM is regarded by some as an effective and well-established framework to support the management of natural resources, yet by others as a concept difficult to realize and fraught with implementation challenges; neither of these observations is wholly accurate. From a scientific and technical perspective many practical questions remain; in particular real-world assessments of the value of experimentation within a management framework, as well as of identified challenges and pathologies, are needed. Further discussion and systematic assessment of the approach is required, together with greater attention to its definition and description, enabling the assessment of new approaches to managing uncertainty, and AM itself.
Agricultural subsidies and forest clearing in Malawi
Authors: CHIBWANA CHRISTOPHER , JUMBE CHARLES B.L. , SHIVELY GERALD 
Published: August 2012

SUMMARYForests are an important source of environmental services and livelihoods in Africa, thus it is important to determine potential drivers of forest loss. Over recent decades, forest cover has been declining steadily in Malawi. This paper attempts to evaluate the influence of agricultural input subsidies on forest conversion in Malawi. A two-stage regression model analysis of 2009 farm survey data from Chimaliro and Liwonde Forest reserves in Kasungu and Machinga districts, respectively, did not reveal direct evidence of policy-induced forest clearing for agricultural expansion. Instead, subsidy-induced agricultural intensification of food crops, especially maize, appeared to have reduced the rate and extent of forest clearing among households in Malawi compared with households not benefiting from subsidies. However, indirect negative impacts on forests arose due to offtake of trees to construct drying sheds for tobacco, a local cash crop. These findings have implications for designing strategies for simultaneously conserving forests while promoting food security in rural areas, and shed light on the direct and indirect effects of input subsidies.
Examining the relationship between completeness of teachers’ implementation of the Krachtvoer healthy diet programme and changes in students’ dietary intakes
Authors: Bessems Kathelijne MHH , van Assema Patricia , Crutzen Rik , Paulussen Theo GWM , de Vries Nanne K 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveThe goal of the current study was to examine if the completeness of programme implementation and the completeness of implementation of specific programme elements of the Dutch school-based healthy diet promotion programme Krachtvoer are related to short- and longer-term changes in students’ fruit, sweets and breakfast intakes.DesignData on students’ dietary intakes were collected 1–4 weeks and 6 months after programme implementation. Teachers filled in a logbook on programme implementation after each lesson. The relationships between changes in students’ dietary intakes and completeness of implementation of the programme and of specific programme elements were tested using mixed linear regression analyses.SettingThirteen Dutch prevocational schools.SubjectsEight hundred and seventy-six of the 1117 participating students and eighteen of the twenty-two participating teachers.ResultsCompleteness of programme implementation was positively related to an increase in fruit consumption in the short term. Completeness of implementation of food exposure activities and a practical lesson on advertisements were related to an increase in fruit consumption in the short as well as the longer term. No such relationships were found for sweets and breakfast consumption.ConclusionsOur results indicate that efforts should be made to help teachers implement the programme as fully as possible.
A cluster analysis of patterns of objectively measured physical activity in Hong Kong
Authors: Lee Paul H , Yu Ying-Ying , McDowell Ian , Leung Gabriel M , Lam TH 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveThe health benefits of exercise are clear. In targeting interventions it would be valuable to know whether characteristic patterns of physical activity (PA) are associated with particular population subgroups. The present study used cluster analysis to identify characteristic hourly PA patterns measured by accelerometer.DesignCross-sectional design.SettingObjectively measured PA in Hong Kong adults.SubjectsFour-day accelerometer data were collected during 2009 to 2011 for 1714 participants in Hong Kong (mean age 44·2 years, 45·9 % male).ResultsTwo clusters were identified, one more active than the other. The ‘active cluster’ (n 480) was characterized by a routine PA pattern on weekdays and a more active and varied pattern on weekends; the other, the ‘less active cluster’ (n 1234), by a consistently low PA pattern on both weekdays and weekends with little variation from day to day. Demographic, lifestyle, PA level and health characteristics of the two clusters were compared. They differed in age, sex, smoking, income and level of PA required at work. The odds of having any chronic health conditions was lower for the active group (adjusted OR = 0·62, 95 % CI 0·46, 0·84) but the two groups did not differ in terms of specific chronic health conditions or obesity.ConclusionsImplications are drawn for targeting exercise promotion programmes at the population level.
Efficacy of oral iron therapy in improving the developmental outcome of pre-school children with non-anaemic iron deficiency: a systematic review
Authors: Abdullah Kawsari , Kendzerska Tetyana , Shah Prakesh , Uleryk Elizabeth , Parkin Patricia C 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of oral Fe therapy in pre-school children (1–5 years) with non-anaemic Fe deficiency, determined by children's developmental and haematological status and the incidence of reported side-effects.DesignA random-effects model was used to show mean differences with 95 % confidence intervals of developmental and haematological scores between Fe-treated and non-treated groups.SettingMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library and bibliographies of identified articles were searched up to September 2011. Randomized and observational studies were assessed by two reviewers independently. Quality of the trials was assessed on the basis of concealment of allocation, method of randomization, masking of outcome assessment and completeness of follow-up.SubjectsFrom the titles of 743 articles, full text review was completed on forty-six and two randomized trials of acceptable quality met the inclusion criteria. The two trials included a total of sixty-nine children.ResultsOne study showed a statistically significant difference in the post-treatment Mental Developmental Index score among children who received oral Fe therapyv. no therapy (mean difference = 6·3, 95 % CI 1·5, 11·0,Pvalue not provided). Both studies showed significant improvement in serum ferritin level (μg/l: mean difference = 51·1, 95 % CI 33·6, 68·6,P< 0·01 and mean difference = 17·1, 95 % CI 7·5, 26·6,Pvalue not provided, respectively) in children who received Fe therapy.ConclusionsEvidence is insufficient to recommend oral Fe therapy to children with non-anaemic Fe deficiency. There is urgent need of conducting adequately powered, randomized trials examining the efficacy of oral Fe therapy in pre-school children with non-anaemic Fe deficiency.
Snack frequency: associations with healthy and unhealthy food choices
Authors: Hartmann Christina , Siegrist Michael , van der Horst Klazine 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveWe examined associations between snack frequency, sociodemographic characteristics, BMI, dietary and eating behaviour. In order to identify whether various subgroups of high-frequency snack consumers exist, we investigated underlying food patterns and lifestyle factors.DesignThe data were based on the Swiss Food Panel Questionnaire of 2010, which included an FFQ, questions relating to sociodemographics and lifestyle factors. Data were examined using ANOVA, regression analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Gender differences were also investigated in the analysis of the data.SettingA sample of 6189 adults participating in the Swiss Food Panel filled in a questionnaire (response rate 30 %).SubjectsThe sample consisted of both men and women, with a mean age of 54·4 (sd 13·5) years.ResultsThere was no association between snack frequency and BMI. Consumption frequency of sweets and savouries as well as fruit intake increased with increasing snack frequency. Additionally, three different subgroups of high-frequency snack consumers could be revealed: healthy, moderate and unhealthy dietary-pattern groups. The latter included respondents who were less health-conscious and was characterized by high alcohol consumption frequency, daily breakfast skipping and watching television during the main meal.ConclusionsHigh snack frequency occurred in the context of healthy as well as unhealthy dietary behaviour and lifestyle patterns. Women made healthier dietary food choices and were more likely to consume fruits as snacks, while men chose unhealthy foods, such as sweets and savouries, more often.
Health-care access and weight change among young adults: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study
Authors: Tang Joyce W , Allen Norrina , de Chavez Peter , Goff David C , Kiefe Catarina I , Lewis Cora E , Carnethon Mercedes 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveHealth-care access is associated with improved control of multiple chronic diseases, but the association between health-care access and weight change is unclear. The present study aims to test the association between health-care access and weight change.DesignThe Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study is a multicentre population-based prospective study. Weight change was calculated at 3 and 13 years after CARDIA year 7 (1992–1993). Health-care access was defined as no barriers or one or more barriers to access (health insurance gap, no usual source of care, not seeking care due to expense). Intermediary variables evaluated included history of dieting and use of diet pills, meal replacements or weight-control programmes.SettingFour cities in the USA.SubjectsParticipants were aged 18–30 years at baseline (1985–1986). Analyses include 3922 black and white men and women with relevant data from CARDIA years 7, 10 and 20 (1992–1993, 1995–1996 and 2005–2006, respectively).ResultsMean weight change was +2·22 kg (+4·9 lb) by 3 years and +8·48 kg (+18·7 lb) by 13 years, with no differences by health-care access. Being on a weight-reducing diet was not consistently associated with health-care access across examinations. Use of diet pills, meal replacements or organized weight-control programmes was low, and did not vary by health-care access.ConclusionsWeight gain was high irrespective of health-care access. Public health and clinical approaches are needed to address weight gain.
Public health nutrition workforce development in seven European countries: constraining and enabling factors
Authors: Kugelberg Susanna , Jonsdottir Svandis , Faxelid Elisabeth , Jönsson Kristina , Fox Ann , Thorsdottir Inga , Yngve Agneta 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectivesLittle is known about current public health nutrition workforce development in Europe. The present study aimed to understand constraining and enabling factors to workforce development in seven European countries.DesignA qualitative study comprised of semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted and content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed interview data.SettingThe study was carried out in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.SubjectsSixty key informants participated in the study.ResultsThere are constraining and enabling factors for public health nutrition workforce development. The main constraining factors relate to the lack of a supportive policy environment, fragmented organizational structures and a workforce that is not cohesive enough to implement public health nutrition strategic initiatives. Enabling factors were identified as the presence of skilled and dedicated individuals who assume roles as leaders and change agents.ConclusionsThere is a need to strengthen coordination between policy and implementation of programmes which may operate across the national to local spectrum. Public health organizations are advised to further define aims and objectives relevant to public health nutrition. Leaders and agents of change will play important roles in fostering intersectorial partnerships, advocating for policy change, establishing professional competencies and developing education and training programmes.
Excessive meat consumption in Brazil: diet quality and environmental impacts
Authors: Carvalho Aline Martins de , César Chester Luiz Galvão , Fisberg Regina Mara , Marchioni Dirce Maria Lobo 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate red and processed meat intake, and the impact meat consumption has on diet quality and the environment.DesignA large cross-sectional health survey performed in São Paulo, Brazil.SettingDiet was assessed by two 24 h dietary recalls. Usual intakes were calculated using the Multiple Source Method. The World Cancer Research Fund recommendation of an average of 71·4 g/d was used as the cut-off point to estimate excessive red and processed meat consumption. To investigate the relationship between meat consumption and diet quality we used the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised. The environmental impact was analysed according to estimates of CO2 equivalent emissions from meat consumption.SubjectsBrazilians (n 1677) aged 19 years and older were studied.ResultsThe mean red and processed meat intake was 138 g/d for men and 81 g/d for women. About 81 % of men and 58 % of women consumed more meat than recommended. Diet quality was inversely associated with excessive meat intake in men. In Brazil alone, greenhouse gas emissions from meat consumption, in 2003, were estimated at approximately 18 071 988 tonnes of CO2 equivalents, representing about 4 % of the total CO2 emitted by agriculture.ConclusionsThe excessive meat intake, associated with poorer diet quality observed, support initiatives and policies advising to reduce red and processed meat intake to within the recommended amounts, as part of a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet.
Does the US Media Have a Liberal Bias?
Authors: Jamieson Kathleen Hall 
Published: August 2012

In Left Turn: How Liberal Bias Distorts The American Mind, Tim Groseclose argues that media effects play a crucial role in American politics. His case rests on three arguments: (1) that journalists tend overwhelmingly to be liberal rather than conservative; (2) that their innate political bias slants their views in empirically measurable ways; and (3) that this bias fundamentally shapes American politics, by bringing US citizens further to the left than they would naturally be. According to Groseclose, in a world where media bias did not exist, American citizens would on average hold views close to those of Ben Stein or Bill O'Reilly. In such a world, John McCain would have defeated Barack Obama by a popular vote margin of 56%—42% in the 2008 presidential election.In making these claims, Groseclose draws on his own research, and on recent media scholarship by both political scientists and economists, making the broader claim that peer-reviewed social science—which seeks to deal with problems such as endogeneity and selection bias—should be the starting point for public arguments about the role of the media. His book, then, is clearly an effort to bring social scientific arguments into mainstream debates. Groseclose makes no secret of his conservative political leanings—but recent books from left-leaning political scientists such as Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson are equally unapologetic. It is at least plausible that political scientists' typical unwillingness to engage directly in political arguments has weakened the discipline's capacity for public engagement.In this symposium a diverse group of contributors have been invited to engage with Groseclose's arguments in ways that bring together specific empirical and/or theoretical points and arguments aimed at the broader “political science public sphere” that Perspectives on Politics seeks to nurture. Contributors were asked to consider these five questions: (1): How do we best measure media effects? (2): If media bias exists, what are its plausible sources? (3): Can one use work on media effects to determine what people's views would be in the absence of such bias? (4): Do you agree that American politics is insufficiently representative, and if so what do you consider the primary sources of this problem? (5): What kinds of political and/or media institutions or practices might enhance democratic discourse?—Henry Farrell, Associate Editor
Beyond model fitting SEDs
Authors: Ferreras Ignacio 
Published: August 2012

AbstractExtracting star formation histories from spectra is a process plagued by numerous degeneracies among the parameters that contribute to the definition of the underlying stellar populations. Traditional approaches to overcome such degeneracies involve carefully defined line strength or spectral fitting procedures. However, all these methods rely on comparisons with population synthesis models. This paper illustrates alternative approaches based on the statistical properties of the information that can be extracted from uniformly selected samples of observed spectra, without any prior reference to modelling. Such methods are more useful with large datasets, such as surveys, where the information from thousands of spectra can be exploited to classify galaxies. An illustrative example is presented on the classification of early-type galaxies with optical spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
Hα and FUV luminosities from a stochastically formed stellar population
Authors: Nidia Lugo Lopez L.  , Gladis Magris C.  , Parravano Antonio 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIt has been observed that the ratio of Hα to FUV luminosity (LHα/LFUV) is lower in low surface brightness galaxies. This behaviour has been attributed to systematic variations of the upper mass end and/or the slope of the Initial Mass Function (IMF) Meurer et al. (2009) and Lee et al. (2009)). However these hypotheses do not explain the observed scatter in luminosity ratio (LHα/LFUV). We present a model for the total LHα and LFUV luminosity arising from a randomly populated IMF following the Salpeter power law and the clustering law of Oey & Clarke (2007).
New HErschel Multi-wavelength Extragalactic Survey of Edge-on Spirals (NHEMESES)
Authors: Holwerda B. W. , Bianchi S. , Baes M. , de Jong R. S. , Dalcanton J. J. , Radburn-Smith D. , Gordon K. , Xilouris M. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractEdge-on spiral galaxies offer a unique perspective on the vertical structure of spiral disks, both stars and the iconic dark dustlanes. The thickness of these dustlanes can now be resolved for the first time with Herschel in far-infrared and sub-mm emission. We present NHEMESES, an ongoing project that targets 12 edge-on spiral galaxies with the PACS and SPIRE instruments on Herschel. These vertically resolved observations of edge-on spirals will impact on several current topics.First and foremost, these Herschel observations will settle whether or not there is a phase change in the vertical structure of the ISM with disk mass. Previously, a dramatic change in dustlane morphology was observed as in massive disks the dust collapses into a thin lane. If this is the case, the vertical balance between turbulence and gravity dictates the ISM structure and consequently star-formation and related phenomena (spiral arms, bars etc.). We specifically target lower mass nearby edge-ons to complement existing Herschel observations of high-mass edge-on spirals (the HEROES project).Secondly, the combined data-set, together with existing Spitzer observations, will drive a new generation of spiral disk Spectral Energy Distribution models. These model how dust reprocesses starlight to thermal emission but the dust geometry remains the critical unknown.And thirdly, the observations will provide an accurate and unbiased census of the cold dusty structures occasionally seen extending out of the plane of the disk, when backlit by the stellar disk. To illustrate the NHEMESES project, we present early results on NGC 4244 and NGC 891, two well studies examples of a low and high-mass edge-on spiral.
Sources of X-rays from galaxies
Authors: Wang Q. Daniel 
Published: August 2012

AbstractGalactic X-ray emission is a manifestation of various high-energy phenomena and processes. The brightest X-ray sources are typically accretion-powered objects: active galactic nuclei and low- or high-mass X-ray binaries. Such objects with X-ray luminosities of ≳ 1037 ergs s−1 can now be detected individually in nearby galaxies. The contributions from fainter discrete sources (including cataclysmic variables, active binaries, young stellar objects, and supernova remnants) are well correlated with the star formation rate or stellar mass of galaxies. The study of discrete X-ray sources is essential to our understanding of stellar evolution, dynamics, and end-products as well as accretion physics. With the subtraction of the discrete source contributions, one can further map out truly diffuse X-ray emission, which can be used to trace the feedback from active galactic nuclei, as well as from stars, both young and old, in the form of stellar winds and supernovae. The X-ray emission efficiency, however, is only about 1% of the energy input rate of the stellar feedback alone. The bulk of the feedback energy is most likely gone with outflows into large-scale galactic halos. Much is yet to be investigated to comprehend the role of such outflows in regulating the ecosystem, hence the evolution of galaxies. Even the mechanism of the diffuse X-ray emission remains quite uncertain. A substantial fraction of the emission cannot arise directly from optically-thin thermal plasma, as commonly assumed, and most likely originates in its charge exchange with neutral gas. These uncertainties underscore our poor understanding of the feedback and its interplay with the galaxy evolution.