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There is growing concern regarding the attrition of surgeon-scientists. To understand the decline of basic science research (BSR), it is essential to examine trends in research conducted by trainees. We hypothesized that, over recent decades, cardiothoracic (CT) surgery trainees have published fewer BSR articles. CT surgeons at United States training institutions in 2020 who completed training in the past three decades, excluding international trainees, were analyzed (1991-2000: n = 148; 2001-2010: n = 228; 2011-2020: n = 247). Publication records were obtained from Scopus. Articles with medical subject heading terms involving molecular/cellular or animal research were classified as BSR using the National Institutes of Health iCite Translation module. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. While the proportion of surgeons who published a first-author paper during training remained stable over the past two decades (178/228 [78.1%] versus 189/247 [76.5%], P = 0.7427), the proportion who published a first-author BSR paper decreased significantly (135/228 [59.2%] versus 96/247 [38.9%], P < 0.0001). Among surgeons who published a first-author paper in training, the total papers published by each trainee did not change over the past two decades (3.5 versus 3.3 first-author papers per 10 y of training, P = 0.8819). However, the number of BSR papers published during training decreased significantly (1.7 versus 0.8 first-author papers per 10 y of training, P < 0.0001). CT surgery trainees are publishing fewer BSR papers. Additional efforts are needed to increase exposure of trainees to BSR and reaffirm that BSR is a valuable and worthwhile pursuit for academic surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing concern regarding the attrition of surgeon-scientists in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. However, the characteristics of CT surgeons who are actively leading basic science research (BSR) have not been examined. We hypothesized that early exposure to BSR during training and active grant funding are important factors that facilitate the pursuit of BSR among practicing CT surgeons. We created a database of 992 CT surgeons listed as faculty at accredited United States CT surgery teaching hospitals in 2018. Data regarding each surgeon's training/professional history, publication record, and National Institutes of Health funding were acquired from publicly available online sources. Surgeons who published at least one first- or last-author paper in 2017-2018 were considered to be active, lead researchers. Of the 992 CT surgeons, 73 (7.4%) were actively leading BSR, and 599 (60.4%) were actively leading only non-BSR. Only 2 women were actively leading BSR. Surgeons actively leading BSR were more likely to have earned a PhD degree (20.5% versus 9.7%, P = 0.0049), and more likely to have published a first-author BSR paper during training (76.7% versus 40.9%, P < 0.0001). Surgeons actively leading BSR were also more likely to have an active National Institutes of Health grant (34.2% versus 5.8%, P < 0.0001), especially an R01 grant (21.9% versus 2.5%, P < 0.0001). A small minority of CT surgeons at academic training hospitals are actively leading BSR. In order to facilitate the development of surgeon-scientists, additional support must be given to trainees and junior faculty, especially women, to enable early engagement in BSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recognition of the need to manage the water environment in more holistic ways has resulted in the global growth of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM). ICM is characterised by horizontal integration, encouraging interdisciplinary working between traditionally disparate management sectors, alongside vertical integration, characterised by the engagement of communities; central is the promotion of participatory governance and management decision-making. ICM has been translated into policy through, for example, the EU Water Framework Directive and at a national level by policies such as the Catchment Based Approach in England. Research exploring the implementation of these policies has reported success at a catchment level, but further research is required to explore practices of management at local level within catchments. This paper presents the findings of participatory research undertaken with a catchment partnership in the northeast of England to explore the integration of top-down policy translation with how local communities interact with management agencies at sub-catchment scale (a bottom-up perspective). The research found that supra-catchment scale drivers dominate the vertical interplay between management systems at more local levels. These drivers embed traditional practices of management, which establishes public participation as a barrier to delivery of top-down management objectives, resulting in practices that exclude communities and participatory movements at the local level. Although collaboration between agencies at the partnership scale offers a potential solution to overcoming these obstacles, the paper recommends changes to supra-catchment governance structures to encourage flexibility in developing local participatory movements as assets. Further research is necessary to develop new practices of management to integrate local people more effectively into the management process. Highlights • Integrated Catchment Management policies promotes active public participation. • How effectively ICM policy is translated into practices of participation is explored. • Management practices exclude local communities and obstruct participation. • Local practices show a dominant vertical interplay with supra-catchment drivers. • Research on governance reform and new participatory practices is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the globalised food system delivers unparalleled food variety and quantity to most in the developed world it also disconnects consumers from where, how and by whom food is grown. This change in the food system has resulted in an acceptance of an anonymous and homogeneous food supply, which has contributed to over-consumption and the rise in diet-related diseases. 'Nutritionism' responds to this issue by maintaining that a 'healthy diet' can be achieved by consuming the correct balance of energy and nutrients, but with limited success. Yet, some food cultures can moderate the effects of the environmental drivers of increasing global obesity rates. This paper draws on this premise and presents an alternative eco-dietetic response, exploring people's meaning-making of food and food culture through local food networks. This research used narrative inquiry methodology and purposive sampling to gather stories through focus group conversations. Twenty people attended focus groups comprised of food procurers from one of three local food networks in the Canberra region: community gardens, a modified Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and farmers' markets. The findings showed that those using local food networks enjoyed a 'contemporary relational food culture' that highlighted the importance of people, place and time, in their visceral experiences of food. The community gardeners made meaning of food through their connections to the earth and to others. The farmers' market and CSA food procurers valued the seasonal, local and ethical food produced by their beloved farmer(s). This paper provides qualitative evidence that local food networks enable people to enjoy multi-dimensional relationships to food. Further research is required to examine whether experiencing a contemporary relational food culture can lead to improved health outcomes for people and the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing recognition of the value added by integrating traditionally separate efforts to protect and promote worker safety and health. This paper presents an innovative conceptual model to guide research on determinants of worker safety and health and to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of integrated approaches to promoting and protecting worker health. This model is rooted in multiple theories and the premise that the conditions of work are important determinants of individual safety and health outcomes and behaviors, and outcomes important to enterprises such as absence and turnover. Integrated policies, programs and practices simultaneously address multiple conditions of work, including the physical work environment and the organization of work (e.g., psychosocial factors, job tasks and demands). Findings from two recent studies conducted in Boston and Minnesota (2009-2015) illustrate the application of this model to guide social epidemiological research. This paper focuses particular attention on the relationships of the conditions of work to worker health-related behaviors, musculoskeletal symptoms, and occupational injury; and to the design of integrated interventions in response to specific settings and conditions of work of small and medium size manufacturing businesses, based on a systematic assessment of priorities, needs, and resources within an organization. This model provides an organizing framework for both research and practice by specifying the causal pathways through which work may influence health outcomes, and for designing and testing interventions to improve worker safety and health that are meaningful for workers and employers, and responsive to that setting's conditions of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simple feedback methodology that uses second order filters to control narrowband resonant and non-resonant vibration of a structural system. In particular, a single degree-of-freedom system is studied throughout the paper. The idea of the methodology is based on the fact that direct feedback is effective for in-phase vibration control. Thus, the position, velocity and acceleration are respectively fed back to control the low, resonant and high frequency vibration of the system. Each of these is passed through a band pass filter of second order that is inserted to extract and feed back the in-phase signal component only. This is called narrowband feedback. It is demonstrated with experiments that narrowband feedback is useful for narrowband control of resonant and non-resonant vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geography's disciplinary canon may appear a ‘top-down’ enterprise, focused on the formal educational spaces of the academy and the sole or joint authored monograph. This paper argues for a supplementary critical examination of the most widely encountered form of geographical education, school geography, and an associated ‘counter-canon’ of grey publishing literature to which geographers, educators, and geography educators have contributed. The paper suggests that such material serves to simultaneously disrupt and enliven narratives of the subject's identity and its canonicity. This paper's empirical focus is the school teacher initiated, geography and education journal, Contemporary Issues in Geography and Education (1983 – 1991), a literary endeavour of critical vibrancy informing the dissenting activities of geographers across schools and higher education during the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines five principles for effective practice of knowledge exchange, which when applied, have the potential to significantly enhance the impact of environmental management research, policy and practice. The paper is based on an empirical analysis of interviews with 32 researchers and stakeholders across 13 environmental management research projects, each of which included elements of knowledge co-creation and sharing in their design. The projects focused on a range of upland and catchment management issues across the UK, and included Research Council, Government and NGO funded projects. Preliminary findings were discussed with knowledge exchange professionals and academic experts to ensure the emerging principles were as broadly applicable as possible across multiple disciplines. The principles suggest that: knowledge exchange needs to be designed into research; the needs of likely research users and other stakeholders should be systematically represented in the research where possible; and long-term relationships must be built on trust and two-way dialogue between researchers and stakeholders in order to ensure effective co-generation of new knowledge. We found that the delivery of tangible benefits early on in the research process helps to ensure continued motivation and engagement of likely research users. Knowledge exchange is a flexible process that must be monitored, reflected on and continuously refined, and where possible, steps should be taken to ensure a legacy of ongoing knowledge exchange beyond initial research funding. The principles have been used to inform the design of knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement guidelines for two international research programmes. They are able to assist researchers, decision-makers and other stakeholders working in contrasting environmental management settings to work together to co-produce new knowledge, and more effectively share and apply existing knowledge to manage environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This narrative review summarizes literature on C. difficile and C. difficile infections (CDI) that emerged from Latin America (LA) between 1984 and 2021. The revised information includes papers in English, Spanish, or Portuguese that were retrieved from the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scielo, and Lilacs. Information is presented chronologically and segregated in subregions, focusing on clinical presentation, risk factors, detection and typing methods, prevalence and incidence rates, circulating strains, and, when available, phenotypic traits, such as antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Studies dealing with cases, clinical aspects of CDI, and performance evaluations of diagnostic methods predominated. However, they showed substantial differences in case definitions, measuring units, populations, and experimental designs. Although a handful of autochthonous strains were identified, predominantly in Brazil and Costa Rica, the presentation and epidemiology of CDI in LA were highly comparable to what has been reported in other regions of the world. Few laboratories isolate and type this bacterium and even less generate whole genome sequences or perform basic science on C. difficile. Less than ten countries lead academic productivity on C. difficile or CDI-related topics, and information from various countries in Central America and the Caribbean is still lacking. The review ends with a global interpretation of the data and recommendations to further develop and consolidate this discipline in LA. • We reviewed more than 200 papers published in Spanish, Portuguese, and English during almost four decades. • Most research on C. difficile in Latin America (LA) has focused on clinical aspects of CDI. • Scientific literature on CDI in LA has mainly emerged from less than 10 countries. • A need for consensus on techniques, case definitions, typing, nomenclature, and sustained funding was identified. • CDI presentation and epidemiology in LA and more developed regions of the world are highly comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While providing a brief background of the development of Scandinavian-Russian relations in the polar sciences in the early 20th century, this paper focuses on the period from the 1930s when the Swedish geographer Hans Ahlmann and Norwegian oceanographer Harald Ulrik Sverdrup developed a curiosity of the Soviet Union as a field for the practice of Arctic science. Visit of the Arctic Research Institute in Leningrad in 1934 further enhanced Ahlmann's sympathy and in 1935 he co-founded the Society for the Promotion of Cultural and Scientific Relations between Sweden and the Soviet Union. After further wartime collaboration, Ahlmann returned to the Soviet Union in 1958 and 1960 as president of the International Union of Geographical Sciences. Using his longtime Soviet contacts to penetrate the Iron Curtain, Ahlmann became a key figure in maintaining the flow of scientific information between East and West. New materials from archives open perspectives for better understanding of the international connections and transfer of knowledge in geophysical and geographical science in its formative period. The key message from this paper is that while tensions did exist and presented scientists with differential loyalties, they still managed to find ways to undertake fruitful scientific collaborations even under political restraints and could sometimes play political roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty magnifies limitations resulting from traditional biases and environmental risks in endemic areas. Any approach towards disease control needs to recognise that socially embedded vulnerabilities can be as powerful as externally imposed infections. Important for RNAS was networking across borders, not just on schistosomiasis but on the whole spectrum of endemic helminthiases, and this bore fruit in the form of the expansion of RNAS into the 'Regional Network on Asian Schistosomiasis and other Helminth Zoonoses (RNAS+)', which focuses on technical standardization, supporting the growth of research capacity and the further development of networking. Administration is lean and largely virtual with the focus on connecting members via the Internet, providing databases and administrative back-up. The strategy emphasizes ways and means to alleviate the spectre of disease and poverty from the endemic areas through boosting research on target diseases and supporting collaboration between basic and operational research on the one hand and control/elimination activities on the other. RNAS+ also benefits from continuing input from outside research institutions in areas outside Southeast Asia. This paper is aiming to identify the priority actions to close the gap between researcher and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the three stages of development of the Regional Network on Asian Schistosomiasis and other Helminthic Zoonoses (RNAS+), namely the preparatory stage, the strengthening stage and the expanding stage. Significant achievements have been made through the help of RNAS+, particularly on research on helminthiases. As scientists, researchers, academics work closer with control authorities, elimination of these diseases is slowly getting nearer and within reach. RNAS+, at present can boast of the following strengths: (i) strong collaboration in the regional research area with support from experts on research and control; (ii) presence of experts in various areas who can improve and promote both research and control; (iii) RNAS+ has been successful in translating research output to field application; (iv) setting up a platform that is capable of advancing the mechanisms of sharing information through its website, databases, publications and meetings; (v) RNAS+ has proved that it is capable of undertaking joint collaborative projects on operational research through multi-country, multi-disease using multi-disciplinary approach and involving different academic and research institutions in the region. Most importantly, experts who are members of RNAS+ are also linked with control programmes of the endemic member countries in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban informal areas of South Africa, obesity and hunger represent two sides of food insecurity. Despite this, public health and clinical obesity interventions focus on nutrition education, implying dietary choice and thereby overlooking food insecurity. The objective of this paper is to explore peri-urban residents' perspectives of changing food environments, framed by the Food Aid Organization (FAO) definition of food security and demonstrating the interconnectedness of dimensions of food security. We conducted three-part in-depth interviews with 21 participants and nine focus group discussions with a total of 57 participants, consisting primarily of women aged 20-84, in a peri-urban township and informal settlement outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Participants' encounters in clinical settings framed choice as a driver of diet-related non-communicable disease (NCD). Yet participants lacked economic access to food, particularly at the end of the month. Diets consisted of fewer green leafy vegetables relative to their diets in rural areas, despite affirming a preference for these foods. They described consuming more meat, which was also perceived as unhealthy. Based on self-report, residents within this peri-urban area of South Africa were food insecure: they lacked access to food at specific times of the month, they were unable to consume foods they preferred, and they felt that their diets were neither nutritious nor enabled an active and healthy life. When viewed in terms of multiple facets of food security, participants' concurrent experiences of hunger and obesity were unsurprising. Health interventions related to diet should incorporate an understanding of food security as shaped by the interactions of access, availability, utilization and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limiting the spread and impact of Zika was a major global priority in 2016, which required a variety of vector control measures. The success of vector control campaigns is varied and often dependent on public or political will. This paper examines the change over time in the United States population's support for vector control and the factors that predicted support for three vector control strategies (i.e., indoor spraying, outdoor spraying, and use of larvacide tablets) during the 2016 Zika outbreak in the United States. Data is from a nationally representative random digit dial sample conducted at three time points in 2016. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used, treating data as a pooled cross-sectional sample. Results show public support for vector control strategies depends on both perceived risk for disease and knowledge of disease characteristics, as well is confidence in government to prevent the threat. Support varied based on vector control method: indoor spraying, aerial spraying, and use of larvacide tables. Results can aide public health officials in implementing effective vector control campaigns depending on the vector control strategy of choice. Results have implications for ways to design effective prevention campaigns in future emerging infectious disease threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of environmental concerns into agricultural policies – through agri-environment measures (AEM) – has seen a fast development across Europe. This paper conceives AEM as an evolving instrument, a product that takes shape, gets diffused and taken up in, by and through networks of relations. Success then depends on the mobilisation or active participation of all those who may support and develop it. Using the examples of the Flanders’ and Walloon regions of Belgium, the paper sets out to examine the mechanisms by which mobilisation for agri-environmental management develops, and by doing so, to gain a better understanding of mobilisation capacity as a concept to be used for evaluating policy implementation in this area. The study follows AEM along the various trajectories of implementation (design, distribution, application). The findings reveal how mobilisation capacity is gradually built-up by the interplay between AEM and the networks it connects to. The case illustrates well how such interactions occur all the way from administration offices to farmers’ fields, and that their nature can be very different (e.g., formal and informal, durable and short-lived, expected and unexpected). It is concluded that in evaluating actor-networks, one should look at them in an open and fluid manner, that is, not to privilege any particular configuration or form of attachment over the other, not take intentions and objectives as a starting point but instead address the opportunities for synergies, and be aware that any network built around the instrument may change its content and the way it functions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While neurocognitive data provide clear evidence for the involvement of the motor system in speech perception, its precise role and the way motor information is involved in perceptual decision remain unclear. In this paper, we discuss some recent experimental results in light of COSMO, a Bayesian perceptuo-motor model of speech communication. COSMO enables us to model both speech perception and speech production with probability distributions relating phonological units with sensory and motor variables. Speech perception is conceived as a sensory-motor architecture combining an auditory and a motor decoder thanks to a Bayesian fusion process. We propose the sketch of a neuroanatomical architecture for COSMO, and we capitalize on properties of the auditory vs. motor decoders to address three neurocognitive studies of the literature. Altogether, this computational study reinforces functional arguments supporting the role of a motor decoding branch in the speech perception process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In spite of considerable research, and many clinical trials involving thousands of patients, there is a conspicuous lack of antioxidant therapies available. In this paper we present results for the interaction and neutralization of a free radical species. We adopt two modeling techniques, one based upon Gillespieâ;;s Stochastic Simulation Algorithm and one based upon a discrete Markov chain. An advantage of these models is that they incorporate the number of molecules present per unit volume, and with the Markov chain model, the relative dimensions of these molecules. By means of these models we question the basis of antioxidant therapies based on trapping or scavenging of reactive species. We demonstrate the extraordinary capacity of the enzymatic antioxidant defenses relative to non-enzymatic defenses. We conclude that, if the concentration of an non-enzymatic antioxidant is too low there is little chance of collision and interaction with a free radical species. Furthermore, if the rate of reaction between the free radical and the non-enzymatic antioxidant is below a necessary threshold then the effect of an antioxidant will be dwarfed by the free radical defense systems naturally present. As such we suggest that failure of most antioxidant therapies in clinical trials is to be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes and analyzes the actual and potential contributions of Latin American environmental psychology (EP) to the study of environment–behaviour interactions. Latin America is a richly socoi- and bio-diverse region; the multitude of problems caused by threats to its diversity requires especial conceptual and methodological approaches for studying and solving those problems. Latin American environmental psychologists have contributed ideas and studies according to the specificities (indigenous psychologies) of their nations. These specificities include Latin American traditions of collective participation, holistic worldviews, emotional attachment to places and other individuals, biospheric attitudes and preference for diversity, among others, in addition to the cultural traditions inherited from Europe. These traditions are considered in EP studies conducted by Latin American authors, which are described and commented upon. The importance of formative programs for a professionalizing environmental psychology in the area is discussed. Finally, this paper envisions the future of EP in Latin America. Such a forecast includes our vision of how environmental psychologists in the region could contribute to the general development of a universal environmental psychology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: e-Science projects face a difficult challenge in providing access to valuable computational resources, data and software to large communities of distributed users. On the one hand, the raison d’être of the projects is to encourage members of their research communities to use the resources provided. On the other hand, the threats to these resources from online attacks require robust and effective security to mitigate the risks faced. This raises two issues: ensuring that (1) the security mechanisms put in place are usable by the different users of the system, and (2) the security of the overall system satisfies the security needs of all its different stakeholders. A failure to address either of these issues can seriously jeopardise the success of e-Science projects. The aim of this paper is to firstly provide a detailed understanding of how these challenges can present themselves in practice in the development of e-Science applications. Secondly, this paper examines the steps that projects can undertake to ensure that security requirements are correctly identified, and security measures are usable by the intended research community. The research presented in this paper is based on four case studies of e-Science projects. Security design traditionally uses expert analysis of risks to the technology and deploys appropriate countermeasures to deal with them. However, these case studies highlight the importance of involving all stakeholders in the process of identifying security needs and designing secure and usable systems. For each case study, transcripts of the security analysis and design sessions were analysed to gain insight into the issues and factors that surround the design of usable security. The analysis concludes with a model explaining the relationships between the most important factors identified. This includes a detailed examination of the roles of responsibility, motivation and communication of stakeholders in the ongoing process of designing usable secure socio-technical systems such as e-Science. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper challenges conventional understandings of how we think about consumer food waste by investigating the food purchasing/wasting views and practices of 102 Colorado (USA) residents (67 households). The methods used in this study included the triangulation of surveys, self-reported pictures of food waste and related daily reports over a two-week period, and focus groups. Understanding who is, and what are, driving food waste is important if the aim is to create policy interventions that meaningfully mitigate loss. This paper approaches concepts like consumer sovereignty and agency through a non-essentialist lens, which is to say it repositions food waste as a mode of ordering as opposed to an outcome of discrete, self-evident products-e.g., attitudes, autonomous consumers. Doing this opens the analysis up to connections that might otherwise go unrecognized when those categories are assumed to be absolute and obvious. After presenting numerical data gleaned from online surveys, findings are organized around the following themes: humans-as-assemblage; storage devices-as-assemblage; and mobility-as-assemblage. The paper concludes synthesizing these themes while suggesting interventions mindful of these fluid socio-material coming-togethers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aims of this paper are to discuss existence and uniqueness of local solutions for a class of non-Newtonian fluids with singularity and vacuum in one-dimensional bounded intervals. There are two important points in this paper, one is that we allow the initial vacuum; another one is that the viscosity term of momentum equation is with singularity and fully nonlinearity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Most literature on food waste shows that food that ends up in the garbage can is often no longer considered as enjoyable, or even as edible. In this paper, we decided to focus on assessments of whether leftover food is still considered as worth eating, to provide a better understanding of the production of domestic food waste. We constructed a pluridisciplinary approach, combining sensory analysis and sociology. The first part was conducted in a test kitchen under controlled conditions: 50 participants had to sort out and decide to keep or to throw away different types of refrigerated leftovers. The second part used in-depth interviews with half of these participants (N = 25) to explore their food habits and perceptions and handling of leftovers at home. The first section of the paper presents the theoretical framework of the study, which is grounded in practice theory. Then we detail the methodology and the results. We show that sorting out leftovers is a process mobilizing embodied knowledge and resulting from domestic practices implemented to avoid waste, such as storing or reusing leftovers. In the discussion, we analyze the sorting of refrigerated food products as a compound practice, situated at the intersection of provisioning, cooking, meal organization, and judgment of taste (Warde, 2013). Using this theoretical framework enables us to understand the heterogeneity observed in the outcome of the sorting process as the result of its weak degree of regulation. The sorting out practice is thus consistent with different modes of engagement such as food waste prevention, health maintenance, or providing enjoyable family meals. We conclude by providing suggestions of policy recommendations regarding domestic refrigeration, food storage, and assessment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Malformations of the cerebral cortex are recognized as a common cause of developmental delay, neurological deficits, mental retardation and epilepsy. Currently, the diagnosis of cerebral cortical malformations is based on a subjective interpretation of neuroimaging characteristics of the cerebral gray matter and underlying white matter. There is no automated system for aiding the observer in making the diagnosis of a cortical malformation. In this paper a fuzzy rule-based system is proposed as a solution for this problem. The system collects the available expert knowledge about cortical malformations and assists the medical observer in arriving at a correct diagnosis. Moreover, the system allows the study of the influence of the various factors that take part in the decision. The evaluation of the system has been carried out by comparing the automated diagnostic algorithm with known case examples of various malformations due to abnormal cortical organization. An exhaustive evaluation of the system by comparison with published cases and a ROC analysis is presented in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper on brake squeal instability presents a reduced order model of a laboratory brake considered in a previous paper, and presents a description of the squeal mechanism occurring during experiments. The model uses the modal parameters of the laboratory brake components, the disc and the caliper, when they are not in contact between them. Successively, the caliper and the disc are put in contact through the pad that is modeled as a one degree of freedom system while the Coulomb law models the friction interaction between them. No stick slip motion of the pad is considered, because it was not observed in the experimental tests. As a result the model is linear and particularly suited for a parametric analysis. The stability of the model is studied by a complex eigenvalue analysis and the obtained results show a good agreement with the experimental data, provided that the key parameters of the model are consistent with the experimental set-up. The key role of the disc and the pad dynamics are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent research has shown that perfect household mobility can serve as a disciplinary mechanism inducing national policy-makers to internalize interregional externalities caused by transboundary pollution. This paper develops a differential game to illustrate that the result is not necessarily robust when migration costs and explicit dynamics are introduced. The paper shows that if governments constantly reoptimize, imperfect household mobility leads to a tragedy of the commons, and individual countries overemit even when pollution is purely local. Moreover, these dynamic externalities get worse as the degree of household mobility increases, and there is a qualitative difference between almost-perfect and perfect mobilty, that is, a discontinuity at zero migration costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), this paper estimates the impact of random assignment into an anti-poverty program, New Hope, on earnings. The use of HLM allows for an examination of program impacts on levels, as well as trends, in quarterly data spanning more than two years of earnings. Results show that New Hope is associated with higher final levels of earnings. Additionally, results indicate that experimental group members experienced rapid earnings growth immediately after the quarter of random assignment, but that their earnings growth did not increase at a significant rate over the subsequent two-year period. Like many welfare recipients today, New Hope participants were required to work in order to receive the program's benefits. The results from this paper indicate that such a policy can lead to a rapid increase in participants' earnings, but that earnings may not continue to increase over time and may not increase enough to lift families out of poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper characterizes properties of chance attitudes (nonadditive measures). It does so for decision under uncertainty (unknown probabilities), where it assumes Choquet expected utility, and for decision under risk (known probabilities), where it assumes rank-dependent utility. It analyzes chance attitude independently from utility. All preference conditions concern simple violations of the sure-thing principle. Earlier results along these lines assumed richness of both outcomes and events. This paper generalizes such results to general state spaces as in Schmeidler''s model of Choquet expected utility, and to general outcome spaces as in Gilboa''s model of Choquet expected utility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes an implementation of a novel major line removal hough transform on a new parallel architectural system, Hybrid System. A Hybrid System is a combination of single instruction multiple data (SIMD) and multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) systems processing at the same time. The line removal algorithm, which is used for detecting lines in an image, strips away major lines so that minor lines can become more easily detectable. The algorithm is implemented and evaluated on the hybrid system. Being a new extended architecture, we also established the derivation for the hybrid system speedup. We were able to obtain speedup that surpasses that of MIMD systems with the same number of PCs. In the paper, we also introduce a new SIMD concept. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper explains the major factors that contribute to the complicated price formation process, as several levels, of fresh fruit and vegetables in the US. Several factors are explored: marketing channels, market structure changes, pricing techniques and promotional impacts, retail responses to supply changes, and price versus value. The paper illustrates with recent examples and research findings that the fresh produce system is dynamic and that simplistic solutions to complex problems are not likely. The paper finishes by suggesting some areas for needed additional research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Americans’ consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased slightly over the last 10 years, but most people still do not meet the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to consume 5 to 9 servings per day. New and innovative strategies are needed if we are to significantly increase the mean population intake of fruits and vegetables. To help formulate such strategies as well as to evaluate evidence and identify research gaps, the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened the Fruit and Vegetable Environment, Policy, and Pricing Workshop, which brought together experts in how environmental change, policy, and pricing affect fruit and vegetable consumption. The papers in this supplement consist of a review of environmental interventions to improve nutrition and papers covering pricing and consumer value and how fruit and vegetable consumption can be promoted at worksites, restaurants, grocery stores and other community settings, and schools. Conclusions from the workshop were that existing intervention strategies need to be evaluated, promising example programs need to be disseminated, and new innovative interventions and programs need to be created and evaluated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 1994, Bérenger [Journal of Computational Physics 114 (1994) 185] proposed a new layer method: perfectly matched layer, PML, for electromagnetism. This new method is based on the truncation of the computational domain by a layer which absorbs waves regardless of their frequency and angle of incidence. Unfortunately, the technique proposed by Bérenger (loc. cit.) leads to a system which has lost the most important properties of the original one: strong hyperbolicity and symmetry. We present in this paper an algebraic technique leading to well-known PML model [IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation 44 (1996) 1630] for the linearized Euler equations, strongly well-posed, preserving the advantages of the initial method, and retaining symmetry. The technique proposed in this paper can be extended to various hyperbolic problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper designs an object-oriented, continuous-time, full simulation model for addressing a wide range of clinical, procedural, administrative, and financial decisions in health care at a high level of biological, clinical, and administrative detail. The full model has two main parts, which with some simplification can be designated “physiology models” and “models of care processes.” The models of care processes, although highly detailed, are mathematically straightforward. However, the mathematics that describes human biology, diseases, and the effects of interventions are more difficult. This paper describes the mathematical formulation and methods for deriving equations, for a variety of different sources of data. Although Archimedes was originally designed for health care applications, the formulation, and equations are general and can be applied to many natural systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The aim of this paper is to examine knowledge organization and reasoning strategies involved in physician–patient communication and to consider how these are affected by the use of computer tools, in particular, electronic medical record (EMR) systems. Design: In the first part of the paper, we summarize results from a study in which patients were interviewed before their interactions with physicians and where physician–patient interactions were recorded and analyzed to evaluate patients'' and physicians'' understanding of the patient problem. We give a detailed presentation of one of such interaction, with characterizations of physician and patient models. In a second set of studies, the contents of both paper and EMRs were compared and in addition, physician–patient interactions (involving the use of EMR technology) were video recorded and analyzed to assess physicians'' information gathering and knowledge organization for medical decision-making. Results: Physicians explained the patient problems in terms of causal pathophysiological knowledge underlying the disease (disease model), whereas patients explained them in terms of narrative structures of illness (illness model). The data-driven nature of the traditional physician–patient interaction allows physicians to capture the temporal flow of events and to document key aspects of the patients'' narratives. Use of electronic medical records was found to influence the way patient data were gathered, resulting in information loss and disruption of temporal sequence of events in assessing patient problem. Conclusions: The physician–patient interview allows physicians to capture crucial aspects of the patient''s illness model, which are necessary for understanding the problem from the patients'' perspective. Use of computer-based patient record technology may lead to a loss of this relevant information. As a consequence, designers of such systems should take into account information relevant to the patient comprehension of medical problems, which will influence their compliance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a recent paper the author suggested that Giddens' theory of structuration could be appropriately developed to take account of the socio-legal nature of sentencing research and provide an appropriate theoretical context for the analysis of rights in the sentencing process, since it is capable of integrating legal and sociological aspects of such research in terms of both theoretical propositions and research methodology. In the first part of this paper, the author proposes to elaborate and elucidate this proposition in the context of contemporary discourse and alternative theoretical contentions. The second part of the paper uses the author's research into the operation of sentence discounts in the Crown Court to illustrate how Giddens' structuration theory can provide a coherent and cohesive macrotheoretical framework within which both research methodology and empirical findings can be located and the links between them identified.

Objective: Nutrition interventions that target both fruits and vegetables are effective in increasing fruit consumption, but have been limited in their ability to improve vegetable intake. To address the low proportion of children meeting vegetable intake guidelines, approaches specifically targeting vegetables are needed. This paper reports on a mixed-method analysis of a 10-week vegetable promotion pilot project that aimed to increase vegetable intake as part of the existing Crunch&Sip in-class fruit and vegetable break program.Design: The intervention was designed to promote vegetable consumption through the implementation of vegetable-focused resources, including curriculum resources and parent education materials. Teachers completed pre- and end-of-intervention surveys. Process measures related to the use of resources and teachers' perceptions of barriers to implementation. The outcome evaluation included measures of children's vegetable consumption during Crunch&Sip breaks and teachers' attitudes and confidence relating to educating students about the benefits of consuming vegetables.Subjects: Twenty-one Western Australian primary schools already participating in the Crunch&Sip program participated in the pilot intervention and evaluation. Coverage included 35 primary school teachers representing 818 students aged 4-11 years.Results: The proportion of children bringing vegetables for Crunch&Sip more than doubled over the 10-week intervention (21% vs 46%; p < 0.001). Improvements were observed in teachers' perceived knowledge about the nutritional benefits of vegetables (p = 0.001) and confidence to educate students about the benefits of vegetable consumption (p = 0.028).Conclusions: Preferentially promoting vegetable consumption as part of an existing school-based nutrition program may be an effective strategy to increase children's vegetable intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active learning combines academic content with physical activity (PA) to increase child PA and academic performance, but the impact of active learning is mixed. It may be that this is a moderated relationship in which active learning is beneficial for only some children. This paper examine the impact of baseline academic performance and gender as moderators for the effects of active learning on children's academic performance. In the ASK-study, 1129 fifth-graders from 57 Norwegian elementary schools were randomized by school to intervention or control in a physical activity intervention between November 2014 and June 2015. Academic performance in numeracy, reading, and English was measured and a composite score was calculated. Children were split into low, middle and high academic performing tertiles. 3-way-interactions for group (intervention, control)∗gender (boys, girls)∗academic performance (tertiles) were investigated using mixed model regression. There was a significant, 3-way-interaction (p=0.044). Both boys (ES=0.11) and girls (ES=0.18) in the low performing tertile had a similar beneficial trend. In contrast, middle (ES=0.03) and high performing boys (ES=0.09) responded with small beneficial trends, while middle (ES=-0.11) and high performing girls (ES=-0.06) responded with negative trends. ASK was associated with a significant increase in academic performance for low performing children. It is likely that active learning benefited children most in need of adapted education but it may have a null or negative effect for those girls who are already performing well in the sedentary classroom. Differences in gendered responses are discussed as a possible explanation for these results.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov registry, trial registration number: NCT02132494. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objective: Grazing has been associated with poor weight loss or weight regain in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery, but research remains scarce and complicated by the use of different non-validated measures. The aim of this paper is to describe the validation of the Rep(eat)-Q, a self-report measure developed to assess grazing, and investigates its relationship with BMI and psychopathology.Subjects/methods: 1223 university students and community participants (non-clinical; Study A) and 154 pre-bariatric and 84 post-bariatric patients (Study B) completed a set of self-report measures, including the Rep(eat)-Q (worded in Portuguese), to assess disordered eating, depression, anxiety, stress and impulsivity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested the factor structure; internal consistency construct, convergent and divergent validity were also tested.Results: The Rep(eat)-Q scales showed good internal consistency (α ≥ 0.849) and temporal stability (rsp = 0.824, p < 0.000). Factor analyses generated two subscales: compulsive grazing and repetitive eating. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were found between the Rep(eat)-Q and BMI in the non-clinical population and weight loss and weight regain in the bariatric sample. Generally, the correlations with psychological distress were weak (rsp < 0.4). Strong and significant (rsp≥0.4; p's < 0.05) correlations were found between compulsive grazing and eating disorder psychopathology. Repetitive eating subscale was inversely correlated with cognitive restraint (rsp -0.321, p < 0.05) and directly correlated with uncontrolled eating and emotional eating (rsp = 0.754; rsp = 0.691; p < 0.05).Discussion/conclusion: The Rep(eat)-Q is a valid measure to assess grazing in non-clinical and in bariatric surgery populations. Grazing can be conceptualized on the spectrum of disordered eating behavior, and appears associated with loss of control over eating. Considering the link between grazing and weight outcomes, the Rep(eat)-Q represents a necessary strategy for the systematic screening of grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies have established the effectiveness of using small reward-based incentives in inducing the choice and consumption of healthier foods among children, little is known about their impact outside of experimental settings or their effectiveness over time when administered daily. This paper presents the results of a field experiment conducted to provide insight on these matters. The study employs a removed treatment within-subject design and was conducted at a summer program catering to low-income children between the ages of 5 and 12. The month long experiment-wherein participants were offered a small prize for choosing a fruit cup for dessert after lunch in lieu of cookies-involved 23 children between the ages of 5 and 8. Corroborating existing studies, the introduction of small reward-based incentives in this context was found to induce large increases in the number of children choosing the healthy dessert options after lunch, but disaggregating the results by week and day suggests that their impact diminished over time. Attempts to ascertain their effect outside of experimental settings did not indicate that the introduction of rewards had any adverse effects, but also did not provide definitive conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health workers (CHWs) are uniquely positioned to improve health outcomes in immigrant communities; however, research on appropriate metrics for evaluating CHW attributes and mechanisms of effectiveness are limited. The objective of this paper is to characterize CHW attributes and pathways of action using adapted measures, develop a scale using these measures, and explore how findings can inform future CHW research and practice. The study analyzed pre- and post-intervention group data from one quasi-experimental and three randomized controlled-design parent trials assessing the impact of CHW-led group and individual health coaching on various health outcomes in four New York City immigrant communities. We conducted descriptive, bi-variate and principal components analysis to develop a 13-item scale assessing CHW attributes, roles, and pathways of action. The sample included 437 individuals completing the intervention arm of a CHW study. We found CHWs were reported to affect change through a number of mechanisms and participants expressed substantial communal concordance with the CHWs in terms of country of birth, language, and culture. Principal components analysis with promax rotation identified 13 items with three factors and high Cronbach's alphas: 1) valued interpersonal attributes of the CHW (alpha=0.784); 2) CHW as a bridge to health and non-health resources (alpha=0.857); and 3) providing accessibility beyond health providers (alpha=0.904). Socio-demographic characteristics and differences in CHW pathways of action were identified by community. Study findings can guide improved selection and training of CHWs. Further, measures identified in the principal components analysis can be used to guide future CHW evaluation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we question whether prior cross-national differences in food attitudes still exist and if so, to what extent. Due to societal evolutions such as sedentarism and globalization, international variations in food attitudes may not be as pronounced as currently believed. A cross-sectional web-based survey was carried out in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium. A total of 2167 respondents (52% women; mean age = 39.0 years, SD = 11.4) participated. To successfully combat obesity, a joint approach focusing on food choice and physical activity is required; therefore we included behavioral measures by means of choice tasks for these two important drivers. Further, the extent to which respondents subscribe to the unhealthy = tasty intuition, together with health and taste interest were investigated. Socio-demographic information and self-reported heights and weights were also incorporated. Logistic regressions were fitted with weight status as the dependent variable and the attitudinal and behavioral measures as independent variables. Our findings indicate that having a higher interest in healthy eating decreases the chance of being overweight (odds = 0.88) and believing that unhealthy food is tasty significantly increases the chance of being obese by 1.18 times. Overall, we find that food attitudes have largely converged across the countries we investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes research on the design of behavioral and mental health facilities. Using input from clinical staff, the purpose of the study was four-fold: to develop and test a tool for the evaluation of mental and behavioral health (MBH) facilities, to evaluate the importance and effectiveness of specific environmental qualities and features, to generate design guidelines for MBH facilities, and to make recommendations for future research. A draft version of a tool that was intended to measure the importance and effectiveness of environmental qualities and features in MBH facilities was developed using a multi-methods approach. This survey, the Psychiatric Staff Environmental Design (PSED) tool, was distributed to psychiatric nursing organization members (N = 134). The researchers determined that the PSED was suitable for future research with minor modifications. Other findings included staff support for private patient rooms, staff recognition of the critical role of positive distraction, and the importance of aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The benefit of male circumcision is greatest among men who are most at risk of HIV infection. Encouraging this population of men to get circumcised maximizes the benefit that can be achieved through the scale-up of circumcision programs. This paper examines how the price of circumcision affects the risk profile of men who receive a voluntary medical circumcision.Methods: In 2010, 1649 uncircumcised adult men in urban Malawi were interviewed and provided a voucher for a subsidized voluntary medical male circumcision, at randomly assigned prices. Clinical data were collected indicating whether the men in the study received a circumcision.Results: Men who took-up circumcision with a zero-priced voucher were 25 percentage points less likely than those who took-up with a positive-price voucher, to be from a tribe that traditionally circumcises (p=0.101). Zero-priced vouchers also brought in men with more sexual partners in the past year (p=0.075) and past month (p=0.003). None of the men who were most at risk of HIV at baseline (those with multiple partners and who did not use a condom the last time they had sex) received a circumcision if they were offered a positive-priced voucher. Lowering the price to zero increased circumcision take-up to 25% for men of this risk group. The effect of price on take-up was largest among those at highest risk (p=0.096).Conclusions: Reducing the price of circumcision surgery to zero can increase take-up among those who are most at risk of HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mother-child mealtime interactions during preschool years is an important but overlooked factor when evaluating the influence of parent-child relationships on child eating and weight. This paper describes the validation of the Mutually Responsive Orientation (MRO) coding system adapted for assessing parent-child interactions during food preparation and consumption situations. Home-based mealtimes of 94 mothers and their children (3.03 ± 0.75 years) were filmed at two time points, 12-months apart. Filmed dimensions of mutual mother-child responsiveness, shared positive affect, maternal control relating to food and child compliance were assessed. Objective BMI and maternal reports of parenting, feeding, child eating, diet and child temperament were also collected. Correlations, repeated measures ANOVAs and regressions were performed to examine the validity of MRO variables and their stability across both time points. Validation analysis showed the MRO coding system performed as expected: dyads with higher MRO scores expressed lower control/power assertion, lower child non-compliance, and greater committed compliance. The measure demonstrated sensitivity to specific contexts: maternal responsiveness, mother and child positive affect were higher during food consumption compared to food preparation. Coded dimensions were stable across time points, with the exception of decreases in maternal responsiveness in food consumption and child non-compliance in food preparation. MRO and maternal dimensions were correlated with maternally reported parenting and feeding measures. Maternal responsiveness (inversely) and child responsiveness (positively) were concurrently associated with child fussy eating, and child refusal was prospectively and inversely associated with child fussy eating. Findings suggest the adapted MRO coding system is a useful measure for examining observed parent-child mealtime interactions potentially implicated in preschoolers' eating and weight development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between intentions and action in weight control is weaker than previously thought, so recent research has called for further investigation of ways to improve weight control that bypass conscious intentions. Priming has been shown to have effects on individual behavior in a variety of contexts by influencing subconscious cognition. This paper investigates the effects of semantic priming using healthy body image, goal-oriented words on food consumption. The moderating role of both restrained eating and gender is investigated. 161 participants were involved in an experiment using a novel version of a scrambled sentence priming game. The outcome measure was the number of kilocalories consumed, examined using a between subjects ANCOVA with priming, gender, restrained eating index, self-reported BMI, and two interaction terms (primingxgender, and primingxrestrained eating index). There was no main effect of priming but there was an interaction of priming with gender. Females consumed significantly fewer kilocalories after being exposed to priming words related to a healthy body image (i.e. "slim", "fit,") compared to females receiving the neutral prime, with a medium effect size (d = 0.58). The body image prime did not significantly affect food intake for males, nor did it have a differential effect on restrained eaters. This study shows that priming can be an effective method for influencing females to reduce food intake, regardless of whether they are restrained or unrestrained eaters. Future studies could investigate whether different priming words related to a male's healthy body image goal (i.e. "buff," "muscles," etc.) would similarly reduce food intake for males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Commensality is a remarkable human act, and tends to be more present among families. Nevertheless, it is possible that eating at the table is being taking for granted when one refers to family meals. Thus, this paper aims to analyze working mothers' discourses about family meals eaten at the table, on the couch and in the bed/bedroom.Methods: The participants were thirty mothers working in public universities of the Brazilian region called Baixada Santista. A qualitative study was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. In the transcripts the words "table", "couch", "bed", "bedroom" were located and the excerpts containing them were extracted and analyzed according to a classical and exploratory content analysis.Results: The table is a significant component of meals that unite the family. While for some the meal at the table is an enjoyable moment, it is a stiff moment for others. Indeed, manners and the notion of hierarchy appeared only for the table. Regarding the couch, it seems that the family chose to eat there, because it is a more casual and relaxed setting. Eating in the bed was related to precarity, intimacy and casualness. In the three settings, watching television was a common practice, replacing or being added to talking.Conclusions: Commensality is such an important practice that appears in different settings and even in precarity contexts. The table emerged as the maximal cornerstone of commensality. However, when it was not present, new arrangements were made. Especially the couch seems to be a new commensal space, less formal and rigid, but able to allow some collective conviviality. Eating in the bed was a less common practice. Finally, the significant role that television assumed in meals is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined how many older adults (65+years) are meeting physical activity (PA) Guidelines (PAG; 150min/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA) using data from three leading national surveys (NHANES, BRFSS and NHIS). The proportion of individuals meeting aerobic PAG was determined for the most recent cycle available for each survey (NHANES 2011-12, NHIS and BRFSS 2013). We also assessed whether PAG adherence has changed over time. Predicted margins from multinomial logistic regression were computed after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity and gender and sample weights. The proportion of older adults meeting PAG was 27.3% for NHANES, 35.8% for NHIS and 44.3% for BRFSS. Across all surveys, men reported higher levels of activity than women, Non-Hispanic whites reported higher levels than Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, activity declined with age and was lower in those with functional limitations, all P<0.05. The proportion of older adults meeting PAG in the NHIS survey, the only survey where PA questions remained the same over time, increased from 25.7% in 1998 to 35.8% in 2013 (P<0.01). Point-estimates for activity levels are different between surveys but they consistently identify sub-groups who are less active. Although older adults are reporting more activity over time, adherence to aerobic and strength training PAG remains low in this population and there is a need for effective interventions to prevent age-related declines in PA and address health disparities among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global environmental challenges require changes in both the production and the consumption of goods. In this paper we analyse how consumers perceive the high environmental burden of meat. We analysed consumer environmental consciousness, including problem awareness and a support to action dimensions, latter including perceived self-efficacy as well as solutions to problems. The solutions were positioned on a continuum from increasing the efficiency of production to discussing sufficiency levels in consumption practices (techno-optimism, local meat, organic meat and meat reduction, respectively). We used a statistically representative survey sample (n = 1890) from the population of Finland and cluster analysis to explore differences among consumers. The analysis revealed that most Finns seem to be rather unsure of the study topic. At the same time they tend to have a comparably high level of self-efficacy (55 per cent of respondents) and endorsement of particularly local meat solution type (55%), followed by organic meat (35%), meat reduction (25%) and techno-optimism (15%), though the neutral stand was the most common one across the data. We also identified six consumer groups that reveal not only a high number of Highly unsure consumers (40%), but also some Rather conscious (20%) and a relatively small number of Highly conscious (8%). In addition, there were also easily observable groups of Careless conscious (14%), Rather unsure (9%) and Resistant (8%). The results highlight the need for a multitude of political actions to guide meat consumption, as there are groups that may benefit from practical tools for making dietary changes as well as groups in need for more comprehensive selection of measures, including environmental information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine effects of plate size on meals, I developed a method I label plate mapping. To validate plate mapping, a quasi-experimental between participants study was conducted that asked university students to accurately draw their lunch meal. Participants were randomized into groups where they were asked either pre-consumption or post-consumption to draw their lunch on either a 9″ or 11″ paper plate. Coding plate drawings for total meal size revealed that students drew bigger meals on larger plates and participant meal size drawings were more accurate when the plate provided was the same size as the meal plate used. Gender moderated meal size drawings, with women generally drawing meals that were more highly correlated and similarly sized to actual meals when compared to the drawings of men. Overall, the size of plate drawings was highly correlated with the size of actual foods, which provides support for the validity of the method of plate mapping. These findings suggest that plate mapping can be applied to estimate meal size and assess sensitivity to plate size. Gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms and processes that influence food consumption habits can help increase awareness of these cues for both academics as well as for consumers of food and benefit short- and long-term health goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising obesity represents a serious, global problem. It is now well established that obesity is associated with poverty and wealth inequality, suggesting that these factors may promote caloric intake. Whereas previous work has examined these links from an epidemiological perspective, the current paper examined them experimentally. In Study 1 we found that people experimentally induced to view themselves as poor (v. wealthy) exhibited increased calorie intake. In Study 2, participants who believed that they were poorer or wealthier than their interaction partners exhibited higher levels of anxiety compared to those in an equal partners condition; this anxiety in turn led to increased calorie consumption for people who had a strong need to belong. The findings provide causal evidence for the poverty-intake and inequality-intake links. Further, we identify social anxiety and a strong need to belong as important social psychological factors linking inequality to increased calorie intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet has become an increasingly important way of communicating with consumers about food risk information. However, relatively little is known about how consumers evaluate and come to trust the information they encounter online. Using the example of unpasteurized or raw milk this paper presents two studies exploring the trust factors associated with online information about the risks and benefits of raw milk consumption. In the first study, eye-tracking data was collected from 33 pasteurised milk consumers whilst they viewed six different milk related websites. A descriptive analysis of the eye-tracking data was conducted to explore viewing patterns. Reports revealed the importance of images as a way of capturing initial attention and foregrounding other features and highlighted the significance of introductory text within a homepage. In the second, qualitative study, 41 consumers, some of whom drank raw milk, viewed a selection of milk related websites before participating in either a group discussion or interview. Seventeen of the participants also took part in a follow up telephone interview 2 weeks later. The qualitative data supports the importance of good design whilst noting that balance, authorship agenda, the nature of evidence and personal relevance were also key factors affecting consumers trust judgements. The results of both studies provide support for a staged approach to online trust in which consumers engage in a more rapid, heuristic assessment of a site before moving on to a more in-depth evaluation of the information available. Findings are discussed in relation to the development of trustworthy online food safety resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]