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Mothers' feeding practices are associated with their children's weight status, but little is known about the associations between fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status. Moreover, there is a dearth of research on Latino fathers' feeding practices and children's weight status, even though Latino children suffer some of the highest obesity rates in the U.S. We examined the associations between fathers' feeding practices and child weight status, conditional on mothers' feeding practices, within 174 Mexican American families with children aged 8-10 years. Parents completed the Parental Feeding Practices Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales: positive involvement in child eating, pressure to eat, use of food to control behavior, and restriction of amount of food. To assess child weight status, body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted to age- and gender-specific percentile scores (BMI z-score). We fit four sets of regression models, one set for each of the four parental feeding practices subscales, with child BMI z-score as the outcome variable. Fathers' pressure to eat (b = -0.20, p = 0.04; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.01) and use of food to control behavior (b = -0.36, p = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.65, -0.07) were associated with lower child BMI z-score, and restriction of amount of food (b = 0.56, p

Short sleep duration is a risk factor for childhood obesity. Mechanisms are unclear, but may involve selection of high carbohydrate foods. This study examined the association between estimated sleep duration and macronutrient intake as percentages of total energy among Mexican American (MA) 9-11 year olds.This cross-sectional study measured diet using two 24-hour recalls and estimated sleep duration using hip-worn accelerometry in MA children (n=247) who were part of a cohort study. Child and maternal anthropometry were obtained; mothers reported on demographic information. Using linear regression, we examined the relationship of sleep duration with energy intake, sugar intake, and the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates, fat and protein.Children were 47% male; mean age was 10 (SD=0.9) years. Mean sleep duration was 9.6 (SD=0.8) hours; 53% were overweight/obese, with a mean energy intake of 1759 (SD=514) calories. Longer sleep duration was independently associated with a lower percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates (B= -0.22, P< 0.01) and a higher percentage of energy from fat (B=0.19, P< 0.01), driven by the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; B=0.17, P< 0.05). No association was found with the intake of energy or total sugars, or the percent of calories from protein.MA children who slept longer consumed diets with a lower percentage of calories from carbohydrates and a higher percentage from fat, especially from PUFA. Short sleep duration may be a risk factor for food cravings that are high in carbohydrate content, and may displace heart-healthy dietary fat, and thereby increase obesity risk among children.

Patients with psoriasis are at risk of developing psoriatic arthritis, which can lead to irreversible joint damage. However, a proportion of patients with psoriasis and concomitant psoriatic arthritis remain undiscovered in practice. The aims of this study were: to prospectively determine prevalence, characteristics, and disease burden of psoriatic arthritis in a psoriasis population; and to determine the prevalence and characteristics of patients with active psoriatic arthritis, who were not under rheumatological care. Patients with psoriasis were screened by a rheumatologist at the dermatology outpatient clinic for psoriatic arthritis. Patients with suspected active psoriatic arthritis who were not seeing a rheumatologist were referred to a rheumatologist for confirmation. The total prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in this observational, prospective cohort (n = 303) was 24%. Patients with psoriasis with concomitant psoriatic arthritis had longer duration of skin disease and more often a treatment history with systemic therapies. In this academic, specialized, setting, 2.3% of patients (n = 7), were not receiving rheumatological care despite having active psoriatic arthritis. These patients were characterized by a combination of low (perceived) disease burden and low yield of screening questionnaires, making it difficult for dermatologists to discover psoriatic arthritis in these patients. Thus, screening for more subtle active arthritis in patients with psoriasis in a dermatology setting could be improved.

Until the end of the 70s of the last century, the major tool for fractionating complex polymers regarding molecular size is gel permeation chromatography (GPC) (more accurately size exclusion chromatography, SEC). A milestone in fractionating polymers with regard to chemical composition is achieved when it is shown that random copolymers can be separated according to copolymer composition using solvent gradient HPLC. Another important step toward selective fractionation is taken when liquid chromatography at the critical point of adsorption is introduced as an efficient way to separate functional polymers with regard to their functionality type distribution. Another milestone is the discovery that temperature gradients can also be used for the selective separation of complex polymers with regard to composition. The combination of different LC methods in comprehensive 2D HPLC setups is another milestone. As of today, a toolbox of HPLC methods is in place that enables the fractionation of complex polymers according to all molecular parameters including tacticity and branching. Here, an overview on the different techniques and some major applications is presented. The most important developments in the field are discussed, and different techniques, experimental protocols, and applications are highlighted. In conclusion, challenges for future developments are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larger fusion experiments require long beam paths for laser diagnostics, which requires mechanical stability and measures to deal with remaining alignment variations. At the same time, due to technical and organizational boundary conditions, calibrations become challenging. The current mid-sized experiments face the same issues, yet on a smaller scale, which makes them ideal testing environments for novel calibration methods, since a comparison with the established best practices is still possible. At the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X, the calibration and operation of the Thomson scattering diagnostic is hampered by beam displacements, coating of windows during operation, and access restrictions while the superconducting coils are active. New calibration techniques were developed to improve the profile quality and reduce calibration time. While positional variations of the laser beam have to be minimized, the remaining displacements can be accounted for during the absolute calibration. An in situ spectral calibration has been developed based on Rayleigh scattering, which calibrates the whole diagnostic, including observation windows. In addition, a less accurate but faster method has been developed, which utilizes stray-light of a tunable OPO to perform spectral calibration within minutes and does not require torus hall access. Finally, a workflow has been established to consider finite linewidths of the calibration source in the spectral calibration. While these methods will be used at W7-X to complement existing calibration techniques, they may also solve some of the aforementioned issues expected for even larger and nuclear experiments, where access restrictions are stringent and calibration becomes even more demanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many contemplatives, scientists, and clinicians have pointed to the value of responding to life's difficulties by accepting experiences as they are. A growing body of research also suggests that acceptance contributes to effective coping with adversity, reduced stress, and improved emotional well-being. Yet within the scientific literature, there is little consensus on what acceptance means or how it should be measured. This makes it nearly impossible to synthesize empirical work on acceptance into a cohesive scientific understanding. Our goal in this paper is to clarify four facets of acceptance that are commonly referenced in research: acknowledging, allowing, non-judging, and non-attachment. We do not propose a specific definition of acceptance or even a set of privileged facets that must be included in future frameworks. We instead offer a vocabulary to facilitate productive communication among researchers that will, in turn, enable a more definitive scientific understanding of this important construct to emerge. After defining and explaining these aspects of acceptance, we further clarify these constructs in two ways. First, we illustrate how the four aspects are dissociable from one another. Second, we analyze their correspondence to related constructs from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Finally, we provide a concept worksheet that scholars can utilize to precisely operationalize acceptance in their own work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advertisement vocalizations that function in mate acquisition and resource defense within species may also mediate behavioral interactions among species. While olfactory signals play an important role in mate choice and territoriality in rodents, less is known about the function of acoustic signals in influencing interspecific interactions. In this study, we used playback experiments in the laboratory to assess the function of long-distance vocalizations within and among three sympatric species of grasshopper mice. We found that, within each species, individuals of both sexes varied widely in spontaneous vocal behavior and response to playback. The largest species (Onychomys leucogaster) was most responsive to conspecifics, but smaller O. arenicola and O. torridus exhibited no clear pattern in their vocal behavior and were even responsive to the white noise controls. Our results indicate that grasshopper mice are broadly responsive to a range of sounds that resemble calls and that long-distance vocalizations function primarily as signals that facilitate localization for subsequent close-distance assessment by both sexes in various social contexts. Variation in vocal responses among species may depend on competitive dominance, degree of interaction, acoustic similarity, or behavioral changes resulting from captivity. Replicating playback experiments in the field will help validate whether the observed variation in the laboratory reflects ecologically relevant patterns in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The use of cryopreserved stallion semen is a significant aspect of equine reproduction, despite the tendency for lower per cycle pregnancy rates than cooled or fresh semen. This decreased fertility of thawed frozen semen is due in part to the innate subfertility of the chosen male breeding population, but also to the direct insults to the sperm cell during the freezing and subsequent thawing process. The mare aspect of frozen semen breeding is intensively managed to compensate for the aforementioned damages, and acceptable pregnancy rates can be achieved. Here we describe the stallion semen cryopreservation process including semen collection, expected causes of damage in processing, freezing and thawing, mare management and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTo promote pro-environmental behavior (PEB), it is crucial to understand the drivers behind it. Studies indicate that, in addition to environmental attitudes and nature activities, interest in nature drives people to engage in PEB. However, the relationship between interest in nature and PEB is still greatly understudied among adolescents even though the foundations for PEB seem to be laid during childhood. Therefore, our study focuses specifically on the link between adolescents’ interest in nature, their nature activities, and PEB. We collected self-reported cross-sectional data from 954 German school students using the Scale of Interest in Nature (SIN) and the General Ecological Behavior Scale (GEB). Findings indicate a decline in interest in nature, PEB, and nature activities from grade 5 to 9, while also revealing a significant positive correlation between all these constructs. Results highlight the importance of fostering interest in nature in environmental education programs and suggest including it in further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, compared with those without T2D. The serum T50 test captures the transformation time of calciprotein particles in serum. We aimed to assess whether serum T50 predicts cardiovascular mortality in T2D patients, independent of traditional risk factors. Methods: We analyzed 621 individuals with T2D in this prospective cohort study. Cox regression models were performed to test the association between serum T50 and cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality. Causes of death were categorized according to ICD‐10 codes. Risk prediction improvement was assessed by comparing Harrell's C for models without and with T50. Results: The mean age was 64.2 ± 9.8 years, and 61% were male. The average serum T50 time was 323 ± 63 min. Higher age, alcohol use, high‐sensitive C‐reactive protein, and plasma phosphate were associated with lower serum T50 levels. Higher plasma triglycerides, venous bicarbonate, sodium, magnesium, and alanine aminotransferase were associated with higher serum T50 levels. After a follow‐up of 7.5[5.4–10.7] years, each 60 min decrease in serum T50 was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (fully adjusted HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.08–1.50, and p = 0.01) and all‐cause mortality (HR 1.15, 95%CI 1.00–1.38, and p = 0.04). Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses after exclusion of individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 or <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and higher plasma phosphate levels. Conclusions: Serum T50 improves prediction of cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality risk in individuals with T2D. Serum T50 may be useful for risk stratification and to guide therapeutic strategies aiming to reduce cardiovascular mortality in T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By employing Bayesian inference techniques, the full electron density profile from the plasma core to the edge of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is inferred solely from neutral hydrogen beam and halo Balmer- α (H α) emission data. The halo is a cloud of neutrals forming in the vicinity of the injected neutral beam due to multiple charge exchange reactions. W7-X is equipped with several neutral hydrogen beam heating sources and an H α spectroscopy system that views these sources from different angles and penetration depths in the plasma. As the beam and halo emission form complex spectra for each spatial point that are non-linearly dependent on the plasma density profile and other parameters, a complete model from the neutral beam injection and halo formation through to the spectroscopic measurements is required. The model is used here to infer electron density profiles for a range of common W7-X plasma scenarios. The inferred profiles show good agreement with profiles determined by the Thomson scattering and interferometry diagnostics across a broad range of absolute densities without any changes to the input or fitting parameters. The time evolution of the density profile in a discharge with continuous core density peaking is successfully reconstructed, demonstrating sufficient spatial resolution to infer strongly shaped profiles. Furthermore, it is shown as a proof of concept that the model is also able to infer the main ion temperature profile using the same data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]