2,119 research outputs found
Socio-demographic influences on trends of fish consumption during later adult life in the Whitehall II study
No full textOur aim was to investigate how socio-demographic factors influence trends and age-related trajectories of fish consumption. We examined consumption of total, fried and recommended fish (white and oily fish. and shellfish) in the Whitehall 11 study over I I years in participants aged 39-59 years at phase 3. The cohort included 8358 British civil servants who completed a FFQ at phase 3 (1991-3). phase 5 (1997-9. n 5430) and phase 7 (2002-4 n 5692). Occupational grade. ethnicity, marital and retirement status were collected at each phase. To analyse changes in age-related trends of fish intake over time according to socio-demographic characteristics. we applied a random mixed-effect model. Over the follow-up a significant increase in consumption of 'recommended' (mean: 1.85 to 2.22 portions/week) and total fish (mean: 2.32 to 2.65 portions/week) and a decreasing trend in fried-fish intake (mean: 0.47 to 0.43 portions/week) was observed. Recommended. fried and total fish consumption differed by occupational status, ethnicity. marital Status and sex. The trend of age-related fish intake diverged significantly by ethnicity. In South Asian participants (n 432). slope of recommended-fish consumption was significantly higher compared with white participants (0.077 v. 0.025 portions/week per year). For black participants (n 275) slope of fried-fish intake was significantly higher compared with white participants (0.0052 v. -0.0025 portions/week per year). In terms of public health. our descriptive and analytical work allows detailed Understanding of the impact of socio-demographic factors oil fish intake and its age-related trends. Such information is Valuable for food policies that seek to promote health equity
Comparison of several author indices for gauging academic productivity
No full textBackground
Many author indices exist to gauge academic productivity. Several of these indices are calculated based upon an author's scholarly publication record, but the measurement methodology to calculate each index varies considerably, and the precise function being used, as well as the end result, is often complex and difficult to assess.
Method
Two straightforward methods to weigh author productivity from the publication and citation record were evaluated as possible means for providing a clearer assessment of scholarly activity. The author characteristic index (termed c-index) assigns author rank for each publication based upon author position. The characteristic prime (c') -index normalizes author rank from author position, so that the total weight per publication is unity. The top 10 scholars with keyword 'celiac disease' in the Google Scholar database were then assessed using these metrics. Rankings according to total number of publications, h-index, and c- and c'-indices were compared, then tabulated along with total papers included for assessment, and mean values per paper for author position, number of authors, citations, and year of publication.
Results
The order of the top ten authors with keyword 'celiac disease' varied substantially depending upon whether the h-index, c-index, or c'-index was used as a gauge. The characteristic indices assign credit to authors according to their position in an author list. The affiliated metrics provided a more complete picture of scholarly activity.
Conclusions
Academic achievement by scholars, based upon quantitative publication characteristics, has recently become of interest for evaluating job candidates, for determining work performance, and for bestowing awards and honors. The characteristic indices as described herein are readily calculated and interpreted, and may improve the assessment of scholarly activity
Läßt sich Familie als gesellschaftliches Teilsystem begreifen?
No full textKaufmann F-X. Läßt sich Familie als gesellschaftliches Teilsystem begreifen? In: Herlth A, Brunner EJ, Tyrell H, Kriz J, eds. Abschied von der Normalfamilie? Partnerschaft kontra Elternschaft: Kolloquium im Herbst 1991 an der Universität Bielefeld. Berlin: Springer; 1994: 42-63
Check-list of European Orthoptera
No full textList of all 974 recognized species of Ensifera (Tettigonioidea: 458, Rhaphidophoroidea: 44, Grylloidea: 91) and Caelifera (Tetrigoidea: 12, Tridactyloidea: 6, Acridoidea: 363) in Europe including information about their distribution.Aufstellung aller 974 derzeitig anerkannten Arten der Ensifera (Tettigonioidea: 458, Rhaphidophoroidea: 44, Grylloidea: 91) and Caelifera (Tetrigoidea: 12, Tridactyloidea: 6, Acridoidea: 363) in Europa mit Angabe der Verbreitungsgebiete
Predictive validity of WXYfm and SAIN,LIM food nutrient profiling models in the Whitehall II cohort
No full textBackground: Nutrient profiling (NP) aims to identify healthier food options according to the content of selected ‘positive’ nutrients e.g. fibre, protein, and ‘negative’ nutrients e.g. sodium, saturated fat. The British and French food safety agencies developed the WXYfm and SAIN,LIM models, respectively. Their predictive validity in relation to chronic disease has yet to be demonstrated. Aim: To test the hypothesis that ‘healthy’ diets as defined by NP have predictive validity. Methods: Between 1991-93, 7,251 participants of the Whitehall II study completed a 127-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). WXYfm and SAIN,LIM scores for each FFQ-item were used to derive energy-weighted aggregate diet scores (AS) for each participant and NP model. Validity was assessed against baseline factors including dietary quality indices. Prospective associations were examined with incident CHD, diabetes and cancer, and all-cause mortality (318, 754, 251, and 524 events, respectively—median follow-up time was approximately 17 years). Results: AS were weakly associated with dietary quality indices. Cox modelling identified U-shaped associations (p quadratic trend <.05) between both AS and all outcomes except diabetes. Participants with middle AS had slightly reduced risk; SAIN,LIM estimates were significant for CHD and all-cause mortality. Dietary misreporting, particularly of energy-dense foods with high ‘negative’ nutrient content, was associated with BMI, hypertension and other risk factors, and explained much of the unexpected U-shaped AS-outcome associations. Alternative AS less sensitive to dietary misreporting confirmed the potential of NP as a public health tool. In particular, the WXYfm ‘positive’ nutrients predicted risk reduction for all outcomes. Conclusions: Predictive validity of the NP approach was partly established. The prospective effects of AS on chronic disease outcomes were confounded by the association between vascular risk and energy misreporting. Further predictive validity studies of NP methods ideally require food-based dietary assessment (e.g. diet diaries, 24h recalls) with less reporting bias
Organic Scintillator-Fibre Sensors for Proton Therapy Dosimetry: SCSF-3HF and EJ-260
No full textIn proton therapy, the dose from secondary neutrons to the patient can contribute to side effects and the creation of secondary cancer. A simple and fast detection system to distinguish between dose from protons and neutrons both in pretreatment verification as well as potentially in vivo monitoring is needed to minimize dose from secondary neutrons. Two 3 mm long, 1 mm diameter organic scintillators were tested for candidacy to be used in a proton–neutron discrimination detector. The SCSF-3HF (1500) scintillating fibre (Kuraray Co. Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan) and EJ-260 plastic scintillator (Eljen Technology, Sweetwater, TX, USA) were irradiated at the TRIUMF Neutron Facility and the Proton Therapy Research Centre. In the proton beam, we compared the raw Bragg peak and spread-out Bragg peak response to the industry standard Markus chamber detector. Both scintillator sensors exhibited quenching at high LET in the Bragg peak, presenting a peak-to-entrance ratio of 2.59 for the EJ-260 and 2.63 for the SCSF-3HF fibre, compared to 3.70 for the Markus chamber. The SCSF-3HF sensor demonstrated 1.3 times the sensitivity to protons and 3 times the sensitivity to neutrons as compared to the EJ-260 sensor. Combined with our equations relating neutron and proton contributions to dose during proton irradiations, and the application of Birks’ quenching correction, these fibres provide valid candidates for inexpensive and replicable proton-neutron discrimination detectors
U.S. Federal panel on agency, inter-agency, and international EJ initiatives
No full textPresented at the Environmental justice in the Anthropocene symposium held on April 24-25, 2017 at the Lory Student Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins Colorado. This symposium aims to bring together academics (faculty and graduate students), independent researchers, community and movement activists, and regulatory and policy practitioners from across disciplines, research areas, perspectives, and different countries. Our overarching goal is to build on several decades of EJ research and practice to address the seemingly intractable environmental and ecological problems of this unfolding era. How can we explore EJ amongst humans and between nature and humans, within and across generations, in an age when humans dominate the landscape? How can we better understand collective human dominance without obscuring continuing power differentials and inequities within and between human societies? What institutional and governance innovations can we adopt to address existing challenges and to promote just transitions and futures?Includes bibliographical references.Chair: Margaret HerzogA brief overview of Federal-wide Environmental Justice Policy and BIA Tribal focu
Health inequalities in Japan between 1986 and 2007
No full textBackground: Despite concerns about widening social inequalities during the past 20 years of economic stagnation in Japan, evidence on health inequalities is sparse. Whether health inequalities are widening or narrowing, and what factors contribute to inequalities, remains unclear. Aim: To describe temporal trends in health inequalities between 1986 and 2007 and to investigate the contribution of material, behavioural, psychosocial and social relational factors to health inequalities in Japan. Methods: A series of eight triennial nationally representative sample surveys was analysed (n=398,303). Household income and a novel theory-driven social classification were used to calculate trends in relative and slope indices of inequality [RII and SII, respectively] in self-rated fair or poor [suboptimal] health. The contribution of mediating factors to the social gradient in suboptimal health was investigated in the 2001 sample. Results: In men, temporal trends in income RII narrowed over the period (RII declined 1.2% per year, p=0.008). Stable inequalities were observed in women’s income SII. Men’s income SII and women’s income RII showed marginally significant narrowing time trends. Inequalities by social class were constant in both genders. After imputation for missing household income, narrowing trends in income RII and SII were evident (annual declines: men 1.2%, women 1.1% for RII; both genders 0.1% for SII; all p<0.05, n=490,632). Overall, there were V-shaped time trends in age-standardised self-rated suboptimal health in both genders (quadratic term: men p<0.001, women p=0.005), with the lowest prevalence in early/mid 1990s. Mediating factors analysed altogether accounted for 20% in men’s and 44% in women’s income inequalities in self-rated suboptimal health in 2001. Conclusions: Health inequalities according to household income showed narrowing trends, but persisted over the study period. The prevalence of suboptimal health increased since the early/mid 1990s. Changes in the distribution of mediating factors over the period might have influenced the time trends observed
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