Predictors and outcomes of excess gestational weight gain among low-income pregnant women

Low-income women were interviewed and their post-natal records were retrieved (n = 160) to assess prevalence of excess gestational weight gain and its socio-demographic predictors. More than half of the women (64%) gained excess weight during pregnancy, with an average of 10 lbs in excess of Institute of Medicine guidelines. Logistic regression indicated that women that started pregnancy at an obese body mass index; who were African American or having an unplanned pregnancy were at significant risk of gaining excess weight in pregnancy. Intervention to prevent excess weight gain during pregnancy is critical in addressing obesity epidemic in the United States and worldwide

Preliminary Estimate of the Reservoir Age in the Lagoon of Venice

The Lagoon of Venice was formed about 6000 years ago due to the marine transgression associated with the late Pleistocene sea level rise. Already by the time of the Republic of Venice (727–1797 AD) it was recognized that the future of the city and its many historical buildings was strongly correlated with the future of the lagoon itself. During the centuries many engineering projects such as modification of the fluvial systems, construction of coastal barriers, and dredging of navigation channels were carried out to preserve the lagoonal environment. The present-day lagoon is the result of all these processes and covers an area of 540 km2 with an average depth of 0.6 m. A series of radiocarbon age determinations carried out on material obtained from cores collected in the Lagoon of Venice indicate within the sedimentary units the existence of a number of discontinuities and slumping events due to the highly active lagoonal environment. The evaluation of data obtained from a variety of different materials—both terrestrial and marine—allowed us to determine for the first time the marine reservoir effect in the lagoon of Venice. The discussion includes a comparison with other relevant measurements and a possible explanation to the relatively high reservoir age (1200–1300 yr)

SeaRAM: A DOE evaluation of maritime accident risk assessment data and methods

The SeaRAM Program conducted for the US Department of Energy by Sandia National Laboratories has developed estimates of the frequencies of occurrence of ship fires and ship collisions, the fraction of all ship fires and ship collisions that might be sufficiently severe to challenge the integrity of a Type B spent fuel transportation cask, the magnitude of the radioactive source terms that might be released from a Type B spent fuel transportation cask due to loss of cask integrity, and the magnitude of the radiological consequences that might be caused by the radioactive release

A storm in a shelf sea: Variation in phosphorus distribution and organic matter stoichiometry

Organic matter (OM) plays an important role in productive shelf seas and their contribution to global carbon (C) and nutrient cycles. We investigated the impact of storm mixing on OM dynamics in the seasonally stratified Celtic Sea. After the storm, OM production was decoupled from consumption in the euphotic layer. Over the 15 day study, dissolved OM (DOM) became phosphorus (P) rich relative to C, whereas particulate OM (POM) became P-deplete relative to C. Upward diapycnal phosphate fluxes were accompanied by reciprocal downward mixing of dissolved organic P (DOP) and particulate P (PPhos). Transfer of DOP and PPhos below the thermocline accounts for 22% and 26%, respectively, of the upward phosphate flux. Given the changes in stoichiometry of POM and DOM after the storm, the form in which OM is transferred below the thermocline has important implications for the efficiency of elemental transfer, impacting C cycling and storage in the ocean

Cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for low-income depressed mothers participating in early childhood prevention programs

To determine the cost-effectiveness of In-Home Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IH-CBT) for low-income mothers enrolled in a home visiting program

Stochastic model for population migration and the growth of human settlements during the Neolithic transition

We present a stochastic two-population model that describes the migration and growth of semisedentary foragers and sedentary farmers along a river valley during the Neolithic transition. The main idea is that random migration and transition from a sedentary to a foraging way of life, and backwards, is strongly coupled with the local crop production and associated degradation of land. We derive a nonlinear integral equation for the population density coupled with the equations for the density of soil nutrients and crop production. Our model provides a description of the formation of human settlements along the river valley. The numerical results show that the individual farmers have a tendency for aggregation and clustering. We show that the large-scale pattern is a transient phenomenon which eventually disappears due to land degradation

Speciation within Bonneted Bats (Genus \u3ci\u3eEumops\u3c/i\u3e): The Complexity of Morphological, Mitochondrial, and Nuclear Data Sets in Systematics

We phylogenetically analyze 705 base pairs of the cytochrome-b gene and 351 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) bands from populations of the karyotypically variable Wagner’s bonneted bat, Eumops glaucinus, and the Florida bonneted bat, Eumops floridanus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Three karyotypes have been documented across the range of E. glaucinus, and we report that the karyotype from Cuba is morphologically similar to that from Jamaica. A 4th karyotype is present in specimens from western Ecuador. Three distinct lineages are present in both the cytochrome-b and AFLP trees. One lineage is restricted to western Ecuador and exhibits cytochrome-b divergence values comparable to the values seen between recognized species of Eumops, suggesting that this lineage represents a distinct species. The other 2 lineages are distributed in disjunct areas: Paraguay and Venezuela; and Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United States. Specimens of E. floridanus are morphologically distinct from E. glaucinus, but cannot be distinguished by examination of cytochrome-b or AFLP DNA data. We conclude that there are 4 species in the E. glaucinus complex— E. glaucinus (South America east of the Andes), E. ferox (Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America), E. floridanus in south Florida, and an unnamed taxon in western Ecuador. Speciation is a complex process and no single mechanism, model, concept, or definition is likely to cover all the diverse patterns observed

Speciation within bonneted bats (genus Eumops): The complexity of morphological, mitochondrial, and nuclear datasets in systematics

We phylogenetically analyze cytochrome-b gene sequences and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) from populations of the karyotypically variable Wagner’s bonneted bat, Eumops glaucinus, and the Florida bonneted bat, Eumops floridanus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Three karyotypes have been documented previously across the range of E. glaucinus, and we report that the karyotype from Cuba is morphologically similar to that found in specimens from Jamaica. A 4th karyotype (described herein) is present in specimens from western Ecuador. DNA sequence variation within 705 base pairs of the cytochrome-b gene from 47 specimens from Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Paraguay were examined and analyzed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Additionally, 351 AFLP bands from 23 specimens were phylogenetically analyzed. Three distinct lineages are present in both the cytochrome-b and AFLP trees. One clade is restricted to western Ecuador and has a 7-8% cytochrome b sequence divergence from all other haplotypes of the species complex. The other 2 lineages have cytochrome-b divergences > 3–4% and are distributed in disjunct areas: 1) Paraguay and Venezuela; and 2) Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United States. The cytochrome b divergence between populations of E. glaucinus west of the Andes and all other populations of E. glaucinus is comparable to that between recognized species of Eumops, suggesting that the Ecuadorian bonneted bats represent a distinct species. Specimens of E. floridanus are morphologically distinct from E. glaucinus, but cannot be distinguished by cytochrome-b or AFLP DNA data. We conclude that there are 4 species in the Eumops glaucinus complex—Eumops glaucinus (in South America east of the Andes), E. ferox (in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America), E. floridanus in south Florida, and an unnamed taxon in western Ecuador. Speciation is a complex process and no single mechanism, model, concept, or definition is likely to cover all the diverse patterns observed

Cooking Matters for Kids Improves Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Related to Healthy Eating and Cooking

Objective: To assess changes in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking in Cooking Matters for Kids participants. Design: Prepost study design. Setting: Cooking Matters for Kids programs offered by 35 organizations. Participants: Predominantly third- to fifth-grade children participating in Cooking Matters for Kids lessons during fiscal years 2012–17 with matched presurvey and postsurveys (n = 18,113). Intervention(s): Cooking Matters for Kids consists of six 2-hour experiential nutrition and cooking education lessons. Main Outcome Measure(s): Self-efficacy related to healthy eating and cooking and attitudes toward healthy foods assessed through the Cooking Matters for Kids Participant Survey. Analysis: Changes from the presurvey to postsurvey were assessed using mixed models and repeated measures ordered logistic regression accounting for clustering by course. Effect sizes were calculated using Cohen d for repeated measures. A Bonferroni adjustment was used to correct for multiple comparisons (α = 0.025). Results: Both overall and individual self-efficacy and attitude scores improved from presurvey to postsurvey (P < 0.0001). The effect sizes were 0.35 for overall self-efficacy score and 0.17 for overall attitude score. Conclusions and Implications: Participation in Cooking Matters for Kids was associated with improvements in self-efficacy and attitudes related to healthy eating and cooking

College student motivations for and perceived impacts of volunteering with a nutrition and cooking education program for children

To assess among college students their motivations for and perceived impacts of volunteering with Cooking Matters for Kids as part of No Kid Hungry NC. Seventeen college student volunteers responded to an online survey questionnaire assessing their motivations for volunteering and how they were impacted by their experiences. Motivational functions for volunteering (values, understanding, social, career, protective, enhancement) were assessed using the Volunteer Functions Inventory. The strongest motivational functions for volunteering were values and understanding. Students were also strongly motivated to volunteer related to the areas specifically addressed by the program (i.e., nutrition, public health, working with children). Perceived impacts of volunteering included being more comfortable working with children, improving knowledge/skills, gaining experience related to their future career, and having fun. Volunteering with Cooking Matters for Kids benefited college students. Issues addressed by the program and the desire to gain experience motivated students to volunteer