Of Junk Food and Junk Science

The popular press has triumphantly announced that the cause of the obesity epidemic is “junk food.†After a moment’s reflection, however, it seems likely that the true causal structure of the obesity epidemic can be neither single-equation nor univariate. Therefore, while the hypothesis that “junk food†is the cause of obesity has little a priori plausibility, these articles in the popular press present a testable hypothesis that, in spite of some measurement impossibilities, is tested here. While one can always argue about p values etc., it is safe to say that the results show no evidence to indicate support for a causal link. The second section of the paper explains this result and suggests a rudimentary structural model of obesity that begins to address the issues of specification error, simultaneity, etc., that plague much of the obesity research. This model shows that because of the dynamic nature of weight status, there is no necessary reason to expect to find a statistical relation between a person’s observed weight and the amount he or she is currently eating or exercising. Therefore, studies which regress weight, obesity, or the probability of obesity on eating and exercise patterns have serious specification error. Further development of structural econometric models of obesity may lead to consistent estimates of the partial effects of exogenous variables on obesity levels. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for policy development and industry.obesity, junk food, Granger-causality, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Q10, Q16,

Spaces and Places of Opera

Site-specific opera are those works which are either composed for, or produced in (or both) a prescribed space other than that of the opera house. The particular site chosen for the production of such a work has a profound effect on how that work of art is received. Questions are raised with regard to the work’s meaning and its relationship to the time and place of the site in which it is performed. In order to better understand the spatial and temporal richness within site-specific opera, recent productions of European and North American operas from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are considered. Based upon composer/librettist intentions, the site of the premiere production and its relation to the music-dramatic work, five types of site-specific opera are proposed.Les opéras in situ (site-specific) sont des oeuvres qui sont soit composées pour un lieu particulier autre que la traditionnelle salle d’opéra, soit produites dans ce lieu, ou encore les deux. Le site choisi pour les productions de ce type a un effet important sur la réception de l’oeuvre. On peut se questionner sur la signification de telles oeuvres et sur leur relation au temps et au lieu selon l’endroit où elles sont produites. Afin de mieux comprendre les richesses temporelles et spatiales à l’oeuvre dans l’opéra in situ, des productions européennes et nord-américaines récentes d’opéras des xixe et xxe siècles sont analysées. En se basant sur les intentions des compositeurs et librettistes, le choix du lieu de création et sa relation avec l’oeuvre, l’auteur propose cinq types d’opéra in situ

Arizona Grain Sorghum, Forage Sorghum, and Sudangrass Performance Tests

This item is part of the Agricultural Experiment Station archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information, please email CALS Publications at [email protected]

Changes in Biomedical and Physical Correlates in Behavioral Weight Loss with Retarded Youths

Seventeen trainable mentally retarded youths were assigned to either a behavior therapy (N = 6), an obese wait·list control group (N = 5) or a normal weight control group (N = 6). The behavior therapy subjects lost significantly more weight than the two control groups who gained weight. The behavior therapy subjects achieved significant reductions in tricep skin· fold thickness, abdominal circumferences, and diastolic blood pressure measures by the end of the 21·week treatment program. The advantages of using multiple dependent measures is discussed

Persistence of Problematic Sexual Behaviors in Children

The purpose of this study was to identify personal and family predictors and correlates of persistence of problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) in children. Participants were the families of 49 children (ages 4–11 years) referred by Child Protective Services in 4 administrative districts of Quebec. Caregivers completed interviews and questionnaires twice at a 1-year interval. Results showed that 43% of children persisted with PSB. When age was controlled, greater exposure to sexualized behaviors in the family proved both a correlate and a predictor of PSB persistence in children 12 months later.\ud Externalizing problems and somatic complaints emerged as correlates of PSB as well. Maltreatment subtypes did not predict PSB persistence

Author Correction: A cell-free platform for the prenylation of natural products and application to cannabinoid production.

In the original version of this Article, the genotype of the M30 mutant presented in Fig. 3b was given incorrectly as Y288V/A232S, and the M31 mutant was given incorrectly as M1/A232S. The correct genotype of the M30 mutant is Y288A/A232S and for M31 it is Y288V/A232S. In addition, to keep consistency in genotype formatting, the genotype of the M27 mutant should be Y288V/G286S. The errors have been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article

Structural variability of 4f and 5f thiocyanate complexes and dissociation of uranium(III)–thiocyanate bonds with increased ionicity

A series of complexes [Et4N][Ln(NCS)4(H2O)4] (Ln = Pr, Tb, Dy, Ho, Yb) have been structurally characterized, all showing the same structure, namely a distorted square antiprismatic coordination geometry, and the Ln–O and Ln–N bond lengths following the expected lanthanide contraction. When the counterion is Cs+, a different structural motif is observed and the eight-coordinate complex Cs5[Nd(NCS)8] isolated. The thorium compounds [Me4N]4[Th(NCS)7(NO3)] and [Me4N]4[Th(NCS)6(NO3)2] have been characterized, and high coordination numbers are also observed. Finally, attempts to synthesize a U(III) thiocyanate compound has been unsuccessful; from the reaction mixture, a heterocycle formed by condensation of five MeCN solvent molecules, possibly promoted by U(III), was isolated and structurally characterized. To rationalize the inability to isolate U(III) thiocyanate compounds, thin-layer cyclic voltammetry and IR spectroelectrochemistry have been utilized to explore the cathodic behavior of [Et4N]4[U(NCS)8] and [Et4N][U(NCS)5(bipy)2] along with a related uranyl compound [Et4N]3[UO2(NCS)5]. In all examples, the reduction triggers a rapid dissociation of [NCS]− ions and decomposition. Interestingly, the oxidation chemistry of [Et4N]3[UO2(NCS)5] in the presence of bipy gives the U(IV) compound [Et4N]4[U(NCS)8], an unusual example of a ligand-based oxidation triggering a metal-based reduction. The experimental results have been augmented by a computational investigation, concluding that the U(III)–NCS bond is more ionic than the U(IV)–NCS bond

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in monozygotic twins: a case report and review of genetic and modifiable risk factors

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is the most common surgical pathology resulting in emesis presenting in infancy and is usually encountered between the second and eighth weeks of life. It is the most common indication for surgery in infants less than 1 month of age. Prior to the pyloromyotomy developed by Ramstedt in 1911, the mortality for the condition exceeded 50%. Current epidemiologic data indicate that the ailment affects between two and five infants per 1000 live births. Despite the incidence of the condition, the etiologic factors, genetic or environmental, have yet to be clearly elucidated. The incidence in twins has been previously described and noted to be nearly 200 times higher in monozygotic twins. The incidence in dizygotic twins is similar to that between siblings, but nearly 30 and 20 times higher than that of the general population, respectively. This observation continues to stress the importance of genetics in the development of pyloric hypertrophy. Presented here are two cases of idiopathic infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in monozygotic twins with a review of the literature of both genetic and environmental predisposing factors.Keywords: genetics, hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, review, risk factors, twin

Seasonal and spatial variations in the ocean-coupled ambient wavefield of the Ross Ice Shelf

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Baker, M. G., Aster, R. C., Anthony, R. E., Chaput, J., Wiens, D. A., Nyblade, A., Bromirski, P. D., Gerstoft, P., & Stephen, R. A. Seasonal and spatial variations in the ocean-coupled ambient wavefield of the Ross Ice Shelf. Journal of Glaciology, 65(254), (2019): 912-925, doi:10.1017/jog.2019.64.The Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) is host to a broadband, multimode seismic wavefield that is excited in response to atmospheric, oceanic and solid Earth source processes. A 34-station broadband seismographic network installed on the RIS from late 2014 through early 2017 produced continuous vibrational observations of Earth's largest ice shelf at both floating and grounded locations. We characterize temporal and spatial variations in broadband ambient wavefield power, with a focus on period bands associated with primary (10–20 s) and secondary (5–10 s) microseism signals, and an oceanic source process near the ice front (0.4–4.0 s). Horizontal component signals on floating stations overwhelmingly reflect oceanic excitations year-round due to near-complete isolation from solid Earth shear waves. The spectrum at all periods is shown to be strongly modulated by the concentration of sea ice near the ice shelf front. Contiguous and extensive sea ice damps ocean wave coupling sufficiently so that wintertime background levels can approach or surpass those of land-sited stations in Antarctica.This research was supported by NSF grants PLR-1142518, 1141916, 1142126, 1246151 and 1246416. JC was additionally supported by Yates funds in the Colorado State University Department of Mathematics. PDB also received support from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Division of Boating and Waterways under contract 11-106-107. We thank Reinhard Flick and Patrick Shore for their support during field work, Tom Bolmer in locating stations and preparing maps, and the US Antarctic Program for logistical support. The seismic instruments were provided by the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) through the PASSCAL Instrument Center at New Mexico Tech. Data collected are available through the IRIS Data Management Center under RIS and DRIS network code XH. The PSD-PDFs presented in this study were processed with the IRIS Noise Tool Kit (Bahavar and others, 2013). The facilities of the IRIS Consortium are supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement EAR-1261681 and the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration. The authors appreciate the support of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Automatic Weather Station Program for the data set, data display and information; funded under NSF grant number ANT-1543305. The Ross Ice Shelf profiles were generated using the Antarctic Mapping Tools (Greene and others, 2017). Regional maps were generated with the Generic Mapping Tools (Wessel and Smith, 1998). Topography and bathymetry data for all maps in this study were sourced from the National Geophysical Data Center ETOPO1 Global Relief Model (doi:10.7289/V5C8276M). We thank two anonymous reviewers for suggestions on the scope and organization of this paper