Do maternal perceptions of child eating and feeding help to explain the disconnect between reported and observed feeding practices?: A follow-up study

Research demonstrates a mismatch between reported and observed maternal feeding practices. This mismatch may be explained by maternal cognitions, attitudes, and motivations relating to dyadic parent–child feeding interactions. These complex constructs may not be apparent during observations nor evidenced in self-report questionnaire. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use a qualitative approach to gain a more nuanced and contextualized understanding of (a) maternal perceptions of children's food intake control; (b) how parent–child mealtime interactions influence maternal feeding practices; and (c) ways in which mothers may promote healthy child eating and weight outcomes. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 23 mothers (M = 38.4 ± 3.7 years of age) of preschool-aged children (M = 3.8 ± 0.6 years of age, 19 were normal weight, 14 were girls), who had previously completed child feeding questionnaire and participated in two home-based mealtime observations, 12 months apart. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and themes extracted to create the database. Four major themes emerged: (a) Maternal confidence in children's ability to regulate food intake is variable; (b) Implementing strategies for nurturing healthy relationships with food beyond the dining table; (c) Fostering positive mealtime interactions is valued above the content of what children eat; and (d) Situation-specific practices and inconsistencies. Findings indicate that maternal feeding practices are shaped by both parent and child influences, and child feeding is mostly guided by controlling the family food environment, rather than by directly pressuring or restricting their child's eating. Results also highlighted the need for research to consider both parent and child influences on child feeding

The vanishing ideal of a finite set of points with multiplicity structures

Given a finite set of arbitrarily distributed points in affine space with arbitrary multiplicity structures, we present an algorithm to compute the reduced Groebner basis of the vanishing ideal under the lexicographic ordering. Our method discloses the essential geometric connection between the relative position of the points with multiplicity structures and the quotient basis of the vanishing ideal, so we will explicitly know the set of leading terms of elements of I. We split the problem into several smaller ones which can be solved by induction over variables and then use our new algorithm for intersection of ideals to compute the result of the original problem. The new algorithm for intersection of ideals is mainly based on the Extended Euclidean Algorithm.Comment: 12 pages,12 figures,ASCM 201

Holographic Kondo Model in Various Dimensions

We study the addition of localised impurities to U(N) Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in (p+1)-dimensions by using the gauge/gravity correspondence. From the gravity side, the impurities are introduced by considering probe D(8-p)-branes extendingalong the time and radial directions and wrapping an (7-p)-dimensional submanifold of the internal (8-p)-sphere, so that the degrees of freedom are point-like from the gauge theory perspective. We analyse both the configuration in which the branes generate straight flux tubes -corresponding to actual single impurities - and the one in which connected flux tubes are created- corresponding to dimers. We discuss the thermodynamics of both the configurations and the related phase transition. In particular, the specific heat of the straight flux-tube configuration is negative for p<3, while it is never the case for the connected one. We study the stability of the system by looking at the impurity fluctuations. Finally, we characterise the theory by computing one- and two-point correlators of the gauge theory operators dual to the impurity fluctuations. Because of the underlying generalised conformal structure, such correlators can be expressed in terms of an effective coupling constant (which runs because of its dimensionality) and a generalised conformal dimension.Comment: 56 pages, 3 figures; v2: typos correcte

Complete mitochondrial DNA sequences provide new insights into the Polynesian motif and the peopling of Madagascar

More than a decade of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies have given the 'Polynesian motif' renowned status as a marker for tracing the late-Holocene expansion of Austronesian speaking populations. Despite considerable research on the Polynesian motif in Oceania, there has been little equivalent work on the western edge of its expansion - leaving major issues unresolved regarding the motif's evolutionary history. This has also led to considerable uncertainty regarding the settlement of Madagascar. In this study, we assess mtDNA variation in 266 individuals from three Malagasy ethnic groups: the Mikea, Vezo, and Merina. Complete mtDNA genome sequencing reveals a new variant of the Polynesian motif in Madagascar; two coding region mutations define a Malagasy-specific sub-branch. This newly defined 'Malagasy motif' occurs at high frequency in all three ethnic groups (13-50%), and its phylogenetic position, geographic distribution, and estimated age all support a recent origin, but without conclusively identifying a specific source region. Nevertheless, the haplotype's limited diversity, similar to those of other mtDNA haplogroups found in our Malagasy groups, best supports a small number of initial settlers arriving to Madagascar through the same migratory process. Finally, the discovery of this lineage provides a set of new polymorphic positions to help localize the Austronesian ancestors of the Malagasy, as well as uncover the origin and evolution of the Polynesian motif itself

Slepian functions and their use in signal estimation and spectral analysis

It is a well-known fact that mathematical functions that are timelimited (or spacelimited) cannot be simultaneously bandlimited (in frequency). Yet the finite precision of measurement and computation unavoidably bandlimits our observation and modeling scientific data, and we often only have access to, or are only interested in, a study area that is temporally or spatially bounded. In the geosciences we may be interested in spectrally modeling a time series defined only on a certain interval, or we may want to characterize a specific geographical area observed using an effectively bandlimited measurement device. It is clear that analyzing and representing scientific data of this kind will be facilitated if a basis of functions can be found that are "spatiospectrally" concentrated, i.e. "localized" in both domains at the same time. Here, we give a theoretical overview of one particular approach to this "concentration" problem, as originally proposed for time series by Slepian and coworkers, in the 1960s. We show how this framework leads to practical algorithms and statistically performant methods for the analysis of signals and their power spectra in one and two dimensions, and on the surface of a sphere.Comment: Submitted to the Handbook of Geomathematics, edited by Willi Freeden, Zuhair M. Nashed and Thomas Sonar, and to be published by Springer Verla

Speech audiometry findings from HIV+ and HIV− adults in the MACS and WIHS longitudinal cohort studies

The purpose of this study was to compare various speech audiometry measures between HIV+ and HIV− adults and to further evaluate the association between speech audiometry and HIV disease variables in HIV+ adults only. Three hundred ninety-six adults from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) and Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) completed speech audiometry testing. There were 262 men, of whom 117 (44.7%) were HIV+, and 134 women, of whom 105 (78.4%) were HIV+. Speech audiometry was conducted as part of the standard clinical audiological evaluation that included otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure-tone air- and bone-conduction thresholds. Specific speech audiometry measures included speech recognition thresholds (SRT) and word recognition scores in quiet presented at 40 dB sensation level (SL) in reference to the SRT. SRT data were categorized in 5-dB steps from 0 to 25 dB hearing level (HL) with one category as ≥30 dB HL while word recognition scores were categorized as <90%, 90–99%, and 100%. A generalized estimating equations model was used to evaluate the association between HIV status and both ordinal outcomes. The SRT distributions across HIV+ and HIV− adults were similar. HIV+ and HIV− adults had a similar percentages of word recognition scores <90%, a lower percentage of HIV− adults had 90–99%, but HIV− adults had a higher percentage of 100%. After adjusting for covariables, HIV+ adults were borderline significantly more likely to have a higher SRT than HIV− adults (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, p = 0.06). Among HIV+ adults, HIV-related variables (i.e., CD4+ T-cell counts, HIV viral load, and ever history of clinical AIDS) were not significantly associated with either SRT or word recognition score data. There was, however, a ceiling effect for word recognition scores, probably the result of obtaining this measure in quiet with a relatively high presentation level. A more complex listening task, such as speech-in-noise testing, may be a more clinically informative test to evaluate the effects of HIV on speech communication

Scalar and vector Slepian functions, spherical signal estimation and spectral analysis

It is a well-known fact that mathematical functions that are timelimited (or spacelimited) cannot be simultaneously bandlimited (in frequency). Yet the finite precision of measurement and computation unavoidably bandlimits our observation and modeling scientific data, and we often only have access to, or are only interested in, a study area that is temporally or spatially bounded. In the geosciences we may be interested in spectrally modeling a time series defined only on a certain interval, or we may want to characterize a specific geographical area observed using an effectively bandlimited measurement device. It is clear that analyzing and representing scientific data of this kind will be facilitated if a basis of functions can be found that are "spatiospectrally" concentrated, i.e. "localized" in both domains at the same time. Here, we give a theoretical overview of one particular approach to this "concentration" problem, as originally proposed for time series by Slepian and coworkers, in the 1960s. We show how this framework leads to practical algorithms and statistically performant methods for the analysis of signals and their power spectra in one and two dimensions, and, particularly for applications in the geosciences, for scalar and vectorial signals defined on the surface of a unit sphere.Comment: Submitted to the 2nd Edition of the Handbook of Geomathematics, edited by Willi Freeden, Zuhair M. Nashed and Thomas Sonar, and to be published by Springer Verlag. This is a slightly modified but expanded version of the paper arxiv:0909.5368 that appeared in the 1st Edition of the Handbook, when it was called: Slepian functions and their use in signal estimation and spectral analysi

A self-controlled case series to assess the effectiveness of beta blockers for heart failure in reducing hospitalisations in the elderly

Background: To determine the suitability of using the self-controlled case series design to assess improvements in health outcomes using the effectiveness of beta blockers for heart failure in reducing hospitalisations as the example. Methods: The Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs administrative claims database was used to undertake a self-controlled case-series in elderly patients aged 65 years or over to compare the risk of a heart failure hospitalisation during periods of being exposed and unexposed to a beta blocker. Two studies, the first using a one year period and the second using a four year period were undertaken to determine if the estimates varied due to changes in severity of heart failure over time. Results: In the one year period, 3,450 patients and in the four year period, 12, 682 patients had at least one hospitalisation for heart failure. The one year period showed a non-significant decrease in hospitalisations for heart failure 4-8 months after starting beta-blockers, (RR, 0.76; 95% CI (0.57-1.02)) and a significant decrease in the 8-12 months post-initiation of a beta blocker for heart failure (RR, 0.62; 95% CI (0.39, 0.99)). For the four year study there was an increased risk of hospitalisation less than eight months post-initiation and significant but smaller decrease in the 8-12 month window (RR, 0.90; 95% CI (0.82, 0.98)). Conclusions: The results of the one year observation period are similar to those observed in randomised clinical trials indicating that the self-controlled case-series method can be successfully applied to assess health outcomes. However, the result appears sensitive to the study periods used and further research to understand the appropriate applications of this method in pharmacoepidemiology is still required. The results also illustrate the benefits of extending beta blocker utilisation to the older age group of heart failure patients in which their use is common but the evidence is sparse.Emmae N Ramsay, Elizabeth E Roughead, Ben Ewald, Nicole L Pratt and Philip Rya

Proton pump inhibitors and the risk of pneumonia: A comparison of cohort and self-controlled case series designs

Background: To compare the results of a new-user cohort study design and the self-controlled case series (SCCS) design using the risk of hospitalisation for pneumonia in those dispensed proton pump inhibitors compared to those unexposed as a case study. Methods: The Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs administrative claims database was used. Exposure to proton pump inhibitors and hospitalisations for pneumonia were identified over a 4 year study period 01 Jul 2007 -30 Jun 2011. The same inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to both studies, however, the SCCS study included subjects with a least one hospitalisation for pneumonia. Results: There were 105,467 subjects included in the cohort study and 6775 in the SCCS. Both studies showed an increased risk of hospitalisations for pneumonia in the three defined risk periods following initiation of proton pump inhibitors compared to baseline. With the highest risk in the first 1 to 7 days (Cohort RR, 3.24; 95% CI (2.50, 4.19): SCCS: RR, 3.07; 95% CI (2.69, 3.50)). Conclusions: This study has shown that the self-controlled case series method produces similar risk estimates to a new-users cohort study design when applied to the association of proton pump inhibitors and pneumonia. Exposure to a proton pump inhibitor increases the likelihood of being admitted to hospital for pneumonia, with the risk highest in the first week of treatment.Emmae N Ramsay, Nicole L Pratt, Philip Ryan and Elizabeth E Roughea