1,987 research outputs found
Parental stress increases body mass index trajectory in pre-adolescents.
What is already known about this subjectRates of childhood obesity have increased since the mid-1970s. Research into behavioural determinants has focused on physical inactivity and unhealthy diets. Cross-sectional studies indicate an association between psychological stress experienced by parents and obesity in pre-adolescents.What this study addsWe provide evidence of a prospective association between parental psychological stress and increased weight gain in pre-adolescents. Family-level support for those experiencing chronic stress might help promote healthy diet and exercise behaviours in children.ObjectiveWe examined the impact of parental psychological stress on body mass index (BMI) in pre-adolescent children over 4 years of follow-up.MethodsWe included 4078 children aged 5-10 years (90% were between 5.5 and 7.5 years) at study entry (2002-2003) in the Children's Health Study, a prospective cohort study in southern California. A multi-level linear model simultaneously examined the effect of parental stress at study entry on the attained BMI at age 10 and the slope of change across annual measures of BMI during follow-up, controlled for the child's age and sex. BMI was calculated based on objective measurements of height and weight by trained technicians following a standardized procedure.ResultsA two standard deviation increase in parental stress at study entry was associated with an increase in predicted BMI attained by age 10 of 0.287 kg m(-2) (95% confidence interval 0.016-0.558; a 2% increase at this age for a participant of average attained BMI). The same increase in parental stress was also associated with an increased trajectory of weight gain over follow-up, with the slope of change in BMI increased by 0.054 kg m(-2) (95% confidence interval 0.007-0.100; a 7% increase in the slope of change for a participant of average BMI trajectory).ConclusionsWe prospectively demonstrated a small effect of parental stress on BMI at age 10 and weight gain earlier in life than reported previously. Interventions to address the burden of childhood obesity should address the role of parental stress in children
Outcome Prediction in the Practice of Law
Business forecasters typically use time-series models to predict future demands, the forecasts informing management decision making and guiding organizational planning. But this type of forecasting is merely a subset of the broader field of predictive analytics, models used by data scientists in all manner of applications, including credit approvals, fraud detection, product-purchase and music-listening recommendations, and even the real-time decisions made by self-driving vehicles. The practice of law requires decisions that must be based on predictions of future legal outcomes, and data scientists are now developing forecasting methods to support the process. In this article, Mark Osbeck and Mike Gilliland first examine the traditional tools lawyers employ along with the limitations that prevent these tools from consistently delivering accurate predictions. They then describe how new data-science approaches, including AI, are starting to alter the way law firms operate
Strain and field modulation in bilayer graphene band structure
Using an external electric field, one can modulate the bandgap of Bernal
stacked bilayer graphene by breaking A-~B symmetry. We analyze strain effects
on the bilayer graphene using the extended Huckel theory and find that reduced
interlayer distance results in higher bandgap modulation, as expected.
Furthermore, above about 2.5 angstrom interlayer distance, the bandgap is
direct, follows a convex relation to electric field and saturates to a value
determined by the interlayer distance. However, below about 2.5 angstrom, the
bandgap is indirect, the trend becomes concave and a threshold electric field
is observed, which also depends on the stacking distance.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figures - v1 and v2 are the same, uploaded twice - v3,
some typos fixed and a reference adde
Photometric variability in the old open cluster M 67. II. General Survey
We use differential CCD photometry to search for variability in BVI among 990
stars projected in and around the old open cluster M 67. In a previous paper we
reported results for 22 cluster members that are optical counterparts to X-ray
sources; this study focuses on the other stars in our observations. A variety
of sampling rates were employed, allowing variability on time scales ranging
from \sim 0.3 hours to \sim 20 days to be studied. Among the brightest sources
studied, detection of variability as small as sigma approx 10 mmag is achieved
(with > 3 sigma confidence); for the typical star observed, sensitivity to
variability at levels sigma approx 20 mmag is achieved. The study is unbiased
for stars with 12.5 < B < 18.5, 12.5 < V < 18.5, and 12 < I < 18 within a
radius of about 10 arcmin from the cluster centre. In addition, stars with 10 <
BVI < 12.5 were monitored in a few small regions in the cluster. We present
photometry for all 990 sources studied, and report the variability
characteristics of those stars found to be variable at a statistically
significant level. Among the variables, we highlight several sources that merit
future study, including stars located on the cluster binary sequence, stars on
the giant branch, blue stragglers, and a newly discovered W UMa system.Comment: 12 pages, including 6 figures and 5 tables. Tables 1 and 3 only
available in electronic version of paper. Accepted by A&
Characterisation of red-giant stars in the public Kepler data
The first public release of long-cadence stellar photometric data collected
by the NASA Kepler mission has now been made available. In this paper we
characterise the red-giant (G-K) stars in this large sample in terms of their
solar-like oscillations. We use published methods and well-known scaling
relations in the analysis. Just over 70% of the red giants in the sample show
detectable solar-like oscillations, and from these oscillations we are able to
estimate the fundamental properties of the stars. This asteroseismic analysis
reveals different populations: low-luminosity H-shell burning red-giant branch
stars, cool high-luminosity red giants on the red-giant branch and He-core
burning clump and secondary-clump giants.Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society Main Journa
Population Models with Diffusion and Constant Yield Harvesting
In this paper we discuss reaction-diffusion equations arising in population dynamics with constant yield harvesting in one dimension. We focus on the mathematical models of the logistic growth, the strong Allee effect, and the weak Allee effect and their influence on the existence of positive steady states as well as global bifurcation diagrams. We analyze the equations using the quadrature method and the method of sub-super solutions
Hubble Space Telescope Transmission Spectroscopy of the Exoplanet HD 189733b: High-altitude atmospheric haze in the optical and near-UV with STIS
We present Hubble Space Telescope optical and near-ultraviolet transmission
spectra of the transiting hot-Jupiter HD189733b, taken with the repaired Space
Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) instrument. The resulting spectra cover
the range 2900-5700 Ang and reach per-exposure signal-to-noise levels greater
than 11,000 within a 500 Ang bandwidth. We used time series spectra obtained
during two transit events to determine the wavelength dependance of the
planetary radius and measure the exoplanet's atmospheric transmission spectrum
for the first time over this wavelength range. Our measurements, in conjunction
with existing HST spectra, now provide a broadband transmission spectrum
covering the full optical regime. The STIS data also shows unambiguous evidence
of a large occulted stellar spot during one of our transit events, which we use
to place constraints on the characteristics of the K dwarf's stellar spots,
estimating spot temperatures around Teff~4250 K. With contemporaneous
ground-based photometric monitoring of the stellar variability, we also measure
the correlation between the stellar activity level and transit-measured
planet-to-star radius contrast, which is in good agreement with predictions. We
find a planetary transmission spectrum in good agreement with that of Rayleigh
scattering from a high-altitude atmospheric haze as previously found from HST
ACS camera. The high-altitude haze is now found to cover the entire optical
regime and is well characterised by Rayleigh scattering. These findings suggest
that haze may be a globally dominant atmospheric feature of the planet which
would result in a high optical albedo at shorter optical wavelengths.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, accepted to MNRAS, revised version
has minor change
Teaching procedural skills to medical students: a pilot procedural skills lab
Background: Medical students have limited confidence in performing procedural skills. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a multifaceted Procedural Skills Lab (PSL) on the confidence of medical students to perform procedural skills. Methods: Twelve 2ndyear medical students were randomly selected to participate in a pilot PSL. The PSL students met with an instructor for 2 h once a week for 4 weeks. Students participated in a flipped classroom and spaced education program before laboratory sessions that included a cadaver laboratory. Procedural skills included a focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) scan, cardiac echocardiogram, lumbar puncture, arthrocentesis, and insertion of intraosseous and intravenous catheters. Students in the PSL were asked to rank their confidence in performing procedural skills before and after completion of the laboratory sessions (Wilcoxon ranked-sum test). A web-based questionnaire was also emailed to all 2ndyear medical students to establish a baseline frequency for observing, performing, and confidence performing procedural skills (Mann–Whitney U-test). Results: Fifty-nine percent (n = 106) of 180 2ndyear medical students (n = 12 PSL students [treatment group], n = 94 [control group]) completed the survey. Frequency of observation, performance, and confidence in performing procedural skills was similar between the control and treatment groups at baseline. There was an increased confidence level (p < 0.001) for performing all procedural skills for the treatment group after completion of the PSL. Discussion: An innovative PSL may increase students' confidence to perform procedural skills. Future studies will examine competency after a PSL
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