On the geometry of the space of fibrations

We study geometrical aspects of the space of fibrations between two given manifolds M and B, from the point of view of Frechet geometry. As a first result, we show that any connected component of this space is the base space of a Frechet-smooth principal bundle with the identity component of the group of diffeomorphisms of M as total space. Second, we prove that the space of fibrations is also itself the total space of a smooth Frechet principal bundle with structure group the group of diffeomorphisms of the base B.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Parental depression and child well-being: Young children's self-reports helped addressing biases in parent reports

Objectives Effects of maternal and paternal depression on child development are typically evaluated using parental reports of child problems. Yet, parental reports may be biased. Methods In a population-based cohort, parents reported lifetime depression (N = 3,178) and depressive symptoms (N = 3,131). Child emotional and behavioral problems were assessed at age 6 years by child self-report using the Berkeley Puppet Interview, by mother report using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and at age 3 years by father and mother reported CBCLs. Results Both maternal and paternal depression was associated with more child problems. Associations were of similar strength if child problems were obtained by self-reports. However, if parents reported about their own depression or depressive symptoms and about their child's problems, estimates were generally stronger for associations with the reporting parent's depression as the determinant. For instance, if mothers reported child emotional problems, associations were stronger for maternal (B = 0.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.19, 0.35) than for paternal lifetime depression (B = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.02, 0.21; P-value for difference = 0.02). Conclusion Depression of mothers and fathers affects young children's well-being. However, if parents reported about their own depression and about child problems, associations were inflated. To accurately estimate effects of parental depression, multiple-source data including young children's perspectives must be considered

FTO at rs9939609, Food Responsiveness, Emotional Control and Symptoms of ADHD in Preschool Children

The FTO minor allele at rs9939609 has been associated with body mass index (BMI: weight (kg)/height (m)2) in children from 5 years onwards, food intake, and eating behaviour. The high expression of FTO in the brain suggests that this gene may also be associated with behavioural phenotypes, such as impulsivity and control. We examined the effect of the FTO minor allele (A) at rs9939609 on eating behaviour, impulsivity and control in young children, thus before the BMI effect becomes apparent. This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based cohort from fetal life onwards. 1,718 children of European descent were genotyped for FTO at rs9939609. With logistic regression assuming an additive genetic model, we examined the association between the FTO minor allele and eating behaviour, impulsivity and control in preschool children. There was no relation between FTO at rs9939609 and child BMI at this age. The A allele at rs9939609 was associated with increased food responsiveness (OR 1.21, p = 0.03). Also, children with the A allele were less likely to have symptoms of ADHD (OR 0.74, p = 0.01) and showed more emotional control (OR 0.64, p = 0.01) compared to children without the A allele. Our findings suggest that before the association between FTO and BMI becomes apparent, the FTO minor allele at rs9939609 leads to increased food responsiveness, a decreased risk for symptoms of ADHD and better emotional control. Future studies are needed to investigate whether these findings represent one single mechanism or reflect pleiotropic effects of FTO

Finite-Temperature Transition into a Power-Law Spin Phase with an Extensive Zero-Point Entropy

We introduce an $xy$ generalization of the frustrated Ising model on a triangular lattice. The presence of continuous degrees of freedom stabilizes a {\em finite-temperature} spin state with {\em power-law} discrete spin correlations and an extensive zero-point entropy. In this phase, the unquenched degrees of freedom can be described by a fluctuating surface with logarithmic height correlations. Finite-size Monte Carlo simulations have been used to characterize the exponents of the transition and the dynamics of the low-temperature phase

Maternal Glucose Concentrations in Early Pregnancy and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Childhood

Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations of maternal early-pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations with offspring cardiometabolic risk factors and fat distribution. Methods: In a population-based prospective cohort study among 3,737 mothers and their children, random maternal glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at a median gestational age of 13.2 (95% range 10.5-17.1) weeks. Childhood fat, blood pressure, and blood concentrations of lipids, glucose, and insulin at the age of 10 years were measured. Results: Higher maternal early-pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations were associated with a higher risk of childhood overweight, and higher maternal early-pregnancy insulin concentrations were associated with an increased childhood risk of clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors (all P < 0.05). These associations were explained by maternal prepregnancy BMI. Independent of maternal prepregnancy BMI, one SD score (SDS) higher maternal early-pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations were associated with higher childhood glucose (0.08 SDS, 95% CI: 0.04-0.11) and insulin concentrations (0.07 SDS, 95% CI: 0.03-0.10), but not with childhood blood pressure, lipids, and fat measures. Conclusions: These results suggest that maternal early-pregnancy random glucose and insulin concentrations are associated with childhood glucose a

Children's eating behavior, feeding practices of parents and weight problems in early childhood: Results from the population-based Generation R Study

Background: Weight problems that arise in the first years of life tend to persist. Behavioral research in this period can provide information on the modifiable etiology of unhealthy weight. The present study aimed to replicate findings from previous small-scale studies by examinin

Exploring the relation of harsh parental discipline with child emotional and behavioral problems by using multiple informants. The generation R study

Parental harsh disciplining, like corporal punishment, has consistently been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in children. It remains a challenge to accurately assess the consequences of harsh discipline, as researchers and clinicians generally rely on parent report of young children's problem behaviors. If parents rate their parenting styles and their child's behavior this may bias results. The use of child self-report on problem behaviors is not common but may provide extra information about the relation of harsh parental discipline and problem behavior. We examined the independent contribution of young children's self-report above parental report of emotional and behavioral problems in a study of maternal and paternal harsh discipline in a birth cohort. Maternal and paternal harsh discipline predicted both parent reported behavioral and parent reported emotional problems, but only child reported behavioral problems. Associations were not explained by pre-existing behavioral problems at age 3. Importantly, the association with child reported outcomes was independent from parent reported problem behavior. These results suggest that young children's s

Longitudinal association between preschool fussy eating and body composition at 6 years of age: The Generation R Study

Background: Children's fussy eating behavior has been related to both underweight and overweight in cross-sectional studies, but the direction of these associations and the relation with more detailed measures of body composition remains unclear. We aimed to examine whether fussy eating at age 4 years is longitudinally related to body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) at 6 years of age. Methods: This study was embedded in Generation R, a population-based, prospective cohort. Data were available for 4191 children. The Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ), administered at age 4 years, was used to derive a fussy eating profile. This profile is characterized by high scores on food avoidant scales and low scores on food approach scales. At age 6 years, height and weight were measured at our research center. Body fat and fat-free mass were measured using Dual-energy-X-ray absorptiometry. We used age- and sex-specific standard deviation scores (SDS) for all outcomes. Results: After adjustment for confounders, the fussy eating profile was related to lower BMI-SDS (B=-0.37, 95 % CI: -0.47;-0.26), lower FMI-SDS (B=-0.22, 95 % CI: -0.33;-0.12) and lower FFMI-SDS (B=-0.41, 95 % CI: -0.54;-0.29). When adjusting for baseline BMI at 4 years, the fussy eating profile predicted a 0.11 lower BMI-SDS at age 6 (95 % CI: -0.19;-0.04). This change in BMI was mainly due to a decrease in FFMI (B=-0.19, 95 % CI: -0.29;-0.09). Fussy eaters also had a higher risk of becoming underweight than non-fussy eaters (OR=2.28, 95 % CI: 1.34;3.87). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that young fussy eaters are at risk of having a lower fat free mass and of becoming underweight over a 2-year period. This implies that fussy eaters may benefit from careful monitoring to prevent an adverse growth development

Bidirectional associations between fussy eating and functional constipation in preschool children

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Population Dynamics and Non-Hermitian Localization

We review localization with non-Hermitian time evolution as applied to simple models of population biology with spatially varying growth profiles and convection. Convection leads to a constant imaginary vector potential in the Schroedinger-like operator which appears in linearized growth models. We illustrate the basic ideas by reviewing how convection affects the evolution of a population influenced by a simple square well growth profile. Results from discrete lattice growth models in both one and two dimensions are presented. A set of similarity transformations which lead to exact results for the spectrum and winding numbers of eigenfunctions for random growth rates in one dimension is described in detail. We discuss the influence of boundary conditions, and argue that periodic boundary conditions lead to results which are in fact typical of a broad class of growth problems with convection.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figure