Neighborhood Environment Perceptions and the Likelihood of Smoking and Alcohol Use

Citation: Jitnarin, N., Heinrich, K. M., Haddock, C. K., Hughey, J., Berkel, L., & Poston, W. S. C. (2015). Neighborhood Environment Perceptions and the Likelihood of Smoking and Alcohol Use. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(1), 784-799. doi:10.3390/ijerph120100784Neighborhood characteristics are important correlates for a variety of health outcomes. Among several health risk behaviors, smoking and alcohol use have significant consequences. Perceptions of neighborhood problems are associated with depressive symptoms, lower physical activity, and lower quality of life. However, it is unclear which perceived aspects of neighborhoods might be related to smoking and drinking. We examined whether perceived neighborhood characteristics were associated with smoking and drinking patterns using data from US metropolitan Midwestern area adults. Participants completed surveys including sociodemographic characteristics, neighborhood perceptions, behavioral and psychological health. For men, negative perceptions of neighborhood infrastructures were significant predictors for smoking and binge drinking. Among women, no perceived environmental factors were associated with smoking or drinking. However, education was a significant negative predictor for smoking. As age increased, the likelihood of using cigarettes, heavy and binge drinking in women decreased significantly. Depression was a positive predictor for smoking and heavy drinking in men and women, respectively. These findings indicate that the perceived neighborhood infrastructure was predictive of health behaviors among men, even after adjusting for key confounders. Closer attention may need to be paid to the role of neighborhood environmental characteristics along with individual-level characteristics in influencing unhealthy behaviors

Resonances in a spring-pendulum: algorithms for equivariant singularity theory

A spring-pendulum in resonance is a time-independent Hamiltonian model system for formal reduction to one degree of freedom, where some symmetry (reversibility) is maintained. The reduction is handled by equivariant singularity theory with a distinguished parameter, yielding an integrable approximation of the Poincaré map. This makes a concise description of certain bifurcations possible. The computation of reparametrizations from normal form to the actual system is performed by Gröbner basis techniques.

Stable Topologies of Event Horizon

In our previous work, it was shown that the topology of an event horizon (EH) is determined by the past endpoints of the EH. A torus EH (the collision of two EH) is caused by the two-dimensional (one-dimensional) set of the endpoints. In the present article, we examine the stability of the topology of the EH. We see that a simple case of a single spherical EH is unstable. Furthermore, in general, an EH with handles (a torus, a double torus, ...) is structurally stable in the sense of catastrophe theory.Comment: 21 pages, revtex, five figures containe

No-scalar hair conjecture in asymptotic de-Sitter spacetime

We discuss the no-hair conjecture in the presence of a cosmological constant. For the firststep the real scalar field is considered as the matter field and the spacetime is assumed to be static spherically symmetric. If the scalar field is massless or has a convex potential such as a mass term, it is proved that there is no regular black hole solution. For a general positive potential, we search for black hole solutions which support the scalar field with a double well potential, and find them by numerical calculations. The existence of such solutions depends on the values of the vacuum expectation value and the self-coupling constant of the scalar field. When we take the zero horizon radius limit, the solution becomes a boson star like solution which we found before. However new solutions are found to be unstable against the linear perturbation. As a result we can conclude that the no-scalar hair conjecture holds in the case of scalar fields with a convex or double well potential.Comment: 9 pages, 2 Postscript figure

Gravitating monopole and its black hole solution in Brans-Dicke Theory

We find a self-gravitating monopole and its black hole solution in Brans-Dicke theory. We mainly discuss the properties of these solutions in the Einstein frame and compare the solutions with those in general relativity.Comment: 20 pages,revtex,26 figure

Semiclassical ionization dynamics of the hydrogen molecular ion in an electric field of arbitrary orientation

Quasi-static models of barrier suppression have played a major role in our understanding of the ionization of atoms and molecules in strong laser fields. Despite their success, in the case of diatomic molecules these studies have so far been restricted to fields aligned with the molecular axis. In this paper we investigate the locations and heights of the potential barriers in the hydrogen molecular ion in an electric field of arbitrary orientation. We find that the barriers undergo bifurcations as the external field strength and direction are varied. This phenomenon represents an unexpected level of intricacy even on this most elementary level of the dynamics. We describe the dynamics of tunnelling ionization through the barriers semiclassically and use our results to shed new light on the success of a recent theory of molecular tunnelling ionization as well as earlier theories that restrict the electric field to be aligned with the molecular axis

The validity of self-rated health as a measure of health status among young military personnel: evidence from a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Background Single item questions about self ratings of overall health status are widely used in both military and civilian surveys. Limited information is available to date that examines what relationships exist between self-rated health, health status and health related behaviors among relatively young, healthy individuals. Methods The current study uses the population of active duty United States Air Force recruits (N = 31,108). Participants completed surveys that asked about health behaviors and health states and were rated their health on a continuum from poor to excellent. Results Ratings of health were consistently lower for those who used tobacco (F = 241.7, p < .001), reported binge drinking (F = 69.0, p < .001), reported drinking and driving (F = 19.4, p < .001), reported taking health risks (F = 109.4, p < .001), were depressed (F = 256.1, p < .001) and were overweight (F = 39.5, p < .001). Conclusion Given the consistent relationship between self-rated overall health and factors important to military health and fitness, self-rated health appears to be a valid measure of health status among young military troops.Peer Reviewe

An investigation of uniform expansions of large order Bessel functions in Gravitational Wave Signals from Pulsars

In this work, we extend the analytic treatment of Bessel functions of large order and/or argument. We examine uniform asymptotic Bessel function expansions and show their accuracy and range of validity. Such situations arise in a variety of applications, in particular the Fourier transform of the gravitational wave signal from a pulsar. The uniform expansion we consider here is found to be valid in the entire range of the argument

Cezanne is a critical regulator of pathological arterial remodelling by targeting β-catenin signalling

Aims Pathological arterial remodelling including neointimal hyperplasia and atherosclerosis is the main underlying cause for occluding arterial diseases. Cezanne is a novel deubiquitinating enzyme, functioning as a NF-кB negative regulator, and plays a key role in renal inflammatory response and kidney injury induced by ischaemia. Here we attempted to examine its pathological role in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) pathology and arterial remodelling. Methods and results Cezanne expression levels were consistently induced by various atherogenic stimuli in VSMCs, and in remodelled arteries upon injury. Functionally, VSMCs over-expressing wild-type Cezanne, but not the mutated catalytically-inactive Cezanne (C209S), had an increased proliferative ability and mobility, while the opposite was observed in VSMCs with Cezanne knockdown. Surprisingly, we observed no significant effects of Cezanne on VSMC apoptosis, NF-κB signalling, or inflammation. RNA-sequencing and biochemical studies showed that Cezanne drives VSMC proliferation by regulating CCN family member 1 (CCN1) by targeting β-catenin for deubiquitination. Importantly, local correction of Cezanne expression in the injured arteries greatly decreased VSMC proliferation, and prevented arterial inward remodelling. Interestingly, global Cezanne gene deletion in mice led to smaller atherosclerotic plaques, but with a lower level of plaque stability. Translating, we observed a similar role for Cezanne in human VSMCs, and higher expression levels of Cezanne in human atherosclerotic lesions. Conclusion Cezanne is a key regulator of VSMC proliferation and migration in pathological arterial remodelling. Our findings have important implications for therapeutic targeting Cezanne signalling and VSMC pathology in vascular diseases