Framing and ideology in breastfeeding discourse: A two-part content and rhetorical analysis of online magazine articles and blog posts

This two-part study used quantitative and rhetorically-informed framing analysis 1) to ascertain how online magazines and blogs frame breastfeeding and 2) to further analyze whether and how such framed messages perpetuate dominant and divergent ideological stances, thereby complicating infant feeding choices. In total, 437 articles (n = 201) and posts (n = 236) from three online magazines and three blogs were collected and analyzed in part one. Frequency data indicating the appearance and use of particular content/themes, frame type, frame valence, gain/loss frames, and source type are provided. Chi-square analyses revealed significant differences in publication type (magazine v. blog) for content/theme. Additionally, while both publication types were more likely to use episodic frames than thematic, blogs used episodic frames significantly more often than magazines. Similarly, both more frequently cited non-experts than experts, though magazines cited experts significantly more than did blogs. Finally, results revealed significant differences in frame type and source type by publication title. Representative examples (n = 6) of the most and least frequently appearing content/themes were selected for the rhetorical framing analysis. The analysis argued that despite quantitative results suggesting more diverse topical coverage and neutral treatment of breastfeeding, authors of articles and posts explicitly and implicitly supported the culturally dominant ideology that breastfeeding supersedes all alternatives (i.e., “breast is best”); for all its challenges and difficulties, breastfeeding is worth it. Consequently, rather than encourage or invite open dialogue, such overt and covert ideological framing effectively forecloses conversation, which then has the potential to breed guilt and shame among mothers. Overall, this dissertation sought to show that while authors are nearly always well intended and seek to support mothers, the ways in which they word or structure their writing - in terms of how they frame breastfeeding and the ideologies they support – has consequences whether intentional or not. Going forward, authors have a responsibility to further acknowledge variable views is in their writing so as to better reach the whole of their audience instead of unknowingly or unintentionally perpetuating potentially harmful messages and/or ideologies to new mothers who are already vulnerable and facing new and huge challenges

Relationship of centrally-located body fat to appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women

Objective. Body composition and energy homeostasis are thought to affect the appetitive hormones: adiponectin, leptin, insulin, and ghrelin. This study examined whether centrally-located fat and/or overall adiposity were related to these appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.;Design. Overall and regional body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in relation to plasma adiponectin, serum leptin, serum insulin, and plasma ghrelin in 242 postmenopausal women.;Results. Regression analyses revealed that the androidal-to-gynoidal fat mass ratio (18.0%), age (3.2%), and white blood cell count (1.8%) accounted for 28% of the variability in adiponectin (F=22.2; P≤0.0001); androidal (waist + hip) fat mass (66.0%), (androidal fat mass)2 (6.2%), whole body lean mass (2.2%), and age (0.8%) accounted for 69% of the variability in leptin (F=102.5; P≤0.0001). Regression analyses revealed that sagittal abdominal diameter (8.4%), glucose (5.4%), white blood cell count (2.6%), and dietary omega-3 fatty acids (2.0%) accounted for 32% of the variability in insulin (F=20.8; P≤0.0001); waist circumference (12.7%), hip lean mass (2.0%), and white blood cell count (1.9%) accounted for 26% of the variability in ghrelin (F=20.7; P ≤0.0001). Our results indicated that centralized fat mass was the primary contributor to these appetitive hormones in healthy postmenopausal women.;Conclusion. Since central adiposity in postmenopausal women was related to appetitive hormones, minimizing weight gain during the menopausal transition may optimize appetitive hormones, thereby facilitating appetite control and weight maintenance

Towards the visualization of genome activity at nanoscale dimensions

A report on the Fifth Annual Nanostructural Genomics meeting, Bar Harbor, USA, 7-10 September 2005

The Problem of Communicating Beyond Human Scale

Human beings can only experience a thin ribbon of reality constrained by the biological limits of our perceptual systems. Yet, science routinely examines processes and phenomenon outside of human scale and science-related policy requires us to use our conceptions of these toward informed policy making. It often falls to experts to assist non-experts in constructing conceptions beyond human scale. This paper will organize relevant literature from varied fields to introduce the cognitive challenge of comprehending concepts beyond human scale and to suggest what communication techniques experts may find useful to help non-experts arrive at a perception more closely aligned with reality

Autoregulation of Cortical Blood Flow in Response to Phenylephrine Induced Hypertension in the Normocapnic and Hypercapnic Cat

The purpose of this research was to determine the degree of autoregulation of cortical blood flow in the cat, and to evaluate the usefulness of the heated thermocouple technique for measurement of local cortical blood flow. We determined the relationship between local flow and voltage output from our thermoelectric flow probe by in vitro experiments with an artificial kidney. We measured local cortical blood flow in 17 cats during episodes of phenylephrine-induced hypertension, under conditions of normocapnia and, in some cases, hypercapnia. Arterial blood pressure and voltage output from the flow probe thermocouples were recorded continuously with a Physiograph-six monitor. We found the heated thermocouple flow probe to be useful for qualitative description and for estimation of relative changes in local cortical blood flow, The relationship between the flow probe thermocouple voltage and local flow was shown to be a hyperbola. We found active regulation of local cortical blood flow in the presence of acutely induced hypertension. This autoregulation does not completely prevent change in local cortical blood flow but it does limit the change. Within the autoregulatory range, an increase in mean arterial blood pressure of 10 percent was associated with an increase in local cortical blood flow of 8 percent. This is in agreement with other studies of cortical blood flow autoregulation in the cat, and represents less complete autoregulation than is found in other species. Breakthrough of autoregulation was found in some cats with mean arterial blood pressures of 180-230 mmHg. We found intact autoregulation of local cortical blood flow in the hypercapnic cat. The upper arterial blood pressure limit of autoregulation was apparently shifted downward from the normocapnic level by hypercapnia