What should be the elements of any settlement with the tobacco industry?

Litigation and regulatory assaults on the tobacco companies may create a willingness among tobacco manufacturers to bargain resources and acceptance of public policy changes for limitations of liability, as has been seen by the recent settlement with the Liggett Group. Two elements absolutely critical to any plan are the elimination of tobacco advertising and promotion and the removal of addiction as a reason for tobacco use. Minimal components of any settlement should include: (a) acceptance by the tobacco manufacturers of the causal relationship between tobacco use and disease, and the addictive nature of nicotine; (b) a total ban on tobacco advertising and promotion; (c) FDA jurisdiction over tobacco products and their nicotine content, with the intent of removing nicotine as soon as acceptable nicotine substitution products are available; (d) reimbursement to the states for Medicaid and other state expenditures attributable to smoking, to the maximum extent feasible; (e) funding for local, state, and federal programmes and research in tobacco control; (f) acceptance of legislation and regulations protecting the right of non-smokers to breathe air free of tobacco smoke; (g) funding for a large, national, media-led, anti- tobacco campaign; and (h) cessation assistance for addicted smokers. If negotiations toward a settlement proceed, it is essential that the public health community participate in defining the elements of any agreement to ensure that whatever agreement develops is focused on reducing tobacco-related disease rather than continuing the profitability of American tobacco companies. That participation requires articulation of the core elements essential to an acceptable agreement. If resolution of the public health issues surrounding continued sale of tobacco products can be reached in the United States, it may provide a model for similar resolution in other countries.


     

Holstein-Friesian calves selected for divergence in residual feed intake during growth exhibited significant but reduced residual feed intake divergence in their first lactation

Residual feed intake (RFI), as a measure of feed conversion during growth, was estimated for around 2,000 growing Holstein-Friesian heifer calves aged 6 to 9 mo in New Zealand and Australia, and individuals from the most and least efficient deciles (low and high RFI phenotypes) were retained. These animals (78 New Zealand cows, 105 Australian cows) were reevaluated during their first lactation to determine if divergence for RFI observed during growth was maintained during lactation. Mean daily body weight (BW) gain during assessment as calves had been 0.86 and 1.15 kg for the respective countries, and the divergence in RFI between most and least efficient deciles for growth was 21% (1.39 and 1.42 kg of dry matter, for New Zealand and Australia, respectively). At the commencement of evaluation during lactation, the cows were aged 26 to 29 mo. All were fed alfalfa and grass cubes; it was the sole diet in New Zealand, whereas 6 kg of crushed wheat/d was also fed in Australia. Measurements of RFI during lactation occurred for 34 to 37 d with measurements of milk production (daily), milk composition (2 to 3 times per week), BW and BW change (1 to 3 times per week), as well as body condition score (BCS). Daily milk production averaged 13.8 kg for New Zealand cows and 20.0 kg in Australia. No statistically significant differences were observed between calf RFI decile groups for dry matter intake, milk production, BW change, or BCS; however a significant difference was noted between groups for lactating RFI. Residual feed intake was about 3% lower for lactating cows identified as most efficient as growing calves, and no negative effects on production were observed. These results support the hypothesis that calves divergent for RFI during growth are also divergent for RFI when lactating. The causes for this reduced divergence need to be investigated to ensure that genetic selection programs based on low RFI (better efficiency) are robust.     

The effects of irradiation on quality of injected fresh pork loins

A comparison of irradiation effects on injected and uninjected fresh pork loin quality was conducted. Sixty pork loins from pigs of similar genetics were obtained from a pork harvesting facility immediately prior to processing. Thirty loins were injected with a brine composed of 2.17% salt/3.04% phosphate/20.8% lactate brine while thirty were not injected. Injected loins were pumped to 13% added weight. Ten loins of each group of thirty were not irradiated while an additional 10 loins were irradiated at 2.2 kGy and the final ten loins were irradiated at 4.4 kGy. Lipid oxidation, color, purge, volatiles, and tenderness were measured on sections of the treated loins after 0, 7, 21, and 35 days of refrigerated storage. Lipid oxidation was minimal for the 0 and the 2.2 kGy-treated loins, but was significantly greater (P<0.05) at day 35 for the loins treated with 4.4 kGy. Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force measurements were significantly lower (P<0.05) for the injected loins, but irradiation did not have an effect on shear force. Purge was significantly lower for the uninjected loins irradiated at 2.2 kGy than for those irradiated at 0 and 4.4 kGy. The injection treatment did not alter the effects of irradiation on the quality characteristics measured.     

Effects of dietary deoiled soy lecithin supplementation on milk production and fatty acid digestibility in Holstein dairy cows

Deoiled soy lecithin is a feed additive enriched in phospholipids. Our study evaluated the effects of dietary deoiled soy lecithin supplementation on (1) milk production and composition, (2) plasma and milk fatty acid (FA) content and yield, and (3) apparent FA digestibility and absorption in lactating dairy cows fed fractionated palm fat. In a split-plot Latin square design, 16 Holstein cows (160 ± 7 days in milk; 3.6 ± 1.2 parity) were randomly allocated to a main plot receiving a corn silage and alfalfa haylage-based diet with palm fat containing either moderate (MPA) or high palmitic acid (HPA) content at 1.75% of ration dry matter (72 or 99% palmitic acid, respectively; n = 8/palm fat diet). On each palm fat diet, deoiled soy lecithin was top-dressed at 0, 0.12, 0.24, or 0.36% of ration dry matter in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Following a 14-d covariate period, lecithin supplementation spanned 14 d, with milk and blood collected during the final 3 d. Milk composition and pooled plasma markers were measured. The statistical model included the fixed effects of palm fat type, lecithin dose, period, and the interaction between palm fat type and lecithin dose. The random effect of cow nested within palm fat group was also included. Lecithin linearly decreased dry matter intake. In cows fed HPA, lecithin feeding reduced milk fat content and tended to decrease milk fat yield. Although no changes in milk yield were observed, a quadratic reduction in 3.5% fat-corrected milk was observed with increasing lecithin dose. Lecithin linearly increased energy-corrected milk efficiency in cows fed MPA. Lecithin supplementation also decreased milk urea nitrogen, relative to unsupplemented cows. The proportion of 16-carbon FA in milk fat decreased linearly with lecithin dose, whereas 18-carbon FA increased linearly. Lecithin reduced de novo FA (<16-carbon) content and tended to increase preformed FA (>16-carbon) content in a linear manner. Compared with MPA, HPA diets reduced apparent total and 16-carbon FA digestibility and absorption. Deoiled soy lecithin feeding did not modify FA digestibility or absorption. Our observations suggest that soy lecithin feeding modifies rumen digestion to reduce dry matter intake and change milk composition.     

The relative importance of fungi in the breakdown of commercial samples of sulphited strawberries

The incidence of strawberry spoilage fungi in commercal plantations and on commercially harvested fruit from three different strawberry growing areas (East Norfolk, Wisbech area, County Wexford) were studied in relation to breakdown of sulphited fruit from these areas. Botrytis cinerea and Mucor piriformis were present on fruit from most plantations in the three areas whereas Rhizopus species were more prevalent on fruit from the Wisbech area. A higher proportion of stored fruit from the Wisbech area was spoiled by the Rhizopus spp., especially R. sexualls, whereas M. piriformis predominated on fruit from East Norfolk and County Wexford. A greater proportion of the sulphited fruit from the Wisbech area showed softening and disintegration which coincided with both a higher incidence of R. sexualis and of sulphited liquors showing detectable pectolytic activity. Comparison of the effect of the pre-harvest fungicides Elvaron, Mildothane and Daconil, showed a similar incidence of M. piriformis and Rhizopus spp. on the fruit and subsequently there were no consistent differences in the amount of breakdown of sulphited fruit from the different treatments. A delay in sulphiting after the fruit had been harvested, especially when fruit was held at 15°C, usually resulted in complete disintegration during subsequent storage. The importance of reducing the interval between harvesting and sulphiting to a minimum is discussed together with other factors which may reduce the incidence of breakdown of sulphited fruit.     

Forests, grazing areas, water supplies, and the internship imbalance problem: Redefining the paradigm to implement effective change.

We are frustrated with the internship imbalance. Twenty years ago, those of us involved in academic training programs prepared students in our doctoral programs for the internship application process by meeting with them for an hour and giving them a few pointers. Now, the focus on securing an internship seems to pervade all aspects of doctoral education. We listen to students worry that they don’t have sufficient hours, assessment experience, or diverse practicum placements. As the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Match approaches, we meet with students more frequently, helping them to prepare their applications and carefully construct their list of internship sites. We devote time helping students to complete the APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI), prepare for interviews, and rank sites. Those of us who are involved in internship training programs spend extensive hours reviewing hundreds of applications in Phase I and Phase II of the APPIC Match. We respond to applicant concerns, questions, and anxiety. And all of us try to provide support and consolation, as well as some understanding about “what went wrong” to those students who aren’t matched. When we have a moment, we look beyond the students in front of us and worry about the future of our profession. How is it possible that we’ve gotten ourselves into this mess? Hatcher’s (this issue, pp. 126 –140) article (a manifesto, if you will) has the potential to point us in a new direction. Our hope is that each of you, like us, will view Hatcher’s article as the beginning of a paradigm shift in terms of how we characterize this problem and its potential solutions. His innovative and bold view of how the professional training community can work collaboratively to reorganize has the potential to effectively impact the internship imbalance and the quality of the profession as a whole. By likening the internship imbalance to a resource management issue similar to what has been encountered in regard to other resources such as crops and forests, Hatcher provides us with an opportunity to rise above our own positions to draw upon existing, evidence-based approaches to cooperative solutions that can benefit all involved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exercise improves executive function and achievement and alters brain activation in overweight children: A randomized, controlled trial.

Objective: This experiment tested the hypothesis that exercise would improve executive function. Design: Sedentary, overweight 7- to 11-year-old children (N = 171, 56% girls, 61% Black, M ± SD age = 9.3 ± 1.0 years, body mass index [BMI] = 26 ± 4.6 kg/m2, BMI z-score = 2.1 ± 0.4) were randomized to 13 ± 1.6 weeks of an exercise program (20 or 40 min/day), or a control condition. Main Outcome Measures: Blinded, standardized psychological evaluations (Cognitive Assessment System and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III) assessed cognition and academic achievement. Functional MRI measured brain activity during executive function tasks. Results: Intent to treat analysis revealed dose-response benefits of exercise on executive function and mathematics achievement. Preliminary evidence of increased bilateral prefrontal cortex activity and reduced bilateral posterior parietal cortex activity attributable to exercise was also observed. Conclusion: Consistent with results obtained in older adults, a specific improvement on executive function and brain activation changes attributable to exercise were observed. The cognitive and achievement results add evidence of dose-response and extend experimental evidence into childhood. This study provides information on an educational outcome. Besides its importance for maintaining weight and reducing health risks during a childhood obesity epidemic, physical activity may prove to be a simple, important method of enhancing aspects of children's mental functioning that are central to cognitive development. This information may persuade educators to implement vigorous physical activity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inactivation of the median raphe nucleus increases intake of sucrose solutions: A microstructural analysis.

Previous studies have shown that microinjections of the GABA-A agonist muscimol into the median raphe nucleus (MR) result in large increases in the intake of solid foods. In the current study, we used microstructural techniques to characterize the effects of intra-MR muscimol injections on the consumption of either a 0.05 M or a 0.29 M sucrose solution. After injections of either saline or muscimol, animals consumed more of the 0.29 M than the 0.05 M solution, an effect which resulted primarily from increases in the initial rate of consumption with no change in the rate at which licking decayed across the test session. In contrast, intra-MR muscimol injections had little effect on the initial licking rate, but greatly increased meal duration, indicating that this treatment affected ingestion in a different way than did altering the sucrose concentration. Muscimol injections produced a significantly larger increase in the intake of the 0.29 M than of the 0.05 M solution. Intra-MR muscimol injections did not alter the within burst rate of licking, suggesting that they did not affect the functioning of the licking pattern generator. In contrast, these injections did increase the number of licks contained within “clusters,” that is groups of licks separated from each other by intervals of more than 0.5 sec. These findings show that inactivation of the MR produces a powerful effect on the intake of liquid diets, and that the nature of this effect is different from that produced here by changes in sucrose concentration and from those reported after pharmacological manipulations of a number of other brain systems. We additionally discuss several theoretical issues arising in the interpretation of microstructural data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chemical alignment of DNA origami to block copolymer patterned arrays of 5 nm gold nanoparticles

We have used block copolymer patterned arrays of 5 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for chemically aligned surface attachment of DNA origami. Addition of single-stranded DNA-thiol to AuNPs allowed a base paired attachment of sticky end modified DNA origami. Results indicate a stable, selective attachment between the DNA origami and ssDNA modified AuNPs. Yield data showed 74% of AuNP binding sites forming an attachment with a DNA origami rectangle, and control surfaces showed less than 0.5% nonspecific adsorption.     

Antenna design strategy and demonstration for software-defined radio (SDR)

Antennas are a key enabling technology for software-defined radio (SDR). Although software is extremely flexible, SDR??s potential is limited by antenna size and performance. In this paper, we review typical antenna miniaturization techniques and fundamental theories that limit antenna size and performance including operational bandwidth, gain (or range), and radiation pattern. Possible antenna design strategies are discussed to meet the desired specifications in SDR based on observations from the limit theories. The application of strategies to enable multiband (resonant), continuous multiband (frequency independent), and instantaneous, ultra-wideband antennas are discussed qualitatively. Advantages, disadvantages, and design trade-off strategies for different types of antennas are compared from a system-level perspective. A design example for a compact ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna is presented for a software-defined platform. The example involves a direct-conversion radio developed in Wireless@VT that uses a Motorola RFIC having a 100 MHz?C6 GHz operational frequency range with a 9 kHz?C20 MHz channel bandwidth. The example antenna covers frequencies from 450 MHz to 6 GHz instantaneously with approximately 5-dBi realized gain over a finite-size ground plane, including return loss and omni-directional coverage.