Determinants of fruit and vegetable intake in England: a re-examination based on quantile regression

Objective To examine die sociodemographic determinants of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption in England and determine the differential effects of socioeconomic variables at various parts of the intake distribution, with a special focus on severely inadequate intakes Design Quantile regression, expressing F&V intake as a function of sociodemographic variables, is employed. Here, quantile regression flexibly allows variables such as ethnicity to exert effects on F&V intake that. vary depending oil existing levels of intake. Setting The 2003 Health survey of England. Subjects Data were from 11044 adult individuals. Results The influence of particular sociodemographic variables is found to vary significantly across the intake distribution We conclude that women consume more F&V than men, Asians and Hacks mole dian Whites, co-habiting individuals more than single-living ones Increased incomes and education also boost intake However, the key general finding of the present study is that the influence of most variables is relatively weak in the area of greatest concern, i e among those with the most inadequate intakes in any reference group. Conclusions. Our findings emphasise the importance of allowing the effects of socio-economic drivers to vary across the intake distribution The main finding, that variables which exert significant influence on F&V Intake at other parts Of the conditional distribution have a relatively weak influence at the lower tail, is cause for concern. It implies that in any defined group, those consuming the lease F&V are hard to influence using compaigns or policy levers.

The development of indigo reduction methods and pre-reduced indigo products

The continuing importance of blue denim maintains indigo as an important vat dye industrially. In this review, we examine the various methods that have been used in the past and are currently used to reduce and dissolve indigo for dyeing. We discuss recent insights into the bacterial fermentation technology, the advantages and disadvantages of the direct chemical methods that have predominated for the last century and potentially cleaner technologies of catalytic hydrogenation and electrochemistry, which are becoming increasingly important. With considerations of environmental impact high on the dyeing industry's agenda, we also discuss the developments that have led to the production of pre-reduced indigo.

Growth and flowering of petunia and impatiens: effects of competition and reduced water content within a container

The primary objective of this research was to determine how the presence of more than one plant and more than one species in a container influence plant quality, particularly when the volume of water given to the container is reduced. Petunia xhybrida 'Hurrah White' and Impatiens 'Cajun Violet' were chosen as typical bedding plant species. Plants were grown in 2 1 containers either under "100% ETp" (i.e., replacing all the water lost by evapotranspiration in the previous 24 h) or under a moisture-restrictive regime of "25% ETp," in which plants received 25% of the "100% ETp" value. An ancillary experiment investigated whether low watering resulted in floral buds being aborted. Results demonstrated that watering requirements of Petunia under "100% ETp" (i.e., replacing all the water lost by evapotranspiration in the previous 24 h) were on average 30% greater than those of Impatiens. However, when two Petunia plants were growing in the same container, the volume of water required to maintain soil moisture content at container capacity was on average only 10% greater than for a single plant. Under a "25% ETp" regime in which plants received 25% of the "100% ETp" value, flower number, plant height, and flower size were reduced by 50%,33%, and 13%,respectively,in Petunia compared with "100% ETp." For example, flower numbers decreased from an average of 71 to 33 flowers per plant in "100% ETp" and "25% ETp," respectively. Petunia plants in the "25% ETp" regime, however, were more efficient at producing both biomass and flowers in relation to the volume of water applied. Petunia plants that experienced both competition from other plants in the container and lower irrigation rates had enhanced efficiency of flower production (i.e., more flowers per unit biomass). For Impatiens, however, the growing of single plants at "25% ETp" was plausible, but the addition of a Petunia plant at "25% ETp" was detrimental to plant quality (Impatiens flower numbers reduced by 75%).

Alterations in receptor binding properties of recent human influenza H3N2 viruses are associated with reduced natural killer cell lysis of infected cells

Natural killer (NK) cell recognition of influenza virus-infected cells involves hemagglutinin (HA) binding to sialic acid (SA) on activating NK receptors. SA also acts as a receptor for the binding of influenza virus to its target host cells. The SA binding properties of H3N2 influenza viruses have been observed to change during circulation in humans: recent isolates are unable to agglutinate chicken red blood cells and show reduced affinity for synthetic glycopolymers representing SA-alpha-2,3-lactose (3'SL-PAA) and SA-alpha-2,6-N-acetyl lactosamine (6'SLN-PAA) carbohydrates. Here, NK lysis of cells infected with human H3N2 influenza viruses isolated between 1969 and 2003 was analyzed. Cells infected with recent isolates (1999 to 2003) were found to be lysed less effectively than cells infected with older isolates (1969 to 1996). This change occurred concurrently with the acquisition of two new potential glycosylation site motifs in RA. Deletion of the potential glycosylation site motif at 133 to 135 in HA1 from a recent isolate partially restored the agglutination phenotype to a recombinant virus, indicating that the HA-SA interaction is inhibited by the glycosylation modification. Deletion of either of the recently acquired potential glycosylation sites from HA led to increased NK lysis of cells infected with recombinant viruses carrying modified HA. These results indicate that alterations in RA glycosylation may affect NK cell recognition of influenza virus-infected cells in addition to virus binding to host cells.

Reduced incorporation of the influenza B virus BM2 protein in virus particles decreases infectivity

BM2 is the fourth integral membrane protein encoded by the influenza B virus genome. It is synthesized late in infection and transported to the plasma membrane from where it is subsequently incorporated into progeny virus particles. It has recently been reported that BM2 has ion channel activity and may be the functional homologue of the influenza A virus M2 protein acting as an ion channel involved in viral entry. Using a reverse genetic approach it was not possible to recover virus which lacked BM2. A recombinant influenza B virus was generated in which the BM2 AUG initiation codon was mutated to GUG. This decreased the efficiency of translation of BM2 protein such that progeny virions contained only 1/8 the amount of BM2 seen in wild-type virus. The reduction in BM2 incorporation resulted in a reduction in infectivity although there was no concomitant decrease in the numbers of virions released from the infected cells. These data imply that the incorporation of sufficient BM2 protein into influenza B virions is required for infectivity of the virus particles. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multivariate relationships between groundwater chemistry and toxicity in an urban aquifer

Multivariate statistical methods were used to investigate file Causes of toxicity and controls on groundwater chemistry from 274 boreholes in an Urban area (London) of the United Kingdom. The groundwater was alkaline to neutral, and chemistry was dominated by calcium, sodium, and Sulfate. Contaminants included fuels, solvents, and organic compounds derived from landfill material. The presence of organic material in the aquifer caused decreases in dissolved oxygen, sulfate and nitrate concentrations. and increases in ferrous iron and ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations. Pearson correlations between toxicity results and the concentration of individual analytes indicated that concentrations of ammoinacal nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, ferrous iron, and hydrocarbons were important where present. However, principal component and regression analysis suggested no significant correlation between toxicity and chemistry over the whole area. Multidimensional Scaling was used to investigate differences in sites caused by historical use, landfill gas status, or position within the sample area. Significant differences were observed between sites with different historical land use and those with different gas status. Examination of the principal component matrix revealed that these differences are related to changes in the importance of reduced chemical species.

Bergmann's rule and body size in mammals

Aim: To describe the geographical pattern of mean body size of the non-volant mammals of the Nearctic and Neotropics and evaluate the influence of five environmental variables that are likely to affect body size gradients. Location: The Western Hemisphere. Methods: We calculated mean body size (average log mass) values in 110 × 110 km cells covering the continental Nearctic and Neotropics. We also generated cell averages for mean annual temperature, range in elevation, their interaction, actual evapotranspiration, and the global vegetation index and its coefficient of variation. Associations between mean body size and environmental variables were tested with simple correlations and ordinary least squares multiple regression, complemented with spatial autocorrelation analyses and split-line regression. We evaluated the relative support for each multiple-regression model using AIC. Results: Mean body size increases to the north in the Nearctic and is negatively correlated with temperature. In contrast, across the Neotropics mammals are largest in the tropical and subtropical lowlands and smaller in the Andes, generating a positive correlation with temperature. Finally, body size and temperature are nonlinearly related in both regions, and split-line linear regression found temperature thresholds marking clear shifts in these relationships (Nearctic 10.9 °C; Neotropics 12.6 °C). The increase in body sizes with decreasing temperature is strongest in the northern Nearctic, whereas a decrease in body size in mountains dominates the body size gradients in the warmer parts of both regions. Main conclusions: We confirm previous work finding strong broad-scale Bergmann trends in cold macroclimates but not in warmer areas. For the latter regions (i.e. the southern Nearctic and the Neotropics), our analyses also suggest that both local and broad-scale patterns of mammal body size variation are influenced in part by the strong mesoscale climatic gradients existing in mountainous areas. A likely explanation is that reduced habitat sizes in mountains limit the presence of larger-sized mammals.

Coxsackievirus B3-associated myocardial pathology and viral load reduced by recombinant soluble human decay-accelerating factor in mice

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection can result in myocarditis, which in turn may lead to a protracted immune response and subsequent dilated cardiomyopathy. Human decay-accelerating factor (DAF), a binding receptor for CVB3, was synthesized as a soluble IgG1-Fc fusion protein (DAF-Fc). In vitro, DAF-Fc was able to inhibit complement activity and block infection by CVB3, although blockade of infection varied widely among strains of CVB3. To determine the effects of DAF-Fc in vivo, 40 adolescent A/J mice were infected with a myopathic strain of CVB3 and given DAF-Fc treatment 3 days before infection, during infection, or 3 days after infection; the mice were compared with virus alone and sham-infected animals. Sections of heart, spleen, kidney, pancreas, and liver were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and submitted to in situ hybridization for both positive-strand and negative-strand viral RNA to determine the extent of myocarditis and viral infection, respectively. Salient histopathologic features, including myocardial lesion area, cell death, calcification and inflammatory cell infiltration, pancreatitis, and hepatitis were scored without knowledge of the experimental groups. DAF-Fc treatment of mice either preceding or concurrent with CVB3 infection resulted in a significant decrease in myocardial lesion area and cell death and a reduction in the presence of viral RNA. All DAF-Fc treatment groups had reduced infectious CVB3 recoverable from the heart after infection. DAF-Fc may be a novel therapeutic agent for active myocarditis and acute dilated cardiomyopathy if given early in the infectious period, although more studies are needed to determine its mechanism and efficacy.

Mono, di and polynuclear Cu(II)-azido complexes incorporating N,N,N reduced Schiff base: syntheses, structure and magnetic behavior

Three kinds of copper(II) azide complexes have been synthesised in excellent yields by reacting Cu(ClO4)(2) . 6H(2)O with N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L-1); N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N',N'-dimethylethylenediamine (L-2); and N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N',N'-diethylethylenediamine (L-3), respectively, in the presence of slight excess of sodium azide. They are the monomeric Cu(L-1)(N-3)(ClO4) (1), the end-to-end diazido-bridged Cu-2(L-2)(2)(mu-1,3-N-3)(2)(ClO4)(2) (2) and the single azido-bridged (mu-1,3-) 1D chain [Cu(L-3)(mu-1,3-N-3)](n)(ClO4)(n) (3). The crystal and molecular structures of these complexes have been solved. The variable temperature magnetic moments of type 2 and type 3 complexes were studied. Temperature dependent susceptibility for 2 was fitted using the Bleaney-Bowers expression which led to the parameters J = -3.43 cm(-1) and R = 1 X 10(-5). The magnetic data for 3 were fitted to Baker's expression for S = 1/2 and the parameters obtained were J = 1.6 cm(-1) and R = 3.2 x 10(-4). Crystal data are as follows. Cu(L-1)(N-3)(ClO4): Chemical formula, C12H13ClN6O4Cu; crystal system, monoclinic; space group, P2(1)/c; a = 8.788(12), b = 13.045(15), c = 14.213(15) Angstrom; beta = 102.960(10)degrees; Z = 4. Cu(L-2)(mu-N-3)(ClO4): Chemical formula. C10H17ClN6O4Cu: crystal system, monoclinic; space group, P2(1)/c; a = 10.790(12), b = 8.568(9), c = 16.651(17) Angstrom; beta = 102.360(10)degrees; Z = 4. [Cu(L-3)(mu-N-3)](ClO4): Chemical formula, C12H21ClN6O4Cu; crystal system, monoclinic; space group, P2(1)/c; a = 12.331(14), b = 7.804(9), c = 18.64(2) Angstrom; beta = 103.405(10)degrees; Z = 4. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study of the effect of heat source location in a ventilated room using multiple regression analysis

Multiple regression analysis is a statistical technique which allows to predict a dependent variable from m ore than one independent variable and also to determine influential independent variables. Using experimental data, in this study the multiple regression analysis is applied to predict the room mean velocity and determine the most influencing parameters on the velocity. More than 120 experiments for four different heat source locations were carried out in a test chamber with a high level wall mounted air supply terminal at air change rates 3-6 ach. The influence of the environmental parameters such as supply air momentum, room heat load, Archimedes number and local temperature ratio, were examined by two methods: a simple regression analysis incorporated into scatter matrix plots and multiple stepwise regression analysis. It is concluded that, when a heat source is located along the jet centre line, the supply momentum mainly influences the room mean velocity regardless of the plume strength. However, when the heat source is located outside the jet region, the local temperature ratio (the inverse of the local heat removal effectiveness) is a major influencing parameter.

Assessment of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status and clinical outcome in adults receiving home parenteral nutrition

Background & aims: Long term parenteral nutrition rarely supplies the long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The aim of this study was to assess long chain n-3 PUFA status in patients receiving home parenteral. nutrition (HPN). Methods: Plasma phospholipid fatty acids were measured in 64 adult HPN patients and compared with 54 age, sex and BMI matched controls. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to plasma fatty acid fractions in the HPN patients, and to identify factors associated with the risk of clinical. complications. Results: Plasma phospholipid fractions of EPA, DPA and DHA were significantly tower in patients receiving HPN. Factors independently associated with tow fractions included high parenteral energy provision, tow parenteral lipid intake, tow BMI and prolonged duration of HPN. Long chain n-3 PUFA fractions were not associated with incidence of either central venous catheter associated infection or central venous thrombosis. However, the fraction of EPA were inversely associated with plasma alkaline phosphatase concentrations. Conclusions: This study demonstrates abnormal long chain n-3 PUFA profiles in patients receiving HPN. Reduced fatty acid intake may be partly responsible. Fatty acid metabolism may also be altered. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Alterations in receptor binding properties of recent human influenza H3N2 viruses are associated with reduced natural killer cell lysis of infected cells

Natural killer (NK) cell recognition of influenza virus-infected cells involves hemagglutinin (HA) binding to sialic acid (SA) on activating NK receptors. SA also acts as a receptor for the binding of influenza virus to its target host cells. The SA binding properties of H3N2 influenza viruses have been observed to change during circulation in humans: recent isolates are unable to agglutinate chicken red blood cells and show reduced affinity for synthetic glycopolymers representing SA-alpha-2,3-lactose (3'SL-PAA) and SA-alpha-2,6-N-acetyl lactosamine (6'SLN-PAA) carbohydrates. Here, NK lysis of cells infected with human H3N2 influenza viruses isolated between 1969 and 2003 was analyzed. Cells infected with recent isolates (1999 to 2003) were found to be lysed less effectively than cells infected with older isolates (1969 to 1996). This change occurred concurrently with the acquisition of two new potential glycosylation site motifs in RA. Deletion of the potential glycosylation site motif at 133 to 135 in HA1 from a recent isolate partially restored the agglutination phenotype to a recombinant virus, indicating that the HA-SA interaction is inhibited by the glycosylation modification. Deletion of either of the recently acquired potential glycosylation sites from HA led to increased NK lysis of cells infected with recombinant viruses carrying modified HA. These results indicate that alterations in RA glycosylation may affect NK cell recognition of influenza virus-infected cells in addition to virus binding to host cells.

Do expert drivers have a reduced illusion of superiority?

It is well established that people tend to rate themselves as better than average across many domains. To maintain these illusions, it is suggested that people distort feedback about their own and others' performance. This study examined expert/novice differences in self-ratings when people compared themselves with others of the same level of expertise and background as themselves. Given that a key expert characteristic is increased self-monitoring, we predicted that experts in a domain may have a reduced illusion of superiority because they are more aware of their actual ability. We compared expert police drivers with novice police drivers and found that this prediction was not supported. Expert police drivers rated themselves as superior to equally qualified drivers, to the same degree as novices, Cohen's d = .03 ns. Despite their extensive additional training and experience, experts still appear to be as susceptible to illusions of superiority Lis everyone else. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of maternal social phobia on mother-infant interactions and infant social responsiveness

Background: Social phobia aggregates in families. The genetic contribution to intergenerational transmission is modest, and parenting is considered important. Research on the effects of social phobia on parenting has been subject to problems of small sample size, heterogeneity of samples and lack of specificity of observational frameworks. We addressed these problems in the current study.Methods: We assessed mothers with social phobia (N = 84) and control mothers (N = 89) at 10 weeks in face-to-face interactions with their infants, and during a social challenge, namely, engaging with a stranger. We also assessed mothers with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) (N = 50). We examined the contribution to infant social responsiveness of early infant characteristics (neonatal irritability), as well as maternal behaviour. Results: Mothers with social phobia were no less sensitive to their infants during face-to-face interactions than control mothers, but when interacting with the stranger they appeared more anxious, engaged less with the stranger themselves, and were less encouraging of the infant's interaction with the stranger; infants of index mothers also showed reduced social responsiveness to the stranger. These differences did not apply to mothers with GAD and their infants. Regression analyses showed that the reduction in social responsiveness in infants of mothers with social phobia was predicted by neonatal irritability and the degree to which the mother encouraged the infant to interact with the stranger.Conclusions: Mothers with social phobia show specific parenting difficulties, and their infants show early signs of reduced social responsiveness that are related to both individual infant differences and a lack of maternal encouragement to engage in social interactions.