Examining the population level and individual level longitudinal stability of psychosocial measures in the US Army's Global Assessment Tool (GAT).

As a component of the US Army's Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program (CSF2), the Global Assessment Tool (GAT) represents a multidimensional constellation of measures designed to assess characteristics related to resilience. Using a foundation of validated measures from prior research, the GAT has been the vehicle for self-assessment to provide Soldiers, their families, and Army Civilians snapshots of their psychosocial wellness. Despite the long history of the measurement instrument (first implemented in 2009) and widespread use (mandatory for all active-duty Soldiers annually), the longitudinal capabilities of the GAT has received little attention. Here, we examine the longitudinal stability of the GAT across an approximate five-year time frame and multiple statistical approaches that demonstrate measurement stability at both the aggregate population level (people on average) and the individual level. We find evidence that the majority of the measures within the GAT are relatively stable over time both at the population level and individual level. This evidence contributes to knowledge of how best to improve the GAT for future use with the pay-off for the Army being a self-assessment tool that is more effective and efficient.

Impacts and Echoes: The Lasting Influence of the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health.

The 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health had a significant influence on the direction of food and nutrition policy in the United States. The conference produced recommendations leading to federal legislation and programs to alleviate hunger and malnutrition, improve consumers' nutrition knowledge through education and labeling, and monitor the nutritional status of the population. Fifty years later, its legacy was revisited at a conference convened by Harvard University and Tufts University. This article reviews the literature contributing to the first author's keynote speech at the conference, its influencers, and its influences. We focus on the highlights of five domains that set the stage for the conference: the social environment, the food environment, nutrition science, public health data, and policy events. We briefly describe the conference, its proposed directions, and its lasting legacy in these five domains.

Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Cigarette Design Feature Influence on ISO TNCO Yields.

The aim of this study is to explore how differences in cigarette physical design parameters influence tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (TNCO) yields in mainstream smoke (MSS) using the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) smoking regimen. Standardized smoking methods were used to evaluate 50 U.S. domestic brand cigarettes and a reference cigarette representing a range of TNCO yields in MSS collected from linear smoking machines using a nonintense smoking regimen. Multivariate statistical methods were used to form clusters of cigarettes based on their ISO TNCO yields and then to explore the relationship between the ISO generated TNCO yields and the nine cigarette physical design parameters between and within each cluster simultaneously. The ISO generated TNCO yields in MSS are 1.1-17.0 mg tar/cigarette, 0.1-2.2 mg nicotine/cigarette, and 1.6-17.3 mg CO/cigarette. Cluster analysis divided the 51 cigarettes into five discrete clusters based on their ISO TNCO yields. No one physical parameter dominated across all clusters. Predicting ISO machine generated TNCO yields based on these nine physical design parameters is complex due to the correlation among and between the nine physical design parameters and TNCO yields. From these analyses, it is estimated that approximately 20% of the variability in the ISO generated TNCO yields comes from other parameters (e.g., filter material, filter type, inclusion of expanded or reconstituted tobacco, and tobacco blend composition, along with differences in tobacco leaf origin and stalk positions and added ingredients). A future article will examine the influence of these physical design parameters on TNCO yields under a Canadian Intense (CI) smoking regimen. Together, these papers will provide a more robust picture of the design features that contribute to TNCO exposure across the range of real world smoking patterns.

Evaluation of protein expression in bovine bronchoalveolar fluid following challenge with Mannheimia haemolytica.

Proteomics analysis of bovine bronchoalveolar fluid (BAF) following induction of pneumonia with Mannheimia haemolytica using nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS) resulted in the identification of 88 unique proteins. Proteins detected in BAF included antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), complement factors, acute-phase proteins, protease inhibitors, and proteins involved in oxidation-reduction. Notwithstanding biological variation, differences in relative protein abundance, determined using normalized peptide counts, were detected for select proteins in BAF from genuinely infected versus sham-infected animals. To demonstrate the applicability of using normalized peptide counts to assess protein expression trends, LC-MS/MS data for the acute-phase protein haptoglobin (HPT) were compared with ELISA data, and statistical evaluation of the relationship between the data revealed a strong measure of association. Differences were detected between sham- and genuinely infected animals for haptoglobin, as well as the AMPs cathelicidin-1 and cathelicidin-4, and inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain-4, a fairly novel protein involved in the acute phase response. Though the small sample size limited the scope of the inferences, the results indicate the likely importance of AMPs and acute-phase proteins during respiratory infection, and provide additional information regarding potential mechanisms involved in the bovine mucosal barrier defense.

Correlating volatile compounds, sensory attributes, and quality parameters in stored fresh-cut cantaloupe.

Changes in post-cutting volatiles, quality, and sensory attributes during fresh-cut storage (4 degrees C) of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L. var. Reticulatus, Naudin, cv. 'Sol Real') harvested at four distinct maturities (1/4-, 1/2-, 3/4-, and full-slip) were investigated after 0, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 14 days in a 2-year study. Increased fruity and sweet taste attributes were negatively correlated with percent acetates, aromatic acetates, and total aromatic compounds, and positively correlated with percentage non-acetate esters. Ethyl hexanoate was strongly positively correlated with fruity and sweet taste. Cucurbit, water-like, hardness, cohesiveness, and denseness were positively correlated with percentage acetates, aromatic acetates, and total aromatic compounds, and negatively correlated with percentage non-acetate esters. Several non-acetate esters such as ethyl 2-methyl propanoate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl 2-methyl butanoate, and ethyl hexanoate were negatively (often strongly) correlated with cucurbit. Hardness was positively and strongly correlated with aromatic acetates and all aromatic (benzyl) compounds. In summary, firmer and denser cubes contained more acetates and fewer non-acetate esters. The apparently negative or undesirable attributes cucurbit and water-like were associated with higher acetates and aromatic compounds. Overall, relatively strong (year x maturity x day) correlations among numerous physiological, volatile, and sensory measures were found in this study. Highly significant (stronger) correlations were found in a year x day analysis used to pair maturity means; however, year and interaction effects require prudence when interpreting that data. Nonetheless, both analyses delivered almost identical trends, and strong correlations occurred even though samples were randomized from numerous fruits, per maturity, per juice catcher container, over 2 years. Further interpretation and biochemical explanation are needed to rationalize why mainly only non-acetate esters were highly correlated with desirable sensory and quality parameters.

Comparison of two field sampling procedures (En Core and field methanol extraction) for volatile organic compounds.

In-situ Lasagna technology was recently evaluated at a contaminated site at Offutt Air Force Base. The site was contaminated with low levels (<30 mg/kg) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Originally, researchers planned to use field methanol extraction for both pre- and post-treatment sampling to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology on contaminant reduction. Precharacterization sampling, however, indicated that concentrations of some contaminants of concern were much lower than expected. Because use of methanol increases the detection limit, it was probable that post-treatment concentrations of these target contaminants would be nondetectable if methanol extraction was used. Project management, therefore, decided to use En Core samplers in addition to field methanol extraction during the pretreatment sampling event. The En Core sampling approach, while yielding a lower detection limit, uses discreet samples along the length of a core, whereas the methanol extraction approach samples the entire length of the core. The concern was that discreet samples may bias results if any "hot spots" were present. The two field sampling procedures, En Core and field methanol extraction, were performed side-by-side during the pretreatment phase of the technology evaluation in order to determine if the concern was valid for this site. Results were compared for four contaminants of concern: trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, and trans-1,2-dichloroethene. The two procedures produced similar results with respect to both the concentration means and the variances, and no bias was evident. This finding supports project management's decision to use only En Core samplers post-treatment due to low concentrations of target contaminants.