Tulane University

About: Tulane University is a education organization based out in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Blood pressure. The organization has 24478 authors who have published 47205 publications receiving 1944993 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Louisiana.

Firm-Specific Risk and Equity Market Development

Abstract: We examine the increase in firm-specific risk in the US stock market which has been documented by prior research We show that the observed increase is due solely to new listings by riskier companies In addition, our results explain why prior researchers have found that growth opportunities, profit margin, firm size, and industry composition (among other factors) are related to increases in firm-specific risk The new listing effect is not driven by small companies becoming riskier but instead by a riskier sub-sample of the economy becoming publicly traded These results are consistent with prior research that documents time trends in financial market development

Household Food Insecurity and Overweight Status in Young School Children: Results From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study

Abstract: OBJECTIVE. Recent work on the determinants of obesity has shown a positive association between household food insecurity and overweight status in adult women, yet research exploring this issue in children has been inconclusive. In this study we examine the association between food insecurity and overweight status in young school children by using a large, nationally representative sample. METHODS. Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) were analyzed. Replicate heights and weights were measured on kindergarten children (N = 16889) in the spring of 1999. Children with a body mass index ≥95th percentile of their gender-specific BMI-for-age chart were considered overweight. Food-insecurity status was assessed by using the full 18-question US Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Scale. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between overweight and food-insecurity status while controlling for potential demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral confounders. RESULTS. Overall, 11.2% of the girls and 11.8% of the boys were overweight. Children from food-insecure households were 20% less likely to be overweight than their food-secure counterparts. Similar results on the food-insecurity/overweight link were found across a range of different models and expressions for key variables. Positive predictors of overweight status included low physical activity, television watching for >2 hours/day, high birth weight, black or Latino ethnicity, and low income. CONCLUSIONS. There are strong arguments for reducing food insecurity among households with young children. This research suggests that these arguments would be based on reasons other than a potential link to obesity. Low activity levels and excessive television watching, however, were strongly related to overweight status, a finding that supports continued efforts to intervene in these areas.

The optic nerve head as a biomechanical structure: initial finite element modeling.

Abstract: Purpose To study the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the IOP-related stress (force/cross-sectional area) it generates within the load-bearing connective tissues of the optic nerve head Methods Thirteen digital, three-dimensional geometries were created representing the posterior scleral shell of 13 idealized human eyes Each three-dimensional geometry was then discretized into a finite element model consisting of 900 constituent finite elements In five models, the scleral canal was circular (diameters of 050, 150, 175, 200, and 256 mm), with scleral wall thickness (08 mm) and inner radius (120 mm) held constant In three models, the canal was elliptical (vertical-to-horizontal ratios of 2:1 [250 x 125 mm], 15:1 [21 x 14 mm], and 115:1 [192 x 167 mm]), with the same constant scleral wall thickness and inner radius In five additional models, scleral canal size was held constant (192 x 167 mm), and either scleral wall thickness (three models, 05, 10, and 15 mm) or inner radius (two models, 130 and 140 mm) was varied In all models, each finite element was assigned a single isotropic material property, either scleral (modulus of elasticity, 5500 kPa) or axonal (modulus of elasticity, 55 kPa) Maximum stresses within specific regions were calculated at an IOP of 15 mm Hg (2000 Pa) Results Larger scleral canal diameter, elongation of the canal, and thinning of the sclera increased IOP-related stress for a given level of IOP For all models, maximum IOP-related stress ranged from 6 x IOP (posterior sclera) to 122 x IOP (laminar trabeculae) For each model, maximum IOP-related stress was highest within the laminar trabecular region and decreased progressively through the laminar insertion, peripapillary scleral, and posterior scleral regions Varying the inner radius had little effect on the maximum IOP-related stress within the scleral canal Conclusions Initial finite element models show that IOP-related stress within the load-bearing connective tissues of the optic nerve head is substantial even at low levels of IOP Although the data suggest that scleral canal size and shape and scleral thickness are principal determinants of the magnitude of IOP-related stress within the optic nerve head, models that incorporate physiologic scleral canal and laminar geometries, a more refined finite element model meshwork, and nonisotropic material properties will be required to confirm these results

Identification of the Major Brown Shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) Allergen as the Muscle Protein Tropomyosin

Abstract: Shrimp, a major seafood allergen, was investigated as a model food allergen. Extracts from both shrimp ( Penaeus aztecus ) meat and cooking fluid contain a substantial and similar amo