Simulation of percolation on massively-parallel computers

A novel approach to parallelize the well-known Hoshen-Kopelman algorithm has been chosen, suitable for simulating huge lattices in high dimensions on massively-parallel computers with distributed memory and message passing. This method consists of domain decomposition of the simulated lattice into strips perpendicular to the hyperplane of investigation that is used in the Hoshen-Kopelman algorithm. Systems of world record sizes, up to L=4000256 in two dimensions, L=20224 in three, and L=1036 in four, gave precise estimates for the Fisher exponent tau, the corrections to scaling Delta_1, and for the critical number density n_c.Comment: 9 pages, submitted to Int. J. Mod. Phys.

The role of perfectionism in body dissatisfaction

Body dissatisfaction is a robust risk factor for disordered eating and is thought to be especially problematic in the presence of high levels of perfectionism. The aim of the current study was to investigate what types of perfectionism were associated with body dissatisfaction. Participants were 1083 women aged 28 to 40 years, with a mean age of 35 years (SD=2.11). Self-reports on perfectionism (using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale), weight, height, desired weight, and current and ideal figural stimuli were analysed for the current study. Two measures of body dissatisfaction were utilised: discrepancy between the current and desired weight, and discrepancy between the current and ideal figural stimuli. Results: Linear regressions controlling for current body mass index (BMI)/current silhouette examined the relationship between desired BMI/silhouette and simultaneous entry of the 6 sub-scales of the perfectionism measure. A lower desired BMI was associated with higher levels of Concern over Mistakes and Organisation, and a smaller ideal silhouette was associated with higher levels of Concern over Mistakes and Doubt about Actions and Organisation. Conclusions: These findings confirm the pertinence of different dimensions of perfectionism to body dissatisfaction, and suggest avenues to explore in terms of universal prevention work.Grant 160009 from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) supported this work. The authors would like to thank the twins for their participation in this research, and Ms Jacqueline Bergin for coordinating the data collection. Administrative support for data collection was received from the Australian Twin Registry that is supported by an Enabling Grant (ID 310667) from the NHMRC administered by the University of Melbourne. Publication costs of this research were supported by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration

Media exposure, extracurricular activities, and appearance-related comments as predictors of female adolescents’ self-objectification

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.Our study examined three potential predictors of self-objectification in female adolescents, namely media exposure, extracurricular activities, and appearance-related comments (both positive and negative). Participants were 1,087 female adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 16, who completed questionnaire measures of media exposure (television, magazines, Internet, and social networking), time spent on extracurricular activities, positive and negative appearance-related comments, self-objectification, self-surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating. Tests of the hypothesized path model revealed that self-reported exposure to magazines and social networking sites each independently was associated positively with self-objectification. In addition, positive appearance-related comments were shown to be associated positively with self-objectification. On the other hand, time spent on extracurricular activities was not related to self-objectification. The results offer support for the role of media exposure and appearance-related comments in the development of self-objectification in female adolescents. In particular, the results suggest that positive appearance-related comments (compliments) may be just as, or even more, likely to give rise to self-objectification as negative appearance-related comments. The findings suggest practical strategies for the potential protection of the development of self-objectification and its deleterious consequences.ARC. This work was funded in part by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project (DP0986623) awarded to Marika Tiggemann

Hand-held dynamic visual noise reduces naturally occurring food cravings and craving-related consumption

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy for non-mandated open access submission. Under Elsevier's copyright, non-mandated authors are permitted to make work available in an institutional repository.This study demonstrated the applicability of the well-established laboratory task, dynamic visual noise, as a technique for reducing naturally occurring food cravings and subsequent food intake. Dynamic visual noise was delivered on a hand-held computer device. Its effects were assessed within the context of a diary study. Over a 4-week period, 48 undergraduate women recorded their food cravings and consumption. Following a 2-week baseline, half the participants watched the dynamic visual noise display whenever they experienced a food craving. Compared to a control group, these participants reported less intense cravings. They were also less likely to eat following a craving and consequently consumed fewer total calories following craving. These findings hold promise for curbing unwanted food cravings and craving-driven consumption in real-world settings

Approach bias for food cues in obese individuals

This study aimed to investigate the existence of an approach bias for food cues in obese individuals. A community sample of 56 obese women and 56 normal weight controls completed an approach–avoidance variant of the implicit association task. The obese participants were faster to respond to trials that paired food words with approach words, and trials that paired non-food words with avoid words, than the converse pairings, thus, demonstrating an approach bias for food. This bias was evident for both high caloric and low caloric food words, and was not attributable to a state of deprivation or feelings of hunger. By contrast, the normal weight controls did not show any such bias. The results are consistent with recent neurocognitive perspectives of obesity. At a practical level, approach biases for food may present a potential target for modifying (excessive) food intake

A Cognitive Experimental Approach to Understanding and Reducing Food Cravings

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.Food cravings are a common everyday experience. Yet, they can pose significant health risks for some people. Following initial investigations into the phenomenology, antecedents and consequences of food cravings, recent scientific interest has turned to the underpinnings of the actual craving experience itself. In this article, we outline a conceptual framework for studying food cravings that is grounded in cognitive experimental psychology, along with our corresponding program of research. In particular, we present converging evidence from a number of seemingly disparate lines of research into the cognitive processes that underlie food cravings with a view to developing a craving-reduction technique

A qualitative exploration of whether lesbian and bisexual women are 'protected' from sociocultural pressure to be thin

Heterosexual women in Western cultures are known to experience body image concerns, dieting and disordered eating as a result of intense social pressures to be thin. However, it is theorised that lesbian and bisexual women belong to a subculture that is ‘protective’ of such demands. Fifteen non-heterosexual women were interviewed about their experiences of social pressure. Thematic analysis of their accounts suggests that such theorising may be inaccurate, because these lesbian and bisexual women did not feel ‘protected’ from social pressures and experienced body dissatisfaction. While they might attempt to resist thin idealisation, resistance is not centred around their sexuality

Non-food odorants reduce chocolate cravings

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy for non-mandated open access submission. Under Elsevier's copyright, non-mandated authors are permitted to make work available in an institutional repository.The present study compared the relative effectiveness of simple, commercially available food and non-food olfactory tasks on chocolate craving reduction. Chocolate cravings were induced by a series of coloured photographs and 67 undergraduate women were asked to smell one of three odours (green apple, jasmine, or water). The non-food odorant (jasmine) significantly reduced chocolate cravings relative to both the food and control odorants. Thus simple non-food odorants offer potential scope as a technique for curbing unwanted food cravings. Keywords: craving; chocolate; food; odour; craving reductio

BACK PAIN AND THE POSTURAL AND BEHAVIORAL HABITS OF STUDENTS IN THE MUNICIPAL SCHOOL NETWORK OF TEUTÔNIA, RIO GRANDE DO SUL

to investigate the prevalence of back pain during a prior three-month period; to identify postural and behavioral habits; to assess whether a relationship exists between back pain and the postural and behavioral habits of elementary school students in the municipal school network in the city of Teutônia, Rio Grande do Sul (RS). METHODS: this was an epidemiological population study in which 833 5th to 8th grade students from schools in the municipal school network in Teutônia participated. The students completed a Back Pain and Body Posture Evaluation Instrument (BackPEI) questionnaire that assessed back pain and postural and behavioral habits. The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, calculating prevalence ratios (PR) and confidence intervals at the 95% level. The dependent variable was back pain, and the independent variables were postural and behavioral habits. The PR was calculated using a multivariate analysis with robust variance (α = 0.05). RESULTS: the prevalence of back pain in the previous three months was 54.1%. The majority of students reported feeling pain once per month, and 17.4% of the students reported that pain impaired their performance of daily activities. The multivariate analysis showed a correlation between back pain and time spent per day watching television (p = 0.046), sleeping posture (p = 0.048) and sitting Down to write (p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: these results demonstrate a high prevalence of back pain in schoolchildren, suggesting an urgent need to develop educational and preventative programs in schools