Can changing the position of online menu items increase selection of fruit and vegetable snacks? A cluster randomized trial within an online canteen ordering system in Australian primary schools.

Background: Manipulating the position of food items within the physical food environment has consistently been found to influence item selection. However, the extent to which this strategy is effective in an online food environment is unknown.

Objective: This study investigated whether an intervention to position fruit and vegetable snack items as the first and last menu items in an online school canteen ordering system increased the selection of those items.

Food pantry selection solutions: a randomized controlled trial in client-choice food pantries to nudge clients to targeted foods.

Background: Food pantries and food banks are interested in cost-effective methods to encourage the selection of targeted foods without restricting choices. Thus, this study evaluates the effectiveness of nudges toward targeted foods.

Methods: In October/November 2014, we manipulated the display of a targeted product in a New York State food pantry.

The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Body Weight.

This study is the first to examine the effects of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on body weight, physical wellness, and exercise. Using data from the 1990 to 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and a difference-in-difference approach, we find that the enforcement of MMLs is associated with a 2% to 6% decline in the probability of obesity. We find some evidence of age-specific heterogeneity in mechanisms.

Aquatic hazard assessment of a commercial sample of naphthenic acids.

This paper presents chemical composition and aquatic toxicity characteristics of a commercial sample of naphthenic acids (NAs). Naphthenic acids are derived from the refining of petroleum middle distillates and can contribute to refinery effluent toxicity. NAs are also present in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), but differences in the NAs compositions from these sources precludes using a common aquatic toxicity dataset to represent the aquatic hazards of NAs from both origins.

Aquatic hazard and biodegradability of light and middle atmospheric distillate petroleum streams.

Light and middle atmospheric distillate petroleum substances are blended to produce fuels used in transportation and heating. These substances represent the majority by volume of crude oil refined products in the United States. The goal of this research was to develop biodegradability and aquatic toxicity data for four substances; heavy, straight-run naphtha (HSRN), hydro-desulfurized kerosene (HDK), hydro-cracked gas oil (HCGO), and catalytic-cracked gas oil (CCGO).