The effects of meditation-relaxation on anxiety and depression in a geriatric population.

36 female volunteers (aged 63–79 yrs) participated in a 20-wk study on the effects of meditation-relaxation on symptoms of anxiety and depression. 83% of the Ss were widows and were selected because of complaints of anxiety, nervousness, tension, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, and somatic complaints. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: relaxation-meditation, relaxation-meditation with a 10-wk follow-up consisting of instructions to practice on a daily basis using relaxation-meditation tapes, and a pseudo-relaxation control group. The treatment groups received 1 wk of baseline evaluation, 10 wks of 30-min training sessions, and a 10-wk follow-up, with taped relaxation sessions for the 2nd group. The control group followed an identical schedule for 10 wks but did not participate in the follow-up. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Self-Rating Depression Scale were administered prior to treatment, at the end of training, and at the end of the follow-up period. In comparison to the control group, the treatment groups manifested a significant pre–posttreatment decrement for both state and trait anxiety. The practice group continued to show a decrement in state anxiety, while the no-practice group exhibited a return toward baseline levels. However, trait anxiety continued to decrease for both groups. When questions that correlated highly with anxiety and somatic symptoms were removed and analyzed separately, a significant pre- to posttreatment decrement in depression was noted. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of coffee on serum lipids and blood pressure in a UK population

Data on coffee consumption were collected for 1074 adults attending for health checks in the OXCHECK study, to assess associations with serum lipids and blood pressure. Of the sample, 70.5% drank coffee, largely instant. Coffee had no significant effects on total or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or blood pressure, and was negatively correlated with serum triglycerides. The type of coffee drunk in the UK does not adversely effect these cardiovascular risk factors.     

Sexual assault and mental disorders in a community population.

In a cross-sectional probability survey of 3,132 household adults representing two Los Angeles communities, lifetime diagnoses of nine major mental disorders were compared between those who reported that they had been sexually assaulted at some time in their lives and those who reported no sexual assault. Sexual assault predicted later onset of major depressive episodes, substance use disorders, and anxiety disorders. Those who were assaulted in childhood were more likely than those first assaulted in adulthood to report the subsequent development of a mental disorder. Demographic characteristics of gender, age, Hispanic ethnic background, and education, however, were generally unrelated to the probability of developing any specific disorder after being assaulted. Finally, major depression, drug abuse or dependence, antisocial personality, and phobia were all associated with a higher probability of subsequent sexual assault. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of weather on daily mood: A multilevel approach.

The present study examines the effects of six weather parameters (temperature, wind power, sunlight, precipitation, air pressure, and photoperiod) on mood (positive affect, negative affect, and tiredness). Data were gathered from an online diary study (N = 1,233), linked to weather station data, and analyzed by means of multilevel analysis. Multivariate and univariate analyses enabled distinction between unique and shared effects. The results revealed main effects of temperature, wind power, and sunlight on negative affect. Sunlight had a main effect on tiredness and mediated the effects of precipitation and air pressure on tiredness. In terms of explained variance, however, the average effect of weather on mood was only small, though significant random variation was found across individuals, especially regarding the effect of photoperiod. However, these individual differences in weather sensitivity could not be explained by the Five Factor Model personality traits, gender, or age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prognostic value of exercise thallium-201 imaging in a community population

The purpose of this study was to determine how horizon-scanning organizations can encourage the implementation of recommendations contained in their early warning messages about emerging health technologies. We reviewed the conclusions of the EUR-ASSESS Project Subgroup report on dissemination and impact, an overview of systematic reviews of interventions to promote implementation of research findings by health care professionals, and various Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group protocols and reviews. The evidence on the effectiveness of different implementation strategies aimed at distinct target groups is of variable quality. There is some evidence from rigorous study designs on the effectiveness of strategies designed to influence the behavior of health care professionals; the quality of the evidence relating to policy makers and the general public is more limited. Horizon-scanning organizations can improve the likelihood of their recommendations being acted upon by developing active implementation strategies based on the best available evidence, establishing links with key groups, and directing early warning messages at specific target audiences. Given the relative lack of good quality evidence, it is important that implementation strategies be rigorously evaluated to determine their effectiveness.     

The association of population density, reduced space, and uncomfortable temperatures with misconduct in a prison community

This study investigated the relation of population size, amount of personal space, and population density to the incidence of disruptive behavior over a 3-year period in a correctional institution for male youthful offenders. Population size was significantly correlated with the number but not the rate of disciplinary violations. The total amount of personal space and the index of population density were significantly correlated with both the number and the rate of violations. A post hoc analysis showed that the incidence of uncomfortably hot days had no relation to disruptive behavior. These results are contrasted with laboratory data on human crowding reporting no relation between population density and behavior pathology. It is suggested that the chronic high density explored in the present field study differs from temporarily crowded conditions produced in laboratory research on human crowding.     

中国县域可达性研究——特征及其对人口分布的影响

This paper calculated spatial accessibility of all counties (city, urban district) in China with cost weighted distance method. Region divisions of county accessibility were conducted, and relation of traffic accessibility and population aggregation was discussed in this paper. The results indicated that county accessibility in China had mainly low values and a distribution structure of circle layer and reverse-to-natural gradient. There was an obvious correlation between county accessibility and population density in China. With these analyses,inner mechanisms of population migration in different traffic conditions and region types were revealed, and can provide useful proposals to regional planning, traffic planning and smart distribution of people in China.     

Incidence of human immunodeficiency virus antibody in a prenatal population at a community hospital

Prenatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening may reduce vertical HIV transmission. We screened 4,419 prenatal sera and found 38 repeatedly reactive specimens with an HIV-1-HIV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot analysis confirmed four of these specimens as positive for HIV-1 antibodies. Screening detects previously unidentified HIV infections, but false-positive results may also occur.     

Weld thermal cycles and precipitation effects in Ti-V-containing HSLA steels

Particle dissolution, precipitation, and grain-coarsening effects were examined in the heat-affected-zone (HAZ) of submerged are welds deposited at 3 and 6 kJ/mm heat inputs on three Ti-V-containing steels. The three steels showed different responses to the thermal cycle of the weld. The Ti-bearing steel (0.014 pct Ti) showed little change in the TiN particle distribution on welding, in agreement with calculations which demonstrated very limited TiN solution during the weld thermal cycle. For the high-V, low-Ti steel (0.093 pct V,0.002 pct Ti), the V-rich particles in the baseplate dissolved, and Ti-rich precipitates formed during the heating leg of the cycle, while V-rich particles precipitated again on cooling. The third steel (0.014 pct Ti, 0.08 pct V) contained a wide distribution of particle compositions. On welding, the Ti-rich cuboidal precipitates did not dissolve, while the V-rich spheroidal precipitates did dissolve. No reprecipitation was observed on cooling in this steel. The different behaviors of the three steels were related to the dissolution of the precipitates in the baseplate and the available thermodynamic driving force for reprecipitation to occur on cooling.     

The effects of population density and malnutrition on the dynamics of whooping cough

We measured the proton leak across the inner membrane of liver mitochondria isolated from six different vertebrate species and from obese and control Zucker rats. Proton leak at 37 degrees C was similar in rat and pigeon, and in obese and control Zucker rats. Compared to rat, it was lower in cane toad, shingleback lizard, and the Madeiran lizard Lacerta dugessi. Proton leak at 20 degrees C was similar in xenopus toad and higher in rainbow trout, compared to rat. In general, proton permeability and substrate oxidation activity were greater in liver mitochondria from endotherms than those from ectotherms. Analysis of this and previous data showed that proton leak per milligram of mitochondrial protein correlated with standard metabolic rate, and proton leak per milligram of inner membrane phospholipid correlated with 11 phospholipid fatty acid compositional parameters, including unsaturation index.     

Category representations and the effects of interacting with instances.

People often classify new instances and then interact with or use them. Seven experiments showed that such interactions can affect the representation of the category. Equation categories, determined by both surface and mathematical properties, were used. In Experiments 1A and 1B, subjects solving the equations after classifying them were more likely to use the mathematical properties in later classifications than were subjects who had simply learned to classify. In Experiments 2A and 2B, different interactions led to very different classifications of test equations. Experiments 3–5 showed that such interactions affect category formation and graded structure, but do not lead to the solution group having worse memory for the surface contents. The discussion focuses on how these interactions may affect category representations and on the implications of this work for classification theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of a stress-management training program in individuals at risk in the community at large

In this study we examine the effects of a stress-management training program on individuals without serious (mental) health complaints but with an increased chance of developing them as a consequence of stress. Potential subjects were randomly selected from the community at large and, then screened for participation in the training program if some of several (mental) health risk factors could be attributed to them: past life-events, neuroticism, inassertiveness, avoidant coping style and lack of social support. The control group, which did not take part in the training program, consisted of individuals with a similar risk profile as those in the training group. The training program consisted of several stress-management techniques: changing unhealthy life-style, relaxation training, problem-solving training and social skills-training. Multivariate analyses of variance showed that the training group, as compared to the control group, reported significantly less distress, less trait anxiety, less daily hassles, more assertiveness and more satisfaction with social support at follow-up. There were, however, no significant changes found in the coping skills of either group.     

Prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and hypothyroidism in an elderly community population

Extracranial metastasis of cerebral glioblastoma is rarely seen. Craniotomy and diversionary shunt are widely accepted causes of dissemination. Prognosis is poor but new therapeutic modalities may improve the survival and lessen the patient's symptoms. It is also important to diagnose extracranial metastasis because of possible response to treatment and fine-needle aspiration cytology can then be helpful. Two cases of extracranial metastases of glioblastoma multiforme diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology are reported and a review of the literature is presented.     

Competition in the NHS internal market: an overview of its effects on hospital prices and costs

Two-year stability coefficients were computed for several measures of borderline personality disorder within a nonclinical sample (n = 65) that included individuals with significant borderline features. Overall, the stability coefficients were modest (r ranging from .28 to .62; intraclass correlations ranging from .26 to .62). Stability values for each of the self-report measures under study were higher than those for the interview-based measure of BPD features, and, in some cases, these values varied as a function of the prototypicality of the subsamples examined. Analyses conducted to identify moderator effects provided no evidence that the stability of BPD scores was moderated by change in personal distress level; however, changes in BPD self-report scores were related to changes in level of negative affectivity.     

Movement of badgers (Meles meles) in a high-density population: individual, population and disease effects

The movement of 1763 badgers trapped between 36 social groups in Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire, over 18 years was analysed to determine the frequency and duration of moves, the factors associated with a predisposition to move and the spatial pattern of movements. Of those badgers whose capture history could be categorized, nearly half had moved. Of these, 73.1% were classified as 'occasional movers', 22.1% as 'permanent movers' and 4.8% as 'frequent movers'. Most adult badgers that moved made occasional moves (78.8%, n = 67). Cubs made all types of move including permanent moves (29%, n = 10). Seventy per cent of females were non-movers compared with 37% of males. Badgers were significantly more likely to move to smaller groups, whereas male badgers were significantly more likely to move to groups with a greater proportion of females. The spatial pattern of movement differed from the distribution of groups with bovine tuberculosis in the study area. However, temporal changes in movement were significantly related to the incidence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in the following year, indicating that as the movement of badgers between groups varies so does the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in the population. This finding is of central importance in the formulation of badger control policy.     

The effects of sound films on opinions about mental illness in community discussion groups.

One or more sound films on mental illness were shown to adult community groups with or without group discussion, and before-and-after attitude tests were administered to evaluate opinion changes. "… a single mental health film did not produce significant changes in opinions toward mental illness in groups," with or without group discussion. "A series of three films, however, induced significant shifts of opinion in the directions intended by the film content. Degree of… change was no greater in groups which had discussed the films than in groups which had not held discussions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of integration processes in nonferrous metallurgy on costs and prices of enterprises

The metallurgical industry of Russia was the object of investigation. The subject of the investigation were the mechanisms of managing costs and the price level for metal production, which is very topical from the viewpoint of maximizing them, and the main directions in the development of nonferrous metallurgy and the nonferrous metals market. Based on the results of studies on the main tendencies in the development of world and Russian nonferrous metallurgy, the influence of these factors on costs and prices is analyzed. Examples of the industry’s main institutional changes in the Russian Federation are presented. These investigations resulted in the development of a procedure that improves the mechanism of controlling costs and price level for metal production taking into account the situation in this field and on the nonferrous metals market.