Tailoring a fruit and vegetable intervention on ethnic identity: Results of a randomized study.

Objective: Many targeted interventions have been developed and tested with African Americans (AA); however, AAs are a highly heterogeneous group. One characteristic that varies across AAs is Ethnic Identity (EI). Little research has been conducted on how to incorporate EI into the design of health messages and programs. Design: We tested whether tailoring a print-based fruit and vegetable (F & V) intervention on EI would enhance program impact. AA adults were recruited from two integrated healthcare delivery systems and then randomized to receive three newsletters focused on F & V behavior change over three months. One set of newsletters was tailored only on demographic and social cognitive variables (control condition), whereas the other (experimental condition) was additionally tailored on EI. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome for the study was F & V intake, assessed at baseline and three months later using the composite of two brief self-report frequency measures. Results: A total of 560 eligible participants were enrolled, of which 468 provided complete 3-month follow-up data. The experimental group increased their daily mean F & V intake by 1.1 servings compared to .8 servings in the control group (p = .13). Afrocentric experimental group participants showed a 1.4 increase in F & V servings per day compared to a .43 servings per day increase among Afrocentric controls (p     

Ethics and multiculturalism: Advancing cultural and clinical responsiveness.

The provision of ethical and responsive treatment to clients of diverse cultural backgrounds is expected of all practicing psychologists. While this is mandated by the American Psychological Association’s ethics code and is widely agreed upon as a laudable goal, achieving this mandate is often more challenging than it may seem. Integrating culturally responsive practices with more traditional models of psychotherapy into every practitioner’s repertoire is of paramount importance when considering the rapidly diversifying population we serve. Psychologists are challenged to reconsider their conceptualizations of culture and of culturally responsive practice, to grapple with inherent conflicts in traditional training models that may promote treatments that are not culturally responsive, and to consider the ethical implications of their current practices. Invited expert commentaries address how conflicts may arise between efforts to meet ethical standards and being culturally responsive, how the application of outdated theoretical constructs may result in harm to diverse clients, and how we must develop more culturally responsive views of client needs, of boundaries and multiple relationships, and of treatment interventions. This article provides additional considerations for practicing psychologists as they attempt to navigate dimensions of culture and culturally responsive practice in psychology, while negotiating the ethical challenges presented in practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychology and counseling psychology: The history, products, and promise of an interface.

For 3 decades, counseling psychologists have drawn ideas from social psychology about the social process of counseling, integrated the ideas into counseling theories, and assessed them in research. This article traces the history of this interface, examines its products, and projects its future. Three propositions have guided and have been supported by much of the research: (1) Successful counseling relationships generate psychological convergence between counselor and client through a systematic developmental process; (2) ideas counselors introduce that are discrepant from clients' understandings stimulate change; and (3) clients' responsiveness to counselors is a function of their dependence on the counselors. These social influence dynamics underlie the processes and outcomes of counseling relationships regardless of the clinical theory that guides the counselors' work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

NaCl-Induced Elicitation Alters Physiology and Increases Accumulation of Phenolic Compounds in Melissa officinalis L.

In nature, plants usually produce secondary metabolites as a defense mechanism against environmental stresses. Different stresses determine the chemical diversity of plant-specialized metabolism products. In this study, we applied an abiotic elicitor, i.e., NaCl, to enhance the biosynthesis and accumulation of phenolic secondary metabolites in Melissa officinalis L. Plants were subjected to salt stress treatment by application of NaCl solutions (0, 50, or 100 mM) to the pots. Generally, the NaCl treatments were found to inhibit the growth of plants, simultaneously enhancing the accumulation of phenolic compounds (total phenolics, soluble flavonols, anthocyanins, phenolic acids), especially at 100 mM NaCl. However, the salt stress did not disturb the accumulation of photosynthetic pigments and proper functioning of the PS II photosystem. Therefore, the proposed method of elicitation represents a convenient alternative to cell suspension or hydroponic techniques as it is easier and cheaper with simple application in lemon balm pot cultivation. The improvement of lemon balm quality by NaCl elicitation can potentially increase the level of health-promoting phytochemicals and the bioactivity of low-processed herbal products.     

The Epithelial Cell Leak Pathway

The epithelial cell tight junction structure is the site of the transepithelial movement of solutes and water between epithelial cells (paracellular permeability). Paracellular permeability can be divided into two distinct pathways, the Pore Pathway mediating the movement of small ions and solutes and the Leak Pathway mediating the movement of large solutes. Claudin proteins form the basic paracellular permeability barrier and mediate the movement of small ions and solutes via the Pore Pathway. The Leak Pathway remains less understood. Several proteins have been implicated in mediating the Leak Pathway, including occludin, ZO proteins, tricellulin, and actin filaments, but the proteins comprising the Leak Pathway remain unresolved. Many aspects of the Leak Pathway, such as its molecular mechanism, its properties, and its regulation, remain controversial. In this review, we provide a historical background to the evolution of the Leak Pathway concept from the initial examinations of paracellular permeability. We then discuss current information about the properties of the Leak Pathway and present current theories for the Leak Pathway. Finally, we discuss some recent research suggesting a possible molecular basis for the Leak Pathway.     

Toward a comprehensive long term nicotine policy

Global tobacco deaths are high and rising. Tobacco use is primarily driven by nicotine addiction. Overall tobacco control policy is relatively well agreed upon but a long term nicotine policy has been less well considered and requires further debate. Reaching consensus is important because a nicotine policy is integral to the target of reducing tobacco caused disease, and the contentious issues need to be resolved before the necessary political changes can be sought. A long term and comprehensive nicotine policy is proposed here. It envisages both reducing the attractiveness and addictiveness of existing tobacco based nicotine delivery systems as well as providing alternative sources of acceptable clean nicotine as competition for tobacco. Clean nicotine is defined as nicotine free enough of tobacco toxicants to pass regulatory approval. A three phase policy is proposed. The initial phase requires regulatory capture of cigarette and smoke constituents liberalising the market for clean nicotine; regulating all nicotine sources from the same agency; and research into nicotine absorption and the role of tobacco additives in this process. The second phase anticipates clean nicotine overtaking tobacco as the primary source of the drug (facilitated by use of regulatory and taxation measures); simplification of tobacco products by limitation of additives which make tobacco attractive and easier to smoke (but tobacco would still be able to provide a satisfying dose of nicotine). The third phase includes a progressive reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes, with clean nicotine freely available to take the place of tobacco as society's main nicotine source.     

Design of Microcontroller Based Resonant Sensor with Piezoelectric Excitation and Detection

Abstract

This paper presents design, development, and testing of a resonant sensor to measure mass in the range of 0–10 grams. The main feature of the proposed sensor is the microcontroller based closed loop electronics. The advantage of using the microcontroller is that the method can be easily extended for any range of measurand.     

低成本电子系统印刷电子技术的开发与应用现状

近年来,印刷电子技术作为一种可实现低成本、大面积电子系统的技术,已获得了可观的收益.印刷允许进行充分有效的处理,从而降低了过程的复杂性,减少了材料的使用种类.加上使用如塑料、金属箔等低成本基板,预计印刷电子技术能实现更多领域电子系统的简单开发,包括显示器,传感器和RFID标签等.回顾印刷电子技术开发及应用工作,通过合成无机纳米粒子和有机材料的结合,可以制成一系列的印刷电子"油墨",并用于印刷无源元件、多层互联结构、二极管、晶体管、存储器、电池、不同类型的气体和生物传感器.通过拓展印刷能力,进一步降低将多种功能材料集成在相同基板上的成本.因此,开发出具有该优势的印刷系统是有可能的.