A reappraisal of mouth-to-mouth ventilation during bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a statement for Healthcare Professionals from the Ventilation Working Group of the Basic Life Support and Pediatric Life Support Subcommittees, American Heart Association

There is growing recognition that race and socioeconomic variables in health research demand greater attention. The investigators compared racial differences in health definition, health value, and health-promoting behavior of 62 pairs (N = 124) of Black and White college women matched on age, body mass index, and socioeconomic status. Both groups of women had similar definitions of health, valued health to the same extent, and reported similar levels of self-actualization, health responsibility, exercise, and stress management. Black women, relative to White women, practiced fewer nutrition behaviors and had less interpersonal support. Interventions to reduce health risk associated with nutrition practices of Black women are warranted and further research is needed to explore the influence of the social structure of educational institutions on interpersonal relationships and other health behaviors. When socioeconomic status is taken into consideration, Black and White college women demonstrated more commonalities in health behavior than differences.     

Factors in reward distribution: Allocator motive, gender, and Protestant ethic endorsement.

106 female and 107 male undergraduates allocated bonus pay and salary increases in a hypothetical business setting. Allocations approximated a productivity-based equity norm when Ss were asked to reward fairly, a capability-based equity norm when asked to consider work productivity, and an equality norm when asked to consider worker relationships. No sex difference in fairness allocations was found, although males were more willing to deviate from their fairness allocations when the goal of productivity was made salient. High Protestant-ethic endorsers rewarded more on the basis of worker-controlled inputs than did low endorsers. Allocation effects were consistent with post-allocation measures of S attitudes. Motive- and S-variable effects were apparent when the relative level of worker deservingness was more ambiguous. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multigenerational Exposures of Daphnia Magna to Pristine and Aged Silver Nanoparticles: Epigenetic Changes and Phenotypical Ageing Related Effects

Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) undergo physical, chemical, and biological transformation after environmental release, resulting in different properties of the “aged” versus “pristine” forms. While many studies have investigated the ecotoxicological effects of silver (Ag) NPs, the majority focus on “pristine” Ag NPs in simple exposure media, rather than investigating realistic environmental exposure scenarios with transformed NPs. Here, the effects of “pristine” and “aged” Ag NPs are systematically evaluated with different surface coatings on Daphnia magna over four generations, comparing continuous exposure versus parental only exposure to assess recovery potential for three generations. Biological endpoints including survival, growth and reproduction and genetic effects associated with Ag NP exposure are investigated. Parental exposure to “pristine” Ag NPs has an inhibitory effect on reproduction, inducing expression of antioxidant stress related genes and reducing survival. Pristine Ag NPs also induce morphological changes including tail losses and lipid accumulation associated with aging phenotypes in the heart, abdomen, and abdominal claw. These effects are epigenetic remaining two generations post‐maternal exposure (F2 and F3). Exposure to identical Ag NPs (same concentrations) aged for 6 months in environmentally realistic water containing natural organic matter shows considerably reduced toxicological effects in continuously exposed generations and to the recovery generations.     

Urine collected from diapers can be used for 2-D PAGE in infants and young children

Urinary proteomic profiling has potential to identify candidate biomarkers of renal injury in infants provided an adequate urine sample can be obtained. Although diapers are used to obtain urine for clinical evaluation, their use for proteomic analysis has not been investigated. We therefore performed feasibility studies on the use of diaper-extracted urine for 2-D PAGE. Pediatric waste urine (2–20 mL) was applied to gel-containing, non-gel and cotton-gauze diapers and then mechanically expressed. Urine volume and total protein were measured pre- and post-extraction. Proteins were separated via 2-D PAGE following application of urine (20–40 mL) to each matrix. 2-D PAGE was also performed on clinical specimens collected using each diaper type. Differences in the adsorption and retention of urine volume and protein were noted between matrices. Non-gel and cotton-gauze diapers provided the best protein/volume recovery and the lowest interference with the Bradford assay. 2-D PAGE was also successfully completed using urine samples from both cotton fiber matrices. Conversely, samples from low-gel diapers demonstrated poor protein separation and reproducibility. Diapers containing cotton–fiber matrices appear adequate for 2-D PAGE. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of resolved proteins using replicate, high-resolution gels will be required, however, before diaper-extracted urine can be applied in proteomic profiling.     

Efficacy of Interactive Internet‐Based Education in Structural Timber Design

While traditional teaching methods (e.g., real‐time, synchronous lectures) have proven effective for training future engineers, the Internet provides an avenue to reinforce the material and augment student learning, comprehension, and retention of material. This paper presents the integration and assessment of a library of interactive instructional modules specifically for a senior‐level undergraduate elective course in civil engineering. An ongoing, comprehensive assessment process was implemented in the fall 1999 semester. The results of this quantitative assessment indicate that the use of well designed and pedagogically sound Internet‐based supplemental modules provide students with a better understanding of course material. However, when Internet‐based content does not promote critical thinking, little increase in the student performance and understanding of the material is realized. Interactive Web‐based instruction should not be viewed as a “replacement” to traditional instruction, but rather a tool that provides a broader and more dynamic environment for students with a variety of learning styles.     

Retrospectives from three counseling psychology predoctoral interns: How navigating the challenges of graduate school in the face of death and debilitating illness influenced the development of clinical practice.

Death and debilitating illness can have a significant impact on one's understanding of self, others, and society. When a counseling or clinical psychology graduate student experiences such hardships during the course of his or her clinical training, there can be several potential implications. The stressors of graduate school may exacerbate the emotional responses to an already painful situation. Additionally, clinical skill development can be negatively affected if the student has difficulty acknowledging how hardship influences his or her capacity to be an effective therapist. However, the same tribulations can also help new therapists to realize their inner strength, develop beneficial coping skills, and apply this knowledge when working with clients. Highlighted in this article are three cases of loss and hardship that underscore the importance of supportive clinical supervision, psychological hardiness, humor, and optimism during times of personal crises. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pulp mill process closure: a review of global technology developments and mill experiences in the 1990s.

The impact of effluent discharges continues to be an important issue for the pulp manufacturing industry. Considerable progress has been made in pollution prevention to minimize waste generation, so-called manufacturing "process closure." Since the mid-1980s many important technologies have been developed and implemented, many of these in response to organochlorine concerns. Zero effluent operation is now a reality for a few bleached chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTMP) pulp mills. In kraft pulp manufacturing, important developments include widespread adoption of new cooking techniques, oxygen delignification, closed screening, improved process control, new bleaching methods, and systems that minimize pulping liquor losses. Coupled to this is a commitment to reduce water use and maximize reuse of in-mill process streams. Some companies pursued bleach plant closure, and many have been successful in eliminating a portion of their bleaching wastewaters. However, the difficulties inherent in closing bleach plants are considerable. For many mills the optimal solution has been found to be a high degree of closure coupled with external biological treatment of the remaining process effluent. No bleach plants at papergrade bleached kraft mills are known to be operating effluent-free on a continuous basis. This paper reviews the important worldwide technological developments and mill experiences in the 1990s that were focused on minimizing environmental impacts of pulp manufacturing operations.     

Photocatalytic degradation of the cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin, using titanium dioxide and UV irradiation

Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii produces the cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin, which is commonly found in SouthEast Queensland water reservoirs, and has been responsible for the closure of these reservoirs as a source of drinking water in recent times. Thus, alternative more effective treatment methods need to be investigated for the removal of toxins such as cylindrospermopsin. This study examined the effectiveness of two brands of titanium dioxide under UV photolysis for the degradation of cylindrospermopsin. Results indicate that titanium dioxide is an efficient photocatalyst for cylindrospermopsin degradation. The titanium dioxide (TiO2), brand Degussa P-25 was found to be more efficient than the alternate brand Hombikat UV-100. There was an influence from solution pH (4, 7, and 9) with both brands of titanium dioxide, with high pH resulting in the best degradation rate. Importantly, there was no adsorption of cylindrospermopsin to titanium dioxide particles as seen with other cyanotoxins, which would adversely influence the degradation rate. Degradation rates were not influenced by temperature (19-34 degrees C) when P-25 was the source of TiO2, some temperature influence was observed with UV-100. Dissolved organic carbon concentration will reduce the efficiency of titanium dioxide for cylindrospermopsin degradation, however the presence of other inorganic matter in natural waters greatly assists the photocatalytic process. With minimal potentially toxic by-product formation expected with this treatment, and the effective degradation of cylindrospermopsin, titanium dioxide UV photolysis is a promising speculative alternative water treatment method.