Understanding the influence of demographic and psychological variables on retirement planning.

The authors examined the degree to which workers were engaging in financial, health, interpersonal/leisure, and work planning for retirement, exploring whether demographic and psychological variables inhibited or promoted planning in each of these domains. Planning in each domain was influenced by a unique set of variables. Goals emerged as a consistent and positive predictor of planning. Gender accounted for health and interpersonal/leisure planning, while work planning behavior was negatively predicted by income. Time perspective also helped to clarify the amount of retirement planning undertaken in the financial and interpersonal/leisure domains. Practical implications for designing retirement interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of housing system, slaughter weight and slaughter strategy on carcass and meat quality, sex organ development and androstenone and skatole levels in Duroc finished entire male pigs

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of housing system (HS), slaughter weight (SW) and strategy (SS) on carcass a nd meat quality, sexual organ development and boar taint in entire males. Twelve pens of 10 pigs were used (two trials). Half of male pens were allowed visual contact with females (MF) and half with males (MM). Half MM or MF were slaughtered at 105 or 130 kg in trial 1, or penwise or by split marketing in trial 2 at 120 kg. Housing system showed no significant effect on carcass or meat quality. MF presented significantly longer testicles and heavier bulbourethral glands compared to MM. The distribution of androstenone and skatole levels was affected by SW but not by HS or SS, samples with androstenone >1 μg/g of the different groups falling within the range of 16 to 22%. All correlations between androstenone and sex organs were significant. Housing system and slaughter strategy did not reduce the risk of boar tainted carcasses.     

Healthy Snacks: Using Nutrient Profiling to Evaluate the Nutrient‐Density of Common Snacks in the United States

Objective: To quantify and compare the nutrient‐density of commonly consumed snacks using two nutrient‐density measures, Nutrient Rich Foods Indices 9.3 (NRF 9.3) and 15.3 (NRF 15.3). Design: Identify commonly consumed categories of snacks and individual snack foods, calculate NRF 9.3 and 15.3 scores, rank snacks by category and by individual food based on nutrient density, compare and contrast scores generated by the two NRF Indices. Main Outcome Measures: NRF 9.3 and 15.3 scores. Analysis: Averages and standard deviations of nutrient‐density scores for each snack category. Results: Vegetables and coffee/tea received the highest category scores on both indices. Cakes/cookies/pastries and sweets had the lowest category scores. NRF 9.3 scores for individual snacks ranged from –46 (soda) to 524 (coffee). NRF 15.3 scores ranged from –45 (soda) to 736 (coffee). Conclusions and Implications: If added to food labels, NRF scores could help consumers identify more nutritious choices. The differences between NRF 9.3 and 15.3 scores generated for the same foods and the limitations of these indices highlight the need for careful consideration of which nutrient‐density measure to include on food labels as well as consumer education.     

Impact of intervention strategies on Listeria contamination patterns in crawfish processing plants: a longitudinal study

Two ready-to-eat crawfish processing plants were monitored for 2 years to study the impact of Listeria control strategies, including employee training and targeted sanitation procedures, on Listeria contamination. Environmental, raw material, and finished product samples were collected weekly during the main processing months (April to June) and tested for Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. Before implementation of control strategies (year 1), the two processing plants showed Listeria spp. prevalences of 29.5% (n = 78) in raw, whole crawfish, 5.2% (n = 155) in the processing plant environment, and 0% (n = 78) in finished products. In year 2, after plant-specific Listeria control strategies were implemented, Listeria spp. prevalence increased in raw crawfish (57.5%, n = 101), in the processing plant environment (10.8%, n = 204), and in the finished product (1.0%, n = 102). Statistical analysis showed a significant increase in Listeria spp. prevalence (P < 0.0001) and a borderline nonsignificant increase in L. monocytogenes prevalence (P = 0.097) on raw material in year 2. Borderline nonsignificant increases were also observed for Listeria spp. prevalence in environmental samples (P = 0.082). Our data showed that Listeria spp. prevalence in raw crawfish can vary significantly among seasons. However, the increased contamination prevalence for raw materials only resulted in a limited Listeria prevalence increase for the processing plant environment with extremely low levels of finished product contamination. Heat treatment of raw materials combined with Listeria control strategies to prevent cross-contamination thus appears to be effective in achieving low levels of finished product contamination, even with Listeria spp. prevalences for raw crawfish of more than 50%.     

The effect of popping,soaking, boiling and roasting processes on antinutritional factors in chickpeas and red kidney beans

This study was conducted to determine the effect that a popping head (like a rice cake machine), a low-shear and low-water processing technology, has on the concentration of antinutritional factors in chickpeas and red kidney beans. Seeds were popped under several parameters (popping time, sample format and equipment type) and analysed against soaking (1:5 w/v in reverse osmosis water for 24 h), roasting (100 g at 180 °C for 20 min) and boiling (1:5 w/v in reverse osmosis water at 100 ± 1 °C for 1 h) processes. Popping and roasting significantly reduced phytic acid content in chickpeas (6%–22%) and red kidney beans (16%–39%). In contrast, phytic acid content after soaking and boiling was not significantly different to raw seeds. Condensed tannins were significantly reduced in red kidney beans after soaking (74%), boiling (100%) and 4 s popping (28%–42%) treatments and increased in both pulses after roasting (137%) and 8 s popping (21%–47%). Further analysis showed that the soluble phenolic content increased with popping, but total and bound phenolic content was reduced. These results demonstrate that the high temperatures and pressures applied during the popping process effectively reduce antinutritional factors in pulses, compared to conventional processing methods.     

The application of structural equation modeling to maternal ratings of twins' behavioral and emotional problems.

The application of structural equation modeling to twin data is used to assess the impact of genetic and environmental factors on children's behavioral and emotional functioning. The models are applied to the maternal ratings of behavior of a subsample of 515 monozygotic and 749 dizygotic juvenile twin pairs, ages 8 through 16 yrs, obtained through mailed questionnaires as part of the Medical College of Virginia Adolescent Behavioral Development Twin Project. The importance of genetic, shared, and specific environmental factors for explaining variation is reported for both externalizing and internalizing behaviors, as well as significant differences in the causes of variation in externalizing behaviors among young boys and girls. The usefulness of applying structural equation models to data on monozygotic and dizygotic twins and the potential implications for addressing clinically relevant questions regarding the causes of psychopathology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experimental disclosure and its moderators: A meta-analysis.

Disclosing information, thoughts, and feelings about personal and meaningful topics (experimental disclosure) is purported to have various health and psychological consequences (e.g., J. W. Pennebaker, 1993). Although the results of 2 small meta-analyses (P. G. Frisina, J. C. Borod, & S. J. Lepore, 2004; J. M. Smyth, 1998) suggest that experimental disclosure has a positive and significant effect, both used a fixed effects approach, limiting generalizability. Also, a plethora of studies on experimental disclosure have been completed that were not included in the previous analyses. One hundred forty-six randomized studies of experimental disclosure were collected and included in the present meta-analysis. Results of random effects analyses indicate that experimental disclosure is effective, with a positive and significant average r-effect size of .075. In addition, a number of moderators were identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: Self-esteem differences in the experience and anticipation of success": Correction to Wood et al (2005).

Reports an error in "Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory: Self-Esteem Differences in the Experience and Anticipation of Success" by Joanne V. Wood, Sara A. Heimpel, Ian R. Newby-Clark and Michael Ross (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005[Nov], Vol 89[5], 764-780). There are typographical errors in Table 2 (certain values should not have been in bold face). The corrected table is provided in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2005-15658-009.) Successes--defined broadly as meeting important standards or receiving positive evaluations--are widely assumed to be enjoyed equally by people with high self-esteem (HSEs) and low self-esteem (LSEs). Three studies examined the contradictory hypothesis that HSEs react more favorably to success than do LSEs and that success brings about certain unfavorable consequences for LSEs. Undergraduate participants reacted to a laboratory-manipulated success (Studies 1 and 2) or imagined highly positive events in the future (Study 3). Self-esteem differences emerged in anxiety, thoughts about the self, and (in Study 3) thoughts about non-self-related aspects of the event. LSEs were more anxious than HSEs after succeeding, success improved HSEs' self-relevant thoughts but not LSEs', and LSEs focused more on success's negative aspects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

PRKAG3 and CAST genetic polymorphisms and quality traits of dry-cured hams-II. Associations in French dry-cured ham Jambon de Bayonne and their dependence on salt reduction

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of PRKAG3 Ile199Val and CAST Arg249Lys and CAST Ser638Arg polymorphisms on the quality traits of the French dry-cured ham Jambon de Bayonne and their interaction with salt reduction. Significant (p<0.05) and suggestive associations (p<0.10) between the polymorphisms and several quality traits of dry-cured ham, mainly related to processing and textural properties, were found. PRKAG3 Ile/Val and CAST 249Lys/638Arg presented the highest scores for sensory and processing properties, whatever the salt content.     

Comparison of N-Heterocyclic Aromatics Dibenzo[c,g]Carbazole and Dibenz[a,j]Acridine : Metabolism,DNA Binding and Mutation

N-Heterocyclic aromatics, such as carbazole and acridine derivatives, are environmental carcinogenic pollutants. Examples of these compounds are 7H-dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (DBC) and dibenz[a,j]acridine (DBA). The ionization potential (IP) for DBC is lower than for DBA. DBC is metabolized in lung and liver by way of phenols or directly through radical cations. DBC-induced liver and lung tumors have mutations in the 61^st codon of ras. DBA is metabolized in skin by way of a diol-epoxide of DBA. DBA-induced skin tumors have mutations in 12^th, 13^th and 61^st codons of ras. In summary, the metabolic activation of DBC proceeds through different adduction pattern pathways than does DBA and leads to different ras mutational spectra.