Moderate intensity exercise as an adjunct to standard smoking cessation treatment for women: A pilot study.

Previous randomized controlled trials have not supported moderate intensity exercise as an efficacious adjunct to smoking cessation treatments for women; however, compliance with exercise programs in these studies has been poor. The purpose of this pilot study was to estimate the effects of moderate intensity exercise on smoking cessation outcomes under optimal conditions for exercise program compliance. Sixty previously sedentary, healthy, female smokers were randomized to an 8-week program consisting of brief baseline smoking cessation counseling and the nicotine patch plus either 150 min/week of moderate intensity exercise or contact control. Participants attended a median of 86.4% and 95.5% of prescribed exercise/control sessions, respectively. There was a moderate, though statistically nonsignificant, effect of exercise at post-treatment for objectively verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence (48.3% vs. 23.3%; OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 0.89–11.07) and prolonged abstinence (34.5% vs. 20.0%; OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 0.56–8.32). Effects were attenuated when controlling for potential confounders, and after a 1-month, no-treatment period. The findings provide a preliminary indication that, given adequate compliance, moderate intensity exercise may enhance short-term smoking cessation outcomes for women; however, a larger trial is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does tailoring on additional theoretical constructs enhance the efficacy of a print-based physical activity promotion intervention?

Objective: To enhance a previously efficacious individually tailored physical activity (PA) promotion intervention by adding theoretical constructs to the tailored feedback. Design: We randomly assigned 248 healthy, underactive (moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA] min/week enhanced print). Main Outcome Measure: The 7-day physical activity recall administered at baseline, Month 6, and Month 12, with outcomes operationalized as percentage achieving 150 min/week of MVPA. Results: When controlling for covariates, there was a nonsignificant trend in favor of the enhanced print condition reflecting 46% and 50% greater odds of achieving 150 min/week of MVPA at Month 6 and Month 12, respectively. Conclusion: Enhanced tailoring based on additional theoretical constructs may result in marginal improvements in physical activity outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

AIDS treatment advances and behavioral prevention setbacks: Preliminary assessment of reduced perceived threat of HIV–AIDS.

Recent advances in AIDS treatment have brought renewed optimism for prolonging the lives of those infected with HIV. This article examined beliefs about how new treatments may reduce HIV transmission risk among 298 HIV-negative gay and bisexual men attending a gay pride festival. Results from an anonymous survey showed that men who practiced unprotected anal intercourse as the receptive partner (UAR intercourse) were younger, less well educated, and more likely to believe that it is safe to have UAR intercourse with an HIV-positive man who has an undetectable viral load and that new treatments for HIV relieve their worries about unsafe sex. As HIV treatments continue to advance, new challenges for HIV prevention will likely emerge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two faces of (dis)similarity in affective judgments of persons: Contrast or assimilation effects revealed by morphs.

The authors investigated the role of dissimilarity on context effects in person perception. Most research predicts similar people to be similarly evaluated and different people to be contrasted with each other. However, some research suggests that similarity may enhance comparison and contrast. To explain these opposite effects, the authors argue that dissimilarity may influence 2 different processes with opposite consequences. Dissimilarity may decrease common categorization and thus the likelihood of comparison, resulting in reduced contrast, whereas during comparison itself dissimilarity may increase the perceived dissimilarity of features and thereby increase contrast. To investigate this, the authors conducted 3 studies in which they manipulated dissimilarity by inserting morphs that were related or unrelated to the context and target faces before judgments were made. The results indicate that dissimilarity may affect the likelihood and the outcome of comparison, with contrasting consequences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Der simultane ppm-Nachweis des anabol wirkenden Zeranols

Zusammenfassung Das Masthilfsmittel Zeranol sowie sein Metabolit Zearalanon lassen sich nach Extraktion im Fleisch von Schlachttieren bis zu einer Nachweisgrenze von etwa 0.01 ppm mit der hochauflösenden Flüssigkeitschromatographie (HPLC) rasch und einfach bestimmen.

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Simultaneous determination of the anabolic agent zeranol and its metabolite zearalanon by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Summary The anabolic agent Zeranol and its metabolite Zearalanon can be determined in meat by High-Performance-Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) down to a limit of about 0.01 ppm.

     

On the determination of coffeine in soft drinks and coffeine-containing food preparations (author's transl)]

The recently proposed spectroscopical determination of coffeine in soft drinks after filtration of polyamide leads to higher coffeine values than originally present, due to substances absorbed by the UV light. Therefore a method is proposed for identification and quantitative determination of coffeine in soft drinks and in methanol extracts of coffeine-containing foods by column chromatography on silical gel.