Kinetics of the phenotype and function of murine peritoneal macrophages following acute inflammation

This study was undertaken to have a better understand for the process and the underlying mechanisms to limitmacrophage activation and population of activated macrophages.A comprehensive kinetics of cytokineproduction was performed in murine peritoneal macrophages recovered from Balb/c mice at various timeduring the course of an intraperitoneal injection with thioglycollate (TG).The expression of cell surfacemolecules such as MHC-Ⅰ,MHC-Ⅱ,B7-1 and B7-2 of these macrophages were also determined by flowcytometry.The present findings of our research suggested that the population of activated macrophages and theactivation of macrophages (including cytokines production and expression of cell surface functional molecules)were strictly controlled during inflammation process.This is one of the important mechanisms to retain the hosthomeostasis.Cellular & Molecular Immunology.2004;1(1):57-62.     

How does yoga reduce stress? A clinical trial testing psychological mechanisms

Yoga interventions can reduce stress, but the mechanisms underlying that stress reduction remain largely unidentified. Understanding how yoga works is essential to optimizing interventions. The present study tested five potential psychosocial mechanisms (increased mindfulness, interoceptive awareness, spiritual well-being, self-compassion and self-control) that have been proposed to explain yoga's impact on stress. Forty-two participants (62% female; 64% White) in a yoga program for stress reduction completed surveys at baseline (T1), mid-intervention (T2) and post-intervention (12 weeks; T3). We measured two aspects of stress, perceived stress and stress reactivity. Changes were assessed with paired t-tests; associations between changes in mechanisms were tested in residual change models. Only stress reactivity decreased, on average, from T1 to T3. Except for self-compassion, all psychosocial mechanisms increased from T1 to T3, with minimal changes from T2 to T3. Except for self-control, increases in each mechanism were strongly associated with decreases in both measures of stress between T1 and T2 and decreases in perceived stress from T1 to T3 (all p's < 0.05). Increased psychosocial resources are associated with stress reduction. Yoga interventions targeting these resources may show stronger stress reduction effects. Future research should test these linkages more rigorously using active comparison groups and larger samples.     

综合护理干预对急性左心衰患者的影响

目的 探究基于自我调节理论的综合性护理干预对急性左心衰患者无创呼吸机治疗依从性的影响。方法 选取来我院就诊的急性左心衰患者83例,随机分成对照组41例和观察组42例。对照组采用常规护理模式,观察组采用基于自我调节理论的综合性护理。比较两组患者干预前后使用无创呼吸机依从性,比较干预后两组患者对无创呼吸机耐受情况、出院3个月后生活质量及干预过程中并发症发生率。结果 两组患者干预后,观察组依从性指数(85.18±4.13)高于对照组(80.45±3.68)(t=5.512,P=0.000);经干预后,观察组无创呼吸机耐受率(92.68%)与对照组(83.33%)无差异(χ2=1.711,P=0.190);两组患者出院3个月后,观察组在生活质量评分中社会功能(83.23±13.45,75.35±12.7,t=2.736,P=0.007)、情绪职能(74.31±13.64,65.34±8.45,t=3.611,P=0.001)、精神健康(76.38±10.24,68.23±11.53,t=3.402,P=0.001)方面分数高于对照组;干预期间,观察组并发症发生率(26.83%)低于对照组(59.52%)(χ2=9.029,P=0.002)。结论 基于自我调节理论的综合性护理干预能提高急性左心衰患者无创呼吸机治疗依从性,适当改善患者对无创呼吸机的耐受性,减轻并发症发生率,改善患者出院后生活质量。     

Assessing college students’ ego-identity status and their use of motivational regulation strategies

Using correlational analyses and structural equation modeling, this study tests three hypotheses: students’ reported use of motivational strategies is 1) correlated with their ego-identity status; 2) positively correlated with their reported use of learning strategies and negatively associated with their level of procrastination; and 3) related to their existing motivational beliefs and attitudes. Participants were American college students (N?=?113). The findings support all three hypotheses.

The study computed Pearson product moment correlations (listwise) among the ego identity and motivation measures; significant correlations ranged from 0.19 to 0.29. To test the hypothesized conceptual model, the study subjected the correlations to a confirmatory factor analysis. The five model varimax solution had excellent loadings on 16 variables; their standardized path coefficients were highly significant (p?df?=?161, p?=?0.0003; goodness of fit (GFI)?=?0.913; RMSEA?=?0.056).

The findings support the existence of a positive relationship between college students’ identity status and their use of motivational regulation strategies. They also suggest students’ use of motivational strategies is closely related to their use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, but not to their level of academic procrastination. This article discusses practical applications for mental health providers and educators.     

Investigating eight- to nine-year-olds’ self-regulatory self-talk in the context of their classroom tasks

Self-talk has been recognised as an important tool used by children to regulate their thinking and behaviour. Existing studies typically characterise children's self-talk according to broad categories that do not allow for investigation of self-regulatory aspects of children's internalised self-talk. The findings reported in this paper are based on a pilot study aimed at eliciting information on self-talk that eight- to nine-year-olds employ in the context of their classroom tasks and at a stage when the children's self-talk is largely internalised. The findings offer useful insights into the types of self-regulatory self-talk employed by children in the classroom and suggest that these aspects should be considered in the characterisation and study of children's self-talk.     

Short- and Medium-Term Efficacy of a Web-Based Computer-Tailored Nutrition Education Intervention for Adults Including Cognitive and Environmental Feedback: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Web-based, computer-tailored nutrition education interventions can be effective in modifying self-reported dietary behaviors. Traditional computer-tailored programs primarily targeted individual cognitions (knowledge, awareness, attitude, self-efficacy). Tailoring on additional variables such as self-regulation processes and environmental-level factors (the home food environment arrangement and perception of availability and prices of healthy food products in supermarkets) may improve efficacy and effect sizes (ES) of Web-based computer-tailored nutrition education interventions.

Objective

This study evaluated the short- and medium-term efficacy and educational differences in efficacy of a cognitive and environmental feedback version of a Web-based computer-tailored nutrition education intervention on self-reported fruit, vegetable, high-energy snack, and saturated fat intake compared to generic nutrition information in the total sample and among participants who did not comply with dietary guidelines (the risk groups).

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with a basic (tailored intervention targeting individual cognition and self-regulation processes; n=456), plus (basic intervention additionally targeting environmental-level factors; n=459), and control (generic nutrition information; n=434) group. Participants were recruited from the general population and randomly assigned to a study group. Self-reported fruit, vegetable, high-energy snack, and saturated fat intake were assessed at baseline and at 1- (T1) and 4-months (T2) postintervention using online questionnaires. Linear mixed model analyses examined group differences in change over time. Educational differences were examined with group×time×education interaction terms.

Results

In the total sample, the basic (T1: ES=–0.30; T2: ES=–0.18) and plus intervention groups (T1: ES=–0.29; T2: ES=–0.27) had larger decreases in high-energy snack intake than the control group. The basic version resulted in a larger decrease in saturated fat intake than the control intervention (T1: ES=–0.19; T2: ES=–0.17). In the risk groups, the basic version caused larger decreases in fat (T1: ES=–0.28; T2: ES=–0.28) and high-energy snack intake (T1: ES=–0.34; T2: ES=–0.20) than the control intervention. The plus version resulted in a larger increase in fruit (T1: ES=0.25; T2: ES=0.37) and a larger decrease in high-energy snack intake (T1: ES=–0.38; T2: ES=–0.32) than the control intervention. For high-energy snack intake, educational differences were found. Stratified analyses showed that the plus version was most effective for high-educated participants.

Conclusions

Both intervention versions were more effective in improving some of the self-reported dietary behaviors than generic nutrition information, especially in the risk groups, among both higher- and lower-educated participants. For fruit intake, only the plus version was more effective than providing generic nutrition information. Although feasible, incorporating environmental-level information is time-consuming. Therefore, the basic version may be more feasible for further implementation, although inclusion of feedback on the arrangement of the home food environment and on availability and prices may be considered for fruit and, for high-educated people, for high-energy snack intake.

Trial Registration

Netherlands Trial Registry NTR3396; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=3396 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6VNZbdL6w).     

深圳市各级医疗机构医师行业自律现况调查及对策研究

目的:了解《深圳经济特区医疗条例》实施后深圳市各级医疗机构医师行业自律现状,提出完善策略。方法:采用多阶段整群抽样方法,对深圳市140所医疗机构的1831名执业医师进行调查,采用描述性分析、卡方检验进行统计分析。结果:深圳市各级医疗机构被调查者对《医疗条例》中有关行业自律规定的认知态度无差异,二级医院被调查者对医师应加入医师协会的知晓率达到84.55%,认为深圳市医师协会负责医师注册更方便(79.77%),略高于三级医院和其他医疗机构。各级医疗机构被调查者认为《深圳经济特区医疗条例》实施后,深圳市医师协会应重视医师执业行为规范制度、定期考核制度和风险管控制度的建立或完善。各级医疗机构被调查者对于医师协会的能力建设及经费来源的态度差异明显,三级医院被调查者更倾向于通过财政拨款和医疗机构缴纳会费解决深圳市医师协会的经费;二级医院及其他医疗机构被调查者更倾向于通过财政拨款和政府购买服务解决深圳市医师协会的经费;其他医疗机构被调查者认为深圳市医师协会有能力承担医师资格考试/执业注册/定期考核/行业自律/维权等职能(83.40%),明显高于三级医院(76.13%)和二级医院(79.77%)。结论:深圳市各级医疗机构医师对医疗行业自律管理相关规定知晓率、认可度较高;深圳市医师协会应加强与多部门沟通;应完善行业自律管理制度,加强行业协会自身建设;多渠道保障深圳市医师协会的经费。     

The self-healing forest: Between self-regulation and dyadic regulation

Throughout the history of body psychotherapy, self-regulation in general and somatic self-regulation in particular were a central concept. This study examines the development of theoretical, clinical and applicatory aspects of self- and dyadic regulation through academic, clinical and personal accounts. It explores the presuppositions behind self-regulation and proposes that dyadic regulation, which is based on intersubjectivity, has both regressive and generative aspects. Thus, this study links psychoanalytic thinking with systemic theory and contemporary body psychotherapeutic principles. This study is based on a talk given in the 13th EABP conference in Cambridge.     

Expecting to heal through self-expression: a perceived control theory of writing and health

Abstract

Writing improves physical and psychological health when done expressively, or in a way characterized by cognitive-emotional engagement (Pennebaker, 1997). While numerous theories attempt to explain the relationship between expressive writing and health, no singular mechanism emerges as conclusive or dominant. This theoretical dilemma is likely due to the paradigm's vast and thus self-fulfilling directions, which place a premium on the participant's biases and positive expectations (Langens & Schüler, 2007). Accordingly, the current review builds a theory of perceived control, which makes three propositions: (1) Perceived control promotes health; (2) Traumatic and stressful events lead to loss of perceived control and therefore decrements in health; and (3) Expressive writing restores perceptions of control, thereby improving health. Indeed, perceived control is associated with the very process of expressive writing and has extensive ties to both physical and psychological well-being. Unlike other proposed models, a theory of perceived control identifies which individuals should benefit from writing and explains why health benefits are often short-term. Expressive writing, due to its appeal as a healing ritual, is likely to build up confidence in one's health and prospects, without taking into account the uncertainties of day-to-day events and circumstances.