Negative affective stress reactivity: The dampening effect of snacking

The present study sets out to further elucidate the complex relationship between daily hassles, snacking, and negative affect (NA). The aim of the present study was to examine whether or not moment‐to‐moment energy intake from snacks moderates the association between momentary stress and NA. And, if so, can this moderating effect be replicated by using the amount of macronutrient intake (i.e., carbohydrates, fat, and protein) as moderator on the association between momentary stress and NA? Adults (N = 269), aged 20–50 years, participated in this study. Stress, NA, and snack intake were assessed 10 times a day for 7 consecutive days in daily life with an experience sampling smartphone application. Multilevel regression analyses were performed to assess the hypothesized associations. Our study revealed a dampening effect of snacking on negative affective stress reactivity. However, this dampening effect could not be replicated by the amount of macronutrient intake from snacks. On the contrary, the amount of carbohydrates has an enhancing effect on negative affective stress reactivity. In the end, our study suggests that the critical question is which mechanisms are decisive in the dampening role of snacking on stress reactivity. A multidisciplinary approach may provide a full perspective.     

Ecological analysis of college women’s physical activity and health-related quality of life

ABSTRACT

Despite significant health benefits of regular physical activity, over 60 percent of college women do not meet recommended physical activity guidelines to promote their health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), a comprehensive construct including physical and psychosocial health functioning. The major purpose of this study was to examine the influences of individual (e.g., self-efficacy, enjoyment), social (e.g., family and friend support), and physical environmental factors (e.g., crime safety) on college women’s physical activity and HRQoL. Participants were 235 (Mean age = 21.0 years) college women from a public research university located in the southwest region of the United States. They completed validated surveys assessing their perceptions of physical activity, HRQoL, and social ecological factors during the spring semester of 2012. The findings of three multiple linear regressions, entering individual factors first, followed by social and physical environmental factors, revealed that self-efficacy and crime safety were significantly related to physical activity. For HRQoL-physical functioning, significant factors were self-efficacy, enjoyment, and crime safety. Enjoyment was the only factor related to HRQoL-psychosocial functioning. These findings indicated that physical activity professionals need to foster safe environments, enhance self-efficacy, and provide enjoyable activities to promote college women’s physical activity and HRQoL.     

Constructing health capital in ecological systems: A qualitative evaluation of community‐based health workshops in the refugee community

Refugee communities face numerous health and mental health concerns both during and after resettlement. Health issues, already deteriorated by chronic poverty, malnutrition and poor living conditions, are exacerbated by acculturative challenges, such as cultural and language barriers, stigma, and lack of resources and information. Since such needs in refugee communities affect both individual and collective capacity, it is important to consider policy environment and socioecological contexts for cultural adjustment and community resources for navigating systems, rather than individual health behaviours and communication skills only. To expand our understanding of health promotion capacity and resources, a broad and context‐dependent concept will be necessary. Adopting a concept of health capital, this study aims to explore the impact of community‐based health workshops, while expanding and redefining the framework in the context of health promotion efforts for the refugee community in resettlement. As part of community‐based participatory research, this qualitative study conducted seven focus group discussions (FGDs) with 22 Bhutanese refugees in 2014. Using a hybrid thematic analysis, themes emerged from the FGD data were organised and categorised into health capitals in ecological systems. The participants reported enhanced confidence and capacity for health promotion at individual, family and community levels. Given the interdependent coping and lifestyles of refugee communities, impacts on the participants’ interactions and relations with family and community were significant, which emphasises the importance of assessment of interventions beyond an individualistic approach. The findings of this study underscore the vital role of varied forms of health capital in promoting health in the refugee community and connecting members to needed health resources and information. Health capital is an old and yet still new concept with a great potential to broaden our understanding of health resources by elaborating the impacts and interactions in individuals, family and community for health promotion.     

Through the eyes of women: cultural insights into living as a battered woman in Hawaii

Abstract   This phenomenological study examined the impact of culture on the lived experience of women who were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). The analysis of the data, using the method of Colaizzi, yielded three theme clusters: "living in misery", "enduring terror and sadness", and "no happy ending". They revealed the essential structure of living in a violent situation. The women, from diverse cultural backgrounds, had similar individual responses to violence. Although on a societal level, responses to violence are unique, the results revealed that women's responses were very personal and common across cultures, demonstrating their fundamental humanness. This finding underscores the importance of providing caring, individual support when working with victims of IPV, even though various cultures might perceive IPV differently. An ecological model for understanding the responses to IPV includes both individual and group perspectives related to IPV and the factors that influence the behavior of both women and men.     

唐山市南湖中央生态公园水质质量监测、风险源预警及识别

目的 通过对唐山市南湖中央生态公园湖水水质进行监测和评价,了解南湖水质当前的富营养化和重金属污染状况.方法 选择8个采样点,分别测定温度、pH值、浊度、溶解氧(DO)、化学耗氧量(COD)、五日生化需氧量(BOD530)、总磷(TP)、氨氮、硝酸盐氮、亚硝酸盐氮、汞、砷、铜、锌、镍、铅、镉等指标.结果 各采样点的感官性状均不符合标准,洗星池、养龙水西、养龙水北和青天镜的4个采样点的BOD530均超出国家标准,青天镜的4个采样点的总磷、氨氮、硝酸盐氮均超过国家标准.各采样点其余指标均符合国家标准.单因子污染指数和综合污染指数表明,洗星池的水质最好,综合污染指数为0.27,养龙水的水质仅次于洗星池,综合污染指数的平均值为0.22,这两处均属水质合格的水域.青天镜水质最差,综合污染指数的平均值为1.99,属污染水域.结论 南湖水域的洗星池及养龙水的水质属于水质合格水域,青天镜水质较差,属于污染水域.污染的严重程度为:青天镜＞养龙水＞洗星池.     

Regional variations in prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms: Population‐based survey

The purpose of the present study was to verify that there are regional variations in the detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms in mothers. A population‐based survey of all women who gave birth in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City during the period 1 December 2008–31 October 2010 was carried out. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was completed by 2567 mothers of infants to measure postpartum depressive symptoms. The detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms was compared between five localities. A significant difference was found between the lowest detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms (8.4%) and the highest (18.1%; P < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between the proportion of houses in the locality receiving public assistance and the detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms. The detection rate of postpartum depressive symptoms shows regional variations, suggesting a relationship with the poverty rate.     

EMOTIONS AND EATING IN EVERYDAY LIFE: APPLICATION OF THE EXPERIENCE-SAMPLING METHOD

Previous research emphasized relationships between negative emotions and eating. This study explored associations of both positive and negative emotions with eating by experience-sampling in the natural environment. Eight healthy volunteers (6 female, 2 male) were beeped at random intervals, 10 times daily on 7 consecutive days. Upon each signal, participants rated their emotional state and indicated whether they had eaten during the previous 15 minutes. In total, 485 situations were sampled. Emotional states reported in these situations were classified by cluster analysis. In 145 situations subjects reported having eaten. Thirty-seven percent of eating bouts occurred in situations classified as emotionally positive; 30% occurred in situations classified as emotionally negative. Participants rated that eating influenced their emotional state to a higher degree in emotionally positive situations than in emotionally negative ones. Positive emotions may play a stronger role in the relationship between emotions and eating than has been generally acknowledged.     

毒理学在中国现代化建设中面临的机遇与挑战

本文评述了毒理学在中国的现代化建设中面临的机遇与挑战 ,包括发现毒理学在产品创新中的应用 ,环境毒理学和生态危险度评定与可持续发展战略 ,管理毒理学在法制建设中的角色和作用 ,并结合个人经验就国内的实验室研究质量规范建设提出了看法和建议     

Functional Imaging of Stroke Recovery: An Ecological Review from a Neural Network Perspective with an Emphasis on Motor Systems

Functional imaging is beginning to outline the brain's functional architecture and mechanisms of recovery from injury. I will review primarily the motor‐function literature from normal populations, learning trials, stroke recovery, and rehabilitation with a neural network approach that may prove fruitful in further advancing our understanding of brain plasticity in response to focal lesions. A key consideration in this review will be how the development of distributed motor networks might constrain recovery as a function of the altered connectivity between damaged and nondamaged areas. It will be argued that this connectivity is central to both recovery from injury and response to treatment.