A “collective effort to make yourself feel better”: The group process in mindfulness-based interventions.

There is growing interest in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in the management of multiple physical and mental health issues. Although MBIs utilize a group format, research on how this format impacts teaching and learning mindfulness is lacking. This study aimed to develop a detailed theory of MBI group processes utilizing a grounded theory methodology. This article presents our subsequent model, developed from semistructured interviews conducted with MBI students, teachers, and trainers (N = 12). A core category, the group as a vessel on a shared journey, and three higher-order categories emerged from the data. They illustrate how MBI group processes navigate a characteristic path. Teachers build and steer the group “vessel” in a way that fosters a specific culture and sense of safety. The group is facilitated to share communal experiences that augment learning and enrich mindfulness practice. Limitations and implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed

Aqueous cleaning design presentation

The phase-out of CFC's and other ozone depleting chemicals has prompted industries to re-evaluate their present methods of cleaning. It has become necessary to find effective substitutes for their processes as well as to meet the new cleaning challenges of improved levels of cleanliness and to satisfy concerns about environmental impact of any alternative selected. One of the most popular alternatives being selected is aqueous cleaning. This method offers an alternative for removal of flux, grease/oil, buffing compound, particulates and other soils while minimizing environmental impact. What I will show are methods that can be employed in an aqueous cleaning system that will make it environmentally friendly, relatively simple to maintain and capable of yielding an even higher quality of cleanliness than previously obtained. I will also explore several drying techniques available for these systems and other alternatives along with recent improvements made in this technology. When considering any type of cleaning system, a number of variables should be determined before selecting the basic configuration. Some of these variables are: (1) Soil or contaminants being removed from your parts; (2) The level of cleanliness required; (3) The environmental considerations of your area; (4) Maintenance requirements; and (5) Operating costs

Some observations on the lung capacity of young people living in New Mexico

https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/unm_bulletin/1035/thumbnail.jp

MicroRNA expression is altered in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model and targeting miR-155 with antagomirs reveals cellular specificity

©2015 Plank et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source arecredited. MicroRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression that are differentially regulated during development and in inflammatory diseases. A role for miRNAs in allergic asthma is emerging and further investigation is required to determine whether they may serve as potential therapeutic targets. We profiled miRNA expression in murine lungs from an ovalbumin-induced allergic airways disease model, and compared expression to animals receiving dexamethasone treatment and non-allergic controls. Our analysis identified 29 miRNAs that were significantly altered during allergic inflammation. Target prediction analysis revealed novel genes with altered expression in allergic airways disease and suggests synergistic miRNA regulation of target mRNAs. To assess the impacts of one induced miRNA on pathology, we targeted miR-155-5p using a specific antagomir. Antagomir administration successfully reduced miR-155-5p expression with high specificity, but failed to alter the disease phenotype. Interestingly, further investigation revealed that antagomir delivery has variable efficacy across different immune cell types, effectively targeting myeloid cell populations, but exhibiting poor uptake in lymphocytes. Our findings demonstrate that antagomir-based targeting of miRNA function in the lung is highly specific, but highlights cell-specificity as a key limitation to be considered for antagomir-based strategies as therapeutics

Examining individual, interpersonal, and environmental influences on children’s physical activity levels

The purpose of this study was to explore individual-level socio-demographic factors and interpersonal-level factors related to social support, as well as the potential role of neighborhood and school environments that may influence the physical activity (PA) levels of children (ages 9–11). Child and parent questionnaires included individual and interpersonal factors, and PA behaviour. Home postal codes were used to determine the neighbourhood the child resides within, as well as their geographic accessibility to recreation opportunities. The models were assessed using a series of cross-classified random-intercept multi-level regression models as children’s PA may be affected by both the school they attend and the neighbourhood in which they live. In the unadjusted model, PA varied significantly across school environments (γ = 0.023; CI: 0.003–0.043), but not across neighbourhoods (γ = 0.007; CI: -0.008 to 0.021). Boys were found to be more active compared to girls (b = 0.183; CI: 0.092–0.275), while the level of PA was lower for children whose fathers achieved post-secondary education (b = - 0.197; CI: -0.376 to 0.018) than for those whose parents completed only high school. The addition of the individual-level correlates did not have a substantial effect on level 2 variances and the level 2 variance associated with school environment remained statistically significant. At the interpersonal level, children’s perception of parental support (b = 0.117; CI: 0.091–0.143) and peer support (b = 0.111; CI: 0.079–0.142) were positively related to PA. The level 2 variance for the school environment became statistically non-significant when the interpersonal factors were added to the model. At the environmental level, geographic accessibility did not have a significant association with PA and they did not significantly affect level 1 or 2 variance. As many children do not accrue sufficient levels of PA, identifying modifiable determinants is necessary to develop effective strategies to increase PA

Applying ecosystem services for pre‐market environmental risk assessments of regulated stressors

Ecosystem services (ES ) are the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems. Investigating the environment through an ES framework has gained wide acceptance in the international scientific community and is applied by policymakers to protect biodiversity and safeguard the sustainability of ecosystems. This approach can enhance the ecological and societal relevance of pre‐market/prospective environmental risk assessments (ERA s) of regulated stressors by: (1) informing the derivation of operational protection goals; (2) enabling the integration of environmental and human health risk assessments; (3) facilitating horizontal integration of policies and regulations; (4) leading to more comprehensive and consistent environmental protection; (5) articulating the utility of, and trade‐offs involved in, environmental decisions; and (6) enhancing the transparency of risk assessment results and the decisions based upon them. Realisation of these advantages will require challenges that impede acceptance of an ES approach to be overcome. Particularly, there is concern that, if biodiversity only matters to the extent that it benefits humans, the intrinsic value of nature is ignored. Moreover, our understanding of linkages among ecological components and the processes that ultimately deliver ES is incomplete, valuing ES is complex, and there is no standard ES lexicon and limited familiarity with the approach. To help overcome these challenges, we encourage: (1) further research to establish biodiversity–ES relationships; (2) the development of approaches that (i) quantitatively translate responses to chemical stressors by organisms and groups of organisms to ES delivery across different spatial and temporal scales, (ii) measure cultural ES and ease their integration into ES valuations, and (iii) appropriately value changes in ES delivery so that trade‐offs among different management options can be assessed; (3) the establishment of a standard ES lexicon; and (4) building capacity in ES science and how to apply ES to ERA s. These development needs should not prevent movement towards implementation of an ES approach in ERA s, as the advantages we perceive of using this approach render it more than worthwhile to tackle those challenges. Society and the environment stand to benefit from this shift in how we conduct the ERA of regulated stressors

A rather unconventional use of the laryngeal mask airway

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74753/1/j.1460-9592.2007.02283.x.pd

The environmental dependence of the structure of outer galactic discs in STAGES spiral galaxies

We present an analysis of V-band radial surface brightness profiles for spiral galaxies from the field and cluster environments using Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging and data from the Space Telescope A901/2 Galaxy Evolution Survey (STAGES). We use a large sample of ~330 face-on to intermediately inclined spiral galaxies and assess the effect of the galaxy environment on the azimuthally averaged radial surface brightness mu profiles for each galaxy in the outer stellar disc (24 < mu < 26.5 mag per sq arcsec). For galaxies with a purely exponential outer disc (~50 per cent), we determine the significance of an environmental dependence on the outer disc scalelength h_out. For galaxies with a broken exponential in their outer disc, either down-bending (truncation, ~10 per cent) or up-bending (anti-truncation, ~40 per cent), we measure the strength T (outer-to-inner scalelength ratio, log_10(h_out/h_in) of the mu breaks and determine the significance of an environmental dependence on break strength T. Surprisingly, we find no evidence to suggest any such environmental dependence on either outer disc scalelength h_out or break strength T, implying that the galaxy environment is not affecting the stellar distribution in the outer stellar disc. We also find that for galaxies with small effective radii (r_e < 3 kpc) there is a lack of outer disc truncations in both the field and cluster environments. Our results suggest that the stellar distribution in the outer disc of spiral galaxies is not significantly affected by the galaxy environment.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. Appendix A available at http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~ppxdtm/STAGES_profiles_appendix.pd

NLTE determination of the sodium abundance in a homogeneous sample of extremely metal-poor stars

Abundance ratios in extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars are a good indication of the chemical composition of the gas in the earliest phases of the Galaxy evolution. It had been found from an LTE analysis that at low metallicity, and in contrast with most of the other elements, the scatter of [Na/Fe] versus [Fe/H] was surprisingly large and that, in giants, [Na/Fe] decreased with metallicity. Since it is well known that the formation of sodium lines is very sensitive to non-LTE effects, to firmly establish the behaviour of the sodium abundance in the early Galaxy, we have used high quality observations of a sample of EMP stars obtained with UVES at the VLT, and we have taken into account the non-LTE line formation of sodium. The profiles of the two resonant sodium D lines (only these sodium lines are detectable in the spectra of EMP stars) have been computed in a sample of 54 EMP giants and turn-off stars (33 of them with [Fe/H]< -3.0) with a modified version of the code MULTI, and compared to the observed spectra. With these new determinations in the range -4 <[Fe/H]< -2.5, both [Na/Fe] and [Na/Mg] are almost constant with a low scatter. In the turn-off stars and "unmixed" giants (located in the low RGB): [Na/Fe] = -0.21 +/- 0.13 or [Na/Mg] = -0.45 +/- 0.16. These values are in good agreement with the recent determinations of [Na/Fe] and [Na/Mg] in nearby metal-poor stars. Moreover we confirm that all the sodium-rich stars are "mixed" stars (i.e., giants located after the bump, which have undergone an extra mixing). None of the turn-off stars is sodium-rich. As a consequence it is probable that the sodium enhancement observed in some mixed giants is the result of a deep mixing.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in A&