Soda and Tobacco Industry Corporate Social Responsibility Campaigns: How Do They Compare?

In an article that forms part of the PLoS Medicine series on Big Food, Andrew Cheyne and colleagues compare soda companies' corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns - which are designed to bolster the image and popularity of their products and to prevent regulation - with the tobacco industry's CSR campaigning

Mexican American Adolescent Mothers’ Lived Experience: Grounded Ethnicity and Authentic Mothering

We conducted this qualitative, phenomenological study to further understanding of how second-generation Mexican American adolescent mothers perceive their young motherhood experience, drawing on the context of their Mexican heritage background. Through in-person interviews with 18 young mothers, we discerned shared essential meanings reconstructed around two major domains: (a) grounded ethnicity , a firm desire to remain true to and share their heritage culture, and (b) authentic mothering , strong relationality to their infants. We found that young mothers embraced their Mexican heritage mothering approaches, such as fostering familismo , valuing family above other obligations. The adolescents in this study sensed their young motherhood as an opportunity to protect and improve qualities of traditional familial cultural heritage, while absorbing elements of American culture to enhance the future for themselves and their infants. We discuss how providers can help reduce stigmatization and promote self-efficacy by respecting and partnering with young mothers to provide culturally congruent services

Biologische Sanierung von Carbochemie-Altlasten. Teilverbund 1: Kontrollierte Humifizierung von polyzyklischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen. Teilverbund 1/5: Abbau von polyzyklischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen durch Mykorrhizapilze Abschlussbericht

A recycling soil with inserted PAH in the humus complex is to be spread on recultivation grounds meant for reforestation. In this context, the project investigated the role of the ectomycorrhiza in the release and degradation of PAH and the influence of PAH on the development of plants and mycorrhizas. PAH contents of 635 mg / kg at the start of a greenhouse experiment with oaks and actually contaminated soil inhibited plant development in a minor degree. A wild form of mycorrhiza was able to establish during the 8 months lasting experiment. The degradation potential of soil was sufficient for low molecular PAH, first with rising molecular weight of PAH the impact of mycorrhizal oaks for degradation increased. Liquid culture experiments with mycorrhizal fungi and pyrene and "1"4C-phenanthrene as PAH model substances have shown that the fungi considerably vary in their PAH degradation capacity, depending on the enzyme equipment. The PAH degradation potential of the genus Lactarius is bigger than that from other mycorrhizal fungi. A considerable metabolism of the model substances is caused by Lactarius rufus. Its capacibility to mineralise phenanthrene could be proofed by measurement of "1"4CO_2 release. The planting of trees infected by appropriate mycorrhizal fungi offers a remedial technique for large contaminated areas with low PAH contents or continuous PAH immission. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F98B1349+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Randomized controlled pilot of a group antenatal care model and the sociodemographic factors associated with pregnancy-related empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Background The links between empowerment and a number of health-related outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa have been documented, but empowerment related to pregnancy is under-investigated. Antenatal care (ANC) is the entry point into the healthcare system for most women, so it is important to understand how ANC affects aspects of women’s sense of control over their pregnancy. We compare pregnancy-related empowerment for women randomly assigned to the standard of care versus CenteringPregnancy-based group ANC (intervention) in two sub-Saharan countries, Malawi and Tanzania. Methods Pregnant women in Malawi (n = 112) and Tanzania (n = 110) were recruited into a pilot study and randomized to individual ANC or group ANC. Retention at late pregnancy was 81% in Malawi and 95% in Tanzania. In both countries, individual ANC, termed focused antenatal care (FANC), is the standard of care. FANC recommends four ANC visits plus a 6-week post-birth visit and is implemented following the country's standard of care. In group ANC, each contact included self- and midwife-assessments in group space and 90 minutes of interactive health promotion. The number of contacts was the same for both study conditions. We measured pregnancy-related empowerment in late pregnancy using the Pregnancy-Related Empowerment Scale (PRES). Independent samples t-tests and multiple linear regressions were employed to assess whether group ANC led to higher PRES scores than individual ANC and to investigate other sociodemographic factors related to pregnancy-related empowerment. Results In Malawi, women in group ANC had higher PRES scores than those in individual ANC. Type of care was a significant predictor of PRES and explained 67% of the variation. This was not so in Tanzania; PRES scores were similar for both types of care. Predictive models including sociodemographic variables showed religion as a potential moderator of treatment effect in Tanzania. Muslim women in group ANC had a higher mean PRES score than those in individual ANC; a difference not observed among Christian women. Conclusions Group ANC empowers pregnant women in some contexts. More research is needed to identify the ways that models of ANC can affect pregnancy-related empowerment in addition to perinatal outcomes globally

Changes in physiological reactivity in response to the trauma memory during prolonged exposure and virtual reality exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder

Objective: A key symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is hyperreactivity to trauma-relevant stimuli. Though physiological arousal is reliably elevated in PTSD, the question remains whether this arousal responds to treatment. Virtual reality (VR) has been posited to increase emotional engagement during prolonged exposure therapy (PE) for PTSD by augmenting imaginal exposures with traumarelevant sensory information. However, the comparative effects of VR exposure therapy (VRE) have received limited empirical inquiry. Method: Ninety active-duty soldiers with combat-related PTSD participating in a randomized-controlled trial to receive PE, VRE, or a waitlist-control (WL) condition had their physiological reactivity, indexed by galvanic skin response (GSR), to their trauma memories assessed at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment. Results: Although both VRE and PE conditions showed reduced GSR reactivity to trauma memories from pre-to posttreatment, only the VRE group differed significantly from WL. Across the sample, reductions in GSR were significantly correlated with reductions in self-reported PTSD and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: This was the first study comparing effects of VRE and PE on psychophysiological variables. Given previous research finding limited differences between VRE and PE in PTSD symptom reduction, these findings lend support to the rationale for including VR in exposure therapy protocols while raising important questions about the potential benefits of VRE

Newborn cord care practices in Haiti

Newborn cord infections commonly lead to neonatal sepsis and death, particularly in low-resource countries where newborns may receive unhygienic cord care. Topical application of chlorhexidine to the newborn's cord has been shown to prevent infection. Such benefits may be particularly important in Haiti. We explored current cord care practices by conducting a qualitative study using five focus groups among key community stakeholders (mothers of newborns/children under age two years, pregnant women, traditional birth attendants, community health workers, traditional healers) in Petit-Goâve, Haiti. Data collection was guided by the Health Belief Model. Results suggest community stakeholders recognise that infants are susceptible to cord infection and that cord infection is a serious threat to newborns. Long-held traditional cord care practices are potential barriers to adopting a new cord care intervention. However, all groups acknowledged that traditional practices could be harmful to the newborn while expressing a willingness to adopt practices that would protect the newborn. Results demonstrate potential acceptability for altering traditional cord care practices among neonatal caretakers in Haiti. An informational campaign designed to educate local health workers and new mothers to eliminate unhygienic cord applications while promoting chlorhexidine application may be a strong approach for preventing neonatal cord infections