The value of alar sprays for apples

ALAR* is a growth retardant which has been die subject of intensive research in other countries. It tends to slow both fruit growth and ripening and to reduce shoot extension. Overseas and local investigations with apples have shown that Alar will reduce preharvest drop, restrict shoot growth and increase flower bud formation for the following season

Stop-drop sprays for Jonathan and Delicious apples

STOP-DROP sprays prevent excessive pre-harvest drop of Jonathan and Delicious apples. Recent research has thrown more light on the best methods of employing these materials. TWO CHEMICALS used as stop-drop sprays are available commercially in Western Australia. One of these, alpha napthalene acetic acid (NAA), is also well known as a thinning spray for apples

Early hail marks on apples do not grow out

ALTHOUGH the 1964/65 season brought a record crop with a good proportion of high quality fruit, the year was marred by several violent hailstorms in separate parts of the South-West

Fertiliser recommendations for citrus : detailed fertilizer programmes for citrus growers

CITRUS growers should adopt a well balanced fertiliser programme to safeguard tree health, cropping and fruit quality. While moderate dressings are a wise insurance in most situations the rates required vary with tree age and soil type. The recommendations are given in detail in the tables in this article

Fertiliser recommendations for apple trees

THE increased use of irrigation and chemical thinning in apple orchards and the planting of trees in light soils have resulted in responses to regular fertiliser dressings

Confirmatory factor analysis of Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-OM) used as a measure of emotional distress in people with tinnitus

BACKGROUND: People with troublesome tinnitus often experience emotional distress. Therefore a psychometrically sound instrument which can evaluate levels of distress and change over time is necessary to understand this experience. Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE-OM) is a measure of emotional distress which has been widely used in mental health research. Although originally designed as a 4-factor questionnaire, factor analyses have not supported this structure and a number of alternative factor structures have been proposed in different samples. The aims of this study were to test the factor structure of the CORE-OM using a large representative tinnitus sample and to use it to investigate levels of emotional distress amongst people with a range of tinnitus experience. METHODS: The CORE-OM was completed by 342 people experiencing tinnitus who self-rated their tinnitus on a 5-point scale from ‘not a problem’ to ‘a very big problem’. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test all ten factor models which have been previously derived across a range of population samples. Model fit was assessed using fit criterion and theoretical considerations. Mean scores on the full questionnaire and its subscales were compared between tinnitus problem categories using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The best fitting model included 33 of the 34 original items and was divided into three factors: negatively worded items, positively worded items and risk. The full questionnaire and each factor were found to have good internal consistency and factor loadings were high. There was a statistically significant difference in total CORE-OM scores across the five tinnitus problem categories. However there was no significant difference between those who rated their tinnitus ‘not a problem’, and ‘a small problem’ or ‘a moderate problem.’ CONCLUSION: This study found a 3-factor structure for the CORE-OM to be a good fit for a tinnitus population. It also found evidence of a relationship between emotional distress as measured by CORE-OM and perception of tinnitus as a problem. Its use in tinnitus clinics is to be recommended, particularly when emotional distress is a target of therapy. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-016-0524-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

A Systematic Review of Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) to Improve the Health Behaviours, Psychological Wellbeing and/or Physical Health of Police Staff

This review aimed to assess the use of positive psychology interventions (PPIs), such as using positive mantras, expressive writing, or gratitude diaries, to improve the health behaviours, psychological wellbeing and/or physical health of police staff. The review was registered on PROSPERO before 16 electronic databases were searched for published articles between January 1999 and February 2022. Included studies offered PPIs to improve the physical health (body mass index, blood pressure), psychological well-being (stress, anxiety, mood, emotion, depression, self-efficacy), or health behaviours (physical activity, sitting times, dietary habits, alcohol, or tobacco use) of police staff. The mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) was used to assess the risk of bias of included papers. The initial search yielded 4560 results; with 3385 papers remaining after duplicates were removed. Of these, 15 studies were included in the final review. Intervention types included mindfulness-based resilience training (n = 11), physical or wellness practice classes (n = 1), role-play and scenario-based interventions (n = 2) and expressive writing (n = 1). Mindfulness-based interventions improved many psychological wellbeing facets such as anxiety, depression, negative affect and quality of life. Limited improvements were observed for some health behaviours such as alcohol consumption and in self-reported general health. Expressive writing and role-play-based interventions were effective in reducing stress and anxiety, however, improvement in depression scores were inconsistent across studies. Positive psychology interventions are promising to support the health and wellbeing of police staff. Future research should investigate their mechanisms of action to support future innovation in support for police wellbeing

105th Congress

This report reviews major banking and finance issues that are receiving congressional attention in the 2nd session of the 105th Congress. It will be updated periodically to reflect legislative developments. Relevant CRS products are referenced