airway mucus hypersecretion health effects caused by air pollutants may range from subtle biochemical or physiological signs, such as mildly reduced lung function, to difficult breathing, wheezing, coughing and exacerbation of existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. the aim of this study was measuring the adverse health effects of air pollution on lung function of primary school student...

Literature suggests that many young women hold negative perceptions of their sexual bodies and facial features. This may be related to deficits in mindfulness, manifested by rigid and automatic thoughts, feelings, and behavior about one's sexual body. The present study examined the relationships between the five factors of mindfulness measured by the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)...

OBJECTIVE To verify the frequency of positive Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) among drivers and to examine associated factors in a cross-sectional study of Brazilian state capitals. METHODS 3,398 drivers were approached on highways crossing all 27 Brazilian capitals from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. (Fridays and Saturdays). They were breathalyzed and data on their driving characteristics and alcohol ...

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes the relationship a person has with their thoughts and beliefs as potentially more relevant than belief content in predicting the emotional and behavioral consequences of cognition. In ACT, "defusion" interventions aim to "unhook" thoughts from actions and to create psychological distance between a person and their thoughts, beliefs, memories, a...

The growth curve interference (GCI) induced by different antibiotics was studied using reference strains of oral streptococci. This parameter may prove to be useful in preventing subacute endocarditis of odontological origin in high-risk patients. The growth curves using different concentrations of antibiotics and with an initial optical density (OD) of 0.05 +/- 0.01 were observed until an OD o...

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was developed as a psychological intervention for individuals at risk of depressive relapse. Possible mechanisms of change for this intervention are in line with its theoretical underpinnings, and include increases in mindfulness and/or decreases in negative repetitive thoughts. This review provides an overview of current trends in MBCT research, inclu...

Robert Collis, son of a solicitor and descendant of a prominent medical family, was born and spent his early years in Dublin. He received his secondary education and medical training in England, France and the USA, and played in Ireland’s national rugby team. Whilst working in King’s College Hospital in London he was inspired by Sir George Frederic Still to specialise in paediatrics and returne...

Previous studies have demonstrated that attempts to suppress thoughts about using substances may actually lead to increases in substance use. Vipassana, a mindfulness meditation practice, emphasizes acceptance, rather than suppression, of unwanted thoughts. A study by Bowen and colleagues examining the effects of a Vipassana course on substance use in an incarcerated population showed significa...

Because of the potential link between -1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting and response of a pseudoknot (PK) RNA to force, a number of single-molecule pulling experiments have been performed on PKs to decipher the mechanism of programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Motivated in part by these experiments, we performed simulations using a coarse-grained model of RNA to describe the response of a PK...

The meningococcus is not a "microaerophile." It grows equally well in atmospheres containing from 15 to 40 per cent oxygen. If small amounts of carbon dioxide affect the growth of the meningococcus on an artificial medium it is by changing the reaction of the medium, not by slightly reducing the oxygen tension of the surrounding air. The fallibility of titrating the total acidity of a medium is...