Mind the gap: Habit and self-determined motivation predict health behaviours in middle-aged and older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption are two key health behaviours associated with the health and well-being of middle-aged and older adults. The present research investigated how habit and self-determined motivation interact with intention to prospectively predict physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in middle-aged and older adults. DESIGN: A prospective correlational design (two data collection points) was used. METHODS: A convenience sample of 195 adults completed online questionnaires measuring intention, habit, and self-determined motivation. One week later, 177 participants (67.2% female), aged 52-87 years (M = 61.50, SD = 5.90), completed self-report measures of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption over the previous week. RESULTS: Separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. For physical activity, the model explained 46% of the variance in behaviour, F(8, 168) = 17.88, p < .001 and a large effect size (ƒ2  = .85). Two-way interactions contributed an additional 3.70% of unique variance in physical activity, F(3, 165) = 4.07, p = .008, ƒ2  = .04. For fruit and vegetable consumption, the model explained 19.20% of the variance in behaviour, F(5, 171) = 8.13, p < .001 and a medium effect size (ƒ2  = .24). Two-way interactions did not significantly improve the model, F(3, 168) = 1.68, p = .174. CONCLUSIONS: Habit and self-determined motivation were both important in narrowing the intention-behaviour gap for two key health behaviours, and combining these processes may better inform strategies to support people's intentions to improve these health behaviours.

Lethal invasive cestodiasis in immunosuppressed patients.

Using both traditional methods and broad-range 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) polymerase chain reaction, we examined 2 cases of lethal cestodiasis, in which the disease agent had been poorly identified or misidentified. In one case, involving a patient with AIDS, we identified the human dwarf tapeworm, Hymenolepis nana, as a cause of aberrant metastatic larval disease. In the second case with similar pathologic abnormalities, involving a patient with Hodgkin disease, we identified a larval cestode with a previously uncharacterized 18S rDNA sequence. A prior report of this case nearly 30 years ago, based on tissue examination, had suggested that the parasite was a sparganum.

Application of Organic and Inorganic Salts to Field-Grown Potato Tubers Can Suppress Silver Scurf During Potato Storage.

Silver scurf, caused by Helminthosporium solani, is an economically important postharvest disease of potato tubers. Organic and inorganic salts were evaluated for their ability to suppress silver scurf lesion development and sporulation of H. solani on potato tubers. Tubers were treated immediately after harvest with 0.2-M solutions of potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, or water. Tween 20 was added as a surfactant to most treatments. Potassium sorbate (0.1 M), acidified potassium sorbate and calcium propionate treatments (0.2 M), and calcium chloride treatments (0.136 M) were included in additional experiments. Tubers were stored under commercial storage conditions for 4 to 6 months prior to disease evaluation. The extent of disease suppression varied among experiments; however, some treatments consistently reduced disease. Lesion formation on the tuber surface was reduced by 26 to 60% using potassium sorbate (in three of four experiments) compared to water-treated or untreated tubers. Sporulation was suppressed by 0.2 M potassium sorbate (78 to 99% reduction) in all four experiments. Sodium carbonate reduced lesion formation in two experiments and sporulation in three of four experiments. Other treatments inconsistently suppressed lesion formation or sporulation, or did not reduce disease. Addition of Tween or acidification of organic salt solutions did not improve silver scurf suppression in most cases. Potassium sorbate has very low mammalian toxicity and great potential as an innocuous and inexpensive postharvest fungicide for suppression of silver scurf during potato storage.

Postharvest Application of Organic and Inorganic Salts for Suppression of Silver Scurf on Potato Tubers.

Seven organic and inorganic salts were tested for suppression of silver scurf, a postharvest disease of potato tubers caused by Helminthosporium solani. Potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, and ammonium bicarbonate were added to V8 agar at concentrations of 0.06-0.2 M. Radial growth of H. solani was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) by all salts at all concentrations. All salts except sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate were fungicidal at 0.2 M. Effects of postharvest salt treatments on disease severity and sporulation of H. solani on inoculated and naturally infected potato tubers were evaluated in separate experiments. Greenhouse-grown tubers were inoculated with H. solani spore suspensions (2 × 105 spores/ml), incubated for 5 days, dipped into 0.2 M solutions of each of the salts, and incubated in a moist chamber at 22-24°C for 6 weeks. All salt treatments prevented lesion development and sporulation of H. solani and differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the control. Postharvest applications of test compounds (0.2M) also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced disease severity and H. solani sporulation on naturally infected, field-grown tubers after 15 weeks of storage at 10°C. Salt treatments did not differ in disease or pathogen suppression. These relatively nontoxic organic and inorganic salts have potential as postharvest applications for control of silver scurf.