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Background: In most European countries, there are significant disparities in the understanding of mental health conditions and access to mental health services among ethnic minority groups. Studies in the UK suggest that individuals from ethnic minorities: have complex pathways to, accessing mental health services, have longer length of inpatient stays, are less likely to take antidepressants, are less likely to contact general practitioners about mental health. It is unclear whether these disparities represent variation in mental health needs, or result from personal/environmental factors and/or relationships between service users and healthcare providers. This qualitative study sought to identify perceived barriers to accessing mental health services among individuals from ethnic minorities in Southeast England to inform the development of effective and culturally acceptable services. Methods: Twenty six adults from ethnic minorities were recruited by community development workers to participate in two focus groups. Discussions were facilitated by researchers trained in cross-cultural communication and the qualitative methodology. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key emerging themes. Results: Two broad themes were identified: Personal and environmental factors including: inability to recognise symptoms; males being reluctant to seek help; absence of social networks; social networks as an alternative to professional services; cultural identity and stigma; and financial factors. Relationship between service user and healthcare provider including: waiting times; language and communication difficulties; health professionals not listening to concerns or responding to individual needs; power and authority imbalance between healthcare providers and patient; culturally insensitive services; and lack of awareness about services. Conclusion: Members of ethnic minorities require greater mental health literacy and practical support to raise awareness of mental health issues, and provided with appropriate information about the different services and pathways to access these services. Healthcare providers need to be supported in developing effective communication strategies to deliver individually tailored and culturally sensitive care. The engagement of ethnic minorities in the development and delivery of culturally appropriate mental health services could also facilitate better understanding of mental health conditions and improved utilisation of mental health services.

The origin of agricultural products is gaining in appreciation while often hard to determine for various reasons. Geographical origin may be resolved using a combination of chemical and physical analytical technologies. In the present case of Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) rhizomes, we investigated an exploratory set of material from The Netherlands, three other European (EU) countries and China. We show that the geographical origin is correlated to patterns of stable isotope ratios (isotope fingerprints) and volatile organic carbon (VOC) compounds (chemical fingerprints). These fingerprints allowed clear distinction using exploratory and supervised statistics. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry of 12C/13C, 14N/15N and 16O/18O isotopes separated materials from Europe and China successfully. The VOC patterns measured by Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) allowed distinction of three groups: material from The Netherlands, the other EU countries and China. This knowledge is expected to help developing a systematic and efficient analytical tool for authenticating the origin of flower bulbs.

Early initiation of sexual activity is aconcern, in part because of increased risk of sexuallytransmitted diseases, including HIV, and unwantedpregnancies among young people. In this study, 241 high schoolers were administered a questionnaire toestablish the relationships between age at first sexualintercourse and personal qualities (sexual style,attractiveness, physical maturity, restraint, autonomy expectations, and attitudes to gender roles),smoking and drug use, and aspects of the social context(social activities, media impact, peer norms). Therewere few effects of sex of respondent and none in which respondents' sex impacted on age ofinitiation. Overall (and among the male sample),perceptions of greater physical maturity, greater use ofuncommon (mostly illicit) drugs, and expectations of earlier autonomy significantly differentiatedbetween early and later initiators. This group offactors tends to confirm the view that early experienceof sexual intercourse is correlated with problembehaviors and a press toward “adult”behaviors. For girls, this pattern was even clearer,with use of uncommon drugs being replaced as asignificant contributor to early sexual experience byrelative lack of restraint. We conclude that the desire to achieve thetransition to adulthood at an earlier age than theirpeers constitutes a powerful incentive for young peopleto become sexually active.

To understand safe sex behavior in two countries which have been differentially affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the present study compared the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of 920 heterosexual undergraduate students in Australia and 228 heterosexual undergraduate students in South Africa. South African students were found to have significantly less knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and significantly less favorable attitudes toward safe sex behavior than their Australian counterparts. They were also more likely to report that they have avoided various groups of people for fear of contracting AIDS. Experience from Australia over the period 1986-1995 suggests that significant improvements in the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of South African undergraduates are achievable.

In de jaren 2003 tot 2007 is het aantal bedrijven waarop (semi)gesloten geteeld wordt geleidelijk toegenomen. Op alle bedrijven bleken echter vragen te bestaan over de reacties van het gewas op het nieuwe klimaat. Daarom is in 2008 door Wageningen UR Glastuinbouw een onderzoek gestart naar de groei van tomaat in geconditioneerde kassen, waarin veel aandacht wordt besteed aan de fysiologische processen in de plant. Het onderzoek wordt gefinancierd vanuit het programma Kas als Energiebron door Productschap Tuinbouw en het ministerie van EL&I en wordt begeleid door een aantal tomatentelers en een adviseur. Het onderzoek dat in dit rapport wordt beschreven had als centrale vraag hoe een verticale temperatuurgradiënt de processen in de plant beïnvloedt.

The aim of this study was to explore the influence of men's beliefs about masculinity on their social behaviour, particularly that related to their health. The study was influenced by recent research into masculinity and masculine identities, especially among young men. A second influence was the steady stream of health-related research showing high rates of alcohol consumption (especially 'binge drinking'), recreational drug use, smoking (although rates are falling among young men), unprotected sex and sexually transmitted infections, and motor vehicle accidents. Rather than making the assumption that masculinity is 'bad' for men's health, this study sought to interrogate the links between masculinity and health, and to see whether masculinity is a 'package deal' of behaviours, or whether men are able to forge their own identities and their own patterns of masculine (and non-masculine) behaviour. The research focus was on young men's lived experiences of growing up, socialising, and developing a masculine identity. To do this, a qualitative study was designed. The participants in the study were 18 - 21-year-old men living in inner London. This group was chosen because these men are old enough to drink, drive, etc. and would be somewhere between leaving school and their adult destinations. They would have achieved some degree of independence, but may still have been in the process of developing their identities. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a group of men recruited to ensure diversity in class/socio-economic opportunity (unemployed young men from job centres and young men from universities were recruited for the study), and race/ethnicity (the sample was stratified to ensure sufficient numbers of white, black, and Asian young men were included). In addition, focus group discussions were also conducted.

Het verbouwen van maïs, koolzaad en biet met herbicidentolerantie leidt tot een ander herbicidengebruik waardoor de biodiversiteit afneemt

The quantitative significance of reserves and current assimilates in regrowing tillers of severely defoliated plants of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was assessed by a new approach, comprising 13C/12C and 15N/14N steady-state labeling and separation of sink and source zones. The functionally distinct zones showed large differences in the kinetics of currently assimilated C and N. These are interpreted in terms of ”substrate” and ”tissue” flux among zones and C and N turnover within zones. Tillers refoliated rapidly, although C and N supply was initially decreased. Rapid refoliation was associated with (a) transient depletion of water-soluble carbohydrates and dilution of structural biomass in the immature zone of expanding leaves, (b) rapid transition to current assimilation-derived growth, and (c) rapid reestablishment of a balanced C:N ratio in growth substrate. This balance (C:N, approximately 8.9 [w/w] in new biomass) indicated coregulation of growth by C and N supply and resulted from complementary fluxes of reserve- and current assimilation-derived C and N. Reserves were the dominant N source until approximately 3 d after defoliation. Amino-C constituted approximately 60% of the net influx of reserve C during the first 2 d. Carbohydrate reserves were an insignificant source of C for tiller growth after d 1. We discuss the physiological mechanisms contributing to defoliation tolerance.