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Using socially fair treatment to promote acceptance of a work site smoking ban.

Announcements of a work site smoking ban were made to 732 clerical workers. The presentations differed in the amount of information given about the need for the ban and the degree of interpersonal sensitivity shown over the personal impact of the ban. Immediately after the announcement, questionnaires were completed to assess participants' acceptance of the ban. High amounts of information thoroughness and of social sensitivity, given separately, enhanced acceptance of the ban, but their combined effects were even greater. Although heavy smokers were least accepting of the ban, they showed the greatest incremental gain in acceptance after exposure to thorough information presented in a highly sensitive manner. By contrast, nonsmokers' acceptance of the ban was uniformly unaffected by the way it was presented to them. Regardless of how much they smoked, all participants recognized the procedural fairness associated with giving thorough information in a socially sensitive manner.

Adult↗

The role of acceptance and job control in mental health, job satisfaction, and work performance.

Acceptance, the willingness to experience thoughts, feelings, and physiological sensations without having to control them or let them determine one's actions, is a major individual determinant of mental health and behavioral effectiveness in a more recent theory of psychopathology. This 2-wave panel study examined the ability of acceptance also to explain mental health, job satisfaction, and performance in the work domain. The authors hypothesized that acceptance would predict these 3 outcomes 1 year later in a sample of customer service center workers in the United Kingdom (N = 412). Results indicated that acceptance predicted mental health and an objective measure of performance over and above job control, negative affectivity, and locus of control. These beneficial effects of having more job control were enhanced when people had higher levels of acceptance. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical relevance of this individual characteristic to occupational health and performance.

Adult↗

Comparison of speech perception in background noise with acceptance of background noise in aided and unaided conditions.

Background noise is a significant factor influencing hearing-aid satisfaction and is a major reason for rejection of hearing aids. Attempts have been made by previous researchers to relate the use of hearing aids to speech perception in noise (SPIN), with an expectation of improved speech perception followed by an increased acceptance of hearing aids. Unfortunately, SPIN was not related to hearing-aid use or satisfaction. A new measure of listener reaction to background noise has been proposed. The acceptable noise level (ANL), expressed in decibels, is defined as a difference between the most comfortable listening level for speech and the highest background noise level that is acceptable when listening to and following a story. The ANL measure assumes that speech understanding in noise may not be as important as is the willingness to listen in the presence of noise. It has been established that people who accept background noise have smaller ANLs and tend to be "good" users of hearing aids. Conversely, people who cannot accept background noise have larger ANLs and may only use hearing aids occasionally or reject them altogether. Because this is a new measure, it was important to determine the reliability of the ANL over time with and without hearing aids, to determine the effect of acclimatization to hearing aids, and to compare the ANL to well-established measures such as speech perception scores collected with the SPIN test. Results from 50 listeners indicate that for both good and occasional hearing aid users, the ANL is comparable in reliability to the SPIN test and that both measures do not change with acclimatization. The ANLs and SPIN scores are unrelated. Although the SPIN scores improve with amplification, the ANLs are unaffected by amplification, suggesting that the ANL is inherent to an individual and can be established prior to hearing aid fitting as a possible predictor of hearing-aid use.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Experimental study of subcutaneously transferred intestine: effect of the presence of serous membrane on acceptance rate.

The serous membrane is considered suspect as one of the obstacles responsible for delaying the acceptance of free jejunal grafts. A model was created of subcutaneous transfer of jejunum from which the serous membrane had been experimentally removed and the authors compared acceptance rates for intestine with and without a serous membrane. Results showed acceptance rates of 0 percent, 37.5 percent, 87.5 percent, and 100 percent respectively, for intestine devoid of serous membrane in which the vascular pedicle had been ligated 4, 5, 7 and 14 days after transfer. When these findings were compared with the results of an experiment on intestine with an intact serous membrane, statistically significant differences were detected between the acceptance rates of the groups ligated 5 and 7 days after transfer. The acceptance time required for intestine devoid of serous membrane was shown to be shorter.

Abdomen↗

Identification of a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein for the ribose and galactose chemoreceptors of Escherichia coli.

The ribose and galactose chemoreceptors of Escherichia coli have previously been identified as the ribose- and galactose-binding proteins. We now report the discovery of a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein that functions in the transfer of receptor signals from these two binding proteins to the flagella. This protein is distinct from previously described methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins. Its level of methylation is influenced by D-ribose, D-galactose, and certain structural analogues of them. This methyl-accepting protein is required for chemotaxis toward those attractants; mutants in the trg gene, which do not methylate this protein, are devoid of taxis toward D-ribose, D-galactose, and their analogues. In addition, methylation of the methyl-accepting protein in response to each of these attractants requires the appropriate binding protein. The binding protein's chemoreceptor function is required for such methylation, but its transport activity is not. Because the function of this methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein involves two of the best-characterized chemoreceptors, the discovery of this protein represents a promising base for further study of the linkage between chemoreceptors and flagella in bacteria.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The anticodon triplet is not sufficient to confer methionine acceptance to a transfer RNA.

Previous work suggested that the presence of the anticodon CAU alone was enough to confer methionine acceptance to a tRNA. Conversions of Escherichia coli nonmethionine tRNAs to a methionine-accepting species were obtained by substitutions reconstructing the whole methionine anticodon loop together with preservation (or introduction) of the acceptor stem base A73. We show here that the CAU triplet alone is unable to confer methionine acceptance when transplanted into a yeast aspartic tRNA. Both non-anticodon bases of the anticodon loop of yeast tRNA(Met) and A73 are required in addition to CAU for methionine acceptance. The importance of these non-anticodon bases in other CAU-containing tRNA frameworks was also established. These specific non-anticodon base interactions make a substantial thermodynamic contribution to the methionine acceptance of a transfer RNA.

Anticodon↗

Selection of criteria for assessment of occlusal acceptability.

There is no general agreement on criteria that could be applied to distinguish between orthodontically acceptable and non-acceptable occlusions after the completion of dental development. The aim of the present study was to analyse morphological and functional features that could be used as an index to define an acceptable occlusion in young adults. Three expert panels representing specialists in orthodontics and stomatognathic physiology participated in a modified Delphi method. Each panel responded to a questionnaire concerning the usefulness of various occlusal features, and a set of characteristics was selected on the basis of the responses; thereafter, applicability of the chosen characteristics and their cut-offs for an acceptable non-acceptable dichotomy was tested clinically. To obtain a consensus level of 100%, the last panel session was completed with a group discussion. Assessments made using the morphological criteria were compared with those made with the dental health component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. The selected morphological characteristics consisted of overjet, overbite, canine relationship, crossbite, scissors bite and midline deviation. The functional evaluation comprised assessments of discrepancy between the centric relation and the intercuspal position, working- and non-working-side contacts and protrusion contacts. The dental health component and our morphological criteria showed different sensitivity to contact point displacements, interdigitation in buccal segments and increased overbite. This study provides a set of morphological and functional indicators reflecting the current consensus opinion of Finnish professionals. Further studies are needed to analyse the reproducibility of assessment of the characteristics included.

Adolescent↗

Maximum acceptable repetitive lifting workload by Chinese subjects.

This study used psychophysical methods to determine the acceptable mean maximum lifting workload for eight Chinese young male subjects, and examined the effects of lifting technique (including freestyle, stoop and squat), lifting frequency (including 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 lifts/min) and physical characteristics on the maximum acceptable workload. The results are described as follows: (1) The maximum acceptable weights selected by subjects varied from 11.34 to 18.33 kg with changes in lifting technique and frequency. These data were lower than those previously obtained; (2) The upper limit of physiological tolerance over an 8 h workday was also generally lower than previously suggested. However, this upper limit varied with changes in lifting technique and frequency, and in some circumstances it was the same as or even higher than previous limit; (3) Lifting efficiency was affected significantly by technique and frequency. The rank order of efficiency for three lifting techniques were freestyle, stoop and squat. Efficiency was greatest when lifting frequency was between 5 and 6 lifts/min; and (4) The correlations between the maximum acceptable workloads selected by subjects and anthropometric sizes were significant, but those between maximum acceptable workload and isometric strength were not.

Adult↗

The effects of task duration on psychophysically-determined maximum acceptable weights and forces.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate maximum acceptable weights and forces when performing manual handling tasks continuously for four hours at frequencies of 4.3 min-1 or slower. Twelve female and ten male second shift industrial workers performed 18 varieties of lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and carrying. A psychophysical methodology was employed, whereby the subjects were asked to select a workload they could sustain for 8 h 'without straining themselves or without becoming unusually tired, weakened, overheated or out of breath'. Measurements of heart rate, oxygen consumption, dynamic and static strengths were also taken. The weights selected after 40 min were not significantly different from the weights selected after four hours. The average oxygen consumption for the fast tasks was 28% VO2 max, within physiological guidelines for eight hours. The results also revealed that the maximum acceptable weights for the combination task of lifting, carrying, and lowering were limited by the lifting and lowering components. It is concluded from the results of this study that the psychophysical methodology is appropriate for determining maximum acceptable weights for task frequencies of 4.3 min-1 or slower. It is also concluded that the maximum acceptable weight for a combination task is limited by the lowest acceptable weight of any of the components.

Adult↗

Are individual differences in fantasy play related to peer acceptance levels?

Individual differences in fantasy play, as they relate to cognitive competence and peer acceptance, were examined in a sample of 66 children between the ages of 4 and 8 years. Each child's free-play behaviors were videotaped and then coded for frequency of fantasy play and nonfantasy play, as well as for the unreality level and unfamiliarity level of the fantasy play. Solitary play was rarely observed; therefore all play measures that were coded were social (i.e., play involving at least one partner). Cognitive competence measures included self-ratings and teacher ratings of academic skills. Peer acceptance measures included self-ratings and teacher ratings of friendships and social activities. Results showed that high-fantasy players had higher self-ratings of peer acceptance than did average-fantasy players. High-fantasy players, however, had lower teacher ratings of peer acceptance than did average-fantasy players. These differential relations could be related to an inability on the part of high-fantasy players to distinguish imagined popularity from actual peer acceptance levels. Future research is recommended to provide more detailed characterizations of individual differences in fantasy play and how they relate to outcomes in the social, cognitive, and affective domains.

Affect↗

Criteria for setting quantitative estimates of acceptable intakes of chemicals in food in the U.K.

The U.K. Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) provides advice to government on the safety-in-use of additives and on the possible health hazards from contaminants in food. In the past the COT has given advice on additives in descriptive rather than numerical terms; chemicals were either acceptable, temporarily acceptable or not acceptable for food use. From 1989 onwards the Committee will set acceptable intakes for new additives or existing additives under review and tolerable intakes for contaminants. These will provide guidance on levels of intake which generally should not be exceeded, and will be an aid to decisions on maximum levels of use of particular additives in specified foods. The criteria used by the COT to set quantitative estimates of acceptable and tolerable intakes are discussed.

Animals↗

Intrauterine levonorgestrel delivered by a frameless system, combined with systemic estrogen: acceptability and endometrial safety after 3 years of use in peri- and postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acceptability and endometrial safety of a novel intrauterine drug delivery system, FibroPlant-levonorgestrel (LNG), combined with estrogen therapy (ET) in 150 peri- and postmenopausal women, followed-up for at least 3 years. DESIGN: This was a prospective, non-comparative study in peri- and postmenopausal women. In the majority of women, treatment with the FibroPlant-LNG intrauterine system (IUS), combined with ET, was initiated during the perimenopausal transitional phase to establish a smooth transition to menopause and suppress the endometrium to prevent endometrial proliferation and bleeding. A 3.5-cm long coaxial fibrous delivery system, delivering approximately 14 microg LNG/day, was used. The calculated duration of release of the system is at least 3 years. The majority of women received percutaneous 17beta-estradiol (Oestrogel), 1.5 mg daily on a continuous basis, which provides sufficient blood levels of estrogen in most women to suppress climacteric symptoms and protect against bone loss. OUTCOME MEASURES: To measure acceptability, women were asked, after they had the IUS in place for a minimum of 3 years, if they would like to continue the combined regimen and if they would accept renewal of the IUS. Endometrial safety was evaluated by transvaginal ultrasound examination and endometrial biopsy in a subset of 101 women prior to replacement of the IUS. RESULTS: Ninety-four insertions were done in perimenopausal and 56 in postmenopausal women aged between 33 and 78 years. Of the total group of 150 women, 132 women (88.0%) accepted replacement of the IUS and ten are waiting for replacement. This group includes nine women who will receive a second replacement. The number of women continuing the method is 142 (94.6%). Histological examinations conducted on endometrial biopsies from 101 postmenopausal women prior to replacement, after an average period of use of the regimen of 40 months (range 25-50 months), showed predominantly inactive endometrium characterized by pseudodecidual reaction of the endometrial stroma with endometrial atrophia, which is in keeping with the effects seen with a progestogenic compound. There were no specimens showing signs of proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the frameless FibroPlant-LNG IUS is safe, well tolerated, well accepted and effective in suppressing the endometrium during ET. Intrauterine progestogen administration in postmenopausal women can be regarded as fundamentally advantageous compared with systemically applied progestogens, which may have potentially inherent ill side-effects, especially on the breast and cardiovascular system, as reported in the recent literature.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

The acceptability of HIV immunization: examining vaccine characteristics as determining factors.

The acceptance of a future HIV vaccine may be influenced, in part, by the characteristics of the vaccine itself. This study evaluated the relationship of vaccine characteristics to acceptability of hypothetical HIV immunization. Subjects were 549 undergraduates (18-56 years of age); 70.3% were female, and 80.4% were non-Hispanic white. Subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing a series of 12 hypothetical vaccines that varied along the dimensions of efficacy (80 or 50%), cost (free or $300) and social saturation or percentage of the population already vaccinated (10, 50 or 90%). The vaccines were each rated on an 11-point scale ranging from zero ('I will never get this vaccine') to 100 ('I will definitely get this vaccine'), in increments of ten. All three dimensions were significantly associated with probability of vaccine acceptance, particularly vaccine efficacy and cost. The highest rated vaccine (free, 80% efficacious, 90% saturation level) received a mean acceptability score of 83.4, whereas the lowest rated vaccine ($300, 50% efficacious, 10% saturation level) received a mean score of 32.8. The mean acceptability rating across all 12 vaccines was 55.14. These findings indicate the potential importance of considering the influence of vaccine characteristics in future HIV immunization programmes.

AIDS Vaccines↗

Dissolution test acceptance sampling plans.

The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) general monograph provides a standard for dissolution compliance with the requirements as stated in the individual USP monograph for a tablet or capsule dosage form. The acceptance rules recommended by USP have important roles in the quality control process. The USP rules and their modifications are often used as an industrial lot release sampling plan, where a lot is accepted when the tablets or capsules sampled are accepted as proof of compliance with the requirement. In this paper, the operating characteristics of the USP acceptance rules are reviewed and compared to a selected modification. The operating characteristics curves show that the USP acceptance rules are sensitive to the true mean dissolution and do not reject a lot or batch that has a large percentage of tablets that dissolve with less than the dissolution specification.

Capsules↗

The acceptability of isoflavones as a treatment of menopausal symptoms: a European survey among postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate determinants of the acceptability of isoflavone products among postmenopausal women with regard to social and lifestyle factors, dietary habits, health concerns, food beliefs, menopausal symptoms and therapies, and to elucidate preferences for specific products. METHODS: A consumer survey was conducted among postmenopausal women in four European countries (Germany, Denmark, Italy and the UK), including a total of 465 respondents. RESULTS: The declared acceptability of isoflavones was highest in Germany (80%), followed by Italy (75%), the UK (59%) and Denmark (55%; p < 0.001). Among other factors, prior information about isoflavones (odds ratio (OR) 2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54-4.51, p < 0.001) and belief that foods can be used to treat medical conditions (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.17-4.05, p = 0.014) were the strongest predictors of potential acceptability. The preferred forms in which isoflavones might be taken differed markedly between countries. CONCLUSIONS: Information about the health effects of isoflavones and health-diet links should be considered the most important factors in attempts to influence the potential acceptability of isoflavone products. Foods enriched with isoflavones need to be developed with regard to specific cultural demands in order to assure consumer acceptance on the marketplace.

Age Factors↗

Prediction of maximum acceptable weight of lift in the horizontal and vertical planes using simulated job dynamic strengths.

An investigation was undertaken to determine the feasibility of predicting maximum weights of lift that are acceptable to individuals by measuring the individuals' simulated job dynamic strengths. Since almost all manual materials handling jobs are dynamic in nature, it was hypothesized that correlations between maximum weights acceptable for lifting and the dynamic strengths measured under similar conditions would be high compared to isometric strengths. If so, then a relatively simple procedure can be developed to estimate what people are willing to lift safely. With the use of a specially designed and constructed three-dimensional dynamic strength simulator, 19 males and 6 females lifted loads in two vertical and two horizontal planes. Their dynamic strengths also were measured under identical conditions. The correlations between simulated job dynamic strengths and acceptable weights of lift were much higher (0.52 to 0.67) compared to correlations between isometric strengths and acceptable weights of lift (0.29 to 0.38). This also confirmed earlier findings that dynamic strengths are more suitable predictors of the maximum weights people are willing to handle. Simple equations are presented between simulated job dynamic strengths and maximum acceptable weights of lift in the horizontal and vertical planes. These equations demonstrate that dynamic strength can be used reliably when matching jobs with individuals.

Adult↗

Effect of thermal conditions on the acceptability of respiratory protective devices on humans at rest.

The physiological and subjective responses of six sedentary subjects wearing half-facepiece respirators were observed over a wide range of room and respirator air conditions. Room air and dew-point (Ta:Tdp) temperatures were 25:11 degrees, 30:13 degrees, and 35:16 degrees C in still air. Respirator air temperatures were maintained independently of room conditions at 27 degrees, 30 degrees, 33 degrees, and 36 degrees C with relative humidity levels of 47% and 73%. Physiological measurements included local skin and dew-point temperatures. Subjective judgments of acceptability, thermal sensation, degree of discomfort, sense of skin moisture, and difficulty of breathing were recorded separately for the thermal environment in the room and inside the respirator. Respirator temperatures cooler than 33 degrees C were always comfortable and 100% acceptable; respirator air temperatures above 33 degrees C or higher humidity levels decreased respirator acceptability. Acceptability of the respirator environment decreased as lip temperature increased above 34.5 degrees C or when respirator dew-point temperature increased above 20 degrees C. Increased respirator air temperature and humidity often made breathing seem "slightly hard." The respirator conditions influenced the subjects' judgment of the acceptability of the surrounding thermal environment.

Adult↗

Preferences and practices related to vaginal lubrication: implications for microbicide acceptability and clinical testing.

BACKGROUND: Research on vaginal microbicides for HIV prevention is progressing rapidly; the first large-scale effectiveness trials were launched in 2004. The majority of candidate microbicides are formulated as gels, which will act as lubricants when used during sex. Preferences and practices regarding lubrication during sex, therefore, likely influence microbicide acceptability and use. Researchers seek to maximize consistent and correct use of candidate microbicides during clinical trials to enable valid estimates of product effectiveness, and if proven effective, microbicides will be widely used only if acceptable. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review and interviewed 13 key informants from nine countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and North America. RESULTS: We found that norms and practices regarding lubrication during sex exist in many different countries. Despite significant variation, common themes emerged. In the majority of countries, women's genital hygiene is highly valued, and women are expected to achieve a moderate amount of vaginal lubrication during sex that is neither excessive nor inadequate. Women may try to achieve this by engaging in a wide variety of vaginal practices. CONCLUSIONS: Even though some informants expressed concerns about the acceptability of lubricating microbicides in some settings, they thought that microbicides should be developed, that women and men may be willing to accept a certain level of increased lubrication in exchange for protection from HIV, and that lubricating microbicides may be considered more acceptable when perceived as genital hygiene products. Recommendations are made on how to take vaginal practices into account during clinical testing of microbicides.

Administration, Intravaginal↗