Lehrer and Woolfolk are major figures who have led the field of stress management for four decades. Here they have assembled a gifted team of expert authors, ranging from Jonathan Smith on relaxation ...to Alice Meuret and Thomas Ritz on capnometric training to Shirley Telles and colleagues on yoga for stress management. The text Principles and Practice of Stress Management has long provided the most comprehensive scientifically informed resource for understanding stress and stress management. The fourth edition updates the scientific research, introduces new topics, and sharpens the focus in many chapters. Nevertheless, the preface of the fourth edition emphasizes the continued relevance of this book for the lay audience, human beings seeking guidance for managing their life stress.
There has been an explosion of interest in mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. This is demonstrated in ...increased research, implementation of MBPs in healthcare, educational, criminal justice and workplace settings, and in mainstream interest. For the sustainable development of the field there is a need to articulate a definition of what an MBP is and what it is not. This paper provides a framework to define the essential characteristics of the family of MBPs originating from the parent program MBSR, and the processes which inform adaptations of MBPs for different populations or contexts. The framework addresses the essential characteristics of the program and of teacher. MBPs: are informed by theories and practices that draw from a confluence of contemplative traditions, science, and the major disciplines of medicine, psychology and education; underpinned by a model of human experience which addresses the causes of human distress and the pathways to relieving it; develop a new relationship with experience characterized by present moment focus, decentering and an approach orientation; catalyze the development of qualities such as joy, compassion, wisdom, equanimity and greater attentional, emotional and behavioral self-regulation, and engage participants in a sustained intensive training in mindfulness meditation practice, in an experiential inquiry-based learning process and in exercises to develop understanding. The paper's aim is to support clarity, which will in turn support the systematic development of MBP research, and the integrity of the field during the process of implementation in the mainstream.
Horticulture is a major pathway of introduction of aquatic plants. Among traded aquatic plants, we found two species belonging to the genus Lagarosiphon Harv. (Hydrocharitaceae), native to South and ...Central Africa, L. major (Ridl.) Moss and L. cordofanus Casp. L. major is the main representative of the genus, having already been introduced via horticulture sale beyond its native range, and often becoming invasive. In contrast, L. cordofanus is a lesser-known congener that could be potentially sold as an alternative to L. major. It is relatively understudied, and has yet to be recorded in the wild outside its native range. Many factors can promote the invasiveness of an alien plant; among them, increased nutrient availability often facilitates opportunistic alien species such as L. major. In a horizon-scanning perspective, a manipulative experiment under controlled conditions was performed to test the response of L. cordofanus to different trophy levels using L. major as the tolerant alternative species. According to our results, the naturalization of L. cordofanus in temperate shallow waters does not seem likely, especially if considered in comparison to L. major.
Plants face a combination of different abiotic stresses under field conditions which are lethal to plant growth and production. Simultaneous occurrence of chilling and drought stresses in plants due ...to the drastic and rapid global climate changes, can alter the morphological, physiological and molecular responses. Both these stresses adversely affect the plant growth and yields due to physical damages, physiological and biochemical disruptions, and molecular changes. In general, the co-occurrence of chilling and drought combination is even worse for crop production rather than an individual stress condition. Plants attain various common and different physiological and molecular protective approaches for tolerance under chilling and drought stresses. Nevertheless, plant responses to a combination of chilling and drought stresses are unique from those to individual stress. In the present review, we summarized the recent evidence on plant responses to chilling and drought stresses on shared as well as unique basis and tried to find a common thread potentially underlying these responses. We addressed the possible cross talk between plant responses to these stresses and discussed the potential management strategies for regulating the mechanisms of plant tolerance to drought and/or chilling stresses. To date, various novel approaches have been tested in minimizing the negative effects of combine stresses. Despite of the main improvements there is still a big room for improvement in combination of drought and chilling tolerance. Thus, future researches particularly using biotechnological and molecular approaches should be carried out to develop genetically engineered plants with enhanced tolerance against these stress factors.
PDF
