Can direct change in state of consciousness through specific mental techniques extend human life and reverse age-related declines? To address this question, 73 residents of 8 homes for the elderly (mean age = 81 years) were randomly assigned among no treatment and 3 treatments highly similar in external structure and expectations: the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program, mindfulness training (MF) in active distinction making, or a relaxation (low mindfulness) program. A planned comparison indicated that the "restful alert" TM group improved most, followed by MF, in contrast to relaxation and no-treatment groups, on paired associate learning; 2 measures of cognitive flexibility; mental health; systolic blood pressure; and ratings of behavioral flexibility, aging, and treatment efficacy. The MF group improved most, followed by TM, on perceived control and word fluency. After 3 years, survival rate was 100% for TM and 87.5% for MF in contrast to lower rates for other groups.

We compare productivity and technical efficiency of organic and conventional dairy farms in the United States. We address self-selection into organic farming by using propensity score matching and explicitly test the hypothesis that organic and conventional farms employ a single, homogeneous technology. Utilizing the 2005 Agricultural Resource Management Survey on Dairy Costs and Returns Report data, we reject the homogeneous technology hypothesis and find that the organic dairy technology is approximately 13 percent less productive. However, we find little difference in technical efficiency between organic and conventional farms when technical efficiency is measures against the appropriate technology.Key words: dairy, organic, productivity, propensity score matching, stochastic frontier, technical efficiency Carlos D. Mayen is assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, New Mexico State University. Joseph V. Balagtas is assistant professor and Corinne E. Alexander is associate professor, both in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University.This research was supported by the Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, through the cooperative agreement # 43-3AEL-5-80064, and by the Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station. The authors thank Michael Schutz, Jeffrey Dorman, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. 1 Technology Adoption and Technical Efficiency: Organic and Conventional Dairy Farms in the United StatesAlthough the organic dairy sector in the United States is a niche market, it has exhibited potential for growth in the U.S. dairy sector. In 2005, certified organic dairy farms accounted for approximately 1 percent of the dairy cows in the U.S. and accounted for less than 1 percent of total U.S. milk production (McBride and Greene 2007). However, from 2003 to 2006, sales of organic dairy products nearly doubled, making organic dairy one of the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in the United States, as well as a fast growing segment of U.S. dairy (Organic Trade Association). Growth in demand for organic dairy has been fueled by a complex mix of consumer concerns of food safety, nutrition, concern for the environment, and other factors (Klonsky 2000;Blank and Thompson 2004;Rotz et al. 2007). Growth in supply has been spurred in part by the promise of high returns relative to conventional dairy farming, as well as environmental concerns on the part of producers (McBride and Greene 2007). Proponents of the organic movement have held up the organic model as a potentially profitable alternative to conventional dairy production, especially for smaller operations as well as new farmers (Sato et al. 2005;Rotz et al. 2007).Yet little is known about the production practices of the organic dairy sector, not in small part because the industry is so new. In particular, little work to date has systematically addressed the effect of organic standards on the production process. Under standards d...

We tested the short-term efficacy and feasibility of two stress education approaches toe the treatment of mild hypertension in older African Americans. This was a randomized, controlled, single-blind trial with 3 months of follow-up in primary care, inner-city health center. Of 213 African American men and women screened, 127 individuals (aged 55 to 85 years with initial diastolic pressure of 90 to 109 mm Hg, systolic pressure of < or = 189 mm Hg, and final baseline blood pressure of < or = 179/104 mm Hg) were selected. Of these, 16 did not complete follow-up blood pressure measurements. Mental and physical stress reduction approaches (Transcendental Meditation and progressive muscle relaxation) were compared with a lifestyle modification education control program and with each other. The primary outcome measures were changes in clinic diastolic and systolic pressures from baseline to final follow-up, measured by blinded observers. The secondary measures were linear blood pressure trends, changes in home blood pressure, and intervention compliance. Adjusted for significant baseline differences and compared with control, Transcendental Meditation reduced systolic pressure by 10.7 mm Hg (P < .0003) and diastolic pressure by 6.4 mm Hg (P <.00005). Progressive muscle relaxation lowered systolic pressure by 4.7 mm Hg (P = 0054) and diastolic pressure by 3.3 mm Hg (P <.02). The reductions in the Transcendental Meditation group were significantly greater than in the progressive muscle relaxation group for both systolic blood pressure (P = .02) and diastolic blood pressure (P = .03). Linear trend analysis confirmed these patterns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A selected stress reduction approach, the Transcendental Meditation program, may be useful as an adjunct in the long-term treatment of hypertension in African Americans.