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We examined the sexual health change process experienced by 26 college student sexual health educators from three geographic regions of the United States who participated in a multisite arts-based sexual health prevention program. We conducted eight focus groups and used a phenomenological approach to analyze data. We drew from social cognitive theory (SCT) to examine how sexual health knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and communication shifted across the duration of participation. Findings suggest that the college student sexual health educators (a) developed enhanced sexual health awareness and critical consciousness, (b) questioned their own sexual health education and challenged previous beliefs, and (c) demonstrated self-efficacy related to intended behavior change and their perceived role as social justice advocates. We present both similarities and differences regarding the sexual health change process among the college student sexual health educators across the three sites.

Abstract What might cause the current expansion to come to an end? Without a negative shock, expansions go on and on. The economy is now enjoying even faster growth due [...]

Strawberry nursery plants require chilling and also a high acquisition of phosphorus nutrition for helping capture and transfer energy for its rapid top growth. Soil phosphorus availability can be reduced in presence of high soil Fe, Ca and Mg concentrations in the adsorption process, which can vary with soil water content (SWC) and pH levels. A study was conducted in two commercial nursery plant production fields in the temperate Atlantic coastal areas in 2008. The objectives were to examine soil P availability, strawberry nursery plant propagation and P acquisition in relation to different soil pH, SWC and Ca, Mg and Fe concentrations. The cultivar ‘Strawberry Festival’ was used in the study and measurements were systematically taken along transects. The strawberry nursery plant propagation and productivity expressed using runners and daughter plants were significantly related to soil P availability, soil water and pH levels (0.50 < R2 < 0.61, P < 0.05). Soil soluble P concentrations were associated with soil water, pH and Ca, Mg and Fe concentrations. Strawberry produced 25 runners and 17 daughter plants in the soil with the optimal pH (6.5) and higher SWC and P availability, a 60% higher nursery productivity than that in the acidic soil (pH 5.7). Soil P concentrations were decreased while Ca, Mg and Fe cations were high in the acidic conditions. It was suggested that soil P could be fixed rapidly and thus result in low strawberry nursery productivity.

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is an important high-nutritional-value vegetable yet broccoli plant and nitrogen nutrition relations are not well understood. We conducted a study of broccoli plant response to nitrogen nutrient treatments in a commercial production field in Nova Scotia. The objectives were to quantify the effects of nitrogen nutrition on direct-seeded broccoli development and plant nitrogen uptake in different soils. The nitrogen treatments consisted of the rates of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 kg ha-1, arranged with four replicates in a split-block design with soil type as the main plot. The two soil types were the well-drained Kentville (Kt) loam and the imperfectly-drained Woodville (Wd) loam. The N treatments were applied to the 60-day cultivar ‘Everest’ at shoot-tip straightened stage. Results showed that the direct-seeded broccoli N uptake ability was significantly higher (6.2 g plant-1) in the Wd soil, where the soil was near neural (pH 6.2) and contained more water (12% soil water content, SWC), compared to the Kt soil where the soil was acidic (pH 5.2) and drier (8% SWC). Broccoli plants responded significantly up to the lower N rate (50 kg ha-1) in the Wd soil but to the higher rate (75 kg ha-1) in the Kt soil. There was a significant correlation between head yield and leaf-stem N reserves (R2 = 0.56, P < 0.01). It was suggested that increasing N uptake could stimulate broccoli heading. Soil pH (6.2) and SWC (12%) conditions could promote broccoli plant N assimilation. Further quantification of regulating N temporal reserves in leaves and stems could enhance N transfer to sinks (heads), which would be the mechanism of promoting broccoli plant floret development.

It is not known how cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), a cool-weather, high nutritional-value vegetable, achieves its high nutritional levels, the hearty structure and fresh appearance. A study of cauliflower plant and nitrogen nutrition relations was conducted in a commercial production field in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. The objectives were to determine the effects of nitrogen nutrition on cauliflower plant development and to quantify cauliflower plant N uptake ability among different varieties. The treatments consisted of three cauliflower varieties (‘Minuteman’, ‘Sevilla’ and ‘Whistler’) and three post-transplanting rates of N (0, 45 and 90 kg ha-1), arranged in a split-block design in the field. Results showed that the N uptake ability of cauliflower plants varied between 6.2 and 9.0 g plant-1, depending on varieties. The cauliflower varieties ‘Sevilla’ and ‘Minuteman’ had a significantly higher ability of N uptake than the cultivar ‘Whistler’ (P < 0.05). All three varieties responded significantly to the reduced post-transplanting input (45 kg N ha-1). There was a significant correlation between cauliflower head yield and whole plant N uptake (R2 = 0.64, P < 0.05). It was suggested that increasing N assimilation in whole plant could stimulate cauliflower head development, which could also lead to a reduction of 50% post-transplanting inputs. Future studies will be focused on quantification and regulation of N temporal reserves in leaves that could enhance N transfer to sinks (heads) and that could promote cauliflower plant head development.