Considerations and practical protocols for using virtual reality in psychological research and practice, as evidenced through exposure-based therapy.

Everyday client stressors are often challenging to replicate in clinical and research environments, which hinders the ability to reliably reproduce clinical outcomes. To overcome this obstacle, tools that can bridge the inherent disconnect between these settings and the real-world experiences of clients are urgently needed. Virtual reality (VR) promises to provide immersive experiences within controlled laboratory or clinical settings. While the potential opportunities and challenges of VR applications have been scientifically reviewed, clinical adoptions into psychology are hampered by a paucity of practical and methodological publications. This paper intends to address that gap, by providing a four-step process for decision-making considerations, including practical recommendations and an applied case study of developing an exposure-based system for obsessive-compulsive disorder. We provide a framework to make VR accessible for clinician-researchers to create similar systems that realise the promise while encouraging ongoing scientific rigour.

A qualitative study of overweight and obese Australians' views of food addiction.

The concept of food addiction is increasingly used in the academic literature and popular media to explain some forms of overweight and obesity. However, there is limited evidence on how this term is understood by and impacts overweight and obese individuals. This qualitative study investigated the views of overweight and obese individuals on food addiction, and its likely impact upon stigma, treatment-seeking, and support for public policies to reduce overeating. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 overweight and obese individuals (Mage = 38, MBMI = 33, 74% female) and analysed thematically. The concept of food addiction was consistent with many participants' personal experiences, and was accompanied by high perceptions of control and personal responsibility. Some participants believed "sugar" or "fat" addiction to be more accurate. Others were reluctant to be described as an "addict" owing to perceived negative connotations and the belief that it would increase self-stigma. Food addiction was seen as a motivator for seeking psychological services, but not pharmaceutical or surgical treatments. In light of food addiction being perceived as plausible and relevant, participants supported targeted public health policies (e.g., taxes, regulations for junk food container sizes) but did not believe these would affect their own purchasing or consumption behaviours. Education for interpreting food labels and reducing the costs of healthy foods were endorsed, leading to positive changes in food-related behaviours. This research suggests discretionary use of the food addiction label in a supportive and educational manner to minimise stigma while encouraging treatment-seeking.

In vitro fermentation of sugars, grains, and by-product feeds in relation to initiation of ruminal lactate production.

In vitro fermentations of various sugars, grains, and by-products were conducted to investigate the relationships between soluble carbohydrates and initiation of ruminal lactate production. Fermentation of hexose sugars, both monosaccharides and disaccharides, resulted in greater accumulation of lactate than did fermentation of pentoses. Results of fermentation of grains and by-products, in order of greatest to least potential to produce lactic acid, were steam-flaked barley = barley = wheat greater than moisture corn = sorghum grain. Water-soluble fractions of the grains and by-products were more rapidly fermented to lactate than the insoluble fractions. Combining 10% soluble fractions from wheat, barley, and steam-flaked barley with 90% insoluble fractions from corn resulted in significant increases in lactate concentration. Analysis of sugar composition of these water soluble materials indicated that monosaccharides and disaccharides constitute 23 to 46% by weight. Data suggest that water-soluble materials play a role in initiation of lactate production from grains, and further production is dependent on starch fermentability.