Associations of blood pressure with body composition among Afro-Caribbean children in Barbados

Despite complex presentation of adult hypertension and a concomitant obesity epidemic, little is known about overweight in relation to blood pressure among Caribbean children. We examined blood pressure in relation to body size in a cross-sectional study of 573 Barbadian children aged 9–10 years (2010-2011).The United States normative blood pressure percentiles were used to identify children with high (≥ 95th percentile) or high normal blood pressure (90th – 95th percentile). The World Health Organization body mass index cut-off points were used to assess weight status. Major findings: Thirty percent of children were overweight/obese. Percentage fat mass differed between girls (20.4%) and boys (17.72%) (p< 0.05). Mean systolic blood pressure among girls was 106.11 (95% CI 105.05, 107.17) mmHg and 105.23 (104.09, 106.38) for boys. The percentages with high or high-normal mean systolic blood pressurewere14.38% (10.47, 18.29) for girls and 8.08% (4.74, 11.41) for boys. Height and body mass index were independent correlates of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Mean systolic blood pressure was related to lean mass but not fat mass, while diastolic blood pressure was associated with fat mass index and overweight. Principal conclusion: One third of 9-10 year old children in Barbados were overweight/obese and 12% had elevated mean systolic blood pressure. BP was related to body size. These findings signal potential adverse trends in weight gain and BP trends for children growing up in the context of a country that has recently undergone rapid economic transition

An Experimental Study of the Performance of an Ogee-Shaped Vertical Intake: Geometrical Parameters of Cross-Vane Vortex Inhibitor

The occurrence of a vortex at an intake may lead to air-entrainment and reduce the discharge rate through the intake. Entrained air entering the high-speed penstock flow may cause serious damage to either the water conveyance system or the turbines in the hydropower station. As the submergence at the intake decreases, the vortex increases in power. At the critical submergence, the rotational velocity of the vortex reduces the pressure at the centre of the vortex sufficiently to result in a lowering of the water surface and the formation of an air-core that, at the limit, allows air to enter the intake. In this experimental research, the effect on the critical submergence of the intake shape and of geometrical parameters (length, height, mesh solidity and perforation diameter) of a cross-vane vortex inhibitor have been studied. Comparing the experimental results to a vertical pipe intake indicated that the critical submergence is somewhat reduced for an ogee-shape intake at low flow rates, and that the ogee intake with a cross-vane vortex inhibitor significantly reduces the critical submergence, the reduction increasing as Froude number decreases (for Fr = 0.5 to 3.2) with little dependence of the geometry of the cross-vanes (within the parameter range studied)

A prenatal coparenting intervention with unmarried father-mother dyads: Fidelity of intervention delivery by male-female community mentor teams

Background: Most prenatal preventive interventions for unmarried mothers do not integrate fathers or help the parents plan for the development of a functional coparenting alliance after the baby's arrival. Furthermore, properly trained professionals have only rarely examined the fidelity of these interventions. Purpose: This report examines whether experienced community interventionists (home visitors, health educators, fatherhood service personnel) with no formal couples' therapy training are capable of pairing together to deliver with adequate fidelity a manualized dyadic intervention designed for expectant unmarried mothers and fathers. Methods: Three male and four female mentors (home visitors, health educators, fatherhood personnel) working in paired maleY female co-mentor teams delivered a seven-session BFiguring It Out for the Child[curriculum (six prenatal sessions, one booster) to 14 multirisk, unmarried African American families (parent age ranging from 14 to 40). Parental well-being and views of fatherhood were assessed before the intervention and again 3 months after the baby's birth. Quality assurance analysts evaluated mentor fidelity (adherence to the curriculum, competence in engaging couples with specified curricular content) through a review of the transcripts and audiotapes from the sessions. Mentors also rated their own adherence. Results: Although the mentors overestimated adherence, quality assurance analyst ratings found acceptable levels of adherence and competence, with no significant maleYfemale differences in fidelity. Adherence and competence were marginally higher in sessions that required fewer direct couples' interventions. Parents reported satisfaction with the interventions and showed statistically significant improvement in the family dimensions of interest at 3-4 months posttreatment. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Findings support the wisdom of engaging men both as interventionists and as recipients of prenatal coparenting interventionsVeven in families where the parents are uncoupled and non-co-residential. © 2017 Taiwan Nurses Association

Site investigation for the effects of vegetation on ground stability

The procedure for geotechnical site investigation is well established but little attention is currently given to investigating the potential of vegetation to assist with ground stability. This paper describes how routine investigation procedures may be adapted to consider the effects of the vegetation. It is recommended that the major part of the vegetation investigation is carried out, at relatively low cost, during the preliminary (desk) study phase of the investigation when there is maximum flexibility to take account of findings in the proposed design and construction. The techniques available for investigation of the effects of vegetation are reviewed and references provided for further consideration. As for general geotechnical investigation work, it is important that a balance of effort is maintained in the vegetation investigation between (a) site characterisation (defining and identifying the existing and proposed vegetation to suit the site and ground conditions), (b) testing (in-situ and laboratory testing of the vegetation and root systems to provide design parameters) and (c) modelling (to analyse the vegetation effects)

Establishment and Spread of a Single Parthenogenic Genotype of the Mediterranean arundo wasp, Tetramesa romana1, In the Variable Climate of Texas

As part of a biological control program for the invasive weed, Arundo donax L., several genotypically unique populations of the parthenogenetic stemgalling wasp, Tetramesa romana Walker (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), from Spain and France were released in an infested riparian zone along the Rio Grande from Brownsville to Del Rio, TX. An adventive population of the wasp of unknown origin with limited distribution in Texas was also discovered, evaluated, and released as part of the program. More than 1.2 million wasps representing the mixture of genotypes were aerially released from 2009 to 2011. Wasps dispersed from their original release locations and now have a continuous distribution along the Rio Grande from Brownsville to Del Rio, and have dispersed throughout most of Central Texas with satellite populations as far west as San Angelo (Tom Green County), north as far as Kaufman (Kaufman County), and east to Navasota (Grimes County). The most successful genotype (#4) represented 390 of the 409 wasps recovered and matched both an imported population from the Mediterranean coast of Spain and an adventive population established in Texas before the start of the biological control program. Several other European genotypes of the wasp released in the program apparently failed to establish. This result demonstrated the benefits of evaluating and releasing the maximum genetic diversity of the biological control agent in the introduced range. Abundance of T. romana on the Rio Grande from Laredo to Del Rio averaged 190% more in 2013-2014 compared to a similar study in 2008-2009 before release of the European wasps. A favorability index was developed that showed that conditions from 1969 to 1977 would have been adverse to the wasp; conditions after 2009 were more favorable. Climate matching predicts the wasp will disperse throughout the southern U.S. and Mexico

A generation apart? Youth and political participation in Britain

Conventional wisdom holds that young people in Britain are alienated from politics, with some claiming that this reflects a wider crisis of legitimacy that should be met by initiatives to increase citizenship. This article addresses these areas, presenting both panel survey and focus group data from first-time voters. It concludes that, contrary to the findings from many predominantly quantitative studies of political participation, young people are interested in political matters, and do support the democratic process. However they feel a sense of anti-climax having voted for the first time, and are critical of those who have been elected to positions of political power. If they are a generation apart, this is less to do with apathy, and more to do with their engaged scepticism about ‘formal’ politics in Britain

Encephalomyocarditis virus infection in an Italian zoo

A fatal Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infection epidemic involving fifteen primates occurred between October 2006 and February 2007 at the Natura Viva Zoo. This large open-field zoo park located near Lake Garda in Northern Italy hosts one thousand animals belonging to one hundred and fifty different species, including various lemur species. This lemur collection is the most relevant and rich in Italy. A second outbreak between September and November 2008 involved three lemurs. In all cases, the clinical signs were sudden deaths generally without any evident symptoms or only with mild unspecific clinical signs. Gross pathologic changes were characterized by myocarditis (diffuse or focal pallor of the myocardium), pulmonary congestion, emphysema, oedema and thoracic fluid. The EMCV was isolated and recognized as the causative agent of both outbreaks. The first outbreak in particular was associated with a rodent plague, confirming that rats are an important risk factor for the occurrence of the EMCV infection

Population structure of anisakis simplex (nematoda) in harbor porpoises phocoena phocoena off Denmark

The population structure and habitat selection of Anisakis simplex in 35 harbor porpoises off Denmark are described. The nematodes were collected from the stomach and duodenal ampulla and were categorized as third-stage larvae, fourth-stage larvae, subadults, and adults. The porpoises harbored 8,043 specimens of A. simplex. The proportion of adults and subadults increased with infrapopulation size. The number of development stages across infrapopulations covaried significantly (Kendall's test of concordance). Concordance was higher in hosts with the highest intensities than in those with low and medium intensities. All stages occurred mainly in the forestomach, but this trend was stronger for the adults. Adult and subadult sex ratios did not depart significantly from 1:1. Our data suggested that recruitment and duration of each stage were the main factors accounting for infrapopulation structure. The preference of A. simplex for the forestomach conformed with previous studies, but the narrower distribution of adults relative to other stages might indicate a strategy to enhance mating opportunities. Information on sex ratios of A. simplex is scarce and contradictory. We suggest that the discrepancies might partly reflect differences in categorization criteria and statistical methods.Herreras Belled, Maria Victoria, [email protected] ; Balbuena Diaz-Pines, Juan Antonio, [email protected] ; Aznar Avendaño, Francisco Javier, [email protected] ; Raga Esteve, Juan Antonio, [email protected]