The California gold rush romance collection (Book Review)

A review of Barratt, A., Bell, A., Christner, D., Harris, L. F., Hickey, C., Hillman, P., ... Wright, J. J. (2016). The California gold rush romance collection. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Books. 444 pp. $14.99. ISBN 978163409912

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

The Suitability of Discharge Information for Parents of Infants with Single Functioning Ventricle Heart Condition: Evolution of a Congenital Heart Assessment Tool (CHAT) for Parents

Whilst advances in the care of infants with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) have resulted in remarkably improved prognosis, death between first and second surgical stage has remained a concern in the UK and America particularly for those with single cardiac ventricle anatomy.1-8 This has prompted the development of home monitoring programs (HMP) to encourage early identification at home, of infants vulnerable to potentially life threatening events4, 5 ,9-13. However to date no randomised controlled trials have been published and therefore the robustness of the available research is debatable. In 2011 a research proposal was developed by KG (Coventry University) in collaboration with the team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Little Hearts Matter (LHM) to undertake a Feasibility Study (randomised controlled trial) to test the feasibility of using a Congenital Heart Assessment Tool (CHAT) as part of a home monitoring programme (HMP) for infants with single ventricle heart conditions and those with systemic shunt dependent heart conditions. A consultation event [funded by a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Bursary from the NIHR West Midlands Research Design Service ]was hosted by LHM in September 2011 during which a Focus Group was facilitated by KG with a small group of parents to ascertain their views regarding the implementation of a home monitoring programme. The Focus Group was transcribed, thematically analysed and subsequently contributed to the development of the content of the online survey and the Congenital Heart Assessment Tool (CHAT) which is being reported in this poster presentation

Experimental investigation of shallow mixing layers at a river confluence using 3D-PTV

The present study investigates a simplified laboratory model of a river confluence (shallow mixing layer) using 3D-PTV to improve the understanding of the 3-D interaction between the large-scale turbulent motions (Kelvin-Helmholtz instability) and small-scale turbulent motions (Tollmien-Schlichting instability)

Closing the Food Gap in Adams County: A Proposal for Comprehensive Solutions through Community Action

Today, in Adams County, we have two food systems. The 20% who live in poverty survive on food stamps, the food pantry, church donations, and trips to discount food vendors. Those with more financial stability could choose from an abundance of healthy, sustainably produced, local and international foods. We have come to accept these two food systems as the norm without critically analyzing how it is affecting individuals and the health of our communities. In addition to reducing the disparity and closing the food gap, this initiative is focused on building our local economy and educating our community about nutrition and the benefit of local foods in order to promote a more sustainable social, environmental and economic future. This paper begins an investigation of community food security in Adams County and makes recommendations to start the process of finding stronger community solutions. The data represented here is drawn from community discussions and programmatic statistics. It is an initial assessment to be followed up by a more comprehensive study and analysis

Associations of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior with quality of life and psychological well-being in prostate cancer survivors

PURPOSE: Although evidence is building on the positive effects of physical activity for prostate cancer survivors, less is known about the possible independent effects of sedentary behavior on quality of life and psychological well-being in this population. We determined the extent to which objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior were independently associated with quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in prostate cancer survivors. METHODS: An exploratory cross-sectional analysis was undertaken on baseline data from a multicenter, cluster randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of a clinician referral and 12-week exercise program for men who had completed active treatment for prostate cancer. Multiple regression analyses were performed using data from 98 prostate cancer survivors who wore hip-mounted accelerometers (time spent sedentary defined as[CPM]; MVPA defined as \u3e1,951 CPM) and completed self-report instruments on their quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Results were compared with minimal clinically important differences for the quality of life scales. RESULTS: Independent of sedentary behavior, increases in MVPA of between 15 and 33 min/day were associated with clinically important (but not statistically significant) improvements in three quality of life scales (insomnia, diarrhea, and financial difficulties). Independent of MVPA, decreases in sedentary behavior of 119 and 107 min/day were associated with clinically important (but not statistically significant) improvements in physical functioning and role functioning, respectively. CONCLUSION: Within our exploratory study, modest increases in MVPA and more substantive decreases in sedentary behavior were independently associated with clinically important improvements in several quality of life scales. Further research, including prospective studies, is required to understand sedentary behavior across larger and more representative samples (in terms of their physical, psychological, and social functioning and their engagement in physical activity) of prostate cancer survivors

Predictors of adherence to a 12-week exercise program among men treated for prostate cancer: ENGAGE study

Understanding the factors that influence adherence to exercise programs is necessary to develop effective interventions for people with cancer. We examined the predictors of adherence to a supervised exercise program for participants in the ENGAGE study – a cluster randomized controlled trial that assessed the efficacy of a clinician-referred 12-week exercise program among men treated for prostate cancer. Demographic, clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial data from 52 participants in the intervention group were collected at baseline through self-report and medical records. Adherence to the supervised exercise program was assessed through objective attendance records. Adherence to the supervised exercise program was 80.3%. In the univariate analyses, cancer-specific quality of life subscales (role functioning r = 0.37, P = 0.01; sexual activity r = 0.26, P = 0.06; fatigue r = −0.26, P = 0.06, and hormonal symptoms r = −0.31, P = 0.03) and education (d = −0.60, P = 0.011) were associated with adherence. In the subsequent multivariate analysis, role functioning (B = 0.309, P = 0.019) and hormonal symptoms (B = −0.483, P = 0.054) independently predicted adherence. Men who experienced more severe hormonal symptoms had lower levels of adherence to the exercise program. Those who experienced more positive perceptions of their ability to perform daily tasks and leisure activities had higher levels of adherence to the exercise program. Hormonal symptoms and role functioning need to be considered when conducting exercise programs for men who have been treated for prostate cancer

A systematic review of cancer caregiver interventions: Appraising the potential for implementation of evidence into practice

© 2019 The Authors. Psycho-Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Objective: nformal caregivers provide substantial support for people living with cancer. Previous systematic reviews report on the efficacy of cancer caregiver interventions but not their potential to be implemented. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the potential for cancer caregiver interventions to be implemented into practice. Methods: We searched three electronic databases to identify cancer caregiver interventions on 5 January 2018. We operationalised six implementation outcomes (acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, and costs) into a tool to guide data extraction. Results: The search yielded 33 papers (27 papers from electronic databases and six papers from other sources) reporting on 26 studies that met review criteria. Fewer than half the studies (46%) contained evidence about the acceptability of interventions from caregivers' perspectives; only two studies (8%) included interventions developed with input from caregivers. Two studies (8%) addressed potential adoption of interventions, and no studies discussed intentions, agreement, or action to implement interventions into practice. All studies reported on intervention appropriateness by providing a rationale for the interventions. For feasibility, on average less than one-third of caregivers who were eligible to be involved consented to participate. On fidelity, whether interventions were conducted as intended was reported in 62% of studies. Cost data were reported in terms of intervention delivery, requiring a median time commitment of staff of 180 minutes to be delivered. Conclusions: Caregiver intervention studies lack components of study design and reporting that could bridge the gap between research and practice. There is enormous potential for improvements in cancer caregiver intervention study design to plan for future implementation

Exposure of agriculture workers to pesticides: the effect of heat on protective glove performance and skin exposure to dichlorvos

Dichlorvos is a toxic organophosphate insecticide that is used in agriculture and other insecticide applications. Dermal uptake is a known exposure route for dichlorvos and chemical protective gloves are commonly utilized. Chemical handling and application may occur in a variety of thermal environments, and the rates of both chemical permeation through gloves and transdermal penetration may vary significantly with temperature. There has been no published research on the temperature-dependent kinetics of these processes for dichlorvos and thus, this study reports on the effects of hot conditions for the concentrated and application strength chemical. Dichlorvos breakthrough times for non-disposable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gloves at 60 °C were approximately halved compared to 25 °C for the concentrate (2 vs. 4 h) and more than halved at application strength (3 vs. >8 h). From permeation experiments covering 15–60 °C, there was a 460-fold increase in cumulative permeation over 8 h for the concentrated dichlorvos and the estimated activation energy halved. Elevated temperature was also shown to be a significant factor for human skin penetration increasing the cumulative penetration of concentrate dichlorvos from 179 ± 37 to 1315 ± 362 µg/cm² (p = 0.0032) and application strength from 29.8 ± 5.7 to 115 ± 19 µg/cm² (p = 0.0131). This work illustrates the important role temperature plays in glove performance and health risk via dermal exposure. As such, it is important to consider in-use conditions of temperature when implementing chemical hygiene programs.Leigh Thredgold, Sharyn Gaskin , Chloe Quy and Dino Pisaniell

What Do Safety Data Sheets for Artificial Stone Products Tell Us About Composition? A Comparative Analysis with Physicochemical Data

Artifcial stone (AS) is a composite material that has seen widespread use in construction, particularly for kitchen benchtops. However, fabrication processes with AS have been associated with serious lung disease. Safety data sheets (SDSs) aim to provide important information pertaining to composition and health risks. In the case of a complex mixture, SDSs may be problematic in terms of specifc information on overall health risks. To assess this issue, we compared empirically determined mineral, metallic, and organic resin content of 25 individual AS products across six suppliers, with the corresponding SDS information. X-ray diffraction was used to quantitate the mineralogical components of AS samples, and X-ray fuorescence was used to estimate the metallic components. Organic material (resin content) was estimated using weight loss during calcination. Although the resin content for all AS samples was within the SDS-reported ranges, there was considerable variability in the crystalline silica content when comparing with supplier’s SDS. Potentially toxicologically relevant metallic and mineral constituents were not reported. Some supplier SDSs were found to provide more information than others. Only one of the six suppliers provided crystalline mineral content other than silica, and only two suppliers provided any information about metals. There remains a limited understanding of lung pathogenesis from AS, and this study highlights the need for more comprehensive and standardized SDS information for risk assessment and management.Chellan Kumarasamy, Dino Pisaniello, Sharyn Gaskin, and Tony Hal