Wider Role for Our Miners in Africa

The Australian government is rapidly increasing aid to Africa. But the real story about the country\u27s engagement in Africa is the massive investment by Australian companies in extractive industries. More than 150 Australian resource companies are active in more than 40 African countries with a total investment greater than $20 billion, including in coal in Mozambique, copper and uranium in Zambia, gold in Eritrea and uranium in Malawi

Vision performance enhancement with ski goggle tints

Three popular ski goggle lens tints; gold, vermilion and gray; were evaluated for their effect on vision and skiing performance. Subjects were tested for visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, timed in a Giant Slalom ski race course, and asked to complete subjective questionnaires on the effectiveness of the lens tints on their performance. A video of each run was observed by three ski professionals and ranked based on skier performance. No significant differences were found between the three tints for visual acuity, contrast performance by video analysis. There was a subjective preference of the vermilion tint over the gold or gray tints

Physical Activity and Gestational Weight Gain in Hispanic Women

Objective: Hispanic women have high rates of excessive and inadequate gestational weight gain (GWG) according to Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines. Observational studies suggest that physical activity may be associated with GWG but have been conflicting and were largely conducted in non-Hispanic white populations. Design and Methods We prospectively evaluated the association between physical activity and compliance with GWG guidelines, total GWG, and rate of GWG among 1,276 Hispanic participants in Proyecto Buena Salud, a cohort study in Western Massachusetts. The Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess pre, early, mid, and late pregnancy physical activity according to both intensity (i.e., sedentary, moderate, and vigorous) and type (i.e., housework/caregiving, occupational, and sports/exercise). Results: A total of 26.9% of women gained within IOM guidelines, 21.2% had inadequate GWG, and 51.9% experienced excessive GWG. Overall, we did not observe statistically significant associations between type or intensity of physical activity during pre, early, mid, and late pregnancy and inadequate or excessive GWG, total GWG, or rate of GWG. Conclusions: In this prospective cohort study of Hispanic women, after controlling for important risk factors, pregnancy physical activity did not appear to be associated with GWG

Race/Ethnicity, Color-Blind Racial Attitudes, and Multicultural Counseling Competence: The Moderating Effects of Multicultural Counseling Training

Increasing trainees' multicultural counseling competence (MCC) has been a hot topic in counseling. Scholars have identified predictors (e.g., race/ethnicity, color-blindness) of MCC, and educators provide multicultural training for trainees. Using a sample of 370 psychology trainees, this study examined whether multicultural training (a) moderated racial/ethnic differences on MCC and (b) changed the relationship between color-blindness and MCC. Results indicated a significant interaction effect of race/ethnicity (i.e., White vs. ethnic minority) and multicultural training on multicultural awareness, but not on multicultural knowledge. Specifically, at lower levels of training, racial/ethnic minority trainees had significantly higher multicultural awareness than their White counterparts; at higher levels of training, no significant difference was found. Described differently, more training significantly enhanced Whites' multicultural awareness, but did not enhance racial/ethnic minority trainees' awareness. Additionally, there was a significant interaction effect of color-blindness and multicultural training on multicultural knowledge, but not on multicultural awareness. The association between color-blindness and multicultural knowledge was stronger at higher levels of multicultural training than at lower levels of training. Alternatively, the effect of training on enhancing knowledge was stronger for those with lower color-blindness than for those with higher color-blindness

Progress in Interferometry for LISA at JPL

Recent advances at JPL in experimentation and design for LISA interferometry include the demonstration of Time Delay Interferometry using electronically separated end stations, a new arm-locking design with improved gain and stability, and progress in flight readiness of digital and analog electronics for phase measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, LISA 8 Symposium, Stanford University, 201

Assessing Usual Care in Clinical Trials

Researchers designing clinical trials often specify usual care received by participants as the control condition expecting that all participants receive usual care regardless of group assignment. The assumption is that the groups in the study are affected similarly. We describe the assessment of usual care within the 16 studies in MACH 14, a multi-site collaboration on adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Only five of the studies in MACH 14 assessed usual care. Assessment protocols varied as did the timing and frequency of assessments. All usual care assessments addressed patient education focused on HIV, HIV medications, and medication adherence. Our findings support earlier work that calls for systematic assessments of usual care within the study design, inclusion of descriptions of usual care in reports of the study, and the influence of usual care on the experimental condition in clinical trials

Assessing Usual Care in Clinical Trials

Researchers designing clinical trials often specify usual care received by participants as the control condition expecting that all participants receive usual care regardless of group assignment. The assumption is that the groups in the study are affected similarly. We describe the assessment of usual care within the 16 studies in MACH 14, a multi-site collaboration on adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Only five of the studies in MACH 14 assessed usual care. Assessment protocols varied as did the timing and frequency of assessments. All usual care assessments addressed patient education focused on HIV, HIV medications, and medication adherence. Our findings support earlier work that calls for systematic assessments of usual care within the study design, inclusion of descriptions of usual care in reports of the study, and the influence of usual care on the experimental condition in clinical trials

Estudio Parto: postpartum diabetes prevention program for hispanic women with abnormal glucose tolerance in pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial – study protocol

Background: Diabetes and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. with rates consistently higher among Hispanics as compared to non-Hispanic whites. Among Hispanic women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), 50% will go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years of the index pregnancy. Although randomised controlled trials among adults with impaired glucose tolerance have shown that diet and physical activity reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, such programs have not been tested in high-risk postpartum women. The overall goal of this randomised controlled trial is to test the efficacy of a culturally and linguistically modified, individually-tailored lifestyle intervention to reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease among postpartum Hispanic women with a history of abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy. Methods/Design Hispanic pregnant women who screen positive for GDM will be recruited and randomly assigned to a Lifestyle Intervention (n = 150) or a Health & Wellness (control) Intervention (n = 150). Multimodal contacts (i.e., in-person, telephone, and mailed materials) will be used to deliver the intervention from late pregnancy (29 weeks gestation) to 12 months postpartum. Targets of the intervention are to achieve Institute of Medicine Guidelines for postpartum weight loss; American Congress of Obstetrician and Gynecologist guidelines for physical activity; and American Diabetes Association guidelines for diet. The intervention draws from Social Cognitive Theory and the Transtheoretical Model and addresses the specific cultural and environmental challenges faced by low-income Hispanic women. Assessments will be conducted at enrollment, and at 6-weeks, 6-months, and 12-months postpartum by trained bicultural and bilingual personnel blinded to the intervention arm. Efficacy will be assessed via postpartum weight loss and biomarkers of insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk. Changes in physical activity and diet will be measured via 7-day actigraph data and three unannounced 24-hour dietary recalls at each assessment time period. Discussion Hispanic women are the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. and have the highest rates of sedentary behavior and postpartum diabetes after a diagnosis of GDM. This randomised trial uses a high-reach, low-cost strategy that can readily be translated into clinical practice in underserved and minority populations. Trial registration NCT0167921

Hospital Preparedness and SARS

On May 23, 2003, Toronto experienced the second phase of a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Ninety cases were confirmed, and >620 potential cases were managed. More than 9,000 persons had contact with confirmed or potential case-patients; many required quarantine. The main hospital involved during the second outbreak was North York General Hospital. We review this hospital’s response to, and management of, this outbreak, including such factors as building preparation and engineering, personnel, departmental workload, policies and documentation, infection control, personal protective equipment, training and education, public health, management and administration, follow-up of SARS patients, and psychological and psychosocial management and research. We also make recommendations for other institutions to prepare for future outbreaks, regardless of their origin