Women, Infants, and Children Cash Value Voucher (CVV) Use in Arizona: A Qualitative Exploration of Barriers and Strategies Related to Fruit and Vegetable Purchases

ObjectiveWomen, Infants, and Children (WIC) cash value vouchers (CVV) have been inconsistently redeemed in Arizona. The objective of this study was to explore perceived barriers to use of CVV as well as strategies participants use to overcome them.DesignEight focus groups were conducted to explore attitudes and behaviors related to CVV use.SettingFocus groups were conducted at 2 WIC clinics in metro-Phoenix, AZ.ParticipantsParticipants in WIC who were at least 18 years of age and primarily responsible for buying and preparing food for their households.Phenomenon of InterestPerceived barriers to CVV use and strategies used to maximize their purchasing value.AnalysisTranscripts were analyzed using a general inductive approach to identify emergent themes.ResultsAmong 41 participants, multiple perceived barriers emerged, such as negative interactions in stores or confusion over WIC rules. Among experienced shoppers, WIC strategies also emerged to deal with barriers and maximize CVV value, including strategic choice of times and locations at which to shop and use of price-matching, rewards points, and other ways to increase purchasing power.Conclusions and ImplicationsArizona WIC participants perceived barriers that limit easy redemption of CVV. Useful strategies were also identified that could be important to explore further to improve WIC CVV purchasing experiences

Genetic Evidence for a Mitochondriate Ancestry in the ‘Amitochondriate’ Flagellate Trimastix pyriformis

Most modern eukaryotes diverged from a common ancestor that contained the α-proteobacterial endosymbiont that gave rise to mitochondria. The ‘amitochondriate’ anaerobic protist parasites that have been studied to date, such as Giardia and Trichomonas harbor mitochondrion-related organelles, such as mitosomes or hydrogenosomes. Yet there is one remaining group of mitochondrion-lacking flagellates known as the Preaxostyla that could represent a primitive ‘pre-mitochondrial’ lineage of eukaryotes. To test this hypothesis, we conducted an expressed sequence tag (EST) survey on the preaxostylid flagellate Trimastix pyriformis, a poorly-studied free-living anaerobe. Among the ESTs we detected 19 proteins that, in other eukaryotes, typically function in mitochondria, hydrogenosomes or mitosomes, 12 of which are found exclusively within these organelles. Interestingly, one of the proteins, aconitase, functions in the tricarboxylic acid cycle typical of aerobic mitochondria, whereas others, such as pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase and [FeFe] hydrogenase, are characteristic of anaerobic hydrogenosomes. Since Trimastix retains genetic evidence of a mitochondriate ancestry, we can now say definitively that all known living eukaryote lineages descend from a common ancestor that had mitochondria

Cardiac and vascular structure and function parameters do not improve with alternate nightly home hemodialysis: An interventional cohort study

Background: Nightly extended hours hemodialysis may improve left ventricular hypertrophy and function and endothelial function but presents problems of sustainability and increased cost. The effect of alternate nightly home hemodialysis (NHD) on cardiovascular structure and function is not known

The effect of parental literacy on children\u27s nutritional status

To evaluate the relationship between parental literacy and children\u27s nutritional status, 103 low-income caregivers of 2- to 5-year-olds completed a brief quiz to determine their reading level and questionnaires regarding demographics, nutrition knowledge, and eating environment. Up to three 24-hour recalls of the children\u27s diets were completed by the caregivers. Children were asked to provide anthropometric measurements (n = 98) and blood samples (n = 63). Data were analyzed by ANCOVA and partial correlations. Compared to the high-literate caregivers (n = 63), low-literate caregivers (n = 40) had significantly less education and were less likely to look at the nutritional value of food when planning meals. Their children were less likely to eat within two hours of waking up in the morning, and their scores of nutrition knowledge and eating environment were significantly lower. As a result, their children consumed significantly less dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin E. No significant differences were found between the groups of children for the anthropometric measurements or the blood parameters. Significant correlations among the measures of hunger and food insecurity were found for all of the sample members. Literacy level correlated positively with educational achievement and various sources of nutrition information. Interventions with low-income and low-literate populations should continue to emphasize the resources available to them. Low-literate adults should be encouraged to attend classes of adult basic education so that their health and well being can be improved

Perspectives in nutrition

xxv, 758 p. : ill. ; 29 c