Manager characteristics and support for worksite health promotion programs that target women in small, blue-collar worksites

This study examined the relationship between manager support for health promotion programs and perceived benefits of health promotion activities, organizational health climate, and personal health behaviors among managers in small, blue-collar textile and light manufacturing worksites in eastern North Carolina. Ninety-eight managers completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed levels of support for, and interest in, employee health promotion programs, perception of organization climate, and perceived benefits of health promotion activities. Demographic data was also collected. Chi-square and correlation analyses were used to assess statistical significance. No significant associations were found between level of manager support and demographic characteristics, perceived benefits of health promotion, personal health behaviors, or organizational health climate. However, level of interest in employee health promotion was significantly related to personal role in employee health (p \u3e .0001). Nearly all managers reported some degree of support, therefore more research is needed to better understand these relationships. Small sample size may limit the generalizability of these findings

Isolation of a wide range of minerals from a thermally treated plant: Equisetum arvense, a Mare’s tale

Silica is the second most abundant biomineral being exceeded in nature only by biogenic CaCO3. Many land plants (such as rice, cereals, cucumber, etc.) deposit silica in significant amounts to reinforce their tissues and as a systematic response to pathogen attack. One of the most ancient species of living vascular plants, Equisetum arvense is also able to take up and accumulate silica in all parts of the plant. Numerous methods have been developed for elimination of the organic material and/or metal ions present in plant material to isolate biogenic silica. However, depending on the chemical and/or physical treatment applied to branch or stem from Equisetum arvense; other mineral forms such glass-type materials (i.e. CaSiO3), salts (i.e. KCl) or luminescent materials can also be isolated from the plant material. In the current contribution, we show the chemical and/or thermal routes that lead to the formation of a number of different mineral types in addition to biogenic silica

Altered vision during motion: an unusual symptom of cerebellar dysfunction, quantifiable by a simple clinical test.

PURPOSE: To report a series of patients with cerebellar dysfunction and altered vision during motion, and to quantify their visual impairment in motion with a simple clinical test. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients suffering from cerebellar dysfunction and altered vision during motion were examined between 1994 and 2007. A control group consisted of 20 age- and sex-matched healthy people. All patients had a full neuro-ophthalmic examination. Near visual acuity (NVA) was measured at rest (static NVA) and during chair rotation (dynamic NVA). Distance visual acuity (DVA) was measured at rest (static DVA) and during rotation of the patient's head (dynamic DVA). RESULTS: Only four of the 20 patients reported altered vision during motion spontaneously. The remaining 16 patients admitted this unusual visual disturbance only when asked specifically. All patients exhibited abnormal eye movements, including saccadic smooth pursuit (20/20), dysmetric saccades (15/20), nystagmus (19/20) and impaired suppression of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) (20/20). During rotation of the examination chair (dynamic NVA), the drop in NVA averaged 5.6 lines (range 1-10 lines). During rotation of the patient's head (dynamic DVA), the drop in DVA averaged only 2.5 lines (range 0-10 lines). For the control group, there was no significant drop in NVA under dynamic conditions. CONCLUSION: Patients with cerebellar dysfunction rarely complain spontaneously of altered vision during motion. However, specific questioning may bring up this unusual symptom. The use of a simple clinical test, consisting of NVA measurement during rotation of the examination chair (dynamic NVA), allows practitioners to quantify the level of visual impairment in patients presenting altered VOR modulation

Associations among education, cortisol rhythm, and BMI in blue-collar women

Objective: This study sought to test whether a biological measure of chronic stress, Δ cortisol, was related to BMI and whether the relationship between Δ cortisol and BMI varied according to education and positive affect. Research Methods and Procedures: One hundred fifty-four women from a blue-collar women's health project in 11 industrial sites in rural North Carolina provided saliva for cortisol assays for a substudy on "stress." Δ Cortisol, the difference between awakening and midday cortisol measures representing diurnal decline, was calculated (lower values = greater stress). BMI was regressed on A cortisol, education, and positive affect. Analyses were controlled for age, race, and worksite. Standardized β-coefficients were calculated. Results: For participants with complete data (n = 129), BMI was greater (β; 95% confidence interval) for women with less than high school education (0.56; 0.18, 0.94) and those who completed high school (0.26; -0.05, 0.57) relative to women with greater than a high school education (p = 0.009). Δ Cortisol was inversely related to BMI (-0.32; -0.59, -0.05; p = 0.022). Education positively modified the inverse relationship between A cortisol and BMI (p = 0.047). Positive affect was negatively associated with BMI (-0.44; -0.82, -0.06; p = 0.026) and positively modified the inverse association between A cortisol and BMI (0.33; -0.03, 0.69; p = 0.074). Discussion: Education and Δ cortisol were inversely related to BMI, and the magnitude of the association between Δ cortisol and BMI was buffered by higher education. Positive affect was inversely related to BMI. Chronic stress is associated with higher BMI, with this relation attenuated by higher education and, possibly, a positive affect.</p