Dietary elimination of children with food protein induced gastrointestinal allergy – micronutrient adequacy with and without a hypoallergenic formula?

Background: The cornerstone for management of Food protein-induced gastrointestinal allergy (FPGIA) is dietary exclusion; however the micronutrient intake of this population has been poorly studied. We set out to determine the dietary intake of children on an elimination diet for this food allergy and hypothesised that the type of elimination diet and the presence of a hypoallergenic formula (HF) significantly impacts on micronutrient intake. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted on children diagnosed with FPIGA on an exclusion diet who completed a 3 day semi-quantitative food diary 4 weeks after commencing the diet. Nutritional intake where HF was used was compared to those without HF, with or without a vitamin and mineral supplement (VMS). Results: One-hundred-and-five food diaries were included in the data analysis: 70 boys (66.7%) with median age of 21.8 months [IQR: 10 - 67.7]. Fifty-three children (50.5%) consumed a HF and the volume of consumption was correlated to micronutrient intake. Significantly (p <0.05) more children reached their micronutrient requirements if a HF was consumed. In those without a HF, some continued not to achieve requirements in particular for vitamin D and zinc, in spite of VMS. Conclusion: This study points towards the important micronutrient contribution of a HF in children with FPIGA. Children, who are not on a HF and without a VMS, are at increased risk of low intakes in particular vitamin D and zinc. Further studies need to be performed, to assess whether dietary intake translates into actual biological deficiencies

Two-dimensional shear modulus of a Langmuir foam

We deform a two-dimensional (2D) foam, created in a Langmuir monolayer, by applying a mechanical perturbation, and simultaneously image it by Brewster angle microscopy. We determine the foam stress tensor (through a determination of the 2D gas-liquid line tension, 2.35 $\pm$ 0.4 pJ$\cdot$m$^{-1}$) and the statistical strain tensor, by analyzing the images of the deformed structure. We deduce the 2D shear modulus of the foam, $\mu= 38 \pm 3 \mathrm{nN}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$. The foam effective rigidity is predicted to be $35 \pm 3 \mathrm {nN}\cdot \mathrm {m}^{- 1}$, which agrees with the value $37.5 \pm 0.8 \mathrm {nN}\cdot \mathrm {m}^{-1}$ obtained in an independent mechanical measurement.Comment: submitted May 12, 2003 ; resubmitted Sept 9, 200

The effects of lithospheric thickness and density structure on Earth's stress field

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89572/1/j.1365-246X.2011.05248.x.pd

Establishing local reference intervals for full blood count and white blood cell differential counts in Cape Town, South Africa

Background. Accurate laboratory reference intervals (RIs) are essential to differentiate between health and disease. There are variations in haematological indices within populations relating to gender, age, ethnicity and environment. Iron deficiency is common, has a wide range of clinical morbidities and affects red cell indices. Locally derived RIs for full blood count (FBC) parameters are needed for the Western Cape region of South Africa, after the exclusion of iron deficiency. In addition, information regarding the prevalence of iron deficiency in first-time blood donors would inform blood transfusion services regarding policies to screen for and treat iron deficiency.Objectives. To establish locally derived RIs for FBC and white blood cell (WBC) differential count parameters in healthy adults in the Cape Town area, by including first-time blood donors and excluding those with iron deficiency and thalassaemic indices. These new locally established RIs could update those in use by the local National Health Laboratory Service. A secondary objective was to establish the prevalence of iron deficiency in first-time blood donors. This would inform blood donation policies regarding screening and appropriate iron supplementation in high-risk groups prior to blood donation.Methods. This was a prospective, descriptive study with direct convenience sampling. Participants were prospective voluntary blood donors aged between 18 and 60 years, presenting for first-time blood donation. Ethnicity was self-identified. Participants who tested positive for HIV or hepatitis B and/or C viruses were excluded. Prospective participants with iron deficiency, defined by serum ferritin levels below the RI, and those with red cell indices suggestive of an underlying thalassaemia trait were excluded. FBC samples were analysed using a Sysmex XN-1000 cell counter. Statistical non-parametric methods were used to calculate the RIs, according to international guidelines.Results. Of the 774 participants screened, 82 (11%) had iron deficiency and were excluded. Six hundred and sixty-two patients were included for analysis, 409 (62%) female and 253 (38%) male. The majority of the participants, 348 (53%), were between 20 and 29 years of age, with a mean age of 29 years for females and 28 years for males. Participants comprised a mix of the various ethnic groups residing in Western Cape Province. The mean haemoglobin concentration for females was lower than that for males (p&lt;0.0001). There were significant gender differences for total WBC count, absolute neutrophil count and platelet count, with females having higher counts than males.Conclusions. Locally established, population-specific RIs are essential for the accurate interpretation of haematological indices. This study established locally derived gender-specific RIs for the Cape Town region, after exclusion of iron deficiency. These new RIs have implications for the accurate diagnoses of cytopenias, cytoses and other blood count abnormalities. Iron deficiency is common in first-time blood donors, and screening for iron deficiency using point-of-care testing should be considered

Intimate partner violence in early adolescence : the role of gender, socio-economic factors and the school

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) among adolescents is common worldwide, but our understanding of perpetration, gender differences and the role of social-ecological factors remains limited. Objectives: To explore the prevalence of physical and sexual IPV perpetration and victimisation by gender, and associated risk and protective factors. Methods: Young adolescents (N=2 839) from 41 randomly selected public high schools in the Western Cape region of South Africa (SA), participating in the PREPARE study, completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The participants’ mean age was 13.65 years (standard deviation 1.01), with 19.1% (541/2 839) reporting being victims/survivors of IPV and 13.0% (370/2 839) reporting perpetrating IPV. Girls were less likely to report being a victim/survivor of physical IPV (odds ratio (OR) 0.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 - 0.92) and less likely to be a perpetrator of sexual IPV than boys (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.21 - 0.52). Factors associated with perpetration of physical and sexual IPV were similar and included being a victim/survivor (physical IPV: OR 12.42; 95% CI 8.89 - 17.36, sexual IPV: OR 20.76; 95% CI 11.67 - 36.93), being older (physical IPV: OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.08 - 1.47, sexual IPV: OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.14 - 1.62 ), having lower scores on school connectedness (physical IPV: OR 0.59; 95% CI 0.46 - 0.75, sexual IPV: OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.42 - 0.76) and scoring lower on feelings of school safety (physical IPV: OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.57 - 0.77, sexual IPV: OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.40 - 0.62). Conclusions: Physical and sexual IPV was commonly reported among young adolescents in SA. Further qualitative exploration of the role of reciprocal violence by gender is needed, and the role of ‘school climate’-related factors should be taken into account when developing preventive interventions

Effects of PREPARE, a Multi-component, School-Based HIV and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Prevention Programme on Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviour and IPV : Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

Young South Africans, especially women, are at high risk of HIV. We evaluated the effects of PREPARE, a multi-component, school-based HIV prevention intervention to delay sexual debut, increase condom use and decrease intimate partner violence (IPV) among young adolescents. We conducted a cluster RCT among Grade eights in 42 high schools. The intervention comprised education sessions, a school health service and a school sexual violence prevention programme. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Regression was undertaken to provide ORs or coefficients adjusted for clustering. Of 6244 sampled adolescents, 55.3 % participated. At 12 months there were no differences between intervention and control arms in sexual risk behaviours. Participants in the intervention arm were less likely to report IPV victimisation (35.1 vs. 40.9 %; OR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.61-0.99; t(40) = 2.14) suggesting the intervention shaped intimate partnerships into safer ones, potentially lowering the risk for HIV

Acceptability of a novel levofloxacin dispersible tablet formulation in young children exposed to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

Levofloxacin is used for the treatment and prevention of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in children, but current adult formulations are poorly palatable. A questionnaire administered to caregivers of 27 children taking a novel 100 mg dispersible taste-masked levofloxacin tablet found the new formulation to be more palatable (69%) and easier to prepare (81%) than the adult formulation. This formulation may assist children to better adhere to anti-tuberculous therapy

Modelling the effects of boundary walls on the fire dynamics of informal settlement dwellings

AbstractCharacterising the risk of the fire spread in informal settlements relies on the ability to understand compartment fires with boundary conditions that are significantly different to normal residential compartments. Informal settlement dwellings frequently have thermally thin and leaky boundaries. Due to the unique design of these compartments, detailed experimental studies were conducted to understand their fire dynamics. This paper presents the ability of FDS to model these under-ventilated steel sheeted fire tests. Four compartment fire tests were modelled with different wall boundary conditions, namely sealed walls (no leakage), non-sealed walls (leaky), leaky walls with cardboard lining, and highly insulated walls; with wood cribs as fuel and ISO-9705 room dimensions. FDS managed to capture the main fire dynamics and trends both qualitatively and quantitatively. However, using a cell size of 6 cm, the ability of FDS to accurately model the combustion at locations with high turbulent flows (using the infinitely fast chemistry mixing controlled combustion model), and the effect of leakage, was relatively poor and both factors should be further studied with finer LES filter width. Using the validated FDS models, new flashover criteria for thermally thin compartments were defined as a combination of critical hot gas layer and wall temperatures. Additionally, a parametric study was conducted to propose an empirical correlation to estimate the onset Heat Release Rate required for flashover, as current knowledge fails to account properly for large scale compartments with thermally thin boundaries. The empirical correlation is demonstrated to have an accuracy of ≈ ± 10% compared with the FDS models