Household endotoxin reduction in the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project for rural childhood asthma

Endotoxin exacerbates asthma. We designed the Louisa Environmental Intervention Project (LEIP) and assessed its effectiveness in reducing household endotoxin and improving asthma symptoms in rural Iowa children. Asthmatic school children (N = 104 from 89 homes) of Louisa and Keokuk counties in Iowa (aged 5-14 years) were recruited and block-randomized to receive extensive (education + professional cleaning) or educational interventions. Environmental sampling collection and respiratory survey administration were done at baseline and during three follow-up visits. Mixed-model analyses were used to assess the effect of the intervention on endotoxin levels and asthma symptoms in the main analysis and of endotoxin reduction on asthma symptoms in exploratory analysis. In the extensive intervention group, dust endotoxin load was significantly reduced in post-intervention visits. The extensive compared with the educational intervention was associated with significantly decreased dust endotoxin load in farm homes and less frequent nighttime asthma symptoms. In exploratory analysis, dust endotoxin load reduction from baseline was associated with lower total asthma symptoms score (Odds ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.29-0.92). In conclusion, the LEIP intervention reduced household dust endotoxin and improved asthma symptoms. However, endotoxin reductions were not sustained post-intervention by residents.     

Lignin from Annual Plants as Raw Material Source for Flavors and Basic Chemicals

The enzymatic conversion of lignins, possibly in combination with electrochemical oxidation, makes aromatics such as syringol, guaiacol, vanillin and catechol available in the qualities required by the fragrance industry. The lignins were obtained by soda digestion from wheat straw and Miscanthus, characterized and then converted with laccases. The overall yield amounted up to 9 wt % with a product spectrum confined to four substances. Catechol was the major product, with a fraction of ≈75 %. It can easily be isolated by extraction with acetone.     

Contribution of the Internal and External Oxygen to the Oxidation of Microencapsulated Fish Oil

Microencapsulation aims to protect polyunsaturated fatty acids against oxidation by embedding oil droplets in a solid matrix. In such a system the internal (dissolved and entrapped) and external (in the environment) oxygen can be differentiated. The study aims to quantify the impact of both oxygen sources on the oxidation of microencapsulated fish oil. The impact of the solubilized oxygen in bulk fish oil is investigated by saturating the oil with nitrogen, synthetic air, and pure oxygen. Even though more dissolved oxygen results in more oxidation products, the difference between the oxidation of the nitrogen and air saturated oil is significant but low. For encapsulated fish oil powders, the internal oxygen is modified by preparing oil‐in‐water emulsions under atmospheric and inert conditions. The feed is atomized and spray dried with either nitrogen or air. Powders are stored under vacuum and in vials and the hydroperoxides and anisidine value are determined in the total‐ and encapsulated oil. The internal oxygen has a minor impact, whereas the external oxygen is the main determinant for autoxidation. Apart from oxidizing the non‐encapsulated oil, the external O₂ penetrates into the particle and reacts with the encapsulated oil. Practical Applications: Comparing the contribution of the internal and external oxygen to the oxidative stability shows that the internal O₂ plays a minor role and can be neglected. This means that the emulsion preparation as well as the spray drying process can be conducted under ambient conditions. An inert production is not extending the shelf life significantly as long as the external O₂ determines oxidation. The focus should be on optimizing the diffusion barrier properties of the wall matrix to reduce the penetration of the external oxygen into the particle system. Alternatively, packaging solution reducing the external O₂ will extend the shelf life of the microencapsulated oil.     

Emergency department status boards: user-evolved artefacts for inter- and intra-group coordination

Large, easily viewed status boards are commonly used in some healthcare settings such as emergency departments, operating theaters, intensive care units, and inpatient wards. Because these artefacts were developed by front-line users, and have little to no supervisory or regulatory control, they offer valuable insights into the theories of work and hazard held by those users. Although the status boards case were locally developed over many years for within-group coordination, they have also become useful for between-group coordination across organizational boundaries. In this paper, we compare and contrast the use of such status boards in two disparate settings: a US emergency department, and a UK pediatric ward, and note striking similarities in their form and usage, despite the large differences in setting.     

Indexing transitional knowledge.

Various indexes have been proposed to mark when a child is on the verge of acquiring new knowledge. This article described a new method for indexing this point of transition, which is based on the specificity of children's verbal explanations. The degree to which children were specific in their verbal explanations was related to whether they benefited from instruction. In particular, children who were vague in their explanations (i.e., less specific) benefited from instruction more than children who were explicit in their explanations (i.e., more specific). This index provides insights into the child's mental state prior to acquiring new knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The significance of spinal cord compression as the initial manifestation of lymphoma

Sex hormones have profound effects on immune responses and may influence the outcome of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the effect of gonadal steroids on the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6, cytokines believed to be important in the pathogenesis of RA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from healthy male donors and male patients with RA, and were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence of different concentrations of 17-beta-estradiol, progesterone or testosterone. In studies of cells from normal male donors, 17-beta-estradiol at pharmacological concentrations (> or = 10(-6) M) enhanced IL-1 and IL-6 secretion as well as the production of cell-associated IL-1. Progesterone and testosterone at similar concentrations inhibited IL-1 secretion but had no significant effect on IL-6 secretion or on the production of cell-associated IL-1. In studies of male RA donors, 17-beta-estradiol failed to enhance IL-1 or IL-6 secretion and progesterone failed to inhibit IL-1 secretion. The inhibitory effects of testosterone, however, appeared to be similar to that in normal donors. It is suggested that 17-beta-estradiol may promote IL-1 and IL-6 production and release, while gestation hormone, progesterone, and testosterone may inhibit IL-1 release in vivo. These data may partly explain the gender and age differences in the incidence of RA and the development of the disease in men with low and androgen levels.     

Trams-a risk factor for pedestrians

In Gothenburg tram injuries were identified to be an important cause of traffic injuries and fatalities (48%) among pedestrians. During the summer middle-aged men, often under the influence of alcohol, were often severely injured and the injury rate was also high during the autumn. A majority (60%) of those fatally injured were under the influence of alcohol. Most injury events happened at or near a tram stop. The most serious injuries arose when the victim landed under a tram. In 1992, a runaway tram caused a major disaster, killing 10 pedestrians and injuring 30. The injury reducing measures the tram company has now started to introduce include safety railings at tram stops, side barriers on the tramcars to prevent people from falling under the tram and lower speeds near tram stops.