Occurrence, removal and risk assessment of steroid hormones in two wastewater stabilization pond systems in Morogoro, Tanzania.

The present study investigated the occurrence and removal of 10 steroid hormones (4 androgens, 3 progestagens and 3 estrogens) in two WSP systems, Mafisa and Mzumbe in Morogoro, Tanzania. All 10 steroid hormones were detected in the influent of both WSP systems in the dry as well as in the rainy season. The concentrations of steroids in influent wastewater ranged from 0.

Physical and social functional abilities seem to be maintained by a multifaceted randomized controlled nutritional intervention among old (>65 years) Danish nursing home residents.

The purpose was to test the hypothesis that a multifaceted 11 weeks randomized controlled intervention would have a significant influence of functional abilities in old nursing home residents. Participants were 121 old (>65 years) residents in seven Danish nursing homes. The intervention consisted of nutrition (chocolate, homemade oral supplements), group exercise (moderate intensity) and oral care.

Lack of compliance of staff in an intervention study with focus on nutrition, exercise and oral care among old (65+ yrs) Danish nursing home residents.

Background And Aims: Lack of compliance on the part of old participants has been reported in several randomised nutritional intervention studies. However, lack of compliance by staff may also have a significant impact on the effect of interventions. The aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis that, in an intervention study with focus on nutrition, exercise and oral care in old nursing home residents, lack of compliance by staff rather than residents is the major problem.

Multifaceted nutritional intervention among nursing-home residents has a positive influence on nutrition and function.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that a multifaceted 11-wk intervention comprising nutrition, group exercise, and oral care would have a significant influence on nutrition and function in elderly (>or=65 y) nursing-home residents.

Methods: The study was an 11-wk randomized controlled intervention study with nutrition (chocolate and homemade oral supplements), group exercise twice a week (45-60 min, moderate intensity), and oral care intervention one to two times a week, with the aim of improving nutritional status and function in elderly nursing-home residents. A follow-up visit was made 4 mo after the end of the intervention.

[The care requirements of residents in Danish nursing homes].

Introduction: An increasing number of elderly remain in their own homes longer. The purpose of this study was to assess the care requirements of elderly in nursing homes.

Materials And Methods: A total of 441 nursing home residents from 11 Danish nursing homes were assessed by means of Minimum Data Set (MDS).

[Can ingestion of cranberry juice reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections in a department of geriatric medicine?].

Introduction: The incidence of urinary tract infections was compared in two geriatric units, where patients were offered cranberry juice and the usual mixed berry juice, respectively.

Methods: In all cases where urinary tract infection was suspected, the doctors noted symptoms and signs used as indication for urinary culture. The urine collected from men was the usual mid-flow specimen, whereas the specimens from women were taken from a bedpan and by catheter.

["RAI"--an international system for assessment of nursing home residents].

The Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) is described. The RAI consists of three basic components: 1) the Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a collection of items covering all the areas one would expect when assessing the needs of elderly people and developing a care plan, 2) the Resident Assessment Protocols are a series of protocols which guide the assessor through the best practice of care planning for the common problems faced by the elderly and 3) the Resource Utilization Groups is a classification system based on MDS to predict resource use at the level of the individual resident. The goal of RAI is to improve the quality of care.

Interferon alpha-2b treatment of symptomatic chronic vulvodynia associated with koilocytosis.

In an open study with identical criteria for diagnosis, 16 female patients with typical symptoms of chronic vulvodynia associated with acetowhitening of the vestibular epithelium and koilocytosis in biopsy specimens received recombinant interferon alpha-2b 5 MIU intralesionally 3 times weekly for 3 weeks or subcutaneously 3 times weekly for 8 weeks. Three months after end of therapy, clinical symptoms had disappeared in 7 (70%) of the 10 patients treated intralesionally, compared with only one (16%) of the 6 patients treated subcutaneously. In addition, the last 3 (30%) patients in the first group had a partial response to therapy.