Results from "Live Well", a randomized controlled community-based participatory intervention to prevent obesity in new immigrant mother-child dyads.

Background: Upon arrival, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is lower in new immigrants than their native counterparts in the U.S. With longer residency in the U.

In Situ Enhancement and Isotopic Labeling of Biogenic Coalbed Methane.

Subsurface microbial (biogenic) methane production is an important part of the global carbon cycle that has resulted in natural gas accumulations in many coal beds worldwide. Laboratory studies suggest that complex carbon-containing nutrients (e.g.

Rebound Self-tonometry Acquisition Time and Ease of Use Evaluated by Newly Trained Optometry Students and Optometrists.

Significance: Peak IOP and IOP fluctuations have been implicated as risk factors for glaucoma progression. Peak 24-hour IOP can be significantly higher than in-office measurements. Icare HOME could be a useful adjunct in glaucoma management if positively appraised by individuals familiar with eye care.

The frailest of the frail? Addressing the palliative care needs of frail older patients.

Managing patients with frailty is an increasing element of acute hospital care, constituting around 40% of acute hospital inpatients. Up to half of these patients may be approaching the end of their life, and many also have repeated hospital admissions. We therefore undertook a quality improvement project to help us identify the prevalence of frail older inpatients approaching end of life and to better identify these patients in advance.

Barriers to the identification of frailty in hospital: a survey of UK clinicians.

Despite numerous national campaigns, frailty remains under-recognised in the hospital setting. We performed a survey of hospital-based clinicians across the UK to identify barriers to the identification and best practice management of frailty in hospital. A total of 402 clinicians were surveyed across a range of grades, specialties and hospitals.

One Health Core Competency Domains.

The emergence of complex global challenges at the convergence of human, animal, and environmental health has catalyzed a movement supporting "One Health" approaches. Despite recognition of the importance of One Health approaches to address these complex challenges, little effort has been directed at identifying the seminal knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for individuals to successfully contribute to One Health efforts. Between 2008 and 2011, three groups independently embarked on separate initiatives to identify core competencies for professionals involved with One Health approaches.

"They See Us As Machines:" The Experience of Recent Immigrant Women in the Low Wage Informal Labor Sector.

This study explores the organization of work and occupational health risk as elicited from recently immigrated women (n = 8) who have been in the US for less than three years and employed in informal work sectors such as cleaning and factory work in the greater Boston area in Massachusetts. Additional interviews (n = 8) with Community Key Informants with knowledge of this sector and representatives of temporary employment agencies in the area provides further context to the interviews conducted with recent immigrant women. These results were also compared with our immigrant occupational health survey, a large project that spawned this study.

Response characteristics of esophageal balloon catheters handmade using latex and nonlatex materials.

The measurement of esophageal pressure allows for the calculation of several important and clinically useful parameters of respiratory mechanics. Esophageal pressure is often measured with balloon-tipped catheters. These catheters may be handmade from natural latex condoms and polyethylene tubing.

Prevalence and gB genotype distribution of human cytomegalovirus among HIV sero-negative and HIV sero-positive orphans in Thailand.

Background: Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMIV infects humans in all geographic areas. Polymorphisms ofglycoprotein B (gB) have been usedforgenotypic characterization of HCMV However information of gB genotyping of HCMV in Thailand is not clearly known especially in children.

Material And Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess HCMV infection in 236 HIV seronegative and HIV seropositive children who attended an orphanage in Nonthaburi, Thailand by nested-PCR technique using urine specimens.

Household and family factors related to weight status in first through third graders: a cross-sectional study in Eastern Massachusetts.

Background: Early environmental influences have been linked to child weight status, however further understanding of associations in diverse populations is needed.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of household and family factors associated with overweight was conducted on a culturally diverse, urban dwelling sample of 820 first through third graders (mean age 7.6 ± 1.

Effect of glycemic load on eating behavior self-efficacy during weight loss.

High eating behavior self-efficacy may contribute to successful weight loss. Diet interventions that maximize eating behavior self-efficacy may therefore improve weight loss outcomes. However, data on the effect of diet composition on eating behavior self-efficacy are sparse.

Ventilation heterogeneity in obesity.

Obesity is associated with important decrements in lung volumes. Despite this, ventilation remains normally or near normally distributed at least for moderate decrements in functional residual capacity (FRC). We tested the hypothesis that this is because maximum flow increases presumably as a result of an increased lung elastic recoil.

A food service intervention improves whole grain access at lunch in rural elementary schools.

Background: Whole grain (WG) options are often limited in schools, which may impact rural, low-income students who rely on school meals for a substantial portion of their food intake. This study examined the changes in the availability and quantity of WG and refined grain foods offered in schools participating in the Creating Healthy, Active and Nurturing Growing-up Environments (CHANGE) study, a randomized, controlled intervention among rural communities (4 intervention and 4 control).

Methods: Foods were assessed using production records, recipes, and nutrition labels from breakfast and lunch over 1 week during fall 2008 and spring 2009.

Multinutrient-fortified juices improve vitamin D and vitamin E status in children: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Provision of fortified juices may provide a convenient method to maintain and increase blood fat-soluble vitamins.

Objective: To determine whether children consuming orange juice fortified with calcium and combinations of vitamins D, E, and A could increase serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], α-tocopherol, and retinol levels.

Design: A 12-week randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

The CHANGE study: a healthy-lifestyles intervention to improve rural children's diet quality.

Background: Despite the high rates of overweight and obesity among rural children, there have been limited interventions reported to improve the diet quality of rural, low-income children in the United States.

Objective: Our aim was to evaluate students' diet quality at baseline and after implementing the CHANGE (Creating Healthy, Active and Nurturing Growing-Up Environments) study, a 2-year (2007-2009) randomized, controlled, community- and school-based intervention to prevent unhealthy weight gain among rural school-aged children.

Design: We used a school and community-based group randomized, controlled design.

Changes in diet and physical activity resulting from the Shape Up Somerville community intervention.

Background: The purpose of this study is to describe the behavioral changes in children resulting from Shape Up Somerville (SUS), a community-based, participatory obesity prevention intervention that used a multi-level, systems-based approach. It was set in Somerville, an urban, culturally diverse community in Massachusetts, USA.

Methods: This was a non-randomized, controlled 2-year community-based intervention trial with children enrolled in grades 1 to 3 (ages 6-8 years).

Characterizing the low wage immigrant workforce: a comparative analysis of the health disparities among selected occupations in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Background: This study estimates job-related risks among common low wage occupations (cleaning, construction, food service, cashier/baggers, and factory workers) held by predominantly Haitian, El Salvadorian, and Brazilian immigrants living or working in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey on immigrant occupational health was conducted between 2006 and 2009 and logistic regression was used to assess the job-related risks among the most common low wage occupations.

Results: Construction workers reported significantly higher health risks, and lower access to occupational health services than the other occupations.

Shape Up Somerville two-year results: a community-based environmental change intervention sustains weight reduction in children.

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that community-based environmental change intervention prevents undesirable weight gain in children.

Method: The method used in this study was a two-year, non-randomized, controlled trial (2003-2005) using community-based participatory methodology in three diverse cities in Massachusetts: one intervention and two socio-demographically-matched control communities (pooled for analysis). Children (n=1028), with a mean age=7.

Baseline Socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported diet and physical activity shifts among recent immigrants participating in the randomized controlled lifestyle intervention: "Live Well".

The goal of this paper is to describe the baseline characteristics of Live Well (intervention to prevent weight gain in recent immigrant mother-child dyads from Brazil, Haiti, and Latin America) participants, and to explore self-reported changes in diet and physical activity post-immigration. Baseline data from 383 mothers were used for this study. Dyads attended a measurement day where they completed self-administered surveys collecting information about socio-demographics, diet, physical activity, other psychosocial variables, and height and weight.

Occupational health and safety experiences among self-identified immigrant workers living or working in Somerville, MA by ethnicity, years in the US, and English proficiency.

In this community based research initiative, we employed a survey instrument predominately developed and administered by Teen Educators to assess occupational health risks for Haitian, Salvadoran, and Brazilian immigrants (n = 405) in Somerville, MA, USA. We demonstrate that a combined analysis of ethnicity, years in the US, and English proficiency better characterized the occupational experience of immigrant workers than considering these variables individually. While years in the US (negatively) and English proficiency (positively) explained the occurrence of health risks, the country of origin identified the most vulnerable populations in the community.

Acculturation and gestational weight gain in a predominantly Puerto Rican population.

Background: Identifying risk factors that affect excess weight gain during pregnancy is critical, especially among women who are at a higher risk for obesity. The goal of this study was to determine if acculturation, a possible risk factor, was associated with gestational weight gain in a predominantly Puerto Rican population.

Methods: We utilized data from Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study of Hispanic women in Western Massachusetts, United States.

Occupational health outcomes among self-identified immigrant workers living and working in Somerville, Massachusetts 2006-2009.

This study examines the burden of occupational health risks among a convenience sample of three immigrant worker populations (Brazilian, Haitian, and El Salvadoran) in Somerville, Massachusetts. In this community based research initiative (n = 346), logistic regression is used to analyze immigrant occupational health survey data collected from 2006 to 2009. In this study, injuries at work were significantly associated with lower English proficiency (OR = 1.

Whole grain consumption is inversely associated with BMI Z-score in rural school-aged children.

Objective: To examine the relationship between intake of whole grains and BMI Z-score in rural children.

Design: General linear models and logistic regression were used to examine the cross-sectional associations between whole grain intake and BMI Z-score, prevalence and odds ratios of overweight and obesity. Dietary intake was assessed using the Block Food Screener for ages 2-17 years.