Measurement of the major ignored burden of multiple myeloma, pernicious anaemia and of other haematological conditions on partners and family members: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Having a haematological condition can adversely affect the quality of life (QoL) of family members/partners of patients. It is important to measure this often ignored burden in order to implement appropriate supportive interventions. OBJECTIVE: To measure current impact of haematological conditions on the QoL of family members/partners of patients, using the Family Reported Outcome Measure-16 (FROM-16). METHODS: A cross-sectional study, recruited online through patient support groups, involved UK family members/partners of people with haematological conditions completing the FROM-16. RESULTS: 183 family members/partners (mean age = 60.5 years, SD = 13.2; females = 62.8%) of patients (mean age = 64.1, SD = 12.8; females = 46.4%) with 12 haematological conditions completed the FROM-16. The FROM-16 mean total score was 14.0 (SD = 7.2), meaning 'a moderate effect on QoL'. The mean FROM-16 scores of family members of people with multiple myeloma (mean = 15.8, SD = 6.3, n = 99) and other haematological malignancies (mean = 13.9, SD = 7.8, n = 29) were higher than of people with pernicious anaemia (mean = 10.7, SD = 7.5, n = 47) and other non-malignant conditions (mean = 11, SD = 7.4, n = 56, p < .01). Over one third (36.1%, n = 183) of family members experienced a 'very large effect' (FROM-16 score>16) on their quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Haematological conditions, in particular those of malignant type, impact the QoL of family members/partners of patients. Healthcare professionals can now, using FROM-16, identify those most affected and should consider how to provide appropriate holistic support within routine practice.

Contrasting Chemical Complexity and the Reactive Organic Carbon Budget of Indoor and Outdoor Air.

Reactive organic carbon (ROC) comprises a substantial fraction of the total atmospheric carbon budget. Emissions of ROC fuel atmospheric oxidation chemistry to produce secondary pollutants including ozone, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. Compared to the outdoor atmosphere, the indoor organic carbon budget is comparatively understudied. We characterized indoor ROC in a test house during unoccupied, cooking, and cleaning scenarios using various online mass spectrometry and gas chromatography measurements of gaseous and particulate organics. Cooking greatly impacted indoor ROC concentrations and bulk physicochemical properties (e.g., volatility and oxidation state), while cleaning yielded relatively insubstantial changes. Additionally, cooking enhanced the reactivities of hydroxyl radicals and ozone toward indoor ROC. We observed consistently higher median ROC concentrations indoors (≥223 µg C m-3) compared to outdoors (54 µg C m-3), demonstrating that buildings can be a net source of reactive carbon to the outdoor atmosphere, following its removal by ventilation. We estimate the unoccupied test house emitted 0.7 g C day-1 from ROC to outdoors. Indoor ROC emissions may thus play an important role in air quality and secondary pollutant formation outdoors, particularly in urban and suburban areas, and indoors during the use of oxidant-generating air purifiers.

High-Resolution Exposure Assessment for Volatile Organic Compounds in Two California Residences.

Time spent in residences substantially contributes to human exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Such exposures have been difficult to study deeply, in part because VOC concentrations and indoor occupancy vary rapidly. Using a fast-response online mass spectrometer, we report time-resolved exposures from multi-season sampling of more than 200 VOCs in two California residences. Chemical-specific source apportionment revealed that time-averaged exposures for most VOCs were mainly attributable to continuous indoor emissions from buildings and their static contents. Also contributing to exposures were occupant-related activities, such as cooking, and outdoor-to-indoor transport. Health risk assessments are possible for a subset of observed VOCs. Acrolein, acetaldehyde, and acrylic acid concentrations were above chronic advisory health guidelines, whereas exposures for other assessable species were typically well below the guideline levels. Studied residences were built in the mid-20th century, indicating that VOC emissions even from older buildings and their contents can substantially contribute to occupant exposures.

Enhanced Telehealth Case Management Plus Emergency Financial Assistance for Homeless-Experienced People Living With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, in Boston, Massachusetts, implemented an intensive telehealth case management intervention combined with emergency financial assistance for 270 homeless-experienced people living with HIV (PLWH) to reduce COVID-19 transmission and promote HIV care retention during Boston's first pandemic peak (March 16-May 31, 2020). Our telehealth model successfully maintained prepandemic case management and primary care contact levels, highlighting the importance of such programs in supporting the care engagement of homeless-experienced PLWH and addressing the dual COVID-19 and HIV epidemics.

Digital food photography technology improves efficiency and feasibility of dietary intake assessments in large populations eating ad libitum in collective dining facilities.

BACKGROUND: Accurate assessment of dietary intake continues to challenge researchers, especially in field, or non-laboratory settings. OBJECTIVE: In this study, digital food photography (DFP) methodology was used to assess nutritional intake (NI) of Soldiers participating in the US Army's Ranger Selection and Assessment Program (RASP). METHODS: During this high-intensity six-week course, Soldiers complete simulated operational missions, perform various military tasks, and importantly, eating time is severely limited. Therefore, this study provided an opportunity to evaluate the utility of DFP methods for accurate assessment of energy balance in conditions where consumption of large numbers of subjects must be completed in a very short periods of time (≤20 min). NI of 131 male, enlisted Soldiers (21 ± 4 years, 178±7 cm, and 78±8 kg) enrolled in the RASP course was assessed in their garrison dining facility using DFP utilizing visual estimation of pre- and post-meal photos of participant meals concurrently with photos of weighed, standardized portions. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) was assessed using doubly-labeled water (2H218O) in a sub-group of 19 volunteers. RESULTS: During the study, data loss (i.e., missing meal photos) was less than 5% per meal, and during the visual estimation process discrepancies in food identification averaged less than 10% per meal, while approximately a third of serving size estimations required a third party adjudication prior to finalization and calculation NI. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the use of DFP allows an adequately reliable approach for quantifying NI in real-world scenarios involving large numbers of participants who must be assessed very rapidly, and researchers must have a small footprint.

Carbon footprint assessment of recycling technologies for rare earth elements: A case study of recycling yttrium and europium from phosphor.

Rare earth elements are key raw materials in high-technology industries. Mining activities and manufacturing processes of such industries have caused considerable environmental impacts, such as soil erosion, vegetation destruction, and various forms of pollution. Sustaining the long-term supply of rare earth elements is difficult because of the global shortage of rare earth resources. The diminishing supply of rare earth elements has attracted considerable concern because many industrialized countries regarded such elements as important strategic resources for economic growth. This study aims to explore the carbon footprints of yttrium and europium recovery techniques from phosphor. Two extraction recovery methods, namely, acid extraction and solvent extraction, were selected for the analysis and comparison of carbon footprints. The two following functional units were used: (1) the same phosphor amounts for specific Y and Eu recovery concentrations, and (2) the same phosphor amounts for extraction. For acid extraction method, two acidic solutions (H2SO4 and HCl) were used at two different temperatures (60 and 90°C). For solvent extraction method, acid leaching was performed followed by ionic liquid extraction. Carbon footprints from acid and solvent extraction methods were estimated to be 10.1 and 10.6kgCO2eq, respectively. Comparison of the carbon emissions of the two extraction methods shows that the solvent extraction method has significantly higher extraction efficiency, even though acid extraction method has a lower carbon footprint. These results may be used to develop strategies for life cycle management of rare earth resources to realize sustainable usage.

Highly functionalized organic nitrates in the southeast United States: Contribution to secondary organic aerosol and reactive nitrogen budgets.

Speciated particle-phase organic nitrates (pONs) were quantified using online chemical ionization MS during June and July of 2013 in rural Alabama as part of the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study. A large fraction of pONs is highly functionalized, possessing between six and eight oxygen atoms within each carbon number group, and is not the common first generation alkyl nitrates previously reported. Using calibrations for isoprene hydroxynitrates and the measured molecular compositions, we estimate that pONs account for 3% and 8% of total submicrometer organic aerosol mass, on average, during the day and night, respectively. Each of the isoprene- and monoterpenes-derived groups exhibited a strong diel trend consistent with the emission patterns of likely biogenic hydrocarbon precursors. An observationally constrained diel box model can replicate the observed pON assuming that pONs (i) are produced in the gas phase and rapidly establish gas-particle equilibrium and (ii) have a short particle-phase lifetime (∼2-4 h). Such dynamic behavior has significant implications for the production and phase partitioning of pONs, organic aerosol mass, and reactive nitrogen speciation in a forested environment.

Baton Rouge Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program (BR-HELP): A Pilot Health Promotion Program.

Preventing weight gain rather than treating recognized obesity is an important economic and public health response to the growing levels of obesity nationwide. Community centers offer potential sites for community health promotion programs targeting African Americans. In this article, results from a pilot health promotion program at a community center are reported. The purpose of this 12-month pilot program was to improve diet and increase physical activity to prevent weight gain in African-American adults by delivering a lifestyle intervention. Fifty-one African-American adults were randomized into two groups: lifestyle intervention or financial counseling, and 73% completed the program. At the end of 12 months, weight for all participants was maintained from baseline to completion with no significant differences between the groups. Both lifestyle intervention and financial counseling groups were approximately 87% food secure with improvements observed in self-esteem and total quality of life scores.

Measuring food intake with digital photography.

The digital photography of foods method accurately estimates the food intake of adults and children in cafeterias. When using this method, images of food selection and leftovers are quickly captured in the cafeteria. These images are later compared with images of 'standard' portions of food using computer software. The amount of food selected and discarded is estimated based upon this comparison, and the application automatically calculates energy and nutrient intake. In the present review, we describe this method, as well as a related method called the Remote Food Photography Method (RFPM), which relies on smartphones to estimate food intake in near real-time in free-living conditions. When using the RFPM, participants capture images of food selection and leftovers using a smartphone and these images are wirelessly transmitted in near real-time to a server for analysis. Because data are transferred and analysed in near real-time, the RFPM provides a platform for participants to quickly receive feedback about their food intake behaviour and to receive dietary recommendations for achieving weight loss and health promotion goals. The reliability and validity of measuring food intake with the RFPM in adults and children is also reviewed. In sum, the body of research reviewed demonstrates that digital imaging accurately estimates food intake in many environments and it has many advantages over other methods, including reduced participant burden, elimination of the need for participants to estimate portion size, and the incorporation of computer automation to improve the accuracy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the method.

Use of a computerized tracking system to monitor and provide feedback on dietary goals for calorie-restricted diets: the POUNDS LOST study.

The use of self-monitoring as a tool to facilitate behavioral modification is common in many lifestyle-based weight loss interventions. Electronic tracking programs, including computer-based systems and smart phone applications, have been developed to allow individuals to self-monitor their behavior digitally. These programs offer an advantage over traditional self-report modalities in that they can provide users with direct feedback about dietary and/or physical activity adherence levels and thereby assist them in real-time decision making. This article describes the use of an Internet-based computerized tracking system (CTS) that was developed specifically for the POUNDS LOST study, a 2-year randomized controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of four macronutrient diets for weight and fat reduction in healthy, overweight men and women (body mass index range = 25.0-39.9 kg/m(2)). The CTS served many functions in this study, including data collection, dietary and exercise assessment and feedback, messaging system, and report generation. Across all groups, participants with high usage of the CTS during the initial 8 weeks lost greater amounts of weight than participants with low usage (8.7% versus 5.5% of initial body weight, respectively; p < .001) at week 32. Rates of CTS utilization were highest during the first year of this 2-year intervention, and utilization of the CTS declined steadily over time. The unique features of the CTS combined with technological developments, such as smart phone applications, offer significant potential to improve the user's self-monitoring experience and adherence to health promotion programs designed specifically for individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Voluntary GHG reduction of industrial sectors in Taiwan.

The present paper describes the voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction agreements of six different industrial sectors in Taiwan, as well as the fluorinated gases (F-gas) reduction agreement of the semiconductor and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) industries. The operating mechanisms, GHG reduction methods, capital investment, and investment effectiveness are also discussed. A total of 182 plants participated in the voluntary energy saving and GHG reduction in six industrial sectors (iron and steel, petrochemical, cement, paper, synthetic fiber, and textile printing and dyeing), with 5.35 Mt reduction from 2004 to 2008, or 33% higher than the target goal (4.02 Mt). The reduction accounts for 1.6% annual emission or 7.8% during the 5-yr span. The petrochemical industry accounts for 49% of the reduction, followed by the cement sector (21%) and the iron and steel industry (13%). The total investment amounted to approximately USD 716 million, in which, the majority of the investment went to the modification of the manufacturing process (89%). The benefit was valued at around USD 472 million with an average payback period of 1.5 yr. Moreover, related energy saving was achieved through different approaches, e.g., via electricity (iron and steel), steam and oil consumption (petrochemical) and coal usage (cement). The cost for unit CO(2) reduction varies per industry, with the steel and iron industrial sector having the highest cost (USD 346 t(-1) CO(2)) compared with the average cost of the six industrial sectors (USD 134 t(-1) CO(2)). For the semiconductor and Thin-Film Transistor LCD industries, F-gas emissions were reduced from approximately 4.1 to about 1.7 Mt CO(2)-eq, and from 2.2 to about 1.1 Mt CO(2)-eq, respectively. Incentive mechanisms for participation in GHG reduction are also further discussed.

Image analysis algorithms for immunohistochemical assessment of cell death events and fibrosis in tissue sections.

Cell death is of broad physiological and pathological importance, making quantification of biochemical events associated with cell demise a high priority for experimental pathology. Fibrosis is a common consequence of tissue injury involving necrotic cell death. Using tissue specimens from experimental mouse models of traumatic brain injury, cardiac fibrosis, and cancer, as well as human tumor specimens assembled in tissue microarray (TMA) format, we undertook computer-assisted quantification of specific immunohistochemical and histological parameters that characterize processes associated with cell death. In this study, we demonstrated the utility of image analysis algorithms for color deconvolution, colocalization, and nuclear morphometry to characterize cell death events in tissue specimens: (a) subjected to immunostaining for detecting cleaved caspase-3, cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase, cleaved lamin-A, phosphorylated histone H2AX, and Bcl-2; (b) analyzed by terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay to detect DNA fragmentation; and (c) evaluated with Masson's trichrome staining. We developed novel algorithm-based scoring methods and validated them using TMAs as a high-throughput format. The proposed computer-assisted scoring methods for digital images by brightfield microscopy permit linear quantification of immunohistochemical and histochemical stainings. Examples are provided of digital image analysis performed in automated or semiautomated fashion for successful quantification of molecular events associated with cell death in tissue sections.

The development of the Body Morph Assessment version 2.0 (BMA 2.0): tests of reliability and validity.

This study tested the psychometric characteristics of the Body Morph Assessment version 2.0 (BMA 2.0). A sample of 563 adults composed of four groups classified by gender and ethnicity (Caucasian men and women and African-American men and women) were studied. Support for the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the BMA 2.0 was found for both men and women. A study of convergent validity was conducted. The BMA 2.0 was found to have adequate reliability and validity. Norms were established for the BMA 2.0 estimates of current body size (CBS), ideal body size (IBS), and acceptable body size (ABS) for Caucasian and African-American men and women. In summary, the BMA 2.0 is a reliable and valid computerized measure of CBS, IBS, ABS, the CBS-IBS discrepancy (body dissatisfaction), and provides an estimate of over/underestimation of body size as compared to individuals of the same sex and body mass index.