Development of a dispersibility assessment kit for use on oil spill response vessels.

The use of dispersants can be an effective response tool for large offshore spills by applying dispersants on unemulsified slicks and treating as much oil as possible before it becomes too viscous. Assessing the dispersibility of an oil slick under actual environmental conditions is an important step in spill response decision-making. This research seeks to develop a new field kit that is quick and reliable and could be used by spill response personnel without scientific training. The resulting Dispersibility Assessment Kit (DAK) incorporates an automated mixing unit to standardize the applied energy, thereby eliminating the variability in "hand mixing" that is used in other dispersant field kits. The automated mixing energy was studied to determine the optimal mixing regime that correlates with ocean conditions and was incorporated in the DAK protocol. The DAK was validated against 14 oils and emulsions and was successfully tested by response personnel during at-sea demonstration.

Culturally sensitive oral health educational materials for older African Americans.

Oral diseases disproportionately affect older Americans from minority populations. Approaches to reducing such disparities include increasing community-based interventions that target vulnerable older adults. To help in developing and implementing such programs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests using the MAP-IT technique, from a strategic planning guide to address public health issues in the community. This approach served as the method of investigation for the Take Charge of Your Oral Health educational program, a health promotion initiative targeting older African Americans. This paper describes the development and evaluation of the program. A total of 111 African American elders from 7 senior sites in Philadelphia participated in the program. A 6-item pre-test and post-test indicated a significant improvement in mean test scores from baseline (p,.001). The program demonstrated merit in improving oral health knowledge among community-residing, inner city, older African Americans.

Perceptions of dental care need among African-American elders: implications for health promotion.

The aim of this study was to assess perceived dental care need, actual clinical need and the relationship between these variables and care-seeking behavior among community residing African-American elders. A convenience sample of 146 elders responded to a survey and participated in oral screenings at six senior centers. Elders were categorized as needing routine dental care, some dental care, or urgent dental care. Most (61%) required dental care with one-fourth having urgent dental care needs. Elders reporting a problem tended to seek dental care more often within a year (38%) than those not reporting a problem (27%). Sixty-four percent did not currently have a dental provider. The majority (83%) rated their general health as being fair or good and few (9%) reported oral pain. These findings suggest developing health promotion programs that emphasize non-painful oral signs and symptoms, accompanied by associated general health implications that may compromise overall health.

Effects of handling on heat shock protein expression in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

As part of an effort to validate the use of heat shock proteins (HSPs) as biomarkers of exposure to and effects of contaminants, we evaluated the effect of two handling regimens on the induction of HSP 60 and 70 in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish were acclimated to laboratory conditions for several weeks before the beginning of the experiment. Fish were then captured by net, placed in a cooler for 1 h while being transported in a truck, returned to their original tanks, then sacrificed 6 to 8 h later. Tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222) was used during different phases of handling to reduce handling stress. Heat-stressed fish were included in the experiment as a positive control. Muscle, liver, gills, and heart were analyzed for HSP 60 and 70 by immunoblotting. We found no effect of any handling regimen on the induction of HSPs. These findings suggest that the capture and transport of fish for environmental monitoring purposes should not interfere with the use of stress proteins as biomarkers.

Progressing toward a more culturally competent approach to dental care for African American elders.

This study was conducted to understand perceptions that may influence oral self-care behaviors among elderly African American adults living in an urban community. Four focus groups at two senior centers were recruited, involving a total of 25 participants. Content analysis and ethnographic summaries were used to identify themes, common concepts and language. The results indicated that although the participants recognized the advantages of routine brushing, the importance of keeping teeth clean to prevent gum disease was not widely acknowledged. On the basis of these focus groups, the authors suggest that health promotion approaches for adults who are elderly should be linked to the audience's cultural norms and perceptions regarding the benefits of oral hygiene practices.