CAPS on the move: Crafting an approach to recruitment for a randomized controlled trial of community gardening.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate recruitment approaches for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of community gardening in Denver, Colorado. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03089177). METHODS: We used community and staff feedback to adapt our recruitment approach from year 1 to year 2 of a multi-year RCT to address health behaviors related to cancer prevention. In year 2, we added a full-time recruitment coordinator, designed and implemented a tracking spreadsheet, and engaged advisory committee members, local garden leaders, and health partners in planning and outreach. Screening and consent rates, staff time and costs for years 1 and 2 are compared. RESULTS: In year 1, recruitment methods yielded 136 initial contacts, 106 screenings and 64 consented participants. In year 2, enhanced staffing and outreach yielded 257 initial contacts, 193 screenings, and 123 consented participants. Personal referrals, health fairs, NextDoor, and fliers yielded the highest percentage of consented participants. School and community meetings yielded the lowest yield for potential participants. Spanish-speaking participants were mostly recruited by direct methods. Compared to year 1 recruitment, which required 707 h of staff time and cost $14,446, year 2 recruitment required 1224 h of staff time and cost $22,992. Average cost for retained participants was $226 (year 1) and $186 (year 2). DISCUSSION: Those planning pragmatic clinical trials with recruitment in multi-ethnic communities can use the results from this study to understand the efficacy of techniques, and to budget costs for recruitment. While our culturally-tailored recruitment methods cost more, they provided more effective and efficient ways to reach recruitment goals.

Dissolution of USP prednisone calibrator tablets: effects of stirring conditions and particle size distribution.

We investigate the effect of stirring conditions on the dissolution of United States Pharmacopoeial Convention (USP) prednisone calibrator tablets. The experiments are performed in an automated USP-II dissolution test apparatus. For this study we use a special paddle-propeller, which can be changed from an ordinary paddle to either a pulling or pushing propeller by changing the angle of the paddle blades. According to the dissolution curves obtained we find that the fastest dissolution, and hence best stirring at a certain stirring frequency, is obtained when the blades of the paddle-propeller is about +30 degrees. This setting corresponds to a pushing, downward flow in the centre of the vessel. We show that the shape of the dissolution curves is similar to that expected from a mix of two different fractions of particles, provided that the stirring is sufficiently intense: one fraction, approximately 60 wt.%, with small particles, and one fraction with large particles. The weight of a large particle is about 100-250 times that of a small. We derive a mathematical expression, based on the cube root law, for the dissolution curves. The expression is fitted to the experimental dissolution curves to investigate the variation of key parameters with stirring and temperature.

Organisation and association of kappa-carrageenan helices under different salt conditions.

Mixtures of the added salts NaI and CsI can be used to gradually 'tune' the propensity of kappa-carrageenan (KC) helices to aggregate in solution. We show that this method can be used to resolve the molecular events by which helix formation, under certain conditions, leads to gelation. We also present an overview of the various states of aggregation and organisation that appear for helical KC (non-degraded or ultrasonically degraded) when the NaI/CsI ratio and the concentration of KC are varied. A transition to rigid, superhelical rods is found above a well-defined fraction of cesium. This transition is reflected in a range of experimental measurements, such as cryo-transmission electron microscopy, optical rotation, viscometry and small deformation oscillatory measurements. The superhelical-rod state also seems essential for the association of KC with locust bean gum, and locust bean gum is found to stabilise this state. Novel states of KC alone have been found at cesium contents below the transition threshold. Non-degraded KC forms weak gels at sufficiently high concentrations (> ca. 1%). In contrast, ultrasonically degraded KC forms a chiral nematic liquid crystalline phase at sufficiently high concentrations (> ca. 5%) under these salt conditions.

13C solid-state NMR of gramicidin A in a lipid membrane.

The natural-abundance 13C NMR spectrum of gramicidin A in a lipid membrane was acquired under magic-angle spinning conditions. With fast sample spinning (15 kHz) at approximately 65 degrees C the peaks from several of the aliphatic, beta-, alpha-, aromatic, and carbonyl carbons in the peptide could be resolved. The resolution in the 13C spectrum was superior that observed with 1H NMR under similar conditions. The 13C linewidths were in the range 30-100 Hz, except for the alpha- and beta-carbons, the widths of which were approximately 350 Hz. The beta-sheet-like local structure of gramicidin A was observed as an upfield shift of the gramicidin alpha and carbonyl resonances. Under slow sample spinning (500 Hz), the intensity of the spinning sidebands from 13C in the backbone carbonyls was used to determine the residual chemical shift tensor. As expected, the elements of the residual chemical shift tensor were consistent with the single-stranded, right-handed beta6.3 helix structure proposed for gramicidin A in lipid membranes.

Short-term curative treatment of Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia with fluconazole.

A 67-year-old previously healthy female presented with fever, malaise and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates. Serology and culture were positive for Aspergillus fumigatus. After 15 days of treatment with fluconazole, clinical cure and regression of the infiltrates were obtained. No side-effects were observed during or after treatment.

Methylated sulfur compounds in microbial mats: in situ concentrations and metabolism by a colorless sulfur bacterium.

The concentrations of the volatile organic sulfur compounds methanethiol, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and the viable population capable of DMS utilization in laminated microbial ecosystems were evaluated. Significant levels of DMS and dimethyl disulfide (maximum concentrations of 220 and 24 nmol cm3 of sediment-1, respectively) could be detected only at the top 20 mm of the microbial mat, whereas methanethiol was found only at depth horizons from 20 to 50 mm (maximum concentration of 42 nmol cm3 of sediment-1). DMS concentrations in the surface layer doubled after cold hydrolysis of its precursor, dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Most-probable-number counts revealed 2.2 x 10(5) cells cm3 of sediment-1, in the 0- to 5-mm depth horizon, capable of growth on DMS as the sole source of energy. An obligately chemolithoautotrophic bacillus designated strain T5 was isolated from the top layer of the marine sediment. Continuous culture studies in which DMS was the growth-limiting substrate revealed a maximum specific growth rate of 0.10 h-1 and a saturation constant of 90 mumol liter-1 for aerobic growth on this substrate.