HIV disclosure and nondisclosure among migrant women from sub-Saharan Africa living in Switzerland.

No study to date has focused specifically on the reasons for and against disclosure of HIV-positive status among sub-Saharan migrant women. Thirty HIV-positive women from 11 sub-Saharan countries living in French-speaking Switzerland participated in semi-structured individual interviews. The reasons women reported for disclosure or nondisclosure of their HIV serostatus were classified into three categories: social, medical, and ethical. The women identified the stigma associated with HIV as a major social reason for nondisclosure. However, this study identifies new trends related to disclosure for medical and ethical reasons. Being undetectable played an important role in the life of sub-Saharan migrant women, and analysis revealed their medical reasons for both disclosure and nondisclosure. Disclosure to new sexual partners occurred when women had a more positive perception about HIV and when they believed themselves to be in a long-term relationship. Women reported nondisclosure to family members when they did not need help outside the support provided by the medical and social fields. The results on ethical reasons suggested that challenging stigma was a reason for disclosure. Since the women' perceptions on HIV changed when they came to see it as a chronic disease, disclosure occurred in an attempt to normalize life with HIV in their communities in migration and to challenge racism and discrimination. Our findings can help health providers better understand the communication needs of sub-Saharan migrant women with respect to HIV/AIDS and sexuality and offer them adequate disclosure advice that takes into account migration and gender issues.

Looming Scarcity of Phosphate Rock and Intensification of Soil Phosphorus Research

In recent years, many researchers have claimed that world reserves of rock phosphate were getting depleted at an alarming rate, putting us on the path to scarcity of that essential resource within the next few decades. Others have claimed that such alarmist forecasts were frequent in the past and have always been proven unfounded, making it likely that the same will be true in the future. Both viewpoints are directly relevant to the level of funding devoted to research on the use of phosphate fertilizers. In this short essay, it is argued that information about future reserves of P or any other resource are impossible to predict, and therefore that the threat of a possible depletion of P reserves should not be used as a key motivation for an intensification of research on soil P. However, there are other, more compelling reasons, both geopolitical and environmental, to urgently step up our collective efforts to devise agricultural practices that make better use of P than is the case at the moment.

BEYOND THE “LEAST LIMITING WATER RANGE”: RETHINKING SOIL PHYSICS RESEARCH IN BRAZIL

As opposed to objective definitions in soil physics, the subjective term “soil physical quality” is increasingly found in publications in the soil physics area. A supposed indicator of soil physical quality that has been the focus of attention, especially in the Brazilian literature, is the Least Limiting Water Range (RLL), translated in Portuguese as "Intervalo Hídrico Ótimo" or IHO. In this paper the four limiting water contents that define RLLare discussed in the light of objectively determinable soil physical properties, pointing to inconsistencies in the RLLdefinition and calculation. It also discusses the interpretation of RLL as an indicator of crop productivity or soil physical quality, showing its inability to consider common phenological and pedological boundary conditions. It is shown that so-called “critical densities” found by the RLL through a commonly applied calculation method are questionable. Considering the availability of robust models for agronomy, ecology, hydrology, meteorology and other related areas, the attractiveness of RLL as an indicator to Brazilian soil physicists is not related to its (never proven) effectiveness, but rather to the simplicity with which it is dealt. Determining the respective limiting contents in a simplified manner, relegating the study or concern on the actual functioning of the system to a lower priority, goes against scientific construction and systemic understanding. This study suggests a realignment of the research in soil physics in Brazil with scientific precepts, towards mechanistic soil physics, to replace the currently predominant search for empirical correlations below the state of the art of soil physics.

Mentally Ill Offenders in Community-Based Corrections, Research in Brief, Iowa Department of Corrections, April 2008

A survey of offenders supervised by the eight district departments of correctional services. This report was commissioned by the Iowa Department of Corrections Focus Group on Mental Health in Community-Based Corrections.

Independent contribution of parental migrant status and educational level to adiposity and eating habits in preschool children.

Background/Objective:Little is known about the precise role of parental migrant status (MS) and educational level (EL) on adiposity and various eating habits in young children. Therefore, we assessed their independent contribution in preschoolers.Subjects/Methods:Of 655 randomly selected preschoolers, 542 (5.1±0.6 years; 71% of parental MS and 37% of low parental EL) were analysed. Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Eating habits were assessed using a semiqualitative food frequency questionnaire and analysed according to five messages developed by the Swiss Society for Nutrition, based on factors implicated in childhood obesity: (1) 'Drinking water and decreasing sweetened drinks', (2) 'Eating fruit and vegetables', (3) 'Decreasing breakfast skipping', (4) 'Reducing fatty and sweet foods' and (5) 'Reducing the intake of meals and snacks in front of television'.Results:Children of migrant and low EL parents had higher body fat, ate more meals and snacks while watching television and had more fruit and fatty foods compared with their respective counterparts (all P0.04). Children of low EL parents also consumed less water and vegetables compared with their counterparts (all P0.04). In most instances, we found an independent contribution of parental MS and EL to adiposity and eating habits. A more pronounced effect was found if both parents were migrants or of low EL. Differences in adiposity and eating habits were relatively similar to the joint parental data when assessed individually for maternal and paternal MS and EL.Conclusions:Parental MS and EL are independently related to adiposity and various eating habits in preschoolers.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advance online publication, 3 November 2010; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2010.248.

Fibrous P.C. Concrete Overlay Research Green County, Iowa, December 1978

The Greene County, Iowa overlay project, completed in October 1973, was inspected on October 16 & 17, 1978 After five years of service The 33 fibrous concrete sections, four CRCP sections, two mesh reinforced and two plain concrete sections with doweled reinforcement were rated relative to each other on a scale of 0 t o 100. The rating was conducted by the original members of the Project Planning Committee, Iowa DOT, Iowa Counties, Federal Highway Administration, University of Illinois and industry representatives . In all , there were 23 representatives who rated this project . The 23 values were then averaged to provide a final rating number for each section. The highest panel rating (90) was assigned to the 5-inch thick , deformed barre in forced PCC sections ; an 86t o a 3-inch thick , 160 lbs. of fiber and 600 lbs . of cement on a partial bonded surface ; an 84 to the 4-inch CRC with elastic joints (bonded) and an 84 to a 4-inch mesh reinforce section. One of the major factors influencing performance appears t o be the thickness. In the fibrous concrete overlay, The greatest influences appears t o be the fiber content. Overlay Sections containing 160 1b/yd3 of Fiber are, in almost all cases , outperforming those c o n t a i n i n g 60 or 100. It is obvious at This time meth at the 3-inch thick fibrous concrete overlays are, in general, out performing the 2-inch thick sections. The performance of the fibrous concrete the overlay appears to be favorably influenced by: (1) The use of higher a spectra fiber (0.025 x 2.5 i n c h e s ) v e r s u s (0.010 x 0.022 x 1.0 inches) (2) The use of a lower cement c o n t e n t ( 600 versus 750 1b/yd3) However, The set less well defined and the improvements in overlay performance attributed to high aspect ratio fibers and low cement contents.

Restoration of Fricitonal Characteristics on Older Portland Cement Concrete Pavement:Final Report for Iowa Highway Research Board Project HR-224, June 1986

Safety i s a very important aspect o f the highway program. The Iowa DOT initiated an inventory o f the friction values of all paved primary roadways i n 1969. This inventory, with an ASTM E-274 test unit, has continued to the present time. The t e s t i n g frequency varies based upon traffic volume and the previous friction value. Historically , the state o f Iowa constructed a substantial amount o f pcc pavement during the 1928-30 period t o "get Iowa out o f the mud". Some of that pavement has never been resurfaced and has been subjected to more than 50 years o f wear. The textured surface has been worn away and has subsequently polished. Even though some pavements from 15 t o 50 years old continue t o function structurally , because of the loss of friction , they do not provide the desired level o f safety to the driver. As a temporary measure, "Sl ippery -When -Wet " signs have been posted on many older pcc roads due to friction numbers below t h e desirable level. These signs warn the motorist of the current conditions. An economical method of restoring the high quality frictional properties i s needed.

Iowa Research with Chem-Crete Bitumen: Final Report Iowa Highway Research Board Project HR-226, June 1986

With the spiraling cost of construction, coupled with inflation, engineers must develop and research new techniques to better utilize the public's dollar. One area i n which these new technologies must be researched is in the field of highway construction; more specifically, asphalt products. There are areas within the state of Iowa which do not have Class I aggregate readily available for asphalt concrete road construction. The cost of transporting higher quality aggregate specified in the "Standard Specifications for Highway and Bridge construction"' for construction projects is escalating on a yearly basis. Many counties will be squeezed out of the construction of new roadways if an alternative to the high costs is not identified. The same high costs will curtail adequate upkeep on the existing paved system and will result in decreased serviceability. For this reason, a product is needed to better utilize the local aggregates for road construction and maintenance. There i s a product on the market which the promoters claim will improve the prer?nt asphalt to such a degree as to "upgrade deficient aggregates" to the level they can be used in today's standard construction techniques. This product is "Chem-Crete Bitumen," a'kpecially refined asphalt" that was promoted by Chem-Crete Corporation of Menlo Park, California. Chemkrete Technologies, Inc. of Wickliffe, Ohio; a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lubrizol Corporation has since purchased the U.S.

Load Ratings For Secondary Bridges Final Report Highway Research Advisory Board Project HR-239, May 1991

Load Rating: . , :Evaluation of the capacity of a bridge to carry vehicle Inventory Rating: Lbad level which can safely utilize the bridge for an indefinite period of time Operating Rating: Absolute maximum permissible load level for the bridge A load rating states the load in tons which a vehicle can impose on a bridge. Changes in guidelines, standards, and customary uses of bridges require analyses of bridges to be updated and re-evaluated. In this report, twenty-two secondary bridge standards for three types of bridges are rated for the AASHTO HS20-44 vehicle configuration and three typical Iowa legal vehicles