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Objective: To examine the efficacy of direct mailing using four types of messaging on promoting the uptake of residential lead remediation (RLR) funds in Lancaster, PA, USA. Study design: We designed a quasi-experiment to assess the effect of 4 RLR messages sent to households in Lancaster, PA by direct mail between September and December 2020: a brief flyer (F); a detailed brochure + the flyer (BF); a health infographic + the flyer (IF); and an application form + the flyer (AFF). Methods: Mailers were sent to addresses in four census tracts; each census tract received a different message. Both English and Spanish versions were sent. The outcomes were the event rate defined as the number of phone call inquiries received, and the number of applications received. The association between type of messaging and household type (owner-vs renter-occupied) was assessed using a chi square test. Results: The event rates for the renter-occupied households were lower than for owner-occupied households, regardless of treatment. The event rates for renter-occupied households in the F, BF, IF and AFF groups were 0.00%, 0.35%, 0.12% and 0.18% respectively compared to 0.93%, 0.45%, 0.86% and 1.32% for homeowners. More applications were received from homeowners, and the event rate of the owner-occupied households was significantly different from that of renter-occupied homes (p-value = 0.001). Conclusions: Event rates and applications received were higher for owner-occupied households than they were for renter-occupied households. Direct mailing of RLR information is feasible especially if households at high risk for lead poisoning are targeted.

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SETTING: Government-funded public health clinics in and around Gaborone, Botswana. OBJECTIVE: To explore the challenges faced by care givers of children on treatment for tuberculosis (TB) to inform a more child-friendly approach to Botswana's National TB Programme (NTP) strategy. DESIGN: Qualitative study using 28 in-depth interviews with care givers of children receiving anti-tuberculosis treatment. RESULTS: Care givers identified five main challenges: long delays in their child's diagnosis, difficulty attending clinic for daily treatment, difficulty administering TB medications, stock-outs of TB medications leading to treatment interruptions, and inadequate TB education. Care givers prioritized these same five areas to improve the overall management of their child's TB. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that despite accessing care through an NTP that adheres to World Health Organization guidelines, care givers for children on treatment in Botswana continue to encounter significant challenges. While each of these represents a potential threat to successful treatment, they can be addressed with relatively small systematic and programmatic adjustments. These results will inform the next version of the Botswana NTP guidelines towards a more child- and care giver-centered approach.

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The crude polysaccharides from tea leaves (TPS) looks like have good antioxidant activities. However, whether or not the antioxidant abilities of crude TPS depend on tea polyphenols in the crude TPS is not understand. Herein, TPS fractions were isolated from crude TPS and their antioxidant activities were compared. The crude TPS showed stronger antioxidant activities than that of TPS fractions. However, EGCG (6.15 µg/mL) significantly enhanced DPPH radical scavenging potential of TPS fractions for each dose. Moreover, EGCG (8.0 µg/mL) significantly improved the reducing power of TPS fractions. EGCG causes a synergistic increase in the antioxidant activities of TPS fractions. The antioxidant activities of dextrans in the absence and presence of EGCG were investigated to illustrate that the antioxidant activities of TPS is similar to dextrans. These results illustrated that TPS fractions hardly exhibited antioxidant activities and tea polyphenols are the major antioxidant in the crude TPS. TPS as food antioxidants is an old woman's tale.

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The profiles and bioactivities of flavonoids extracted from Dryoathyrium boryanum (Willd.) Ching were investigated. The total flavonoids content in extract from D. boryanum is about 145.8mg/g. By means of HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, the main flavonoids in D. boryanum were tentatively identified as 3-hydroxyphloretin 6'-O-hexoside, quercetin-7-hexoside, apigenin7-O-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-galactoside, acacetin 7-O-(α-D-apio-furanosyl) (1→6)-ß-d-glucoside, 3-hydroxy phloretin 6-O-hexoside, luteolin-6-C-glucoside. 0.21mg/ml flavonoids extract from D. boryanum showed very strong superoxide anion radical scavenging potential, which is higher than that of rutin (0.25mg/ml). The extract (0.21mg/ml of flavonoids) from D. boryanum exhibited similar DPPH scavenging potential with that of rutin (0.25mg/ml). However, rutin (0.25mg/ml) showed a significantly higher reducing power and ABTS scavenging potential than that of 0.21mg/ml flavonoids extract from D. boryanum. It had no effect on acetylcholinesterase. D. boryanum can be considered as a medicinal plant and the flavonoids from D. boryanum are excellent antioxidants.

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