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“Objective: to examine the effect of individual counselling on diet and physical activity from pregnancy to six months post partum, or from birth to six months post partum, on weight retention among Taiwanese women.\n\nDesign: a randomised controlled trial assigned participants to two experimental groups [from pregnancy to six months post partum (EP) and from birth to six months post partum (EPP)] and one comparison group.\n\nSetting:

a 3900-bed medical centre in northern Taiwan with around 3000 births annually.\n\nParticipants: a sample of 189 women who had regular check-ups during pregnancy and gave birth at the medical centre.\n\nInterventions: the comparison group received the routine outpatient selleck chemical department selleck compound obstetric educational programme. The EP group attended regularly scheduled clinic visits with individualised dietary and physical

activity education plans from 16 gestational weeks to six months post partum, and received on brochure. The EPP group received the same educational intervention as the EP group from 24-48 hours after birth to six months post partum.\n\nMeasurements: body weight, body mass index, health-promoting behaviour and psycho-social variables (self-efficacy, body image, depression and social support).\n\nFindings: average gestational weight gain was 14.02, 15.27 and 16.22 kg in the three EP, EPP and comparison groups respectively, and average weight retention at six months post partum was 2.34, 4.06 and 5.08 kg in the three groups, respectively.\n\nKey conclusions: a diet and physical activity intervention from pregnancy is effective for reducing post-pregnancy weight retention.\n\nImplications for practice: the findings of the present study should be taken into consideration when incorporating significant others and weight-loss maintenance strategies

with interventions for a healthier family lifestyle. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All AZD5153 mouse rights reserved.”
“BACKGROUND: Fulvic acids (FA), the main organic compounds in landfill leachate, are toxic and bio-resistant organic compounds. Ozonation is effective in removing non-biodegradable components and the addition of catalysts can improve the removal rates. The objective of this study is to prepare and improve CeO2/AC catalyst for catalytic ozonation of FA. RESULTS: The cerium precursor, calcination atmosphere and calcination temperature changed the percentage of Ce3+ on the surface, thus affecting the catalytic performance of CeO2/AC catalyst. A linear relationship was established between the correcting apparent rate constant of FA degradation (k(app)/S-BET) and the percentage of Ce3+ on the surface. The CeO2/AC with 5% of Ce loading and calcined under hydrogen atmosphere at 450 degrees C showed the highest catalytic activity, allowing a FA removal efficiency of 83%. The FA removal efficiency and ozone utilization efficiency were enhanced in O-3/CeO2/AC compared with ozonation alone.