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NUTRITION

Abrahams, Z., Mchiza, Z. & Steyn, N.P. (2011) Diet and mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa: stages in the nutrition transition. BMC Public Health. 11:Online.

During the last century we have seen wide-reaching changes in diet, nutritional status and life expectancy. The change in diet and physical activity patterns has become known as the nutrition transition. At any given time, a country or region within a country may be at different stages within this transition. This paper examines a range of nutrition-related indicators for countries in Sub-Sahar...

Abrahams, Z. (2011) What's in the lunchbox?. HSRC Review. 9(3):5.

Preparing a lunchbox for school-going children may have significant advantages for their eating behaviour and long-term health prospects, says ZULFA ABRAHAM and her research team, following a study at disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape.

Abrahams, Z., De Villiers, A,, Steyn, N.P., Fourie, J., Dalais, L., Hill, J., Draper, C.E. & Lambert, E.V. (2011) What's in the lunchbox?: dietary behaviour of learners from disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Public Health Nutrition. 14(10):1752-1758.

To identify and describe factors associated with food shop (known as tuck shop in South Africa) and lunchbox behaviours of primary-school learners in South Africa. Analysis of data collected in 2008 from a cross-sectional survey. Sixteen primary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. A total of 717 grade 4 learners aged 10-12 years. A 24 h recall established that 69% of learners carried a...

Altman, M. & Jacobs, P. (2010) Household food and nutrition security. (Paper presented at a Food and Security Roundtable, 22 February).

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Altman, M. (2010) Household food and nutrition security. (Paper presented at the AGREKON Launch, 12 May).

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Altman, M. (2010) A national perspective on household food and nutrition security. (Paper presented to The Challenges of HIV/AIDS and Poverty to Development, JEAPP Dissemination Workshop, Sheraton Hotel, 19 May).

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Andrew, N. & Jacobs, P. (2010) Nutrindo a pobreza rural - Relacoes agrarias inalteradas na Africa do Sul. In: De Briti, L., Castel-Branco, C.N., Chichava, S. & Francisco, A. (eds). Pobreza, desigualdade e vulnerabilidade: comunicacoes apresentadas na II conferencia do instituto de estudos sociais e economicos. Maputo: IESE. 151-184.

Draper, C.E., De Villiers, A., Lambert, E.V., Fourie, J., Hill, J., Dalais, L., Abrahams, Z. & Steyn, N.P. (2010) HealthKick: a nutrition and physical activity intervention for primary schools in low-income settings*. BMC Public Health. 10:398-.

Background: The burden of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, is growing in South Africa. This country has a complex mix of over- and under-nutrition, especially in low-income communities, and concerning levels of physical inactivity in children and youth. This paper describes HealthKick, a school-based nutrition and physical activity intervention in primary schools in these s...

Faber, M., Kvalsvig, J., Lombard, C.J. & Spinnler Benade, A.J. (2004) The effect of a low-cost micro-nutrient fortified cereal on the nutritional status of infants. (Commissioned by the Thrasher Research Fund, February).

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a low-cost fortified cereal on the nutritional status, growth, morbidity and development of infants in a rural South African community.

Faber, M., Phungula, M.A.S., Kvalsvig, J.D. & Spinnler Benade, A.J. (2003) Acceptability of community-based growth monitoring in a rural village in South Africa. Food and nutrition bulletin. 24(4):350-359.

A qualitative investigation of mothers' perceptions of community-based growth to monitoring activities is indeed welcome. Attitudes to and acceptability of growth monitoring are obviously key programmatic success. The results of the study contrast with concerns raised in the wider literature on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of clinic-based growth monitoring (low coverage, poor attendanc...

Goeiman, H., Labadarios, D. & Steyn, N.P. (2011) Who is the nutrition workforce in the Western Cape?. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 24(2):90-98.

The aim of the present study was to determine the current nutrition staffing profile of the Integrated Nutrition Programme (INP) in Department of Health in the Western Cape, and establish whether it is adequate to meet the objectives of the INP. Method: Self-administered questionnaires compiled in English were used as the main data collection instrument for nutrition staff in districts and at...

Griesel, R.D. & Richter, L.M. (2006) Undernutrition, brain growth and intellectual development. South African medical journal. 96(9):862-864.

Hart, T. (2011) Reasons for contemporary food intake of poor households in rural areas of South Africa. (Commissioned by the Water Research Commission, February).

Because the reasons for food intake are determined by a range of factors that vary from individual, household, cultural and ethnic group preferences and also by location, season, income and affordability, historical factors, knowledge and education, and social networks as well as the impact of HIV/AIDS on individuals and households, micro-level case studies are the best means of understanding t...

Hart, T. (2010) Against the odds: rural women who drive food and nutrition security in their communities. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 86:111-120.

Despite the international right to food, many African and South African women face serious challenges in providing food for their families. In particular, these challenges relate to institutional and cultural barriers which restrict their access to education, land, credit and official support services. Despite this prevailing situation, some women are acknowledged as being successful in address...

Hart, T. (2010) Some considerations for supporting household food production in South Africa. Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity. 86:78-95.

Recent research on food security in South Africa indicates that household food production is important to household food security in rural areas. While this highlights the constraints experienced by such producers and the contribution of African leafy vegetables to household food security, seemingly little research has considered the gender dimension of this type of agricultural production. Wit...

Hart, T. (2009) Food security definitions, measurements and recent initiatives in South and southern Africa. (March).

This paper reviews the international debate on food security and notes how this has changed during the past thirty years, culminating in a more robust but nuanced way of understanding and measuring the dynamics of food security. The paper then looks at the various challenges faced in Southern Africa and the recent attempts to develop ways to address these challenges. This is followed by a dis...

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Hart, T. (2006) Synergy of science and tradition can yield improved nutrition. HSRC review. 4(4):14-15.

A study of two villages in the Mopane district of Limpopo has shown that indigenous knowledge integrated with scientific know-how can optimise agricultural production and help alleviate poverty in agrarian households. TIM HART and INEKE VORSTER compiled a valuable record of indigenous (or local) knowledge relating to the production of African vegetable crops.

Human Sciences Research Council (2007) Draft protocol for social monitoring in the downstream areas of the LHWP. Use of riverine resources by individuals and households; income and standards of living of households; nutritional and food security indicators; selected public health indicators. (Commissioned by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, November).

Jacobs, P. (2011) CWP & ECD: meeting childhood food and nutrition security challenge. (Paper presented at the CWP-ECD Workshop, Durban, 15 June).

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Jacobs, P. (2011) Introduction to the CWP-ECD facilitation tool. (Paper presented at the CWP-ECD Workshop, Durban, 15 June).

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Jacobs, P. (2010) Identifying a target for food security in South Africa. (Paper presented at the AGREKON Launch, 12 May).

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Jacobs, P. (2009) Identifying targets for household food security in South Africa. (March).

This paper is organised as follows: Section 2 investigates the basic composition of food security targets. It underscores the importance of household characteristics and contextual determinants of food insecurity. Given the centrality of measurable indicators on which to base any food security target, section 3 presents a critical evaluation of three classes of food security indicators: food a...

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Jacobs, P.T. (2009) The status of household food security targets in South Africa. Agrekon. 48(4):410-433.

This article investigates the conceptual and methodological challenges to develop a set of baseline indicators for South African food security targets. A food security target is a well-defined and measurable goal to reduce the numbers of people who lack enough food of the right quality to live healthy lives. To derive baseline indicators for household food security, the following question is a...

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Kiti, Z. (2008) Breaking the shackles of poverty through education enhancing programmes: a glimmer of optimism in the school nutrition programme. In: Maile, S. (ed). Education and poverty reduction strategies: issues of policy coherence: colloquium proceedings. Cape Town: HSRC Press. 102-122.

Kvalsvig, J.D. (2003) Parasites, nutrition, child development, and public policy. In Controlling disease due to helminth infections. Crompton, D.W.T., Montresor, A., Nesheim, M.C. & Savioli, L. (eds). Geneva: World Health Organization. 55-65.

Most public policy with respects to intestinal parasites is built on the premise that children would be better off without them. The evidence in the research literature for a casual link between parasitic infection and impaired cognitive function or delayed cognitive development is by no means complete. Review articles in the past few years have returned cautious verdicts regarding the benefi...

Kvalsvig, J.D. (2003) Report on the impact of iron on child development, and community acceptability of a fortified cereal. (Commissioned by Medical Research Council, South Africa).

Labadarios, D., Steyn, N.P. & Nel, J. (2011) How diverse are our diets?. HSRC Review. 9(3):4.

For many South Africans, particularly those living in rural areas and informal settlements, our diet is simply not diverse enough, find DEMETRE LABADARIOS, NELIA PATRICIA STEYN and JOHANNA NEL.

Labadarios, D., Steyn, N.P. & Nel, J. (2011) How diverse is the diet of adult South Africans?. Nutrition. 10:Online.

Background: The objective of the current study was to measure dietary diversity in South Africans aged 16 years and older from all population groups as a proxy of food security. Methods: A cross-sectional study representative of adults from all specified ages, provinces, geographic localities, and socio-economic strata in South Africa was used (n = 3287). Trained interviewers visited participa...

Labadarios, D. (2010) New centre for researching nutrition. HSRC Review. 8(2):3.

The HSRC's Centre for the Study of the Social and Environmental Determinants of Nutrition, launched on 15 March by the health minister, is ideally placed to become an important tool to undertake research, leading to policy recommendations that could improve the nutritional status of the population, explains DEMETRE LABADARIOS.

Ladzani, R. (2009) The impact of HIV and AIDS on food security and nutrition in South Africa. (March).

Food security and nutrition are an outcome of national incomes, as household food security requires goods and services to be produced by the national economy. AIDS affects agricultural production and subsequently household food security. HIV-infected persons are limited in generating an income or producing food for their households. Therefore a synergistic relationship exists between HIV infec...

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Lorentzen, J. (2011) Food on the table and disease at the door: insights from low-income countries and regions for measuring innovation. Innovation and Development. 1(1):77-89.

An important discussion regarding innovation indicators concerns their relationship with theory. It is theory that tells us something about cause effect relationships and other patterns, which in turn suggests what indicators to collect for which purpose. Therefore, as theory advances, indicator methodologies can be expected to change as well. If they do not, they may become irrelevant or victi...

Mchiza, Z., Goedecke, J. & Lambert, E. (2011) Like mother, like daughter: do perceptions run in the family?. HSRC Review. 9(3):6-7.

The effects of family environment and ethnicity on body image should be considered when designing health interventions to prevent the development of obesity, suggest the findings of a study by ZANDILE MCHIZA, JULIA GOEDECKE and ESTELLE LAMBERT.

Mchiza, Z.J., Goedecke, J.H. & Lambert, E.V. (2010) Accuracy of reporting food energy intake: influence of ethnicity and body weight status in South African women. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 23(2):84-89.

The current study sought to identify characteristics that may be associated with the misreporting of food energy intake (EI) in urban South African women. A total of 198 women (61 black, 76 of mixed ancestry, 61 white) completed a quantified food frequency questionnaire, from which daily energy and macronutrient intake were calculated. Body composition (body mass index [BMI], percentage of body...

Mekonnen, A., Tefera, B., Woldehanna, T., Jones, N., Seager, J., Alemu, T. & Asgedom, G. (2005) Child nutritional status in poor Ethiopian households: the role of gender, assets and location. (Working paper No. 26). London: Young Lives, Save the Children UK.

As one of the poorest countries in the world, Ethiopia?s rate of child malnutrition is one of the highest, even within sub-Saharan Africa. The causes and relative importance of various determinants of malnutrition in Ethiopia are not well understood. This paper specifically explores some of the less obvious factors affecting children?s nutritional status in Ethiopia. It is based on information ...

Meyer, R., Harrison, S., Sargent, S., Ramnarayan, P., Habibi, P. & Labadarios, D. (2009) The impact of enteral feeding protocols on nutritional support in critically ill children. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 22:428-436.

Background: Studies have shown that feeding protocols may assist in achieving optimal nutritional care in critically ill children. The present study aimed to assess the impact of enteral feeding protocols on nutritional support practices through a continuous auditing process over a defined period. Materials and methods: A prospective audit on nutritional practice was initiated in 1994-1995 on a...

Mokhele, T.A. & Ahmed, F.B. (2010) Estimation of leaf nitrogen and silicon using hyperspectral remote sensing. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing. 4(043560):1-18.

The potential to estimate the nutrient status in important agricultural crops such as maize and sugarcane is of significant interest. In South African sugarcane agriculture, just like in global ecosystem, the estimation of Nitrogen (N) and Silicon (Si) is very important. These nutrients are one of the factors influencing the prevalence of the stalk borer Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: ...

Motala, S. (2010) Food and nutrition security: for SA households and children. (Paper presented at the KPAC ECD Technical Committee Meeting, 5 August).

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Parker, W., Steyn, N.P., Levitt, N.S. & Lombard, C.J. (2010) They think they know but do they?: misalignment of perceptions of lifestyle modification knowledge among health professionals. Public Health Nutrition. 14(8):1429-1438.

The present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices of public-sector primary-care health professionals and final-year students regarding the role of nutrition, physical activity and smoking cessation (lifestyle modification) in the management of chronic diseases of lifestyle within the public healthcare sector. A comparative cross-sectional descriptive quantitative study was conduc...

Peltzer, K. & Pengpid, S. (2012) Overweight and obesity and associated factors among school-aged adolescents in Ghana and Uganda. (Paper presented at the "Dying to be Beautiful Conference", University of the West Indies, 14 January).

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Peltzer, K. & Pengpid, S. (2011) Overweight and obesity and associated factors among school-aged adolescents in Ghana and Uganda. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 8:3859-3870.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess overweight and obesity and associated factors in school-going adolescents in low income African countries (Ghana, Uganda). The total sample included 5,613 school children aged 13 to 15 years from nationally representative samples from two African countries. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between dietar...

Peltzer, K. (2011) Prevalence of obesity and associated factors in South Africans 50 years and older. (Poster presented at the European Obesity Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, 25 May).

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Peltzer, K., Phaswana-Mafuya, N. & Ramlagan, S. (2011) Prevalence of obesity and associated factors in South Africans 50 years and older. African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance (AJPHERD). 17(4):772-778.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity, overweight, central obesity and their associated factors in older South Africans who participated in the study of Global Ageing and Adults Health in 2008.

Peltzer, K. & Promtussanannon, S. (2004) Knowledge, barriers, and benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption and lay conceptions of nutrition among rural and semi-urban black South Africans. Psychological reports. 976-982.

Peltzer, K. (2004) Nutrition knowledge among a sample of urban black and white South Africans. South African journal of clinical nutrition. 17 (1):24-31.

The aim of the study was to investigate gaps in nutrition knowledge and the relationship between nutrition knowledge and sociodemographic characteristics in an urban black and white South African population. The sample included 90 blacks and 90 whites living in former white and black urban areas in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, chosen by systematic random sampling via a telephone survey...

Peltzer, K.F. & Promtussananon, S. (2004) Knowledge, barriers, and benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption and lay conceptions of nutrition among rural and semi-urban black South Africans. Psychological reports. 94:976-982.

This study investigated fruit and vegetable consumption and psycho-social variables among rural and semi-urban black adults in South Africa.

Richter, L. & Norris, S. (2004) Nutrition. In Psychology: an introduction. Swartz, L., De la Rey, C. & Duncan, N. (eds). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 437-446.

Steyn, N. (2010) Editorial: does dietary knowledge influence the eating behaviour of adolescents?. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 23(2):62-63.

In order to develop a true understanding of adolescents' eating behaviour and food choices it is necessary to briefly consider suchbehaviour from an ecological perspective. This article looks at what teenagers know about diets and eating behaviour and what influences their eating patterns.

Steyn, N.P., Labadarios, D. & Nel, J.H. (2011) Factors which influence the consumption of street foods and fast foods in South Africa: a national survey. Nutrition Journal. 10:Online.

Very little is known about street food and fast food consumption patterns in South Africa despite this being a large sector of the national economy in terms of employment provided and sales of food. The objective of this study was to determine the use of street foods and fast foods purchased by South Africans living in different provinces and geographic areas. A cross-sectional survey was cond...

Steyn, N.P. & Labadarios, D. (2011) Street foods and fast foods: how much do South Africans of different ethnic groups consume?. Ethnicity & Disease. 21:462-466.

To assess consumption of street food (sold by vendors) and fast food (from fast food outlets) by different ethnic groups in South Africa. A national cross-sectional survey representative of adults from different ethnic groups, provinces, geographic localities, and socio-economic strata was undertaken. Trained interviewers visited participants at their homes during October 2009. Specific ques...

Steyn, N.P., Labadarios, D., Nel, J., Kruger, H.S. & Maunder, E.M.W. (2011) What is the nutritional status of children of obese mothers in South Africa?. Nutrition. March:Online.

Objective: To evaluate the anthropometric status of children of obese mothers who participated during the 2005 National Food Consumption Study. Methods: The survey population consisted of children 1-9 y of age and their mothers 16 to 35 y of age living in the same households (n ? 1532). A national sample of households was drawn, representative of all nine provinces and urban and rural areas....

Steyn, N.P., Parker, W., Lambert, E.V. & Mchiza, Z. (2009) Nutrition interventions in the workplace: evidence of best practice. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 22(3):111-117.

Aim: The aim of this desktop study was to review all workplace interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature between 1995 and 2006 by WHO, and to document activities that were successful, as well as possible barriers to their success. Methodology: A systematic review of workplace studies revealed 41 interventions, of which 30 complied with the predetermined ...

Steyn, N.P., Lambert, E.V., Parker, W., Mchiza, Z. & De Villiers, A. (2009) A review of school nutrition interventions globally as an evidence base for the development of the Healthkick Programme in the Western Cape, South Africa. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 22(3):145-152.

Aim: The aim of this study was to review all school interventions having a nutrition component, published in peer-reviewed literature between 1995 and 2006, and to document activities that were successful as well as those that were possible barriers in order to develop a best practice school intervention for the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Methodology: A systematic review of school s...

Temple, N.J. & Steyn, N.P. (2011) Cost of a healthy diet: most South Africans cannot afford to eat well. HSRC Review. 9(1):20.

The cost and inaccessibility of healthier food choices are forcing the greater majority of South Africans into an unhealthy lifestyle, find NORMAN J TEMPLE and NELIA P STEYN.

Temple, N.J. & Steyn, N.P. (2010) The cost of a healthy diet: a South African perspective. Nutrition. Online:November.

Energy-dense foods are relatively cheap sources of energy but typically have a low nutrient density. People with a low income may therefore select a relatively less healthy diet. The high energy density of such diets helps explain the association between obesity and low socioeconomic status. Most studies have been carried out in highly developed countries. We have extended this research to S...

Temple, N.J., Steyn, N.P., Fourie, J. & De Villiers, A. (2010) Price and availability of healthy food: a study in rural South Africa. Nutrition. 27:55-58.

We investigated the availability of healthier food choices and whether a healthier diet costs more than a diet commonly eaten by low-income families in South Africa. We visited 21 food stores in 14 rural towns of the Western Cape province of South Africa. We recorded the price and availability of 66 food items, including both commonly consumed foods as well as healthy options. Healthier food ...

Van Zyl, J., Faber, M., O'Donovan, M., Wentzel, M., Kok, P., Seager, J. & Colvin, M. (2010) Socio-economic and epidemiology survey in the upstream areas of LHWP Phase 1 dams: Volume 3: nutrition and health findings. (Commissioned by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority).

This report deals specifically with the nutrition and health-related findings of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

Van Zyl, J., O'Donovan, M., Faber, M., Kok, P., Wentzel, M., Colvin, M. & Seager, J. (2009) Socio-economic, health and nutrition survey in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project areas: annotated bibliography. (Commissioned by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority).

Based on a population-based survey among affected households, this comprehensive report assesses how communities have adapted to the changes brought about by the water project, and analyses how the mitigation measures have assisted people to continue with their lives. Other socio-economic factors affecting the lives of highland dwellers are also considered.

Van Zyl, J., O'Donovan, M., Faber, M., Kok, P., Wentzel, M., Colvin, M. & Seager, J. (2009) Socio-economic, health and nutrition survey in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project areas: methodology report. (Commissioned by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority).

Van Zyl, J., O'Donovan, M., Faber, M., Kok, P., Wentzel, M., Colvin, M. & Seager, J. (2009) Socio-economic, health and nutrition survey in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project areas: Volume 1: main report. (Commissioned by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority).

Van Zyl, J., O'Donovan, M., Faber, M., Kok, P., Wentzel, M., Colvin, M. & Seager, J. (2007) Socio-economic, health and nutrition survey in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project areas: literature review of selected aspects of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. (Commissioned by the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority).

Van Zyl, M.K., Steyn, N.P. & Marais, M.L. (2010) Characteristics and factors influencing fast food intake of young adult consumers in Johannesburg, South Africa. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 23(3):124-130.

Objectives: To determine fast food consumption patterns, socio-economic characteristics and other factors that influence the fast food intake of young adults from different socio-economic areas in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken, using an interviewer-administered, validated questionnaire to elicit the characteristics of the study popu...

Victora, C.G., Adair, L., Fall, C., Hallal, P.C., Martorell, R., Richter, L. & Sachdev, H.S. (2008) Maternal and child undernutrition: consequences for adult health and human capital. The Lancet. 371(9609):340-357.

In this paper we review the associations between maternal and child undernutrition with human capital and risk of adult diseases in low-income and middle-income countries. We analysed data from five long-standing prospective cohort studies from Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa and noted that indices of maternal and child undernutrition (maternal height, birthweight, i...

Visser, J., Labadarios, D. & Blaauw, R. (2011) Micronutrient supplementation for critically ill adults: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition. 27:745-758.

This systematic review assessed the effects of micronutrient supplementation on adults recovering from critical illness. Primary outcomes included clinical endpoints (mortality, infectious complications, length of intensive care unit and of hospital stay). Secondary outcomes included descriptions of practice issues, micronutrient status, morbidity, course of the acute-phase response, and oxida...