An Exploration of Dietetic Students' Experiences in a Noncourse-based Service-Learning Opportunity in a Canadian Academic Setting.

Purpose: To investigate the experiences of dietetic students in a faculty-supervised, noncourse-based service-learning (NSL) opportunity called Nutrition Ignition! (NI!) to understand how NSL activities contribute to dietetic education.Methods: This study used focus group methodology. A convenience sample was recruited from current members of NI!. Participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire and then engaged in a focus group discussion led by a trained moderator who followed a semi-structured guide. Six focus group discussions were transcribed, and a common theme template was developed by researchers.Results: Out of 46 eligible members of NI!, 33 agreed to participate. The main reasons participants joined NI! were to develop professional skills and to help children in the community. Participants discussed many outcomes from their participation in NI!, including enhanced communication skills, especially in terms of knowledge translation; increased ability to be flexible and adapt to "real-world" situations; deeper awareness of the research process; and expanded world view.Conclusion: This study suggests that NSL is an effective way to build dietetic students' personal and professional skills and provide an additional opportunity in academic settings to prepare dietetic students for entry-level practice.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of uracil anticancer drugs.

Two uracil anticancer drugs can be selectively identified and estimated by means of two colour reactions. 5-Fluorouracil is treated with bromine water in borax medium, and then with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine in acidic medium to give an orange-red precipitate which produces a distinctly violet solution when treated with potassium hydroxide solution. Uracil mustard, containing alkylating groups, is heated with alpha-picoline in aqueous solution. The quaternary salt thus produced is condensed in alkaline medium with sodium 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulphonate, giving a pink colour. The possibility of using these colour tests for the determinations of these anticancer drugs in pure and dosage forms has been studied.