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A qualitative study about the gendered experiences of motherhood and perinatal mortality in mountain villages of Nepal: implications for improving perinatal survival
Get PDF© The Author(s). 2018 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Abstract
Background
We aim to examine the gendered contexts of poor perinatal survival in the remote mountain villages of Nepal. The study setting comprised two remote mountain villages from a mid-western mountain district of Nepal that ranks lowest on the Human Development Index (0.304), and is reported as having the lowest child survival rates in the country.
Methods
The findings are taken from a larger study of perinatal survival in remote mountain villages of Nepal, conducted through a qualitative methodological approach within a framework of social constructionist and critical theoretical perspectives. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 42 women and their families, plus a range of healthcare providers (nurses/auxiliary nurses, female health volunteers, support staff, Auxiliary Health Worker and a traditional healer) and other stakeholders from February to June, 2015. Data were analysed with a comprehensive coding process utilising the thematic analysis technique.
Results
The social construction of gender is one of the key factors influencing poor perinatal survival in the villages in this study. The key emerging themes from the qualitative data are: (1) Gendered social construct and vulnerability for poor perinatal survival: child marriages, son preference and repeated child bearing; (2) Pregnancy and childbirth in intra-familial dynamics of relationships and power; and (3) Perception of birth as a polluted event: birth in Gotha (cowshed) and giving birth alone.
Conclusions
Motherhood among women of a low social position is central to women and their babies experiencing vulnerabilities related to perinatal survival in the mountain villages. Gendered constructions along the continuum from pre-pregnancy to postnatal (girl settlement, a daughter-in-law, ritual pollution about mother and child) create challenges to ensuring perinatal survival in these villages. It is imperative that policies and programmes consider such a context to develop effective working strategies for sustained reduction of future perinatal deaths
Harnessing the evolutionary information on oxygen binding proteins through Support Vector Machines based modules
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2018 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Abstract
Objectives
The arrival of free oxygen on the globe, aerobic life is becoming possible. However, it has become very clear that the oxygen binding proteins are widespread in the biosphere and are found in all groups of organisms, including prokaryotes, eukaryotes as well as in fungi, plants, and animals. The exponential growth and availability of fresh annotated protein sequences in the databases motivated us to develop an improved version of “Oxypred” for identifying oxygen-binding proteins.
Results
In this study, we have proposed a method for identifying oxy-proteins with two different sequence similarity cutoffs 50 and 90%. A different amino acid composition based Support Vector Machines models was developed, including the evolutionary profiles in the form position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM). The fivefold cross-validation techniques were applied to evaluate the prediction performance. Also, we compared with existing methods, which shows nearly 97% recognition, but, our newly developed models were able to recognize almost 99.99 and 100% in both oxy-50 and 90% similarity models respectively. Our result shows that our approaches are faster and achieve a better prediction performance over the existing methods. The web-server Oxypred2 was developed for an alternative method for identifying oxy-proteins with more additional modules including PSSM, available at
http://bioinfo.imtech.res.in/servers/muthu/oxypred2/home.html
In vitro protective activity of South Australian marine sponge and macroalgae extracts against amyloid beta (Aβ1–42) induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells
Get PDFCrown Copyright © 2018 Published by Elsevier Inc.
This manuscript version is made available under the CCBY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (May 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policySouth Australia is a biodiversity hotspot of marine sponges and macroalgae. This
study aimed to evaluate the potential neuroprotective activity of extracts from these
two marine sources by reducing the toxicity of human amyloid beta Aβ1 -42 in a cell
model assay using PC-12 cells. A total of 92 extracts (43, 13, 16, and 20 extracts from
sponge of 8 orders and 17 families, green algae of 3 orders and 4 families, brown
algae of 6 orders and 8 families, and red algae of 5 orders and 10 families,
respectively) were initially screened at three different concentrations (0.25, 2.5 and 25
μg/ml) to evaluate their toxicity using the MTT assay. About half of these extracts
(26, 6, 5, and 10 extracts from sponge, green algae, brown algae, and red algae,
respectively) showed some cytotoxicity, and were hence excluded from further
assays. The rest of extracts (45 extracts in total) at 0.25 and 25 μg/ml were
subsequently screened in a neuroprotection assay against Aβ1-42 cytotoxicity. A cell
viability reduction of 30% was observed in the MTT assay when the cells were treated
with 1μM Aβ1 -42. 29 extracts (13, 4, 7, and 5 extracts from sponge, green algae,
brown algae, and red algae, respectively) reduced the toxicity induced by Aβ1-42
(P<0.05), indicating neuroprotective activity. These results demonstrate that marine
sponge and macroalgae form a broad spectrum are promising sources of
neuroprotective compounds against the hallmark neurotoxic protein in Alzheimer’s
disease (AD)
Letter to the Editor: Simultaneous presentation of hereditary hyperferritinaemia cataract syndrome and hereditary haemochromatosis
No full textThis article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving'. Copyright © 2018 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (May 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policy"No abstract is available for this article"- Publishe
Metabolic response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to acute and chronic hypoxia stress
Get PDF© 2018 Elsevier BV. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 24 month embargo from date of publication (May 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policy.Hypoxia is a critical issue in aquaculture especially in intensive aquaculture systems.
Acute hypoxia stress with dissolved oxygen (DO) 0.7±0.1 mg/L for 6 h and chronic
hypoxia stress with DO 1.1±0.1 mg/L for 4 weeks were used to investigate the response
of nutritional metabolic pathways in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. Fish in the acute
and chronic experiments had different adaptive mechanisms. Upon acute hypoxia stress,
the contents of liver glycogen and muscle glycogen were significantly lower, but there
was no significant difference in triglycerides (TG). The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
activities increased after exposure to acute hypoxia stress. The mRNA expression of
genes involved in glycolysis and glycogenolysis was significantly up-regulated by acute
hypoxia stress. However, the response of fish to long-term hypoxia stress was different
from acute hypoxia. Compared with the normoxia treatment, the crude fat in fish
decreased in the hypoxia group and TG in the liver and muscle were significantly lower.
Beta oxidation of the liver was enhanced in the hypoxia group, while the hepatic
glycogen content increased in the hypoxia group. Transcriptomic analysis showed that
the expression of genes related to carbohydrate synthesis and lipolysis increased in the
hypoxia group, while genes related to carbohydrate catabolism and fat synthesis showed
the opposite. This study indicates that fish could utilize carbohydrate as a main energy
source during acute hypoxia stress, and metabolize more lipid during long-term hypoxia
stress. A high carbohydrate content in the diet may help reduce negative effects from
acute hypoxia stress, and an appropriate increase of fat content in the diet may benefit
fish growth in a hypoxia environment, e.g., in high-density aquaculture ponds
Dry stress decreases areas suitable for Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and affects its survival under climate predictions in South America
Get PDF© 2018 Elsevier B.V. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 24 month embargo from date of publication (June 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policyProjections of climate change show some regions of the world getting warmer, colder, dryer or wetter. Consequently, the effects of climate change on insect pests can alter the threat to agricultural systems. As a result of changed climate, areas can become more or less suitable for insect pests. Neoleucinodes elegantalis is one of the major pests of solanaceous crops in South America. Host plants for N. elegantalis are widely present in South America, however, N. elegantalis is absent from many regions in South America. Hence, future climate effects on suitability for development and spread of N. elegantalis in South America should be investigated. Due to these reasons, we developed a model of the climate for N. elegantalis using CLIMEX software for South America using A2 Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) for 2030, 2050, 2070 and 2100 and using two models, CSIRO-Mk3.0 and MIROC-H. The results of both models indicate that areas in South America that are climatically suitable at the present time will become climatically unsuitable for N. elegantalis by 2100 as a consequence of progressive increase of dry stress. This was confirmed using developmental bioassays, where survival was lowest at low relative humidity levels. There are also altering areas that are currently unsuitable that become suitable in the future. These results are helpful in developing future strategies to take advantage of new opportunities in solanaceous crops in regions that may be unsuitable for N. elegantalis and provide important information for anticipated possible risks of infestation of N. elegantalis
DNA profiles generated from a range of touched sample types
Get PDF© 2018 Elsevier B.V. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (June 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policy.Direct PCR from touch DNA has a range of potential applications in the field of forensic investigation for exhibit examination that, under standard extraction methods, rarely produce informative DNA profiles. Previous studies from ‘touch DNA’ have focussed on fingermarks created under laboratory conditions. Here we report on successful STR DNA profiling from a range of touched items. Direct PCR, with no increase in cycle number, was performed after eight different sample types, typical of those submitted for forensic investigation, were handled by volunteers for a maximum of 15 s to deposit trace amounts of their DNA. Amplifications were performed using either GlobalFiler® or Identifiler® Plus following manufacturer’s instructions. These two kits were chosen deliberately as many laboratories worldwide have adopted and validated them in their workflow, thus allowing for direct PCR to be incorporated within their practises easily. It was found that informative STR profiles were obtained from all eight substrates using both STR kits. Identifiler® Plus out-performed GlobalFiler® in terms of the percentage of alleles amplified using the direct PCR approach. Both generated informative profiles from all items and all individuals, at different rates, with Identifiler® Plus being informative in a larger percentage of samples. GlobalFiler® produced profiles with an average of 60% ± 24% (36 ± 15 alleles) alleles present while Identifiler® Plus produced profiles with an average of 96% ± 4% (31 ± 1 alleles) alleles present. A comparison was made between the direct PCR approach and subjecting touched samples to a standard DNA extraction process, both using Identifiler®. An average of 4% of profiles were informative for samples that underwent extraction with 100% being informative from the same subset of samples amplified by direct PCR. Our findings further demonstrate the success of direct PCR to enhance the STR DNA profiles from touch DNA. Further, Identifiler® Plus was found to generate informative profiles more often than GlobalFiler®. Direct PCR is fast, simple, and non-destructive of evidence with the ability to generate informative genetic data where standard methods are likely to fail
The association between decreased hand grip strength and hip fracture in older people: a systematic review
Get PDFHip fractures are a global concern, resulting in poor outcomes and high health care costs.
They mostly affect people >80 years. Hip fractures are influenced by various (modifiable)
risk factors. Emerging evidence suggests hand grip strength (HGS) to be one of several
useful tools to identify hip fracture risk. This is the first systematic review that aims to
assess the evidence underlying the relationship between hip fracture incidence and HGS.
Eleven studies were selected for this review (six case-control and five cohort studies),
comprising 21197 participants. Where reported, HGS was significantly decreased in
individuals with a hip fracture near the time of injury as compared to controls (p<0.001);
HGS was associated with increased hip fracture risk in all included studies. Meta-analysis
was not possible.
All studies included in this systematic review confirmed a relationship between decreased
HGS and hip fracture incidence. We were not able to quantify the strength of this
relationship, due to the heterogeneity of the included studies. HGS merits further
investigation as a useful tool for identifying individuals that might be at elevated risk for
sustaining a hip fracture
“I aspire to look and feel healthy like the posts convey”: engagement with fitness inspiration on social media and perceptions of its influence on health and wellbeing
Get PDFOpen Access
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to
the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver
(
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background
Fitspiration is a popular social media trend containing images, quotes and advice related to exercise and healthy eating. This study aimed to 1) describe the types of fitspiration content that users access and how they engage with content, 2) investigate the disordered eating and exercise behaviours and psychological distress of individuals who access fitspiration, and 3) understand the perceived influence of fitspiration on health and wellbeing.
Methods
Participants who access fitspiration content were recruited via social media to complete a cross-sectional online survey. Participants’ psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 10 Psychological Distress Scale (K10); disordered eating behaviours using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26); and compulsive exercise behaviours using the Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI). Participants also answered a series of open-ended questions about their experiences with fitspiration. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted for quantitative data. Responses to open-ended questions were analysed for key themes using an iterative process of open, axial and thematic coding.
Results
Participants (N = 180, 151 female, median age 23.0 years (IQR 19.0, 28.5)) most commonly accessed content posted by personal trainers and athletes (59.4%), posts tagged with the ‘fitspiration’ hashtag (53.9%) and posted by ‘everyday’ people (53.3%). Overall, 17.7% of participants were classified as high risk for an eating disorder, 17.4% reported very high levels of psychological distress, and 10.3% were at risk of addictive exercise behaviours. Participants described both positive and negative influences of engaging with fitspiration content. The influence on their health beliefs and behaviours was explained through four key themes: 1) Setting the ‘healthy ideal’, 2) Failure to achieve the ‘ideal’, 3) Being part of a community, and 4) Access to reliable health information.
Conclusions
Many participants reported benefits of fitspiration content including increased social support and access to health information. However, participants also reported that fitspiration content could negatively influence their wellbeing and perception of healthy goals. Content posted by relatable individuals or qualified experts was perceived as most trustworthy. Future research is needed to determine the individual and content-related factors associated with negative and positive fitspiration experiences.No funding was obtained to undertake this study
Impact of oropharyngeal dysphagia on healthcare cost and length of stay in hospital: a systematic review
Get PDFThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background
Healthcare systems internationally are under an ever-increasing demand for services that must be delivered in an efficient, effective and affordable manner. Several patient-related and organisational factors influence health-care expenditure and utilisation, including oropharyngeal dysphagia. Here, we present a systematic review of the literature and meta-analyses investigating how oropharyngeal dysphagia influences healthcare utilisation through length of stay (LOS) and cost.
Methods
Using a standardised approach, eight databases were systematically searched for relevant articles reporting on oropharyngeal dysphagia attributable inpatient LOS and healthcare costs through June 2016. Study methodologies were critically appraised and where appropriate, extracted LOS data were analysed in an overall summary statistic.
Results
Eleven studies reported on cost data, and 23 studies were included reporting on LOS data. Descriptively, the presence of dysphagia added 40.36% to health care costs across studies. Meta-analysis of all-cause admission data from 13 cohort studies revealed an increased LOS of 2.99 days (95% CI, 2.7, 3.3). A subgroup analysis revealed that admission for stroke resulted in higher and more variable LOS of 4.73 days (95% CI, 2.7, 7.2). Presence of dysphagia across all causes was also statistically significantly different regardless of geographical location: Europe (8.42 days; 95% CI, 4.3; 12.5), North America (3.91 days; 95% CI, 3.3, 4.5). No studies included in meta-analysis were conducted in Asia.
Conclusions
This systematic review demonstrated that the presence of oropharyngeal dysphagia significantly increases healthcare utilisation and cost, highlighting the need to recognise oropharyngeal dysphagia as an important contributor to pressure on healthcare systems.The authors report no sources of funding for this research