5,674 research outputs found
Response to Harcombe
No full textThe crux of Dr. Harcombe’s critique is her assertion that our study design was inappropriate for our research objective, which was to investigate whether maternal carbohydrate restriction before conception was associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a population-based case-control study of birth defects (Desrosiers, Siega-Riz, Mosley, Meyer, & The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 2018). In her Letter, Dr. Harcombe claims that our study is fundamentally flawed because “cases should have been women who restrict carbohydrates and the controls should have been women who don’t and the outcome measure should have been NTD-affected pregnancies.” Despite her confusing (mis)use of the terms case and control, what Dr. Harcombe appears to be describing is a cohort study
Response to Camacho
No full textWe appreciate Dr. Camacho’s interest in our article (Desrosiers, Siega-Riz, Mosley, Meyer, & National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 2018), and welcome the opportunity to respond. As Dr. Camacho emphasizes, the association between folic acid and neural tube defects (NTDs) is well established (Viswanathan et al., 2017). What is less certain are factors potentially related to folate insufficiency among women of reproductive age, and even more so, among women who meet the U.S. Preventative Health Task Force’s recommendation of 0.4–0.8 mg/day of supplemental folic acid (Tinker, Hamner, Qi, & Crider, 2015; US Preventive Services Task Force, 2017). Understanding the reasons for folate insufficiency could help prevent some cases of birth defects in the future and is thus a worthy research pursuit. One theory expressed in the literature is whether avoidance of carbohydrate-rich foods such as enriched grains (fortified with folic acid) and beans (high in natural folate) could lead to meaningful reductions in folate status, which could in turn lead to an increased risk for some women of having an NTD-affected pregnancy (Mills, 2017; Quinlivan & Gregory, 2007)
A comparison of dietary trends among racial and socioeconomic groups in the United States
No full textBackground: There may be dietary differences among racial and socioeconomic groups in the United States. Methods: Using data from a representative sample of adults, we compared dietary trends among blacks and whites of varying socioeconomic status. We developed comparable measures of diet and of the consumption of macronutrients and food groups for 6061 participants in the 1965 Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys, 16,425 in the 1977-1978 Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys, and 9920 in the 1989-1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (all conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture). The primary outcome was the score (range, 0 to 16) on the Diet Quality Index, a composite of eight food-and-nutrient-based recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences. A score of 4 or less was considered to indicate a relatively more healthful diet, and a value of 10 or more a relatively less healthful diet. Results: Overall dietary quality improved in all groups, from a mean Diet Quality Index score of 7.4 in 1965 to 6.4 in 1989-1991. In 1965, blacks of low socioeconomic status and, to a lesser extent, whites of low socioeconomic status had better diets than whites of high socioeconomic status. By the 1989-1991 survey, the differences among racial and socioeconomic groups had narrowed. In 1965, 9.3 percent of whites of low socioeconomic status, 16.4 percent of blacks of low socioeconomic status, and 4.7 percent of whites of high socioeconomic status had mean scores of 4 or less. In the 1989-1991 survey, the respective percentages were 19.9, 23.5, and 20.0. Fat consumption decreased in all groups. The consumption of fruits and vegetables varied little over time, except for an increase among blacks of medium and high socioeconomic status. The consumption of grains and legumes increased over time among whites of medium and high socioeconomic status and declined among blacks of low socioeconomic status. Conclusions: In 1965, there were large differences among groups in dietary quality, with whites of high socioeconomic status eating the least healthful diet, as measured by the index, and blacks of low socioeconomic status the most healthful. By the 1989-1991 survey, the diets of all groups had improved and were relatively similar
The authors reply
No full textThe authors reply: To the editor: While preparing our response to Patterson and colleagues, we identified an error in the program that created the Diet Quality Index used in our paper. The calculation of the overall Diet Quality Index scores was affected by this error, as were the estimates of the numbers of servings of fruits and vegetables and grains and legumes
The Nutrition Transition in High and Low-Income Countries: What are the Policy Lessons?
No full textThe world has seen a remarkable shift from a period when diets, activity patterns and body composition were characterized by the period termed the receding famine pattern to one dominated by nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs). This presentation first examines the speed of these changes, summarizes dietary changes, and provides some sense of the way the burden of obesity is shifting from the rich to the poor not only in urban but also rural areas throughout the world. The focus is on the lower- and middle- income countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America but some examples will come from the United States, Australia, and the UK. After showing that changes are occurring at great speed and at earlier stages of countries' economic and social development, the presentation shifts to some of the critical policy opportunities and some example of options. Few policy lessons exist at a macro level outside of selected countries such as South Korea and Finland. Examples of ways price policy and other options might work, using Chinese longitudinal case studies, are presented. The challenge is for the agricultural economics profession to focus on this major global issue-one which challenges some of the earlier paradigms of food policy an agricultural development.diet composition, price policy, economic growth, health effects, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,
Group living homes for older people with dementia: Concept and effects
No full textEefsting, J.A. [Promotor]Pot, A.M. [Promotor]Depla, M.F.I.A. [Copromotor]Lange, J. de [Copromotor
Cementbetonnen plaatbekledingen op oevers en dijken, bundeling van artikelen uit de vakpers 1990-1991
No full textCUR; Proefproject: Open colloidaal beton a/s dijkbekleding; PT civiele techniek, april 1990. Burger, A.M., Eversdijk, P.J. en Hendriksma, A.M.; Open cementbeton toegepast a/s bekleding voor dijken; Zeewering Breskens, proefproject voor colloidaal beton; Land + Water, mei 1990. Burger, A.M., Eversdijk, P.J. en Hendriksma, A.M.; Colloidaal beton weerstaat zware storm en hoge golven; De praktijk van open cementbeton a/s Plaatbekleding; Land + Water, juni 1990. CUR; Cementbetonnen plaatbekledingen op dijken; Proefprojecten CUR; Civiele Techniek, No4, 1990. Vrieze, C.G. de; Betonnen dijken, groen a/s gras; Proeven met colloidaal beton voor begroeide rivierdijken; Land + Water No.6, juni 1991. Eversdijk, P.J. en Fase, A.G.; Breuksteen met colloidaal beton pakt rivierdijken goed in; Proefproject Opijnen in Julianakanaal; Land + Water No. 7/8, augustus 1991. Rijke, W.G. de en Burger, A.M.; Cementbetonnen plaatbekledingen op dijken en oevers; Praktische ontwerpmethode (1); Civiele Techniek, jaargang 46, No.3, 1991. Rijke, W.G. de en Burger, A.M.; Cementbetonnen plaatbekledingen op dijken en oevers theoretisch waterdicht; Praktische ontwerpmethode (2); Civiele Techniek, jaargang 46, No.4, 1991. CUR; oemonstratieproject open colloidaal beton Noordoostpolder; Civiele Techniek, No.3, 1991
Role of Chitinase 3–like 1 as a Biomarker in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
No full textBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease confined in the CNS, and its course is frequently subtle and variable. Therefore, predictive biomarkers are needed. In this scenario, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the reliability of chitinase 3–like 1 as a biomarker of MS. METHODS: Research through the main scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) published from January 2010 to December 2020 was performed using the following keywords: “chitinase 3-like 1 and multiple sclerosis” and “YKL40 and multiple sclerosis.” Articles were selected according to the 2020 updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines by 2 authors independently, and data were extracted; 20 of the 90 studies screened were included in the meta-analysis. The main efficacy measure was represented by the standardized mean difference of CSF and blood CHI3L1 levels; Review Manager version 5.4 and R software applications were used for analysis. RESULTS: Higher levels of CHI3L1 were found in CSF of 673 patients with MS compared with 336 healthy controls (size-weighted mean difference [SMD] 50.88; 95% CI = 44.98–56.79; p < 0.00001) and in 461 patients with MS than 283 patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) (SMD 28.18; 95% CI = 23.59–32.76; p < 0.00001). Mean CSF CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in 561 converting than 445 nonconverting CIS (SMD 30.6; 95% CI = 28.31–32.93; p < 0.00001). CSF CHI3L1 levels were significantly higher in patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS) than in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (SMD 43.15; 95% CI = 24.41–61.90; p < 0.00001) and in patients with secondary progressive MS (SMD 41.86 with 95% CI = 32.39–51.33; p < 0.00001). CSF CHI3L1 levels in 407 patients with MS during remission phase of disease were significantly higher than those in 395 patients with MS with acute relapse (SMD 10.48; 95% CI = 08.51–12.44; p < 0.00001). The performances of CHI3L1 in blood for differentiating patients with MS from healthy controls were not significant (SMD 0.48; 95% CI = −1.18 to 2.14; p: 0.57). DISCUSSION: CSF levels of CHI3L1 have a strong correlation with the MS pathologic course, in particular with the mechanism of progression of the disease; it helps to distinguish the PPMS from the RRMS. The potential role of CHI3L1 in serum needs to be further studied in the future
IoWoman, March/April 2004, Vol.34, no.2
No full textNewsletter for the Iowa Commission on the Status of Wome
IoWoman, March/April 2004, Vol. 34, no. 2
No full textNewsletter for the Iowa Commission on the Status of Wome
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