bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimating the cost of delivering direct nutrition interventions at scale: national and subnational level insights from India
Authors: Menon Purnima , McDonald Christine M. , Chakrabarti Suman 
Published: May 2016

AbstractIndia's national nutrition and health programmes are largely designed to provide evidence‐based nutrition‐specific interventions, but intervention coverage is low due to a combination of implementation challenges, capacity and financing gaps. Global cost estimates for nutrition are available but national and subnational costs are not. We estimated national and subnational costs of delivering recommended nutrition‐specific interventions using the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) costing approach. We compared costs of delivering the SUN interventions at 100% scale with those of nationally recommended interventions. Target populations (TP) for interventions were estimated using national population and nutrition data. Unit costs (UC) were derived from programmatic data. The cost of delivering an intervention at 100% coverage was calculated as (UC*projected TP). Cost estimates varied; estimates for SUN interventions were lower than estimates for nationally recommended interventions because of differences in choice of intervention, target group or unit cost. US$5.9bn/year are required to deliver a set of nationally recommended nutrition interventions at scale in India, while US$4.2bn are required for the SUN interventions. Cash transfers (49%) and food supplements (40%) contribute most to costs of nationally recommended interventions, while food supplements to prevent and treat malnutrition contribute most to the SUN costs. We conclude that although such costing is useful to generate broad estimates, there is an urgent need for further costing studies on the true unit costs of the delivery of nutrition‐specific interventions in different local contexts to be able to project accurate national and subnational budgets for nutrition in India.
Evidence‐based evolution of an integrated nutrition‐focused agriculture approach to address the underlying determinants of stunting
Authors: Haselow Nancy J. , Stormer Ame , Pries Alissa 
Published: May 2016

AbstractDespite progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition since the 1990s, many still suffer from undernutrition and food insecurity, particularly women and young children, resulting in preterm birth, low birthweight and stunting, among other conditions. Helen Keller International (HKI) has addressed malnutrition and household food insecurity through implementation of an Enhanced Homestead Food Production (EHFP) programme that increases year‐round availability and intake of diverse micronutrient‐rich foods and promotes optimal nutrition and hygiene practices among poor households. This paper reviews the evolution and impact of HKI's EHFP programme and identifies core components of the model that address the underlying determinants of stunting. To date, evaluations of EHFP have shown impact on food production, consumption by women and children and household food security. Sale of surplus produce has increased household income, and the use of a transformative gender approach has empowered women. EHFP has also realized nutrition improvements in many project sites. Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) in Baitadi district, Nepal showed a significant improvement in a range of practices known to impact child growth, although no impact on stunting. Additional non‐RCT evaluations in Kailali district of Nepal, demonstrated a 10.5% reduction in stunting and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, revealed an 18% decrease in stunting. Based on evidence, the EHFP has evolved into an integrated package that includes agriculture, nutrition, water/hygiene/sanitation, linkages to health care, women's empowerment, income generation and advocacy. Closing the stunting gap requires long‐term exposure to targeted multi‐sectoral solutions and rigorous evaluation to optimize impact.
Reducing stunting by improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition in regions such as South Asia: evidence, challenges and opportunities
Authors: Dewey Kathryn G. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractMeeting the high nutrient needs of pregnant and lactating women and their young children in regions such as South Asia is challenging because diets are dominated by staple foods with low nutrient density and poor mineral bioavailability. Gaps in nutritional adequacy in such populations probably date back to the agricultural revolution ~10 000 years ago. Options for improving diets during the first 1000 days include dietary diversification and increased intake of nutrient‐rich foods, improved complementary feeding practices, micronutrient supplements and fortified foods or products specifically designed for these target groups. Evidence from intervention trials indicates that several of these strategies, both prenatal and post‐natal, can have a positive impact on child growth, but results are mixed and a growth response is not always observed. Nutrition interventions, by themselves, may not result in the desired impact if the target population suffers from frequent infection, both clinical and subclinical. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying both prenatal and post‐natal growth restriction. In the meantime, implementation and rigorous evaluation of integrated interventions that address the multiple causes of stunting is a high priority. These intervention packages should ideally include improved nutrition during both pregnancy and the post‐natal period, prevention and control of prenatal and post‐natal infection and subclinical conditions that restrict growth, care for women and children and stimulation of early child development. In regions such as South Asia, such strategies hold great promise for reducing stunting and enhancing human capital formation.
Stop stunting: improving child feeding, women's nutrition and household sanitation in South Asia
Authors: Aguayo Víctor M. , Menon Purnima 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe latest available data indicate that 38% of South Asia's children aged 0–59 months are stunted. Such high prevalence combined with the region's large child population explain why South Asia bears about 40% of the global burden of stunting. Recent analyses indicate that the poor diets of children in the first years of life, the poor nutrition of women before and during pregnancy and the prevailing poor sanitation practices in households and communities are important drivers of stunting, most likely because of underlying conditions of women's status, food insecurity, poverty, and social inequalities. With this evidence in mind, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia convened the Regional Conference: Stop Stunting: Improving Child Feeding, Women's Nutrition, and Household Sanitation in South Asia (New Delhi, November 10–12, 2014). The Conference provided a knowledge‐for‐action platform with three objectives: (1) share state‐of‐the‐art research findings on the causes of child stunting and its consequences for child growth and development and the sustainable growth and development of nations; (2) discuss better practices and the cost and benefits of scaling up programmes to improve child feeding, women's nutrition, and household sanitation in South Asia; and (3) identify implications for sectoral and cross‐sectoral policy, programme, advocacy and research to accelerate progress in reducing child stunting in South Asia. This overview paper summarizes the rationale for the focus on improving child feeding, women's nutrition, and household sanitation as priority areas for investment to prevent child stunting in South Asia. It builds on the invited papers presented at or developed as a follow on to the Stop Stunting Conference.
A systematic review of the effectiveness of smartphone applications that encourage dietary self‐regulatory strategies for weight loss in overweight and obese adults
Authors: Semper H. M. , Povey R. , Clark‐Carter D. 
Published: May 2016

SummaryThe aim of this paper is to systematically review the evidence to explore whether smartphone applications that use self‐regulatory strategies are beneficial for weight loss in overweight and obese adults over the age of 18 years. Sixteen electronic databases were searched for articles published up to April 2015 including MEDLINE, OVID, Ingenta, PSYCARTICLES and PSYCINFO, CINAHL, Sportdiscus, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, JSTOR, EBSCO, Proquest, Wiley and Google Scholar. Twenty nine eligible studies were retrieved of which six studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies that recruited participants under the age of 18 years, adults with a chronic condition or did not report weight loss outcomes were excluded. Study findings were combined using a narrative synthesis. Overall, evidence suggests that smartphone applications may be a useful tool for self‐regulating diet for weight loss as participants in the smartphone application group in all studies lost at least some bodyweight. However, when compared to other self‐monitoring methods, there was no significant difference in the amount of weight lost. Findings should be interpreted with caution based on the design of the studies and the comparator groups used. Future research needs to be more methodologically rigorous and incorporate measures of whether eating habits become healthier in addition to measuring weight and BMI.
Allergic disease and Staphylococcus aureus carriage in adolescents in the Arctic region of Norway
Authors: Sørensen Martin , Wickman Magnus , Sollid Johanna U. E. , Furberg Anne‐Sofie , Klingenberg Claus 
Published: May 2016

AbstractBackgroundAllergic diseases are common chronic diseases in children and adolescents, but limited epidemiological data are available during transition into adulthood. Nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage has been linked to increased prevalence of allergic disease. The objective of this study was to define the prevalence of allergic diseases in adolescents above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway and to study the associations of S. aureus carriage with allergic diseases.MethodsA school‐based cohort in late adolescence (18–19 years) was invited to participate in a cross‐sectional study on lifestyle and health, and 868 attended (71.9%). Self‐reported allergic disease and severity of eczema were assessed by Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy and Patient‐Oriented Eczema Measure questionnaires. Participants were tested with spirometry and exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and swabbed for bacterial culture from nose and eczematous skin.ResultsWe found asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis (AR), and nasal S. aureus carriage among 11.9%, 10.4%, 26.0%, and 51.3% of the participants, respectively, and 10.2% had allergic multimorbidity. Lifetime prevalence for any allergic disease was 45.1%. Reduced lung function and increased FeNO were found in 11.6% and 22.1% in participants with asthma, respectively. Nasal S. aureus carriage was associated with eczema, severe asthma, and severe AR. FeNO > 25 ppb was associated with both asthma and nasal S. aureus carriage.ConclusionAsthma, eczema, and AR are common among adolescents above the Arctic Circle in Norway. Allergic disease is associated with S. aureus carriage, but its role in the pathogenesis and severity is not established.
Accumulation of sugars in the xylem apoplast observed under water stress conditions is controlled by xylem pH
Authors: Secchi Francesca , Zwieniecki Maciej A. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractSevere water stress constrains, or even stops, water transport in the xylem due to embolism formation. Previously, the xylem of poplar trees was shown to respond to embolism formation by accumulating carbohydrates in the xylem apoplast and dropping xylem sap pH. We hypothesize that these two processes may be functionally linked as lower pH activates acidic invertases degrading sucrose and inducing accumulation of monosaccharides in xylem apoplast. Using a novel in vivo method to measure xylem apoplast pH, we show that pH drops from ~6.2 to ~5.6 in stems of severely stressed plants and rises following recovery of stem water status. We also show that in a lower pH environment, sugars are continuously accumulating in the xylem apoplast. Apoplastic carbohydrate accumulation was reduced significantly in the presence of a proton pump blocker (orthovanadate). These observations suggest that a balance in sugar concentrations exists between the xylem apoplast and symplast that can be controlled by xylem pH and sugar concentration. We conclude that lower pH is related to loss of xylem transport function, eventually resulting in accumulation of sugars that primes stems for recovery from embolism when water stress is relieved.
Public support for invasive alien species eradication programs: insights from the Netherlands
Authors: Vane Maurice , Runhaar Hens A. C. 
Published: May 2016

AbstractOver the last few decades, the number of invasive alien species (IAS) has increased worldwide. IAS can have negative impacts on biodiversity, human health, and the economy. For a number of reasons, IAS policies and management schemes that have been implemented have not been sufficient to tackle the problem. In this article, we focus on IAS eradication and a main obstacle to eradication, namely a lack of public support. By analyzing three specific cases of IAS eradication in the Netherlands (Indian house crow; Pallas's squirrel; and American bullfrog), we show how factors initially affecting public support for eradication interact with each other and influence the effectiveness of the measures that IAS eradication managers implement in order to achieve support for their eradication programs. Our analysis provides a better understanding of the manipulability of factors affecting public support. Finally, it reveals concrete measures that IAS managers can implement in order to gain public support. A lesson for IAS eradication managers is that they can effectively aim for support for eradication, even if low public support for eradication is to be expected in first instance. In addition, this article provides insight into practical measures that IAS eradication managers can implement.
Cleaning up after human activity in Antarctica: legal obligations and remediation realities
Authors: Hodgson‐Johnston Indi , Jackson Andrew , Jabour Julia , Press Anthony 
Published: May 2016

AbstractNational Antarctic Programmes do not have a strict legal obligation to remediate the Antarctic environment following human activity. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the “Madrid Protocol”) obliges parties to conduct environmental impact assessments to prevent adverse impacts on the polar environment and to “clean up” pollution from waste disposal sites. The obligations stemming from the Madrid Protocol are not clearly defined, and give potential scope for parties to neglect past sites of human activity on the continent. This scope is narrowed by the work of the Committee for Environmental Protection in implementing clear practical clean‐up guidelines for National Antarctic Programmes based on scientific‐based recommendations from the Antarctic Treaty Parties. Despite better modern practice, Parties are still faced with damage from past activities. Some of these sites are deemed to be “beyond help.” This article proposes that rather than abandoning waste disposal sites because of widely acknowledged difficulties, that National Antarctic Programmes prioritize research into restorative methodologies and techniques, while increasing cooperation with other parties to overcome the enormous logistical and economic costs of cleaning up pollution in Antarctica.
Evidence of benefits from using fresh and cryopreserved blood to transfuse patients with acute sickle cell disease
Authors: Chadebech Philippe , de Ménorval Marie‐Amélie , Bodivit Gwellaouen , Mekontso‐Dessap Armand , Pakdaman Sadaf , Jouard Alicia , Galactéros Frédéric , Bierling Philippe , Habibi Anoosha , Pirenne France 
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUNDThe transfusion of red blood cell (RBC) concentrates is the main treatment for acute vaso‐occlusive symptoms in sickle cell disease (SCD). Units of packed RBCs (pRBCs) must retain optimal characteristics for transfusion throughout the storage period. Transfused RBCs interact with the plasma and the endothelium that lines blood vessels and may be the target of immune‐hematologic conflict if the patient produces antibodies against RBCs. Questions remain concerning the benefit‐risk balance of RBC transfusions, in particular about the shelf‐life of the units.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSPlasma samples from 33 hemoglobin SS patients with SCD who had severe acute‐phase symptoms or were in steady‐state were put in contact with 10 fresh‐stored and older stored samples from the same 10 RBC units. The factors affecting RBC survival (phosphatidylserine exposure, cytosolic calcium influx, cell size reduction) were analyzed.RESULTSWe show that the effects of plasma samples from patients with SCD on pRBCs depend on the clinical condition of the patients and the duration of red cell storage. Signs of RBC senescence were correlated with the clinical status of the patient from whom the plasma sample was obtained. A decrease in RBC size and an increase in phosphatidylserine exposure were correlated with the duration of RBC storage. The behavior of cryopreserved pRBCs was similar to that of fresh refrigerated RBCs when challenged with patient plasma samples.CONCLUSIONThe key points of this study are that the clinical condition of patients with SCD can negatively affect the integrity of pRBCs for transfusion, and those effects increase with longer storage. Also, cryopreserved pRBCs behave similarly to fresh RBCs when challenged with plasma samples from patients with SCD in acute phase. Our data provide the first evidence that fresh RBCs stored for short periods may be of greater benefit to patients with SCD than RBCs that have been refrigerated for longer periods, particularly for those who have acute symptoms of SCD.
Cryoprecipitate indications and patterns of use in the pediatric intensive care unit: inappropriate transfusions and lack of standardization
Authors: DeSimone Robert A. , Nellis Marianne E. , Goel Ruchika , Haas Thorsten , Vasovic Ljiljana , Cushing Melissa M. 
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUNDThe dosage and indications for cryoprecipitate are not well studied for any patient population. Prior observational studies have suggested that 24% to 62% of cryoprecipitate transfusions are inappropriate, and there is limited information on patterns of cryoprecipitate use in children. The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the indications and appropriateness of the use of cryoprecipitate in critically ill children.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records for cryoprecipitate ordering and utilization in the pediatric intensive care unit at a large tertiary care center during a 4.5‐year period.RESULTSFor the 44 patients receiving cryoprecipitate, the only indication was for fibrinogen replacement and the most common clinical scenarios were recent cardiac surgery (39%) and disseminated intravascular coagulation in the setting of sepsis (32%). Cryoprecipitate was often transfused empirically at higher‐than‐recommended doses without a known pretransfusion fibrinogen level, and the majority (61%) of cryoprecipitate transfusions were deemed inappropriate according to our institutional guidelines. The indications selected for cryoprecipitate by providers during physician order entry matched the clinical scenario, assessed by chart and laboratory data review, in only 18% of patients. There was no significant difference in red blood cell usage in the 6‐hour windows before and after cryoprecipitate transfusion.CONCLUSIONOur study demonstrates a lack of standardization for the use of cryoprecipitate in critically ill children, including many inappropriate transfusions at higher‐than‐recommended dosing. Prospective randomized clinical trials are warranted to help determine appropriate indications and efficacious cryoprecipitate dosing in the pediatric population.
English in language ideologies, attitudes, and educational practices in Kenya and South Africa
Authors: KAMWANGAMALU NKONKO , TOVARES ALLA 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTIn this paper we discuss language‐in‐education practices, along with the ideologies and attitudes that undergird them, in the two countries. The focus is on the ideology of development, the essence of which is captured in the second epigraph: An education through the medium of English brings about employment, literacy, and development, personal success and upward social mobility. We discuss these presumed outcomes in the context of Kenya and South Africa, and argue that the language remains accessible only to a select few, the elite, and so do literacy and socioeconomic development.
THERMAL EFFECTS OF PRENATAL ULTRASOUND EXPOSURE ON PARATHYROID HORMONE SECRETION OF ORYCTOLAGUS CUNICULUS AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH SERUM BIOCHEMICAL REACTIONS AND BONE VOLUME
Authors: Iza Nurzawani C. I. , Sulaiman M. 
Published: May 2016

Calcium is the most essential element to provide energy to the body system and PTH secretion is responsible for the calcium regulations. PTH imbalance can cause serious medical conditions. Heat is one of the factors that is able to cause disturbance in the PTH secretion. As ultrasound has the potential to produce heat, its imprudent use during pregnancy may cause disturbance in the formation of the parathyroid gland. This study was done using young-aged oryctolagus cuniculus to evaluate PTH secretion and its correlation with the biochemical reaction and bone volume. New Zealand White rabbits were time-mated and exposed to 30, 60 and 90 minutes of prenatal ultrasound at 1st, 2nd and 3rd stage of gestation accordingly. The control group was left for full term delivery without receive ultrasound exposure. In 1 month-aged subject, the lowest PTH level which significantly different from the control was noted after exposed prenatally in the 1st stage for 90min (3.56Â±0.75). Meanwhile, in the 5 months-aged subject, the lowest PTH level was noted in the 3rd stage group after 90min of exposure (2.98Â±0.62). The reduction in PTH was found to affect the biochemical reactions, but not the bone volume. Â Â
IMMERSIVE BICYCLE GAME FOR HEALTH VIRTUAL TOUR OF UIN MAULANA MALIK IBRAHIM MALANG
Authors: Faisal Muhammad , Nurhayati Hani , M. Arif Yunifa , Kurniawan Fahrul , Nugroho Fressy 
Published: May 2016

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the world. More than 10 million people worldwide The goal of this research is to promote UIN Maliki Malang using immersive tools bicycle for human health. The system developed using combination of bicycle and computer with various sensors on the wheels, steering and brakes. The device consists of a mountain bike in front of the monitor are useful to display virtual Tour. Childrenâ€™s reactions to the virtual peer indicate that their virtual peer framework is a promising platform for future behavioral studies of peer influences on childrenâ€™s bicycle riding behavior.Â The system results shows immersive bicycle road in UIN Maliki Malang area. This system is useful for refreshing and relaxing human body.