Consumption of animal source foods,especially fish,is associated with better nutritional status among women of reproductive age in rural Bangladesh

In rural Bangladesh, intake of nutrient-rich foods, such as animal source foods (ASFs), is generally suboptimal. Diets low in nutrients and lacking in diversity put women of reproductive age (WRA) at risk of malnutrition as well as adverse birth outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between maternal dietary diversity, consumption of specific food groups and markers of nutritional status, including underweight [body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m²], overweight (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m²) and anaemia (haemoglobin < 120 g/dl) among WRA in Bangladesh. This analysis used data from the third round of a longitudinal observational study, collected from February through May of 2017. Dietary data were collected with a questionnaire, and Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) was calculated. Associations between WDDS, food group consumption and markers of nutritional status were assessed with separate adjusted logistic regression models. Among WRA, the prevalence of underweight, overweight and anaemia was 13.38%, 40.94% and 39.99%, respectively. Women who consumed dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) or eggs were less likely to be anaemic or underweight, respectively, and women who consumed ASFs, particularly fish, were less likely to be underweight compared with women who did not consume these foods. WDDS did not show any consistent relationship with WRA outcomes. Interventions that focus on promoting optimal nutritional status among WRA in Bangladesh should emphasise increasing consumption of specific nutrient-rich foods, including ASFs, DGLV and eggs, rather than solely focusing on improving diet diversity in general.     

The role of ghrelin and growth hormone secretagogues receptor on rat adipogenesis

Recent research progress indicates a close link between ghrelin, a natural ligand of GH secretagogues receptor (GHS-R), and both the metabolic balance and body composition. To clarify the involvement of ghrelin and GHS-R in the process of adipogenesis, we measured the expression of GHS-R and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPAR-gamma 2) mRNA in rat adipocytes using semiquantitative RT-PCR methods. The levels of GHS-R mRNA increased by up to 4-fold in adipose tissue from epididymal and parametrial regions as the rat aged from 4-20 wk and were significantly elevated during the differentiation of preadipocytes in vitro. Ghrelin (10(-8) M for 10 d) stimulated the activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the differentiation of rat preadipocytes in vitro. Ghrelin treatment also significantly increased the levels of PPAR-gamma 2 mRNA in primary cultured rat differentiated adipocytes. In addition, isoproterenol (10(-8) M, 40 min)-stimulated lipolysis was significantly reduced by simultaneous ghrelin treatment in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. In conclusion, the expression of GHS-R in rat adipocytes increases with the age and during adipogenesis. Ghrelin in vitro stimulates the differentiation of preadipocytes and antagonizes lipolysis. Ghrelin may therefore play an important role in the process of adipogenesis in rats.     

Was RA Fisher Right?

Randomized controlled trials have become the most respected scientific tool to measure the effectiveness of a medical therapy. The design, conduct and analysis of randomized controlled trials were developed by Sir Ronald A. Fisher, a mathematician in Great Britain. Fisher propounded that the process of randomization would equally distribute all the known and even unknown covariates in the two or more comparison groups, so that any difference observed could be ascribed to treatment effect. Today, we observe that in many situations, this prediction of Fisher does not stand true; hence, adaptive randomization schedules have been designed to adjust for major imbalance in important covariates. Present essay unravels some weaknesses inherent in Fisherian concept of randomized controlled trial.     

Capacity for Freedom—A New Way of Measuring Poverty Amongst Australian Children

A little over 200 000 children and youths in Australia between the ages of 5 and 19 years were in Freedom poverty in 2003—they had low family income, and either poor health or an insufficient level of education. These individuals are some of the most disadvantaged in society due to their multiple capability restrictions. Current political rhetoric focused on increasing the education opportunities of children and youth to maximise their labour force participation in the future and thus improve their living standards may offer a means of improving the lives of these most disadvantaged children. However, half of these children have poor health and this may act as a barrier to their future labour force participation. It is shown that when looking at the health, education and labour force status of adults, amongst those with and without a disability those with a higher education had a greater likelihood of participating in the labour force—indicating policies to promote education amongst children are justified. However, it was also shown that regardless of education attainment those with a disability still had lower labour force participation rates than those without a disability. As such, efforts to increase children’s future labour force participation rates as a means of improving their living standards should also focus on improving childhood health, as well as education. Political promises to improve the lives of children should take a holistic view of the lives of individuals taking note in particular of how health may be restraining their quality of life.     

RNA viruses in community-acquired childhood pneumonia in semi-urban Nepal; a cross-sectional study

Background  

Pneumonia is among the main causes of illness and death in children <5 years of age. There is a need to better describe the epidemiology of viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in developing countries.