From menarche to menopause: A population-based assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene risk factors for reproductive tract infection symptoms over life stages in rural girls and women in India.

Women face greater challenges than men in accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources to address their daily needs, and may respond to these challenges by adopting unsafe practices that increase the risk of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). WASH practices may change as women transition through socially-defined life stage experiences, like marriage and pregnancy. Thus, the relationship between WASH practices and RTIs might vary across female reproductive life stages. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between WASH exposures and self-reported RTI symptoms in 3,952 girls and women from two rural districts in India, and tested whether social exposures represented by reproductive life stage was an effect modifier of associations. In fully adjusted models, RTI symptoms were less common in women using a latrine without water for defecation versus open defecation (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.69; Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.48, 0.98) and those walking shorter distances to a bathing location (OR = 0.79, CI = 0.63, 0.99), but there was no association between using a latrine with a water source and RTIs versus open defecation (OR = 1.09; CI = 0.69, 1.72). Unexpectedly, RTI symptoms were more common for women bathing daily with soap (OR = 6.55, CI = 3.60, 11.94) and for women washing their hands after defecation with soap (OR = 10.27; CI = 5.53, 19.08) or ash/soil/mud (OR = 6.02; CI = 3.07, 11.77) versus water only or no hand washing. WASH practices of girls and women varied across reproductive life stages, but the associations between WASH practices and RTI symptoms were not moderated by or confounded by life stage status. This study provides new evidence that WASH access and practices are associated with self-reported reproductive tract infection symptoms in rural Indian girls and women from different reproductive life stages. However, the counterintuitive directions of effect for soap use highlights that causality and mechanisms of effect cannot be inferred from this study design. Future research is needed to understand whether improvements in water and sanitation access could improve the practice of safe hygiene behaviors and reduce the global burden of RTIs in women

Report from the second cytomegalovirus and immunosenescence workshop.

The Second International Workshop on CMV & Immunosenescence was held in Cambridge, UK, 2-4th December, 2010. The presentations covered four separate sessions: cytomegalovirus and T cell phenotypes; T cell memory frequency, inflation and immunosenescence; cytomegalovirus in aging, mortality and disease states; and the immunobiology of cytomegalovirus-specific T cells and effects of the virus on vaccination. This commentary summarizes the major findings of these presentations and references subsequently published work from the presenter laboratory where appropriate and draws together major themes that were subsequently discussed along with new areas of interest that were highlighted by this discussion.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Seropositivity to Cytomegalovirus, Inflammation, All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease-Related Mortality in the United States

Studies have suggested that CMV infection may influence cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality. However, there have been no large-scale examinations of these relationships among demographically diverse populations. The inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is also linked with CVD outcomes and mortality and may play an important role in the pathway between CMV and mortality. We utilized a U.S. nationally representative study to examine whether CMV infection is associated with all-cause and CVD-related mortality. We also assessed whether CRP level mediated or modified these relationships., 2006 (N = 14153) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988–1994). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause and CVD-related mortality by CMV serostatus. After adjusting for multiple confounders, CMV seropositivity remained statistically significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.41). The association between CMV and CVD-related mortality did not achieve statistical significance after confounder adjustment. CRP did not mediate these associations. However, CMV seropositive individuals with high CRP levels showed a 30.1% higher risk for all-cause mortality and 29.5% higher risk for CVD-related mortality compared to CMV seropositive individuals with low CRP levels.CMV was associated with a significant increased risk for all-cause mortality and CMV seropositive subjects who also had high CRP levels were at substantially higher risk for both for all-cause and CVD-related mortality than subjects with low CRP levels. Future work should target the mechanisms by which CMV infection and low-level inflammation interact to yield significant impact on mortality

Gender differentials in prevalence and distribution of BMI categories among older adults in various strata of society in India

The study aims to estimate the prevalence of underweight, overweight and identified the gender differentials among various strata of 50 years and above older populations in India. A national representative cross-sectional data of n=7273 older adults from WHO’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE wave1) India, was used. Underweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) <18.5 Kg/M2 and >25 Kg/M2 as overweight. A wealth index was created by cumulating the inverse proportion rate of assets acquired by individuals. The various stratifying axes comprised age, caste, and wealth. Bi-variable cross-tabulation with Chi-squared tests was used to test the differences in the distribution of nutritional status across various strata. 35.5% were underweight, 49.7% were normal weight and 14.7% were overweight. Most women were overweight (10.9% men~18.6% women, p<0.001), and fewer women were underweight (36.5% men~34.5% women, p<0.001) reflecting a gendered difference in nutritional status. Further, there was a dose-response relationship in nutritional status. The distribution across the caste groups was significantly graded, privileged being more overweight and less privileged being underweight. A similar pattern of hierarchical difference was seen for the wealth index

Synthesis of a new polymorph in [Cu(pyridine-2-carboxylate)₂] system

1656-1660Single crystal X-ray studies on a doubly carboxylate bridged {[Cu(pic)₂].2H₂O}ո (1) (pic = pyridine-2-carboxylate) polymeric chains extending along the crystallographic a axis reveal that adjacent polymeric chains are joined by the lattice water chains running parallel to the polymeric chain leading to a 2D sheet in the (101) plane. The successive sheets are interdigitated and glued to each other by a novel C=O…π interaction into a 3D supramolecular motif. The complex (1) can be regarded as a pseudo-polymorph of [Cu(pic)₂]ո which has been realized in two forms, violet (2) and blue-violet (3) from methanol

Characteristics of Households’ Vulnerability to Extreme Heat: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study from India

High ambient temperature is a key public health problem, as it is linked to high heat-related morbidity and mortality. We intended to recognize the characteristics connected to heat vulnerability and the coping practices among Indian urbanites of Angul and Kolkata. In 2020, a cross-sectional design was applied to 500 households (HHs) each in Angul and Kolkata. Information was gathered on various characteristics including sociodemographics, household, exposure, sensitivity, and coping practices regarding heat and summer heat illness history, and these characteristics led to the computation of a heat vulnerability index (HVI). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used with HVI as the outcome variable to identify the determinants of high vulnerability to heat. The results show that some common and some different factors are responsible for determining the heat vulnerability of a household across different cities. For Angul, the factors that influence vulnerability are a greater number of rooms in houses, the use of cooling methods such as air conditioning, having comorbid conditions, the gender of the household head, and distance from nearby a primary health centre (PHC). For Kolkata, the factors are unemployment, income, the number of rooms, sleeping patterns, avoidance of nonvegetarian food, sources of water, comorbidities, and distance from a PHC. The study shows that every city has a different set of variables that influences vulnerability, and each factor should be considered in design plans to mitigate vulnerability to extreme heat

Aging children of longâ lived parents experience slower cognitive decline

BackgroundParental longevity confers lower risks for some ageâ related diseases in offspring. We tested the association between parental longevity and lateâ life cognitive decline or dementia.MethodsData were from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a US national sample. Biennial cognitive assessment (Telephone Interview of Cognitive Statusâ Modified [TICSâ m]) occurred for ages 64 years or older in 1996 through 2008 (maximum, 79 years), including physicianâ diagnosed memory disorder. Offspring were categorized into parental longevity groups based on genderâ specific distributional cut points. Model covariates included race, respondents’ education, and income status during childhood and adulthood.ResultsOffspring groups did not differ on TICSâ m scores at baseline. During followâ up, offspring of two longâ lived parents experienced 40% slower rates of TICSâ m decline than those with no longâ lived parents (95% confidence interval, 12â 72; P = .003; n = 4731). Increased parental longevity was also associated with lower risk of physicianâ diagnosed memory disorder. Estimates did not change after controlling for environmental variables.ConclusionsParental longevity is associated inversely with cognitive decline and selfâ reported diagnosed memory disorders in aging offspring. Parental longevity may be a valuable trait for identifying early biomarkers for resistance to cognitive decline in aging.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153076/1/alzjjalz201307002.pd

Assessment of effectiveness of DAMaN: A malaria intervention program initiated by Government of Odisha, India.

India, a persistently significant contributor to the global malaria burden, rolled out several anti-malaria interventions at the national and state level to control and recently, to eliminate the disease. Odisha, the eastern Indian state with the highest malaria burden experienced substantial gains shown by various anti-malaria initiatives implemented under the National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). However, recalcitrant high-transmission "pockets" of malaria persist in hard-to-reach stretches of the state, characterised by limited access to routine malaria surveillance and the forested hilly topography favouring unbridled vector breeding. The prevalence of asymptomatic malaria in such pockets serves as perpetual malaria reservoir, thus hindering its elimination. Therefore, a project with the acronym DAMaN was initiated since 2017 by state NVBDCP, targeting locally identified high endemic 'pockets' in 23 districts. DAMaN comprised biennial mass screening and treatment, provisioning of long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) and behavioural change communication. Subsequently, to inform policy, assessment of DAMaN was conceived that aims to estimate the coverage of the various components of the project; the prevalence of malaria, even at sub-patent level especially among pregnant/lactating women and children; and its impact on malaria incidence. A survey of DAMaN beneficiaries will measure coverage; and knowledge and practices related to LLIN; along with collection of blood specimens from a probability sample. A multi-stage stratified clustered sample of 2228 households (~33% having pregnant/lactating women) will be selected from 6 DAMaN districts. Routine DAMaN project data (2017-2018) and NVBDCP data (2013-2018) will be extracted. Rapid Diagnostic Test, Polymerase Chain Reaction and blood smear microscopy will be conducted to detect malarial parasitemia. In addition to measuring DAMaN's coverage and malarial prevalence in DAMaN pockets, its impact will be estimated using pre-post differences and Interrupted Time Series analysis using 2017 as the "inflection" point. The assessment may help to validate the unique strategies employed by DAMaN

Data from: Trends in malaria in Odisha, India—an analysis of the 2003-2013 time-series data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program

Background: Although Odisha is the largest contributor to the malaria burden in India, no systematic study has examined its malaria trends. Hence, the spatio-temporal trends in malaria in Odisha were assessed against the backdrop of the various anti-malaria strategies implemented in the state. Methods: Using the district-wise malaria incidence and blood examination data (2003-2013) from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program, blood examination-adjusted time-trends in malaria incidence were estimated and predicted for 2003-2013 and 2014-2016, respectively. An interrupted time series analysis using segmented regression was conducted to compare the disease trends between the pre (2003-2007) and post-intensification (2009-2013) periods. Key-informant interviews of state stakeholders were used to collect the information on the various anti-malaria strategies adopted in the state. Results: The state annual malaria incidence declined from 10.82/1000 to 5.28/1000 during 2003-2013 (adjusted annual decline: -0.54/1000, 95% CI: -0.78 to -0.30). However, the annual blood examination rate remained almost unchanged from 11.25% to 11.77%. The key-informants revealed that intensification of anti-malaria activities in 2008 led to a more rapid decline in malaria incidence during 2009-2013 as compared to that in 2003-2007 [adjusted decline: -0.83 (-1.30 to -0.37) and -0.27 (-0.41 to -0.13), respectively]. There was a significant difference in the two temporal slopes, i.e., -0.054 (-0.10 to -0.002, p=0.04) per 1000 population per month, between these two periods, indicating almost a 200% greater decline in the post-intensification period. Although, the seven southern high-burden districts registered the highest decline, they continued to remain in that zone, thereby, making the achievement of malaria elimination (incidence <1/1000) unlikely by 2017. Conclusion: The anti-malaria strategies in Odisha, especially their intensification since 2008, have helped improve its malaria situation in recent years. These successful measures need to be sustained and perhaps intensified further for eliminating malaria from Odisha