Adequacy of micronutrient content of south eastern Nigerian meals in meeting the nutritional needs of vulnerable groups

The Zinc (Zn), iron Fe) and copper (Cu) contents and their bioavailability in south-eastern Nigerian meals were evaluated. Their adequacy in meeting the nutritional requirements of pregnant and lactating women and preschool children were determined. Mineral content was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer after dry ashing. Phytate was determined by the ion exchange method. The bioavailability of Zn was evaluated using the phytate: Zn molar ratio (PZMR). Bioavailability of iron was determined by the in vitro procedure involving a simulated gastrointestinal digestion followed by dialysis. Portion sizes of meals consumed by these vulnerable groups were obtained during an interview and validated using data obtained from food consumption surveys. The amount of Zn and Fe in such portions were calculated and compared with the recommended intakes. Zn content of the meals ranged from 1.18mg to 4.99mg/100g, Fe from 1.10mg to 3.31mg/100g and Cu from 0.03mg to 0.21mg/100g edible portion or as consumed. Phytate levels varied from 4.11mg to 53.05mg/100g. The PZMR of the meals and serving portions wer

Effect of some maternal dietary practices on neonatal birth weight in rural and urban areas of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Background: Maternal dietary practices and the resultant nutritional status is a major determinant of the pace and balance of foetal growth, with effects that have adverse consequence later in infancy and adulthood. Objectives: The study assessed the effect of some maternal dietary practices on neonatal birth weight in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Material and Methods: The study involved 395 singleton babies delivered in five (5) randomly selected hospitals in the State. Anthropometric measurements of the neonates were taken at birth using standard methods. Data on maternal dietary practices (meal skipping, snacking habit, craving habit and food forbidding habit and other socioeconomic and socio-cultural information were obtained using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and validated pretested questionnaire. The data obtained were analysed using appropriate statistics. Result: The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW=<2.5kg) was 4.8%. There was a significant difference (P=0.03) in the prevalence of LBW between urban (8.5%) and rural (3.2%) neonates. There were no significant (P>0.05) difference in the meal skipping habits, snacking pattern and food craving of rural and urban mothers; however, there were significant differences in the reasons for these habits. Significantly (P<0.001) more rural (43.9%) compared to urban mothers (8.5%) forbid some foods. The 24-hour recall of foods consumed showed that 60% had eaten food from the starchy food group, 25% from the meat/legume group, 50% vegetables and 53% fruit group. These practices had no effect on birth weight except for cultural adherence to forbidden foods. More LBW neonates (11%) were found among mothers who forbid some food than those who did not (3.8%), indicating that cultural practices have detrimental effects on birth outcome. Conclusion: This calls for intensive nutrition education by professional Nutritionists/Dietitians

Development and Sustainability of Eastern Mediterranean Region and South African National Food Composition Databases

Introduction: The World Health Organization’s (WHO)-Eastern Mediterranean Region Office (EMRO) aims to reduce the consumption of sugar, fat (saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids) and salt; and decrease the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). To address this Quadram Institute Bioscience is working jointly with WHO-EMRO in providing training and capacity development to national experts, leading to standardized, harmonized, comprehensive, open access Food Composition Data (FCD) to underpin food and nutrition programs and policies in these low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Materials and Methods: By identifying specific regional needs for FCD compilation, detailed training workshops were developed to enable the production of vital high-quality harmonised data in the EMR including: Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, and Jordan. Training on standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake methods, biomarkers, analytical methods and FCD tools were provided by experts from UK, Serbia, Portugal and WHO-EMRO, via knowledge exchange workshops and short-term training exchange of researchers. Results: A total of 45 FCD expert compilers from 13 countries attended 2 workshops and 3 training exchanges. Knowledge transfer consisted of: value documentation; quality assessment; online food composition data tools; food classification and description of composite dishes; recipe calculation; yield and retention factors; and laboratory food analysis (vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D2, D3 and E, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, fibre). FCD from 6 countries was standardized using the EuroFIR data template and Theasuri (standardised vocabularies). The final datasets from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Tunisia and Morocco were made available via FoodExplorer an innovative interface for FCD which allows users to search information from food composition data simultaneously across many countries. Discussion: The use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake will produce robust measurements that will reinforce dietary monitoring and policy in LMIC. The capacity building from this project has led to searchable national food composition data from LMIC being made available as open access form for the first time. WHO-EMRO, is funding further updates of FCD tables in Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, and UAE, with the focus on identifying TFA, SFA, salt and sugar in addition to micronutrients.Project supported by Global Challenges Research Funds (UK) and Medical Research Council (MR/R019576/1), is grateful to WHO EMRO.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An increased abundance of tumor-infiltrating regulatory t cells is correlated with the progression and prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) can inhibit cytotoxic responses. Though several studies have analyzed Treg frequency in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients using flow cytometry (FCM), few studies have examined how intratumoral Tregs might contribute to immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, the potential role of intratumoral Tregs in PDA patients remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that the percentages of Tregs, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were all increased significantly in tumor tissue compared to control pancreatic tissue, as assessed via FCM, whereas the percentages of these cell types in PBMCs did not differ between PDA patients and healthy volunteers. The percentages of CD8 + T cells in tumors were significantly lower than in PDA patient PBMCs. In addition, the relative numbers of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs and CD8+ T cells were negatively correlated in the tissue of PDA patients, and the abundance of Tregs was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation. Additionally, Foxp3+ T cells were observed more frequently in juxtatumoral stroma (immediately adjacent to the tumor epithelial cells). Patients showing an increased prevalence of Foxp3+ T cells had a poorer prognosis, which was an independent factor for patient survival. These results suggest that Tregs may promote PDA progression by inhibiting the antitumor immunity of CD8+ T cells at local intratumoral sites. Moreover, a high proportion of Tregs in tumor tissues may reflect suppressed antitumor immunity. Copyright: © 2014 Tang et al

The Recognition of and Care Seeking Behaviour for Childhood Illness in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Background: Pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria are among the leading causes of death in children. These deaths are largely preventable if appropriate care is sought early. This review aimed to determine the percentage of caregivers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a child less than 5 years who were able to recognise illness in their child and subsequently sought care from different types of healthcare providers. Methods and Findings: We conducted a systematic literature review of studies that reported recognition of, and/or care seeking for episodes of diarrhoea, pneumonia or malaria in LMICs. The review is registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42011001654). Ninety-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen studies reported data on caregiver recognition of disease and seventy-seven studies on care seeking. The median sensitivity of recognition of diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia was low (36.0%, 37.4%, and 45.8%, respectively). A median of 73.0% of caregivers sought care outside the home. Care seeking from community health workers (median: 5.4% for diarrhoea, 4.2% for pneumonia, and 1.3% for malaria) and the use of oral rehydration therapy (median: 34%) was low. Conclusions: Given the importance of this topic to child survival programmes there are few published studies. Recognition of diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia by caregivers is generally poor and represents a key factor to address in attempts to improve health care utilisation. In addition, considering that oral rehydration therapy has been widely recommended for over forty years, its use remains disappointingly low. Similarly, the reported levels of care seeking from community health workers in the included studies are low even though global action plans to address these illnesses promote community case management. Giving greater priority to research on care seeking could provide crucial evidence to inform child mortality programmes

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Body weight perception among Igbo people in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

This study was carried out to determine the body weight perception of Igbo people in University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) community. The study evaluated the body weight perception among age groups and sex categories of UNN staff and students. It examined the relationship between perception of body weight among the Igbo in UNN community and actual weight status (Body Mass Index). A cross-sectional survey was conducted to achieve the objectives of the study using 390 students and 80 members of staff. Five hundred validated questionnaires were used to obtain information on their attitude towards their weight status and perception. The questionnaire was randomly distributed and 470 were returned completed. The SPSS computer package was used to analyse the data. The results revealed a non-significant difference between age and body weight perception [P> 0.05]. This showed that the subjects appreciated their body weight. There was no significant difference between gender and body weight perception. Forty nine percent (49.1%) of the subjects had normal body mass index (BMI). When disaggregated, 205 (52.6%) students and 26 (32.5%) staff members had normal BMI, respectively. The students were more underweight and obese than the staff. There was a significant difference between socio-economic status, BMI and body weight perception (X2 = 22.94,

Variations in Nutrients Composition of Most Commonly Consumed Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Mixed Dishes in South-Eastern Nigeria

Variations in nutrient composition of most commonly consumed cassava (Manihot esculenta) mixed dishes in South-eastern Nigeria were determined. Four communities were randomly selected from each of the five states in the South-east. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in each of the communities to determine commonly consumed foods and variations in recipes. 24-Hour dietary recall was conducted using 50 randomly selected households in those communities. Recipes collected during the FGD were standardized, prepared, and chemically analysed using standard methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Cassava-based dishes were the most commonly consumed in South-eastern Nigeria. Ninety-two percent of the study population ate cassava either in form of “fufu” (fermented cassava meal)/garri (fermented and roasted cassava meal) with soup or as “abacha” (tapioca salad). Commonly consumed soups were melon (Citrullus vulgaris) seeds, “ora” (Pterocarpus soyauxii), and vegetable soups. Seven melon seed, six “ora,” and four vegetable soups and five “abacha” variations were identified. Except for vegetable soup, coefficient of variation for moisture was <10%, while large variations (19–71%) were observed for energy and nutrients. These variations in cassava-based dishes need to be reflected in the country-specific food composition database to enable nutrient intake assessment or provision of dietary guidance using such food composition database as a reference material to be more effective