Explicating the Social Mechanisms Linking Alcohol Use Behaviors and Ecology to Child Maltreatment

This paper begins to describe and explicate the specific mechanisms by which alcohol use and the alcohol use environment contribute to specific types of child maltreatment. These mechanisms relating alcohol outlet densities to child maltreatment described here include effects on social disorganization, parent\u27s drinking behaviors, and parental supervision. By investigating potential mechanisms, new information could be obtained on the importance and role of alcohol and its availability in the etiology of child maltreatment. This knowledge can be used to further tailor interventions to those conditions most likely to prevent and reduce maltreatment

The Geography of Drug Market Activities and Child Maltreatment

This study examines how drug market activities place children at risk for maltreatment over space and time. Data were collected for 95 Census tracts in Sacramento, California over seven years and were analyzed using Bayesian space-time models. Referrals for child maltreatment investigations were less likely to occur in places where current drug market activity was present. However, past year local and spatially lagged drugs sales were positively related to referrals. After the investigative phase, Census tracts with more drug sales had higher numbers of substantiations, and those with more possessions also had more entries into foster care. The temporal delay between drug sales and child maltreatment referrals may indicate that the surveillance systems designed to protect children may not be responsive to changing neighborhood conditions or be indicative of the time it takes for the detrimental effects of the drug use to appear

Sugar intake and dental decay : results from a national survey of children in Scotland

Peer reviewedPreprin

Dietary patterns of school-age children in Scotland : association with socio-economic indicators, physical activity and obesity

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Open access and predatory publishing: a survey of the publishing practices of academic pharmacists and nurses in the United States

Objective: Academics are under great pressure to publish their research, the rewards for which are well known (tenure, promotion, grant funding, professional prestige). As open access publishing gains acceptance as a publishing option, researchers may choose a “predatory publisher.” The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivations and rationale of pharmacy and nursing academics in the United States to publish in open access journals that may be considered “predatory.” Methods: A 26-item questionnaire was programmed in Qualtrics and distributed electronically to approximately 4,500 academic pharmacists and nurses, 347 of whom completed questionnaires (~8%). Pairwise correlations were performed followed by a logistic regression to evaluate statistical associations between participant characteristics and whether participants had ever paid an article processing fee (APF). Results: Participants who had published more articles, were more familiar with predatory publishing, and who were more concerned about research metrics and tenure were more likely to have published in open access journals. Moderate to high institutional research intensity has an impact on the likelihood of publishing open access. The majority of participants who acknowledged they had published in a predatory journal took no action after realizing the journal was predatory and reported no negative impact on their career for having done so. Conclusion The results of this study provide data and insight into publication decisions made by pharmacy and nursing academics. Gaining a better understanding of who publishes in predatory journals and why can help address the problems associated with predatory publishing at the root

Urban Egyptian Women Aged 19-30 Years Display Nutrition Transition-Like Dietary Patterns, with High Energy and Sodium Intakes, and Insufficient Iron, Vitamin D, and Folate Intakes.

BACKGROUND: Recent changes in Egyptian dietary habits can be attributed to more urban and sedentary lifestyles and to alterations in the dietary and economic context. The mean BMI of Egyptian women is one of the highest worldwide, and 50% have iron deficiency. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to quantify food and nutrient intakes of urban Egyptian women and conduct a detailed analysis of micronutrients commonly consumed in inadequate amounts, such as iron, vitamin D, and folate. METHODS: Urban Egyptian women aged 19-30 y (n = 130) were recruited during 2016-2017. Energy needs were estimated using the Henry equation, assuming a low physical activity level (1.4). Dietary intakes and iron bioavailability were estimated from a 4-d food diary. Macronutrient intakes were compared with WHO/FAO population goals and micronutrient intakes with Egyptian recommendations. Iron needs were determined for each subject. RESULTS: The mean BMI (kg/m2) was 27.9 ± 4.9. The mean total energy intake (TEI; 2389 ± 715 kcal/d) was significantly higher than needs (2135 ± 237 kcal/d; P = 0.00018). Total fat (33%TEI) and SFA (11%TEI) intakes were slightly higher than population goals (15-30%TEI and <10%TEI, respectively). Diets provided 18 ± 8 g/d of fiber, 98 ± 54 g/d of total sugars, and nearly twice the recommended sodium intake (intake: 2787 ± 1065 mg/d; recommendation: <1500 mg/d). Estimated dietary iron bioavailability was low (9.2% ± 1.6%), and 79% of women consumed less iron than the average requirement (17.5 ± 7 mg/d). Overall, 82% and 80% of women consumed less vitamin D and folate, respectively, than recommended. CONCLUSIONS: Egyptian women aged 19-30 y have high intakes of energy and sodium, whereas iron, vitamin D, and folate intakes are insufficient, with only low concentrations of bioavailable iron. These results call for further investigation into measures that would improve this population's diet quality.Publication from previous employment rol

Advanced chronic kidney disease populations have elevated trimethylamine N-oxide levels associated with increased cardiovascular events

Cardiovascular disease is more common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and traditional risk factors do not adequately predict those at risk for cardiovascular (CV) events. Recent evidence suggests elevated trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), created by gut microflora from dietary L-carnitine and choline, is associated with CV events. We investigated the relationship of TMAO levels in patients with stages 3b and 4 CKD to ischemic CV events using the CanPREDDICT cohort, a Canada-wide observational study with prospective 3-year follow-up of adjudicated CV events. Baseline samples were obtained for 2529 CKD patients. TMAO, choline, and L-carnitine levels were measured using tandem mass spectrometry. Baseline median TMAO level was high for the whole cohort (20.41 μM; interquartile range [IQR]: 12.82-32.70 μM). TMAO was independently associated with CV events (hazard ratio 1.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.42 / 1 SD lnTMAO) after adjusting for all potential CV risk factors. Those in the highest TMAO quartile had significantly higher risk of CV events (adjusted hazard ratio 1.59; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-2.43; P = 0.0351) in the analysis of recurring ischemic events. Among those with stage 3b CKD (hazard ratio 1.45; 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.87 / 1 SD lnTMAO), independent of kidney function, TMAO levels identified those at highest risk for events. Our results suggest that TMAO may represent a new potentially modifiable CV risk factor for CKD patients. Further studies are needed to determine sources of variability and if lowering of TMAO reduces CV risk in CKD

The impact of school reopening on the spread of COVID-19 in England

By mid-May, cases of COVID-19 in the UK had been declining for over a month; a multi-phase emergence from lockdown was planned, including a scheduled partial reopening of schools on 1st June. Although evidence suggests that children generally display mild symptoms, the size of the school-age population means the total impact of reopening schools is unclear. Here, we present work from mid-May that focused on the imminent opening of schools and consider what these results imply for future policy. We compared eight strategies for reopening primary and secondary schools in England. Modifying a transmission model fitted to UK SARS-CoV-2 data, we assessed how reopening schools affects contact patterns, anticipated secondary infections and the relative change in the reproductive number, R. We determined the associated public health impact and its sensitivity to changes in social-distancing within the wider community. We predicted reopening schools with half-sized classes or focused on younger children was unlikely to push R above one. Older children generally have more social contacts, so reopening secondary schools results in more cases than reopening primary schools, while reopening both could have pushed R above one in some regions. Reductions in community social-distancing were found to outweigh and exacerbate any impacts of reopening. In particular, opening schools when the reproductive number R is already above one generates the largest increase in cases. Our work indicates that while any school reopening will result in increased mixing and infection amongst children and the wider population, reopening schools alone in June was unlikely to push R above one. Ultimately, reopening decisions are a difficult trade-off between epidemiological consequences and the emotional, educational and developmental needs of children. Into the future, there are difficult questions about what controls can be instigated such that schools can remain open if cases increase

Serving up Data on Nutrient Composition of Aquatic Foods

The nutrient values of fish and other aquatic foods can alleviate ‘hidden hunger’ or micronutrient deficiencies for many people in a range of geographies. But nutrient measures for many species, food types and geographies are unavailable, and are prohibitively expensive to measure. So, databases that house the data that do exist are incredibly valuable for health practitioners, fisheries managers, researchers and policy makers. There are many databases out there - each useful, overlapping and distinct in different ways. Here is a summary of these powerful databases the types of data they hold and how they compare

The Habitual Diet of Dutch Adult Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis Has Pro-Inflammatory Properties and Low Diet Quality Scores

We determined the nutritional adequacy and overall quality of the diets of adult patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Dietary intakes stratified by sex and age were compared to Dietary Reference Values (DRV). Overall diet quality was assessed by two independent Diet-Quality-Indices scores, the PANDiet and DHD-index, and compared to age- and gender-matched subjects from the general population. Lastly, food and nutrient intakes of EoE patients were compared to intakes of the general population. Saturated fat intake was significantly higher and dietary fiber intake significantly lower than the DRV in both males and females. In males, the DRV were not reached for potassium, magnesium, selenium, and vitamins A and D. In females, the DRV were not reached for iron, sodium, potassium, selenium, and vitamins A, B2, C and D. EoE patients had a significantly lower PANDiet and DHD-index compared to the general population, although the relative intake (per 1000 kcal) of vegetables/fruits/olives was significantly higher (yet still up to 65% below the recommended daily amounts) and alcohol intake was significantly lower compared to the general Dutch population. In conclusion, the composition of the habitual diet of adult EoE patients has several pro-inflammatory and thus unfavorable immunomodulatory properties, just as the general Dutch population, and EoE patients had lower overall diet quality scores than the general population. Due to the observational character of this study, further research is needed to explore whether this contributes to the development and progression of EoE