Predictors of complementary feeding practices in Afghanistan: Analysis of the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey.

Despite improvements over the past 20 years, high burdens of child mortality and undernutrition still coexist in Afghanistan. Global evidence indicates that complementary feeding (CF) practices predict child survival and nutritional status. Our study aims to describe CF practices in Afghanistan and to discern underlying predictors of CF by analysing data from Afghanistan's 2015 Demographic and Healthy Survey. Multilevel models were constructed comprising potential predictors at individual, household, and community levels and four CF indicators: timely introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods (INTRO), minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity (MDD), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) among breastfed children. INTRO prevalence among children aged 6-8 months was 56%, whereas the prevalence of MMF, MDD, and MAD among children aged 6-23 months was 55%, 23%, and 18%, respectively. Of the seven food groups considered, four were consumed by 20% or fewer children: eggs (20%), legumes and nuts (18%), fruits and vegetables (15%), and flesh foods (14%). Increasing child age and more antenatal care visits were significantly and positively associated with greater odds of meeting all CF indicators. Lower household wealth and lower community-level access to health care services were associated with lower odds of MDD and MAD. Disparities in achieving recommended CF practices were observed by region. CF practices in Afghanistan are poor and significant socioeconomic inequities in CF are observed across the country. Our study calls for urgent policy and programme attention to improve complementary feeding practices as an intrinsic part of the national development agenda

Stagnating trends in complementary feeding practices in Bangladesh: An analysis of national surveys from 2004-2014.

Bangladesh has experienced steady socio-economic development. However, improvements in child growth have not kept pace. It is important to document complementary feeding (CF) practices-a key determinant of children's growth-and their trends over time. The study aims to examine trends in CF practices in children aged 6-23 months using data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to identify independent predictors of four CF practice indicators among children 6-23 months, namely, timely introduction of complementary foods, minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity, and minimum acceptable diet. Introduction of complementary foods was achieved among 64-71% of children between 2004 and 2014. The proportion meeting minimum meal frequency increased from 2004 to 2007 (71-81%) and declined and held steady at 65% from 2011 to 2014. The proportion meeting minimum dietary diversity in 2011 and 2014 was low (25% and 28%), and so was minimum acceptable diet (19% and 20%). From 2007 to 2014, child dietary diversity decreased and the most decline was in the consumption of legumes and nuts (29% to 8%), vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (54% to 41%), and other fruits and vegetables (47% to 20%). Young child age (6-11 months), poor parental education, household poverty, and residence in the Chittagong and Sylhet independently predicted poorer feeding practices. Dietary diversity and overall diet in Bangladeshi children are strikingly poor. Stagnation or worsening of feeding practices in the past decade are concerning and call for decisive policy and programme action to address inappropriate child feeding practices

Trends and predictors of appropriate complementary feeding practices in Nepal: An analysis of national household survey data collected between 2001 and 2014.

There is evidence that suboptimal complementary feeding contributes to poor child growth. However, little is known about time trends and determinants of complementary feeding in Nepal, where the prevalence of child undernutrition remains unacceptably high. The objective of the study was to examine the trends and predictors of suboptimal complementary feeding in Nepali children aged 6-23 months using nationally representative data collected from 2001 to 2014. Data from the 2001, 2006, and 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys and the 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey were used to estimate the prevalence, trends and predictors of four WHO-UNICEF complementary feeding indicators: timely introduction of complementary foods (INTRO), minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity (MDD), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD). We used multilevel logistic regression models to identify independent factors associated with these indicators at the individual, household and community levels. In 2014, the weighted proportion of children meeting INTRO, MMF, MDD, and MAD criteria were 72%, 82%, 36% and 35%, respectively, with modest average annual rate of increase ranging from 1% to 2%. Increasing child age, maternal education, antenatal visits, and community-level access to health care services independently predicted increasing odds of achieving MMF, MDD, and MAD. Practices also varied by ecological zone and sociocultural group. Complementary feeding practices in Nepal have improved slowly in the past 15 years. Inequities in the risk of inappropriate complementary feeding are evident, calling for programme design and implementation to address poor feeding and malnutrition among the most vulnerable Nepali children

Flux creep in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8(sub +x) single crystals

The results of a magnetic study on a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+x) single crystal are reported. Low field susceptibility (dc and ac), magnetization cycles and time dependent measurements were performed. With increasing the temperature the irreversible regime of the magnetization cycles is rapidly restricted to low fields, showing that the critical current J(sub c) becomes strongly field dependent well below T(sub c). At 2.4 K the critical current in zero field, determined from the remanent magnetization by using the Bean formula for the critical state, is J(sub c) = 2 10(exp 5) A/sq cm. The temperature dependence of J(sub c) is satisfactorily described by the phenomenological law J(sub c) = J(sub c) (0) (1 - T/T(sub c) (sup n), with n = 8. The time decay of the zero field cooled magnetization and of the remanent magnetization was studied at different temperatures for different magnetic fields. The time decay was found to be logarithmic in both cases, at least at low temperatures. At T = 4.2 K for a field of 10 kOe applied parallel to the c axis, the average pinning energy, determined by using the flux creep model, is U(sub o) = 0.010 eV

Being Even Slightly Shallow Makes Life Hard

We study the computational complexity of identifying dense substructures, namely r/2-shallow topological minors and r-subdivisions. Of particular interest is the case r = 1, when these substructures correspond to very localized relaxations of subgraphs. Since Densest Subgraph can be solved in polynomial time, we ask whether these slight relaxations also admit efficient algorithms. In the following, we provide a negative answer: Dense r/2-Shallow Topological Minor and Dense r-Subdivsion are already NP-hard for r = 1 in very sparse graphs. Further, they do not admit algorithms with running time 2^(o(tw^2)) n^O(1) when parameterized by the treewidth of the input graph for r > 2 unless ETH fails

Tau oligomers accumulation sensitizes prostate cancer cells to docetaxel treatment

Purpose: Human tau is a highly dynamic, multifunctional protein expressed in different isoforms and conformers, known to modulate microtubule turnover. Tau oligomers are considered pathologic forms of the protein able to initiate specific protein accumulation diseases, called tauopathies. In our study, we investigated the potential association between autophagy and tau oligomers accumulation and its role in the response of prostate cancer cells to docetaxel. Methods: We evaluated in vitro the expression of tau oligomers in prostate cancer cell lines, PC3 and DU145, in presence of autophagy inhibitors and investigated the role of tau oligomers accumulation in resistance to docetaxel treatment. Results: Tau protein was basally expressed in prostate cancer lines as several monomeric and oligomeric forms. The pharmacologic inhibition of autophagy induced in cancer cells the accumulation of tau protein, with a prevalent expression of oligomeric forms. Immunofluorescence analysis of untreated cells revealed that tau was visible mainly in dividing cells where it was localized on the mitotic spindle. Inhibition of autophagy determined an evident upregulation of tau signal in dividing cells and the presence of aberrant monoastral mitotic spindles. The accumulation of tau oligomers was associated with DNA DSB and increased cytotoxic effect by docetaxel. Conclusions: Our data indicate that autophagy could exert a promoting role in cancer growth and during chemotherapy facilitating degradation of tau protein and thus blocking the antimitotic effect of accumulated tau oligomers. Thus, therapeutic strategies aimed at stimulating tau oligomers formation, such as autophagy inhibition, could be an effective adjuvant in cancer therapy

Sick building syndrome-like symptoms in emergency prefabricated accommodation.

The present study investigated the sources of discomfort and the symptoms reported by earthquake victims residing in temporary emergency prefabricated accommodation (prefab). The investigation was carried out by means of a questionnaire. 203 prefab occupants and 132 inhabitants of houses, who were chosen as reference population, replied in winter and 233 prefab occupants and 154 inhabitants of houses replied in summer. In both seasons more people living in prefabs identified dry air, stuffy air, stale air, dust, dampness, uncomfortable temperature and bad odours as sources of discomfort. They also complained of general symptoms (headache, irritability, insomnia, difficulty in concentration) and irritative symptoms of the eyes, upper and lower airways and skin. Multiple regression analysis identified the type of accommodation as the variable that most influenced the onset of general, ocular, upper and lower airway symptoms. Intrinsic characteristics of the prefabs (being constructed with synthetic materials, combustion sources, poor ventilation and insulation) and psychosocial factors e. losing their home, could have contributed to the onset of symptoms

Human exonuclease 1 role in response to UV irradiation

DNA damage checkpoints are surveillance mechanisms that monitor the integrity of the genome. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a DNA repair mechanism that cells use to remove UV-induced DNA lesions. Previous publication from our laboratory demonstrated that recognition and processing of UV-induced damage by NER is required for proper activation of checkpoint through interactions between NER proteins and checkpoint factors in yeast and human primary fibroblasts. From a two hybrid screening in yeast exonuclease 1 (Exo1) was identified as a 9-1-1 complex interactor. Exo1 is a 5\u2019-3\u2019 exonuclease and 5'-flap-endonuclease with many different roles in DNA metabolism such as meiotic and mitotic recombination, mismatch repair and telomere processing. Characterization of an exo1 yeast deleted strain has shown that this protein is involved in the early steps of UV-induced DNA damage checkpoint. In human cells EXO1 is present as two isoforms named hEXO1a and hEXO1b genetarated by alternative splicing. We are analyzing the role of EXO1 in checkpoint activation in response to UV-C damage in human cells: using siRNA against both a and b isoform of hEXO1 in G1 cells we were able to observe a defect in Chk1 and p53 phosphorylation induced by UV-C irradiation

Haspin regulates Ras localization to promote Cdc24-driven mitotic depolarization

Cell polarization is of paramount importance for proliferation, differentiation, development, and it is altered during carcinogenesis. Polarization is a reversible process controlled by positive and negative feedback loops. How polarized factors are redistributed is not fully understood and is the focus of this work. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutants defective in haspin kinase exhibit stably polarized landmarks and are sensitive to mitotic delays. Here, we report a new critical role for haspin in polarisome dispersion; failure to redistribute polarity factors, in turn, leads to nuclear segregation defects and cell lethality. We identified a mitotic role for GTP-Ras in regulating the local activation of the Cdc42 GTPase, resulting in its dispersal from the bud tip to a homogeneous distribution over the plasma membrane. GTP-Ras2 physically interacts with Cdc24 regulateing its mitotic distribution. Haspin is shown to promote a mitotic shift from a bud tip-favored to a homogenous PM fusion of Ras-containing vesicles. In absence of haspin, active Ras is not redistributed from the bud tip; Cdc24 remains hyperpolarized promoting the activity of Cdc42 at the bud tip, and the polarisome fails to disperse leading to erroneously positioned mitotic spindle, defective nuclear segregation, and cell death after mitotic delays. These findings describe new functions for key factors that modulate cell polarization and mitotic events, critical processes involved in development and tumorigenesis

How to improve compliance with protective health measures during the covid-19 outbreak. Testing a moderated mediation model and machine learning algorithms

In the wake of the sudden spread of COVID-19, a large amount of the Italian population practiced incongruous behaviors with the protective health measures. The present study aimed at examining psychological and psychosocial variables that could predict behavioral compliance. An online survey was administered from 18–22 March 2020 to 2766 participants. Paired sample t-tests were run to compare efficacy perception with behavioral compliance. Mediation and moderated mediation models were constructed to explore the association between perceived efficacy and compliance, mediated by self-efficacy and moderated by risk perception and civic attitudes. Machine learning algorithms were trained to predict which individuals would be more likely to comply with protective measures. Results indicated significantly lower scores in behavioral compliance than efficacy perception. Risk perception and civic attitudes as moderators rendered the mediating effect of self-efficacy insignificant. Perceived efficacy on the adoption of recommended behaviors varied in accordance with risk perception and civic engagement. The 14 collected variables, entered as predictors in machine learning models, produced an ROC area in the range of 0.82–0.91 classifying individuals as high versus low compliance. Overall, these findings could be helpful in guiding age-tailored information/advertising campaigns in countries affected by COVID-19 and directing further research on behavioral compliance