Geophagia: A cultural-nutrition health-seeking behaviour with no redeeming psycho-social qualities

Aim: We investigated if Geophagia is restricted to only pregnant and lactating women in Ghana. We also investigated if the key driver of Geophagia is poverty and other socio-cultural factors. Methods: This analysis was part of a broader national study of resilience among thepopulation of Ghana (N=2,000). Regional comparisons were made possible due to the stratified and random selection of representations that were similar in characteristics such as being urban or rural, ethnicity, religion and gender. Results: It was found that Geophagia was present among both females and males and was not restricted to pregnant and lactating women. Geophagia was not driven by poverty or the lack of formal education or the presence of gainful employment. Geophagia was practiced by both urban and rural residents irrespective of religious proclivities and devotion. The assertion that Geophagia was an instinctive primordial response to gastro-intestinal disturbances was not sustained by the data in this study, although the literature review suggested such in calves and lambs. Conclusion: In order to address the potential health threats posed by Geophagia, the key cultural drivers need to be studied and understood. We also need to appreciate the shocks and stresses that create such desires. It is not a case of mental illness and it cannot be concluded that Geophagia is driven by a psychiatric disorder. This paper would be disseminated to inform policy in Ghana and beyond

A mechanism linking Id2-TGFβ crosstalk to reversible adaptive plasticity in neuroblastoma

The ability of high-risk neuroblastoma to survive unfavorable growth conditions and multimodal therapy has produced an elusive childhood cancer with remarkably poor prognosis. A novel phenomenon enabling neuroblastoma to survive selection pressure is its capacity for reversible adaptive plasticity. This plasticity allows cells to transition between highly proliferative anchorage dependent (AD) and slow growing, anoikis-resistant anchorage independent (AI) phenotypes. Both phenotypes are present in established mouse and human tumors. The differential gene expression profile of the two cellular phenotypes in the mouse Neuro2a cell line delineated pathways of proliferation in AD cells or tyrosine kinase activation/ apoptosis inhibition in AI cells. A 20 fold overexpression of inhibitor of differentiation 2 (Id2) was identified in AD cells while up-regulation of genes involved in anoikis resistance like PI3K/Akt, Erk, Bcl2 and integrins was observed in AI cells. Similarly, differential expression of Id2 and other genes of interest were also observed in the AD and AI phenotypes of human neuroblastoma cell lines, SK-N-SH and IMR-32; as well as in primary human tumor specimens. Forced down-regulation of Id2 in AD cells or overexpression in AI cells induced the cells to gain characteristics of the other phenotype. Id2 binds both TGFβ and Smad2/3 and appears critical for maintaining the proliferative phenotype at least partially through negative regulation of the TGFβ/Smad pathway. Simultaneously targeting the differential molecular pathways governing reversible adaptive plasticity resulted in 50% cure of microscopic disease and delayed tumor growth in established mouse neuroblastoma tumors. We present a mechanism that accounts for reversible adaptive plasticity and a molecular basis for combined targeted therapies in neuroblastoma

The association between pain diagram area, fear-avoidance beliefs, and pain catastrophising

BACKGROUND: The development of clinical practice guidelines for managing spinal pain have been informed by a biopsychosocial framework which acknowledges that pain arises from a combination of psychosocial and biomechanical factors. There is an extensive body of evidence that has associated various psychosocial factors with an increased risk of experiencing persistent pain. Clinicians require instruments that are brief, easy to administer and score, and capable of validly identifying psychosocial factors. The pain diagram is potentially such an instrument. The aim of our study was to examine the association between pain diagram area and psychosocial factors. METHODS: 183 adults, aged 20–85, with spinal pain were recruited. We administered a demographic checklist; pain diagram; 11-point Numerical Rating Scale assessing pain intensity; Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS); MOS 36 Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36); and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). Open source software, GIMP, was used to calculate the total pixilation area on each pain diagram. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between pain diagram area and the following variables: age; gender; pain intensity; PCS total score; FABQ-Work scale score; FABQ-Activity scale score; and SF-36 Mental Health scale score. RESULTS: There were no significant associations between pain diagram area and any of the clinical variables. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that that pain diagram area was not a valid measure to identify psychosocial factors. Several limitations constrained our results and further studies are warranted to establish if pain diagram area can be used assess psychosocial factors

"To Feel the Drumming Earth Come Upward": Indigenizing the American Studies Discipline, Field, Movement

"Indigeneity at the Crossroads of American Studies." Published as a special joint issue with American Studies, Volume 46, No. 3/4, Fall 2005

The Cluster and Field Galaxy AGN Fraction at z = 1 to 1.5: Evidence for a Reversal of the Local Anticorrelation Between Environment and AGN Fraction

The fraction of cluster galaxies that host luminous AGN is an important probe of AGN fueling processes, the cold ISM at the centers of galaxies, and how tightly black holes and galaxies co-evolve. We present a new measurement of the AGN fraction in a sample of 13 clusters of galaxies (M >= 10^{14} Msun) at 1<z<1.5 selected from the Spitzer/IRAC Shallow Cluster Survey, as well as the field fraction in the immediate vicinity of these clusters, and combine these data with measurements from the literature to quantify the relative evolution of cluster and field AGN from the present to z~3. We estimate that the cluster AGN fraction at 1<z<1.5 is f_A = 3.0^{+2.4}_{-1.4}% for AGN with a rest-frame, hard X-ray luminosity greater than L_{X,H} >= 10^{44} erg/s. This fraction is measured relative to all cluster galaxies more luminous than M*_{3.6}(z)+1, where M*_{3.6}(z) is the absolute magnitude of the break in the galaxy luminosity function at the cluster redshift in the IRAC 3.6um bandpass. The cluster AGN fraction is 30 times greater than the 3sigma upper limit on the value for AGN of similar luminosity at z~0.25, as well as more than an order of magnitude greater than the AGN fraction at z~0.75. AGN with L_{X,H} >= 10^{43} erg/s exhibit similarly pronounced evolution with redshift. In contrast with the local universe, where the luminous AGN fraction is higher in the field than in clusters, the X-ray and MIR-selected AGN fractions in the field and clusters are consistent at 1<z<1.5. This is evidence that the cluster AGN population has evolved more rapidly than the field population from z~1.5 to the present. This environment-dependent AGN evolution mimics the more rapid evolution of star-forming galaxies in clusters relative to the field.Comment: ApJ Accepted. 16 pages, 8 figures in emulateapj forma

Prospectus, December 13, 1995

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1995/1033/thumbnail.jp

Geophagia: A cultural-nutrition health-seeking behaviour with no redeeming psycho-social qualities

Aim: We investigated if Geophagia is restricted to only pregnant and lactating women in Ghana. We also investigated if the key driver of Geophagia is poverty and other socio-cultural factors.Methods: This analysis was part of a broader national study of resilience among thepopulation of Ghana (N=2,000). Regional comparisons were made possible due to the stratified and random selection of representations that were similar in characteristics such as being urban or rural, ethnicity, religion and gender.Results: It was found that Geophagia was present among both females and males and was not restricted to pregnant and lactating women. Geophagia was not driven by poverty or the lack of formal education or the presence of gainful employment. Geophagia was practiced by both urban and rural residents irrespective of religious proclivities and devotion. The assertion that Geophagia was an instinctive primordial response to gastro-intestinal disturbances was not sustained by the data in this study, although the literature review suggested such in calves and lambs.Conclusion: In order to address the potential health threats posed by Geophagia, the key cultural drivers need to be studied and understood. We also need to appreciate the shocks and stresses that create such desires. It is not a case of mental illness and it cannot be concluded that Geophagia is driven by a psychiatric disorder. This paper would be disseminated to inform policy in Ghana and beyond

The Emerging Role of HTLV-I/II and HIV-1 Among Intravenous Drug Users in Detroit

During 1987-1988, a seroprevalence study of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus (HTLV-l/II) was performed among Detroit intravenous drug users unaffiliated with substance abuse programs. Seroprevalence data along with patient demographic information were compared to a similar study performed in 1985-1986. In the earlier study, 12 (12.5%) of 96 individuals tested positive for HIV-1. Of the 74 available negative samples retested in 1987-1988 for retroviruses, 7 (9.5%) tested positive for HTLV-I/II. Thus, the overall retroviral (HIV-1, HTLV-I/II) seropositive rate for 1985-1986 was 22%. In 1987-1988, 11 (15.7%) of 70 individuals tested positive for HIV-1 and 7 (10%) tested positive for HTLV-I/II. Concomitant infection with both viruses was found in 2 (2.9%) of the 70 individuals. Thus, retrovirus seroprevalence in 1987-1988 was 22.9%. In 1987-1988, significant differences between the retroviral-positive group and the retroviral-negative group consisted of intravenous drug use greater than 16 years (P = 0.059) for an odds ratio of 3.80 (Cl 1.12-12.89) and sex with female prostitutes (P = 0.029) for an odds ratio of 5.38 (Cl 1.38-20.95)

Status of the QCDSP project

We describe the completed 8,192-node, 0.4Tflops machine at Columbia as well as the 12,288-node, 0.6Tflops machine assembled at the RIKEN Brookhaven Research Center. Present performance as well as our experience in commissioning these large machines is presented. We outline our on-going physics program and explain how the configuration of the machine is varied to support a wide range of lattice QCD problems, requiring a variety of machine sizes. Finally a brief discussion is given of future prospects for large-scale lattice QCD machines.Comment: LATTICE98(machines), 3 pages, 1 picture, 1 figur

Mortality and its risk factors in Malawian children admitted to hospital with clinical pneumonia, 2001–12: a retrospective observational study

Background Few studies have reported long-term data on mortality rates for children admitted to hospital with pneumonia in Africa. We examined trends in case fatality rates for all-cause clinical pneumonia and its risk factors in Malawian children between 2001 and 2012. Methods Individual patient data for children (<5 years) with clinical pneumonia who were admitted to hospitals participating in Malawi’s Child Lung Health Programme between 2001 and 2012 were recorded prospectively on a standardised medical form. We analysed trends in pneumonia mortality and children’s clinical characteristics, and we estimated the association of risk factors with case fatality for children younger than 2 months, 2–11 months of age, and 12–59 months of age using separate multivariable mixed eff ects logistic regression models. Findings Between November, 2012, and May, 2013, we retrospectively collected all available hard copies of yellow forms from 40 of 41 participating hospitals. We examined 113 154 pneumonia cases, 104 932 (92∧7%) of whom had mortality data and 6903 of whom died, and calculated an overall case fatality rate of 6·6% (95% CI 6·4–6·7). The case fatality rate signifi cantly decreased between 2001 (15·2% [13·4–17·1]) and 2012 (4·5% [4·1–4·9]; ptrend<0·0001). Univariable analyses indicated that the decrease in case fatality rate was consistent across most subgroups. In multivariable analyses, the risk factors signifi cantly associated with increased odds of mortality were female sex, young age, very severe pneumonia, clinically suspected Pneumocystis jirovecii infection, moderate or severe underweight, severe acute malnutrition, disease duration of more than 21 days, and referral from a health centre. Increasing year between 2001 and 2012 and increasing age (in months) were associated with reduced odds of mortality. Fast breathing was associated with reduced odds of mortality in children 2–11 months of age. However, case fatality rate in 2012 remained high for children with very severe pneumonia (11·8%), severe undernutrition (15·4%), severe acute malnutrition (34·8%), and symptom duration of more than 21 days (9·0%). Interpretation Pneumonia mortality and its risk factors have steadily improved in the past decade in Malawi; however, mortality remains high in specifi c subgroups. Improvements in hospital care may have reduced case fatality rates though a lack of suffi cient data on quality of care indicators and the potential of socioeconomic and other improvements outside the hospital precludes adequate assessment of why case-fatality rates fell. Results from this study emphasise the importance of eff ective national systems for data collection. Further work combining this with data on trends in the incidence of pneumonia in the community are needed to estimate trends in the overall risk of mortality from pneumonia in children in Malawi