Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4 (62.3 (55.1�70.8) million) to 6.4 (58.3 (47.6�70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization�s Global Nutrition Target of <5 in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2 (30 (22.8�38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0 (55.5 (44.8�67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic. © 2020, The Author(s)

Author Correction: Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017 (Nature Medicine, (2020), 26, 5, (750-759), 10.1038/s41591-020-0807-6)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. © 2020, The Author(s)

Author Correction: Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017 (Nature Medicine, (2020), 26, 5, (750-759), 10.1038/s41591-020-0807-6)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. © 2020, The Author(s)

The immunotoxicity of Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis and Galenia africana

Increased use of pesticides has resulted in increased concern about the adverse effects on non-target organisms, including humans. Due to increasing awareness there is great pressure to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides. An alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides is the exploitation of natural botanical products with pesticidal potential.D. rhinocerotis and G. africana exhibit antifungal properties against Botrytis cinerea. This paper describes the immunotoxicity of extracts of D. rhinocerotis and G. africana on mouse spleenocytes. Spleen cell cultures were prepared and exposed to varying concentrations of D. rhinocerotis and G. africana. Control cultures were exposed to the DMSO vehicle only. Results obtained showed that both D. rhinocerotis and G. africana have immunomodulatory effects. Exposure of cell cultures to both extracts resulted in a decrease in both IL-4 and IFN- D. rhinocerotis and G. africana exhibit antifungal properties against Botrytis cinerea. This paper describes the immunotoxicity of extracts of D. rhinocerotis and G. africana on mouse spleenocytes. Spleen cell cultures were prepared and exposed to varying concentrations of D. rhinocerotis and G. africana. Control cultures were exposed to the DMSO vehicle only. Results obtained showed that both D. rhinocerotis and G. africana have immunomodulatory effects. Exposure of cell cultures to both extracts resulted in a decrease in both IL-4 and IFN-D. rhinocerotis and G. africana exhibit antifungal properties against Botrytis cinerea. This paper describes the immunotoxicity of extracts of D. rhinocerotis and G. africana on mouse spleenocytes. Spleen cell cultures were prepared and exposed to varying concentrations of D. rhinocerotis and G. africana. Control cultures were exposed to the DMSO vehicle only. Results obtained showed that both D. rhinocerotis and G. africana have immunomodulatory effects. Exposure of cell cultures to both extracts resulted in a decrease in both IL-4 and IFN-. The cytokine inhibition was concentration dependent

The environmental toxicity of Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis and Galenia africana

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The implementation of a battery of in vivo and in vitro bioassays to assess river water for estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals

Previous research has shown that accurate evaluation of environmental water samples for estrogenic activity requires a panel of in vitro and in vivo bioassays, which are based on different molecular and cellular action mechanisms. In the current study, a test battery containing four assays was used to analyze water from the Eerste River, South Africa for estrogenicity. Three sites were used for analysis, namely Jonkershoek (control site situated in the mountains at the origin of the Eerste River), sewage effluent from Stellenbosch sewage treatment works and Spier site (sampling site on the Eerste River downstream from Stellenbosch). Estrogenicity was determined using an estrone enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA), estrogen induced proliferation of human breast cancer adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) also known as the E-SCREEN, estrogen induced suppression of estrogen receptor alpha protein expression (ER-α) in MCF-7 cells (ERα assay) and by monitoring estrogen induced vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis in juvenile Oreochromis mossambicus (VTG assay). Low concentrations of estrone (ranging between 1.4 and 2.2 ng/l) near the detection limit of the assay were detected in samples collected from Jonkershoek. Water from this site shows no estrogenicity in the E-SCREEN, ERα assay or VTG synthesis bioassay. The estrone concentrations in the sewage effluent extracts, as well as Spier site extracts, ranged between 14.7 and 19.4 ng/l. The assays using ERα induction by the MCF-7 cell line, MCF-7 proliferation and in vivo VTG synthesis by juvenile tilapia showed that these samples are estrogenic. The results obtained for the assays in the battery are comparable. © 2010.Articl

Validation of an ex vivo Xenopus liver slice bioassay for environmental estrogens and estrogen mimics

A sensitive ex vivo bioassay for detecting environmental estrogens and estrogen mimics was developed using Xenopus liver slice culture. Vitellogenin synthesis by these cultures was used as biomarker for estrogenic activity of environmental water samples. Sensitization of the assay for estrogens and mimics was accomplished by employing tissue from animals after in vivo preexposure to estrogen. Effects of various tissue culture factors were investigated in order to obtain optimum conditions for the bioassay. It was found that endogenous vitellogenin and/or estrogen could be "washed out" of cultures and that not only uncontaminated males but also estrogen-pretreated males and females can successfully be used as bioindicators. Estrogenicity was detected, using the ex vivo Xenopus liver slice culture assay, in sewage effluent, lake water, and dam water. This article presents an optimized protocol for effective estrogen detection in environmental water samples. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).Articl