Traditional preparations used as uterotonics in Sub‐Saharan Africa and their pharmacologic effects

BackgroundLittle is known about the use of traditional preparations for uterotonic effects at or near delivery in Sub‐Saharan Africa.ObjectiveTo describe (1) use of traditional preparations in Sub‐Saharan Africa intended to have uterotonic effects at or near birth; and (2) results of pharmacologic investigations of the uterotonic properties of such preparations.Search strategyStructured review of 13 databases.Selection criteriaArticles describing use of traditional preparations in Sub‐Saharan Africa with primary data, published in English between January 1, 1980 and June 30, 2010.Data collection and analysisFull‐text review using standard spreadsheet templates.Main resultsObjective 1 analysis identified 208 plant species used for uterotonic effects at or near delivery. The most common use was labor induction/augmentation (n = 185). Other uses were to expel the placenta, shorten the third stage of labor, manage retained placenta (n = 61), and prevent/manage postpartum hemorrhage (n = 20). Objective 2 analysis identified 82 species with uterotonic activity confirmed through pharmacologic evaluation. Studies also identified potentiating/inhibiting effects of extracts on pharmaceutical uterotonics.ConclusionNumerous plants are used for uterotonic effects in Sub‐Saharan Africa; uterotonic activity has been confirmed in many through pharmacologic evaluation. Such use may increase the risk of adverse outcomes. Further research is needed on the uterotonic efficacy of traditional preparations and on interventions to address use during labor.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135671/1/0-mmc1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135671/2/ijgo16.pd

Development of Technologies for Separation and Functional Improvement of Individual Milk Protein Fractions

End of Project ReportMilk proteins can be hydrolysed (i.e. fragmented) using proteolytic enzymes to give enhanced functional and nutritional properties. There is an increasing demand for hydrolysed protein ingredients with specific properties for nutrition of individuals with specialised dietary requirements including infants, the critically ill, the immuno-compromised and athletes. Such hydrolysed proteins can be specifically designed to provide distinctive tailor-made solutions to meet customer needs in these areas. This project explored the technologies for the production of two types of hydrolysates i.e. acid-soluble and glutamine-rich. Acid-soluble protein hydrolysates have potential in the fortification of acidic beverages, including soft drinks. Glutamine-rich hydrolysates are suggested as an optimal glutamine source for administration during periods of stress, such as recovery from strenuous exercise, or from surgery. Casein was selected as the protein for development of acid-soluble product and cereal protein for the glutamine-rich product. The main conclusions were as follows: A number of protein hydrolysate products with value added properties and the processes required for their manufacture have been developed and are available for uptake by the food industry. Laboratory investigations identified conditions for the generation of two casein hydrolysates with desirable functional properties. Scale-up conditions for the manufacture of these hydrolysates in the pilot plant were successfully developed. Both hydrolystates were 100% soluble at pH 4.6, exhibited clarity in solution at low pH in clear soft drinks and in caramelised beverages and were stable in solution over a wide temperature range (from 4 to 30ºC) for extended periods. Solutions containing these hydrolysates exhibited no foaming properties and had acceptable sensory properties, being considered as weakly bitter compared to unsupplemented solutions. These performance characteristics make the acid-soluble hydrolysates useful supplements for caramelised beverages, such as colas, and clear soft drinks. Six glutamine-enriched peptide products were produced at laboratory scale using two commercially available enzyme preparations. These products had desirable characteristics such as increased levels of peptide bound glutamine, low free amino acid and free pyroglutamate levels. Pilot plant processes were developed for manufacture of the two glutamine-rich hydrolysates with most suitable compositional properties and these were fully characterised chemically. The manufacturing process was modified to enable industrial scale batches (5,000 litres) to be produced.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Fistula awareness among sisters of women with fistula

ObjectiveTo determine whether sisters of women with obstetric fistula (OF) were aware of their sisters’ condition, in order to inform the development of survey questions that adapt the sister‐based method to fistula rate estimation.MethodsTwelve women with OF and 20 of their sisters were interviewed using semi‐structured questionnaires in rural Uganda in 2007. Topics included fistula awareness and perceptions of causality.ResultsEleven women had vesicovaginal fistula and 1 had rectovaginal fistula. Three were primiparous at time of fistula occurrence; 6 had a parity of 6 or more. Nineteen sisters were aware their sister had OF; 12 became aware at the time of occurrence. The majority of participants (fistula patients and their sisters) associated OF with mistakes made by hospital personnel or problems during procedures.ConclusionSisters were generally aware of OF within their family. Larger studies are needed to assess the validity and reliability of the sister‐based method in capturing fistula through household surveys. In the present study, there was a widespread perception among fistula patients and their sisters that fistula is caused by medical procedures. More research is needed to understand this perception, and program development efforts are required to improve patient perceptions of hospital care.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135323/1/ijgo232.pd

Obstetric fistula in low‐income countries

ObjectiveTo identify, survey, and systematically review the current knowledge regarding obstetric fistula as a public health problem in low‐income countries from the peer‐reviewed literature.MethodsThe Medline and Science Citation Index databases were searched to identify public health articles on obstetric fistula in low‐income countries. Quantitative evidence‐based papers were reviewed.ResultsThirty‐three articles met the criteria for inclusion: 18 hospital‐based reviews; 6 on risk factors/prevention; 4 on prevalence/incidence measurement; 3 on consequences of obstetric fistula; and 2 on community‐based assessments.ConclusionObstetric fistula has received increased international attention as a public health problem, but reliable research on the burden of disease and interventions is lacking.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135537/1/ijgo85.pd

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Driver Fusions and Their Implications in the Development and Treatment of Human Cancers.

Gene fusions represent an important class of somatic alterations in cancer. We systematically investigated fusions in 9,624 tumors across 33 cancer types using multiple fusion calling tools. We identified a total of 25,664 fusions, with a 63% validation rate. Integration of gene expression, copy number, and fusion annotation data revealed that fusions involving oncogenes tend to exhibit increased expression, whereas fusions involving tumor suppressors have the opposite effect. For fusions involving kinases, we found 1,275 with an intact kinase domain, the proportion of which varied significantly across cancer types. Our study suggests that fusions drive the development of 16.5% of cancer cases and function as the sole driver in more than 1% of them. Finally, we identified druggable fusions involving genes such as TMPRSS2, RET, FGFR3, ALK, and ESR1 in 6.0% of cases, and we predicted immunogenic peptides, suggesting that fusions may provide leads for targeted drug and immune therapy

Track D Social Science, Human Rights and Political Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138414/1/jia218442.pd

Potential Phytopharmacy and Food Applications of Capsicum spp.: A Comprehensive Review

Capsicum genus (Solanaceae) is native to the Americas. Today, it is an important agricultural crop cultivated around the world, not only due to its economic importance, but also for the nutritional value of the fruits. Among their phytochemical constituents, capsaicinoids are characteristic and responsible of the pungency of sharp-tasting cultivars. Moreover, Capsicum and capsaicinoids (mainly, capsaicin) have been largely studied because of their health benefits. Thus, this study reviews the scientific knowledge about Capsicum spp. and their phytochemicals against cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, pain, and metabolic syndrome, as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. These bioactivities can be the basis of the formulation of functional ingredients and natural preservatives containing Capsicum extracts or isolated compounds