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Background: Developing effective strategies for reducing dementia risk requires a detailed understanding of the risk and protective factors associated with the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. Objective: We aimed to systematically review the evidence for sex differences in these factors. Methods: Five online databases (PubMed/CINAHL/EMBASE/PsycINFO/Cochrane) were searched from inception until 17 October 2022 for cohort studies that focused on sex differences in risk and protective factors in the progression of MCI to dementia. Results: A total of 2,972 studies were identified, of which 12 studies from five countries were included in the systematic review. There was substantial variability in study designs, study populations and outcome measures. Sex differences were present in the associations of sociodemographic, health, psychological factors, genetic and other biomarkers with the progression of MCI to dementia. APOE ɛ4 status and depression appeared to increase the risk of progression for females, whereas history of stroke, MRI markers and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers appeared to increase the risk of progression for males. APOE ɛ2 status and marital status (unmarried) were observed to reduce risk of progression in males and females, respectively. Conclusions: The ability of studies to accurately detail risk factors for dementia are likely limited when solely controlling for the effects of sex. Although the heterogeneity and underpowered nature of the studies made it difficult to synthesize the findings for each risk factor, this study highlights the apparent need for further research examining risk factors for dementia in males and females with MCI separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Purpose: Despite the prevalence of subtalar arthrodesis, certain risk factors (smoking, diabetes) diminish fusion outcomes and are associated with decreased bone healing, leading to increased duration of high stresses at the bone/device interface, ultimately leading to loosening/loss of compression. Existing fixation devices using static engineering materials (i.e., titanium) falter when postoperative bone resorption/joint-settling occurs, justifying improved fixation devices that drive continuous compression in the setting of bone resorption. Devices that leverage superelastic properties of NiTiNOL can provide sustained dynamic compression in the setting of bone resorption, ideally positioning them for these patient populations. Thus, the goal of this study was to characterize the biomechanical response of static and dynamic (NiTiNOL) devices across multiple trajectories in subtalar arthrodesis in the setting of simulated bone resorption. Methods: Compressive forces between synthetic talus and synthetic calcaneus (Sawbones) were measured for two commercially available orthopedic fixation devices (Dynamic = 7.0mm dia. 90mm length, Static = 7.0mm dia; 90mm length, N =6/group) in a custom subtalar fixture. The devices were inserted according to manufacturer instructions (FigA) while maintaining a gap between bone segments using a removable spacer. Two devices were inserted within each group (Dynamic, Static, Static+Dynamic) in either a parallel or diverging trajectory (FigA). Following insertion of devices, the spacer was removed enabling measurement of initial compression (Transducer Techniques). Subsequently, the bones were allowed to move into apposition while continued measurements of compression were collected, enabling determination of resorption capacity (distance) prior to loss of compressive force. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc test (a=.05). Results: The Dynamic group exhibited significantly increased initial load as compared to the Static and Static + Dynamic groups in both the parallel and diverging trajectories (FigB, p=.031). The initial load provided by the first device in the Dynamic group was significantly increased as compared to the Static group (FigB, p=.030). The Dynamic group exhibited a significant increase in initial load upon insertion of the second device (FigB, p Conclusion: Generating and maintaining sufficient compression is requisite for successful subtalar arthrodesis outcomes, especially in the presence of bone resorption. These data illustrate the significant increase in both initial load and resorption capacity of the sustained dynamic compression device (Dynamic) as compared to the Static and Static + Dynamic groups. The addition of a second Dynamic device markedly increased the compression, whereas the use of static devices prevented generation of increased compressive forces. Device trajectory did not significantly impact the arthrodesis construct biomechanical performance. One dynamic screw has better biomechanical performance than two static screws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health sector plays an important role in the delivery of high‐quality nutrition interventions to women and children in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). However, there are no standardized approaches to defining and measuring nutrition service quality in these contexts. This study aims to systematically develop quality of care indices for direct health systems nutrition interventions using a five‐step process: (1) identify recommended interventions for inclusion in indices, (2) extract service readiness, provision of care, and experience of care items from intervention‐specific clinical guidelines, (3) map items to data available in global health facility surveys, (4) conduct an expert survey to prioritize interventions and items, and (5) use findings from previous steps to propose quality of care metrics. Thirty‐two recommended interventions were identified, for which the guidelines review yielded 763 unique items that were reviewed by experts. The proposed nutrition quality of care indices for pregnant women reflects eight interventions and the indices for children under 5 reflects six interventions. The indices provide a standardized measure for nutrition intervention quality and can be operationalized using existing health facility assessment data, facilitating their use by LMIC decision makers for planning and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congress' 1993 lobbying expense deduction disallowance appears to be based on questionable social policy considerations, but IRS releases under the IRC section 162(e) disallowance provide planning opportunities for noncharitable exempt organizations engaging in lobbying activities. In addition to the deduction disallowance, Congress has imposed recordkeeping and proxy tax obligations on tax-exempts. Organizations can minimize the risk of noncompliance by using a charitable organization to engage in some lobbying activities, as well as taking advantage of available waivers, de minimis rules and distribution of costs incurred.

In low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is associated with nutritional status including stunting, which affects 144 million children under 5 globally. Despite the consistent epidemiological association between WASH indicators and nutritional status, the provision of WASH interventions alone has not been found to improve child growth in recent randomized control trials. We conducted a literature review to develop a new conceptual framework that highlights what is known about the WASH to nutrition pathways, the limitations of certain interventions and how future WASH could be leveraged to benefit nutritional status in populations. This new conceptual framework will provide policy makers, program implementors and researchers with a visual tool to bring into perspective multiple levels of WASH and how it may effectively influence nutrition while identifying existing gaps in implementation and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malnutrition—both undernutrition and overnutrition—is a public health concern worldwide and particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). The education sector has high potential to improve immediate nutrition outcomes by providing food in schools and to have more long‐term impact through education. We developed a conceptual framework to show how the education sector can be leveraged for nutrition. We reviewed the literature to identify existing frameworks outlining how nutrition programs can be delivered by and through the education sector and used these to build a comprehensive framework. We first organized nutrition programs in the education sector into (1) school food, meals, and food environment; (2) nutrition and health education; (3) physical activity and education; (4) school health services; and (5) water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. We then discuss how each one can be successfully implemented. We found high potential in improving nutrition standards and quality of school foods, meals and food environment, especially through collaboration with the agriculture sector. There is a need for well‐integrated, culturally appropriate nutrition and health education into the existing school curriculum. This must be supported by a skilled workforce—including nutrition and public health professionals and school staff. Parental and community engagement is cornerstone for program sustainability and success. Current monitoring and evaluation of nutrition programming in schools is weak, and effectiveness, including cost‐effectiveness, of interventions is not yet adequately quantified. Finally, we note that opportunities for leveraging the education sector in the fight against rising overweight and obesity rates are under‐researched and likely underutilized in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal micronutrient supplements are cost‐effective in reducing nutritional deficiencies and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. However, poor adherence remains a potential barrier to the successful implementation of these supplementation programs. This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase adherence to prenatal micronutrient supplementation. Following the Cochrane Collaboration Methodology, literature searches were conducted in six electronic databases and gray literature (on July 24, 2020), and abstract screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers. We included 22 studies. Interventions that resulted in increased adherence were most of the education‐based strategies, consumption monitoring by volunteer health workers or family members, SMS reminders, free provision of supplements, a multicomponent intervention with community mobilization, and a participatory action research intervention. In several studies, increased adherence was accompanied by beneficial effects on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Given the heterogeneity of study designs and methods used to define and measure adherence, a meta‐analysis was not appropriate. We identified several potentially effective strategies to improve supplementation adherence, which may need to be adapted to specific contexts when considered for program implementation. However, additional high‐quality studies are critically needed to effectively guide policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global nutrition community has called for a multisectoral approach to improve nutritional outcomes. While most essential nutrition interventions are delivered through the health system, nutrition-sensitive interventions from other sectors are critical. Objective: We modeled the potential impact that Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) interventions delivered by the health system would have on reaching World Health Assembly (WHA) stunting targets. We also included results for targets 2, 3, and 5. Methods: Using all available countries enrolled in the SUN movement, we identified nutrition interventions that are delivered by the health system available in the Lives Saved Tool. We then scaled these interventions linearly from 2012 up to nearly universal coverage (90%) in 2025 and estimated the potential impact that this increase would have with regard to the WHA targets. Results: Our results show that only 16 countries out of 56 would reach the 40% reduction in the number of stunted children by 2025, with a combined total reduction of 32% across all countries. Similarly, only 2 countries would achieve the 50% reduction in anemia for women of reproductive age, 41 countries would reach at least 50% exclusive breastfeeding in children under 6 months of age, and 0 countries would reach the 30% reduction in low birth weight. Conclusions: While the health system has an important role to play in the delivery of health interventions, focusing investments and efforts on the health system alone will not allow countries to reach the WHA targets by 2025. Concerted efforts across multiple sectors are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To summarise frailty measures and outcomes reported in trials involving frail older inpatients. Methods: Databases were searched for randomised controlled trials enrolling frail older inpatients. Results: Twenty‐four articles describing twelve trials were included. Seven trials applied six tools to measure frailty, whilst five trials employed ad hoc measures. Eighty outcomes were examined with survival and functional status reported most commonly. Nine studies trialled multidisciplinary, geriatrician‐led interventions. Statistically significant between‐group differences were detected for at least one outcome in ten trials. All studies represented high risk of bias within at least one domain. Conclusions: Heterogeneity of interventions, measurement of frailty and outcomes reported limit generalisability of findings. Many articles purport to study frail patients, yet do not enrol patients using any frailty measurement tool. Utilising validated instruments to measure frailty and a standard set of health outcomes relevant to older people would assist consistent reporting and evaluation of future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing malnutrition requires strategies that are comprehensive and multi‐sectoral. Within a multi‐sectoral approach, the health system is essential to deliver 10 nutrition‐specific interventions, which, if scaled up, could substantially reduce under‐5 deaths in high‐burden countries through improving maternal and child undernutrition. This study identifies the health system components required for the effective delivery of these interventions, highlighting opportunities and challenges for nutrition programmes and policies. We reviewed implementation guidance for each nutrition‐specific intervention, mapping the delivery process for each intervention and determining the health system components required for their delivery. We integrated the components into a single health systems framework for nutrition, illustrating the pathways by which health system components influence household‐level determinants of nutrition and individual‐level health outcomes. Nutrition‐specific interventions are typically delivered in one of four ways: (i) when nutrition interventions are intentionally sought out, (ii) when care is sought for other, unrelated interventions, (iii) at a health facility after active community case finding and referral, and (iv) in the community after active community case finding. A health system enables these processes by providing health services and facilitating care seeking for services, which together require a skilled and motivated health workforce, an effective supply chain, demand for services and access to services. The nutrition community should consider the processes by which nutrition‐specific interventions are delivered and the health system components required for their success. Programmes should encourage the delivery of nutrition interventions at every client–provider interaction and should actively generate demand for services—in general, and for nutrition services specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing global demand for country-specific information to track nutritional status and its determinants, including intervention coverage. Periodic population-based surveys form the backbone of most national nutrition information systems. However, data on the coverage of many nutrition specific and sensitive interventions remain sparse.Methods: An online survey was administered to the international nutrition community in 2018 through relevant listservs and professional networks to characterize their use of nutrition-related indicators and data sources. Respondents were asked about their professional background, access and use of specific indicators and data sources in the previous year, and unmet data needs. Results were tabulated by respondent characteristics and χ2 tests used for statistical testing.Results: Complete survey responses were received from 235 respondents, the majority from non-governmental organizations and research communities, and few from governments. Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) were the most frequently accessed country-specific data source and the Global Nutrition Report (GNR) was the most accessed consolidated data source, each accessed by approximately 75% of respondents. Respondents with a multi-country focus were more likely to have accessed DHS than those with a single-country focus (85% vs 60%, P < 0.001). Similarly, respondents with a multi-country focus were more likely to have accessed the GNR compared to those with a single-country focus (82% vs 66%, P < 0.05). The most commonly accessed indicators overall were the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (69%), child minimum dietary diversity (66%), under-5 stunting (65%), and under-5 wasting (65%). Reported data gaps included adult and household diet quality indicators (n = 32), nutrition-sensitive intervention coverage (n = 25), and infant and young child feeding promotion coverage (n = 11). Lack of data availability for the desired geographic level (82%) or demographic group of interest (82%) and out-of-date data (77%) were common data challenges experienced by respondents.Conclusions: The survey results highlight the continued need for high-quality, actionable nutrition data to help facilitate progress towards national and global nutrition targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy has been shown to be a cost‐effective method to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. However, one of the main barriers to the successful implementation of a micronutrient supplementation program in pregnancy is poor adherence. Our review will assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase adherence to micronutrient supplements in pregnancy. Following the Cochrane Collaboration Methodology, we will start by conducting the literature searches on Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, in addition to sources of gray literature, to retrieve all the available relevant studies. We will include randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized studies with a control group, where participants are pregnant women taking any micronutrient supplements in the context of antenatal care globally. We will include studies with targeted interventions designed to improve adherence to micronutrient supplementation in pregnant women compared with (1) usual care or no intervention or (2) other targeted micronutrient adherence intervention. Abstract selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment (according to the type of studies) will be conducted by two independent reviewers. The pooled results will be reported using the standardized mean differences for continuous data, and odds ratio or risk ratio for dichotomous data. We will assess sources of heterogeneity and publication bias. By following this protocol, we will systematically assess and synthesize the existing evidence about interventions designed to increase adherence to micronutrient supplementation in pregnant women. Understanding which strategies are more effective to increase the consumption of micronutrient supplements during this critical stage of life will have significant implications for clinicians and policymakers involved in the delivery of prenatal micronutrient supplementation interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timuel D. Black, Jr. Bridges of Memory: Chicago's First Wave of Black Migration, an Oral History. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 2003. Pp. 600. Bibliography. Index. Photographs. Cloth, $29.95. In [...]

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a widely distributed neuropeptide that acts as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, neurotropic factor, neuroprotectant, secretagogue, and neurohormone. Owing to its pleiotropic biological actions, knockout of Pacap (Adcyapl) has been shown to induce several abnormalities in mice such as impaired thermoregulation. However, the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. A previous report has shown that cold-exposed Pacap null mice cannot supply appropriate levels of norepinephrine (NE) to brown adipocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized that exogenous NE would rescue the impaired thermogenic response of Pacap null mice during cold exposure. We compared the adaptive thermogenic capacity of Pacap-/- to Pacap+/+ mice in response to NE when housed at room temperature (24°C) and after a 3.5-week cold exposure (4°C). Biochemical parameters, expression of thermogenic genes, and morphological properties of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT) were also characterized. Results showed that there was a significant effect of temperature, but no effect of genotype, on the resting metabolic rate in conscious, unrestrained mice. However, the normal cold-induced increase in the basal metabolic rate and NE-induced increase in thermogenesis were severely blunted in cold-exposed Pacap-/- mice. These changes were associated with altered substrate utilization, reduced β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-Ar (Adrb3)) and hormone-sensitive lipase (Hsl (Lipe)) gene expression, and increased fibroblast growth factor 2 (Fgf2) gene expression in BAT. Interestingly, Pacap-/- mice had depleted WAT depots, associated with upregulated uncoupling protein 1 expression in inguinal WATs. These results suggest that the impairment of adaptive thermogenesis in Pacap null mice cannot be rescued by exogenous NE perhaps in part due to decreased β3-Ar-mediated BAT activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the first three decades of the twentieth century, black people in New York City encountered white violence, especially police brutality in Manhattan. The black community used various strategies to curtail white mob violence and police brutality, one of which was self-defense. This article examines blacks’ response to violence, specifically the debate concerning police brutality and self-defense in Harlem during the 1920s. While historians have examined race riots, blacks’ everyday encounters with police violence in the North have received inadequate treatment. By approaching everyday violence and black responses—self-defense, legal redress, and journalists’ remonstrations—as a process of political development, this article argues that the systematic violence perpetrated by the police both mobilized and politicized blacks individually and collectively to defend their community, but also contributed to a community consciousness that established police brutality as a legitimate issue for black protest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mali national policy recommends that women take iron and folic acid supplements (IFA) from the time of the first antenatal care (ANC) visit, throughout pregnancy and during the first 3 months after delivery. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated their ANC guidelines to recommend the United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation (UNIMMAP) formulation of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in the context of rigorous research, including implementation research. In Bamako, Mali, a codesign process was used to tailor antenatal care MMS packaging and counselling materials aimed at optimizing delivery and uptake of and adherence to MMS. This paper presents the codesign process along with the results of a post‐intervention qualitative assessment to evaluate the behaviour change intervention. At the conclusion of the intervention, we conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with 24 women who had received the intervention and six pharmacy managers from the six health centres participating in the study. We conducted two focus groups with midwives who had delivered the intervention and two group discussions with family members of women who had received the intervention. Respondent perspectives reveal an easy experience transitioning from previously used IFA. Women and providers concur that the intervention counselling materials and visual aids were instrumental in influencing the perceived benefit and uptake of MMS. Family members play an influential role in pregnant women's decision‐making regarding MMS uptake. MMS and the associated implementation strategies developed through the codesign process were found to be a highly acceptable intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeners discriminated sequences: two different higher frequency tones alternated with two different lower frequency tones, each 200 ms. Sequences began at a random point and repeated without pause. Predictability was manipulated by holding the standard sequence constant (PREDICTABLE) or by varying it (UNPREDICTABLE). The frequency range between the higher and lower tones was two octaves (WIDE) or a minor second (NARROW). Medium range sequences (a minor third) were presented in two contexts: with the wide range sequences (MED/W) or with the narrow range sequences (MED/N). Sequences differed only in the relationship between the higher and lower tones. Fifty listeners each discriminated the sequences in one condition (MED/N or MED/W in either a PREDICTABLE or UNPREDICTABLE block); ten returned for two extra sessions (practice). Discrimination of the wide range sequences was at chance and only improved with practice when the block was predictable, although listeners still had a difficult time. Performance on this task was affected by frequency range; performance on the narrow range sequences benefited from practice and improved predictability There was a clear practice effect for the medium sequences, but only when the block was predictable and they were presented with the narrow range sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene deletion and protein expression are cornerstone procedures for studying metabolism in any organism, including methane-producing archaea (methanogens). Methanogens produce coenzymes and cofactors not found in most bacteria, therefore it is sometimes necessary to express and purify methanogen proteins from the natural host. Protein expression in the native organism is also useful when studying post-translational modifications and their effect on gene expression or enzyme activity. We have created several new suicide plasmids to complement existing genetic tools for use in the methanogen, Methanosarcina acetivorans . The new plasmids are derived from the commercially available Escherichia coli plasmid, pNEB193, and cannot replicate autonomously in methanogens. The designed plasmids facilitate markerless gene deletion, gene transcription, protein expression, and purification of proteins with cleavable affinity tags from the methanogen, M. acetivorans . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]