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Marginal zone B cells mediate humoral immunity in vaccine-induced versus naturally acquired immunity against SARS-CoV-2
Non-enzymatic error correction in self-replicators without extraneous energy supply
An improved African vultures algorithm for multi-threshold optimization in chest X-ray image segmentation
Traffic pattern-adaptive channel allocation in cognitive radio networks via multi-scale windowing
Prognostic value of blood urea nitrogen to albumin ratio in critically ill cirrhotic patients with ascites
Anchor-guided multi-view fuzzy clustering for hyperspectral and LiDAR images
GCIPL color coding on OCT predicts glaucoma conversion in normal-tension glaucoma suspects, including a high myopia subgroup
The association between women’s empowerment in agriculture and child stunting in Malawi
Abstract Although empowering women in agriculture is identified as a potential pathway for addressing high prevalence of malnutrition in Malawi, evidence on the association between empowerment and child nutrition remains limited. The study assessed the association between women’s empowerment and child stunting in three districts of Malawi. Data were collected using a case-control design from 847 children aged 6–59 months and their mothers. Empowerment was measured using the project-level Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index, while data on child stunting were collected using anthropometric measurements. Logistic regression results showed that adequacy in self-efficacy was associated with a 1.7% point higher probability of stunting, while ownership of land and other assets reduced probability of stunting by 14.7% points. Mother’s marital status and schooling were associated with 15.9 and 1.3 lower percentage points of stunting, while child’s age increased percentage points of stunting by 0.7. The findings suggest the need for women’s empowerment programs to bundle nutrition-sensitive interventions and education to contribute to improved child nutrition. Actionable gender components such as asset security, workload management, and decision-spaces are also recommended.
Sociodemographic characteristics predict land use patterns by farmers near a protected area in Madagascar
Abstract Globally, most farms are smaller than 10 hectares. Land use by these smallholder farmers in agricultural frontiers is crucial to conservation, food security, and exposure to infectious diseases. However, solely survey-based land use studies miss the fine scale movements that collectively form an individual’s land use and thus environmental exposures, particularly in fragmented landscapes. We applied movement ecology-based approaches with GPS and survey data to investigate how sociodemographic variables corresponded with land use among farmers living adjacent to Marojejy National Park in northeastern Madagascar. Our data on 902 individuals spanning 3 years revealed striking differences in land use by gender and socioeconomic status. Men traversed 65% (95% CI [51%, 82%]) more area and spent 30% less time (95% CI [20, 41%]) in the village than women. Socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and having young children covaried with time spent in secondary forests where vanilla is grown, swidden areas where slash-and-burn farming methods are used, and the national park. By revealing the extent to which social and demographic variables predict individual movement patterns, our work identifies targets for addressing emerging diseases and health disparities. The GPS and analytical approaches developed here can be applied elsewhere to provide policy insights and to understand variation across human-ecological systems.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-hydroxychromone based thiosemicarbazones as potential antidiabetic and antioxidant agents
The effect of biological control on mycotoxin concentrations and the mycobiome in durum wheat grain and stems
Exploring the impact of cultural opportunities and cultural perception on spatial equity of pocket parks in Guangzhou Liwan old town
AI-enabled drones for date palm pollination
Graph clustering and prediction models for DISC-based personality and competency analysis
Undergraduate medical students’ perceptions of case-based learning in preclinical physiology within a resource limited setting: a qualitative study
Effects of dietary vitamin D supplementation on bone microarchitecture, mineralization, and mechanical properties in Wistar rat animal model
Abstract Vitamin D is essential for proper skeletal development, yet the specific dose-dependent effects of its dietary supplementation during the transition from late adolescence through young adulthood remain unclear. Because the standard diet already supplies 1,000 IU/kg vitamin D₃ and is widely regarded as adequate for growing rats, poorer skeletal outcomes at 0 IU/kg and favorable outcomes at 1,000 IU/kg are expected. The studies objective was therefore to quantify the magnitude and map which dimensions of bone quality respond to vitamin D across the adolescent-to-young-adult transition, and to test whether a supraphysiological intake (5,000 IU/kg) confers additional benefit and we hypothesized that moderate vitamin D would improve bone outcomes versus deficiency, whereas a high dose would offer no added advantage. Male and female Wistar rats (≈ 7 weeks old; n = 6/sex/group) were fed for 12 weeks diets containing 0, 1000, or 5000 IU/kg vitamin D. The right femur was assessed by DXA (BMD), three-point bending (strength, energy absorption, stiffness), growth-plate morphometry, elemental composition, and X-ray diffraction of hydroxyapatite; RANKL/OC/VEGF immunoexpression and serum 25(OH)D were measured. Diets produced graded systemic exposure: 25(OH)D increased with dose in both sexes. Across outcomes, sex showed a strong main effect (males larger/stronger), while dose effects were selective. Compared with 0 IU/kg, 1000 IU/kg increased BMD and several mechanical endpoints (e.g., maximum force/energy) primarily in males, and improved material behavior (post-yield strain) without altering elastic modulus. Growth plate effects were limited: the hypertrophic (Zone IV) thickness was lower with deficiency and greater with supplementation, with sex- and dose-specific patterns; other zones showed minimal dose effects. The 5000 IU/kg diet raised 25(OH)D but did not consistently outperform 1000 IU/kg and showed no broad detriments across measured variables. During late growth, moderate vitamin D (1000 IU/kg) improves femoral mass and selected mechanical/biomechanical properties relative to deficiency, with sex-specific magnitudes of effect. A higher dose (5000 IU/kg) increases circulating vitamin D metabolite, but provides no clear additional skeletal benefit. These data support moderate supplementation as optimal in this model.
A cross-sectional analysis of male versus female flourishing among 202,898 participants across 22 countries on 73 variables in the global flourishing study
Abstract A prominent debate in modern society is how males or females are faring relative to each other. Despite a vast literature, most research is constrained by two issues: a limited conceptualization and assessment of what it means to do well; and a relatively narrow, often Western-centric coverage. To address these issues, this paper examines male-female differences on 73 items relating to all aspects of wellbeing in the Global Flourishing Study, with data from 202,898 participants across 22 countries. When organizing the items into six domains according to VanderWeele’s flourishing framework, females do slightly better on three (happiness and satisfaction, social relationship quality, and meaning and purpose), and males on two (self-rated health, and financial and material security), and with character/virtue equal. While all domains are weighted equally, since females are only marginally higher on three, whereas the gaps on the two male-led ones are much bigger, males fare slightly better on an overall flourishing index. There is also considerable country-level variation throughout the findings however, showing these general trends are not universal but contingent on local socio-cultural dynamics.