Marine protected areas and children's dietary diversity in the Philippines.

Fish living around the coral reefs in the Philippines provide livelihoods for more than a million local fishers and are an important source of protein for coastal communities. However, this rich resource is at risk from myriad threats, which consequently threaten human livelihoods, nutrition, and health. In this paper, we examine the degree to which marine protected areas (MPAs), which aim to conserve marine biodiversity, are associated with improved nutritional outcomes in children under age 5.

Prevalence of human papilloma virus in marginal periodontium and its association with periodontitis: A cross sectional study.

Context: Bacterial pathogens in dental plaque are necessary for the development of periodontitis but this etiology alone does not explain all its clinicopathologic features. Researchers have proven the role of certain viruses like herpes virus in periodontal disease which implies that other viral agents like human papilloma virus may also be involved.

Aims: This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the proportion of patients with human papilloma virus (HPV-16) in marginal periodontium by analyzing DNA from the gingival tissue sample and to understand its association with periodontitis.

Essential hypertension as a result of neurochemical changes at the rostral ventrolateral medulla.

Acute ischemia of the brainstem has been known to produce hypertension. After an initial review of central nervous system mechanisms contributing to systemic hypertension and the impact of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on arterial pressure, the authors propose that essential hypertension involves neurochemical changes at the level of the RVLM which are triggered by cerebral ischemia. Experimental and clinical data are presented to show that there is a link between ischemia of the brainstem and chronic hypertension.

Forest cover associated with improved child health and nutrition: evidence from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey and satellite data.

Healthy forests provide human communities with a host of important ecosystem services, including the provision of food, clean water, fuel, and natural medicines. Yet globally, about 13 million hectares of forests are lost every year, with the biggest losses in Africa and South America. As biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation due to deforestation continue at unprecedented rates, with concomitant loss of ecosystem services, impacts on human health remain poorly understood.

Confirmatory factor analytical study of the WHOQOL-Bref: experience with Sudanese general population and psychiatric samples.

Background: The widespread international use of the 26-item WHO Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-Bref) necessitates the assessment of its factor structure across cultures. For, alternative factor models may provide a better explanation of the data than the WHO 4- and 6-domain models. The objectives of the study were: to assess the factor structure of the WHOQOL-Bref in a Sudanese general population sample; and use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and path analysis (PA) to see how well the model thus generated fits into the WHOQOL-Bref data of Sudanese psychiatric patients and their family caregivers.

Factors associated with quality of life of outpatients with breast cancer and gynecologic cancers and their family caregivers: a controlled study.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) issues are of interest in cancer because effective methods of treatment and detection have led to an increase in the number of long-term survivors. The objectives of the study were: to assess the subjective QOL of stable Sudanese women cancer outpatients and their family caregivers, using the WHO 26-item QOL Instrument; compare with matched general population groups, as well as diabetic and psychiatric patient groups; examine patient-caregiver concordance in ratings; and assess the variables associated with their QOL, with a view to identifying factors that can enhance quality of care.

Methods: Responses of oncology outpatients with breast cancer (117), cervical cancer (46) and ovarian cancer (18) (aged 44.