Agricultural waste management strategies for environmental sustainability.

Globally, abundant agricultural wastes (AWs) are being generated each day to fulfil the increasing demands of the fast-growing population. The limited and/or improper management of the same has created an urgent need to devise strategies for their timely utilization and valorisation, for agricultural sustainability and human-food and health security. The AWs are generated from different sources including crop residue, agro-industries, livestock, and aquaculture.

Correction to: Predictors of survival of very preterm births (born between 23 and 29 weeks' gestation) at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan: additional multivariate analyses on data from primary cohort.

For better clarity, the author would like to amend the title of the original article [1].

High proportion of overt diabetes mellitus in pregnancy and missed opportunity for early detection of diabetes at a tertiary care centre in Pakistan.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), namely pre-gestational, gestational (GDM) and overt diabetes mellitus (DM) in women registered for delivery.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of antenatal women registered between January 01 to August 31, 2017 was performed. Gestational age, diagnosis of DIP, glucose levels at diagnosis and other relevant data was extracted.

Predictors of survival of very preterm births (born between 23 and 29 weeks’ gestation) at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan: additional multivariate analyses on data from primary cohort.

Objective: Previously, we have published univariate analyses on a cohort of all singleton, very preterm infants (N = 101) born between 23 and 29 weeks of gestation during January 01, 1998 to June 30, 2003 at The Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Our main objective was to extend these analyses to multivariate logistic regression models and report odds ratios (ORs) for univariate and multivariate analyses. All variables in univariate were included in multivariate models.

Characteristics and Survival Outcomes of Children With Hodgkin Lymphoma Treated Primarily With Chemotherapy.

Background: Hodgkin disease is a malignant tumor of the lymphatic system that comprises ∼6% of childhood cancers. In developing countries, efforts are made to ensure adherence to standard protocol/regimens, study patients' outcomes, and compare with that in developed world.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective medical records' review of 212 children younger than 20 years presenting to The Indus Hospital in Pakistan with previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma between August 2000 and December 2012.

Evaluation of Baseline Cardiac Function by Echocardiography and its Association With Nutritional Status in Pediatric Cancer Patients at The Indus Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.

Introduction: Evidence on conducting baseline echocardiogram before starting chemotherapy in pediatric cancer patients is limited from developing countries where malnutrition and infections are common and which may result in cardiac dysfunction.

Materials And Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted from October 2016 to May 2017 at The Indus Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, among children 1 to 16 years of age suffering from cancer. Echocardiography was performed before starting chemotherapy.

Vitamin A Supplementation for Prevention and Treatment of Malaria during Pregnancy and Childhood: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Animal studies have shown that vitamin A plays a role in immunity and protection against infectious diseases. Its role reducing incidence of diarrhea and measles, and childhood mortality is known, but its role in relation to malaria is unclear. Thus, a comprehensive, systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Cochrane Library to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the role of vitamin A during pregnancy and childhood for prevention and treatment of malaria.

Promising Biomarkers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction: A Prospective Cohort study in Pakistani Children.

Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (EED), a syndrome characterized by chronic gut inflammation, contributes towards stunting and poor response to enteric vaccines in children in developing countries. In this study, we evaluated major putative biomarkers of EED using growth faltering as its clinical proxy. Newborns (n = 380) were enrolled and followed till 18 months with monthly anthropometry.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Incident Ischemic Stroke and Its Atherothrombotic and Cardioembolic Subtypes in 3 US Cohorts.

Background And Purpose: The associations of individual long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with incident ischemic stroke and its main subtypes are not well established. We aimed to investigate prospectively the relationship of circulating eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with risk of total ischemic, atherothrombotic, and cardioembolic stroke.

Methods: We measured circulating phospholipid fatty acids at baseline in 3 separate US cohorts: CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study), NHS (Nurses' Health Study), and HPFS (Health Professionals Follow-Up Study).

Nutrition (Micronutrients) in Child Growth and Development: A Systematic Review on Current Evidence, Recommendations and Opportunities for Further Research.

Objective: An important aspect of malnutrition is deficiency of different micronutrients during pregnancy or early childhood. We systematically reviewed the role of nutrition in child growth (weight or height gain) and development.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was done on PubMed/Cochrane Library browsing through 38,795 abstracts until December 31, 2016 to select systematic reviews/meta-analyses and individual randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of micronutrient supplementation.

Associations of Cigarette Smoking With Subclinical Inflammation and Atherosclerosis: ELSA-Brasil (The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health).

Background: There is a need to identify sensitive biomarkers of early tobacco-related cardiovascular disease. We examined the association of smoking status, burden, time since quitting, and intensity, with markers of inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: We studied 14 103 participants without clinical cardiovascular disease in ELSA-Brasil (Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health).

Vitamin D supplementation for preventing infections in children under five years of age.

Background: Vitamin D is a micronutrient important for bone growth and immune function. Deficiency can lead to rickets and has been linked to various infections, including respiratory infections. The evidence on the effects of supplementation on infections in children has not been assessed systematically.

Impact of Dietary and Metabolic Risk Factors on Cardiovascular and Diabetes Mortality in South Asia: Analysis From the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study.

Objectives: To quantify cardiovascular disease and diabetes deaths attributable to dietary and metabolic risks by country, age, sex, and time in South Asian countries.

Methods: We used the 2010 Global Burden of Disease national surveys to characterize risk factor levels by age and sex. We derived etiological effects of risk factors-disease endpoints, by age, from meta-analyses.

ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biomarkers and Coronary Heart Disease: Pooling Project of 19 Cohort Studies.

Importance: The role of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) remains controversial. Most prior longitudinal studies evaluated self-reported consumption rather than biomarkers.

Objective: To evaluate biomarkers of seafood-derived eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω-3), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA; 22:5ω-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω-3) and plant-derived α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3ω-3) for incident CHD.

Circulating Biomarkers of Dairy Fat and Risk of Incident Diabetes Mellitus Among Men and Women in the United States in Two Large Prospective Cohorts.

Background: In prospective studies, the relationship of self-reported consumption of dairy foods with risk of diabetes mellitus is inconsistent. Few studies have assessed dairy fat, using circulating biomarkers, and incident diabetes mellitus. We tested the hypothesis that circulating fatty acid biomarkers of dairy fat, 15:0, 17:0, and t-16:1n-7, are associated with lower incident diabetes mellitus.

Impact of Nonoptimal Intakes of Saturated, Polyunsaturated, and Trans Fat on Global Burdens of Coronary Heart Disease.

Background: Saturated fat (SFA), ω-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), and trans fat (TFA) influence risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but attributable CHD mortalities by country, age, sex, and time are unclear.

Methods And Results: National intakes of SFA, n-6 PUFA, and TFA were estimated using a Bayesian hierarchical model based on country-specific dietary surveys; food availability data; and, for TFA, industry reports on fats/oils and packaged foods. Etiologic effects of dietary fats on CHD mortality were derived from meta-analyses of prospective cohorts and CHD mortality rates from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases study.

The impact of dietary habits and metabolic risk factors on cardiovascular and diabetes mortality in countries of the Middle East and North Africa in 2010: a comparative risk assessment analysis.

Objective/design: We conducted a comparative risk assessment analysis to estimate the cardiometabolic disease (CMD) mortality attributable to 11 dietary and 4 metabolic risk factors in 20 countries of the Middle East by age, sex and time. The national exposure distributions were obtained from a systematic search of multiple databases. Missing exposure data were estimated using a multilevel Bayesian hierarchical model.

Impact of complications on long-term survival after resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: The impact of postoperative complications on the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for cancer is unclear. The objective of the current study was to define the incidence of complications among patients undergoing surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and identify the association between morbidity and long-term outcomes.

Methods: A total of 583 patients undergoing surgery with curative intent for ICC between 1990 and 2013 at 1 of 12 participating institutions were identified.

The Impact of Surgical Margin Status on Long-Term Outcome After Resection for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: The influence of margin status on long-term outcome of patients undergoing liver resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains controversial. We sought to study the impact of surgical tumor margin status on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients undergoing resection for ICC.

Methods: From a multi-institutional database, 583 patients who underwent hepatic resection for ICC were identified.

Circulating biomarkers of dairy fat and risk of incident stroke in U.S. men and women in 2 large prospective cohorts.

Background: Previous observational studies of self-reported dairy product consumption and stroke risk have reported mixed findings. Few studies have used circulating biomarkers that provide objective measures of dairy fat intake.

Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that the circulating biomarkers of dairy fat, pentadecanoic acid (15:0), heptadecanoic acid (17:0), and trans palmitoleate (trans 16:1n-7), were associated with lower incidence of stroke, especially ischemic stroke.

The risk of congenital malformations associated with exposure to β-blockers early in pregnancy: a meta-analysis.

β-blockers are commonly used during the first trimester of pregnancy. Data about risks of congenital anomalies in offspring have not been summarized. We performed a meta-analysis to determine teratogenicity of β-blockers in early pregnancy.

The interconnections between maternal and newborn health--evidence and implications for policy.

The past decade has witnessed increasing global attention and political support for maternal, newborn and child health. Despite this increased attention, actual progress has been slow and sporadic: coverage of key maternal and newborn health interventions remains low and there are wide disparities in access to care, within and across countries. Strategies for improving maternal and newborn health are closely linked, and can be delivered most effectively through a continuum of care approach.