Gender inequality in nutrition intake: Evidence from a large assistance program

This paper examines the growth effect of one of the largest nutrition assistance programs in early life. The program covers 5.8 million children in poor rural China and provides 6–24-month old children with a free nutrition supplement that contains nine essential micronutrients. We utilize a phase-in procedure by county for identification and estimate its impact on several early-life health indicators. Robust evidence shows that such nutrition supplements effectively increase boys’ weight and reduce their probability of being underweight. No effect is observed on girls of similar age. These health indicators are related to long-term human capital development. The gender differences in policy impact that are identified in this paper have important implications for nutrition subsidy in the early years of life in developing countries.     

Predictive systems ecology

Human societies, and their well-being, depend to a significant extent on the state of the ecosystems that surround them. These ecosystems are changing rapidly usually in response to anthropogenic changes in the environment. To determine the likely impact of environmental change on ecosystems and the best ways to manage them, it would be desirable to be able to predict their future states. We present a proposal to develop the paradigm of predictive systems ecology, explicitly to understand and predict the properties and behaviour of ecological systems. We discuss the necessary and desirable features of predictive systems ecology models. There are places where predictive systems ecology is already being practised and we summarize a range of terrestrial and marine examples. Significant challenges remain but we suggest that ecology would benefit both as a scientific discipline and increase its impact in society if it were to embrace the need to become more predictive.     

Towards understanding how molecular networks evolve in plants

Residing beneath the phenotypic landscape of a plant are intricate and dynamic networks of genes and proteins. As evolution operates on phenotypes, we expect its forces to shape somehow these underlying molecular networks. In this review, we discuss progress being made to elucidate the nature of these forces and their impact on the composition and structure of molecular networks. We also outline current limitations and open questions facing the broader field of plant network analysis.     

Quantifying the impact and relevance of scientific research

Qualitative and quantitative methods are being developed to measure the impacts of research on society, but they suffer from serious drawbacks associated with linking a piece of research to its subsequent impacts. We have developed a method to derive impact scores for individual research publications according to their contribution to answering questions of quantified importance to end users of research. To demonstrate the approach, here we evaluate the impacts of research into means of conserving wild bee populations in the UK. For published papers, there is a weak positive correlation between our impact score and the impact factor of the journal. The process identifies publications that provide high quality evidence relating to issues of strong concern. It can also be used to set future research agendas.     

Susceptibility of male reproductive system to bisphenol A,an endocrine disruptor: Updates from epidemiological and experimental evidence

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an omnipresent environmental pollutant. Despite being restrictions in-force for its utilization, it is widely being used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Direct, low-dose, and long-term exposure to BPA is expected when they are used in the packaging of food products and are used as containers for food consumption. Occupationally, workers are typically exposed to BPA at higher levels and for longer periods during the manufacturing process. BPA is a known endocrine disruptor chemical (EDC), that causes male infertility, which has a negative impact on human life from emotional, physical, and societal standpoints. To minimize the use of BPA in numerous consumer products, efforts and regulations are being made. Despite legislative limits in numerous nations, BPA is still found in consumer products. This paper examines BPA's overall male reproductive toxicity, including its impact on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis, hormonal homeostasis, testicular steroidogenesis, sperm parameters, reproductive organs, and antioxidant defense system. Furthermore, this paper highlighted the role of non-monotonic dose–response (NMDR) in BPA exposure, which will help to improve the overall understanding of the harmful effects of BPA on the male reproductive system.     

Influence of the distance in a roundhouse kick's execution time and impact force in Taekwondo

Taekwondo, originally a Korean martial art, is well known for its kicks. One of the most frequently used kicks in competition is Bandal Chagui or roundhouse kick. Excellence in Taekwondo relies on the ability to make contact with the opponent's trunk or face with enough force in as little time as possible, while at the same time avoiding being hit. Thus, the distance between contestants is an important variable to be taken into consideration. Thirty-one Taekwondo athletes in two different groups (expert and novice, according to experience in competition) took part in this study. The purpose of this study was to examine both impact force and execution time in a Bandal Chagui or roundhouse kick, and to explore the effect of execution distance in these two variables. A new model was developed in order to measure the force exerted by the body on a load. A force platform and a contact platform were used to measure these variables. The results showed that there are no significant differences in terms of impact force in relation to execution distance in expert competitors. Significant and positive correlations between body mass and impact force (p<.01) seem to mean that novice competitors use their body mass to generate high impact forces. Significant differences were found in competitive experience and execution time for the three different distances of kicking considered in the study. Standing at a certain further distance from the opponent should be an advantage for competitors who are used to kick from a further distance in their training.     

The Lady Vanishes: What’s Missing from the Stem Cell Debate

Most opponents of somatic cell nuclear transfer and embryonic stem cell technologies base their arguments on the twin assertions that the embryo is either a human being or a potential human being, and that it is wrong to destroy a human being or potential human being in order to produce stem cell lines. Proponents’ justifications of stem cell research are more varied, but not enough to escape the charge of obsession with the status of the embryo. What unites the two warring sides in ‘the stem cell wars’ is that women are equally invisible to both: ‘the lady vanishes.’ Yet the most legitimate property in the body is that which women possess in their reproductive tissue and the products of their reproductive labour. By drawing on the accepted characterisation in the common law of property as a bundle of rights, and on a Hegelian model of contract as mutual recognition, we can lessen the impact of the tendency to regard women and their ova as merely receptacles and women’s reproductive labour as unimportant.     

Citation analysis: Maintenance of h-index and use of e-index

Citation analysis numbers are being used as measures of faculty productivity and/or impact. However, after establishing initial citation numbers how does one conduct maintenance on their citation record? During this time of budgetary uncertainty it is more vital than ever to incorporate citation analysis into annual review packages or any departmental report that relies on such faculty data. The focus of this paper is to describe the next step in this process.     

GOBLET: The Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning,Education and Training

In recent years, high-throughput technologies have brought big data to the life sciences. The march of progress has been rapid, leaving in its wake a demand for courses in data analysis, data stewardship, computing fundamentals, etc., a need that universities have not yet been able to satisfy—paradoxically, many are actually closing “niche” bioinformatics courses at a time of critical need. The impact of this is being felt across continents, as many students and early-stage researchers are being left without appropriate skills to manage, analyse, and interpret their data with confidence. This situation has galvanised a group of scientists to address the problems on an international scale. For the first time, bioinformatics educators and trainers across the globe have come together to address common needs, rising above institutional and international boundaries to cooperate in sharing bioinformatics training expertise, experience, and resources, aiming to put ad hoc training practices on a more professional footing for the benefit of all.     

The vulnerability of species to range expansions by predators can be predicted using historical species associations and body size

Climate change threatens species directly through environmental changes and indirectly through its effects on species interactions. We need tools to predict which species are most vulnerable to these threats. Pairwise species associations and body size are simple but promising predictors of the relative impact of species introduced outside of their historical ranges. We examined the vulnerability of 30 fish species to the impacts of three centrarchid predators that are being introduced to lakes north of their historical range boundaries. Species that were negatively associated with each centrarchid in their historical range were more likely to be lost from lakes with centrarchid introductions. Total body length was most important in predicting impact for the most gape-limited predator. At the regional scale, our method identifies those species most vulnerable to introductions facilitated by climate change and can easily be applied to a range of taxa undergoing range expansions.     

Trichinellosis: the zoonosis that won't go quietly

Trichinellosis, is normally not included among those regarded as emerging zoonoses because it has been a public health threat for more than 150 years. However, its dramatic re-emergence in many areas around the world over the past 10-20 years, inspite of a century of veterinary public health efforts to control and eradicate it, justifies it being included in this group. The reasons for this re-emergence are diverse, and include human pertubation and manipulation of ecosystems, war and political turmoil, rapidly changing food distribution and marketing systems, and even, surprisingly, rising affluence in developing countries. These influences, and their impact on the epidemiology of both domestic and sylvatic trichinellosis, are discussed, along with recommendations for confronting this altered status as a public health threat.     

Protein kinases as targets for anti-parasitic chemotherapy

Parasitic protozoa infecting humans have a staggering impact on public health, especially in the developing world. Furthermore, several protozoan species are major pathogens of domestic animals and have a considerable impact on food production. In many instances, the parasites have developed resistance against available chemotherapeutic agents, making the search for alternative drugs a priority. In line with the current interest in protein kinases inhibitors as potential drugs against a variety of diseases, the possibility that protein kinases may represent targets for novel anti-parasitic agents is being explored. Research into parasite protein kinases has benefited greatly from genome and EST sequencing projects, with the genomes of a few species fully sequenced (notably that of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum) and several more under way. The overall picture that emerged from research in this area shows that the phylogenetic isolation of parasitic protozoa is reflected by atypical structural and functional properties of many of their protein kinase homologues. Likewise, evidence is emerging, which suggests that the organisation of some otherwise well-conserved signal transduction pathways is divergent in some parasitic species. The differences between protein kinases of a parasite and their homologues in its host cell suggest that specific inhibition of the former can be achieved. The development of anti-parasitic drugs based on protein kinase inhibition is being pursued following two avenues: one consists of screening chemical libraries on recombinant enzymes; several protein kinases from parasitic protozoa are now available for this approach. The second approach relies on the identification of the molecular targets of kinase inhibitors which display anti-parasitic properties. This has led to promising developments in a few instances, in particular regarding PKG as a drug target against Eimeria and Toxoplasma, and purvalanol B, a purine-based CDK inhibitor which appears to affect unexpected targets in several protozoan parasites. The recent resolution of the structure of a Plasmodium protein kinase complexed with small inhibitory molecules opens the way to a rational approach towards the design of anti-parasitic drugs based on kinase inhibition.     

Using genomic approaches to unravel livestock (host)-tick-pathogen interactions

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a major constraint on livestock farming in many developing countries, which has a huge impact on their economies. Genomic information is becoming more abundant for many of the species involved, which if exploited successfully could be used to develop new control strategies. Here, we review the genomic resources that are now available and discuss how this information is currently being harnessed or can be used in the future to explore the complex interplay that occurs between livestock hosts, tick vectors and tick-borne pathogens.     

The importance of oral health to older people's quality of life

Objectives This study was designed to determine whether older people perceive oral health as being important to Quality of Life (QoL) and if so, to identify the most important ways in which their lives are affected. In addition, to identify if subgroups of older people perceive its importance differently. Design: Nationwide qualitative face to face interviews with older people were carried out utilising the Office for National Statistics Omnibus survey in Great Britain. Subjects and methods 454 adults aged 65 or older took part in this study, part of a random probability sample of adults in the UK. Setting Respondents were interviewed in their homes. Results 72% (313) perceived their oral health status as important to their QoL through a variety of physical, social and psychological ways. Most frequently its impact on function: eating (29%, 126) and symptoms: comfort (14%, 59) were considered most important. Gender and social class variations were apparent (P<0.05). Conclusion Older people perceive oral health as being important to life quality in a variety of different ways. There are significant social class and gender variations which must be taken into consideration when assessing oral health needs of older people.     

The biochemistry of environmental heavy metal uptake by plants: Implications for the food chain

Plants absorb a number of elements from soil, some of which have no known biological function and some are known to be toxic at low concentrations. As plants constitute the foundation of the food chain, some concerns have been raised about the possibility of toxic concentrations of certain elements being transported from plants to higher strata of the food chain. Special attention has been given to the uptake and biotransformation mechanisms occurring in plants and its role in bioaccumulation and impact on consumers, especially human beings. While this review draws particular attention to metal accumulation in edible plants, researched studies of certain wild plants and their consumers are included. Furthermore, this review focuses on plant uptake of the toxic elements arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead and their possible transfer to the food chain. These elements were selected because they are well-established as being toxic for living systems and their effects in humans have been widely documented. Arsenic is known to promote cancer of the bladder, lung, and skin and can be acquired, for example, through the consumption of As-contaminated rice. Cadmium can attack kidney, liver, bone, and it also affects the female reproduction system. Cadmium also can be found in rice. Chromium can produce cancer, and humans can be exposed through smoking and eating Cr-laden vegetables. Lead and mercury are well known neurotoxins that can be consumed via seafood, vegetables and rice.     

A study to compare the oral health impact profile and satisfaction before and after having replacement complete dentures constructed by either the copy or the conventional technique

Aims: To assess the oral health impact profile (OHIP) on edentulous subjects who needed to have their dentures replaced either by a copy technique or a conventional technique, and to determine whether any change in the subjects’ assessment of their original and replacement dentures impacted on oral health related quality of life parameters. Background: The OHIP is an instrument used to measure subjects’ perceptions of the social impact of oral disorders on their well being. Changes in the OHIP may occur when subjects need to have their complete dentures replaced. Furthermore, it is possible that the method by which the dentures are constructed may impact on this. Methods: A total of 65 edentulous subjects were studied. Thirty‐three subjects had their dentures constructed by a copy technique and 32 by a conventional technique. Subjects completed the OHIP‐14 questionnaires before and after being provided with a set of replacement complete dentures. They also assessed specific features of the upper and lower dentures. Responses were recorded on a Likert scale. Results: For many subjects, the responses in the before treatment questionnaires were at the lower end of the Likert scale, indicating that there were no major impacts on oral health related quality of life parameters. There were no major differences between the copy denture subjects and the conventional denture subjects in relation to the change in OHIP scores before and after treatment. Generally subjects expressed improved satisfaction with the new lower denture. However, for the copy denture group there were significant improvements for all seven assessments compared with only five out of seven assessments for subjects in the conventional group. Conclusion: For these groups of edentulous subjects, although they may need dentures to be replaced after a period of wear, this does not necessarily have significant impacts on oral health related quality of life parameters. It seems likely that this is the main reason why the provision of new dentures by either a copying or conventional technique did not result in major changes to the OHIP.     

Effect of the digenean parasites of fish on the fauna of Mediterranean lagoons

Attention is drawn to the effects of parasites on their hosts, taking as a model the digenean parasites of teleosts (hereafter: fish) from lagoons along the French Mediterranean coast. Because digeneans have a heteroxenic life cycle, their impact is not limited to the definitive host, which harbours the sexual adults, but is extended to the first host (mollusc) and to the second host ("invertebrate" or fish). Adult parasites, in order to ensure efficient sexual reproduction, never cause excessive damage to their definitive host, usually only exploiting the intestinal fluids; however, the host must intensify its search for prey, which results in a diminished fitness. Within the first host, 'larval' stages of digenean parasites invade the gonads, resulting in its castration, then exhaustion and eventually death. The diversion of energy from the second hosts towards the parasites forces them to intensify their search for food, resulting in decreased fitness and an increased risk of being eaten; in addition, manipulation of the host's behaviour by parasites drives this host into the food chain of the definitive host. In lagoons, many individuals of almost all species of fish and invertebrates act as first, second and/or definitive hosts for digeneans. Obviously, parasites have a severe impact on the population dynamics of key taxa, on the food web and therefore also on the functioning of the whole lagoon ecosystem. Yet this impact has been largely overlooked or underestimated in functioning models, by ecologists, who tend to prioritize more apparent trophic relationships.     

Communication in troubled waters: responses of fish communication systems to changing environments

Fish populations are increasingly being subjected to anthropogenic changes to their sensory environments. The impact of these changes on inter- and intra-specific communication, and its evolutionary consequences, has only recently started to receive research attention. A disruption of the sensory environment is likely to impact communication, especially with respect to reproductive interactions that help to maintain species boundaries. Aquatic ecosystems around the world are being threatened by a variety of environmental stressors, causing dramatic losses of biodiversity and bringing urgency to the need to understand how fish respond to rapid environmental changes. Here, we discuss current research on different communication systems (visual, chemical, acoustic, electric) and explore the state of our knowledge of how complex systems respond to environmental stressors using fish as a model. By far the bulk of our understanding comes from research on visual communication in the context of mate selection and competition for mates, while work on other communication systems is accumulating. In particular, it is increasingly acknowledged that environmental effects on one mode of communication may trigger compensation through other modalities. The strength and direction of selection on communication traits may vary if such compensation occurs. However, we find a dearth of studies that have taken a multimodal approach to investigating the evolutionary impact of environmental change on communication in fish. Future research should focus on the interaction between different modes of communication, especially under changing environmental conditions. Further, we see an urgent need for a better understanding of the evolutionary consequences of changes in communication systems on fish diversity.     

E-cadherin adhesion activates c-Src signaling at cell-cell contacts

Cadherin-based cell-cell contacts are prominent sites for phosphotyrosine signaling, being enriched in tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins and tyrosine kinases and phosphatases. The functional interplay between cadherin adhesion and tyrosine kinase signaling, however, is complex and incompletely understood. In this report we tested the hypothesis that cadherin adhesion activates c-Src signaling and sought to assess its impact on cadherin function. We identified c-Src as part of a cadherin-activated cell signaling pathway that is stimulated by ligation of the adhesion receptor. However, c-Src has a biphasic impact on cadherin function, exerting a positive supportive role at lower signal strengths, but inhibiting function at high signal strengths. Inhibiting c-Src under circumstances when it is activated by cadherin adhesion decreased several measures of cadherin function. This suggests that the cadherin-activated c-Src signaling pathway serves positively to support cadherin function. Finally, our data implicate PI3-kinase signaling as a target for cadherin-activated c-Src signaling that contributes to its positive impact on cadherin function. We conclude that E-cadherin signaling is an important activator of c-Src at cell-cell contacts, providing a key input into a signaling pathway where quantitative changes in signal strength may result in qualitative differences in functional outcome.