Disparities in Place of Death Among Malnourished Individuals in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Deficiencies or imbalances in a person's intake of nutrients are referred to as malnutrition. Malnutrition remains a significant public health concern in the United States, with potential consequences ranging from chronic disease to mortality. This study aims to assess the disparities in place of death due to malnutrition in the United States from 1999 to 2020, based on variables like age, gender, race, and location, utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information and Communication Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database. METHODOLOGY: Data regarding mortality due to malnutrition was extracted for the years 1999-2020 from the CDC WONDER database. Univariate regression analysis was performed to investigate disparities in the place of death based on variables. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2020, a total of 1,03,962 malnutrition-related deaths were recorded, with 31,023 in home and hospice care, 68,173 in medical and nursing facilities, and 4,766 in other places. The odds of death due to malnutrition at home or hospice were highest for the 85+ age group, female gender, census region 4 (West), and Asian or Pacific Islander race. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a rising trend in mortality due to malnutrition in the United States, especially among certain demographic groups and in medical facilities and nursing homes. It emphasizes the need to understand the factors contributing to this increase in mortality rates. Future research should focus on these contributors to combat the rising burden of malnutrition-related mortality in the United States.

"The whole sky has broken down on me. I might die alone": A qualitative study on the lived experiences of COVID-19 positive frontline workers in Bangladesh.

Many countries, including Bangladesh, have conducted research on the mental health of frontline workers and their challenges in adjusting to their new workplaces. However, the authors are unaware of any studies on their real-life experiences as COVID-19-positive patients in Bangladesh. This study intends to investigate the lived experiences of Bangladeshi frontline workers who were isolated as a result of the COVID-19 infection and tested positive for the virus. We used a qualitative methodology and a semi-structured interview guide to conduct ten interviews between July 26 and August 12, 2020. The participants were recruited via a social media campaign and purposive sampling. All interviews were conducted via telephone and online and were transcribed and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The study does, however, identify four primary themes and 13 supporting themes, including (1) experience in a new working environment (subthemes: workload and adaptation, maintaining health protocol and social distance, and the fear of infection), (2) diagnosis (subthemes: the origin of infection, physiological problems, experiences at the diagnosis center), (3) recovery days (subthemes: earlier reactions, experiences in isolation, coping mechanisms), and (4) post-COVID-19 (subthemes: excitement, fear, and confusion; physiological problems; increased religiosity; and changes in philosophy). This study is important for healthcare policymakers because it helps them design healthcare management systems that take Bangladeshi society's social context into account. This study also recommends that long-term behavioral change programs be implemented by national policymakers to lessen societal stigma. At the same time, it suggests that the government should help lessen the barriers to health care services that persons with lower socioeconomic status confront.

Prevalence of risk factors for hypertension: A cross-sectional study in an urban area of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a major risk factor for several cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in Bangladesh, especially in urban areas. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors in an urban area of Bangladesh. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving participants aged ≥ 25 years in an urban area in Dhaka between June-December 2012, using multi-stage random sampling. Data on socioeconomic status, tobacco use, physical activity, diet, extra-salt use, family history of hypertension, CVD, anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were collected using modified WHO-STEPS protocol. Hypertension and pre-hypertension were defined according to JNC-7. Multiple logistic regressions models were used to identify risk factors associated with hypertension. RESULTS: The overall age-adjusted prevalence hypertension and pre-hypertension among 730 participants was 23.7% and 19%, respectively, which was higher among males compared to females (23.6% vs 21.71% and 21.7% vs 17.0%, respectively). Bivariate analysis showed significant relationship of hypertension with age, BMI, no physical activity, tobacco use, extra salt intake and family history of stroke/cardiovascular disease. In the multivariate model, factors significantly associated with hypertension were older age (OR 19.18, 95% CI 13.58-28.11), smoking (OR 3.47, 95% CI 2.85-5.19), extra salt intake (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04-2.21), and high waist circumference (OR 3.41, 95% CI 2.81-5.29). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension was high among our study participants. Population-based intervention programs and policies for increased awareness about the risk factors, and life-style modification are essential for prevention of hypertension.

Structural integrity of {alpha}-helix H12 in translation initiation factor eIF5B is critical for 80S complex stability.

Translation initiation factor eIF5B promotes GTP-dependent ribosomal subunit joining in the final step of the translation initiation pathway. The protein resembles a chalice with the α-helix H12 forming the stem connecting the GTP-binding domain cup to the domain IV base. Helix H12 has been proposed to function as a rigid lever arm governing domain IV movements in response to nucleotide binding and as a molecular ruler fixing the distance between domain IV and the G domain of the factor. To investigate its function, helix H12 was lengthened or shortened by one or two turns. In addition, six consecutive residues in the helix were substituted by Gly to alter the helical rigidity. Whereas the mutations had minimal impacts on the factor's binding to the ribosome and its GTP binding and hydrolysis activities, shortening the helix by six residues impaired the rate of subunit joining in vitro and both this mutation and the Gly substitution mutation lowered the yield of Met-tRNA(i)(Met) bound to 80S complexes formed in the presence of nonhydrolyzable GTP. Thus, these two mutations, which impair yeast cell growth and enhance ribosome leaky scanning in vivo, impair the rate of formation and stability of the 80S product of subunit joining. These data support the notion that helix H12 functions as a ruler connecting the GTPase center of the ribosome to the P site where Met-tRNA(i)(Met) is bound and that helix H12 rigidity is required to stabilize Met-tRNA(i)(Met) binding.

Anopheles gambiae lipophorin: characterization and role in lipid transport to developing oocyte.

Lipid transport in arthropods is achieved by highly specialized lipoproteins, which resemble those described in vertebrate blood. Here, we describe purification and characterization of the lipid-apolipoprotein complex, lipophorin (Lp), in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae. We also describe the Lp-mediated lipid transfer to developing eggs and the distribution of the imported lipid in developing embryos. The density of the Lp complex was 1.135 g/ml with an apparent molecular weight of 630 kDa. It is composed of two major polypeptides, apoLp I (260 kDa) and apoLp II (74 kDa) and composed of 50% protein, 48% lipid and 2% carbohydrate (w/w). Hydrocarbon, cholesterol, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, cholesteryl ester and diacylglyceride were the major Lp-associated lipids. Using fluorescently tagged lipids, we observed patterns that suggest that in live developing oocytes, the Lp was taken up by a receptor-mediated endocytic process. Such process was blocked at low temperature and in the presence of excess unlabeled Lp, but not by bovine serum albumin. Imported Lp was segregated in the spherical yolk bodies (mean size 1.8 microm) and distributed evenly in the cortex of the oocyte. In embryonic larvae, before hatching, a portion of the fatty acid in vesicles was found evenly distributed along the body, whereas portion of phospholipids was accumulated in the intestine.