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The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is becoming more prevalent throughout the world, but most alarming is the fact that it is also prevalent in lower-income countries, those with limited research and policy funding. To that end, a number of research gaps have been identified related to the biology, research methodologies/data systems, and programs and policies that could be improved to best address the DBM across the globe, especially in diverse settings with limited resources. Clearly, understanding the biology of the DBM is fundamental to developing policies, but research needs to become more interdisciplinary and communicate better with policymakers. At the same time, research methods need to become more innovative, and data systems must advance to accommodate new research methods and approaches. Filling these gaps will allow for broad and effective policies to be implemented through both public and private groups, an area that could be leveraged through transparent public-private engagement and programs. Without novel and integrated approaches to research, efforts to reverse the DBM will be limited. Therefore, the time has come for truly cooperative and collaborative efforts on all fronts to work together and promote the health of future generations across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) with high levels of undernutrition and a growing burden of overweight/obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Undernourishment in sub-Saharan Africa increased between 2010 and 2016. Although the prevalence of chronic undernutrition is decreasing, the number of stunted children under 5 years of age is increasing due to population growth. Meanwhile, overweight/obesity is increasing in all age groups, with girls and women being more affected than boys and men. It is increasingly recognized that the drivers of the DBM originate outside the health sector and operate across national and regional boundaries. Largely unregulated marketing of cheap processed foods and nonalcoholic beverages as well as lifestyle changes are driving consumption of unhealthy diets in the African region. Progress toward the goal of ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030 requires intensified efforts to reduce undernutrition and focused action on the reduction of obesity and diet-related NCDs. The World Health Organization is developing a strategic plan to guide governments and development partners in tackling all forms of malnutrition through strengthened policies, improved service delivery, and better use of data. It is only through coordinated and complementary efforts that strides can be made to reduce the DBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Mediterranean Regions and Europe and Central Asia Regions are facing an epidemiological and nutrition transition, especially among vulnerable groups including mothers, children and adolescents. This has led to a double burden of malnutrition (DBM). Poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF), poor dietary diversity, excessive consumption of energy dense unhealthy foods, a growing obesogenic environment for children, including aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods for children, and reduced physical activity are among the main causes. In addition, several countries in the region lack the nutrition governance capacity to respond effectively to the DBM. This article reviews the context and provides a set of conclusions in which countries are called to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods for children, enforce the fortification of staple foods with micronutrients to reduce micronutrient deficiencies and improve IYCF, including breastfeeding in the region. Also, the call is strong for cross-border multi-sectoral efforts to address the DBM in these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing awareness in the field of public health that combatting the double burden of malnutrition requires approaches that address its multi-dimensional origin, rather than focusing primarily on the biomedical domain. Current frameworks of malnutrition like the UNICEF conceptual framework, and the Lancet Series 2013 framework have been instrumental in understanding the determinants of malnutrition and developing appropriate interventions. However, these frameworks fail to explicitly address issues of agency, that is, about being able to pursue one's goal. The capability approach as originally developed by Amartya Sen includes agency in the causal chain. Summary and key Messages: In the past 5 years, the International Union of Nutritional Sciences Task Force "Towards a multi-dimensional index for child growth and development" has developed a capability framework for child growth, and conducted empirical research applying this framework. The working group discussed what would be needed to further develop the approach and explained the added value to international organisations and policy makers. We suggest developing an index of advantage that will be a proxy for a child's agency. We hypothesise that such an index will explain much of the variance in studying inequalities in child nutrition and thus call for action to improve this focal point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth from conception through age 2 years, the "First 1,000 days," is important for long-term health of the growing fetus and child and is influenced by several factors including breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Low- and middle-income countries face a complicated array of factors that influence healthy growth, ranging from high food insecurity, poor sanitation, limited prenatal or neonatal care, and high levels of poverty that exacerbate the "vicious cycle" associated with intergenerational promotion of growth retardation. It is now well recognized that the period prior to conception, both maternal and paternal health and diet, play an important role in fetal development, giving rise to the concept of the "First 1,000 Days+". Breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices can be improved through a combination of interventions such as baby-friendly hospitals, regulations for marketing of foods and beverages to children, adequate counseling and support, and sound social and behavior change communication, but continued research is warranted to make such programs more universal and fully effective. Thus, improving the overall understanding of factors that influence growth, such as improved breastfeeding and age-appropriate and adequate complementary feeding, is critical to reducing the global prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a title page of the symposium titled Traits as Dispositions for Psychopathology held in Dresden, Germany on September 27-October 1, 1998.

Provides an update on issues concerning the International Association of Gerontology as of May 19998. Information on the 16th World Congress of Gerontology in Adelaide, Australia; Discussion on budgetary matters and activities of the association.

The article offers information on the journal "Cells Tissues Organs" including its tables of contents, the editorial board, and features various conferences on tissue engineering and cell biology.

The article discusses the highlights of the 10th EURETINA Congress of the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) held in Paris, France on September 2 to 5, 2010. Ophthalmologists also attended the 2010 event following the partnership forged by EURETINA with the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ECRS). It provides an overview of the EURETINA Lecture 2010 given by Professor Anthony Moore about the current state of research into retinovascular disorders of childhood. It relates the increase in attendance and paper submissions.

Up to 50% of the adult population fail to meet the recommended total water intake despite the adverse health outcomes associated with chronic low fluid intake. Total fluid intake plays an important role in the energy and nutrient intake of individuals. Dietitians' role is to advise and guide the population toward a healthier diet. However, based on existing evidence, dietitians' current knowledge and practices regarding healthy hydration is an area for improvement. The European Healthy Hydration Awareness Campaign (EuHHAC) is an initiative between the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD) and the Hydration and Health Department of Danone Research, which aims to increase knowledge and awareness of healthy hydration and provide dietitians with evidence-based resources to use in practice. Since 2016, a series of tasks were undertaken by the EuHHAC group targeting dietitians across Europe. These tasks included an online survey addressing gaps in hydration knowledge, a webinar providing information on the terminology and impact of hydration on health, an interactive session addressing facilitators and barriers to healthy hydration, and a tutorial summarizing key hydration information and take-home messages. Dietitians were actively engaged in each aspect. Based on the feedback received, awareness of hydration was increased among dietitians. To further enhance understanding, an online Hydration Resource Center, including the resources of EuHHAC, will be created and uploaded on the EFAD website. Once completed an evaluation study will be undertaken to assess the usefulness of the resources in practice. The deliverables will be cascaded across Europe and worldwide via social media, conferences, and publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Announces some events and congresses associated with the study of neurology. Information on the biennial International Enrico Greppi Award 2004; 8th Congress of the European Federation of Neurological Societies.

Presents the table of contents of a collection of papers titled "Benefits of Valsartan — Hypertension and Beyond" from the proceedings of a symposium held during the 13th Meeting of the World Congress of Cardiology, at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1998.

The article focuses on how journals treat scientific misconduct allegations and independent peer review process by different international reviewers and several revisions and need of ethical standards. It mentions article entitled "Autologous Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as Treatment in Refractory Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome" which has some scientific misconduct. It also mentions performance of experimental treatment in a patient.

Antibiotics are the cornerstone on which anti-infectious therapy is based. Their use has provoked the selection of resistant pathogens, which are progressively hindering treatment success. In addition, antibiotic pressure on the autochthonous microbiota alters the homeostasis of the composing communities, attenuate their beneficial effects and make difficult the treatment of endogenous infections. Therefore, it is convenient to design strategies that complement antibiotherapy, the utilization of probiotic microorganisms being among the most promising ones. Probiotics have demonstrated therapeutic effects on digestive (lactose intolerance, diarrheas of different etiologies, pouchitis), urogenital (vaginitis, vaginosis, uncomplicated cystitis) and mammary (mastitis) processes. Moreover, they reduce the frequency of recurrences due to their multiplication at the mucosal surfaces and present synergistic effects with antibiotics when rationally used. Their use should lead to diminishing antibiotic usage, to attenuation of the pressure in favour of resistant microorganisms and to their substitution by susceptible populations that, in general, present a higher fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the 21st International Congress of Nutrition (IUCN), conjointly organized by the Argentinian Society of Nutrition and the IUNS Council with an aim to promote the global exchange of knowledge in Nutritional Sciences, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 15-20, 2017.

The article offers information on the second Sharing Progress in Neonatology (SPIN) meeting incorporating the 32nd International Workshop on Surfactant Replacement held in Dublin, Ireland on May 26-27, 2017 which featured topics including improvements in neonatal outcomes and neonatal seizures.

Background/Aims: Abstract presentations at scientific meetings provide an opportunity to communicate the results of important research. Unfortunately, many abstracts are not published as full manuscripts. At the 73rd scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in 2008, we evaluated factors associated with the publication of abstracts as manuscripts up to 6.5 years after presentation. Methods: All abstracts, excluding case reports, presented at the meeting were evaluated. We systematically searched for matching manuscripts indexed in PubMed or EMBASE up to May 2015. We used logistic regression models to determine factors associated with manuscript publication and calculated ORs and 95% CIs. Results: Of the included 791 abstracts, 249 (31.5%) were published as manuscripts within 6.5 years. Oral presentation (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.15-3.87), multicenter studies (OR 2.67; 95% CI 1.44-4.95), abstracts by University-based authors (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.20-2.72), and funded research (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.43-3.23) were more likely to be published. Winning an award at the meeting was not associated with manuscript publication (OR 1.09; 95% CI 0.57-2.06). Conclusions: There is an urgent need to enhance the methods of disseminating scientific knowledge through publication of abstracts presented at gastroenterology meetings as manuscripts. Mentors should endeavor to encourage their mentees to complete this final stage of their scholarly activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains the acceptance of age as a fact of life. The author reflects on his experience of attending a conference on aging. He suggests to accept age as a fact of life in order to develop sufficient self-confidence to treat inquiries about age. In addition, the article looks back at the publication of the journal "Gerontology" in 2012.

Information about several papers discussed at the 21st European Stroke Conference held May 22-25, 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal regarding some of the ongoing clinical trials in cerebrovascular diseases. Topics include carotid artery angioplasty, citicoline trials, and thrombolysis trials. The conference featured several health professionals including Joanna M. Wardlaw, Peter Sandercock, and Martin M. Brown.

The article presents information on the 47th Congress of the European Society for Surgical Research (ESSR) held from June 6-9, 2012 in Lille, France. The event marked the return of the ESSR to its founding country, that was established in Nancy, France, in 1966. The event featured 211 oral and 89 poster presentations and participants.

Information about several papers discussed at an expert conference held in Barcelona, Spain in October 2009 concerning developments in idiopathic short stature (ISS) research is presented. Topics include if the clinical syndromes of constitutional delay of growth and puberty and clinical syndromes of familial short stature should be included in the definition of ISS and in treatment options of ISS. It also talks about the safety and efficacy of growth hormone therapy and alternative therapies.

The article offers IALP news briefs including information on several events that took place during the 28th annual IALP World Congress in Athens, Greece, information on the 36th annual CASLPA conference, titled "Communication: A Question of Balance," to be held on April 27-30, 2011 in Montreal, Quebec and information regarding the professional association the Israeli Speech, Hearing and Language Association (ISHLA)

Information about several papers discussed at the 14th European Stroke Organization (ESO) Stroke Summer School held by the ESO in Warsaw, Poland on June 27 to July 3, 2010 is presented. Topics include the epidemiology and risk factors of stroke. The event featured several speakers from the field of medicine and pharmacology.

Information on several papers presented at the Ninth International Conference (Alzheimer's Disease) AD/PD (Parkinson's Disease) Prague, titled "Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Diseases: Advances, Concepts and New Challenges," held in Czech Republic, from March 11-15, 2009, by guest editors Abraham Fisher, Ness Ziona Israel Hanin, is given.

The article presents information on the results of the 15th European Stroke Conference that was held in Brussels, Belgium from May 16-19, 2006. There were 2,715 participants who attended the conference. The symposium featured reports on new trials and updates on prior studies, presentations on intracerebral hemorrhage and the importance of hemorrhage in current stroke research.

The article discusses a roundatable discussion during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2015, and mention topics including prognostic markers for breast cancer, clinical practices, and endocrine therapy.

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An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various articles within the issue pregnancy and breastfeeding; scientific literature regarding the effects of dehydration on cognitive function and mood in children, adolescents; and childhood obesity.

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Ion transporters are the molecular basis for ion homeostasis of the cell and the whole organism. The anion exchanger pendrin is only one of a number of examples where a complete or partial loss of function and/or deregulation of expression of ion transporters may lead or contribute to pathological conditions in humans. A complete understanding of the function of ion transporters in health and disease may pave the way for the identification of new and focused therapeutic approaches. Exchange of knowledge and connectivity between the experts in the feld of transport physiology is essential in facing these challenging tasks. The Lake Cumberland Biological Transport Group and the Pendrin Consortium are examples of scientific forums where investigators combine their efforts towards a better understanding of molecular pathophysiology of ion transport. This issue discusses the versatility of ion transporters involved in the regulation of cellular volume and other functions, such as the solute carrier (SLC) 12A gene family members SLC12A4-7, encoding the Na+-independent cation-chloride cotransporters commonly known as the K+-Cl- cotransporters KCC1-4, and the betaine/γ-aminobutyric acid transport system (BGT1, SLC6A12), just to name a few. The issue further addresses the pathophysiology of intestinal and respiratory epithelia and related therapeutic tools and techniques to investigate interactions between proteins and proteins and small compounds. Finally, the current knowledge and new findings on the expression, regulation and function of pendrin (SLC26A4) in the inner ear, kidney, airways and blood platelets are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article presents an author index and plenary lecture abstracts from the September 2013 pediatric endocrinology meeting in Italy on topics including puberty in obese children, placental expression of SPRY2, and the effect of breast milk leptin concentration on neonatal weight gain.

The article offers information on the periodical, Epithelia-Mesenchymal Transition meeting and severa books. It states how authors can submit their articles to the periodical including type of papers, supplementary material and digital object identifier (DOI). The meeting will be held in Alicante, Spain from November 13-16, 2013. The book "Nanomedicine: Basic and Clinical Applications in Diagnostics and Therapy," edited by Christoph Alexiou is on the use of nanotechnology in human health.

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Self-administration of therapy can help hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients regain control of their disease or reduce its impact and improve the quality of their lives. However, data from a self-administration survey, and subsequent discussion at an international HAE expert meeting, identified several barriers to self-administration therapy. These barriers include difficulty in administration technique, availability of nursing resources and the mental capacity of the patient. Encouragingly, international HAE experts identified that once a patient has acquired self-administration skills, they generally retain them in the long-term. As patient uptake increases, it was recommended that follow-up management plans should be established to address any issues from the patient's perspective. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]