bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Ramadan-type fasting on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and brush border membrane in small intestine and liver of rat used as a model
Authors: Farooq Neelam , Priyamvada Shubha , Arivarasu N. A. , Salim Samina , Khan Farah , Yusufi Ahad Noor Khan
Published: March 2007

During Ramadan, Muslims the world over abstain from food and water from dawn to sunset for a month. We hypothesised that this unique model of prolonged intermittent fasting would result in specific intestinal and liver metabolic adaptations and hence alter metabolic activities. The effect of Ramadan-type fasting was studied on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and the brush border membrane of intestine and liver from rat used as a model. Rats were fasted (12 h) and then refed (12 h) daily for 30 d, as practised by Muslims during Ramadan. Ramadan-type fasting caused a significant decline in serum glucose, cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase activity, whereas inorganic phosphate increased but blood urea N was not changed. Fasting resulted in increased activities of intestinal lactate (+34 %), isocitrate (+63 %), succinate (+83 %) and malate (+106 %) dehydrogenases, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (+17 %) and glucose-6-phosphatase (+22 %). Liver lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase activities were also enhanced. However, the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme fell significantly in the intestine but increased in liver. Although the activities of alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and sucrase decreased in mucosal homogenates and brush border membrane, those of liver alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and leucine aminopeptidase significantly increased. These changes were due to a respective decrease and increase of the maximal velocities of the enzyme reactions. Ramadan-type fasting caused similar effects whether the rats fasted with a daytime or night-time feeding schedule. The present results show a tremendous adaptation capacity of both liver and intestinal metabolic activities with Ramadan-type fasting in rats used as a model for Ramadan fasting in people.
Hypolipidaemic effect of chemically different mucilages in rats: a comparative study
Authors: Boban Puthenpura T. , Nambisan Bala , Sudhakaran Perumana R.
Published: March 2007

Different classes of fibres differ in their potential to lower lipid levels. In order to examine how chemically diverse fibres differ in their hypolipidaemic activity, mucilages of varying chemical composition isolated from three different sources were administered to experimental animals and the metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins was studied. The mucilages used were a galactomannan isolated from fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds, a glucomannan fromDioscorea esculentatubers and an arabinogalactan fromColocasia esculentatubers. Rats were fed these mucilages at a dose of 4 mg/100 g body weight per d for 8 weeks and the changes in the levels of total cholesterol and triacylglycerols in serum, liver and aorta were analysed. All these mucilages decreased lipid levels both in serum and tissues. Among these mucilages, glucomannan showed the most hypolipidaemic effect followed by galactomannan and arabinogalactan. Further, hepatocytes were isolated from the livers of mucilage-fed rats and the synthesis and secretion of lipoproteins were studied using metabolic labelling. There was a decrease in the synthesis and secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins, mainly VLDL, by hepatocytes isolated from mucilage-fed rats when compared to control (P < 0·05). This was further confirmed by pulse chase analysis. Among the different mucilages, mannose-rich glucomannan showed the most effect followed by galactomannan, and mannose-free arabinogalactan showed minimal effect. Comparison of relative viscosity and water-holding capacity showed that mannan-rich mucilages like galactomannan and glucomannan, which showed greater hypolipidaemic effect, had greater relative viscosity and water-holding capacity. The present results suggested that the hypolipidaemic effect of dietary fibre involves a decrease in hepatic production of VLDL and further that it varies with the nature of the fibre.
Long-term consequences of under-nutrition during suckling on glucose tolerance and lipoprotein profile in female and male rats
Authors: López-Soldado Iliana , Munilla Maria Angeles , Herrera Emilio
Published: March 2007

To determine the effect of under-nutrition during suckling in adults, at delivery female Sprague Dawley rats were allowed to lactate litters of either eight (controls) or sixteen pups each (large litter, LL). The amount of milk taken by LL pups was less than the controls and the concentration of triacylglycerols (TG) in the milk of the former was lower. The increase of both body weight and length in LL was lower than in the controls during suckling. At weaning, pups were allowed to eatad libituma standard diet and whereas at 20 months female body weight did not differ between LL and control rats, LL males weighed less than controls. Plasma NEFA were lower in male LL than in controls at 10 months, leptin at 10 and 16 months and TG and VLDL-TG at 20 months, with no differences in females. When 20 months old, lumbar and epididymal adipose tissue weights were lower in male LL than in controls, but not in females. The increase in plasma insulin after oral glucose load was lower in LL than in controls, both in males and females at 4 and 16 months, and only in males at 10 months, whereas the change in plasma glucose remained constant between the groups. Results indicate that both the pancreatic β-cell function and insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue metabolism are independently programmed as a consequence of under-nutrition during suckling, the effect being more manifest for males than for females.
Impact of dietary counselling on nutrient intake during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Piirainen T. , Isolauri E. , Lagström H. , Laitinen K.
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of dietary counselling combined with the provision of food products on food and nutrient intake in pregnant women. We carried out a prospective cohort study of healthy and atopic pregnant women (n 209), who were randomized into dietary intervention and control groups. The intervention group received dietary counselling and food products to modify the fat composition of their diet to meet current recommendations. Three-day food records were collected during each trimester of pregnancy. Women in the intervention group consumed more vegetables, fruits, soft margarines and vegetable oils and less butter than those in the control group during the course of pregnancy (P < 0·05). The main distinction between the groups in nutrient intake over the pregnancy was attributable to a higher energy intake (% energy) of PUFA by 0·5 %energy (95 % CI 0·1, 0·8) and to a lower intake of SFA by 0·8 % energy (95 % CI − 1·4, − 0·4) in the intervention group. Dietary intake of vitamin E was 1·4 mg (95 % CI 0·6, 2·2), folate 20·9 μg (95 % CI 0·8, 41·0) and ascorbic acid 19·8 mg (95 % CI 3·5, 36·0) higher in the intervention group compared to the controls, while no differences in other nutrients were detected. Dietary counselling combined with the provision of food products during pregnancy is of importance in modifying food and nutrient intake, with potential health benefits.
Validation of foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the assessment of body composition in young children: the EarlyBird cohort
Authors: Hosking Joanne , Metcalf Brad S. , Jeffery Alison N. , Voss Linda D. , Wilkin Terence J.
Published: March 2007

Foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is simple and non-invasive, making it particularly suitable for use in children. There is insufficient evidence of the validity of foot-to-foot BIA compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as the criterion method in healthy young children. Our objective was to assess the validity of foot-to-foot BIA against DEXA in a large cohort of healthy young children. Body composition was measured by foot-to-foot BIA and DEXA in 203 children (mean age 8·9 (sd0·3) years). Bland–Altman and simple linear regression analyses were used to determine agreement between methods. BIA overestimated fat-free mass by a mean of 2·4 % in boys and 5·7 % in girls, while fat mass was underestimated by 6·5 % in boys and 10·3 % in girls. The percentage fat recorded by BIA was, accordingly, also lower than by DEXA (boys 4·8 %; girls 12·8 %). In boys, however, there were correlations between the size of the difference between methods and the size of the measure under consideration such that in smaller boys fat-free mass was underestimated (r − 0·57;P < 0·001) while fat mass and percentage fat were overestimated (r0·74 for fat mass;r0·69 for percentage fat; bothP < 0·001) with the reverse in bigger boys. Mean differences between techniques were greater in the girls than in the boys but in boys only, the direction of the differences was dependent upon the size of the child. Therefore, BIA may be useful for large-scale studies but is not interchangeable with DEXA and should be interpreted with caution in individuals.
Comparative dietary intake and sources of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) among British adults in 1986–7 and 2000–1
Authors: Thane Christopher W. , Bolton-Smith Caroline , Coward W. Andy
Published: March 2007

Using data from 7 d weighed dietary records, dietary intake and sources of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) were examined by socio-demographic and lifestyle factors in 1916 participants aged 16–64 years from the 1986–7 Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults, and 1423 participants aged 19–64 years from the 2000–1 National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Using UK-specific food content data, geometric mean phylloquinone intakes were estimated as 72 (95 % CI 70, 74) and 67 (95 % CI 65, 69) μg/d in 1986–7 and 2000–1 respectively (P < 0·001). In 1986–7, 47 % of participants had phylloquinone intakes below the UK guideline for adequacy ( ≥ 1 μg/kg body weight per d), compared with 59 % in 2000–1 (P < 0·001). In both surveys, daily phylloquinone intake was higher among men than women and increased significantly with age. Participants of manual occupational social class, or who were smokers, had lower phylloquinone intake than their counterparts. Participants living in Scotland and northern England had lower phylloquinone intake than those living elsewhere in mainland Britain, particularly in 1986–7 when the contribution from vegetables was also lower than elsewhere. However, by 2000–1 this regional difference was no longer significant. Overall, vegetables contributed 63 % of phylloquinone intake in 1986–7 and 60 % in 2000–1, with cooked leafy green vegetables (LGV) providing 23 and 19 % respectively. In both surveys, the contribution of vegetables (cooked LGV in particular) was directly associated with age. These data show a decrease in phylloquinone intake from 1986–7 to 2000–1, mainly owing to lower consumption of cooked LGV.
Skeletal site-dependent response of bone mineral density and quantitative ultrasound parameters following a 12-month dietary intervention using dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D: the Postmenopausal Health Study
Authors: Moschonis George , Manios Yannis
Published: March 2007

The aim of the current study was to examine whether calcium supplementation could prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women or more favourable outcomes could be obtained via the consumption of dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D3. For this purpose changes in bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites, assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, as well as in quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters of the calcaneus over 12 months were estimated. A population of 101 postmenopausal women (55–65 years old) was randomized into a dairy group (DG: n 39), receiving approximately 1200 mg calcium/d and 7·5 μg vitamin D3/d through fortified dairy products; a calcium-supplemented group (CaG: n 26) provided with a calcium supplement of 600 mg/d; and a control group (CG: n 36). Over the intervention period the DG was found to have more favourable changes in pelvis (P = 0·040), total spine (P < 0·001) and total body BMD (P < 0·001) than the other groups. A significant increase was also observed for DG in lumbar spine BMD (2·0 %; 95 % CI 0·5, 3·5) although it did not differentiate significantly compared to the other groups. No significant differences were observed with respect to the changes in QUS parameters. The current study revealed that recommended intakes of vitamin D3 and calcium via fortified dairy products for 12 months can induce favourable changes in pelvis, total spine and total body BMD in postmenopausal women but not in QUS parameters. No such favourable changes were observed via supplementation of calcium alone.
Genetic and environmental contributions to serum ascorbic acid concentrations: the Stanislas Family Study
Authors: Herbeth Bernard , Guilland Jean-Claude , Rochette Luc , Siest Gérard , Visvikis-Siest Sophie
Published: March 2007

Although numerous environmental factors are documented to influence serum ascorbic concentrations, little is known about the genetic versus environmental contributions to variation of this trait. The aim of this study was to estimate family correlation and, additive genetic heritability and household effects in a variance component analysis for serum ascorbic acid concentrations. In a sample of ninety French families, information was obtained regarding serum ascorbic acid concentrations, usual dietary intake, lifestyle, and other related covariates. Spouse, parent–offspring and offspring–offspring significant correlation coefficients for serum ascorbic acid concentrations, adjusted for age, cigarette consumption and oral contraceptive use, were 0·432, 0·298 and 0·485, respectively, and for adjusted values for additional diet covariates (vitamin C intake and fruit and vegetable consumption), were 0·362, 0·154 and 0·348, respectively. Variance component analysis for serum ascorbic concentrations showed no significant genetic contribution to variability of this trait. Conversely, household common environment accounted for 27·7 and 42·6 % in parents and offspring, respectively, after adjustment for age, cigarette consumption and oral contraceptive use. After adjustment for the two additional diet covariates (vitamin C intake and fruit and vegetable consumption) household common variance decreased to 13·6 and 30·5 % in parents and offspring, respectively. These results show that serum ascorbic acid concentrations aggregate within healthy families partly due to diet intake but without a significant genetic component.
PAPER PRESENTED AT INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON INCREASING WHEAT YIELD POTENTIAL, CIMMYT, OBREGON, MEXICO, 20–24 MARCH 2006 An economic assessment of the use of physiological selection for stomatal aperture-related traits in the CIMMYT wheat breeding programme
Authors: BRENNAN J. P. , CONDON A. G. , VAN GINKEL M. , REYNOLDS M. P.
Published: March 2007

Physiological research has shown that measurements on small plots of stomatal conductance, canopy temperature depression (CTD) or carbon isotope discrimination may be useful for screening breeding populations for yield potential, prior to the execution of expensive replicated yield trials. Such indirect selection criteria may be very effective as lower cost alternatives for estimating genetic gain for complex characteristics such as yield that are relatively expensive to measure accurately in the field. In the present paper, economic analysis is undertaken of the results of trials conducted at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) over three seasons to determine the value of the physiological traits being assessed. The results indicate that the economic value of incorporating these measurements into CIMMYT's breeding programme is potentially important. CTD and stomatal conductance are relatively cheap to measure and could be used to discard lines prior to extensive yield testing, whereas carbon isotope discrimination is relatively expensive and would not be economic for this purpose. The analysis indicates that the incorporation of physiological measurements is likely to provide important economic benefits to the programme. Indications are that other breeding programmes with similar breeding goals and comparable costing structures might also consider using such indirect selection traits.
WHAT HAS FAITH GOT TO DO WITH IT? RELIGION AND CHILD SURVIVAL IN GHANA
Authors: OBENG GYIMAH STEPHEN
Published: March 2007

Using pooled children data from the 1998 and 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, this study examines religious differences in child survival in Ghana. Guided by the particularized theology and selectivity theses, a piecewise constant hazard model with gamma-shared frailty is used to explore if there are denominational differences in child mortality, and whether these could be explained through other characteristics. At the bivariate level, children whose mothers identified as Muslim and Traditional were found to have a significantly higher risk of death compared with their counterparts whose mothers identified as Christians. In the multivariate models, however, the religious differences disappeared after the mediating and confounding influence of socioeconomic factors were controlled. The findings provide support for the selectivity hypothesis, which is based on the notion that religious variations mainly reflect differential access to social and human capital rather than religious theology per se.
ACCESS TO HEALTH: WOMEN’S STATUS AND UTILIZATION OF MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES IN NEPAL
Authors: SHARMA SHARAD KUMAR , SAWANGDEE YOTHIN , SIRIRASSAMEE BUPPHA
Published: March 2007

With the objective of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, the Safe Motherhood Program was implemented in Nepal in 1997. It was launched as a priority programme during the ninth five-year plan period, 1997–2002, with the aim of increasing women’s access to health care and raising their status. This paper examines the association of access to health services and women’s status with utilization of prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care during the plan period. The 1996 Nepal Family Health Survey and the 2001 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey data were pooled and the likelihood of women’s using maternal health care was examined in 2001 in comparison with 1996. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicates that the utilization of maternal health services increased over the period. Programme interventions such as outreach worker’s visits, radio programmes on maternal health, maternal health information disseminated through various mass media sources and raising women’s status through education were able to explain the observed change in utilization. Health worker visits and educational status of women showed a large association, but radio programmes and other mass media information were only partially successful in increasing use of maternal health services. Socioeconomic and demographic variables such as household economic status, number of living children and place of residence showed stronger association with use of maternal health services then did intervention programmes.
Simultaneous typical carcinoid tumour of larynx and occult papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Lin Z-M , Chang Y-L , Lee C-Y , Wang C-P , Hsiao T-Y
Published: March 2007

Typical carcinoid tumour of the larynx is extremely rare. We report the case of a 43-year-old man initially diagnosed with typical carcinoid tumour of the larynx, presenting with a foreign body sensation in his throat. Coincidentally, an occult papillary thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed, following detection of a suspicious lymph node on pre-operative imaging studies, and confirmation by neck dissection and subsequent total thyroidectomy. Following surgery and radioiodine therapy for these cancers, the patient was alive, well and free of disease two years later. Typical carcinoid tumour of the larynx with a synchronous occult papillary thyroid carcinoma has not previously been reported. The optimal treatment strategy for this case is also discussed.
Three-dimensional flow near a reconnection site at the dayside magnetopause: analytical solutions coupled with MHD simulations
Authors: WESTERBERG LARS G. , VEDIN J. , EKENBÄCK A. , ÅKERSTEDT H. O.
Published: March 2007

We present a coupling between an analytical three-dimensional model covering the plasma flow behaviour through the magnetopause transition layer near a reconnection site, with results from a global MHD simulation describing the plasma flow in the magnetosheath. The structure of the plasma flow near a reconnection site at the dayside terrestrial magnetopause is investigated, together with the development of the magnetopause transition region.
Low-frequency temperature-dependent plasma discharge instabilities in the presence of external constant electric and magnetic fields
Authors: NIKNAM A. R. , SHOKRI B.
Published: March 2007

By calculating the dielectric permittivity of a magnetoactive plasma discharge in the presence of an external electric field, low-frequency instabilities resulting from the dependency of the electron-neutral collision frequency, electron-ion recombination coefficient and ionization frequency on the electron temperature are investigated. Furthermore, it is shown that some of these instabilities depend on the sign change of the derivative of the kinetic coefficients with respect to the electron temperature. Finally, it is shown how frequency spectra and the development of instabilities are changed by increasing the strength of the external magnetic field.
Numerical analysis of the neutral beam attenuation rate on the HT-7 and EAST tokamaks
Authors: ZHANG GUOPING , HU LIQUN , ZHANG XIANMEI , HUANG JUAN , LIU JIN ,   THE DNB TEAM
Published: March 2007

A diagnostic neutral beam (DNB) is applied to measure the plasma ion temperature and rotation speed in the HT-7 tokamak. Also, a heating neutral beam (HNB) is suggested as an effective method of heating a plasma for the EAST tokamak. As a necessary step to evaluate the required beam power in both applications, the attenuation of the injected neutral beam has been numerically calculated and analyzed considering the effect of various plasma parameters, such as electron temperature, electron density, impurity concentration, and so on. Three basic atomic processes are considered here. It is shown that at the same electron density neutral beam particles can penetrate deeper at higher injection energies and a DNB with the same full energy can attenuate faster at higher electron densities. The impurity effect on the attenuation of a DNB is discussed, and the attenuation of a HNB on the EAST tokamak is also considered.
Resources use, conservation attitudes, management intervention and park-people relations in the Western Terai landscape of Nepal
Authors: BARAL NABIN , HEINEN JOEL T.
Published: March 2007

Various conservation models have been implemented in Nepal since 1973, however their impacts on resources use and conservation attitudes are scarcely known. To address the hypothesis that conservation attitudes should improve around protected areas (PAs) with more social and economic interventions, stratified random questionnaire surveys of 234 households were conducted in two PAs in the Western Terai of Nepal: Bardia National Park (BNP), in which interventions have been more widespread for longer time periods, and Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR), in which interventions are relatively recent. Both are part of a major landscape-level conservation programme under implementation in Nepal, and both are under threat of political turmoil, uncontrolled immigration, inefficient land reform policies and unsustainable resource use. There was spatio-temporal variability in resource use patterns and dependence. People collected eight and seven types of resources in BNP and SWR, respectively, and people in BNP were more dependent on resources overall. About 72% of respondents mentioned the problem of inadequate firewood, and suggested the promotion of alternative energy and permission to collect from PAs as mitigating strategies. Of 11 attitude statements, five significantly differed between the two areas. Respondents from the BNP had more favourable attitudes about conservation than those from SWR, supporting the main hypothesis. Training received by respondents, damage by wildlife, dependence on resources and satisfaction towards user groups contributed significantly to the variation in conservation attitudes. The results suggest that the liberalization of PA management has enabled the use of resources, improved livelihoods to some extent and solicited more favourable conservation attitudes in Nepal.
Exploring the gap between conservation science and protected area establishment in the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (Peruvian Amazonia)
Authors: SALO MATTI , PYHÄLÄ AILI
Published: March 2007

Global assessments demonstrate that as a conservation measure protected areas (PAs) are incomplete, and tend to be poorly documented in the international scientific literature, hindering the assessment of their scientific and policy foundations. The step from mapping priority areas for biodiversity conservation based on scientific information to formulating the practical tools for conserving biological diversity is critical; several key aspects such as legislative frameworks, multi-scale politics and socioeconomic realities must be taken into account. With the planet's human population continuing to grow, this step is all the more crucial, as the designation of PAs is increasingly being forced alongside the development frontier. This paper examines the process of reserve establishment in the case of the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (AMNR) (Peruvian Amazonia). On the basis of interviews, document analysis and media studies, a series of actions and reactions worked to shape the ultimate categorization and management plan of the AMNR. While scientific knowledge played a central role in the initial selection of the AMNR site, a number of critical aspects such as estimated environmental services, unresolved land entitlements, use values and multi-scale politics needed to be addressed in order to meet the originally set objective of biodiversity conservation. The importance of several biophysical features of the AMNR was initially emphasized as a key argument for conservation, whereas potential benefits of the AMNR (such as environmental services, particularly at the regional scale) proved to be the ultimate driving factor. Between the AMNR's official establishment in 1999 and its approved categorization and management plan in 2004 and 2005, respectively, a substantial shift in argumentation was witnessed. This change was particularly influential in that, contrary to what was initially expected, the livelihood requirements of local communities that were strongly linked to land entitlements and natural resources management came to play an essential role in both the categorization process and in the elaboration of the management plan of the Reserve. The AMNR was only effectively established because of this shift in emphasis.
Environmental factors and incidence of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever in an urban area, Southern Thailand
Authors: THAMMAPALO S. , CHONGSUVIVATWONG V. , GEATER A. , DUERAVEE M.
Published: March 2007

Using the enumeration district (ED) block level this study looked at the incidence of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DF/DHF) within the Songkhla municipality in Thailand. Each of the 146 blocks in this area were considered as study units and surveyed for their environmental characteristics. A total of 287 cases of DH/DHF occurring in the year 1998 were selected for this study and the location of their homes mapped. Clustering analysis showed point clustering of the homes (P<0·0001) which was probably due to high density habitation, without any actual prevalence of case clustering. There was no evidence of clustering of the ED blocks with an incidence of DF/DHF (P=0·32). DF/DHF incidence for each block was strongly associated with the percentages of shop-houses, brick-made houses and houses with poor garbage disposal (all P<0·01). DF/DHF control should be emphasized for the areas which have a predominance of these housing types.
Invasive pneumococcal disease in Victoria: a better measurement of the true incidence
Authors: CLOTHIER H. J. , VU T. , SUNDARARAJAN V. , ANDREWS R. M. , COUNAHAN M. , TALLIS G. F. , LAMBERT S. B.
Published: March 2007

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) notifications are used to monitor IPD vaccination programmes. We conducted sequential deterministic data-linkage between IPD notifications and hospitalization data in Victoria, Australia, in order to determine whether all diagnosed cases were being reported. The proportion of each relevant hospital admission ICD-10-AM code that could be linked to notified cases was calculated. Total and age-specific annual rates were calculated and compared for notified and non-notified cases. Total incidence was estimated using data-linkage results and application of a two-source capture–recapture method. The first 2 years of IPD surveillance in Victoria missed at least one-sixth of laboratory-confirmed IPD cases. Estimated annual IPD rate increased from 9·0 to 10·7/100 000 and rose even higher, to 11·5/100 000, with age-specific rates possibly reaching 90·0/100 000 children aged <2 years, when using capture–recapture. Strategies to improve notification and coding of hospitalized cases of IPD are required.
Monadic augment and generalised short cut fusion
Authors: GHANI NEIL , JOHANN PATRICIA
Published: March 2007

Monads are commonplace programming devices that are used to uniformly structure computations; in particular, they are often used to mimic the effects of impure features such as state, error handling, and I/O. This paper further develops the monadic programming paradigm by investigating the extent to which monadic computations can be optimised by using generalisations of short cut fusion to eliminate monadic structures whose sole purpose is to “glue together” monadic program components. Ghani, Uustalu, and Vene have recently shown that every inductive type has an associated build combinator and an associated short cut fusion law. They have also used the notion of a parameterised monad to describe those monads that give rise to inductive types, and have shown that the standard augment combinators and cata/augment fusion rules for algebraic data types can be generalised to fixed points of all parameterised monads. We revisit these augment combinators and generalised short cut fusion rules for such types but consider them from a functional programming perspective, rather than a categorical one. In addition to making the category-theoretic ideas of Ghani, Uustalu, and Vene more easily accessible to a wider audience of functional programmers, we demonstrate their practical applicability by developing nontrivial application programs and performing modest benchmarking on them. We also show how the cata/augment rules can serve as the basis for deriving additional generic fusion laws, thus opening the way for an algebra of fusion. Finally, we offer deep theoretical insights, arguing that the augment combinators are monadic in nature, and thus that the cata/build and cata/augment rules are arguably the best generally applicable fusion rules obtainable.
Effect of economic inequality on chronic childhood undernutrition in Ghana
Authors: Hong Rathavuth
Published: March 2007

Objective

Food insecurity and undernutrition remain particularly severe in developing countries where improvements in economic conditions have tended to benefit the advantaged groups and resulted in widespread inequalities in health. This study examined how economic inequality is associated with chronic childhood undernutrition.

Design

A child was defined as chronically undernourished (stunted) if his or her height-for-age index was more than two standard deviations below the reference median. Household economic status was measured by an index based on household ownership of durable assets. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to estimate the effects of household economic status on stunting.

Setting

A nationally representative sample of 6251 household interviews in Ghana.

Subjects

A total of 3077 children aged 0–59 months included in the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.

Results

Children in the poorest 20% of households are more than twice as likely to suffer from stunting as children in the richest 20% of households independent of the child's age, sex, birth order, breast-feeding duration, birth weight; mother's age at childbirth, body mass index, education; and household access to safe drinking water, hygienic toilet facilities, residence and geographic region (odds ratio = 2.3; 95% confidence interval 1.4–3.7). Also children in the next poorest and in the middle quintiles are significant more likely to be chronically undernourished than children in the richest 20% of households.

Conclusion

This study concludes that economic inequality is strongly associated with chronic childhood undernutrition; and reducing economic inequalities and making services more accessible to the poor will be key to improving the health and nutritional status of children in Ghana.
Inadequate dietary intake is not the cause of stunting amongst young children living in an informal settlement in Gauteng and rural Limpopo Province in South Africa: the NutriGro study
Authors: Theron M , Amissah A , Kleynhans IC , Albertse E , MacIntyre UE
Published: March 2007

Objective

To measure dietary intakes of young children aged 12–24 months and to determine the impact of poor diets on stunting.

Design

A quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was adapted, tested and standardised. Trained enumerators conducted in-depth interviews with the mothers/caregivers of the children. Forty stunted children in urban informal settlements and 30 stunted children in rural areas were selected and pair-matched with controls. The data were captured on the Food Finder Program of the Medical Research Council.

Results

In both urban and rural areas, the diet of stunted and non-stunted groups did differ significantly and all diets were of poor nutritional quality.

Conclusion

Diets in both areas resembled the recommended prudent diet, i.e. low in fat and high in carbohydrates. Poor quality diets were not the primary cause of stunting.
Lifecourse, immigrant status and acculturation in food purchasing and preparation among low-income mothers
Authors: Dubowitz Tamara , Acevedo-Garcia Dolores , Salkeld Judy , Cristina Lindsay Ana , Subramanian SV , Peterson Karen E
Published: March 2007

Objectives

This study investigates how lifecourse, immigrant status and acculturation, and neighbourhood of residence influence food purchasing and preparation among low-income women with children, living in the USA. This research sought to understand physical and economic access to food, from both ‘individual’ and ‘community’ perspectives.

Design

This study used qualitative methodology (focus groups) to examine the mechanisms and pathways of food preparation and purchasing within the context of daily life activity for US- and foreign-born women, living in the USA. The study methodology analysed notes and verbatim transcripts, summarised recurring responses and identified new themes in the discussions.

Setting and subjects

A total of 44 women were purposively sampled from two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, USA, based on (1) neighbourhood of residence and (2) primary language spoken. All focus groups were conducted in community health centres and community centres co-located with offices of the special supplemental nutritional programme for Women, Infants, and Children.

Results

Analysis of key response themes suggested that scarcity of food and physical access to food purchasing points did not influence food purchasing and preparation as much as (1) limited time for food shopping, cooking and family activities; and (2) challenges in transportation to stores and childcare. The study results demonstrated differing attitudes toward food acquisition and preparation between immigrant and US-born women and between women who lived in two metropolitan areas in the western and eastern regions of the state of Massachusetts, USA.

Conclusions

The findings illustrate ‘hidden’ constraints that need to be captured in measures of physical and economic access and availability of food. US policies and programmes that aim to improve access, availability and diet quality would benefit from considering the social context of food preparation and purchasing, and the residential environments of low-income women and families.
Hunger in young children of Mexican immigrant families
Authors: Kersey Margaret , Geppert Joni , Cutts Diana B
Published: March 2007

Objective

To measure rates of hunger and food insecurity among young US-born Latino children with Mexican immigrant parents (Latinos) compared with a non-immigrant non-Latino population (non-Latinos) in a low-income clinic population.

Design, setting and subjects

A repeated cross-sectional survey of 4278 caregivers of children < 3 years of age in the paediatric clinic of an urban county hospital for a 5-year period from 1998 to 2003. A total of 1310 respondents had a US-born child with at least one parent born in Mexico. They were compared with a reference group comprised of non-Latino US-born participants (n = 1805). Child hunger and household food insecurity were determined with the US Household Food Security Scale.

Results

Young Latino children had much higher rates of child hunger than non-Latinos, 6.8 versus 0.5%. Latino families also had higher rates of household food insecurity than non-Latinos, 53.1 versus 15.6%. Latino children remained much more likely to be hungry (odds ratio (OR) = 13.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.9–28.7,P < 0.01) and in household food-insecure households (OR = 6.6, 95% CI = 5.2–8.3,P< 0.01) than non-Latinos after controlling for the following variables in multivariate analysis: child's age, sex, maternal education level, single-headed household status, family size, young maternal age ( < 21 years), food stamp programme participation, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or ‘welfare’) programme participation and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) usage, and reason for clinic visit (sick visit versus well-child).

Conclusion

Young children in Mexican immigrant families are at especially high risk for hunger and household food insecurity compared with non-immigrant, non-Latino patients in a low-income paediatric clinic.
Early introduction of water and complementary feeding and nutritional status of children in northern Senegal
Authors: Gupta Neil , Gehri Mario , Stettler Nicolas
Published: March 2007

Objective

Malnutrition is responsible globally for 60% of deaths among children under 5 years and is often attributed to suboptimal feeding practices. In response, the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months of life. The objective of this study was to determine if an association exists between the early introduction of water and complementary foods (CFs) and the nutritional status of children in northern Senegal.

Design/Setting/Subjects

A cross-sectional study of 374 children in the Podor Health District between the ages of 6 and 23 months was conducted. Knowledge and behaviours of mothers regarding introduction of water and CFs were assessed via individual interviews.

Results

Water was introduced to about 85% of the children in the first 3 months of life and 62% were fed CFs before 6 months. Overall, 16% had clinically significant wasting (weight-for-length Z-score (WHZ) less than − 2) and 20% had stunting (height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) less than − 2). There was no significant association between wasting or stunting and introduction of water before 3 months (WHZ: odds ratio = 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.46–2.14, P = 0.97; HAZ: 0.68, 0.34–1.36, P = 0.3) or introduction of CFs before 6 months (WHZ: 0.81, 0.46–1.42, P = 0.5; HAZ: 0.79, 0.46–1.35, P = 0.4). A significant association was found between wasting and male sex, age, living in Guede community, drinking river/pond water and large family size, while stunting was associated with age and drinking tap water.

Conclusion

The results of the present study suggest that early introduction of water and CFs is frequent and is not associated with increased risk for malnutrition among children from this region of northern Senegal, but the possibility of reverse causality cannot be excluded.
Improving the nutritional status of food-insecure women: first, let them eat what they like
Authors: McIntyre Lynn , Tarasuk Valerie , Jinguang Li Tony
Published: March 2007

Objective

To determine the extent to which identified nutrient inadequacies in the dietary intakes of a sample of food-insecure women could be ameliorated by increasing their access to the ‘healthy’ foods they typically eat.

Design

Merged datasets of 226 food-insecure women who provided at least three 24-hour dietary intake recalls over the course of a month. Dietary modelling, with energy adjustment for severe food insecurity, explored the effect of adding a serving of the woman's own, and the group's typically chosen, nutrient-rich foods on the estimated prevalence of nutrient inadequacy.

Setting and subjects

One study included participants residing in 22 diverse community clusters from the Atlantic Provinces of Canada, and the second study included food bank attendees in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Of the 226 participants, 78% lived alone with their children.

Results

While nutritional vulnerability remained after modelling, adding a single serving of either typically chosen ‘healthy’ foods from women's own diets or healthy food choices normative to the population reduced the prevalence of inadequacy by at least half for most nutrients. Correction for energy deficits resulting from severe food insecurity contributed a mean additional 20% improvement in nutrient intakes.

Conclusions

Food-insecure women would sustain substantive nutritional gains if they had greater access to their personal healthy food preferences and if the dietary compromises associated with severe food insecurity were abated. Increased resources to access such choices should be a priority.
Reflections on the conceptual origins of neuron–glia interactions
Authors: Galambos Robert
Published: March 2007

Glial contributions to the functioning nervous system are now recognized widely. This was not always so. What follows is an account of the several mid-20th century events that led to the explicit proposition that glia and neurons collaborate in the production of behavioral responses.
Cytoskeletal transition at the paranodes: the Achilles' heel of myelinated axons
Authors: Sousa Aurea D. , Bhat Manzoor A.
Published: March 2007

Myelination organizes axons into distinct domains that allow nerve impulses to propagate in a saltatory manner. The edges of the myelin sheath are sealed at the paranodes by axon–glial junctions that have a crucial role in organizing the axonal cytoskeleton. Here we propose a model in which the myelinated axons depend on the axon–glial junctions to stabilize the cytoskeletal transition at the paranodes. Thus paranodal regions are likely to be particularly susceptible to damage induced by demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Tropospheric temperature change since 1979 from tropical radiosonde and satellite measurements
Authors: Christy John R. , Norris William B. , Spencer Roy W. , Hnilo Justin J.
Published: March 2007

Temperature change of the lower troposphere (LT) in the tropics (20°S–20°N) during the period 1979–2004 is examined using 58 radiosonde (sonde) stations and the microwave‐based satellite data sets of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH v5.2) and Remote Sensing Systems (RSS v2.1). At the 29 stations that make both day and night observations, the average nighttime trend (+0.12 K decade−1) is 0.05 K decade−1 more positive than that for the daytime (+0.07 K decade−1) in the unadjusted observations, an unlikely physical possibility indicating adjustments are needed. At the 58 sites the UAH data indicate a trend of +0.08 K decade−1, the RSS data, +0.15. When the largest discontinuities in the sondes are detected and removed through comparison with UAH data, the trend of day and night releases combined becomes +0.09, and using RSS data, +0.12. Relative to several data sets, the RSS data show a warming shift, broadly occurring in 1992, of between +0.07 K and +0.13 K. Because the shift occurs at the time NOAA‐12 readings began to be merged into the satellite data stream and large NOAA‐11 adjustments were applied, the discrepancy appears to be due to bias adjustment procedures. Several comparisons are consistent with a 26‐year trend and error estimate for the UAH LT product for the full tropics of +0.05 ± 0.07, which is very likely less than the tropical surface trend of +0.13 K decade−1.
View angle dependence of cloud optical thicknesses retrieved by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)
Authors: Várnai Tamás , Marshak Alexander
Published: March 2007

This study examines whether cloud inhomogeneity influences the view angle dependence of MODIS cloud optical thickness retrieval results. The degree of cloud inhomogeneity is characterized through the local gradient in 11 μm brightness temperature. The analysis of liquid phase clouds in a 1 year long global data set of Collection 4 MODIS data reveals that while optical thickness retrievals give remarkably consistent results for all view directions if clouds are homogeneous, they give much higher τ‐values for oblique views than for overhead views if clouds are inhomogeneous and the Sun is fairly oblique. The mean optical thickness retrieved for the most inhomogeneous third of cloudy pixels is more than 40% higher for oblique views than for overhead views if the solar zenith angle exceeds 60°. After considering a variety of possible scenarios, the paper concludes that the most likely reason for the increase lies in three‐dimensional radiative interactions that are not considered in current, one‐dimensional retrieval algorithms. Namely, the radiative effect of cloud sides viewed at oblique angles seems to contribute most to the enhanced optical thickness values. The results presented here will help understand and estimate cloud retrieval uncertainties related to cloud inhomogeneity and may eventually help correct for the observed view angle‐dependent biases.
Fast advective recovery of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation after a Heinrich event
Authors: Krebs Uta , Timmermann Axel
Published: March 2007

Ice core reconstructions and ocean sediment analysis have revealed that the climate of the last glacial period was highly variable with rapid stadial‐interstadial transitions and glacial meltwater pulses (Heinrich events) modulating the climate evolution in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Heinrich events had the potential to weaken the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) substantially. Mechanisms that led to the resumption of the AMOC after such events have not been fully disentangled yet. Here a coupled atmosphere‐ocean–sea ice model of intermediate complexity is employed to identify important negative climate feedbacks that contribute to a fast recovery of the glacial AMOC. Shortly after the AMOC collapse, thermal processes weaken the stratification in the northern North Atlantic making it more vulnerable to perturbations. Eventually, 300–400 years after the main collapse of the AMOC the mean advection of salinity anomalies within the horizontal gyres generates an unstable stratification that will be homogenized through the resumption of convective activity. Eventually, isopycnal slopes in the North Atlantic are readjusted, thereby reinitiating the large‐scale meridional overturning flow.