bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk factors of poor complementary feeding practices in Pakistani children aged 6–23 months: A multilevel analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey 2012–2013
Authors: Na Muzi , Aguayo Víctor M. , Arimond Mary , Stewart Christine P. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractAppropriate feeding practices are crucial for survival, growth, and development in childhood. This paper analyzes Pakistan's Demographic and Health Survey 2012–2013 to fill the knowledge gap in risk factors of poor complementary feeding practices in Pakistani children. Multilevel models were applied to fit the multistage cluster sample of 2,827 children aged 6–23 months from 489 communities. Introduction of solid, semi‐solid, or soft foods (intro) was achieved in 67% infants aged 6–8 months. Among children aged 6–23 months, the proportion of children meeting minimum meal frequency, dietary diversity (MDD), and acceptable diet criteria were 63%, 22% and 15%, respectively. Consumption of legumes and nuts, flesh foods, and vitamin A‐rich fruits and vegetables was low in all children (6–19%), even among children who met the MDD criteria (15–55%). Younger child age, especially between 6 and 11 months and delayed maternal postnatal checkup were significant individual‐level risk factors that consistently increased the odds of not meeting all four criteria examined. Fewer antenatal care visits predicted the odds of achieving intro and minimum meal frequency while younger maternal age and household poverty predicted the odds of achieving MDD and minimum acceptable diet. Community‐level factors included geographic region and general access to maternal and child health care services. The overall poor quality of children's complementary diets in Pakistani calls for stronger policy and program action to promote the consumption of key nutrient‐dense foods while prioritizing interventions for the most vulnerable children and populations.
The potential role of micronutrient powders to improve complementary feeding practices
Authors: Siekmans Kendra , Bégin France , Situma Ruth , Kupka Roland 
Published: October 2017

AbstractMicronutrient powder (MNP) interventions are often integrated within infant and young child feeding (IYCF) programmes to improve micronutrient intake from complementary foods. This review aims to describe country experiences with MNP interventions and their impact on IYCF practices and develop a framework for how MNP may strengthen complementary feeding practices. A literature review and key informant interviews were used to gather data on complementary feeding practices in MNP programme design, implementation, and evaluation. Findings from 11 MNP programmes in different geographic regions reinforced the potential of MNP interventions to add renewed focus and resources to existing IYCF programmes. MNP plays an important role in ensuring adequate micronutrient intake and reducing anaemia in young children. In some programmes, MNP users had improved IYCF practices, such as breastfeeding to 24 months and children receiving complementary foods with adequate consistency, frequency, and diversity. Our framework highlights how behaviour change communication is an essential component for influencing household actions, not only to generate demand and promote correct and sustained MNP use but also raise awareness of IYCF practices. The actions at MNP policy, delivery, and behaviour change communication levels collectively influence household IYCF practices, and formative research and monitoring and evaluation serve to inform programme design and optimize impact. In conclusion, a limited but growing body of evidence suggests that MNP interventions can contribute to improve complementary feeding practices. However, there is scope for improvement even among integrated MNP and IYCF programmes in order to realize the full potential of MNP interventions for IYCF practices.
Complementary feeding practices: Current global and regional estimates
Authors: White Jessica M. , Bégin France , Kumapley Richard , Murray Colleen , Krasevec Julia 
Published: October 2017

AbstractInsufficient quantities and inadequate quality of complementary foods, together with poor feeding practices, pose a threat to children's health and nutrition. Interventions to improve complementary feeding are critical to reduce all forms of malnutrition, and access to data to ascertain the status of complementary feeding practices is essential for efforts to improve feeding behaviours. However, sufficient data to generate estimates for the core indicators covering the complementary feeding period only became available recently. The current situation of complementary feeding at the global and regional level is reported here using data contained within the UNICEF global database. Global rates of continued breastfeeding drop from 74.0% at 1 year of age to 46.3% at 2 years of age. Nearly a third of infants 4–5 months old are already fed solid foods, whereas nearly 20% of 10–11 months old had not consumed solid foods during the day prior to their survey. Of particular concern is the low rate (28.2%) of children 6–23 months receiving at least a minimally diverse diet. Although rates for all indicators vary by background characteristics, feeding behaviours are suboptimal even in richest households, suggesting that cultural factors and poor knowledge regarding an adequate diet for young children are important to address. In summary, far too few children are benefitting from minimum complementary feeding practices. Efforts are needed not only to improve children's diets for their survival, growth, and development but also for governments to report on progress against global infant and young child feeding indicators on a regular basis.
First foods: Why improving young children's diets matter.
Authors: Bégin France , Aguayo Víctor M. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractGlobally, only 52% of children aged 6–23 months meet the minimum meal frequency and a mere 29% meet the minimum dietary diversity, with large disparities across and within regions. With most of the stunting occurring during the first thousand days—from conception to age 2 years—improving complementary feeding in children 6–23 months old is an urgent priority. With this evidence in mind, UNICEF collaborated with the governments of India and Maharashtra to convene a global meeting in Mumbai, India, under the theme: First Foods: A Global Meeting to Accelerate Progress on Complementary Feeding in Young Children (November 17–18, 2015). The global meeting provided a platform that aimed to (a) synthesize the biological and implementation science on complementary feeding; (b) review the practice and experience in improving access to nutritious complementary foods and good complementary feeding practices; and (c) consolidate a strong evidence base that can inform the development of strategies and approaches to improve complementary feeding that are fit to context. This overview paper summarizes the rationale on why improving complementary foods and feeding for infants and young children matters and what it takes to improve them. It builds on the papers presented at the First Foods Global Meeting and those commissioned as a follow on to it.
Limited effect of adaptive immune response to control encephalitozoonosis
Authors: Sak B. , Kotková M. , Hlásková L. , Kváč M. 
Published: October 2017

SummaryThis study revises our understanding of the effectiveness of cell‐mediated adaptive immunity and treatment against microsporidia using molecular detection and quantification of microsporidia in immunocompetent C57Bl/6 and immunodeficient CD4−/− and CD8−/− mice for the first time. We demonstrate an intense dissemination of microsporidia into most organs within the first weeks post‐infection in all strains of mice, followed by a chronic infection characterized by microsporidia persistence in CD4−/− and C57Bl/6 mice and a lethal outcome for CD8−/− mice. Albendazole application reduces microsporidia burden in C57Bl/6 and CD4−/− mice, whereas CD8−/− mice experience only a temporary effect of the treatment. Surprisingly, treated CD8−/− mice survived the entire experimental duration despite enormous microsporidia burden. On the basis of our results, we conclude that microsporidia survive despite the presence of immune mechanisms and treatments that are currently considered to be effective and therefore that CD8 T lymphocytes represent a major, but not sole effector mechanism controlling microsporidiosis. Furthermore, the survival of mice does not correspond to spore burden, which provides new insight into latent microsporidiosis from an epidemiological point of view.
Assessment of microbial diversity in the rhizosphere of Pinus roxburghii (Sarg.) and bio‐inoculant potential of selected pine bacterial isolates for wheat varieties based on cultureindependent and culture‐dependent techniques
Authors: Naz I. , Bano A. , Mirza M. S. 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

Evidence is lacking regarding compatibility of pine bacteria as bio‐inoculants for crops. The diversity and abundance of rhizosphere bacteria of Pinus roxburghii has never been investigated with simultaneous application of culture‐dependent and culture‐independent techniques. The present study was aimed to isolate, characterise, check the bio‐inoculant potential of pine bacteria and assess rhizosphere bacterial diversity using culture‐independent advanced approaches.

Forty bacteria isolated from the rhizoplane of P. roxburghii growing in a cold climate at high altitude in Murree, were morphologically characterised; nine were identified by 16S rRNA sequence analyses and used in experiments. Diversity and abundance of the 16S rRNA gene and nifH gene in the rhizosphere was assessed by cloning, RFLP analysis, 454‐amplicon pyrosequencing and qPCR.

The bacterial isolates significantly improved dry weight of shoot, root, root area, IAA and GA3 content, number of grains plant−1, weight of grains plant−1 in wheat varieties Chakwal‐50 and Fareed‐06 under axenic and field conditions. The number of 16S rRNA sequences (2979) identified by pyrosequencing shared similarity with 13 phyla of bacteria and archaea.

The results confirm the existence of diverse bacteria of agricultural and industrial importance in the rhizosphere and compatibility of rhizoplane bacteria as bio‐inoculants for wheat varieties.
Basin‐scale thermal and fluid flow histories revealed by carbonate clumped isotopes (Δ47) – Middle Jurassic carbonates of the Paris Basin depocentre
Authors: Mangenot Xavier , Gasparrini Marta , Rouchon Virgile , Bonifacie Magali 
Published: October 2017

AbstractThe reconstruction of past diagenetic conditions in sedimentary basins is often under‐constrained. This results from both the analytical challenge of performing the required analyses on the minute sample amounts available from diagenetic mineral phases and the lack of tracers for some of the diagenetic parameters. The carbonate clumped isotope thermometry (Δ47) opens new perspectives for unravelling the temperatures of diagenetic phases together with the source of their parent fluids, two parameters that are otherwise impossible to constrain in the absence of exploitable fluid inclusions. Here is reported the study of a large number of sedimentary and diagenetic carbonate phases (from Middle Jurassic reservoirs of the Paris Basin depocentre) by combining detailed petrographic observations with a large number of Δ47 data (n > 45) on a well‐documented paragenetic sequence, including calcite and dolomite burial cements. The data reveal carbonate crystallization at temperatures between 29°C and 98°C from fluids with δ18Owater values between −7‰ and +2‰, in response to the progressive burial and uplift of the Paris Basin, throughout 165 Myr of basin evolution. Coupled with the time–temperature evolution previously estimated from thermal maturity modelling, these temperatures allow determining the timing of four successive cementation episodes. The overall data set indicates a history of complex water mixing with a significant contribution of hypersaline waters from the Triassic aquifers migrated upward along faults during the Cretaceous subsidence of the basin. Subsequent large‐scale infiltrations of meteoric waters induced a dilution of these pre‐existing brines in response to the Paris Basin uplift in the Tertiary. Overall, the data presented here allow proposing an integrated approach to characterize the cementation events affecting the studied carbonate reservoir units, based on temperature, oxygen isotope composition and salinity of the parent fluids as well as on petrographic grounds.
Decreased Expression of IFNG‐AS1,IFNG and IL‐1B Inflammatory Genes in Medicated Schizophrenia and Bipolar Patients
Authors: Ghafelehbashi H. , Pahlevan Kakhki M. , Kular L. , Moghbelinejad S. , Ghafelehbashi S. H. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractAlthough aberrant expression of cytokines such as IL‐1B and IFNG in blood from psychiatric patients supports a role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of the disease, little is known about mechanisms underlying their regulation. We aimed to evaluate the putative role of IFNG‐AS1 long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) in controlling of IFNG locus in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar (BP). We analysed the expression levels of IFNG‐AS1 long non‐coding RNA, and IFNG and IL‐1B mRNAs in blood cells from 27 SZ‐ and 30 BP‐medicated patients and in 32 healthy controls. Our data showed that IFNG‐AS1 expression dramatically decreased in BP and SZ patients compared with controls and was significantly correlated with IFNG expression in patients specifically. Transcript levels of IL‐1B were also significantly reduced in BP and SZ patients compared with controls. No significant differences in the expression of IFNG‐AS1, IFNG and IL‐1B genes were found between patients with BP and SZ. Our data shed further light on the potential role of inflammation, and more particularly inflammatory lncRNAs, in SZ and BP diseases and their pharmacological treatment.
Association analysis of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism with passive muscle stiffness and muscle strain injury
Authors: Miyamoto N. , Miyamoto‐Mikami E. , Hirata K. , Kimura N. , Fuku N. 
Published: October 2017

Passive muscle stiffness is considered to be a major factor affecting joint flexibility and is thought to relate to the occurrence of muscle strain injury. In skinned muscle fiber experiments, the R577X polymorphism of the α‐actinin‐3 gene (ACTN3) has been associated with passive muscle stiffness. Our primary purpose was to clarify whether the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism influences passive stiffness of human muscle in vivo. We also examined whether the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism is associated with the occurrence of hamstring strain injury. Seventy‐six healthy young male subjects were genotyped for the ACTN3 R577X (rs1815739) polymorphism. Shear modulus (an index of stiffness) of each hamstring muscle (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) was assessed using ultrasound shear wave elastography, and history of hamstring strain injury was collected via a questionnaire. The muscle shear moduli of the semitendinosus and semimembranosus were significantly higher in R‐allele (RR + RX genotype) carriers than in XX genotype carriers, whereas the shear modulus of the biceps femoris did not differ among the ACTN3 R577X genotypes. Frequency of past hamstring strain injury also did not differ between the 3 genotypes nor between the R‐allele and XX genotype carriers. This study indicates that RR and RX genotypes of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism (corresponding to the presence of α‐actinin‐3 in type II muscle fibers) are associated with increased passive muscle stiffness of the human hamstring in vivo. However, this altered mechanical property might not affect the risk of hamstring muscle strain injury.
Arabidopsis EARLY FLOWERING3 increases salt tolerance by suppressing salt stress response pathways
Authors: Sakuraba Yasuhito , Bülbül Selin , Piao Weilan , Choi Giltsu , Paek Nam‐Chon 
Published: October 2017

SummaryArabidopsis EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3) functions in modulating light input to the circadian clock, as a component of ELF3‐ELF4‐LUX ARRHYTHMO (LUX) evening complex. However, the role of ELF3 in stress responses remains largely unknown. In this study, we show that ELF3 enhances plants’ resilience to salt stress: ELF3‐overexpressing (ELF3‐OX) plants are salt‐tolerant, while elf3 mutants are more sensitive to salt stress. The expressions of many salt stress‐ and senescence‐associated genes are altered in elf3‐1 and ELF3‐OX plants compared with wild‐type. During salt stress, ELF3 suppresses factors that promote salt stress response pathways, mainly GIGANTEA (GI), at the post‐translational level, and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4), at the transcriptional level. To enhance the salt stress response, PIF4 directly downregulates the transcription of JUNGBRUNNEN1 (JUB1/ANAC042), encoding a transcription factor that upregulates the expression of stress tolerance genes, DREB2A and DELLA. Furthermore, PIF4 directly upregulates the transcription of ORESARA1 (ORE1/ANAC092) and SAG29, positive regulators of salt stress response pathways. Based on our results, we propose that ELF3 modulates key regulatory components in salt stress response pathways at the transcriptional and post‐translational levels.
Cohesion and centromere activity are required for phosphorylation of histone H3 in maize
Authors: Liu Yang , Su Handong , Liu Yalin , Zhang Jing , Dong Qianhua , Birchler James A. , Han Fangpu 
Published: October 2017

SummaryHaspin‐mediated phosphorylation of histone H3 at threonine 3 (H3T3ph) promotes proper deposition of Aurora B at the inner centromere to ensure faithful chromosome segregation in metazoans. However, the function of H3T3ph remains relatively unexplored in plants. Here, we show that in maize (Zea mays L.) mitotic cells, H3T3ph is concentrated at pericentromeric and centromeric regions. Additional weak H3T3ph signals occur between cohered sister chromatids at prometaphase. Immunostaining on dicentric chromosomes reveals that an inactive centromere cannot maintain H3T3ph at metaphase, indicating that a functional centromere is required for H3T3 phosphorylation. H3T3ph locates at a newly formed centromeric region that lacks detectable CentC sequences and strongly reduced CRM and ZmBs repeat sequences at metaphase II. These results suggest that centromeric localization of H3T3ph is not dependent on centromeric sequences. In maize meiocytes, H3T3 phosphorylation occurs at the late diakinesis and extends to the entire chromosome at metaphase I, but is exclusively limited to the centromere at metaphase II. The H3T3ph signals are absent in the afd1 (absence of first division) and sgo1 (shugoshin) mutants during meiosis II when the sister chromatids exhibit random distribution. Further, we show that H3T3ph is mainly located at the pericentromere during meiotic prophase II but is restricted to the inner centromere at metaphase II. We propose that this relocation of H3T3ph depends on tension at the centromere and is required to promote bi‐orientation of sister chromatids.
Shelter planning based on self-saving concepts in urban residential districts
Authors: Qi Buri , Dai Shenzhi , Permana Ariva Sugandi 
Published: October 2017

With increasing population density in Asia, the potential higher risk was resulted from the residential districts with the higher plot ratio, especially in some megapolis (eg. Beijing and Shanghai). Presently it is more difficult for the rescue operation during the disasters because of the decreasing safe space among the buildings as a result of higher buildings and denser the district. Thus, an immediate self-saving action is more important than before during the disaster in the residential districts, and its realization depends on the reasonable shelter planning and its management system. In this study, the factors related to the self-saving were analyzed and concluded by the related the literatures retrieval and case study, and the case study was done by the in-depth interview and questionnaires in three different residential districts in Shanghai. It was found that the following factors related to the self-saving should be considered in the shelters planning: the distribution of the shelters including their space accessibility and area, evacuation passageways, the facilities of the disaster prevention (such as fire hydrant and guide signs) and subsidiary facilities (such as vegetation for the disaster prevention), the social cohesion, awareness of the self-saving and disaster prevention. Simultaneously, the shelters planning countermeasures based on the self-saving were proposed, which provided some theoretical bases for the study and plan of the security residential districts in future.
Forecasting Temporal and Spatial Climatological Influence for Land Suitability Evaluation in Bentota Sri Lanka
Authors: Ranasinghe Gayani , Piyadasa Ranjana UK 
Published: October 2017

Climate change has raised much concern regarding its impacts on future land use planning, varying by region, time, and socio-economic development path. The principle purpose of land suitability evaluation is to predict the potential and limitation of the land for crop production and other land uses. This study was carried out to predict the temperature and rainfall trends as one of the major factor for evaluating land suitability. Climatic data such as monthly mean temperature, total monthly rainfall, maximum daily rainfall and total annual rainfall during last 30 years of all weather stations located in Bentota River basin was collected and analyzed applying time series analysis, correlation analysis and Manna Kendall trend test methods. Spatial distribution of forecast rainfall values was illustrated applying Arc GIS software. The findings revealed that monthly mean temperature and maximum daily rainfall had a general increasing trend whereas, total monthly rainfall and total annual rainfall showed a general decreasing trend in Bentota area. It was indicated relatively high rainfall situations during May and October while low rainfall situations during January and February by occurring flood situation in once per five year. During Yala season the area will be received comparatively more rainfall (331mm) than Maha season (300mm) in future. Community and the farmers in this area can be aware about the anticipated spatial distribution of total monthly rainfall during two major seasons and flood occurrence periods. Decision makers should evaluate land suitability of Bentota area by considering above climatological influences and its spatial distribution pattern that identified as major outcome of this research. The approach and the methodology adopted in this study will be useful for other researchers, agriculturalist and planners to identify the future climatological influences and its spatial distribution pattern for land suitability evaluations and other decision making purposes for other areas.