bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Patterns of breastfeeding in a UK longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Pontin David , Emmett Pauline , Steer Colin , Emond Alan ,   the ALSPAC Study Team
Published: January 2007

AbstractAlthough exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of infant life is recommended in the UK, there is little information on the extent of exclusive breastfeeding. This study has taken the 1996 and 2003 World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of breastfeeding and investigated breastfeeding rates in the first 6 months of life in infants born to mothers enrolled in a longitudinal, representative, population‐based cohort study – the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Information about breastfeeding and introduction of solids was available for 11 490 infants at 6 months of age (81% of live births). Exclusive breastfeeding declined steadily from 54.8% in the first month to 31% in the third, and fell to 9.6% in the fourth month mainly due to the introduction of solids to the infants. In the first 2 months, complementary feeding (breastmilk and solid/semi‐solid foods with any liquid including non‐human milk) was used in combination, and declined from 22% in the first month to 16.8% in the second due to a switch to exclusive commercial infant formula feeding. Replacement feeding (exclusive commercial infant formula or combined with any liquid or solid/semi‐solid food but excluding breastmilk) increased steadily from 21.9% in the first month to 67.1% by the seventh. This obscured the change from exclusive commercial infant formula feeding only to commercial infant formula feeding plus solids/semi‐solids, a change which started in the third month and was complete by the fifth. Using categories in the 1996 and 2003 WHO definitions, such as complementary feeding and replacement feeding, presented difficulties for an analysis of the extent of breastfeeding in this population.
Alcohol and tobacco consumption among 6–24‐months post‐partum New Zealand women
Authors: Parackal Sherly , Ferguson Elaine , Harraway John 
Published: January 2007

AbstractMaternal alcohol or tobacco consumption may negatively impact the fetus and breastfeeding infants. Maternal tobacco consumption is also known to negatively affect exposed young children. The current study therefore aimed to assess the prevalence of these lifestyle behaviours in a sample of 6–24‐months post‐partum women and to elucidate socio‐demographic and maternal factors associated with these behaviours. A community‐based cross‐sectional survey was conducted on 6–24‐months post‐partum women (n = 318) in three cities in the South Island of New Zealand. Self‐reported data on current alcohol and tobacco consumption were collected from these women using a self‐administered questionnaire. The results showed that nearly 72% and 23% of these women consumed alcohol and tobacco, respectively. Being Caucasian, having a higher level of education and higher household income were significant factors for alcohol consumption, while being of younger age and of lower educational status were significant factors for tobacco consumption. Pregnancy was associated with lower odds for alcohol consumption (0.07; P < 0.001), but not with lower odds for tobacco consumption. In contrast, breastfeeding was not associated with lower odds of alcohol consumption (0.08; P = 0.075). In conclusion, younger women with lower levels of education and household income must be targeted for public health education on the negative effects of tobacco consumption on their own health and on the health of their children.
Height and weight of urban preschool children in relation to their mothers’ educational levels and employment status in Rasht City, northern Iran
Authors: Maddah Mohsen , Mohtasham‐Amiri Zahra , Rashidi Arash , Karandish Majid 
Published: January 2007

AbstractThis study determined the relationship between anthropometric status of 3–5‐year‐old urban children and theirs mothers’ educational levels and employment status in Rasht City, northern Iran. A total of 1319 children (638 girls and 681 boys) at the ages of 3 and 6 years in all day‐care centres in Rasht City were studied, using a cross‐sectional design. Height and weight of the children were measured, and data on mothers’ educational levels, employment status and duration of any breastfeeding were collected. Height for age, weight for age and weight for height of the children were compared with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference population of the United States, and z‐values ≤−2 were considered as stunted, underweight and wasted, respectively. The data showed that the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight were 8.6%, 8.0% and 7.1%, respectively. Our findings indicated that children of both less educated mothers (<5 years of schooling, OR = 2.54; 95% CI: 1.54–4.87) and college‐educated mothers (>12 years of schooling, OR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.08–2.4) had higher relative risk for underweight than children of mothers with an intermediate level of education (5–12 years of schooling). Children of mothers with college education were also more at risk for development of stunting (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.14–4.22). In addition, children of employed mothers were more likely to be underweight (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.05–2.31), stunted (OR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.21–6.35) and wasted (OR = 3.35; 95% CI: 1.21–5.58) than children of non‐employed mothers. The relative risk for undernutrition was higher in the children of both less and highly educated mothers compared with children of mothers with an intermediate level of education. Mothers’ employment was also negatively related to nutritional status of these children in day‐care centres in Rasht City.
Training needs survey of midwives, health visitors and voluntary‐sector breastfeeding support staff in England
Authors: Wallace Louise M. , Kosmala‐Anderson Joanna 
Published: January 2007

AbstractThis study, which was part of a learning needs assessment of health professionals in England, reports a survey of the training needs of healthcare practitioners in breastfeeding support skills. Respondents rated their competence on 26 breastfeeding support skills, importance of update, actual and potential helpfulness of training, and accessibility in the next 2 years. Perception of organizational barriers to breastfeeding support and practitioners’ knowledge of policies and guidance on breastfeeding were measured. Data are reported on 549 healthcare practitioners, mostly midwives and health visitors working for public health services, and some voluntary‐sector practitioners, 58% had worked with women and their infants for more than 10 years, and 56% were currently spending at least 25% of their working time providing direct care to breastfeeding women. Those already competent were most likely to want more updating. Those with longer experience of breastfeeding support were more competent on three of the four competence subscales. Relationships between self‐assessed competence and current intensity of breastfeeding experience were inconsistent. Respondents preferred training with a practical component. Respondents had poor knowledge of evidence‐based policy, and only 51% had access to a breastfeeding policy. Organizational barriers to breastfeeding support were experienced by all, and especially by those with fewer years of experience (t = −2.32, d.f. = 547; P = 0.02) and those currently spending less time supporting breastfeeding women (t = −10.35, d.f. = 547; P < 0.0001). Core training is relevant to all practitioners, and practice‐based training with access to evidence‐based policies is required.
Occurrence of Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in
Escherichia coli
Isolates from Different Aquatic Ecosystems within the St. Clair River and Detroit River Areas
Authors: Hamelin Katia , Bruant Guillaume , El-Shaarawi Abdel , Hill Stephen , Edge Thomas A. , Fairbrother John , Harel Josée , Maynard Christine , Masson Luke , Brousseau Roland 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

Although the number of
Escherichia coli
bacteria in surface waters can differ greatly between locations, relatively little is known about the distribution of
E. coli
pathotypes in surface waters used as sources for drinking or recreation. DNA microarray technology is a suitable tool for this type of study due to its ability to detect high numbers of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes simultaneously. Pathotype, phylogenetic group, and antimicrobial resistance gene profiles were determined for 308
E. coli
isolates from surface water samples collected from diverse aquatic ecosystems at six different sites in the St. Clair River and Detroit River areas. A higher frequency (48%) of
E. coli
isolates possessing virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes was observed in an urban site located downstream of wastewater effluent outfalls than in the other examined sites (average of 24%). Most
E. coli
pathotypes were extraintestinal pathogenic
E. coli
(ExPEC) pathotypes and belonged to phylogenetic groups B2 and D. The ExPEC pathotypes were found to occur across all aquatic ecosystems investigated, including riverine, estuarine, and offshore lake locations. The results of this environmental study using DNA microarrays highlight the widespread distribution of
E. coli
pathotypes in aquatic ecosystems and the potential public health threat of
E. coli
pathotypes originating from municipal wastewater sources.
Synthesis of
N
-Acyl Homoserine Lactone Analogues Reveals Strong Activators of SdiA, the
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Typhimurium LuxR Homologue
Authors: Janssens Joost C. A. , Metzger Kristine , Daniels Ruth , Ptacek Dave , Verhoeven Tine , Habel Lothar W. , Vanderleyden Jos , De Vos Dirk E. , De Keersmaecker Sigrid C. J. 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

N
-Acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) are molecules that are synthesized and detected by many gram-negative bacteria to monitor the population density, a phenomenon known as quorum sensing.
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhimurium is an exceptional species since it does not synthesize its own AHLs, while it does encode a LuxR homologue, SdiA, which enables this bacterium to detect AHLs that are produced by other species. To obtain more information about the specificity of the ligand binding by SdiA, we synthesized and screened a limited library of AHL analogues. We identified two classes of analogues that are strong activators of SdiA: the
N
-(3-oxo-acyl)-homocysteine thiolactones (3O-AHTLs) and the
N
-(3-oxo-acyl)-
trans
-2-aminocyclohexanols. To our knowledge, this is the first report of compounds (the 3O-AHTLs) that are able to activate a LuxR homologue at concentrations that are lower than the concentrations of the most active AHLs. SdiA responds with greatest sensitivity to AHTLs that have a keto modification at the third carbon atom and an acyl chain that is seven or eight carbon atoms long. The
N
-(3-oxo-acyl)-
trans
-2-aminocyclohexanols were found to be less sensitive to deactivation by lactonase and alkaline pH than the 3O-AHTLs and the AHLs are. We also examined the activity of our library with LuxR of
Vibrio fischeri
and identified three new inhibitors of LuxR. Finally, we performed preliminary binding experiments which suggested that SdiA binds its activators reversibly. These results increase our understanding of the specificity of the SdiA-ligand interaction, which could have uses in the development of anti-quorum-sensing-based antimicrobials.
Autoinducer-2-Producing Protein LuxS, a Novel Salt- and Chloride-Induced Protein in the Moderately Halophilic Bacterium
Halobacillus halophilus
Authors: Sewald Xaver , Saum Stephan H. , Palm Peter , Pfeiffer Friedhelm , Oesterhelt Dieter , Müller Volker 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

The moderately halophilic bacterium
Halobacillus halophilus
carries a homologue of LuxS, a protein involved in the activated methyl cycle and the production of autoinducer-2, which mediates quorum sensing between certain species.
luxS
of
H. halophilus
is part of an operon that encodes an
S
-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase, a cysteine synthase, and a β-cystathionine lyase. Expression of
luxS
was growth phase dependent, with maximal expression in the mid-exponential growth phase. In addition, transcription of
luxS
was strictly salt dependent; maximal mRNA concentrations were observed with 2.0 M NaCl in the growth medium. Chloride ions stimulated
luxS
transcription by a factor of three. Western blot analyses demonstrated a growth phase- and salinity-dependent production of LuxS. Moreover, cellular LuxS levels were strictly chloride dependent. Maximal accumulation of LuxS was observed at 0.5 to 1.0 M Cl
−
and depended on the salinity.
Titration and Conditional Knockdown of the
prfB
Gene in
Escherichia coli
: Effects on Growth and Overproduction of the Recombinant Mammalian Selenoprotein Thioredoxin Reductase
Authors: Rengby Olle , Arnér Elias S. J. 
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

Release factor 2 (RF2), encoded by the
prfB
gene in
Escherichia coli
, catalyzes translational termination at UGA and UAA codons. Termination at UGA competes with selenocysteine (Sec) incorporation at Sec-dedicated UGA codons, and RF2 thereby counteracts expression of selenoproteins.
prfB
is an essential gene in
E. coli
and can therefore not be removed in order to increase yield of recombinant selenoproteins. We therefore constructed an
E. coli
strain with the endogenous chromosomal promoter of
prfB
replaced with the titratable P
BAD
promoter. Knockdown of
prfB
expression gave a bacteriostatic effect, while two- to sevenfold overexpression of RF2 resulted in a slightly lowered growth rate in late exponential phase. In a turbidostatic fermentor system the simultaneous impact of
prfB
knockdown on growth and recombinant selenoprotein expression was subsequently studied, using production of mammalian thioredoxin reductase as model system. This showed that lowering the levels of RF2 correlated directly with increasing Sec incorporation specificity, while also affecting total selenoprotein yield concomitant with a lower growth rate. This study thus demonstrates that expression of
prfB
can be titrated through targeted exchange of the native promoter with a P
BAD
-promoter and that knockdown of RF2 can result in almost full efficiency of Sec incorporation at the cost of lower total selenoprotein yield.
Contrasting Geographic Distribution Profiles of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 BgO
L
and BgK
L
Variants in Japan Suggest Dispersion and Replacement
Authors: Eda Hiroyuki , Ozawa Shigeru , Yoshino Kamesaburo , Yanagi Kazuo ,   the Cooperation Group for HSV-1 RFLP Variant Study
Published: January 2007

ABSTRACT

Thelifelong latent infection-reactivation mode of infection of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) transmitted by close contact has allowed a diversity of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) variations to accumulate in human populations. Whether and how the variants of the HSV-1 that is ubiquitous worldwide spread to different human populations is not clear. In our previous study the geographically
gradient distribution of the HSV-1 BgK
L
variant, which is a good marker for the BgK
L
:SaCFJ
M
:SaGH
M
:SaD/E
L
:KpM
S
variant, suggested that BgK
L
dispersed geographically. Southern hybridization analyses showed that in BgK
L
the
BglII cleavage site between the BglII K and small “Q/#13” fragments is lost, the SalI cleavage sites between the SalI J and C and between SalI F and J fragments are lost, and the SalI E fragment is abnormally large (SaE
L
variation). The RFLP and geographic distribution of one more HSV-1 RFLP variant, BgO
L
, were comparatively analyzed. The BglII cleavage site between the BglII O and Q/#13 fragments is lost in BgOL. BgO
L
clinical isolates were not associated with any of the SaCFJ
M
, SaE
L
, SaGH
M
, or KpM
S
variations, whereas one-fourth of the non-BgO
L
:non-BgK
L
isolates was associated with SaCFJ
M
and SaGH
M
, indicating that BgK
L
and BgO
L
are distant in terms of diversification. BgO
L
is distributed highly in the northeastern region and the southwestern island of Kyushu but is rare between the two regions in Japan, in a remarkable contrast to BgK
L
. These are the first epidemiologic data to show contrasting geographic distribution profiles of two HSV-1 variants and suggest the gradual dispersion and replacement of HSV-1
variants.
“Sequence Agnosia” in Bálint's Syndrome: Defects in Visuotemporal Processing after Bilateral Parietal Damage
Authors: Malcolm George L. , Barton Jason J. S. 
Published: January 2007

Abstract
Bálint's syndrome is characterized by visuospatial dysfunction, with failure to attend to multiple objects in space and poor spatial localization manifested as impaired reaching and saccadic targeting. Less investigated in this disorder is perceptual processing along the dimension of time. We studied the performance of a patient with Bálint's syndrome on two oddity paradigms in which she had to indicate which of three objects was different in color, shape, or structure. Her initial difficulty with processing multiple objects present simultaneously in different locations recovered, but she had persistent difficulty processing objects seen sequentially at the same location. Further studies showed that this deficit was not due to impairments in sustained attention or in distributing attention over time, but to impaired processing of temporal sequences. The deficit was also present with auditory stimuli, indicating a multimodal failure of temporal sequencing. These findings show that bilateral parietal lesions affect not only the spatial but also the temporal organization of perception.
Selective Attention Supports Working Memory Maintenance by Modulating Perceptual Processing of Distractors
Authors: Sreenivasan Kartik K. , Jha Amishi P. 
Published: January 2007

Abstract
Selective attention has been shown to bias sensory processing in favor of relevant stimuli and against irrelevant or distracting stimuli in perceptual tasks. Increasing evidence suggests that selective attention plays an important role during working memory maintenance, possibly by biasing sensory processing in favor of to-be-remembered items. In the current study, we investigated whether selective attention may also support working memory by biasing processing against irrelevant and potentially distracting information. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while subjects (n = 22) performed a delayed-recognition task for faces and shoes. The delay period was filled with face or shoe distractors. Behavioral performance was impaired when distractors were congruent with the working memory domain (e.g., face distractor during working memory for faces) relative to when distractors were incongruent with the working memory domain (e.g., face distractor during shoe working memory). If attentional biasing against distractor processing is indeed functionally relevant in supporting working memory maintenance, perceptual processing of distractors is predicted to be attenuated when distractors are more behaviorally intrusive relative to when they are nonintrusive. As such, we predicted that perceptual processing of distracting faces, as measured by the face-sensitive N170 ERP component, would be reduced in the context of congruent (face) working memory relative to incongruent (shoe) working memory. The N170 elicited by distracting faces demonstrated reduced amplitude during congruent versus incongruent working memory. These results suggest that perceptual processing of distracting faces may be attenuated due to attentional biasing against sensory processing of distractors that are most behaviorally intrusive during working memory maintenance.
Intercomparison Study of the Land Surface Process Model and the Common Land Model for a Prairie Wetland in Florida
Authors: Whitfield B. , Jacobs J. M. , Judge J. 
Published: January 2007

AbstractCommon Land Model (CLM) and Land Surface Process (LSP) model simulations are compared to measured values for a 13-day dry-down period with a rapidly decreasing near-surface water table for a marsh wetland community in Florida. LSP was able to provide reasonable estimates without any modifications to the model physics. To obtain reasonable simulations using CLM, the baseline TOPMODEL baseflow generation and the bottom drainage mechanisms were not employed and the lower layers were allowed to remain saturated. In addition, several of CLM’s default wetland vegetation parameters were replaced with grassland parameters. Even after these modifications, CLM underestimated soil water storage. However, both model-simulated soil temperatures showed very good agreement as compared to measured temperatures, capturing both the soil warming during the study period and the diurnal fluctuations. Modeled surface energy fluxes also agreed well with measured values. LSP’s inability to consistently capture latent heat fluxes appears to be linked to its canopy resistance scaling functions. Other minor issues were that CLM’s rooting depth greatly exceeded observed depths and that CLM did not move water in the vadose zone from lower to upper layers during the nighttime as observed in the measurements. Overall, these results suggest that LSP can be applied to characterize a marsh dry down, but that minor modifications could greatly improve results. CLM demonstrated considerable potential, but requires some changes to model physics and default parameters prior to application to wetlands at a subgrid scale.
A Distributed Snow-Evolution Modeling System (SnowModel)
Authors: Liston Glen E. , Elder Kelly 
Published: January 2007

Abstract
SnowModel is a spatially distributed snow-evolution modeling system designed for application in landscapes, climates, and conditions where snow occurs. It is an aggregation of four submodels: MicroMet defines meteorological forcing conditions, EnBal calculates surface energy exchanges, SnowPack simulates snow depth and water-equivalent evolution, and SnowTran-3D accounts for snow redistribution by wind. Since each of these submodels was originally developed and tested for nonforested conditions, details describing modifications made to the submodels for forested areas are provided. SnowModel was created to run on grid increments of 1 to 200 m and temporal increments of 10 min to 1 day. It can also be applied using much larger grid increments, if the inherent loss in high-resolution (subgrid) information is acceptable. Simulated processes include snow accumulation; blowing-snow redistribution and sublimation; forest canopy interception, unloading, and sublimation; snow-density evolution; and snowpack melt. Conceptually, SnowModel includes the first-order physics required to simulate snow evolution within each of the global snow classes (i.e., ice, tundra, taiga, alpine/mountain, prairie, maritime, and ephemeral). The required model inputs are 1) temporally varying fields of precipitation, wind speed and direction, air temperature, and relative humidity obtained from meteorological stations and/or an atmospheric model located within or near the simulation domain; and 2) spatially distributed fields of topography and vegetation type. SnowModel’s ability to simulate seasonal snow evolution was compared against observations in both forested and nonforested landscapes. The model closely reproduced observed snow-water-equivalent distribution, time evolution, and interannual variability patterns.