bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Overweight and obesity in Irish primary schools: retrospective cohort study
Authors: McMaster C. , Cullen L. , Raymond N. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractBackground  This retrospective cohort study investigates the feasibility of using established methods and routinely generated data from the statutory primary school health‐screening programme to estimate prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity in children from a rural area in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).Method  Paper‐based records in the primary school health service for County Leitrim and parts of County Cavan in north‐west of ROI were hand searched to identify children attending senior infant classes during academic year 2001/2002. Electronic calculation of body mass index (BMI) and age at examination was carried out. Application of age‐ and sex‐specific cut‐off points from International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and United Kingdom (UK) standard definitions for childhood overweight and obesity was used to determine age‐ and sex‐specific prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity.Results  The eligible cohort was almost completely identified and consisted of 361 children. Weight and height measurements were available on 328 (91%) children aged between 4.22 and 7.92 years. IOTF standard application gave prevalence rates of 25% for obesity and overweight in boys and 26% in girls. With the UK growth standard, this increased to 34% in boys and reduced to 23% in girls.Conclusion  It is feasible to generate prevalence rates for childhood overweight and obesity from data routinely obtained through the statutory school health‐screening programme in ROI. This study suggests levels of childhood overweight and obesity comparable to other Western societies. Further research on developing a universally accepted standard definition of childhood overweight and obesity is required.
Illness incidence and health seeking behaviour among street children in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan – a qualitative study
Authors: Ali M. , De Muynck A. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractBackground  This is the first study in Pakistan to elicit street children's perceptions of health and the barriers to service utilization.Methods  A descriptive, cross‐sectional study was carried out during September and October 2000. The data were collected in twin‐cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad through individual, semi‐structured street‐based interviews; with 40 school age participants; in addition, three focus group discussions were also completed. The sampling was convenience based. This strategy was applied because of the non‐existence of a sampling frame for the street‐based children owing to the absence of any census or other reports, and also the difficulty of tracking very mobile street children.Results  Results indicate that these youth were highly susceptible to many adverse health outcomes. The common ailments were injuries, respiratory and skin infections. Along with low self‐perceived severity of medical problems, self‐medication was preferred and medical pluralism existed. Their perceived constraints to services included long waiting time, monetary, negative attitude of service providers and their inferior status.Conclusions  In developing user‐friendly services, it is important to be sensitive to street children's needs and requirements. Eliminating these barriers and the integration of health services among public and private resources are imperative for the regular and sustainable provision of health care to this vulnerable, under‐served group of children.
At HOME in Scotland: validation of the home observation for measurement of the environment inventory
Authors: Burston A. , Puckering C. , Kearney E. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractBackground  This study used the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory to measure aspects of the quality and quantity of psychological stimulation and cognitive support available in the home environment of a sample of Scottish children and to examine the effectiveness of this measure in a British context.Methods  Forty‐seven families who had previously attended parent‐training programmes at family centres were assessed. The Middle Childhood (MC) and Early Adolescent (EA) version of the HOME were used with children aged between 8 and 13 years old. Measures of family adversity were also taken.Results  There were no significant differences in the demographics of the MC‐HOME and EA‐HOME groups nor in their total HOME scores. Total HOME scores were compared with independent measures of family adversity. The results of the MC‐HOME and the EA‐HOME were similar to results reported for socially deprived American samples.Discussion  This Scottish sample had similar MC‐HOME and EA‐HOME scores as previously reported in American samples and the HOME scores related strongly to family adversity, supplying a proximal link between social conditions and the environment of children. These results suggest that the HOME Inventory is reliable and has concurrent validity with measures of social adversity in a British sample.
The Tayside children's sleep questionnaire: a simple tool to evaluate sleep problems in young children
Authors: McGreavey J. A. , Donnan P. T. , Pagliari H. C. , Sullivan F. M. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractBackground  Behavioural sleep problems in young children are relatively common with between 20% and 40% of those aged 1 to 5 years being affected. This paper describes the development of a simple questionnaire to assess disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS) in children aged between 1 and 5 years for use as a selection tool for research purposes or as a screening instrument in primary care.Methods  A subsection of the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children was adapted and piloted with a small sample of children in two inner city GP practices (n = 81). Face and content validity were initially established by expert review. Discriminant validity was assessed qualitatively using interviews with mothers of identified cases and non‐cases. The validity of the cut‐off score was assessed by blinded case note reviews off known cases; inter‐rater reliability was also calculated. Following modifications, the final questionnaire was posted to a representative sample of parents across the region with children in the appropriate age band (n = 1023). Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis was undertaken to identify significant factors within the questionnaire.Results  The response rate to the population questionnaire was 61.5% (n = 628) with 218 of the children having sleep scores that were indicative of DIMS (35%), echoing other figures reported in the literature. There was good internal consistency for the items (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85) with two main factors accounting for 58% of the variance.Conclusion  The Tayside Children's Sleep Questionnaire (TCSQ) is an easy‐to‐read and reliable tool that could be used both as a clinical and research instrument to assess the severity and prevalence of DIMS in young children.
Low‐income Canadian Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal parent–child interactions
Authors: Letourneau N. L. , Hungler K. M. , Fisher K. 
Published: August 2005

AbstractBackground  Limited research is available on the performance of North American Aboriginal1 people on the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scales (NCATS) and available research examines parent–child interactions within Aboriginal samples drawn from the USA. Most published normative data on low‐income people's performance on the NCATS are also limited to samples drawn from the USA. The purpose of this research study was to use the NCATS measure to: (1) begin to develop a knowledge base that describes the parent–child interactions observed in Canadian low‐income samples; and (2) explore the relationship between parent–infant interactions and ethnicity (Aboriginal or Non‐Aboriginal) within a low‐income Canadian sample.Methods  Secondary analysis was completed on data collected as part of a larger study designed to examine the impact of low‐income situations on pre‐school children's health and development in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The NCATS measure of parent–child interaction was administered to all children (1–36 months old) and their parents in the low‐income non‐probability sample. The sample derived for secondary analysis consists of 12 Aboriginal parent–child pairs (11 mothers and 1 father) and 48 Non‐Aboriginal parent–child pairs (47 mothers and 1 father).Results  The data analysis suggests that although low‐income Aboriginal parents may be less verbal with their children in interactions, the overall interaction quality is not different from that of other low‐income parents. However, both groups’ parent–child interaction scores were less than the published 10th percentile cut‐off score, indicating ‘worrisome scores’ and less than optimal interactions.Conclusion  While the findings that compare the Aboriginal and Non‐Aboriginal samples are limited by the small sample size, the fact that these findings agree with those from heterogeneous Aboriginal samples drawn from the USA are encouraging. Finally, the findings provide needed information about parent–child interactions in Canadian low‐income urban samples including data from Aboriginal parents and children.
Long‐term outcomes of seriously injured children: a study using the child health questionnaire
Authors: Reading Richard 
Published: August 2005

.

Davey T. M.,
Aitken L. M.,
Kassulke D.,
Bellamy N.,
Ambrose J.,
Gee T. &
Clark M.
(
2005
)

,
41
,
278
–
283
.
Objective  To assess the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in children 1–2 years after they had sustained an injury.Methods  Parents of all children who were identified by the Queensland Trauma Registry during their admission to either of the two paediatric specialty hospitals in Brisbane, Australia, for the treatment of an injury, were invited to participate in this study. Parents who consented to participation received a copy of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) that required them to provide information regarding their child's HRQoL following injury. The CHQ scores for the study respondents were compared with those of the Australian norms. This study was approved by the relevant ethics committees.Results  Two hundred and forty‐one completed questionnaires were returned. The majority of cases were male (65%) and there was even representation across all age groups. The majority of injuries were considered to be minor (81%) and were predominantly the result of falls and cycling accidents causing mainly fractures and intracranial injury. On the majority of sub‐scales of the CHQ, study participants recorded scores that were statistically significantly below those of the Australian norms. None of the relevant variables collected by the Queensland Trauma Registry were found to predict scores on the CHQ in this study (for those children hospitalized for > 24 h).Conclusion  Injured children are worse off than their Australian counterparts in terms of HRQoL even up to 2 years following an injury. Further research needs to be undertaken to identify factors that predict lower HRQoL in order to reduce the burden of injury on children and their families.
Association between congenital toxoplasmosis and parent‐reported developmental outcomes, concerns, and impairments, in 3‐year‐old children
Authors: Reading Richard 
Published: August 2005

.

Freeman K.,
Salt A.,
Prusa A.,
Malm G.,
Ferret N.,
Buffalono W.,
Schmidt D.,
Tan H. K.,
Gilbert R. E. and
. (
2005
)

,
5
,
23
. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpaediatr/ (accessed 14 July 2005).
Background  Information is lacking on the effects of congenital toxoplasmosis on development, behaviour, and impairment in later childhood, as well as on parental concerns and anxiety. This information is important for counselling parents about the prognosis for an infected child and for policy decisions on screening.Methods  We prospectively studied a cohort of children identified by screening for toxoplasmosis in pregnant women or neonates between 1996 and 2000 in 10 European centres. At 3 years of age, parents of children with and without congenital toxoplasmosis were surveyed about their child's development, behaviour, and impairment, and about parental concerns and anxiety, using a postal questionnaire.Results  Parents of 178/223 (80%) infected, and 527/821 (64%) uninfected children responded. We found no evidence that impaired development or behaviour were more common in infected children, or that any potential effect of congenital toxoplasmosis was masked by prenatal treatment. Parents of infected children were significantly more anxious and reported more visual problems in their children.Conclusions  On average, children aged 3 to 4 years with congenital toxoplasmosis identified by screening and treated during infancy in this European setting had risks of abnormal development and behaviour similar to uninfected children. Parental anxiety about infected children needs to be addressed by clinicians. Future studies with longer follow‐up and clinician‐administered assessments may be better able to detect any subtle differences in child outcomes.
Evidence that WbpD is an N‐acetyltransferase belonging to the hexapeptide acyltransferase superfamily and an important protein for O‐antigen biosynthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1
Authors: Wenzel Cory Q. , Daniels Craig , Keates Robert A. B. , Brewer Dyanne , Lam Joseph S. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryDi‐N‐acetylated uronic acid residues are unique sugar moieties observed in the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of respiratory pathogens including several serotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and several species of Bordetella. WbpD of P. aeruginosa PAO1 (serotype O5) is a putative 3‐N‐acetyltransferase that has been implicated in the biosynthesis of UDP‐2,3‐diacetamido‐2,3‐dideoxy‐d‐mannuronic acid [UDP‐d‐Man(2NAc3NAc)A], a precursor for the d‐Man(2NAc3NAc)A residues in the B‐band O antigen of this bacterium. A chromosomal knockout mutant of wbpD is incapable of producing either long‐chain B‐band O antigen (≥ 2 repeating units) or semi‐rough LPS (lipid A‐core + one repeat). Adding wbpD in trans restored LPS production to the wild‐type level; this indicates that wbpD is important for biosynthesis of individual B‐band O‐antigen repeating units. WbpD contains left‐handed beta‐helical (LβH) structure as observed by Conserved Domain analysis and in silico secondary and tertiary structure predictions. This feature suggested that WbpD belongs to the hexapeptide acyltransferase (HexAT) superfamily of enzymes. WbpD was overexpressed as an N‐terminally histidine‐tagged fusion protein (His6–WbpD) and purified to > 95% purity. The protein was subjected to Far‐UV circular dichroism spectroscopy, and the data revealed that WbpD contains left‐handed helical structure, which substantiated in silico predictions made earlier. Results from SDS‐PAGE, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry (MS), and gel filtration analyses indicated that His6‐WbpD has trimeric organization, consistent with the quaternary structure of HexATs. The binding of acetyl‐CoA by WbpD was demonstrated by MALDI‐TOF MS, suggesting that WbpD is an acetyltransferase that utilizes a direct‐transfer reaction mechanism. Incubation of WbpD with acetyl‐CoA significantly enhanced the stability of the protein and prevented precipitation over a course of 14 days. As a substrate for studying the enzymatic activity of WbpD is unavailable at present, a structure‐based model for the LβH domain of WbpD was generated. Comparisons between this model and the LβH domains of known HexATs suggested that Lys136 plays a role in acetyl‐CoA binding. A K136A site‐directed mutant construct could only partially complement the wbpD knockout, and this mutation also reduced the stabilizing effects of acetyl‐CoA, while a K136R mutation showed no discernible effect on complementation of the wbpD mutant or the stabilizing effects of acetyl‐CoA on the purified mutant protein. A modified pathway was proposed for the biosynthesis of UDP‐d‐Man(2NAc3NAc)A, in which WbpD is involved in the catalysis of the fourth step by acting as a UDP‐2‐acetamido‐3‐amino‐2,3‐dideoxy‐d‐glucuronic acid 3‐N‐acetyltransferase.
Rhamnolipids mediate detachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from biofilms
Authors: Boles Blaise R. , Thoendel Matthew , Singh Pradeep K. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThe process of detachment, through which bacteria use active mechanisms to leave biofilms and return to the planktonic (free‐living) state, is perhaps the least understood aspect of the biofilm life cycle. Like other stages of biofilm development, detachment is a dynamic, regulated process, controlled by specific genes, and induced by particular environmental cues. In previous work we discovered Pseudomonas aeruginosa variants that exhibit accelerated biofilm detachment. These hyper‐detaching variants arise spontaneously from biofilms at a high frequency, and they exhibit robust detachment under different biofilm growth conditions. Here we show that these variants detach by a mechanism requiring the biosurfactant rhamnolipid and that this detachment mechanism rapidly restores antibiotic sensitivity to separating bacteria. We also show that rhamnolipids can bring about detachment in wild‐type P. aeruginosa biofilms. These findings raise the possibility that this detachment mechanism may be useful as a treatment to disrupt established biofilms. Interestingly, the rhamnolipid‐mediated detachment mechanism involves the formation of cavities within the centre of biofilm structures. Our data suggest a model to explain detachment that occurs via this pattern.
MHP1, a Magnaporthe grisea hydrophobin gene, is required for fungal development and plant colonization
Authors: Kim Soonok , Ahn Il‐Pyung , Rho Hee‐Sool , Lee Yong‐Hwan 
Published: August 2005

SummaryFungal hydrophobins are implicated in cell morphogenesis and pathogenicity in several plant pathogenic fungi including the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea. A cDNA clone encoding a hydrophobin (magnaporin, MHP1) was isolated from a cDNA library constructed from rice leaves infected by M. grisea. The MHP1 codes for a typical fungal hydrophobin of 102 amino acids containing eight cysteine residues spaced in a conserved pattern. Hydropathy analysis of amino acids revealed that MHP1 belongs to the class II group of hydrophobins. The amino acid sequence of MHP1 exhibited about 20% similarity to MPG1, an M. grisea class I hydrophobin. Expression of MHP1 was highly induced during plant colonization and conidiation, but could hardly be detected during mycelial growth. Transformants in which MHP1 was inactivated by targeted gene replacement showed a detergent wettable phenotype, but were not altered in wettability with water. mhp1 mutants also exhibited pleiotropic effects on fungal morphogenesis, including reduction in conidiation, conidial germination, appressorium development and infectious growth in host cells. Furthermore, conidia of mhp1 mutants were defective in their cellular organelles and rapidly lose viability. As a result, mhp1 mutants exhibited a reduced ability to infect and colonize a susceptible rice cultivar. These phenotypes were recovered by re‐introduction of an intact copy of MHP1. Taken together, these results indicate that MHP1 has essential roles in surface hydrophobicity and infection‐related fungal development, and is required for pathogenicity of M. grisea.
Solving a sticky problem: new genetic approaches to host cell adhesion by the Lyme disease spirochete
Authors: Coburn Jenifer , Fischer Joshua R. , Leong John M. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThe Lyme disease spirochetes, comprised of at least three closely related species, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii, are fascinating and enigmatic bacterial pathogens. They are maintained by tick‐mediated transmission between mammalian hosts, usually small rodents. The ability of these bacteria, which have relatively small genomes, to survive and disseminate in both an immunocompetent mammal and in an arthropod vector suggests that they have evolved elegant and indispensable strategies for interacting with their hosts. Recognition of specific mammalian and tick tissues is likely to be essential for successful completion of the enzootic life cycle but, given the historical difficulties in genetic manipulation of these organisms, characterization of factors promoting cell adhesion has until recently largely been confined to either the manipulation of host cells or the analysis of potential bacterial ligands in the form of recombinant proteins. These studies have led to the identification of several mammalian receptors for Lyme disease spirochetes, including glycosaminoglycans, decorin, fibronectin and integrins, as well as a tick receptor for the bacterium, and also candidate cognate bacterial ligands. Recent advances in our ability to genetically manipulate Lyme disease spirochetes, particularly B. burgdorferi, are now providing us with firm evidence that these ligands indeed do promote bacterial adherence to host cells, and with new insights into the roles of these multifacted Borrelia–host cell interactions during mammalian and arthropod infection.
Characterization of the molecular mechanisms involved in the differential production of erythrose‐4‐phosphate dehydrogenase, 3‐phosphoglycerate kinase and class II fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphate aldolase in Escherichia coli
Authors: Bardey Vincent , Vallet Corinne , Robas Nathalie , Charpentier Bruno , Thouvenot Benoit , Mougin Annie , Hajnsdorf Eliane , Régnier Philippe , Springer Mathias , Branlant Christiane 
Published: August 2005

SummaryA gapA‐pgk gene tandem coding the glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and 3‐phosphoglycerate kinase, is most frequently found in bacteria. However, in Enterobacteriaceae, gapA is replaced by an epd open reading frame (ORF) coding an erythrose‐4‐phosphate dehydrogenase and an fbaA ORF coding the class II fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphate aldolase follows pgk. Although epd expression is very low in Escherichia coli, we show that, in the presence of glucose, the 3 epd, pgk and fbaA ORFs are efficiently cotranscribed from promoter epd P0. Conservation of promoter epd P0 is likely due to its important role in modulation of the metabolic flux during glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. As a consequence, we found that the epd translation initiation region and ORF have been adapted in order to limit epd translation and to create an efficient RNase E entry site. We also show that fbaA is cotranscribed with pgk, from promoter epd P0 or an internal pgk P1 promoter of the extended ‐10 class. The differential expression of pgk and fbaA also depends upon an RNase E segmentation process, leading to individual mRNAs with different stabilities. The secondary structures of the RNA regions containing the RNase E sites were experimentally determined which brings important information on the structural features of RNase E ectopic sites.