bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inositol Hexakisphosphate Induced Tertiary Conformational Transition In Horse Carbonmonoxyhemoglobin
Authors: OMOTOSHO Omolola Elizabeth , Chinedu Shalom N , Okonjo Kehinde 
Published: November 2023

The red blood cell of the domestic horse contains two haemoglobin types. The two haemoglobins were separated on a column of carboxymethylcellulose. The equilibrium constant, Kequ, for the reaction of 5,5′‐dithiobis(2‐nitrobenzoate) — DTNB — with the CysF9[93]β sulfhydryl group of each haemoglobin was determined at 25°C as a function of pH. The reactivity of CysF9[93]β is affected by allosteric effectors such as the proton (H+) and inositol hexakisphosphate (inositol‐P6). Between pH 5.6 and 9.0 Kequ decreased by about two to four orders of magnitude, demonstrating that H+ is a heterotropic allosteric effector of haemoglobin with respect to its reaction with DTNB. Inositol‐P6 also decreased Kequ by about two to four orders of magnitude across the experimental pH range. CysF9[93]β exists in two tertiary conformations, r and t, in dynamic equilibrium. Krt, the equilibrium constant for the rt conformational transition, was determined for each of the two horse haemoglobins from an analysis of the pH dependence of Kequ. The calculations from the pH dependence of Kequ showed that the pKa values of the ionisable groups coupled to the DTNB reaction vary between 5.0 and 8.9. The equilibrium constants, Krt, for the r ↔ t tertiary structure transition, were 0.143 ± 0.05 and 0.446 ± 0.22 for the major and minor stripped horse haemoglobins respectively. In the presence of inositol‐P6, Krt for the major and minor were 2.219 ± 0.79 and 2.214 ± 0.83 respectively. The results show that inositol‐P6 increases the relative population of the t tertiary conformation. So, it increases the affinity of CysF9[93]β by changing the relative distribution of two protein conformations.Support or Funding InformationCovenant University, Ota. Nigeria.
Supply‐ and Demand‐Side Factors Influencing Utilization of Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling Services in Viet Nam
Authors: Nguyen Phuong , Kim Sunny , Nguyen Tuan , Tran Lan , Hajeebhoy Nemat , Frongillo Edward , Ruel Marie , Rawat Rahul , Menon Purnima 
Published: November 2023

Adequate utilization of services is critical to maximize the impact of counselling on infant and young child feeding (IYCF), but little is known about factors affecting utilization. Our study examined supply‐ and demand‐side determinants of the utilization of IYCF counselling services in Viet Nam.We used survey data from mothers with children <2y (n=1,008) and health staff (n=60) from the evaluation of the Alive & Thrive initiative, which embedded IYCF counseling in Viet Nam's health system. In addition, staff competence and performance during IYCF counseling, including technical and interpersonal communication skills, were observed and rated by trained enumerators.The percentages of never users, one‐time users, repeat users, and achievers of the recommended minimum number of visits at health facilities were 45.1%, 13.0%, 28.4% and 13.5%, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression showed that of three demand‐generation strategies (invitation cards, billboards, and TV spots), invitation cards were the strongest determinant of one‐time use (OR 5.2, 95% CI: 3.1–8.9), repeated use (OR 10.7, 95% CI: 6.7–17.1), and achievement of minimum visits (OR 12.4, 95% CI: 7.1–21.7). Higher maternal education, being a farmer, and belonging to an ethnic minority were associated with higher utilization, both for one‐time and repeated use. Having a wasted child was associated with greater odds of achieving the minimum recommended number of visits, whereas child stunting and illness were not. Living far from health center was associated with fewer repeated visits. Among supply‐side factors, good counselling skills (OR: 2–2.5) was the most important determinant of any service use, whereas longer employment duration and greater work pressure of health center staff were associated with lower utilization. Population attributable risk estimations showed that an additional 22% of the population would have achieved the minimum number of visits if exposed to three demand‐generation strategies, and would further increase to 28% if the health staff had good counseling skills and low work pressure.Our study provides evidence that demand‐generation strategies are essential to increase utilization of facility‐based IYCF counselling services in Viet Nam, and may be relevant for increasing and sustaining use of nutrition services in similar contexts.Support or Funding InformationFunding support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Alive & Thrive, managed by FHI360. Additional funding through the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health, hosted by IFPRI.
The Determinants of Stunting in Children under Five in Madagascar
Authors: Rakotomanana Hasina , Gates Gail , Hildebrand Deana , Stoecker Barbara J. 
Published: November 2023

Maternal and child undernutrition plays an important role in the cyclical process of poverty through its negative economic and health consequences on individuals, on the community and ultimately on the nation. Madagascar is among the countries where the prevalence of stunting is dramatically high in children under 5 years old. Despite the fact that nutrition interventions are more successful when they are targeted to specific areas and/or to specific populations, there is limited knowledge about the determinants of child undernutrition in Madagascar. The purpose of this study was to investigate determinants of child stunting in the country. Using the latest Demographic and Health Survey (2009), bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to determine the variables associated with stunting. A cut‐off at 24 months was used to separate the population into two groups. Data concerning individual, maternal and household characteristics from a total of 4881 children under five years were analyzed. In 2009, 39% of the 1914 children aged 0–23 months and 53% of the 2967 children aged 24–59 months were stunted contributing to the 43.23% total prevalence in the country. The highest prevalence of stunting was observed in the region of Matsiatra Ambony (64.12%) and the lowest in Sofia (18.46%). The model showed that infants of 0–23 months who were severely anemic (OR=3.453), and males (OR=0.717 for girls) were more likely to be stunted. Increasing age among 0–23 month‐olds was significantly associated with stunting (OR=1.068) and length‐for‐age Z scores were also different by regions. Similar results with anemia level (OR=4.054), age (1.018) and region of residence were found in the older group. Additionally, children perceived as small at birth (OR=1.579) and whose parents’ worked on family‐owned land (OR=1.414) were significantly more likely to be stunted. The quality of the home was associated with better height‐for‐age Z scores in children 24–59 months (OR=0.375 compared to rudimentary construction). The results confirmed that determinants of stunting were different for the two age groups. Thus, interventions aiming to address stunting should be different for children aged 0–23 months and 24–59 months.Support or Funding InformationSupported by Fulbright Program for Foreign Students
Establishing a Biomarker of Cortical Specialisation in infants in The Gambia and UK
Authors: Lloyd‐Fox Sarah , Lee Chuen Wai , Pirazzoli Laura , Blasi Anna , Halliday Drew , Papademetriou Maria , Begus Katarina , Cooper Robert , Darboe Momodou , Prentice Andrew , Moore Sophie E , Austin Topun , Johnson Mark H , Elwell Clare E 
Published: November 2023

Brain and nervous system development in human infants during the first 1000 days ‐ which includes pregnancy and the first two years of life ‐ is critical, and risk of compromised development during this time can have a deep impact on physical growth and cognitive function into adulthood. Recent research has shown that under nutrition in infancy is linked to lifelong effects on adult health, however we still have a comparatively poor understanding of how nutrition effects brain development during early life. The development of non‐invasive brain imaging techniques, such as functional near infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), has allowed a recent shift in the use of neuroimaging towards the study of the developing brain in situations where this development may be at risk or compromised in some way. Furthermore, objective measures of brain function may provide information that to date has been unavailable with existing behavioural paradigms.Recent fNIRS research in typically developing infants has shown robust and consistent activation to social vs non‐social visual and auditory stimuli in the inferior frontal, anterior temporal and posterior superior temporal – temporo parietal junction (pST‐TPJ) regions of the cortex. Having established this signature response in infants from 4 to 6 months of age, here we apply this paradigm to the investigation of social responses in infants from the first days of life to the first year in two different settings: urban European and rural Gambian. This is a cross sectional study of infants in the Gambia and UK at 0–2, 4–8 and 12–16 months of age (0–2 months ‐ N = 14 UK & N = 19 Gambia; 4 – 8 mths ‐ N = 64 UK & N = 24 Gambia; 12 – 16 months – N = 15 UK & N = 22 Gambia). Results reveal robust and consistent socially selective responses from 4 – 16 mths of life to both the visual and auditory stimuli. In contrast at 0–2 mths of age a stronger response is evidenced to the non‐social auditory stimuli in the Gambian infants. In ongoing analyses we are investigating whether these brain responses also differ in the 0–2 month olds in the UK.These findings provide a key biomarker of cortical specialization over the first year of life. We believe this method could be applied to the study of compromised development in global health research where infants are exposed to a broad range of adversity early in life including poverty, malnourishment and recurrent infections.Support or Funding InformationBill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Medical Research Council UK
Maternal Nutritional Status and Dietary Diversity in Ghana
Authors: Gyenes Natalie , Agbemafle Isaac , Zotor Francis , Duggan Christopher , Willett Walter , Fawzi Wafaie , Ellahi Basma 
Published: November 2023

BackgroundEating from a limited number of food groups which are mainly micronutrient poor starchy staples contributes to the burden of malnutrition and increases the risk for obesity and its related non‐communicable diseases. This study assessed dietary patterns and diversity among women in rural and semi‐rural areas in Ghana due to the paucity of data for those areas outside the cities.MethodsA cross‐sectional survey was undertaken among 1185 households in Eastern, Volta and Brong Ahafo regions of Ghana. Households with children under age 5 years were sampled. Women were surveyed at the household level using a pretested semi‐structured questionnaire. Dietary intake patterns and dietary diversity of the women were assessed using a 24‐hour recall. Pearson's chi‐square was used to determine associations between region and dietary patterns and diversity.ResultsAmong the 1185 women recruited, 21.3%, 24.5% and 54.3% were from Brong Ahafo, Eastern and Volta regions, respectively. The mean ± SD age of the women was 38.4 ± 15.1 years. Drinks frequently consumed by the women were tealeaf and cocoa drink and this varied across the regions. The women consumed high amounts of assorted fats and oils but nutritional supplement use was reported by only 7.3% of the women. About More than 70% of the women in Volta region and 96% of the women in Brong Ahafo regions had ever used iodated salt but 60% of the women from Eastern region had never used iodated salt. The women (71.5%) consumed foods from roots and tubers, 82.4% consumed fish and sea foods and 85.7% consumed cereals and these consumption patterns varied from region to region. Whereas 98.1% of the caregivers consumed some sort of vegetables, only 13.4% consumed fruits of any kind. Milk and milk products and eggs were the least frequently consumed food groups. Majority (61.4%) of the women ate from at least 5–8 food groups (medium dietary diversity) whilst 37.9% ate from at least 1–4 food groups (low dietary diversity). There were significant differences in dietary diversity across the three regions (p<0.0001). BMI was within normal range for 54.2% of the women but 23.5% and 14.7% of the women were overweight and obese respectively. There was no association between BMI and dietary diversity (p=0.18).ConclusionPoor dietary diversity and intake of energy dense diets saturated with fats and oils is high in rural Ghanaian women. Future studies should evaluate the relationship between these dietary patterns and health and nutritional outcomes.Support or Funding InformationThis Research was supported in part by a grant from the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health, as well as the Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health.
fNIRS in Africa & Asia: an Objective Measure of Cognitive Development for Global Health Settings
Authors: Lloyd‐Fox Sarah , Moore Sophie , Darboe Momodou , Prentice Andrew , Papademetriou Maria , Blasi Anna , Kumar Swapna , Westerlund Alissa , Perdue Katherine L , Johnson Mark H , Nelson Charles A , Elwell Clare E 
Published: November 2023

The goal of our work is to establish assessments to evaluate the impact of early risk on cognitive development in infancy and childhood in global health settings. Prior work using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has shown differential brain responses in infants to social vs. nonsocial stimuli in urban European (Lloyd‐Fox et al., 2009; 2013) cohorts. This experimental paradigm has been proposed as an objective measure of social cognition that can be used in many different cohorts with minimal adaptation.Cortical mapping of the brain during infancy is rarely undertaken in low‐income countries due to the lack of transportable neuroimaging methods. Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) ‐ which uses the absorption of near infrared light to non‐invasively measure changes in oxygen in the blood ‐ is an elegant method for assessing cognitive function in such settings. Participants, ranging in age from 4 – 8 months (UK: N = 64; The Gambia: N = 24; Bangladesh: N = 23), were tested with a multi‐channel NIRS system that recorded brain activity over the frontal and temporal cortices. The experimental stimuli presented were videos of people moving their eyes or hands (i.e. a “Peek‐a‐boo” game), accompanied by vocal sounds (i.e. yawn, laughter), non‐vocal sounds (i.e. water running, bell), or silence. Social videos were alternated with control blocks of pictures of local modes of transportation presented with no sounds.Here we present a comparison of data collected in urban European, rural African and urban Asian cohorts. Participants in The Gambia lived in a rural community of subsistence farmers and participants in Bangladesh lived in an urban slum. Both cohorts were exposed to a broad range of adversity early in life including poverty, under‐nourishment, recurrent infections, and lack of maternal education.Our results indicate specialised social > non‐social activation in the superior and middle temporal cortex across all three cohorts and across 4 – 36 months of life. These results confirm the suitability of fNIRS in this age group in a resource poor setting. Changes in cortical haemoglobin may afford early biomarkers that are more sensitive to nutritional insults and early adversity affecting cognition than current standardised behavioural measures.Support or Funding InformationBill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Medical Research Council UK,
Anthropometry and Dengue Fever in Coastal Ecuador
Authors: Tedesco Julia M. , Mehta Saurabh , Beltrán‐Ayala Efraín , Cárdenas Washington B. , Endy Timothy P. , Ryan Sadie J. , Stewart Ibarra Anna M. , Finkelstein Julia L. 
Published: November 2023

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to examine the burden of malnutrition – both undernutrition or overnutrition – and its associations with dengue fever, as part of a prospective study of dengue transmission conducted in Machala, Ecuador.MethodsIndividuals presenting with suspected dengue fever at four sentinel clinics and the central hospital of the Ministry of Health were recruited into the study. Index cases with acute dengue infection triggered an investigation of dengue cases in the index household and four neighboring households. Dengue fever was diagnosed via RT‐qPCR (n=72); cases were sex‐ and age‐matched to controls (n=72), individuals who tested negative for dengue fever (i.e., negative for RT‐qPCR, NS1, IgG, and IgM). Anthropometric measurements, including height, weight, mid‐upper arm circumference, and waist circumference were collected using standardized procedures. World Health Organization z‐scores were calculated, and conventional cut‐offs were used to categorize variables.ResultsMedian body mass index (BMI) was 23.6 kg/m2 (IQR: 20.6–29.3) in cases and 23.8 kg/m2 (IQR: 19.7–28.5) in controls. The prevalence of underweight was low in cases and controls (BMI<18.5 kg/m2; cases: 0.7%, controls: 2.1%; p>0.05); however, approximately 20% of individuals were overweight or obese (BMI≥ 25 kg/m2; cases: 18.1%, controls: 19.4%; p>0.05). Mid‐upper arm circumference (median (IQR); cases: 28.0 (25.0–30.7) vs. controls: 27.6 (24.3–31.0) cm; p>0.05) and waist circumference (median (IQR); cases: 82.8 (69.5–92.8) vs. controls: 84.5 (71.1–94.8) cm; p>0.05) were similar in dengue cases and controls. The prevalence of high waist circumference was not statistically different in cases compared to controls (men: >94 cm, women: >80 cm; cases: 16.7% vs. controls: 18.8%; p>0.05 | men: >102 cm, women: >88 cm; cases: 5.6% vs. 11.1% p=0.07).ConclusionThe prevalence of overweight, obesity, and increased weight circumference was relatively high in this setting, in both dengue cases and controls. The implications of overnutrition for the immune response and clinical outcomes for infectious diseases in this population needs to be assessed prospectively in future studies.Support or Funding InformationDivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University; Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response
Poor Child Feeding Practices and Malnutrition in Bihar, India
Authors: Young Melissa Fox , Mehta Rukshan , Larson Leila , Kekre Priya , Verma Pankaj , Girard Amy Webb , Ramakrishnan Usha , Chaudhuri Indrajit , Srikantiah Sridhar , Martorell Reynaldo 
Published: November 2023

Child malnutrition in Bihar is a public health problem. An improved understanding of the current situation and key determinants is needed to inform policies and programs. We used data that were collected as part of the cross‐sectional baseline survey of an ongoing multiple micronutrient powder program evaluation in West Champaran, Bihar to evaluate child feeding practices and malnutrition among children ages 6–18 months (n=4360). Data were analyzed using SAS; descriptive analyses were used to report socio‐demographic characteristics of the population. Multivariate logistic models were developed to identify determinants of anemia and stunting including key socio‐demographic (child age, sex, parity, early age at marriage (<18 yrs), maternal education, religion, socioeconomic status (SES, from a composite wealth index), household hunger (as measured by the household hunger scale) and child feeding practices (preleacteal feeds, currently breastfeeding, dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet). The baseline sample was 50% female and the average child was 11 months old. 78% of the households were Hindu and 21% Muslim; 33% were scheduled caste/tribe, 51% were other backward castes and 16% other. 60% of mothers and 36% of fathers were illiterate. 36% of the mothers were married before 18 years. Overall, breastfeeding rates were reported to be high with 99% ever breast fed and 95% currently breastfeeding. However, 61% of infants were given prelacteal feeds. Only 39% of families reported initiating complementary feeding at 6 months, 5% earlier and the majority (56%) reported late initiation of foods. Quality of complementary feeding was a major barrier. Only 20% of households reported adequate dietary diversity and 15% achieved the minimal acceptable diet. Rates of malnutrition were alarming in this population. 72% of children were anemic, 33% stunted, 27% wasted and 42% underweight. Key determinants (odds ratio; 95%CI) for child anemia included: child age (1.04; 1.01–1.07), female sex (0.74; 0.62–0.87), and household hunger (1.4; 1.03–1.96). Key determinants for child stunting included: child age (1.14; 1.11–1.17), female sex (0.74; 0.63–0.87), SES lowest vs highest tertile (1.75; 1.40–2.19), SES mid vs highest tertile (1.56; 1.26–1.94). Overall in Bihar there are high rates of child malnutrition and poor complementary feeding practices. Gender, household hunger and income are key underlying factors contributing to anemia and stunting in children.Support or Funding InformationFunding support provided by a BMGF grant through a subcontract with CARE‐India
Thinness and Time to Pregnancy among Rural Bangladeshi Adolescents
Authors: Hur Jinhee , West Keith P. , Shamim Abu Ahmed , Rashid Mahbubur , Labrique Alain B. , Wu Lee S‐F. , Mehra Sucheta , Klemm Rolf D. W. , Christian Parul 
Published: November 2023

Few studies have examined the relationship between maternal nutritional status and fecundability. We assessed the temporal association between preconceptional mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC), measured in adolescence (12–19 years) with low MUAC reflecting thinness, and time to pregnancy (TTP) among rural, newlywed, largely non‐contracepting (< 10.5%) women (n 5374) in northwestern Bangladesh. Women were recruited into a pregnancy surveillance system from 2001–2002 to participate in an antenatal vitamin A or beta‐carotene supplementation trial (West et al. JAMA 2011) and visited at home every 5 wks to ascertain a 1‐month history of menstruation. Amenorrheic women received a urine test to confirm pregnancy. Surveillance continued until pregnancy or for up to 312 weeks. Mean ± SD age and MUAC at surveillance enrollment were 15.3 ± 1.9 y and 22.5 ± 1.9 cm. Age at pregnancy ascertainment was 16.8 ± 1.9 y. Compared to those with a MUAC > 21.5 cm, adolescents with a smaller MUAC (≤ 21.5 cm) had a longer TTP (10 wks in median survival time, overall P < 0.001) and 5% lower cumulative incidence of first pregnancy (P < 0.001), evident at each age, but especially so among youngest newlyweds (12 to 13 y). In a Cox proportional hazards model, thinner women (MUAC < 21.5 cm) were 12% less likely to become pregnant than those better nourished, adjusting for age, year and season of enrollment, and family planning practice (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82–0.93, P < 0.001). Undernourished adolescent girls may experience a longer time to pregnancy than those of better nutritional status.Support or Funding InformationSupported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (GH614) and USAID, Washington DC.