bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maternal Effect: An Additional Mechanism Maintaining Balanced Polymorphisms of Haemoglobinopathies?
Authors: Duchovni‐Silva I. , Ramalho A. S. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryThe malarial hypothesis presupposes that carriers of sickle cell trait and β‐thalassaemia are born in accordance with Mendelian inheritance and later favoured by an environmental factor. However, an eventual distortion favouring the transmission of the mutant allele is also a plausible hypothesis. The Mendelian proportion was tested in the progeny of 201 sickle cell trait (AS) and 138 β‐thalassaemia (AT) probands married to individuals with normal haemoglobin (AA). An excess of births of heterozygotes in the offspring of the 107 AS mothers (144 AS:89AA, χ2= 12.98; p < 0.001) and 95 AT mothers (117 AT:66 AA, χ2= 14.21; p < 0.001) married to homozygous normal fathers was observed, but not for births to the reverse parental combinations (103 AS: 101AA, χ2= 0.019; p = 0.89 and 57 AT:42 AA, χ2= 2.27; p = 0.13). Such data reveal a statistically significant maternal effect favouring the transmission of haemoglobin S and β‐thalassaemia alleles. Obviously, prezygotic and postzygotic mechanisms of distortion cannot be ignored and need further investigation. However, the selective embryonic survival of AS and AT conceptuses of heterozygotic mothers, with an excess of unrecognized very early embryonic deaths among the AA conceptuses is a very attractive hypothesis that should also be taken into consideration.
Quantifying the Intragenic Distribution of Human Disease Mutations
Authors: Miller M. P. , Parker J. D. , Rissing S. W. , Kumar S. 
Published: November 2003

SummaryA wide variety of functional domains exist within human genes. Since different domains vary in their roles regarding overall gene function, the ability for a mutation in a gene region to produce disease varies among domains. We tested two hypotheses regarding distributions of mutations among functional domains by using (1) sets of single nucleotide disease mutations for six genes (CFTR, TSC2, G6PD, PAX6, RS1, and PAH) and (2) sets of polymorphic replacement and silent mutations found in two genes (CFTR and TSC2). First, we tested the null hypothesis that sets of mutations are uniformly distributed among functional domains within genes. Second, we tested the null hypothesis that disease mutations are distributed among gene regions according to expectations derived from the distribution of evolutionary conserved and variable amino acid sites throughout each gene. In contrast to the mainly uniform distribution of sets of silent and polymorphic mutations, sets of disease mutations generally rejected the null hypotheses of both uniform and evolutionary‐influenced distributions. Although the disease mutation data showed a better agreement with the evolutionary‐derived expectations, disease mutations were found to be statistically overabundant in conserved domains, and under‐represented in variable regions, even after accounting for amino acid site variability of domains over long‐term evolutionary history. This finding suggests that there is a non‐additive influence of amino acid site conservation on the observed intragenic distribution of disease mutations, and underscores the importance of understanding the patterns of neutral amino acid substitutions permitted in a gene over long‐term evolutionary history.
Empowered women, social networks and the contribution of qualitative research: broadening our understanding of underlying causes for food and nutrition insecurity
Authors: Lemke S , Vorster HH , van Rensburg NS Jansen , Ziche J 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjective:To investigate underlying causes for food and nutrition insecurity in black South African households and to gain understanding of the factors contributing to better nutrition security, with emphasis on household organisation, gender and intra-household dynamics and social networks.Design, setting and subjects:Within a larger cross-sectional survey that investigated the impact of urbanisation on the health of black South Africans, 166 people, mostly women, were interviewed on household food security. Methods used were structured face-to-face interviews, in-depth interviews, observation, interviews with key informants and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Information was collected from 1998 to 2000 in 15 rural and urban areas of the North West Province, South Africa.Results:Three-quarters of households in this sample are chronically food-insecure. Families are disrupted, due to migrant work, poverty and increasing societal violence, and half of households are female-headed. Certain categories of female-headed households and households based on partnership relationships, despite more limited resources, achieve a better or an equal economic status and better nutrition security than those households led by men, with the latter often being considered an economic liability. The reliance on and fostering of social ties and networks appear to be of central significance.Conclusion:Gender and intra-household relations, as well as social networks and income from informal sector activities, are often not uncovered by conventional statistical methods. Qualitative research can reveal the unexpected and furthermore empowers people, as their voices are heard.
Micronutrient intakes, micronutrient status and lipid profiles among young people consuming different amounts of breakfast cereals: further analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People aged 4 to 18 years
Authors: Gibson Sigrid 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjective:To examine associations between breakfast cereal consumption and the dietary habits, nutrient intakes and nutritional status of young people, considering both nutrient adequacy and safety issues (fortification).Methods:Using archived data from 1688 children in the (British) National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People aged 4 to 18 years, nutrient intakes and status were compared across thirds of breakfast cereal consumption (T1 to T3), adjusted for age and energy intake. Cereals provided on average 2%, 6% and 12% of energy in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, for boys; 1%, 4% and 10%, respectively, for girls.Results:Intakes of iron, B vitamins and vitamin D were around 20–60% higher in T3 compared with T1, with significant linear relationships observed for iron, thiamin, riboflavin and folate (T1 < T2 < T3). After excluding low energy reporters and the unwell, 14% of girls had iron intakes below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake and this varied fivefold between T1 and T3 (27%, 12% and 5%;P= 0.0001). High consumers of breakfast cereals (T3) had better folate, vitamin B12and riboflavin status and lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. There was also an association with thiamin and vitamin B6status in girls. However, iron status (haemoglobin, ferritin and transferrin saturation) was not significantly different between groups, possibly due to lower meat intakes in T3. Total iron intakes were within tolerable levels (maximum of 32 mg day−1in one girl taking supplements).Conclusions:The nutritional benefits of breakfast cereals are demonstrated in status measurements as well as in nutrient intakes in this study. Concerns about excessive iron intakes from fortification appear unjustified.
Iodine prophylaxis around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site, Republic of Kazakstan
Authors: Hamada Aiko , Zakupbekova Mairash , Sagandikova Sagadat , Espenbetova Maira , Ohashi Toshinori , Takamura Noboru , Yamashita Shunichi 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjective:This study aimed to clarify the iodine deficiency status in the Semipalatinsk region that has been contaminated by radioactive fallout from nuclear testing during the period of the former USSR.Design:Based on the Japan–Kazakstan joint project of adult cancer screening around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Testing Site (SNTS), from May to October 2002 spot urine specimens were collected at random in each village. Separately, children aged 5–15 years from around the SNTS were chosen at random and spot urine specimens were collected from them.Setting:Area contaminated by radioactive fallout around the SNTS, Republic of Kazakstan.Subjects:A total of 2609 adults aged >40 years from 16 settlements in three regions and one city, and 298 children aged 5–15 years from two regions and one city.Results:Median urinary iodine concentrations of adults and children in all regions were in the range of 116.0–381.7 and 127.7–183.0 μg l−1, respectively. The highest prevalence of values <50 μg l−1(14.1%) did not exceed 20%. Distributions within each group, adults and children, showed almost the same pattern, except for one region where more than 50% of adults had urinary iodine concentration >100 μg l−1.Conclusions:In agreement with our previous studies, the urinary iodine concentration data showed no clear evidence of iodine deficiency around the SNTS. Kazakstan is geographically and nutritionally at moderate risk of iodine deficiency disorders without fortification or iodine replacement by iodised salt. The socio-medical prophylaxis against iodine deficiency has been successfully maintained in East Kazakstan.
Social inequalities in infant feeding during the first year of life. The Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Québec (LSCDQ 1998–2002)
Authors: Dubois Lise , Girard Manon 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjective:The aim of this paper is to describe the source and the scope of social inequalities in infant feeding practices. It examines the extent to which different recommendations are followed in different social groups and highlights the main factors influencing the total adherence to three recommendations at the population level.Design, setting and subjects:The study follows a representative sample (n= 2103) of the children born in 1998 in the province of Québec (Canada). Detailed information on breast-feeding and complementary feeding was collected at 5 and 17 months by face-to-face interviews with the mother. The independent variables were mother's age, mother's education level, poverty level, family type, socio-economic status (SES) and living area. Odds ratios (adjusted for baby's rank in the family, birth weight and premature birth) are presented for breast-feeding, and for formula and cows' milk consumption, at different ages. The adherence to a combined indicator cumulating three recommendations (breast-fed at birth, complementary food at 4 months or later and cows' milk at 9 months or later) is also presented.Results:The analysis indicates that adherence to the recommendations is low in Québec. Breast-feeding initiation, duration and its exclusivity improved with mother's age and education level and SES. Adherence to the different recommendations was interrelated, indicating an accumulation of bad nutritional circumstances for children in low-SES families. The odds of being fed in accordance with the three studied recommendations, when living in a family with the highest SES, was 2.3 times higher than when living in a family with the lowest SES. When living with a highly educated mother, the odds ratio was 2.7 times higher than when living with a low-educated mother. For mother's age, the odds ratio reached 3.7 for children from mothers aged ≥35 years, in comparison with children from mothers ≤24 years old. When SES or mother's education level was combined with mother's age, the children in the best situation were >8 more times likely than the least privileged children to be fed in accordance with these recommendations. Living area was not related with infant feeding during the first year of lifeConclusions:Breast-feeding and nutrition could be related with different health and cognitive outcomes in childhood and later in life. Consequently, social disparities in diet during infancy could play a role in the development of social and health inequalities more broadly observed at the population level. Intervention to improve adherence to breast-feeding and nutrition recommendations in infancy should be prioritised and evaluated for its impact on the reduction on infant diet inequalities over time
Red palm oil as a source of vitamin A for mothers and children: impact of a pilot project in Burkina Faso
Authors: Zagré NM , Delpeuch F , Traissac P , Delisle H 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjective:To demonstrate the effectiveness of the commercial introduction of red palm oil (RPO) as a source of vitamin A (VA) for mothers and children in a non-consuming area, as a dietary diversification strategy.Design:A pre–post intervention design (no control area) was used to assess changes in VA intake and status over a 24-month pilot project.Setting and subjects:The pilot project involved RPO promotion in 10 villages and an urban area in east-central Burkina Faso, targeting approximately 10?000 women and children aged < 5 years. A random sample of 210 mother–child (12–36-months-old) pairs was selected in seven out of the 11 pilot sites for the evaluation.Results:After 24 months, RPO was reportedly consumed by nearly 45% of mothers and children in the previous week. VA intake increased from 235 ± 23 μg retinol activity equivalents (RAE) to 655 ± 144 μg RAE in mothers (41 to 120% of safe intake level), and from 164 ± 14 μg RAE to 514 ± 77 μg RAE in children (36 to 97%). Rates of serum retinol < 0.70 μmoll−1decreased from 61.8 ± 8.0% to 28.2 ± 11.0% in mothers, and from 84.5 ± 6.4% to 66.9 ± 11.2% in children. Those with a lower initial concentration of serum retinol showed a higher serum retinol response adjusted for VA intake.Conclusions:Commercial distribution of RPO was effective in reducing VA deficiency in the pilot sites. While it is promising as part of a national strategy, additional public health and food-based measures are needed to control VA malnutrition, which remained high in the RPO project area
Food, alcohol and cigarette availability and consumption in Almaty, Kazakstan: results and appraisal of a rapid assessment
Authors: Yim Andrew , Humphries Debbie , Abuova Gaukhar 
Published: November 2003

AbstractObjectives:(1) To develop a useful tool to measure food, alcohol and tobacco items; (2) to document the availability of these items in Almaty, Kazakstan; (3) to describe the relationship between consumption and availability; and (4) to identify possible relationships between availability and health outcomes in the city and region.Design:A survey of 648 vendors in Almaty, Kazakstan was conducted over one month from December 1999 to January 2000. Vendors identified which items they sold from a list of 61 food, alcohol and tobacco items.Setting:Vendors were approached in three of the six regions of Almaty, Kazakstan. Regions canvassed included Auzov, one of the three ‘sleeping regions’; Medeo, one of the two downtown regions; and Turksib, a more suburban/rural area of the city.Results:There was a significant correlation between alcohol and cigarette consumption and availability. The relative availability of items was numerically and spatially consistent throughout the city. Fruits and vegetables occurred infrequently (<20% of sites) and in relative isolation from the rest of the system, while candy and cigarettes occurred with a higher relative frequency (75–80% of sites). Maps of vendors showed clusters around geographical features such as major roads and intersections.Conclusions:Combining a checklist and mapping tools provides a model of consumer item availability that can help identify priorities for public health and urban planning professionals. The wide availability of cigarettes, alcohol, candy, coffee and tea, and limited availability of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, is likely to support increasing rates of chronic disease in Almaty.
A Growth Regulatory Loop That Provides Homeostasis to Phytochrome A Signaling[W]
Authors: Lariguet Patricia , Boccalandro Hernan E. , Alonso José M. , Ecker Joseph R. , Chory Joanne , Casal Jorge J. , Fankhauser Christian 
Published: November 2003

AbstractPhytochrome kinase substrate1 (PKS1) is a cytoplasmic protein that interacts physically with, and is phosphorylated by, the plant photoreceptor phytochrome. Here, we show that light transiently increases PKS1 mRNA levels and concentrates its expression to the elongation zone of the hypocotyl and root. This response is mediated by phytochrome A (phyA) acting in the very low fluence response (VLFR) mode. In the hypocotyl, PKS1 RNA and protein accumulation are maintained only under prolonged incubation in far-red light, the wavelength that most effectively activates phyA. Null mutants of PKS1 and its closest homolog, PKS2, show enhanced phyA-mediated VLFR. Notably, a pks1 pks2 double mutant has no phenotype, whereas overexpression of either PKS1 or PKS2 results in the same phenotype as the pks1 or pks2 single null mutant. We propose that PKS1 and PKS2 are involved in a growth regulatory loop that provides homeostasis to phyA signaling in the VLFR. In accordance with this idea, PKS1 effects are larger in the pks2 background (and vice versa). Moreover, the two proteins can interact with each other, and PKS2 negatively regulates PKS1 protein levels specifically under VLFR conditions.
The VTI Family of SNARE Proteins Is Necessary for Plant Viability and Mediates Different Protein Transport Pathways[W]
Authors: Surpin Marci , Zheng Haiyan , Morita Miyo T. , Saito Cheiko , Avila Emily , Blakeslee Joshua J. , Bandyopadhyay Anindita , Kovaleva Valentina , Carter David , Murphy Angus , Tasaka Masao , Raikhel Natasha 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThe Arabidopsis genome contains a family of v-SNAREs: VTI11, VTI12, and VTI13. Only VTI11 and VTI12 are expressed at appreciable levels. Although these two proteins are 60% identical, they complement different transport pathways when expressed in the yeast vti1 mutant. VTI11 was identified recently as the mutated gene in the shoot gravitropic mutant zig. Here, we show that the vti11 zig mutant has defects in vascular patterning and auxin transport. An Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutant, vti12, had a normal phenotype under nutrient-rich growth conditions. However, under nutrient-poor conditions, vti12 showed an accelerated senescence phenotype, suggesting that VTI12 may play a role in the plant autophagy pathway. VTI11 and VTI12 also were able to substitute for each other in their respective SNARE complexes, and a double-mutant cross between zig and vti12 was embryo lethal. These results suggest that some VTI1 protein was necessary for plant viability and that the two proteins were partially functionally redundant.
A Class-V Myosin Required for Mating, Hyphal Growth, and Pathogenicity in the Dimorphic Plant PathogenUstilago maydis [W]
Authors: Weber Isabella , Gruber Christian , Steinberg Gero 
Published: November 2003

AbstractIn the early stages of plant infection, yeast-like haploid sporidia of Ustilago maydis respond to pheromone secreted by compatible partners by forming conjugation tubes. These then fuse to generate a dikaryotic hypha that forms appressoria to penetrate the host plant. As a first step toward understanding the structural requirements for these transitions, we have identified myo5, which encodes a class-V myosin. Analysis of conditional and null mutants revealed that Myo5 plays nonessential roles in cytokinesis and morphogenesis in sporidia and is required for hyphal morphology. Consistent with a role in morphogenesis, a functional green fluorescent protein–Myo5 fusion protein localized to the bud tip and the hyphal apex as well as to the septa and the spore wall during later stages of infection. However, the loss of Myo5 did not affect the tip growth of hyphae and sporidia. By contrast, Myo5 was indispensable for conjugation tube formation. Furthermore, myo5 mutants were impaired in the perception of pheromones, which indicates a particular importance of Myo5 in the mating process. Consequently, few mutant hyphae were formed that penetrated the plant epidermis but did not continue invasive growth. These results indicate a crucial role of Myo5 in the morphogenesis, dimorphic switch, and pathogenicity of U. maydis.
Terpenoid Metabolism in Wild-Type and Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants[W]
Authors: Aharoni Asaph , Giri Ashok P. , Deuerlein Stephan , Griepink Frans , de Kogel Willem-Jan , Verstappen Francel W. A. , Verhoeven Harrie A. , Jongsma Maarten A. , Schwab Wilfried , Bouwmeester Harro J. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractVolatile components, such as terpenoids, are emitted from aerial parts of plants and play a major role in the interaction between plants and their environment. Analysis of the composition and emission pattern of volatiles in the model plant Arabidopsis showed that a range of volatile components are released, primarily from flowers. Most of the volatiles detected were monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, which in contrast to other volatiles showed a diurnal emission pattern. The active terpenoid metabolism in wild-type Arabidopsis provoked us to conduct an additional set of experiments in which transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing two different terpene synthases were generated. Leaves of transgenic plants constitutively expressing a dual linalool/nerolidol synthase in the plastids (FaNES1) produced linalool and its glycosylated and hydroxylated derivatives. The sum of glycosylated components was in some of the transgenic lines up to 40- to 60-fold higher than the sum of the corresponding free alcohols. Surprisingly, we also detected the production and emission of nerolidol, albeit at a low level, suggesting that a small pool of its precursor farnesyl diphosphate is present in the plastids. Transgenic lines with strong transgene expression showed growth retardation, possibly as a result of the depletion of isoprenoid precursors in the plastids. In dual-choice assays with Myzus persicae, the FaNES1-expressing lines significantly repelled the aphids. Overexpression of a typical cytosolic sesquiterpene synthase resulted in the production of only trace amounts of the expected sesquiterpene, suggesting tight control of the cytosolic pool of farnesyl diphosphate, the precursor for sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis. This study further demonstrates the value of Arabidopsis for studies of the biosynthesis and ecological role of terpenoids and provides new insights into their metabolism in wild-type and transgenic plants.