Does antenatal micronutrient supplementation improve children’s cognitive function? Evidence from the follow-up of a double-blind randomised controlled trial in Nepal

INTRODUCTION: Multiple Micronutrient (MMN) supplementation during pregnancy can decrease the proportion of infants born low birth weight and small for gestational age. Supplementation could also enhance children’s cognitive function by improving access to key nutrients during fetal brain development and increasing birth weight, especially in areas where undernutrition is common. We tested the hypothesis that children whose mothers received MMN supplementation during pregnancy would have higher intelligence in early adolescence compared with those receiving Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) only. METHODS: We followed up children in Nepal, whose mothers took part in a double-blind Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) that compared the effects on birth weight and gestational duration of antenatal MMN versus IFA supplementation. We assessed children’s Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) using the Universal Non-verbal Intelligence Test (UNIT), and their executive function using the counting Stroop test. The parent trial was registered as ISRCTN88625934. RESULTS: We identified 813 (76%) of the 1069 children whose mothers took part in the parent trial. We found no differences in FSIQ at 12 years between MMN and IFA groups (absolute difference in means (diff): 1.25, 95% CI −0.57 to 3.06). Similarly, there were no differences in mean UNIT memory (diff: 1.41, 95% CI −0.48 to 3.30), reasoning (diff: 1.17, 95% CI −0.72 to 3.06), symbolic (diff: 0.97, 95% CI −0.67 to 2.60) or non-symbolic quotients (diff: 1.39, 95% CI −0.60 to 3.38). CONCLUSION: Our follow-up of a double-blind RCT in Nepal found no evidence of benefit from antenatal MMN compared with IFA for children’s overall intelligence and executive function at 12 years

Transkingdom Networks: A Systems Biology Approach to Identify Causal Members of Host-Microbiota Interactions

Improvements in sequencing technologies and reduced experimental costs have resulted in a vast number of studies generating high-throughput data. Although the number of methods to analyze these "omics" data has also increased, computational complexity and lack of documentation hinder researchers from analyzing their high-throughput data to its true potential. In this chapter we detail our data-driven, transkingdom network (TransNet) analysis protocol to integrate and interrogate multi-omics data. This systems biology approach has allowed us to successfully identify important causal relationships between different taxonomic kingdoms (e.g. mammals and microbes) using diverse types of data

The role of parental achievement goals in predicting autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting

Although autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting are linked to numerous positive and negative child outcomes respectively, fewer studies have focused on their determinants. Drawing on achievement goal theory and self-determination theory, we propose that parental achievement goals (i.e., achievement goals that parents have for their children) can be mastery, performance-approach or performance-avoidance oriented and that types of goals predict mothers' tendency to adopt autonomy-supportive and controlling behaviors. A total of 67 mothers (aged 30-53 years) reported their goals for their adolescent (aged 13-16 years; 19.4 % girls), while their adolescent evaluated their mothers' behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that parental performance-approach goals predict more controlling parenting and prevent acknowledgement of feelings, one autonomy-supportive behavior. In addition, mothers who have mastery goals and who endorse performance-avoidance goals are less likely to use guilt-inducing criticisms. These findings were observed while controlling for the effect of maternal anxiety

Social interaction, noise and antibiotic-mediated switches in the intestinal microbiota

The intestinal microbiota plays important roles in digestion and resistance against entero-pathogens. As with other ecosystems, its species composition is resilient against small disturbances but strong perturbations such as antibiotics can affect the consortium dramatically. Antibiotic cessation does not necessarily restore pre-treatment conditions and disturbed microbiota are often susceptible to pathogen invasion. Here we propose a mathematical model to explain how antibiotic-mediated switches in the microbiota composition can result from simple social interactions between antibiotic-tolerant and antibiotic-sensitive bacterial groups. We build a two-species (e.g. two functional-groups) model and identify regions of domination by antibiotic-sensitive or antibiotic-tolerant bacteria, as well as a region of multistability where domination by either group is possible. Using a new framework that we derived from statistical physics, we calculate the duration of each microbiota composition state. This is shown to depend on the balance between random fluctuations in the bacterial densities and the strength of microbial interactions. The singular value decomposition of recent metagenomic data confirms our assumption of grouping microbes as antibiotic-tolerant or antibiotic-sensitive in response to a single antibiotic. Our methodology can be extended to multiple bacterial groups and thus it provides an ecological formalism to help interpret the present surge in microbiome data.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures accepted for publication in Plos Comp Bio. Supplementary video and information availabl

Distortion in a 7xxx aluminum alloy during liquid phase sintering

The distortion in a sintered 7xxx aluminum alloy, Al-7Zn-2.5Mg-1Cu (wt. pct), has been investigated by sintering three rectangular bars in each batch at 893 K (620 °C) for 0 to 40 minutes in nitrogen, followed by air or furnace cooling. They were placed parallel to each other, equally spaced apart at 2 mm, with their long axes being perpendicular to the incoming nitrogen flow. Pore evolution in each sample during isothermal sintering was examined metallographically. The compositional changes across sample mid-cross section and surface layers were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling, respectively. The two outer samples bent toward the middle one, while the middle sample was essentially distortion free after sintering. The distortion in the outer samples was a result of differential shrinkage between their outer and inner surfaces during isothermal sintering. The porous outer surface showed an enrichment of oxygen around the large pores as well as lower magnesium and zinc contents than the interior and inner surface of the same sample, while the inner surface was distinguished by the presence of AlN. The differential shrinkage was caused by different oxygen contents in local sintering atmosphere and unbalanced loss of magnesium and zinc between the outer and inner surfaces

Predictive functional profiling of microbial communities using 16S rRNA marker gene sequences

Profiling phylogenetic marker genes, such as the 16S rRNA gene, is a key tool for studies of microbial communities but does not provide direct evidence of a community’s functional capabilities. Here we describe PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States), a computational approach to predict the functional composition of a metagenome using marker gene data and a database of reference genomes. PICRUSt uses an extended ancestral-state reconstruction algorithm to predict which gene families are present and then combines gene families to estimate the composite metagenome. Using 16S information, PICRUSt recaptures key findings from the Human Microbiome Project and accurately predicts the abundance of gene families in host-associated and environmental communities, with quantifiable uncertainty. Our results demonstrate that phylogeny and function are sufficiently linked that this ‘predictive metagenomic’ approach should provide useful insights into the thousands of uncultivated microbial communities for which only marker gene surveys are currently available

Predicting growth curves of early childhood externalizing problems: Differential susceptibility of children with difficult temperament

Using an accelerated longitudinal design, the development of externalizing problems from age 2 to 5 years was investigated in relation to maternal psychopathology, maternal parenting, gender, child temperament, and the presence of siblings. The sample consisted of 150 children selected at age 2-3 years for having high levels of externalizing problems. Parenting was measured using observational methods, and maternal reports were used for the other variables. Overall, mean levels of externalizing problems decreased over time, and higher initial levels (intercept) were related to a stronger decrease (negative slope) in externalizing problems. Results showed that higher levels of maternal psychopathology were related to less decrease in early childhood externalizing problems. Parental sensitive behavior predicted a stronger decrease in externalizing problems, but only for children with difficult temperaments. A stronger decrease of externalizing problems in children with older siblings also pertained only to children with difficult temperaments. Thus, temperamentally difficult children appear to be more susceptible to environmental influences on the development of externalizing behaviors. Our results indicate that the role of siblings in early childhood externalizing problems deserves more research attention, and that intervention efforts need to take into account temperamental differences in children's susceptibility to environmental influences. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

Validação da Escala de Retração Prolongada para Crianças com Síndrome de Down

The evaluation of the withdrawal reaction in toddlers using a standardized instrument should take into account the child psychopatologic context and developmental moment. The authors present the BADS questionnaire third validation phase by its application in thirty 0-to-2-year-old Down syndrome children, recruited from many specialized outpatient centers in São Paulo City. The results were compared with those of 90 healthy children evaluated previously in another study done by the same authors. The test used was the independent t test, with mean scores of 5,90 + 2,57 for healthy children and 11,133 + 4,582 for Down Syndrome children, with p ­ 0.0466 for significance level of 5%. Thus, it was observed that the Down syndrome children withdrawal reaction was significantly different of that of healthy children. With such results, the scale shows its importance as a screening tool, but it is important to be studied in other populations.La evaluacion de la reacción frente a los niños retraídos utilizando un instrumento padronizado debería llevar en cuenta el contexto psicopatológico de éstos, asi como también las diversas etapas de su desarrollo. Los autores presentan el cuestionario BADS en su tercera etapa de validación aplicado a 30 niños de 0 a 2 años con síndrome de Down, reclutados en los consultorios externos de la región central en la ciudad de San Pablo. Los resultados fueron comparados con los 90 niños saludables, evaluados en estudios anteriores por los mismos autores. Fue usado para las muestras independientes la prueba t de Student, con scores de medias y desvio patrón equivalente a 5,90 + 2,57 para niños saludables, y 11,13 + 4,58 para niños con Síndrome de Down, con p ­ 0.0466 y nivel de significancia de 5%. Finalmente, se concluye que los niños con sindrome de Down presentaron reacción de retraimiento significativamente diferente al de los niños saludables. Con tales resultados, se demostró la importancia de la escala como un instrumento de diagnóstico, sin embargo se sugiere realizar estudios en otras poblaciones.L'évaluation de la réaction de rétraction prolongée des petits enfants en utilisant un instrument standardisé devrait prendre dans compte le contexte de la psychopathologie de l'enfant ainsi que la phase de son développement. Les auteurs présentent le questionnaire BADS dans leur troisième phase de validation appliquée dans 30 enfants de 0 à 2 ans avec syndrome de Down, enrôlées ambulatoires localisés dans la région centrale de la ville de São Paulo. Les résultats ont été comparés avec 90 enfants sains, évaluées dans étude préalable des mêmes des auteurs. Le test t de Student pour échantillons indépendants a été utilisé, avec écores des demis et de deviant-standardisé de 5,90 +/- 2,57 pour enfants sains et 11,13 +/- 4,58 pour enfants avec syndrome de Down, avec p ­ 0.0466 et niveau d'importance de 5%. Ainsi, il s'est conclu que les enfants avec syndrome de Down ont présenté de la réaction de rétraction significativement différente des enfants sains. Avec ces résultats, s'est montrée l'importance de l'échelle mange instrument de diagnostique, néanmoins semble recommandable qu'il soit étudié dans d'autres populations.A avaliação da reação de retração prolongada em crianças pequenas usando um instrumento padronizado deveria levar em conta o contexto da psicopatologia da criança bem como a fase de seu desenvolvimento. Os autores apresentam o questionário BADS em sua terceira fase de validação aplicado em 30 crianças de 0 a 2 anos com síndrome de Down, recrutadas de ambulatórios localizados na região central da cidade de São Paulo. Os resultados foram comparados com 90 crianças sadias, avaliadas em estudo prévio dos mesmos autores. O teste t de Student para amostras independentes foi usado, com escores médios e desvios-padrão de 5,90 + 2,57 para crianças sadias e 11,13 + 4,58 para crianças com síndrome de Down, com p ­ 0.0466 e nível de significância de 5%. Assim, concluiu-se que as crianças com síndrome de Down apresentaram reação de retração significativamente diferente das crianças sadias. Com estes resultados, mostrou-se a importância da escala como instrumento de diagnóstico, entretanto parece recomendável que seja estudada em outras populações

Early parenting intervention: Family risk and first-time parenting related to intervention effectiveness

The effects of cumulative risk and parity on the effectiveness of a home based parenting intervention were tested in a randomized controlled trial with 237 families with 1- to 3-year-old children screened for high levels of externalizing behavior. The intervention was aimed at enhancing positive parenting and decreasing externalizing behaviors. The results showed that cumulative risk was not associated with either change in child externalizing behaviors or change in positive parenting. When intervention effectiveness was compared for primiparas (i.e., first-time mothers) versus multiparas (i.e., mothers with more than one child), we found that intervention mothers of first-born children displayed an increase in their use of positive discipline strategies as compared to first-time mothers in the control group, whereas a similar effect for multiparas was absent. Among multiparas we found an intervention effect on sensitivity, with control group mothers showing an increase in sensitivity, whereas the intervention group showed a constant level of sensitivity over time. These results suggest that parity may be a moderator of intervention effectiveness. Implications for investigating moderators of intervention effectiveness are discussed. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC