Impact of food supplements on hemoglobin, iron status, and inflammation in children with moderate acute malnutrition: a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial randomized trial in Burkina Faso.

Background: Children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) are treated with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) or corn-soy blends (CSBs) but little is known about the impact of these supplements on hemoglobin, iron status, and inflammation. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of supplementary foods for treatment of MAM on hemoglobin, iron status, inflammation, and malaria. Design: A randomized 2 × 2 × 3 factorial trial was conducted in Burkina Faso. Children aged 6-23 mo with MAM received 500 kcal/d as LNS or CSB, containing either dehulled soy (DS) or soy isolate (SI) and different quantities of dry skimmed milk (0%, 20% or 50% of total protein) for 12 wk. The trial was double-blind with regard to quality of soy and quantity of milk, but not matrix (CSB compared to LNS). Hemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF), serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and malaria antigens were measured at inclusion and after supplementation. Results: Between September 2013 and August 2014, 1609 children were enrolled. Among these, 61 (3.8%) were lost to follow-up. During the 12-wk supplementation period, prevalence of anemia, low SF adjusted for inflammation (SFAI), elevated sTfR, and iron-deficiency anemia decreased by 16.9, 8.7, 12.6 and 10.5 percentage points. Children who received LNS compared to CSB had higher hemoglobin (2 g/L; 95% CI: 1, 4 g/L), SFAI (4.2 µg/L; 95% CI: 2.9, 5.5 µg/L), and CRP (0.8 mg/L; 95% CI: 0.4, 1.2 mg/L) and lower sTfR (-0.9 mg/L, 95% CI: -1.3, -0.6 mg/L) after the intervention. Replacing DS with SI or increasing milk content did not affect hemoglobin, SFAI, sTfR, or CRP. Conclusion: Supplementation with LNS compared to CSB led to better hemoglobin and iron status, but overall prevalence of anemia remained high. The higher concentrations of acute-phase proteins in children who received LNSs requires further investigation. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN42569496

Energy Future and International Trade

The combined production of conventional energy sources – oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear – in the United States is unlikely to increase substantially over the next 10 years. Thus, the United States must use its energy more efficiently in order to achieve its goal of maintaining satisfactory economic growth while reducing oil imports. But regardless of the U.S. picture, international trade in energy will continue to dominate the international business picture. Over the past 10 years, energy trade and resulting indirect trade effects have grown to account for about half of world trade; in turn, world trade has passed foreign direct investment in value. In the future, energy trade will be even more heavily influenced by government involvement. These trends have significance for the direction of international business research.© 1981 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1981) 12, 23–28

Competition Encountered by U.S. Companies That Manufacture Abroada

This article reports that data from a variety of sources indicate that U.S. companies manufacturing abroad face non-U.S. competitors that are both larger and growing faster than their U.S. counterparts.© 1977 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1977) 8, 33–44

The Neotechnology Account of International Trade: The Case of Petrochemicals*

Since the publication of the Leontief paradox in 1953, there has been a proliferation of theories and studies intended to provide a better explanation of observed trade patterns than does the traditional factor proportions theory.11These are summarized in G. C. Hufbauer, “The Impact of National Characteristics and Technology on the Commodity Composition of Trade in Manufacturing Goods.” in The Technology Factor in International Trade, ed. by Raymond Vernon (New York: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1970), pp. 145-232.© 1971 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1971) 2, 41–60