Grandmothers' knowledge positively influences maternal knowledge and infant and young child feeding practices.

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between grandmothers' knowledge and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and to test whether the associations are independent of or operate via maternal knowledge. DESIGN: Cross-sectional household survey data from households with a child under 5 years (n 4080). We used multivariate regression analyses, adjusted for child, maternal, grandmother and household characteristics, and district-level clustering, to test associations between grandmothers' knowledge and IYCF practices for children aged 6-24 months living with a grandmother. We used causal mediation to formally test the direct effect of grandmothers' knowledge on IYCF practices v. maternal knowledge mediating these associations. SETTING: Two hundred and forty rural communities, sixteen districts of Nepal. SUBJECTS: Children aged 6-24 months (n1399), including those living with grandmothers (n 748). RESULTS: We found that the odds of optimal breast-feeding practices were higher (early breast-feeding initiation: 2·2 times, P=0·002; colostrum feeding: 4·2 times, P<0·001) in households where grandmothers had correct knowledge v. those with incorrect knowledge. The same pattern was found for correct timing of introduction of water (2·6), milk (2·4), semi-solids (3·2), solids (2·9), eggs (2·6) and meat (2·5 times; all P<0·001). For the two pathways we were able to test, mothers' correct knowledge mediated these associations between grandmothers' knowledge and IYCF practices: colostrum feeding (b=10·91, P<0·001) and the introduction of complementary foods (b=5·18, P<0·001). CONCLUSIONS: Grandmothers' correct knowledge translated into mothers' correct knowledge and, therefore, optimal IYCF practices. Given grandmothers' influence in childcare, engagement of grandmothers in health and nutrition interventions could improve mothers' knowledge and facilitate better child feeding

L'endothéline-1 module le calcium cytosolique et nucléaire ainsi que la prolifération cellulaire et l'apoptose des cellules du muscle lisse aortique humain

Dans cette étude, nous avons premièrement examiné l'effet de l'activation ou l'inhibition des récepteurs de l'ET-1 sur les niveaux de base du [Ca][indice inférieur c] et [Ca][indice inférieur n] dans les cellules du MLVh en culture. Nous avons évalué par la suite la contribution des récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] et ET[indice inférieur B] vasoconstricteurs dans la réponse calcique soutenue induite par l'ET-1. Ensuite nous avons approfondi nos recherches afin de déteminer l'implication d'une protéine-G sensible au PTX et/ou CTX et l'indépendance de la voie de la protéine kinase C dans la réponse calcique induite par l'ET-1. Dans la deuxième partie des travaux, nous avons caractérisé la localisation et la distribution de l'ET-1 et de ses récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] et ET[indice inférieur B] dans les cellules du MLVh intactes à l'aide des anticorps spécifiques dirigés contre l'ET-1 et ses récepteurs. Cette partie de l'étude nous a permis de démontrer pour la première fois, que les récepteurs ET[indice inférieur B] et non les récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] sont présents au niveau nucléaire. Dans la troisième partie de l'étude, nous avons tenté d'élucider le mécanisme d'internalisation des récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] et ET[indice inférieur B] suite à leur stimulation par l'ET-1 dans les cellules du MLVh. Les travaux réalisés au cours de cette partie d'étude ont montré que les récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] ainsi que les récepteurs ET[indice inférieur B] sont internalisés en réponse à l'ET-1. Les récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] , surtout membranaires, se retrouvent localisés au niveau péricnucléaire suite à leur internalisation et sont par la suite recyclés au niveau de la membrane de surface. Finalement, nous avons montré que l'ET-1 n'induit pas une augmentation soutenue de l'expression de la forme phosphorylée des p42/p44 MAPKs. De plus, nous avons montré que la stimulation des récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] et ET[indice inférieur B] atténue l'apoptose induite par la génistéine dans les cellules quiescentes du muscle lisse vasculaire aortique humain. En conclusion, la présente étude suggère que l'activation des récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] et ET[indice inférieur B] par l'ET-1 module le calcium cytosolique et nucléaire des cellules du MLVh et induit par la suite leur internalisation et la translocation nucléaire des récepteurs ET[indice inférieur B] avec son ligand. De plus l'activation des récepteurs ET[indice inférieur A] et ET[indice inférieur B] de la sarcolemme n'induit pas l'entrée des cellules du MLVh dans le cycle cellulaire en réponse à l'ET-1 mais par contre semble atténuer l'apoptose induite par la génistéine dans ces cellules."--Résumé abrégé par UMI

A Multisectoral Nutrition Program in Nepal Improves Knowledge of Dietary Diversity, Sick Child Feeding, and Handwashing, but Not All Practices: a Program Impact Pathways Mediation Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Few intervention studies have focused on how inputs link with outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study tested whether Suaahara I program inputs translated into intended outcomes and identified gaps along the theorized program impact pathway to improved nutrition, care, and water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviors. METHODS: We used household-level, cross-sectional survey data from a process evaluation of Suaahara I conducted in 2014. A total of 480 households with a pregnant woman or child aged <2 y were selected with an equal split between intervention and comparison arms. We used regression models to test associations between exposure to Suaahara I and 3 primary outcomes and 3 parallel knowledge mediators: child minimum dietary diversity, child feeding during illness, and proper handwashing during child care. We used generalized structural equation modeling using full information maximum likelihood to test whether knowledge mediated associations between exposure and outcomes. RESULTS: In the adjusted regression models between maternal exposure to Suaahara I and 3 behavioral outcomes, we found a small positive association for handwashing (β: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.31), but no association with the other 2 outcomes. In the mediation analysis, maternal exposure to Suaahara I, however, was associated with the mediator (knowledge) for all 3 outcomes: handwashing with soap and water (β: 0.05 ± 0.02), child minimum dietary diversity (logit = 0.06; P = 0.03), and child feeding during illness (logit = 0.09 ± 0.02). We found a positive, significant association for the full indirect pathway of program input to output via knowledge for child feeding during illness (logit = 0.07 ± 0.03) only. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to Suaahara I behavior change interventions improved knowledge, but this did not always translate into improved practices. It is important to address barriers to optimal practices beyond knowledge in future nutrition programs in Nepal

Acquired Factor X Deficiency in Light Chain Amyloidosis: A Report of 2 Korean Cases

Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases in which misfolding of extracellular proteins is the pathogenic factor. Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is the most common form of amyloidosis, and the causative proteins in AL are the immunoglobulin light chains produced by clonal plasma cells. Hemorrhagic events, ranging from mild subcutaneous hemorrhage to life-threatening bleeding, account for a significant proportion of morbidities and mortality in AL patients. Deficiency of factor X from deposition into amyloid fibrils has been reported to be the most common acquired factor deficiency in AL. We herein report 2 patients with acquired factor X deficiency in AL. A 55-yr-old woman with AL had a prolonged prothrombin time (PT) and an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of 2.51 International Normalized Ratio (INR) and 75.1 sec, respectively, which were corrected on mixing with normal plasma. Factor X activity was markedly decreased at 5%. The other patient was a 67-yr-old man with AL with a PT of 1.63 INR and an aPTT of 50.3 sec, which were corrected on mixing with normal plasma. Factor X activity was decreased at 17%. Neither of the patients had apparent hemorrhagic manifestations. Identification of acquired factor deficiency and timely coagulation tests are needed in the diagnostic workup and management in AL

Containerless Measurements of Density and Viscosity of Fe-Co Alloys

During the past years, extensive collaborative research has been done to understand phase selection in undercooled metals using novel containerless processing techniques such as electrostatic and electromagnetic levitation. Of major interest is controlling a two-step solidification process, double recalescence, in which the metastable phase forms first and then transforms to the stable phase after a certain delay time. The previous research has shown that the delay time is greatly influenced by the internal convection velocity. In the prediction of internal flow, the fidelity of the results depends on the accuracy of the material properties. This research focuses on the measurements of density and viscosity of Fe-Co alloys which will be used for the fluid simulations whose results will support upcoming International Space Station flight experiments