Quantitative insights into effects of intrapartum antibiotics and birth mode on infant gut microbiota in relation to well-being during the first year of life

Birth mode and maternal intrapartum (IP) antibiotics affect infants' gut microbiota development, but their relative contribution to absolute bacterial abundances and infant health has not been studied. We compared the effects of Cesarean section (CS) delivery and IP antibiotics on infant gut microbiota development and well-being over the first year. We focused on 92 healthy infants born between gestational weeks 37-42 vaginally without antibiotics (N = 26), with IP penicillin (N = 13) or cephalosporin (N = 7) or by CS with IP cephalosporin (N = 33) or other antibiotics (N = 13). Composition and temporal development analysis of the gut microbiota concentrated on 5 time points during the first year of life using 165 rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, integrated with qPCR to obtain absolute abundance estimates. A mediation analysis was carried out to identify taxa linked to gastrointestinal function and discomfort (crying, defecation frequency, and signs of gastrointestinal symptoms), and birth interventions. Based on absolute abundance estimates, the depletion of Bacteroides spp. was found specifically in CS birth, while decreased bifidobacteria and increased Bacilli were common in CS birth and exposure to IP antibiotics in vaginal delivery. The abundances of numerous taxa differed between the birth modes among cephalosporin-exposed infants. Penicillin had a milder impact on the infant gut microbiota than cephalosporin. CS birth and maternal IP antibiotics had both specific and overlapping effects on infants' gut microbiota development. The resulting deviations in the gut microbiota are associated with increased defecation rate, flatulence, perceived stomach pain, and intensity of crying in infancy.Peer reviewe

Ihmettelyä yrittäjyyskasvatuksen mittariston äärellä

Tiivistelmä Yrittäjyyskasvatuksen kehittäminen Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla (Ely/ESR) -hankkeessa käytetään yrittäjyyskasvatuksen nykytilanteen hahmottamiseksi ja tulevien toimenpiteiden ja koulutusten suunnittelun pohjana Lappeenrannan teknillisen yliopiston kehittämää Yrittäjyyskasvatuksen mittaristoa. Tässä opettajan itsearviointityökalussa yrittäjyyttä käsitellään laaja-alaisesti. Eri teemoja ovat yritysyhteistyö, yrittäjyys opetuksessa, yrittäjänä toimimista tukevat pedagogiset ratkaisut ja niiden arviointi, yrittäjämäisten valmiuksien ohjaaminen sekä minä itse yrittäjyyden edistäjänä työyhteisössäni Hankkeen käyttöön saadaan mittariston tuloksia halutuilla kriteereillä alueellisesti kouluasteittain. Tässä esityksessä keskitytään Pohjois-Pohjanmaan tuloksiin vertaillen yrittäjyyden näkymistä ammatillisen toisen asteen opetuksessa kaupungissa (=Oulu) ja maaseutumaisilla harvaan asutuilla alueilla (= muu Pohjois-Pohjanmaa). Alustavat mittaristosta saadut tulokset ovat herättäneet kysymyksiä joihin tarvitaan lisäselvitystä. Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla ammatillisen toisen asteen mittaristoon vastasi 68 (5 %) henkilöä 1 335 opettajasta, joka on vastaava osuus kuin koko Suomessa, 678 (5 %) 13 682 opettajasta (Tilastokeskus 2013). Vastausten edustavuutta alueesta voidaan pitää kohtuullisena. Tarkasteltaessa mittaristosta saatuja tietoja teemassa Yrittäjyys opetuksessa, näyttävät muun Pohjois-Pohjanmaan tulokset positiivisilta kaupunkialueeseen verrattuna. Yrittäjyys opetuksessa -teemaan sisältyy neljä kysymystä: Montako kertaa opettaja on 1) mahdollistanut oppijoiden yritys- tai työelämälähtöisen projektin, 2) teettänyt liikeideatehtävän, 3) mahdollistanut että oppijat ovat ideoineet markkinointi- tai muuta materiaalia yritykselle ja 4) mahdollistanut oppijoiden harjoitusyrityksen tai oman yrityksen kehittämisen. Näiden kysymysten vastauksia tarkasteltaessa havaittiin eroja kaupunkialueen ja maaseutumaisen alueen vastausten välillä. Suurinta poikkeama oli kysymyksessä: Montako kertaa opettaja on mahdollistanut harjoitusyrityksen tai oman yrityksen kehittämisen viimeisen puolen vuoden aikana. Vastausten keskiarvo osoitti, että maaseutumaisilla alueilla tämä on toteutunut keskimäärin 2 kertaa useammin kuin kaupungissa. Vastausten ero herättää mielenkiintoisia kysymyksiä. Onko mahdollisesti niin, että kaupunkialueen isommissa yksiköissä yritysyhteistyö on määritelty vain joidenkin opettajien tehtäväksi tai löytyykö selittävä tekijä vastaajien ikäjakaumasta tai vastaajan oppiaineryhmästä, jossa vastaaja opettaa. Onko kaupunkialueen vastaajissa mahdollisesti enemmän henkilöitä, joilla ei ole opetustehtäviä? Tämä rajalliseen vastaajien määrään perustuva esiselvitys on herättänyt lisää kysymyksiä ja jatkotutkimuksen aiheita. Jatkossa olisi aiheellista selvittää onko Pohjois-Pohjanmaan vastaajien muilla taustatekijöillä vaikutusta vastauksiin. Jatkossa tämän tutkimuksen tuloksia olisi hyvä verrata muun samansuuntaisen kaupunki-maaseutu -rakenteen omaavan alueen tuloksiin. Maaseutumaisen harvaan asutun alueen ja kaupunkimaisen alueen toimintaympäristöjen erilaisuus vaikuttaa myös ammatillisen koulutuksen yrittäjyyskasvatuksen toteuttamiseen, jonka vuoksi eroja lienee löydettävissä

Presence of central elements in entrepreneurial education:a case study in Northern Finland

Abstract The European Commission’s Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan names school-based entrepreneurship education as a key issue for ensuring the development of the European welfare. Accordingly, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture announced national guidelines to ensure it reaches its entrepreneurship education objectives by 2015. To comply with these guidelines, the various Finnish regions have initiated targeted development actions for improving entrepreneurship education. Practitioners and researchers share a common understanding of the central elements that a coherent entrepreneurship education pathway should include. This study aims to analyse how these central elements are incorporated at various education levels. This is a cross-sectional multiple-case study based on a semi-structured web-based questionnaire. It takes various education levels, including the comprehensive-school level, the secondary-school level and the polytechnic school and university levels, as its units of analysis and seeks to form a comprehensive picture of the entrepreneurship education pathway in Northern Finland. The questionnaire was sent to headmasters and education managers at the comprehensive- and secondary-school levels, as well as education planners and study advisors (n=67). The data revealed that a coherent entrepreneurship education pathway is not being realized in the target region. This is because the resources for teaching entrepreneurship education are not optimally allocated between the elements. For example, some elements are repeated at almost all levels of entrepreneurship education, while others are nearly absent. This study highlights the need for strategic joint action. Additionally, this paper discusses gaps in the entrepreneurship education pathway and suggests action for developing a joint strategy for meeting the entrepreneurship education objectives

Influences of a participatory strategy process on entrepreneurship education practices

Abstract The European Commission’s Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan mentions school-based entrepreneurship education as a key issue in ensuring the development of the European welfare. Already in 2009, the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland announced national guidelines for reaching the objectives for entrepreneurship education by 2015. Therefore, regions started targeted development actions towards improved entrepreneurship education. In Northern Ostrobothnia, both a strategy and an operating model for entrepreneurship education were created as a participatory strategy process during 2015. A total of 200 individuals from education, private enterprises and the public sector were involved in the strategy process. Practitioners and researchers share a common understanding of the central elements to be included in entrepreneurship education. Presence of these central elements in different levels of education in northern Finland was investigated in 2013. The investigation showed that some central elements of the coherent pathway of entrepreneurship education were not being realized at the target region, and the resources were not optimally allocated between the central elements. Some of the central elements were repeated at almost all levels of education while others were nearly absent. The study pointed out there was need for a joint entrepreneurship education strategic action. This paper presents a cross-sectional multiple-case study seeking to form a whole picture of an entrepreneurship education pathway in Northern Finland in spring 2017, and to compare it with the earlier investigation from 2013. The aim of this study is to recognize and analyze potential changes in entrepreneurship education practices one year after the participatory strategy process and publication of the strategy. The data is based on a web-based semi-structured questionnaire, which was sent to headmasters and other management of basic and secondary level education, education planners, and study advisors. The units of analysis are different levels of education (comprehensive school, secondary school, polytechnics and universities). The findings will show whether entrepreneurship education strategy guides education practices in schools. The result will be useful in implementation of and informing on entrepreneurship education strategy

A cohort study in family triads : impact of gut microbiota composition and early life exposures on intestinal resistome during the first two years of life

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are prevalent in the infant gut microbiota and make up the intestinal resistome, representing a community ARG reservoir. This study focuses on the dynamics and persistence of ARGs in the early gut microbiota, and the effect of early exposures therein. We leveraged 2,328 stool metagenomes from 475 children in the HELMi cohort and the available parental samples to study the diversity, dynamics, and intra-familial sharing of the resistome during the first two years of life. We found higher within-family similarity of the gut resistome composition and ARG load in infant-mother pairs, and between spouses, but not in father-infant pairs. Early gut microbiota composition and development correlated with the ARG load; Bacteroides correlated positively and Bifidobacterium negatively with the load, reflecting the typical resistance levels in these taxa. Caesarean delivered infants harbored lower ARG loads, partly reflecting the scarcity of Bacteroides compared to vaginally delivered. Exposure to intrapartum or post-natal antibiotics showed only modest associations with the ARG load and composition, mainly before 12 months. Our results indicate that the resistome is strongly driven by the normal development of the microbiota in early life, and suggest importance of longer evolution of ARGs over effects of recent antibiotic exposure.Peer reviewe

Sources of gut microbiota variation in a large longitudinal Finnish infant cohort

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