Adequacy of milk intake during exclusive breastfeeding : a longitudinal study

Mean intakes of human milk provide sufficient energy and protein to meet mean requirements during the first 6 months of infancy. Since infant growth potential drives milk production, the distribution of intakes likely matches the distribution of energy and protein requirements. This longitudinal study describes the adequacy of milk intake during exclusive breastfeeding

Differentiating lower motor neuron syndromes

Lower motor neuron (LMN) syndromes typically present with muscle wasting and weakness and may arise from pathology affecting the distal motor nerve up to the level of the anterior horn cell. A variety of hereditary causes are recognised, including spinal muscular atrophy, distal hereditary motor neuropathy and LMN variants of familial motor neuron disease. Recent genetic advances have resulted in the identification of a variety of disease-causing mutations. Immune-mediated disorders, including multifocal motor neuropathy and variants of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, account for a proportion of LMN presentations and are important to recognise, as effective treatments are available. The present review will outline the spectrum of LMN syndromes that may develop in adulthood and provide a framework for the clinician assessing a patient presenting with predominantly LMN features

Mutation in the Gene Encoding Ubiquitin Ligase LRSAM1 in Patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) represents a family of related sensorimotor neuropathies. We studied a large family from a rural eastern Canadian community, with multiple individuals suffering from a condition clinically most similar to autosomal recessive axonal CMT, or AR-CMT2. Homozygosity mapping with high-density SNP genotyping of six affected individuals from the family excluded 23 known genes for various subtypes of CMT and instead identified a single homozygous region on chromosome 9, at 122,423,730–129,841,977 Mbp, shared identical by state in all six affected individuals. A homozygous pathogenic variant was identified in the gene encoding leucine rich repeat and sterile alpha motif 1 (LRSAM1) by direct DNA sequencing of genes within the region in affected DNA samples. The single nucleotide change mutates an intronic consensus acceptor splicing site from AG to AA. Direct analysis of RNA from patient blood demonstrated aberrant splicing of the affected exon, causing an obligatory frameshift and premature truncation of the protein. Western blotting of immortalized cells from a homozygous patient showed complete absence of detectable protein, consistent with the splice site defect. LRSAM1 plays a role in membrane vesicle fusion during viral maturation and for proper adhesion of neuronal cells in culture. Other ubiquitin ligases play documented roles in neurodegenerative diseases. LRSAM1 is a strong candidate for the causal gene for the genetic disorder in our kindred

Nutrition Risk Classification: A Reproducible and Valid Tool for Nurses

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141661/1/ncp0020.pd

Quantum dynamics in strong fluctuating fields

A large number of multifaceted quantum transport processes in molecular systems and physical nanosystems can be treated in terms of quantum relaxation processes which couple to one or several fluctuating environments. A thermal equilibrium environment can conveniently be modelled by a thermal bath of harmonic oscillators. An archetype situation provides a two-state dissipative quantum dynamics, commonly known under the label of a spin-boson dynamics. An interesting and nontrivial physical situation emerges, however, when the quantum dynamics evolves far away from thermal equilibrium. This occurs, for example, when a charge transferring medium possesses nonequilibrium degrees of freedom, or when a strong time-dependent control field is applied externally. Accordingly, certain parameters of underlying quantum subsystem acquire stochastic character. Herein, we review the general theoretical framework which is based on the method of projector operators, yielding the quantum master equations for systems that are exposed to strong external fields. This allows one to investigate on a common basis the influence of nonequilibrium fluctuations and periodic electrical fields on quantum transport processes. Most importantly, such strong fluctuating fields induce a whole variety of nonlinear and nonequilibrium phenomena. A characteristic feature of such dynamics is the absence of thermal (quantum) detailed balance.Comment: review article, Advances in Physics (2005), in pres

Search for Gravitational Waves from Primordial Black Hole Binary Coalescences in the Galactic Halo

We use data from the second science run of the LIGO gravitational-wave detectors to search for the gravitational waves from primordial black hole (PBH) binary coalescence with component masses in the range 0.2--$1.0 M_\odot$. The analysis requires a signal to be found in the data from both LIGO observatories, according to a set of coincidence criteria. No inspiral signals were found. Assuming a spherical halo with core radius 5 kpc extending to 50 kpc containing non-spinning black holes with masses in the range 0.2--$1.0 M_\odot$, we place an observational upper limit on the rate of PBH coalescence of 63 per year per Milky Way halo (MWH) with 90% confidence.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, to be submitted to Phys. Rev.

High-throughput sequencing of Astrammina rara: Sampling the giant genome of a giant foraminiferan protist

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Foraminiferan protists, which are significant players in most marine ecosystems, are also genetic innovators, harboring unique modifications to proteins that make up the basic eukaryotic cell machinery. Despite their ecological and evolutionary importance, foraminiferan genomes are poorly understood due to the extreme sequence divergence of many genes and the difficulty of obtaining pure samples: exogenous DNA from ingested food or ecto/endo symbionts often vastly exceed the amount of "native" DNA, and foraminiferans cannot be cultured axenically. Few foraminiferal genes have been sequenced from genomic material, although partial sequences of coding regions have been determined by EST studies and mass spectroscopy. The lack of genomic data has impeded evolutionary and cell-biology studies and has also hindered our ability to test ecological hypotheses using genetic tools.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>454 sequence analysis was performed on a library derived from whole genome amplification of microdissected nuclei of the Antarctic foraminiferan <it>Astrammina rara</it>. Xenogenomic sequence, which was shown not to be of eukaryotic origin, represented only 12% of the sample. The first foraminiferal examples of important classes of genes, such as tRNA genes, are reported, and we present evidence that sequences of mitochondrial origin have been translocated to the nucleus. The recovery of a 3' UTR and downstream sequence from an actin gene suggests that foraminiferal mRNA processing may have some unusual features. Finally, the presence of a co-purified bacterial genome in the library also permitted the first calculation of the size of a foraminiferal genome by molecular methods, and statistical analysis of sequence from different genomic sources indicates that low-complexity tracts of the genome may be endoreplicated in some stages of the foraminiferal life cycle.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data provide the first window into genomic organization and genetic control in these organisms, and also complement and expands upon information about foraminiferal genes based on EST projects. The genomic data obtained are informative for environmental and cell-biological studies, and will also be useful for efforts to understand relationships between foraminiferans and other protists.</p

Family and Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Inequalities in Childhood Trajectories of BMI and Overweight: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Background:Socioeconomic inequalities in longitudinal patterning of childhood overweight could cause marked differentials in total burden by adulthood. This study aims to determine timing and strength of the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and children's body mass index (BMI) in the pre- and primary school years, and to examine socioeconomic differences in overweight trajectories across childhood.Methods:Participants were 4949 children from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. BMI was measured at four biennial waves starting at age 4-5 years in 2004. Developmental trajectories of childhood overweight were identified with latent class analyses. Composite variables of family and neighbourhood SES were used.Results:Socioeconomic differences in mean BMI z-scores already present at age 4-5 more than doubled by age 10-11 years, reflecting decreasing mean BMI among advantaged rather than increasing means among disadvantaged children. Latent class analysis identified children with 'stable normal weight' (68%), and with 'persistent' (15%), 'late-onset' (14%), and 'resolving' overweight (3%). Risks of persistent and late-onset childhood overweight were highest among low SES families (e.g. most disadvantaged quintile: ORpersistent= 2.51, 95%CI: 1.83-3.43), and only partly explained by birth weight and parental overweight. Relationships with neighbourhood SES were weaker and attenuated fully on adjustment for family SES. No socioeconomic gradient was observed for resolving overweight.Conclusions:Childhood has become the critical period when socioeconomic inequalities in overweight emerge and strengthen. Although targeting disadvantaged children with early overweight must be a top priority, the presence of childhood overweight even among less-disadvantaged families suggests only whole-society approaches will eliminate overweight-associated morbidity

Pharmacokinetics of acute tryptophan depletion using a gelatin-based protein in male and female Wistar rats

The essential amino acid tryptophan is the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin. By depleting the body of tryptophan, brain tryptophan and serotonin levels are temporarily reduced. In this paper, several experiments are described in which dose and treatment effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) using a gelatin-based protein–carbohydrate mixture were studied in male and female Wistar rats. Two or three doses of tryptophan depleting mixture resulted in 65–70% depletion after 2–4 h in males. ATD effects were similar in females, although females may return to baseline levels faster. Treatment effects after four consecutive days of ATD were similar to the effects of 1 day of treatment. Object recognition memory was impaired 2, 4, and 6 h after the first of two doses of ATD, suggesting that the central effects occurred rapidly and continued at least 6 h, in spite of decreasing treatment effects on plasma tryptophan levels at that time point. The method of acute tryptophan depletion described here can be used to study the relationship between serotonin and behaviour in both male and female rats

Expression of uncoupling proteins-1,-2 and-3 mRNA is induced by an adenocarcinoma-derived lipid-mobilizing factor

The abnormalities of lipid metabolism observed in cancer cachexia may be induced by a lipid-mobilizing factor produced by adenocarcinomas. The specific molecules and metabolic pathways that mediate the actions of lipid-mobilizing factor are not known. The mitochondrial uncoupling proteins-1, -2 and -3 are suggested to play essential roles in energy dissipation and disposal of excess lipid. Here, we studied the effects of lipid-mobilizing factor on the expression of uncoupling proteins-1, -2 and -3 in normal mice. Lipid-mobilizing factor isolated from the urine of cancer patients was injected intravenously into mice over a 52-h period, while vehicle was similarly given to controls. Lipid-mobilizing factor caused significant reductions in body weight (-10%, P=0.03) and fat mass (-20%, P<0.01) accompanied by a marked decrease in plasma leptin (-59%, P<0.01) and heavy lipid deposition in the liver. In brown adipose tissue, uncoupling protein-1 mRNA levels were elevated in lipid-mobilizing factor-treated mice (+96%, P<0.01), as were uncoupling proteins-2 and -3 (+57% and +37%, both P<0.05). Lipid-mobilizing factor increased uncoupling protein-2 mRNA in both skeletal muscle (+146%, P<0.05) and liver (+142%, P=0.03). The protein levels of uncoupling protein-1 in brown adipose tissue and uncoupling protein-2 in liver were also increased with lipid-mobilizing factor administration (+49% and +67%, both P=0.02). Upregulation by lipid-mobilizing factor of uncoupling proteins-1, -2 and -3 in brown adipose tissue, and of uncoupling protein-2 in skeletal muscle and liver, suggests that these uncoupling proteins may serve to utilize excess lipid mobilized during fat catabolism in cancer cachexia