The baby box : Enhancing the wellbeing of babies and mothers around the world

The baby box is a Finnish social innovation that has captivated interest around the globe. This book highlights the journey of the baby box in over 60 countries, offering a comprehensive overview of the Finnish baby box and its many international adaptations. The story of the baby box begins in post-war Finland, where it evolved from a community-based resource to a nationally-funded and internationally recognized social benefit. The global mapping of the baby box presented in this book expands on this history by exploring the influence of the baby box concept internationally, from refugee camps and high-income countries to remote islands and prisons. Written by an international, multi-disciplinary team of researchers, this book explores the baby box concept from various angles. The diverse and expansive nature of this study makes it an excellent resource for parents, researchers, and anyone generally interested in the baby box concept. Also showcased are the many creative solutions that baby box programme organisers have devised to address context-specific challenges, making it additionally useful as a handbook for policy-makers or professionals developing their own programme.The baby box is a social innovation: a maternity package with baby clothes and other items for expectant mothers to promote the wellbeing of baby and family. In Finland, the baby box (officially called the maternity package) has been a universal benefit since 1949 and is given to all expectant mothers provided they attend antenatal care (ANC). The baby box is still considered to be a valuable social benefit in Finland today, with 95% of first-time mothers choosing the box instead of a cash grant. Although it is known that the baby box concept has been adapted across the world, there is little information available about how these adaptations have been made and for what purpose the boxes are given out. In order to map these programmes, we conducted a research project on baby boxes globally. Based on our findings, this report introduces the baby box concept, its various adaptations, and its possible uses to improve maternal and child health and wellbeing globally. The contents of this report are based on a mapping of 91 baby box programmes and an in-depth study of 29 programmes across different world regions in high-, middle- and low-income countries. These programmes were initiated by governmental bodies, non-profit organisations, United Nations (UN) agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions. Although we use the term baby “box” throughout the report, many programmes used a different container, such as a basket or bag, to package the items. The programmes ranged in scale from small to nationwide and targeted various groups, from specific vulnerable communities to all pregnant women in a country. Programmes set various goals, including reducing infant or maternal mortality, promoting the wellbeing of babies and mothers, easing financial and parenting burden, encouraging the uptake of health and community support services, and strengthening communities and reducing inequalities. They intended to achieve their goals through the practical support provided by the box and items, as well as the conditions attached to claiming the box (e.g. attendance at services) and additional education (e.g. booklets or arranged groups) included in the programme. The impact of the baby box is of timely concern, as governments are increasingly interested in the concept. However, it is difficult to provide an unequivocal answer to the question of whether the baby box “works,” as this depends on the desired outcomes of the programme. In addition, due to resource constraints, few programmes measure the impact of their intervention systematically. In response to this question and these restraints, we outline the potential current contributions of the baby box to the wellbeing of mothers and babies and provide a commentary on its possible future impact. For example, there is emerging evidence globally that baby box programmes can increase the rates of attending ANC or giving birth at a health facility, which may save lives in contexts where these rates are traditionally low. Baby box programmes may also provide psychosocial support for the mother during the vulnerable time of childbirth. Beyond their potential to support families in their everyday lives, baby box programmes may also be valuable in contexts where families have been forced to flee their homes, such as natural disasters or refugee camps. In addition to our findings, we also discuss high-interest topics surrounding the baby box, including safety issues. Ultimately, we intend for our report to serve as an overview of baby box programmes and a foundation for further research, as well as a reference for those interested in the topic or aiming to implement or evaluate a baby box programme themselves. The baby box is not a one-size-fits-all solution to intricate health challenges. However, it offers significant health and social gains, especially for those who are commonly the most vulnerable in communities: mothers and babies.31,00 euroanonPeerReviewedVertaisarvioimato

Genome-Scale Reconstruction and Analysis of the Pseudomonas putida KT2440 Metabolic Network Facilitates Applications in Biotechnology

A cornerstone of biotechnology is the use of microorganisms for the efficient production of chemicals and the elimination of harmful waste. Pseudomonas putida is an archetype of such microbes due to its metabolic versatility, stress resistance, amenability to genetic modifications, and vast potential for environmental and industrial applications. To address both the elucidation of the metabolic wiring in P. putida and its uses in biocatalysis, in particular for the production of non-growth-related biochemicals, we developed and present here a genome-scale constraint-based model of the metabolism of P. putida KT2440. Network reconstruction and flux balance analysis (FBA) enabled definition of the structure of the metabolic network, identification of knowledge gaps, and pin-pointing of essential metabolic functions, facilitating thereby the refinement of gene annotations. FBA and flux variability analysis were used to analyze the properties, potential, and limits of the model. These analyses allowed identification, under various conditions, of key features of metabolism such as growth yield, resource distribution, network robustness, and gene essentiality. The model was validated with data from continuous cell cultures, high-throughput phenotyping data, 13C-measurement of internal flux distributions, and specifically generated knock-out mutants. Auxotrophy was correctly predicted in 75% of the cases. These systematic analyses revealed that the metabolic network structure is the main factor determining the accuracy of predictions, whereas biomass composition has negligible influence. Finally, we drew on the model to devise metabolic engineering strategies to improve production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, a class of biotechnologically useful compounds whose synthesis is not coupled to cell survival. The solidly validated model yields valuable insights into genotype–phenotype relationships and provides a sound framework to explore this versatile bacterium and to capitalize on its vast biotechnological potential

Kinetics model for growth of Pseudomonas putida F1 during benzene, toluene and phenol biodegradation

The effect of adaptation of Pseudomonas putida F1 ATCC 700007 (Pp F1) to the biodegradation of benzene (B), toluene (T) and phenol (P) was studied. The adaptation of microorganism to BTP decreased the biodegradation time from 24 to 6 It for benzene (90 mg/1) and toluene (90 mg/1), and from 90 to 18 It for phenol (50 mg/1). Andrews kinetics model for single substrate was solved to obtain maximum specific growth rates, half saturation and substrate inhibition constant. Cell growth using toluene (mu(max.T) = 0.61) and benzene (mu(max.B) = 0.62) as carbon sources were better and faster than the growth in phenol (mu(max.P) = 0.051). For the substrate mixtures, a sum kinetics model was used and the interaction parameters were determined. These models provided an excellent prediction of the growth kinetics and the interactions between these substrates. Toluene inhibited the utilization of benzene (I-T, B = 5.16) much more than benzene inhibits the utilization of toluene (I-B.T = 0.49). Benzene (I-B.P = 0.27) and toluene (I-T.P= 0.14) enhance the biodegradation of phenol, and phenol inhibits the biodegradation of benzene (I-P.B = 1.08) and toluene (I-P.T = 1.03)

Biodegradation of BTEX compounds by a mixed culture obtained from petroleum formation water

The biodegradation of BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and o,m, p-xylenes) by a mixed culture obtained from the formation of water, produced from the petroleum wells of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in the Adiyaman region (southeast Turkey), and the effect of biomass concentration on the biodegradation rate of BTEX compounds, both alone and as a mixture, were investigated. The mixed culture, identified as Pseudomanas stutzeri and Vibrio mimicus, was grown on a brain heart infusion enriched medium at 30degreesC before its use in the biodegradation experiments. The biodegradation experiments were carried out using nonadapted, benzene-adapted, and toluene-adapted microorganisms. It was found that the mixed culture obtained degraded all BTEX compounds, both alone and as a mixture, and the overall specific biodegradation rates of BTEX compounds individually were higher with toluene-adapted microorganisms (both benzene and toluene: 4.27 mg/g biomass-day) than with the nonadapted (benzene: 0.096; toluene: 1.355 mg/g biomass-day) and benzene-adapted microorganisms (benzene: 3.4; toluene: 1.6 mg/g biomass-day). Similar results were obtained for BTEX compounds in a mixture. When the initial biomass concentration increased from 0.42 g/L to 2.34 g/L, the time required for complete biodegradation of both benzene and toluene decreased from 3 to 2 days with toluene-adapted microorganisms