Prenatal Organochlorine Exposure and Measures of Behavior in Infancy Using the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)

Background: Previous literature suggests an association between organochlorines and behavioral measures in childhood, including inattention. Objective: This study was designed to assess whether prenatal organochlorine exposure is associated with measures of attention in early infancy. Methods: We investigated an association between cord serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p′-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) levels and measures of attention from the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) in a cohort of 788 infants born 1993–1998 to mothers residing near a PCB-contaminated harbor and Superfund site in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Results: Medians (ranges) for the sum of four prevalent PCB congeners and DDE levels were 0.19 (0.01–4.41) and 0.30 (0–10.29) ng/g serum, respectively. For the 542 subjects with an NBAS exam at 2 weeks, we observed consistent inverse associations between cord serum PCB and DDE levels and NBAS measures of alertness, quality of alert responsiveness, cost of attention, and other potential attention-associated measures including self-quieting and motor maturity. For example, the decrement in quality of alert responsiveness score was −0.51 (95% confidence interval, −0.99 to −0.03) for the highest quartile of exposure to the sum of four prevalent PCB congeners compared with the lowest quartile. We found little evidence for an association with infant orientation, habituation, and regulation of state, assessed as summary cluster measures. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for an association between low-level prenatal PCB and DDE exposures and poor attention in early infancy. Further analyses will focus on whether organochlorine-associated decrements in attention and attention-related skills in infancy persist in later childhood

A communal catalogue reveals Earth's multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world's importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth's microbial diversity.Peer reviewe

A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world’s importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth’s microbial diversity

Neonatal behavioral assessment scale

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AFDの新生児行動評価と縦断的発達研究-生後一年間-

長崎大学小児科未熟児室で集中管理を受けた在胎28週から35週のAFD16例を研究対象とした。　NBAS評価は36、40、44週の計3回施行し、6カ月、12カ月時点での発達評価はBAYLEY乳幼児発達検査を実施し、併せて、生活環境調査もおこなった。　1、睡眠のリズムと生活環境が1才時点での運動および精神発達指数に大きく影響していた。2、明らかな発達遅滞児2例、脳性麻痺1例を除いた1才時点での発達指数は、運動102.8±7.4、精神105.6±6.1と標準値に達しており、NBASを用いた早期介入がAFDの発達促進に有効であったと推測される。3、発達遅滞児、脳性麻痺児はNBAS補足項目と反射項目で低値を示し、high risk児の評価に有効であった。It has constantly been observe that cerebral palsy and/or mental retardation develops among premature and high risk infants ．Assessment using Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale （NBAS）immediately after birth and longitudinal study on development during the first postnatal year were performed on 16 AFD （appropriate for dates ）infants whose normal development was anticipated and 21 mature infants, in order to improve the security of early assessment and early habilitation of handicapped children． NBAS assessment was effective as a means of early intervention ，whereby development Was enhanced in both AFD and mature infants. Of the 13 AFD infants who reached one year of age 1 case was hemiplegic cerebral palsy and 2 cases were motor delay. They showed abnormal values in NBAS supplementary items and reflexes at the neonatal period ．These itmes were Effective for a screening test of high risk infants. The mental development index （MDI） and psychomotor development index （PDI） were closely associate with the quality of sleep-waking ryhthm and the degree of mother\u27s interaction