The Influence Of Breastfeeding On Postpartum Weight Retention

Background:your words Weight gained during pregnancy and not lost postpartum has been identified as a contributor to increased obesity risk among women of childbearing age. Objective: To determine the influence of any and exclusive breastfeeding duration on postpartum weight retention (PPWR). Design: Women were selected from the longitudinal Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II) . All women who reported both their pre-pregnancy weight and at least one postpartum weight were included in the analyses. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to examine the association between any and exclusive breastfeeding duration and PPWR at 3 (n=2254), 6 (n=1966), 9 (n= 1824), and 12 (n=1693) months postpartum. Models were controlled for pre-pregnancy BMI, maternal age, parity, poverty level, education, and prenatal smoking status. Results: Results indicate that breastfeeding is associated with PPWR. Any breastfeeding for between 3-4 and 4-5 months was associated with an increased odds of retaining above median PPWR at 12 months postpartum (OR: 1.99, 95%, CI: 1.21, 3.24; OR: 1.83, 95% CI; 1.01-3.29). By contrast, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with decreased odds of retaining above median PPWR at 6 months (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.98). Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months was also associated with significantly decreased odds of retaining above median PPWR at 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum. Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months was associated with decreased odds of retaining above median PPWR

The metabolic demands of endosymbiotic chemoautotrophic metabolism on host physiological capacities

While chemoautotrophic endosymbioses of hydrothermal vents and other reducing environments have been well studied, little attention has been paid to the magnitude of the metabolic demands placed upon the host by symbiont metabolism and the adaptations necessary to meet such demands. Here we make the first attempt at such an evaluation, and show that moderate to high rates of chemoautotrophic or methanotrophic metabolism impose oxygen uptake and proton equivalent elimination demands upon the hosts that are much higher than is typical for the non-symbiotic annelid, bivalve and gastropod lineages to which they are related. The properties of the hosts are described and compared to determine which properties are associated with and predictive of the highest rates. We suggest that the high oxygen demand of these symbionts is perhaps the most limiting flux for the symbioses. Among the consequences of such demands has been the widespread presence of circulating and/or tissue hemoglobins in these symbioses that are necessary to support high metabolic rates in thioautotrophic endosymbioses. We also compare photoautotrophic with chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic endosymbioses to evaluate the differences and similarities in physiologies. These analyses suggest that the high demand for oxygen by chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic symbionts is likely a major factor precluding their endosymbiosis with cnidarians.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Anatomical variation of the extracranial course of the optic nerve in the floor of the sphenoid sinus: first reported case

Abstract Objective: We report a unique case of anatomical variation of the extracranial course of the optic nerve running in the floor of the sphenoid sinus. Method: Clinical and radiological findings are presented. Results: A 39-year-old woman with Turner syndrome presented with severe headache associated with visual disturbances. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass presumed to be a sella meningioma. Computed tomography of the paranasal sinuses was undertaken to help plan surgical removal via an endoscopic trans-sphenoidal approach; this scan revealed an atypical extracranial course of the optic nerve, running in the floor of the sphenoid sinu

Comparative genomics of vesicomyid clam (Bivalvia: Mollusca) chemosynthetic symbionts

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Vesicomyidae (Bivalvia: Mollusca) are a family of clams that form symbioses with chemosynthetic gamma-proteobacteria. They exist in environments such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps and have a reduced gut and feeding groove, indicating a large dependence on their endosymbionts for nutrition. Recently, two vesicomyid symbiont genomes were sequenced, illuminating the possible nutritional contributions of the symbiont to the host and making genome-wide evolutionary analyses possible.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To examine the genomic evolution of the vesicomyid symbionts, a comparative genomics framework, including the existing genomic data combined with heterologous microarray hybridization results, was used to analyze conserved gene content in four vesicomyid symbiont genomes. These four symbionts were chosen to include a broad phylogenetic sampling of the vesicomyid symbionts and represent distinct chemosynthetic environments: cold seeps and hydrothermal vents.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of this comparative genomics analysis emphasize the importance of the symbionts' chemoautotrophic metabolism within their hosts. The fact that these symbionts appear to be metabolically capable autotrophs underscores the extent to which the host depends on them for nutrition and reveals the key to invertebrate colonization of these challenging environments.</p

Vortex fluidics-mediated DNA rescue from formalin-fixed museum specimens.

DNA from formalin-preserved tissue could unlock a vast repository of genetic information stored in museums worldwide. However, formaldehyde crosslinks proteins and DNA, and prevents ready amplification and DNA sequencing. Formaldehyde acylation also fragments the DNA. Treatment with proteinase K proteolyzes crosslinked proteins to rescue the DNA, though the process is quite slow. To reduce processing time and improve rescue efficiency, we applied the mechanical energy of a vortex fluidic device (VFD) to drive the catalytic activity of proteinase K and recover DNA from American lobster tissue (Homarus americanus) fixed in 3.7% formalin for &gt;1-year. A scan of VFD rotational speeds identified the optimal rotational speed for recovery of PCR-amplifiable DNA and while 500+ base pairs were sequenced, shorter read lengths were more consistently obtained. This VFD-based method also effectively recovered DNA from formalin-preserved samples. The results provide a roadmap for exploring DNA from millions of historical and even extinct species

A cyclic perspective on transient gust encounters through the lens of persistent homology

Large amplitude gust encounters exhibit a range of separated flow phenomena, making them difficult to characterize using the traditional tools of aerodynamics. In this work, we propose a dynamical systems approach to gust encounters, viewing the flow as a cycle (or a closed trajectory) in state space. We posit that the topology of this cycle, or its shape and structure, provides a compact description of the flow, and can be used to identify coordinates in which the dynamics evolve in a simple, intuitive way. To demonstrate this idea, we consider flowfield measurements of a transverse gust encounter. For each case in the dataset, we characterize the full-state dynamics of the flow using persistent homology, a tool that identifies holes in point cloud data, and transform the dynamics to a reduced-order space using a nonlinear autoencoder. Critically, we constrain the autoencoder such that it preserves topologically relevant features of the original dynamics, or those features identified by persistent homology. Using this approach, we are able to transform six separate gust encounters to a three-dimensional latent space, in which each gust encounter reduces to a simple circle, and from which the original flow can be reconstructed. This result shows that topology can guide the creation of low-dimensional state representations for strong transverse gust encounters, a crucial step toward the modeling and control of airfoil-gust interactions

The Dietary Intake, Food Security, and Quality of Life of HIV-Positive Individuals Receiving Home Delivered Meals

Background: Nutritional status has become an increasingly important aspect of quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA). Ensuring the best possible treatment of HIV/AIDS additionally requires a nutritionally balanced diet to maintain a healthy body. AIDS Project New Haven (APNH) is an organization that provides access to a variety of comprehensive support services to those affected by HIV/AIDS. In order to address the nutritional shortcomings of homebound PLWAs, APNH provides home delivered meals through a program called Caring Cuisine. Objective: To inform APNH of client characteristics of both Caring Cuisine and case management. Additionally, a comparison of dietary intake, food security, quality of life, mental health, and HIV risk behaviors between Caring Cuisine and case management clients is important. With these descriptive measures, we aimed to assess the influence of home delivered meals through Caring Cuisine on nutritional status, clinical indicators, and various quality of life measures. Design: There were two parts to this evaluation that included a medical chart review (n=164) of all active APNH clients and client surveys (n=21) that were used to assess demographic information, dietary intake and diversity, food security, and quality of life/ mental health. Of those that completed the questionnaire,11 individuals were Caring Cuisine clients while 10 were case management clients. Scores were developed for survey measurements that were analyzed by student t-test and chi-squared test. Results: Overall, Caring Cuisine clients were older, less able to work and live in smaller households. There was no significant difference in quality of life indicators, except for social functioning. Less social functioning was seen for Caring Cuisine clients (43.6±35.6) than for case management clients (78.0±22.0). Additionally, household size was significantly smaller in Caring Cuisine households (p-value = 0.0006). On average, Caring Cuisine clients had lower physical health(34.1±8.8) and mental health summary scores (43.5±9.8) compared with case management clients (41.5±8.7 and 49.2±9.3, respectively). Furthermore,Caring Cuisine clients reported higher food security (1.7±2.2) than case management clients (6.0±7.1) and consumed 3 more vegetables, fruits dairy, meat and grains. However, Caring Cuisine clients also consumed more saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium. Conclusion: As a preliminary analysis assessing subject characteristics of APNH clients enrolled in Caring Cuisine compared with general clients, we saw differences in absolute values of dietary, behavioral, and clinical outcomes. However, at this time, there is not a large enough client base to suggest that clients of APNH are significantly different from one another by Caring Cuisine enrollment status.Trends indicate that Caring Cuisine clients have on average less healthy eating habits, higher foods security, more risk behavior activities, and decreased quality of life indicators as compared with case management clients. Larger studies are needed to confirm and validate these findings.https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysph_pbchrr/1036/thumbnail.jp

Electron Uptake by Iron-Oxidizing Phototrophic Bacteria

Oxidation–reduction reactions underlie energy generation in nearly all life forms. Although most organisms use soluble oxidants and reductants, some microbes can access solid-phase materials as electron-acceptors or -donors via extracellular electron transfer. Many studies have focused on the reduction of solid-phase oxidants. Far less is known about electron uptake via microbial extracellular electron transfer, and almost nothing is known about the associated mechanisms. Here we show that the iron-oxidizing photoautotroph Rhodopseudomonas palustris TIE-1 accepts electrons from a poised electrode, with carbon dioxide as the sole carbon source/electron acceptor. Both electron uptake and ruBisCo form I expression are stimulated by light. Electron uptake also occurs in the dark, uncoupled from photosynthesis. Notably, the pioABC operon, which encodes a protein system essential for photoautotrophic growth by ferrous iron oxidation, influences electron uptake. These data reveal a previously unknown metabolic versatility of photoferrotrophs to use extracellular electron transfer for electron uptake.Engineering and Applied SciencesOrganismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Spatially resolved correlative microscopy and microbial identification reveal dynamic depth- and mineral-dependent anabolic activity in salt marsh sediment.

Coastal salt marshes are key sites of biogeochemical cycling and ideal systems in which to investigate the community structure of complex microbial communities. Here, we clarify structural-functional relationships among microorganisms and their mineralogical environment, revealing previously undescribed metabolic activity patterns and precise spatial arrangements within salt marsh sediment. Following 3.7-day in situ incubations with a non-canonical amino acid that was incorporated into new biomass, samples were resin-embedded and analysed by correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy to map the microscale arrangements of anabolically active and inactive organisms alongside mineral grains. Parallel sediment samples were examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to link anabolic activity to taxonomic identity. Both approaches demonstrated a rapid decline in the proportion of anabolically active cells with depth into salt marsh sediment, from ~60% in the top centimetre to 9.4%-22.4% between 2 and 10 cm. From the top to the bottom, the most prominent active community members shifted from sulfur cycling phototrophic consortia, to putative sulfate-reducing bacteria likely oxidizing organic compounds, to fermentative lineages. Correlative microscopy revealed more abundant (and more anabolically active) organisms around non-quartz minerals including rutile, orthoclase and plagioclase. Microbe-mineral relationships appear to be dynamic and context-dependent arbiters of biogeochemical cycling.R24 GM137200 - NIGMS NIH HHShttps://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.1566

Anaerobic Oxidation of Short-Chain Alkanes in Hydrothermal Sediments: Potential Influences on Sulfur Cycling and Microbial Diversity

Short-chain alkanes play a substantial role in carbon and sulfur cycling at hydrocarbon-rich environments globally, yet few studies have examined the metabolism of ethane $(C_2)$, propane $(C_3)$, and butane $(C_4)$ in anoxic sediments in contrast to methane $(C_1)$. In hydrothermal vent systems, short-chain alkanes are formed over relatively short geological time scales via thermogenic processes and often exist at high concentrations. The sediment-covered hydrothermal vent systems at Middle Valley (MV, Juan de Fuca Ridge) are an ideal site for investigating the anaerobic oxidation of $C_1–C_4$ alkanes, given the elevated temperatures and dissolved hydrocarbon species characteristic of these metalliferous sediments. We examined whether MV microbial communities oxidized $C_1–C_4$ alkanes under mesophilic to thermophilic sulfate-reducing conditions. Here we present data from discrete temperature (25, 55, and $75^{\circ}C$) anaerobic batch reactor incubations of MV sediments supplemented with individual alkanes. Co-registered alkane consumption and sulfate reduction (SR) measurements provide clear evidence for $C_1–C_4$ alkane oxidation linked to SR over time and across temperatures. In these anaerobic batch reactor sediments, 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing revealed that Deltaproteobacteria, particularly a novel sulfate-reducing lineage, were the likely phylotypes mediating the oxidation of $C_2–C_4$ alkanes. Maximum $C_1–C_4$ alkane oxidation rates occurred at $55^{\circ}C$, which reflects the mid-core sediment temperature profile and corroborates previous studies of rate maxima for the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Of the alkanes investigated, $C_3$ was oxidized at the highest rate over time, then $C_4$, $C_2$, and $C_1$, respectively. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to the potential competition between the anaerobic oxidation of $C_2–C_4$ alkanes with AOM for available oxidants and the influence on the fate of $C_1$ derived from these hydrothermal systems.Molecular and Cellular BiologyOrganismic and Evolutionary Biolog