Safe Sleep Practices and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Risk Reduction Knowledge Among New Mothers

Background: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of infant death beyond the newborn period. In October 2010, Pennsylvania (PA) passed The Safe Sleep Bill, which requires that all birthing facilities provide written materials on SIDS risk reduction. Objective: Determine the effectiveness of the current SIDS education at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (TJUH) Newborn Nursery, and assess knowledge of SIDS risk factors and perceptions of safe sleep recommendations among new mothers. Design/Methods: Cross-sectional, telephone survey of new mothers following hospital discharge from the Newborn Nursery at TJUH between April and October 2011. Surveys were conducted at 2-4 weeks postpartum. Surveys included choice of infant sleep position, knowledge of SIDS risk factors, and perceptions of safe sleep recommendations. Results: To date, 193 mothers have completed the survey. Participants were young (mean age + SD: 27 + 6 yrs), and largely low-income (57% with Medicaid; 66% with WIC) and African American (58%); 70% completed high school, 46% were single, and 42% were primiparous. Six percent reported using the side or front sleep position for their newborns; 8% stated that a non-back position was the safest position; and 16% reported cobedding with their newborn. Only 67% recalled a doctor telling them what sleep position to use. Though the majority (61%) of mothers reported the postpartum period as the first time a health professional (HP) spoke to them about safe sleep, 35% reported that a HP spoke to them during their pregnancy. As many as 23% of mothers felt that infants were more likely to choke while sleeping on their backs. Single mothers were less likely than married mothers to know that the safest sleep position is the back position (84% vs. 93%, p=0.04), and more likely to think that the back sleep position is associated with an increased risk for choking (32% vs. 15%, p=0.02). Mothers receiving WIC benefits when compared to those without WIC were more likely to perceive an increased risk of choking with the back sleep position (29% vs 11%, p=0.01). There was no significant difference in choice of sleep position based on WIC status, shared sleep surface, education level, age or race/ethnicity. Conclusions: HPs need to emphasize the back sleep position as the safest sleep position, address related concerns about choking, and educate families about the risks of cobedding. Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the participant will; 1. Identify the common sleep positions mothers reported they use to put their infants to sleep. 2. Discuss strategies for addressing parental concerns about choking while promoting the back sleep position as the safest

Success of post-fire plant recovery strategies varies with shifting fire seasonality

Wildfires are increasing in size and severity and fire seasons are lengthening, largely driven by climate and land-use change. Many plant species from fire-prone ecosystems are adapted to specific fire regimes corresponding to historical conditions and shifts beyond these bounds may have severe impacts on vegetation recovery and long-term species persistence. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of field-based studies across different vegetation types and climate regions to investigate how post-fire plant recruitment, reproduction and survival are affected by fires that occur outside of the historical fire season. We find that fires outside of the historical fire season may lead to decreased post-fire recruitment, particularly in obligate seeding species. Conversely, we find a general increase in post-fire survival in resprouting species. Our results highlight the trade-offs that exist when considering the effects of changes in the seasonal timing of fire, an already present aspect of climate-related fire regime change

Neuronal-specific microexon splicing of TAF1 mRNA is directly regulated by SRRM4/nSR100

Neuronal microexons represent the most highly conserved class of alternative splicing events and their timed expression shapes neuronal biology, including neuronal commitment and differentiation. The six-nt microexon 34' is included in the neuronal form of TAF1 mRNA, which encodes the largest subunit of the basal transcription factor TFIID. In this study, we investigate the tissue distribution of TAF1-34' mRNA and protein and the mechanism responsible for its neuronal-specific splicing. Using isoform-specific RNA probes and antibodies, we observe that canonical TAF1 and TAF1-34' have different distributions in the brain, which distinguish proliferating from post-mitotic neurons. Knockdown and ectopic expression experiments demonstrate that the neuronal-specific splicing factor SRRM4/nSR100 promotes the inclusion of microexon 34' into TAF1 mRNA, through the recognition of UGC sequences in the poly-pyrimidine tract upstream of the regulated microexon. These results show that SRRM4 regulates temporal and spatial expression of alternative TAF1 mRNAs to generate a neuronal-specific TFIID complex.This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft SFB850 project B9 and SFB992 (MT). OS acknowledges support by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GR 1748/6-1, SCHI 871/8-1, SCHI 871/9-1, SCHI 871/11-1, INST 39/900-1, and SFB850-Project Z1 (INST 39/766-3)), the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments (EXC 294, BIOSS; GSC-4, Spemann Graduate School), and the German-Israel Foundation (Grant No. I-1444-201.2/2017). TR acknowledges support by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Re1584/6-2, SFB850 project B

Elaboration of Porous NiO/8YSZ Layers by Several SPS and SPPS Routes

International audienceSolution Precursor Plasma Spraying (SPPS) is a thermal spray process where a feedstock solution is heated and pyrolized to form fine (i.e., 1000 nm) molten particles that deposit onto a substrate to form a layer. The benefits of implementing the SPPS process include, among others: (i) the possibility to create unique microstructures at nanometer scale without the injection feeding problems usually associated to powder feeders and delivery cables and (ii) rapid exploration of novel precursor compositions. In this study, preparation and characterization of porous anode layers with homogeneous Nickel distribution and nanometer sized microstructure are considered for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) application. Once the solution is injected, the droplets go through several chemical and physical changes and impact the substrate in different states, from fully molten one to unpyrolized one. The effects of some spray parameters, such as the spray distance and the plasma flow mass enthalpy, on the layer architecture and composition were investigated. The results show that dense or porous layers can be manufactured depending on the operating parameters

Uncommon Foreign Body Reactions Occurring in the Lip: Clinical Misdiagnosis and the Use of Special Techniques of Analysis

This study reports three interesting cases of nodular submucosal lip lesions where foreign-body reactions of unknown origin were detected on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) analysis. These materials were evaluated under polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The results revealed the following materials: an interdental toothbrush bristle, silica, and iron. Unusual mucosal foreign body reaction cases have been reported, but few publications used special techniques to identify the specific foreign material. Clinicians and pathologists might consider these techniques for identifying the precise origin of these foreign bodies