Identifying the intergenerational effects of the 1959–1961 Chinese Great Leap Forward Famine on infant mortality

Using the 1959–1961 Chinese Great Leap Forward Famine as a natural experiment, this study examines the relationship between mothers’ prenatal exposure to acute malnutrition and their children's infant mortality risk. According to the results, the effect of mothers’ prenatal famine exposure status on children's infant mortality risk depends on the level of famine severity. In regions of low famine severity, mothers’ prenatal famine exposure significantly reduces children's infant mortality, whereas in regions of high famine severity, such prenatal exposure increases children's infant mortality although the effect is not statistically significant. Such a curvilinear relationship between mothers’ prenatal malnutrition status and their children's infant mortality risk is more complicated than the linear relationship predicted by the original fetal origins hypothesis but is consistent with the more recent developmental origins of health and disease theory.     

From Sprinkling to Immersion: Conversion and Baptism in Dutch Evangelicalism

Why do recent converts in new evangelical churches desire to be re-baptized by immersion despite their previous infant baptism in mainline churches? This article addresses this question through a discussion of the observed shift in baptism practices from that of ‘sprinkling’ infants (in Protestant mainline churches) to full bodily immersion of adults (in new evangelical churches) in the Netherlands. Based on an ethnographic comparison of these two baptism practices, I demonstrate the performative effect of rituals as well as the importance of connections between material forms, embodiment and doctrines. The call for different baptism practices, I suggest, illustrates a broader shift in Dutch Protestantism from a didactic to an experiential form of Christianity in which the encounter with the sacred is increasingly located in the body. At the same time, it demonstrates how religious authority has moved from institutions to individual believers.     

Phenotypic and genotypic analyses of lactic acid bacteria in local fermented food, breast milk and faeces of mothers and their babies

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are generally accepted as beneficial to the host and their presence is directly influenced by ingestion of fermented food or probiotics. While the intestinal lactic microbiota is well-described knowledge on its routes of inoculation and competitiveness towards selective pressure shaping the intestinal microbiota is limited. In this study, LAB were isolated from faecal samples of breast feeding mothers living in Syria, from faeces of their infants, from breast milk as well as from fermented food, typically consumed in Syria. A total of 700 isolates were characterized by genetic fingerprinting with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and identified by comparative 16S rDNA sequencing and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analyses. Thirty six different species of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Weissella and Pediococcus were identified. RAPD and MALDI-TOF-MS patterns allowed comparison of the lactic microbiota on species and strain level. Whereas some species were unique for one source, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Lactobacillus brevis were found in all sources. Interestingly, identical RAPD genotypes of L. plantarum, L. fermentum, L. brevis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis and P. pentosaceus were found in the faeces of mothers, her milk and in faeces of her babies. Diversity of RAPD types found in food versus human samples suggests the importance of host factors in colonization and individual host specificity, and support the hypothesis that there is a vertical transfer of intestinal LAB from the mother's gut to her milk and through the milk to the infant's gut.     

蒙脱石散不同给药方式治疗小儿腹泻的疗效观察

目的:分析蒙脱石散保留灌肠和口服不同给药途径对小儿腹泻的疗效影响.方法:对2008年2月～2011年5月间使用蒙脱石散治疗的腹泻患儿资料63例进行回顾性分析.结果:治疗一个疗程后,治疗组总有效率93.6％;对照组总有效率80.6％,两组总有效率之间有统计学差异(P ＜0.05).两组患儿总住院时间有显著统计学差异(P＜0.01).两组治疗后大便次数均较治疗前减少,且治疗组改善情况优于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论:临床上治疗小儿腹泻不必拘泥于传统的口服给药途径,保留灌肠也不失为一种较好的方法.     

Genistein induces topoisomerase IIbeta- and proteasome-mediated DNA sequence rearrangements: Implications in infant leukemia

Genistein is a bioflavonoid enriched in soy products. However, high levels of maternal soy consumption have been linked to the development of infant leukemia ALL and AML. The majority of infant leukemia is linked to mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL) translocations. Previous studies have implicated topoisomerase II (Top2) in genistein-induced infant leukemia. In order to understand the roles of the two Top2 isozymes in and the molecular mechanism for genistein-induced infant leukemia, we carried out studies in vitro using purified recombinant human Top2 isozymes, as well as studies in cultured mouse myeloid progenitor cells (32Dc13) and Top2β knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). First, we showed that genistein efficiently induced both Top2α and Top2β cleavage complexes in the purified system as well as in cultured mouse cells. Second, genistein induced proteasomal degradation of Top2β in 32Dc13 cells. Third, the genistein-induced DNA double-strand break (DSB) signal, γ-H2AX, was dependent on the Top2β isozyme and proteasome activity. Fourth, the requirement for Top2β and proteasome activity was mirrored in genistein-induced DNA sequence rearrangements, as monitored by a DNA integration assay. Together, our results suggest a model in which genistein-induced Top2β cleavage complexes are processed by proteasome, leading to the exposure of otherwise Top2β-concealed DSBs and subsequent chromosome rearrangements, and implicate a major role of Top2β and proteasome in genistein-induced infant leukemia.     

Uncoupling protein in human brown adipose tissue mitochondria. Isolation and detection by specific antiserum

A protein of Mr 32 000 has been isolated from human infant brown adipose tissue mitochondria following the procedure used to purify the uncoupling protein from rat brown adipose tissue mitochondria. A specific antiserum has been raised against the human 32 kDa protein, and used to detect it by probing mitochondrial proteins separated by SDS-PAGE. The protein is present in large amounts in brown adipose tissue but is undetectable in human liver, heart or white adipose tissue. It has strong immunological cross-reactivity with rat brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein.     

Radiation exposure to infants undergoing voiding cystourethrography: The importance of the digital imaging technology

PurposeTo determine the radiation burden to infants undergoing voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) in a single institution and investigate the effect of shifting from analogue to digital imaging that allowed the use of a radiography-free examination protocol.MethodsAnthropometric and exposure data were prospectively collected for 35 consecutive infants undergoing VCUG on a digital system with a standardized examination protocol not including radiographs. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were used to determine entrance-skin dose. Monte Carlo simulations and patient-specific anthropomorphic phantoms were employed to determine organ/tissue doses and effective dose (ED). The associated theoretical risk of radiation-induced cancer was determined and compared to the nominal risk of cancer induction. The radiation burden from VCUG on a modern digital system with a contemporary examination protocol was compared to corresponding data reported previously for an analogue system in the same institution.ResultsThe median ED from VCUG was found 47 μSv. The associated total life attributable risk of radiation-induced cancer was found 10x10^-6 and 13x10^-6 for boys and girls, respectively. VCUG was found to increase the nominal risk of cancer by a factor of 1.000025 in boys and 1.000034 in girls. Shifting from analogue to digital imaging system resulted in 89% reduction of the radiation burden from VCUG.ConclusionThe theoretical radiation risks for infants undergoing VCUG using a modern digital imaging system and a radiography-free protocol were found to be minor. The transition from analogue to digital equipment resulted in considerable reduction of the radiation burden from VCUG.     

Cross-species handling of colobine infants

At Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone, several instances of red colobus (Procolobus badius) adults handling white infants of black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus polykomos) were observed. These observations are described and their significance is discussed.     

布拉酵母菌治疗小儿轮状病毒肠炎53例临床研究

目的：探讨布拉酵母菌治疗小儿轮状病毒肠炎的疗效。方法：103例患儿随机分为两组,对照组给予静滴病毒唑,口服思密达。治疗组在此基础上口服布拉酵母菌。＜1岁,一日3次,每次1／3袋;＜3岁;一日3次,每次1／2袋。结果：治疗组的总有效率为92．5％,对照组的总有效率为78％,在退热、止泻、总疗程方面治疗组与对照组差异均有 显著性（P＜0．05）。结论：布拉酵母菌对小儿轮状病毒肠炎有良好的疗效。     

双歧杆菌四联活菌在预防小儿抗生素相关性腹泻的临床应用

目的探讨双歧杆菌四联活菌预防小儿抗生素相关性腹泻（AAD）的临床效果。方法132例住院患儿随机分成2组;对照组常规抗感染治疗,预防组在此基础上加用口服双歧杆菌四联活菌片。结果对照组72例发生腹泻27例（37.5%）,预防组60例,发生腹泻10例（16.7%）（χ^2=7.58,P〈0.01）;发生腹泻次数：对照组为（6.42±2.66）次/d,预防组为（3.92±1.03）次/d（t=3.29,P〈0.01）;腹泻平均持续时间：对照组为（4.97±1.20）d,预防组为（3.90±1.02）d（t=5.60,P〈0.01）,2组比较差异均有显著性。结论口服双歧杆菌四联活菌制剂可以减少小儿抗生素相关性腹泻的发生率。