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Childbearing increases the risk of weight gain and cardiometabolic disease. The reset hypothesis suggests that lactation has protective cardiometabolic effects in the mother. The hypothesis is based on observational studies and the possible interacting role of weight loss needs to be elucidated.

ABSTRACTCold weather injuries (CWIs) are a challenge during military training, exercises and operations in Arctic conditions. Soldier performance in these challenging conditions depends on protective equipment, knowledge, personal experience, routines, and leadership. Despite the Norwegian Armed Forces’ goal of zero freezing cold injuries (FCIs), there has been a persistently high incidence of FCIs among the younger soldiers with an average of 120–150 new FCIs recorded each year. Therefore, an expert working group with representatives from medical, defence and research background was established in 2020. Their task was to develop a communication package to help prevent CWIs among military personnel. Training videos and an updated and improved official website were created with a focus on practical recommendations and advice to prevent CWIs and especially FCIs. Risks, prevention and symptoms of FCIs were emphasised. The main goal of the training videos was to supplement current teaching on guidance for CWI prevention in CWOs to prevent FCIs, but following the advice may prevent non-freezing cold injuries (NFCIs) and hypothermia. This informative paper describes the background, working methods and possible implications of the training videos, which may be a potential way forward to improve cold weather training and operations.

Background:Children growing up on small family farms are at much lower risk of developing allergy than other children. We hypothesized that low intake of margarine and polyunsaturated fats among farming families could contribute to this protection.Methods:Twenty-eight mother–infant pairs living on small dairy farms and 37 nonfarm rural resident pairs were recruited in the FARMFLORA birth cohort. Food items expected to affect dietary fat composition were recorded by food frequency questionnaires during pregnancy and by 24-h recalls followed by 24-h food diaries during lactation. Allergy was diagnosed by doctors, using strict predefined criteria. Maternal diet and breast milk fat composition were compared between farming and nonfarming mothers and related to children’s allergy at age 3 y.Results:Farming mothers consumed more butter, whole milk, saturated fat, and total fat than nonfarming mothers, who consumed more margarine, oils, and low-fat milk. Farming mothers’ breast milk contained higher proportions of saturated and lower proportions of polyunsaturated fat. Allergy was eight times more common in nonfarm children. Mothers of allergic children consumed more margarine and oils than mothers of nonallergic children.Conclusion:Low maternal consumption of margarine and vegetable oils might contribute to the allergy-preventive effect of growing up on small dairy farms.

In both North America and Europe, deer populations are increasing and hunter participation is decreasing. This generates concern for our future ability to control deer populations. Information on hunter typologies can help ascertain which licensing regulations are the most useful for either deer population control or activating currently non-active hunters. We used latent class analyses to identify typologies among 1,820 active and non-active red deer hunters in Norway. We found that active hunters could be grouped into mixed visitors (77%), deer enthusiasts (13%), and solitary locals (10%) in regard to their motivation and approach to hunting and landowner acquaintances (47%), less involved locals (40%), and long-term visitors (13%) when considering access to hunting grounds. We found 2 typologies of non-active hunters: likely recruits (79%) and permanently gone (29%). Managers in areas with undesirably dense deer populations should be more flexible in the way hunting is organized and promoted to motivate a diverse group of hunters. We recommend a zone-based management plan based on key factors determining hunter participation, which in our study included location of residence, interest in trophies, willingness to pay, willingness to travel, sociality, landowner relations, and leasing agreements. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

The objectives of the study were to determine the profile of mothers who join the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programme and to describe the factors that motivate or de-motivate the mothers to stick to or drop out of the PMTCT programme.Qualitative and quantitative research designs were used with exploratory and descriptive strategies. The study population included all the HIV/AIDS-positive mothers registered with the PMTCT programme at Katutura State Hospital and who delivered at the same hospital between March 2002 and December 2003. A total of 30 mothers were conveniently selected and interviewed as they came for their follow-up visits. A questionnaire was used for the data collection. In-depth interview was conducted with two cases (both mothers who did not keep to the follow-up visits given).The results show that factors motivating mothers to stick to the programme included the health of their children, ensuring they stand a chance of receiving antiretroviral treatment and wanting their children to live longer. Factors identified as de-motivating mothers included family members who are still in denial that HIV/AIDS exists, stigma attached to people living with the disease, financial problems and domestic violence. All mothers stated that the counselling and education given during antenatal care influenced their decision about whether to adhere to the programme.Most of the respondents stated that the support groups available for HIV/AIDS-infected persons are few, and there is no proper channel of communication and referral between the hospital and these groups.The researchers concluded that the factors influencing the adherence of mothers to the follow-up visits are both sociocultural and health related. The Ministry of Health and Social Services also needs to formalize the referral system with all local organizations working in the HIV/AIDS areas.

A novel deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithm for CT has recently been clinically approved.

The plasticity of endothelin ETBreceptor activity and the influence of pro-inflammatory cytokines was examined in cerebral artery. In fresh rat basilar artery, the selective ETBreceptor agonist, sarafotoxin S6c, induced negligible contractions. However, after 1 day of organ culture, fully defined concentration–response curves were obtained in artery segments exposed to sarafotox-in S6c. Organ culture in the presence of either interleukin-1α or tumour necrosis factor-α, but not interleukin-2 or interleukin-6, further amplified the maximal contraction to sarafotoxin S6c. The plasticity of ETBrecpetor expression in cerebral arteries and sensitivity for pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggest a role in inflammatory cerebral diseases such as stroke.

The influence of sugar residue sequence in partially N-acetylated chitosans on relative hydrolysis rate catalyzed by lysozyme was studied. The relative rates were modelled assuming an Arrhenius-type relation for the relative rate constants. The apparent activation energy was assumed to consist of additive contributions from GlcN or GlcNAc residues within the polymer chain interacting with sites A–F of the active cleft of lysozyme. This model accounted well for the relative hydrolysis rates reported for well-defined oligomers. Calculated and experimental data for the dependence of the initial relative hydrolysis rates on fraction of acetylated units, FA, showed an FA3,6dependence. A fully water-soluble highly N-acetylated chitosan with FA = 0.68 was depolymerized using lysozyme for further testing of the model. Analyses of the 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the diad sequences at the new reducing and nonreducing ends formed by lysozyme showed that this enzymatic depolymerization was dominated by chitosan sequences presenting GlcNAc residues to sites C, D, and E of the active cleft. In contrast, there was no selectivity between GlcNAc and GlcN residues interacting with site F. These selectivities were confirmed by the calculated contributions to the apparent activation energy of these sites. The experimentally determined depletion in the diad and triad frequencies of GlcNAc during the course of lysozyme hydrolysis was in good agreement with the model calculations. Keywords: lysozyme, chitosan, chitin, sequence specificity, subsite model.

A Careful examination of four fossil millipedes from the Middle Coal-measures of Sparth Bottoms, Rochdale, three preserved in the Manchester Museum and one in Mr. H. Howard's private collection, has revealed some striking features which seem to justify a re-description of the whole material.

BackgroundA farming environment confers strong protection against allergy development. We have previously shown that farming mothers consume more full-fat dairy than control mothers, who instead consume more low-fat dairy, margarine, and oils; margarine and oil intake was associated with increased risk of allergy development in their children.ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to investigate the differences in diet between children in farming and control families at 1 year of age, to investigate the relation between the diets of the mothers and their children, and to relate the children's diet to allergy development.DesignThe diet of 1-year-old children from dairy farming families (n=28) and from control families in the same rural area (n=37) was assessed by 24-h dietary recalls, followed by 24-h food diaries. Allergy was diagnosed by pediatricians at 3 years of age using strict predefined criteria.ResultsFarm children had a higher intake of farm milk, whole cream, cholesterol, saturated fat, and fat in total and tended to eat more butter, while controls consumed more carbohydrates and poultry and tended to eat more margarine. Farm children also had higher intakes of homemade porridge/gruel, oily fish, and iodine. The intake of butter and whole milk in children and mothers correlated significantly in farm families but not in controls. A weak negative association was found between seafood intake and allergy development, while allergy was positively associated with the intake of pork as well as zinc in the control group; these intakes also correlated with each other.ConclusionsConsistent with mothers in farming families, the children consumed more full-fat dairy and saturated fat than did controls, but this could not be linked to the low risk of allergy in the farming group. Seafood intake might protect against allergy development, in accordance with earlier findings.

BackgroundThe Swedish board for health and social welfare (SoS) has presented four questions on dietary habits as indicators of adherence to dietary recommendations. However, these questions have not been evaluated.ObjectiveTo evaluate if four questions on dietary habits correlate with dietary intake assessed by food records.DesignA total of 279 medical and nursing students, 170 women and 109 men, completed four questions on usual consumption frequency of vegetables, fruits, fish, and sweets. Depending on scoring from 0 to 12 points, subjects were classified as having low (0–4 points), average (5–8 points), or high (9–12 points) adherence to dietary recommendations as proposed by SoS. Nutrient intake was calculated from 3-day food records. Mean dietary intake, expressed per 10 MJ of fibre, ascorbic acid, folate, vitamin D, sucrose, fish, and fruits and vegetables, was analysed for each group and differences assessed by ANOVA.ResultsEnergy intake was 11.8±3.0 MJ in male and 8.5±2.2 MJ in female students. Most students, 64%, were classified as average adherers to dietary recommendations, whereas only 6% were classified as low and 30% as high. Dietary intake of fibre, ascorbic acid, and folate was significantly higher in the high adherence group compared to both the other groups (p<0.01), but vitamin D significantly so only compared to the average group (p=0.002). Intake of fruits and vegetables was significantly different between all groups (p<0.003), with increasing amounts with increasing adherence. The low adherence group had higher intake of sucrose than the other groups (p<0.005). Median fish intake was nil in the low and average adherence groups, with significant difference between high and average adherence groups (p=0.001).ConclusionsFour questions on the consumption frequency of vegetables, fruits, fish, and sweets correlate well with the dietary intake of fibre, ascorbic acid, folate, vitamin D, fish, sucrose, and fruits and vegetables as assessed by 3-day food records in health-conscious medical and nursing students.