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Up to one person in a population of 10,000 is diagnosed once in lifetime with an encephalitis, in 50–70% of unknown origin. Recognized causes amount to 20–50% viral infections. Approximately one third of affected subjects develops moderate and severe subsequent damage. Several neurotropic viruses can directly infect pyramidal neurons and induce neuronal death in cortex and hippocampus. The resulting encephalitic syndromes are frequently associated with cognitive deterioration and dementia, but involve numerous parallel and downstream cellular and molecular events that make the interpretation of direct consequences of sudden pyramidal neuronal loss difficult. This, however, would be pivotal for understanding how neuroinflammatory processes initiate the development of neurodegeneration, and thus for targeted prophylactic and therapeutic interventions. Here we utilized adult male NexCreERT2xRosa26-eGFP-DTA (= ‘DTA’) mice for the induction of a sterile encephalitis by diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation of cortical and hippocampal pyramidal neurons which also recruits immune cells into gray matter. We report multifaceted aftereffects of this defined process, including the expected pathology of classical hippocampal behaviors, evaluated in Morris water maze, but also of (pre)frontal circuit function, assessed by prepulse inhibition. Importantly, we modelled in encephalitis mice novel translationally relevant sequelae, namely altered social interaction/cognition, accompanied by compromised thermoreaction to social stimuli as convenient readout of parallel autonomic nervous system (dys)function. High resolution magnetic resonance imaging disclosed distinct abnormalities in brain dimensions, including cortical and hippocampal layering, as well as of cerebral blood flow and volume. Fluorescent tracer injection, immunohistochemistry and brain flow cytometry revealed persistent blood–brain-barrier perturbance and chronic brain inflammation. Surprisingly, blood flow cytometry showed no abnormalities in circulating major immune cell subsets and plasma high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as proinflammatory marker remained unchanged. The present experimental work, analyzing multidimensional outcomes of direct pyramidal neuronal loss, will open new avenues for urgently needed encephalitis research. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40478-021-01214-6.

We develop a new parsimonious model of residential solar diffusion that, with only two regression parameters and one independent variable, reasonably explains empirical observations. Additional solar customers resulting from an increase in Net Present Value (NPV) are modeled as a normal distribution. This leads to adoption as a function of NPV being the integral of the Gaussian, producing the error function, which demonstrates S-curve behavior commonly seen in technology diffusion. Empirical analysis for five regions (three U.S. states: Arizona, California, and Massachusetts; and two countries: Germany and Japan) from 2005 to 2016 shows a consistent relationship between annual adoption per million households and NPV. Non-linear regression indicates good agreement between data and the error function model, the adoption rate peaking at an NPV of $7100/kW with standard deviation of $4110/kW. Consumer purchases of rooftop solar across multiple regions are explained with a single variable, making this model simpler than traditional diffusion approaches. A novel implication of the model is that the subsidy cost to stimulate additional solar adoption increases as the technology becomes cheaper. This is because the same subsidy is paid to all consumers, including those who would have purchased solar without subsidy.

To assess complex social recognition in mice, we previously developed the SocioBox paradigm. Unexpectedly, 4 weeks after performing in the SocioBox, mice displayed robust social avoidance during Y‐maze sociability testing. This unique “sociophobia” acquisition could be documented in independent cohorts. We therefore employed infrared thermography as a non‐invasive method of stress‐monitoring during SocioBox testing (presentation of five other mice) versus empty box. A higher Centralization Index (body/tail temperature) in the SocioBox correlated negatively with social recognition memory and, after 4 weeks, with social preference in the Y‐maze. Assuming that social stimuli might be associated with characteristic thermo‐responses, we exposed healthy men (N = 103) with a comparably high intelligence level to a standardized test session including two cognitive tests with or without social component (face versus pattern recognition). In some analogy to the Centralization Index (within‐subject measure) used in mice, the Reference Index (ratio nose/malar cheek temperature) was introduced to determine the autonomic facial response/flushing during social recognition testing. Whereas cognitive performance and salivary cortisol were comparable across human subjects and tests, the Face Recognition Test was associated with a characteristic Reference Index profile. Infrared thermography may have potential for discriminating disturbed social behaviors.

The etiology and pathogenesis of “anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis” and the role of autoantibodies (AB) in this condition are still obscure. While NMDAR1-AB exert NMDAR-antagonistic properties by receptor internalization, no firm evidence exists to date that NMDAR1-AB by themselves induce brain inflammation/encephalitis. NMDAR1-AB of all immunoglobulin classes are highly frequent across mammals with multiple possible inducers and boosters. We hypothesized that “NMDAR encephalitis” results from any primary brain inflammation coinciding with the presence of NMDAR1-AB, which may shape the encephalitis phenotype. Thus, we tested whether following immunization with a “cocktail” of 4 NMDAR1 peptides, induction of a spatially and temporally defined sterile encephalitis by diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation of pyramidal neurons (“DTA” mice) would modify/aggravate the ensuing phenotype. In addition, we tried to replicate a recent report claiming that immunizing just against the NMDAR1-N368/G369 region induced brain inflammation. Mice after DTA induction revealed a syndrome comprising hyperactivity, hippocampal learning/memory deficits, prefrontal cortical network dysfunction, lasting blood brain-barrier impairment, brain inflammation, mainly in hippocampal and cortical regions with pyramidal neuronal death, microgliosis, astrogliosis, modest immune cell infiltration, regional atrophy, and relative increases in parvalbumin-positive interneurons. The presence of NMDAR1-AB enhanced the hyperactivity (psychosis-like) phenotype, whereas all other readouts were identical to control-immunized DTA mice. Non-DTA mice with or without NMDAR1-AB were free of any encephalitic signs. Replication of the reported NMDAR1-N368/G369-immunizing protocol in two large independent cohorts of wild-type mice completely failed. To conclude, while NMDAR1-AB can contribute to the behavioral phenotype of an underlying encephalitis, induction of an encephalitis by NMDAR1-AB themselves remains to be proven.

Objective To investigate national trends of SBS diagnosis codes and how trends varied among patient and hospital characteristics. Methods We examined possible SBS, confirmed SBS, and non-SBS abuse diagnosis codes among children age three and younger who were hospitalized for abuse between 1998 and 2014 using a secondary analysis of the National Inpatient Sample, the largest US all-payer inpatient care database (N = 66,854). A baseline category logit model was used based on a quasi-likelihood approach (QIC) with an independent working correlation structure. Results The rate (per 100,000 census population of children age 3 and younger) of confirmed and possible SBS diagnosis codes was 5.4 (± 0.3) between 1998 and 2014, whereas the rate of non-SBS abuse was 19.6 (± 1.0). The rate of confirmed SBS diagnosis codes increased from 3.8 (± 0.3) in 1998 to 5.1 (± 0.9) in 2005, and decreased to 1.3 (± 0.2) in 2014. Possible SBS diagnosis codes were 0.6 (± 0.2) in 1998, increasing to 2.4 (± 0.4) in 2014. Confirmed SBS diagnosis codes have declined since 2002, while possible SBS diagnosis codes have increased. All abuse types were more frequent among infants, males, children from low-income homes, and urban teaching hospitals. Conclusions We investigated seventeen-year trends of SBS diagnosis codes among young children hospitalized for abuse. The discrepancy between trends in possible and confirmed SBS diagnosis codes suggests differences in norms for utilizing SBS diagnosis codes, which has implications for which hospital admissions are coded as AHT. Future research should investigate processes for using SBS diagnosis codes and whether all codes associated with abusive head injuries in young children are classified as AHT. Our findings also highlight the relativity defining and applying SBS diagnosis codes to children admitted to the hospital for shaking injuries. Medical professionals find utility in using SBS diagnosis codes, though may be more apt to apply codes related to possible SBS diagnosis codes in children presenting with abusive head injuries. Clarifying norms for SBS diagnosis codes and refining definitions for AHT diagnosis will ensure that young children presenting with, and coded for, abusive head injuries are included in overall counts of AHT based on secondary data of diagnosis codes. This baseline data, an essential component of child abuse surveillance, will enable ongoing efforts to track, prevent, and reduce child abuse.

Circulating autoantibodies (AB) of different immunoglobulin classes (IgM, IgA, and IgG), directed against the obligatory N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor subunit NR1 (NMDAR1-AB), belong to the mammalian autoimmune repertoire, and appear with age-dependently high seroprevalence across health and disease. Upon access to the brain, they can exert NMDAR-antagonistic/ketamine-like actions. Still unanswered key questions, addressed here, are conditions of NMDAR1-AB formation/boosting, intraindividual persistence/course in serum over time, and (patho)physiological significance of NMDAR1-AB in modulating neuropsychiatric phenotypes. We demonstrate in a translational fashion from mouse to human that (1) serum NMDAR1-AB fluctuate upon long-term observation, independent of blood–brain barrier (BBB) perturbation; (2) a standardized small brain lesion in juvenile mice leads to increased NMDAR1-AB seroprevalence (IgM + IgG), together with enhanced Ig-class diversity; (3)CTLA4(immune-checkpoint) genotypes, previously found associated with autoimmune disease, predispose to serum NMDAR1-AB in humans; (4) finally, pursuing our prior findings of an early increase in NMDAR1-AB seroprevalence in human migrants, which implicated chronic life stress as inducer, we independently replicate these results with prospectively recruited refugee minors. Most importantly, we here provide the first experimental evidence in mice of chronic life stress promoting serum NMDAR1-AB (IgA). Strikingly, stress-induced depressive-like behavior in mice and depression/anxiety in humans are reduced in NMDAR1-AB carriers with compromised BBB where NMDAR1-AB can readily reach the brain. To conclude, NMDAR1-AB may have a role as endogenous NMDAR antagonists, formed or boosted under various circumstances, ranging from genetic predisposition to, e.g., tumors, infection, brain injury, and stress, altogether increasing over lifetime, and exerting a spectrum of possible effects, also including beneficial functions.

Skilled, ethical use of social media can advance social justice, impact policy, engage and educate the community, and elevate social workers. To assure that MSW students develop these skills, we cr...

Objective:To determine which established diet quality indices best predict weight-related outcomes in young women.Design:In this cross-sectional analysis, we collected dietary information using the Harvard FFQ and measured body fat percentage (BF%) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We used FFQ data to derive five diet quality indices: Recommended Food Score (RFS), Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMED) and Healthy Plant-Based Diet Index (HPDI).Setting:University of Massachusetts at Amherst.Participants:Two hundred sixty healthy women aged 18–30 years.Results:The AHEI-2010 and HPDI were associated with BMI and BF%, such that a ten-point increase in either diet score was associated with a 1·2 percentage-point lower BF% and a 0·5 kg/m2 lower BMI (P < 0·05). Odds of excess body fat (i.e. BF% > 32 %) were 50 % lower for those in the highest v. lowest tertile of the AHEI-2010 (P = 0·04). Neither the RFS nor HEI-2015 was associated with BMI or BF%; the aMED was associated with BMI but not BF%.Conclusions:These results suggest that diet quality tends to be inversely associated with BMI and BF% in young women, but that this association is not observed for all diet quality indices. Diet indices may have limited utility in populations where the specific healthful foods and food groups emphasised by the index are not widely consumed. Future research should aim to replicate these findings in longitudinal studies that compare body composition changes over time across diet indices in young women.

Objective To identify differences in breastfeeding-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences between women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and women without GDM. Design Cross-sectional and prospective cohort study. Setting Secondary analysis of data from the U.S. Infant Feeding Practices Study II. Participants Pregnant women with GDM ( n = 195) and pregnant women without GDM ( n = 2,815) were included in cross-sectional analyses. For prospective analyses, complete data were available at the postpartum time point for 107 women with and 1,626 women without GDM. Methods We compared women with and without GDM for breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs during pregnancy and hospital experiences and problems with breastfeeding after birth. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate associations between GDM and dependent variables. Results Women with GDM were less likely to say that breastfeeding is the best way to feed an infant (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.46, 0.85]), more likely to say that the fathers of their infants prefer formula feeding (aOR = 1.74, 95% CI [1.02, 2.97]) or mixed feeding (aOR = 1.78, 95% CI [1.21, 2.61]), and more likely to say their physicians prefer formula (aOR = 2.82, 95% CI [1.17, 6.79]). Women with GDM were less likely to report feeling comfortable breastfeeding in front of female friends (aOR = 0.70, 95% CI [0.50, 0.98]). Newborns of women with GDM were less likely to stay in their mothers' hospital rooms (aOR = 0.55, 95% CI [0.36, 0.85]). Conclusion We identified differences in breastfeeding-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences between women with GDM and women without GDM that could be targets for further research and intervention.

Based on the intellicage paradigm, we have developed a novel cognitive, emotional and social phenotyping battery that permits comprehensive standardized behavioral characterization of mice in an experimenter-independent social setting. Evaluation of this battery in a large number of male and female C57BL/6 wildtype mice, tested in >20 independent cohorts, revealed high reproducibility of the behavioral readouts and may serve as future reference tool. We noticed robust sex-specific differences in general activity, cognitive and emotional behavior, but not regarding preference for social pheromones. Specifically, female mice revealed higher activity, decreased sucrose preference, impaired reversal and place-time-reward learning. Furthermore, female mice reacted more sensitively than males to reward-withdrawal showing a negative emotional contrast/Crespi-effect. In a series of validation experiments, we tested mice with different pathologies, including neuroligin-3 deficient mice (male Nlgn3y/- and female Nlgn3+/-) for autistic behavior, oligodendrocyte-specific erythropoietin receptor knockout (oEpoR-/-) mice for cognitive impairment, as well as mouse models of renal failure (unilateral ureteral obstruction and 5/6 nephrectomy) and of type 2 diabetes (ApoE-/-) - for delineating potentially confounding effects of motivational factors (thirst, glucose-craving) on learning and memory assessments. As prominent features, we saw in Nlgn3 mutants reduced preference for social pheromones, whereas oEpoR-/- mice showed learning deficits in place or reversal learning tasks. Renal failure led to increased water intake, and diabetic metabolism to enhanced glucose preference, limiting interpretation of hereon based learning and memory performance in these mice. The phenotyping battery presented here may be well-suited as high-throughput multifaceted diagnostic instrument for translational neuropsychiatry and behavioral genetics.

Approximately 80% of reproductive age women experience physical or emotional symptoms before onset of menses. Of these women, ∼20% experience symptoms severe enough to interfere with social functioning and life activities, and meet clinical criteria for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). More than 100 different symptoms are associated with PMS. Symptom groupings tend to be stable within an individual, but vary distinctly between women. Potential differences in the etiology of symptoms suggest that PMS may have subtypes that represent distinct entities.The goal of this study was to identify symptom patterns using factor analysis. We then used linear regression to evaluate relations between PMS risk factors with factor scores for the symptom patterns. Analysis included: (1) 414 healthy women aged 18-30 years; (2) the subgroup of these women meeting established criteria for PMS (n = 80). All participants provided information on the occurrence and severity of 26 premenstrual symptoms by validated questionnaire.Four distinct symptom patterns emerged, labeled Emotional, Psychological/Cognitive, Physical, and Consumption. We observed a linear relationship between body mass index and the Consumption pattern in both the total study population (p = 0.03) and the PMS subset (p = 0.04). Additionally, in the total population, physical activity was inversely associated with the Physical pattern (p = 0.04), but positively associated with the Consumption pattern (p = 0.03). Results from this study are consistent with previously identified patterns and suggest that distinct subtypes of PMS exist.Future studies of behavioral factors should evaluate associations with symptom patterns in addition to PMS as an aggregate disorder.

The prevalence of hypertension in premenopausal women is increasing. There is substantial need for novel strategies to identify women who would benefit from increased screening and early interventions. Several mechanisms likely contributing to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are also involved in hypertension, including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system dysfunction and micronutrient deficiencies. However, it is unknown whether young women with PMS have elevated blood pressure.We evaluated the association of blood pressure, PMS, and premenstrual symptoms in a cross-sectional study of 409 young women (mean age 21 years), conducted from 2006 to 2014. Our analysis included 78 cases (19%) who met established criteria for clinically significant PMS and 88 controls (22%) experiencing few symptoms. Blood pressure was measured during the mid-luteal phase. Lifestyle, diet, anthropometry, and other factors were measured by questionnaire and/or direct measurement.After adjustment for smoking, body mass index, and other factors, mean diastolic blood pressure in PMS cases was 72.3 versus 69.1 mm Hg in controls (p = 0.02). Diastolic blood pressure was also significantly higher in women reporting specific symptoms; for example, mean diastolic blood pressure in women reporting moderate or severe premenstrual nausea was 77.7 mm Hg compared with 71.0 mm Hg in women without nausea (p = 0.007). Systolic blood pressure did not vary by PMS status.To our knowledge, this is among the first studies to suggest that diastolic blood pressure is elevated in young adult women experiencing PMS. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether PMS may be a useful sentinel for future hypertension risk in young women.

Background In the Ganges Delta, chronic arsenic poisoning is a health concern affecting millions of people who rely on groundwater as their potable water source. The prevalence of anemia is also high in this region, particularly among women. Moreover, arsenic is known to affect heme synthesis and erythrocytes and the risk of arsenic-induced skin lesions appears to differ by sex. Methods We conducted a case-control study in 147 arsenic-exposed Bangladeshi women to assess the association between anemia and arsenic-induced skin lesions. Results We observed that the odds of arsenic-related skin lesions were approximately three times higher among women who were anemic (hemoglobin

BACKGROUND Folates are essential cofactors in metabolic pathways that facilitate biological methylation and nucleotide synthesis, and therefore have widespread effects on health and diseases. Although obesity is prevalent worldwide, few studies have investigated how obesity interacts with folate status. OBJECTIVE Based on data from the NHANES, this study aims to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related metabolic factors with blood folate status. METHODS A nationally representative sample of 3767 adults from the NHANES (2003-2006) was used as the study population. Regression analyses, with and without adjustment for demographic factors and dietary intakes, were performed to examine associations between BMI and metabolic factors with serum and RBC folate. RESULTS The results indicate serum folate concentrations were lower in obese groups compared to the desirable BMI and overweight categories, paralleling lower intakes in this group. In contrast, RBC folate increased incrementally with BMI. Regression analyses demonstrated an inverse relation between BMI and serum folate but a positive relation for RBC folate (P < 0.01). Waist circumference, serum triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose each displayed significant positive relations with RBC folate (P < 0.01), although relations with serum folate were not significant and consistent. CONCLUSIONS In summary, obesity is associated with decreased serum folate, which parallels decreased folate intakes. In contrast, obesity is positively associated with RBC folate. Therefore, RBC folate, in addition to serum folate, should also be considered as a critical biomarker for folate status, especially in the obese population. Future research is needed to understand how obesity differentially alters serum and RBC folate status because they are associated with a variety of medical complications.

State-of-the-art optical transponders use a coherent detection scheme with higher order modulation formats to achieve bitrates as high as 400 Gbit/s. However, the use of higher order modulation formats, like 16-QAM, increases the requirements on the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) [1]. To utilize even higher order modulation formats, e.g. 64-QAM, noise in the transmission system must be minimized. Distributed Raman amplifiers can be used to achieve low noise amplification [1], but introduce a new kind of noise: multi path interference (MPI) by double Rayleigh backscattering (DRB). This limits the practically useable gain [1]. To study the still unknown influence of DRB on higher order modulation we numerically simulate a contra directional pumped distributed Raman amplifier. As in [2] the Raman amplifier is modelled as a set of coupled differential equations. The resulting boundary value problem is solved with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method [3]. The model provides the powers of all signal, pump and noise terms in the system. Hence, a system OSNR is calculated, covering forward amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and DRB. Afterwards, a third term describing imperfect electrical components is introduced to the calculation. To compare the simulation results with experimental results the system OSNR is converted to an error vector magnitude (EVM).

Distributed Raman amplification is an attractive way to improve the OSNR in optical transmission systems. However, this requires profound system knowledge to profit from these potential benefits. Especially in the case of co-directional pumped Raman amplifiers the evolution of the signal powers over the propagation distance is of interest in order to avoid signal distortions. Within the design process of co-directionally pumped transmission lines numerical simulations can assist to achieve optimized OSNR. Within the modelling of Raman amplification signals are often considered as continues waves to calculate the power evolution of the signals and pumps. However, this is only an approximation as the power of the transmitted signals varies over time. We present a novel approach to capture the bit-pattern dependence of Raman scattering.

BackgroundLow and deficient levels of vitamin A are common in low and middle income countries where tuberculosis burden is high. We assessed the impact of baseline levels of vitamins A and carotenoids on TB disease risk.Methods and FindingsWe conducted a case-control study nested within a longitudinal cohort of household contacts of pulmonary TB cases in Lima, Peru. We screened all contacts for TB disease at 2, 6, and 12 months after enrollment. We defined cases as HIV-negative household contacts with blood samples who developed TB disease at least 15 days after enrollment of the index patient. For each case, we randomly selected 4 controls from among contacts who did not develop TB disease, matching on gender and year of age. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for incident TB disease by vitamin A and carotenoids levels, controlling for other nutritional and socioeconomic factors.Among 6751 HIV-negative household contacts with baseline blood samples, 192 developed secondary TB disease during follow-up. We analyzed 180 cases with viable samples and 709 matched controls. After controlling for possible confounders, we found that baseline vitamin A deficiency was associated with a 10-fold increase in risk of TB disease among household contacts (aOR 10.42; 95% CI 4.01–27.05; p < 0.001). This association was dose-dependent with stepwise increases in TB disease risk with each decreasing quartile of vitamin A level. Carotenoid levels were also inversely associated with TB risk among adolescents.Our study is limited by the one year duration of follow up and by the relatively few blood samples available from household contacts under ten years of age.ConclusionsVitamin A deficiency strongly predicted risk of incident TB disease among household contacts of TB patients. Vitamin A supplementation among individuals at high risk of TB may provide an effective means of preventing TB disease.

STUDY QUESTION Are markers of chronic inflammation associated with menstrual symptom severity and premenstrual syndrome (PMS)? SUMMARY ANSWER Serum levels of inflammatory markers, including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ were positively associated with menstrual symptom severity and/or PMS in young women. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Chronic inflammation has been implicated in the etiology of depression and other disorders that share common features with PMS, but whether inflammation contributes to menstrual symptom severity and PMS is unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Cross-sectional study of 277 women aged 18-30 years, conducted in 2006-2011. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Participants provided information on menstrual symptoms, lifestyle, diet, anthropometry and other factors by questionnaire and/or direct measurement, and a mid-luteal phase fasting blood sample was taken between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. Total, physical and affective menstrual symptom scores were calculated for all participants, of whom 13% (n = 37) met criteria for moderate-to-severe PMS and 24% (n = 67) met PMS control criteria. Inflammatory factors assayed in serum included IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor-α, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, IFN-γ and C-reactive protein. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE After adjustment for age, smoking status and BMI, total menstrual symptom score was positively associated with levels of IL-2 (percentage difference in women at the 75th percentile of total symptom score versus at the 25th percentile = 24.7%; P = 0.04), IL-4 (21.5%; P = 0.04), IL-10 (28.0%; P < 0.01) and IL-12 (42.0%; P = 0.02) in analyses including all participants. Affective menstrual symptom score was linearly related to levels of IL-2 (percentage difference at 75th percentile versus 25th percentile = 31.0%; P = 0.02), while physical/behavioral symptom score was linearly related to levels of IL-4 (19.1%; P = 0.03) and IL-12 (33.2%; P = 0.03). Additionally, mean levels of several factors were significantly higher in women meeting PMS criteria compared with women meeting control criteria, including IL-4 (92% higher in cases versus controls; P = 0.01); IL-10 (87%; P = 0.03); IL-12 (170%; P = 0.04) and IFN-γ (158%; P = 0.01). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Our study has several limitations. While a single blood sample may not perfectly capture long-term levels of inflammation, ample data suggest that levels of cytokines are stable over time. Although we did not base our assessment of PMS on prospective symptom diaries, we used validated criteria to define PMS cases and controls, and excluded women with evidence of comorbid mood disorders. Furthermore, because of the cross-sectional design of the study, the temporal relation of inflammatory factors and menstrual symptoms is unclear. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS To our knowledge, this is among the first studies to suggest that inflammatory factors may be elevated in women experiencing menstrual symptoms and PMS. Additional studies are needed to determine whether inflammation plays an etiologic role in PMS. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This study was funded by the Departments of Public Health and Nutrition and by a Faculty Research Grant, University of Massachusetts Amherst. No conflicts declared. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

Anxiety disorders and substance abuse, including benzodiazepine use disorder, frequently occur together. Unfortunately, treatment of anxiety disorders still includes benzodiazepines, and patients with an existing comorbid benzodiazepine use disorder or a genetic susceptibility for benzodiazepine use disorder may be at risk of adverse treatment outcomes. The identification of genetic predictors for anxiety disorders, and especially for benzodiazepine use disorder, could aid the selection of the best treatment option and improve clinical outcomes. The brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor I–associated protein 3 (Baiap3) is a member of the mammalian uncoordinated 13 (Munc13) protein family of synaptic regulators of neurotransmitter exocytosis, with a striking expression pattern in amygdalae, hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray. Deletion of Baiap3 in mice leads to enhanced seizure propensity and increased anxiety, with the latter being more pronounced in female than in male animals. We hypothesized that genetic variation in human BAIAP3 may also be associated with anxiety. By using a phenotype-based genetic association study, we identified two human BAIAP3 single-nucleotide polymorphism risk genotypes (AA for rs2235632, TT for rs1132358) that show a significant association with anxiety in women and, surprisingly, with benzodiazepine abuse in men. Returning to mice, we found that male, but not female, Baiap3 knockout (KO) mice develop tolerance to diazepam more quickly than control animals. Analysis of cultured Baiap3 KO hypothalamus slices revealed an increase in basal network activity and an altered response to diazepam withdrawal. Thus, Baiap3/BAIAP3 is gender specifically associated with anxiety and benzodiazepine use disorder, and the analysis of Baiap3/BAIAP3-related functions may help elucidate mechanisms underlying the development of both disorders.

We investigate the impact of the number of propagating modes on the strength of nonlinear effects in multimode fibers. The required optical signal-to-noise ratios for fibers, supporting up to 15 spatial modes, are evaluated.

How to cite this article Zagarins S.E., Ronnenberg A.G., Gehlbach S.H., Lin R. & Bertone-Johnson E.R. (2012) Are existing measures of overall diet quality associated with peak bone mass in young premenopausal women? J Hum Nutr Diet.25, 172–179 Abstract Background: Low peak bone mass in young adulthood is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and fracture after menopause, and an understanding of the modifiable factors that contribute to low peak bone mass is important for fracture prevention. Diet is an important modifiable factor linked to bone health and, although studies have examined the role of individual dietary components in bone health, bone growth and maintenance are complex processes, and such studies may not adequately represent the role of diet in these processes. Methods: To address this issue, a cross-sectional analysis of 226 healthy, premenopausal women aged 18–30 years was conducted to determine whether existing indices of overall diet quality are associated with bone density in premenopausal women nearing peak bone mass. Bone density was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and diet quality was measured using two overall diet scores based on current dietary guidelines: the Recommended Food Score and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). Results: In the multiple linear regression, bone density did not increase across quartiles of either diet quality score and was not associated with continuous diet quality variables. Furthermore, none of the individual AHEI components (e.g. fruit intake, vegetable intake) were associated with bone density. Conclusions: These findings suggest that existing diet quality scores are not appropriate for studies of peak bone mass, most likely because they do not give sufficient weight to foods and nutrients important to bone health. We recommend the development of a diet pattern index that better predicts bone mass measures.

This article is an historical analysis of a colonial vernacular (Kiswahili) newspaper. As Mambo Leo (‘Today's Events’) was sold across Tanganyika to a Kiswahili readership of new East African British subjects, the task necessarily requires an appreciation of irony. In fact, it is irony and humour that was crucial to Mambo Leo reaching its audience, crossing thresholds between Western news reporting and East African oral performance, between literacy and orality. In particular, it was the newspaper's cartoons that attracted its readership. Like cartoons elsewhere, Mambo Leo's represent captured moments of laughter, which, for want of these comic strips, might escape history's notice. Crafted by coastal Tanganyikans (for whom Kiswahili was at least a familiar second language) under editorial direction of British editors, they attempt to plumb the contentious process of identity construction in a colonial cultural milieu for all of its comedic potential. The vernacular news publication, ostensibly a vehicle ...

PurposeThere is increasing concern about the environmental aspects of business and production processes, and many companies have chosen to implement environmental management systems (EMSs). The purpose of this paper is to examine whether change management efforts improve the perceived success of EMS implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyzes empirical survey data using hierarchical regression analyses with a sample of mid‐level engineers and managers in manufacturing facilities.FindingsChange management efforts appear to enhance the perceived environmental performance of manufacturing establishments, primarily driven by top management support for EMS implementation and efforts to institutionalize the EMS.Research limitations/implicationsResults are generalizable to large manufacturing facilities implementing EMSs. Results should be replicated with a larger sample and using measures of actual environmental performance.Practical implicationsChange management techniques can enhance the environmental performance outcomes of EMS implementations.Originality/valueChange management concepts have been neglected in examinations of EMS implementation outcomes, and they may help explain mixed findings on EMS success to date. The findings suggest that change management efforts can enhance the value of firms' EMS implementations.

Total body mass is a major determinant of bone mass, but studies of the relative contributions of lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM) to bone mass have yielded conflicting results. This is likely because of the use of bone measures that are not adequately adjusted for body size and, therefore, not appropriate for analyses related to body composition, which is also correlated with body size. We examined the relationship between body composition and peak bone mass in premenopausal women aged 18-30 yr using both size-dependent and size-adjusted measures of bone density and body composition, as well as statistical models adjusted for size-related factors. We measured total bone mass and areal bone density using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and used established formulas to calculate estimates of volumetric (size-adjusted) bone density. LM tended to be positively associated with bone both before and after adjustment for size-related factors. FM and body fat percentage, however, were positively associated with size-dependent bone measures, but adjusting for size removed or reversed this association. These findings suggest that the association between bone mass and body composition, especially FM, is dependent on the bone measures analyzed, and that determining the most appropriate size-adjustment techniques is critical for understanding this relationship.

Nomadic livestock husbandry is the main form of land use in Mongolia. Grazing impact on plant productivity has frequently been studied, but effects on dispersal modes are largely unknown. We assessed the relative importance of zoochorous dispersal for several species but focused on the dominant fodder grasses Agropyron cristatum and Stipa krylovii. We searched for seeds in the fur of goats and sheep, but also experimentally attached diaspores and monitored retention. Endozoochory was tested by incubating faecal samples under standardised conditions. Lab experiments on zoochory, anemochory and hydrochory supplemented the field studies. Seed retention in sheep fur was consistently good, and seeds stayed in the fur for hours or even days. Endozoochory proved to be of minor importance, while hydrochory is possible but depends on rarely occurring surface floods. Modelling potential dispersal distances showed that anemochory over larger distances is hardly possible. Thus, long-distance dispersal largely depends on epizoochory, as herds of sheep and goats cover up to 15 km per day and conduct long-range migrations in years of drought. In terms of seed retention potential, goats are relatively poor vectors, which is of concern due to their relative and absolute share of Mongolian livestock herds having dramatically increased in recent years.

Maternal vitamin status contributes to clinical spontaneous abortion, but the role of B-vitamin and homocysteine status in subclinical early pregnancy loss is unknown. Three-hundred sixty-four textile workers from Anqing, China, who conceived at least once during prospective observation (1996-1998), provided daily urine specimens for up to 1 year, and urinary human chorionic gonadotropin was assayed to detect conception and early pregnancy loss. Homocysteine, folate, and vitamins B6 and B12 were measured in preconception plasma. Relative to women in the lowest quartile of vitamin B6, those in the third and fourth quartiles had higher adjusted proportional hazard ratios of conception (hazard ratio (HR)=2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 3.4; HR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.3, respectively), and the adjusted odds ratio for early pregnancy loss in conceptive cycles was lower in the fourth quartile (odds ratio=0.5, 95% CI: 0.3, 1.0). Women with sufficient vitamin B6 had a higher adjusted hazard ratio of conception (HR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.9) and a lower adjusted odds ratio of early pregnancy loss in conceptive cycles (odds ratio=0.7, 95% CI: 0.4, 1.1) than did women with vitamin B6 deficiency. Poor vitamin B6 status appears to decrease the probability of conception and to contribute to the risk of early pregnancy loss in this population.

Pomegranate is a rich source of polyphenols. Laboratory studies suggest polyphenols may exert breast cancer preventive effects through modulation of endogenous sex hormone levels. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pomegranate juice consumption on serum levels of estradiol, estrone, testosterone, androstenedione, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Sixty-four healthy postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to drink 8 ounces of either 100% commercial pomegranate juice (intervention) or apple juice (control) for 3 weeks. Overall, women in the intervention group did not experience any significant decline in serum sex hormones or SHBG compared to women in the control group. In subgroup analyses restricted to 38 normal weight women, women in the intervention group compared to control group had a significant decline in estrone (pg/mL) and testosterone levels (pg/mL): pomegranate: -61.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): -175.8 to 52.6), apple: 1.1 (95% CI: -5.4 to 7.7), P = 0.05, and pomegranate: -289.1 (95% CI: -630.7 to 52.5), apple: 79.6 (95% CI: -77.8 to 236.9), P = 0.03, respectively. Because of several study limitations, results should be considered preliminary. Additional larger trials would be needed to determine effects in normal versus overweight/obese women.

Background Comprehensive biotic surveys, or 'all taxon biodiversity inventories' (ATBI), have traditionally been limited in scale or scope due to the complications surrounding specimen sorting and species identification. To circumvent these issues, several ATBI projects have successfully integrated DNA barcoding into their identification procedures and witnessed acceleration in their surveys and subsequent increase in project scope and scale. The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario partnered with the rare Charitable Research Reserve and delegates of the 6th International Barcode of Life Conference to complete its own rapid, barcode-assisted ATBI of an established land trust in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. New information The existing species inventory for the rare Charitable Research Reserve was rapidly expanded by integrating a DNA barcoding workflow with two surveying strategies - a comprehensive sampling scheme over four months, followed by a one-day bioblitz involving international taxonomic experts. The two surveys resulted in 25,287 and 3,502 specimens barcoded, respectively, as well as 127 human observations. This barcoded material, all vouchered at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario collection, covers 14 phyla, 29 classes, 117 orders, and 531 families of animals, plants, fungi, and lichens. Overall, the ATBI documented 1,102 new species records for the nature reserve, expanding the existing long-term inventory by 49%. In addition, 2,793 distinct Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) were assigned to genus or higher level taxonomy, and represent additional species that will be added once their taxonomy is resolved. For the 3,502 specimens, the collection, sequence analysis, taxonomic assignment, data release and manuscript submission by 100+ co-authors all occurred in less than one week. This demonstrates the speed at which barcode-assisted inventories can be completed and the utility that barcoding provides in minimizing and guiding valuable taxonomic specialist time. The final product is more than a comprehensive biotic inventory - it is also a rich dataset of finescale occurrence and sequence data, all archived and cross-linked in the major biodiversity data repositories. This model of rapid generation and dissemination of essential biodiversity data could be followed to conduct regional assessments of biodiversity status and change, and potentially be employed for evaluating progress towards the Aichi Targets of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Fil: Telfer, Angela C.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Young, Monica R.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Quinn, Jenna. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Perez, Kate. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Sobel, Crystal N.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Sones, Jayme E.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Levesque Beaudin, Valerie. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Derbyshire, Rachael. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Fernandez Triana, Jose. No especifíca; Fil: Rougerie, Rodolphe. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Francia Fil: Thevanayagam, Abinah. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Boskovic, Adrian. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Borisenko, Alex V.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Cadel, Alex. University of Waterloo; Canadá Fil: Brown, Allison. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Pages, Anais. Université Montpellier II; Francia Fil: Castillo, Anibal H.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Nicolai, Annegret. Universite de Rennes I; Francia Fil: Mockford, Barb Mockford Glenn. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Bukowski Loináz, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina Fil: Wilson, Bill. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Trojahn, Brock. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Lacroix, Carole Ann. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Brimblecombe, Chris. The University of Waikato; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Hay, Christoper. Western University; Canadá Fil: Ho, Christmas. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Steinke, Claudia. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Warne, Connor P.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Cortes, Cristina Garrido. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Engelking, Daniel. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Wright, Danielle. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Lijtmaer, Dario Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina Fil: Gascoigne, David. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Martich, David Hernandez. Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo.; República Dominicana Fil: Morningstar, Derek. No especifíca; Fil: Neumann, Dirk. Zoologische Staatssammlung Muenchen; Alemania Fil: Steinke, Dirk. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: DeBruin, Donna DeBruin Marco. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Dobias, Dylan. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Sears, Elizabeth. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Richard, Ellen. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Damstra, Emily. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Zakharov, Evgeny V.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Laberge, Frederic. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Collins, Gemma E.. The University of Waikato; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Blagoev, Gergin A.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Grainge, Gerrie. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Ansell, Graham. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Meredith, Greg. Grand River Conservation Authority; Canadá Fil: Hogg, Ian. The University of Waikato; Nueva Zelanda Fil: McKeown, Jaclyn. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Topan, Janet. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Bracey, Jason. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Guenther, Jerry. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Sills-Gilligan, Jesse. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Addesi, Joseph. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Persi, Joshua. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Layton, Kara K.S.. University of Western Australia; Australia Fil: D'Souza, Kareina. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Dorji, Kencho. National Biodiversity Centre; Bután Fil: Grundy, Kevin. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Nghidinwa, Kirsti. Ministry of Environment and Tourism; Namibia Fil: Ronnenberg, Kylee. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Lee, Kyung Min. University of Oulu; Finlandia Fil: Xie, Linxi. Western University; Canadá Fil: Lu, Liuqiong. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Penev, Lyubomir. Pensoft; Bulgaria Fil: Gonzalez, Mailyn. No especifíca; Fil: Rosati, Margaret E.. National Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos Fil: Kekkonen, Mari. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Kuzmina, Maria. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Iskandar, Marianne. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Mutanen, Marko. University of Oulu; Finlandia Fil: Fatahi, Maryam. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Pentinsaari, Mikko. University of Oulu; Finlandia Fil: Bauman, Miriam. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Nikolova, Nadya. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Ivanova, Natalia V.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Jones, Nathaniel. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Weerasuriya, Nimalka. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Monkhouse, Norman. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Lavinia Oblanca, Pablo Damián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina Fil: Jannetta, Paul. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Hanisch, Priscila Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina Fil: McMullin, R. Troy. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Flores, Rafael Ojeda. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México Fil: Mouttet, Raphaëlle. Laboratoire de la Santé des Végétaux; Francia Fil: Vender, Reid. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Labbee, Renee N.. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Forsyth, Robert. New Brunswick Museum; Canadá Fil: Lauder, Rob. London Homeopathy; Canadá Fil: Dickson, Ross. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Kroft, Ruth. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Miller, Scott E.. National Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos Fil: MacDonald, Shannon. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Panthi, Sishir. Ministry Of Forests And Soil Conservation; Nepal Fil: Pedersen, Stephanie. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Sobek-Swant, Stephanie. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Naik, Suresh. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Lipinskaya, Tatsiana. National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; Bielorrusia Fil: Eagalle, Thanushi. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Decaëns, Thibaud. Université Montpellier II; Francia Fil: Kosuth, Thibault. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Braukmann, Thomas. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Woodcock, Tom. Rare Charitable Research Reserve; Canadá Fil: Roslin, Tomas. University of Helsinki; Finlandia Fil: Zammit, Tony. Grand River Conservation Authority; Canadá Fil: Campbell, Victoria. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Vlad Dinca. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Peneva, Vlada. Bulgarian Academy Of Sciences; Bulgaria Fil: Hebert, Paul David Neil. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: deWaard, Jeremy R.. University of Guelph; Canadá

Depression is the leading cause of disease burden in U.S. women of reproductive age. Inflammation is associated with depression, yet the mechanism for this association remains unclear. Additionally...

Objectives: Obesity is a complex trait that is affected by both environmental and genetic risk factors. The β3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) is expressed in adipose tissue and plays a role in energy metabolism. A missense mutation on codon 64 of this gene (W64R) is associated with receptor malfunction. Previous studies examining the relation between this polymorphism and obesity produced inconsistent findings. The current study assessed the association between the W64R genotype and obesity-related phenotypes, including body weight, BMI, and serum triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose. Research Methods and Procedures: We determined the ADRB3 W64R genotypes and fasting serum lipid and glucose concentrations for 695 hypertensive adults (336 men, 359 women) from a rural county in Anhui Province, China. Multivariate linear regression models were fit to detect associations between the genetic polymorphism and obesity-related phenotypes. Results: The ADRB3 W64R polymorphism was significantly associated with body weight and BMI in men but not in women. After controlling for potential confounding variables, men who were homozygous for the R64 allele were 11.8 kg heavier (p < 0.001) and had a BMI that was 3.7 kg/m2 greater (p = 0.001) than men who were homozygous for the W64 allele. Serum concentrations of lipids and glucose were found not associated with the genetic polymorphism. Discussion: The ADRB3 R64 allele was associated with increased body weight and BMI in men but not in women. The genetic association was not modified by triglyceride, cholesterol, blood glucose, or blood pressure levels of the subjects.

Background: The associations between homocysteine, B vitamin status, and pregnancy outcomes have not been examined prospectively. Objective: We assessed the associations of preconception homocysteine and B vitamin status with preterm birth and birth of lowbirth-weight (LBW) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants in Chinese women. Design: This was a case-control study of women aged 21‐34 y. Preterm cases (n = 29) delivered living infants at < 37 wk gestation; term controls (n = 405) delivered infants at ≥ 37 wk. LBW cases (n = 33) had infants weighing < 2500 g; normal-birth-weight controls (n = 390) had infants weighing ≥ 2500 g. SGA cases (n = 65) had infants below the 10th percentile of weight-forgestational-age; appropriate-for-gestational-age controls (n = 358) had infants above this cutoff. Nonfasting plasma concentrations of homocysteine, folate, and vitamins B-6 and B-12 were measured before conception. Results: Elevated homocysteine (≥ 12.4 � mol/L) was associated with a nearly 4-fold higher risk of preterm birth (OR: 3.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 10.0; P < 0.05). The risk of preterm birth was 60% lower among women with vitamin B-12 ≥ 258 pmol/L than among vitamin B-12‐deficient women (OR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.9; P < 0.05) and was 50% lower among women with vitamin B-6 ≥ 30 nmol/L than among vitamin B-6‐deficient women (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.2, 1.2; NS). Folate status was not associated with preterm birth, and homocysteine and B vitamin status were not associated with LBW or SGA status. Conclusions: Elevated homocysteine and suboptimal vitamin B-12 and B-6 status may increase the risk of preterm birth. These results need to be confirmed in larger prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76:1385‐91.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between preconception homocysteine and B vitamin status and risk of clinical spontaneous abortion in women from Anqing, China. METHODS: All women were aged 21–34 years, had never smoked, and were primigravid. Patients ( n = 49) were women with a clinically recognized pregnancy who experienced a fetal death before 100 days’ gestation. Controls ( n = 409) were women who maintained a pregnancy that ended in a live birth. Homocysteine, folate, and vitamins B 6 and B 12 concentrations were measured in plasma obtained before conception. RESULTS: Mean vitamin B 6 concentration was lower in patients than in controls (34.0 versus 37.9 nmol/L, P = .04). In addition, the risk of spontaneous abortion tended to increase with decreasing plasma vitamin B 6 and folate concentration ( P for trend = .06 and .07, respectively), although the significance of these trends was further reduced in logistic models that included age, body mass index, and both vitamins. The risk of spontaneous abortion was four-fold higher among women with suboptimal plasma concentrations of both folate and vitamin B 6 (folate less than or equal to 8.4 nmol/L and vitamin B 6 less than or equal to 49 nmol/L) than in those with higher plasma concentrations of both vitamins (odds ratio 4.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2, 14.4). Homocysteine and vitamin B 12 status were not associated with spontaneous abortion risk. CONCLUSION: Suboptimal preconception folate and vitamin B 6 status, especially when they occur together, may increase the risk of clinical spontaneous abortion. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether antenatal B vitamin supplementation reduces spontaneous abortion risk.

Introduction It is estimated that up to 75% of premenopausal women experience at least one premenstrual symptom and 8-20% meet clinical criteria for premenstrual syndrome. Premenstrual syndrome substantially reduces quality of life for many women of reproductive age, with pharmaceutical treatments having limited efficacy and substantial side effects. Physical activity has been recommended as a method of reducing menstrual symptom severity. However, this recommendation is based on relatively little evidence, and the relationship between physical activity, premenstrual symptoms, and premenstrual syndrome remains unclear. Methods We evaluated the relationship between physical activity and premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual symptoms among 414 women aged 18-31. Usual premenstrual symptom experience was assessed with a modified version of the Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences. Total, physical, and affective premenstrual symptom scores were calculated for all participants. Eighty women met criteria for moderate-to-severe premenstrual syndrome, while 89 met control criteria. Physical activity, along with dietary and lifestyle factors, was assessed by self-report. Results Physical activity was not significantly associated with total, affective, or physical premenstrual symptom score. Compared to the women with the lowest activity, women in tertiles 2 and 3 of activity, classified as metabolic equivalent task hours, had prevalence odds ratios for premenstrual syndrome of 1.5 (95% CI: 0.6-3.7) and 0.9 (95% CI: 0.4-2.4), respectively (p-value for trend = 0.85). Conclusions We found no association between physical activity and either premenstrual symptom scores or the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome.

Tofu is a commonly consumed food in China. Tofu may interfere with lead absorption and retention because of its high calcium content. In this observational study, the authors examined whether dietary tofu intake was associated with blood lead levels among young adults in Shenyang, China. The analyses included 605 men and 550 women who completed baseline questionnaires and had blood lead measurements taken in 1996-1998 as part of a prospective cohort study on reproductive health. Mean blood lead levels were 13.2 microg/dl in men and 10.1 microg/dl in women. Blood lead levels were negatively associated with tofu intake in both genders. A linear trend test showed a 3.7% (0.5-microg/dl) decrease in blood lead level with each higher category of tofu intake (p = 0.003). The highest tofu intake group (> or =750 g/week) had blood lead levels 11.3% lower (95% confidence interval: 4.1, 18.0) than those of the lowest tofu intake group (

The brain specific angiogenesis inhibitor I-associated protein 3 (Baiap3) is a member of the mammalian uncoordinated-13 (Munc13) protein family of synaptic regulators of neurotransmitter exocytosis. Baiap3 has a striking expression pattern in amygdalae, hypothalamus and periaqueductal gray. We identify Baiap3 as a first genetic risk marker for anxiety and benzodiazepine use disorder in mice and humans. Deletion of Baiap3 in mice leads to enhanced seizure propensity and increased anxiety, the latter being more pronounced in female than in male animals. We further identify human BAIAP3 risk genotypes that show a significant association with anxiety in women and, surprisingly, with benzodiazepine abuse in men. Returning to mice, we find that male, but not female Baiap3 knockout (KO) mice develop tolerance to diazepam more quickly than control animals. Analysis of cultured Baiap3 KO hypothalamus slices reveals an increase in basal network activity and an altered response to diazepam. Thus, Baiap3/BAIAP3 is the first gene shown to be gender-specifically associated with increased anxiety and benzodiazepine abuse in mice and humans. Further analysis of Baiap3/BAIAP3-related functions may therefore help elucidate mechanisms underlying the development of both disorders.

To investigate the association between exposure to second stage of labor and duration of second stage, and risk of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) among infants delivered30 weeks of gestation.We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 158 singleton vertex deliveries (97 vaginal and 61 cesarean). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk of IVH related to second stage.Infants exposed to second stage as compared to those not exposed to second stage irrespective of their mode of delivery had increased risk of mild IVH (odds ratio [OR] 2.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15, 6.29) but not of severe IVH (OR 1.14; 95% CI 0.33, 3.84). No relation with risk of mild (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.95, 1.01) and severe (OR 1.00; 95% CI 0.95, 1.05) IVH was observed for each 1 min increase in duration of second stage. We also observed no significant association between quartiles of duration of second stage and risk of mild (p = 0.20) and severe (p = 0.29) IVH. We did not observe any significant interaction by gestational age, chorioamnionitis, birth weight or presenting complaint on admission.The risk of mild IVH was increased in those exposed to a second stage of labor. However, no clear association was observed between duration of second stage and mild or severe IVH.

Iron, potassium, zinc, and other minerals might impact the development of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) through multiple mechanisms, but few studies have evaluated these relations. We conducted a case-control study nested within the prospective Nurses' Health Study II (1991–2001). Participants were free from PMS at baseline. After 10 years, 1,057 women were confirmed as PMS cases and 1,968 as controls. Mineral intake was assessed using food frequency questionnaires completed in 1991, 1995, and 1999. After adjustment for calcium intake and other factors, women in the highest quintile of nonheme iron intake had a relative risk of PMS of 0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44, 0.92; P for trend = 0.04) compared with women in the lowest quintile. Women in the highest quintile of potassium intake had a relative risk of 1.46 (95% CI: 0.99, 2.15; P for trend = 0.04) compared with women in the lowest quintile. High intake of zinc from supplements was marginally associated with PMS (for intake of ≥25 mg/day vs. none, relative risk = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.46, 1.02; P for trend = 0.05). Intakes of sodium, magnesium, and manganese were unrelated to PMS risk. These findings suggest that dietary minerals may be useful in preventing PMS. Additional studies are needed to confirm these relations.

Since adoption of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) in the early 1990s, there has been a fundamental shift in forest management practices on federal lands in western Oregon and Washington. Commodity driven clearcut regeneration harvests have given way to thinnings intended to enhance development of late-successional forest habitats and to conserve important aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Density Management in the 21st Century: West Side Story presents abstracts and peer reviewed papers from a regional conference highlighting more than twenty years of research related to forest thinning in the NWFP area. Presentations from the BLM Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study provide a focal point, with presentations from additional studies providing for a more complete overview of the west-side thinning science. The contributions are organized as five topical themes: The Regional and Landscape Context for Density Management in the Northwest Forest Plan Era; Implementation and Influences of Density Management in the Terrestrial Ecosystem; Riparian and Aquatic Ecosystems and their Responses to Thinning and Buffers; Socioeconomics and Operations; and Thinning and Adaptation. Collectively, the contributions summarize many important forest dynamics and ecosystem responses to partial overstory removals. Interactions between aquatic and riparian ecosystem conservation measures and upland harvest are emphasized. Targeting resource management practitioners, decision-makers and researchers, the collected works provide a reference to the current and future roles and issues of density management as a tool for forest ecosystem management.

Background: Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin B-12 are required to synthesize neurotransmitters that are potentially involved in the pathophysiology of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Objective: The objective was to evaluate whether B vitamin intake from food sources and supplements is associated with the initial development of PMS. Design: We conducted a case-control study nested within the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. Participants were free of PMS at baseline (1991). After 10 y of follow up, 1057 women were confirmed as cases and 1968 were confirmed as controls. Dietary information was collected in 1991, 1995, and 1999 by using food-frequency questionnaires. Results: Intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food sources were each inversely associated with incident PMS. For example, women in the highest quintile of riboflavin intake 2‐4 y before the diagnosis year had a 35% lower risk of developing PMS than did those in the lowest quintile (relative risk: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.92; P for trend = 0.02). No significant associations between incident PMS and dietary intakes of niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin B-12 were observed. Intake of B vitamins from supplements was not associated with a lower risk of PMS. Conclusions: We observed a significantly lower risk of PMS in women with high intakes of thiamine and riboflavin from food sources only. Further research is needed to evaluate the effects of B vitamins in the development of premenstrual syndrome. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:1080‐6.

High dietary intake of vitamin D may reduce the risk of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), perhaps by affecting calcium levels, cyclic sex steroid hormone fluctuations, and/or neurotransmitter function. Only a small number of previous studies have evaluated this relationship and none have focused on young women. We assessed this relationship in a cross-sectional analysis within the UMass Vitamin D Status Study. Between 2006 and 2008, 186 women aged 18-30 (mean age=21.6 years) completed a validated food frequency questionnaire, additional questionnaires to assess menstrual symptoms and other health and lifestyle factors, and provided a fasting blood sample collected during the late luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Among all study participants, results suggested the possibility of an inverse association between intake of vitamin D from food sources and overall menstrual symptom severity, though were not statistically significant; mean intakes in women reporting menstrual symptom severity of none/minimal, mild, and moderate/severe were 253, 214, and 194 IU/day, respectively (P=0.18). From among all study participants, 44 women meeting standard criteria for PMS and 46 women meeting control criteria were included in additional case-control analyses. In these women, after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking status and total calcium intake, higher intake of vitamin D from foods was associated with a significant lower prevalence of PMS. Women reporting vitamin D intake from food sources of >or=100 IU/day had a prevalence odds ratio of 0.31 compared to those reporting

Prenatal anemia and iron deficiency are associated with adverse birth outcomes, but no previous studies have examined the relation between preconception anemia, iron deficiency, and pregnancy outcome in healthy women. We measured hemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, transferrin receptor (TfR), and vitamins B-6, B-12, and folate concentrations before pregnancy in 405 Chinese women (median time from sample collection to gestation end = 316 d). Both mild (95/= Hb120 g/L) and moderate (Hb95 g/L) anemia were significantly associated with lower birthweight (139 and 192 g, respectively); iron-deficiency anemia alone (Hb120 g, ferritin12 microg/L, no B-vitamin deficiency) was associated with a 242-g decrease in birthweight. Both low (12 microg/L) and high (/=60 microg/L) ferritin were also significantly associated with lower birthweight (106 and 123 g, respectively). The risks of low birthweight (LBW) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) were significantly greater among women with moderate anemia compared with nonanemic controls [odds ratio (OR): 6.5; 95% CI: 1.6, 26.7; P = 0.009 and OR: 4.6; 95% CI: 1.5, 13.5; P = 0.006, respectively]. TfR and low ferritin were not associated with adverse birth outcome, but elevated ferritin, which could be a marker of inflammation, was associated with increased risk of LBW (OR: 2.2; 95% CI: 0.9, 5.7; P = 0.09) and FGR (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.3, 5.6; P = 0.008). Preconception anemia, particularly iron-deficiency anemia, was associated with reduced infant growth and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in Chinese women.

Low maternal prepregnancy BMI is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the BMI at which risk increases is not well defined. We assessed whether the relationship between prepregnancy BMI and birth outcomes is influenced by the extent to which mothers were underweight in a prospective study in Anhui, China. The women (n = 575) were 20-34 y old, married, nulliparous and nonsmokers. All measures of infant growth increased with increasing maternal BMI until a plateau was reached at a BMI of 22-23 kg/m2. Infants born to the 27% of women who were severely underweight before pregnancy (BMI < or = 18.5 kg/m2) were at increased risk for fetal growth deficits associated with infant morbidity. Compared with a normal BMI, being severely underweight was associated with mean (+/- SEM) reductions of 219 +/- 40 g in infant birthweight and 6.7 +/- 1.3% in the birthweight ratio and an 80% increase in risk of intrauterine growth restriction [odds ratio (OR) 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0, 3.3; P = 0.05]. Being severely underweight was also associated with smaller infant head circumference and lower ponderal index. Being moderately underweight (18.5 < BMI < 19.8 kg/m2) was not significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Gestational age and risk of preterm birth were not associated with maternal BMI. More than half of the women in this study were underweight before pregnancy. Although being moderately underweight was not associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, being severely underweight was an important risk factor for reduced fetal growth.

Purpose Essential hypertension, as a complex disorder with unknown etiology cause, is a major public health problem worldwide. Patients need constant drug therapy to maintain their blood pressure in a normal range. However, the current facts suggest that the treatment is not optimized in a large number of patients, and as a result they are at risk for compliance resulting in uncontrolled blood pressure. Genetic and environmental factors associated with individual variation in response to anti-hypertensive drug remain largely unknown. Methods In order to illustrate the existence and to attempt to identify the factors modifying drug effect, we conducted a large-scale follow-up study in two Chinese rural counties differing in both genetic background and residential environment. Hypertensive patients were treated with benazepril, a commonly used angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, for 15 days, and the end-point effect was evaluated. Results We found that there were large and significant differences in drug response between subjects from two counties, even after adjustment for known factors. The responses to benazepril, measured in diastolic blood pressure drop, in male patients from Yuexi was twice as effective as their counterparts from Huoqiu. Conclusions These results suggest that adjustment of treatment regimen is necessary to improve efficacy, and it could be done at the population level to make it more feasible and affordable.