Exploring the relationship between maternal iron status and offspring's blood pressure and adiposity: a Mendelian randomization study

Background: iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. Experimental animal studies suggest that mothers deficient in iron during pregnancy are more likely to have offspring who become obese with high blood pressure. C282Y mutation carriers are more likely to have higher iron stores.Methods: we undertook an instrumental variable (IV) analysis, using maternal C282Y as an indicator for the mother’s iron status, to examine its association with offspring blood pressure (BP), waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI), and compared the results to that of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Offspring of a sub-cohort of mothers from the UK Women’s Cohort Study (UKWCS) were recruited in 2009–2010 (n = 348, mean age = 41 years). Their blood pressure, height, and weight were measured at their local general medical practice, and they were asked to self-measure their waist circumference. About half were offspring of C282Y carriers. Maternal ferritin was used as a biomarker of maternal iron status.Results: maternal C282Y was strongly associated with maternal ferritin (mean difference per allele = 84 g/L, 95% confidence interval: 31–137, P = 0.002). Using IV analyses, maternal ferritin was not linked to offspring’s BP, BMI, or WC. The first stage F-statistic for the strength of the instrument was 10 (Kleibergen–Paap rk LM P = 0.009). Maternal ferritin was linked to offspring diastolic BP, WC, and BMI in univariable, but not in multivariable OLS analysis. There was no difference between the OLS and the IV models coefficients for any of the outcomes considered.Conclusion: we found no association between maternal iron status and adult offspring’s BP and adiposity using both multivariable OLS and IV modeling. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining this relationship. Further exploration in larger studies that have genetic variation assessed in both mother and offspring should be considere

Comparison of school day eating behaviours of 8–11 year old children from Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England

Abstract: Objective: School food intake makes a considerable contribution to children’s overall diet, especially fruit and vegetable intake. Comparing differing school food provision systems can provide novel insights for intervention and improved nutrition policy. This study compared school day food in children from Australia and England. Design: Children completed food frequency questionnaires reporting school day food intake, breakfast intake and family evening meals. Differences in school day food intake consumed between Australia and England were evaluated. Multinomial logistic regressions compared fruit and vegetable intake, family dinner frequency and breakfast in Australian and English children adjusting for confounders: Age, sex, ethnicity and parent education. Setting: 27 Primary schools in Adelaide, Australia and 32 in London, England. Subjects: N = 772 children aged 8–11 years from the Australian REACH study (n = 347) and UK RHS School Gardening Trial in England (n = 425). Results: Considerably more English children reported consuming vegetables at school than Australian children (recess/lunchtime Australian children 3.4/6.1%; English children recess/lunctime 3.6/51.1%). However, Australian children were more likely to consume vegetables daily (OR = 4.1; 1.3, 12.5), and have family evening meals everyday [OR = 4.01; 1.88, 8.55], and were less likely to consume breakfast (OR = 0.26; 0.08, 0.79) than English children. Conclusions: Findings indicate that provision of a school lunch meal, compared to a packed lunch from home, may be more supportive of children’s vegetable intake. However, without a supportive home environment that encourages vegetable intake, children will not be able to consume sufficient amounts of vegetables

Positron and positronium affinities in the work-formalism Hartree-Fock approximation

Positron binding to anions is investigated within the work formalism proposed by Harbola and Sahni for the halide anions and the systems Li^- through O^- excluding Be^- and N^-. The toal ground-state energies of the anion-positron bound systems are empirically found to be an upper bound to the Hartree-Fock energies. The computed expectation values as well as positron and positronium affinities are in good agreement with their restricted Hartree-Fock counterparts. Binding of a positron to neutral species is also investigated using an iterative method.Comment: 12 pages, to appear in Physical Review

Offender outcomes of training dogs in prison : the Puppies for Parole program

Poster and abstract"Puppies for Parole" is a rehabilitation program based on human-animal interaction (HAI) in the prison. Puppies for Parole aims to reduce the number of homeless canines by producing loving, obedient, and adoptable dogs. Inmates may gain skills to support successful rehabilitation and community reentry

A survey of UK medical schools' arrangements for early patient contact

Background: Many U.K. medical schools have patient contact in the first two years of the undergraduate course. Aim: To compare the purposes and organization of early patient contact in UK medical schools and to relate these arrangements to the schools' curricular objectives. Methods: A telephone survey of lead educators in UK medicals schools. Categories of contact were plotted against phases of the course to discern patterns of organisation. Results: The quantity of contact varies considerably (four to 65 days). There is a pattern, with learning objectives around the social context of health and illness preceding skills based work and integrated clinical knowledge for practice coming later. Schools fall into three categories: close adherence to the preclinical/clinical split, with limited early contact acting as an introduction to social aspects of health; provision of substantial patient contact to maximize the integration of knowledge and skills; and transitional, with limited clinical goals. General practice provides between one third and one half of early patient contact. Conclusions: Arrangements meet the objectives set by each school and reflect differing educational philosophies. Change is toward more early contact. There appears to be no national guidance which supports a minimum quantity of patient contact or specific educational purpose in the early years of U.K. basic medical training

Markers of Maternal and Infant Metabolism are Associated with Ventricular Dysfunction in Infants of Obese Women with Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND To test the hypothesis that infants born to obese women with pregestational type 2 diabetes mellitus (IBDM) have ventricular dysfunction at one month that is associated with markers of maternal lipid and glucose metabolism. METHODS In a prospective observational study of IBDM (OB+DM, n=25), echocardiography measures of septal, left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function and structure were compared at one month of age to infants born to OB mothers without DM (OB, n=24), and non-OB without DM (Lean, n=23). Basal maternal lipid and glucose kinetics and maternal plasma and infant (cord) plasma were collected for hormone and cytokine analyses. RESULTS RV, LV, and septal strain measures were lower in the OB+DM infants vs. other groups, without evidence of septal hypertrophy. Maternal hepatic insulin sensitivity, maternal plasma free fatty acid concentration, and cord plasma insulin and leptin most strongly predicted decreased septal strain in the OB+DM infants. CONCLUSION IBDM’s have reduced septal function at one month in the absence of septal hypertrophy, which is associated with altered maternal and infant lipid and glucose metabolism. These findings suggest that maternal obesity and DM may have a prolonged impact on the cardiovascular health of their offspring, despite resolution of cardiac hypertrophy

Fast Purcell-enhanced single photon source in 1,550-nm telecom band from a resonant quantum dot-cavity coupling

High-bit-rate nanocavity-based single photon sources in the 1,550-nm telecom band are challenges facing the development of fibre-based long-haul quantum communication networks. Here we report a very fast single photon source in the 1,550-nm telecom band, which is achieved by a large Purcell enhancement that results from the coupling of a single InAs quantum dot and an InP photonic crystal nanocavity. At a resonance, the spontaneous emission rate was enhanced by a factor of 5 resulting a record fast emission lifetime of 0.2 ns at 1,550 nm. We also demonstrate that this emission exhibits an enhanced anti-bunching dip. This is the first realization of nanocavity-enhanced single photon emitters in the 1,550-nm telecom band. This coupled quantum dot cavity system in the telecom band thus provides a bright high-bit-rate non-classical single photon source that offers appealing novel opportunities for the development of a long-haul quantum telecommunication system via optical fibres.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Assessing the impact of care farms on quality of life and offending: a pilot study among probation service users in England

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of conducting a cost-effectiveness study of using care farms (CFs) to improve quality of life and reduce reoffending among offenders undertaking community orders (COs). To pilot questionnaires to assess quality of life, connection to nature, lifestyle behaviours, health and social-care use. To assess recruitment and retention at 6 months and feasibility of data linkage to Police National Computer (PNC) reconvictions data and data held by probation services. DESIGN: Pilot study using questionnaires to assess quality of life, individually linked to police and probation data. SETTING: The pilot study was conducted in three probation service regions in England. Each site included a CF and at least one comparator CO project. CFs are working farms used with a range of clients, including offenders, for therapeutic purposes. The three CFs included one aquaponics and horticulture social enterprise, a religious charity focusing on horticulture and a family-run cattle farm. Comparator projects included sorting secondhand clothes and activities to address alcohol misuse and anger management. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 134 adults (over 18) serving COs in England, 29% female. RESULTS: 52% of participants completed follow-up questionnaires. Privatisation of UK probation trusts in 2014 negatively impacted on recruitment and retention. Linkage to PNC data was a more successful means of follow-up, with 90% consenting to access their probation and PNC data. Collection of health and social-care costs and quality-adjusted life year derivation were feasible. Propensity score adjustment provided a viable comparison method despite differences between comparators. We found worse health and higher reoffending risk among CF participants due to allocation of challenging offenders to CFs, making risk of reoffending a confounder. CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment would be feasible in a more stable probation environment. Follow-up was challenging; however, assessing reconvictions from PNC data is feasible and a potential primary outcome for future studies