Low intensity exercise and varying proportions of dietary glucose and fat modify milk and mammary gland compositions and pup growth.

Exercise during pregnancy or lactation may create a competition for glucose between the exercising muscle and either the developing fetus or the lactating mammary gland. To test these two hypotheses, pregnant rats were randomly assigned to isoenergetic diets with varying levels of glucose (20, 40 or 60% by weight) and fat (30, 22 or 14%, respectively, by weight) and were rested (R) or exercised (E) on a motorized treadmill at 20 m/min, 60 min/d (low intensity), 7 d/wk throughout pregnancy and lactation. Main effects and selected interactions of diet and exercise during pregnancy and diet, exercise and litter size during lactation were tested using 3 x 2 and 3 x 2 x 2 factorial designs, respectively. Neither diet nor exercise affected pregnancy outcomes. In contrast, during lactation, milk and mammary gland compositions and pup growth were altered. Exercise produced higher milk protein concentrations (40% glucose diet) and lower milk lactose concentrations (20% glucose diet). Exercise also lowered mammary gland fat content and produced higher milk fat concentrations. The 60% glucose diet resulted in the highest milk fat concentrations, but pups of dams fed the 40% diet were heavier on lactation d 15 than pups of dams fed the 60% diet. Taken together, these results support the claim of decreased availability of glucose to the mammary gland for lactose synthesis during chronic low intensity exercise. Additionally, the best lactation performance was not supported by a high carbohydrate (60% glucose), lower fat (14%) intake. A more moderate carbohydrate (40% glucose), higher fat (22%) intake promoted greater pup weights at weaning, suggesting an overlooked role for macronutrient composition in optimizing lactation performance.     

Perceptions of commercial snack food and beverages for infant and young child feeding: A mixed‐methods study among caregivers in Kathmandu Valley,Nepal

Ensuring nutritious complementary feeding is vital for child nutrition. Prior research in Kathmandu Valley found high consumption rates of commercially produced snack foods among young children, which are often energy‐dense/nutrient poor. This mixed‐methods study was conducted to elicit Nepali caregivers' perceptions of commercial snack foods and beverages and factors influencing their use for young child feeding. Seven facilitated focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with Kathmandu Valley caregivers of children 12–23 months, and a survey of 745 primary caregivers of children 12–23 months of age was then conducted. During the FGD, caregivers reported commonly providing commercial food and beverage products to their children as snacks, and 98.6% of caregivers participating in the survey reported feeding their child such a food in the previous week. Because of processing and packaging, snack foods were not trusted by many FGD participants and considered as “junk foods” and not healthy for children. However, commercial snack foods were consistently ranked highly on convenience, both because of minimal preparation and ease of feeding; 48.5% of all surveyed caregivers reported providing a snack food because of convenience. Other family members' diets or provision of snack foods as treats also influenced children's consumption of these snack foods and beverages. This study indicates that caregivers of young children prefer snack options that are nutrient rich; however, this may conflict with preferences for foods that require minimal preparation and are appealing to young children. Such findings carry programmatic implications for interventions aiming to address children's diet quality in urban Nepal.     

Assessing Generalization of the Picture Exchange Communication System in Children with Autism

Since its introduction to the field, a growing body of research on the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has demonstrated its efficacy for children with autism in research settings. However, knowledge of PECS generalization remains limited and mixed. The present study explored a train and probe technique of assessing generalization after each phase of PECS training. Four children with autism were taught PECS in treatment rooms with a therapist at their behavioral treatment program. Generalization was assessed in a playroom with a therapist, at home with a therapist and parent, and in the community with a stranger. Results indicated that all four participants generalized PECS use across settings and people and maintained PECS use at follow-up. Findings provide support for the utility of a train and probe technique to assess generalization when using PECS with children with autism.     

Role of AT2 receptors in the cardioprotective effect of AT1 antagonists in mice

Angiotensin II (Ang II) acts mainly on two receptor subtypes: AT1 and AT2. Most of the known biological actions of Ang II are mediated by AT1 receptors; however, the role of AT2 receptors remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that the cardioprotective effects of AT1 receptor antagonists (AT1-ant) after myocardial infarction (MI) are partially mediated by activation of AT2 receptors; thus in AT2 receptor gene knockout mice (AT2-/Y), the effect of AT1-ant will be diminished or absent. MI was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Four weeks later, AT2-/Y and their wild-type littermates (AT2+/Y) were started on vehicle, AT1-ant (valsartan, 50 mg/kg per day), or ACE inhibitor (enalapril, 20 mg/kg per day) for 20 weeks. Basal blood pressure and cardiac function as well as remodeling after MI did not differ between AT2+/Y and AT2-/Y. AT1-ant increased ejection fraction and cardiac output and decreased left ventricular diastolic dimension, myocyte cross-sectional area, and interstitial collagen deposition in AT2+/Y, and these effects were significantly diminished in AT2-/Y. ACE inhibitors improved cardiac function and remodeling similarly in both strains. We concluded that (1) activation of AT2 during AT1 blockade plays an important role in the therapeutic effect of AT1-ant and (2) the AT2 receptor may not play an important role in regulation of cardiac function, either under basal conditions after MI remodeling or in the therapeutic effect of ACE inhibitors.     

An assessment of linezolid utilization in selected canadian provinces.

BACKGROUND: Linezolid is approved for the treatment of designated infections caused by methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. OBJECTIVE: To characterize linezolid utilization since its launch in Canada in 2001. METHODS: Demographics, antimicrobial regimens, and clinical and resource utilization data for linezolid-treated patients were collected retrospectively by hospital pharmacists at nine tertiary care hospitals in four provinces. Statistics describing linezolid utilization were calculated and the appropriateness of use was assessed according to a treatment algorithm based on recommendations of the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Specialty Network in 2001. RESULTS: Ninety-nine linezolid courses were prescribed for 103 infections in 95 patients (mean age 57.8 years, 52.6% male) with an average length of hospital stay of 40.6 days. Fifty-three per cent of patients had an allergy to at least one antibiotic other than linezolid. The major use of linezolid was for treatment of skin and soft tissue infections (32.0%), followed by bacteremia (15.5%). The most prevalent pathogen was methicillin-resistant S aureus, identified in 44.7% of infections. Linezolid was primarily prescribed as the oral form following other intravenous anti-infectives (55.6% of courses) for an average duration of 14.4 days. The rate of appropriate utilization was 53% (range 25% to 75% by site). In 93.5% of courses deemed inappropriate, recommended first-line therapies were not attempted before linezolid. CONCLUSIONS: Linezolid was prescribed appropriately in approximately one-half of cases reviewed. The rate of appropriate utilization is similar to those rates reported in other Canadian antibiotic reviews.