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•Intramammary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D increased serum Ca concentrations compared with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and placebo.•Intramammary 25-hydroxyvitamin D did not increase serum Ca ...concentration compared with placebo.•Intramammary 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D treatments increased milk somatic cell CYP24A1 and NOS2A expression.
Intramammary 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D) treatments stimulate immune defenses of the mammary gland. We hypothesized 25D treatment, in contrast to 1,25D, would exert activity in the mammary gland without affecting serum calcium. The objective was to determine the effect of dose and source of intramammary vitamin D treatments on milk somatic cell gene expression and serum calcium. Twenty lactating Holstein cows with somatic cell count <200,000 cells/mL of milk were used for the experiment. Cows were blocked by somatic cell count and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 intramammary treatments (n = 4 cows/treatment): placebo control (CNTRL; 0.4% Tween 20 in phosphate-buffered saline), 100 μg of 25D, 500 μg of 25D, 10 μg of 1,25D, or 50 μg of 1,25D. Treatments were administered in 2 ipsilateral quarters after milking. Blood samples were collected at 0, 12, 24, and 48 h for measurement of Ca and 1,25D. Milk samples were collected from each quarter at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h relative to the start of treatments for measurement of gene expression in milk somatic cells. The 1,25D treatments increased serum concentrations of 1,25D and Ca in a dose-dependent manner with maximum 1,25D and Ca concentrations of 199 ± 6 pg/mL and 2.73 ± 0.04 mM, respectively, observed for 50 μg of 1,25D cows compared with 59 ± 6 pg/mL and 2.54 mM, respectively, for CNTRL cows. The 25D treatments did not affect serum 1,25D and Ca compared with CNTRL. The 25D and 1,25D treatments increased mRNA transcripts for vitamin D 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1), inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2A), and chemokine C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL5) in a dose-dependent manner. The 50 μg of 1,25D treatment resulted in the greatest CYP24A1 expression (303-fold relative to CNTRL) at 6 h but was not different from CNTRL at 24 h. In contrast, CYP24A1 was 57-fold greater for cows that received 500 μg of 25D compared with CNTRL at 24 h. In conclusion, intramammary 25D treatment is effective at regulating gene expression in the mammary gland without systemic effects on serum 1,25D and Ca that occur with intramammary 1,25D treatment.
Background. Mycoplasma amphoriforme has been associated with infection in patients with primary antibody deficiency (PAD). Little is known about the natural history of infection with this organism ...and its ability to be transmitted in the community. Methods. The bacterial load was estimated in sequential sputum samples from 9 patients by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The genomes of all available isolates, originating from patients in the United Kingdom, France, and Tunisia, were sequenced along with the type strain. Genomic data were assembled and annotated, and a high-resolution phylogenetic tree was constructed. Results. By using high-resolution whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, we show that patients can be chronically infected with M. amphoriforme manifesting as a relapsing-remitting bacterial load, interspersed by periods when the organism is undetectable. Importantly, we demonstrate transmission of strains within a clinical environment. Antibiotic resistance mutations accumulate in isolates taken from patients who received multiple courses of antibiotics. Conclusions. Mycoplasma amphoriforme isolates form a closely related species responsible for a chronic relapsing and remitting infection in PAD patients in the United Kingdom and from immunocompetent patients in other countries. We provide strong evidence of transmission between patients attending the same clinic, suggesting that screening and isolation may be necessary for susceptible patients. This work demonstrates the critical role that WGS can play in rapidly unraveling the biology of a novel pathogen.
The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis suggests that intrauterine, infancy and early childhood variables play a key role at programming later health. However, little is known on ...the programming of behavioral variables, because most studies so far focused on chronic disease-related and human capital outcomes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of prenatal, infancy and childhood weight and length/height gains on objectively-measured physical activity (PA) in adolescence.
This is a prospective birth cohort study in Pelotas, Brazil, including 457 adolescents (mean age: 13.3 years) with weight and length/height data at birth, one, three and six months, one and four years of age. PA was measured using a GT1M Actigraph accelerometer, and expressed as (a) minutes per day spent on sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous and very-vigorous activities; (b) total counts per day.
61.3% of the adolescents accumulated 60+ minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA per day. Weight and length/height trajectories in infancy and childhood were similar between those classified as active or inactive at 13.3 years. However, those classified as inactive were heavier and taller at all ages; differences were statistically significant only in terms of length at three, six and 12 months.
Weight gain in infancy and childhood did not predict variability in adolescent PA, but those active in adolescence showed somewhat smaller average gains in length in infancy. These findings suggest that PA may partially be sensitive to early hormonal programming, or that genetic factors may affect both early growth and later metabolism or predisposition for PA.
•Fathers often lack professional and social support as they transition into fatherhood•Assessing fathers’ received professional and social support to reduce depression is rare, especially based on ...fathers’ parity•Fathers reported fewer depressive symptoms if they received support from midwives, child health nurses, and their partners (mothers)•While depression prevalence was the same for first-time and multi-time fathers, first-time fathers received more professional and social support than multi-time fathers•For improved public health and family outcomes, midwives and child health nurses should inform, screen, and intervene, e.g. by providing referrals to clinical professionals to all fathers, to help reduce paternal postnatal depression
: Fathers want more professional and social support during the transition to fatherhood. It is unclear if these supports are associated with decreased depressive symptoms in fathers of infants.
: The aim of the current study was to assess if fathers’ self-reported received professional and social support were related to changes in the odds for having depressive symptoms, with interaction terms focusing on differences of support based on the fathers’ parity.
: In total, 612 fathers from Sweden completed a Facebook-advertised anonymous online survey. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to detect depressive symptoms (≥10 points). Multiple imputation of missing data was performed. Logistic regressions were used, with interaction terms for fathers’ parity.
: Around 21% of fathers had depressive symptoms. There were no associations between depressive symptoms frequencies and paternal parity. Fathers reported fewer depressive symptoms when they received professional support from the prenatal midwife (OR = .39, p = .007), labor/birth midwife/nurse team (OR = .42, p = .021), and child health nurse (OR = .25, p = .001), as well as social support from their partner and if they had a higher income (odds ratios vary in different models). Multiparous fathers received significantly less professional and social support and were less frequently invited to child health visits than primiparous fathers.
: The data collected was cross-sectional; therefore, causal links cannot be determined.
: Both primiparous and multiparous fathers should receive postnatal depression screenings and interventions to help reduce their depressive symptoms.
Head Start preschool teachers are at risk for quitting their employment if they have negative job attitudes. Using a semi-structured interview guide, 20 Head Start preschool teachers were asked about ...their psychological job attitudes. The analyses indicated that preschool teachers' job attitudes were influenced by the amounts and types of support they received regarding their organizational regulations, workplace relationships, and the structural quality of their classrooms, with preschool teachers requiring the most support from their co-teacher and their center director, as well as for children with behavioral problems, and the time needed to complete their paperwork.
•Study of preschool teachers' psychological job attitudes on their teaching expectations.•Teaching expectations are growing.•Support received is often superficial and practically unhelpful.•When support is helpful, preschool teachers report improved job attitudes.•Not all support in needed equally.
Whole genome DNA microarrays were constructed and used to investigate genomic diversity in 18 Campylobacter jejuni strains from diverse sources. New algorithms were developed that dynamically ...determine the boundary between the conserved and variable genes. Seven hypervariable plasticity regions (PR) were identified in the genome (PR1 to PR7) containing 136 genes (50%) of the variable gene pool. When comparisons were made with the sequenced strain NCTC11168, the number of absent or divergent genes ranged from 2.6% (40 genes) to 10.2% (163) and in total 16.3% (269) of the genes were variable. PR1 contains genes important in the utilisation of alternative electron acceptors for respiration and may confer a selective advantage to strains in restricted oxygen environments. PR2, 3 and 7 contain many outer membrane and periplasmic proteins and hypothetical proteins of unknown function that might be linked to phenotypic variation and adaptation to different ecological niches. PR4, 5 and 6 contain genes involved in the production and modification of antigenic surface structures.
To assess if received professional and social support are associated with father-infant bonding among primiparous (first-time) and multiparous (multi-time) fathers.
Early father-infant bonding ...predicts several positive child outcomes. However, while received professional and social support positively impacts fathers’ transition into parenthood, little research has tested if these factors are associated with a stronger father-infant bond.
In total, 499 fathers (296 primiparous and 203 multiparous) of infants (aged 0–12 months) completed a cross-sectional online survey between November 2018 and March 2020. The survey included items related to socio-demographics, having a planned pregnancy, postnatal midwifery support, child health nurse support, child health center attendance, and social support. The parent-infant bonding questionnaire (PBQ) was used to assess the father-infant bond. Multiple linear regression models were estimated for the total sample and based on paternal parity. Missing data were managed through multiple imputation procedures.
Fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances if they received support from their partners, postnatal midwives, child health nurses, and attended more child health visits. Primiparous fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances when receiving support from their partners, postnatal midwives, and the child health nurse. However, multiparous fathers had more bonding disturbances than primiparous fathers and received less professional and partner support.
Receiving more partner and professional support is associated with less father-infant bonding disturbances. To encourage a better father-infant bond, clinicians should invite and support all fathers, regardless of parity, as they transition to parenthood.
Finding modifiable predictors of paternal depression symptoms is helpful for developing interventions. The aim is to assess the unidirectional and/or bidirectional associations between paternal ...postpartum depression symptoms and coparenting among fathers of infants and toddlers.
Longitudinal data were collected prospectively from 429 fathers of infants aged 0–24 months (median = 8 months) in Sweden, with 6- and 18-month follow-ups. All fathers participated in at least two of three waves of data collection, and multiple imputation was used for missing values. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to detect depression symptoms (≥10 points), while the Brief Coparenting Relationship Scale measured the coparenting relationship. A cross-lagged panel model was used to estimate the associations between paternal depression symptoms and coparenting relationship quality over time, controlling for several known covariates and COVID-19 exposure.
Fathers with higher coparenting scores at Time 1 and 2 had less depression symptoms at Time 3, and fathers with more depression symptoms at Time 2 had lower coparenting scores at Time 3. Plotted probabilities of having at least mild depression symptoms revealed a multifold increase in the probability of depression symptoms at Time 3 for fathers with minimal coparenting scores at Times 1 and 2, respectively, compared to fathers with mean coparenting scores at Times 1 and 2, respectively.
Causal links cannot be determined using the current non-experimental study design. Using the EPDS alone may have missed some fathers with depression symptoms.
Clinicians seeking to reduce paternal depression symptoms should help strengthen the coparenting relationship.
•Finding modifiable factors to help reduce paternal postpartum depression benefits the whole family•Cross-lagged panel models showed bidirectional associations between paternal depression symptoms and coparenting•Fathers reporting low coparenting levels are at significantly higher risk of reporting depression symptoms (and vice versa)•Clinicians should support the coparenting relationship to decrease paternal depression in fathers of infants and toddlers
To examine predictors of adherence in a randomized controlled trial of resistance exercise training (RET) in prostate cancer survivors receiving androgen deprivation therapy.
A randomized controlled ...trial conducted at fitness centers in Ottawa and Edmonton, Canada. Prostate cancer survivors (
n
=
155) completed measures of social cognitive variables, quality of life (QOL), behavior, and fitness before being randomized to either an exercise (
n
=
82) or control (
n
=
73) group. The exercise group was asked to perform supervised RET three times per week for 12 weeks.
The exercise group attended 28.2 of the 36 (78.3%) RET sessions. Univariate analyses revealed eight different significant (
Ps < .05) predictors of exercise adherence including exercise stage of change, intention, age, QOL, fatigue, subjective norm, leg-press test, and perceived behavioral control. A multivariate analysis indicated that there were three independent predictors of adherence that explained 20.4% of the variance: exercise stage of change (β
=
0.26;
P
=
.013), age (β
=
−0.22;
P
=
.037), and intention (β
=
0.19;
P
=
.073).
Exercise adherence in the trial was very good but not optimal. Adherence was predicted by variables from many different categories including social cognitive, QOL, behavioral, fitness, and demographic. These findings may have important implications for maximizing adherence during clinical trials of exercise in prostate cancer survivors.
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