The impact of maternal employment on breast-feeding duration in the UK Millennium Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of maternal employment characteristics, day care arrangements and the type of maternity leave pay to breast-feeding for at least 4 months. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Babies aged 9 months in the Millennium Cohort Study, born between September 2000 and January 2002. SUBJECTS: A total of 6917 British/Irish white employed mothers with singleton babies. RESULTS: Mothers employed part-time or self-employed were more likely to breast-feed for at least 4 months than those employed full-time (adjusted rate ratio (aRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30 (1.17-1.44) and 1.74 (1.46-2.07), respectively). The longer a mother delayed her return to work postpartum, the more likely she was to breast-feed for at least 4 months (P for trend < 0.001). Mothers were less likely to breast-feed for at least 4 months if they returned to work for financial reasons (aRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80-0.93) or used informal day care arrangements rather than care by themselves or their partner (aRR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.91). Mothers were more likely to breastfeed for at least 4 months if their employer offered family-friendly (aRR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.27) or flexible work arrangements (aRR 1.24, 95% CI 1.00-1.55), or they received Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) plus additional pay during their maternity leave rather than SMP alone (aRR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.26). These findings were independent of confounding factors, such as socio-economic status and maternal education. CONCLUSIONS: Current policies may encourage mothers to enter or return to employment postpartum, but this may result in widening inequalities in breast-feeding and persistence of low rates. Policies should aim to increase financial support and incentives for employers to offer supportive work arrangements.     

The influences of temperature on aqueous aluminium chemistry

Temperature affects the solubility of Al(OH)₃(s), the solubility product formed, the hydrolysis and molecular weight distribution of aqueous Al species as well as the pH of the solutions. In the present work, identical solutions of inorganic Al (400, 600, and 800 μg Al L^?1) were stored for 1 mo at either 2 or 25 °C. In the solutions stored at 25 °C pH varied from 4.83 to 5.07, while in the corresponding solutions stored at 2 °C pH varied from 5.64 to 5.78. In spite of the relatively low pH at 25 °C, significant amounts of high molecular weight Al species were precipitated from the solution and the solubility product (log^* K _s ) of (Al(OH)₃) (s) was low (9.0). Substantial amounts of high molecular weight Al species were also formed at 2 °C, but the majority was present as colloids in the solution. The solubility product (converted from 2 into 25 °C) was 10.2, reflecting a solubility product of an amorphous (Al(OH)₃)(s) phase. The different physico-chemical forms of Al present at 2 and 25 °C should have relevance for water/soil chemistry modeling.     

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among Egyptian children: impact of social background and effect on growth

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Egyptian schoolchildren and its effect on growth parameters. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted among 286 schoolchildren (168 boys and 118 girls), with a mean age of 11.04 +/- 0.19 years, to determine the prevalence of H. pylori. The presence of the bacterium was assessed using the [13C]urea breath test. Relevant personal and socio-economic data on risk factors for infection were collected. Height and weight were analysed in relation to H. pylori infection. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 72.38%. Attending school in a socially deprived area and residing in an overcrowded home were the major risk factors for infection. Differences between infected and non-infected children were significant with regard to body weight and height (weight: 39.5 +/- 1.0 vs. 44.6 +/- 1.8 kg, P = 0.05; height: 139.9 +/- 1.3 vs. 144.2 +/- 2.1 cm; P = 0.009). The number of children (both boys and girls) falling below the 5th percentile of height-for-age was significantly higher in infected than non-infected children (P = 001), similarly for Z-scores for height-for-age below -2.0 (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate not only that the prevalence of H. pylori infection is extremely high among Egyptian schoolchildren, but also that the adverse effects of the infection reach far beyond the stomach. Evidence of the burden of infection on growth failure is presented.     

基于产生式与基于本体的知识表示方法的研究

本文主要研究了知识库中基于产生式与基于本体的两种知识表示方法的知识建模过程,并给出了它们在关系型数据库中的实现方案。本文还比较了这两种知识表示方法在建立知识库时的不同与优缺点。     

The impact of inter-generational social and regional circumstances on dietary intake patterns of British adults: results from the 1946 British Birth Cohort

OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine the extent to which an individual's childhood social circumstances and region of residence influence their dietary pattern at age 43 years and (2) to establish the extent to which an individual adopts the dietary pattern of their social and regional circumstances at age 43 years. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of a social class stratified, random sample of all legitimate, singleton births in the week of 3-9 March 1946. SETTINGS: England, Scotland and Wales. SUBJECTS: The 3187 survey members who provided sociodemographic information at age 4 years in 1950 and sociodemographic and dietary data (48-hour dietary recall) at 43 years in 1989. RESULTS: People who remained in the non-manual social class consumed significantly higher amounts of food items correlated with the factor health aware (items include high-fibre breakfast cereals, wholemeal breads, apples and bananas) than those who remained in the manual social class. Those who made the transition from manual social class in childhood to non-manual social class at age 43 years partly adopted the distinctive dietary patterns of the non-manual social classes. Consumption of items in the factors refined (items include whole-fat milk, white bread, sugar and butter) and sandwich (items include tomatoes, lettuce, onions, bacon and ham) did not differ by social class or regional mobility. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests that although adult dietary patterns are developed as a result of childhood influences, these patterns can be modified as a result of social and regional transitions. Such changes in dietary patterns may influence susceptibility to disease.     

The impact of man on climate

In the past decade the realization has grown that (a) our society is becoming increasingly vulnerable to fluctuations in climate, and (b) human activities may have important influences on climate in coming years. The effects of steadily increasing use of fossil fuels seem likely to be most serious through increasing atmospheric concentration of CO₂ and raising the temperatures of the global atmosphere. Also, introductions of chlorofluoromethanes and NO_x into the stratosphere either by transport and diffusion from the surface or by jet or rocket exhaust in the stratosphere may lead to depleting the Earth's O₃ shield and to significant effects on climate and health. Regional influences on the large scale climate are highly uncertain but should not be dismissed lightly. Such influences include the effects of release of large quantities of heat from urban areas or from ‘power parks’, large irrigation or desalination projects, and extensive forest clearing. Injection into the atmosphere of particles and gases from industry, vehicles, and homes affects the atmosphere in a variety of ways and may result in regional changes in climate.     

Rethinking research in breast-feeding: a critique of the evidence base identified in a systematic review of interventions to promote and support breast-feeding

OBJECTIVE: To appraise critically the relevance and value of the evidence base to promote and support the duration of breast-feeding, with a specific focus on disadvantaged groups. DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted of intervention studies relevant to enhancing the duration of breast-feeding; topics included public health, public policy, clinical issues, and education, training and practice change. A systematic search was conducted. Eighty studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were systematically extracted and analysed. Full results and recommendations are reported elsewhere. Here a critique of the evidence base--topics, quality and gaps--is reported. RESULTS: Many studies were substantially methodologically flawed, with problems including small sample sizes, inconsistent definitions of breast-feeding and lack of appropriate outcomes. Few were based on relevant theory. Only a small number of included studies (10%) were conducted in the UK. Very few targeted disadvantaged subgroups of women. No studies of policy initiatives or of community interventions were identified. There were virtually no robust studies of interventions to prevent and treat common clinical problems, or of strategies related to women's health issues. Studies of health professional education and practice change were limited. Cost-effectiveness studies were rare. CONCLUSIONS: Policy goals both in the UK and internationally support exclusive breast-feeding until 6 months of age. The evidence base to enable women to continue to breast-feed needs to be strengthened to include robust evaluations of policies and practices related to breast-feeding; a step change is needed in the quality and quantity of research funded.     

盐化潮土中硫酸钾对玉米产量及氮钾交互作用的影响

通过田间试验探讨了轻度盐渍化潮土中施用硫酸钾对夏玉米干物质产量及氮钾养分吸收和再利用的影响。在速效钾含量较高的供试土壤中，施钾对高产夏玉米具有明显的增产效果和促进植物对氮钾的吸收，但明显降低了生长后期植物体中钾和氮的再循环率。     

The impact of tillage and residual nitrogen on wheat

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and quality is influenced by management of the previous crop but is highly dependent on current year management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of winter wheat seeded in two tillage systems [conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT)] to four N rates applied to a previous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) crop (0, 67, 134, and 202 kg ha⁻¹). The experiment with wheat was conducted on a Dothan sandy loam (fine, loamy siliceous, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults) at the University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center near Quincy, FL from 1995 to 1997. For most plant characteristics, there was a tillage x N x year interaction. Greater plant emergence (79.4 vs. 65.3%) and grain N (23.5 vs. 21.5 g kg⁻¹), and lower grain moisture (139 vs. 142 g kg⁻¹) were obtained under NT than CT, respectively, in one out of two years. Nitrogen applied to a previous cotton crop increased wheat grain yields, plant height and seed number under NT in 1995–1996 and CT in 1996–1997, head density under NT in both years, harvest index under CT in 1996–1997, and grain N concentration in 1995–1996 and 1996–1997 due to residual plant and soil N. With every 1 kg N applied to a previous cotton crop, wheat grain yields increased by 5.38 kg ha⁻¹ under NT, whereas grain yield under CT was not influenced by N application to cotton in 1995–1996. In 1996–1997, grain yields increased by 4.96 and 4.23 kg ha⁻¹ for wheat grown in NT and CT, respectively. Generally, wheat seeded in NT following cotton did not decrease stand or yields compared to CT and wheat grain yields and grain N content increased with N fertilization of the previous crop. However, we would have to apply about 134 kg N ha⁻¹ to a previous cotton crop to maximize wheat production under NT and CT.     

The impact of biotechnology on agricultural worker safety and health

Biotechnology applications such as the use and production of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been widely promoted, adopted, and employed by agricultural producers throughout the world. Yet, little research exists that examines the implications of agricultural biotechnology on the health and safety of workers involved in agricultural production and processing. Regulatory frameworks do exist to examine key issues related to food safety and environmental protection in GMO applications. However, based on the lack of research and regulatory oversight, it would appear that the potential impact on the safety and health of workers is of limited interest. This article examines some of the known worker health and safety implications related to the use and production of GMOs using the host, agent, and environment framework. The characteristics of employers, workers, inputs, production practices, and socio-economic environments in which future agricultural workers perform various tasks is likely to change based on the research summarized here.     

The impact of cultural and ecological change on Amazonian fisheries

Fish have long provided an important item in the diet of Amazonians, but ecological and cultural changes threaten the long-term productivity of aquatic ecosystems. Population growth, the opening of extra-regional markets and the introduction of new or improved technologies, have increased pressure on fisheries of Amazonia, the world's largest freshwater catchment. Habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and development projects also threatens to undermine fishing yields. Modern conservation practices, such as the establishment of parks and reserves and the enactment of protective legislation, are only gaining a tentative foothold in the region.     

Individual- and scattered-tree influences on ultraviolet irradiance

Many of the potential effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)—damage to materials, altered herbivory of insects and activity of microbes, modified growth of vegetation, and adverse or beneficial effects on human health—are modified by the presence of trees that influence UVR exposure to various degrees. Though tree effects on total solar irradiance have been investigated often by measurements and modeling, tree influences on UVR, particularly in the ultraviolet B (UVB, 320–280 nm), differ substantially from tree influences on the rest of the solar spectrum, and thus the ratio of UVB to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is altered. Trees greatly reduce both UVB and PAR irradiance in their shade when they obscure both the sun and sky. Beneath dense forest canopies, relative irradiance (I_r=irradiancebeneath trees/above-canopy irradiance) for both UVB and PAR radiation may be 0.01–0.02. In the shade of a single tree, I_r on the horizontal in the PAR and total shortwave (SW) was about 0.1, whereas in the UVB and ultraviolet A (UVA, 320–400 nm), I_r was about 0.4. Conversely, where direct beam radiation came through gaps between crowns in a group of deciduous trees in winter, PAR I_r values averaged 0.95 and UVB I_r averaged only 0.41. In comparisons of minimum values of I_r on horizontal and the south-facing vertical surfaces in tree shade for UVB, UVA, SW, and PAR, where UVB I_r on the horizontal ranged from 0.22 to 0.62, depending on solar zenith angle, UVB I_r on the vertical ranged from 0.05 to 0.27. UVB I_r consistently exceeded UVA I_r on both the horizontal and vertical surfaces. PAR and SW I_r differed little between horizontal and vertical surfaces in tree shade. Modeled average I_r on the horizontal below a regular grid of ellipsoidal tree crowns was given byI_p=1−m−(θ^0.711/5.05)sin(πm), where m is fraction of area covered by tree crowns and θ is solar zenith angle. The tree influences will vary with pollutants in the boundary layer, which affect scattering of UVR.     

Protection, promotion and support of breast-feeding in Europe: current situation

OBJECTIVE: To describe the current situation regarding protection, promotion and support of breast-feeding in Europe, as a first step towards the development of a blueprint for action. DESIGN AND SETTING: A questionnaire was completed by 29 key informants and 128 other informants in the EU, including member states, accession and candidate countries. RESULTS: EU countries do not fully comply with the policies and recommendations of the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding that they endorsed during the 55th World Health Assembly in 2002. Some countries do not even comply with the targets of the Innocenti Declaration (1990). Pre-service training on breast-feeding practice is inadequate and in-service training achieves only low to medium coverage. The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is well developed only in three countries; in 19 countries, less than 15% of births occur in baby-friendly hospitals. The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, endorsed in 1981 by all countries, is not fully applied and submitted to independent monitoring. The legislation for working mothers meets on average the International Labour Organization standards, but covers only women with full formal employment. Voluntary mother-to-mother support groups and trained peer counsellors are present in 27 and 13 countries, respectively. Breast-feeding rates span over a wide range; comparisons are difficult due to use of non-standard methods. The rate of exclusive breast-feeding at 6 months is low everywhere, even in countries with high initiation rates. CONCLUSIONS: EU countries need to revise their policies and practices to meet the principles inscribed in the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding in order to better protect, promote and support breast-feeding.     

The impact of data realities on conservation planning

Conservation planning decisions are typically made on the basis of species distribution or occurrence data, which ideally would have complete spatial and taxonomic coverage. Agencies are constrained in the data they can collect, often pragmatically prioritising certain groups such as threatened species, or methods, such as volunteer surveys. This mismatch between goals and realities inevitably leads to bias and uncertainty in conservation planning outputs, yet few studies have assessed how data realities affect planning outputs. We conducted a sensitivity analysis on the Protection Index, a method for assessing conservation progress and priorities, using an extensive dataset on species occurrences and distributions derived from the Florida Natural Areas Inventory. Analyses revealed a high proportion of occurrence records for threatened species and certain taxonomic groups, reflecting the agencies’ priorities. We performed a sensitivity analysis on conservation planning outputs, simulating a ‘data poor’ scenario typical of many real situations; we deleted increasing amounts of data in both a biased (exaggerating patterns observed) and unbiased (random) manner. We assessed the effects of data paucity and bias on the value of potential conservation sites, and planning priorities. Certain high value sites with only a few important species occurrences were more sensitive to data depletion than those with many occurrences. Data bias based on taxonomic bias was more influential to site value than threat rank. To maximise benefit from surveys from a planning perspective, it would be better to focus on poorly surveyed areas rather than adding occurrences in already well represented sites. This study demonstrates the importance of sensitivity analysis in conservation planning, and that the effects of uncertainty and data quality on planning decisions should not be ignored.