colonization and undernutrition in infants in rural eastern Ethiopia - a longitudinal community-based birth cohort study.

Background: is associated with environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and malnutrition in children. infection could be a linchpin between livestock fecal exposure and health outcomes in low-resource smallholder settings.

Methods: We followed a birth cohort of 106 infants in rural smallholder households in eastern Ethiopia up to 13 months of age.

Protein quality malnutrition.

Protein quality refers to the evaluation of a food or a diet based on its amino acid composition, protein digestibility, and protein bioavailability. When these parameters are specified, either through direct measurement or estimation, the amino acids provided by the diet are compared to those required by a healthy individual, and based on this comparison, an adequacy ratio or score is assigned. Two widely used protein quality scoring systems are the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) and the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS), neither of which account for the dietary source of the protein.

Development and validation of a set of wheelchair finite element models in frontal, side, and rear impact conditions.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and validate finite element (FE) models of commercial manual and power wheelchairs, as well as related test fixtures and tiedown hardware, to provide tools for designing integrated wheelchair seating stations for automated and other vehicles.

Methods: The manual wheelchair model is based on a Ki Mobility Catalyst 5, and the power wheelchair is based on a Quantum Rehab Q6 Edge 2.0 with Synergy Seating.

The Impact of Milk on Gut Permeability, Fecal 16S rRNA Gene Microbiota Profiling, and Fecal Metabolomics in Children with Moderate Malnutrition in Sierra Leone: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Bovine milk is a beneficial ingredient in teh treatment of malnutrition.

Objectives: Our objectives were to determine the effect of dietary milk protein and milk carbohydrate on the intestinal permeability, fecal 16S rRNA gene configuration, and fecal metabolomics of children with moderate malnutrition.

Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial among 413 children with wasting in rural Sierra Leone who received 1 of the following 4 supplementary foods, which differed in sources of protein and carbohydrate: milk protein and milk carbohydrate (MPMC), milk protein and vegetable carbohydrate (MPVC), vegetable protein and milk carbohydrate (VPMC), or a control group consuming entirely vegetable-based food (VPVC).

The Effect of Breastfeeding Practices of Undernourished Mothers in Rural Sierra Leone on Infant Growth and Mortality.

Breastfeeding provides optimal infant nutrition; however, <50% of infants are exclusively breastfed (EBF) for 6 months. We aimed to describe breastfeeding practices and their effects on growth and mortality among a high-risk mother-infant cohort in rural Sierra Leone. This was a secondary analysis of data from a randomized nutrition intervention trial among undernourished pregnant women.

Urine and Dried Blood Spots From Children and Pregnant Women Reveal Phytochemicals, Amino Acids, and Carnitine Metabolites as Cowpea Consumption Biomarkers.

Scope: Legumes consumption has been proven to promote health across the lifespan; cowpeas have demonstrated efficacy in combating childhood malnutrition and growth faltering, with an estimated malnutrition prevalence of 35.6% of children in Ghana. This cowpea feeding study aimed to identify a suite of metabolic consumption biomarkers in children and adults.

Optimizing frontal impact occupant protection systems for passengers seated in wheelchairs.

Objective: The advent of automated vehicles (AVs) provides an opportunity to design integrated wheelchair seating stations that provide an equivalent level of safety for occupants using wheelchairs as those using vehicle seating. This study designed a frontal occupant protection system for an integrated second-row wheelchair seating station that includes optimized airbags and seatbelt systems.

Methods: MADYMO models were used to optimize belt geometry for a midsized male ATD seated in a surrogate wheelchair fixture, with and without inclusion of a Self Conforming Rearseat Air Bag (SCaRAB).

Child occupant safety in unconventional seating for vehicles with automated driving systems.

The objective of this study was to use computational models to study how unconventional seating positions and orientations in vehicles with Automated Driving System (ADS) may affect occupant response metrics of children with various restraint conditions. A literature review was first conducted to frame a simulation plan, including selections of surrogate ADS-equipped vehicles, potential seating arrangements, impact scenarios, anthropomorphic test device (ATD) models, and child restraint system (CRS) models that are relevant to the selected ATD models. Due to the lack of impact tests with child ATDs and CRS in farside, oblique, and rear impacts, 17 sled tests were conducted with CRS harness-restrained ATDs and vehicle belt-restrained ATDs in frontal, farside, oblique, and rear impact conditions.

Women's empowerment and child nutrition in a context of shifting livelihoods in Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia.

Agriculture, and particularly livestock and animal source foods, has been closely linked to improvements in human nutrition. Production, income, and women's empowerment improve household food security and child nutritional outcomes in interacting ways. Khat production in Eastern Ethiopia is changing the economic and livelihood landscape for communities that have traditionally relied upon small-scale mixed agriculture and livestock production.

Prevalence and Load of the Campylobacter Genus in Infants and Associated Household Contacts in Rural Eastern Ethiopia: a Longitudinal Study from the Campylobacter Genomics and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (CAGED) Project.

In our previous cross-sectional study, multiple species of Campylobacter were detected (88%) in stool samples from children (12 to 14 months of age) in rural eastern Ethiopia. This study assessed the temporal fecal carriage of Campylobacter in infants and identified putative reservoirs associated with these infections in infants from the same region. The prevalence and load of Campylobacter were determined using genus-specific real-time PCR.

Supplementary Feeding of Moderately Wasted Children in Sierra Leone Reduces Severe Acute Malnutrition and Death When Compared with Nutrition Counseling: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: There is uncertainty about whether children with moderate wasting should receive supplementary feeding.

Objectives: We examined whether supplementary feeding compared with counseling alone in children with moderate wasting prevented progression to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) or death.

Methods: This was a retrospective, dual-cohort study in which 1791 children with moderate wasting were drawn from 2 prior randomized controlled trials that took place in the same location in rural Sierra Leone.

Docosahexaenoic Acid Stability in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food.

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is used to treat young children diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. RUTF with low and balanced linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid, plus omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), supports long-term cognitive recovery. DHA is prone to degradation due to peroxidation, possibly exacerbated by the iron inherently in RUTF.

Socioecological predictors of breastfeeding practices in rural eastern Ethiopia.

Background: Estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that over 800,000 global neonatal deaths each year are attributed to deviations from recommended best practices in infant feeding. Identifying factors promoting ideal breastfeeding practices may facilitate efforts to decrease neonatal and infant death rates and progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030. Though numerous studies have identified the benefits of breastfeeding in reducing the risk of childhood undernutrition, infection and illness, and mortality in low- and middle-income countries, no studies have explored predictors of breastfeeding practices in rural eastern Ethiopia, where undernutrition is widespread.

Newborn Mid-Upper Arm Circumference Identifies Low-Birth Weight and Vulnerable Infants: A Secondary Analysis.

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) infants are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Identification of LBW may not occur in settings where access to reliable scales is limited. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) may be an accessible, low-cost measure to identify LBW and vulnerable infants.

Supplementary feeding and infection control in pregnant adolescents-A secondary analysis of a randomized trial among malnourished women in Sierra Leone.

Undernutrition during pregnancy in adolescence confers a high risk of maternal morbidity and adverse birth outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings. In a secondary analysis, we hypothesized that younger undernourished pregnant adolescents (<18 years) would benefit more than undernourished pregnant adults (>20 years) from the intervention of supplementary food and anti-infective treatments. The original trial in Sierra Leone enrolled 236 younger adolescents (<18 years), 454 older adolescents (aged 18-19 years), and 741 adults (≥20 years), all with a mid-upper arm circumference ≤23 cm.

Unravelling the reservoirs for colonisation of infants with spp. in rural Ethiopia: protocol for a longitudinal study during a global pandemic and political tensions.

Introduction: Undernutrition is an underlying cause of mortality in children under five (CU5) years of age. Animal-source foods have been shown to decrease malnutrition in CU5. Livestock are important reservoirs for bacteria, which are recognised as risk factors for child malnutrition.

An Alternative Oat-Containing, Ready-To-Use, Therapeutic Food Does Not Alter Intestinal Permeability or the 16S Ribosomal RNA Fecal Microbiome Configuration Among Children With Severe Malnutrition in Sierra Leone: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Previously, a novel oat ready-to-use therapeutic food (o-RUTF) resulted in improved recovery from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) when compared to a standard RUTF (s-RUTF). The o-RUTF contained 18% oat, while the s-RUTF has no cereal ingredients.

Objectives: We determined the effects of o-RUTF on intestinal permeability, as measured by lactulose permeability, and the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) fecal microbiome configuration of children with SAM.

Improving protection system for wheelchair-seated occupants in vehicle side impacts.

Previous research on occupant protection systems for wheelchair-seated occupants focused on frontal impacts, while similar studies on side impacts are very limited. The objective of this study was to identify the major injury concerns for wheelchair-seated occupants in side impacts and develop restraint systems to mitigate such injury concerns. Seven sled tests in side impact conditions were first conducted at 30 km/h with a 24 g peak deceleration.

Non-targeted metabolomics of cooked cowpea and pigeon pea from Ghana using two distinct and complementary analytical platforms.

Legumes are global staple foods with multiple human health properties that merit detailed composition analysis in cooked forms. This study analyzed cowpea [] (three varieties: Dagbantuya, Sangyi, and Tukara), pigeon pea [], and common bean [] using two distinct ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) platforms and analytical workflows. Comparisons between cowpea and pigeon pea consumed in Ghana, and common bean (navy bean) from USA, revealed 75 metabolites that differentiated cowpeas.