Dietary intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids among pregnant Mexican women.

Nutritional demands for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are high during pregnancy. Diets low in DHA and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty-acids (LC-PUFA) in pregnancy are associated with poorer DHA status and slower reestablishment of maternal stores. To assess intakes of LC-PUFA among urban pregnant women in Central Mexico, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in Prenatal Clinic at the General Hospital No.

Fatty acid status and maternal mental health.

Maternal mental health (MMH) problems are a major public health concern with adverse consequences for women, their offspring and families. Intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially the n-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid, which are found predominantly in cold water fish, has been associated with a range of mental health outcomes and may improve MMH. The demands for these fatty acids are increased during pregnancy and lactation, and may influence MMH as they are integral parts of cell membranes especially in the brain and play a role in physiological processes such as membrane fluidity and neurotransmitter function.

Long-term effects of iron and zinc supplementation during infancy on cognitive function at 9 y of age in northeast Thai children: a follow-up study.

Background: Iron and zinc are important micronutrients for child growth and development. One would expect that iron and zinc supplementation in infancy would affect long-term cognitive development and school achievement, but this has not been evaluated.

Objective: We investigated the effect of iron or zinc supplementation or both during infancy on cognitive performance 8 y later.

Growth to age 18 months following prenatal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid differs by maternal gravidity in Mexico.

Little is known about the long-term effects of DHA intake during pregnancy. Offspring of primagravid Mexican women who received 400 mg/d DHA from wk 20 of gestation through delivery were heavier and had larger head circumferences at birth than children whose mothers received placebo; no effect was observed in offspring of multigravidae. We have followed these children (n = 739; 76% of the birth cohort), measuring length, weight, and head circumference at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 mo.

Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation from mid-pregnancy to parturition influenced breast milk fatty acid concentrations at 1 month postpartum in Mexican women.

(n-3) PUFA, including DHA, are essential for neural development and accumulate extensively in the fetal and infant brain. (n-3) PUFA concentrations in breast milk, which are largely dependent on maternal diet and tissue stores, are correlated with infant PUFA status. We investigated the effect of prenatal DHA supplementation on PUFA concentrations in breast milk at 1 mo postpartum.

Ecology driving genetic variation: a comparative phylogeography of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) in India.

Background: Comparative phylogeography links historical population processes to current/ecological processes through congruent/incongruent patterns of genetic variation among species/lineages. Despite high biodiversity, India lacks a phylogeographic paradigm due to limited comparative studies. We compared the phylogenetic patterns of Indian populations of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Ancient geographical gaps and paleo-climate shape the phylogeography of an endemic bird in the sky islands of southern India.

Background: Sky islands, formed by the highest reaches of mountain tracts physically isolated from one another, represent one of the biodiversity-rich regions of the world. Comparative studies of geographically isolated populations on such islands can provide valuable insights into the biogeography and evolution of species on these islands. The Western Ghats mountains of southern India form a sky island system, where the relationship between the island structure and the evolution of its species remains virtually unknown despite a few population genetic studies.

Randomized trial of the effect of zinc supplementation on the mental health of school-age children in Guatemala.

Background: Rates of mental illness in children are increasing throughout the world. Observational studies of depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder suggest that zinc is an alternative treatment.

Objective: We examined the effect of zinc supplementation on the mental health of school-age children in Guatemala.

Effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy on gestational age and size at birth: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Mexico.

Background: The need for omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), during pregnancy has received much attention, but evidence of effects on birth outcomes is limited.

Objective: To evaluate whether prenatal DHA supplementation increases gestational age and birth size.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

An evaluation of the PCR-RFLP technique to aid molecular-based monitoring of felids and canids in India.

Background: The order Carnivora is well represented in India, with 58 of the 250 species found globally, occurring here. However, small carnivores figure very poorly in research and conservation policies in India. This is mainly due to the dearth of tested and standardized techniques that are both cost effective and conducive to small carnivore studies in the field.

Genetic polymorphism in the serotonin transporter promoter region and ecological success in macaques.

A well-characterised sequence length polymorphism in the serotonin transporter promoter region (5-HTTLPR) influences individual behavioural traits and cognitive abilities in humans and rhesus macaques. Macaques have been classified into four continuous grades on the basis of their behavioural attributes, ranging from highly hierarchical and nepotistic species to the most egalitarian and tolerant ones. A comparative study of several species that spanned these grades revealed only rhesus macaques to be polymorphic at the 5-HTTLPR and concluded that the polymorphism was responsible for their despotic and aggressive behaviour (Wendland et al.

Childhood nutrition and later fertility: pathways through education and pre-pregnant nutritional status.

Better childhood nutrition is associated with earlier physical maturation during adolescence and increased schooling attainment. However, as earlier onset of puberty and increased schooling can have opposing effects on fertility, the net effect of improvements in childhood nutrition on a woman's fertility are uncertain. Using path analysis, we estimate the strength of the pathways between childhood growth and subsequent fertility outcomes in Guatemalan women studied prospectively since birth.

A panel of microsatellites to individually identify leopards and its application to leopard monitoring in human dominated landscapes.

Background: Leopards are the most widely distributed of the large cats, ranging from Africa to the Russian Far East. Because of habitat fragmentation, high human population densities and the inherent adaptability of this species, they now occupy landscapes close to human settlements. As a result, they are the most common species involved in human wildlife conflict in India, necessitating their monitoring.

Source-sink dynamics structure a common montane mammal.

Assessing the relative role of evolutionary processes on genetic diversity is critical for understanding species response to climatic change. However, many processes, independent of climate, can lead to the same genetic pattern. Because effective population size and gene flow are affected directly by abundance and dispersal, population ecology has the potential to profoundly influence patterns of genetic variation over microevolutionary timescales.

Do complex population histories drive higher estimates of substitution rate in phylogenetic reconstructions?

Our curiosity about biodiversity compels us to reconstruct the evolutionary past of species. Molecular evolutionary theory now allows parameterization of mathematically sophisticated and detailed models of DNA evolution, which have resulted in a wealth of phylogenetic histories. But reconstructing how species and population histories have played out is critically dependent on the assumptions we make, such as the clock-like accumulation of genetic differences over time and the rate of accumulation of such differences.

Greater years of maternal schooling and higher scores on academic achievement tests are independently associated with improved management of child diarrhea by rural Guatemalan mothers.

Appropriate home management can alleviate many of the consequences of diarrhea including malnutrition, impaired development, growth faltering, and mortality. Maternal cognitive ability, years of schooling, and acquired academic skills are hypothesized to improve child health by improving maternal child care practices, such as illness management. Using information collected longitudinally in 1996-1999 from 466 rural Guatemalan women with children <36 months, we examined the independent associations between maternal years of schooling, academic skills, and scores on the Raven's Progressive Matrices and an illness management index (IMI).

Why the Indian subcontinent holds the key to global tiger recovery.

With only approximately 3,000 wild individuals surviving restricted to just 7% of their historical range, tigers are now a globally threatened species. Therefore, conservation efforts must prioritize regions that harbor more tigers, as well try to capture most of the remaining genetic variation and habitat diversity. Only such prioritization based on demographic, genetic, and ecological considerations can ensure species recovery and retention of evolutionary flexibility in the face of ongoing global changes.

Prenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation impact on biochemical indicators during pregnancy and postpartum.

Objective: The objective of this analysis was to test the impact of daily supplementation with multiple micronutrients (MM) during pregnancy on Zn, vitamin A and folate status compared to iron only (Fe).

Material And Methods: The study was carried out during 1997-2000 in a semi-urban community in Morelos state, Mexico. Women were randomly assigned to MM (n= 249) or Fe (n= 258) and received supplements daily (6 d/wk) under supervision by the field team from recruitment (approximately 9 weeks pregnancy) until delivery.

Using phylochronology to reveal cryptic population histories: review and synthesis of 29 ancient DNA studies.

The evolutionary history of a population involves changes in size, movements and selection pressures through time. Reconstruction of population history based on modern genetic data tends to be averaged over time or to be biased by generally reflecting only recent or extreme events, leaving many population historic processes undetected. Temporal genetic data present opportunities to reveal more complex population histories and provide important insights into what processes have influenced modern genetic diversity.

Multiple micronutrient supplementation during early childhood increases child size at 2 y of age only among high compliers.

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies are common, even in middle-income countries.

Objective: The objectives were to determine whether multiple micronutrient (MM) supplementation from 3 to 24 mo of age improves growth and whether the effect is modified by MM supplementation during pregnancy.

Design: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in central Mexico.

Maternal years of schooling but not academic skills is independently associated with infant-feeding practices in a cohort of rural Guatemalan women.

The effects of maternal academic skills on infant-feeding practices are not clear. From 1996 to 1999, the authors collected information on infant-feeding practices from birth on infants born to 279 mothers from 4 rural villages in Guatemala. They examined associations between maternal academic skills and indicators for the initiation of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and timely introduction of complementary foods (CF).

Role of docosahexaenoic acid in maternal and child mental health.

Mental health problems in women and children represent a significant public health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. The role of nutrition as a cost-effective approach in the prevention and management of these conditions has received recent attention, particularly nutrients such as iron, zinc, and n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids, which play a role in brain structure and function. The objective of this article was to review current evidence on the relation between n-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and maternal and child mental health disorders.

Effects of micronutrients on growth of children under 5 y of age: meta-analyses of single and multiple nutrient interventions.

Background: Micronutrient interventions have received much attention as a cost-effective and promising strategy to improve child health, but their roles in improving child growth remain unclear.

Objective: Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of micronutrient interventions on the growth of children aged <5 y old.

Design: Eligible studies were identified by PubMed database searches and other methods.

Nutritional supplementation in early childhood, schooling, and intellectual functioning in adulthood: a prospective study in Guatemala.

Objective: To estimate the association of improved nutrition in early life with adult intellectual functioning, controlling for years of schooling.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Four villages in Guatemala, as well as locations within Guatemala to which cohort members migrated.