Male Killing Spiroplasma Preferentially Disrupts Neural Development in the Drosophila melanogaster Embryo

PubMed Central

Martin, Jennifer; Chong, Trisha; Ferree, Patrick M.

2013-01-01

Male killing bacteria such as Spiroplasma are widespread pathogens of numerous arthropods including Drosophila melanogaster. These maternally transmitted bacteria can bias host sex ratios toward the female sex in order to ‘selfishly’ enhance bacterial transmission. However, little is known about the specific means by which these pathogens disrupt host development in order to kill males. Here we show that a male-killing Spiroplasma strain severely disrupts nervous tissue development in male but not female D. melanogaster embryos. The neuroblasts, or neuron progenitors, form properly and their daughter cells differentiate into neurons of the ventral nerve chord. However, the neurons fail to pack together properly and they produce highly abnormal axons. In contrast, non-neural tissue, such as mesoderm, and body segmentation appear normal during this time, although the entire male embryo becomes highly abnormal during later stages. Finally, we found that Spiroplasma is altogether absent from the neural tissue but localizes within the gut and the epithelium immediately surrounding the neural tissue, suggesting that the bacterium secretes a toxin that affects neural tissue development across tissue boundaries. Together these findings demonstrate the unique ability of this insect pathogen to preferentially affect development of a specific embryonic tissue to induce male killing. PMID:24236124

Comparison of the amino acid compositions and antigenic properties of spiralins purified from the plasma membranes of different spiroplasmas.

PubMed

Wróblewski, H; Robic, D; Thomas, D; Blanchard, A

1984-01-01

Spiralins were purified by agarose-suspension electrophoresis after extraction with detergents from the membranes of the following spiroplasmas: Spiroplasma citri C189, S. citri Maroc (R8A2), S. citri Scaph and the honey-bee spiroplasma B88. The four proteins (molecular mass congruent to 26,000 daltons, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate-pore gradient electrophoresis) showed very similar amino acid compositions characterized by the absence of methionine and tryptophan and a high polarity index (greater than 49%). When compared with the amino acid composition of S. citri membrane, the four spiralins had little or no histidine, a low content of glycine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and arginine, and a high content of threonine, alanine and valine. Comparison of the amino acid compositions according to the criteria described by Cornish-Bowden (Anal. Biochem., 1980, 105, 233-238) strongly suggests that all four spiralins are related. A crossed immunoelectrophoretical comparison, however, shows that though the three proteins purified from S. citri strains (serogroup I-1) are antigenically similar, they do not seem to share common epitopes with spiralin from the honey-bee spiroplasma B88 (serogroup I-2).

Horizontal Acquisition and Transcriptional Integration of Novel Genes in Mosquito-Associated Spiroplasma.

PubMed

Lo, Wen-Sui; Kuo, Chih-Horng

2017-12-01

Genetic differentiation among symbiotic bacteria is important in shaping biodiversity. The genus Spiroplasma contains species occupying diverse niches and is a model system for symbiont evolution. Previous studies have established that two mosquito-associated species have diverged extensively in their carbohydrate metabolism genes despite having a close phylogenetic relationship. Notably, although the commensal Spiroplasma diminutum lacks identifiable pathogenicity factors, the pathogenic Spiroplasma taiwanense was found to have acquired a virulence factor glpO and its associated genes through horizontal transfer. However, it is unclear if these acquired genes have been integrated into the regulatory network. In this study, we inferred the gene content evolution in these bacteria, as well as examined their transcriptomes in response to glucose availability. The results indicated that both species have many more gene acquisitions from the Mycoides-Entomoplasmataceae clade, which contains several important pathogens of ruminants, than previously thought. Moreover, several acquired genes have higher expression levels than the vertically inherited homologs, indicating possible functional replacement. Finally, the virulence factor and its functionally linked genes in S. taiwanense were up-regulated in response to glucose starvation, suggesting that these acquired genes are under expression regulation and the pathogenicity may be a stress response. In summary, although differential gene losses are a major process for symbiont divergence, gene gains are critical in counteracting genome degradation and driving diversification among facultative symbionts. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Complete Genome Sequence of Spiroplasma floricola 23-6T (ATCC 29989), a Bacterium Isolated from a Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.).

PubMed

Tsai, Yi-Ming; Wu, Pei-Shan; Lo, Wen-Sui; Kuo, Chih-Horng

2018-04-19

Spiroplasma floricola 23-6 T (ATCC 29989) was isolated from the flower surface of a tulip tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera L.). Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this bacterium to facilitate the investigation of its biology and the comparative genomics among Spiroplasma species. Copyright © 2018 Tsai et al.

Mycoplasmas, plants, insect vectors: a matrimonial triangle.

PubMed

Garnier, M; Foissac, X; Gaurivaud, P; Laigret, F; Renaudin, J; Saillard, C; Bové, J M

2001-10-01

Plant pathogenic mycoplasmas were discovered by electron microscopy, in 1967, long after the discovery and culture in 1898 of the first pathogenic mycoplasma of animal origin, Mycoplasma mycoides. Mycoplasmas are Eubacteria of the class Mollicutes, a group of organisms phylogenetically related to Gram-positive bacteria. Their more characteristic features reside in the small size of their genomes, the low guanine (G) plus cytosine (C) content of their genomic DNA and the lack of a cell wall. Plant pathogenic mycoplasmas are responsible for several hundred diseases and belong to two groups: the phytoplasmas and the spiroplasmas. The phytoplasmas (previously called MLOs, for mycoplasma like organisms) were discovered first; they are pleiomorphic, and have so far resisted in vitro cultivation. Phytoplasmas represent the largest group of plant pathogenic Mollicutes. Only three plant pathogenic spiroplasmas are known today. Spiroplasma citri, the agent of citrus stubborn was discovered and cultured in 1970 and shown to be helical and motile. S. kunkelii is the causal agent of corn stunt. S. phoeniceum, responsible for periwinkle yellows, was discovered in Syria. There are many other spiroplasmas associated with insects and ticks. Plant pathogenic mycoplasmas are restricted to the phloem sieve tubes in which circulates the photosynthetically-enriched sap, the food for many phloem-feeding insects (aphids, leafhoppers, psyllids, etc.). Interestingly, phytopathogenic mycoplasmas are very specifically transmitted by leafhoppers or psyllid species. In this paper, the most recent knowledge on phytopathogenic mycoplasmas in relation with their insect and plant habitats is presented as well as the experiments carried out to control plant mycoplasma diseases, by expression of mycoplasma-directed-antibodies in plants (plantibodies).

Horizontal gene acquisitions contributed to genome expansion in insect-symbiotic Spiroplasma clarkii.

PubMed

Tsai, Yi-Ming; Chang, An; Kuo, Chih-Horng

2018-06-01

Genome reduction is a recurring theme of symbiont evolution. The genus Spiroplasma contains species that are mostly facultative insect symbionts. The typical genome sizes of those species within the Apis clade were estimated to be ∼1.0-1.4 Mb. Intriguingly, Spiroplasma clarkii was found to have a genome size that is > 30% larger than the median of other species within the same clade. To investigate the molecular evolution events that led to the genome expansion of this bacterium, we determined its complete genome sequence and inferred the evolutionary origin of each protein-coding gene based on the phylogenetic distribution of homologs. Among the 1,346 annotated protein-coding genes, 641 were originated from within the Apis clade while 233 were putatively acquired from outside of the clade (including 91 high-confidence candidates). Additionally, 472 were specific to S. clarkii without homologs in the current database (i.e., the origins remained unknown). The acquisition of protein-coding genes, rather than mobile genetic elements, appeared to be a major contributing factor of genome expansion. Notably, >50% of the high-confidence acquired genes are related to carbohydrate transport and metabolism, suggesting that these acquired genes contributed to the expansion of both genome size and metabolic capability. The findings of this work provided an interesting case against the general evolutionary trend observed among symbiotic bacteria and further demonstrated the flexibility of Spiroplasma genomes. For future studies, investigation on the functional integration of these acquired genes, as well as the inference of their contribution to fitness could improve our knowledge of symbiont evolution.

Effects of co-occurring Wolbachia and Spiroplasma endosymbionts on the Drosophila immune response against insect pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Shokal, Upasana; Yadav, Shruti; Atri, Jaishri; Accetta, Julia; Kenney, Eric; Banks, Katherine; Katakam, Akash; Jaenike, John; Eleftherianos, Ioannis

2016-02-09

Symbiotic interactions between microbes and animals are common in nature. Symbiotic organisms are particularly common in insects and, in some cases, they may protect their hosts from pathogenic infections. Wolbachia and Spiroplasma endosymbionts naturally inhabit various insects including Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies. Therefore, this symbiotic association is considered an excellent model to investigate whether endosymbiotic bacteria participate in host immune processes against certain pathogens. Here we have investigated whether the presence of Wolbachia alone or together with Spiroplasma endosymbionts in D. melanogaster adult flies affects the immune response against the virulent insect pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens and against non-pathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria. We found that D. melanogaster flies carrying no endosymbionts, those carrying both Wolbachia and Spiroplasma, and those containing Wolbachia only had similar survival rates after infection with P. luminescens or Escherichia coli bacteria. However, flies carrying both endosymbionts or Wolbachia only contained higher numbers of E. coli cells at early time-points post infection than flies without endosymbiotic bacteria. Interestingly, flies containing Wolbachia only had lower titers of this endosymbiont upon infection with the pathogen P. luminescens than uninfected flies of the same strain. We further found that the presence of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in D. melanogaster up-regulated certain immune-related genes upon infection with P. luminescens or E. coli bacteria, but it failed to alter the phagocytic ability of the flies toward E. coli inactive bioparticles. Our results suggest that the presence of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma in D. melanogaster can modulate immune signaling against infection by certain insect pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. Results from such studies are important for understanding the molecular basis of the interactions between endosymbiotic bacteria of insects

Food habits of stunted and non-stunted white perch (Morone americana)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gosch, N.J.C.; Stittie, J.R.; Pope, K.L.

2010-01-01

We studied food habits of white perch (Morone americana) from two populations with different stable states (stunted [Branched Oak Lake, Nebraska] and nonstunted [Pawnee Lake, Nebraska]) to determine if change in food habits of white perch is likely to occur in situations where a stunted white perch population is altered to a nonstunted state and vice versa. Three approaches were used to quantitatively describe seasonal (spring = March-May, summer = June-August, autumn = September-November) diets of white perch - 1) frequency of occurrence, 2) percentage of composition by volume, and 3) mean stomach fullness. White perch diets were dominated by cladocerans and dipterans in both reservoirs during all seasons. Fish egg predation was similar between reservoirs, and white perch rarely consumed fishes in either the stunted or the non-stunted population. Shifting a white perch population between stunted and non-stunted states will likely cause little or no change in food habits; fish in both states will primarily consume invertebrates.

Spiroplasma infection causes either early or late male killing in Drosophila, depending on maternal host age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kageyama, Daisuke; Anbutsu, Hisashi; Shimada, Masakazu; Fukatsu, Takema

2007-04-01

Symbiont-induced male-killing phenotypes have been found in a variety of insects. Conventionally, these phenotypes have been divided into two categories according to the timing of action: early male killing at embryonic stages and late male killing at late larval stages. In Drosophila species, endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Spiroplasma have been known to cause early male killing. Here, we report that a spiroplasma strain normally causing early male killing also induces late male killing depending on the maternal host age: male-specific mortality of larvae and pupae was more frequently observed in the offspring of young females. As the lowest spiroplasma density and occasional male production were also associated with newly emerged females, we proposed the density-dependent hypothesis for the expression of early and late male-killing phenotypes. Our finding suggested that (1) early and late male-killing phenotypes can be caused by the same symbiont and probably by the same mechanism; (2) late male killing may occur as an attenuated expression of early male killing; (3) expression of early and late male-killing phenotypes may be dependent on the symbiont density, and thus, could potentially be affected by the host immunity and regulation; and (4) early male killing and late male killing could be alternative strategies adopted by microbial reproductive manipulators.

Stunting and severe stunting among children under-5 years in Nigeria: A multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Akombi, Blessing Jaka; Agho, Kingsley Emwinyore; Hall, John Joseph; Merom, Dafna; Astell-Burt, Thomas; Renzaho, Andre M N

2017-01-13

Stunting has been identified as one of the major proximal risk factors for poor physical and mental development of children under-5 years. Stunting predominantly occurs in the first 1000 days of life (0-23 months) and continues to the age of five. This study examines factors associated with stunting and severe stunting among children under-5 years in Nigeria. The sample included 24,529 children aged 0-59 months from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Height-for-age z-scores (HFAz), generated using the 2006 World Health Organisation (WHO) growth reference, were used to define stunting (HFAz < -2SD) and severe stunting (HFAz < -3SD). Multilevel logistic regression analyses that adjusted for cluster and survey weights were used to determine potential risk factors associated with stunting and severe stunting among children under-5 years in Nigeria. The prevalence of stunting and severe stunting were 29% [95% Confidence interval (Cl): 27.4, 30.8] and 16.4% [95%Cl: 15.1, 17.8], respectively for children aged 0-23 months, and 36.7% [95%Cl: 35.1, 38.3] and 21% [95%Cl: 19.7, 22.4], respectively for children aged 0-59 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that the most consistent significant risk factors for stunting and severe stunting among children aged 0-23 months and 0-59 months are: sex of child (male), mother's perceived birth size (small and average), household wealth index (poor and poorest households), duration of breastfeeding (more than 12 months), geopolitical zone (North East, North West, North Central) and children who were reported to having had diarrhoea in the 2 weeks prior to the survey [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for stunted children 0-23 months = 1.22 (95%Cl: 0.99, 1.49)];[AOR for stunted children 0-59 months = 1.31 (95%Cl: 1.16, 1.49)], [AOR for severely stunted children 0-23 months = 1.31 (95%Cl: 1.03, 1.67)]; [AOR for severely stunted children 0-59 months = 1.58 (95%Cl: 1.38, 1.82)]. In order to meet

Experimental Inoculation of Spiroplasma mirum and Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy (TME) into Raccoons (Procyon lotor)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To determine if Spiroplasma mirum would be capable of producing lesions of spongiform encephalopathy in raccoons (Procyon lotor), 5 groups (n = 5) of raccoon kits were inoculated intracerebrally with either S. mirum and/or transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME). Two other groups (n = 5) of raccoon...

Isolation, characterization, and complementation of a motility mutant of Spiroplasma citri.

PubMed Central

Jacob, C; Nouzières, F; Duret, S; Bové, J M; Renaudin, J

1997-01-01

The helical mollicute Spiroplasma citri, when growing on low-agar medium, forms fuzzy colonies with occasional surrounding satellite colonies due to the ability of the spiroplasmal cells to move through the agar matrix. In liquid medium, these helical organisms flex, twist, and rotate rapidly. By using Tn4001 insertion mutagenesis, a motility mutant was isolated on the basis of its nondiffuse, sharp-edged colonies. Dark-field microscopy observations revealed that the organism flexed at a low frequency and had lost the ability to rotate about the helix axis. In this mutant, the transposon was shown to be inserted into an open reading frame encoding a putative polypeptide of 409 amino acids for which no significant homology with known proteins was found. The corresponding gene, named scm1, was recovered from the wild-type strain and introduced into the motility mutant by using the S. citri oriC plasmid pBOT1 as the vector. The appearance of fuzzy colonies and the observation that spiroplasma cells displayed rotatory and flexional movements showed the motile phenotype to be restored in the spiroplasmal transformants. The functional complementation of the motility mutant proves the scm1 gene product to be involved in the motility mechanism of S. citri. PMID:9244268

The stunting syndrome in developing countries

PubMed Central

Prendergast, Andrew J; Humphrey, Jean H

2014-01-01

Linear growth failure is the most common form of undernutrition globally. With an estimated 165 million children below 5 years of age affected, stunting has been identified as a major public health priority, and there are ambitious targets to reduce the prevalence of stunting by 40% between 2010 and 2025. We view this condition as a ‘stunting syndrome’ in which multiple pathological changes marked by linear growth retardation in early life are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, reduced physical, neurodevelopmental and economic capacity and an elevated risk of metabolic disease into adulthood. Stunting is a cyclical process because women who were themselves stunted in childhood tend to have stunted offspring, creating an intergenerational cycle of poverty and reduced human capital that is difficult to break. In this review, the mechanisms underlying linear growth failure at different ages are described, the short-, medium- and long-term consequences of stunting are discussed, and the evidence for windows of opportunity during the life cycle to target interventions at the stunting syndrome are evaluated. PMID:25310000

BMI, body fat and waist-to-height ratio of stunted v. non-stunted Indian children: a case-control study.

PubMed

Savanur, Mitravinda S; Ghugre, Padmini S

2016-06-01

To compare the BMI, body fat and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) of stunted and non-stunted children following different growth trajectories from low socio-economic strata in Mumbai, India. Cross-sectional, case-control study. Weight, height, skinfold thicknesses and waist circumference were measured. Information regarding the duration of breast-feeding, age at initiation of complementary feeding and income was obtained. Birth weight was obtained from records. BMI, body fat, WHtR and change in weight sd were calculated. Children who were beneficiaries of anganwadis, Mumbai city, India. Three hundred and thirty children aged 2-4 years were selected in each of the stunted and non-stunted groups after matching for age and sex. After adjusting for birth weight, change in weight sd, duration of breast-feeding, age at complementary feeding initiation and income, stunted children had significantly higher body fat, WHtR and BMI than the non-stunted (P<0·01). The stunted and non-stunted children were classified based on their change in weight sd. Stunted children with no change in weight sd had higher mean body fat, BMI (P<0·01) and WHtR (P<0·05) than their non-stunted counterparts. In the catch-up growth group, stunted children had higher BMI and WHtR than the non-stunted (both P<0·001). In the catch-down growth group, stunted children had higher BMI than the non-stunted (P<0·001). Stunting was seen to increase the tendency of conserving body fat in young children. Such a tendency, if continued during later childhood and adolescence, can increase the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases.

Implications of stunting on morphology of freshwater fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chizinski, C.J.; Pope, K.L.; Wilde, G.R.; Strauss, R.E.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess morphological differences between stunted and non-stunted white perch Morone americana and green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus. Few female M. americana were captured; thus, morphological differences between adult males and juveniles were assessed for M. americana. Similarly, few immature (juvenile) L. cyanellus were captured for the stunted morphotype; thus, male and female morphological differences were assessed for L. cyanellus. Features of the head tended to be relatively larger in stunted fish of both species, whereas the mid-body tended to be relatively larger in non-stunted M. americana, but not in non-stunted L. cyanellus. Adult and juvenile morphology overlapped considerably in non-stunted M. americana, but there was a clear distinction between adult and juvenile morphology of stunted M. americana. There was little sexual dimorphism in shape in stunted L. cyanellus, whereas sexual dimorphism was evident in non-stunted L. cyanellus. It appears that selective forces imposed by predation and food limitation may contribute to morphological diversification between stunted and non-stunted fishes. ?? 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation ?? 2010 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Correlates of stunting among children in Ghana.

PubMed

Darteh, Eugene Kofuor Maafo; Acquah, Evelyn; Kumi-Kyereme, Akwasi

2014-05-26

Stunting, is a linear growth retardation, which results from inadequate intake of food over a long period of time that may be worsened by chronic illness. Over a long period of time, inadequate nutrition or its effects could result in stunting. This paper examines the correlates of stunting among children in Ghana using data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). The paper uses data from the children recode file of the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), a nationally representative cross sectional survey conducted in Ghana. A total of 2379 children under five years who had valid anthropometric data were used for the study. Data on the stunting of children were collected by measuring the height of all children under six years of age. A measuring board produced by Shorr Productions was used to obtain the height of the children. Children under 2 years of age were measured lying down on the board while those above 2 years were measured standing. In the DHS data, a z-score is given for the child's height relative to the age. Both bi-variate and multi-variate statistics are used to examine the correlates of stunting. Stunting was common among males than females. Age of child was a significant determinant of stunting with the highest odd of stunting been among children aged 36-47 months. Region was significantly related to stunting. Children from the Eastern Region were more likely to be stunted than children from the Western Region which is the reference group (OR = 1.7 at p < 0.05). Number of children in household was significantly related to stunting. Children in households with 5-8 children were 1.3 times more likely to be stunted compared to those with 1-4 children (p < .05). Mother's age was a significant predictor of stunting with children whose mothers were aged 35-44 years being more likely to be stunted. Culturally appropriate interventions and policies should be put in place to minimise the effects of the distal, proximal

Differences of Fundamental Motor Skills Stunting and Non Stunting Preschool Children in Kindergarten in North Padang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komaini, A.; Mardela, R.

2018-04-01

The problem that emerged is based on the result of research done by the writer in kindergarten in North Padang Sub-district which concluded that: there were kindergarten students in this sub-district who were still lack of motor ability, research data shows that 59 people (37,34%) and then 34 people (21, 52%) were in very good category, 35 people (22.15%), were in moderate category, 22 people (13.92%) were in the poor category, and 5 (5,06%) were in the very poor category. Based on this data, the authors thought that the dominant factors that affect the above situation was a nutritional factor. It could be seen from the physical appearance of kindergarten children who tend to slow growth. The purpose of this study is to explain the description and differences in stunting and non stunting Fundamental motor skills capabilities in early childhood (preschool) children. This research is comparative study with cross sectional approach. The population in this study was the students of Kindergarten of Perwari II which consisted of 60 people consisting of 37 children of stunting and 23 non stunting children in Kindergarten of North Padang Sub district, the sample was taken as a whole. The data were collected with Fundamental motor skills tests including jumping, walking, running, balance exercises, throwing and catching the ball. Technique of data analysis in this research was descriptive statistic. The result of data analysis shows that there is difference of Fundamental motor skills between stunting and non stunting children. Fundamental motor skills of non stunting or normal children are better than those who were stunting or short. While the results of Fundamental motor skills of kindergarten children in North Padang District as a whole is at a good level.

Mass distribution and spatial organization of the linear bacterial motor of Spiroplasma citri R8A2.

PubMed

Trachtenberg, Shlomo; Andrews, S Brian; Leapman, Richard D

2003-03-01

In the simple, helical, wall-less bacterial genus Spiroplasma, chemotaxis and motility are effected by a linear, contractile motor arranged as a flat cytoskeletal ribbon attached to the inner side of the membrane along the shortest helical line. With scanning transmission electron microscopy and diffraction analysis, we determined the hierarchical and spatial organization of the cytoskeleton of Spiroplasma citri R8A2. The structural unit appears to be a fibril, approximately 5 nm wide, composed of dimers of a 59-kDa protein; each ribbon is assembled from seven fibril pairs. The functional unit of the intact ribbon is a pair of aligned fibrils, along which pairs of dimers form tetrameric ring-like repeats. On average, isolated and purified ribbons contain 14 fibrils or seven well-aligned fibril pairs, which are the same structures observed in the intact cell. Scanning transmission electron microscopy mass analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified cytoskeletons indicate that the 59-kDa protein is the only constituent of the ribbons.

A review of child stunting determinants in Indonesia.

PubMed

Beal, Ty; Tumilowicz, Alison; Sutrisna, Aang; Izwardy, Doddy; Neufeld, Lynnette M

2018-05-17

Child stunting reduction is the first of 6 goals in the Global Nutrition Targets for 2025 and a key indicator in the second Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger. The prevalence of child stunting in Indonesia has remained high over the past decade, and at the national level is approximately 37%. It is unclear whether current approaches to reduce child stunting align with the scientific evidence in Indonesia. We use the World Health Organization conceptual framework on child stunting to review the available literature and identify what has been studied and can be concluded about the determinants of child stunting in Indonesia and where data gaps remain. Consistent evidence suggests nonexclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, low household socio-economic status, premature birth, short birth length, and low maternal height and education are particularly important child stunting determinants in Indonesia. Children from households with both unimproved latrines and untreated drinking water are also at increased risk. Community and societal factors-particularly, poor access to health care and living in rural areas-have been repeatedly associated with child stunting. Published studies are lacking on how education; society and culture; agriculture and food systems; and water, sanitation, and the environment contribute to child stunting. This comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence on child stunting determinants in Indonesia outlines who are the most vulnerable to stunting, which interventions have been most successful, and what new research is needed to fill knowledge gaps. © 2018 The Authors. Maternal and Child Nutrition Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of disasters on child stunting in Nepal

PubMed Central

Gaire, Surya; Delbiso, Tefera Darge; Pandey, Srijana; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

2016-01-01

Background Stunting is a major public health problem that results from inadequate nutritional intake over a long period of time. Disasters have major implications in poor and vulnerable children. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the impact of disasters on child stunting in Nepal. Method A sample consisting of 2,111 children aged 6–59 months was obtained from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine moderate and severe stunting against disaster, controlling for all possible confounders. Result Out of the total study sample, 43% were stunted (17.1% severely and 25.9% moderately). The final model, after adjusting for confounders, showed that epidemics have no impact on child stunting (adjusted odds ratio [OR] =1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.66, 1.97 and adjusted OR =1.04, 95% CI: 0.66, 1.65 for severe and moderate stunting, respectively). Floods have impact on child stunting (adjusted OR =0.57, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.96 and adjusted OR =0.66, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.94 for severe and moderate stunting, respectively). However, children aged 6–11 months, nonvaccinated children, children of working women, children who live in mountainous areas, and children from the poorest households were more likely to be moderately stunted. Similarly, children aged 36–47 months, Dalit and other ethnic groups, children from rural settings, and children from the poorest households were more likely to be severely stunted. Conclusion This article illustrates the need to rethink about child stunting in Nepal. This study suggests need for further research, integration of disaster data in the Nepal Demography Health Survey, educational interventions, public awareness, promotion of vaccination, and equity in health service delivery. PMID:27354834

Prevalence and risk factors for stunting and severe stunting among under-fives in North Maluku province of Indonesia.

PubMed

Ramli; Agho, Kingsley E; Inder, Kerry J; Bowe, Steven J; Jacobs, Jennifer; Dibley, Michael J

2009-10-06

Adequate nutrition is needed to ensure optimum growth and development of infants and young children. Understanding of the risk factors for stunting and severe stunting among children aged less than five years in North Maluku province is important to guide Indonesian government public health planners to develop nutrition programs and interventions in a post conflict area. The purpose of the current study was to assess the prevalence of and the risk factors associated with stunting and severe stunting among children aged less than five years in North Maluku province of Indonesia. The health and nutritional status of children aged less than five years was assessed in North Maluku province of Indonesia in 2004 using a cross-sectional multi-stage survey conducted on 750 households from each of the four island groups in North Maluku province. A total of 2168 children aged 0-59 months were used in the analysis. Prevalence of stunting and severe stunting were 29% (95%CI: 26.0-32.2) and 14.1% (95%CI: 11.7-17.0) for children aged 0-23 months and 38.4% (95%CI: 35.9-41.0) and 18.4% (95%CI: 16.1-20.9) for children aged 0-59 months, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, multivariate analysis revealed that the risk factors for stunted children were child's age in months, male sex and number of family meals per day (stunting in children aged 0-23 months were income (poorest family), male sex and child's age in months and for children aged 0-59 months were income (poorest family), father's occupation (not working), male sex and child's age in months. Programmes aimed at improving stunting in North Maluku province of Indonesia should focus on children under two years of age, of male sex and from families of low socioeconomic status.

Determinants of stunting and severe stunting among Burundian children aged 6-23 months: evidence from a national cross-sectional household survey, 2014.

PubMed

Nkurunziza, Sandra; Meessen, Bruno; Van Geertruyden, Jean-Pierre; Korachais, Catherine

2017-07-25

Burundi is one of the poorest countries and is among the four countries with the highest prevalence of stunting (58%) among children aged less than 5 years. This situation undermines the economic growth of the country as undernutrition is strongly associated with less schooling and reduced economic productivity. Identifying the determinants of stunting and severe stunting may help policy-makers to direct the limited Burundian resources to the most vulnerable segments of the population, and thus make it more cost effective. This study aimed to identify predictors of stunting and severe stunting among children aged less than two years in Burundi. The sample is made up of 6199 children aged 6 to 23 months with complete anthropometric measurements from the baseline survey of an impact evaluation study of the Performance-Based financing (PBF) scheme applied to nutrition services in Burundi from 2015 to 2017. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine stunting and severe stunting against a set of child, parental and household variables such as child's age or breastfeeding pattern, mother's age or knowledge of malnutrition, household size or socio-economic status. The prevalence of stunting and severe stunting were 53% [95%CI: 51.8-54.3] and 20.9% [95%CI: 19.9-22.0] respectively. Compared to children from 6-11 months, children of 12-17 months and 18-23 months had a higher risk of stunting (AdjOR:2.1; 95% CI: 1.8-2.4 and 3.2; 95% CI: 2.8-3.7). Other predictors for stunting were small babies (AdjOR=1.5; 95% CI: 1.3-1.7 for medium-size babies at birth and AdjOR=2.9; 95% CI: 2.4-3.6 for small-size babies at birth) and male children (AdjOR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.4-1.8). In addition, having no education for mothers (AdjOR=1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.1), incorrect mothers' child nutrition status assessment (AdjOR=3.3; 95% CI: 2.8-4), delivering at home (AdjOR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.2-1.6) were found to be predictors for stunting. More than to 2 under five children in the

Orbital Light Curves of UU Aquarii in Stunted Outburst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, J. W.; Honeycutt, R. K.; Henden, A. A.; Campbell, R. T.

2018-02-01

Stunted outbursts are ∼0.ͫ6 eruptions, typically lasting 5–10 days, which are found in some novalike cataclysmic variables, including UU Aqr. The mechanism responsible for stunted outbursts is uncertain but is likely related to an accretion disk instability or to variations in the mass transfer rate. A campaign to monitor the eclipse light curves in UU Aqr has been conducted in order to detect any light curve distortions due to the appearance of a hot spot on the disk at the location of the impact point of the accretion stream. If stunted outbursts are due to a temporary mass transfer enhancement, then predictable deformations of the orbital light curve are expected to occur during such outbursts. This study used 156 eclipses on 135 nights during the years 2000–2012. During this interval, random samples found the system to be in stunted outbursts 4%–5% of the time, yielding ∼7 eclipses obtained during some stage of stunted outburst. About half of the eclipses obtained during stunted outbursts showed clear evidence for hot spot enhancement, providing strong evidence that the stunted outbursts in UU Aqr are associated with mass transfer variations. The other half of the eclipses during stunted outburst showed little or no evidence for hot spot enhancement. Furthermore, there were no systematic changes in the hot spot signature as stunted outbursts progressed. Therefore, we have tentatively attributed the changes in hot spot visibility during stunted outburst to random blobby accretion, which likely further modulates the strength of the accretion stream on orbital timescales.

Stunting is associated with poor outcomes in childhood pneumonia

PubMed Central

Moschovis, Peter P.; Addo-Yobo, Emmanuel O. D.; Banajeh, Salem; Chisaka, Noel; Christiani, David C.; Hayden, Douglas; Jeena, Prakash; MacLeod, William B.; Mino, Greta; Patel, Archana; Qazi, Shamim; Santosham, Mathuram; Thea, Donald M.; Hibberd, Patricia L.

2015-01-01

Objective Stunting affects 26.7% of children worldwide, and little is known about its effects on the outcomes of childhood pneumonia. We evaluated the effect of stunting on the outcomes of pneumonia among children enrolled in two large clinical trials. Methods We analyzed data from two WHO and USAID-sponsored inpatient treatment trials, the Severe Pneumonia Evaluation Antimicrobial Research study (n=958) and the Amoxicillin Penicillin Pneumonia International Study (n=1702), which enrolled children aged 2–59 months across 16 sites in LMICs. We assessed the effect of stunting (height-for-age Z score < −2) on treatment outcome and time to resolution of hypoxemic pneumonia. Results Among 2542 (96%) children with valid data for height, 28% were stunted and 12.8% failed treatment by 5 days. The failure rate among stunted patients was 16.0% vs. 11.5% among non-stunted patients (unadjusted RR = 1.24 [95% CI 1.08, 1.41]; adjusted RR = 1.28 [95% CI 1.10, 1.48]). An inverse relationship was observed between height and failure rates, even among non-stunted children. Among 845 patients with hypoxemic pneumonia, stunting was associated with a lower probability of normalization of respiratory rate (HR = 0.63 [95% CI 0.52, 0.75]) and oxygen saturation (HR = 0.74 [95% CI 0.61, 0.89]). Conclusions Stunting increases the risk of treatment failure and is associated with a longer course of recovery in children with pneumonia. Strategies to decrease stunting may decrease the burden of adverse outcomes in childhood pneumonia in low-resource settings. PMID:26083963

Stunting is associated with poor outcomes in childhood pneumonia.

PubMed

Moschovis, Peter P; Addo-Yobo, Emmanuel O D; Banajeh, Salem; Chisaka, Noel; Christiani, David C; Hayden, Douglas; Jeena, Prakash; MacLeod, William B; Mino, Greta; Patel, Archana; Qazi, Shamim; Santosham, Mathuram; Thea, Donald M; Hibberd, Patricia L

2015-10-01

Stunting affects 26.7% of children worldwide, and little is known about its effects on the outcomes of childhood pneumonia. We evaluated the effect of stunting on the outcomes of pneumonia among children enrolled in two large clinical trials. We analysed data from two WHO and USAID-sponsored inpatient treatment trials, the Severe Pneumonia Evaluation Antimicrobial Research study (n = 958) and the Amoxicillin Penicillin Pneumonia International Study (n = 1702), which enrolled children aged 2-59 months across 16 sites in LMICs. We assessed the effect of stunting (height-for-age Z score < -2) on treatment outcome and time to resolution of hypoxaemic pneumonia. Among 2542 (96%) children with valid data for height, 28% were stunted and 12.8% failed treatment by 5 days. The failure rate among stunted patients was 16.0% vs. 11.5% among non-stunted patients [unadjusted RR = 1.24 (95% CI 1.08, 1.41); adjusted RR = 1.28 (95% CI 1.10, 1.48)]. An inverse relationship was observed between height and failure rates, even among non-stunted children. Among 845 patients with hypoxaemic pneumonia, stunting was associated with a lower probability of normalisation of respiratory rate [HR = 0.63 (95% CI 0.52, 0.75)] and oxygen saturation [HR = 0.74 (95% CI 0.61, 0.89)]. Stunting increases the risk of treatment failure and is associated with a longer course of recovery in children with pneumonia. Strategies to decrease stunting may decrease the burden of adverse outcomes in childhood pneumonia in low-resource settings. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trends in inequalities in child stunting in South Asia.

PubMed

Krishna, Aditi; Mejía-Guevara, Iván; McGovern, Mark; Aguayo, Victor; Subramanian, S V

2017-10-19

We analysed socio-economic inequalities in stunting in South Asia and investigated disparities associated with factors at the individual, caregiver, and household levels (poor dietary diversity, low maternal education, and household poverty). We used time-series analysis of data from 55,459 children ages 6-23 months from Demographic and Health Surveys in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan (1991-2014). Logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, birth order, and place of residency, examined associations between stunting and multiple types of socio-economic disadvantage. All countries had high stunting rates. Bangladesh and Nepal recorded the largest reductions-2.9 and 4.1 percentage points per year, respectively-compared to 1.3 and 0.6 percentage points in India and Pakistan, respectively. Socio-economic adversity was associated with increased risk of stunting, regardless of disadvantage type. Poor children with inadequate diets and with poorly educated mothers experienced greater risk of stunting. Although stunting rates declined in the most deprived groups, socio-economic differences were largely preserved over time and in some cases worsened, namely, between wealth quintiles. The disproportionate burden of stunting experienced by the most disadvantaged children and the worsening inequalities between socio-economic groups are of concern in countries with substantial stunting burdens. Closing the gap between best and worst performing countries, and between most and least disadvantaged groups within countries, would yield substantial improvements in stunting rates in South Asia. To do so, greater attention needs to be paid to addressing the social, economic, and political drivers of stunting with targeted efforts towards the populations experiencing the greatest disadvantage and child growth faltering. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social determinants of stunting in rural area of Wardha, Central India.

PubMed

Deshmukh, Pradeep R; Sinha, Nirmalya; Dongre, Amol R

2013-07-01

Stunting is a consequence of long term, cumulative inadequacies of health and nutrition. Health system uses underweight for growth monitoring for its simplicity. Lately there is renewed interest in stunting and especially severe acute malnutrition. Stunting is a relatively neglected indicator. It is therefore imperative to understand the causes of stunting early in infancy and childhood, so that preventive measures can be taken. Hence, the present study was undertaken to study the social determinants of stunting in rural Wardha. The present cross-sectional study was undertaken in three Primary Health Centres (PHCs) of Wardha district with total population of 88,187. The sample was drawn from three PHC areas by 30-cluster sampling technique. Stunting was defined using WHO Child Growth Standards for 'height-for-age'. 'Height-for-age' values below 2 standard deviations were considered as stunted while below 3 standard deviations were considered 'severe stunting'. Prevalence of stunting was observed to be 52.3% and severe stunting was 25.1%. The significant determinants of stunting were found to be age, father's education, fathers' occupation, low income, not receiving Vitamin-A supplement during last 6 months and having anaemia. Sex, caste, mother's education and mothers' occupation did not contribute significantly to the stunting. Low income and related factors such as father's education and his occupation are important determinant of the stunting. Father being the decision maker, his education is of importance. Vitamin-A supplementation and anaemia as surrogate indicators for access to health care also found out to be significant determinants of stunting.

Childhood stunting: a global perspective

PubMed Central

Branca, Francesco

2016-01-01

Abstract Childhood stunting is the best overall indicator of children's well‐being and an accurate reflection of social inequalities. Stunting is the most prevalent form of child malnutrition with an estimated 161 million children worldwide in 2013 falling below −2 SD from the length‐for‐age/height‐for‐age World Health Organization Child Growth Standards median. Many more millions suffer from some degree of growth faltering as the entire length‐for‐age/height‐for‐age z‐score distribution is shifted to the left indicating that all children, and not only those falling below a specific cutoff, are affected. Despite global consensus on how to define and measure it, stunting often goes unrecognized in communities where short stature is the norm as linear growth is not routinely assessed in primary health care settings and it is difficult to visually recognize it. Growth faltering often begins in utero and continues for at least the first 2 years of post‐natal life. Linear growth failure serves as a marker of multiple pathological disorders associated with increased morbidity and mortality, loss of physical growth potential, reduced neurodevelopmental and cognitive function and an elevated risk of chronic disease in adulthood. The severe irreversible physical and neurocognitive damage that accompanies stunted growth poses a major threat to human development. Increased awareness of stunting's magnitude and devastating consequences has resulted in its being identified as a major global health priority and the focus of international attention at the highest levels with global targets set for 2025 and beyond. The challenge is to prevent linear growth failure while keeping child overweight and obesity at bay. PMID:27187907

Child Stunting is Associated with Low Circulating Essential Amino Acids.

PubMed

Semba, Richard D; Shardell, Michelle; Sakr Ashour, Fayrouz A; Moaddel, Ruin; Trehan, Indi; Maleta, Kenneth M; Ordiz, M Isabel; Kraemer, Klaus; Khadeer, Mohammed A; Ferrucci, Luigi; Manary, Mark J

2016-04-01

Stunting affects about one-quarter of children under five worldwide. The pathogenesis of stunting is poorly understood. Nutritional interventions have had only modest effects in reducing stunting. We hypothesized that insufficiency in essential amino acids may be limiting the linear growth of children. We used a targeted metabolomics approach to measure serum amino acids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and other metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 313 children, aged 12-59months, from rural Malawi. Children underwent anthropometry. Sixty-two percent of the children were stunted. Children with stunting had lower serum concentrations of all nine essential amino acids (tryptophan, isoleucine, leucine, valine, methionine, threonine, histidine, phenylalanine, lysine) compared with nonstunted children (p<0.01). In addition, stunted children had significantly lower serum concentrations of conditionally essential amino acids (arginine, glycine, glutamine), non-essential amino acids (asparagine, glutamate, serine), and six different sphingolipids compared with nonstunted children. Stunting was also associated with alterations in serum glycerophospholipid concentrations. Our findings support the idea that children with a high risk of stunting may not be receiving an adequate dietary intake of essential amino acids and choline, an essential nutrient for the synthesis of sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CDL description of the CDC 6600 stunt box

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hertzog, J. B.

1971-01-01

The CDC 6600 central memory control (stunt box) is described utilizing CDL (Computer Design Language), block diagrams, and text. The stunt box is a clearing house for all central memory references from the 6600 central and peripheral processors. Since memory requests can be issued simultaneously, the stunt box must be capable of assigning priorities to requests, of labeling requests so that the data will be distributed correctly, and of remembering rejected addresses due to memory conflicts.

Impact of early and concurrent stunting on cognition.

PubMed

Crookston, Benjamin T; Dearden, Kirk A; Alder, Stephen C; Porucznik, Christina A; Stanford, Joseph B; Merrill, Ray M; Dickerson, Ty T; Penny, Mary E

2011-10-01

Undernutrition is associated with poor cognitive development, late entry into school, decreased years of schooling, reduced productivity and smaller adult stature. We use longitudinal data from 1674 Peruvian children participating in the Young Lives study to assess the relative impact of early stunting (stunted at 6-18 months of age) and concurrent stunting (stunted at 4.5-6 years of age) on cognitive ability. Anthropometric data were longitudinally collected for children at 6-18 months of age and 4.5-6 years of age at which time verbal and quantitative ability were also assessed. We estimate that an increase in concurrent height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) by one standard deviation was associated with an increase in a child's score on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) by 2.35 points [confidence interval (CI): 1.55-3.15] and a 0.16 point increase on the cognitive development assessment (CDA) (CI: 0.05-0.27). Furthermore, we report that the estimate for concurrent HAZ and PPVT is significantly higher than the estimate for early stunting and PPVT. We found no significant difference between early and concurrent estimates for HAZ and CDA. Children from older mothers, children whose mothers had higher education levels, children living in urban areas, children who attended pre-school, children with fewer siblings and children from wealthier backgrounds scored higher on both assessments. Cognitive skills of children entering school were associated with early stunting but the strongest association was found with concurrent stunting suggesting that interventions preventing linear growth faltering should not only focus on the under 2s but include children up to 5 years of age. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Wasting and stunting--similarities and differences: policy and programmatic implications.

PubMed

Briend, André; Khara, Tanya; Dolan, Carmel

2015-03-01

Wasting and stunting are often presented as two separate forms of malnutrition requiring different interventions for prevention and/or treatment. These two forms of malnutrition, however, are closely related and often occur together in the same populations and often in the same children. Wasting and stunting are both associated with increased mortality, especially when both are present in the same child. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of these two different forms of malnutrition is needed to design efficient programs. A greatly reduced muscle mass is characteristic of severe wasting, but there is indirect evidence that it also occurs in stunting. A reduced muscle mass increases the risk of death during infections and also in many other different pathological situations. Reduced muscle mass may represent a common mechanism linking wasting and stunting with increased mortality. This suggests that to decrease malnutrition-related mortality, interventions should aim at preventing both wasting and stunting, which often share common causes. Also, this suggests that treatment interventions should focus on children who are both wasted and stunted and therefore have the greatest deficits in muscle mass, instead of focusing on one or the other form of malnutrition. Interventions should also focus on young infants and children, who have a low muscle mass in relation to body weight to start with. Using mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) to select children in need of treatment may represent a simple way to target young wasted and stunted children efficiently in situations where these two conditions are present. Wasting is also associated with decreased fat mass. A decreased fat mass is frequent but inconsistent in stunting. Fat secretes multiple hormones, including leptin, which may have a stimulating effect on the immune system. Depressed immunity resulting from low fat stores may also contribute to the increased mortality observed in wasting. This may represent

Determinants of overweight with concurrent stunting among Ghanaian children.

PubMed

Atsu, Benedicta K; Guure, Chris; Laar, Amos K

2017-07-27

Malnutrition (undernutrition and overnutrition) is a major public health problem in Ghana -affecting growth and development of individuals and the nation. Stunting and overweight are of particular interest, as recent national surveys show a rising trend of overnutrition and stubbornly high burden of stunting among Ghanaian children. There are currently no data on the simultaneous occurrence of overweight and stunting within individuals in Ghana. This paper presents the burden, the individual-level, and contextual determinants of overweight with concurrent stunting among Ghanaian children. This study analyzed data set of the fourth round of the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS4). Bivariate analyses were used to describe selected characteristics of survey respondents and their children. Hierarchical modelling approach facilitated identification of significant distal, intermediate and proximal factors/determinants of concurrent stunting and overweight. Both crude and adjusted prevalence ratios via a multivariable Poison regression model with their corresponding 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) are reported. Variables with p ≤ 0.25 at the bivariate level were included in the multivariable analysis. An alpha value of 5% was used to indicate significance. Of 7550 cases (children) analyzed, the prevalence of stunting was 27.5%; underweight was 17.3%; and wasting was 7.7%. The prevalence of overweight and concurrent overweight and stunting were respectively 2.4% and 1.2%. Children who belonged to the fourth wealth quintile, were more likely to be overweight and concurrently stunted as against children belonging to the poorest quintile (aPR = 1.010; 95% CI, 1.003-1.017). Compared to religious (Christians/Muslim/Traditionalist) household heads, children whose household heads did not belong to any religion had 2 times the rates of the Overweight with concurrent stunting (PR = 2.024; 95% CI, 1.016-4.034). Children with mothers aged 20-34 and 35-49 had an

Child stunting is associated with low circulating essential amino acids

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stunting affects about one-quarter of children under five worldwide. The pathogenesis of stunting is poorly understood. Nutritional interventions have had only modest effects in reducing stunting. We hypothesized that insufficiency in essential amino acids may be limiting the linear growth of childr...

Atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus isolated from peanuts collected from northern Philippines as potential biocon agents against pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanut and corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aflatoxin contamination of food products causes liver cancer and weakened immunity in humans, and stunted growth and reduced productivity in animals (CAST, 2003). Effective control of pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanut and corn due to AflaGuard and Aflasafe in the United States and Africa...

Resistance of Spiroplasma citri Lines to the Virus SVTS2 Is Associated with Integration of Viral DNA Sequences into Host Chromosomal and Extrachromosomal DNA.

PubMed

Sha, Y; Melcher, U; Davis, R E; Fletcher, J

1995-11-01

Spiroplasmavirus SVTS2, isolated from Spiroplasma melliferum TS2, produces plaques when inoculated onto lawns of Spiroplasma citri M200H, a derivative of the type strain Maroc R8A2. S. citri strains MR2 and MR3, originally selected as colonies growing within plaques on a lawn of M200H inoculated with SVTS2, were resistant to SVTS2. Genomic DNA fingerprints and electrophoretic protein profiles of M200H, MR2, and MR3 were similar, but three proteins present in M200H were missing or significantly reduced in both resistant lines. None of these three polypeptides reacted with antiserum against S. citri membrane proteins, indicating that they probably are not surface-located virus receptors. Electroporation with SVTS2 DNA produced 1.5 x 10(sup5) transfectants per (mu)g of DNA in M200H but none in MR2 or MR3, suggesting that resistance may result from inhibition of viral replication. The digestion patterns of the extrachromosomal double-stranded (ds) DNA of these lines were similar. Three TaqI fragments of MR2 extrachromosomal DNA that were not present in M200H extrachromosomal DNA hybridized strongly to an SVTS2 probe, and two of these fragments plus an additional one hybridized with the MR3 extrachromosomal DNA, indicating that a fragment of SVTS2 DNA was present in the extrachromosomal ds DNA of MR2 and MR3 but not of M200H. When the restricted genomes of all three lines were probed with SVTS2 DNA, strong hybridization to two EcoRI fragments of chromosomal MR2 and MR3 DNA but not M200H DNA indicated that SVTS2 DNA had integrated into the genomes of MR2 and MR3 but not of M200H. When MR3 extrachromosomal ds DNA containing a 2.1-kb SVTS2 DNA fragment was transfected into M200H, the transformed spiroplasmas were resistant to SVTS2. These results suggest that SVTS2 DNA fragments, possibly integrated into the chromosomal or extrachromosomal DNA of a previously susceptible spiroplasma, may function as viral incompatibility elements, providing resistance to superinfection by

Beet yellow stunt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Beet yellow stunt virus (BYSV) is a potentially destructive yellows-type virus affecting plants in the family Asteraceae. The virus is a member of the genus Closterovirus, family Closteroviridae, and has been found in California and England. Initial symptoms consist of chlorosis of the older leaves,...

The monomeric, tetrameric, and fibrillar organization of Fib: the dynamic building block of the bacterial linear motor of Spiroplasma melliferum BC3.

PubMed

Cohen-Krausz, Sara; Cabahug, Pamela C; Trachtenberg, Shlomo

2011-07-08

Spiroplasmas belong to the class Mollicutes, representing the minimal, free-living, and self-replicating forms of life. Spiroplasmas are helical wall-less bacteria and the only ones known to swim by means of a linear motor (rather than the near-universal rotary bacterial motor). The linear motor follows the shortest path along the cell's helical membranal tube. The motor is composed of a flat monolayered ribbon of seven parallel fibrils and is believed to function in controlling cell helicity and motility through dynamic, coordinated, differential length changes in the fibrils. The latter cause local perturbations of helical symmetry, which are essential for net directional displacement in environments with a low Reynolds number. The underlying fibrils' core building block is a circular tetramer of the 59-kDa protein Fib. The fibrils' differential length changes are believed to be driven by molecular switching of Fib, leading consequently to axial ratio and length changes in tetrameric rings. Using cryo electron microscopy, diffractometry, single-particle analysis of isolated ribbons, and sequence analyses of Fib, we determined the overall molecular organization of the Fib monomer, tetramer, fibril, and linear motor of Spiroplasma melliferum BC3 that underlies cell geometry and motility. Fib appears to be a bidomained molecule, of which the N-terminal half is apparently a globular phosphorylase. By a combination of reversible rotation and diagonal shift of Fib monomers, the tetramer adopts either a cross-like nonhanded conformation or a ring-like handed conformation. The sense of Fib rotation may determine the handedness of the linear motor and, eventually, of the cell. A further change in the axial ratio of the ring-like tetramers controls fibril lengths and the consequent helical geometry. Analysis of tetramer quadrants from adjacent fibrils clearly demonstrates local differential fibril lengths. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use and Misuse of Stunting as a Measure of Child Health.

PubMed

Perumal, Nandita; Bassani, Diego G; Roth, Daniel E

2018-03-01

The term "stunting" has become pervasive in international nutrition and child health research, program, and policy circles. Although originally intended as a population-level statistical indicator of children's social and economic deprivation, the conventional anthropometric definition of stunting (height-for-age z scores <-2 SD) is now widely used to define chronic malnutrition. Epidemiologists often portray it as a disease, making inferences about the causes of growth faltering based on comparisons between stunted (i.e., undernourished) and nonstunted children. Stunting is commonly used to monitor public health and nutrition program effectiveness alongside calls for the "elimination of stunting." However, there is no biological basis for the -2 SD cutoff to define stunting, making it a poor individual-level classifier of malnutrition or disease. In fact, in many low- and middle-income countries, children above and below the threshold are similarly affected by growth-limiting exposures. We argue that the common use of stunting as an indicator of child linear growth has contributed to unsubstantiated assumptions about the biological mechanisms underlying linear growth impairment in low- and middle-income countries and has led to a systematic underestimation of the burden of linear growth deficits among children in low-resource settings. Moreover, because nutrition-specific short-term public health interventions may result in relatively minor changes in child height, the use of stunting prevalence to monitor health or nutrition program effectiveness may be inappropriate. A more nuanced approach to the application and interpretation of stunting as an indicator in child growth research and public health programming is warranted.

Environmental enteric dysfunction and growth failure/stunting in global child health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Approximately 25% of the world's children aged <5 years have stunted growth, which is associated with increased mortality, cognitive dysfunction, and loss of productivity. Reducing by 40% the number of stunted children is a global target for 2030. The pathogenesis of stunting is poorly understood. P...

Multi-country analysis of the effects of diarrhoea on childhood stunting

PubMed Central

Checkley, William; Buckley, Gillian; Gilman, Robert H; Assis, Ana MO; Guerrant, Richard L; Morris, Saul S; Mølbak, Kåre; Valentiner-Branth, Palle; Lanata, Claudio F; Black, Robert E

2008-01-01

Diarrhoea is an important cause of death and illness among children in developing countries; however, it remains controversial as to whether diarrhoea leads to stunting. We conducted a pooled analysis of nine studies that collected daily diarrhoea morbidity and longitudinal anthropometry to determine the effects of the longitudinal history of diarrhoea prior to 24 months on stunting at age 24 months. Data covered a 20-year period and five countries. We used logistic regression to model the effect of diarrhoea on stunting. The prevalence of stunting at age 24 months varied by study (range 21–90%), as did the longitudinal history of diarrhoea prior to 24 months (incidence range 3.6–13.4 episodes per child-year, prevalence range 2.4–16.3%). The effect of diarrhoea on stunting, however, was similar across studies. The odds of stunting at age 24 months increased multiplicatively with each diarrhoeal episode and with each day of diarrhoea before 24 months (all P < 0.001). The adjusted odds of stunting increased by 1.13 for every five episodes (95% CI 1.07–1.19), and by 1.16 for every 5% unit increase in longitudinal prevalence (95% CI 1.07–1.25). In this assembled sample of 24-month-old children, the proportion of stunting attributed to ≥5 diarrhoeal episodes before 24 months was 25% (95% CI 8–38%) and that attributed to being ill with diarrhoea for ≥2% of the time before 24 months was 18% (95% CI 1–31%). These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that a higher cumulative burden of diarrhoea increases the risk of stunting. PMID:18567626

The effect of predation on stunted and nonstunted white perch

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gosch, N.J.C.; Pierce, L.L.; Pope, K.L.

2010-01-01

Predation is widely regarded as a means to prevent or minimise the establishment of a stunted (high density of slow growing individuals) population. We investigated the effect of predation on two different white perch Morone americana populations (stunted and nonstunted) by examining the stomach contents of piscivorous fishes. White perch and gizzard shad dominated piscivore diets in Branched Oak Lake, whereas white perch dominated piscivore diets in Pawnee Lake. White perch consumed in the stunted population (Branched Oak Lake) were larger and older than white perch consumed in the nonstunted population (Pawnee Lake). Many of the consumed white perch in the stunted population were sexually mature and had the opportunity to spawn at least once. In contrast, all of the consumed white perch in the nonstunted population were sexually immature. Predation may have reinforced the stunting of white perch in Branched Oak Lake through removal of the largest, oldest individuals. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Lower waist circumference in mildly-stunted adolescents is associated with elevated insulin concentration.

PubMed

Clemente, Ana Paula Grotti; Santos, Carla Danusa da Luz; Martins, Vinicius J B; Albuquerque, Maria Paula; Fachim, Mariana B; Sawaya, Ana Lydia

2014-01-01

Augmented waist circumference (WC) is associated with non-communicable diseases and could represent a valuable marker in screening for metabolic dysfunctions in subjects with insufficient linear growth. The objective of the present study was to determine whether biochemical and hemodynamic parameters and waist circumference vary between mildly-stunted and non-stunted adolescents from impoverished communities of São Paulo, Brazil. The cross-sectional study involved 206 subjects, aged between 9 and 19 years and living in impoverished areas of São Paulo, Brazil. The sample population was divided according to height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) into stunted (-1 > HAZ ≥ -2) and non-stunted (HAZ ≥ -1) groups, and was sub-divided according to gender. Logistic regression analysis was employed to compare individuals with elevated (> 75th percentile) insulin concentrations. The receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to determine WC cut-off points that could be used to identify stunted and non-stunted individuals with elevated insulin concentrations. WC cut-off points of 58.25cm and 67.2cm allowed for correct classification of 90.7% of stunted and 88.7% of non-stunted individuals in the studied population. While the sensitivity of the model was high for stunted and non-stunted subjects (98.8% and 97.2%, respectively), the specificity was modest (57.1% and 41.2%, respectively). The results presented herein suggest that an increase in plasma insulin is one of the primary metabolic modifications in stunted individuals, and that this alteration could be identified at a lower WC cut-off point than in non-stunted counterparts. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

A Literature Review of the Effect of Malaria on Stunting.

PubMed

Jackson, Bianca D; Black, Robert E

2017-11-01

Background: The current version of the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) maternal and child health impact modeling software does not include an effect of malaria on stunting. Objective: This literature review was undertaken to determine whether such a causal link should be included in the LiST model. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were searched by using broad search terms. The searches returned a total of 4281 documents. Twelve studies from among the retrieved documents were included in the review according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: There was mixed evidence for an effect of malaria on stunting among longitudinal observational studies, and none of the randomized controlled trials of malaria interventions found an effect of the interventions on stunting. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to include malaria as a determinant of stunting or an effect of malaria interventions on stunting in the LiST model. The paucity and heterogeneity of the available literature were a major limitation. In addition, the studies included in the review consistently fulfilled their ethical responsibility to treat children under observation for malaria, which may have interfered with the natural history of the disease and prevented any observable effect on stunting or linear growth. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

Early Childhood Stunting and Later Fine Motor Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Susan M.; Walker, Susan P.; Grantham-McGregor, Sally; Powell, Christine A.

2010-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of early childhood stunting (height for age 2SD or more below reference values) and interventions on fine motor abilities at 11 to 12 years, and the relationship between fine motor abilities and school achievement and intelligence. Method: A cohort of stunted children who had participated in…

Micronutrients in the treatment of stunting and moderate malnutrition.

PubMed

Penny, Mary Edith

2012-01-01

Linear growth retardation or stunting may occur with or without low weight-for-age, but in both cases stunted or moderately malnourished children are deficient in micronutrients. Pregnancy and the first 2 years are critical periods. Dietary deficiency of zinc, iron, calcium, and vitamin A are especially common and often occur together. Zinc is essential for adequate growth, and supplements have been shown to increase intrauterine femur length and to prevent stunting. However, in general, supplements which provide a mixture of micronutrients have been more successful in preventing stunting and are simpler to take and distribute. Multiple micronutrients together with energy and macronutrients are also needed for the management of moderate malnutrition. Multiple micronutrients may be delivered as medicinal-like supplements, but may also be combined with food, for instance in milk drinks, in fortified dried cereal mixes used to supplement complementary foods or in lipid nutrition supplements. The latter also provide essential fats necessary for growth. Micronutrient powders for home fortification are effective in preventing anemia, but present combinations do not prevent stunting. Improving the diets of infant and young children is also possible, and increased intake of animal source foods can improve growth. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Wound-induced endogenous jasmonates stunt plant growth by inhibiting mitosis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi; Turner, John G

2008-01-01

When plants are repeatedly injured their growth is stunted and the size of organs such as leaves is greatly reduced. The basis of this effect is not well-understood however, even though it reduces yield of crops injured by herbivory, and produces dramatic effects exemplified in ornamental bonsai plants. We have investigated the genetic and physiological basis of this "bonsai effect" by repeatedly wounding leaves of the model plant Arabidopsis. This treatment stunted growth by 50% and increased the endogenous content of jasmonate (JA), a growth inhibitor, by seven-fold. Significantly, repeated wounding did not stunt the growth of the leaves of mutants unable to synthesise JA, or unable to respond to JA including coi1, jai3, myc2, but not jar1. The stunted growth did not result from reduced cell size, but resulted instead from reduced cell number, and was associated with reduced expression of CycB1;2. Wounding caused systemic disappearance of constitutively expressed JAZ1::GUS. Wounding also activates plant immunity. We show that a gene, 12-oxo-phytodienoate reductase, which catalyses a step in JA biosynthesis, and which we confirm is not required for defence, is however required for wound-induced stunting. Our data suggest that intermediates in the JA biosynthetic pathway activate defence, but a primary function of wound-induced JA is to stunt growth through the suppression of mitosis.

Household dietary diversity and child stunting in East Java, Indonesia.

PubMed

Mahmudiono, Trias; Sumarmi, Sri; Rosenkranz, Richard R

2017-03-01

More than one-quarter of under-five children in the developing world are stunted, and those with poor nutrient intake are at risk of irreversible cognitive impairment. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between dietary diversity and child stunting in an Indonesian context. Dietary diversity was assessed using a maternal-reported checklist of 12 food groups, summed as a Household Dietary Diversity Score. Stunting was defined as <=-2.0 height-for-age z-score by WHO-Anthro 2005. Trained interviewers administered the household dietary diversity questionnaire to 768 households with children aged <5 years in East Java, Indonesia. Logistic regression models were constructed to test the association between dietary diversity and child stunting. The prevalence of child stunting was 39.4%, and the percentage of households consuming food groups high in protein and calcium, like dairy products (41%), and meat/poultry, (65%) was lower compared with other food groups. The unadjusted model revealed that higher dietary diversity scores were associated with lower likelihood of child stunting (OR=0.89; 95% CI=0.80-0.98). This relationship remained significant after adjustment for family size, maternal literacy, food expenditure, breastfeeding, energy, and protein intake (OR=0.89; 95% CI=0.80-0.99). The dietary diversity score was moderate, with consumption of dairy products and meat/poultry lowest among 12 food groups. Hence, population interventions should focus on promoting food groups currently lacking in maternal and child diet, including those rich in growth-promoting nutrients like dairy, meat/poultry. These results, from an Indonesian context, confirm the widely observed protective relationship between dietary diversity and child stunting.

Reaching the global target to reduce stunting: an investment framework

PubMed Central

Shekar, Meera; D’Alimonte, Mary R; Rogers, Hilary E; Eberwein, Julia Dayton; Akuoku, Jon Kweku; Pereira, Audrey; Soe-Lin, Shan; Hecht, Robert

2017-01-01

Abstract Childhood stunting, being short for one’s age, has life-long consequences for health, human capital and economic growth. Being stunted in early childhood is associated with slower cognitive development, reduced schooling attainment and adult incomes decreased by 5–53%. The World Health Assembly has endorsed global nutrition targets including one to reduce the number of stunted children under five by 40% by 2025. The target has been included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG target 2.2). This paper estimates the cost of achieving this target and develops scenarios for generating the necessary financing. We focus on a key intervention package for stunting (KIPS) with strong evidence of effectiveness. Annual scale-up costs for the period of 2016–25 were estimated for a sample of 37 high burden countries and extrapolated to all low and middle income countries. The Lives Saved Tool was used to model the impact of the scale-up on stunting prevalence. We analysed data on KIPS budget allocations and expenditure by governments, donors and households to derive a global baseline financing estimate. We modelled two financing scenarios, a ‘business as usual’, which extends the current trends in domestic and international financing for nutrition through 2025, and another that proposes increases in financing from all sources under a set of burden-sharing rules. The 10-year financial need to scale up KIPS is US$49.5 billion. Under ‘business as usual’, this financial need is not met and the global stunting target is not reached. To reach the target, current financing will have to increase from US$2.6 billion to US$7.4 billion a year on average. Reaching the stunting target is feasible but will require large coordinated investments in KIPS and a supportive enabling environment. The example of HIV scale-up over 2001–11 is instructive in identifying the factors that could drive such a global response to childhood stunting. PMID:28453717

Reaching the global target to reduce stunting: an investment framework.

PubMed

Shekar, Meera; Kakietek, Jakub; D'Alimonte, Mary R; Rogers, Hilary E; Eberwein, Julia Dayton; Akuoku, Jon Kweku; Pereira, Audrey; Soe-Lin, Shan; Hecht, Robert

2017-06-01

Childhood stunting, being short for one's age, has life-long consequences for health, human capital and economic growth. Being stunted in early childhood is associated with slower cognitive development, reduced schooling attainment and adult incomes decreased by 5-53%. The World Health Assembly has endorsed global nutrition targets including one to reduce the number of stunted children under five by 40% by 2025. The target has been included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG target 2.2). This paper estimates the cost of achieving this target and develops scenarios for generating the necessary financing. We focus on a key intervention package for stunting (KIPS) with strong evidence of effectiveness. Annual scale-up costs for the period of 2016-25 were estimated for a sample of 37 high burden countries and extrapolated to all low and middle income countries. The Lives Saved Tool was used to model the impact of the scale-up on stunting prevalence. We analysed data on KIPS budget allocations and expenditure by governments, donors and households to derive a global baseline financing estimate. We modelled two financing scenarios, a 'business as usual', which extends the current trends in domestic and international financing for nutrition through 2025, and another that proposes increases in financing from all sources under a set of burden-sharing rules. The 10-year financial need to scale up KIPS is US$49.5 billion. Under 'business as usual', this financial need is not met and the global stunting target is not reached. To reach the target, current financing will have to increase from US$2.6 billion to US$7.4 billion a year on average. Reaching the stunting target is feasible but will require large coordinated investments in KIPS and a supportive enabling environment. The example of HIV scale-up over 2001-11 is instructive in identifying the factors that could drive such a global response to childhood stunting. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University

Mothers' autonomy and childhood stunting: evidence from semi-urban communities in Lao PDR.

PubMed

Kamiya, Yusuke; Nomura, Marika; Ogino, Hina; Yoshikawa, Kanako; Siengsounthone, Latsamy; Xangsayarath, Phonepadith

2018-05-22

Childhood stunting (height-for-age z-scores below - 2), a form of chronic undernutrition, remains a global health burden. Although a growing literature has examined the association between mothers' autonomy and childhood stunting, these studies have been limited to countries in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa where women have relatively lower social status than do men. Little research has analyzed the effect of mothers' autonomy on childhood stunting in Lao PDR, where women's social status is relatively high compared to that in other countries. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire and body scale measurement targeting 100 mothers and their 115 children (<5 years old) from semi-urban communities in Lao PDR, which is the country with the highest prevalence of childhood stunting in the Indochina region. As dimensions of women's autonomy, we measured self-esteem, self-efficacy, decision-making power, freedom of mobility, and control of money. We then analyzed how each dimension was associated with the likelihood of childhood stunting. The likelihood of childhood stunting was significantly lower if mothers had higher self-efficacy for health care (OR = 0.15, p = 0.007), self-esteem (OR = 0.11, p = 0.025), or control of money (OR = 0.11, p = 0.041). In contrast, mothers' decision-making power and freedom of mobility were not significantly associated with childhood stunting. We clarified which dimensions of women's autonomy were associated with childhood stunting in Lao PDR. A closer examination of mothers' autonomy will aid proper understanding of the determinants of childhood stunting.

The prevalence and risk factors of stunting among primary school children in North Sumatera, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestari, S.; Fujiati, I. I.; Keumalasari, D.; Daulay, M.

2018-03-01

Stunting in primary school-aged children is a kind of health and nutrition problem in Indonesia which has an impact on the human quality resources degradation. This research aimed to determine the stunting prevalence and the risk factors associated with stunting in primary school children in North Sumatra Province. This research is an analysis of cross-sectional approach. The total sampleis 400 children aged 8-13 years old were in the study from the Medan city and Langkat regency in July - October 2017. Data collected by using questionnaire and anthropometric assessment. Stunting (<-2 SD of height-for-age Z-score) were defined by using the World Health Organization reference 2007. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were used toassess the association between risk factors and stunting. The prevalence of stunting in primary school children was 38.87%. The factors associated with stunting school children were theeducation of mother (OR=1.53), income (OR=2.27), work of mother (OR=1.39), energy intake (OR=2.66) and protein intake (OR=2.02). The dominant factor that influences stunting in school children was energy intake. The conclusion of this study is stunting prevalence in school children in NorthSumatra higher.

The co-occurrence of anaemia and stunting in young children.

PubMed

Gosdin, Lucas; Martorell, Reynaldo; Bartolini, Rosario M; Mehta, Rukshan; Srikantiah, Sridhar; Young, Melissa F

2018-02-22

Anaemia and stunting are prevalent nutritional problems among children of low-income countries that have profound effects on development, morbidity, and mortality. Many use a single conceptual framework to identify the basic determinants of these and other forms of malnutrition. One would expect that problems with matching underlying determinants should co-occur in affected individuals to a greater degree than by chance. In 2 populations of children-ages 6-18 months in Bihar, India, (n = 5,664) and 6-36 months in Lambayeque, Peru (n = 688)-we measured the frequency of the co-occurrence of anaemia and stunting. We compared this value with the value expected by chance, the product of the prevalence of anaemia and stunting, using a chi-square test. We also built logistic regression models for each condition. The frequency of co-occurrence in the Indian population was 21.5%, and in the Peruvian population, it was 30.4%, which are similar to frequencies expected by chance, 21.3% (p = .97) and 31.5% (p = .85). In Peru, anaemia was associated with age and consumption of treated water. Stunting was associated with age, sex, dietary diversity, hand washing, language spoken, and wealth. In India, anaemia was associated with age, sex, caste, dietary diversity, and household hunger. Stunting was associated with age, sex, caste, wealth, and maternal illiteracy. Despite some basic shared factors, anaemia and stunting are more independent than commonly assumed. Interventions that target children based on 1 condition may miss children with the other form of malnutrition. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Can water, sanitation and hygiene help eliminate stunting? Current evidence and policy implications

PubMed Central

Cairncross, Sandy

2016-01-01

Abstract Stunting is a complex and enduring challenge with far‐reaching consequences for those affected and society as a whole. To accelerate progress in eliminating stunting, broader efforts are needed that reach beyond the nutrition sector to tackle the underlying determinants of undernutrition. There is growing interest in how water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions might support strategies to reduce stunting in high‐burden settings, such as South Asia and sub‐Saharan Africa. This review article considers two broad questions: (1) can WASH interventions make a significant contribution to reducing the global prevalence of childhood stunting, and (2) how can WASH interventions be delivered to optimize their effect on stunting and accelerate progress? The evidence reviewed suggests that poor WASH conditions have a significant detrimental effect on child growth and development resulting from sustained exposure to enteric pathogens but also due to wider social and economic mechanisms. Realizing the potential of WASH to reduce stunting requires a redoubling of efforts to achieve universal access to these services as envisaged under the Sustainable Development Goals. It may also require new or modified WASH strategies that go beyond the scope of traditional interventions to specifically address exposure pathways in the first 2 years of life when the process of stunting is concentrated. PMID:27187910

A review of the evidence linking child stunting to economic outcomes

PubMed Central

McGovern, Mark E; Krishna, Aditi; Aguayo, Victor M; Subramanian, SV

2017-01-01

Abstract Background To understand the full impact of stunting in childhood it is important to consider the long-run effects of undernutrition on the outcomes of adults who were affected in early life. Focusing on the costs of stunting provides a means of evaluating the economic case for investing in childhood nutrition. Methods We review the literature on the association between stunting and undernutrition in childhood and economic outcomes in adulthood. At the national level, we also evaluate the evidence linking stunting to economic growth. Throughout, we consider randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental approaches and observational studies. Results Long-run evaluations of two randomized nutrition interventions indicate substantial returns to the programmes (a 25% and 46% increase in wages for those affected as children, respectively). Cost-benefit analyses of nutrition interventions using calibrated return estimates report a median return of 17.9:1 per child. Assessing the wage premium associated with adult height, we find that a 1-cm increase in stature is associated with a 4% increase in wages for men and a 6% increase in wages for women in our preferred set of studies which attempt to address unobserved confounding and measurement error. In contrast, the evidence on the association between economic growth and stunting is mixed. Conclusions Countries with high rates of stunting, such as those in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, should scale up policies and programmes aiming to reduce child undernutrition as cost-beneficial investments that expand the economic opportunities of their children, better allowing them and their countries to reach their full potential. However, economic growth as a policy will only be effective at reducing the prevalence of stunting when increases in national income are directed at improving the diets of children, addressing gender inequalities and strengthening the status of women, improving sanitation and reducing

What would it take to prevent stunted growth in children in sub-Saharan Africa?

PubMed

Lartey, Anna

2015-11-01

There is increasing agreement among the nutrition community about the use of length/height-for-age as the indicator to monitor the long-term impact of chronic nutritional deficiencies. Stunting, an indicator of linear growth failure, has both long- and short-term consequences affecting growth and development and adult work potential. The number of stunted children in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to increase by 2025 if the current trends remain. Stunting among African children peaks during the complementary feeding period, which coincides with the period when children are no longer on exclusive breastfeeding and infections are frequent. Addressing stunting has become the focus of global efforts. The World Health Assembly in 2012 set a 40 % reduction in the number of stunted children by 2025. To effectively address the issues of stunting in sub-Saharan Africa is it appropriate to examine the issue of what it takes. The WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) conducted in several regions of the world, including Africa has lessons on what it would take to prevent in African children. The children in the MGRS had good socioeconomic background characteristics reflected by years of maternal education and availability of basic amenities, such as potable water and sanitary conditions. The prescription of exclusive breastfeeding, high-quality diversified diets and attention to care were critical factors contributing to healthy growth for the African children. Preventing stunting in sub-Saharan Africa is possible. It requires governments to put in place policies that would create the conducive environment needed. The complex and multiple causes of stunting offer the opportunity to address stunting in a multisectoral and within a food systems approach. The global resolve to make food systems deliver on healthy diet requires all stakeholders to work together to achieve the global goal of reducing stunting. This review highlights the key elements contributing to adequate

Reproductive Manipulators in the Bark Beetle Pityogenes chalcographus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)—The Role of Cardinium, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma, and Wolbachia

PubMed Central

Schebeck, Martin; Feldkirchner, Lukas; Marín, Belen; Krumböck, Susanne; Schuler, Hannes; Stauffer, Christian

2018-01-01

Abstract Heritable bacterial endosymbionts can alter the biology of numerous arthropods. They can influence the reproductive outcome of infected hosts, thus affecting the ecology and evolution of various arthropod species. The spruce bark beetle Pityogenes chalcographus (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) was reported to express partial, unidirectional crossing incompatibilities among certain European populations. Knowledge on the background of these findings is lacking; however, bacterial endosymbionts have been assumed to manipulate the reproduction of this beetle. Previous work reported low-density and low-frequency Wolbachia infections of P. chalcographus but found it unlikely that this infection results in reproductive alterations. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of an endosymbiont-driven incompatibility, other than Wolbachia, reflected by an infection pattern on a wide geographic scale. We performed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of 226 individuals from 18 European populations for the presence of the endosymbionts Cardinium, Rickettsia, and Spiroplasma, and additionally screened these individuals for Wolbachia. Positive PCR products were sequenced to characterize these bacteria. Our study shows a low prevalence of these four endosymbionts in P. chalcographus. We detected a yet undescribed Spiroplasma strain in a single individual from Greece. This is the first time that this endosymbiont has been found in a bark beetle. Further, Wolbachia was detected in three beetles from two Scandinavian populations and two new Wolbachia strains were described. None of the individuals analyzed were infected with Cardinium and Rickettsia. The low prevalence of bacteria found here does not support the hypothesis of an endosymbiont-driven reproductive incompatibility in P. chalcographus. PMID:29771340

Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Stunting Among Children Aged Below Five Years in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarma, Haribondhu; Khan, Jahidur Rahman; Asaduzzaman, Mohammad; Uddin, Fakhar; Tarannum, Sayeeda; Hasan, Md Mehedi; Rahman, Ahmed Shafiqur; Ahmed, Tahmeed

2017-09-01

Poor nutrition during childhood impedes physical and mental development of children, which propagate the vicious cycle of intergenerational under nutrition. This paper is aimed at understanding the determinants of stunting among children aged 0 to 59 months in Bangladesh. The study used Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 data and a multistage stratified cluster-sampling design. Anthropometric data (for height and weight) were collected and analysis was limited to 7647 children. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of stunting with potential socioeconomic and demographic factors. The prevalence of stunting has been found to be about 41% among children aged less than 60 months and higher in rural setting than in urban areas (43% vs 36%). Adjusted model revealed that several factors were influencing stunting. The children living in moderately food-insecure households had higher odds of becoming stunted (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.54, P = .01) compared to the children living in food-secure households. The derived ORs of stunting for children delivered at institutions facilitated particularly by public (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.96; P = .02) or private (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67-0.97; P = .02) sectors were less than for children delivered at home. Similarly, wealth index, exposure of mother to the mass media, age of child, size of child at birth, and parents' education were significantly associated with stunting. Moreover, the demographic characteristics and other indicators appeared to have significant influence in the prevalence of stunting. Public health programs are needed to avert the risk factors of stunting among children in Bangladesh.

Associations of stunting in early childhood with cardiometabolic risk factors in adulthood

PubMed Central

Vianna, Carolina Avila; Gigante, Denise P.; Miranda, J. Jaime; Yudkin, John S.; Horta, Bernardo Lessa; Ong, Ken K.

2018-01-01

Early life stunting may have long-term effects on body composition, resulting in obesity-related comorbidities. We tested the hypothesis that individuals stunted in early childhood may be at higher cardiometabolic risk later in adulthood. 1753 men and 1781 women participating in the 1982 Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohort study had measurements of anthropometry, body composition, lipids, glucose, blood pressure, and other cardiometabolic traits at age 30 years. Early stunting was defined as height-for-age Z-score at age 2 years below -2 against the World Health Organization growth standards. Linear regression models were performed controlling for sex, maternal race/ethnicity, family income at birth, and birthweight. Analyses were stratified by sex when p-interaction<0.05. Stunted individuals were shorter (β = -0.71 s.d.; 95% CI: -0.78 to -0.64), had lower BMI (β = -0.14 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.25 to -0.03), fat mass (β = -0.28 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.38 to -0.17), SAFT (β = -0.16 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.26 to -0.06), systolic (β = -0.12 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.21 to -0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (β = -0.11 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.22 to -0.01), and higher VFT/SAFT ratio (β = 0.15 s.d.; 95%CI: 0.06 to 0.24), in comparison with non-stunted individuals. In addition, early stunting was associated with lower fat free mass in both men (β = -0.39 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.47 to -0.31) and women (β = -0.37 s.d.; 95%CI: -0.46 to -0.29) after adjustment for potential confounders. Our results suggest that early stunting has implications on attained height, body composition and blood pressure. The apparent tendency of stunted individuals to accumulate less fat-free mass and subcutaneous fat might predispose them towards increased metabolic risks in later life. PMID:29641597

Socio-economic determinants of severe and moderate stunting among under-five children of rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mostafa, Kamal S M

2011-04-01

Malnutrition among under-five children is a chronic problem in developing countries. This study explores the socio-economic determinants of severe and moderate stunting among under-five children of rural Bangladesh. The study used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Cross-sectional and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effect of the socio-demographic variables on moderate and severe stunting over normal among the children. Findings revealed that over two-fifths of the children were stunted, of which 26.3% were moderately stunted and 15.1% were severely stunted. The multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis yielded significantly increased risk of severe stunting (OR=2.53, 95% CI=1.34-4.79) and moderate stunting (OR=2.37, 95% CI=1.47-3.83) over normal among children with a thinner mother. Region, father's education, toilet facilities, child's age, birth order of children and wealth index were also important determinants of children's nutritional status. Development and poverty alleviation programmes should focus on the disadvantaged rural segments of people to improve their nutritional status.

[Corn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa History for Young People, 1993

1993-01-01

This theme issue focuses on corn. Iowa is the number one corn producing state in the United States. The featured articles in the issue concern, among other topics, Iowa children who live on farms, facts and statistics about corn, the Mesquakie Indians and corn shelling, corn hybrids, a short story, and the corn palaces of Sioux City. Activities,…

A review of the evidence linking child stunting to economic outcomes.

PubMed

McGovern, Mark E; Krishna, Aditi; Aguayo, Victor M; Subramanian, S V

2017-08-01

To understand the full impact of stunting in childhood it is important to consider the long-run effects of undernutrition on the outcomes of adults who were affected in early life. Focusing on the costs of stunting provides a means of evaluating the economic case for investing in childhood nutrition. We review the literature on the association between stunting and undernutrition in childhood and economic outcomes in adulthood. At the national level, we also evaluate the evidence linking stunting to economic growth. Throughout, we consider randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental approaches and observational studies. Long-run evaluations of two randomized nutrition interventions indicate substantial returns to the programmes (a 25% and 46% increase in wages for those affected as children, respectively). Cost-benefit analyses of nutrition interventions using calibrated return estimates report a median return of 17.9:1 per child. Assessing the wage premium associated with adult height, we find that a 1-cm increase in stature is associated with a 4% increase in wages for men and a 6% increase in wages for women in our preferred set of studies which attempt to address unobserved confounding and measurement error. In contrast, the evidence on the association between economic growth and stunting is mixed. Countries with high rates of stunting, such as those in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, should scale up policies and programmes aiming to reduce child undernutrition as cost-beneficial investments that expand the economic opportunities of their children, better allowing them and their countries to reach their full potential. However, economic growth as a policy will only be effective at reducing the prevalence of stunting when increases in national income are directed at improving the diets of children, addressing gender inequalities and strengthening the status of women, improving sanitation and reducing poverty and inequities. © The Author 2017

Stop stunting: improving child feeding, women's nutrition and household sanitation in South Asia.

PubMed

Aguayo, Víctor M; Menon, Purnima

2016-05-01

The latest available data indicate that 38% of South Asia's children aged 0-59 months are stunted. Such high prevalence combined with the region's large child population explain why South Asia bears about 40% of the global burden of stunting. Recent analyses indicate that the poor diets of children in the first years of life, the poor nutrition of women before and during pregnancy and the prevailing poor sanitation practices in households and communities are important drivers of stunting, most likely because of underlying conditions of women's status, food insecurity, poverty, and social inequalities. With this evidence in mind, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia convened the Regional Conference: Stop Stunting: Improving Child Feeding, Women's Nutrition, and Household Sanitation in South Asia (New Delhi, November 10-12, 2014). The Conference provided a knowledge-for-action platform with three objectives: (1) share state-of-the-art research findings on the causes of child stunting and its consequences for child growth and development and the sustainable growth and development of nations; (2) discuss better practices and the cost and benefits of scaling up programmes to improve child feeding, women's nutrition, and household sanitation in South Asia; and (3) identify implications for sectoral and cross-sectoral policy, programme, advocacy and research to accelerate progress in reducing child stunting in South Asia. This overview paper summarizes the rationale for the focus on improving child feeding, women's nutrition, and household sanitation as priority areas for investment to prevent child stunting in South Asia. It builds on the invited papers presented at or developed as a follow on to the Stop Stunting Conference. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Research Priorities on the Relationship between Wasting and Stunting

PubMed Central

Khara, Tanya; Dolan, Carmel; Berkley, James A.

2016-01-01

Background Wasting and stunting are global public health problems that frequently co-exist. However, they are usually separated in terms of policy, guidance, programming and financing. Though both wasting and stunting are manifestations of undernutrition caused by disease and poor diet, there are critical gaps in our understanding of the physiological relationship between them, and how interventions for one may affect the other. The aim of this exercise was to establish research priorities in the relationships between wasting and stunting to guide future research investments. Methods and Findings We used the CHNRI (Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative) methodology for setting research priorities in health. We utilised a group of experts in nutrition, growth and child health to prioritise 30 research questions against three criteria (answerability, usefulness and impact) using an online survey. Eighteen of 25 (72%) experts took part and prioritised research directly related to programming, particularly at the public health level. The highest-rated questions were: “Can interventions outside of the 1000 days, e.g. pre-school, school age and adolescence, lead to catch-up in height and in other developmental markers?”; “What timely interventions work to mitigate seasonal peaks in both wasting and stunting?”; and “What is the optimal formulation of ready-to-use foods to promote optimal ponderal growth and also support linear growth during and after recovery from severe acute malnutrition?” There was a high level of agreement between experts, particularly for the highest ranking questions. Conclusions Increased commitment to rigorous evaluations of treatment and prevention interventions at the public health level, addressing questions of the timing of intervention, and the extent to which impacts for both wasting and stunting can be achieved, is needed to inform global efforts to tackle undernutrition and its consequences. PMID:27159235

Stunting and the Prediction of Lung Volumes Among Tibetan Children and Adolescents at High Altitude

PubMed Central

Garruto, Ralph M.

2015-01-01

Abstract Weitz, Charles A., and Ralph M. Garruto. Stunting and the prediction of lung volumes among Tibetan children and adolescents at high altitude. High Alt Biol Med 16:306–317, 2015.—This study examines the extent to which stunting (height-for-age Z-scores ≤ −2) compromises the use of low altitude prediction equations to gauge the general increase in lung volumes during growth among high altitude populations. The forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) of 208 stunted and 365 non-stunted high-altitude Tibetan children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 20 years are predicted using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANESIII) and the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLF) equations, and compared to observed lung volumes. Stunted Tibetan children show smaller positive deviations from both NHANESIII and GLF prediction equations at most ages than non-stunted children. Deviations from predictions do not correspond to differences in body proportions (sitting heights and chest circumferences relative to stature) between stunted and non-stunted children; but appear compatible with the effects of retarded growth and lung maturation that are likely to exist among stunted children. These results indicate that, before low altitude standards can be used to evaluate the effects of hypoxia, or before high altitude populations can be compared to any other group, it is necessary to assess the relative proportion of stunted children in the samples. If the proportion of stunted children in a high altitude population differs significantly from the proportion in the comparison group, lung function comparisons are unlikely to yield an accurate assessment of the hypoxia effect. The best solution to this problem is to (1) use stature and lung function standards based on the same low altitude population; and (2) assess the hypoxic effect by comparing observed and predicted values among high altitude children whose

Stunting and the Prediction of Lung Volumes Among Tibetan Children and Adolescents at High Altitude.

PubMed

Weitz, Charles A; Garruto, Ralph M

2015-12-01

This study examines the extent to which stunting (height-for-age Z-scores ≤ -2) compromises the use of low altitude prediction equations to gauge the general increase in lung volumes during growth among high altitude populations. The forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) of 208 stunted and 365 non-stunted high-altitude Tibetan children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 20 years are predicted using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANESIII) and the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLF) equations, and compared to observed lung volumes. Stunted Tibetan children show smaller positive deviations from both NHANESIII and GLF prediction equations at most ages than non-stunted children. Deviations from predictions do not correspond to differences in body proportions (sitting heights and chest circumferences relative to stature) between stunted and non-stunted children; but appear compatible with the effects of retarded growth and lung maturation that are likely to exist among stunted children. These results indicate that, before low altitude standards can be used to evaluate the effects of hypoxia, or before high altitude populations can be compared to any other group, it is necessary to assess the relative proportion of stunted children in the samples. If the proportion of stunted children in a high altitude population differs significantly from the proportion in the comparison group, lung function comparisons are unlikely to yield an accurate assessment of the hypoxia effect. The best solution to this problem is to (1) use stature and lung function standards based on the same low altitude population; and (2) assess the hypoxic effect by comparing observed and predicted values among high altitude children whose statures are most like those of children on whom the low altitude spirometric standard is based-preferably high altitude children with HAZ-scores ≥ -1.

Open defecation and childhood stunting in India: an ecological analysis of new data from 112 districts.

PubMed

Spears, Dean; Ghosh, Arabinda; Cumming, Oliver

2013-01-01

Poor sanitation remains a major public health concern linked to several important health outcomes; emerging evidence indicates a link to childhood stunting. In India over half of the population defecates in the open; the prevalence of stunting remains very high. Recently published data on levels of stunting in 112 districts of India provide an opportunity to explore the relationship between levels of open defecation and stunting within this population. We conducted an ecological regression analysis to assess the association between the prevalence of open defecation and stunting after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Data from the 2011 HUNGaMA survey was used for the outcome of interest, stunting; data from the 2011 Indian Census for the same districts was used for the exposure of interest, open defecation. After adjustment for various potential confounding factors--including socio-economic status, maternal education and calorie availability--a 10 percent increase in open defecation was associated with a 0.7 percentage point increase in both stunting and severe stunting. Differences in open defecation can statistically account for 35 to 55 percent of the average difference in stunting between districts identified as low-performing and high-performing in the HUNGaMA data. In addition, using a Monte Carlo simulation, we explored the effect on statistical power of the common practice of dichotomizing continuous height data into binary stunting indicators. Our simulation showed that dichotomization of height sacrifices statistical power, suggesting that our estimate of the association between open defecation and stunting may be a lower bound. Whilst our analysis is ecological and therefore vulnerable to residual confounding, these findings use the most recently collected large-scale data from India to add to a growing body of suggestive evidence for an effect of poor sanitation on human growth. New intervention studies, currently underway, may shed more

Discovery of uncharacterized sugarcane viruses by next generation sequencing technology: the case of Ramu stunt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ramu stunt disease of sugarcane was first reported in Papua New Guinea in the mid 1980's. The disease can reduce sugarcane yields significantly and causes severe stunting and mortality in highly susceptible cultivars. The causal agent of Ramu stunt has been investigated but its characterization has ...

Major dietary patterns in relation to stunting among children in Tehran, Iran.

PubMed

Esfarjani, Fatemeh; Roustaee, Roshanak; Mohammadi-Nasrabadi, Fatemeh; Esmaillzadeh, Ahmad

2013-06-01

To the best of our knowledge, no information is available to link major dietary patterns to stunting during childhood, although dietary patterns are associated with chronic diseases. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between major dietary patterns and stunting in the first grade pupils of Tehran in 2009. In this case-control study, 86 stunted children (defined as height-for-age of less than the 5th percentile of CDC2000 cutoff points) were enrolled from among 3,147 first grade pupils of Tehran, selected using a multistage cluster random-sampling method. Participants for the control group (n=308) were selected randomly from non-stunted children (height-for-age more than the 5th percentile of CDC2000 cutoff points), after matching for age, sex, and area of residence. Dietary data were collected using two 24-hour dietary recalls through face-to-face interview with mothers. Factor analysis was used for identifying major dietary patterns. Mean consumption of dairy products (308 +/- 167 vs 382 +/- 232 g/day, p < 0.05), dried fruits and nuts (2.5819 vs 7.15 +/- 26 g/day, p < 0.05) were significantly lower among stunted children than those in the control group. Three major dietary patterns were identified: 'traditional dietary pattern' that was dominated by bread, potato, fats, eggs, flavours, vegetables other than leafy ones, sugar, drinks, and fast food; 'mixed dietary pattern' that was dominated by leafy vegetables, fast foods, nuts, fats, cereals other than bread, fruits, legumes, visceral meats, sugars, eggs, and vegetables other than leafy vegetables; and 'carbohydrate-protein pattern' that was dominated by sweets and desserts, poultry, dairy, fruits, legumes, and visceral meats. No significant relationships were found between traditional and mixed dietary patterns and stunting. Individuals in the third quartile of carbohydrate-protein dietary pattern were less likely to be stunted compared to those in the bottom quartile (OR: 0.31, 95% CI 0

Effectiveness of a stunting recovery program for children treated in a specialized center.

PubMed

Bueno, Nassib B; Lisboa, Catia B; Clemente, Ana G; Antunes, Renata T; Sawaya, Ana L; Florêncio, Telma T

2018-04-01

BackgroundStunting is still very prevalent in many poor and developing regions in the world. This study assessed the effectiveness of a stunting recovery program in children and its associated factors.MethodsThe retrospective study was conducted in a center of stunting recovery. There, children stayed in a day-hospital system (9 h per day; 5 days per week), and received five meals per day, providing 80% of their energetic daily needs. The main outcome was the stunting recovery rate (i.e., the child present a height-for-age index (HAZ) >-1.0 at the time of data collection). A total of 75 children treated for at least 24 months, aged between 6 and 48 months and with an HAZ <-2.0 at the time of admission were included.ResultsThe average treatment time was 41 months. About 18 children (24.0%) recovered from stunting. The variable "age at admission >24 months" (prevalence rate (PR)=0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15-0.99; P=0.04) and the variable "Household crowding index" (PR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.44-0.95; P=0.03) were associated with the success of the treatment.ConclusionThe environmental conditions in which the children live in their households and late admission to the center negatively influenced the success of stunting recovery, even with an intensive treatment.

Early-life Determinants of Stunted Adolescent Girls and Boys in Matlab, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Bosch, Alinda M.; Baqui, Abdullah H.; van Ginneken, Jeroen K.

2008-01-01

This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study, conducted in Matlab, Bangladesh, that examined to what extent the level of stunting in adolescence can be predicted by nutritional status in early childhood and maternal height. A linked set of data collected from the same individuals at two moments in time, i.e. early childhood (1988–1989) and adolescence (2001), was analyzed. The study found that the odds of being stunted in adolescence could be explained by the combined effect of being stunted in childhood and having a mother whose height was less than 145 cm. Also, girls were more likely than boys to be stunted in childhood, whereas boys were more likely than girls to be stunted in adolescence. The latter is probably attributable to differences in the pace of maturation. In terms of policy and (reproductive health) programmes, it is important to recall that adolescent girls whose height and weight were subnormal (weight <45 kg and height <145 cm) might run an obstetric risk. Following these cut-off points, 83% and 23% of 16-year-old girls in this study would face obstetric risk, respectively, for weight and height if they marry and become pregnant soon. PMID:18686552

Association between growth stunting with dental development and skeletal maturation stage.

PubMed

Flores-Mir, Carlos; Mauricio, Franco Raul; Orellana, Maria Fernanda; Major, Paul William

2005-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of growth stunting on the maturation stage of the medium phalanx of the third finger (MP3) and the dental development of the left mandibular canine in 280 high school children (140 stunted and 140 normal controls; equally distributed by sex) between 9.5 and 16.5 years of age, from a representative Peruvian school. Periapical radiographs of the MP3 from the left hand were used to determine the skeletal maturity stage, according to an adaptation of the Hägg and Taranger method. Panoramic radiographs were used to determine the dental maturity stage of the lower left canine, according to Demirjian method. Stunting was determined by relating height and age, according to the World Health Organization recommendations. There was no statistically significant difference in the skeletal maturation stage (P = .134) and the dental development stage (P = .497) according to nutritional status, even when considering different age groups (P > .183). A high correlation (r = 0.85) was found between both maturity indicators regardless of the nutritional status (growth stunted, r = 0.855 and normal controls, r = 0.863) or sex (boys, r = 0.809 and girls, r = 0.892). When skeletal level was considered, correlations values were similar between advanced (r = 0.903) and average (r = 0.895) maturers but lower (r = 0.751) for delayed maturers. Growth stunting was not associated with dental development and skeletal maturity stages in Peruvian school children.

Early life risk exposure and stunting in urban South African 2-year old children.

PubMed

Slemming, W; Kagura, J; Saloojee, H; Richter, L M

2017-06-01

Stunting is a measure of overall nutritional status and is a major public health concern because of its association with child mortality and morbidity and later adult performance. This study examined the effects of pregnancy events, birth characteristics and infant risk exposure on stunting at age 2 years. The study, established in 1990 in Soweto, an urban South African township, included 1098 mother-infant pairs enroled in the Birth to Twenty Plus longitudinal birth cohort study. In total, 22% of children were stunted at age 2 years, with males at greater risk than females [24.8 v. 19.4%, odds ratio (OR)=1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.83]. In unadjusted analysis, male sex, household socio-economic status (SES), overcrowding, maternal age, maternal education, single motherhood, ethnicity, birth weight, gestational age and duration of infant breastfeeding were all significantly associated with stunting. In multivariable analysis, higher birth weight was protective against stunting for both sexes. Higher maternal education was protective for females only (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.35; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.87), whereas wealthier household SES protected males (AOR for richest SES group=0.39; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.92). In this and other similar settings, current stunting prevention efforts focussing on primarily providing targeted proximal interventions, such as food supplements, risk undermining the critical importance of addressing key distal determinants of stunting such as SES and maternal education.

Wasting and stunting are still prevalent in children with sickle cell anaemia in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Esezobor, Christopher I; Akintan, Patricia; Akinsulie, Adebola; Temiye, Edamisan; Adeyemo, Titilope

2016-05-04

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is associated with growth failure. However, recent reports indicate high rates of overweight or obesity among children with SCA in developed countries. It is unclear whether overweight or obesity is also common in children with SCA in developing countries. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of overweight or obesity, wasting and stunting and identify predictors of wasting and stunting among children with SCA in Nigeria. Children with SCA attending a public-funded tertiary hospital clinic were studied. Weight, height, haemoglobin, haemoglobin fractions and white cell count were measured. Anthropometric values were converted to z scores and referenced to the WHO Child Growth Standards and WHO Reference 2007. The proportions with wasting, stunting and overweight or obesity were determined. Regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of wasting and stunting. Two hundred and thirty-three children [mean (±SD) age of 9.0 (±4.0) years, 60.9 % males] participated in the study. Wasting, stunting and overweight or obesity rates were 22.7 %, 11.6 % and 1.7 %, respectively. Boys and children from low socioeconomic class were 3.25 (1.45-7.29) and 2.42 (1.14-5.18) times more likely to be wasted respectively, while both wasting and stunting were more common with increasing age [adjusted OR of 1.33 (1.18-1.51) and 1.15 (1.01-1.32) respectively]. Sickle cell-related complications and intake of oral penicillin and hydroxyurea were not associated with wasting and stunting. Overweight or obesity is uncommon while wasting and stunting are still prevalent in children with SCA in Lagos. The strongest predictors of wasting and stunting were older age, male gender and low socioeconomic status.

Risk factors for wasting and stunting among children in Metro Cebu, Philippines.

PubMed

Ricci, J A; Becker, S

1996-06-01

Risk factors for wasting and stunting were examined in a longitudinal study of 18 544 children younger than 30 mo in Metro Cebu, Philippines. Measures of household demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, maternal characteristics and behavior, and child biological variables were analyzed cross-sectionally in six child age-residence strata by using logistic regression. Our results support biological and epidemiologic evidence that wasting and stunting represent different processes of malnutrition. They also indicate that the principal risk factors for stunting and wasting in infants < 6 mo of age were either maternal behaviors or child biological characteristics under maternal control, eg, breast-feeding status and birth weight. After 6 mo of age, household socioeconomic characteristics emerged with behavioral and biological variables as important determinants of malnutrition, eg, father's education and presence of a television and/or radio. Household socioeconomic status influenced the risk of stunting earlier in rural than in urban barangays. Implications of the results for interventions are discussed.

Determinants of childhood stunting in the Democratic Republic of Congo: further analysis of Demographic and Health Survey 2013-14.

PubMed

Kismul, Hallgeir; Acharya, Pawan; Mapatano, Mala Ali; Hatløy, Anne

2017-08-01

Prevalence of child stunting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is among the highest in the world. There is a need to systematically investigate how stunting operates at different levels of determination and identify major factors contributing to the development of stunting. The aim of this study was to look for key determinants of stunting in the DRC. This study used data from the DRC Demographic Health Survey 2013-14 which included anthropometric measurement for 9030 under 5 year children. Height-for-Age Z score was calculated and classified according to the WHO guideline. The association between stunting and bio-demographic characteristics was assessed using logistic regression. Prevalence of stunting was much higher in boys than girls. There was a significant rural urban gap in the prevalence of stunting with rural areas having a larger proportion of children living with stunting than urban. Male children, older than 6 months, preceding birth interval less than 24 months, being from lower wealth quintiles had the highest odds of stunting. Several provinces had in particular high odds of stunting. Early initiation of breastfeeding, mother's age more than 20 years at the time of delivery had lower odds of stunting. The taller the mother the less likely the child was to be stunted. Similarly, mother's BMI, access to safe water, access to hygienic toilet, mother's education were found negatively correlated with child stunting in the bivariate logistic regression, but they lost statistical significance in multivariate analysis together with numbers of children in the family and place of residence. Child stunting is widespread in the DRC and increasing prevalence is worrisome. This study has identified modifiable factors determining high prevalence of stunting in the DRC. Policy implementation should in particular target provinces with high prevalence of stunting and address modifiable determinants such as reducing socioeconomic disparity. Nutrition

Factors associated with stunting in healthy children aged 5 years and less living in Bangui (RCA).

PubMed

Vonaesch, Pascale; Tondeur, Laura; Breurec, Sébastien; Bata, Petula; Nguyen, Liem Binh Luong; Frank, Thierry; Farra, Alain; Rafaï, Clotaire; Giles-Vernick, Tamara; Gody, Jean Chrysostome; Gouandjika-Vasilache, Ionela; Sansonetti, Philippe; Vray, Muriel

2017-01-01

Stunting remains a major public health concern worldwide. Although its global prevalence is slowly decreasing, the actual number of affected children is still rising in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Central African Republic (CAR), about one third of all children below the age of five are stunted. Stunting is correlated with many long-term consequences, including poor cognitive development and a higher rate of morbidity and mortality, making stunting a major contributor to poverty. In CAR, little is known about the factors that contribute to stunting. This study aimed at analysing, in a cross-sectional study, the main factors associated with stunting in a group of 414 children recruited between December 2011 and November 2013, aged five years or less and living in Bangui. For all children, demographic, socio-economic and anthropometric data were recorded and asymptomatic enteropathogen carriage was assessed in stool samples using classical microbiological assays. The study group had a mean age of 14.2±10 months. Fifty-eight percent (292/414) were boys, and 36 percent (148/414) exhibited stunted growth. Of the stunted children, 51% (75/148) showed a moderate delay in linear growth for their age group [height-for-age z-score (HAZ) between -2 and -3 SD] while 49% (73/148) presented a severe delay (HAZ < -3). Factors significantly associated with stunting included gender (aOR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.07; 2.62 for boys compared to girls) and age (aOR of 3.98 (95% CI: 2.45; 6.46) for toddlers and aOR 4.42 (95% CI: 2.36; 8.28) for children compared to infants). Most importantly, we identified being overweight [weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) > 2 SD; aOR: 3.21; 95% CI: 1.50; 6.90 of overweight compared to normal weight] as also being significantly associated with stunting. This is the first study showing that even in the poorest countries of the world there is an association of stunting with being overweight.

Factors behind the success story of under-five stunting in Peru: a district ecological multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Huicho, Luis; Huayanay-Espinoza, Carlos A; Herrera-Perez, Eder; Segura, Eddy R; Niño de Guzman, Jessica; Rivera-Ch, María; Barros, Aluisio J D

2017-01-19

Stunting prevalence in children less than 5 years has remained stagnated in Peru from 1992 to 2007, with a rapid reduction thereafter. We aimed to assess the role of different predictors on stunting reduction over time and across departments, from 2000 to 2012. We used various secondary data sources to describe time trends of stunting and of possible predictors that included distal to proximal determinants. We determined a ranking of departments by annual change of stunting and of different predictors. To account for variation over time and across departments, we used an ecological hierarchical approach based on a multilevel mixed-effects regression model, considering stunting as the outcome. Our unit of analysis was one department-year. Stunting followed a decreasing trend in all departments, with differing slopes. The reduction pace was higher from 2007-2008 onwards. The departments with the highest annual stunting reduction were Cusco (-2.31%), Amazonas (-1.57%), Puno (-1.54%), Huanuco (-1.52%), and Ancash (-1.44). Those with the lowest reduction were Ica (-0.67%), Ucayali (-0.64%), Tumbes (-0.45%), Lima (-0.37%), and Tacna (-0.31%). Amazon and Andean departments, with the highest baseline poverty rates and concentrating the highest rural populations, showed the highest stunting reduction. In the multilevel analysis, when accounting for confounding, social determinants seemed to be the most important factors influencing annual stunting reduction, with significant variation between departments. Stunting reduction may be explained by the adoption of anti-poverty policies and sustained implementation of equitable crosscutting interventions, with focus on poorest areas. Inclusion of quality indicators for reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health interventions may enable further analyses to show the influence of these factors. After a long stagnation period, Peru reduced dramatically its national and departmental stunting prevalence, thanks to a combination

Tomato apical stunt viroid - Data Sheet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd), a member of the family Pospiviroidae, genus Pospiviroid, is a small, covalently closed, circular single-stranded, highly base-paired RNA molecule that ranges in size from 362 to 364 nucleotides. Viroids do not encode peptides or proteins, and use host proteins for...

Spatial heterogeneity and risk factors for stunting among children under age five in Ethiopia: A Bayesian geo-statistical model.

PubMed

Hagos, Seifu; Hailemariam, Damen; WoldeHanna, Tasew; Lindtjørn, Bernt

2017-01-01

Understanding the spatial distribution of stunting and underlying factors operating at meso-scale is of paramount importance for intervention designing and implementations. Yet, little is known about the spatial distribution of stunting and some discrepancies are documented on the relative importance of reported risk factors. Therefore, the present study aims at exploring the spatial distribution of stunting at meso- (district) scale, and evaluates the effect of spatial dependency on the identification of risk factors and their relative contribution to the occurrence of stunting and severe stunting in a rural area of Ethiopia. A community based cross sectional study was conducted to measure the occurrence of stunting and severe stunting among children aged 0-59 months. Additionally, we collected relevant information on anthropometric measures, dietary habits, parent and child-related demographic and socio-economic status. Latitude and longitude of surveyed households were also recorded. Local Anselin Moran's I was calculated to investigate the spatial variation of stunting prevalence and identify potential local pockets (hotspots) of high prevalence. Finally, we employed a Bayesian geo-statistical model, which accounted for spatial dependency structure in the data, to identify potential risk factors for stunting in the study area. Overall, the prevalence of stunting and severe stunting in the district was 43.7% [95%CI: 40.9, 46.4] and 21.3% [95%CI: 19.5, 23.3] respectively. We identified statistically significant clusters of high prevalence of stunting (hotspots) in the eastern part of the district and clusters of low prevalence (cold spots) in the western. We found out that the inclusion of spatial structure of the data into the Bayesian model has shown to improve the fit for stunting model. The Bayesian geo-statistical model indicated that the risk of stunting increased as the child's age increased (OR 4.74; 95% Bayesian credible interval [BCI]:3.35-6.58) and

Determinants of child stunting in the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan: an in-depth analysis of nationally representative data

PubMed Central

Aguayo, Victor M; Badgaiyan, Nina; Paintal, Kajali

2015-01-01

Stunting is associated with poor survival and development in children. Our analysis identifies the factors most significantly associated with child stunting in Bhutan using a nationally representative sample of 2085 children 0–23 months old. We find that 27.5% of children were stunted and almost half (42.6%) of the stunted children were severely stunted. Children's mean height-for-age z-score deteriorated significantly with age (from −0.23 in infants 0–5 months old to −1.60 in children 18–23 months old) and levels of severe stunting were significantly higher among boys. Multivariate regression analysis indicates that children from the Eastern/Western regions had a 64% higher odds of being stunted than children from the Central region (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.29–2.07); similarly, children from the two lower wealth quintiles had 37% higher odds of being stunted than children from the two upper wealth quintiles (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.00–1.87). Children whose mothers received three or fewer antenatal care visits during the last pregnancy had a 31% higher odds of being stunted (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.01–1.69) while children whose mothers did not receive antenatal care from a doctor, nurse or midwife had a 51% higher odds of being stunted (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.18–1.92). Recommended complementary feeding practices tended to be associated with lower odds of stunting, particularly in the first year of life. Specifically, children who were not fed complementary foods at 6–8 months had about threefold higher odds of being severely stunted than children who were fed complementary foods (OR 2.73; 95% CI 1.06–7.02). PMID:25536283

Mosaic Stunting in jack pine seedlings in a northern Michigan bareroot nursery

Treesearch

Lynette Potvin; R. Kasten Dumroese; Martin F. Jurgensen; Dana Richter

2010-01-01

Mosaic, or patchy, stunting of bareroot conifer seedlings is thought to be caused by deficiencies of mycorrhizal fungi following fumigation, resulting in reduced nutrient uptake, particularly phosphorus. Mosaic stunting of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) seedlings was observed in 2005 at the USDA Forest Service JW Toumey Nursery in Watersmeet, MI. We initiated a study to...

Corn kernel oil and corn fiber oil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unlike most edible plant oils that are obtained directly from oil-rich seeds by either pressing or solvent extraction, corn seeds (kernels) have low levels of oil (4%) and commercial corn oil is obtained from the corn germ (embryo) which is an oil-rich portion of the kernel. Commercial corn oil cou...

Association between maternal depression and child stunting in Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wemakor, Anthony; Mensah, Kofi Akohene

2016-08-24

Stunting indicates failure to attain genetic potential for height and is a well-documented indicator for poor growth. Depression is common in women of reproductive age and women's mental health problems may affect the growth of young children. We examined the association between maternal depression and stunting in mother-child pairs attending Child Welfare Clinic (CWC) in Northern Ghana. An analytical cross-sectional study was performed involving mothers (15-45 years) and their children (0-59 months) who attended CWC at Bilpeila Health Centre, Tamale, Ghana. Socio-demographic data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, maternal depression was measured using Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Screening Scale, and anthropometry was conducted on children following standard procedures. The association between maternal depression and child stunting was examined in logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders. Prevalence rates of child stunting and maternal depression were estimated at 16.1 and 27.8 % respectively in Northern Ghana. Mothers with depression when compared with those without depression tended to be younger, be currently unmarried, belong to the poorest household wealth tertile, and were more likely to have low birth weight babies, so these characteristics were adjusted for. In an adjusted multivariate logistic regression model, children of depressed mothers were almost three times more likely to be stunted compared to children of non-depressed mothers (Adjusted OR = 2.48, 95 % CI 1.29-4.77, p = 0.0011). There is a high prevalence of depression among mothers in Northern Ghana which is associated with child stunting. Further studies are needed to identify the determinants of maternal depression and to examine its association with child stunting to inform nutrition programming.

Environmental predictors of stunting among children under-five in Somalia: cross-sectional studies from 2007 to 2010.

PubMed

Kinyoki, Damaris K; Berkley, James A; Moloney, Grainne M; Odundo, Elijah O; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Noor, Abdisalan M

2016-07-28

Stunting among children under five years old is associated with long-term effects on cognitive development, school achievement, economic productivity in adulthood and maternal reproductive outcomes. Accurate estimation of stunting and tools to forecast risk are key to planning interventions. We estimated the prevalence and distribution of stunting among children under five years in Somalia from 2007 to 2010 and explored the role of environmental covariates in its forecasting. Data from household nutritional surveys in Somalia from 2007 to 2010 with a total of 1,066 clusters covering 73,778 children were included. We developed a Bayesian hierarchical space-time model to forecast stunting by using the relationship between observed stunting and environmental covariates in the preceding years. We then applied the model coefficients to environmental covariates in subsequent years. To determine the accuracy of the forecasting, we compared this model with a model that used data from all the years with the corresponding environmental covariates. Rainfall (OR = 0.994, 95 % Credible interval (CrI): 0.993, 0.995) and vegetation cover (OR = 0.719, 95 % CrI: 0.603, 0.858) were significant in forecasting stunting. The difference in estimates of stunting using the two approaches was less than 3 % in all the regions for all forecast years. Stunting in Somalia is spatially and temporally heterogeneous. Rainfall and vegetation are major drivers of these variations. The use of environmental covariates for forecasting of stunting is a potentially useful and affordable tool for planning interventions to reduce the high burden of malnutrition in Somalia.

Determinants of stunting at 6, 12, 24 and 60 months and postnatal linear growth in Pakistani children.

PubMed

Saleemi, M A; Ashraf, R N; Mellander, L; Zaman, S

2001-11-01

A "nested" case-control design was used to identify cases from a longitudinally followed cohort of 1236 newborns registered during 1984-1987, living in three socioeconomically different areas. The children had a length <-2SDS (standard deviation scores) at 6, 12, 24 and 60 mo of age using the NCHS reference. The controls were matched for gender, area and month of birth. A logistic regression analysis was used for determining the risk factors for stunting at each age. Postnatal linear growth was also examined in these two groups of children and body size was compared with the NCHS reference and that of upper-middle-class children (n = 240). At 6 mo of age, prematurity and duration of breastfeeding showed a significant association with stunting. At 12 mo, maternal height, birthweight and stunting at 6 mo, while at 24 mo, stunting at 6, 12 and 18 mo were identified as important factors. At 60 mo, no other factors besides previous stunting could be identified. The mean height reached at 60 mo showed a deficit of 6 and 13 cm for the controls and the cases, respectively, compared to the NCHS reference. Twenty-eight percent of the children from the two poor areas who were stunted at 6 mo had improved by 60 mo of age. The risk factors for stunting varied at different ages, relating more to feeding at early ages and to previous stunting, predominantly at higher ages. The linear growth showed that faltering increased with age when cases and controls were treated separately. Recovery from stunting could also be demonstrated.

Influence of socioeconomic status on the prevalence of stunted growth and obesity in prepubertal Indonesian children.

PubMed

Julia, M; van Weissenbruch, M M; de Waal, H A Delemarre-van; Surjono, A

2004-12-01

This cross-sectional study assesses the prevalence of stunting, overweight, and obesity in prepubertal children from different socioeconomic groups in Indonesia. Children from rural, poor urban, and nonpoor urban communities were studied (n = 3,010). The prevalences of stunting, wasting, overweight, and obesity were 19.3%, 5.0%, 2.7%, and 0.8%, respectively. The odds ratios (OR) for stunting, as compared with nonpoor urban children, were higher among rural children (2.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.37-3.59) than among poor urban children (1.58; 95% CI, 1.18-2.13). The prevalence of wasting was not influenced by socioeconomic status. Both rural and poor urban children were significantly less likely to be overweight than were nonpoor urban children: in comparison with nonpoor urban children, the OR values were 0.19 (95% CI, 0.10-0.36) for rural and 0.13 (95% CI, 0.04-0.43) for poor urban children. Boys were more likely to be stunted or obese than girls: OR for stunting, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.44-2.12); OR for obesity, 4.07 (95% CI, 1.40-11.8). Stunted children were less likely than non-stunted children to be overweight: OR, 0.10 (95% CI, 0.03-0.43). In Indonesia, undernutrition is still related to poverty, whereas obesity is more related to prosperity.

Key strategies to further reduce stunting in Southeast Asia: lessons from the ASEAN countries workshop.

PubMed

Bloem, Martin W; de Pee, Saskia; Hop, Le Thi; Khan, Nguyen Cong; Laillou, Arnaud; Minarto; Moench-Pfanner, Regina; Soekarjo, Damayanti; Soekirman; Solon, J Antonio; Theary, Chan; Wasantwisut, Emorn

2013-06-01

To further reduce stunting in Southeast Asia, a rapidly changing region, its main causes need to be identified. Assess the relationship between different causes of stunting and stunting prevalence over time in Southeast Asia. Review trends in mortality, stunting, economic development, and access to nutritious foods over time and among different subgroups in Southeast Asian countries. Between 1990-2011, mortality among under-five children declined from 69/1,000 to 29/1,000 live births. Although disease reduction, one of two direct causes of stunting, has played an important role which should be maintained, improvement in meeting nutrient requirements, the other direct cause, is necessary to reduce stunting further. This requires dietary diversity, which is affected by rapidly changing factors: economic development; urbanization, giving greater access to larger variety of foods, including processed and fortified foods; parental education; and modernizing food systems, with increased distance between food producers and consumers. Wealthier consumers are increasingly able to access a more nutritious diet, while poorer consumers need support to improve access, and may also still need better hygiene and sanitation. In order to accelerate stunting reduction in Southeast Asia, availability and access to nutritious foods should be increased by collaboration between private and public sectors, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can play a facilitating role. The private sector can produce and market nutritious foods, while the public sector sets standards, promotes healthy food choices, and ensures access to nutritious foods for the poorest, e.g, through social safety net programs.

Undetected Infection by Maize Bushy Stunt Phytoplasma Enhances Host-Plant Preference to Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).

PubMed

García Gonzalez, Javier; Giraldo Jaramillo, Marisol; Roberto Spotti Lopes, João

2018-04-05

Vector-borne plant pathogenic bacteria can induce changes in infected plants favoring the insect vector behavior and biology. The study aimed to determine the effect of maize bushy stunt phytoplasma (MBSP) postinoculation period on the host plant preference and transmission efficiency by the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis DeLong & Wolcott, 1923 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). In a series of choice tests, D. maidis preference was measured as settling and oviposition on healthy maize plants versus infected maize plants showing early disease symptoms, advanced symptoms, or no symptoms. Finally, transmission efficiency of D. maidis was measured when the vector previously acquired the phytoplasma from asymptomatic source plants at different postinoculation periods. D. maidis adults preferred to settle and to oviposit on healthy than on symptomatic infected plants with advanced disease symptoms, and preferred asymptomatic plants over symptomatic ones. MBSP transmission by D. maidis was positively correlated with the postinoculation period of the source plant. Results suggest an MBSP modulation for D. maidis preference on asymptomatic infected maize plants in the early stages of the crop, allowing the pathogen an undetected transmission.

A Conditional Cash Transfer Program in the Philippines Reduces Severe Stunting.

PubMed

Kandpal, Eeshani; Alderman, Harold; Friedman, Jed; Filmer, Deon; Onishi, Junko; Avalos, Jorge

2016-09-01

Pantawid, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program in the Philippines, provided grants conditioned on health-related behaviors for children aged 0-5 y and schooling for those aged 10-14 y. We investigated whether Pantawid improved anthropometric measurements in children aged 6-36 mo. We estimated cross-sectional intention-to-treat effects using a 2011 cluster-randomized trial across 130 villages-65 treated and 65 control-with data collected after 31 mo of implementation. Anthropometry characteristics were measured for 241 children in treated areas and 244 children in control areas. Health service use for children aged 6-36 mo and dietary intake for those aged 6-60 mo also were measured. Outcome variables were height-for-age z scores (HAZs) and weight-for-age z scores (WAZs), stunting, severe stunting, underweight, and severely underweight. Impact also was assessed on perinatal care, institutional delivery, presence of skilled birth attendant, breastfeeding practices, immunization, growth monitoring and deworming, care-seeking, and children's intake of protein-rich foods. Pantawid was associated with a significant reduction in severe stunting [<-3 SD from WHO standards for healthy children; β = -10.2 percentage points (95% CI -18.8, -1.6 percentage points); P = 0.020] as well as a marginally significant increase in HAZs [β = 0.284 SDs (95% CI -0.033, 0.602 SDs); P = 0.08]. WAZs, stunting, underweight, and severely underweight status did not change. Concomitantly, several measures of health-seeking behavior increased significantly. To our knowledge, Pantawid is one of few CCT programs worldwide that significantly reduced severe stunting in children aged 6-36 mo; changes in key parenting practices, including children's intake of protein-rich foods and care-seeking behavior, were concurrent. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) infecting Lycopersicon esculentum.

PubMed

Hafez, El Sayed E; Saber, Ghada A; Fattouh, Faiza A

2010-01-01

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) was detected in tomato crop (Lycopersicon esculentum) in Egypt with characteristic mosaic leaf deformation, stunting, and bushy growth symptoms. TBSV infection was confirmed serologically by ELISA and calculated incidence was 25.5%. Basic physicochemical properties of a purified TBSV Egh isolate were identical to known properties of tombusviruses of isometric 30-nm diameter particles, 41-kDa coat protein and the genome of approximately 4800 nt. This is the first TBSV isolate reported in Egypt. Cloning and partial sequencing of the isolate showed that it is more closely related to TBSV-P and TBSV-Ch than TBSV-Nf and TBSV-S strains of the virus. However, it is distinct from the above strains and could be a new strain of the virus which further confirms the genetic diversity of tombusviruses.

Using Circus Stunts in the Physical Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkel, John R.

1969-01-01

To eliminate boredom, a three week unit of circus stunts requiring little space and a minimum of equipment was presented to a senior boys' gym class at Miles Township High School West, Skokie, Illinois. (AP)

Parasite risk factors for stunting in grade 5 students in a community of extreme poverty in Peru.

PubMed

Casapía, Martin; Joseph, Serene A; Núñez, Carmen; Rahme, Elham; Gyorkos, Theresa W

2006-06-01

Malnutrition in school-age children is common in developing countries and includes both stunting and underweight. Stunting, which represents a chronic state of nutritional stress, leads to adverse health, educational and cognitive effects. Although much research is focused on preschool-age children, recent studies show both the high prevalence of stunting and the effectiveness of interventions in school-age children. The objectives of the current study were to determine the risk factors for stunting only, and stunting and underweight. A survey was conducted in 1074 grade 5 children (mean age 10 years) from 17 schools in Belen, Peru, a community of extreme poverty. Prevalence of underweight and stunting were 10.5 and 34.5%, respectively, co-prevalence was 9.3%. Based on multivariable logistic regression analyses, significant independent risk factors (odds ratio: OR) for stunting and underweight were: age (per 1 year increment) (OR=1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33, 1.81); diarrhoea in the last week (OR=1.96; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.29) and hookworm infection (OR=1.74; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.86). Significant independent risk factors for stunting only were: age (per 1 year increment) (OR=1.51; 95% CI: 1.35, 1.70); anaemia (OR=1.98; 95% CI: 1.26, 3.11); and moderate and heavy Trichuris and Ascaris co-infection (OR=1.95; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.82). Our results indicate a high prevalence of stunting, in addition to other adverse health indicators, in the study population. Due to the interrelation between many of these health and nutrition problems, interventions at both the school and community levels, including de-worming, feeding programs and health and hygiene education, are needed to reduce malnutrition in this and other similar populations living in conditions of extreme poverty.

Catch-up growth in stunted children: Definitions and predictors

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

This paper examines the incidence and correlates of linear growth catch up in early childhood among stunted children, using a range of definitions of catch up. Catch-up growth between two and five years of age is defined in both absolute terms (i.e. the centimetre height deficit from the healthy reference population mean is reduced) and relative terms (the height-for-age z-score improved or passed the -2SD or -1SD cut-off points). Data from a cohort study from urban South Africa are used to estimate the percentage of children who caught up and the predictors of catch-up growth according to these varying definitions. The results show that our sample of stunted children exhibits catch-up growth regardless of the definition used, however prevalence of catch up is highly sensitive to the way catch up is classified, ranging from 19%-93%. Of the biological, early growth, socioeconomic status and maternal reproductive variables included in the multivariate probit regressions, only a few were found to be consistent predictors of the incidence of catch-up growth. Mother’s height was positively correlated with the incidence of catch-up growth and early stunting at one year was associated with a lower likelihood of subsequent catch up. PMID:29236728

Catch-up growth in stunted children: Definitions and predictors.

PubMed

Desmond, Chris; Casale, Daniela

2017-01-01

This paper examines the incidence and correlates of linear growth catch up in early childhood among stunted children, using a range of definitions of catch up. Catch-up growth between two and five years of age is defined in both absolute terms (i.e. the centimetre height deficit from the healthy reference population mean is reduced) and relative terms (the height-for-age z-score improved or passed the -2SD or -1SD cut-off points). Data from a cohort study from urban South Africa are used to estimate the percentage of children who caught up and the predictors of catch-up growth according to these varying definitions. The results show that our sample of stunted children exhibits catch-up growth regardless of the definition used, however prevalence of catch up is highly sensitive to the way catch up is classified, ranging from 19%-93%. Of the biological, early growth, socioeconomic status and maternal reproductive variables included in the multivariate probit regressions, only a few were found to be consistent predictors of the incidence of catch-up growth. Mother's height was positively correlated with the incidence of catch-up growth and early stunting at one year was associated with a lower likelihood of subsequent catch up.

Detection by next generation sequencing of a multi-segmented viral genome from sugarcane associated with Ramu stunt disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ramu stunt disease of sugarcane was first reported in Papua New Guinea in the mid 1980's. The disease can reduce sugarcane yields significantly and causes severe stunting and mortality in highly susceptible cultivars. The causal agent of Ramu stunt has been investigated but its characterization has ...

Stunting and soil-transmitted-helminth infections among school-age pupils in rural areas of southern China

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Stunting and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections including ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm remain major public health problems in school-age pupils in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of stunting for children and its association with three major soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in rural areas of southern China. The study also aims to determine risk factors for stunting and to provide guidance on the prevention and control of stunting and STH infections for future studies in this field. Results A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the poor rural areas in Guangxi Autonomous Regional and Hainan Province where STH prevalence was higher between September and November 2009. Pupils were from 15 primary schools. All the school-age pupils aged between 9 and 12 years old (mean age 11.2 ± 3.2 years), from grades three to six took part in this study. Study contents include questionnaire surveys, physical examination and laboratory methods (stool checking for eggs of three major STH infections and haemoglobin determination was performed for the anaemia test). Finally 1031 school-age pupils took part in survey. The results showed that the overall prevalence of stunting (HAZ < 2SD) was 25.6%, based on the WHO Child Growth Standards (2007). Risk factors for stunting based on logistic regression analyses were: (1) STH moderate-to-heavy intensity infections (OR = 1.93;95%CI:1.19,3.11); (2) anaemia (OR = 3.26;95%CI: 2.02,5.27); (3) education level of mother (OR = 2.13; 95%CI: 1.39,3.25). The overall prevalence of major STH infections was 36.7%, STH moderate-to-heavy intensity infections was 16.7%. The overall prevalence of ascariasis, trichuriasis, hookworm and co-infection were 18.5%, 11.2%, 14.7% and 9.1% respectively. The prevalence of anaemic children (HB < 12 g/dl) was 13.1%. Conclusion The present study showed that stunting was highly prevalent among the study population and STH infection is one

Mosaic stunting in bareroot Pinus banksiana seedlings is unrelated to colonization by mycorrhizal fungi

Treesearch

Lynette R. Potvin; Martin F. Jurgensen; R. Kasten Dumroese; Dana L. Richter; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese

2014-01-01

Mosaic stunting, the occurrence of random patches of chlorotic seedlings with reduced shoot and diameter growth amidst more robust cohorts within bareroot nurseries, is classically associated with poor colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. We examined possible relationships among soil fertility, mycorrhizas, and random patches of mosaic stunting in bareroot Pinus...

Stunting in Children (0-59 Months): What Is the Current Trend in South Africa?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dukhi, Natisha; Sartorius, Benn; Taylor, Myra

2017-01-01

Background: Stunting continues to affect young children as a global nutritional disorder. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence, associated risk factors and spatial clustering for stunting in a disadvantaged South African District. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional weighted survey of households was conducted in the iLembe…

Impact of contaminated household environment on stunting in children aged 12-59 months in Burkina Faso.

PubMed

Fregonese, Federica; Siekmans, Kendra; Kouanda, Seni; Druetz, Thomas; Ly, Antarou; Diabaté, Souleymane; Haddad, Slim

2017-04-01

Stunting affects 165 million children worldwide, with repercussions on their survival and development. A contaminated environment is likely to contribute to stunting: frequent faecal-oral transmission possibly causes environmental enteropathy, a chronic inflammatory disorder that may contribute to faltering growth in children. This study's objective was to assess the effect of contaminated environment on stunting in Burkina Faso, where stunting prevalence is persistently high. Panel study of children aged 1-5 years in Kaya. Household socioeconomic characteristics, food needs and sanitary conditions were measured once, and child growth every year (2011-2014). Using multiple correspondence analysis and 12 questions and observations on water, sanitation, hygiene behaviours, yard cleanliness and animal proximity, we constructed a 'contaminated environment' index as a proxy of faecal-oral transmission exposure. Analysis was performed using a generalised structural equation model (SEM), adjusting for repeat observations and hierarchical data. Stunting (<2 SD height-for-age) prevalence was 29% among 3121 children (median (IQR) age 36 (25-48) months). Environment contamination was widespread, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, and was associated with stunting (prevalence ratio 1.30; p=0.008), controlling for sex, age, survey year, setting, mother's education, father's occupation, household food security and wealth. This association was significant for children of all ages (1-5 years) and settings. Lower contamination and higher food security had effects of comparable magnitude. Environment contamination can be at least as influential as nutritional components in the pathway to stunting. There is a rationale for including interventions to reduce environment contamination in stunting prevention programmes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Influence of corn oil recovery on life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn ethanol and corn oil biodiesel

DOE PAGES

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Han, Jeongwoo; ...

2015-11-04

Corn oil recovery and conversion to biodiesel has been widely adopted at corn ethanol plants recently. The US EPA has projected 2.6 billion liters of biodiesel will be produced from corn oil in 2022. Corn oil biodiesel may qualify for federal renewable identification number (RIN) credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard, as well as for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity credits under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Because multiple products [ethanol, biodiesel, and distiller’s grain with solubles (DGS)] are produced from one feedstock (corn), however, a careful co-product treatment approach is required to accurately estimate GHG intensities of bothmore » ethanol and corn oil biodiesel and to avoid double counting of benefits associated with corn oil biodiesel production. This study develops four co-product treatment methods: (1) displacement, (2) marginal, (3) hybrid allocation, and (4) process-level energy allocation. Life-cycle GHG emissions for corn oil biodiesel were more sensitive to the choice of co-product allocation method because significantly less corn oil biodiesel is produced than corn ethanol at a dry mill. Corn ethanol life-cycle GHG emissions with the displacement, marginal, and hybrid allocation approaches are similar (61, 62, and 59 g CO 2e/MJ, respectively). Although corn ethanol and DGS share upstream farming and conversion burdens in both the hybrid and process-level energy allocation methods, DGS bears a higher burden in the latter because it has lower energy content per selling price as compared to corn ethanol. As a result, with the process-level allocation approach, ethanol’s life-cycle GHG emissions are lower at 46 g CO 2e/MJ. Corn oil biodiesel life-cycle GHG emissions from the marginal, hybrid allocation, and process-level energy allocation methods were 14, 59, and 45 g CO 2e/MJ, respectively. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate the influence corn oil yield, soy biodiesel, and defatted DGS

Influence of corn oil recovery on life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn ethanol and corn oil biodiesel.

PubMed

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B; Han, Jeongwoo; Wang, Michael Q

2015-01-01

Corn oil recovery and conversion to biodiesel has been widely adopted at corn ethanol plants recently. The US EPA has projected 2.6 billion liters of biodiesel will be produced from corn oil in 2022. Corn oil biodiesel may qualify for federal renewable identification number (RIN) credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard, as well as for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity credits under California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Because multiple products [ethanol, biodiesel, and distiller's grain with solubles (DGS)] are produced from one feedstock (corn), however, a careful co-product treatment approach is required to accurately estimate GHG intensities of both ethanol and corn oil biodiesel and to avoid double counting of benefits associated with corn oil biodiesel production. This study develops four co-product treatment methods: (1) displacement, (2) marginal, (3) hybrid allocation, and (4) process-level energy allocation. Life-cycle GHG emissions for corn oil biodiesel were more sensitive to the choice of co-product allocation method because significantly less corn oil biodiesel is produced than corn ethanol at a dry mill. Corn ethanol life-cycle GHG emissions with the displacement, marginal, and hybrid allocation approaches are similar (61, 62, and 59 g CO2e/MJ, respectively). Although corn ethanol and DGS share upstream farming and conversion burdens in both the hybrid and process-level energy allocation methods, DGS bears a higher burden in the latter because it has lower energy content per selling price as compared to corn ethanol. As a result, with the process-level allocation approach, ethanol's life-cycle GHG emissions are lower at 46 g CO2e/MJ. Corn oil biodiesel life-cycle GHG emissions from the marginal, hybrid allocation, and process-level energy allocation methods were 14, 59, and 45 g CO2e/MJ, respectively. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate the influence corn oil yield, soy biodiesel, and defatted DGS displacement credits

Influence of corn oil recovery on life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of corn ethanol and corn oil biodiesel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Han, Jeongwoo

Corn oil recovery and conversion to biodiesel has been widely adopted at corn ethanol plants recently. The US EPA has projected 2.6 billion liters of biodiesel will be produced from corn oil in 2022. Corn oil biodiesel may qualify for federal renewable identification number (RIN) credits under the Renewable Fuel Standard, as well as for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity credits under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Because multiple products [ethanol, biodiesel, and distiller’s grain with solubles (DGS)] are produced from one feedstock (corn), however, a careful co-product treatment approach is required to accurately estimate GHG intensities of bothmore » ethanol and corn oil biodiesel and to avoid double counting of benefits associated with corn oil biodiesel production. This study develops four co-product treatment methods: (1) displacement, (2) marginal, (3) hybrid allocation, and (4) process-level energy allocation. Life-cycle GHG emissions for corn oil biodiesel were more sensitive to the choice of co-product allocation method because significantly less corn oil biodiesel is produced than corn ethanol at a dry mill. Corn ethanol life-cycle GHG emissions with the displacement, marginal, and hybrid allocation approaches are similar (61, 62, and 59 g CO 2e/MJ, respectively). Although corn ethanol and DGS share upstream farming and conversion burdens in both the hybrid and process-level energy allocation methods, DGS bears a higher burden in the latter because it has lower energy content per selling price as compared to corn ethanol. As a result, with the process-level allocation approach, ethanol’s life-cycle GHG emissions are lower at 46 g CO 2e/MJ. Corn oil biodiesel life-cycle GHG emissions from the marginal, hybrid allocation, and process-level energy allocation methods were 14, 59, and 45 g CO 2e/MJ, respectively. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to investigate the influence corn oil yield, soy biodiesel, and defatted DGS

Consumption of animal source foods and dietary diversity reduce stunting in children in Cambodia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Malnutrition in children is a major public health concern. This study aimed to determine the association between dietary diversity and stunting, underweight, wasting, and diarrhea and that between consumption of each specific food group and these nutritional and health outcomes among children. Methods A nationally representative household survey of 6209 children aged 12 to 59 months was conducted in Cambodia. We examined the consumption of food in the 24 hours before the survey and stunting, underweight, wasting, and diarrhea that had occurred in the preceding 2 weeks. A food variety score (ranging from 0 to 9) was calculated to represent dietary diversity. Results Stunting was negatively associated with dietary diversity (adjusted odd ratios [ORadj] 0.95, 95% confident interval [CI] 0.91-0.99, P = 0.01) after adjusting for socioeconomic and geographical factors. Consumption of animal source foods was associated with reduced risk of stunting (ORadj 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.89, P < 0.01) and underweight (ORadj 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.96, P = 0.03). On the other hand, the higher risk of diarrhea was significantly associated with consumption of milk products (ORadj 1.46, 95% CI 1.10-1.92, P = 0.02) and it was significantly pronounced among children from the poorer households (ORadj 1.85, 95% CI 1.17-2.93, P < 0.01). Conclusions Consumption of a diverse diet was associated with a reduction in stunting. In addition to dietary diversity, animal source food was a protective factor of stunting and underweight. Consumption of milk products was associated with an increase in the risk of diarrhea, particularly among the poorer households. Both dietary diversity and specific food types are important considerations of dietary recommendation. PMID:23866682

Corn insect pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Historically, the major corn insect pests in South Dakota have been the larvae of corn rootworms (northern and western), European corn borer, and black cutworm. Bt-corn hybrids are effective against most of these pests. However, there are also minor or sporadic pests of corn in South Dakota includin...

Economic inequality and child stunting in Bangladesh and Kenya: an investigation of six hypotheses.

PubMed

Reinbold, Gary W

2011-01-01

Consistent with the increasing focus on issues of equity in developing countries, I extend the literature analyzing the relationship between economic inequality and individual health to the developing world. Using survey data from Bangladesh and Kenya with economic status measured by a wealth index and with three different geographic definitions of community, I analyze six competing hypotheses for how economic inequality may be related to stunting among children younger than 5 years old. I find little support for the predominant hypothesis that economic inequality as measured by a Gini index is an important predictor of individual health. Instead, I find that the difference between a household's wealth and the mean household wealth in the community is the measure of economic inequality that is most closely related to stunting in these countries. In particular, a 1 standard deviation increase in household wealth relative to the community mean is associated with a 30–32 percent decrease in the odds of stunting in Bangladesh and a 16–21 percent decrease in the odds of stunting in Kenya.

Determinants of reduced child stunting in Cambodia: analysis of pooled data from three demographic and health surveys.

PubMed

Ikeda, Nayu; Irie, Yuki; Shibuya, Kenji

2013-05-01

To assess how changes in socioeconomic and public health determinants may have contributed to the reduction in stunting prevalence seen among Cambodian children from 2000 to 2010. A nationally representative sample of 10 366 children younger than 5 years was obtained from pooled data of cross-sectional surveys conducted in Cambodia in 2000, 2005, and 2010. The authors used a multivariate hierarchical logistic model to examine the association between the prevalence of childhood stunting over time and certain determinants. They estimated those changes in the prevalence of stunting in 2010 that could have been achieved through further improvements in public health indicators. Child stunting was associated with the child's sex and age, type of birth, maternal height, maternal body mass index, previous birth intervals, number of household members, household wealth index score, access to improved sanitation facilities, presence of diarrhoea, parents' education, maternal tobacco use and mother's birth during the Khmer Rouge famine. The reduction in stunting prevalence during the past decade was attributable to improvements in household wealth, sanitation, parental education, birth spacing and maternal tobacco use. The prevalence of stunting would have been further reduced by scaling up the coverage of improved sanitation facilities, extending birth intervals, and eradicating maternal tobacco use. Child stunting in Cambodia has decreased owing to socioeconomic development and public health improvements. Effective policy interventions for sanitation, birth spacing and maternal tobacco use, as well as equitable economic growth and education, are the keys to further improvement in child nutrition.

Effect of parental formal education on risk of child stunting in Indonesia and Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Semba, Richard D; de Pee, Saskia; Sun, Kai; Sari, Mayang; Akhter, Nasima; Bloem, Martin W

2008-01-26

Child stunting is associated with poor child development and increased mortality. Our aim was to determine the effect of length of maternal and paternal education on stunting in children under the age of 5 years. Data for indicators of child growth and of parental education and socioeconomic status were gathered from 590,570 families in Indonesia and 395,122 families in Bangladesh as part of major nutritional surveillance programmes. The prevalence of stunting in families in Indonesia was 33.2%, while that in Bangladesh was 50.7%. In Indonesia, greater maternal formal education led to a decrease of between 4.4% and 5% in the odds of child stunting (odds ratio per year 0.950, 95% CI 0.946-0.954 in rural settings; 0.956, 0.950-0.961 in urban settings); greater paternal formal education led to a decrease of 3% in the odds of child stunting (0.970, 0.967-0.974). In Bangladesh, greater maternal formal education led to a 4.6% decrease in the odds of child stunting (0.954, 0.951-0.957), while greater paternal formal education led to a decrease of between 2.9% and 5.4% in the odds of child stunting (0.971, 0.969-0.974 in rural settings; 0.946, 0.941-0.951 in urban settings). In Indonesia, high levels of maternal and paternal education were both associated with protective caregiving behaviours, including vitamin A capsule receipt, complete childhood immunisations, better sanitation, and use of iodised salt (all p<0.0001). Both maternal and paternal education are strong determinants of child stunting in families in Indonesia and Bangladesh.

The abundant extrachromosomal DNA content of the Spiroplasma citri GII3-3X genome

PubMed Central

Saillard, Colette; Carle, Patricia; Duret-Nurbel, Sybille; Henri, Raphaël; Killiny, Nabil; Carrère, Sébastien; Gouzy, Jérome; Bové, Joseph-Marie; Renaudin, Joël; Foissac, Xavier

2008-01-01

Background Spiroplama citri, the causal agent of citrus stubborn disease, is a bacterium of the class Mollicutes and is transmitted by phloem-feeding leafhopper vectors. In order to characterize candidate genes potentially involved in spiroplasma transmission and pathogenicity, the genome of S. citri strain GII3-3X is currently being deciphered. Results Assembling 20,000 sequencing reads generated seven circular contigs, none of which fit the 1.8 Mb chromosome map or carried chromosomal markers. These contigs correspond to seven plasmids: pSci1 to pSci6, with sizes ranging from 12.9 to 35.3 kbp and pSciA of 7.8 kbp. Plasmids pSci were detected as multiple copies in strain GII3-3X. Plasmid copy numbers of pSci1-6, as deduced from sequencing coverage, were estimated at 10 to 14 copies per spiroplasma cell, representing 1.6 Mb of extrachromosomal DNA. Genes encoding proteins of the TrsE-TraE, Mob, TraD-TraG, and Soj-ParA protein families were predicted in most of the pSci sequences, in addition to members of 14 protein families of unknown function. Plasmid pSci6 encodes protein P32, a marker of insect transmissibility. Plasmids pSci1-5 code for eight different S. citri adhesion-related proteins (ScARPs) that are homologous to the previously described protein P89 and the S. kunkelii SkARP1. Conserved signal peptides and C-terminal transmembrane alpha helices were predicted in all ScARPs. The predicted surface-exposed N-terminal region possesses the following elements: (i) 6 to 8 repeats of 39 to 42 amino acids each (sarpin repeats), (ii) a central conserved region of 330 amino acids followed by (iii) a more variable domain of about 110 amino acids. The C-terminus, predicted to be cytoplasmic, consists of a 27 amino acid stretch enriched in arginine and lysine (KR) and an optional 23 amino acid stretch enriched in lysine, aspartate and glutamate (KDE). Plasmids pSci mainly present a linear increase of cumulative GC skew except in regions presenting conserved hairpin

First report of ratoon stunt of sugarcane caused by Leifsonia xyl. subsp. xyli in Pakistan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

During a survey of the sugarcane crop in the area of Faisalabad, Sargodha and the Dera Ghazi Khan Division of the Punjab province of Pakistan from 2007 to 2010, symptoms consistent with ratoon stunting, including stunted growth and reddening of the vascular bundles at the nodal regions were observed...

The prevalence of overweight, obesity and stunting in school children aged 6-19 years in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Wu, Huahong; Li, Hui; Zong, Xinnan

2016-11-01

Childhood/adolescent obesity and stunting are associated with heightened risk of metabolic syndrome. Understanding the prevalence and patterns of stunting, the emergence of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents and the concomitant risk for metabolic syndrome is of critical importance for public health policy. To investigate the prevalence of overweight, obesity and stunting in school children and adolescents aged 6-19 years in Beijing and to compare the differences in screening rates by national and international references. School children aged 6-19 years in Xuanwu, Haidian and Fangshan district were selected. Overweight and obesity in the children was screened for using the International Obesity Task-force (IOTF) and Chinese standards. Stunting was defined as height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) less than -2 using the 2009 Chinese standards and 2007 WHO reference. A total of 99 482 children were included in this survey. The prevalences of overweight and obesity are 17.7% and 14.4% in the Chinese standard, but they are 18.1% and 8.6% in the IOTF standard; there were significant differences between the prevalences of these two standards (p < 0.01). The prevalences of overweight/obesity in boys are all significantly higher than that of girls in every age-group (p < 0.05). Overall there was stunting in 2630 children and adolescents (2.6%) according to the Chinese standards, with 2.8% in boys, higher than the 2.5% of girls (p < 0.01). According to WHO standards, there was stunting in 1201 children and adolescents (1.2%) with 1.1% in boys and 1.3% in girls (p < 0.05). The prevalence of stunting in urban areas was 1.3%, which is significantly lower than that of suburban areas, at 3.9% (p < 0.01). The prevalence of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents aged 6-19 years in Beijing was close to western countries, which should be highly valued when considering public health policies and the problem of growth stunting should not be ignored.

Narrowing socioeconomic inequality in child stunting: the Brazilian experience, 1974-2007.

PubMed

Monteiro, Carlos Augusto; Benicio, Maria Helena D'Aquino; Conde, Wolney Lisboa; Konno, Silvia; Lovadino, Ana Lucia; Barros, Aluisio J D; Victora, Cesar Gomes

2010-04-01

To assess trends in the prevalence and social distribution of child stunting in Brazil to evaluate the effect of income and basic service redistribution policies implemented in that country in the recent past. The prevalence of stunting (height-for-age z score below -2 using the Child Growth Standards of the World Health Organization) among children aged less than 5 years was estimated from data collected during national household surveys carried out in Brazil in 1974-75 (n = 34,409), 1989 (n = 7374), 1996 (n = 4149) and 2006-07 (n = 4414). Absolute and relative socioeconomic inequality in stunting was measured by means of the slope index and the concentration index of inequality, respectively. Over a 33-year period, we documented a steady decline in the national prevalence of stunting from 37.1% to 7.1%. Prevalence dropped from 59.0% to 11.2% in the poorest quintile and from 12.1% to 3.3% among the wealthiest quintile. The decline was particularly steep in the last 10 years of the period (1996 to 2007), when the gaps between poor and wealthy families with children under 5 were also reduced in terms of purchasing power; access to education, health care and water and sanitation services; and reproductive health indicators. In Brazil, socioeconomic development coupled with equity-oriented public policies have been accompanied by marked improvements in living conditions and a substantial decline in child undernutrition, as well as a reduction of the gap in nutritional status between children in the highest and lowest socioeconomic quintiles. Future studies will show whether these gains will be maintained under the current global economic crisis.

Bifurcations of 2-Periodic Nonautonomous Stunted Tent Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, L.; Rocha, J. Leonel; Silva, M. T.

2017-06-01

In this paper, we will consider a family of 2-periodic nonautonomous dynamical systems, generated by the alternate iteration of two stunted tent maps and study its bifurcation skeleton. We will describe the bifurcation phenomena along and around the bones accomplished with the combinatorial data furnished by the respective symbolic dynamics.

Socioeconomic Inequalities Persist Despite Declining Stunting Prevalence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

PubMed

da Silva, Inácio Crochemore M; França, Giovanny V; Barros, Aluisio J D; Amouzou, Agbessi; Krasevec, Julia; Victora, Cesar G

2018-02-01

Global stunting prevalence has been nearly halved between 1990 and 2016, but it remains unclear whether this decline has benefited poor and rural populations within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We assessed time trends in stunting among children <5 y of age (under-5) according to household wealth and place of residence in 67 LMICs. Stunting prevalence was analyzed in 217 nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys from 67 countries with ≥2 surveys between 1993 and 2014. National estimates were stratified by wealth and area of residence, comparing the poorest 40% with the wealthiest 60%, and those residing in urban and rural areas. Time trends were calculated for LMICs by using multilevel regression models weighted by under-5 population, with stratification by wealth and by residence. Trends in absolute (slope index of inequality; SII) and relative (concentration index; CIX) inequalities were calculated. Mean prevalences in 1993 were 53.7% in low-income and 48.2% in middle-income countries, with annual average linear declines of 0.76 and 0.72 percentage points (pp), respectively. Although similar slopes of declines were observed for the poorest 40% and wealthiest 60% groups in all countries (0.78 and 0.74 pp, respectively), absolute and relative inequalities increased over time in low-income countries (SII increased from -19.3% in 1993 to -23.7% in 2014 and CIX increased from -6.2% to -10.8% in the same period). In middle-income countries, socioeconomic inequalities remained stable. Overall, stunting prevalence decreased more rapidly among rural than for urban children (0.78 and 0.55 pp, respectively). The prevalence of stunting is decreasing. Poor-rich gaps are stable in middle-income countries and slightly increasing in low-income countries. Rural-urban inequalities are decreasing over time.

Predictors of stunting and thinness in post-menarcheal adolescent girls in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rah, Jee H; Christian, Parul; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Arju, Ummeh T; Labrique, Alain B; Rashid, Mahbubur

2009-12-01

To assess the nutritional status and risk factors of undernutrition in post-menarcheal girls in rural northern Bangladesh. Cross-sectional data on anthropometric measurements, dietary intake, work activity, morbidity and socio-economic status were collected from 12- to 19-year-old primigravidae (n 209) and never-pregnant adolescents (n 456) matched on age and time since menarche. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine predictors of stunting, thinness, upper-arm muscle (UAMZ) and fat area Z-scores (UAFZ) among the adolescent girls. A large proportion of adolescents (49 %) were stunted (height-for-age Z-score <-2) and underweight (40 %; weight-for-age Z-score <-2), but not thin (BMI-for-age <5th percentile; approximately 10 %). The mean (sd) UAMZ and UAFZ of the adolescent girls was -0.3 (0.64) and -0.9 (0.40), respectively. Lean mass increased whereas fat mass declined with age. Both stunting and thinness were positively associated with age and time since menarche (P < 0.05). Young age (12-14 years) and literacy were protective against stunting among pregnant adolescents (OR = 0.29, 95 % CI 0.09, 0.88 and OR = 0.50, 95 % CI 0.26, 0.96, respectively). Having symptoms of diarrhoea or dysentery (OR = 7.40, 95 % CI 1.43, 38.29) predicted thinness and was associated with lower UAMZ and UAFZ among never-pregnant girls (both P < 0.05). Performing light-to-moderate activities was protective against thinness among never-pregnant girls (OR = 0.43, 95 % CI 0.22, 0.82), whereas pregnant adolescents who performed high levels of strenuous activities had greater UAMZ (P < 0.05). Undernutrition was widespread among this post-menarcheal adolescent population. Younger and literate adolescents were less likely to be stunted, whereas thinness and body composition were associated with morbidity and work activity.

Recovery from stunting and cognitive outcomes in young children: evidence from the South African Birth to Twenty Cohort Study.

PubMed

Casale, D; Desmond, C

2016-04-01

In this study we analyse the implications for cognitive function of recovery from stunting in early childhood. More specifically, we test whether children who met the definition for stunted at age 2, but not at age 5, perform better in cognitive tests than children who remain stunted over this period. The sample is drawn from the Birth to Twenty Cohort Study, a prospective data set of children born in 1990 in urban South Africa. The measure of cognitive function that we use is based on the Revised Denver Prescreening Developmental Questionnaire implemented when the children were age 5. We employ multivariate regression in the analysis to control for child-specific characteristics, socio-economic status, the home environment and caregiver inputs. We find that recovery from stunting is not uncommon among young children in our sample. However, children who recover from stunting by age 5 still perform significantly worse on cognitive tests than children who do not experience early malnutrition, and almost as poorly as children who remain stunted. These findings suggest that the timing of nutritional inputs in the early years is key in a child's cognitive development, with implications for school readiness and achievement.

Conserved and distinct functions of the "stunted" (StuA)-Homolog Ust1 during cell differentiation in the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ustilago maydis, causal agent of corn smut, is a model for obligate fungal plant pathogens because, although it can proliferate saprobically in its yeast form, the infectious filamentous form is absolutely dependent on the host to complete its life cycle. Maize responds to U. maydis colonization by...

Prevalence and associated factors for stunting among 6-12 years old school age children from rural community of Humbo district, Southern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Bogale, Tesfahun Yonas; Bala, Elazar Tadesse; Tadesse, Minyahil; Asamoah, Benedict Oppong

2018-05-24

Stunting is one of the most serious and challenging public health problems in Ethiopia, which constitute a significant obstacle to achieving better child health outcomes. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with stunting among 6-12 years old children in Humbo district, Southern Ethiopia. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 633 children 6-12 years old living in Humbo district, Southern Ethiopia, from March to April, 2015. A multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select participants from households in eight Villages in the study area. Height was measured using standard methods and height for age Z-score was computed to assess stunting. EPI info version 3.5.4 was used for data entry, whereas Anthroplus software and SPSS version 20.0 were used for computation of height for age Z-scores and statistical analyses respectively. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with stunting in the study sample, using 95% confidence limits (statistical significance set at p < 0.050). Prevalence of stunting was 57%, about, 3.5% were severely stunted, 27.3% moderately stunted and 26.4% mildly stunted, and the mean (SD) was - 1.1 (±1.2). About 7 (1.1%) boys and 15 (2.4%) girls were severely stunted. Age groups 10-12 years had significantly higher rate of stunting than others. Age (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1-2.6), big family size (AOR = 4.6, 95% CI = 2.2-9.5) and field disposal of wastes (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.2-5.8) were factors significantly associated with stunting. This study exposed high rate of stunting among school age children. Stunting remains a noticeable attribute of rural school age children. Findings suggest the need to implement evidence-based school-aged rural children nutrition policy and strategies as well as need for intervention to improve domestic waste management system in the rural community.

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

9 CFR 319.102 - Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. 319.102 Section 319.102 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... Meats, Unsmoked and Smoked § 319.102 Corned beef round and other corned beef cuts. In preparing “Corned...

Malaria increased the risk of stunting and wasting among young children in Ethiopia: Results of a cohort study.

PubMed

Gari, Taye; Loha, Eskindir; Deressa, Wakgari; Solomon, Tarekegn; Lindtjørn, Bernt

2018-01-01

Given the high prevalence of malnutrition in a malaria-endemic setting, improving nutritional status could serve as a tool to prevent malaria. However, the relationship between the two conditions remains unclear. Therefore, this study assessed the association between under-nutrition and malaria among a cohort of children aged 6 to 59 months old. Two cohorts of children were followed for 89 weeks in a rural Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. In the first approach (malaria-malnutrition), a cohort of 2,330 non-stunted and 4,204 non-wasted children were included to assess under-nutrition (outcome) based on their previous malaria status (exposure). In the second approach (malnutrition-malaria), a cohort of 4,468 children were followed-up to measure malaria (outcome), taking under-nutrition as an exposure. A weekly home visit was carried out to identify malaria cases. Four anthropometry surveys were conducted, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) method was used to measure the association between undernutrition and malaria. The prevalence of stunting was 44.9% in December 2014, 51.5% in August 2015, 50.7% in December 2015 and 48.1% in August 2016. We observed 103 cases with 118 episodes of malaria, 684 new stunting and 239 new wasting cases. The incidence rate per 10,000 weeks of observation was 3.8 for malaria, 50.4 for stunting and 8.2 for wasting. Children with malaria infection, [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.9; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.2-2.9)] and younger age (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.5) were more likely to be stunted. Furthermore, children with malaria infection (AOR = 8.5; 95% CI, 5.0-14.5) and young age group (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.1) were more likely to be wasted. However, stunting and wasting were not risk factors of subsequent malaria illness. Malaria infection was a risk factor for stunting and wasting, but stunting or wasting was not associated with subsequent malaria illness. As our study shows that malaria is a risk factor for stunting and

Trends and determinants of inequities in childhood stunting in Bangladesh from 1996/7 to 2014.

PubMed

Rabbani, Atonu; Khan, Akib; Yusuf, Sifat; Adams, Alayne

2016-11-16

We explore long-term trends and determinants of socioeconomic inequities in chronic childhood undernutrition measured by stunting among under-five children in Bangladesh. Given that one in three children remain stunted in Bangladesh, the socioeconomic mapping of stunting prevalence may be critical in designing public policies and interventions to eradicate childhood undernutrition. Six rounds of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data are utilized, spanning the period 1996/97 to 2014. Using recognized measures of absolute and relative inequality (namely, absolute and relative difference, concentration curve and index), we quantify trends, and decompose changes in the concentration index to identify factors that best explain observed dynamics. Despite remarkable improvements in average nutritional status over the last two decades, socio-economic inequalities have persisted, and according to some measures, even worsened. For example, expressed as rate-ratios, the relative inequality in under-five stunting increased by 56% and the concentration index more than doubled between 1996/97 and 2014. Decomposition analyses find that wealth and maternal factors such as mothers' schooling and short stature are major contributors to observed socio-economic inequalities in child undernutrition and their changes over time. Reflecting on recent success around socioeconomic and gender equity in child mortality, and the weak legacy of nutrition policy in Bangladesh, we suggest that nutrition programming energies be focused specifically on the most disadvantaged and applied at scale to close socioeconomic gaps in stunting prevalence.

First report of hop stunt viroid from sweet cherry with dapple apple fruit symptoms in China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), the type member of the genus Hostuviroid, family Pospiviroidae, was first described from hops with stunt disease in Japan. HSVd has a wide host range that includes hop, cucumber, citrus, grapevine, plum, pear, peach, apricot and almond and is the causal agent of serious dis...

Actinomycetales from Corn

PubMed Central

Lyons, A. J.; Pridham, T. G.; Rogers, R. F.

1975-01-01

Mesophilic Actinomycetales were isolated from whole corn, brewer's grits, and break flour received from three different mills. In addition, strains were isolated from high-moisture (27%) field corn; high-moisture, silo-stored corn (untreated); and high-moisture corn treated with ammonia, ammonium isobutyrate, or propionic-acetic acid. According to standard techniques, 139 strains were extensively characterized and 207 additional strains were partially characterized. On the basis of these characterizations, the streptomycete strains were identified by both the systems of Pridham et al. and Hütter because these systems are rapid and accurate. In general, only Streptomyces griseus (Krainsky) Waksman and Henrici was isolated from high-moisture whole corn (treated or untreated) except from grain exposed to ammonium isobutyrate. Strains isolated from high-moisture corn subjected to that treatment represented both S. griseus and S. albus (Rossi Doria) Waksman and Henrici. The strains isolated from corn and corn products from the three mills were identified with a number of streptomycete species. Of all Actinomycetales isolated, only three were not streptomycetes—two from brewer's grits and one from break flour. Images PMID:803819

The consequences of linear growth stunting: influence on body composition among youth in the Bolivian Amazon.

PubMed

Tanner, Susan; Leonard, William R; Reyes-García, Victoria

2014-01-01

Stunting, or linear growth retardation, has been documented in up to half of all children in rural indigenous populations of South America. Stunting is well understood as a signal of adverse conditions during growth, and has been associated with developmentally induced modifications to body composition, including body fat and muscularity, that stem from early growth restriction. This article examines the relation between short stature and three anthropometric indicators of body composition during childhood and adolescence among a rural, indigenous population of forager-horticulturalists. Anthropometric data were collected annually from 483 Tsimane' youth, ages 2-10 years, in 13 communities in the Beni region of Bolivia for 6 consecutive years (2002-2007). Baseline height-for-age was used to indicate stunting (HAZ < -2.0) and compared with z-scores of body mass index (BMI), sum of two skinfolds, and arm muscle area. Multilevel regression models indicate baseline stunting is associated with lower BMI z-scores (B = -0.386; P < 0.001), body fatness (ZSkinfold, B = -0.164; P < 0.001), and arm muscularity (AMAZ, B = -0.580; P < 0.001) in youth across a period of 6 years. When split by sex, there was a stronger relation between baseline stunting and lower skinfold body fat scores among girls (B = -0.244; P < 0.001) than boys (B = -0.080; P = 0.087). In contrast, baseline stunting was associated with lower arm muscularity in both girls (B = -0.498; P < 0.001) and boys (B = -0.646; P < 0.001). The relation between linear growth restriction and indicators of body composition persist into adolescence, providing additional insight into the influence of adverse conditions during growth. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Frequency of underweight and stunting among children entering school in a small urban locality and their association with academic performance.

PubMed

Ahmad, Mirza Sultan; Husain Zaidi, Syed Aizaz; Medhat, Naila; Farooq, Hadia; Ahmad, Danial; Nasir, Waqar

2018-01-01

To determine the frequency of underweight and stunting among the children entering first year of school and to assess its associated factors. This descriptive, analytical study was conducted at 5 schools of Rabwah, Pakistan, from August to September 2015, and comprised all students who got admission in the selected schools during the study period. Name, father's name, gender, weight, height, status of height, and weight on Z-score charts, and marks obtained in the test were recorded. SPSS 20 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 478 participants, 212(44.4%) were boys and 266(55.6%) were girls. The overall mean age was 66.6±5.966 months (range: 41-129 months). Overall, 53(11.1%) were underweight, 22(4.6%) were severely underweight, 55(11.5%) had stunting and 12(2.5%) had severe stunting. Median marks (Interquartile Range [IQR]) in admission test for obese, overweight, normal, underweight and severely underweight children were 76.3%(37.2-84.7), 65.9%, 66.7%(56.4-72.3), 64.6%(47-71), and 67%(55.3-78), respectively. Median marks (IQR) in admission test for tall, normal height, stunted and severe stunted children were 24.1%, 67%(57.3-73), 57%(31.1-67.8), and 62.6%(49.7-68.3), respectively. Children with stunting scored significantly fewer marks compared to children of normal height (p<0.05). Stunting and underweight were common problems among children starting school. Stunting was found to be associated with lower marks in admission test.

Anthropometric Characterization of Impaired Fetal Growth: Risk Factors for and Prognosis of Newborns With Stunting or Wasting.

PubMed

Victora, Cesar G; Villar, José; Barros, Fernando C; Ismail, Leila Cheikh; Chumlea, Cameron; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Bertino, Enrico; Ohuma, Eric O; Lambert, Ann; Carvalho, Maria; Jaffer, Yasmin A; Altman, Douglas G; Noble, Julia A; Gravett, Michael G; Purwar, Manorama; Frederick, Ihunnaya O; Pang, Ruyan; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Kennedy, Stephen H

2015-07-01

Stunting (short length for age) and wasting (low body mass index [BMI] for age) are widely used to assess child nutrition. In contrast, newborns tend to be assessed solely based on their weight. To use recent international standards for newborn size by gestational age to assess how stunted and wasted newborns differ in terms of risk factors and prognoses. A cross-sectional study with follow-up until hospital discharge was conducted at urban sites in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Oman, England, and the United States that are participating in the INTERGROWTH-21st Project. The study was conducted from April 27, 2009, to March 2, 2014, and the final dataset for analyses was locked on March 19, 2014. Sociodemographic and behavioral maternal risk factors, previous pregnancy history, and maternal and fetal conditions during pregnancy were investigated as risk factors for stunting and wasting. Anthropometry at birth was used to predict for neonatal prognosis. Newborn stunting and wasting were defined as birth length and BMI for gestational age below the third centiles of the INTERGROWTH-21st standards. Prognosis was assessed through mortality before hospital discharge, admission to neonatal intensive care units, and newborn complications. From the 60 206 singleton live births during the study period, we selected all newborns between 33 weeks' and 42 weeks 6 days' gestation at birth (51 200 [85%]) with reliable ultrasound dating. Stunting affected 3.8% and wasting 3.4% of all newborns; both conditions were present in 0.7% of the sample. Of the 26 conditions studied, five were more strongly associated with stunting than with wasting (reported as odds ratios [OR]; 95% CI): short maternal height (6.7; 5.1-9.0), younger maternal age (0.7; 0.5-0.9), smoking (2.8; 2.3-3.3), illicit drug use (2.3; 1.5-3.6), and clinically suspected intrauterine growth restriction (5.2; 4.5-6.0). Wasting was more strongly related than stunting with 4 newborn outcomes (neonatal intensive care

Updates to the Corn Ethanol Pathway and Development of an Integrated Corn and Corn Stover Ethanol Pathway in the GREET™ Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zhichao; Dunn, Jennifer B.; Wang, Michael Q.

Corn ethanol, a first-generation biofuel, is the predominant biofuel in the United States. In 2013, the total U.S. ethanol fuel production was 13.3 billion gallons, over 95% of which was produced from corn (RFA, 2014). The 2013 total renewable fuel mandate was 16.6 billion gallons according to the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) (U.S. Congress, 2007). Furthermore, until 2020, corn ethanol will make up a large portion of the renewable fuel volume mandated by Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). For the GREET1_2014 release, the corn ethanol pathway was subject to updates reflecting changes in corn agriculture and at corn ethanolmore » plants. In the latter case, we especially focused on the incorporation of corn oil as a corn ethanol plant co-product. Section 2 covers these updates. In addition, GREET now includes options to integrate corn grain and corn stover ethanol production on the field and at the biorefinery. These changes are the focus of Section 3.« less

Impact of Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Field Corn (Poales: Poaceae) Yield and Grain Quality.

PubMed

Bibb, Jenny L; Cook, Donald; Catchot, Angus; Musser, Fred; Stewart, Scott D; Leonard, Billy Rogers; Buntin, G David; Kerns, David; Allen, Tom W; Gore, Jeffrey

2018-05-28

Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), commonly infests field corn, Zea mays (L.). The combination of corn plant biology, corn earworm behavior in corn ecosystems, and field corn value renders corn earworm management with foliar insecticides noneconomical. Corn technologies containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) were introduced that exhibit substantial efficacy against corn earworm and may reduce mycotoxin contamination in grain. The first generation Bt traits in field corn demonstrated limited activity on corn earworm feeding on grain. The pyramided corn technologies have greater cumulative protein concentrations and higher expression throughout the plant, so these corn traits should provide effective management of this pest. Additionally, reduced kernel injury may affect physical grain quality. Experiments were conducted during 2011-2012 to investigate corn earworm impact on field corn yield and grain quality. Treatments included field corn hybrids expressing the Herculex, YieldGard, and Genuity VT Triple Pro technologies. Supplemental insecticide treatments were applied every 1-2 d from silk emergence until silk senescence to create a range of injured kernels for each technology. No significant relationship between the number of corn earworm damaged kernels and yield was observed for any technology/hybrid. In these studies, corn earworm larvae did not cause enough damage to impact yield. Additionally, no consistent relationship between corn earworm damage and aflatoxin contamination was observed. Based on these data, the economic value of pyramided Bt corn traits to corn producers, in the southern United States, appears to be from management of other lepidopteran insect pests including European and southwestern corn borer.

Sex differences in the effect of birth order and parents' educational status on stunting: a study on Bengalee preschool children from eastern India.

PubMed

Biswas, Sadaruddin; Bose, Kaushik

2010-08-01

One of the greatest problems facing developing countries, including rural India, is undernutrition in terms of stunting among under 5-year-old children. However, there exists scanty information on the prevalence of stunting among preschool children in India and in particular in West Bengal. This study investigated prevalence of stunting and identified the predictor(s) of stunting among 1-5-year-old Bengalee rural preschool children of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. This cross-sectional study was undertaken at different ICDS centres of Chapra Block, Nadia District, West Bengal, India. A total of 673 preschool children (323 boys and 350 girls), aged 1-5 years were selected from 30 randomly selected ICDS centres to study the impact of parents' educational status and child birth order on stunting. The overall (age and sex combined) rate of stunting was 39.2%. Child birth order (BO) (chi(2)=14.10, df=1, p<0.001), father educational status (FES) (chi(2)=21.11, p<0.001) and mother educational status (MES) (chi(2)=14.34, df=1, p>0.001) were significantly associated with the prevalence of stunting among girls. Logistic regression analyses revealed that both FES (Wald=19.97, p<0.001) as well as MES (Wald=13.95, p<0.001) were strong predictors of stunting among girls. Similarly BO (Wald=13.71, p<0.001) was a strong predictor of stunting among girls. Girls with >or=3rd BO had significantly higher risk (OR=2.49, CI=1.54-4.03) of stunting than those with stunting than those with FES>or=secondary level. Similarly, girls with MESstunting than those with FES>or=secondary level. In conclusion our study revealed that BO as well as parents' educational status were strong predictors of stunting among girls but not boys. Sex discrimination could be a likely cause for this

Utilisation of corn (Zea mays) bran and corn fiber in the production of food components.

PubMed

Rose, Devin J; Inglett, George E; Liu, Sean X

2010-04-30

The milling of corn for the production of food constituents results in a number of low-value co-products. Two of the major co-products produced by this operation are corn bran and corn fiber, which currently have low commercial value. This review focuses on current and prospective research surrounding the utilization of corn fiber and corn bran in the production of potentially higher-value food components. Corn bran and corn fiber contain potentially useful components that may be harvested through physical, chemical or enzymatic means for the production of food ingredients or additives, including corn fiber oil, corn fiber gum, cellulosic fiber gels, xylo-oligosaccharides and ferulic acid. Components of corn bran and corn fiber may also be converted to food chemicals such as vanillin and xylitol. Commercialization of processes for the isolation or production of food products from corn bran or corn fiber has been met with numerous technical challenges, therefore further research that improves the production of these components from corn bran or corn fiber is needed.

Malaria increased the risk of stunting and wasting among young children in Ethiopia: Results of a cohort study

PubMed Central

Loha, Eskindir; Deressa, Wakgari; Solomon, Tarekegn; Lindtjørn, Bernt

2018-01-01

Introduction Given the high prevalence of malnutrition in a malaria-endemic setting, improving nutritional status could serve as a tool to prevent malaria. However, the relationship between the two conditions remains unclear. Therefore, this study assessed the association between under-nutrition and malaria among a cohort of children aged 6 to 59 months old. Methods Two cohorts of children were followed for 89 weeks in a rural Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. In the first approach (malaria-malnutrition), a cohort of 2,330 non-stunted and 4,204 non-wasted children were included to assess under-nutrition (outcome) based on their previous malaria status (exposure). In the second approach (malnutrition–malaria), a cohort of 4,468 children were followed-up to measure malaria (outcome), taking under-nutrition as an exposure. A weekly home visit was carried out to identify malaria cases. Four anthropometry surveys were conducted, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) method was used to measure the association between undernutrition and malaria. Results The prevalence of stunting was 44.9% in December 2014, 51.5% in August 2015, 50.7% in December 2015 and 48.1% in August 2016. We observed 103 cases with 118 episodes of malaria, 684 new stunting and 239 new wasting cases. The incidence rate per 10,000 weeks of observation was 3.8 for malaria, 50.4 for stunting and 8.2 for wasting. Children with malaria infection, [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.9; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.2–2.9)] and younger age (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.5) were more likely to be stunted. Furthermore, children with malaria infection (AOR = 8.5; 95% CI, 5.0–14.5) and young age group (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2–2.1) were more likely to be wasted. However, stunting and wasting were not risk factors of subsequent malaria illness. Conclusions Malaria infection was a risk factor for stunting and wasting, but stunting or wasting was not associated with subsequent malaria illness. As our study shows

A dynamic model for predicting growth in zinc-deficient stunted infants given supplemental zinc.

PubMed

Wastney, Meryl E; McDonald, Christine M; King, Janet C

2018-05-01

Zinc deficiency limits infant growth and increases susceptibility to infections, which further compromises growth. Zinc supplementation improves the growth of zinc-deficient stunted infants, but the amount, frequency, and duration of zinc supplementation required to restore growth in an individual child is unknown. A dynamic model of zinc metabolism that predicts changes in weight and length of zinc-deficient, stunted infants with dietary zinc would be useful to define effective zinc supplementation regimens. The aims of this study were to develop a dynamic model for zinc metabolism in stunted, zinc-deficient infants and to use that model to predict the growth response when those infants are given zinc supplements. A model of zinc metabolism was developed using data on zinc kinetics, tissue zinc, and growth requirements for healthy 9-mo-old infants. The kinetic model was converted to a dynamic model by replacing the rate constants for zinc absorption and excretion with functions for these processes that change with zinc intake. Predictions of the dynamic model, parameterized for zinc-deficient, stunted infants, were compared with the results of 5 published zinc intervention trials. The model was then used to predict the results for zinc supplementation regimes that varied in the amount, frequency, and duration of zinc dosing. Model predictions agreed with published changes in plasma zinc after zinc supplementation. Predictions of weight and length agreed with 2 studies, but overpredicted values from a third study in which other nutrient deficiencies may have been growth limiting; the model predicted that zinc absorption was impaired in that study. The model suggests that frequent, smaller doses (5-10 mg Zn/d) are more effective for increasing growth in stunted, zinc-deficient 9-mo-old infants than are larger, less-frequent doses. The dose amount affects the duration of dosing necessary to restore and maintain plasma zinc concentration and growth.

Household sanitation and personal hygiene practices are associated with child stunting in rural India: a cross-sectional analysis of surveys

PubMed Central

Rah, Jee Hyun; Cronin, Aidan A; Badgaiyan, Bhupendra; Aguayo, Victor M; Coates, Suzanne; Ahmed, Sarah

2015-01-01

Objectives Increasing evidence suggests that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices affect linear growth in early childhood. We determined the association between household access to water, sanitation and personal hygiene practices with stunting among children aged 0–23 months in rural India. Setting India. Participants A total of 10 364, 34 639 and 1282 under-2s who participated in the 2005–2006 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), the 2011 Hunger and Malnutrition Survey (HUNGaMA) and the 2012 Comprehensive Nutrition Survey in Maharashtra (CNSM), respectively, were included in the analysis. Primary outcome measures The association between WASH indicators and child stunting was assessed using logistic regression models. Results The prevalence of stunting ranged from 25% to 50% across the three studies. Compared with open defecation, household access to toilet facility was associated with a 16–39% reduced odds of stunting among children aged 0–23 months, after adjusting for all potential confounders (NHFS-3 (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99); HUNGaMA (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.91); CNSM (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.85)). Household access to improved water supply or piped water was not in itself associated with stunting. The caregiver's self-reported practices of washing hands with soap before meals (OR=0.85, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.94) or after defecation (OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.93) were inversely associated with child stunting. However, the inverse association between reported personal hygiene practices and stunting was stronger among households with access to toilet facility or piped water (all interaction terms, p<0.05). Conclusions Improved conditions of sanitation and hygiene practices are associated with reduced prevalence of stunting in rural India. Policies and programming aiming to address child stunting should encompass WASH interventions, thus shifting the emphasis from nutrition-specific to nutrition-sensitive programming. Future

Blisters, Calluses, and Corns

MedlinePlus

... for Educators Search English Español Blisters, Calluses, and Corns KidsHealth / For Kids / Blisters, Calluses, and Corns What's ... used to all of that stress. What's a Corn? Like calluses, corns are also areas of hard, ...

Corn silage from corn treated with foliar fungicide and performance of Holstein cows.

PubMed

Haerr, K J; Lopes, N M; Pereira, M N; Fellows, G M; Cardoso, F C

2015-12-01

Foliar fungicide application to corn plants is used in corn aimed for corn silage in the dairy industry, but questions regarding frequency of application and its effect on corn silage quality and feed conversion when fed to dairy cows remain prevalent. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various foliar fungicide applications to corn on dry matter intake (DMI), milk production, and milk composition when fed to dairy cows. Sixty-four Holstein cows with parity 2.5±1.5, 653±80kg of body weight, and 161±51d in milk were blocked and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 corn silage treatments (total mixed ration with 35% of the dry matter as corn silage). Treatments were as follows: control (CON), corn silage with no applications of foliar fungicide; treatment 1 (1X), corn silage from corn that received 1 application of pyraclostrobin (PYR) foliar fungicide (Headline; BASF Corp.) at corn vegetative stage 5; treatment 2 (2X), corn silage from corn that received the same application as 1X plus another application of a mixture of PYR and metconazole (Headline AMP; BASF Corp.) at corn reproductive stage 1 ("silking"); and treatment 3 (3X), corn silage from corn that received the same applications as 2X as well as a third application of PYR and metconazole at reproductive stage 3 ("milky kernel"). Corn was harvested at about 32% dry matter and 3/4 milk line stage of kernel development and ensiled for 200d. Treatments were fed to cows for 5wk, with the last week being used for statistical inferences. Week -1 was used as a covariate in the statistical analysis. Dry matter intake tended to be lower for cows fed corn silage treated with fungicide than CON (23.8, 23.0, 19.5, and 21.3kg for CON, 1X, 2X, and 3X, respectively). A linear treatment effect for DMI was observed, with DMI decreasing as foliar fungicide applications increased. Treatments CON, 1X, 2X, and 3X did not differ for milk yield (34.5, 34.5, 34.2, and 34.4kg/d, respectively); however, a trend for

Evidence-based evolution of an integrated nutrition-focused agriculture approach to address the underlying determinants of stunting.

PubMed

Haselow, Nancy J; Stormer, Ame; Pries, Alissa

2016-05-01

Despite progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition since the 1990s, many still suffer from undernutrition and food insecurity, particularly women and young children, resulting in preterm birth, low birthweight and stunting, among other conditions. Helen Keller International (HKI) has addressed malnutrition and household food insecurity through implementation of an Enhanced Homestead Food Production (EHFP) programme that increases year-round availability and intake of diverse micronutrient-rich foods and promotes optimal nutrition and hygiene practices among poor households. This paper reviews the evolution and impact of HKI's EHFP programme and identifies core components of the model that address the underlying determinants of stunting. To date, evaluations of EHFP have shown impact on food production, consumption by women and children and household food security. Sale of surplus produce has increased household income, and the use of a transformative gender approach has empowered women. EHFP has also realized nutrition improvements in many project sites. Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) in Baitadi district, Nepal showed a significant improvement in a range of practices known to impact child growth, although no impact on stunting. Additional non-RCT evaluations in Kailali district of Nepal, demonstrated a 10.5% reduction in stunting and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, revealed an 18% decrease in stunting. Based on evidence, the EHFP has evolved into an integrated package that includes agriculture, nutrition, water/hygiene/sanitation, linkages to health care, women's empowerment, income generation and advocacy. Closing the stunting gap requires long-term exposure to targeted multi-sectoral solutions and rigorous evaluation to optimize impact. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Determinants of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2 years of age in India: an in-depth analysis of Maharashtra's comprehensive nutrition survey.

PubMed

Aguayo, Víctor M; Nair, Rajilakshmi; Badgaiyan, Nina; Krishna, Vandana

2016-05-01

We use a representative sample of 2561 children 0-23 months old to identify the factors most significantly associated with child stunting in the state of Maharashtra, India. We find that 22.7% of children were stunted, with one-third (7.4%) of the stunted children severely stunted. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that children born with low birthweight had a 2.5-fold higher odds of being stunted [odds ratio (OR) 2.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.96-3.27]; children 6-23 months old who were not fed a minimum number of times/day had a 63% higher odds of being stunted (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.24-2.14); and lower consumption of eggs was associated with a two-fold increased odds of stunting in children 6-23 months old (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.19-3.61); children whose mother's height was < 145 cm, had two-fold higher odds of being stunted (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.46-2.81); lastly, children of households without access to improved sanitation had 88% higher odds of being severely stunted (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.17-3.02). Attained linear growth (height-for-age z-score) was significantly lower in children from households without access to improved sanitation, children of mothers without access to electronic media, without decision making power regarding food or whose height was < 145 cm, children born with a low birthweight and children 6-23 months old who were not fed dairy products, fruits and vegetables. In Maharashtra children's birthweight and feeding practices, women's nutrition and status and household sanitation and poverty are the most significant predictors of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2 years. Key messages One in five (22.7%) of children 0-23 months old in the state of Maharashtra were stunted, and one-third (7.4%) of the stunted children were severely stunted. Birthweight, child feeding, women's nutrition and household sanitation were the most significant predictors of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2�

Screening for corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) resistance to transgenic Bt corn in North Dakota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Western (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, and northern corn rootworms (NCR), D. barberi Smith & Lawrence, are major economic pests of corn in much of the U.S. Corn Belt. Western corn rootworm resistance to transgenic corn expressing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) endotoxins has been confi...

Why are some vulnerable children healthy and others stunted? A case study of vulnerability and resilience among very young children in West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grace, K.; Nagle, N.

2014-12-01

Stunting, when children are shorter than average for their age, poses serious problems for short- and long-term development of individuals, families and communities. Stunting is linked to increase risk or illness or death, reduced educational attainment, reduced earnings and increases the likelihood (for girls) that the next generation of children will be stunted. Stunting occurs as a result of a culmination of inadequate food/calories, experiences with frequent illness, poor care and low weight at birth. Because almost 40% of children under 5 in the developing world suffer from stunting, understanding the community, household and individual components that lead to stunting are vital as these countries aim to improve children's health and development. We focus this research on childhood stunting in the neighboring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso, two of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. The populations of both countries are heavily reliant on subsistence farming and the share of children under 5 who are stunted hovers around 30%. In this research we aim to explore child stunting with attention to biology, behavior and environment. Specifically we aim to determine why children in some food insecure communities are stunted while others in the same community are healthy and, as an extension, why some low birth weight babies grow into healthy children and others are stunted. Because of the significance of food and nutrition on stunting outcomes, and because no micro-level estimates of food production exist, we use high resolution remotely sensed imagery (~1m) combined with coarser resolution landscape data (rainfall, slope, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) to estimate community level food production for each year of the child's life. We construct a multi-level analysis through the linking of food production data to other community features gathered from Demographic and Health Survey and smaller scale community surveys gathered by USAID

The influence of diets containing either conventional corn, conventional corn with choice white grease, high oil corn, or high oil high oleic corn on belly/bacon quality.

PubMed

Rentfrow, G; Sauber, T E; Allee, G L; Berg, E P

2003-08-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate diets possessing different fatty acid profiles (as influenced by corn type) with regard to fatty acid profile and firmness of pork bellies. Crossbred barrows (n=196) were fed one of four corn-based diets consisting of conventional corn (CONV), CONV with choice white grease (CWG), high oil corn (HOC), or high oleic, high oil corn (HOHOC). Following 98 days on test, two animals representing the average pen weight (118 kg) were selected for harvest (n=56). A 50-g fat sample was removed from each belly for fatty acid profile analysis. Lateral and vertical flex tests were performed to determine belly firmness. Bellies were pumped and cooked according to a commercial protocol. Total saturated fatty acids increased (P<0.001) and total unsaturated fatty acids decreased (P<0.05) when CWG was added to the CONV diet or when HOC or HOHOC were substituted for CONV corn. Pigs fed CONV corn had firmer bellies, while those fed HOC were softer. No differences were observed across treatment for percentage pump retention, smokehouse yield, or slicing yield (P>0.05). Based on the results of this study, corn type influences fatty acid profile, and belly firmness, but does not affect pump retention, or slicing yields.

Life after eruption VII: A search for stunted outbursts in thirteen post-novae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, N.; Tappert, C.; Puebla, E. C.; Fuentes-Morales, I.; Ederoclite, A.; Schmidtobreick, L.

2018-06-01

The results of a photometric campaign during three observing seasons 2013 - 2016 at the Cerro Tololo International Observatory (1.3-meter SMARTS telescope) are presented. The aim was to detect "stunted" outbursts in a total of 13 post novae more than 38 years after maximum brightness registered in their nova eruption light curve. In six of the targets (V728 Sco 1862, V1059 Sgr 1898, V849 Oph 1919, V363 Sgr 1927, HS Pup 1963 and V2572 Sgr 1969) we detected such dwarf nova-like mini-outbursts, with mean amplitudes between 0.2m and 2.2m and typical FWHM of 4-11 days, repeating every 9-32 days. The most regular outburst behavior is present in the eclipsing post-nova V728 Sco. In our sample there is no significant correlation between the occurrences of stunted outbursts and the time passed since the nova eruption maximum. However, considering all 15 post-novae that have been reported to show stunted outbursts we found a possible tendency for increasing outburst amplitudes at the rate 0.52 ± 0.23 mag/century during 30 - 250 years after nova eruption. This tendency is still doubtful due to the low number of cases available. If the stunted outburst activity is related to the mass transfer rate \\dot{M}, we conclude that the secular decrease of \\dot{M} predicted by the hibernation scenario must be at much longer time scales than ˜200 years actually covered with post-nova observations.

The stunted child with an overweight mother as a growing public health concern in resource-poor environments: a case study from Guatemala.

PubMed

Doak, Colleen M; Campos Ponce, Maiza; Vossenaar, Marieke; Solomons, Noel W

2016-01-01

Overweight and obesity are emerging at alarming rates in low income women in many countries. Guatemala has the additional burden of a high prevalence of chronic under-nutrition (stunting) in children. The purpose of this paper is to explore the dual burden of infant and child (5-23 months) under-nutrition and maternal over-weight and obesity in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Anthropometric measures were collected in 446 mother-infant dyads in a metropolitan population of mixed indigenous (Maya) and non-indigenous descent in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Children were identified as stunted based on a height for age <-2 below the WHO reference median and maternal overweight/obesity defined as a BMI ≥25. Stunted children with an overweight/obese mother were compared to other children who were not stunted and/or who did not have an overweight/obese mother. The prevalences of stunting (38%) and maternal overweight/obesity (45%) were high, but just 17% of the mother and child pairs were dual burden. The socio-demographic characteristics of stunted children were not influenced by maternal overweight or obesity. Policies are needed to address under-nutrition as well as preventing obesity and obesity-related chronic disease risks of stunted children and their mothers.

Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution in Utero as a Risk Factor for Child Stunting in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Canning, David

2017-01-01

Pregnant mothers in Bangladesh are exposed to very high and worsening levels of ambient air pollution. Maternal exposure to fine particulate matter has been associated with low birth weight at much lower levels of exposure, leading us to suspect the potentially large effects of air pollution on stunting in children in Bangladesh. We estimate the relationship between exposure to air pollution in utero and child stunting by pooling outcome data from four waves of the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2004 and 2014, and calculating children’s exposure to ambient fine particulate matter in utero using high resolution satellite data. We find significant increases in the relative risk of child stunting, wasting, and underweight with higher levels of in utero exposure to air pollution, after controlling for other factors that have been found to contribute to child anthropometric failure. We estimate the relative risk of stunting in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of exposure as 1.074 (95% confidence interval: 1.014–1.138), 1.150 (95% confidence interval: 1.069–1.237, and 1.132 (95% confidence interval: 1.031–1.243), respectively. Over half of all children in Bangladesh in our sample were exposed to an annual ambient fine particulate matter level in excess of 46 µg/m3; these children had a relative risk of stunting over 1.13 times that of children in the lowest quartile of exposure. Reducing air pollution in Bangladesh could significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing child stunting. PMID:29295507

Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution in Utero as a Risk Factor for Child Stunting in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Goyal, Nihit; Canning, David

2017-12-23

Pregnant mothers in Bangladesh are exposed to very high and worsening levels of ambient air pollution. Maternal exposure to fine particulate matter has been associated with low birth weight at much lower levels of exposure, leading us to suspect the potentially large effects of air pollution on stunting in children in Bangladesh. We estimate the relationship between exposure to air pollution in utero and child stunting by pooling outcome data from four waves of the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2004 and 2014, and calculating children's exposure to ambient fine particulate matter in utero using high resolution satellite data. We find significant increases in the relative risk of child stunting, wasting, and underweight with higher levels of in utero exposure to air pollution, after controlling for other factors that have been found to contribute to child anthropometric failure. We estimate the relative risk of stunting in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of exposure as 1.074 (95% confidence interval: 1.014-1.138), 1.150 (95% confidence interval: 1.069-1.237, and 1.132 (95% confidence interval: 1.031-1.243), respectively. Over half of all children in Bangladesh in our sample were exposed to an annual ambient fine particulate matter level in excess of 46 µg/m³; these children had a relative risk of stunting over 1.13 times that of children in the lowest quartile of exposure. Reducing air pollution in Bangladesh could significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing child stunting.

Maternal autonomy is inversely related to child stunting in Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Shroff, Monal; Griffiths, Paula; Adair, Linda; Suchindran, Chirayath; Bentley, Margaret

2009-01-01

Child stunting, an outcome of chronic undernutrition, contributes to poor quality of life, morbidity and mortality. In South Asia, the low status of women is thought to be one of the primary determinants of undernutrition across the lifespan. Low female status can result in compromised health outcomes for women, which in turn are related to lower infant birthweight and may affect the quality of infant care and nutrition. Maternal autonomy (defined as a woman's personal power in the household and her ability to influence and change her environment) is likely an important factor influencing child care and ultimately infant and child health outcomes. To examine the relationship between maternal autonomy and child stunting in Andhra Pradesh, India, we analysed data from National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-2. We used cross-sectional demographic, health and anthropometric information for mothers and their oldest child <36 months (n = 821) from NFHS-2. The main explanatory variables of autonomy are presented by four dimensions - decision making, permission to travel, attitude towards domestic violence and financial autonomy - constructed using seven binary variables. Logistic regression models were used to test associations between indicators of female autonomy and the risk of having a stunted child. Women with higher autonomy {indicated by access to money [odds ratio (OR) = 0.731; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.546, 0.981] and freedom to choose to go to the market [OR = 0.593; 95% CI 0.376, 0.933]} were significantly less likely to have a stunted child, after controlling for household socio-economic status and mother's education. In this south Indian state, two dimensions of female autonomy have an independent effect on child growth, suggesting the need for interventions that increase women's financial and physical autonomy.

Narrowing socioeconomic inequality in child stunting: the Brazilian experience, 1974–2007

PubMed Central

Benicio, Maria Helena D’Aquino; Conde, Wolney Lisboa; Konno, Silvia; Lovadino, Ana Lucia; Barros, Aluisio JD; Victora, Cesar Gomes

2010-01-01

Abstract Objective To assess trends in the prevalence and social distribution of child stunting in Brazil to evaluate the effect of income and basic service redistribution policies implemented in that country in the recent past. Methods The prevalence of stunting (height-for-age z score below −2 using the Child Growth Standards of the World Health Organization) among children aged less than 5 years was estimated from data collected during national household surveys carried out in Brazil in 1974–75 (n = 34 409), 1989 (n = 7374), 1996 (n = 4149) and 2006–07 (n = 4414). Absolute and relative socioeconomic inequality in stunting was measured by means of the slope index and the concentration index of inequality, respectively. Findings Over a 33-year period, we documented a steady decline in the national prevalence of stunting from 37.1% to 7.1%. Prevalence dropped from 59.0% to 11.2% in the poorest quintile and from 12.1% to 3.3% among the wealthiest quintile. The decline was particularly steep in the last 10 years of the period (1996 to 2007), when the gaps between poor and wealthy families with children under 5 were also reduced in terms of purchasing power; access to education, health care and water and sanitation services; and reproductive health indicators. Conclusion In Brazil, socioeconomic development coupled with equity-oriented public policies have been accompanied by marked improvements in living conditions and a substantial decline in child undernutrition, as well as a reduction of the gap in nutritional status between children in the highest and lowest socioeconomic quintiles. Future studies will show whether these gains will be maintained under the current global economic crisis. PMID:20431795

Are stunted young Indonesian children more likely to be overweight, thin, or have high blood pressure in adolescence?

PubMed

Rachmi, Cut Novianti; Agho, Kingsley Emwinyore; Li, Mu; Baur, Louise Alison

2017-01-01

To determine whether stunted young children are at greater risk of (1) overweight/obesity or thinness, and (2) high blood pressure (HBP) in adolescence. A secondary data analysis using the Indonesian Family Life Survey waves 1 (1993) to 4 (2007). We generated a 14-year follow-up cohort (1993-2007) and two 7-year cohorts (1993-2000 and 2000-2007) of children aged 2.0-4.9 years. Stunting (HAZ < -2), thinness (BMIZ < -2), and overweight/obesity (BMIZ > +1) were determined based upon the WHO Child Growth Standards. HBP (>90th percentile) was interpreted using the 4th Report on the Diagnosis of HBP in Children and Adolescents. 765, 1083, and 1589 children were included in the 14-year cohort, and the two 7-year cohort analyses, respectively. In the 7-year cohorts, early life stunting was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (prevalence ratio 0.32 and 0.38, respectively; P < 0.05), but no significant association was found with the 14-year cohort. There was no significant association between childhood stunting and thinness at adolescence or in the odds/likelihood of having high systolic or diastolic blood pressure. We found no association between early life stunting and overweight/obesity, thinness and HBP in adolescence.

77 FR 10617 - Wellsboro & Corning Railroad, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Wellsboro & Corning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-22

... & Corning Railroad, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Wellsboro & Corning Railroad Company Wellsboro & Corning Railroad, LLC (WCLLC), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Wellsboro & Corning Railroad Company and to operate approximately 35.5 miles of rail...

The relationship between agricultural biodiversity, dietary diversity, household food security, and stunting of children in rural Kenya.

PubMed

M'Kaibi, Florence K; Steyn, Nelia P; Ochola, Sophie A; Du Plessis, Lissane

2017-03-01

The study was to determine the role of Dietary diversity (DD), household food security (HFS), and agricultural biodiversity (AB) on stunted growth in children. Two cross-sectional studies were undertaken 6 months apart. Interviews were done with mothers/caregivers and anthropometric measurements of children 24-59 months old. HFS was assessed by household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS). A repeated 24-h recall was used to calculate a dietary diversity score (DDS). Agricultural biodiversity (AB) was calculated by counting the number of edible plants and animals. The study was undertaken in resource-poor households in two rural areas in Kenya. Mothers/Care givers and household with children of 24-59 months of age were the main subjects. The prevalence of underweight [WAZ <-2SD] ranged between 16.7% and 21.6% and stunting [HAZ <-2SD] from 26.3% to 34.7%. Mean DDS ranged from 2.9 to 3.7 and HFIAS ranged from 9.3 to 16.2. AB was between 6.6 and 7.2 items. Households with and without children with stunted growth were significantly different in DDS ( P  = 0.047) after the rainy season and HFIAS ( P  = 0.009) in the dry season, but not with AB score ( P  = 0.486). The mean AB for households with children with stunted growth were lower at 6.8, compared to 7.0 for those with normal growth, however, the difference was insignificant. Data indicate that households with children with stunted growth and those without are significantly different in DDS and HFIAS but not with AB. This suggests some potential in using DDS and HFIAS as proxy measures for stunting.

Household sanitation and personal hygiene practices are associated with child stunting in rural India: a cross-sectional analysis of surveys.

PubMed

Rah, Jee Hyun; Cronin, Aidan A; Badgaiyan, Bhupendra; Aguayo, Victor M; Coates, Suzanne; Ahmed, Sarah

2015-02-12

Increasing evidence suggests that water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices affect linear growth in early childhood. We determined the association between household access to water, sanitation and personal hygiene practices with stunting among children aged 0-23 months in rural India. India. A total of 10 364, 34 639 and 1282 under-2s who participated in the 2005-2006 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), the 2011 Hunger and Malnutrition Survey (HUNGaMA) and the 2012 Comprehensive Nutrition Survey in Maharashtra (CNSM), respectively, were included in the analysis. The association between WASH indicators and child stunting was assessed using logistic regression models. The prevalence of stunting ranged from 25% to 50% across the three studies. Compared with open defecation, household access to toilet facility was associated with a 16-39% reduced odds of stunting among children aged 0-23 months, after adjusting for all potential confounders (NHFS-3 (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99); HUNGaMA (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.91); CNSM (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.85)). Household access to improved water supply or piped water was not in itself associated with stunting. The caregiver's self-reported practices of washing hands with soap before meals (OR=0.85, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.94) or after defecation (OR=0.86, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.93) were inversely associated with child stunting. However, the inverse association between reported personal hygiene practices and stunting was stronger among households with access to toilet facility or piped water (all interaction terms, p<0.05). Improved conditions of sanitation and hygiene practices are associated with reduced prevalence of stunting in rural India. Policies and programming aiming to address child stunting should encompass WASH interventions, thus shifting the emphasis from nutrition-specific to nutrition-sensitive programming. Future randomised trials are warranted to validate the causal association. Published by the BMJ

The effect of early childhood stunting on children’s cognitive achievements: Evidence from young lives Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Woldehanna, Tassew; Behrman, Jere R.; Araya, Mesele W.

2017-01-01

Background There is little empirical evidence on the effect of childhood malnutrition on children’s cognitive achievements in low income countries like Ethiopia. A longitudinal data is thus vital to understand the factors that influence cognitive development of children over time, particularly how early childhood stunting affects cognitive achievement of children up to the age of 8 years. Objective To examine the effect of early childhood stunting on cognitive achievements of children using longitudinal data that incorporate anthropometric measurements and results of cognitive achievement tests such as Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and Cognitive Development Assessment quantitative tests. Method Defining stunted children as those having a standardized height for age z-score less than −2; we used a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to examine the effect of early childhood stunting on measures of cognitive performance of children. The balance of the propensity score matching techniques was checked and found to be satisfied (P<0.01) Results Early childhood stunting is significantly negatively associated with cognitive performance of children. Controlled for confounding variables such as length of breastfeeding, relative size of the child at birth, health problems of early childhood such as acute respiratory illness and malaria, baseline household wealth, child gender, household size and parental education, estimates from PSM show that stunted children scored 16.1% less in the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and 48.8% less in the Quantitative Assessment test at the age of eight, both statistically significant at P<0.01. Conclusions It is important to realize the importance of early investment in terms of child health and nutrition until five years for the cognitive performance of children. As household wealth and parental education are particularly found to play an important role in children’s nutritional achievements, policy measures that are directed in

Corn rootworms and Bt resistance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn rootworms have been a major pest of corn for many years. As their name suggests, corn rootworms damage corn plants by feeding on the roots. Western and northern corn rootworms have overcome practices farmers use to keep their population numbers down, such as insecticides and crop rotation. Cor...

Recilia banda Kramer (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a vector of Napier stunt phytoplasma in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obura, Evans; Midega, Charles A. O.; Masiga, Daniel; Pickett, John A.; Hassan, Mohamed; Koji, Shinsaku; Khan, Zeyaur R.

2009-10-01

Napier grass ( Pennisetum purpureum) is the most important fodder crop in smallholder dairy production systems in East Africa, characterized by small zero-grazing units. It is also an important trap crop used in the management of cereal stemborers in maize in the region. However, production of Napier grass in the region is severely constrained by Napier stunt disease. The etiology of the disease is known to be a phytoplasma, 16SrXI strain. However, the putative insect vector was yet unknown. We sampled and identified five leafhopper and three planthopper species associated with Napier grass and used them as candidates in pathogen transmission experiments. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), based on the highly conserved 16S gene, primed by P1/P6-R16F2n/R16R2 nested primer sets was used to diagnose phytoplasma on test plants and insects, before and after transmission experiments. Healthy plants were exposed for 60 days to insects that had fed on diseased plants and acquired phytoplasma. The plants were then incubated for another 30 days. Nested PCR analyses showed that 58.3% of plants exposed to Recilia banda Kramer (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) were positive for phytoplasma and developed characteristic stunt disease symptoms while 60% of R. banda insect samples were similarly phytoplasma positive. We compared the nucleotide sequences of the phytoplasma isolated from R. banda, Napier grass on which these insects were fed, and Napier grass infected by R. banda, and found them to be virtually identical. The results confirm that R. banda transmits Napier stunt phytoplasma in western Kenya, and may be the key vector of Napier stunt disease in this region.

Assessing comorbidity and correlates of wasting and stunting among children in Somalia using cross-sectional household surveys: 2007 to 2010

PubMed Central

Kinyoki, Damaris K; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Manda, Samuel O; Krainski, Elias T; Fuglstad, Geir-Arne; Moloney, Grainne M; Berkley, James A; Noor, Abdisalan M

2016-01-01

Objective Wasting and stunting may occur together at the individual child level; however, their shared geographic distribution and correlates remain unexplored. Understanding shared and separate correlates may inform interventions. We aimed to assess the spatial codistribution of wasting, stunting and underweight and investigate their shared correlates among children aged 6–59 months in Somalia. Setting Cross-sectional nutritional assessments surveys were conducted using structured interviews among communities in Somalia biannually from 2007 to 2010. A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select children aged 6–59 months from households across three livelihood zones (pastoral, agropastoral and riverine). Using these data and environmental covariates, we implemented a multivariate spatial technique to estimate the codistribution and divergence of the risks and correlates of wasting and stunting at the 1×1 km spatial resolution. Participants 73 778 children aged 6–59 months from 1066 survey clusters in Somalia. Results Observed pairwise child level empirical correlations were 0.30, 0.70 and 0.73 between weight-for-height and height-for-age; height-for-age and weight-for-age, and weight-for-height and weight-for-age, respectively. Access to foods with high protein content and vegetation cover, a proxy of rainfall or drought, were associated with lower risk of wasting and stunting. Age, gender, illness, access to carbohydrates and temperature were correlates of all three indicators. The spatial codistribution was highest between stunting and underweight with relative risk values ranging between 0.15 and 6.20, followed by wasting and underweight (range: 0.18–5.18) and lowest between wasting and stunting (range: 0.26–4.32). Conclusions The determinants of wasting and stunting are largely shared, but their correlation is relatively variable in space. Significant hotspots of different forms of malnutrition occurred in the South Central

Kernel compositions of glyphosate-tolerant and corn rootworm-protected MON 88017 sweet corn and insect-protected MON 89034 sweet corn are equivalent to that of conventional sweet corn (Zea mays).

PubMed

Curran, Kassie L; Festa, Adam R; Goddard, Scott D; Harrigan, George G; Taylor, Mary L

2015-03-25

Monsanto Co. has developed two sweet corn hybrids, MON 88017 and MON 89034, that contain biotechnology-derived (biotech) traits designed to enhance sustainability and improve agronomic practices. MON 88017 confers benefits of glyphosate tolerance and protection against corn rootworm. MON 89034 provides protection against European corn borer and other lepidopteran insect pests. The purpose of this assessment was to compare the kernel compositions of MON 88017 and MON 89034 sweet corn with that of a conventional control that has a genetic background similar to the biotech sweet corn but does not express the biotechnology-derived traits. The sweet corn samples were grown at five replicated sites in the United States during the 2010 growing season and the conventional hybrid and 17 reference hybrids were grown concurrently to provide an estimate of natural variability for all assessed components. The compositional analysis included proximates, fibers, amino acids, sugars, vitamins, minerals, and selected metabolites. Results highlighted that MON 88017 and MON 89034 sweet corns were compositionally equivalent to the conventional control and that levels of the components essential to the desired properties of sweet corn, such as sugars and vitamins, were more affected by growing environment than the biotech traits. In summary, the benefits of biotech traits can be incorporated into sweet corn with no adverse effects on nutritional quality.

Modelling the Ecological Comorbidity of Acute Respiratory Infection, Diarrhoea and Stunting among Children Under the Age of 5 Years in Somalia.

PubMed

Kinyoki, Damaris K; Manda, Samuel O; Moloney, Grainne M; Odundo, Elijah O; Berkley, James A; Noor, Abdisalan M; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess spatial co-occurrence of acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhoea and stunting among children of the age between 6 and 59 months in Somalia. Data were obtained from routine biannual nutrition surveys conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization 2007-2010. A Bayesian hierarchical geostatistical shared component model was fitted to the residual spatial components of the three health conditions. Risk maps of the common spatial effects at 1×1 km resolution were derived. The empirical correlations of the enumeration area proportion were 0.37, 0.63 and 0.66 for ARI and stunting, diarrhoea and stunting and ARI and diarrhoea, respectively. Spatially, the posterior residual effects ranged 0.03-20.98, 0.16-6.37 and 0.08-9.66 for shared component between ARI and stunting, diarrhoea and stunting and ARI and diarrhoea, respectively. The analysis showed clearly that the spatial shared component between ARI, diarrhoea and stunting was higher in the southern part of the country. Interventions aimed at controlling and mitigating the adverse effects of these three childhood health conditions should focus on their common putative risk factors, particularly in the South in Somalia.

Association of the Familial Coexistence of Child Stunting and Maternal Overweight with Indigenous Women in Guatemala.

PubMed

Lee, J; Houser, R; Must, A; Palma, P; Bermudez, O

2017-11-01

Objectives This study investigated the association of the familial coexistence of child stunting and maternal overweight with indigenous women in Guatemala. Methods We selected 2388 child-mother pairs from the data set of the Living Standards Measurement Study conducted in Guatemala in 2000. This study examined the association between maternal and household characteristics and the nutritional status of children aged 6-60 months and mothers aged 18-49 years by using multivariable logistic regression models. Results Compared with non-indigenous households, a significantly higher percentage of indigenous households exhibited stunted child and overweight mother (SCOM) pairs (15.9 vs. 22.2%). Compared with normal-weight mothers, overweight mothers were less likely to have stunted children [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50-0.88]. However, compared with mothers who were not short and overweight, short and overweight mothers were significantly more likely to have stunted children (AOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.19-2.73) and were more likely to be indigenous women living in urban areas (AOR 3.01, 95% CI 1.19-7.60) or rural areas (AOR 3.02, 95% CI 1.28-7.14). The order of observed prevalence of SCOM pairs in different types of households was as follows: urban indigenous (25.0%), rural indigenous (21.2%), rural non-indigenous (19.8%), and urban non-indigenous households (10.7%). Conclusions for Practice Urban indigenous households were more likely to have SCOM pairs. This study provided useful information for identifying the most vulnerable groups and areas with a high prevalence of the familial coexistence of child stunting and maternal overweight.

Stunting at birth: recognition of early-life linear growth failure in the western highlands of Guatemala.

PubMed

Solomons, Noel W; Vossenaar, Marieke; Chomat, Anne-Marie; Doak, Colleen M; Koski, Kristine G; Scott, Marilyn E

2015-07-01

Measurements of length at birth, or in the neonatal period, are challenging to obtain and often discounted for lack of validity. Hence, classical 'under-5' stunting rates have been derived from surveys on children from 6 to 59 months of age. Guatemala has a high prevalence of stunting (49.8%), but the age of onset of growth failure is not clearly defined. The objective of the study was to assess length-for-age within the first 1.5 months of life among Guatemalan infants. As part of a cross-sectional observational study, supine length was measured in young infants. Mothers' height was measured. Length-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) were generated and stunting was defined as HAZ <-2 using WHO growth standards. Eight rural, indigenous Mam-Mayan villages (n 200, 100% of Mayan indigenous origin) and an urban clinic of Quetzaltenango (n 106, 27% of Mayan indigenous origin), Guatemala. Three hundred and six newborns with a median age of 19 d. The median rural HAZ was -1.56 and prevalence of stunting was 38%; the respective urban values were -1.41 and 25%. Linear regression revealed no relationship between infant age and HAZ (r = 0.101, r(2) = 0.010, P = 0.077). Maternal height explained 3% of the variability in HAZ (r = 0.171, r(2) = 0.029, P = 0.003). Stunting must be carried over from in utero growth retardation in short-stature Guatemalan mothers. As linear growth failure in this setting begins in utero, its prevention must be linked to maternal care strategies during gestation, or even before. A focus on maternal nutrition and health in an intergenerational dimension is needed to reduce its prevalence.

Recessive resistance to Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus in melon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) reduces melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruit quality and yield in many parts of the world. CYSDV and its vector, sweetpotato whitefly (MEAM1 cryptic species of Bemisia tabaci; SPWF) are a devastating combination in the Sonoran Desert areas of California and A...

Our Mother Corn.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathers, Sherry; And Others

Developed to provide an understanding of the magnitude of the role of corn, referred to as Mother Corn in the cultures of the Seneca, Pawnee, and Hopi tribes, the student text provides information on the tribes' basic lifestyles and the way they grew and used corn in three different parts of the United States. The section on the origin of corn…

Field-based assessment of resistance to Bt Corn by Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a serious pest of corn and is managed with Bt corn that produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Beginning in 2009, severe injury to Bt corn producing Cry3Bb1 was observed in some cornfields ...

High-conversion hydrolysates and corn sweetener production in dry-grind corn process.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most corn is processed to fuel ethanol and distillers’ grain animal feed using the dry grind process. However, wet milling is needed to refine corn starch. Corn starch is in turn processed to numerous products, including glucose and syrup. However, wet milling is a capital, labor, and energy intensi...

Lactoferrin and lysozyme to reduce environmental enteric dysfunction and stunting in Malawian children: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chronic childhood malnutrition, as manifested by stunted linear growth, remains a persistent barrier to optimal child growth and societal development. Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a significant underlying factor in the causal pathway to stunting, delayed cognitive development, and ulti...

Suppression of cell wall-related genes associated with stunting of Oryza glaberrima infected with Rice tungro spherical virus

PubMed Central

Budot, Bernard O.; Encabo, Jaymee R.; Ambita, Israel Dave V.; Atienza-Grande, Genelou A.; Satoh, Kouji; Kondoh, Hiroaki; Ulat, Victor J.; Mauleon, Ramil; Kikuchi, Shoshi; Choi, Il-Ryong

2014-01-01

Rice tungro disease is a complex disease caused by the interaction between Rice tungro bacilliform virus and Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV). RTSV alone does not cause recognizable symptoms in most Asian rice (Oryza sativa) plants, whereas some African rice (O. glaberrima) plants were found to become stunted by RTSV. Stunting of rice plants by virus infections usually accompanies the suppression of various cell wall-related genes. The expression of cell wall-related genes was examined in O. glaberrima and O. sativa infected with RTSV to see the relationship between the severity of stunting and the suppression of cell wall-related genes by RTSV. The heights of four accessions of O. glaberrima were found to decline by 14–34% at 28 days post-inoculation (dpi) with RTSV, whereas the height reduction of O. sativa plants by RTSV was not significant. RTSV accumulated more in O. glaberrima plants than in O. sativa plants, but the level of RTSV accumulation was not correlated with the degree of height reduction among the four accessions of O. glaberrima. Examination for expression of genes for cellulose synthase A5 (CESA5) and A6 (CESA6), cellulose synthase-like A9 (CSLA9) and C7, and α-expansin 1 (expansin 1) and 15 precursors in O. glaberrima and O. sativa plants between 7 and 28 dpi with RTSV showed that the genes such as those for CESA5, CESA6, CSLA9, and expansin 1were more significantly suppressed in stunted plants of O. glaberrima at 14 dpi with RTSV than in O. sativa, suggesting that stunting of O. glaberrima might be associated with these cell wall-related genes suppressed by RTSV. Examination for expression of these genes in O. sativa plants infected with other rice viruses in previous studies indicated that the suppression of the expansin 1 gene is likely to be a signature response commonly associated with virus-induced stunting of Oryza species. These results suggest that stunting of O. glaberrima by RTSV infection might be associated with the suppression

Stunting at 24 Months Is Not Related to Incidence of Overweight through Young Adulthood in an Urban South African Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Hanson, Sara K; Munthali, Richard J; Lundeen, Elizabeth A; Richter, Linda M; Norris, Shane A; Stein, Aryeh D

2018-05-15

The role that childhood stunting plays in the development of overweight and obesity later in life is not well understood, particularly in adolescence and young adulthood, because most studies have only followed up through midchildhood. The objective of this study was to examine the relation between stunting and age-specific patterns of overweight and obesity incidence from early childhood to young adulthood in the context of a country in the process of the nutrition transition while these children were growing up. We analyzed data from 895 participants in the Birth-to-Twenty Plus Cohort (Bt20+), an urban South African birth cohort initiated in 1990. Anthropometric data were collected at multiple ages and participants were included if they provided height at age 24 mo and ≥1 measure of body mass index [BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2] in each of the following time periods: 4-8 y, 11-12 y, 13-15 y, 16-18 y, and 22-24 y. We defined stunting at age 24 mo as height-for-age z score <2 and overweight as BMI z score (BMIZ) >1 in childhood (4-8 y) and adolescence (11-12 y, 13-15 y, and 16-18 y) and BMI ≥25 in young adulthood (22-24 y). We compared BMI, BMIZ, and the prevalence of overweight by stunting status, stratified by sex. Our sample was 93% black and 51% female. The prevalence of stunting at 24 mo was 26% in males and 19% in females. In young adulthood, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.5% (males) and 47.5% (females). Among both males and females, neither mean BMI nor a combined measure of overweight and obesity in any subsequent period differed by stunting status at 24 mo (P ≥ 0.05). Stunting at 24 mo was not related to the risk of overweight or obesity in this cohort. Stunting may not be an important contributor to the increasing obesity rates in urban South Africa.

Understanding Child Stunting in India: A Comprehensive Analysis of Socio-Economic, Nutritional and Environmental Determinants Using Additive Quantile Regression

PubMed Central

Fenske, Nora; Burns, Jacob; Hothorn, Torsten; Rehfuess, Eva A.

2013-01-01

Background Most attempts to address undernutrition, responsible for one third of global child deaths, have fallen behind expectations. This suggests that the assumptions underlying current modelling and intervention practices should be revisited. Objective We undertook a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of child stunting in India, and explored whether the established focus on linear effects of single risks is appropriate. Design Using cross-sectional data for children aged 0–24 months from the Indian National Family Health Survey for 2005/2006, we populated an evidence-based diagram of immediate, intermediate and underlying determinants of stunting. We modelled linear, non-linear, spatial and age-varying effects of these determinants using additive quantile regression for four quantiles of the Z-score of standardized height-for-age and logistic regression for stunting and severe stunting. Results At least one variable within each of eleven groups of determinants was significantly associated with height-for-age in the 35% Z-score quantile regression. The non-modifiable risk factors child age and sex, and the protective factors household wealth, maternal education and BMI showed the largest effects. Being a twin or multiple birth was associated with dramatically decreased height-for-age. Maternal age, maternal BMI, birth order and number of antenatal visits influenced child stunting in non-linear ways. Findings across the four quantile and two logistic regression models were largely comparable. Conclusions Our analysis confirms the multifactorial nature of child stunting. It emphasizes the need to pursue a systems-based approach and to consider non-linear effects, and suggests that differential effects across the height-for-age distribution do not play a major role. PMID:24223839

Understanding child stunting in India: a comprehensive analysis of socio-economic, nutritional and environmental determinants using additive quantile regression.

PubMed

Fenske, Nora; Burns, Jacob; Hothorn, Torsten; Rehfuess, Eva A

2013-01-01

Most attempts to address undernutrition, responsible for one third of global child deaths, have fallen behind expectations. This suggests that the assumptions underlying current modelling and intervention practices should be revisited. We undertook a comprehensive analysis of the determinants of child stunting in India, and explored whether the established focus on linear effects of single risks is appropriate. Using cross-sectional data for children aged 0-24 months from the Indian National Family Health Survey for 2005/2006, we populated an evidence-based diagram of immediate, intermediate and underlying determinants of stunting. We modelled linear, non-linear, spatial and age-varying effects of these determinants using additive quantile regression for four quantiles of the Z-score of standardized height-for-age and logistic regression for stunting and severe stunting. At least one variable within each of eleven groups of determinants was significantly associated with height-for-age in the 35% Z-score quantile regression. The non-modifiable risk factors child age and sex, and the protective factors household wealth, maternal education and BMI showed the largest effects. Being a twin or multiple birth was associated with dramatically decreased height-for-age. Maternal age, maternal BMI, birth order and number of antenatal visits influenced child stunting in non-linear ways. Findings across the four quantile and two logistic regression models were largely comparable. Our analysis confirms the multifactorial nature of child stunting. It emphasizes the need to pursue a systems-based approach and to consider non-linear effects, and suggests that differential effects across the height-for-age distribution do not play a major role.

Biomass fuel use for household cooking in Swaziland: is there an association with anaemia and stunting in children aged 6-36 months?

PubMed

Machisa, Mercilene; Wichmann, Janine; Nyasulu, Peter S

2013-09-01

This study is the second to investigate the association between the use of biomass fuels (BMF) for household cooking and anaemia and stunting in children. Such fuels include coal, charcoal, wood, dung and crop residues. Data from the 2006-2007 Swaziland Demographic and Health Survey (a cross-sectional study design) were analysed. Childhood stunting was ascertained through age and height, and anaemia through haemoglobin measurement. The association between BMF use and health outcomes was determined in multinomial logistic regression analyses. Various confounders were considered in the analyses. A total of 1150 children aged 6-36 months were included in the statistical analyses, of these 596 (51.8%) and 317 (27.6%) were anaemic and stunted, respectively. BMF use was not significantly associated with childhood anaemia in univariate analysis. Independent risk factors for childhood anaemia were child's age, history of childhood diarrhoea and mother's anaemia status. No statistically significant association was observed between BMF use and childhood stunting, after adjusting for child's gender, age, birth weight and preceding birth interval. This study identified the need to prioritize childhood anaemia and stunting as health outcomes and the introduction of public health interventions in Swaziland. Further research is needed globally on the potential effects of BMF use on childhood anaemia and stunting.

21 CFR 184.1321 - Corn gluten.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Corn gluten. 184.1321 Section 184.1321 Food and....1321 Corn gluten. (a) Corn gluten (CAS Reg. No. 66071-96-3), also known as corn gluten meal, is the principal protein component of corn endosperm. It consists mainly of zein and glutelin. Corn gluten is a...

Prevalence and determinants of stunting in under-five children in central Tanzania: remaining threats to achieving Millennium Development Goal 4.

PubMed

Semali, Innocent Antony; Tengia-Kessy, Anna; Mmbaga, Elia John; Leyna, Germana

2015-11-21

The Millennium Development Goal No 4 (MDG 4) requires countries to scale up interventions addressing malnutrition and other immediate determinants of burden of disease among children to reduce child mortality by two thirds by 2015, which is this year. Whereas globally some achievements have been registered, under-nourishment remains a significant problem in some developing countries such as Tanzania. This study set out to estimate the extent of stunting and its associated determinants to assess the progress made thus far towards achieving MDG 4 in Tanzania. A random sample of 678 households with under-five children was selected from two randomly selected wards of Kongwa district in Dodoma region, Tanzania. The WHO anthropometric calculator, which computes Z-scores using a reference population, was used to process the anthropometric measurement data taken from all the participants. Children with height for age Z-score of less than 2 were categorised as stunted and coded as 1 and the rest were coded as 0. Proportions of stunting were compared using the chi-square test to determine the association between stunting and the independent variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) of the independent determinants of stunting. The cut-off for significant association was set at p = 0.05. All these analyses used the STATA 12 software. About half (49.7 %) of the children were stunted. This stunting was associated with belonging to households where the head of family was young (<35 years) (AOR = 0.67, 95 % CI 0.47-0.96, p = 0.031), young age of the mothers (AOR = 1.54, 95 % CI 1.06-2.24, p = 0.023), and economic variables such as owning a cellular phone (AOR = 0.66, 96 % CI 0.46-0.94, p = 0.023). Stunting was highly prevalent in Kongwa district despite general improvements in child nutritional status at the national level. Household characteristics and economic status were found to

Assessing comorbidity and correlates of wasting and stunting among children in Somalia using cross-sectional household surveys: 2007 to 2010.

PubMed

Kinyoki, Damaris K; Kandala, Ngianga-Bakwin; Manda, Samuel O; Krainski, Elias T; Fuglstad, Geir-Arne; Moloney, Grainne M; Berkley, James A; Noor, Abdisalan M

2016-03-09

Wasting and stunting may occur together at the individual child level; however, their shared geographic distribution and correlates remain unexplored. Understanding shared and separate correlates may inform interventions. We aimed to assess the spatial codistribution of wasting, stunting and underweight and investigate their shared correlates among children aged 6-59 months in Somalia. Cross-sectional nutritional assessments surveys were conducted using structured interviews among communities in Somalia biannually from 2007 to 2010. A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used to select children aged 6-59 months from households across three livelihood zones (pastoral, agropastoral and riverine). Using these data and environmental covariates, we implemented a multivariate spatial technique to estimate the codistribution and divergence of the risks and correlates of wasting and stunting at the 1 × 1 km spatial resolution. 73,778 children aged 6-59 months from 1066 survey clusters in Somalia. Observed pairwise child level empirical correlations were 0.30, 0.70 and 0.73 between weight-for-height and height-for-age; height-for-age and weight-for-age, and weight-for-height and weight-for-age, respectively. Access to foods with high protein content and vegetation cover, a proxy of rainfall or drought, were associated with lower risk of wasting and stunting. Age, gender, illness, access to carbohydrates and temperature were correlates of all three indicators. The spatial codistribution was highest between stunting and underweight with relative risk values ranging between 0.15 and 6.20, followed by wasting and underweight (range: 0.18-5.18) and lowest between wasting and stunting (range: 0.26-4.32). The determinants of wasting and stunting are largely shared, but their correlation is relatively variable in space. Significant hotspots of different forms of malnutrition occurred in the South Central regions of the country. Although nutrition response in Somalia has

Disentangling nutritional factors and household characteristics related to child stunting and maternal overweight in Guatemala.

PubMed

Lee, Jounghee; Houser, Robert F; Must, Aviva; de Fulladolsa, Patricia Palma; Bermudez, Odilia I

2010-07-01

The aim of this study was to identify nutritional factors and households characteristics associated with child stunting, maternal overweight and the familial coexistence of both types of malnutrition. In Guatemala, 2000, with nationally representative data, we selected 2261 households with at least one child aged 12-60 months and his/her mother. Nutritional status was assessed in children (e.g., stunting as height-for-age Z-score<-2) and mothers (e.g., overweight as body mass index > or =25 kg/m(2)) and identified the presence of both, child stunting and maternal overweight in the same household (SCOM). With logistic regression models we assessed the association of the malnutrition indicators with individual and household socio-economic and health characteristics. SCOM was identified in 18% of households. Socio-economic status (SES) of SCOM households was significantly lower than SES of households with non-stunted children. SCOM households, compared to those with normal-stature children and normal weight mothers, were more likely to have mothers of short stature (adjusted odds ratio-OR+/-95% CI=3.1 (2.1-4.7)), higher parity (1.2 (1.1-1.3)), currently working (1.7 (1.1-2.6), and self-identified as indigenous (2.0 (1.3-3.1)). Factors associated with stunting in children such as poverty, maternal short stature and indigenousness, were predictors of SCOM. These findings support the notion that SCOM is an extension of the malnutrition spectrum in the most disadvantaged population groups in countries that are in the middle of their nutrition transitions such as Guatemala. At the same time it revealed that these populations are already in the stage of chronic, nutrition related diseases associated with less physical activity and more access to highly processed foods of low cost, high dietary energy and low nutrient density in important population groups. The challenge for the decision makers and service deliverers is to guide SCOM households to deal equally with both

How Did They Grow: An Intervention to Reduce Stunted Growth in Low-Income Mexican-American Children.

PubMed

Reifsnider, Elizabeth; Shin, Cha-Nam; Todd, Michael; Jeong, Mihyun; Gallagher, Martina; Moramarco, Michael

2016-04-01

Growth stunting is a complex phenomenon related to undernutrition that can contribute to developmental delay, cognitive deficits, and small size and obesity in adulthood. Stunted growth, defined as height for age below the 5th percentile, is primarily caused by chronic malnutrition. In this study, a community-based intervention to reduce undernutrition was tested in a quasi-experimental design with 174 low-income, Mexican-American mothers and children recruited from a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic in a major southwestern city. The intervention was based on the public health nursing practice of collaborating with mothers of young children on appropriate nutrition and parenting, and was tailored by the author and community informants for mothers of children with stunted growth. Data were collected on child height and weight, dietary intake, maternal acculturation, maternal perceived stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), home environment as measured by the home screening questionnaire (HSQ), and maternal-child interaction as measured by the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS). Intervention children had higher growth velocity than the children in the comparison group. These findings were especially prominent for children of women who were older and less acculturated. Results suggest that a nursing intervention delivered in collaboration with WIC can make a significant improvement in growth of low-income children with growth stunting. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Trends in stunting and overweight in Peruvian pre-schoolers from 1991 to 2011: findings from the Demographic and Health Surveys.

PubMed

Urke, Helga Bjørnøy; Mittelmark, Maurice B; Valdivia, Martín

2014-11-01

To examine trends in stunting and overweight in Peruvian children, using 2006 WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study criteria. Trend analyses using nationally representative cross-sectional surveys from Demographic and Health Surveys (1991-2011). We performed logistic regression analyses of stunting and overweight trends in sociodemographic groups (sex, age, urban-rural residence, region, maternal education and household wealth), adjusted for sampling design effects (strata, clusters and sampling weights). Peru. Children aged 0-59 months surveyed in 1991-92 (n 7999), 1996 (n 14 877), 2000 (n 11 754), 2007-08 (n 8232) and 2011 (n 8186). Child stunting declined (F(1, 5149) = 174·8, P ≤ 0·00) and child overweight was stable in the period 1991-2011 (F(1, 5147) = 0·4, P ≤ 0·54). Over the study period, levels of stunting were highest in rural compared with urban areas, the Andean and Amazon regions compared with the Coast, among children of low-educated mothers and among children living in households in the poorest wealth quintile. The trend in overweight rose among males in coastal areas (F(1, 2250) = 4·779, P ≤ 0·029) and among males in the richest wealth quintile (F(1, 1730) = 5·458, P ≤ 0·020). The 2011 levels of stunting and overweight were eight times and three and a half times higher, respectively, than the expected levels from the 2006 WHO growth standards. The trend over the study period in stunting declined in most sociodemographic subgroups. The trend in overweight was stable in most sociodemographic subgroups.

[Coexistence of maternal overweight or obesity and stunted children in south-western Benin households].

PubMed

Dembélé, Bernard; Sossa Jérôme, Charles; Saizonou, Jacques; Makoutodé, Patrick Charles; Mongbo Adé, Virginie; Guedègbé Capo-Chichi, Justine; Dona Ouendo, Marius-Edgard

To determine the prevalence and determinants of coexistence of maternal overweight or obesity and stunted children (DBM / SCOM) in south-western Benin households. This cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2015 on 357 mother-child pairs randomly selected by a two-stage sampling technique in the city of Comè and its surroundings. Data on socio-economic factors, family, health care, dietary quality were collected by questionnaires, observation and documentary review. Anthropometric measurements were performed in mothers and children. A logistic regression analysis model was used to search for determinants of the coexistence of the two aspects of malnutrition. 19.3% of mothers were overweight and 5.7% were obese. 46% of children were stunted. The prevalence of DBM / SCOM was 11.5%. The main factors associated with DBM/SCOM were the child's age, the mother's occupation, ethnicity, social status and educational level, and the size, economic level, transportation means and food insecurity of the household. A high frequency of the coexistence of maternal overweight or obesity and stunting was observed in Comè households. Interventions based on the identified determinants are needed to act simultaneously on the double burden of malnutrition in Comè.

Determinants of stunting among children aged 6-59 months at Kindo Didaye woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Unmatched case control study

PubMed Central

Batiro, Bancha; Demissie, Tsegaye; Halala, Yoseph

2017-01-01

Background Stunting is a well-established risk marker of poor child development. Globally in 2017, 155 million children under 5 were estimated to be stunted. While different activities are being done to reduce the burden of stunted growth, the problem is overwhelming in Africa; it was increased by 24%. Therefore, identifying determinants of stunting among children aged 6–59 would help to set priorities for action and to the design of stunting reduction plan at a grassroots level. Methods The unmatched case-control study was conducted in randomly selected 8 rural kebeles of Kindo Didaye woreda, Ethiopia from February to April, 2016 to identify the determinants of stunting among children aged 6–59 months. The sampling frame was identified by enumeration of 6–59 months of age children in the entire households of the study area. From which 155 as cases and 310 as controls were chosen using anthropometric measurement based on the median of WHO 2006 reference population. The anthropometric data were analyzed by WHO Anthro 2010 software to generate Z-score values. Odds Ratio along with 95% confidence interval was estimated to identify determinants of stunting using the multivariable logistic regression. Results Drinking water from unsafe source (AOR = 7.06, 95% CI; 4.40–20.42),occasionally eating animal source food (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI; 0.02–0.68), ARI in the past two weeks (AOR = 3.04, (95% CI; 1.04–13.35), late initiation of breastfeeding after one hours after birth (AOR = 5.16, 95% CI; 2.24–15.90) and lack of vaccination (AOR = 6.38, 95% CI; 2.54–17.10)were significantly associated with stunting. Conclusions Factors like exposure to diarrhea disease, exposure to acute respiratory infection, late initiation of breast milk after child breath, squeeze out of 1st breast milk, lack of vaccination, animal source of food, and unsafe source of water for drinking could be used to set priorities for action and to the design of Kindo Didaye woreda plan for stunting

Association of Urban Slum Residency with Infant Mortality and Child Stunting in Low and Middle Income Countries

PubMed Central

Kyu, Hmwe Hmwe; Shannon, Harry S.; Georgiades, Katholiki; Boyle, Michael H.

2013-01-01

This study aimed to (i) examine the contextual influences of urban slum residency on infant mortality and child stunting over and above individual and household characteristics and (ii) identify factors that might modify any adverse effects. We obtained data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 45 countries between 2000 and 2009. The respondents were women (15–49 years) and their children (0–59 months). Results showed that living in a slum neighborhood was associated with infant mortality (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.15–1.57) irrespective of individual and household characteristics and this risk was attenuated among children born to women who had received antenatal care from a health professional (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.63–0.99). Results also indicated that increasing child age exacerbated the risk for stunting associated with slum residency (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.16–1.23). The findings suggest that improving material circumstances in urban slums at the neighborhood level as well as increasing antenatal care coverage among women living in these neighborhoods could help reduce infant mortality and stunted child growth. The cumulative impact of long-term exposure to slum neighborhoods on child stunting should be corroborated by future studies. PMID:24151612

Association of urban slum residency with infant mortality and child stunting in low and middle income countries.

PubMed

Kyu, Hmwe Hmwe; Shannon, Harry S; Georgiades, Katholiki; Boyle, Michael H

2013-01-01

This study aimed to (i) examine the contextual influences of urban slum residency on infant mortality and child stunting over and above individual and household characteristics and (ii) identify factors that might modify any adverse effects. We obtained data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 45 countries between 2000 and 2009. The respondents were women (15-49 years) and their children (0-59 months). Results showed that living in a slum neighborhood was associated with infant mortality (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.15-1.57) irrespective of individual and household characteristics and this risk was attenuated among children born to women who had received antenatal care from a health professional (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.63-0.99). Results also indicated that increasing child age exacerbated the risk for stunting associated with slum residency (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.16-1.23). The findings suggest that improving material circumstances in urban slums at the neighborhood level as well as increasing antenatal care coverage among women living in these neighborhoods could help reduce infant mortality and stunted child growth. The cumulative impact of long-term exposure to slum neighborhoods on child stunting should be corroborated by future studies.

Utilisation of Corn (Zea mays) Bran and Corn Fiber in the Production of Food Components

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over the past decade, the demand for ethanol has increased dramatically. Demand for other products of corn milling, such as starches and sweeteners, is also expected to increase. With the increase in demand for industrial and food use of corn, the production of byproducts, such as corn fiber, corn...

Perspective: The potential role of essential amino acids and the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway in the pathogenesis of child stunting

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stunting is the best summary measure of chronic malnutrition in children. Approximately one-quarter of children under age 5 worldwide are stunted. Lipid-based or micronutrient supplementation has little to no impact in reducing stunting, which suggests that other critical dietary nutrients are missi...

Complete Nucleotide Sequence of Watermelon Chlorotic Stunt Virus Originating from Oman

PubMed Central

Khan, Akhtar J.; Akhtar, Sohail; Briddon, Rob W.; Ammara, Um; Al-Matrooshi, Abdulrahman M.; Mansoor, Shahid

2012-01-01

Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV) is a bipartite begomovirus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) that causes economic losses to cucurbits, particularly watermelon, across the Middle East and North Africa. Recently squash (Cucurbita moschata) grown in an experimental field in Oman was found to display symptoms such as leaf curling, yellowing and stunting, typical of a begomovirus infection. Sequence analysis of the virus isolated from squash showed 97.6–99.9% nucleotide sequence identity to previously described WmCSV isolates for the DNA A component and 93–98% identity for the DNA B component. Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation to Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the development of symptoms fifteen days post inoculation. This is the first bipartite begomovirus identified in Oman. Overall the Oman isolate showed the highest levels of sequence identity to a WmCSV isolate originating from Iran, which was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. This suggests that WmCSV present in Oman has been introduced from Iran. The significance of this finding is discussed. PMID:22852046

Complete nucleotide sequence of watermelon chlorotic stunt virus originating from Oman.

PubMed

Khan, Akhtar J; Akhtar, Sohail; Briddon, Rob W; Ammara, Um; Al-Matrooshi, Abdulrahman M; Mansoor, Shahid

2012-07-01

Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV) is a bipartite begomovirus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) that causes economic losses to cucurbits, particularly watermelon, across the Middle East and North Africa. Recently squash (Cucurbita moschata) grown in an experimental field in Oman was found to display symptoms such as leaf curling, yellowing and stunting, typical of a begomovirus infection. Sequence analysis of the virus isolated from squash showed 97.6-99.9% nucleotide sequence identity to previously described WmCSV isolates for the DNA A component and 93-98% identity for the DNA B component. Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation to Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in the development of symptoms fifteen days post inoculation. This is the first bipartite begomovirus identified in Oman. Overall the Oman isolate showed the highest levels of sequence identity to a WmCSV isolate originating from Iran, which was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. This suggests that WmCSV present in Oman has been introduced from Iran. The significance of this finding is discussed.

The Relationship between Livestock Ownership and Child Stunting in Three Countries in Eastern Africa Using National Survey Data.

PubMed

Mosites, Emily M; Rabinowitz, Peter M; Thumbi, Samuel M; Montgomery, Joel M; Palmer, Guy H; May, Susanne; Rowhani-Rahbar, Ali; Neuhouser, Marian L; Walson, Judd L

2015-01-01

Livestock ownership has the potential to improve child nutrition through various mechanisms, although direct evaluations of household livestock and child stunting status are uncommon. We conducted an analysis of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) datasets from Ethiopia (2011), Kenya (2008-2009), and Uganda (2010) among rural children under 5 years of age to compare stunting status across levels of livestock ownership. We classified livestock ownership by summing reported household numbers of goats, sheep, cattle and chickens, as well as calculating a weighted score to combine multiple species. The primary association was assessed separately by country using a log-binomial model adjusted for wealth and region, which was then stratified by child diarrheal illness, animal-source foods intake, sub-region, and wealth index. This analysis included n = 8079 children from Ethiopia, n = 3903 children from Kenya, and n = 1645 from Uganda. A ten-fold increase in household livestock ownership had significant association with lower stunting prevalence in Ethiopia (Prevalence Ratio [PR] 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.98) and Uganda (PR 0.87, 95% CI 0.79-0.97), but not Kenya (PR 1.01, 95% CI 0.96-1.07). The weighted livestock score was only marginally associated with stunting status. The findings varied slightly by region, but not by wealth, diarrheal disease, or animal-source food intake. This analysis suggested a slightly beneficial effect of household livestock ownership on child stunting prevalence. The small effect size observed may be related to limitations of the DHS dataset or the potentially complicated relationship between malnutrition and livestock ownership, including livestock health and productivity.

PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF STUNTING AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES IN OBAFEMI OWODE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

PubMed Central

Adenuga, W.U.; Obembe, T.A.; Odebunmi, K.O.; Asuzu, M.C.

2017-01-01

Background: Studies on stunting in children have largely focused on the underfive, establishing it as a strong predictor of mortality in these children. Few studies have documented the prevalence or determinants of stunting among school children in southwestern Nigeria. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of stunting among selected primary school children in rural and urban communities of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State. Method: A cross-sectional study of rural and urban primary school children was conducted. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on respondents' and parents' socio-demographic characteristics. Stunting was defined as height-for-age less than two standard deviations from the median height-for-age of the standard World Health Organization reference population. Using EPI-INFO version 6.03, children were classified as stunted if z-scores of height-for-age were less than 2 standard deviations below the National Centre for Health statistics (NCHS)/WHO median. Height and weight were taken using a stadiometer and weighing scale respectively. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 16.0 while predictors were determined using logistic regression at 95% level of significance. Results: A total of 1,160 primary school children were studied with 52.2% from rural schools. Males constituted 57.1% and 51.8% in the rural and urban school respectively. Prevalence of stunting among rural school children was 46.2%, and was significantly higher (p≤0.001) than among urban children at 33.8%. Younger children <10 years (OR: 0.088; 95CI: 0.052 - 0.150) and children between 11-12 years (OR: 0.534; 95CI: 0.322 - 0.886) were at a significantly lower risk of stunting both in rural schools compared to children >13 years. Conclusion: The prevalence of stunting was high especially among pupils from schools in the rural communities. This underscores

Individual, household, and community level risk factors of stunting in children younger than 5 years: Findings from a national surveillance system in Nepal.

PubMed

Dorsey, Jamie L; Manohar, Swetha; Neupane, Sumanta; Shrestha, Binod; Klemm, Rolf D W; West, Keith P

2018-01-01

Despite substantial reductions in recent years in Nepal, stunting prevalence in children younger than 5 years remains high and represents a leading public health concern. To identify factors contributing to the stunting burden, we report multilevel risk factors associated with stunting in 4,853 children aged 6-59 months in a nationally and agroecologically representative random sample from the first year of the Policy and Science for Health, Agriculture, and Nutrition Community Studies, a community-based observational, mixed-panel study. Mixed effects logistic regressions controlling for multilevel clustering in the study design were used to examine the association of individual-, household-, and community-level factors associated with stunting. Stunting prevalence was 38% in our sample. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, maternal factors, including maternal height and education, were generally the strongest individual-level risk factors for stunting, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.52, 95% CI [1.96, 3.25], short (<145 cm) versus not short mothers; AOR = 2.09, 95% CI [1.48, 2.96], uneducated mothers versus secondary school graduates. Among the household- and community-level factors, household expenditure and community infrastructure (presence of paved roads, markets, or hospitals) were strongly, inversely associated with increased stunting risk, AOR = 1.68, 95% CI [1.27, 2.24], lowest versus highest household expenditure quintile; AOR = 2.38, 95% CI [1.36, 4.14], less developed (lacking paved roads, markets, or hospitals) versus more developed communities. Although most factors associated with stunting are not rapidly modifiable, areas for future research and possible interventions emerged. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Isolation, Chemical Composition, and Ultrastructural Features of the Cell Membrane of the Mycoplasma-Like Organism Spiroplasma citri

PubMed Central

Razin, Shmuel; Hasin, Miriam; Ne'eman, Zvi; Rottem, Shlomo

1973-01-01

Thin sections of Spiroplasma citri, a mycoplasma-like organism isolated from citrus infected with “Stubborn” disease, showed the organisms to be limited by a single trilaminar plasma membrane. An additional outer layer could, however, be frequently seen in freeze-etched preparations of unwashed cells. The organisms were found to be extremely sensitive to lysis by osmotic shock. The cell membrane of S. citri isolated in this way resembled that of mycoplasmas in ultrastructure and gross chemical composition. The isolated membranes showed the characteristic trilaminar shape in section and the typical particle-studded fracture faces in freeze-etched preparations. Protein and lipid formed over 80% of the total dry weight of the membrane, which had a density of ~1.180 g/cm3. Cholesterol constituted over 20% of the total membrane lipid. Phosphatidyl-glycerol, synthesized by the organisms, was the major phospholipid. Significant amounts of hexosamine (15 to 35 μg/mg of membrane protein) could be found in the membrane preparations. Our results support the thesis that S. citri does not possess a cell wall, either of the gram-positive or the gram-negative type, though it may be coated by some other type of an envelope or by a slime layer, at least temporarily. Images PMID:4127633

What Explains Cambodia’s Success in Reducing Child Stunting-2000-2014?

PubMed Central

Zanello, Giacomo; Srinivasan, C. S.; Shankar, Bhavani

2016-01-01

In many developing countries, high levels of child undernutrition persist alongside rapid economic growth. There is considerable interest in the study of countries that have made rapid progress in child nutrition to uncover the driving forces behind these improvements. Cambodia is often cited as a success case having reduced the incidence of child stunting from 51% to 34% over the period 2000 to 2014. To what extent is this success driven by improvements in the underlying determinants of nutrition, such as wealth and education, (“covariate effects”) and to what extent by changes in the strengths of association between these determinants and nutrition outcomes (“coefficient effects”)? Using determinants derived from the widely-applied UNICEF framework for the analysis of child nutrition and data from four Demographic and Health Surveys datasets, we apply quantile regression based decomposition methods to quantify the covariate and coefficient effect contributions to this improvement in child nutrition. The method used in the study allows the covariate and coefficient effects to vary across the entire distribution of child nutrition outcomes. There are important differences in the drivers of improvements in child nutrition between severely stunted and moderately stunted children and between rural and urban areas. The translation of improvements in household endowments, characteristics and practices into improvements in child nutrition (the coefficient effects) may be influenced by macroeconomic shocks or other events such as natural calamities or civil disturbance and may vary substantially over different time periods. Our analysis also highlights the need to explicitly examine the contribution of targeted child health and nutrition interventions to improvements in child nutrition in developing countries. PMID:27649080

21 CFR 184.1321 - Corn gluten.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Corn gluten. 184.1321 Section 184.1321 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1321 Corn gluten. (a) Corn gluten (CAS Reg. No. 66071-96-3), also known as corn gluten meal, is the principal protein component of corn endosperm. It consists mainly of zein and...

21 CFR 184.1321 - Corn gluten.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Corn gluten. 184.1321 Section 184.1321 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1321 Corn gluten. (a) Corn gluten (CAS Reg. No. 66071-96-3), also known as corn gluten meal, is the principal protein component of corn endosperm. It consists mainly of zein and...

21 CFR 184.1321 - Corn gluten.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Corn gluten. 184.1321 Section 184.1321 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1321 Corn gluten. (a) Corn gluten (CAS Reg. No. 66071-96-3), also known as corn gluten meal, is the principal protein component of corn endosperm. It consists mainly of zein and...

21 CFR 184.1321 - Corn gluten.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Corn gluten. 184.1321 Section 184.1321 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1321 Corn gluten. (a) Corn gluten (CAS Reg. No. 66071-96-3), also known as corn gluten meal, is the principal protein component of corn endosperm. It consists mainly of zein and...

Feeding patterns and stunting during early childhood in rural communities of Sidama, South Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Tessema, Masresha; Belachew, Tefera; Ersino, Getahun

2013-01-01

Introduction The period from birth to two years of age is a “critical window” of opportunity for the promotion of optimal growth, health and behavioral development of children. Poor child feeding patterns combined with household food insecurity can lead to malnutrition which is a major public health problem in developing countries like Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross-sectional study that involved 575 participants from rural Sidama was conducted from February to March 2011. A two-stage stratified sampling procedure was employed to select the required households. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to compare stunting by feeding patterns and other characteristics. Results Only 14.4% of mothers fed their children optimally. Prevalence of stunting was higher for infants aged 6 to 8 months (43%) than for those in 0-5 months (26.6%) or 9-23 months (39%) category. Women who did not receive antenatal care(ANC) during pregnancy were 1.5 times more likely to practice pre-lacteal feeding and 2.8 and 1.9 times more likely to feed their children below minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency, respectively (P=0.01). Mothers older than 18 years during the birth of index child were 86% less likely to feed their child below minimum meal frequency than their younger counterparts (P=0.01). Children who started complementary food either before or after the recommended 6 months time, were more likely to be stunted (P=0.01). Conclusion The feeding practices of most mothers did not meet WHO recommendations. Behavior change communication about the importance of optimal complementary feeding and ANC attendance should be strengthened through extensive use of the Health Extension Workers to reduce the level of child stunting in the study area. PMID:23646211

South Africa's nutritional transition: overweight, obesity, underweight and stunting in female primary school learners in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

Tathiah, N; Moodley, I; Mubaiwa, V; Denny, L; Taylor, M

2013-06-27

Malnutrition substantially impacts the health outcomes of children. Globally, the childhood prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased, while underweight and stunting (though decreasing) continues to pose a major public health challenge. In low- to middle-income countries, a mixed pattern of over- and undernutrition (nutritional transition) can exist in communities. To describe the prevalence of malnutrition among female learners in the Nongoma and Ceza districts in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). We performed a secondary analysis of anthropometric data collected during the 2011 HPV Vaccination Demonstration Project. School health teams, comprising trained nurses, measured the height (in cm) and weight (in kg) of 963 female learners in 31 primary schools. Internationally accepted standardised measures were used as cut-offs for defining overweight, obesity, underweight and stunting. We found evidence of both under- and overnutrition. Overall, 9% of female learners were overweight, 3.8% obese, 4% underweight and 9.2% stunted (using WHO/NCHS criteria). The highest levels of stunting were in the 11 - 12-year age groups, of underweight in the 10-year age group, of overweight and obesity in the 9 - 10-year age groups. Moreover, a proportion of underweight (17.4%), overweight (11.1%) and obese (22.9%) learners were also stunted. Our study describes the prevalence of overweight and obesity, wasting and stunting of female learners in KZN and suggests the presence of a nutritional transition in these rural communities; however, further studies are needed. Our findings emphasise the need for health promotion and education programs in schools.

[Stunting, overweight and obesity during the nutrition transition in schoolchildren of Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico].

PubMed

Vásquez-Garibay, Edgar M; Miranda-Ríos, Lizette; Romero-Velarde, Enrique; Nuño-Cosío, María Eugenia; Campos-Barrera, Liliana; Nápoles-Rodríguez, Francisco; Caro-Sabido, Erika A; Ramírez-Díaz, Joanie

2018-01-01

Nutrition transition provokes changes in the nutritional status of individuals subjected to the interaction of various environmental factors; therefore, the aim was to demonstrate that nutrition transition is associated with socioeconomic changes, eating habits and physical activity, potentially involved in stunting, overweight and obesity of schoolchildren. Case-control study. 102 participants from the Instituto Alteño para el Desarrollo de Jalisco (cases) and 194 from the elementary school system (controls), aged 5 to 12 years, were included. Dependent variables were these indexes weight/age (Z), height/age (Z), BMI (Z). Independent variables were the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Student's t test, chi square, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Family income was low (p = 0.031) and unstable job was higher in cases: OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 2.8-6.0. The frequency of stunting was higher in cases (9.9% vs. 5.9%). The combination of overweight/obesity was higher in controls (27.3% vs. 16.8%), OR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.0-3.4. The nutritional status of children of Arandas, Jalisco, has been modified by an accelerate nutrition transition, provoked by socioeconomic, educational and demographic factors that might have influence on the persistence of stunting and an increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity.

Framework to Delay Corn Rootworm Resistance

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This proposed framework is intended to delay the corn rootworm pest becoming resistant to corn genetically engineered to produce Bt proteins, which kill corn rootworms but do not affect people or wildlife. It includes requirements on Bt corn manufacturers.

What causes childhood stunting among children of San Vicente, Guatemala: Employing complimentary, system-analysis approaches.

PubMed

Voth-Gaeddert, Lee E; Stoker, Matthew; Cornell, Devin; Oerther, Daniel B

2018-04-01

Guatemala has the sixth worst stunting rate with 48% of children under five years of age classified as stunted according to World Health Organization standards. This study utilizes two different yet complimentary system-analysis approaches to analyze correlations among environmental and demographic variables, environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), and child height-for-age (stunting metric) in Guatemala. Two descriptive models constructed around applicable environmental and demographic factors on child height-for-age and EED were analyzed using Network Analysis (NA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Data from two populations of children between the age of three months and five years were used. The first population (n = 2103) was drawn from the Food for Peace Baseline Survey conducted by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2012, and the second population (n = 372) was drawn from an independent survey conducted by the San Vicente Health Center in 2016. The results from the NA of the height-for-age model confirmed pathogen exposure, nutrition, and prenatal health as important, and the results from the NA of the EED model confirmed water source, water treatment, and type of sanitation as important. The results from the SEM of the height-for-age model confirmed a statistically significant correlation among child height-for-age and child-mother interaction (-0.092, p = 0.076) while the SEM of the EED model confirmed the statistically significant correlation among EED and type of water treatment (-0.115, p = 0.013). Our approach supports important efforts to understand the complex set of factors associated with child stunting among communities sharing similarities with San Vicente. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Stunting of southern pine seedlings by a needle nematode (Longidorus sp.)

Treesearch

M.M. Cram; S.W. Fraedrich; J. Fields

2003-01-01

An undescribed needle nematode (Longidorus sp.) was consistently associated with stunted loblolly pine seedlings at the Flint River Nursery in south Georgia. Seedlings in affected areas had root systems that were greatly reduced in size, and lacked lateral and fine roots. In a growth chamber experiment, the needle nematode significantly reduced the...

Potential Harvestable Corn Cob Biomass in Several Production Systems in the Western Corn Belt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The proposed use of corn residues for biofuel production has increased interest in how much and what components of residue should/can be removed. One component of corn residue that is already being handled (corn cobs) might be an easily harvestable product that could be used for biofuel production. ...

Ethanol extraction of phytosterols from corn fiber

DOEpatents

Abbas, Charles; Beery, Kyle E.; Binder, Thomas P.; Rammelsberg, Anne M.

2010-11-16

The present invention provides a process for extracting sterols from a high solids, thermochemically hydrolyzed corn fiber using ethanol as the extractant. The process includes obtaining a corn fiber slurry having a moisture content from about 20 weight percent to about 50 weight percent solids (high solids content), thermochemically processing the corn fiber slurry having high solids content of 20 to 50% to produce a hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry, dewatering the hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry to achieve a residual corn fiber having a moisture content from about 30 to 80 weight percent solids, washing the residual corn fiber, dewatering the washed, hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry to achieve a residual corn fiber having a moisture content from about 30 to 80 weight percent solids, and extracting the residual corn fiber with ethanol and separating at least one sterol.

Market-oriented ethanol and corn-trade policies can reduce climate-induced US corn price volatility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Monika; Hertel, Thomas; Diffenbaugh, Noah

2014-05-01

Agriculture is closely affected by climate. Over the past decade, biofuels have emerged as another important factor shaping the agricultural sector. We ask whether the presence of the US ethanol sector can play a role in moderating increases in US corn price variability, projected to occur in response to near-term global warming. Our findings suggest that the answer to this question depends heavily on the underlying forces shaping the ethanol industry. If mandate-driven, there is little doubt that the presence of the corn-ethanol sector will exacerbate price volatility. However, if market-driven, then the emergence of the corn-ethanol sector can be a double-edged sword for corn price volatility, possibly cushioning the impact of increased climate driven supply volatility, but also inheriting volatility from the newly integrated energy markets via crude oil price fluctuations. We find that empirically the former effect dominates, reducing price volatility by 27%. In contrast, mandates on ethanol production increase future price volatility by 54% in under future climate after 2020. We also consider the potential for liberalized international corn trade to cushion corn price volatility in the US. Our results suggest that allowing corn to move freely internationally serves to reduce the impact of near-term climate change on US corn price volatility by 8%.

The family as a determinant of stunting in children living in conditions of extreme poverty: a case-control study

PubMed Central

Reyes, Hortensia; Pérez-Cuevas, Ricardo; Sandoval, Araceli; Castillo, Raúl; Santos, José Ignacio; Doubova, Svetlana V; Gutiérrez, Gonzalo

2004-01-01

Background Malnutrition in children can be a consequence of unfavourable socioeconomic conditions. However, some families maintain adequate nutritional status in their children despite living in poverty. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether family-related factors are determinants of stunting in young Mexican children living in extreme poverty, and whether these factors differ between rural or urban contexts. Methods A case-control study was conducted in one rural and one urban extreme poverty level areas in Mexico. Cases comprised stunted children aged between 6 and 23 months. Controls were well-nourished children. Independent variables were defined in five dimensions: family characteristics; family income; household allocation of resources and family organisation; social networks; and child health care. Information was collected from 108 cases and 139 controls in the rural area and from 198 cases and 211 controls in the urban area. Statistical analysis was carried out separately for each area; unconditional multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain the best explanatory model for stunting. Results In the rural area, a greater risk of stunting was associated with father's occupation as farmer and the presence of family networks for child care. The greatest protective effect was found in children cared for exclusively by their mothers. In the urban area, risk factors for stunting were father with unstable job, presence of small social networks, low rate of attendance to the Well Child Program activities, breast-feeding longer than six months, and two variables within the family characteristics dimension (longer duration of parents' union and migration from rural to urban area). Conclusions This study suggests the influence of the family on the nutritional status of children under two years of age living in extreme poverty areas. Factors associated with stunting were different in rural and urban communities. Therefore, developing and

The family as a determinant of stunting in children living in conditions of extreme poverty: a case-control study.

PubMed

Reyes, Hortensia; Pérez-Cuevas, Ricardo; Sandoval, Araceli; Castillo, Raúl; Santos, José Ignacio; Doubova, Svetlana V; Gutiérrez, Gonzalo

2004-11-30

Malnutrition in children can be a consequence of unfavourable socioeconomic conditions. However, some families maintain adequate nutritional status in their children despite living in poverty. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether family-related factors are determinants of stunting in young Mexican children living in extreme poverty, and whether these factors differ between rural or urban contexts. A case-control study was conducted in one rural and one urban extreme poverty level areas in Mexico. Cases comprised stunted children aged between 6 and 23 months. Controls were well-nourished children. Independent variables were defined in five dimensions: family characteristics; family income; household allocation of resources and family organisation; social networks; and child health care. Information was collected from 108 cases and 139 controls in the rural area and from 198 cases and 211 controls in the urban area. Statistical analysis was carried out separately for each area; unconditional multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain the best explanatory model for stunting. In the rural area, a greater risk of stunting was associated with father's occupation as farmer and the presence of family networks for child care. The greatest protective effect was found in children cared for exclusively by their mothers. In the urban area, risk factors for stunting were father with unstable job, presence of small social networks, low rate of attendance to the Well Child Program activities, breast-feeding longer than six months, and two variables within the family characteristics dimension (longer duration of parents' union and migration from rural to urban area). This study suggests the influence of the family on the nutritional status of children under two years of age living in extreme poverty areas. Factors associated with stunting were different in rural and urban communities.Therefore, developing and implementing health programs to tackle

Effect of transgenic corn hybrids and a soil insecticide on corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) beetle emergence in North Dakota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Northern, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, and western corn rootworms, D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, are economic pests of corn, Zea mays L. (Poaceae) in North Dakota. Many area corn growers rely on transgenic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn hybrids to manage corn rootworms. Our objective was...

Evaluation of Elevated Dietary Corn Fiber from Corn Germ Meal in Growing Female Pigs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To evaluate the effects of high dietary corn fiber on growth and metabolic measures, female pigs (n= 48; initial body weight of 30.8 kg) were fed diets containing 0 to 38.6% solvent-extracted corn germ meal for 28 days. Increasing the level of dietary corn fiber had no impact on average daily gain o...

Inadequate dietary intake is not the cause of stunting amongst young children living in an informal settlement in Gauteng and rural Limpopo Province in South Africa: the NutriGro study.

PubMed

Theron, M; Amissah, A; Kleynhans, I C; Albertse, E; MacIntyre, U E

2007-04-01

To measure dietary intakes of young children aged 12-24 months and to determine the impact of poor diets on stunting. A quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was adapted, tested and standardised. Trained enumerators conducted in-depth interviews with the mothers/caregivers of the children. Forty stunted children in urban informal settlements and 30 stunted children in rural areas were selected and pair-matched with controls. The data were captured on the Food Finder Program of the Medical Research Council. In both urban and rural areas, the diet of stunted and non-stunted groups did differ significantly and all diets were of poor nutritional quality. Diets in both areas resembled the recommended prudent diet, i.e. low in fat and high in carbohydrates. Poor quality diets were not the primary cause of stunting.

Preparation of antioxidative corn protein hydrolysates, purification and evaluation of three novel corn antioxidant peptides.

PubMed

Jin, Du-Xin; Liu, Xiao-Lan; Zheng, Xi-Qun; Wang, Xiao-Jie; He, Jun-Fang

2016-08-01

Corn gluten meal is a major co-product of corn wet milling. Corn gluten meal was hydrolyzed with Alcalase, Flavourzyme, Alcalase+Flavourzyme and Flavourzyme+Alcalase. At the substrate concentration of 10%, corn protein hydrolysate catalyzed by Alcalase had a degree of hydrolysis of 17.83%, which was higher than that by Flavourzyme (3.65%). The hydrolysate catalyzed by Alcalase+Flavourzyme exhibited better antioxidant activities and was further purified. Three novel antioxidant peptides were purified by a series of chromatographic techniques. Sequences of the three peptides were identified as Cys-Ser-Gln-Ala-Pro-Leu-Ala, Tyr-Pro-Lys-Leu-Ala-Pro-Asn-Glu and Tyr-Pro-Gln-Leu-Leu-Pro-Asn-Glu, respectively. Among the three peptides, Cys-Ser-Gln-Ala-Pro-Leu-Ala exhibited good reducing power and excellent scavenging capacities for DPPH radical and superoxide anion radical, with IC50 values of 0.116 and 0.39mg/ml, respectively. The results from our study indicate antioxidant potency of corn protein hydrolysates and peptides separated from corn gluten meal and can provide basic understanding for the application of corn protein hydrolysates as natural antioxidants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recessive resistance to Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus in melon TGR 1551

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) reduces melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruit quality and yield in many parts of the world. Host plant resistance of melon to CYSDV is a high priority for sustainable melon production in affected production areas. High-level resistance to CYSDV exhibited by TG...

Understanding successful resistance management: The European corn borer and Bt corn in the United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) has been a major pest of corn and other crops in North America since its accidental introduction nearly a hundred years ago. Wide adoption of transgenic corn that expresses toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis, referred to as Bt c...

21 CFR 184.1865 - Corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Corn syrup. 184.1865 Section 184.1865 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1865 Corn syrup. (a) Corn syrup, commonly called “glucose sirup” or “glucose syrup,” is obtained by partial hydrolysis of corn starch with safe and suitable acids or enzymes...

21 CFR 184.1865 - Corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Corn syrup. 184.1865 Section 184.1865 Food and... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1865 Corn syrup. (a) Corn syrup, commonly called “glucose sirup” or “glucose syrup,” is obtained by partial hydrolysis of corn starch with safe and suitable acids or enzymes...

7 CFR 810.401 - Definition of corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Definition of corn. 810.401 Section 810.401... GRAIN United States Standards for Corn Terms Defined § 810.401 Definition of corn. Grain that consists of 50 percent or more of whole kernels of shelled dent corn and/or shelled flint corn (Zea mays L...

7 CFR 810.401 - Definition of corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definition of corn. 810.401 Section 810.401... GRAIN United States Standards for Corn Terms Defined § 810.401 Definition of corn. Grain that consists of 50 percent or more of whole kernels of shelled dent corn and/or shelled flint corn (Zea mays L...

Measuring Socioeconomic Inequalities With Predicted Absolute Incomes Rather Than Wealth Quintiles: A Comparative Assessment Using Child Stunting Data From National Surveys.

PubMed

Fink, Günther; Victora, Cesar G; Harttgen, Kenneth; Vollmer, Sebastian; Vidaletti, Luís Paulo; Barros, Aluisio J D

2017-04-01

To compare the predictive power of synthetic absolute income measures with that of asset-based wealth quintiles in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) using child stunting as an outcome. We pooled data from 239 nationally representative household surveys from LMICs and computed absolute incomes in US dollars based on households' asset rank as well as data on national consumption and inequality levels. We used multivariable regression models to compare the predictive power of the created income measure with the predictive power of existing asset indicator measures. In cross-country analysis, log absolute income predicted 54.5% of stunting variation observed, compared with 20% of variation explained by wealth quintiles. For within-survey analysis, we also found absolute income gaps to be predictive of the gaps between stunting in the wealthiest and poorest households (P < .001). Our results suggest that absolute income levels can greatly improve the prediction of stunting levels across and within countries over time, compared with models that rely solely on relative wealth quintiles.

21 CFR 137.215 - Yellow corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Yellow corn flour. 137.215 Section 137.215 Food... Flours and Related Products § 137.215 Yellow corn flour. Yellow corn flour conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.211 for white corn flour except that cleaned yellow corn is used...

21 CFR 137.275 - Yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Yellow corn meal. 137.275 Section 137.275 Food and... Related Products § 137.275 Yellow corn meal. Yellow corn meal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.250 for white corn meal except that cleaned yellow corn is used instead of...

21 CFR 137.215 - Yellow corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Yellow corn flour. 137.215 Section 137.215 Food... Flours and Related Products § 137.215 Yellow corn flour. Yellow corn flour conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.211 for white corn flour except that cleaned yellow corn is used...

21 CFR 137.275 - Yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Yellow corn meal. 137.275 Section 137.275 Food and... Related Products § 137.275 Yellow corn meal. Yellow corn meal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.250 for white corn meal except that cleaned yellow corn is used instead of...

Performance of dairy cows fed silage and grain produced from second-generation insect-protected (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn (MON 89034), compared with parental line corn or reference corn.

PubMed

Castillo-Lopez, E; Clark, K J; Paz, H A; Ramirez Ramirez, H A; Klusmeyer, T H; Hartnell, G F; Kononoff, P J

2014-01-01

Corn grain and corn silage are major feed components in lactating dairy cow rations. Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) is a naturally occurring soil bacterium that produces a protein that is toxic to lepidopteran insects that may damage plant tissues and reduce corn quality and yields. During each of the four 28-d periods, cows were offered 1 of 4 rations in which the corn grain and silage originated from different corn hybrids: a nontransgenic corn control (from hybrid DKC63-78; Monsanto Co., St. Louis, MO), a B.t. test substance corn (MON 89034 in hybrid DKC63-78; Monsanto Co.), and 2 commercial nontransgenic reference (Ref) hybrids: DKC61-42 (Ref 1) and DKC62-30 (Ref 2; Monsanto Co.). Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows averaging 110 ± 21 d in milk and weighing 684 ± 62.3 kg were blocked by days in milk and milk yield and randomly assigned to one of four 4 × 4 Latin squares. Diets were formulated to contain 36.4% corn silage and 16.3% corn grain. Dry matter intake was greater for cows consuming B.t. corn (26.6 ± 0.59 kg/d) compared with the control, Ref 1, and Ref 2 corn diets (25.4, 25.0, and 25.6 ± 0.59 kg/d, respectively). Milk yield, fat yield, and percentage of fat (36.8 ± 0.98 kg/d, 1.22 ± 0.05 kg/d, and 3.3 ± 0.10%), milk protein yield and percentage of protein (1.11 ± 0.03 kg/d and 3.01 ± 0.05%), milk urea nitrogen concentration (14.01 ± 0.49 mg/dL), and 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield (35.7 ± 1.07 kg/d) were not different across treatments. The results from this study show that lactating dairy cows that consume B.t. corn (MON 89034) do not differ from lactating dairy cows that consume nontransgenic corn in milk yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk per unit of dry matter intake, or milk components. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deposition of insecticides on corn silks applied at high and low spray rates for control of corn earworm

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn earworm is a major pest of sweet corn, especially when grown organically. Aerial application of insecticides is important for both conventionally- and organically-grown sweet corn production as sweet corn is frequently irrigated to assure return on investment given the high production costs. ...

Community-Based Health Financing and Child Stunting in Rural Rwanda

PubMed Central

Mejía-Guevara, Iván; Hill, Kenneth; Farmer, Paul; Binagwaho, Agnes

2016-01-01

Objectives. We analyzed the likelihood of rural children (aged 6–24 months) being stunted according to whether they were enrolled in Mutuelles, a community-based health-financing program providing health insurance to rural populations and granting them access to health care, including nutrition services. Methods. We retrieved health facility data from the District Health System Strengthening Tool and calculated the percentage of rural health centers that provided nutrition-related services required by Mutuelles’ minimum service package. We used data from the 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey and performed multilevel logistic analysis to control for clustering effects and sociodemographic characteristics. The final sample was 1061 children. Results. Among 384 rural health centers, more than 90% conducted nutrition-related campaigns and malnutrition screening for children. Regardless of poverty status, the risk of being stunted was significantly lower (odds ratio = 0.60; 95% credible interval = 0.41, 0.83) for Mutuelles enrollees. This finding was robust to various model specifications (adjusted for Mutuelles enrollment, poverty status, other variables) or estimation methods (fixed and random effects). Conclusions. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of Mutuelles in improving child nutrition status and supported the hypothesis about the role of Mutuelles in expanding medical and nutritional care coverage for children. PMID:26562109

Community-Based Health Financing and Child Stunting in Rural Rwanda.

PubMed

Lu, Chunling; Mejía-Guevara, Iván; Hill, Kenneth; Farmer, Paul; Subramanian, S V; Binagwaho, Agnes

2016-01-01

We analyzed the likelihood of rural children (aged 6-24 months) being stunted according to whether they were enrolled in Mutuelles, a community-based health-financing program providing health insurance to rural populations and granting them access to health care, including nutrition services. We retrieved health facility data from the District Health System Strengthening Tool and calculated the percentage of rural health centers that provided nutrition-related services required by Mutuelles' minimum service package. We used data from the 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey and performed multilevel logistic analysis to control for clustering effects and sociodemographic characteristics. The final sample was 1061 children. Among 384 rural health centers, more than 90% conducted nutrition-related campaigns and malnutrition screening for children. Regardless of poverty status, the risk of being stunted was significantly lower (odds ratio = 0.60; 95% credible interval = 0.41, 0.83) for Mutuelles enrollees. This finding was robust to various model specifications (adjusted for Mutuelles enrollment, poverty status, other variables) or estimation methods (fixed and random effects). This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of Mutuelles in improving child nutrition status and supported the hypothesis about the role of Mutuelles in expanding medical and nutritional care coverage for children.

Asian corn borer (ACB) and non-ACB pests in GM corn (Zea mays L.) in the Philippines.

PubMed

Afidchao, Miladis M; Musters, C J M; de Snoo, Geert R

2013-07-01

The Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), has become the most damaging pest in corn in south-east Asia. Corn farmers in the Philippines have incurred great yield losses in the past decades because of ACB infestation. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Bt herbicide-tolerant (BtHT) corns have been developed to reduce borer attacks worldwide. This study assessed the extent of ACB and non-ACB pest infestations in both GM and non-GM corn in Isabela Province, the Philippines. Specific aims were to reinvestigate the efficacy of Bt corn in controlling ACB, to evaluate what parts of Bt corn plants are susceptible to ACB, to monitor the potential development of ACB resistance and to evaluate whether secondary pests dominate in an ACB-free Bt corn environment. The study involved preparatory interviews with farmers, site selection, field scouting and visual inspection of 200 plants along 200 m transect lines through 198 cornfields. Bt corn can efficiently reduce the ACB pest problem and reduce borer damage by 44%, to damage levels in Bt and BtHT corn of 6.8 and 7% respectively. The leaves of Bt corn were more susceptible, while cobs of Bt corn were less affected by ACB. Non-ACB pests were common in Bt toxin-free cornfields and reduced in non-GM cornfields where ACB was abundant. No secondary pest outbreaks were found in ACB-free Bt cornfields. Bt and BtHT corn hybrids containing the Cry1Ab protein performed well in Isabela Province. Reduced cob damage by ACB on Bt fields could mean smaller economic losses even with ACB infestation. The occurrence of ACB in Bt and BtHT cornfields, although at a moderate and insignificant level, could imply the potential development of resistance to Bt toxin. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Decreasing stunting, anemia, and vitamin A deficiency in Peru: results of the Good Start in Life Program.

PubMed

Lechtig, Aarón; Cornale, Guido; Ugaz, María Elena; Arias, Lena

2009-03-01

The rates of stunting, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin A deficiency in Peru are among the highest in South America. There is little scaled-up experience on how to solve these problems countrywide. To evaluate the Good Start in Life Program during the period from 2000 to 2004. Data on weight, height, hemoglobin, serum retinol, urinary iodine, and age were obtained from children under 3 years of age during two transverse surveys in 2000 and 2004. In 2004, the program covered 75,000 children, 35,000 mothers, and 1 million inhabitants from 223 poor communities. The rate of stunting decreased from 54.1% to 36.9%, the rate of iron-deficiency anemia decreased from 76.0% to 52.3%, and the rate of vitamin A deficiency decreased from 30.4% to 5.3% (p < .01). The annual cost per child was US$116.50. Adaptations of this participative program could contribute to decreased stunting, iron-deficiency anemia, and vitamin A deficiency at the national scale in Peru and many other countries.

Stunt Barbie--A Laboratory Practicum Combining Constant Velocity and Constant Acceleration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hertting, Scott

2011-01-01

In preparing to teach the advanced physics course at my high school, I found it useful to work through the end of chapter problems in the book used by the advanced class. A problem on motion in one dimension involved a stunt woman in free fall from a tree limb onto a horse running beneath her. The problem presents a connected learning opportunity…

Proteins induced in corn (Zea mays) in response to the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The European corn borer (ECB, Ostrinia nubilalis) is a major pest of corn. ECB begin by feeding in the whorl tissue and then eventually tunnel into the stalk of the corn where they cause most of the damage. Tunneling can disrupt the transport of water and nutrients in the plant and it provides sites...

Does Childhood Diarrhea Influence Cognition Beyond the Diarrhea-Stunting Pathway?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-31

delayed careseeking [26,27]. In impoverished households maternal and paternal education levels are often low and children receive less stimulation during...Guatemala, maternal education was defined as the average number of years enrolled in school; whereas, in Brazil, maternal education was a categorical...Stunted (% ,22 LAZ) 86.5 67.5 24.3 32 Maternal education (mean years enrolled in school)a or % of mothers who had not completed primary schoolb 1.4a

Risk factors of stunting among children living in an urban slum of Bangladesh: findings of a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Islam, M Munirul; Sanin, Kazi Istiaque; Mahfuz, Mustafa; Ahmed, A M Shamsir; Mondal, Dinesh; Haque, Rashidul; Ahmed, Tahmeed

2018-01-30

Bangladesh is one of the 20 countries with highest burden of stunting globally. A large portion (around 2.2 million) of the population dwells in the slum areas under severe vulnerable conditions. Children residing in the slums are disproportionately affected with higher burden of undernutrition particularly stunting. In this paper, findings of a prospective cohort study which is part of a larger multi-country study are presented. Two hundred and sixty five children were enrolled and followed since their birth till 24 months of age. Anthropometric measurements, dietary intake and morbidity information were collected monthly. Data from 9 to 12, 15-18 and 21-24 months were collated to analyze and report findings for 12, 18 and 24 months of age. Generalized estimating equation models were constructed to determine risk factors of stunting between 12 and 24 months of age. Approximately, 18% of children were already stunted (LAZ < -2SD) at birth and the proportion increased to 48% at 24 months of age. Exclusive breastfeeding prevalence was only 9.4% following the WHO definition at 6 months. Dietary energy intake as well as intakes of carbohydrate, fat and protein were suboptimal for majority of the children. However, in regression analysis, LAZ at birth (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.61), household with poor asset index (AOR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.43, 5.52; ref.: average asset index), being male children (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.95; ref.: female) and age (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.56, 3.52 at 24 months, AOR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.55, 2.92 at 18 months; ref.: 12 months of age) were the significant predictors of stunting among this population. As the mechanism of stunting begins even before a child is born, strategies must be focused on life course approach and preventive measurement should be initiated during pregnancy. Alongside, government and policymakers have to develop sustainable strategies to improve various social and environmental factors those

Evaluating corn starch and corn stover biochar as renewable filler in carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber composites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn starch, corn flour, and corn stover biochar were evaluated as potential renewable substitutes for carbon black as filler in rubber composites using carboxylated styrene-butadiene as the rubber matrix. Previous work has shown that starch-based fillers have very good reinforcement properties at t...

Molecular Characterization of Watermelon Chlorotic Stunt Virus (WmCSV) from Palestine

PubMed Central

Ali-Shtayeh, Mohammed S.; Jamous, Rana M.; Mallah, Omar B.; Abu-Zeitoun, Salam Y.

2014-01-01

The incidence of watermelon chlorotic stunt disease and molecular characterization of the Palestinian isolate of Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV-[PAL]) are described in this study. Symptomatic leaf samples obtained from watermelon Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were tested for WmCSV-[PAL] infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA). Disease incidence ranged between 25%–98% in watermelon fields in the studied area, 77% of leaf samples collected from Jenin were found to be mixed infected with WmCSV-[PAL] and SLCV. The full-length DNA-A and DNA-B genomes of WmCSV-[PAL] were amplified and sequenced, and the sequences were deposited in the GenBank. Sequence analysis of virus genomes showed that DNA-A and DNA-B had 97.6%–99.42% and 93.16%–98.26% nucleotide identity with other virus isolates in the region, respectively. Sequence analysis also revealed that the Palestinian isolate of WmCSV shared the highest nucleotide identity with an isolate from Israel suggesting that the virus was introduced to Palestine from Israel. PMID:24956181

Estimating E-Race European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Adult Activity in Snap Bean Fields Based on Corn Planting Intensity and Their Activity in Corn in New York Agroecosystems.

PubMed

Schmidt-Jeffris, Rebecca A; Huseth, Anders S; Nault, Brian A

2016-07-24

European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), is a major pest of processing snap bean because larvae are contaminants in pods. The incidence of O. nubilalis-contaminated beans has become uncommon in New York, possibly because widespread adoption of Bt field corn has suppressed populations. Snap bean fields located where Bt corn has been intensively grown in space and time may be at lower risk for O. nubilalis than fields located where Bt corn is not common. To manage O. nubilalis infestation risk, growers determine insecticide application frequency in snap bean based on pheromone-trapping information in nearby sweet corn fields; adult activity is presumed equivalent in both crops. Our goal was to determine if corn planting intensity and adult activity in sweet corn could be used to estimate O. nubilalis populations in snap bean in New York in 2014-2015. Numbers of O nubilalis adults captured in pheromone-baited traps located in snap bean fields where corn was and was not intensively grown were similar, suggesting that O. nubilalis does not respond to local levels of Bt corn in the landscape. Numbers of Ostrinia nubilalis captured in pheromone-baited traps placed by snap bean fields and proximal sweet corn fields were not related, indicating that snap bean growers should no longer make control decisions based on adult activity in sweet corn. Our results also suggest that the risk of O. nubilalis infestations in snap bean is low (∼80% of the traps caught zero moths) and insecticide applications targeting this pest should be reduced or eliminated. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Integrative taxonomy of the stunt nematodes of the genera Bitylenchus and Tylenchorhynchus (Nematoda, Telotylenchidae) with description of two new species and a molecular phylogeny

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The genera Tylenchorhynchus Cobb, 1913 and Bitylenchus Filipjev, 1934 contain 104 and 29 valid species, respectively, of plant-parasitic nematodes collectively known as "stunt nematodes”. Stunt nematodes have a broad geographical distribution in several continents and some species damage agricultur...

Enzymatic production of xylooligosaccharides from corn stover and corn cobs treated with aqueous ammonia.

PubMed

Zhu, Yongming; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Y Y; Chen, Rongfu; Elander, Richard T

2006-01-01

A novel method of producing food-grade xylooligosaccharides from corn stover and corn cobs was investigated. The process starts with pretreatment of feedstock in aqueous ammonia, which results delignified and xylan-rich substrate. The pretreated substrates are subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan using endoxylanase for production of xylooligosaccharides. The conventional enzyme-based method involves extraction of xylan with a strong alkaline solution to form a liquid intermediate containing soluble xylan. This intermediate is heavily contaminated with various extraneous components. A costly purification step is therefore required before enzymatic hydrolysis. In the present method, xylan is obtained in solid form after pretreatment. Water-washing is all that is required for enzymatic hydrolysis of this material. The complex step of purifying soluble xylan from contaminant is essentially eliminated. Refining of xylooligosaccharides to food-grade is accomplished by charcoal adsorption followed by ethanol elution. Xylanlytic hydrolysis of the pretreated corn stover yielded glucan-rich residue that is easily digestible by cellulase enzyme. The digestibility of the residue reached 86% with enzyme loading of 10 filter paper units/g-glucan. As a feedstock for xylooligosaccharides production, corn cobs are superior to corn stover because of high xylan content and high packing density. The high packing density of corn cobs reduces water input and eventually raises the product concentration.

Influence of twin-screw extrusion on soluble arabinoxylans and corn fiber gum from corn fiber.

PubMed

Singkhornart, Sasathorn; Lee, Seul Gi; Ryu, Gi Hyung

2013-09-01

The effect of feed moisture content and screw speed in the extrusion process with and without chemical pretreatment of corn fiber was investigated. Different chemical pretreatment methods (NaOH and H2 SO4 solution) were compared. The improvement of reducing sugar, soluble arabinoxylans (SAX) content and the yield of corn fiber gum was measured. A high reducing sugar content was obtained in the filtrate fraction from the extruded destarched corn fiber (EDCF) with H₂SO₄ pretreatment. Feed moisture content most effectively improved both reducing sugar and SAX content of filtrate. Increasing feed moisture content and screw speed resulted in a higher SAX content in the filtrate of the EDCF with NaOH pretreatment. The SAX content of the residual solid from the EDCF with NaOH pretreatment was higher compared to H₂SO₄ pretreated and unpretreated samples and significantly increased with decreasing feed moisture content. The screw speed did not have a major impact after enzyme hydrolysis. The yield of corn fiber gum was increased by 12% using NaOH pretreatment combined with extrusion process as compared to the destarched corn fiber. The results show the great potential of the extrusion process as an effective pretreatment for disruption the lignocelluloses of corn fiber, leading to conversion of cellulose to glucose and hemicelluloses to SAX and isolation of corn fiber gum. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

The costs of stunting in South Asia and the benefits of public investments in nutrition.

PubMed

Shekar, Meera; Dayton Eberwein, Julia; Kakietek, Jakub

2016-05-01

South Asia is home to the largest number of stunted children worldwide: 65 million or 37% of all South Asian children under 5 were stunted in 2014. The costs to society as a result of stunting during childhood are high and include increased mortality, increased morbidity (in childhood and later as adults), decreased cognitive ability, poor educational outcomes, lost earnings and losses to national economic productivity. Conversely, investing in nutrition provides many benefits for poverty reduction and economic growth. This article draws from analyses conducted in four sub-Saharan countries to demonstrate that investments in nutrition can also be very cost-effective in South Asian countries. Specifically, the analyses demonstrate that scaling up a set of 10 critical nutrition-specific interventions is highly cost-effective when considered as a package. Most of the interventions are also very cost-effective when considered individually. By modelling cost-effectiveness of different scale-up scenarios, the analysis offers insights into ways in which the impact of investing in nutrition interventions can be maximized under budget constraints. Rigorous estimations of the costs and benefits of nutrition investments, similar to those reported here for sub-Saharan countries, are an important next step for all South Asian countries in order to drive political commitment and action and to enhance allocative efficiency of nutrition resources. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optima Nutrition: an allocative efficiency tool to reduce childhood stunting by better targeting of nutrition-related interventions.

PubMed

Pearson, Ruth; Killedar, Madhura; Petravic, Janka; Kakietek, Jakub J; Scott, Nick; Grantham, Kelsey L; Stuart, Robyn M; Kedziora, David J; Kerr, Cliff C; Skordis-Worrall, Jolene; Shekar, Meera; Wilson, David P

2018-03-20

Child stunting due to chronic malnutrition is a major problem in low- and middle-income countries due, in part, to inadequate nutrition-related practices and insufficient access to services. Limited budgets for nutritional interventions mean that available resources must be targeted in the most cost-effective manner to have the greatest impact. Quantitative tools can help guide budget allocation decisions. The Optima approach is an established framework to conduct resource allocation optimization analyses. We applied this approach to develop a new tool, 'Optima Nutrition', for conducting allocative efficiency analyses that address childhood stunting. At the core of the Optima approach is an epidemiological model for assessing the burden of disease; we use an adapted version of the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Six nutritional interventions have been included in the first release of the tool: antenatal micronutrient supplementation, balanced energy-protein supplementation, exclusive breastfeeding promotion, promotion of improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, public provision of complementary foods, and vitamin A supplementation. To demonstrate the use of this tool, we applied it to evaluate the optimal allocation of resources in 7 districts in Bangladesh, using both publicly available data (such as through DHS) and data from a complementary costing study. Optima Nutrition can be used to estimate how to target resources to improve nutrition outcomes. Specifically, for the Bangladesh example, despite only limited nutrition-related funding available (an estimated $0.75 per person in need per year), even without any extra resources, better targeting of investments in nutrition programming could increase the cumulative number of children living without stunting by 1.3 million (an extra 5%) by 2030 compared to the current resource allocation. To minimize stunting, priority interventions should include promotion of improved IYCF practices as well as vitamin A

Establishment of Cry9C susceptibility baselines for European corn borer and southwestern corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

PubMed

Reed, J P; Halliday, W R

2001-04-01

In 1997 and 1998, Cry9C susceptibility baselines were established for field-collected populations of European corn borer, Osrinia nubilalis (Hubner), and southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar. Bioassay of neonate European corn borer larvae of 16 colonies collected from the midwestern United States indicated LC50 values ranging from 13.2 to 65.1 ng of Cry9C protein per square centimeter. Neonate European corn borer LC50 values ranged from 46.5 to 214 ng/cm2. Neonate larvae of three colonies of southwestern corn borer collected from the southern and southwestern United States exhibited LC50 values from 16.9 to 39.9 ng of Cry9C protein per square centimeter. Southwestern corn borer neonate LC90 confidence limit values ranged from 40.3 to 157 ng of Cry9C protein per centimeter. The most sensitive southwestern corn borer colony was collected from the Mississippi delta exhibiting an LC50 value of 22.6 ng of Cry9C per cm2 and also displayed the widest LC0 confidence limits of 40.3-94.8 ng of Cry9C per cm2. Geographic baseline susceptibility data establishes the natural genetic variation and provides the foundation for future testing of insect populations exposed to increased use of Bacillus thuringiensis-based crops. Insect resistance management and stewardship of Cry9C will rely upon baseline data for the validation of discriminating dose assays for European corn borer and southwestern corn borer.

Microscopic Analysis of Corn Fiber Using Corn Starch- and Cellulose-Specific Molecular Probes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Porter, S. E.; Donohoe, B. S.; Beery, K. E.

Ethanol is the primary liquid transportation fuel produced from renewable feedstocks in the United States today. The majority of corn grain, the primary feedstock for ethanol production, has been historically processed in wet mills yielding products such as gluten feed, gluten meal, starch, and germ. Starch extracted from the grain is used to produce ethanol in saccharification and fermentation steps; however the extraction of starch is not 100% efficient. To better understand starch extraction during the wet milling process, we have developed fluorescent probes that can be used to visually localize starch and cellulose in samples using confocal microscopy. Thesemore » probes are based on the binding specificities of two types of carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs), which are small substrate-specific protein domains derived from carbohydrate degrading enzymes. CBMs were fused, using molecular cloning techniques, to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) or to the red fluorescent protein DsRed (RFP). Using these engineered probes, we found that the binding of the starch-specific probe correlates with starch content in corn fiber samples. We also demonstrate that there is starch internally localized in the endosperm that may contribute to the high starch content in corn fiber. We also surprisingly found that the cellulose-specific probe did not bind to most corn fiber samples, but only to corn fiber that had been hydrolyzed using a thermochemical process that removes the residual starch and much of the hemicellulose. Our findings should be of interest to those working to increase the efficiency of the corn grain to ethanol process.« less

Stunting, poor iron status and parasite infection are significant risk factors for lower cognitive performance in Cambodian school-aged children.

PubMed

Perignon, Marlene; Fiorentino, Marion; Kuong, Khov; Burja, Kurt; Parker, Megan; Sisokhom, Sek; Chamnan, Chhoun; Berger, Jacques; Wieringa, Frank T

2014-01-01

Nutrition is one of many factors affecting the cognitive development of children. In Cambodia, 55% of children <5 y were anemic and 40% stunted in 2010. Currently, no data exists on the nutritional status of Cambodian school-aged children, or on how malnutrition potentially affects their cognitive development. To assess the anthropometric and micronutrient status (iron, vitamin A, zinc, iodine) of Cambodian schoolchildren and their associations with cognitive performance. School children aged 6-16 y (n = 2443) from 20 primary schools in Cambodia were recruited. Anthropometry, hemoglobin, serum ferritin, transferrin receptors, retinol-binding protein and zinc concentrations, inflammation status, urinary iodine concentration and parasite infection were measured. Socio-economic data were collected in a sub-group of children (n = 616). Cognitive performance was assessed using Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM) and block design and picture completion, two standardized tests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III). The prevalence of anemia, iron, zinc, iodine and vitamin A deficiency were 15.7%; 51.2%, 92.8%, 17.3% and 0.7% respectively. The prevalence of stunting was 40.0%, including 10.9% of severe stunting. Stunted children scored significantly lower than non-stunted children on all tests. In RCPM test, boys with iron-deficiency anemia had lower scores than boys with normal iron status (-1.46, p<0.05). In picture completion test, children with normal iron status tended to score higher than iron-deficient children with anemia (-0.81; p = 0.067) or without anemia (-0.49; p = 0.064). Parasite infection was associated with an increase in risk of scoring below the median value in block design test (OR = 1.62; p<0.05), and with lower scores in other tests, for girls only (both p<0.05). Poor cognitive performance of Cambodian school-children was multifactorial and significantly associated with long-term (stunting) and current

Corn Culture: A Story of Intelligent Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd, Jude

2008-01-01

Scientists are not sure of how corn was created. There were two competing genetic theories about how corn came to be. One theory maintains that corn had been teased out of a wheatlike grass called teosinte (genus Zea), and the other contends that one now-extinct ancestor of corn had crossed with another grass, "Tripsacum," several millennia ago.…

9 CFR 319.100 - Corned beef.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Corned beef. 319.100 Section 319.100 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Corned beef. “Corned Beef” shall be prepared from beef briskets, navels, clods, middle ribs, rounds...

9 CFR 319.100 - Corned beef.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Corned beef. 319.100 Section 319.100 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Corned beef. “Corned Beef” shall be prepared from beef briskets, navels, clods, middle ribs, rounds...

9 CFR 319.100 - Corned beef.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Corned beef. 319.100 Section 319.100 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Corned beef. “Corned Beef” shall be prepared from beef briskets, navels, clods, middle ribs, rounds...

9 CFR 319.100 - Corned beef.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Corned beef. 319.100 Section 319.100 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Corned beef. “Corned Beef” shall be prepared from beef briskets, navels, clods, middle ribs, rounds...

9 CFR 319.100 - Corned beef.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Corned beef. 319.100 Section 319.100 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Corned beef. “Corned Beef” shall be prepared from beef briskets, navels, clods, middle ribs, rounds...

Detection and management of stunt and stubby root nematodes in a southern forest nursery

Treesearch

Michelle M. Cram; Stephen W. Fraedrich

2007-01-01

Populations of stunt (Tylenchorhynchus claytoni) and stubby-root (Paratrichodorus minor) nematodes, as well as predaceous nematodes (Mylonchulus spp., Mononchus spp.), were monitored in 2005 for 8 months in three loblolly pine fields at a southern forest nursery. The fields were selected based...

Three pythium species isolated from severely stunted wheat during an outbreak in North Carolina

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Large portions of eastern North Carolina experienced prolonged soil waterlogging in 2016. Severely stunted wheat plants from saturated fields were examined and Pythium consistently was associated with the symptoms observed. Three species of Pythium were identified among 15 isolates derived from wh...

Fumonisins B1 and B2 in the corn-milling process and corn-based products, and evaluation of estimated daily intake.

PubMed

Savi, Geovana D; Piacentini, Karim C; Marchi, Djeini; Scussel, Vildes M

2016-01-01

The distribution of fumonisins (FBs: FB1 and FB2) in the corn-milling process and in corn-based products, as well as daily intake estimates for the Brazilian population were evaluated. Among corn fractions samples, corn meal had the highest mean concentration of FB1 (1305 µg kg(-1)) and FB2 (651 µg kg(-1)) and a distribution factors of 452% and 256% in relation to corn grain, respectively. On the other hand, the distribution factor of FB1 and FB2 in corn flour was found to be 144% and 88% respectively, which demonstrates that fumonisins in this fraction were reduced compared with corn grain. As a result, almost half the corn meal samples (47%) would be non-compliant with future Brazilian regulation (2017) for fumonisins. However, corn-based products, such as corn flakes and popcorn, were in compliance with the regulation. The average probable daily intake and maximum probable daily intake of fumonisins estimated for the Santa Catarina state (Brazil) population were below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2 µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for all corn samples. Despite this, the adoption of practices to control the occurrence of fumonisins should be applied to the corn-milling fractions that may contain a higher concentration of this toxin, such as corn meal, often used for animal feed in Brazil.

Vitamin D status is associated with underweight and stunting in children aged 6-36 months residing in the Ecuadorian Andes.

PubMed

Mokhtar, Rana R; Holick, Michael F; Sempértegui, Fernando; Griffiths, Jeffrey K; Estrella, Bertha; Moore, Lynn L; Fox, Matthew P; Hamer, Davidson H

2017-11-22

There is limited knowledge on vitamin D status of children residing in the Andes and its association with undernutrition. We evaluated the vitamin D status of children residing in a low socio-economic status (SES) setting in the Ecuadorian Andes and assessed the association between vitamin D status, stunting and underweight. We hypothesized that children who were underweight would have lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and lower 25(OH)D levels would be associated with a higher risk of stunting. We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, the Vitamin A, Zinc and Pneumonia study. Children had serum 25(OH)D concentrations measured. A sensitivity analysis was undertaken to determine a vitamin D cut-off specific for our endpoints. Associations between serum 25(OH)D and underweight (defined as weight-for-age Z-score≤-1) and stunting (defined as height-for-age Z-score≤-2) were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Children residing in five low-SES peri-urban neighbourhoods near Quito, Ecuador. Children (n 516) aged 6-36 months. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 58·0 (sd 17·7) nmol/l. Sensitivity analysis revealed an undernutrition-specific 25(OH)D cut-off of <42·5 nmol/l; 18·6 % of children had serum 25(OH)D<42·5 nmol/l. Children who were underweight were more likely to have serum 25(OH)D<42·5 nmol/l (adjusted OR (aOR)=2·0; 95 % CI 1·2, 3·3). Children with low serum 25(OH)D levels were more likely to be stunted (aOR=2·8; 95 % CI 1·6, 4·7). Low serum 25(OH)D levels were more common in underweight and stunted Ecuadorian children.

21 CFR 137.250 - White corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false White corn meal. 137.250 Section 137.250 Food and... Related Products § 137.250 White corn meal. (a) White corn meal is the food prepared by so grinding... fiber content of the finished corn meal is not less than 1.2 percent and not more than that of the...

21 CFR 137.250 - White corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false White corn meal. 137.250 Section 137.250 Food and... Related Products § 137.250 White corn meal. (a) White corn meal is the food prepared by so grinding... fiber content of the finished corn meal is not less than 1.2 percent and not more than that of the...

21 CFR 137.211 - White corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false White corn flour. 137.211 Section 137.211 Food and... Related Products § 137.211 White corn flour. (a) White corn flour is the food prepared by so grinding and bolting cleaned white corn that when tested by the method prescribed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section...

21 CFR 137.211 - White corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false White corn flour. 137.211 Section 137.211 Food and... Related Products § 137.211 White corn flour. (a) White corn flour is the food prepared by so grinding and bolting cleaned white corn that when tested by the method prescribed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section...

21 CFR 137.211 - White corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false White corn flour. 137.211 Section 137.211 Food and... Related Products § 137.211 White corn flour. (a) White corn flour is the food prepared by so grinding and bolting cleaned white corn that when tested by the method prescribed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section...

21 CFR 137.211 - White corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false White corn flour. 137.211 Section 137.211 Food and... Related Products § 137.211 White corn flour. (a) White corn flour is the food prepared by so grinding and bolting cleaned white corn that when tested by the method prescribed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section...

21 CFR 137.211 - White corn flour.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false White corn flour. 137.211 Section 137.211 Food and... Related Products § 137.211 White corn flour. (a) White corn flour is the food prepared by so grinding and bolting cleaned white corn that when tested by the method prescribed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section...

Children concurrently wasted and stunted: A meta‐analysis of prevalence data of children 6–59 months from 84 countries

PubMed Central

Khara, Tanya; Mwangome, Martha; Ngari, Moses

2017-01-01

Abstract Children can be stunted and wasted at the same time. Having both deficits greatly elevates risk of mortality. The analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence and burden of children aged 6–59 months concurrently wasted and stunted. Data from demographic and health survey and Multi‐indicator Cluster Surveys datasets from 84 countries were analysed. Overall prevalence for being wasted, stunted, and concurrently wasted and stunted among children 6 to 59 months was calculated. A pooled prevalence of concurrence was estimated and reported by gender, age, United Nations regions, and contextual categories. Burden was calculated using population figures from the global joint estimates database. The pooled prevalence of concurrence in the 84 countries was 3.0%, 95% CI [2.97, 3.06], ranging from 0% to 8.0%. Nine countries reported a concurrence prevalence greater than 5%. The estimated burden was 5,963,940 children. Prevalence of concurrence was highest in the 12‐ to 24‐month age group 4.2%, 95% CI [4.1, 4.3], and was significantly higher among boys 3.54%, 95% CI [3.47, 3.61], compared to girls; 2.46%, 95% CI [2.41, 2.52]. Fragile and conflict‐affected states reported significantly higher concurrence 3.6%, 95% CI [3.5, 3.6], than those defined as stable 2.24%, 95% CI [2.18, 2.30]. This analysis represents the first multiple country estimation of the prevalence and burden of children concurrently wasted and stunted. Given the high risk of mortality associated with concurrence, the findings indicate a need to report on this condition as well as investigate whether these children are being reached through existing programmes. PMID:28944990

Maternal depression does not affect complementary feeding indicators or stunting status of young children (6-23 months) in Northern Ghana.

PubMed

Wemakor, Anthony; Iddrisu, Habib

2018-06-25

Maternal depression may affect child feeding practice which is an important determinant of child nutritional status. The objective of this study was to explore the association between maternal depression and WHO complementary feeding indicators [minimum dietary diversity (MDD), minimum meal frequency (MMF) and minimum acceptable diet (MAD)] or stunting status of children (6-23 months) in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out involving 200 mother-child pairs randomly sampled from three communities in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana. The prevalence of MDD, MMF, and MAD were 56.5, 65.0, and 44.0% respectively and 41.0% of the children sampled were stunted. A third of the mothers (33.5%) screened positive for depression. Maternal depression did not influence significantly MDD (p = 0.245), MMF (p = 0.442), and MAD (p = 0.885) or children's risk of stunting (p = 0.872). In conclusion maternal depression and child stunting are prevalent in Northern Ghana but there is a lack of evidence of an association between maternal depression and child feeding practices or nutritional status in this study population. Further research is needed to assess the effect of maternal depression on feeding practices and growth of young children.

PRODUCING HIGH CORN YIELDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Univ., Urbana. Coll. of Agriculture.

RESOURCE MATERIAL ON CORN PRODUCTION FOR HIGH SCHOOL VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE AND ADULT FARMER CLASSES WAS DESIGNED BY A STATE LEVEL GROUP OF SUBJECT MATTER SPECIALISTS, TEACHER EDUCATORS, SUPERVISORS, AND TEACHERS TO HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT CORN PRODUCERS AT PLANTING TIME. THE SUBJECT MATTER CONCERNS PLANTING TIME, DEPTH, ROW WIDTH,…

Susceptibility of Nebraska Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations to Bt Corn Events

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Transgenic plants have been widely adopted by growers to manage the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, in field corn. Because of reduced efficacy in some Nebraska fields after repeated use of Cry3Bb1 expressing hybrids, single plant bioassays were conducted in 2012 and 20...

The rise in stunting in relation to avian influenza and food consumption patterns in Lower Egypt in comparison to Upper Egypt: results from 2005 and 2008 Demographic and Health Surveys.

PubMed

Kavle, Justine A; El-Zanaty, Fatma; Landry, Megan; Galloway, Rae

2015-03-25

A 2006 avian influenza (AI) outbreak resulted in mass removal of chickens in Lower Egypt, which decreased the household supply of poultry. Poultry, a key animal-source food, contains nutrients critical for child growth. This paper examines determinants of stunting between 2006 and 2008 in children 6 to 59 months of age within the context of the AI outbreak. The 2005 and 2008 nationally representative Egypt Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS) were used to analyse anthropometric data from 7,794 children in 2005 and 6,091 children in 2008. Children, 6-59 months of age, with length for age Z-score < -2 S.D. were categorized as stunted. Predictors of stunting were examined by bivariate and multivariable analyses, focusing on Lower Egypt, where a rise in stunting occurred, and Upper Egypt, where stunting declined. Between 2005 and 2008, Upper Egypt experienced a significant decline in stunting (28.8 to 21.8%, P < 0.001). Lower Egypt experienced a significant rise in stunting (16.6 to 31.5%, P < 0.001), coinciding with the 2006 AI outbreak. In Lower Egypt (2008), households owning poultry were 41.7% less likely to have a stunted child [aOR 0.58; 95% CI (0.42, 0.81) P = 0.002], and 12-47 month old children were 2.12-2.34 times [95% CI (1.39 - 3.63) P ≤ 0.001] more likely to be stunted than 6-11 month old children. Older children were likely affected by AI, as these children were either in-utero or toddlers in 2006. In Upper Egypt, stunting peaked at 12-23 months [aOR 2.62, 95% CI (1.73-3.96), P < 0.001], with lowered risk (22-32%) of stunting in 24-47 month old children [aOR1.65, 95% 1.07-2.53, P = 0.022, 24-35 month old] and [aOR 1.57, 95% CI 1.01-2.43, P = 0.043 36-47 months old]. A two-fold increase in child consumption of sugary foods between 2005 and 2008 was found in Lower Egypt (24.5% versus 52.7%; P < .001). Decreased dietary diversity, reduced poultry consumption, substitution of nutritious foods with sugary foods paralleled a reduction in household raising of

Resistance Management Monitoring for the US Corn Crop to the Illinois Corn Growers Association

EPA Science Inventory

Significant increases in genetically modified corn planting are expected for future planted acreages approaching 80% of total corn plantings anticipated by 2009. As demand increases, incidence of farmer non-compliance with mandated non-genetically modified refuge is likely to in...

AgRISTARS: Supporting research. Classification of corn: Badhwar profile similarity technique. [us corn belt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, W. W. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The same software programs used to classify spring wheat are applied to the classification of corn in 26 segments in the corn belt. Numerical results of the acreage estimation are given. Potential problem areas defined in an earlier application are examined.

Measuring Poverty in Southern India: A Comparison of Socio-Economic Scales Evaluated against Childhood Stunting.

PubMed

Kattula, Deepthi; Venugopal, Srinivasan; Velusamy, Vasanthakumar; Sarkar, Rajiv; Jiang, Victoria; S, Mahasampath Gowri; Henry, Ankita; Deosaran, Jordanna Devi; Muliyil, Jayaprakash; Kang, Gagandeep

2016-01-01

Socioeconomic status (SES) scales measure poverty, wealth and economic inequality in a population to guide appropriate economic and public health policies. Measurement of poverty and comparison of material deprivation across nations is a challenge. This study compared four SES scales which have been used locally and internationally and evaluated them against childhood stunting, used as an indicator of chronic deprivation, in urban southern India. A door-to-door survey collected information on socio-demographic indicators such as education, occupation, assets, income and living conditions in a semi-urban slum area in Vellore, Tamil Nadu in southern India. A total of 7925 households were categorized by four SES scales-Kuppuswamy scale, Below Poverty Line scale (BPL), the modified Kuppuswamy scale, and the multidimensional poverty index (MDPI) and the level of agreement compared between scales. Logistic regression was used to test the association of SES scales with stunting. The Kuppuswamy, BPL, MDPI and modified Kuppuswamy scales classified 7.1%, 1%, 5.5%, and 55.3% of families as low SES respectively, indicating conservative estimation of low SES by the BPL and MDPI scales in comparison with the modified Kuppuswamy scale, which had the highest sensitivity (89%). Children from low SES classified by all scales had higher odds of stunting, but the level of agreement between scales was very poor ranging from 1%-15%. There is great non-uniformity between existing SES scales and cautious interpretation of SES scales is needed in the context of social, cultural, and economic realities.

21 CFR 184.1857 - Corn sugar.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Corn sugar. 184.1857 Section 184.1857 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) DIRECT FOOD....1857 Corn sugar. (a) Corn sugar (C6H12O6, CAS Reg. No. 50-99-7), commonly called D-glucose or dextrose...

Utilization of corn fiber for production of schizophyllan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn fiber is an abundant lignocellulosic biomass resource produced during the wet milling of corn. Although corn fiber is recalcitrant to enzymatic digestion, the fungus Schizophyllum commune was able to directly utilize corn fiber for production of the valuable bioproduct, schizophyllan. Schizophy...

Girl child marriage as a risk factor for early childhood development and stunting.

PubMed

Efevbera, Yvette; Bhabha, Jacqueline; Farmer, Paul E; Fink, Günther

2017-07-01

This paper quantitatively examines the intergenerational effects of girl child marriage, or the developmental and health outcomes of children born to women who marry before age 18. The overall objective is to understand the mechanisms through which girl child marriage affects the health and well-being of children in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the relative magnitude and impact of these mechanisms. We used data from 37,558 mother-child pairs identified through 16 national and sub-national cross-sectional surveys across sub-Saharan Africa conducted between 2010 and 2014 by the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Clusters Survey program. The Early Childhood Development Index was used to measure child development, and stunting was used to measure health. Using logistic regression, we found that the odds of being off-track for development and being stunted were 25% and 29% higher, respectively, for children born to women who married before age 18 compared to those whose mothers married later (p < 0.001). Geographic location and primary education, which were conceptualized as contextual factors, explained most of this relationship, controlling for country fixed-effects. In adjusted models, we found that early childbearing was not the sole pathway through which girl child marriage affected child development and health. Our final models revealed that disparities in advanced maternal education and wealth explained child development and stunting. We conclude that there are intergenerational consequences of girl child marriage on her child's well-being, and that through association with other contextual, socioeconomic, and biological factors, marrying early does matter for child development and health. Our findings resonate with existing literature and point toward important policy considerations for improving early childhood outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of a new tymovirus causing stunting and chlorotic mosaic in naranjilla (Solanum quitoense)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Naranjilla (“little orange”), also known as lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam.), is a perennial shrub species cultivated in the Andes for fresh fruit and juice production. In 2015, a naranjilla plant exhibiting stunting, mosaic, and chlorotic spots was sampled in the Pastaza province of Ecuador and mainta...

Stunted patches in onion bulb crops in Oregon and Washington: Etiology and yield loss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Onion stunting caused by Rhizoctonia spp. is an important soilborne disease in the Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington. From 2010 to 2013, 251 isolates of Rhizoctonia or Rhizoctonia-like spp. were obtained from soil and onion plant samples collected from Oregon and Washington. Sequence analysis ...

Aflatoxin contamination of developing corn kernels.

PubMed

Amer, M A

2005-01-01

Preharvest of corn and its contamination with aflatoxin is a serious problem. Some environmental and cultural factors responsible for infection and subsequent aflatoxin production were investigated in this study. Stage of growth and location of kernels on corn ears were found to be one of the important factors in the process of kernel infection with A. flavus & A. parasiticus. The results showed positive correlation between the stage of growth and kernel infection. Treatment of corn with aflatoxin reduced germination, protein and total nitrogen contents. Total and reducing soluble sugar was increase in corn kernels as response to infection. Sucrose and protein content were reduced in case of both pathogens. Shoot system length, seeding fresh weigh and seedling dry weigh was also affected. Both pathogens induced reduction of starch content. Healthy corn seedlings treated with aflatoxin solution were badly affected. Their leaves became yellow then, turned brown with further incubation. Moreover, their total chlorophyll and protein contents showed pronounced decrease. On the other hand, total phenolic compounds were increased. Histopathological studies indicated that A. flavus & A. parasiticus could colonize corn silks and invade developing kernels. Germination of A. flavus spores was occurred and hyphae spread rapidly across the silk, producing extensive growth and lateral branching. Conidiophores and conidia had formed in and on the corn silk. Temperature and relative humidity greatly influenced the growth of A. flavus & A. parasiticus and aflatoxin production.

Preventing environmental enteric dysfunction through improved water, sanitation and hygiene: an opportunity for stunting reduction in developing countries.

PubMed

Mbuya, Mduduzi N N; Humphrey, Jean H

2016-05-01

In 2011, one in every four (26%) children under 5 years of age worldwide was stunted. The realization that most stunting cannot be explained by poor diet or by diarrhoea, nor completely reversed by optimized diet and reduced diarrhoea has led to the hypothesis that a primary underlying cause of stunting is subclinical gut disease. Essentially, ingested microbes set in motion two overlapping and interacting pathways that result in linear growth impairment. Firstly, partial villous atrophy results in a reduced absorptive surface area and loss of digestive enzymes. This in turn results in maldigestion and malabsorption of much needed nutrients. Secondly, microbes and their products make the gut leaky, allowing luminal contents to translocate into systemic circulation. This creates a condition of chronic immune activation, which (i) diverts nutrient resources towards the metabolically expensive business of infection fighting rather than growth; (ii) suppresses the growth hormone-IGF axis and inhibits bone growth, leading to growth impairment; and (iii) causes further damage to the intestinal mucosa thereby exacerbating the problem. As such, the unhygienic environments in which infants and young children live and grow must contribute to, if not be the overriding cause of, this environmental enteric dysfunction. We suggest that a package of baby-WASH interventions (sanitation and water improvement, handwashing with soap, ensuring a clean play and infant feeding environment and food hygiene) that interrupt specific pathways through which feco-oral transmission occurs in the first two years of a child's life may be central to global stunting reduction efforts. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gut microbiota of Tenebrio molitor and their response to environmental change.

PubMed

Jung, Jaejoon; Heo, Aram; Park, Yong Woo; Kim, Ye Ji; Koh, Hyelim; Park, Woojun

2014-07-01

A bacterial community analysis of the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae was performed using pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. A predominance of genus Spiroplasma species in phylum Tenericutes was observed in the gut samples, but there was variation found in the community composition between T. molitor individuals. The gut bacteria community structure was not significantly affected by the presence of antibiotics or by the exposure of T. molitor larvae to a highly diverse soil bacteria community. A negative relationship was identified between bacterial diversity and ampicillin concentration; however, no negative relationship was identified with the addition of kanamycin. Ampicillin treatment resulted in a reduction in the bacterial community size, estimated using the 16S rRNA gene copy number. A detailed phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Spiroplasma-associated sequences originating from the T. molitor larvae were distinct from previously identified Spiroplasma type species, implying the presence of novel Spiroplasma species. Some Spiroplasma species are known to be insect pathogens; however, the T. molitor larvae did not experience any harmful effects arising from the presence of Spiroplasma species, indicating that Spiroplasma in the gut of T. molitor larvae do not act as a pathogen to the host. A comparison with the bacterial communities found in other insects (Apis and Solenopsis) showed that the Spiroplasma species found in this study were specific to T. molitor.

21 CFR 184.1857 - Corn sugar.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Corn sugar. 184.1857 Section 184.1857 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1857 Corn sugar. (a) Corn sugar (C6H12O6, CAS Reg. No. 50-99-7), commonly...

21 CFR 184.1857 - Corn sugar.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Corn sugar. 184.1857 Section 184.1857 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1857 Corn sugar. (a) Corn sugar (C6H12O6, CAS Reg. No. 50-99-7), commonly...

21 CFR 184.1857 - Corn sugar.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Corn sugar. 184.1857 Section 184.1857 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1857 Corn sugar. (a) Corn sugar (C6H12O6, CAS Reg. No. 50-99-7), commonly...

21 CFR 184.1857 - Corn sugar.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Corn sugar. 184.1857 Section 184.1857 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN... Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1857 Corn sugar. (a) Corn sugar (C6H12O6, CAS Reg. No. 50-99-7), commonly...

"King Corn": Teaching the Food Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swinehart, Tim

2012-01-01

"King Corn" is in so many ways the story of how government food policy has entirely remade the food landscape in the United States over the last 40 years. From the massive expansion of the number of acres of corn grown across the country, to the ever-increasing ways that corn is incorporated into the food production process, to the…

AmeriFlux US-Tw2 Twitchell Corn

DOE Data Explorer

Baldocchi, Dennis [University of California, Berkeley

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Tw2 Twitchell Corn. Site Description - The Twitchell Corn site is a corn field on peat soil. The tower was installed on May 17, 2012 and was equipped to analyze energy, H2O and CO2 fluxes. The field was planted in early May 2012 and harvested in early November 2012. The field was fallow during the non-growing season. The variety of corn used was ES-7477 hybrid corn commercialized by Eureka seeds. The site is near US-Tw1, US-Tw3 and US-Twt sites.

Comparison of amino acid digestibility coefficients for corn, corn gluten meal, and corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) among three different bioassays

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to determine standardized AA digestibility of corn, corn gluten meal (CGM) and three distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay (PFR), the standardized ileal AA broiler chicken assay (SIAAD), and a newly developed p...

Earlier introduction of aguitas is associated with higher risk of stunting in infants and toddlers in the Western Highlands of Guatemala.

PubMed

Doak, Colleen M; van der Starre, Robine E; van Beusekom, Ilse; Campos Ponce, Maiza; Vossenaar, Marieke; Solomons, Noel W

2013-03-01

In many cultures, simple herbal infusions, thin gruels, or sweetened water (agüitas in Guatemalan parlance) are given to infants and toddlers. Formative research has shown that the use of agüitas in early child feeding is deeply embedded in Guatemalan culture. We examined the prevalence and timing of the introduction of agüitas during early life in a low-income population of metropolitan Quetzaltenango in relation to stunting in children. Responses from 456 mothers of children aged 5-23 mo were analyzed by using logistic regression to explore relations between linear growth (stunting), diarrhea, and age at the first introduction of agüitas. A total of 358 of 456 infants (79%) were agüita users independent of sex or ethnicity. Of infants given agüitas, one-fourth of subjects were introduced to agüitas within the first 2.9 wk of age, and one-half of subjects were introduced to agüitas within the first 9 wk of age. Subjects introduced to agüitas before 2.9 wk of age were 1.8 times more likely to be stunted (95% CI: 1.1, 2.8; P = 0.03) irrespective of ethnicity. Children who had ever been given agüitas were twice as likely to have also had diarrhea (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3, 3.3) and more likely to have needed medical attention for diarrhea (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 4.2), but diarrheal experience was independent of stunting. Because of the early introduction of agüitas and the high prevalence of stunting in Guatemala, longitudinal studies are urgently needed to clarify the causal relations. This trial was registered at Nederlands Trial register as NTR3273 for 5-mo-olds and Nederlands Trial register as NTR3292 for infants ≥6 mo.

Effect of length of interval between cereal rye cover crop termination and corn planting on seedling root disease and corn growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cereal rye cover crops terminated immediately before corn planting can sometimes reduce corn population, early growth, and yield. We hypothesized that cereal rye may act as a green bridge for corn pathogens and may increase corn seedling root disease. A field experiment was conducted over two years ...

Effect of deep vs. shallow tillage on onion stunting and onion bulb yield, 2012

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A field experiment was conducted at a site inoculated with R. solani AG 8 at the Oregon State University Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hermiston, OR to determine the effect of plowing (deep tillage) vs. rototilling (shallow tillage) on onion stunting caused by R. solani AG ...

Geographic information systems in corn rootworm management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp. Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are serious pests of corn (Zea mays) in the United States and Europe. Control measures for corn rootworms (CRW) were historically based upon chemical pesticides and crop rotation. Pesticide use created environmental and economic concerns. In...

Product evaluation : Dow Corning 888

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-07-10

This report contains a product evaluation of Dow Corning 888 joint sealant. Dow Corning 888 is a one-part silicone material that cures to a low modulus silicone rubber upon exposure to atmospheric moisture. Its uses include transverse and longitudina...

Pest Control in Corn and Soybeans: Weeds - Insects - Diseases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doersch, R. E.; And Others

This document gives the characteristics and application rates for herbicides used to control annual weeds in corn, annual and perennial broadleaf weeds in corn, quackgrass and yellow nutsedge in corn, and annual weeds in soybeans. It also gives insecticide use information for corn and soybeans. A brief discussion of disease control in corn and…

21 CFR 137.285 - Degerminated yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Degerminated yellow corn meal. 137.285 Section 137... Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.285 Degerminated yellow corn meal. Degerminated yellow corn meal, degermed yellow corn meal, conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.265 for...

21 CFR 137.285 - Degerminated yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Degerminated yellow corn meal. 137.285 Section 137... Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.285 Degerminated yellow corn meal. Degerminated yellow corn meal, degermed yellow corn meal, conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.265 for...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose corn syrup, a sweet, nutritive... to the identity and specifications listed in the monograph entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the...

Evaluation of Onion Genotypes for Resistance to Stunting Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG 8

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A total of 35 onion genotypes was evaluated for resistance to onion stunting caused by Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group 8 (AG-8) under temperature-controlled greenhouse conditions (15 ± 1oC) in 2013. Each onion genotype was planted in a cone-tainer with and without inoculation with R. solani AG ...

21 CFR 137.280 - Bolted yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Bolted yellow corn meal. 137.280 Section 137.280... Flours and Related Products § 137.280 Bolted yellow corn meal. Bolted yellow corn meal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.255 for bolted white corn meal except that cleaned...

21 CFR 137.280 - Bolted yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bolted yellow corn meal. 137.280 Section 137.280... Flours and Related Products § 137.280 Bolted yellow corn meal. Bolted yellow corn meal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.255 for bolted white corn meal except that cleaned...

Results of a 90-day safety assurance study with rats fed grain from corn borer-protected corn.

PubMed

Hammond, B G; Dudek, R; Lemen, J K; Nemeth, M A

2006-07-01

The results of a 90-day rat feeding study with grain from MON 810 corn (YieldGard Cornborer -- YieldGard Cornborer is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology, LLC) that is protected against feeding damage from corn and stalk boring lepidopteran insects are presented. Corn borer protection was accomplished through the introduction of cry1Ab coding sequences into the corn genome for in planta production of a bioactive form of Cry1Ab protein. Grain from MON 810 and its near-isogenic control was separately formulated into rodent diets at levels of 11% and 33% (w/w) by Purina Mills, Inc. (PMI). All diets were nutritionally balanced and conformed to PMI specifications for Certified LabDiet (PMI Certified LabDiet 5002 is a registered trademark of Purina Mills, Inc.) 5002. There were a total of 400 rats in the study divided into 10 groups of 20 rats/sex/group. The responses of rats fed diets containing MON 810 were compared to those of rats fed grain from conventional corn varieties. Overall health, body weight, food consumption, clinical pathology parameters (hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis), organ weights, and gross and microscopic appearance of tissues were comparable between groups fed diets containing MON 810 and conventional corn varieties. This study complements extensive agronomic, compositional and farm animal feeding studies with MON 810 grain, confirming that it is as safe and nutritious as grain from existing commercial corn varieties.

Measuring Poverty in Southern India: A Comparison of Socio-Economic Scales Evaluated against Childhood Stunting

PubMed Central

Kattula, Deepthi; Venugopal, Srinivasan; Velusamy, Vasanthakumar; Sarkar, Rajiv; Jiang, Victoria; S., Mahasampath Gowri; Henry, Ankita; Deosaran, Jordanna Devi; Muliyil, Jayaprakash; Kang, Gagandeep

2016-01-01

Introduction Socioeconomic status (SES) scales measure poverty, wealth and economic inequality in a population to guide appropriate economic and public health policies. Measurement of poverty and comparison of material deprivation across nations is a challenge. This study compared four SES scales which have been used locally and internationally and evaluated them against childhood stunting, used as an indicator of chronic deprivation, in urban southern India. Methods A door-to-door survey collected information on socio-demographic indicators such as education, occupation, assets, income and living conditions in a semi-urban slum area in Vellore, Tamil Nadu in southern India. A total of 7925 households were categorized by four SES scales—Kuppuswamy scale, Below Poverty Line scale (BPL), the modified Kuppuswamy scale, and the multidimensional poverty index (MDPI) and the level of agreement compared between scales. Logistic regression was used to test the association of SES scales with stunting. Findings The Kuppuswamy, BPL, MDPI and modified Kuppuswamy scales classified 7.1%, 1%, 5.5%, and 55.3% of families as low SES respectively, indicating conservative estimation of low SES by the BPL and MDPI scales in comparison with the modified Kuppuswamy scale, which had the highest sensitivity (89%). Children from low SES classified by all scales had higher odds of stunting, but the level of agreement between scales was very poor ranging from 1%-15%. Conclusion There is great non-uniformity between existing SES scales and cautious interpretation of SES scales is needed in the context of social, cultural, and economic realities. PMID:27490200

Rapid corn and soybean mapping in US Corn Belt and neighboring areas

PubMed Central

Zhong, Liheng; Yu, Le; Li, Xuecao; Hu, Lina; Gong, Peng

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to promptly map the extent of corn and soybeans early in the growing season. A classification experiment was conducted for the US Corn Belt and neighboring states, which is the most important production area of corn and soybeans in the world. To improve the timeliness of the classification algorithm, training was completely based on reference data and images from other years, circumventing the need to finish reference data collection in the current season. To account for interannual variability in crop development in the cross-year classification scenario, several innovative strategies were used. A random forest classifier was used in all tests, and MODIS surface reflectance products from the years 2008–2014 were used for training and cross-year validation. It is concluded that the fuzzy classification approach is necessary to achieve satisfactory results with R-squared ~0.9 (compared with the USDA Cropland Data Layer). The year of training data is an important factor, and it is recommended to select a year with similar crop phenology as the mapping year. With this phenology-based and cross-year-training method, in 2015 we mapped the cropping proportion of corn and soybeans around mid-August, when the two crops just reached peak growth. PMID:27811989

Rapid corn and soybean mapping in US Corn Belt and neighboring areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Liheng; Yu, Le; Li, Xuecao; Hu, Lina; Gong, Peng

2016-11-01

The goal of this study was to promptly map the extent of corn and soybeans early in the growing season. A classification experiment was conducted for the US Corn Belt and neighboring states, which is the most important production area of corn and soybeans in the world. To improve the timeliness of the classification algorithm, training was completely based on reference data and images from other years, circumventing the need to finish reference data collection in the current season. To account for interannual variability in crop development in the cross-year classification scenario, several innovative strategies were used. A random forest classifier was used in all tests, and MODIS surface reflectance products from the years 2008-2014 were used for training and cross-year validation. It is concluded that the fuzzy classification approach is necessary to achieve satisfactory results with R-squared ~0.9 (compared with the USDA Cropland Data Layer). The year of training data is an important factor, and it is recommended to select a year with similar crop phenology as the mapping year. With this phenology-based and cross-year-training method, in 2015 we mapped the cropping proportion of corn and soybeans around mid-August, when the two crops just reached peak growth.

Corn blight watch experiment results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johannsen, C. J.; Bauer, M. E.

1972-01-01

Results pertaining to the detection and assessment of the severity and extent of southern corn leaf blight in the Corn Belt area are discussed. Ground observations, interpretation of color infrared photography, and machine analysis of multispectral scanner data were used to identify the blight.

Effect of processing on the fumonisins content of corn

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murphy, P.A.; Hendrich, S.; Hopmans, E.C.

1995-12-01

Fumonisins (FBs) are a family of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme and F. proliferatum, predominant corn pathogens, and are found in most corn-containing foods. The FBs are heat stable, resistant to ammoniation and, unlike most mycotoxins, are water-soluble. The levels in corn and corn-containing foods will be presented ranging from <20 ppb to >2 ppm. The effects of water washing contaminated FB-corn does not reduce the levels significantly. Fermentation of corn to ethanol does not alter FB but distillation yielded FB-free ethanol.

Effect of hydrolysis enzymatic process of corn using protease crude (Rhizopus oligosporus-C1) to produce corn hydrolisate rich folic acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maryati, Yati; Susilowati, Agustine; Melanie, Hakiki; Lotulung, Puspa D.

2017-11-01

Corn hydrolyzate (Zea mays L) as a functional food fortificant derived from natural folic acid has been evaluated through a hydrolysis process using protease enzyme Rhizopus oligosporus strain C1. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out on two types of corn; yellow and white pearl variety corn, at concentration of protease enzyme (rough) 0.025; 0.125; and 0.225% (v/w of soluble nixtamal corn protein) with a hydrolysis time of 24 h at 30 °C, and pH 5.0. The results showed that the concentration of protease enzymes can increase the folic acid to the optimum condition, from the beginning to the end of the process time. Folic acid optimization of hydrolysis results in each corn was at the concentration of protease enzyme 0.225% (v/w of soluble nixtamal corn protein) in white corn and yellow corn at 24 hours hydrolysis, with folic acid composition, 283.56 µg/mL and 412.52 µg/mL, 1.07 and 1.04 mg/mL of soluble proteins, proteolytic activity 2.09 and 2.06 U/mL, total solids of 21.74 and 17.85%, total sugars of 0.56 and 2.22 mg/mL, and reducing sugar 91.72 and 48.47 mg/mL. In this condition, the increase of optimum folic acid for white corn was 33.57% and for yellow corn was 71.60% after hydrolysis.

Corn Snake Genetics: Students Learn about the Fundamentals of Mendelism by Studying Corn Snakes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Kristin

2004-01-01

In an attempt to generate student enthusiasm on the subject of genetics, the author developed a Punnett square activity centered on the genetics of corn snakes to teach students about Mendelism and genetic diversity. As they began the activity, however, some unexpected twists occurred that allowed for investigation into corn snake anatomy and…

Compositional variability of nutrients and phytochemicals in corn after processing.

PubMed

Prasanthi, P S; Naveena, N; Vishnuvardhana Rao, M; Bhaskarachary, K

2017-04-01

The result of various process strategies on the nutrient and phytochemical composition of corn samples were studied. Fresh and cooked baby corn, sweet corn, dent corn and industrially processed and cooked popcorn, corn grits, corn flour and corn flakes were analysed for the determination of proximate, minerals, xanthophylls and phenolic acids content. This study revealed that the proximate composition of popcorn is high compared to the other corn products analyzed while the mineral composition of these maize products showed higher concentration of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and low concentration of calcium, manganese, zinc, iron, copper, and sodium. Popcorn was high in iron, zinc, copper, manganese, sodium, magnesium and phosphorus. The xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin were predominant in the dent corn and the total polyphenolic content was highest in dent corn while the phenolic acids distribution was variable in different corn products. This study showed preparation and processing brought significant reduction of xanthophylls and polyphenols.

9 CFR 319.101 - Corned beef brisket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Corned beef brisket. 319.101 Section 319.101 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... Smoked § 319.101 Corned beef brisket. In preparing “Corned Beef Brisket,” the application of curing...

9 CFR 319.101 - Corned beef brisket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Corned beef brisket. 319.101 Section 319.101 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... Smoked § 319.101 Corned beef brisket. In preparing “Corned Beef Brisket,” the application of curing...

9 CFR 319.101 - Corned beef brisket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Corned beef brisket. 319.101 Section 319.101 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... Smoked § 319.101 Corned beef brisket. In preparing “Corned Beef Brisket,” the application of curing...

9 CFR 319.101 - Corned beef brisket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Corned beef brisket. 319.101 Section 319.101 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... Smoked § 319.101 Corned beef brisket. In preparing “Corned Beef Brisket,” the application of curing...

9 CFR 319.101 - Corned beef brisket.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Corned beef brisket. 319.101 Section 319.101 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... Smoked § 319.101 Corned beef brisket. In preparing “Corned Beef Brisket,” the application of curing...

The impoverished gut—a triple burden of diarrhoea, stunting and chronic disease

PubMed Central

Guerrant, Richard L.; DeBoer, Mark D.; Moore, Sean R.; Scharf, Rebecca J.; Lima, Aldo A. M.

2013-01-01

More than one-fifth of the world’s population live in extreme poverty, where a lack of safe water and adequate sanitation enables high rates of enteric infections and diarrhoea to continue unabated. Although oral rehydration therapy has greatly reduced diarrhoea-associated mortality, enteric infections still persist, disrupting intestinal absorptive and barrier functions and resulting in up to 43% of stunted growth, affecting one-fifth of children worldwide and one-third of children in developing countries. Diarrhoea in children from impoverished areas during their first 2 years might cause, on average, an 8 cm growth shortfall and 10 IQ point decrement by the time they are 7–9 years old. A child’s height at their second birthday is therefore the best predictor of cognitive development or ‘human capital’. To this ‘double burden’ of diarrhoea and malnutrition, data now suggest that children with stunted growth and repeated gut infections are also at increased risk of developing obesity and its associated comorbidities, resulting in a ‘triple burden’ of the impoverished gut. Here, we Review the growing evidence for this triple burden and potential mechanisms and interventions that must be understood and applied to prevent the loss of human potential and unaffordable societal costs caused by these vicious cycles of poverty. PMID:23229327

21 CFR 137.260 - Enriched corn meals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION CEREAL FLOURS AND RELATED PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.260 Enriched corn meals. (a) Enriched corn meals are the foods, each of... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Enriched corn meals. 137.260 Section 137.260 Food...

21 CFR 137.260 - Enriched corn meals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION CEREAL FLOURS AND RELATED PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.260 Enriched corn meals. (a) Enriched corn meals are the foods, each of... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Enriched corn meals. 137.260 Section 137.260 Food...

21 CFR 137.260 - Enriched corn meals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION CEREAL FLOURS AND RELATED PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.260 Enriched corn meals. (a) Enriched corn meals are the foods, each of... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Enriched corn meals. 137.260 Section 137.260 Food...

21 CFR 137.260 - Enriched corn meals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION CEREAL FLOURS AND RELATED PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.260 Enriched corn meals. (a) Enriched corn meals are the foods, each of... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Enriched corn meals. 137.260 Section 137.260 Food...

21 CFR 137.260 - Enriched corn meals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION CEREAL FLOURS AND RELATED PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.260 Enriched corn meals. (a) Enriched corn meals are the foods, each of... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Enriched corn meals. 137.260 Section 137.260 Food...

Household Food Insecurity as a Predictor of Stunted Children and Overweight/Obese Mothers (SCOWT) in Urban Indonesia.

PubMed

Mahmudiono, Trias; Nindya, Triska Susila; Andrias, Dini Ririn; Megatsari, Hario; Rosenkranz, Richard R

2018-04-26

(1) Background : The double burden of malnutrition has been increasing in countries experiencing the nutrition transition. This study aimed to determine the relationship between household food insecurity and the double burden of malnutrition, defined as within-household stunted child and an overweight/obese mother (SCOWT). (2) Methods : A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the urban city of Surabaya, Indonesia in April and May 2015. (3) Results : The prevalence of child stunting in urban Surabaya was 36.4%, maternal overweight/obesity was 70.2%, and SCOWT was 24.7%. Although many households were food secure (42%), there were high proportions of mild (22.9%), moderate (15.3%) and severe (19.7%) food insecurity. In a multivariate logistic regression, the household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) category significantly correlated with child stunting and SCOWT. Compared to food secure households, mildly food insecure households had the greatest odds of SCOWT (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.789; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.540⁻5.083), followed by moderately food insecure (aOR = 2.530; 95% CI = 1.286⁻4.980) and severely food insecure households (aOR = 2.045; 95% CI = 1.087⁻3.848). (4) Conclusions : These results support the hypothesis that the double burden of malnutrition is related to food insecurity, and the HFIAS category is a predictor of SCOWT.

A combined intervention of zinc, multiple micronutrients, and albendazole does not ameliorate environmental enteric dysfunction or stunting in rural Malawian children in a double-blind randomized controlled trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and linear growth stunting affect many rural agrarian children in the developing world and contribute to the persistently high rates of stunting that are observed worldwide. Effective interventions to consistently ameliorate EED are lacking. We tested whether ...

Pesticide exposure and stunting as independent predictors of neurobehavioral deficits in Ecuadorian school children.

PubMed

Grandjean, Philippe; Harari, Raul; Barr, Dana B; Debes, Frodi

2006-03-01

To examine possible effects on blood pressure, neurological function, and neurobehavioral tests in school-aged children with and without prenatal pesticide exposure in an area where stunting is common. In a community of Northern Ecuador with intensive floriculture and a high female employment rate, we invited 79 children attending the 2 lowest grades of a public school for clinical examinations. In addition to a thorough physical examination, we administered simple reaction time, Santa Ana dexterity test, Stanford-Binet copying, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised Digit Spans forward. Maternal interview included detailed assessment of occupational history to determine pesticide exposure during pregnancy. Recent and current pesticide exposure was assessed by erythrocyte acetylcholine esterase activity and urinary excretion of organophosphate metabolites. All eligible children participated in the study, but 7 children were excluded from data analysis due to other disease or age >9 years. A total of 31 of the remaining 72 children were classified as stunted based on their height for age. Maternal occupational history revealed that 37 children had been exposed to pesticides during development. After confounder adjustment, prenatal pesticide exposure was associated with a higher systolic blood pressure than in the controls. On neurological examination, 14 exposed children and 9 controls showed > or =1 abnormalities. Of 5 neurobehavioral tests, the Stanford-Binet copying test showed a lower drawing score for copying designs in exposed children than in controls. Stunting was associated with a lower score on this test only, and both risk factors remained statistically significant in a multiple regression analysis with adjustment for demographic and social confounders. Increased excretion of dimethyl and diethyl metabolites of organophosphates was associated with increased reaction time and no other outcomes. Prenatal pesticide exposure may cause lasting

Micronutrient adequacy is poor, but not associated with stunting between 12-24 months of age: A cohort study findings from a slum area of Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Islam, M. Munirul; Mahfuz, Mustafa; Ahmed, A. M. Shamsir; Mondal, Dinesh; Haque, Rashidul; Ahmed, Tahmeed

2018-01-01

The prevalence of stunting among children below 5 years of age is higher in the slum-dwelling population of Bangladesh compared to that in both urban and rural areas. Studies have reported that several factors such as inadequate nutrition, low socio-economic status, poor hygiene and sanitation and lack of maternal education are the substantial predictors of childhood stunting. Almost all these factors are universally present in the slum-dwelling population of Bangladesh. However, few studies have prospectively examined such determinants of stunting among slum populations. In this paper, we reveal the findings of a cohort study with an aim to explore the status of micronutrient adequacy among such vulnerable children and establish its association with stunting along with other determinants. Two-hundred-sixty-five children were enrolled and followed since birth until 24 months of age. We collected anthropometric, morbidity and dietary intake data monthly. We used the 24-hour multiple-pass recall approach to collect dietary intake data from the age of 9 months onward. Micronutrient adequacy of the diet was determined by the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) which was constructed from the average intake of 9 vitamins and 4 minerals considered for the analysis. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression models to establish the determinants of stunting between 12–24 months of age in our study population. The prevalence of low-birth-weight (LBW) was about 28.7% and approximately half of the children were stunted by the age of 24 months. The average micronutrient intake was considerably lower than the recommended dietary allowance and the MAR was only 0.48 at 24 months of age compared to the optimum value of 1. However, the MAR was not associated with stunting between 12–24 months of age. Rather, LBW was the significant determinant (AOR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.69–5.44) after adjusting for other factors such as age (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.45–3.11 at 24 months and AOR

9 CFR 319.303 - Corned beef hash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Corned beef hash. 319.303 Section 319.303 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Products § 319.303 Corned beef hash. (a) “Corned Beef Hash” is the semi-solid food product in the form of a...

9 CFR 319.303 - Corned beef hash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Corned beef hash. 319.303 Section 319.303 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Products § 319.303 Corned beef hash. (a) “Corned Beef Hash” is the semi-solid food product in the form of a...

9 CFR 319.303 - Corned beef hash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Corned beef hash. 319.303 Section 319.303 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Products § 319.303 Corned beef hash. (a) “Corned Beef Hash” is the semi-solid food product in the form of a...

9 CFR 319.303 - Corned beef hash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Corned beef hash. 319.303 Section 319.303 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Products § 319.303 Corned beef hash. (a) “Corned Beef Hash” is the semi-solid food product in the form of a...

Establishing alfalfa in corn silage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

According to recent agricultural statistics, alfalfa was planted on 0.44 million acres and harvested from 2.2 million acres, and corn silage was planted and harvested from 1.0 million acres per year in Wisconsin. Because both crops are often grown in rotation, alfalfa could be interseeded at corn pl...

Establishing alfalfa in silage corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

According to recent agricultural statistics, alfalfa was planted on 0.44 million acres and harvested from 2.2 million acres and silage corn was planted and harvested from 1.0 million acres per year in Wisconsin. Because both crops are often grown in rotation, alfalfa could be interseeded at corn pla...

[Anaerobic co-digestion of corn stalk and vermicompost].

PubMed

Chen, Guang-yin; Zheng, Zheng; Zou, Xing-xing; Fang, Cai-xia; Luo, Yan

2010-02-01

The characteristics of corn stalk digested alone at different total solid (TS) loading rates and co-digestion of various proportions of corn stalk and vermicompost were investigated by batch model at 35 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C. The organic loading rates (OLRs) studied were in the range of 1.2%-6.0% TS and increasing proportions of vermicompost from 20% to 80% TS. A maximum methane yield of corn stalk digested alone was 217.60 mL/g obtained at the TS loading rate of 4.8%. However, when the TS loading rate was 6.0%, the anaerobic system was acidified and the lowest pH value was 5.10 obtained on day 4 and the biogas productivity decreased. Furthermore, co-digestion of vermicompost and corn stalk in varying proportions were investigated at constant of 6.0% TS. Co-digestion with vermicompost improved the biodegradability of corn stalk and the methane yield was improved by 4.42%-58.61%, and led to higher pH values, higher volatile fatty acids (VFAs) concentration and lower alkalinity content compared with corn stalk digested alone. The maximum biogas yield and methane yield of 410.30 mL/g and 259. 35 mL/g were obtained for 40% vermicompost and 60% corn stalk respectively. Compared with corn stalk digested alone, co-digested with vermicompost didn' t affect methane content and the fermentation type, but promoted the destruction of crystalline of cellulose and the highest destruction rate was 29.36% for 40% vermicompost and 60% corn stalk. Therefore, adding vermicompost was beneficial for the decomposition and increasing the biotransformation rate of corn stalk.

Effect of the corn breaking method on oil distribution between stillage phases of dry-grind corn ethanol production.

PubMed

Wang, H; Wang, T; Johnson, L A; Pometto, A L

2008-11-12

The majority of fuel ethanol in the United States is produced by using the dry-grind corn ethanol process. The corn oil that is contained in the coproduct, distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS), can be recovered for use as a biodiesel feedstock. Oil removal will also improve the feed quality of DDGS. The most economical way to remove oil is considered to be at the centrifugation step for separating thin stillage (liquid) from coarse solids after distilling the ethanol. The more oil there is in the liquid, the more it can be recovered by centrifugation. Therefore, we studied the effects of corn preparation and grinding methods on oil distribution between liquid and solid phases. Grinding the corn to three different particle sizes, flaking, flaking and grinding, and flaking and extruding were used to break up the corn kernel before fermentation, and their effects on oil distribution between the liquid and solid phases were examined by simulating an industrial decanter centrifuge. Total oil contents were measured in the liquid and solids after centrifugation. Dry matter yield and oil partitioning in the thin stillage were highly positively correlated. Flaking slightly reduced bound fat. The flaked and then extruded corn meal released the highest amount of free oil, about 25% compared to 7% for the average of the other treatments. The freed oil from flaking, however, became nonextractable after the flaked corn was ground. Fine grinding alone had little effect on oil partitioning.

Inhibitory effect of corn silk on skin pigmentation.

PubMed

Choi, Sang Yoon; Lee, Yeonmi; Kim, Sung Soo; Ju, Hyun Min; Baek, Ji Hwoon; Park, Chul-Soo; Lee, Dong-Hyuk

2014-03-03

In this study, the inhibitory effect of corn silk on melanin production was evaluated. This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effect of corn silk on melanin production in Melan-A cells by measuring melanin production and protein expression. The corn silk extract applied on Melan-A cells at a concentration of 100 ppm decreased melanin production by 37.2% without cytotoxicity. This was a better result than arbutin, a positive whitening agent, which exhibited a 26.8% melanin production inhibitory effect at the same concentration. The corn silk extract did not suppress tyrosinase activity but greatly reduced the expression of tyrosinase in Melan-A cells. In addition, corn silk extract was applied to the human face with hyperpigmentation, and skin color was measured to examine the degree of skin pigment reduction. The application of corn silk extract on faces with hyperpigmentation significantly reduced skin pigmentation without abnormal reactions. Based on the results above, corn silk has good prospects for use as a material for suppressing skin pigmentation.

Chemotaxis without Conventional Two-Component System, Based on Cell Polarity and Aerobic Conditions in Helicity-Switching Swimming of Spiroplasma eriocheiris

PubMed Central

Liu, Peng; Zheng, Huajun; Meng, Qingguo; Terahara, Natsuho; Gu, Wei; Wang, Shengyue; Zhao, Guoping; Nakane, Daisuke; Wang, Wen; Miyata, Makoto

2017-01-01

Spiroplasma eriocheiris is a pathogen that causes mass mortality in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. S. eriocheiris causes tremor disease and infects almost all of the artificial breeding crustaceans, resulting in disastrous effects on the aquaculture economy in China. S. eriocheiris is a wall-less helical bacterium, measuring 2.0 to 10.0 μm long, and can swim up to 5 μm per second in a viscous medium without flagella by switching the cell helicity at a kink traveling from the front to the tail. In this study, we showed that S. eriocheiris performs chemotaxis without the conventional two-component system, a system commonly found in bacterial chemotaxis. The chemotaxis of S. eriocheiris was observed more clearly when the cells were cultivated under anaerobic conditions. The cells were polarized as evidenced by a tip structure, swimming in the direction of the tip, and were shown to reverse their swimming direction in response to attractants. Triton X-100 treatment revealed the internal structure, a dumbbell-shaped core in the tip that is connected by a flat ribbon, which traces the shortest line in the helical cell shape from the tip to the other pole. Sixteen proteins were identified as the components of the internal structure by mass spectrometry, including Fibril protein and four types of MreB proteins. PMID:28217108

Interactions of Nitrogen Source and Rate and Weed Removal Timing Relative to Nitrogen Content in Corn and Weeds and Corn Grain Yield.

PubMed

Knight, Alexandra M; Everman, Wesley J; Jordan, David L; Heiniger, Ronnie W; Smyth, T Jot

2017-01-01

Adequate fertility combined with effective weed management is important in maximizing corn ( Zea mays L.) grain yield. Corn uptake of nitrogen (N) is dependent upon many factors including weed species and density and the rate and formulation of applied N fertilizer. Understanding interactions among corn, applied N, and weeds is important in developing management strategies. Field studies were conducted in North Carolina to compare corn and weed responses to urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), sulfur-coated urea (SCU), and composted poultry litter (CPL) when a mixture of Palmer amaranth ( Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) and large crabgrass ( Digitaria sanguinalis L.) was removed with herbicides at heights of 8 or 16 cm. These respective removal timings corresponded with 22 and 28 days after corn planting or V2 and V3 stages of growth, respectively. Differences in N content in above-ground biomass of corn were noted early in the season due to weed interference but did not translate into differences in corn grain yield. Interactions of N source and N rate were noted for corn grain yield but these factors did not interact with timing of weed control. These results underscore that timely implementation of control tactics regardless of N fertility management is important to protect corn grain yield.

Interactions of Nitrogen Source and Rate and Weed Removal Timing Relative to Nitrogen Content in Corn and Weeds and Corn Grain Yield

PubMed Central

Knight, Alexandra M.; Heiniger, Ronnie W.; Smyth, T. Jot

2017-01-01

Adequate fertility combined with effective weed management is important in maximizing corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield. Corn uptake of nitrogen (N) is dependent upon many factors including weed species and density and the rate and formulation of applied N fertilizer. Understanding interactions among corn, applied N, and weeds is important in developing management strategies. Field studies were conducted in North Carolina to compare corn and weed responses to urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), sulfur-coated urea (SCU), and composted poultry litter (CPL) when a mixture of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.) was removed with herbicides at heights of 8 or 16 cm. These respective removal timings corresponded with 22 and 28 days after corn planting or V2 and V3 stages of growth, respectively. Differences in N content in above-ground biomass of corn were noted early in the season due to weed interference but did not translate into differences in corn grain yield. Interactions of N source and N rate were noted for corn grain yield but these factors did not interact with timing of weed control. These results underscore that timely implementation of control tactics regardless of N fertility management is important to protect corn grain yield. PMID:28487878

On-Farm Validation of Alfalfa N Credits to Corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rotating alfalfa with corn is useful for reducing soil erosion, enhancing soil tilth and carbon storage, reducing weed seedbanks, disrupting the life cycles of disease and insect pests of corn, and supplying nitrogen (N) to the subsequent corn crop. To adjust N fertilizer rates for corn following al...

Food consumed does not account for the higher prevalence of obesity among stunted adults in a very-low-income population in the Northeast of Brazil (Maceió, Alagoas).

PubMed

Florêncio, T T; Ferreira, H S; Cavalcante, J C; Luciano, S M; Sawaya, A L

2003-11-01

To study the food pattern of stunted and nonstunted, obese and nonobese individuals in a very-low-income population. A household survey. Slum set up by the 'Homeless Movement', city of Maceió (Alagoas), Brazil. A total of 532 adults classified by sex, stature (Z -2s.d. of the NCHS curves), and body mass index (BMI) were compared using the following variables: waist circumference, waist-hip circumference ratio (W/H), percentage body fat (skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance), and food intake (24-h recall). The prevalence of stunting was 22.6%. In all, 30% of the stunted subjects were overweight or obese, compared with 23% for the nonstunted individuals (P<0.05). In women, logistic regression analysis showed a strong association among weight, abdominal fat, and stunting (r=0.81). No significant differences were observed in the values of W/H or in the qualitative menu of the different categories. Energy intake was below the RDA figures (about 63%). There was similarity among the groups regarding the proportion of macronutrients, except for the fact that stunted obese women ingested less fat and protein than nonstunted obese women. Stunted obese individuals consumed less energy (5962 kJ) than the population as a whole (6213 kJ), an amount far lower than their average needs, which were calculated on the basis of their shorter stature (8109 kJ). The observed energy consumption seems compatible with the panorama of undernutrition present in the population, but it does not explain the high prevalence of obesity detected.

Composition of forage and grain from second-generation insect-protected corn MON 89034 is equivalent to that of conventional corn (Zea mays L.).

PubMed

Drury, Suzanne M; Reynolds, Tracey L; Ridley, William P; Bogdanova, Natalia; Riordan, Susan; Nemeth, Margaret A; Sorbet, Roy; Trujillo, William A; Breeze, Matthew L

2008-06-25

Insect-protected corn hybrids containing Cry insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis have protection from target pests and provide effective management of insect resistance. MON 89034 hybrids have been developed that produce both the Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 proteins, which provide two independent modes of insecticidal action against the European corn borer ( Ostrinia nubilalis ) and other lepidopteran insect pests of corn. The composition of MON 89034 corn was compared to conventional corn by measuring proximates, fiber, and minerals in forage and by measuring proximates, fiber, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antinutrients, and secondary metabolites in grain collected from 10 replicated field sites across the United States and Argentina during the 2004-2005 growing seasons. Analyses established that the forage and grain from MON 89034 are compositionally comparable to the control corn hybrid and conventional corn reference hybrids. These findings support the conclusion that MON 89034 is compositionally equivalent to conventional corn hybrids.

Pilot process for decolorizing/deodorizing commercial corn zein products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn zein is the major protein component of ground corn, and co-products of the corn ethanol industry which includes distiller’s dried grains and corn gluten meal. Zein products generated from those materials all possess some degree of yellow color and off-odor that deters their usage in food syste...

COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE OF STUNTED PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN UNDERGOING NUTRITIONAL RECOVERY TREATMENT.

PubMed

Silva, Thaíse Morais; Bueno, Nassib Bezerra; Azevedo, Maria de Lourdes da Silva Gomes de; Clemente, Ana Paula Grotti; Florêncio, Telma Maria de Menezes Toledo

2018-01-01

To determine if the treatment of stunted children offered at a specialized center influences their cognitive performance. Two groups of children from vulnerable families were selected, one consisting of stunted children being treated at the Nutrition Education and Recovery Center (CREN), and the other group of eutrophic children from a local, public day care center. At CREN, children are treated in a day-hospital system (9 hours/day, 5 days/week), receiving medical, nutritional and psycho-pedagogical support. All children were submitted to the Denver-II Development Screening Test and had their development and the height-for-age index assessed at 3 moments: at the beginning of the follow-up, and after 6 and 12 months. The socioeconomic status, according to the Brazilian Economic Classification Criteria, was assessed at the beginning of the follow-up. Data were treated by prevalence ratios for cross-sectional baseline analysis, using the Poisson regression, and by pooled prevalence ratios for longitudinal analysis, using a generalized equation estimation model, both adjusted by age, sex and economic status. Seventy-four children were included, 37 for each group. There were no differences in age, sex and socioeconomic status between groups. In the longitudinal analysis, the CREN group showed better performance in the personal-social domain (pooled prevalence ratio: 0.89; 95% confidence interval - 95%IC 0.82-0.95), with no differences in the other domains. The treatment offered at CREN satisfactorily improved the social skills of the treated children, without changing other domains.

The effects of corn silk on glycaemic metabolism.

PubMed

Guo, Jianyou; Liu, Tongjun; Han, Linna; Liu, Yongmei

2009-11-23

Corn silk contains proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, Ca, K, Mg and Na salts, fixed and volatile oils, steroids such as sitosterol and stigmasterol, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and flavonoids. Base on folk remedies, corn silk has been used as an oral antidiabetic agent in China for decades. However, the hypoglycemic activity of it has not yet been understood in terms of modern pharmacological concepts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of corn silk on glycaemic metabolism. Alloxan and adrenalin induced hyperglycemic mice were used in the study. The effects of corn silk on blood glucose, glycohemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin secretion, damaged pancreatic beta-cells, hepatic glycogen and gluconeogenesis in hyperglycemic mice were studied respectively. After the mice were orally administered with corn silk extract, the blood glucose and the HbA1c were significantly decreased in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively), while the level of insulin secretionn was markedly elevated in alloxa-induced hyperglycemic mice (p < 0.05). The alloxan-damaged pancreatic beta-cells of the mice were partly recovered gradually after the mice were administered with corn silk extract 15 days later. Also, the body weight of the alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice was increased gradually. However, ascension of blood glucose induced by adrenalin and gluconeogenesis induced by L-alanine were not inhibited by corn silk extract treatment (p > 0.05). Although corn silk extract increased the level of hepatic glycogen in the alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice, there was no significant difference between them and that of the control group(p > 0.05). Corn silk extract markedly reduced hyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The action of corn silk extract on glycaemic metabolism is not via increasing glycogen and inhibiting gluconeogenesis but through increasing insulin level as well as recovering the injured beta-cells. The results suggest

Twin- or single-screw extrusion of raw soybeans and preconditioned soybean meal and corn as individual ingredients or as corn-soybean product blends in diets for weanling swine.

PubMed

Veum, T L; Serrano, X; Hsieh, F H

2017-03-01

Two 28-d experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of extrusion of ground yellow corn, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), and cracked whole soybeans (CWS) individually or as corn-soybean product blends on growth performance of weanling pigs. For Exp. 1, ground corn, SBM, and the corn-SBM blend were extruded at 137.5°C, 131.5°C, and 135.0°C, respectively, in a twin-screw extruder. Transit time was 60 s. Water was injected at 125 gmin during extrusion. The 5 treatments were the corn-SBM control diet and the diets with extruded (EX) corn + SBM, EX-SBM + corn, EX-corn + EX-SBM, and the EX-blend of corn-SBM. Ninety crossbred pigs with an initial average BW of 5.98 kg were allotted to 9 treatment replications with a barrow and gilt per pen. For Exp. 2, ground corn was preconditioned with water (10.0% of corn weight), and SBM was preconditioned with water and soybean oil (each at 20.0% of SBM weight) before extrusion. Raw CWS were not preconditioned. The corn, SBM, CWS, corn-SBM blend, and corn-CWS blend were extruded at 113.0°C, 132.0°C, 132.0°C, 88.0°C, and 102°C, respectively, with a single-screw extruder. Transit time was 30 s. The 8 isocaloric treatments were the corn-SBM control diet and the diets with EX-corn + SBM, EX-SBM + corn, EX-corn + EX-SBM, the EX-blend of corn-SBM, EX-CWS + corn, EX-CWS + EX-corn, and the EX-blend of corn-CWS. A total of 296 crossbred pigs with an initial average BW of 6.56 kg were allotted to 10 treatment replications. Sex and pigs per pen (3 or 4) were equalized within replication. Results for both experiments indicate that single- or twin-screw extrusion of ground corn or SBM as individual ingredients or as corn-SBM blends in diets for weanling pigs did not improve 28-d growth performance. However, for Exp. 2 weanling pigs fed the diets with EX-CWS + corn and EX-CWS + EX-corn had greater ( < 0.01) ADG and G:F, respectively, than pigs fed the corn-SBM control diet. The extrusion temperature of 102°C for the corn

Cost-effectiveness of prenatal food and micronutrient interventions on under-five mortality and stunting: Analysis of data from the MINIMat randomized trial, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Svefors, Pernilla; Selling, Katarina Ekholm; Shaheen, Rubina; Khan, Ashraful Islam; Persson, Lars-Åke; Lindholm, Lars

2018-01-01

Nutrition interventions may have favourable as well as unfavourable effects. The Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab (MINIMat), with early prenatal food and micronutrient supplementation, reduced infant mortality and were reported to be very cost-effective. However, the multiple micronutrients (MMS) supplement was associated with an increased risk of stunted growth in infancy and early childhood. This unfavourable outcome was not included in the previous cost-effectiveness analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the MINIMat interventions remain cost-effective in view of both favourable (decreased under-five-years mortality) and unfavourable (increased stunting) outcomes. Pregnant women in rural Bangladesh, where food insecurity still is prevalent, were randomized to early (E) or usual (U) invitation to be given food supplementation and daily doses of 30 mg, or 60 mg iron with 400 μg of folic acid, or MMS with 15 micronutrients including 30 mg iron and 400 μg of folic acid. E reduced stunting at 4.5 years compared with U, MMS increased stunting at 4.5 years compared with Fe60, while the combination EMMS reduced infant mortality compared with UFe60. The outcome measure used was disability adjusted life years (DALYs), a measure of overall disease burden that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality (under five-year mortality) and years lived with disability (stunting). Incremental cost effectiveness ratios were calculated using cost data from already published studies. By incrementing UFe60 (standard practice) to EMMS, one DALY could be averted at a cost of US$24. When both favourable and unfavourable outcomes were included in the analysis, early prenatal food and multiple micronutrient interventions remained highly cost effective and seem to be meaningful from a public health perspective.

Cost-effectiveness of prenatal food and micronutrient interventions on under-five mortality and stunting: Analysis of data from the MINIMat randomized trial, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Selling, Katarina Ekholm; Shaheen, Rubina; Khan, Ashraful Islam; Persson, Lars-Åke; Lindholm, Lars

2018-01-01

Introduction Nutrition interventions may have favourable as well as unfavourable effects. The Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab (MINIMat), with early prenatal food and micronutrient supplementation, reduced infant mortality and were reported to be very cost-effective. However, the multiple micronutrients (MMS) supplement was associated with an increased risk of stunted growth in infancy and early childhood. This unfavourable outcome was not included in the previous cost-effectiveness analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the MINIMat interventions remain cost-effective in view of both favourable (decreased under-five-years mortality) and unfavourable (increased stunting) outcomes. Method Pregnant women in rural Bangladesh, where food insecurity still is prevalent, were randomized to early (E) or usual (U) invitation to be given food supplementation and daily doses of 30 mg, or 60 mg iron with 400 μg of folic acid, or MMS with 15 micronutrients including 30 mg iron and 400 μg of folic acid. E reduced stunting at 4.5 years compared with U, MMS increased stunting at 4.5 years compared with Fe60, while the combination EMMS reduced infant mortality compared with UFe60. The outcome measure used was disability adjusted life years (DALYs), a measure of overall disease burden that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality (under five-year mortality) and years lived with disability (stunting). Incremental cost effectiveness ratios were calculated using cost data from already published studies. Results By incrementing UFe60 (standard practice) to EMMS, one DALY could be averted at a cost of US$24. Conclusion When both favourable and unfavourable outcomes were included in the analysis, early prenatal food and multiple micronutrient interventions remained highly cost effective and seem to be meaningful from a public health perspective. PMID:29447176

Use of Spectral Vegetation Indices for Detection of European Corn Borer Infestation in Iowa Corn Plots

EPA Science Inventory

Recently, corn grown for grain in the United States has increased from 28 million ha in 2006 to more than 35 million ha in 2007 with a production value of over $52 billion dollars. Transgenic corn expressing the plant incorporated protectant Bacillus thuringiensis toxin represen...

Visual responses of corn silk flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn silk flies are major pests impacting fresh market sweet corn production in Florida and Georgia. Control depends solely on well-times applications of insecticides to protect corn ear development. Surveillance depends on visual inspection of ears with no effective trapping methods currently ava...

21 CFR 137.290 - Self-rising yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Self-rising yellow corn meal. 137.290 Section 137... Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.290 Self-rising yellow corn meal. Self-rising yellow corn meal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.270 for self-rising white corn meal...

21 CFR 137.270 - Self-rising white corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Self-rising white corn meal. 137.270 Section 137... Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.270 Self-rising white corn meal. (a) Self-rising white corn meal is an intimate mixture of white corn meal, sodium bicarbonate, and one or both of the acid-reacting...

21 CFR 137.270 - Self-rising white corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Self-rising white corn meal. 137.270 Section 137... Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.270 Self-rising white corn meal. (a) Self-rising white corn meal is an intimate mixture of white corn meal, sodium bicarbonate, and one or both of the acid-reacting...

21 CFR 137.290 - Self-rising yellow corn meal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Self-rising yellow corn meal. 137.290 Section 137... Cereal Flours and Related Products § 137.290 Self-rising yellow corn meal. Self-rising yellow corn meal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by § 137.270 for self-rising white corn meal...

Detoxification of corn stover and corn starch pyrolysis liquors by ligninolytic enzymes of Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

PubMed

Khiyami, Mohammad A; Pometto, Anthony L; Brown, Robert C

2005-04-20

Phanerochaete chrysosporium (ATCC 24725) shake flask culture with 3 mM veratryl alcohol addition on day 3 was able to grow and detoxify different concentrations of diluted corn stover (Dcs) and diluted corn starch (Dst) pyrolysis liquors [10, 25, and 50% (v/v)] in defined media. GC-MS analysis of reaction products showed a decrease and change in some compounds. In addition, the total phenolic assay with Dcs samples demonstrated a decrease in the phenolic compounds. A bioassay employing Lactobacillus casei growth and lactic acid production was developed to confirm the removal of toxic compounds from 10 and 25% (v/v) Dcs and Dst by the lignolytic enzymes, but not from 50% (v/v) Dcs and Dst. The removal did not occur when sodium azide or cycloheximide was added to Ph. chrysosporium culture media, confirming the participation of lignolytic enzymes in the detoxification process. A concentrated enzyme preparation decreased the phenolic compounds in 10% (v/v) corn stover and corn starch pyrolysis liquors to the same extent as the fungal cultures.

The importance of public health, poverty reduction programs and women's empowerment in the reduction of child stunting in rural areas of Moramanga and Morondava, Madagascar.

PubMed

Remonja, Chitale Rabaoarisoa; Rakotoarison, Rado; Rakotonirainy, Nivo Heritiana; Mangahasimbola, Reziky Tiandraza; Randrianarisoa, Alain Berthin; Jambou, Ronan; Vigan-Womas, Inès; Piola, Patrice; Randremanana, Rindra Vatosoa

2017-01-01

Malnutrition accounts for 45% of mortality in children under five years old, despite a global mobilization against chronic malnutrition. In Madagascar, the most recent data show that the prevalence of stunting in children under five years old is still around 47.4%. This study aimed to identify the determinants of stunting in children in rural areas of Moramanga and Morondava districts to target the main areas for intervention. A case-control study was conducted in children aged from 6 to 59.9 months, in 2014-2015. We measured the height and weight of mothers and children and collected data on child, mother and household characteristics. One stool specimen was collected from each child for intestinal parasite identification. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to identify the determinants of stunting using backwards stepwise methods. We included 894 and 932 children in Moramanga and in Morondava respectively. Stunting was highly prevalent in both areas, being 52.8% and 40.0% for Moramanga and Morondava, respectively. Stunting was most associated with a specific age period (12mo to 35mo) in the two study sites. Infection with Trichuris trichiura (aOR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1-5.3) and those belonging to poorer households (aOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.6-3.4) were the major risk factors in Moramanga. In Morondava, children whose mother had activities outside the household (aOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2-2.5) and those perceived to be small at birth (aOR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1-2.1) were more likely to be stunted, whereas adequate birth spacing (≥24months) appeared protective (aOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.3-0.7). Interventions that could improve children's growth in these two areas include poverty reduction, women's empowerment, public health programmes focusing on WASH and increasing acceptability, and increased coverage and quality of child/maternal health services.

Production of ethanol and furfural from corn stover

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn stover has potential for economical production of biofuels and value-added chemicals. The conversion of corn stover to sugars involves pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. We have optimized hydrothermal, dilute H2SO4 and dilute H3PO4 pretreatments of corn stover for enzymatic saccharificati...

Corn residue utilization by livestock in the USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn (Zea mays L.) residue grazing or harvest provides a simple and economical practice to integrate crops and livestock. Limited information is available on how widespread corn residue utilization is practiced by US producers. In 2010, the USDA-ERS surveyed producers from 19 states on corn grain ...

Production response to corn silage produced from normal, brown midrib, or waxy corn hybrids.

PubMed

Barlow, J S; Bernard, J K; Mullis, N A

2012-08-01

The objective was to evaluate the nutrient intake and digestibility and milk production response of lactating dairy cows fed diets based on corn silage produced from 3 different types of corn hybrids. Experimental diets contained 36.4% of the dietary dry matter (DM) from corn silage produced from normal (Agratech 1021, AgraTech Seeds Inc., Atlanta, GA), brown midrib (BMR; Mycogen F2F797, Mycogen Seeds, Indianapolis, IN), or waxy (Master's Choice 590, Master's Choice Hybrids, Ullin, IL) hybrids. Thirty-six multiparous and primiparous Holstein cows (66 ± 22 d in milk, 41 ± 8 kg/d of milk) were used in an 11-wk completely randomized design trial during the fall of 2009. All cows were fed a diet containing normal corn silage during the first 2wk of the trial before being assigned to 1 of 3 treatments for the following 9 wk. Data collected during the first 2 wk were used as a covariate in the statistical analysis. No difference was observed in dry matter intake (DMI) among treatments, which averaged 22.6 kg/d. Milk yield was higher for cows fed BMR (37.6 kg/d) compared with waxy (35.2 kg/d) but was similar to that of cows fed control (36.2 kg/d). Milk fat percentage tended to be lower for cows fed control (3.28%) compared with those fed BMR (3.60%) or waxy (3.55%) corn silage. Milk protein percentage tended to be lower for cows fed control (2.79%) compared with waxy (2.89%) but similar to that of those fed BMR (2.85%). No differences were observed in yield of milk components. Energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield and dairy efficiency (ECM:DMI) did not differ among treatments. Cows fed BMR tended to gain more body weight compared with those fed control and waxy. Results of this trial are consistent with previous reports in which cows fed diets based on corn silage produced from BMR hybrids have higher milk yield compared with those fed other hybrids. Corn silage produced from the waxy hybrid supported a similar yield of ECM because of higher milk components, but milk yield

Evidence of resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 corn by western corn rootworm: root injury in the field and larval survival in plant-based bioassays

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a serious pest of corn in the United States and recent management of western corn rootworm has included planting of Bt corn. Beginning in 2009, western corn rootworm populations with resistance to Cry3Bb1 c...

Compositional analysis of genetically modified corn events (NK603, MON88017×MON810 and MON89034×MON88017) compared to conventional corn.

PubMed

Rayan, Ahmed M; Abbott, Louise C

2015-06-01

Compositional analysis of genetically modified (GM) crops continues to be an important part of the overall evaluation in the safety assessment for these materials. The present study was designed to detect the genetic modifications and investigate the compositional analysis of GM corn containing traits of multiple genes (NK603, MON88017×MON810 and MON89034×MON88017) compared with non-GM corn. Values for most biochemical components assessed for the GM corn samples were similar to those of the non-GM control or were within the literature range. Significant increases were observed in protein, fat, fiber and fatty acids of the GM corn samples. The observed increases may be due to the synergistic effect of new traits introduced into corn varieties. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE analysis showed high similarity among the protein fractions of the investigated corn samples. These data indicate that GM corn samples were compositionally equivalent to, and as nutritious as, non-GM corn. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Argentina corn yield model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callis, S. L.; Sakamoto, C.

1984-01-01

A model based on multiple regression was developed to estimate corn yields for the country of Argentina. A meteorological data set was obtained for the country by averaging data for stations within the corn-growing area. Predictor variables for the model were derived from monthly total precipitation, average monthly mean temperature, and average monthly maximum temperature. A trend variable was included for the years 1965 to 1980 since an increasing trend in yields due to technology was observed between these years.

Disruption of Mediator rescues the stunted growth of a lignin-deficient Arabidopsis mutant.

PubMed

Bonawitz, Nicholas D; Kim, Jeong Im; Tobimatsu, Yuki; Ciesielski, Peter N; Anderson, Nickolas A; Ximenes, Eduardo; Maeda, Junko; Ralph, John; Donohoe, Bryon S; Ladisch, Michael; Chapple, Clint

2014-05-15

Lignin is a phenylpropanoid-derived heteropolymer important for the strength and rigidity of the plant secondary cell wall. Genetic disruption of lignin biosynthesis has been proposed as a means to improve forage and bioenergy crops, but frequently results in stunted growth and developmental abnormalities, the mechanisms of which are poorly understood. Here we show that the phenotype of a lignin-deficient Arabidopsis mutant is dependent on the transcriptional co-regulatory complex, Mediator. Disruption of the Mediator complex subunits MED5a (also known as REF4) and MED5b (also known as RFR1) rescues the stunted growth, lignin deficiency and widespread changes in gene expression seen in the phenylpropanoid pathway mutant ref8, without restoring the synthesis of guaiacyl and syringyl lignin subunits. Cell walls of rescued med5a/5b ref8 plants instead contain a novel lignin consisting almost exclusively of p-hydroxyphenyl lignin subunits, and moreover exhibit substantially facilitated polysaccharide saccharification. These results demonstrate that guaiacyl and syringyl lignin subunits are largely dispensable for normal growth and development, implicate Mediator in an active transcriptional process responsible for dwarfing and inhibition of lignin biosynthesis, and suggest that the transcription machinery and signalling pathways responding to cell wall defects may be important targets to include in efforts to reduce biomass recalcitrance.

21 CFR 73.315 - Corn endosperm oil.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... corn endosperm oil is a reddish-brown liquid composed chiefly of glycerides, fatty acids, sitosterols.... (b) Specifications. Corn endosperm oil conforms to the following specifications: Total fatty acids...

Corn stover harvest: Likely effects on soil productivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Demand for corn stover for cattle feeding is likely to be especially high this year because of poor rainfed corn performance and because drought stressed pastures and rangeland are likely to be slow to recover in 2013 and stover will be needed to feed cows. Corn stover harvest is addressed in more d...

[Dietetic Determinants of Zinc Consumption in Stunted Children Under Five in Maya Communities From Guatemala].

PubMed

Monroy-Valle, Michele; Coyoy, Wendy; León, Jorge De; Flórez, Iván D

2017-01-01

The objective of the study was to identify the elements from feeding patterns that influence the intake and bioavailability of zinc in stunted children (SC) 1-5 years from Maya communities living in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in 138 stunted children aged 1-5 years. It was applied: an inventory of zinc food sources availability, a Food Frequency Questionnaire, a questionnaire about living conditions. anthropometrics measurements and information on food intake habits, and information about disease prevalence. Twenty-eight food sources of zinc were available for consumption (54% low and 7% high zinc bioavailability). The consumption of foods with high bioavailability was low, while the antagonistic foods were high. On average the daily zinc consumption in diet 3 mg (95% CI: 2.65-3.35). Only 14.5% of the children met the zinc requirements, and 2.9% reached the daily recommendation. Episodes of diarrhea and respiratory infections were observed 15 days before the visit, in 29.71% and 45.6% of children, respectively. Most of children have a diet that does not cover the daily requirement.

Distribution host status and potential sources of resistance to Vittatidera zeaphila

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vittatidera zeaphila was described from stunted Zea mays (corn) roots collected in northwestern Tennessee (Obion County) in 2006. Similar cyst specimens had previously been collected in 1978 from Lauderdale County, TN, on Eleusine indica (goosegrass). Comparison of the 1978 specimens deposited in t...

Timing of glyphosate applications to wheat cover crops to reduce onion stunting caused by Rhizoctonia solani

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stunting caused by Rhizoctonia spp. is economically important in irrigated onion bulb crops in the semi-arid Columbia Basin of Oregon and Washington, where cereal winter cover crops commonly are planted the previous fall to prevent wind erosion of soil. The cover crop is killed with herbicide applic...

Mother's education is the most important factor in socio-economic inequality of child stunting in Iran.

PubMed

Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Fateh, Mansooreh; Gorgani, Neman; Fotouhi, Akbar

2014-09-01

Malnutrition is one of the most important health problems, especially in developing countries. The present study aimed to describe the socio-economic inequality in stunting and its determinants in Iran for the first time. Cross-sectional, population-based survey, carried out in 2009. Using randomized cluster sampling, weight and height of children were measured and anthropometric indices were calculated based on child growth standards given by the WHO. Socio-economic status of families was determined using principal component analysis on household assets and social specifications of families. The concentration index was used to calculate socio-economic inequality in stunting and its determinants were measured by decomposition of this index. Factors affecting the gap between socio-economic groups were recognized by using the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method. Shahroud District in north-eastern Iran. Children (n 1395) aged <6 years. The concentration index for socio-economic inequality in stunting was -0·1913. Mother's education contributed 70 % in decomposition of this index. Mean height-for-age Z-score was -0·544 and -0·335 for low and high socio-economic groups, respectively. Mother's education was the factor contributing most to the gap between these two groups. There was a significant socio-economic inequality in the studied children. If mother's education is distributed equally in all the different groups of Iranian society, one can expect to eliminate 70 % of the socio-economic inequalities. Even in high socio-economic groups, the mean height-for-age Z-score was lower than the international standards. These issues emphasize the necessity of applying new interventions especially for the improvement of maternal education.

Assessment of soil attributes and crop productivity after diversification of the ubiquitous corn-soybean rotation in the northwestern U.S. Corn Belt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Highly specialized cash-grain production systems based upon corn-soybean rotations under tilled soil management are common in the northwestern U.S. Corn Belt. This study, initiated in 1997, was conducted to determine if diversification of this ubiquitous corn-soybean rotation would affect soil char...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184.1866... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

21 CFR 184.1866 - High fructose corn syrup.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false High fructose corn syrup. 184.1866 Section 184... Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup. (a) High fructose... entitled “High-Fructose Corn Syrup” in the Food Chemicals Codex, 4th ed. (1996), pp. 191-192, which is...

Agroecology of corn production in Tlaxcala, Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altieri, M.A.; Trujillo, J.

1987-06-01

The primary components of Tlaxcalan corn agriculture are described, including cropping patterns employed, resource management strategies, and interactions of human and biological factors. Tlaxcalan farmers grow corn in an array of polyculture and agroforestry designs that result in a series of ecological processes important for insect pest and soil fertility management. Measurements derived from a few selected fields show that trees integrated into cropping systems modify the aerial and soil environment of associated understory corn plants, influencing their growth and yields. With decreasing distance from trees, surface concentrations of most soil nutrients increase. Certain tree species affect corn yields moremore » than others. Arthropod abundance also varies depending on their degree of association with one or more of the vegetational components of the system. Densities of predators and the corn pest Macrodactylus sp. depend greatly on the presence and phenology of adjacent alfalfa strips. Although the data were derived from nonreplicated fields, they nevertheless point out some important trends, information that can be used to design new crop association that will achieve sustained soil fertility and low pest potentials.« less

Phosphorus bioavailability, true metabolizable energy, and amino acid digestibilities of high protein corn distillers dried grains and dehydrated corn germ.

PubMed

Kim, E J; Amezcua, C Martinez; Utterback, P L; Parsons, C M

2008-04-01

There is currently much ongoing research and interest for developing new processing technologies to produce corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The current study evaluated a high protein (HP) distillers dried grains (DDG) and a dehydrated corn germ, which are products that can be produced by a modified dry milling process. Two chick experiments were conducted to determine the P bioavailability based on tibia ash. In addition, precision-fed rooster assays were conducted to determine TME(n) and amino acid digestibility. In the first chick assay, a P-deficient cornstarch-dextrose-soybean meal basal diet containing 0.10 to 0.13% nonphytate P was supplemented with 0.0, 0.05, and 0.10% P from KH(2)PO(4) or 7 and 14% conventional DDGS, HP DDG, and corn germ. In the second experiment, the P-deficient basal was supplemented with 7 and 14% conventional DDGS and 12.5 and 25% HP DDG. New Hampshire x Columbian female chicks were fed the experimental diets from 9 to 22 d posthatch, and bioavailability of P was estimated using the slope-ratio method where tibia ash was regressed on P intake. The total P content (90% DM basis) of the conventional DDGS, HP DDG, and corn germ were 0.76, 0.33, and 1.29%, respectively. Bioavailabilities of the P in conventional DDGS, HP DDG, and corn germ relative to KH(2)PO(4) were found to be 60, 56, and 25%, respectively. The TME(n) in conventional roosters was found to be significantly reduced for HP DDG and increased for the corn germ when compared with the conventional DDGS. The protein content (90% DM basis) of the HP DDG and corn germ was 33 and 14%, respectively, and the total lysine as a % of CP was approximately 2 times greater for the corn germ than for the HP DDG. Amino acid digestibilities in cecectomized roosters were consistently higher for the corn germ than for the HP DDG, which was similar to conventional DDGS.

7 CFR 457.152 - Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions. 457.152... corn crop insurance provisions. The Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Insurance Provisions for the 1998 and... policies Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Provisions If a conflict exists among the policy provisions, the order of...

7 CFR 457.152 - Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions. 457.152... corn crop insurance provisions. The Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Insurance Provisions for the 1998 and... policies Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Provisions If a conflict exists among the policy provisions, the order of...

7 CFR 457.152 - Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions. 457.152... corn crop insurance provisions. The Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Insurance Provisions for the 1998 and... policies Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Provisions If a conflict exists among the policy provisions, the order of...

7 CFR 457.152 - Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Hybrid seed corn crop insurance provisions. 457.152... corn crop insurance provisions. The Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Insurance Provisions for the 1998 and... policies Hybrid Seed Corn Crop Provisions If a conflict exists among the policy provisions, the order of...

Children at risk for developmental delay can be recognised by stunting, being underweight, ill health, little maternal schooling or high gravidity.

PubMed

Abubakar, Amina; Holding, Penny; Van de Vijver, Fons J R; Newton, Charles; Van Baar, Anneloes

2010-06-01

To investigate markers of risk status that can be easily monitored in resource-limited settings for the identification of children in need of early developmental intervention. Eighty-five children in Kilifi, Kenya, aged between 2 and 10 months at recruitment, were involved in a 10-month follow-up. Data on developmental outcome were collected through parental report using a locally developed checklist. We tested for the unique and combined influence of little maternal schooling and higher gravidity, anthropometric status (being underweight and stunting) and poor health on the level of developmental achievement and the rate of acquisition of developmental milestones. A model with all five predictors showed a good fit to the data (chi(2)(21, N = 85) = 23.00, p = .33). Maternal schooling and gravidity and child's stunting were found to predict the rate of developmental achievements (beta = .24, beta = .31, and beta = .41, respectively). Being underweight, ill-health, stunting and gravidity predicted initial developmental status (beta = -.26, beta = -.27, beta = -.43, and beta = -.27). Slow rates of developmental achievement can be predicted using these easy-to-administer measures and the strongest relationship with risk was based on a combination of all measures.

Infant and young child feeding practices in urban Philippines and their associations with stunting, anemia, and deficiencies of iron and vitamin A.

PubMed

Rohner, Fabian; Woodruff, Bradley A; Aaron, Grant J; Yakes, Elizabeth A; Lebanan, May Antonnette O; Rayco-Solon, Pura; Saniel, Ofelia P

2013-06-01

The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and micronutrient deficiencies are persistently high in young children in the Philippines, and among other factors, suboptimal infant and young child feeding behavior may contribute to these forms of malnutrition. To improve the understanding of contributors associated with the nutritional status of children 6 to 23 months of age living in urban areas of the Philippines. A cross-sectional survey was conducted covering five urban centers in the Philippines. Data on infant and young child feeding and nutritional status (including wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia, iron deficiency, and vitamin A deficiency) were collected for 1,784 children. Among children from urban and predominantly poor and very poor households, 26% were stunted, 18% were underweight, and 5% were wasted. Forty-two percent were anemic, 28% were iron deficient, and 3% were vitamin A deficient. About half of the children were breastfed within an hour after birth, were breastfed at the time of the survey, and had been continuously breastfed up to 1 year of age. Of the factors investigated, low socioeconomic status, use of cheaper cooking fuel, and nonuse of multivitamins were all independently associated with stunting. The prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency, and vitamin A deficiency were independently associated with the same factors and poorer sanitation facilities, lower maternal education, current unemployment, and inflammation. These factors merit attention in future programming and interventions may include promotion of the timely introduction of appropriate fortified complementary foods, the use of affordable multiple micronutrient preparations, and measures to reduce infections.

Stunting, selenium deficiency and anemia are associated with poor cognitive performance in preschool children from rural Ethiopia.

PubMed

Gashu, Dawd; Stoecker, Barbara J; Bougma, Karim; Adish, Abdulaziz; Haki, Gulelat D; Marquis, Grace S

2016-04-12

Anthropometric characteristics and iron status affect cognitive performance in children. In addition, selenium can influence cognitive outcomes; protection of the brain from oxidative stress and its role in thyroid hormone metabolism are putative mechanisms. To investigate their association with cognitive performance, anthropometric indicators, iron biomarkers, and serum selenium of children (n = 541) of 54-60mo of age from rural Ethiopia were assessed. Cognitive assessment was conducted with the administration of two reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and the school readiness test. Stunting was found in 41.4 % of children, 28.7 % were underweight, and 6.3 % were wasted. The mean score of stunted children was lower than that of non-stunted children on non-verbal reasoning (7.0 ± 3.2vs7.9 ± 3.1; p = 0.01) and the school readiness tests (4.3 ± 2.2 vs 3.3 ± 2.1; p < 0.001). Compared to non-anemic children, anemic children had lower score for the verbal reasoning test (9.5 ± 1.7 vs 8.9 ± 2.2; p = 0.02). However, except for hemoglobin, none of the iron biomarkers had significant associations with the cognitive score of the study children (p > 0.05). Selenium deficient children had lower scores on all cognitive tests than normal children (p < 0.05). The present study finding linking chronic undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency to cognitive deficits suggests the need for designing effective intervention programmes to control for protein energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency and address cognitive development in children.

Factors Associated with Stunting among Children Aged 0 to 59 Months from the Central Region of Mozambique.

PubMed

Cruz, Loida M García; Azpeitia, Gloria González; Súarez, Desiderio Reyes; Rodríguez, Alfredo Santana; Ferrer, Juan Francisco Loro; Serra-Majem, Lluis

2017-05-12

The objective of this study was to identify the major socio-demographic, health, and environmental determinants of stunting among children aged 0-59 months from the Tete province (Mozambique) and offering useful information for future healthcare strategies and interventions. A case-control study was conducted among 282 (162 boys; 120 girls) children under five years of age from the central region of Mozambique between 1 May and 3 June 2014. Children with stunting (HAZ < -2 SD according to the WHO Child Growth Standards in 2006) were considered as cases and those who had a Z -score < -2 SD were considered as controls. We collected data related to mothers and children and their environment, and they were assessed in two groups to find a possible association. The software used for data analysis was the SPSS ® (version, 21.0) using descriptive statistics, t -test, ANOVA, chi-square analyses, bivariate comparisons, and stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis. The results showed that birth weight, mother's educational status, maternal occupation, living in a rural area, family size, number of children under five years of age in the household, cooking with charcoal, inhabiting wooden or straw housing or housing without proper floors, overall duration of breastfeeding as well as duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and time of initiation of complementary feeding were significantly related to stunting. Thus, appropriate nutritional intervention programmes considering these determinants and the dissemination of knowledge at the population level related to undernutrition are necessary to ameliorate the children´s nutritional status.

Factors Associated with Stunting among Children Aged 0 to 59 Months from the Central Region of Mozambique

PubMed Central

García Cruz, Loida María; González Azpeitia, Gloria; Reyes Súarez, Desiderio; Santana Rodríguez, Alfredo; Loro Ferrer, Juan Francisco; Serra-Majem, Lluis

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to identify the major socio-demographic, health, and environmental determinants of stunting among children aged 0–59 months from the Tete province (Mozambique) and offering useful information for future healthcare strategies and interventions. A case-control study was conducted among 282 (162 boys; 120 girls) children under five years of age from the central region of Mozambique between 1 May and 3 June 2014. Children with stunting (HAZ < −2 SD according to the WHO Child Growth Standards in 2006) were considered as cases and those who had a Z-score < −2 SD were considered as controls. We collected data related to mothers and children and their environment, and they were assessed in two groups to find a possible association. The software used for data analysis was the SPSS® (version, 21.0) using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, chi-square analyses, bivariate comparisons, and stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis. The results showed that birth weight, mother’s educational status, maternal occupation, living in a rural area, family size, number of children under five years of age in the household, cooking with charcoal, inhabiting wooden or straw housing or housing without proper floors, overall duration of breastfeeding as well as duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and time of initiation of complementary feeding were significantly related to stunting. Thus, appropriate nutritional intervention programmes considering these determinants and the dissemination of knowledge at the population level related to undernutrition are necessary to ameliorate the children´s nutritional status. PMID:28498315

Land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the United States: sensitivity to technological advances in corn grain yield, ethanol conversion, and co-product utilization.

PubMed

Mumm, Rita H; Goldsmith, Peter D; Rausch, Kent D; Stein, Hans H

2014-01-01

Although the system for producing yellow corn grain is well established in the US, its role among other biofeedstock alternatives to petroleum-based energy sources has to be balanced with its predominant purpose for food and feed as well as economics, land use, and environmental stewardship. We model land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the US to evaluate the effects of anticipated technological change in corn grain production, ethanol processing, and livestock feeding through a multi-disciplinary approach. Seven scenarios are evaluated: four considering the impact of technological advances on corn grain production, two focused on improved efficiencies in ethanol processing, and one reflecting greater use of ethanol co-products (that is, distillers dried grains with solubles) in diets for dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. For each scenario, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is estimated for three time horizons: 2011 (current), the time period at which the 15 billion gallon cap for corn ethanol as per the Renewable Fuel Standard is achieved, and 2026 (15 years out). Although 40.5% of corn grain was channeled to ethanol processing in 2011, only 25% of US corn acreage was attributable to ethanol when accounting for feed co-product utilization. By 2026, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is reduced to 11% to 19% depending on the corn grain yield level associated with the four corn production scenarios, considering oil replacement associated with the soybean meal substituted in livestock diets with distillers dried grains with solubles. Efficiencies in ethanol processing, although producing more ethanol per bushel of processed corn, result in less co-products and therefore less offset of corn acreage. Shifting the use of distillers dried grains with solubles in feed to dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry substantially reduces land area attributed to corn ethanol production. However, because distillers dried grains with solubles

Land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the United States: sensitivity to technological advances in corn grain yield, ethanol conversion, and co-product utilization

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although the system for producing yellow corn grain is well established in the US, its role among other biofeedstock alternatives to petroleum-based energy sources has to be balanced with its predominant purpose for food and feed as well as economics, land use, and environmental stewardship. We model land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the US to evaluate the effects of anticipated technological change in corn grain production, ethanol processing, and livestock feeding through a multi-disciplinary approach. Seven scenarios are evaluated: four considering the impact of technological advances on corn grain production, two focused on improved efficiencies in ethanol processing, and one reflecting greater use of ethanol co-products (that is, distillers dried grains with solubles) in diets for dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. For each scenario, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is estimated for three time horizons: 2011 (current), the time period at which the 15 billion gallon cap for corn ethanol as per the Renewable Fuel Standard is achieved, and 2026 (15 years out). Results Although 40.5% of corn grain was channeled to ethanol processing in 2011, only 25% of US corn acreage was attributable to ethanol when accounting for feed co-product utilization. By 2026, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is reduced to 11% to 19% depending on the corn grain yield level associated with the four corn production scenarios, considering oil replacement associated with the soybean meal substituted in livestock diets with distillers dried grains with solubles. Efficiencies in ethanol processing, although producing more ethanol per bushel of processed corn, result in less co-products and therefore less offset of corn acreage. Shifting the use of distillers dried grains with solubles in feed to dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry substantially reduces land area attributed to corn ethanol production. However, because distillers dried grains

Climate Effects on Corn Yield in Missouri(.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Qi; Buyanovsky, Gregory

2003-11-01

Understanding climate effects on crop yield has been a continuous endeavor aiming at improving farming technology and management strategy, minimizing negative climate effects, and maximizing positive climate effects on yield. Many studies have examined climate effects on corn yield in different regions of the United States. However, most of those studies used yield and climate records that were shorter than 10 years and were for different years and localities. Although results of those studies showed various influences of climate on corn yield, they could be time specific and have been difficult to use for deriving a comprehensive understanding of climate effects on corn yield. In this study, climate effects on corn yield in central Missouri are examined using unique long-term (1895 1998) datasets of both corn yield and climate. Major results show that the climate effects on corn yield can only be explained by within-season variations in rainfall and temperature and cannot be distinguished by average growing-season conditions. Moreover, the growing-season distributions of rainfall and temperature for high-yield years are characterized by less rainfall and warmer temperature in the planting period, a rapid increase in rainfall, and more rainfall and warmer temperatures during germination and emergence. More rainfall and cooler-than-average temperatures are key features in the anthesis and kernel-filling periods from June through August, followed by less rainfall and warmer temperatures during the September and early October ripening time. Opposite variations in rainfall and temperature in the growing season correspond to low yield. Potential applications of these results in understanding how climate change may affect corn yield in the region also are discussed.

Within-Plant Distribution of Adult Brown Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Corn and Its Implications on Stink Bug Sampling and Management in Corn.

PubMed

Babu, Arun; Reisig, Dominic D

2018-05-29

Brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), has emerged as a significant pest of corn, Zea mays L., in the southeastern United States. A 2-year study was conducted to quantify the within-plant vertical distribution of adult E. servus in field corn, to examine potential plant phenological characteristics associated with their observed distribution, and to select an efficient partial plant sampling method for adult E. servus population estimation. Within-plant distribution of adult E. servus was influenced by corn phenology. On V4- and V6-stage corn, most of the individuals were found at the base of the plant. Mean relative vertical position of adult E. servus population in corn plants trended upward between the V6 and V14 growth stages. During the reproductive corn growth stages (R1, R2, and R4), a majority of the adult E. servus were concentrated around developing ears. Based on the multiple selection criteria, during V4-V6 corn growth stages, either the corn stalk below the lowest green leaf or basal stratum method could employ for efficient E. servus sampling. Similarly, on reproductive corn growth stages (R1-R4), the plant parts between two leaves above and three leaves below the primary ear leaf were found to be areas to provide the most precise and cost-efficient sampling method. The results from our study successfully demonstrate that in the early vegetative and reproductive stages of corn, scouts can replace the current labor-intensive whole-plant search method with a more efficient, specific partial plant sampling method for E. servus population estimation.

Water table management reduces tile nitrate loss in continuous corn and in a soybean-corn rotation.

PubMed

Drury, C F; Tan, C S; Gaynor, J D; Reynolds, W D; Welacky, T W; Oloya, T O

2001-10-25

Water table management systems can be designed to alleviate soil water excesses and deficits, as well as reduce nitrate leaching losses in tile discharge. With this in mind, a standard tile drainage (DR) system was compared over 8 years (1991 to 1999) to a controlled tile drainage/subirrigation (CDS) system on a low-slope (0.05 to 0.1%) Brookston clay loam soil (Typic Argiaquoll) in southwestern Ontario, Canada. In the CDS system, tile discharge was controlled to prevent excessive drainage, and water was pumped back up the tile lines (subirrigation) to replenish the crop root zone during water deficit periods. In the first phase of the study (1991 to 1994), continuous corn (Zea mays, L.) was grown with annual nitrogen (N) fertilizer inputs as per local soil test recommendations. In the second phase (1995 to 1999), a soybean (Glycine max L., Merr.)-corn rotation was used with N fertilizer added only during the two corn years. In Phase 1 when continuous corn was grown, CDS reduced total tile discharge by 26% and total nitrate loss in tile discharge by 55%, compared to DR. In addition, the 4-year flow weighted mean (FWM) nitrate concentration in tile discharge exceeded the Canadian drinking water guideline (10 mg N l(-1)) under DR (11.4 mg N l(-1)), but not under CDS (7.0 mg N l(-1)). In Phase 2 during the soybean-corn rotation, CDS reduced total tile discharge by 38% and total nitrate loss in tile discharge by 66%, relative to DR. The 4-year FWM nitrate concentration during Phase 2 in tile discharge was below the drinking water guideline for both DR (7.3 mg N l(-1)) and CDS (4.0 mg N l(-1)). During both phases of the experiment, the CDS treatment caused only minor increases in nitrate loss in surface runoff relative to DR. Hence CDS decreased FWM nitrate concentrations, total drainage water loss, and total nitrate loss in tile discharge relative to DR. In addition, soybean-corn rotation reduced FWM nitrate concentrations and total nitrate loss in tile discharge

Fumonisins B₁, B₂ and B₃ in corn products, wheat flour and corn oil marketed in Shandong province of China.

PubMed

Li, Fenghua; Jiang, Dafeng; Zheng, Fengjia; Chen, Jindong; Li, Wei

2015-01-01

In this study a total of 522 samples were collected from Shandong province of China in 2014 and analysed for the occurrence of fumonisin B1 (FB1), FB2 and FB3 by isotope dilution ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Fumonisins were detected in 98.1% of the corn products, with the average total level of 369.2 μg kg(-1). The individual average values of FB1, FB2 and FB3 in corn products were 268.3, 53.7 and 47.2 μg kg(-1), respectively. The simultaneous occurrence of FB1, FB2 and FB3 was observed in 76.7% of the corn products. Especially, the results demonstrated that the difference in the contamination levels for fumonisins in these three types of corn products was apparent. In addition, 6.2% of the wheat flour samples were contaminated with FB1, with concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 34.6 µg kg(-1). No FB2 or FB3 was detected in wheat flour. In corn oil samples no fumonisins were detected.

Treatment of corns by injectable silicone.

PubMed

Balkin, S W

1975-09-01

Corns and calluses are the most frequently encountered foot complaints. The choices of care range from self trimming and application of over-the-counter remedies to professional treatment, which may include tendon, skin, and bone surgery. A technique using fluid silicone injected subdermally to cushion corns is described. Twenty-nine patients with 71 digital pressure keratoses were injected between 1965 and 1970. Results of treatment of 77% of the corns were rated good to excellent after an average follow-up period of six years, and no serious reactions have been observed. The procedure offers an effective, nondisabling method of treatment, as opposed to lifelong palliation or surgical intervention.

Influence of Stenocarpella maydis infected corn on the composition of corn kernel and its conversion into ethanol

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Widespread epidemics of Stenocarpella ear rot (formerly Diplodia ear rot) have occurred throughout the central U.S. Corn Belt in recent years, but the influence of S. maydis infected grain on corn ethanol production is unknown. In this study, S. maydis infected ears of variety 'Heritage 4646' were h...

Measurement of fumonisins in corn with a fiber optic fluoroimmunosensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Vicki S.; Maragos, Chris M.

1997-05-01

A fiber-optic immunosensor was used to determine concentrations of the mycotoxin fumonisin B1(FB1) in both spiked and naturally contaminated corn samples. Samples were extracted with a mixture of methanol/water. Two methods were used to prepare the methanolic corn extracts before introduction to the immunosensor: (1) simple dilution of the methanolic corn extract; or (2) affinity column cleanup. The sensor displayed an IC50 of 70 ng FB1/mL when toxin was introduced in phosphate buffered saline. Simple dilution of methanolic corn extracts yielded an assay with an IC50 equivalent to 25 (mu) gFB1/g corn and a limit of detection of 3.2 (mu) g/g corn, while affinity cleanup of corn extracts yielded an assay with an IC50 of 5 (mu) gFB1/g corn and a limit of detection of 0.4 (mu) gFB1/g corn. The difference in sensitivity between the two cleanup techniques was due to concentration of fumonisins obtained from the affinity cleanup procedure. Naturally contaminated corn samples were also analyzed after either simple dilution or affinity column cleanup. For comparison the naturally contaminated corn samples were analyzed with an HPLC method after isolation of the fumonisins with strong anion exchange (SAX) solid phase extraction cartridges. The SAX/HPLC method and the immunosensor method agreed well except when large amounts of other fumonisins (i.e. fumonisin B2) were present. This was due in part to the cross-reactivity of the monoclonal antibody with other fumonisins. The immunosensor has the potential to screen individual corn samples for fumonisins within six minutes, and is among the fastest of the currently available FB1 detection methods.

StuA is a key regulator of fumonisin production and virulence in Fusarium verticillioides

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium verticillioides is one of the most important pathogens of maize, producing fumonisin mycotoxins during infection. Ingestion of fumonisin-contaminated corn causes fatal toxicity in livestock and is associated with neural tube birth defects and growth stunting in children. It is also a potent...

An energy-dense complementary food is associated with a modest increase in weight gain when compared with a fortified porridge in Malawian children aged 6-18 months

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poor complementary feeding practices are associated with stunting and growth faltering throughout the developing world. The objective was to compare the effect of using peanut-/soy-based fortified spread (FS) and corn porridge fortified with fish powder (FP) as complementary foods on growth in rural...

Weed manipulation for insect pest management in corn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altieri, M. A.; Whitcomb, W. H.

1980-11-01

Populations of insect pests and associated predaceous arthropods were sampled by direct observation and other relative methods in simple and diversified corn habitats at two sites in north Florida during 1978 and 1979. Through various cultural manipulations, characteristic weed communities were established selectively in alternate rows within corn plots. Fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda J. E. Smith) incidence was consistently higher in the weed-free habitats than in the corn habitats containing natural weed complexes or selected weed associations. Corn earworm ( Heliothis zea Boddie) damage was similar in all weed-free and weedy treatments, suggesting that this insect is not affected greatly by weed diversity. Only the diversification of corn with a strip of soybean significantly reduced corn earworm damage. In one site, distance between plots was reduced. Because predators moved freely between habitats, it was difficult to identify between-treatment differences in the composition of predator communities. In the other site, increased distances between plots minimized such migrations, resulting in greater population densities and diversity of common foliage insect predators in the weed-manipulated corn systems than in the weed-free plots. Trophic relationships in the weedy habitats were more complex than food webs in monocultures. Predator diversity (measured as mean number of species per area) and predator density was higher in com plots surrounded by mature, complex vegetation than at those surrounded by annual crops. This suggests that diverse adjacent areas to crops provide refuge for predators, thus acting as colonization sources.

Multipass rotary shear comminution process to produce corn stover particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dooley, James H; Lanning, David N

A process of comminution of corn stover having a grain direction to produce a mixture of corn stover, by feeding the corn stover in a direction of travel substantially randomly to the grain direction one or more times through a counter rotating pair of intermeshing arrays of cutting discs (D) arrayed axially perpendicular to the direction of corn stover travel.

Winter rye cover crop effect on corn seedling pathogens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cover crops have been grown successfully in Iowa, but sometimes a cereal rye cover crop preceding corn can reduce corn yields. Our research examines the effect of a rye cover crop on infections of the succeeding corn crop by soil fungal pathogens. Plant measurements included: growth stage, height, r...

[Chemical characteristics and uses of instant corn flour II].

PubMed

Martínez, F; el-Dahs, A A

1993-12-01

The hydrothermal process using corn grits soaked in water at room temperature (28-30 degrees C) for 5 hours and steaming for 1 minute at 118 degrees C did not affect the proximal composition of the corn flour. However, the amino acid content was reduced approximately 18% (specially lysine and tryptophan). Vitamin and pigment contents were few affected. The characteristics of color and shelf life of corn flour were improved with the hydrothermal process. Tortillas prepared with instant corn flour showed better color and texture in comparison to the tortillas prepared by the conventional process. Polentas prepared with instant corn flour with 30 seconds of mixing showed better characteristics of flavor, odor, texture and required less preparation time than commercial polentas.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on onion growth and onion stunting caused by Rhizoctonia solani, 2013.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A preliminary study was conducted in a greenhouse (15 ± 1oC, with supplemental lights for 12 h/day) to determine the role of AMF on onion growth and for reducing the severity of onion stunting, using a commercial AMF inoculant, BioTerra Plus, that contains 104 propagules/g (ppg) of Glomus intraradic...

Acute and Subacute Toxicity Evaluation of Corn Silk Extract

PubMed Central

Ha, Ae Wha; Kang, Hyeon Jung; Kim, Sun Lim; Kim, Myung Hwan

2018-01-01

Many studies have reported therapeutic efficacy of corn silk extract. However, research on its toxicity and safe dose range is limited. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the acute and subacute toxicity of corn silk extract in ICR mice. To determine acute toxicity, corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin was orally administered to mice at a dose of 0 or 2,000 mg/kg. Clinical symptoms, mortality, and body weight changes were recorded for 14 days. To determine subacute toxicity, corn silk extract was orally administered to mice over a 4-week period, and then body weight, water and food consumption, and organ weight were determined. In addition, urine and serum analyses were performed. In the acute toxicity study, no death or abnormal symptoms was observed in all treatment groups during the study period. Body weights did not show any significant change compared to those of the control group. Lethal dose of corn silk extract was estimated to be more than 2,000 mg/kg. In the 4-week subacute toxicity study, there was no corn silk extract related toxic effect on body weight, water intake, food consumption, urine parameters, clinical chemistry, or organ weight. Histopathological examination showed no abnormality related to the administration of corn silk extract at 500 mg/kg. The maximum non-toxic dose of corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin was found to be more than 500 mg/kg. PMID:29662850

Acute and Subacute Toxicity Evaluation of Corn Silk Extract.

PubMed

Ha, Ae Wha; Kang, Hyeon Jung; Kim, Sun Lim; Kim, Myung Hwan; Kim, Woo Kyoung

2018-03-01

Many studies have reported therapeutic efficacy of corn silk extract. However, research on its toxicity and safe dose range is limited. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the acute and subacute toxicity of corn silk extract in ICR mice. To determine acute toxicity, corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin was orally administered to mice at a dose of 0 or 2,000 mg/kg. Clinical symptoms, mortality, and body weight changes were recorded for 14 days. To determine subacute toxicity, corn silk extract was orally administered to mice over a 4-week period, and then body weight, water and food consumption, and organ weight were determined. In addition, urine and serum analyses were performed. In the acute toxicity study, no death or abnormal symptoms was observed in all treatment groups during the study period. Body weights did not show any significant change compared to those of the control group. Lethal dose of corn silk extract was estimated to be more than 2,000 mg/kg. In the 4-week subacute toxicity study, there was no corn silk extract related toxic effect on body weight, water intake, food consumption, urine parameters, clinical chemistry, or organ weight. Histopathological examination showed no abnormality related to the administration of corn silk extract at 500 mg/kg. The maximum non-toxic dose of corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin was found to be more than 500 mg/kg.

Hyperspectral imaging system for whole corn ear surface inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Haibo; Kincaid, Russell; Hruska, Zuzana; Brown, Robert L.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2013-05-01

Aflatoxin is a mycotoxin produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus (A.flavus) and Aspergillus parasitiucus fungi that grow naturally in corn. Very serious health problems such as liver damage and lung cancer can result from exposure to high toxin levels in grain. Consequently, many countries have established strict guidelines for permissible levels in consumables. Conventional chemical-based analytical methods used to screen for aflatoxin such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are time consuming, expensive, and require the destruction of samples as well as proper training for data interpretation. Thus, it has been a continuing effort within the research community to find a way to rapidly and non-destructively detect and possibly quantify aflatoxin contamination in corn. One of the more recent developments in this area is the use of spectral technology. Specifically, fluorescence hyperspectral imaging offers a potential rapid, and non-invasive method for contamination detection in corn infected with toxigenic A.flavus spores. The current hyperspectral image system is designed for scanning flat surfaces, which is suitable for imaging single or a group of corn kernels. In the case of a whole corn cob, it is preferred to be able to scan the circumference of the corn ear, appropriate for whole ear inspection. This paper discusses the development of a hyperspectral imaging system for whole corn ear imaging. The new instrument is based on a hyperspectral line scanner using a rotational stage to turn the corn ear.

Cauliflower is a new host of a subgroup 16SrVII-B phytoplasma associated with stunting disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cauliflower stunt has occurred with high levels of incidence and provoked significant yield reduction in Brazilian crops. Phytoplasmas belonging to the subgroups 16SrIII-J and 16SrXV-A were previously reported in association with the disease. In 2014, plants with typical symptoms of the disease were...

Epidemiology of Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus in the US Southwest and development of virus resistant melon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), emerged in the Southwest USA in 2006, where it is transmitted by the MEAM1 cryptic species of Bemisia tabaci. The virus results in late-season infection of spring melon crops with limited economic impact; however, all summer and fall cucurbits become ...

Fomation of corn fiber gum-milk protein conjugates and their molecular characterization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn fiber arabinoxylan is hemicellulose B isolated from the fibrous portions (pericarp, tip cap, and endosperm cell wall fractions) of corn kernels and is commonly referred to as corn fiber gum (CFG). Our previous studies showed that CFG isolated from corn bran (a byproduct of corn dry milling) co...

Reinvestigation of the effect of heat pretreatment of corn fiber and corn germ on the levels of extractable tocopherols and tocotrienols.

PubMed

Moreau, Robert A; Hicks, Kevin B

2006-10-18

We previously reported that heat pretreatment of corn fiber (150 degrees C, 1 h) caused a tenfold increase in the levels of extractable gamma-tocopherol. The current study was a reinvestigation of the previous effect, using improved methods (HPLC with fluorescence detection, diode-array UV detection, and mass spectrometry) for tocol analysis. Heat pretreatment did not cause an increase in the levels of any of the tocopherols or tocotrienols in corn fiber oil, but lowered the levels of three of the tocols and had no effect on the levels of the other two tocols. Heat pretreatment of corn germ had a similar effect. UV and mass spectra indicated that the peak that we had identified as gamma-tocopherol in our previous report was probably a mixture of oxidation products of triacylglycerols. Thus, heat treatment of corn germ or other corn-oil containing fractions at high temperatures leads to decreases in gamma-tocopherol, gamma-tocotrienol, and delta-tocotrienol and to the production of triacylglycerol oxidation products.

Evaluation of Bt Corn with Pyramided Genes on Efficacy and Insect Resistance Management for the Asian Corn Borer in China.

PubMed

Jiang, Fan; Zhang, Tiantao; Bai, Shuxiong; Wang, Zhenying; He, Kanglai

2016-01-01

A Bt corn hybrid (AcIe) with two Bt genes (cry1Ie and cry1Ac) was derived by breeding stack from line expressing Cry1Ie and a line expressing Cry1Ac. Efficacy of this pyramided Bt corn hybrid against the Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis, was evaluated. We conducted laboratory bioassays using susceptible and resistant ACB strains fed on artificial diet or fresh plant tissues. We also conducted field trials with artificial infestations of ACB neonates at the V6 and silk stages. The toxin-diet bioassay data indicated that mixtures of Cry1Ac and Cry1Ie proteins had synergistic insecticidal efficacy. The plant tissue bioassay data indicated that Bt corn hybrids expressing either a single toxin (Cry1Ac or Cry1Ie) or two toxins had high efficacy against susceptible ACB. Damage ratings in the field trials indicated that the Bt corn hybrids could effectively protect against 1st and the 2nd generation ACB in China. The hybrid line with two Bt genes showed a higher efficacy against ACB larvae resistant to Cry1Ac or CryIe than the hybrid containing one Bt gene, and the two gene hybrid would have increased potential for managing or delaying the evolution of ACB resistance to Bt corn plants.

Effect of eastern gamagrass on fall armyworm and corn earworm development

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) and the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) are two important corn pests in the southern U.S. states. Effect of the leaves from the corn relative, the Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.) on fall armyworm and corn earworm development ...

21 CFR 155.131 - Canned field corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... succulent field corn and succulent sweet corn. (2) The name of the food conforms to the name specified in § 155.130(a)(5), except that the words “Corn”, “Sweet corn”, and “Sugar corn” are replaced by the words...

21 CFR 155.131 - Canned field corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... succulent field corn and succulent sweet corn. (2) The name of the food conforms to the name specified in § 155.130(a)(5), except that the words “Corn”, “Sweet corn”, and “Sugar corn” are replaced by the words...

21 CFR 155.131 - Canned field corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... succulent field corn and succulent sweet corn. (2) The name of the food conforms to the name specified in § 155.130(a)(5), except that the words “Corn”, “Sweet corn”, and “Sugar corn” are replaced by the words...

21 CFR 155.131 - Canned field corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... succulent field corn and succulent sweet corn. (2) The name of the food conforms to the name specified in § 155.130(a)(5), except that the words “Corn”, “Sweet corn”, and “Sugar corn” are replaced by the words...

21 CFR 155.131 - Canned field corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... succulent field corn and succulent sweet corn. (2) The name of the food conforms to the name specified in § 155.130(a)(5), except that the words “Corn”, “Sweet corn”, and “Sugar corn” are replaced by the words...

Field-Evolved Resistance in Corn Earworm to Cry Proteins Expressed by Transgenic Sweet Corn

PubMed Central

Dively, Galen P.; Finkenbinder, Chad

2016-01-01

Background Transgenic corn engineered with genes expressing insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) are now a major tool in insect pest management. With its widespread use, insect resistance is a major threat to the sustainability of the Bt transgenic technology. For all Bt corn expressing Cry toxins, the high dose requirement for resistance management is not achieved for corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), which is more tolerant to the Bt toxins. Methodology/Major Findings We present field monitoring data using Cry1Ab (1996–2016) and Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2 (2010–2016) expressing sweet corn hybrids as in-field screens to measure changes in field efficacy and Cry toxin susceptibility to H. zea. Larvae successfully damaged an increasing proportion of ears, consumed more kernel area, and reached later developmental stages (4th - 6th instars) in both types of Bt hybrids (Cry1Ab—event Bt11, and Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2—event MON89034) since their commercial introduction. Yearly patterns of H. zea population abundance were unrelated to reductions in control efficacy. There was no evidence of field efficacy or tissue toxicity differences among different Cry1Ab hybrids that could contribute to the decline in control efficacy. Supportive data from laboratory bioassays demonstrate significant differences in weight gain and fitness characteristics between the Maryland H. zea strain and a susceptible strain. In bioassays with Cry1Ab expressing green leaf tissue, Maryland H. zea strain gained more weight than the susceptible strain at all concentrations tested. Fitness of the Maryland H. zea strain was significantly lower than that of the susceptible strain as indicated by lower hatch rate, longer time to adult eclosion, lower pupal weight, and reduced survival to adulthood. Conclusions/Significance After ruling out possible contributing factors, the rapid change in field efficacy in recent years and decreased susceptibility of H. zea to Bt

Field-Evolved Resistance in Corn Earworm to Cry Proteins Expressed by Transgenic Sweet Corn.

PubMed

Dively, Galen P; Venugopal, P Dilip; Finkenbinder, Chad

2016-01-01

Transgenic corn engineered with genes expressing insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) are now a major tool in insect pest management. With its widespread use, insect resistance is a major threat to the sustainability of the Bt transgenic technology. For all Bt corn expressing Cry toxins, the high dose requirement for resistance management is not achieved for corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), which is more tolerant to the Bt toxins. We present field monitoring data using Cry1Ab (1996-2016) and Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2 (2010-2016) expressing sweet corn hybrids as in-field screens to measure changes in field efficacy and Cry toxin susceptibility to H. zea. Larvae successfully damaged an increasing proportion of ears, consumed more kernel area, and reached later developmental stages (4th - 6th instars) in both types of Bt hybrids (Cry1Ab-event Bt11, and Cry1A.105+Cry2Ab2-event MON89034) since their commercial introduction. Yearly patterns of H. zea population abundance were unrelated to reductions in control efficacy. There was no evidence of field efficacy or tissue toxicity differences among different Cry1Ab hybrids that could contribute to the decline in control efficacy. Supportive data from laboratory bioassays demonstrate significant differences in weight gain and fitness characteristics between the Maryland H. zea strain and a susceptible strain. In bioassays with Cry1Ab expressing green leaf tissue, Maryland H. zea strain gained more weight than the susceptible strain at all concentrations tested. Fitness of the Maryland H. zea strain was significantly lower than that of the susceptible strain as indicated by lower hatch rate, longer time to adult eclosion, lower pupal weight, and reduced survival to adulthood. After ruling out possible contributing factors, the rapid change in field efficacy in recent years and decreased susceptibility of H. zea to Bt sweet corn provide strong evidence of field-evolved resistance in H

Children at risk for developmental delay can be recognized by stunting, being underweight, ill health, little maternal schooling or high gravidity

PubMed Central

Abubakar, Amina; Holding, Penny; Van de Vijver, Fons J. R.; Newton, Charles; Van Baar, Anneloes

2010-01-01

Aims To investigate markers of risk status that can be easily monitored in resource limited settings for the identification of children in need of early developmental intervention. Methods Eighty-five children in Kilifi, Kenya, aged between 2–10 months at recruitment, were involved in a ten-month follow up. Data on developmental outcome were collected through parental report using a locally developed checklist. We tested for the unique and combined influence of little maternal schooling and higher gravidity, anthropometric status (being underweight and stunting) and poor health, on the level of developmental achievement and the rate of acquisition of developmental milestones. Results A model with all five predictors showed a good fit to the data (χ2(21, N = 85) = 23.00, p = .33). Maternal schooling and gravidity, and child’s stunting were found to predict the rate of developmental achievements (β = .24, β = .31, and β = .41, respectively). Being underweight, ill-health, stunting and gravidity predicted initial developmental status (β = −.26, β = −.27, β = −.43, and β = −.27). Conclusions Slow rates of developmental achievement can be predicted using these easy to administer measures and the strongest relationship with risk was based on a combination of all measures. PMID:19951363

Isolation, purification and identification of protein associated with corn fiber gum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn fiber gum (CFG), an alkaline hydrogen peroxide extract of corn kernel milling by-product “corn fiber” is a proteinaceous arabinoxylan with a protein content ranging from ca. 2 to 9% by weight for the CFG samples isolated from different corn milling fiber sources. Several studies have suggested...

7 CFR 457.129 - Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions. 457... sweet corn crop insurance provisions. The fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions for the 2008... Reinsured Policies Fresh Market Sweet Corn Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Allowable cost. The dollar amount...

7 CFR 457.129 - Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions. 457... sweet corn crop insurance provisions. The fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions for the 2008... Reinsured Policies Fresh Market Sweet Corn Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Allowable cost. The dollar amount...

7 CFR 457.129 - Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions. 457... sweet corn crop insurance provisions. The fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions for the 2008... Reinsured Policies Fresh Market Sweet Corn Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Allowable cost. The dollar amount...

Enzymatic digestibility and ethanol fermentability of AFEX-treated starch-rich lignocellulosics such as corn silage and whole corn plant

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Corn grain is an important renewable source for bioethanol production in the USA. Corn ethanol is currently produced by steam liquefaction of starch-rich grains followed by enzymatic saccharification and fermentation. Corn stover (the non-grain parts of the plant) is a potential feedstock to produce cellulosic ethanol in second-generation biorefineries. At present, corn grain is harvested by removing the grain from the living plant while leaving the stover behind on the field. Alternatively, whole corn plants can be harvested to cohydrolyze both starch and cellulose after a suitable thermochemical pretreatment to produce fermentable monomeric sugars. In this study, we used physiologically immature corn silage (CS) and matured whole corn plants (WCP) as feedstocks to produce ethanol using ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (at low enzyme loadings) and cofermentation (for both glucose and xylose) using a cellulase-amylase-based cocktail and a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A (LNH-ST) strain, respectively. The effect on hydrolysis yields of AFEX pretreatment conditions and a starch/cellulose-degrading enzyme addition sequence for both substrates was also studied. Results AFEX-pretreated starch-rich substrates (for example, corn grain, soluble starch) had a 1.5-3-fold higher enzymatic hydrolysis yield compared with the untreated substrates. Sequential addition of cellulases after hydrolysis of starch within WCP resulted in 15-20% higher hydrolysis yield compared with simultaneous addition of hydrolytic enzymes. AFEX-pretreated CS gave 70% glucan conversion after 72 h of hydrolysis for 6% glucan loading (at 8 mg total enzyme loading per gram glucan). Microbial inoculation of CS before ensilation yielded a 10-15% lower glucose hydrolysis yield for the pretreated substrate, due to loss in starch content. Ethanol fermentation of AFEX-treated (at 6% w/w glucan loading) CS hydrolyzate (resulting in 28 g/L ethanol

Climate forecasts for corn producer decision making

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn is the most widely grown crop in the Americas, with annual production in the United States of approximately 332 million metric tons. Improved climate forecasts, together with climate-related decision tools for corn producers based on these improved forecasts, could substantially reduce uncertai...

7 CFR 457.129 - Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions. 457... sweet corn crop insurance provisions. The fresh market sweet corn crop insurance provisions for the 2008... Reinsured Policies Fresh Market Sweet Corn Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Allowable cost.—The dollar amount...

Prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among children 6-59 months of age in Libo-Kemekem district, Northwest Ethiopia; A community based cross sectional study.

PubMed

Geberselassie, Selamawit Bekele; Abebe, Solomon Mekonnen; Melsew, Yayehirad Alemu; Mutuku, Shadrack Mulinge; Wassie, Molla Mesele

2018-01-01

Children in developing countries are highly vulnerable to impaired physical growth because of poor dietary intake, lack of appropriate care, and repeated infections. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of stunting and associated factors among children 6-59 months of age in Libo-kemekem district, northwest Ethiopia. A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Libo-Kemekem from October 15 to December 15, 2015. The multistage sampling technique was employed to select 1,320 children aged 6-59months. Data were collected by trained community health extension workers under regular supervision. Data were entered into EPI-Info version 3.5.1, and height for age was converted to Z-score with ENA-SMART software. Data were then exported to SPSS version 20 for descriptive and binary logistic regression analysees. The significance of associations was determined at p<0.05. Out of 1287 children included in the analysis, 49.4% (95% CI: 46.7%-52.3%) were found to be stunted. In the multivariate analysis, increased child age [AOR = 6.31, 95%CI: (3.65, 10.91)], family size of six and above [AOR = 1.77, 95%CI: (1.35, 2.32)] were positively associated with stunting, while, fathers with secondary school education [AOR = 0.50, 95%CI: (0.30, 0.81)], farmers as household heads [AOR = 0.56, 95%CI: (0.38, 0.84)] and self-employed parents as household head [AOR = 0.45, 95% CI: (0.28, 0.72)] were found to be preventive factors. The prevalence of stunting was high in the study area. We found that stunting was significantly correlated with child age, occupational status of household head, family size, and fathers' education. Therefore, intervention focusing on supporting housewives, family planning, and education on child feeding and nutrition should be implemented.

Assessment of the effectiveness of a small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement on reducing anaemia and stunting in refugee populations in the Horn of Africa: Secondary data analysis.

PubMed

Style, Sarah; Tondeur, Melody; Grijalva-Eternod, Carlos; Pringle, Josephine; Kassim, Ismail; Wilkinson, Caroline; Oman, Allison; Dolan, Carmel; Spiegel, Paul; Seal, Andrew

2017-01-01

Stunting and micronutrient malnutrition are persistent public health problems in refugee populations. UNHCR and its partner organisations implement blanket supplementary feeding programmes using a range of special nutritional products as one approach to address these issues. The evidence base for the efficacy and effectiveness of a small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement, Nutributter®, in reducing stunting and anaemia is limited. Secondary data analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of Nutributter® distribution on anaemia and stunting in children aged 6-23 months (programme target group) and 6-59 months (the standard age group sampled in routine nutrition surveys). Analysis was conducted using routine pre and post-intervention cross-sectional nutrition survey data collected between 2008-2011 in five refugee camps in Kenya and Djibouti. Changes in total anaemia (Haemoglobin<110g/L), anaemia categories (mild, moderate and severe), and stunting (height-for-age z-score <-2) were explored using available data on the Nutributter® programme and contextual factors. A significant reduction in the prevalence of anaemia in children aged 6-23 months and 6-59 months was seen in four of five, and in all five camps, respectively (p<0.05). Reductions ranged from 12.4 to 23.0, and 18.3 to 29.3 percentage points in each age group. Improvements were largely due to reductions in moderate and severe anaemia and occurred where the prevalence of acute malnutrition was stable or increasing. No change in stunting was observed in four of five camps. The replicability of findings across five sites strongly suggests that Nutributter® distribution was associated with a reduction in anaemia, but not stunting, among refugee children in the Horn of Africa. Benefits were not restricted to the 6-23 month target group targeted by the nutrition programme. However, even following this intervention anaemia remained a serious public health problem and additional work to define and

Assessment of the effectiveness of a small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement on reducing anaemia and stunting in refugee populations in the Horn of Africa: Secondary data analysis

PubMed Central

Style, Sarah; Tondeur, Melody; Grijalva-Eternod, Carlos; Pringle, Josephine; Kassim, Ismail; Wilkinson, Caroline; Oman, Allison; Dolan, Carmel; Spiegel, Paul

2017-01-01

Stunting and micronutrient malnutrition are persistent public health problems in refugee populations. UNHCR and its partner organisations implement blanket supplementary feeding programmes using a range of special nutritional products as one approach to address these issues. The evidence base for the efficacy and effectiveness of a small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement, Nutributter®, in reducing stunting and anaemia is limited. Secondary data analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of Nutributter® distribution on anaemia and stunting in children aged 6–23 months (programme target group) and 6–59 months (the standard age group sampled in routine nutrition surveys). Analysis was conducted using routine pre and post-intervention cross-sectional nutrition survey data collected between 2008–2011 in five refugee camps in Kenya and Djibouti. Changes in total anaemia (Haemoglobin<110g/L), anaemia categories (mild, moderate and severe), and stunting (height-for-age z-score <-2) were explored using available data on the Nutributter® programme and contextual factors. A significant reduction in the prevalence of anaemia in children aged 6–23 months and 6–59 months was seen in four of five, and in all five camps, respectively (p<0.05). Reductions ranged from 12.4 to 23.0, and 18.3 to 29.3 percentage points in each age group. Improvements were largely due to reductions in moderate and severe anaemia and occurred where the prevalence of acute malnutrition was stable or increasing. No change in stunting was observed in four of five camps. The replicability of findings across five sites strongly suggests that Nutributter® distribution was associated with a reduction in anaemia, but not stunting, among refugee children in the Horn of Africa. Benefits were not restricted to the 6–23 month target group targeted by the nutrition programme. However, even following this intervention anaemia remained a serious public health problem and additional work to

Research and simulation on the rollover system of corn harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shizhuang; Cao, Shukun

2017-01-01

The structural characteristics of our country's corn harvester are narrow-track, high centroid and existence of eccentric distance, so rollover accident is easily to occur when driving in mountainous and hilly regions. In order to improve the design quality of corn harvester and enhance the security of operation, it is of great significance to research the rollover prevention system of the corn harvester. Hydro-pneumatic suspension has powerful function of adjusting the balance of automobile body and good shock absorption function. In this paper, hydro-pneumatic suspension is applied to the rollover prevention system of the corn harvester to improve the ability of anti-rollover. At last using ADAMS simulation technology to simulate the roll stability of traditional corn harvester and the corn harvester with hydro pneumatic suspension, then calculating the heeling angle in both cases.

Growing ethanol sector drives corn supply chain shift for the last decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T.; Schmitt, J.; Brauman, K. A.; Smith, T. M.; Suh, K.

2017-12-01

The US is the largest producer in the world, 89% of corn production uses in domestic demands in 2012. Carbon emission and irrigated water usage in the corn farming stage are hot-spot in the meat production sectors, comprise 37% of all US corn demand. The annual capacity of the ethanol sector increases from 6.5 billion gallons to 15.3 billion gallons for the last decade. The growth of corn demand in ethanol sector makes corn supply chain shift. Most of the ethanol plants located in the Mid-west where is the top 12 corn producing states. Therefore animal feeds take more supply from the other states. The purpose of this study is to estimate environmental impacts and water scarcity associated embedded corn by the temporal and spatial corn supply chain model based on a cost minimization. We use publicly available county-level data on corn production, feed demands, aggregative carbon emission and irrigated water usage in farming state, and a water depletion index as a metric for determining water scarcity. The water stressed counties produce 23.3% of US total corn production in 2012, and the irrigated corn is 14.2%. We simulated the corn supply chain using linear programming and developed the web-based visualization tools called FoodS3 (Food Systems Supply-chain Sustainability tool, http://foods3.org).

Replication of Holograms with Corn Syrup by Rubbing

PubMed Central

Mejias-Brizuela, Nildia Y.; Olivares-Pérez, Arturo; Ortiz-Gutiérrez, Mauricio

2012-01-01

Corn syrup films are used to replicate holograms in order to fabricate micro-structural patterns without the toxins commonly found in photosensitive salts and dyes. We use amplitude and relief masks with lithographic techniques and rubbing techniques in order to transfer holographic information to corn syrup material. Holographic diffraction patterns from holographic gratings and computer Fourier holograms fabricated with corn syrup are shown. We measured the diffraction efficiency parameter in order to characterize the film. The versatility of this material for storage information is promising. Holographic gratings achieved a diffraction efficiency of around 8.4% with an amplitude mask and 36% for a relief mask technique. Preliminary results using corn syrup as an emulsion for replicating holograms are also shown in this work.

Analysis of a trial assessing the long-term effectiveness of salicylic acid plasters compared with scalpel debridement in facilitating corn resolution in patients with multiple corns.

PubMed

Stephenson, John; Farndon, Lisa; Concannon, Michael

2016-06-01

This study assesses the effect of salicylic acid plasters on the time to resolution of 324 corns experienced by 201 participants taking part in a randomized controlled trial. While the rate of corn resolution was substantively higher in the treatment group than in the control group, treatment was found to be not significantly related to time to corn recurrence when analyzed over the full 12-month follow-up period. Parametric survival analysis modeling of interval-censored data and incorporating patient-specific frailty terms was utilized, to model correlation of corns within patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.189; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.780-1.813; P = 0.422). Median resolution times were 10.0 months for corns in the treatment group and 13.4 months for corns in the control group. Controlling for treatment, corn type was found to be related to resolution time, with dorsal/interdigital (ID) corns showing better resolution than plantar corns (HR, 1.670; 95% CI, 1.061-2.630; P = 0.027). Median resolution times were 5.9 months for dorsal/ID corns and 14.9 months for plantar corns. Secondary measures relating to quality of life (QoL) and foot-related disability, using the EQ-5D questionnaire and the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index (MFPDI), were also assessed at the patient level in multivariate models. Treatment was not significantly related to any of these measures over the whole period of analysis. However, a trend analysis revealed a quadratic trend in QoL and MFPDI scores, arising from a substantive initial improvement between baseline and 3 months, followed by a gradual decrease between 3 and 12 months. © 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.

7 CFR 407.11 - Group risk plan for corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Group risk plan for corn. 407.11 Section 407.11..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.11 Group risk plan for corn. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Corn for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

7 CFR 407.11 - Group risk plan for corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Group risk plan for corn. 407.11 Section 407.11..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.11 Group risk plan for corn. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Corn for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

7 CFR 407.11 - Group risk plan for corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Group risk plan for corn. 407.11 Section 407.11..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.11 Group risk plan for corn. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Corn for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

7 CFR 407.11 - Group risk plan for corn.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Group risk plan for corn. 407.11 Section 407.11..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.11 Group risk plan for corn. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Corn for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

Evolution of the biochemical profile of children treated or undergoing treatment for moderate or severe stunting: consequences of metabolic programming?

PubMed

Alves, Jullyana F R; Britto, Revilane P A; Ferreira, Haroldo S; Sawaya, Ana L; Florêncio, Telma M M T

2014-01-01

to evaluate changes in the biochemical profile of children treated or being treated for moderate or severe stunting in a nutrition recovery and education center. this was a retrospective longitudinal study of 263 children treated at this center between August of 2008 to August of 2011, aged 1 to 6 years, diagnosed with moderate (z-score of height-for-age [HAZ] < -2) or severe stunting (HAZ < -3). Data were collected on socioeconomic conditions, dietary habits, and biochemical changes, as well as height according to age. the nutritional intervention showed an increase in HAZ of children with moderate (0.51 ± 0.4, p = 0.001) and severe (0.91 ± 0.7, p = 0.001) stunting during the monitoring. Increased levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) (initial: 71.7 ng/dL; final: 90.4 ng/dL; p = 0.01) were also observed, as well as a reduction in triglycerides (TG) in both severely (initial: 91.8mg/dL; final: 79.1mg/dL; p = 0.01) and in moderately malnourished children (initial: 109.2mg/dL; final 88.7mg/dL; p = 0.01), and a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol HDL-C only in the third year of intervention (initial: 31.4mg/dL; final: 42.2mg/dL). The values of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels remained high throughout the treatment (initial: 165.1mg/dL; final: 163.5mg/dL and initial: 109.0mg/dL; final: 107.3mg/dL, respectively). the nutritional treatment for children with short stature was effective in reducing stunting and improving TG and HDL-C after three years of intervention. However, the levels of LDL-C and TC remained high even in treated children. It is therefore speculated that these changes may result from metabolic programming due to malnutrition. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

IMPACT OF OZONE ON FIELD-CORN YIELD

EPA Science Inventory

Field corn(Zea mays L.) is the most important agricultural crop in the U.S. and the major production areas are subjected to potentially damaging concentrations of ozone (O3). Since no information was available regarding the sensitivity of field-corn hybrids grown in the Midwest, ...

Detection of European corn borer infestation in rainfed and irrigated corn using airborne hyperspectral imaging: implications for resistance management

EPA Science Inventory

Recently, corn grown for grain in the United States has increased from 28 million ha in 2006 to more than 35 million ha in 2007 with a production value of over $52 billion dollars. Transgenic corn expressing the plant incorporated protectant Bacillus thuringiensis toxin represen...

Larval mortality and development for rotation-resistant and rotation-susceptible populations of the western corn rootworm on Bt corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is one of the most economically important insect pests threatening the production of corn, Zea mays (L.), in the United States. Throughout its history, this insect has displayed considerable adaptability by overcoming a variety of pe...

Influence of variety and harvest maturity on phytochemical content in corn silk.

PubMed

Sarepoua, Eakrin; Tangwongchai, Ratchada; Suriharn, Bhalang; Lertrat, Kamol

2015-02-15

Corn silk has been used as a traditional herb in Asia. The objective of this study was to evaluate variability in phytochemicals in corn varieties at three maturity stages of corn silk. Ten vegetable corn varieties were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replications. Data were recorded for total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), total anthocyanin (TAC) and antioxidant activity (AA) by DPPH free-radical-scavenging assays. Differences among corn varieties were observed for all parameters at all maturity stages, and the interactions between maturity stage and corn variety were significant. TPC and TAC were highest at the milky stage, whereas TFC and AA were highest at the silking stage. TPC, TFC and AA were highest in super sweet corn and white corn at the silking stage. PWC5 variety of purple waxy corn at the milky stage had the highest values for all parameters, and it is useful for further development of functional food products. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rats' preferences for corn versus wood-based bedding and nesting materials.

PubMed

Ras, T; van de Ven, M; Patterson-Kane, E G; Nelson, K

2002-10-01

Corn by-products can be used as bedding and nesting products. Corn-cob bedding resists ammonia build-up and corn-husk nesting material resists dampness. It is not clear whether these advantages are at the expense of animal comfort. Corn cob was compared to aspen chip bedding, and corn husk to paper strip nesting material. Data from 20 rats with differential early bedding experience suggested that they prefer aspen chip, but are also biased towards the bedding they were raised on. Data from 10 rats with no prior nesting material experience suggested that paper strip was preferred over cornhusk. Thus, corn-cob products are not recommended except in situations where air quality and/or flooding are significant problems.

Aflatoxin contamination in corn sold for wildlife feed in texas.

PubMed

Dunham, Nicholas R; Peper, Steven T; Downing, Carson D; Kendall, Ronald J

2017-05-01

Supplemental feeding with corn to attract and manage deer is a common practice throughout Texas. Other species, including northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), are commonly seen feeding around supplemental deer feeders. In many cases, supplemental feeding continues year-round so feed supply stores always have supplemental corn in stock. Fluctuating weather and improper storage of corn can lead to and/or amplify aflatoxin contamination. Due to the recent decline of bobwhites throughout the Rolling Plains ecoregion of Texas, there has been interest in finding factors such as toxins that could be linked to their decline. In this study, we purchased and sampled supplemental corn from 19 locations throughout this ecoregion to determine if aflatoxin contamination was present in individual bags prior to being dispersed to wildlife. Of the 57 bags sampled, 33 bags (approximately 58%) contained aflatoxin with a bag range between 0.0-19.91 parts per billion (ppb). Additionally, three metal and three polypropylene supplemental feeders were each filled with 45.4 kg of triple cleaned corn and placed in an open field to study long-term aflatoxin buildup. Feeders were sampled every 3 months from November 2013-November 2014. Average concentration of aflatoxin over the year was 4.08 ± 2.53 ppb (±SE) in metal feeders, and 1.43 ± 0.89 ppb (±SE) in polypropylene feeders. The concentration of aflatoxins is not affected by the type of feeder (metal vs polypropylene), the season corn was sampled, and the location in the feeder (top, middle, bottom) where corn is sampled. It is unlikely that corn used in supplemental feeders is contributing to the bobwhite decline due to the low levels of aflatoxin found in purchased corn and long-term storage of corn used in supplemental feeders.

Mild alkaline presoaking and organosolv pretreatment of corn stover and their impacts on corn stover composition, structure, and digestibility.

PubMed

Qing, Qing; Zhou, Linlin; Guo, Qi; Gao, Xiaohang; Zhang, Yan; He, Yucai; Zhang, Yue

2017-06-01

An efficient strategy was developed in current work for biochemical conversion of carbohydrates of corn stover into monosaccharides. Corn stover was first presoaked in mild alkaline solution (1% Na 2 S) under 40°C for 4h, after which about 35.3% of the lignin was successfully removed while the specific surface area was notably enlarged. Then the presoaked solids were subjected to organosolv pretreatment that employed 20% methanol with an addition of 0.2% HCl as catalyst at 160°C for 20min, and the maximum total sugar yield of the pretreated corn stover achieved was 98.6%. The intact structure of corn stover was disrupted by this two-step process, which resulted in a porous but crystalline structure of the regenerated solids that were mainly composed of cellulose. The enlarged specific surface area and increased accessibility made the regenerated solids highly digestible by a moderate enzyme loading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vertical Transmission of a Drosophila Endosymbiont Via Cooption of the Yolk Transport and Internalization Machinery

PubMed Central

Herren, Jeremy K.; Paredes, Juan C.; Schüpfer, Fanny; Lemaitre, Bruno

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Spiroplasma is a diverse bacterial clade that includes many vertically transmitted insect endosymbionts, including Spiroplasma poulsonii, a natural endosymbiont of Drosophila melanogaster. These bacteria persist in the hemolymph of their adult host and exhibit efficient vertical transmission from mother to offspring. In this study, we analyzed the mechanism that underlies their vertical transmission, and here we provide strong evidence that these bacteria use the yolk uptake machinery to colonize the germ line. We show that Spiroplasma reaches the oocyte by passing through the intercellular space surrounding the ovarian follicle cells and is then endocytosed into oocytes within yolk granules during the vitellogenic stages of oogenesis. Mutations that disrupt yolk uptake by oocytes inhibit vertical Spiroplasma transmission and lead to an accumulation of these bacteria outside the oocyte. Impairment of yolk secretion by the fat body results in Spiroplasma not reaching the oocyte and a severe reduction of vertical transmission. We propose a model in which Spiroplasma first interacts with yolk in the hemolymph to gain access to the oocyte and then uses the yolk receptor, Yolkless, to be endocytosed into the oocyte. Cooption of the yolk uptake machinery is a powerful strategy for endosymbionts to target the germ line and achieve vertical transmission. This mechanism may apply to other endosymbionts and provides a possible explanation for endosymbiont host specificity. PMID:23462112

Stunting Is Associated with Food Diversity while Wasting with Food Insecurity among Underfive Children in East and West Gojjam Zones of Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Motbainor, Achenef; Worku, Alemayehu; Kumie, Abera

2015-01-01

Food insecurity has detrimental effects in protecting child undernutrition.This study sought to determine the level of child undernutrition and its association with food insecurity. A community based comparative cross-sectional study design involving multistage sampling technique was implemented from 24th of May to 20th of July 2013. Using two population proportion formula, a total of 4110 randomly selected households were included in the study. Availability of the productive safety net programme was used for grouping the study areas. A multiple linear regression model was used to assess the association between food insecurity and child malnutrition. Clustering effects of localities were controlled during analysis. Stunting (37.5%), underweight (22.0%) and wasting (17.1%) were observed in East Gojjam zone, while 38.3% stunting, 22.5% underweight, and 18.6% wasting for the West Gojjam zone. Food insecurity was significantly associated with wasting (β = - 0.108, P < 0.05).Food diversity and number of meals the child ate per day significantly associated with stunting (β = 0.039, P < 0.01) and underweight (β = 0.035, P < 0.05) respectively. Residential area was the significant predictor of all indices. The magnitude of child undernutrition was found to be very high in the study areas. Food insecurity was the significant determinant of wasting. Food diversity and number of meals the child ate per day were the significant determinants of stunting and underweight respectively. Child nutrition intervention strategies should take into account food security, dietary diversity, and carefully specified with regard to residential locations. Addressing food insecurity is of paramount importance.