Annals of Human Biology最新文献

Background: Very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are at risk for growth failure and poor neurodevelopment. Optimised parenteral nutrition may help promote optimal growth and development, but concerns that provision of enhanced nutrition may contribute to increased early adiposity and later metabolic disease remain.

Aim: To determine associations between provision of an early enhanced parenteral nutrition protocol or standard parenteral nutrition protocol and growth and body composition for VLBW preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Subjects: This is a secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial aimed at assessing the feasibility and safety of randomising VLBW preterm infants to Standard (n = 45) or Intervention (n = 42) parenteral nutrition groups between August 2017 and June 2019.

Methods: We evaluated associations between weekly infant growth and body composition measurements from n = 55 infants (Standard = 29, Intervention = 26) that were clinically stable enough to have body composition measurements taken before discharge using mixed effects linear regression models.

Result: No statistically significant associations between nutrition group and infant growth or body composition measures were observed (p >.05).

Conclusion: In this pilot trial, enhanced parenteral nutrition in the first week of life was not associated with significant differences in infant growth or body composition during hospitalisation.

Background: Inbreeding, arising from consanguinity between related parents, has been observed to impact the health of individuals, typically attributed to biological factors. Nevertheless, these effects may be influenced by the social and environmental conditions. The prevalence of consanguineous marriages increased in certain parts of Sweden after it became legal in 1844, which offers a unique opportunity to study and understand the effects of inbreeding on health.

Aim: The objective of this study is to explore the potential impact of inbreeding on the longevity, fertility, and impairments of individuals born in the Skellefteå region, Sweden, between 1890 and 1905, with a follow-up period extending until 1950.

Subjects and methods: The level of inbreeding is calculated using micro-level parish register data and related to longevity, fertility, and impairments using regression analysis.

Results: Inbreeding is shown to be associated with longevity, fertility, and impairments. It seems to affect the risk of stillbirth and impairments and male longevity and fertility.

Conclusion: Inbreeding seems to have had a detrimental effect on some health outcomes in this historical population under study.

Context: Robust associations have been identified between fertility during adolescence and the disablement process, including pathologies, impairments, functional limitations and disability. Limited theoretical or empirical research considers how and why such relationships exist generally or with the individual associated components of disablement.

Objective: To consolidate and critically evaluate literature to describe testable, theory-based hypotheses to guide future research on the mechanisms by which fertility during adolescence contributes to disablement.

Methods: Targeted literature review of research from diverse global settings contextualised in two well-accepted theoretical frameworks in life-course epidemiology: the cumulative risk model and the critical period approach.

Results: Five hypothesised causal pathways linking adolescent fertility to disablement in later life are described: 1) Causal relationship initiated by fertility during adolescence; 2) Common cause(s) for both, such as adverse childhood experiences; 3) Contributing cause(s) to adolescent fertility; 4) Interaction between adolescent fertility and other risk factors; and 5) Critical period effects unique to adolescence. Most research on the topic is on pathologies versus functional limitations and disability.

Conclusion: We highlight promising research avenues to inform future research and interventions on adolescent fertility and the disablement process. This work provides theoretical clarity, identifies research gaps, and offers hypotheses-testing opportunities for future research.

Background: Short tandem repeat (STR) markers are widely used in forensic DNA analysis due to their ability to provide automated and standardised typing. However, incorrect STR typing can have a significant impact on forensic outcomes.

Aim: In this study, we detected drop-out alleles at the SE33 locus in a putative father-son pair using the Microreader^™ 28 A ID System. This result could lead to a false conclusion of non-paternity.

Subjects and methods: To investigate the cause of the drop-out alleles, we developed a nest and touch-down PCR program for Sanger sequencing of the SE33 locus. Subsequently, we investigated the mutation frequency in 300 unrelated individuals and reviewed the results of 429 paternity tests.

Results: The results showed that the frequency of the G > T mutation at this locus was less than 0.01, which is a novel and rare mutation. Our analysis revealed a novel G > T mutation in the primer-binding region of both samples, which was a rare single-nucleotide mutation site in the Chinese population. This variation was found to be responsible for the drop-out alleles observed in the samples.

Conclusion: Our findings have important implications for optimising primer design and constructing DNA databases for forensic analysis.

Background: Growth charts are the most commonly used tool for evaluating the development and nutrition of children. The UAE had its first chart produced 30 years ago.

Aim: The goal of the present study was to derive updated growth charts based on the current UAE child population. A national cross-sectional study involving children in all the seven Emirates that comprise the UAE was undertaken (UAEMCGS 2 study- the United Arab Emirates Multi-Centre Growth Study 2).

Subjects and methods: Anthropometric measurements (height/length and weight) were made on 20,998 children of both sexes from birth to 18 years of age. Growth charts were constructed using the LMS method and are presented.

Results: On comparing the 1992 and the 2021 UAE growth charts it was found that there was a significant increase in the height of Emirati children at ages 4 and 5 years in 2021.

Conclusion: The children's heights and weights in this study were generally larger than those of the UAE children measured in 1992, and the countries in the WHO study, but were generally smaller than those of USA children as seen from the CDC charts.

Background: The haplotypes from Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Kazakhstan, analysed for 27 Y-STR loci, have been contributed to the Y-Chromosome STR Haplotype Reference Database, while the genetic profile of Central Kazakhstan remains inadequately explored.

Aim: To investigate the genetic diversity of 27 Y-STR loci in the Kazakh populations from Central Kazakhstan.

Subjects and methods: A total of 112 unrelated Central Kazakh males were genotyped via the Yfiler Plus kit. Data analysis yielded haplotype and allele frequencies, and forensic parameters. Genetic distances were graphically represented by a multidimensional scaling plot, with genetic linkages further elucidated through Nei's distance dendrograms and Median-joining networks.

Results: A total of 102 haplotypes were detected, of which 96 were unique. The haplotype diversity and discrimination capacity were 0.997 and 0.91, respectively. Central Kazakhstan displays a unique cluster in analyses, underscoring its distinct Y-chromosome diversity compared to other Kazakh regions. The analysis of the Naiman tribe, predominantly residing in Central, Southern and Eastern Kazakhstan, revealed three genetic clusters of distinct haplogroups associated with their clans.

Conclusions: The identified haplotypes will enhance the existing reference database for Y-chromosomal studies in Kazakhstan, offering a robust tool for future research in population genetics, forensic science and genetic genealogy.