Care for Child Development: an intervention in support of responsive caregiving and early child development.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 43% of children younger than 5 years of age are at elevated risk of failing to achieve their human potential. In response, the World Health Organization and UNICEF developed Care for Child Development (CCD), based on the science of child development, to improve sensitive and responsive caregiving and promote the psychosocial development of young children. METHODS: In 2015, the World Health Organization and UNICEF identified sites where CCD has been implemented and sustained. The sites were surveyed, and responses were followed up by phone interviews. Project reports provided information on additional sites, and a review of published studies was undertaken to document the effectiveness of CCD for improving child and family outcomes, as well as its feasibility for implementation in resource-constrained communities. RESULTS: The inventory found that CCD had been integrated into existing services in diverse sectors in 19 countries and 23 sites, including child survival, health, nutrition, infant day care, early education, family and child protection and services for children with disabilities. Published and unpublished evaluations have found that CCD interventions can improve child development, growth and health, as well as responsive caregiving. It has also been reported to reduce maternal depression, a known risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes and poor child health, growth and development. Although CCD has expanded beyond initial implementation sites, only three countries reported having national policy support for integrating CCD into health or other services. CONCLUSIONS: Strong interest exists in many countries to move beyond child survival to protect and support optimal child development. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals depend on children realizing their potential to build healthy and emotionally, cognitively and socially competent future generations. More studies are needed to guide the integration of the CCD approach under different conditions. Nevertheless, the time is right to provide for the scale-up of CCD as part of services for families and children.

Genome-wide association analysis of clinical vs. nonclinical origin provides insights into Saccharomyces cerevisiae pathogenesis.

Because domesticated Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains have been used to produce fermented food and beverages for centuries without apparent health implications, S. cerevisiae has always been considered a Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) microorganism. However, the number of reported mucosal and systemic S. cerevisiae infections in the human population has increased and fatal infections have occurred even in relatively healthy individuals. In order to gain insight into the pathogenesis of S. cerevisiae and improve our understanding of the emergence of fungal pathogens, we performed a population-based genome-wide environmental association analysis of clinical vs. nonclinical origin in S. cerevisiae. Using tiling array-based, high-density genotypes of 44 clinical and 44 nonclinical S. cerevisiae strains from diverse geographical origins and source substrates, we identified several genetic loci associated with clinical background in S. cerevisiae. Associated polymorphisms within the coding sequences of VRP1, KIC1, SBE22 and PDR5, and the 5' upstream region of YGR146C indicate the importance of pseudohyphal formation, robust cell wall maintenance and cellular detoxification for S. cerevisiae pathogenesis, and constitute good candidates for follow-up verification of virulence and virulence-related factors underlying the pathogenicity of S. cerevisiae.

Triple-barrel organization of ENaC, a cloned epithelial Na+ channel.

A cloned rat epithelial Na+ channel (rENaC) was studied in planar lipid bilayers. Two forms of the channel were examined: channels produced by the alpha subunit alone and those formed by alpha, beta, and gamma subunits. The protein was derived from two sources: either from in vitro translation reaction followed by Sephadex column purification or from heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes and isolation of plasma membranes. We found that either alpha-rENaC alone or alpha- in combination with beta- and gamma-rENaC, produced highly Na(+)-selective (PNa/PK = 10), amiloride-sensitive (Kamili = 170 nM), and mechanosensitive cation channels in planar bilayers. alpha-rENaC displayed a complicated gating mechanism: there was a nearly constitutively open 13-picosiemens (pS) state and a second 40-pS level that was achieved from the 13-pS level by a 26-pS transition. alpha-, beta-, gamma-rENaC showed primarily the 13-pS level. alpha-rENaC and alpha,beta,gamma-rENaC channels studied by patch clamp displayed the same gating pattern, albeit with > 2-fold lowered conductance levels, i.e. 6 and 18 pS, respectively. Upon treatment of either channel with the sulfhydryl reducing agent dithiothreitol, both channels fluctuated among three independent 13-pS sublevels. Bathing each channel with a high salt solution (1.5 M NaCl) produced stochastic openings of 19 and 38 pS in magnitude between all three conductance levels. Different combinations of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-rENaC in the reconstitution mixture did not produce channels of intermediate conductance levels. These findings suggest that functional ENaC is composed of three identical conducting elements and that their gating is concerted.

[Widows and widowers in the Netherlands, 1900-1984]. / Weduwen en weduwnaars in Nederland, 1900-1984

PIP: An analysis of trends in widowhood and widowerhood in the Netherlands from 1900 to 1984 is presented. Data are from the Personal Cards of the population register, on which all vital events from birth to death are recorded for each individual. Changes over time are described, as are regional variations. (summary in ENG)^ieng

[Marriages and marrying persons per municipality, 1982]. / Huwelijkssluiting en huwenden per gemeente, 1982

PIP: Marriage patterns in the Netherlands in 1982 are analyzed. The data concern all marriages taking place in each community and the number of persons getting married who reside in that community. Several methods are presented that allow comparisons between these two types of data. (summary in ENG)^ieng

[Differences in regional marital fertility, 1970/1971-1982]. / Regionale huwelijksvruchtbaarheidsverschillen 1970/1971-1982

PIP: In 1982, the Netherlands marital fertility rate decreased further. It was only in Zeeland, in the southwestern part of the country, that the rate was higher than in 1981. Table 1 shows that in 1982 all these rates were below 100, something which had never before occurred. In 1970-71, all provincial marital fertility rates were still above that level. In 1982, the differences between the regional marital fertility rates were higher than in 1981. This was due mostly to the changing marital fertility rates in Zeeland, the COROP region of Zuidwest-Friesland, and the economic geographic regions of Urk and Noordoostpolder. The differences between the regional marital fertility rates are measured by both the standard deviation and the coefficient of the variation. The former quantity measures the absolute differences, whereas the latter expresses the relative differences. In graph 2, both the standard deviations and the coefficients of variation concerning the marital fertility rates of provinces, COROP regions, and economic geographic regions are shown. Clearly, their developments were not entirely identical with the passage of time. Between 1972-79, the provincial coefficients of variation decreased continuously whereas that of the economic geographic regions showed a slight upward trend. In order to ascertain the reasons behind this, 2 models (1 and 2) were introduced in which "h" denotes the marital fertility rate of the Netherlands as a whole, "a" connotes the provincial surplus, and "bij" that of the COROP region "j" or economic region geographic region "j", respectively, in the province "i". However, since the study aims at decomposing the total deviation square into an intraprovincial part and interprovincial "an" part, the "ai" were chosen in such a way that (A5) or (A6) holds, respectively. The intraprovincial parts under models (1) and (2) can then be expressed as (3) and (4) respectively. Graph 3 shows the intraprovincial parts for both COROP regions and economic geographic regions. It is seen that for the 1st region the total square deviation is split into almost equal parts. With the economic geographic regions, the intraprovincial part is much larger, about 80%. Further, the intraprovincial parts for COROP regions and the economic geographic regions follow about the same pattern. Graph 2 shows that a long period of decreasing provincial marital fertility rates is followed by a substantial increase in 1980.^ieng

[Population forecasts in 1980, an analysis of mortality by cause of death]. / Prognose 1980, een analyse van de sterfte naar doodsoorzaak

The methods of projecting future mortality in official forecasts of population growth in the Netherlands are described. In particular, it is noted that the projected sex, age, and marital status specific death rates were not split up by causes of death. An analysis of mortality from 1980 to 1990 is presented, and it is shown that "the life expectancies calculated for extrapolated death rates split up by group of causes of death hardly differ from those where such a split up is not made. According to the figures presented...the differences never exceed 0.2 years. From these figures it cannot be concluded that splitting up the death rates by groups of causes of death in the national population forecasts would lead to significantly different results as far as mortality is concerned." (summary in ENG)

[Children born in the Netherlands by birth order, 1960-1981]. / Geborenen in Nederland naar rangnummer, 1960-1981

PIP: Trends in birth order in the Netherlands are analyzed from 1960 to 1981. It is noted that the proportion of first and second order births has increased substantially, whereas the proportion of birth orders of four and above has declined drastically. It is also noted that although the proportion of third order births declined up to 1975, it has subsequently increased. The reasons for these changes are discussed, with particular reference to changes in age distribution and in the number of aliens in the country. (summary in ENG)^ieng