The interrelation among maternal dietary intake, pregravid weight, amount and pattern of gestational weight gain and cigarette smoking in influencing the balance between fetal growth and maternal postpartum weight retention was in investigated in 1,330 healthy participants in the PEI Nutritional Counselling Program. Among nonsmokers, gestational weight gain was the main predictor of postpartum weight retention and explained 65.3% of its variability, while explaining only 4.7% of infant birth weight variability. Women with higher postpartum weight retention gained more weight during pregnancy and most of the difference between higher and lower weight retention groups occurred in the first 20 weeks. When comparing infant size between smoking and nonsmoking mothers, birth weight increased linearly with maternal weight gain in all weight status groups except in overweight nonsmokers where birth weight reached a plateau at weight gains $>$17 kg. Among smokers, infant length increased at a higher rate with weight gain than nonsmokers. Although higher weight gains seemed to partially mitigate the effect of smoking on the risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, such risk remained $>$10% at elevated weight gains among underweight smokers. The effects of smoking in reducing maternal and infant weights were not mediated by lower energy intake, as smokers consumed more energy than nonsmokers after controlling for physical activity and pregravid weight. The independent relative risks of SGA infants due to maternal smoking, pregravid underweight and low weight gain, were 3.23, 1.80 and 1.72 respectively, implying that smoking has the greatest effect on SGA. Based on current smoking prevalence in Canada, the population etiologic fraction of SGA due to the direct effect of smoking is 30.8%; approximately twice that for maternal underweight or low weight gain. Efforts to increase infant birth weight through higher maternal weight gain would require impractically high ene

Cache Valley virus (CVV) induced malformations have been previously reproduced in ovine fetuses; however, no studies have established the CVV infection sequence of the cells targeted by the virus or the development of the antiviral response of the early, infected fetus that results in viral clearance before development of immunocompetency. To address these questions, ovine fetuses at 35 dg were inoculated in utero with CVV and euthanized at 7, 10, 14, 21 and 28 dpi. On postmortem examination arthrogryposis and oligohydramnios were observed in some infected fetuses. Morphologic studies showed necrosis in the central nervous system (CNS) and skeletal muscle of earlier infected fetuses and hydrocephalus, micromyelia and muscular loss in later infected fetuses. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, intense CVV viral antigenic signal was detected in the brain, spinal cord, skeletal muscles and fetal membranes of infected fetuses. Viral signal decreased in targeted and infected tissues with the progression of the infection. To determine specific cell types targeted by CVV in the CNS, indirect immunofluorescence was applied to sections of the CNS using a double labeling technique with antibodies against CVV together with antibodies against neurons, astrocytes and microglia. CVV viral antigen was shown within the cytoplasm of neurons in the brain and spinal cord. No viral signal was observed in microglial cells; however, infected animals had marked microgliosis. The antiviral immune response in immature fetuses infected with CVV was evaluated. Gene expression associated with an innate, immune response was quantified by real-time, quantitative PCR. Upregulated genes in infected fetuses included ISG15, Mx1, Mx2, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-?, TLR-7 and TLR-8. The amount of Mx protein, an interferon stimulated GTPase capable of restricting growth of bunyaviruses, was elevated in the allantoic and amniotic fluid in infected fetuses. ISG15 protein expression was significantly increased in target tissues of infected animals. B lymphocytes and immunoglobulin-positive cells were detected in lymphoid tissues and in the meninges of infected animals. This demonstrated that the infected ovine fetus is able to stimulate an innate and adaptive immune response before immunocompetency that presumably contributes to viral clearance in infected animals.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship- between prenatal weight gain relative to initial weight and change in smoking habits relative to prepregnancy smoking habits on infant birth weight. The convenience sample was 100 women who had been prenatal clients at a clinic for low income women and who delivered term infants during a one year period. Women were selected who had term deliveries and were without medical problems during the pregnancy.Prepregnancy weight-for-height was determined using the 1959 Metropolitan Life Insurance Table. Weight gain throughout the pregnancy was charted on the appropriate graph. Changes in smoking habits during the pregnancy were evaluated verbally. Roy's Adaptation Model was the conceptual framework for this study. The physiological mode of this model depicts people as individuals who are constantly adapting to a changing environment. Procedures for the protection of human subjects were followed.The first research question illustrated that women who gained adequate weight and reduced or quit smoking had infants with higher birth weights. The second research question showed that, overall, women who quit or reduced the amount smoked early in pregnancy had infants with higher birth weights than women who quit or reduced later in pregnancy or-who did not change smoking habits. The third research question determined that nonsmokers had infants with higher birth weights than smokers.Women who smoke will have infants with lower birth weights than those that do not smoke. Women with inadequate weight gains during pregnancy are more likely to have infants: with lower birth weights than women with adequate weight gains. Health care providers must be able to relay, the risks of inadequate weight gain and smoking to pregnant women. / School of Nursing

The pathogen Campylobacter fetus (CF) is classified into two subspecies, Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (CFF) and Campylobacter fetus subspecies venerealis (CFV). Even though CFF and CFV are genetically closely related, they exhibit differences in their host adaptation; CFF inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and several animal species, while classical CFV is specific to the bovine genital tract and is of particular concern with respect to international bovine trade regulation. Traditionally, differentiation between the two subspecies has been achieved using a limited number of biochemical tests but more rapid and definitive genetic methods of discrimination are desired. A recent study suggested that the presence of a genomic island only in CFV could discriminate between the two sub- species but this hypothesis could not be confirmed on a collection of isolates originating in Canada. To identify alternative gene targets that would support accurate subspecies discrimination, this study has applied several approaches including suppression subtractive hybridization and whole genome sequencing supplemented with optical mapping. A subtractive hybridization screen, using a well-characterized CFV isolate recovered during routine screening of bulls in an Artificial Insemination center in western Canada and that lacked much of the genomic island and a typical Canadian CFF isolate, yielded 50 clones; characterization of these clones by hybridization screening against selected CF isolates and by nucleotide sequence BLAST analysis identified three potentially CFV-specific clones that contained inserts originating from a second genomic island. Further screening using a larger CF sample set found that only Clone #35 was truly CFV-specific. Optical maps (NcoI digest) of the Canadian CFF and CFV isolates used for the subtractive hybridization showed that certain regions of these genomes were quite distinct from those of two reference strains. Whole genome sequencing of these two isolates identified two target genes (PICFV5_ORF548 and CFF_Feature #3) that appear to be selectively retained in the two subspecies. Screening of a collection of CF isolates by PCRs targeting these three loci (SSH_Clone #35, PICFV5_ORF548 and CFF_Feature #3) supported their use for subspecies discrimination. This work demonstrates the complex genomic diversity associated with these CF subtypes and the challenge posed by their discrimination using limited genetic loci.

Magistro baigiamajam darbe yra 41 puslapis, 3 lentelės ir 15 paveikslų, bei 30 naudotų literatūros šaltinių. Baigiamojo darbo tikslas nustatyti embrionų ir vaisių dydį, matoma ultrasonografu, ankstyvosios veršingumo diagnostikos metu, priklausomai nuo karvių amţiaus ir laktacijos fazės. Šiame magistro baigiamajame darbe aprašomi įvairus veiksniai, kurie turi įtakos embriono ir vaisiaus vystymuisi bei ištirta jo priklausomybę nuo amţiaus ir laktacijos fazės. Tam tikslui buvo išrinkti tiriamieji gyvūnai atsiţvelgiant į laikotarpį, praėjusį po apsėklinimo. Tokiu būdu, buvo atrinktos karvės, kurių veršingumo dienos buvo nuo 32 iki 53 (n = 59), laktacijos nuo 1 iki 4 (1 laktacijos n = 18, 2 laktacijos n = 11, 3 laktacijos n = 17, 4 laktacijos n = 13), skirtingų laktacijos fazių (iki 150 laktacijos dienos n = 28, nuo 150 laktacijos dienos n = 31). Šie gyvuliai buvo atrinkti tam, kad ištirtumėme embriono/vaisiaus vystymosi skirtumą tarp 1-2 (jaunesnių – 1oji grupė) ir 3-4 (vyresnių – 2oji grupė) laktacijos karvių. Laktacijos fazių grupės buvo sudaromos atsiţvelgiant į tai, jog pirmoje laktacijos fazėje karvės duoda daugiau pieno, tačiau pasisavina maţiau maisto medţiagų, o antros laktacijos fazėje pieno produkcija maţėja, tokių būdu daugiau maisto medţiagų turėtų atitekti vaisiui/embrionui. Šių karvių laikymo sąlygos visiškai nesiskyrė nuo likusių ūkyje laikomų gyvulių. Tyrimai buvo atliekami karves tiriant ultragarso aparatu, naudojant Lenkišką ultragarso prietaisą „iScan... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of this research is to determine the apparent size of the embryo and fetus in early pregnancy, depending on cow’s age and phase of lactation, using abdominal ultrasound technology. In this article various factors which affect embryonic and fetal development were described, also the relationship between age and phase of lactation was explored. Animals for research were selected according to the post insemination period. The selected cows were between 32nd and 53rd day of gestation (1 lactation n = 18, 2 lactation n = 11, 3 lactation n = 17, 4 lactation n = 13), between 1st and 4th lactation and in different lactation phases (ante 150th day of lactation n = 28, post 150th day of lactation n = 31).The evaluation of difference in development of embryo/fetus was between cows in 1-2 (jounger – I gruop) and 3-4 (older – II group) lactation. Lactation phase groups were created based on the fact that lactation in the first phase is heavier, thus leaving cow malnutritioned, while in the second phase decreases due to quick fetus growth. The examination was performed using polish ultrasonic device “iScan Dramiński”. During the examination the embryo/fetus was searched in the horns of the uterus and pictured. The pictures of the best quality were used for the measurements of the embryo/fetus surface, length and width. For the calculation, performance and statistical evaluation of obtained data Microsoft Office Excel was used. Summarizing, it was found that depending on the age of... [to full text]

This thesis presents quantitative tools for the metabolomic analysis of amniotic fluid (AF) using vibrational spectroscopy. A total of 300 AF samples were collected for this retrospective cohort study and both Raman and near infrared (NIR) spectra were measured. Spectral data was compressed using a Haar wavelet transform and stage-wise multilinear regression (MLR). Calibration models were calculated for glucose, lactate and uric acid concentrations in AF. Birth weight, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and gestational age were classified with the resulting compressed Raman and NIR spectra, using a genetic algorithm (GA) and a cross-validation approach. Results show that both Raman and NIR spectra of AF were not able to estimate the concentrations of glucose, lactate or uric acid with high precision. However, metabolomic analysis of AF Raman and NIR spectra was capable of estimating the development of GDM, abnormal birth weights as well as gestational ages with sensitivities >75% and specificities >77%. In addition, Raman and NIR metabolomic profiles showed a statistical difference in patients delivering preterm. Of the two spectroscopic analyses studied, NIR spectroscopy of AF has the potential to become a robust and non-invasive diagnostic tool for maternal and fetal health.

The effect of maternal dietary glucose on perinatal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) gene expression was investigated in this study. Pregnant rats were fed isoclaoric diets containing graded levels of glucose (0%, 12%, 24% and 60%) from gestation day 2 to lactation day 15. The developmental profiles of PEPCK gene expression in fetal and neonatal liver and kidney were analyzed by northern blot. In the liver, feeding glucose free and glucose restriction (12% and 24%) diets precociously induced PEPCK gene expression at day 21 of gestation. In the kidney, PEPCK mRNA (2.8 kb) was detected at birth in the glucose free group, 12-16 hours postnatally in control group; it was not visualized until day 3 in the 12% and 24% glucose restriction groups. In our study, two species of RNA (1.8 kb and 2.8 kb) were hybridized with PEPCK cDNA probes, and there was a relationship between maternal dietary glucose levels and the 1.8 kb RNA fragment in the kidney.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1985. / Bibliography: leaves 210-235. / Photocopy. / Microfilm. / xiv, 235 leaves, bound 29 cm

This thesis reports the effects of an altered intrauterine environment on the offspring???s renal, cardiovascular and renin angiotensin systems. After a midgestational asphyxial episode in fetal sheep (30 min total umbilical cord occlusion at 90 days; term 150 days) the hydrops that resulted had not completely resolved by 130 days. While the heart and kidneys were apparently unaffected, the brain and lung weights were 37% and 50% lower than sham values, respectively and there were joint contractures. The effects of maternal renal disease on the offspring were investigated. Although in utero fetuses of subtotally nephrectomised ewes (STNx) had altered urine flow rates, sodium excretion, haematocrits, plasma chloride and plasma renin levels, by 1-2 weeks after birth these values in the lambs (STNxL) were similar to controls (ConL) under baseline conditions. Body weight and the weights of most organs were similar, including the kidney, in which glomerular number was normal. In the neonatal period, the lambs were subjected to four challenges: furosemide (2 mg/kg intravenous bolus), infusion of angiotensin II and phenylephrine, intravenous infusion of 0.15M saline (50 ml/kg over 30 min) and haemorrhage (20% estimated blood volume over 10 min). These challenges revealed evidence of programming of several aspects of the renal, cardiovascular and renin angiotensin systems in the STNx offspring. As young adults at 6 months of age, male and female offspring of STNx ewes were normotensive and had normal renal function. On a high salt diet (HSD, 0.17M NaCl in 8L water for 5-7days), female offspring of both groups did not become hypertensive. However, the STNx offspring must have retained salt and water as plasma sodium was increased and haematocrit was decreased. In the STNx offspring only, there was a relationship between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and mean arterial pressure, indicating an inability to maintain a constant GFR in response to changes in arterial pressure.

Bibliography: leaves 192-212. / xv, 212 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / The present study investigates the relationships between fetal growth, as manifest in size and shape at birth, and later blood pressure and blood lipids, in an Australian cohort. Data on these outcomes for cohort members at age 8 years are available from a previous study. Birth details (body weight, placental weight, head circumference, chest circumference and length) are abstracted from hospital records. In addition, a follow up of cohort members is undertaken to collect new data pertaining to the two cardiovascular risk factors at 20 years of age. Socio-economic circumstances are characterised at birth, age 8 and age 20. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Public Health, 1997?