Dietary aspects of cow's milk allergy in young children

Cow s milk allergy (CMA) affects about 2-6% of infants and young children. Environmental factors during early life are suggested to play a role in the development of allergic diseases. One of these factors is likely to be maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation. The association between maternal diet and development of CMA in offspring is not well known, but diet could contain factors that facilitate development of tolerance. After an established food allergy, another issue is gaining tolerance towards an antigen that causes symptoms. The strictness of the elimination depends on the individual level of tolerance. This study aimed at validating a questionnaire used to inquire about food allergies in children, at researching associations between maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation and subsequent development of cow s milk allergy in the offspring, and at evaluating the degree of adherence to a therapeutic elimination diet of children with CMA and factors associated with the adherence and age of recovery. These research questions were addressed in a prospective birth cohort born between 1997 and 2004 at the Tampere and Oulu University Hospitals. Altogether 6753 children of the Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Nutrition cohort were investigated. Questionnaires regarding allergic diseases are often used in studies without validation. High-quality valid tools are therefore needed. Two validation studies were conducted here: one by comparing parentally reported food allergies with information gathered from patient records of 1122 children, and the other one by comparing parentally reported CMA with information in the reimbursement records of special infant formulae in the registers of the Social Insurance Institution for 6753 children. Both of these studies showed that the questionnaire works well and is a valid tool for measuring food allergies in children. In the first validation study, Cohen s kappa values were within 0.71-0.88 for CMA, 0.74-0.82 for cereal allergy, and 0.66-0.86 for any reported food allergy. In the second validation study, the kappa value was 0.79, sensitivity 0.958, and specificity 0.965 for reported and diagnosed CMA. To investigate the associations between maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation and CMA in offspring, 6288 children were studied. Maternal diet during pregnancy (8th month) and lactation (3rd month) was assessed by a validated, 181-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and as an endpoint register-based information on diagnosed CMA was obtained from the Social Insurance Institution and complemented with parental reports of CMA in their children. The associations between maternal food consumption and CMA in offspring were analyzed by logistic regression comparing the highest and lowest quarters with two middle quarters of consumption and adjusted for several potential confounding factors. High maternal intake of milk products (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.86 p = 0.002) was associated with a lower risk of CMA in offspring. When stratified according to maternal allergic rhinitis or asthma, a protective association of high use of milk products with CMA was seen in children of allergy-free mothers (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13 - 0.69, p < 0.001), but not in children of allergic mothers. Moreover, low maternal consumption of fish during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of CMA in children of mothers with allergic rhinitis or asthma (OR 1.47, 95% CI 0.96 - 2.27 for the lowest quarter, p = 0.043). In children of nonallergic mothers, this association was not seen. Maternal diet during lactation was not associated with CMA in offspring, apart from an inverse association between citrus and kiwi fruit consumption and CMA. These results imply that maternal diet during pregnancy may contain factors protective against CMA in offspring, more so than maternal diet during lactation. These results need to be confirmed in other studies before giving recommendations to the public. To evaluate the degree of adherence to a therapeutic elimination diet in children with diagnosed CMA, food records of 267 children were studied. Subsequent food records were examined to assess the age at reintroduction of milk products to the child s diet. Nine of ten families adhered to the elimination diet of the child with extreme accuracy. Older and monosensitized children had more often small amounts of cow s milk protein in their diet (p < 0.001 for both). Adherence to the diet was not related to any other sociodemographic factor studied or to the age at reintroduction of milk products to the diet. Low intakes of vitamin D, calcium, and riboflavin are of concern in children following a cow s milk-free diet. In summary, we found that the questionnaires used in the DIPP study are valid in investigating CMA in young children; that there are associations between maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation and the development of CMA in offspring; and that the therapeutic elimination diet in children with diagnosed CMA is rigorously adhered to.

Tavallisuudesta tyylikkyyteen? : Sukupuoli ja maku kodinmuutosohjelmissa

The study focuses on the Finnish home makeover shows Inno (2004 , Nelonen) and Kodin kääntöpiiri (2001 2005; YLE TV2) and their episodes broadcast in spring 2004. The research material also includes the websites of both shows and messages concerning Inno from an online discussion forum. As people decorate their homes and reflect on them, they engage in negotiations of taste and in the construction of the ideal self. The main question of the study is: how are representations of the gendered self produced in home makeover shows? The broader theoretical and methodological context of the study is based on intersectionality, or simultaneous study of different identity categories. In this study, the main focus is on the intersections of gender, class and sexuality. Hence, the secondary research question is: how do ways of doing gender intersect with producing the ideas of class and sexuality in the representations of home makeover shows? The theoretical framework of the study combines Judith Butler s theory of gender performativity and Pierre Bourdieu s theory of taste. The analysis is founded upon a close reading focusing on the details and ambiguous meanings contained in the televisual representation. Home makeover shows are explored as a part of contemporary television culture, which is characterised by a significant increase in the number of both television channels and global television formats, as well as the hybridisation of programme types. Researchers on lifestyle television have paid attention to male designers and their ability to reconstruct meanings related to domesticity and home decoration as feminine spheres. The dissertation contributes to this discussion by analysing the representations of the male interior decorator in Inno and the four female interior decorators in Kodin kääntöpiiri. The focus is on the professional self and how it is both gendered and defined as an arbiter of taste. The programme concepts produce the impression that the makeover homes and their occupants are ordinary . The manufactured sense of ordinariness often conceals differences between the participants. One argument of the study is that the ordinariness of participants on lifestyle television should not be taken for granted without further reflection on the implications of labeling something as ordinary. Updating of interior decoration in home makeover shows can be interpreted as an area of doing gender that requires deliberation, effort, expert knowledge and a sufficient budget. The ideal lay decorator is portrayed as culturally omnivorous, brave and receptive to new ideas. The ability to reflect on ways of representing masculinity and femininity through decoration is also implied. In home makeover shows, greater self-awareness regarding the ways in which gender is produced does not lead to repeating gender differently. The idea of normative heterosexuality is in a hegemonic position in the representations of the participants. In Inno and Kodin kääntöpiiri questions of class are not made explicit. However, the idea of class is produced indirectly e.g. by describing the apartments and houses of the participants, by discussing their hobbies or interest in cultural products. In Inno, home decoration is primarily depicted as an individualistic consumer choice, while in Kodin kääntöpiiri it is often defined as a way to strengthen the ties of nuclear families. In Kodin kääntöpiiri, the ethos of familism is combined with pleasures gained from consumption and DIY activities. As a whole, the multidisciplinary study indicates a great number of differences between the two shows.

Ekotuotteet kuluttajan arjessa – vastuullisuutta, puhtautta ja arjen luksusta

Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan kuluttajien näkemyksiä ekotuotteiden valintaan vaikuttavista tekijöistä. Analysoin ekotuotteiden hankintaa kolmen teeman kautta. Ne ovat vihreys ja vastuullisuus, puhtaus tuotevalinnoissa sekä niin sanottu arjen luksus. Tutkimukseni empiirinen osa koostuu 10 teemahaastattelusta. Tutkimuskohteena on ekokauppa Ruohonjuuressa ostoksiaan tekevät kuluttajat. Haastateltavia etsin ilmoituksella ekokauppa Ruohonjuuresta sekä kaupan Facebook-sivuilta. Lisäksi oma haastattelupäivä Ruohonjuuren myymälässä tuotti haastateltavia mukaan tutkimukseen. Kirjoitin haastatteluista yhteenvedon ja analysoin aineistoa teemoittelun avulla. Nykyiset ympäristöongelmat vaikuttavat siihen, millaisena koemme arjen tulevaisuudessa. Vihreä ja vastuulllinen kuluttaja ottaa huomioon kulutuspäätöksiensä vaikutukset ympäristöön. Vihreät kulutuspäätökset tarkoittavat kestäviä kulutustapoja kuten jätteiden lajittelua, kirpputorikierrättämistä ja ympäristöä säästävien ekotuotteiden valintaa. Aineiston perusteella voi todeta, että ekotuotteiden ympäristömyönteisyyteen liitetään läheisesti luomutuotanto ja luomutuotteet. Ekotuotteet nähdään myös eettisinä ja moraalisina valintoina, joiden avulla halutaan vaikuttaa myös muiden hyvinvointiin. Ekotuotteisiin kohdistuu siten monenlaisia odotuksia, mutta myös epäilyjä. Aineistoni perusteella tuotetta ei välttämättä koettu ekotuotteeksi, jos sen valmistamiseen on käytetty paljon resursseja. Kuluttajat ovat kiinnostuneita ruoan alkuperästä ja sen aitoudesta. Ekotuotteet koetaan muita tuotteita päinvastoin puhtaiksi vaihtoehdoiksi. Puhtaus ekotuotteissa mielletään laadultaan turvallisiksi ja terveellisiksi tuotteiksi, jotka maistuvat hyvältä. Haastatteluaineiston perusteella voi todeta, että ekotuotteet koettiin myös arjen ostosten erikoisuudeksi. Arjen luksus lisää käyttäjälleen mielihyvän elämyksiä. Ekotuotteita ostamalla rakennetaan myös omaa elämäntyyliä ja erottaudutaan muista. Aineiston perusteella ekokauppaan mennään kiertelemään, tekemään heräteostoksia ja etsimään uutuuksia. Shoppailu ekokaupassa voi olla nautinnollista ja miellyttävää toimintaa, vaikka ostamista vain harkitaan. Ekotuote lahjana kertoo lahjan antajasta ja tuo lahjan saajalle palan luksusta vaikkapa luomusuklaan muodossa.

Oral health and kidney disease with emphasis on diabetic nephropathy

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide health problem, with adverse outcomes of cardiovascular disease and premature death. The ageing of populations along with the growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension is leading to worldwide increase in the number of CKD patients. It has become evident that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis complications. CKD patients also have an increased risk of atherosclerosis complications (including myocardial infarction, sudden death to cardiac arrhythmia, cerebrovascular accidents, and peripheral vascular disease). In line with this, oral and dental problems can be an important source of systemic inflammation. A decline in oral health may potentially act as an early marker of systemic disease progression. This series of studies examined oral health of CKD patients from predialysis, to dialysis and kidney transplantation in a 10-year follow-up study and in a cross-sectional study of predialysis CKD patients. Patients had clinical and radiographic oral and dental examination, resting and stimulated saliva flow rates were measured, whilst the biochemical and microbiological composition of saliva was analyzed. Lifestyle and oral symptoms were recorded using a questionnaire, and blood parameters were collected from the hospital records. The hypothesis was that the oral health status, symptoms, sensations, salivary flow rates and salivary composition vary in different renal failure stages and depend on the etiology of the kidney disease. No statistically significant difference were seen in the longitudinal study in the clinical parameters. However, some saliva parameters after renal transplantation were significantly improved compared to levels at the predialysis stage. The urea concentration of saliva was high in all stages. The salivary and plasma urea concentrations followed a similar trend, showing the lowest values in kidney transplant patients. Levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) A, G and M all decreased significantly after kidney transplantation. Increased concentrations of IgA, IgG and IgM may reflect disintegration of the oral epithelium and are usually markers of poor general oral condition. In the cross-sectional investigation of predialysis CKD patients we compared oral health findings of diabetic nephropathy patients to those with other kidney disease than diabetes. The results showed eg. more dental caries and lower stimulated salivary flow rates in the diabetic patients. HbA1C values of the diabetic patients were significantly higher than those in the other kidney disease group. A statistically significant difference was observed in the number of drugs used daily in the diabetic nephropathy group than in the other kidney disease group. In the logistic regression analyses, age was the principal explanatory factor for high salivary total protein concentration, and for low unstimulated salivary flow. Poor dental health, severity of periodontal disease seemed to be an explanatory factor for high salivary albumin concentrations. Salivary urea levels were significantly linked with diabetic nephropathy and with serum urea concentrations. Contrary to our expectation, however, diabetic nephropathy did not seem to affect periodontal health more severely than the other kidney diseases. Although diabetes is known to associate with xerostomia and other oral symptoms, it did not seem to increase the prevalence of oral discomfort. In summary, this series of studies has provided new information regarding the oral health of CKD patients. As expected, the commencement of renal disease reflects in oral symptoms and signs. Diabetic nephropathy, in particular, appears to impart a requirement for special attention in the oral health care of patients suffering from this disease.

Smoking patterns and lung function : A longitudinal twin study

In many countries, the prevalence of smoking and smokers average cigarette consumption have decreased, with occasional smoking and daily light smoking (1-4 cigarettes per day, CPD) becoming more common. Despite these changes in smoking patterns, the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disorder characterized by a progressive decline in lung function, continues to rise globally. Smoking is the most important factor causing COPD, however, not all smokers develop the disease. Genetic factors partly explain the inter-individual differences in lung function and susceptibility of some smokers to COPD. No earlier research on the genetic and environmental determinants of lung function or on the phenomenon of light smoking exists in the Finnish population. Further, the association between low-rate smoking patterns and COPD remains partly unknown. This thesis aimed to study the prevalence and consistency of light smoking longitudinally in the Finnish population, to assess the characteristics of light smokers, and to examine the risks of chronic bronchitis and COPD associated with changing smoking patterns over time. A further aim was to estimate longitudinally the proportions of genetic and environmental factors that explain the inter-individual variances in lung function. Data from the Older Finnish Twin Cohort, including same-sex twin pairs born in Finland before 1958, were used. Smoking patterns and chronic bronchitis symptoms were consistently assessed in surveys conducted in 1975, 1981, and 1990. National registry data on reimbursement eligibilities and medication purchases were used to define COPD. Lung function data were obtained from a subsample of the cohort, 217 female twin pairs, who attended spirometry in 2000 and 2003 as part of the Finnish Twin Study on Ageing. The genetic and environmental influences on lung function were estimated by using genetic modeling. This thesis found that light smokers are more often female, well-educated, and exhibit a healthier lifestyle than heavy smokers. At individual level, light smoking is rarely a constant pattern. Light smoking, reducing from heavier smoking to light smoking, and relapsing to light smoking after quitting, are among patterns associated with an increased risk of chronic bronchitis and COPD. Constant light smoking is associated with an increased use of inhaled anticholinergics, a medication for CODP. In addition to smoking, other environmental factors influence lung function in the older age. During a three-year follow-up, new environmental effects influencing spirometry values were observed, whereas the genes affecting lung function remained mostly the same. In conclusion, no safe level of daily smoking exists with regard to pulmonary diseases. Even daily light smoking in middle-age is associated with increased respiratory morbidity later in life. Smoking reduction does not decrease the risk of COPD, and should not be recommended as an alternative to quitting smoking. In elderly people, attention should also be drawn to other factors that can prevent poor lung function.

Koti keskellä kaupunkia : Keskusta lapsiperheen asuinalueena, esimerkkeinä Tukholma ja Helsinki

Families with children have traditionally moved to suburbs. In the last 20 years a modest counter process has however been recognized. Families with an urban lifestyle stay in the city centres. This study looks at the phenomenon through two cases, Stockholm and Helsinki. In the first case it has already been observed that the city centre has grown in popularity among families with children. Therefore it serves as a basis for the study and as well as a point of comparison. Stockholm’s city centre is expanding as new neighbourhoods have been built and are being planned. In the city centre of Helsinki the building of two large neighbourhoods for 30 000 inhabitants will start in a few years. The first aim of the study is to look closer at what has really happened in the city centre of Stockholm, why families choose to live there with their children and how the City of Stockholm has reacted to the change. The main sources of information are secondary sources, statistics and interviews with planners, politicians and experts in the field. The main object is to look at the situation in the city centre of Helsinki. Can a preference for urban residential environments be observed in Helsinki? What are the reasons for a family to choose the city centre as a living place? How does the everyday life of a family in the city centre appear? How are these families taken into account in the planning of the city? The main sources of information here are statistics, interviews with dwellers in the neighbourhood Kruununhaka and interviews with planners. In Stockholm the birth rate has grown constantly during the 2000s and is highest in the city centre. Some of the families still move elsewhere, but many of them do not. One of the most important reasons for living in the city centre is short working distances which give working parents more time with their children. Another reason is a preference of an urban, active lifestyle. Families prefer to live close to everything, childcare, schools, shops and entertainments. The popularity of the city centre among families with children has taken politicians and planners by surprise. Helsinki has not experienced a baby boom like Stockholm. However the negative changes in the birth rate have been more modest in the central areas than in the suburbs. Statistics show, that many families move away from the city centre as the children grow. Families who stay in the city centre especially appreciate closeness to public and private services and good public transportation which means that they are not dependent on using the car. Further they find that the city centre has a tolerant climate and is a safe and beautiful place to live in. The families enjoy the social life of the neighbourhood and feel that it makes a good climate to raise children in. However they are concerned with traffic safety and the lack of stimulus in the playgrounds of the neighbourhood parks. Two large neighbourhoods with homes for about 30 000 inhabitants are now planned in the former Port Districts in the city centre of Helsinki. The other one, Jätkäsaari has been planned to become an attractive alternative for families with children. Traffic safety has been one of the main objects for the planning. The other, Kalasatama, has been planned to attract all groups in society.

Valikoiva muuttoliike Uudellamaalla

This thesis explores selective migration in Greater Helsinki region from the perspective of counterurbanisation. The aim of the study is to research whether the migration is selective by migrants age, education, income level or the rate of employment and to study any regional patterns formed by the selectivity. In the Helsinki region recent migratory developments have been shifting the areas of net migration gain away from the city of Helsinki to municipalities farther off on the former countryside. There has been discussion about Helsinki s decaying tax revenue base and whether the city s housing policy has contributed to the exodus of wealthier households. The central question of the discussion is one of selective migration: which municipalities succeed in capturing the most favourable migrants and which will lose in the competition. Selective migration means that region s in-migrants and out-migrants significantly differ from each other demographically, socially and economically. Sometimes selectivity is also understood as some individuals greater propensity to migrate than others but the proper notion for this would be differential migration. In Finnish parlance these two concepts have tended to get mixed up. The data of the study covers the total migration of the 34 municipalities of Uusimaa provinces during the years 2001 to 2003. The data was produced by Statistics Finland. Two new methods of representing the selectivity of migration as a whole were constructed during the study. Both methods look at the proportions of favourably selected migrants in regions inward and outward migrant flow. A large share in the inward flow and a small share in the outward flow is good for region s economy and demography. The first method calculates the differences of the proportions of favourably selected four migrant groups and sums the differences up. The other ranks the same proportions between regions giving value 1 to the largest proportion in inward flow and 34 to the smallest, and respectively in outward flow the smallest proportion gets value 1 and the largest 34. The total sum of the ranks or differences in proportions represents region s selectivity of migration. The results show that migration is indeed selective in the Greater Helsinki region. There also seems to be a spatial pattern centred around the Helsinki metropolitan region. The municipalities surrounding the four central communes are generally better of than those farther away. Not only these eight municipalities of the so called capital region benefit from the selective migration, but the favourable structure of migration extends to some of the small municipalities farther away. Some municipalities situated along the main northbound railway line are not coming through as well as other municipalities of the capital region. The selectivity of migration in Greater Helsinki region shows signs of counter-urbanisation. People look for suburban or small-town lifestyle no longer from Espoo or Vantaa, the neighbouring municipalities to Helsinki, but from the municipalities surrounding these two or even farther off. This kind of pattern in selective migration leads to unbalanced development in population structure and tax revenue base in the region. Migration to outskirts of the urban area also leads to urban sprawl and fragmentation of the urban structure: these issues have ecological implications. Selective migration should be studied more. Also the concept itself needs clearer definition and so do the methods to study the selectivity of migration.

The Effect of Food-Related Lifestyle on the Choices of Consumers of Five Food Products

The purpose of this study was to find out whether food-related lifestyle guides and explains product evaluations, specifically, consumer perceptions and choice evaluations of five different food product categories: lettuce, mincemeat, savoury sauce, goat cheese, and pudding. The opinions of consumers who shop in neighbourhood stores were considered most valuable. This study applies means-end chain (MEC) theory, according to which products are seen as means by which consumers attain meaningful goals. The food-related lifestyle (FRL) instrument was created to study lifestyles that reflect these goals. Further, this research has adopted the view that the FRL functions as a script which guides consumer behaviour. Two research methods were used in this study. The first was the laddering interview, the primary aim of which was to gather information for formulating the questionnaire of the main study. The survey consisted of two separate questionnaires. The first was the FRL questionnaire modified for this study. The aim of the other questionnaire was to determine the choice criteria for buying five different categories of food products. Before these analyses could be made, several data modifications were made following MEC analysis procedures. Beside forming FRL dimensions by counting sum-scores from the FRL statements, factor analysis was run in order to elicit latent factors underlying the dimensions. The lifestyle factors found were adventurous, conscientious, enthusiastic, snacking, moderate, and uninvolved lifestyles. The association analyses were done separately for each choice of product as well as for each attribute-consequence linkage with a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The testing variables were FRL dimensions and the FRL lifestyle factors. In addition, the relation between the attribute-consequence linkages and the demographic variables were analysed. Results from this study showed that the choice of product is sequential, so that consumers first categorize products into groups based on specific criteria like health or convenience. It was attested that the food-related lifestyles function as a script in food choice and that the FRL instrument can be used to predict consumer buying behaviour. Certain lifestyles were associated with the choice of each product category. The actual product choice within a product category then appeared to be a different matter. In addition, this study proposes a modification to the FRL instrument. The positive towards advertising FRL dimension was modified to examine many kinds of information search including the internet, TV, magazines, and other people. This new dimension, which was designated as being open to additional information, proved to be very robust and reliable in finding differences in consumer choice behaviour. Active additional information search was linked to adventurous and snacking food-related lifestyles. The results of this study support the previous knowledge that consumers expect to get many benefits simultaneously when they buy food products. This study brought detailed information about the benefits sought, the combination of benefits differing between products and between respondents. Household economy, pleasure and quality were emphasized with the choice of lettuce. Quality was the most significant benefit in choosing mincemeat, but health related benefits were often evaluated as well. The dominant benefits linked to savoury sauce were household economic benefits, expected pleasurable experiences, and a lift in self-respect. The choice of goat cheese appeared not to be an economic decision, self-respect, pleasure, and quality being included in the choice criteria. In choosing pudding, the respondents considered the well-being of family members, and indulged their family members or themselves.

Elämää keskustassa ja kaupunkiseudun reunoilla. Urbaani ja jälkiesikaupungillinen elämäntyyli asumisen valinnoissa ja arkiliikkumisessa Helsingin seudulla.

The lifestyles of people living in single-family housing areas on the outskirts of the Greater Helsinki Region (GHR) are different from those living in inner city area. The urban structure of the GHR is concentrated in the capital on the one hand, and spread out across the outskirts on the other. Socioeconomic spatial divisions are evident as well-paid and educated residents move to the inner city or the single-family house dominated suburban neighbourhoods depending on their housing preferences and life situations. The following thesis explores how these lifestyles have emerged through the housing choices and daily mobility of the residents living in the new single-family housing areas on the outskirts of the GHR and the inner city. The study shows that, when it comes to lifestyles, residents on the outskirts of the region have different housing preferences and daily mobility patterns when compared with their inner city counterparts. Based on five different case study areas my results show that these differences are related to residents values, preferences and attitudes towards the neighbourhood, on the one hand, and limited by urban structure on the other. This also confirms earlier theoretical analyses and findings from the GHR. Residents who moved to the outskirts of Greater Helsinki Region and the apartment buildings of the inner city were similar in the basic elements of their housing preferences: they sought a safe and peaceful neighbourhood close to the natural environment. However, where housing choices, daily mobility and activities vary different lifestyles develop in both the outskirts and the inner city. More specifically, lifestyles in the city apartment blocks were inherently urban. Liveliness and highest order facilities were appreciated and daily mobility patterns were supported by diverse modes of transportation for the purposes of work, shopping and leisure time. On the outskirts, by contrast, lifestyles were largely post-suburban and child-friendliness appreciated. Due to the heterachical urban structure, daily mobility was more car-dependent since work, shopping and free time activities of the residents are more spread around the region. The urban structure frames the daily mobility on the outskirts of the region, but this is not to say that short local trips replace longer regional ones. This comparative case study was carried out in the single-family housing areas of Sundsberg in Kirkkonummi, Landbo in Helsinki and Ylästö in Vantaa, as well as in the inner city apartment building areas of Punavuori and Katajanokka in Helsinki. The data is comprised of residential surveys, interviews, and statistics and GIS data sets that illustrate regional daily mobility, socio-economic structure and vis-à-vis housing stock.

Dietary habits and obesity: the role of emotional and cognitive factors

In post-industrialised societies, food is more plentiful, accessible and palatable than ever before and technological development has reduced the need for physical activity. Consequently, the prevalence of obesity is increasing, which is problematic as obesity is related to a number of diseases. Various psychological and social factors have an important influence on dietary habits and the development of obesity in the current food-rich and sedentary environments. The present study concentrates on the associations of emotional and cognitive factors with dietary intake and obesity as well as on the role these factors play in socioeconomic disparities in diet. Many people cognitively restrict their food intake to prevent weight gain or to lose weight, but research on whether restrained eating is a useful weight control strategy has produced conflicting findings. With respect to emotional factors, the evidence is accumulating that depressive symptoms are related to less healthy dietary intake and obesity, but the mechanisms explaining these associations remain unclear. Furthermore, it is not fully understood why socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals tend to have unhealthier dietary habits and the motives underlying food choices (e.g., price and health) could be relevant in this respect. The specific aims of the study were to examine 1) whether obesity status and dieting history moderate the associations of restrained eating with overeating tendencies, self-control and obesity indicators; 2) whether the associations of depressive symptoms with unhealthier dietary intake and obesity are attributable to a tendency for emotional eating and a low level of physical activity self-efficacy; and 3) whether the absolute or relative importance of food choice motives (health, pleasure, convenience, price, familiarity and ethicality) contribute to the socioeconomic disparities in dietary habits. The study was based on a large population-based sample of Finnish adults: the participants were men (N=2325) and women (N=2699) aged 25-74 who took part in the DILGOM (Dietary, Lifestyle and Genetic Determinants of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome) sub-study of the National FINRISK Study 2007. The participants weight, height, waist circumference and body fat percentage were measured in a health examination. Psychological eating styles (the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18), food choice motives (a shortened version of the Food Choice Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and self-control (the Brief Self-Control Scale) were measured with pre-existing questionnaires. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the average consumption of sweet and non-sweet energy-dense foods and vegetables/fruit. Self-reported total years of education and gross household income were used as indicators of socioeconomic position. The results indicated that 1) restrained eating was related to a lower body mass index, waist circumference, emotional eating and uncontrolled eating, and to a higher self-control in obese participants and current/past dieters. In contrast, the associations were the opposite in normal weight individuals and those who had never dieted. Thus, restrained eating may be related to better weight control among obese individuals and those with dieting experiences, while among others it may function as an indicator of problems with eating and an attempt to solve them. 2) Emotional eating and depressive symptoms were both related to less healthy dietary intake, and the greater consumption of energy-dense sweet foods among participants with elevated depressive symptoms was attributable to the susceptibility for emotional eating. In addition, emotional eating and physical activity self-efficacy were both important in explaining the positive association between depressive symptoms and obesity. 3) The lower vegetable/fruit intake and higher energy-dense food intake among individuals with a low socioeconomic position were partly explained by the higher priority they placed on price and familiarity and the lower priority they gave to health motives in their daily food choices. In conclusion, although policy interventions to change the obesogenic nature of the current environment are definitely needed, knowledge of the factors that hinder or facilitate people s ability to cope with the food-rich environment is also necessary. This study implies that more emphasis should be placed on various psychological and social factors in weight control programmes and interventions.

Community-based Natural Resource Management: Issues and Cases from South Asia

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is the joint management of natural resources by a community based on a community strategy, through a participatory mechanism involving all legitimate stakeholders. The approach is community-based in that the communities managing the resources have the legal rights, the local institutions and the economic incentives to take substantial responsibility for sustained use of these resources. This implies that the community plays an active role in the management of natural resources, not because it asserts sole ownership over them, but because it can claim participation in their management and benefits for practical and technical reasons1–4. This approach emerged as the dominant conservation concept in the late 1970s and early 1980s, of the disillusionment with the developmental state. Governments across South and South East Asia, Africa and Latin America have adopted and implemented CBNRM in various ways, viz. through sectoral programmes such as forestry, irrigation or wildlife management, multisectoral programmes such as watershed development and efforts towards political devolution. In India, the principle of decentralization through ‘gram swaraj’ was introduced by Mahatma Gandhi. The 73rd and 74th constitution amendments in 1992 gave impetus to the decentralized planning at panchayat levels through the creation of a statutory three-level local self-government structure5,6. The strength of this book is that it includes chapters by CBNRM advocates based on six seemingly innovative initiatives being implemented by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in ecologically vulnerable regions of South Asia: two in the Himalayas (watershed development programme in Lingmutechhu, Bhuthan and Thalisain tehsil, Paudi Grahwal District, Uttarakhand), three in semi-arid parts of western India (watershed development in Hivre Bazar, Maharashtra and Nathugadh village, Gujarat and water-harvesting structures in Gopalapura, Rajasthan) and one in the flood-plains of the Brahmaputra–Jamuna (Char land, Galibanda and Jamalpur districts, Bangladesh). Watersheds in semi-arid regions fall in the low-rainfall region (500–700 mm) and suffer the vagaries of drought 2–3 years in every five-year cycle. In all these locations, the major occupation is agriculture, most of which is rainfed or dry. The other two cases (in Uttarakhand) fall in the Himalayan region (temperate/sub-temperate climate), which has witnessed extensive deforestation in the last century and is now considered as one of the most vulnerable locations in South Asia. Terraced agriculture is being practised in these locations for a long time. The last case (Gono Chetona) falls in the Brahmaputra–Jamuna charlands which are the most ecologically vulnerable regions in the sub-continent with constantly changing landscape. Agriculture and livestock rearing are the main occupations, and there is substantial seasonal emigration for wage labour by the adult males. River erosion and floods force the people to adopt a semi-migratory lifestyle. The book attempts to analyse the potential as well as limitations of NGOdriven CBNRM endeavours across agroclimatic regions of South Asia with emphasis on four intrinsically linked normative concerns, namely sustainability, livelihood enhancement, equity and demographic decentralization in chapters 2–7. Comparative analysis of these case studies done in chapter 8, highlights the issues that require further research while portraying the strengths and limits of NGO-driven CBNRM. In Hivre Bazar, the post-watershed intervention scenario is such that farmers often grow three crops in a year – kharif bajra, rabi jowar and summer vegetable crops. Productivity has increased in the dry lands due to improvement in soil moisture levels. The revival of johads in Gopalpura has led to the proliferation of wheat and increased productivity. In Lingmuteychhu, productivity gains have also arisen, but more due to the introduction of both local and high-yielding, new varieties as opposed to increased water availability. In the case of Gono Chetona, improvements have come due to diversification of agriculture; for example, the promotion of vegetable gardens. CBNRM interventions in most cases have also led to new avenues of employment and income generation. The synthesis shows that CBNRM efforts have made significant contributions to livelihood enhancement and only limited gains in terms of collective action for sustainable and equitable access to benefits and continuing resource use, and in terms of democratic decentralization, contrary to the objectives of the programme. Livelihood benefits include improvements in availability of livelihood support resources (fuelwood, fodder, drinking water), increased productivity (including diversification of cropping pattern) in agriculture and allied activities, and new sources of livelihood. However, NGO-driven CBNRM has not met its goal of providing ‘alternative’ forms of ‘development’ due to impediments of state policy, short-sighted vision of implementers and confrontation with the socio-ecological reality of the region, which almost always are that of fragmented communities (or communities in flux) with unequal dependence and access to land and other natural resources along with great gender imbalances. Appalling, however, is the general absence of recognition of the importance of and the will to explore practical ways to bring about equitable resource transfer or benefit-sharing and the consequent innovations in this respect that are evident in the pioneering community initiatives such as pani panchayat, etc. Pertaining to the gains on the ecological sustainability front, Hivre Bazar and Thalisain initiatives through active participation of villagers have made significant regeneration of the water table within the village, and mechanisms such as ban on number of bore wells, the regulation of cropping pattern, restrictions on felling of trees and free grazing to ensure that in the future, the groundwater is neither over-exploited nor its recharge capability impaired. Nevertheless, the longterm sustainability of the interventions in the case of Ghoga and Gopalpura initiatives as the focus has been mostly on regeneration of resources, and less on regulating the use of regenerated resources. Further, in Lingmuteychhu and Gono Chetona, the interventions are mainly household-based and the focus has been less explicit on ecological components. The studies demonstrate the livelihood benefits to all of the interventions and significant variation in achievements with reference to sustainability, equity and democratic decentralization depending on the level and extent of community participation apart from the vision of implementers, strategy (or nature of intervention shaped by the question of community formation), the centrality of community formation and also the State policy. Case studies show that the influence of State policy is multi-faceted and often contradictory in nature. This necessitates NGOs to engage with the State in a much more purposeful way than in an ‘autonomous space’. Thus the role of NGOs in CBNRM is complementary, wherein they provide innovative experiments that the State can learn. This helps in achieving the goals of CBNRM through democratic decentralization. The book addresses the vital issues related to natural resource management and interests of the community. Key topics discussed throughout the book are still at the centre of the current debate. This compilation consists of well-written chapters based on rigorous synthesis of CBNRM case studies, which will serve as good references for students, researchers and practitioners in the years to come.

Banking psychographics: an Indian empirical study

India has been witnessing an economic boom which fuelling a huge growth in the financial sector especially the banks. The spending power and consumerism has been increasing along with the growth in GDP. The numbers of banks are around 3000 (data according to Reserve Bank of India). With a population base of close to 1.1 billion and a diverse culture that has been dictating the mindset and lifestyle of the population, it has been a challenge for the banks to understand the customer better and hence a the need of the hour is a proper psychographic study of retail banking customers.

Consumerist Predators"? Emerging lifestyles between McDonaldization and sustainability perspectives: the case of highly qualified employees (HQEs) in India

In industrializing countries new groups of consumers with remarkable purchasing power are emerging. Representing a ?new middle class? they are seen as a carrier and promoter of a so-called ?western way of life? beyond the OECD countries. They are presented as having a consumerist predator lifestyle which stands in conflict with the requirements for a sustainable future. Furthermore, they are imputed a profound lack of a sense of responsibility towards society. However, such a ?civil society spirit? is a core prerequisite for coping with the challenge of changing existing lifestyles to insure a more sustainable future....

Inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNA Polymerase by Binding of a Gre Factor Homo log to the Secondary Channel

Because of its essential nature, each step of transcription, viz., initiation, elongation, and termination, is subjected to elaborate regulation. A number of transcription factors modulate the rates of transcription at these different steps, and several inhibitors shut down the process. Many modulators, including small molecules and proteinaceous inhibitors, bind the RNA polymerase (RNAP) secondary channel to control transcription. We describe here the first small protein inhibitor of transcription in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Rv3788 is a homolog of the Gre factors that binds near the secondary channel of RNAP to inhibit transcription. The factor also affected the action of guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) on transcription and abrogated Gre action, indicating its function in the modulation of the catalytic center of RNAP. Although it has a Gre factor-like domain organization with the conserved acidic residues in the N terminus and retains interaction with RNAP, the factor did not show any transcript cleavage stimulatory activity. Unlike Rv3788, another Gre homolog from Mycobacterium smegmatis, MSMEG_6292 did not exhibit transcription-inhibitory activities, hinting at the importance of the former in influencing the lifestyle of M. tuberculosis.

Distinct and Contrasting Transcription Initiation Patterns at Mycobacterium tuberculosis Promoters

Although sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome lead to better understanding of transcription units and gene functions, interactions occurring during transcription initiation between RNA polymerase and promoters is yet to be elucidated. Different stages of transcription initiation include promoter specific binding of RNAP, isomerization, abortive initiation and promoter clearance. We have now analyzed these events with four promoters of M. tuberculosis viz. P-gyrB1, P-gyrR, P-rrnPCL1 and P-metU. The promoters differed from each other in their rates of open complex formation, decay, promoter clearance and abortive transcription. The equilibrium binding and kinetic studies of various steps revealed distinct rate limiting events for each of the promoter, which also differed markedly in their characteristics from the respective promoters of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Surprisingly, the transcription at gyr promoter was enhanced in the presence of initiating nucleotides and decreased in the presence of alarmone, pppGpp, a pattern typically seen with rRNA promoters studied so far. The gyr promoter of M. smegmatis, on the other hand, was not subjected to pppGpp mediated regulation. The marked differences in the transcription initiation pathway seen with rrn and gyr promoters of M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis suggest that such species specific differences in the regulation of expression of the crucial housekeeping genes could be one of the key determinants contributing to the differences in growth rate and lifestyle of the two organisms. Moreover, the distinct rate limiting steps during transcription initiation of each one of the promoters studied point at variations in their intracellular regulation.