Zinc Nutrition and Brain Development in Southern Ethiopia

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的目标是：[1]在与科罗拉多大学健康科学中心和俄克拉荷马州立大学合作的支持下，开发必要的资源，包括在埃塞俄比亚南部的德布大学或/或与之相关的人力资源，启动并维持一个将营养[微量营养素]与母婴大脑发育和功能联系起来的持久研究项目；b[2]完成试点研究，这将为主要R01拨款提案的发展提供必要的基础，该提案将被设计用于测试以下假设：在怀孕的第二和第三个三个月以及在前两年向后代提供最佳数量的生物可利用锌将与改善母亲的认知和行为有关；新生儿头围增大（根据胎龄调整），在生命的头2年及以后，注意力/习惯化/智力和运动发展得到改善。这些目标将通过以下方式实现：在阿瓦萨和相关机构充分发展一个研究小组；在阿瓦萨举行初步规划、组建财团和需求评估会议；支持在德布大学与FWA合作发展IRB；在阿瓦萨、科罗拉多州和俄克拉何马州进行训练和交叉训练[营养和脑功能研究]；在阿瓦萨进行脑功能研究工具的试点测试；试点营养研究包括：饮食、生物标志物和人体测量评估；评估这一特定人群的锌营养状况、锌吸收和锌需求；举行第二次规划会议，检讨R01建议的进度及计划详情；最后，根据从r21支持的预备/试点研究中获得的经验和知识，制定R01提案。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objectives of this proposal are: [1] to develop the necessary resources, including human resources at or/and associated with Debub University, Southern Ethiopia, supported by collaborations with and between the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Oklahoma State University, to initiate and sustain a durable research program linking nutrition [micronutrients] and maternal-child brain development and function; [2] to complete pilot studies that will provide an essential cornerstone for the development of a major R01 grant proposal that will be designed to test the following hypotheses: Provision of an optimal quantity of bioavailable zinc during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and to offspring through the first 2 years will be associated with improved maternal cognitive and behavioral; greater head circumference of neonate [adjusted for gestational age] and improved attention/habituation/intellectual and motor development throughout the first 2 years of life and beyond. These objectives will be achieved by: fully developing a research team in Awassa and associated institutions; an initial planning, consortium-building, needs assessment meeting in Awassa; supporting the development of an IRB with FWA at Debub University; training and cross-training [nutrition and brain function research] in Awassa, Colorado and Oklahoma; pilot testing of tools for studies of brain function in Awassa; pilot nutrition studies including: dietary, biomarker and anthropometrics assessment; assessment of zinc nutritional status, zinc absorption and zinc requirements for this particular population; a second planning meeting to review progress and plan details of R01 proposal; and, finally, the development of the R01 proposal based on the experience and knowledge acquired with this preparatory/pilot R21-supported research.