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Nutrients Feb 2024Regular exercise has been described to modify both the diversity and the relative abundance of certain bacterial taxa. To our knowledge, the effect of a cycling stage...
BACKGROUND
Regular exercise has been described to modify both the diversity and the relative abundance of certain bacterial taxa. To our knowledge, the effect of a cycling stage race, which entails extreme physiological and metabolic demands, on the gut microbiota composition and its metabolic activity has not been analysed.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this cohort study was to analyse the dynamics of faecal microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content of professional cyclists over a Grand Tour and their relationship with performance and dietary intake.
METHODS
16 professional cyclists competing in La Vuelta 2019 were recruited. Faecal samples were collected at four time points: the day before the first stage (A); after 9 stages (B); after 15 stages (C); and on the last stage (D). Faecal microbiota populations and SCFA content were analysed using 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography, respectively. A principal component analysis (PCA) followed by Generalised Estimating Equation (GEE) models were carried out to explore the dynamics of microbiota and SCFAs and their relationship with performance.
RESULTS
, , , and dynamics showed a strong final performance predictive value (r = 0.83, ranking, and r = 0.81, accumulated time). Positive correlations were observed between with acetate (r = 0.530) and isovalerate (r = 0.664) and between with isobutyrate (r = 0.682). No relationship was observed between SCFAs and performance. The abundance of at the beginning of La Vuelta was directly related to the previous intake of complex-carbohydrate-rich foods (r = 0.956), while during the competition, the abundance of was negatively affected by the intake of simple carbohydrates from supplements (r = -0.650).
CONCLUSIONS
An ecological perspective represents more realistically the relationship between gut microbiota composition and performance compared to single-taxon approaches. The composition and periodisation of diet and supplementation during a Grand Tour, particularly carbohydrates, could be designed to modulate gut microbiota composition to allow better performance.
Topics: Humans; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Cohort Studies; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Feces; Eating; Exercise; Carbohydrates
PubMed: 38474789
DOI: 10.3390/nu16050661 -
Nutrients Feb 2024A Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has emerged as a crucial dietary choice, not only in attenuating various adolescents' metabolic health issues but it has also been...
A Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has emerged as a crucial dietary choice, not only in attenuating various adolescents' metabolic health issues but it has also been associated with improved cognitive and academic achievement. However, few studies have established patterns of food consumption linked to both cognitive and academic achievement in adolescents living in a developing country with non-Mediterranean-based food. This cross-sectional study included 1296 Chilean adolescents (50% girls) aged 10-14 years. The MedDiet Quality Index was used to assess adherence to the MedDiet in children and adolescents. Through cluster analysis, four distinct dietary patterns were identified: Western diet (WD = 4.3%); low fruit and vegetables, high-sugar diet (LFV-HSD = 28.2%); low fruit and vegetables, low-sugar diet (LFV-LSD = 42.2%); and the MedDiet (25.3%). A mixed-model analysis was conducted to compare these clusters and their relationships with cognitive and academic achievements. Principal component analysis was performed to identify four primary cognitive domains: working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and fluid reasoning. Academic achievement was determined with five school subjects (Language, English, Mathematics, Science, and History) and included the Academic-PISA score derived from the mean scores in Language, Mathematics, and Science. A marked difference was observed between the four clusters, which was mainly related to the consumption of sugar, ultra-processed foods, fruits, and vegetables. According to cognitive performance, the MedDiet group showed higher performance across all domains than the LFV-HSD, LFV-LSD, and WD groups. Regarding academic achievement, the WD underperformed in all analyses compared to the other groups, while the MedDiet was the unique profile that achieved a positive difference in all academic subjects compared to the WD and LFV-HSD groups ( < 0.05). These findings suggest that higher adherence to Mediterranean-style-based patterns and better food quality choices are associated with improved cognitive and academic achievements.
Topics: Female; Child; Humans; Adolescent; Male; Academic Success; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet, Mediterranean; Vegetables; Cognition; Cluster Analysis; Sugars
PubMed: 38474736
DOI: 10.3390/nu16050608 -
Communications Biology Mar 2024Effects of plant diversity on grassland productivity, or overyielding, are found to be robust to nutrient enrichment. However, the impact of cumulative nitrogen (N)...
Effects of plant diversity on grassland productivity, or overyielding, are found to be robust to nutrient enrichment. However, the impact of cumulative nitrogen (N) addition (total N added over time) on overyielding and its drivers are underexplored. Synthesizing data from 15 multi-year grassland biodiversity experiments with N addition, we found that N addition decreases complementarity effects and increases selection effects proportionately, resulting in no overall change in overyielding regardless of N addition rate. However, we observed a convex relationship between overyielding and cumulative N addition, driven by a shift from complementarity to selection effects. This shift suggests diminishing positive interactions and an increasing contribution of a few dominant species with increasing N accumulation. Recognizing the importance of cumulative N addition is vital for understanding its impacts on grassland overyielding, contributing essential insights for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience in the face of increasing N deposition.
Topics: Ecosystem; Grassland; Nitrogen; Biodiversity; Plants
PubMed: 38467761
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05999-9 -
BMC Pediatrics Mar 2024Feeding difficulties (FDs) are complex phenomena influenced by parental factors, feeding behaviour, and cultural factors. However, studies of the influences of these...
Association between parental feeding styles, body mass index, and consumption of fruits, vegetables and processed foods with mothers´ perceptions of feeding difficulties in children.
BACKGROUND
Feeding difficulties (FDs) are complex phenomena influenced by parental factors, feeding behaviour, and cultural factors. However, studies of the influences of these factors on FDs incidence are scarce. Thus, this study aimed to identify the associations between mothers' perceptions of FDs in children and parental feeding styles, body mass index, and the consumption of fruits, vegetables and processed foods.
METHOD
Two hundred and fifty-seven mothers of children aged 1 to 6 years and 11 months participated in this cross-sectional study and self-completed electronic questionnaires on sociographic variables, parental feeding styles, the consumption of fruits, vegetables and processed foods and FDs. Nutritional status was classified by body mass index (kg/m).
RESULTS
The prevalence of FDs in children was 48.2%, and the mean age was 43.8 (± 17.6) months. The indulgent parental feeding style was the most common (40.1%), followed by the authoritative (31.1%), authoritarian (23.7%), and uninvolved (5.1%) styles. An indulgent parental feeding style (OR: 4.66; 95% CI: 2.20-9.85), a high body mass index (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.09-1.68), and the consumption of processed foods (OR: 5.21; 95% CI: 2.85-9.53) were positively associated with increased odds of the absence of FDs in children. The associations of authoritarian and uninvolved parental feeding styles and the consumption of fruits and vegetables with FDs in children were not significant.
CONCLUSION
This study identified multiple factors that are possibly associated with feeding behaviours in young children. However, further studies need to be undertaken to evaluate how such behaviours affect FDs.
Topics: Child; Female; Humans; Child, Preschool; Adult; Vegetables; Fruit; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Food, Processed; Parenting; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Feeding Behavior; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 38459452
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04657-7 -
Nature Communications Mar 2024Plant diversity effects on community productivity often increase over time. Whether the strengthening of diversity effects is caused by temporal shifts in species-level...
Plant diversity effects on community productivity often increase over time. Whether the strengthening of diversity effects is caused by temporal shifts in species-level overyielding (i.e., higher species-level productivity in diverse communities compared with monocultures) remains unclear. Here, using data from 65 grassland and forest biodiversity experiments, we show that the temporal strength of diversity effects at the community scale is underpinned by temporal changes in the species that yield. These temporal trends of species-level overyielding are shaped by plant ecological strategies, which can be quantitatively delimited by functional traits. In grasslands, the temporal strengthening of biodiversity effects on community productivity was associated with increasing biomass overyielding of resource-conservative species increasing over time, and with overyielding of species characterized by fast resource acquisition either decreasing or increasing. In forests, temporal trends in species overyielding differ when considering above- versus belowground resource acquisition strategies. Overyielding in stem growth decreased for species with high light capture capacity but increased for those with high soil resource acquisition capacity. Our results imply that a diversity of species with different, and potentially complementary, ecological strategies is beneficial for maintaining community productivity over time in both grassland and forest ecosystems.
Topics: Ecosystem; Biodiversity; Plants; Biomass; Forests; Grassland
PubMed: 38453933
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46355-z -
British Journal of Sports Medicine Mar 2024This study aims to examine the associations of daily step count with all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) by sedentary time levels and to...
OBJECTIVES
This study aims to examine the associations of daily step count with all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) by sedentary time levels and to determine if the minimal and optimal number of daily steps is modified by high sedentary time.
METHODS
Using data from the UK Biobank, this was a prospective dose-response analysis of total daily steps across low (<10.5 hours/day) and high (≥10.5 hours/day) sedentary time (as defined by the inflection point of the adjusted absolute risk of sedentary time with the two outcomes). Mortality and incident CVD was ascertained through 31 October 2021.
RESULTS
Among 72 174 participants (age=61.1±7.8 years), 1633 deaths and 6190 CVD events occurred over 6.9 (±0.8) years of follow-up. Compared with the referent 2200 steps/day (5th percentile), the optimal dose (nadir of the curve) for all-cause mortality ranged between 9000 and 10 500 steps/day for high (HR (95% CI)=0.61 (0.51 to 0.73)) and low (0.69 (0.52 to 0.92)) sedentary time. For incident CVD, there was a subtle gradient of association by sedentary time level with the lowest risk observed at approximately 9700 steps/day for high (0.79 (0.72 to 0.86)) and low (0.71 (0.61 to 0.83)) sedentary time. The minimal dose (steps/day associated with 50% of the optimal dose) of daily steps was between 4000 and 4500 steps/day across sedentary time groups for all-cause mortality and incident CVD.
CONCLUSIONS
Any amount of daily steps above the referent 2200 steps/day was associated with lower mortality and incident CVD risk, for low and high sedentary time. Accruing 9000-10 500 steps/day was associated with the lowest mortality risk independent of sedentary time. For a roughly equivalent number of steps/day, the risk of incident CVD was lower for low sedentary time compared with high sedentary time.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Aged; Cohort Studies; Cardiovascular Diseases; Prospective Studies; Sedentary Behavior; Risk
PubMed: 38442950
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2023-107221 -
Lancet (London, England) Mar 2024Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults.
BACKGROUND
Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories.
METHODS
We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5-19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI <18·5 kg/m) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m). For school-aged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI <2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI >2 SD above the median).
FINDINGS
From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness.
INTERPRETATION
The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesity.
FUNDING
UK Medical Research Council, UK Research and Innovation (Research England), UK Research and Innovation (Innovate UK), and European Union.
Topics: Male; Adult; Child; Humans; Female; Adolescent; Young Adult; Child, Preschool; Thinness; Body Mass Index; Bayes Theorem; Pediatric Obesity; Research Design; Prevalence; Overweight
PubMed: 38432237
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02750-2 -
Water Research May 2024To support the reactivation of urban rivers and estuaries for bathing while ensuring public safety, it is critical to have access to real-time information on microbial...
To support the reactivation of urban rivers and estuaries for bathing while ensuring public safety, it is critical to have access to real-time information on microbial water quality and associated health risks. Predictive modelling can provide this information, though challenges concerning the optimal size of training data, model transferability, and communication of uncertainty still need attention. Further, urban estuaries undergo distinctive hydrological variations requiring tailored modelling approaches. This study assessed the use of Bayesian Networks (BNs) for the prediction of enterococci exceedances and extrapolation of health risks at planned bathing sites in an urban estuary in Sydney, Australia. The transferability of network structures between sites was assessed. Models were validated using a novel application of the k-fold walk-forward validation procedure and further tested using independent compliance and event-based sampling datasets. Learning curves indicated the model's sensitivity reached a minimum performance threshold of 0.8 once training data included ≥ 400 observations. It was demonstrated that Semi-Naïve BN structures can be transferred while maintaining stable predictive performance. In all sites, salinity and solar exposure had the greatest influence on Posterior Probability Distributions (PPDs), when combined with antecedent rainfall. The BNs provided a novel and transparent framework to quantify and visualise enterococci, stormwater impact, health risks, and associated uncertainty under varying environmental conditions. This study has advanced the application of BNs in predicting recreational water quality and providing decision support in urban estuarine settings, proposed for bathing, where uncertainty is high.
Topics: Water Quality; Environmental Monitoring; Estuaries; Public Health; Bayes Theorem; Enterococcus
PubMed: 38422692
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121319 -
MSphere Mar 2024Members of , although typically opportunistic, can cause severe infections in immunocompromised hosts. Recent advances in genome sequencing provide an opportunity for...
UNLABELLED
Members of , although typically opportunistic, can cause severe infections in immunocompromised hosts. Recent advances in genome sequencing provide an opportunity for more precise study of this genus. In this study, we first identified and characterized a novel species named sp. nov. It has ≤88.23% average nucleotide identity (ANI) and ≤31.8% DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values with all known species, which fall significantly below the species-defining thresholds. Interestingly, we found that and actually fall under the same species, evidenced by an ANI of 98.59% and a dDDH value of 90.4%. By fusing ANI with phylogeny, we have reclassified 545 genomes within this genus into 20 species, including seven unnamed taxa (provisionally titled Taxon 1-7), which can be further subdivided into 23 lineages. Pangenomic analysis identified 1,550 genus-core genes in , with coenzymes being the predominant category at 10.56%, suggesting significant intermediate metabolism activity. Resistance analysis revealed that most lineages of the genus (82.61%, 19/23) carry a high number of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) and display diverse resistance profiles. Notably, the majority of ARGs are located on plasmids, underscoring the significant role of plasmids in the resistance evolution within this genus. Three species or lineages (, Taxon 3, and L12) that possess the highest number of carbapenem-resistance genes suggest their potential influence on clinical treatment. These findings underscore the need for continued surveillance and study of this genus, particularly due to their role in harboring antibiotic-resistance genes.
IMPORTANCE
The genus, known to harbor opportunistic pathogens, has been a subject of interest due to its potential to cause severe infections, particularly in vulnerable individuals. Our research offers groundbreaking insights into this genus, unveiling a novel species, sp. nov., and highlighting the need for a re-evaluation of existing classifications. Our comprehensive genomic assessment offers a detailed classification of 545 genomes into distinct species and lineages, revealing the rich biodiversity and intricate species diversity within the genus. The substantial presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in the genus underscores potential challenges for public health and clinical treatments. Our study highlights the pressing need for increased surveillance and research, enriching our understanding of antibiotic resistance in this realm.
Topics: Humans; Providencia; Plasmids; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Genomics; DNA
PubMed: 38412041
DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00731-23 -
Microbial Ecology Feb 2024Bacterial symbionts are crucial to the biology of Bactrocera dorsalis. With larval diet (fruit host) being a key factor that determines microbiome composition and with...
Bacterial symbionts are crucial to the biology of Bactrocera dorsalis. With larval diet (fruit host) being a key factor that determines microbiome composition and with B. dorsalis using more than 400 fruits as hosts, it is unclear if certain bacterial symbionts are preserved and are passed on to B. dorsalis progenies despite changes in larval diet. Here, we conducted a fly rearing experiment to characterize diet-induced changes in the microbiome of female B. dorsalis. In order to explicitly investigate the impacts of larval diet on the microbiome, including potential stable bacterial constituents of B. dorsalis, we performed 16S rRNA sequencing on the gut tissues of teneral female flies reared from four different host fruits (guava, mango, papaya, and rose apple) infested using a single cohort of wild B. dorsalis that emerged from tropical almond (mother flies). Although B. dorsalis-associated microbiota were predominantly shaped by the larval diet, some major bacterial species from the mother flies were retained in progenies raised on different larval diets. With some variation, Klebsiella (ASV 1 and 2), Morganella (ASV 3), and Providencia (ASV 6) were the major bacterial symbionts that were stable and made up 0.1-80% of the gut and ovipositor microbiome of female teneral flies reared on different host fruits. Our results suggest that certain groups of bacteria are stably associated with female B. dorsalis across larval diets. These findings provide a basis for unexplored research on symbiotic bacterial function in B. dorsalis and may aid in the development of novel management techniques against this devastating pest of horticultural importance.
Topics: Humans; Female; Animals; Larva; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Fruit; Tephritidae
PubMed: 38407587
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02352-9