Effect of maternal prebiotic supplementation on human milk immunological composition: Insights from the SYMBA study.

Background: Immunomodulatory proteins in human milk (HM) can shape infant immune development. However, strategies to modulate their levels are currently unknown. This study investigated whether maternal prebiotic supplementation alters the levels of immunomodulatory proteins in HM.

Maternal prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy and lactation modifies the microbiome and short chain fatty acid profile of both mother and infant.

Background & Aims: Improving maternal gut health in pregnancy and lactation is a potential strategy to improve immune and metabolic health in offspring and curtail the rising rates of inflammatory diseases linked to alterations in gut microbiota. Here, we investigate the effects of a maternal prebiotic supplement (galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides), ingested daily from <21 weeks' gestation to six months' post-partum, in a double-blinded, randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Methods: Stool samples were collected at multiple timepoints from 74 mother-infant pairs as part of a larger, double-blinded, randomised controlled allergy intervention trial.

Associations between sun exposure, skin pH, and epidermal permeability in pregnancy: A longitudinal observational study.

Little is known about how sun exposure may affect the maternal skin barrier during pregnancy when many hormonal and physiological changes occur. In this longitudinal observational study, 50 pregnant women were recruited at 18-24 weeks' gestation, 25 in summer-autumn, and 25 in winter-spring. At three time points in pregnancy at 18-24, 28-30, and 36-38 weeks' gestation, participants completed a validated sun exposure questionnaire and had skin permeability and surface pH measured on the volar forearm.

Metagenomic Characterisation of the Gut Microbiome and Effect of Complementary Feeding on spp. in Australian Infants.

Complementary feeding induces dramatic ecological shifts in the infant gut microbiota toward more diverse compositions and functional metabolic capacities, with potential implications for immune and metabolic health. The aim of this study was to examine whether the age at which solid foods are introduced differentially affects the microbiota in predominantly breastfed infants compared with predominantly formula-fed infants. We performed whole-genome shotgun metagenomic sequencing of infant stool samples from a cohort of six-month-old Australian infants enrolled in a nested study within the ORIGINS Project longitudinal birth cohort.

Altered dietary behaviour during pregnancy impacts systemic metabolic phenotypes.

Rationale: Evidence suggests consumption of a Mediterranean diet (MD) can positively impact both maternal and offspring health, potentially mediated by a beneficial effect on inflammatory pathways. We aimed to apply metabolic profiling of serum and urine samples to assess differences between women who were stratified into high and low alignment to a MD throughout pregnancy and investigate the relationship of the diet to inflammatory markers.

Methods: From the ORIGINS cohort, 51 pregnant women were stratified for persistent high and low alignment to a MD, based on validated MD questionnaires.

Performance of Urinary Phenyl-γ-Valerolactones as Biomarkers of Dietary Flavan-3-ol Exposure.

Background: Phenyl-γ-valerolactones (PVLs) have been identified as biomarkers of dietary flavan-3-ol exposure, although their utility requires further characterization.

Objectives: We investigated the performance of a range of PVLs as biomarkers indicative of flavan-3-ol intake.

Methods: We report the results of 2 companion studies: a 5-way randomized crossover trial (RCT) and an observational cross-sectional study.

Varying negative appendectomy rates after laparoscopic appendectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Appendicitis is a common cause of acute abdominal pain, and treatment with laparoscopy has become increasingly common during the past two decades. Guidelines recommend that normal appendices are removed if operated for suspected acute appendicitis. It is unclear how many patients are affected by this recommendation.

Effect of melatonin cream on acute radiation dermatitis in patients with primary breast cancer: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Aim: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study investigating whether melatonin can protect against radiation dermatitis in women receiving radiation therapy for primary breast cancer.

Methods: Patients were included before radiation therapy and followed once weekly throughout treatment with a 3-week follow-up. Patients applied 1 g of cream to the irradiated skin twice daily, consisting of either 25 mg/g melatonin and 150 mg/g dimethyl sulfoxide, or placebo.

Magnipore: Prediction of differential single nucleotide changes in the Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing signal of SARS-CoV-2 samples.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) allows direct sequencing of ribonucleic acids (RNA) and, in addition, detection of possible RNA modifications due to deviations from the expected ONT signal. The software available so far for this purpose can only detect a small number of modifications. Alternatively, two samples can be compared for different RNA modifications.

Associations between the human immune system and gut microbiome with neurodevelopment in the first 5 years of life: A systematic scoping review.

The aim of this review was to map the literature assessing associations between maternal or infant immune or gut microbiome biomarkers and child neurodevelopmental outcomes within the first 5 years of life. We conducted a PRISMA-ScR compliant review of peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles. Studies reporting gut microbiome or immune system biomarkers and child neurodevelopmental outcomes prior to 5 years were eligible.

Population genomics of Australian indigenous reveals diverse nonsymbiotic genospecies capable of nitrogen-fixing symbioses following horizontal gene transfer.

Mesorhizobia are soil bacteria that establish nitrogen-fixing symbioses with various legumes. Novel symbiotic mesorhizobia frequently evolve following horizontal transfer of symbiosis-gene-carrying integrative and conjugative elements (ICESyms) to indigenous mesorhizobia in soils. Evolved symbionts exhibit a wide range in symbiotic effectiveness, with some fixing nitrogen poorly or not at all.

Celestial risk factors in groin hernia repair and random statistical association: a nationwide register-based study.

Aim: We aimed to investigate how celestial phenomena like zodiac signs, lunar phases, and Friday the 13th impacted the risk of reoperation after groin hernia repair.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide register-based study based on the Danish Hernia Database and Danish Patient Safety Authority's Online Register between 2000-2019. We included patients ≥18 years undergoing open Lichtenstein or laparoscopic groin hernia repair.

Risk of Reoperation for Recurrence After Elective Primary Groin and Ventral Hernia Repair by Supervised Residents.

Importance: Surgical training involves letting residents operate under supervision. Since hernia repair is a common procedure worldwide, it is a frequent part of the surgical curriculum.

Objective: To assess the risk of reoperation for recurrence after elective primary groin and ventral hernia repair performed by supervised residents compared with that by specialists.

Quality-of-life outcomes following topical melatonin application against acute radiation dermatitis in patients with early breast cancer: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

The aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study was to investigate whether topical melatonin administered during radiation therapy could increase the quality of life in patients with primary breast cancer. Patients were followed from the first radiation fraction until 3 weeks after the last. The patients applied 1 g of cream to the irradiated area of the skin twice daily, consisting of either 25 mg/g melatonin and 150 mg/g dimethyl sulfoxide, or a placebo cream.

Resistant Starch as a Dietary Intervention to Limit the Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, and as the number of individuals with diabetes increases there is a concomitant increase in the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Diabetes contributes to the development of DKD through a number of pathways, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and the gut-kidney axis, which may be amenable to dietary therapy. Resistant starch (RS) is a dietary fibre that alters the gut microbial consortium, leading to an increase in the microbial production of short chain fatty acids.

Implementation of robot-assisted groin hernia repair diminishes the prospects of young surgeons' training: a nationwide register-based cohort study.

Purpose: Robot-assisted groin hernia repair is becoming more popular in recent years but may remove operations from surgical trainees. We aimed to investigate the educational level of the surgeons who performed robot-assisted groin hernia repair and the rate of supervision and compare this to open and laparoscopic groin hernia repair.

Methods: This register-based study was reported according to the RECORD statement and used linked data from the Danish Hernia Database and the Danish Patient Safety Authority's Online Register.

Changes to the Gut Microbiome in Young Children Showing Early Behavioral Signs of Autism.

The human gut microbiome has increasingly been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a neurological developmental disorder, characterized by impairments to social interaction. The ability of the gut microbiota to signal across the gut-brain-microbiota axis with metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, impacts brain health and has been identified to play a role in the gastrointestinal and developmental symptoms affecting autistic children. The fecal microbiome of older children with ASD has repeatedly shown particular shifts in the bacterial and fungal microbial community, which are significantly different from age-matched neurotypical controls, but it is still unclear whether these characteristic shifts are detectable before diagnosis.

How a 7-Week Food Literacy Cooking Program Affects Cooking Confidence and Mental Health: Findings of a Quasi-Experimental Controlled Intervention Trial.

Obesity and mental health disorders are rising simultaneously with shifting dietary behavior away from home cooking, toward typically nutrition-poor and energy-dense convenience meals. Food literacy strongly influences nutrition choices. Community-based cooking interventions target barriers to healthy eating and facilitate development of food literacy skills, thereby potentially increasing preparation of home-cooked meals and positively influencing health.

Does a high dietary intake of resistant starch affect glycaemic control and alter the gut microbiome in women with gestational diabetes? A randomised control trial protocol.

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is prevalent with lasting health implications for the mother and offspring. Medical nutrition therapy is the foundation of GDM management yet achieving optimal glycaemic control often requires treatment with medications, like insulin. New dietary strategies to improve GDM management and outcomes are required.

Risk Factors for Gut Dysbiosis in Early Life.

Dysbiosis refers to a reduction in microbial diversity, combined with a loss of beneficial taxa, and an increase in pathogenic microorganisms. Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota can have a substantial effect on the nervous and immune systems, contributing to the onset of several inflammatory diseases. Epidemiological studies provided insight in how changes in the living environment have contributed to an overall loss of diversity and key taxa in the gut microbiome, coinciding with increased reports of atopy and allergic diseases.

Results from patient-reported outcome measures are inconsistently reported in inguinal hernia trials: a systematic review.

Purpose: To evaluate the use, results, and reporting of patient-reported outcome measures specific to patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

Methods: A systematic review was performed and reported according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. A protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42021243468).

IRF7-Associated Immunophenotypes Have Dichotomous Responses to Virus/Allergen Coexposure and OM-85-Induced Reprogramming.

High risk for virus-induced asthma exacerbations in children is associated with an IRF7lo immunophenotype, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we applied a Systems Biology approach to an animal model comprising rat strains manifesting high (BN) low susceptibility (PVG) to experimental asthma, induced by virus/allergen coexposure, to elucidate the mechanism(s)-of-action of the high-risk asthma immunophenotype. We also investigated potential risk mitigation pretreatment with the immune training agent OM-85.

Fecal sample collection methods and time of day impact microbiome composition and short chain fatty acid concentrations.

Associations between the human gut microbiome and health outcomes continues to be of great interest, although fecal sample collection methods which impact microbiome studies are sometimes neglected. Here, we expand on previous work in sample optimization, to promote high quality microbiome data. To compare fecal sample collection methods, amplicons from the bacterial 16S rRNA gene (V4) and fungal (ITS2) region, as well as short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were determined in fecal material over three timepoints.