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Copyright of International Journal of Cosmetic Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Botulism is a rare and life-threatening disease caused by the potent botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which can be produced by Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) and related bacteria. Clinical manifestations, which include a symmetrical, descending muscular paralysis, generalized hypotonia, and potentially respiratory failure, are non-specific and diagnosis is challenging, especially when anamnesis does not reveal any typical risk factor, like honey consumption. Case Presentation: We present what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first documented case of infant botulism (IB) in Sicily and discuss its peculiarities and the challenges faced in the diagnostic-therapeutic process. The infant was exclusively breastfed and no history of consumption of possibly contaminated foods, like honey, was found. The signs observed at presentation included poor suction, hypotonia, and hyporeactivity. A detailed anamnesis motivated the suspicion of botulism, due to the occurrence of constipation and exposure to dust from home renovation works during the days before the onset of symptoms. The botulinum antitoxin was administered and the diagnosis was confirmed through fecal examination, detecting toxin-producing C. botulinum. Conclusion: IB should be considered in every infant with rapidly progressing hypotonia and a history of constipation. However rarely, transmission could occur through inhalation of dust particles containing the toxin, therefore it is important to explore all possible sources of exposure. In the case described, timely diagnosis and treatment determined the successful outcome, which highlights the importance of early intervention in managing IB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Ultraprocessed foods (UPF), hyper‐palatable foods (HPF), and high energy density (HED) foods may contribute to obesity risk. All have distinct definitions; however, it is unknown the degree to which they may identify overlapping or distinct foods. This study examined the availability of UPF, HPF, and HED foods in the US food system from 1988 to 2018 and the degree of distinction across definitions. Methods: Four data sets representing the US food system (1988, 2001, 2006, 2018) from the US Department of Agriculture were analyzed. UPF were identified based on the extent of industrialized processing. HPF were identified using the standardized definition that specifies palatability‐inducing nutrient combinations. HED was characterized as >2.0 kcal/g. Results: Across years, 58% to 65% of foods were classified as UPF, 55% to 69% as HPF, and 37% to 47% as HED. Prevalence of UPF, HPF, and HED foods was higher in 2018 versus 1988 (p values < 0.001); HPF evidenced the largest increase (14%) and UPF evidenced the smallest (4%) over time. There was moderate to high overlap in foods (40%–70%) across definitions. Conclusions: Together, UPF, HPF, and HED foods comprise most foods in the US food supply. Changes in availability varied across definitions, with substantial increases in HPF and HED and relative stability of UPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: US tobacco companies owned leading US food companies from 1980 to 2001. We measured whether hyper‐palatable foods (HPF) were disproportionately developed in tobacco‐owned food companies, resulting in substantial tobacco‐related influence on the US food system. Design: The study involved a review of primary industry documents to identify food brands that were tobacco company‐owned. Data sets from the US Department of Agriculture were integrated to facilitate longitudinal analyses estimating the degree to which foods were formulated to be hyper‐palatable, based on tobacco ownership. Setting and cases: United States Department of Agriculture data sets were used to identify HPF foods that were (n = 105) and were not (n = 587) owned by US tobacco companies from 1988 to 2001. Measurements: A standardized definition from Fazzino et al. (2019) was used to identify HPF. HPF items were identified overall and by HPF group: fat and sodium HPF, fat and sugar HPF and carbohydrates and sodium HPF. Findings Tobacco‐owned foods were 29% more likely to be classified as fat and sodium HPF and 80% more likely to be classified as carbohydrate and sodium HPF than foods that were not tobacco‐owned between 1988 and 2001 (P‐values = 0.005–0.009). The availability of fat and sodium HPF (> 57%) and carbohydrate and sodium HPF (> 17%) was high in 2018 regardless of prior tobacco‐ownership status, suggesting widespread saturation into the food system. Conclusions: Tobacco companies appear to have selectively disseminated hyper‐palatable foods into the US food system between 1988 and 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Food taxation can improve diets by making unhealthy foods more expensive and by making healthy foods cheaper. In the Netherlands, a political window of opportunity arose in December 2021 to reduce the value-added tax (VAT) on fruits and vegetables to zero percent. The policy is now facing institutional friction along several fronts, however, delaying and potentially averting its implementation. We analysed this institutional friction to inform future food tax policies. Design: We qualitatively analysed open-access fiscal and health experts' position papers about benefits and downsides of the zero-rate that were discussed with members of parliament in June 2023. Setting: The Netherlands. Participants: Not applicable. Results: Health and fiscal experts expressed noticeably different viewpoints towards the utility of the zero-rate. One important argument fiscal experts based their negative advice upon pertained to the legal restrictions for distinguishing between healthier and unhealthier forms of fruits and vegetables (i.e. the principle of neutrality). A zero-rate VAT on unhealthier forms of fruits and vegetables, e.g. processed cucumber, mixed with salt and sugar, would be undesirable, but differentiating between raw and processed cucumber would offend the neutrality principle. Conclusions: The Dutch attempt to give fruits and vegetables a tax break highlights the need for crystal-clear food classifications when designing food tax policies. Public health nutritionists should combine classifications based on caloric density, palatability, degree of processing and nutrient content to provide a database for evidence-informed tax differentiation according to food item healthfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Delay discounting (DD), the tendency to prefer small, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards, is associated with health-risk behaviors. The study examined associations between DD for money and hyper-palatable foods (HPF) with food addiction (FA) symptoms among a general population sample. Methods: Participants (N = 296) completed an adjusting DD task that consisted of a single-commodity condition with HPF as the reward (HPF now vs. HPF later) and cross-commodity conditions comparing money and HPF (money now vs. HPF later; HPF now vs. money later). The Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 was used to assess FA symptoms. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models tested whether discounting of HPF and money was associated with FA symptoms. Results: Findings indicated there were no significant associations between DD and FA symptoms in the single-commodity HPF condition (logit: OR = 1.02, p-value = 0.650; count: IRR = 1.04, p-value = 0.515). There were no significant associations among cross-commodity conditions comparing money now vs. HPF later (logit: OR = 0.96, p-value = 0.330; count: IRR = 1.02, p-value = 0.729) or conditions comparing HPF now vs. money later (logit: OR = 1.02, p-value = 0.682; count: IRR = 0.92, p-value = 0.128) and FA symptoms. Conclusions: Discounting HPF may not be a key behavioral feature among individuals who endorse FA symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adolescents with fewer sources of environmental reinforcement may be at risk for alcohol use. Behavioral economic theories posit that engagement in some activities may facilitate alcohol use, whereas other activities may be incompatible with use and reduce likelihood of alcohol use. It is unclear which types of activities may facilitate or may be incompatible with alcohol use in adolescence. Using a national sample of adolescents, the current study examined differences in engagement with types of activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use, compared among adolescents who endorsed alcohol use, and adolescents who did not. Method: Data from the 2019 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study (N = 4626) were analyzed. Potentially incompatible and facilitating activities, and alcohol-involved activities were identified from pre-existing survey measures. Confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance, and structural equation modeling were used to examine patterns in activity engagement among those who endorsed alcohol use and those who did not. Results: Participants who did not endorse alcohol use reported higher engagement in activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use, including enjoyment from school and going to the mall (p <.001). Participants who endorsed alcohol use reported higher engagement in activities that may facilitate alcohol use (p <.001), such as spending time with friends and attending parties. Facilitating activities (β = 0.15, p <.001) and alcohol-involved activities (β = 0.70, p <.001) were positively associated with alcohol use frequency. Observed effect sizes were small in magnitude for all findings. Conclusions: The findings support the premise of behavioral economic theory, suggesting some activities may serve as protective factors against alcohol use frequency while other activities may facilitate alcohol use among adolescents. National surveys may consider adding specific measure of activity engagement to identify activities that may be incompatible with alcohol use among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ongoing symptoms in treated celiac disease (CD) are frequent and are commonly thought of as being due to infractions to a gluten-free diet (GFD) or complications. Aims: To study the etiology and natural history of clinically relevant events (CREs) throughout follow-up and identify predictors thereof to guide follow-up. Methods: CREs (symptoms/signs requiring diagnostic/therapeutic interventions) occurring in celiac patients between January-2000 and May-2021 were retrospectively collected between June and September 2021 and analysed. Results: One-hundred-and-eighty-nine adult patients (133 F, age at diagnosis 36 ± 13 years, median follow-up 103 months, IQR 54–156) were enrolled. CREs were very common (88/189, 47%), but hardly due to poor GFD adherence (4%) or complications (2%). Interestingly, leading etiologies were functional gastrointestinal disorders (30%), reflux disease (18%) and micronutrient deficiencies (10%). Age at diagnosis ≥ 45 years (HR 1.68, 95%CI 1.05–2.69, p = 0.03) and classical pattern of CD (HR 1.63, 95%CI 1.04–2.54, p = 0.03) were predictors of CREs on a multivariable Cox model. At 5 years, 46% of classical patients ≥ 45 years old at diagnosis were event-free, while this was 62% for non-classical/silent ≥ 45 years, 60% for classical < 45 years, and 80% for non-classical/silent < 45 years. Conclusions: CREs occurred in almost half of CD patients during follow-up, with functional disorders being very common. New follow-up strategies for adult CD may be developed based on age and clinical pattern at diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural activation (BA) is an efficacious treatment approach. Activity monitoring is a key component of brief BA treatments; however, no studies have examined the most efficacious format for monitoring. The present pilot study tested brief versus intensive activity monitoring approaches during a BA intervention administered in a college orientation course. Outcomes characterised (1) engagement with the treatment protocol via activity monitoring and (2) participant qualitative experiences with monitoring and the intervention as reported during focus group interviews. Four course sections were randomly assigned to receive monitoring forms that were brief (assessed activities three times daily) or intensive (assessed activities hourly). Forms were provided electronically to students via a web-based platform which tracked completion. There were no significant differences in monitoring frequency (38.0 vs. 23.0 days; p =.154) or the duration of monitoring engagement (62.0 vs. 36.0 days; p =.054) between the brief and intensive conditions. Qualitative findings suggested that participants in both conditions found utility in activity monitoring, particularly during the first month as they transitioned to college. Overall, findings indicated that participants may find utility in monitoring during the first month of a BA intervention using either brief or intensive monitoring forms. Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT04038190 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate waste management is essential not only to ensure healthy living conditions but also to mitigate climate change. Accordingly, the research on developing strategies to boost the circularity of waste management systems is ongoing. In this context, two waste streams are concurrently managed to recover energy and materials in the present study. Specifically, real leachate collected from a full-scale mature landfill site was preliminarily treated through active filtration to remove inhibitory substances partially and then tested, at the laboratory scale, as a nutrient solution for semi-continuous anaerobic digestion of a carbonaceous substrate represented by market waste. The results demonstrate that, at an organic loading rate of 1.0 gVS·L-1·d-1, the process was impossible without using the nutrient solution, while the nitrogen present in the pretreated leachate could balance the carbon content of the market waste and provide the system with the necessary buffering capacity, ensuring process stability. The average methane yield (approximately 0.29 NL·gVS -1) was satisfactory and consistent with the literature. Despite the increases in both the organic loading rate (up to 1.5 gVS·L-1·d-1) and volume of added pretreated leachate (up to 100% of the dilution medium), the process remained stable with a slightly lower methane yield of 0.21 NL·gVS -1, thanks to nitrogen supplementation. The potential use of produced methane as a renewable energy source and residual digestate as fertilizer would close the loop of managing these waste streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School cafeterias are a major point of influence for child nutrition. United States federal legislation requires the presence of important nutrients in school meals. However, legislation overlooks the potential presence of hyper-palatable foods in school lunches, a hypothesized factor that may influence children's eating behavior and obesity risk. The study sought to 1) quantify the prevalence of hyper-palatable foods (HPF) served in US elementary school lunches; and 2) determine whether food hyper-palatability varied based on school geographic region (East/Central/West), urbanicity (urban/micropolitan/rural), or meal item (entrée/side/fruit or vegetable). Methods: Lunch menu data (N = 18 menus; N = 1160 total foods) were collected from a sample of six states that represented geographic regions of the United States (Eastern/Central/Western; Northern/Southern) and that had variability in urbanicity (urban, micropolitan, and rural) within each state. A standardized definition from Fazzino et al (2019) was used to identify HPF in lunch menus. Results: HPF comprised almost half of foods in school lunches (M = 47%; SD = 5%). Compared to fruit/vegetable items, entrées were >23 times more likely to be hyper-palatable and side dishes were >13 times more likely to be hyper-palatable (p values <.001). Geographic region and urbanicity were not significantly associated with food item hyper-palatability (p values >.05). The majority of entrée and side items contained meat/meat alternatives and/or grains and likely aligned with the US federal reimbursable meal components of meat/meat alternatives and/or grains. Conclusions and implications: HPF comprised almost half of foods offered in elementary school lunches. Entrées and side items were most likely to be hyper-palatable. US school lunches may be a key point of regular exposure to HPF among young children, a risk factor that may elevate child obesity risk. Public policy regulating HPF in school meals may be needed to protect children's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of hyper-palatable foods (HPF) increased over the past three decades worldwide, a period when eating disorders (ED) and obesity have become global public health concerns. The present study aimed to assess HPF consumption during binge and non-binge meals in a representative sample of adults with and without ED from a metropolitan city in Brazil. A total of 2297 individuals were interviewed in their homes by trained lay interviewers to assess the presence of binge eating disorder (BED), bulimia nervosa (BN), and recurrent binge eating (RBE). Information on their food consumption in objective and subjective binge eating episodes (OBE and SBE, respectively), as well as in the 24 h food recall were obtained. Individuals from the general population consumed 56% of their total calories from HPF. In non-binge meals, people with BN consumed substantially fewer calories from HPF than BED (63% vs. 48%) and RBE (63% vs. 48%) groups. During OBE, participants consumed an average of 70% of the calories from HPF, with no between-group differences. During SBE, subjects with BN consumed substantially fewer calories from HPF than those with BED (76% vs. 50%). In conclusion, HPF were highly consumed by the Brazilian population. However, there was a greater impact on BED and RBE subjects and during binge eating episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If food reinforcement becomes more exaggerated over time and influences infant and child obesity risk, understanding the timing and amount of HPF exposure may be critical in modifying a positive trajectory of high food reinforcement. For example, for those interested in examining aspects of the paradigm from a behavioral perspective, researchers could test the ways in which exposure to the unhealthy nutrient sources in infancy may influence food motivation, food preference, food approach, and food choice behavior. A new paradigm for investigating the etiology of obesity in early childhood: Exposure to added sugars and hyper-palatable foods in infancy and dysregulation of food reinforcement processes Exposure to added sugars via infant formula and hyper-palatable foods (HPF) Two key nutrient sources may negatively influence the development of food preferences and eating behavior in infancy. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To quantify the change in availability of hyper-palatable foods (HPF) in the US foods system over 30 years (1988-2018).Design: Three datasets considered representative of the US food system were used in analyses to represent years 1988, 2001 and 2018. A standardised definition from Fazzino et al. (2019) that specifies combinations of nutrients was used to identify HPF.Setting: Analysis of food-item level data was conducted. Differences in the prevalence of HPF were characterised by Cochran's Q and McNemar's tests. Generalised linear mixed models with a fixed effect for time and random intercept for food item estimated change in the likelihood that a food was classified as hyper-palatable over time.Participants: No participant data were used.Results: The prevalence of HPF increased 20 % from 1988 to 2018 (from 49 % to 69 %; P < 0·0001). The most prominent difference was in the availability of HPF high in fat and Na, which evidenced a 17 % higher prevalence in 2018 compared with 1988 (P < 0·0001). Compared with 1988, the same food items were >2 times more likely to be hyper-palatable in 2001, and the same food items were >4 times more likely to be classified as hyper-palatable in 2018 compared with 1988 (P values < 0·0001).Conclusions: The availability of HPF in the US food system increased substantially over 30 years. Existing food products in the food system may have been reformulated over time to enhance their palatability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: In this article, I outline my aspirational participation as an academic anthropologist in the three arenas wherein my worth, and hence expendability, is measured: teaching, scholarship, and service. I reflect on the personal, social, and ecological impacts of my anthropological fieldwork and development over the last two decades in light of the life‐altering effects of COVID‐19. While reflexive turns continue to guide the accountability of researchers to ourselves and our interlocutors in writing and research processes, further consideration of how and where we show up in our teaching and at professional meetings will help to address how neoliberalism has shaped our discipline, leading to a greater realization of anthropology's transformative potential to address social justice and ecological concerns. I suggest that rather than lamenting the pause provided by COVID‐19 and longing for anthropology and academia as it was, or as we imagined it to be, this disruption might give us pause to draw from our reflexive tradition. The world has been remade, providing anthropologists with additional tools to address our elitism and ecological footprint, including the destruction wrought by our contribution to climate change on some of the same communities for whom we advocate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aim was to elucidate the degree to which hyper‐palatable foods (HPF) are consumed during binge episodes compared to restricting episodes, and to test the association between HPF intake during each episode and respective episode frequency. Method: This study was a secondary analysis of data from a larger study on eating disorders. The present sample included adults (N = 147, 83% women) diagnosed with sub‐threshold (41%) or full‐threshold (59%) bulimia nervosa (BN). Foods consumed during binge and restricting episodes were assessed using the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory–Clinician Rated Version. A standardized definition of HPF developed previously was applied to foods consumed during binge and restricting episodes. A Wilcoxon matched‐pairs signed‐rank test was used to test the difference between total caloric intake from HPF (KcalHPF) and percentage of caloric intake from HPF (PercHPF) during binge episodes relative to restricting episodes. Four linear regression models tested HPF intake (KcalHPF and PercHPF) during both episode types (binge and restricting) as predictors of respective episode frequency. Results: There was a significant difference between median KcalHPF (1846.6 vs. 279.6; Z = −13.38, p <.001) and PercHPF during binge compared to restricting episodes (95% vs. 61%; Z = −7.35, p <.001). Regression analyses demonstrated that KcalHPF during binge episodes was significantly associated with binge episode frequency (B = 0.002; p <.001), but not PercHPF (p =.287). Discussion: Results suggest that HPF may be primarily consumed during binge episodes among individuals with BN, and may be associated with greater binge‐eating frequency. Public Significance: Findings from the current study support an underlying assumption of theoretical models of binge eating, suggesting that highly rewarding, hyper‐palatable foods (HPF), may constitute the vast majority of energy intake during binge‐eating episodes. Additionally, a substantial amount of energy intake from HPF may occur during restricting episodes among people with bulimia nervosa. Greater HPF intake during binge eating may also be associated with binge‐eating severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of reflexivity in food systems research. It highlights the importance of researchers being aware of their own ideological and professional commitments that may influence their work on sustainability in food systems. The author emphasizes the need for transparency and self-reflection in order to avoid biases and accurately represent diverse perspectives. The article provides an example of how a lack of transparency can lead to a narrow and incomplete understanding of sustainable diets. Overall, the article calls for a more reflexive approach to research in order to promote sustainable food systems. [Extracted from the article]

Featured Application: The biorefinery scheme proposed in this paper is almost ready for scaling up and can potentially be applied to every industrial chain involved in the preservation of fish fillets (e.g., anchovies, tuna, and salmon). This is an alternative to the current policy of making fish flour from fish remainders. Several anchovies species are captured all over the world; they are consumed fresh but also preserved by the industry, either by brine-fermentation or canning in oil. The industrial process generates large amounts of residue (about 50% of the original fish biomass) that is generally used to produce fish flour. In this paper, the advancement of a recently proposed process for the full valorisation of anchovies aimed at the extraction of fish oil (to be used as an omega-3 source) and at the production of biomethane through anaerobic digestion is presented. Particularly, in the experiments presented, a co-digestion of anchovy sludge—used as a nitrogen supplement—and market waste (5% and 95% on a Total Solids basis) was performed. Since the proposed extraction process uses, as a green-solvent, d-limonene, the well-known problems of toxicity for the anaerobic biomass must be overcome during the digestion process. As discussed below, the granular activated carbon (GAC) is used to reclaim and improve anaerobic digestion processes in a reactor displaying clear signs of inhibition. In fact, GAC demonstrates multiple benefits for anaerobic digestion, such as adsorption of toxic substances, biomass selection, and triggering of direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of death, but over the past decade, there has been tremendous progress in the field with new targeted therapies. The mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) proto-oncogene has been implicated in multiple solid tumors, including NSCLC. MET dysregulation promoting tumorigenesis is associated with worse out- comes following chemotherapy as compared to nondriver mutated NSCLC and occurs either through mutations causing MET exon 14 skipping (METexl4) or gene amplification and overexpression that result in enhanced receptor signaling. Capmatinib is the first FDA-approved targeted therapy for NSCLC with METexl4 skipping mutations since 2020. FoundationOne CDx, a comprehensive genomic profiling test for solid tumors, was concurrently approved as a companion diagnostic for capmatinib use. Real-life data of MET exon 14 mutated patients treated with capmatinib outside of a clinical trial are scarce, and there is an urgent need for additional data in the real-world setting, particularly for patients with poorer performance status and for treatment-naive patients. We report a 72-year-old-male patient diagnosed with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with CNS compromise harboring a METexl4 who was treated in the first line with a standard dose of capmatinib. An overwhelming early tumor shrinkage of all lesions was observed and documented after a short period of exposure to targeted systemic therapy and is still maintained, highlighting the activity of this drug in the first line scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study an application of fractional-order Hopfield neural networks for optimization problem solving. The proposed network was simulated using a semi-analytical method based on Adomian decomposition,, and it was applied to the on-line estimation of time-varying parameters of nonlinear dynamical systems. Through simulations, it was demonstrated how fractional-order neurons influence the convergence of the Hopfield network, improving the performance of the parameter identification process if compared with integer-order implementations. Two different approaches for computing fractional derivatives were considered and compared as a function of the fractional-order of the derivatives: the Caputo and the Caputo–Fabrizio definitions. Simulation results related to different benchmarks commonly adopted in the literature are reported to demonstrate the suitability of the proposed architecture in the field of on-line parameter estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize the prevalence of hyperpalatable foods (HPF) among baby foods in the U.S. and examine the prevalence of HPF exposure and consumption from both baby food and adult food sources among infants aged 9–15 months. Methods: A U.S. baby food database as well as baby foods from three 24-h dietary recalls of 147 infants were used to identify baby foods as HPF per previous publication. HPF exposure was defined as intake of any HPF during the 3-day measurement period. To determine the extent of HFP consumption, % kilocalorie (kcal) intake from HPF was characterized. Results: Only 12% of baby foods were HPF; however, nearly all participants (>90%) consumed HPF, primarily through exposure to adult foods. Younger infants (<12 months) consumed 38% [standard deviation (SD) = 23.6%] of their daily food kcal from HPF and older infants (≥12 months) consumed 52% (SD = 16.4%) of daily food kilocalorie from HPF. Most younger infants (68%) and older infants (88%) had repeated exposure to the same HPF across the measurement period. Conclusions: The prevalence of HPF among baby foods in the U.S. is low. However, almost all infants were exposed to HPF, and HPF comprised a substantial percentage of daily food kilocalorie in infants' diets. Findings highlight the transition to solid food consumption during complimentary feeding period is a critical time for early HPF exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Cocktail combinations of bacteria‐infecting viruses (bacteriophages) can suppress pathogenic bacterial growth. However, predicting how phage cocktails influence microbial communities with complex ecological interactions, specifically cross‐feeding interactions in which bacteria exchange nutrients, remains challenging. Here, we used experiments and mathematical simulations to determine how to best suppress a model pathogen, E. coli, when obligately cross‐feeding with S. enterica. We tested whether the duration of pathogen suppression caused by a two‐lytic phage cocktail was maximized when both phages targeted E. coli, or when one phage targeted E. coli and the other its cross‐feeding partner, S. enterica. Experimentally, we observed that cocktails targeting both cross‐feeders suppressed E. coli growth longer than cocktails targeting only E. coli. Two non‐mutually exclusive mechanisms could explain these results: (i) we found that treatment with two E. coli phage led to the evolution of a mucoid phenotype that provided cross‐resistance against both phages, and (ii) S. enterica set the growth rate of the coculture, and therefore, targeting S. enterica had a stronger effect on pathogen suppression. Simulations suggested that cross‐resistance and the relative growth rates of cross‐feeders modulated the duration of E. coli suppression. More broadly, we describe a novel bacteriophage cocktail strategy for pathogens that cross‐feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriophage shape the composition and function of microbial communities. Yet it remains difficult to predict the effect of phage on microbial interactions. Specifically, little is known about how phage influence mutualisms in networks of cross-feeding bacteria. We mathematically modeled the impacts of phage in a synthetic microbial community in which Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica exchange essential metabolites. In this model, independent phage attack of either species was sufficient to temporarily inhibit both members of the mutualism; however, the evolution of phage resistance facilitated yields similar to those observed in the absence of phage. In laboratory experiments, attack of S. enterica with P22vir phage followed these modeling expectations of delayed community growth with little change in the final yield of bacteria. In contrast, when E. coli was attacked with T7 phage, S. enterica, the nonhost species, reached higher yields compared with no-phage controls. T7 infection increased nonhost yield by releasing consumable cell debris, and by driving evolution of partially resistant E. coli that secreted more carbon. Our results demonstrate that phage can have extensive indirect effects in microbial communities, that the nature of these indirect effects depends on metabolic and evolutionary mechanisms, and that knowing the degree of evolved resistance leads to qualitatively different predictions of bacterial community dynamics in response to phage attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Extensive research has focused on hyper-palatable foods (HPF); however, HPF are defined using descriptive terms (e.g., fast foods, sweets), which are not standardized and lack specificity. The study purpose was to develop a quantitative definition of HPF and apply the definition to the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) to determine HPF prevalence in the US food system.Methods: A numeric definition of HPF was developed by extracting common HPF descriptive definitions from the literature and using nutrition software to quantify ingredients of fat, simple sugars, carbohydrates, and sodium. The definition was applied to the FNDDS.Results: HPF from the literature aligned with three clusters: (1) fat and sodium (> 25% kcal from fat, ≥ 0.30% sodium by weight), (2) fat and simple sugars (> 20% kcal from fat, > 20% kcal from sugar), and (3) carbohydrates and sodium (> 40% kcal from carbohydrates, ≥ 0.20% sodium by weight). In the FNDDS, 62% (4,795/7,757) of foods met HPF criteria. The HPF criteria identified a variety of foods, including some labeled reduced or low fat and vegetables cooked in creams, sauces, or fats.Conclusions: A data-derived HPF definition revealed that a substantial percentage of foods in the US food system may be hyper-palatable, including foods not previously conceptualized as hyper-palatable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The transition to college is a developmentally sensitive time in which freshmen are at high risk for engaging in heavy drinking and experiencing changes in weight and body composition. The study tested prospective associations among drinking patterns (weekly drinks, heavy drinking occasions/month) and alcohol calorie intake on weight and waist circumference change over the first year of college. Methods: College freshmen (N = 103) were randomly selected from a pool of eligible students to participate at the beginning of the academic year. The sample was comprised of 52% males, 46% of individuals identifying as racial or ethnic minority, and 45% students with at‐risk drinking as defined by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption questions. Students engaging in daily risky drinking (n = 2) were excluded. Participants attended 3 visits during the academic year during which they provided weight and waist circumference measurements and completed assessments about drinking, dietary intake, and physical activity. Results: Weight gain (>2.3 kg) occurred in 28% of participants. In linear mixed models, drinking patterns and alcohol calorie intake were not associated with weight or waist circumference changes within individuals, when controlling for demographic and energy balance variables. Drinking patterns and alcohol calorie intake did not account for differences in anthropometric measurements between participants, when controlling for covariates. Conclusions: Alcohol use did not explain the anthropometric changes observed in a sample well represented by freshmen engaging in risky drinking (and excluding those with daily risky drinking) during the academic year. Drinking may not contribute to short‐term weight gain among freshmen. The transition to college is a developmentally sensitive time in which freshmen are at high‐risk for engaging in heavy drinking and experiencing changes in weight and body composition. The study prospectively tested the relationship between alcohol use patterns and short‐term weight and waist circumference change in a sample of college freshmen well‐represented across sex, race/ethnicity, and at‐risk drinking status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Obesity is prevalent in breast cancer survivors and is a significant risk factor for recurrence and mortality. Weight management interventions for survivors have been diverse in design (in-person vs. phone-based, group vs. individual) and yielded varying weight loss results. Given these issues, participants themselves may provide insight into treatment-based factors that contributed to their weight loss outcomes. Here, we report qualitative results from interviews with survivors in a group phone-based weight loss intervention, with the objective of identifying mechanisms that facilitated or hindered adherence and weight loss. We explored interest in paying for continued treatment as an indicator of dissemination potential.Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with 186 rural, obese breast cancer survivors upon completion of a 6-month weight loss intervention that produced clinically meaningful weight loss (>5 %) in 91 % of participants. A thematic analysis of the interview data was performed.Results: Five themes were identified as impacting adherence and success: (1) accountability; (2) importance of the group, with varying levels of connectedness; (3) dietary convenience; (4) difficulty maintaining intervention components that required more effort; and (5) importance of internal motivation to attributions of physical activity success or failure. Most were interested in paying to continue the program if it were extended beyond the study.Conclusions: Key intervention components that participants attributed to their success included supportive group processes and convenience. Results highlight the group phone-based approach as a potential venue for disseminating an effective weight loss program for breast cancer survivors.Trial Registration: NCT01441011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Physical activity may be difficult for survivors with poorer functioning following primary treatment. The study examined whether late symptoms of breast cancer treatment impact PA adoption (0-6 months) and maintenance (6-18 months) during a weight management intervention, and whether late symptoms influence PA when accounting for overall functioning.Methods: Secondary analyses were conducted using a sample of survivors participating in a weight management intervention and who provided valid weight and accelerometer data at baseline and 6 months (N = 176). The Breast Cancer Prevention Trial Symptom Checklist (BCPT) assessed late treatment-related symptoms. SF-12 Physical Component Scale (PCS) and Mental Component Scale (MCS) scores assessed functioning.Results: Change in bouted moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) min/week from baseline to 6 months was not associated with BCPT scales (all p values > 0.05). When adding SF-12 scores to the model, change in bouted MVPA min/week was significantly associated with the PCS (p = 0.045). Change in MVPA min/week from 6 to 18 months was significantly associated with cognitive symptoms (p = 0.004), but not musculoskeletal or vasomotor symptoms (p values > 0.05). When adding 6-month SF-12 scores to the model, MVPA min/week was significantly associated with PCS (p = 0.001) and MCS (p = 0.028); however, BCPT cognitive problems score became non-significant (p > 0.05).Conclusions: Poorer physical functioning was associated with lower PA adoption, and poorer mental and physical functioning was associated with lower maintenance of PA, while late symptoms generally were not. Interventionists should consider level of functioning when identifying individual PA goals during weight management interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the effects of a group phone-based weight management intervention on change in physical activity as measured via accelerometer and self-report in rural breast cancer survivors. The study also evaluated the role of physical activity on clinically meaningful cut points for weight loss (baseline to 6 months) and weight loss maintenance (6 to 18 months).Methods: Participants were breast cancer survivors in a weight management intervention who provided valid weight and accelerometer data (N = 142). Participants were categorized into four groups based on weight loss ≥10% and weight regain ≥5% at 18 months.Results: Accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) significantly increased from baseline to 6 months (+46.9 minutes). MVPA declined during maintenance but remained significantly greater than baseline. Self-reported MVPA followed a similar pattern as accelerometer MVPA, but estimates were significantly higher. Participants in the high loss, low regain group had significantly higher MVPA at all points.Conclusions: A distance-based weight management intervention for survivors improved physical activity outcomes over 18 months. Self-reported physical activity was substantially higher than accelerometer measured. Findings highlight the importance of device-based measurement for characterizing the magnitude of physical activity change as well as the role of physical activity in weight management outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, modulates the mitogen-induced proliferation of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes contain taurine and express taurine transporter (TauT). Among the effects of taurine on lymphocytes are protection against oxidants and regulation of the inflammatory aspects of the immune response. Our aim was to determine the influence of fluoxetine treatment on taurine transport, and to determine the presence of TauT in the mononuclear cells of rats. Methods: Male adult Sprague- Dawley rats were treated with fluoxetine 10 mg/kg i.p. for 1, 2, and 3 weeks. The cells were obtained by density gradients. [3H]Taurine was used for transport assays. Amino acid levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Immunolabeling of CD4+, CD8+, and TauT was performed. The mRNA of TauT was evaluated by RT-PCR. Controls were included for each protocol. Results: The transport of taurine, after 1 week of treatment, was significantly augmented compared to controls. The affinity significantly increased at 1 and 2 weeks. While the percentage of CD4+ cells decreased and that of CD8+ cells increased, the percentage of TauT in CD4+ and CD8+ cells was not affected. Reduction of levels of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, threonine, alanine, glycine, and arginine occurred at 1 and 2 weeks. The taurine concentration significantly decreased after 2 and 3 weeks of treatment. The estimation of mRNA of TauT was not different. Conclusion: Taurine transport increases with fluoxetine treatment, and so this could be related to an immunomodulatory role of fluoxetine through TauT. Inhibition of serotonin reuptake might be involved in the regulation of taurine transport in mononuclear cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Obesity and weight gain after breast cancer treatment are common among survivors, yet the relationship between weight and body image has received little attention. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between current body mass index, weight gain since diagnosis, and largest weight fluctuation in adulthood with six dimensions of body image among overweight/obese breast cancer survivors.Methods: The current study used data obtained from a weight control trial with 210 rural overweight/obese breast cancer survivors. Using data collected at baseline, multiple regression models were constructed to examine the relative association of the three weight variables with breast cancer-specific dimensions of body image while controlling for demographic characteristics and cancer treatment-related variables.Results: Largest weight fluctuation in adulthood significantly predicted overall body image (p = 0.01) and was associated with the three socially oriented dimensions of body image: social activity restriction, embarrassment about appearance, and sexuality (all ps = 0.01). Weight gain since diagnosis approached statistical significance in predicting overall body image (p = 0.05) and was associated with embarrassment about appearance (p = 0.03). Current body mass index was not significantly associated with overall body image when controlling for the other weight variables (p = 0.07) and was negatively associated with social activity restriction (p = 0.01) and sexuality (p = 0.01).Conclusions: Obese breast cancer survivors with a history of a large weight fluctuation in adulthood may be prone to poorer breast cancer-specific body image several years after treatment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Obesity and diet quality are two distinct lifestyle factors associated with morbidity and mortality among breast cancer survivors. The purposes of this study were to examine diet quality changes during a weight loss intervention among breast cancer survivors and to examine whether diet quality change was an important factor related to weight loss.Methods: Participants were overweight/obese breast cancer survivors (n = 180) participating in a weight loss intervention. Diet quality scores were calculated using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010. Paired samplet-tests were run to examine change in diet quality, and a latent difference model was constructed to examine whether change in diet quality was associated with weight change.Results: Participants significantly improved diet quality (P= 0.001) and lost 13.2 ± 5.8% (mean ± SD) of their weight (P= 0.001). Six-month HEI score was significantly associated with weight loss, controlling for baseline BMI (P= 0.003). Improvement in diet quality was also significantly associated with weight loss (P= 0.01).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a weight loss intervention can result in both clinically significant weight loss and improvement in diet quality, and that improved diet quality is predictive of weight loss. Both weight loss and diet quality are implicated in longevity and quality of life for breast cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In primary care, collecting information about patient health behaviors between appointments can be advantageous. Physicians and researchers who embrace phone-based technology may find valuable ways to monitor patient-reported outcome measures of health (PROM). However, the level of phone technology sophistication should be tailored to the phone use of the population of interest. Despite the growing use of telephones as a means to gather PROM, little is known about phone use among primary care patients. As part of an ongoing study, the authors recruited primary care patients (N = 9126) for a health behavior screening study by calling them on the primary contact number listed in their medical record. The current study evaluated the frequency with which individuals were reached on landlines, basic cell phones, and smartphones, and examined participant characteristics. The majority of participants (63%) used landlines as their primary contact. Of the 37% using cell phones on the recruitment call, most (71%) were using smartphones. Landline users were significantly older than cell phone users (61.4 vs. 46.2 years; P = .001). Cell phone use did not differ significantly between participants with a college education and those without (37% vs. 38%; P = .82); however, smartphone use did differ (61% vs. 77%; P = .01). The majority of participants sampled used landlines as their primary telephone contact. Researchers designing phone-based PROM studies for primary care may have the broadest intervention reach using interactive voice response telephone technology, as patients could report health outcomes from any type of phone, including landlines. ( Population Health Management 2016;19:212-215) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Screening of primary care patients for unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues is recommended by numerous governing bodies internationally, yet evidence suggests that provider-initiated screening is not routine practice. The objective of this study was to implement systematic pre-screening of primary care patients for common preventive health issues on a large scale. Methods: Patients registered for non-acute visits to one of 40 primary care providers from eight clinics in an Academic Medical Center health care network in the United States from May, 2012 to May, 2014 were contacted one- to three-days prior to their visit. Patients were invited to complete a questionnaire using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Six items assessed pain, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, concern about weight, and mood. Results: The acceptance rate among eligible patients reached by phone was 65.6 %, of which 95.5 % completed the IVR-Screen (N = 8,490; mean age 57; 57 % female). Sample demographics were representative of the overall primary care population from which participants were drawn on gender, race, and insurance status, but participants were slightly older and more likely to be married. Eighty-seven percent of patients screened positive on at least one item, and 59 % endorsed multiple problems. The majority of respondents (64.2 %) reported being never or only somewhat physically active. Weight concern was reported by 43.9 % of respondents, 36.4 % met criteria for unhealthy alcohol use, 23.4 % reported current pain, 19.6 % reported low mood, and 9.4 % reported smoking. Conclusions: The percent endorsement for each behavioral health concern was generally consistent with studies of screening using other methods, and contrasts starkly with the reported low rates of screening and intervention for such concerns in typical PC practice. Results support the feasibility of IVR-based, large-scale pre-appointment behavioral health/ lifestyle risk factor screening of primary care patients. Pre-screening in this population facilitated participation in a controlled trial of brief treatment for unhealthy drinking, and also could be valuable clinically because it allows for case identification and management during routine care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]