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Since 2022, Europe has had 4 cases of extensively drugresistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, sequence type 16406, that is resistant to ceftriaxone and highly resistant to azithromycin. We report 2 new cases from France in 2023 involving strains genetically related to the 4 cases from Europe as well as isolates from Cambodia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NUTRIOSE® (Roquette, Lestrem, France) is a resistant dextrin with well-established prebiotic effects. This study evaluated the indirect effects of pre-digested NUTRIOSE® on host immune response and gut barrier integrity. Fecal samples from eight healthy donors were inoculated in a Colon-on-a-plate® system (ProDigest, Ghent, Belgium) with or without NUTRIOSE® supplementation. Following 48 h fermentation, colonic suspensions were tested in a Caco-2/THP1-Blue™ co-culture system to determine their effects on gut barrier activity (transepithelial electrical resistance) and immune response following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Additionally, changes in short-chain fatty acid levels (SCFA) and microbial community composition following a 48 h fermentation in the Colon-on-a-plate® system were measured. Across all donors, immune-mediated intestinal barrier damage was significantly reduced with NUTRIOSE®-supplemented colonic suspensions versus blank. Additionally, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly increased, and the level of the neutrophil chemoattractant IL-8 was significantly decreased with NUTRIOSE®-supplemented colonic suspensions versus blank in the co-culture models following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. These beneficial effects of NUTRIOSE® supplementation were likely due to increased acetate and propionate levels and the enrichment of SCFA-producing bacteria. NUTRIOSE® was well fermented by the colonic bacteria of all eight donors and had protective effects on inflammation-induced disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier and strong anti-inflammatory effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: While modulation of the human adult gut microbiota is a trending strategy to improve health, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Methods: This study aimed to assess the predictive value of the ex vivo, reactorbased, high-throughput SIFR® (Systemic Intestinal Fermentation Research) technology for clinical findings using three structurally different prebiotics [inulin (IN), resistant dextrin (RD) and 2'-fucosyllactose (2'FL)]. Results: The key finding was that data obtained within 1-2 days were predictive for clinical findings upon repeated prebiotic intake over weeks: among hundreds of microbes, IN stimulated Bifidobacteriaceae, RD boosted Parabacteroides distasonis, while 2'FL specifically increased Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Anaerobutyricum hallii. In line with metabolic capabilities of these taxa, specific SCFA (short-chain fatty acids) were produced thus providing insights that cannot be obtained in vivo where such metabolites are rapidly absorbed. Further, in contrast to using single or pooled fecal microbiota (approaches used to circumvent low throughput of conventional models), working with 6 individual fecal microbiota enabled correlations that support mechanistic insights. Moreover, quantitative sequencing removed the noise caused by markedly increased cell densities upon prebiotic treatment, thus allowing to even rectify conclusions of previous clinical trials related to the tentative selectivity by which prebiotics modulate the gut microbiota. Counterintuitively, not the high but rather the low selectivity of IN caused only a limited number of taxa to be significantly affected. Finally, while a mucosal microbiota (enriched with Lachnospiraceae) can be integrated, other technical aspects of the SIFR® technology are a high technical reproducibility, and most importantly, a sustained similarity between the ex vivo and original in vivo microbiota. Discussion: By accurately predicting in vivo results within days, the SIFR® technology can help bridge the so-called "Valley of Death" between preclinical and clinical research. Facilitating development of test products with better understanding of their mode of action could dramatically increase success rate of microbiome modulating clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 era highlighted vaccine hesitancy (VH) among health workers (HWs) as a major hurdlehurdle to optimum immunization practices. Through the identification of relevant determinants, barriers, and interventions to counteract VH, this literature review examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HWs' influenza vaccination sentiment. METHODS Studies were identified by searching the PubMed database for articles published between August 2019 and July 2022. The search was restricted to articles in English that were original studies or meta-analyses or reviews. They were included in the review if they covered influenza VH among HWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inductive content analysis was used to identify themes that illustrate facilitators, barriers, and consideration. Risk of bias was not assessed. RESULTS Of 924 articles identified, 20 were selected. Of these, 15 were conducted in Europe and focused on healthcare staff, primarily in hospital settings. Within the COVID-19 context, physicians and residents were more willing than nurses to adhere to influenza vaccination. Young HWs, particularly males and those with chronic comorbidities, demonstrated the highest acceptance of the influenza vaccine. HWs' immunization history is associated with higher influenza vaccine adherence. Factors determining HW's acceptance of flu immunization were: healthcare staff's knowledge of the influenza vaccine, concerns about protecting themselves or others, and the rising perception of risk and fear from COVID-19 infection. Main barriers were negative perceptions about vaccine safety and effectiveness, insufficient time for vaccine uptake, and confidence in natural or acquired immunity. In the context of the pandemic, awareness campaigns and targeting vaccine affordability and accessibility were the most adopted interventions to increase vaccine acceptance amongst HWs. CONCLUSIONS In the context of COVID-19, confidence in influenza vaccines and the perception of risk from COVID-19 infection have increased among healthcare staff. To further explore the impact of the pandemic [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform magnetic fields are desired in a wide range of applications. The most known device achieving such a purpose is the pair of Helmholtz coils. It consists of two identical circular coils, with their main axis aligned and placed at a distance equal to their common radius from each other. The goal of this research is to find another arrangement of the coils in space so as to achieve the largest region possible with a uniform magnetic field. A topology optimization framework is developed for this purpose. It investigates the ideal distribution of current densities in an axisymmetric 2-D domain. The designed topology provides a significant improvement of the volume with a uniform field, which is 6.37 times larger than the reference one obtained with Helmholtz coils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) demonstrate excellent potentials for electromagnetic applications. Isotropy is one critical feature in designing the composite. This work presents a shape optimization algorithm for SMCs subject to isotropy and volume constraints. The maximal isotropic effective permeability is the design target for a fixed volume fraction of the SMCs’ inclusion. Augmented Lagrange is applied to satisfy the volume requirement. In addition, an adaptive weighted sum approach is used to deal with the isotropy constraint. A level-set function is defined on the whole design domain and propagates the shape of the inclusion. Shape derivative is deduced to determine the descent direction. A numerical application is implemented for SMCs in magnetostatics in 2-D for various initial shapes. The local minimum is located at a rapid convergence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a swirling actuator that uses the electromagnetic radial force and mechanical gears to generate rotational torque. The proposed actuator generates a rotating radial force between an inner stator and a swirler. The gears on the swirler and outer rotor convert the circular motion of the swirler to low-speed rotor rotation. Thus, the proposed actuator is aimed at low-speed high-torque applications. In this study, the air-gap radial flux density and electromagnetic radial force are investigated analytically and verified through finite-element analysis. The static radial force and output torque are measured in a prototype of the actuator. The system efficiency and the gear efficiency are evaluated. A peak torque density of 27 Nm/L with a small volume of 0.16 L is realized in the prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Resistant dextrin (RD) supplementation has been shown to alter satiety, glycaemia, and body weight, in overweight Chinese men; however, there are limited data on its effects in other demographic groups. Here, we investigated the effects of RD on satiety in healthy adults living in the United Kingdom. Methods: 20 normal weight and 16 overweight adults completed this randomised controlled cross-over study. Either RD (14 g/day NUTRIOSE® FB06) or maltodextrin control was consumed in mid-morning and mid-afternoon preload beverages over a 28-day treatment period with crossover after a 28-day washout. During 10-h study visits (on days 1, 14, and 28 of each treatment period), satietogenic, glycaemic and anorectic hormonal responses to provided meals were assessed. Results: Chronic supplementation with RD was associated with higher fasted satiety scores at day 14 (P = 0.006) and day 28 (P = 0.040), compared to control. RD also increased satiety after the mid-morning intervention drink, but it was associated with a reduction in post-meal satiety following both the lunch and evening meals (P < 0.01). The glycaemic response to the mid-morning intervention drink (0–30 min) was attenuated following RD supplementation (P < 0.01). Whilst not a primary endpoint we also observed lower systolic blood pressure at day 14 (P = 0.035) and 28 (P = 0.030), compared to day 1, following RD supplementation in the normal weight group. Energy intake and anthropometrics were unaffected. Conclusions: RD supplementation modified satiety and glycaemic responses in this cohort, further studies are required to determine longer-term effects on body weight control and metabolic markers. Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT02041975 (22/01/2014) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are a type of smart materials that reacts mechanically to heat. Due to their complex behavior, they are often used in a simple geometry such as wires. This constrains the output displacement of the alloy to a simple linear contraction of the wire. When a different output displacement is desired, the SMA is coupled to a mechanism that transforms the motion, degrading the compactness of the whole system. To alleviate such issues, we propose fabricating, directly in SMA, a compliant mechanism that performs complex output motions and thus improves integration. The first part of this paper presents a method to design such systems. When coupled with a bias-spring and a heating system, these mechanisms form a full actuator. The conventional heating system relies on Joules losses coming from direct electric conduction through the alloy. However, now that the SMA has a complex shape, passing a current through it becomes an arduous task requiring multiple electrodes making the system cumbersome and deteriorating its integrability. Magnetic induction heating is proposed to tackle this limitation, heating the mechanism without contact and conserving a compact actuator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) possess promising electromagnetic characteristics and attract intense research and application interest in the engineering community. Fabrication of composites with customized architecture is feasible due to the recent advances in additive manufacturing techniques. The systematic progress of computational optimization has opened up the possibility of devising such structures. This article aims to optimally design the shape of inclusion in SMCs. Their advantages are potentially high magnetic permeability and low eddy current losses at a certain volume fraction of the iron material. The shape derivative is calculated for the descent direction and the level-set method is used to evolve the domain. We implement the algorithm in 2-D space considering the linear magnetic behavior of iron. In this article, the objective is the effective magnetic permeability at a given volume fraction of inclusion for magnetostatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background On 7 February 2020, French Health authorities were informed of a confirmed case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in an Englishman infected in Singapore who had recently stayed in a chalet in the French Alps. We conducted an investigation to identify secondary cases and interrupt transmission. Methods We defined as a confirmed case a person linked to the chalet with a positive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction sample for SARS-CoV-2. Results The index case stayed 4 days in the chalet with 10 English tourists and a family of 5 French residents; SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 5 individuals in France, 6 in England (including the index case), and 1 in Spain (overall attack rate in the chalet: 75%). One pediatric case, with picornavirus and influenza A coinfection, visited 3 different schools while symptomatic. One case was asymptomatic, with similar viral load as that of a symptomatic case. Seven days after the first cases were diagnosed, 1 tertiary case was detected in a symptomatic patient with from the chalet a positive endotracheal aspirate; all previous and concurrent nasopharyngeal specimens were negative. Additionally, 172 contacts were monitored; all contacts tested for SARS-CoV-2 (N = 73) were negative. Conclusions The occurrence in this cluster of 1 asymptomatic case with similar viral load as a symptomatic patient suggests transmission potential of asymptomatic individuals. The fact that an infected child did not transmit the disease despite close interactions within schools suggests potential different transmission dynamics in children. Finally, the dissociation between upper and lower respiratory tract results underscores the need for close monitoring of the clinical evolution of suspected cases of coronavirus disease 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slotless windings are commonly used in small size high-speed electrical brushless dc machines. Unlike slotted windings, forced to follow the direction of slots, slotless windings can be freely arranged in the airgap. This represents several opportunities for optimization. Nevertheless, very little research is performed in this domain. This article intends to challenge the traditional way of manufacturing windings. Indeed, most of the windings are made with isolated wire of constant section. However, it is demonstrated here that the performances of a motor can be significantly increased by optimizing the shape of the winding and by selecting nonconstant wire sections. A prototype of the new topology has been manufactured and measurements have demonstrated an increase of the motor constant from 18% to 24% compared to a traditional slotless winding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oral cavity harbors a complex microbial ecosystem, intimately related to oral health and disease. The use of polyol-sweetened gum is believed to benefit oral health through stimulation of salivary flow and impacting oral pathogenic bacteria. Maltitol is often used as sweetener in food products. This study aimed to establish the in vivo effects of frequent consumption of maltitol-sweetened chewing gum on the dental plaque microbiota in healthy volunteers and to establish the cellular and molecular effects by in vitro cultivation and transcriptional analysis. Results: An intervention study was performed in 153 volunteers, randomly assigned to three groups (www.trialregister.nl; NTR4165). One group was requested to use maltitol gum five times daily, one group used gum-base and the third group did not use chewing gum. At day 0 and day 28, 24 h-accumulated supragingival plaque was collected at the lingual sites of the lower jaw and the buccal sites of the upper jaw and analyzed by 16S ribosomal rRNA gene sequencing. At day 42, 2 weeks after completion of the study, lower-jaw samples were collected and analyzed. The upper buccal plaque microbiota composition had lower bacterial levels and higher relative abundances of (facultative) aerobic species compared to the lower lingual sites. There was no difference in bacterial community structure between any of the three study groups (PERMANOVA). Significant lower abundance of several bacterial phylotypes was found in maltitol gum group compared to the gum-base group, including Actinomyces massiliensis HOT 852 and Lautropia mirabilis HOT 022. Cultivation studies confirmed growth inhibition of A. massiliensis and A. johnsonii by maltitol at levels of 1% and higher. Transcriptome analysis of A. massiliensis revealed that exposure to maltitol resulted in changes in the expression of genes linked to osmoregulation, biofilm formation and central carbon metabolism. Conclusion: The results showed that chewing itself only marginally impacted the plaque microbiota composition. Use of maltitol-sweetened gum lowered abundance of several bacterial species. Importantly, the species impacted play a key role in the early formation of dental biofilms. Further studies are required to establish if frequent use of maltitol gum impacts early dental-plaque biofilm development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study on the glycemic and insulinemic responses of healthy East Indians after consumption of maltitol. It offers information on maltitol which is a bulk sweetener that exhibit a low glycemic response. The results reportedly revealed that maltitol glycemic response in healthy people is low.

Lutein and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are associated with the prevention of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Since microalgae are potent natural sources of these nutrients, their nutritional value should be evaluated based on the bioavailability of lutein and DHA for the retina via the plasmatic compartment. In this study, quail were fed for 5 months either with a diet supplemented or deprived with microalgae rich in lutein and DHA. In the microalgae-fed group, the retinal concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin gradually increased whereas in plasma, these compounds started to increase from the first month of supplementation. We also observed a significant increase in retinal and plasmatic levels of DHA in the microalgae-fed group. In conclusion, the plasmatic and retinal contents of lutein and DHA were significantly increased in quail fed with lutein- and DHA-rich microalgae. Food fortification with microalgae may be an innovative way to increase lutein and DHA consumption in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decorrelation and analog-to-digital conversion scheme aiming to reduce the power consumption of infrared image sensors is presented in this paper. To exploit both intraframe redundancy and inherent photon shot noise characteristics, a column based 1D Haar analog wavelet transform combined with variable gain amplification prior to A/D conversion is used. This allows to use only an 11-bit ADC, instead of a 13-bit one, and to save 15% of data transfer. An 8x16 pixels test circuit demonstrates this functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Polyols are molecules of interest for food industries because of their technological and nutritional properties. Maltitol is known for its non-acidogenic and low-energetic properties. Our primary objective was to evaluate the digestive tolerance of maltitol in children. The secondary objective was to compare the organoleptic properties of maltitol and sucrose in chocolate. Method Healthy children were included in a double-blind, randomized parallel study versus placebo. The subjects received one dose of either maltitol or sucrose chocolate per week. Increasing doses were tested from 5 to 15 g maltitol in chocolate. Abdominal pain, rumbling, bloating and flatulence scores were evaluated using visual analog scales. Results Some statistical differences on intestinal parameters were observed in the maltitol group compared with placebo, mainly concerning flatulence scores. Nevertheless, these scores remained low and could be considered minor. Conclusion Our results suggest that maltitol was well tolerated in children at 15 g in one intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "impact of dietary supplementation with resistant dextrin (NUTRIOSE®) on satiety, glycaemia, and related endpoints in healthy adults."

The present review is focused on the metabolism and the emerging roles of oleoylethanolamide (OEA) with emphasis on its effects on food intake control and lipid metabolism. The biological mechanism of action, including a non-genomic effect mediated through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor, is discussed. The research related to fatty acid ethanolamides has been focused until recently on anandamide and its interaction with cannabinoid receptor subtype 1. The roles of other N-acyl ethanolamine fatty acid derivatives have been neglected until it was demonstrated that OEA can modulate food intake control through interaction with PPAR-α. Further investigations demonstrated that OEA modulates lipid and glucose metabolism, and recent study confirmed that OEA is an antagonist of TRVP1. It has been demonstrated that OEA has beneficial effects on health by inducing food intake control, lipid β-oxidation, body weight loss and analgesic effects. The investigation of the mechanism of action revealed that OEA activates PPAR-α and stimulates the vagal nerve through the capsaicin receptor TRPV1. Pre-clinical studies showed that OEA remains active when administered orally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to transfer resistance to P. capsici alleles at four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from a small fruited pepper into a bell pepper recipient line using markers. The marker-assisted selection program was initiated from a doubled-haploid line issued from the mapping population and involved three cycles of marker-assisted backcross (MAB). Two populations, derived by selfing the plants selected after the first selection cycle, were genotyped and evaluated phenotypically for their resistance level. The additive and epistatic effects of the four resistance factors were re-detected and validated in these populations, indicating that introgression of 4 QTLs in this MAB program was successful. A decrease of the effect for the moderate-effect QTLs and of the epistatic interaction was observed. Phenotypic evaluations of horticultural traits were performed on sample of each backcross generation. The results indicated an efficient return to the recipient phenotype using this MAB strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora capsici Leonian, known as the causal agent of the stem, collar and root rot, is one of the most serious problems limiting the pepper crop in many areas in the world. Genetic resistance to the parasite displays complex inheritance. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed in three intraspecific pepper populations, each involving an unrelated resistant accession. Resistance was evaluated by artificial inoculations of roots and stems, allowing the measurement of four components involved in different steps of the plant-pathogen interaction. The three genetic maps were aligned using common markers, which enabled the detection of QTLs involved in each resistance component and the comparison of resistance factors existing among the three resistant accessions. The major resistance factor was found to be common to the three populations. Another resistance factor was found conserved between two populations, the others being specific to a single cross. This comparison across intraspecific germplasm revealed a large variability for quantitative resistance loci to P. capsici. It also provided insights both into the allelic relationships between QTLs across pepper germplasm and for the comparative mapping of resistance factors across the Solanaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three populations composed of a total of 215 doubled haploid lines and 151 F[sub 2] individuals were used to design an intraspecific consensus map of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The individual maps varied from 685 to 1668 cM with 16 to 20 linkage groups (LGs). The alignment of the three individual maps permitted the arrangement of 12 consensus major linkage groups corresponding to the basic chromosome number of pepper and displaying a complex correspondence with the tomato map. The consensus map contained 100 known-function gene markers and 5 loci of agronomic interest (the disease-resistance loci L, pvr2, and Pvr4; the C locus, which determines capsaicin content; and the up locus, controlling the erect habit of the fruits). The locations of three other disease-resistance loci (Tsw, Me3, and Bs3) and the y locus, which determines the yellow fruit colour, were also found on this consensus map thanks to linked markers. Here we report on the first functional detailed map in pepper. The use of candidate gene sequences as genetic markers allowed us to localize four clusters of disease-resistance gene analogues and to establish syntenic relationships with other species.Key words: Capsicum annuum L., comparative mapping, molecular marker, candidate gene, Solanaceae.Une carte consensus intraspécifique du piment (Capsicum annuum L.) a été construite à partir de trois populations, comptant un total de 215 lignées haploïdes doublées et 151 individus F[sub 2] . Les cartes individuelles couvrent entre 685 et 1668 cM, pour un total de 16 à 20 groupes de liaison. Leur alignement a permis de définir 12 groupes de liaison majeurs consensus, correspondant au nombre chromosomique de base du piment, et montrant une correspondance complexe avec la carte de la tomate. La carte consensus compte 100 marqueurs de gènes de fonction connue et 5 locus d'intérêt agronomique (3 locus de résistance aux maladies : L, pvr2, Pvr4 ; C déterminant le goût brûlant du fruit et up contrôlant le déterminisme 'fruit érigé'). Trois autres locus de résistance aux maladies (Tsw, Me3 et Bs3) ainsi que le locus y déterminant la couleur jaune du fruit ont été localisés grâce à des marqueurs liés. Ce travail constitue la première carte fonctionnelle détaillée du piment, facilitant les études de synténie avec d'autres espèces.Mots clés : Capsicum annuum L., cartographie comparée, marqueur moléculaire, gène candidat, Solanacées. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial restriction of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) long-distance movement originating from the Capsicum annuum inbred line ’Vania’ was assessed in a doubled-haploid progeny using two screening methods: the first allowed one to assess the resistance of adult plants decapitated above the fourth leaf and inoculated on the third leaf using a common CMV strain, and the second allowed one to assess CMV resistance to long-distance movement on seedlings inoculated using an atypical CMV strain. For both resistance tests, the behavior of the F1 hybrid between ’Vania’ and the susceptible line ’H3’ indicated that partial resistance is inherited as a dominant trait. Phenotypic data from the two screening methods were correlated but the one performed on seedlings was much more severe. A subset of 184 molecular markers well-distributed over the pepper genome was selected for QTL mapping using the composite interval mapping (CIM) method. A total of seven genomic regions, including one major effect and several minor effect QTLs, were shown to be associated with partial restriction of CMV long-distance movement. These results are compared with those already obtained in pepper and also in other solanaceous crops, potato and tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Carotenoids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were identified as essential components for eye health and are both naturally present in eggs. Objective. We aimed to evaluate the effect of the daily consumption of two eggs enriched with lutein/zeaxanthin and DHA on macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and on circulating xanthophyll and fatty acid concentrations in healthy participants. Methods. Ninety-nine healthy volunteers consumed either two standard eggs or two enriched eggs per day for 4 months. MPOD was measured at baseline (V0) and at follow-up (V4) using a modified confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (primary outcome). Blood samples were collected to determine total plasma and lipoprotein fatty acids and lutein/zeaxanthin compositions at V0 and V4 (secondary outcomes). Results. A slight but significant increase in MPOD was observed for all study participants consuming two eggs per day for 4 months at all eccentricities (0.5°, 1°, 2°, and 4°). Plasma and lipoprotein lutein, zeaxanthin, and DHA concentrations significantly increased in both groups but were greater in the enriched group (for the enriched group (V0 vs. V4): lutein, 167 vs. 369 ng/mL; zeaxanthin, 17.7 vs. 29.2 ng/mL; DHA, 1.89 vs. 2.56% of total fatty acids). Interestingly, lutein from high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was strongly correlated with MPOD at 0.5 and 1° eccentricities (rho = 0.385, p = 0.008, and rho = 0.461, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusions. MPOD was slightly increased in both groups. Lutein, zeaxanthin, and DHA plasma concentrations were strongly enhanced in the enriched group compared with the standard group. A significant correlation was found between MPOD level and lutein concentration in HDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Resistant dextrins are glucose polymers with atypical linkages making them non-digestible in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. NUTRIOSE® is slightly digested in the small intestine and then, progressively fermented in the colon. The objective of this study is to investigate the beneficial effects resulting from the colonic fermentation of NUTRIOSE® and the underlying mechanism of action in rats. Materials & Methods: This experiment was conducted according to the French Regulations for Animal Experimentation and authorized under the project Number 00619.01. After acclimatisation on maintaining diet, 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were blocked by body weight and randomly split into 2 groups. The control group was given a fibre-free diet where corn starch was used to replace fibre and the experimental group was supplemented with 10% NUTRIOSE®. Feces were collected for enzymatic activities measurement. Caecal contents were collected so as caecal cell walls and colon biopsies for gene expression analysis. Results: The significant increases in caecal content weight (p < 0.001) fecal activity of saccharolytic enzymes (p < 0.05) and the decrease in caecal pH (p < 0.001) after the supplementation of NUTRIOSE® suggested its fermentation in the colon and caecum. It is also known from literature that NUTRIOSE® fermentation leads to higher levels of short chain fatty acids including higher levels of propionate and butyrate. This enhanced fermentation induced several positive impacts in the colon such as an increased caecal wall weight (p < 0.001) demonstrating beneficial effect on colon epithelial cells, an up-regulation of genes involved in membrane integrity (occludin (p = 0.01), ZO-1(p = 0.01)), and a positive impact on genes involved in inflammation (Tnf-α (p = 0.03), FOXP3 (p = 0.01)). The present study demonstrated the positive effects of NUTRIOSE® supplementation on glucose metabolism through the up-regulation of PEPCK in the colon (p < 0.001). This effect may also be mediated by the up-regulation of the GPR41 receptor in the colon (p < 0.001) and probably activated by butyrate. Conclusions: All together, these results confirmed that NUTRIOSE® is well fermented in the colon and that these fermentations may be associated with beneficial impacts on colonic epithelial integrity, inflammation and neoglucogenesis. Here we demonstrate a putative mechanism of action of NUTRIOSE® to improve the colonic health which is through the production of butyrate and the resulting activation of GPR41 receptor. Thus, this study helps us to understand the physiological impact of NUTRIOSE® fermentation in colon to produce several health benefits as observed in clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Resistant dextrins are glucose polymers with atypical linkages making them non-digestible in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. NUTRIOSE® is slightly digested in the small intestine and then, progressively fermented in the colon. The objective of this study is to investigate the beneficial effects resulting from the colonic fermentation of NUTRIOSE® and the underlying mechanism of action in rats. Materials & Methods: This experiment was conducted according to the French Regulations for Animal Experimentation and authorized under the project Number 00619.01. After acclimatisation on maintaining diet, 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were blocked by body weight and randomly split into 2 groups. The control group was given a fibre-free diet where corn starch was used to replace fibre and the experimental group was supplemented with 10% NUTRIOSE®. Feces were collected for enzymatic activities measurement. Caecal contents were collected so as caecal cell walls and colon biopsies for gene expression analysis. Results: The significant increases in caecal content weight (p < 0.001) fecal activity of saccharolytic enzymes (p < 0.05) and the decrease in caecal pH (p < 0.001) after the supplementation of NUTRIOSE® suggested its fermentation in the colon and caecum. It is also known from literature that NUTRIOSE® fermentation leads to higher levels of short chain fatty acids including higher levels of propionate and butyrate. This enhanced fermentation induced several positive impacts in the colon such as an increased caecal wall weight (p < 0.001) demonstrating beneficial effect on colon epithelial cells, an up-regulation of genes involved in membrane integrity (occludin (p = 0.01), ZO-1(p = 0.01)), and a positive impact on genes involved in inflammation (Tnf-α (p = 0.03), FOXP3 (p = 0.01)). The present study demonstrated the positive effects of NUTRIOSE® supplementation on glucose metabolism through the up-regulation of PEPCK in the colon (p < 0.001). This effect may also be mediated by the up-regulation of the GPR41 receptor in the colon (p < 0.001) and probably activated by butyrate. Conclusions: All together, these results confirmed that NUTRIOSE® is well fermented in the colon and that these fermentations may be associated with beneficial impacts on colonic epithelial integrity, inflammation and neoglucogenesis. Here we demonstrate a putative mechanism of action of NUTRIOSE® to improve the colonic health which is through the production of butyrate and the resulting activation of GPR41 receptor. Thus, this study helps us to understand the physiological impact of NUTRIOSE® fermentation in colon to produce several health benefits as observed in clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sugar alcohols such as xylitol are incorporated in a number of oral hygiene products for their anti-cariogenic properties while chewing gum is known to be beneficial to oral hygiene. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the composition of the dental plaque microbiota in patients with active caries before and after using a chewing gum supplemented with maltitol. Design: Forty subjects with active caries were randomly allocated to chew maltitol gum or gum base for two weeks. A healthy control group used gum base for two weeks. Plaque samples were collected before and after treatment and the microbiota analysed by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Results: A total of 773,547 sequences were obtained from 117 samples. There was no difference in structure of the bacterial communities between groups (AMOVA). There was a significant difference in community membership between groups, (AMOVA, p=0.009). There was a significant difference between the control group after treatment and the maltitol patient group after treatment (p<0.001). A. naeslundii HOT-176 and Actinomyces HOT-169 were significantly reduced following use of maltitol chewing gum in patients. Conclusions: This study has shown that chewing gum containing maltitol had minor effects on the composition of the plaque microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

?Criollo de Morelos 334? (CM334) is one of the most promising sources of resistance to Phytophthora capsici in pepper. This Mexican accession is distantly related to bell pepper and its resistance displays a complex inheritance. The QTLs involved in resistance to P. capsici were previously mapped. In order to transfer the resistance factors from CM334 into a bell pepper genetic background, a modified, recurrent breeding scheme was initiated. The breeding population was divided into three sub-populations which were screened by distinct phenotypic tests of increasing severity. The plants from the first sub-population were screened with low-severity tests and backcrossed to the susceptible bell pepper; the plants from the second and third sub-populations were screened by more severe resistance tests and crossed with the plants from the first and second sub-populations, respectively. In this study, the phenotypic data for the three sub-populations during five screening/intermating cycles were analysed. In parallel, the changes in allelic frequencies at molecular markers linked to the resistance QTLs were reported. The resistance phenotype and allelic frequencies strongly depended on the sub-population and screening severity. Regarding allelic frequency changes across the selection cycles, a loss of resistant QTL alleles was observed in the first sub-population, particularly for the low-effect QTLs, whereas a better conservation of the resistant QTL alleles was observed in the two other sub-populations. The same trend was observed in the phenotypic data with an increasing resistance level from the first to the third sub-populations. The changes in the allelic frequencies of loci not linked to resistance QTLs and for horticultural traits across the breeding process indicated that the recovery of the recipient parent genome was not significantly affected by the selection for resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]