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The consumption of probiotic products is continually increasing, supported by growing scientific evidence of their efficacy. Considering that probiotics may primarily affect health (either positively or negatively) through gut microbiota modulation, the first aspect that should be evaluated is their impact on the intestinal microbial ecosystem. In this study, we longitudinally analyzed the bacterial taxonomic composition and organic acid levels in four fecal samples collected over the course of four weeks from 19 healthy adults who ingested one capsule a day for two weeks of a formulation containing at least 70 billion colony-forming units, consisting of 25% lactobacilli and 75% Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis. We found that 16S rRNA gene profiling showed that probiotic intake only induced an increase in a single operational taxonomic unit ascribed to B. animalis, plausibly corresponding to the ingested bifidobacterial strain. Furthermore, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry revealed a significant increase in the lactate and acetate/butyrate ratio and a trend toward a decrease in succinate following probiotic administration. The presented results indicate that the investigated probiotic formulation did not alter the intestinal bacterial ecosystem of healthy adults and suggest its potential ability to promote colonization resistance in the gut through a transient increase in fecal bifidobacteria, lactic acid, and the acetate/butyrate ratio.

Background: Folate and its synthetic form folic acid function as donor of one-carbon units and have been, together with other B-vitamins, implicated in programming of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation during early development. To what extent regulation of DNA methylation can be altered via B-vitamins later in life, and how this relates to health and disease, is not exactly known. The aim of this study was to identify effects of long-term supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B12 on genome-wide DNA methylation in elderly subjects. Results: After intervention with folic acid and vitamin B12, 162 (versus 14 in the placebo group) of the 431,312 positions were differentially methylated as compared to baseline. Comparisons of the DNA methylation changes in the participants receiving folic acid and vitamin B12 versus placebo revealed one single differentially methylated position (cg19380919) with a borderline statistical significance. However, based on the analyses of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) consisti

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is associated with a host of health benefits, yet many individuals do not perform sufficient physical activity to realise these benefits. One approach to rectifying this situation is through modifying the built environment to make it more conducive to physical activity, such as by building walking tracks or recreational physical activity facilities. Often, however, modifications to the built environment are not connected to efforts aimed at encouraging their use. The purpose of the Monitoring and Observing the Value of Exercise (MOVE) study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions designed to encourage the ongoing use of a new, multi-purpose, community-based physical activity facility. METHODS/DESIGN: A two-year, randomised controlled trial with yearly survey points (baseline, 12 months follow-up, 24 months follow-up) will be conducted among 1,300 physically inactive adult participants aged 18-70 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: control, intervention 1 (attendance incentives), or intervention 2 (attendance incentives and tailored support following a model based on customer relationship management). Primary outcome measures will include facility usage, physical activity participation, mental and physical wellbeing, community connectedness, social capital, friendship, and social support. Secondary outcome measures will include stages of change for facility usage and social cognitive decision-making variables. DISCUSSION: This study will assess whether customer relationship management systems, a tool commonly used in commercial marketing settings, can encourage the ongoing use of a physical activity facility. Findings may also indicate the population segments among which the use of such systems are most effective, as well as their cost-effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615000012572 (registered 9 January 2015).

BackgroundAccording to recent findings, short sleep duration is associated with overweight in children. However, primary prevention efforts aimed at achieving adequate sleep among children are scarce. Therefore, the Identification and prevention of Dietary-induced and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS' (IDEFICS) study implemented a multilevel intervention that included sleep duration as a key behavioural target. The aim of this study is to evaluate sleep duration among children participating in the IDEFICS study. MethodsThe IDEFICS nocturnal sleep intervention was included as part of stress reduction educational messages aimed at parents and children. Sleep was assessed by a parental 24-h recall (only weekdays; n=8,543) and by a diary (weekdays and weekends separately; n=4,150). Mixed linear models tested the intervention effect on sleep duration change between baseline when children were 2-9.9years of age (2007/2008) and follow-up (2009/2010). Logistic mix models were used to study the intervention effect on the presence of TV in the children's bedroom (one of the intervention messages; n=8,668). Additionally, parents provided qualitative data regarding exposure to the intervention. ResultsAbout 51.1% of the parents in the intervention regions reported awareness of the sleep intervention. A small intervention effect was seen on weeknight sleep duration in that the decrease in sleep duration over 2years was smaller in the intervention (15min) as compared with control regions (19min) (p=0.044). There was no overall intervention effect on weekend sleep duration or on the presence of a TV in the bedroom. A small significant time effect between baseline and follow-up was found on bedroom TV presence depending on self-reported intervention exposure (3% increase in TV presence in exposed versus 6.6% increase in non-exposed). Children without a TV in the bedroom had longer nocturnal sleep duration. DiscussionThe sleep component of the intervention di, Group Author(s): IDEFICS Consortium

Folate and its synthetic form folic acid function as donor of one-carbon units and have been, together with other B-vitamins, implicated in programming of epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation during early development. To what extent regulation of DNA methylation can be altered via B-vitamins later in life, and how this relates to health and disease, is not exactly known. The aim of this study was to identify effects of long-term supplementation with folic acid and vitamin B 12 on genome-wide DNA methylation in elderly subjects. This project was part of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial on effects of supplemental intake of folic acid and vitamin B 12 on bone fracture incidence (B-vitamins for the PRevention Of Osteoporotic Fractures (B-PROOF) study). Participants with mildly elevated homocysteine levels, aged 65–75 years, were randomly assigned to take 400 µg folic acid and 500 µg vitamin B 12 per day or a placebo during an intervention period of 2 years. DNA was isolated from buffy coats, collected before and after intervention, and genome-wide DNA methylation was determined in 87 participants (n¿=¿44 folic acid/vitamin B 12 , n¿=¿43 placebo) using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Results After intervention with folic acid and vitamin B 12 , 162 (versus 14 in the placebo group) of the 431,312 positions were differentially methylated as compared to baseline. Comparisons of the DNA methylation changes in the participants receiving folic acid and vitamin B 12 versus placebo revealed one single differentially methylated position (cg19380919) with a borderline statistical significance. However, based on the analyses of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) consisting of multiple positions, we identified 6 regions that differed statistically significantly between the intervention and placebo group. Pronounced changes were found for regions in the DIRAS3, ARMC8, and NODAL genes, implicated in carcinogenesis and early embryonic development. Further

Författarna diskuterar med utgångspunkt från sin egen forskning på vilket sätt ledaren på en arbetsplats kan påverka de anställdas hälsa och vilka faktorer som enligt forskningen tycks har störst betydelse. Passiva och auktoritära ledarstilar visar sig i epidemiologiska studier ha samband med dålig psykisk hälsa hos de anställda, särskilt upplevelse av mobbning, depressiva symptom, känslomässig utmattning och ökad sjukskrivning. I en prospektiv studie har man även visat samband mellan vad den anställde upplever som gott ledarskap (bedömt med en standardiserad skala) och minskad hjärtinfarktrisk hos de anställda under en uppföljningstid. I ett par kontrollerade interventionsstudier har det visat sig möjligt att påverka chefsbeteende så att hälsoeffekter för de anställda kan påvisas. Det är dock viktigt att utveckla den typ av interventioner som används. Om man vill öka känsla av ansvar och engagemang (med minskad låt-gå-mentalitet, ”laissez-faire”) hos chefen i relation till de anställda räcker förmodligen inte de pedagogiska metoder som för närvarande används i chefsutvecklingsprogram. Vi föreslår att man utnyttjar den emotionella och etiska potential att öka engagemang som finns i konstnärliga upplevelser.

[Truncated abstract] Allergic diseases have reached epidemic proportions in westernized countries over the last 30-40 years indicating that environmental and lifestyle changes must be responsible, although the mechanisms are unclear. It is imperative to identify ‘allergy promoting’ environmental factors with plausible biological effects, that can be modified for the primary prevention of allergic disease and there is strong interest in dietary changes with immunomodulatory properties. Among these, a significant decrease in dietary levels of relatively anti-inflammatory omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in favor of n-6 PUFA, has been associated with the allergy increase, which has logically lead to interest in the role of fish oil supplementation to restore n-3 PUFA status for allergy protection. Another core aspect of allergy prevention is the capacity to more accurately identify ‘at risk’ populations for targeted intervention. Notably, a novel allergy marker, namely protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ), is modified by fish oil, and a leading candidate for further investigation in the context of allergy prediction. The aims of this thesis were 1) to further investigate the predictive value of PKCζ expression at birth on allergy development (Chapter 4) and 2) to determine whether infant fish oil supplementation in the early postnatal period can favourably modify infant immune development (Chapter 5) and prevent allergy development (Chapter 6). Firstly, in a cohort of 135 infants of ‘mixed’ allergic risk (selected from the clinical trial described below and a parallel control study) we affirmed a predictive association between low neonatal T cell PKCζ expression at birth and allergic disease by 12 months of age (Chapter 4)., Low PKCζ expression was also associated with reduced T helper cell type 1 (Th1) interferon gamma (IFNγ) production by matured cord blood T cells and elevated allergen induced interleukin (IL)-13 production at 6 months of age, which has plausible associations with allergy development. We speculate, low PKCζ expression in cord blood reflects the exaggerated neonatal T cell immaturity, which is commonly associated with subsequent allergic disease. Next, in a randomized controlled trial design, the Infant Fish Oil Study (IFOS) included 420 infants at high risk of allergic disease who were supplemented with either fish oil or placebo oil daily from birth to six months of age. Cord blood was collected at birth and breast milk and peripheral infant blood samples were collected at 6 months of age. The infants were examined clinically for evidence of allergies at 6 and 12 months. The effect of fish oil on infant immune function at 6 months is described in Chapter 5, and was associated with reduced IL-13 responses to house dust mite (HDM) and increased TNFα and IFNγ responses to mitogenic stimulation. Together these associations indicate a relative Th1 skew, which has protective associations against allergy development. Independent of group allocation, we observed an inverse association between plasma docosahexanoic acid (DHA) levels and allergen induced Th2 (IL-5 and IL-13) cytokine responses at 6 months of age..., Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2012

Aim of the study: Investigation, whether water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) irradiation during moderate bicycle ergometer endurance exercise has effects especially on local fat reduction and on weight reduction beyond the effects of ergometer exercise alone. Methods: Randomised controlled study with 40 obese females (BMI 30-40 (median: 34.5), body weight 76-125 (median: 94.9) kg, age 20-40 (median: 35.5) years, isocaloric nutrition), 20 in the wIRA group and 20 in the control group. In both groups each participant performed 3 times per week over 4 weeks for 45 minutes bicycle ergometer endurance exercise with a constant load according to a lactate level of 2 mmol/l (aerobic endurance load, as determined before the intervention period). In the wIRA group in addition large parts of the body (including waist, hip, and thighs) were irradiated during all ergometries of the intervention period with visible light and a predominant part of water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA), using the irradiation unit "Hydrosun® 6000" with 10 wIRA radiators (Hydrosun® Medizintechnik, Müllheim, Germany, radiator type 500, 4 mm water cuvette, yellow filter, water-filtered spectrum 500-1400 nm) around a speed independent bicycle ergometer.Main variable of interest: change of "the sum of circumferences of waist, hip, and both thighs of each patient" over the intervention period (4 weeks). Additional variables of interest: body weight, body mass index BMI, body fat percentage, fat mass, fat-free mass, water mass (analysis of body composition by tetrapolar bioimpedance analysis), assessment of an arteriosclerotic risk profile by blood investigation of variables of lipid metabolism (cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins HDL, low density lipoproteins LDL, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B), clinical chemistry (fasting glucose, alanin-aminotransferase ALT (= glutamyl pyruvic transaminase GPT), gamma-glutamyl-transferase GGT, creatinine, albumin), endocrinology (leptin, adiponectin (= a, Ziel der Studie: Untersuchung, ob Bestrahlung mit wassergefiltertem Infrarot A (wIRA) während moderater Fußkurbelergometerausdauerbelastung Wirkungen insbesondere auf die lokale Fettabnahme und auf die Gewichtsabnahme hat, die über die Wirkungen der Ergometerbelastung allein hinausgehen. Methoden: Randomisierte kontrollierte Untersuchung mit 40 adipösen Frauen (BMI 30-40 (Median: 34,5), Körpergewicht 76-125 (Median: 94,9) kg, Alter 20-40 (Median: 35,5) Jahre, isokalorische Ernährung), 20 in der wIRA-Gruppe und 20 in der Kontrollgruppe. In beiden Gruppen führte jede Teilnehmerin dreimal pro Woche über 4 Wochen für 45 Minuten eine Fußkurbelergometerausdauerbelastung mit einer konstanten Leistung durch, die einer Laktatkonzentration von 2 mmol/l entsprach (aerobe Ausdauerbelastung, wie sie vor der Interventionsperiode bestimmt wurde). In der wIRA-Gruppe wurden außerdem große Teile des Körpers (einschließlich Taille, Hüfte und Oberschenkel) während aller Ergometrien der Interventionsperiode mit sichtbarem Licht und einem überwiegenden Teil von wassergefiltertem Infrarot A (wIRA) bestrahlt, wobei die Bestrahlungseinheit "Hydrosun® 6000" mit 10 wIRA-Strahlern (Hydrosun® Medizintechnik, Müllheim, Deutschland, Strahlertyp 500, 4 mm Wasserküvette, Gelbfilter, wassergefiltertes Spektrum 500-1400 nm) um ein geschwindigkeitsunabhängiges Fußkurbelergometer herum verwendet wurde.Hauptzielvariable: Änderung "der Summe der Umfänge von Taille, Hüfte und beiden Oberschenkeln von jedem Patienten" in der Interventionsperiode (4 Wochen). Zusätzliche Zielvariablen: Körpergewicht, Körpermasseindex BMI, Körperfettprozentsatz, Fettmasse, fettfreie Masse, Wassermasse (Analyse der Körperzusammensetzung mittels tetrapolarer Bioimpedanzanalyse), Erhebung eines Arteriosklerose-Risikoprofils mittels Blutuntersuchung von Variablen des Fettstoffwechsels (Cholesterin, Triglyzeride, High-density-Lipoproteine HDL, Low-density-Lipoproteine LDL, Apolipoprotein A1, Apolipoprotein B), klinischer Chemie (N

Risk assessments and intervention trials have been used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to estimate drinking water health risks. Seldom are both methods used concurrently. Between 2001 and 2003, illness data from a trial were collected simultaneously with exposure data, providing a unique opportunity to compare direct risk estimates of waterborne disease from the intervention trial with indirect estimates from a risk assessment. Comparing the group with water treatment (active) with that without water treatment (sham), the estimated annual attributable disease rate (cases per 10,000 persons per year) from the trial provided no evidence of a significantly elevated drinking water risk [attributable risk=-365 cases/year, sham minus active; 95% confidence interval (CI) , -2,555 to 1,825]. The predicted mean rate of disease per 10,000 persons per person-year from the risk assessment was 13.9 (2.5, 97.5 percentiles: 1.6, 37.7) assuming 4 log removal due to viral disinfection and 5.5 (2.5, 97.5 percentiles: 1.4, 19.2) assuming 6 log removal. Risk assessments are important under conditions of low risk when estimates are difficult to attain from trials. In particular, this assessment pointed toward the importance of attaining site-specific treatment data and the clear need for a better understanding of viral removal by disinfection. Trials provide direct risk estimates, and the upper confidence limit estimates, even if not statistically significant, are informative about possible upper estimates of likely risk. These differences suggest that conclusions about waterborne disease risk may be strengthened by the joint use of these two approaches. Key words: drinking water, gastrointestinal, intervention trial, microbial risk assessment, waterborne pathogens.