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ObjectiveTo assess the separate and combined associations of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain with the risks of pregnancy complications and their population impact.DesignIndividual participant data meta-analysis of 39 cohorts.SettingEurope, North America, and Oceania.Population265 270 births.MethodsInformation on maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and pregnancy complications was obtained. Multilevel binary logistic regression models were used.Main outcome measuresGestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, small and large for gestational age at birth.ResultsHigher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain were, across their full ranges, associated with higher risks of gestational hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, and large for gestational age at birth. Preterm birth risk was higher at lower and higher BMI and weight gain. Compared with normal weight mothers with medium gestational weight gain, obese mothers with high gestational weight gain had the highest risk of any pregnancy complication (odds ratio 2.51, 95% CI 2.31- 2.74). We estimated that 23.9% of any pregnancy complication was attributable to maternal overweight/obesity and 31.6% of large for gestational age infants was attributable to excessive gestational weight gain.ConclusionsMaternal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain are, across their full ranges, associated with risks of pregnancy complications. Obese mothers with high gestational weight gain are at the highest risk of pregnancy complications. Promoting a healthy pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain may reduce the burden of pregnancy complications and ultimately the risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity.Tweetable abstractPromoting a healthy body mass index and gestational weight gain might reduce the population burden of pregnancy complications.

Objective:Functional foods (FF)-foods containing nutritional supplements in addition to natural nutrients-have an increasing presence in the marketplace. Expanding on previous research, the authors investigated college students' acceptance of FF. Participants: In September-March 2004, 811 undergraduates in Canada, the United States, and France participated in the study. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire measured students' general food attitudes and beliefs as well as FF-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and purchase intention. Results: Overall, participants slightly favored FF over traditional foods. However, although most respondents associated FF with positive health benefits, many remained dubious of currently available FF information. In terms of culture and sex, the authors found small but significant divergences in FF knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Conclusions: Stronger labeling and education efforts may increase cross-cultural acceptance of FF by college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmonic drives are interesting for robotic applications due to their attractive properties such as high reduction ratio, compact size, low mass, and coaxial assembly. However, the high friction and the dynamics of the flexspline are the main issues that significantly challenge the control systems. In this paper, an adaptive controller capable of adaptively compensating the friction, while incorporating the dynamics of the flexspline, is developed in both joint torque and joint-position control modes. The virtual decomposition control approach allows the dynamics of harmonic drives to be controlled separately from the conventional dynamics of the robots. Adaptive friction compensation and flexspline dynamics based control are the two main contributions of this paper. The L2/Linfin stability and the L 2-gain-induced Hinfin stability are guaranteed. Experimental results demonstrated in both time and frequency domains confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: This study identified metabolite modules associated with adiposity and body fat distribution in childhood using gold-standard measurements., Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 329 children at mid-childhood (age 5.3 ± 0.3 years; BMI 15.7 ± 1.5 kg/m 2 ) from the Genetics of Glucose regulation in Gestation and Growth (Gen3G), a prospective pre-birth cohort. We quantified 1038 plasma metabolites and measured body composition using the gold-standard dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), in addition to skinfold, waist circumference, and BMI. We applied weighted-correlation network analysis to identify a network of highly correlated metabolite modules. Spearman's partial correlations were applied to determine the associations of adiposity with metabolite modules and individual metabolites with false discovery rate (FDR) correction., Results: We identified a 'green' module of 120 metabolites, primarily comprised of lipids (mostly sphingomyelins and phosphatidylcholine), that showed positive correlations (all FDR p < 0.05) with DXA estimates of total and truncal fat (ρ adjusted  = 0.11-0.19), skinfold measures (ρ adjusted  = 0.09-0.26), and BMI and waist circumference (ρ adjusted  = 0.15 and 0.18, respectively). These correlations were similar when stratified by sex. Within this module, sphingomyelin (d18:2/14:0, d18:1/14:1)*, a sphingomyelin sub-specie that is an important component of cell membranes, showed the strongest associations., Conclusions: A module of metabolites was associated with adiposity measures in childhood., (© 2024 World Obesity Federation.)

Objective: Gut microbes and microbe-dependent metabolites (eg, tryptophan-kynurenine-serotonin pathway metabolites) have been linked to systemic inflammation, but the microbiota-metabolite-inflammation axis remains uncharacterised in children. Here we investigated whether gut microbiota features and circulating metabolites (both microbe-dependent and non-microbe-dependent metabolites) associated with circulating inflammation markers in children., Methods: We studied children from the prospective Gen3G birth cohort who had data on untargeted plasma metabolome (n=321 children; Metabolon platform), gut microbiota (n=147; 16S rRNA sequencing), and inflammation markers (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumour necrosis factor-α) measured at 5-7 years. We examined associations of microbial taxa and metabolites-examining microbe-dependent and non-microbe-dependent metabolites separately-with each inflammatory marker and with an overall inflammation score (InfSc), adjusting for key confounders and correcting for multiple comparisons. We also compared the proportion of significantly associated microbe-dependent versus non-microbe-dependent metabolites, identified a priori (Human Microbial Metabolome Database), with each inflammation marker., Results: Of 335 taxa tested, 149 were associated (q FDR <0.05) with at least one inflammatory marker; 10 of these were robust to pseudocount choice. Several bacterial taxa involved in tryptophan metabolism were associated with inflammation, including kynurenine-degrading Ruminococcus , which was inversely associated with all inflammation markers. Of 1037 metabolites tested, 315 were previously identified as microbe dependent and were more frequently associated with PAI-1 and the InfSc than non-microbe dependent metabolites. In total, 87 metabolites were associated (q FDR <0.05) with at least one inflammation marker, including kynurenine (positively), serotonin (positively), and tryptophan (inversely)., Conclusion: A distinct set of gut microbes and microbe-dependent metabolites, including those involved in the tryptophan-kynurenine-serotonin pathway, may be implicated in inflammatory pathways in childhood., Competing Interests: Competing interests: NTM is on the scientific advisory board for Tiny Health; however, this organisation provided no funding for this research nor had any impact on the results or interpretation of the data., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Periodic breathing (PB)-related intermittent hypoxia can have long-lasting deleterious consequences in preterm infants. Olfactory stimulation using vanilla odor is beneficial for apnea of prematurity in the first postnatal days/weeks. We aimed to determine for the first time whether vanilla odor can also decrease PB-related intermittent hypoxia., Method: This pilot study was a balanced crossover clinical trial including 27 premature infants born between 30 and 33 +6 weeks of gestation. We performed 12-h recordings on two nights separated by a 24-h period. All infants were randomly exposed to vanilla odor on the first or second study night. The primary outcome was the desaturation index, defined as the number per hour of pulse oximetry (SpO 2 ) values <90 % for at least 5 s, together with a drop of ≥5 % from the preceding value. Univariate mixed linear models were used for the statistical analysis., Results: Overall, exposure to vanilla odor did not significantly decrease the desaturation index (52 ± 22 events/h [mean ± SD] on the intervention night vs. 57 ± 26, p = 0.2); furthermore, it did not significantly alter any secondary outcome. In a preliminary post hoc subgroup analysis, however, the effect of vanilla odor was statistically significant in infants with a desaturation index of ≥70/h (from 86 ± 12 to 65 ± 23, p = 0.04)., Conclusion: In this pilot study, vanilla odor overall did not decrease PB-related intermittent hypoxia in infants born at 30-33 +6 weeks of gestation, which is when they are close to term. Preliminary results suggesting a beneficial effect in infants with the highest desaturation index, however, justify further studies in the presence of PB-related intermittent hypoxia as well as in infants born more prematurely., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors has any conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 French Society of Pediatrics. All rights reserved.)

Lay cycle lengths in the Canadian egg industry are currently 50 to 52 wk (68-70 wk of age). In light of increased productivity in commercial laying hens over the last few decades, the much longer lay cycle lengths already implemented in other countries, extending lay cycle lengths in Canada, should be considered with careful attention to potential environmental, economic, and animal welfare implications. However, there is a lack of information in the public domain that provides robust evidence of performance levels and potential trade-offs to support comprehensive consideration of the desirability of extending lay cycles beyond current Canadian norms. Hence, a systematic literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was undertaken. Data collection focused primarily on information related to feed-, flock management-, and hen genetics/physiology-related interventions that were studied in literature to support extension of lay cycles (review objective 1), and compiling and analyzing productivity, egg quality, and animal welfare outcomes reported at 70 wk of age or beyond (review objective 2). Several feed-related interventions such as high-protein diets, and probiotics supplements, and flock management interventions such split-feeding were found to potentially improve productivity, and especially egg quality, outcomes in the late laying phase. More studies with bigger flock sizes and in commercial lay facilities need to be undertaken before any of these interventions can be definitively recommended for commercial egg production. Under objective 2, productivity was found to be at acceptable levels well beyond 70 wk of age. Performance on most egg quality traits and animal welfare indicators were also at acceptable levels past 70 wk of age but increased variability was observed beyond ∼80 wk of age. There were also inconclusive indications on how hens in caged housing and white laying hens fare relative to hens in noncaged housing and brown-type layers during the late laying phase. Economic data were limited but suggested that lay cycle lengths beyond 90 wk might not generated net economic benefits., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To examine the associations between exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and maternal glycemic markers during pregnancy and offspring behaviors at 3 and 5 years. We hypothesized that exposure to maternal hyperglycemia would be associated with more behavioral problems in offspring., Methods: We included 548 mother-child pairs from the prospective pre-birth Gen3G cohort (Canada). Glycemic markers were measured during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the second trimester of pregnancy. Based on OGTT, we classified 59 women (10.8%) as having GDM according to international diagnostic criteria. Mothers reported offspring behavior using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 3 and 5 years, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 5 years. We used linear mixed models and multivariate regression to assess the associations between GDM or glycemic markers and children's behavior, adjusted for child sex and age, and maternal demographic factors, body mass index and family history of diabetes., Results: Exposure to GDM was associated with higher SDQ externalizing scores at 3 and 5 years [B = 1.12, 95% CI (0.14, 2.10)] in fully adjusted linear mixed models. These results were supported by the CBCL at 5 years. Higher levels of maternal glucose at 1 h and 2 h during OGTT were associated with greater SDQ externalizing scores. Fasting glucose levels were not associated with child behavior scores. We did not observe associations between glycemic markers and internalizing behaviors., Conclusions: Exposure to higher levels of maternal glycemia during pregnancy was associated with more externalizing behaviors in children at 3 and 5 years., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) has been linked to altered gut microbiota in women shortly after delivery and in their offspring in the first few years of life. But little is known about how long these differences persist., Methods: We followed 180 mothers and children from pregnancy until 5-year postpartum in the Gen3G cohort (Canada, enrolled 2010-2013). At 5 years postpartum we collected stool samples from mothers and children and estimated the gut microbiota by 16 S rRNA sequencing (V4 region) using Illumina MiSeq, and assigning amplicon sequence variants (ASV). We examined whether overall microbiota composition (as measured by microbiota β diversity) was more similar between mother-child pairs compared to between mothers or between children. We also assessed whether mother-child pair sharing of overall microbiota composition differed by the weight status of mothers before pregnancy and of children at 5-year. Furthermore, in mothers, we examined whether pre-pregnancy BMI, BMI 5-year postpartum, and change in BMI between time points was associated with maternal gut microbiota 5-year postpartum. In children, we further examined associations of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and child 5-year BMI z-score with child 5-year gut microbiota., Results: Mother-child pairs had greater similarity in overall microbiome composition compared to between mothers and between children. In mothers, higher pre-pregnancy BMI and 5-year postpartum BMI were associated with lower microbiota observed ASV richness and Chao 1 index; in children's gut microbiota, higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was weakly associated with lower microbiota Shannon index, whereas child's 5-year BMI z-score was associated with higher observed ASV richness. Pre-pregnancy BMI was also linked to differential abundances of several microbial ASVs in the Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae families, but no specific ASV had overlapping associations with BMI measures in both mothers and children., Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with gut microbiota diversity and composition of mothers and children 5 years after birth, however, the nature and direction of most associations differed for mothers and children. Future studies are encouraged to confirm our findings and look into potential mechanisms or factors that may drive these associations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Exposure to maternal hyperglycemia in utero has been associated with adverse metabolic outcomes in offspring. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between maternal hyperglycemia and offspring cortisol levels. We assessed associations of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with cortisol biomarkers in two longitudinal prebirth cohorts: Project Viva included 928 mother-child pairs and Gen3G included 313 mother-child pairs. In Project Viva, GDM was diagnosed in N = 48 (5.2%) women using a two-step procedure (50 g glucose challenge test, if abnormal followed by 100 g oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]), and in N = 29 (9.3%) women participating in Gen3G using one-step 75 g OGTT. In Project Viva, we measured cord blood glucocorticoids and child hair cortisol levels during mid-childhood (mean (SD) age: 7.8 (0.8) years) and early adolescence (mean (SD) age: 13.2 (0.9) years). In Gen3G, we measured hair cortisol at 5.4 (0.3) years. We used multivariable linear regression to examine associations of GDM with offspring cortisol, adjusting for child age and sex, maternal prepregnancy body mass index, education, and socioeconomic status. We additionally adjusted for child race/ethnicity in the cord blood analyses. In both Project Viva and Gen3G, we observed null associations of GDM and maternal glucose markers in pregnancy with cortisol biomarkers in cord blood at birth (β = 16.6 nmol/L, 95% CI -60.7, 94.0 in Project Viva) and in hair samples during childhood (β = -0.56 pg/mg, 95% CI -1.16, 0.04 in Project Viva; β = 0.09 pg/mg, 95% CI -0.38, 0.57 in Gen3G). Our findings do not support the hypothesis that maternal hyperglycemia is related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity.

Background: Childhood obesity has been associated with prenatal exposure to maternal hyperglycaemia, but we lack understanding about maternal insulin physiologic components that contribute to this association., Objectives: Evaluate the association between maternal insulin sensitivity during pregnancy and adiposity measures in childhood., Methods: In 422 mother-child pairs, we tested associations between maternal insulin sensitivity measures at ~26 weeks of pregnancy and child adiposity measures, including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition and anthropometry (body mass index and waist circumference) at ~5 years. We used linear regression analyses to adjust for maternal age, ethnicity, gravidity, first-trimester body mass index, and child sex and age at mid-childhood., Results: In early pregnancy, maternal mean age was 28.6 ± 4.3 years and median body mass index was 24.1 kg/m 2 . Lower maternal insulin sensitivity indices were correlated with greater child adiposity based on anthropometry measures and on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry total and trunk % fat in univariate associations (r = -0.122 to -0.159). Lower maternal insulin sensitivity was specifically associated with higher dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry trunk % fat (n = 359 for Matsuda; β = -0.034 ± 0.013; p = 0.01) after adjustment for covariates, including maternal body mass index., Conclusions: Maternal insulin sensitivity during pregnancy may contribute to increased risk for higher offspring central adiposity in middle childhood., (© 2022 World Obesity Federation.)

Food items are increasingly chosen based on sustainability attributes as the public is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and animal welfare impacts of production systems, in addition to the traditional consideration for nutrition. Although surveys have been used to investigate the demand for these attributes in unprocessed products, little information exists on how these attributes impact consumer preferences in the case of processed products or prepared meals. This study uses a stated preference survey to examine Quebec (Canada) consumers' preferences for eggs from four production systems with different impacts on animal welfare and on the environment. We compare the respondents' choices of fresh eggs and two prepared meals that contain eggs. Furthermore, we examine the shift in choices following information treatments on animal welfare, nutrition, or environmental impact attributes. Results indicate that respondents choose eggs from more sustainable production systems more frequently when included in prepared meals than in their unprocessed form. The provision of information led participants to update prior beliefs and revise their initial choices, especially for animal welfare attributes.

Lower cord blood leptin levels have been associated with lower and higher adiposity in childhood and associations seem to differ according to the child’s age, methods of adiposity assessment and sex. Our aim was to investigate sex-specific associations of cord blood leptinemia with childhood adiposity at birth, 3 and 5 years of age. We measured cord blood leptin using Luminex immunoassays in 520 offspring from the Gen3G cohort. We tested associations between cord blood leptin and body mass index (BMI) z-score, skinfolds thicknesses (SFT), and body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, adjusted for confounders. At birth, girls had almost twice as much leptin in cord blood as boys (15.5 [8.9; 25.6] vs. 8.6 [4.9; 15.0] ng/mL; p < 0.0001) as well as significantly greater adiposity. Lower levels of cord blood leptin were associated with higher sum of SFT (β = −0.05 ± 0.02; p = 0.03) and higher BMI z-score (β= −0.22 ± 0.08; p = 0.01) in 3-year-old boys only. We did not observe these associations at age 5, or in girls. Our results suggest a sexual dimorphism in the programming of leptin sensitivity and childhood adiposity, but further observational and functional studies are needed to better understand the role of leptin in early life.

Background: Local food environments are recognized by experts as a determinant of healthy eating. Food cooperatives (coop) can promote the accessibility to healthier foods and thus improve the health of the population, particularly in remote rural communities., Objective: To measure the effects of implementing a food coop in a disadvantaged community with poor access to food. We have two main research questions: (1). Does the establishment of a food coop in rural areas described as food deserts have an impact on accessibility, frequency of use, food consumption, food quality, and ultimately the health of individuals? (2). Does the establishment of a food coop in rural areas described as food deserts have an impact on food security and community vitality?, Design: A natural experiment with a mixed pre/post method will be used. The sample is composed of households that came from geographically isolated communities (population: 215 to 885 inhabitants) which qualified as food deserts and located in rural areas of Quebec (Canada). All communities plan to open a food coop (in the years 2022-2023), and as their opening will be staggered over time, participants from communities with a new food coop (intervention) will be compared to communities awaiting the opening of their food coop (control). Data collection was carried out at three time points: (1) before; (2) 1 to 5 months after; and (3) 13 to 17 months after the opening of the coop. Questionnaires were used to measure sociodemographic variables, dietary intake, residents' health, and community vitality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community stakeholders., Results: Few natural experiments have been conducted regarding the impact of implementing food coops. Gathering concrete data on the effectiveness and processes surrounding these interventions through natural experiments will help to quantify their impact and guide knowledge users and policymakers to make more informed decisions.

Background: The role of breastfeeding in modulating epigenetic factors has been suggested as a possible mechanism conferring its benefits on child development but it lacks evidence. Using extensive DNA methylation data from the ALSPAC child cohort, we characterized the genome-wide landscape of DNA methylation variations associated with the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and assessed whether these variations mediate the association between exclusive breastfeeding and BMI over different epochs of child growth., Results: Exclusive breastfeeding elicits more substantial DNA methylation variations during infancy than at other periods of child growth. At the genome-wide level, 13 CpG sites in girls (miR-21, SNAPC3, ATP6V0A1, DHX15/PPARGC1A, LINC00398/ALOX5AP, FAM238C, NATP/NAT2, CUX1, TRAPPC9, OSBPL1A, ZNF185, FAM84A, PDPK1) and 2 CpG sites in boys (IL16 and NREP), mediate the association between exclusive breastfeeding and longitudinal BMI. We found enrichment of CpG sites located within miRNAs and key pathways (AMPK signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, endocytosis). Overall DNA methylation variation corresponding to 3 to 5 months of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with slower BMI growth the first 6 years of life compared to no breastfeeding and in a dose-response manner with exclusive breastfeeding duration., Conclusions: Our study confirmed the early postnatal period as a critical developmental period associated with substantial DNA methylation variations, which in turn could mitigate the development of overweight and obesity from infancy to early childhood. Since an accelerated growth during these developmental periods has been linked to the development of sustained obesity later in life, exclusive breastfeeding could have a major role in preventing the risks of overweight/obesity and children and adults through DNA methylation mechanisms occurring early in life., (© 2021. The Author(s).)