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Aims/hypothesis: Dietary patterns characterised by high intakes of vegetables may lower the risk of pre-eclampsia and premature birth in the general population. The effect of dietary patterns in women with type 1 diabetes, who have an increased risk of complications in pregnancy, is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and physical activity during pregnancy and maternal complications and birth outcomes in women with type 1 diabetes. We also compared dietary patterns in women with and without type 1 diabetes., Methods: Diet was assessed in the third trimester using a validated food frequency questionnaire in participants followed prospectively in the multi-centre Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study. Dietary patterns were characterised by principal component analysis. The Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was completed in each trimester. Data for maternal and birth outcomes were collected prospectively., Results: Questionnaires were completed by 973 participants during 1124 pregnancies. Women with type 1 diabetes (n=615 pregnancies with dietary data) were more likely to have a 'fresh food' dietary pattern than women without type 1 diabetes (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07, 1.31; p=0.001). In women with type 1 diabetes, an increase equivalent to a change from quartile 1 to 3 in 'fresh food' dietary pattern score was associated with a lower risk of pre-eclampsia (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.17, 0.78; p=0.01) and premature birth (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.20, 0.62, p<0.001). These associations were mediated in part by BMI and HbA 1c . The 'processed food' dietary pattern was associated with an increased birthweight (β coefficient 56.8 g, 95% CI 2.8, 110.8; p=0.04). Physical activity did not relate to outcomes., Conclusions/interpretation: A dietary pattern higher in fresh foods during pregnancy was associated with sizeable reductions in risk of pre-eclampsia and premature birth in women with type 1 diabetes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can detect early dysglycemia in older children and adults with presymptomatic type 1 diabetes (T1D) and predict risk of progression to clinical onset. However, CGM data for very young children at greatest risk of disease progression are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the use of CGM data measured in children being longitudinally observed in the Australian Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study from birth to age 10 years., Research Design and Methods: Between January 2021 and June 2023, 31 ENDIA children with persistent multiple islet autoimmunity (PM Ab+) and 24 age-matched control children underwent CGM assessment alongside standard clinical monitoring. The CGM metrics of glucose SD (SDSGL), coefficient of variation (CEV), mean sensor glucose (SGL), and percentage of time >7.8 mmol/L (>140 mg/dL) were determined and examined for between-group differences., Results: The mean (SD) ages of PM Ab+ and Ab- children were 4.4 (1.8) and 4.7 (1.9) years, respectively. Eighty-six percent of eligible PM Ab+ children consented to CGM wear, achieving a median (quartile 1 [Q1], Q3) sensor wear period of 12.5 (9.0, 15.0) days. PM Ab+ children had higher median (Q1, Q3) SDSGL (1.1 [0.9, 1.3] vs. 0.9 [0.8, 1.0] mmol/L; P < 0.001) and CEV (17.3% [16.0, 20.9] vs. 14.7% [12.9, 16.6]; P < 0.001). Percentage of time >7.8 mmol/L was greater in PM Ab+ children (median [Q1, Q3] 8.0% [4.4, 13.0] compared with 3.3% [1.4, 5.3] in Ab- children; P = 0.005). Mean SGL did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.10)., Conclusions: CGM is feasible and well tolerated in very young children at risk of T1D. Very young PM Ab+ children have increased SDSGL, CEV, and percentage of time >7.8 mmol/L, consistent with prior studies involving older participants., (© 2024 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Soil salinity is a major environmental stressor affecting agricultural productivity worldwide. Understanding plant responses to salt stress is crucial for developing resilient crop varieties. Wild relatives of cultivated crops, such as wild tomato, Solanum pimpinellifolium, can serve as a useful resource to further expand the resilience potential of the cultivated germplasm, S. lycopersicum. In this study, we employed high-throughput phenotyping in the greenhouse and field conditions to explore salt stress responses of a S. pimpinellifolium diversity panel. Our study revealed extensive phenotypic variations in response to salt stress, with traits such as transpiration rate, shoot mass, and ion accumulation showing significant correlations with plant performance. We found that while transpiration was a key determinant of plant performance in the greenhouse, shoot mass strongly correlated with yield under field conditions. Conversely, ion accumulation was the least influential factor under greenhouse conditions. Through a Genome Wide Association Study, we identified candidate genes not previously associated with salt stress, highlighting the power of high-throughput phenotyping in uncovering novel aspects of plant stress responses. This study contributes to our understanding of salt stress tolerance in S. pimpinellifolium and lays the groundwork for further investigations into the genetic basis of these traits, ultimately informing breeding efforts for salinity tolerance in tomato and other crops., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: The Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) Study is an ongoing Australian prospective cohort study investigating how modifiable prenatal and early-life exposures drive the development of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children. In this profile, we describe the cohort's parental demographics, maternal and neonatal outcomes and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes., Research Design and Methods: Inclusion criteria were an unborn child, or infant aged less than 6 months, with a first-degree relative (FDR) with T1D. The primary outcome was persistent islet autoimmunity, with children followed until a T1D diagnosis or 10 years of age. Demographic data were collected at enrollment. Lifestyle, clinical and anthropometric data were collected at each visit during pregnancy and clinical pregnancy and birth data were verified against medical case notes. Data were compared between mothers with and without T1D. HLA genotyping was performed on the ENDIA child and all available FDRs., Results: The final cohort comprised 1473 infants born to 1214 gestational mothers across 1453 pregnancies, with 80% enrolled during pregnancy. The distribution of familial T1D probands was 62% maternal, 28% paternal and 11% sibling. The frequency of high-risk HLA genotypes was highest in T1D probands, followed by ENDIA infants, and lowest among unaffected family members. Mothers with T1D had higher rates of pregnancy complications and perinatal intervention, and larger babies of shorter gestation. Parent demographics were comparable to the Australian population for age, parity and obesity. A greater percentage of ENDIA parents were Australian born, lived in a major city and had higher socioeconomic advantage and education., Conclusions: This comprehensive profile provides the context for understanding ENDIA's scope, methodology, unique strengths and limitations. Now fully recruited, ENDIA will provide unique insights into the roles of early-life factors in the development of islet autoimmunity and T1D in the Australian environment., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12613000794707., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© 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.)

Fertility is economically important but is hard to quantify and measure in breeding programs which has led extensive breeding programs to ignore fertility in their selection criteria. While female fertility traits have been extensively researched, male fertility traits have been largely ignored. It is estimated that 20% to 40% of bulls have sub-fertility, reducing the number of calves born and profits, highlighting the importance of investigating bull fertility. The most practical measure of male fertility is a bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) which assesses structure as well as semen quality and quantity. Generally, traits recorded in a BBSE are neither genetically evaluated nor used for selection in breeding programs. All traits recorded during a BBSE were analyzed through a series of univariate and bivariate linear mixed models using a genomic relationship matrix to estimate genetic parameters. All genotype and phenotype data were obtained from a tropical composite commercial cattle population and imputed to 27,638 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a total of 2,613 genotyped animals with BBSE records ranging from 616 to 826 animals depending on the trait. The heritabilities of the 27 traits recorded during a BBSE ranged from 0.02 to 0.49. Seven of the male fertility traits were recommended to be included in a breeding program based on their heritability and their phenotypic and genetic correlations. These traits are scrotal circumference, percent normal sperm, proximal droplets, distal midpiece reflex, knobbed acrosomes, vacuoles/teratoids, and sheath score. Using these seven traits in a breeding program would result in higher calving rates, increasing production and profitability., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.)