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This study was designed to find when to eat for better weight control. Five experiments of 10 days duration were done with 7 young women volunteers. The daily energy intake was 33 kcal/kg in all the experiments but the time or size of meals was different in each experiment. We observed that the later the time of dinner, the more the weight gain; breakfast did not have any effect on the weight gain and an evening snack before dinner prevented weight gain due to a late dinner. These results suggest that weight gain due to a late dinner may be partially due to fasting in early evening.

1. The pink-red coloration of the flesh of salmonids is due to carotenoids, especially astaxanthin, and is an important factor to evaluate marketing value of cultured salmonids. For many years fish technologists and scientists have endeavored to enhance the coloration of salmonids through the use of crustacean waste, yeast, algae, flower patels and synthetic carotenoids. 2. Synthetic canthaxanthin and astaxanthin are the two most effecient carotenoids for pigmenting salmonids, and are now widly used in salmonids culture. 3. The metabolism of astaxanthin in salmonids has been studied. The reductive metabolism of astaxanthin to β-carotene have been proposed. The proposed pathways are ; Astaxanthin→idoxanthin→adonixanthin→zeaxanthin, and Canthaxanthin→4-hydroxyechinenone→echinenone→β-carotene. 4. One of well-known functions of carotenoids in fish is pro-vitamin A activity. Salmonid fish are able to convert β-carotene, canthaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin, into vitamin A.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) powders as novel foods (NFs) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The NFs are partially defatted chia seed powders, obtained by extrusion of whole seeds of S. hispanica L. with the main differences between two powders in particle sizes and the content of some macronutrients. The information provided on the production processes, composition, batch-to-batch variability, stability and specifications of the NFs is sufficient and does not raise safety concerns. The applicant proposed to market the NFs as food supplements and as ingredients in a variety of foods. The target population for the NFs is the general population. Noting that no hazard raising safety concerns (except for allergenicity) could be identified from the information available on the source (i.e. chia seeds), the production processes, composition, specifications and proposed uses of the NFs, irrespectively of the maximum use levels at the proposed uses, the Panel considers that intake estimates and additional toxicological data for the NFs are not needed for this assessment. The Panel concludes that the NFs, partially defatted powders of whole chia seeds, are safe under the assessed conditions of use. (C) 2019 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panelon Nutrition, Novel foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on overall safety assessment for chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 in the light of the increasing dietary intake from the growing number of authorised uses in recent years. The safety assessment of this NF is based on data supplied in seven applications, previous safety assessments of chia seeds and information retrieved from an extensive literature search done by EFSA. Since none of the applications addressed the possible formation of process contaminants, the present assessment is limited to those proposed extended uses which do not raise safety concerns regarding the formation of such contaminants. These include the use of whole and ground chia seeds added to chocolate, fruit spreads, fruit desserts, mixed fruit with coconut milk in twin pot, fruit-preparations to underlay a dairy product, fruit-preparations to be mixed with dairy products, confectionary (excluding chewing gums), dairy products and analogues, edible ices, fruit and vegetables products, non-alcoholic beverages and compotes from fruit and/or vegetables and/or with cereals. In addition, this assessment also concerns uses of chia seeds without specific restrictions and precautions regarding their use levels in other foods which usually do not include heat treatment during processing and cooking. Apart from allergenicity, the Paneldid not identify any hazard which causes safety concerns. Lacking the basis and need to establish safe maximum intake levels for chia seeds, no exposure assessment was conducted. The Panelconcludes that chia seeds are safe under the assessed conditions of use. (c) 2019 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on Yarrowia lipolytica yeast biomass as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The NF is the dried and heat-killed biomass of Yarrowia lipolytica, a yeast species that is widespread in nature and which can be found in the environment as well as in foods. The production process is sufficiently described and does not raise safety concerns. The information provided on the composition of the NF is sufficient and does not raise safety concerns. The applicant proposed to use the NF as a food supplement in the form of capsules, tablets or powder. The target population for the NF is the general population above 3 years of age. The maximum proposed daily use levels are 3 g/day for children from 3 years to less than 10 years of age and 6 g/day thereafter. Taking into account the composition of the NF and the proposed use levels, the consumption of the NF is not nutritionally disadvantageous. No relevant toxicological information was provided. The Panel considers that given the qualified presumption of safety (QPS) status for production purposes of Yarrowia lipolytica and the fact that the production process of the NF does not raise safety concerns, no toxicological studies are needed for the safety assessment of the NF. The Panel concludes that the NF, Yarrowia lipolytica yeast biomass, is safe under the proposed conditions of use. (C) 2019 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

In 2017, the EFSA Panelon Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) concluded that betaine as a novel food (NF) is safe to be used at a maximum intake level of 6 mg/kg body weight per day in addition to the intake from the background diet. Following the present request from the European Commission, the EFSA NDA Panel was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on betaine by carrying out the assessment for the revised uses and use levels of betaine as proposed by the applicant. Thus, EFSA performed an intake assessment based on individual data from the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database and the new proposed uses of the NF for the general population. The resulting ranges for the mean and high-level estimated intakes of betaine for the general population do not exceed the safe level of intake previously established. The Panelconcludes that the NF, betaine, is safe under the new proposed conditions of use. (c) 2019 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.

In this study, we supplemented a high-fat diet (HF) with 5% powder of freeze-dried Syzygium malaccense fruit (HS) and investigated proofs of peripheral insulin resistance, hippocampal AKT–GSK3-β–tau activation, learning/memory performance, and brain frontal lobe oxidative stress. The intake of HS did not prevent weight gain but promoted peripheral insulin sensitivity, improved AKT signaling in the hippocampus, which prevented the activation of GSK3-β and lowered tau phosphorylation induced in HF. The results from the Morris water maze cognitive test were consistent with the lower tau-phosphorylation, once the HS group showed lower latency in the acquisition phase and more times crossing the target quadrant when compared with HF. The HS diet improved brain antioxidant enzyme activities. Overall, the intervention with S. malaccense fruit to mice was effective in minimizing cognitive deficit caused by HF consumption and in preventing risk markers associated with Alzheimer’s disease without reducing weight gain in mice.

Soils account for the largest share of carbon found in terrestrial ecosystems, and their status is of considerable interest for the global carbon cycle budget and atmospheric carbon concentration. The decomposition of soil organic matter depends on environmental conditions and human activities, which raises the question of how permanent are these carbon storages under changing climate. One way to get insight into carbon decomposition processes is to analyse different carbon isotope concentrations in soil organic matter. In this paper we introduce a carbon-13-isotope-specific soil organic matter decomposition add-on into the Yasso soil carbon model and assess its functionality. The new 13C-dedicated decomposition is straightforward to implement and depends linearly on the default Yasso model parameters and the relative carbon isotope (13C/12C) concentration. The model modifications are based on the assumption that the heavier 13C atoms are not as reactive as 12C. The new formulations were calibrated using fractionated C, 13C and δ13 measurements from litterbags containing pine needles and woody material, which were left to decompose in natural environment for 4 years. The introduced model modifications considerably improve the model behaviour in a 100-year-long simulation, where modelled δ13 is compared against fractionated peat column carbon content. The work presented here is a proof of concept and enables 13C to be used as a natural tracer to detect changes in the underlying soil organic matter decomposition.

Cereal beta-glucan is noted for its health benefits which are directly linked to its rheological properties. In this work, the gelation potential of cereal beta-glucans with varying fine structure was evaluated after dissolution at physiological temperature. beta-Glucans from 12 oat and 12 barley samples were extracted and screened for the relative abundance of trisaccharide to tetrasaccharide units (DP3:DP4 ratio), and four samples, representing the DP3:DP4 extremes from both, were selected for further tests. The beta-glucans were dissolved at 37 degrees C at 1% (w/w) concentration, and the rheological properties were investigated after 2 h or 24 h storage. Lower DP3:DP4 ratios were seen in oat (1.8-1.9) than barley (2.4-2.8) beta-glucans, and the results pointed to low variation among the studied Finnish cultivars. Dynamic oscillatory measurements indicated the formation of a gel-like structure in the oat beta-glucans during the 24 h storage, while the barley beta-glucans behaved as entangled polymer solutions, with little to no structure development. The results support the hypothesis that, following dissolution at 37 degrees C, a low DP3: DP4 ratio facilitates the gelation of beta-glucan as it allows for sufficient opening of the structure while leaving undissolved regions that can act as nucleation sites for junction zone formation.

Radiosumins are a structurally diverse family of low molecular weight natural products that are produced by cyanobacteria and exhibit potent serine protease inhibition. Members of this family are dipeptides characterized by the presence of two similar non-proteinogenic amino acids. Here we used a comparative bioinformatic analysis to identify radiosumin biosynthetic gene clusters from the genomes of 13 filamentous cyanobacteria. We used direct pathway cloning to capture and express the entire 16.8 kb radiosumin biosynthetic gene cluster from Dolichospermum planctonicum UHCC 0167 in Escherichia coli. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrates that radiosumins represent a new group of chorismate-derived non-aromatic secondary metabolites. High-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical degradation analysis revealed that cyanobacteria produce a cocktail of novel radiosumins. We report the chemical structure of radiosumin D, an N-methyl dipeptide, containing a special Aayp (2-amino-3-(4-amino-2-cyclohexen-1-ylidene) propionic acid) with R configuration that differs from radiosumin A-C, an N-Me derivative of Aayp (Amyp) and two acetyl groups. Radiosumin C inhibits all three human trypsin isoforms at micromolar concentrations with preference for trypsin-1 and -3 (IC50 values from 1.7 mu M to >7.2 mu M). These results provide a biosynthetic logic to explore the genetic and chemical diversity of the radiosumin family and suggest that these natural products may be a source of drug leads for selective human serine proteases inhibitors.

Many factors relate to children’s eating; among the factors extensively studied is the home food environment, which encompasses parenting behaviors around food and eating as well as the physical aspects: food availability and accessibility in the home. In addition to the food environment’s vital role in a child’s developing eating habits, relevant are also the child’s individual characteristics, such as temperament. Developmental theories suggest that children are not merely passive recipients in their environments but may actively shape their environment through their behavior. Furthermore, depending on their temperament, the same environment may have varying effects on a child’s development. To date existing literature has mainly focused on coercive food parenting practices, such as restriction and pressure to eat, while less attention has received structure- and autonomy-promoting food parenting practices. Moreover, children’s dietary intake in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers – another essential everyday life environment – has been understudied. Little is also known about the interplay between a child’s temperament and structure- and autonomy-promoting food parenting practices or temperament in relation to dietary factors specifically in the ECEC environment. The aim of this thesis was to examine how a child’s temperament is associated with dietary factors together with different factors of the home food environment. Furthermore, this thesis examined the association between temperament and dietary factors in the ECEC environment. The most central dietary factors investigated were the frequency of consuming fruits, vegetables, and sugar-rich foods and drinks, as well as total energy intake. This thesis utilized data from the Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (DAGIS) project. In Study I, data was used from 505 children; Study II used the data from 728 children participating in the cross-sectional DAGIS survey conducted in 2015 and 2016 in Southern and Western Finland. Study III combined data from the cross-sectional survey with data from the DAGIS intervention baseline collected in 2017 and 2018 in two municipalities in Southern Finland, including information from 1216 children. The very short form of Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) measured children’s three broad temperament dimensions: surgency, effortful control, and negative affectivity. Dietary factors in Study I were measured with a three-day food record, and in Studies II and III, with a parent-reported food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The environmental factors investigated were structure- and autonomy-promoting food parenting practices, home food availability and accessibility, and general home and ECEC environments. Parents also reported about food parenting practices and the availability and accessibility of foods in the home. The results showed associations between a child’s higher temperamental surgency and higher mean daily energy intake, particularly in the ECEC environment. Children with higher negative affectivity had greater day-to-day variability in their daily energy intake. Children with higher temperamental surgency and effortful control were more likely to consume vegetables daily. Moreover, this association was indirect through parents’ structure- and autonomy-promoting practices. Furthermore, the association between home accessibility of sugar-rich foods and drinks and the consumption frequency of those foods was stronger for children with higher scores on negative affectivity. Overall, a child’s temperamental dispositions were associated with dietary factors, and food environment played a role in those associations. A novel finding was that temperamental surgency was associated with a higher mean daily energy intake, specifically in the ECEC environment. Thus, the role of a child’s temperament in dietary factors and eating, particularly in the ECEC environment, should be studied further. Furthermore, a paucity of research exists on associations between a child’s temperament and structure- and autonomy-promoting food parenting practices, which should be investigated in the future. Acknowledging and understanding the interplay between temperament and the food environment could help families and early educators in promoting healthy eating and food-related behavior among children. Lapsen syömistä muovaavat monet tekijät, kuten kodin ruokaympäristö ja lapsen yksilölliset piirteet, esimerkiksi temperamentti. Temperamentin ja kodin ruokaympäristön välisiä yhteyksiä ja sitä, miten ne yhdessä ovat yhteydessä lasten ruoankäyttöön on kuitenkin tutkittu vain vähän, kuten on myös lapsen temperamentin yhteyttä päiväkotiaikaiseen syömiseen. Tämä väitöstutkimus tarkasteli lapsen temperamenttipiirteiden yhteyttä ruoankäyttöön yhdessä erilaisten kodin ruokaympäristön tekijöiden – ruokien saatavuuden ja vanhempien ruokakäytäntöjen – kanssa. Lisäksi tutkittiin temperamentin yhteyttä syömiseen erikseen kotona ja päiväkodissa. Keskeisimmät tutkitut ravintotekijät olivat kasvisten, hedelmien ja sokeripitoisten ruokien ja juomien kulutus sekä energiansaanti. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin kahta aineistoa, jotka kerättiin osana Increased Health and Wellbeing in Preschools (DAGIS) -hankketta vuosina 2015–2018. Tutkittavien lasten määrä vaihteli väitöskirjan osatöissä (n=505–1216). Vanhemmat raportoivat lapsen temperamentin lomakkeella, joka kartoitti kolmea temperamenttipiirrettä: ulospäinsuuntautuneisuutta, tahdonalaista hallintaa ja kielteistä virittyneisyyttä. Lisäksi vanhemmat vastasivat lomakkeella ruokakäytännöistään ja kodin fyysisestä ruokaympäristöstä. Lasten ruoankäyttöä tutkittiin vanhempien ja varhaiskasvattajien pitämällä ruokapäiväkirjalla sekä vanhempien täyttämällä kyselylomakkeella eri ruokien käyttötiheyksistä. Ulospäinsuuntautuneisuus oli yhteydessä suurempaan päivittäiseen energiansaantiin, erityisesti päiväkotiympäristössä. Lapsilla, joilla oli enemmän kielteistä virittyneisyyttä, päivittäinen energiansaanti vaihteli enemmän päivästä toiseen. Lisäksi ulospäinsuuntautuneisuus ja tahdonalainen hallinta olivat yhteydessä suurempaan todennäköisyyteen syödä kasviksia päivittäin. Vanhempien ruokakäytännöt selittivät ulospäinsuuntautuneisuuden ja tahdonalaisen hallinnan yhteyttä kasvisten päivittäiseen kulutukseen. Lisäksi havaittiin, että yhteys sokeripitoisten ruokien ja juomien helpon saatavuuden ja niiden kulutuksen välillä oli vahvempi lapsilla, joilla oli enemmän kielteistä virittyneisyyttä. Lapsen temperamenttipiirteiden ja ruokavaliotekijöiden välillä löydettiin yhteyksiä, ja temperamentin ja ruokaympäristön välinen vuorovaikutus oli merkityksellistä näissä yhteyksissä. Jatkossa lapsen temperamentin yhteyttä syömiseen päiväkotiympäristössä tulisi tutkia kattavammin.

BACKGROUND: Grape juice consumption may prevent several chronic diseases owing to the presence of phenolic compounds, which have an important role in the reduction of oxidative stress. This study investigated the polyphenol content and antioxidant activities of grape juices from two cultivars: BRS-Cora and Isabella. Total polyphenol content (TPC), anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity (oxygenradical absorbance capacity, ferric reducing antioxidantpower and1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), and phenolic profile (high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and fluorescence detection ? HPLC-DAD-FLD) were determined. RESULTS: BRS-Cora grape juice showed higher concentrations of total polyphenols and anthocyanins, as well as higher antioxidant potential, than those of Isabella grape juice. A significant positive correlation was found in TPC or anthocyanin contents when correlated with the remaining antioxidant assays. In addition, HPLC-DAD-FLD showed a higher total phenolic content in BRS-Cora grape juice compared to Isabella. CONCLUSION: The present results showBRS-Cora as a promising cultivar for grape juice production with an improved functional potential. Keywords: Isabella grape; BRS-Cora grape; grape juice; polyphenols; antioxidant potential; bioactive compounds Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-01T12:00:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva-et-al-2016-Journal-of-the-Science-of-Food-and-Agriculture.pdf: 241644 bytes, checksum: 671d4fa599b8ee16413741469d86ab73 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016

Background Antibiotics have been associated with several individual autoimmune diseases (ADs). This study aims to discover whether pre-diagnostic antibiotics are associated with the onset of ADs in general. Methods From a cohort of 11,407 children, 242 developed ADs (type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroiditis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), or inflammatory bowel diseases) by a median age of 16 years. Antibiotic purchases from birth until the date of diagnosis (or respective date in the matched controls n = 708) were traced from national registers. Results Total number of antibiotic purchases was not related to the onset of ADs when studied as a group. Of specific diagnoses, JIA was associated with the total number of antibiotics throughout the childhood and with broad-spectrum antibiotics before the age of 3 years. Intriguingly, recent and frequent antibiotic use (within 2 years before diagnosis and ≥3 purchases) was associated with the onset of ADs (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.08–2.74). Regardless of frequent use in childhood (40% of all antibiotics), penicillin group antibiotics were not related to any ADs. Conclusions Use of antibiotics was relatively safe regarding the overall development of ADs. However, broad-spectrum antibiotics should be used considerately as they may associate with an increased likelihood of JIA. Impact Increasing numbers of antibiotic purchases before the age of 3 years or throughout childhood were not associated with the development of pediatric autoimmune diseases. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were related to the development of autoimmune diseases, especially juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children, while penicillin group antibiotics were not. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in children should be cautious as they may carry along a risk for autoimmune disease development.

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is a heterogeneous disorder and research to date has principally focused on maternal factors. In this study, however, we considered the associations between background factors and preeclampsia in men who fathered preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic pregnancies. Material and methods: From 2008 to 2011, participants in the Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) cohort completed a questionnaire on their background information. Questionnaire data were available from 586 men who had fathered a preeclamptic pregnancy (PE fathers) and 660 control men who had fathered a non-preeclamptic pregnancy. Two different control groups were established: Group 1: healthy controls (n = 457), which consisted of fathers whose current partners were healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies; Group 2: other controls (n = 203), which also included fathers whose current partners had other pregnancy complications. Results: The PE fathers more often reported preeclampsia in a previously fathered pregnancy (p < 0.05 for all). The PE and control fathers were similar in age, body mass index, smoking, and preexisting medical conditions. There were no differences in the socioeconomic background or health history of the PE and control fathers or their parents. Conclusions: In the FINNPEC study cohort, the occurrence of preeclampsia in a previously fathered pregnancy was more common among the men who had fathered a preeclamptic pregnancy; other paternal phenotypic and lifestyle characteristics did not play a significant role in preeclampsia susceptibility of their partners. publishedVersion

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of bread as substrate for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) biosynthesis, establishing a valorization strategy for surplus bread, repurposing it within the food chain. Methods and Results Surplus bread was fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to produce GABA. Pediococcus pentosaceus F01, Levilactobacillus brevis MRS4, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum H64 and C48 were selected among 33 LAB strains for the ability to synthesize GABA. Four fermentation experiments were set up using surplus bread as such, added of amylolytic and proteolytic enzymes, modifying the pH or mixed with wheat bran. Enzyme-treated slurries led to the release of glucose (up to 20 mg g−1) and free amino acid, whereas the addition of wheat bran (30% of bread weight) yielded the highest GABA content (circa 800 mg kg−1 of dry weight) and was the most suitable substrate for LAB growth. The selected slurry was ultimately used as an ingredient in bread making causing an increase in free amino acids. Conclusions Besides the high GABA concentration (148 mg kg−1 dough), the experimental bread developed in this study was characterized by good nutritional properties, highlighting the efficacy of tailored bioprocessing technologies as means to mitigate food wastage. Significance and Impact of Study Our results represent a proof of concept of effective strategies to repurpose food industry side streams.

openaire: EC/H2020/788489/EU//BioELCell Natural biopolymers have become key players in the preparation of biodegradable food packaging. However, biopolymers are typically highly hydrophilic, which imposes limitations in terms of barrier properties that are associated with water interactions. Here, we enhance the barrier properties of biobased packaging using multilayer designs, in which each layer displays a complementary barrier function. Oxygen, water vapor, and UV barriers were achieved using a stepwise assembly of cellulose nanofibers, biobased wax, and lignin particles supported by chitin nanofibers. We first engineered several designs containing CNFs and carnauba wax. Among them, we obtained low water vapor permeabilities in an assembly containing three layers, i.e., CNF/wax/CNF, in which wax was present as a continuous layer. We then incorporated a layer of lignin nanoparticles nucleated on chitin nanofibrils (LPChNF) to introduce a complete barrier against UV light, while maintaining film translucency. Our multilayer design which comprised CNF/wax/LPChNF enabled high oxygen (OTR of 3 ± 1 cm3/m2·day) and water vapor (WVTR of 6 ± 1 g/m2·day) barriers at 50% relative humidity. It was also effective against oil penetration. Oxygen permeability was controlled by the presence of tight networks of cellulose and chitin nanofibers, while water vapor diffusion through the assembly was regulated by the continuous wax layer. Lastly, we showcased our fully renewable packaging material for preservation of the texture of a commercial cracker (dry food). Our material showed functionality similar to that of the original packaging, which was composed of synthetic polymers.

Only a few studies have explored the role of microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in non-complicated pregnancy and in pre-eclampsia (PE). We enrolled 139 PE and 29 healthy pregnant women in a nested case control study. We hypothesized that elevated levels of circulating TMAO and its precursors choline and glycine betaine in the late second or in third trimester might contribute to the PE and are associated with the onset of the disease and clinical features such as elevated blood pressure. The association with a few available lifestyle factors (use of fish and physical activity) was also evaluated. In contrast with the previous findings, there was no difference in TMAO concentration between PE and healthy women. In addition, TMAO concentration was not associated with any of the PE related clinical features, angiogenic or inflammatory markers. In future, it is crucial to obtain longitudinal data on TMAO in both non-complicated and in PE pregnancies before we could have more detailed understanding of TMAO. publishedVersion

Food retailing is undergoing a major restructuring process that is altering its boundaries, service provision and operations. Digitalisation and other technological advances are shifting the focus from products to services, from offline to online and from physical to virtual. Simultaneously, initiatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are exerting pressure on food retailers to address contemporary global challenges, such as promoting healthy and sustainable consumption and production. However, these areas not only challenge food retailers but also provide opportunities for facilitating favourable dietary changes that benefit consumers, companies and society at large. This study introduces transformative food retailing as a construct that shifts attention to the reconfigured role of food retailing and its potential. We identify the shaping forces and characteristics of transformative food retailing and discuss the implications for consumers, food retailers and society at large. This paper is among the first to define and conceptualise food retail as transformative and, as a result, sets a platform for future scholarly research and practice to uncover the full potential of food retailing in serving both consumers and society.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) can be prevented or delayed through a healthy lifestyle. Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) may offer cost-effective and scalable means to support lifestyle changes. This study investigated associations between user engagement with a habit-formation-based DBCI, the BitHabit app, and changes in T2D risk factors over 12 months in 963 participants at risk of T2D. User engagement was characterized by calculating use metrics from the BitHabit log data. User ratings were used as a subjective measure of engagement. The use metrics and user ratings were the strongest associated with improvements in diet quality. Weak positive associations were observed between the use metrics and changes in waist circumference and body mass index. No associations were found with changes in physical activity, fasting plasma glucose, or plasma glucose two hours after an oral glucose tolerance test. To conclude, increased use of the BitHabit app can have beneficial impacts on T2D risk factors, especially on diet quality.

BackgroundAlthough research has linked children's temperament with weight outcomes, the associations between temperament and dietary outcomes, particularly energy intake, remain understudied. Furthermore, little is known about how temperament is associated with diet in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) context, which is an important environment for many children. ObjectivesThis study examined whether temperament is associated with mean energy intake and its day-to-day variability. In addition, the associations were examined separately in the contexts of home and ECEC. MethodsThe study used data from 505 Finnish children from a cross-sectional DAGIS study conducted in 2015-2016. Parents reported their child's temperament with a questionnaire and food consumption with a food record for two weekdays (outside daycare hours) and one weekend day. Early educators at an ECEC centre reported the child's food consumption during the daycare hours on the same weekdays as the parents kept food records at home. Associations were examined with linear regression models. ResultsChildren with higher surgency had a higher mean daily energy intake. When examined separately at home and in the ECEC centre, the association was found only in the ECEC centre. Children with higher negative affectivity had greater day-to-day variability in energy intake. This association, however, was not observed when examined separately at home and at the ECEC centre. ConclusionsThe results indicate that temperament may shape children's energy intake. Moreover, the role of the ECEC context in children's eating may be different depending on a child's temperamental dispositions, which warrants further research.

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors A series of quaternary ammonium fluoroquinolones was obtained by exhaustive methylation of the amine groups present at the 7-position of fluoroquinolones, including ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, gatifloxacin, lomefloxacin, and norfloxacin. The synthesized molecules were tested for their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogens, i.e. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study showed that the synthesized compounds are potent antibacterial agents (MIC values at the lowest 6.25 μM) with low cytotoxicity in vitro as assessed on the BALB 3T3 mouse embryo cell line. Further experiments proved that the tested derivatives are able to bind to the DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV active sites in a fluoroquinolone-characteristic manner. The most active quaternary ammonium fluoroquinolones, in contrast to ciprofloxacin, reduce the total biomass of P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 biofilm in post-exposure experiments. The latter effect may be due to the dual mechanism of action of the quaternary fluoroquinolones, which also involves disruption of bacterial cell membranes. IAM-HPLC chromatographic experiments with immobilized artificial membranes (phospholipids) showed that the most active compounds were those with moderate lipophilicity and containing a cyclopropyl group at the N1 nitrogen atom in the fluoroquinolone core.

Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by a research grant from Helsinki University Hospital and the Finnish Medical Association. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s). Bioactive glass (BAG) is a bone substitute that can be used in orthopaedic surgery. Following implantation, the BAG is expected to be replaced by bone via bone growth and gradual degradation of the BAG. However, the hydroxyapatite mineral forming on BAG resembles bone mineral, not providing sufficient contrast to distinguish the two in X-ray images. In this study, we co-registered coded-excitation scanning acoustic microscopy (CESAM), scanning white light interferometry (SWLI), and scanning electron microscopy with elemental analysis (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy) (SEM–EDX) to investigate the bone growth and BAG reactions on a micron scale in a rabbit bone ex vivo. The acoustic impedance map recorded by the CESAM provides high elasticity-associated contrast to study materials and their combinations, while simultaneously producing a topography map of the sample. The acoustic impedance map correlated with the elemental analysis from SEM–EDX. SWLI also produces a topography map, but with higher resolution than CESAM. The two topography maps (CESAM and SWLI) were in good agreement. Furthermore, using information from both maps simultaneously produced by the CESAM (acoustic impedance and topography) allowed determining regions-of-interest related to bone formation around the BAG with greater ease than from either map alone. CESAM is therefore a promising tool for evaluating the degradation of bone substitutes and the bone healing process ex vivo.

Inefficient use of phosphorus (P) fertilizers leads to the transfer of P into water bodies, causing their eutrophication. Sediment removal is a promising lake restoration strategy that removes nutrients including P accumulated in lake sediments, and opens the opportunity to use removed nutrients in agriculture. In the present study, we investigated the effects of using a thick layer of sediment from the eutrophic Lake Mustijarv on plant growth, and estimated the environmental impacts of different sediment application methods by analyzing greenhouse gas emissions, N and P leaching, aggregate stability, and soil biota. The field experiment (2017-2020) was established on the lake shore with the following treatments: the agricultural control soil (Soil) surrounding the lake, pure sediment (Sed), biochartreated sediment (SB), and biochar and soil mixed with sediment (SSB). The sediment-based treatments resulted in a similar grass growth performance to the Soil. The availability of most macro- and micronutrients including P (75 vs. 21 g m-3) were far greater in the Sed compared to the Soil. The sediment-based growing media emitted more CO2 than the Soil (579 vs. 400 mg CO2 - C m-2 h-1) presumably due to the high rate of organic matter decomposition. The bacterial and fungal community structures of the Sed were strongly differentiated from those of Soil. Also, Sed had lower bacterial diversity and a higher abundance of the bacterial phyla associated with solubilizing P including Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Sediment-based growing media increased more than seven times the risk of mineral N

The delivery of consistent and accurate fine-resolution data on biodiversity using metabarcoding promises to improve environmental assessment and research. Whilst this approach is a substantial improvement upon traditional techniques, critics note that metabarcoding data are suitable for establishing taxon occurrence, but not abundance. We propose a novel hierarchical approach to recovering abundance information from metabarcoding, and demonstrate this technique using benthic macroinvertebrates. To sample a range of abundance structures without introducing additional changes in composition, we combined seasonal surveys with fish-exclusion experiments at Catamaran Brook in northern New Brunswick, Canada. Five monthly surveys collected 31 benthic samples for DNA metabarcoding divided between caged and control treatments. A further six samples per survey were processed using traditional morphological identification for comparison. By estimating the probability of detecting a single individual, multispecies abundance models infer changes in abundance based on changes in detection frequency. Using replicate detections of 184 genera (and 318 species) from metabarcoding samples, our analysis identified changes in abundance arising from both seasonal dynamics and the exclusion of fish predators. Counts obtained from morphological samples were highly variable, a feature that limited the opportunity for more robust comparison, and emphasizing the difficulty standard methods also face to detect changes in abundance. Our approach is the first to demonstrate how quantitative estimates of abundance can be made using metabarcoding, both among species within sites as well as within species among sites. Many samples are required to capture true abundance patterns, particularly in streams where counts are highly variable, but few studies can afford to process entire samples. Our approach allows study of responses across whole communities, and at fine taxonomic resolution. We discuss how ecological studies can use additional sampling to capture changes in abundance at fine resolution, and how this can complement broad-scale biomonitoring using DNA metabarcoding.

BACKGROUND The attraction of cappuccino-style beverages is attributed to the foam layer, as it greatly improves the texture, appearance, and taste of these products. Typical milk has a low concentration of free fatty acids (FFA), but their concentration can increase due to lipolysis during processing and storage, which is detrimental to the foamability and foam stability of milk. There are contradictory results in reported studies concerning the effects of FFA on the foaming properties of milk due to differences in milk sources, methods inducing lipolysis, and methods of creating foam. In this study, the foaming properties and foam structure of milk samples whose lipolysis was induced by ultra-turraxing, homogenisation, and microfluidisation (1.5–3.5 μ-equiv.mL−1 FFA) were investigated. RESULTS Compared with others, microfluidised milk samples had the smallest particle size, lowest absolute zeta potential, and highest surface tension; thus exhibited high foamability and foam stability, and very small and homogeneous air bubbles in foam structure. For all shearing methods, increasing FFA content from 1.5 to 3.5 μ-equiv.mL−1 markedly decreased the surface tension, foamability, and foam stability of milk samples. The FFA level that led to undesirable foam structure was 1.5 μ-equiv.mL−1 for ultra-turraxed milk samples and 2.5 μ-equiv.mL−1 for homogenised and microfluidised ones. CONCLUSION Shearing-induced lipolysis greatly affected the physical properties of milk samples and subsequently their foaming properties and foam structure. At the same FFA level, lipolysis induced by microfluidisation was much less detrimental to the foaming properties of milk than lipolysis induced by ultra-turraxing and homogenisation.

Background: Food systems worldwide have become industrialized over the past century with impacts on diets, nutrition and health. The trade-offs between affordability and higher-quality diets can be exemplified by industrially produced, refined wheat bread. There is substantial demand for designing healthier bread, and hostmicrobiota commensalism has emerged as a key factor in food product development aiming to deliver health benefits.Scope and approach: Based on pre-clinical and clinical studies, this review provides an overview of main strategies for designing healthy bread from the microbiota perspective. We also discuss how microbiota-based precision nutrition can be harnessed in the design of healthy bread tailored to specific individuals or populations.Key findings and conclusions: In addition to being an important source of dietary fiber and phytochemicals, bread is the largest contributor to the intake of common food additives in the countries consuming Western-like diets with ramifications in health and disease via the gut microbiota. Pre-clinical and small-scale clinical studies suggest that the use of alternative grains, supplementation of bread to induce functional properties and sourdough fermentation hold great potential in reducing the risk factors associated with diet-related non-communicable diseases by modulating the gut microbiota. Nevertheless, functional ingredients formulated in bread may need to be applied in a targeted and individual-specific manner to deliver expected benefits and avoid potentially detrimental consequences. Overall, we identify major knowledge gaps and research opportunities for developing gut-friendly breads with scientifically validated health benefits.

The use of wood hemicelluloses, including galactoglucomannans (GGM) and glucuronoxylans (GX), in spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds has not been reported. Our study aims to investigate the benefits of spray-dried GGM and GX powders (sGGM and sGX) along with the effects of homogenization techniques (magnetic stirring, ultrasonication, and a combination of UltraTurrax homogenization and microfluidization) on the physicochemical properties of feed solutions (10–20%, w/w). Feed solutions of bilberry juice with sGGM, sGX, and mixtures of either sGGM or sGX with methylcellulose (MC) or carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) were examined to produce highly stable feed solutions for spray-dried microencapsulation. The effects of ultrasonication amplitudes (30–80%) on the viscosity and particle size distribution of sGGM feed solutions were more profound than observed in their sGX counterparts. Unlike sGX feed solutions, sGGM feed solutions homogenized by ultrasonication and microfluidization formed a gel-like structure. Microfluidization also caused a loss of total anthocyanin content (TAC) of the feed solutions. Magnetic stirring resulted in no gel formation and in the lowest viscosity of the feed solutions; hence, it is an effective method for preparing hemicellulose feed solutions. sGGM and sGX powders have high heat stability with melting temperatures of 170–180 °C. The sGGM + CMC combination was more stable over 1 week of storage than the sGGM and sGX feed solutions. Storing the feed solutions reduced TAC and increased sGGM viscosity. Our results indicated that GGM and GX have high potential for use as wall materials in the spray-dried microencapsulation of bioactive compounds.

A recently identified broiler myopathy known as wooden breast (WB) is predominantly found in the pectoralis major muscle of fast-growing broiler hybrids and is causing significant losses to the poultry industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of WB syndrome on raw meat texture, purge loss and thermal properties of intramuscular connective tissue of pectoralis major muscle in the early postmortem period (1–3 days). Results showed that the presence of the WB muscles condition at 1 day postmortem was associated with significantly increased stiffness (27.0 N vs. 23.1 N) and significantly increased purge loss (1.8% vs. 1.0%) compared to normal breast (NB). However, on 3 days postmortem, these parameters did not differ between WB and NB groups. Insoluble and total collagen content was significantly higher in WB muscles compared to NB muscles, and the extractability of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) of WB was also higher (0.42% vs. 0.37%) compared to NB and remained stable in the early postmortem period. There was significantly lower protein content in the sarcoplasmic protein fraction and myofibrillar protein fraction of WB muscles compared to NB muscles (p < 0.05). The IMCT of these two groups showed different thermal properties, as the enthalpy of denaturation (ΔH) was significantly lower in WB muscles compared to NB muscles. The WB syndrome had a great effect on the texture and connective tissue properties of the meat compared to normal muscle, with a tendency for having a lower purge loss and higher raw meat hardness.

One of the biggest trends in the food industry is developing plant-based (PB) alternatives for dairy (D) products that mimic their counterparts. The prominent view is that these novel PB foods should represent conventional foods' visual, textural, and taste properties. In addition, consumer studies have demonstrated challenges in mimicking the texture properties, with PB yogurts having a thin and watery mouthfeel. This study aims to understand how much dairy-like properties contribute to the sensory and hedonic responses of PB and D yogurts among US and Finnish consumers. Thus, consumer studies were conducted in the US (n = 101) and Finland (n = 96) with consumers who regularly eat D yogurts and are willing to try PB yogurts. Six blueberry-flavored yogurts were blended in different plant-to-dairy ratios (PB:D%) and were labeled either as PB (plant-based) or D (dairy-based): 100:0 (PB), 75:25 (PB), 50:50 (PB), 50:50 (D), 25:75 (PB), and 0:100 (D). Different texture-related attributes were studied first by appearance and after tasting (i.e., mouthfeel) using the Rate-all-that-apply and Just-about-right methods. In addition, taste and flavor properties by Check-all-that-apply and the acceptance of the samples were evaluated on a 9-point hedonic scale. The same samples were equally liked in the US and Finland. Apparent differences were found between the samples, demonstrating that PB-labeled samples with higher D content were most liked. Interestingly, the PB-labeled yogurt (50:50) was more liked than the same yogurt labeled as D, indicating that consumers have different expectations towards PB and D yogurts. Creamy was found to be the main textural driver of liking among the PB-labeled yogurts. Although the results show that dairy-like characteristics are more liked in general, our results also demonstrate that young consumers and consumers who value sustainability when making food choices like PB yogurts with characteristics typical of PB yogurts.

Objectives: To systematically review the evidence on the effect of replacing the intake of animal protein with plant protein on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their intermediate risk factors. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus up to 12th May 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or prospective cohort studies that investigated replacement of animal protein with plant protein from foods. Outcomes were CVDs, T2D, and in RCTs also the effects on blood lipids, glycemic markers, and blood pressure. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Cochrane's RoB2, ROBINS-I, and USDA's RoB-NObS tools. Random-effects meta-analyses assessed the effects of plant vs. animal proteins on blood lipids in RCTs. The evidence was appraised according to the World Cancer Research Fund's criteria. Results: After screening 15,090 titles/abstracts, full text of 124 papers was scrutinized in detail, from which 13 RCTs and seven cohort studies were included. Eight of the RCTs had either some concern or high risk of bias, while the corresponding evaluation of cohort studies resulted in moderate risk of bias for all seven. Meta-analyses of RCTs suggested a protective effect on total cholesterol (mean difference-0.11 mmol/L; 95% CI-0.22,-0.01) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.14 mmol/L; 95% CI-0.25,-0.02) by replacing ani-mal protein with plant protein. The substitution of animal protein with plant protein (percentage of energy intake) in cohort studies was associated with lower CVD mortality (n = 4) and lower T2D incidence (n = 2). The evidence was considered limited-suggestive for both outcomes. Conclusion: Evidence that the substitution of animal protein with plant protein reduces risk of both CVD mortality and T2D incidence is limited-suggestive. Replacing animal protein with plant protein for aspects of sustainability may also be a public health strategy to lower the risk of CVD mortality and T2D.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are a class of thermo-responsive materials that can be utilized to trigger a phase transition which gives them thermal energy storage capacity. Any material with a high heat of fusion is referred to as a PCM that is able to provide cutting-edge thermal storage. PCMs are commercially used in many applications like textile industry, coating, and cold storage typically for heat control. These intriguing substances have recently been rediscovered and employed in a broad range of life science applications, including biological, human body, biomedical, pharmaceutical, food, and agricultural applications. Benefiting from the changes in physicochemical properties during the phase transition makes PCMs also functional for barcoding, detection, and storage. Paraffin wax and polyethylene glycol are the most commonly studied PCMs due to their low toxicity, biocompatibility, high thermal stability, high latent enthalpy, relatively wide transition temperature range, and ease of chemical modification. Current challenges in employing PCMs for life science applications include biosafety and/or engineering difficulties. The focus of this review article is on the life science applications, evaluation, and safety aspects of PCMs. Herein, the advances and the potential of employing PCMs as a versatile platform for various types of life science applications are highlighted.

Adsorption is a relatively simple wastewater treatment method that has the potential to mitigate the impacts of pharmaceutical pollution. This requires the development of reusable adsorbents that can simultaneously remove pharmaceuticals of varying chemical structure and properties. Here, the adsorption potential of nanostructured wood-based adsorbents towards different pharmaceuticals in a multi-component system was investigated. The adsorbents in the form of macroporous cryogels were prepared by anchoring lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) to the nanocellulose network via electrostatic attraction. The naturally anionic LNPs were anchored to cationic cellulose nanofibrils (cCNF) and the cationic LNPs (cLNPs) were combined with anionic TEMPO-oxidized CNF (TCNF), producing two sets of nanocellulose-based cryogels that also differed in their overall surface charge density. The cryogels, prepared by freeze-drying, showed layered cellulosic sheets randomly decorated with spherical lignin on the surface. They exhibited varying selectivity and efficiency in removing pharmaceuticals with differing aromaticity, polarity and ionic characters. Their adsorption potential was also affected by the type (unmodified or cationic), amount and morphology of the lignin nanomaterials, as well as the pH of the pharmaceutical solution. Overall, the findings revealed that LNPs or cLNPs can act as functionalizing and crosslinking agents to nanocellulose-based cryogels. Despite the decrease in the overall positive surface charge, the addition of LNPs to the cCNF-based cryogels showed enhanced adsorption, not only towards the anionic aromatic pharmaceutical diclofenac but also towards the aromatic cationic metoprolol (MPL) and tramadol (TRA) and neutral aromatic carbamazepine. The addition of cLNPs to TCNF-based cryogels improved the adsorption of MPL and TRA despite the decrease in the net negative surface charge. The improved adsorption was attributed to modes of removal other than electrostatic attraction, and they could be 7C-7C aromatic ring or hydrophobic interactions brought by the addition of LNPs or cLNPs. However, significant improvement was only found if the ratio of LNPs or cLNPs to nanocellulose was 0.6:1 or higher and with spherical lignin nanomaterials. As crosslinking agents, the LNPs or cLNPs affected the rheological behavior of the gels, and increased the firmness and decreased the water holding capacity of the corresponding cryogels. The resistance of the cryogels towards disintegration with exposure to water also improved with crosslinking, which eventually enabled the cryogels, especially the TCNF-based one, to be regenerated and reused for five cycles of adsorption-desorption experiment for the model pharmaceutical MPL. Thus, this study opened new opportunities to utilize LNPs in providing nanocellulose-based adsorbents with additional functional groups, which were otherwise often achieved by rigorous chemical modifications, at the same time, crosslinking the nanocellulose network.

It is estimated that one third of all produced food is wasted, meaning over 1.3 billion tons of food annually. Today, climate change, growing population, and geo-political conflicts challenge food security and increase the price of food raw materials such as wheat. Consequently, food systems must transform towards more sustainable and resource-efficient production, including prevention of food loss and waste. In the baking industry, surplus bread is a major side stream that should be strictly kept within the human food chain. A sustainable option for surplus bread utilization is recycling it as a dough ingredient. However, it is not known in detail how the surplus bread or its constituents affect the technological quality and safety of the new bread. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the influence of surplus bread on dough rheology, volume, and quality of new bread. Consequently, bioprocessing methods involving enzymatic treatments and targeted lactic acid fermentation were developed to enhance recycling properties of surplus bread as a bread making ingredient. Specifically, enzymatic hydrolysis of gelatinized starch in the surplus bread, and in situ or in vitro production of bacterial exopolysaccharides were investigated. The study revealed that direct usage of surplus bread without preprocessing is extremely detrimental to the volume and texture of new bread, even at low addition levels (4.5-12.5%/flour weight). Surplus bread increased the water absorption and tenacity of the dough, and decreased dough extensibility and proofing properties. These alterations to the dough were primarily attributed to unfavorable interactions between the gluten network and surplus bread constituents, especially gelatinized starch. In addition, dilution of native gluten content in the dough, insoluble particles of surplus bread, and competition for available water (between gluten proteins and gelatinized starch) had a minor negative impact on dough and bread quality. The influence of the gelatinized starch was mitigated by enzymatic hydrolysis to various degrees representing different carbohydrate profiles (75%, 57%, and 26% residual starch). More complete hydrolysis resulted in better dough visco-elastic properties and higher dough level, and reduced dough water absorption. The breads containing hydrolysate high in maltose and malto-oligosaccharides had the lowest intrinsic hardness and similar volume yield compared to the control wheat bread. Furthermore, compared to bread containing untreated surplus bread, the hydrolysate high in malto-oligosaccharides, reduced crumb hardness by 28% and staling rate by 42%, and increased specific volume by 8% showing that optimal enzyme hydrolysis mitigates the negative impact of gelatinized starch in the surplus bread. As an alternative to enzymatic hydrolysis, targeted fermentation with exopolysaccharide (dextran or β-glucan) -producing strains was evaluated to facilitate recycling of surplus bread. Fermentation with Weissella confusa A16, resulted in production of dextran and maltosyl-isomaltooligosaccharides (MIMO) through dextransucrase acceptor reactions with maltose. This resulted in increased viscosity of the surplus bread sourdough and yielded residual fructose that could effectively replace the sugar added for yeast leavening. Furthermore, fermentation acidified surplus bread matrix, thus improving the hygienic safety of the process. The produced dextran compensated for the adverse effect of surplus bread on subsequent bread quality attributes by increasing the specific volume of bread (12%) and decreasing crumb hardness (37%) compared to untreated surplus bread. Fermentation with microbial β-glucan production did not show a positive technological impact. To further understand the role of dextran and MIMO in surplus bread recycling, dextran and MIMO were produced separately in vitro by using a cell-free W. confusa A16 dextransucrase preparation. Dextran or MIMO were added to the surplus bread in three levels and further studied in a gluten-starch model dough and bread system. In the model dough, the native gluten content was kept standard, and the surplus bread replaced starch. Dextran addition at 0.7%/flour weight level, and optimized water absorption, protected the dough gluten network functionality from the disruptive interactions of surplus bread. Dextran increased the dough extensibility and softness, which led to increased specific volume of bread, decreased hardness, and retarded staling. On the contrary, MIMOs, especially at low concentration, induced stronger interactions with gluten proteins than dextran. The addition of MIMOs increased the negative influence of surplus bread on the specific volume of breads. Among the utilized rheological measurements, the uni-axial extensional test was the best suited to predict the baking performance of doughs containing surplus bread with dextran or MIMO. The dough extensibility well-predicted the specific volume of bread, and the E/R ratio inversely predicted crumb hardness and staling. The nature of interactions between dextran or MIMOs and dough macromolecules are important to understand in order to develop suitable bioprocessing practices that enable recycling of edible surplus bread. Thus, by selecting correct bioprocessing approaches, surplus bread recycling performance may be significantly improved, encouraging the baking industry to take necessary steps towards more sustainable production. Arviolta kolmannes kaikesta tuotetusta ruuasta, eli yli 1,3 miljardia tonnia vuodessa päätyy jätteeksi. Ilmastonmuutos, kasvava väestö sekä geopoliittiset konfliktit haastavat nykyisen ruuantuotannon riittävyyden ja nostavat raaka-aineiden, kuten vehnän, hintaa. Tämän vuoksi ruokajärjestelmän on muututtava kestävämpään ja raaka-ainetehokkaampaan suuntaan, pitäen sisällään ruokahävikin ennalta ehkäisyn. Ylijäämäleipä on leipomoteollisuuden merkittävin sivuvirta, joka tulisi ehdottomasti hyödyntää elintarvikekäytössä, mutta päätyy useimmiten bioetanolin tuotantoon tai rehuksi. Kestävä keino ylijäämäleivän hyödyntämiseksi on sen kierrättäminen takaisin tuotantoon taikinaraaka-aineena. Kierrätyksen vaikutuksesta uuden leivän laatuun ja turvallisuuteen ei kuitenkaan ole yksityiskohtaista tietoa. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena oli tutkia ylijäämäleivän vaikutusta taikinan ominaisuuksiin sekä uuden leivän tilavuuteen ja rakenteeseen. Lisäksi kehitettiin bioprosessointitekniikoita, kuten entsyymikäsittelyjä ja maitohappofermentointia, ylijäämäleivän kierrätysominaisuuksien parantamiseksi. Tutkimuksen keskiössä olivat erityisesti ylijäämäleivän sisältämän liisteröidyn tärkkelyksen entsymaattinen hydrolyysi sekä bakteeriperäisten eksopolysakkaridien tuotanto. Tutkimuksen perusteella kävi ilmi, että jo pieninä pitoisuuksina ylijäämäleivän käyttäminen taikinan raaka-aineena ilman esikäsittelyjä on erittäin haitallista uuden leivän tilavuuden ja rakenteen kannalta. Ylijäämäleipä kasvatti taikinan vedensidontaa ja heikensi taikinan venyvyyttä ja kohoamista. Muutokset taikinassa liittyivät ensisijaisesti gluteeniverkon ja ylijäämäleivän komponenttien, erityisesti liisteröityneen tärkkelyksen, välisiin epäedullisiin vuorovaikutuksiin. Lisäksi natiivigluteenin pitoisuuden laimenemisella, ylijäämäleivän liukenemattomalla aineksella sekä kilpailulla käytettävissä olevasta vapaasta vedestä (gluteeniproteiinien ja liisteröityneen tärkkelyksen välillä) oli vähäisempi negatiivinen vaikutus taikinaan ja leivän laatuun. Liisteröityneen tärkkelyksen vaikutus väheni entsymaattisen hydrolyysin seurauksena riippuen saavutetusta hiilihydraattikoostumuksesta. Leivät olivat pehmeimpiä ja tilavuuden saannolta parhaimmillaan, kun niihin lisättiin paljon maltoosia ja malto-oligosakkarideja sisältävää hydrolysaattia. Malto-oligosakkarideja sisältävä hydrolysaatti vähensi leivän sisuksen kovuutta ja vanhenemista jopa tavalliseen vehnäleipään verrattuna. Kohdennettua fermentointia eksopolysakkarideja (dekstraani ja β-glukaani) tuottavien maitohappobakteerikantojen avulla tutkittiin vaihtoehtoisena keinona ylijäämäleivän kierrätyksessä. Fermentoinnin aiheuttama happamoituminen lisäsi selvästi prosessin turvallisuutta hygienianäkökulmasta. Tuotettu dekstraani puolestaan kompensoi ylijäämäleivän aiheuttamia haitallisia vaikutuksia leivän laatuun kasvattamalla leivän ominaistilavuutta ja vähentämällä leivän sisuksen kovuutta verrattuna käsittelemättömään ylijäämäleipään. Dekstraanin tuoton yhteydessä muodostui lisäksi maltosyyli-isomalto-oligosakkarideja (MIMO) johtuen dekstraania tuottavan entsyymin, dekstraanisakkaraasin akseptori-reaktiosta maltoosin kanssa sekä jäännösfruktoosia, joka korvasi tehokkaasti taikinaan nostatusta varten lisättävän sokerin. Mikrobiperäisen β-glukaani tuotto fermentoinnin aikana ei osoittanut positiivisia vaikutuksia leivän teknologisiin ominaisuuksiin. Dekstraanin ja MIMO:n itsenäisen merkityksen ymmärtämiseksi ylijäämäleivän kierrätyksessä dekstraania ja MIMO:a tuotettiin kontrolloidusti in vitro käyttäen itse tuotettua dekstraanisakkaraasivalmistetta. Dekstraania tai MIMO:a lisättiin ylijäämäleipään erikseen ja sitä tutkittiin gluteenista ja tärkkelyksestä koostuvassa mallitaikinassa ja -leivässä. Mallitaikinassa natiivin gluteenin pitoisuus pidettiin vakiona ja ylijäämäleipä korvasi ainoastaan tärkkelystä. Dekstraanilisäys optimoidulla pitoisuudella ja vedensidonnalla, suojasi taikinan gluteeniverkostoa ylijäämäleivän aiheuttamilta häiritseviltä vuorovaikutuksilta. Dekstraani paransi taikinan venyvyyttä ja pehmeyttä, mikä johti leivän suurempaan ominaistilavuuteen, sisuksen kovuuden vähenemiseen sekä hitaampaan vanhenemiseen. MIMO sen sijaan aiheutti vahvempia vuorovaikutuksia gluteeniproteiinien kanssa kuin dekstraani, mikä voimisti ylijäämäleivän haitallista vaikutusta uuden leivän tilavuudelle. Dekstraanin tai MIMO:n ja taikinan makromolekyylien välisten vuorovaikutusten laatua ja ominaisuuksia on tärkeä ymmärtää, jotta kohdennettuja ja toimivia bioprosessointitekniikoita voidaan kehittää elintarvikekelpoisen ylijäämäleivän kierrättämiseksi. Siten, valitsemalla sopivia bioprosessointikeinoja ylijäämäleivän kierrätyskelpoisuutta voidaan parantaa merkittävästi, rohkaisten leipomoteollisuutta ottamaan tarvittavia askeleita kohti kestävämpää tuotantoa.

Purpose The aim was to study the associations between dietary intake of fatty acids in childhood and the risk of islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods The prospective Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Study included children with genetic susceptibility to T1D born between 1996 and 2004. Participants were followed up every 3 to 12 months up to 6 years for diet, islet autoantibodies, and T1D. Dietary intake of several fatty acids at the age of 3 months to 6 years was assessed 1–8 times per participant with a 3-day food record. Joint models adjusted for energy intake, sex, HLA genotype and familial diabetes were used to investigate the associations of longitudinal intake of fatty acids and the development of islet autoimmunity and T1D. Results During the 6-year follow-up, 247 (4.4%) children of 5626 developed islet autoimmunity and 94 (1.7%) children of 5674 developed T1D. Higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (HR 0.63; 95% CI 0.47, 0.82), arachidonic acid (0.69; 0.50, 0.94), total n-3 fatty acids (0.64; 0.48, 0.84), and long-chain n-3 fatty acids (0.14; 0.04, 0.43), was associated with a decreased risk of islet autoimmunity with and without energy adjustment. Higher intake of total fat (0.73; 0.53, 0.98), and saturated fatty acids (0.55; 0.33, 0.90) was associated with a decreased risk of T1D only when energy adjusted. Conclusion Intake of several fatty acids was associated with a decreased risk of islet autoimmunity or T1D among high-risk children. Our findings support the idea that dietary factors, including n-3 fatty acids, may play a role in the disease process of T1D.

openaire: EC/H2020/819202/EU//SOS.aquaterra Global food systems face the challenge of providing healthy and adequate nutrition through sustainable means, which is exacerbated by climate change and increasing protein demand by the world's growing population. Recent advances in novel food production technologies demonstrate potential solutions for improving the sustainability of food systems. Yet, diet-level comparisons are lacking and are needed to fully understand the environmental impacts of incorporating novel foods in diets. Here we estimate the possible reductions in global warming potential, water use and land use by replacing animal-source foods with novel or plant-based foods in European diets. Using a linear programming model, we optimized omnivore, vegan and novel food diets for minimum environmental impacts with nutrition and feasible consumption constraints. Replacing animal-source foods in current diets with novel foods reduced all environmental impacts by over 80% and still met nutrition and feasible consumption constraints. The environmental impacts of more sustainable diets vary across regions. Using linear optimization, this study compares the reductions of global warming potential, water use and land use associated with the replacement of animal-sourced foods with novel or plant-based foods in European diets. Three diet types were considered to meet nutritional adequacy and consumption constraints.

Puwainaphycins (PUW) and minutissamides (MIN) are structurally homologous cyclic lipopeptides that exhibit high structural variability and possess antifungal and cytotoxic activities. While only a minor variation can be found in the amino acid composition of the peptide cycle, the fatty acid (FA) moiety varies largely. The effect of FA functionalization on the bioactivity of PUW/MIN chemical variants is poorly understood. A rapid and selective liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based method led us to identify 13 PUW/MIN (1-13) chemical variants from the benthic cyanobacterium Nodularia harveyana strain UHCC-0300 from the Baltic Sea. Five new variants identified were designated as PUW H (1), PUW I (2), PUW J (4), PUW K (10), and PUW L (13) and varied slightly in the peptidic core composition, but a larger variation was observed in the oxo-, chloro-, and hydroxy-substitutions on the FA moiety. To address the effect of FA substitution on the cytotoxic effect, the major variants (3 and 5-11) together with four other PUW/MIN variants (14-17) previously isolated were included in the study. The data obtained showed that hydroxylation of the FA moiety abolishes the cytotoxicity or significantly reduces it when compared with the oxo-substituted C-18-FA (compounds 5-8). The oxo-substitution had only a minor effect on the cytotoxicity of the compound when compared to variants bearing no substitution. The activity of PUW/ MIN variants with chlorinated FA moieties varied depending on the position of the chlorine atom on the FA chain. This study also shows that variation in the amino acids distant from the FA moiety (position 4-8 of the peptide cycle) does not play an important role in determining the cytotoxicity of the compound. These findings confirmed that the lipophilicity of FA is essential to maintain the cytotoxicity of PUW/MIN lipopeptides. Further, a 63 kb puwainaphycin biosynthetic gene cluster from a draft genome of the N. harveyana strain UHCC-0300 was identified. This pathway encoded two specific lipoinitiation mechanisms as well as enzymes needed for the modification of the FA moiety. Examination on biosynthetic gene clusters and the structural variability of the produced PUW/MIN suggested different mechanisms of fatty-aryl-AMP ligase cooperation with accessory enzymes leading to a new set of PUW/MIN variants bearing differently substituted FA.

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aims: To describe a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial which will evaluate the effectiveness of a gamified mobile health intervention for children in whole day surgery care. Design: A study protocol for a two-arm randomized controlled trial. Methods: Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention group (N = 62), in which patients receive routine care and play a mobile game designed for children or the control group (N = 62), in which patients receive routine care, including a mobile phone application that supports parents during the care path. The primary outcome is children's pre-operative anxiety, while the secondary outcome measures included fear and postoperative pain, along with parental satisfaction and anxiety. Data collection started in August 2020. Results: The results of the ongoing randomized controlled trial will determine whether the developed gamified mobile health intervention can be recommended for hospital use, and whether it could be used to educate children about their surgical treatment to decrease anxiety.

Crown and stem gall caused by agrobacterial species is one of the most devastating diseases on different crops worldwide. In spring 2018, an alert concerning a disease forming galls on seedlings of pistachio in nurseries was received from Rafsanjan county, Kerman province, Iran. After isolation of bacteria from the galls by using conventional bacteriological methods, bacterial colonies were purified and selected for further analyses including biochemical, pathogenicity and molecular tests. Pathogenicity tests of all isolates on test plants and carrot discs were evaluated positive. Based on the results of biochemical and pathogenicity tests, supported by molecular phylogenies of housekeeping and pathogenicity genes, the isolates were identified as Agrobacterium radiobacter. Since agrobacteria could be easily spread through seedlings and agricultural materials between different areas, the identified Agrobacterium strains could be considered as a latent threat to the pistachio nurseries of Iran. The present study is the first report on the occurrence of crown and stem gall on pistachio caused by A. radiobacter worldwide.

Cyanobactins are linear and cyclic post-translationally modified peptides. Here we show that the prenyl-D-Arg-containing autum-nalamide A is a member of the cyanobactin family. Biochemical assays demonstrate that the AutF prenyltransferase targets the guanidinium moiety in arginine and homoarginine and is a useful tool for biotechnological applications.

The global emergence and increased spread of antibiotic resistance threaten the effectiveness of antibiotics and, thus, the health of the entire population. Therefore, understanding the resistomes in different geographical locations is crucial in the global fight against the antibiotic resistance crisis.Antibiotic resistance is a global threat to human health, with the most severe effect in low- and middle-income countries. We explored the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the hospital wastewater (HWW) of nine hospitals in Benin and Burkina Faso, two low-income countries in West Africa, with shotgun metagenomic sequencing. For comparison, we also studied six hospitals in Finland. The highest sum of the relative abundance of ARGs in the 68 HWW samples was detected in Benin and the lowest in Finland. HWW resistomes and mobilomes in Benin and Burkina Faso resembled each other more than those in Finland. Many carbapenemase genes were detected at various abundances, especially in HWW from Burkina Faso and Finland. The bla(GES) genes, the most widespread carbapenemase gene in the Beninese HWW, were also found in water intended for hand washing and in a puddle at a hospital yard in Benin. mcr genes were detected in the HWW of all three countries, with mcr-5 being the most common mcr gene. These and other mcr genes were observed in very high relative abundances, even in treated wastewater in Burkina Faso and a street gutter in Benin. The results highlight the importance of wastewater treatment, with particular attention to HWW.IMPORTANCE The global emergence and increased spread of antibiotic resistance threaten the effectiveness of antibiotics and, thus, the health of the entire population. Therefore, understanding the resistomes in different geographical locations is crucial in the global fight against the antibiotic resistance crisis. However, this information is scarce in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as those in West Africa. In this study, we describe the resistomes of hospital wastewater in Benin and Burkina Faso and, as a comparison, Finland. Our results help to understand the hitherto unrevealed resistance in Beninese and Burkinabe hospitals. Furthermore, the results emphasize the importance of wastewater management infrastructure design to minimize exposure events between humans, HWW, and the environment, preventing the circulation of resistant bacteria and ARGs between humans (hospitals and community) and the environment.

A holistic utilization of all lignocellulosic wood biomass, instead of the current approach of using only the cellulose fraction, is crucial for the efficient, ecological, and economical use of the forest resources. Use of wood constituents in the food and feed sector is a potential way of promoting the global economy. However, industrially established food products utilizing such components are still scarce, with the exception of cellulose derivatives. Hemicelluloses that include xylans and mannans are major constituents of wood. The wood hemicelluloses are structurally similar to hemicelluloses from crops, which are included in our diet, for example, as a part of dietary fibers. Hence, structurally similar wood hemicelluloses have the potential for similar uses. We review the current status and future potential of wood hemicelluloses as food ingredients. We include an inventory of the extraction routes of wood hemicelluloses, their physicochemical properties, and some of their gastrointestinal characteristics, and we also consider the regulatory route that research findings need to follow to be approved for food solutions, as well as the current status of the wood hemicellulose applications on that route.

Objectives: We aimed to systematically review studies and evaluate the strength of the evidence on nuts/seeds consumption and cardiometabolic diseases and their risk factors among adults. Methods: A protocol was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021270554). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Scopus up to September 20, 2021 for prospec-tive cohort studies and >= 12-week randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Main outcomes were cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and type 2 diabetes (T2D), secondary total-/low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, blood pressure and glycaemic markers. Data extraction and risk of bias (RoB) assessments (using RoB 2.0 and RoB-NObS) were performed in duplicate. Effect sizes were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses and expressed as relative risk (RR) or weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI); heterogeneity quantified as I2. One-stage dose-response analyses assessed the linear and non-linear associations with CVD, CHD, stroke and T2D. The strength of evidence was classified per the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Results: After screening 23,244 references, we included 42 papers from cohort studies (28 unique cohorts, 1,890,573 participants) and 18 RCTs (2,266 participants). In the cohorts, mainly populations with low con-sumption, high versus low total nuts/seeds consumption was inversely associated with total CVD (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.75, 0.86; I-2 = 67%), CVD mortality (0.77; 0.72, 0.82; I-2 = 59.3%), CHD (0.82; 0.76, 0.89; I-2 = 64%), CHD mortality (0.75; 0.65, 0.87; I-2 = 66.9%) and non-fatal CHD (0.85; 0.75, 0.96; I-2 = 62.2%). According to the non-linear dose-response analyses, consumption of 30 g/day of total nuts/seeds was associated with RRs of similar magnitude. For stroke and T2D the summary RR for high versus low intake was 0.91 (95% CI 0.85, 0.97; I-2 = 24.8%) and 0.95 (0.75, 1.21; I-2 = 82.2%). Intake of nuts (median similar to 50 g/day) lowered total (-0.15 mmol/L; -0.22, -0.08; I-2 = 31.2%) and LDL-cholesterol (-0.13 mmol/L; -0.21, -0.05; I-2 = 68.6%), but not blood pressure. Findings on fasting glucose, HbA1c and insulin resistance were conflicting. The results were robust to sensitivity and subgroup analyses. We rated the associations between nuts/seeds and both CVD and CHD as probable. There was limited but suggestive evidence for no association with stroke. No conclusion could be made for T2D. Conclusion: There is a probable relationship between consumption of nuts/seeds and lower risk of CVD, mostly driven by CHD, possibly in part through effects on blood lipids. More research on stroke and T2D may affect the conclusions. The evidence of specific nuts should be further investigated.

Publicly accessible food safety inspection reports are a standard procedure to inform consumers on restaurants' food safety levels in many countries. This study examined how different formats of food safety inspection report are associated with consumer perceptions related to food safety, as well as other perceptions about the restaurant. The study was conducted in Denmark and Finland with similar inspection grade systems but differences in the distribution of awarded grades. We conducted a population-based survey experiment with a between-subjects design on nationally representative samples of the 18-70 years old Danish (n = 978) and Finnish (n = 907) populations. Respondents received one of six food safety inspection reports with different combinations of inspection grade with a smiley and/or text. According to the results, both Danish and Finnish consumers' food safety perceptions of the same grade were more positive when the report included a smiley, and more negative when the report included a text. Finnish respondents perceived a good food safety inspection grade more positively than Danish respondents but there were no country differences when the grade was poor. In addition, food safety inspection results elicited perceptions that were not related to food safety in both countries. The results suggest that if the grade is poor, the inclusion of text is effective in eliciting perceptions of increased food safety risk. If the grade is good, a standalone smiley may be most effective in eliciting positive perceptions of a high food safety level. Moreover, these results indicate the importance of carefully evaluating how to develop public accessible inspection grades to ensure they are correctly interpreted by consumers in different countries.