Should weight loss and maintenance programmes be designed differently for men? : A systematic review of long-term randomised controlled trials presenting data for men and women: The ROMEO project

Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Acknowledgements This review is one of a series of systematic reviews for the ROMEO project (Review Of MEn and Obesity), funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme (NIHR HTA Project 09/127/01; Systematic reviews and integrated report on the quantitative and qualitative evidence base for the management of obesity in men http://www.hta.ac.uk/2545). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Health. HERU, HSRU and NMAHP are funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The authors accept full responsibility for this publication. We would also like to thank the Men's Health Forums of Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales: Tim Street, Paula Carroll, Colin Fowler and David Wilkins. We also thank Kate Jolly for further information about the Lighten Up trial.

Variations in hip shape are associated with radiographic knee osteoarthritis : cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project

Funding was provided in part by the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) K23 AR061406 (Nelson); US National Institutes of Health (NIH)/NIAMS P60AR30701 (Jordan/Renner/Schwartz); US Centers for Disease Control/Association of Schools of Public Health S043 and S3486 (Jordan/Renner); K24-AR04884, P50-AR063043, and P50-AR060752 (Lane); and NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences KL2TR001109 (Golightly).

Should weight loss and maintenance programmes be designed differently for men? : A systematic review of long-term randomised controlled trials presenting data for men and women: The ROMEO project

Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Acknowledgements This review is one of a series of systematic reviews for the ROMEO project (Review Of MEn and Obesity), funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme (NIHR HTA Project 09/127/01; Systematic reviews and integrated report on the quantitative and qualitative evidence base for the management of obesity in men http://www.hta.ac.uk/2545). The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Health. HERU, HSRU and NMAHP are funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The authors accept full responsibility for this publication. We would also like to thank the Men's Health Forums of Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales: Tim Street, Paula Carroll, Colin Fowler and David Wilkins. We also thank Kate Jolly for further information about the Lighten Up trial.

Variations in hip shape are associated with radiographic knee osteoarthritis : cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project

Funding was provided in part by the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) K23 AR061406 (Nelson); US National Institutes of Health (NIH)/NIAMS P60AR30701 (Jordan/Renner/Schwartz); US Centers for Disease Control/Association of Schools of Public Health S043 and S3486 (Jordan/Renner); K24-AR04884, P50-AR063043, and P50-AR060752 (Lane); and NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences KL2TR001109 (Golightly).

Infant nutrition and the gut microbiota

Establishment of the intestinal microbiota commences at birth and this colonisation is influenced by a number of factors including mode of delivery, gestational age, mode of feeding, environmental factors and host genetics. As this initial establishment may well influence the health of an individual later in life, it is imperative to understand this process. Therefore, this thesis set out to investigate how early infant nutrition influences the development of a healthy gut microbiota. As part of the INFANTMET project, the intestinal microbiota of 199 breastfed infants was investigated using both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. This study revealed that delivery mode and gestational age had a significant impact on early microbial communities. In order to understand host genotype-microbiota interactions, the gut microbiota composition of dichorionic triplets was also investigated. The results suggested that initially host genetics play a significant role in the composition of an individual’s gut microbiota, but by month 12 environmental factors are the major determinant. To investigate the origin of hydrogen sulphide in a case of nondrug- induced sulfhemoglobinemia in a preterm infant, the gut microbiota composition was determined. This analysis revealed the presence of Morganella morganii, a producer of hydrogen sulphide and hemolysins, at a relative abundance 38%, which was not detected in control infants. Following on from this, the negative and short term consequences of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis exposure on the early infant intestinal microbiota composition were demonstrated, particularly in breast-fed infants, which are recovered by day 30. Finally, the composition of the breast milk microbiota over the first three months of life was characterised. A core of 12 genera were identified amongst women and the remainder comprised some 195 genera which were individual specific and subject to variations over time. The results presented in this thesis have demonstrated that the development of the infant gut microbiota is complex and highly individual. Clear alterations in the intestinal microbiota establishment process in C-section delivered, preterm and antibiotic exposed infants were shown. Taken together, long-term health benefits for infants, particularly those vulnerable groups, may be conferred through the design of probiotic and prebiotic food ingredients and supplements.

Effects of hypercapnia on aspects of feeding, nutrition, and growth in the edible sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus held in culture

Land-based aquaculture facilities experience occasional hypercapnic conditions due to the accumulation of the metabolic waste product carbon dioxide. Pre-gonadal Lytechinus variegatus (horizontal diameter=20 mm) were exposed to control (608 µatm pCO2, pH 8.1) or hypercapnic conditions (1738 µatm pCO2, pH 7.7) in synthetic seawater for 14 weeks. Sea urchins exposed to hypercapnic conditions exhibited significantly slower growth (reduced dry matter production), primarily due to reduced test production. Higher fecal production rates and lower ash absorption efficiency (%) in individuals exposed to hypercapnic conditions suggest the ability to process or retain dietary carbonates may have been affected. Significant increases in neutral lipid storage in the gut and increased soluble protein storage in the gonads of individuals exposed to hypercapnic conditions suggest alterations in nutrient metabolism and storage. Furthermore, organic production and energy allocation increased in the lantern of those individuals exposed to hypercapnic conditions. These results suggest chronic exposure to hypercapnic conditions alters nutrient allocation to organ systems and functions, leading to changes in somatic and reproductive production.

Swimming training repercussion on metabolic and structural bone development: benefits of the incorporation of whole body vibration or pilometric training; the RENACIMIENTO project

Introduction: Enviromental factors such as exercise participation and nutrition have often been linked to bone improvements. However, not all sports have the same effects, being non-osteogenic sports such as swimming defined as negative or neutral sports to practice regarding bone mass by some authors, similarly exercise-diet interaction in especific groups is still not clear. Objective: To present the methodology of the RENACIMENTO project that aims to evaluate body composition and more specifically bone mass by several techniques in adolescent swimmers and to observe the effects and perdurability of whole body vibration (WBV) and jumping intervention (JIN) on body composition and fitness on this population and explore posible diet interactions. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: 78 swimmers (12-17 y) and 26 sex- and age-matched controls will participate in this study. Dual energy X-ray, peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography, Quantitative Ultrasound, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and anthropometry measurements will be performed in order to evaluate body composition. Physical activity, nutrition, pubertal development and socio-economical status may act as confounders of body composition and therefore will also be registered. Several fitness factors regarding strength, endurance, performance and others will also be registered to evaluate differences with controls and act as confounders. A 7-month WBV therapy will be performed by 26 swimmers consisting of a training of 15 minutes 3 times per week. An 8 month JIM will also be performed by 26 swimmers 3 times per week. The remaining 26 swimmers will continue their normal swimming training. Four evaluations will be performed, the first one in order to describe differences between swimmers and controls. The second one to describe the effects of the interventions and the third and fourth evaluations to describe the perdurability of the effects of the WBV and JIN. Conclusion: The RENACIMIENTO project will allow to answer several questions regarding body composition, fitness, bone mass and interaction with diet of adolescent swimmers, describe swimming as a positive, negative or neutral sport to practice regarding these parameters and elucidate the effects and perdurability of WBV and JIM on body composition.

An evaluation of carbon offset supplementation options for beef production systems on coastal speargrass in central Queensland, Australia

In 2014, the Australian Government implemented the Emissions Reduction Fund to offer incentives for businesses to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by following approved methods. Beef cattle businesses in northern Australia can participate by applying the 'reducing GHG emissions by feeding nitrates to beef cattle' methodology and the 'beef cattle herd management' methods. The nitrate (NO3) method requires that each baseline area must demonstrate a history of urea use. Projects earn Australian carbon credit units (ACCU) for reducing enteric methane emissions by substituting NO3 for urea at the same amount of fed nitrogen. NO3 must be fed in the form of a lick block because most operations do not have labour or equipment to manage daily supplementation. NO3 concentrations, after a 2-week adaptation period, must not exceed 50 g NO3/adult animal equivalent per day or 7 g NO3/kg dry matter intake per day to reduce the risk of NO3 toxicity. There is also a 'beef cattle herd management' method, approved in 2015, that covers activities that improve the herd emission intensity (emissions per unit of product sold) through change in the diet or management. The present study was conducted to compare the required ACCU or supplement prices for a 2% return on capital when feeding a low or high supplement concentration to breeding stock of either (1) urea, (2) three different forms of NO3 or (3) cottonseed meal (CSM), at N concentrations equivalent to 25 or 50 g urea/animal equivalent, to fasten steer entry to a feedlot (backgrounding), in a typical breeder herd on the coastal speargrass land types in central Queensland. Monte Carlo simulations were run using the software @risk, with probability functions used for (1) urea, NO3 and CSM prices, (2) GHG mitigation, (3) livestock prices and (4) carbon price. Increasing the weight of steers at a set turnoff month by feeding CSM was found to be the most cost-effective option, with or without including the offset income. The required ACCU prices for a 2% return on capital were an order of magnitude higher than were indicative carbon prices in 2015 for the three forms of NO3. The likely costs of participating in ERF projects would reduce the return on capital for all mitigation options. © CSIRO 2016.

The tolerance of steers (Bos taurus) to sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana) in a feedlot during the cooler months in sub-tropical Queensland

Two experiments tested the tolerance of steers (Bos taurus) to sorghum ergot (Claviceps africana) during cooler months in south-east Queensland. Sorghum grain containing 2.8% ergot and 28 mg/kg ergot alkaloids (84% dihydroergosine, 10% dihydroelymoclavine, 6% festuclavine) was incorporated into feedlot rations. In a previous study in summer–autumn, ergot (1.1–4.4 mg alkaloids/kg ration) severely reduced performance in steers when the temperature–humidity index (THI; dry bulb temperature °C + 0.36 dew-point temperature °C + 41.2) was ~70, whereas a THI of ~79 was tolerated by steers fed ergot-free rations. Experiment 1 was conducted in winter–spring, with rations containing 0, 2.8, 5.6, 8.2 or 11.2 mg ergot alkaloids/kg ration. All ergot inclusions depressed feed intake (14% average reduction) and growth rate (34% average reduction), even when the weekly average daily THI was less than 65. Rectal temperatures were occasionally elevated in ergot-fed steers (P < 0.05), primarily when the THI exceeded ~65. All ergot inclusions depressed plasma prolactin concentrations in steers. Experiment 2 was predominantly carried out in winter, with weekly average daily THI <65 throughout the experiment. Rations containing 0, 0.28, 0.55 or 1.1 mg ergot alkaloids/kg were fed for 4 weeks but produced no significant effect on feed intakes and growth rates of steers. Alkaloid concentrations were then changed to 0, 2.1, 4.3 and 1.1 mg/kg, respectively. Subsequently, feed intakes declined by 17.5% (P < 0.05), and growth rates by 28% (P > 0.05) in the group receiving 4.3 mg/kg alkaloid, compared with Controls. Plasma prolactin concentrations were depressed, relative to the Controls, by dietary alkaloid inclusion greater than 1.1 mg/kg, with alkaloid intake of 4.3 mg/kg causing the greatest reduction (P < 0.05). Cattle performance in these studies shows steers can tolerate up to ~2 mg ergot alkaloid/kg (0.2% ergot) in feedlot rations under low THI conditions (< ~60–65), but previous findings indicate a much lower threshold will apply at higher THI (>65).