The effects of time restricted feeding on age-related changes in the mouse retina.

Dietary modifications such as caloric restriction (CR) and intermittent fasting (IF) have gained popularity due to their proven health benefits in aged populations. In time restricted feeding (TRF), a form of intermittent fasting, the amount of time for food intake is regulated without restricting the caloric intake. TRF is beneficial for the central nervous system to support brain health in the context of aging. Therefore, we here ask whether TRF also exerts beneficial effects in the aged retina. We compared aged mice (24 months) on a TRF paradigm (access to food for six hours per day) for either 6 or 12 months against young control mice (8 months) and aged control mice on an ad libitum diet. We examined changes in the retina at the functional (electroretinography), structural (histology and fluorescein angiograms) and molecular (gene expression) level. TRF treatment showed amelioration of age-related reductions in both scotopic and photopic b-wave amplitudes suggesting benefits for retinal interneuron signaling. TRF did not affect age-related signs of retinal inflammation or microglial activation at either the molecular or histological level. Our data indicate that TRF helps preserve some aspects of retinal function that are decreased with aging, adding to our understanding of the health benefits that altered feeding patterns may confer.

The cellular basis of feeding-dependent body size plasticity in sea anemones.

Many animals share a lifelong capacity to adapt their growth rates and body sizes to changing environmental food supplies. However, the cellular and molecular basis underlying this plasticity remains only poorly understood. We therefore studied how the sea anemones Nematostella vectensis and Aiptasia (Exaiptasia pallida) respond to feeding and starvation. Combining quantifications of body size and cell numbers with mathematical modelling, we observed that growth and shrinkage rates in Nematostella are exponential, stereotypic and accompanied by dramatic changes in cell numbers. Notably, shrinkage rates, but not growth rates, are independent of body size. In the facultatively symbiotic Aiptasia, we show that growth and cell proliferation rates are dependent on the symbiotic state. On a cellular level, we found that >7% of all cells in Nematostella juveniles reversibly shift between S/G2/M and G1/G0 cell cycle phases when fed or starved, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrate that polyp growth and cell proliferation are dependent on TOR signalling during feeding. Altogether, we provide a benchmark and resource for further investigating the nutritional regulation of body plasticity on multiple scales using the genetic toolkit available for Nematostella.

Combinatorial strain improvement and bioprocess development for efficient production of ε-poly-L-lysine in Streptomyces albulus.

ε-Poly-L-lysine (ε-PL) is an amino acid homopolymer with diverse potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. To improve its biomanufacturing efficiency, strain engineering and bioprocess optimization were combined in this study. Firstly, a cocktail strain breeding strategy was employed to generate a ε-PL high-production mutant, Streptomyces albulus GS114, with enhanced L-lysine uptake capability. Subsequently, the L-lysine feeding conditions during fed-batch fermentation were systematically optimized to improve the L-lysine supply, resulting in ε-PL production reaching 73.1 ± 1.4 g/L in 5 L bioreactor. Finally, an engineered strain, S. albulus L2, with enhanced uptake capability and polymerization ability of L-lysine was constructed, achieving ε-PL production of 81.4 ± 5.2 g/L by fed-batch fermentation. This represents the highest reported production of ε-PL to date. This study provided an efficient production strategy for ε-PL and valuable insights into the high-value utilization of L-lysine.

Novel use of a servosphere to study apodous insects: Investigation of blow fly post-feeding larval dispersal.

Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are arguably the most important providers of an estimate of minimum post-mortem interval in forensic investigations. They usually undergo a post-feeding dispersal from the body. While previous studies have looked at dispersal of groups of larvae, recording the dispersal activity of individual larvae has not previously been demonstrated. A servosphere was used here to record the speed, directionality and phototaxis of individual post-feeding larvae of two species of blow fly on a smooth plastic surface over time. The servosphere rotates to compensate for the movement of an insect placed at its apex, thereby enabling its unimpeded locomotion in any direction to be studied and behavioural changes to external stimuli recorded. To our knowledge, the servosphere has not previously been used to study apodous insects. The objective of our study was to compare dispersal behaviour of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy and Protophormia terraenovae (Robineau-Desvoidy), both common primary colonisers of human and animal cadavers, but showing different post-feeding dispersal strategies. Larvae of C. vicina generally disperse from the body while those of P. terraenovae remain on or close to the body. Our aims were to study (1) changes in dispersal speed over a 1-h period; (2) changes in dispersal speed once a day for 4 days, between the end of feeding and onset of pupariation; and (3) response of dispersing larvae to light. We demonstrated that (1) the movement of three C. vicina larvae tracked for 1 continuous hour on 1 day slowed from an average of 3 to <1.7 mms-1; (2) the average speed of 20 larvae of C. vicina (4.08 mms-1) recorded for 5 min once per day over a 4-day period between onset of dispersal and pupariation was significantly greater than that of P. terraenovae (2.36 mms-1; p < 0.0001), but that speed of both species increased slightly over the 4 days; (3) the responses of larvae of C. vicina to changes in light direction from the four cardinal directions of the compass, showed that they exhibited a strong negative phototactic response within 5 s, turning to move at approximately 180° away from the new light position. While conducted to observe larval calliphorid post-feeding behaviour, the results of this proof of concept study show that apodous insects can be studied on a servosphere to produce both qualitative and quantitative data.

Transmission-blocking activities of artesunate, chloroquine, and methylene blue on Plasmodium vivax gametocytes.

Plasmodium vivax is now the main cause of malaria outside Africa. The gametocytocidal effects of antimalarial drugs are important to reduce malaria transmissibility, particularly in low-transmission settings, but they are not well characterized for P. vivax. The transmission-blocking effects of chloroquine, artesunate, and methylene blue on P. vivax gametocytes were assessed. Blood specimens were collected from patients presenting with vivax malaria, incubated with or without the tested drugs, and then fed to mosquitos from a laboratory-adapted colony of Anopheles dirus (a major malaria vector in Southeast Asia). The effects on oocyst and sporozoite development were analyzed under a multi-level Bayesian model accounting for assay variability and the heterogeneity of mosquito Plasmodium infection. Artesunate and methylene blue, but not chloroquine, exhibited potent transmission-blocking effects. Gametocyte exposures to artesunate and methylene blue reduced the mean oocyst count 469-fold (95% CI: 345 to 650) and 1,438-fold (95% CI: 970 to 2,064), respectively. The corresponding estimates for the sporozoite stage were a 148-fold reduction (95% CI: 61 to 470) and a 536-fold reduction (95% CI: 246 to 1,311) in the mean counts, respectively. In contrast, high chloroquine exposures reduced the mean oocyst count only 1.40-fold (95% CI: 1.20 to 1.64) and the mean sporozoite count 1.34-fold (95% CI: 1.12 to 1.66). This suggests that patients with vivax malaria often remain infectious to anopheline mosquitos after treatment with chloroquine. Use of artemisinin combination therapies or immediate initiation of primaquine radical cure should reduce the transmissibility of P. vivax infections.

Green Fluorescent Carbon Dots with Critically Controlled Surface States: Make Silk Shine via Feeding Silkworms.

Feeding silkworms with functional materials as additives to produce naturally modified silk is a facile, diverse, controllable, and environmentally friendly method with a low cost of time and investment. Among various additives, carbon dots (CDs) show unique advantages due to their excellent biocompatibility and fluorescence stability. Here, a new type of green fluorescent carbon dots (G-CDs) is synthesized with a high oil-water partition ratio of 147, a low isoelectric point of 5.16, an absolute quantum yield of 71%, and critically controlled surface states. After feeding with G-CDs, the silkworms weave light yellow cocoons whose green fluorescence is visible to the naked eye under UV light. The luminous silk is sewn onto the cloth to create striking patterns with beautiful fluorescence. Such G-CDs have no adverse effect on the survival rate and the life cycle of silkworms and enable their whole bodies to glow under UV light. Based on the strong fluorescence, chemical stability, and biological safety, G-CDs are found in the digestive tracts, silk glands, feces, cocoons, and even moth bodies. G-CDs accumulate in the posterior silk glands where fibroin protein is secreted, indicating its stronger combination with fibroin than sericin, which meets the requirements for practical applications.

Hippocampal PACAP signaling activation triggers a rapid antidepressant response.

BACKGROUND: The development of ketamine-like rapid antidepressants holds promise for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of depression, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Implicated in depression regulation, the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is investigated here to examine its role in mediating the rapid antidepressant response. METHODS: The onset of antidepressant response was assessed through depression-related behavioral paradigms. The signaling mechanism of PACAP in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) was evaluated by utilizing site-directed gene knockdown, pharmacological interventions, or optogenetic manipulations. Overall, 446 mice were used for behavioral and molecular signaling testing. Mice were divided into control or experimental groups randomly in each experiment, and the experimental manipulations included: chronic paroxetine treatments (4, 9, 14 d) or a single treatment of ketamine; social defeat or lipopolysaccharides-injection induced depression models; different doses of PACAP (0.4, 2, 4 ng/site; microinjected into the hippocampal DG); pharmacological intra-DG interventions (CALM and PACAP6-38); intra-DG viral-mediated PACAP RNAi; and opotogenetics using channelrhodopsins 2 (ChR2) or endoplasmic natronomonas halorhodopsine 3.0 (eNpHR3.0). Behavioral paradigms included novelty suppressed feeding test, tail suspension test, forced swimming test, and sucrose preference test. Western blotting, ELISA, or quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis were used to detect the expressions of proteins/peptides or genes in the hippocampus. RESULTS: Chronic administration of the slow-onset antidepressant paroxetine resulted in an increase in hippocampal PACAP expression, and intra-DG blockade of PACAP attenuated the onset of the antidepressant response. The levels of hippocampal PACAP expression were reduced in both two distinct depression animal models and intra-DG knockdown of PACAP induced depression-like behaviors. Conversely, a single infusion of PACAP into the DG region produced a rapid and sustained antidepressant response in both normal and chronically stressed mice. Optogenetic intra-DG excitation of PACAP-expressing neurons instantly elicited antidepressant responses, while optogenetic inhibition induced depression-like behaviors. The longer optogenetic excitation/inhibition elicited the more sustained antidepressant/depression-like responses. Intra-DG PACAP infusion immediately facilitated the signaling for rapid antidepressant response by inhibiting calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Pre-activation of CaMKII signaling within the DG blunted PACAP-induced rapid antidepressant response as well as eEF2-mTOR-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling. Finally, acute ketamine treatment upregulated hippocampal PACAP expression, whereas intra-DG blockade of PACAP signaling attenuated ketamine's rapid antidepressant response. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of hippocampal PACAP signaling induces a rapid antidepressant response through the regulation of CaMKII inhibition-governed eEF2-mTOR-BDNF signaling.

Factors Associated with Differences in Physicians' Attitudes toward Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Feeding in Older Adults Receiving End-of-Life Care in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Although percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement is still widely practiced in Japan, studies from Western countries report that it is less beneficial for patients in end-of-life care with cognitive decline. Decisions regarding PEG placement are largely influenced by physician judgment. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the background and perceptions of Japanese physicians regarding PEG for older adults in end-of-life care and to identify the factors associated with differences in physician judgment regarding PEG. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional design. Setting/Subjects: A questionnaire on PEG for older adults in end-of-life care was sent to Japanese physicians. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of the association between PEG recommendations and each factor. Results: PEG placement was advised for bedridden patients and older adults with cognitive decline by 26% of the physicians who responded to the survey. Differences in physician perceptions of PEG feeding were associated with the recommendation for PEG, benefits of preventing aspiration pneumonia (OR: 4.9; 95% CI: 3.1-8.2), impact on post-discharge accommodation decisions (OR: 6.1; 95% CI: 1.9-30.9), and hesitancy to recommend a PEG placement (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.3-4.5). Working in a facility with PEG placement (OR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.5) was an associated background factor. Conclusions: Differences in Japanese physicians' attitudes toward using PEG feeding for older adults in end-of-life care were significantly associated with differences in their perceptions of the impact of PEG feeding and working in a facility with PEG placement.

The clinical characteristics of autistic women with restrictive eating disorders.

BACKGROUND: Autistic women are at high risk of developing restrictive eating disorders (REDs), such as anorexia nervosa. AIMS: This study provides an overview of the clinical characteristics of autistic women with REDs to (i) enhance understanding of increased risk, and (ii) support the identification of autistic women in eating disorder services. METHOD: We compared self-reported autistic and disordered eating characteristics of: autistic participants with REDs (Autism + REDs; n = 57); autistic participants without REDs (Autism; n = 69); and women with REDs who are not autistic (REDs; n = 80). We also included a group of women with high autistic traits (HATs) and REDs, but no formal autism diagnosis (HATs + REDs; n = 38). RESULTS: Autism + REDs participants scored similarly to Autism participants in terms of autistic characteristics and to REDs participants in terms of experiencing traditional disordered eating symptoms. Autism + REDs participants were distinguished from both groups by having more restricted and repetitive behaviours and autism-specific eating behaviours related to sensory processing, flexibility and social differences. HATs + REDs participants showed a similar pattern of scores to Autism + REDs participants, and both also presented with high levels of co-occurring mental health difficulties, particularly social anxiety. CONCLUSION: The presentation of autistic women with REDs is complex, including both traditional disordered eating symptoms and autism-related needs, as well as high levels of co-occurring mental health difficulties. In eating disorder services, the REDs presentation of autistic women and those with HATs should be formulated with reference to autism-specific eating behaviours and co-occurring difficulties. Treatment adaptations should be offered to accommodate autistic characteristics and related needs.

CELEBRATE Feeding: A Responsive Approach to Food and Feeding in Early Learning Settings.

Early learning and child care (ELCC) settings in Canada follow nutrition standards that outline food provisions, with many also encouraging responsive feeding practices that help to create a supportive environment for children. Caregivers who lack confidence in children's ability to regulate their own intake, or those who feel stressed about mealtime, may unknowingly engage in less responsive feeding practices. The CELEBRATE Feeding Approach is a flexible framework, driven by behaviour change theory, that builds on previous definitions and concepts of responsive feeding in ELCC environments. Through this approach, there is an intentional focus on supporting early childhood educators to implement feeding practices that are more responsive. The approach incorporates 13 target educator behaviours related to the three overlapping categories of CELEBRATE language, CELEBRATE Mealtime, and CELEBRATE Play. These practices recognize and support the development of a child's sense of autonomy, confidence, and self-regulation not only at mealtimes but also through play-based exploration and language that is used throughout the day around food and feeding. The goal is that children will be open to a wide variety of food, develop their self-regulation skills, and build the foundation for a positive relationship with food throughout their lifetime.

A Novel Method for the Assessment of Feeding Rate as a Phenotypic Endpoint for the Impact of Pollutants in Daphnids.

Traditional approaches for monitoring aquatic pollution primarily rely on chemical analysis and the detection of pollutants in the aqueous environments. However, these methods lack realism and mechanistic insight and, thus, are increasingly supported by effect-based methods, which offer sensitive endpoints. In this context, daphnids, a freshwater species used extensively in molecular ecotoxicology, offer fast and noninvasive approaches to assess the impact of pollutants. Among the phenotypic endpoints used, feeding rate is a highly sensitive approach because it provides evidence of physiological alterations even in sublethal concentrations. However, there has been no standardized method for measuring feeding rate in daphnids, and several approaches follow different protocols. There is a diversity among tests employing large volumes, extensive incubation times, and high animal densities, which in turn utilize measurements of algae via fluorescence, radiolabeling, or counting ingested cells. These tests are challenging and laborious and sometimes require cumbersome instrumentation. In the present study, we optimized the conditions of a miniaturized fast, sensitive, and high-throughput assay to assess the feeding rate based on the ingestion of fluorescent microparticles. The protocol was optimized in neonates in relation to the concentration of microplastic and the number of animals to increase reproducibility. Daphnids, following exposures to nonlethal concentrations, were incubated with microplastics; and, as filter feeders, they ingest microparticles. The new approach revealed differences in the physiology of daphnids in concentrations below the toxicity limits for a range of pollutants of different modes of action, thus proving feeding to be a more sensitive and noninvasive endpoint in pollution assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-11. © 2024 The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Overlapping Central Clock Network Circuitry Regulates Circadian Feeding and Activity Rhythms in Drosophila.

The circadian system coordinates multiple behavioral outputs to ensure proper temporal organization. Timing information underlying circadian regulation of behavior depends on a molecular circadian clock that operates within clock neurons in the brain. In Drosophila and other organisms, clock neurons can be divided into several molecularly and functionally discrete subpopulations that form an interconnected central clock network. It is unknown how circadian signals are coherently generated by the clock network and transmitted across output circuits that connect clock cells to downstream neurons that regulate behavior. Here, we have exhaustively investigated the contribution of clock neuron subsets to the control of two prominent behavioral outputs in Drosophila: locomotor activity and feeding. We have used cell-specific manipulations to eliminate molecular clock function or induce electrical silencing either broadly throughout the clock network or in specific subpopulations. We find that clock cell manipulations produce similar changes in locomotor activity and feeding, suggesting that overlapping central clock circuitry regulates these distinct behavioral outputs. Interestingly, the magnitude and nature of the effects depend on the clock subset targeted. Lateral clock neuron manipulations profoundly degrade the rhythmicity of feeding and activity. In contrast, dorsal clock neuron manipulations only subtly affect rhythmicity but produce pronounced changes in the distribution of activity and feeding across the day. These experiments expand our knowledge of clock regulation of activity rhythms and offer the first extensive characterization of central clock control of feeding rhythms. Despite similar effects of central clock cell disruptions on activity and feeding, we find that manipulations that prevent functional signaling in an identified output circuit preferentially degrade locomotor activity rhythms, leaving feeding rhythms relatively intact. This demonstrates that activity and feeding are indeed dissociable behaviors, and furthermore suggests that differential circadian control of these behaviors diverges in output circuits downstream of the clock network.

Lack of Immediate Diagnosis and Appropriate Intervention Leads to Malnutrition in an Infant With Cleft Palate.

This case report describes a full-term infant with a cleft palate who experienced malnutrition because of the delayed introduction of a cleft-adapted bottle and identifies potential areas for improvement in clinical practice. The infant's weight for age z-score at birth was 0.05 and dropped to -1.45 by 2 months of age, indicating mild malnutrition. The infant established care with a cleft team and a cleft-adapted bottle was recommended as the primary feeding method. Feeding time subsequently decreased from 60 minutes per feeding to 20 minutes. The infant presented for palate repair at 9 months of age, and his z-score was -0.01, indicating he was no longer malnourished. Cleft-adapted bottles aid in feeding efficiency in infants with cleft palate, which may subsequently impact weight gain. Appropriate weight gain is essential to receive timely cleft palate repair and support healing.

Increased intake of tree forage by moose is associated with intake of crops rich in nonstructural carbohydrates.

Animals representing a wide range of taxonomic groups are known to select specific food combinations to achieve a nutritionally balanced diet. The nutrient balancing hypothesis suggests that, when given the opportunity, animals select foods to achieve a particular target nutrient balance, and that balancing occurs between meals and between days. For wild ruminants who inhabit landscapes dominated by human land use, nutritionally imbalanced diets can result from ingesting agricultural crops rich in starch and sugar (nonstructural carbohydrates [NCs]), which can be provided to them by people as supplementary feeds. Here, we test the nutrient balancing hypothesis by assessing potential effects that the ingestion of such crops by Alces alces (moose) may have on forage intake. We predicted that moose compensate for an imbalanced intake of excess NC by selecting tree forage with macro-nutritional content better suited for their rumen microbiome during wintertime. We applied DNA metabarcoding to identify plants in fecal and rumen content from the same moose during winter in Sweden. We found that the concentration of NC-rich crops in feces predicted the presence of Picea abies (Norway spruce) in rumen samples. The finding is consistent with the prediction that moose use tree forage as a nutritionally complementary resource to balance their intake of NC-rich foods, and that they ingested P. abies in particular (normally a forage rarely eaten by moose) because it was the most readily available tree. Our finding sheds new light on the foraging behavior of a model species in herbivore ecology, and on how habitat alterations by humans may change the behavior of wildlife.

On farm precision feeding of gestating sows based on energy and amino acids on farrowing performances and feeding behavior over three consecutive gestations.

Gestating sows are often fed a single diet throughout their gestation cycle, leading to situations of nutrients deficiency or excess at the individual level. The purpose of this study was to characterize, over 3 consecutive cycles, the impact of a precision feeding (PF), i.e. dietary supplies adjusted at individual level in terms of quantity (energy intake) and quality (standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine (Lys) intake), on gestating sows' productive performance, feeding behavior, environmental outputs and health status compared with sows fed a conventional feeding (CF, i.e. fixed SID Lys intake). At the start of the trial, 2 batches of 20 Landrace × Large White gestating sows were allocated to one of the 2 feeding strategies (PF vs. CF), based on their parity (1, 2 or 3 and more), body weight (BW), and backfat thickness (BT) 3 days after insemination. The PF strategy consisted in mixing with automatic feeders 2 iso-energetic diets (9.8 MJ/kg of net energy with 3.3 and 8.5 g SID Lys / kg, respectively) in variable proportions at individual and daily levels, whereas for the CF strategy these proportions remained constant throughout gestation (73% and 27%, respectively, resulting in a SID Lys concentration of 4.7 g/kg). Sows were followed over 3 consecutive gestations and the sows remained allocated to the same strategy throughout the study. Some sows were culled before the end of the study and were replaced by other sows who therefore performed only 1 or 2 gestations during the study. Thus, 106 gestations and lactations from 51 sows were fully studied and their data analyzed. The PF strategy allowed the sows to reach more closely the expected BT values at farrowing across cycles than the CF strategy (P < 0.001). The PF sows consumed 16% less SID Lys per gestation than the CF sows (P < 0.001), resulting in a 4% improvement in N efficiency (P < 0.001), with no impact on performance at farrowing (P > 0.10). The sows consumed their daily ration in a single visit whatever the feeding strategy (P = 0.41), but CF sows spent more time in the feeder in cycle 2 and 3 (P < 0.001). Thus, compared to the CF strategy implemented by farmers, the individual and daily nutritional supplies implemented with the PF strategy were more efficient in enabling sows to achieve body condition objectives at farrowing over the long-term, also with a reduced SID Lys intake and an improved N efficiency without negative impact on farrowing performances.

Energetic demands regulate sleep-wake rhythm circuit development.

Sleep and feeding patterns lack strong daily rhythms during early life. As diurnal animals mature, feeding is consolidated to the day and sleep to the night. In Drosophila, circadian sleep patterns are initiated with formation of a circuit connecting the central clock to arousal output neurons; emergence of circadian sleep also enables long-term memory (LTM). However, the cues that trigger the development of this clock-arousal circuit are unknown. Here, we identify a role for nutritional status in driving sleep-wake rhythm development in Drosophila larvae. We find that in the 2nd instar larval period (L2), sleep and feeding are spread across the day; these behaviors become organized into daily patterns by the 3rd instar larval stage (L3). Forcing mature (L3) animals to adopt immature (L2) feeding strategies disrupts sleep-wake rhythms and the ability to exhibit LTM. In addition, the development of the clock (DN1a)-arousal (Dh44) circuit itself is influenced by the larval nutritional environment. Finally, we demonstrate that larval arousal Dh44 neurons act through glucose metabolic genes to drive onset of daily sleep-wake rhythms. Together, our data suggest that changes to energetic demands in developing organisms trigger the formation of sleep-circadian circuits and behaviors.

Like most young animals, babies must obtain enough nutrients and energy to grow, yet they also need to rest for their brains to mature properly. As many exhausted new parents know first-hand, balancing these conflicting needs results in frequent, rapid switches between eating and sleeping. Eventually, new-borns' internal biological clock system, which is aligned with the 24-hour light cycle, becomes fully operational. Exactly how this then translates into allowing them to stay alert during the day and be sleepy at night is still unclear. Like humans, the larvae of fruit flies first sleep haphazardly before developing a circadian pattern whereby they sleep at night and eat during the day. This shift occurs when a group of nerve cells called DN1a, whose job is to 'keep time', connects with Dh44, a subset of neurons which, when active, promote wakefulness. The trigger for these changes, however, has remained elusive. In response, Poe et al. hypothesized that feeding behaviour and nutrient availability coordinated the emergence of sleep rhythms in fruit flies. Forcing fruit fly larvae to keep feeding in an 'immature' pattern ­ by either genetic manipulations or reducing the sugar content of their food ­ not only prevented them from developing 'mature' sleeping rhythms but also resulted in memory problems. These experiments also showed that the DN1a-Dh44 connection depends on nutrient availability, as it did not form in larvae raised on the low-sugar food. Further genetic experiments showed that the Dh44 cells themselves act like nutrient sensors during the emergence of sleeping patterns. These results shed new light on the factors triggering sleep rhythm development. Poe et al. hope that the understanding gained can be extended to humans and eventually help manage nervous system disorders and health problems associated with disrupted sleep during early life.

Psychopathological and Organic Features of Atypical Anorexia Nervosa in Developmental Age: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to comprehensively report the epidemiological and clinical features of atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) in children and adolescents. METHODS: In May 2024, a systematic review was performed using Medline, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and relevant websites. Following PRISMA guidelines, 234 articles were screened for studies on DSM-5-defined AAN. A standardized checklist-the JBI critical appraisal tool-was adopted in assessing methodology, and 13 retained studies passed the screening and critical appraisal process for the final review. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was utilized to assess the risk of bias in cohort and case-control studies, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of methodological quality. RESULTS: AAN prevalence in young age groups is 2.8%, with a cumulative 2.8% incidence over 8 years. Incidence is 366 per 100,000 person-years, and the average episode duration is 11.6 months, with a 71% remission rate. Diagnostic persistence for AAN is less stable than other restrictive feeding and eating disorders (FEDs). AAN individuals exhibit higher EDE-Q scores, more severe distress, and distinct BMI differences compared to those with anorexia nervosa and controls. The diagnostic transition from the DSM-IV to the DSM-5 shows that AAN patients are predominantly female, slightly older, and with higher weight. CONCLUSIONS: This study yields concrete insights into the features of AAN in the developmental age, highlighting demographic variations, clinical presentations, and treatment outcomes. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by AAN individuals is vital for tailoring effective interventions and improving overall care within the FED spectrum.

Parent's use of Coercive Control Practices with Food is associated with Poorer Emotion Regulation and Increased Emotional Overeating in Preschoolers.

Emotional overeating is defined as eating in response to emotions. Around the preschool years, there is a shift from emotional undereating to overeating, which suggests environmental influences in the development of overeating. The use of food by parents to control their child's emotions, rather than to teach them appropriate emotion regulation strategies, may impact the child's ability to regulate their own emotions, resulting in emotional overeating. We hypothesized that such coercive control practices with food by parents would be associated with poorer ability of the child to regulate their own emotions, which in turn would lead to increased emotional overeating, but not emotional undereating. Mothers of four- and five-year-olds (N=221) were recruited through MTurk and Prolific to complete online questionnaires measuring food parenting practices (Comprehensive Feeding Style Questionnaire and Parent Feeding Style Questionnaire), child emotion regulation (Emotion Regulation Checklist), and child emotional eating (Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire). Several mediation models were tested. Parent's use of food to control emotions and behavior was associated with higher levels of emotional overeating, which was mediated by poorer child emotion regulation. However, child emotion regulation did not mediate the association between parent's use of food to control emotions and behavior and the child's emotional undereating. Taken together, these models suggest that parent's use of coercive control with food may lead to child emotional overeating, but not emotional undereating, by teaching children to regulate their emotions through eating rather than more adaptive regulation strategies. Future experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to directly test the nature and direction of these associations and whether coercive control with food teaches children to overeat in response to their emotions in lieu of using appropriate emotion regulation strategies.

Validation of Gene Expression Patterns for Oral Feeding Readiness: Transcriptional Analysis of Set of Genes in Neonatal Salivary Samples.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal health assessment is crucial for detecting and intervening in various disorders. Traditional gene expression analysis methods often require invasive procedures during sample collection, which may not be feasible or ideal for preterm infants. In recent years, saliva has emerged as a promising noninvasive biofluid for assessing gene expression. Another trend that has been growing is the use of "omics" technologies such as transcriptomics in the analysis of gene expression. The costs for carrying out these analyses and the difficulty of analysis make the detection of candidate genes necessary. These genes act as biomarkers for the maturation stages of the oral feeding issue. METHODOLOGY: Salivary samples (n = 225) were prospectively collected from 45 preterm (<34 gestational age) infants from five predefined feeding stages and submitted to RT-qPCR. A better description of the targeted genes and results from RT-qPCR analyses were included. The six genes previously identified as predictive of feeding success were tested. The genes are AMPK, FOXP2, WNT3, NPHP4, NPY2R, and PLXNA1, along with two reference genes: GAPDH and 18S. RT-qPCR amplification enabled the analysis of the gene expression of AMPK, FOXP2, WNT3, NPHP4, NPY2R, and PLXNA1 in neonatal saliva. Expression results were correlated with the feeding status during sample collection. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the genes AMPK, FOXP2, WNT3, NPHP4, NPY2R, and PLXNA1 play critical roles in regulating oral feeding and the development of premature infants. Understanding the influence of these genes can provide valuable insights for improving nutritional care and support the development of these vulnerable babies. Evidence suggests that saliva-based gene expression analysis in newborns holds great promise for early detection and monitoring of disease and understanding developmental processes. More research and standardization of protocols are needed to fully explore the potential of saliva as a noninvasive biomarker in neonatal care.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Organic Silicon on the Growth Performance, Blood Biochemistry, Digestive Enzymes, Morphohistology, Intestinal Microbiota and Stress Resistance in Juvenile Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × Oreochromis niloticus).

In recent decades, interest has been aroused worldwide in the use of silicon in nutrition; however, information on its effect on nutrition and metabolism of fish is limited. The objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with organic silicon on the growth performance, blood biochemistry, digestive enzymes, morphohistology and intestinal microbiota and stress resistance in hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × Oreochromis niloticus). Methodologically, six levels of organic silicon (DOS) [control (0), 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg·kg-1] were used to feed juvenile fish (initial weight 7.51 ± 0.25 g) grown for eight weeks in 18 aquariums (15 fish/aquarium). The results indicated that growth performance showed differences (p < 0.05) for specific growth rate, feed conversion and survival. Triglycerides, cholesterol and glucose, transaminases and digestive enzymes were significantly influenced by DOS levels. The histological study confirmed that the administered diets did not cause damage and induced significant morphological changes in the proximal intestine. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of the gut microbiota showed a high diversity and richness of OTU/Chao-1, with Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Acidobacteria predominating in the DOS treatments compared to the control (p < 0.05). Induction of hypoxia stress after the feeding period showed a significant relative survival rate of 83.33% in fish fed 50 mg·kg-1. It is concluded that the DOS treatments performed better than the control treatment in most of the variables analysed. DOS had no negative effects on the fish. The results showed that up to 50 mg·kg-1 DOS improved digestive, metabolic and growth performance in hybrid Tilapia.