The link between obesity and the gut microbiota and immune system in early-life.

In early-life, the gut microbiota is highly modifiable, being modulated by external factors such as maternal microbiota, mode of delivery, and feeding strategies. The composition of the child's gut microbiota will deeply impact the development and maturation of its immune system, with consequences for future health. As one of the main sources of microorganisms to the child, the mother represents a crucial factor in the establishment of early-life microbiota, impacting the infant's wellbeing. Recent studies have proposed that dysbiotic maternal gut microbiota could be transmitted to the offspring, influencing the development of its immunity, and leading to the development of diseases such as obesity. This paper aims to review recent findings in gut microbiota and immune system interaction in early-life, highlighting the benefits of a balanced gut microbiota in the regulation of the immune system.

Chronological age range estimation of cervical vertebral maturation using Baccetti method: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The timing of growth is a key factor for correct orthodontic treatment planning. Cervical vertebrae maturation (CVM) is no exception, although the reported chronological ages vary in the literature. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to estimate the average chronological age for each Baccetti's CVM staging. SEARCH METHODS: Search on MEDLINE-PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) was conducted until July 2021. The review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. SELECTION CRITERIA: Observational or interventional studies reporting chronological age classified through Baccetti's CVM method were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Methodological quality was assessed, and pooled estimates were carried out through random-effects meta-analysis of single means. The impact of sex and continent were also investigated through subgroup analyses. RESULTS: Forty-one studies were included (9867 participants, 4151 men, and 5716 women). The average chronological age was 9.7 years old (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.4 to 10.1) in CS1, 10.8 years old (95% CI: 10.5 to 11.1) in CS2, 12.0 years old (95% CI: 11.7 to 12.2) in CS3, 13.4 years old (95% CI: 13.2 to 13.6) in CS4, 14.7 years old (95% CI: 14.4 to 15.1) in CS5, and 15.8 years old (95% CI: 15.3 to 16.3) in CS6. A significant difference was found between the sexes in all CVM stages. We also found significant differences across continents. CONCLUSIONS: For each CVM staging a chronological age range was successfully estimated. Girls presented an earlier skeletal maturation compared to boys. The skeletal maturation differs also according to continents, except for CMV stage 1, pointing to the need for personalized ranges according to each region. REGISTRATION: Registration number: PROSPERO: CRD42021225422.

Ultrastructural analysis of spores from diverse Bacillales species isolated from Brazilian soil.

Many species in the order Bacillales form a specialized cell type called a spore that is resistant to a range of environmental stresses. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals that the spore is comprised of a series of concentric shells, surrounding an interior compartment harbouring the spore DNA. The outermost of these shells varies considerably in morphology among species, likely reflecting adaptations to the highly diverse niches in which spores are found. To better characterize the variation in spore ultrastructure among diverse species, we used TEM to analyse spores from a collection of 23 aerobic spore-forming bacteria from the Solo do Distrito Federal (SDF strains), spanning the genera Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, Paenibacillus and Brevibacillus, isolated from soil from central Brazil. We found that the structures of these spores varied widely, as expected. Interestingly, even though these isolates are novel strains of each species, they were structurally very similar to the known examples of each species in the literature. Because in most cases, the species we analysed are poorly characterized, our data provide important evidence regarding which structural features are likely to be constant within a taxon and which are likely to vary.