Biomarkers Of Health Research Articles

Role of the gut microbiota in aging and maintenance of active longevity. Part 1

The role of intestinal microbiota in aging and maintaining active longevity is considered. The first part of the article describes the characteristics of a healthy microbiome, its changes during aging, and the composition of the intestinal microbiome of centenarians. The importance of high microbiome biodiversity in maintaining active longevity is emphasized. The role of intestinal permeability and new biomakers that assess its condition (including zonulin) in maintaining health and in the development of intestinal dysbiosis is revealed. Separate groups of microorganisms that are associated with longevity have been identified (such as Verrucomicrobia, which includes Akkermansia), and the important role of the Bacteroidetes – Firmicutes ratio has been noted. The influence of age-associated changes in the microbiome on health, the connection between changes in the microbiome and physical activity, the possibility of using microbiome analysis to predict biological age, and the correlation of microbiome composition with biomarkers of health and disease are discussed.

Predicting brain age using partition modeling strategy and atlas-based attentional enhancement in the Chinese population.

As a biomarker of human brain health during development, brain age is estimated based on subtle differences in brain structure from those under typical developmental. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a routine diagnostic method in neuroimaging. Brain age prediction based on MRI has been widely studied. However, few studies based on Chinese population have been reported. This study aimed to construct a brain age predictive model for the Chinese population across its lifespan. We developed a partition prediction method based on transfer learning and atlas attention enhancement. The participants were separated into four age groups, and a deep learning model was trained for each group to identify the brain regions most critical for brain age prediction. The Atlas attention-enhancement method was also used to help the models focus only on critical brain regions. The proposed method was validated using 354 participants from domestic datasets. For prediction performance in the testing sets, the mean absolute error was 2.218 ± 1.801years, and the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.969, exceeding previous results for wide-range brain age prediction. In conclusion, the proposed method could provide brain age estimation to assist in assessing the status of brain health.

Microbial functional pathways based on metatranscriptomic profiling enable effective saliva-based health assessments for precision wellness

It is increasingly recognized that an important step towards improving overall health is to accurately measure biomarkers of health from the molecular activities prevalent in the oral cavity. We present a general methodology for computationally quantifying the activity of microbial functional pathways using metatranscriptomic data. We describe their implementation as a collection of eight oral pathway scores using a large salivary sample dataset (n = 9350), and we evaluate score associations with oropharyngeal disease phenotypes within an unseen independent cohort (n = 14,129). Through this validation, we show that the relevant oral pathway scores are significantly worse in individuals with periodontal disease, acid reflux, and nicotine addiction, compared with controls. Given these associations, we make the case to use these oral pathway scores to provide molecular health insights from simple, non-invasive saliva samples, and as molecular endpoints for actionable interventions to address the associated conditions.

Spore-Based Probiotic Bacillus subtilis: Current Applications in Humans and Future Perspectives

Bacillus subtilis has been used for more than 50 years in many different industrial applications, including farming, precision fermentation, and probiotic supplements. It is particularly attractive as a probiotic because of its ability to form shelf-stable, acid-resistant spores that lend to diverse applications in the food system. B. subtilis is the most ubiquitous species of the genus and can be isolated from a broad variety of environments including animal and human gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. This is a comprehensive review of human intervention studies utilizing B. subtilis as a probiotic for supporting gastrointestinal health, as well as the reported impacts of B. subtilis use on the human gut microbiota and other biomarkers of health. It briefly covers the fate of ingested spores in the GI tract, summarizes the observed effects of different probiotic B. subtilis strains, and offers a perspective for the continued and future uses of B. subtilis in human applications.

High-throughput mRNA-seq atlas of human placenta shows vast transcriptome remodeling from first to third trimester†.

The placenta, composed of chorionic villi, changes dramatically across gestation. Understanding differences in ongoing pregnancies are essential to identify the role of chorionic villi at specific times in gestation and develop biomarkers and prognostic indicators of maternal-fetal health. The normative mRNA profile is established using next-generation sequencing of 124 first trimester and 43 third trimester human placentas from ongoing healthy pregnancies. Stably expressed genes (SEGs) not different between trimesters and with low variability are identified. Differential expression analysis of first versus third trimester adjusted for fetal sex is performed, followed by a subanalysis with 23 matched pregnancies to control for subject variability using the same genetic and environmental background. Placenta expresses 14,979 polyadenylated genes above sequencing noise (transcripts per million > 0.66), with 10.7% SEGs across gestation. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) account for 86.7% of genes in the full cohort [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05]. Fold changes highly correlate between the full cohort and subanalysis (Pearson = 0.98). At stricter thresholds (FDR < 0.001, fold change > 1.5), there remains 50.1% DEGs (3353 upregulated in first and 4155 upregulated in third trimester). This is the largest mRNA atlas of healthy human placenta across gestation, controlling for genetic and environmental factors, demonstrating substantial changes from first to third trimester in chorionic villi. Specific differences and SEGs may be used to understand the specific role of the chorionic villi throughout gestation and develop first trimester biomarkers of placental health that transpire across gestation, which can be used for future development of biomarkers for maternal-fetal health.

P1233 Serum insulin is associated with c-reactive protein and gut microbial diversity in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract Background Obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and unfavorable lipid profile are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and new therapies such as JAK inhibitors may further add to this risk. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation that may increase with active IBD and is correlated with metabolic risk in non-IBD cohorts. Diet, in particular consumption of ultra-processed foods, has been linked to gut dysbiosis and the onset, course, and response to treatment of both IBD and metabolic disease. The aim of this study was to identify metabolic risk in a cohort of individuals with IBD through an analysis of diet, metabolic parameters and stool microbial diversity. Methods This two-week prospective case-control study enrolled non-diabetic individuals with IBD in clinical remission and healthy individuals (HC). Baseline body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist to hip ratio, detailed diet diary, serum metabolic and inflammatory parameters, stool bacterial microbiota and faecal calprotectin (FC) were examined. Results Eighty-one participants; 57 with IBD (26 ulcerative colitis (UC), 31 Crohn’s disease (CD)) and 24 HC participants were recruited. In the IBD group, there was a positive correlation between serum insulin, triglycerides, BMI and WC with CRP and a negative correlation between HDL and CRP (Table 1). There were no associations between measured metabolic risk factors and FC. Stool microbial alpha diversity of the IBD group was lower than that of the HC cohort, with lower species richness (IBD 21.4 v HC 26.8, p&amp;lt;0.01) and Shannon’s diversity index (SDI) (IBD 3.1 v HC 3.4, p=0.03) (Figure 1). In the IBD group, there was a negative association between serum insulin and CRP with stool species evenness (SE) and SDI (insulin: SE r=-0.41, adj-p=0.02, SDI r=-0.39, adj-p=0.02; CRP: SE r=-0.4, p=0.02, SDI r=-0.4, p=0.02) and a negative association between intake of processed meat and stool alpha diversity metrics (SE r=-0.39, adj-p=0.046 and SDI r=-0.42, adj-p=0.02 respectively). There were no significant associations between serum metabolic profile and dietary intake with stool alpha diversity in the HC group. Conclusion Unhealthy diet, higher body weight and suboptimal glucose control were positively associated with CRP in participants with IBD. Gut microbiota with reduced diversity may be a common link between adverse metabolic outcomes and IBD. Serum insulin should be explored as a common biomarker of metabolic and gut microbial health.

DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility predict age in the domestic dog.

Across mammals, the epigenome is highly predictive of chronological age. These "epigenetic clocks," most of which have been built using DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles, have gained traction as biomarkers of aging and organismal health. While the ability of DNAm to predict chronological age has been repeatedly demonstrated, the ability of other epigenetic features to predict age remains unclear. Here, we use two types of epigenetic information-DNAm, and chromatin accessibility as measured by ATAC-seq-to develop age predictors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells sampled from a population of domesticated dogs. We measured DNAm and ATAC-seq profiles for 71 dogs, building separate predictive clocks from each, as well as the combined dataset. We also use fluorescence-assisted cell sorting to quantify major lymphoid populations for each sample. We found that chromatin accessibility can accurately predict chronological age (R2 ATAC = 26%), though less accurately than the DNAm clock (R2 DNAm = 33%), and the clock built from the combined datasets was comparable to both (R2 combined = 29%). We also observed various populations of CD62L+ T cells significantly correlated with dog age. Finally, we found that all three clocks selected features that were in or near at least two protein-coding genes: BAIAP2 and SCARF2, both previously implicated in processes related to cognitive or neurological impairment. Taken together, these results highlight the potential of chromatin accessibility as a complementary epigenetic resource for modeling and investigating biologic age.

Effects of crocin on inflammatory biomarkers and mental health status in patients with multiple sclerosis: A randomized, double-blinded clinical trial

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS), as a demyelinating disease correlated with inflammation and oxidative stress, affects the central nervous system and causes a wide range of complications, including psychiatric disorders. Considering the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties associated with the bioactive components of saffron, such as crocin (trans-crocetin bis(β-d-gentiobiosyl) ester), and their potential impact on ameliorating psychiatric symptoms, our study aimed to investigate the effect of crocin on biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and mental health, e.g., depression and anxiety in individuals with MS. MethodPatients with MS were randomized into two groups, taking either 15 mg crocin tablets twice a day (n = 25; 30 mg/day) or placebo tablets (n = 25) for 8 weeks. The valid and reliable Beck depression and anxiety scale questionnaire was recorded, and fasting blood samples were collected to measure biomarkers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) at baseline and week 8 following the intervention. ResultsThe data analysis using ANCOVA showed that supplementation with crocin for 8 weeks significantly lowered hs-CRP levels (p-value= 0.01). In addition, within-group comparisons showed crocin significantly decreased anxiety (p-value= 0.01). However, crocin did not affect serum MDA and NO after 8 weeks of intervention. ConclusionOur findings suggest that crocin may keep promise in attenuating inflammation, evidenced by reducing hs-CRP in patients with MS. However, supplementation for 8 weeks may not be sufficient to improve mental health, and future clinical studies with higher sample sizes and various doses and durations are recommended.

Anti-Obesity Effect of Combining White Kidney Bean Extract, Propolis Ethanolic Extract and CrPi3 on Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Obesity has been associated with the occurrence and prevalence of various chronic metabolic diseases. The management of obesity has evolved to focus not only on reducing weight, but also on preventing obesity-related complications. Studies have shown that bioactive components in natural products like white kidney bean extract (WKBE), propolis ethanolic extract (PEE), and chromium picolinate (CrPi3) showed anti-obesity properties. However, no studies have examined the outcomes of combining any of these nutraceutical supplements. We compared the effects of HFD supplemented with WKBE, WKBE+PEE, or WKBE+PEE+CrPi3 against control and obese groups using Sprague-Dawley rats fed a 45% high-fat diet as an in vivo model. Nutritional parameters, biochemical parameters, and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, liver function, kidney function, and gut health were among the comparable effects. Our findings showed that combining the three nutraceutical supplements had a synergetic effect on reducing weight gain, food utilization rate, abdominal fat, serum lipids, arterial and hepatic lipids, risk of cardiovascular disease, and blood glucose level, in addition to improving renal function and gut microbiota. We attributed these effects to the α-amylase inhibitor action of WKBE, flavonoids, and polyphenol content of PEE, which were potentiated with CrPi3 resulting in a further reduction or normalization of certain parameters.

Decoding the nature and complexity of extracellular mtDNA: Types and implications for health and disease

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is replicated and canonically functions within intracellular mitochondria, but recent discoveries reveal that the mtDNA has another exciting extracellular life. mtDNA fragments and mitochondria-containing vesicular structures are detected at high concentrations in cell-free forms, in different biofluids. Commonly referred to as cell-free mtDNA (cf-mtDNA), the field is currently without a comprehensive classification system that acknowledges the various biological forms of mtDNA and whole mitochondria existing outside the cell. This absence of classification hampers the creation of precise and consistent quantification methods across different laboratories, which is crucial for unraveling the molecular and biological characteristics of mtDNA. In this article, we integrate recent findings to propose a classification for different types of Extracellular mtDNA [ex-mtDNA]. The major biologically distinct types include: Naked mtDNA [N-mtDNA], mtDNA within non-mitochondrial Membranes [M-mtDNA], Extracellular mitochondria [exM-mtDNA], and mtDNA within Mitochondria enclosed in a Membrane [MM-mtDNA]. We outline the challenges associated with accurately quantifying these ex-mtDNA types, suggest potential physiological roles for each ex-mtDNA type, and explore how this classification could establish a foundation for future research endeavors and further analysis and definitions for ex-mtDNA. By proposing this classification of circulating mtDNA forms, we draw a parallel with the clinically recognized forms of cholesterol, such as HDL and LDL, to illustrate potential future significance in a similar manner. While not directly analogous, these mtDNA forms may one day be as biologically relevant in clinical interpretation as cholesterol fractions are currently. We also discuss how advancing methodologies to reliably quantify distinct ex-mtDNA forms could significantly enhance their utility as health or disease biomarkers, and how their application may offer innovative therapeutic approaches.

Oxidative Stress: A Biomarker for Animal Health and Production: A Review

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in body. Body produces free radicals during metabolic processes which are neutralized by antioxidants. However, too many free radicals produced can interfere with cell regeneration and repair, which over time can lead to accelerated aging and the development of certain diseases. Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between increased sources of oxidation and decreased or defective antioxidant mechanisms. This definition lends itself to the notion that a special type of mechanism exists and that deviations from this can affect the homeostasis and potentially cause or worsen disease. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Long-term exposure to high levels of pro-oxidant factors can lead to structural defects at the mitochondrial DNA level and functional changes in several enzymes and cellular structures leading to aberrations in gene expression. As such, many attempts has been made to restore this “balance” by providing antioxidants to animals and human beings to prevent the ill effects of these free radicles produced by the body tissues. Oxidative stress is a disease driver or an epiphenomenon; which worsen the condition in body and the use of antioxidants treatment may prevent some degree of oxidative stress from occurring, which could play an important role in controlling inflammation and cellular adaptive responses.

Trop T, hand grip strength and waist circumference as markers of sarcopenic obesity in postmenopausal women: An analytical cross-sectional study

Objectives: Sarcopenic obesity is defined as age-associated histological changes and adiposity in muscles that impair muscle function. Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia suggested hand grip strength (HGS) and gait speed for screening sarcopenia. Troponin is a putative biomarker of muscle health. The study aims to evaluate Trop T, HGS, and waist circumference (WC) as markers of sarcopenic obesity in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in healthy postmenopausal women. Anthropometric measurements, HGS, and gait speed were documented. Postmenopausal women were identified as sarcopenic obesity with the following criteria: (a) The cut-points for weak handgrip strength (kg) for women as &lt;18 in Asians (b) WC ≥85 cm in women. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDLc), low-density lipoprotein (LDLc), and high sensitive troponin T levels were estimated in the automated biochemistry analyser. Results: About 33% sarcopenic obesity was observed in postmenopausal women aged 56 to 60 years. WC (93 cm) and body mass index (29.64) were increased in sarcopenic obese. Decreased HGS (9.44 kg) and increased gait speed (13.62 s) were observed in sarcopenic obese as compared to non-sarcopenic obese women. Increased troponin T (0.068 ng/mL), small dense LDLc (mmol/L), LDLc, non-HDLc, and decreased HDLc were observed in sarcopenic obese postmenopausal women. Receiver’s operating characteristic curve: sensitivity of waist circumference, HGS, gait, and troponin T were 97% (area under the curve [AUC] 0.76), 83% (AUC 0.84), 82% (AUC 0.76) and 67% (AUC 0.77), respectively. Conclusion: Measurement of waist circumference, hand grip strength, and gait are diagnostic tools of sarcopenic obesity that divulges the quality of postmenopausal life.

Chronic almond nut snacking alleviates perceived muscle soreness following downhill running but does not improve indices of cardiometabolic health in mildly overweight, middle-aged, adults.

As a popular food snack rich in protein, fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients, almond nut consumption is widely associated with improvements in cardiometabolic health. However, limited data exists regarding the role of almond consumption in improving exercise recovery. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate the impact of chronic almond snacking on muscle damage and cardiometabolic health outcomes during acute eccentric exercise recovery in mildly overweight, middle-aged, adults. Using a randomized cross-over design, 25 mildly overweight (BMI: 25.8 ± 3.6 kg/m2), middle-aged (35.1 ± 4.7 y) males (n = 11) and females (n = 14) performed a 30-min downhill treadmill run after 8-weeks of consuming either 57 g/day of whole almonds (ALMOND) or an isocaloric amount (86 g/day) of unsalted pretzels (CONTROL). Muscle soreness (visual analogue scale), muscle function (vertical jump and maximal isokinetic torque) and blood markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase (CK) concentration) and inflammation (c-reactive protein concentration) were measured pre and post (24, 48, and 72 h) exercise. Blood biomarkers of cardiometabolic health (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol), body composition and psycho-social assessments of mood (POMS-2 inventory), appetite and well-being were measured pre and post intervention. Downhill running successfully elicited muscle damage, as evidenced by a significant increase in plasma CK concentration, increased perception of muscle soreness, and impaired vertical jump performance (all p < 0.05) during acute recovery. No effect of trial order was observed for any outcome measurement. However, expressed as AUC over the cumulative 72 h recovery period, muscle soreness measured during a physical task (vertical jump) was reduced by ~24% in ALMOND vs. CONTROL (p < 0.05) and translated to an improved maintenance of vertical jump performance (p < 0.05). However, ALMOND did not ameliorate the CK response to exercise or isokinetic torque during leg extension and leg flexion (p > 0.05). No pre-post intervention changes in assessments of cardiometabolic health, body composition, mood state or appetite were observed in ALMOND or CONTROL (all p > 0.05). Chronic almond supplementation alleviates task-specific perceived feelings of muscle soreness during acute recovery from muscle damaging exercise, resulting in the better maintenance of muscle functional capacity. These data suggest that almonds represent a functional food snack to improve exercise tolerance in mildly overweight, middle-aged adults.

Effect of Gut Microbiota-Directed Complementary Food Supplementation on Fecal and Plasma Biomarkers of Gut Health and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction in Slum-Dwelling Children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition.

Dietary supplementation with a gut microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) significantly improved weight gain and repaired gut microbiota, as reported in a recent randomized controlled trial on Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) is a small bowel disorder, and recent evidence shows that it is linked to growth failure in children. Therefore, we intended to investigate whether supplementation with MDCF-2 has any role in modifying gut health by changing the levels of biomarkers of EED and gut inflammation in children with MAM. We randomly assigned 124 children aged 12-18 months to one of two intervention diets, either MDCF-2 or ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF). Approximately 50 g of the diet was administered in two feeding sessions daily for 12 weeks. Stool and plasma biomarkers were assessed to evaluate intestinal health. Results showed that the average change in citrulline concentration (µmol/L) significantly increased among children who consumed MDCF-2 compared to those who consumed RUSF (mean difference-in-differences: 123.10; 95% CI: 3.60, 242.61; p = 0.044). The research findings demonstrated that MDCF-2 might have a beneficial effect on improving the gastrointestinal health of malnourished children.

Spirulina platensis as a growth booster for broiler; Insights into their nutritional, molecular, immunohistopathological, and microbiota modulating effects

BackgroundThe present study is designed to assess the effect of adding various doses of Spirulina platensis (SP) on broiler chicken growth performance, gut health, antioxidant biomarkers, cecal microbiota, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). 240 male Cobb 500 broiler chicks (1 day old) were placed into four groups (sixty birds/group), then each group was further divided into three replicates of 20 chickens each for 35 days. Birds were allocated as follows; the 1st group (G1), the control group, fed on basal diet, the 2nd group (G2): basal diet plus SP (0.1%), the 3rd group (G3): basal diet plus SP (0.3%), and the 4th group (G4): basal diet plus SP (0.5%).ResultsThroughout the trial (d 1 to 35), SP fortification significantly increased body weight growth (BWG) and feed conversion rate (FCR) (P < 0.05). Bursa considerably increased among the immunological organs in the Spirulina-supplemented groups. Within SP-supplemented groups, there was a substantial increase in catalase activity, blood total antioxidant capacity, jejunal superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity (P < 0.05). Fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2), one of the gut barrier health biomarkers, significantly increased in the SP-supplemented groups but the IL-1β gene did not significantly differ across the groups (P < 0.05). Different organs in the control group showed histopathological changes, while the SP-supplemented chicken showed fewer or no signs of these lesions. The control group had higher levels of iNOS expression in the gut than the SP-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). Cecal Lactobacillus count significantly elevated with increasing the rate of SP inclusion rate (p < 0.05). ConclusionSupplementing broiler diets with SP, particularly at 0.5%, can improve productivity and profitability by promoting weight increase, feed utilization, antioxidant status, immunity, and gastrointestinal health.

Fetal programming effect of rumen-protected methionine on primiparous Angus × Simmental offspring's performance and skeletal muscle gene expression.

Primiparous Angus × Simmental dams (n = 22) with an average body weight (BW) of 449 ± 32kg of BW were divided based on two nutritional treatments: control (CTRL) and rumen-protected methionine (RPM). The control group received bermudagrass hay, corn gluten, and soybean hulls pellets supplementation (base diet); whereas the RPM group received the base diet in addition to 0.07% of DM of RPM at a fixed rate during the last trimester of gestation and the first ~80d of lactation, in which calves (n = 17) were early weaned. Only male calves were included in this study. After weaning, calves born to RPM dams also received RPM from weaning (day 1) to day 100. Blood sampling and skeletal muscle biopsies for subsequent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis were conducted on days 1, 25, 50, and 100 on calves. Quantitative PCR data were analyzed using GLIMMIX, and blood metabolites concentrations, BW, and body condition score (BCS) were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. There was no difference in maternal BW and BCS between treatments. Glucose and blood metabolites that served as biomarkers for liver health (e.g., aspartate transaminase, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine transaminase) were in the normal levels for all calves (P > 0.40). Calves in the RPM group had a greater expression of adipogenic genes (e.g., PPARG, LPL, and CEBPD) at day 100 compared with CTRL (P < 0.01). In addition, DNA methylation (DNMT1) and oxidative stress-related genes (SOD2 and NOS3) in the RPM group were upregulated at day 100 compared with CTRL (P < 0.01). These results may suggest that calves born to primiparous dams exposed to RPM supplementation are more prone to develop greater adipose tissue than CTRL calves. Furthermore, RPM supplementation may improve methylation processes, as shown by the upregulation of DNMT1. The results shown in our study aim at expanding the knowledge on fetal programming and early-life growth and development of beef cattle under supplementation with RPM.

Impact of a keto diet on symptoms of Parkinson's disease, biomarkers, depression, anxiety and quality of life: alongitudinal study.

Aim: Evidence suggests low-carbohydrate diets (LCHF) may assist in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD); however, gaps exist in the literature.Patients & methods: We conducted a small 24-week pilot study to investigate the effects of an LCHF diet on motor and nonmotor symptoms, health biomarkers, anxiety, and depression in seven people with PD. We also captured patient experiences during the process (quality of life [QoL]).Results: Participants reported improved biomarkers, enhanced cognition, mood, motor and nonmotor symptoms, and reduced pain and anxiety. Participants felt improvements enhanced their QoL.Conclusion: We conclude that an LCHF intervention is safe, feasible, and potentially effective in mitigating the symptoms of this disorder. However, more extensive randomized controlled studies are needed to create generalizable recommendations.

Stakeholder perspectives on ethical and trustworthy voice AI in health care.

Voice as a health biomarker using artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum in research. The noninvasiveness of voice data collection through accessible technology (such as smartphones, telehealth, and ambient recordings) or within clinical contexts means voice AI may help address health disparities and promote the inclusion of marginalized communities. However, the development of AI-ready voice datasets free from bias and discrimination is a complex task. The objective of this study is to better understand the perspectives of engaged and interested stakeholders regarding ethical and trustworthy voice AI, to inform both further ethical inquiry and technology innovation. A questionnaire was administered to voice AI experts, clinicians, scholars, patients, trainees, and policy-makers who participated at the 2023 Voice AI Symposium organized by the Bridge2AI-Voice AI Consortium. The survey used a mix of Likert scale, ranking and open-ended questions. A total of 27 stakeholders participated in the study. The main results of the study are the identification of priorities in terms of ethical issues, an initial definition of ethically sourced data for voice AI, insights into the use of synthetic voice data, and proposals for acting on the trustworthiness of voice AI. The study shows a diversity of perspectives and adds nuance to the planning and development of ethical and trustworthy voice AI. This study represents the first stakeholder survey related to voice as a biomarker of health published to date. This study sheds light on the critical importance of ethics and trustworthiness in the development of voice AI technologies for health applications.

Gut microbiome derived short chain fatty acids: Promising strategies in necrotising enterocolitis

Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating condition that poses a significant risk of morbidity and mortality, particularly among preterm babies. Extensive research efforts have been directed at identifying optimal treatment and diagnostic strategies but results from such studies remain unclear and controversial. Among the most promising candidates are prebiotics, probiotics and their metabolites, including short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Such metabolites have been widely explored as possible biomarkers of gut health for different clinical conditions, with overall positive effects on the host observed. This review aims to describe the role of gut microbiome derived SCFAs in necrotising enterocolitis. Until now, information has been conflicting, with the primary focus on the main three SCFAs (acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid). While numerous studies have indicated the relationship between SCFAs and NEC, the current evidence is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions about the use of these metabolites as NEC biomarkers or their potential in treatment strategies. Ongoing research in this area will help enhance both our understanding of SCFAs as valuable indicators of NEC and their practical application in clinical settings.

Preliminary validation of the Virtual Kitchen Challenge as an objective and sensitive measure of everyday function associated with cerebrovascular disease.

Virtual Kitchen Challenge (VKC) scores showed significant improvement from training to test conditions.VKC scores (completion time and proportion of time off screen) were associated with a neuroimaging biomarker of brain health (white matter hyperintensities).