Complementary Formulations Research Articles

Ikonopisanie i jego modele (liturgiczny, artystyczny, duchowy, mistyczny) w świetle teo-antropologii ontologicznej

The article discusses iconography as a phenomenon of theo-anthropology. The general aim of these analyses is to explain the essence of iconography from the perspective of ontological anthropology – by relating it to the human existence in terms of the possibility and duty of being oneself. In this article, we consider the hypothesis according to which icon-writing has four main complementary formulations: liturgical (icon-writing as a liturgical process), artistic (icon-writing as God’s art), spiritual (icon-writing as spirituality), mystical (icon-writing as prayer). Confirming the truth of the hypothesis constitutes our main goal. We are heading towards it through the implementation of two main research tasks. In the first of them, we demonstrate that each of the assumed models of iconography contains four components (liturgical, artistic, spiritual, mystical), but in each model only one of them dominates, and it is from its perspective that the others are understood. In the second task, we show that each of these models is based on a different onto-anthropological principle – one of the four main ones (community, reflexivity, ethics, religiosity) – corresponding to one of the dimensions of the human existence in ontological terms, the concept of which we adopt for the purposes of this article. A given anthropological principle determines which of the elements of iconography dominates, i.e. what it is above all.

Susceptibility patterns of Escherichia coli and streptococcal isolates from bovine mastitis cases to antibiotics and selected South African plant extracts with known antibacterial activities

Bovine mastitis, an inflammatory condition affecting the mammary glands of dairy cattle, poses a significant economic burden on the dairy industry. Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus species and Escherichia coli are common pathogens. Managing mastitis typically involves antibiotics, but antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern, promoting further research exploring alternative treatments including plant extracts. This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance of E. coli and streptococcal isolates from mastitis cases, and to investigate four indigenous South African plants for their selective antibacterial activities against these pathogens. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterial strains was determined using a standard disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of acetone and ethanol extracts of Searsia lancea, Indigofera frutescens, Erythrina caffra and Antidesma venosum were determined against the bacterial isolates using a serial microdilution assay, and cytotoxicity was also investigated. The results showed that 82.14% of the clinical isolates tested were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent used, and 52.17% of the antibiotic resistant isolates were multidrug resistant. All plant extracts had antibacterial activity against all the bacterial isolates, but S. lancea demonstrated higher efficacy compared to other plants. The MIC values ranged from 0.01 to 2.50 mg/mL, with the lowest range obtained with the acetone extract of S. lancea (0.01 to 0.57 mg/mL). Furthermore, the extracts were relatively non-cytotoxic to bovine dermis and Vero cells, with the highest mean selectivity index value of 25.70 recorded with S. lancea. This study highlights the growing concern of AMR in livestock management, and demonstrates the promising therapeutic potential of the selected plant species, particularly S. lancea, in treating bovine mastitis. Further exploration of S. lancea is recommended to develop novel alternative or complementary formulations for mastitis management.

Characterisation of complementary feeding practice and locally available climate-resilient crops for complementary food among agro-pastoralists of Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

The current study aims to characterise the complementary feeding practice and identify locally available climate-resilient crops that can be used for complementary feeding among agro-pastoralists in Ethiopia. A phenomenological study in Benna-Tsemay district, comprising focused group discussions, key informant interviews, and household observations, was conducted. A pretested guide was used to capture information regarding types of complementary food, lists of food items, and ingredients included in their complementary formulation. A thematic analysis for emerging points of discussion was carried out. Three major themes, including infant and young child feeding practices, food items included in complementary food, and their consumption frequencies, as well as the incorporation of climate-resilient crops into complementary foods as coping mechanisms, emerged. Breastfeeding was common and regarded as essential. Gruel and porridge from grains, roots, and tubers were regular parts of complementary foods in the study area. Moringa and sorghum were dominantly identified as climate-resilient crops regularly grown and used in complementary foods. Growing these crops was regarded as a coping strategy for drought and seasonal constraints. The district is one of the most drought-prone areas in Ethiopia, compromising the quality of complementary food. Unlike the World Health Organization recommendation, the grains, roots, and tubers-based diet formed the basis of complementary food lacking flesh foods, eggs, pulses, and other fruits and vegetables. Thus, it is recommended to improve complementary food quality through value-addition using locally accessible crops.

Formulation and nutritional properties of qualea-bird-meat-based complementary foods for children (6–23 months) in Tanzania using a linear programming technique

BackgroundLong-standing mitigation strategies have been used to address the issue of malnutrition in children, especially undernutrition in developing countries including Tanzania, however, the problem still exists. Development of instant complementary formulae based on readily available local foods using robust mathematical models, to fight malnutrition seems to be one of the best options. PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the nutritional content of instant supplemental food formulations based on qualea bird's meat for infants between the ages of 6 and 23 months using a linear programming model. Basic procedureFour complementary meal formulations based on bird meat were developed using a linear programming model: control, only bird meat (CtrQM); green banana mixed with bird meat (BanQ); Irish potato mixed with bird meat (PotQ); and rice mixed with the meat (RicQ). The formulations were cooked separately at 98 °C for 45–55 min and extruded to create instant dry products and analyzed using standard methods for proximate composition, minerals, and vitamin A. Main findingThe proximate composition parameters, minerals and vitamin A contents (in DM) were substantially enhanced and differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the formulations. PotQ had a higher moisture content (8.9 g/100 g), protein (16.7 g/100 g), crude fat (1.8 g/100 g), ash (5.4 g/100 g) and crude fibre (2.9 g/100 g) than lower values in other formulations. Furthermore, calcium was the most abundant mineral (832.5 mg/kg) whereas zinc was the least abundant mineral (38.5 mg/100 g). The variation in mineral contents among formulations was also significant (p < 0.05). Additionally, RicQ had significantly (p < 0.05) highest retinol (26.5 mg/kg) and beta-carotene (4.9 μg/g) while the lowest values were observed in the control sample with values of 3.3 mg/kg and 1.6 μg/g respectively. ConclusionIn a view of the findings, a linear programming model optimized and enhanced the proximate composition, mineral, and vitamin A qualities of the qualea birds' meat-based instant complementary formulation that seems to meet the RDAs for infants aged 6 to 23 months. Therefore, the application of the model in product formulation to combat malnutrition in the country is highly recommended.

Sweetpotato-based infant foods produce porridge with lower viscosity and aflatoxin level than cereal-based complementary blends.

The viscosity, protein, and total aflatoxins contents in orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and cereal-based commercial complementary formulations and the effect of dilution on the protein content of the formulations were investigated. Standard procedures were used for the determination of these parameters. Over 80% of the formulations had a viscosity above the recommended consistency of 1000-3000 cP for feeding young children. The consistency of OFSP-legume porridge was significantly (2392.5 cP; p < 0.001) lower, about 1.7 and 3.4 times than cereal-only and cereal-legume blends, respectively. All the complementary flours, except the cereal-only, met the proposed protein requirement of 6 to 11 g per 100 g for feeding children aged 6 to 23 months on an as-is basis. However, the protein content in the porridges on an as-would-be-eaten basis was about 6% lower than the as-is basis value. About 38% of the complementary foods had total aflatoxin level above the acceptable limit of 10 ppb, mainly in blends containing peanuts, maize, or both. Adding more water to meet the required thickness of cereal-only and cereal-legume porridges diluted the protein content. More efforts are needed from regulatory bodies and all stakeholders to ensure complementary foods are safe in terms of mycotoxin levels, particularly those containing maize, peanut, or both as ingredients.

The Phoenix and the Interlingual Dimensions of Early English Literary Culture

The Phoenix and the Interlingual Dimensions of Early English Literary Culture

Developing shelf-stable Microbiota Directed Complementary Food (MDCF) prototypes for malnourished children: study protocol for a randomized, single-blinded, clinical study

BackgroundChildhood undernutrition is a major public health concern that needs special attention to achieve 2025 global nutrition targets. Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), manifest as wasting (low weight-for-height), affects 33 million children under 5, yet there are currently no global guidelines for its treatment. We recently performed a randomized-controlled clinical study of a microbiota-directed complementary food formulation (MDCF-2) in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children with MAM. The results revealed that MDCF-2, freshly prepared each day, produced a significantly greater improvement in ponderal growth than a standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF), an effect that is associated with repair of the disrupted gut microbial community development that occurs in children with MAM. To test the generalizability of these results in acutely malnourished children at other sites, there is a pressing need for a packaged, shelf-stable, organoleptically-acceptable formulation that is bioequivalent to MDCF-2. This report describes the protocol for a clinical study to evaluate candidate formulations designed to meet these criteria.MethodsA randomized single-blind study will be conducted in 8-12-month-old Bangladeshi children with MAM to compare the efficacy of alternative shelf-stable MDCF prototypes versus the current MDCF-2 formulation that is produced fresh each day. V4-16S rDNA amplicon and shotgun sequencing datasets will be generated from faecal DNA samples collected from each child enrolled in each group prior to, during, and after treatment to determine the abundances of MDCF-2-responsive bacterial taxa. Efficacy will be assessed by quantifying the change in representation of MDCF-2-responsive gut bacterial taxa after 4-weeks of treatment with freshly prepared MDCF-2 compared to their changes in abundance after treatment with the prototype MDCFs. Equivalence will be defined as the absence of a statistically significant difference, after 4-weeks of treatment, in the representation of faecal bacterial taxa associated with the response to MDCF-2 in participants receiving a test MDCF.DiscussionThis trial aims to establish acceptability and equivalence with respect to microbiota repair, of scalable, shelf-stable formulations of MDCF-2 in 8-12-month-old Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05094024). The trial has been registered before starting enrolment on 23 October 2021.

Inferring the effective reproductive number from deterministic and semi-deterministic compartmental models using incidence and mobility data.

The effective reproduction number (ℜt) is a theoretical indicator of the course of an infectious disease that allows policymakers to evaluate whether current or previous control efforts have been successful or whether additional interventions are necessary. This metric, however, cannot be directly observed and must be inferred from available data. One approach to obtaining such estimates is fitting compartmental models to incidence data. We can envision these dynamic models as the ensemble of structures that describe the disease’s natural history and individuals’ behavioural patterns. In the context of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the assumption of a constant transmission rate is rendered unrealistic, and it is critical to identify a mathematical formulation that accounts for changes in contact patterns. In this work, we leverage existing approaches to propose three complementary formulations that yield similar estimates for ℜt based on data from Ireland’s first COVID-19 wave. We describe these Data Generating Processes (DGP) in terms of State-Space models. Two (DGP1 and DGP2) correspond to stochastic process models whose transmission rate is modelled as Brownian motion processes (Geometric and Cox-Ingersoll-Ross). These DGPs share a measurement model that accounts for incidence and transmission rates, where mobility data is assumed as a proxy of the transmission rate. We perform inference on these structures using Iterated Filtering and the Particle Filter. The final DGP (DGP3) is built from a pool of deterministic models that describe the transmission rate as information delays. We calibrate this pool of models to incidence reports using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. By following this complementary approach, we assess the tradeoffs associated with each formulation and reflect on the benefits/risks of incorporating proxy data into the inference process. We anticipate this work will help evaluate the implications of choosing a particular formulation for the dynamics and observation of the time-varying transmission rate.

Effects of Cricket Addition on the Chemical, Functional, and Sensory Properties of Complementary Formulation from Millet Flour

The effect of cricket addition on the proximate composition, mineral compositions, functional and sensory properties of complementary food formulated from millet was studied. The result of the chemical composition showed significantly increase in the protein and fat level of the formulated complementary food (9.28±0.16 - 20.20±0.07) % and (3.65±002 - 8.12±0.08) %, respectively. However, a significant decrease in the carbohydrate level (75.61±0.03 - 60.44±0.31) g/100g was observed. Evaluation of functional properties showed that cricket addition did not affect the bulk density but increased the water absorption (2.46±0.05), Emulsion (38.02±0.40%), foam (6.00±0.00), gelation (20.00±0.00%) capacities and pH (6.20±0.02). The mineral contents including Fe, Ca, Na, and K of the food ranged from 7.54±0.10 - 10.25±0.05 mL/100g, 30.35±0.15 - 34.98±0.10 mL/100g, 9.35±0.29 - 14.47±0.06 mL/100g and 30.92±0.03 - 56.40±010 mL/100g respectively increasing with increased addition of cricket flour The formulated samples were rated higher for taste, colour, flavour, texture and the overall acceptability than the control. In general sample 513 containing 75:25 cricket: millet flour showed more improvement than other formulated samples and most acceptable in terms of taste, flavour mouth feel and overall acceptability. Adding cricket flour to millet flour as complementary food would help in addressing protein energy malnutrition in children.

Extended Successive Convex Approximation for Phase Retrieval With Dictionary Learning

Phase retrieval aims at recovering unknown signals from magnitude measurements of linear mixtures. In this paper, we consider the phase retrieval with dictionary learning problem, which includes another prior information that the signal admits a sparse representation over an unknown dictionary. The task is to jointly estimate the dictionary and the sparse representation from magnitude-only measurements. To this end, we study two complementary formulations and develop efficient parallel algorithms by extending the successive convex approximation framework using a smooth majorization. The first algorithm is termed <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">compact-SCAphase</i> and is preferable in the case of moderately diverse mixture models with a low number of mixing components. It adopts a compact formulation that avoids auxiliary variables. The proposed algorithm is highly scalable and has reduced parameter tuning cost. The second algorithm, referred to as <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">SCAphase</i> , uses auxiliary variables and is favorable in the case of highly diverse mixture models. It also renders simple incorporation of additional side constraints. The performance of both methods is evaluated when applied to blind channel estimation from subband magnitude measurements in a multi-antenna random access network. Simulation results show the efficiency of the proposed techniques compared to state-of-the-art methods.

Nutritional quality assessment of optimized cereal- based complementary foods fortified with Moringa oleifera

Childhood malnutrition is a household issue and urgent health challenge in Nigeria. In an attempt to address this challenge, the current study evaluated the effect of optimizing blending ratio of cereals and legumes on nutritional quality, storage stability and determined the most effective blend based on selected nutritional profiles. Optimal design mixture using Nutrisurvey (2007) was used to generate six complementary foods (CF) designated F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and F6 from yellow maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), millet (Pennisetum glaucum), groundnut (Arachis hypogea), soyabeans (Glycine max), and Moringa oleifera to meet nutritional specification in codex guideline for cereal based complementary foods. A basal diet was also formulated as control. Forty nine (49) wistar rats (21–28 days old) were divided into 7 groups and fed with the complementary formulations ad libitum for 4 weeks. Feed intake and change in weight were recorded. The urine and faeces were collected for nitrogen content determination. The data obtained was used to calculate various protein quality indices. Upon completion of the feeding trial, the wistar rats were sacrificed, and organs excised for subsequent biochemical analysis. Data was subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and results expressed as means± standard error of mean. Protein quality indices revealed that protein efficiency ratio ranged from (2.47-2.69), net protein ratio (3.64-3.79); while the biological value ranged from (93.06-98.21%). The true protein digestibility and net protein utilization were in the range of (76.02- 84.46%), (77.85- 85.66%) respectively. The storage stability profile of the formulated CF at baseline and end line were not significantly different (P > 0.05). F6 (55% millet based CF) was found to have the highest performance for growth parameters evaluated. Therefore, this study has revealed that with proper blending of local foodstuff, it is possible to prepare nutritionally adequate CF.

Cone-complementary manifold method for stability and failure analysis of jointed/fractured rock masses

Taking advantage of a unique dual-cover system, the numerical manifold method (NMM) is a powerful tool for analyzing stability and progressive failure of jointed/fractured rock masses. In this study, a new implicit cone complementary (CC) formulation is integrated into the NMM to capture the dynamic frictional-cohesive contact problems in jointed/fractured rock masses. The innovative numerical method, termed as the CC-NMM, circumvents numerical difficulties of using artificial contact penalty and open-close iteration in the original NMM. Benchmark examples demonstrate that both mechanical energy and translational momentum of the system are conserved in the proposed CC-NMM. Several examples are further designed to illustrate the excellent performance of the CC-NMM in simulating the progressive failure pattern and stability of the jointed/fractured rock masses.

Cone complimentary-based numerical manifold method modeling frictional and cohesive contact problems

An unconditionally stable cone complementary formulation is established in this study for modeling frictional and cohesive contact problems. In order to simulate continuous and discontinuous media within a unified framework, the proposed cone complementary formulation is further integrated into the high-order numerical manifold method (NMM), which is based on six-node triangular meshes and is free from rank deficiency issue associated with some high-order formulas. Such that, the use of penalty parameters as well as the open-close iteration adopted by the original NMM can be avoided. Some numerical examples are designed to demonstrate that the proposed high-order NMM can not only preserve fundamental conservation laws of the system, but also maintain accuracy and robustness in solving frictional and cohesive contact problems.

Nutritional Analysis of Varied Processing and Complementary Food Formulations with Sorghum, Cowpea and Carrot

The effects of sorghum cultivars (pelpeli and chakalari white), sorghum processing methods (undehulled, roasted and malted), cowpea (0%, 30%) and carrot (0%, 10%) supplementations on amino acids profiles and micronutrients of complementary food produced from several formulations were evaluated. The flours of sorghum, cowpea and carrot were blended guided by 2x2x3x2 factorial design experiment plus one commercial sample as control in producing 25 complementary food formulations. Amino acid profile, vitamin and mineral contents of complementary food produced from 25 complementary food formulations were determined using standard methods. Amino acid profile was determined with Technicon Sequential Multi sample (TSM) Amino Acid Analyzer after the samples have been dried, defatted, hydrolyzed and evaporated. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were used to determine minerals and vitamins contents of the complementary foods, respectively. Data obtained were statistically analyzed. Complementary foods that were fortified with cowpea had higher scores of most of the essential amino acids than in unprocessed samples. There was slight increase in vitamins in malted fortified formulations than in unprocessed and unfortified formulations. Malted Sorghum cultivars that were fortified with cowpea and carrot had higher mineral contents than roasted samples. Malting had significantly improved the minerals of the complementary food formulations.

Discontinuous deformation analysis handling vertex‐vertex contact based on principle of least effort

AbstractThis study establishes an innovative discontinuous deformation analysis by solving the problem of frictional and cohesive contact using an implicit cone complementary formulation. In order to handle singularity associated with the vertex‐vertex contact, resistances to motion trend are firstly estimated by introducing the concepts of total and partial contact forces. Based on principle of least effort, the vertex‐vertex contact can be converted to a corresponding vertex‐edge contact properly. In addition, unnecessary vertex‐vertex contacts can be identified. The numerical scheme fully exploits geometric and dynamic conditions of the polygonal block system. As a result, determination of motion trend in the block system is penalty‐free without being affected by the time step. The advantages and application prospects of the presented dynamic framework are demonstrated by using several benchmark examples.

On the Kachanov-Rabotnov continuum damage model

In this paper two partially complementary formulations of the simple phenomenological Kachanov-Rabotnov continuum damage constitutive model are presented. The models are based on a consistent thermodynamic formulation using proper expressions for the Helmholtz free energy or its complementary form of the dissipation potential. Basic features of the models are discussed and the behaviour in tensile test and creep problems is demonstrated.

Extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics using a Krylov subspace approximation.

It is shown how the electronic equations of motion in extended Lagrangian Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations [A. M. N. Niklasson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 123004 (2008); J. Chem. Phys. 147, 054103 (2017)] can be integrated using low-rank approximations of the inverse Jacobian kernel. This kernel determines the metric tensor in the harmonic oscillator extension of the Lagrangian that drives the evolution of the electronic degrees of freedom. The proposed kernel approximation is derived from a pseudoinverse of a low-rank estimate of the Jacobian, which is expressed in terms of a generalized set of directional derivatives with directions that are given from a Krylov subspace approximation. The approach allows a tunable and adaptive approximation that can take advantage of efficient preconditioning techniques. The proposed kernel approximation for the integration of the electronic equations of motion makes it possible to apply extended Lagrangian first-principles molecular dynamics simulations to a broader range of problems, including reactive chemical systems with numerically sensitive and unsteady charge solutions. This can be achieved without requiring exact full calculations of the inverse Jacobian kernel in each time step or relying on iterative non-linear self-consistent field optimization of the electronic ground state prior to the force evaluations as in regular direct Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. The low-rank approximation of the Jacobian is directly related to Broyden's class of quasi-Newton algorithms and Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov methods and provides a complementary formulation for the solution of nonlinear systems of equations.

Discontinuous deformation analysis for ellipsoids using cone complementary formulation

Abstract A new computational framework for discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) of ellipsoidal particles is developed by taking full advantage of the geometric convexity of the ellipsoid. To identify the contact points and contact directions between ellipsoidal bodies analytically and efficiently, a semi-analytic geometry iteration (SAGI) algorithm is proposed based on parametric equation of the ellipsoid, which is also extended to cylindrical and conical boundaries. The controlling equations of motion of the bodies are established in the context of discontinuous deformation analysis. To reinforce the constraint of frictional contacts in the discrete system, a linearized cone complementarity formulation is proposed to solve the contact forces using a fixed point iteration algorithm, which is the key ingredient to conserve energy, linear and angular momentums in the new numerical framework. The accuracy, computational efficiency, and application prospects of the proposed methodologies are demonstrated through some numerical examples.

On the first hitting time density for a reducible diffusion process

In this paper, we study the classical problem of the first hitting time density to a moving boundary for a diffusion process, which satisfies the Cherkasov condition, and hence, can be reduced to a standard Wiener process. We give two complementary (forward and backward) formulations of this problem and provide semi-analytical solutions for both. By using the method of heat potentials, we show how to reduce these problems to linear Volterra integral equations of the second kind. For small values of t, we solve these equations analytically by using Abel equation approximation; for larger t we solve them numerically. We illustrate our method with representative examples, including Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes with both constant and time-dependent coefficients. We provide a comparison with other known methods for finding the hitting density of interest, and argue that our method has considerable advantages and provides additional valuable insights. We also show applications of the problem and our method in various areas of financial mathematics.

Proof-of-concept study of the efficacy of a microbiota-directed complementary food formulation (MDCF) for treating moderate acute malnutrition

BackgroundChildhood undernutrition remains a significant global health challenge accounting for over half of all under 5 child mortality. Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), which leads to wasting [weight-for-length z-scores (WLZ) between − 2 and − 3], affects 33 million children under 5 globally and more than 2 million in Bangladesh alone. We have previously reported that acute malnutrition in this population is associated with gut microbiota immaturity, and in a small, 1-month pre-proof-of-concept (POC) study demonstrated that a microbiota-directed complementary food formulation (MDCF-2) was able to repair this immaturity, promote weight gain and increase plasma biomarkers and mediators of healthy growth. Here we describe the design controlled feeding study that tests whether MDCF-2 exhibits superior efficacy (ponderal growth, host biomarkers of a biological state) than a conventional Ready-to-use Supplementary Food (RUSF) in children with MAM over intervention period of 3 months.MethodsTwo separate cohorts of 12–18-month-old children will be enrolled: 124 with primary MAM, and 124 with MAM after having been treated for severe acute malnutrition (post-SAM MAM). We have established several field sites in an urban slum located in the Mirpur district of Dhaka, Bangladesh and at a rural site, Kurigram in the north of Bangladesh. The two groups of children receiving MDCF-2 and RUSF will be compared at baseline (pre-intervention), after 1 month, at the end of intervention (3 months), 1 month after cessation of intervention, and every 6 months thereafter for 4 years.DiscussionThis study will determine whether daily, controlled administration of MDCF-2 for 3 months provides superior improvements in weight gain, microbiota repair, and elevated levels of key plasma biomarkers/mediators of healthy growth compared to the control RUSF formulation. The pathogenesis of MAM is poorly defined and there are currently no WHO-approved treatments; results from the current study of children with primary MAM and post-SAM MAM will shed light on the effects of the gut microbiota on childhood growth/development and will provide a knowledge base that may help improve complementary feeding practices.Trial registrationThe primary MAM and post-SAM MAM trials are registered in Clintrials.gov (NCT04015999 and NCT04015986, registered on July 11, 2019, retrospectively registered).