How Can the Operating Environment for Nutrition Research Be Improved in Sub-Saharan Africa? The Views of African Researchers

Optimal nutrition is critical for human development and economic growth. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing high levels of food insecurity and only few sub-Saharan African countries are on track to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Effective research capacity is crucial for addressing emerging challenges and designing appropriate mitigation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. A clear understanding of the operating environment for nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa is a much needed prerequisite. We collected data on the barriers and requirements for conducting nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa through semi-structured interviews with 144 participants involved in nutrition research in 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 133 interviews were retained for coding. The main barriers identified for effective nutrition research were the lack of funding due to poor recognition by policymakers of the importance of nutrition research and under-utilisation of research findings for developing policy, as well as an absence of research priority setting from within Africa. Current research topics were perceived to be mainly determined by funding bodies from outside Africa. Nutrition researchers argued for more commitment from policymakers at national level. The low capacity for nutrition research was mainly seen as a consequence of insufficient numbers of nutrition researchers, limited skills and a poor research infrastructure. In conclusion, African nutrition researchers argued how research priorities need to be identified by African stakeholders, accompanied by consensus building to enable creating a problem-driven national research agenda. In addition, it was considered necessary to promote interactions among researchers, and between researchers and policymakers. Multidisciplinary research and international and cross-African collaboration were seen as crucial to build capacity in sub-Saharan nutrition research.     

补充营养对枹栎象成虫寿命的影响

在饲养笼内分别饲喂枹栎(Quercus serrata Murray)幼果、枹栎嫩枝、清水和10%蔗糖水,以不饲喂任何食物为对照,研究营养补充对枹栎象Curculio haroldi Faust成虫寿命的影响。同时,还研究枹栎象的个体大小和性别对其寿命是否有潜在影响。结果表明:补充不同营养对枹栎象的寿命有显著影响,其中10%蔗糖水组的寿命最长,是其他营养组的3~4倍。另外,虫体大小(即体长)对枹栎象寿命也有显著影响,且雌虫寿命一般比雄性略长,但性别间无显著差异。研究结果说明,营养品质和虫体大小可显著影响枹栎象寿命,进而影响其繁殖以及对寄主植物的危害。     

Intra‐ and trans‐generational effects of larval diet on susceptibility to an entomopathogenic fungus,Beauveria bassiana,in the greater wax moth,Galleria mellonella

In addition to nutritional conditions experienced by individuals themselves, those experienced by their parents can affect their immune function. Here, we studied the intra‐ and trans‐generational effects of larval diet on susceptibility to an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. In the first part of the study, a split‐brood design was used to compare the susceptibility of full sibs raised either on low‐ or on high‐nutrition larval diet. In the second part of the study, a similar experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of maternal and paternal diet as well as their interaction on offspring's susceptibility. In the first part of the study, we found that individuals fed with high‐nutrition diet had higher mortality from infection than individuals fed with low‐nutrition diet. However, diet did not affect post‐infection survival time. Conversely, in the second part of the study, maternal diet was found to have no significant effect on final mortality rate of offspring, but it affected survival time: larvae with high‐nutrition maternal diet survived fewer days after infection than larvae with low‐nutrition maternal diet. Paternal diet had no significant effect on offspring's susceptibility to the fungus, indicating that paternal effects are not as important as maternal effects in influencing immune function in this species. Our findings provide further indication that maternal nutrition affects immune function in insects, and suggest that the direct effects of nutrition on immunity may be different, yet parallel, to those caused by parental nutrition.     

An Assessment of Nutrition Education in Endocrinology Fellowship Programs in the United States

ObjectiveCounseling patients about nutrition significantly improves chronic disease outcomes. Endocrinologists are uniquely positioned to educate patients regarding nutrition. The purpose of this study was to define the current state of nutrition education in endocrinology fellowship programs in the United States and assess the needs for future nutrition training.MethodsEndocrinology program directors were surveyed via an online questionnaire between February and April 2021.ResultsThirty-eight program directors responded (25% response rate) to the survey. Twenty-two (58%) programs offered nutrition education. Existing nutrition education offerings were 1 to 5 total hours (13, 34%), primarily didactic (20, 53%), and often led by registered dietitian nutritionists (15, 39%). Only 3 (8%) programs rated their current nutrition education as extremely effective; 95% of respondents believed that further nutrition education was needed. According to respondents, the ideal nutrition education for endocrine trainees should be 1 to 5 total hours (19, 50%) over multiple sessions (25, 66%), be interactive (24, 63%), and be led by registered dietitian nutritionists (26, 68%). The most important topics for independent practice included diet-related behavior modification (21, 55%), components of a healthful diet (19, 50%), and energy expenditure/intake (18, 47%).ConclusionAlthough the majority of the program directors believe that further nutrition education is needed, almost half of the surveyed programs do not offer such training. Programs that offer nutrition education primarily rely on a didactic format. There is an unmet need for interactive, multidisciplinary nutrition education in these programs.     

原发性肾病综合征患儿家长对疾病营养知识的调查与分析

目的:研究原发性肾病综合征患儿家长疾病营养知识,分析其相关影响因素。方法:选取2014年5月到2015年5月在我院门诊及住院的原发性肾病综合征患儿150例,应用自制问卷对患儿家长的一般资料及营养知识进行调查,应用非条件Logistic回归分析患儿家长营养知识影响因素。结果:150例原发性肾病综合征患儿家长对基本营养知识回答的正确率介于30.7%-96.7%,对具体营养知识回答的正确率为2.0%-42.0%;Logistic回归分析显示:家长文化程度、患儿病程、居住地、发病情况以及首次就诊是否接受营养指导均是家长疾病营养知识影响因素。结论:原发性肾病综合征患儿家长对疾病具体营养知识知晓率低,应根据影响因素对家长进行营养宣教。     

Food-Pharma Convergence in Medical Nutrition– Best of Both Worlds?

At present, industries within the health and life science sector are moving towards one another resulting in new industries such as the medical nutrition industry. Medical nutrition products are specific nutritional compositions for intervention in disease progression and symptom alleviation. Industry convergence, described as the blurring of boundaries between industries, plays a crucial role in the shaping of new markets and industries. Assuming that the medical nutrition industry has emerged from the convergence between the food and pharma industries, it is crucial to research how and which distinct industry domains have contributed to establish this relatively new industry. The first two stages of industry convergence (knowledge diffusion and consolidation) are measured by means of patent analysis. First, the extent of knowledge diffusion within the medical nutrition industry is graphed in a patent citation interrelations network. Subsequently the consolidation based on technological convergence is determined by means of patent co-classification. Furthermore, the medical nutrition core domain and technology interrelations are measured by means of a cross impact analysis. This study proves that the medical nutrition industry is a result of food and pharma convergence. It is therefore crucial for medical nutrition companies to effectively monitor technological developments within as well as across industry boundaries. This study further reveals that although the medical nutrition industry’s core technology domain is food, technological development is mainly driven by pharmaceutical/pharmacological technologies Additionally, the results indicate that the industry has surpassed the knowledge diffusion stage of convergence, and is currently in the consolidation phase of industry convergence. Nevertheless, while the medical nutrition can be classified as an industry in an advanced phase of convergence, one cannot predict that the pharma and food industry segments will completely converge or whether the medical industry will become an individual successful industry.     

Vitamin content of four marine microalgae. Potential use as source of vitamins in nutrition

Summary Certain marine microalgae contain water-and lipid-soluble vitamins and can be used as food supplements or food ingredients. A number of vitamins are present in higher concentrations in the microalgae than in conventional foods traditionally considered rich in them. Ingestion of relatively small quantities of microalgae can cover the requirements for some vitamins in animal nutrition, including human nutrition, while supplementing others. Marine microalgae can thus be considered to represent a non-conventional source of vitamins or a vitamin supplement for animal or human nutrition.     

Nutrigenomics-based personalised nutritional advice: in search of a business model?

Nutritional advice has mainly focused on population-level recommendations. Recent developments in nutrition, communication, and marketing sciences have enabled potential deviations from this dominant business model in the direction of personalisation of nutrition advice. Such personalisation efforts can take on many forms, but these have in common that they can only be effective if they are supported by a viable business model. The present paper takes an inventory of approaches to personalised nutrition currently available in the market place as its starting point to arrive at an identification of their underlying business models. This analysis is presented as a unifying framework against which the potential of nutrigenomics-based personalised advice can be assessed. It has uncovered nine archetypical approaches to personalised nutrition advice in terms of their dominant underlying business models. Differentiating features among such business models are the type of information that is used as a basis for personalisation, the definition of the target group, the communication channels that are being adopted, and the partnerships that are built as a part of the business model. Future research should explore the consumer responses to the diversity of “archetypical” business models for personalised nutrition advice as a source of market information on which the delivery of nutrigenomics-based personalised nutrition advice may further build.     

益生菌联合早期肠内营养干预对 重症脑卒中患者营养状态及肠道菌群的影响

目的探讨益生菌联合早期肠内营养干预对重症脑卒中患者营养状态及肠道菌群的影响。方法选取2014年1月至2018年6月于我院住院治疗的重症脑卒中患者70例,随机分为观察组和对照组各35例。两组患者均予控制颅内压、营养神经细胞、抗生素预防感染、保护胃黏膜和维持水电解质酸碱平衡等基础治疗。对照组患者留置鼻饲管行常规肠内营养治疗,观察组患者在对照组治疗基础上加用双歧杆菌四联活菌片水化后鼻饲管注入,1.5 g/次,3次/d,连用10 d。观察两组患者治疗前和治疗10 d后营养状态指标[血清总蛋白(TP)、转铁蛋白(TF)、上臂三头肌肌围(MAMC)]的变化,并比较治疗后肠道菌群(双歧杆菌、乳杆菌、拟杆菌、肠球菌、大肠埃希菌)数量变化。结果治疗10 d后,两组患者血清TP、TF水平和MAMC较治疗前显著下降(P0.05),且治疗后观察组患者TP、TF水平和MAMC高于对照组(P0.05);同时治疗后观察组患者粪便中双歧杆菌、乳杆菌和拟杆菌数量高于对照组,肠球菌和大肠埃希菌数量低于对照组(P0.05)。结论益生菌联合早期肠内营养干预不仅可显著减缓重症脑卒中患者的营养状态恶化;而且能有效地纠正肠道菌群失调,维持肠道微生态的稳定。     

食物质量对棉铃虫繁殖力的影响

在成虫期有补充营养条件下,幼期取食棉叶、棉铃和人工饲料个体的平均单雌产卵量分别为565．2、1005．8和1052．2粒;成虫期无补充营养,则单雌产卵量依次为162．2、400．6和1035．6粒。幼期营养较差者产卵前期显著增加、产卵期和寿命明显缩短,幼期营养较好者则影响不大。这种现象表明：棉铃虫成虫期补充营养是幼虫期营养的延续,幼虫期营养较差者需获得补充营养完成生殖活动,若幼虫期营养较好,则成虫无补充营养也能保持较高的繁殖力。     

Functioning of Enzyme Systems of Digestive and Non-Digestive Organs in Adult Rats Depends on Quality of Nutrition in Early Ontogenesis

It is revealed that restriction of protein in nutrition of rat pups in early ontogenesis, at the period of transition from the mixed to the definitive nutrition, produces change of structural parameters and functioning of digestive enzymes in various parts of small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum) and in large intestine as well as of these hydrolases in liver and kidney in adult life. The disturbance of quality of nutrition in early ontogenesis seems to affect negatively digestive functions of small intestine and trophic-barrier function of large intestine, liver, and kidney, which can promote development of diseases not only of the gastrointestinal tract, but also of other organs.     

小肽的营养及其在畜禽生产上的应用

小肽是动物降解蛋白质为氨基酸过程中的中间产物,是动物的重要营养。它能在动物胃肠内被完整的吸收,这被认为是一种重要的生理现象,从而打破也完善了传统蛋白质代谢理论。本文综述了小肽在动物体内的吸收机制,以及影响小肽释放、吸收和利用的因素,并介绍了小肽的营养作用以及小肽在畜禽生产中的应用效果。     

Effects of wheat plant inoculation with cytokinin-producing microorganisms on plant growth at increasing level of mineral nutrition

Triticum durum Desf. plants were grown for 11 days in sand culture on nutrient solutions with optimum or lowered content of mineral nutrients. Thereafter, the level of mineral nutrition was increased in some portion of deficient plants. Two days before, plants were inoculated with cytokinin-producing microorganisms of the Bacillus genus. Nutrition deficiency resulted in a decrease in the rate of plant biomass accumulation, which was correlated with the level of active cytokinins in both roots and shoots. After improving the mineral nutrition of noninoculated plants, the rate of their biomass accumulation increased and, by the end of experiment, their shoot fresh weight was 1.5-fold higher than in deficient plants; however, it was still by 20% lower than in plants continuously growing at optimum mineral nutrition. Inoculation resulted in the considerable increase in the cytokinin content in shoots as compared with all other treatments. In this case, after the improvement of plant mineral nutrition, the rates of growth and relative biomass accumulation increased sharply; as a result, these plants had the highest dry and fresh weights. Thus, inoculation with cytokinin-producing bacteria was beneficial for plant growth after their transfer from deficient to sufficient mineral nutrition.     

Plant sulfur nutrition: From Sachs to Big Data

Together with water and carbon dioxide plants require 14 essential mineral nutrients to finish their life cycle. The research in plant nutrition can be traced back to Julius Sachs, who was the first to experimentally prove the essentiality of mineral nutrients for plants. Among those elements Sachs showed to be essential is sulfur. Plant sulfur nutrition has been not as extensively studied as the nutrition of nitrogen and phosphate, probably because sulfur was not limiting for agriculture. However, with the reduction of atmospheric sulfur dioxide emissions sulfur deficiency has become common. The research in sulfur nutrition has changed over the years from using yeast and algae as experimental material to adopting Arabidopsis as the plant model as well as from simple biochemical measurements of individual parameters to system biology. Here the evolution of sulfur research from the times of Sachs to the current Big Data is outlined.     

Progress since the first international symposium: ‘Genetic aspects of plant mineral nutrition’, Beograd, 1982, and perspectives of future research

Summary The paper discusses the problems of genetic aspects of plant mineral nutrition in the light of the results presented at the First and Second Symposia on ‘Genetic Aspects of Plant Mineral Nutrition’ organized in Beograd in 1982 and Madison in 1985, respectively. On the basis of the results, future directions of research are discussed. The papers deal with the concentration and content of mineral nutrients in different genotypes, physiological and biochemical aspects of the genetic specificity of plant mineral nutrition, relations between plant genotypes and nitrogen fixing micro-organism strains, as well as with some related problems which have been investigated to a lesser extent. Particular attention is paid to papers and problems referring to genetic and breeding research work linked with genetic aspects of plant mineral nutrition as well as the possibilities of developing new cultivars requiring certain soil and mineral nutrition conditions for their cultivation.     

不同营养支持方式对进展期胃癌术后病人临床结局比较

摘要目的：研究肠内营养、肠外营养、常规补液对胃癌术后患者临床结局的影响。方法：择我院住院治疗并行外科手术治疗的胃 癌患者183 例,随机分至肠内营养组、肠外营养组、常规补液组,分别行相应的营养支持治疗,比较三组患者术前/ 后1 天及术后 8 天体重、白蛋白、淋巴细胞计数的变化及术后并发症发生情况、营养支持费用、术后住院时间、总费用。结果：常规补液组术后第 8 天体重较术前1 天明显下降;肠内、肠外营养组患者体重下降幅度均明显低于常规补液组;肠内、肠外营养组术后第8 天白蛋白 水平升高显著,且明显高于常规补液组;肠内营养组患者术后第8 天淋巴细胞明显上升,且较常规补液组有明显升高。肠外营养 组、常规补液组患者肝功能损害、血脂升高、血糖升高的发生率均明显高于肠内营养组;肠外营养组患者肝功能损害、血脂升高发 生率明显低于常规补液组;肠内营养组患者切口腹腔感染及肺部感染的发生率均明显低于常规补液组。与常规补液组相比,肠 外、内营养组患者术后住院时间均明显缩短,肠内营养组患者总费用明显偏高;与肠外营养相比,肠内营养组、常规补液组营养支 持费用明显降低,肠内营养组患者总费用显著下降,上述差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论：胃癌术后患者行肠内营养可大大 降低术后并发症的发生,并减少患者住院费用,缩短术后住院时间。     

一种适于营养胁迫研究的拟南芥水培方法

水培法可通过更换营养液来控制根际营养成分,成为植物营养学研究的最佳培养方式。由于根际通气和微生物滋生等问题,拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)的水培技术始终无法被广泛应用。该文利用Eppendorf离心管管盖和离心管盒,将拟南芥种子在琼脂上萌发和植株水培有机结合,通过控制营养液用量和液体深度,增加营养液表面积,解决了水培过程中根系通气问题。利用离心管管盖作为支撑材料,降低了琼脂水分蒸发,并减少琼脂的用量和厚度,从而实现琼脂和营养液的快速平衡,为拟南芥培养和营养胁迫研究提供了一个简单且经济的水培方法。     

胃癌术后早期经鼻空肠营养管肠内营养患者的强化护理的临床效应

目的:探讨强化护理措施对胃癌患者术后营养状态的改善作用,为减少术后营养相关并发症的发生提供可借鉴的方法。方法:选择2012年1月-2013年12月在我科实施胃癌手术患者的临床资料进行分析,根据术后营养支持方式的不同,将患者分为早期肠内营养支持组和常规肠内营养组。观察并比较两组患者的生命体征变化、术后肛门排气时间及并发症的发生情况等。结果:强化护理组23例胃癌患者给予术后早期肠内营养治疗后,恢复肛门排气时间为53±7.4 h,经过5±2.1 d的肠内营养后,术后体重增加1.2±0.4 kg,无肠内营养相关并发症发生,肠外营养支持时间明显缩短。结论:本研究显示强化早期肠内营养护理具有迅速改善胃癌病人营养不良状态,减少营养不良相关并发症发生,减轻病人经济负担等优点。     

不同营养支持方式对进展期胃癌术后病人临床结局比较

目的：研究肠内营养、肠外营养、常规补液对胃癌术后患者临床结局的影响。方法：择我院住院治疗并行外科手术治疗的胃癌患者183例,随机分至肠内营养组、肠外营养组、常规补液组,分别行相应的营养支持治疗,比较三组患者术前／后1天及术后8天体重、白蛋白、淋巴细胞计数的变化及术后并发症发生情况、营养支持费用、术后住院时间、总费用。结果：常规补液组术后第8天体重较术前1天明显下降;肠内、肠外营养组患者体重下降幅度均明显低于常规补液组;肠内、肠外营养组术后第8天白蛋白水平升高显著,且明显高于常规补液组;肠内营养组患者术后第8天淋巴细胞明显上升,且较常规补液组有明显升高。肠外营养组、常规补液组患者肝功能损害、血脂升高、血糖升高的发生率均明显高于肠内营养组;肠外营养组患者肝功能损害、血脂升高发生率明显低于常规补液组;肠内营养组患者切口腹腔感染及肺部感染的发生率均明显低于常规补液组。与常规补液组相比,肠外、内营养组患者术后住院时间均明显缩短,肠内营养组患者总费用明显偏高;与肠外营养相比,肠内营养组、常规补液组营养支持费用明显降低,肠内营养组患者总费用显著下降,上述差异均有统计学意义（P〈O．05）。结论：胃癌术后患者行肠内营养可大大降低术后并发症的发生,并减少患者住院费用,缩短术后住院时间。