Die Auswirkungen der Ernährung auf kognitive Funktionen, Wohlbefinden und das Gehirn

The nutritional content of the food we consume affects several metabolic pathways that can impact the brain, and thereby cognitive functioning and wellbeing. This thesis aimed to investigate to what extent dietary intake affects cognitive functioning and wellbeing and elucidate underlying mechanisms using a literature review and an online observation study. Study 1, a literature review, showed that dietary macronutrients – carbohydrates, fatty acids, and proteins – impact acute and long-term cognitive functioning as well as neural correlates in healthy adults. A framework is proposed based on existing findings indicating that glucose and insulin metabolism, neurotransmitter actions, and oxidation/inflammation are among the primary mechanisms linking dietary macronutrient intake, brain functioning, and -integrity. Study 2 investigated lifestyle factors and mental wellbeing of healthy human adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that fruit/ vegetable intake, alongside physical activity and high-quality social interactions, predicted daily wellbeing. Together, these studies confirm the critical role that dietary intake plays in cognitive and affective functioning in healthy human adults. A follow-up study is proposed to further investigate to what extent habitual diet affects glucose and neurotransmitter metabolism and subsequent brain function in a controlled laboratory setting. Finally, clinical implications are suggested in the context of improving cognitive health outcomes in an elderly population.Der Nährstoffgehalt der von uns verzehrten Lebensmittel beeinflusst verschiedene Stoffwechselwege, die sich auf das Gehirn und damit auf die kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit und das Wohlbefinden auswirken. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es zu untersuchen, inwieweit sich die Nahrungsaufnahme auf die kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit und das Wohlbefinden auswirkt, und die zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen anhand einer Literaturübersicht und einer Online-Beobachtungsstudie zu klären. Studie 1, eine Literaturübersicht, zeigte, dass Makronährstoffe - Kohlenhydrate, Fettsäuren und Proteine - die akute und langfristige kognitive Funktion sowie die neuronalen Korrelate bei gesunden Erwachsenen beeinflussen. Auf der Grundlage bestehender Erkenntnisse wird ein Rahmenwerk vorgeschlagen, das zeigt, dass der Glukose- und Insulinstoffwechsel, die Wirkung von Neurotransmittern und die Oxidation/Entzündung zu den wichtigsten Mechanismen gehören, die die Aufnahme von Makronährstoffen, die Gehirnfunktion und -integrität miteinander verbinden. Studie 2 untersuchte Lebensstilfaktoren und das psychische Wohlbefinden gesunder erwachsener Menschen während der COVID-19-Pandemie und stellte fest, dass der Verzehr von Obst und Gemüse das tägliche Wohlbefinden vorhersagt. Zusammen bestätigen diese Studien die entscheidende Rolle, die die Nahrungsaufnahme für die kognitive und affektive Leistungsfähigkeit gesunder Erwachsener spielt. Es wird eine Folgestudie vorgeschlagen, um weiter zu untersuchen, inwieweit die gewohnheitsmäßige Ernährung den Glukose- und Neurotransmitter-Stoffwechsel und damit die Gehirnfunktion in einer kontrollierten Laborumgebung beeinflusst. Schließlich werden klinische Implikationen im Zusammenhang mit der Verbesserung der kognitiven Gesundheit älterer Menschen diskutiert

A systematic literature review of studies analyzing the effect of sex, age, education, marital status, obesity, and smoking on health transitions

Sex, age, education, marital status, obesity, and smoking have been found to affect health transitions between non-disabled, disabled, and death. Our aim is to review the research literature on this topic and provide structured information, first on the availability of results for each risk factor and transition, and then on detailed study characteristics and disability measures. We use expert recommendations and the electronic databases Medline, PsycINFO, and SOCA. The search is confined to the years 1985-2005, and produced a total of 7,778 articles. Sixty-three articles met the selection criteria regarding study population, longitudinal design, risk factors, transition, and outcome measures.gender, health, mortality, obesity, review, sex, smoking, systematic review, transition

Carcass Grading for Local Vietnamese Ban Pigs and its Potential for a Quality Feedback System in a Short Food Supply Chain

AbstractIn-situ conservation of local pig breeds in Southeast Asia requires genetic improvement embedded in viable marketing concepts. Increasing demand offers marketing opportunities for indigenous Vietnamese Ban pork. This study sought to adjust estimation methods for grading light carcasses according to their leanness. Using data from the dissection of 45 carcasses, several models were fitted and evaluated. Although the predictive power of the equations was limited, Ban carcasses could be approximatively classified according to their lean content. Finally, a suggestion of how to include these measurements in a quality feedback system of a short food supply chain is made

Breeding for resistance to nematode infections in organic goat production in Germany – A way forward?

Organic goat production in Germany could benefit from genetic improvement strategies that take the resistance of goats to nematode infestations and the resilience and tolerance for infections into consideration. However, there still is an immense research need before such traits can be incorporated in a breeding program

Optimising contributions of goat farming to household economic success and food security in three production systems in Ethiopia

The study aims to analyse factors affecting contributions of goat farming to household economic success and food security in three goat production systems of Ethiopia. A study was conducted in three districts of Ethiopia representing arid agro-pastoral (AAP), semi-arid agro-pastoral (SAAP) and highland mixed crop-livestock (HMCL) systems involving 180 goat keeping households. Gross margin (GM) and net benefit (NB1 and NB2) were used as indicators of economic success of goat keeping. NB1 includes in-kind benefits of goats (consumption and manure), while NB2 additionally constitutes intangible benefits (insurance and finance). Household dietary diversity score (HDDS) was used as a proxy indicator of food security. GM was significantly affected by an off-take rate and flock size interaction (P0.001). The increment of GM due to increased off-take rate was more prominent for farmers with bigger flocks. Interaction between flock size and production system significantly (P0.001) affected both NB1 and NB2. The increment of NB1 and NB2 by keeping larger flocks was higher in AAP system, due to higher in-kind and intangible benefits of goats in this system. Effect of goat flock size as a predictor of household dietary diversity was not significant (P0.05). Nevertheless, a significant positive correlation (P0.05) was observed between GM from goats and HDDS in AAP system, indicating the indirect role of goat production for food security. The study indicated that extent of utilising tangible and intangible benefits of goats varied among production systems and these differences should be given adequate attention in designing genetic improvement programs

Discriminating the quality of local pork from crossbred pork from extensive production of ethnic minorities in mountainous northern Vietnam

Developing short food supply chains for products from local pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) breeds may offer chances for smallholders in rural areas to participate in niche markets and obtain additional income. Because the authenticity and distinctness of products are crucial for establishing marketing, this study compared selected product characteristics of pork from the Vietnamese Ban breed with pork from crossbreds, each derived at their typical market weight and from their respective extensive and semi-extensive production environment; thus resembling the combination, the products are available for customers. Traditional Ban pork could be effectively discriminated from crossbred pork through cut dimensions, exemplified by the significantly reduced loin eye area (P 0.001), and by the significantly reduced backfat thickness (P 0.001). Also, marbling fat was significantly decreased in local pork (P 0.001), whereas differences in further meat quality parameters were rather weakly expressed. The significantly higher share of polyunsaturated fatty acids in loins of traditionally produced Ban pigs (P = 0.003) could possibly result in a preferred nutritional value, but lower oxidative stability of the products. This study provides novel information to improve the marketing of specialty pork in Vietnam and comparable situations in the Southeast Asian Massif

Correlation between Macular Neovascularization (MNV) Type and Druse Type in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Based on the CONAN Classification

To investigate associations and predictive factors between macular neovascularization (MNV) lesion variants and drusen types in patients with treatment-naïve neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Multimodal imaging was retrospectively reviewed for druse type (soft drusen, subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs) or mixed) and MNV type (MNV 1, MNV 2, MNV 1/2 or MNV 3). The Consensus on Neovascular AMD Nomenclature (CONAN) classification was used for characterizing MNV at baseline. Results: One eye of each eligible patient was included (n = 191). Patients with predominant SDDs had an increased adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for MNV 2 (23.4453, p = 0.0025) and any type of MNV 3 (8.7374, p < 0.0001). Patients with MNV 1/2 had an aOR for predominant SDDs (0.3284, p = 0.0084). Patients with MNV1 showed an aOR for SDDs (0.0357, p < 0.0001). Eyes with SDDs only without other drusen types showed an aOR for MNV 2 (9.2945, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: SDDs represent a common phenotypic characteristic in AMD eyes with treatment-naïve MNV. The aOR for eyes with predominant SDDs to develop MNV 2 and MNV 3 was much higher, possibly due to their location in the subretinal space. The predominant druse type may help to predict which type of MNV will develop during the course of AMD

Analysis of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) Parameters in Young Adults after SARS-CoV-2 Infection (COVID-19) Compared with Healthy Young Controls

Purpose: To compare retinal changes in young adults with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection with healthy young controls using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Methods: This prospective single-center study was conducted at the University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Participants were imaged from May to November 2021 using the SOLIX device (Visionix International SAS, Pont-de-l’Arche, France). We performed 12 mm × 12 mm, 6.4 mm × 6.4 mm, 6 mm × 6 mm and 3 mm × 3 mm OCT and OCTA scans, as well as fundus photography of each participant’s eyes. Results: In total, 466 participants were imaged. Of these, 233 were healthy controls with negative RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2, 168 were young adults who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection at least 180 days previously, 19 were participants who had a SARS-CoV-2 infection < 180 days previously, and 46 were participants with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (i.e., serologically positive but with no symptoms). Compared with healthy controls, statistically significant differences were found for OCTA recordings of the optic disc for the whole image (WI) and WI capillary vessel density, with both being higher in the SARS-CoV-2 group. Conclusion: Statistically significant results were only observed for selected variables, and in parts, only unilaterally, with relatively large p values (p = 0.02–0.03). Thus, we did not interpret these as clinically significant, leading to the conclusion that young and otherwise healthy individuals (mainly men) seem to recover from mild COVID-19 infections with no ophthalmological residues

Asymmetric protonation of EmrE

The small multidrug resistance transporter EmrE is a homodimer that uses energy provided by the proton motive force to drive the efflux of drug substrates. The pKa values of its “active-site” residues—glutamate 14 (Glu14) from each subunit—must be poised around physiological pH values to efficiently couple proton import to drug export in vivo. To assess the protonation of EmrE, pH titrations were conducted with (1)H-(15)N TROSY-HSQC nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. Analysis of these spectra indicates that the Glu14 residues have asymmetric pKa values of 7.0 ± 0.1 and 8.2 ± 0.3 at 45°C and 6.8 ± 0.1 and 8.5 ± 0.2 at 25°C. These pKa values are substantially increased compared with typical pKa values for solvent-exposed glutamates but are within the range of published Glu14 pKa values inferred from the pH dependence of substrate binding and transport assays. The active-site mutant, E14D-EmrE, has pKa values below the physiological pH range, consistent with its impaired transport activity. The NMR spectra demonstrate that the protonation states of the active-site Glu14 residues determine both the global structure and the rate of conformational exchange between inward- and outward-facing EmrE. Thus, the pKa values of the asymmetric active-site Glu14 residues are key for proper coupling of proton import to multidrug efflux. However, the results raise new questions regarding the coupling mechanism because they show that EmrE exists in a mixture of protonation states near neutral pH and can interconvert between inward- and outward-facing forms in multiple different protonation states