Intercepted mosquitoes at New Zealand's ports of entry, 2001 to 2018: current status and future concerns

Mosquito vectors are extending their range via international travel and trade. Climate change makes New Zealand an increasingly suitable environment for less tropically adapted exotic mosquito vectors to become established. This shift will add a multiplier effect to existing risks of both the establishment of new species and of resident exotic species extending into new areas. We describe trends in the border interceptions of exotic mosquitoes and evaluate the role of imported goods as a pathway for these introductions. Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, the two most commonly intercepted species, were only intercepted in Auckland. Used tyres and machinery were the main mode of entry for both species. The majority of Ae. albopictus were transported as larvae by sea, while most Ae. aegypti were transported as adults by air. Continuing introductions of these mosquitoes, mainly arriving via Japan or Australia, increase the risk of the local transmission of mosquito-borne diseases in New Zealand in general and in the Auckland region in particular. These findings reinforce the need for a high performing and adequately resourced national biosecurity system, particularly port surveillance and inspection. Recommended biosecurity improvements are described

Marine oils: Complex, confusing, confounded?

AbstractMarine oils gained prominence following the report that Greenland Inuits who consumed a high-fat diet rich in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) also had low rates of cardiovascular disease. Marine n-3 PUFAs have since become a billion dollar industry, which will continue to grow based on current trends. However, recent systematic reviews question the health benefits of marine oil supplements, particularly in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Marine oils constitute an extremely complex dietary intervention for a number of reasons: i) the many chemical compounds they contain; ii) the many biological processes affected by n-3 PUFAs; iii) their tendency to deteriorate and form potentially toxic primary and secondary oxidation products; and iv) inaccuracy in the labelling of consumer products. These complexities may confound the clinical literature, limiting the ability to make substantive conclusions for some key health outcomes. Thus, there is a pressing need for clinical trials using marine oils whose composition has been independently verified and demonstrated to be minimally oxidised. Without such data, it is premature to conclude that n-3 PUFA rich supplements are ineffective

An open-label pilot trial of faecal microbiome transfer to restore the gut microbiome in anorexia nervosa : protocol

Funding Information: This study is fully funded by the Rockfield Trust (Award/Grant no: NA). The funders had no involvement in the design of the study, and will have no involvement in the collection, analyses, interpretation of data or in the writing or decision to publish the manuscript on study findings. Publisher Copyright: © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Introduction Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) harbour distinct gut microbiomes compared with healthy individuals, which are sufficient to induce weight loss and anxiety-like behaviours when transplanted into germ-free mice. We hypothesise that faecal microbiome transfer (FMT) from healthy donors would help restore the gut microbiome of individuals with AN, which in turn, may aid patient recovery. Methods We aim to conduct an open-label pilot study in 20 females aged 16-32 years in Auckland, New Zealand who meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) criteria for AN and have a body mass index 13-19 kg/m 2. We will recruit four healthy, lean, female donors, aged 18-32 years, who will undergo extensive clinical screening prior to stool donation. Faecal microbiota will be harvested from donors and double encapsulated in delayed release, acid-resistant capsules. All participants will receive a single course of 20 FMT capsules (five from each donor) which they can choose to take over two or four consecutive days. Stool and blood samples will be collected from participants over a period of 3 months to assess their gut microbiome profile, metabolome, levels of intestinal inflammation and nutritional status. Our primary outcome is a shift in the gut microbiome composition at 3 weeks post-FMT (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity). We will also monitor participants' body composition (whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans), eating disorder psychopathology, mental health and assess their views on, and tolerability of, treatment. All adverse events will be recorded and reviewed by an independent data monitoring committee. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was provided by the Central Health and Disability Ethics Committee (Ministry of Health, New Zealand, 21/CEN/212). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented to both scientific and consumer group audiences. Trial registration number ACTRN12621001504808.Peer reviewe

Prediction of fat-free mass in a multi-ethnic cohort of infants using bioelectrical impedance: validation against the PEA POD.

Background: Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is widely used to measure body composition but has not been adequately evaluated in infancy. Prior studies have largely been of poor quality, and few included healthy term-born offspring, so it is unclear if BIA can accurately predict body composition at this age.Aim: This study evaluated impedance technology to predict fat-free mass (FFM) among a large multi-ethnic cohort of infants from the United Kingdom, Singapore, and New Zealand at ages 6 weeks and 6 months (n = 292 and 212, respectively).Materials and methods: Using air displacement plethysmography (PEA POD) as the reference, two impedance approaches were evaluated: (1) empirical prediction equations; (2) Cole modeling and mixture theory prediction. Sex-specific equations were developed among ∼70% of the cohort. Equations were validated in the remaining ∼30% and in an independent University of Queensland cohort. Mixture theory estimates of FFM were validated using the entire cohort at both ages.Results: Sex-specific equations based on weight and length explained 75–81% of FFM variance at 6 weeks but only 48–57% at 6 months. At both ages, the margin of error for these equations was 5–6% of mean FFM, as assessed by the root mean squared errors (RMSE). The stepwise addition of clinically-relevant covariates (i.e., gestational age, birthweight SDS, subscapular skinfold thickness, abdominal circumference) improved model accuracy (i.e., lowered RMSE). However, improvements in model accuracy were not consistently observed when impedance parameters (as the impedance index) were incorporated instead of length. The bioimpedance equations had mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE) < 5% when validated. Limits of agreement analyses showed that biases were low (< 100 g) and limits of agreement were narrower for bioimpedance-based than anthropometry-based equations, with no clear benefit following the addition of clinically-relevant variables. Estimates of FFM from BIS mixture theory prediction were inaccurate (MAPE 11–12%).Conclusion: The addition of the impedance index improved the accuracy of empirical FFM predictions. However, improvements were modest, so the benefits of using bioimpedance in the field remain unclear and require further investigation. Mixture theory prediction of FFM from BIS is inaccurate in infancy and cannot be recommended

Prediction of fat-free mass in young children using bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy

Background: bioimpedance devices are practical for measuring body composition in preschool children, but their application is limited by the lack of validated equations. Objectives: to develop and validate fat-free mass (FFM) bioimpedance prediction equations among New Zealand 3.5-year-olds, with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the reference method.Methods: bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (SFB7, ImpediMed) and DXA (iDXA, GE Lunar) measurements were conducted on 65 children. An equation incorporating weight, sex, ethnicity, and impedance was developed and validated. Performance was compared with published equations and mixture theory prediction.Results: the equation developed in ~70% (n=45) of the population (FFM [kg] = 1.39 + 0.30 weight [kg] + 0.39 length2/resistance at 50 kHz [cm2/Ω] + 0.30 sex [M=1/F=0] + 0.28 ethnicity [1=Asian/0=non-Asian]) explained 88% of the variance in FFM and predicted FFM with a root mean squared error of 0.39 kg (3.4% of mean FFM). When internally validated (n=20), bias was small (40 g, 0.3% of mean FFM), with limits of agreement (LOA) ±7.6% of mean FFM (95% LOA: -0.82, 0.90 kg). Published equations evaluated had similar LOA, but with marked bias (&gt;12.5% of mean FFM) when validated in our cohort, likely due to DXA differences. Of mixture theory methods assessed, the SFB7 inbuilt equation with personalized body geometry values performed best. However, bias and LOA were larger than with the empirical equations (-0.43 kg [95% LOA: -1.65, 0.79], p&lt;0.001).Conclusions: we developed and validated a bioimpedance equation that can accurately predict FFM. Further external validation of the equation is required. <br/

The effect of a preconception and antenatal nutritional supplement on children's BMI and weight gain over the first 2 years of life: findings from the NiPPeR randomised controlled trial

Background: nutritional intervention before and throughout pregnancy might promote healthy infant weight gain; however, clinical evidence is scarce. Therefore, we examined whether preconception and antenatal supplementation would affect the body size and growth of children in the first 2 years of life.Methods: women were recruited from the community before conception in the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand, and randomly allocated to either the intervention (myo-inositol, probiotics, and additional micronutrients) or control group (standard micronutrient supplement) with stratification by site and ethnicity. Measurements of weight and length were obtained from 576 children at multiple timepoints in the first 2 years of life. Differences in age and sex standardised BMI at age 2 years (WHO standards) and the change in weight from birth were examined. Written informed consent was obtained from the mothers, and ethics approval was granted by local committees. The NiPPeR trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02509988) on July 16, 2015 (Universal Trial Number U1111-1171-8056).Findings: 1729 women were recruited between Aug 3, 2015, and May 31, 2017. Of the women randomised, 586 had births at 24 weeks or more of gestation between April, 2016, and January, 2019. At age 2 years, adjusting for study site, infant sex, parity, maternal smoking, maternal prepregnancy BMI, and gestational age, fewer children of mothers who received the intervention had a BMI of more than the 95th percentile (22 [9%] of 239 vs 44 [18%] of 245, adjusted risk ratio 0·51, 95% CI 0·31–0·82, p=0·006). Longitudinal data revealed that the children of mothers who received the intervention had a 24% reduced risk of experiencing rapid weight gain of more than 0·67 SD in the first year of life (58 [21·9%] of 265 vs 80 [31·1%] of 257, adjusted risk ratio 0·76, 95% CI 0·58–1·00, p=0·047). Risk was likewise decreased for sustained weight gain of more than 1·34 SD in the first 2 years (19 [7·7%] of 246 vs 43 [17·1%] of 251, adjusted risk ratio 0·55, 95% CI 0·34–0·88, p=0·014).Interpretation: rapid weight gain in infancy is associated with future adverse metabolic health. The intervention supplement taken before and throughout pregnancy was associated with lower risk of rapid weight gain and high BMI at age 2 years among children. Long-term follow-up is required to assess the longevity of these benefits.Funding: National Institute for Health Research; New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; Société Des Produits Nestlé; UK Medical Research Council; Singapore National Research Foundation; National University of Singapore and the Agency of Science, Technology and Research; and Gravida.</p