Hypophosphataemia is frequently encountered in dairy cows during early lactation. Although supplementation of P is generally recommended, controversy exists over the suitability of oral P supplementation in animals with decreased or absent rumen motility. Since the effects of transruminal P absorption and the reticular groove reflex on the absorption kinetics of P are not well understood, it is unclear in how far treatment efficacy of oral P supplementation is affected by decreased rumen motility. Phosphate absorption was studied in six phosphate-depleted dairy cows fitted with rumen cannulas and treated with test solutions containing either NaH2PO4 or CaHPO4 with acetaminophen. Each animal was treated orally, intraruminally and intra-abomasally in randomised order. Absorption kinetics of P were studied and compared with the absorption kinetics of acetaminophen, a marker substance only absorbed from the small intestine. Intra-abomasal treatment with NaH2PO4 resulted in the most rapid and highest peaks in plasma inorganic P (Pi) concentration. Oral and intraruminal administration of NaH2PO4 resulted in similar increases in plasma Pi concentration from 4 to 7 h in both groups. Treatment with NaH2PO4 caused more pronounced peaks in plasma Pi concentration compared with CaHPO4. Neither transruminal P absorption nor the reticular groove reflex affected P absorption kinetics as determined by comparing plasma concentration–time curves of P and acetaminophen after administration of 1 m-phosphate salt solutions. It is concluded that oral treatment with NaH2PO4 but not CaHPO4 is effective in supplementing P in hypophosphataemic cows with adequate rumen motility. Decreased rumen motility is likely to hamper the efficacy of oral phosphate treatment.

The association between dietary Cu intake and mortality risk remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the relationship of dietary Cu intake with all-cause mortality among Chinese adults. A total of 17 310 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a national ongoing open cohort of Chinese participants, were included in the analysis. Dietary intake was measured by three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls in combination with a weighing inventory over the same 3 d. The average intakes of the 3-d dietary macronutrients and micronutrients were calculated. The study outcome was all-cause mortality. During a median follow-up of 9·0 years, 1324 (7·6 %) participants died. After adjusting for sex, age, BMI, ever alcohol drinking, ever smoking, education levels, occupations, urban or rural residents, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and the intakes of fat, protein and carbohydrate, the association between dietary Cu intake and all-cause mortality followed a J-shape (P for nonlinearity = 0·047). When dietary Cu intake was assessed as quartiles, compared with those in the first quartile (<1·60 mg/d), the adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were 0·87 (95 % CI (0·71, 1·07)), 0·98 (95 % CI (0·79, 1·21)) and 1·49 (95 % CI (1·19, 1·86)), respectively, in participants in the second (1·60–<1·83 mg/d), third (1·83–<2·09 mg/d) and fourth (≥2·09 mg/d) quartiles. A series of subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses showed similar results. Overall, our findings emphasised the importance of maintaining optimal dietary Cu intake levels for prevention of premature death.

Feeding flaxseed to dairy cows can modulate gene expression and PG synthesis in the uterus at the time of peri-implantation. The objectives of the present study were to determine which flaxseed components are responsible for these effects and how different endometrial cell types are affected. We evaluated the effects of six different linoleic acid (n-6):α-linolenic acid (n-3) ratios and three concentrations of the lignan enterolactone (ENL) on endometrial stromal cells (SC) and epithelial cells (EC). The mRNA abundance of genes with known or suspected roles in embryo survival or PG synthesis was evaluated, along with PGE2 and PGF2α concentrations in culture media. The mRNA abundance of several genes was modulated by different fatty acid (FA) ratios and/or ENL, and this modulation differed between cell types. The FA4 (FA at an n-6:n-3 ratio of 4) treatment (rich in n-3 FA) increased the mRNA abundance of genes that have positive effects on uterine receptivity and implantation when compared with the FA25 (FA at an n-6:n-3 ratio of 25) treatment (rich in n-6 FA). ENL decreased PGE2 and PGF2α concentrations in both cell types, and this reduction was associated with lower mRNA abundance of the PG synthase genes AKR1B1 and PTGES in SC. The combination of ENL with FA (FA4 treatment) resulted in the greatest reduction in PGF2α concentrations when compared with the addition of FA (FA4) or ENL alone. Because of the known luteolytic properties of PGF2α, a reduction in endometrial PGF2α secretion would favour the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy.

Supplementing palmitic acid (C16 : 0) in combination with modifying the dietary n-6:n-3 fatty acid (FA) ratio may benefit energy metabolism and milk responses of dairy cows. Twelve Holstein cows (70 (sd 11) days in milk) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square and allocated to four low-fibre diets (18·5 % forage neutral-detergent fibre) supplemented with no FA (CON), or 2·4 % C16 : 0-enriched supplement (PAL), 2·4 % mixture (2:1) of C16 : 0 and n-6 FA (PW6), and mixture (2:1) of C16 : 0 and n-3 FA (PW3). The dietary ratio of n-6:n-3 was increased with PW6 (10:1) and decreased with PW3 (2·8:1), whereas PAL alone made no change in the ratio (about 7:1). Compared with CON, all FA-supplemented treatments increased milk yield. However, feed and energy intakes were higher in PAL than PW3 or PW6, resulting in greater feed efficiency for PW3 and PW6 than PAL. Dietary FA supplements decreased milk protein concentration but tended to increase protein yield. Compared with CON and FA mixtures, PAL increased milk fat content and tended to increase milk SFA and atherosclerotic index. The concentration of milk n-3 FA was similar between CON and PW3. Feeding PAL increased milk energy output and decreased energy partitioning towards body reserves (−4·2 %), while this measure was positive for other treatments. Blood TAG and NEFA concentrations, but not β-hydroxybutyrate, were increased by FA-supplemented treatments. Feeding C16 : 0 combined with either n-6 or n-3 FA enhanced feed efficiency, alleviated the negative impacts on body energy reserves, but lowering the dietary n-6:n-3 ratio improved the FA profile of milk.

It has been proposed that young animals and subjects are more responsive to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than the adults. Nevertheless, there is very little information concerning the effectiveness of CLA in adult animals. In the present study we aimed to explore the effects of trans-10, cis-12-CLA on body fat accumulation in adult hamsters, as well as on some of the molecular mechanisms described in young animals as responsible for the CLA body fat-lowering effect, such as lipogenesis, lipoprotein lipase (LPL)-mediated fat uptake and thermogenesis. The experiment was conducted with sixteen adult male Syrian Golden hamsters (aged 8 months) fed a high-fat diet supplemented or not with 0·5 % trans-10, cis-12-CLA for 6 weeks. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACX), fatty acid synthase (FAS), LPL, PPARγ, sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1a and SREBP-1c expressions were assessed in subcutaneous and perirenal adipose tissues by real-time RT-PCR. Total and heparin-releasable LPL activities were determined in subcutaneous adipose tissue by fluorimetry and FAS activity by spectrophotometry. Uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) expression in interscapular brown adipose tissue was assessed by Western blot. Hamsters fed the trans-10, cis-12-CLA diet showed a significant reduction in subcutaneous adipose tissue. No changes were observed in the expression of ACX, FAS, LPL, SREBP-1a, SREBP-1c and PPARγ, nor in total and heparin-releasable LPL and FAS activities. Trans-10, cis-12-CLA induced a significant increase in the amount of UCP1. These results suggest a low responsiveness to trans-10, cis-12-CLA in adults, lower than that in young hamsters. One of the reasons explaining this difference is the lack of effect on LPL.

Studies have shown the positive effects of prebiotics on the intestinal absorption of Ca and Fe. The present study evaluated the effect of fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) supplementation in soya beverage (SB) on absorption mechanisms of Ca and Fe in recently weaned rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: lactose-free cows’ milk (CM), lactose-free CM with FOS (0·8 g/100 ml) (CMF), SB and soya beverage with FOS (0·8 g/100 ml) (SBF). These rats were euthanised after 1 week of treatment. Organ weight, pH of the caecal content and absorption mechanisms of Ca and Fe were evaluated. The results showed that the weight of the caecal contents increased in the CMF and SBF groups, and the pH of the caecal contents was lower in these groups. The Hb levels of the CMF and SB groups were higher when compared with that of the CM group and lower in relation to the SBF group. The apparent Ca and Fe absorption and apparent Ca retention in the CM group were higher when compared with the SB group, whereas in the CMF group, they were higher in relation to the SBF group. Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) protein expression in the duodenum was higher in the SBF group than in the SB and CMF groups. SB resulted in lower intestinal Ca absorption and higher Hb concentration, despite the lower apparent Fe absorption in relation to CM. Supplementation with FOS provided beneficial effects on Hb and DMT1 protein expression in the duodenum, in addition to improving the absorption process.

Age- and sex-based BMI cut-offs are used to define overweight and obesity, but the relationship between BMI and body composition has not been very well studied in children or compared between children of different ethnic groups. Body size and composition in childhood are also influenced by size at birth. Our aim was to compare body size and composition at 2 years in children with different ethnicity and size at birth. We prospectively followed a multi-ethnic cohort of 300 children born with risk factors for neonatal hypoglycaemia (infants of diabetics, large or small at birth or late preterm) to 2 years corrected age. Complete data on weight, height and head circumference and body composition using bioelectrical impedance 24±1 months corrected age were available in 209 children. At birth, compared with European children, Chinese, Indian and other ethnicity children were lighter, and Indian children had smaller head circumferences, but birth lengths were similar in all ethnic groups. At 2 years, Pacific children were heavier and had higher BMI z scores, and Indian children had smaller head circumferences and lower BMI z scores than those from other ethnic groups. However, fat mass and fat-free mass indices were similar in all groups. At median BMI, fat mass:fat-free mass ratio was 23 % lower in Pacific than in Indian children (0·22 v. 0·27, P=0·03). BMI is not a good indicator of adiposity in this multi-ethnic cohort of 2-year-old New Zealand children.

1. Diets containing various sugar mixtures together with polyethylene glycol of high molecular weight as a marker were fed to pigs 1, 2 and 3 weeks old. The piglets were slaughtered 2.5 h later, and the ratio of sugar to marker was determined in the contents of the alimentary tract as far as the caecum.

2. The greatest fall was found in the first part of the small intestine.

3. Glucose had always disappeared by the third quarter of the small intestine.

4. Xylose and fructose disappeared more slowly, especially in the younger pigs, but were usually absent from the contents of the last quarter of the small intestine.

5. Sucrose was removed far less completely, and the ratio of sucrose to marker frequently did not decrease along the second half of the small intestine. Sucrose was removed much less efficiently when it formed 15% of the diet than when it formed only 5%, and much less efficiently by the younger than by the older pigs.

1. One hundred and ten weanling rats were distributed between five dietary groups in randomized blocks. Each block was constructed from within a litter and each member of the block received a different diet.

2. The main features of the diets were: group I (twenty-six rats) 72% sucrose, group 2 (sixteen rats) 72% uncooked maize starch, group 3 (sixteen rats) 72% roll-dried maize starch, group 4 (twenty-six rats) 36% sucrose and 36% uncooked starch, group 5 (twenty-six rats) 36% sucrose and 36% roll-dried starch.

3. The animals were killed after 20 days on the diets and assessed for dental caries. The rats of group 1 (sucrose) had significantly more caries than all other groups, the rats of group 2 (uncooked starch) had significantly less caries than any of the other groups. Roll-dried starch (group 3) produced significantly more caries than uncooked starch (group 2). The mixture of uncooked starch and sucrose (group 4) was significantly more cariogenic than the mixture of roll-dried starch and sucrose (group 5).

The present study evaluated effects of dietary supplementation with tryptophan (Trp) on muscle growth, protein synthesis and antioxidant capacity in hybrid catfish Pelteobagrus vachelli♀ × Leiocassis longirostris♂. Fish were fed six different diets containing 2·6 (control), 3·1, 3·7, 4·2, 4·7 and 5·6 g Trp/kg diet for 56 d, respectively. Results showed that dietary Trp significantly (1) improved muscle protein content, fibre density and frequency of fibre diameter; (2) up-regulated the mRNA levels of PCNA, myf5, MyoD1, MyoG, MRF4, IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF-IR, PIK3Ca, TOR, 4EBP1 and S6K1; (3) increased phosphorylation levels of AKT, TOR and S6K1; (4) decreased contents of MDA and PC, and increased activities of CAT, GST, GR, ASA and AHR; (5) up-regulated mRNA levels of CuZnSOD, CAT, GST, GPx, GCLC and Nrf2, and decreased Keap1 mRNA level; (6) increased nuclear Nrf2 protein level and the intranuclear antioxidant response element-binding ability, and reduced Keap1 protein level. These results indicated that dietary Trp improved muscle growth, protein synthesis as well as antioxidant capacity, which might be partly related to myogenic regulatory factors, IGF/PIK3Ca/AKT/TOR and Keap1/Nrf2 signalling pathways. Finally, based on the quadratic regression analysis of muscle protein and MDA contents, the optimal Trp requirements of hybrid catfish (21·82–39·64 g) were estimated to be 3·94 and 3·93 g Trp/kg diet (9·57 and 9·54 g/kg of dietary protein), respectively.

A total of eight ileal and caecal cannulated Yorkshire barrows were used to determine the interactions of dietary fibre (DF) and lipid types on apparent digestibility of DM and fatty acids (FA) and FA flows in gastrointestinal segments. Pigs were offered four diets that contained either pectin or cellulose with or without beef tallow or maize oil in two Youden square designs (n 6). Each period lasted 15 d. Faeces, ileal and caecal contents were collected to determine apparent ileal digestibility (AID), apparent caecal digestibility and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dietary components. The interactions between DF and lipid types influenced (P <0·05) the digestibility of DM and FA flows. The addition of maize oil decreased (P <0·05) AID of DM in pectin diets, and the addition of beef tallow depressed (P <0·001) ATTD of DM in cellulose diets. Dietary supplementation with beef tallow decreased (P <0·05) the AID of FA in pectin-containing diets but had no effects in cellulose-containing diets. Dietary supplementation with beef tallow increased (P <0·05) AID of SFA and PUFA and the flow of ileal oleic, vaccenic, linolenic and eicosadienoic acids and reduced the flow of faecal lauric, docosatetraenoic and docosapentaenoic acids in pectin- and cellulose-containing diets. In conclusion, the interaction between DF type and lipid saturation modulates digestibility of DM and lipids and FA flows but differs for soluble and insoluble fibre sources, SFA and unsaturated fatty acids and varies in different gastrointestinal segments.

This is a cross-sectional analysis of data obtained in the baseline of the Longitudinal Study on the Lifestyle and Health of University Students (n 685) carried out in a public Brazilian university. Food intake was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall. Dietary patterns (DP) for breakfast, lunch and dinner were identified using principal component analysis. Generalised linear models were used to analyse the variables associated with each DP. Three DP were extracted for each meal: breakfast: ‘White bread and butter/margarine’, ‘Coffee and tea’ and ‘Sausages, whole wheat bread and cheese’; lunch: ‘Traditional’, ‘Western’ and ‘Vegetarian’ and dinner: ‘Beans, rice and processed juice’, ‘White bread and butter/margarine’ and ‘White meat, eggs and natural juice’. Students who had meals at the campus showed greater adherence to the ‘White bread and butter/margarine’ (exp (βadj) = 1·15, 95 % CI 1·11, 1·19) and ‘Coffee and tea’ (exp (βadj) = 1·06, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·10) breakfast patterns; ‘Western’ lunch pattern (exp (βadj) = 1·04, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·08) and to the ‘Beans, rice and processed juice’ dinner pattern (exp (βadj) = 1·10, 95 % CI 1·06, 1·14). Having meals at the campus was associated with lower adherence to the ‘Sausages, whole wheat bread and cheese’ breakfast pattern (exp (βadj) = 0·93, 95 % CI 0·89, 0·97), ‘Traditional’ lunch pattern (exp (βadj) = 0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·99) and to the ‘White bread and butter/margarine’ (exp (βadj) = 0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·99) and ‘White meat, eggs and natural juice’ (exp (βadj) = 0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·99) dinner pattern. The food environment at campus may influence students’ DP. Recognising meal eating patterns is important to support healthy eating promotion strategies on campus. Adjustments in the University Canteen menu could contribute to healthier eating choices among students.

We conducted two studies to test the validity, reliability, feasibility and acceptability of using video chat technology to quantify dietary and pill-taking (i.e. supplement and medication) adherence. In study 1, we investigated whether video chat technology can accurately quantify adherence to dietary and pill-taking interventions. Mock study participants ate food items and swallowed pills, while performing randomised scripted ‘cheating’ behaviours to mimic non-adherence. Monitoring was conducted in a cross-over design, with two monitors watching in-person and two watching remotely by Skype on a smartphone. For study 2, a twenty-two-item online survey was sent to a listserv with more than 20 000 unique email addresses of past and present study participants to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the technology. For the dietary adherence tests, monitors detected 86 % of non-adherent events (sensitivity) in-person v. 78 % of events via video chat monitoring (P=0·12), with comparable inter-rater agreement (0·88 v. 0·85; P=0·62). However, for pill-taking, non-adherence trended towards being more easily detected in-person than by video chat (77 v. 60 %; P=0·08), with non-significantly higher inter-rater agreement (0·85 v. 0·69; P=0·21). Survey results from study 2 (n 1076 respondents; ≥5 % response rate) indicated that 86·4 % of study participants had video chatting hardware, 73·3 % were comfortable using the technology and 79·8 % were willing to use it for clinical research. Given the capability of video chat technology to reduce participant burden and outperform other adherence monitoring methods such as dietary self-report and pill counts, video chatting is a novel and promising platform to quantify dietary and pill-taking adherence.

1. The irreversible loss rate (ILR) of glucose, bicarbonate and threonine were determined in six twin- and triplet-bearing ewes on three occasions during the last 6 weeks of gestation.

2. Three of the ewes (group S) were given conventional rations of hay plus concentrates so that their blood ketone levels did not rise over this period. The other three ewes (group H) were given a fixed intake of hay throughout; their blood ketone levels rose, but remained at subclinical levels.

3. The results are presented in the form of three-pool open-compartment models for each period. There was an increase in the glucose ILR for both groups over the 6-week period, but the over-all increase (mean ± SE) was much greater (p < 0·001) in group S (35·1 ± 2·43 g carbon/d) than in group H (11·3 ± 1·28 g C/d). Similarly, increases in bicarbonate ILR were also higher in group S (161 ± 11·2 g C/d) than in group H (63 ± 21·7 g C/d). However, whereas with group S ewes, receiving supplementary feed, this increase was progressive throughout the 6 weeks, with the group H ewesthe increase which occurred over the last 3 weeks of gestation (56 ± 26·3 gC/d) was much greater than that which occurred over the preceding 3 weeks (7 ±4·7 g C/d). This pattern was also evident in the oxidation of glucose to CO2.

4. In contrast to the previously mentioned findings, neither threonine ILR nor the amount of threonine converted to glucose or catabolized to CO2 changed significantly over the 6-week period.

5. The results are discussed in the light of findings presented in the previous paper that the amount of threonine used in catabolic processes can alter if a glucose-only sinkis created in wether sheep.

Malnutrition and sarcopenia are prevalent in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Pre-treatment sarcopenia and adverse oncological outcomes in this population are well described. The impact of myosteatosis and post-treatment sarcopenia is less well known. Patients with HNSCC (n = 125) undergoing chemoradiotherapy, radiotherapy alone and/or surgery were assessed for sarcopenia and myosteatosis, using cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) imaging at the third lumbar (L3) vertebra, at baseline and 3 months post-treatment. Outcomes were overall survival (OS) at 12 months and 5 years post-treatment. One hundred and one participants had a CT scan evaluable at one or two time points, of which sixty-seven (66 %) participants were sarcopenic on at least one time point. Reduced muscle attenuation affected 93 % (n = 92) pre-treatment compared with 97 % (n = 90) post-treatment. Five-year OS favoured those without post-treatment sarcopenia (hazard ratio, HR 0·37, 95 % CI 0·16, 0·88, P = 0·06) and those without both post-treatment myosteatosis and sarcopenia (HR 0·33, 95 % CI 0·13, 0·83, P = 0·06). Overall, rates of myosteatosis were high at both pre- and post-treatment time points. Post-treatment sarcopenia was associated with worse 5-year OS, as was post-treatment sarcopenia in those who had myosteatosis. Post-treatment sarcopenia should be evaluated as an independent risk factor for decreased long-term survival post-treatment containing radiotherapy (RT) for HNSCC.