Culture

Miles beneath the ocean's surface in the dark abyss, vast communities of subseafloor microbes at deep-sea hot springs are converting chemicals into energy that allows deep-sea life to survive--and even thrive--in a world without sunlight. Until now, however, measuring the productivity of subseafloor microbe communities--or how fast they oxidize chemicals and the amount of carbon they produce--has been nearly impossible.

A new study by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists has unveiled that these microbe-based ecosystems are surprisingly productive and play an important role supporting life higher up the food chain in the food-starved deep ocean. They estimate that worldwide, deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbial communities can produce more than 4,000 tons of organic carbon each day, the building block of life. That is roughly the same amount of carbon in 200 blue whales--making these ecosystems among the ocean's most productive on a per volume basis. The study appears in the June 11, 2018, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We found that microbial communities living below the seafloor at vents can generate similar amounts of carbon as the well-known animal communities above seafloor, like the tube worms, which are known to be as productive as rainforest ecosystems," said Stefan Sievert, a microbiologist at WHOI and senior author of the study. "The significant amounts of carbon these organisms produce daily provide an important source of food and energy for other organisms in the deep sea, where there's generally a lot less carbon available." As carbon from decomposing marine life sinks from surface waters to the deep, bacteria and other microorganisms chomp away at it until it withers away to marine gristle. "What's coming down from the surface to these depths isn't all that much, and not very digestible to deep-sea life," said Jesse McNichol, who conducted this work as a Ph.D. student at WHOI and is the first author of the study.

The microbes at vents get their energy to live and grow through chemosynthesis, feeding off a chemical cocktail of hot hydrothermal fluids emanating from the ocean's crust. And they, in turn, represent the base of the food web, providing food for other organisms that require preformed organic matter, just like humans do.

"So the microbes play an important role by generating new sources of carbon that other organisms can consume," McNichol said. "Based on the relatively small area that vents occupy of the seafloor, the overall productivity down there is small compared to what we see at the surface, but a little can go a long way in the deep sea and it also creates hot spots of activity near vents."

Measuring the productivity of subseafloor microbe communities has been a daunting task. To accomplish it, the researchers collected microbe samples from a well-studied vent site on the East Pacific Rise known as Crab Spa. The vent fluids were collected in water sampling containers known as Isobaric Gas-Tight samplers (IGTs), which are designed to maintain the extreme pressures of the natural deep-sea environment where the microbes live. "If you bring the samplers up to the surface without maintaining the pressure that exists at the seafloor," explained Jeff Seewald, a geochemist at WHOI who developed these samplers and is a co-author of the study, "gases dissolved in the fluid will outgas, similar to when you open a bottle of sparkling water. This can change the fluid's chemistry and the activity of the microbes."

In the lab, deep-sea pressures and temperatures were maintained while the researchers added chemicals such as nitrate, hydrogen gas, and oxygen gas to the samples. Through this process, the scientists were able to measure the rates at which the microbes consumed specific chemicals and how efficiently they converted them into biomass, a critical parameter to determine the productivity of the microbial ecosystem.

To do so, the WHOI scientists teamed up with researchers in Leipzig, Germany, to employ a novel analytical method known as NanoSIMS, allowing them to match the identities of microbes with their rates of carbon production under different incubation conditions at the level of individual microbial cells, showing that microbes known as Campylobacteria (formerly known as Epsilonproteobacteria) were the dominant carbon producers.

"Some of the microbes in the incubations doubled their populations in just a few hours", said Sievert. "This points to a very active subseafloor biosphere at deep-sea vents."

Given the critical role these microbial communities play in the deep ocean, the scientists are looking for new and more routine ways to measure productivity miles below the sea surface. Recently, Sievert together with WHOI microbiologist Craig Taylor, microbial biogeochemist Jeremy Rich at the University of Maine, and engineers at WHOI have received funding from the National Science Foundation to develop a new type of sampling instrument known as the Vent-Submersible Incubation Device ("Vent-SID") that complements the IGT-based approach.

"It is designed to incubate microbes and measure their activities right at the seafloor," explained Sievert, minimizing the time before incubations can start after taking a sample. Moving forward, the scientists also plan to measure microbial productivity at other vent sites across the global ocean to refine the estimates obtained in the present study.

"We've been studying one type of vent system that is quite common, but we'd like to look at other vent sites where there's an abundance of other chemicals like hydrogen, for example, and see if the productivity values change significantly," said McNichol.

As the result of a six-year long research process, Fredrick R. Schumacher, PhD, a cancer epidemiology researcher at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and an international team of more than 100 colleagues have identified 63 new genetic variations that could indicate higher risk of prostate cancer in men of European descent. The findings, published in a research letter in Nature Genetics, contain significant implications for which men may need to be regularly screened because of higher genetic risk of prostate cancer. The new findings also represent the largest increase in genetic markers for prostate cancer since they were first identified in 2006.

The changes, known as genetic markers or SNPs ("snips"), occur when a single base in the DNA differs from the usual base at that position. There are four types of bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). The order of these bases determines DNA's instructions, or genetic code. They can serve as a flag to physicians that a person may be at higher risk for a certain disease. Previously, about 100 SNPs were associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. There are three billion base pairs in the human genome; of these, 163 have now been associated with prostate cancer.

One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetimes.

"Our findings will allow us to identify which men should have early and regular PSA screenings and these findings may eventually inform treatment decisions," said Schumacher. PSA is a blood test used to screen for prostate cancer. It measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. PSA is a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate.

Adding the 63 new SNPs to the 100 that are already known allows for the creation of a genetic risk score for prostate cancer. In the new study, the researchers found that men in the top one percent of the genetic risk score had a six-fold risk-increase of prostate cancer compared to men with an average genetic risk score. Those who had the fewest number of these SNPs, or a low genetic risk score, had the lowest likelihood of having prostate cancer.

In a meta-analysis that combined both previous and new research data, Schumacher, with colleagues from Europe and Australia, examined DNA sequences of about 80,000 men with prostate cancer and about 60,000 men who didn't have the disease. They found that men with cancer had a higher frequency of 63 different SNPs (also known as single nucleotide polymorphisms) that men without the disease did not have. Additionally, the more of these SNPs that a man has, the more likely he is to develop prostate cancer.

The researchers estimate that there are about 500-1,000 genetic variants possibly linked to prostate cancer, not all of which have yet been identified. "We probably only need to know ten percent to twenty percent of these to provide relevant screening guidelines," continued Schumacher, who is an associate professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at CWRU.

Currently, researchers don't know which of the SNPs are the most predictive of increased prostate cancer risk. Schumacher and a number of colleagues are working to rank those most likely to be linked with prostate cancer, especially with aggressive forms of the disease that require surgery, as opposed to slowly developing versions that call for "watchful waiting" and monitoring.

The research lays a foundation for determining who and how often men should undergo PSA tests. "In the future, your genetic risk score may be highly indicative of your prostate cancer risk, which will determine the intensity of PSA screening," said Schumacher. "We will be working to determine that precise genetic risk score range that would trigger testing. Additionally, if you have a low score, you may need screening less frequently such as every 2-5 years." A further implication of the findings of the new study is the possibility of precise treatments that do not involve surgery. "Someday it may be feasible to target treatments based on a patient's prostate cancer genetic risk score," said Schumacher.

In addition to the work in the new study, which as noted, targets men of European background, there are parallel efforts underway looking at genetic signals of prostate cancer in men of African American and Asian descent.

Philadelphia, June 11, 2018--A team of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists has demonstrated that eating honey after swallowing a button battery has the potential to reduce serious injuries in small children. Based on findings in laboratory animals, the research suggests that this common household product may significantly reduce morbidity and mortality from highly caustic batteries.

"Button batteries are ingested by children more 2,500 times a year in the United States, with more than a 12-fold increase in fatal outcomes in the last decade compared to the prior decade," said Co-Principal Investigator, Ian N. Jacobs, MD, Director of the Center for Pediatric Airway Disorders and a pediatric otolaryngologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). "Since serious damage can occur within two hours of ingesting a battery, the interval between ingestion and removal is a critical time to act in order to reduce esophageal injury."

Jacobs collaborated with researchers at CHOP and Co-Principal Investigator, Kris R. Jatana, MD, a pediatric otolaryngologist and Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology Quality Improvement at Nationwide Children's Hospital, in a study published online in The Laryngoscope.

Because of their size, candy-like shape and shiny metallic surface, button batteries have posed a risk for toddlers for decades. When the battery reacts with saliva and tissue of the esophagus, it creates a hydroxide-rich, alkaline solution that essentially dissolves tissue. Children with an esophageal button battery may present with symptoms of sore throat, cough, fever, difficulty swallowing, poor oral intake or noisy breathing. This can cause severe complications like esophageal perforation, vocal cord paralysis and erosion into the airway or major blood vessels. The longer it takes for the battery to be removed, the higher the risk for these children, particularly those without access to hospitals with specialized anesthesiologists and endoscopists experienced in removing foreign objects.

The research team wanted to determine successful interventions for mitigating these injuries in both a home and clinical setting and test their effectiveness in a live animal model, in this case, laboratory pigs. Specifically, the researchers sought palatable, more viscous liquids that could create a protective barrier between the tissue and the battery, as well as neutralize harsh alkaline levels. The team screened various options, including common household beverages such as juices, sodas, and sports drinks, in laboratory experiments.

"We explored a variety of common household and medicinal liquid options, and our study showed that honey and sucralfate demonstrated the most protective effects against button battery injury, making the injuries more localized and superficial," said Jatana. "The findings of our study are going to be put immediately into clinical practice, incorporated into the latest National Capital Poison Center Guidelines for management of button battery ingestions."

Prior published studies by this team had tested weakly acidic liquids like lemon juice as a proof of concept. However, many children do not enjoy drinking lemon juice. By contrast, the sweet taste of honey is much more palatable to young children.

"Our recommendation would be for parents and caregivers to give honey at regular intervals before a child is able to reach a hospital, while clinicians in a hospital setting can use sucralfate before removing the battery," Jacobs said. However, the authors caution against using these substances in children who have a clinical suspicion of existing sepsis or perforation of the esophagus, known severe allergy to honey or sucralfate, or in children less than one-year-old due to a small risk of botulism.

"While future studies could help establish the ideal volume and frequency for each treatment, we believe that these findings serve as a reasonable benchmark for clinical recommendations," Jacobs said. "Safely ingesting any amount of these liquids prior to battery removal is better than doing nothing."

"Button batteries are commonly found in households, and they should always be stored in a secured container, out of reach of children," said Jatana. "Parents and caregivers should check all electronic products in the home and make certain that the battery is enclosed in a compartment that requires a tool to open and periodically check to ensure it stays secure over time."

Mutations in the gene ANT1 may confer a risk for bipolar disorder through a complex interplay between serotonin and mitochondrial signaling in the brain. These two pathways have been separately implicated in bipolar disorder, but the link between levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin and mitochondrial dysfunction had not been established. Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) in Japan now report that mitochondrial dysfunction affects the activity of serotonergic neurons in mice with mutations of ANT1.

Mitochondria are the vital organelles that deliver energy to all cells and mitochondrial damage has been found, for example, in brain imaging of bipolar patients and in post-mortem brains. Roughly 20% of patients with mitochondrial disease also have bipolar disorder, a major psychiatric disease characterized by manic and depressive episodes. Altered serotonin functioning, on the other hand, seems to be involved in bipolar disorder because drugs that target serotonin levels can effectively treat the condition. "Our study suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction can alter activity of serotonergic neurons in bipolar disorder, and this is the first time these two lines of evidence have been linked," says Tadafumi Kato, research group leader at CBS. The research was published on June 8 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The study started by identifying ANT1 mutations in patients with bipolar disorder. Kato and colleagues then looked at mice lacking the ANT1 gene in the brain only. Compared with non-mutant mice, the mitochondria in these knockout mice could not retain calcium and had leakier pores. The ANT1-mutant mice also showed lower impulsivity in behavior tests, and consistent with this, their brains showed elevated serotonin turnover. This hyper-serotonergic state is likely a result of a cascade of changes that starts with the loss of the ANT1 gene and the resulting dysfunctional mitochondria. Enhanced serotonergic activity may then further impair mitochondria in a vicious cycle.

Serotonergic neurons were found to deteriorate in a brain area called the dorsal raphe, which is a region also affected in Parkinson's disease--another condition that may have its roots in mitochondrial dysfunction. The ANT1 mutation does not cause bipolar disorder, says Kato, but is associated with elevated risk. The implication of this research is that emerging therapies for the underlying mitochondrial dysfunction could one day treat bipolar disorder more successfully than today's variable serotonin-targeting drugs.

About two-thirds of patients admitted to hospital in Ontario for hip fracture did not receive surgery during the recommended time window of 24 hours, according to a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal )http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.170830.

Hip fracture is the most common reason for urgent surgery in Canada, and numbers are increasing, with more than 30 000 procedures performed annually.

"We found whether patients receive surgery on time is arbitrary, and mostly depends on which hospital they are taken to, indicating that efforts to improve wait times in Ontario should focus on improving performance at the hospital level," says Dr. Daniel Pincus, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario.

The study includes data on 42 230 patients aged 45 years or older who had hip fracture surgery between April 2009 and March 2014. They were treated by 522 surgeons and 963 anesthesiologists from 72 hospitals across Ontario, Canada's largest province. The mean age was 80 years and most patients were female.

"Wait times varied significantly depending on where patients were treated, with more than half of hospitals (51%) showing significant difference in the likelihood of delayed surgery for hip fracture that was not attributable to patient or physician factors," write the authors.

Factors that led to delayed surgery include transferring patients to another hospital for surgery, preoperative consultations from internal medicine and anesthesia, and performing echocardiograms.

"Wait time initiatives have previously focused on the time spent waiting for specialist consultation, elective surgery and assessment in the emergency department," adds Pincus. "Canadians may be surprised to learn that wait times in our system also exist for patients requiring urgent and emergency procedures, now that accurate wait times can be measured for these types of procedures using techniques from the paper."

The authors make several suggestions to improve wait times, including performing elective surgeries later in the day and introducing policies to address delays around patient transfer from smaller hospitals.

"Policy that guarantees elective cases would be completed later in the day, even if non-elective cases are prioritized before them, may improve wait times for urgent procedures without the need to increase capacity in operating rooms," write the authors.

Moderate and extreme ambient temperatures increase the risk of occupational accidents. This is the main conclusion of a new study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation. The study analysed data on nearly 16 million occupational injuries that occurred in Spain over a 20-year period.

Heat and cold are believed to be associated with a higher risk of occupational injury, but the existing scientific evidence consists of only a handful of studies with a small number of cases and a limited geographic scope, and the economic impact has never been analysed in detail.

The new study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to analyse data from an entire country and evaluate the economic impact. Researchers analysed data related to nearly 16 million occupational injuries in Spain between 1994 and 2013 that resulted in at least one day of sick leave. This information was analysed in relation to the daily temperatures in the province where each injury occurred.

"Exposure to moderate to extreme temperatures may have played a role in over half a million of the workplace injuries that occurred during the study period," commented ISGlobal researcher Èrica Martínez, lead author of the study. The analysis found that, on average, some 60 temperature-related injuries leading to at least one lost workday occurred each day, accounting for 2.7% of all work-related injuries in Spain. Extremes of cold and heat increased the risk of injury by 4% and 9%, respectively.

The biological mechanisms that link exposure to extreme ambient temperatures with the risk of occupational injury "are not yet fully understood", explained Martínez. The most common types of injuries analysed in the study were bone fractures and superficial injuries. "This suggests that the underlying mechanism could be related to impaired concentration or judgement, which would affect occupational safety," noted the researcher. Moreover, temperature-related effects were not limited to the day of exposure; a "pattern of delayed impact", possibly caused by cumulative fatigue and dehydration, was observed in the days following exposure.

The study also concluded that women appear to be more vulnerable to cold and men more vulnerable to heat. This difference could be explained by the fact that women have lower sweat rates than men in hot climates. The youngest workers were the most vulnerable to heat, possibly because they tend to do more physically demanding work.

As for the economic impact of nonoptimal temperatures, the study found that temperature-related loss of working days had an annual cost of more than €360 million, representing 0.03% of Spain's gross domestic product in 2015. Moderately high temperatures contributed the most to the economic losses.

"In the present context of climate change, these results indicate that public health interventions are needed to protect workers," concluded ISGlobal researcher Xavier Basagaña, the study coordinator. "Most workplace injuries can be attributed to moderate heat and moderate cold. This shows us how important it is for public health policies and plans to take moderate temperature ranges into account, since they are more common than extreme temperatures and account for a larger share of total injuries."

Preventive measures that could be incorporated into public health policies include restricting work during the coldest and hottest hours, taking rest breaks, ensuring proper hydration and wearing appropriate work clothes.

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have identified an enzyme that controls how much our cells secrete collagen. As collagen imbalance is linked to a range of human diseases, the study provides clues to new therapeutic strategies. Moreover, the findings could facilitate efficient production of collagen for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

All of our cells make and release proteins. The proteins are packaged as "cargo" in tiny, bubble-like vesicles before being transported outside the cell. This process, known as secretion, is vital to healthy growth and development.

Although many studies have shown how these vesicles, called COPII carriers[1], handle relatively small-sized cargo, few have focused on the workings of unusually large carriers known to package very large proteins, such as collagen.

Now, a study by researchers including Masayuki Komada, Toshiaki Fukushima and graduate student Kohei Kawaguchi at Tokyo Institute of Technology has identified USP8 as a key enzyme involved in controlling the formation of large collagen carriers. They have reported their findings in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

The team showed that "switching on" USP8 inhibited the formation of large carriers, and thus reduced collagen secretion. Conversely, switching USP8 off promoted collagen transport, which led to increased collagen secretion. (See Figures 1-3.)

The findings have big implications for medicine and biotechnology. Excessive collagen secretion in the human body is known to cause organ fibrosis[2], while too little collagen secretion is associated with bone diseases including cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia (CLSD) and Cole-Carpenter syndrome. New treatments for these diseases could be developed through further understanding of USP8's exact mode of action. Such knowledge could also provide new ways of scaling up commercial production of collagen.

The researchers have demonstrated that the enzyme works by deubiquitinating a protein called Sec31A, a component of the COPII vesicle coat required for protein export.

One particular group of proteins called the USP8-STAM1 complex[3] appears to be responsible for deubiquitinating Sec31A, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The study builds on many years of research that have illuminated the versatility of USP8.

"We had previously reported that USP8 regulates pituitary hormone secretion[4]," says Fukushima, referring to a paper published in Nature Genetics in 2015. "In the process of that study, we accidentally found that the USP8-STAM1 complex binds to Sec31."

It was this "accidental" finding, combined with promising results from other groups in the US, that led the team to examine the role of USP8 in the formation of COPII carriers.

In research tracing back more than a decade, Komada and others have clarified the conventional role of USP8 in the regulation of endocytosis5. "It's very interesting that the same USP8-STAM1 complex has now been shown to play an important role both in the regulation of endocytosis and in secretion," Fukushima says.

The present study therefore reveals a "new face" of the USP8 enzyme, and Fukushima hints that there may be more surprises to come. USP8 belongs to a family of around 90 known deubiquitinating enzymes, which continue to be a hot topic in cellular biology.

Boston (June 10, 2018) - The foods we eat play a significant role in our health. Scientists are discovering how eggs, nuts, dairy products, vegetables and even coffee can help protect against health problems. Nutrition 2018 will feature the latest research into how adding certain foods to our diet might help lower risk for diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and other health issues.

Nutrition 2018 is the inaugural flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held June 9-12, 2018 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. Contact the media team for abstracts, images and interviews, or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting.

Improving diabetes risk factors

Eggs may reduce diabetes risk factors

Findings from a 12-week randomized study of overweight or obese individuals with pre- or type 2 diabetes suggests that eggs may help reduce risk factors associated with diabetes. Participants who ate an egg each day showed greater improvements in fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance than those who ate an egg substitute. Furthermore, eating eggs did not significantly change cholesterol levels. Shirin Pourafshar, University of Virginia, will present this research on Sunday, June 10, from 1-3 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Auditorium (poster 102) (abstract).

Daily pecans might lower cardiometabolic risk factors

After four weeks of eating a small handful (about 1.5 ounces) of whole pecans daily, overweight adults age 45 or older who were otherwise healthy showed favorable changes in cardiometabolic risk factors including blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and insulin-producing cell function, compared to when study participants consumed a diet similar in total fat and fiber but without daily pecans. Additional research is required to determine if a small daily portion of pecans would help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes for middle-aged and older adults who are overweight or obese. Diane L. McKay, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, will present this research on Monday, June 11 from 3-5 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Room 309 (abstract).

Combating cancer and loss of motor function

Homing in on dairy products that lower colorectal cancer risk

Researchers studying 101,677 people, ages 54 to 83 years, found that not all dairy products are equal when it comes to reducing colorectal cancer risk. Study participants who consumed low-fat or fermented dairy products such as yogurt showed the lowest risk for developing colorectal cancer. Yumie Takata, Oregon State University, will present this research on Monday, June 11, from 1-3 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Hall D (poster 831) (abstract).

Vegetables and berries help reduce Parkinsonism risk

As a follow-up to a study that linked a healthy diet with a reduced risk of Parkinsonism (a group of neurological disorders that cause movement problems similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease), researchers followed 706 people for an average of 4.6 years to find out if consuming fruits and vegetables may be specifically associated with lowered risk. Their analysis revealed that eating more vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables) and berries, but not other fruits, may reduce the risk of Parkinsonism and slow its progression in older adults. Puja Agarwal, Rush University Medical Center will present this research on Sunday, June 10, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Auditorium (poster 22) (abstract).

Components of edible mushrooms fight inflammation

An analysis of PPEP-1 and PPEP-2 polysaccharides from the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii reveals that these complex carbohydrates can inhibit induced inflammatory responses. The new results are the first to demonstrate these anti-inflammatory properties and highlight the potential of PPEP-1 and PPEP-2 as dietary supplements to reduce inflammatory responses. Gaoxing Ma, Nanjing Agricultural University; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; will present this research on Tuesday, June 12, from 11:15-11:30 a.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Room 309 (abstract).

Coffee could be good for the liver

A study of more than 14,000 people, ages 45 to 64, finds that people who drink three or more cups of coffee a day have a lower risk of liver-related hospitalizations than those who never drink coffee. The new findings provide evidence that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for liver disease. Emily Hu, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will present this research on Sunday, June 10, from 1-3 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Auditorium (poster 55) (abstract).

Please note that abstracts presented at Nutrition 2018 were selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone a rigorous peer review process such as that required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.

A new study suggests children in the US begin consuming added sugar at a very young age and that many toddlers' sugar intake exceeds the maximum amount recommended for adults.

The study found 99 percent of a representative sample of US toddlers age 19-23 months consumed an average of just over 7 teaspoons of added sugar on a given day--more than the amount in a Snicker's® bar. Sixty percent of children were found to consume added sugar before age 1.

Added sugar consumption has been linked with obesity, dental caries, asthma and risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Eating foods with added sugar also can influence a child's food preferences, potentially leading to less healthy food choices later in life, researchers say.

"This is the first time we have looked at added sugar consumption among children less than 2 years old," said lead study author Kirsten Herrick, a nutritional epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Our results show that added sugar consumption begins early in life and exceeds current recommendations. These data may be relevant to the upcoming 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans."

Herrick will present the research at the American Society for Nutrition annual meeting during Nutrition 2018, held June 9-12, 2018 in Boston.

There is no chemical difference between sugars that are found naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk and sugars that are added to food products during processing or preparation. The body metabolizes natural and added sugars in the same way. However, added sugars are considered more damaging to health because they displace nutritional components of foods and contribute significantly to caloric intake. Foods containing added sugars are often not accompanied by the other nutritional benefits one derives from eating foods that naturally contain sugar, such as the fiber and vitamins contained in an apple.

"The easiest way to reduce added sugars in your own diet and your kids' diet is to choose foods that you know don't have them, like fresh fruits and vegetables," said Herrick.

Herrick analyzed data from more than 800 infants and toddlers between 6-23 months old who participated in the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a research study that is representative of the American population.

Parents were asked to record every item their child consumed during a 24-hour period. To assess added sugar, researchers counted any calorie-containing sugars that were added to a food item, including cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey and other forms of sugar. The study did not include artificial zero-calorie sweeteners or the sugars that occur naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk.

The results indicate that 85 percent of infants and toddlers consumed added sugar on a given day. Added sugar consumption rose with age. At age 6-11 months, just over 60 percent of babies consumed added sugar on a given day, averaging just under 1 teaspoon. Among those age 12-18 months, 98 percent consumed added sugar, averaging 5.5 teaspoons. By 19-23 months, 99 percent of children consumed an average of just over 7 teaspoons of added sugar on a given day.

The US government's 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) does not include guidelines specific for children under age 2 although the 2020-2025 edition, soon to be in development, will include dietary recommendations for infants and toddlers. The 2015 DGA Advisory Committee did propose that all Americans cut their intake of solid fats and added sugars as an effective strategy to pare calories and focus more on foods that contribute to a nutrient-rich diet.

Daily recommended limits for added sugar are 6 teaspoons or less per day for children age 2-19 and for adult women and 9 teaspoons or less per day for adult men. Previous research suggests most Americans exceed those limits.

"Once kids start eating table food, they're often eating the same types of foods that Mom and Dad have in their diet, and other research has demonstrated that adults exceed recommendations for added sugar too," said Herrick.

The current study does not indicate which types of food contributed to children's added sugar intake, though the research team plans to examine sources of added sugar in the future. Other studies have identified ready-to-eat cereals, bakery items and other desserts, sugar-sweetened beverages, yogurt and candy to be significant sources of added sugar in children's diets.

Among children aged 12-23 months, Herrick said added sugar consumption was highest among non-Hispanic black children and lowest among non-Hispanic white children. There were no differences in added sugar consumption by race among infants 6-11 months.

The team plans to further investigate the data, including examining trends over time. Other studies have suggested added sugar consumption among American children has declined over the years.

Kirsten Herrick will present this research on Sunday, June 10, from 4:45-5 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Room 306 (abstract). Contact the media team for more information or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting.

Please note that abstracts presented at Nutrition 2018 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available. Additional resources on infant and toddler nutrition are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

June 10, 2018 - Atlanta, GA - A hospital outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) became more worrisome when researchers found resistance genes being shared among unrelated bacteria via plasmids and other mobile genetic elements. This new research will be presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th through June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2017, eighteen patients in a primary care hospital became sick with CRE, a family of bacteria responsible for more than 9,000 healthcare-associated infections (HAI) per year in the United States. Carbapenems are often used as last line treatment options, reserved for the sickest patients; so it is concerning when bacteria resistant to these drugs cause infections.

Outbreaks of CRE infections are often caused by closely related bacteria spreading from person-to-person or even from a common source, such as a contaminated medical device. In such cases, infection control efforts focus on eliminating transmission of a single strain of bacteria. In this outbreak, however, multiple types of CRE (i.e., different bacterial strains and species) were infecting patients, and whole genome sequencing revealed that the outbreak was likely perpetuated by carbapenem resistance genes being shared among unrelated bacteria via plasmids or other mobile genetic elements.

"This demonstrates the important role whole genome sequencing can play in investigating HAI outbreaks," said Richard Stanton, "This outbreak shows us how drug resistance genes can be shared among otherwise unrelated bacteria co-existing in a patient's microbial community or in the environment." This in turn may require expanding infection control and detection efforts to include multiple strains and species to halt the outbreak.

The bacteria involved in this outbreak included Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli, two species of bacteria that can cause a variety of healthcare-associated infections, including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and meningitis. Treatment of the infections in these outbreaks was complicated due to the presence of carbapenemase genes in the bacteria, of which two major variants of the Klebsiella pneumonia Carbapenemase (KPC) gene (KPC-2 and KPC-3) were found.

The bacterial strains with the KPC-2 gene were largely unrelated but all carried the same drug resistance plasmid. Similarly, the strains with the KPC-3 gene were quite diverse except they all shared a plasmid, common among the KPC-3 strains but different from the KPC-2 strains.

"Due in part to this finding, HAI investigations now include a broader scope to look not just for single species causing infections, but also for plasmids spreading drug resistance across multiple types of bacteria," said Dr. Stanton. Infection control efforts also focus on areas where plasmid sharing is likely to occur in the healthcare environment, such as in sinks and drains.

Vaneet Arora, Lorrie Sims, and Rachel Zinner from the Kentucky Department for Public Health isolated and cultured the bacterial samples used in this study. Jonathan Daniels, Alison Laufer Halpin, and Richard Stanton from the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention performed whole genome sequencing and analysis of the isolates.

This work was made possible through CDC's investments to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and the Advanced Molecular Detection Program at CDC. A poster highlighting this work will be presented by Richard Stanton at the ASM Microbe 2018 conference in Atlanta, GA on June 10th from 12:45 - 2:45 PM, as part of Session 420 - Infection Prevention and Control: Drug-Resistant Pathogens in Hospitals.

June 10, 2018 - Atlanta, GA - Scientists now report that Treg cells, a type of regulatory lymphocyte, may be protecting babies in the womb from getting infected with the HIV virus when the mother is infected. The research, from the Emory Vaccine Center, is presented at ASM Microbe, the American Society for Microbiology's annual meeting, held from June 7th through 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Finding out what protects the majority of babies is important, as it can lead to ways to boost natural immune responses and make individuals resistant to HIV infection, said Peter Kessler, laboratory intern with the Emory University School of Medicine. Scientists had been puzzled for years by the fact that only a minority of babies born to mothers with HIV infection get the infection from their mothers. Currently, HIV infection can be successfully managed with antiretroviral drugs, but these drugs have to be given for life. Preventing the infection is very important, but there is no vaccine available yet.

Kessler and his colleagues from the Emory Vaccine Center found that levels of Treg lymphocytes were higher in the blood of newborn babies born to mothers with HIV infection who had escaped the infection themselves, compared with babies who were born with HIV infection.

Lymphocytes are cells of the immune system that protect the body by fighting bacteria and viruses. Treg cells, or regulatory T cells, are an important "self-check" in the immune system to prevent excessive immune reactions that could lead to tissue damage.

The researchers examined the blood of 64 babies who were born HIV-uninfected and 28 babies born HIV-infected and found that Treg cell levels were higher in uninfected babies at the time of birth. In contrast, other lymphocyte types were activated and higher in HIV-infected infants. The HIV virus can only infect cells that are activated, so Treg may protect from HIV infection by suppressing activation of other lymphocytes.

They analyzed the stored blood by flow cytometry, a technique that can differentiate between the different types of cells based on what markers they express on their surface. Regulatory T cells come in many forms with the most well-understood being those that express the markers CD4, CD25, and FOXP3.

"Even though the number of babies studied is relatively small, these findings indicate that Treg, by controlling immune activation, may lower the vulnerability of the babies to HIV or other chronic infections even before they are born," said Kessler. These results could pave the way for the development of vaccines or other immune-based therapies that could be used together with medications to prevent the spread of HIV or other infections from mothers to their babies.

A poster highlighting their work will be presented by Peter Kessler at the ASM Microbe 2018 meeting in Atlanta, GA, on June 10, 2018, 12:45-2:45 pm. The mothers and babies in this study were part of a CDC-funded clinical study in Malawi that looked at ways to prevent the spread of HIV from mothers to their babies during childbirth and breastfeeding.

Additional authors on this study are Surinder Kaur and Chris Ibegbu from the Emory Vaccine Center

June 10, 2018 - Atlanta, GA - In the first study of its kind, researchers from the New York-based Human Microbiology Institute have discovered the role certain bacteriophages may play in the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD). The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

The researchers, led by George, Tetz, M.D., Ph.D., Human Microbiology Institute, showed that the abundance of lytic Lactococcus phages was higher in PD patients when compared to healthy individuals. This abundance led to a 10-fold reduction in neurotransmitter-producing Lactococcus, suggesting the possible role of phages in neurodegeneration. Comparative analysis of the bacterial component also revealed significant decreases in Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in PD.

Lactococcus are regulators of gut permeability and are enteric dopamine producers, which plays a primary role in PD. "The depletion of lactococcus due to high numbers of strictly lytic phages in PD patients might be associated with PD development and directly linked to dopamine decrease as well as the development of gastrointestinal symptoms of PD," said Dr. Tetz.

To explore bacterial and bacteriophage community compositions associated with PD, the researchers used shotgun metagenomics sequencing data of fecal microbiome from 32 patients with PD and 28 controls.

The results indicate that the decrease in Lactococci in the PD patients was due to the appearance of strictly lytic, virulent lactococcal phages belonging to the c2-like and 936 groups that are frequently isolated from dairy products. These results open a discussion on the role of environmental phages and phagobiota composition in health and disease.

"Bacteriophages have previously been overlooked as pathogenic factors, and the study points out their pivotal role in pathogenesis," said Dr. Tetz. Future research is needed to explore bacterial viruses as a diagnostic and treatment target for therapeutic intervention.

The factors that contribute to overweight and obesity are complex, but one pattern is clear: having obesity during childhood increases the likelihood of having obesity as an adult. The Nutrition 2018 meeting will feature new research on factors that may contribute to childhood obesity, as well as factors that can help kids maintain a healthy weight.

Nutrition 2018 is the inaugural flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held June 9-12, 2018 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. Contact the media team for abstracts, images and interviews, or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting.

Trends in obesity prevalence

Latest stats show continued increase in obesity rates

While obesity has been on the rise for decades in the US, the proportion of Americans who are obese appeared to have reached a plateau more recently. A new analysis suggests that this leveling off was temporary, lasting from 2009-2012, and indicates that obesity rates have since continued to climb in both children and adults. If current trends continue, researchers project that by 2030, one-third of America's children age 6-11 and half of adolescents age 12-19 will be overweight or obese. Youfa Wang, Ball State University, will present this research on Monday, June 11, from 4:15-4:30 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Room 311 (abstract).

New insights on risk factors

Mounting evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages are a risk factor for childhood obesity

A study that tracked more than 700 kids from the toddler to teen years finds intake of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) throughout childhood, while intake of milk, 100% juice and water-based sugar-free beverages was not associated with any difference in BMI. As one of the first longitudinal studies to examine children's beverage consumption over time, the study bolsters the evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages are an important risk factor for obesity. Teresa A. Marshall, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, will present this research on Saturday, June 9, from 2-2:15 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Room 309 (abstract).

Promoting healthy weight

Characteristics of successful programs to promote healthy weight among middle schoolers

Many programs and policies have been implemented to curb overweight and obesity rates in children and teens. New research takes a broad look at the outcomes of such programs to understand which factors seem to be associated with greatest success. Examples of impactful interventions include the use of scratch cooking for preparing school meals, not using physical activity for discipline at school and promoting drinking water at school. Lorrene D. Ritchie, Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, will present this research on Monday, June 11, from 10:30-10:45 a.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Room 306 (abstract).

Eating breakfast can help kids meet dietary recommendations

Kids in America eat a wide variety of morning foods, from cereal and milk to pancakes and pastries to eggs and fruit. In a new study funded by the Kellogg Company, kids who ate breakfast generally showed higher daily consumption of recommended nutrients including fiber, calcium, vitamin D and potassium, as well as greater whole grain and lower added sugar intake compared to those who did not eat in the morning. In particular, consuming grain-based foods with milk for breakfast was linked with several health benefits. Yanni Papanikolaou, Nutritional Strategies, will present this research on Sunday, June 10, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. in the Hynes Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D (poster 800) (abstract).

Please note that abstracts presented at Nutrition 2018 were evaluated and selected by a committee of experts but have not generally undergone the same peer review process required for publication in a scientific journal. As such, the findings presented should be considered preliminary until a peer-reviewed publication is available.

June 9, 2018 - Atlanta, GA - Researchers from the University of Mauritius have shown that factors such as family size, type of diet, multi-usage of towels, among other factors, impact the growth of pathogens on kitchen towels, potentially causing food poisoning. The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Our study demonstrates that the family composition and hygienic practices in the kitchen affected the microbial load of kitchen towels," said Dr. Biranjia-Hurdoyal."We also found that diet, type of use and moist kitchen towels could be very important in promoting the growth of potential pathogens responsible for food poisoning," she said.

49% of the kitchen towels collected in the study had bacterial growth which increased in number with extended family, presence on children and increasing family size. The towels for multipurpose usage (wiping utensils, drying hands, holding hot utensils, wiping/cleaning surfaces) had a higher bacterial count than single-use towels and humid towels showed higher bacterial count than the dry ones. Out of the 49 samples which were positive for bacterial growth, 36.7% grew coliforms, 36.7% Enterococcus spp and 14.3% S. aureus.

"In this study, we investigated the potential role of kitchen towels in cross-contamination in the kitchen and various factors affecting the microbial profile and load of kitchen towels," said Dr. Susheela D. Biranjia-Hurdoyal, Senior Lecturer, Department of Health Sciences, University of Mauritius, lead author on the study.

A total of 100 kitchen towels were collected after one month of use. The researchers cultured the bacteria and identified them by standard biochemical tests. They also determined the bacterial load on the towels.

S. aureus was isolated at a higher rate from families of lower socio-economic status and those with children. The risk of having coliforms (Escherichia coli) was higher from humid towels than the dried ones, from multipurpose towels than single-use ones and from families on non-vegetarian diets.

Coliform and S. aureus were detected at significantly higher prevalence from families with non-vegetarian diets. Escherichia coli is a normal flora of human intestine and it is released in large numbers in human feces. The presence of Escherichia coli indicates possible fecal contamination and lack of hygiene practices.

"The data indicated that unhygienic practices while handling non-vegetarian food could be common in the kitchen," said Dr. Biranjia-Hurdoyal. The presence of potential pathogens from the kitchen towels indicates that they could be responsible for cross-contamination in the kitchen and could lead to food poisoning. "Humid towels and multipurpose usage of kitchen towels should be discouraged. Bigger families with children and elderly members should be especially vigilant to hygiene in the kitchen," she said.

Dublin, Ireland - 9 June 2018: Loneliness is bad for the heart and a strong predictor of premature death, according to a study presented today at EuroHeartCare 2018, the European Society of Cardiology's annual nursing congress.1 The study found that feeling lonely was a stronger predictor of poor outcomes than living alone, in both men and women.

"Loneliness is more common today than ever before, and more people live alone," said Anne Vinggaard Christensen, study author and PhD student, The Heart Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.2 "Previous research has shown that loneliness and social isolation are linked with coronary heart disease and stroke, but this has not been investigated in patients with different types of cardiovascular disease."3

The study investigated whether poor social network was associated with worse outcomes in 13,463 patients with ischaemic heart disease, arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), heart failure, or heart valve disease. Data from national registers was linked with the DenHeart survey, which asked all patients discharged from April 2013 to April 2014 from five heart centres in Denmark to answer a questionnaire about their physical and mental health, lifestyle factors such as smoking, and social support.

Social support was measured using registry data on living alone or not, and survey questions about feeling lonely - Do you have someone to talk to when you need it? Do you feel alone sometimes even though you want to be with someone? "It was important to collect information on both, since people may live alone but not feel lonely while others cohabit but do feel lonely," explained Ms Vinggaard Christensen.

Feeling lonely was associated with poor outcomes in all patients regardless of their type of heart disease, and even after adjusting for age, level of education, other diseases, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol intake. Loneliness was associated with a doubled mortality risk in women and nearly doubled risk in men. Both men and women who felt lonely were three times more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression, and had a significantly lower quality of life than those who did not feel lonely.

"Loneliness is a strong predictor of premature death, worse mental health, and lower quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease, and a much stronger predictor than living alone, in both men and women," said Ms Vinggaard Christensen.

Ms Vinggaard Christensen noted that people with poor social support may have worse health outcomes because they have unhealthier lifestyles, are less compliant with treatment, and are more affected by stressful events. But she said: "We adjusted for lifestyle behaviours and many other factors in our analysis, and still found that loneliness is bad for health."

She concluded: "We live in a time when loneliness is more present and health providers should take this into account when assessing risk. Our study shows that asking two questions about social support provides a lot of information about the likelihood of having poor health outcomes."

European guidelines on cardiovascular prevention state that people who are isolated or disconnected from others are at increased risk of developing and dying prematurely from coronary artery disease. The guidelines recommend assessment of psychosocial risk factors in patients with established cardiovascular disease and those at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease.4