Salivary Microbiome Diversity in Kuwaiti Adolescents with Varied Body Mass Index—A Pilot Study

The potential role of the salivary microbiome in human diseases has increasingly been explored. The salivary microbiome has been characterized in several global populations, except the Arabian Gulf region. Hence, in this pilot study, we profiled the salivary microbiome of Kuwaiti adolescents with varied body mass indexes (BMI). The analyses of core microbiome composition showed Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, Patescibacteria, Fusobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, and Campylobacterota as the common phylum found in the Kuwaiti adolescent population. We also illustrated a diverse microbial community among the sampled individuals grouped according to their BMI. Notably, the overweight group was found with a higher number of distinct taxa than other groups. As such, the core microbiome composition was found to be significantly different (p-value < 0.001) across different BMI groups. Overall, this pilot investigation outlined the microbial diversity and suggested that changes in salivary microbiome composition in people with obese or overweight BMI might reflect their susceptibility to oral diseases.

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Analysis of Hindgut Microbiome of Sheep and Effect of Different Husbandry Conditions

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11010004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 4

Author(s):

Giulietta Minozzi ◽

Filippo Biscarini ◽

Emanuela Dalla Costa ◽

Matteo Chincarini ◽

Nicola Ferri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Control Group ◽

P Value ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Core Microbiome ◽

Fecal Microbiome ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

The Core ◽

Wide Range

The microbiome is now seen as an important resource to understand animal health and welfare in many species. However, there are few studies aiming at identifying the association between fecal microbiome composition and husbandry conditions in sheep. A wide range of stressors associated with management and housing of animals increases the hypothalamic–pituitary axis activity, with growing evidence that the microbiome composition can be modified. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to describe the core microbiome in sheep, characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and to explore whether exposure to stressful husbandry conditions changed sheep hindgut microbiome composition. Sheep (n = 10) were divided in two groups: isolated group (individually separated for 3 h/day) and control group (housed in the home pen for the entire trial period). Sheep core microbiome was dominated by Firmicutes (43.6%), Bacteroidetes (30.38%), Proteobacteria (10.14%), and Verrucomicrobia (7.55%). Comparative results revealed few operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with significantly different relative abundance between groups. Chao1, abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), and Fisher’s alpha indices did not show differences between groups. OTU-based Bray–Curtis distances between groups were not significant (p-value = 0.07). In conclusion, these results describing the core microbiome of sheep do not suggest a strong effect of stressful husbandry conditions on microbial composition.

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Influence of 16S rRNA Reference Databases in Amplicon-Based Environmental Microbiome Research

10.21203/rs.3.rs-961238/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Meganathan P. Ramakodi

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

Reference Database ◽

P Value ◽

Ribosomal Database Project ◽

Core Microbiome ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Common Reference ◽

Microbiome Research ◽

Reference Databases ◽

The Impact

Abstract Purpose: The reference databases play a pivotal role in amplicon microbiome research but the sequence content and taxonomic information available in common reference databases differ. Studies on mock community and human health microbiome have revealed the problems associated with the choice of reference database on the outcome. Nonetheless, the influence of reference databases in environmental microbiome studies is not explicitly illustrated. Methods: This study analyzed the amplicon (V1V3, V3V4, V4V5 and V6V8) data of 128 soil samples and evaluated the impact of 16S rRNA databases, Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB), Ribosomal Database Project (RDP), SILVA and Consensus Taxonomy (ConTax), on microbiome inference. Results: The analyses showed that the distribution of observed amplicon sequence variants was significantly different (P-value < 2.647e-12) across four datasets, generated based on different databases for each amplicon region. In addition, the beta diversity was also found to be altered by different databases. Further investigation revealed that the microbiome composition inferred by different databases vary significantly (P-value=0.001), irrespective of amplicon regions. Importantly, the study found that the core-microbiome structure in environmental studies could be altered by the reference databases. Conclusion: In summary, this present study illustrates that the choice of reference database could influence the outcome of environmental microbiome research.

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Relationship Between Cough Reflex Sensitivity and Body Mass Index in Children With Chronic Cough – a Pilot Study

Physiological Research ◽

10.33549/physiolres.934596 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. S463-S470

Author(s):

R PECOVA ◽

J SOJAK ◽

P DURDIK ◽

T ZATKO ◽

E OMAR MOHAMEDOVA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Body Mass ◽

Chronic Cough ◽

P Value ◽

Low Grade ◽

Significant Relation ◽

Cough Reflex Sensitivity ◽

Cough Reflex ◽

Single Breath

Obesity is characterized by chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation. Obesity may also be associated with chronic cough. The aim of this pilot study was to clarify relation of cough reflex sensitivity and body mass index (BMI) in children with chronic cough. Altogether 41 children having symptoms of chronic cough were submitted to cough reflex sensitivity measurement. We assessed the relation of cough reflex sensitivity (CKR) due to BMI. Cough reflex sensitivity was defined as the lowest capsaicin concentration which evoked two (C2) or five (C5) coughs. Capsaicin aerosol in doubling concentrations (from 0.61 to 1250 µmol/l) was inhaled by a single breath method (KoKo DigiDoser; nSpire heath Inc, Louisville, CO, USA), modified by the addition of an inspiratory flow regulator valve (RIFR; nSpire heath Inc, Louisville, CO, USA). BMI was calculated. Pulmonary function was within normal range. Concentrations of capsaicin causing two (C2) and five coughs (C5) were reported. Children (22 boys and 19 girls, mean age 6.8 years) cough reflex sensitivity (median, with the Inter-Quartile Range) for C2 was 19.5 (73.4) µmol/l; for C5 it was 78.1 (605.5) µmol/l. We have noticed statistically significant relation of the cough reflex sensitivity (C5) and body mass index (P<0.0001); however, the effect size was small, R2=0.03. Increase of body mass index in one unit is associated with -34.959 µmol/l decrease of C5. We did not find a statistically significant relation between C2 and BMI (P=0.41). The median value of CKR (C2) in boys is not statistically significantly different than the median value of CKR (C2) in girls (P-value 0.5). The median value of CKR (C5) in boys is not statistically significantly different than the median value of CKR (C5) in girls (P-value 0.5). Increase of body mass index in children suffering from chronic cough relates to decrease of cough reflex sensitivity (C5 value).

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Iraq's alternatives in light of the challenges surrounding the security of the Arabian Gulf: the challenges of security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz

Tikrit Journal For Political Science ◽

10.25130/poltic.v0i19.218 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 221

Author(s):

Amer Hassan Thabit

Keyword(s):

Arabian Gulf ◽

Gulf Region ◽

Regional Conflicts ◽

Regional Conflict ◽

Political Events ◽

Strait Of Hormuz ◽

Maritime Navigation ◽

Arab Gulf ◽

Multiple Challenges ◽

The Persian Gulf

The Arab Gulf region in particular, and with it the entire Arab region in general, is witnessing multiple challenges and conflicts, escalating, in a way that reflects the presence of overlapping in the dimensions: internal, regional and international, which imposes important effects on Iraq. Iraq is part of the Arab Gulf region, and it interferes with it: historically, geographically, ethnically, and politically. It cannot be overlooked that Iraq was in historical stages that was considered the dominant force in this region, especially in the stage of the civilization’s dominance before the role of Iraq and its place in civilization declines. Today, the region is witnessing multiple challenges, which began with the escalation of regional sectarian political events associated with the event of the occupation of Iraq, with a tendency to disturb the regional balance due to the dismantling of the capabilities of Iraq, and the matter came to the loosening of regional conflicts due to what the region is going through, and the perspective of the active forces in it, which has overcome the perspective The struggle for cooperation. The entry or presence of the international worker in the regional conflicts in the Arab Gulf region caused the intensity of the conflicts to multiply instead of settling them, and Iran has presented on more than one occasion that it has the capabilities to implement the option of closing the Strait of Hormuz or impeding the freedom and safety of maritime navigation in international waters in the Arabian Gulf, And the matter was not related to the US sanctions regime on Iran in the year 2018 and beyond, but it is before it. The Iranian threat to close the Strait of Hormuz at the very least, or any development in the regional conflict in the region, can damage the interests of Iraq and its security, for two reasons: First, most of Iraq’s trade passes through the waters of the Persian Gulf, and the second is that there is an overlap between Iraq and peoples and countries The region, and just as sectarianism moved from Iraq to the region after 2003, the Gulf conflict and tension can move into Iraq or affect Iraq’s policy. Iraq should search for political alternatives that help it in dealing with the developments of the conflict in the Arab Gulf region. Perhaps this research presents some of the options and alternatives that can help the Iraqi decision-maker, if there is an important development in the Gulf-Western conflict with Iran

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Branding of Germany’s Transnational Education and its Potentials in the Arabian Gulf Region

Journal of Contemporary Educational Research ◽

10.26689/jcer.v2i3.365 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Sanaa Ashour

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Arabian Gulf ◽

Current Debate ◽

Transnational Education ◽

Gulf Region ◽

Demand For Education ◽

Financial Gain ◽

Arabian Gulf Region ◽

Global Demand ◽

Foreign Education

Transnational education (TNE), responding to the growing global demand for education, plays a fundamental role in the current debate on the internationalisation and globalisation of higher education. Conducting a systematic literature review, this paper examines the characteristics of German transnational education, which has little in common with the American and British models, the reasons for its limited presence in the Gulf and its potential for having a stronger footprint. Since education for Germany is a public good, financial gain has never been a decisive factor for German universities to venture abroad. Whilst the Gulf Region is the largest importer of foreign education, German TNE is only represented by one university there, compared to the overwhelming number of US, UK and Australian higher education institutions. Although the Gulf Region is considered as a lucrative and appealing market for foreign education, lack of engagement of German TNE there could be interpreted through public policy-related reasons. Since Germany has already established its footprint in creating a unique brand of TNE, the paper recommends to build upon the country’s expertise in low-risk option for Germany to invest in the Gulf. For this to materialise, Germany must build awareness of its unique brand to stand out among the competition.

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Zumba®, Fat Mass and Maximum Oxygen Consumption: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18010105 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 105

Author(s):

Manuel Chavarrias ◽

Santos Villafaina ◽

Ana Myriam Lavín-Pérez ◽

Jorge Carlos-Vivas ◽

Eugenio Merellano-Navarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Oxygen Consumption ◽

Body Mass ◽

Fat Mass ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

P Value ◽

Maximum Oxygen Consumption ◽

Mass Percentage ◽

Large Heterogeneity

Background and objectives: Obesity or overweight is associated with many health risk factors and preventable mortality. Even people with normal weight and without history of obesity or overweight should avoid weight gain to reduce health risks factors. In this regard Latin aerobic dances involved in Zumba® practice make this modality motivating for people. Apart from weight loss and VO2peak benefits, Zumba practice is also interesting by the increase in adherence which can also avoid weight regain. The aim was to systematically review the scientific literature about the effects of any randomized intervention of Zumba® practice on total fat mass (%) and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2peak), besides establishing directions for the clinical practice. Evidence acquisition: Two systematic searches were conducted in two electronic databases following the PRISMA guidelines. The eligibility criteria were (a) outcomes: body mass or VO2peak data including mean and standard deviation (SD) before and after Zumba® intervention, (b) study design: randomized controlled trial (RCT) and (c) language: English. GRADE guidelines were used to assess the quality of evidence. A meta-analysis was performed to determine mean differences. Nine and four studies were selected for fat mass percentage and VO2peak in the systematic review, respectively. However, only eight studies for fat mass percentage and three for VO2peak could be included in the meta-analysis. Evidence synthesis: The overall standardized mean difference for fat mass was −0.25 with a 95% CI from −0.67 to 0.16 with a p-value of 0.69, with large heterogeneity. On the other hand, the overall effect size for VO2peak was 0.53 (95% CI from 0.04 to 1.02 with a p-value of 0.03) with large heterogeneity. Conclusions: Based on the evidence, we cannot conclude that Zumba® is effective at reducing body mass but it may improve VO2peak. However, the limited number of studies that met the inclusion criteria makes it too early to reach a definite conclusion, so more research is needed.

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Infant gut microbiome composition is associated with non-social fear behavior in a pilot study

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-23281-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alexander L. Carlson ◽

Kai Xia ◽

M. Andrea Azcarate-Peril ◽

Samuel P. Rosin ◽

Jason P. Fine ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Brain Structures ◽

Experimental Manipulation ◽

Human Infant ◽

Microbiome Composition ◽

Social Fear ◽

Infant Gut Microbiome ◽

First Year Of Life ◽

Fear Behavior

AbstractExperimental manipulation of gut microbes in animal models alters fear behavior and relevant neurocircuitry. In humans, the first year of life is a key period for brain development, the emergence of fearfulness, and the establishment of the gut microbiome. Variation in the infant gut microbiome has previously been linked to cognitive development, but its relationship with fear behavior and neurocircuitry is unknown. In this pilot study of 34 infants, we find that 1-year gut microbiome composition (Weighted Unifrac; lower abundance of Bacteroides, increased abundance of Veillonella, Dialister, and Clostridiales) is significantly associated with increased fear behavior during a non-social fear paradigm. Infants with increased richness and reduced evenness of the 1-month microbiome also display increased non-social fear. This study indicates associations of the human infant gut microbiome with fear behavior and possible relationships with fear-related brain structures on the basis of a small cohort. As such, it represents an important step in understanding the role of the gut microbiome in the development of human fear behaviors, but requires further validation with a larger number of participants.

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Utility of routinely collected electronic health records data to support effectiveness evaluations in inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study of tofacitinib

BMJ Health & Care Informatics ◽

10.1136/bmjhci-2021-100337 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. e100337

Author(s):

Vivek Ashok Rudrapatna ◽

Benjamin Scott Glicksberg ◽

Atul Janardhan Butte

Keyword(s):

Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Real World ◽

Bowel Disease ◽

P Value ◽

Health Records ◽

Real World Evidence ◽

Inflammatory Bowel

ObjectivesElectronic health records (EHR) are receiving growing attention from regulators, biopharmaceuticals and payors as a potential source of real-world evidence. However, their suitability for the study of diseases with complex activity measures is unclear. We sought to evaluate the use of EHR data for estimating treatment effectiveness in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), using tofacitinib as a use case.MethodsRecords from the University of California, San Francisco (6/2012 to 4/2019) were queried to identify tofacitinib-treated IBD patients. Disease activity variables at baseline and follow-up were manually abstracted according to a preregistered protocol. The proportion of patients meeting the endpoints of recent randomised trials in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) was assessed.Results86 patients initiated tofacitinib. Baseline characteristics of the real-world and trial cohorts were similar, except for universal failure of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in the former. 54% (UC) and 62% (CD) of patients had complete capture of disease activity at baseline (month −6 to 0), while only 32% (UC) and 69% (CD) of patients had complete follow-up data (month 2 to 8). Using data imputation, we estimated the proportion achieving the trial primary endpoints as being similar to the published estimates for both UC (16%, p value=0.5) and CD (38%, p-value=0.8).Discussion/ConclusionThis pilot study reproduced trial-based estimates of tofacitinib efficacy despite its use in a different cohort but revealed substantial missingness in routinely collected data. Future work is needed to strengthen EHR data and enable real-world evidence in complex diseases like IBD.

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