Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among Nutritional Sciences Students and Dietitians in Saudi Arabia

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) involve persistent disturbed eating and related behaviors that result in altered consumption or absorption of food with potential physical or psychological function impairment. EDs have four major types: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder not otherwise specified. The investigation aimed to study the prevalence of EDs by assessing nutritional status for nutrition students and dietitians from multiple provinces in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study comprising 175 male and female nutrition students or dietitians. EDs were diagnosed using EAT-26 and DSM5. Dietary intake was estimated by repeated 24-hr recall records. Diet was analyzed using food processor nutrition and fitness software. Intakes were compared with the recommended dietary allowances. Results: According to EAT-26 diagnostic criteria, the prevalence of EDs was 15.4%. The mean age was 24.96 ± 4 years. ED subjects had normal BMIs. The diet analysis showed that these subjects had a lower intake of energy, macronutrients, and some micronutrients, and other micronutrients were high as compared to the RDA. Conclusion: EDs were more prevalent among dietitians than students. The EDs comprised a high number of OSFED and UNFED cases. Subjects with an ED had an unbalanced diet with poor nutrition.

Using DNA metabarcoding to decipher the diet plant component of mammals from the Eastern Mediterranean region

Longevity of species populations depends largely on interactions among animals and plants in an ecosystem. Predation and seed dispersal are among the most important interactions necessary for species conservation and persistence, and diet analysis is a prerequisite tool to evaluate these interactions. Understanding these processes is crucial for identifying conservation targets and for executing efficient reforestation and ecological restoration. In this study, we applied a scat DNA metabarcoding technique using the P6-loop of the trnL (UAA) chloroplastic marker to describe the seasonal plant diet composition of 15 mammal species from a highly biodiverse Lebanese forest in the Eastern Mediterranean. We also recovered plant seeds, when present, from the scats for identification. The mammal species belong to 10 families from 5 different orders. More than 133 plant species from 54 plant families were detected and identified. Species from the Rosaceae, Poaceae, Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Fagaceae and Berberidaceae families were consumed by the majority of the mammals and should be taken into consideration in future reforestation and conservation projects. Our results showed that the DNA metabarcoding approach provides a promising method for tracking the dietary plant components of a wide diversity of mammals, yielding key insights into plant-animal interactions inside Lebanon’s forests.

Current methods and future directions in avian diet analysis

Identifying the composition of avian diets is a critical step in characterizing the roles of birds within ecosystems. However, because birds are a diverse taxonomic group with equally diverse dietary habits, gaining an accurate and thorough understanding of avian diet can be difficult. In addition to overcoming the inherent difficulties of studying birds, the field is advancing rapidly, and researchers are challenged with a myriad of methods to study avian diet, a task that has only become more difficult with the introduction of laboratory techniques to dietary studies. Because methodology drives inference, it is important that researchers are aware of the capabilities and limitations of each method to ensure the results of their study are interpreted correctly. However, few reviews exist which detail each of the traditional and laboratory techniques used in dietary studies, with even fewer framing these methods through a bird-specific lens. Here, we discuss the strengths and limitations of morphological prey identification, DNA-based techniques, stable isotope analysis, and the tracing of dietary biomolecules throughout food webs. We identify areas of improvement for each method, provide instances in which the combination of techniques can yield the most comprehensive findings, introduce potential avenues for combining results from each technique within a unified framework, and present recommendations for the future focus of avian dietary research.

Advances and Limitations of Next Generation Sequencing in Animal Diet Analysis

Diet analysis is a critical content of animal ecology and the diet analysis methods have been constantly improving and updating. Contrary to traditional methods of high labor intensity and low resolution, the next generation sequencing (NGS) approach has been suggested as a promising tool for dietary studies, which greatly improves the efficiency and broadens the application range. Here we present a framework of adopting NGS and DNA metabarcoding into diet analysis, and discuss the application in aspects of prey taxa composition and structure, intra-specific and inter-specific trophic links, and the effects of animal feeding on environmental changes. Yet, the generation of NGS-based diet data and subsequent analyses and interpretations are still challenging with several factors, making it possible still not as widely used as might be expected. We suggest that NGS-based diet methods must be furthered, analytical pipelines should be developed. More application perspectives, including nutrient geometry, metagenomics and nutrigenomics, need to be incorporated to encourage more ecologists to infer novel insights on they work.

Occurrence and diet analysis of sea turtles in Korean shore

Background Sea turtles, which are globally endangered species, have been stranded and found as bycatch on the Korean shore recently. More studies on sea turtles in Korea are necessary to aid their conservation. To investigate the spatio-temporal occurrence patterns of sea turtles on the Korean shore, we recorded sampling locations and dates, identified species and sexes and measured sizes (maximum curved carapace length; CCL) of collected sea turtles from the year 2014 to 2020. For an analysis of diets through stomach contents, we identified the morphology of the remaining food and extracted DNA, followed by amplification, cloning, and sequencing. Results A total of 62 stranded or bycaught sea turtle samples were collected from the Korean shores during the study period. There were 36 loggerhead turtles, which were the dominant species, followed by 19 green turtles, three hawksbill turtles, two olive ridley turtles, and two leatherback turtles. The highest numbers were collected in the year 2017 and during summer among the seasons. In terms of locations, most sea turtles were collected from the East Sea, especially from Pohang. Comparing the sizes of collected sea turtles according to species, the average CCL of loggerhead turtles was 79.8 cm, of green turtles was 73.5 cm, and of the relatively large leatherback turtle species was 126.2 cm. In most species, the proportion of females was higher than that of males and juveniles, and was more than 70% across all the species. Food remains were morphologically identified from 19 stomachs, mainly at class level. Seaweeds were abundant in stomachs of green turtles, and Bivalvia was the most detected food item in loggerhead turtles. Based on DNA analysis, food items from a total of 26 stomachs were identified to the species or genus level. The gulfweed, Sargassum thunbergii, and the kelp species, Saccharina japonica, were frequently detected from the stomachs of green turtles and the jellyfish, Cyanea nozakii, the swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus, and kelps had high frequencies of occurrences in loggerhead turtles. Conclusions Our findings support those of previous studies suggesting that sea turtles are steadily appearing in the Korean sea. In addition, we verified that fish and seaweed, which inhabit the Korean sea, are frequently detected in the stomach of sea turtles. Accordingly, there is a possibility that sea turtles use the Korean sea as feeding grounds and habitats. These results can serve as basic data for the conservation of globally endangered sea turtles.

ABO Blood Group as a Potential Risk Factor for Dental Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that affects people of all ages due to a complex interplay between genetic and environmental variables. The significance of genetics in an individual's vulnerability to caries has recently been explored in scientific literature. One such inherited genetic characteristic is blood group. The relationship between blood type, lifestyle, and dental caries may shed light on the above idea. Aim: To explore into blood type as a possible risk factor for the development of dental caries. Material And Methods: Blood samples from 39 people of the index ages (5, 12, 15, 35-44, and 60-74 years) were taken, and blood grouping was done before oral screening to determine the DMFT index. A self-administered questionnaire was used to conduct a complete diet analysis. SPSS software was used to do statistical analysis on the data. Results: In different age groups, there was a strong link between different blood types, DMFT index, and diet. Conclusion: The current study's results demonstrate that genetic and epigenetic variables play a significant influence in the development of dental caries. As a result, blood groups can be utilised to detect if a certain diet is associated with the development of dental caries. Keywords: Dental caries, ABO antigens, Blood group, DMFT index, risk predictors

The Association of Anti-Inflammatory Diet Ingredients and Lifestyle Exercise with Inflammaging

One of the latest theories on ageing focuses on immune response, and considers the activation of subclinical and chronic inflammation. The study was designed to explain whether anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle exercise affect an inflammatory profile in the Polish elderly population. Sixty individuals (80.2 ± 7.9 years) were allocated to a low-grade inflammation (LGI n = 33) or high-grade inflammation (HGI n = 27) group, based on C-reactive protein concentration (<3 or ≥3 mg/L) as a conventional marker of systemic inflammation. Diet analysis focused on vitamins D, C, E, A, β-carotene, n-3 and n-6 PUFA using single 24-h dietary recall. LGI demonstrated a lower n-6/n-3 PUFA but higher vitamin D intake than HGI. Physical performance based on 6-min walk test (6MWT) classified the elderly as physically inactive, whereby LGI demonstrated a significantly higher gait speed (1.09 ± 0.26 m/s) than HGI (0.72 ± 0.28 m/s). Circulating interleukins IL-1β, IL-6, IL-13, TNFα and cfDNA demonstrated high concentrations in the elderly with low 6MWT, confirming an impairment of physical performance by persistent systemic inflammation. These findings reveal that increased intake of anti-inflammatory diet ingredients and physical activity sustained throughout life attenuate progression of inflammaging in the elderly and indicate potential therapeutic strategies to counteract pathophysiological effects of ageing.

Predation of the Japanese keelback (Hebius vibakari Boie, 1826) by the Slender racer (Orientocoluber spinalis Peters, 1866)

Background The Slender racer (Orientocoluber spinalis Peters, 1866) has recently been reclassified to the new genus Orientocoluber from Hierophis. Ecological knowledge of this species is limited due to its highly mobile behavior. On 17 July 2020, we captured a female O. spinalis on Oeyeon Island, Boryeong-si, Republic of Korea, and collected its feces for a diet analysis. We observed snake scales from the collected feces and subsequently determined the prey species through morphological and molecular methods. Results We initially hypothesized that the extracted fecal sample scales belonged to H. vibakari, due to their thin keel and rhombus shape. We also amplified H. vibakari DNA from the extracted fecal sample using Illumina sequencing methods. Our morphological and molecular results suggest that O. spinalis predates H. vibakari on Oeyeon Island. Conclusion This is the first report of O. spinalis predating another snake species, ophiophagy, and implies that H. vibakari may be a crucial prey item for O. spinalis on Oeyeon Island.

219 Effects of Feeding Low Protein Diets with Additional Supplementation of First Five Limiting AA on Performance and Diarrhea Incidence in Weaned Pigs

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding low crude protein (CP) diets and supplying 110% of the first 5 limiting AA on performance and diarrhea incidence in weaned pigs. One of 3 treatments were randomly assigned to 81 piglets (BW: 8.2 ± 1.2 kg; 9 pens/treatment; 3 pigs/pen) during 2 phases (3 wk each): a high CP (HP; 21 and 18%), a low CP (LP; 18 and 15%), or a low CP at 110% Lys, Met, Trp, Thr, Val requirements (LPAA; 18 and 15%) diet for phase 1 and 2, respectively. Pigs had ad libitum access to feed and water. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. During phase 1, pigs fed HP had the greatest ADG (P &lt; 0.05), but ADFI and G:F were not different among treatments. In phase 2, no effect of treatments was observed on growth performance. Overall, pigs fed LPAA had the lowest (P &lt; 0.05) ADG and G:F, and feeding LP decreased (P &lt; 0.05) G:F. The ADFI was not affected by the treatments. Only during wk 3, pigs fed LPAA increased (P &lt; 0.05) and LP tended to increase (P &lt; 0.10) frequency of diarrhea compared to HP. On d 21, no treatment effect was observed for ileal villi height, but LPAA reduced (P &lt; 0.05) and LP tended to reduce (P &lt; 0.10) crypt depth compared to HP. Diet analysis revealed that LP was deficient in Ile and non-essential AA (NEAA), and LPAA contained inadequate levels of Ile, Leu, His and NEAA, which explains why reduced pig performance was achieved with these 2 diets. In conclusion, low CP diets, even with additional supplementation of the first 5 limiting AA, if deficient in the next limiting AA, results in negative effects on performance and diarrhea incidence.