Microbiota’s Role in Diet-Driven Alterations in Food Intake: Satiety, Energy Balance, and Reward

The gut microbiota plays a key role in modulating host physiology and behavior, particularly feeding behavior and energy homeostasis. There is accumulating evidence demonstrating a role for gut microbiota in the etiology of obesity. In human and rodent studies, obesity and high-energy feeding are most consistently found to be associated with decreased bacterial diversity, changes in main phyla relative abundances and increased presence of pro-inflammatory products. Diet-associated alterations in microbiome composition are linked with weight gain, adiposity, and changes in ingestive behavior. There are multiple pathways through which the microbiome influences food intake. This review discusses these pathways, including peripheral mechanisms such as the regulation of gut satiety peptide release and alterations in leptin and cholecystokinin signaling along the vagus nerve, as well as central mechanisms, such as the modulation of hypothalamic neuroinflammation and alterations in reward signaling. Most research currently focuses on determining the role of the microbiome in the development of obesity and using microbiome manipulation to prevent diet-induced increase in food intake. More studies are necessary to determine whether microbiome manipulation after prolonged energy-dense diet exposure and obesity can reduce intake and promote meaningful weight loss.

Epidemiological Traceability Investigation of a New Wave of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Beijing

Background: To investigate a new wave of COVID-19 outbreaks in Beijing at the end of 2020, and to analyze the infection situation and transmission chain of each generation.Methods: Using a unified questionnaire, through the combination of field investigation and telephone survey, and with the help of trajectory big data technology to track the infected persons and close contacts for clues and case investigation. All nasal/pharyngeal swabs were collected and detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR method. The propagation relationship was analyzed by using the schematic diagram of transmission chain.Results: The outbreak involved 21 infected persons (15 confirmed cases and 6 asymptomatic). The first case was only an index case rather than the source of infection. The infected persons were spread through family exposure, workplace exposure, public premises exposure, vehicle exposure, diet exposure and so on. The average incubation period was 4 days, and those who had contact during both the virus incubation period and the symptom period had a higher risk of infection (c2=30.688, P<0.001). Unprotected family exposure, diet exposure, and exposure to small spaces, such as within transport, presented a higher risk of infection (c2=33.461, P<0.001). Conclusion: Against the background of global integration, the COVID-19 situation is still grim, still can not relax. While speeding up the recovery of the economy, "external defense input and internal defense rebound" is still the top priority in China's epidemic prevention and control work.

La obesidad. Un enfoque multidisciplinar como paradigma para enseñar en el aula (The obesity. A multidisciplinary approach as a paradigm for teaching in the classroom)

La obesidad se ha convertido en un serio problema de salud a nivel mundial y en particular, la obesidad infantil es un problema actual que requiere la intervención en muchos ámbitos, entre ellos el ámbito escolar. Desde las aulas, esta problemática se considera únicamente, como el aumento en el consumo de energía, a través de alimentos ricos en azúcares y grasas, dándole un enfoque simplista, cuando menos. En este sentido, resultaría necesario que los docentes conocieran la importancia de la mayoría de los factores que influyen en un aumento de la obesidad, no sólo el estilo de vida y una dieta saludable, sino otros como la exposición a los disruptores endocrinos, la genética, la cronodisrupción o la microbiota. El objetivo del presente artículo es hacer una revisión de los principales factores implicados en el desarrollo de la obesidad que permita a los docentes planificar estrategias de prevención de la obesidad holísticas desarrollando en el alumno competencias y hábitos saludables. Abstract. Obesity has become a serious health problem worldwide and, in particular, childhood obesity. Obesity is a current problem that requires intervention in many areas, including education. From school, obesity is considered as the increase in energy consumption through foods rich in sugars and fats, giving this problem a simplistic approach when it really is a complex illness. In this sense, it would be necessary for teachers to know the importance of the different factors that influence an increase in obesity, a lifestyle and a healthy diet, exposure to endocrine disruptors, genetics, chronodisruption, or the microbiota. This article aims to review the main factors involved in the development of obesity that allows teachers to plan holistic obesity prevention strategies by developing healthy skills and habits in the student.