Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder symptoms in children: Associations with child and family variables

This study sought to determine the frequency of possible cases of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in a Portuguese sample of school-aged children and to assess the associations with child’s internalizing problems, BMI z-score and body dissatisfaction, and parents’ eating habits, attitudes and practices. We assessed 330 children through child’s and parents’measures. Fifty-one (15.5%) children were possible cases of ARFID based on their symptom’s presentation. There were no association between sex and possible cases of ARFID, and no significant differences between possible cases of ARFID and nonpossible cases of ARFID regarding age. Lower BMI z-score and anxiety/depression were associated with possible cases of ARFID.     

Decades of Genetic Research on Soybean mosaic virus Resistance in Soybean

This review summarizes the history and current state of the known genetic basis for soybean resistance to Soybean mosaic virus (SMV), and examines how the integration of molecular markers has been utilized in breeding for crop improvement. SVM causes yield loss and seed quality reduction in soybean based on the SMV strain and the host genotype. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of SMV–soybean interactions and the genes conferring resistance to SMV has been a focus of intense research interest for decades. Soybean reactions are classified into three main responses: resistant, necrotic, or susceptible. Significant progress has been achieved that has greatly increased the understanding of soybean germplasm diversity, differential reactions to SMV strains, genotype–strain interactions, genes/alleles conferring specific reactions, and interactions among resistance genes and alleles. Many studies that aimed to uncover the physical position of resistance genes have been published in recent decades, collectively proposing different candidate genes. The studies on SMV resistance loci revealed that the resistance genes are mainly distributed on three chromosomes. Resistance has been pyramided in various combinations for durable resistance to SMV strains. The causative genes are still elusive despite early successes in identifying resistance alleles in soybean; however, a gene at the Rsv4 locus has been well validated.     

Embossing Pressure Effect on Mechanical and Softness Properties of Industrial Base Tissue Papers with Finite Element Method Validation

Embossing is a converting process in which the surface of a tissue paper sheet is changed under high pressure, allowing different functions. In this work, the authors intend to study how the embossing pressure affects the main properties of tissue paper, using a laboratory embossing system. An optimum pressure was achieved at 2.8 bar to this embossing laboratory set-up. The effect of pressure when densifying the paper sheet gives it a gain in mechanical strength but no differences in terms of liquid absorbency. The two embossing patterns present different behaviors but both evidence losses in mechanical and softness properties. On the other hand, the finite element method (FEM) does not show clear evidence of how the pressure affects the paper strength. For the deco die, it is possible to observe that the amount of yielding is slightly higher for lower pressure (2.4 bar), but this plasticity state parameter is very similar for 2.8 bar and 3.2 bar. For the micro die, FEM simulations of the manufacturing pressure do not show a considerable impact on the amount of plasticity state of the material; only for 3.2 bar, it shows a change in the pattern of the plasticity state of the paper during the embossing processes. In the end, to achieve a final product with excellent quality, it is important to make a compromise between the various properties.     

The Role of Social Support in Machismo and Acceptance of Violence Among Adolescents in Europe: Lights4Violence Baseline Results

PurposeTo analyze the potential association between social support, experiences of violence, and sociodemographic characteristics of adolescents and the likelihood of acceptance of violence and machismo in different European countries.MethodsCross-sectional design. We recruited 1,555 participants ages 13–16 from secondary schools in Alicante (Spain), Rome (Italy), Iasi (Romania), Matosinhos (Portugal), Poznan (Poland), and Cardiff (UK). We used linear regression models to identify how social support from teachers and parents, experiences of violence—dating violence, bullying, cyberbullying, abuse in childhood—and sociodemographic characteristics were associated with violent thinking, specifically: machismo and acceptance of violence. The analysis was stratified by sex.ResultsAcceptance of violence was higher for those who had lower perceived social support from parents (β_girls = ?154, p < .001; β_boys = ?.114, p = .019) for both sexes. Perpetration of bullying and/or cyberbullying was associated with higher scores for machismo and acceptance of violence for both sexes (β_girls = .067, p = .035; β_boys = .225, p < .001; (β_girls = .118, p < .001; β_boys = .210, p < .001). Being the victim of dating violence, having suffered physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood, and lower perceived social support from teachers were associated with higher scores for both machismo and acceptance of violence. These associations differed between girls and boys.ConclusionsMachismo and acceptance of violence are widely present amongst adolescents in different European countries. Our results suggest the importance of providing educational/psycho-educational interventions with boys and girls to prevent these attitudes and, in turn, prevent interpersonal violence, including bullying and dating violence.     

Current Evidence of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Ingestion on Vascular Health: A Food Science and Technology Perspective

The amino acid L-arginine is crucial for nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, an important molecule regulating vascular tone. Considering that vascular dysfunction precedes cardiovascular disease, supplementation with precursors of NO synthesis (e.g., L-arginine) is warranted. However, supplementation of L-citrulline is recommended instead of L-arginine since most L-arginine is catabolized during its course to the endothelium. Given that L-citrulline, found mainly in watermelon, can be converted to L-arginine, watermelon supplementation seems to be effective in increasing plasma L-arginine and improving vascular function. Nonetheless, there are divergent findings when investigating the effect of watermelon supplementation on vascular function, which may be explained by the L-citrulline dose in watermelon products. In some instances, offering a sufficient amount of L-citrulline can be impaired by the greater volume (>700 mL) of watermelon needed to reach a proper dose of L-citrulline. Thus, food technology can be applied to reduce the watermelon volume and make supplementation more convenient. Therefore, this narrative review aims to discuss the current evidence showing the effects of watermelon ingestion on vascular health parameters, exploring the critical relevance of food technology for acceptable L-citrulline content in these products. Watermelon-derived L-citrulline appears as a supplementation that can improve vascular function, including arterial stiffness and blood pressure. Applying food technologies to concentrate bioactive compounds in a reduced volume is warranted so that its ingestion can be more convenient, improving the adherence of those who want to ingest watermelon products daily.     

A case of esophageal complication in epidermolysis bulhosa simplex

It is well known the involvement of the gastrointestinal tract in Epidermolysis Bulhosa (EB) and its consequences on both nutrition and growth. We present a case of a young girl with EB diagnosed soon after birth, admitted to our emergency room with food impactation. The endoscopy revealed a double barrel esophagus. No medical or surgical therapy was started and after 2 months of enteric feeding, spontaneous resolution was observed at endoscopy. Skin biopsy was compatible with EB Simplex. According to the literature EB Simplex is the subtype the least associated with GI tract involvement, presenting with dysphagia in only 2% of the patients, and with the lowest cumulative risk of esophageal stricturing.     

Energy efficiency and nutrition in societies based on human labor

Improving the conditions of poor traditional societies is a standard goal of development policies. The definition of ‘improvement’ requires a previous definition of values, that is to say, ‘better’ or ‘worse’ can change according to the parameters used to optimize the system. Different scientific disciplines generally focus on different levels of analysis: the individual, the socio‐economic, or the environmental level. Consequently, optimization parameters derived from single disciplines are not holistic in assessing development. System energy analysis can provide a way to describe the interaction among individuals, human societies and natural processes, that bridges the different levels of analysis.

This paper investigates the relationship between nutrition and energy efficiency in farming systems based on human labor. By describing the energetic budget of a society, trade‐offs can be assessed between a better diet at individual level, and the consequent decrease in the conversion ratio of energy input into applied power at societal level (more elderly, larger body size, dramatic increase of energetic cost for nutritional calories). The relationship between energy efficiency and nutrition in the process of societal development is also addressed.