The Mediterranean and a low carbohydrate diet are two popular dietary approaches recommended for cardiovascular and metabolic health, respectively. This trial will compare the combined effect of these diets to either approach alone for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Males and females (n=222), 30-75 years, with at least three MetS risk factors will be randomised to one of 3 diets: i) Traditional Mediterranean (∼55% of energy carbohydrate [CHO]:15% Protein [Pro]: 30% Fat), ii) Lower Carbohydrate (∼35%CHO:20%Pro:45%Fat), or iii) Lower Carbohydrate Mediterranean (∼35%CHO:20%Pro:45%Fat) diet for 12-weeks. The primary outcome measure is the MetS Severity Z Score (MetS-Z), a composite score of risk factors, sex and ethnicity. MetS-Z will be calculated pre and post intervention using fasted blood samples for plasma triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and glucose, systolic blood pressure, body weight and waist circumference measures. The findings from this trial will offer new insights into the most effective dietary strategy for managing diabetes and reducing cardiovascular risk in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Responsive feeding characterised by recognising and appropriately addressing children’s hunger and satiety signals, plays a key role in health. Despite children’s innate ability to self-regulate food intake, caregivers can override these cues, especially in child care settings. The study determined the effects of a 6-month coaching intervention on the responsive feeding environments of child care centres. CELEBRATE Feeding was a 6-month, coaching, pre-post intervention design conducted in eight child care centres across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada. Child care centres’ feeding environments and educator practices were observed using a modified Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation tool at baseline and follow-up in two rooms per centre (n = 16). Twenty-one responsive feeding components were scored from 0–3 (3 as best practice). The average centre scores were summed for an overall score ranging from 0–63 at each time point. Paired samples t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were conducted to assess the impact of the intervention on overall rooms’ and individual responsive feeding components’ scores. There was an increase in scores from baseline (M = 38.16, SD = 6.55) to follow-up (M = 45.75, SD = 5.87), t (15) = 4.91, P < 0.001. All but one score improved, where 3 of the 21 scores were significantly more responsive after the intervention after applying a Bonferroni correction (P < 0.002). The score with the greatest positive change was ‘Educators provide gentle comments or nudges towards feeding’, with a mean difference of 1.33, P < 0.001. The CELEBRATE Feeding coaching intervention was successful in improving responsive feeding practices and environments in child care settings.

Acanthobothrium represents the most species-rich genus of onchoproteocephalidean cestodes, with adults parasitizing the spiral valves of elasmobranch fishes. Between October 2023 and August 2025, Acanthobothrium minus, previously reported from the Algerian coast in Raja asterias (Mediterranean starry ray), was collected from the spiral valve of Raja asterias, and the rough ray, Raja radula. This parasite is characterized by its small body size and reduced number of proglottids. In this study, we examine its host specificity and provide a redescription of A. minus from the type locality and host, and an additional host (R. radula) using light microscopy and molecular approaches. Furthermore, we present, for the first time, molecular and phylogenetic data based on 28S rDNA sequences for this species, along with a detailed morphometric comparison to other CategoryII Acanthobothrium species infecting Rajidae from the Mediterranean. Our phylogenetic results show all Acanthobothrium species 28S sequences from the Mediterannean grouping in the same clade and suggest close affinity with Acanthobothrium coronatum (Category 4). These results support that these taxonomic categories are a useful guide for morphological comparisons but are not correlated with true phylogenetic relationships. Furthermore, the regional grouping of these sequences from relatively distantly related definitive hosts (the shark Scyliorhinus stellaris L. and the skates R. asterias and R. radula) supports evolution of this elasmobranch-Acanthobothrium association in the Mediterranean through host switching due to shared ecological features of the hosts followed by speciation by isolation. However, additional support for this hypothesis would require more in-depth taxonomic representation of available sequence data.

Many parasitic nematodes exhibit a range of behavioural responses to host-associated stimuli, especially chemicals. The infective juveniles (IJs) of specialized insect-infecting nematodes, i.e., entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), can show directed movement (taxis) or other behaviours in response to odorants. However, relatively little is known in terms of IJ responses in the context of increases in non-directed movement (kinesis) resulting from physical contact with host chemicals, or the effects of insect semiochemicals on EPN behaviours. We individually exposed IJs of the EPN Steinernema carpocapsae to solutions representing five different treatments, including those containing the macerated tissues of a suitable insect host (greater wax moth larvae – waxworms) or a semiochemical (1-pentadecene) secreted by various insects. We conducted behavioural observations at six time points over an 8-h period, measuring the total number of movements by each IJ (orthokinesis), along with the occurrence of side-to-side movements (klinokinesis) or head-waving. We found that IJs in the waxworm or 1-pentadecene solutions showed high levels of overall movement, but waxworm-exposed IJs also exhibited the most sinusoidal movement, whereas IJs exposed to 1-pentadecene exhibited far more head-waving than nematodes in the other treatments. These results indicate that S. carpocapsae shows behavioural responses through kinesis when exposed to host chemical cues in an aqueous medium. As our study is only the second report of EPNs responding to an insect semiochemical, this is a promising area for future studies to better understand host-finding strategies by these nematodes, with possible applications for their use in insect biocontrol.

The objective of this study was to develop and validate an educational comic book designed to promote healthy eating among caregivers of young children. The study was conducted in four phases: (1) literature review and script development; (2) creation of the initial version of the comic book, including illustrations, layout and design, and calculation of the Flesch Readability Index (FI); (3) expert validation of the initial version and calculation of the Content Validity Index (CVI); and (4) adaptation of the comic book based on expert suggestions, recalculation of the FI, and pilot testing (CVI) with a lay population. A total of 64 volunteers participated in the validation process, including 14 expert judges and 50 caregivers responsible for feeding children aged 0 to 5 years. Statistical analysis included descriptive measures and inferential testing using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The FI score for the initial version was 85.0%, indicating a reading level classified as “easy to understand.” After expert evaluation, the CVI reached 94%, reflecting high agreement among participants. In the revised version, the FI remained high at 84.7%, reinforcing the “easy to understand” reading level, while the CVI increased to 98% following the pilot test, demonstrating strong consensus among participants. A significant improvement in knowledge regarding healthy eating was observed after reading the comic book (p < 0.05). The comic book was validated for appearance, content and readability, showing a positive impact on caregivers’ knowledge about healthy eating practices. It represents an accessible and effective resource that can be integrated into community-based nutrition education programmes.

In recent years, we have seen an immense expansion in recombinant DNA, especially in its use in gene therapy applications. Throughout its history, the United States set up several mechanisms of national safety and ethical oversight for rDNA to ensure that we proceeded with its use appropriately. As our knowledge and experience with it grew, there has been increasing pressure to decrease the oversight and monitoring requirements for its use. In 2019, the National Institutes of Health amended the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules eliminated three national mechanisms for guidance, monitoring, and review of this biotechnology. Four years later, we revisit these changes and their implications for a current emerging biotechnology: xenotransplantation. By better understanding the motivations for these mechanisms and analyzing the test case, we argue that these changes have worrisome implications for our ethical oversight of emerging biotechnologies both in the realm of gene transfer technologies and beyond.

This study provides the description of a new species of Anisakidae, Contracaecum cocoi sp. nov., as well as the record of Contracaecum jorgei, both species parasitizing the Cocoi heron Ardea cocoi (Ardeidae) in a locality from the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. An integrative taxonomic approach was used, involving phylogenetic analyses and the examination of diagnostic morphological features in the studied specimens. Among other features, the new species can be morphologically distinguished by the papillae arrangement on the male tail: while C. jorgei exhibits a simple morphotype A, C. cocoi sp. nov. presents an intermediate morphotype B. Mainly, the possession of three adcloacal papillae pairs is a diagnostic feature separating this new species from the rest of the Contracaecum species. The cox2 mtDNA isolates exhibited C. cocoi sp. nov. as a single node and grouped close to the clade formed by both species Contracaecum micropapillatum and C. bancrofti. The other cox2 mtDNA sequences showed a great concordance with C. jorgei. The K2P distances calculated for the cox2 mtDNA isolates of C. cocoi sp. nov. displayed a distance of 0.12 with C. bancrofti, 0.13 with C. micropapillatum, and 0.16 with C. jorgei. Contracaecum cocoi sp. nov. is proposed as a new taxon clearly supported by both phylogenetic analysis and distinctive morphological features that distinguish it from its congeners. The occurrence of C. cocoi sp. nov. together with C. jorgei in sympatric and syntopic conditions suggests that ecological or reproductive isolating mechanisms may be acting to maintain distinct lineages in shared environments. New records, particularly those involving intermediate and definitive hosts, will contribute to elucidating the distribution of these parasites in the Americas and potentially lead to the discovery of new species.

Prenatal exposure to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been associated with child weight at birth and may have a persistent effect on adiposity development across childhood. Fish is the richest source of n-3 PUFAs within the diet; albeit few studies have investigated associations between maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and child weight. This study examines associations between maternal fish consumption and prenatal PUFA status (n-3 and n-6), with longitudinal measures of child weight in the high-fish-eating Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2. Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy was assessed using a Fish Use Questionnaire administered at 28-weeks’ gestation. Serum PUFAs were quantified in maternal blood collected at 28-weeks’ gestation and in cord blood collected at delivery. Birth weight was measured at delivery and classified according to WHO growth standards (n=1185). Child length/height (m) and weight (kg) were recorded at 20 months (n=1182), 7 (n=1167) and 13 (n=878) years. Child BMI was classified according to child z-scores. Maternal total fish consumption (range: 0.0-584.71 g/day) was not associated with child weight at any age. At 7 and 13 years maternal total n-6 PUFAs were associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity (7yr; OR=1.62, p=0.037, 13yr; OR=2.05, p=0.005). Lower (<0.071mg/ml) cord docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations were associated with a greater likelihood of being large for gestational age (LGA; >90th percentile) when compared to higher (>0.129mg/ml) cord DHA concentrations (OR 4.17, p=0.017). This study suggests prenatal maternal n-3 and n-6 PUFA status may influence postnatal outcomes, including child adiposity from birth until adolescence.