Children's Health: Early-life exercise alters gut microbes,♦ Parents can play a role in preventing teen fighting ♦ How does type of toy affect quantity, quality of language in infant playtime?

Early-life exercise alters gut microbes, promotes healthy brain and metabolism The human gut harbors a teeming menagerie of over 100 trillion microorganisms, and researchers have discovered that exercising early in life can alter that microbial community for the better, promoting healthier brain and metabolic activity over the course of a lifetime.

How does type of toy affect quantity, quality of language in infant playtime? Electronic toys for infants that produce lights, words and songs were associated with decreased quantity and quality of language compared to playing with books or traditional toys such as a wooden puzzle, a shape-sorter and a set of rubber blocks.

Parents can play a role in preventing teen fighting With nearly one-fourth of teens reporting fighting in the past year, a new study finds parents, who are often left out of violence prevention programs, can play an important role in reducing adolescent altercations

Undiagnosed Diseases Program gives answers where there were none An Undiagnosed Diseases Program provides an ending for one family's 24 year search for answers to their children's health issues.

Health Research: Early warning found for chronic kidney disease ♦ Gut microbiota regulates antioxidant metabolism ♦ Racial disparities associated with living kidney donation

Gut microbiota regulates antioxidant metabolism Gut microbiota regulates the glutathione and amino acid metabolism of the host. Glutathione is a key antioxidant, found in every cell in our body. Deficiency of glutathione contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a major role in several lifestyle diseases.

Early warning found for chronic kidney disease A simple blood test for the suPAR protein can predict a person's chances of developing chronic kidney disease five years before symptoms emerge, thus doing for kidney disease what cholesterol has done for cardiovascular disease.

Racial disparities associated with living kidney donation assessed Increasing median income levels of transplant candidates' zip codes were associated with higher rates of living donation, but African American candidates living in the wealthiest neighborhoods had only slightly higher rates than rates seen among the lowest median income areas for Caucasians.African-American donors had higher rates of complications early after donation

Gut microbiota changes in diabetic kidney disease contribute to chronic inflammation and vascular complications Among patients with type 2 diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), a shift in gut microbiota diversity in combination with elevated plasma zonulin levels substantially impacts the degree of chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Zonulin could be a potential future target to control inflammatory immune responses.

Seniors Health:Tracking down the secret of aging ♦ What metabolism could reveal about aging and mortality ♦ Bioethicist calls on researchers for more evidence-based end-of-life care programs

Mobile phone navigation service for older people gets them there step by step Scientists have developed a mobile phone-based navigation service which guides older users to the right address, even when lost in a strange town. The service helps older people to use public transport, assisting them along the entire route. This intuitive navigation service differs from standard public transport applications by offering continuous guidance during the journey, walking directions to stops and destinations, and timetable and real-time information. It helps senior travelers to find the right mode of transport, change routes, get off at the right stop and walk to the destination from the last stop.

Bioethicist calls on researchers for more evidence-based end-of-life care programs Although the public and private sectors are currently engaged in an unprecedented array of efforts to improve end-of-life care, too many of these programs are not evidence-based, says one expert. Investigators and research sponsors must be more involved to 'identify, develop and rigorously test interventions so they can offer guidance' on implementing programs that work among the terminally ill.

What metabolism could reveal about aging and mortality Why some people live much longer than others is an enduring mystery. Now, based on a study of a worm, scientists are getting one step closer to understanding longevity. They report that the metabolic profiles of the worms could accurately predict how long they would live and that middle age could be a key turning point.

Tracking down the secret of aging Researchers have found differences between normal and pathologic peptidomic changes that may lead to an improved understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying aging. Proteome analysis in combination with therapy may influence pathologic aging.

Children's Health: Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children ♦ The hormonal factor FGF21, present in breast milk, plays a key role in regulating newborn metabolism

Poor motor skills in two-year-olds could indicate slow development in mathematical proficiency Two-year-olds with poor motor function also exhibit poor mathematical skills, a new study shows. This knowledge will make it easier for teachers to identify children who may need extra help.

The hormonal factor FGF21, present in breast milk, plays a key role in regulating newborn metabolism A compound found in breast milk, named fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), plays a key role in neonatal nutrient absorption and intestinal function. FGF21 also contributes to improve newborn growth and metabolic profile.

Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children The pressure to be cool, look good and own the 'right stuff' is detrimental to many children and teenagers.While many young people buy into consumer culture believing it will make them feel better about themselves and help them to make friends, often the reverse happens.

More time for school lunches equals healthier choices for kids Elementary and middle school students who are given at least 25 minutes to eat lunch are more likely to choose fruits and consume more of their entrees, milk, and vegetable

Cool Temperature Alters Human Fat and Metabolism

Men exposed to a cool environment overnight for a month had an increase in brown fat with corresponding changes in metabolism. The finding hints at new ways to alter the body’s energy balance to treat conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

Humans have several types of fat. White fat stores extra energy. Too much white fat, a characteristic of obesity, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and other diseases. Brown fat, in contrast, burns chemical energy to create heat and help maintain body temperature. Researchers have previously shown that, in response to cold, white fat cells in both animals and humans take on characteristics of brown fat cells.

PET/CT images show that a patient has more brown fat (red) after a month of cold exposure but a complete reversal after a month of warm exposure. Image by the researchers, courtesy ofDiabetes.

A team led by Dr. Francesco S. Celi of Virginia Commonwealth University and Dr. Paul Lee, now at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia, explored the effects of ambient temperature on brown fat and metabolism. The study was supported in part by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the NIH Clinical Center. Results appeared online on June 22, 2014, in Diabetes.

The researchers had 5 healthy men, average age 21 years, reside for 4 months in a clinical research unit in the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The men engaged in regular activities during the day and then returned to their private room each evening. The temperature of the room was set to 24 °C (75 °F) during the first month, 19 °C (66 °F) the second month, 24 °C again for the third month, and 27 °C (81 °F) the remaining month.

The participants were exposed to the temperature for at least 10 hours each night. They wore standard hospital clothing and had bed sheets only. All meals were provided, with calorie and nutrient content carefully controlled and all consumption monitored. At the end of each month, the men underwent extensive evaluations, including energy expenditure testing, muscle and fat biopsies, and PET/CT scanning of an area of the neck and upper back region to measure brown fat volume and activity.

After a month of exposure to mild cold, the participants had a 42% increase in brown fat volume and a 10% increase in fat metabolic activity. These alterations returned to near baseline during the following month of neutral temperature, and then were completely reversed during the final month of warm exposure. All the changes occurred independently of seasonal changes.

The increase in brown fat following a month of cold exposure was accompanied by improved insulin sensitivity after a meal during which volunteers were exposed to mild cold. Prolonged exposure to mild cold also resulted in significant changes in metabolic hormones such as leptin and adiponectin. There were no changes in body composition or calorie intake.

The findings suggest that humans may acclimate to cool temperature by increasing brown fat, which in turn may lead to improvements in glucose metabolism. These changes can be dampened or reversed following exposure to warmer temperatures.

“The big unknown until this study was whether or not we could actually manipulate brown fat to grow and shrink in a human being,” Lee says. “The improvement in insulin sensitivity accompanying brown fat gain may open new avenues in the treatment of impaired glucose metabolism.”

Cool Temperature Alters Human Fat and Metabolism

Humans have several types of fat. White fat stores extra energy. Too much white fat, a characteristic of obesity, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and other diseases. Brown fat, in contrast, burns chemical energy to create heat and help maintain body temperature. Researchers have previously shown that, in response to cold, white fat cells in both animals and humans take on characteristics of brown fat cells.

A team led by Dr. Francesco S. Celi of Virginia Commonwealth University and Dr. Paul Lee, now at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia, explored the effects of ambient temperature on brown fat and metabolism.

The researchers had 5 healthy men, average age 21 years, reside for 4 months in a clinical research unit in the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The men engaged in regular activities during the day and then returned to their private room each evening. The temperature of the room was set to 24 °C (75 °F) during the first month, 19 °C (66 °F) the second month, 24 °C again for the third month, and 27 °C (81 °F) the remaining month.

The participants were exposed to the temperature for at least 10 hours each night. They wore standard hospital clothing and had bed sheets only. All meals were provided, with calorie and nutrient content carefully controlled and all consumption monitored. At the end of each month, the men underwent extensive evaluations, including energy expenditure testing, muscle and fat biopsies, and PET/CT scanning of an area of the neck and upper back region to measure brown fat volume and activity.

After a month of exposure to mild cold, the participants had a 42% increase in brown fat volume and a 10% increase in fat metabolic activity. These alterations returned to near baseline during the following month of neutral temperature, and then were completely reversed during the final month of warm exposure. All the changes occurred independently of seasonal changes.

The increase in brown fat following a month of cold exposure was accompanied by improved insulin sensitivity after a meal during which volunteers were exposed to mild cold. Prolonged exposure to mild cold also resulted in significant changes in metabolic hormones such as leptin and adiponectin. There were no changes in body composition or calorie intake.

The findings suggest that humans may acclimate to cool temperature by increasing brown fat, which in turn may lead to improvements in glucose metabolism. These changes can be dampened or reversed following exposure to warmer temperatures.

“The big unknown until this study was whether or not we could actually manipulate brown fat to grow and shrink in a human being,” Lee says. “The improvement in insulin sensitivity accompanying brown fat gain may open new avenues in the treatment of impaired glucose metabolism.”

—by Carol Torgan, Ph.D.