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Milk powders are becoming a major attraction for many industrial applications due to their nutritional and functional properties. Different types of powdered milk, each with their own distinct chemical compositions, can have different functionalities. Consequently, the development of rapid monitoring methods is becoming an urgent task to explore and expand their applicability. Lately, there is growing emphasis on the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a rapid technique for the quality assessment of dairy products. In the present work, we explored the potential of NIRS coupled with chemometrics for the prediction of the main functional and chemical properties of three types of milk powders, as well as their important processing parameters. Mare, camel and cow milk powders were prepared at different concentrations (5%, 10% and 12%) and temperatures (25 °C, 40 °C and 65 °C), and then their main physicochemical attributes and NIRS spectra were analyzed. Overall, high accuracy in both recognition and prediction based on type, concentration and temperature was achieved by NIRS-based models, and the quantification of quality attributes (pH, viscosity, dry matter content, fat content, conductivity and individual amino acid content) also resulted in high accuracy in the models. R2CV and R2pr values ranging from 0.8 to 0.99 and 0.7 to 0.98, respectively, were obtained by using PLSR models. However, SVR models achieved higher R2CV and R2pr values, ranging from 0.91 to 0.99 and 0.80 to 0.99, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamoxifen (TAM) is required for gene recombination in the inducible Cre/lox system. The TAM‐enriched diet is considered safe, with negligible impact on animal wellbeing. However, studies reporting the long‐term effects of the TAM diet and its potential impact on experimental outcomes are scarce. We conducted a longitudinal study on mice exposed to a 4‐week dietary TAM citrate supplementation. Several parameters were recorded, such as body weight, body composition, mortality, and cardiac function. The collagen1a2 (Col1a2) transgenic mouse was used to assess TAM‐induced recombination in vivo in cardiac fibroblasts followed by myocardial infarction (MI). The impact of TAM on the MI outcome was also evaluated. The recombination efficiency and cytotoxic effect of the TAM active metabolite, 4‐hydroxy‐tamoxifen (4‐OHT), were assessed in vitro. Mice exposed to a TAM diet showed body weight loss and a 10% increase in mortality (P = 0.045). The TAM diet decreased cardiac function and induced cardiac remodeling, indicated by decreased fractional shortening from 32.23% to 19.23% (P = 0.001) and left ventricular (LV) wall thinning. All measured parameters were reversed to normal when mice were returned to a normal diet. Infarcted Col1a2‐CreER mice on the TAM regimen showed gene recombination in fibroblasts, but it was associated with a substantial increase in mortality post‐surgery (2.5‐fold) compared to the controls. In vitro, 4‐OHT induced gene editing in fibroblasts; however, cell growth arrest and cytotoxicity were observed at high concentrations. In conclusion, prolonged exposure to the TAM diet can be detrimental and necessitates careful model selection and interpretation of the results. What is the central question of this study?Tamoxifen is used to induce Cre‐mediated gene editing, but high doses used in intraperitoneal injection can be toxic and tamoxifen‐enriched food has emerged as an alternative: what is the impact of long‐term exposure to the tamoxifen diet in mice?What is the main finding and its importance?Prolonged exposure to the tamoxifen diet induced severe weight loss, weakness, and impaired cardiac function. Mice exposed to long‐term tamoxifen‐enriched diet are more likely to succumb to further interventions. Investigators planning to use inducible mouse models should be aware of the potential problems that can be avoided with careful experimental design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet modification has the potential to influence glycemic control and diabetes outcome in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This cross-sectional study aimed to assess types of diets being reported by patients with T1D and documented in the Diabetes Patients Follow-Up Registry (DPV). The DPV registry was screened for additional free text entries containing information about certain diets and/or physician-based diagnoses requiring special diets e. g. celiac disease. Descriptive analysis and unadjusted comparisons between patients with T1D following at least one special diet and controls (T1D without diet) were performed. Overall, 113,894 patients with T1D of all ages were included. In 2.3% (n = 2,595; median age 11.3 yrs [Q1; Q3: 7.0; 15.2]), at least one kind of diet was documented. These patients were significantly younger at diabetes onset than controls (median age 7.5 yrs [Q1; Q3: 3.9; 11.4] vs. 11.1 yrs [6.6; 16.7]; p < 0.001) and showed a significantly lower BMI-SDS (median [Q1; Q3]: 0.220 [−0.427;0.812] vs. 0.450 [−0.211;1.088]). Diet was more often reported in females (55.7% vs. 44.3%, p < 0.001). The three most common diets were gluten-free diet due to celiac disease, low-protein diet, and lactose-restricted diet due to lactose intolerance. A combination of two diagnoses in one patient (n = 44, 1.7% of the entire diet group) was predominantly intolerance to both fructose and lactose. Among all diet subgroups the highest BMI-SDS was found in the group diets for weight loss. This study revealed a wide range of eating habits in patients with T1D. A special diet was more frequently documented in females. The main reason for adhering to a diet was a concomitant disease. As any diet modification could impact glycemic control, health care providers should be encouraged to regularly ask their patients about their eating habits and provide training and support by specialized dietitians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provided 3 special diets to 40 preschool children with autism at lunchtime and detected improvements in diet-related issues in almost all of the children. The children fell into the following 3 groups: those who selected their diet based on: group1 = sensory factors; group2 = visual appearance of foods; and group3 = familiar foods. To identify effective support, we performed developmental and sensory assessments of each group retrospectively. There were 7 children in group1, 9 in group2, and 24 in group3. The duration of support was 1–3 years. We performed developmental assessments before and after the support period. We found improvement in diet-related issues in almost all children. Initially, the mean developmental age for language understanding differed among group1 (10.8 months), group2 (14.7 months), and group3 (16.6 months). Furthermore, with respect to basic ability in daily life, the mean developmental age in group1 (19.2 months) was lower than that in group3 (24.8 months). Finally, the mean developmental quotient in group3 (49.6) was higher than that in group1 (36.4) and group2 (40.8). No significant differences were observed in sensory assessment among the groups. Developmental assessment can be useful for determining the type of support. Group1 support is suitable for children in the pre-language stage. Group2 support is suitable for children who can recognize shapes or understand instructions in simple language. Group3 support is suitable for children who can understand instructions in simple language and a daily routine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Information about the prevalence of special diets in preschool children is limited. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of all special diets among preschool children in a Swedish municipality.Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional survey of all 3276 preschool children aged one to five years in the municipality of Karlskrona, Sweden. The questionnaire assessed the number of children at each preschool, how many were on special diets, their dietary requirements, age, sex, whether they had a medical certificate and whether the special diet had a perceived medical cause.Results: We obtained data for 3221 (98%) of the children, and 19% had special diets, including 12% on nonmedical diets and 6.3% on medical diets. The five most common diets were avoiding pork (7.8%), a vegetarian diet (4.8%), and avoiding cows' milk (3.5%), hens' eggs (1.2%) and lactose (1.1%). Gluten avoidance was more common in girls than boys (0.8% versus 0.2%, p = 0.032). Half (47%) of the children on special medical diets lacked a medical certificate.Conclusion: Special diets were common in preschool children in south-east Sweden, and the causes were mainly nonmedical. Mandatory medical certificates for medically based special diets might reduce unnecessary dietary restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]