Daniel Laitila returned from a family vacation to find his South Lyon home quite different from how he left it  “We thought we had a burglary,” Laitila said today in 52-1 District Court in Novi “(Inside) everything looked the same unable to move … blood all over the walls Laitila was the first witness called in the evidence hearing scheduled for Jessica Kropiewnicki and Christopher Simons They’re facing a charge of assault with intent to murder for allegedly beating a 30-year-old Northville resident allegedly attacked him with a baseball bat in a wooded area near Laitila’s house on May 5 Thursday's hearing lasted less than a half hour established that Laitila never saw his client before the court hearing More: Police investigate after South Lyon High senior found dead in home More: Elderly bicyclist hit by train in South Lyon recovering Attorneys will resume presenting evidence on July 16 Oakland County deputies have said they were sent to a Martindale Road home on May 5 about a home invasion Laitila’s family told them they found a male An ambulance arrived and transported the individual to an area hospital Detectives determined the injuries most likely happened elsewhere and the victim entered the Martindale Road residence to seek help He was transported to the hospital in stable condition with significant injuries Lyon Township deputies learned the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office had arrested a suspect on unrelated matters The suspect there volunteered details about the Lyon Township assault saying she and a co-conspirator set up the victim hit his head with a baseball and threw him in a river in a wooded area They found a pair of glasses the victim wore in his driver’s license photo Contact Susan Vela at svela@hometownlife.com or 248-303-8432. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.  Business Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading The Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) has announced two internal promotions: >> Tory Laitila is HoMa’s new curator of the Historic Arts of Hawaii collection an expansion of his current role in textiles and costumes Laitila joined HoMA in 2019 after a 17-year career with the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts he served as the assistant curator at the Hawaiian Mission Houses who has been with the museum for nearly two decades has been promoted to curatorial project administrator and editor where she received a bachelor’s degree in European history the largest piece in the city’s collection is the [Hiroshima to Honolulu Friendship] Torii gate in Mō‘ili‘ili The piece of the highest value would be the in-progress Hoku Pa‘a [sculpture] by Kazu Kauinana for the Joint Traffic Management Center One of my favorite pieces in the collection is at the top of Wai‘alae [Avenue] in Kaimukī where Menehune grew tī leaf for underground ‘imu I like the plaque because it’s an overlooked piece of local history that tells the story of a place (and its proper pronunciation SEE ALSO: Hunt for Hawai‘i History in the Heart of Honolulu I was a carpenter at Liberty House for several years and later became an assistant curator at the Hawaiian Mission Houses The Honolulu City Lights wreath contest has been around for roughly 30 years Parks and Recreation used to do it; they had three ladies who would write the labels and handle everything but they were all retiring So now I coordinate it each year and get the volunteer judges they were looking for volunteers for Onipa‘a the event at ‘Iolani Palace with a re-enactment of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy They needed Caucasian people—I’m Chamorro but can pass for Caucasian—to be sailors of the USS Boston who hosted a Boston Tea Party re-enactment at the Falls of Clyde loading guns and firing rounds into the harbor The Army Museum had “living history” days and I started getting invited to those SEE ALSO: Insider’s Guide to Honolulu Museums Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.819958 Vaginal microbiota plays a central role in women’s health and reproduction Vaginal microbiota is dynamic and shaped by hormonal shifts in each stage of a woman’s life from pre-puberty to postmenopause Current research has mainly focused on vaginal bacterial and fungal members of the community and emphasized their role in disease the impact of balanced vaginal microbiota on health and its interaction with the host is yet poorly understood High abundance of vaginal lactobacilli is most strongly associated with health but the concept of health may vary as vaginal dysbiosis may be asymptomatic there is a lot of variation between ethnic groups in terms of dominating vaginal bacteria Probiotic lactobacilli could be a safe and natural means to balance and maintain healthy vaginal microbiota Research evidence is accumulating on their role in supporting women’s health throughout life This review describes the current literature on vaginal microbiota the major factors affecting its composition and how the communities change in different life stages we focused on reviewing available literature on probiotics and their impact on vaginal microbiota and health the ways on how the healthy VMB is shaped in women at different stages of life have not been comprehensively characterized The main objectives of this review were to provide first an overview of VMB and major factors affecting the composition we focused on identifying and describing the key changes in VMB throughout different life stages of women and discussed the impact of these changes in health As probiotics are targeted for maintaining and promoting health and healthy microbiota we also explored the probiotic’s role on VMB and women’s health across the lifespan Thus, what was previously regarded as relatively simple microbial community has now been revealed to be in fact dynamic and complex. Each woman has her own unique VMB composition, which fluctuates over time and is affected, e.g., by diet, lifestyle, hormones, genetics, and age [reviewed by Farage and Maibach (2006); Gupta et al. (2019)] Here we focused on the bacterial and fungal members of the community as these are the most prevalent microbes associated with vaginal health Vaginal microbiota composition in humans is relatively unique when compared with other mammals, including non-human primates. For instance, lactobacilli typically dominate 70% of the human VMB community, while in other mammals, lactobacilli comprise only low percentages of the total VMB composition (Stumpf et al., 2013; Miller et al., 2016) This in turn is associated with low glycogen and lactic acid levels other mammals have vaginal pH closer to neutral and V are most often associated with health whereas predominance of CST IV can manifest clinically as BV or aerobic vaginitis (AV) CST III has been associated with both health and dysbiosis Changes in bacterial communities due to the dysbiosis is known to increase opportunities for fungal growth and for opportunistic pathogens could be detected in 65% of asymptomatic healthy women Vaginal microbiota composition is highly dynamic and affected by age, ethnicity, and physiological factors, such as monthly hormonal fluctuations and the immune system. Vaginal infections, medications, as well as probiotics shape the VMB, as well as lifestyle and diet (Figure 1) In the below chapters we focus on major known modulators of VMB Key factors affecting vaginal microbiota composition Reproductive hormones and especially estrogen play a key role in shaping the VMB composition throughout life from the onset of puberty, during reproductive years toward menopause, and postmenopause when the estrogen levels decline [reviewed by Moosa et al. (2020)] larger studies exploring the role of various diets and/or body mass index (BMI) on specific CSTs are lacking more studies are needed to understand in-depth how different CSTs regulate the immune system in a healthy state and transition into dysbiosis Probiotics targeted for vaginal health are widely available as dietary supplements or vaginal capsules/suppositories. In vaginal applications, probiotics are applied directly at the site of action, whereas orally supplemented probiotics need to first passage through the gastrointestinal tract before migrating to the vaginal tract. Interestingly, research shows that both application routes are efficacious (Li et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2019) may provide additional beneficial effects to vaginal health via so called “gut-vagina axis” by balancing gut microbiota and inhibiting/preventing ascension of urogenital pathogens from the rectum to vaginal tract as well as stimulating the gut and systemic immune system The VMB composition changes considerably across the female life span from childhood to the onset of puberty, during reproduction and pregnancy, as well over the transition period to menopause and after menopause (Figure 2). Below we take a closer look at the VMB composition at each lifestage and review available probiotic intervention studies conducted at each stage and summarize the key findings in Table 1 since very little is known about the development of healthy vaginal mycobiota throughout life Schematic illustration of typical characteristics and an overview of dominating bacteria in the vaginal environment in context with fluctuating estrogen levels across the female life span Summary of potential benefits of probiotic intervention studies on vaginal microbiota (VMB) throughout female life span no consistent correlation exists in the VMB composition similarity between mothers and their daughters the role of genetic component in VMB composition remains unclear As elevated levels of estrogen concentrations and subsequent glucose in the vaginal epithelium during the pubertal period increase susceptibility to C albicans vaginal infections are less prevalent in pre-puberty Investigation of VMB in adolescents may provide insight into the complexity and variability of VMB in adults and may help to understand whether the VMB development during puberty is associated with vaginal health in adulthood physiologic changes occurring in puberty and initiation of cyclic menstruation have profound effects on VMB but research during these stages is very limited no reports exist on probiotics and their impact on VMB in pre-puberty or puberty it is important to acknowledge the role of estrogen in driving the VMB composition in pre-puberty and puberty and this should be taken into consideration when designing probiotic studies in this age group for supporting vaginal health the relative abundance of Ureaplasma parvum a pathogen associated with infertility and reproduction issues was significantly lower in the probiotic group (0.77% vs In the future, carefully designed and adequately powered clinical trials with well-characterized probiotic strains and treatment regimens are necessary to evaluate the effect of probiotics on fertility outcomes (Mohapatra et al., 2019; Balaghi et al., 2020; Cozzolino et al., 2020) the vaginal bacterial composition was less abundant with Lactobacillus spp. and a significantly higher proportion of these cases were dominated by CST IV Probiotics could provide natural means to support healthy and balanced VMB composition throughout pregnancy and reduce the risk of microbial dysbiosis clinical studies in pregnant women targeting VMB have examined either probiotic effects on overall VMB composition or specifically on Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization the effect of vaginal application containing L rhamnosus BMX 54 once a week for 12 weeks was assessed in pregnant women enrolled at second trimester of their pregnancy The women receiving vaginal probiotic had more stable VMB and did not experience significant changes over the course of the study whereas women without probiotics had a significant trend toward increase in the presence of vaginal pathogenic microorganisms It should be noted that probiotic effects are strain-specific and the dose and survival in the gut and vaginal tract are essential for their ability to exert positive health effects in the vagina of pre- and perimenopausal women was 83% whereas the abundance of those in postmenopausal women was 54% it was shown that menopausal status and CST strictly correlate with each other: perimenopausal women were most often classified to have type CST IV-A or the L whereas postmenopausal women were typically CST IV-A a type with large abundance of anaerobic bacteria from the genera Anaerococcus and Streptococcus (as compared to premenopausal women with CSTs dominated by L The decrease in the vaginal Lactobacillus abundance in postmenopausal women can lead to higher microbial diversity and higher vaginal pH increasing the risks for infections (Ginkel et al., 1993; Gliniewicz et al., 2019) genera Gardnerella and Atopobium were related to AV after menopause the 16S sequencing analyses showed that there was a significant increase in the vaginal abundance of Lactobacillus spp indicating a potential health benefit from the microbiota perspective due to relatively low number of studies focusing on menopausal/postmenopausal population only more studies on probiotics’ effects on VMB focusing on this population are warranted more research is necessary to elucidate bacteria–fungi and fungi–fungi relationships and interactions Understanding of these interactions as well as signaling and immunological responses together with metabolites produced by bacteria and fungi in vaginal health and disease will open new means for microbiota management alternative options for its management are much needed as the pathology is still not well-understood and the current treatment options are inadequate in efficacy and the recurrence rate is high where promising results were reported in terms of achieving long-term remission of BV after 5–12 months of VMB transplantation 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and their microbes: the unexpected friendship Differences in the composition of vaginal microbial communities found in healthy Caucasian and black women Laitila A and Maukonen J (2022) Healthy Vaginal Microbiota and Influence of Probiotics Across the Female Life Span Copyright © 2022 Lehtoranta, Ala-Jaakkola, Laitila and Maukonen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Johanna Maukonen, cGlhLWpvaGFubmEubWF1a29uZW5AaWZmLmNvbQ== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More colorful flower-filled shirts and dresses are synonymous with fashion.   “Fashioning Aloha,” a new exhibit on view at the Honolulu Museum of Art from April 12 to Sept explores how aloha wear has evolved.  curator of textiles and historic arts of Hawaii focused the exhibit on what has inspired aloha wear prints: flowers The exhibit features men’s aloha shirts and women’s dresses While the term muʻumuʻu is usually used as a catch-all for aloha dresses muʻumuʻu and holomū are three distinct styles.  a floor-length gown with sleeves and often a train was made for Queen Kalākua Kaheiheimālie in the 1820s She asked American Protestant missionary women to sew her a dress inspired by Western fashion with fabric she acquired from China.  “The garment itself comes from aliʻi women wearing Western clothing as a status symbol,” Laitila said during a preview of the exhibit on Thursday so some Hawaiian women would make holukū with tapa stamping it with a paisley print to mimic printed cotton fabric prices dropped and wearing holukū became more common.  was originally designed as an undergarment for the holukū “It’s in the 1930s that we get the term ‘aloha shirt,’” Laitila said The term "aloha shirt" first appeared in print in an advertisement for Musa-Shiya Shoten Laitila described the 1930s as the Art Deco era of Hawaii a time when tourism was increasing in Hawaii as commercial airplanes brought more people to the islands and floral fabrics designed specifically for clothes in Hawaii were first manufactured.  a former costume and textile professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa gifted her collection of aloha wear to HoMA after learning her former student Laitila included 15 garments from Bradley’s collection in “Fashioning Aloha” and another 38 garments are on loan from designers and collectors in the community.  “Fashioning Aloha” will be a nostalgic journey into the past as many of the designers featured in the exhibit no longer exist A slideshow also features photos residents submitted of themselves their family and friends dressed in aloha wear from now to 1935 But not everything is from the past. Laitila believes aloha wear is just as popular as it ever was and the exhibit includes a handful of newer designers. HoMA is hosting a panel  at 7 p.m. April 19, 2024 at the Doris Duke Theatre with three newer designers who oversee the entire process as the designer manufacturer and manager of their own shops The panelist will discuss how they got their start in fashion and the inspirations for their aloha wear.  Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com Ann Grills and Mika Laitila of Peterborough learned their happy little 4-year-old daughter Hanna was diagnosed with a brain cancer known as astroblastoma Ann Grills returned home to Peterborough this week with her five-year-old daughter Hanna Laitila in tow “It’s really hard to imagine that she even has cancer to look at her,” Grills now says “We have been so lucky in every stage of this SickKids’ quick response and a successful removal of the whole tumour started us off in the most fortunate place.” left for Cincinnati with her mom and grandmother set to begin six weeks of treatment for astroblastoma — a rare form of cancer “Recovery after treatment can be weeks to months depending on how her body reacts,” her father Mike Laitila told Peterborough This Week at the time “We’re hoping she has a speedy recovery and only misses a couple of months of school.” Grills, on a fundraising page set up to help the family said that after Hanna’s treatment in Cincinnati all the medical staff that worked with her lined the hall to say a happy goodbye “They had music playing and they all began singing ‘Celebrate’ … They brought Hanna out and everyone clapped and sang as she walked to the tree to ring the bell to signify the end of treatment It was a tough summer for the whole family Hanna had suffered some headaches and vomiting and out of precaution they had her tested for COVID-19 more than once and the bouts of illness seemed to last less than 24 hours “It wasn’t until probably the fourth time it happened over a course of four to five months that things got serious It dragged on for about three weeks,” her dad said They were in and out of the POP (pediatrics outreach program) clinic at the hospital a few times they decided to pack her up in the car and head to the emergency department at SickKids Within a few hours of seeing her in emergency she had been diagnosed with a mass in her head “I got the news from Ann around dinner time on Friday “By the following afternoon she had had brain surgery with full resection from discovery of a mass to brain surgery within hours but the good news was that surgery went very well and she recovered from the surgery incredibly fast But they had to wait six weeks for the pathology report “We got the news about six weeks after surgery .. and from what I could gather from my own research not much consensus about how to treat it.” There was photon radiation available immediately at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto Or there was proton therapy — available only in the U.S She ended up spending about 60 days in Cincinnati “It has been long but worth it and would do it all again in a heartbeat if needed,” her mom says “Hanna was very excited to see her family and all her toys Grills says her daughter will have a followup MRI at SickKids in about four to six weeks “I’ll be on pins and needles waiting for that meeting I imagine.” She says the prayers and positive thoughts from supporters have done wonders to bring Hanna through this so far “and we would greatly appreciate all future ones.” Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Timo Hansio has been appointed Managing Director of Kasviskonttori Oy the new joint venture between HKScan and Vihannes-Laitila He will take up the position on 12 April 2022 Hansio has long experience in management positions in international retail as Commercial Director and a member of the management team at Lidl Finland and Lidl Sverige Hansio worked as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Leipomo Rosten.  “Timo's strong commercial background retail experience and entrepreneurial approach provide a good basis for building Kasviskonttori Oy's business and growth increasing the use of fresh added-value vegetables and creating growth across the market," says Tero Hemmilä “I am excited to start the journey of the new company from the very beginning We have a clear goal to raise the added value of vegetables and to renew the offering of fresh vegetable products HKScan’s commercial and operational platform and Vihannes-Laitila's local vegetable supply chain create excellent conditions for the operation of Kasviskonttori,” says Timo Hansio Kasviskonttori is a joint venture founded by HKScan and Vihannes-Laitila in April 2022 The new company will respond to the growing consumer demand and within a year will launch products that make it easy to increase vegetables in the diet HKScan holds 80 per cent of the joint venture and Vihannes-Laitila 20 per cent “Vegetable consumption has grown strongly in Finland in recent years We will develop the range of vegetable products to better meet the evolving needs of consumers and thus accelerate the growth of the market as a whole With ready-to-use and ready-to-cook fresh vegetable products consumers will find it easier than ever to increase their consumption of vegetables as part of a varied diet,” says Hansio Our strategic target is to grow into a versatile food company delicious products are part of consumers’ varied food moments – both every day and on special occasions We have some 7,000 HKScan professionals applying more than 100 years of experience to make locally produced food responsibility means continuous improvements and concrete actions throughout the food chain we are targeting a carbon-neutral food chain from farms to consumers by the end of 2040 our net sales totalled over EUR 1.8 billion www.hkscan.com which would prohibit nuclear weapons on the territory be a deal-breaker to a transfer of the islands In 2019, Mauritius’ long-standing claims over the Chagos Archipelago, which includes Diego Garcia, were recognised by the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly Britain has defied calls to hand the islands back to Mauritius Mauritius will no doubt continue to prosecute its claims in international forums but a negotiated transfer of sovereignty could deliver a better and more certain result Mauritius has publicly indicated that it is willing to do a deal but that would necessarily involve addressing British and American concerns over the continuation of the base The extent to which nuclear weapons are stored and stockpiled on Diego Garcia is unclear it is clear that Diego Garcia’s strategic value to the US would be much diminished if nuclear material were prohibited in the Chagos Archipelago Could Mauritius exempt the Chagos by selectively applying international law to part of its territory Could it wither the repercussions of violating the Treaty for long-awaited sovereignty The presence of nuclear weapons on Diego Garcia probably already breaches the 1996 Pelindaba Treaty which prohibits signatories from conducting research on possessing or having control over any nuclear explosive device by any means anywhere in the area covered by the Treaty – expressly including Diego Garcia But the Treaty includes a footnote stating that Diego Garcia “appears without prejudice to the question of sovereignty” The UK and Mauritius are both parties to the Pelindaba Treaty. But the UK interprets that footnote as making the Chagos exempt from the Treaty (partly also because the UK is ineligible to sign the protocol of the Treaty that extends it to territories of the signatories). While the US agrees with Britain, this interpretation is disputed by the African Union Would the Treaty effectively prevent Mauritius from doing a deal which allowed the US base to continue unhindered Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth noted at the UN General Assembly in 2019 that his government is “prepared to enter into a long-term arrangement” which “would permit the unhindered operation of the defence facility What “unhindered” and “international law” mean here is important as the US is unlikely to agree to anything that prohibits its possession of nuclear weapons While Mauritian leaders may think the nuclear issue is a matter of detail What are Mauritius’ options? Amendment of the Treaty is unlikely. One suggestion is that Mauritius could possibly enter a bilateral agreement which could establish a special “exclusive jurisdiction” for Diego Garcia which would leave the nuclear issue to the occupant Would Mauritius be prepared to do a deal that effectively prevented any rights of Mauritius to inspect the base while the US simply keeps quiet on the nuclear issue Could Mauritius exploit this “visit” provision provided the US agrees not to “station” nuclear explosive devices on Diego Garcia There are no indications that either is willing to commence negotiations with Mauritius But it may be up to Mauritius to find a solution that works for everyone in order to move the ball forward The ongoing dispute does nobody any favours it is a distraction for other Indian Ocean players working to support the rules-based order in the region while trying to maintain positive relations with all relevant states Having to choose between Mauritius and the US/UK is counterproductive The real game is upholding the order in the Indian Ocean against a resurgent Russia and an assertive China the sooner sovereignty over the Chagos is settled the better – as long as the US military base can stay where it is This piece is part of a two-year project being undertaken by the National Security College on the Indian Ocean with the support of the Department of Defence.    The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute. Volume 8 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.790561 Optimal gut motility is central to bowel function and gut health The link between the gut dysmotility related disorders and dysfunctional-intestinal barriers has led to a hypothesis that certain probiotics could help in normalizing gut motility and maintain gut health This review investigates the roles of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp and its mechanisms of action in various pre-clinical and clinical studies lactis HN019™ has a beneficial role in maintaining intestinal barrier function during gastrointestinal infections by competing and excluding potential pathogens via different mechanisms; maintaining normal tight junction function in vitro; and regulating host immune defense toward pathogens in both in vitro and human studies This has been observed to lead to reduced incidence of diarrhea lactis HN019™ also supports normal physiological function in immunosenescent elderly and competes and excludes potential pathogens lactis HN019™ reduced intestinal transit time and increased bowel movement frequency in functional constipation potentially by modulating gut–brain–microbiota axis through short chain fatty acids derived from microbial fermentation lactis HN019™ is thus a probiotic that can contribute to relieving gut dysmotility related disorders gut health has traditionally been one of the most important targets for the majority of probiotic applications and central for connections to other health benefits via the intestinal microbiota Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019™ (B. lactis HN019™) is a strain originally isolated from commercial yogurt, and commercialized as an ingredient for dietary supplements, fermented and non-fermented foods, and beverages for decades (11). Its complete genome sequence was published in 2018 (12) allowing for stringent control of product quality and consistency by strain identity confirmation at industrial scale lactis HN019™ is available in various finished formats granting it profound application potential in food and beverage By December 2020, there were 42 studies/clinical trials published for 27 investigated cohorts, including both healthy and compromised subjects in all age groups from newborns to elderly (Table 1) lactis HN019™ as a single strain or combined with other probiotics and/or prebiotics lactis HN019™ in the products ranged from 107 to 1011 colony forming units (CFU) per day and consumption lasted for 7 days to 2 years None of these trials have reported any safety concerns related to B lactis HN019™ at doses up to 3 × 1011 CFU/day in human clinical trials published until December 2020 To date, most of the published human studies for B. lactis HN019™ focused on gut health of which six studies contained B. lactis HN019™ as a single strain product in at least one arm (Table 2) lactis HN019™ as single-strain products in human clinical trials for gut health both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus increased in their abundances after the third day of the intervention lactis HN019™ alone or in combination with other ingredients indicate that the above-mentioned modulations of the intestinal microbiota are ubiquitous The gut forms the border between the inside (body) and the outside (lumen) an intestinal barrier is therefore indispensable and includes both a physical and an immunological barrier preventing pathogenic bacteria and other harmful substances from entering the body while at the same time allowing nutrients and water to be absorbed Intestinal barrier integrity is a prerequisite for homeostasis of mucosal function which is balanced to maximize absorptive capacity while maintaining efficient defensive reactions against chemical and microbial challenges The inner surface of the intestine consists of a layer of cells (epithelium) which are covered by a mucus layer (a viscoelastic layer consisting mainly of protein-linked carbohydrates) which plays a key role in the barrier effect mechanism Constipation without identifiable organic causes, may refer to slow-transit constipation (STC) or obstruction constipation, which are related to poor lifestyles, such as high fat/protein diet and lack of fiber and liquid intake and exercise. The typical clinical symptom of STC is the prolonged gut transit time (GTT), which may be resulted from the dysfunction of colonic smooth muscles (81) Potential mechanisms how Bifidobacterium lactis HN019™ (HN019) may modulate colonic motility in humans The human intestinal epithelial cell layer comprises of epithelial cells (EC) and enterochromaffin cells (ECM) lining the gut wall lactis HN019™ may stimulate Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria and inhibit certain Gram-negative bacteria (G− bacteria) Bacteria-derived and neurotransmitters or modulators of dietary origin and serotonin (5-HT) could interact with their host receptors expressed in the epithelial cell layer; G protein-coupled receptors (GPR); and 5-HT receptors (5-HT R) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from different bacteria interact with Toll-like receptors (TLRs) These components may also cross the epithelial layer and like the receptors signal afferent neurons in the enteric nervous system (ENS) with among others acetylcholine (ACh) to regulate colonic motility In addition, B. lactis HN019™ may also influence gut motility via gut commensals, which are known to be involved in serotonin biosynthesis and bile acid metabolism (92, 93). Bile salts are known to stimulate colonic contractility and transit in humans (94–96), where probiotic strains may deconjugate bile salts, leading to the formation of secondary bile salts with laxative effects (6) lactis HN019™ to deconjugate bile salts since the results came from sub-group analysis in children only tested for several common food allergens the results should be interpreted with caution and more confirmatory human studies should be carried out in larger population Different aspects of digestive health are the most common health benefits addressed by probiotics (103). The above review has shown that also B. lactis HN019™ has several health benefits in this area, in particular in the area of bowel function and intestinal motility. Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis is one of the most common lactic acid producing probiotics in North-America and Europe (104) Its superiority in the dietary supplement and dairy industry has yielded several well-known commercial strains lactis HN019™ (International Flavors & Fragrances) The small genetic difference between strains of B lactis could be investigated further and correlated with phenotypic traits to help understand mechanisms of action These findings suggest a role for MVs from probiotics on signaling and their significance in the mechanisms of action within the gut–brain–microbiota axis would therefore be potential mode of action to be investigated in the future for a better understanding of mechanisms of B All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript the authors were employed by International Flavors & Fragrances Inc IFF manufactures and markets Bifidobacterium animalis subsp Johanna Maukonen for constructive criticisms The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.790561/full#supplementary-material The interplay between the intestinal microbiota and the immune system Role of microbiota in the pathogenesis of functional disorders of the lower GI tract: work in progress Effect of probiotic administration on the intestinal microbiota current knowledge and potential applications Mechanisms of action of probiotics and the gastrointestinal microbiota on gut motility and constipation Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body Gut microbiota functions: metabolism of nutrients and other food components Summary of probiotic activities of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Transcriptional and functional analysis of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp Short-term probiotic supplementation enhances cellular immune function in healthy elderly: systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled studies Inventory of microbial food cultures with safety demonstration in fermented food products PubMed Abstract Scientific opinion on the update of the list of QPS-recommended biological agents intentionally added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 16. 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Available online at: http://www.nhc.gov.cn/sps/s7891/201111/a10fe4a0b1dd477c9884649220368cc2.shtml (accessed November 12 Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notifice No Effects of synbiotic supplementation on gut functioning and systemic inflammation of community-dwelling elders - secondary analyses from a randomized clinical trial Effect of multispecies probiotic on gut microbiota composition in individuals with intestinal constipation: a double-blind Efeito de um mix de probióticos na constipação funcional de mulheres adultas: um estudo randomizado duplo-cego The effect of a probiotic blend on gastrointestinal symptoms in constipated patients: a double blind Effects of 28-day Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis HN019 supplementation on colonic transit time and gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with functional constipation: a double-blind Combined effect of a probiotic (Bifidobacterium) and a prebiotic (polydextrose) on the fecal microbiota and stool parameters of healthy young 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stool microbiota compositions stool alpha1-antitrypsin and calprotectin concentrations and diarrhoeal morbidity of Indonesian infants fed breast milk or probiotic/prebiotic-supplemented formula Dose-response effect of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on whole gut transit time and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adults systemic inflammation and synbiotic supplementation: secondary study from a randomized clinical trial Effects of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis HN019 (DR10TM) and micronutrient fortified milk on faecal DR10TM and maternal micronutrients among Indonesian pregnant women Eczema-protective probiotic alters infant gut microbiome functional capacity but not composition: sub-sample analysis from a RCT A differential effect of 2 probiotics in the prevention of eczema and atopy: a double-blind Safety aspects of probiotic bacterial strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis HN019 in human infants aged 0–2 years A protective effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 against eczema in the first 2 years of life persists to age 4 years Early supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 reduces eczema prevalence to 6 years: does it also reduce atopic sensitization Differential modification of genetic susceptibility to childhood eczema by two probiotics Differential effects of two probiotics on the risks of eczema and atopy associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms to Toll-like receptors Effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 in early life on the cumulative prevalence of allergic disease to 11 years Supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus or Bifidobacterium lactis probiotics in pregnancy increases cord blood interferon-gamma and breast milk transforming growth factor-beta and immunoglobin A detection Is the effect of probiotics on atopic dermatitis confined to food sensitized children Dietary probiotic supplementation enhances natural killer cell activity in the elderly: an investigation of age-related immunological changes Utilisation of galacto-oligosaccharides as selective substrates for growth by lactic acid bacteria including Bifidobacterium lactis DR10 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus DR20 Enhancement of immunity in the elderly by dietary supplementation with the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 Functional characterization of human receptors for short chain fatty acids and their role in polymorphonuclear cell activation Enhancing immunity by dietary consumption of a probiotic lactic acid bacterium (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019): optimization and definition of cellular immune responses Xylo-oligosaccharides and lactitol promote the growth of Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus species in pure cultures Enhancement of natural immune function by dietary consumption of Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019) Ongoing supplementation of probiotics to cesarean-born neonates during the first month of life may impact the gut microbial and symptoms of brain disorders in elders: a secondary 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inflammatory status in seniors and centenarians and aetiologies of diarrhoeal diseases: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 Intestinal permeability–a new target for disease prevention and therapy PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text Effect of four probiotic strains and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on tight junction integrity and cyclo-oxygenase expression Immunostimulatory probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 do not induce pathological inflammation in mouse model of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis Adhesion and immunomodulatory effects of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on intestinal epithelial cells INT-407 Probiotic treatment using Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 reduces weanling diarrhea associated with rotavirus and Escherichia coli infection in a piglet model Dietary Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019) enhances resistance to oral Salmonella typhimurium infection in mice A dietary probiotic (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019) reduces 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Google Scholar Short-chain fatty acids stimulate ileal motility in humans Google Scholar Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis Microbiome-mediated bile acid modification: role in intestinal drug absorption and metabolism Chenodeoxycholate in females with irritable bowel syndrome-constipation: a pharmacodynamic and pharmacogenetic analysis on colonic transit and symptoms in females with functional constipation Increased bile acid biosynthesis is associated with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea Comparison of the complete genome sequences of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar In vitro fermentation of prebiotic oligosaccharides by Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 and Lactobacillus spp Fermentation of non-digestible raffinose family oligosaccharides and galactomannans by probiotics Consumption of exogenous bifidobacteria does not alter fecal bifidobacteria and breath hydrogen excretion in humans 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Jing Cheng, SmluZy5DaGVuZ0BpZmYuY29t The US base on the island of Diego Garcia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is among the most important US military facilities in the world, and is the foundation stone of the US presence in the Indian Ocean region It’s been a vital element in Australia’s strategic position in the region for almost 50 years But the dispute over ownership of the island is now creating serious uncertainties over the continued long-term US military presence Australia’s position on the controversy is becoming increasingly untenable and now needs to be reviewed Diego Garcia is just one of some 60 tropical islands in the Chagos archipelago the administration of the archipelago was transferred from Mauritius shortly before Mauritius gained independence the last of the workers who serviced the coconut plantations were removed from the island and Diego Garcia was leased to the United States for military purposes Britain retains notional administration over the now otherwise uninhabited archipelago Mauritius will continue to campaign for the return of the Chagos The loss of support for Britain (and the United States) by traditional alliance partners in the UN is startling and will further embolden those campaigning for return of the islands Mauritius has previously relied on polite diplomacy to pressure Britain We are likely to see Mauritius ramping up its tactics to embarrass Britain and the United States over the issue This includes plans to send a ship with displaced islanders and their descendants to land on the disputed islands creating real moral questions over British and US claims to support for the so-called “rules-based order” For decades, Australia has given unquestioning support for Britain’s position on sovereignty, therefore to the legitimacy of the US base on Diego Garcia. But perhaps we should ask how long we can afford to ignore Mauritius’ claims there is a danger that the longer the dispute goes unresolved the more entrenched Mauritian claims may become But there may be a window to reach a negotiated solution that gives Mauritius most of what it seeks while also allowing the US base to continue for the foreseeable future The Chagos dispute involves several separate but related issues: questions of formal sovereignty; the right to exploit the islands and their economic exclusion zones (EEZs) for tourism and marine resources; the right of Chagos islanders and their descendants to return to the islands for visits or permanently; and lastly the continued operation of the US base on Diego Garcia But London refuses to enter into negotiations with Mauritius on any of these issues Washington takes the convenient position that it’s Britain’s problem Mauritius has long focussed on trying to persuade London about the question of sovereignty But it has not substantively engaged with the United States One wonders how long Britain would hang on to the Chagos if the United States didn’t need the base None of this is helpful in resolving the controversy The United States and its allies want continued military use of Diego Garcia unimpeded by political restrictions or security concerns from local inhabitants or economic activities But the Mauritian government (in contrast to its previous stance) has now made clear that it does not seek to evict the US from Diego Garcia Mauritian officials acknowledge that Mauritius could give watertight guarantees on security of tenure of the base for a “very long” time Some senior figures even privately concede that Mauritius could consider regaining sovereignty over the archipelago minus Diego Garcia and perhaps even some nearby islands Given the flexibility apparently expressed in Port Louis it seems hard to believe that acceptable new arrangements could not be reached that deals with sovereignty India has a key role in resolving the issue, and its political influence in Mauritius cannot be overstated. Delhi long supported Mauritius’ sovereignty claims and opposed the US military presence. But it now recognises the value of the US base and indeed is said to quietly use the base itself It is therefore in India’s interests to reach an acceptable resolution future arrangements may not be as perfect for the US and its allies as having unimpeded use of an uninhabited archipelago notionally administered by Britain It may now be time to put in place a new set of arrangements the US military presence in the Indian Ocean That creates an imperative to use our relationships with all the parties to facilitate a mutually acceptable outcome Ignoring the problem is no longer an option.  This article is part of a two-year project being undertaken by the National Security College on the Indian Ocean with the support of the Department of Defence The author recently travelled to Mauritius raising concerns among some parents about their children's safety Open image viewerA wolf captured by a game camera in Laitila Image: Veijo JalonenYle News6.6.2018 14:52The number of wolves has increased by 10 percent from last year Around 70 percent of the wolves live in the western part of the country while their number in the east has declined according to the Natural Resources Institute (Luke) There were 20 wolf packs in Finland in March compared with 14 packs a year ago with a total population of 180-205 wolves living in the country The wolf population has increased the most in western Finland due to reproduction and abundant prey with a female wolf breeding for the first time giving birth to 3.7 pups on average despite the increasing number of wolf sightings the Finnish Nature League says a wolf has not killed or injured a human being in Finland since 1882 the wolf population has grown in the past years with sightings of the animals or their tracks occurring daily who serves as a contact person for the Finnish Wildlife Agency says wolves have been spotted all over the village The agency is responsible for administration of game hunting licenses in Finland "People don't dare to let their small kids play alone in the yard there always has to be someone keeping watch because you never know where they're coming from or when they're coming," said Jalonen four parents and grandparents delivered a petition to agricultural minister Jari Leppä in the spring demanding a change to Finland's wolf policy residents in Laitila received angry calls from conservationists Despite the daily sightings of wolves in Laitila Jalonen says it is difficult to obtain a permit to kill one Miika Yli-Karro from the local hunting association says residents are frustrated with the institute because the authorities do not seem to listen to their concerns hunters in Laitila stopped the practice of recording their wolf sightings in Luke's database at the start of this year Jalonen also argues that culling wolves should be easier One call to the police should suffice to remove a wolf that comes to the village wolves have killed one dog and several sheep What happens when you're old and you need help because no one speaks the only language you still remember?  more and more people are coming to live from abroad but municipalities are lagging behind in terms of being able to offer the elderly care in their mother-tongues.  there's not much I can do besides lie down," says Finnish-speaker Martti Laitila which has stolen the Swedish he used to know At the elderly home where he lives in Upplands-Bro there is a nurse who speaks his native language of Finnish "He has a lot of trouble understanding people when they speak Swedish because he just gets aggressive and screams," she says there is a an elderly home that caters to Persian-speaking residents Etheram moved there a year ago from another home where no one spoke Persian and she says that language is important: "Here Martti and Etheram are just two of nearly a quarter-of-a-million people in Sweden who are 65-years-old or older that number is expected to rise by another 100,000 or so people in a Swedish Radio survey that the vast majority of municipalities in the country responded to two-thirds felt their was a need to provide elderly care in languages other than Swedish but only one-third of them said they offer some form of elder care that's specifically geared towards people with foreign-language needs a professor emerita of nursing at Karolinska Institutet says that people like Martti are entirely dependent on getting care in their mother tongue it's important to be able to understand and to be understood and that that's the basis for all of our relationships and communication "If care is based on tasks that you do - like washing or feeding older people - it's always done in a relationship," she says "There needs to be a working relationship between these people And that's not enough - then a robot could do it which is created by people understanding each other language is the means for this," Professor Ekman adds Professor Ekman finds it worrying that municipalities aren't being more active in terms of coming up with concrete ways to meet these needs Certain municipalities do have to offer elderly care in select minority languages: Finnish there's no express rule that municipalities have to provide care to the elderly in their native tongues a lawyer at the National Board of Health and Welfare explains the law does mandate that older people be allowed to influence how their daily care is shaped they have to be able to make themselves understood "If you can't talk with these people and find out how they want things then it's hard to live up to these requirements," she says but she adds that it can be hard to demand care in your language when the law doesn't expressly state that you have the right to it this does not seem to be an issue for people with English as their mother tongue since all Swedes are taught English in school did not want to talk to Swedish Radio about this her press secretary says that for the time being the government has no initiatives regarding these questions says his colleague is working hard to put forward a policy that will boost quality and diversity in elder care.  She says that the party usually allocates money in their shadow budget to stimulate care in different languages MP Barbro Westerholm says this issue needs to be prioritized and that it's a national responsibility to help the municipalities "We can't just close our eyes and stick our fingers in our ears," says Westerholm plus weekly summary on Fridays at 4.30pm on P2 (P6 89.6FM in Stockholm) Kontakta gärna Sveriges Radios forum för teknisk support där vi besvarar dina frågor vardagar kl että kaikkia munia ei saa panna samaan koriin Munan pääkaupungissa Laitilassa tämä tuskin onnistuisikaan Kaupungissa kotkottelee 300 000 kanaa ja sopivasti kukkoja seassa Kun tämän päivän tehokana parhaimmillaan munii noin 300 munaa vuodessa on Laitilan vuotuisessa munavuoressa 90 miljoonaa munaa Kun Laitilassa on jotain 33 kanaa asukasta kohden Kun hän tutki ostamaansa vanhaa taloa osui sormiin niin munalaatikoita kuin kanankuljetuslaatikoitakin Saman tien hän aloitti munatietouden keräämisen Vaikka kaikkia munia ei saakaan tunkea samaan koriin ei missään ole kielletty ottamasta munasta kaikkea irti että Somero tänä päivänä kerää eniten rahaa munistaan Laitila on joka tapauksessa Suomen ylivoimaisesti tunnetuin munakaupunki oikeastaan ainoa tunnettuisuuttaan tälle kanan aikaansaannokselle rakentava paikkakunta Tähän konseptiin kaupungin keskustassa historiallisessa Poukan talossa esillä oleva kananmunaan keskittyvä näyttely Pali muni sopii kuin omeletti lautaselle - Tämän pääsiäisen uutuus ovat munanlämmittimet Viime vuoden satoa olevat valtakunnan julkkisten maalaamat pääsiäismunat ovat edelleen nähtävinä samoin paljon muuta kanaan ja munaan liittyvää Munanlämmittimet ovat pääasiassa vakkasuomalaisin voimin syntyneitä - esimerkkeinä vehmaalaisen Tuula Amberlan columbialaisesta kahvisäkkikankaasta askartelema uusikaupunkilaisen teatterinjohtaja Jukka Tyrväisen ratkaisu hansikas johon sopii viisi munaa ja niin edelleen Raumalainen Nortamo-seura on lähettänyt näyttelyyn sydvestistä ja pienestä korista konstruoidun ratkaisun Jos strutsinmunaa ei syystä tai toisesta löydy kattillaan pantavaksi pysyy tässä kapineessa lämpimänä myös tiu kananmunia Jokakesäiset Munamarkkinat ovat tärkeä pätkä munakaupunkimaineen kivijalkaa Munamarkkinoita on järjestetty vuodesta 1972 lähtien että tämä kaupungin keskustan valloittava kesärieha on kerännyt kymmeniätuhansia kävijöitä Heli Laaksonen ja Markku Haapio saivat sopivasti pääsiäiseksi valmiiksi Munakirjan että muna on kymrin kielellä wy ja aika paljon muutakin mitä munaan tulee että laitilalaiset itse ovat lähes yksimielisesti kaupunkinsa munaimagon takana TS:n treffikyselyyn vastanneista 450 laitilalaisesta 86 prosentti oli sitä mieltä että munakaupungin julkisuuskuva sopii hyvin heidän kotikaupungilleen •  Lisää Munakirjasta Ruoka-osiossa sivulla 17