Clinical Research Directory

Reciprocal Benefit by Intergenerational Meetings

The investigators want to set up an experiment that allows a reciprocal benefit to 2 fragile populations: isolated seniors and disadvantaged children. The main hypothesis is that regular exchanges between these two populations reduce the feeling of social isolation of seniors and improve the school behavior of childrens. Therefore the investigators propose the following study design. The seniors and childrens will meet once a week, for 7 months, in a defined location in the city of Vallauris, over a period of one and a half hours, outside school hours (4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and school holidays. During the school holidays the group will meet 3 times for day-long activities in the presence of at least one of the parents and possibly brothers and sisters. At the end of the project, a convivial evening will be organized in the presence of the families. The group will meet in a room in the city center and in the presence of a facilitator so that an adult will never be alone with a child. The formed pair will follow a defined schedule where will alternate activities proposed by the senior, sessions proposed by the facilitator and convivial moments in the presence of families . During the sessions proposed by the senior, he will offered the child a leisure activity that he likes and masters (eg gardening, DIY, sewing, etc.). All the proposed activities will be validated upstream by the project managers. The sessions proposed by the facilitator (e.g. games, walks) could be done with the participation of an outside speaker (e.g. for writing a gazette). A new evaluation session will be offered to all participants at the end of the meeting period, then at the end of the project, 1 month after the end of the meeting period.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) and Gut Microbiota, Immune System in Antarctica

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third-most abundant component in mothers' milk and are an important prebiotic factor for the development of the gut microbiota of infants, promoting the growth of certain beneficial bacterial strains and providing protection against many bacterial and viral infections. HMOs induce immunomodulatory activity by affecting immune cell populations and functions. In a simulator of the adult human intestinal microbial ecosystem, fermentation of HMOs led to an increase of bifidobacteria in parallel with an increase in short-chain fatty acids as well as a reduction in inflammation markers, supporting the potential of HMOs to provide health benefits also in adults. Long-term stay in microgravity induces many physiological responses, including diminished immune function and impaired glucose tolerance which may lead to rather severe consequences. Similarly, hypoxia conditions as in the Concordia station, affects the immune system and may lead to impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. The hypothesis is that HMOs as a prebiotic supplement will mitigate changes in immune function, glucose tolerance, lipid homeostasis, and neurotransmitter production. It is expected that HMO supplementation will * Modulate gut microbiota composition and function * Improve inflammation status * Improve immune function * Improve glucose tolerance * Improve nutritional status * Prevent changes in neurotransmitters associated with anxiety and depression. During the stay in Antarctica an HMO blend will be supplemented to the verum group of volunteers. The control group will receive a placebo. Experiment days with blood drawing, an oral glucose tolerance test, saliva sampling, and feces samples are planned once before, about every second month in Concordia, and once after return.