Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time-restricted eating and circadian rhythms: the biological clock is ticking

Abstract Meal timing may be a critical modulator of health outcomes due to complex interactions between circadian biology, nutrition and human metabolism. As such, approaches that aim to align food consumption with endogenous circadian rhythms are emerging in recent years. Time-restricted eating (TRE) consists of limiting daily nutrient consumption to a period of 4 to 12 hours in order to extend the time spent in the fasted state. TRE can induce positive effects on the health of individuals with overweight and obesity, including sustained weight loss, improvement in sleep patterns, reduction in blood pressure and oxidative stress markers and increased insulin sensitivity. However, it is not fully clear whether positive effects of TRE are due to reduced energy intake, body weight or the truncation of the daily eating window. In addition, null effects of TRE in some populations and on some parameters of cardiometabolic health have been documented. Some evidence indicates that greater promotion of health via TRE may be achieved if the nutrient intake period occurs earlier in the day. Despite some promise of this dietary strategy, the effects of performing TRE at different times of the day on human cardiometabolic health, as well as the safety and efficacy of this dietary approach in individuals with cardiometabolic impairments, need to be evaluated in additional controlled and long-term studies.
Exploring the mechanistic and temporal regulation of LRP6 endocytosis in canonical WNT signaling

ABSTRACT Endocytosis plays a pivotal regulatory role in canonical WNT signaling. Internalization of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) receptor complex can either promote or attenuate canonical WNT signaling, depending on the employed internalization pathway. Detailed analysis of the mechanism of LRP6 internalization and its temporal regulation is crucial for understanding the different cellular responses to WNT stimulation under varying conditions and in various cell types. Here, we elucidate the mechanisms involved in the internalization of LRP6 and re-evaluate existing, partly contradicting, theories on the regulation of LRP6 receptor internalization. We utilize a computational approach that aims at finding a set of mechanisms that accounts for the temporal dynamics of LRP6 receptor internalization upon WNT stimulation. Starting with a simple simulation model, we successively extend and probe the model's behavior based on quantitative measurements. The final model confirms that LRP6 internalization is clathrin independent in vertebrates, is not restricted to microdomains, and that signalosome formation delays LRP6 internalization within the microdomains. These findings partly revise the current understanding of LRP6 internalization in vertebrates. Summary: Computational modeling shows that LRP6 endocytosis in vertebrates is clathrin-independent and not restricted to lipid rafts or microdomains and further suggests that signalosome formation within microdomains delays LRP6 internalization.
Cougar space use and movements in the wildland–urban landscape of western Washington

The wildland–urban interface lies at the confluence of human-dominated and wild landscapes, creating a number of management and conservation challenges. Because wildlife ecology, behavior, and evolution at this interface are shaped by both natural and human phenomena, this requires greater understanding of how diverse factors affect ecosystem and population processes. We illustrate the challenge of understanding and managing a frequent and often undesired inhabitant of the wildland–urban landscape, the cougar (Puma concolor). In wildland and residential areas of western Washington State, USA, we captured and radiotracked 27 cougars to model space use and understand the role of landscape features in interactions (sightings, encounters, and depredations) between cougars and humans. Resource utilization functions (RUFs) identified cougar use of areas with features that were probably attractive to prey, influential on prey vulnerability, and associated with limited or no residential development. Early-successional forest (+), conifer forest (+), distance to road (−), residential density (−), and elevation (−) were significant positive and negative predictors of use for the population, whereas use of other landscape features was highly variable. Space use and movement rates in wildland and residential areas were similar because cougars used wildland-like forest patches, reserves, and corridors in residential portions of their home range. The population RUF was a good predictor of confirmed cougar interactions, with 72% of confirmed reports occurring in the 50% of the landscape predicted to be medium-high and high cougar use areas. We believe that there is a threshold residential density at which the level of development modifies the habitat but maintains enough wildland characteristics to encourage moderate levels of cougar use and maximize the probability of interaction. Wildlife managers trying to reduce interactions between cougars and people should incorporate information on spatial ecology and landscape characteristics to identify areas with the highest overlap of human and cougar use to focus management, education, and landscape planning. Resource utilization functions provide a proactive tool to guide these activities for improved coexistence with wildlife using both wildland and residential portions of the landscape.
Most species of Lepraria and Leproloma form a monophyletic group closely related to Stereocaulon

The phylogenetic position of members of the entirely asexually reproducing lichen-forming genera Lepraria and Leproloma was investigated using sequence data from the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and small subunit (SSU) nuclear ribosomal DNA. Phylogenetic reconstructions were carried out using a likelihood-based Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) tree sampling technique and the unweighted least squares optimality criterion, the latter based on maximum likelihood distances obtained via an alignment-free distance estimation technique. The results indicate that most species currently referred to Lepraria and Leproloma form a single monophyletic group. This monophyletic group is the sister group to Stereocaulon and Muhria and belongs in the Stereocaulaceae (Lecanorales, Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota ). This indicates that an ancestor of Lepraria switched from a sexual to an asexual mode of dispersal. Subsequent speciation must have taken place in the absence of sexual processes, which contradicts the view of asexual taxa as ‘evolutionary dead ends’. Leproloma is polyphyletic and nested within Lepraria. Lepraria flavescens is a Lecanora probably belonging in subgenus Glaucomaria. Lepraria lesdainii and L. obtusatica are unrelated to each other and to other species currently referred to Lepraria or Leproloma. Leprocaulon and Crocynia are distantly related to the core group of Lepraria and Leproloma.
COVID-19 in lung transplant patients: A case series

Several case reports and small case series have been published on coronavirus disease 2019 infection after solid organ transplantation; however, thus far there are limited data on coronavirus disease 2019 infections in lung transplant patients. In the present single‐center case series we discuss 10 lung transplant patients with a documented severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, diagnosed with nasopharyngeal swab in 8 and bronchoalveolar lavage in 2. Eight of 10 patients needed hospital admission, of whom 1 was in the intensive care unit. He died after 2 weeks from multiple organ failure. The remaining nine patients recovered. Cell cycle inhibitors were withheld in all patients, whereas the calcineurin inhibitor and corticosteroids were continued at the same dose, with an acceptable outcome.
Movements of Alpine newts (Mesotriton alpestris) between small aquatic habitats (ruts) during the breeding season

Many species with complex life cycles, such as caudate amphibians, migrate from terrestrial to aquatic habitats for reproduction. However, movements between reproductive ponds within a breeding season have rarely been studied and are usually considered to be limited. Our aim was to determine whether this pattern occurs frequently in Alpine newts (Mesotriton alpestris) inhabiting complexes of small ruts on muddy forest tracks. We analysed capture-recapture data for individually marked newts as a function of locality, sex, body condition and hydroperiod throughout the breeding season. More than one third of the newts changed their ruts. Movements occurred more often towards ruts that did not dry during the breeding season. The body condition of males that changed ponds (but not that of females) was higher compared to that of resident newts in one of the studied populations. The relatively high frequency of movements between ruts can be seen as an adaptive strategy in unpredictable habitats which have a high probability of drying. The promiscuous pattern of newts also favours low site tenacity, because few sexual partners are available in each rut. Because of the broad occurrence of this kind of habitat, future studies should take into account these movements to better understand newt population dynamics and how to apply adequate conservation measures.
Test, Treat, Track, Test, and Treat Active Surveillance toward Elimination of Schistosomiasis: A Feasibility Study

Abstract. We assessed the feasibility of using a test, treat, track, test, and treat (5T) active surveillance strategy to identify and treat individuals with schistosomiasis in three very low-prevalence villages in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, Egypt. Primary index cases (PICs) were identified using the point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) assay in schools, in rural health units (retesting individuals with positive Kato–Katz examinations over the previous 6 months), and at potential water transmission sites identified by PICs and field observations. Primary cases identified potential second-generation cases—people with whom they shared water activities—who were then tracked, tested, and treated if infected. Those sharing water activities with second-generation cases were also tested. The yield of PICs from the three venues were 128 of 3,576 schoolchildren (3.6%), 42 of 696 in rural health units (6.0%), and 83 of 1,156 at water contact sites (7.2%). There were 118 second- and 19 third-generation cases identified. Persons testing positive were treated with praziquantel. Of 388 persons treated, 368 (94.8%) had posttreatment POC-CCA tests 3–4 weeks after treatment, and 81.8% (301) became negative. The 67 persons remaining positive had negative results after a second treatment. Therefore, all those found positive, treated, and followed up were negative following one or two treatments. Analysis of efforts as expressed in person-hours indicates that 4,459 person-hours were required for these 5T activities, with nearly 65% of that time spent carrying out interviews, treatments, and evaluations following treatment. The 5T strategy appears feasible and acceptable as programs move toward elimination.
Molecular biogeography of the arctic‐alpine disjunct burnet moth species Zygaena exulans (Zygaenidae, Lepidoptera) in the Pyrenees and Alps

Aim The phylogeography of ‘southern’ species is relatively well studied in Europe. However, there are few data about ‘northern’ species, and so we studied the population genetic structure of the arctic‐alpine distributed burnet moth Zygaena exulans as an exemplar.
Development and Testing of the Parent-Child Sex Communication Inventory: A Multidimensional Assessment Tool for Parent and Adolescent Informants

ABSTRACT Parent-child sex communication is a complex and multidimensional construct, and effective measurement tools that reflect this complexity are scarce. The purpose of this study was to develop and test an assessment tool of parent-child sex communication that reflects the multidimensional nature of the construct and which can be flexibly administered between both parent and adolescent informants. Using two large national samples from the United States involving adolescents (N = 2,044; M age = 16.19, SD = 1.71) and unrelated parents of adolescents (N = 2,081), we psychometrically tested the Parent-Child Sex Communication Inventory (PCSCI). Validity evidence (i.e., construct, discriminant, convergent, and divergent) supported a 30-item measure that consisted of three overarching dimensions distributed along seven subscales: Frequency of sex communication (about sexual risk, about sex physiology, and about the positive aspects of sex); the Quality of sex communication (open communication versus parent controlled communication); and Child Managed sex communication (involving disclosure and secrecy). The PCSCI is an assessment tool for tapping multiple fundamental dimensions of parent-child sex communication that is quick and easy to administer. Further, it can be administered to both parent and adolescent informants. Therefore, it represents a significant methodological advancement for continuing research on parent-child sex communication.
Continuous treatment with guselkumab maintains clinical responses through 4 years in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis: results from VOYAGE 1

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of guselkumab through four years of continuous treatment for psoriasis. Methods In the phase 3 VOYAGE 1 trial, 837 patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were randomized to receive guselkumab 100 mg every-8-weeks, placebo, or adalimumab 40 mg every-2-weeks. Patients in the placebo and adalimumab groups crossed over to receive guselkumab at weeks 16/52, respectively; eligible patients received open-label guselkumab through week 204. Efficacy endpoints (i.e., PASI 75/90/100, IGA 0/1, and IGA 0) were analyzed in the guselkumab group using different methodologies: prespecified treatment failure rules (TFR, patients discontinued due to lack of efficacy, psoriasis worsening, or protocol-prohibited psoriasis treatment considered nonresponders); nonresponder imputation (NRI, patients with missing data counted as nonresponders); and As Observed (OBS, no imputation). Safety was evaluated through week 204. Results At week 204, PASI 90 response rates were 82.2%, 68.4%, and 84.3%, respectively, based on TFR, NRI, and OBS analyses; corresponding proportions at week 52 were 79.7%, 75.5%, and 80.6%. Similarly, PASI 75, PASI 100, IGA 0/1, and IGA 0 responses were maintained from week 52 through week 204. No new safety signals were identified. Conclusions High efficacy response rates were maintained through four years of continuous guselkumab treatment for psoriasis.
Frozen storage quality of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as affected by oxygen, illumination, and fillet pigment

We investigated the influence of packaging materials with high, medium and low oxygen transmission rates (OTR) on the development of 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and astaxanthin retention in rainbow trout fillets. Three different levels of astaxanthin, during dark or illuminated frozen storage were studied. Samples were analyzed after 17, 29 and 36 wk frozen storage. Rancidity developed more rapidly in packages with high OTR. This effect was more pronounced in illuminated samples, also verified by sensory evaluation. Fillets with highest astaxanthin content reached maximum TBARS after 29 wk. The two less pigmented sample groups reached maximum after 17 wk frozen storage, indicating antioxidative effects of astaxanthin.
Population mixing accelerates coevolution

Theory predicts that mixing in spatially structured populations of hosts and parasites can increase the rate of antagonistic coevolution. We experimentally tested this prediction by allowing populations of bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) and parasitic bacteriophage to coevolve in mixed and unmixed microcosms. Coevolution proceeded at approximately twice the rate in mixed populations compared with unmixed populations and caused the evolution of more resistant hosts and more infective parasites.
Hábitos alimentarios del pargo mancha Lutjanus guttatus (Pisces: Lutjanidae) en Los Cóbanos y Puerto La Libertad, El Salvador

Se determinaron los habitos alimentarios del pargo mancha Lutjanus guttatus a partir de 175 ejemplares (9.8 y 58.0 cm LT), recolectados entre enero y diciembre del 2000 en Los Cobanos y Puerto La Libertad, El Salvador. L. guttatus es un depredador carnivoro oportunista bento- nico. La biomasa total fue de 260.5g. Los crustaceos, re- presentados por seis familias (Squillidae, Portunidae, Dynomenidae, Penaeidae, Sicyoniidae, Callianassidae), constituyeron el 50.4% de la biomasa total. Numericamen- te, la especie que mas consumio el pargo mancha fue Por- tunus asper. Especimenes menores de 16 cm LT consumen preferentemente crustaceos. Despues de los 24 cm y hasta los 44 cm el espectro alimenticio se ve diversificado con la inclusion de peces y moluscos. El 59.5% de los estomagos contenian restos (escamas, exoesqueletos y rostros de ca- marones) con una biomasa de 47.8 g. Se discute sobre la importancia comercial de este recurso y de la ausencia de una estrategia de manejo.
Human "resources"? Objectification at work.

People behave differently when at work than not at work; for example, they are less interested in making close friends and use more transactional language (networking vs. socializing). These examples hint at a broader phenomenon: that people engage in more objectification-treating people akin to objects-in work contexts than non work contexts. We propose that objectification is more prevalent at work because people engage in more calculative and strategic thinking (i.e., making decisions by computing the costs and benefits). Seven studies (N = 2,712) test this. In Study 1, participants objectified the same individuals more when they were pictured at work (e.g., in an office) than not at work (e.g., in a coffee shop). In Study 2, there was more objectification when the same event was framed as more (vs. less) work-related. Studies 3a and 3b (experience-sampling studies with 2,300 data points) show that working adults objectify others more during work than non work interactions and demonstrate which situational characteristics enhance objectification. Study 4 manipulates the proposed mechanism: Participants nudged to think less calculatively and strategically showed a reduced tendency to objectify others in work contexts. Considering consequences, job applicants in Study 5 who read company mission statements containing more calculative language expected more objectification and were less interested in applying. Moreover, employees who perceived more objectification in their workplace reported more negative work experiences (e.g., feeling lower belonging, experiencing more incivility; Study 6). Together, these studies provide insight into how objectification arises, where it occurs, and its consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Effects of semantic plausibility, syntactic complexity and n-gram frequency on children's sentence repetition

Abstract Theories of language processing differ with respect to the role of abstract syntax and semantics vs surface-level lexical co-occurrence (n-gram) frequency. The contribution of each of these factors has been demonstrated in previous studies of children and adults, but none have investigated them jointly. This study evaluated the role of all three factors in a sentence repetition task performed by children aged 4–7 and 11–12 years. It was found that semantic plausibility benefitted performance in both age groups; syntactic complexity disadvantaged the younger group but benefitted the older group; while contrary to previous findings, n-gram frequency did not facilitate, and in a post-hoc analysis even hampered, performance. This new evidence suggests that n-gram frequency effects might be restricted to the highly constrained and frequent n-grams used in previous investigations, and that semantics and morphosyntax play a more powerful role than n-gram frequency, supporting the role of abstract linguistic knowledge in children's sentence processing.
The Effects of In Vivo Exposure to Copper Oxide Nanoparticles on the Gut Microbiome, Host Immunity, and Susceptibility to a Bacterial Infection in Earthworms

Nanomaterials (NMs) can interact with the innate immunity of organisms. It remains, however, unclear whether these interactions can compromise the immune functioning of the host when faced with a disease threat. Co-exposure with pathogens is thus a powerful approach to assess the immuno-safety of NMs. In this paper, we studied the impacts of in vivo exposure to a biocidal NM on the gut microbiome, host immune responses, and susceptibility of the host to a bacterial challenge in an earthworm. Eisenia fetida were exposed to CuO-nanoparticles in soil for 28 days, after which the earthworms were challenged with the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Immune responses were monitored by measuring mRNA levels of known earthworm immune genes. Effects of treatments on the gut microbiome were also assessed to link microbiome changes to immune responses. Treatments caused a shift in the earthworm gut microbiome. Despite these effects, no impacts of treatment on the expression of earthworm immune markers were recorded. The methodological approach applied in this paper provides a useful framework for improved assessment of immuno-safety of NMs. In addition, we highlight the need to investigate time as a factor in earthworm immune responses to NM exposure.
Rapid, sensitive and cheap molecular diagnosis of malaria: is microscopy on the way out?

Evaluation of: Han ET, Watanabe R, Sattabongkot J et al.: Detection of four Plasmodium species by genus- and species-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification for clinical diagnosis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45(8), 2521–2528 (2007). PCR amplification of Plasmodium DNA provides optimal diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. However, reagent and equipment costs, the need for highly skilled technicians and the turnaround times of PCR assays preclude PCR from challenging the pre-eminence of microscopy as a primary method in malaria diagnostics. In this report, Han and colleagues describe an amplification protocol (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) applicable to the four Plasmodium species that infect humans, which equals PCR in sensitivity and specificity, but at a fraction of the cost and with turnaround times equal to those of microscopic examination of blood smears.