Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dance classes structure for children: considerations on effective exercise time

ABSTRACT Dance seems to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children. However, the majority of time during classes appear at lighintensity. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the structure of dance classes for children, as well as to identify behaviours that may favour or hinder MVPA time during classes. For this, three independent researchers performed structured video analysis of dance classes ministered for children (6–12 yrs). As criteria for analysis, the dance activities were classified into four categories and 13 subcategories. Twenty dance classes were filmed, and the results showed an average duration of 57 min of total class time. The time spent (min) at each category was as follows: dancing exercise (27), dancing learning (15), inactive (13) and posing (1) time. The mean duration (min) of the following subcategories was as follows: explanation (14), transitions/breaks (11) and leg movement (8). In conclusion, children spent 47% of the total class time in the category of dancing exercise, and 27% was deemed as inactive time. Slight changes in the class structure may contribute to attain 50% of the total class time at MVPA, as recommended by health organisations.
Prediction of the effect of midsole stiffness and energy return using trajectory optimisation

Luximon, Y. , & Luximon, A. (2013). Sizing and grading of shoe lasts. In Luximon, A. (ed.) Handbook of footwear design and manufacture (pp. 197–215). Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles. Jastifer, J., Kent, R. , Crandall, J., Sherwood, C. , Lessley, D. , McCullough, K. A. , Coughlin, M. J., & Anderson, R B. (2017). The Athletic shoe in football: Apparel or protective equipment? Sports Health 9(2), 126–131. Wannop, JW. , Stefanyshyn, D. J., Anderson, R. B. , Coughlin, M. J., & Kent, R. (2019). Development of a footwear sizing system in the National Football League. Sports Health, 11(1), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738118789402 Jurca, A. , & Dzeroski, S. (2013). Length dispersion of shoes labelled with the same size in the UK shoe-size system. Footwear Science, 5(sup1), S39–S41. https://doi.org/10. 1080/19424280.2013. 799543
Load variations in high-performance netballers across seasons and competition levels

ABSTRACT Internal loads as measured by session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) of high-performance netballers were explored using data from athletes who competed in the 2017 and 2018 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) and 2016 to 2018 Australian Netball League (ANL) competitions. Data were analysed to determine if there were differences between season phase (pre- and in-season), competition level, session type (combined training, court training, match, weights and conditioning) and year. Pre-season load (468.9 ± 183.2au) was higher than in-season load (431.3 ± 188.9au) (p < .05, ƞρ 2 = .016). Load was higher in the 2017 season (466.0 ± 193.2au) than both the 2016 (442.4 ± 189.3au) and 2018 seasons (441.0 ± 179.3au) (p < .05, ƞρ 2 = .005). Each session type was significantly different than the other apart from combined training and court training (combined training 546.5 ± 201.5au; court training 538.7 ± 172.7au; match 473.6 ± 164.5au; weights 400.1 ± 121.1au; conditioning 276.5 ± 121.8au) (p < .05, ƞρ 2 = .25). There was a competition × season phase interaction (p < .05, ƞρ 2 = .003) where ANL athletes had the highest pre-season load (472.6 ± 193.7au) but the lowest in-season load (415.2 ± 179.2au). These findings present a novel understanding of the loads experienced by high-performance netballers over multiple seasons.
Editorial

Special times call for special measures. During the Corona pandemic, it was impossible to hold the 2020 IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS) Real Time Conference (RT2020) in person at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE) in Quy Nhon, Vietnam. After shifting the original date from spring to fall 2020, the executive committee decided to run RT2020 completely virtual for the first time. This was quite a challenge, but the combination of free or readily available software tools, such as Indico, Zoom, Slido, Slack, and Padlet, made it possible to give all participants a good and sometimes even better experience compared to in-person meetings. One example was to give all poster presenters an individual Zoom room, where they not only could display a poster but also show slides or even live video from their lab. Our traditional micro-orals were pre-recorded 2-min videos stitched together, giving many people the possibility to talk about their work to the whole audience. Although most of us look forward to seeing each other one day, the virtual experience was much better than originally anticipated, especially giving many people from developing countries the possibility to participate who otherwise could not have joined. I would like to express my great gratitude to our Co-Chair Martin Grossmann from PSI, with whom I ran all logistics and the virtual environment for the whole conference.
Exposure to the Earned Income Tax Credit in Early Childhood and Family Wealth

Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and a cohort of individuals born between 2000 and 2011, we examine whether exposure to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in early childhood (birth to age five) affects family wealth in middle childhood (ages six through eleven). Results suggest that a $1,000 increase in EITC exposure in early childhood increases overall family wealth in middle childhood by around 4 percent. We also observe an increase in credit card debt (3 to 4 percent) and evidence that the EITC increases low-income families’ position in the wealth distribution. Effects are concentrated among white families; we find little evidence of a significant effect of the EITC on the wealth held by black families. Together, these results imply that although the EITC does appear to increase family wealth in childhood, it may not do much to reduce the substantial wealth gap between black and white families.
Childhood Wealth Inequality in the United States: Implications for Social Stratification and Well-Being

© 2021 Russell Sage Foundation. GibsonDavis, Christina, and Heather D. Hill. 2021. “Childhood Wealth Inequality in the United States: Implications for Social Stratification and WellBeing. ” RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 7(3): 1–26. DOI: 10.7758/RSF.2021. 7.3.01. Direct correspondence to: Christina GibsonDavis at cgibson@duke.edu, Box 90312, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States. Open Access Policy: RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences is an open access journal. This article is published under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercialNoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Evidence Lacking for Cannabis Users Slacking: A Longitudinal Analysis of Escalating Cannabis Use and Motivation among Adolescents

Abstract Objective: Reduced motivation is often noted as a consequence of cannabis use. However, previous work has yielded mixed results and focused largely on adults. To address these limitations, this study examined longitudinal associations between cannabis use and self-reported motivation in a large adolescent sample. Method: Participants were 401 adolescents aged 14–17 at baseline who completed five bi-annual assessments. We assessed motivation at three timepoints using two self-report questionnaires: the Apathy Evaluation Scale and the Motivation and Engagement Scale (disengagement, persistence, planning, self-efficacy, and valuing school subscales). Controlling for relevant covariates, we used latent growth curve modeling to characterize patterns of cannabis use and motivation over time, examining bidirectional influences between these processes. Results: On average, adolescent cannabis use frequency increased significantly over time. The disengagement and planning facets of motivation also increased significantly over time, whereas other aspects of motivation remained stable. At baseline, greater cannabis use was associated with greater disengagement, lower planning, and lower valuing of school. Greater baseline cannabis use also predicted lesser increases in disengagement over time. After controlling for the effect of sex, age, depression, and use of alcohol and nicotine, only the baseline association between cannabis use and valuing school remained significant. Conclusions: Our results do not support a prospective link between cannabis use and reduced motivation among adolescents. Although most observed associations were accounted for by covariates, greater cannabis use was cross-sectionally associated with lower perceived value of school, which may contribute to poorer educational and later life outcomes.
Cannabis Use, Age of Initiation, and Neurocognitive Performance: Findings from a Large Sample of Heavy Drinking Emerging Adults

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the associations between cannabis use and neurocognitive functioning, including self-reported attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, in a large sample of emerging adults (ages 21–25) using a cross-sectional design. A secondary objective was to examine age of cannabis initiation as a moderator. Methods: Participants were high-risk drinking emerging adults (n = 598) reporting past-month cannabis use in the following categories: 1) non-users (i.e., never or not in the past month; n = 276), 2) occasional users (i.e., monthly or weekly users; n = 201), and 3) daily users (n = 121). Categorical comparisons were conducted on working memory, attention, behavioral inhibition, delay and probability discounting, verbal intelligence, and ADHD symptoms. Complementary dimensional analyses examined cannabis severity in relation to neurocognition using regressions. Covariates were age, race, sex, income, years of education, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Results: Frequency of cannabis use was significantly associated with poorer working memory performance, more impulsive delay discounting, and greater endorsement of ADHD symptoms, but not other domains. Effect sizes were small and poorer performance was selectively present among daily, not occasional, cannabis users. Earlier age of initiation was not independently or interactively associated with neurocognitive performance. Conclusions: Daily cannabis use was selectively adversely associated with aspects of memory, impulsivity, and subjective attentional functioning, but most cognitive indicators were not implicated, and evidence of amplification by earlier age of initiation was not observed. Ascertaining causal versus consequential roles of cannabis in neurocognitive functioning is an important priority.
Cannabis Use and Brain Volume in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users: Effects Moderated by Sex and Aerobic Fitness

Abstract Objectives: Studies examining the impact of adolescent and young adult cannabis use on structural outcomes have been heterogeneous. One already-identified moderator is sex, while a novel potential moderator is extent of aerobic fitness. Here, we sought to investigate the associations of cannabis use, sex, and aerobic fitness levels on brain volume. Second, we explored brain–behavior relationships to interpret these findings. Methods: Seventy-four adolescents and young adults (36 cannabis users and 38 controls) underwent 3 weeks of monitored cannabis abstinence, aerobic fitness testing, structural neuroimaging, and neuropsychological testing. Linear regressions examined cannabis use and its interaction with sex and aerobic fitness on whole-brain cortical volume and subcortical regions of interests. Results: No main-effect differences between cannabis users and nonusers were observed; however, cannabis-by-sex interactions identified differences in frontal, temporal, and paracentral volumes. Female cannabis users generally exhibited greater volume while male users exhibited less volume compared to same-sex controls. Positive associations between aerobic fitness and frontal, parietal, cerebellum, and caudate volumes were observed. Cannabis-by-fitness interaction was linked with left superior temporal volume. Preliminary brain–behavior correlations revealed that abnormal volumes were not advantageous in either male or female cannabis users. Conclusions: Aerobic fitness was linked with greater brain volume and sex moderated the effect of cannabis use on volume; preliminary brain–behavior correlations revealed that differences in cannabis users were not linked with advantageous cognitive performance. Implications of sex-specific subtleties and mechanisms of aerobic fitness require large-scale investigation. Furthermore, present findings and prior literature on aerobic exercise warrant examinations of aerobic fitness interventions that aimed at improving neurocognitive health in substance-using youth.
An Observational, Longitudinal Study of Cognition in Medical Cannabis Patients over the Course of 12 Months of Treatment: Preliminary Results

Abstract Objective: Cannabis use has increased dramatically across the country; however, few studies have assessed the long-term impact of medical cannabis (MC) use on cognition. Studies examining recreational cannabis users generally report cognitive decrements, particularly in those with adolescent onset. As MC patients differ from recreational consumers in motives for use, product selection, and age of onset, we assessed cognitive and clinical measures in well-characterized MC patients over 1 year. Based on previous findings, we hypothesized MC patients would not show decrements and might instead demonstrate improvements in executive function over time. Method: As part of an ongoing study, MC patients completed a baseline visit prior to initiating MC and evaluations following 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment. At each visit, patients completed a neurocognitive battery assessing executive function, verbal learning/memory, and clinical scales assessing mood, anxiety, and sleep. Exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) was also quantified. Results: Relative to baseline, MC patients demonstrated significant improvements on measures of executive function and clinical state over the course of 12 months; verbal learning/memory performance generally remained stable. Improved cognitive performance was not correlated with MC use; however, clinical improvement was associated with higher CBD use. Analyses suggest cognitive improvements were associated with clinical improvement. Conclusions: Study results extend previous pilot findings, indicating that MC patients may exhibit enhanced rather than impaired executive function over time. Future studies should examine distinctions between recreational and MC use to identify potential mechanisms related to cognitive changes and the role of clinical improvement.
Altered H19/miR‐675 expression in skeletal muscle is associated with low muscle mass in community‐dwelling older adults

Despite increasing knowledge of the pathogenesis of muscle ageing, the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Based on an expression analysis of muscle biopsies from older Caucasian men, we undertook an in‐depth analysis of the expression of the long non‐coding RNA, H19, to identify molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the loss of muscle mass with age.
Myeloid Endoplasmic Reticulum Resident Chaperone GP96 Facilitates Inflammation and Steatosis in Alcohol‐Associated Liver Disease

Cellular stress–mediated chaperones are linked to liver macrophage activation and inflammation in alcohol‐associated liver disease (ALD). In this study, we investigate the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident stress chaperone GP96/HSP90B1/GRP94, paralog of the HSP90 family, in ALD pathogenesis. We hypothesize that ER resident chaperone, heat shock protein GP96, plays a crucial role in alcohol‐associated liver inflammation and contributes to liver injury. We show high expression of GP96/HSP90B1 and GRP78/HSPA5 in human alcohol‐associated hepatitis livers as well as in mouse ALD livers with induction of GP96 prominent in alcohol‐exposed macrophages. Myeloid‐specific GP96 deficient (M‐GP96KO) mice failed to induce alcohol‐associated liver injury. Alcohol‐fed M‐GP96KO mice exhibit significant reduction in steatosis, serum endotoxin, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines compared with wild‐type mice. Anti‐inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐10 and transforming growth factor β, as well as activating transcription factor 3 and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, markers of restorative macrophages, were higher in alcohol‐fed M‐GP96KO livers. M‐GP96KO mice exhibit protection in a model of endotoxin‐mediated liver injury in vivo, which is in agreement with reduced inflammatory responses during ex vivo lipopolysaccharide/endotoxin– stimulated bone marrow–derived macrophages from M‐GP96KO mice. Furthermore, we show that liver macrophages from alcohol‐fed M‐GP96KO mice show compensatory induction of GRP78 messenger RNA, likely due to increased splicing of X‐box binding protein‐1. Finally, we show that inhibition of GP96 using a specific pharmacological agent, PU‐WS13 or small interfering RNA, alleviates inflammatory responses in primary macrophages. Conclusion: Myeloid ER resident GP96 promotes alcohol‐induced liver damage through activation of liver macrophage inflammatory responses, alteration in lipid homeostasis, and ER stress. These findings highlight a critical role for liver macrophage ER resident chaperone GP96/HSP90B1 in ALD, and its targeted inhibition represents a promising therapeutic approach in ALD.
miR-9a regulates levels of both rhomboid mRNA and protein in the early Drosophila melanogaster embryo

MicroRNAs have subtle and combinatorial effects on the expression levels of their targets. Studying the consequences of a single microRNA knockout often proves difficult as many such knockouts exhibit phenotypes only under stress conditions. This has led to the hypothesis that microRNAs frequently act as buffers of noise in gene expression. Observing and understanding buffering effects requires quantitative analysis of microRNA and target expression in single cells. To this end, we have employed single molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence, and high-resolution confocal microscopy to investigate the effects of miR-9a loss on the expression of the serine-protease rhomboid in Drosophila melanogaster early embryos. Our single-cell quantitative approach shows that rhomboid mRNA exhibits the same spatial expression pattern in WT and miR-9a knockout embryos, although the number of mRNA molecules per cell is higher when miR-9a is absent. However, the level of rhomboid protein shows a much more dramatic increase in the miR-9a knockout. Specifically, we see accumulation of rhomboid protein in miR-9a mutants by stage 5, much earlier than in WT. The data therefore show that miR-9a functions in the regulation of rhomboid activity by both inducing mRNA degradation and inhibiting translation in the blastoderm embryo. Temporal regulation of neural proliferation and differentiation in vertebrates by miR-9 is well-established. We suggest that miR-9 family microRNAs are conserved regulators of timing in neurogenic processes. This work shows the power of single-cell quantification as an experimental tool to study phenotypic consequences of microRNA mis-regulation.
Evolutionary footprints of a cold relic in a rapidly warming world

With accelerating global warming, understanding the evolutionary dynamics of plant adaptation to environmental change is increasingly urgent. Here we reveal the enigmatic history of the genus Cochlearia (Brassicaceae), a Pleistocene relic that originated from a drought-adapted Mediterranean sister genus during the Miocene. Cochlearia rapidly diversified and adapted to circum-Arctic regions and other cold-characterized habitat types during the Pleistocene. This rapid change in ecological preferences was accompanied by a highly complex, reticulate polyploid evolution, which was apparently triggered by the impact of repeated Pleistocene glaciation cycles. Our results illustrate that two early diversified arctic-alpine diploid gene pools contributed differently to the evolution of this young polyploid genus now captured in a cold-adapted niche. Metabolomics revealed ancestral central carbon metabolism responses to cold in diverse ecotypes, likely due to continuous connections to cold habitats that we hypothesize facilitated widespread parallel adaptation to alpine and subalpine habitats, and which we speculate were coopted from existing drought adaptations. Given the growing scientific interest in adaptive evolution of temperature-related traits, our results provide much-needed taxonomic and phylogenomic resolution of a model system as well as first insights into the origins of its adaptation to cold.
Pooled screening of CAR T cells identifies non-native signaling domains for next-generation immunotherapies

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) repurpose natural signaling components to retarget T cells to refractory cancers, but have shown limited efficacy against solid tumors. Here, we introduce ‘CAR Pooling’, a multiplexed approach to rapidly identify CAR designs with clinical potential. Forty CARs with diverse immune costimulatory domains were assessed in pooled assays for their ability to stimulate critical T cell effector functions during repetitive stimulation that mimics long-term tumor antigen exposure. Several non-native domains from the TNF receptor family exhibited enhanced proliferation (CD40) or cytotoxicity (BAFF-R and TACI) relative to clinical benchmarks, and fell into distinct states of memory, cytotoxicity, and metabolism. BAFF-R CAR T cells were enriched for a highly cytotoxic and NK-cell-like innate phenotype previously associated with positive clinical outcomes. ‘CAR Pooling’ enables efficient exploration of how CAR design affects cell activity and can be applied to optimize receptors across a range of applications and cell types.
Reproductive success is influenced by early development: the covariation of natal body size and reproductive performance in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)

An individual’s size when young may be an important source individual variation in lifetime reproductive performance, as size effects on ontogenetic development can have cascading physiological and behavioral consequences throughout life. Here, we explored how natal size influences subsequent reproductive performance in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) using mark-recapture and repeated measures reproductive data on a marked sample of 363 females that were measured for standard length at roughly 4 weeks of age and eventually recruited to the Sable Island breeding colony. Two reproductive traits were considered: provisioning performance (mass of weaned offspring), modeled using linear mixed effects models; and reproductive frequency (the rate at which a female returns to breed), modeled using mixed-effects multistate mark-recapture models. After accounting for female age, experience, and offspring sex, we found a positive association between natal length and our measures of reproductive performance. Mothers with the longest natal lengths produced pups nearly 8 kg heavier and were 20% more likely to breed in a given year than mothers with the shortest natal lengths. Because correlation in individual body length between natal and adult life stages is weak (animals that were longer than average as pups do not always grow to be longer than average adults), the covariation between natal length and future reproductive performance reported here may act more as a carry-over effect from the size advantages afforded in the juvenile stage that allow for greater adult performance, rather than a physical trait that is maintained throughout life.