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Abstract Linoleic acid (LA), as a part of the wider debate about saturated, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) and health, continues to be at the center of controversy in the world of fatty acid research. A robust evidence base, however, demonstrates that higher intakes and blood levels of LA are associated with improved cardiometabolic health outcomes. LA lowers total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol when compared with saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates. Using large prospective datasets, higher blood levels of LA were associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and incident type-2 diabetes mellitus compared with lower levels, suggesting that, across the range of typical dietary intakes, higher LA is beneficial. Recent trials of LA-rich oils report favorable outcomes in people with common lipid disorders. However, an LA intake that is too high can impair endogenous synthesis of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), but the threshold at which this becomes clinically relevant is not known. In the absence of a significant intake of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, an ideal dietary ratio of LA and ALA may be theoretically useful as it provides insight into the likely extent of endogenous EPA synthesis from ALA. Updating dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for LA and ALA is needed; however, there are insufficient data to establish RDAs for these fatty acids. The omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) PUFA ratio is not informative and does not shed meaningful insight about the amount of individual fatty acids in each class needed to confer health benefits.

Background Abdominal obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction and poorer vascular health. Avocado consumption improves postprandial endothelial function; however, the longer‐term effects remain unclear. It was hypothesized that the daily addition of 1 avocado to a habitual diet for 6 months would improve flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity in individuals with abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥35 in for women, ≥40 in for men), compared with a habitual diet low in avocados. Methods and Results HAT (Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial) was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel‐arm study that investigated the health effects of adding 1 avocado per day to a habitual diet in individuals with abdominal obesity. At the Pennsylvania State University, University Park study center (n=134; age, 50 ± 13 years; women, 78%; body mass index, 32.6 ± 4.8 kg/m2), markers of vascular function were measured, including endothelial function, assessed via brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation, and arterial stiffness, assessed via carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity. Between‐group differences in 6‐month change in flow‐mediated dilation and carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity were assessed using independent t tests. Prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted using linear regression. No significant between‐group differences in flow‐mediated dilation (mean difference=−0.62% [95% CI, −1.70 to 0.46]) or carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (0.25 m/s [95% CI, −0.13 to 0.63]) were observed. Results of the subgroup analyses were consistent with the primary analyses. Conclusions Longer‐term consumption of 1 avocado per day as part of a habitual diet did not improve measures of vascular function compared with a habitual diet low in avocados in individuals with abdominal obesity. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03528031.

Abstract Background The rapidly advancing corn breeding field calls for high-throughput methods to phenotype corn kernel traits to estimate yield and to study their genetic inheritance. Most of the existing methods are reliant on sophisticated setup, expertise in statistical models and programming skills for image capturing and analysis. Results We demonstrated a portable, easily accessible, affordable, panoramic imaging capturing system called Corn360, followed by image analysis using freely available software, to characterize total kernel count and different patterned kernel counts of a corn ear. The software we used did not require programming skills and utilized Artificial Intelligence to train a model and to segment the images of mixed patterned corn ears. For homogeneously patterned corn ears, our results showed accuracies of 93.7% of total kernel count compared to manual counting. Our method allowed to save an average of 3 min 40 s per image. For mixed patterned corn ears, our results showed accuracies of 84.8% or 61.8% of segmented kernel counts. Our method has the potential to greatly decrease counting time per image as the number of images increases. We also demonstrated a case of using Corn360 to count different categories of kernels on a mixed patterned corn ear resulting from a cross of sweet corn and sticky corn and showed that starch:sweet:sticky segregated in a 9:4:3 ratio in its F2 population. Conclusions The panoramic Corn360 approach enables for a portable low-cost high-throughput kernel quantification. This includes total kernel quantification and quantification of different patterned kernels. This can allow for quick estimate of yield component and for categorization of different patterned kernels to study the inheritance of genes controlling color and texture. We demonstrated that using the samples resulting from a sweet × sticky cross, the starchiness, sweetness and stickiness in this case were controlled by two genes with epistatic effects. Our achieved results indicate Corn360 can be used to effectively quantify corn kernels in a portable and cost-efficient way that is easily accessible with or without programming skills.

Abstract Background Cellular events during meiosis can differ between inbred lines in maize. Substantial differences in the average numbers of chiasmata and double-strand breaks (DSBs) per meiotic cell have been documented among diverse inbred lines of maize: CML228, a tropical maize inbred line, B73 and Mo17, temperate maize lines. To determine if gene expression might explain these observed differences, an RNA-Seq experiment was performed on CML228 male meiocytes which was compared to B73 and Mo17 male meiocytes, where plants were grown in the same controlled environment. Results We found that a few DSB-repair/meiotic genes which promote class I crossovers (COs) and the Zyp1 gene which limits newly formed class I COs were up-regulated, whereas Mus81 homolog 2 which promotes class II COs was down-regulated in CML228. Although we did not find enriched gene ontology (GO) categories directly related to meiosis, we found that GO categories in membrane, localization, proteolysis, energy processes were up-regulated in CML228, while chromatin remodeling, epigenetic regulation, and cell cycle related processes including meiosis related cell cycle processes were down-regulated in CML228. The degree of similarity in expression patterns between the three maize lines reflect their genetic relatedness: B73 and Mo17 had similar meiotic expressions and CML228 had a more distinct expression profile. Conclusions We found that meiotic related genes were mostly conserved among the three maize inbreds except for a few DSB-repair/meiotic genes. The findings that the molecular players in limiting class I CO formation (once CO assurance is achieved) were up-regulated and those involved in promoting class II CO formation were down-regulated in CML228 agree with the lower chiasmata number observed in CML228 previously. In addition, epigenetics such as chromatin remodeling and histone modification might play a role. Transport and energy-related processes was up-regulated and Cyclin13 was down-regulated in CML228. The direction of gene expression of these processes agree with that previously found in meiotic tissues compared with vegetative tissues. In summary, we used different natural maize inbred lines from different climatic conditions and have shown their differences in expression landscape in male meiocytes.

Approximately 40% of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) experience an early-morning rise in fasting glucose that is not effectively treated by available oral hypoglycemic agents. This study aimed to determine the acute effect of consuming almond butter as an evening snack on fasting and overnight interstitial glucose, compared to a no-snack control, in people with T2D. Adults with T2D, not taking insulin, were recruited to participate in this two-week randomized, controlled, crossover pilot study. Participants received 2 tbsp of natural almond butter as an evening snack, or a no-snack control, for one week each. Glucose was measured by continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Analyses were performed using linear mixed effect modeling in R. Ten adults (60% female; age: 57 ± 5.6 years) completed the study. The intervention did not significantly influence fasting glucose [4–6 a.m.; β = 5.5, 95% CI = [−0.9, 12.0], p = 0.091; Marginal R2 = 0.001, Conditional R2 = 0.954] or overnight glucose (12–3 a.m.; β = 5.5, 95% CI = [−0.8, 11.8], p = 0.089; Marginal R2 = 0.001, Conditional R2 = 0.958). Significant variability in continuously measured glucose was observed. These findings will inform the design of a larger investigation.

Introduction: Berries are a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols and other nutrients that are associated with good health. Allostatic load (AL) is an aggregate measure of chronic stress-induced physiological dysregulations across cardiovascular, metabolic, autonomic, and immune systems; the extent of these dysregulations, collectively or in each system, can be characterized by a composite score or a domain score assessed by integrated biomarkers. It was hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory and other effects of berries lower AL. The association was determined between berry consumption and AL composite and domain scores in the 2003–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: Berry intake was measured using two 24 h dietary recalls collected from US adults in the 2003–2010 NHANES (n = 7684). The association with AL and its specific domains was examined using population weight-adjusted multivariable linear regression. Results: The mean AL composite scores for consumers of any berries (11.9), strawberries (11.6), and blueberries (11.6), respectively, were significantly lower than nonconsumers (12.3), after fully adjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and dietary confounders. A significant dose-response relationship was determined between greater consumption of total berries, strawberries, and blueberries and lower mean AL composite scores (p-trend < 0.05, for all). Consistently, mean cardiovascular and metabolic domain scores remained significantly lower in the consumers of total berries (mean cardiovascular domain score: 4.73 versus 4.97 for nonconsumers; mean metabolic domain score: 2.97 versus 3.1), strawberries (4.73 versus 4.95; 2.99 versus 3.1), and blueberries (4.6 versus 4.95; 2.92 versus 3.11). Berry consumers also had significantly lower mean AL immune scores (1.52 versus 1.56) and lower mean AL autonomic scores (2.49 versus 2.57) than nonconsumers (initial sample: n = 15,620). Conclusions: The current study indicates that consumption of berries lowers the AL composite scores and potentially reduces stress-related disease risks in the US adult population.

Introduction: Poor sleep is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. Berries are rich in micronutrients and antioxidants that may improve sleep quality and duration. We determined the association of berry consumption and sleep duration and sleep difficulty among adult participants in NHANES. Methods: We analyzed the diet of US adults aged ≥ 20 y using two non-consecutive 24 h recalls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005 to 2018 (N = 29,217). Poor sleep quality was measured by sleep duration (short sleep duration: p < 0.05). No significant associations with long sleep were found for total berries and any berry types. A decreased risk of sleep difficulties was found to be linked to blackberry consumption (adjusted OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40–0.97; p = 0.036) but not for other berries. Conclusions: US adult berry consumers had a decreased risk of reporting short sleep compared to nonconsumers. Berries are underconsumed foods in the US adult population, and increased berry consumption may improve sleep quality.

Oxylipins are produced enzymatically from polyunsaturated fatty acids, are abundant in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TGRLs), and mediate inflammatory processes. Inflammation elevates TGRL concentrations, but it is unknown if the fatty acid and oxylipin compositions change. In this study, we investigated the effect of prescription ω-3 acid ethyl esters (P-OM3; 3.4 g/d EPA + DHA) on the lipid response to an endotoxin challenge (lipopolysaccharide; 0.6 ng/kg body weight). Healthy young men (N = 17) were assigned 8–12 weeks of P-OM3 and olive oil control in a randomized order crossover study. Following each treatment period, subjects received endotoxin challenge, and the time-dependent TGRL composition was observed. Postchallenge, arachidonic acid was 16% [95% CI: 4%, 28%] lower than baseline at 8 h with control. P-OM3 increased TGRL ω-3 fatty acids (EPA 24% [15%, 34%]; DHA 14% [5%, 24%]). The timing of ω-6 oxylipin responses differed by class; arachidonic acid-derived alcohols peaked at 2 h, while linoleic acid-derived alcohols peaked at 4 h (pint = 0.006). P-OM3 increased EPA alcohols by 161% [68%, 305%] and DHA epoxides by 178% [47%, 427%] at 4 h compared to control. In conclusion, this study shows that TGRL fatty acid and oxylipin composition changes following endotoxin challenge. P-OM3 alters the TGRL response to endotoxin challenge by increasing availability of ω-3 oxylipins for resolution of the inflammatory response.

The objective of this study was to assess Mediterranean diet (MD) scores (i.e., alignment with a MD pattern) among students and professors, in addition to assessing how adherence to the MD was associated with other lifestyle behaviors. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with a sample of 127 university professors and 272 students of the Melilla Campus at the University of Granada (Spain). Students were more physically active than professors (mean difference = 1058 METs, p < 0.001) and reported lower negative affect (NA; mean difference = −1.70, p < 0.001) whereas professors reported nominally better perceived mental health. For the total sample, the physical health component (β = 0.03, p = 0.03) and physical activity (β = 0.0001, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with higher MD scores. Health behaviors, including MD scores and physical activity, were suboptimal among both students and professors. The results suggest that a dietary pattern reflective of the MD is positively associated with both physical and mental health outcomes among students and professors, though the direction of the associations remains to be clarified.

The snow surrounding research facilities and shore tourist-landing sites in Antarctica was found to be darker than elsewhere in the continent, which suggests that local emissions of black carbon are accelerating seasonal snowmelt in impacted regions.

Abstract Attributable to the Montreal Protocol, the most successful environmental treaty ever, human-made ozone-depleting substances are declining and the stratospheric Antarctic ozone layer is recovering. However, the Antarctic ozone hole continues to occur every year, with the severity of ozone loss strongly modulated by meteorological conditions. In late November and early December 2020, we measured at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula the highest ultraviolet (UV) irradiances recorded in the Antarctic continent in more than two decades. On Dec. 2nd, the noon-time UV index on King George Island peaked at 14.3, very close to the largest UV index ever recorded in the continent. On Dec. 3rd, the erythemal daily dose at the same site was among the highest on Earth, only comparable to those recorded at high altitude sites in the Atacama Desert, near the Tropic of Capricorn. Here we show that, despite the Antarctic ozone recovery observed in early spring, the conditions that favor these extreme surface UV events persist in late spring, when the biologically effective UV radiation is more consequential. These conditions include long-lasting ozone holes (attributable to the polar vortex dynamics) that often bring ozone-depleted air over the Antarctic Peninsula in late spring. The fact that these conditions have been occurring at about the same frequency during the last two decades explains the persistence of extreme surface UV events in Antarctica.

The maluma/takete effect refers to an association between certain language sounds (e.g., /m/ and /o/) and round shapes, and other language sounds (e.g., /t/ and /i/) and spiky shapes. This is an example of sound symbolism and stands in opposition to arbitrariness of language. It is still unknown when sensitivity to sound symbolism emerges. In the present series of studies, we first confirmed that the classic maluma/takete effect would be observed in adults using our novel 3-D object stimuli (Experiments 1a and 1b). We then conducted the first longitudinal test of the maluma/takete effect, testing infants at 4-, 8- and 12-months of age (Experiment 2). Sensitivity to sound symbolism was measured with a looking time preference task, in which infants were shown images of a round and a spiky 3-D object while hearing either a round- or spiky-sounding nonword. We did not detect a significant difference in looking time based on nonword type. We also collected a series of individual difference measures including measures of vocabulary, movement ability and babbling. Analyses of these measures revealed that 12-month olds who babbled more showed a greater sensitivity to sound symbolism. Finally, in Experiment 3, we had parents take home round or spiky 3-D printed objects, to present to 7- to 8-month-old infants paired with either congruent or incongruent nonwords. This language experience had no effect on subsequent measures of sound symbolism sensitivity. Taken together these studies demonstrate that sound symbolism is elusive in the first year, and shed light on the mechanisms that may contribute to its eventual emergence.

The angular distribution of the sky radiance determines the energy generation of solar power technologies as well as the ultraviolet (UV) doses delivered to the biosphere. The sky-diffuse radiance distribution depends on the wavelength, the solar elevation, and the atmospheric conditions. Here, we report on ground-based measurements of the all-sky radiance at three sites in the Southern Hemisphere across a transect of about 5,000 km: Santiago (33°S, a mid-latitude city of 6 million inhabitants with endemic poor air quality), King George Island (62°S, at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the cloudiest regions on Earth), and Union Glacier (79°S, a snow-covered glacier in the vast interior of Western Antarctica). The sites were strategically selected for studying the influence of urban aerosols, frequent and thick clouds, and extremely high albedo on the sky-diffuse radiance distribution. Our results show that, due to changing site-specific atmospheric conditions, the characterization of the weather-driven sky radiance distribution may require ground-based measurements.

Many theories of semantic representation propose that simulations of sensorimotor experience contribute to language processing. This can be seen in the body-object interaction effect (BOI; how easily the human body can interact with a word’s referent). Words with high BOI ratings (e.g., ball) are processed more quickly than words with low BOI ratings (e.g., cloud) in various language tasks. This effect can be modulated by task demands. Previous research established that when asked to decide if a word is an object (entity condition), a BOI effect is observed, but when asked to decide if a word is an action (action condition), there is no BOI effect. It is unclear whether the null behavioral effect in the action condition reflects top-down modulation of task-relevant sensorimotor information or the absence of bottom-up activation of sensorimotor simulations. We investigated this question using EEG. In Experiment 1 we replicated the previous behavioral findings. In Experiment 2, 50 participants were assigned to either the entity or action conditions and responded to the same word stimuli. In both conditions we observed differences in ERP components related to the BOI effect. In the entity condition the P2 mean amplitude was significantly more positive for high compared to low BOI words. In the action condition the N400 peak latency was significantly later for high compared to low BOI words. Our findings suggest that BOI information is generated bottom-up regardless of task demands and modulated by top-down processes that recruit sensorimotor information relevant to the task decision.

Abstract The chemical composition of snow provides insights on atmospheric transport of anthropogenic contaminants at different spatial scales. In this study, we assess how human activities influence the concentration of elements in the Andean mountain snow along a latitudinal transect throughout Chile. The concentration of seven elements (Al, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn and Zn) was associated to gaseous and particulate contaminants emitted at different spatial scales. Our results indicate carbon monoxide (CO) averaged at 20 km and nitrogen oxide (NOx) at 40 km as the main indicators of the chemical elements analyzed. CO was found to be a significant predictor of most element concentrations while concentrations of Cu, Mn, Mg and Zn were positively associated to emissions of NOx. Emission of 2.5 μm and 10 μm particulate matter averaged at different spatial scales was positively associated to concentration of Li. Finally, the concentration of Zn was positively associated to volatile organic compounds (VOC) averaged at 40 km around sampling sites. The association between air contaminants and chemical composition of snow suggests that regions with intensive anthropogenic pollution face reduced quality of freshwater originated from glacier and snow melting.

Background Excess visceral adiposity is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Short‐term well‐controlled clinical trials suggest that regular avocado consumption favorably affects body weight, visceral adiposity, and satiety. Methods and Results The HAT Trial (Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial) was a multicenter, randomized, controlled parallel‐arm trial designed to test whether consuming 1 large avocado per day for 6 months in a diverse group of free‐living individuals (N=1008) with an elevated waist circumference compared with a habitual diet would decrease visceral adiposity as measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Secondary and additional end points related to risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disorders were assessed. The primary outcome, change in visceral adipose tissue volume during the intervention period, was not significantly different between the Avocado Supplemented and Habitual Diet Groups (estimated mean difference (0.017 L [−0.024 L, 0.058 L], P=0.405). No significant group differences were observed for the secondary outcomes of hepatic fat fraction, hsCRP (high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein), and components of the metabolic syndrome. Of the additional outcome measures, modest but nominally significant reductions in total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were observed in the Avocado Supplemented compared with the Habitual Diet Group. Changes in the other additional and post hoc measures (body weight, body mass index, insulin, very low‐density lipoprotein concentrations, and total cholesterol:high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio) were similar between the 2 groups. Conclusions Addition of 1 avocado per day to the habitual diet for 6 months in free‐living individuals with elevated waist circumference did not reduce visceral adipose tissue volume and had minimal effect on risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disorders. Registration URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03528031.

Dried fruits contain many bioactive compounds broadly classified as phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, proanthocyanidins, stilbenes, chalcones/dihydrochalcones, and phytoestrogens. These compounds have antioxidant effects that may benefit health. Dried fruits are also a diverse group of foods with varying fibre contents. The evaluation of the biological activity of these bioactive compounds, including their bioaccessibility and bioavailability, may contribute to the understanding of the health effects of dried fruits. Limited evidence suggests that dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, dates, and prunes) affect human gut microbiota composition in a potentially beneficial manner (in terms of effects on Bifidobacteria, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcaceae, Klebsiella spp., and Prevotella spp.). There is little epidemiological evidence about the association of dried fruit consumption with cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality, as well as the risk of type 2 diabetes or obesity. Clinical trial evidence for the effects of dried fruit consumption on cardiovascular risk factors, including glycaemic control, is mixed. Clinical trial evidence suggests prunes might preserve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Consumption of dried fruits is associated with higher-quality diets. Studies are needed to increase our understanding of the health effects of dried fruits and the underlying biological mechanisms.

Abstract Predicting radiative forcing due to Antarctic stratospheric ozone recovery requires detecting changes in the ozone vertical distribution. In this endeavor, the Limb Profiler of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS-LP), aboard the Suomi NPP satellite, has played a key role providing ozone profiles over Antarctica since 2011. Here, we compare ozone profiles derived from OMPS-LP data (version 2.5 algorithm) with balloon-borne ozonesondes launched from 8 Antarctic stations over the period 2012–2020. Comparisons focus on the layer from 12.5 to 27.5 km and include ozone profiles retrieved during the Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event registered in Spring 2019. We found that, over the period December-January–February-March, the root mean square error (RMSE) tends to be larger (about 20%) in the lower stratosphere (12.5–17.5 km) and smaller (about 10%) within higher layers (17.5–27.5 km). During the ozone hole season (September–October–November), RMSE values rise up to 40% within the layer from 12.5 to 22 km. Nevertheless, relative to balloon-borne measurements, the mean bias error of OMPS-derived Antarctic ozone profiles is generally lower than 0.3 ppmv, regardless of the season.

BackgroundWomen with obesity and infertility are counseled to lose weight prior to conception and infertility treatment to improve pregnancy rates and birth outcomes, although confirmatory evidence from randomized trials is lacking. We assessed whether a preconception intensive lifestyle intervention with acute weight loss is superior to a weight neutral intervention at achieving a healthy live birth.Methods and findingsIn this open-label, randomized controlled study (FIT-PLESE), 379 women with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and unexplained infertility were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to 2 preconception lifestyle modification groups lasting 16 weeks, between July 2015 and July 2018 (final follow-up September 2019) followed by infertility therapy. The primary outcome was the healthy live birth (term infant of normal weight without major anomalies) incidence. This was conducted at 9 academic health centers across the United States. The intensive group underwent increased physical activity and weight loss (target 7%) through meal replacements and medication (Orlistat) compared to a standard group with increased physical activity alone without weight loss. This was followed by standardized empiric infertility treatment consisting of 3 cycles of ovarian stimulation/intrauterine insemination. Outcomes of any resulting pregnancy were tracked. Among 191 women randomized to standard lifestyle group, 40 dropped out of the study before conception; among 188 women randomized to intensive lifestyle group, 31 dropped out of the study before conception. All the randomized women were included in the intent-to-treat analysis for primary outcome of a healthy live birth. There were no significant differences in the incidence of healthy live births [standard 29/191(15.2%), intensive 23/188(12.2%), rate ratio 0.81 (0.48 to 1.34), P = 0.40]. Intensive had significant weight loss compared to standard (-6.6 ± 5.4% versus -0.3 ± 3.2%, P < 0.001). There were improvements in metabolic health, including a marked decrease in incidence of the metabolic syndrome (baseline to 16 weeks: standard: 53.6% to 49.4%, intensive 52.8% to 32.2%, P = 0.003). Gastrointestinal side effects were significantly more common in intensive. There was a higher, but nonsignificant, first trimester pregnancy loss in the intensive group (33.3% versus 23.7% in standard, 95% rate ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.79 to 2.50). The main limitations of the study are the limited power of the study to detect rare complications and the design difficulty in finding an adequate time matched control intervention, as the standard exercise intervention may have potentially been helpful or harmful.ConclusionsA preconception intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss did not improve fertility or birth outcomes compared to an exercise intervention without targeted weight loss. Improvement in metabolic health may not translate into improved female fecundity.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02432209.

In the present review, we provide a comprehensive narrative overview of the current knowledge on the effects of total and specific types of nut consumption (excluding nut oil) on blood lipids and lipoproteins. We identified a total of 19 systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that were available in PubMed from the inception date to November 2022. A consistent beneficial effect of most nuts, namely total nuts and tree nuts, including walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios, has been reported across meta-analyses in decreasing total cholesterol (mean difference, MD, −0.09 to −0.28 mmol/L), LDL-cholesterol (MD, −0.09 to −0.26 mmol/L), and triglycerides (MD, −0.05 to −0.17 mmol/L). However, no effects on HDL-cholesterol have been uncovered. Preliminary evidence indicates that adding nuts into the regular diet reduces blood levels of apolipoprotein B and improves HDL function. There is also evidence that nuts dose-dependently improve lipids and lipoproteins. Sex, age, or nut processing are not effect modifiers, while a lower BMI and higher baseline lipid concentrations enhance blood lipid/lipoprotein responses. While research is still emerging, the evidence thus far indicates that nut-enriched diets are associated with a reduced number of total LDL particles and small, dense LDL particles. In conclusion, evidence from clinical trials has shown that the consumption of total and specific nuts improves blood lipid profiles by multiple mechanisms. Future directions in this field should include more lipoprotein particle, apolipoprotein B, and HDL function studies.

Action imagery involves the mental representation of an action without overt execution, and can contribute to perspective taking, such as that required for left-right judgments in mental body rotation tasks. It has been shown that perspective (back view, front view), rotational angle (head-up, head-down), and abstractness (abstract, realistic) of the stimulus material influences speed and correctness of the judgement. The present studies investigated whether left-right judgements are more difficult on legs than on arms and whether the type of limb interacts with the other factors. Furthermore, a combined score for speed and accuracy was explored to eliminate possible tradeoffs and to obtain the best possible measure of subjects’ individual ability. Study 1 revealed that the front view is more difficult than the back view because it involves a vertical rotation in perspective taking. Head-down rotations are more difficult than head-up rotations because they involve a horizontal rotation in perspective taking. Furthermore, leg stimuli are more difficult than hand stimuli, particularly in head-down rotations. In Study 2, these findings were replicated in abstract stimuli as well as in realistic stimuli. In addition, perspective taking for realistic stimuli in the back view is easier than realistic stimuli in the front view or abstract stimuli (in both perspectives). We conclude that realistic stimulus material facilitates task comprehension and amplifies the effects of perspective. By replicating previous findings, the linear speed-accuracy score was shown to be a valid measure to capture performance in mental body rotations.

In their review, Murgiano, Motamedi, and Vigliocco (2020) lay out a new perspective in which they argue that language should be understood as a situated phenomenon. This perspective has implications for the study of written language, which is fundamentally an un-situated phenomenon. We consider the implications of this perspective for iconicity as it appears in written language. We argue that typical methods for studying word processing (e.g., the lexical decision task) may be bound to underestimate the relevance of iconicity for language. In addition, the typical approach of collecting ratings of individual words on a lexical-semantic dimension may not be well suited to quantifying iconicity. Nevertheless, we believe the field should continue to explore effects of iconicity in language processing, and we discuss some potential ways to adjust traditional word processing tasks.

Bifidobacterium animalislactis

Embodiment research is at a turning point. There is an increasing amount of data and studies investigating embodiment phenomena and their role in mental processing and functions from across a wide range of disciplines and theoretical schools within the life sciences. However, the integration of behavioral data with data from different biological levels is challenging for the involved research fields such as movement psychology, social and developmental neuroscience, computational psychosomatics, social and behavioral epigenetics, human-centered robotics, and many more. This highlights the need for an interdisciplinary framework of embodiment research. In addition, there is a growing need for a cross-disciplinary consensus on level-specific criteria of embodiment. We propose that a developmental perspective on embodiment is able to provide a framework for overcoming such pressing issues, providing analytical tools to link timescales and levels of embodiment specific to the function under study, uncovering the underlying developmental processes, clarifying level-specific embodiment criteria, and providing a matrix and platform to bridge disciplinary boundaries among the involved research fields.

The development of children’s word knowledge is an important testing ground for the embodied account of word meaning, which proposes that word meanings are grounded in sensorimotor systems. Acquisition of abstract words, in particular, is a noted challenge for strong accounts of embodiment. We examined acquisition of abstract word meanings, using data on development of vocabulary knowledge from early school to University ages. We tested two specific proposals for how abstract words are learned: the affective embodiment account, that emotional experience is key to learning abstract word meanings, and the learning through language proposal, that abstract words are acquired through language experience. We found support for the affective embodiment account: word valence, interoception, and mouth action all facilitated abstract word acquisition more than concrete word acquisition. We tested the learning through language proposal by investigating whether words that appear in more diverse linguistic contexts are earlier acquired. Results showed that contextual diversity facilitated vocabulary acquisition, but did so for both abstract and concrete words. Our results provide evidence that emotion and sensorimotor systems are important to children’s acquisition of abstract words, but there is still considerable variance to be accounted for by other factors. We offer suggestions for future research to examine the acquisition of abstract vocabulary.

Contemporary theories of semantic representation posit that social experience is an important source of information for deriving meaning. However, there is a lack of behavioral evidence in support of this proposal. The aim of the present work was to test whether words' degree of social relevance, or "socialness", influences lexical-semantic processing. In Study 1, across a series of item-level regression analyses, we found that (a) socialness can facilitate responses in lexical, semantic, and memory tasks, and (b) limited evidence for an interaction of socialness with concreteness. In Studies 2-3, we tested the preregistered hypothesis that social words, compared to nonsocial words, will be associated with faster and more accurate responses during a syntactic classification task. We found that socialness has a facilitatory effect on noun decisions (Study 3), but not verb decisions (Study 2). Overall, our results suggest that the socialness of a word affects lexical-semantic processing but also that this is task-dependent. These findings constitute novel evidence in support of proposals that social information is an important dimension of semantic representation.

Abstract The snowpack is an important source of water for many Andean communities. Because of its importance, elemental and mineralogical composition analysis of the Andean snow is a worthwhile effort. In this study, we conducted a chemical composition analysis (major and trace elements, mineralogy, and chemical enrichment) of surface snow sampled at 21 sites across a transect of about 2,500 km in the Chilean Andes (18–41°S). Our results enabled us to identify five depositional environments: (i) sites 1–3 (in the Atacama Desert, 18–26°S) with relatively high concentrations of metals, high abundance of quartz and low presence of arsenates, (ii) sites 4–8 (in northern Chile, 29–32°S) with relatively high abundance of quartz and low presence of metals and arsenates, (iii) sites 9–12 (in central Chile, 33–35°S) with anthropogenic enrichment of metals, relatively high values of quartz and low abundance of arsenates, (iv) sites 13–14 (also in central Chile, 35–37°S) with relatively high values of quartz and low presence of metals and arsenates, and v) sites 15–21 (in southern Chile, 37–41°S) with relatively high abundance of arsenates and low presence of metals and quartz. We found significant anthropogenic enrichment at sites close to Santiago (a major city of 6 million inhabitants) and in the Atacama Desert (that hosts several major copper mines).

Partial replacement of saturated fatty acids (SFA) with unsaturated fatty acids is recommended to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), including oleic acid, are associated with lower CVD risk. Measurement of flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (FMD) is the gold standard for measuring endothelial function and predicts CVD risk. This study examined the effect of partially replacing SFA with MUFA from conventional canola oil and high-oleic acid canola oil on FMD. Participants (n = 31) with an elevated waist circumference plus ≥1 additional metabolic syndrome criterion completed FMD measures as part of the Canola Oil Multi-Centre Intervention Trial 2 (COMIT-2), a multi-center, double-blind, three-period crossover, controlled feeding randomized trial. Diet periods were 6 weeks, separated by ≥4-week washouts. Experimental diets were provided during all feeding periods. Diets only differed by the fatty acid profile of the oils: canola oil (CO; 17.5% energy from MUFA, 9.2% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 6.6% SFA), high-oleic acid canola oil (HOCO; 19.1% MUFA, 7.0% PUFA, 6.4% SFA), and a control oil blend (CON; 11% MUFA, 10% PUFA, 12% SFA). Multilevel models were used to examine the effect of the diets on FMD. No significant between-diet differences were observed for average brachial artery diameter (CO: 6.70 ± 0.15 mm, HOCO: 6.57 ± 0.15 mm, CON: 6.73 ± 0.14 mm; p = 0.72), peak brachial artery diameter (CO: 7.11 ± 0.15 mm, HOCO: 7.02 ± 0.15 mm, CON: 6.41 ± 0.48 mm; p = 0.80), or FMD (CO: 6.32 ± 0.51%, HOCO: 6.96 ± 0.49%, CON: 6.41 ± 0.48%; p = 0.81). Partial replacement of SFA with MUFA from CO and HOCO had no effect on FMD in participants with or at risk of metabolic syndrome.

The essential micronutrient selenium (Se) provides antioxidant defense and supports numerous biological functions. Obtained through dietary intake, Se is incorporated into selenoproteins via the amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec). Mice with genetic deletion of the Se carrier, selenoprotein P (SELENOP), and the Se recycling enzyme selenocysteine lyase (SCLY), suffer from sexually dimorphic neurological deficits and require Se supplementation for viability. These impairments are more pronounced in males and are exacerbated by dietary Se restriction. We report here that, by 10 weeks of age, female Selenop/Scly double knockout (DKO) mice supplemented with 1 mg/ml sodium selenite in drinking water develop signs of hyper-adiposity not seen in male DKO mice. Unexpectedly, this metabolic phenotype can be reversed by removing Se from the drinking water at post-natal day 22, just prior to puberty. Restricting access to Se at this age prevents excess body weight gain and restriction from either post-natal day 22 or 37 reduces gonadal fat deposits. These results provide new insight into the sex-dependent relationship between Se and metabolic homeostasis.

Introduction Adherence to cardioprotective dietary patterns can reduce risk for developing cardiometabolic disease. Rates of diet assessment and counselling by physicians are low. Use of a diet screener that rapidly identifies individuals at higher risk due to suboptimal dietary choices could increase diet assessment and brief counselling in clinical care.Methods We evaluated the relative validity and reliability of a 9-item diet risk score (DRS) based on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, a comprehensive measure of diet quality calculated from a 160-item, validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We hypothesised that DRS (0 (low risk) to 27 (high risk)) would inversely correlate with HEI-2015 score. Adults aged 35 to 75 years were recruited from a national research volunteer registry (ResearchMatch.org) and completed the DRS and FFQ in random order on one occasion. To measure reliability, participants repeated the DRS within 3 months.Results In total, 126 adults (87% female) completed the study. Mean HEI-2015 score was 63.3 (95% CI: 61.1 to 65.4); mean DRS was 11.8 (95% CI: 10.8 to 12.8). DRS and HEI-2015 scores were inversely correlated (r=−0.6, p

There are considerable gaps in our knowledge of how children develop abstract language. In this paper, we tested the Affective Embodiment Account, which proposes that emotional information is more essential for abstract than concrete conceptual development. We tested the recognition memory of 7- and 8-year-old children, as well as a group of adults, for abstract and concrete words which differed categorically in valence (negative, neutral, and positive). Word valence significantly interacted with concreteness in hit rates of both children and adults, such that effects of valence were only found in memory for abstract words. The pattern of valence effects differed for children and adults: children remembered negative words more accurately than neutral and positive words (a negativity effect), whereas adults remembered negative and positive words more accurately than neutral words (a negativity effect and a positivity effect). In addition, signal detection analysis revealed that children were better able to discriminate negative than positive words, regardless of concreteness. The findings suggest that the memory accuracy of 7- and 8-year-old children is influenced by emotional information, particularly for abstract words. The results are in agreement with the Affective Embodiment Account and with multimodal accounts of children’s lexical development.

Commensal microbiota-dependent tryptophan catabolism within the gastrointestinal tract is known to exert profound effects upon host physiology, including the maintenance of epithelial barrier and immune function. A number of abundant microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites exhibit activation potential for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Gene expression facilitated by AHR activation through the presence of dietary or microbiota-generated metabolites can influence gastrointestinal homeostasis and confer protection from intestinal challenges. Utilizing untargeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics profiling, combined with AHR activity screening assays, we identify four previously unrecognized tryptophan metabolites, present in mouse cecal contents and human stool, with the capacity to activate AHR. Using GC/MS and LC/MS platforms, quantification of these novel AHR activators, along with previously established AHR-activating tryptophan metabolites, was achieved, providing a relative order of abundance. Using physiologically relevant concentrations and quantitative gene expression analyses, the relative efficacy of these tryptophan metabolites with regard to mouse or human AHR activation potential is examined. These data reveal indole, 2-oxindole, indole-3-acetic acid and kynurenic acid as the dominant AHR activators in mouse cecal contents and human stool from participants on a controlled diet. Here we provide the first documentation of the relative abundance and AHR activation potential of a panel of microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites. Furthermore, these data reveal the human AHR to be more sensitive, at physiologically relevant concentrations, to tryptophan metabolite activation than mouse AHR. Additionally, correlation analyses indicate a relationship linking major tryptophan metabolite abundance with AHR activity, suggesting these cecal/fecal metabolites represent biomarkers of intestinal AHR activity.

Six of the top ten leading causes of death in low resource settings could potentially be prevented by vaccination. Development of vaccines for individuals in these populations is difficult because of the biological complexity of the prevalent pathogens and the challenges inherent to development of any vaccine. This review discusses those challenges and promising advances to address them and highlights recent progress in development of vaccines against several pathogens of interest.

Abstract In the United States, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability. Suboptimal diet quality is responsible for a greater percentage of CVD‐related morbidity and mortality than any other modifiable risk factor. Further troubling are the stark racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in diet quality. This represents a major public health concern that urgently requires a coordinated effort to better characterize the barriers to healthy dietary practices in population groups disproportionally affected by CVD and poor diet quality to inform multifaceted approaches at the government (policy), community environment, sociocultural, and individual levels. This paper reviews the barriers, opportunities, and challenges involved in shifting population behaviors, especially in underserved populations, toward healthy dietary practices. It is imperative that public health policies address the social determinants of nutrition more intensively than previously in order to significantly decrease CVD on a population‐wide basis.

The composition of the gut microbiota and their metabolites are associated with cardiometabolic health and disease risk. Intake of dietary fibers, including resistant starch (RS), has been shown to favorably affect the health of the gut microbiome. The aim of this research was to measure changes in the gut microbiota and fecal short-chain fatty acids as part of a randomized, crossover supplemental feeding study. Fifty participants (68% female, aged 40 ± 13 years, BMI 24.5 ± 3.6 kg/m2) completed this study. Potato dishes (POT) contained more RS than refined grain dishes (REF) (POT: 1.31% wet basis (95% CI: 0.94, 1.71); REF: 0.73% wet basis (95% CI: 0.34, 1.14); p = 0.03). Overall, potato dish consumption decreased alpha diversity, but beta diversity was not impacted. Potato dish consumption was found to increase the abundance of Hungatella xylanolytica, as well as that of the butyrate producing Roseburia faecis, though fecal butyrate levels were unchanged. Intake of one potato-based side dish per day resulted in modest changes in gut microbiota composition and diversity, compared to isocaloric intake of refined grains in healthy adults. Studies examining foods naturally higher in RS are needed to understand microbiota changes in response to dietary intake of RS and associated health effects.

The Andean snowpack is an important source of water for many communities. As other snow-covered regions around the world, the Andes are sensitive to black carbon (BC) deposition from fossil fuel and biomass combustion. BC darkens the snow surface, reduces the albedo, and accelerates melting. Here, we report on measurements of the BC content conducted by using the meltwater filtration (MF) technique in snow samples collected across a transect of more than 2500 km from the mid-latitude Andes to the southern tip of South America. Addressing some of the key knowledge gaps regarding the effects of the BC deposition on the Andean snow, we identified BC-impacted areas, assessed the BC-related albedo reduction, and estimated the resulting snow losses. We found that BC concentrations in our samples generally ranged from 2 to 15 ng g ^−1 , except for the nearly BC-free Patagonian Icefields and for the BC-impacted sites nearby Santiago (a metropolis of 6 million inhabitants). We estimate that the seasonal snowpack shrinking attributable to the BC deposition ranges from 4 mm water equivalent (w.e.) at relatively clean sites in Patagonia to 241 mm w.e. at heavily impacted sites close to Santiago.

Sex-specific meiotic crossover (CO) landscapes have been identified in multiple species. Here, the authors show that male and female meioses in maize have similar CO landscapes, and differences between COs in the two sexes only exists in their location relative to transcription start sites and some chromatin marks.