Culture

URBANA, Ill. ¬- Mealtimes are a central aspect of family life, affecting the health and wellbeing of both children and adults. Although the benefits of healthy mealtimes are straightforward, helping all families realize those benefits is quite complicated, new research from University of Illinois shows.

The study highlights ways in which some solutions - such as an exclusive focus on improving food access or on improving mealtime preparation and organization skills - may be less effective if done in isolation, says Allen Barton, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at U of I and lead author on the study.

"Family mealtimes are probably one of the most fundamental and frequent tasks that families engage in. If we are going to improve the health of children and families, effectively addressing family mealtimes will require some attention," he notes. "But in thinking about this issue we need to avoid overly simplistic answers and consider more holistic approaches to solutions."

Barton says previous studies on family mealtimes have tended to focus on either sociological factors (such as community food access and food security) or psychological factors (such as individual behaviors around mealtime activities) but the new study shows both dimensions are closely linked in families.

Barton and co-authors Brenda Koester, Elinor Fujimoto, and Barbara Fiese, researchers at U of I's Family Resiliency Center, studied more than 500 families with elementary school-aged children throughout the state of Illinois. Family members responded to a host of questions on food security, food planning and preparation, and mealtime organization. The researchers analyzed the data for patterns and identified three distinct groups, or family profiles.

The first profile, which comprised 55% of the sample, was characterized as food secure and having high levels of household organization. The families in this group reported the lowest levels of food insecurity and household chaos among the three profiles, as well as the highest levels of efficacy in preparing food, Barton says.

The second profile was at the opposite end of the spectrum and included 27% of the sample.
"This group not only reports they are food insecure, but they also report the lowest levels of confidence in preparing and planning meals and most difficulty in daily structure and routine in the home," Barton notes.

The third profile group, which comprised 18% of the sample, had food security levels that ranged between the other two groups, but they reported levels of meal planning efficacy and household chaos similar to families in the food secure group.

That food insecurity is co-occurring with other family risk patterns means efforts to promote healthy family mealtimes should address multiple aspects, Barton says.

"We need to ensure families have access to healthy food. But we also need to make sure individuals within the family feel competent to prepare and plan meals, and the day-to-day organization at home has some stability and routine," he states.

The researchers also identified specific differences among the groups in food preparation strategies and mealtime behaviors. In particular, families in the second profile (those with very low food security and more difficulty organizing daily tasks) reported fewer weekly meals together, higher technology use during meals, and greater usage of away-from-home food preparation strategies than families in the other groups. All these behaviors correlate with less healthy food consumption and outcomes, Barton says.

While the study found clear differences, there were also some similarities among the three groups. All of the families were equally likely to shop for food in a variety of stores, including grocery stores, discount stores, and big box stores. The researchers also found general agreement in most common challenges among families concerning household meals, including how to deal with picky eaters and wanting easy menu ideas.

"The findings from this study are important in helping us develop practical resources that families can use to address challenges they face in providing healthy meals and regular family mealtimes," Koester notes.

The research also provides information for policy makers to address structural issues around access to food, as well as suggestions for changes within the home.

"We need to understand risk is multifaceted, so we should avoid myopic answers and solutions. We need to address food insecurity. We also need to help individuals increase their confidence in preparing meals as well as building routines, predictability, and organization into life in the home," Barton states.

For families, Barton emphasizes the importance of prioritizing family mealtimes. "These mundane aspects of family life that may seem trivial are really formative. Think about one aspect that you want to improve in this area - whether it's having more healthy meals, less screen usage during meals, learning about different food banks, or just having more meals together during the week - and then develop a strategy to go about doing it. There are some tremendous resources, including ones created by the researchers and educators at the University of Illinois, available to help you and your family."

For families facing food insecurity, Illinois Extension has created a resource called Find Food IL, which provides localized information for access to food. For families with children, the Family Resiliency Center offers help with family routines and other strategies for building resilience, as well as a series of videos on mealtime challenges and a collection of healthy meal recipes.

In the framework of the Chlorella microalgae cultivation process, the researchers from Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) obtained microalgae biomass with a high content of carotenoid pigments, which is suitable for the food industry. The research results were published Nov. 2020 in the scientific journal "Agronomy Research".

The deterioration of the ecological status of urban areas and the industrialization of the food industry requires the additional enrichment of the diet with biologically valuable food substances. Such pigments as carotenoids, from which vitamin A is synthesized in the body, are essential for human health. However, it is difficult to obtain the carotenoids from natural sources, because it is destroyed due to the irradiation sources, high temperatures, and high acidity of the environment. Therefore it is necessary to develop technologies for its targeted delivery to the cells.

"The obtained biomass with a high level of carotenoids can be used in various sectors of the food and pharmaceutical industries as a dietary supplement to reduce the vitamin A deficiency for children and adults living in regions with increased environmental stress. Also to prevent the risk of oncological diseases, "notes Yulia Bazarnova, Director of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Technologies at the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology SPbPU.

Scientists of Polytechnic University developed the consistency of the nutrient substratum, conditions of illumination of the cell suspension of microalgae, selected the methods of concentration and dehydration of the obtained biomass, to intensify the biosynthesis of carotenoids.

Besides, the researchers are developing microencapsulated forms of carotenoids for targeted delivery to various organs and tissues. Microencapsulated carotenoids are particles composed of a core (Chlorella microalgae carotenoid extract) shell (biodegradable material). Scientists are currently negotiating with the leading Russian bottled vegetable oil manufacturer about the implementation of the new technology in the nutrition industry.

"Biological and nutrition technologies are one of the key scientific areas of the 21st century. Scientists all around the world are working to improve and preserve human health. The projects of the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Technologies SPbPU are very important and promising. The scientific developments in this area leads to the gradual improvement in the quality of life, "says Vitaliy Sergeev, Vice-rector for research SPbPU.

The open ocean is a harsh place for newborn fishes. From the minute larvae hatch from their eggs, their survival depends upon finding food and navigating ocean currents to their adult habitats--all while avoiding predators. This harrowing journey from egg to home has long been a mystery, until now.

An international team including scientists from the Arizona State University Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science (GDCS), NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, and the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa have discovered a diverse array of young marine animals finding refuge within so-called 'surface slicks' in Hawai'i. Surface slicks create a superhighway of nursery habitat for more than 100 species of commercially and ecologically important fishes, such as mahi-mahi, jacks, and billfish. The study was published today in the journal Scientific Reports.

Surface slicks are naturally occurring ribbon-like bands of smooth water at the ocean surface and have long been recognized as an important part of the seascape. To unravel their secrets, the research team conducted more than 130 plankton net tows inside the surface slicks and surrounding waters along the leeward coast of Hawai'i Island, while studying ocean properties. In these areas, they searched for larvae and other plankton that live close to the surface. They then combined those in-water surveys with a new satellite-based technique to map the location of the slicks. This technique involved using more than 100 shoebox-sized satellites, built and operated by GDCS partner Planet, to discern textural sea surface differences between surface slicks and regular seawater.

"In an earlier study, our surface slick mapping suggested strong along-coast connectivity of ocean habitats. In our latest study reported here, we populated those satellite-based slick maps with the billions of animals, organic debris, and microplastics that make up the slicks", said Greg Asner, GDCS director and co-author of the study.

Though the slicks only covered around eight percent of the ocean surface in the 380-square-mile-study area, they contained an astounding 39 percent of the study area's surface-dwelling larval fish; over 25 percent of its zooplankton, and 75 percent of its floating organic debris, such as feathers and leaves. Larval fish densities in surface slicks off West Hawai?i were, on average, over 7 times higher than densities in the surrounding waters.

The study showed that surface slicks function as a nursery habitat for marine larvae of at least 112 species of commercially and ecologically important fishes, as well as many other animals. These include coral reef fishes, such as jacks, triggerfish, and goatfish; pelagic predators, for example, mahi-mahi; deep-water fishes, such as lanternfish; and various invertebrates, such as snails, crabs, and shrimp.

The remarkable diversity of fishes found in slick nurseries represents nearly 10 percent of all fish species recorded in Hawai?i. The total number of taxa in the slicks was twice that found in the surrounding surface waters, and many fish taxa were between 10 and 100 times more abundant in slicks.

"We were shocked to find larvae of so many species, and even entire families of fishes, that were only found in surface slicks.," said Jonathan Whitney, a research marine ecologist for NOAA and lead author of the study. "The fact that surface slicks host such a large proportion of larvae, along with the resources they need to survive, tells us they are critical for the replenishment of adult fish populations," he added.

In addition to providing crucial nursing habitat for various species and helping maintain healthy and resilient coral reefs, slicks create foraging hotspots for larval fish predators and form a bridge between coral reef and pelagic ecosystems.

"Our findings are part of an important story forming around the role of biological surface slicks in maintaining coral reefs. The sheer biodiversity and biomass of the slicks, combined with their oceanic movement along the shore, form a superhighway for species that connects and effectively generates an interconnected, regional reef ecosystem," proclaimed Asner.

While slicks may seem like havens for all tiny marine animals, there's a hidden hazard lurking in these ocean oases: plastic debris. Within the study area, 95 percent of the plastic debris collected into slicks, compared with 75 percent of the floating organic debris. Larvae may get some shelter from plastic debris, but it comes at the cost of chemical exposure and incidental ingestion.

In certain areas, slicks can be dominant surface features, and the new research shows these conspicuous phenomena hold more ecological value than meets the eye.

"Our work illustrates how these oceanic features (and animals' behavioral attraction to them) impact the entire surface community, with implications for the replenishment of adults that are important to humans for fisheries, recreation, and other ecosystem services," said Margaret McManus, co-author, Professor and Chair of the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. "These findings will have a broad impact, changing the way we think about oceanic features as pelagic nurseries for ocean fishes and invertebrates."

Treatment for HIV has improved tremendously over the past 30 years; once a death sentence, the disease is now a manageable lifelong condition in many parts of the world. Life expectancy is about the same as that of individuals without HIV, though patients must adhere to a strict regimen of daily antiretroviral therapy, or the virus will come out of hiding and reactivate. Antiretroviral therapy prevents existing virus from replicating, but it can't eliminate the infection. Many ongoing clinical trials are investigating possible ways to clear HIV infection.

In a study published Feb. 4 in the journal Science, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a potential way to eradicate the latent HIV infection that lies dormant inside infected immune cells. Studying human immune cells, the researchers showed that such cells have a natural alarm system that detects the activity of a specific HIV protein. Rather than attack the virus based on its appearance, which is the basis of most immunotherapies, this strategy is to attack the virus based on what it is doing -- vital activities that are required for the virus to exist.

HIV is nearly impossible to eradicate because the immune system can't keep up with its unusually rapid mutation rate, constantly changing the way it looks to evade immune attack -- akin to a spy quickly changing appearance to evade authorities. Just as the body's immune cells learn to recognize one manifestation of the virus, it already has changed into multiple new disguises.

"When we identified a part of the immune system that could recognize and attack a core function of the HIV virus -- rather than what it looks like -- it was really exciting," said senior author Liang Shan, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine. "An analogy might be that it's relatively easy to change clothes or hairstyle to go undetected, but it's impossible to conceal running. This is exciting because it raises the possibility of clearing all the dormant virus in a single patient -- no matter how widely mutated -- based on something all the viral variants have in common. For patients, even if they are consistent with therapy and experience no symptoms, having a treatment that could change their HIV status from positive to negative would have a massive impact on their lives."

This strategy relies on detecting the activity of a specific protein -- called HIV protease -- that the virus requires to replicate and spread.

The researchers identified a natural alarm system -- found inside human immune cells and called the CARD8 inflammasome -- that recognizes active HIV protease and triggers a self-destruct program to eliminate the infected cell. Unfortunately, HIV can exist a long time in the cell without ever tripping the alarm. When inside cells, HIV protease is inactive, lying low, and the CARD8 inflammasome can't detect it.

"The virus is smart," Shan said. "Normally, HIV protease doesn't have any function inside infected cells. Viral protease is only activated once the virus leaves the infected cells. Outside the cells, there is no CARD8 to sense the active protease."

Shan and his colleagues showed that certain drugs force HIV protease to show itself prematurely, when the virus is still inside the immune cell. There, active HIV protease triggers the CARD8 inflammasome, setting off a chain of events that destroys the infected cell and the virus along with it.

"We found that our immune system can recognize this key protein function -- not the protein sequence, which the virus changes constantly through mutation," Shan said. "HIV protease can't mutate because its function is required to complete the virus's life cycle. Otherwise, it's a dead virus. HIV protease's specific action for the virus is also the specific action that sets off CARD8. Our findings show that our immune system can recognize a virus's protein function and, under the right circumstances, use that information to kill HIV-infected cells."

One of the drugs that forces HIV protease to become active is called efavirenz (brand name Sustiva). It is part of a class of drugs called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), which have been used to treat HIV since the 1990s.

"We've long used this class of drugs to block HIV from inserting its genetic material into new cells," Shan said. "That's their day job. But now, we have learned they have a second job -- activating HIV protease inside the infected cell. When we treat HIV-infected human T cells with this drug, the protease becomes activated before the virus successfully leaves the infected cells. This triggers the CARD8 inflammasome, and the infected cells die within hours. This is a potential route to clearing the virus that we have never been able to completely eliminate."

But the researchers also found that efavirenz and other NNRTIs won't activate HIV protease unless the virus is awake, as Shan puts it. And in patients on HIV therapy, the virus is dormant. Many clinical trials seeking cures for HIV use a shock-and-kill method, waking up the virus with one drug and then attacking it with one of a variety of investigational strategies. Any clinical trial evaluating NNRTIs, or similar drugs that work the same way, as a potential approach for clearing HIV infection would require this shock-and-kill strategy.

The researchers also showed that the CARD8 inflammasome can trigger the death of human immune cells infected with HIV subtypes from around the world, including strains common in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

"We would like to identify or develop compounds that do an even better job of activating HIV protease than NNRTIs do and at lower doses," Shan said. "This study serves as a guide for developing new drugs that have the potential to eliminate the dormant HIV reservoir."

To survive the open ocean, tiny fish larvae, freshly hatched from eggs, must find food, avoid predators, and navigate ocean currents to their adult habitats. But what the larvae of most marine species experience during these great ocean odysseys has long been a mystery, until now.

A team of scientists from NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa, Arizona State University and elsewhere have discovered that a diverse array of marine animals find refuge in so-called 'surface slicks' in Hawai'i. These ocean features create a superhighway of nursery habitat for more than 100 species of commercially and ecologically important fishes, such as mahi-mahi, jacks, and billfish. Their findings were published today in the journal Scientific Reports.

Surface slicks are meandering lines of smooth surface water formed by the convergence of ocean currents, tides, and variations in the seafloor and have long been recognized as an important part of the seascape. The traditional Hawaiian mele (song) Kona Kai `?pua describes slicks as Ke kai ma`oki`oki, or "the streaked sea" in the peaceful seas of Kona. Despite this historical knowledge and scientists' belief that slicks are important for fish, the tiny marine life that slicks contain has remained elusive.

To unravel the slicks' secrets, the research team conducted more than 130 plankton net tows inside the surface slicks and surrounding waters along the leeward coast of Hawai'i Island, while studying ocean properties. In these areas, they searched for larvae and other plankton that live close to the surface. They then combined those in-water surveys with a new technique to remotely sense slick footprints using satellites.

A DIVERSE MARINE NURSERY

Though the slicks only covered around 8% of the ocean surface in the 380-square-mile-study area, they contained an astounding 39% of the study area's surface-dwelling larval fish; more than 25% of its zooplankton, which the larval fish eat; and 75% of its floating organic debris such as feathers and leaves.

Larval fish densities in surface slicks off West Hawai?i were, on average, over 7 times higher than densities in the surrounding waters.

The study showed that surface slicks function as a nursery habitat for marine larvae of at least 112 species of commercially and ecologically important fishes, as well as many other animals. These include coral reef fishes, such as jacks, triggerfish and goatfish; pelagic predators, for example mahi-mahi; deep-water fishes, such as lanternfish; and various invertebrates, such as snails, crabs, and shrimp.

The remarkable diversity of fishes found in slick nurseries represents nearly 10% of all fish species recorded in Hawai?i. The total number of taxa in the slicks was twice that found in the surrounding surface waters, and many fish taxa were between 10 and 100 times more abundant in slicks.

"We were shocked to find larvae of so many species, and even entire families of fishes, that were only found in surface slicks," said lead author Dr. Jonathan Whitney, marine ecologist at NOAA, former postdoctoral fellow at the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) in UH Mānoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). "This suggests they are dependent on these essential habitats."

AN INTERCONNECTED SUPERHIGHWAY

"These 'bioslicks' form an interconnected superhighway of rich nursery habitat that accumulate and attract tons of young fishes, along with dense concentrations of food and shelter," said Whitney. "The fact that surface slicks host such a large proportion of larvae, along with the resources they need to survive, tells us they are critical for the replenishment of adult fish populations."

In addition to providing crucial nursing habitat for various species and helping maintain healthy and resilient coral reefs, slicks create foraging hotspots for larval fish predators and form a bridge between coral reef and pelagic ecosystems.

What's more, the slicks host larvae and juvenile stages of many forage fishes like flying fishes that are critical to pelagic food webs.

"These hotspots provide more food at the base of the food chain that amplifies energy up to top predators," said study co-author Dr. Jamison Gove, a research oceanographer for NOAA. "This ultimately enhances fisheries and ecosystem productivity."

CONCENTRATING DEBRIS

While slicks may seem like havens for all tiny marine animals, there's a hidden hazard lurking in these ocean oases: plastic debris. Within the study area, 95% of the plastic debris collected into slicks, compared with 75% of the floating organic debris. Larvae may get some shelter from plastic debris, but it comes at the cost of chemical exposure and incidental ingestion.

"Until we stop plastics from entering the ocean," Whitney said, "the accumulation of hazardous plastic debris in these nursery habitats remains a serious threat to the biodiversity hosted here."

A BROAD IMPACT

In certain areas, slicks can be dominant surface features, and the new research shows these conspicuous phenomena hold more ecological value than meets the eye.

"Our work illustrates how these oceanic features (and animals' behavioral attraction to them) impact the entire surface community, with implications for the replenishment of adults that are important to humans for fisheries, recreation, and other ecosystem services," said Dr. Margaret McManus, co-author, Professor and Chair of the Department of Oceanography at UH Mānoa. "These findings will have a broad impact, changing the way we think about oceanic features as pelagic nurseries for ocean fishes and invertebrates."

The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) published a new report today, titled 'Coffee and sleep in everyday lives', authored by Professor Renata Riha, from the Department of Sleep Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. It reviews the latest research into coffee's effect on sleep and suggests that while drinking coffee early in the day can help support alertness and concentration levels1, especially when sleep patterns are disturbed; decreasing intake six hours before bedtime may help reduce its impact on sleep2.

Coffee is largely consumed daily for the pleasure of its taste3, as well as its beneficial effect on wakefulness and concentration (due to its caffeine content)4. This may be particularly the case for those experiencing restricted sleep, and those adjusting to new sleep/wake cycles, such as shiftworkers5.

For those affected by restricted sleep, regular coffee can help to effectively mitigate short-term cognitive impairment brought about by sleep loss4. This was reported in a study which found that consuming 300mg of caffeine (or three cups of coffee) per day can help to improve people's vigilance, alertness, reaction-time, accuracy and working memory in the first three days of poor sleep, compared to decaffeinated coffee4. For those working nightshifts, consuming caffeine has been found to improve psychomotor performance and vigilance, based on a study of emergency medical teams6. However, the researchers of this study note that it may affect later sleep quality and duration6.

Furthermore, the report highlights another interesting relationship between the impact of coffee consumption timing on sleep time and quality, especially when consumed close to sleep time7. The report findings suggest that caffeine's effect on sleep depends on the amount consumed throughout the day, individual susceptibilities and consumption habits7,8,9. For those sensitive to caffeine, limiting consumption six hours prior to sleep time can help lessen its effects2.

The author, Professor Renata Riha commented: "Caffeine is consumed daily by roughly 80% of the world's population, often for its benefits in promoting wakefulness and concentration. Its effects can last for several hours, depending on how quickly or slowly it is metabolised by the body. Those who find that drinking coffee later in the day disrupts their sleep patterns may wish to swap to low caffeine drinks, or decaffeinated coffee during the afternoon and evening."

Remember the first rule of fight club? That's right: You don't talk about fight club. Luckily, the rules of Hollywood don't apply to science. In new published research, University of Arizona researchers report what they learned when they started their own "fight club" - an exclusive version where only insects qualify as members, with a mission to shed light on the evolution of weapons in the animal kingdom.

In many animal species, fighting is a common occurrence. Individuals may fight over food, shelter or territory, but especially common are fights between males over access to females for mating. Many of the most striking and unusual features of animals are associated with these mating-related fights, including the horns of beetles and the antlers of deer. What is less clear is which individuals win these fights, and why they have the particular weapon shapes that they do.

"Biologists have generally assumed that the individual who inflicts more damage on their opponent will be more likely to win a given fight," said John J. Wiens, a professor in the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, who co-authored two recent studies on bug battles. "Surprisingly, this fundamental assumption had yet to be tested in an experimental study."

To find out who wins fights and why, Zachary Emberts, a postdoctoral fellow in Wiens's lab and lead author of both studies, collected 300 male insects known as leaf-footed bugs from the desert near Tucson, Arizona, and staged one-on-one fights.

In the summer, these bugs can be found occupying mesquite trees in great numbers, where they crowd the branches and jostle each other over access to females. The males fight using enlarged spikes on their hind legs.   

So, what does a fight between leaf-footed bugs look like? The best analogy, according to Emberts, is a college wrestling match.

"They come up on each other, and they lock each other in, and they will try to squeeze themselves toward one another with their weaponized legs, and that is how they inflict the damage," he said.

"Think of it as a wrestling match where the opponents sneak knives in," Wiens added.

Emberts and Wiens were specifically interested in investigating whether damage influences who wins these fights. For this experiment, published in the journal Functional Ecology, they chose a particular species of leaf-footed bugs: giant mesquite bugs, a common species of the desert Southwest.

In addition to the spikes on their legs, the males also have increased thickness in the part of their wings where the spikes usually strike, suggesting that this thickening acts as natural armor during fights. The researchers attached pieces of faux leather to the wings of 50 of their test insects, to provide extra armor against punctures from the spikes of rivals.

The researchers found that individuals with this extra armor were 1.6 times more likely to win fights than individuals without extra armor or with the same amount of armor placed in a different location.

"This tells us that damage is important in who wins the fights," Emberts said. "This had previously been hypothesized, and it makes intuitive sense, but it had not been experimentally shown before."

The other major question the researchers wanted to investigate: Why do weapons differ among species? Different species of leaf-footed bugs have different arrangements of spikes on their legs. For example, some sport a lone, big spike, while others have a row of several small ones.

"Evolution has produced an incredible diversity of weapons in animals, but we don't fully understand why," Emberts said. "And if selection favors weapons that inflict the most damage, then why don't all weapons look the same?"

Emberts and Wiens said they chose to look at leaf-footed bugs because the damage from their spikes can easily be measured, as the weapons leave distinct holes in their opponents' wings. The holes don't close up, so once a bug suffers this kind of damage, it has to live with it for the rest of its life.

"We can directly count and measure the holes they make in their opponents' wings," Wiens said, "and we find that certain weapon morphologies cause more and bigger holes."

In their second study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Emberts and Wiens tested the idea that the evolution of different weapon shapes is related to how much damage these weapons can cause.

They measured the shape and size of hindlimb spikes in 17 species of leaf-footed bugs from around the world. They also measured the average amount of damage on the forewing of each species, including the size and number of punctures from the spikes. The work was done in collaboration with Wei Song Hwang, curator of entomology at the National University of Singapore.

The results revealed that some weapons are more effective than others at causing damage to opponents.

"This tells us that much of the weapon diversity seen in animals that fight over resources and mates can be explained by how well different weapons perform at inflicting damage," Wiens said. "How well the weaponry is performing - how much damage it inflicts in fights - is driving its diversification."

In other words, certain blade designs provide an evolutionary edge (pun intended). But these results came with a surprise, too.

"Very different looking weapons can also inflict the same average amount of damage," Emberts said. "This tells us there could be multiple solutions to inflicting damage."

For example, two distantly related species of leaf-footed bugs were found to cause almost identical amounts of damage: In one species, the males carry several spines on their femur, while the other species bears a single spine on the tibia.

"This finding helps answer the question, why don't all weapons evolve to look the same?" Wiens explained. "Rather than evolving towards one optimal weapon shape, there are very different shapes that perform almost as well, solving the mystery of why weapons look so different among species."

The authors suggest that the basic principles that explain weapon diversity in leaf-footed bugs might also apply to other groups of animals in which different species have different weapon shapes, such as horned mammals.

Emberts and Wiens have begun experiments to tease apart the physiological reasons underlying the evolutionary cost of suffering damage from fights. They say we should stay tuned for more news from UArizona's very own "Bug Fight Club."

TOKYO --Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) and Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (collectively Toshiba), industry leaders in solutions for large-scale optimization problems, today announced the Ballistic Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm (bSB) and the Discrete Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm (dSB), new algorithms that far surpass the performance of Toshiba's previous Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm (SB). The new algorithms will be applied to finding solutions to highly complex problems in areas as diverse as portfolio management, drug development and logistics management.

Introduced in April 2019, the previous SB broke new ground as a platform for finding solutions to combinatorial optimization problems, surpassing other approaches by a factor of 10*1. Toshiba has now extended this achievement with two new algorithms that apply innovative approaches, such as a quasi-quantum tunneling effect, to performance improvement, allowing them to acquire optimal solutions (exact solutions) for large-scale combinatorial optimization problems that challenge the capabilities of their predecessor. Implemented on a 16-GPU machine, dSB can find a nearly optimal solution of a one-million-bit problem, the world's largest scale combinatorial problem yet reported in scientific papers, in 30 minutes--a computation that would take 14 months on a typical CPU-based computer. The research results were published in the online academic journal, Science Advances, on February 3 (EST)*2.

The new algorithms have different characteristics. bSB is optimized and named for speed of operation, and finds good approximate solutions in a short time. It generates fewer errors than a previously reported Adiabatic Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm (aSB)*3, and so returns faster, more accurate results. Implemented on a field programmable gate array (FPGA), dubbed the ballistic simulated bifurcation machine (bSBM), it obtains a good solution to a 2,000-bit problem approximately 10 times faster than the previous aSB machine (aSBM) (Figure 1).

dSB is a high-accuracy algorithm. Although implemented in a classical computer, it nonetheless arrives at optimal solutions faster than current quantum machines. Its name is derived from the replacement of continuous variables with discrete variables in equations of motion. This exhibits a quasi-quantum tunneling effect that breaks through the limits of approaches grounded in classical mechanics, reaching the optimal solution of the 2000-bit problem.

Toshiba has implemented dSB on a FPGA and built a discrete simulated bifurcation machine (dSBM) that achieves a higher speed than other machines in terms of computation times required to obtain optimal solutions for various problems (Figure 2).

Implemented on a 16-GPU machine, the dSBM solved a one-million-bit problem, the largest yet reported in scientific papers, and arrived at a nearly optimal solution in 30 minutes--20,000 times faster than a CPU-based simulated annealing machine, which would take 14 months to carry out the computation (Figure 3).

In applying the two algorithms to real-world problems, Toshiba proposes bSB for applications that require an immediate response, and dSB for applications that require high accuracy, even if it takes a little longer time.

Toshiba expects the new algorithms to bring higher efficiencies to industry, business and complex decision-making by addressing combinatorial optimization problems in fields including investment portfolios, drug development, and delivery route planning.

Commenting on the algorithms, Hayato Goto, Chief Research Scientist at Toshiba Corporation's Corporate Research & Development Center, said: "We face many real-world problems where we must find the optimal solution among a huge number of choices, and we must also deal with combinatorial explosion, where the number of combination patterns increases exponentially as a problem increases in scale. This is why research into special-purpose computers for combinatorial optimization is being carried out worldwide. Our aim is to develop a software solution--algorithms that can solve large-scale combinatorial optimization problems quickly and accurately, and contribute to the realization of higher efficiencies."

Toshiba will offer the newly developed simulated bifurcation algorithms as a GPU-based cloud service and as an on-premises version implemented on an FPGA within 2021.

Catalysts are key materials in modern society, enabling selective conversion of raw materials into valuable products while reducing waste and saving energy. In case of industrially relevant oxidative dehydrogenation reactions, most known catalyst systems are based on transition metals such as Iron, Vanadium, Molybdenum or Silver. Due to intrinsic drawbacks associated with the use of transition metals, such as rare occurrence, environmentally harmful mining processes, and toxicity, the fact that pure carbon exhibits catalytic activity in this type of reaction and thus has high potential as a sustainable substitution material is of high interest.

To date, the development of carbon-based catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation reactions may be divided into two generations. The first generation of carbon catalysts was inspired by the discovery of the catalytic activity of coke deposits on metal-based catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation. Subsequently, mainly amorphous carbon materials such as activated carbon or carbon black were investigated. Although these early catalysts exhibited significant activity and selectivity, they suffered from insufficient oxidation stability and were later succeeded by the second generation of carbon-based dehydrogenation catalysts represented by carbon nanomaterials,e.g. carbon nanotubes. The advantage of nanocarbons over the amorphous catalysts of the first generation primarily stems from their crystalline microstructure, which is on one hand responsible for an adequate oxidation resistance and enables high redox activities on the other. Since nanocarbons lack internal porosity, these active sites are located on the outer surface, making them readily accessible to reactants. However, nano carbons show drawbacks of such during handling as powder and fixed beds or unclear health risks and thus they are still awaiting industrial application as catalytic material.

Considering the high potential of carbon catalysts in oxidative dehydrogenation reactions, the research group of Professor Bastian J. M. Etzold has been working for several years on the synthesis of new classes of carbon with the aim of transferring the excellent catalytic properties of nanocarbons to conventional, easy-to-handle carbon materials. As early as 2015, it was shown that carbide-derived carbons can in principle be used to achieve similar catalytic properties to carbon nanomaterials (Chem. Mater. 2015, 27, 5719.). However, since carbide-derived carbons are only model materials for research purposes due to their complex synthesis, the fundamental research goal of developing a scalable and reproducible synthetic route to technically useful carbon catalysts remained. In collaboration with Professor Wei Qi from the Shenyang National Laboratory of Material Science in Shenyang, PR China, as well as Professor Jan Philipp Hofmann from the Surface Science Laboratory at TU Darmstadt, Felix Herold, a PhD student in the Etzold group, has now succeeded in synthesizing a new generation of carbon catalysts that is superior to nanocarbons in many respects.

The synthesis of the novel carbon catalysts is based on polymeric carbon precursors that can be produced by a reproducible and easily scalable synthetic pathway while providing excellent control of the morphology of the subsequent carbon. Using catalytic graphitization, it was demonstrated that during pyrolysis of the polymer precursor, nanoscale graphite crystallites could be grown within the carbon matrix. Fundamental in this context seems to be the presence of large conjugated (graphitic) domains characterized by a high density of defect sites, where oxygen surface groups, such as ketonic carbonyl groups, are created during the reaction. The activity of these surface groups seems to be increased through the neighboring conjugated (graphitic) domains, which can act as electron storage. Catalytic graphitization yields an amorphous/graphitic hybrid material consisting of the prior grown graphite crystallites surrounded by an amorphous carbon matrix. To obtain an active dehydrogenation catalyst, the amorphous carbon matrix is removed by selective oxidation, opening the pore structure of the carbon material and providing accessibility to the catalytically active graphite domains.

The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol was chosen as a test reaction of great practical interest since it provides a catalytic link between bioethanol, which can be readily obtained from renewable resources, and acetaldehyde, an important intermediate in current industrial chemistry. Compared to a benchmark carbon nanotube catalyst, up to 10 times higher space-time yields could be achieved with the new class of carbon materials.

The novel carbon catalysts presented in this work are of great significance, as they open the door to a new class of materials, the potential of which is yet to be assessed due to multiple optimization possibilities of the flexible synthetic route. In addition to the use of the novel class of carbon catalysts in the oxidative dehydrogenation of other relevant substrates, such as alkanes and other alcohols, it is also expected that the scope of application will be extended to electro- and photocatalysis.

UCC palaeontologists have discovered new evidence that the fate of vertebrate animals over the last 400 million years has been shaped by microscopic melanin pigments.

This new twist in the story of animal evolution is based on cutting-edge analyses of melanin granules - melanosomes - in many different fossil and modern vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Melanin and melanosomes have traditionally been linked to outermost body tissues such as skin, hair and feathers, with important roles in UV protection and stiffening of tissues. Analyses of where different animals store melanin in the body, however, show that different vertebrate groups concentrate melanin in different organs, revealing shifts in how animals have used melanin over the last 400 million years.

The study, published today in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, was led by UCC palaeontologists Prof. Maria McNamara, Dr Chris Rogers, Dr Valentina Rossi and PhD student Tiffany Slater, with an international team of evolutionary biologists from Switzerland.

"Most studies of fossil melanin have focussed on melanin in fossil feathers and skin, and what colours ancient animals had," said study leader Prof. McNamara. "By comparing melanin in different animals - how much melanin they have, where in the body it occurs, what melanin type and composition is present - and by studying fossils, we discovered new evidence for changes in the functions of melanin through deep time."

The research shows that amphibians and reptiles concentrate melanin in internal organs, where it supports the immune system and stores metals. In birds and mammals, however, almost all melanin occurs in hair and feathers. This difference has an unexpected source - evolution of the immune system and of warm-blooded lifestyles.

"There are pros and cons to having melanin in the body," said team member Dr Rossi. "Melanin is hugely beneficial, but it also generates free radicals, which are harmful. This creates a major problem for animals."

During the evolution of hair and feathers, mammals and birds evolved more sophisticated immune systems than in amphibians and reptiles. This meant that large amounts of melanin were no longer necessary in internal organs. Melanin storage then shifted to hair and feathers, which are dead tissues, thereby removing harmful metals and free radicals from living body parts.

"Melanin is a two-sided coin," said Prof. McNamara. "It's useful, but toxic. Birds and mammals basically came up with an ingenious solution during the early Triassic - pump melanin into new, outer, dead skin tissues that were evolving at the time. This set the scene for the evolution of the incredible diversity of plumage and fur patterning which we see today."

The study also shows that key genes can be mapped onto colour patterns in fossils, tracking the genetic evolution of melanin through time, and that animals preferentially use less toxic forms of melanin. "There's still a lot about melanin genetics and physiology that we don't understand," said Dr Ducrest of Lausanne University. What's clear, however, is that the fossil record is a valuable source of information that we can use going forwards."

The FinnBrain research of the University of Turku has demonstrated for the first time that the stress the father has experienced in his childhood is connected to the development of the white matter tracts in the child's brain. Whether this connection is transmitted through epigenetic inheritance needs further research.

Evidence from multiple new animal studies demonstrates that the changes in gene function caused by environment can be inherited between generations through gametes. In particular, nutrition and stress have been proven to cause these types of changes. However, these do not alter the nucleic acid sequence of the DNA; environment appears to alter function of the genes through so-called epigenetic mechanisms.

New discoveries on the role of epigenetics in the regulation of gene function have led to whole new considerations about the mechanisms of inheritance as researchers used to think that acquired characteristics cannot be inherited. These types of phenomena transmitted from one generation to other have not, however, been studied much in humans.

In the FinnBrain research, the researchers identified 72 families with information about the early stress experiences of both parents and MR image of the child's brain taken at the age of few weeks available.

The researchers discovered that the father's exposure to stress was connected to quicker development of white matter tracts in the child's brain. The white matter tracts are made up of "cables" connecting different parts of the brain, and they have a central role in brain function. The relationship between father's exposure to stress and the development of the child's white matter tracts remained even when the researchers took into consideration the impact of the mother's early stress exposure and other possible contributing factors during the pregnancy.

According to Professor Hasse Karlsson, who is the Principal Researcher of FinnBrain, the significance of the discovery on the later development of the child is still unclear:

"The relevance of our study is that this type of connection in humans was discovered in the first place. To be able to investigate whether these types of connections are actually transmitted through the epigenetic changes in sperm cells, we have started to collect the fathers' semen samples and study these epigenetic markers together with a research group lead by Professor Noora Kotaja from the University of Turku."

A healthy person has a general balance of good and bad bacteria. But that balance is thrown off when someone gets sick. So, to help boost their levels of good bacteria, many people take probiotic supplements -- live bacteria inside of a pill. Various commercial probiotic supplements are available for consumer purchase, and while health experts generally agree about their overall safety, controversy surrounds their efficacy.

Inside the human body lives a large microscopic community called the microbiome, where trillions of bacteria engage in a constant "tug of war" to maintain optimal levels of good and bad bacteria. Most of this struggle takes place within the body's gastrointestinal tract, as bacteria help with digesting food and support the immune system. Although health experts believe good "gut" health is key to a person's health and well-being, scientists are still developing a detailed picture of what goes on inside a person's gastrointestinal tract.

"Until now, we have not had any ways to noninvasively monitor activity in the intact gastrointestinal tract, given the unique chemical environment, variable distribution and highly dynamic nature of the gut microbiota," said Elena Goun, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Missouri.

In a new study published in Science Advances, Goun and an international team of scientists have developed a noninvasive diagnostic imaging tool to measure the levels of a naturally occurring enzyme -- bile salt hydrolase -- inside the body's entire gastrointestinal tract. Goun said their tool accomplishes three major functions:

Predicts the clinical status of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Determines the efficacy of many commercially available probiotic supplements by testing for the level of bile salt hydrolase, which is responsible for all of the major health-promoting functions of probiotics.

Evaluates whether certain types of prebiotics -- dietary fibers known to support digestive health -- can increase bile salt hydrolase levels in a similar way that probiotic supplements do.

Goun, who specializes in the development of biomedical imaging tools to advance the knowledge and understanding of various processes underlying human diseases, believes their findings are exciting, especially with the discovery related to prebiotics, which can be naturally found in foods such as whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fruits and vegetables.

"Prebiotics are often used in combination with probiotics to enhance their functions in the body," Goun said. "We show for the first time that certain types of prebiotics alone are capable of increasing bile salt-hydrolase activity of the gut microbiota, which among other health benefits has been shown to decrease inflammation, reduce blood cholesterol levels, and protect against colon cancer and urinary tract infections. In my opinion, this discovery is huge because the production and storage of prebiotics is less expensive than with probiotics."

Previous reports have noted high bile salt-hydrolase activity of the gastrointestinal tract is reflective of better digestive health and a lack of inflammation in the body. Goun said their noninvasive method uses bioluminescence -- a chemical reaction that produces light inside a living organism -- to measure the level of bile salt-hydrolase activity throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract.

"Our imaging tool is a bioluminescent probe in the form of a capsule," Goun said. "When someone swallows it, it's exposed to the intact gut microbiota while traveling throughout the harsh environment of a person's entire gastrointestinal tract. After it passes out of the body, we can analyze a person's stool sample. We can take the results from that analysis and correlate it with the amount of bile salt-hydrolase activity within the human gastrointestinal tract."

Goun believes this research could lead to better precision medicine treatments by providing a way for scientists to better understand how a person's individual gut health is connected to various human pathologies, or the origin and nature of human diseases.

"This is the first example of the use of bioluminescent imaging probes in humans," Goun said. "The gut microbiome plays a huge role in various health issues such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, Parkinson's disease, depression and autism, and now, this new tool will help us better understand the relationship between the gut function and these diseases. In addition, it will allow us to develop more effective probiotics and prebiotics to improve gut health."

New research carried out by City data scientist, Dr Andrea Baronchelli, and colleagues, into the dark web marketplace (DWM) trade in products related to COVID-19, has revealed the need for the continuous monitoring of dark web marketplaces (DWMs), especially in light of the current shortage and availability of coronavirus vaccines.

In their paper, Dark Web Marketplaces and COVID-19: before the vaccine published in the EPJ Data Science journal, Dr Baronchelli and his colleagues analysed 851,199 listings extracted from 30 DWMs between January 1, 2020 and November 16, 2020 before the advent of the availability of the coronavirus vaccine.

They identify 788 listings directly related to COVID-19 products and monitor the temporal evolution of product categories including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medicines (e.g. hydroxychloroquine), and medical fraud.

The authors compare trends in the temporal evolution of trade in these products with variations in public attention, as measured by Twitter posts and Wikipedia page visits.

Among their discoveries, the paper's authors highlight the importance of dark web players such as DarkBay/DBay.

"In our dataset, DarkBay/DBay is featured prominently among DWMs offering COVID-19 specific listings. Ranking in the top 100 sites in the entire dark web, DarkBay/DBay offers more listings categories than other DWMs. It was also frequently accessible during the period of time monitored during this research, with an uptime of 80%, higher from the 77% uptime of Empire, the largest global DWM at the time of writing".

Critically, the authors highlight the importance of the continuous monitoring of DWMs, especially given shortages in the availability and supply of COVID-19 vaccines in various regions of the world:

"Uninformed citizens exposed to waves of misinformation, such as the ones related to hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, and azithromycin, may be tempted to shop on DWMs thus exposing themselves to serious health risks. Moreover, the availability of regulated products currently in shortage in the traditional economy undermines anti-price gouging regulations and regulated businesses which sell the same products."

ADELPHI, Md. -- A new quantum sensor can analyze the full spectrum of radio frequency and real-world signals, unleashing new potentials for soldier communications, spectrum awareness and electronic warfare.

Army researchers built the quantum sensor, which can sample the radio-frequency spectrum--from zero frequency up to 20 GHz--and detect AM and FM radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other communication signals.

The Rydberg sensor uses laser beams to create highly-excited Rydberg atoms directly above a microwave circuit, to boost and hone in on the portion of the spectrum being measured. The Rydberg atoms are sensitive to the circuit's voltage, enabling the device to be used as a sensitive probe for the wide range of signals in the RF spectrum.

"All previous demonstrations of Rydberg atomic sensors have only been able to sense small and specific regions of the RF spectrum, but our sensor now operates continuously over a wide frequency range for the first time," said Dr. Kevin Cox, a researcher at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, now known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory. "This is a really important step toward proving that quantum sensors can provide a new, and dominant, set of capabilities for our Soldiers, who are operating in an increasingly complex electro-magnetic battlespace."

The Rydberg spectrum analyzer has the potential to surpass fundamental limitations of traditional electronics in sensitivity, bandwidth and frequency range. Because of this, the lab's Rydberg spectrum analyzer and other quantum sensors have the potential to unlock a new frontier of Army sensors for spectrum awareness, electronic warfare, sensing and communications--part of the Army's modernization strategy.

"Devices that are based on quantum constituents are one of the Army's top priorities to enable technical surprise in the competitive future battlespace," said Army researcher Dr. David Meyer. "Quantum sensors in general, including the one demonstrated here, offer unparalleled sensitivity and accuracy to detect a wide range of mission-critical signals."

The peer-reviewed journal Physical Review Applied published the researchers' findings, Waveguide-coupled Rydberg spectrum analyzer from 0 to 20 GigaHerz, co-authored by Army researchers Drs. David Meyer, Paul Kunz, and Kevin Cox

The researchers plan additional development to improve the signal sensitivity of the Rydberg spectrum analyzer, aiming to outperform existing state-of-the-art technology.

"Significant physics and engineering effort is still necessary before the Rydberg analyzer can integrate into a field-testable device," Cox said. "One of the first steps will be understanding how to retain and improve the device's performance as the sensor size is decreased. The Army has emerged as a leading developer of Rydberg sensors, and we expect more cutting-edge research to result as this futuristic technology concept quickly becomes a reality."

People traditionally think that lungs and limbs are key innovations that came with the vertebrate transition from water to land. But in fact, the genetic basis of air-breathing and limb movement was already established in our fish ancestor 50 million years earlier. This, according to a recent genome mapping of primitive fish conducted by the University of Copenhagen, among others. The new study changes our understanding of a key milestone in our own evolutionary history.

There is nothing new about humans and all other vertebrates having evolved from fish. The conventional understanding has been that certain fish shimmied landwards roughly 370 million years ago as primitive, lizard-like animals known as tetrapods. According to this understanding, our fish ancestors came out from water to land by converting their fins to limbs and breathing under water to air-breathing.

However, limbs and lungs are not innovations that appeared as recent as once believed. Our common fish ancestor that lived 50 million years before the tetrapod first came ashore already carried the genetic codes for limb-like forms and air breathing needed for landing. These genetic codes are still present in humans and a group of primitive fishes.

This has been demonstrated by recent genomic research conducted by University of Copenhagen and their partners. The new research reports that the evolution of these ancestral genetic codes might have contributed to the vertebrate water-to-land transition, which changes the traditional view of the sequence and timeline of this big evolutionary jump. The study has been published in the scientific journal Cell.

"The water-to-land transition is a major milestone in our evolutionary history. The key to understanding how this transition happened is to reveal when and how the lungs and limbs evolved. We are now able to demonstrate that the genetic basis underlying these biological functions occurred much earlier before the first animals came ashore," stated by professor and lead author Guojie Zhang, from Villum Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, at the University of Copenhagen's Department of Biology.

A group of ancient living fishes might hold the key to explain how the tetrapod ultimately could grow limbs and breathe on air. The group of fishes includes the bichir that lives in shallow freshwater habitats in Africa. These fishes differ from most other extant bony fishes by carrying traits that our early fish ancestors might have had over 420 million years ago. And the same traits are also present in for example humans. Through a genomic sequencing the researchers found that the genes needed for the development of lungs and limbs have already appeared in these primitive species.

Our synovial joint evolved from fish ancestor

Using pectoral fins with a locomotor function like limbs, the bichir can move about on land in a similar way to the tetrapod. Researchers have for some years believed that pectoral fins in bichir represent the fins that our early fish ancestors had.

The new genome mapping shows that the joint which connects the socalled metapterygium bone with the radial bones in the pectoral fin in the bichir is homologous to synovial joints in humans - the joints that connect upper arm and forearm bones. The DNA sequence that controls the formation of our synovial joints already existed in the common ancestors of bonefish and is still present in these primitive fishes and in terrestrial vertebrates. At some point, this DNA sequence and the synovial joint was lost in all of the common bony fishes - the socalled teleosts.

"This genetic code and the joint allows our bones move freely, which explains why the bichir can move around on land," says Guojie Zhang.

First lungs, then swim bladder

Moreover, the bichir and a few other primitive fishes have a pair of lungs that anatomically resembles ours. The new study reveals that the lungs in both bichir and alligator gar also function in a similar manner and express same set of genes as human lungs.

At the same time, the study demonstrates that the tissue of the lung and swim bladder of most extant fishes are very similar in gene expression, confirming they are homologous organs as predicted by Darwin. But while Darwin suggested that swim bladders converted to lungs, the study suggests it is more likely that swim bladders evolved from lungs. The research suggests that our early bony fish ancestors had primitive functional lungs. Through evolution, one branch of fish preserved the lung functions that are more adapted to air breathing and ultimately led to the evolution of tetrapods. The other branch of fishes modified the lung structure and evolved with swim bladders, leading the evolution of teleosts. The swim bladders allow these fishes to maintain buoyancy and perceive pressure, thus better survive under water.

"The study enlightens us with regards to where our body organs came from and how their functions are decoded in the genome. Thus, some of the functions related to lung and limbs did not evolve at the time when the water-to-land transition occurred, but are encoded by some ancient gene regulatory mechanisms that were already present in our fish ancestor far before landing. It is interesting that these genetic codes are still present in these 'living-fossil'' fishes, which offer us the opportunity to trace back the root of these genes," concludes Guojie Zhang.