A most aggressive bear: Safari videos document sloth bear defense against tiger predation.

Sloth bears are non-carnivorous yet they attack more people than any other bear. They often stand up and charge explosively if a person mistakenly gets too close. Here, we argue that their aggression toward humans is an extension of their behavior toward tigers, which are their only natural predator. Interactions between sloth bears and tigers have not previously been studied because scientists have rarely observed such events. We collected and examined 43 videos or photo documentations of sloth bear-tiger interactions posted on the internet or social media from 2011 to 2023, mainly by tourists visiting tiger parks in India. We observed that sloth bears were most likely to stand up and charge if they first became aware of the tiger at close range (<3 m away). This aggressive-defensive strategy, intended to dissuade the tiger from attacking, appeared to be successful, in that 86% of interactions ended with no contact, whereas four (9%) culminated in the bear's death. We propose that a myrmecophagous diet led to this species' aggressive behavior: (1) their long, blunt front claws, well adapted for digging termites and ants, hamper their ability to climb trees for escape, and (2) they walk with their head down focused on scents underground, and make considerable noise digging and blowing soil, enabling tigers to approach quite closely without being detected. Sloth bears have coexisted with tigers or other (now extinct) large felid predators for their entire evolutionary history. Whereas their aggressive behavior has served them well for millions of years, more recently, people's fear of and retaliation against sloth bears represents a major threat to their survival. Understanding how sloth bears react to tigers provides guidance for reducing attacks on humans, thereby contributing to sloth bear conservation. Our investigation was made possible by passive citizen scientists, who unknowingly collected valuable data.

Obesity is associated with muscle atrophy in rotator cuff tear.

Objective: The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and muscle atrophy in individuals with rotator cuff tears. Methods: This study consists of patients with rotator cuff tears identified by MRI from two independent cohorts, the Rotator Cuff Outcomes Workgroup (ROW) and the Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON). Presence of atrophy (yes/no) and severity of atrophy (as an ordinal variable) were assessed on MRI by expert physicians. We used multivariable regression models to evaluate the relationship between BMI and muscle atrophy while adjusting for age and sex in each study, conducted sensitivity analyses for full-thickness tear and combined results using inverse variance-weighted meta-analysis. Results: A total of 539 patients (MOON=395, ROW=144) from the combined cohorts had MRI data available on muscle atrophy. Among these patients, 246 (46%) had atrophy of at least one of the muscles of the rotator cuff and 282 (52%) had full-thickness tears. In meta-analysis across both cohorts, each 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI was associated with a 21% (aOR=1.21, 95% CI=1.02, 1.43) increased odds of having muscle atrophy among individuals with any tear size, and 36% (aOR=1.36, 95% CI=1.01-1.81) increased odds among individuals with full-thickness tear. Conclusions: Higher BMI was associated with significantly higher odds of muscle atrophy in patiens with rotator cuff tears. More study is needed to unders1tand why and how this relationship exists, as well as whether interventions to reduce BMI may help improve outcomes for these patients. Level of Evidence: III.

Surviving the stress: Understanding the molecular basis of plant adaptations and uncovering the role of mycorrhizal association in plant abiotic stresses.

Environmental stresses severely impair plant growth, resulting in significant crop yield and quality loss. Among various abiotic factors, salt and drought stresses are one of the major factors that affect the nutrients and water uptake by the plants, hence ultimately various physiological aspects of the plants that compromises crop yield. Continuous efforts have been made to investigate, dissect and improve plant adaptations at the molecular level in response to drought and salinity stresses. In this context, the plant beneficial microbiome presents in the rhizosphere, endosphere, and phyllosphere, also referred as second genomes of the plant is well known for its roles in plant adaptations. Exploration of beneficial interaction of fungi with host plants known as mycorrhizal association is one such special interaction that can facilitates the host plants adaptations. Mycorrhiza assist in alleviating the salinity and drought stresses of plants via redistributing the ion imbalance through translocation to different parts of the plants, as well as triggering oxidative machinery. Mycorrhiza association also regulates the level of various plant growth regulators, osmolytes and assists in acquiring minerals that are helpful in plant's adaptation against extreme environmental stresses. The current review examines the role of various plant growth regulators and plants' antioxidative systems, followed by mycorrhizal association during drought and salt stresses.

Discovering novel genomic regions explaining adaptation of bread wheat to conservation agriculture through GWAS.

To sustainably increase wheat yield to meet the growing world population's food demand in the face of climate change, Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a promising approach. Still, there is a lack of genomic studies investigating the genetic basis of crop adaptation to CA. To dissect the genetic architecture of 19 morpho-physiological traits that could be involved in the enhanced adaptation and performance of genotypes under CA, we performed GWAS to identify MTAs under four contrasting production regimes viz., conventional tillage timely sown (CTTS), conservation agriculture timely sown (CATS), conventional tillage late sown (CTLS) and conservation agriculture late sown (CALS) using an association panel of 183 advanced wheat breeding lines along with 5 checks. Traits like Phi2 (Quantum yield of photosystem II; CATS:0.37, CALS: 0.31), RC (Relative chlorophyll content; CATS:55.51, CALS: 54.47) and PS1 (Active photosystem I centers; CATS:2.45, CALS: 2.23) have higher mean values in CA compared to CT under both sowing times. GWAS identified 80 MTAs for the studied traits across four production environments. The phenotypic variation explained (PVE) by these QTNs ranged from 2.15 to 40.22%. Gene annotation provided highly informative SNPs associated with Phi2, NPQ (Quantum yield of non-photochemical quenching), PS1, and RC which were linked with genes that play crucial roles in the physiological adaptation under both CA and CT. A highly significant SNP AX94651261 (9.43% PVE) was identified to be associated with Phi2, while two SNP markers AX94730536 (30.90% PVE) and AX94683305 (16.99% PVE) were associated with NPQ. Identified QTNs upon validation can be used in marker-assisted breeding programs to develop CA adaptive genotypes.

Physical cell-cell contact elicits specific transcriptomic responses in wine yeast species.

Fermenting grape juice provides a habitat for a well-mapped and evolutionarily relevant microbial ecosystem consisting of many natural or inoculated strains of yeasts and bacteria. The molecular nature of many of the ecological interactions within this ecosystem remains poorly understood, with the partial exception of interactions of a metabolic nature such as competition for nutrients and production of toxic metabolites/peptides. Data suggest that physical contact between species plays a significant role in the phenotypic outcome of interspecies interactions. However, the molecular nature of the mechanisms regulating these phenotypes remains unknown. Here, we present a transcriptomic analysis of physical versus metabolic contact between two wine relevant yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lachancea thermotolerans. The data show that these species respond to the physical presence of the other species. In S. cerevisiae, physical contact results in the upregulation of genes involved in maintaining cell wall integrity, cell wall structural components, and genes involved in the production of H2S. In L. thermotolerans, HSP stress response genes were the most significantly upregulated gene family. Both yeasts downregulated genes belonging to the FLO family, some of which play prominent roles in cellular adhesion. qPCR analysis indicates that the expression of some of these genes is regulated in a species-specific manner, suggesting that yeasts adjust gene expression to specific biotic challenges or interspecies interactions. These findings provide fundamental insights into yeast interactions and evolutionary adaptations of these species to the wine ecosystem.IMPORTANCEWithin the wine ecosystem, yeasts are the most relevant contributors to alcoholic fermentation and wine organoleptic characteristics. While some studies have described yeast-yeast interactions during alcoholic fermentation, such interactions remain ill-defined, and little is understood regarding the molecular mechanisms behind many of the phenotypes observed when two or more species are co-cultured. In particular, no study has investigated transcriptional regulation in response to physical interspecies cell-cell contact, as opposed to the generally better understood/characterized metabolic interactions. These data are of direct relevance to our understanding of microbial ecological interactions in general while also creating opportunities to improve ecosystem-based biotechnological applications such as wine fermentation. Furthermore, the presence of competitor species has rarely been considered an evolutionary biotic selection pressure. In this context, the data reveal novel gene functions. This, and further such analysis, is likely to significantly enlarge the genome annotation space.

Peripheral to brain and hippocampus crosstalk induced by exercise mediates cognitive and structural hippocampal adaptations.

Endurance exercise leads to robust increases in memory and learning. Several exercise adaptations occur to mediate these improvements, including in both the hippocampus and in peripheral organs. Organ crosstalk has been becoming increasingly more present in exercise biology, and studies have shown that peripheral organs can communicate to the hippocampus and mediate hippocampal changes. Both learning and memory as well as other hippocampal functional-related changes such as neurogenesis, cell proliferation, dendrite morphology and synaptic plasticity are controlled by these exercise responsive peripheral proteins. These peripheral factors, also called exerkines, are produced by several organs including skeletal muscle, liver, adipose tissue, kidneys, adrenal glands and circulatory cells. Previous reviews have explored some of these exerkines including muscle-derived irisin and cathepsin B (CTSB), but a full picture of peripheral to hippocampus crosstalk with novel exerkines such as selenoprotein 1 (SEPP1) and platelet factor 4 (PF4), or old overlooked ones such as lactate and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is still missing. We provide 29 different studies of 14 different exerkines that crosstalk with the hippocampus. Thus, the purpose of this review is to explore peripheral exerkines that have shown to exert hippocampal function following exercise, demonstrating their particular effects and molecular mechanisms in which they could be inducing adaptations.

Behavioral and cortical dynamics underlying superior accuracy in short-distance passes.

Improved pass accuracy is a prominent determinant of success in football. It demands an effective interaction of complex behavioral and cortical dynamics. Exploring differences in the ability to sustain an accurate pass behavior in a stable setting and the associated cortical dynamics at different expertise levels may provide an insight into skilled strategies contributing to superior accuracy in football. The aim of this study is to compare trial-to-trial variability of pass biomechanics and the corresponding cortical dynamics during short-distance passes between novices and experienced football players. Thirty participants (15 novices, 15 football players) performed 90 short-distance passes. The intertrial variability of pass biomechanics (foot acceleration, range of hip flexion, knee flexion and foot rotation) was assessed by means of multiscale entropy. The task-related cortical dynamics were analyzed via source-derived event-related spectral perturbations. Experienced players demonstrated higher accuracy and overall lower entropy values across multiple time scales which was significant for hip flexion. The electroencephalography data revealed group differences in parieto-occipital alpha desynchronization and frontal theta synchronization in successive phases of passes. The current findings suggest that experienced football players may show a skilled ability to recruit and retain pass biomechanics promoting higher accuracy, whereas novices may show an explorative behavior with higher spatial variability. This difference may be associated with distinctive visuospatial and attentional strategies acquired with expertise in football. Our study provides an insight into expertise-specific behavioral and cortical dynamics of superior accuracy in football and a basis for its prospective investigation in enriched contexts.

From freezing to functioning: cellular strategies of cold-adapted bacteria for surviving in extreme environments.

The ability of cold-adapted bacteria to survive in extreme cold and diverse temperatures is due to their unique attributes like cell membrane stability, up-regulation of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, increased production of extracellular polymeric substances, and expansion of membrane pigment. Various cold-adapted proteins, including ice-nucleating proteins (INPs), antifreeze proteins (AFPs), cold shock proteins (Csps), and cold-acclimated proteins (CAPs), help the bacteria to survive in these environments. To sustain cells from extreme cold conditions and maintain stability in temperature fluctuations, survival strategies at the molecular level and their mechanism play significant roles in adaptations in cryospheric conditions. Furthermore, cold shock domains present in the multifunctional cold shock proteins play crucial roles in their adaptation strategies. The considerable contribution of lipopeptides, osmolytes, and membrane pigments plays an integral part in their survival in extreme environments. This review summarizes the evolutionary history of cold-adapted bacteria and their molecular and cellular adaptation strategies to thrive in harsh cold environments. It also discusses the importance of carotenoids produced, lipid composition, cryoprotectants, proteins, and chaperones related to this adaptation. Furthermore, the functions and mechanisms of adaptations within the cell are discussed briefly. One can utilize and explore their potential in various biotechnology applications and their evolutionary journey by knowing the inherent mechanism of their molecular and cellular adaptation to cold climatic conditions. This review will help all branches of the life science community understand the basic microbiology of psychrophiles and their hidden prospect in life science research.

Heart Rate Variability Applications in Strength and Conditioning: A Narrative Review.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is defined as the fluctuation of time intervals between adjacent heartbeats and is commonly used as a surrogate measure of autonomic function. HRV has become an increasingly measured variable by wearable technology for use in fitness and sport applications. However, with its increased use, a gap has arisen between the research and the application of this technology in strength and conditioning. The goal of this narrative literature review is to discuss current evidence and propose preliminary guidelines regarding the application of HRV in strength and conditioning. A literature review was conducted searching for HRV and strength and conditioning, aiming to focus on studies with time-domain measurements. Studies suggest that HRV is a helpful metric to assess training status, adaptability, and recovery after a training program. Although reduced HRV may be a sign of overreaching and/or overtraining syndrome, it may not be a sensitive marker in aerobic-trained athletes and therefore has different utilities for different athletic populations. There is likely utility to HRV-guided programming compared to predefined programming in several types of training. Evidence-based preliminary guidelines for the application of HRV in strength and conditioning are discussed. This is an evolving area of research, and more data are needed to evaluate the best practices for applying HRV in strength and conditioning.

Structuring adaptations: Resilience, restrictive deterrence, and the Cunningham precursor control papers.

Inspired by Giommoni's assessment of the Cunningham precursor control scholarship, we propose two concepts to help drug policy scholars think through the mechanisms that operate when market participants are faced with a change in precursor availability. The first is the concept of restrictive deterrence, that emphasizes risks mitigation strategies such as looking into changes in the frequency, methods, markets that may occur after different types of interventions. While restrictive deterrence is an improvement over current approaches in thinking through adaptations, it falls short in its narrower focus on the individual, rather than organizations or the market as a collective. The concept of resilience is then proposed as alternative that allows scholars to elaborate specific hypotheses and assess both organizations and markets based on their capacity to anticipate, cope, adapt and ultimately recover from disruptions. We finish by providing a reading of the Cunningham and colleagues precursor control papers with the resilience framework in mind, showing that many of the elements were already present in their work.

Key Considerations for Designing Clinical Studies to Evaluate Digital Health Solutions.

Evidence of clinical impact is critical to unlock the potential of digital health solutions (DHSs), yet many solutions are failing to deliver positive clinical results. We argue in this viewpoint that this failure is linked to current approaches to DHS evaluation design, which neglect numerous key characteristics (KCs) requiring specific scientific and design considerations. We first delineate the KCs of DHSs: (1) they are implemented at health care system and patient levels; (2) they are "complex" interventions; (3) they can drive multiple clinical outcomes indirectly through a multitude of smaller clinical benefits; (4) their mechanism of action can vary between individuals and change over time based on patient needs; and (5) they develop through short, iterative cycles-optimally within a real-world use context. Following our objective to drive better alignment between clinical evaluation design and the unique traits of DHSs, we then provide methodological suggestions that better address these KCs, including tips on mechanism-of-action mapping, alternative randomization methods, control-arm adaptations, and novel end-point selection, as well as innovative methods utilizing real-world data and platform research.

Living in Western Australia induces some physiological adaptations of seasonal acclimatisation in the surgical burns team.

Seasonal acclimatization is known to result in adaptations that can improve heat tolerance. Staff who operate on burn injuries are exposed to thermally stressful conditions and seasonal acclimatization may improve their thermoeffector responses during surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the physiological and perceptual responses of staff who operate on burn injuries during summer and winter, to determine whether they become acclimatized to the heated operating theater. Eight staff members had physiological and perceptual responses compared during burn surgeries conducted in thermoneutral (CON: 24.1 ± 1.2°C, 45 ± 7% relative humidity [RH]) and heated (HOT: 31.3 ± 1.6°C, 44 ± 7% RH) operating theaters, in summer and winter. Physiological parameters that were assessed included core temperature, heart rate, total sweat loss, sweat rate, and urinary specific gravity. Perceptual responses included ratings of thermal sensation and comfort. In summer, CON compared to winter CON, baseline (85 ± 15 bpm VS 94 ± 18 bpm), mean (84 ± 16 bpm VS 93 ± 18 bpm), and peak HR (94 ± 17 bpm VS 105 ± 19 bpm) were lower (p < 0.05), whereas core temperature was not different between seasons in either condition (p > 0.05). In HOT, ratings of discomfort were higher in summer (15 ± 3) than winter (13 ± 3; p > 0.05), but ratings of thermal sensation and sweat rate were similar between seasons (p > 0.05). The surgical team in burns in Western Australia can obtain some of the physiological adaptations that result from seasonal acclimatization, but not all. That is most likely due to a lower than required amount of outdoor heat exposure in summer, to induce all physiological and perceptual adaptations.

Understanding Staphylococcus aureus in hyperglycaemia: A review of virulence factor and metabolic adaptations.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most commonly detected bacteria in diabetic skin and soft tissue infections. The incidence and severity of skin and soft tissue infections are higher in patients with diabetes, indicating a potentiating mechanism of hyperglycaemia and infection. The goal of this review is to explore the metabolic and virulence factor adaptations of S. aureus under hyperglycaemic conditions. Primary data from identified studies were included and summarised in this paper. Understanding the nexus of hyperglycaemia, metabolism, and virulence factors provides insights into the complexity of diabetic skin and soft tissue infections attributed to S. aureus.

Changes in above- versus belowground biomass distribution in permafrost regions in response to climate warming.

Permafrost regions contain approximately half of the carbon stored in land ecosystems and have warmed at least twice as much as any other biome. This warming has influenced vegetation activity, leading to changes in plant composition, physiology, and biomass storage in aboveground and belowground components, ultimately impacting ecosystem carbon balance. Yet, little is known about the causes and magnitude of long-term changes in the above- to belowground biomass ratio of plants (η). Here, we analyzed η values using 3,013 plots and 26,337 species-specific measurements across eight sites on the Tibetan Plateau from 1995 to 2021. Our analysis revealed distinct temporal trends in η for three vegetation types: a 17% increase in alpine wetlands, and a decrease of 26% and 48% in alpine meadows and alpine steppes, respectively. These trends were primarily driven by temperature-induced growth preferences rather than shifts in plant species composition. Our findings indicate that in wetter ecosystems, climate warming promotes aboveground plant growth, while in drier ecosystems, such as alpine meadows and alpine steppes, plants allocate more biomass belowground. Furthermore, we observed a threefold strengthening of the warming effect on η over the past 27 y. Soil moisture was found to modulate the sensitivity of η to soil temperature in alpine meadows and alpine steppes, but not in alpine wetlands. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the processes driving the response of biomass distribution to climate warming, which is crucial for predicting the future carbon trajectory of permafrost ecosystems and climate feedback.

Living Alone With Mild-to-Moderate Dementia Over a Two-Year Period: Longitudinal Findings From the IDEAL Cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the experiences of people with dementia living alone or with others and how these may change over two years. DESIGN: We analysed longitudinal data from three assessment waves, one year apart, in the British IDEAL cohort. SETTING: Participants with mild-to-moderate dementia were recruited through National Health Service providers, where possible with a family caregiver, and interviewed at home. PARTICIPANTS: The current analyses include 281 people with dementia living alone and 1,244 living with others at baseline; follow-up data were available for 200 and 965 respectively at time 2 and 144 and 696 respectively at time 3. For those living alone, 140 nonresident caregivers contributed at baseline, 102 at time 2 and 81 at time 3. For those living with others, 1,127 family caregivers contributed at baseline, 876 at time 2 and 670 at time 3. MEASUREMENTS: Assessments covered: cognitive and functional ability; self-reported perceptions of health, mood, social engagement, quality of life, satisfaction with life and well-being; use of in-home and community care; and transitions into residential care. RESULTS: People living alone tended to have better cognitive and functional ability and were more frequent users of in-home care. However, they experienced poorer physical, social, and psychological health and reduced quality of life, satisfaction with life, and well-being. These differences persisted over time and rates of transition into residential care were higher. CONCLUSIONS: To facilitate continuing in place for people with dementia living alone, a dual focus on supporting functional ability and addressing psychosocial needs is essential in the context of an enabling policy framework.

Local adaptation of trophic strategy determined the tolerance of coral Galaxea fascicularis to environmental fluctuations.

The escalation of global change has resulted in heightened frequencies and intensities of environmental fluctuations within coral reef ecosystems. Corals originating from marginal reefs have potentially enhanced their adaptive capabilities in response to these environmental variations through processes of local adaptation. However, the intricate mechanisms driving this phenomenon remain a subject of limited investigation. This study aimed to investigate how corals in Luhuitou reef, a representative relatively high-latitude reef in China, adapt to seasonal fluctuations in seawater temperature and light availability. We conducted a 190-day plantation experiment with the widespread species, Galaxea fascicularis, in Luhuitou local, and from Meiji reef, a typical offshore tropical reef, to Luhuitou as comparison. Drawing upon insights from physiological adaptations, we focused on fatty acid (FA) profiles to unravel the trophic strategies of G. fascicularis to cope with environmental fluctuations from two origins. Our main findings are threefold: 1) Native corals exhibited a stronger physiological resilience compared to those transplanted from Meiji. 2) Corals from both origins consumed large quantities of energy reserves in winter, during which FA profiles of local corals altered, while the change of FA profiles of corals from Meiji was probably due to the excessive consumption of saturated fatty acid (SFA). 3) The better resilience of native corals is related to high levels of functional polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), while insufficient nutrient reserves, possibly due to weak heterotrophic ability, result in the obstruction of the synthesis pathway of PUFA for corals from Meiji, leading to their intolerance to environmental changes. Consequently, we suggest that the tolerance of G. fascicularis to environmental fluctuations is determined by their local adapted trophic strategies. Furthermore, our findings underscore the notion that the rapid adaptation of relatively high-latitude corals to seasonal environmental fluctuations might not be readily attainable for their tropical counterparts within a brief timeframe.

Coordinated molecular and ecological adaptations underlie a highly successful parasitoid.

The success of an organism depends on the molecular and ecological adaptations that promote its beneficial fitness. Parasitoids are valuable biocontrol agents for successfully managing agricultural pests, and they have evolved diversified strategies to adapt to both the physiological condition of hosts and the competition of other parasitoids. Here, we deconstructed the parasitic strategies in a highly successful parasitoid, Trichopria drosophilae, which parasitizes a broad range of Drosophila hosts, including the globally invasive species D. suzukii. We found that T. drosophilae had developed specialized venom proteins that arrest host development to obtain more nutrients via secreting tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), as well as a unique type of cell-teratocytes-that digest host tissues for feeding by releasing trypsin proteins. In addition to the molecular adaptations that optimize nutritional uptake, this pupal parasitoid has evolved ecologically adaptive strategies including the conditional tolerance of intraspecific competition to enhance parasitic success in older hosts and the obligate avoidance of interspecific competition with larval parasitoids. Our study not only demystifies how parasitoids weaponize themselves to colonize formidable hosts but also provided empirical evidence of the intricate coordination between the molecular and ecological adaptations that drive evolutionary success.

Identification of weight loss interventions for translation among endometrial cancer survivors: A RE-AIM analysis.

Interventions for obesity-related cancers that combine nutrition and physical activity for weight loss exist; however, their application to survivors of endometrial cancer is unknown. Furthermore, little is known about pre-implementation perceptions of existing programs from a variety of interested persons (physicians, researchers) who may be part of the implementation team. Adapting an existing intervention rather than developing a new intervention may speed the translational lag time as long as intervention characteristics and fit within the delivery system are considered during the planning phase. To describe the process of determining the core elements of obesity-related interventions for cancer survivors and determine which one might be best delivered by an urban healthcare system that predominantly serves individuals who live in rural areas of Virginia and West Virginia. A pragmatic review of the literature was conducted via PubMed and Google Scholar with broad search terms of cancer survivor AND weight loss AND health intervention. Identified interventions were scored related to the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model-which is an extension of RE-AIM framework to guide the understanding of who, what, where, when, and how the intervention was conducted. Intervention characteristics are reported. In addition, ratings from three independent reviewers on the validated 5-point Likert scale of an intervention's acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility in the intended delivery system were collected and summarized. Twelve interventions were identified with an average sample size of 241(±195) and a range of 48-683 participants. Target populations included survivors of colorectal, breast, and endometrial cancers as well as general cancer survivors and included both men and women or only women. Most participants (74%) identified as white/Caucasian and average age ranged from 47.1 to 65.9 years. Program duration ranged from 4 weeks to 18 months, with an average duration of 32 weeks. Intervention dosage ranged from three times a week to once a month. Intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility had average and standard deviation ratings of 3.52(±0.46), 3.41(±0.45), and 3.21(±0.46), respectively, out of 5. The four interventions with the highest combined acceptable, appropriate, and feasible scores are being considered for potential use as an obesity-related intervention for survivors of endometrial cancer. Future work is needed to determine relevant adaptations and efficacy among survivors of endometrial cancer with obesity. Our approach may be beneficial for other interventionists aiming to speed intervention development and implementation.

Weight loss improves morbidity and mortality associated with obesity-related cancer occurrence. Many interventions that target weight loss through physical activity and nutrition already exist. However, interventions specifically designed for endometrial cancer survivors with obesity are limited. Furthermore, the degree to which these programs will work in a given clinical system is unknown. This study explored existing interventions, applied a framework to analyze intervention characteristics, and used a validated tool to score the degree to which interventions would fit within the intended delivery system; in this case, a healthcare system that predominantly serves patients from rural areas.

Human adaptations to diet: Biological and cultural coevolution.

Modern humans evolved in Africa some 200,000 years ago, and since then, human populations have expanded and diversified to occupy a broad range of habitats and use different subsistence modes. This has resulted in different adaptations, such as differential responses to diseases and different abilities to digest or tolerate certain foods. The shift from a subsistence strategy based on hunting and gathering during the Palaeolithic to a lifestyle based on the consumption of domesticated animals and plants in the Neolithic can be considered one of the most important dietary transitions of Homo sapiens. In this text, we review four examples of gene-culture coevolution: (i) the persistence of the enzyme lactase after weaning, which allows the digestion of milk in adulthood, related to the emergence of dairy farming during the Neolithic; (ii) the population differences in alcohol susceptibility, in particular the ethanol intolerance of Asian populations due to the increased accumulation of the toxic acetaldehyde, related to the spread of rice domestication; (iii) the maintenance of gluten intolerance (celiac disease) with the subsequent reduced fitness of its sufferers, related to the emergence of agriculture and (iv) the considerable variation in the biosynthetic pathway of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in native populations with extreme diets.