In the context of the rapidly evolving modern food environment, there is a need for dietary assessment tools to accurately assess current food intake. The objective of this research was to develop and validate a new food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). A 265 item web-based, self-administered FFQ (PREDICT-FFQ-v1) was developed using information from two FFQs and US and UK cohort level data. Over a 1-month period, 68 participants completed the PREDICT-FFQ-v1 and six 24-h recalls (reference tool; Intake24). Relative validity was assessed using Bland–Altman plots, cross-classification food group analysis, and Spearman’s rank correlation for food groups and nutrients. From the Bland–Altman plots, the median bias between the PREDICT-FFQ-v1 and Intake24 were energy (414 kcal (95%CI 289 to 609) (1734 kj (95% CI 1208 to 2549)), carbohydrate (2.3 %EI, 95%CI 0.08 to 3.68), fat (2.5 %EI, 95%CI 0.23 to 3.52), protein (−1.14 %EI, 95% CI −1.64 to −0.23), and fibre (1.86 g/1000 kcal, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.65). Cross-classification by quartiles of diet quality (plant-based diet index) categorised >76% of participants into the same or adjacent quartiles. Correlation coefficients for food groups assessed using both tools ranged from 0.38 (legumes) to 0.78 (meat), and for energy-adjusted nutrients ranged from 0.28 (total fat) to 0.82 (alcohol). The PREDICT-FFQ-v1 captures intakes of foods that are commonly consumed in modern diets, with greater resolution at the food level than previous tools. The PREDICT-FFQ-v1 has acceptable relative validity in comparison to 24-h dietary recall and provides a valuable alternative for assessing dietary intake in nutritional epidemiology.

Diets low in diverse fibre-rich plant foods contribute to the rise of chronic disease. The BIOME study (NCT06231706; 6-week parallel randomised controlled trial) in 399 adults (35–65 years; BMI 18·5–40 kg/m2; fibre intake < 20 g/d) investigated a whole-food plant blend containing > 30 ingredients, rich in (poly)phenols, fibre and micronutrients. Participants were randomised (1:1:1) to the blend (30 g/d), an isoenergetic control (bread croutons, 28 g/d) or probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus, 15bn CFU/d). Analysts were blinded to allocation. The primary outcome was change in ‘favourable’ and ‘unfavourable’ gut microbiome species (ZOE Microbiome Health Ranking 2025); secondary outcomes included blood metabolites, symptoms, stool output, anthropometry, hunger, sleep, energy and mood. A crossover sub-study explored postprandial glucose, hunger and mood. Of 349 participants analysed (fifty excluded), self-reported adherence was > 98 %. The 30+ plant blend resulted in more species changing relative abundance at 6 weeks v. control (57 v. 14 species-level genome bins (SGB), P < 0·001) and probiotic (57 v. 4 SGB, P < 0·001). There were no significant between-group differences in microbiome health ranks of significantly changing species (increasing or decreasing). Blend participants self-reported reduced indigestion, constipation, heartburn and flatulence and increased energy v. control (all P < 0·05). Six related but no serious adverse events occurred. In the sub-study, adding the blend to a high-carbohydrate meal (v. meal alone) reduced hunger, increased fullness and energy (3-h incremental AUC, all P < 0·05), with no effect on postprandial glucose. This 30+ plant blend represents a simple strategy to modify gut microbiome composition and benefit gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy adults.

In a prospective cohort of healthcare personnel (HCP), we measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid IgG antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among 79 HCP, 68 (86%) were seropositive 14–28 days after their positive PCR test, and 54 (77%) of 70 were seropositive at the 70–180-day follow-up. Many seropositive HCP (95%) experienced an antibody decline by the second visit.

The dorso-laterally located eyes of the southern hemisphere lamprey Mordacia mordax (Agnatha) contain a single morphological type of retinal photoreceptor, which possesses ultrastructural characteristics of both rods and cones. This photoreceptor has a large refractile ellipsosome in the inner segment and a long cylindrical outer segment surrounded by a retinal pigment epithelium that contains two types of tapetal reflectors. The photoreceptors form a hexagonal array and attain their peak density (33,200 receptors/mm2) in the ventro-temporal retina. Using the size and spacing of the photoreceptors and direct measures of aperture size and eye dimensions, the peak spatial resolving power and optical sensitivity are estimated to be 1.7 cycles deg−1 (minimum separable angle of 34′7′′) and 0.64 μm2 steradian (white light) and 1.38 μm2 steradian (preferred wavelength or λmax), respectively. Microspectrophotometry reveals that the visual pigment located within the outer segment is a rhodopsin with a wavelength of maximum absorbance (λmax) at 514 nm. The ellipsosome has very low absorptance (<0.05) across the measured spectrum (350–750 nm) and probably does not act as a spectral filter. In contrast to all other lampreys studied, the optimized receptor packing, the large width of the ellipsosome-bearing inner segment, together with the presence of a retinal tapetum in the photophobic Mordacia, all represent adaptations for low light vision and optimizing photon capture.