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Abstract In recent years, unexplained declines in lake total phosphorus (TP) concentrations have been observed at northern latitudes (> 42°N latitude) where most of the world's lakes are found. We compiled data from 389 lakes in Fennoscandia and eastern North America to investigate the effects of climate on lake TP concentrations. Synchrony in year‐to‐year variability is an indicator of climatic influences on lake TP, because other major influences on nutrients (e.g., land use change) are not likely to affect all lakes in the same year. We identified significant synchrony in lake TP both within and among different geographic regions. Using a bootstrapped random forest analysis, we identified winter temperature as the most important factor controlling annual TP, followed by summer precipitation. In Fennoscandia, TP was negatively correlated with the winter East Atlantic Pattern, which is associated with regionally warmer winters. Our results suggest that, in the absence of other overriding factors, lake TP and productivity may decline with continued winter warming in northern lakes.

Abstract Multiple forms of malnutrition coexist in Peru, especially in peri‐urban areas and poor households. We investigated the magnitude of, and the contribution of, dietary and socio‐demographic factors to the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) at maternal (i.e., maternal overweight/obesity with anaemia) and dyad (i.e., maternal overweight/obesity with child anaemia) levels. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among low‐income mother–child (6–23 months) dyads (n = 244) from peri‐urban communities in Peru. Dietary clusters and the minimum dietary diversity score (MDD) were generated for mothers and infants, respectively. A composite indicator using the maternal dietary clusters and the MDD was created to relate to dyad level DBM. Two dietary clusters were found: (i) the ‘high variety (i.e., animal‐source foods, fruit and vegetables), high sugary foods/beverages’ (cluster 1) and (ii) the ‘high potato, low fruit and vegetables, low red meat’ (cluster 2). DBM prevalence among mothers and dyads was 19.9% and 36.3%, respectively. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the only socio‐demographic factor positively associated with maternal DBM was maternal age (aOR/5 years: 1.35 [1.07, 1.71]). Mothers belonging to diet cluster 1 were less likely to experience the DBM (aOR = 0.52 [0.26, 1.03]), although CIs straddled the null. Socio‐demographic factors positively associated with dyad level DBM included maternal age (aOR/5 years: 1.41 [1.15, 1.73]), and having ≥ two children under 5 years (aOR = 2.44 [1.23, 4.84]). Diet was not associated with dyad‐level DBM. Double‐duty actions that tackle the DBM are needed given that one‐third of dyads and a fifth of mothers had concurrent overweight/obesity and anaemia.

Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic may impact diet and nutrition through increased household food insecurity, lack of access to health services, and poorer quality diets. The primary aim of this study is to assess the impact of the pandemic on dietary outcomes of mothers and their infants and young children (IYC) in low‐income urban areas of Peru. We conducted a panel study, with one survey prepandemic (n = 244) and one survey 9 months after the onset of COVID‐19 (n = 254). We assessed breastfeeding and complementary feeding indicators and maternal dietary diversity in both surveys. During COVID‐19, we assessed household food insecurity experience and economic impacts of the pandemic on livelihoods; receipt of financial or food assistance, and uptake of health services. Almost all respondents (98.0%) reported adverse economic impacts due to the pandemic and 46.9% of households were at risk of moderate or severe household food insecurity. The proportion of households receiving government food assistance nearly doubled between the two surveys (36.5%–59.5%). Dietary indicators, however, did not worsen in mothers or IYC. Positive changes included an increase in exclusive breastfeeding

Abstract Many of the world's major cities are located in coastal zones, resulting in urban and industrial impacts on adjacent marine ecosystems. These pressures, which include pollutants, sewage, runoff and debris, temperature increases, hardened shorelines/structures, and light and acoustic pollution, have resulted in new evolutionary landscapes for coastal marine organisms. Marine environmental changes influenced by urbanization may create new selective regimes or may influence neutral evolution via impacts on gene flow or partitioning of genetic diversity across seascapes. While some urban selective pressures, such as hardened surfaces, are similar to those experienced by terrestrial species, others, such as oxidative stress, are specific to aquatic environments. Moreover, spatial and temporal scales of evolutionary responses may differ in the ocean due to the spatial extent of selective pressures and greater capacity for dispersal/gene flow. Here, we present a conceptual framework and synthesis of current research on evolutionary responses of marine organisms to urban pressures. We review urban impacts on genetic diversity and gene flow and examine evidence that marine species are adapting, or are predicted to adapt, to urbanization over rapid evolutionary time frames. Our findings indicate that in the majority of studies, urban stressors are correlated with reduced genetic diversity. Genetic structure is often increased in urbanized settings, but artificial structures can also act as stepping stones for some hard‐surface specialists, promoting range expansion. Most evidence for rapid adaptation to urban stressors comes from studies of heritable tolerance to pollutants in a relatively small number of species; however, the majority of marine ecotoxicology studies do not test directly for heritability. Finally, we highlight current gaps in our understanding of evolutionary processes in marine urban environments and present a framework for future research to address these gaps.

Abstract Cities worldwide are expanding in area and human population, posing multiple challenges to amphibian populations, including habitat loss from removal of wetlands and terrestrial upland habitat, habitat fragmentation due to roads and the built environment, and habitat degradation from pollutants, extensive human use and introduced species. We developed an eight‐step urban amphibian conservation framework based on established monitoring, analytical methods and community engagement to enable amphibian conservation in a large urban centre. The framework outlines a process used to conserve biodiversity in a complex landuse and decision‐making environment supported by a series of successive complementary modelling techniques to measure amphibian presence, priority habitat and functional connectivity. We applied the framework in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to illustrate its potential. Here, urbanization has reduced wetlands by 90% and ecological knowledge on amphibians was poor. We improved knowledge on amphibian diversity and distribution, identified core wetlands and movement pathways for amphibian species and identified barriers in the wetland network where construction or restoration measures could re‐establish amphibians or increase their densities. This knowledge was shared with ecologists and city planners for implementation through appropriate policies and plans. Our framework provides a series of stepwise products to improve an urban municipality's ability to restore or conserve priority habitat and movement pathways necessary for amphibian survival under pressure from multiple land uses. The framework provides a platform to identify city plans, policy and or programmes and to derive necessary information to support amphibian conservation.

Abstract “Weather whiplash” is a colloquial phrase for describing an extreme event that includes shifts between two opposing weather conditions. Prior media coverage and research on these types of extremes have largely ignored winter weather events. However, rapid swings in winter weather can result in crossing from frozen to unfrozen conditions, or vice versa; thus, the potential impact of these types of events on coupled human and natural systems may be large. Given rapidly changing winter conditions in seasonally snow‐covered regions, there is a pressing need for a deeper understanding of such events and the extent of their impacts to minimize their risks. Here we introduce the concept of winter weather whiplash, defined as a class of extreme event in which a collision of unexpected conditions produces a forceful, rapid, back‐and‐forth change in winter weather that induces an outsized impact on coupled human and natural systems. Using a series of case studies, we demonstrate that the effects of winter weather whiplash events depend on the natural and human context in which they occur, and discuss how these events may result in the restructuring of social and ecological systems. We use the long‐term hydrometeorological record at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA to demonstrate quantitative methods for delineating winter weather whiplash events and their biophysical impacts. Ultimately, we argue that robust conceptual and quantitative frameworks for understanding winter weather whiplash events will contribute to the ways in which we mitigate and adapt to winter climate change in vulnerable regions.

Abstract Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major cause of patient mortality and a major risk multiplier for the progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The mechanism of the AKI to CKD transition is complex but is likely mediated by the extent and length of the inflammatory response following the initial injury. Lymphatic vessels help to maintain tissue homeostasis through fluid, macromolecule, and immune modulation. Increased lymphatic growth, or lymphangiogenesis, often occurs during inflammation and plays a role in acute and chronic disease processes. What roles renal lymphatics and lymphangiogenesis play in AKI recovery and CKD progression remains largely unknown. To determine if the increased lymphatic density is protective in the response to kidney injury, we utilized a transgenic mouse model with inducible, kidney‐specific overexpression of the lymphangiogenic protein vascular endothelial growth factor‐D to expand renal lymphatics. “KidVD” mouse kidneys were injured using inducible podocyte apoptosis and proteinuria (POD‐ATTAC) or bilateral ischemia reperfusion. In the acute injury phase of both models, KidVD mice demonstrated a similar loss of function measured by serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate compared to their littermates. While the initial inflammatory response was similar, KidVD mice demonstrated a shift toward more CD4+ and fewer CD8+ T cells in the kidney. Reduced collagen deposition and improved functional recovery over time was also identified in KidVD mice. In KidVD‐POD‐ATTAC mice, an increased number of podocytes were counted at 28 days post‐injury. These data demonstrate that increased lymphatic density prior to injury alters the injury recovery response and affords protection from CKD progression.

Abstract Freshwater biodiversity loss is one of the greatest environmental threats in our changing world. Although declines have been reported extensively in the literature, much less attention has been devoted to solving the freshwater biodiversity crisis relative to other ecosystems. The recently proposed Emergency Recovery Plan for Freshwater Biodiversity (Tickner et al., 2020, BioScience, 70(4), 330–342) outlines an ambitious but necessary set of overarching actions that can help “bend the curve” for freshwater biodiversity declines. This plan is timely given the present opportunity to adjust freshwater biodiversity targets in international biodiversity agreements and to encourage meeting targets of relevant Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, relying solely on a trickle down from such agreements to national and local scales will likely take too long, given the immediate urgency of the situation. Here, we advocate for a broader, concerted effort from all actors to ensure the Emergency Recovery Plan meaningfully influences the actions of practitioners at a local scale. We outline the roles and responsibilities of actors involved with policy, research, professional bodies and societies, advocacy, and industry, as well as practitioners themselves, in achieving this goal. It is our hope that this overview facilitates the real‐world actions needed to execute the Emergency Recovery Plan so that we can indeed “bend the curve” for freshwater biodiversity.

Abstract Optimal complementary feeding practices including consumption of multiple micronutrient powders (MNP) are recommended to improve micronutrient intake by infants and young children (IYC) 6–23 months. Formative research was used to design the behaviour change strategy to improve IYC micronutrient intake for the multicountry ENRICH project in rural impoverished areas of Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Employing a qualitative approach with multiple methods and guided by a social ecological framework, the study was conducted in several phases: data collection in the community, household and health facilities, initial analysis and household trials (HHT). Results found limited use of animal source foods (ASF) for feeding IYC and MNP largely unavailable. Although cost constrained access to ASF, potential more affordable context‐specific ASF options were identified in each setting. Caregivers associated ASF with many positive attributes for IYC, but barriers to feeding them included lack of caregiver time and knowledge of specific preparation techniques, and limited advice from health workers. Feeding practices were identified that used time‐efficient, specific preparations for eggs and other ASF, and demonstrated good initial acceptability and feasibility during HHT. Testing MNP in HHT found good initial feasibility and acceptability and provided an understanding of the facilitators and constraints for preparing, feeding and promoting MNP. In conclusion, formative research led to the design of context‐specific ASF and MNP complementary feeding promotion strategies to improve IYC consumption of micronutrients by identifying the practices, benefits, motivations and alternative actions to overcome the barriers in each setting.