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Access to nutritious foods, a social determinant of health, contributes to disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes such as mental health, breastfeeding intensity and cardiometabolic risk. This study explored perceived nutrition access and intake among pregnant or post‐partum women eligible for Medicaid. Qualitative, semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 women who were either currently pregnant (n = 4) or up to 12 months post‐partum (n = 14) in 2021–2022. Mothers spoke English (n = 11) or Spanish (n = 7) and lived in the Texas Panhandle. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, translated (Spanish to English) and verified. Two or more researchers coded each interview until consensus was reached using thematic analysis with ATLAS.ti software. The study revealed five drivers for nutrition access. (1) Social factors influenced nutrition; those with less support expressed limited ability to eat healthfully. (2) The Women, Infants and Children program was perceived as a helpful resource for some, while others faced challenges obtaining it. (3) Stress was bidirectionally related to unhealthy food choices, with food sometimes used as a coping mechanism. (4) Mothers prioritized their babies and others and had limited ability and time to prepare healthy meals. (5) Most participants felt they received inadequate nutrition guidance from their healthcare providers. Participants provided positive responses to a proposed nutritious home‐delivered meal intervention. Low‐income women may experience nutritional challenges specific to this life stage. Interventions that reduce stress and burden of household tasks (e.g. cooking) and improve education and access to nutritious foods may improve mothers' ability to consume nutritious foods. Key messages: Pregnant and post‐partum women desire to eat nutritious foods for their own health and that of their infants.More support is needed for women in the post‐partum period as prioritization of others and the stressful transition of caring for a newborn hinder women from maintaining healthy eating habits.Pregnant and post‐partum women want focused nutritional guidance from their healthcare providers.A home‐delivered, nutritious meal programme may be an acceptable intervention to help alleviate the nutritional barriers that are faced by pregnant and post‐partum women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a progressive condition where ongoing inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to complications such as strictures, and fistulae. The long‐term outcomes of newly diagnosed patients under current medical therapy can be used to plan health service provision and guide patients. Methods: Prospective population‐based data on all incident patients diagnosed with IBD in Canterbury was gathered in 2014 (n = 205). The medical records of these patients were followed for medication use, disease progression, hospitalization, surgery and mortality, in the 10 years since their diagnosis. Survival analysis and cox regression determined characteristics associated with earlier time to these outcomes. Results: Medical records of 184 IBD patients were able to be retrieved. Immunomodulators were used by 62% and biologics by 35%; hospitalization occurred for 42% and surgery for 15%. Montreal phenotype progression occurred for 21 and 7% of the cohort died. Younger age at diagnosis hazard ratio (HR) 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–4.0) and Crohn's disease HR 1.7 (95% CI 1.1–2.6) was associated with immunomodulator use. Younger age was also associated with biologic use HR 2.9 (95% CI 1.2–6.9). Male gender was associated with surgery HR 2.8 (95% CI 1.2–6.4). Perianal disease at diagnosis (14.7%) was associated with immunomodulator use HR 2.58 (95% CI 1.44–4.59) and Montreal phenotype progression HR 2.93 (95% CI 1.10–7.77). Conclusion: In the 10 years since diagnosis disease progression and treatment escalation occurred for most of this population‐based cohort. Earlier intervention for patients with higher‐risk characteristics may improve long‐term outcomes reducing the burden on health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study safety, efficacy and weight loss with ADO09, a co‐formulation of insulin A21G and pramlintide, in type 1 diabetes. Materials and Methods: A randomized, two‐arm ambulatory 16‐week study compared ADO09 with insulin lispro in 80 participants with type 1 diabetes. We compared changes of weight, glycated haemoglobin, glycaemic patterns during continuous glucose monitoring, and insulin doses at baseline and at the end of treatment. Results: A significant and continuing weight loss, the primary endpoint, was observed with ADO09 compared with lispro as prandial insulin. In the whole group, the weight loss with ADO09 relative to lispro was 2.1 kg. Glycaemic control was relatively good (7.7% mean glycated haemoglobin) in both groups and did not change during treatment. Prandial insulin doses were reduced by 21% in the ADO09 group, whereas basal insulin dosage was not modified. Gastrointestinal symptoms were more frequent with ADO09, but no clear difference in hypoglycaemia was observed. Conclusions: These results extend previous observations on the efficacy and safety of this insulin/pramlintide co‐formulation. They show a beneficial effect on weight, using less mealtime insulin and without increased hypoglycaemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In several therapeutic areas, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), there is a growing interest in how best to analyze estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) data over time in randomized clinical trials including how to best accommodate situations where the rate of change is not anticipated to be linear over time, often due to possible short term hemodynamic effects of certain classes of interventions. In such situations, concerns have been expressed by regulatory authorities that the common application of single slope analysis models may induce Type I error inflation. This article aims to offer practical advice and guidance, including SAS codes, on the statistical methodology to be employed in an eGFR rate of change analysis and offers guidance on trial design considerations for eGFR endpoints. A two‐slope statistical model for eGFR data over time is proposed allowing for an analysis to simultaneously evaluate short term acute effects and long term chronic effects. A simulation study was conducted under a range of credible null and alternative hypotheses to evaluate the performance of the two‐slope model in comparison to commonly used single slope random coefficients models as well as to non‐slope based analyses of change from baseline or time normalized area under the curve (TAUC). Importantly, and contrary to preexisting concerns, these simulations demonstrate the absence of alpha inflation associated with the use of single or two‐slope random coefficient models, even when such models are misspecified, and highlight that any concern regarding model misspecification relates to power and not to lack of Type I error control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to develop consensus for diagnosis/management of SCN8A‐related disorders. Utilizing a modified Delphi process, a global cohort of experienced clinicians and caregivers provided input on diagnosis, phenotypes, treatment, and management of SCN8A‐related disorders. Methods: A Core Panel (13 clinicians, one researcher, six caregivers), divided into three subgroups (diagnosis/phenotypes, treatment, comorbidities/prognosis), performed a literature review and developed questions for the modified Delphi process. Twenty‐eight expert clinicians, one researcher, and 13 caregivers from 16 countries participated in the subsequent three survey rounds. We defined consensus as follows: strong consensus, ≥80% fully agree; moderate consensus, ≥80% fully/partially agree, <10% disagree; and modest consensus, 67%–79% fully/partially agree, <10% disagree. Results: Early diagnosis is important for long‐term clinical outcomes in SCN8A‐related disorders. There are five phenotypes: three with early seizure onset (severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy [DEE], mild/moderate DEE, self‐limited (familial) infantile epilepsy [SeL(F)IE]) and two with later/no seizure onset (neurodevelopmental delay with generalized epilepsy [NDDwGE], NDD without epilepsy [NDDwoE]). Caregivers represented six patients with severe DEE, five mild/moderate DEE, one NDDwGE, and one NDDwoE. Phenotypes vary by age at seizures/developmental delay onset, seizure type, electroencephalographic/magnetic resonance imaging findings, and first‐line treatment. Gain of function (GOF) versus loss of function (LOF) is valuable for informing treatment. Sodium channel blockers are optimal first‐line treatment for GOF, severe DEE, mild/moderate DEE, and SeL(F)IE; levetiracetam is relatively contraindicated in GOF patients. First‐line treatment for NDDwGE is valproate, ethosuximide, or lamotrigine; sodium channel blockers are relatively contraindicated in LOF patients. Significance: This is the first‐ever global consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of SCN8A‐related disorders. This consensus will reduce knowledge gaps in disease recognition and inform preferred treatment across this heterogeneous disorder. Consensus of this type allows more clinicians to provide evidence‐based care and empowers SCN8A families to advocate for their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to develop consensus on comorbidities (frequency, severity, and prognosis) and overall outcomes in epilepsy, development, and cognition for the five phenotypes of SCN8A‐related disorders. Methods: A core panel consisting of 13 clinicians, 1 researcher, and 6 caregivers was formed and split into three workgroups. One group focused on comorbidities and prognosis. All groups performed a literature review and developed questions for use in a modified‐Delphi process. Twenty‐eight clinicians, one researcher, and 13 caregivers from 16 countries participated in three rounds of the modified‐Delphi process. Consensus was defined as follows: strong consensus ≥80% fully agree; moderate consensus ≥80% fully or partially agree, <10% disagree; and modest consensus 67%–79% fully or partially agree, <10% disagree. Results: Consensus was reached on the presence of 14 comorbidities in patients with Severe Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy (Severe DEE) spanning non‐seizure neurological disorders and other organ systems; impacts were mostly severe and unlikely to improve or resolve. Across Mild/Moderate Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy (Mild/Moderate DEE), Neurodevelopmental Delay with Generalized Epilepsy (NDDwGE), and NDD without Epilepsy (NDDwoE) phenotypes, cognitive and sleep‐related comorbidities as well as fine and gross motor delays may be present but are less severe and more likely to improve compared to Severe DEE. There was no consensus on comorbidities in the SeL(F)IE phenotype but strong conesensus that seizures would largely resolve. Seizure freedom is rare in patients with Severe DEE but may occur in some with Mild/Moderate DEE and NDDwGE. Significance: Significant comorbidities are present in most phenotypes of SCN8A‐related disorders but are most severe and pervasive in the Severe DEE phenotype. We hope that this work will improve recognition, early intervention, and long‐term management for patients with these comorbidities and provide the basis for future evidence‐based studies on optimal treatments of SCN8A‐related disorders. Identifying the prognosis of patients with SCN8A‐related disorders will also improve care and quality‐of‐life for patients and their caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peruvian Province, from 6° S in Peru to 42° S in Chile, is a highly productive coastal marine region whose biology and fossil record have long been studied separately but never integrated. To understand how past events and conditions affected today's species composition and interactions, we examined the role of extinction, colonization, geologic changes to explain previously unrecognized peculiar features of the biota and to compare the Peruvian Province's history to that of other climatically similar temperate coasts. We synthesized all available data on the benthic (or benthically feeding) biota, with emphasis on fossilizable taxa, for the interval from the Miocene (23–5.4 Ma) and Pliocene (5.4–2.5 Ma) to the present. We outline the history of ecological guilds including primary producers, herbivores, predators, and suspension‐feeders and document patterns of extinction, colonization, and geographic restriction. We identify twelve unusual attributes of the biota, most of which are the result of repeated episodes of extinction. Several guilds present during the Miocene and Pliocene are not represented in the province today, while groups such as kelps and perhaps intertidal predatory sea stars are relative newcomers. Guilds on soft bottoms and in sheltered habitats were severely affected by extinction, whereas those on hard bottoms were most affected by colonists and held their own in diversity. The Peruvian Province has not served as a biogeographic refuge, in contrast to the coasts of Australasia and Argentina, where lineages no longer present in the Peruvian Province survive. The loss of sheltered habitats since the Pliocene explains many of the present‐day peculiarities of the biota. The history of the province's biota explains its unique attributes. High productivity, a rich Southern Hemisphere heritage, and colonization from the north account for the present‐day composition and unusual characteristics of the biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important part of ocean carbon biogeochemistry with relevance to long‐term observations of ocean biology due to its dominant light absorption properties. Thus, understanding the underlying processes controlling CDOM distribution is important for predicting changes in light availability, primary production, and the cycling of biogeochemically important matter. We present a biogeochemical CDOM model for the open ocean with two classes of biological lability and uncertainty estimates derived from 43 ensemble members that provide a range of model parameter variations. Ensemble members were optimized to match global ocean in situ CDOM measurements and independently assessed against satellite CDOM estimates, which showed good agreement in spatial patterns. Based on the ensemble median, we estimate that about 7% of open‐ocean CDOM is of terrestrial origin, but the ensemble range is large (<0.1–26%). CDOM is rapidly removed in the surface ocean (<200 m) due to biological degradation for short‐lived CDOM and photodegradation for long‐lived CDOM, leading to a net flux of CDOM to the surface ocean from the dark ocean. This deep‐water source (ensemble median 0.001 m−1 yr−1) is similar in magnitude to the riverine flux (0.005 m−1 yr−1) into the surface ocean. Though discrepancies between the model and observational data remain, this work serves as a foundational framework for a mechanistic assessment of global CDOM distribution that is independent of satellite data. Plain Language Summary: The ocean holds a large pool of carbon in the form of dissolved organic matter, a complex mixture of sub‐micron compounds derived from the breakdown of organisms. A subset of this mixture, called colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), absorbs sunlight, which affects the amount of light available for photosynthesis and interferes with satellite observations of ocean biology. Thus, understanding what controls CDOM distribution in the ocean is important for predicting changes in ocean biology that affect overall carbon cycling. In this study, we present the first global ocean CDOM model that simulates CDOM distribution based on dominant production and removal mechanisms. The modeled distribution was matched to ship‐based CDOM observations. Our model results show that the majority of CDOM in the open ocean is produced within the ocean rather than transported from land by rivers. CDOM is removed mainly in the surface ocean via degradation caused by light exposure, and surface CDOM is replenished by a sub‐surface source. This model is broadly consistent with and independent of satellite‐derived CDOM data sets, and serves as the first step in providing a mechanistic assessment of global CDOM distribution that can be used to improve satellite ocean observations. Key Points: A budget for open ocean chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is constructed using a two‐component biogeochemical modelAn estimated 7% of open‐ocean CDOM comes from rivers, and about 80% of marine‐origin CDOM is derived from particulate organic matterBiological degradation dominates the loss of short‐lived CDOM while photodegradation controls the fate of long‐lived CDOM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study characterized ocean biological carbon pump metrics in the second iteration of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes (RECCAP2) project. The analysis here focused on comparisons of global and biome‐scale regional patterns in particulate organic carbon (POC) production and sinking flux from the RECCAP2 ocean biogeochemical model ensemble against observational products derived from satellite remote sensing, sediment traps, and geochemical methods. There was generally good model‐data agreement in mean large‐scale spatial patterns, but with substantial spread across the model ensemble and observational products. The global‐integrated, model ensemble‐mean export production, taken as the sinking POC flux at 100 m (6.08 ± 1.17 Pg C yr−1), and export ratio defined as sinking flux divided by net primary production (0.154 ± 0.026) both fell at the lower end of observational estimates. Comparison with observational constraints also suggested that the model ensemble may have underestimated regional biological CO2 drawdown and air‐sea CO2 flux in high productivity regions. Reasonable model‐data agreement was found for global‐integrated, ensemble‐mean sinking POC flux into the deep ocean at 1,000 m (0.65 ± 0.24 Pg C yr−1) and the transfer efficiency defined as flux at 1,000 m divided by flux at 100 m (0.122 ± 0.041), with both variables exhibiting considerable regional variability. The RECCAP2 analysis presents standard ocean biological carbon pump metrics for assessing biogeochemical model skill, metrics that are crucial for further modeling efforts to resolve remaining uncertainties involving system‐level interactions between ocean physics and biogeochemistry. Plain Language Summary: Phytoplankton in the surface ocean create each year an amount of organic carbon approximately equivalent to all the annual photosynthesis by plants on land. A small fraction of this newly formed organic carbon is exported below the surface layer, and an even smaller amount makes it all the way to the deep ocean. The transport of organic carbon to the sub‐surface ocean, called the biological carbon pump, influences the global‐scale distributions of ocean nutrients, oxygen, and inorganic carbon as well as the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The global rates and geographic patterns of photosynthesis and carbon flux out of the surface ocean have previously been constructed from ship measurements and satellite remote sensing. Here, we compare these observation‐based estimates to a suite of three‐dimensional numerical ocean models and find broadly similar results. The model simulations also capture aspects of the biological carbon pump deeper in the water column, where there are fewer direct constraints from field observations. Our comparison of observations and simulations identifies some deficiencies in the models that should be corrected in order to better simulate climate change impacts on the biological carbon pump. Key Points: Global‐scale, ocean biogeochemical simulations are compared with observation‐based estimates of the marine biological carbon pumpA multi‐model ensemble exhibits good agreement with observation‐based metrics for carbon export flux and transfer efficiencyBased on identified model‐observation and inter‐model differences, we provide guidance for future model evaluations and development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean's organic carbon export is a key control on atmospheric pCO2 and stimulating this export could potentially mitigate climate change. We use a data‐constrained model to calculate the sensitivity of atmospheric pCO2 to local changes in export using an adjoint approach. A perpetual enhancement of the biological pump's export by 0.1 PgC/yr could achieve a roughly 1% reduction in pCO2 at average sensitivity. The sensitivity varies roughly 5‐fold across different ocean regions and is proportional to the difference between the mean sequestration time τseq of regenerated carbon and the response time τpre of performed carbon, which is the reduction in the preformed carbon inventory per unit increase in local export production. Air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium modulates the geographic pattern of τpre, causing particularly high sensitivities (2–3 times the global mean) in the Antarctic Divergence region of the Southern Ocean. Plain Language Summary: Atmospheric CO2 levels could be reduced by stimulating plankton in the ocean to produce more organic carbon that then sinks to depth (is exported) at a higher rate. The resulting carbon deficit in surface waters drives atmospheric carbon into the ocean. The efficacy of this process depends on how long the exported carbon stays isolated from the surface and how quickly the surface deficit can be filled. Here we investigate how sensitive atmospheric CO2 levels are to a given enhancement in carbon export and where such enhancements would be most effective. We show that the sensitivity is determined by the difference between the time for which exported carbon stays sequestered at depth and the time with which the rest of the carbon in the ocean responds to the additional export rate. High sequestration times are found where the organic carbon is exported into old deep waters, while fast response times are found where it is easy for gas exchange to inject carbon into the ocean and where the additionally exported carbon is less likely to resurface and escape into the atmosphere. These factors result in the Southern Ocean and the tropics having greatest sensitivity. Key Points: pCO2 sensitivity to carbon export perturbations is governed by sequestration time, preformed response time, and atmospheric turnover timeHigh sensitivity occurs in the tropics and Southern Ocean where sequestration time is long and preformed response time is shortThe preformed response time is modulated by air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium and shortest in the Atlantic and Southern Ocean [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of interspecific and spatiotemporal variation in demography–environment relationships is key for understanding the population dynamics of sympatric species and developing multispecies conservation strategies. We used hierarchical random‐effects models to examine interspecific and spatial variation in annual productivity in six migratory ducks (i.e., American wigeon [Mareca americana], blue‐winged teal [Spatula discors], gadwall [Mareca strepera], green‐winged teal [Anas crecca], mallard [Anas platyrhynchos] and northern pintail [Anas acuta]) across six distinct ecostrata in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. We tested whether breeding habitat conditions (seasonal pond counts, agricultural intensification, and grassland acreage) or cross‐seasonal effects (indexed by flooded rice acreage in primary wintering areas) better explained variation in the proportion of juveniles captured during late summer banding. The proportion of juveniles (i.e., productivity) was highly variable within species and ecostrata throughout 1961–2019 and generally declined through time in blue‐winged teal, gadwall, mallard, pintail, and wigeon, but there was no support for a trend in green‐winged teal. Productivity in Canadian ecostrata declined with increasing agricultural intensification and increased with increasing pond counts. We also found a strong cross‐seasonal effect, whereby more flooded rice hectares during winter resulted in higher subsequent productivity. Our results suggest highly consistent environmental and anthropogenic effects on waterfowl productivity across species and space. Our study advances our understanding of current year and cross‐seasonal effects on duck productivity across a suite of species and at finer spatial scales, which could help managers better target working‐lands conservation programs on both breeding and wintering areas. We encourage other researchers to evaluate environmental drivers of population dynamics among species in a single modeling framework for a deeper understanding of whether conservation plans should be generalized or customized given limited financial resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both fine‐ and coarse‐scale physicochemical conditions affect the quantity and quality of nursery habitats within riverine ecosystems. Nursery habitats in large, braided, and sandbed streams such as the lower Red River of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas are not well described and likely vary among species. Identification of nursery habitats is important for developing proper conservation and management actions. We used an occupancy model framework to determine how hierarchical habitat factors related to the occupancy of 38 juvenile fish species. Our findings indicate that large river nursery habitats can generally be defined by reaches with off‐channel slackwater habitat, having deep pools but shallow thalweg depths, typically located further away from dams, and with low percentages of limestone lithology. Species within the same genera often exhibited variable relationships with river slope, amount of large woody debris, channel shape, discharge, and position of reaches within the stream network. Our results indicate important species‐specific relationships that define nursery habitats, indicating an important context dependency of nursery habitats even within fishes that are taxonomically similar. If the goal is to improve recruitment by native fishes, then consideration of the important species‐specific differences would be beneficial if improvements are made to nursery habitats. Moreover, careful consideration of the effects of dam operations will help maintain proper connectivity to off‐channel habitats important in downriver portions of the river network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species‐specific management strategies have been implemented to address persistently low continental populations of several duck species, including the northern pintail (Anas acuta). In the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), addressing threats from spring‐seeded cereals on pintail productivity may provide sufficient gains to recover populations. Research on pintail duckling ecology has revealed that duckling survival may be greater in grassland‐dominated landscapes than in annual cropland‐dominated landscapes, possibly limiting the benefits of fall‐seeded cropping practices. Winter wheat crops increase nest success and may assist nesting pintail populations through provision of nesting refuges from spring tillage operations, earlier hatch, and greater nest densities compared to traditional spring‐seeded cereal crops. Yet inadequate duckling survival may reduce these benefits. Our principal objective was to examine if pintail reproductive success in winter wheat in cropland‐dominated landscapes was comparable to grassland‐dominated landscapes or, alternatively, if duckling survival rates in cropland‐dominated landscapes offset the gains of greater nesting success in winter wheat. We captured and radio‐marked 104 nesting female pintails in grasslands and croplands of southern Saskatchewan, during 2011–2012. We modeled cumulative survival to 30 days post hatch in relation to landscape composition and land cover type, specifically, the influence of nesting in fall‐seeded crops. Predicted 30‐day survival for ducklings hatched in perennial cover (40.8% [85% CI = 40.0–44.6%]) in grassland‐dominated landscapes and winter wheat (38.2% [32.0–44.4%]) in cropland‐dominated landscapes was more than double survival of ducklings hatched in spring‐seeded cropland (16.9% [12.6–21.6%]) in cropland‐dominated landscapes. Ducklings moving through local environments with more perennial cover and seasonal wetlands, but less wetland edge, had increased survival. The benefit of greater nest survival in winter wheat was not completely superseded by reduced duckling survival for broods raised in intensive agricultural landscapes. The retention of grassland landscapes and expansion and promotion of fall‐seeded crops in cropland‐dominated landscapes can benefit northern pintails across broad regions of the PPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technological advancements, improved surgical access, and heightened demand for surgery have fueled unprecedented device and supply turnover impelling wealthy hospitals to upgrade continually and sell, donate, recycle, or dispose of used, expired, antiquated, or surplus goods. This paper reviews the issues related to device and supply lifecycles and discusses the opportunities and challenges they present for sustainable surgical growth in low‐ and middle‐income (LMICs) countries. Observations: This review found, in LMICs countries, regulatory disparities persist that limit effective harmonization secondary to highly variable national policies and a lack of prioritized enforcement. Heterogeneity in the regulatory landscape, specifically in the classification, nomenclature, and identification of medical devices, encumbers effective regulation and distribution. Once devices are sold, donated, or reused in LMICs countries, complexities arise in regulatory compliance, maintenance, and appropriate use of these technologies. At the end of the lifecycle, waste management poses significant obstacles with limited resources hindering the implementation of best practices. Conclusion: There are major disparities in access to quality surgical equipment and supplies around the world. Improved communication between relevant stakeholders and harmonization of manufacture and disposal regulations will be needed to ensure adequate and appropriate responses to these challenges. Trial registration number: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the status of several migratory fishes in the Mobile River Basin, Alabama, has been complicated due to a general lack of historical data on their life history, habitat requirements, and distributions. Whether distributions were restricted by natural or man‐made barriers to migration is difficult to answer because few scientific collections were made before dams were built, and the earliest dams were built at the largest biogeographic barrier in the basin: the geological fall line. Therefore, we used what information was available, including anecdotal information, primarily records from archived newspapers and government reports, to describe the ranges of six migratory species prior to the construction of dams in the Mobile Basin. We describe the complicated history of Alabama Shad Alosa alabamae and show that range declines may have been masked by the stocking of American Shad Alosa sapidissima in the late 19th century. We show that Gulf Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi probably migrated well above the fall line in the Coosa River, and may have been sympatric with Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens. We found no records of Alabama Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus suttkusi above the fall line. American Eel Anguilla rostrata migrated above the fall line in every Mobile Basin river before dams were built. Finally, Paddlefish Polyodon spathula may have once occurred above the fall line in at least two rivers, but they persist today in impounded reaches in the coastal plain, unlike some other species. We hope that future work will continue to consider archival sources of information to re‐trace the histories of imperilled species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean is a major carbon sink and takes up 25%–30% of the anthropogenically emitted CO2. A state‐of‐the‐art method to quantify this sink are global ocean biogeochemistry models (GOBMs), but their simulated CO2 uptake differs between models and is systematically lower than estimates based on statistical methods using surface ocean pCO2 and interior ocean measurements. Here, we provide an in‐depth evaluation of ocean carbon sink estimates from 1980 to 2018 from a GOBM ensemble. As sources of inter‐model differences and ensemble‐mean biases our study identifies (a) the model setup, such as the length of the spin‐up, the starting date of the simulation, and carbon fluxes from rivers and into sediments, (b) the simulated ocean circulation, such as Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and Southern Ocean mode and intermediate water formation, and (c) the simulated oceanic buffer capacity. Our analysis suggests that a late starting date and biases in the ocean circulation cause a too low anthropogenic CO2 uptake across the GOBM ensemble. Surface ocean biogeochemistry biases might also cause simulated anthropogenic fluxes to be too low, but the current setup prevents a robust assessment. For simulations of the ocean carbon sink, we recommend in the short‐term to (a) start simulations at a common date before the industrialization and the associated atmospheric CO2 increase, (b) conduct a sufficiently long spin‐up such that the GOBMs reach steady‐state, and (c) provide key metrics for circulation, biogeochemistry, and the land‐ocean interface. In the long‐term, we recommend improving the representation of these metrics in the GOBMs. Plain Language Summary: In this study, we evaluate the performance of state‐of‐art global ocean biogeochemistry models (GOBMs) in simulating CO2 fluxes across the air‐sea interface from 1980 to 2018 for the Global Carbon Budget. Across these GOBMs, the simulated CO2 uptake is systematically lower than that of observation‐based estimates and the estimates differ also substantially between GOBMs. As reasons for the too low carbon sink of the GOBMs, we find that the simulations of several GOBMs were initialized after the start of the industrial revolution and that the majority of the considered GOBMs underestimate the large‐scale ocean circulation in the Atlantic. The different initialization times of the simulations as well as different strengths of the simulated ocean circulation across the global ocean also partly explain the inter‐model differences for the ocean carbon sink. Our analysis of the influence of GOBM dynamics on their simulated carbon sink was impeded by the fact that not all GOBMs had the same initial stability and that the riverine component of the ocean carbon sink is highly uncertain in both observations and GOBMs. Based on our evaluation, we give recommendations for follow up studies. Key Points: The simulated CO2‐uptake by global ocean biogeochemistry models (GOBMs) in the second phase of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes project is systematically lower than observation‐based estimatesThis underestimation can, to first order, be explained by the simulation setup as well as biases in surface chemistry and ocean circulationConcrete steps forward are proposed to improve simulations of the ocean carbon sink by GOBMs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random coefficient (RC) models are commonly used in clinical trials to estimate the rate of change over time in longitudinal data. Trials utilizing a surrogate endpoint for accelerated approval with a confirmatory longitudinal endpoint to show clinical benefit is a strategy implemented across various therapeutic areas, including immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Understanding conditional power (CP) and information fraction calculations of RC models may help in the design of clinical trials as well as provide support for the confirmatory endpoint at the time of accelerated approval. This paper provides calculation methods, with practical examples, for determining CP at an interim analysis for a RC model with longitudinal data, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) assessments to measure rate of change in eGFR slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article published in "Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism" discusses the absence of a glucose-lowering effect in glucose clamp procedures with a long-acting insulin analogue. The study analyzed over 1000 euglycaemic glucose clamp procedures involving insulin glargine U100 in individuals with type 1 diabetes. It was found that a small percentage of clamps did not require glucose infusion, indicating a lack of response to insulin, which may be due to lower insulin absorption and higher insulin requirements in those affected. The authors suggest using arithmetic means for regulatory purposes when reporting the main pharmacodynamic outcomes of euglycaemic glucose clamps. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Reducing Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides recruitment and therefore population density could benefit recreational fisheries in small impoundments by improving individual growth rates and increasing the average size and condition of Largemouth Bass. To achieve these effects, methods of controlling Largemouth Bass recruitment should avoid reducing the productivity of their primary prey species, the Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. Methods: We tested this hypothesis by evaluating the effects of shoreline rotenone application on the density of Bluegill and the density, growth, and survival of age‐0 and age‐1 Largemouth Bass in 15 Alabama small impoundments. Result: After treatment, Largemouth Bass age‐0 densities declined and mean age‐1 length increased, whereas Bluegill populations were not significantly reduced. Conclusion: Our study indicates that shoreline rotenone application may be a valuable method for reducing Largemouth Bass recruitment and increasing the growth of age‐1 Largemouth Bass in small impoundments. However, further research is needed to understand the effects of treatment on nontarget fishes and to better assess the effects of factors such as impoundment surface area and treatment frequency and duration on the ultimate utility of the approach. Impact statementSmall impoundment management could benefit from reducing Largemouth Bass recruitment. We found that shoreline rotenone application improved age‐1 Largemouth Bass growth rates while Bluegill densities were unaffected. Shoreline rotenone application appears to immediately enhance Largemouth Bass populations in impoundments ≤11 ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The impact of maternal metformin use during pregnancy on fetal, infant, childhood and adolescent growth, development, and health remains unclear. Our objective was to systematically review the available evidence from animal experiments on the effects of intrauterine metformin exposure on offspring's anthropometric, cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PUBMED and EMBASE from inception (searched on 12th April 2023). We extracted original, controlled animal studies that investigated the effects of maternal metformin use during pregnancy on offspring anthropometric, cardiovascular and metabolic measurements. Subsequently, risk of bias was assessed and meta‐analyses using the standardized mean difference and a random effects model were conducted for all outcomes containing data from 3 or more studies. Subgroup analyses were planned for species, strain, sex and type of model in the case of 10 comparisons or more per subgroup. Results: We included 37 articles (n = 3133 offspring from n = 716 litters, containing n = 51 comparisons) in this review, mostly (95%) on rodent models and 5% pig models. Follow‐up of offspring ranged from birth to 2 years of age. Thirty four of the included articles could be included in the meta‐analysis. No significant effects in the overall meta‐analysis of metformin on any of the anthropometric, cardiovascular and metabolic offspring outcome measures were identified. Between‐studies heterogeneity was high, and risk of bias was unclear in most studies as a consequence of poor reporting of essential methodological details. Conclusion: This systematic review was unable to establish effects of metformin treatment during pregnancy on anthropometric, cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes in non‐human offspring. Heterogeneity between studies was high and reporting of methodological details often limited. This highlights a need for additional high‐quality research both in humans and model systems to allow firm conclusions to be established. Future research should include focus on the effects of metformin in older offspring age groups, and on outcomes which have gone uninvestigated to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bariatric procedures have become safer in recent years, warranting new data on long‐term costs. This study examined the impact of bariatric procedures on a person's long‐term healthcare costs up to 10 years and if it differed by socio‐economic status (SES). Methods: This retrospective observational study compared the downstream health care cost of patients with obesity who had undergone bariatric surgery (BS) between 2009 and 2018 to a 1:1 matched group of members with obesity but no surgery. Results: 167,764 individuals from administrative claims data with an obesity diagnosis were included; 83,882 in the BS group and 83,882 in the non‐surgical group. In follow‐up years 2–10, the BS group was associated with lower total medical healthcare cost compared to the non‐surgical group (cost ratios ranged 0.85–0.93, p values < 0.05). When stratifying the BS group by SES quartiles, there were no significant cost differences by SES (cost ratios ranged from 0.96 to 1.05, most p values > 0.05). Conclusions: BS was associated with lower long‐term follow‐up medical cost and cost savings appeared similar among the SES quartiles in the BS group. The study results may help policy makers and employers in designing benefits and extending coverage for bariatric surgical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocean's biological carbon pump (BCP) affects the Earth's climate by sequestering CO2 away from the atmosphere for decades to millennia. One primary control on the amount of carbon sequestered by the biological pump is air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium, which is controlled by the rate of air‐sea CO2 exchange and the residence time of CO2 in surface waters. Here, we use a data‐assimilated model of the soft tissue BCP to quantify carbon sequestration inventories and time scales from remineralization in the water column to equilibration with the atmosphere. We find that air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium enhances the global biogenic carbon inventory by ∼35% and its sequestration time by ∼70 years compared to identical calculations made assuming instantaneous air‐sea CO2 exchange. Locally, the greatest enhancement occurs in the subpolar Southern Ocean, where air‐sea disequilibrium increases sequestration times by up to 600 years and the biogenic dissolved inorganic carbon inventory by >100% in the upper ocean. Contrastingly, in deep‐water formation regions of the North Atlantic and Antarctic margins, where biological production creates undersaturated surface waters which are subducted before fully equilibrating with the atmosphere, air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium decreases the depth‐integrated sequestration inventory by up to ∼150%. The global enhancement of carbon sequestration by air‐sea disequilibrium is particularly important for carbon respired in deep waters that upwell in the Southern Ocean. These results highlight the importance of accounting for air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium when evaluating carbon sequestration by the biological pump and for assessing the efficacy of ocean‐based CO2 removal methods. Plain Language Summary: In the surface ocean, tiny organisms called phytoplankton convert CO2 to organic matter, a portion of which is transferred to the deep ocean where it then releases CO2. This regenerated CO2 can be stored for hundreds to thousands of years before it is brought back to the surface ocean and reenters the atmosphere. Through this transfer of carbon from the surface to the depth, the "biological carbon pump" helps the ocean take up more CO2 from the atmosphere. In this study, we used computer models to determine how the rate of CO2 exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere impacts the amount of time CO2 can be stored in the ocean. Since the air‐sea exchange of CO2 is slow, the amount of carbon stored by the biological pump is about 35% greater than it would be if the exchange happened instantly. The slow air‐sea exchange rate also increases the length of time this carbon will be stored in the ocean. It is important to take this effect into account when assessing methods for deliberately storing CO2 in the ocean. Key Points: Impact of air‐sea CO2 disequilibrium on biogenic carbon inventories and sequestration times is quantified using an ocean biogeochemical modelAir‐sea CO2 disequilibrium enhances global sequestration time by ∼70 years and biogenic dissolved inorganic carbon inventory by ∼35%Disequilibrium effect is the strongest in the Southern Ocean and North Atlantic and weakest in the Pacific Ocean [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides with low mammalian toxicity and broad‐spectrum activity across insects. One major challenge with pyrethroids is their perceived repellency. This perception can influence decisions made by pest control operators, especially when insecticides are used to reduce insect entry into or movement within structures. One major indoor pest that has been repeatedly shown to be repelled by some pyrethroids is the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. However, most experiments evaluating pyrethroid repellency in the German cockroach have used end‐point assays, which do not provide information on the movement that led to the final position. Therefore, we evaluated the kinetic behavioral response of field‐collected German cockroaches to five pyrethroid‐based products and their active ingredients (A.I.) in open behavioral arenas using advanced video tracking software. In addition, in an effort to compare our free‐moving experiments with end‐point assays, we evaluated sheltering behavior using two‐choice harborage arrestment assays where German cockroaches were provided a choice between pyrethroid‐treated and untreated shelters. RESULTS: All pyrethroid‐formulated products and their respective A.I.'s failed to affect field‐collected German cockroach movement behavior in free‐moving assays, while positive controls (DEET, corn mint oil) resulted in reduced time spent by German cockroaches in treated areas. However, despite their willingness to move over pyrethroids‐treated surfaces, field‐collected German cockroaches displayed a reduced propensity to arrest on pyrethroids treated tents. CONCLUSION: While most pyrethroids/pyrethroid‐formulated products affected German cockroach arrestment, pyrethroids and pyrethroid‐formulated products failed to change German cockroach movement behavior in free‐moving assays. These results indicate the pyrethroids tested act as contact irritants rather than true‐spatial repellents on field‐collected German cockroaches. This distinction is critical to refining pest management strategies involving pyrethroids. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion of land for agricultural use is a leading driver of global biodiversity loss. Natural and semi‐natural lands within agricultural landscapes are targeted for protection because they provide habitat for many organisms.Pothole (or kettle) wetlands occur across the Northern Hemisphere and are a focus for conservation both because of their location within agriculturally intensive landscapes and their importance to vertebrates, especially migratory birds.Recent evidence suggests that wetlands may also be an important habitat for arthropods, including insects that provide ecosystem services. To understand how insects associate with wetlands and landscape features, we examine the relationship between bumblebees (Bombus), and wetland area, cropland area and wetland perimeter‐area ratio.We found that wetland area is significantly positively associated with the occurrence and abundance of the species studied. We also found that the relationship between bumblebees and wetland perimeter‐area ratio varied across the growing season. This suggests that the importance of wetland edge as a foraging habitat varies across the season.These results show the utility of wetlands to bees, though their resources are likely not being used uniformly by all bumblebee species or across the entire growing season. Our results also suggest that pothole wetlands in agricultural landscapes are likely to support biodiversity, and their conservation contributes to overall ecosystem health and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Unreduced gametes are the primary mechanism of neopolyploid formation. Their production in diploid populations is arguably maladaptive, but the magnitude and patterns of genetically based variation maintained in natural populations are poorly understood. Methods: We examined variation in male and female unreduced gamete production among plants from different elevations in fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium, grown in a common environment. Using seeds from three high‐elevation and three low‐elevation diploid populations in one study, and a single diploid population in another, we estimated realized rates of unreduced male (sperm) and female (egg) gamete production by reciprocally pollinating diploid and tetraploid plants and estimating the incidence of tetraploid seeds using flow cytometry. Results: Unreduced gamete frequencies per plant were similar in the two studies (0.12% vs. 0.08%). High‐elevation populations had a greater percentage of fruit with seeds from unreduced gametes, but a lower percentage of seeds per fruit than low‐elevation populations. Female unreduced gamete frequencies differed among elevations, but male frequencies did not, and the gamete sexes were not correlated at the plant level. Conclusions: We conclude that genetically based variation for unreduced gametes is maintained within and among natural populations, despite their fitness disadvantages, suggesting that local selection may be ineffective at purging them under some conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Movement of fish past dams can be facilitated by dedicated fish passage structures, navigational locks, and crested spillways, with the efficacy of a passage structure depending strongly on the nature of the system (height of the dam, flow rate, etc.) and the fish's behavior and swimming capability. However, once the fish have passed a dam, whether by using a mitigation structure or due to active translocation, they encounter a different habitat upstream versus in the tailrace, potentially affecting their ability to continue their upstream migration. Methods: Here, we had two objectives. First, we determined whether Paddlefish Polyodon spathula that successfully passed a structure continued their upstream migration in the Alabama River. Because assuring passage by tagged fish required that we move the fish past the dam, our second objective was to determine whether translocated fish exhibited fallback behavior (downstream drift or movement postrelease that would compromise their continued migration). We used both active and passive telemetry methods to quantify the postpassage movements of tagged and translocated Paddlefish. Result: Fish that were translocated above Claiborne Lock and Dam (CLD) exhibited upriver movements once translocated, and they exhibited no fallback (i.e., downstream movement with delayed or no continuation upstream). Timing of movement relative to spawning periods did not influence initial fish movement or the likelihood of reaching the next upstream dam (Millers Ferry Lock and Dam [MFLD]; ~100 river kilometers upstream) within the first 30 days of observation, but more fish that were tagged and released during the early prespawn period made it to within 4.83 km of MFLD (the location of our closest receiver below MFLD) relative to fish from the prespawn or spawning period. Fish that were released above CLD had a lower probability of being subsequently detected downstream of their release sites compared to fish that were released below CLD. Conclusion: Our findings support that Paddlefish will continue their upstream migration once they have passed a structure, despite changes in habitat. Impact statementDams represent barriers to fish movement in rivers, but the question remains whether fish will continue an upstream migration once they pass a dam given that the upstream habitat differs from the habitat below the dam. We tracked tagged fish that were moved from downstream to upstream of a lock‐and‐dam structure and found that they did continue their upstream migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the association between continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics and perinatal outcomes in insulin‐treated diabetes mellitus in pregnancy. Materials and Methods: In a post‐hoc analysis of the GlucoMOMS randomized controlled trial, we investigated the association between the metrics of an offline, intermittent CGM, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and perinatal outcomes per trimester in different types of diabetes (type 1, 2 or insulin‐treated gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM]). Data were analysed using multivariable binary logistic regression. Outcomes of interest were neonatal hypoglycaemia, pre‐eclampsia, preterm birth, large for gestational age (LGA) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission. The glucose target range was defined as 3.5–7.8 mmol/L (63–140 mg/dL). Results: Of the 147 participants (N = 50 type 1 diabetes, N = 94 type 2 diabetes/insulin‐treated GDM) randomized to the CGM group of the GlucoMOMS trial, 115 participants had CGM metrics available and were included in the current study. We found that, in pregnancies with type 1 diabetes, a higher second trimester mean glucose was associated with LGA (odds ratio 2.6 [95% confidence interval 1.1–6.2]). In type 2 and insulin‐treated gestational diabetes, an increased area under the curve above limit was associated with LGA (odds ratio 10.0 [95% confidence interval 1.4–72.8]). None of the CGM metrics were associated with neonatal hypoglycaemia, pre‐eclampsia, shoulder dystocia, preterm birth and NICU admission rates for pregnancies complicated by any type of diabetes. Conclusion: In this study, in type 2 diabetes or insulin‐treated GDM, the glucose increased area under the curve above limit was associated with increased LGA. In type 1 diabetes, the mean glucose was the major determinant of LGA. Our study found no evidence that other CGM metrics determined adverse pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring disorders (GPI‐ADs) are a subgroup of congenital disorders of glycosylation. GPI biosynthesis requires proteins encoded by over 30 genes of which 24 genes are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Patients, especially those with PIGA‐encephalopathy, have a high risk of premature mortality which sometimes is attributed to cardiomyopathy. We aimed to explore the occurrence of cardiomyopathy among patients with GPI‐ADs and to raise awareness about this potentially lethal feature. Unpublished patients with genetically proven GPI‐ADs and cardiomyopathy were identified through an international collaboration and recruited through the respective clinicians. We also reviewed the literature for published patients with cardiomyopathy and GPI‐AD and contacted the corresponding authors for additional information. We identified four novel and unrelated patients with GPI‐AD and cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy was diagnosed before adulthood and was the cause of early demise in two patients. Only one patients underwent cardiac workup after being diagnosed with a GPI‐AD. All were diagnosed with PIGA‐encephalopathy and three had a disease‐causing variant at the same residue. The literature reports five additional children with GPI‐AD related cardiomyopathy, three of which died before adulthood. We have shown that patients with GPI‐ADs are at risk of developing cardiomyopathy and that regular cardiac workup with echocardiography is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution to the RECCAP2 (REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes) assessment analyzes the processes that determine the global ocean carbon sink, and its trends and variability over the period 1985–2018, using a combination of models and observation‐based products. The mean sea‐air CO2 flux from 1985 to 2018 is −1.6 ± 0.2 PgC yr−1 based on an ensemble of reconstructions of the history of sea surface pCO2 (pCO2 products). Models indicate that the dominant component of this flux is the net oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2, which is estimated at −2.1 ± 0.3 PgC yr−1 by an ensemble of ocean biogeochemical models, and −2.4 ± 0.1 PgC yr−1 by two ocean circulation inverse models. The ocean also degasses about 0.65 ± 0.3 PgC yr−1 of terrestrially derived CO2, but this process is not fully resolved by any of the models used here. From 2001 to 2018, the pCO2 products reconstruct a trend in the ocean carbon sink of −0.61 ± 0.12 PgC yr−1 decade−1, while biogeochemical models and inverse models diagnose an anthropogenic CO2‐driven trend of −0.34 ± 0.06 and −0.41 ± 0.03 PgC yr−1 decade−1, respectively. This implies a climate‐forced acceleration of the ocean carbon sink in recent decades, but there are still large uncertainties on the magnitude and cause of this trend. The interannual to decadal variability of the global carbon sink is mainly driven by climate variability, with the climate‐driven variability exceeding the CO2‐forced variability by 2–3 times. These results suggest that anthropogenic CO2 dominates the ocean CO2 sink, while climate‐driven variability is potentially large but highly uncertain and not consistently captured across different methods. Plain Language Summary: The second REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes effort, or RECCAP2, provides a comprehensive assessment of global and regional greenhouse gas budgets. This paper focuses on the ocean carbon sink, and investigates the processes that control its magnitude, trends and variability. Observation‐based techniques estimate that the net transfer of CO2 from the atmosphere to the ocean, averaged over 1985–2018, is 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon per year, and that oceanic CO2 uptake is increasing by 0.61 billion tonnes of carbon per year each decade. Models say that most of this CO2 entering the ocean, and its increase over time, is driven by anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which causes the ocean to take up 2.1–2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year. There are some hints that climate change might be accelerating ocean carbon uptake, but the errors in our estimates are too large to know for sure right now. Our methods and observations will have to be improved in order to better detect the impact of climate change on the ocean carbon sink. Key Points: The RECCAP2 global ocean analysis provides an authoritative multi‐model and observation‐based assessment of global ocean CO2 uptakepCO2‐based products yield a mean sea‐air CO2 flux from 1985 to 2018 of −1.6 ± 0.2 PgC yr−1 with a trend of −0.61 PgC yr−1 decade−1 since 2001Ocean anthropogenic CO2 uptake averages −2.1–2.4 PgC yr−1 from 1985 to 2018, with a trend of −0.34–0.41 PgC yr−1 decade−1 since 2001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhinoviruses (RVs) can cause severe wheezing illnesses in young children and patients with asthma. Vaccine development has been hampered by the multitude of RV types with little information about cross‐neutralization. We previously showed that neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses to RV‐C are detected twofold to threefold more often than those to RV‐A throughout childhood. Based on those findings, we hypothesized that RV‐C infections are more likely to induce either cross‐neutralizing or longer‐lasting antibody responses compared with RV‐A infections. We pooled RV diagnostic data from multiple studies of children with respiratory illnesses and compared the expected versus observed frequencies of sequential infections with RV‐A or RV‐C types using log‐linear regression models. We tested longitudinally collected plasma samples from children to compare the duration of RV‐A versus RV‐C nAb responses. Our models identified limited reciprocal cross‐neutralizing relationships for RV‐A (A12–A75, A12–A78, A20–A78, and A75–A78) and only one for RV‐C (C2–C40). Serologic analysis using reference mouse sera and banked human plasma samples confirmed that C40 infections induced nAb responses with modest heterotypic activity against RV‐C2. Mixed‐effects regression modeling of longitudinal human plasma samples collected from ages 2 to 18 years demonstrated that RV‐A and RV‐C illnesses induced nAb responses of similar duration. These results indicate that both RV‐A and RV‐C nAb responses have only modest cross‐reactivity that is limited to genetically similar types. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, RV‐C species may include even fewer cross‐neutralizing types than RV‐A, whereas the duration of nAb responses during childhood is similar between the two species. The modest heterotypic responses suggest that RV vaccines must have a broad representation of prevalent types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder often exhibit deficits in daily living skills, including toileting skills. Previous studies have evaluated components of common toilet training practices, including differential reinforcement, sit schedules, fluid loading, underwear, and wet alarms. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous work by delivering all coaching remotely. Three caregiver‐child dyads participated in this study. A researcher coached caregivers on the implementation of the protocol using a modified behavioral skills training approach via telehealth. Caregivers submitted daily toileting data and weekly audio recordings for treatment integrity checks. The sit schedule fading was individualized to meet the needs and preferences of each family. All caregivers implemented the protocol with high integrity. Two participants met the mastery criteria at the 90‐min sit schedule and maintained performance at the 1‐ and 6‐week maintenance follow up probes. The third participant, despite an interruption of treatment, also reached mastery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We used two approaches, fish hard‐part microchemistry and genetics, to quantify effects of low‐use lock‐and‐dam structures on riverine fish movement. Each approach varied in temporal scope, with microchemistry addressing effects within a lifetime and genetics addressing effects across generations. Methods: Water samples and individuals of two species (Paddlefish Polyodon spathula and Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus) were collected from four river sections that were separated by three low‐use lock‐and‐dam structures on the Alabama River. Quarterly water samples were collected from 15 sites during 2017–2018, and concentrations of Sr, Ba, Mn, Mg, and Ca were quantified using mass spectrometry. Result: Water elemental signatures were spatially variable but temporally consistent. The Sr:Ca ratios in fish hard parts differed significantly among river sections for both species. Additionally, discriminant function analyses classified fish to their river capture section with accuracy between 55% and 74% for Paddlefish (errors nearly always assigned individuals to adjacent river sections) and 37–47% for Smallmouth Buffalo. Population genetic analyses included fish from each river section, as well as from Alabama River tributaries and a neighboring watershed. Genotyping‐by‐sequence techniques identified 1,889 and 3,737 single nucleotide polymorphisms postfiltering in Paddlefish and Smallmouth Buffalo, respectively, which we used to estimate population diversity indices and conduct differentiation analyses. Analysis of molecular variance, discriminant analysis of principal components, Bayesian clustering, and pairwise comparisons of FST values indicated no strong evidence for genetic divergence in either species among river sections. Conclusion: Within‐lifespan results based on hard‐part microchemistry suggested a potential for population isolation. However, longer‐term genetic effects were not apparent, possibly because the life span of these large and relatively long‐lived species means that few generations have passed since dam construction, and there could be sufficient mixing or population connectivity to prevent genetic divergence across river sections, particularly at the most downstream structure. Impact StatementPaddlefish and Smallmouth Buffalo showed evidence of population separation by Alabama River lock‐and‐dams via a within‐generation measure (chemical composition of fish jaw bones and ear stones) but not with a longer‐term metric (genetic isolation). Both species are long lived relative to the age of the dams; effects may be more apparent in shorter‐lived species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Altered temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) regimes in the tailwaters below dams can cause stress to fish. Despite their widespread distribution in rivers across North America, Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens have received little attention relative to the effects of these potential stressors. Quantifying fish swimming performance and kinematics in simulated tailwater conditions can help to determine how riverine species are affected by dam water releases, with the ultimate goal of identifying improved management strategies for these systems. Methods: We quantified Freshwater Drum swimming performance and kinematics by measuring critical swimming speed (in both relative [RUcrit; body lengths/s] and absolute [AUcrit; cm/s] units), tailbeat frequency, tailbeat amplitude, and Strouhal's number under all combinations of low‐DO (4 mg/L), normoxic (9 mg/L), and high‐DO (14 mg/L) conditions at low (10°C), intermediate (20°C), and warm (30°C) water temperatures using both 90‐ and 850‐L swim flumes. Result: Dissolved oxygen at these concentrations did not affect swimming performance. The effect of temperature on swimming performance depended on fish size; RUcrit, AUcrit, and tailbeat frequency decreased with fish length but increased with temperature. In contrast, tailbeat amplitude increased with fish length but did not differ across temperatures. Conclusion: These results suggest that acute low‐ and high‐DO exposure within the tested range may not affect swimming performance or kinematics. However, the influence of temperature on Freshwater Drum swimming performance suggests that the ability of fish to hold position in a tailrace or to successfully pass upstream of a dam may vary seasonally and may depend on the depth from which water is released from a reservoir, as release depth determines the water temperature. Impact statementDams are a globally pervasive feature of moving waters that can provide benefits but also negatively affect aquatic ecosystems, including alteration of temperature and dissolved oxygen. Such alterations could affect the swimming ability of fishes experiencing those alterations. We found that temperature effects on Freshwater Drum swimming performance and kinematics were size‐dependent, while dissolved oxygen concentrations within the ranges we tested did not affect swimming performance or kinematics. The influence of temperature suggests that fish ability to hold position may vary seasonally, and potentially depend on temperatures of water releases from dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dams alter many aspects of riverine environments and can have broad effects on aquatic organisms and habitats both upstream and downstream. While dams and associated reservoirs can provide many services to people (hydropower, recreation, flood control, and navigation), they can also negatively affect riverine ecosystems. In particular, hydropeaking dams affect downstream fish habitats by increasing variability in discharge and temperature. To assess the effects of Harris Dam on the Tallapoosa River, AL, operating under an adaptive management plan implemented in 2005, we sampled fish for community analyses from four sites on the river: three in the regulated reach downstream of the dam, and one unregulated site upstream. Fish were collected every other month using boat/barge electrofishing. We used Shannon's H, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), a multiresponse permutation procedure (MRPP), and indicator species analysis to quantify patterns in fish assemblage structure and determine how assemblages varied among sites. NMDS and MRPP indicated significant fish assemblage differences among sites, with the tailrace fish assemblage being distinct from the other downstream sites and sites becoming more similar to the upstream, unregulated site (relative to fish assemblages) with distance downstream of the tailrace. The tailrace fish assemblage included higher proportions of rheophilic species that may be better suited to variable and/or high flows. Altered fish assemblages demonstrated continued effects of Harris Dam on the downstream aquatic systems, particularly close to the dam. These effects may indicate that further mitigation should be considered depending on conservation and management goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species conservation requires an understanding of the factors and interactions affecting species distribution and behavior, habitat availability and use, and corresponding vital rates at multiple temporal and spatial scales. Opportunities to investigate these relationships across broad geographic regions are rare. We combined long‐term waterfowl population surveys, and studies of habitat use and breeding success, to develop models that identify and incorporate these interactions for upland‐nesting waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of Canada. Specifically, we used data from the annual Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey (1961–2009) at the survey segment level and associated habitat covariates to model and map the long‐term average duck density across the Canadian PPR. We analyzed nest location and fate data from approximately 25,000 duck nests found during 3 multi‐year nesting studies (1994–2011) to model factors associated with nest survival and habitat selection through the nesting season for the 5 most common upland nesting duck species: mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), gadwall (Mareca strepera), blue‐winged teal (Spatula discors), northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), and northern pintail (Anas acuta). Duck density was highly variable across the Canadian PPR, reflecting positive responses to local wetland area and count, and amounts of cropland and grassland, a regional positive response to latitude, and a negative response to local amounts of tree cover. Nest survival was affected by temporal and spatial variables at multiple scales. Specifically, nest survival demonstrated interactive effects among species, nest initiation date, and nesting cover type and was influenced by relative annual wetness, population density, and surrounding landscape composition at landscape scales, and broad geographic gradients (east‐west and north‐south). Likewise, species‐specific probability of nest habitat selection was influenced by timing of nest initiation, population density, relative annual wetness, herbaceous cover, and tree cover in the surrounding landscape, and location within the Canadian PPR. We combined these models, with estimates of breeding effort (nesting, renesting, and nest attempts) from existing literature, in a stochastic conservation planning model that estimates nest distribution and success given spatiotemporal variation in duck density, habitat availability, and influential covariates. We demonstrate the use of this model by examining various conservation planning scenarios. These models allow estimation of local, landscape, and regional influence of conservation investments and other landscape changes on the productivity of breeding duck populations across the PPR of Canada. These models lay the groundwork for the incorporation of conservation delivery costs for full return‐on‐investment analyses and scenario analyses of climate, habitat, and land use change in regional and continental population models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and land use change are two of the primary threats to global biodiversity; however, each species within a community may respond differently to these facets of global change. Although it is typically assumed that species use the habitat that is advantageous for survival and reproduction, anthropogenic changes to the environment can create ecological traps, making it critical to assess both habitat selection (e.g. where species congregate on the landscape) and the influence of selected habitats on the demographic processes that govern population dynamics.We used a long‐term (1958–2011), large‐scale, multi‐species dataset for waterfowl that spans the United States and Canada to estimate species‐specific responses to climate and land use variables in a landscape that has undergone significant environmental change across space and time. We first estimated the effects of change in climate and land use variables on habitat selection and population dynamics for nine species. We then hypothesized that species‐specific responses to environmental change would scale with life‐history traits, specifically: longevity, nesting phenology and female breeding site fidelity.We observed species‐level heterogeneity in the demographic and habitat selection responses to climate and land use change, which would complicate community‐level habitat management. Our work highlights the importance of multi‐species monitoring and community‐level analysis, even among closely related species.We detected several relationships between life‐history traits, particularly nesting phenology, and species' responses to environmental change. One species, the early‐nesting northern pintail (Anas acuta), was consistently at the extreme end of responses to land use and climate predictors and has been a species of conservation concern since their population began to decline in the 1980s. They, and the blue‐winged teal, also demonstrated a positive habitat selection response to the proportion of cropland on the landscape that simultaneously reduced abundance the following year, indicative of susceptibility to ecological traps.By distilling the diversity of species' responses to environmental change within a community, our methodological approach and findings will help improve predictions of community responses to global change and can inform multi‐species management and conservation plans in dynamic landscapes that are based on simple tenets of life‐history theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barystatic sea level rise (SLR) caused by the addition of freshwater to the ocean from melting ice can in principle be recorded by a reduction in seawater salinity, but detection of this signal has been hindered by sparse data coverage and the small trends compared to natural variability. Here, we develop an autoregressive machine learning method to estimate salinity changes in the global ocean from 2001 to 2019 that reduces uncertainties in ocean freshening trends by a factor of four compared to previous estimates. We find that the ocean mass rose by 13,000 ± 3,000 Gt from 2001 to 2019, implying a barystatic SLR of 2.0 ± 0.5 mm/yr. Combined with SLR of 1.3 ± 0.1 mm/yr due to ocean thermal expansion, these results suggest that global mean sea level rose by 3.4 ± 0.6 mm/yr from 2001 to 2019. These results provide an important validation of remote‐sensing measurements of ocean mass changes, global SLR, and global ice budgets. Plain Language Summary: Global sea level rise (SLR) is caused by heating of the ocean, and by the input of freshwater from the melting of glaciers and ice caps. Global freshwater input to the oceans from melting ice during the 21st century has primarily been tracked by satellites that measure changes in the mass of the ocean. Here, we show that trends in global SLR can also be accurately tracked by global observations of ocean salinity changes, as freshwater runoff from melting ice enters the ocean and dilutes ocean salinity. These results show that ocean salinity measurements are critical for monitoring global sea level changes, particularly as polar warming intensifies and the melting of ice sheets accelerates. Key Points: A new full‐depth ocean salinity product yields robust global freshening trend of (35 ± 10) × 10−6 yr−1 from 2001 to 2019Combined with estimates of sea ice loss, this freshening implies that ocean mass rose by 13,000 ± 3,000 Gt from 2001 to 2019Sea level rise derived from ocean temperature and salinity measurements is 3.4 ± 0.6 mm/yr, confirming the satellite altimetry trend [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Findings: What is the central question of this study?Is the attenuation of the respiratory muscle metaboreflex preserved after detraining?What is the main finding and its importance?Inspiratory muscle training increased respiratory muscle strength and attenuated the respiratory muscle metaboreflex as evident by lower heart rate and blood pressure. After 5 weeks of no inspiratory muscle training (detraining), respiratory muscle strength was still elevated and the metaboreflex was still attenuated. The benefits of inspiratory muscle training persist after cessation of training, and attenuation of the respiratory metaboreflex follows changes in respiratory muscle strength. Respiratory muscle training (RMT) improves respiratory muscle (RM) strength and attenuates the RM metaboreflex. However, the time course of muscle function loss after the absence of training or 'detraining' is less known and some evidence suggest the respiratory muscles atrophy faster than other muscles. We sought to determine the RM metaboreflex in response to 5 weeks of RMT and 5 weeks of detraining. An experimental group (2F, 6M; 26 ± 4years) completed 5 weeks of RMT and tibialis anterior (TA) training (each 5 days/week at 50% of maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and 50% maximal isometric force, respectively) followed by 5 weeks of no training (detraining) while a control group (1F, 7M; 24 ± 1years) underwent no intervention. Prior to training (PRE), post‐training (POST) and post‐detraining (DETR), all participants underwent a loaded breathing task (LBT) to failure (60% MIP) while heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were measured. Five weeks of training increased RM (18 ± 9%, P < 0.001) and TA (+34 ± 19%, P < 0.001) strength and both remained elevated after 5 weeks of detraining (MIP‐POST vs. MIP‐DETR: 154 ± 31 vs. 153 ± 28 cmH2O, respectively, P = 0.853; TA‐POST vs. TA‐DETR: 86 ± 19 vs. 85 ± 16 N, respectively, P = 0.982). However, the rise in MAP during LBT was attenuated POST (−11 ± 17%, P = 0.003) and DETR (−9 ± 9%, P = 0.007) during the iso‐time LBT. The control group had no change in MIP (P = 0.33), TA strength (P = 0.385), or iso‐time MAP (P = 0.867) during LBT across all time points. In conclusion, RM and TA have similar temporal strength gains and the attenuation of the respiratory muscle metaboreflex remains after 5 weeks of detraining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of fish populations for conservation in thermally variable systems requires an understanding of the fish's underlying physiology and responses to thermal stress. Physiological research at the organismal level provides information on the overall effects of stressors such as extreme temperature fluctuations. While experiments with whole organisms provide information as to the overall effects of temperature fluctuations, biochemical assays of thermal stress provide direct results of exposure that are both sensitive and specific. Electron transport system (ETS; Complex III) assays quantify a rate‐limiting step of respiratory enzymes. Parameters that can be estimated via this approach include optimum thermal temperature (Topt) and optimal breadth of thermal performance (Tbreadth), which can both be related to organismal‐level temperature thresholds. We exposed enzymes of seven fish species (native fish chosen to represent a typical community in Alabama streams) to temperatures in the range 11–44°C. The resultant enzymatic thermal performance curves showed that Topt, the lower temperature for enzyme optimal thermal performance (Tlow), the upper temperature for enzyme optimal thermal performance (Tup), and Tbreadth differed among species. Relationships between enzymatic activity and temperature for all fish followed a pattern of steadily increasing enzyme activity to Topt before gradually decreasing with increasing temperature. A comparison of our enzyme optimum and upper‐temperature limit results versus published critical thermal maxima values supports that ETS Complex III assays may be useful for assessing organismal‐level thermal tolerance. Highlights: Relationships between Complex III enzyme activity and temperature for all fish followed a pattern of steadily increasing enzyme activity to an optimal temperature before gradually decreasing with increasing temperature.The temperature at the upper limit of the optimum thermal range was close to published CTmax values for five of the seven fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic consequences of species‐wide declines are rarely quantified because the timing and extent of the decline varies across the species' range. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a unique model in this regard. Their dramatic decline from thousands to fewer than 100 individuals per population occurred range‐wide and nearly simultaneously due to the 18th–19th century fur trade. Consequently, each sea otter population represents an independent natural experiment of recovery after extreme population decline. We designed sequence capture probes for 50 Mb of sea otter exonic and neutral genomic regions. We sequenced 107 sea otters from five populations that span the species range to high coverage (18–76×) and three historical Californian samples from ~1500 and ~200 years ago to low coverage (1.5–3.5×). We observe distinct population structure and find that sea otters in California are the last survivors of a divergent lineage isolated for thousands of years and therefore warrant special conservation concern. We detect signals of extreme population decline in every surviving sea otter population and use this demographic history to design forward‐in‐time simulations of coding sequence. Our simulations indicate that this decline could lower the fitness of recovering populations for generations. However, the simulations also demonstrate how historically low effective population sizes prior to the fur trade may have mitigated the effects of population decline on genetic health. Our comprehensive approach shows how demographic inference from genomic data, coupled with simulations, allows assessment of extinction risk and different models of recovery. see also the Perspective by Julia M. Kreiner and Tom R. Booker [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uganda had the longest period of school closures worldwide as a response measure during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Drawing on longitudinal qualitative data from the Contexts of Violence in Adolescence Cohort Study (CoVAC) (2018–2023), we examine how this has affected the lives of adolescents in Uganda. Our analysis showcases how intersecting inequities based on socioeconomic circumstances, gender and location have intensified, with detrimental effects on young people's educational paths and life circumstances. Strategies that take the intersections of these inequities into account are urgently needed to help the most disadvantaged and marginalized young people return to school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The path to childhood asthma is thought to initiate in utero and be further promoted by postnatal exposures. However, the underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. We hypothesized that prenatal maternal immune dysfunction associated with increased childhood asthma risk (revealed by low IFN‐γ:IL‐13 secretion during the third trimester of pregnancy) alters neonatal immune training through epigenetic mechanisms and promotes early‐life airway colonization by asthmagenic microbiota. Methods: We examined epigenetic, immunologic, and microbial features potentially related to maternal prenatal immunity (IFN‐γ:IL‐13 ratio) and childhood asthma in a birth cohort of mother–child dyads sampled pre‐, peri‐, and postnatally (N = 155). Epigenome‐wide DNA methylation and cytokine production were assessed in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMC) by array profiling and ELISA, respectively. Nasopharyngeal microbiome composition was characterized at age 2–36 months by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Maternal prenatal immune status related to methylome profiles in neonates born to non‐asthmatic mothers. A module of differentially methylated CpG sites enriched for microbe‐responsive elements was associated with childhood asthma. In vitro responsiveness to microbial products was impaired in CBMCs from neonates born to mothers with the lowest IFN‐γ:IL‐13 ratio, suggesting defective neonatal innate immunity in those who developed asthma during childhood. These infants exhibited a distinct pattern of upper airway microbiota development characterized by early‐life colonization by Haemophilus that transitioned to a Moraxella‐dominated microbiota by age 36 months. Conclusions: Maternal prenatal immune status shapes asthma development in her child by altering the epigenome and trained innate immunity at birth, and is associated with pathologic upper airway microbial colonization in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Article ADO09, a co-formulation of pramlintide and insulin A21G, lowers body weight versus insulin lispro in type 1 diabetes by Grit Andersen MD et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.15827. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Joint degeneration and large or complex bone defects are a significant source of morbidity and diminished quality of life worldwide. There is an unmet need for a functional implant with near‐native biomechanical properties. The potential for their generation using 3D bioprinting (3DBP)‐based tissue engineering methods was assessed. We systematically reviewed the current state of 3DBP in orthoregeneration. Methods: This review was performed using PubMed and Web of Science. Primary research articles reporting 3DBP of cartilage, bone, vasculature, and their osteochondral and vascular bone composites were considered. Full text English articles were analyzed. Results: Over 1300 studies were retrieved, after removing duplicates, 1046 studies remained. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 114 articles were analyzed fully. Bioink material types and combinations were tallied. Cell types and testing methods were also analyzed. Nearly all papers determined the effect of 3DBP on cell survival. Bioink material physical characterization using gelation and rheology, and construct biomechanics were performed. In vitro testing methods assessed biochemistry, markers of extracellular matrix production and/or cell differentiation into respective lineages. In vivo proof‐of‐concept studies included full‐thickness bone and joint defects as well as subcutaneous implantation in rodents followed by histological and µCT analyses to demonstrate implant growth and integration into surrounding native tissues. Conclusions: Despite its relative infancy, 3DBP is making an impact in joint and bone engineering. Several groups have demonstrated preclinical efficacy of mechanically robust constructs which integrate into articular joint defects in small animals. However, notable obstacles remain. Notably, researchers encountered pitfalls in scaling up constructs and establishing implant function and viability in long term animal models. Further, to translate from the laboratory to the clinic, standardized quality control metrics such as construct stiffness and graft integration metrics should be established with investigator consensus. While there is much work to be done, 3DBP implants have great potential to treat degenerative joint diseases and provide benefit to patients globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the change in HbA1c after initiation of biosimilar follow‐on insulin (Basaglar) or reference insulin (Lantus) among patients with type 2 diabetes. We also compared treatment adherence, safety events and costs at 1 year after initiation of insulin. Materials and Methods: Using claims data from a large US health plan during 2016‐2020, we identified adults with type 2 diabetes who initiated either Basaglar or Lantus. Generalized linear regression modelling assessed the differences in outcomes between the two groups. A 0.4% margin was used to determine non‐inferiority for HbA1c. Results: The study included 1136 Basaglar users and 6304 Lantus users. Both Lantus and Basaglar groups showed more than 1% reduction in HbA1c over 6 months and over 12 months. Reduction in HbA1c with Basaglar was similar (non‐inferior) to that with Lantus, with an adjusted difference of Basaglar to Lantus of 0.14% (95% CI −0.02 to 0.30) over 6 months and 0.17% (95% CI 0.02 to 0.32) over 12 months. Rates of adverse events were similar for both hypoglycaemia and vascular events. The Basaglar group showed higher adherence in terms of proportion of days covered (adjusted difference 0.06, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.08). Medical costs were similar, but the cost of Basaglar was lower (adjusted mean cost difference −$462, 95% CI −$556 to −$363) after adjustment. Conclusions: In patients with type 2 diabetes, Basaglar provided similar glycaemic control compared with Lantus, had a similar safety profile and lower drug costs, and showed more favourable adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]