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Maija Huttunen-Lenz,1 Sylvia Hansen,1 Pia Christensen,2 Thomas Meinert Larsen,2 Finn Sandø-Pedersen,2 Mathijs Drummen,3 Tanja C Adam,3 Ian A Macdonald,4,5 Moira A Taylor,5 J Alfredo Martinez,6–8 Santiago Navas-Carretero,6–8 Svetoslav Handjiev,9 Sally D Poppitt,10 Marta P Silvestre,10 Mikael Fogelholm,11 Kirsi H Pietiläinen,12,13 Jennie Brand-Miller,14 Agnes AM Berendsen,15 Anne Raben,2 Wolfgang Schlicht1 1Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany; 2Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; 3Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; 4MRC/ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; 5School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham, UK; 6Center for Nutrition Research at the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; 7Madrid Institute of Advanced Studies (IMDEA Food), Madrid, Spain; 8Biomedical Research Centre Network in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain; 9Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical University – Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria; 10Human Nutrition Unit, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 11Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 12Obesity Research Unit, Research Program Unit, Diabetes and Obesity, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 13Abdominal Center, Endocrinology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 14Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Biosciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; 15Division of Human Nutrition & Health, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands Purpose: Onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is often gradual and preceded by impaired glucose homeostasis. Lifestyle interventions including weight loss and physical activity may reduce the risk of developing T2D, but adherence to a lifestyle change is challenging. As part of an international T2D prevention trial (PREVIEW), a behavior change intervention supported participants in achieving a healthier diet and physically active lifestyle. Here, our aim was to explore the influence of this behavioral program (PREMIT) on social-cognitive variables during an 8-week weight loss phase. Methods: PREVIEW consisted of an initial weight loss, Phase I, followed by a weight-­maintenance, Phase II, for those achieving the 8-week weight loss target of ≥ 8% from initial bodyweight. Overweight and obese (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) individuals aged 25 to 70 years with confirmed pre-diabetes were enrolled. Uni- and multivariate statistical methods were deployed to explore differences in intentions, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancies between those who achieved the target weight loss (“achievers”) and those who did not (“non-achievers”). Results: At the beginning of Phase I, no significant differences in intentions, self-efficacy and outcome expectancies between “achievers” (1,857) and “non-achievers” (163) were found. “Non-achievers” tended to be younger, live with child/ren, and attended the PREMIT sessions less frequently. At the end of Phase I, “achievers” reported higher intentions (healthy eating χ2(1)=2.57; P

Objective: To examine in obese young adults the influence of ethnicity and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) inflammation on hepatic fat fraction (HFF), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) deposition, insulin sensitivity (SI), β-cell function, and SAT gene expression.Research Design and Methods: SAT biopsies were obtained from 36 obese young adults (20 Hispanics, 16 African Americans) to measure crown-like structures (CLS), reflecting SAT inflammation. SAT, VAT, and HFF were measured by magnetic resonance imaging, and SI and β-cell function (disposition index [DI]) were measured by intravenous glucose tolerance test. SAT gene expression was assessed using Illumina microarrays.Results: Participants with CLS in SAT (n = 16) were similar to those without CLS in terms of ethnicity, sex, and total body fat. Individuals with CLS had greater VAT (3.7 ± 1.3 vs. 2.6 ± 1.6 L; P = 0.04), HFF (9.9 ± 7.3 vs. 5.8 ± 4.4%; P = 0.03), tumor necrosis factor-α (20.8 ± 4.8 vs. 16.2 ± 5.8 pg/mL; P = 0.01), fasting insulin (20.9 ± 10.6 vs. 9.7 ± 6.6 mU/mL; P < 0.001) and glucose (94.4 ± 9.3 vs. 86.8 ± 5.3 mg/dL; P = 0.005), and lower DI (1,559 ± 984 vs. 2,024 ± 829 × 10(-4) min(-1); P = 0.03). Individuals with CLS in SAT exhibited upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and monocyte antigen CD14 genes, as well as several other genes belonging to the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) stress pathway.Conclusions: Adipose tissue inflammation was equally distributed between sexes and ethnicities. It was associated with partitioning of fat toward VAT and the liver and altered β-cell function, independent of total adiposity. Several genes belonging to the NF-κB stress pathway were upregulated, suggesting stimulation of proinflammatory mediators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine whether eating behavior and perceived stress predict the maintenance of self-reported dietary change and adherence to dietary instructions during an intervention., Design: A secondary analysis of the behavior maintenance stage (6-36 months) of the 3-year PREVIEW intervention (PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle Intervention and population studies in Europe and around the World)., Participants: Adults (n = 1,311) with overweight and prediabetes at preintervention baseline., Variables Measured: Eating behavior (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and dietary intake (4-day food records on 4 occasions) were reported., Analysis: Associations between predictors and dietary outcomes were examined with linear mixed-effects models for repeated measurements., Results: Eating behaviors and stress at 6 months did not predict the subsequent change in dietary outcomes, but higher cognitive restraint predicted lower energy intake, and both higher disinhibition and hunger predicted higher energy intake during the following behavior maintenance stage. In addition, higher disinhibition predicted higher saturated fat intake and lower fiber intake, and higher hunger predicted lower fiber intake. Stress was not associated with energy intake or dietary quality. Eating behaviors and stress were not consistently associated with adherence to dietary instructions., Conclusions and Implications: Higher cognitive restraint predicted lower energy intake (food quantity), but disinhibition and hunger were also associated with dietary quality., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and duration, threatening tropical reef ecosystems through intensified coral bleaching events. We examined a strikingly variable spatial pattern of bleaching in Moorea, French Polynesia following a heatwave that lasted from November 2018 to July 2019. In July 2019, four months after the onset of bleaching, we surveyed > 5000 individual colonies of the two dominant coral genera, Pocillopora and Acropora, at 10 m and 17 m water depths, at six forereef sites around the island where temperature was measured. We found severe bleaching increased with colony size for both coral genera, but Acropora bleached more severely than Pocillopora overall. Acropora bleached more at 10 m than 17 m, likely due to higher light availability at 10 m compared to 17 m, or greater daily temperature fluctuation at depth. Bleaching in Pocillopora corals did not differ with depth but instead varied with the interaction of colony size and Accumulated Heat Stress (AHS), in that larger colonies (> 30 cm) were more sensitive to AHS than mid-size (10-29 cm) or small colonies (5-9 cm). Our findings provide insight into complex interactions among coral taxa, colony size, and water depth that produce high spatial variation in bleaching and related coral mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Microbiomes are essential features of holobionts, providing their hosts with key metabolic and functional traits like resistance to environmental disturbances and diseases. In scleractinian corals, questions remain about the microbiome's role in resistance and resilience to factors contributing to the ongoing global coral decline and whether microbes serve as a form of holobiont ecological memory. To test if and how coral microbiomes affect host health outcomes during repeated disturbances, we conducted a large-scale (32 exclosures, 200 colonies, and 3 coral species sampled) and long-term (28 months, 2018-2020) manipulative experiment on the forereef of Mo'orea, French Polynesia. In 2019 and 2020, this reef experienced the two most severe marine heatwaves on record for the site. Our experiment and these events afforded us the opportunity to test microbiome dynamics and roles in the context of coral bleaching and mortality resulting from these successive and severe heatwaves. We report unique microbiome responses to repeated heatwaves in Acropora retusa, Porites lobata, and Pocillopora spp., which included: microbiome acclimatization in A. retusa, and both microbiome resilience to the first marine heatwave and microbiome resistance to the second marine heatwave in Pocillopora spp. Moreover, observed microbiome dynamics significantly correlated with coral species-specific phenotypes. For example, bleaching and mortality in A. retusa both significantly increased with greater microbiome beta dispersion and greater Shannon Diversity, while P. lobata colonies had different microbiomes across mortality prevalence. Compositional microbiome changes, such as changes to proportions of differentially abundant putatively beneficial to putatively detrimental taxa to coral health outcomes during repeated heat stress, also correlated with host mortality, with higher proportions of detrimental taxa yielding higher mortality in A. retusa. This study reveals evidence for coral species-specific microbial responses to repeated heatwaves and, importantly, suggests that host-dependent microbiome dynamics may provide a form of holobiont ecological memory to repeated heat stress., (© 2023 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background/objectives: Some individuals with overweight/obesity may be relatively metabolically healthy (MHO) and have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those with metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUO). We aimed to compare changes in body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors and type 2 diabetes incidence during a lifestyle intervention between individuals with MHO vs MUO., Methods: This post-hoc analysis included 1012 participants with MHO and 1153 participants with MUO at baseline in the randomized trial PREVIEW. Participants underwent an eight-week low-energy diet phase followed by a 148-week lifestyle-based weight-maintenance intervention. Adjusted linear mixed models and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in weight loss (%) between participants with MHO vs MUO over 156 weeks. At the end of the study, weight loss was 2.7% (95% CI, 1.7%-3.6%) in participants with MHO and 3.0% (2.1%-4.0%) in those with MUO. After the low-energy diet phase, participants with MHO had smaller decreases in triglyceride (mean difference between MHO vs MUO 0.08 mmol·L -1 [95% CI, 0.04-0.12]; P < 0.001) but similar reductions in fasting glucose and HOMA-IR than those with MUO. However, at the end of weight maintenance, those with MHO had greater reductions in triglyceride (mean difference -0.08 mmol·L -1 [-0.12--0.04]; P < 0.001), fasting glucose, 2-hour glucose (difference -0.28 mmol·L -1 [-0.41--0.16]; P < 0.001), and HOMA-IR than those with MUO. Participants with MHO had smaller decreases in diastolic blood pressure and HbA 1c and greater decreases in HDL cholesterol after weight loss than those with MUO, whereas the statistically significant differences disappeared at the end of weight maintenance. Participants with MHO had lower 3-year type 2 diabetes incidence than those with MUO (adjusted hazard ratio 0.37 [0.20-0.66]; P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Individuals with MUO had greater improvements in some cardiometabolic risk factors during the low-energy diet phase, but had smaller improvements during long-term lifestyle intervention than those with MHO., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Recent studies show a link between the gut microbiota and the regulation of satiety and energy intake, processes that contribute to the development and pathophysiology of metabolic diseases. However, this link is predominantly established in animal and in vitro studies, whereas human intervention studies are scarce. In this review we focus on recent evidence linking satiety and the gut microbiome, with specific emphasis on gut microbial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Based on a systematic search we provide an overview of human studies linking the intake of prebiotics with gut microbial alterations and satiety signaling. Our outcomes highlight the importance of in-depth examination of the gut microbiota in relation to satiety and provide insights into recent and future studies in this field., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No interests are declared., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The outcomes of species interactions can vary greatly in time and space with the outcomes of some interactions determined by priority effects. On coral reefs, benthic algae rapidly colonize disturbed substrate. In the absence of top-down control from herbivorous fishes, these algae can inhibit the recruitment of reef-building corals, leading to a persistent phase shift to a macroalgae-dominated state. Yet, corals may also inhibit colonization by macroalgae, and therefore the effects of herbivores on algal communities may be strongest following disturbances that reduce coral cover. Here, we report the results from experiments conducted on the fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia, where we: (1) tested the ability of macroalgae to invade coral-dominated and coral-depauperate communities under different levels of herbivory, (2) explored the ability of juvenile corals (Pocillopora spp.) to suppress macroalgae, and (3) quantified the direct and indirect effects of fish herbivores and corallivores on juvenile corals. We found that macroalgae proliferated when herbivory was low but only in recently disturbed communities where coral cover was also low. When coral cover was <10%, macroalgae increased 20-fold within 1 year under reduced herbivory conditions relative to high herbivory controls. Yet, when coral cover was high (50%), macroalgae were suppressed irrespective of the level of herbivory despite ample space for algal colonization. Once established in communities with low herbivory and low coral cover, macroalgae suppressed recruitment of coral larvae, reducing the capacity for coral replenishment. However, when we experimentally established small juvenile corals (2 cm diameter) following a disturbance, juvenile corals inhibited macroalgae from invading local neighborhoods, even in the absence of herbivores, indicating a strong priority effect in macroalgae-coral interactions. Surprisingly, fishes that initially facilitated coral recruitment by controlling algae had a net negative effect on juvenile corals via predation. Corallivores reduced the growth rates of corals exposed to fishes by ~30% relative to fish exclosures, despite increased competition with macroalgae within the exclosures. These results highlight that different processes are important for structuring coral reef ecosystems at different successional stages and underscore the need to consider multiple ecological processes and historical contingencies to predict coral community dynamics., (© 2022 The Authors. Ecology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.)

Objective: To examine whether the effect of a 3-year lifestyle intervention on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors differs by prediabetes metabolic phenotype., Research Design and Methods: This post hoc analysis of the multicenter, randomized trial, PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle interventions and population studies In Europe and around the World (PREVIEW), included 1,510 participants with prediabetes (BMI ≥25 kg ⋅ m-2; defined using oral glucose tolerance tests). Of these, 58% had isolated impaired fasting glucose (iIFG), 6% had isolated impaired glucose tolerance (iIGT), and 36% had IFG+IGT; 73% had normal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c; <39 mmol ⋅ mol-1) and 25% had intermediate HbA1c (39-47 mmol ⋅ mol-1). Participants underwent an 8-week diet-induced rapid weight loss, followed by a 148-week lifestyle-based weight maintenance intervention. Linear mixed models adjusted for intervention arm and other confounders were used., Results: In the available-case and complete-case analyses, participants with IFG+IGT had greater sustained weight loss after lifestyle intervention (adjusted mean at 156 weeks -3.5% [95% CI, -4.7%, -2.3%]) than those with iIFG (mean -2.5% [-3.6%, -1.3%]) relative to baseline (P = 0.011). Participants with IFG+IGT and iIFG had similar cardiometabolic benefits from the lifestyle intervention. The differences in cardiometabolic benefits between those with iIGT and IFG+IGT were minor or inconsistent in different analyses. Participants with normal versus intermediate HbA1c had similar weight loss over 3 years and minor differences in cardiometabolic benefits during weight loss, whereas those with normal HbA1c had greater improvements in fasting glucose, 2-h glucose (adjusted between-group difference at 156 weeks -0.54 mmol ⋅ L-1 [95% CI -0.70, -0.39], P < 0.001), and triglycerides (difference -0.07 mmol ⋅ L-1 [-0.11, -0.03], P < 0.001) during the lifestyle intervention., Conclusions: Individuals with iIFG and IFG+IGT had similar improvements in cardiometabolic health from a lifestyle intervention. Those with normal HbA1c had greater improvements than those with intermediate HbA1c., (© 2022 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Introduction: The aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate whether prolonged consumption of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers (S&SEs) within a healthy diet will improve weight loss maintenance and obesity-related risk factors and affect safety markers compared with sugar., Methods and Analysis: SWEET (S&SEs: prolonged effects on health, obesity and safety) is a 1-year multicentre RCT including at least 330 adults with overweight (18-65 years, body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m 2 ) and 40 children (6-12 years, BMI-for-age >85th percentile). In an initial 2-month period, adults will consume a low-energy diet with the aim to achieve ≥5% weight loss. Children are advised to consume a generally healthy diet to maintain body weight, thus reducing their BMI-for-age z-score. In the following 10 months, participants will be randomised to follow a healthy ad libitum diet with or without S&SE products. Clinical investigations are scheduled at baseline, after 2, 6 and 12 months. The primary outcomes are body weight for efficacy and gut microbiota composition (in relation to metabolic health) for safety, both in adults. Secondary outcomes include anthropometry, risk markers for type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, questionnaires including, for example, food preferences, craving and appetite and tests for allergenicity., Ethics and Dissemination: The trial protocol has been approved by the following national ethical committees; The research ethics committees of the capital region (Denmark), approval code: H-19040679, The medical ethics committee of the University Hospital Maastricht and Maastricht University (the Netherlands), approval code: NL70977.068.19/METC19-056s, Research Ethics Committee of the University of Navarra (Spain), approval code: 2019.146 mod1, Research Ethics Committee of Harokopio University (Greece), approval code: 1810/18-06-2019. The trial will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals regardless of whether the findings are positive, negative or inconclusive., Trial Registration Number: NCT04226911 (Clinicaltrials.gov)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AR has received honoraria from Unilever and the International Sweeteners Association. CEH’s research centre provides consultancy to, and has received travel funds to present research results from organisations supported by food and drink companies. JCGH and JH have received project funds from the American Beverage Association. TL works for a company, NetUnion sarl, which has no conflict of interest in the study outcome., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aims/hypothesis: Lifestyle interventions are the first-line treatment option for body weight and cardiometabolic health management. However, whether age groups or women and men respond differently to lifestyle interventions is under debate. We aimed to examine age- and sex-specific effects of a low-energy diet (LED) followed by a long-term lifestyle intervention on body weight, body composition and cardiometabolic health markers in adults with prediabetes (i.e. impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance)., Methods: This observational study used longitudinal data from 2223 overweight participants with prediabetes in the multicentre diabetes prevention study PREVIEW. The participants underwent a LED-induced rapid weight loss (WL) period followed by a 3 year lifestyle-based weight maintenance (WM) intervention. Changes in outcomes of interest in prespecified age (younger: 25-45 years; middle-aged: 46-54 years; older: 55-70 years) or sex (women and men) groups were compared., Results: In total, 783 younger, 319 middle-aged and 1121 older adults and 1503 women and 720 men were included in the analysis. In the available case and complete case analyses, multivariable-adjusted linear mixed models showed that younger and older adults had similar weight loss after the LED, whereas older adults had greater sustained weight loss after the WM intervention (adjusted difference for older vs younger adults -1.25% [95% CI -1.92, -0.58], p<0.001). After the WM intervention, older adults lost more fat-free mass and bone mass and had smaller improvements in 2 h plasma glucose (adjusted difference for older vs younger adults 0.65 mmol/l [95% CI 0.50, 0.80], p<0.001) and systolic blood pressure (adjusted difference for older vs younger adults 2.57 mmHg [95% CI 1.37, 3.77], p<0.001) than younger adults. Older adults had smaller decreases in fasting and 2 h glucose, HbA 1c and systolic blood pressure after the WM intervention than middle-aged adults. In the complete case analysis, the above-mentioned differences between middle-aged and older adults disappeared, but the direction of the effect size did not change. After the WL period, compared with men, women had less weight loss (adjusted difference for women vs men 1.78% [95% CI 1.12, 2.43], p<0.001) with greater fat-free mass and bone mass loss and smaller improvements in HbA 1c , LDL-cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure. After the WM intervention, women had greater fat-free mass and bone mass loss and smaller improvements in HbA 1c and LDL-cholesterol, while they had greater improvements in fasting glucose, triacylglycerol (adjusted difference for women vs men -0.08 mmol/l [-0.11, -0.04], p<0.001) and HDL-cholesterol., Conclusions/interpretation: Older adults benefited less from a lifestyle intervention in relation to body composition and cardiometabolic health markers than younger adults, despite greater sustained weight loss. Women benefited less from a LED followed by a lifestyle intervention in relation to body weight and body composition than men. Future interventions targeting older adults or women should take prevention of fat-free mass and bone mass loss into consideration., Clinical Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01777893., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Soy foods may contribute to the beneficial health effects of healthy plant-based diets on the risk to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, their effects on vascular function have hardly been studied., Objective: To investigate longer-term effects of soy nut consumption on vascular function and cardiometabolic risk markers in healthy older men and women., Design: Twenty-three healthy participants (age: 60-70 years; BMI: 20-30 kg/m 2 ) participated in a randomized, controlled, single-blinded cross-over trial with an intervention (67 g/day of soy nuts providing 25.5 g protein and 174 mg isoflavones) and control period (no nuts) of 16 weeks, separated by eight weeks wash-out. Adults followed the Dutch food-based dietary guidelines., Results: No serious adverse events were reported and the soy nut regime was well tolerated. Body weights remained stable during the whole study. A higher protein (3.1 energy percent [En%]) and a lower carbohydrate intake (2.0 En%) was observed during the intervention period. Total fat intake was comparable, but that of saturated (-1.3 En%), cis-monounsaturated (-1.5 En%) and cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids (+1.9 En%) differed. Serum isoflavone concentrations were higher after the intervention as compared with the control period (daidzein: 127.8 ng/mL; 95% CI: 74.3-181.3 ng/mL; p < 0.001 and genistein: 454.2 ng/mL; 95% CI: 266.6-641.8 ng/mL; p < 0.001). Brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation was 1.48 percent points (pp; 95% CI: 0.08-2.89 pp; p = 0.040) higher following soy nut intake. The carotid artery reactivity response and arterial stiffness did not differ. Serum LDL-cholesterol was lower (0.17 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.02-0.32 mmol/L; p = 0.027), while HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations were comparable. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was lower (3 mmHg; 95% CI: 0-6 mmHg; p = 0.035)., Conclusions: Longer-term soy nut intake as part of a healthy diet improved endothelial function, LDL-cholesterol concentrations and MAP levels, suggesting mechanisms by which an increased soy food intake beneficially affects CVD risk in older adults. Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT03627637., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Both natural and anthropogenic stressors are increasing on coral reefs, resulting in large-scale loss of coral and potential shifts from coral- to macroalgae-dominated community states. Two factors implicated in shifts to macroalgae are nutrient enrichment and fishing of reef herbivores. Although either of these factors alone could facilitate establishment of macroalgae, reefs may be particularly vulnerable to coral-to-algae phase shifts in which strong bottom-up forcing from nutrient enrichment is accompanied by a weakening of herbivore control of macroalgae via intense fishing. We explored spatial heterogeneity and covariance in these drivers on reefs in the lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia, where the local fishery heavily targets herbivorous fishes and there are spatially variable inputs of nutrients from agricultural fertilizers and wastewater systems. Spatial patterns of fishing and nutrient enrichment were not correlated at the two landscape scales we examined: among the 11 interconnected lagoons around the island or among major habitats (fringing reef, mid-lagoon, back reef) within a lagoon. This decoupling at the landscape scale resulted from patterns of covariation between enrichment and fishing that differed qualitatively between cross-shore and long-shore directions. At the cross-shore scale, nutrient enrichment declined but fishing increased from shore to the crest of the barrier reef. By contrast, nutrient enrichment and fishing were positively correlated in the long-shore direction, with both increasing with proximity to a pass in the barrier reef. Contrary to widespread assumptions in the scientific literature that human coastal population density correlates with impact on marine ecosystems and that fishing effort declines linearly with distance from the shore, these local stressors produced a complex spatial mosaic of reef vulnerabilities. Our findings support spatially explicit management involving the control of anthropogenic nutrients and strategic reductions in fishing pressure on herbivores by highlighting specific areas to target for management actions., (© 2021 The Authors. Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.)

For many long-lived taxa, such as trees and corals, older, and larger individuals often have the lowest mortality and highest fecundity. However, climate change-driven disturbances such as droughts and heatwaves may fundamentally alter typical size-dependent patterns of mortality and reproduction in these important foundation taxa. Working in Moorea, French Polynesia, we investigated how a marine heatwave in 2019, one of the most intense marine heatwaves at our sites over the past 30 years, drove patterns of coral bleaching and mortality. The marine heatwave drove island-wide mass coral bleaching that killed up to 76% and 65% of the largest individuals of the two dominant coral genera, Pocillopora and Acropora, respectively. Colonies of Pocillopora and Acropora ≥30 cm diameter were ~3.5× and ~1.3×, respectively, more likely to die than colonies <30-cm diameter. Typically, annual mortality in these corals is concentrated on the smallest size classes. Yet, this heatwave dramatically reshaped this pattern, with heat stress disproportionately killing larger coral colonies and equalizing annual mortality rates across the size spectrum. This shift in the size-mortality relationship reduced the overall fecundity of these genera by >60% because big corals are disproportionately important for reproduction on reefs. Additionally, the survivorship of microscopic coral recruits, critical for the recovery of corals following disturbances, declined to 2%, over an order of magnitude lower compared to a year without elevated thermal stress, where 33% of coral recruits survived. While other research has shown that larger corals can bleach more frequently than smaller corals, we show the severe impact this phenomenon can have at the reef-wide scale. As marine heatwaves become more frequent and intense, disproportionate mortality of the largest, most fecund corals and near-complete loss of entire cohorts of newly-settled coral recruits will likely reduce the recovery capacity of these iconic ecosystems., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Effects of soy foods on cerebral blood flow (CBF)-a marker of cerebrovascular function-may contribute to the beneficial effects of plant-based diets on cognitive performance., Objectives: We aimed to investigate longer-term effects of soy nut consumption on CBF in older adults. Changes in 3 different domains of cognitive performance were also studied., Methods: Twenty-three healthy participants (age: 60-70 y; BMI: 20-30 kg/m2) participated in a randomized, controlled, single-blinded crossover trial with an intervention (67 g/d of soy nuts providing ∼25.5 g protein and 174 mg isoflavones) and control period (no nuts) of 16 wk, separated by an 8-wk washout period. Adults followed the Dutch food-based dietary guidelines. At the end of each period, CBF was assessed with arterial spin labeling MRI. Psychomotor speed, executive function, and memory were assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB)., Results: No serious adverse events were reported, and soy nut intake was well tolerated. Body weights remained stable during the study. Serum isoflavone concentrations increased (daidzein mean difference ± SD: 128 ± 113 ng/mL, P < 0.001; genistein: 454 ± 256 ng/mL, P < 0.001), indicating excellent compliance. Regional CBF increased in 4 brain clusters located in the left occipital and temporal lobes (mean ± SD increase: 11.1 ± 12.4 mL · 100 g-1 · min-1, volume: 11,296 mm3, P < 0.001), bilateral occipital lobe (12.1 ± 15.0 mL · 100 g-1 · min-1, volume: 2632 mm3, P = 0.002), right occipital and parietal lobes (12.7 ± 14.3 mL · 100 g-1 · min-1, volume: 2280 mm3, P = 0.005), and left frontal lobe (12.4 ± 14.5 mL · 100 g-1 · min-1, volume: 2120 mm3, P = 0.009) which is part of the ventral network. These 4 regions are involved in psychomotor speed performance, which improved as the movement time reduced by (mean ± SD) 20 ± 37 ms (P = 0.005). Executive function and memory did not change., Conclusions: Longer-term soy nut consumption may improve cerebrovascular function of older adults, because regional CBF increased. Effects may underlie observed improvements in psychomotor speed.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03627637., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: Observed associations of high-protein diets with changes in insulin resistance are inconclusive., Objectives: We aimed to assess associations of changes in both reported and estimated protein (PRep; PEst) and energy intake (EIRep; EIEst) with changes in HOMA-IR, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and BMI (in kg/m2), in 1822 decreasing to 833 adults (week 156) with overweight and prediabetes, during the 3-y PREVIEW (PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle intervention and population studies In Europe and around the World) study on weight-loss maintenance. Eating behavior and measurement errors (MEs) of dietary intake were assessed. Thus, observational post hoc analyses were applied., Methods: Associations of changes in EIEst, EIRep, PEst, and PRep with changes in HOMA-IR, HbA1c, and BMI were determined by linear mixed-model analysis in 2 arms [high-protein-low-glycemic-index (GI) diet and moderate-protein-moderate-GI diet] of the PREVIEW study. EIEst was derived from energy requirement: total energy expenditure = basal metabolic rate × physical activity level; PEst from urinary nitrogen, and urea. MEs were calculated as [(EIEst - EIRep)/EIEst] × 100% and [(PRep - PEst)/PEst] × 100%. Eating behavior was determined using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, examining cognitive dietary restraint, disinhibition, and hunger., Results: Increases in PEst and PRep and decreases in EIEst and EIRep were associated with decreases in BMI, but not independently with decreases in HOMA-IR. Increases in PEst and PRep were associated with decreases in HbA1c. PRep and EIRep showed larger changes and stronger associations than PEst and EIEst. Mean ± SD MEs of EIRep and PRep were 38% ± 9% and 14% ± 4%, respectively; ME changes in EIRep and En% PRep were positively associated with changes in BMI and cognitive dietary restraint and inversely with disinhibition and hunger., Conclusions: During weight-loss maintenance in adults with prediabetes, increase in protein intake and decrease in energy intake were not associated with decrease in HOMA-IR beyond associations with decrease in BMI. Increases in PEst and PRep were associated with decrease in HbA1c.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01777893., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

This study was performed to evaluate the profile of overweight individuals with pre-diabetes enrolled in PREVIEW who were unable to achieve a body weight loss of ≥8% of the baseline value in response to a 2-month low-energy diet (LED). Their baseline profile reflected potential stress-related vulnerability that predicted a reduced response of body weight to a LED programme. The mean daily energy deficit maintained by unsuccessful weight responders of both sexes was less than the estimated level in successful female (656 vs. 1,299 kcal, p < 0.01) and male (815 vs. 1,659 kcal, p < 0.01) responders. Despite this smaller energy deficit, unsuccessful responders displayed less favorable changes in susceptibility to hunger and appetite sensations. They also did not benefit from the intervention regarding the ability to improve sleep quality. In summary, these results show that some individuals display a behavioral vulnerability which may reduce the ability to lose weight in response to a diet-based weight loss program. They also suggest that this vulnerability may be accentuated by a prolonged diet restriction., Competing Interests: TL is employed by NetUnion sarl, who contributed to the data collection process in the absence of commercial or financial conflict of interest with the study analysis. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Tremblay, Fogelholm, Jalo, Westerterp-Plantenga, Adam, Huttunen-Lenz, Stratton, Lam, Handjieva-Darlenska, Handjiev, Martinez, Macdonald, Simpson, Brand-Miller, Muirhead, Poppitt, Silvestre, Larsen, Vestentoft, Schlicht, Drapeau and Raben.)

Objective: Stress, sleep, eating behavior, and physical activity are associated with weight change and insulin resistance (IR). The aim of this analysis was the assessment of the overall and sex-specific associations of psychobehavioral variables throughout the 3-year PREVIEW intervention using the homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), BMI, and length of time in the study., Research Design and Methods: Associations of psychobehavioral variables, including stress, mood, eating behavior, physical activity (PA), and sleep, with BMI, HOMA-IR, and time spent in the study were assessed in 2,184 participants with prediabetes and overweight/obesity ( n = 706 men; n = 1,478 women) during a 3-year lifestyle intervention using linear mixed modeling and general linear modeling. The study was a randomized multicenter trial using a 2 × 2 diet-by-PA design., Results: Overall, cognitive restraint and PA increased during the intervention compared with baseline, whereas BMI, HOMA-IR, disinhibition, hunger, and sleepiness decreased (all P < 0.05). Cognitive restraint and PA were negatively, whereas disinhibition, hunger, stress, and total mood disturbance were positively, associated with both BMI and HOMA-IR. Sleep duration, low sleep quality, total mood disturbance, disinhibition, and hunger scores were positively associated with HOMA-IR for men only. Participants who dropped out at 6 months had higher stress and total mood disturbance scores at baseline and throughout their time spent in the study compared with study completers., Conclusions: Eating behavior and PA, control of stress, mood disturbance, and sleep characteristics were associated with BMI, HOMA-IR, and time spent in the study, with different effects in men and women during the PREVIEW lifestyle intervention study., (© 2021 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Objective: To examine longitudinal and dose-dependent associations of dietary glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and fiber with body weight and glycemic status during 3-year weight loss maintenance (WLM) in adults at high risk of type 2 diabetes., Research Design and Methods: In this secondary analysis we used pooled data from the PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle Intervention and population studies in Europe and around the World (PREVIEW) randomized controlled trial, which was designed to test the effects of four diet and physical activity interventions. A total of 1,279 participants with overweight or obesity (age 25-70 years and BMI ≥25 kg ⋅ m -2 ) and prediabetes at baseline were included. We used multiadjusted linear mixed models with repeated measurements to assess longitudinal and dose-dependent associations by merging the participants into one group and dividing them into GI, GL, and fiber tertiles, respectively., Results: In the available-case analysis, each 10-unit increment in GI was associated with a greater regain of weight (0.46 kg ⋅ year -1 ; 95% CI 0.23, 0.68; P < 0.001) and increase in HbA 1c . Each 20-unit increment in GL was associated with a greater regain of weight (0.49 kg ⋅ year -1 ; 0.24, 0.75; P < 0.001) and increase in HbA 1c . The associations of GI and GL with HbA 1c were independent of weight change. Compared with those in the lowest tertiles, participants in the highest GI and GL tertiles had significantly greater weight regain and increases in HbA 1c . Fiber was inversely associated with increases in waist circumference, but the associations with weight regain and glycemic status did not remain robust in different analyses., Conclusions: Dietary GI and GL were positively associated with weight regain and deteriorating glycemic status. Stronger evidence on the role of fiber is needed., (© 2021 by the American Diabetes Association.)

Aim: To compare the impact of two long-term weight-maintenance diets, a high protein (HP) and low glycaemic index (GI) diet versus a moderate protein (MP) and moderate GI diet, combined with either high intensity (HI) or moderate intensity physical activity (PA), on the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) after rapid weight loss., Materials and Methods: A 3-year multicentre randomized trial in eight countries using a 2 x 2 diet-by-PA factorial design was conducted. Eight-week weight reduction was followed by a 3-year randomized weight-maintenance phase. In total, 2326 adults (age 25-70 years, body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m 2 ) with prediabetes were enrolled. The primary endpoint was 3-year incidence of T2D analysed by diet treatment. Secondary outcomes included glucose, insulin, HbA1c and body weight., Results: The total number of T2D cases was 62 and the cumulative incidence rate was 3.1%, with no significant differences between the two diets, PA or their combination. T2D incidence was similar across intervention centres, irrespective of attrition. Significantly fewer participants achieved normoglycaemia in the HP compared with the MP group (P < .0001). At 3 years, normoglycaemia was lowest in HP-HI (11.9%) compared with the other three groups (20.0%-21.0%, P < .05). There were no group differences in body weight change (-11% after 8-week weight reduction; -5% after 3-year weight maintenance) or in other secondary outcomes., Conclusions: Three-year incidence of T2D was much lower than predicted and did not differ between diets, PA or their combination. Maintaining the target intakes of protein and GI over 3 years was difficult, but the overall protocol combining weight loss, healthy eating and PA was successful in markedly reducing the risk of T2D. This is an important clinically relevant outcome., (© 2020 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Nutrient pollution is altering coastal ecosystems worldwide. On coral reefs, excess nutrients can favor the production of algae at the expense of reef-building corals, yet the role of nutrients in driving community changes such as shifts from coral to macroalgae is not well understood. Here we investigate the potential role of anthropogenic nutrient loading in driving recent coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts on reefs in the lagoons surrounding the Pacific island of Moorea, French Polynesia. We use nitrogen (N) tissue content and stable isotopes (δ 15 N) in an abundant macroalga (Turbinaria ornata) together with empirical models of nutrient discharge to describe spatial and temporal patterns of nutrient enrichment in the lagoons. We then employ time series data to test whether recent increases in macroalgae are associated with nutrients. Our results revealed that patterns of N enrichment were linked to several factors, including rainfall, wave-driven circulation, and distance from anthropogenic nutrient sources, especially human sewage. Reefs near large watersheds, where inputs of N from sewage and agriculture are high, have been consistently enriched in N for at least the last decade. In many of these areas, corals have decreased and macroalgae have increased, while reefs with lower levels of N input have maintained high cover of coral and low cover of macroalgae. Importantly, these patchy phase shifts to macroalgae have occurred despite substantial island-wide increases in the density and biomass of herbivorous fishes over the time period. Together, these results indicate that nutrient loading may be an important driver of coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts in the lagoons of Moorea even though the reefs harbor an abundant and diverse herbivore assemblage. These results emphasize the important role that bottom-up factors can play in driving coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts and underscore the critical importance of watershed management for reducing inputs of nutrients and other land-based pollutants to coral reef ecosystems., (© 2020 by the Ecological Society of America.)

An unfavorable lipid profile and being overweight are known mediators in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The effect of diet, particularly high in protein, remains under discussion. Therefore, this study examines the effects of a high-protein (HP) diet on cardiometabolic health and vascular function (i.e., endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and retinal microvascular structure), and the possible association with plasma endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related compounds in overweight participants. Thirty-eight participants (64.5 ± 5.9 (mean ± SD) years; body mass index (BMI) 28.9 ± 4.0 kg/m 2 ) were measured for 48 h in a respiration chamber after body-weight maintenance for approximately 34 months following weight reduction. Diets with either a HP ( n = 20) or moderate protein (MP; n = 18) content (25%/45%/30% vs. 15%/55%/30% protein/carbohydrate/fat) were provided in energy balance. Validated markers for cardiometabolic health (i.e., office blood pressure (BP) and serum lipoprotein concentrations) and vascular function (i.e., brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation, pulse wave analysis and velocity, and retinal microvascular calibers) were measured before and after those 48 h. Additionally, 24 h ambulatory BP, plasma anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and pregnenolone (PREG) were analyzed throughout the day. Office and ambulatory BP, serum lipoprotein concentrations, and vascular function markers were not different between the groups. Only heart rate (HR) was higher in the HP group. HR was positively associated with OEA, while OEA and PEA were also positively associated with total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. Vascular function markers were not associated with endocannabinoids (or endocannabinoid-related substances). In conclusion, the HP diet did not affect cardiometabolic health and vascular function in overweight participants after completing a weight-loss intervention. Furthermore, our data indicate a possible association between OEA and PEA with TC and LDL cholesterol.

Microbes are ubiquitous throughout the world's oceans, yet the manner and extent of their influence on the ecology and evolution of large, mobile fauna remains poorly understood. Here, we establish the intestinal microbiome as a hidden, and potentially important, 'functional trait' of tropical herbivorous fishes-a group of large consumers critical to coral reef resilience. Using field observations, we demonstrate that five common Caribbean fish species display marked differences in where they feed and what they feed on. However, in addition to space use and feeding behaviour-two commonly measured functional traits-we find that interspecific trait differences are even more pronounced when considering the herbivore intestinal microbiome. Microbiome composition was highly species specific. Phylogenetic comparison of the dominant microbiome members to all known microbial taxa suggest that microbiomes are comprised of putative environmental generalists, animal-associates and fish specialists (resident symbionts), the latter of which mapped onto host phylogeny. These putative symbionts are most similar to-among all known microbes-those that occupy the intestines of ecologically and evolutionarily related herbivorous fishes in more distant ocean basins. Our findings therefore suggest that the intestinal microbiome may be an important functional trait among these large-bodied consumers.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of temperature anomalies that cause coral bleaching, leading to widespread mortality of stony corals that can fundamentally alter reef structure and function. However, bleaching often is spatially variable for a given heat stress event, and drivers of this heterogeneity are not well resolved. While small-scale experiments have shown that excess nitrogen can increase the susceptibility of a coral colony to bleaching, we lack evidence that heterogeneity in nitrogen pollution can shape spatial patterns of coral bleaching across a seascape. Using island-wide surveys of coral bleaching and nitrogen availability within a Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework, we tested the hypothesis that excess nitrogen interacts with temperature anomalies to alter coral bleaching for the two dominant genera of branching corals in Moorea, French Polynesia. For both coral genera, Pocillopora and Acropora , heat stress primarily drove bleaching prevalence (i.e., the proportion of colonies on a reef that bleached). In contrast, the severity of bleaching (i.e., the proportion of an individual colony that bleached) was positively associated with both heat stress and nitrogen availability for both genera. Importantly, nitrogen interacted with heat stress to increase bleaching severity up to twofold when nitrogen was high and heat stress was relatively low. Our finding that excess nitrogen can trigger severe bleaching even under relatively low heat stress implies that mitigating nutrient pollution may enhance the resilience of coral communities in the face of mounting stresses from global climate change., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest.

Background: Weight loss has been associated with adaptations in energy expenditure. Identifying factors that counteract these adaptations are important for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether increased protein/carbohydrate ratio would reduce adaptive thermogenesis (AT) and the expected positive energy balance (EB) during weight maintenance after weight loss in participants with prediabetes in the postobese state., Methods: In 38 participants, the effects of 2 diets differing in protein/carbohydrate ratio on energy expenditure and respiratory quotient (RQ) were assessed during 48-h respiration chamber measurements ∼34 mo after weight loss. Participants consumed a high-protein (HP) diet (n = 20; 13 women/7 men; age: 64.0 ± 6.2 y; BMI: 28.9 ± 4.0 kg/m 2) with 25:45:30% or a moderate-protein (MP) diet (n = 18; 9 women/9 men; age: 65.1 ± 5.8 y; BMI: 29.0 ± 3.8 kg/m 2) with 15:55:30% of energy from protein:carbohydrate:fat. Predicted resting energy expenditure (REEp) was calculated based on fat-free mass and fat mass. AT was assessed by subtracting measured resting energy expenditure (REE) from REEp. The main outcomes included differences in components of energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, and AT between groups., Results: EB (MP = 0.2 ± 0.9 MJ/d; HP = -0.5 ± 0.9 MJ/d) and RQ (MP = 0.84 ± 0.02; HP = 0.82 ± 0.02) were reduced and REE (MP: 7.3 ± 0.2 MJ/d compared with HP: 7.8 ± 0.2 MJ/d) was increased in the HP group compared with the MP group (P < 0.05). REE was not different from REEp in the HP group, whereas REE was lower than REEp in the MP group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, EB was positively related to AT (rs = 0.74; P < 0.001) and RQ (rs = 0.47; P < 0.01) in the whole group of participants., Conclusions: In conclusion, an HP diet compared with an MP diet led to a negative EB and counteracted AT ∼34 mo after weight loss, in participants with prediabetes in the postobese state. These results indicate the relevance of compliance to an increased protein/carbohydrate ratio for long-term weight maintenance after weight loss. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01777893., (Copyright © The Author(s) 2019.)

Favorable effects of a high-protein/moderate-carbohydrate (HP/MCHO) diet after weight loss on body weight management have been shown. To extend these findings, associations between perception of hunger and satiety with endocannabinoids, and with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and polypeptide YY (PYY) were assessed. At approximately 34 months after weight loss, 22 female and 16 male participants (mean age 64.5 ± 5.9 years; body mass index (BMI) 28.9 ± 3.9 kg/m 2 ) completed a 48 h respiration chamber study. Participants were fed in energy balance with a HP/MCHO diet with 25%:45%:30% or a moderate-protein/high-carbohydrate (MP/HCHO) diet with 15%:55%:30% of energy from protein:carbohydrate:fat. Endocannabinoids and related compounds, relevant postprandial hormones (GLP-1, PYY), hunger, satiety, and ad libitum food intake were assessed. HP/MCHO versus MP/HCHO reduced hunger perception. The lower decremental area under the curve (dAUC) for hunger in the HP/MCHO diet (-56.6% compared to MP, p < 0.05) was associated with the higher AUC for 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) concentrations ( p < 0.05). Hunger was inversely associated with PYY in the HP/MCHO group (r = -0.7, p < 0.01). Ad libitum food intake, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and incremental AUCs for gut peptides were not different between conditions. HP/MCHO versus MP/HCHO diet-induced reduction in hunger was present after 34 months weight maintenance in the post-obese state. HP/MCHO diet-induced decrease of hunger is suggested to interact with increased 2-AG and PYY concentrations.

Introduction: The effect of changes in body weight or insulin resistance on grey matter volume and cortical thickness change are unclear. The present observational study assessed effects of an 8-week weight loss period (≥8% of body weight), and a subsequent 22-month weight maintenance period on grey matter volume and cortical thickness., Methods: A total of 24 participants (12f/12 m; age 52.8 ± 10.6 years) with overweight/obesity and pre-diabetes were recruited. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was used to determine grey matter volume and cortical thickness at baseline, after the weight loss period and after a medium to high dietary protein weight maintenance period., Results: At baseline, global grey matter volume was inversely associated with HOMA-IR, adjusted for sex and age (r = -0.42; p = .049). During the weight loss period participants decreased their BMI (32.1 ± 3.3 to 28.1 ± 2.8 kg/m 2 , p < .01), body-fat (41.6 ± 6.4 to 35.0 ± 8.0%, p < .01) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR: 4.0 ± 2.0 to 1.8 ± 0.9, p < .01). During the 22-month weight maintenance period, these parameters gradually increased again (BMI: 29.3 ± 3.8 kg/m 2 ; body-fat: 37.8 ± 9.3%; HOMA-IR: 2.9 ± 1.4, p < .01). Global grey matter volume and cortical thickness did not change significantly during the weight loss or weight maintenance period. Changes in body weight, body-fat percentage or insulin sensitivity were not associated with changes in global grey matter volume., Conclusion: In conclusion, we confirmed that global grey brain matter volume was inversely associated with insulin resistance at baseline, yet an intervention yielding a decrease in insulin resistance did not lead to changes in global grey brain matter volume or cortical thickness., Trial Registration: The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01777893., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Overexploitation of key species can negatively impact ecosystem processes, so understanding the ecological roles of individual species is critical for improving ecosystem management. Here, we use coral reefs and the process of herbivory as a model to examine how species identity of consumers influence ecosystem processes to inform management of these consumers. Herbivorous fishes can facilitate the recruitment, growth, and recovery of corals by controlling the fast-growing algae that can outcompete corals for space. However, herbivorous fish guilds are species rich with important differences among species in diet, movement, and habitat preferences. Yet, we lack a general understanding of (1) how these species-specific differences in feeding and behavior scale up to reef-wide rates of ecosystem processes and (2) how species identity and diversity impact these processes. To address these knowledge gaps, we used field observations to derive key species- and size-specific foraging parameters for nine herbivorous parrotfish species on coral reefs in the Florida Keys, USA. We then combined these foraging parameters with fish survey data spanning multiple spatial scales to estimate the rates of three ecosystem processes: area of reef grazed, amount of macroalgae removed, and rate of bioerosion. We found that predicted rates of ecological processes varied dramatically among habitats and among reef zones within habitats, driven primarily by variation in abundance among species with different foraging behaviors. In some cases, assemblages with similar levels of total biomass had different rates of ecological processes, and in others, assemblages with different biomass had similar rates of ecological processes. Importantly, our models of herbivory using species-specific parameters differed from those using genus-level parameters by up to 300% in rates of ecological processes, highlighting the importance of herbivore identity in this system. Our results indicate that there may be little overlap in the roles species play, suggesting that some systems may be vulnerable to loss of ecological function with the reduction or loss of just a few species. This work provides a framework that can be applied across the region to predict how changes in management may affect the ecological impact of these important herbivores., (© 2019 by the Ecological Society of America.)

Background: Obesity and type 2 diabetes have been linked to alterations in food reward processing, which may be linked to insulin resistance., Objectives: In this clinical study, we investigated the respective contribution of insulin resistance, anthropometric measurements, and behavioral factors to brain reward activation in response to visual stimuli., Design: Food reward-related brain reward activation was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging in 39 overweight or obese individuals with impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or both [22 women, 17 men; mean ± SD insulin sensitivity index (ISI): 2.7 ± 1.3; body mass index (BMI; kg/m2): 32.3 ± 3.7; body fat percentage: 40.5% ± 7.9%; fasting glucose: 6.3 ± 0.6 mmol/L]. Food and nonfood images were shown in a randomized block design. Brain activation (food compared with nonfood images) was correlated with anthropometric and behavioral variables. Behavioral variables included eating behavior [Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ)] and habitual physical activity (Baecke). Glucose and insulin concentrations, determined during an oral-glucose challenge, were used to assess the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and Matsuda ISI., Results: Food compared with nonfood brain activation was positively associated with HOMA-IR in the nucleus accumbens, right and left insula, and right cingulate gyrus (P < 0.005, corrected for multiple comparisons). TFEQ factor 2 was positively related to food compared with nonfood brain activation in the supramarginal gyrus (P < 0.005, corrected for multiple comparisons). Habitual physical activity during leisure time was negatively associated with food compared with nonfood brain activation in multiple regions associated with the attention and reward network (P < 0.005, corrected for multiple comparisons)., Conclusions: Individuals with increased insulin resistance and emotional eating or disinhibition showed higher brain reactivity to food cues, which may imply changes in food preference and hyperphagia. Individuals with higher habitual physical activity showed less food reward-related brain activation.

The objective was to assess the effects of a weight loss and subsequent weight maintenance period comprising two diets differing in protein intake, on brain reward reactivity to visual food cues. Brain reward reactivity was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging in 27 overweight/obese individuals with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance (HOMA-IR: 3.7 ± 1.7; BMI: 31.8 ± 3.2 kg/m²; fasting glucose: 6.4 ± 0.6 mmol/L) before and after an 8-week low energy diet followed by a 2-year weight maintenance period, with either high protein (HP) or medium protein (MP) dietary guidelines. Brain reactivity and possible relationships with protein intake, anthropometrics, insulin resistance and eating behaviour were assessed. Brain reactivity, BMI, HOMA-IR and protein intake did not change differently between the groups during the intervention. In the whole group, protein intake during weight maintenance was negatively related to changes in high calorie images>low calorie images (H > L) brain activation in the superior/middle frontal gyrus and the inferior temporal gyrus ( p < 0.005, corrected for multiple comparisons). H > L brain activation was positively associated with changes in body weight and body-fat percentage and inversely associated with changes in dietary restraint in multiple reward, gustatory and processing regions ( p < 0.005, corrected for multiple comparisons). In conclusion, changes in food reward-related brain activation were inversely associated with protein intake and dietary restraint during weight maintenance after weight loss and positively associated with changes in body weight and body-fat percentage.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a weight maintenance period comprising two diets differing in protein intake, after weight loss, on intrahepatic lipid content and implications for insulin sensitivity. A total of 25 participants [body mass index (BMI): 31.1 (3.5 kg/m 2 ; intrahepatic lipid (IHL): 8.7 (8.3%; fasting glucose: 6.4 (0.6 mmol/l; homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): 3.7 (1.6; Matsuda index: 3.4 (2.9] started an 8-wk low-energy diet followed by a 2-yr weight maintenance period with either high protein or medium protein dietary guidelines. At baseline, after 6 mo, and after 2 yr, IHL, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging. Glucose and insulin concentrations, determined during an oral glucose challenge, were used to assess the HOMA-IR and Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI). Protein intake was measured with 24-h urinary nitrogen excretion. Protein intake, BMI, IHL, VAT, SAT, HOMA-IR, and ISI did not change differently between the groups during the intervention. In the whole group, BMI, IHL, VAT, SAT, HOMA-IR, and ISI were favorably changed at 6 mo and 2 yr compared with baseline ( P < 0.05). Mixed-model analysis showed that independent of BMI, protein intake (g/d) at 6 mo was inversely related to IHL (coefficient: -0.04; P < 0.05) and VAT (coefficient: -0.01; P < 0.05). Overall, IHL was positively related to HOMA-IR (coefficient: 0.10; P < 0.01) and inversely related to ISI (coefficient: -0.17; P < 0.01), independent of BMI. A 2-yr medium- to high-protein energy-restricted diet reduced IHL and VAT. Independently of changes in BMI, IHL was inversely related to insulin sensitivity.

Coral reef systems can undergo rapid transitions from coral-dominated to macroalgae-dominated states following disturbances, and models indicate that these may sometimes represent shifts between alternative stable states. While several mechanisms may lead to alternate stable states on coral reefs, only a few have been investigated theoretically. We explore a model that illustrates that reduced vulnerability of macroalgae to herbivory as macroalgae grow and mature could be an important mechanism: when macroalgae are palatable to herbivores as juveniles, but resistant as adults, coral-dominated and algae-dominated states are bistable across a wide range of parameter space. We compare two approaches to global sensitivity analysis to rank the relative importance of the model parameters in determining the presence and magnitude of alternative stable states, and find that the two most influential parameters are the death rate of coral and the rate of maturation of algae out of the vulnerable stage. The Random Forest approach for global sensitivity analysis, recently adopted by ecologists, provides a more efficient method for ranking the relative importance of parameters than a variance-based approach that has been used frequently by computer scientists and engineers. Our results suggest that managing reefs to reduce chronic stressors that cause coral mortality and/or enhance the growth rates of algae can help prevent reefs from becoming locked in a macroalgae-dominated state., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Tropical reefs often undergo acute disturbances that result in landscape-scale loss of coral. Due to increasing threats to coral reefs from climate change and anthropogenic perturbations, it is critical to understand mechanisms that drive recovery of these ecosystems. We explored this issue on the fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia, following a crown-of-thorns seastar outbreak and cyclone that dramatically reduced cover of coral. During the five-years following the disturbances, the rate of re-establishment of coral cover differed systematically around the triangular-shaped island; coral cover returned most rapidly at sites where the least amount of live coral remained after the disturbances. Although sites differed greatly in the rate of return of coral, all showed at least some evidence of re-assembly to their pre-disturbance community structure in terms of relative abundance of coral taxa and other benthic space holders. The primary driver of spatial variation in recovery was recruitment of sexually-produced corals; subsequent growth and survivorship were less important in shaping the spatial pattern. Our findings suggest that, although the coral community has been resilient, some areas are unlikely to attain the coral cover and taxonomic structure they had prior to the most recent disturbances before the advent of another landscape-scale perturbation.

Improving cerebrovascular function may be a key mechanism whereby a healthy lifestyle, of which a healthy diet combined with increased physical activity levels is a cornerstone, protects against cognitive impairments. In this respect, effects on cerebral blood flow (CBF)&mdash;a sensitive physiological marker of cerebrovascular function&mdash;are of major interest. This review summarizes the impact of specific dietary determinants and physical exercise on CBF in adults and discusses the relation between these effects with potential changes in cognitive function. A limited number of randomized controlled trials have already demonstrated the beneficial effects of an acute intake of nitrate and polyphenols on CBF, but evidence for a relationship between these effects as well as improvements in cognitive functioning is limited. Moreover, long-term trans-resveratrol supplementation has been shown to increase CBF in populations at increased risk of accelerated cognitive decline. Long-term supplementation of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids may also increase CBF, but related effects on cognitive performance have not yet been found. Significant decreases in cerebral perfusion were observed by commonly consumed amounts of caffeine, while alcohol intake was shown to increase CBF in a dose-dependent way. However, the long-term effects are not clear. Finally, long-term exercise training may be a promising approach to improve CBF, as increases in perfusion may contribute to the beneficial effects on cognitive functioning observed following increased physical activity levels.

Resolving how species compete and coexist within ecological communities represents a long-standing challenge in ecology. Research efforts have focused on two predominant mechanisms of species coexistence: complementarity and redundancy. But findings also support an alternative hypothesis that within-species variation may be critical for coexistence. Our study focuses on nine closely related and ecologically similar coral reef fish species to test the importance of individual- versus species-level traits in determining the size of dietary, foraging substrate, and behavioural interaction niches. Specifically, we asked: (i) what level of biological organization best describes individual-level niches? and (ii) how are herbivore community niches partitioned among species, and are niche widths driven by species- or individual-level traits? Dietary and foraging substrate niche widths were best described by species identity, but no level of taxonomy explained behavioural interactions. All three niches were dominated by only a few species, contrasting expectations of niche complementarity. Species- and individual-level traits strongly drove foraging substrate and behavioural niches, respectively, whereas the dietary niche was described by both. Our findings underscored the importance of species-level traits for community-level niches, but highlight that individual-level trait variation within a select few species may be a key driver of the overall size of niches., (© 2017 The Author(s).)

Coral reefs increasingly are undergoing transitions from coral to macroalgal dominance. Although the functional roles of reef herbivores in controlling algae are becoming better understood, identifying possible tipping points in the herbivory-macroalgae relationships has remained a challenge. Assessment of where any coral reef ecosystem lies in relation to the coral-to-macroalgae tipping point is fundamental to understanding resilience properties, forecasting state shifts, and developing effective management practices. We conducted a multi-year field experiment in Moorea, French Polynesia to estimate these properties. While we found a sharp herbivory threshold where macroalgae escape control, ambient levels of herbivory by reef fishes were well above that needed to prevent proliferation of macroalgae. These findings are consistent with previously observed high resilience of the fore reef in Moorea. Our approach can identify vulnerable coral reef systems in urgent need of management action to both forestall shifts to macroalgae and preserve properties essential for resilience.

The recent loss of key consumers to exploitation and habitat degradation has significantly altered community dynamics and ecosystem function across many ecosystems worldwide. Predicting the impacts of consumer losses requires knowing the level of functional diversity that exists within a consumer assemblage. In this study, we document functional diversity among nine species of parrotfishes on Caribbean coral reefs. Parrotfishes are key herbivores that facilitate the maintenance and recovery of coral-dominated reefs by controlling algae and provisioning space for the recruitment of corals. We observed large functional differences among two genera of parrotfishes that were driven by differences in diet. Fishes in the genus Scarus targeted filamentous algal turf assemblages, crustose coralline algae, and endolithic algae and avoided macroalgae, while fishes in the genus Sparisoma preferentially targeted macroalgae. However, species with similar diets were dissimilar in other attributes, including the habitats they frequented, the types of substrate they fed from, and the spatial scale at which they foraged. These differences indicate that species that appear to be functionally redundant when looking at diet alone exhibit high levels of complementarity when we consider multiple functional traits. By identifying key functional differences among parrotfishes, we provide critical information needed to manage parrotfishes to enhance the resilience of coral-dominated reefs and reverse phase shifts on algal-dominated reefs throughout the wider Caribbean. Further, our study provides a framework for predicting the impacts of consumer losses in other species rich ecosystems.

Unlabelled: Insulin resistance (IR) occurs in a transient manner during puberty. Obese adolescents may be at risk for persistent IR during puberty. The objective of the study is to review the literature on the association of the anthropometry and lifestyle characteristics with insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese adolescents, and include data from a new study. Relevant papers were selected and reviewed. In addition, 137 overweight and obese adolescents (42 male/95 female, age 14.4 ± 2.3 years, BMI z-score +3.3 ± 0.7, HOMA-IR 3.4 ± 1.8) from the Centre for Overweight Adolescent and Children's Healthcare (MUMC+) were included in this study. Anthropometrics, Tanner stages, sleep characteristics, food intake behaviour and physical activity were determined, and possible associations with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were tested., Results: Overweight and obese adolescents with unfavourable fat partitioning and family history of NIDDM are at risk for persistent IR. Overweight and obese adolescents from the new cohort showed a higher HOMA-IR postpubertally. BMI z-score, age, pubertal stage and prepubertally total sleeping time (TST) and sleep efficiency (SE) were identified as significant contributors. Overweight and obese adolescents showed a persistently higher instead of transiently higher HOMA-IR during puberty, associated with BMI z-score, age, pubertal stage and prepubertally less TST and SE., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Insulin resistance is a link between obesity and the associated disease risk. In addition to its role as an energy regulatory signal to the hypothalamus, insulin also modulates food reward., Objective: To examine the relationship of insulin sensitivity (SI) and fasting insulin with cerebral activation in response to food and non-food cues in children., Methods: Twelve overweight Hispanic girls (age: 8-11) participated in two study visits, a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test and a functional neuroimaging session (GE HDxt 3.0Tesla) with visual stimulation tasks. Blocks of images (high calorie [HC], low calorie [LC] and non-food [NF]) were presented in randomized order., Results: Comparing HC with NF, SI was inversely associated with activation in the anterior cingulate (r(2)  = 0.65; P < 0.05), the insula (r(2)  = 0.69; P < 0.05), the orbitofrontal cortex (r(2)  = 0.74; P < 0.05), and the frontal and rolandic operculum (r(2)  = 0.76; P < 0.001). Associations remained significant after adjustment for body mass index. Association of fasting insulin and cerebral activation disappeared after adjustment for waist circumference., Conclusion: In addition to weight loss, insulin sensitivity may pose an important target to regulate neural responses to food cues in the prevention of excessive weight gain., (© 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.)

Social jetlag represents the discrepancy between circadian and social clocks, which is measured as the difference in hours in midpoint of sleep between work days and free days. Previous studies have shown social jetlag to be associated with body mass index (BMI), glycated hemoglobin levels, heart rate, depressive symptoms, smoking, mental distress and alcohol use. The objective of our current study was to investigate, in a group of 145 apparently healthy participants (67 men and 78 women, aged 18-55 years, BMI 18-35 kg/m(2)), the prevalence of social jetlag and its association with adverse endocrine, behavioral and cardiovascular risk profiles as measured in vivo. participants with ≥2 h social jetlag had higher 5-h cortisol levels, slept less during the week, were more often physically inactive and had an increased resting heart rate, compared with participants who had ≤1 h social jetlag. We therefore concluded that social jetlag is associated with an adverse endocrine, behavioral and cardiovascular risk profile in apparently healthy participants. These adverse profiles put healthy participants at risk for development of metabolic diseases and mental disorders, including diabetes and depression, in the near future., (© 2014 The Author(s).)

Global climate change is rapidly altering disturbance regimes in many ecosystems including coral reefs, yet the long-term impacts of these changes on ecosystem structure and function are difficult to predict. A major ecosystem service provided by coral reefs is the provisioning of physical habitat for other organisms, and consequently, many of the effects of climate change on coral reefs will be mediated by their impacts on habitat structure. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the independent and combined effects of coral mortality and loss of physical habitat on reef-associated biota. Here, we use a unique series of events affecting the coral reefs around the Pacific island of Moorea, French Polynesia to differentiate between the impacts of coral mortality and the degradation of physical habitat on the structure of reef fish communities. We found that, by removing large amounts of physical habitat, a tropical cyclone had larger impacts on reef fish communities than an outbreak of coral-eating sea stars that caused widespread coral mortality but left the physical structure intact. In addition, the impacts of declining structural complexity on reef fish assemblages accelerated as structure became increasingly rare. Structure provided by dead coral colonies can take up to decades to erode following coral mortality, and, consequently, our results suggest that predictions based on short-term studies are likely to grossly underestimate the long-term impacts of coral decline on reef fish communities.

Why are some individuals more vulnerable to persistent weight gain and obesity than are others? Some obese individuals report factors that drive overeating, including lack of control, lack of satiation, and preoccupation with food, which may stem from reward-related neural circuitry. These are normative and common symptoms and not the sole focus of any existing measures. Many eating scales capture these common behaviors, but are confounded with aspects of dysregulated eating such as binge eating or emotional overeating. Across five studies, we developed items that capture this reward-based eating drive (RED). Study 1 developed the items in lean to obese individuals (n = 327) and examined changes in weight over eight years. In Study 2, the scale was further developed and expert raters evaluated the set of items. Study 3 tested psychometric properties of the final 9 items in 400 participants. Study 4 examined psychometric properties and race invariance (n = 80 women). Study 5 examined psychometric properties and age/gender invariance (n = 381). Results showed that RED scores correlated with BMI and predicted earlier onset of obesity, greater weight fluctuations, and greater overall weight gain over eight years. Expert ratings of RED scale items indicated that the items reflected characteristics of reward-based eating. The RED scale evidenced high internal consistency and invariance across demographic factors. The RED scale, designed to tap vulnerability to reward-based eating behavior, appears to be a useful brief tool for identifying those at higher risk of weight gain over time. Given the heterogeneity of obesity, unique brief profiling of the reward-based aspect of obesity using a self-report instrument such as the RED scale may be critical for customizing effective treatments in the general population.

Purpose: Insulin responses to oral and intravenous glucose markedly differ by ethnicity. This study examined whether ethnic differences in pancreatic insulin secretion, hepatic insulin extraction and clearance explain these disparate findings in 35 obese African-American and 41 Latina girls (Tanner Stages: IV-V; ages: 14-18; body mass index percentile: 85.9-99.8%)., Methods: Pancreatic insulin secretion, hepatic insulin extraction and clearance were estimated by C-peptide and insulin modeling during an oral glucose tolerance test. Insulin sensitivity (SI), acute insulin response to glucose (AIRG ) and disposition index were derived from a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test., Results: Compared to Latinas, obese African-American adolescents had lower pancreatic insulin secretion (21.3%; P < 0.01), glucose incremental area under the curve (IAUC) (41.7%, P = 0.02), C-peptide IAUC (25.1%, P < 0.01) and SI (33.7%; P < 0.01). There were no ethnic differences in hepatic insulin extraction and clearance (P's > 0.05)., Conclusions: Compensatory mechanisms to insulin resistance do not appear to explain the ethnic differences in insulin responses to oral and intravenous glucose in obese African-American and Latina girls., (© 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.)

Objective: Exposure to high-calorie foods may promote overeating by stimulating brain reward pathways and appetite. Abdominal fat has particularly adverse metabolic consequences and may alter brain pathways that regulate feeding behavior. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to test the hypothesis that high-calorie food cues activate brain reward regions and increase appetite, and to examine the relationship between abdominal fat and brain reward responsiveness in Hispanic women., Design and Methods: fMRI was performed while 13 volunteers viewed 12 blocks of pictures of food and non-food items. Participants rated hunger and food desire after each block of pictures. Brain activation to high-calorie foods was determined by calculating a contrast of high-calorie food minus non-food images. Pearson's correlations were used to test the relationship between brain reward activation and waist circumference., Results: High-calorie food images activated brain reward regions (Z > 2.3, P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons) and increased hunger (P = 0.001), desire for sweet (P = 0.012) and savory (P = 0.009) foods. The striatal response to high-calorie foods positively correlated with waist circumference, independent of BMI (r = 0.621, P = 0.031)., Conclusions: Exposure to high-calorie food images activates brain reward pathways and increases appetitive drive in Hispanic females. Abdominal fat, independent of BMI, parallels striatal responsiveness to high-calorie food images., (Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.)

The increase in obesity, including childhood obesity, has developed over the same time period as the progressive decrease in self-reported sleep duration. Since epidemiological studies showed an inverse relationship between short or disturbed sleep and obesity, the question arose, how sleep duration and sleep quality are associated with the development of obesity. In this review, the current literature on these topics has been evaluated. During puberty, changes in body mass index (BMI) are inversely correlated to changes in sleep duration. During adulthood, this relationship remains and at the same time unfavorable metabolic and neuro-endocrinological changes develop, that promote a positive energy balance, coinciding with sleep disturbance. Furthermore, during excessive weight loss BMI and fat mass decrease, in parallel, and related with an increase in sleep duration. In order to shed light on the association between sleep duration, sleep quality and obesity, until now it only has been shown that diet-induced body-weight loss and successive body-weight maintenance contribute to sleep improvement. It remains to be demonstrated whether body-weight management and body composition improve during an intervention concomitantly with spontaneous sleep improvement compared with the same intervention without spontaneous sleep improvement., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)