Rapid increase in the United States influenza epidemics driven by anthropogenic rapid temperature variations during the autumn transition period

Development of a SiPM-based CsI(Tl) spectrometer with gain stabilization designs for rapid temperature variations

The extraordinary growing demand for environmentally friendly materials leads to an increasing attention on the use of biopolymers. The Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising biopolymers, with very interesting physical and mechanical properties. However, the low rate of crystallization of the PLA compared to other semi-crystalline polymers limits its use in technical applications. In this study, the effect of the application of a system able to rapidly change the temperature of the cavity surface on the final crystallinity of Poly-lactic acid micro-parts was studied. The technique adopted is based on the use of very thin heating elements, thermocouples and insulation layers that can be attached near the surface of the cavity allowing precise and local control of the temperature during each stage of the molding cycle. The system was adopted to increase the temperature of the cavity up to 160°C during the filling stage to permit the filling of a cavity with a thickness of 0.2 mm and an aspect ratio equal to 50. After the filling, the system allowed the application of rapid temperature variations locally along with the sample. Different thermal histories were applied to tune the morphology of the parts. Calorimetric analyses permitted to understand the crystallization behavior of the processed material and determine the final crystallinity in the produced samples.The extraordinary growing demand for environmentally friendly materials leads to an increasing attention on the use of biopolymers. The Poly-lactic acid (PLA) is one of the most promising biopolymers, with very interesting physical and mechanical properties. However, the low rate of crystallization of the PLA compared to other semi-crystalline polymers limits its use in technical applications. In this study, the effect of the application of a system able to rapidly change the temperature of the cavity surface on the final crystallinity of Poly-lactic acid micro-parts was studied. The technique adopted is based on the use of very thin heating elements, thermocouples and insulation layers that can be attached near the surface of the cavity allowing precise and local control of the temperature during each stage of the molding cycle. The system was adopted to increase the temperature of the cavity up to 160°C during the filling stage to permit the filling of a cavity with a thickness of 0.2 mm and an aspect r...

A simple low-cost procedure for data collection and evaluation was developed to investigate the utility of continuous data loggers and the impact of measurement frequency on a water-quality monitoring method for use in a regulatory program for public water supply and groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI). Data loggers were utilized to continuously measure groundwater temperature, descriptive statistics and the coefficient of variation to demonstrate rapid and significant variations. Temperature data were collected from a karst spring located in the Great Valley section of Pennsylvania and reported on daily and 15-min measurement frequencies. In response to five summer rain events, thermographs constructed with the 15-min measurements indicated rapid large-magnitude temperature variations. The average magnitude of change across the five events was 5.3 °C, but the shifts operated on quick timescales; thus, variations were not captured when data were reported on the daily frequency. This resulted in a distorted evaluation on how significant the groundwater temperature variations were, because results were dependent on measurement frequency. The average coefficient of variation percentage for the 15-min datasets was 12%, compared to 3% for the dataset of daily measurements. These findings could have important implications to a public water-supply regulatory program, because the regulatory definition for GWUDI includes those groundwater sources that display rapid and significant variations in water quality. Without high-frequency measurements, one alarming result could be that GWUDI sources, particularly those located in fast-acting hydrogeologic settings, are misevaluated when maximum or minimum water-quality variations are not included in the evaluation. Advancement in science and technology has resulted in data loggers for groundwater temperature that are economical, robust, and easy to install. Thus, their application in regulatory programs should no longer be underutilized, especially in karst spring settings where source construction deficiencies and focused recharge features can result in rain-induced rapid infiltration and water-quality variations on the minute-to-hour timescale.

Arctic permafrost soils have recently been identified as the largest mercury (Hg) reservoir on Earth. Today, rapid warming in the high latitudes may be altering the Arctic Hg cycle by accelerating permafrost thaw, leading to changes including deepening of the active layer, increasing organic matter decay, and increasing seasonal groundwater flow. However, few studies have investigated how the Hg cycle has responded to past changes in climate, and there is a lack of Arctic records that span the late glacial to early Holocene when climate conditions changed abruptly. We propose that the geochemical and physical changes in the sediment record of Burial Lake (68.43ºN, 159.17ºW; 460 m ASL), which document climatic and environmental changes in northwestern Alaska after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), can be used as an analog to investigate how today’s rapid warming affects Hg mobilization from permafrost soils to surficial waters. Warming in the Northern Hemisphere between ~15.0 and 8.0 ka resulted in rapid changes in northwest Alaska, including the submergence of the Bering Land Bridge that reconnected the Pacific and Arctic Oceans (~11.0 ka), in addition to changes in the hydroclimate. Our results indicate that the Hg concentration was relatively low and stable in the Burial Lake record during the transition from the LGM to the late glacial (20.0 and 16.0 ka) with a mean concentration of 64±7 μg/kg. Mercury concentrations begin to increase after 16.0 ka. Then, coinciding with a rapid temperature increase at the beginning of the Bølling Allerød (14.7 to 12.9 ka), Hg concentrations increased by ~20% and showed higher variability as temperatures fluctuated until the end of the Younger Dryas (12.9 to 11.7 ka). At 11.0 ka, the Hg concentration increased rapidly. It peaked at 140 µg/kg, with a mean Hg concentration of 119 μg/kg between 11.0 to 8.8 ka, coinciding with evidence of a rapid increase in regional precipitation and flooding of the Bering Land Bridge. From 8.8 to 0.1 ka, the mean Hg concentration decreased to 107 μg/kg and then increased rapidly over the last 100 years to a maximum concentration of 196 μg/kg occurring during the 1990s. Throughout the majority of the Burial Lake sediment record, the Hg concentration is most strongly correlated with total organic carbon content and geochemical proxies sensitive to changes in redox conditions. We interpret this finding as an indication that a large fraction of Hg is mobilized from the lake catchment along with dissolved organic matter (DOM), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) that are mobilized as a result of saturation and deepening of the active layer during periods of warmer, but most importantly, wetter climate. The Hg record from Burial Lake suggests that as the climate warmed after the LGM, organic-rich permafrost soils and Hg accumulated in the catchment. The sudden increase in Hg mobilization from permafrost soils was then initiated at the onset of the Holocene due to the rapid increase in precipitation that coincided with the flooding of the Bering Land Bridge.

Periodic diameter modulation of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by rapid temperature variation in laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) process was successfully achieved. A CO2 laser was used to quickly and precisely modulate the growth temperature. Due to inverse relationship between the diameter of SWNTs and the growth temperature, tapered and diameter-alternating tubes were grown by modulating the CO2 laser power during the growth. The diameter-modulated SWNTs were grown across a pair of Mo electrodes to form field-effect transistors (FETs) for investigation of their electrical and optical properties. Variations in the bandgap of the individual semiconducting SWNTs were detected meaning the formation of multi bandgaps within a single tube. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were also studied to investigate the structural and electronic properties of the structures.Periodic diameter modulation of individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by rapid temperature variation in laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) process was successfully achieved. A CO2 laser was used to quickly and precisely modulate the growth temperature. Due to inverse relationship between the diameter of SWNTs and the growth temperature, tapered and diameter-alternating tubes were grown by modulating the CO2 laser power during the growth. The diameter-modulated SWNTs were grown across a pair of Mo electrodes to form field-effect transistors (FETs) for investigation of their electrical and optical properties. Variations in the bandgap of the individual semiconducting SWNTs were detected meaning the formation of multi bandgaps within a single tube. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were also studied to investigate the structural and electronic properties of the structures.

Effects of temperature variations on dietary lipid absorption and plasma lipoprotein concentrations in trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Temperature drift modeling and compensation of capacitive accelerometer based on AGA-BP neural network

The observational record of deep ocean variability is short, which makes it difficult to attribute the recent rise in deep ocean temperatures to anthropogenic forcing. Here we test a new proxy—the oxygen isotopic signature of individual benthic foraminifera—to detect rapid (i.e., monthly to decadal) variations in deep ocean temperature and salinity in the sedimentary record. We apply this technique at 1000 m water depth in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific during seven 200 year Holocene intervals. Variability in foraminifer δ18O over the past 200 years is below the detection limit, but δ18O signatures from two mid‐Holocene intervals indicate temperature swings >2°C within 200 years. More vigorous transport between the surface and deep ocean or stronger eddy variability than that observed in the historical record are potential explanations. Distinguishing externally forced climate trends in deep ocean properties from unforced variability should be possible with systematic analysis of suitable deep sea cores.

A lasing wavelength stabilized simultaneous multipoint acoustic sensing system using pressure-coupled fiber Bragg gratings

Abstract. Rapid soil moisture variations were measured with TDR equipment at five depths ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 m during five consecutive infiltration experiments under ponding. Each time, 27 mm of water were applied. The water of the second experiment was spiked with 200 mbq of K131I-tracer. Its activity was recorded as functions of depth and time with Geiger-Müller probes in 12 vertically installed access tubes. The soil moisture variations were classified as showing (i) no reaction, (ii) monotonous increase, and (iii) rapid increase followed by a gradual decrease. Reaction type (iii) was investigated further according to the boundary-layer flow theory and diagnosed as preferential flow. Rapid variations of 131I-activities occurred at all depths showing soil moisture reaction type (iii). However, some of the reaction types (i) and (ii) also included rapid variations of the activities. The approach based on boundary-laver flow theory allows fluxes to be estimated from soil moisture variations. Seven estimated total volumes of rapid flow ranged from 0.15 to 1.1 of the applied volume of water, and in only one case was the total volume badly overestimated by a factor of almost 3. The approach is worth further exploration.

Mineralogical and chemical examinations on interstratified illite/smectite (I/S) from the Koyoshigawaoki well in the Akita basin provide an excellent example to document the diagenetic change of smectite to illite. X-ray diffraction analysis shows a stepwise increase in percentage of illite layer with depth: two abrupt increases in illite layers are recognized at depths just below 2,500 m and at a depth interval between 3,800 and 4,500 m. In addition, conversion of random (R = 0) I/S into R = 1 ordered I/S records at depths of between 3,800 and 4,000 m, which is compatible with a Tmax value of 435°C by Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Present geothermal gradient from temperature data, however, indicates that the conversion is likely to occur at a depth of 3,000 m. This discrepancy may be explained by a reverse fault at a depth of 2,470 m which resulted in a deeper burial of sediments up to 1,000 m. Deeply buried materials such as I/S and organic matter have not yet attained an equilibrium condition that corresponds to the present geothermal gradient. As a result, the rapid increase in percentage of illite layer below 2,500 m may be a discontinuity caused by the reverse fault. Another rapid variation in layer proportion between 3,800 and 4,500 m is attributable to neoformation of R = ordered I/S. Chemical analysis also illustrates a remarkable compositional variation in I/S with burial depth, demonstrating an increase in potassium and aluminum and a decrease in silica. This is expressed by the following reaction: smectite + Al 3+ + K + → illite + Si 4+ In this reaction, potassium is derived from K-feldspar, which is present in significant amounts throughout the well.

Today, industrialization and urbanization in large cities cause an increase in the surfaces covered with man-made objects such as concrete and asphalt. The expansion of urban areas and increase in the using materials with high heat storage properties, directly affect the Land Surface Temperature (LST), which shows an increase in the sensible temperature of the region. LST is directly connected to the natural green vegetation of the land and varies widely in large urban areas, these differences related to the temperature is defined as the ‘urban heat island’. In this study, it was investigated the temporal variation of land surface temperature due to urbanization. Bursa, which is considered as a study area, has shown a rapid population increase since 1990 and a rapid increase in the number of buildings with the impact of urbanization and industrialisation. To determine the effect of this urbanization and industrialisation on land surface temperature, temporal change analysis of the surface temperature in the Bursa was observed with Landsat satellite images of 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2018. From produced maps, it was observed that the amount of green vegetation in urban areas decreased and as a consequence of this decrease, the surface temperature increased in the urban areas.

Childhood obesity affects nearly 17% of children and adolescents in the United States. Increasing evidence indicates that prenatal maternal stress signals influence fetal growth, child obesity, and metabolic risk. Children exhibiting catch-up growth, a rapid and dramatic increase in body size, within the first two years of life are also at an increased risk for developing metabolic disorder and obesity. We evaluate the potential role of the maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and placental axis in programming risk for child obesity. This prospective longitudinal study measured placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) and maternal plasma cortisol at 15, 19, 25, 30, and 37 gestational weeks and collected child body mass index (BMI) at birth, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Participants included 246 mothers and their healthy children born full term. Each child's BMI percentile (BMIP) was determined using World Health Organization (WHO) standards based on age and sex. Child BMIP profiles from birth to two years of age were characterized using general growth mixture modeling (GGMM). We evaluated whether fetal exposure to placental CRH and maternal cortisol are associated with BMIP profiles. Placental CRH at 30 gestational weeks was highly associated with both BMIP (p<.05) and weight (p<.05) at birth when accounting for gestational age at birth and used as a predictor in modeling BMIP profiles. Maternal cortisol was not associated with child BMIP. GGMM analyses identified four distinct BMIP profiles: typical, rapid increase, delayed increase, and decreasing (See Fig. 2). The typical profile comprised the majority of the sample and maintained BMIP across the first two years. The rapid and delayed increase profiles each exhibit a period of reduced body size followed by BMI catch-up growth. The rapid increase profile exhibited catch-up within the first 12 months while the delayed group showed an initial decrease in BMIP at 3 months and a dramatic increase from 12 to 24 months. The decreasing profile exhibited normal birth weight and BMIP followed by persisting, low BMIP. The members of the rapid and delayed increase profiles were exposed to the highest concentrations of placental CRH at 30 gestational weeks compared to those in the typical profile group (Fig. 3). Exposure to elevated placental CRH concentrations during the third trimester is associated with catch-up growth. An early period of small body size followed by rapid catch-up growth is a profile associated with increased metabolic risk and increased obesity risk. Our findings suggest that placental CRH exposure makes a unique contribution to fetal programming of obesity risk.

Body of Letter: National data show an increasing trend of reduced azithromycin susceptibility (AZM-RS) among Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) isolates, especially in the Midwest.1 Sentinel surveillance data from the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project, which examines isolates from men with urethritis from 27 sites across the United States, indicates that the proportion of AZM-RS Ng isolates (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] ≥2 μg/mL) increased 4-fold between 2013 (0.6%) and 2014 (2.5%).1 Most AZM-RS Ng infections occur in men who have sex with men.1,2 The Columbus Public Health STD clinic in Columbus, Ohio, has participated in the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project since 2012. We detected zero cases of AZM-RS Ng in 2015 and 5 cases in 2016 (April, June, July, August, and December). However, we identified 30 cases between January and July 2017; 25 isolates had an AZM MIC of 2 μg/mL and 5 had an MIC of 8 μg/mL. To improve local detection of AZM-RS Ng, we compared characteristics of men with AZM-susceptible Ng urethritis (n = 224) and those with AZM-RS Ng urethritis (n = 30) detected between January and July 2017 (Table 1). Most men with AZM-RS Ng urethritis were identified in the months of June (n = 8) and July 2017 (n = 10), suggesting an accelerating trend. Compared with men with AZM-susceptible Ng urethritis, men with AZM-RS Ng urethritis were more likely to be white (P = 0.02), to report intravenous drug use in the previous year (P = 0.008), and to be HIV-positive (P = 0.04). Although more than half (53%) of men with AZM-RS Ng were heterosexual, the proportion identifying as homosexual (47%) was much higher than the proportion of AZM-susceptible men identifying as homosexual (17%; P = 0.003). We observed no significant differences by age, lifetime or recent Ng history, symptoms, recent international travel, recent sex work exposure, recent non–injection drug use, or recent antibiotic use. Although there was one Ng isolate with an increased MIC value to cefixime (MIC, 0.250 μg/mL) and one to both cefixime (MIC, 0.250 μg/mL) and ceftriaxone (MIC, 0.125 μg/mL), neither of these had concomitant reduced susceptibility to AZM. Ninety-seven percent (n = 29) of men with AZM-RS Ng urethritis received single-dose ceftriaxone (250 mg) plus AZM (1 g), and 3% (n = 1) received single-dose ceftriaxone (250 mg) plus 7 days of doxycycline (100 mg twice per day).TABLE 1: Characteristics of Men With Ng Urethritis, Comparing Those With Azithromycin-Susceptible Ng (n = 224) to Those With Reduced Azithromycin-Susceptibility (n = 30), January to July 2017We report a rapid and alarming increase in cases of AZM-RS Ng urethritis in 2017 in Columbus, Ohio (12% of Ng isolates examined). In contrast to recent reports from King County, WA,2 more than half of our AZM-RS Ng infections occurred in heterosexual patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends dual therapy (ceftriaxone plus AZM) to treat Ng3; the importance of this approach is confirmed by our data, because none of our AZM-RS Ng isolates showed increased MICs to ceftriaxone. However, a genetically linked cluster of 8 Ng isolates with high-level AZM resistance by agar dilution (MIC, >16 μg/mL) was reported in Hawaii. Five of these isolates had simultaneous increased MICs to ceftriaxone (MIC, 0.125 μg/mL),4 further heightening public health concerns about the lack of alternative effective antibiotic options for the treatment of Ng. Expanded surveillance, rapid resistance testing, and new antibiotics are urgently needed in the face of rising Ng antibiotic resistance. Jose A. Bazan, DO Sexual Health Clinic Columbus Public Health Columbus, OH Division of Infectious Diseases The Ohio State University College of Medicine Columbus, OHMysheika Williams Roberts, MD, MPH Sexual Health Clinic Columbus Public Health Columbus, OHOlusegun O. Soge, PhD Neisseria Reference Laboratory Harborview Medical Center University of Washington Seattle, WAElizabeth A. Torrone, PhD, MSPH Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GAAmanda Dennison, MPH Ohio Department of Health Columbus, OHMelissa Ervin, MT, (ASCP) Sexual Health Clinic Columbus Public Health Columbus, OHSopheay Hun, MBA, MLS, (ASCP) Antimicrobial Resistance Regional Laboratory Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratories Shoreline, WAKaren S. Fields, MS, BSN, RN Sexual Health Clinic Columbus Public Health Columbus, OHAbigail N. Turner, PhD Division of Infectious Diseases The Ohio State University College of Medicine Columbus, OH

Inflation has been a popular news topic in 2022, with reports that inflation has reached its highest rates in 30–40 years in some countries (Davies, 2022). Aquaculture farmers in countries with rapidly increasing rates of inflation are rightly concerned about the effects of increasing costs. Yet the effects of inflation on aquaculture farm businesses can extend well beyond those of increased production costs alone. What is important to understand is that the farm-level effects of inflation are closely intertwined with those of various government policies that include both fiscal (i.e., spending, taxation) and monetary (interest rates established by central banks that affect the money supply in the economy) policies. Economic conditions and government policies change over time, sometimes quickly, making it difficult to unravel what the ensuing effects may be on business conditions. This editorial will first provide some brief overall context for discussions of inflation rates, including the underlying causes, and will then examine potential implications for global aquaculture. Defined simply, the inflation rate is the rate at which prices across the economy are increasing. Deflation is the rate at which prices are decreasing across the economy. It is important to understand that deflation can be as serious, often more devastating, than inflation. Deflation can result when economic slowdowns lead to reduced consumer spending that leads to excess supplies of goods and services, forcing businesses to drop prices to sell products to generate cash flow. While consumers may enjoy lower prices, when prices drop below the cost of production for some amount of time, businesses fail. Failing businesses lead to fewer jobs, less disposable income for consumers to purchase goods, and can lead the economy to spiral down into a recession (US examples of 1973–1975; 1981–1982; and 2007–2009), or worse, what is termed the Great Depression in the United States from 1929 to 1941. A low rate of inflation typically indicates a strong, growing economy. In the United States, the Federal Reserve Board is charged with conducting monetary policy and has established a targeted inflation rate of 2%. High rates of inflation mean that consumers can no longer purchase the same quantities of goods and services with their income. As inflation rates spiral upwards, consumers have to make increasingly difficult decisions about what they can no longer afford to purchase and focus their spending on the most essential items. At any given point in time, there typically are countries that have experienced economic difficulties and/or misguided government policies that have led to either high inflation rates or deflation. At the time this editorial was written, Venezuela was experiencing the world's highest inflation rate, of 1198% (Davies, 2022). While Venezuela historically has had a strong economy, governmental policy of continued high spending levels on social programs, despite the depression triggered by the oil price collapse of 2014–2016, led to its hyperinflation rates. Is there a difference in the 2022 concerns over inflation? The difference appears to be the rapid increases in inflation rates in many countries of the world, from the United States to the European Union, China, and many other countries (Davies, 2022). Reports from the United States and European Union refer to the highest rates of inflation in 30–40 years. This editorial will draw upon events in the United States that have led to its high inflation rates, as an example. There is little question that the primary driver of global economic conditions has been the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic shutdowns to contain the spread of the virus. The economic shutdowns led to high rates of unemployment that, by April, 2020, had reached 14.7% in the United States (Jordà et al., 2022). The US government response focused on fiscal policies that involved unprecedented economic stimulus packages. In March, 2020, the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law, followed by $910 billion in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and an additional $1.9 trillion in the American Rescue Act. Such high levels of direct fiscal support have clearly triggered inflation in the US economy. Subsequent economic disruptions in global supply chains, labor shortages, and the ancillary effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on oil and grain supplies have further exacerbated inflation rates around the world. What might the 2022 rates of inflation mean for aquaculture around the world? Aquaculture producers in high-inflation countries are contending with rapidly increasing prices for most inputs, from feed to fuel to labor. Farms are implementing cost control measures as they can to manage cash flow and maintain economic viability. Of greater difficulty than managing increased costs on aquaculture farms, however, is the cost–price squeeze that is developing. Many aquaculture products, especially in the major seafood markets of the United States and the European Union, are what economists refer to as price-elastic products. Price elasticity refers to how much the quantity demanded changes when prices change. Price-elastic aquaculture products and seafood generally face declining quantities demanded when prices go up. With increasing prices, consumers have to re-evaluate their spending and focus first on purchasing their most essential items (which often does not include seafood for consumers in the United States and the European Union). Thus, despite increasing costs of production, many aquaculture producers have difficulty passing these cost increases through to consumers. In countries where some types of seafood are viewed as essential goods, producers of those species may be able to pass cost increases through to consumers, but in countries where seafood is more commonly a luxury good, that will not be the case. There have been increasing reports in seafood marketing trade publications of restaurants removing seafood items from their menus because the prices have risen beyond what is affordable for many of their patrons. For example, in 2022, lobster (Spiegel, 2022), scallops, blue crab, halibut, and other finfish were removed from menus because their patrons could not afford such high prices (Feuer, 2021; Jackson & Krader, 2021). Thus, the quantity demanded of aquaculture products may well decrease in major world markets such as the United States and the European Union, as a result of increasing prices. Inflation rates frequently are accompanied by other types of economic effects on businesses. The major monetary tool used by the Federal Reserve Board in the United States to control inflation is that of interest rates, technically referred to as the federal funds rate. This rate is what banks use for borrowing and lending their excess reserves to each other. Increased federal funds rates lead to increased interest rates overall. Since interest rates, in economic terms, represent the cost of the use of capital, rising interest rates mean that the cost of capital will go up. Increased costs of capital lead to a reduced money supply. Thus, not only will interest rates go up on loans for operating lines of credit and other borrowing to aquaculture producers, but reductions in the supply of money mean less investment. Increasing interest rates have been used successfully to reduce inflation, but given the many other factors that affect overall economic performance, it is difficult to know precisely how much of an increase in interest rates will have a sufficient but not excessive effect. In the 1970s, high rates of deficit spending by the US government led to double-digit inflation rates. With such high rates of inflation, it was necessary to raise interest rates aggressively to bring inflation under control. The rapid increases in interest rates in the 1970s triggered recessions in the 1980s (Ha et al., 2022). Fears are growing that there will be a repeat of the stagflation (high inflation combined with stagnant demand) of the 1970s in 2022 and beyond. Time will tell whether a recession is in the near future for the United States and elsewhere and, if so, how severe it might be. If so, the price elasticity of seafood demand suggests that seafood sales (including aquaculture sales) would fall off more quickly than sales of other types of animal protein sources. Even in the absence of a recession, the challenges of passing cost increases through to consumers with the same volume of sales will pose difficulties for aquaculture producers. What can aquaculture producers do, given increasing rates of inflation in many countries? Unfortunately, there is no one answer for everyone because aquaculture businesses, the customers in their targeted markets, and local economic conditions are so different. However, the growing unease and economic uncertainty means that this is a good time to re-evaluate the farm's business plan, with particular attention to cash flow over the near term. Strict attention to controlling costs and operating in a lean, efficient manner is more important than ever, as is keeping an eye out for new marketing opportunities. War-game scenario planning can be helpful to develop plans for worst-case as well as more hopeful scenarios. Macroeconomists continually monitor, analyze, and evaluate national economic trends in countries around the world. Much less attention, however, has been paid to how macroeconomic policies and factors affect specific markets for aquaculture products. More work is needed, particularly given the diverse consumer preferences across larger seafood markets such as the United States and European Union. More importantly, however, is the need for government policies that support strong economies. Strong economies are those with stable, moderate growth, relatively low unemployment, and efficient supply chains in which aquaculture businesses can thrive.