Short-term Changes Research Articles

Kinetic and Kinematic Gait Analyses of Dogs with Undersized Cementless Stems (Biphasic Calcium Phosphate Coated) versus Cemented in Total Hip Replacement.

To use kinetic and kinematic analysis to determine whether a cementless femoral implanted with a bioactive coating can be an effective alternative to a cemented femoral stem.In the Cemented group, six dogs were implanted with a 316L stainless steel hip prosthesis. The six dogs in the Cementless group were implanted with a 316L stainless steel hip prosthesis with a biphasic calcium phosphate coating. Kinetic gait analysis was performed before the surgery and at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively. Kinematic analyses were carried out before the surgery and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 weeks.A slow and sustained improvement in kinetic parameters occurred over time. Dogs implanted with the cemented prosthesis recovered normal preoperative values for maximal hip extension angle by 4 weeks after surgery. Dogs with cementless prosthesis had not recovered normal hip extension by 4 weeks. Despite this short-term change in hip mobility, there were no significant differences in gait between the two groups over the 4-month study period.No differences in gait between cementless and cemented prosthesis were observed throughout the postoperative period to the fourth month. Additionally, compensation and adaptation with gradual recovery of kinetic and kinematic parameters were evident.

Genome-wide diversity and MHC characterisation in a critically endangered freshwater turtle susceptible to disease

Small, isolated populations are often vulnerable to increased inbreeding and genetic drift, both of which elevate the risk of extinction. The Bellinger River turtle (Myuchelys georgesi) is a critically endangered species endemic to a single river catchment in New South Wales, Australia. The only extant wild population, along with the breeding program, face significant threats from viral outbreaks, most notably a nidovirus outbreak in 2015 that led to a 90% population decline. To enhance our understanding of genomic characteristics in the species, including genome-wide and functional gene diversity, we re-sequenced, assembled, and analysed 31 re-sequenced genomes for pure M. georgesi (N = 31). We manually annotated the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), identifying five MHC class I and ten MHC class II genes and investigated genetic diversity across both classes in M. georgesi. Our results showed that genome-wide diversity is critically low in pure M. georgesi, contexualised through comparison with opportunistically sampled backcross animals—offspring of F1 hybrids (M. georgesi × Emydura macquarii) backcrossed to pure M. georgesi (N = 4). However, the variation observed within the core MHC region of pure M. georgesi, extending across scaffold 10, exceeded that of all other macrochromosomes. Additionally, no significant short-term changes in either genome-wide or immunogenetic diversity were detected following the 2015 nidovirus outbreak (before; N = 19, after; N = 12). Demographic history reconstructions indicated a sustained, long-term decline in effective population size since the last interglacial period, accompanied by more recent steep declines. These patterns suggested that prolonged isolation and reduced population size have significantly influenced the dynamics of genome-wide diversity. It is likely that contemporary stressors, including the recent nidovirus outbreak, are acting on an already genetically depleted population. This study offers new insights into genome-wide and immune gene diversity, including immune gene annotation data with broader implications for testudines. These findings provide crucial information to support future management strategies for the species.

ADT²R: Adaptive Decision Transformer for Dynamic Treatment Regimes in Sepsis.

Dynamic treatment regimes (DTRs), which comprise a series of decisions taken to select adequate treatments, have attracted considerable attention in the clinical domain, especially from sepsis researchers. Existing sepsis DTR learning studies are mainly based on offline reinforcement learning (RL) approaches working on electronic healthcare records data. However, a trained policy may choose a treatment different from a human clinician's prescription. Furthermore, most of them do not consider: 1) heterogeneity in sepsis; 2) short-term transitions; and 3) the relationship between a patient's health state and the prescription. We propose a novel framework, an adaptive decision transformer for DTR (ADT2R), which recommends an optimal treatment action for each time step depending on the heterogeneity of the sepsis and a patient's evolving health states. Specifically, we devise a trajectory-optimization-based module to be trained with supervision for treatments and adaptively aggregate the multihead self-attentions by deliberating on various inherent time-varying patterns among sepsis patients. Furthermore, we estimate the patient's health state by adopting an actor-critic (AC) algorithm and inform the treatment recommendation by learning about its short-term changes. We validated the effectiveness of the proposed framework on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) dataset, an extensive intensive care database, by demonstrating performance comparable to the state-of-the-art methods.

Decoding auditory working memory content from EEG responses to auditory-cortical TMS.

Decoding auditory working memory content from EEG responses to auditory-cortical TMS.

Corticosteroid Use and Long-Term Changes in Weight and Waist Circumference: The Lifelines Cohort Study.

The use of corticosteroids (CS) has been associated with higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in cross-sectional studies. However, longitudinal data are scarce, particularly for locally administered forms. We analyzed weight and waist circumference changes in 81 361 Lifelines Cohort Study participants (mean age 46.3 years, mean BMI 26.0 kg/m2, 41% male, mean follow-up 3.9 years) via linear regression. Sensitivity analyses included stratification by sex and BMI. Short-term weight changes post-start were assessed in a subset using linear mixed-effect models. We found 23.8% CS users during the study period. Individuals reporting any new use of CS gained significantly more weight compared to nonusers at follow-up (β .034 kg/year, P = .021), particularly among those initiating local CS use (β .037 kg/year, P = .017). Use of new systemic CS was associated with increased WC (β .200 cm/year, P < .001). Discontinuation of CS led to decreased WC (β -.078 cm/year, P = .028). These effects were particularly observed in female participants and individuals with BMI ≥25 kg/m2, but not in male participants and those with BMI < 25 kg/m2. Short-term weight-inducing effects of CS were not observed in the weeks after initiation of CS use. This study demonstrates that CS use, including locally administered forms, is associated with long-term increases in weight and WC, notably in female individuals and those with overweight or obesity. Discontinuing CS was linked to reductions in WC. These findings underscore the need to carefully assess chronic systemic and local CS use, as discontinuation could benefit obesity-related outcomes in certain patients.

The effect of intraocular pressure during phacoemulsification in patients with either diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma; a randomized controlled feasibility trial.

To investigate whether performing phacoemulsification with a lower infusion pressure using the Centurion active sentry system affects surgical efficiency, complications and a range of clinical and imaging parameters compared to the higher pressures routinely used in patients with cataract and concomitant diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Sunderland, United Kingdom. Masked observer randomized controlled feasibility trial. Patients with cataracts undergoing routine phacoemulsification with either diabetic retinopathy or primary open-angle glaucoma of any severity were included and randomized to an infusion pressure of 30 ('LOW') or 60 ('HIGH') mmHg. All other fluidic settings were standardized. Surgical metrics and a range of imaging and clinical variables were measured pre- and postoperatively on days 1, 21 and 40. Seventy eyes from 70 patients underwent surgery and completed follow-up. Forty-one patients had diabetic retinopathy and 29 had glaucoma. There was no difference in any of the recorded surgical metrics including cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) between the two randomization groups (mean CDE 6.5 versus 6.1 percent seconds in the HIGH and LOW groups respectively, p = 0.68). There were no patients in either group with posterior capsule rupture or other intraoperative complications. There was no significant difference in the number of patients with raised intraocular pressure (IOP) on day 1. Seven (21.2%) patients in the LOW and 5 (13.3%) in the HIGH group had slit lamp detectable corneal oedema on day 1, which had all resolved by day 21. There were no between group differences for visual acuity, IOP, corneal thickness, and any of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) acquired measures at any of the time points. The foveal avascular zone perimeter and area were significantly smaller on day 21 than at baseline in the HIGH group as compared to the LOW group (P = 0.03 and 0.04 respectively), with a corresponding increase in the superficial vascular plexus density (p = 0.04). Using an infusion pressure of 30mmHg with standardized aspiration fluidic settings on the Centurion active sentry system did not decrease surgical efficiency or increase complication rates compared to a pressure of 60mmHg. The lower infusion pressure may cause fewer short-term changes in the retinal microvasculature, the long-term significance of which is unknown. What is known Traditionally, phacoemulsification has been carried out under relatively high intraocular pressure (IOP) to mitigate the effects of post occlusion aspiration surge during lens removal. A new enhanced phacoemulsification fluidics system has reduced surge allowing surgeons to operate at considerably lower, and more physiological IOP levels. What is new In patients undergoing phacoemulsification for moderate cataracts with either co-existing diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma, an IOP of 30 mmHg using the Centurion active sentry system did not result in any decrease in surgical efficiency or increase in complication rates compared to a higher pressure of 60 mmHg. Lower IOP phacoemulsification caused less short-term changes in the retinal microvasculature than higher pressure, the long-term significance of which is unknown and further study is needed.

Unraveling varying spatiotemporal patterns of Dengue Fever and associated exposure-response relationships with environmental variables in three Southeast Asian countries before and during COVID-19.

The enforcement of COVID-19 interventions by diverse governmental bodies, coupled with the indirect impact of COVID-19 on short-term environmental changes (e.g., plant shutdowns lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions), influences the Dengue Fever (DF) vector. This provides a unique opportunity to investigate the indirect impact of COVID-19 on DF transmission and generate insights for targeted prevention measures. We aim to compare DF transmission patterns and the exposure-response relationship of environmental variables and DF incidence in the pre- and during-COVID-19 to identify variations and assess the indirect impact of COVID-19 on DF transmission. We initially visualized the overall trend of DF transmission from 2017-2022, then conducted two quantitative analyses to compare DF transmission pre-COVID-19 (2017-2019) and during-COVID-19 (2020-2022). These analyses included time series analysis to assess DF seasonality, and a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM) to quantify the exposure-response relationship between environmental variables and DF incidence. We observed a notable surge in Singapore during-COVID-19, particularly from May to August in 2020 and 2022, with cases multiplying several times compared to pre-COVID-19. All subregions in Thailand exhibited remarkable synchrony with a similar annual trend except 2021. Cyclic patterns remained generally consistent, but seasonal variability in Singapore has become increasingly pronounced. Monthly DF incidence in three countries varied significantly. Exposure-response relationships of DF and environmental variables show varying degrees of change, notably in Northern Thailand, where the peak relative risk for the maximum temperature-DF relationship rose from about 3-17, and the max RR of overall cumulative association 0-3 months of relative humidity increased from around 4-40. Our study is the first to compare DF transmission patterns and their relationship with environmental variables before and during COVID-19, demonstrating that the pandemic has affected DF transmission and altered the exposure-response relationship at both national and regional levels.

Short-Term Changes in Tear Film Stability and Tear Volume Following the Application of Various DED Management Options in a Healthy Young Population

Background: To determine short-term changes in tear film volume and stability after various treatments for dry eye disease in healthy participants. Methods: 36 healthy participants aged from 18 to 35 years were recruited for a single-session examination and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (1:1:1 treatment, 1:1 eye): Group 1 (artificial tears ‘Comfort Drops’), Group 2 (eyelid wipes ‘Systane Lid Wipes’), and Group 3 (ocular bath ‘Acuaiss’). Tear Meniscus Height (TMH) was assessed at baseline, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min, and Non-Invasive Break-Up Time (NIBUT) at baseline, 2, 10, and 20 min, all using the OCULUS Keratograph 5M by one examiner. Results: Of the initially recruited participants, 35 were analyzed; one was excluded for reflex tearing. Group 1 (n = 12) showed a significant TMH increase at 2 min compared to 10 and 20 min (Friedman, p = 0.004; Bonferroni, p ≤ 0.028). Group 3 (n = 12) showed a significant increase at 2 and 5 min compared to baseline and decrease at 10 min against 2 and 5 min (Friedman, p &lt; 0.001; Bonferroni, p ≤ 0.034). Group 2 (n = 11) showed no significant changes over time (Friedman, p = 0.108). NIBUT showed no significant differences at any time-point in any group (Friedman, p ≥ 0.231). Basal TMH differed between groups (ANOVA, p = 0.048), but post hoc analysis found no significance (Bonferroni, all p ≥ 0.088). No significant differences in TMH at other time-points (Kruskal–Wallis/ANOVA, p ≥ 0.265) or in NIBUT between groups (Kruskal–Wallis/ANOVA, p = 0.108) were found. Conclusions: In healthy participants, artificial tears and ocular baths temporarily increase TMH, while eyelid wipes do not. Neither has an immediate impact on NIBUT.

Detection of fast-changing intra-seasonal vegetation dynamics of drylands using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF)

Abstract. Dryland ecosystems are the habitat supporting 2 billion people on Earth, and they strongly impact the global terrestrial carbon sink. Vegetation growth in drylands is mainly controlled by water availability with strong intra-seasonal variability. Timely availability of information at such scales (e.g., from days to weeks) is essential for early warning of potential catastrophic impacts of emerging climate extremes on crops and natural vegetation. However, the large-scale monitoring of intra-seasonal vegetation dynamics has been very challenging for drylands. Satellite solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has emerged as a promising tool to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of photosynthetic carbon uptake and has the potential to detect intra-seasonal vegetation growth dynamics. However, few studies have evaluated its capability of detecting fast-changing intra-seasonal vegetation dynamics and advantages over traditional approaches in drylands based on vegetation indices (VIs). To fill this knowledge gap, this study utilized the vast dryland ecosystems in the Horn of Africa (HoA) as a testbed to characterize their intra-seasonal dynamics inferred from satellite SIF. The HoA is an ideal testbed because its dryland ecosystems have highly dynamic responses to short-term environmental changes. The satellite-data-based analysis was corroborated with a unique in situ SIF dataset collected in Kenya – so far, the only ground SIF time series collected on the continent of Africa. We found that SIF from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) with daily revisit frequency identified highly dynamic week-to-week variations in both shrublands and grasslands; such rapidly changing vegetation dynamics corresponded to the up- and downregulation by the fluctuations in environmental variables (e.g., air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, soil moisture). However, neither reconstructed SIF products nor near-infrared reflectance of terrestrial vegetation (NIRv) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), which is widely used in the literature, was able to capture such fast-changing intra-seasonal variations. The same findings hold at the site scale, where we found that only TROPOMI SIF revealed two separate within-season growth cycles in response to extreme soil moisture and rainfall amount and duration, consistent with in situ SIF measurements. This study generates novel insights on the monitoring of dryland vegetation dynamics and the evaluation of their climate sensitivities, enabling the development of predictive and scalable understanding of how dryland ecosystems may respond to future climate change and informing the future design of effective vegetation monitoring systems for dryland vegetation.

Changes in the electromyographic activity of masticatory muscles in patients undergoing bimaxillary surgery.

The aim of this study is to investigate short-term changes in the electromyographic (EMG) activity of masticatory muscles in individuals with skeletal Class III malocclusion undergo double-jaw orthognathic surgery. In patients with skeletal Class III anomaly, EMG activity changes in the anterior temporalis and masseter muscles were measured before T0 and at 3 (T1) and 6 (T2) months after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery. Recordings were obtained using the 'MP100' device and circular Ag-AgCl electrodes during closure, clenching, chewing and swallowing. Data from 26 individuals (12 males, 14 females) with a mean age of 21.7 years were analysed using the Friedman test. A significant decrease was observed in the right/left masseter muscles during clenching/chewing from T1 to T0 (right and left masseter clenching: p < 0.001, left masseter chewing: p < 0.01, right masseter chewing: p < 0.05), while a significant increase was noted in the right masseter's clenching function from T2 to T1 (p < 0.01). The EMG activity of the right anterior temporal muscle decreased during clenching at T1-T0 (p < 0.001), increased at T2-T1 (p < 0.05), and decreased during chewing/swallowing at T1-T0 (chewing: p < 0.001, swallowing: p < 0.05) and T2-T0 (p < 0.05). The left anterior temporal muscle showed decreased EMG activity during clenching at T1-T0 (p < 0.001), increased at T2-T1 (p < 0.05), and decreased during chewing at T1-T0 (p < 0.001). During swallowing, a decrease was observed at T2-T0 (p < 0.001). Partial changes in EMG activity were observed during some functions in the 3-month period; however, no significant overall change was recorded in the 6-month period.

Exposure and response of satellite-tagged Blainville’s beaked whales to mid-frequency active sonar off Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i

BackgroundBeaked whale response to Navy sonars is a global concern due to past stranding events coinciding with training activity. Often, controlled exposure experiments involve tagging cetaceans with short-term, high-resolution tags and exposing them to relatively short, single bouts of mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS). In contrast, longer-duration satellite-transmitting tags deployed around Navy ranges enables behavioral response studies of animals exposed to realistic Navy training activities over extended periods and spatial scales, with multiple exposures to different sources.MethodsTo study their behavior relative to extended periods of realistic Navy training, satellite-transmitting tags were deployed on four Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) off Kaua‘i. Tags were deployed in 3 years, ahead of Submarine Command Courses (SCCs) with multiple sources of MFAS. Dive behavior of two tagged together were compared to acoustically detected group vocal periods (GVPs) on the range. Pre-exposure dive behavior metrics were compared to those during exposures. Horizontal movement behavior metrics were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric and Tukey–Kramer multiple comparison tests.ResultsTwo whales remained together and highly synchronized in their dive and movement behavior until the onset of MFAS, at which time they appeared to separate. Twenty-three deep foraging dives were matched to GVPs, including three during MFAS. Of the dive behavior metrics, only the depth of one intermediate dive during an exposure was outside the 95th percentile of baseline behavior. Three of the four movement behavior metrics (75%) were atypical relative to baseline for at least one whale across SCC phases, but response varied by individual. However, throughout the SCCs, the whales remained within tens of kilometers of PMRF, near areas used before and after SCCs.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate some apparent short-term changes to dive behavior and horizontal movement in response to MFAS. However, these beaked whales did not demonstrate sustained avoidance responses, remaining in the area west of the range during MFAS and in two cases returning to the range after the SCC. Additional tagging and photo-identification studies are critical to understand Blainville’s beaked whale habitat use and residency and to assess the potential impact of repeated exposures to MFAS.

Dynamic Scheduling and Preventive Maintenance in Small-Batch Production: A Flexible Control Approach for Maximising Machine Reliability and Minimising Delays

Single- and small-batch production requires flexible production control to maximise machine reliability and minimise delivery delays. Existing planning approaches often do not take into account the dynamic production conditions of these environments, where machine breakdowns, variable order volumes and short-term changes lead to inefficiencies. This paper presents an enhanced job-shop scheduling model that integrates preventive maintenance strategies directly into production control. Using a mixed-integer programming approach, machine allocation and maintenance measures are optimised simultaneously in order to reduce unplanned downtimes and make efficient use of free time slots. The model is implemented in Python with Pyomo (Python 3.13.0 and Pyomo Version: 6.8.0) and validated using a scenario. The results show that an adaptive maintenance strategy contributes significantly to reducing machine downtimes without compromising production output. Visualisations support users in their decision-making by clearly presenting machine availability, maintenance slots and production orders. The approach is specifically designed for production and maintenance planners who need efficient and adaptable scheduling in volatile production environments. Compared to traditional maintenance models, this approach improves schedule adherence and optimises resource utilisation by dynamically linking production control and maintenance planning.

Multi-scale modelling of the effects of ageing, hypertension and exercise on the cerebral vasculature.

Ageing and hypertension both have substantial, well-documented effects on the cerebral vasculature. The effects of aerobic exercise on cerebrovascular function and development, although less well understood, have also recently received significantly increased attention. There is now clear evidence that aerobic exercise yields both short- and long-term changes to cerebrovascular health, with significant potential to improve population brain health. However, there has as yet been no mathematical model of this, making it challenging to quantify the effects of aerobic exercise. One reason for this is the very different time scales between exercise (minutes/hours) and cerebrovascular development (years/decades). Here, a new mathematical model is proposed, one that incorporates short-term changes within a longer time scale. The model is calibrated against various experimental data sources and used to quantify the effects of ageing, hypertension, and exercise interventions on lifetime cerebrovascular health. The model predicts that high-intensity exercise has a significant positive effect on cerebral health; that antihypertensive treatment has a significant positive effect even after prolonged periods of hypertension; and that different interventions can strongly interact with each other. This model provides the foundation for future quantitative investigations into the critical role of aerobic exercise and other interventions in cerebrovascular health. KEY POINTS: Exercise has a significant and lifetime positive effect on the cerebral vasculature, which can counterbalance the negative effects of ageing and hypertension. A new model is presented that incorporates the effects of all three effects on the cerebral vasculature, using multiple time scales to include both short- and long-term effects. The model is calibrated against a range of experimental data and used to quantify the effects of different exercise regimes on cerebrovascular health for the first time. This model can be used in future to explore the lifetime effects of different lifestyles and interventions on population brain health.

Assessing Short-Term Quality of Life Changes After Bariatric Surgery: A Longitudinal Study

Introduction: Bariatric surgery effectively reduces body weight and remiss diseases associated with obesity. However, it may cause short- and long-term postoperative complications that can change lifestyle habits. Objective: To evaluate short-term changes in the quality of life of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Methods: This observational prospective cohort study was conducted in three stages: preoperative and two and six postoperative months. It was carried out at the outpatient clinic of a bariatric surgery program of a university hospital in the Brazilian Southeast. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Bref was used. Data analysis: Kruskal-Wallis test; T-test for unpaired samples, p≤0.05. Results: The sample consisted of 60 patients, most of whom were women. The postoperative period showed an increase in physical health scores, reduced social relations and environment ones, and unchanged psychological ones. The mean number of diseases associated with obesity and the number of daily medications decreased but the number of patients who used psychotropic drugs after surgery increased, showing less weight loss. Conclusion: Patients showed improved physical health but reported negative impacts on social relationships and the environment after the bariatric surgery. Comorbidities and medication use decreased but the number of patients using psychotropic drugs increased.

Lifestyle behaviour change of patients following cardiac rehabilitation: the BENEFIT intervention study with one-year follow-up.

The majority of people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) do not maintain a healthy lifestyle. To help patients implement behaviour change at home, the BENEFIT programme was developed as an addition to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) care. Using a cluster non-randomised controlled trial design involving 7 CR centres, we examined whether intervention group patients (n=587) showed increased improvements in health behaviour change compared to control group patients (n=298) who (only) received a multidisciplinary, comprehensive CR programme. Physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, diet, stress and sleep were assessed at the start and after finishing CR (short-term) and at one-year follow-up (long-term). Core of the intervention was access to an advanced eHealth platform consisting of functionality for daily goal monitoring, access to lifestyle interventions, personal coaching and a reward programme. The standard CR programme improved most lifestyle behaviours, while the intervention led to additional short-term changes in vegetable intake (t= 2.00, p=.023), work-related stress (z= -2.97, p=.002), and sleep hours (t= 2.57, p=.005). Finally, in contrast to the control group (t= 1.88, p=.415), the intervention group significantly increased its physical activity long-term (t= 5.04, p<.001) exercising 42 minutes more per week, yet this group-interaction effect showed only a trend (t=1.55, p=.061). While comprehensive CR care led to improvements in most lifestyle behaviours, the BENEFIT programme demonstrated additional benefits, particularly in physical exercise, dietary habits, stress reduction, and sleep, across a diverse CR-patient population. These findings underscore the potential of integrating eHealth solutions as an effective supplement to traditional CR care.

Microbiome-metabolome dynamics associated with impaired glucose control and responses to lifestyle changes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex disease shaped by genetic and environmental factors, including the gut microbiome. Recent research revealed pathophysiological heterogeneity and distinct subgroups in both T2D and prediabetes, prompting exploration of personalized risk factors. Using metabolomics in two Swedish cohorts (n = 1,167), we identified over 500 blood metabolites associated with impaired glucose control, with approximately one-third linked to an altered gut microbiome. Our findings identified metabolic disruptions in microbiome-metabolome dynamics as potential mediators of compromised glucose homeostasis, as illustrated by the potential interactions between Hominifimenecus microfluidus and Blautia wexlerae via hippurate. Short-term lifestyle changes, for example, diet and exercise, modulated microbiome-associated metabolites in a lifestyle-specific manner. This study suggests that the microbiome-metabolome axis is a modifiable target for T2D management, with optimal health benefits achievable through a combination of lifestyle modifications.

Cathodal weak direct current decreases epileptic excitability with reduced neuronal activity and enhanced delta oscillations.

Seizures are manifestations of hyperexcitability in the brain. Non-invasive weak current stimulation, delivered through cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS), has emerged to treat refractory epilepsy and seizures, although the cellular-to-populational electrophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. Using the ctDCS in vivo model, we investigate how neural excitability is modulated through weak direct currents by analysing the local field potential (LFP) and extracellular unit spike recordings before, during and after ctDCS versus sham stimulation. In rats with kainic acid (KA)-induced acute hippocampal seizures, ctDCS reduced seizure excitability by decreasing the number and amplitude of epileptic spikes in LFP and enhancing delta (δ) power. We identified unit spikes of putative excitatory neurons in CA1stratum pyramidale based on waveform sorting and validated via optogenetic inhibitions which increased aberrantly in seizure animals. Notably, cathodal stimulation significantly reduced these unit spikes, whereas anodal stimulation exhibited the opposite effect, showing polarity-specific and current strength-dependent responses. The reduced unit spikes after ctDCS coupled to δ oscillations with an increased coupling strength. These effects occurred during stimulation and lasted 90min post-stimulation, accompanied by inhibitory short-term synaptic plasticity changes shown in paired-pulse stimulation after ctDCS. Consistently, neuronal activations measured by c-Fos significantly decreased after ctDCS, particularly in CaMKII+-excitatory neurons while increased in GAD+-inhibitory neurons. In conclusion, epileptic excitability was alleviated with cathodal weak direct current stimulation by diminishing excitatory neuronal activity and enhancing endogenous δ oscillations through strengthened coupling between unit spikes and δ waves, along with inhibitory plasticity changes, highlighting the potential implications to treat brain disorders characterized by hyperexcitability. KEY POINTS: Electric fields generated by transcranial weak electric current stimulation were measured at CA1, showing polarity-specific and current strength-dependent modulation of unit spike activity. Polyspike epileptiform discharges were observed in rats with kainic acid (KA)-induced hippocampal seizures. Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) reduced the number and amplitude of the epileptic spikes in local field potentials (LFPs) while increased δ oscillations. Neuronal unit spikes aberrantly increased in seizures and coupled with epileptiform discharges. ctDCS reduced excitatory neuronal firings at CA1 and strengthened the coupling between unit spikes and δ waves. Neuronal activations, measured by c-Fos, decreased in CaMKII+-excitatory neurons while increased in GAD+-inhibitory neurons after ctDCS. These effects on LFP and unit spikes lasted up to 90min post-stimulation. Inhibitory short-term plasticity changes detected through paired-pulse stimulation underpin the enduring effects of ctDCS on seizures.

Assessing the Relationship Between Groundwater Availability, Access, and Contamination Risk in Arizona’s Drinking Water Sources

Groundwater is a critical drinking water source in arid regions globally, where reliance on groundwater is highest. However, disparities in groundwater availability, access, and quality pose challenges to water security. This case study employs geostatistical tools, multivariate regression, and clustering analysis to examine the intersection of groundwater level changes (availability), socioeconomic and regulatory factors (access), and nitrate and arsenic contamination (quality) across 1881 groundwater-supplied drinking water service areas in Arizona. Groundwater availability declined over 20-year and 10-year periods, particularly outside designated management areas, with mean annual decline rates ranging from −15.97 to −0.003 m/year. In contrast, increases (0.003 to 13.41 m/year) were concentrated in urban and managed areas. Karst aquifers show long-term resilience but short-term vulnerability. Non-designated areas exhibit mixed effects, reflecting variable management effectiveness. Disparities in groundwater access emerge along various socioeconomic and regulatory lines. Communities with higher Black populations are twice as likely (OR = 2.01, p &lt; 0.001) to experience groundwater declines, while Hispanic/Latino communities have lower depletion risks (OR = 0.92, p &lt; 0.001). Tribal oversight significantly reduces groundwater decline risk (OR = 0.62, p &lt; 0.001), whereas state–primacy areas show mixed effects. Higher female populations correlate with increased groundwater declines, while older populations (65+) experience greater stability. Married-family households and institutional housing are associated with greater declines. Migrant worker housing shows protective effects in long-term models. Rising groundwater levels are associated with higher nitrate and arsenic detection, reinforcing recharge-driven contaminant mobilization. Nitrate exceedance (OR = 1.05) responds more to short-term groundwater changes, while arsenic exceedance persists over longer timescales (OR = 1.01–1.05), reflecting their distinct hydrogeochemical behaviors. Community water systems show higher pollutant detection rates than domestic well areas, suggesting monitoring and infrastructure differences influence contamination patterns. Tribal primacy areas experience lower groundwater declines but show mixed effects on water quality, with reduced nitrate exceedance probabilities; yet they show variable arsenic contamination patterns, suggesting that governance influences availability and contamination dynamics. These findings advance groundwater sustainability research by quantifying disparities across multiple timescales and socio-hydrogeological drivers of groundwater vulnerability. The results underscore the need for expanded managed aquifer recharge, targeted regulatory interventions, and strengthened Tribal water governance to reduce inequities in availability, access, and contamination risk to support equitable and sustainable groundwater management.

Post-release changes in the fine-scale diving behavior and activity of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Biologging devices have been used to provide critical insights into the ecology of many animal taxa and are particularly valuable when studying species that are difficult to observe directly, like sea turtles. However, post-release changes in movement and behavior, likely the result of capture, handling, and tag attachment, can introduce biases that need to be accounted for when analyzing the data obtained from tag deployments. Fortunately, recent advancements in biologging devices allow not only for horizontal movements to be monitored at high resolution, but vertical movements as well, often in concert with behavioral data collected by integrated cameras. These types of data allow for rigorous assessment of post-release effects on study subjects. Here, we investigated short-term changes in loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) behavior following capture and release in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, U.S.A, using tags equipped with high-definition cameras, pressure sensors and tri-axial accelerometers to record movement and diving behavior at sub-second resolutions. We used a generalized additive model framework to identify non-linear temporal changes in sea turtle behavior following release. Longer handling times were associated with more frequent, shorter dives and more swimming. These dive characteristics were also seen immediately following release. Dive activity (dynamic body acceleration) was nearly twofold higher immediately following release relative to when it had stabilized, suggesting greater energy expenditure. However, these behavioral effects were relatively short lived. Diving frequency and activity decreased over time as dives became longer and the probability of observing individuals foraging and resting increased. However, we found that the time it took for behaviors to stabilize to what might be considered more natural varied substantially depending on the behavior considered. As such, investigators should carefully consider how behaviors of interest change after release to avoid biases in interpretation, rather than just excluding data before a pre-defined cutoff. Our data contribute to a growing literature investigating the effects of capture and handling on post-release behavior of tagged animals across a variety of taxa and highlight the need to consider behaviors separately. This will help to limit biases when interpreting tagging data and serve to fine tune tagging methods to improve animal welfare.

Exploring the Feasibility and Acceptance of a Group- and Family-Based Online Intervention (GuG-Auf-Online) Versus Treatment-as-Usual for Preventing Mental Health Problems in the Offspring of Parents With Depression

Abstract: Background: Preventive interventions for children of parents with depression are a major public health priority. A family- and group-based cognitive behavioral (FGCB) intervention has shown positive effects on child outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the United States and Germany. Objective: This pilot study explores the feasibility and acceptance of a shortened (eight-session) form of FGCB delivered via videoconferencing and supported by a mobile app (“GuG-Auf-Online”). GuG-Auf-Online will be evaluated as a cognitive behavioral subform of multifamily therapy (MFT) evaluated in the multisite CHIMPS-NET trial. Method: A total of 60 families with (a) at least one parent with a current or past episode of major depression and (b) at least one child aged 8 – 17 years without a current mental disorder will be recruited. Families will be randomly allocated to receive the GuG-Auf-Online intervention ( n = 30) or no intervention ( n = 30). Results: We will first explore the acceptance and feasibility of GuG-Auf-Online by analyzing the uptake of the intervention, attendance, and app use. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) will be used to track short-term changes in affect in the intervention group. The final aim is to explore whether the intervention is associated with changes in potential mediators: children’s coping with stress, early maladaptive schemas (EMS), and/or parents’ parenting skills. Conclusion: Children of parents with depression have an elevated risk of developing depression themselves yet face multiple barriers to accessing evidence-based prevention. This pilot study will explore the potential of a digitally adapted evidence-based intervention to overcome these barriers. The study provides the necessary foundations for a future large-scale RCT. Trial registration: The trial was registered on April 30, 2021 with the German Clinical Trials Register ( https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00023136 ).