Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). We assessed how dietary counselling on a high-quality, fibre-rich diet influenced the cardiometabolic health profile of patients with type 2 diabetes. In this 6-month trial, 121 patients with type 2 diabetes (67±8.7 years, 68% men, mean body mass index 27.8 kg/m2) were assigned to dietary counselling (n=61) or continued standard care (n=60). Counselling included 4-7 individual sessions with a dietitian, aimed at increasing fibre-rich food intake to improve diet quality. As the primary outcome, a composite cardiovascular risk score was used to estimate 10-year CVD risk. Secondary outcomes included changes in diet quality, assessed by the Dutch Healthy Eating Index-2015 (DHD15-index), HbA1c, LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, body weight, and medication use. Mean diet quality score (DHD15-index) at baseline was 115±26 and was similar across groups. Over 6 months, DHD15-index scores improved by 4.5 points (95%CI: -0.2; 9.1) in the intervention group vs control, but not significant. The change in 10-year CVD risk across the 6 months of the trial (primary outcome) did not differ between groups -0.1%, 95%CI: -0.2; 0.1. Changes over time in HbA1c (-1.1 mmol/mol, 95%CI: -4.4; 2.3), LDL-cholesterol (0.0 mmol/L, 95%CI: -0.1; 0.1), blood pressure (-1 mmHg, 95%CI: -6; 4), body weight (-0.1 kg, 95%CI: -1.2; 1.1), or medication use did not differ between groups. Dietary counselling for 6 months slightly improved adherence to a high-quality, fibre-rich diet in patients with type 2 diabetes but did not significantly impact cardiometabolic health or medication use.

Winning the battle against weeds is crucial for sustainable rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where weeds remain a leading cause of yield losses and continue to threaten the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers, with farms below one hectare. This review evaluates the dynamic landscape of weed control strategies by examining weed ecology, the limitations of traditional hand weeding, and the growing risks associated with overreliance on herbicides including escalating health concerns, environmental impacts, and the rapid rise of herbicide resistance. The central finding advanced in this review is that, despite the proven potential of integrated weed management (IWM) to provide sustainable and resilient weed control, its widespread adoption remains considerably low. Key barriers include weak extension services, low farmer awareness, and insufficient policy support which collectively prevent timely and effective uptake of diversified weed control strategies. While approaches such as biological control, cover cropping, crop rotation, and precision tools old promise, they remain underutilized without strong institutional backing. Drawing from case studies across the region, the review argues that IWM could deliver the most resilient and context appropriate results if embedded within robust advisory systems and supportive incentives. The paper concludes with recommendations to strengthen extension capacity, promote farmer centered innovation, and align policies to accelerate sustainable, scalable adoption of IWM across SSA.

Mexico ranks third globally in seabird diversity and second in the number of endemic species that breed within its territory, yet 16% of seabird species in the country are categorized as threatened on the IUCN Red List, including the Critically Endangered Townsend’s shearwater Puffinus auricularis. Nearly 20 years ago, the breeding population of Townsend’s shearwater, which is endemic to the Revillagigedo Archipelago of Mexico, was inferred to comprise < 100 breeding pairs. Since then, conservation initiatives have been implemented in the archipelago. We assessed the current status of Townsend’s shearwater by mapping the distribution of breeding colonies, estimating breeding population size, evaluating reproductive success, describing ongoing threats and modelling population trends under three conservation scenarios. During 2016–2024, we conducted field surveys on the islands of Socorro and Clarión using acoustic monitoring techniques in historical nesting areas. We estimated that the breeding population on Socorro comprises < 200 pairs and documented the return of a small breeding population to Clarión after a 30-year absence. However, reproductive failure persists because of the effects of native predators such as land crabs, snakes and ravens. The population has exhibited a slow decline driven by interactions between native and invasive species. Without ongoing restoration efforts and management actions, including the removal of feral cats, the population could face extinction.

In plant genetic resources research, coancestry-based parameters are widely used to assess the amount of diversity retained in germplasm samples, breeding populations and conservation collections. Among them, the variance effective number and status number are often treated as different measures. However, the analysis presented herein shows that they are algebraically equivalent when expressed under the same coancestry framework. Using standard definitions of average coancestry among individuals, average inbreeding, and group coancestry including self-coancestry, both parameters are derived to show that they reduce to the same expression. A numerical example confirms the identity. This result clarifies that the distinction is unnecessary. It also supports a more consistent interpretation of coancestry-based diversity measures in plant genetic resources.

Accurate harvest time prediction is a challenge for developing sustainable fruit production, especially for both dessert and plantain banana varieties. The proposed approach to predict the optimum harvest date was based on estimating appropriate parameter values, namely the threshold temperature and the corresponding degree-day sum, for a given cultivar and targeted market. When the threshold temperature was estimated from a sufficiently wide and contrasted dataset, as illustrated for the variety 938, the model achieves high predictive accuracy. The thermal time sum model can accurately predict the flowering-to-fruit-ripening phase of five dessert banana varieties moderately to strongly resistant to black leaf streak and fusarium wilt TR4 diseases and for the first time of one of plantain banana variety, cv. French Clair, with values of RMSE, MAPE, and R² ranging, respectively, from 3.8 to 8, from 3% to 6.8%, and from 0.51 to 0.85 on the validation datasets. This study proposes a simple and reliable temperature-based method to optimally forecast banana harvest date according to the targeted market. The calculated thermal time sum from the variety-dependent threshold temperature accurately predicted the fruit storability and the fruit size. Moreover, an adapted statistical method was proposed in the case of inability of recording data on the flowering-to-fruit-ripening phase, based on the occurrence of fruit splitting obtained under contrasting temperatures in different geographical areas. Threshold temperature values for each variety were discussed, and it was determined that this is a purely statistical parameter for prediction, without direct biological meaning.

Research on parasite-induced regulation has identified the conditions under which parasites can destabilise host population dynamics: high levels of aggregation, delayed density-dependence, and moderate negative effects on fitness (reproduction, survival). Gastrointestinal helminths with direct life cycles and a single definitive host provide ideal systems to test these predictions. In this study, we first determined which helminths infect common voles (Microtus arvalis) in NW Spain, where populations are cyclic. We showed that the helminth community is dominated by Syphacia sp., a gut-restricted, directly transmitted nematode.

We then examined how the prevalence and abundance of Syphacia sp. varied with host sex, season, and population cycle phase (increase, peak, or crash), and tested if vole condition (relative body mass and organ hypertrophy) and female fecundity (litter size) correlated with the prevalence of Syphacia sp. Infections were highly aggregated in Syphacia sp. and parasite abundance peaked during the crash phase of the vole cycle. We found that vole condition did not vary with the prevalence of Syphacia sp., but vole litter size showed a season-dependent association, with infected females producing smaller litters in spring and summer.

These findings suggest that even low-pathogenic, directly transmitted parasites could exert reproductive effects, potentially shaping host population dynamics in combination with ecological and demographic factors. Experimental approaches are required to clarify causality and potential regulatory feedback.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, and published estimates determined the pooled prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites affecting free-ranging chickens in Africa. Peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and 2024 were systematically searched and screened. Prevalence estimates based on 76 eligible articles showed that of the 74,789 free-ranging chickens screened, 13,625 were infected with gastrointestinal nematodes with an overall pooled prevalence of 15% (95% CI: 13–18%). Twenty-seven nematode species were recorded, of which Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum were the commonly reported species. Southern Africa recorded the highest pooled prevalence (22%; 95% CI: 13–33%), and western Africa had the lowest (5%; 95% CI: 0–2%) despite recording the highest nematode species diversity. Tetrameridae had the highest family-level pooled prevalence of 46% (95% CI: 28–64%), and Spiruridae had the lowest 1% (95% CI: 0–3%). Most studies were conducted between the period 2014 and 2024; however, the highest pooled prevalence was observed between 1993 and 2002 (17%; 95% CI: 11–24%). The necropsy technique recorded the highest pooled prevalence (17%; 95% CI: 14–20%) compared to coproscopy (10%; 95% CI: 7–14%). The quality effects model revealed a high heterogeneity and publication bias among studies due to the diagnostic method used (P <0.05). This systematic review provided insightful information on the occurrence and potential burden of gastrointestinal nematode species of free-ranging chickens in Africa, highlighting the need for enhanced biosecurity and further research to safeguard their health, production, and food security of rural economies.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a population-scale condition with life-course health consequences, yet nutrition support remains inconsistently embedded in routine pathways. Food selectivity is common in ASD and is associated with restricted dietary variety, nutritional imbalance, gastrointestinal morbidity and cardiometabolic vulnerability. Current responses are predominantly clinic-and family-centred and are difficult to scale equitably. This commentary argues that institutional food services (schools, day-care and residential settings) are an underused public health platform to improve inclusion and accountability through sensory-accessible, nutritionally adequate meals. Because these services are commissioned, standardised and audited, sensory accessibility can be operationalised via procurement specifications and quality indicators, enabling benchmarking across sites. Evidence from sensory-informed menu adaptation and implementation work suggests feasibility within routine operations and supports evaluation using system-relevant outcomes (acceptability, nutritional adequacy, waste, feasibility and maintenance). Three policy actions are proposed: embed sensory accessibility in institutional standards, integrate nutrition across sectors and fund scale-up using implementation science.

Haemonchus contortus is considered the most pathogenic gastrointestinal nematode of sheep and, due to the increasing resistance to synthetic anthelmintics, it poses a serious challenge to small ruminant production systems. The aim of this work was to evaluate the in vivo and in vitro anthelmintic activity of quebracho-chestnut tannin extract against Haemonchus contortus in lambs. The in vitro assays (egg hatching inhibition and larval migration inhibition) were performed to determine the effective concentrations required to inhibit 50% of egg hatching and larval migration (EC50), which were 3.8 and 1.4 mg/mL, respectively. For the in vivo trial, 18 lambs used were divided into three groups: Group 1 (control), Group 2 (a tannin dose equivalent to 0.3% of dry matter intake), and Group 3 (a tannin dose equivalent to 3% of dry matter intake). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed among treatments in faecal egg counts, larval counts from coprocultures, or adult H. contortus recovery. The tannin extract was effective in inhibiting egg hatching and larval migration in vitro at low concentrations. However, when administered in vivo at 0.3% and 3% of dry matter intake, it failed to show any effect on faecal egg counts, larval counts in coproculture, or adult worm burden. Adult worms, eggs, and infective larvae were further examined using scanning electron microscopy. The observations revealed significant cuticular alterations in adult worms, which could potentially interfere with normal feeding and reproductive processes. Additionally, eggs and infective larvae exhibited shell rupture and cuticle damage.

Ascidiella aspersa is a solitary ascidian native to the North-east Atlantic that has been introduced to many regions around the globe. In 2023, individuals matching the description of A. aspersa were found on an artificial dock structure in Stanley Harbour, Falkland Islands, where there were no previous records of the species. Individuals were collected for morphological and genetic analyses, and previous surveys of the site were reanalysed to estimate the abundance of the population. The morphological examination and genetic analysis confirmed the individuals were A. aspersa. Analysis of the survey data suggested the species has been present since at least 2011 and forms a reasonably dense population on the more sheltered areas of the dock structure. Further survey work and population genetic investigations are required to better understand the likely origin of the population, and the abundance and extent of the species around the Falkland Islands.