Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is increasing in prevalence and is the leading cause of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis in the industrialized world. Despite growing evidence for lifestyle interventions, adherence to nutritional and physical activity recommendations and psychological behaviours among patients with MASLD has not been previously characterized in Canada. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from patients with MASLD. Lifestyle adherence, including dietary patterns, physical activity, and psychological measures, was assessed at a single time point to describe prevalence and patterns among participants. Adults with MASLD and advanced fibrosis, were older (median age 58.4 vs 45.3years; p<0.001), had a greater BMI (median 36.3 vs 31.2; p<0.001), and have higher presence of metabolic risk factors including type-2 diabetes mellitus (p<0.001), hypertension (p=0.001), thyroid disease (p=0.02), and were of white ethnicity (p=0.002). The prevalence of mood disorder was 31% for anxiety and 16% for depressive symptoms based on HADS-A and HADS-D ≥8 indicating borderline/abnormal anxiety and depression respectively. 20% of patients had a Binge Eating Score ≥18 indicating moderate/severe binge eating behaviour. Most had poor adherence to a Mediterranean diet with an er-MEDAS ≤ 7 (56% with poor adherence, 34% with moderate adherence), 42% reported weekly alcohol consumption, and one-third had low self-reported activity levels on the IPAQ-SF. Here we identified barriers to risk reduction in patients with MASLD including increased prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms, high frequency of binge eating behaviours, poor adherence to Mediterranean diet quality and sedentary self-reported activity levels.

Deficit irrigation can enhance crop water productivity (CWP; yield per water applied) but requires careful management to prevent drought-like responses that limit leaf gas exchange (i.e., water-conservative responses) and compromise yield. Grafted and ungrafted melons (Cucumis melo L.) were evaluated under three irrigation treatments: full irrigation (100% field capacity; FC), and 70% or 50% deficit irrigation, based on water applied to the 100% FC. Although deficit irrigation accentuated drought stress through the season, plants under moderate deficit irrigation (70% FC) had similar water potential (Ψ), and only 34% and 14% lower stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (Pn) than the full irrigation. Under severe deficit irrigation (50% FC), plants had 28% and 17% lower predawn and midday Ψ than the full irrigation. The lower plant water status of the 50% FC resulted in water conservative-responses, and a 65% and 47% lower gs and Pn than the 100% FC. Yield of the 100% and 70% FC treatments were affected by evapotranspiration demands (i.e., irrigation × year interaction), while the 50% FC had a 40% lower yield than the full irrigation. Moderate deficit irrigation reduced water applied by 25%, and had either a similar or a 47% increase in CWP compared to the full irrigation. Overall, grafting improved yield by 14%, but it was greater under full irrigation and low environmental stress. Overall, melon crop performance was maintained under a constant, moderate deficit irrigation, and this should be considered as an effective water-saving strategy for melons to cope with long-season droughts.

Patterns of social organization and gender differentiation in past societies are difficult to reconstruct from material culture data alone, are prone to modern interpretation biases, and often remain subjects of controversy. An important aspect of social organization is patterns of post-marital residence, for example, matrilocality and patrilocality. To date, archaeological studies have recognised mostly patrilocal societies, with rare contested exceptions that were considered “outliers” to the established rule of patrilocality. The advent of ancient DNA analysis has made it possible to evaluate past social structures from a genetic perspective as well, with the majority of ancient DNA studies identifying patrilocal societies and highlighting genetic patriline connections. Recently, three studies reported genetic evidence for matrilocality and genetic matriline connections across broad geographical and temporal scales. Here, we draw on these three studies to explore past social organisation forms in light of new evidence, and reconsider preconceptions that continue to endure over time.

Understanding trends in height and BMI, along with trajectories of weight status, is crucial to identifying the optimal timing for intervention. The objective of this study was to describe trends in height and BMI among children and adolescents and identify the trajectory of weight status over time. This was a longitudinal study with data collected annually (2013–2020). A total of 41 325 students aged 5–18 years from forty-seven schools participated in the study, and a subsample of 11 535 participants with at least five BMI measurements was used for the analyses. Mixed-effects analysis showed significant increases in height over the years for boys (0·19 cm, standard error 0·01, P < 0·001) and girls (0·15 cm, standard error 0·01, P < 0·001). Regarding BMI, an increasing trend over the years was also found in boys (0·04 kg/m2, se 0·01, P < 0·001) and girls (0·04 kg/m², se 0·01, P < 0·001). Analysing weight status trajectories, three groups were identified: consistently normal weight (males 63·7 %, females 64·5 %), increasingly overweight (males 21·8 %, females 20·7 %) and increasingly obese (males 14·5 %, females 14·8 %). We conclude that in adolescence, height was below expected, indicating that children are not reaching their maximum growth potential. Furthermore, the identification of increasing trajectories of overweight and obesity, starting in childhood, emphasises the progressive nature of excessive weight gain before adulthood. These findings highlight the early onset of nutritional deviations in this population, suggesting the need for interventions to promote healthy weight as children transition into adolescence to mitigate future health risks.

Despite common assertions that puppies acquired from low-welfare sources (e.g. ‘puppy farms’) and/or sold illegally (e.g. without buyers seeing their puppies’ mother pre-purchase) have poorer future health and welfare, remarkably little evidence supports this. We investigated the impact of puppy early-life risk factors, including owner acquisition behaviours, upon adult dog health outcomes. An online longitudinal survey followed a cohort of n = 985 ‘Pandemic Puppies’ purchased in the UK during 2020 aged < 16 weeks of age as they reached 21 months of age. Owners reported their dogs’ diagnosed health disorders and their expectations vs realities of veterinary costs since a ‘puppyhood’ questionnaire (while ≤ 7 months of age) in 2020. Multivariable modelling investigated risk factors for these outcomes, including early-life health, behaviour, and acquisition-related variables. Most owners (n = 931/985; 94.5%) reported ≥ one health problem in their dog since the 2020 questionnaire. Puppies sold < 6 weeks of age, without their owner having seen the puppy’s mother prior to purchase, or acquired by first-time owners were more likely to have a higher number of health disorders at 21 months old. One-quarter (n = 220/936; 23.5%) of owners had spent more than they expected on veterinary costs since acquiring their puppy, with owners of puppies sold without a microchip more likely to report this. Results suggest that longer-term health outcomes are linked to how and where a puppy is acquired. As many risk factors identified here are already illegal in England, Wales and Scotland, greater enforcement and awareness of this legislation is urgently needed to protect canine welfare.

Little is known about the factors that influence inter-individual variability in the thermic effect of food (TEF). Factors like age, physical activities, insulin resistance and body weight and composition have been proposed as potential predictors, but findings remain inconsistent. TEF may also be influenced by hormonal status in females.

To explore potential physiological and dietary predictors of TEF in a well-phenotyped cohort of females approaching menopause.

Secondary analysis of the MONET study. Eighty-six females had complete data for all predictors included in the analyses: fat mass (kg), resting energy expenditure (REE), VO₂peak, fasting glucose, follicle-stimulating hormone, and habitual protein intake. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of TEF.

Mean TEF over the 180-min measurement period was 33 ±8.7 kcal. Habitual daily protein intake was the only consistent significant predictor of TEF across regression models (B ≈ 0.12–0.14 kcal·g⁻¹, β ≈ 0.23–0.24, p ≤ 0.04), explaining 6% of the variance (R2 = 0.060). Inclusion of fat mass, REE, VO₂peak, fasting glucose or follicle-stimulating hormone did not meaningfully improve model fit.

These findings suggest that TEF may represent a relatively stable physiological trait, with modest contributions from habitual dietary protein intake, and that additional, unmeasured factors may contribute to inter-individual variability.

Experimental designs involving factors with a mix of fixed and random levels have been explored by few. These designs are useful when comparing a set of new treatments (fixed levels) to a population of established treatments (random levels). This approach enables partitioning variability and testing of both fixed and random effects, leading to improved estimates and more reliable inference. However, combining analyses of variance from partitioned data poses challenges, including data rearrangement, methodology, and coding complexities. Existing statistical software does not directly support combined analyses for such designs. The current study provides guidelines for conducting combined analysis of variance in linear mixed-effects models where factors have both fixed and random levels. The approach utilises SAS PROC GLIMMIX and tools from the Comprehensive R Archive Network to compile the combined analysis of variance, followed by multiple comparisons of treatment means. The procedure is demonstrated using treatment structures in a completely randomised design, split-split-plot design, and repeated-measures design. The method can be extended to other experimental designs. This framework addresses a critical gap in existing literature by providing a practical and readily applicable analytical tool that enables integrated analysis across all factor levels within a single linear mixed-model structure, while accounting for pre-history effects associated with prior management practices in complex experimental systems.

Maternal hemoglobin and fetal growth change dynamically throughout pregnancy. We examined the associations of time-specific hemoglobin levels and hemoglobin trajectories with fetal biometrics and adverse birth outcomes. This prospective study included 6,844 pregnant women (mean age 26.6 ± 3.7 years) from the Tongji-Huaxi-Shuangliu Birth Cohort. Hemoglobin levels were measured at four periods: early (6–12 gestational weeks), middle (13–27), middle-late (28–32), and late pregnancy (33–37). Fetal biometrics were assessed by ultrasound from middle to late pregnancy. Birth outcomes were obtained from medical records, including small for gestational age (SGA), low birth weight (LBW), and preterm birth. Three hemoglobin trajectories were identified: consistent decline (Trajectory 1), consistently low (Trajectory 2), and increase from middle-late pregnancy (Trajectory 3). Compared with Trajectory 1, Trajectory 3 was associated with lower estimated fetal weight (β, -0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.99, -0.09) and abdominal circumference (β, -0.21; 95% CI, -0.40, -0.01) in late pregnancy, and higher umbilical artery resistance index across pregnancy (0.65; 0.31, 1.00). Trajectory 3 was also associated with higher risk of LBW (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.09, 2.26). In middle-late pregnancy, higher hemoglobin (≥130 g/L) was associated with higher risks of LBW (odds ratio, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.08, 4.25) and preterm birth (2.03; 1.12, 3.44) compared with the reference (110–129 g/L). Elevated maternal hemoglobin from middle-late pregnancy onward may be associated with lower fetal weight and increased risk of LBW. Dynamic monitoring of hemoglobin, with targeted assessment of iron status in women with elevated hemoglobin levels, may inform nutritional management during pregnancy.

Tail biting in pigs is a serious problem both from an animal welfare and an economic perspective. Once the behaviour starts, it is important to identify it and intervene immediately to restrict the spread and risk of secondary problems, such as infections. In this study, we tested whether thermal camera imaging could be used as an aid for early detection of tail biting. We also assessed links between skin temperature, tail health and saliva biomarkers for stress and inflammation. Bitten tails were slightly warmer based on thermal imaging than non-lesioned tails. However, the difference was not sufficiently large or specific to enable its use as a practical tool in the early detection of tail lesions. The methodology, however, warrants further investigation. Shortened, but healed tails had a lower skin temperature than tails of other health categories. In combination with a lower saliva cortisol level in pigs with shortened tails, potentially indicative of chronic stress, this supports previous studies indicating chronic pain in shortened pig tails, and/or chronic stress as a result of being a victim of tail biting. These findings provide a further insight into the link between stress, infections and tail biting, while also illustrating potential for skin temperature changes to be used as an early indicator of health and welfare challenges in pigs.

The first Eodichromatidae (Odonata, Cephalozygoptera) specimens from the Ypresian Allenby Formation near Princeton, British Columbia, Canada, are described. They belong to the genus Labandeiraia Petrulevičius et al. (Eodichromatinae) based on the distinctive distal undulate curvature of the long veins and numerous intercalary veins, as seen in L. americaborealis Petrulevičius et al. from the coeval Green River Formation of Colorado, United States of America. Labandeiraia burlingameae n. sp. is described based on an almost complete hyaline forewing. It is distinct from L. americaborealis by its colouration and number of postnodal crossveins. A darkly infuscate forewing preserved in close proximity is similar but lacks its basal portion and has poorly preserved crossveins. Its preserved portions agree with both L. burlingameae and L. americaborealis. If this wing belongs to L. burlingameae, its colour difference might result from sexual dimorphism or polyphenism, which are not known in any eodichromatid. If the wing belongs to L. americaborealis, it has a forewing/hind wing colour difference, also not known in any Labandeiraia species, and would be its first known forewing. The specimen might also belong to a third, closely related, undescribed species. These possibilities cannot be distinguished, and we treat the species as Labandeiraia sp. A.

Fasting during pregnancy is a widespread practice in Muslim communities, yet its health implications remain poorly understood. A lack of conceptual frameworks and limited understanding of the characteristics of women who fast during pregnancy have hindered research in this area. This study examines the differences in several nutritional biomarkers between women who fasted and those who did not and identifies factors associated with fasting behaviour. We analysed data from the Kuwait Birth Cohort in which information on fasting, sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours was collected via structured interviews between 2017 and 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from medical records. Predictors of fasting were identified using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) logistic regression with 5-fold cross-validation, followed by Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Among 1087 women with available data, 581 (53·4 %; 95 % CI 50·4 %, 56·4 %) reported fasting during pregnancy (19·5 % in the first trimester, 25·1 % in the second and 10·1 % in the third). Women who fasted had significantly lower levels of ferritin (P = 0·048), vitamin B12 (P = 0·001), erythrocytes folate (P < 0·001), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (P = 0·002) and vitamin D binding protein (P = 0·011), but higher parathyroid hormone (P = 0·011). Predictive models based on sociodemographic and clinical factors showed limited predictive ability. This study indicates that fasting during pregnancy is a common practice among women in Kuwait and is associated with lower levels of key nutrients such as vitamin D, RBC folate and vitamin B12. Fasting during pregnancy appears to be driven more by personal, religious and cultural influences than by identifiable clinical or sociodemographic characteristics.

Food insecurity (FI), defined as unreliable access to healthy, nutritious food, is a major health concern in higher-income countries, primarily due to its association with an increased risk of obesity. Supermarket-based interventions may influence population-level food purchasing behaviour, an antecedent to consumption. It is unclear whether there are specific characteristics that these interventions should employ to resonate with vulnerable groups. This scoping review aimed to explore the characteristics of supermarket-based interventions that sought to support healthier and/or more environmentally sustainable food purchasing for people living with obesity, overweight (PLWO/Ow), and/or FI.

A systematic literature search, conducted in Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, identified 35 eligible studies, representing 43 interventions. Title and abstract screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. Most interventions focused on supporting the purchase of healthy food items. No study applied a validated measure of FI. Area-level demographic data were used to identify FI related characteristics (i.e., area of low income, low socio-economic status) and in some cases, those living with obesity. Interventions utilised the behaviour change levers of price (n=8), promotion (n=2), placement (n=7), nudges (n=4) and education (n=2), or a combination of these (n=20). High heterogeneity in the way behavioural change levers were operationalised and combined, alongside the use of proxy measures to identify FI and PLWO/Ow, makes it difficult to determine the most supportive intervention characteristics. This presents challenges understanding how to best facilitate changes in purchasing patterns in favour of heathy, sustainable food items in this population.

Existing studies suggest that foods rich in phytoestrogens could reduce mortality and protect against the shortening of telomere length (TL). However, the specific phytoestrogens responsible for this effect remain unidentified. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 1999-2002 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Four metabolites of soy isoflavones (daidzein, equol, genistein, O-DMA) and two metabolites of lignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) were detected. Leukocyte TL was measured. After ln-transformed, the association of phytoestrogen metabolites and leukocyte TL were assessed using multivariable linear regression. Percentage change was calculated as (eβ-1) × 100%. Of the 2,607 participants, 48.52% were male. A 1-SD increase in urinary equol was associated with a 1.50% (95% CI: 0.51-2.50) increase in TL, and TL was 4.26% (95% CI: 1.07-7.56) longer in the highest quintile of equol compared to the lowest. Similarly, a 1-SD increase in the equol-to-daidzein ratio was linked to a 1.87% (95% CI: 0.91-2.84) rise in TL, and TL was 4.83% (95% CI: 1.71-8.05) longer in the highest quintile of the equol-to-daidzein ratio compared to the lowest. No significant association of urinary daidzein, genistein, O-DMA, enterodiol, and enterolactone with TL was observed. Our findings suggested that higher levels of urinary equol and its ratio with daidzein were associated with longer leukocyte TL, highlighting the need for further research into their relationship with aging.