Microplastic release in Antarctica is an issue of increasing concern, despite the limited human presence in the region. This study estimates the annual release of microplastics from the wastewaters of scientific facilities through the use of personal care products and laundering. Furthermore, it analyses the most cost-efficient policy interventions to target this pollution. The study has estimated a potential release of 238 kg per year, which is negligible on a continental scale but could have substantial local environmental impacts. A comprehensive cost-efficiency analysis demonstrates that microplastic release can be effectively mitigated through low-cost preventative measures, such as installing washing machine filters and banning hygiene products containing microbeads. Furthermore, the implementation of wastewater treatment systems is suggested as a crucial and long-term cost-effective solution for treating wastewater effluent and removing other pollutants from the Antarctic region. These results provide a framework to inform policy decisions on microplastic release in Antarctica and lay the foundation for improved environmental protection strategies in this sensitive region.

Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris is a globally threatened species that has been undergoing population declines across much of its range in recent years. This is particularly true in the Middle East and the Caucasus, where the species once commonly bred across much of the region. However, there is a dearth of recent literature and population-level assessments of the species in the countries in this region. For example, the last update of conservation status for Marbled Teal in Armenia was undertaken in 2009 and in Türkiye in 2008. Therefore, this study addresses the urgent need for an updated evaluation of the species’ status in both Armenia and Türkiye. For Armenia, the current population estimate is 8–11 breeding pairs, with a steep decline of 87% between 2003 and 2019. In Türkiye, the species appears to be functionally extirpated from the country due to an absence of breeding in almost a decade and multiple years without any records, with only a handful of wandering individuals detected in recent years. This study highlights the threats facing the species, particularly changes to wetland habitat and quality as well as hunting pressures and illegal poaching. Based on our findings, we propose that the conservation status of Marbled Teal in both countries be updated from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered”. Finally, we note the conservation requirements for the species in the region and provide a set of recommendations for its protection, including a species recovery plan. Without urgent conservation measures such as the creation of new protected areas and establishment of new populations from released birds, the long-term viability of Marbled Teal populations in the region is in jeopardy.

Limited studies on the seasonality of pharyngitis and tonsillitis suggest subtle but unexplained fluctuations in case numbers that deviate from patterns seen in other respiratory diagnoses. Data on weekly acute respiratory infection diagnoses from 2010–2022, provided by the Polish National Healthcare Fund, included a total of 360 million visits. Daily mean temperature and relative humidity were sourced from the Copernicus Climate Data Store. Seasonal pattern was estimated using the STL model, while the impact of temperature was calculated with SARIMAX. A recurring early-summer wave of an unspecified pathogen causing pharyngitis and tonsillitis was identified. The strongest pattern was observed in children under 10, though other age groups also showed somewhat elevated case numbers. The reproductive number of the pathogen is modulated by warmer temperatures; however, summer holidays and pandemic restrictions interrupt its spread. The infection wave is relatively flat, suggesting either genuinely slow spread or multiple waves of related pathogens. Symptomatic data unambiguously demonstrate existence of pathogens of quite distinct characteristics. Given its consistent year-to-year pattern, identifying these potential pathogens could enhance respective treatment, including antibiotic therapy.

Molecular evidence (28S DNA) has suggested that Triplotaenia undosa from macropodid marsupials is a species complex. Additional data (cox 1) presented in this study confirmed the hypothesis and a morphological examination of all available specimens identified a new species, T. macropodis sp. nov., in the grey kangaroos Macropus fuliginosus and M. giganteus as well as the tammar wallaby, Notamacropus eugenii, and the red kangaroo, Osphranter rufus. The new species differs in the ratio of the number of testes to the number of female genital complexes. Specimens of T. undosa from the swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor, the type host, and the common wallaroo, Osphranter robustus, are each genetically distinct, but the fixed material from O. robustus is too fragmentary to permit a detailed morphological description. An amended description and new illustrations of T. undosa from W. bicolor are provided.

Spiders (Araneae) are an abundant and diverse arthropod group that serve important ecosystem functions in boreal forests. Several hundred species across boreal Canada are prey for vertebrates and invertebrates. Spiders are also generalist predators that likely contribute to pest control. Our understanding of spider assemblages, particularly of the arboreal community, is minimal at the stand level in many habitats across Canada. Habitat-specific factors like connectivity, microclimate, and neighbour effects can substantially influence the structure of ecological communities. Well-replicated landscape-scale experimental designs enable us to better understand the structure of arboreal spider communities. Here, we employed beat-sheeting to characterise spider assemblages on balsam fir trees (Pinaceae) from the three most common stand types found in the boreal: coniferous, deciduous, and mixedwood. Fir trees in deciduous stands had greater spider abundance than did the trees in coniferous or mixedwood stands. Neither species diversity nor composition differed significantly among the three stand types. Our results suggest that spiders likely do not recognise “the forest for the trees.”

A bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops sp., stranded on the coast of South Carolina, USA was found to be heavily infected in its intestine by tapeworms, which we identified molecularly. Sequencing of portions of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA) genes showed the cestodes to be Diphyllobothrium stemmacephalum, commonly known as a broad tapeworm. Infections of marine mammals by Diphyllobothrium have been previously reported in the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean, but only to genus level. Infection by tapeworms may be rare in dolphins in South Carolina, but because this species is zoonotic, its presence indicates the potential for an emerging public health concern.

When traditional measures for material conditions are scarce or unreliable, body mass, height, and weight are complements to standard income and wealth measures. A persistent question in welfare studies is the 19th century’s 2nd and 3rd quarter’s stature diminution, a pattern known as the antebellum paradox. However, the question may not be well stated nor experienced equally by women and non-white male samples. The late 19th century’s political Granger, Greenback, and Populist movements may have affected farmer and non-farmer’s net nutrition. Despite 19th and early 20th century US political movements, farmers had greater BMIs, taller statures, and heavier weights than non-farmers. From the 1870s through 1890s, women’s body mass, height, and weight increased relative to men. Individuals of African or mixed European-African descent had heavier weights and greater BMIs than their taller, European-white counterparts, indicating that the traditional antebellum paradox needs to include women and non-European males and weight measures.

To evaluate changes in dietary consumption and weight status of Brazilian adolescents. Data from the Brazilian National Dietary Survey of 2008–2009 and 2017–2018 were analysed, including food consumption and anthropometric data from 7425 adolescents (ages 10–19) in 2008–2009 and 8264 in 2017–2018. Foods were categorised into seventeen groups. Weight status was estimated using BMI-for-age-and-sex classification. Differences in mean consumption were assessed using linear regression adjusted for caloric intake and sex. Consumption was analysed by sex and income level, with analyses conducted in SAS, accounting for the sample design. Among boys aged 10–14, underweight rose from 2·3 to 4·5 %, obesity from 7·4 to 15·1 % and severe obesity from 0·7 to 2·1 %; normal weight fell from 67·4 to 50·7 %. Among girls, overweight increased (19·7–28·0 %), and normal weight decreased (69·5–57·5 %). Rice intake declined in all groups (e.g. –66 g/d in older boys). In younger boys, fruit (–18 g/d), coffee (–34 ml/d) and sweets (–21 g/d) decreased. Older boys showed reduced dairy products (–55 g/d) and increased fast food (+22 g/d). In older girls, fruit (–20 g/d), dairy products (–59 g/d) and sugary drinks (–90 ml/d) declined. Fast food rose only among those earning ≤ 0·5 minimum wage (+17 g/d). Over the decade, dietary quality worsened, and anthropometric indicators deteriorated. Income influenced consumption shifts, notably among low-income adolescents. Policies should promote healthy eating and limit ultra-processed food, especially for lower-income groups and boys.

Inlight of varying outcomes from prior research concerning the relationship between different food groups and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), this study was conducted to examine the relationship between the consumption of various food groups and CKD risk via a dose–dependent meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Searches were conducted in the Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar databases through January 2025. Out of 6460 publications, twenty-one studies were selected for final analysis. The results revealed that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of CKD (RR: 1·39; 95 % CI: 1·13, 1·71). Conversely, consumption of fish (RR: 0·88; 95 % CI: 0·80, 0·97), grains (RR: 0·87; 95 % CI: 0·77, 0·99) and legumes (RR: 0·83; 95 % CI: 0·72, 0·92) showed a protective effect against CKD. The linear dose–response analysis indicated that for every 100 g/d increment in red meat and total meat consumption, the risk of CKD escalated by 34 and 2 %, respectively. Furthermore, an increase of 15 g/d in dietary fish, 28 g/d in nuts and 50 g/d in legumes was associated with a 6, 21 and 13 % decreased risk of CKD, respectively. Overall, higher red meat intake correlates with a heightened CKD risk, whereas the consumption of fish, grains and legumes is associated with a lowered risk. Further longitudinal cohort studies with extended follow-up are recommended to validate our findings.

As apex predators, giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) are susceptible to the bioaccumulation of heavy metals, particularly in regions where gold-mining contributes to mercury (Hg) pollution. This is the broadest-scale study assessing Hg and selenium (Se) concentrations in the Pantanal. Samples from 10 sites across the Pantanal were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We constructed a two-factor generalized additive model (GAM) to investigate the relationship between Hg concentrations in giant otters and their location along river courses in gold-mining areas. To determine the feasibility of merging the dataset from the present study with the dataset of a previous study carried out by our group during 2016–2017, we included the datasets as a factor in the analysis. The GAM results supported the feasibility of merging the datasets. Additionally, we measured Se concentrations due to their potential to mitigate Hg toxicity. Higher Hg levels were found in otters from watercourses near gold-mining areas, with concentrations decreasing downstream, revealing a contamination gradient and the extensive impact of local pollution on wetlands. The highest Hg concentration was recorded in the Bento Gomes River, within a gold-mining area, whereas otters from unconnected sites exhibited lower Hg levels.

Adherence to healthy dietary patterns, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, is linked to improved health outcomes. However, limited research has explored this association in Latin American populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between adherence to a healthy eating score (unweighted and weighted) and all-cause mortality risk in a Chilean population. This longitudinal study included 5336 Chilean participants from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016 and 2017. Six healthy eating habits were considered to produce the healthy eating score (range: 0–12): consumption of seafood, whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and legumes. A weighted score was also developed. Participants were categorised into quartiles based on their final scores, with the healthiest quartile used as the reference group. Associations between healthy eating score and all-cause mortality were performed using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounders. After a median follow-up of 5·1 years, 276 (5·2 %) participants died. In the fully adjusted model, compared with participants in the healthiest quartile of the score (Q4), those in the unhealthiest quartile (Q1) had 1·61 (95 % CI: 1·14, 2·27) times higher all-cause mortality risk. A similar association was observed for the weighted healthy eating score (1·52 (95 % CI: 1·03, 2·23)). An inverse trend was observed for both scores (P < 0·05). Sensitivity analyses excluding participants who died within the first 2 years showed consistent results 1·63 (95 % CI: 1·09, 2·42). Individuals with the lowest healthy eating score (unweighted or weighted) had a higher mortality risk compared with their counterparts. A healthy eating score is associated with mortality risk in the Chilean population.

A blastomere containing more than one nucleus is defined as a multinucleated blastomere. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels and multinucleated (MLN) embryos, one of the parameters indicating embryo quality, in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. The results of 888 ICSI cycles of patients aged 19–45 years attending an ART (assisted reproductive technology) clinic were retrospectively analysed. Cycles with at least one MLN embryo were defined as the study group (n = 237) and cycles without MLN embryos as the control group (n = 651). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors affecting the dependent qualitative variables. The effect of AMH levels on multinucleation was found to be a significant risk factor (p < 0.001). One unit increase in AMH levels increases the risk of the presence of MLN embryos by 1.12 times. The mean MLN embryos/total embryo ratio in the group with clinical pregnancy was 0.34 ± 0.18, while the mean MLN embryos/total embryo ratio in the group that did not achieve clinical pregnancy was 0.47 ± 0.3 (p = 0.010). The presence of an MLN embryo has been associated with poor embryo development and ART outcomes. Parameters that can predict the formation of MLN embryos before treatment are crucial for the determination of the pregnancy rate. According to our results, serum AMH levels can be used as a predictive marker for the formation of MLN embryos.

In 1893, the British explorer Frederick George Jackson travelled in the north of the Russian Empire, where he learned lessons—particularly in the areas of diet, transport, and clothing—from the Nenets and Sami people. I argue that his travels in this area influenced both his subsequent Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition (1894–97) and British Antarctic expeditions in the early 20th century, including those led by Robert F. Scott and Ernest H. Shackleton

Studying Jackson’s travels and writings can advance discussions about the role of Indigenous knowledge in British Polar exploration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Based on a new reading of both published and archival materials, the paper also charts some forms of knowledge that Jackson struggled to appropriate—particularly the use of reindeer for transport. In examining his failures, I argue that attempts to write Indigenous contributions into the history of exploration must focus on explorers’ failures as well as their successes—and on forms of Indigenous knowledge that proved difficult to use in other contexts.