This study evaluated the growth trajectories of twins from birth to school age, focusing on weight and height z scores of children born in São Paulo. The longitudinal study comprised 188 healthy twins (M = 9.13 years; SD = 2.16). Weight data were obtained from birth records and reassessed at school age, and height at school age. Singleton birth weights and standard growth curves were used as reference points. Overall, the proportion of children with z scores below the median decreased significantly, from 98.3% at birth to 31.4% at school age. At birth, the dispersion of z-scores below the median was significantly greater among monochorionic compared to dichorionic twins (2.051 vs. 1.701), but this difference was no longer observed at school age (1.861 vs. 0.976). In total, 68.8% of the twins showed improved weight development, with no cases of deterioration. While monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs exhibited comparable intertwin birth-weight differences, by school age MZ pairs exhibited more similar weights, whereas DZ pairs showed significantly greater weight discrepancies. For height at school age, mean height z scores were within the expected range for singletons. No significant differences were observed between monochorionic and dichorionic twins, whereas MZ pairs showed smaller within-pair height differences than DZ pairs. These findings suggest that although chorionicity plays an important role during the perinatal period — particularly due to the lower birth weights observed among monochorionic twins — its influence diminishes over time. By school age, weight and height differences are primarily determined by zygosity.

AMSTAR-2 (A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews, version 2) and ROBIS are tools used to assess the methodological quality and the risk of bias in a systematic review (SR). We applied AMSTAR-2 and ROBIS to a sample of 200 published SRs. We investigated the overlap in their methodological constructs, responses by item, and overall, percentage agreement, direction of effect, and timing of assessments. AMSTAR-2 contains 16 items and ROBIS 24 items. Three items in AMSTAR-2 and nine in ROBIS did not overlap in construct. Of the 200 SRs, 73% were low or critically low quality using AMSTAR-2, and 81% had a high risk of bias using ROBIS. The median time to complete AMSTAR-2 and ROBIS was 51 and 64 minutes, respectively. When assessment times were calibrated to the number of items in each tool, each item took an average of 3.2 minutes per item for AMSTAR-2 compared to 2.7 minutes for ROBIS. Nine percent of SRs had opposing ratings (i.e., AMSTAR-2 was high quality while ROBIS was high risk). In both tools, three-quarters of items showed more than 70% agreement between raters after extensive training and piloting. AMSTAR-2 and ROBIS provide complementary rather than interchangeable assessments of systematic reviews. AMSTAR-2 may be preferable when efficiency is prioritized and methodological rigour is the focus, whereas ROBIS offers a deeper examination of potential biases and external validity. Given the widespread reliance on systematic reviews for policy and practice, selecting the appropriate appraisal tool remains crucial. Future research should explore strategies to integrate the strengths of both instruments while minimizing the burden on assessors.

Tropical cyclones can significantly impact mangrove forests, with some recovering rapidly, whilst others may change permanently. Inconsistent approaches to quantifying these impacts limit the capacity to identify patterns of damage and recovery across landscapes and cyclone categories. Understanding these patterns is critical as the changing frequency and intensity of cyclones and compounding effects of climate change, particularly sea-level rise, threaten mangroves and their ecosystem services. Improvements in Earth observation data, particularly satellite-based sensors and datacube environments, have enhanced capacity to classify time-series data and advanced landscape monitoring. Using the Landsat archive within Digital Earth Australia to monitor annual changes in canopy cover and extent, this study aims to quantify and classify immediate and long-term impacts of category 3–5 cyclones for mangroves in Australia. Closed canopy mangrove forests experienced the greatest immediate impact (loss of canopy cover). Most immediate impacts were minor, implying limited immediate mortality. Impacts varied spatially, reflecting proximity to exposed coastlines, cyclone track and forest structure (height, density, condition and species). Recovery was evident across all cyclones, although some areas exhibited permanent damage. Understanding the impacts and characteristics of vulnerable and resilient forests is crucial for managers tasked with protecting mangroves and their services as the climate changes.

From the safety inside vehicles, Knowsley Safari offers visitors a close-up encounter with captive olive baboons. As exiting vehicles may be contaminated with baboon stool, a comprehensive coprological inspection was conducted to address public health concerns. Baboon stools were obtained from vehicles, and sleeping areas, inclusive of video analysis of baboon–vehicle interactions. A purposely selected 4-day sampling period enabled comparative inspections of 2662 vehicles, with a total of 669 baboon stools examined (371 from vehicles and 298 from sleeping areas). As informed by our pilot study, front-line diagnostic methods were: QUIK-CHEK rapid diagnostic test (RDT) (Giardia and Cryptosporidium), Kato–Katz coproscopy (Trichuris) and charcoal culture (Strongyloides). Some 13.9% of vehicles were contaminated with baboon stool. Prevalence of giardiasis was 37.4% while cryptosporidiosis was <0.01%, however, an absence of faecal cysts by quality control coproscopy, alongside lower than the expected levels of Giardia-specific DNA, judged RDT results as misleading, grossly overestimating prevalence. Prevalence of trichuriasis was 48.0% and strongyloidiasis was 13.7%, a first report of Strongyloides fuelleborni in UK. We advise regular blanket administration(s) of anthelminthics to the colony, exploring pour-on formulations, thereafter, smaller-scale indicator surveys would be adequate.

Adverse programming of adult non-communicable disease can be induced by poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy and the periconception period has been identified as a vulnerable period. In the current study, we used a mouse maternal low-protein diet fed either for the duration of pregnancy (LPD) or exclusively during the preimplantation period (Emb-LPD) with control nutrition provided thereafter and postnatally to investigate effects on fetal bone development and quality. This model has been shown previously to induce cardiometabolic and neurological disease phenotypes in offspring. Micro 3D computed tomography examination at fetal stages Embryonic day E14.5 and E17.4, reflecting early and late stages of bone formation, demonstrated LPD treatment caused increased bone formation of relative high mineral density quality in males, but not females, at E14.5, disproportionate to fetal growth, with bone quality maintained at E17.5. In contrast, Emb-LPD caused a late increase in male fetal bone growth, proportionate to fetal growth, at E17.5, affecting central and peripheral skeleton and of reduced mineral density quality relative to controls. These altered dynamics in bone growth coincide with increased placental efficiency indicating compensatory responses to dietary treatments. Overall, our data show fetal bone formation and mineral quality is dependent upon maternal nutritional protein content and is sex-specific. In particular, we find the duration and timing of poor maternal diet to be critical in the outcomes with periconceptional protein restriction leading to male offspring with increased bone growth but of poor mineral density, thereby susceptible to later disease risk.

The University of São Paulo Twin Panel (Painel USP de Gêmeos), based at the Institute of Psychology of the University of São Paulo, started formally in 2017. Our registry is new, but in only two years of formal existence, it comprises a volunteer sample of 4826 registered individuals (98% twins and 2% higher-order multiples), recruited at the University of São Paulo and by social media campaigns. Our main aim is to conduct and promote research with twins on psychological processes and behavior. The University of São Paulo is the largest higher education and research institution in South America, and the Painel USP de Gêmeos has great potential for fostering research on twin-related issues from a psychological perspective in Brazil and South America.

Tropical deforestation has been one of the most significant global environmental changes of recent decades and has spurred a substantial academic literature. Despite this, the empirical literature provides inconsistent evidence on the role of basic economic determinants of deforestation such as income and population. The authors suggest that one explanation for this inconsistency is a tendency to use incomplete or incorrect dynamic regression specifications. They derive three plausible dynamic empirical model specifications and compare their performance both with each other and with an ad hoc model typical of those used in the literature. Statistical tests support the use of more completely specified models which allow for dynamic adjustment of forest cover.

Environmental perturbations during early mammalian development can affect aspects of offspring growth and cardiovascular health. We have demonstrated previously that maternal gestational dietary protein restriction in mice significantly elevated adult offspring systolic blood pressure. Therefore, the present study investigates the key mechanisms of blood pressure regulation in these mice. Following mating, female MF-1 mice were assigned to either a normal-protein diet (NPD; 18 % casein) or an isocaloric low-protein diet throughout gestation (LPD; 9 % casein), or fed the LPD exclusively during the pre-implantation period (3·5 d) before returning to the NPD for the remainder of gestation (Emb-LPD). All offspring received standard chow. At 22 weeks, isolated mesenteric arteries from LPD and Emb-LPD males displayed significantly attenuated vasodilatation to isoprenaline (P = 0·04 and P = 0·025, respectively), when compared with NPD arteries. At 28 weeks, stereological analysis of glomerular number in female left kidneys revealed no significant difference between the groups. Real-time RT-PCR analysis of type 1a angiotensin II receptor, Na+/K+ ATPase transporter subunits and glucocorticoid receptor expression in male and female left kidneys revealed no significant differences between the groups. LPD females displayed elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity (P = 0·044), whilst Emb-LPD males had elevated lung ACE activity (P = 0·001), when compared with NPD offspring. These data demonstrate that elevated offspring systolic blood pressure following maternal gestational protein undernutrition is associated with impaired arterial vasodilatation in male offspring, elevated serum and lung ACE activity in female and male offspring, respectively, but kidney glomerular number in females and kidney gene expression in male and female offspring appear unaffected.

Cerebrovascular accidents are a rare but feared complication of open heart surgery. We report a child with tricuspid atresia who suffered cerebral infarction after a Fontan procedure and discuss possible risk factors.