Native boxwood across Europe has been destroyed by the invasive moth Cydalima perspectalis. To date, climatic conditions and natural enemies have not been able to contain the pests. Increases in temperature due to climate change (CC) may affect insect development and voltinism, with species-specific effects. Its spread across European countries indicates that the expansion of C. perspectalis is not limited by cold winters. However, in southern Europe, rising maximum temperatures can affect pests and their host plants. Despite this, the effects of high temperatures on herbivorous pests have been studied far less extensively than those of low temperatures. Our results show that elevated temperatures accelerate egg development but prolong larval development, reduce adult longevity and fertility, and substantially increase mortality across the egg, larval, and pupal stages. These findings indicate that spring–summer temperatures in the Mediterranean Basin are approaching the upper thermal limits of this species and that further warming is unlikely to facilitate its expansion in this region. Although high temperatures did not reduce diapause induction, they increased larval mortality, and field monitoring showed that altitude, more than thermal time, dominated the patterns of first-flight emergence. Habitat orientation (North or South) may further mediate pest–host coexistence. Overall, this study contributes to the literature by clarifying how this pest responds to the warming conditions associated with CC in southern Europe.

Using different techniques to derive dietary patterns (DP) could evaluate real-world diet behaviours and provide DP recommendations. Therefore, we identified DP using hybrid methodologies and examined the associations of DP with all-cause and CVD mortality among older Chinese. Using data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study, dietary intake was assessed using a validated FFQ. DP were derived using hybrid methods including reduced rank regression (RRR) and partial least squares (PLS), focusing on nutrients commonly insufficient in Asian diets. Associations of the DP with mortality and CVD risk factors were examined using Cox regression and generalised linear models, respectively. Of 19 598 participants with an average follow-up of 15·8 years, 4966 deaths occurred. Two DP were derived based on the riboflavin-density, K:Na ratio and vitamin C-density. The DP derived from both RRR and PLS featured high intakes of green vegetables, yellow/orange fruits and whole grains and low intakes of refined grains and plant oils, with additional high intakes of fish identified by RRR and milk by PLS. These DP were associated with lower all-cause and CVD mortality risks. Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartiles showed lower risks of all-cause (hazard ratio (HR): 0·89–0·91, all P < 0·01) and CVD mortality (HR: 0·79–0·82, all P < 0·01). Moreover, both DP were associated with favourable cardiometabolic profiles, including lower systolic blood pressure, TAG and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, and higher HDL-cholesterol levels. These findings suggest that nutrient-rich DP using hybrid methods may support the development of dietary recommendations to reduce mortality among older Chinese.

Electrical power systems are a ubiquitous part of the Anthropocene. Wildlife interactions with these systems can be positive, for example when natural nesting substrates are limited, but are frequently negative, for example when nests catch fire or nesting individuals are electrocuted. Electrocution research focuses primarily on birds because they, especially large species, are particularly prone to electrocution. However, many other animals are also electrocuted. To explore non-avian electrocutions, we used crowdsourced data from Iran, where electric utility personnel frequently describe unusual incidents on electric industry-focused social media channels. In posts from January 2014 to December 2023, we identified 120 reports of non-avian electrocutions involving mammals (74%), reptiles (24%), amphibians (1%) and invertebrates (< 1%). Most (91%) incidents involved correctly operating electrical systems, indicating that the design of these electrical systems did not account for potential animal contacts. A few (9%) involved malfunctioning electrical components (overturned or energized power poles) that would also have been hazardous to humans. The greatest number of electrocutions occurred as a result of contact with low-voltage and ground-mounted equipment. For example, 220–600 V freestanding switchboards accounted for about one-third of electrocutions. Many of the documented incidents involved outages (n = 71), or outages together with fire ignitions (n = 8), indicating cascading effects on human populations and the environment. Mitigation measures to prevent these incidents are widely available, and should be used throughout the electrical system. Future research should document and quantify non-avian incidents beyond Iran, to better understand the impact of electrical systems on non-avian wildlife.

In this nationwide cohort study, we assessed the long-term risk of major cardiovascular events following intensive care unit (ICU) treatment for community-acquired sepsis and septic shock, compared to the general population. We included 20313 adults admitted to Swedish ICUs between 2008 and 2019, identified through national healthcare registries, and matched each case to 20 randomly selected population controls. Entropy balancing adjusted for baseline co-morbidities, healthcare utilization, and socio-demographics. The association between sepsis and subsequent cardiovascular events (hospitalizations or deaths due to myocardial infarction, heart failure, or cerebral infarction) was analysed using Cox proportional hazards models. Sepsis was associated with increased cardiovascular risk, particularly during the first year (days 0–30 adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 6.1 (95% CI 4.7–7.9); days 31–90; aHR 2.4 (95% CI 1.8–3.2); days 91–365 aHR 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.6)), with risk persisting through years 2–5 (aHRs 1.1–1.3). Heart failure risk remained elevated across all intervals, while risks of myocardial and cerebral infarction were mainly short term. The highest relative risks were observed in patients without prior heart disease or with low baseline cardiovascular risk. These findings suggest that sepsis might be an independent and under-recognized driver of long-term cardiovascular disease, highlighting the need for preventive strategies.

Sepsis-related deaths remain prevalent in intensive care settings, with metabolic dysregulation as a key contributor. Although amino acid supplementation has shown promise, its clinical effectiveness in sepsis is unclear. This study evaluated the impact of intravenous amino acid administration on 28-d mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) sepsis patients using retrospective cohort analysis and Mendelian randomisation (MR). We analysed data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV database, matching 726 patients (363 per group) using propensity scores. The association between amino acid supplementation and mortality was assessed using logistic regression, Cox regression and targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE). Two-sample MR was used to explore causal links between twenty common amino acids and sepsis mortality. In the cohort analysis, amino acid supplementation was consistently associated with significantly reduced 28-d mortality across all analytical methods (logistic regression: OR = 0·48, P < 0·01; Cox regression: HR = 0·48, P < 0·01; TMLE: average treatment effect = −0·102, P < 0·01). In contrast, the MR analysis did not find a significant causal association for any single amino acid after correction for multiple comparisons; although glycine showed a nominal protective signal, it did not remain significant after false discovery rate correction. This dual-method study demonstrates a strong association between compound amino acid infusions and reduced mortality in sepsis but did not identify any single amino acid as a robust causal mediator. These findings suggest the benefit may arise from a synergistic effect, highlighting the need for randomised controlled trials to validate these observational results and optimise nutritional strategies.

After the Zero COVID policy ended on December 7, 2022, ~90% of mainland Chinese were infected in a COVID-19 wave. This systematic review synthesized research estimating excess mortality during that wave in mainland China. We searched seven databases in May 2024 and updated our search in July–August 2025. Peer-reviewed research (Chinese or English), published since January 1, 2023, estimating excess deaths in the COVID-19 wave post-Zero-COVID was included. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Two authors independently conducted abstract screening, full-text review, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. Seven articles were included. Two studies analysed the death records of a town and a district in Shanghai, estimating the excess mortality rates of 153.6% and 174.3%, respectively. Using indirect methods, four studies estimated national excess mortality (range: 0.71–1.87 million). Another study estimated excess mortality in Taiyuan. Studies used diverse methods to estimate excess deaths, resulting in widely varying and uncertain estimates. Choice of reference period, seasonality, and other factors affect expected mortality estimates.