Given the critical role of the oral and maxillofacial regions in human function and aesthetics, oral health significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, physical health, physiological and psychological well-being, and aesthetic perception. Challenges arise due to the complex anatomy and limited efficacy of conventional treatment approaches. Phototheranostics, represented by photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), has garnered heightened attention and utilization due to its advantages. PDT and PTT offer several advantages, such as being highly selective, non-invasive, cost-effective, having reduced side effects, and minimal drug resistance. However, despite these benefits, there is a need for improved photosensitizers and photothermal agents to enhance their efficacy in treating oral diseases. The discovery of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has ushered in a new direction for research on PDT and PTT. Treatment of oral diseases can be considerably aided by AIE’s high luminescence yield, biocompatibility, photostability, and positive correlation. This review highlights recent advancements in AIE luminogens (AIEgens) as a promising phototheranostics tool in oral healthcare, focusing on their applications in teeth whitening, oral infectious diseases, and oral cancer. Additionally, we address the challenges and future directions to accelerate the clinical translation of AIEgens.

Nanomedicine has emerged as a potent weapon against cancer, yet its therapeutic potential is hampered by limited diffusion within tumor tissues. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), such as the trans-activator of transcription (Tat) peptide, can facilitate interactions between carriers and cells; however, their capacity to penetrate cell layers remains limited. Here, we present evidence that cyclic Tat (cTat) can effectively enhance the penetration of nanoparticles into tumors. Compared with linear Tat, cTat exhibited a 10-fold increase in the dissociation constant (Kd) but a nearly dissociation rate constant (Koff) with the cell membrane. This facilitated easier uptake and penetration of cTat-modified liposomes (cTat-Lip) into tumor cells. In vivo studies corroborated these findings; cTat-Lip demonstrated higher tumor penetration and a more even distribution compared to Tat-Lip. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of cTat-Lip in mouse tumor models and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. We confirmed that after enhancing tumor penetration, DOX-loaded cTat-Lip could modulate the immune microenvironment at the tumor site, increasing the proportion of M1-type macrophages and promoting tumor therapy. These results highlight the substantial impact of two-dimensional structure modification of CPPs like Tat on their targeting affinity, emphasize of reducing the peptide’s targeting affinity to achieve enhanced tumor penetration and improved therapeutic outcomes.

A document by Melina C. Click on the document to view its contents.

Autophagy is a process of engulfing cytoplasmic proteins or organelles, thereby fulfilling cells’ metabolic needs and the renewal of specific organelles. Given its key roles in tumor progression, autophagy has attracted tremendous attention in cancer therapies. Notably, there is a megatrend to integrating autophagy regulation into mainstream treatments. This review focuses on autophagy-targeting nanomedicine (ApT-NM) to modulate autophagy in tumor therapy, including the unmodified and functionalized nanoparticles that target tumors by carrying autophagy modulators. On the one hand, it can reverse treatment resistance by inhibiting protective autophagy, and on the other hand, it can promote the death of cancer cells through type II apoptosis by inducing autophagy. Moreover, advanced nanoplatforms combining various treatments (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, photothermal therapy, and photodynamic therapy, etc.) have also been summarized. Last, the future perspectives and directions for ApT-NM research are provided, hoping to emphasize this rising filed and promote the development of ApT-NM.

Structured lipids (SLs) containing DHA, EPA, and DHA+EPA were synthesized via enzymatic acidolysis using VCO as the substrate in n-hexane. Commercially available enzymes Lipozyme TL IM (produced from Thermomyces lanuginosus, a 1,3-specific lipase), Lipozyme IM60 (produced from Rhizomucor miehei, a 1,3-specific lipase), and non-specific lipase from Candida rugosa (powder) were used as biocatalysts. The T. lanuginosus lipase was chosen to evaluate the effects of various parameters on the incorporation of PUFAs into VCO and to optimize the process. As the enzyme load increased from 1 to 4%, the incorporation of omega-3 PUFAs also increased; however, it decreased when the enzyme load was further increased to 6%. The incorporation of these fatty acids increased with reaction time from 12 to 36h but decreased at 48h. Similarly, the incorporation increased with temperature from 35 to 45 oC, but decreased at 55 and 65 oC. The highest incorporation rates of DHA (18.91%), EPA (30.38%), and DHA+EPA (34.64%) were achieved at a mole ratio of 1:3 (VCO to DHA or EPA) or 1:3:3 (VCO to DHA+EPA), with a 4% enzyme load, 36h incubation time, and a temperature of 45 oC. A central composite design (CCD) with three levels and three factors—reaction temperature (35, 45, 55 oC), enzyme amount (2, 4, 6%), and reaction time (24, 36, 48h)—was used to model and optimize the reaction conditions via response surface methodology (RSM). Under optimal conditions of 3.3% T. lanuginosus enzyme, 42.22°C, and 33.38h, the incorporation rates were 32.92% for DHA, 44.48% for EPA, and 47.04% for DHA+EPA in VCO.

To the editor:

The tropics are renowned for extraordinary species richness across the marine and terrestrial realms, holding more than three quarters of all species [1]. Within the tropics, certain ‘hyperdiverse’ regions host truly exceptional numbers of species at the local community level. For example, a single hectare (100m x 100m) of coral reef in the Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle hosts twice as many coral species as the entire Atlantic ocean [2], and a hectare of the Ecuadorian Amazon holds more tree species than the entirety of Europe [3,4]. Causes of such outstanding species richness in hyperdiverse regions are varied, and in some cases enigmatic, but in many ways the forces structuring such high local-scale diversity have parallels across land and sea. These range from the heightened accumulation of species due to quirks of biogeography, climate and geology at evolutionary timescales, through to the pressures of living at close quarters with many competitors and natural enemies at ecological timescales. Comparing processes that assemble hyperdiverse tropical communities across the marine and terrestrial realms may allow future research to draw generalities about the evolution of hyperdiverse regions as a whole, and may illuminate ways in which they can be conserved.

In context of the prolonged invasion of smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, numerous native birds have progressively adapted to this invaded plant. Not only certain non-specialist birds demonstrate an ability to inhabit and utilize smooth cordgrass, but a subset of specialist birds is also detected in the habitat as well. In this study, we investigate a previously undocumented Rallidae species, the slaty-breasted rail Lewinia striata, living in smooth cordgrass. These rails exhibit a significant reliance on the invaded vegetative community during their breeding season, engaging in foraging, vocalization, and even successful reproduction within the smooth cordgrass. These findings underscore the likelihood that amidst the ongoing decline of natural wetlands, those avian species with a profound dependence on marsh ecosystems may be compelled to adopt invasive smooth cordgrass as a vital refuge. Such a transition is poised to impact their distribution, foraging, and reproduction. With the backdrop of large-scale removal of smooth cordgrass on the China coast, the disappearance of smooth cordgrass may harm the population of these birds. Further dedicated investigations and tracking of more individuals are needed to understand the specific ecological impact on slaty-breasted rail.

Facultative scavenging can be observed across a large range of carnivorous mammals, but is an uncommon behavioural trait in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Very few incidents of cheetahs scavenging have been reported, with no explanation given as to why it may occur. In this paper we provide three more observations of cheetahs scavenging between 2019 and 2023 in three different protected areas in South Africa and Malawi. We suggest a common factor between these observations, namely that all adult individuals involved were temporarily housed in holding enclosures (bomas) during relocation processes and were provisioned with carrion as supplemental feed. The observed scavenging events could also have been influenced by the easy access of food in a situation where food acquisition was potentially difficult (i.e. old age, loss of hunting partner, mother with cubs). We hypothesise that these contributing factors, combined with the prior exposure of the adult individuals to eating carrion, could be a potential explanation for our observations of cheetahs scavenging. These observations provide a basis for further research into cheetah scavenging behaviour and the potential impacts of translocations that require prolonged holding periods on wildlife behaviour post-release. Understanding these behavioural shifts is crucial for cheetah conservation, as successful reintroduction efforts depend on the ability of cheetahs to adapt to new environments and food acquisition strategies.

of bulk crystallization from a supersaturated solution with al- lowance for the two-step mechanism of nucleation and growth

Background: Movement is a contributing factor to the risk of exposure to infectious disease. A primary reason for equine travel in Ontario, Canada is for equestrian competitions. The Canadian National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector provides guidance for equestrian facilities regarding strategies to reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens at competitions and upon return. To be further investigated are the perceptions of these recommendations by facility managers and their degree of implementation. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the biosecurity perspectives of equestrian facility managers to be able to identify challenges and opportunities regarding equestrian facility-level biosecurity. Study Design: This study used a qualitative approach to gather in-depth data on the experiences of equestrian facility managers Methods: Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person with 10 Ontario equestrian facility managers. A template analysis using deductive coding was used to determine themes. Results: The main themes identified were: (i) facility managers feel ultimately primarily responsible for biosecurity choices, but also feel that the overall responsibility should be shared; and (ii) facility managers understand biosecurity in theory but face challenges putting it into practice. Main Limitations: This study asked for voluntary participation, leading to the potential for self-selection bias with participants having a pre-existing interest in biosecurity. Participants residing in specific geographic radius of Toronto, Ontario could also lead to possible similarities between facilities. The small sample size also may result in nonresponse bias. These biases could lead to the sample population not being representative of the general population Conclusions: Results of this study indicate the need for additional focus on overcoming barriers to implementation and bridging the gap between stakeholder groups. This would allow for improvements in equine biosecurity at both home facilities and competitions, positively impacting overall equine health and welfare

Background: Biosecurity plays an important role in the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks in the equine population. With competition organizers responsible for upholding biosecurity requirements at competitions, it is important to understand the biosecurity landscape at these locations where Ontario horses commonly travel and interact in large group settings. Group settings are one of the risk factors for pathogen exposure. Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop an understanding of the perspectives, challenges and experiences of competition organizers of both sanctioned and unsanctioned events in Ontario, Canada regarding implementing equine biosecurity at competitions. Study Design: This study used a qualitative research approach in order to be able to best gather data regarding the lived experiences of competition organizers. Methods: Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted virtually with 10 Ontario competition organizers in English disciplines (Eventing, Dressage, Hunter/Jumper). A reflexive thematic analysis using an inductive approach was used to analyze the interview data. Results: Interviews resulted in two major themes: (i) biosecurity at competitions is a balancing act among other important considerations and (ii) there is a disconnect between groups that play key roles in biosecurity at competitions. Main Limitations: The recruitment process also allowed for the possibility of introducing self-selection bias where some of the participants may have an existing interest in biosecurity, which may not be representative of all competition organizers. Individual interviews as well as the design of the interview guide also helped to mitigate the potential for social desirability bias. Conclusions: Biosecurity at equestrian competitions is a multifaceted issue that requires stakeholder input and buy-in to be successful. However, there is an overall willingness from competition organizers to work towards finding a path forward to improving biosecurity and maintaining equine health and welfare at competitions.

Due to the nonlinearity, non-stationarity and noise interference of the rolling bearing fault signals of wind turbines, the extraction of features is challenging. This paper proposes a fault diagnosis method for wind turbine bearings based on the improved dung beetle optimizer (IDBO) optimized Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. Firstly, Levy flight strategy and T-distribution perturbation strategy are integrated into the traditional dung beetle optimizer (DBO) to optimize the algorithm. The optimized IDBO algorithm solves the problems of low convergence accuracy and easy entrapment into local optima in the traditional dung beetle algorithm. Secondly, the IDBO algorithm is combined with the long short-term memory method to build the IDBO-LSTM fault diagnosis model. The advantage of fewer parameters in this algorithm enables the model to reduce the overall number of parameters and computational complexity while ensuring the accuracy of temporal feature extraction. Finally, this pa-per takes the bearing open dataset of Case Western Reserve University as an example to compare the proposed method with other models through optimization tests. The experimental results show that the IDBO-LSTM model outperforms other models, with a fault diagnosis accuracy rate of 98.3%. This demonstrates the superiority of the proposed improved dung beetle optimizer and effectively improves the accuracy of fault diagnosis for rolling bearings of wind turbines.

Understanding the genetic processes underlying divergence and connectivity among species is crucial for identifying evolutionary histories and informing conservation strategies. The Santalum genus, exhibits distinct genetic variations across the complex geographic regions of Australia, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. This study leveraged genome-wide SNP markers to explore the genetic relationships within critically endangered and non-threatened species in an Austral-Pacific sandalwood complex, including Santalum lanceolatum, S. leptocladum, and S. macgregorii. Our findings revealed significant geographic partitioning and genetic divergence mostly aligned with current taxonomic classifications. However notably, we showed S. macgregorii populations in Papua New Guinea (PNG) were divided into two distinct genetic groups: one in the Central and Gulf provinces and another in the Western Province, which shows a closer genetic relationship with S. lanceolatum from Australia’s Northern Peninsula Area (NPA). This genetic connection suggests a history of secondary contact and potential hybridization, influenced by historical land bridges and geological events. Our study highlighted that the sandalwood trees from the Western Province may represent a divergent lineage of S. lanceolatum, the S. macgregorii populations in the Central and Gulf provinces display vicariant divergence due to geographic isolation. These insights underscore the evolutionary complexity of sandalwoods and emphasise the need for tailored conservation strategies. Our results advocate for genetic rescue programs involving NPA S. lanceolatum to enhance reproductive success in threatened sandalwood populations, offering crucial guidance for conservation and management efforts in Australasia.

A document by Gairan Pamei. Click on the document to view its contents.

5th generation (5G) millimeter wave (mmWave) positioning systems are of growing interest for application in operating environments where global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals are unavailable or unreliable, promising enhancements to positioning accuracy. Application environments range from warehouses and indoor areas to dense urban spaces. However, in real dynamic operating conditions, brief signal outages are expected due to both environmental features and moving objects such as cars or pedestrians. During 5G signal outages, a positioning system must rely on alternative positioning systems and sensors. Inertial navigation systems (INS) provide a self-contained positioning solution unaffected by environmental factors. However, when operating alone INS suffers from unbounded drift in position error. Automotive radar, or electronic scanning radar (ESR) are low-cost sensors integrated in most modern vehicles, and are of increasing interest to positioning applications. This paper presents an extended Kalman filter (EKF) fusion architecture integrating a 5G positioning system with pose corrections from an ESR scan to map registration algorithm. 5G measurements are simulated in a quasi-real environment, and all radar and INS data are collected from real road tests within a GNSS-denied indoor parking garage. An array of 5G signal outages of varying lengths and characteristics are inflicted on the positioning system. The radar-aided positioning system maintains an average root mean squared error of 0.6m during 5G signal outages, improving the 5G/INS performance by 70% across the tested scenarios.

Since noise significantly impacts speech quality and intelligibility, it is important to eliminate it in speech enhancement. Conformer networks have gained popularity in this area due to their outstanding noise reduction performance. This module combines an attention mechanism with a convolutional neural network to capture both long- and short-duration speech sequence information. Building on this, this paper proposes a Dual-Stream Interactive Conformer Network (DSICNet), employing the Conformer module as the core for extracting signal features. In the network’s core processing, both amplitude and phase information first undergo time-domain feature extraction, followed by frequency-domain feature extraction. While the attentional mechanism effectively captures dependencies within the input speech sequence, it tends to overlook features from other input data. To address this, the DSICNet model introduces two interaction modules in the enhancement layer and configures them to prioritize magnitude as the dominant information. This fused information then aids in generating dual path features. To ensure consistency of feature estimation on dual stream paths and to reduce errors caused by uncontrolled learning, the fusion module acts as a preprocessor for the enhancement layer. Experimental results on the VoiceBank + DEMAND dataset presents a marked improvement in denoising performance compared to other models. Ablation studies further underscore the importance of the interaction module, indicating that setting the mainstream parameter of the interaction module as the amplitude information yields superior results compared to using phase as the mainstream information.

DC/DC converters are power electronic devices that utilize passive components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, along with transistors to control the system through a duty cycle. Traditionally modeled and controlled using integer-order calculus, these converters are now increasingly examined through the lens of fractional calculus, which introduces a fractional order for the controller, adding a new modulating variable beyond just the duty cycle.However, if only the controller operates in a fractional manner while the plant remains integer-order, the advantages of fractional calculus are limited, leading to challenges in flexibility, degree of freedom, and overall accuracy. To address these limitations, proposing an Indirect Sliding Mode Adaptive Fractional Order Controller (FOSMC) for Fractional Order Systems in Single-Ended Primary Inductor Converters (FOSEPIC).Utilizing the Caputo fractional derivative, mathematical model is develop to resolve the average state space equation of the DC/DC SEPIC converter. The Mittag-Leffler function, along with Lyapunov methods, is employed to analyze the system’s dynamic stability. The performance of the proposed controller is assessed using the Integral Time Absolute Error (ITAE), yielding an ITAE of 0.09151, which is lower than that of the Fractional Order Model (0.1847) and the Integer Order Sliding Mode Controller (0.2532).Simulation results further demonstrate that the proposed strategy enhances efficiency to 98%. Overall, the FOSMC exhibits improved flexibility, a high degree of freedom, and superior accuracy, offering a fast transient response in controlling DC/DC converters.

Aims: In this study, we propose a non-invasive approach utilizing quantitative proteomics analysis of urine samples to identify potential biomarkers for gastric cancer. Methods: Urine samples were collected from 30 gastric cancer patients, 30 early-stage gastric cancer patients, and 30 healthy controls at Beijing Shijitan and Beijing Friendship Hospitals. For further confirmation, we correlated our findings with The Cancer Genome Atlas database, which uses tandem mass tag tagged quantitative proteomics. Results: In individuals with advanced gastric cancer compared to control group, 376 urine proteins were differentially expressed, while 191 urine proteins were differentially expressed in individuals with early gastric cancer compared to control group. An analysis of gene ontology revealed that these differentially expressed proteins are primarily involved in cell adhesion, biological adhesion, and negative regulation. Through a comprehensive analysis that considered high FC value, low p-value, and alignment with existing literature, we identified five potential urine proteins (PYGB, ITGB3, COL1A1, and TNFRSF12A) as showing differential expression between the AGC and CG groups，three potential urine proteins (HSPA8, CTSL, and FTL) as showing differential expression between the EGC and CG groups. Conclusion: Understanding the roles and pathways of differentially expressed proteins has clarified the molecular mechanisms of gastric cancer.

Objective: To assess the impact of the sperm swim-up method on embryo aneuploidy rates patients undergoing Non-Invasive Chromosomal Screening in conventional in vitro fertilization. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Hospita district, China Population or Sample: Patients Undergoing Non-Invasive Chromosomal Screening in Conventional In Vitro Fertilization. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent conventional IVF and NICS at our hospital from January 2022 to May 2024. Patients were grouped based on the semen processing method used: the SU group and the DGC group. We compared semen parameters before and after processing on the day of oocyte retrieval, as well as the number of oocytes retrieved, MII oocytes, and two pronuclei embryos. The fertilization rate, cleavage rate, Day 3 high-quality embryo rate, embryo ploidy rate, and aneuploidy rate between the two groups were also analyzed. Main Outcome Measures:embryo ploidy and aneuploidy rate Results: There were no significant differences between the DGC and SU groups in terms of the number of oocytes retrieved, number of MII oocytes, number of normal fertilizations, normal fertilization rate, abnormal fertilization rate, number of cleavages, cleavage rate, blastocyst formation rate, or blastocyst grading (all P > 0.05). However, the DGC group had a significantly higher D3 high-quality embryo rate than the SU group (53.9% vs. 48.20%, P = 0.011). The proportion of embryos rated as Grade A by NICS was significantly lower in the DGC group (31.8%, 262/824) compared to the SU group (39.4%, 119/302) ( P = 0.017). The euploidy rate was 21.7% (179/824) and the aneuploidy rate was 71.2% (587/824) in the DGC group; in the SU group, the euploidy rate was 25.8% (78/302) and the aneuploidy rate was 68.9% (208/302), with no significant differences between the groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, embryos derived from semen processed using the SU method had a higher proportion of Grade A embryos according to NICS compared to those processed by DGC. However, there was no reduction in the embryo aneuploidy rate.

The evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) is a conservation-oriented concept based on the principle of independently-evolving lineages but introgression may hamper definition of ESUs. Spatial proximity may lead to high levels of introgression and therefore affect identification of ESUs in the gecko Tarentola boettgeri within Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, where it is threatened by the introduced California king snake (Lampropeltis californiae). We sampled T. boettgeri from across Gran Canaria, El Hierro and the Selvagens archipelago. A 1.9 Gb T. boettgeri genome was assembled de novo from PacBio HiFi reads. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) provided genomic sequences which were aligned to this reference genome to provide over 440 thousand SNPs in 134 geckos from 40 sample sites. Admixture analyses supported five genomic groups within Gran Canaria and two additional groups corresponding to the Selvagens and El Hierro. Phylogenomic analyses of both GBS sequences and SNPs revealed patterns consistent with ancient divergence followed by secondary contact and admixture within Gran Canaria. Unlike previous mtDNA estimates, our analyses suggest divergence within Gran Canaria began around the late Pliocene/early Pleistocene and colonization of the Selvagens and El Hierro occurred independently from north-western and western Gran Canarian lineages, respectively, during the Pleistocene. Bayesian multispecies coalescent analyses of Gran Canarian populations supported bidirectional introgression among all geographically adjacent lineages. Nonetheless, predominantly single ancestry populations were identified for all genomic groups within Gran Canaria despite their spatial proximity. We argue that these single ancestry metapopulations, and not introgressed populations, should be recognized as ESUs and be the focus of future efforts to conserve T. boettgeri biodiversity within Gran Canaria.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the effects of HLA-DRB alleles on Polygonum multiflorum-induced liver injury (PM-DILI). Methods: An exploratory study was conducted on 11 patients with PM-DILI using major histocompatibility complex targeted sequencing, and the frequencies of HLA alleles were compared with those of healthy controls in the Han-MHC database. In an independent validation study, the HLA-DRB1 and DRB5 genotypes of 18 cases with PM-DILI were detected. The impact of these two alleles on liver biochemistry and the type of liver injury was analyzed. Results: In the exploratory study, the frequencies of HLA-DRB1*15:01 and HLA-DRB5*01:01 in patients were higher than those in healthy Chinese population (OR: 3.91, 95%CI (1.42-10.01), P = 8.47×10-3 for HLA-DRB1*15:01; OR: 7.58, 95%CI (3.00-19.60), P = 1.46×10-5 for HLA-DRB5*01:01). In an independent validation study, there was a significant difference in the frequencies of these two HLA alleles between patients with PM-DILI and the healthy Chinese population (OR = 3.01, 95%CI (1.48-6.13), P = 4.07×10-3 for HLA-DRB1*15:01; OR = 5.06, 95%CI (2.62-9.77), P = 7.00×10-6 for HLA-DRB5*01:01). Combined analysis confirmed that these two HLA alleles were significantly associated with PM-DILI (OR = 3.34, 95%CI (1.93-5.78), P = 6.60×10-5 for HLA-DRB1*15:01; OR = 5.90, 95%CI (3.52-9.89), P = 2.87×10-10 for HLA-DRB5*01:01). Furthermore, the levels of liver enzymes and the frequency of the cholestatic/mixed type of liver injury were increased in patients carrying these two alleles. Conclusions: HLA-DRB1*15:01 and HLA-DRB5*01:01 were associated with PM-DILI, and may affect the severity and phenotype of Polygonum multiflorum-induced liver injury.

Seasonal differences in marine size spectra of micronekton at the shelf-ocean interface of the northern (NBUS) and southern Benguela Upwelling System (SBUS) in Feb-Mar 2019 and Sep-Oct 2021 were analysed. It was distinguished between mesopelagic fishes and total micronekton, comprising both the invertebrate and the vertebrate components. The metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) model containing a resource and a temperature term and a term representing a transfer function was applied to test three different types of size spectra slope estimates. The model fitted best with linear slopes calculated of log-binned averaged community biomass (LBNbiom method), while maximum likelihood without binning and quantile regression estimates without averaging proved less effective. The best model for total micronekton contained significant effects both for resource term and transfer function, but not for temperature. Normalized biomass size spectra slopes of the total micronekton were in the range predicted by MTE ranging between -0.80 and -1.37, and NBUS slopes were steeper than SBUS slopes in both seasons. The slopes for the fishes’ subcomponents were less steep ranging from -0.23 to -0.92, where values > -0.75 fall outside the theoretical range, suggesting that selecting taxonomic subsets for size spectrum analysis is problematic. The importance of the productivity regime shaping the biomass spectrum directly through the resource level and indirectly through the transfer function is highlighted.

Eating disorder diagnoses (ED) are rising at an alarming rate globally, related to threats about achieving and maintaining social status, especially in adolescents and young adults. University students, often young adults with social mobility in mind, attempt to improve their socio-economic status with higher vocational or academic study. Young adults are most susceptible to potential harms caused by social media and are likely to experience greater anxiety and perceived threats that alter cognitive processes and increase the risk of developing an ED. This pilot study aimed to examine whether threat perceptions, anxiety and disordered eating in a non-clinical sample were linked to cognitive biases for food and threat words. Fifty university students, between the ages of 18-25 (19 male) completed online versions of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a Threat Perception Questionnaire (TPQ) created by the authors. All measures