Changes in maerl-associated macroalgal community dynamics as evidence of anthropogenic pressure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Maerl-associated communities have received considerable attention due to their uniqueness, biodiversity and functional importance. Although the impacts of human activities are well documented for maerl-associated macrofauna, the spatio-temporal variations of macroalgae have comparatively been neglected, and the drivers that influence their dynamics are poorly known. We investigate the links between maerl-associated macroalgal communities, anthropogenic pressures and environmental conditions, and hypothesize that sites under human pressure would exhibit different dynamics when compared to reference sites. METHODS: To better understand community variation through space and time, four subtidal maerl beds under different pressures were consistently monitored over one year in the bay of Brest, Brittany, France. Both macroalgae community monitoring and environmental data were acquired through field sampling and available models. KEY RESULTS: Higher macroalgal biomass was observed within eutrophic sites, especially in summer (more than ten times higher than in the Unimpacted site), caused by free-living forms of opportunistic red macroalgae. The Dredged site also exhibited distinct macroalgal communities during summer from the Unimpacted site. Nutrient concentrations and seasonality proved to be key factors affecting the macroalgal community composition, although dredging and its effects on granulometry also had a strong influence. Over the long term, fewer than half of the species identified during historical surveys were found, indicating major temporal changes. CONCLUSIONS: Human pressures have strong impacts on maerl-associated macroalgal communities. Nutrient concentrations and dredging pressure appear as the main anthropogenic factors shaping maerl-associated macroalgal communities. Additionally, our results suggest historical changes in maerl-associated macroalgal communities over 25 years in response to changes in local human pressure management. This study suggests that maerl-associated macroalgal communities could be used as indicators of anthropogenically driven changes in this habitat.

The effect of cumulative lipid accumulation product and related long-term change on incident stroke: The Kailuan Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A single measurement lipid accumulation product (LAP) level has been shown to increase cardiovascular disease, but cumulative LAP on stroke effects is uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 43,089 participants, free of any cardiovascular diseases at baseline, from the Kailuan Study. The cumulative LAP was determined by multiplying the average LAP index and the time interval between two consecutive examinations, resulting in their categorization into four quartile groups. The higher LAP exposure was defined as participants with LAP values exceeding 90% of this population during each health survey. The association between cumulative LAP and stroke was assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. During a median follow-up period of 11.0 (10.6-11.3) years, 2461 participants developed stroke (of which 2220 were ischemic stroke, 320 were hemorrhagic stroke, and 79 were concurrent). After adjusting for potential confounders, the risk of stroke gradually increased in Groups Q2 to Q4 compared to Q1, with hazard ratios (HRs) ranging from 1.19 (95% CI: 1.05-1.36) to 1.50 (95% CI: 1.30-1.70). Specifically, the risk of ischemic stroke showed an increase from 1.21 (1.06-1.39) to 1.56 (1.36-1.79), while no statistically significant effect was observed for hemorrhagic stroke. The longer duration of higher LAP index exposure was also associated with increased stroke risk. Similar results were obtained in the stratification and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Cumulative LAP was positively and significantly associated with incident stroke, especially ischemic stroke, and a longer duration of exposure to higher LAP may increase the risk of stroke.

Enhancing feedback by health coaching: the effectiveness of mixed methods approach to long-term physical activity changes in nurses. An intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Although knowledge of the barriers and motivators to physical activity participation among nurses is increasing, the factors influencing motivation methods' effectiveness are not completely defined. This study aimed to identify the methods that support increasing the level of daily physical activity and the factors that influence the effectiveness of motivation methods among nurses. METHODS: This study was based on an intervention study protocol. All registered nurses in clinical settings were invited to participate in the study. The study involved 71 professionally active nurses. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and employment data. The level of physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the daily number of steps was assessed using a pedometer. Body composition was measured using a bioimpedance method, and the 5-year risk of cardiovascular events was assessed using the Harvard Score. The intervention included self-monitoring daily steps using a pedometer and completing a diary daily for one month. Additionally, a few-minute speech was sent to each participant via email on the intervention's 7th, 14th, and 21st days. RESULTS: The analysis revealed a higher value of physical activity recorded in the follow-up compared to the initial and final measurement in the Recreation domain [Met] (p < 0.001) and a higher value of daily steps in the follow-up compared to the final measurement (p = 0.005). Participants with a higher Harvard Score were more likely to increase their daily number of steps (OR = 6.025; 95% CI = 1.70-21.41), and nurses working in hospital wards were less likely to do so (OR = 0.002; 95% CI = 0.00-0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for physical activity in the nursing population should focus on increasing leisure time physical activity and regular risk assessment of cardiovascular events. A mixed methods approach, such as feedback enhanced by health coaching, effectively achieves long-term physical activity changes in nurses.

Changes in the triglyceride glucose-body mass index estimate the risk of stroke in middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a nationwide prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke was reported to be highly correlated with the triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI). Nevertheless, literature exploring the association between changes in the TyG-BMI and stroke incidence is scant, with most studies focusing on individual values of the TyG-BMI. We aimed to investigate whether changes in the TyG-BMI were associated with stroke incidence. METHODS: Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which is an ongoing nationally representative prospective cohort study. The exposures were changes in the TyG-BMI and cumulative TyG-BMI from 2012 to 2015. Changes in the TyG-BMI were classified using K-means clustering analysis, and the cumulative TyG-BMI was calculated as follows: (TyG-BMI2012 + TyG-BMI2015)/2 × time (2015-2012). Logistic regressions were used to determine the association between different TyG-BMI change classes and stroke incidence. Meanwhile, restricted cubic spline regression was applied to examine the potential nonlinear association of the cumulative TyG-BMI and stroke incidence. Weighted quantile sum regression was used to provide a comprehensive explanation of the TyG-BMI by calculating the weights of FBG, triglyceride-glucose (TG), and BMI. RESULTS: Of the 4583 participants (mean [SD] age at baseline, 58.68 [9.51] years), 2026 (44.9%) were men. During the 3 years of follow-up, 277 (6.0%) incident stroke cases were identified. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared to the participants with a consistently low TyG-BMI, the OR for a moderate TyG-BMI with a slow rising trend was 1.01 (95% CI 0.65-1.57), the OR for a high TyG-BMI with a slow rising trend was 1.62 (95% CI 1.11-2.32), and the OR for the highest TyG-BMI with a slow declining trend was 1.71 (95% CI 1.01-2.89). The association between the cumulative TyG-BMI and stroke risk was nonlinear (Passociation = 0.017; Pnonlinearity = 0.012). TG emerged as the primary contributor when the weights were assigned to the constituent elements of the TyG-BMI (weight2012 = 0.466; weight2015 = 0.530). CONCLUSIONS: Substantial changes in the TyG-BMI are independently associated with the risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults. Monitoring long-term changes in the TyG-BMI may assist with the early identification of individuals at high risk of stroke.

Long-term peridialytic blood pressure changes are related to mortality.

BACKGROUND: In chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients, the relationship between long-term peridialytic blood pressure (BP) changes and mortality has not been investigated. METHODS: To evaluate whether long-term changes in peridialytic BP are related to mortality and whether treatment with HD or haemodiafiltration (HDF) differs in this respect, the combined individual participant data of three randomized controlled trials comparing HD with HDF were used. Time-varying Cox regression and joint models were applied. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 2.94 years, 609 of 2011 patients died. As for pre-dialytic systolic BP (pre-SBP), a severe decline (≥21 mmHg) in the preceding 6 months was independently related to increased mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.61, P = .01] when compared with a moderate increase. Likewise, a severe decline in post-dialytic diastolic BP (DBP) was associated with increased mortality (adjusted HR 1.96, P < .0005). In contrast, joint models showed that every 5-mmHg increase in pre-SBP and post-DBP during total follow-up was related to reduced mortality (adjusted HR 0.97, P = .01 and 0.94, P = .03, respectively). No interaction was observed between BP changes and treatment modality. CONCLUSION: Severe declines in pre-SBP and post-DBP in the preceding 6 months were independently related to mortality. Therefore peridialytic BP values should be interpreted in the context of their changes and not solely as an absolute value.

Surface-Water Nitrate Exposure to World Populations Has Expanded and Intensified during 1970-2010.

Excessive nitrate in surface waters deteriorates the water quality and threatens human health. Human activities have caused increased nitrate concentrations in global surface waters over the past 50 years. An assessment of the long-term trajectory of surface-water nitrate exposure to world populations and the associated potential health risks is imperative but lacking. Here, we used global spatially explicit data on surface-water nitrate concentrations and population density, in combination with thresholds for health risks from epidemiological studies, to quantify the long-term changes in surface-water nitrate exposure to world populations at multiple spatial scales. During 1970-2010, global populations potentially affected by acute health risks associated with surface-water nitrate exposure increased from 6 to 60 million persons per year, while populations at potential chronic health risks increased from 169 to 1361 million persons per year. Potential acute risks have increasingly affected Asian countries. Populations potentially affected by chronic risks shifted from dominance by high-income countries (in Europe and North America) to middle-income countries (in Asia and Africa). To mitigate adverse health effects associated with surface-water nitrate exposure, anthropogenic nitrogen inputs to natural environments should be drastically reduced. International and national standards of maximum nitrate contamination may need to be lowered.

Impacts of hydrological alteration on ecosystem services changes of a large river-connected lake (Poyang Lake), China.

Large lakes provide various types of ecosystem services (ESs), of which stocks and variations induced by hydrological alterations are largely unquantified. The present study investigates the long-term changes of five key ESs (i.e., flood regulation, water supply, fish production, nutrient retention and biodiversity conservation) in a large river connected lake (Poyang Lake), with special attention to impacts of hydrological alteration induced by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD). Hydrological data series, hydrodynamic model, the nutrient balance, fishery statistics, and wetland winter waterbird survey data from 1980 to 2016 were employed. Results showed that Poyang Lake provide significant ESs, with long-term average flood regulation, water supply and nutrient retention services of 167.7 × 108 m3, 31.53 × 108 m3, and 15.12% of total phosphorus load, respectively. The fish production service ranged from 1.74 × 104t to 7.19 × 104t, with an average value of 3.12 × 104t. All five key ESs exhibited a downward trend since the 2000s, especially for water supply, fish production and nutrient retention services (p < 0.05), which might be largely attributed to the hydrological condition changes induced by TGD operation. Nevertheless, more detailed monitoring data and biophysical models are required to further acknowledge the changes in biodiversity conservation and fish production services and their linkages with the TGD. The present study sheds light on long-term ES changes in large lakes and their possible linkages with human influences through hydropower projects.

Dreissena in Lake Ontario 30 years post-invasion.

We examined three decades of changes in dreissenid populations in Lake Ontario and predation by round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Dreissenids (almost exclusively quagga mussels, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) peaked in 2003, 13 years after arrival, and then declined at depths <90 m but continued to increase deeper through 2018. Lake-wide density also increased from 2008 to 2018 along with average mussel lengths and lake-wide biomass, which reached an all-time high in 2018 (25.2 ± 3.3 g AFTDW/m2). Round goby densities were estimated at 4.2 fish/m2 using videography at 10 to 35 m depth range in 2018. This density should impact mussel populations based on feeding rates, as indicated in the literature. While the abundance of 0-5 mm mussels appears to be high in all three years with measured length distributions (2008, 2013, 2018), the abundance of 5 to 12 mm dreissenids, the size range most commonly consumed by round goby, was low except at >90 m depths. Although the size distributions indicate that round goby is affecting mussel recruitment, we did not find a decline in dreissenid density in the nearshore and mid-depth ranges where goby have been abundant since 2005. The lake-wide densities and biomass of quagga mussels have increased over time, due to both the growth of individual mussels in the shallower depths, and a continuing increase in density at >90 m. Thus, the ecological effects of quagga mussels in Lake Ontario are likely to continue into the foreseeable future.

Six decades of Lake Ontario ecological history according to benthos.

The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced multiple anthropogenic changes in the past century, including cultural eutrophication, phosphorus abatement initiatives, and the introduction of invasive species. Lake Ontario, the most downstream lake in the system, is considered to be among the most impaired. The benthos of Lake Ontario has been studied intensively in the last six decades and can provide insights into the impact of environmental changes over time. We used multivariate community analyses to examine temporal changes in community composition over the last 54 years, and to assess the major drivers of long-term changes in benthos. The benthic community of Lake Ontario underwent significant transformations that correspond with three major periods. The first period, termed the pre/early Dreissena period (1964-1990), was characterized by high densities of Diporeia, Sphaeriidae, and Tubificidae. During the next period defined by zebra mussel dominance (the 1990s) the same groups were still prevalent, but at altered densities. In the most recent period (2000s to present), which is characterized by the dominance and proliferation of quagga mussels deeper into the lake, the community has changed dramatically: Diporeia almost completely disappeared, Sphaeriidae have greatly declined, and densities of quagga mussels, Oligochaeta and Chironomidae have increased. The introduction of invasive dreissenids has changed the Lake Ontario benthic community, historically dominated by Diporeia, Oligochaeta and Sphaeriidae, to a community dominated by quagga mussels and Oligochaeta. Dreissenids, especially the quagga mussel, were the major drivers of these changes over the last half century.

Life after Dreissena: The decline of exotic suspension feeder may have significant impacts on lake ecosystems.

It is well documented that the introduction of dreissenid bivalves in eutrophic lakes is usually associated with decreases in turbidity and total phosphorus concentrations in the water column, concomitant increases in water clarity, as well as other physical changes to habitat that may have cascading effects on other species in the invaded waterbody. In contrast, there is a paucity of data on the ecological ramifications of the elimination or decline of dreissenids due to pollution, bottom hypoxia, or other mechanisms. Using data collected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office's Long-Term Biology and Water Quality Monitoring Programs, we analyzed the impacts of the hypoxia-induced declines in Dreissena densities in the central basin of Lake Erie on major water chemistry and physical parameters. Our analysis revealed that the decline in Dreissena density in the central basin was concomitant with a decrease in spring dissolved silica concentrations and an increase in total phosphorus and near bottom turbidity not seen in the western or eastern basins. In contrast, opposite patterns in water quality were observed in the eastern basin, which was characterized by a high and relatively stable Dreissena population. We are the first to report that dreissenid-related shifts in water quality of invaded waterbodies are reversible by documenting that the sharp decline of Dreissena in the central basin of Lake Erie was concomitant with a shift from clear to turbid water.

Can intensive fish farming for 20 years induce changes in benthic ecosystems on a scale of waterbody? An assessment from Cephalonia bay (Ionian Sea).

The environmental impacts of fish farming on benthic ecosystems beneath the fish cages have been widely addressed the past decades. However, the chronic release of nutrients can cause a shift in local primary productivity and a chronic increase in the sedimentation of organic material at a large spatial scale which could be reflected in benthic ecosystems. In this context, the indirect effects of aquaculture on the benthic ecosystem were studied in a semi-closed bay (Cephalonia, Ionian Sea) where a relatively large fish farm has been operating since 1982. Results from the present sampling were compared to historical data obtained in 1996 and 2001, in order to detect if nutrient release that could impact phytoplankton dynamics in the bay could indirectly alter benthic communities, as well. Macrofaunal communities have not shown deterioration but rather a small, yet statistically significant, improvement in diversity indices and ecological status indicators, and no significant change regarding bioturbation potential. This indicated that processes involved in nutrient consumption and transfer are highly effective in such an oligotrophic environment.

Decrease in water clarity of the southern and central North Sea during the 20th century.

Light in the marine environment is a key environmental variable coupling physics to marine biogeochemistry and ecology. Weak light penetration reduces light available for photosynthesis, changing energy fluxes through the marine food web. Based on published and unpublished data, this study shows that the central and southern North Sea has become significantly less clear over the second half of the 20th century. In particular, in the different regions and seasons investigated, the average Secchi depth pre-1950 decreased between 25% and 75% compared to the average Secchi depth post-1950. Consequently, in summer pre-1950, most (74%) of the sea floor in the permanently mixed area off East Anglia was within the photic zone. For the last 25+ years, changes in water clarity were more likely driven by an increase in the concentration of suspended sediments, rather than phytoplankton. We suggest that a combination of causes have contributed to this increase in suspended sediments such as changes in sea-bed communities and in weather patterns, decreased sink of sediments in estuaries, and increased coastal erosion. A predicted future increase in storminess (Beniston et al., 2007; Kovats et al., 2014) could enhance the concentration of suspended sediments in the water column and consequently lead to a further decrease in clarity, with potential impacts on phytoplankton production, CO2 fluxes, and fishery production.

Multi-decadal range changes vs. thermal adaptation for north east Atlantic oceanic copepods in the face of climate change.

Populations may potentially respond to climate change in various ways including moving to new areas or alternatively staying where they are and adapting as conditions shift. Traditional laboratory and mesocosm experiments last days to weeks and thus only give a limited picture of thermal adaptation, whereas ocean warming occurring over decades allows the potential for selection of new strains better adapted to warmer conditions. Evidence for adaptation in natural systems is equivocal. We used a 50-year time series comprising of 117 056 samples in the NE Atlantic, to quantify the abundance and distribution of two particularly important and abundant members of the ocean plankton (copepods of the genus Calanus) that play a key trophic role for fisheries. Abundance of C. finmarchicus, a cold-water species, and C. helgolandicus, a warm-water species, were negatively and positively related to sea surface temperature (SST) respectively. However, the abundance vs. SST relationships for neither species changed over time in a manner consistent with thermal adaptation. Accompanying the lack of evidence for thermal adaptation there has been an unabated range contraction for C. finmarchicus and range expansion for C. helgolandicus. Our evidence suggests that thermal adaptation has not mitigated the impacts of ocean warming for dramatic range changes of these key species and points to continued dramatic climate induced changes in the biology of the oceans.

Molecular Origins of Long-Term Changes in a Competitive Continuous Biosensor with Single-Molecule Resolution.

Biosensing by particle motion is a biosensing technology that relies on single-molecule interactions and enables the continuous monitoring of analytes from picomolar to micromolar concentration levels. However, during sensor operation, the signals are observed to change gradually. Here, we present a comprehensive methodology to elucidate the molecular origins of long-term changes in a particle motion sensor, focusing on a competitive sensor design under conditions without flow. Experiments were performed wherein only the particles or only the surfaces were aged in order to clarify how each individual component changes over time. Furthermore, distributions of particle motion patterns and switching activity were studied to reveal how particle populations change over timespans of several days. For a cortisol sensor with anticortisol antibodies on the particles and cortisol analogues on the sensing surface, the leading hypotheses for the long-term changes are (i) that the particles lose antibodies and develop nonspecific interactions and (ii) that analogue molecules dissociate from the sensing surface. The developed methodologies and the acquired insights pave a way for realizing sensors that can operate over long timespans.

Recent decline in carbon monoxide levels observed at an urban site in Ahmedabad, India.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a prominent air pollutant in cities, with far-reaching implications for both local air quality and global atmospheric chemistry. The long-term change in atmospheric CO levels at a specific location is influenced by a complex interplay of local emissions, atmospheric transport, and photochemical processes, making it a subject of considerable interest. This study presents an 8-year analysis (2014-2021) of in situ CO observations using a cutting-edge laser-based analyzer at an urban site in Ahmedabad, western India. The long-term observations reveal a subtle trend in CO levels, masked by contrasting year-to-year variations, particular after 2018, across distinct diurnal time windows. Mid-afternoon (12:00-16:00 h) CO levels, reflecting background and regional conditions, remained relatively stable over the study period. In contrast, evening (18:00-21:00 h) CO levels, influenced by local emissions, exhibited substantial inter-annual variability without discernible trends from 2014 to 2018. However, post-2018, evening CO levels showed a consistent decline, predating COVID-19 lockdown measures. This decline coincided with the nationwide adoption of Bharat stage IV emission standards and other measures aimed at reducing vehicular emissions. The COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 further resulted in a noteworthy 29% reduction in evening CO levels compared to the pre-lockdown (2014-2019) period, highlighting the potential for substantial CO reduction through stringent vehicular emission controls. The observed long-term changes in CO levels do not align with the decreasing emission estimated by various inventories from 2014 to 2018, suggesting a need for improved emission statistics in Indian urban regions. This study underscores the importance of ongoing continuous CO measurements in urban areas to inform policy efforts aimed at controlling atmospheric pollutants.

Global climate change-driven impacts on the Asian distribution of Limassolla leafhoppers, with implications for biological and environmental conservation.

Knowing the impacts of global climate change on the habitat suitability distribution of Limassolla leafhoppers contributes to understanding the feedback of organisms on climate change from a macroecological perspective, and provides important scientific basis for protecting the ecological environment and biodiversity. However, there is limited knowledge on this aspect. Thus, our study aimed to address this gap by analyzing Asian habitat suitability and centroid shifts of Limassolla based on 19 bioclimatic variables and occurrence records. Selecting five ecological niche models with the outstanding predictive performance (Maxlike, generalized linear model, generalized additive model, random forest, and maximum entropy) along with their ensemble model from 12 models, the current habitat suitability of Limassolla and its future habitat suitability under two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5) in the 2050s and 2090s were predicted. The results showed that the prediction results of the five models are generally consistent. Based on ensemble model, 11 potential biodiversity hotspots with high suitability were identified. With climate change, the suitable range of Limassolla will experience both expansion and contraction. In SSP5-8.52050s, the expansion area is 118.56 × 104 km2, while the contraction area is 25.40 × 104 km2; in SSP1-2.62090s, the expansion area is 91.71 × 104 km2, and the contraction area is 26.54 × 104 km2. Furthermore, the distribution core of Limassolla will shift toward higher latitudes in the northeast direction, and the precipitation of warmest quarter was found to have the greatest impact on the distribution of Limassolla. Our research results supported our four hypotheses. Finally, this research suggests establishing ecological reserves in identified contraction to prevent habitat loss, enhancing the protection of biodiversity hotspots, and pursuing a sustainable development path with reduced emissions.

Density data for Lake Erie benthic invertebrate assemblages from 1930 to 2019.

Benthic invertebrates are important trophic links in food webs and useful bioindicators of environmental conditions, but long-term benthic organism abundance data across broad geographic areas are rare and historic datasets are often not readily accessible. This dataset provides densities of benthic macroinvertebrates collected from 1930 to 2019 during surveys in Lake Erie, a Laurentian Great Lake. The surveys were funded by the governments of the United States and Canada to investigate the status and changes in the benthic community. From the total of 21 lake-wide and basin-wide benthic surveys conducted in Lake Erie from 1929 to 2019, we were able to acquire data for 17 surveys, including species-level data for 10 surveys and data by higher taxonomic groups for seven surveys. Our amassed Lake Erie dataset includes data from 11 surveys (including five with species-level data) conducted in the western basin in 1930-2019, seven surveys (six with species-level data) in the central basin, and eight surveys (seven with species-level data) in the eastern basin (1973-2019). This Lake Erie dataset represents the most extensive temporal dataset of benthic invertebrates available for any of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Benthic samples were collected using Ponar or Shipek bottom dredges and taxa densities were calculated as individuals per square meter using the area of the dredge. Density data are provided for taxa in the Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Nemertea, and Platyhelminthes phyla. Current taxonomy was used for most groups but, in a few cases, older taxonomic names were used for consistency with historical data. Analysis of this dataset indicates that eutrophication, water quality improvement, and dreissenid introduction were the major drivers of changes in the benthic community in the western basin, while hypoxia was a major factor in the central basin, and dreissenid introduction was the most important driver in the eastern basin. Considering the rarity of high taxonomic resolution long-term benthic data for lake ecosystems, this dataset could be useful to explore broader aspects of ecological theory, including effects of eutrophication, hypoxia, invasive species, and other factors on community organization, phylogenetic and functional diversity, and spatial and temporal scales of variation in community structure. In addition, the dataset could be useful for studies on individual species, including abundance and distribution, species co-occurrence, and how the patterns of dominance and rarity change over space and time. Use of this dataset for academic or educational purposes is encouraged as long as this data paper is properly cited.

Trajectories of nutrients concentrations and ratios in the French coastal ecosystems: 20 years of changes in relation with large-scale and local drivers.

Along with their important diversity, coastal ecosystems receive various amounts of nutrients, principally arising from the continent and from the related human activities (mainly industrial and agricultural activities). During the 20th century, nutrients loads have increased following the increase of both the global population and need of services. Alongside, climate change including temperature increase or atmospheric circulation change has occurred. These processes, Ecosystem state changes are hard to monitor and predict. To study the long-term changes of nutrients concentrations in coastal ecosystems, eleven French coastal ecosystems were studied over 20 years as they encompass large climatic and land pressures, representative of temperate ecosystems, over a rather small geographical area. Both univariate (time series decomposition) and multivariate (relationships between ecosystems and drivers) statistical analyses were used to determine ecosystem trajectories as well as typologies of ecosystem trajectories. It appeared that most of the French coastal ecosystems exhibited trajectories towards a decrease in nutrients concentrations. Differences in trajectories mainly depended on continental and human influences, as well as on climatic regimes. One single ecosystem exhibited very different trajectories, the Arcachon Bay with an increase in nutrients concentrations. Ecosystem trajectories based on ordination techniques were proven to be useful tools to monitor ecosystem changes. This study highlighted the importance of local environments and the need to couple uni- and multi-ecosystem studies. Although the studied ecosystems were influenced by both local and large-scale climate, by anthropogenic activities loads, and that their trajectories were mostly similar based on their continental influence, non-negligible variations resulted from their internal functioning.

Blood Profiling of Athletes after COVID-19: Differences in Blood Profiles of Post-COVID-19 Athletes Compared to Uninfected Athletic Individuals-An Exploratory Analysis.

Blood profiling data in athletic populations and their respective responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection are lacking. Thus, this exploratory pilot study aimed to analyze and compare clinical blood markers in previously infected trained athletes (ATH; 30 m/29 f) and a not previously infected healthy athletic control group (HC; 12 m/19 f). The ATH group undertook a sports medical examination which included extended blood analyses. Blood profiles with a total of 74 variables were assessed (blood counts, pro-/inflammatory and immunological markers, and micronutrients), and the ATH group was compared to the age-matched, vaccinated HC group with comparable athletic back grounds, though without previous SARS-CoV-2-infections. The ATH group showed lower IgG, Troponin-T levels, and they had a lower complement/acute-phase protein activation. Furthermore, Vitamin D levels were lower and electrolyte/micronutrient concentrations were higher in ATH. Soluble transferrin receptor as a marker of erythrocyte turnover was decreased whereas PTT as a coagulation marker was increased. Subgroup analyses according to sex revealed more differences between the women of the ATH and HC groups (for 25 different variables) than between the men (for 5 different variables), especially for immunological and metabolic variables. In particular, the immune system and electrolyte/micronutrient status should be observed frequently and sex-specifically in this athletic cohort.

Interannual changes in winter-spring zooplankton estuarine community forced by hydroclimatic variability - With special reference to bioindicator species Eurytemora americana.

Climatic variability and anthropogenic pressures impact the structure and dynamics of pelagic ecosystems and copepods are good indicators of such changes. This investigation aims to explore the interannual pattern of the mesozooplankton community, in relation to environmental variables in the Bahía Blanca Estuary during winter-spring from last two decades focusing on the dominant species Eurytemora americana. Main changes recorded include increased temperature, alteration of the nutrient balance, a decrease in chlorophyll-a, modifications in the abundance-structure of the phytoplankton assemblages, and changes in the abundance-structure of the mesozooplankton community. A significant decrease was observed in species richness of the mesozooplankton over time. Alterations in abundance and reproductive traits of E. americana, were also found. The population of E. americana dropped from mean relative abundance of 47% in first years to 20-12% in lasts one, accompanied with an increase of copepod species characterized by higher trophic plasticity in eutrophic conditions, like Acartia tonsa and Euterpina acutifrons.