Widespread retreat of coastal habitat is likely at warming levels above 1.5 °C.

Several coastal ecosystems-most notably mangroves and tidal marshes-exhibit biogenic feedbacks that are facilitating adjustment to relative sea-level rise (RSLR), including the sequestration of carbon and the trapping of mineral sediment1. The stability of reef-top habitats under RSLR is similarly linked to reef-derived sediment accumulation and the vertical accretion of protective coral reefs2. The persistence of these ecosystems under high rates of RSLR is contested3. Here we show that the probability of vertical adjustment to RSLR inferred from palaeo-stratigraphic observations aligns with contemporary in situ survey measurements. A deficit between tidal marsh and mangrove adjustment and RSLR is likely at 4 mm yr-1 and highly likely at 7 mm yr-1 of RSLR. As rates of RSLR exceed 7 mm yr-1, the probability that reef islands destabilize through increased shoreline erosion and wave over-topping increases. Increased global warming from 1.5 °C to 2.0 °C would double the area of mapped tidal marsh exposed to 4 mm yr-1 of RSLR by between 2080 and 2100. With 3 °C of warming, nearly all the world's mangrove forests and coral reef islands and almost 40% of mapped tidal marshes are estimated to be exposed to RSLR of at least 7 mm yr-1. Meeting the Paris agreement targets would minimize disruption to coastal ecosystems.

A function-based typology for Earth's ecosystems.

As the United Nations develops a post-2020 global biodiversity framework for the Convention on Biological Diversity, attention is focusing on how new goals and targets for ecosystem conservation might serve its vision of 'living in harmony with nature'1,2. Advancing dual imperatives to conserve biodiversity and sustain ecosystem services requires reliable and resilient generalizations and predictions about ecosystem responses to environmental change and management3. Ecosystems vary in their biota4, service provision5 and relative exposure to risks6, yet there is no globally consistent classification of ecosystems that reflects functional responses to change and management. This hampers progress on developing conservation targets and sustainability goals. Here we present the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Ecosystem Typology, a conceptually robust, scalable, spatially explicit approach for generalizations and predictions about functions, biota, risks and management remedies across the entire biosphere. The outcome of a major cross-disciplinary collaboration, this novel framework places all of Earth's ecosystems into a unifying theoretical context to guide the transformation of ecosystem policy and management from global to local scales. This new information infrastructure will support knowledge transfer for ecosystem-specific management and restoration, globally standardized ecosystem risk assessments, natural capital accounting and progress on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Predicting resilience of migratory birds to environmental change.

The pace and scale of environmental change represent major challenges to many organisms. Animals that move long distances, such as migratory birds, are especially vulnerable to change since they need chains of intact habitat along their migratory routes. Estimating the resilience of such species to environmental changes assists in targeting conservation efforts. We developed a migration modeling framework to predict past (1960s), present (2010s), and future (2060s) optimal migration strategies across five shorebird species (Scolopacidae) within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which has seen major habitat deterioration and loss over the last century, and compared these predictions to empirical tracks from the present. Our model captured the migration strategies of the five species and identified the changes in migrations needed to respond to habitat deterioration and climate change. Notably, the larger species, with single or few major stopover sites, need to establish new migration routes and strategies, while smaller species can buffer habitat loss by redistributing their stopover areas to novel or less-used sites. Comparing model predictions with empirical tracks also indicates that larger species with the stronger need for adaptations continue to migrate closer to the optimal routes of the past, before habitat deterioration accelerated. Our study not only quantifies the vulnerability of species in the face of global change but also explicitly reveals the extent of adaptations required to sustain their migrations. This modeling framework provides a tool for conservation planning that can accommodate the future needs of migratory species.

The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats.

Increasing human populations around the global coastline have caused extensive loss, degradation and fragmentation of coastal ecosystems, threatening the delivery of important ecosystem services1. As a result, alarming losses of mangrove, coral reef, seagrass, kelp forest and coastal marsh ecosystems have occurred1-6. However, owing to the difficulty of mapping intertidal areas globally, the distribution and status of tidal flats-one of the most extensive coastal ecosystems-remain unknown7. Here we present an analysis of over 700,000 satellite images that maps the global extent of and change in tidal flats over the course of 33 years (1984-2016). We find that tidal flats, defined as sand, rock or mud flats that undergo regular tidal inundation7, occupy at least 127,921 km2 (124,286-131,821 km2, 95% confidence interval). About 70% of the global extent of tidal flats is found in three continents (Asia (44% of total), North America (15.5% of total) and South America (11% of total)), with 49.2% being concentrated in just eight countries (Indonesia, China, Australia, the United States, Canada, India, Brazil and Myanmar). For regions with sufficient data to develop a consistent multi-decadal time series-which included East Asia, the Middle East and North America-we estimate that 16.02% (15.62-16.47%, 95% confidence interval) of tidal flats were lost between 1984 and 2016. Extensive degradation from coastal development1, reduced sediment delivery from major rivers8,9, sinking of riverine deltas8,10, increased coastal erosion and sea-level rise11 signal a continuing negative trajectory for tidal flat ecosystems around the world. Our high-spatial-resolution dataset delivers global maps of tidal flats, which substantially advances our understanding of the distribution, trajectory and status of these poorly known coastal ecosystems.

Using Solution History to Control Hydrogel Properties of a Perylene Bisimide.

pH dependence on water soluble aggregates is well-known in the field of low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs), with different aggregates sometimes having very different properties depending on their final pH. This aggregation determines their applications and performance. Here, we investigate the pH dependence of perylene bisimide gels; initially solutions are formed at a high pH and gels form as the pH is decreased. We find it is not only the final pH but also the starting pH that can impact the resulting gel. We use small angle neutron scattering (SANS), rheology, 1 H NMR spectroscopy and absorption spectroscopy to examine the effect of starting pH on gelation kinetics and final gel properties. Adjusting the solution from pH 9 (where there are few or no aggregates) to pH 6 results in the formation of different worm-like micelles than the ones directly formed at pH 6, leading to again gels with different mechanical properties. This work highlights the importance of controlling the pH of solutions before gelation, but also opens up more possible morphologies and therefore more properties from the same molecule.

Exploring the risks and benefits of flexibility in biodiversity offset location in a case study of migratory shorebirds.

Biodiversity offsets aim to counterbalance the residual impacts of development on species and ecosystems. Guidance documents explicitly recommend that biodiversity offset actions be located close to the location of impact because of higher potential for similar ecological conditions, but allowing greater spatial flexibility has been proposed. We examined the circumstances under which offsets distant from the impact location could be more likely to achieve no net loss or provide better ecological outcomes than offsets close to the impact area. We applied a graphical model for migratory shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway as a case study to explore the problems that arise when incorporating spatial flexibility into offset planning. Spatially flexible offsets may alleviate impacts more effectively than local offsets; however, the risks involved can be substantial. For our case study, there were inadequate data to make robust conclusions about the effectiveness and equivalence of distant habitat-based offsets for migratory shorebirds. Decisions around offset placement should be driven by the potential to achieve equivalent ecological outcomes; however, when considering more distant offsets, there is a need to evaluate the likely increased risks alongside the potential benefits. Although spatially flexible offsets have the potential to provide more cost-effective biodiversity outcomes and more cobenefits, our case study showed the difficulty of demonstrating these benefits in practice and the potential risks that need to be considered to ensure effective offset placement.

Estudio de los riesgos y beneficios de la flexibilidad en la ubicación de compensación de la biodiversidad en el estudio de caso de aves costeras migratorias Resumen Las compensaciones de la biodiversidad buscan contrabalancear el impacto residual que tiene el desarrollo sobre las especies y los ecosistemas. Los documentos guía recomiendan explícitamente que las acciones de estas compensaciones estén ubicadas cerca del lugar del impacto debido al potencial elevado de que haya condiciones ecológicas similares, aunque ya hay propuestas de una mayor flexibilidad espacial. Analizamos las circunstancias bajo las cuales las compensaciones alejadas del lugar de impacto tendrían mayor probabilidad de lograr pérdidas netas nulas o de proporcionar mejores resultados ecológicos que las compensaciones cercanas al área de impacto. Aplicamos un modelo gráfico para las aves costeras migratorias en el corredor aéreo asiático-australasiático del este como estudio de caso para estudiar los problemas que surgen cuando se incorpora la flexibilidad espacial a la planeación de las compensaciones. Las compensaciones espacialmente flexibles pueden mitigar los impactos más efectivamente que las compensaciones locales; sin embargo, los riesgos que esto involucra pueden ser considerables. En nuestro estudio de caso hubo datos insuficientes para concluir contundentemente sobre la efectividad y equivalencia de las compensaciones basadas en los hábitats distantes para las aves costeras migratorias. Las decisiones en torno a la ubicación de las compensaciones deberían estar impulsadas por el potencial para obtener resultados ecológicos equivalentes; sin embargo, al considerar compensaciones más alejadas, existe la necesidad de evaluar el incremento probable de riesgos junto a los beneficios potenciales. Aunque las compensaciones espacialmente flexibles tienen el potencial para proporcionar resultados más rentables y más beneficios colaterales, nuestro estudio de caso mostró la dificultad para demostrar estos beneficios en la práctica y los riesgos potenciales que necesitan considerarse para asegurar una ubicación efectiva de las compensaciones.

Assessing between-officer variability in responses to a live-acted deadly force encounter as a window to the effectiveness of training and experience.

We aimed to infer the effectiveness of officers' training and experience by assessing consistency of behavioural responses between them. If officers facing the same scenario respond in similar ways, this implies their use of shared cognition, through acquired in-common tactical knowledge. Officers (n = 42) responded to a live-acted scenario in which an assailant ultimately discharged his weapon. Triangulated camera positions assessed their movement patterns, final positions, and weapon responses relative to when the assailant fired his weapon. We also assessed the officers' visual search and gathered information regarding their experience and rest. Our second aim was to examine sources of variability in the officers' responses. We found extensive variability in all aspects of the response. Experience did not impact spatial or temporal behavioural responses. However, longer hours awake and lower reported rest negatively impacted officers' responses. We conclude that officers had insufficient training and experience to demonstrate in-common knowledge.Practitioner summary: Police officers showed high spatial and temporal variability in response to the same scenario. This implies inadequate tactical training, and is supported by our finding that training and experience did not impact performance. Instead, the officers' variability was constrained by their visual search, and the hours awake before being tested.

A globally relevant change taxonomy and evidence-based change framework for land monitoring.

A globally relevant and standardized taxonomy and framework for consistently describing land cover change based on evidence is presented, which makes use of structured land cover taxonomies and is underpinned by the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. The Global Change Taxonomy currently lists 246 classes based on the notation 'impact (pressure)', with this encompassing the consequence of observed change and associated reason(s), and uses scale-independent terms that factor in time. Evidence for different impacts is gathered through temporal comparison (e.g., days, decades apart) of land cover classes constructed and described from Environmental Descriptors (EDs; state indicators) with pre-defined measurement units (e.g., m, %) or categories (e.g., species type). Evidence for pressures, whether abiotic, biotic or human-influenced, is similarly accumulated, but EDs often differ from those used to determine impacts. Each impact and pressure term is defined separately, allowing flexible combination into 'impact (pressure)' categories, and all are listed in an openly accessible glossary to ensure consistent use and common understanding. The taxonomy and framework are globally relevant and can reference EDs quantified on the ground, retrieved/classified remotely (from ground-based, airborne or spaceborne sensors) or predicted through modelling. By providing capacity to more consistently describe change processes-including land degradation, desertification and ecosystem restoration-the overall framework addresses a wide and diverse range of local to international needs including those relevant to policy, socioeconomics and land management. Actions in response to impacts and pressures and monitoring towards targets are also supported to assist future planning, including impact mitigation actions.

An emerging coastal wetland management dilemma between mangrove expansion and shorebird conservation.

Coastal wetlands around the world have been degraded by human activities. Global declines in the extent of important habitats including mangroves, salt marsh and tidal flats necessitate mitigation and restoration efforts, however some well-meaning management actions, particularly mangrove afforestation and breakwater construction, can inadvertently cause further loss and degradation if these actions are not planned carefully. In particular, there is a potential conflict between mangrove and shorebird conservation, because mangrove afforestation and restoration may occur at the expense of bare tidal flats, which form the main foraging habitats for threatened coastal migratory shorebirds as well as supporting other coastal organisms. Here, we present several case studies that illustrate the trade-off between mangroves and bare tidal flats. To investigate whether these examples reflect an emerging broad-scale issue, we use satellite imagery to develop a detailed quantification of the change in mangrove habitat extent in 22 important shorebird areas in mainland China between 2000 and 2015. Our results indicate that 1) the extent of mangroves across all sites expanded significantly between 2000 and 2015 (p < 0.01, n = 14) while tidal flat extent in the same areas declined significantly within the same period (p < 0.01, n = 21); 2) among the 14 sites where mangroves were present, the dual threat of mangrove expansion and tidal flat loss have considerably reduced shorebird habitat in eight of these sites. To ensure effective conservation of both mangroves and shorebirds, we propose a decision tree framework for resolving this emerging dilemma between mangrove afforestation and shorebird protection, which requires careful consideration of alternative management strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A novel smartphone application is reliable for repeat administration and comparable to the Tekscan Strideway for spatiotemporal gait.

Smartphone applications are increasingly being used to measure gait due to their portability and cost-effectiveness. Important reliability metrics are not available for most of these devices. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of spatiotemporal gait using the novel Gait Analyzer smartphone application compared to the Tekscan Strideway. Healthy participants (n=23) completed 12 trials of 10-meter walking, at two separate time points, using Gait Analyzer and while walking across the Tekscan Strideway. The results suggest excellent test-retest reliability for the Gait Analyzer and good test-retest reliability for the Tekscan Strideway for both velocity and cadence. At both time points, these devices were moderately to strongly correlated to one another for both velocity and cadence. These data suggest that the Gait Analyzer and Tekscan Strideway are reliable over time and can comparably calculate velocity and cadence.

Reducing unnecessary fixation of midshaft clavicle fractures.

PURPOSE: Displaced midshaft clavicle fractures have a non-union rate of 10-20%. Those who unite with conservative treatment have similar outcomes to those who undergo operative treatment; therefore, protocols to identify potential non-unions are important to avoid unnecessary surgery. The aim of this study is to report one such protocol. METHODS: A protocol was introduced, where all isolated closed displaced midshaft clavicle fractures were initially managed non-operatively in a sling. At 2 weeks patients were assessed clinically and those who were struggling with their symptoms were offered surgery, with the remainder mobilised as comfortable. All cases treated at one centre over a three-year period, with a minimum follow-up of one-year underwent case note review. RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2017 613 clavicle fractures were managed through clinic. 347 were middle third (56%), 75% were male, mean age 41(range16-97). Forty-one middle third clavicle fracture patients underwent early fixation. Eleven patients required late fixation for symptomatic delayed, non- or malunion, 6 for symptomatic non-unions and 1 was a symptomatic malunion. For displaced fractures the early operative rate was 17.8%, and symptomatic non/malunion rate was 3.2%. This led to a total operative rate of 21%. CONCLUSION: A protocol for managing clavicle fractures has demonstrated an effective management of these injuries. It is cost-effective reducing the number of patients with displaced fractures requiring fixation with a fixation rate of 21% whilst reducing the rate of symptomatic non- and malunion (3.2%). The management pathway is simple and could be introduced into any orthopaedic outpatient department with ease.

Estimating changes and trends in ecosystem extent with dense time-series satellite remote sensing.

Quantifying trends in ecosystem extent is essential to understanding the status of ecosystems. Estimates of ecosystem loss are widely used to track progress toward conservation targets, monitor deforestation, and identify ecosystems undergoing rapid change. Satellite remote sensing has become an important source of information for estimating these variables. Despite regular acquisition of satellite data, many studies of change in ecosystem extent use only static snapshots, which ignores considerable amounts of data. This approach limits the ability to explicitly estimate trend uncertainty and significance. Assessing the accuracy of multiple snapshots also requires time-series reference data which is often very costly and sometimes impossible to obtain. We devised a method of estimating trends in ecosystem extent that uses all available Landsat satellite imagery. We used a dense time series of classified maps that explicitly accounted for covariates that affect extent estimates (e.g., time, cloud cover, and seasonality). We applied this approach to the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Myanmar, where rapid deforestation is greatly affecting the lowland rainforest. We applied a generalized additive mixed model to estimate forest extent from more than 650 Landsat image classifications (1999-2018). Forest extent declined significantly at a rate of 0.274%/year (SE = 0.078). Forest extent declined from 91.70% (SE = 0.02) of the study area in 1999 to 86.52% (SE = 0.02) in 2018. Compared with the snapshot method, our approach improved estimated trends of ecosystem loss by allowing significance testing with confidence intervals and incorporation of nonlinear relationships. Our method can be used to identify significant trends over time, reduces the need for extensive reference data through time, and provides quantitative estimates of uncertainty.

Estimación de los Cambios y Tendencias en la Extensión de los Ecosistemas Mediante Teledetección Satelital de Series Temporales Densas Resumen Las tendencias de cuantificación de la extensión de los ecosistemas es esencial para el entendimiento de su estado. Las estimaciones de pérdidas de los ecosistemas se usan con amplitud para rastrear el progreso hacia los objetivos de conservación, monitorear la deforestación e identificar a los ecosistemas que están experimentando un cambio rápido. La teledetección satelital se ha transformado en una fuente importante de información para la estimación de estas variables. A pesar de la obtención de datos satelitales, muchos estudios sobre el cambio en la extensión de los ecosistemas usan solamente capturas estáticas, lo cual ignora cantidades considerables de datos. Esta estrategia limita la habilidad que se tiene para estimar explícitamente la incertidumbre e importancia de la tendencia. La valoración de la precisión de múltiples capturas también requiere datos de referencia de series temporales, lo cual es muy costoso e imposible de conseguir en algunos casos. Diseñamos un método para estimar las tendencias en la extensión de los ecosistemas que usa todas las imágenes satelitales disponibles en Landsat. Usamos una serie temporal densa de los mapas clasificados que considera explícitamente a las covarianzas que afectan a las estimaciones de la extensión (p.ej.: tiempo, cobertura de nubes y estacionalidad). Aplicamos esta estrategia en el Santuario de Vida Silvestre del Valle de Huakaung en Myanmar, en donde la deforestación acelerada está afectando enormemente a la selva de tierras bajas. Aplicamos también un modelo mixto, aditivo y generalizado para estimar la extensión del bosque a partir de más de 650 clasificaciones de imágenes en Landsat (1999 - 2018). La extensión del bosque declinó significativamente a una tasa de 0.274%/año (SE 0.078). La extensión del bosque declinó del 91.70% (SE 0.02) del área de estudio en 1999 a 86.52% (SE 0.02) en 2018. Si la comparamos con la estrategia de las capturas, nuestra estrategia mejoró las tendencias estimadas de la pérdida del ecosistema al permitir la evaluación de significancia con intervalos de confianza y la incorporación de relaciones no lineales. Nuestro método puede usarse para identificar las tendencias significativas a lo largo del tiempo; también reduce la necesidad de tener datos de referencia extensos a lo largo del tiempo y proporciona estimaciones cuantitativas de la incertidumbre.

Global protected-area coverage and human pressure on tidal flats.

Tidal flats are a globally distributed coastal ecosystem important for supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Local to continental-scale studies have documented rapid loss of tidal habitat driven by human impacts, but assessments of progress in their conservation are lacking. With an internally consistent estimate of distribution and change, based on Landsat satellite imagery, now available for the world's tidal flats, we examined tidal flat representation in protected areas (PAs) and human pressure on tidal flats. We determined tidal flat representation and its net change in PAs by spatially overlaying tidal flat maps with the World Database of Protected Areas. Similarly, we overlaid the most recent distribution map of tidal flats (2014-2016) with the human modification map (HMc ) (range from 0, no human pressure, to 1, very high human pressure) to estimate the human pressure exerted on this ecosystem. Sixty-eight percent of the current extent of tidal flats is subject to moderate to very high human pressure (HMc > 0.1), but 31% of tidal flat extent occurred in PAs, far exceeding PA coverage of the marine (6%) and terrestrial (13%) realms. Net change of tidal flat extent inside PAs was similar to tidal flat net change outside PAs from 1999 to 2016. Substantial shortfalls in protection of tidal flats occurred across Asia, where large intertidal extents coincided with high to very high human pressure (HMc > 0.4-1.0) and net tidal flat losses up to 86.4 km² (95% CI 83.9-89.0) occurred inside individual PAs in the study period. Taken together, our results show substantial progress in PA designation for tidal flats globally, but that PA status alone does not prevent all habitat loss. Safeguarding the world's tidal flats will thus require deeper understanding of the factors that govern their dynamics and effective policy that promotes holistic coastal and catchment management strategies.

Cobertura Mundial de Áreas Protegidas y la Presión Humana sobre las Planicies Mareales Resumen Las planicies mareales son un ecosistema costero con distribución global e importancia para el mantenimiento de la biodiversidad y los servicios ambientales. Existen estudios, desde locales hasta continentales, que han documentado la pérdida acelerada del hábitat mareal causado por el impacto humano, aunque las evaluaciones sobre el progreso en su conservación son muy pocas. Ahora que está disponible una estimación internamente coherente de la distribución y el cambio, basado en las imágenes satelitales de Landsat, de las planicies mareales del mundo, examinamos la representación de estas planicies dentro de las áreas protegidas (APs) y la presión humana sobre las mismas. Determinamos la representación de las planicies mareales y su cambio neto dentro de las APs mediante la superposición espacial de los mapas de las planicies mareales y la Base de Datos Mundial de Áreas Protegidas. De manera similar, superpusimos el mapa más reciente de la distribución de las planicies mareales (2014-2016) en el mapa de modificaciones humanas (MH) (abarca desde 0, ninguna presión humana, hasta 1, presión humana muy alta) para estimar la presión humana ejercida sobre este ecosistema. El 68% de la extensión actual de las planicies mareales está sujeta a una presión humana desde moderada hasta muy alta (MH > 0.1), aunque el 31% de la extensión de las planicies mareales se encuentra dentro de las APs, lo que excede por mucho el porcentaje de protección de los dominios marino (6%) y terrestre (13%). El cambio neto de la extensión de las planicies mareales dentro de las APs fue similar al cambio neto de las planicies fuera de las APs entre 1999 y 2016. La insuficiencia sustancial de la protección de las planicies mareales ocurrió en Asia, en donde grandes extensiones intermareales coincidieron con una presión humana alta y muy alta (MH > 0.4-1.0) y la pérdida neta de planicies mareales de hasta 86.4 km² (95% IC 83.9-89.0) ocurrió dentro de una sola AP durante el periodo de estudio. Si se consideran en conjunto, nuestros resultados muestran un progreso importante en la designación de AP para las planicies mareales a nivel mundial, aunque el solo estado de AP no previene la pérdida de hábitat. Salvaguardar las planicies mareales del planeta por lo tanto requerirá de un entendimiento más profundo de los factores que rigen sobre sus dinámicas y de políticas efectivas que promuevan estrategias holísticas de manejo costero y de captación.

Fixation stability as a biomarker for differentiating mild traumatic brain injury from age matched controls in pediatrics.

OBJECTIVES: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an increasingly significant health concern worldwide, compounded by the difficultly in detection and diagnosis. Fortunately, a growing body of research has identified oculomotor behavior, specifically fixations, saccades and smooth pursuit eye movements as a promising endophenotype for neurotrauma. To date, limited research exists using fixation stability in a comparative study to indicate the presence of a mild TBI (mTBI), especially in the pediatric population. METHODS: The present study examined data from 91 individuals clinically diagnosed with mTBI and a further 140 age- and gender-matched controls. They all completed the RightEye fixation stability test using a remote eye tracker. Participants were compared on five fixation metrics: Bivariate Contour Ellipse Area (BCEA), Convergence Point, Depth, Disassociated Phoria, and Targeting Displacement. RESULTS: Results were analyzed using one-way univariate ANOVAs, ROC analysis, and stepwise logistic regression. BCEA results revealed significant differences between groups with the mTBI group showing a larger gaze spread, indicative of less ability to keep the eyes close to the target without deviating. CONCLUSIONS: Fixation stability is detrimentally impacted by mTBI in pediatric patients, and the oculomotor test can be used to differentiate between those with and without an mTBI.

Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements as a Biomarker for Mild Concussion within 7-Days of Injury.

AIM: Deficits in smooth-pursuit eye movements (SPEM) are often associated with mild traumatic brain injury(TBI). Eye tracking tests serve as a quick objective clinical tool to assess such predictive visual tracking. In this study, SPEM was assessed along circular, horizontal and vertical trajectories in adolescents with concussion and age-matched controls. METHODS: Ninety-one young adolescents with concussion and 140 visually healthy age-matched controls with a mean age of 14 years performed a computerized test of circular, horizontal and vertical tracking task using an eye tracker. Oculomotor tracking was assessed by computing the rate of fixation, saccades and SPEM made while performing the tasks. RESULTS: The predictive visual tracking task was able to differentiate the TBI group from the non-TBI group. The TBI group showed a significant difference in the fixation, saccades and SPEM percentages for circular tracking movement compared to the controls. There was a significant difference in fixation and SPEM % for horizontal and vertical tracking. CONCLUSIONS: Predictive visual tracking, assessed using eye tracking technology, is able to differentiate deficits in oculomotor functions in individuals with and without concussion. The eye tracking technology may serve as a quick objective tool to detect and monitor neural deficits due to TBI.

Dual threat of tidal flat loss and invasive Spartina alterniflora endanger important shorebird habitat in coastal mainland China.

China's coastal wetlands are critically important to shorebirds. Substantial loss of tidal flats, shorebirds' primary foraging grounds, has occurred from land claim and other processes, and is driving population declines in multiple species. Smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora was intentionally introduced to the coast of China in 1979 to promote conversion of tidal flats into dry land and has since spread rapidly. The occurrence of S. alterniflora reduces the availability of foraging and roosting habitat for shorebirds, and may be particularly detrimental in places that have experienced other tidal flat loss. However, the extent to which S. alterniflora is encroaching upon important shorebird habitat throughout coastal mainland China, and its intersection with tidal flat loss, has not been quantified. Here, we i) estimate change in the spatial extent of tidal flats between 2000 and 2015 in coastal mainland China where internationally important numbers of shorebirds have been recorded; ii) map the extent of S. alterniflora coverage in 2015 at the same set of sites; and, iii) investigate where these two threats to important shorebird habitat intersect. Our analysis of remote sensing data indicated a 15% net loss in tidal flat area between 2000 and 2015 across all sites, including a net loss in tidal flat area in 39 of 53 individual sites (74%). Spartina alterniflora occurred at 28 of 53 sites (53%) in 2015, of which 22 sites (79%) also had a net loss in tidal flat area between 2000 and 2015. Combined pressures from tidal flat loss and S. alterniflora invasion were most severe in eastern coastal China. Species highly dependent on migrating through this region, which include the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Endangered Nordmann's Greenshank and Far Eastern Curlew, may be particularly impacted. Our results underscore the urgent need to arrest tidal flat declines and develop a comprehensive control program for S. alterniflora in coastal areas of mainland China that are important for shorebirds.

Anterior-Posterior Balance Perturbation Protocol Using Lifelike Virtual Reality Environment.

Virtual reality (VR) paradigms have proved to be a valid method to challenge and perturb balance. There is little consensus in the literature on the best protocol design to perturb balance and induce postural sway. Current VR interventions still lack a well-defined standardized metric to generate a virtual environment that can perturb balance in an efficacious, lifelike, and repeatable manner. The objective of this study was to investigate different configurations of amplitude and frequency in an anterior-posterior translation VR environment, that is, lifelike and scaled. Thirteen young adults with no conditions affecting balance were recruited. Balance was challenged by anterior-posterior sinusoidal movement of the lab image within the VR headset. Four different amplitudes of the sinusoidal movement were tested: 1, 5, 10, and 20 cm, with each amplitude being presented at 2 test frequencies : 0.5 and 0.25 Hz. Mean center of pressure velocity was significantly greater than baseline at 0.5 Hz and amplitudes of 10 and 20 cm. Mean center of pressure at approximate entropy was greater than baseline at 0.5 Hz and amplitude of 20 cm. The results suggest that sinusoidal movement of a realistic VR environment produces altered balance compared with baseline quiet standing, but only under specific movement parameters.

Identifying restoration priorities for wetlands based on historical distributions of biodiversity features and restoration suitability.

Wetland restoration is a major objective of environmental management worldwide. We present a frameworkat the regional level that prioritizes historical biodiversity and restoration suitability. The goal of the framework is to maximize biodiversity gains from restoration while minimizing the cost. We used C-Plan, a prioritization tool for systematic conservation planning (SCP), to balance the biodiversity gains withthe costs of restoration, or restoration suitability. We overlaid historical spatial data from 1995 to estimate historical distributions of 91 biodiversity features. These features were used to conduct an irreplaceability analysis to assess the restoration value of historical biodiversity. We then modelled restoration suitability based on environmental data of six criteria. Finally, we applied a complementarity analysis to achieve the quantitative targets of all biodiversity features while minimizing the cost of restoration. We tested this framework in the highly degraded wetlands ofSanjiang Plain, China. By applying our framework to Sanjiang Plain, we successfully identified areas with both high restoration value and high restoration suitability. The area of this cost-effective plan was an extension of 4620 km2, covering 80% of the disappearing wetlands and 4% of the total Sanjiang Plain. Compared to the restoration value-only plan, which had an extension of 4486 km2, the cost-effective plan covered a little more area to achievethe targets forall biodiversity features but with lower implementation costs where the proportion of high restoration suitability increases from 43% to 50%.Our prioritization framework can be used to analyse regional restoration efforts in other regions and ecosystems, and inform planners on how to maximize biodiversity gains while minimizing costs.

Clinical Assessments of Balance in Adults with Concussion: An Update.

Postural instability is a cardinal indicator of concussion. Assessments of the postural control system range from clinical to laboratory tests that assess the balance of the individual. In a previous article regarding clinical assessment of balance in adults with concussion, we reviewed the importance of balance as a component in concussion evaluations. The purpose of this review article is to update the information previously published in 2014. Since 2014, research has provided evidence for the incorporation of dynamic methods for evaluating balance postconcussion with particular emphasis on sensory system integration and dual tasking. Therefore, this review will examine the current state of knowledge on how concussion injuries affect postural control, advancements in evaluating balance postconcussion, such as novel eye-tracking techniques, and current recommendations for best practices for balance assessment.