A population’s dietary niche, including individual variation and specialization, shapes the scope and strength of its trophic linkages. Individual diet variation may emerge in response to spatial variation in the selective pressures that shape trophic morphologies, such as food availability or competition. Therefore, characterizing dietary niche variation and its link to morphological differences among individuals is a key focus in evolutionary ecology. We examined how diet composition and individual specialization varied across space and trophic morphology in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in Lake Mývatn, Iceland. We found that trophic morphology and diet varied spatially, which may reflect dietary niche partitioning or environmental food availability. Diet variation correlated with body size and trophic morphology: smaller fish consumed more cladocerans, while larger fish ate more chironomid larvae, mollusks, and stickleback eggs. Gut length had the next strongest relationship with diet, with longer guts linked to harder prey and shorter guts associated with stickleback eggs. Gill raker length and head shape were also associated with diet variation, suggesting functional morphological feeding differences. Most stickleback were dietary generalists, but individuals from a relatively warm habitat were more specialized than the rest of the population. More specialized individuals tended to feed more on crustaceans or mollusks, as opposed to chironomids. However, specialization was not linked to trophic traits measured in this study, implying that it is underpinned by other traits. Our findings demonstrate spatial variation in diet and specialization in Mývatn stickleback, despite the population’s generalist feeding and limited spatial genetic differentiation.
Much of the activism on environmental issues within the US Catholic Church is not coming from those with institutional power (like bishops and diocesan priests), but rather from sisters, who have no formal power. What factors facilitate sisters' environmental activism? Drawing on qualitative interviews with US Catholic sisters who are leaders in environmental activism, we find that characteristics of avowed religious life, particularly sisters' social networks, communal life, and biographical availability, facilitate their mobilization. Findings also suggest a relationship between institutional power and activism, with sisters' relative lack of power giving them freedom in the margins to engage in activism. In contrast, environmental activism among bishops and priests may be constrained by their greater isolation from community and greater institutional power, which they seek to protect. This research contributes to literature on religion and social movements, as well as highlighting gendered power dynamics and environmental politics in the Catholic Church.
The STAR Collaboration reports measurements of acoplanarity using semi-inclusive distributions of charged-particle jets recoiling from direct photon and pi(0) triggers, in central Au-Au and pp collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. Significant medium-induced acoplanarity broadening is observed for large but not small recoil jet resolution parameter, corresponding to recoil jet yield enhancement up to a factor of approximate to 20 for trigger-recoil azimuthal separation far from pi. This phenomenology is indicative of the response of the quark-gluon plasma to excitation, but not the scattering of jets off of its quasiparticles. The measurements are not well described by current theoretical models which incorporate jet quenching.
Background:Lipoabdominoplasty has soared in popularity. Advancements in the procedure have led to improved abdominal contours. Despite improvements in surgical techniques, postoperative complications persist, especially seroma formation. Drains are commonly used to reduce the risk of seroma formation; however, drains are a nuisance for patients and may contribute to long-term complications. Many surgical strategies have been proposed to reduce seroma formation in lipoabdominoplasty, including progressive tension sutures (PTS), minimal cautery, and preservation of Scarpa's fascia; however, these strategies in combination remain underexplored. Objectives:The objective of this study was to determine the postoperative seroma rate of lipoabdominoplasty with combined PTS, minimal cautery, and Scarpa's fascia preservation without postoperative drains. Methods:This is a review of 350 patients who underwent drainless lipoabdominoplasty performed by a single surgeon from January 2017 to December 2024 at a single surgery center. Patient demographics, operative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Descriptive analysis was performed. Pearson's χ2 and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. Results:Among 350 cases, a total of 286 full abdominoplasties, 50 belt lipectomies, and 14 modified float abdominoplasties were performed. There was a total of 32 (9.1%) complications, with a 2% seroma rate. There were no mortalities. All patients who developed complications recovered without sequelae. Conclusions:The drainless lipoabdominoplasty can be performed safely with a low seroma rate using a multimodality approach that includes progressive tension sutures, minimal cautery, and preservation of Scarpa's fascia. Level of Evidence 4 Risk:
Background:Cirrhosis is associated with immune dysfunction, which increases susceptibility to bacterial infections and contributes significantly to patient morbidity and mortality. Understanding the burden and impact of infections in this population is essential for improving outcomes and reducing health care costs.Methods:We analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2022, identifying adult patients hospitalized with cirrhosis. Patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of infections. Collected variables included patient demographics, etiology of cirrhosis, decompensation status, and adverse outcomes. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the impact of infections on clinical outcomes and health care utilization.Results:Among 5,061,228 patients with cirrhosis, 1.51 million (30%) developed infections. The infected group was predominantly 45 to 65 years old (48.2%), male (54%), and White (68%). Common infections included urinary tract infections (11.5%), pneumonia (9.6%), skin and soft tissue infections (6.2%), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (3.2%), Clostridioides difficile infection (1.8%), and cholangitis (0.8%). Compared with patients without infections, infected patients had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (9.7% vs. 4.7%), sepsis (31.6% vs. 6.9%), acute kidney injury (39.4% vs. 26.8%), ICU admissions (12.5% vs. 6.1%), deep vein thrombosis (2.1% vs. 1.2%), and pulmonary embolism (1% vs. 0.7%).Conclusions:Infections substantially worsen clinical outcomes and increase health care burden among hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Early identification, preventive strategies, and prompt management of infections are critical to improving prognosis and reducing associated health care costs.
