The condition of planetary crisis widely referred to as the Anthropocene is ubiquitous, but it is often unmarked or unseen. This article examines why through a study of Oman’s ‘Grand Canyon of Arabia’, where the absence of birds provides a lens for two sociolinguistic approaches to planetary crisis: (i) a planetary perspective on semiotic landscapes indicates that allegedly ‘natural’ landscapes are produced by human and more-than-human semiotic interventions, and (ii) the perception of space is shaped by attention, as the power of orientation around a discourse structures semiotic ideologies. An analysis of ethnographic fieldwork and digital data subsequently describes how orientation around Nature/culture dualism produces the Grand Canyon of Arabia as a ‘natural’ landscape, which is disturbed by disorienting Anthropocenic signs. Rather than resisting such disturbances, it is suggested that disorientation presents a way forward into planetary crisis, as attunement to more-than-human signs and entanglements yields relational landscapes. (Nature, tourism, posthumanism, semiotic landscapes, attunement, environment, Oman, Gulf, Anthropocene)

The Anthropocene concept has been widely embraced, with scholars and practitioners demonstrating its potential to challenge the most tenacious frameworks of modernity even as the Holocene remains the officially designated geological epoch. This special issue takes up the Anthropocene’s conceptual provocations as a heuristic for the study of space and semiosis, laying groundwork for new theoretical and methodological frameworks through which sociolinguistics can address planetary crisis. After locating the sociolinguistic study of space within the field of linguistic and semiotic landscapes, this introduction critically reviews the colonial origins of the Anthropocene. Three directions for the study of space and semiosis are then proposed: (i) entangled and expanded space, (ii) attunement as method and praxis, and (iii) political economy as planetary actor. Six contributing articles are summarized, followed by a discussion that charts a path forward for sociolinguistics in planetary crisis. (Linguistic/semiotic landscape, environment, nature, posthumanism, climate change, space, attunement, political economy, coloniality)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia are leading causes of death in women, with dementia disproportionately affecting females. Both share risk factors such as type 2 and gestational diabetes. While diabetes and CVD risk factors are well studied, gaps remain in understanding dementia’s lifespan influences, sex-specific effects, and social determinants. This report advocates a convergence science approach, integrating basic, behavioral, and implementation sciences, to address these gaps. We propose a novel framework to examine shared cardiometabolic risks across the lifespan, enabling targeted early interventions to reduce dementia burden and improve heart-brain health outcomes in women.

Paleontology provides insights into the history of the planet, from the origins of life billions of years ago to the biotic changes of the Recent. The scope of paleontological research is as vast as it is varied, and the field is constantly evolving. In an effort to identify “Big Questions” in paleontology, experts from around the world came together to build a list of priority questions the field can address in the years ahead. The 89 questions presented herein (grouped within 11 themes) represent contributions from nearly 200 international scientists. These questions touch on common themes including biodiversity drivers and patterns, integrating data types across spatiotemporal scales, applying paleontological data to contemporary biodiversity and climate issues, and effectively utilizing innovative methods and technology for new paleontological insights. In addition to these theoretical questions, discussions touch upon structural concerns within the field, advocating for an increased valuation of specimen-based research, protection of natural heritage sites, and the importance of collections infrastructure, along with a stronger emphasis on human diversity, equity, and inclusion. These questions offer a starting point—an initial nucleus of consensus that paleontologists can expand on—for engaging in discussions, securing funding, advocating for museums, and fostering continued growth in shared research directions.

Since the early 1950s, national statisticians have regarded unpaid work as non-economic, excluding it from GDP. Feminist scholars argue this exclusion reflects a gender-biased view of progress that renders women’s non-market productivity invisible. As what gets measured drives policy priorities and resource allocation, breastfeeding highlights the need to account for women’s unpaid care work in economic statistics. This paper advances the Beyond GDP agenda by demonstrating how market-derived prices can improve the measurement and recognition of women’s lactation labour. We first trace the historical displacement of breastfeeding by commercial formula and identify key economic drivers. Next, we review critiques of GDP and debates over including non-market household services in the UN’s System of National Accounts. We then present novel estimates of breast milk’s economic value in selected countries. Our analysis shows that existing market prices can robustly proxy for breastfeeding work, correcting GDP’s gender bias and realigning policy priorities. Including human milk production in core economic indicators not only reflects its true contribution but also promotes women’s and children’s rights and supports sustainable development through comprehensive true-cost accounting.

Dietary protein provides amino acids, nine of which are indispensable (IAAs) as they are not synthesised within the body. Adoption of a vegan diet has shown an increased trend in several Western countries.(1) Past assessments of total protein intake of vegan populations were found to be low but not necessarily below daily requirements.(2) However, plant-sourced proteins generally have lower quantities of digestible IAAs as compared to animal-sourced proteins.(3) Simply accounting for protein intake without considering amino acid profile and digestibility could overestimate protein adequacy among vegans. This study aims to quantify protein intake and protein quality (digestible IAAs) among a cohort of NZ vegans as compared to individual requirements. Dietary intake data was obtained through a four-day recall from 193 individuals participating in a cross-sectional study of adult vegans (above 18 years) residing in New Zealand who have followed a vegan diet for at least two years. Ethical approval was granted (HDEC 2022 EXP 12312). Anthropometric data was collected at Massey University, Auckland. Protein and IAA composition of all foods were derived by comparing dietary data to food composition data from New Zealand FoodFiles and the US Department of Agriculture. Mean values for protein and IAA were adjusted for true ileal digestibility and body weight (kg).(4,5) Mean protein intakes for males and females were 0.99 and 0.81 g/kg of body weight/day, respectively. Overall, 78.8% of males and 74.5% of females met the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for daily protein. Plant-sourced proteins in the vegan diet provided 52.9 mg of leucine/g of protein and 35.7 mg of lysine/g of protein, which were below the reference scoring patterns (leucine: 59mg/g, lysine: 45mg/g).(5) When adjusted to individual body weight, average IAA intakes were above daily requirements, but lysine just met requirements at 31.2 mg/kg of body weight/day (reference: 30 mg/kg/d). The importance of adjusting for digestibility is noted as the percentage of vegans meeting adequacy for protein and IAAs decreased as compared to using only IAA compositions without this adjustment. In contrast to grains and pasta, legumes and pulses were the foods that contributed most to overall protein and lysine intake while providing lower energy intake. Lysine followed by leucine were the two most limiting IAAs in the diet of this NZ vegan cohort. Increased proportion of legumes and pulses, and decreased proportion of grains and pasta within the diet can potentially increase leucine and lysine intake but must be considered in the context of the whole diet.

Background: While efgartigimod usage is expected to reduce immunoglobulin (IG) utilization, evidence in clinical practice is limited. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with gMG treated with efgartigimod for ≥1-year were identified from US medical/pharmacy claims data (April 2016-January 2024) and data from the My VYVGART Path patient support program (PSP). The number of IG courses during 1-year before and after efgartigimod initiation (index date) were evaluated. Patients with ≥6 annual IG courses were considered chronic IG users. Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scores before and after index were obtained from the PSP where available. Descriptive statistics were used without adjustment for covariates. Results: 167 patients with ≥1 IG claim before index were included. Prior to efgartigimod initiation, the majority of patients (62%) received IG chronically. During the 1-year after index, the number of IG courses fell by 95% (pre: 1531, post: 75). 89% (n=149/167) of patients fully discontinued IG usage. Mean (SD) best-follow up MG-ADL scores were significantly reduced after index (8.0 [4.1] to 2.8 [2.1], P<0.05, n=73/167, 44%). Conclusions: Based on US claims, IG utilization was substantially reduced among patients who continued efgartigimod for ≥1-year, with patients demonstrating a favorable MG-ADL response.

We present the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). EMU aims to deliver the touchstone radio atlas of the southern hemisphere. We introduce EMU and review its science drivers and key science goals, updated and tailored to the current ASKAP five-year survey plan. The development of the survey strategy and planned sky coverage is presented, along with the operational aspects of the survey and associated data analysis, together with a selection of diagnostics demonstrating the imaging quality and data characteristics. We give a general description of the value-added data pipeline and data products before concluding with a discussion of links to other surveys and projects and an outline of EMU’s legacy value.

The Hippoboscidae are ectoparasites of birds and mammals, which, as a group, are known to vector multiple diseases. Avipoxvirus (APV) is mechanically vectored by various arthropods and causes seasonal disease in wild birds in the United Kingdom (UK). Signs of APV and the presence of louse flies (Hippoboscidae) on Dunnocks Prunella modularis were recorded over a 16·5-year period in a rural garden in Somerset, UK. Louse flies collected from this site and other sites in England were tested for the presence of APV DNA and RNA sequences. Louse flies on Dunnocks were seen to peak seasonally three weeks prior to the peak of APV lesions, an interval consistent with the previously estimated incubation period of APV in Dunnocks. APV DNA was detected on 13/25 louse flies, Ornithomya avicularia and Ornithomya fringillina, taken from Dunnocks, both with and without lesions consistent with APV, at multiple sites in England. Collectively these data support the premise that louse flies may vector APV. The detection of APV in louse flies, from apparently healthy birds, and from sites where disease has not been observed in any host species, suggests that the Hippoboscidae could provide a non-invasive and relatively cheap method of monitoring avian diseases. This could provide advanced warnings of disease, including zoonoses, before they become clinically apparent.