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Abstract Early childhood stunting can result in sub-optimal executive functions (EF), affecting academic achievements and economic potential in later life. This study hypothesized that children always stunted (AS) at ages 2, 5 and 9 years had lower EF than those who were never stunted (NS). A birth-cohort in Vellore, India was followed up with periodic anthropometric and development/cognitive measures over 2, 5 and 9 years of age. Based on stunting status at these time points, children were classified as NS, stunted at 2 years and caught up by 5 years (S2N5), stunted at 2 and 5 years but caught up later (S5N9), and AS. At 9th year, children underwent neuroimaging using 3T MRI scanner and EF assessment using FAS phonemic fluency test, colour cancellation test and colour trials tests (CTT). From the original birth-cohort of 251, 205 children were reviewed at 9 years. FAS phonemic fluency test showed NS group had significantly higher test scores compared to AS (11.52 vs. 7.4, p = 0.02). In CTT, a significant difference in near misses score was observed between NS and AS groups (0.12 vs. 0.38, p = 0.03). Upon evaluating unimodal brain association areas, volumes of right occipital fusiform gyrus (9991 mm3 vs. 9313 mm3; p = 0.04; η2 = 0.11), and left lateral occipital cortex (13458 mm3 vs. 12559 mm3; p = 0.03; η2 = 0.07) were significantly higher among NS compared to AS group. Considering higher order association areas, only left pars triangularis was found to be significantly reduced among AS children compared to NS group (4284 mm3 vs. 3291 mm3; p = 0.01; η2 = 0.07). Similarly, there were also significance visible in the basal ganglia regions and the cerebellum. Current study demonstrated EF dysfunction in verbal fluency and inhibitory control in a dose response fashion in groups AS-to-NS with corresponding EF-related brain volumetric changes, highlighting the need for focused nutritional and nurturing approaches in early childhood for gain in human capital.

Digital technology has a significant influence on future economic growth. Achieving catch-up in the context of digital development is crucial for firms. However, the mechanisms between firms' digital technology adoption (DTA) and catch-up are underexplored. Based on panel data of A-share listed manufacturing firms in China from 2012 to 2021, this study investigates the impact of DTA on firms' technological catch-up (TC) and market catch-up (MC) from theoretical and empirical perspectives. The following findings are drawn. (1) DTA positively and significantly affects firms' TC and MC, and the results remain valid after using the instrumental variables method, propensity score matching, and other robustness tests. After removing the order-of-magnitude discrepancies and dimensions, DTA had a more significant effect on MC than TC. (2) Dynamic capacity mediates the relationship between DTA and firms' catch-up. (3) The heterogeneity analysis finds that DTA influences TC and MC in state-owned enterprises and high-tech firms more significantly. This study provides a new perspective on firms' catch-up and guides for firms to develop effective DTA and catch-up strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In engineering and other fields, metaheuristic algorithms are increasingly used to solve challenging optimization problems. High-dimensional and multimodal issues are complex for traditional optimization techniques, which has led to the development of hybrid metaheuristics that are improved by artificial neural networks (ANNs). To improve search efficiency and solution accuracy, this work presents an ANN-assisted Catch Fish Optimization Algorithm (MCFOA), which draws inspiration from conventional fishing methods. Numerous engineering applications, such as the optimal design of the side profile of an electric vehicle battery box, shell and tube heat exchanger, industrial gear optimization, and welded beam cost minimization, show off the efficacy of MCFOA. For the novel battery case problems, the modified optimizer realized a 20 % improvement in the design compared to the initial design, as well as a 4.5 % improvement compared to the Starfish optimizer. Moreover, for the engineering design problems, the modified optimizer realized 4–10 % better results in terms of the best values of the fitness function. This shows the applicability and implementation of the proposed optimizer for the optimization of real-world engineering problems.

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission expresses concern over the overfished state and susceptibility to the overfishing of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). Acknowledging the challenges of increased fishing effort in a profitable fishery, our study aims to understand factors influencing French purse seine fishing vessel dynamics. Our primary goal is to assess purse seine vessel utilisation with recent catch limits and compliance with the European Union Common Fisheries Policy, which mandates measures to align fishing capacity with opportunities to sustain fish stocks at maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Using Data Envelopment Analysis, we evaluate the relationship between vessel fishing capacity to catch limits and the MSY reference point for yellowfin tuna. Findings indicate that the French fleet could meet catch limits with approximately 21% fewer vessels if fully utilised and 26% fewer if reduced to meet their equivalent MSY share. Aligning capacity with fishing opportunities is crucial for the profitability and preservation of these essential tuna populations, resulting in more sustainable and economically viable fisheries.Graphical abstract:

Ensuring food security in the Anthropocene presents a significant socio-ecological challenge, especially in rapidly changing coastal seascapes that sustain critical fisheries. Herbivorous fishes are essential for food and financial security through fisheries, however, their contributions to regional catches, and the factors influencing them, are not well understood. Analysing reported and reconstructed catch data across 69 Exclusive Economic Zones, we identify shallow-reef area and coastal population density as significant predictors of herbivorous fish catches. However, between-realm (i.e. Indo-Pacific vs. Western Atlantic) differences are marked, with rabbitfishes contributing disproportionately to herbivorous fishery catches. While rabbitfishes have the potential to support productive fisheries due to their relatively faster life-history traits, a 60% decline in catch-per-unit-effort suggests that their production potential, along with parrotfishes and surgeonfishes, may be decreasing globally. Our study highlights contrasting social-ecological outcomes for human populations in the Western Atlantic vs. Indo-Pacific; a difference primarily driven by rabbitfish catches.

Marine fisheries catches have significant economic, social, and cultural importance for coastal communities and nations worldwide. In addition to overfishing and predation, oceanic conditions linked to climate variability profoundly affect catches of oceanic fish species. Based on the fishery data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and multiple physical and biogeochemical datasets, we examined the correlation between major modes of climate variability at high and low frequency and multiple key fish species in five major fishing grounds worldwide. The results reveal that over 80% of selected key fish species have declined over the past five decades, with more than 50% transitioning from an increasing to a decreasing trend in the 1990s. Additionally, over 80% of fish species directly correlate with low-frequency climate indices, including Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) and tropical southern Atlantic (TSA). However, less than 40% of fish species exhibit a direct association with high-frequency climate indices of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Ocean (NAO), and Atlantic Niño (ATL3). Synthetic analysis on the Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Mixed Layer Depth (MLD) and chlorophyll a revealed that shifts in the low-frequency climate can directly affect the habitats of numerous fish species, and subsequently influence their fishing yields. Specially, negative SST anomalies and positive chlorophyll-a anomalies were observed during a positive phase of PDO in the central and western Pacific regions, resulting in an increased catch values of Alaska pollock, Pacific sardine, and Chilean jack mackerel. Similar changes occur in positive and negative phases of other low frequency indices. Our research offered a comprehensive perspective on oceanic fish catch responses to climate change, serving as a guide for formulating effective management strategies for marine fish resources.