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Questions Temperature and precipitation variation between years may affect plant species composition directly or indirectly. We wish to investigate whether salt marsh edaphic conditions and plant species composition change as a result of climatic variation. Further, whether areas with the largest edaphic variations also experience the largest change in species composition and turnover. Finally, do temperature and precipitation variations change the way the plant community is able to respond to natural edaphic gradients? Location Bygholmengen, a shielded salt marsh in Vejlerne, Denmark, Northern Europe. Methods Botanical surveys were conducted and soil samples collected from 40 plots during a wet and dry summer to register changes in vegetation cover, species richness composition and edaphic factors (moisture, nutrients, salinity). These data were used to calculate dissimilarities in species composition, temporal turnover and environmental dissimilarity between years. A linear mixed‐effects model was used to link species richness with the measured edaphic factors. Results We found that the precipitation and temperature variations altered the edaphic conditions; furthermore, the vegetation cover and species richness decreased when conditions were dry whereas the number of salt marsh species increased. Further, species composition changed significantly between years, and sampling plots that experienced the least edaphic change also retained more species between years. Species richness responded more to changes in nutrient availability during wet than dry conditions. Conclusion Our results pointed toward the climatic variations, and subsequent change in edaphic conditions, being responsible for the significant change in species composition as areas with the least change in edaphic factors retained most species between years. Dry conditions favored salt marsh‐adapted species and the extent to which increased nutrient levels led to a higher species richness decreased in dry compared to wet conditions. Fluctuations in temperature and precipitation between two years resulted in a change in the edaphic environment as well as a significant change in species composition of a salt marsh flora. We linked the change in species composition to change in the edaphic environment as areas with the least edaphic change retained more species between years.

Understanding diets and structural food webs are keys to the apprehension of ecological communities, upon which conservation and management biology are based. The understanding of grazing and habitat choice for waterfowl is one of the most important topics for avian ecologists today and can, to some degree, be answered by dietary analysis. Droppings collected from four waterfowl, the Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope), Greylag goose (Anser anser), pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) and Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) in Vejlerne (Denmark), were analysed microscopically and through eDNA metabarcoding with the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) to accumulate knowledge about the diet of these waterfowl. In total, 120 dropping samples were microscopically analysed, of which the eDNA metabarcoding analysis was done on 79 samples. The prey items were identified according to the taxonomic level of species, and a qualitative method, frequency of occurrence (FO) and FO calculated as a percentage, was used in order to compare the results from the two methods. As neither of the methods was able to encompass all species discovered when combining the two methods, it was concluded in this study that the two methods can support each other in a dietary analysis of waterfowl, but not replace one another.

The agricultural scene has changed over the past decades, resulting in a declining population trend in many species. It is therefore important to determine the factors that the individual species depend on in order to understand their decline. The landscape changes have also resulted in habitat fragmentation, turning once continuous populations into metapopulations. It is thus increasingly important to estimate both the number of individuals it takes to create a genetically viable population and the population trend. Here, population viability analysis and habitat suitability modeling were used to estimate population viability and future prospects across Europe of the Little Owl Athene noctua, a widespread species associated with agricultural landscapes. The results show a high risk of population declines over the coming 100 years, especially toward the north of Europe, whereas populations toward the southeastern part of Europe have a greater probability of persistence. In order to be considered genetically viable, individual populations must count 1,000–30,000 individuals. As Little Owl populations of several countries count <30,000, and many isolated populations in northern Europe count <1,000 individuals, management actions resulting in exchange of individuals between populations or even countries are probably necessary to prevent losing <1% genetic diversity over a 100‐year period. At a continental scale, a habitat suitability analysis suggested Little Owl to be affected positively by increasing temperatures and urban areas, whereas an increased tree cover, an increasing annual rainfall, grassland, and sparsely vegetated areas affect the presence of the owl negatively. However, the low predictive power of the habitat suitability model suggests that habitat suitability might be better explained at a smaller scale. Using population viability analysis and habitat suitability analysis, the viability, habitat preference, and future prospects of the European population of Little Owl Athene noctua were investigated. Populations toward the north of Europe are most likely to face decline within the next 100 years, and populations counting fewer than 1,000 individuals are likely not genetically viable.

Reed beds can be managed for commercial or conservation purposes, with effects on its inhabitants. In this paper, we assess the effect of management on the reed bed Coleoptera community by investigating reed beds subject to winter cutting, winter harvest, short-term unmanaged (3 years), and long-term unmanaged (25 years). Using pit fall traps, we collected Coleoptera across a summer season to estimate Coleoptera biomass, abundance, size, richness, diversity, and community composition across the four types of management of reed beds. Cutting and harvest both show to increase Coleoptera biomass compared to unmanaged reed beds, with the highest Coleoptera abundance found in the harvested reed bed. The species richness and diversity, on the other hand, peaked in the long-term unmanaged reed bed. Community composition differed between the different management types, and across time. Species of conservation concern were most abundant in recently managed areas. These results have implications for the conservation of the reed bed Coleoptera community. First, to maintain a high Coleoptera diversity, some areas must be left unmanaged. Secondly, to secure habitats for species of conservation concern as well as boost the Coleoptera biomass, frequent management of other areas is advised. This mosaic management pattern will also create the overall most species rich reed bed, as unique Coleoptera communities were found in each management type.

Coastal marshes are key habitats contributing to organic carbon (OC) storage but remain understudied in Nordic regions regarding Blue Carbon processes. This study quantified OC stocks in above- and below-ground plant biomass and in the top 50 cm-soil across 12 grazed and ungrazed marshes, spanning a major environmental gradient, and assessed how biotic (plant communities, livestock grazing) and abiotic (soil properties, environmental conditions) drivers shape OC storage. Soil OC stocks accounted for ∼ 73 % of total OC in grazed sites and ∼ 63 % in ungrazed ones and was higher in grazed sites (99.7 ± 57.9 Mg ha−1) than in ungrazed sites (78.2 ± 44.2 Mg ha−1). Grazing and the large-scale environmental gradient strongly structured plant communities, partly by regulating reed (Phragmites australis), prevalent in ungrazed sites. Abiotic soil properties were major large-scale drivers of soil OC storage, while grazing affected soil OC storage indirectly through plant composition. Soil OC increased with finer textures, whereas vegetation and grazing effects were variable and locally expressed. Aboveground OC stocks were reduced by grazing, both directly through biomass removal and indirectly by reducing reed dominance. Belowground OC stocks were driven by plant community composition and indirectly by grazing effects on vegetation. Root biomass was concentrated in the top 15 cm in grazed sites and deeper (15–50 cm) in ungrazed sites, reflecting contrasting plant strategies. Overall, soil OC stocks in Nordic coastal marshes fall within the lower range of global estimates. These findings highlight the need to consider soil processes, grazing and environmental gradients in the sustainable management of Nordic coastal marshes and their carbon storage potential.

It is still common practice in Europe to dike salt marshes for agricultural use. This impacts both the vegetation and physical environment of the marsh. We studied the plant community, environmental conditions, and determined correlations between vegetation cover and diversity with environmental factors on an enclosed marsh, which has been behind a dike since 1890. Vegetation data from both salt marshes without dikes and fresh meadows are routinely sampled by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and were here used to assess whether the plant community of the shielded marsh resembled that of either salt marshes or fresh meadows. The century-long elimination of tidal and storm flooding has resulted in low salinity levels (0.4–5.13 ppt), low available P (0.36–4.90 mg/100 g soil), and high total N (0.68–28.82 g/kg). The plant community of the shielded marsh demonstrated a mean species richness (11.4) similar to that of other salt marshes but was no longer characterized by the same composition of halophytes (ANOSIM, p < 0.001). However, despite the century-long shielding the vegetation does not resemble that of the nearby fresh meadow community (ANOSIM, p < 0.001). Therefore, prohibiting tidal floodings by dikes does not protect the salt marsh habitat but instead results in a habitat that contains both halophytes and glycophytes.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death worldwide. Establishing vascular access is critical for administering guideline-recommended drugs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both the intraosseous route and the intravenous route are used routinely, but their comparative effectiveness remains unclear. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of initial attempts at intraosseous or intravenous vascular access in adults who had nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The primary outcome was a sustained return of spontaneous circulation. Key secondary outcomes were survival at 30 days and survival at 30 days with a favorable neurologic outcome, defined by a score of 0 to 3 on the modified Rankin scale (scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater disability). Among 1506 patients who underwent randomization, 1479 were included in the primary analysis (731 in the intraosseous-access group and 748 in the intravenous-access group). The successful establishment of vascular access within two attempts occurred in 669 patients (92%) assigned to the intraosseous-access group and in 595 patients (80%) assigned to the intravenous-access group. Sustained return of spontaneous circulation occurred in 221 patients (30%) in the intraosseous-access group and in 214 patients (29%) in the intravenous-access group (risk ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90 to 1.24; P = 0.49). At 30 days, 85 patients (12%) in the intraosseous-access group and 75 patients (10%) in the intravenous-access group were alive (risk ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.56); a favorable neurologic outcome at 30 days occurred in 67 patients (9%) and 59 patients (8%), respectively (risk ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.62). Prespecified adverse events were uncommon. There was no significant difference in sustained return of spontaneous circulation between initial intraosseous and intravenous vascular access in adults who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. (Funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and others; IVIO EU Clinical Trials Register number, 2022-500744-38-00; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05205031.).

Worldwide, millions of persons have received multiple COVID-19 vaccinations and subsequently recovered from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron breakthrough infections. In 2 small, matched cohorts (n = 12, n = 24) in Denmark, we found Omicron BA.1/BA.2 breakthrough infection after 3-dose BNT162b2 vaccination provided improved Omicron BA.5 neutralization over 3-dose vaccination alone.

Aging and chronic diseases intersect at the level of biological aging mechanisms, where age‐related molecular and cellular changes contribute to the development of diverse pathologies. Biomarkers of biological aging could help predict and track the progression of chronic diseases and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging. Here, we aimed to identify biomarkers reflecting biological aging by analyzing protein signatures shared between older age and elevated disease burden. Using the Olink Explore HT platform, we measured 5416 plasma proteins in 52 recently hospitalized Older Patients (≥ 65 years), 52 age‐ and sex‐matched Older Controls, and 20 healthy Young Controls (20–25 years). We identified 797 proteins that differed with chronological age group by comparing Older and Young Controls, and 761 proteins that differed with disease burden by comparing Older Patients and Older Controls. Of these, 311 proteins were differentially expressed across both chronological age and disease burden comparisons and were defined as biological Aging Proteins (APs). We compared the identified APs with findings from prior proteomic studies of aging and disease to uncover previously unreported proteins associated with biological aging. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis of the 5416 proteins revealed eight clusters based on expression patterns, one significantly enriched for APs, suggesting shared regulatory pathways. Our findings highlight known and novel plasma biomarkers associated with biological aging, with potential utility for risk stratification and the development of interventions targeting the aging process. By comparing plasma proteomes of young and older adults, as well as older adults with varying levels of disease burden, this study aims to identify plasma proteins at the intersection of age and disease. The identified signature points to potential candidate biomarkers of biological aging.

Background: Predicting mortality in emergency departments (EDs) using machine learning models presents challenges, particularly in balancing simplicity with performance. This study aims to develop models that are both simple and effective for predicting short- and long-term mortality in ED patients. Our approach uses a minimal set of variables derived from one single blood sample obtained at admission. Methods: Data from three cohorts at two large Danish university hospitals were analyzed, including one retrospective and two prospective cohorts where prognostic models were applied to predict individual mortality risk, spanning the years 2013–2022. Routine biochemistry analyzed in blood samples collected at admission was the primary data source for the prediction models. The outcomes were mortality at 10, 30, 90, and 365 days after admission to the ED. The models were developed using Light Gradient Boosting Machines. The evaluation of mortality predictions involved metrics such as Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive values, positive predictive values, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC). Results: A total of 43,648 unique patients with 65,484 admissions were analyzed. The models showed high accuracy, with very good to excellent AUC values between 0.87 and 0.93 across different time intervals. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a single assessment of routine clinical biochemistry upon admission can serve as a powerful predictor for both short-term and long-term mortality in ED admissions.