Exploring why adapting to the environment is more difficult as people age

Brain structures related to shifting between tasks or updating information about the environment show signs of deterioration in older adults as compared to younger adults.

Society for Neuroscience

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image: 

Of all the brain structures related to behavioral adaptability, this collection of structures correlated with functional performance in older—but not younger—adults. Thus, age-related changes in behavioral adaptability may be reflected in the integrity of these structures. Colors indicate the associated cognitive function. AF, arcuate fasciculus; UF, uncinate fasciculus; CTh, corticothalamic projections; Cing, cingulum bundle.

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Credit: Wolfe et al., 2025

As people age, structural brain changes influence their ability to adapt to the environment. New from eNeuro, Tatiana Wolfe and colleagues at the University of Arkansas characterized changes in the brain across two periods of adulthood that may correspond to changes in adaptive behavior. 

The researchers identified brain areas associated with the ability to adapt to the environment by analyzing previous neuroimaging studies. They then used a publicly accessible database—the Human Connectome Project—to identify different structures that enable these brain areas to communicate and work together to promote adaptive behavior. Structures related to shifting between tasks or updating information about the environment were more strongly linked to adaptive behaviors in older adults compared to younger adults. A separate imaging dataset from the UK Biobank revealed that biological features of these structures that older individuals rely more heavily upon deteriorated over time in a way that may be linked to deficits in behavioral adaptability that arise later in adulthood. 

According to the researchers, this work supports the idea that brain structures linked to the brain’s ability to adapt to the environment undergo age-related changes and point to potential measures for identifying these changes. 

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Please contact media@sfn.org for the full-text PDF. 

About eNeuro 

eNeuro is an online, open-access journal published by the Society for Neuroscience. Established in 2014, eNeuro publishes a wide variety of content, including research articles, short reports, reviews, commentaries and opinions. 

About The Society for Neuroscience 

The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 35,000 members in more than 95 countries. 

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DOI

10.1523/ENEURO.0179-25.2025 

Subject of Research

People

Article Publication Date

19-Jan-2026

COI Statement

The authors declare no actual or apparent commercial interest in the material presented in this paper.

 

Export concentration leaves Canada's canola sector vulnerable, research finds amid trade talks

University of Calgary

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Calgary, AB – January 19, 2026 

As Canada and China announce a landmark tariff agreement, new research from The Simpson Centre shows that Canada’s canola sector remains structurally vulnerable due to heavy export concentration and limited diversification capacity. 

Based on analysis of Canadian export data from 2010-2025 and examination of market concentration patterns across canola seed, oil, and meal, our research team examined how export dependence on China and the United States creates distinct vulnerabilities across different segments of the canola value chain. These two markets collectively absorb nearly 90% of Canadian canola exports, with limited capacity to reallocate shipments to alternative destinations when trade disruptions occur. 

The research identified several critical challenges preventing export diversification: 

• Insufficient crushing infrastructure in alternative markets means many countries cannot process Canadian canola seed at scale. 

• EU restrictions on GMO products effectively close off a major consumer market for Canadian canola oil. 

• Domestic transportation bottlenecks limit Canada’s ability to handle increased volumes of processed oil even as crushing capacity expands.  

Addressing these issues is essential for building resilience in Canada’s export-dependent agricultural sectors. 

“While the prime minister’s latest deal with China, which may drop seed duties nearly 70% by March, is welcome news, the fact remains: even as one barrier comes down, the underlying structural vulnerabilities persist,” said Farzana Shirin, Agricultural and Applied Economist, The Simpson Centre.  

The research comes at a pivotal time for Canada’s canola sector, as negotiators work to restore normal trade relations with China while uncertainty persists around U.S. biofuel policy changes that could exclude Canadian feedstocks from critical incentive programs. With Canadian producers managing simultaneous challenges in both major export markets, understanding the constraints preventing rapid diversification is essential for developing effective policy responses that strengthen industry resilience beyond short-term tariff relief. 

This research exemplifies The Simpson Centre’s mandate to bridge cutting-edge analysis and practical policy outcomes. The findings contribute to informed decision-making at all levels of government and inform policy frameworks addressing export concentration risks, domestic processing investment, and trade diversification strategies for agricultural commodities. 

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Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

The Case of Canadian Canola and the Downside Risks from Export Market Concentration

Article Publication Date

19-Jan-2026

 

Freshwater browning threatens growth and populations of economically important fish, McGill researchers say

Study takes a holistic approach and looks at the phenomenon’s broad impacts on biodiversity in North America, Europe

McGill University

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Freshwater browning is stunting fish growth of some species, shrinking populations of others and changing the composition of fish communities, McGill-led research suggests. “Browning” refers to freshwater bodies turning tea-coloured, a phenomenon driven by higher levels of dissolved organic matter and/or higher levels of iron in the water. Causes include changes in land use and climate, and reduced acid precipitation.

The findings indicate that changes in land use and climate are affecting biodiversity and how ecosystems function, with implications for fisheries management.

“Browner waters had greater abundances of northern pike and walleye, but lower abundances of lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch, largemouth- and smallmouth bass and whitefish,” said Allison Roth, lead author and McGill postdoctoral fellow, now an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri. All of those species are economically significant.

“Fish themselves affect other organisms in the lake,” explained Irene Gregory-Eaves, study co-author and Professor of Biology at McGill. “Because they’re predators, feeding on smaller fish, plankton and invertebrates, changing their populations can have cascading effects.”

The researchers also said that browning can also have an impact on land, for example, when birds’ diets are affected by changes in fish populations.

“Browning is affecting more than just fish: it’s affecting the broader ecosystem. It has the power not just to affect aquatic systems, but also the terrestrial systems connected to them,” Roth said.

Changes evident across North America, Europe

By assembling a large team of co-authors from across North America and Europe who were conducting research on freshwater bodies in their areas, the group pooled data and expertise.

The team reviewed existing studies to understand how freshwater browning affects fish at individual, population and community levels. (Population refers to the number of fish of a given species; community refers to the various species present in the body of water, and their relative numbers.)

The researchers also analyzed data from 871 north‐temperate lakes, covering eight economically important fish species, to look at the relationship between a lake’s colour and its fish populations. The team found that for numerous species, increased browning was associated with a population decline, but it was associated with a positive impact for two species: northern pike and walleye.

Within this dataset, they further examined 303 lakes and assessed how trait composition (such as eye size, body shape and feeding traits) of fish communities changes across the browning gradient. They found that fish communities in browner lakes were “significantly more likely” to contain species with larger eyes, a trait presumed to be associated with lower-light environments.

Because the study links changes at the individual species, population and community levels, it provides a more holistic understanding of ecosystem responses than did earlier works.

The researchers say this aids in forecasting and modelling future conditions under increased browning.

“People have tackled components of what we were getting at in a series of lakes in their region, or one whole lake, or certain fish. Our job was to bring together a more synthetic portrait to be able to say, ‘This is something happening in many parts of North America and Europe,’” Gregory-Eaves said.

About this study

“Differential effects of freshwater browning across fish species: consequences for individual- to community-level fish traits in north temperate lakes,” by Allison M. Roth, Irene Gregory-Eaves et al, was published in Biological Reviews.

It was funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec Strategic Cluster - Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie.

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Journal

Biological Reviews

DOI

10.1111/brv.70074 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Differential effects of freshwater browning across fish species: consequences for individual- to community-level fish traits in north temperate lakes

Irradiated cannabis might still harbour toxic fungi and residues, McGill study finds

Researchers raise concerns about possible health risks for vulnerable users, point to a need for better methods and safeguards

McGill University

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Gamma irradiation, an industry-standard sterilization method for medicinal and recreational cannabis, does not fully eliminate toxic fungi or their chemical residues, a McGill University study has found. Current testing practices may also miss contamination, raising concerns about health risks for vulnerable users, particularly those with weakened immune systems. 

The researchers said this is especially significant given that 70 per cent of cannabis is consumed by smoking or vaping, which may deliver toxins directly into the lungs and exacerbate smoking-related injury to lung tissues. 

These findings point to a need for stricter testing and better safeguards, they said.

Major health hazards

Gamma irradiation works by damaging the DNA and RNA of microbes and degrading mycotoxins – harmful compounds produced by certain fungi. While this process significantly reduces microbial loads, researchers found viable spores of mycotoxigenic fungi, DNA fragments and traces of toxins remained after irradiation.  

These remnants pose major health hazards, with heightened risk for such populations as cancer patients, transplant recipients and individuals with HIV/AIDS. However, the study also cites multiple case reports of fungal lung infections and other opportunistic infections in healthy people exposed to contaminated cannabis products. 

Combined methods can improve testing 

Researchers analyzed dried cannabis buds from a licensed producer and ready-to-use products from a licensed producer that were legally on the market. They used three complementary approaches: 

• Culture-based methods to grow and identify living fungi and bacteria. 

• Molecular tests (PCR and qPCR) to detect fungal DNA and toxin-producing genes. 

• Antibody-based ELISA assays to measure mycotoxins such as aflatoxins and ochratoxins. 

The team found that ELISA, the current industry standard, is not sensitive enough on its own to detect trace amounts of mycotoxins left after irradiation, nor is mass spectrometry when used in isolation. Adding molecular and culture-based methods allows testers to track smaller fragments that ELISA or mass spectrometry alone might miss. 

“A single spore can cause disease, so we had to go beyond the ELISA limit to see. To the general population, this may not have much significance, but immunocompromised people will be at much higher risk,” said Saji George, study co-author and Professor at the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry. 

Industry collaboration and next steps 

The researchers stressed that once contamination occurs, it is extremely difficult to remove, so prevention is key. They are working with industry partners on such solutions as beneficial bacteria that prevent harmful fungi from establishing on the crop. 

“Cannabis buds have sticky resins, so they are really susceptible to contamination. These fungi are everywhere, so we need to be more careful at every stage, from growing and harvesting to processing and storage,” said Mamta Rani, study co-author and Research Associate at the Laboratory for Sustainable Agricultural Food and Environmental Applications of Nanotechnology (SAFE-Nano lab) at McGill.  

“It is possible to produce clean cannabis. Some companies we work with have achieved this through strict hygiene practices and controlled environments,” she said.  

Added George: “We are not trying to tarnish the industry, but to help make it more sustainable and provide guidelines for safer products. We need stricter safety standards, especially for medicinal cannabis.” 

About this study

“Detection of Mycotoxigenic Fungi and Residual Mycotoxins in Cannabis Buds Following Gamma Irradiation,” by Mamta Rani, Mohammad Jamil Kaddoura, Jamil Samsatly, Guy Chamberland, Suha Jabaj and Saji George, was published in Toxins. 

The research was funded by Tetra Biopharma Inc. (G253375).

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Journal

Toxins

DOI

10.3390/toxins17110528 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Detection of Mycotoxigenic Fungi and Residual Mycotoxins in Cannabis Buds Following Gamma Irradiation

Article Publication Date

  19-Jan-2026

COI Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Jamil Samsatly (Vice President, Biopesticides) and Guy Chamberland (Chief Scientist, Registration and Licensing) are employed by BioSun Solutions Inc. Guy Chamberland, during his tenure at Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc., contributed to the conceptualization of the study objectives and provided research funding. Jamil Samsatly assisted in obtaining the positive control fungal samples, assisted in manuscript writing and provided software support for data analysis.