Cut-off evaluation of ID Screen Mycoplasma bovis ELISA for use on bulk tank milk in New Zealand - Ayesha Salgadu; Amy Burroughs; Kate Sawford; Tim Johnstone; Nadeeka K. Wawegama; Mark A. Stevenson; Glenn F. Browning; Simon M. Firestone (Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2025)

Insect-parasitic fungi as a model system to investigate coinfections - Eduardo C. Costantin; José A. Roxinol; Pablo F. Braga; Simon Luke Elliot (Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 2025)

Advancement in fruit drying through the analysis of moisture sorption isotherms: Processing effects on Australian native fruits in comparison to apple - Paul Michalski; Md Shahruk Nur-A-Tomal; Simon Crawford; Murray Rudman; Leonie van ‘t Hag (Journal of Food Engineering, 2025)

Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c and its role in OSA pathogenesis: a potential therapeutic target? - Bradley A. Edwards; Simon A. Joosten; Shane A. Landry (Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2025)

Range‐Wide Genomic Analysis Reveals Regional and Meta‐Population Dynamics of Decline and Recovery in the Grey Seal - Morgan L. McCarthy; Kristina M. Cammen; Sandra M. Granquist; Rune Dietz; Jonas Teilmann; Charlotte Bie Thøstesen; Simon Kjeldgaard; Mia Valtonen; Mervi Kunnasranta; Bjørn Munro Jenssen; Markus P. Ahola; Britt‐Marie Bäcklin; et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2025)
Wildlife populations globally have experienced widespread historical declines due to anthropogenic and environmental impacts, yet for some species, contemporary management and conservation programmes have enabled recent recovery. The impacts of decline and recovery on genomic diversity and, vice versa, the genetic factors that contribute to conservation success or failure are rich areas for inquiry, with implications for shaping how we manage species into the future. To comprehensively characterise these processes in natural systems requires range‐wide sampling and international collaboration, particularly for species with wide dispersal capabilities, broad geographic distributions, and complex regional metapopulation dynamics. Here, we present the first range‐ and genome‐wide population genomic analysis of grey seals based on 3812 nuclear SNPs genotyped in 188 samples from 17 localities. Our analyses support the existence of three main grey seal populations centred in the NW Atlantic, NE Atlantic and Baltic Sea, and point to the existence of previously unrecognised substructure within the NE Atlantic. We detected remarkably low levels of genetic diversity in the NW Atlantic population, and demographic analyses revealed a turbulent history of NE Atlantic and Baltic Sea grey seals, with bottlenecks in the Middle Ages and the 20th century due to hunting and habitat alterations. We found some localities deviated from isolation by distance patterns, likely reflecting wide‐scale metapopulation dynamics associated with recolonisation and recovery in regions where they were historically extirpated. We identify at least six grey seal genetic populations and reveal marked genetic effects of past declines and recent recovery across the species' range.

Developmental Behavioural Plasticity and DNA Methylation Patterns in Response to Predation Stress in Trinidadian Guppies - Janay A. Fox; Simon M. Reader; Mélanie F. Guigueno; Rowan D. H. Barrett (Molecular Ecology, 2025)
Early‐life experiences can predict the environments experienced later in life, giving individuals an opportunity to develop adaptive behaviour appropriate to a likely future environment. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation (DNAm) have been implicated in developmental behavioural plasticity; however, studies investigating this possibility are limited in taxonomic breadth and ecological relevance. We investigated the impact of early‐life exposure to predation stress on behaviour and DNAm in the brains of Trinidadian guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ). We exposed guppies throughout development to either an alarm cue (conspecific skin extract), inducing predation stress, or a control cue (water) for 8 weeks and then raised them to adulthood under identical conditions. Then, we conducted two behavioural assays, an open‐field and a grouping test, before performing whole‐genome bisulfite sequencing on whole brains. Guppies exposed to the alarm cue during development exhibited increased grouping (shoaling) in adulthood compared to those exposed to the control treatment, but there were no detectable impacts on activity, boldness, or exploratory behaviour. We also identified stable shifts in brain DNAm in response to developmental alarm cue exposure in genes involved in behavioural regulation. Some differentially methylated sites were significantly associated with shoaling propensity in both males and females. Additionally, males and females differed in the magnitude of DNAm responses and the genes impacted, suggesting distinct roles for DNAm between the sexes. This study shows how early‐life predation stress can induce behavioural changes in adulthood and that shifts in neural DNAm could be an underlying mechanism responsible for these changes.

Long Term Marine Biodiversity Monitoring in Coastal Antarctica: Are Fewer Rare Species Recruiting? - David K. A. Barnes; Adriana Giles; Pati Glaz; Sean McLoughlin; Alice Clement; Simon A. Morley (Global Change Biology, 2025)
The physical environment of nearshore Southern Ocean (coastal Antarctica) is altering rapidly in response to climate change, but also has other long cyclicity due to El Nino Southern Oscillation and Southern Annular Mode. Detecting biological responses to such physical change, which is complex in time and space, is very challenging not least because of remoteness, difficulty of access, frequency of iceberg destruction and short funding cycles but also the paucity of research stations with SCUBA (or ROV) facilities. At one of those few, Rothera, Adelaide Island on the West Antarctic Peninsula, we immersed arrays of artificial substrata (settlement panels) for 1 year repeatedly for over two decades. Whilst many ‘mature assemblages’ are monitored at nearshore sites around the world, there are few of similar duration for recruitment and colonisation. We report the variability in annual biodiversity descriptive statistics with the crucial context of also recording adjacent long (here defined as > 1 decade) term seabed disturbance and biophysical oceanography at Rothera. We ask how variable is annual colonisation, recruitment and early community development in Antarctica's shallows, what aspect of recruitment changes over two decades and in what way? Of 40 recorded, most species recruiting to our panels at 12 m depth at Adelaide Island (67.568° S, 68.127° W) were rare, comprising cheilostome and cyclostome bryozoans, polychaetes, calcarea and demosponge sponges, hydroid cnidarians and ascidians. The most striking finding was a sustained decrease in total richness of recruits over time, mainly due to loss of rare species. Unlike losses of seasonal sea ice, iceberg disturbance and benthos mortality, such findings are unlikely to be climate‐forced responses. This raises important questions of whether this is a chance finding, (the data only spans 20 years), driven by a recent complex of stressors and most of all is losing rare species a wider polar problem?

Integrating Presence‐Only Data Into Spatio‐Temporal Models to Support Fisheries Assessments and Management in Freshwater and Marine Environments - Anthony R. Charsley; Arnaud Grüss; Nokuthaba Sibanda; Shannan K. Crow; Owen F. Anderson; Ashley A. Rowden; Simon D. Hoyle; David D. Bowden (Fish and Fisheries, 2025)
Spatio‐temporal species distribution models can support fisheries assessments and management in marine and freshwater environments. However, the high costs of structured surveys often limit the spatio‐temporal coverage of the data available for modelling. To address this issue, we present a spatio‐temporal modelling approach integrating structured survey data with unstructured presence‐only data, which have greater spatio‐temporal coverage than structured data, but are often disregarded in fisheries research. Data integration is achieved by generating pseudo‐absences for the presence‐only data and estimating spatially varying catchability for all data sources relative to the structured dataset. We consider a freshwater application, building longfin eel ( Anguilla dieffenbachii , Anguillidae) spatio‐temporal distribution models for the Taranaki region, New Zealand, and a marine application, building spatial density models for the vulnerable marine ecosystem indicator taxon Demospongiae in the South Pacific Ocean. We also conduct a simulation experiment to investigate the impacts of using pseudo‐absences that do not reflect true absence patterns in our modelling framework. By integrating unstructured presence‐only data, our approach improves the spatio‐temporal coverage of the data available for modelling. Our applications provide results consistent with previous modelling studies but also offer new insights into the distribution and density patterns of longfin eel and Demospongiae. The simulation experiment found greater error and poorer uncertainty characterisation in models that mis‐specified true absence patterns. We recommend assessing spatial structure in presence‐only data and generating spatially structured pseudo‐absences that match this structure. Our approach has many potential applications, such as providing enhanced information to assist fisheries in assessments and management.

Consistent Unimodal Body Length Distributions in Hundreds of Reef Fishes Across Diverse Life Histories - Freddie J. Heather; Shane A. Richards; Nils C. Krueck; Rick D. Stuart‐Smith; Simon J. Brandl; Jordan M. Casey; Graham J. Edgar; Neville Barrett; Valeriano Parravicini; Asta Audzijonyte (Fish and Fisheries, 2025)
Animal body size distributions result from interactions of growth, mortality and recruitment. In ecology and fisheries science, theoretical models of fish body size distributions are widely used but rely on life‐history parameters—growth coefficient (K) and natural mortality rate (M)—that remain unknown for most species and are challenging to estimate. Analysing data from underwater visual surveys and exhaustive sampling, representing 3068 populations across 797 species of shallow‐water, mostly unfished marine fishes, we demonstrate that post‐recruitment body length distributions exhibit a consistent unimodal shape across species and populations. When scaled to the mean body length, these distributions are strikingly similar across all teleost and elasmobranch species, with diverse life histories and maximum body sizes ranging from 1 cm to 3 m. Observed size structure can be approximated by a truncated normal distribution with a coefficient of variation of ~0.34 (SE = 0.002). Such consistent observed body size distributions could be aligned with Beverton–Holt population dynamics theory, if assuming an M/K ratio of ~1.5 and logistic observational selectivity with 50% detectability at ~40% of maximum body length. Alternatively, observed distributions could reflect deviations from theoretical expectations, and reconciling the unimodal distributions with theory may require relaxing some model assumptions, such as continuous recruitment, constant density‐independent growth or constant natural mortality. Overall, the consistency of population‐ and species‐level body length distributions means that unfished size structure could be predicted from a single body size parameter. It also suggests evolutionary convergence of diverse growth and mortality processes towards a narrow range of viable outcomes.

Assessment of heavy metal pollution from flooded rice farms in Hadejia LGA of Jigawa State Nigeria: an impact of climate change - J. Simon; E. A. Ibanga; E. P. Inyang; H. G. Kama; K. O. Momoh; S. Bello; A. G. Yisa (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2025)

Whale shark residency and small-scale movements around oil and gas platforms in Qatar - Steffen S. Bach; David P. Robinson; Mohammed Y. Al Jaidah; Simon J. Pierce; Prasad Thoppil; Christoph A. Rohner (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025)
Whale sharks seasonally aggregate near oil and gas platforms in Qatar to feed on fish spawn, creating one of the world’s largest aggregations of the species. We used passive acoustic telemetry to examine their fine-scale movements, residency, and seasonality and investigate whether the platforms influence their space use in this area. Tags had a mean retention of 161 ± 186 days (standard deviation, SD) and 32 of the 117 tags were recorded in multiple years in the acoustic array (21 stations). Most detections were recorded from May to September, confirming that this whale shark aggregation is seasonal. Whale sharks stayed up to 77 consecutive days in the array (mean = 16 ± 12.51 days) and had a mean residency index R max of 0.31. Although most detections (65%) were made at a single receiver located near a platform, here designated P1, an ‘open water’ receiver near this location also had a high proportion of total detections (8.5%). Receivers at other platforms, located away from this specific site, had relatively few detections. The distance from P1, identified as the center of the aggregation, was the main explanatory variable in a GAM. Whale shark aggregations were routinely observed feeding on tuna spawn at the surface at this location, with the eggs (and hence whale sharks) moving with the current through the day, and moving through the array as they did so. Whale sharks then swam against the current in the late afternoon and at night to relocate back to near the presumed tuna spawning site, close to P1, again in the early morning. Rather than being generally associated with platforms, whale sharks were clearly associated with a specific feeding location close to P1. Our results highlight the importance of this small feeding area for whale sharks, which face a high threat level in the region.

HealthAge: evaluation of intrinsic capacity changes in humans, mice, and killifish to explore the biology of aging - Sophie Guyonnet; Claudie Hooper; Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari; Angelo Parini; Yohan Santin; Jean-Philippe Pradère; Cédric Dray; Bruno Vellas; Sophie Guyonnet; Bruno Vellas; Lauréane Brigitte; Agathe Milhet; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)
HealthAge was devised by a conglomerate of research groups in Toulouse, France, with the combined goal of narrowing the lifespan-healthspan gap through novel translational bench-to-bedside research studies. HealthAge comprises the “INStitute for Prevention” “healthy aging” and “medicine Rejuvenative” (INSPIRE) human translational, outbred SWISS mice and African turquoise killifish (GRZ strain) cohorts in which aging is studied based on the concept of intrinsic capacity (IC). In this narrative review, we describe the three INSPIRE aging models (human cohort, n = 1109, age range 20 –102 years old with mean age ± standard deviation, 62.4 ± 19.0 years and 61.9% female; outbred SWISS mice, n = 1576 and African Turquoise killifish, n = 300) and explain how IC is assessed at the clinical (in humans) and biological level over time. HealthAge strives to elucidate the underlying biology of IC and to identify biomarkers of IC declines and novel gero-therapeutics using the clinical and biological data and biospecimens collected prospectively in the three species. The data sharing policy will foster scientific discovery through new multi-disciplinary collaborations. Thus, HealthAge will promote healthy aging using a unique translational platform based on IC phenotyping with the ultimate goal of preventing loss of human independence and alleviating health costs associated with an aging population.

Evaluating public exposure to airborne particulates from major incident fires: A back trajectory plume modelling approach - Simon D. Griffiths; Helen M. King; Justine Wilkinson; Frank J. Kelly; Jane A. Entwistle; Michael E. Deary (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025)

The age and source of Cambrian post-orogenic magmatism in the Kuboos-Bremen Igneous Province (Southern Namibia) - R.F. Zech; C.T. Onken; G. Sartori; S.J. Simon; A. Shipandeni; A. Galli; R.A. Spikings; M.W. Schmidt (Journal of African Earth Sciences, 2025)

Behavioral and neurological responses of Oreochromis niloticus to chronic cyclic hypoxia: mechanistic insights into hypoxia-responsive genes, pro-inflammatory and apoptotic pathways: role of camel whey protein hydrolysate - Amany Abdel-Rahman Mohamed; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Tarek Khamis; Ali Osman; Mohamed M. M. Metwally; Abd Elhakeem El-Murr; Simon J. Davies; Yasmina M. Abd-Elhakim (Veterinary Research Communications, 2025)

Genome-wide association analysis identifies seven loci conferring resistance to multiple wheat foliar diseases, including brown and yellow rust resistance originating from Aegilops ventricosa - Keith A. Gardner; Bethany Love; Pauline Bansept-Basler; Tobias Barber; Simon Berry; Nick Bird; Finn Borum; Lesley Boyd; James K. M. Brown; Ruth Bryant; Paul Fenwick; David Feuerhelm; et al. (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2025)
We assembled a European bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) association mapping panel ( n = 480) genotyped using a 90,000 feature single nucleotide polymorphism array, with the aim of identifying genetic loci controlling resistance to four fungal diseases: yellow (stripe) rust (YR), brown (leaf) rust (BR), Septoria tritici blotch (ST) and powdery mildew (PM). Simulations showed our panel to have good power to detect genetic loci, with > 50% probability of identifying loci controlling as little as 5% of the variance when heritability was 0.6 or more. Using disease infection data collected across 31 trials undertaken in five European countries, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 34 replicated genetic loci (20 for YR, 12 for BR, two for PM, 0 for ST), with seven loci associated with resistance to two or more diseases. Construction and analysis of eight bi-parental populations enabled two selected genetic loci, yellow rust resistance locus YR_2A010 (chromosome 2A) and YR_6A610 (6A), to be independently cross-validated, along with the development of genetic markers to track resistance alleles at these loci. Notably, the chromosome 2A yellow and brown rust resistance locus corresponds to the 2N v S introgression from the wild wheat species, Aegilops ventricosa . We found evidence of strong selection for 2N v S over recent breeding history, being present in 48% of the most recent cultivars in our panel. Collectively, we define the genetic architectures controlling resistance to major fungal diseases of wheat under European field environments, and provide resources to exploit these for the development of new wheat cultivars with improved disease resistance.

Penetration of groundwater into crystalline rocks - Bruce W. D. Yardley; Roy A. Wogelius; Thomas Mueller; Antoni E. Milodowski; Lorraine P. Field; Lin Ma; Richard Metcalfe; Simon Norris (Hydrogeology Journal, 2025)

Conspecific hyperparasitism in two Ornithodoros species (Ixodida: Argasidae) endemic to Brazil, and interspecific hyperparasitism between Amblyomma sculptum and Rhipicephalus microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) - Thiago F. Martins; Simone M. Simons; Caio Monteiro; Haile D. F. Chagas; Rafael A. Carvalho; Arthur M. Santana; Darci M. Barros-Battesti; Glauber M. B. de Oliveira; Livio M. Costa-Junior; Marcelo B. Labruna; Hermes R. Luz (Experimental and Applied Acarology, 2025)

Assessing the costs of human‒wildlife conflict in the Khata wildlife corridor, Nepal - Bijan Gurung; Robert Mendelsohn; Simon A. Queenborough; Dhan P. Rai; Manoj Chaudhary (European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2025)

Movements and habitat use of reef manta rays around the Mozambique Channel Island of Mayotte, Southwestern Indian Ocean - Christoph A. Rohner; Stephanie K. Venables; Anna M. Knochel; Joshua M. Rambahiniarison; Vyctoria Marillac; Clémentine Cardon; Naomi Scholten; Simon J. Pierce; Jeremy J. Kiszka (Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2025)

Antiviral siRNA delivered using attenuated, anthrax toxin protects cells from the cytopathic effects of Zika virus - Benedita K. L. Feron; Timothy Gomez; Natalie C. Youens; Nourhan A. M. Mahmoud; Hadeer K. S. Abdelrahman; Joachim J. Bugert; Simon C. W. Richardson (Virus Genes, 2025)
Curative drugs are needed for the treatment of viral infections. Small interfering (si)RNA offer such a prospect but require the development of safe, effective and non-hepatotropic subcellular delivery systems. Here, 5 candidate siRNA molecules targeting defined sequences within the Zika Virus (ZIKV) genome were assayed for their ability to reduce ZIKV induced cytopathic effects in vitro. The protection of Huh-7 cells from ZIKV cytopathic effects was recorded after electroporation and the siRNA Feron-Zv2, resulting in 122.7 ± 5.3% cell viability ( n = 3 ± standard error of the mean (SEM), 100 nM siRNA) after exposure to ZIKV relative to a virus treated control (35.2 ± 7.1% cell viability ( n = 3 ± SEM)). Protection of BHK-21 cells was recorded after transfection with an attenuated anthrax toxin containing an RNA binding domain. Treatment with Feron-Zv4 resulted in 75.1 ± 2.9% cell viability ( n = 3 ± SEM, 25 nM siRNA) after exposure to ZIKV. This protection was mirrored by a system containing octameric PA where a maximum of 86.2 ± 4.4% cell viability was reported ( n = 3 ± SEM, 75 nM siRNA) after treatment with Feron-Zv2. Scrambled siRNA afforded no measurable protection. Here we report for the first time that siRNA delivered by either attenuated anthrax toxin or octamer forming ATx can protect mammalian cells from ZIKV cytopathic effects.

Investigating the impact of camel whey protein hydrolysate on cyp1a1 and keap1/nrf2 expression in hypoxic stress-affected liver tissue of Oreochromis niloticus - Amany Abdel-Rahman Mohamed; Afaf A. Kishta; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Yasmina M. Abd-Elhakim; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Mohamed M. M. Metwally; Tarek Khamis; Ali Osman; Simon J. Davies; Mohamed A. Elbealy (Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 2025)

Addressing global food security in Africa through training of next generation of researchers in plant pest diagnostics, in vitro culture, and clean plant production - Sadanand A. Dhekney; Simon Zebelo; Papaiah Sardaru; Purushothaman Natarajan; Stephan L. Tubene; Caleb Nindo; Lyna F. T. Mukwa; Mathews M. Dida; Moses T. Kairo (In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant, 2025)

Changes in behaviour and serotonergic system of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fry related to different levels of black soldier fly larvae meal inclusion in the diet: Exploring the use of nutritional enrichment for its use as positive welfare in aquaculture - Mauro Chivite-Alcalde; Monica Betancor; Benjamin G J Clokie; Ahmed Elsheshtawy; Emma McDonald; Carlos Ramírez-Rodríguez; Miha Pipan; Simon A. MacKenzie; Sonia Rey Planellas (Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2025)

The impact of betalains and organic selenium on the physiological responses, blood metabolites, redox status, and semen quality of heat-stressed rabbits - Tharwat A. Imbabi; Eman H. Halawa; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdel-Wahab A. Abdel-Warith; Dina A. Selim; Mohamed H. Abdel Aal; Lamiaa M.M. EL-Maghraby; Abdalla El-Hadary; Shimaa A. Amer; Simon J. Davies; Mohamed S. Basiouny; Mahmoud Sitohy; et al. (Animal Feed Science and Technology, 2025)

Gliricidia sepium tree pollarding and immediate plant growth regulator application to stem cuttings improved seed yield and field performance at Chitedze and Chitala research stations in Malawi - Simon A. Mng’omba; Festus K. Akinnifesi (Agroforestry Systems, 2025)

Staying hooked: effective science engagement and communication in recreational fisheries - Pablo Pita; Sean Tracey; Robert Arlinghaus; Eneko Bachiller; Filipa Pinho-Duarte; Keno Ferter; Filipe Henriques; Samantha Hook; Kieran Hyder; Alejo Irigoyen; María P. Jiménez; Martín Laporta; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025)
● This abstract summarizes the results of two expert consultations conducted to gather insights into effective communication and engagement strategies in recreational fisheries. ● Effective science communication fosters knowledge, understanding, and trust in both science and management decisions. ● Public involvement and stakeholder engagement are essential for effective management. ● Simplifying complex research findings and using diverse communication tools enhance awareness and understanding. ● Strong communication strategies are necessary to implement sustainable recreational fisheries management frameworks. ● Funding for communication efforts is often insufficient but remains crucial for success. ● Participatory workshops and data-sharing arrangements enhance collaboration and involvement. ● Multi-stakeholder consortiums and tailored communication strategies strengthen stakeholder engagement and promote adaptive governance. Interdisciplinary outreach and strategic social media use play vital roles in raising environmental awareness.

Correction: A novel menthol-DCMU bleaching method for foraminifera: generating aposymbiotic hosts for symbiosis research - Christiane Schmidt; Diana N. Puerto Rueda; Moritz Nusser; Clinton A. Oakley; Xavier Pochon; Marleen Stuhr; Débora S. Raposo; Simon K. Davy (Symbiosis, 2025)

Enhancing process monitoring and control in novel carbon capture and utilization biotechnology through artificial intelligence modeling: An advanced approach toward sustainable and carbon-neutral wastewater treatment - Stefano Cairone; Giuseppina Oliva; Fabiana Romano; Federica Pasquarelli; Aniello Mariniello; Antonis A. Zorpas; Simon J.T. Pollard; Kwang-Ho Choo; Vincenzo Belgiorno; Tiziano Zarra; Vincenzo Naddeo (Chemosphere, 2025)

A Comparison of Dietary Intake Among Rural Americans With and Without Diabetes - Christian A. Koziatek; Melissa Rony; Carolina Quintero Arias; Tammy Flores; Matthew Heider; Molly Smith; Sadakat Chowdhury; Haley Motola; Jill Hubert-Simon; Karen Holden; David C. Lee (Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2025)

Nb-Ta-Sn oxides as markers of magmatic fractionation and magmatic-hydrothermal evolution: The example of the Nuweibi granite intrusion, Eastern Desert, Egypt - Simon Goldmann; Julie Anne-Sophie Michaud; Torge Krummacker; Chao Zhang; François Holtz; Ali A. Khudeir; Sadeq Hamid; Mohamed Abu El-Rus (Geochemistry, 2025)

Precise 40Ar/39Ar dating of multiple potassic minerals constrain the age and rapid cooling history of the Walgidee Hills lamproite pipe, Kimberley Region, Western Australia, at 17.49 Ma - Simon A. Wilde; Fred Jourdan; Lynda Frewer; Monika A. Kusiak (Chemical Geology, 2025)

Quantifying taxon-specific habitat connectivity requirements of urban wildlife using structured expert judgement - Stephanie K. Courtney Jones; Luke S. O'Loughlin; Danswell Starrs; Jacinta E. Humphrey; Stephanie A. Pulsford; Hugh Allan; Matt Beitzel; Kym Birgen; Suzi Bond; Jenny Bounds; Deborah Bower; Renee Brawata; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2025)

Stomach parasites and health status of short-beaked common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, stranded along the Irish coastline - H. A. S. S. Alwis; Sofia Albrecht; Sinéad Murphy; Jim O’Donovan; Simon Berrow; Mags Daly; Stephanie Levesque; Katie O’Dwyer (Marine Biology, 2025)

Submerged Corridors of Ancient Gene Flow in an Island Amphibian - Miranda B. Sherlock; Mark Wilkinson; Simon T. Maddock; Ronald A. Nussbaum; Julia J. Day; Jeffrey W. Streicher (Molecular Ecology, 2025)
Many island archipelagos sit on shallow continental shelves, and during the Pleistocene, these islands were often connected as global sea levels dropped following glaciation. Given a continental shelf only 30–60 m below sea level, the terrestrial biota of the Seychelles Archipelago likely dispersed amongst now isolated islands during the Pleistocene. Hypogeophis rostratus is an egg‐laying, direct‐developing caecilian amphibian found on 10 islands in the granitic Seychelles. Despite the seemingly limited dispersal abilities of this salt‐intolerant amphibian, its distribution on multiple islands suggests likely historic dispersal across now submerged continental shelf corridors. We tested for the genetic signature of these historic corridors using fine‐scale genomic data (ddRADseq). We found that genomic clusters often did not correspond to islands in the archipelago and that isolation‐by‐distance patterns were more consistent with gene flow across a continuous landscape than with isolated island populations. Using effective migration surfaces and ancestral range expansion prediction, we found support for contemporary populations originating near the large southern island of Mahé and dispersing to northern islands via the isolated Frégate island, with additional historic migration across the flat expanse of the Seychelles bank. Collectively, our results suggest that biogeographic patterns can retain signals from Pleistocene ‘palaeo‐islands’ and that present‐day islands can be thought of as hosting bottlenecks or transient refugia rather than discrete genetic units. Thus, the signatures of gene flow associated with palaeo‐islands may be stronger than the isolating effects of contemporary islands in terrestrial species distributed on continental shelf islands.

Genomic Analysis Reveals a New Cryptic Taxon Within the Anopheles gambiae Complex With a Distinct Insecticide Resistance Profile in the Coast of East Africa - Sophia H. Mwinyi; Kelly L. Bennett; Sanjay C. Nagi; Bilali Kabula; Johnson Matowo; David Weetman; Francesco Baldini; Simon A. Babayan; Martin J. Donnelly; Chris S. Clarkson; Fredros O. Okumu; Alistair Miles (Molecular Ecology, 2025)
Anopheles mosquitoes are major malaria vectors, encompassing several species complexes with diverse life histories, transmission risks and insecticide resistance profiles that challenge malaria control efforts. This study investigated the genetic structure and insecticide resistance profiles of Anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes in Tanzania. We analysed whole‐genome sequence data of 300 mosquitoes collected between 2012 and 2015 across four regions in northern Tanzania and identified An. gambiae s.s., An. arabiensis and a distinct taxonomic group that was previously unknown. This distinct taxon has a unique profile of genetic diversity and appears restricted to the coastal region, and we refer to it as the Pwani molecular form. Analysis of insecticide resistance based on target‐site mutations and copy number variations (CNV) showed that these markers were strikingly absent from the Pwani molecular form in contrast to other taxa. Our analysis also revealed a pattern of geographical isolation in the An. gambiae s.s. populations, with samples from the north‐western site (Muleba) clustering separately from those collected in the north‐eastern site (Muheza). These geographically isolated subpopulations also had differing resistance and selection profiles, with An. gambiae s.s. from the north‐western site showing genomic evidence of higher resistance to pyrethroids compared with the north‐eastern population. Conversely, An. arabiensis showed no geographical population structuring, with a similar insecticide resistance profile across all sampling locations, suggesting unrestricted gene flow. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate genetic data into malaria vector surveillance and control decisions and could inform the development and deployment of new interventions.

Rapid Neural DNA Methylation Responses to Predation Stress in Trinidadian Guppies - Janay A. Fox; Simon M. Reader; Rowan D. H. Barrett (Molecular Ecology, 2025)
DNA methylation (DNAm) is a well‐studied epigenetic mechanism implicated in environmentally induced phenotypes and phenotypic plasticity. However, few studies investigate the timescale of DNAm shifts. Thus, it is uncertain whether DNAm can change on timescales relevant for rapid phenotypic shifts, such as during the expression of short‐term behavioural plasticity. DNAm could be especially reactive in the brain, potentially increasing its relevance for behavioural plasticity. Most research investigating neural changes in methylation has been conducted in mammalian systems, on isolated individuals, and using stressors that are less ecologically relevant, reducing their generalisability to other natural systems. We exposed pairs of male and female Trinidadian guppies ( Poecilia reticulata ) to alarm cue, conspecific skin extract that reliably induces anti‐predator behaviour, or a control cue. Whole‐genome bisulphite sequencing on whole brains at various time points following cue exposure (0.5, 1, 4, 24, and 72 h) allowed us to uncover the timescale of neural DNAm responses. Males and females both showed rapid shifts in DNAm in as little as 0.5 h. However, males and females differed in the time course of their responses: both sexes showed a peak in the number of loci showing significant responses at 4 h, but males showed an additional peak at 72 h. We suggest that this finding could be due to the differing longer‐term plastic responses between the sexes. This study shows that DNAm can be rapidly induced by an ecologically relevant stressor in fish and suggests that DNAm could be involved in short‐term behavioural plasticity.

BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series - Maria Dornelas; Laura H. Antão; Amanda E. Bates; Viviana Brambilla; Jonathan M. Chase; Cher F. Y. Chow; Ada Fontrodona‐Eslava; Anne E. Magurran; Inês S. Martins; Faye Moyes; Alban Sagouis; Samuel Adu‐Acheampong; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Motivation Here, we make available a second version of the BioTIME database, which compiles records of abundance estimates for species in sample events of ecological assemblages through time. The updated version expands version 1.0 of the database by doubling the number of studies and includes substantial additional curation to the taxonomic accuracy of the records, as well as the metadata. Moreover, we now provide an R package (BioTIMEr) to facilitate use of the database. Main Types of Variables Included The database is composed of one main data table containing the abundance records and 11 metadata tables. The data are organised in a hierarchy of scales where 11,989,233 records are nested in 1,603,067 sample events, from 553,253 sampling locations, which are nested in 708 studies. A study is defined as a sampling methodology applied to an assemblage for a minimum of 2 years. Spatial Location and Grain Sampling locations in BioTIME are distributed across the planet, including marine, terrestrial and freshwater realms. Spatial grain size and extent vary across studies depending on sampling methodology. We recommend gridding of sampling locations into areas of consistent size. Time Period and Grain The earliest time series in BioTIME start in 1874, and the most recent records are from 2023. Temporal grain and duration vary across studies. We recommend doing sample‐level rarefaction to ensure consistent sampling effort through time before calculating any diversity metric. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement The database includes any eukaryotic taxa, with a combined total of 56,400 taxa. Software Format csv and. SQL.

Worldwide Soundscapes: A Synthesis of Passive Acoustic Monitoring Across Realms - Kevin F. A. Darras; Rodney A. Rountree; Steven L. Van Wilgenburg; Anna F. Cord; Frederik Pitz; Youfang Chen; Lijun Dong; Agnès Rocquencourt; Camille Desjonquères; Patrick Mauritz Diaz; Tzu‐Hao Lin; Théophile Turco; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Aim The urgency for remote, reliable and scalable biodiversity monitoring amidst mounting human pressures on ecosystems has sparked worldwide interest in Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM), which can track life underwater and on land. However, we lack a unified methodology to report this sampling effort and a comprehensive overview of PAM coverage to gauge its potential as a global research and monitoring tool. To address this gap, we created the Worldwide Soundscapes project, a collaborative network and growing database comprising metadata from 416 datasets across all realms (terrestrial, marine, freshwater and subterranean). Location Worldwide, 12,343 sites, all ecosystem types. Time Period 1991 to present. Major Taxa Studied All soniferous taxa. Methods We synthesise sampling coverage across spatial, temporal and ecological scales using metadata describing sampling locations, deployment schedules, focal taxa and audio recording parameters. We explore global trends in biological, anthropogenic and geophysical sounds based on 168 selected recordings from 12 ecosystems across all realms. Results Terrestrial sampling is spatially denser (46 sites per million square kilometre—Mkm 2 ) than aquatic sampling (0.3 and 1.8 sites/Mkm 2 in oceans and fresh water) with only two subterranean datasets. Although diel and lunar cycles are well sampled across realms, only marine datasets (55%) comprehensively sample all seasons. Across the 12 ecosystems selected for exploring global acoustic trends, biological sounds showed contrasting diel patterns across ecosystems, declined with distance from the Equator, and were negatively correlated with anthropogenic sounds. Main Conclusions PAM can inform macroecological studies as well as global conservation and phenology syntheses, but representation can be improved by expanding terrestrial taxonomic scope, sampling coverage in the high seas and subterranean ecosystems, and spatio‐temporal replication in freshwater habitats. Overall, this worldwide PAM network holds promise to support cross‐realm biodiversity research and monitoring efforts.

Tropical Land‐Use Change Disrupts Zeta‐Diversity Across Taxa - Edicson Parra‐Sanchez; Guillaume Latombe; Simon C. Mills; Jacob B. Socolar; Felicity A. Edwards; Diego Martinez‐Revelo; Oscar A. Perez‐Escobar; Robert W. Davies; Christopher G. Bousfield; Gianluca R. Cerullo; Jose Manuel Ochoa‐Quintero; Torbjørn Haugaasen; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2025)
Land‐use change causes community turnover via local extinction and colonisation of species, driving biotic homogenization or heterogenization at larger spatial scales. Quantification of these processes has focused on beta‐diversity metrics, which upweight rarity and overlook the role of widespread species. A key knowledge gap is understanding the impact of land‐use change on both rare and widespread species—zeta‐diversity—allowing the detection of statistical patterns and drivers based on community turnover across space. We sampled bird, dung beetle, and orchid communities in 341 plots across natural (Andean forests and paramo) and transformed habitats (pasturelands) spanning ~270 km north‐to‐south in the Colombian Andes. We detected major losses in species richness following land‐use conversion, which disrupts zeta‐diversity across elevation in two ways. First, biodiversity patterns are rewired such that bird and dung beetle communities become structured by dispersal ability, overriding the effects of natural biogeographical drivers (i.e., elevation) and landscape conditions (i.e., canopy cover). Second, land‐use change causes biotic homogenization across bird communities, with pasture retaining twice as many widespread species than natural habitats, and a four‐fold reduction in widespread dung beetle species pointing to subtractive heterogenization. Orchid communities show high community turnover in both natural and transformed habitat. Our results show that the effect of local deforestation has a doubly devastating impact simplifying communities and reducing widespread species. Transforming natural habitats into anthropogenic landscapes may substantially raise extinction risk for communities composed of both widespread and rare species, especially in orchids as the most sensitive taxon.

How Do Synchrony in Survival and Productivity Influence Abundance Synchrony in European Landbirds? - Catriona A. Morrison; Jennifer A. Gill; Claire Buchan; Robert A. Robinson; Juan Arizaga; Oriol Baltà; Emanuel Baltag; Jaroslav Cepák; Pierre‐Yves Henry; Ian Henshaw; Zsolt Karcza; Petteri Lehikoinen; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2025)
Synchronous fluctuations in species' abundance are influenced by synchrony in underlying rates of productivity and survival. However, it remains unclear how rate synchrony varies in space and time, contributes to abundance synchrony, and differs among species. Using long‐term annual count (number of adults captured), adult survival and productivity (number of juveniles captured per adult) data for breeding land‐birds at ringing sites across Europe, we show that synchrony is strongest and largest scale in productivity and weakest and smallest scale in counts. However, counts fluctuate more synchronously with survival than they do with productivity. These patterns hold for species which do not migrate or only migrate within Europe (European‐residents) and those migrating to sub‐Saharan Africa (subSaharan‐migrants), but the periodicity of productivity and survival synchrony is longer in European‐residents than in subSaharan‐migrants. This suggests that survival and productivity synchrony may interact to weaken abundance fluctuations but are influenced by environmental drivers operating over differing timescales in European‐resident and subSaharan‐migrant species.

Connectivity in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone: a review - Lara Macheriotou; Sven Rossel; Massimiliano Molari; Pedro Martinez Arbizu; Saskia Brix; Magdalini Christodoulou; Pierre-Antoine Dessandier; Ana Hilário; Felix Janssen; Erik Simon-Lledó; Lenaick Menot; Ellen Pape; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025)
Despite its remoteness, the deep sea is not spared from the impact of human activities. The emergence of industrial-scale deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules on the abyssal plains (4-5 km depth) of the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone in the equatorial Pacific is potentially the most threatening undertaking at present time. A primary aspect that must be comprehensively assessed in order to safeguard these abyssal benthic communities through the designation of marine protected areas and the spatial organization of prospective mining fields is connectivity, i.e., the continuity of species distributions in space and time. In this review we provide the current state of knowledge on connectivity through an examination of published literature focused on several animal groups from all benthic faunal size classes (megafauna, macrofauna, meiofauna) as well as Foraminifera and microbes. We highlight the main challenges associated with assessing connectivity in the deep sea and outline the key parameters required to achieve the idealised connectivity study for fauna and microbes.

Biological characteristics and pathogenicity of entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) isolated from soils in Northern Kenya against desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) - Pamela C. Mwikali; Lizzy A. Mwamburi; Simon Peter Musinguzi (Crop Protection, 2025)

Identifying capacity limitations and training needs using a stock assessment game - André E. Punt; Catherine M. Dichmont; Natalie A. Dowling; Roy A. Deng; Sean Pascoe; Ingrid van Putten; Pia Bessell-Browne; Paul Burch; Owen Burnell; Rowan C. Chick; Simon de Lestang; Ainslie Denham; et al. (Fisheries Research, 2025)

Earth's most needed uncultivated aquatic prokaryotes - Sophie A. Simon; Vera Aschmann; Annika Behrendt; Michael Hügler; Lisa M. Engl; Marion Pohlner; Sönke Rolfes; Thorsten Brinkhoff; Bert Engelen; Martin Könneke; Luis M. Rodriguez-R; Till L.V. Bornemann; et al. (Water Research, 2025)

Bioavailable carbon additions to soil promote free-living nitrogen fixation and microbial biomass growth with N-free lipids - Georg Dittmann; Su Ding; Ellen C. Hopmans; Simon A. Schröter; Alice M. Orme; Erika Kothe; Markus Lange; Gerd Gleixner (Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2025)

Ultraviolet radiation vs air filtration to mitigate virus laden aerosol in an occupied clinical room - Shane A. Landry; Milan Jamriska; Vinay J. Menon; Leo Yi Yang Lee; Isabelle Magnin-Bougma; Dinesh Subedi; Jeremy J. Barr; Jason Monty; Kevin Kevin; Ajith Gunatilaka; Michelle Delaire; Guy B. Marks; et al. (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025)

Volatilome of Australian Ips grandicollis-associated ophiostomatoid fungi - Somia Afzal; Helen F. Nahrung; Simon A. Lawson; R. Andrew Hayes (Fungal Ecology, 2025)

Late Cenozoic intensification of deoxygenation in the Pacific Ocean - Katrina Nilsson-Kerr; Babette A.A. Hoogakker; Dharma A. Reyes Macaya; Helge A. Winkelbauer; Elliott Hamilton; Simon Chenery; Catherine V Davis; Melanie J. Leng (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2025)

Alleviative potential of dietary essential oils against nickel toxicity triggers neurobehavioral abnormalities, biochemical dysfunction, and histopathological alterations in Nile tilapia - Shaimaa A. A. Ahmed; Ali Adel Ali Ahmed; Gehad E. Elshopakey; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Mai Farag Saad; Simon J. Davies; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Asmaa Edrees (Veterinary Research Communications, 2025)

An engineered PD1-Fc fusion produced in N. benthamiana plants efficiently blocks PD1/PDL1 interaction - Shiva Izadi; Rafaela Abrantes; Simon Gumpelmair; Vinny Kunnummel; Henrique O. Duarte; Peter Steinberger; Celso A. Reis; Alexandra Castilho (Plant Cell Reports, 2025)
Key message Plant-made PD1–Fc fusions engineered for optimized glycosylation and Fc-receptor engagement are highly efficient in blocking PD1/PDL1 interactions and can be cost-effective alternatives to antibody-based immune checkpoint inhibitors. Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are antibodies to receptors that have pivotal roles during T-cell activation processes. The programmed cell death 1 (PD1) can be regarded as the primary immune checkpoint and antibodies targeting PD1 or its ligand PDL1 have revolutionized immunotherapy of cancer. However, the majority of patients fail to respond, and treatment resistance as well as immune-related adverse events are commonly associated with this therapy. Alternatives to antibody-based ICIs targeting the PD1 pathway may bear the potential to overcome some of these shortcomings. Here, we have used a plant expression platform based on the tobacco relative Nicotiana benthamiana to generate immunoglobulin fusion proteins harboring the wild type or an affinity-enhanced PD1 ectodomain. We have exploited the versatility of our system to generate variants that differed regarding their glycosylation profile as well as their capability to engage Fc-receptors. Unlike its wild-type counterpart, the affinity-enhanced versions showed strongly augmented capabilities to engage PDL1 in both protein- and cell-based assays. Moreover, in contrast with clinical antibodies, their binding is not affected by the glycosylation status of PDL1. Importantly, we could demonstrate that the plant-made PD1 fusion proteins are highly efficient in blocking inhibitory PD1 signaling in a T cell reporter assay. Taken together, our study highlights the utility of our plant-based protein expression platform to generate biologics with therapeutic potential. Targeting PDL1 with plant derived affinity-enhanced PD1 immunoglobulin fusion proteins may reduce overstimulation associated with antibody-based therapies while retaining favorable features of ICIs such as long serum half-life.

Ameliorative potential of Populus alba leaf powder against hexaflumuron exposure in Nile tilapia: immune-antioxidant, biochemical, histological, and transcriptomic analysis - Rowida E. Ibrahim; Mohamed F. M. Farag; Mohammed S. Sobh; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Shefaa M. Bazeed; Aya Elgamal; Tarek Khamis; Simon J. Davies; Afaf N. Abdel Rahman (Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 2025)

Carbonate alkalinity induces stress responses and renal and metabolic disorders in Nile tilapia: mitigation by camel whey protein hydrolysate diet - Rowida E. Ibrahim; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Amany Abdel-Rahman Mohamed; Tarek Khamis; Ali Osman; Mohamed M. M. Metwally; Simon J. Davies; Yasmina M. Abd-Elhakim (Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 2025)

Correction to: Persistent declines in sightings of manta and devil rays (mobulidae) at a global hotspot in southern mozambique - Stephanie K. Venables; Christoph A. Rohner; Anna L. Flam; Simon J. Pierce; Andrea D. Marshall (Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2025)

Persistent declines in sightings of manta and devil rays (Mobulidae) at a global hotspot in southern Mozambique - Stephanie K. Venables; Christoph A. Rohner; Anna L. Flam; Simon J. Pierce; Andrea D. Marshall (Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2025)
Mobulid rays are among the most vulnerable of chondrichthyans to overexploitation by fisheries due to their low population growth rates. In locations where catch data are lacking, long-term sightings data can provide valuable insight to infer population trends and status. We recorded underwater sighting data of reef manta rays ( Mobula alfredi ), oceanic manta rays ( M. birostris ), and shorthorned pygmy devil rays ( M. kuhlii ) between 2003 and 2023 in the waters off Praia do Tofo in the Inhambane Province, southern Mozambique, one of the major global hotspots for these rays. We modelled sightings data using a hierarchical generalised linear mixed model framework to account for a suite of environmental variables when examining temporal trends. Raw trend models including only ‘year’ as a predictor showed a 99% decline in sightings of reef manta rays, a 92.5% decline in oceanic manta ray sightings, and an 81.3% decline in devil ray sightings over the 20-year study period. The declining trends persisted for reef and oceanic manta rays once a suite of temporal and environmental variables were accounted for, indicating that the declines were driven by external factors not tested in the models. For shorthorned pygmy devil rays, models that incorporated environmental variables did not retain year as a significant predictor and showed a reduced overall decline in sightings of 36.5%. This indicates that the tested predictors were responsible for approximately half of the observed decline. Anthropogenic factors, particularly fisheries mortality, are likely to have played a significant role in the declining sightings of these three Threatened species. Improved conservation and management measures at a national and international level are critical to prevent further declines, which may otherwise lead to localised extinction.

A novel menthol-DCMU bleaching method for foraminifera: generating aposymbiotic hosts for symbiosis research - Christiane Schmidt; Diana N. Puerto Rueda; Moritz Nusser; Clinton A. Oakley; Xavier Pochon; Marleen Stuhr; Débora S. Raposo; Simon K. Davy (Symbiosis, 2025)
Understanding the cellular symbiosis between marine holobionts and their endosymbiotic algae is crucial for predicting the resilience of coral reefs to climate change. While bleaching protocols have been widely applied to model organisms such as corals and sea anemones, their application to other symbiotic taxa remains underexplored. This study presents the first application of a menthol-DCMU bleaching method on larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), important calcium carbonate producers in reef ecosystems. Two species, Amphistegina lobifera (harbouring endosymbiotic diatoms) and Sorites orbiculus (harbouring Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates), were tested for their suitability for controlled symbiont removal. The study aimed to establish a non-lethal and effective bleaching protocol to generate aposymbiotic hosts for experimental symbiosis research. In a two-step approach, we first determined an optimal menthol concentration (0.19 mmol l⁻¹) and then assessed its effect on growth, motility (as a fitness indicator), and mortality over four weeks. The treatment successfully induced an aposymbiotic state in 100% of A. lobifera specimens with minimal effects on motility and mortality. Growth was inhibited in both species, preventing calcite deposition during the bleaching process. This study establishes menthol-DCMU bleaching as a viable method for producing aposymbiotic foraminifera, allowing controlled studies of symbiont uptake, symbiosis establishment, and host-symbiont specificity in this important taxon.

Seed Production and 22 Years of Climatic Changes in an Everwet Neotropical Forest - Jason Vleminckx; J. Aaron Hogan; Margaret R. Metz; Liza S. Comita; Simon A. Queenborough; S. Joseph Wright; Renato Valencia; Milton Zambrano; Nancy C. Garwood (Ecology Letters, 2025)
Examining the cues and drivers influencing seed production is crucial to better understand forest resilience to climate change. We explored the effects of five climatic variables on seed production over 22 years in an everwet Amazonian forest, by separating direct effects of these variables from indirect effects mediated through flower production. We observed a decline in seed production over the study period, which was primarily explained by direct effects of rising nighttime temperatures and declining average vapour pressure deficits. Higher daytime temperatures were positively related to seed output, mainly through a flower‐mediated effect, while rainfall effects on seed production were more nuanced, showing either positive or negative relationships depending on the seasonal timing of rains. If these trends continue, they are likely to lead to significant changes in forest dynamics, potentially impacting both forest structure and species composition.

The Role of Community Science in Addressing Policy Change: A Critical Review of Air Pollution Literature - Emilia Oscilowicz; Guadalupe A. Solís; Laura Martinez; Jeremy Németh; Gregory L. Simon; Carrie Makarewicz; Katherine L. Dickinson; Lisa M. Mckenzie; Jean Scandlyn; Paulina Erices-Ocampo; Patrick L. Kinney; Priyanka DeSouza (Current Environmental Health Reports, 2025)

Non-serous ovarian cancer in PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome: additional evidence for increased risk - Ane J. Schei-Andersen; Vera M. Witjes; Janet R. Vos; Arjen R. Mensenkamp; Anne van Altena; Jolanda Schieving; Michiel Simons; Janneke H. M. Schuurs-Hoeijmakers; Muriel A. Adank; Liselotte P. van Hest; Yvette van Ierland; Mirjam de Jong; et al. (Familial Cancer, 2025)
Increased hereditary cancer risk is one of the hallmarks of PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS) which is caused by a pathogenic germline variant in PTEN . Case reports and some cohort studies have described ovarian cancer (OC) in PHTS patients. Previously, we observed an enrichment of non-serous OC in PHTS compared to sporadic cases (3% vs 1%). However, ovarian cancer is currently not considered a PHTS-related cancer. The aim of this study was to describe five PHTS patients with a pathogenic germline variant in PTEN with non-serous OC. Three of the non-serous OCs were mucinous carcinomas (49, 51 and 52 years) and two were malignant germ cell tumors (8 and 15 years) and all were diagnosed before genetic testing and PHTS diagnosis. In addition to OC, the described patients developed other PHTS-related benign and malignant lesions. We provide further evidence that non-serous ovarian cancer, especially mucinous, endometrioid and malignant germ cell tumors should be further investigated as potential PHTS-related cancers.

Associations between metabolomic scores and clinical outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients - Jens A. Venema; Anna Kuranova; Daniele Bizzarri; Simon P. Mooijaart; Angele P. M. Kerckhoffs; Kitty Slieker; Evertine J. Abbink; Harmke A. Polinder-Bos; Eline Slagboom; Geeske Peeters; Jacobijn Gussekloo; Karel G. M. Moons; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)
The disease course and outcome of COVID-19 greatly varies between individuals. To explore which biological systems may contribute to this variation, we examined how individual metabolites and three metabolic scores relate to COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The metabolome of 346 patients was measured using the 1H-NMR Nightingale platform. The association of individual metabolomic features and multi-biomarker scores, i.e. MetaboHealth, MetaboAge, and Infectious Disease Score (IDS) (higher scores reflect poorer health), with in-hospital disease course, long-term recovery, and overall survival were analyzed. Higher values for the metabolites phenylalanine (HR = 1.33, CI = 1.14–1.56), glucose (HR = 1.37, CI = 1.16–1.62) and lactate (HR = 1.38, CI = 1.16–1.63) were associated with mortality. For all three metabolic scores, higher scores were significantly associated with higher odds of a poorer in-hospital disease course (MetaboHealth: OR = 1.61, CI = 1.29–2.02; ΔMetaboAge: OR = 1.42, CI = 1.16–1.74; IDS: OR = 1.55, 1.25–1.93) and with overall survival (MetaboHealth: HR = 1.57, CI = 1.28–1.92; ΔMetaboAge: HR = 1.34, CI = 1.15–1.57; IDS: HR = 1.56, CI = 1.27–1.93). MetaboHealth and ΔMetaboAge showed a stronger association in younger patients (< 70 yrs.) than older patients. No clear patterns were found in associations between the three scores and measures of long-term recovery. In conclusion, the heterogeneity in disease course after SARS-COV2 infection may be explained either by generic biological frailty reflected by the three metabolomics scores or by glycemic control (glucose, lactate) and respiratory distress (phenylalanine).

The role of greenspace in vitamin D status: cross-sectional, observational evidence from the UK Biobank - Chinonso Christian Odebeatu; Darsy Darssan; Joana A. Revez; Charlotte Roscoe; Phu Do; Simon Reid; Nicholas J. Osborne (International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2025)

Experimental metasomatic incorporation of sulfur into fluorapatite as a function of coupled substitutions involving sodium, silicon, iron, and cerium - Daniel E. Harlov; Justin Casaus; Brian A. Konecke; Adam C. Simon (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2025)

Compassionate conservation in practice: A values-driven, interdisciplinary, pluralistic, and deliberative community - William S. Lynn; Liv Baker; William T. Borrie; Adam P.A. Cardilini; Shelley M. Alexander; Simon Coghlan; Paul Cryer; Gavin T. Bonsen; Tristan T. Derham; Oded Keynan; Christine M. Reed; Sophie Riley; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2025)

Quantifying impacts of seabird bycatch using genetic assignment: A case study of black-footed albatross in U.S. fisheries - Jessie N. Beck; Diana S. Baetscher; Claire Tobin; Scott V. Edwards; Simon Yung Wa Sin; Shannon Fitzgerald; Vanessa J. Tuttle; John Peschon; Wesley A. Larson (Biological Conservation, 2025)

Magma storage and transport beneath the near-rift Fjallgarðar Volcanic Ridge, Northeast Iceland - Noëmi Löw; Sæmundur A. Halldórsson; Christoph Beier; Enikő Bali; Simon Matthews; Guðmundur H. Guðfinnsson; Edward W. Marshall; Jóhann Helgason; Eemu Ranta; Adam Abersteiner; Jaime D. Barnes; Alberto Caracciolo (Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 2025)

LGR5: An emerging therapeutic target for cancer metastasis and chemotherapy resistance - Wanqi Wang; Noor A. Lokman; Simon C. Barry; Martin K. Oehler; Carmela Ricciardelli (Cancer and Metastasis Reviews, 2025)
Cancer stem cells play an important role in tumor progression and chemotherapy resistance. Leucine-rich G repeat-containing protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) has been identified as a cancer stem cell marker in several cancer types. LGR5 is involved in cancer development and progression via several pathways including WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. LGR5 plays a role in tumor progression by promoting cancer cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis in many cancers including colorectal, brain, gastric, and ovarian cancer. This review summarises the current knowledge on the expression and functional role of LGR5 in cancers, the molecular mechanisms regulated by LGR5, and the relationship between LGR5 and chemotherapy resistance. The review also includes highlights potential strategies to inhibit LGR5 expression and function. The majority of functional studies have shown that LGR5 plays an important role in promoting cancer progression, metastasis and chemotherapy resistance however, in some contexts LGR5 can also activate tumor-suppressive pathways and LGR5 negative cells can also promote cancer progression. The review highlights that targeting LGR5 is a promising anti-cancer treatment but the functional effect of LGR5 on tumor cells is complex may be dependent on cancer type, tumor microenvironment and cross-talk with other molecules in the LGR5 signaling pathway.

The use of GIS/remote sensing in determining gold potential areas on the Paleoproterozoic Asankragwa gold belt, Ghana - Josephine Biney; Blestmond A. Brako; Simon Kafui Gawu; Gordon Foli; Jonathan Quaye-Ballard (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2025)

Postglacial Recolonization of the Southern Ocean by Elephant Seals Occurred From Multiple Glacial Refugia - Andrew A. Berg; Megan Askew; Frederik V. Seersholm; Alexander J. F. Verry; A. Rus Hoelzel; Andreanna Welch; Karen Greig; Richard Walter; Michael Knapp; Axel Barlow; Johanna L. A. Paijmans; Jonathan M. Waters; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2025)
The Southern Ocean is warming more rapidly than other parts of our planet. How this region's endemic biodiversity will respond to such changes can be illuminated by studying past events through genetic analyses of time‐series data sets, including historic and fossil remains. Archaeological and subfossil remains show that the southern elephant seal ( Mirounga leonina ) was common along the coasts of Australia and New Zealand in the recent past. This species is now mostly confined to sub‐Antarctic islands and the southern tip of South America. We analyzed ancient seal samples from Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand and the Antarctic mainland to examine how southern elephant seals have responded to a changing climate and anthropogenic pressures during the Holocene. Our analyses show that these seals formed part of a broader Australasian lineage, comprising seals from all sampled locations from the south Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. Our study demonstrates that southern elephant seal populations have dynamically altered both range and population sizes under climatic and human pressures over surprisingly short evolutionary timeframes for such a large, long‐lived mammal.

The Influence of Symbiont Identity on the Proteomic and Metabolomic Responses of the Model Cnidarian Aiptasia to Thermal Stress - Bobby Lust; Jennifer L. Matthews; Clinton A. Oakley; Robert E. Lewis; Himasha Mendis; Lifeng Peng; Arthur R. Grossman; Virginia M. Weis; Simon K. Davy (Environmental Microbiology, 2025)
We examined the effects of symbiont identity and heat stress on the host metabolome and proteome in the cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis. Exaiptasia diaphana (‘Aiptasia’) was inoculated with its homologous (i.e., native) symbiont Breviolum minutum or a heterologous (i.e., non‐native) symbiont ( Symbiodinium microadriaticum ; Durusdinium trenchii ) and thermally stressed. Integrated metabolome and proteome analyses characterised host thermal responses between symbioses, with clear evidence of enhanced nutritional deprivation and cellular stress in hosts harbouring heterologous symbionts following temperature stress. Host metabolomes were partially distinct at the control temperature; however, thermal stress caused metabolomes of anemones containing the two heterologous symbionts to become more alike and more distinct from those containing B. minutum . While these patterns could be partly explained by innate symbiont‐specific differences, they may also reflect differences in symbiont density, as under control conditions D. trenchii attained 60% and S. microadriaticum 15% of the density attained by B. minutum , and at elevated temperature only D. trenchii –colonised anemones bleached (60% loss). Our findings add to a growing literature that highlights the physiological limits of partner switching as a means of adaptation to global warming. However, we also provide tentative evidence for improved metabolic functioning with a heterologous symbiont ( D. trenchii ) after sustained symbiosis.

Dietary Prunus armeniaca augments antioxidant-immune-capacity, absorptive function, and growth and upregulates nutrient transporters and immune-regulatory genes of Oreochromis niloticus - Afaf N. Abdel Rahman; Sara T. Elazab; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Tarek Khamis; Simon J. Davies; Rowida E. Ibrahim (Aquaculture, 2025)

The Neoarchean granitoids in the Yanlingguan area, western Shandong, North China Craton record the transition from TTG to K-rich granitoids - Yuqing Wang; Chunyan Dong; Simon A. Wilde; Hangqiang Xie; Shoujie Liu; Dunyi Liu; Yusheng Wan (Precambrian Research, 2025)

Evaluating the effectiveness of badger vaccination combined with cattle test-and-removal in managing Bovine Tuberculosis: Insights from a two-host and multi-route transmission model - You Chang; Stefan Widgren; Mart C.M. de Jong; Jamie A. Tratalos; Simon J. More; Nienke Hartemink (Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2025)

The impact of risk compensation adaptive behavior on the final epidemic size - Baltazar Espinoza; Jiangzhuo Chen; Mark Orr; Chadi M. Saad-Roy; Simon A. Levin; Madhav Marathe (Mathematical Biosciences, 2025)

A simple model of coupled individual behavior and its impact on epidemic dynamics - Jiangzhuo Chen; Baltazar Espinoza; Jingyuan Chou; Abba B. Gumel; Simon A. Levin; Madhav Marathe (Mathematical Biosciences, 2025)

Deep-sea drilling of the 13°30′ N oceanic core complex: Assessing links between fluid flow, metal enrichment and seafloor massive sulfide deposit formation near Semenov-1 - Andrew J. Martin; Bramley J. Murton; Christopher J. MacLeod; John W. Jamieson; Isobel I. Yeo; Sven Petersen; Katie A. McFall; Simon Allerton; Anna Lichtschlag; Christian Bishop; Acer Figueroa; Szu-Ying Lai (Lithos, 2025)

Phylogenetic analysis of termite-associated Xylaria from Africa reveals hidden diversity - Guangshuo Li; Suzanne Schmidt; Simon Kolotchéléma Silué; N'golo A. Koné; Michael Poulsen (Fungal Biology, 2025)

Inverted metamorphic gradient in the Zanhuang nappe/thrust system, north China indicates large-scale thrust stacking in an Archean Orogen - Yating Zhong; Kurt Stüwe; Timothy Kusky; Christoph A. Hauzenberger; Simon Schorn; Lu Wang (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2025)

Calibration and evaluation of a refined pharmacokinetic model for three homologs of phosphatidylethanol - Ted W. Simon; Brett Ginsburg; Martin A. Javors; Nathalie Hill-Kapturczak; Marisa Lopez-Crusan; Haidyn Stark; Donald M. Dougherty; John D. Roache (Chemico-Biological Interactions, 2025)

Coping with ocean dynamics: Foraging strategy and implications for conservation of a small petrel - Sofia Bolumar Roda; Andreu Rotger; Andrea Santangeli; Giacomo Tavecchia; Alfonso Sola; Santi Catchot; Daniel Tarry; Gotzon Basterretxea; Simon Ruiz; Ignacio A. Catalán; Ana Sanz-Aguilar (Biological Conservation, 2025)

Applying material flow assessment-based system expansion with multiple functions to solve for multifunctionality of recycling in life cycle assessment - Simon A. Saxegård; Fredrik Wikström; Helén Williams (The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2025)

Dietary deacetylated chitin nanoparticles confer protection against diazinon toxicity in male African catfish: evaluation of immune-biochemical, antioxidant, and reproductive profiles - Hiam Elabd; Heba H. Mahboub; Heba S. Hamed; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Samar Kamel; Amany Ramah; Sahar H. Orabi; Sherif M. Shawky; Simon J. Davies; Zeinab Hassan (Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 2025)

Physiological, biochemical, apoptosis-linked gene expression, and histopathological insights in Nile catfish subjected to toxicity by magnetite nanogel - Yasmina K. Mahmoud; Shaimaa A. A. Ahmed; Heba H. Mahboub; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Ahmed A. Elnegiry; Sherif M. Shawky; Sahar H. Orabi; Sameh H. Ismail; Simon J. Davies; Mahmoud I. M. Darwish (Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 2025)

Entomopathogenic Nematode Species Vary in Their Behavior and Virulence in Response to Cardiac Glycosides Within and Around Insect Hosts - Perla Achi; Preston Christensen; Victoria Iglesias; Cullen McCarthy; Robert Pena; Lanie Bavier; Connor Goldy; Anurag A. Agrawal; Simon C. Groen; Adler R. Dillman (Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2025)
Plants produce defensive toxins to deter herbivores. In response, some specialized herbivores evolved resistance and even the capacity to sequester toxins, affecting interactions at higher trophic levels. Here, we test the hypothesis that potential natural enemies of specialized herbivores are differentially affected by plant toxins depending on their level of adaptation to the plant-herbivore system. We focus on toxic cardiac glycosides (CGs) from milkweeds ( Asclepias spp.), which inhibit animal Na + /K + -ATPases, and two CG-resistant insects, the large milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus and a CRISPR-edited Drosophila melanogaster . Both have CG-resistant Na + /K + -ATPases through a set of key amino acid substitutions, which facilitate CG sequestration. We conducted infection experiments with entomopathogenic nematodes ( Steinernema carpocapsae , S. feltiae , and S. hermaphroditum ) as natural enemies on host insects containing mixtures of milkweed-derived CGs or purified CGs (ouabain, digoxin, and digitoxin) that vary in toxicity. The nematode S. carpocapsae is known to occur in soil near milkweed plants and naturally has several of the same Na + /K + -ATPase substitutions as the milkweed bug O. fasciatus and our Drosophila mutant. This nematode not only exhibited higher fecundity in hosts that carried CGs relative to the other nematode species (which have sensitive Na + /K + -ATPases), but also showed attraction to mixtures of CGs in milkweed root extracts and to purified ouabain when tested on agar plates. A coiling phenotype, which is a symptom of neurotoxicity, was observed more frequently in S. feltiae and S. hermaphroditum upon exposure to milkweed root extracts than in S. carpocapsae . Nematode behavior was further tested in sand, and while attraction to CGs was found for S. carpocapsae , nematodes of the other species tended to migrate away from milkweed root chemicals. Thus, S. carpocapsae can tolerate CGs and may use these as chemical cues to locate insect hosts that live on or around milkweed plants.

Correction to: Influence of astaxanthin‑enriched Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae on the growth efficacy, immune response, antioxidant capacity, proinflammatory cytokines, and tissue histomorphology of hybrid red tilapia - Elsayed A. A. Eldessouki; Gehad E. Elshopakey; Samia Elbahnaswy; Medhat S. Shakweer; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Simon J. Davies; Amira Mili; Yasmin M. Abd El‑Aziz; Sameh A. Abdelnour; El‑Sayed Hemdan Eissa (Aquaculture International, 2025)

Potential of using kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) protein hydrolysate as a plant protein supplement in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets: effects on growth, hematology, histology, and blood biochemical parameters - Shimaa A. Amer; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdel-Wahab A. Abdel-Warith; Ali Osman; Simon J. Davies; Medhat S. Shakweer (Aquaculture International, 2025)

EuPPollNet : A European Database of Plant‐Pollinator Networks - Jose B. Lanuza; Tiffany M. Knight; Nerea Montes‐Perez; Will Glenny; Paola Acuña; Matthias Albrecht; Maddi Artamendi; Isabelle Badenhausser; Joanne M. Bennett; Paolo Biella; Ricardo Bommarco; Andree Cappellari; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Motivation Pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining Earth's terrestrial biodiversity. However, rapid human‐induced environmental changes are compromising the long‐term persistence of plant‐pollinator interactions. Unfortunately, we lack robust, generalisable data capturing how plant‐pollinator communities are structured across space and time. Here, we present the EuPPollNet (European Plant‐Pollinator Networks) database, a fully open European‐level database containing harmonised taxonomic data on plant‐pollinator interactions referenced in both space and time, along with other ecological variables of interest. In addition, we evaluate the taxonomic and sampling coverage of EuPPollNet, and summarise key structural properties in plant‐pollinator networks. We believe EuPPollNet will stimulate research to address data gaps in plant‐pollinator interactions and guide future efforts in conservation planning. Main Types of Variables Included EuPPollNet contains 1,162,109 interactions between plants and pollinators from 1864 distinct networks, which belong to 52 different studies distributed across 23 European countries. Information about sampling methodology, habitat type, biogeographic region and additional taxonomic rank information (i.e. order, family, genus and species) is also provided. Spatial Location and Grain The database contains 1214 different sampling locations from 13 different natural and anthropogenic habitats that fall in 7 different biogeographic regions. All records are geo‐referenced and presented in the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84). Time Period and Grain Species interaction data was collected between 2004 and 2021. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement The database contains interaction data at the species level for 94% of the records, including a total of 1411 plant and 2223 pollinator species. The database includes data on 6% of the European species of flowering plants, 34% of bees, 26% of butterflies and 33% of syrphid species at the European level. Software Format The database was built with R and is stored in ‘.rds’ and ‘.csv’ formats. Its construction is fully reproducible and can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14747448 .

A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Ecological Novelty - Timothy L. Staples; Jessica Blois; Katie L. Cramer; Emer T. Cunningham; Maria Dornelas; Simon G. Haberle; Tina Heger; Wolfgang Kiessling; Anne E. Magurran; Aaron O'Dea; Amelia M. Penny; Volker C. Radeloff; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Background Human pressures are driving the emergence of unprecedented, ‘novel’, ecological and environmental systems. The concept of novel (eco)systems is well accepted by the scientific community, but the use and measurement of novelty has outgrown initial definitions and critiques. There are still unresolved methodological and conceptual differences in quantifying novelty that prevent a unified research approach. Framework Here we present a conceptual framework and guidelines to unify past and future measurement of ecological novelty. Under this framework, novelty is a property of an ecological or environmental entity of interest. Novelty is quantified as the comparison between the target entity and a reference set, measured as the summary of degrees of difference across one or more dimensions. Choices in these components, particularly the reference set, can change resulting novelty measurements and inferences. Showcase We provide a case‐study to showcase our framework, measuring pre‐ and post‐European novelty in 99 pollen assemblages in Midwest USA forests. We paired this quantitative exploration with a five‐step process designed to improve the utility and outcomes of novelty analyses. Conclusions Quantitative novelty has immense value in studies of abrupt ecological change, linking climatic and ecological change, biotic interactions and invasions, species range shifts and fundamental theories. Our framework offers a unified overview and is also primed for integration into management and restoration workflows, providing consistent and robust measurements of novelty to support decision making, priority setting and resource allocation.

Late Holocene “Turn‐Off” of Coral Reef Growth in the Northern Red Sea and Implications for a Sea‐Level Fall - B. Feldman; A. Torfstein; M. O'Leary; N. Simon Blecher; R. Yam; Y. Shaked; A. Shemesh; D. Huang; O. Levy (Global Change Biology, 2025)
Coral reefs, known for their remarkable diversity, serve a pivotal function in modulating the global oceanic carbon cycle and act as natural barriers that protect coastlines from erosion and storm surges by dissipating wave energy. Despite their importance, their sensitivity to temperature fluctuations, sea‐level shifts and anthropogenic changes in the future is highly unknown. In this study, we create a comprehensive documentation of coral growth, sedimentology and ecology spanning the middle to late Holocene in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, northern Red Sea. We then integrate these findings with a reconstruction of the area's environmental conditions over time. The findings reveal a noticeable hiatus of reef growth between 4400 and 1000 years BP (Before Present; “present” being defined as 1950), aligning well with comparable observations made across various locations in the Southern Hemisphere. The coral diversity and abundance along the cores display surprisingly similar patterns before and after the hiatus. This implies that the distinctive coral community thriving during the initial growth phase reappeared nearly 4000 years later, presumably sourced from the deeper reefs. The results are evaluated in the context of a potential sea‐level drop and the resilience of coral communities to perturbations of this magnitude. We conclude that the hiatus at this site is due to a combination of factors, including tectonic activity and glacio‐eustatic sea‐level changes. Our research highlights the critical importance of understanding and managing coral reef ecosystems' responses to sea‐level fluctuations to mitigate future impacts on these vulnerable environments.

Continent‐Wide Drivers of Spatial Synchrony in Breeding Demographic Structure Across Wild Great Tit Populations - Joe P. Woodman; Stefan J. G. Vriend; Frank Adriaensen; Elena Álvarez; Alexander Artemyev; Emilio Barba; Malcolm D. Burgess; Samuel P. Caro; Laure Cauchard; Anne Charmantier; Ella F. Cole; Niels Dingemanse; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2025)
Variation in age structure influences population dynamics, yet we have limited understanding of the spatial scale at which its fluctuations are synchronised between populations. Using 32 great tit populations, spanning 4° W–33° E and 35°–65° N involving > 130,000 birds across 67 years, we quantify spatial synchrony in breeding demographic structure (subadult vs. adult breeders) and its drivers. We show that larger clutch sizes, colder winters, and larger beech crops lead to younger populations. We report distance‐dependent synchrony of demographic structure, maintained at approximately 650 km. Despite covariation with demographic structure, we do not find evidence for environmental variables influencing the scale of synchrony, except for beech masting. We suggest that local ecological and density‐dependent dynamics impact how environmental variation interacts with demographic structure, influencing estimates of the environment's effect on synchrony. Our analyses demonstrate the operation of synchrony in demographic structure over large scales, with implications for age‐dependent demography in populations.

An interdisciplinary approach to improving conservation outcomes for parasites - Timothy M. Brown; Alison M. Dunn; Rupert J. Quinnell; Ellen Clarke; Andrew A. Cunningham; Simon J. Goodman (Conservation Biology, 2025)
Parasites represent a significant proportion of Earth's biodiversity and play important roles in the ecology and biology of ecosystems and hosts, making them an important target for conservation. Despite increasing calls to prioritize protection for parasites in the academic literature, they remain undervalued and underrepresented in global biodiversity conservation efforts, not least due to the perception that the interests of parasite and host conservation are opposing and the common misconception that parasites are a threat, rather than a benefit, to conservation. We considered whether taking an interdisciplinary approach to parasite conservation research will generate novel insights and solutions concerning why and how parasite conservation should be practiced for the benefit of parasites, their hosts, ecosystems, and people. We argue that 2 of the main barriers to more widespread parasite conservation are the knowledge gap concerning the role of sociocultural factors affecting the willingness to enact parasite conservation and the lack of a consistent and cohesive philosophical basis for parasite conservation. Possible sociocultural barriers to parasite conservation include misconceptions of the risks posed by parasites, taxonomic bias, differences in conservation values, economic constraints, and technical challenges. The use of social science can generate insights into levels of awareness and support for parasite conservation and improve understanding of how human values and attitudes mediate conservation practices concerning parasites. Such knowledge will have a critical role in addressing sociocultural barriers and improving support for parasite conservation. Issues with the current philosophical basis for parasite conservation include contradictory accounts of which parasites merit conservation, insufficient explanation of how different conservation values apply to parasite biodiversity, and the existence of a false antagonism between host and parasite conservation. Greater engagement with philosophical work on environmental ethics and biological unitization will strengthen existing arguments for parasite conservation and will support conservation decision‐making processes.

Ethnicity-specific patterns of epigenetic age acceleration in rheumatoid arthritis - Archana Sharma-Oates; Niall Dunne; Karim Raza; Leonid Padyukov; Natalie Rivera; Annette van der Helm-van Mil; Arthur G. Pratt; Niharika A. Duggal; Simon W. Jones; Janet M. Lord (GeroScience, 2025)
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an age-related chronic inflammatory disease which may include accelerated biological ageing processes in its pathogenesis. To determine if increased biological age is associated with risk of RA and/or is present once disease is established. We used DNA methylation to compare biological age (epigenetic age) of immune cells in adults at risk of RA and those with confirmed RA, including twins discordant for RA. The established RA studies were secondary analyses of existing DNA methylation data. Sub-group analysis considered the influence of ethnicity. Four epigenetic clocks were used to determine DNA methylation age. DNA methylation age was no different in adults at risk of RA in the Leiden Clinically Suspect Arthralgia (CSA) cohort ( n = 38 developed RA, n = 24 did not), and there was also no difference in DNA methylation age between 77 UK twins discordant for RA, or adults with established RA from the Swedish EIRA cohort ( n = 342) compared to healthy controls ( n = 328). A sub-group analysis of RA patients of South Asian ethnicity (10 RA patients, 14 healthy controls) showed DNA methylation age acceleration of 3.3 years ( p = 0.00014) using the mean DNA methylation age of four epigenetic clocks. Our study suggests that epigenetic age acceleration may be differentially influenced by South Asian ethnicity, but that RA was not generally associated with accelerated epigenetic age. The higher epigenetic age in the South Asian patients may explain the earlier age of onset in this minority ethnic population.

Retraction notice to “The anti-parasitic effect of Melaleuca alternifolia oil against gills monogeneans (Dactylogyrus spp) infestation of Clarias gariepinus: Hematology, immune response, and histopathological/immunohistochemical investigation of gills” [Aquaculture 584 (2024) 740639] - Afaf N. Abdel Rahman; Mohamed F.M. Farag; Alshimaa A. Khalil; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Shimaa R. Masoud; Shefaa M. Bazeed; Aya Elgamal; Refaat Ras; Simon J. Davies; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Amany M. Abd El-Ghany (Aquaculture, 2025)

Lead toxicity in African catfish: Promising role of magnetite nanogel against etho-neurological alterations, antioxidant suppression, gene toxicity, and histopathological/ immunohistochemical disruptions - Afaf N. Abdel Rahman; Heba H. Mahboub; Rasha M.M. Ezz-Eldin; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Tarek Khamis; Enas K. Aziz; Walaa A.A. Basha; Ibrahim Elmaghraby; Simon J. Davies; Sameh H. Ismail; Yasmin A. Reyad (Aquaculture, 2025)

Evaluating the suitability of large-scale datasets to estimate nitrogen loads and yields across different spatial scales - Andrés Felipe Suárez-Castro; Dale M. Robertson; Bernhard Lehner; Marcelo L. de Souza; Michael Kittridge; David A. Saad; Simon Linke; Rich W. McDowell; Mohammad Hassan Ranjbar; Olivier Ausseil; David P. Hamilton (Water Research, 2025)

Old but not ancient: Rock-leached organic carbon drives groundwater microbiomes - Beatrix M. Heinze; Valérie F. Schwab; Susan E. Trumbore; Simon A. Schroeter; Xiaomei Xu; Narendrakumar M. Chaudhari; Kirsten Küsel (Science of The Total Environment, 2025)

Does what we find depend on how we sample? Measured streambed microplastic concentrations can be affected by the choice of sampling method - Mohammad Wazne; Uwe Schneidewind; Lee Haverson; Florian Mermillod-Blondin; Laurent Simon; Holly A. Nel; Stefan Krause (Science of The Total Environment, 2025)

Effect of short-term dopamine reduction on insulin sensitivity and post-prandial insulin and glucose responses in Standardbred horses - Nicolas C. Galinelli; Nicholas J. Bamford; Madison L. Erdody; Tobias Warnken; Melody A. de Laat; Martin N. Sillence; Patricia A. Harris; Simon R. Bailey (Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 2025)

Physiological and metabolic effects of short-term dopamine reduction in healthy horses using a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor (alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine) - Nicolas C. Galinelli; Nicholas J. Bamford; Madison L. Erdody; Tobias Warnken; Melody A. de Laat; Martin N. Sillence; Patricia A. Harris; Simon R. Bailey (Domestic Animal Endocrinology, 2025)

Secondary contact erodes Pleistocene diversification in a wide‐ranging freshwater mussel (Quadrula ) - Sean M. Keogh; Nathan A. Johnson; Chase H. Smith; Bernard E. Sietman; Jeffrey T. Garner; Charles R. Randklev; Andrew M. Simons (Molecular Ecology, 2025)
The isolated river drainages of eastern North America serve as a natural laboratory to investigate the roles of allopatry and secondary contact in the evolutionary trajectories of recently diverged lineages. Drainage divides facilitate allopatric speciation, but due to their sensitivity to climatic and geomorphological changes, neighboring rivers frequently coalesce, creating recurrent opportunities of isolation and contact throughout the history of aquatic lineages. The freshwater mussel Quadrula quadrula is widely distributed across isolated rivers of eastern North America and possesses high phenotypic and molecular variation across its range. We integrate sequence data from three genomes, including female‐ and male‐inherited mitochondrial markers and thousands of nuclear encoded SNPs with morphology and geography to illuminate the group's divergence history. Across contemporary isolated rivers, we found continuums of molecular and morphological variation, following a pattern of isolation by distance. In contact zones, hybridization was frequent with no apparent fitness consequences, as advanced hybrids were common. Accordingly, we recognize Q. quadrula as a single cohesive species with subspecific variation ( Q. quadrula rumphiana ). Demographic modeling and divergence dating supported a divergence history characterized by allopatric vicariance followed by secondary contact, likely driven by river rearrangements and Pleistocene glacial cycles. Despite clinal range‐wide variation and hybridization in contact zones, the process‐based species delimitation tool delimitR , which considers demographic scenarios like secondary contact, supported the delimitation of the maximum number of species tested. As such, when interpreting species delimitation results, we suggest careful consideration of spatial sampling and subsequent geographic patterns of biological variation, particularly for wide‐ranging taxa.

The Breeding Bird Survey of the United Kingdom - Dario Massimino; Stephen R. Baillie; Dawn E. Balmer; Richard I. Bashford; Richard D. Gregory; Sarah J. Harris; James J. N. Heywood; Leah A. Kelly; David G. Noble; James W. Pearce‐Higgins; Michael J. Raven; Kate Risely; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Motivation Information on species' population trends is essential to assess species' conservation status, make informed environmental decisions and ultimately reduce biodiversity loss. Robust population trends require a long‐term monitoring programme, often using citizen scientists, that ideally generates representative and unbiased data from the study area. Here we present the dataset of the Breeding Bird Survey, the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of common and widespread breeding birds in the United Kingdom, which achieves this through a randomised sampling scheme and defined field methodology. We also describe the modelling approach used to calculate the population trends, which are the main output of the survey. Main Types of Variable Contained The main published dataset contains 7,070,577 records detailing counts of 217 bird species in 7010 grid cells over 30 years. Data for 78 species that are currently regarded as too sensitive to be released at fine resolution are omitted. As an illustration of the main use of this dataset, we provide population change estimates for 119 bird species. Spatial Location and Grain Grid squares (1 × 1 km) are randomly selected using a stratified sampling scheme throughout the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. Data in a grid square are collected along two 1‐km‐long transects which are subdivided into 200‐m‐long sections. Time Period and Grain Data have been collected every year since 1994, with two major disruptions in 2001 and 2020, when people's movements were nationally restricted. Grid squares are surveyed twice a year during the main breeding season (April to June). Here we present the data collected from 1994 to 2023. Major Taxa Studied and Level of Measurement Bird species. Software Format Data are supplied as comma‐separated text files.

Land Use Change Consistently Reduces α‐ But Not β‐ and γ‐Diversity of Bees - Toby P. N. Tsang; A. A. Amado De Santis; Gabriela Armas‐Quiñonez; John S. Ascher; Eva Samanta Ávila‐Gómez; András Báldi; Kimberly M. Ballare; Mario V. Balzan; Weronika Banaszak‐Cibicka; Svenja Bänsch; Yves Basset; Adam J. Bates; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2025)
Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α‐diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e., γ‐diversity), either due to reduced β‐diversity amplifying diversity loss or increased β‐diversity dampening diversity loss. Additionally, studies often focus on taxonomic diversity, while other important biodiversity components, including phylogenetic diversity, can exhibit differential responses. Here, we evaluated how agricultural and urban land use alters the taxonomic and phylogenetic α‐, β‐, and γ‐diversity of an important pollinator taxon—bees. Using a multicontinental dataset of 3117 bee assemblages from 157 studies, we found that taxonomic α‐diversity was reduced by 16%–18% in both agricultural and urban habitats relative to natural habitats. Phylogenetic α‐diversity was decreased by 11%–12% in agricultural and urban habitats. Compared with natural habitats, taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity increased by 11% and 6% in urban habitats, respectively, but exhibited no systematic change in agricultural habitats. We detected a 22% decline in taxonomic γ‐diversity and a 17% decline in phylogenetic γ‐diversity in agricultural habitats, but γ‐diversity of urban habitats was not significantly different from natural habitats. These findings highlight the threat of agricultural expansions to large‐scale bee diversity due to systematic γ‐diversity decline. In addition, while both urbanization and agriculture lead to consistent declines in α‐diversity, their impacts on β‐ or γ‐diversity vary, highlighting the need to study the effects of land use change at multiple scales.

Putting seedlings on the map: Trade‐offs in demographic rates between ontogenetic size classes in five tropical forests - Stephan Kambach; Helge Bruelheide; Liza S. Comita; Richard Condit; S. Joseph Wright; Salomón Aguilar; Chia‐Hao Chang‐Yang; Yu‐Yun Chen; Nancy C. Garwood; Stephen P. Hubbell; Pei‐Jen Luo; Margaret R. Metz; et al. (Ecology, 2025)
All species must partition resources among the processes that underly growth, survival, and reproduction. The resulting demographic trade‐offs constrain the range of viable life‐history strategies and are hypothesized to promote local coexistence. Tropical forests pose ideal systems to study demographic trade‐offs as they have a high diversity of coexisting tree species whose life‐history strategies tend to align along two orthogonal axes of variation: a growth–survival trade‐off that separates species with fast growth from species with high survival and a stature–recruitment trade‐off that separates species that achieve large stature from species with high recruitment. As these trade‐offs have typically been explored for trees ≥1 cm dbh, it is unclear how species' growth and survival during earliest seedling stages are related to the trade‐offs for trees ≥1 cm dbh. Here, we used principal components and correlation analyses to (1) determine the main demographic trade‐offs among seed‐to‐seedling transition rates and growth and survival rates from the seedling to overstory size classes of 1188 tree species from large‐scale forest dynamics plots in Panama, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Taiwan, and Malaysia and (2) quantify the predictive power of maximum dbh, wood density, seed mass, and specific leaf area for species' position along these demographic trade‐off gradients. In four out of five forests, the growth–survival trade‐off was the most important demographic trade‐off and encompassed growth and survival of both seedlings and trees ≥1 cm dbh. The second most important trade‐off separated species with relatively fast growth and high survival at the seedling stage from species with relatively fast growth and high survival ≥1 cm dbh. The relationship between seed‐to‐seedling transition rates and these two trade‐off aces differed between sites. All four traits were significant predictors for species' position along the two trade‐off gradients, albeit with varying importance. We concluded that, after accounting for the species' position along the growth–survival trade‐off, tree species tend to trade off growth and survival at the seedling with later life stages. This ontogenetic trade‐off offers a mechanistic explanation for the stature–recruitment trade‐off that constitutes an additional ontogenetic dimension of life‐history variation in species‐rich ecosystems.

Accelerated Warming and Salinification of the Mediterranean Sea: Implications for Dense Water Formation - Nikolaos Skliris; Robert Marsh; Matthew Breedon; Simon A. Josey (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2024)
Trends in the air–sea freshwater and heat fluxes and hydrographic properties of the Mediterranean Sea are investigated to assess changes in dense water formation over 1979–2023 and 2004–2023. Results show a strong annual evaporation increase that has accelerated over the last two decades following the higher warming rate. Positive trends in winter latent heat flux (LHF) were obtained over 1979–2023 in most of the East Mediterranean, driving an increase in both the ocean heat loss and the haline component of the surface density flux, but there were no significant long-term trends over the western basin and the dense water formation sites. Results show much larger trends over 2004–2023 when a broadscale decrease in sensible heat flux (SHF) is obtained over the western basin as the air temperature is increasing much faster than SST. Decreasing (increasing) LHF and SHF resulted in largely reduced (enhanced) ocean heat loss during winter in the Gulf of Lions (Aegean Sea) over 2004–2023. Robust positive trends are obtained for both the salinity and temperature fields throughout the basin, with accelerated warming and salinification rates after the 2000s. Deep waters have become warmer but also much saltier and denser over recent decades. A water mass transformation method is also used to investigate changes in volumetric distribution in temperature/salinity/density and T/S space. Results suggest that salinification over the last 45 years may have strongly enhanced salt preconditioning in all major dense water formation sites, sustaining or even increasing deep water formation despite the increasingly warming climate.

Development of bovine IgG3-specific assays using a novel recombinant single-domain binding reagent - Alistair Noble; Elliot Moorhouse; Abigail L. Hay; Basudev Paudyal; William Mwangi; Danish Munir; Marie Bonnet-Di Placido; Elma Tchilian; John A. Hammond; Simon P. Graham (Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 2024)

Climate change as a challenge for pharmaceutical storage and tackling antimicrobial resistance - Omololu E. Fagunwa; Diane Ashiru-Oredope; Brendan F. Gilmore; Simon Doherty; Linda B. Oyama; Sharon A. Huws (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Cross-cutting studies of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Arctic wildlife and humans - Rainer Lohmann; Khaled Abass; Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen; Rossana Bossi; Rune Dietz; Steve Ferguson; Kim J. Fernie; Philippe Grandjean; Dorte Herzke; Magali Houde; Mélanie Lemire; Robert J. Letcher; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

The EnMAP spaceborne imaging spectroscopy mission: Initial scientific results two years after launch - Sabine Chabrillat; Saskia Foerster; Karl Segl; Alison Beamish; Maximilian Brell; Saeid Asadzadeh; Robert Milewski; Kathrin J. Ward; Arlena Brosinsky; Katrin Koch; Daniel Scheffler; Stephane Guillaso; et al. (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2024)

Evaluation of three serological tests for the diagnosis of Brucella suis in dogs using Bayesian latent class analysis - Catherine C. Kneipp; Ronald Coilparampil; Mark Westman; Monica Suann; Jennifer Robson; Simon M. Firestone; Richard Malik; Siobhan M. Mor; Mark A. Stevenson; Anke K. Wiethoelter (Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2024)

Perspective paper: Framework to assess the potential of circular food system technologies - C. Halpern; K. Kennedy Freeman; C.B. Barrett; M. van Dijk; D. Mason-D’Croz; A. Simons; B. van Veen; M. Herrero; H.H.E. Van Zanten (Global Food Security, 2024)

Control of stepwise subduction and slab breakoff on volcanism and uplift in the Tibetan Plateau - Jian Wang; Zhi Wang; Xiugen Fu; Xuan-Ce Wang; Simon A. Wilde; Yi Fu; Jian Lin; Hengye Wei; Lijun Shen; Gang Rao; Ahmed Mansour (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2024)

Kinetics of hydrothermal reactions of n-butanol over Pt/Al2O3 catalyst for biopropane fuel gas production - Seyed Emad Hashemnezhad; Jude A. Onwudili; Patricia Thornley; Keith E. Simons (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2024)

A comprehensive analysis of new particle formation across the northwest Atlantic: Analysis of ACTIVATE airborne data - Soodabeh Namdari; Taiwo Ajayi; Yonghoon Choi; Ewan C. Crosbie; Joshua P. DiGangi; Glenn S. Diskin; Simon Kirschler; Hongyu Liu; John B. Nowak; Michael A. Shook; Cassidy Soloff; Kenneth L. Thornhill; et al. (Atmospheric Environment, 2024)

Expression of Tc-MYBPA gene involved in the regulation of the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins in cacao beans (Theobroma cacao L.) - Jude N. Manga; Géraldine Mandiang A. Bep; Simon P. Akoa; Helene A. Mewouo; Martine L. Ondobo; Etienne A. Mvondo; Pierre O. Effa; Pierre F. Djocgoue; Nicolas Niemenak (Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2024)

Trophic differentiation between the endemic Cypriot mouse and the house mouse: a study coupling stable isotopes and morphometrics - Sabrina Renaud; Emilie A. Hardouin; Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis; George P. Mitsainas; Maï Bergmann; Eloïse François; François Fourel; Laurent Simon (Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 2024)

Effects of dietary Arthrospira platensis phycocyanin on growth, fatty acid assessment of breast muscles, hematobiochemical, immunological responses, and hepatic histomorphology in broiler chickens - Shimaa A. Amer; Amany Behairy; Amr A. Moustafa; Azhar Eltanahy; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdel-Wahab A. Abdel-Warith; Ali Osman; Ahmed Gouda; Simon J. Davies; Samar A. Tolba (Journal of Applied Phycology, 2024)

Tetracycline and Oxacillin Act Synergistically on Biofilms and Display Increased Efficacy In Vivo Against Staphylococcus aureus - Amy K. Tooke; Rebecca E. Hodges; Josie F. Pyrah; Kenneth W. Bayles; Stephen A. Renshaw; Simon J. Foster (Current Microbiology, 2024)
Oxacillin (bactericidal) and tetracycline (bacteriostatic) are clinically relevant antibiotics that are routinely prescribed to treat Staphylococcus aureus infections but not conventionally used in combination. There is an urgent need for treatment regimens that can act upon biofilms during infection, associated with chronic infections on indwelling devices, as well as acute planktonic (systemic) infection. Here we show that in an in vitro model oxacillin and tetracycline act synergistically against S. aureus UAMS-1 biofilms, reducing the concentration of both antibiotics necessary to eradicate an established biofilm. Using an in vivo zebrafish larval infection model with S. aureus NewHG, they display improved bacterial clearance compared to each drug alone and can counteract a loss of host phagocytes, an important innate defence against S. aureus . In these cases, the bacteriostatic nature of tetracycline enhances rather than dampens the bactericidal action of oxacillin, although an exact mechanism remains to be elucidated. We suggest a dual therapy could be of clinical use against biofilm-forming S. aureus and has a potential use in patients with a compromised immune system.

Antagonistic Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Dietary Supplementation Against Chronic Copper Waterborne Exposure on Growth, Behavioral, Biochemical, and Gene Expression Alterations of African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) - Shaimaa A. A. Ahmed; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Khaled Yehia Faroh; Samar A. El Gamal; Shereen Badr; Tarek Khamis; Abdallah Tageldein Mansour; Simon J. Davies; Mohamed ElHady (Biological Trace Element Research, 2024)

Microbial Sulfur Pathways and Outcomes in Tailings Impoundments: A Mesocosm Study - Jay Gordon; Simon C. Apte; Tara E. Colenbrander Nelson; Kelly J. Whaley-Martin; Lauren E. Twible; LinXing Chen; Felicia Liu; Samantha McGarry; Jillian F. Banfield; Lesley A. Warren (Mine Water and the Environment, 2024)

Life in the margins: the effect of immersion/emersion and tidal cycle on the North Atlantic limpet Patella vulgata protein synthesis rates - Ignacio A. Cienfuegos; Benjamin J. Ciotti; Richard A. Billington; Paul A. Sutton; Simon G. Lamarre; Keiron P. P. Fraser (Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 2024)

Organometallic functionalized clays for technetium immobilization - Emily Maulden; Elizabeth Gager; An T. Ta; Rachel F. Wood; Daria Boglaienko; Juan C. Nino; Carolyn I. Pearce; Simon R. Phillpot; James E. Szecsody; Nathalie A. Wall (Applied Clay Science, 2024)

Evaluating the effectiveness & costs of strategies post-eradication to monitor for freedom from BVDV infection in Ireland - Jonas Brock; Maria Guelbenzu-Gonzalo; Martin Lange; Jamie A. Tratalos; Damien Barrett; Liz Lane; Simon J. More; David A. Graham; Hans-Hermann Thulke (Agricultural Systems, 2024)

Escaping the cohort of concern: in vitro experimental evidence supports non-mutagenicity of N-nitroso-hydrochlorothiazide - R. D. Gandhi; S. Hickert; Y. Hoevelmann; C. D. Mee; J. Schlingemann; A. Adams; A. Blanazs; S. Simon; J. Elloway; L. Rigger; A. Teasdale; C. V. Beaumont; et al. (Archives of Toxicology, 2024)

Camel whey protein hydrolysate diet mitigates alkaline stress–induced biochemical disorders and restores the target of rapamycin, MAPK pathway, and autophagy-related gene expression in Nile tilapia - Rowida E. Ibrahim; Gehad E. Elshopakey; Mohamed Y. M. Aly; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Yasmina M. Abd-Elhakim; Tarek Khamis; Ali Osman; Mohamed M. M. Metwally; Simon J. Davies; Amany Abdel-Rahman Mohamed (Aquaculture International, 2024)

Using moringa (Moringa oleifera) seed protein hydrolysate as a dietary protein supplement modulates hemato-biochemical indices, antioxidant response, and tissue histo-morphology of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Rowida E. Ibrahim; Shimaa A. Amer; Nasreddin R. Rhouma; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Heba M. Abdel-Ghany; Gehad E. Elshobaky; Mahmoud M. El-Saber; Ali Osman; Simon J. Davies; Afaf N. Abdel Rahman (Aquaculture International, 2024)

Efficacy of the dietary Malva parviflora leaves in modulating immune-antioxidant functions, resistance to Candida albicans and Streptococcus agalactiae infection, digestive/absorptive capacity, and growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Afaf N. Abdel Rahman; Yasmin A. Reyad; Gehad E. Elshopakey; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Nehal Abd EL-Mageed; Afaf A. Kishta; Asmaa Yaseen; Simon J. Davies; Rowida E. Ibrahim (Aquaculture International, 2024)

Influence of astaxanthin-enriched Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae on the growth efficacy, immune response, antioxidant capacity, proinflammatory cytokines, and tissue histomorphology of hybrid red tilapia - Elsayed A. A. Eldessouki; Gehad E. Elshopakey; Samia Elbahnaswy; Medhat S. Shakweer; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Simon J. Davies; Amira Mili; Yasmin M. Abd El-Aziz; Sameh A. Abdelnour; El-Sayed Hemdan Eissa (Aquaculture International, 2024)

The influence of various doses of Moringa oleifera extract on the antioxidant trait, cytokines, reproductive hormones performance, and gonadal histological profiles of Nile tilapia - Fatma Abdel-monem Gad; Mahamoud Abdelghaffar Emam; Ramy M. Shourbela; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Simon J. Davies; Heba H. Mahboub; Hiam Elabd (Aquaculture International, 2024)

Unifying Coral Reef States Through Space and Time Reveals a Changing Ecosystem - Simon J. Brandl; Jérémy Carlot; Rick D. Stuart‐Smith; Sally A. Keith; Nicholas A. J. Graham; Graham J. Edgar; Jérémy Wicquart; Shaun K. Wilson; Rucha Karkarey; Mary K. Donovan; Jesus E. Arias‐Gonzalez; Rohan Arthur; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2024)
Aim Ecological state shifts that alter the structure and function of entire ecosystems are a concerning consequence of human impact. Yet, when, where and why discrete ecological states emerge remains difficult to predict and monitor, especially in high‐diversity systems. We sought to quantify state shifts and their drivers through space and time in the most ecologically complex marine ecosystem: tropical coral reefs. Location Worldwide. Time Period 1987–2019. Major Taxa Studied Coral reef communities. Methods Using a global dataset of 3375 coral reef surveys, along with 13 time series datasets ranging between 1987 and 2019, we applied a novel double‐dichotomy approach to classify coral reefs into four simplified and discrete states based on the relative contributions of corals versus algae to benthic cover and small‐bodied versus large‐bodied fishes to fish standing stock. We then examined state shifts considering a range of spatial predictors and tested whether states have shifted directionally over time, and the nature of the most common transitions. Results We show that geographic, environmental and anthropogenic context fundamentally shapes coral reef states at the local scale, which explains disparities among case studies, and stakes out critical baseline expectations for regional management efforts. We also reveal clear multi‐decadal state shifts on coral reefs: over time, systems dominated by reef‐building corals and small‐bodied, planktivorous fishes tend to have been replaced with reefs characterised by algae and larger‐bodied fishes. Main Conclusions Our results suggest a previously unrecognised transition from systems that harness external subsidies through small‐bodied consumers associated with structurally complex live corals, to herbivore‐dominated systems with stronger bottom‐up dynamics. Overall, the partitioning of complex reef ecosystems into a small suite of discrete ecological states suggests that spatial context‐dependency, shifting baselines and changes in reef functioning are crucial considerations for coral reef management in the 21st century.

The Loss of Beneficial Thermal Priming on Global Coral Reefs - Xinru Li; Simon D. Donner; Harmony A. Martell (Global Change Biology, 2024)
Warm‐season marine heatwaves (MHWs) have greatly increased in frequency, severity, and extent over the last few decades, driving more frequent and severe coral bleaching episodes. Given the grave near‐term threat to coral reefs imposed by MHWs, it is important to assess the mechanisms by which corals may acquire higher thermal tolerance. Recent field and laboratory studies have demonstrated that exposure to sublethal heat stress, known as “priming,” can reduce bleaching susceptibility during a subsequent MHW. Little is known, however, about how often priming conditions occur, and how effective those conditions may be at protecting coral reefs. We employed a global historical coral bleaching database and a high‐resolution sea surface temperature dataset to assess the frequency of priming and examine its effect on coral bleaching sensitivity on a global scale. The analysis showed that coral reefs in parts of the western to central tropical Pacific experienced priming on average over twice a decade and had a higher likelihood of priming protection. Mixed‐effects regression models indicated that priming conditions could mitigate coral bleaching response by up to 12% in advance of a moderate MHW. However, the protective effect of priming decreased, and even became harmful, with more severe MHWs. We detected spatial variations in priming frequency that could provide insight for conservation planning and explain some variations in bleaching sensitivity to MHWs. Even so, our findings suggest that thermal priming will not be sufficient to protect most coral reefs from MHWs in the future, without substantial efforts to mitigate climate change.

Oxylipin Receptors and Their Role in Inter‐Partner Signalling in a Model Cnidarian‐Dinoflagellate Symbiosis - Andrea G. Gamba; Clinton A. Oakley; Immy A. Ashley; Arthur R. Grossman; Virginia M. Weis; David J. Suggett; Simon K. Davy (Environmental Microbiology, 2024)
Oxylipin signalling is central in biology, mediating processes such as cellular homeostasis, inflammation and molecular signalling. It may also facilitate inter‐partner communication in the cnidarian‐dinoflagellate symbiosis, though this aspect remains understudied. In this study, four oxylipin receptors were characterised using immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting in the sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana (‘Aiptasia’): Prostaglandin E2 receptor 2 (EP2) and 4 (EP4), Transient Receptor Potential cation channel A1 (TRPA1) and Glutamate Receptor Ionotropic, Kainate 2 (GRIK2). Receptor abundance and localisation were compared between aposymbiotic anemones and symbiotic anemones hosting either native Breviolum minutum or non‐native Durusdinium trenchii . All receptors were localised to the putative symbiosome of freshly isolated symbionts, suggesting a role in host‐symbiont crosstalk. EP2, EP4 and TRPA1 abundance decreased in the gastrodermis of anemones hosting B . minutum , indicating potential downregulation of pathways mediated by these receptors. In contrast, GRIK2 abundance increased in anemones hosting D . trenchii in both the epidermis and gastrodermis; GRIK2 acts as a chemosensor of potential pathogens in other systems and could play a similar role here given D . trenchii 's reputation as a sub‐optimal partner for Aiptasia. This study contributes to the understanding of oxylipin signalling in the cnidarian‐dinoflagellate symbiosis and supports further exploration of host‐symbiont molecular signalling.

Multiyear genotype characterization of eastern spruce budworm outbreaking populations from Quebec and adjacent regions - João Pedro Fontenelle; Jeremy Larroque; Simon Legault; Julian Wittische; Jessica A. R. Underwood; Patrick M. A. James (Ecology, 2024)
Population outbreaks are characterized by irruptive changes in population density and connectivity resulting in rapid demographic and spatial expansion, often at the landscape scale. Outbreaks are common across multiple taxa, many of which inhabit northern ecosystems. Outbreaks of Lepidopteran defoliators in forest ecosystems are a particularly compelling example of this phenomenon, given the massive spatial scales over which these outbreaks can occur, their frequency, and socioeconomic impacts. The eastern spruce budworm (SBW) is a native outbreaking Lepidopteran defoliator of North American boreal forests. Cyclic outbreaks of the SBW influence ecosystem functioning and resilience, as well as forest productivity, timber supply, and other socioeconomic values related to management and mitigation. Despite these significant impacts, the ecological and biological drivers and outcomes of these outbreaks remain poorly understood. Here, we present an extensive genotypic dataset for 1998 geo‐referenced SBW individuals collected between the years of 2012 and 2017, during the rising and peak phases of an outbreak that began approximately in 2006. Our sampling covers an unprecedented scope in the extent and number of individuals collected between 2012 and 2017 from Quebec, and in 2015 from New Brunswick (Canada) and from Maine (USA), from multiple SBW life stages, including early and late instar larvae (L2–L6), pupae, and adult moths. Genomic DNA extraction was followed by library preparation and high‐throughput sequencing using Genotyping‐by‐Sequencing (GBS). Samples were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and aligned to the bw6 version of the SBW genome. This dataset represents one of the most extensive genotypic datasets to date for a boreal insect and is unique as it includes multiple years during a developing (ongoing, at time of sampling) outbreak. Sampling effort covered areas close to the epicenter of the outbreak (Quebec/Canada) and adjacent areas affected by the outbreak progress. This dataset also provides genome‐wide characterization of SBW populations from Quebec, serving as a standard for the identification of future samples regarding their locality of origin, structure and connectivity. These data represent a valuable novel resource for further study of the spatial and temporal dynamics of SBW, and how spatial genetic diversity and gene flow are affected by population outbreaks. These data provide a temporal snapshot of SBW genetic diversity, which can serve as baseline for future studies regarding outbreaks, and the impact of human‐induced environmental changes on complex population dynamics. This genotype dataset comprises a unique representation of genomic‐level composition and variation observed in subsequent generations of an irruptive, cyclic outbreaking species and is of utmost importance for exploring and describing how accelerated demographic variation impacts the development of spatial genetic structure across heterogeneous landscapes. We believe this dataset is essential to management and conservation biology initiatives not only for SBW and boreal forests but also for providing a starting point for broader evolutionary and ecological studies of complex population dynamics. Furthermore, the knowledge, data collection, and curation framework we present here can be used to inform similar spatial temporal baseline studies of other outbreaking (e.g., mountain pine beetle, red‐backed voles) and invasive species (e.g., spongy moth and emerald ash borer). The data are released under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Engaging communities: A scoping literature review of community-based participatory research in genetics service delivery settings - Heather A. Zierhut; Pranathi Kandikonda; Emily M. Simon; Cameron Donarski; Megan Kocher; Mariana Ramírez; Crystal Y. Lumpkins; Elena R. Fisher (Journal of Community Genetics, 2024)

Effects of climate warming on energetics and habitat of the world's largest marine ectotherm - Samantha D. Reynolds; Craig E. Franklin; Bradley M. Norman; Anthony J. Richardson; Jason D. Everett; David S. Schoeman; Craig R. White; Christopher L. Lawson; Simon J. Pierce; Christoph A. Rohner; Steffen S. Bach; Francesco G. Comezzi; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Interconnectivity can be as important as habitat type in explaining carbon stocks in the coastal lagoons of arid regions - Stephen Carpenter; Kostantinos A. Stamoulis; Daniel Mateos-Molina; Simon J. Pittman; Marina Antonopoulou; Himansu S. Das; Claire Evans (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Restorative function of offshore longline mussel farms with ecological benefits for commercial crustacean species - Thomas Stamp; Simon J. Pittman; Luke A. Holmes; Adam Rees; Benjamin J. Ciotti; Harry Thatcher; Peter Davies; Alice Hall; Georgia Wells; Anna Olczak; Emma V. Sheehan (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Network analysis to reveal the most commonly detected compounds in predator-prey pairs in freshwater and marine mammals and fish in Europe - Nikiforos Alygizakis; Niki Kostopoulou; Georgios Gkotsis; Maria-Christina Nika; Anastasia Orfanioti; Kelsey Ng; Erasmia Bizani; Varvara Nikolopoulou; Alexander Badry; Andrew Brownlow; Cinzia Centelleghe; Elizabeth A. Chadwick; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Isotopic and trace element record of changing metal source contributions to tropical freshwater Lake Naivasha (Kenya) - Carolina Rosca; Annett Junginger; Simon Kübler; Michael G. Babechuk; Lydia A. Olaka; Ronny Schoenberg (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

The ongoing range expansion of the invasive oak lace bug across Europe: current occurrence and potential distribution under climate change - Albert Ciceu; Flavius Bălăcenoiu; Maarten de Groot; Debojyoti Chakraborty; Dimitrios Avtzis; Marek Barta; Simon Blaser; Matteo Bracalini; Bastien Castagneyrol; Ulyana A. Chernova; Ejup Çota; György Csóka; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Increasing oil content in Brassica oilseed species - Randall J. Weselake; David A. Fell; Xiaoyu Wang; Simon Scofield; Guanqun Chen; John L. Harwood (Progress in Lipid Research, 2024)

Numerical modelling of radionuclide uptake by bluefin tuna along its migration routes in the Mediterranean Sea after a nuclear accident - Carmen Cortés; Raúl Periáñez; Barbara A. Block; Michael R. Castleton; Pablo Cermeño; Simon Dedman (Marine Environmental Research, 2024)

Carbonatization and silicification of ophiolitic ultramafic rocks and formation of gold-bearing listvenites in the Arabian-Nubian shield: A case study from the Al-Barramiya district - Amany M.A. Seddik; Bassam A. Abuamarah; Mokhles K. Azer; Simon A. Wilde; Mahmoud H. Darwish (Journal of African Earth Sciences, 2024)

Climate vulnerability of Nothofagus pumilio, Nothofagus dombeyi and Austrocedrus chilensis in northern Patagonia’s temperate forests - Ernesto J. Reiter; Robert Weigel; Helge Walentowski; Gabriel A. Loguercio; Jonas Fierke; Ariel F. Neri Winter; Alois Simon; Martyna M. Kotowska; Natalia Z. Joelson; Marina Caselli; Christoph Leuschner (Forest Ecology and Management, 2024)

Characterization and screening of new Metarhizium isolates to control the coconut rhinoceros beetle in the Pacific islands - Laura F. Villamizar; Gloria P. Barrera; Alphonse Luange; Katayo Sagata; Paul Gende; Simon Chris; Helen Tsatsia; Freda Mudu; Mitchell Weston; Chikako van Koten; Sarah Mansfield; Trevor A. Jackson; et al. (Fungal Biology, 2024)

Correction: Prey targeted by lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica - Rose T. N. Foster-Dyer; Kimberly T. Goetz; Takashi Iwata; Rachel R. Holser; Sarah A. Michael; Craig Pritchard; Simon Childerhouse; Daniel P. Costa; David G. Ainley; Matthew H. Pinkerton; Michelle A. LaRue (Polar Biology, 2024)

Prey targeted by lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay, Antarctica - Rose T. N. Foster-Dyer; Kimberly T. Goetz; Takashi Iwata; Rachel R. Holser; Sarah A. Michael; Craig Pritchard; Simon Childerhouse; Daniel P. Costa; David G. Ainley; Matthew H. Pinkerton; Michelle A. LaRue (Polar Biology, 2024)
Female Weddell seals ( Leptonychotes weddellii ) display a mixed capital-income breeding strategy, losing up to 40% of their body mass between birthing and weaning their pups. How and when they regain energy stores, however, remains to be fully explored. To better understand the foraging by lactating Weddell seals, we fitted time-depth recorders and head-mounted cameras on 26 seals in Erebus Bay, Ross Sea, for ~ 5 days in November and December 2018 and 2019. We aimed to (1) identify prey species and foraging depth and (2) investigate relationships between seal physiology and demographics and probability of foraging. We recorded 2782 dives, 903 of which were > 50 m, maximum depth was 449.3 m and maximum duration was 31.1 min. Pup age likely contributes to the probability of a lactating Weddell seal foraging (Est. = 1.21 (SD = 0.61), z = 1.97, p = 0.0484). Among 846 prey encounters, the most frequent prey items were crustaceans (46.2%) and Antarctic silverfish ( Pleuragramma antarcticum , 19.0%); two encounters were observed with juvenile Antarctic toothfish ( Dissostichus mawsoni , 0.2%). We identified substantial variability in foraging behaviour, individually and between locations, and found that lactating seals target many species and some may specialise on certain prey groups.

The Current State of Biotransformation Science – Industry Survey of In Vitro and In Vivo Practices, Clinical Translation, and Future Trends - John P. Savaryn; Kevin Coe; Matthew A. Cerny; Kevin Colizza; Patricia Moliner; Lloyd King; Bin Ma; Jim Atherton; Adam Auclair; Mark T. Cancilla; Marsha Eno; Ulrik Jurva; et al. (Pharmaceutical Research, 2024)

Impact of dye treatment as management strategy on available light may favour a highly invasive alien aquatic plant - Hélène Groffier; Mohamed A. Mahdjoub; Simon Devin; Elisabeth M. Gross (Aquatic Botany, 2024)

Testing molecular date estimates using an ecological and vicariant case study in treefrogs: The Geological‐Ecological Molecular Calibration - Michael J. Jowers; Jesús Muñoz Pajares; John Weber; Jeanette Arkle; Salvador Arenas‐Castro; Simon Y. W. Ho; Gilson A. Rivas; John C. Murphy; Amaël Borzée; R. Alexander Pyron; Marcos Perez‐Losada; Mayke De Freitas; et al. (Journal of Biogeography, 2024)
Aim To date a vicariant event through the mutualistic relationship of a hylid frog and its bromeliad host found across two isolated mountain ranges as part of an island–continental split and to use this information to calibrate a molecular dating analysis of hylids. Location South America. Time Period Pliocene. Major Taxa Studied Treefrogs, Arboranae. Methods Pliocene tectonic movements sank a portion of a mountain range that connected present‐day Trinidad (island) and northern Venezuela, eventually isolating populations of the golden tree frog Phytotriades auratus and its host bromeliad Glomeropitcairnia erectiflora on both sides of a saltwater barrier. We estimated the submersion rate timing of the vicariant event, then employed ecological niche modelling to establish the distribution of the frog and its host to the Pliocene. We generated nucleotide sequence data for the hylid on each side of the marine barrier and proposed a biogeographic calibration for the split between populations. Using Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, we evaluated the impact of incorporating this biogeographic calibration on estimates of treefrog divergence times. Results A relatively continuous, high‐elevation mountain range existed before the Pliocene and the opening of the Gulf of Paria (4.45 ± 0.85 Ma). Phytotriades auratus and G. erectiflora would have been distributed across the Paria and Northern Range mountains as a single population since the Pliocene. Divergence times among treefrogs (Arboranae) were older than those inferred using fossil calibrations alone, with mean age estimates for subfamilies and genera being ~2 and ~1.2 million years older, respectively. Main Conclusions Our study presents a biogeographic calibration based on a vicariant model that connects the evolution of the populations of a hylid through geology and ecological data. The implementation of this date as a molecular clock calibration reduces the uncertainty in date estimates for the shallower nodes in the phylogeny of Arboranae.

In-situ behaviour of nuclear reactor building rafts on soft soils – review of available monitoring data and comparative analysis with original design assumptions - C. Pineau; F. Barré; C.T. Chatzigogos; A. Courtois; M. Contrafatto; L. Sampic; C. Simon; M. Galan (European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering, 2024)

Root exudation and rhizosphere microbial assembly are influenced by novel plant trait diversity in carrot genotypes - Hannah M. Anderson; Grace A. Cagle; Erica L.-W. Majumder; Erin Silva; Julie Dawson; Philipp Simon; Zachary B. Freedman (Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2024)

A sustainable blue economy may not be possible in Tanzania without cutting emissions - Ana M. Queirós; Elizabeth Talbot; Flower E. Msuya; Baraka Kuguru; Narriman Jiddawi; Shigalla Mahongo; Yohana Shaghude; Christopher Muhando; Elias Chundu; Zoe Jacobs; Sevrine Sailley; Elina A. Virtanen; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Intertidal seagrass extent from Sentinel-2 time-series show distinct trajectories in Western Europe - Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies; Simon Oiry; Philippe Rosa; Maria Laura Zoffoli; Ana I. Sousa; Oliver R. Thomas; Dan A. Smale; Melanie C. Austen; Lauren Biermann; Martin J. Attrill; Alejandro Roman; Gabriel Navarro; et al. (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2024)

U–Pb geochronology and Hf isotope systematics of detrital zircon from the basal part of the late Ediacaran sedimentary succession of the Moldova-Podillya basin (SW Baltica): Implications for glacial vs. alluvial origin - Ion Francovschi; Leonid Shumlyanskyy; Volodymyr Grytsenko; Adam Hoffmann; Simon A. Wilde; Andrey Bekker (Precambrian Research, 2024)

Evidence from adakitic rocks for a switch in magmatic source at ca. 460 Ma in the Karamaili Ocean of East Junggar, NW China - Qian Wang; Guochun Zhao; Yigui Han; Simon A. Wilde (Lithos, 2024)

Cardiac electrical and functional activity following an outdoor cold-water swimming event - Victorien Faivre-Rampant; Corentin Hingrand; A. Mezanger; Eric Saloux; Pierre Ollitrault; Simon Alvado; Hervé Normand; Igor B. Mekjavic; Thibaud Collet; Benoit Mauvieux; Joffrey Drigny; Amir Hodzic (Journal of Thermal Biology, 2024)

Growth and ecophysiology of two Antarctic benthic predators; Isotealia antarctica and Urticinopsis antarctica. - Nadia Frontier; Joseph Marlow; Adriana Giles; Simon A. Morley; Melody S. Clark; Lloyd S. Peck (Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2024)

“That Looks Like My Kitchen!” − Personalized context by usage frequency and familiarity influences consumer perception and liking of chicken nuggets in VR - Kym Man; Jeremy A. Patterson; Christopher T. Simons (Food Research International, 2024)

Hexaflumuron insecticide exposure induces behavior alterations, hemato-biochemical disorders, antioxidant-immune dysfunction, and histopathological alterations in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Rowida E. Ibrahim; Moustafa M. S. Fouda; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Eman Wagih; Basma A. Elshafey; Simon J. Davies; Afaf N. Abdel Rahman (Veterinary Research Communications, 2024)

The influence of vertebrate scavengers on leakage of nutrients from carcasses - Elke Wenting; Patrick A. Jansen; Simon Burggraeve; Devon F. Delsman; Henk Siepel; Frank van Langevelde (Oecologia, 2024)
The decomposition of carcasses by scavengers and microbial decomposers is an important component of the biochemical cycle that can strongly alter the chemical composition of soils locally. Different scavenger guilds are assumed to have a different influence on the chemical elements that leak into the soil, although this assumption has not been empirically tested. Here, we experimentally determine how different guilds of vertebrate scavengers influence local nutrient dynamics. We performed a field experiment in which we systematically excluded different subsets of vertebrate scavengers from decomposing carcasses of fallow deer ( Dama dama ), and compared elemental concentrations in the soil beneath and in the vegetation next to the carcasses over time throughout the decomposition process. We used four exclusion treatments: excluding (1) no scavengers, thus allowing them all; (2) wild boar ( Sus scrofa ); (3) all mammals; and (4) all mammals and birds. We found that fluxes of several elements into the soil showed distinct peaks when all vertebrates were excluded. Especially, trace elements (Cu and Zn) seemed to be influenced by carcass decomposition. However, we found no differences in fluxes between partial exclusion treatments. Thus, vertebrate scavengers indeed reduce leakage of elements from carcasses into the soil, hence influencing local biochemical cycles, but did so independent of which vertebrate scavenger guild had access. Our results suggest that carcass-derived elements are dispersed over larger areas rather than locally leak into the soil when vertebrate scavengers dominate the decomposition process.

Chemical analysis and genetic risk of soil and river contaminated with organochlorine pesticides used in cocoa farming - O. A. Alabi; I. A. Simon-Oke; A. A. Bakare; T. C. Adebo (International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2024)

Modulating the growth, immune/antioxidant traits, immune-related genes, and resistance to Aeromonas veronii infection in Oreochromis niloticus reared under high stocking densities by dietary Lavandula angustifolia essential oil - Mohamed ElHady; Shimaa A. Amer; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdel-Wahab A. Abdel-Warith; Tarek Khamis; Ehab E. Nabawy; Simon J. Davies; Shaimaa A. A. Ahmed (Aquaculture International, 2024)

Toxicological insight of magnetite nanogel: neuro-ethological, hepato-renal, antioxidant, and histopathological traits in Clarias gariepinus - Samar Kamel; Shaimaa A. A. Ahmed; Asmaa Elsayyad; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Elsayed M. Younis; Mohamed Shaalan; Mohamed M. S. Gaballa; Heba H. Mahboub; Tarek Khamis; Sameh H. Ismail; Simon J. Davies; Zeinab Hassan (Aquaculture International, 2024)
Assessment of acute toxicity of magnetic nanogel (MNG) is crucial to conclude the safe applicable dose and to warrant its application in aquaculture. Therefore, the current study is a novel step to assess behavior, neuro-stress response, hepato-renal, oxidative, and histopathological variations produced by MNG’ acute toxicity in Clarias gariepinus . Two experiments were conducted: the first was a determination of the 96-h lethal concentration 50 (LC 50 ) of MNG in C. gariepinus . Meanwhile, the second was an assessment of the toxicological impacts of three different concentrations of MNG in C. gariepinus following a 10-day exposure period and a subsequent 10-day depuration trial. One hundred and eighty fish were allotted to four groups exposed to 0, 1/10, 1/8, or 1/5 96-h LC 50 of MNG. The outcomes exhibited that 96-h LC 50 of MNG for C. gariepinus was 44 mg/L. The subjected group to MNG induced a concentration-dependent elevation in the serum values of cortisol, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, urea, and creatinine following MNG exposure. Marked elevation in the oxidative stress indicators (catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase activity (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) was also evident. Meanwhile, the value of the neurological biomarker, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), was markedly reduced in a concentration-dependent way. These biochemical changes were complemented by pathological alterations in the hepato-renal architecture. Interestingly, in response to the 10-day depuration period, most of the tested parameters were eliminated in C. gariepinus exposed to 1/10 of LC 50 . Conclusively, MNG can induce numerous adverse effects only at higher doses (1/5 and 1/8 of LC 50 ). Meanwhile, the lowest tested concentration of MNG (1/10 of LC 50 ) was safe for application in aquaculture practices with only mild disruptions in the bio-indices. In addition, a retrieval period of 10 days was sufficient to renovate these alterations only in fish exposed to the same concentration.

Dominance and rarity in tree communities across the globe: Patterns, predictors and threats - Iris Hordijk; Lalasia Bialic‐Murphy; Thomas Lauber; Devin Routh; Lourens Poorter; Malin C. Rivers; Hans ter Steege; Jingjing Liang; Peter B. Reich; Sergio de‐Miguel; Gert‐Jan Nabuurs; Javier G. P. Gamarra; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2024)
Aim Ecological and anthropogenic factors shift the abundances of dominant and rare tree species within local forest communities, thus affecting species composition and ecosystem functioning. To inform forest and conservation management it is important to understand the drivers of dominance and rarity in local tree communities. We answer the following research questions: (1) What are the patterns of dominance and rarity in tree communities? (2) Which ecological and anthropogenic factors predict these patterns? And (3) what is the extinction risk of locally dominant and rare tree species? Location Global. Time period 1990–2017. Major taxa studied Trees. Methods We used 1.2 million forest plots and quantified local tree dominance as the relative plot basal area of the single most dominant species and local rarity as the percentage of species that contribute together to the least 10% of plot basal area. We mapped global community dominance and rarity using machine learning models and evaluated the ecological and anthropogenic predictors with linear models. Extinction risk, for example threatened status, of geographically widespread dominant and rare species was evaluated. Results Community dominance and rarity show contrasting latitudinal trends, with boreal forests having high levels of dominance and tropical forests having high levels of rarity. Increasing annual precipitation reduces community dominance, probably because precipitation is related to an increase in tree density and richness. Additionally, stand age is positively related to community dominance, due to stem diameter increase of the most dominant species. Surprisingly, we find that locally dominant and rare species, which are geographically widespread in our data, have an equally high rate of elevated extinction due to declining populations through large‐scale land degradation. Main conclusions By linking patterns and predictors of community dominance and rarity to extinction risk, our results suggest that also widespread species should be considered in large‐scale management and conservation practices.

Exposing illegal hunting and wildlife depletion in the world's largest tropical country through social media data - Hani R. El Bizri; Marcela A. Oliveira; Aline Pessutti Rampini; Simon Knoop; Julia E. Fa; Lauren Coad; Thais Queiroz Morcatty; Gabriel Favero Massocato; Arnaud L. J. Desbiez; João Vitor Campos‐Silva; Daniel Zani La Laina; José Maurício Barbanti Duarte; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2024)
Globally, illegal sport hunting can threaten prey populations when unregulated. Due to its covert nature, illegal sport hunting poses challenges for data collection, hindering efforts to understand the full extent of its impacts. We gathered social media data to analyze patterns of illegal sport hunting and wildlife depletion across Brazil. We collected data for 2 years (2018–2020) across 5 Facebook groups containing posts depicting pictures of illegal sport hunting events of native fauna. We described and mapped these hunting events by detailing the number of hunters involved, the number of species, the mean body mass of individuals, and the number and biomass of individuals hunted per unit area, stratified by Brazilian biome. We also examined the effects of defaunation on hunting yield and composition via regression models, rank–abundance curves, and spatial interpolation. We detected 2046 illegal sport hunting posts portraying the hunting of 4658 animals (∼29 t of undressed meat) across all 27 states and 6 natural biomes of Brazil. Of 157 native species targeted by hunters, 19 are currently threatened with extinction. We estimated that 1414 hunters extracted 3251 kg/million km 2 . Some areas exhibited more pronounced wildlife depletion, in particular the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes. In these areas, there was a shift from large mammals and reptiles to small birds as the main targeted taxa, and biomass extracted per hunting event and mean body mass across all taxonomic groups were lower than in other areas. Our results highlight that illegal sport hunting adds to the pressures of subsistence hunting and the wild meat trade on Brazil's wildlife populations. Enhanced surveillance efforts are needed to reduce illegal sport hunting levels and to develop well‐managed sustainable sport hunting programs. These can support wildlife conservation and offer incentives for local communities to oversee designated sport hunting areas.

Defining an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome: International Consensus Statement - Emma Short; Ian M. Adcock; Bilal Al-Sarireh; Ann Ager; Ramzi Ajjan; Naveed Akbar; Michael A. Akeroyd; Ghada Alsaleh; Ghada Al-Sharbatee; Kambiz Alavian; Winfried Amoaku; Julie Andersen; et al. (GeroScience, 2024)
Around the world, individuals are living longer, but an increased average lifespan does not always equate to an increased health span. With advancing age, the increased prevalence of ageing-related diseases can have a significant impact on health status, functional capacity and quality of life. It is therefore vital to develop comprehensive classification and staging systems for ageing-related pathologies, diseases and syndromes. This will allow societies to better identify, quantify, understand and meet the healthcare, workforce, well-being and socioeconomic needs of ageing populations, whilst supporting the development and utilisation of interventions to prevent or to slow, halt or reverse the progression of ageing-related pathologies. The foundation for developing such classification and staging systems is to define the scope of what constitutes an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome. To this end, a consensus meeting was hosted by the International Consortium to Classify Ageing-Related Pathologies (ICCARP), on February 19, 2024, in Cardiff, UK, and was attended by 150 recognised experts. Discussions and voting were centred on provisional criteria that had been distributed prior to the meeting. The participants debated and voted on these. Each criterion required a consensus agreement of ≥ 70% for approval. The accepted criteria for an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome were (1) develops and/or progresses with increasing chronological age; (2) should be associated with, or contribute to, functional decline or an increased susceptibility to functional decline and (3) evidenced by studies in humans. Criteria for an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome have been agreed by an international consortium of subject experts. These criteria will now be used by the ICCARP for the classification and ultimately staging of ageing-related pathologies, diseases and syndromes.

Nearshore microbial communities of the Pacific Northwest coasts of Canada and the U.S. - Linda D. Rhodes; Nicolaus G. Adams; Ramon Gallego Simon; Maria T. Kavanaugh; Simone R. Alin; Richard A. Feely (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2024)
A survey of marine pelagic coastal microbial communities was conducted over a large geographic latitude range, from Cape Mendocino in northern California USA to Queen Charlotte Sound in British Columbia Canada, during the spring to summer transition. DNA metabarcoding and flow cytometry were used to characterize microbial communities. Physical and chemical oceanography indicated moderate conditions during the survey with no widespread upwelling, marine heat wave, or other extreme conditions. However, four locations displayed features approaching acidified conditions: Heceta Head, Newport, Copalis Beach, and Cape Flattery. Although bacterial and archaeal communities at the Juan de Fuca canyon and northward had high similarity, those south of the Juan de Fuca canyon were well differentiated from each other. In contrast, eukaryotic microbial communities exhibited stronger geographic differentiation than bacterial and archaeal communities across the extent of the survey. Seawater parameters that were best predictors of bacterial and archaeal community structure were temperature, pH, and dissolved inorganic nutrients (nitrate, phosphate, silicate), while those that were best predictors of eukaryotic microbial community structure were salinity, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, and dissolved inorganic nutrients (nitrite, silicate). Although five bacterial and archaeal indicators for potentially corrosive waters were identified ( Colwellia , Nitrosopumilus , Nitrosopelagicus , Sup05 cluster, Sva0996 marine group), no eukaryotic microbial indicators were found. Potentially pathogenic taxa detected in the survey included four disease-causing bacteria for mammals, finfish, and/or shellfish ( Coxiella , Flavobacterium , Francisella , Tenacibaculum ), sixteen genera of microalgae capable of producing biotoxins, and fifteen parasitic species. This study demonstrates the value of coordinating microbial sampling and analysis with broad-scale oceanographic surveys to generate insights into community structures of these important pelagic trophic levels.

Accuracy of Whitebark Pine and Limber Pine Identification by Forest Inventory and Analysis Field Crews - Shayla R Williams; James E Steed; Jeremy Morrone; Sara A Goeking; Matt Lavin; Erich Kyle Dodson; Rachel E Simons (Forest Science, 2024)
Accurate identification of whitebark and limber pine has become increasingly important following the 2022 listing of whitebark pine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. However, morphological similarities make identification of the two species difficult where ranges overlap. Using a genetic test that differentiates whitebark and limber pine, we compared field identification by Forest Inventory and Analysis field crews with genetic identification for needle samples from 371 trees. Field identifications were 100% correct for the 76 samples collected from outside regions of species’ range overlap. A total of 83% of the field identifications were correct in regions of range overlap (89% for large trees, 88% for saplings, and 78% for seedlings). Field-identified samples were correct 60% of the time for limber pine and >99% for whitebark pine. Random forests analysis revealed that identification accuracy is influenced by crew experience, large (≥ 12.7cm diameter) limber or whitebark pines recorded by field crews on the plot, elevation, Julian day of sample collection, and habitat type. We found that whitebark pine has likely been underestimated, and limber pine overestimated, within their overlapping ranges. We provide insights on improving accuracy of future monitoring where these species overlap. Study Implications: Accurate identification of whitebark pine is critical for monitoring this threatened species, yet distinguishing whitebark from limber pine can be difficult. Genetic analysis determined accuracy of field identification by Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) crews was 83% where the species’ ranges overlap. Virtually all individuals identified as whitebark pine were genetically confirmed to be whitebark pine, although nearly 40% of individuals identified as limber pine were actually whitebark pine. Thus, previous data underestimated whitebark and overestimated limber pine abundance in the species’ range overlap. These results quantify reliability of FIA data for whitebark pine assessments and identify areas for improvement.

Achieving realistic ozonation conditions with synthetic water matrices comprising low-molecular-weight scavenger compounds - Simon A. Rath; Urs von Gunten (Water Research, 2024)

P19-28 Exposure data to cosmetic products of consumers presenting atopic dermatitis - M.P. Berrada Gomez; A. Bernard; P. Roch-Simon; H. Bondarenko; P.-J. Ferret (Toxicology Letters, 2024)

Phylogeography of the Euro-Siberian steppe plant Astragalus austriacus: Late Pleistocene climate fluctuations fuelled formation and expansion of two main lineages from a Pontic-Pannonian area of origin - Clemens Maylandt; Anna Seidl; Philipp Kirschner; Simon Pfanzelt; Gergely Király; Barbara Neuffer; Frank R. Blattner; Herbert Hurka; Nikolai Friesen; Alexander V. Poluyanov; Petr A. Kosachev; Corinna Schmiderer; et al. (Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 2024)

Genomic SNPs resolve the phylogeny of an ancient amphibian island radiation from the Seychelles - Miranda B. Sherlock; Jeffrey W. Streicher; David J. Gower; Simon T. Maddock; Ronald A. Nussbaum; Oommen V. Oommen; Ana Serra Silva; Julia J. Day; Mark Wilkinson (Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2024)

In-situ observations of resident space objects with the CHEOPS space telescope - Nicolas Billot; Stephan Hellmich; Willy Benz; Andrea Fortier; David Ehrenreich; Christopher Broeg; Alexis Heitzmann; Anja Bekkelien; Alexis Brandeker; Yann Alibert; Roi Alonso; Tamas Bárczy; et al. (Journal of Space Safety Engineering, 2024)

Enhancing regional flood frequency analysis by integrating site-similarity measures with watershed modeling - Mohanad A. Zaghloul; Amin Elshorbagy; Simon Michael Papalexiou (Journal of Hydrology, 2024)

Long-term mercury accumulation and climate reconstruction of an Australian alpine lake during the late Quaternary - Margot Aurel Schneider; Larissa Schneider; Haidee Cadd; Zoë A. Thomas; Antonio Martinez-Cortizas; Simon Edward Connor; Georgia L. Stannard; Simon Graeme Haberle (Global and Planetary Change, 2024)

Assessing sustainable development pathways for water, food, and energy security in a transboundary river basin - Amanda Palazzo; Taher Kahil; Barbara A. Willaarts; Peter Burek; Michiel van Dijk; Ting Tang; Piotr Magnuszewski; Petr Havlík; Simon Langan; Yoshihide Wada (Environmental Development, 2024)

Rainfall variability and deciduous-evergreen coexistence in tropical forests - Andrew J. Muehleisen; Naomi B. Schwartz; Simon M. Stump; A. Carla Staver (Theoretical Ecology, 2024)

Tachol1 QTL on mouse chromosome 1 is responsible for hypercholesterolemia and diet-induced obesity - Jung Han Kim; Marvin A. Simpkins; Nicholas T. Williams; Emma Cimino; Jadyn Simon; Tanner R. Richmond; Jared Youther; Hannah Slutz; James Denvir (Mammalian Genome, 2024)

Geochemistry and petrology of metapyroxenite and metagabbro associated with Neoproterozoic serpentinites in the Arabian-Nubian Shield: fragments of a fore-arc ophiolite - Bassam A. Abuamarah; Amany M. A. Seddik; Mokhles K. Azer; Simon A. Wilde; Mahmoud H. Darwish (International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2024)

Thermodynamic and kinetic controls on phase stability and incorporation of water in larnite (β-Ca2SiO4): implications for calcium silicate inclusions in diamonds - Chris Gregson; Richard A. Brooker; Simon C. Kohn; Oliver T. Lord (Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 2024)
Larnite (β-Ca 2 SiO 4 ) has previously been reported as an inclusion in sub-lithospheric diamonds and is generally interpreted as a retrograde reaction product of calcium silicate perovskite. In this study, we review the controls on the stability of the Ca 2 SiO 4 polymorphs and show that phosphorus is likely essential for the preservation of β-Ca 2 SiO 4 . We also report a detailed study of the solubility of water and its incorporation mechanisms in γ-Ca 2 SiO 4 and phosphorus-doped β-Ca 2 SiO 4 using FTIR spectroscopy on high-pressure experiments quenched from 4–9.5 GPa and 1000–1200 °C combined with ab initio calculations. The experimentally determined water solubilities are in the range of 107–178 ppm. Our FTIR spectra and ab initio calculations indicate that for phosphorus-free γ-Ca 2 SiO 4 the incorporation mechanism involves protonated Si and Ca1 vacancies. For phosphorus-bearing β-Ca 2 SiO 4 , our preferred incorporation mechanism involves one Si 4+ ion replaced by one P 5+ ion with a single protonated Ca2 vacancy. The low water solubility observed here for larnite implies that if primary calcium silicate perovskite inclusions trap high water concentrations during diamond growth from a volatile-rich fluid, measurements of the concentration of water in larnite will not provide a useful record of the initial volatile concentration. Instead, water would be hosted in other retrograde reaction products, possibly including exsolved fluids.

A device for the early diagnosis of caries - A. A. Ukhov; D. K. Kostrin; N. N. Potrakhov; V. A. Gerasimov; L. M. Selivan; V. A. Simon (Biomedical Engineering, 2024)

A review of the benefits and limitations of waste nutrient treatment in aquaculture pond facilities - Simon Tabrett; Ian Ramsay; Brian Paterson; Michele A. Burford (Reviews in Aquaculture, 2024)
Managing waste nutrients from intensive freshwater and marine pond aquaculture is a global challenge. Nutrient‐enriched water released from farms can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystem health. There are a range of treatment options for discharge water from fish and crustacean ponds, and this review examines the benefits and limitations of these options. Much of the nutrient waste is derived from the addition of formulated feed. In recent years, reduction in waste from feeds and feeding has been largely incremental. In terms of treatment, there are low‐cost approaches, such as settlement ponds, but they are inefficient at reducing nutrients. Biological systems, using aquatic plants, microalgae and filter feeders to reduce nutrient release from farms have variable levels of effectiveness. Establishing wetlands requires considerable additional land area, and success to date has been highly variable. Overall, this review found no simple cost‐effective solution for managing nutrient enriched water from ponds. This is due, in many cases, to challenges with treating the large volumes of discharge water with relatively low nutrient concentrations. This means that more technologically advanced and reliable treatment options, for example, bioreactors, are prohibitively expensive. However, some systems, such as use of recirculation systems typically increase nutrient concentrations, and hence the efficiency and effectiveness of more expensive treatment methods. Biofloc systems can also provide a mechanism for in‐situ nutrient treatment as well as a supplementary food source for animals. Overall, there is scope to improve treatment of waste nutrients, but significant modifications to many production systems are needed to achieve this.

Every breath you take: High concentration of breathable microplastics in indoor environments - L. Maurizi; L. Simon-Sánchez; A. Vianello; A.H. Nielsen; J. Vollertsen (Chemosphere, 2024)

The significance of Paleoarchean granitoids from the Saglek Block, Labrador, Canada - Tanmay Keluskar; Monika A. Kusiak; Daniel J. Dunkley; Simon A. Wilde; Martin J. Whitehouse; Keewook Yi; Shinae Lee (Precambrian Research, 2024)

Evaluation of food allergen information, labelling and unintended food allergen presence in imported prepacked foods and drinks purchased online in the UK - Christopher A. James; Simon Welham; Peter Rose (Food Control, 2024)

Mangrove management practices, policies, and impacts in New Guinea - Mériadec Sillanpää; Daniel A. Friess; Charlie D. Heatubun; Simon M. Cragg; Freddie Alei; Radhika Bhargava; Wahyudi; Hendri; John D. Kalor; Purwanto; Cliff Marlessy; Ruhuddien Pandu Yudha; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2024)

The alleviative effect of Bacillus subtilis-supplemented diet against Vibrio cholerae infection in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) - Omnia A. Elewasy; Amira S. Elrafie; Neveen A. Rasheed; Sara H. Adli; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Simon J. Davies; Rowida E. Ibrahim (Veterinary Research Communications, 2024)

The therapeutic role of Azadirachta indica leaves ethanolic extract against detrimental effects of Aeromonas veronii infection in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus - Hesham A. Khalifa; Esraa Sharawy; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdelwahab A. Abdelwarith; Rowida E. Ibrahim; Shimaa A. Amer; Simon J. Davies; Azza M. A. Abo-Elmaaty (Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 2024)

The Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event: Where do we go from here? - James Davis Reimer; Raquel S. Peixoto; Sarah W. Davies; Nikki Traylor-Knowles; Morgan L. Short; Rafael A. Cabral-Tena; John A. Burt; Igor Pessoa; Anastazia T. Banaszak; R. Scott Winters; Tom Moore; Verena Schoepf; et al. (Coral Reefs, 2024)

Effects of dietary Hyphaene thebaica powder on reproductive performance, physiological parameters, growth, and disease resistance in Clarias gariepinus - Alshimaa A. Khalil; Shimaa A. Amer; Elsayed M. Younis; Abdel-Wahab A. Abdel-Warith; Simon J. Davies; Afaf N. Abdel Rahman (Aquaculture International, 2024)

Wheat genetic resources have avoided disease pandemics, improved food security, and reduced environmental footprints: A review of historical impacts and future opportunities - Julie King; Susanne Dreisigacker; Matthew Reynolds; Anindya Bandyopadhyay; Hans‐Joachim Braun; Leonardo Crespo‐Herrera; Jose Crossa; Velu Govindan; Julio Huerta; Maria Itria Ibba; Carlos A. Robles‐Zazueta; Carolina Saint Pierre; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2024)
The use of plant genetic resources (PGR)—wild relatives, landraces, and isolated breeding gene pools—has had substantial impacts on wheat breeding for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, while increasing nutritional value, end‐use quality, and grain yield. In the Global South, post‐Green Revolution genetic yield gains are generally achieved with minimal additional inputs. As a result, production has increased, and millions of hectares of natural ecosystems have been spared. Without PGR‐derived disease resistance, fungicide use would have easily doubled, massively increasing selection pressure for fungicide resistance. It is estimated that in wheat, a billion liters of fungicide application have been avoided just since 2000. This review presents examples of successful use of PGR including the relentless battle against wheat rust epidemics/pandemics, defending against diseases that jump species barriers like blast, biofortification giving nutrient‐dense varieties and the use of novel genetic variation for improving polygenic traits like climate resilience. Crop breeding genepools urgently need to be diversified to increase yields across a range of environments (>200 Mha globally), under less predictable weather and biotic stress pressure, while increasing input use efficiency. Given that the ~0.8 m PGR in wheat collections worldwide are relatively untapped and massive impacts of the tiny fraction studied, larger scale screenings and introgression promise solutions to emerging challenges, facilitated by advanced phenomic and genomic tools. The first translocations in wheat to modify rhizosphere microbiome interaction (reducing biological nitrification, reducing greenhouse gases, and increasing nitrogen use efficiency) is a landmark proof of concept. Phenomics and next‐generation sequencing have already elucidated exotic haplotypes associated with biotic and complex abiotic traits now mainstreamed in breeding. Big data from decades of global yield trials can elucidate the benefits of PGR across environments. This kind of impact cannot be achieved without widescale sharing of germplasm and other breeding technologies through networks and public–private partnerships in a pre‐competitive space.

The performance of metabolomics-based prediction scores for mortality in older patients with solid tumors - Yara van Holstein; Simon P. Mooijaart; Mathijs van Oevelen; Floor J. van Deudekom; Dina Vojinovic; Daniele Bizzarri; Erik B. van den Akker; Raymond Noordam; Joris Deelen; Diana van Heemst; Nienke A. de Glas; Cynthia Holterhues; et al. (GeroScience, 2024)
Prognostic information is needed to balance benefits and risks of cancer treatment in older patients. Metabolomics-based scores were previously developed to predict 5- and 10-year mortality (MetaboHealth) and biological age (MetaboAge). This study aims to investigate the association of MetaboHealth and MetaboAge with 1-year mortality in older patients with solid tumors, and to study their predictive value for mortality in addition to established clinical predictors. This prospective cohort study included patients aged ≥ 70 years with a solid malignant tumor, who underwent blood sampling and a geriatric assessment before treatment initiation. The outcome was all-cause 1-year mortality. Of the 192 patients, the median age was 77 years. With each SD increase of MetaboHealth, patients had a 2.32 times increased risk of mortality (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.59–3.39). With each year increase in MetaboAge, there was a 4% increased risk of mortality (HR 1.04, 1.01–1.07). MetaboHealth and MetaboAge showed an AUC of 0.66 (0.56–0.75) and 0.60 (0.51–0.68) for mortality prediction accuracy, respectively. The AUC of a predictive model containing age, primary tumor site, distant metastasis, comorbidity, and malnutrition was 0.76 (0.68–0.83). Addition of MetaboHealth increased AUC to 0.80 (0.74–0.87) ( p = 0.09) and AUC did not change with MetaboAge (0.76 (0.69–0.83) ( p = 0.89)). Higher MetaboHealth and MetaboAge scores were associated with 1-year mortality. The addition of MetaboHealth to established clinical predictors only marginally improved mortality prediction in this cohort with various types of tumors. MetaboHealth may potentially improve identification of older patients vulnerable for adverse events, but numbers were too small for definitive conclusions. The TENT study is retrospectively registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR), trial number NL8107. Date of registration: 22–10-2019.

Synthesizing the spatial functionality of contemporary stock assessment software to identify future needs for next generation assessment platforms - Aaron M. Berger; Caren Barceló; Daniel R. Goethel; Simon D. Hoyle; Patrick D. Lynch; Jeremy McKenzie; Alistair Dunn; André E. Punt; Richard D. Methot; John Hampton; Clay E. Porch; Richard McGarvey; et al. (Fisheries Research, 2024)

Identifying priority sites for whale shark ship collision management globally - Freya C. Womersley; Christoph A. Rohner; Kátya Abrantes; Pedro Afonso; Shin Arunrugstichai; Steffen S. Bach; Shir Bar; Adi Barash; Peter Barnes; Adam Barnett; Ginevra Boldrocchi; Noemie Buffat; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2024)

Eoarchean low δ18O zircon indicates emergent land at 3.73 Ga - Piotr Król; Monika A. Kusiak; Martin J. Whitehouse; Daniel J. Dunkley; Simon A. Wilde (Precambrian Research, 2024)

Canine ovarian epithelial tumours: histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation with proposed histopathological classification system - Tamara Dolenšek; Tanja Knific; Gustavo A. Ramírez; Kerstin Erles; Hannah E. Mallon; Simon L. Priestnall; Alejandro Suárez-Bonnet (Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2024)

Histopathological characterization and grading of chronic enterocolitis in Sulawesi crested macaques (Macaca nigra) - Yannick Van de Weyer; Mark R. Howard; Mark F. Stidworthy; Alberto R. Barbon; Julian Chantrey; Stamatios A. Tahas; Ethan Wrigglesworth; Lewis J. Rowden; Amanda Guthrie; Simon Spiro (Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2024)

CD117 expression in canine ovarian tumours - Hannah E. Mallon; Gustavo A. Ramírez; Tamara Dolenšek; Kerstin Erles; Bernat Martí-Garcia; Simon L. Priestnall; Alejandro Suárez-Bonnet (Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2024)

Common and inter-specific toxic effects in three wild fish species after chronic gamma irradiation of early stages - O. Simon; N. Guirandy; L. Dasque; N. Dubourg; V. Camilleri; I. Cavalié; C. Turiès; A. Bado-Nilles; L. Espinat; E. Réalis; B. Gagnaire (Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2024)

Long-term behaviour of Cs-137, Cs-133 and K in beech trees of French forests - D. Okhrimchuk; P. Hurtevent; M.-A. Gonze; M. Simon-Cornu; M. Roulier; L. Carasco; D. Orjollet; M. Nicolas; A. Probst (Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2024)

Two-week step-reduction has limited negative effects on physical function and metabolic health in older adults - Simon Walker; Ulla-Maria Sahinaho; Sakari Vekki; Mari Sulonen; Jari A. Laukkanen; Sarianna Sipilä; Heikki Peltonen; Eija Laakkonen; Maarit Lehti (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2024)
Purpose This study determined the effects of a 2-week step-reduction period followed by 4-week exercise rehabilitation on physical function, body composition, and metabolic health in 70–80-year-olds asymptomatic for injury/illness. Methods A parallel-group randomized controlled trial (ENDURE-study, NCT04997447) was used, where 66 older adults (79% female) were randomized to either intervention or control group. The intervention group reduced daily steps to < 2000, monitored by accelerometer, for two weeks (Period I) and then step-reduction requirement was removed with an additional exercise rehabilitation 4 times per week for 4 weeks (Period II). The control group continued their habitual physical activity throughout with no additional exercise intervention. Laboratory tests were performed at baseline, after Period I and Period II. The primary outcome measure was leg lean mass (LLM). Secondary outcomes included total lean and fat mass, blood glucose and insulin concentration, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol concentration, maximal isometric leg press force (MVC), and chair rise and stair climb performance. Results LLM remained unchanged in both groups and no changes occurred in physical function nor body composition in the intervention group in Period I. HDL cholesterol concentration reduced after Period I (from 1.62 ± 0.37 to 1.55 ± 0.36 mmol·L −1 , P = 0.017) and returned to baseline after Period II (1.66 ± 0.38 mmol·L −1 ) in the intervention group (Time × Group interaction: P = 0.065). MVC improved after Period II only (Time × Group interaction: P = 0.009, Δ% = 15%, P < 0.001). Conclusion Short-term step-reduction in healthy older adults may not be as detrimental to health or physical function as currently thought.