Multiscale universal interface v2.0: Lowering barriers to scalable multiphysics coupling - Wendi Liu; Omar Ahmed Mahfoze; Mayank Kumar; Stephen M Longshaw; Eduardo Ramos Fernandez; David R. Emerson (Computer Physics Communications, 2026)

Technical mitigation measures to reduce the bycatch of sharks: there is no silver bullet - David A. D. Drynan; G. Barry Baker; Stephen T. Garnett; Peter M. Kyne (Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 2026)
Incidental catch (bycatch) of sharks in commercial fisheries is driving global population declines. In this review we assess the efficacy of a comprehensive list of technical bycatch mitigation measures for all major commercial fishing gears. We structured our review around the three stages of capture where opportunities exist to mitigate bycatch: preventing capture; increasing escape probability; and decreasing at-vessel/post-release mortality. Adding magnetic repellents in static gears, removing lightsticks from longlines, adding artificial lights in gillnets, optimising gillnet mesh size, and using non-entangling Fish Aggregating Devices are all effective (i.e., reduce bycatch mortality) without causing harm (i.e., increase in shark catch, or injuring sharks or other species) or reducing target catch, and were feasible to implement. To enable escape, the use of excluders with appropriately configured escape panels/hatches in trawls is effective and feasible. The use of nylon leaders in place of wire in longlines is also effective and feasible but can harm sharks. Post-release mortality decreases by cutting leaders at the hook. Use of circle hooks in longlines is effective at reducing bycatch mortality, but can increase catch rates of sharks. Overall, we found that few measures were supported by studies that reported empirical data. Of those that are effective, many are unlikely to be adopted by fishers because they can reduce target catch, have deleterious impacts on sharks or other species or still require significant investment to resolve technical issues. The variety of measures available and the high degree of interspecific and geographical variation in responses highlights the need for more trials under local conditions before deployment. Future research priorities should include development and incorporation of necromones into commercially viable artificial baits, production of active electrical repellents at scale to encourage uptake, investigating the impact of removal of lightsticks from longlines on shark catch rates, and refinement of circle hook design to reduce shark catch rates.

Characterization of CANDU coolant void reactivity using nuclear data sensitivities and assessment of ZED-2 experimental configurations for code validation - Stephen N. Marshall; Julian E. Atfield; David R. Novog (Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2026)

Assessment of a deep learning model for algal toxin forecasting in coastal Maine - Johnathan Evanilla; Nicholas R. Record; Benjamin Tupper; Bryant Lewis; David W. Miller; Kohl Kanwit; Craig Burnell; Stephen D. Archer (Harmful Algae, 2026)

Examining widely held propositions on human dietary protein needs and benefits: a critical review of the science that shapes both the data and our understanding of an essential macronutrient - Mitchell M. Kanter; Sally Aaron; Steven N. Austad; Andrew W. Brown; Nicholas A. Burd; Wayne W. Campbell; Mark Cope; Teresa A. Davis; John W. Erdman; Miguel Freitas; Kristen Hicks-Roof; Samuel Klein; et al. (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2026)

Modelling a decade of daily open water evaporation for existing and planned water storages: A spatially explicit analysis for the Pilbara region of north-western Australia - David L. McJannet; Stephen B. Stewart; Dejun Cai; Thomas G. Van Niel; Tim R. McVicar; Steven D. Boxall (Journal of Hydrology, 2026)

A multi-modal workflow identifies non-γ-glutamyl kokumi peptides in plant proteins - Christina M. Reumiller; Raise Ahmad; Stephen R. Haines; Jihan Kim; Ancy Thomas; David O. Hooks; Debashree Roy; Harjinder Singh; Evelyne Maes (Food Chemistry, 2026)

Bioinspired pullulan-based adhesive coacervate films for targeted buccal delivery of peptides - Margarida M.A. Sacramento; Nazanin Z. Ezazi; Eleftheria Pantazoglou; Philip Mark Lund; Marco van de Weert; Zhongyang Zhang; Rui Vitorino; Floriane Bahuon; Ragna Berthelsen; Stephen T. Buckley; Gavrielle R. Untracht; Peter Eskil Andersen; et al. (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2026)

Enhanced productivity and phosphogenesis caused by renewed Middle Triassic upwelling along the northwestern margin of Pangea, British Columbia, Canada - Cameron M. Wood; Stephen E. Grasby; David P.G. Bond; Yadong Sun; Benjamin M. Tutolo (Chemical Geology, 2026)

Illuminating hidden harvest: Day and night recreational fishing patterns in coastal Louisiana - David R. Smith; Shae Schreckengost; Michael A. Dance; Howard Dunleavy; Stephen R. Midway (Fisheries Research, 2026)

The basement geology of the Porcupine High – new geochronological constraints from the westernmost Caledonides - David Chew; Shannon Dennehy; Shane Tyrrell; J. Stephen Daly; Rémi Rateau; Eszter Badenszki; Martin J. Whitehouse; Kerryming Sun; Paul Guyett (Precambrian Research, 2026)

Climate shocks and cumulative vulnerability in Nigeria’s small-scale fisheries: evidence on income losses, regressive impacts, and the limits of conventional policy levers - Edamisan Stephen Ikuemonisan; Olakunle David Eniafe (Journal for Nature Conservation, 2026)

Development of a non-verbal method for capturing and characterising fragrance evoked emotion concepts using visual imagery - Anne Churchill; Stephen R. Green; Julia D. Brooks; David M.H. Thomson (Food Quality and Preference, 2026)

Taeniolabis simmonsae (Multituberculata, Taeniolabididae) from the early Paleocene of the Denver Basin, Colorado: implications for taeniolabidid taxonomy and biochronology of the Puercan North American Land Mammal Age - David W. Krause; Lucas N. Weaver; Stephen G. B. Chester; Craig S. Scott; Ken Weissenburger; Jordan W. Crowell; Rudolph R. Hummel; Tyler R. Lyson (Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 2026)

Microbiome baseline for an Arctic sentinel: spatial patterning of nasal and anal microbiomes in ringed seals - Carlos A. Domínguez-Sánchez; Olwyn C. Friesen; Brent G. Young; Tera L. Edkins; Ellen V. Lea; Magali Houde; Stephen D. Petersen; David J. Yurkowski; Holly E. L. Gamblin; Steve H. Ferguson (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2026)
Introduction Ringed seals ( Pusa hispida ) are sentinel species of Arctic change, yet baseline microbiome data across their circumpolar range remain limited. Methods We profiled nasal and anal microbiomes from 90 free-ranging ringed seals across eight Arctic and sub-Arctic locations in Canada using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results Body site was the primary determinant of microbiome structure, with nasal and anal assemblages forming distinct communities that could be classified with 94.8% accuracy, consistent with strong niche partitioning. Nasal microbiomes exhibited a conserved core dominated by the genera Corynebacterium, Psychrobacter , and Suttonella across all sampling locations, supporting a stable respiratory baseline consistent with host-mediated filtering. In contrast, anal microbiomes showed higher richness, greater inter-individual variability, and a latitudinal gradient in diversity: Shannon index, Pielou’s evenness, and Simpson index all declined with increasing latitude (all p < 0.05), suggesting that ecological constraints at higher latitudes promote dominance by a narrower set of taxa without reducing overall richness. Despite overall compositional differences among locations, geographic distance was a poor predictor of microbiome dissimilarity in both body sites. Instead, continuous spatial gradients of latitude and longitude were associated with microbiome composition in both body sites: in nasal microbiomes, genus Corynebacterium increased while Ornithobacterium and Suttonella decreased at higher latitudes, whereas in anal microbiomes, Psychrobacter and Peptoclostridium increased northward while Fusobacterium and Bacteroides declined, patterns not previously reported in Arctic pinnipeds. Conclusion Together, these findings establish the first integrated nasal and anal microbiome baseline for ringed seals, demonstrate that the two body sites provide complementary ecological signals, and establish a reference framework for future microbiome-based health monitoring in a rapidly changing Arctic.

A Numerical Study of Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) Larval Growth and Dispersal in Barataria Estuary, Louisiana, USA - Zhengchen Zang; Z. George Xue; Shaye E. Sable; Megan K. La Peyre; Kenneth A. Rose; Timothy A. Stephens; Brady Carter; David C. Lindquist; Yanda Ou; Ziyan Lei (Estuaries and Coasts, 2026)

Application of a ZED-2 benchmark experiment to CANDU coolant void reactivity validation - Stephen N. Marshall; Julian E. Atfield; David R. Novog (Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2026)

A primary care pharmacogenetic precision medicine pilot based on specific Māori tribal ethical frameworks and principles - Stephen P. Robertson; Benjamin J. Halliday; Rhonda Tibble; Caroline Koia; Tuta Haereroa; Elizabeth Goodin; Ben Curran; Claire E. Rye; Helen Wihongi; Ben Te Aika; Joep de Ligt; Donia Macartney-Coxson; et al. (Journal of Community Genetics, 2026)
Indigenous tribal communities are frequently underserved by genomic medicine because they are under-represented in research, often live in remote locations and have ethical and cultural perspectives that vary from westernised standpoints. The Rakeiora platform, a permissioning and analytical environment that incorporates Māori perspectives and ethical frameworks on how precision medicine research is best conducted was used to host a pharmacogenetic exemplar project to demonstrate proof of principle in a tribal community. The project was prospectively co-designed alongside community representatives through an extensive series of kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) consultation hui, drawing on the strengths, insights, and aspirations of the community. Narratives socialising the study were metaphorically located in tribal-specific histories to improve participation. The cohort of 148 Māori individuals consented to have variants in CYP2C19 extracted from whole genome sequence datasets and correlated to the medicines they were prescribed and had dispensed over a 12-month period. Genotyping indicated that 7% of the cohort were genotypically predicted to be “poor metabolisers” and 11% “rapid metabolisers” of at least one drug known to be processed by CYP2C19. Based on international guidelines, 40% of prescriptions could have benefited from knowledge of the participant’s CYP2C19 genotype through either dose adjustment or prescription of an alternative drug. The study population was broadly supportive of research into precision medicine, but the majority wished to retain ongoing dynamic consent practices mediated by trusted local figures.

Unveiling the therapeutic potential of Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) skeels in polycystic ovary syndrome via network pharmacology and molecular docking - Akingbolabo Daniel Ogunlakin; Owona Pascal Emmanuel; Christopher B. Olowosoke; Adeleye Adegboyega Edema; Ahamefula Ansalm Ahuchaogu; Caleb Joel Nwaogwugwu; Seun Elizabeth Kuyoro; Abdullahi Adeyemi Adegoke; Tope Abraham Ibisanmi; Mubo Adeola Sonibare; Enitan Omobolanle Adesanya; Ajibola David Adelakun; et al. (In Silico Pharmacology, 2026)

Analysis of second-generation epigenetic clocks reveals further associations between disproportionate biological ageing and hippocampal volume - Lidija Milicic; Michael Vacher; Vincent Doré; Pierrick Bourgeat; Rosita Shishegar; James D. Doecke; Paul Maruff; Christopher C. Rowe; Victor L. Villemagne; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; et al. (GeroScience, 2026)

Quantifying outdoor thermal comfort in different street vegetation arrangements: Insights from a study in tropical and subtropical Australian cities - Jiawei Fu; Silvia Tavares; David King; Stephen Naylor (Urban Climate, 2026)

Corrigendum to “Vent-specific unrest at Pavlof Volcano, Alaska: Insights from multidisciplinary data” [Journal Volcanology and Geothermal Research 468 (2025) 108465] - Darren Tan; David Fee; Pavel Izbekov; Taryn Lopez; Társilo Girona; Vanesa Burgos; Stephen McNutt; Matthew Haney; Valerie Wasser; Jessica Larsen; Ronni Grapenthin; Mario Angarita; et al. (Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2026)

The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project Phase 2 data release: An open data resource for the study of Earth's environmental history - Úna C. Farrell; Hunter C. Olson; Maya O. Thompson; Michelle L. Abshire; Oyeleye O. Adeboye; Anne-Sofie C. Ahm; Lewis J. Alcott; Thomas J. Algeo; Ross P. Anderson; Arif H. Ansari; Lucas Pinto Heckert Bastos; Kohen W. Bauer; et al. (Chemical Geology, 2026)

Multifrequency Electrical Impedance Myography Enhanced with Machine Learning for Screening Patients with Neuromuscular Disorders - Buket Sonbas-Cobb; Seward B. Rutkove; Baoguo Wei; Sara Robicheau; W. David Arnold; Kaneshia Hives; Amy Bartlett; Peter Riley; Aleah Pagan; Stephen M. Chrzanowski; Basil T. Darras; Stephen J. Kolb (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2026)
Purpose We evaluated surface electrical impedance myography (EIM) enhanced with machine learning to serve as a new office-based screening tool for neuromuscular disease Methods EIM of nine muscles was successfully performed in 119 adults and 111 children (approximately half healthy and half diseased) for a total of 3158 individual muscle measurements. Multifrequency data were processed with feature engineering and classification. Nested cross-validation assessed performance, with muscle-based predictions aggregated to participant via majority voting Results Single-feature analyses showed moderate-to-good discrimination (area-under-ROC curve of 0.62–0.73). When multifrequency features were used, participant-based logistic regression and extra trees ensemble models achieved 84% accuracy with 88.1% sensitivity in adults and 93% accuracy and 94.6% sensitivity in children. Beyond classification, regression using EIM predicted muscle strength with R 2 = 0.49, outperforming single-frequency correlations Conclusion These results demonstrate that machine learning-enhanced EIM can successfully distinguish individuals with neuromuscular disease from healthy individuals. Nevertheless, further studies in larger populations of people would help advance this technology to the point that it could serve as a convenient, office-based screening tool for neuromuscular disease.

Shortleaf Pine-Hardwood Mixture Development Through Ten Years in the Eastern Highland Rim of Tennessee - David Clabo; Puskar Khanal; Kevin Hoyt; Martin Schubert; Tony Garner; Stephen Peairs; Wayne Clatterbuck (Forest Science, 2026)
Management of pine-hardwood mixtures or mixedwood forest types is gaining interest in the southeastern United States where landowner objectives/attitudes, rising management costs, timber and carbon markets, and logging workforce factors may provide rationale for favoring these forest types. However, few studies in the region have documented long-term stand development patterns for pine-hardwood mixtures. The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate ten-year survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine ( Pinus echinata ) following four site preparation and early release treatments, and 2) assess the associated natural regeneration composition and growth. A study area was established during 2013/2014 near Estill Springs, Tennessee. Fell-and-burn site preparation served as the control treatment, and three additional first and/or second year release treatments were tested. Shortleaf pine seedlings were planted at two spacings (3.6 × 3.6 m and 5.5 × 5.5 m). Results indicated a significant treatment x spacing interaction for shortleaf pine survival ( P = 0.01) with improved survival observed in the 3.6 × 3.6 m spacing herbicide release treatments. Average height growth was statistically significant ( P = 0.01) and greater in the herbicide-and-burn release treatment (8.1 m) compared to the control (6.8 m) and burn release (6.8 m) treatments. Invasive woody species were more common than other species groups, but they were significantly shorter than native woody species ( P < 0.001). Treatments that included herbicide release resulted in greater shortleaf pine survival and height growth. Oaks ( Quercus spp.) and other Pinus spp. were present in upper crown classes in the two herbicide release treatments after ten years, but additional management will be needed to suppress invasive woody species as these stands continue to develop.

Strategic deep tillage of deep sand soils impacts the sorption and biological availability of trifluralin - Tom J. Edwards; Stephen L. Davies; Ron J. Yates; Michael T. Rose; Benedict Arthur; John G. Howieson; Graham O’Hara; Emma J. Steel; David JM Hall (Soil and Tillage Research, 2026)

Interpretable deep learning reveals spatiotemporal MRI features of brain aging that align with neurodegeneration - Nikhil N. Chaudhari; Owen M. Vega; Phoebe Imms; Jaron M. Kawamura; Nahian F. Chowdhury; Tamara Jafar; Andrei Irimia; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; et al. (GeroScience, 2026)
Cortical thinning and atrophy are hallmarks of brain aging that have been characterized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Brain aging involves many neuroanatomic features whose effects on brain structure remain unexplored. To address this challenge, we trained interpretable deep neural networks (DNNs) to estimate brain age (BA) from T 1 -weighted ( T 1 w) MRI. By identifying MRI features unapparent to humans, DNNs can find aging-related structural alterations above and beyond cortical thickness and atrophy. Using a novel approach to DNN interpretability, we mapped brain aging progression in 25,539 cognitively normal UK Biobank adults aged 45–83 years. Cortical aging is found to involve anatomic features becoming prominent during the 50s within frontolateral, mesolimbic, cuneal, and occipitotemporal regions. From these foci, aging-related features propagate to adjacent areas at rates peaking in the 60s. Cortical thinning and atrophy do not trend closely with neurodegeneration, but important DNN-identifiable anatomic features have spatiotemporal dynamics that match those of amyloid or tau. Our results challenge the assumption that MRI cannot map anatomic features trending with neurodegeneration. Interpretable DNNs can empower MRI to quantify anatomic aging as a process of spatial feature expansion from focal regions into nearby structures in the sequence of neurodegenerative pathology. Traditional morphometrics explain only ∼1% of variance in DNN-identifiable features, which clarifies why the former are insensitive to anatomic changes involving neurodegeneration. Our results conceptualize brain aging in the context of spatial and temporal parallels between anatomic senescence and neuropathology. These findings may help to map cognitively normal adults’ neurodegenerative anatomy even without PET measurements. Graphical Abstract

In vitro culture for long-term maintenance of embryonic insect cells from the house cricket Acheta domesticus - Stephen A. Schwartz; Sophia M. Letcher; Noah Novick; Shwe Yee Pwint; David L. Kaplan (In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal, 2026)

Corrigendum to “Diffusion rates of hydrogen defect species associated with site-specific infrared spectral bands in natural olivine” [Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 581 (2022), 117406] - Yang Li; Stephen J. Mackwell; David L. Kohlstedt (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2026)

SNAPSHOT USA 2024: Year 6 of the Coordinated National Camera Trap Survey of the United States - Brigit Rooney; Roland Kays; Michael V. Cove; Alex Jensen; Daniel J. Herrera; Camilla Price; Phuong‐Thao Nguyen‐Nu; Katrina Adamczyk; Peter D. Alexander; David Allen; Jesse M. Alston; Diego F. Alvarado‐Serrano; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2026)
Motivation SNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multi‐contributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing SNAPSHOT USA dataset is intended for tracking the spatial and temporal responses of mammal populations to changes in land use, land cover and climate. These data will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, as well as the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns. Main Types of Variables Contained SNAPSHOT USA 2024 contains 377,427 records of camera trap image sequence data and 3127 records of camera trap deployment metadata. Spatial Location and Grain Data were collected across the United States of America in 49 states, 12 ecoregions and many ecosystems. Time Period and Grain Data were collected between 1 August and 19 December in 2024. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement The dataset includes a wide range of taxa but is primarily focused on medium to large mammals. Software Format SNAPSHOT USA 2024 comprises two .csv files. The original data can be found within the SNAPSHOT USA 2024 project on the Wildlife Insights platform.

Coexistence of Photosynthetic Marine Microorganisms, Viruses and Grazers: Towards Integration in Ocean Ecosystem Models - Paul Frémont; Stephen J. Beckett; David Demory; Eric Carr; Christopher L. Follett; Debbie Lindell; David Talmy; Stephanie Dutkiewicz; Joshua S. Weitz (Environmental Microbiology, 2026)
Photosynthetic microorganisms are responsible for primary production at the base of the marine food web and influence global biogeochemistry. Their growth is balanced by mortality processes, including zooplankton grazing and viral lysis. These predators coexist despite competing for the same microorganisms. Here, we develop a community model of photosynthetic microorganisms, grazers and viruses that incorporates elemental quotas and is suitable for ocean ecosystem models. We evaluate the extent to which coexistence is facilitated by: (i) explicit infected phytoplankton; (ii) heterogeneity in susceptibility to viral infection; and (iii) higher‐order mortality for the predators. We show a trade‐off between the virus latent period and virulence in facilitating coexistence. The latent period generates oscillations that reduce the growth rate of the free virus, promoting coexistence. Heterogeneity in susceptibility supports coexistence through resource partitioning, while higher‐order mortality widens the coexistence regime. The model outcomes are sensitive to viral life history traits, including the percentage of infected cells and the balance between virally‐ and zooplankton‐induced mortality. Leveraging algebraic model equilibria, we identify parameter combinations that yield realistic ecological properties in simplified epipelagic environments. Our models suggest that efforts to embed virus dynamics in ocean ecosystem models should include moderate to strong resistance to viral infection.

The collective application of shorebird tracking data to conservation - Autumn‐Lynn Harrison; Candace Stenzel; Alexandra Anderson; Jessica Howell; Richard B. Lanctot; Marley Aikens; Joaquín Aldabe; Liam A. Berigan; Joël Bêty; Erik Blomberg; Juliana Bosi de Almeida; Andy J. Boyce; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2026)
Addressing urgent conservation issues, such as the drastic declines of North American migratory birds, requires creative, evidence‐based, efficient, and collaborative approaches. The abundance of over 50% of monitored North American shorebird populations has declined by over 50% since 1980. To address these declines, we developed a partnership of scientists and practitioners called the Shorebird Science and Conservation Collective (hereafter the collective ). The collective was founded to translate the combined findings of shorebird tracking data into on‐the‐ground conservation action. With advice from an advisory group, the collective acts as an intermediary whereby dedicated staff collate and analyze data contributions from scientists to support knowledge requests from conservation practitioners. In its first three years, data contributions from 75 organizations include over 7.1 million shorebird observations forming movement paths of 3420 individuals representing 36 species tracked across the Americas and have informed 18 conservation projects spanning education, land and species management, land conservation, and policy requests. Others engaged in translational science from big data could consider similar knowledge‐sharing models that prioritize usable data products, foster collaborative engagement between science experts and practitioners, build focused communities around topics or taxonomic groups, and employ a proof‐of‐concept phase to develop scalable solutions while making progress toward long‐term funding to sustain impact. As the volume of scientific data continues to grow, intermediaries, such as the collective, can be vital liaisons to rapidly integrate and interpret research to support conservation action. Dedicated to the memory of Shiloh Schulte and his conservation achievements for shorebirds.

Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I ( COI ) gene sequence analysis reveals genetic connectivity and recent population expansion in Terebralia palustris (Linnaeus, 1767) along the Tanzanian coastline - Zulfa Ismail Shabani; Aneth Bela David; Joseph Stephen Matata; Changoma Marko Fransis; Dativa Joseph; Daniel Abel Shilla; Fulgence Mpenda; Prosper Laurent Mfilinge; James Leonard Lusana (Marine Biology Research, 2026)

Determinants of L-band backscatter in dry tropical ecosystems: Implications for biomass mapping - João M.B. Carreiras; Thomas Higginbottom; John L. Godlee; Sam Harrison; Lorena Benitez; Penelope J. Mograbi; Aurora Levesley; Karina Melgaço; David Milodowski; Georgia Pickavance; Geoff Wells; Edmar Almeida de Oliveira; et al. (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2026)

Experimental study of thermomechanical properties of PTFE-based nanocomposite for space application: Thermal expansion - Sayavur I. Bakhtiyarov; Lia D. Gventsadze; Elguja R. Kutelia; David I. Gventsadze; Ayten S. Bakhtiyarova; Stephen M. White (Journal of Space Safety Engineering, 2026)

Isotopic constraints on volcano-tectonically controlled assimilation at Campi Flegrei, Italy - Fay M. Amstutz; Michael J. Stock; Victoria C. Smith; Roberto Isaia; David van Acken; Stefano Vitale; Jacopo Natale; J. Stephen Daly; Adrian Boyce (Chemical Geology, 2026)

Sampling microbial dynamics in the Salish Sea estuary: evaluating methods to capture cyanobacteria and cyanophage - Noelani R. Boise; Owen P. Leiser; Kristin Jones; Mahala Peter-Frank; Damon Leach; Stephen Crafton-Tempel; Peter Regier; Ruonan Wu; Conner Phillips; Margaret S. Cheung; Connah G. M. Johnson; Scott J. Edmundson; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2026)
Introduction Picocyanobacteria from the genera Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus thrive across the globe in aquatic environments, have relatively small genomes, and have growth dynamics regulated by both viral interactions and abiotic conditions, making them excellent model organisms for exploring host-pathogencoevolution. Methods We developed and refined methods to sample and sequence cyanobacteria, cyanophages, and measured features of their abiotic environment. Results The protocol described herein can successfully discriminate large-cell eukaryotic organisms, but size fractionation of picocyanobacteria appears to be affected by the presence of free DNA, multicellular structures, and abundant tycheposons. Our preferred final protocol from this exploratory effort included a combination of in-line and single vacuum flask filtrations, which reduced filtration processing time by over threefold in some cases compared to other tested methods, such as a fully in-line sequence or in-site filtrations. We successfully extracted an average of approximately 400–1200 ng for all filter fractions, with some variations between kits. Discussion The protocol described herein can successfully discriminate large-cell eukaryotic organisms, but size fractionation of picocyanobacteria appears to be affected by the presence of free DNA, multicellular structures, and abundant tycheposons.

Sex and APOE genotype specific brain regional vulnerability to Alzheimer's Disease - Qi Zeng; Minghui Wang; Erming Wang; Xianxiao Zhou; Peng Xu; Vahram Haroutunian; Dongming Cai; Bin Zhang; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; et al. (GeroScience, 2026)
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disproportionately affects women and carriers of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE4), yet little is known about how sex and APOE interact to influence white matter (WM) integrity during disease progression. We integrated diffusion MRI and matched blood transcriptomic data to investigate these interactions and their underlying biological mechanisms. WM microstructure was quantified using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and regional vulnerability was assessed with a composite vulnerability score (CVS) derived from associations between diffusion features and AD severity across clinical traits in each of the four sex-APOE groups (female or male, with or without APOE4). Brain parcellation with the Eve atlas revealed regions consistently affected across sex-APOE groups (e.g., parahippocampal and superior temporal gyri) and regions specific to individual groups (e.g., the cingulum in females with APOE4 and the middle frontal gyrus in males without APOE4). Gene co-expression network analysis of the matched blood expression data identified gene subnetworks linked to group-specific regional vulnerability, including a muscle tissue morphogenesis module regulated by NEURL1B and HIST1H2BN associated with middle frontal gyrus vulnerability. These findings demonstrate that sex and APOE genotype jointly shape region-specific WM vulnerability and its molecular signatures in AD. Understanding these interactions provides novel mechanistic insights and may inform precision approaches to drug development, biomarker discovery, and clinical trial design for AD.

Linkages between Caribbean hydroclimate, atmospheric CO2, and methane production on orbital to millennial timescales - Meilun Zhang; Martín Medina-Elizalde; Stephen Burns; Josué Polanco-Martinez; Ambarish Karmalkar; David McGee; Hsun-Ming Hu; Chuan-Chou Shen (Quaternary Science Reviews, 2026)

Place-based rural development: building capacities, multi-actor collaborations and making sense of the local ‘place’ - Claudia De Fuentes; David Doloreux; Stephen Quilley (Journal of Rural Studies, 2026)

Insights into responses to elevated temperatures in Solanum tuberosum cultivars with contrasting sensitivity - Selina Beck; Luisa Höfner; David Rüscher; Danuše Tarkowská; Jitka Široká; Stephen Reid; David Pscheidt; Jörg Hofmann; Ondřej Novák; Miroslav Strnad; Sophia Sonnewald (Journal of Plant Physiology, 2026)

Algal reorganization in post-crisis Early Triassic oceans revealed by biomarker evidence - Yizhou Huang; B. David A. Naafs; Li Tian; Stephen E. Grasby; David P.G. Bond; Paul B. Wignall; Michael J. Benton; Richard D. Pancost (Global and Planetary Change, 2026)

The Sedimentary geochemistry and paleoenvironments project phase 2 data release: An open data resource for the study of Earth's environmental history - Úna C. Farrell; Hunter C. Olson; Maya O. Thompson; Michelle L. Abshire; Oyeleye O. Adeboye; Anne-Sofie C. Ahm; Lewis J. Alcott; Thomas J. Algeo; Ross P. Anderson; Arif H. Ansari; Lucas Pinto Heckert Bastos; Kohen W. Bauer; et al. (Chemical Geology, 2026)

The Black Array of Broadband Absolute Radiometers Earth Radiation Imager: Science Requirements, Instrument Design, and Concept of Operations - Odele Coddington; Cameron Straatsma; Ginger Drake; Kush Tyagi; Michelle Stephens; Chris Yung; Nathan Tomlin; John Lehman; Chip Bollendonk; Paris Buedel; Katherine Catani; Beth Cervelli; et al. (Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, 2026)
The Black Array of Broadband Absolute Radiometers Earth Radiation Imager (BABAR-ERI) is a small, adaptable nadir-pointed pushbroom imager to measure Earth-leaving broadband radiance from 0.3 µm to 100 µm with higher information content than is currently measured by reducing radiometric uncertainty and enabling cloud-resolving spatial resolution. The three-instrument BABAR-ERI suite fits a 12U CubeSat form factor and contains co-registered science telescope channels for measuring shortwave (0.3 µm to 4.5 µm band) and total radiance (0.3 µm to 100 µm band), dual-channel on-board radiance stability monitors, and a visible-wavelength camera. Novel, 1 × 32 element, electrical-substitution radiometer pixels image the shortwave and total radiance in 1 km × 1 km co-registered ground footprints; longwave radiance (4.5 µm to 100 µm band) is derived from subtraction of the shortwave and total radiance. The dual-channel onboard stability monitors are radiance standard detectors, and their measurements, acquired concurrently with the science telescopes and at much different duty cycles for the dual channels, will be used to track and correct the degradation of the science channels. The single-channel, mid-visible camera facilitates geolocation pointing knowledge and provides scene context information and sub-pixel variability to facilitate measurement stability studies and enable process-level science studies at high spatial resolution. The detectors for the science channels and stability monitors are absolute, ambient-temperature, micro-fabricated, electrical-substitution radiometers with near-perfect optical absorptance across the measurement range from vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The BABAR-ERI science channels will be characterized over the full measurement range and for variable Earth scenes and deep space temperatures during extensive ground calibrations.

Micro‐Refuges or Ecological Traps: Context‐Dependent Effects of Rock Pools on Intertidal Biodiversity Across Latitudes - Louise B. Firth; Andrea Desiderato; Antony M. Knights; J. David Aguirre; Juan C. Astudillo; Juan C. Azofeifa‐Solano; David T. Bilton; Su Yin Chee; Hartvig C. Christie; Ronaldo A. Christofoletti; Amelia Curd; Katherine A. Dafforn; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2026)
Aim We investigated how local‐scale environmental heterogeneity influences biodiversity patterns across broad biogeographic gradients, using intertidal microhabitats as a model system within one of the most environmentally stressful ecosystems on Earth. Location Intertidal habitats at 26 locations (two rocky shore sites per location) across six continents, spanning 98° of latitude (38°S to 60°N). Time Period 2019–2022. Major Taxa Studied Algae, sessile and mobile invertebrates. Methods We compared biodiversity and thermal environments across contrasting microhabitats (rock pools and adjacent emergent rock) along a latitudinal gradient, sampling during environmentally ‘milder’ and ‘harsher’ periods. Biodiversity was quantified using multiple richness metrics (mean, total, unique taxa) and functional diversity. Results Microhabitat differences strongly influenced biodiversity patterns across latitude. Rock pools consistently supported higher taxonomic and functional diversity than emergent rock, irrespective of sampling period, reflecting their ability to buffer thermal extremes, particularly under harsher conditions. Mean species richness exhibited a non‐linear, s‐shaped latitudinal pattern, with lowest values near the equator and higher richness at mid‐latitudes, diverging from classical Latitudinal Diversity Gradient expectations. Biodiversity differences between microhabitats were greatest in temperate regions and diminished at low latitudes, where extreme conditions constrained diversity across habitats. Main Conclusions Local environmental heterogeneity can substantially modify, and in some cases obscure large‐scale biodiversity patterns. By mediating exposure to environmental stress, intertidal microhabitats provide insight into how fine‐scale variability interacts with latitudinal stress gradients to shape biodiversity distributions. Incorporating microhabitat variability into biogeographic frameworks is important for understanding global biodiversity patterns and predicting ecological responses to climate change.

Vulnerability of marine megafauna to global at‐sea anthropogenic threats - Michelle VanCompernolle; Juliet Morris; Hannah J. Calich; Jorge P. Rodríguez; Sarah A. Marley; Jessica R. Pearce; Briana Abrahms; Katya Abrantes; André S. Afonso; Alex Aguilar; Andrews Agyekumhene; Tomonari Akamatsu; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2026)
Marine megafauna species are affected by a wide range of anthropogenic threats. To evaluate the risk of such threats, species’ vulnerability to each threat must first be determined. We build on the existing threats classification scheme and ranking system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species by assessing the vulnerability of 256 marine megafauna species to 23 at‐sea threats. The threats we considered included individual fishing gear types, climate‐change‐related subthreats not previously assessed, and threats associated with coastal impacts and maritime disturbances. Our ratings resulted in 70 species having high vulnerability ( v > 0.778 out of 1) to at least 1 threat, primarily drifting longlines, temperature extremes, or fixed gear. These 3 threats were also considered to have the most severe effects (i.e., steepest population declines). Overall, temperature extremes and plastics and other solid waste were rated as affecting the largest proportion of populations. Penguins, pinnipeds, and polar bears had the highest vulnerability to temperature extremes. Bony fishes had the highest vulnerability to drifting longlines and plastics and other solid waste; pelagic cetaceans to 4 maritime disturbance threats; elasmobranchs to 5 fishing threats; and flying birds to drifting longlines and 2 maritime disturbance threats. Sirenians and turtles had the highest vulnerability to at least one threat from all 4 categories. Despite not necessarily having severe effects for most taxonomic groups, temperature extremes were rated among the top threats for all taxa except bony fishes. The vulnerability scores we provide are an important first step in estimating the risk of threats to marine megafauna. Importantly, they help differentiate scope from severity, which is key to identifying threats that should be prioritized for mitigation.

Holarctic species in the Pluteus ephebeus clade: description of four new species and revision of historical names - Hana Ševčíková; Ekaterina F. Malysheva; Vladimír Antonín; Francesco Dovana; Giuliano Ferisin; Django Grootmyers; Jacob Heilmann-Clausen; Guillermo Muñoz González; Andrew M. Minnis; Stephen D. Russell; Carmel Sammut; Michal Sochor; et al. (Systematics and Biodiversity, 2026)

Coastal resident's perceptions and attitudes of the visual impacts of oyster aquaculture cultivation methods along the Atlantic coast of the US - Kelsey M. Schultz; Steven B. Scyphers; A. Randall Hughes; David L. Kimbro; Stephen Kirk; Jonathan H. Grabowski (Ocean & Coastal Management, 2026)

deadtrees.earth — An open-access and interactive database for centimeter-scale aerial imagery to uncover global tree mortality dynamics - Clemens Mosig; Janusch Vajna-Jehle; Miguel D. Mahecha; Yan Cheng; Henrik Hartmann; David Montero; Samuli Junttila; Stéphanie Horion; Mirela Beloiu Schwenke; Michael J. Koontz; Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud; Stephen Adu-Bredu; et al. (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2026)

The late Permian through Middle Triassic environmental crises in the Boreal Realm – Records of the Griesbachian, Dienerian, Smithian, and Spathian type sections in Arctic Canada - Stephen E. Grasby; David P.G. Bond; Paul B. Wignall; Benoit Beauchamp (Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2026)

Erratum to “Varying response of breeding waders to experimental manipulation of their habitat and predators” [J. Nat. Conserv. 72 (2023) 126353] - David J.T. Douglas; Irena Tománková; Philippa Gullett; Stephen G. Dodd; Daniel Brown; Martin Clift; Norrie Russell; Neal Warnock; Jennifer Smart; Sarah Sanders (Journal for Nature Conservation, 2026)

Bovine milk glycoproteins concentration influences bacterial growth and anti-pathogenic bioactivities relevant to the infant gut in vitro - Iwona Dziembała-Gładysz; Marie Le Berre; Stephen Cunningham; Laura Walsh; Uthesh Umapathy; Yousef Joubran; Gerard T.A. Fleming; David A. Goulding; Lokesh Joshi; Jonathan O'Regan; Michelle Kilcoyne (International Dairy Journal, 2026)

Artificial intelligence transformations in geotechnics: progress, challenges and future enablers - Brian Sheil; Christos Anagnostopoulos; Róisín Buckley; Matteo Oryem Ciantia; Eky Febrianto; Jinlong Fu; Zhiwei Gao; Xueyu Geng; Bin Gong; Kevin Hanley; Pengpeng He; Kostas Kolomvatsos; et al. (Computers and Geotechnics, 2026)

Craniofacial photography for detection of positional obstructive sleep apnoea - Kate Sutherland; John Wheatley; Kristina Kairaitis; Brendon J. Yee; Gary Cohen; Kerri Melehan; Stephen Lambert; Philip de Chazal; Peter A. Cistulli; Peter Cistulli; Philip de Chazal; Nina Sarkissian; et al. (Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2026)
Supine-dependent OSA is a well-recognised OSA phenotype and may relate to craniofacial structure. Our aim was to assess whether craniofacial photos are able to identify positional OSA, specifically supine-isolated OSA, in comparison to non-positional OSA. Frontal and profile craniofacial photographs of participants were acquired according to a standardised protocol. Photographs were analysed and compared between non-positional and supine-isolated OSA groups. A total of 156 OSA patients were included (54.5% supine-isolated OSA, 45.5% with non-positional OSA). The supine-isolated group had a longer upper face height and greater upper-to-lower face height ratio, smaller face width, reduced face width-to-height ratio, and smaller mandibular width, length, and size of the mandibular base. Differences in facial measurements were no longer significant after adjustment for body size and OSA severity. Our study demonstrates that supine-isolated OSA can be identified using facial photography. Larger studies in groups matched for BMI and OSA severity are needed to confirm whether this technique may also capture other features related to supine-isolated OSA (i.e., differences in underlying skeletal structure).

Combined effects of a pyrethroid insecticide and azole fungicide on lepidopteran growth analysed with DEB-TKTD modelling - Claire Badder; Sylvain Bart; Alex Robinson; Stephen Short; David J. Spurgeon (Ecotoxicology, 2026)
The co-application of insecticides and fungicides is common in crop protection. Several studies in bees have identified synergism between pyrethroid insecticides and azole fungicides for mortality and sublethal endpoints. However, there are no studies that detail this synergism in Lepidopteran species. Here, we conduct a mixture exposure with cypermethrin and the fungicide prochloraz to assess their joint effects on mortality and sublethal endpoints for the moth Mamestra brassicae . The effects of pesticide exposure on sub-lethal endpoints over the life-cycle was simulated using energy budget TK/TD models from the DEBtox family. The model describes how organisms acquire and use energy for maintenance, growth, and reproduction, and how toxicants impact these processes. The approach could reliably simulate growth and survival of control and exposed moth larvae. The threshold for effects on survival was 0.92 mg/kg for cypermethrin and 2.78 mg/kg for prochloraz, and the threshold for energy budget (growth) was 1.7 10 − 5 mg/kg for cypermethrin and 0.002 mg/kg for prochloraz. Prediction of mixture effects using additive assumptions frequently underestimated observed effects, indicating a pattern indicative of synergism, especially in lower concentration cypermethrin exposures. The success of the overall experimental and modelling approach, support the further applications of the methods and models used here for pesticide testing for other lepidopteran species. This approach may help improve the ecological risk assessment for pesticide mixtures.

A phase I clinical study to evaluate rapid, high-volume, subcutaneous auto-injector tolerability with recombinant human hyaluronidase - David W. Kang; Robert J. Connor; Tara Nekoroski; Jo Ann M. Bitsura; Susan K. Kindig; Stephen P. Knowles; Michael J. LaBarre (Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2026)
Until recently, approved handheld auto-injectors (AIs) have been limited to volumes ≤ 2 mL. A prototype rapid high-volume AI (HVAI) that can deliver 10 mL in 30 s was developed to administer therapeutics co-formulated with a proprietary recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20). This phase I, open-label study assessed the tolerability of subcutaneous (SC) injections of 10% (100 mg/mL) immunoglobulin G (IgG) solution co-administered with 4000 U/mL rHuPH20, delivered using a syringe pump at a target rate of 5 or 10 mL/30 seconds or the prototype HVAI at a target rate of 10 mL/30 seconds in healthy human subjects. Subjects received 5 mL (Cohort A, n = 12) or 10 mL (Cohort B, n = 12) of test solution via syringe pump (injection visit 1), and 10 mL of test solution via HVAI (Cohorts A & B; injection visit 2). Primary endpoints were tolerability and safety outcomes. Secondary endpoints included HVAI injection duration. All 24 subjects completed visit 1; 23/24 completed visit 2. All injections were tolerated, with no serious adverse events (AEs). Following syringe pump administration, 6/24 subjects (25%) reported eight treatment-emergent AEs (TEAEs); after HVAI administration, 4/23 (17%) reported four TEAEs, all mild in severity. Mean (± SEM) injection duration via HVAI was 27.9 ± 0.8 s. Most subjects (91%, 21/23) experienced no or mild injection-site pain following HVAI administration, and 96% (22/23) said they would be willing to have the HVAI injection again. SC injection of a 10% IgG solution in combination with rHuPH20 was well tolerated at an injection rate of 10 mL/~30 s using the prototype HVAI.

Recycling of ash particles during highly explosive eruptions: multiple glass populations in the 1.8 ka Taupō tephra - Simon J. Barker; Stephen B. Piva; Colin J. N. Wilson; David J. Lowe; Bruce L. A. Charlier; Alan R. Orpin (Bulletin of Volcanology, 2025)

Systematic evaluation of Tox21 compounds that target β-adrenergic receptors and their role in cardiotoxicity - Xi Luo; Li Zhang; Srilatha Sakamuru; Precious A. Adesina; Jinghua Zhao; Menghang Xia; Tuan Xu; Deborah K. Ngan; Jameson Travers; Savannah Wood; Ray Sukhawanit; Anthony Garrison; et al. (Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2025)

Foraminiferal and environmental change across the younger Dryas chronozone, NW Baffin Bay - Stephen J. Culver; David J. Mallinson; Seth R. Sutton; Christopher R. Moore; Allen West; Malcolm A. LeCompte (Quaternary Science Reviews, 2025)

Development of new global lake brGDGT-temperature calibrations: advances, applications, challenges, and recommendations - Emma J. Pearson; Steve Juggins; Harry Allbrook; Louise C. Foster; Dominic A. Hodgson; B. David A. Naafs; Tony Phillips; Stephen J. Roberts (Quaternary Science Reviews, 2025)

Census collection of two fossil plant localities in Jameson Land, East Greenland supports regional ecological turnover and diversity loss at the end-Triassic mass extinction - Antonietta B. Knetge; Catarina Barbosa; William J. Matthaeus; Richard S. Barclay; Ian J. Glasspool; Bernard Gomez; Stephen P. Hesselbo; Mihai E. Popa; Micha Ruhl; David Sunderlin; Finn Surlyk; Jennifer C. McElwain (Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2025)

Vent-specific unrest at Pavlof Volcano, Alaska: Insights from multidisciplinary data - Darren Tan; David Fee; Pavel Izbekov; Taryn Lopez; Társilo Girona; Vanesa Burgos; Stephen McNutt; Matthew Haney; Valerie Wasser; Jessica Larsen; Ronni Grapenthin; Mario Angarita; et al. (Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 2025)

Modeling of thermomechanical properties of PTFE-based nanocomposite for space application: Thermal expansion - Sayavur I. Bakhtiyarov; Lia D. Gventsadze; Elguja R. Kutelia; David I. Gventsadze; Ayten S. Bakhtiyarova; Stephen M. White (Journal of Space Safety Engineering, 2025)

A novel approach to increase accuracy in remotely sensed evapotranspiration through basin water balance and flux tower constraints - Kul Khand; Gabriel B. Senay; MacKenzie Friedrichs; Koong Yi; Joshua B. Fisher; Lixin Wang; Kosana Suvočarev; Arman Ahmadi; Housen Chu; Stephen Good; Kanishka Mallick; Justine Missik; et al. (Journal of Hydrology, 2025)

The art of bringing extinction to a freeze - History and future of species conservation - Thomas Hildebrandt; Susanne Holtze; Muhammad Agil; Pierfrancesco Biasetti; Julia Bohner; Miguel Casares; Loles Carbonell; Silvia Colleoni; Hayden Cuthill; Barbara De Mori; Sebastian Diecke; Cesare Galli; et al. (Cryobiology, 2025)

Cereal root growth in a sandy soil with a hardsetting subsurface horizon was restricted only under dry conditions - Stephen Lang; Timothy Cavagnaro; David Chittleborough; Ehsan Tavakkoli; Nigel Wilhelm (Plant and Soil, 2025)
Background and aims High soil strength that develops in sandy soils through compaction and hardsetting processes can severely restrict root growth, reducing access to limited resources. However, it is unclear how variation in soil moisture within and between seasons impacts the role of hardsetting in these soils, and the subsequent restrictions to rooting depth and ultimately crop production. Methods To investigate root growth in hardsetting soil under controlled moisture conditions, soil columns were constructed with a subsurface compacted soil layer that hardset upon drying. A ripping treatment was applied to this soil in half of the pots, and wheat ( Triticum aestivum cv. Scepter) was grown in these soil columns under three contrasting watering regimes for 42 days. Soil strength was measured with a lab-based penetrometer prior to dismantling the soil columns to assess root distribution. Results The compacted soil layer hardset at a water content close to wilting point. Only where dry conditions were maintained did the compacted layer provide a physical barrier to root growth accessing deeper soil water. In these soils, ripping resulted in a significant increase in deep root growth and a 39% increase in shoot biomass. Temporal hardsetting, induced by a wet-dry watering cycle did not significantly alter the distribution of roots. Conclusions Hardsetting restricts root access to deeper water only under prolonged dry conditions, indicating that its field impact is strongly moderated by moisture dynamics. This interaction likely explains variable crop responses to deep ripping in sandy, hardsetting soils.

Predicting Soil Temperatures Associated with Reintroduction of Prescribed Burning in Western Coniferous Forests - David R. Weise; Stephen S. Sackett; Sally M. Haase; Nels Johnson; Gloria M. Burke (Forest Science, 2025)
Elevated soil temperatures resulting from reintroduction of prescribed fire into long unburnt stands have been associated with unintended tree mortality. Several models exist to predict soil temperatures resulting from soil heating by fire; however, data to develop and validate these models are limited. A model to predict soil temperature at depths up to 25 inches (0.63 m) was developed from a data set from 46 prescribed burns in coniferous forests in national forests and parks in Arizona and California. Soil temperature was less than 140 °F (60 °C) at depths greater than 6 inches (0.15 m) and constant below 10 inches (0.25 m). Using a Bayesian generalized nonlinear additive model, nine models formed from combinations of soil and humus moisture contents, fuel consumption and tree species were fit to soil temperature data for Pinus ponderosa, P. lambertiana , and Sequoiadendron gigantea . Bayesian R 2 for the full model and the reduced model containing tree species and fuel consumption was 0.70 and 0.67, respectively. The Bayesian model predicted higher maximum temperatures than two soil heating models in the First Order Fire Effects Model. Based on parsimony, the model using fuel consumption and tree species is recommended for use.

Fur clipping as a method for identification in the hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius: how reliable is it for monthly monitoring? - Hazel Joanne Ryan; Stephen David Langton; Nida Al-Fulaij (European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2025)

Pre-surgery gut microbial diversity and abundance are associated with post-surgery onset of cachexia in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare Study - Mmadili N. Ilozumba; Maria F. Gomez; Tengda Lin; Caroline Himbert; June L. Round; W. Zac Stephens; Christy A. Warby; Sheetal Hardikar; Christopher I. Li; Jane C. Figueiredo; Victoria Damerell; Gary C. Fillmore; et al. (Cancer Causes & Control, 2025)
Background Cachexia accounts for about 20% of all cancer-related deaths and it is indicative of poor prognosis and progressive functional impairment. The role of the gut microbiome in the development of cachexia in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients has not been established. Methods Pre-surgical stool samples from n = 103 stage I–III CRC patients in the ColoCare Study were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (Illumina) to characterize fecal bacteria. We calculated estimates of alpha- and beta-diversity and a priori- and exploratory-selected bacterial relative abundance. Using Fearon criteria, cachexia onset at 6 months post-surgery was defined as > 5% weight loss over the past 6 months and/or body mass index (BMI) of < 20 kg/m 2 and weight loss of > 2%. Associations of microbial metrics with cachexia onset were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models. Results Higher alpha-diversity was positively associated with cachexia onset, with stronger associations in females, patients < 65 years, those receiving adjuvant treatment, consuming high fiber, or with energy intake outside USDA recommendations ( p < 0.05). Porphyromonas (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.26–0.89, p = 0.03) and Actinomyces (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.48–1.03, p = 0.08) were inversely associated with cachexia, although the association for Actinomyces did not reach statistical significance. Stratified analyses revealed a stronger inverse association between Porphyromonas and cachexia onset in males, patients with rectal or stage III tumors, those receiving neoadjuvant treatment, physically inactive individuals, and those consuming low fiber. However, these associations did not reach statistical significance (0.05 ≤ p < 0.10). Conclusion Higher gut microbial alpha-diversity and lower relative abundances of the genera Porphyromonas and Actinomyces in pre-surgery stool samples were associated with onset of cachexia in CRC patients six months post-surgery. This is the first study to explore a link between the gut microbiome and cachexia in CRC patients, providing novel insights into the biology of cachexia and potential clinical interventions.

Prof Stephen P. Long, FRS (1950–2025) - Lorenzo Álvarez‐Filip; Edith Bai; Carl J. Bernacchi; Rhea Bruno; Klaus Butterbach‐Bahl; Maria Byrne; I‐Ching Chen; Shaolin Chen; William W. L. Cheung; M. Francesca Cotrufo; Tatenda Dalu; Xiaojuan Feng; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2025)

Compositional Acclimation Can Lessen Tropical Forest Change in Response to Increasing Lightning Frequency: Insights From Simulation Modeling - David Medvigy; Evan M. Gora; Stephen P. Yanoviak (Global Change Biology, 2025)
Lightning frequency in tropical forests has been increasing for decades and lightning is a major agent of forest biomass mortality, but the implications of increased lightning frequency are unclear. Here, we provide a species‐ and spatially explicit implementation of lightning in a mechanistic forest dynamics model. We evaluated the model's ability to reproduce current‐day observations in a Panamanian tropical forest, and the sensitivity of model outputs to plausible changes in lightning frequency. The lightning‐enabled model simulated aboveground biomass (AGB), carbon flux, and stem densities that were consistent with observations. As expected, AGB declined with increasing lightning frequency. However, the magnitude of AGB decline was greatly reduced when trees were assigned empirically derived, species‐specific lightning tolerances. Changes in species composition weakened the sensitivity of AGB to increasing lightning: the AGB of a small number of large‐statured, lightning‐tolerant species increased with increasing lightning frequency. In addition, the effect of lightning on AGB tended to saturate at high lightning frequencies because of the combined effect of changes in size structure and composition. Specifically, the number of large, lightning‐susceptible trees was relatively small at high lightning frequencies. Overall, this study shows that an empirically informed representation of lightning captures the contemporary effects of lightning on forests, indicates that changes in lightning frequency will change forest AGB, species composition, and size structure, and shows that forests can partially acclimate to higher lightning frequency through changes in composition. Thus, more widespread inclusion of the lightning into global ecosystem models would be an important step toward improving simulations of forest responses to global change.

Latest Pleistocene to mid-Holocene vegetation changes revealed by multi-proxy analyses at Lop Nur in the eastern Central Asia - Yi-Feng Yao; Kai-Qing Lu; Feng Qin; Guo-An Wang; Qin-Min Yang; Xin-Ying Zhou; David K. Ferguson; Gan Xie; Jin-Feng Li; Bin Sun; Stephen Blackmore; Yu-Fei Wang (Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2025)

A joint Gaussian process model of geochemistry, geophysics, and temperature for groundwater TDS in the San Ardo Oil Field, California, USA - Michael J. Stephens; Will Chang; David H. Shimabukuro; Amanda Howery; Theron A. Sowers; Janice M. Gillespie (Journal of Hydrology, 2025)

Analysis of source regions and transport pathways of sub-micron aerosol components in Europe - Michelle Y. Schneider; Jianhui Jiang; Ying Chen; Wenche Aas; Samira Atabakhsh; Minna Aurela; Claudio Belis; Aikaterini Bougiatioti; Michael Bressi; Francesco Canonaco; Benjamin Chazeau; Hasna Chebaicheb; et al. (Environmental Pollution, 2025)

Correction to: Stem Cell Markers LGR5, LGR4 and Their Immediate Signalling Partners are Dysregulated in Preeclampsia - Georgia P. Wong; Sunhild Hartmann; Olivia Nonn; Ping Cannon; Tuong-Vi Nguyen; Manju Kandel; Natasha de Alwis; Ciara N. Murphy; Natasha Pritchard; Ralf Dechend; Natalie J. Hannan; Stephen Tong; et al. (Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2025)

Challenges and Strategic Recommendations for Enhancing Quantification and Projection of Forest Carbon Dynamics - Holly L. Munro; Christopher W. Woodall; William R. L. Anderegg; Jeff W. Atkins; Colin M. Beier; Bronson P. Bullock; Kendall DeLyser; David D. Diaz; Bianca N.I. Eskelson; Margaret E. K. Evans; John D. Foppert; Bryan C. Foster; et al. (Journal of Forestry, 2025)

Pre-Clinical Models of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Advancing Knowledge for Device Based Therapies - Nina Langer; Andreas Escher; Caglar Ozturk; Andrew F. Stephens; Ellen T. Roche; Marcus Granegger; David M. Kaye; Shaun D. Gregory (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2025)
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a growing health problem worldwide, accounting for half of all heart failure cases. HFpEF patients present with diverse underlying causes and symptoms, making diagnosis and treatment challenging. Current pharmacological therapies are inadequate, while approved device-based therapies have shown limited success due to patient heterogeneity. This underscores the need for improved pre-clinical models, critical for guiding the design and development of effective therapeutic devices. This paper presents an overview of current pre-clinical HFpEF models, including in-silico, in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo approaches, aimed at advancing the understanding of HFpEF physiology and the development of device-based therapies. We examined each model's ability to replicate key HFpEF characteristics, discuss their respective strengths and limitations, and highlight their role in supporting the creation of clinically relevant solutions. Additionally, the potential of emerging advancements is explored.

The Properties of Individual Fire Events Are Essential for Understanding Global Fire Regimes - Adam L. Mahood; Ty Tuff; Megan E. Cattau; Virginia Iglesias; Thomas E. Hanson; Jilmarie Stephens; Nayani Ilangakoon; Maxwell C. Cook; R. Chelsea Nagy; David Barnard; E. Natasha Stavros; Amy DeCastro; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Aim As fire activity changes globally, we need to better understand the spatial and temporal characteristics of the individual events that, when aggregated, constitute fire regimes. Most global studies analyze point detections of burned area, without delineating or considering the properties of individual events. Furthermore, there is a critical need to understand fire patterns within the context of the geopolitical boundaries within which fires are managed. Location Global. Time Period 2003–2020. Major Taxa Studied Fire. Methods We divided 241 countries by Köppen‐Geiger climate classifications and quantified four event‐based fire regime metrics: size, duration, and mean and maximum growth rate; and four area‐based metrics: burned area, number of fires, season length, and season peak. We examined the correlations among fire regime components, and between each fire regime component and climate normals. We quantified temporal trends, and used mixed models to analyze how climate and landcover change were associated with event‐based components of fire regimes. Results Event‐based metrics were weakly correlated with area‐based metrics. Countries with warmer and less variable climates had high burned area, more fire events, longer season lengths and shorter event durations. Countries with high annual temperature range and low precipitation tended to have fewer events but larger fires that were faster‐spreading and occurred later in the year. The growth rate and size of individual fire events are increasing in 18% and 21% of regions we analysed, respectively. Interannual variability in size and growth rate was associated with aridity increases in boreal areas, and landcover changes in arid areas. Main Conclusions Drivers of burned area and fire seasonality are well understood but largely unrelated to the properties of individual events. A more detailed understanding of the spatial and temporal aspects of fire events at broad scales will assist fire management efforts in preparing for a warmer future.

Effects of Biodiversity Loss on Freshwater Ecosystem Functions Increase With the Number of Stressors - Ralf B. Schäfer; Daria Baikova; Helena S. Bayat; Arne J. Beermann; Stella A. Berger; Jens Boenigk; Mario Brauns; Andrea Burfeid‐Castellanos; Bradley J. Cardinale; Gwendoline M. David; Alexander Feckler; Christian K. Feld; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2025)
A multitude of anthropogenic stressors drive biodiversity loss and alter ecosystem functioning. Freshwaters, which contribute disproportionally to global biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles, are particularly threatened. Although the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions (BEF) is generally well‐established, especially in terrestrial ecosystems, the role of multiple, co‐occurring stressors in modulating the relationship remains unclear. We conducted a meta‐analysis to address this knowledge gap by assessing the effect of multiple stressors on the relationship between taxon richness and four measures of ecosystem function. The relationship was generally positive, with the slope becoming steeper as the number of stressors increased, suggesting that exposure to multiple stressors exacerbates impacts of biodiversity loss on ecosystem function. Multiple stressor effects on both taxon richness and ecosystem functions were largely predictable from individual stressor effects, although antagonistic effects on ecosystem functions emerged in 14% of the considered cases. The type of stressor and ecosystem function, along with taxonomic group, exerted no influence on the BEF relationship, contrary to our expectations. Microbial production and biomass declined most strongly in response to stressors, despite notable variability. Overall, our findings imply that functional consequences of freshwater biodiversity loss are more severe under multifaceted environmental change than previously assumed.

Personal belief versus universal truth: Religion rhetoric in death penalty policy debates in the United States - David Niven; Stephen Bryant; Francesca Gottardi; Yorkow Oppon-Acquah; Mustafa Sagir (The Social Science Journal, 2025)

One for all and all for one health: Harmonizing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance results across a laboratory network - Alex H.S. Chik; Christopher Adam; Jane J.Y. Ho; Taylor Aris; Eric J. Arts; R. Stephen Brown; David Bulir; Ryland Corchis-Scott; Christopher T. DeGroot; Robert Delatolla; Philip Dennis; Hadi A. Dhiyebi; et al. (Science of The Total Environment, 2025)

A modern scientific methodology for structural geology - David D. Pollard; Stephen R. Pollard (Journal of Structural Geology, 2025)

Investigating the effect of railway track ballast and bed conditions on the lateral resistance of timber, concrete, steel, and composite sleepers using a novel test methodology - Jacob W. Whittle; Iwo A. Słodczyk; Stephen Danks; Lenny S.C. Koh; David I. Fletcher (Engineering Structures, 2025)

Correction to: Incremental efficacy systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin-for-depression RCTs - Nicholas C. Borgogna; Tyler Owen; Dan Petrovitch; Jacob Vaughn; David A. L. Johnson; Louis A. Pagano; Stephen L. Aita; Benjamin D. Hill (Psychopharmacology, 2025)

Incremental efficacy systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin-for-depression RCTs - Nicholas C. Borgogna; Tyler Owen; Dan Petrovitch; Jacob Vaughn; David A. L. Johnson; Louis A. Pagano; Stephen L. Aita; Benjamin D. Hill (Psychopharmacology, 2025)
Rationale Psilocybin is a potentially paradigm-shifting depression intervention. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of psilocybin-for-depression randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Objectives Systematically assess harm reporting, risk of bias, action mechanism specification, and incremental therapeutic effect sizes in the psilocybin-for-depression RCT literature. Methods Assessed databases included PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus. Search terms “Psilocybin” or “Psychedelic” were paired with “Depression”, and "Randomized Controlled Trial" or “RCT”. Results We identified k = 9 RCTs ( k = 10 subgroups) involving n = 602 participants (56% psilocybin). Five studies had low/very low harm quality reporting, opposed to two with high. Most studies demonstrated a high risk of bias. Therapeutic mechanisms of action (MoAs) were discussed in varying detail but rarely assessed in original publications. Psilocybin was moderately superior to controls at reducing depression ( g = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.27, 0.98). Effects were heterogenous (τ = .47). Smaller studies evidenced stronger effects that favored psilocybin (Egger’s b 0 = 3.63, p = .014). Almost all studies documented financial conflicts of interests. Conclusion Psilocybin demonstrates significant depression reduction relative to controls. However, researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders should consider several contextual factors. Effects were moderate and attenuated in larger and better-controlled studies. Harms reporting and risk of bias was high, though partly driven by unique challenges of psilocybin research. MoAs were variably specified but rarely assessed; suggesting it is unclear how depression is reduced. We advise researchers conduct RCTs with active control conditions, larger samples, and include MoA assessments. Independent RCTs from researchers without financial conflicts of interest are needed.

DNA barcode assessment of Xanthium section Xanthium cockle burrs in Australia - David Gopurenko; Xiaocheng Zhu; R. M. S. P. Rathnayake; Hanwen Wu; Bruce A. Auld; James Hereward; Heather Smith; Stephen B. Johnson; Karen A. Kirkby; Graham W. Charles (Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2025)
Xanthium cockle burrs are invasive weeds in many countries, affecting local ecosystems and agriculture. All Xanthium in Australia are naturalised weeds from multiple overseas sources, but their taxonomic identities are contentious. In particular, species identities of four burr varieties or “complexes” under Xanthium section Xanthium in Australia are unclear. These complexes, commonly referred to as “Noogoora”, “Californian”, “Hunter”, and “South American” burr, are regarded as either varieties of a single species ( Xanthium strumarium ) or four separate species in the section. To genetically determine the species identities of these complexes in Australia, we compared their chloroplast DNA barcodes to reference sequences of vouchered Xanthium species reported by Tomasello (2018). We barcoded 173 plants from 26 sites consisting of single complex burrs and 175 plants from sites containing mixed burr complexes. Single complex sites contained either of two DNA barcode clades. One clade consisting of Noogoora and Californian burrs matched reference sequences of X. chinense . The second clade consisting of Hunter and South American burrs matched X. orientale . Genetic exchange between these two species in Australia was partially evident at some sites containing sympatric complexes or putative hybrids. Reference X. strumarium sequences were unmatched to the DNA barcodes of specimens sampled in Australia, and subsequently, we advise against future claims to a historical presence of this species in Australia. Our findings are significant for taxonomic treatment of Xanthium species in Australia and for consideration of source-specific biological controls of these weeds.

Correction to: Reply to discussion on “A newly recognised mafic sill-hosted Ni-sulfide deposit emplaced during the 2.4 Ga Widgiemooltha dike swarm event, Eastern goldfields, Western Australia” - Coralie Siégel; Louise Schoneveld; Catherine Spaggiari; Margaux Le Vaillant; Stephen Barnes; Belinda Godel; David Mahon; Michael Verrall; Laure Martin; Stefano Caruso; Tina Shelton (Mineralium Deposita, 2025)

Reply to discussion on “A newly recognised mafic sill-hosted Ni-sulfide deposit emplaced during the 2.4 Ga Widgiemooltha dike swarm event, Eastern goldfields, Western Australia” - Coralie Siégel; Louise Schoneveld; Catherine Spaggiari; Margaux Le Vaillant; Stephen Barnes; Belinda Godel; David Mahon; Michael Verrall; Laure Martin; Stefano Caruso; Tina Shelton (Mineralium Deposita, 2025)

The mineralogical distribution of Ni in mantle rocks controls the fertility of magmatic Ni-sulfide systems - Daryl E. Blanks; David A. Holwell; Isra S. Ezad; Andrea Giuliani; Marco L. Fiorentini; Stephen F. Foley (Mineralium Deposita, 2025)
Mantle-derived mafic-ultramafic melts are the primary host for magmatic Ni-Cu-Co-PGE deposits. One common assumption about this mineral system is that Ni-fertility is a product of high-degree melting of anhydrous mantle peridotites, including a substantial contribution from olivine. However, in metasomatised mantle rocks, which partially melt at lower temperatures than anhydrous peridotites, Ni is hosted by a range of minerals, including hydrous phases such as phlogopite and amphibole in addition to olivine and orthopyroxene. The lower melting point of these hydrous phases makes Ni in phlogopite a potentially significant contributor to the Ni enrichment of mantle melts from metasomatised assemblages. We analyse a suite of phlogopite-bearing mantle rocks which display variably metasomatised assemblages using SEM mapping to quantify mineral assemblages, and laser ablation ICP-MS to determine the Ni deportment in these rocks. Phlogopite in hydrous peridotites contains 859–1126 ppm Ni equating to ~ 12% of the bulk Ni content in an assemblage containing 25% phlogopite. Mica-Amphibole-Rutile-Ilmenite-Diopside rocks contain phlogopite with 428–715 ppm Ni, which can contribute up to 50% of the bulk Ni in an assemblage of 30% phlogopite. At temperatures below the dry peridotite solidus (< 1300 °C), phlogopite can become a significant contributor of Ni to mantle melts. Thus, partial melting of metasomatised hydrous assemblages can produce Ni-fertile mafic-ultramafic magmas without substantial temperature perturbations such as those associated with mantle plumes. This opens up a range of geodynamic settings for Ni sulfide fertility, away from large igneous provinces and their plumbing systems, into settings such as orogenic belts, arcs and intraplate rifts.

Plant evolution and environmental variation create a geographic mosaic of predator-prey interactions and natural selection - David Solance Smith; Chanchanok Sudta; Anya Krause; Joseph K. Bailey; Stephen M. Shuster; Thomas G. Whitham (Evolutionary Ecology, 2025)

Population genomics of rainforest mountain frogs (Anura: Limnodynastidae: Philoria) severely impacted by the Australian megafires - Shengyao Lin; David Newell; Nicola J. Mitchell; Stephen C. Donnellan; Michael Mahony; Liam J. Bolitho; Renee A. Catullo (Conservation Genetics, 2025)
The 2019/20 Australian megafires impacted numerous species, including six of the seven montane frog species from the genus Philoria , which are restricted to the top of mountain habitats across eastern Australian Gondwana Rainforest. Using single nucleotide polymorphisms, we examined the population structure and genetic diversity of the six Philoria species to inform conservation management and assess their capacity for post-fire recovery. Narrow-range species were confirmed as a single population for management purposes, while P. kundagungan , P. loveridgei , and P. sphagnicolus exhibit marked genetic differentiation between populations, indicating strong allopatric differentiation among populations isolated on separate mountaintops, suggesting limited natural dispersal ability. We further identify high-value genetic populations in these structured species. Populations that were heavily impacted by the fires, such as P. pughi and P. knowlesi , may face longer-term threats due to potential declines in adaptive capacity. We recommend prioritising in situ management, genetic rescue, and translocation efforts to bolster resilience in isolated populations. Updated conservation planning and targeted fire buffer management are crucial for the survival of these ancient, regionally endemic frogs in a rapidly changing climate.

Effect of supplemental diets based on Ficusnatalensis and Harrisoniaabyssinica on the meat quality of tethered indigenous goat meat - Dorothy Kalule Nampanzira; Justus Kwetegyeka; Kamatara Kanifa; Denis Asizua; Christine Kyarimpa; Muhammad Kiggundu; Constantine Bakyusa Katongole; John David Kabasa; Sam Okello; John Robert Stephen Tabuti (Agroforestry Systems, 2025)

Nutrients on the move: Investigating large scale fatty acid exports from European ponds via emerging insects - Lena Fehlinger; Fernando Chaguaceda; Pietro Tirozzi; Marina Tomás‐Martín; Ellinor Jakobsson; Teofana Chonova; Benjamin Misteli; Alberto Scotti; Jorge F. Henriques; Juan Rubio‐Ríos; Daniel Morant; Pierre Marle; et al. (Limnology and Oceanography, 2025)
Permanent ponds are key landscape units that supply various ecosystem services. Notably, the export of aquatic subsidies to land via emerging insects may significantly influence terrestrial food webs. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which enhance consumer fitness, are among the essential exported components. The patterns and drivers of dietary exports from ponds via insects remain poorly known, particularly at continental scales. We analyzed the exports of biomass, lipid, and fatty acid contents from emerging insects, sampled in 36 ponds across 11 European countries, from 36°N to 59°N and from 26°W to 19°E, over four seasons. We found that biomass and fatty acid exports decreased with increasing latitude and were higher in spring and summer. Seasonal effects also increased with higher latitudes. Temperature was the most important predictor of insect biomass, explaining 27.6% of the total variation and showing an unimodal response. Thus, increasing temperature may promote exports in colder regions and seasons but may negatively influence biomass exports in already warm regions. The exports of total lipids, PUFA, and eicosapentaenoic acid were correlated to exported biomass, while those of docosahexaenoic acid were linked to the emergence of Chaoboridae. Our findings indicated that PUFA contents were affected by taxonomic insect community composition and pond trophic state (indicated by chlorophyll a ). Two of the correlates identified here (temperature and trophic state) are influenced by anthropogenic activity via climate and land use change, respectively. Thus, human activity impacts the food webs in and around ponds by influencing the quantity and quality of nutritional exports.

Viral Nervous Necrosis due to Betanodavirus: A Case Study in Pot‐Bellied Seahorses ( Hippocampus abdominals ) - Stephen M. Pefanis; Graeme Knowles; Peter G. Mohr; Kate Swift; Jemma Bergfeld; Teresa K. Wilson; Marianne Douglas; Rachelle Hawkins; John Hoad; Adam Costin; Jacqueline Morris; David Cummins; et al. (Journal of Fish Diseases, 2025)
Betanodaviruses, members of the Nodaviridae family, are the causative agents of viral nervous necrosis in fish, resulting in great economic losses worldwide. This is the first case study describing the detection and confirmation of viral nervous necrosis in pot‐bellied seahorses ( Hippocampus abdominalis ) in Australia. Clinical signs of this infection in the seahorses included whirling, floating and cessation of feeding. Histopathological findings included prominent vacuolation in the grey matter of the brain and in the retina of the eye. Betanodavirus infection was initially detected by betanodavirus reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR and nested PCR. Sequencing confirmed the red‐spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) genotype of betanodavirus. The RGNNV genotype of betanodavirus has previously been detected in Australia in fish, including barramundi ( Lates calcarifer ) and striped trumpeter ( Latris lineata ). Immunohistochemistry using antibodies directed against the capsid protein of betanodavirus demonstrated intralesional virus antigen. Betanodavirus targeted the brain, spinal cord and retina, causing intracytoplasmic vacuolation of neuronal processes and neuronal necrosis.

Surface-based morphometry reveals divergent aging trajectories in veterans with and without traumatic brain injury - Michelle C. Eliason; Amrutha Bindu Nagella; Cristian Cuadra; David S. Wack; Ghazala T. Saleem; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; John Q. Trojanowki; Arthur W. Toga; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)

Combining analysis of individual and wastewater whole genome sequencing improves SARS-CoV-2 surveillance - Evan P. Troendle; Andrew J. Lee; Marina I. Reyne; Danielle M. Allen; Stephen J. Bridgett; Clara H. Radulescu; Michael Glenn; John-Paul Wilkins; Francesco Rubino; Behnam Firoozi Nejad; Cormac McSparron; Marc Niebel; et al. (Water Research, 2025)

Introducing ‘miniRECgap’ R package for simple gap-filling of missing eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements with classic nonlinear environmental response functions via GUI-supported R-scripts (case-study: In-sample gap-filling with ‘miniRECgap’ vs. MDS and an optimised shallow ANN in a ‘challenging’ peatland ecosystem) - Alina Premrov; Jagadeesh Yeluripati; Richard Slevin; Adam Bates; Magdalena Matysek; Stephen Barry; Kenneth A. Byrne; Rowan Fealy; Bernard Hyde; Gary Lanigan; Mark McCorry; Rachael Murphy; et al. (Environmental Modelling & Software, 2025)

Calibration of the FullCAM model for Australian native vegetation - David I. Forrester; Jacqueline R. England; Chiara Pasut; Keryn I. Paul; Lauren T. Bennett; Chris Eastaugh; Thomas Fairman; Melissa Fedrigo; Carl R. Gosper; Sabine Kasel; Tom Lewis; Crispen Marunda; et al. (Ecological Modelling, 2025)

Habitat Conversion by Native Spartina Highlights the Importance of Wetland Restoration Design Relative to Site-Specific Vertical Range of Vegetation - Rachel S. Smith; Emily Blair; Andres Deza; Justin C. Hoesterey; David Huang; Russell Johnston; Henry M. Page; Stephen C. Schroeter; Morgan Tusa; Denise Weisman; Kathryn M. Beheshti (Estuaries and Coasts, 2025)
Native vegetation is planted in wetland restoration projects to supplement natural recruitment and achieve a habitat mix that supports ecological functioning. The native cordgrass Spartina foliosa —an ecosystem engineer with a wide elevation range—is frequently planted in wetland restorations in Southern California to jumpstart low marsh development. Although plantings can increase vegetation cover, planted S. foliosa can also convert areas designed as tidal creeks or mudflat to salt marsh, hindering progress towards restoration objectives. At the restored San Dieguito Wetlands (SDW) in Southern California , S. foliosa was planted during (2008–2009) and after wetland construction (2011–2018). In 2023, S. foliosa occupied 10.8 ha at SDW, but had converted 42% of built tidal creek and mudflat habitat to salt marsh. Genetic testing ruled out potential hybridization with non-native Spartina . Tidal creek elevations were higher at SDW than at other California wetlands, overlapping with the design elevation of low marsh for the site. Spartina foliosa extended to lower elevations at SDW than other California wetlands, overlapping with the design elevation of mudflat for the site. Thus, habitat conversion at SDW was likely due to insufficient excavation of built tidal creeks and the lower than expected elevation range of S. foliosa at the site. Much of the existing tidal creek and mudflat habitat at SDW is likely susceptible to habitat conversion to salt marsh. Our results emphasize the need to consider the design elevation of restored habitats relative to site-specific elevation ranges of target wetland species.

Network of networks: Time series clustering of AmeriFlux sites - David E Reed; Housen Chu; Brad G. Peter; Jiquan Chen; Michael Abraha; Brian Amiro; Ray G. Anderson; M. Altaf Arain; Paulo Arruda; Greg A. Barron-Gafford; Carl Bernacchi; Daniel P. Beverly; et al. (Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2025)

The Mechanisms Through Which Fire Drives Population Change in Terrestrial Biota - Ella Plumanns‐Pouton; Julianna L. Santos; Cristina Aponte; Lluís Brotons; Luke T. Kelly; Stephen C. Mason; Kirsten Parris; Lauren Ponisio; David A. Keith (Global Change Biology, 2025)
Global fire regime change is threatening terrestrial biodiversity. Understanding how these changes affect biota is essential to protect biodiversity now and into the future. A targeted examination of the mechanisms through which fire influences populations will help achieve this by enabling comparisons and connections across taxa. Here, we develop a cross‐taxa framework that identifies mechanisms through which fire regimes influence terrestrial species populations over different time scales, and traits on which those mechanisms depend. We focus on amphibians, birds, fungi, insects, mammals, plants, and reptiles. First, we identify key mechanisms through which fire regimes influence species populations across different taxonomic groups. Second, we link these mechanisms to functional traits that influence the relevance to different species. Third, we identify traits that shape the vulnerability—or conversely, resilience—of species populations to frequent, high‐intensity, and large wildfires that are emerging as a threat in many parts of the world. Finally, we highlight how this integrative framework can be useful for understanding and identifying fire‐related threats common to different taxa across the globe and for guiding future research on fire‐related population change.

Accounting for ecosystem services using extended supply and use tables: A case study of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia - Greg S. Smith; Stephen B. Stewart; Gabriela Scheufele; David Evans; Ning Liu; Sean Pascoe; Stephen H. Roxburgh; Rebecca K. Schmidt; Michael Vardon (Ecosystem Services, 2025)

Half of the habitat of Australia's highly imperilled narrow-range species is outside protected areas - Michelle Ward; Martine Maron; Jeremy S. Simmonds; Mark Lintermans; Nick S. Whiterod; David G. Chapple; Hugh P. Possingham; Sarah M. Legge; Rachael V. Gallagher; Brendan A. Wintle; Samantha Vine; Kita Ashman; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2025)

A Randomised Controlled Trial of SFX-01 After Subarachnoid Haemorrhage — The SAS Study - Ardalan Zolnourian; Patrick Garland; Patrick Holton; Mukul Arora; Jonathan Rhodes; Christopher Uff; Tony Birch; David Howat; Stephen Franklin; Ian Galea; Diederik Bulters (Translational Stroke Research, 2025)
SFX-01 is a novel drug for clinical delivery of sulforaphane (SFN). SFN is a potent nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activator that reduces inflammation and oxidation, improving outcomes after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in animal models. This was a multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group randomised clinical trial to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of 28 days of SFX-01 300 mg BD in patients aged 18–80 with spontaneous SAH and high blood load on CT. Primary outcomes were (1) safety, (2) plasma and CSF SFN and metabolite levels and (3) vasospasm on transcranial doppler ultrasound. Secondary outcomes included CSF haptoglobin and malondialdehyde and clinical outcome on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and SAH outcome tool (SAHOT). A total of 105 patients were randomised (54 SFX-01, 51 placebo). There were no differences in adverse events other than nausea (9 SFX-01 (16.7%), 1 placebo (2.0%)). SFN, SFN-glutathione and SFN-N-acetyl-cysteine AUC last were 16.2, 277 and 415 h × ng/ml. Plasma SFN was higher in GSTT1 null individuals ( t = 2.40, p = 0.023). CSF levels were low with many samples below the lower limit of quantification and predicted by the CSF/serum albumin ratio ( R 2 = 0.182, p = 0.039). There was no difference in CSF haptoglobin (1.981 95%CI 0.992–3.786, p = 0.052) or malondialdehyde (1.12 95%CI 0.7477–1.687, p = 0.572) or middle cerebral artery flow velocity (1.04 95%CI 0.903–1.211, p = 0.545) or functional outcome (mRS 1.647 95%CI 0.721–3.821, p = 0.237, SAHOT 1.082 95%CI 0.464–2.525, p = 0.855). SFX-01 is safe and effective for the delivery of SFN in acutely unwell patients. SFN penetrated CSF less than expected and did not reduce large vessel vasospasm or improve outcome. Trial registration: NCT02614742 clinicaltrials.gov.

Outcomes Following Second Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant for Graft Failure or Poor Graft Function: A Single Centre Experience - Jowon L. Kim; Moss A. Bruton Joe; Shanee Chung; Hannah Cherniawsky; Donna L. Forrest; Florian Kuchenbauer; Deepesh Lad; Stephen H. Nantel; Sujaatha Narayanan; Thomas J. Nevill; Judith Rodrigo; David Sanford; et al. (Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2025)

AviList: a unified global bird checklist - Frank E. Rheindt; Paul F. Donald; David B. Donsker; Jeffrey A. Gerbracht; Marshall J. Iliff; Denis Lepage; Janette A. Norman; Pamela C. Rasmussen; Richard Schodde; Thomas S. Schulenberg; Juan I. Areta; Frederik P. Brammer; et al. (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2025)

Pollinator‐Promoting Interventions in European Urban Habitats—A Synthesis - Gabriella Süle; András Báldi; David Kleijn; Ingolf Steffan‐Dewenter; Stephen Venn; Dave Goulson; Simon Dietzel; Audrey Muratet; Lorna J. Cole; Erik Öckinger; Olga Tzortzakaki; Weronika Banaszak‐Cibicka; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2025)
Pollinators receive considerable interest due to their fundamental role in ecosystem functioning and human well‐being. Unlike farmlands, studies of urban pollinator‐promoting interventions are scarce and have not been synthesised, hampering policy implementation. To fill this gap, we compared pollinator‐promoting interventions (treatment) with conventionally managed (control) sites regarding vegetation, floral resources, and pollinators. Our synthesis investigated 1051 sampling sites with different interventions (abandonment, extensive mowing, flower sowing, and combined practices) and habitats (parks, grasslands, road verges, private and public gardens) from 28 European datasets at pooled‐ and study‐levels. Urban pollinator‐promoting interventions generally benefited plants and pollinators with taxon, intervention, habitat, and spatio‐temporal specific differences. Pooled analyses showed mostly positive and never negative treatment effects, while study‐level details described primarily positive and neutral but rarely negative effects. Bumblebees and butterflies benefited most from the interventions. Some effects were stronger for interventions involving flower sowing, interventions occurring in road verges, and interventions located in Northwestern Europe. Although regulations, guidelines, and monitoring are improving, knowledge gaps remain for some pollinator taxa (e.g., beetles), regions (e.g., Mediterranean), and novel interventions (e.g., for ground‐nesting insects). Further collaborative studies from around the world could help cities bring people, plants, and pollinators together by creating resilient, multi‐functional urban spaces.

Clarifying the role of the resist–accept–direct framework in supporting resource management planning processes - Gregor W. Schuurman; Wylie Carr; Cat Hawkins Hoffman; David J. Lawrence; Brian W. Miller; Erik A. Beever; Jean Brennan; Katherine R. Clifford; Scott Covington; Shelley D. Crausbay; Amanda E. Cravens; John Gross; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2025)

Peak oxygen uptake in older adults with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Veronika Schmid; Sarah Paterson; Christopher Weinkauf; Jing Wang; Corey R. Tomczak; David Niederseer; Jan Vontobel; Daniel E. Forman; Martin Halle; Michael D. Nelson; Stephen J. Foulkes; Mark J. Haykowsky (GeroScience, 2025)

Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 27B can be Suspected Based on Clinical Phenotype: The Massachusetts General Hospital Ataxia Center Experience - Leigh A. Rettenmaier; Jin Yun Helen Chen; Jason MacMore; Anoopum S. Gupta; Chih-Chun Lin; Christopher D. Stephen; David Pellerin; Bernard Brais; Jeremy D. Schmahmann (The Cerebellum, 2025)

Spatiotemporal variation in the reproductive dynamics of female American lobsters, Homarus americanus, on the northeastern continental shelf of the United States - Stephen A. Arnott; Noelle A. Olsen; Linus O. Stoltz; N. David Bethoney (Fisheries Research, 2025)

The effect of sustainable vacuum packaging selection on the quality, colour stability, and freshness of lamb meat stored chilled for up to 20 weeks - Benjamin W.B. Holman; Kristy L. Bailes; Stephen D. Cork; David L. Hopkins (Meat Science, 2025)

A unique Equisetum enzyme, hetero-trans-β-glucanase (HTG), enhances industrially and environmentally important cellulose-rich materials - Lenka Franková; Eric Whale; David Hepworth; Stephen C. Fry (Environmental Research, 2025)

Microbial ecology in hypersaline coastal lagoons: A model for climate-induced coastal salinisation and eutrophication - Christopher Keneally; Virginie Gaget; Daniel Chilton; Stephen P. Kidd; Luke Mosley; David T. Welsh; Yongqiang Zhou; Lei Zhou; Justin Brookes (Earth-Science Reviews, 2025)

Patterns and drivers of landscape and local habitat use by UK Hawfinches (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) during the breeding season and late winter - Will B. Kirby; Andrew J. Stanbury; Philip V. Grice; Anthony V. Cross; Stephen G. Dodd; Vivien Hartwell; Jerry Lewis; David L. Smith; Paul E. Bellamy (Journal of Ornithology, 2025)

Comprehensive Characterisation of the RFC1 Repeat in an Australian Cohort - Kayli C. Davies; Haloom Rafehi; Liam G. Fearnley; Penny Snell; Greta Gillies; Tess A. Field; Gábor M. Halmágyi; Kishore R. Kumar; Kate Pope; Renee Smyth; Susan E. Tomlinson; Stephen Tisch; et al. (The Cerebellum, 2025)

Subcortical white matter hyperintensities and motor function in parkinson’s disease: findings from the ONDRI study - Daniela Cristina Carvalho de Abreu; Frederico Pieruccini-Faria; Anthony E. Lang; Benjamin Cornish; William McIlroy; Mandar Jog; Mario Masellis; Joel Ramirez; Christopher Scott; Sean Symons; Sandra E. Black; Stephen R. Arnott; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)

Application of cytochrome P450 enzyme assays to predict p53 inducers and AChE inhibitors that require metabolic activation - Deborah K. Ngan; Srilatha Sakamuru; Jinghua Zhao; Menghang Xia; Stephen S. Ferguson; David M. Reif; Anton Simeonov; Ruili Huang (Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2025)

Modelling and mapping of subsurface nitrate-attenuation index in agricultural landscapes - Stephen B. Collins; Ranvir Singh; Stuart R. Mead; David J. Horne (Journal of Environmental Management, 2025)

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the marine nitrogen cycle during the end-Triassic mass extinction - Jing Li; Huyue Song; Yong Du; Paul B. Wignall; David P.G. Bond; Stephen E. Grasby; Haijun Song; Jacopo Dal Corso; Li Tian; Daoliang Chu (Chemical Geology, 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.

Informing APSIM using 15N recovery data to establish fertiliser N budgets in grain systems - Naoya Takeda; Johannes Friedl; Stephen Leo; Graeme Schwenke; David Rowlings; Ashley Wallace; Roger Armstrong; Michael Bell; Peter Grace (Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 2025)
Simulation models are an important tool to predict how farming practices influence utilisation and loss of nitrogen (N). However, many simulation exercises lack sufficient validation of N dynamics from both soil and fertiliser sources and rely on single or a few measurable N pools, potentially shifting bias from one pool to another. This study evaluated the capacity of Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) to simulate N fertiliser budgets in dryland sorghum and wheat systems of eastern Australia using an extensive 15 N dataset from 18 field trials with up to four N rates. Key metrics included 15 N fertiliser recoveries at harvest in soil and plant, and 15 N fertiliser losses. Fertiliser N in APSIM was calculated as the balance between simulated N in the non-fertilised control and the respective applied N rate, and compared to relevant 15 N data. APSIM’s performance for fertiliser N budget simulation was tested with (i) conventional calibration fitting plant N uptake and (ii) improved calibration including the denitrification and mineralisation parameters to fit fertiliser N loss. Simulations with conventional calibration showed good agreement with phenology, soil water and plant N uptake data but largely underestimated the measured fertiliser N loss (RMSE: 23 kg N ha −1 , PBIAS: − 75%). The simulated fertiliser N loss with improved calibration agreed better with the observation (RMSE: 18 kg N ha −1 , PBIAS: -34%). The identified inconsistencies in the default model’s representation of N cycling highlight opportunities for combined efforts of experimental research and model development to improve the reliability and utility of the model.

Diet of the Florida spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius ambarvalis) in a dry prairie ecosystem - Stephen N. Harris; Elizabeth A. Flaherty; Terry J. Doonan; Erin L. Hewett Ragheb; David S. Jachowski (Mammalian Biology, 2025)
The Florida spotted skunk ( Spilogale putorius ambarvalis ) is disjunct from other eastern spotted skunk ( S. putorius ) subspecies and has rarely been studied. Declines in eastern spotted skunk populations elsewhere underscore the importance of better understanding the Florida subspecies’ ecology and resource use, including its potential impacts as a nest predator of imperiled ground-nesting birds. The objective of our study was to gather baseline information on Florida spotted skunk diet in the dry prairie ecosystem of Central Florida. We conducted a stable isotope analysis using hair samples from 39 skunks and compared these with 106 samples from potential food items in dry prairie in 2016 and 2017 at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area in Osceola County, Florida. Our resultant Bayesian mixing model indicated that the most prevalent food items in the Florida spotted skunk diet were millipedes (Diplopoda; ~ 42% of the diet) and a group consisting of amphibians and reptiles (~ 16%). Less prevalent were the groups including ground-nesting birds—one group containing granivorous or herbivorous species (~ 15%) and another containing insectivorous species (~ 13%). Our study provides evidence that Florida spotted skunks in the dry prairie ecosystem likely have a generalist diet, like spotted skunks outside of Florida, as no food item composed a majority (> 50%) of their diet. This study provides the first insights into the diet of free-ranging Florida spotted skunks and fills a key knowledge gap in the ecology of this important predator of the Florida dry prairie ecosystem.

A novel physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model to estimate reduced CYP3A4 activity in cancer patients utilizing the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an inflammatory marker - David E. Coutant; Jessica Rehmel; Donna M. Edwards; Stephen D. Hall (European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 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.

A cell line derived from the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) - Stephen Saathoff; Cynthia L. Goodman; Eric Haas; Ian Mettelmann; David Stanley (In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal, 2025)

Predicting the progression of MCI and Alzheimer’s disease on structural brain integrity and other features with machine learning - Marthe Mieling; Mushfa Yousuf; Nico Bunzeck; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; Susan Landau; Monica Rivera-Mindt; Leslie M. Shaw; Edward B. Lee; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)
Machine learning (ML) on structural MRI data shows high potential for classifying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression, but the specific contribution of brain regions, demographics, and proteinopathy remains unclear. Using Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data, we applied an extreme gradient-boosting algorithm and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values to classify cognitively normal (CN) older adults, those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD dementia patients. Features included structural MRI, CSF status, demographics, and genetic data. Analyses comprised one cross-sectional multi-class classification (CN vs. MCI vs. AD dementia, n = 568) and two longitudinal binary-class classifications (CN-to-MCI converters vs. CN stable, n = 92; MCI-to-AD converters vs. MCI stable, n = 378). All classifications achieved 70–77% accuracy and 61–83% precision. Key features were CSF status, hippocampal volume, entorhinal thickness, and amygdala volume, with a clear dissociation: hippocampal properties contributed to the conversion to MCI, while the entorhinal cortex characterized the conversion to AD dementia. The findings highlight explainable, trajectory-specific insights into AD progression.

The coal-sourced petroleum system in the Barito Basin (S Borneo): Factors controlling quantity and quality of oil from Eocene and Miocene coals - Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer; Stephen Ajuaba; Hafidz Noor Fikri; Brian Horsfield; Nicolaj Mahlstedt; David Misch; Ksenija Stojanović (International Journal of Coal Geology, 2025)

Stem Cell Markers LGR5, LGR4 and Their Immediate Signalling Partners are Dysregulated in Preeclampsia - Georgia P. Wong; Sunhild Hartmann; Olivia Nonn; Ping Cannon; Tuong-Vi Nguyen; Manju Kandel; Natasha de Alwis; Ciara N. Murphy; Natasha Pritchard; Ralf Dechend; Natalie J. Hannan; Stephen Tong; et al. (Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2025)

A newly recognised mafic sill-hosted Ni-sulfide deposit emplaced during the 2.4 Ga Widgiemooltha dike swarm event, Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia - Coralie Siégel; Louise Schoneveld; Catherine Spaggiari; Margaux Le Vaillant; Stephen Barnes; Belinda Godel; David Mahon; Michael Verrall; Laure Martin; Stefano Caruso; Tina Shelton (Mineralium Deposita, 2025)
The Cathedrals Ni-Cu prospect, located at the western margin of the Eastern Goldfields of the Yilgarn Craton, is hosted within a mafic intrusion interpreted as a sill complex. U-Pb dating of apatite from the sill yielded a crystallisation age of 2336 ± 64 Ma, inferring an association of sill emplacement and Ni mineralisation related to emplacement of the c. 2400 Ma Widgiemooltha dike swarm. The sill is typically differentiated into a lower olivine orthocumulate layer overlain by a dolerite unit containing xenoliths of partially assimilated granitoids in its upper portion. The latter is interpreted to be the result of stoping and melting of the granitic hanging wall, thereby creating a gravitationally stable buoyant melt layer beneath the top contact. Ni-Cu-Fe sulfides are increasingly abundant towards the base of the sill, ranging from globular disseminated sulfides to net-textured and massive sulfides at the basal contact. The presence and orientation of sulfide globule-bubble pairs indicates a primary near-horizontal orientation. Massive sulfides commonly exhibit a loop texture with pyrrhotite grains surrounded by pentlandite and chalcopyrite. Despite the variety of sulfide textures, sulfur isotopes have a homogeneous mantle-like signature without significant mass independent fractionation. Mineral chemistries that indicate sulfide prospectivity in larger intrusions do not work as effectively in this small sill, therefore new indicators may need to be developed to explore for similar deposits. To date, there are no other known magmatic deposits of this age in Australia. Sills of this age may be more prospective than previously recognised.

Voxel-wise insights into early Alzheimer’s disease pathology progression: the association with APOE and memory decline - Maha Wybitul; Nicolas Langer; Christoph Hock; Anton Gietl; Valerie Treyer; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald-Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; John Q. Trojanowski; Arthur W. Toga; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)
Longitudinal investigation of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype’s impact on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarker progression, focusing on amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation and gray matter (GM) atrophy, integrating cognitive decline and baseline levels. Longitudinal florbetapir-PET and T1-weighted MRI data from 100 cognitively normal (CN) and mild cognitive impaired (MCI) participants both with considerable global Aβ accumulation (“high Aβ accumulators”) were analyzed using a voxel-wise approach. Associations of APOE genotype and memory decline with Aβ accumulation and GM atrophy were examined separately for each neuroimaging modality, controlling for baseline Aβ levels and diagnosis. Alternatively, the effect of baseline diagnosis, while controlling for memory decline, was investigated. A multimodal analysis evaluated interactions between genotype, memory decline, and GM atrophy on Aβ accumulation. High Aβ accumulators displayed extensive Aβ pathology predominantly in the medial orbito-frontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and precuneus, along with GM atrophy in temporal, occipital, orbito-frontal, and parietal areas. ɛ4 carriers with memory decline exhibited greater Aβ accumulation and GM atrophy in selective regions compared to non-carriers with memory decline, while no genotype difference was observed in individuals without decline. No interaction effect was observed for MCI diagnosis. Regional associations between the two biomarkers were similarly dependent on genotype and memory decline. ɛ4 carriers exhibiting memory decline present an accelerated neurobiological pattern at predementia stages, supporting early ɛ4 carrier monitoring and interventions in this at-risk group. Importantly, memory decline might be more informative than MCI regarding AD pathology progression emphasizing the importance of repeated cognitive assessments.

Quantifying coral reef carbonate budgets: a comparison between ReefBudget and CoralNet - Sivajyodee Sannassy Pilly; Joseph E. Townsend; Cut Aja Gita Alisa; Tries B. Razak; Ronan C. Roche; John R. Turner; Stephen Chan; David J. Kriegman; Andreas J. Andersson; Chris T. Perry; Ines D. Lange; Travis A. Courtney (Coral Reefs, 2025)
Calcium carbonate production constitutes one of the core processes that drive coral reef ecosystem functioning and can be assessed using in-water or image-based survey methods, which have not previously been compared. This study compares carbonate production estimates from in-water ReefBudget surveys and image-based CoralNet analyses in Puerto Rico, Indonesia, and Chagos Archipelago. Methods were compared for different regions (Western Atlantic and Indo-Pacific), reef settings (low and high coral cover), CoralNet calcification versions (v1 and v2), and input metrics (regional vs. local coral growth rates). We show similar gross carbonate production estimates between methods, indicating that area-normalised scaling of calcification rates and assumptions about colony size and rugosity employed in CoralNet produce comparable estimates to ReefBudget surveys. Divergences in carbonate production estimates are potentially driven by differences in survey methods (reef contour measurements vs. planar imagery) and survey effort, which affect calcifier cover estimates, particularly at low coral cover sites. Local versus regional growth rate comparisons suggest site-specific factors can influence accuracy more than method choice. Our findings suggest that image-based methods can allow rapid reef-scale calcification estimates from photo or video imagery. These methods, combined with machine learning substrate classification algorithms, can estimate both benthic cover and carbonate production over larger reef areas and can be applied to historically collect benthic cover data to track carbonate production trends. We encourage researchers to recognise situation-specific differences in methodologies and select the one most suitable for their specific study site, required level of accuracy, and time constraints for fieldwork and image analysis.

When can we detect lianas from space? Toward a mechanistic understanding of liana‐infested forest optics - Marco D. Visser; Matteo Detto; Félicien Meunier; Jin Wu; Jane R. Foster; David C. Marvin; Peter M. van Bodegom; Boris Bongalov; Matheus Henrique Nunes; David Coomes; Hans Verbeeck; J. Antonio Guzmán Q; et al. (Ecology, 2025)
Lianas, woody vines acting as structural parasites of trees, have profound effects on the composition and structure of tropical forests, impacting tree growth, mortality, and forest succession. Remote sensing could offer a powerful tool for quantifying the scale of liana infestation, provided the availability of robust detection methods. We analyze the consistency and global geographic specificity of spectral signals—reflectance across wavelengths—from liana‐infested tree crowns and forest stands, examining the underlying mechanisms of these signals. We compiled a uniquely comprehensive database, including leaf reflectance spectra from 5424 leaves, fine‐scale airborne reflectance data from 999 liana‐infested canopies, and coarse‐scale satellite reflectance data covering 775 ha of liana‐infested forest stands. To unravel the mechanisms of the liana spectral signal, we applied mechanistic radiative transfer models across scales, establishing a synthesis of the relative importance of different mechanisms, which we corroborate with field data on liana leaf chemistry and canopy structure. We find a consistent liana spectral signal at canopy and stand scales across globally distributed sites. This signature mainly arises at the canopy level due to direct effects of more horizontal leaf angles, resulting in a larger projected leaf area, and indirect effects from increased light scattering in the near and short‐wave infrared regions, linked to lianas' less costly leaf construction compared with trees on average. The existence of a consistent global spectral signal for lianas suggests that large‐scale quantification of liana infestation is feasible. However, because the traits responsible for the liana canopy‐reflectance signal are not exclusive to lianas, accurate large‐scale detection requires rigorously validated remote sensing methods. Our models highlight challenges in automated detection, such as potential misidentification due to leaf phenology, tree life history, topography, and climate, especially where the scale of liana infestation is less than a single remote sensing pixel. The observed cross‐site patterns also prompt ecological questions about lianas' adaptive similarities in optical traits across environments, indicating possible convergent evolution due to shared constraints on leaf biochemical and structural traits.

Effects of microbial alteration of oceanic crust on sulfur cycling in hydrothermal systems - Sarah N. Moriarty; Emma Bertran; James W. Dottin; James Farquhar; David T. Johnston; Stephen J. Piercey; Dennis Sánchez-Mora; Michael G. Babechuk; Jason B. Sylvan; John W. Jamieson (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2025)

Reconstructing the long-term ecological history of Long Island, Furneaux Group (Bass Strait), Lutruwita/Tasmania - Madeleine Bessell-Koprek; Simon Graeme Haberle; Stefania Ondei; Stephen Harris; David M. J. S. Bowman (Regional Environmental Change, 2025)
The Bass Strait islands are the elevated remnants of a now-submerged continental land bridge that connected the mainland of Australia to Lutruwita/Tasmania during low sea level phases of the Quaternery period. The Furneaux Group is made up of around 100 islands, harbouring a rich diversity of plants derived from glacial refugia and stepping-stone dispersal as millennial-scale climate change altered the land and seascape configuration of the land bridge. Despite the region’s significance, long-term ecological and environmental dynamics of most of these islands remain poorly known. We present the first palaeoecological study of Long Island, a small granite island of the Furneaux group, currently covered by extensive grasslands in the west and patches of forest and woodland in the east and north of the island. We use decadal to centennial-scale resolution palaeoecological evidence for vegetation, animal and fire dynamics, alongside historical accounts of vegetation changes inferred from aerial photo analysis, to develop a comprehensive record of the island’s long-term ecology. Results show that grasslands have been an important feature of the island for at least the last 1000 years, and are reminiscent of Last Glacial Maximum grasslands of the now-submerged Bassian Plain. Both aerial photo analysis and the palaeoecological record show increases in forest cover on the island’s eastern corner over the past four decades. We discuss these ecological dynamics in the context of environmental and climatic shifts. This study emphasises the importance of palaeoecological studies, specifically their value in understanding modern ecosystems in their historic context. This data is critical in understanding the island’s current landscape and how this might change into the future.

Predicting the impact of rare variants on RNA splicing in CAGI6 - Jenny Lord; Carolina Jaramillo Oquendo; Htoo A. Wai; Andrew G. L. Douglas; David J. Bunyan; Yaqiong Wang; Zhiqiang Hu; Zishuo Zeng; Daniel Danis; Panagiotis Katsonis; Amanda Williams; Olivier Lichtarge; et al. (Human Genetics, 2025)
Variants which disrupt splicing are a frequent cause of rare disease that have been under-ascertained clinically. Accurate and efficient methods to predict a variant’s impact on splicing are needed to interpret the growing number of variants of unknown significance (VUS) identified by exome and genome sequencing. Here, we present the results of the CAGI6 Splicing VUS challenge, which invited predictions of the splicing impact of 56 variants ascertained clinically and functionally validated to determine splicing impact. The performance of 12 prediction methods, along with SpliceAI and CADD, was compared on the 56 functionally validated variants. The maximum accuracy achieved was 82% from two different approaches, one weighting SpliceAI scores by minor allele frequency, and one applying the recently published Splicing Prediction Pipeline (SPiP). SPiP performed optimally in terms of sensitivity, while an ensemble method combining multiple prediction tools and information from databases exceeded all others for specificity. Several challenge methods equalled or exceeded the performance of SpliceAI, with ultimate choice of prediction method likely to depend on experimental or clinical aims. One quarter of the variants were incorrectly predicted by at least 50% of the methods, highlighting the need for further improvements to splicing prediction methods for successful clinical application.

Desi chickpea flaking: Impact of processing parameters on flake quality - Stephen David Cork; Christopher L. Blanchard; Andrew John Mawson; Asgar Farahnaky (Journal of Food Engineering, 2025)

Determining the fine-scale movement of an estuarine fish through a tidal-exclusion barrier improves the understanding of mass fish mortality risk - Richelle Addicoat; James R. Tweedley; Tom Ryan; Alan Cottingham; David L. Morgan; Kath Lynch; Stephen J. Beatty (Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2025)

Corrigendum to “Troubled waters in the land down under: Pervasive threats and high extinction risks demand urgent conservation actions to protect Australia's native freshwater fishes” [Biol. Conserv. 300 (2024), 110843] - Mark Lintermans; Maiko Lutz; Nick S. Whiterod; Bernd Gruber; Michael P. Hammer; Mark J. Kennard; David L. Morgan; Tarmo A. Raadik; Peter Unmack; Steven Brooks; Brendan C. Ebner; Dean Gilligan; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2025)

Enhancing low-carbon iron and steel production with torrefied biomass - Jaqueline de Oliveira Brotto; David Danaci; Paul Stephen Fennell; Júlia da Silveira Salla; Humberto Jorge José; Regina de Fátima Peralta Muniz Moreira (Biomass and Bioenergy, 2025)

Substrate Origin Controls Phosphorus Availability in Globally Distributed Long-Term Chronosequences - Tadeo Sáez-Sandino; Antonio Gallardo; Jorge Durán; David A. Wardle; Patrick E. Hayes; Stephen C. Hart; Laura García-Velázquez; Cecilia A. Pérez; Christina Siebe; Asmeret Asefaw Berhe; Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo (Ecosystems, 2025)
Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important elements for soil biology and biogeochemistry worldwide. Yet, despite decades of research, important uncertainties persist about the drivers and changes in soil P forms during long-term soil formation. Here, we analyzed topsoils from nine globally distributed retrogressive soil chronosequences aiming to evaluate the relative contribution of key environmental factors (that is, soil age, substrate origin, climate, soil attributes, and vegetation) in explaining the long-term dynamics of primary, occluded, non-occluded, organic, and total P across different terrestrial ecosystems. We found that, rather than soil age, substrate origin was the main driver controlling the fate of different P fractions across contrasting environmental conditions. Moreover, our findings suggest that temporal patterns governing the long-term dynamics of different P forms as soils develop are not consistent among soil chronosequences, which is a result of contrasting environmental conditions, especially substrate origin. We further showed that topsoil total P was the greatest at intermediate soil development stage across the globe. Lastly, our results showed that P fractions were highly correlated with multiple surrogates of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, plant productivity, and biodiversity. Together, our work provides new insights into the natural history of P availability, and further highlights that substrate origin, rather than soil age, is essential to predict changes in P availability in response to physical perturbation and climate change.

Dynamic proportional loss of functional connectivity revealed change of left superior frontal gyrus in subjective cognitive decline: an explanatory study based on Chinese and Western cohorts - Luyao Wang; Wenjing Hu; Fan Dong; Can Sheng; Jinglong Wu; Ying Han; Jiehui Jiang; Michael W. Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; et al. (GeroScience, 2025)

Correction to: A comparative study of Cu‑based nanoparticles and their spin‑coated films: photocatalytic degradation mechanisms and efficiencies towards malachite green and neutral red azo dyes - Patricio Paredes; Erwan Rauwel; David Stephen Wragg; Laetitia Rapenne; Isabelle Gélard; Protima Rauwel (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2025)

Do the biological characteristics of trout ( Salmo trutta ) smolts influence their spring migration timing and maiden marine sojourn duration? - Jonathan P. Gillson; Robert E. Blackwell; Stephen D. Gregory; Jessica E. Marsh; Tea Bašić; Sophie A. M. Elliott; R. Andrew King; David L. Maxwell; William D. Riley; Jamie R. Stevens; Alan M. Walker; Rasmus B. Lauridsen (Journal of Fish Biology, 2025)
Anadromous salmonids migrate seaward to exploit feeding and growth opportunities in marine habitats, yet how smolt biological characteristics influence their marine migratory behavior remains poorly understood. This study used 9 years of trout ( Salmo trutta ) population monitoring data from 15,595 tagged age‐0+ parr, 1033 smolts detected migrating downstream in spring, and 99 adults detected returning from their first marine migration to the River Frome (Dorset, UK) to investigate the influence of smolt biological characteristics on their migration timing and maiden marine sojourn duration. Age‐specific differences in the influence of smolt length on migration timing were found, with longer 1‐year‐old smolts emigrating later than their shorter counterparts within the same age class, but the opposite association existed for 2‐year‐old smolts. A bespoke integrated statistical model quantified the effects of smolt emigration day of year, age, sex, and length on the probability of first‐time migrants returning to the river after one or more sea winters. Younger, later migrating smolts had a longer marine sojourn duration than their older, earlier migrating counterparts, and females remained at sea for longer periods than males. Although the statistical model was designed to maximize the use of information available in the data, it revealed only weak effects of smolt biological characteristics on the maiden marine sojourn duration. A complementary simulation study suggested that detecting more spring migrating smolts and analyzing longer time series of trout population monitoring data would increase the ability to detect statistically significant effects. Therefore, a strategic review of the trout population monitoring program, including more long‐term biological data collection, is recommended. The modelling work presented here can provide guidance on the size of the required dataset and how to maximize the power of imperfect data.

Benthic foraminiferal population dynamics at the Goban Spur off Southwest Ireland reveal glacial-interglacial bottom water ventilation and organic flux variability over the last 420,000 years - Stanislaus Glenndy Fabian; Stephen J. Gallagher; David De Vleeschouwer (Marine Micropaleontology, 2025)

SNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023: The First Five Years of Data From a Coordinated Camera Trap Survey of the United States - Brigit Rooney; Roland Kays; Michael V. Cove; Alex Jensen; Benjamin R. Goldstein; Christopher Pate; Paula Castiblanco; Maggie E. Abell; Jessie Adley; Briana Agenbroad; Adam A. Ahlers; Peter D. Alexander; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Motivation SNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multicontributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing SNAPSHOT USA dataset is intended for tracking the spatial and temporal responses of mammal populations to changes in land use, land cover and climate. These data will be useful for exploring the drivers of spatial and temporal changes in relative abundance and distribution, as well as the impacts of species interactions on daily activity patterns. Main Types of Variables Contained SNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023 contains 987,979 records of camera trap image sequence data and 9694 records of camera trap deployment metadata. Spatial Location and Grain Data were collected across the United States of America in all 50 states, 12 ecoregions and many ecosystems. Time Period and Grain Data were collected between 1st August and 29th December each year from 2019 to 2023. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement The dataset includes a wide range of taxa but is primarily focused on medium to large mammals. Software Format SNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023 comprises two .csv files. The original data can be found within the SNAPSHOT USA Initiative in the Wildlife Insights platform.

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.

Site‐Specific Nutrient Data Reveal the Importance of Soils in Driving the Mycorrhizal Make‐Up of Woody Vegetation Worldwide - Xiaobin Hua; Christopher H. Lusk; Ian A. Dickie; Stephen Adu‐Bredu; Kathryn J. Allen; Viviana Araus; Laurent Augusto; Pavel Barsukov; David Bauman; Félix Brédoire; David F. R. P. Burslem; James W. Dalling; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025)
Aim Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) and ectomycorrhizas (ECM) have different impacts on nutrient cycling, carbon storage, community dynamics and enhancement of photosynthesis by rising CO 2 . Recent global analyses have concluded that patterns of AM/ECM dominance in forests worldwide are shaped by climate, with soil nutrients contributing negligible additional explanatory power. However, their reliance on nutrient data from GIS surfaces masks important local influences of parent material, topography and soil age on soil nutrient status. We asked if use of site‐specific nutrient data reveals a more important role for nutrients. Time Period Present day. Location Global dataset comprising 703 sites, encompassing forests, savanna/woodlands, shrublands and deserts on all continents except Antarctica. Taxa Studied Arborescent plants, including angiosperms, gymnosperms and tree ferns. Methods Generalised Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) to determine the effects of climate variables, soil nitrogen and soil phosphorus on the proportional representation of ECM and of non‐mycorrhizal species (NM) in woody vegetation. Results GAMLSS showed a strong negative relationship of ECM representation with mean annual temperature (MAT), and a strong negative relationship with soil total nitrogen. NM representation was highest on dry sites and phosphorus‐poor sites. Reanalysis showed that GIS‐derived soil nutrient data had less explanatory power than site‐specific nutrient data, and resulted in poorer model fits. Conclusions Our results support the long‐held belief that soil nutrients as well as climate influence the relative fitness of different mycorrhizal syndromes worldwide, and demonstrate the value of using site‐specific nutrient data. Soil nutrients should be considered when predicting the impact of climate change on the mycorrhizal composition of vegetation and resulting shifts in ecosystem processes.

A comparative study of Cu-based nanoparticles and their spin-coated films: photocatalytic degradation mechanisms and efficiencies towards malachite green and neutral red azo dyes - Patricio Paredes; Erwan Rauwel; David Stephen Wragg; Laetitia Rapenne; Isabelle Gélard; Protima Rauwel (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2024)

Assessment of spatial variability and temporal stability of groundwater redox conditions in New Zealand - Stephen B. Collins; Ranvir Singh; Stuart R. Mead; David J. Horne; Jon K. F. Roygard (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2024)

Extremely low biodiversity Arctic intertidal habitats as sentinels for environmental change - Huw J. Griffiths; Catherine L. Waller; Stephen J. Roberts; Anna M. Jażdżewska; David S. Hik (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2024)
The Arctic is undergoing dramatic changes, including an unprecedented decline in sea ice. Previous studies have shown the severe structuring impact of sea ice scour upon polar intertidal communities. A dramatic example of the influence of Arctic sea ice is the highly depauperate intertidal of Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq) on Victoria Island, Nunavut, Canada. Cambridge Bay intertidal is dominated by a single species of amphipod crustacean, Gammarus setosus , with rare examples of another amphipod, bivalve molluscs, and oligochaetes. Primary producers are limited to a thin algal film, with no macroalgae present shallower than 2 m water depth. This intertidal biodiversity has remained extremely low since it was first surveyed 70 years ago, however, the seasonal sea ice thickness has been in decline for over 50 years. Given the observed dramatic increases in biodiversity and biomass with decreased sea ice cover elsewhere in the Arctic and the presence of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, we suggest that the intertidal of Cambridge Bay offers an ideal location for a low cost, low effort, and long-term monitoring of biodiversity change and tipping points that may be influenced by sea ice loss in the Arctic as part of a network intertidal monitoring stations.

Structured decision-making shows broad support from diverse stakeholders for habitat conservation and restoration in Kenya’s Central Highlands - Gwili E.M. Gibbon; Martin Dallimer; Hassan Golo; Humphrey Munene; Charlene A. Wandera; Monda N. Edson; Jane C. Gachura; Tim Hobbs; Festus Ihwagi; Stephen R. Ikhamati; Samson K. Ikiara; David Kimathi; et al. (Land Use Policy, 2024)

An effect of Fe atom clusters doped CNTs on resistivity of PTFE dielectrics - Sayavur I. Bakhtiyarov; Elguja R. Kutelia; David Gventsadze; Ayten S. Bakhtiyarova; Stephen M. White (Journal of Space Safety Engineering, 2024)

Effectiveness of ozone nanobubble treatments on high biomass cyanobacterial blooms: A mesocosm experiment and field trial - Justin D. Chaffin; David E. Berthold; Eugene C. Braig; Josh D. Fuchs; Rachel S. Gabor; Stephen J. Jacquemin; Haley E. Kuhn; Lillian D. Labus; H. Dail Laughinghouse; Forrest W. Lefler; Heath E. Mash; Heather A. Raymond; et al. (Journal of Environmental Management, 2024)

Conceptualizing climate-induced migration in Africa - Thandoluhle Kwanhi; Florah Sewela Modiba; Stephen Mago; Shadreck Matindike; David Damiyano (Environmental Development, 2024)

Troubled waters in the land down under: Pervasive threats and high extinction risks demand urgent conservation actions to protect Australia's native freshwater fishes - Mark Lintermans; Maiko Lutz; Nick S. Whiterod; Bernd Gruber; Michael P. Hammer; Mark J. Kennard; David L. Morgan; Tarmo A. Raadik; Peter Unmack; Steven Brooks; Brendan C. Ebner; Dean Gilligan; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2024)

Animal-borne sensors reveal high human impact on soundscapes near a critical sea turtle nesting beach - Francesco Garzon; Pierre Didier Agamboue; Jack A. Boyle; Philip D. Doherty; Angela Formia; Brendan J. Godley; Lucy A. Hawkes; David A. Mann; Sara M. Maxwell; Richard J. Parnell; Stephen K. Pikesley; Guy-Phillipe Sounguet; et al. (Biological Conservation, 2024)

Ecomorphology of Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus): on the influence of size, sex, and river location - Jason C. Doll; Ian Fisher; Aaron Selby; Stephen J. Jacquemin; Daniel Sinopoli; Solomon R. David (Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2024)
Ecomorphology is essential to understanding the evolution and biogeography of species. However, morphological studies that focus on nongame or ‘rough’ fish groups such as Gar (Lepisosteidae), outside of a phylogenetic context, are comparatively rare. Herein, we investigate the effects of sex, size, and location in a river to assess the potential for sexual dimorphism, allometry, habitat, or some combination to drive observed morphologic variation. Our dataset includes 230 Longnose Gars ( Lepisosteus osseus ) made up of both males and females of a wide range of sizes collected from three different sites corresponding to the upper, middle, and lower Great Pee Dee River in South Carolina. Dorsal and lateral photographs were taken from each specimen and landmarked for 2D geometric morphometric analyses. Discriminant function analyses (DFA) were also conducted on a few linear trusses to compare the accuracy of sex-related shape aspects that emerged from morphometrics as a possible field-based tool to help fisheries managers understand their stock populations. Overall, location was a statistically significant predictor of shape, yet the differences were not biologically meaningful. Additionally, sex and size were strong predictors of shape, with the greatest differences seen in the largest individuals. DFA of field measurements found that the Snout Length-to-Total Length ratio accurately predicted sex 71% of the time, with females having longer snouts than males. Differences in ratio between sexes can allow tentative sex assignments without lethal gonadal inspection. This study presents the first standardized whole-body 2D geometric morphometrics protocol for Longnose Gar.

HeartMate 3 for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: In Vitro Hemodynamic Evaluation and Anatomical Fitting - Nina Langer; Andrew F. Stephens; Michael Šeman; David McGiffin; David M. Kaye; Shaun D. Gregory (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2024)
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) constitutes approximately 50% of heart failure (HF) cases, and encompasses different phenotypes. Among these, most patients with HFpEF exhibit structural heart changes, often with smaller left ventricular cavities, which pose challenges for utilizing ventricular assist devices (VADs). A left atrial to aortic (LA-Ao) VAD configuration could address these challenges, potentially enhancing patient quality of life by lowering elevated mean left atrial pressure (MLAP). This study assessed the anatomical compatibility and left atrial unloading capacity using a simulated VAD-supported HFpEF patient. A HeartMate3-supported HFpEF patient in an LA-Ao configuration was simulated using a cardiovascular simulator. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded during rest and exercise at seven pump flow rates. Computed tomography scans of 14 HFpEF (NYHA II–III) and six heart failure with reduced ejection fraction patients were analysed for anatomical comparisons. HFpEF models were independently assessed for virtual anatomical fit with the HM3 in the LA-Ao configuration. Baseline MLAP was reduced from 15 to 11 mmHg with the addition of 1 L/min HM3 support in the rest condition. In an exercise simulation, 6 L/min of HM3 support was required to reduce the MLAP from 29 to 16 mmHg. The HM3 successfully accommodated six HFpEF patients without causing interference with other cardiac structures, whereas it caused impingement ranging from 4 to 14 mm in the remaining patients. This study demonstrated that the HM3 in an LA-Ao configuration may be suitable for unloading the left atrium and relieving pulmonary congestion in some HFpEF patients where size-related limitations can be addressed through pre-surgical anatomical fit analysis.

The Demographic Basis of Population Growth: A 32‐Year Transient Life Table Response Experiment - F. Stephen Dobson; David N. Koons; Claire Saraux; Anouch Tamian; Madan K. Oli; Vincent A. Viblanc (Ecology Letters, 2024)
It has recently been recognised that populations are rarely in demographic equilibrium, but rather in a ‘transient’ state. To examine how transient dynamics influence our empirical understanding of the links between changes in demographic rates and population growth, we conducted a 32‐year study of Columbian ground squirrels. The population increased rapidly for 10 years, followed by a 2‐year crash, and a gradual 19‐year recovery. Transient life table response experiment (LTRE) analysis showed that demographic stochasticity accounted for approximately one‐fourth of the variation in population growth, leaving the majority to be explained by environmental influences. These relatively small rodents appeared to have a slow pace of life. But unlike the general pattern for large mammals with slow life histories, ground squirrel survival did not exhibit low variation associated with environmental ‘buffering’; instead, survival varied substantially over time and contributed substantially (78%) to changes in abundance over the long‐term study, with minor contributions from reproduction and unstable stage structure.

Quantifying sedimentary ’blue carbon’ in relation to canopy cover in the seagrass meadows of Turneffe Atoll, Belize - Stacey L. Felgate; Richard Sanders; Valdemar Andrade; Christopher D. G. Barry; Hannah Brittain; Stephen Carpenter; Abel Carrias; Eliceo Cobb; Chris D. Evans; James Hunt; Anna Lichtschlag; Daniel J. Mayor; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2024)
Introduction Seagrass sediments are important ‘blue carbon’ reservoirs which store climatically significant quantities of organic carbon (C org ) at the global scale. Seagrass meadows that overly these sediments also provide a range of critical ecosystem services including shoreline stabilization, storm surge protection, and fisheries nursery grounds. However, the controls over accumulation and the sources of organic C to these sediments beds are highly variable and poorly understood with the relative importance of hydrodynamic setting, species composition and canopy density being unclear. Methods Here we address these questions using the first observation-based estimates of C org stocks and provenance on Turneffe Atoll, Belize, made via remotely-sensed habitat extent, local C org data and isotopic data. Sedimentary C org was highest in sediments underlying the most sheltered meadows and decreased with increasing exposure to wind and wave energy with the seagrass meadows in the central lagoon containing an extensive deposit of mangrove derived organic carbon, stabilized and protected by the overlying seagrass meadow. Results The influence of species composition appeared weak with the ubiquitous species T. testudinum occurring across a wide range of hydrodynamic regimes ranging from the most sheltered to the most energetic and being associated with a wide range of sedimentary organic C concentrations. Importantly from the perspective of remote sensing, org C concentrations were unrelated to canopy density. We hypothesize that this decoupling of organic C concentration from seagrass canopy cover reflects a much longer timescale for carbon storage in the sediments than the lifespan of the seagrass plants themselves and/or a substantial non seagrass derived organic C burden in seagrass sediments. Overall, we conservatively estimate that the top 30cm of sediments underlying the seagrass meadows overlying carbonate sediments on the atoll exterior store 0.58 x 10 6 Mg C org , most of which is seagrass-derived, whilst the sediments underlying the meadows within the central lagoon store an additional 1.28 x 10 6 Mg C org . When the maximum possible extent of seagrass is considered, this estimate increases to 3.54 x 10 6 Mg C org. Substantial C org stocks extending >1m depth were observed across all sites, and so these inventories are considered conservative. Discussion A preliminary ‘cost of loss’ for sedimentary C org in the top 30 cm of Turneffe Atoll’s seagrass meadows, based on a carbon trading value of €60 tCO 2 (eq), is estimated at €42 million for the outer atoll, increasing to €136 million when the mangrove-derived sediments of the central atoll are considered and €260 million when turbid areas are assumed to contain seagrass.

Innovative techniques for combating a common enemy forever chemicals: A comprehensive approach to mitigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination - Ajibola A. Bayode; Stephen Sunday Emmanuel; Amos O. Akinyemi; Odunayo T. Ore; Samson O. Akpotu; Daniel T. Koko; David E. Momodu; Eduardo Alberto López-Maldonado (Environmental Research, 2024)

Long-term observations in the Ndoki forest resolve enduring questions about truffle foraging by western lowland gorillas - Gaston Abea; Sydney Thony Ndolo Ebika; Crickette Sanz; Prospère Teberd; Thierry Fabrice Ebombi; Sean Brogan; Myriam de Haan; Colleen Stephens; David Morgan (Primates, 2024)

Correction: Path To Acceptance and Refined Practices for Habituating Western Lowland Gorillas - Prospère Teberd; Crickette Sanz; Alice Zambarda; Ivonne Kienast; Thierry Fabrice Ebombi; Gaston Abea; Donatien Mengoga; Jean Noel Makisso; Julia Kunz; Kathryn Judson; Colleen Stephens; David Morgan (Primates, 2024)

Path To Acceptance and Refined Practices for Habituating Western Lowland Gorillas - Prospère Teberd; Crickette Sanz; Alice Zambarda; Ivonne Kienast; Thierry Fabrice Ebombi; Gaston Abea; Donatien Mengoga; Jean Noel Makisso; Julia Kunz; Kathryn Judson; Colleen Stephens; David Morgan (Primates, 2024)

Predictors of respiratory illness in western lowland gorillas - Kristena E. Cooksey; Crickette Sanz; Jean Marie Massamba; Thierry Fabrice Ebombi; Prospère Teberd; Gaston Abea; Gaeton Mbebouti; Ivonne Kienast; Sean Brogan; Colleen Stephens; David Morgan (Primates, 2024)

The Toarcian Posidonia Shale at Salem (North Alpine Foreland Basin; South Germany): hydrocarbon potential and paleogeography - Stephen Ajuaba; Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer; Francesca Galasso; Thorsten U. Garlichs; Doris Gross; Elke Schneebeli-Hermann; David Misch; Jonathan E. Oriabure (International Journal of Earth Sciences, 2024)
The Posidonia Shale in the basement of the North Alpine Foreland Basin of southwestern Germany represents an important archive for environmental changes during the Toarcian oceanic anoxic event and the associated carbon isotope excursion (T-CIE). It is also an important hydrocarbon source rock. In the Salem borehole, the Posidonia Shale is ~ 10 m thick. The lower 7.5 m (1763.5–1756.0 m) of the Posidonian Shale and the uppermost part of the underlying Amaltheenton Formation were cored and studied using a total of 62 samples. Rock–Eval, palynological, maceral, biomarker and carbon isotope data were collected to assess variations in environmental conditions and to quantify the source rock potential. In contrast to most other Toarcian sections in southwest Germany, TOC contents are high in sediments deposited during the T-CIE, but reach a peak in post-CIE sediments. Biomarker ratios suggest that this reflects strong oxygen-depletion during the T-CIE ( elegantulum to lower elegans subzones), but also during the falciferum Subzone, which is also reflected by a prolonged dinoflagellate cyst blackout. While sediments of the tenuicostatum Zone to the elegans Subzone are thinner than in neighbouring sections (e.g., Dotternhausen), sediments of the falciferum Subzone are unusually thick, suggesting that increased subsidence might have contributed to anoxia. The T-CIE interval is very thin (0.75 m). δ 13 C values of n -alkanes show that the maximum negative isotope shift predates the strongest basin restriction during the T-CIE and that the carbon isotope shift is recorded earlier for aquatic than for terrigenous organisms. In Salem, the Posidonia Shale is thermally mature and highly oil-prone. The residual source petroleum potential is about 0.8 tHC/m 2 . Graphical Abstract

Effects of a large-scale bioretention installation on the species composition of an urban bird community as determined by passive acoustic monitoring - David Wituszynski; Donald Hayford; Angelika Poesel; Gautam Apte; Stephen N. Matthews; Jay Martin (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2024)

Parallelization of particle-mass-transfer algorithms on shared-memory, multi-core CPUs - David A. Benson; Ivan Pribec; Nicholas B. Engdahl; Stephen Pankavich; Lucas Schauer (Advances in Water Resources, 2024)

Complementary value of molecular, phenotypic, and functional aging biomarkers in dementia prediction - Andreas Engvig; Karl Trygve Kalleberg; Lars T. Westlye; Esten Høyland Leonardsen; Michael Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; John Q. Trojanowski; Arthur W. Toga; Laurel Beckett; et al. (GeroScience, 2024)
DNA methylation age (MA), brain age (BA), and frailty index (FI) are putative aging biomarkers linked to dementia risk. We investigated their relationship and combined potential for prediction of cognitive impairment and future dementia risk using the ADNI database. Of several MA algorithms, DunedinPACE and GrimAge2, associated with memory, were combined in a composite MA alongside BA and a data-driven FI in predictive analyses. Pairwise correlations between age- and sex-adjusted measures for MA (aMA), aBA, and aFI were low. FI outperformed BA and MA in all diagnostic tasks. A model including age, sex, and aFI achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 for differentiating cognitively normal controls (CN) from dementia patients in a held-out test set. When combined with clinical biomarkers (apolipoprotein E ε4 allele count, memory, executive function), a model including aBA and aFI predicted 5-year dementia risk among MCI patients with an out-of-sample AUC of 0.88. In the prognostic model, BA and FI offered complementary value (both β s 0.50). The tested MAs did not improve predictions. Results were consistent across FI algorithms, with data-driven health deficit selection yielding the best performance. FI had a stronger adverse effect on prognosis in males, while BA’s impact was greater in females. Our findings highlight the complementary value of BA and FI in dementia prediction. The results support a multidimensional view of dementia, including an intertwined relationship between the biomarkers, sex, and prognosis. The tested MA’s limited contribution suggests caution in their use for individual risk assessment of dementia.

Early-stage outcomes and cost-effectiveness of implementing tourism-led coral propagation and outplanting in the Whitsundays (Great Barrier Reef) - Rachael Scott; David Suggett; Cassidy Hayward; Brent Chatterton; John Edmondson; Johnny Gaskell; Gemma M. Gillette; Lorna Howlett; Emily Monacella; Christine D. Roper; Paige Strudwick; James Unsworth; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2024)
Implementation of coral restoration practices within reef management strategies is accelerating globally to support reef resilience and recovery. However, full costs underpinning restoration project feasibility have historically been underreported yet are critical to informing restoration cost-benefit decision-making. Such knowledge is especially lacking for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), where a coral restoration program led by reef tourism operators, Coral Nurture Program (CNP), was initiated in 2018 (northern GBR) and continues to scale. Here we describe the early outcomes and costs of implementing similar tourism-led asexual coral propagation and outplanting practices in a new region, the Whitsundays (central GBR) through the CNP. Specifically, we detail the local operational and environmental context of CNP Whitsundays, describe the costs of implementation and continuation of restoration activities, as well as evaluate survivorship of coral outplants across three restoration sites for nine months after project establishment (August 2022 to June 2023). Baseline benthic surveys revealed relatively low hard coral cover at restoration sites (ranging from 3.22-8.67%), which significantly differed in benthic composition from coral collection sites (ranging 16.67-38.06%), supporting strong motivation by tourism operators to undertake restoration activities. Mean coral survivorship of coral outplants in fate-tracked plots differed between the three restoration sites after 267 days (ranging 23.33-47.58%), with declines largely driven by coral detachment. Early-stage cost-effectiveness (costs relative to outplant survival) associated with implementation of restoration activity varied widely from US$33.04-178.55 per surviving coral (n = 4,425 outplants) depending on whether ‘in-kind’ costs, restoration activity (outplanting only vs. total costs encompassing planning through to monitoring), site-based survivorship, or a combination of these factors, were considered. As coral reef restoration projects continue to be established globally, our results highlight the need for ongoing, long-term monitoring that can inform adaptive practice, and fully transparent cost-reporting to understand and improve feasibility for any given project. We further highlight the inherent context-dependency of restoration costs, and the importance of considering local social-environmental contexts and their associated cost-benefits in economic rationale for reef restoration projects.

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) and in situ CO2 data suggest a larger seasonal amplitude of the terrestrial carbon cycle compared to many dynamic global vegetation models - Ruixue Lei; Jeralyn Poe; Deborah Huntzinger; Junjie Liu; Stephen Stich; David F. Baker; Leyang Feng; Dylan C. Gaeta; Ziting Huang; Scot M. Miller (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2024)

Continued development of a tool to measure intramuscular fat of Australian lamb carcases in commercial situations - Stephanie M. Fowler; Stephen Morris; Suzanne I. Mortimer; David L. Hopkins (Meat Science, 2024)

Toward a Public Health Approach to Farmer Suicide Prevention: The Potential Power of Systems Change - Sara Kohlbeck; Katherine Quinn; Terri deRoon-Cassini; Stephen Hargarten; David Nelson; Laura Cassidy (Journal of Agromedicine, 2024)

Trophoblast Side-Population Markers are Dysregulated in Preeclampsia and Fetal Growth Restriction - Georgia P. Wong; Sunhild Hartmann; David G. Simmons; Sarah Ellis; Olivia Nonn; Ping Cannon; Tuong-Vi Nguyen; Anna Nguyen; Lucy A. Bartho; Stephen Tong; Natalie J. Hannan; Tu’uhevaha J. Kaitu’u-Lino (Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2024)
Dysregulated progenitor cell populations may contribute to poor placental development and placental insufficiency pathogenesis. Side-population cells possess progenitor properties. Recent human trophoblast side-population isolation identified enrichment of 8 specific genes ( CXCL8, ELL2, GATA6, HK2, HLA-DPB1, INTS6, SERPINE3 and UPP1 ) (Gamage et al. 2020, Stem Cell Rev Rep ). We characterised these trophoblast side-population markers in human placenta and in placental insufficiency disorders: preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction (FGR). Trophoblast side-population markers localised to mononuclear trophoblasts lining the placental villous basement membrane in preterm control, preeclamptic and FGR placental sections ( n = 3, panel of 3 markers/serial section). Analysis of single-cell transcriptomics of an organoid human trophoblast stem cell (hTSC) to extravillous trophoblast (EVT) differentiation model (Shannon et al. 2022, Development ) identified that all side-population genes were enriched in mononuclear trophoblast and trophoblasts committed to differentiation under hTSC culture conditions. In vitro validation via 96 h time course hTSC differentiation to EVTs or syncytiotrophoblasts ( n = 5) demonstrated ELL2 and HK2 increased with differentiation ( p < 0.0024, p < 0.0039 respectively). CXCL8 and HLA-DPB1 were downregulated ( p < 0.030, p < 0.011 respectively). GATA6 and INTS6 increased with EVT differentiation only, and UPP1 reduced with syncytialisation. SERPINE3 was undetectable. Trophoblast side-population marker mRNA was measured in human placentas (< 34-weeks’ gestation; n = 78 preeclampsia, n = 30 FGR, and n = 18 gestation-matched controls). ELL2, HK2 and CXCL8 were elevated in preeclamptic ( p = 0.0006, p < 0.0001, p = 0.0335 respectively) and FGR placentas ( p = 0.0065, p < 0.0001, p = 0.0001 respectively) versus controls. Placental GATA6 was reduced in pregnancies with preeclampsia and FGR ( p = 0.0014, p = 0.0146 respectively). Placental INTS6 was reduced with FGR only ( p < 0.0001). This study identified the localisation of a unique trophoblast subset enriched for side-population markers. Aberrant expression of some side-population markers may indicate disruptions to unique trophoblast subtypes in placental insufficiency. Graphical Abstract

The Toxicology Investigators Consortium 2023 Annual Report - Adrienne Hughes; Alexandra Amaducci; Sharan L. Campleman; Shao Li; Mari Costantini; Meghan B. Spyres; Hannah Spungen; Jessica Kent; Alyssa Falise; Rachel Culbreth; Paul M. Wax; Jeffery Brent; et al. (Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2024)

Local molecular and connectomic contributions of tau-related neurodegeneration - Fardin Nabizadeh; Michael W. Weiner; Paul Aisen; Ronald Petersen; Clifford R. Jack; William Jagust; John Q. Trojanowski; Arthur W. Toga; Laurel Beckett; Robert C. Green; Andrew J. Saykin; John Morris; et al. (GeroScience, 2024)

Biologging reveals rapid movements of harbour seals between freshwater and marine habitats in the subarctic - Katie R.N. Florko; David J. Yurkowski; C-Jae C. Breiter; Steven H. Ferguson; Holly E.L. Gamblin; Adam Grottoli; Andrea Nace; Courtney R. Shuert; Stephen D. Petersen (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2024)
Biologging tools can provide invaluable information on the movement and behaviour of animals, facilitating the elucidation of ecological dynamics, especially for wide-ranging species, and supporting conservation and management efforts. Harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) exhibit extensive habitat plasticity in their vast range across the northern hemisphere, with likely recent increases in abundance at northern latitudes, yet details of their movement behaviour in subarctic areas remain largely unknown. We used satellite-telemetry data, including nearly 5,000 locations and over 12,000 dives, obtained from six harbour seals tagged in western Hudson Bay from 2021 to 2023, to address the knowledge gap on their movement behaviour between marine and freshwater habitats in subarctic regions. We document the behavioural patterns, transit speeds, and diverse aquatic system usage, including detailed records of a harbour seal track traversing over 170 km upriver on three separate trips along the Seal River, Canada. Notably, we observed a rapid downstream transit from the Seal River to Hudson Bay, covering 214 km within a single day. Additionally, we highlight the prevalence of short dive durations in the Seal and Churchill Rivers, in contrast to longer dive durations in Hudson Bay. These insights complement existing evidence of harbour seal occurrences and river use at northern latitudes, as well as enhance our understanding of harbour seal movement ecology within Hudson Bay which can be used to better inform conservation and management strategies between connected freshwater and marine environments in the Arctic.

Improving impact assessments to reduce impacts of deep-sea fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems - Laura Kaikkonen; Teresa Amaro; Peter J. Auster; David M. Bailey; James B. Bell; Angelika Brandt; Malcolm R. Clark; Jeffrey C. Drazen; Cherisse Du Preez; Elva Escobar-Briones; Eva Giacomello; Matthew Gianni; et al. (Marine Policy, 2024)

Investigating the application of organic geochemical techniques to tropical Anjohibe (Madagascar) stalagmites - Robin R. Dawson; Isla S. Castañeda; Stephen J. Burns; Jeffrey M. Salacup; Nick Scroxton; David McGee; Peterson Faina; Laurie R. Godfrey; Lovasoa Ranivoharimanana (Organic Geochemistry, 2024)

A first look at CRISM hyperspectral mapping mosaicked data: Results from Mawrth Vallis - Michael S. Phillips; Scott L. Murchie; Frank P. Seelos; Katie M. Hancock; Christina Selby; Ryan T. Poffenbarger; David C. Stephens; Maia Kawamura (Icarus, 2024)

The CRISM investigation in Mars orbit: Overview, history, and delivered data products - Frank P. Seelos; Kimberly D. Seelos; Scott L. Murchie; M. Alexandra Matiella Novak; Christopher D. Hash; M. Frank Morgan; Raymond E. Arvidson; John Aiello; Jean-Pierre Bibring; Janice L. Bishop; John D. Boldt; Ariana R. Boyd; et al. (Icarus, 2024)

Integrated modeling of nature’s role in human well-being: A research agenda - Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer; Stephen Polasky; Rob Alkemade; Neil D. Burgess; William W.L. Cheung; Ingo Fetzer; Mike Harfoot; Thomas W. Hertel; Samantha L.L. Hill; Justin Andrew Johnson; Jan H. Janse; Patrick José v. Jeetze; et al. (Global Environmental Change, 2024)

The Use of Systemically Absorbed Drugs to Explore An In Vitro Bioequivalence Approach For Comparing Non-Systemically Absorbed Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Drug Products For Use in Dogs - Marilyn N. Martinez; Raafat Fahmy; Linge Li; Kithsiri Herath; R. Gary Hollenbeck; Ahmed Ibrahim; Stephen W. Hoag; David Longstaff; Shasha Gao; Michael J. Myers (Pharmaceutical Research, 2024)
Purpose Currently, for veterinary oral formulations containing one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that are not systemically absorbed and act locally within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the use of terminal clinical endpoint bioequivalence (BE) studies is the only option for evaluating product BE. This investigation explored the use of a totality of evidence approach as an alternative to these terminal studies. Methods Three formulations of tablets containing ivermectin plus praziquantel were manufactured to exhibit distinctly different in vitro release characteristics. Because these APIs are highly permeable, plasma drug concentrations served as a biomarker of in vivo dissolution. Tablets were administered to 27 healthy Beagle dogs (3-way crossover) and the rate and extent of exposure of each API for each formulation was compared in a pairwise manner. These results were compared to product relative in vitro dissolution profiles in 3 media. In vivo and in vitro BE predictions were compared. Results In vivo/in vitro inconsistencies in product relative performance were observed with both compounds when considering product performance across the 3 dissolution media. Formulation comparisons flagged major differences that could explain this outcome. Conclusions The finding of an inconsistent in vivo/in vitro relationship confirmed that in vitro dissolution alone cannot assure product BE for veterinary locally acting GI products. However, when combined with a comparison of product composition and manufacturing method, this totality of evidence approach can successfully alert scientists to potential therapeutic inequivalence, thereby supporting FDA’s efforts to Replace, Reduce, and/or Refine terminal animal studies.

Investigating the efficiency of electrocoagulation using similar/dissimilar electrodes for the detoxification of Coralene Rubine dye: a cost effective approach - Jovitha Jane David; Asath Murphy Maria Stephen; Subbiah Kavitha; Suresh Kumar Krishnan; Santhiya Mariappan; Sahaya Leenus Sebastian; Jegathambal Palanichamy; Parameswari Kalivel; Palanivel Sathishkumar (Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2024)

Organic matter accumulation drives methylotrophic methanogenesis and microbial ecology in a hypersaline coastal lagoon - Christopher Keneally; Matilda Southgate; Daniel Chilton; Virginie Gaget; David T. Welsh; Luke Mosley; Dirk V. Erler; Stephen P. Kidd; Justin Brookes (Limnology and Oceanography, 2024)
Hypersalinity is common in coastal wetlands throughout warm, tropical, and arid regions. Climate‐induced changes in rainfall, sea level, and anthropogenic modification to basins and coastlines are likely to further increase salinization in these ecosystems. Yet, carbon cycling in hypersaline coastal wetlands is not well understood, and poorly constrained in climate models. In the Coorong, a eutrophic, hypersaline coastal lagoon, recognized as internationally important under the Ramsar convention, organic matter rapidly accumulates in deeper areas of the lagoon, through the settling of fine detrital particles, phytoplankton and suspended sediments. During initial surveys, elevated surface water methane (CH 4 ) concentrations were observed above these fine depositional sediments. To identify the drivers of CH 4 production, organic matter and sediment characteristics were assessed in surface sediments. Genetic markers (i.e., 16rDNA and the mcrA functional gene) were used to characterize microbial communities. With multiple lines of evidence, this study identifies organic matter, methanogen abundance, and salinity as important drivers of CH 4 production, which is concentrated in depositional zones. Archaea were also more abundant in depositional zones, including methylotrophic methanogens: Methanofastidiosales, Methanomasiliicoccales, Methermicoccaceae , and Methanococcoides . These methanogens were highly correlated to CH 4 in porewater, suggesting an influence of methylotrophic methanogenesis. To investigate further, metabolic genes were predicted from 16S rRNA with PICRUSt2. This represents the first effort to analyze CH 4 dynamics in the Coorong, underscoring the need to integrate these unique ecosystems into global climate models to enhance our understanding of greenhouse gas dynamics and emissions in a changing climate.

Characterizing dog cognitive aging using spontaneous problem-solving measures: development of a battery of tests from the Dog Aging Project - Stephanie H. Hargrave; Emily E. Bray; Stephanie McGrath; Gene E. Alexander; Theadora A. Block; Naomi Chao; Martin Darvas; Laura E. L. C. Douglas; Janet Galante; Brenda S. Kennedy; Breonna Kusick; Julie A. Moreno; et al. (GeroScience, 2024)

Recreational fisheries-related injuries and body size affect travel rate and post-release mortality in marine migrating coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) - Emma L. Lunzmann-Cooke; Scott G. Hinch; Arthur L. Bass; Stephen D. Johnston; Brian J. Hendriks; Aswea D. Porter; Steven J. Cooke; David W. Welch (Fisheries Research, 2024)

Non-chlorine detergent formulations as an alternative for unpasteurised milk removal from stainless steel surfaces - Joels Wilson-Nieuwenhuis; Jim Taylour; Luciana C. Gomes; Stephen Lynch; David Whitehead; Kathryn A. Whitehead (Journal of Food Engineering, 2024)

A conceptual model on the influence of logjam formation on longitudinal and lateral sediment dynamics in forested streams - Marwan A. Hassan; Conor McDowell; Stephen Bird; David A. Reid; Mike Turley; Dan Hogan (Geomorphology, 2024)

Spatial-temporal variability in nitrogen use efficiency: Insights from a long-term experiment and crop simulation modeling to support site specific nitrogen management - David E. Clarke; Elizabeth A. Stockdale; Jacqueline A. Hannam; Benjamin P. Marchant; Stephen H. Hallett (European Journal of Agronomy, 2024)

Walking net $$\dot{V}$$O2 rises with advancing age in older women: where to go from here? - Stephen J. Carter; Harshvardhan Singh; Emily B. Long; Catia Martins; John P. McCarthy; C. Scott Bickel; David R. Bryan; Gary R. Hunter (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2024)

Redundancy of p75NTR neurotrophin receptor function in development, growth and fertility in the rat - Stephen Meek; Karamjit Singh-Dolt; Linda Sutherland; Matthew G. F. Sharp; Jorge Del-Pozo; David Walker; Tom Burdon (Transgenic Research, 2024)
The p75NTR neurotrophin receptor has positive and negative roles regulating cell survival in the nervous system. Unambiguous interpretation of p75NTR function in vivo has been complicated, however, by residual expression of alternate forms of p75NTR protein in initial p75NTR knock-out mouse models. As rats are the preferred rodent for studying brain and behaviour, and to simplify interpretation of the knock-out phenotype, we report here the generation of a mutant rat devoid of the p75NTR protein. TALEN-mediated recombination in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) was used to flank exon 2 of p75NTR with Lox P sites and produce transgenic rats carrying either un-recombined floxed p75NTR Ex2-fl , or recombined, exon-2 deleted p75NTR Ex2-Δ alleles. Crossing p75NTR Ex2-fl rats with a Cre -deleter strain efficiently removed exon 2 in vivo. Excision of exon 2 causes a frameshift after p75NTR Gly23 and eliminated p75NTR protein expression. Rats lacking p75NTR were healthy, fertile, and histological analysis did not reveal significant changes in cellular density or overall structure in their brains. p75NTR function is therefore largely dispensable for normal development, growth and basal homeostasis in the rat. However, the availability of constitutive and conditional p75NTR Ex2-Δ rats provides new opportunities to investigate specific roles of p75NTR upon injury and during tissue repair.

Correction: Oral docetaxel plus encequidar – a pharmacokinetic model and evaluation against IV docetaxel - David Wang; Chris Jackson; Noelyn Hung; Tak Hung; Rudolf Kwan; Wing-Kai Chan; Albert Qin; Natalie J. Hughes-Medlicott; Paul Glue; Stephen Duffull (Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, 2024)

Oral docetaxel plus encequidar – A pharmacokinetic model and evaluation against IV docetaxel - David Wang; Chris Jackson; Noelyn Hung; Tak Hung; Rudolf Kwan; Wing-Kai Chan; Albert Qin; Natalie J. Hughes-Medlicott; Paul Glue; Stephen Duffull (Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, 2024)
The development of optimized dosing regimens plays a crucial role in oncology drug development. This study focused on the population pharmacokinetic modelling and simulation of docetaxel, comparing the pharmacokinetic exposure of oral docetaxel plus encequidar (oDox + E) with the standard of care intravenous (IV) docetaxel regimen. The aim was to evaluate the feasibility of oDox + E as a potential alternative to IV docetaxel. The article demonstrates an approach which aligns with the FDA’s Project Optimus which aims to improve oncology drug development through model informed drug development (MIDD). The key question answered by this study was whether a feasible regimen of oDox + E existed. The purpose of this question was to provide an early GO / NO-GO decision point to guide drug development and improve development efficiency. Methods: A stepwise approach was employed to develop a population pharmacokinetic model for total and unbound docetaxel plasma concentrations after IV docetaxel and oDox + E administration. Simulations were performed from the final model to assess the probability of target attainment (PTA) for different oDox + E dose regimens (including multiple dose regimens) in relation to IV docetaxel using AUC over effective concentration (AUCOEC) metric across a range of effective concentrations (EC). A Go / No-Go framework was defined—the first part of the framework assessed whether a feasible oDox + E regimen existed (i.e., a PTA ≥ 80%), and the second part defined the conditions to proceed with a Go decision. Results: The overall population pharmacokinetic model consisted of a 3-compartment model with linear elimination, constant bioavailability, constant binding mechanics, and a combined error model. Simulations revealed that single dose oDox + E regimens did not achieve a PTA greater than 80%. However, two- and three-dose regimens at 600 mg achieved PTAs exceeding 80% for certain EC levels. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the benefits of MIDD using oDox + E as a motivating example. A population pharmacokinetic model was developed for the total and unbound concentration in plasma of docetaxel after administration of IV docetaxel and oDox + E. The model was used to simulate oDox + E dose regimens which were compared to the current standard of care IV docetaxel regimen. A GO / NO-GO framework was applied to determine whether oDox + E should progress to the next phase of drug development and whether any conditions should apply. A two or three-dose regimen of oDox + E at 600 mg was able to achieve non-inferior pharmacokinetic exposure to current standard of care IV docetaxel in simulations. A Conditional GO decision was made based on this result and further quantification of the “effective concentration” would improve the ability to optimise the dose regimen.

Southern Flounder: Major Milestones and Remaining Knowledge Gaps in Their Biology, Ecology, and Fishery Management - Stephen R. Midway; Frederick S. Scharf; Michael A. Dance; Nancy J. Brown-Peterson; Joseph C. Ballenger; Nicolette S. Beeken; Russell J. Borski; Tanya L. Darden; Kenneth A. Erickson; Troy M. Farmer; Ashley Fincannon; John Godwin; et al. (Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 2024)

Addressing constraints to shellfish aquaculture through quantifying public perceptions and attitudes along the Atlantic coast of the US - Kelsey M. Schultz; Steven B. Scyphers; A. Randall Hughes; David L. Kimbro; Stephen Kirk; Jonathan H. Grabowski (Ocean & Coastal Management, 2024)

Use of Tox21 screening data to profile PFAS bioactivities on nuclear receptors, cellular stress pathways, and cytochrome p450 enzymes - Masato Ooka; Srilatha Sakamuru; Jinghua Zhao; Yanyan Qu; Yuhong Fang; Dingyin Tao; Ruili Huang; Stephen Ferguson; David Reif; Anton Simeonov; Menghang Xia (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2024)

A process-based geochemical framework for carbonate sediments during marine diagenesis - Mohammed S. Hashim; Stephen E. Kaczmarek; Gemakrisindo Wolfram Naa; David L. Bish; Adam V. Subhas (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2024)

Insight into the mechanism of action of ORG27569 at the cannabinoid type one receptor utilising a unified mathematical model - Hayley M. Green; Liang Yang; Xiao Zhu; David B. Finlay; Stephen B. Duffull; Michelle Glass (Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 2024)
Allosteric modulation of CB 1 is therapeutically advantageous compared to orthosteric activation as it potentially offers reduced on-target adverse effects. ORG27569 is an allosteric modulator that increases orthosteric agonist binding to CB 1 but decreases functional signalling. ORG27569 is characterised by a delay in disinhibition of agonist-induced cAMP inhibition (lag); however, the mechanism behind this kinetic lag is yet to be identified. We aimed to utilise a mathematical model to predict data and design in vitro experiments to elucidate mechanisms behind the unique signalling profile of ORG27569. The established kinetic ternary complex model includes the existence of a transitional state of CB 1 bound to ORG27569 and CP55940 and was used to simulate kinetic cAMP data using NONMEM 7.4 and Matlab R2020b. These data were compared with empirical cAMP BRET data in HEK293 cells stably expressing hCB 1 . The pharmacometric model suggested that the kinetic lag in cAMP disinhibition by ORG27569 is caused by signal amplification in the cAMP assay and can be reduced by decreasing receptor number. This was confirmed experimentally, as reducing receptor number through agonist-induced internalisation resulted in a decreased kinetic lag by ORG27569. ORG27569 was found to have a similar interaction with CP55940 and the high efficacy agonist WIN55,212-2, and was suggested to have lower affinity for CB 1 bound by the partial agonist THC compared to CP55940. Allosteric modulators have unique signalling profiles that are often difficult to interrogate exclusively in vitro. We have used a combined mathematical and in vitro approach to prove that ORG27569 causes a delay in disinhibition of agonist-induced cAMP inhibition due to large receptor reserve in this pathway. We also used the pharmacometric model to investigate the common phenomenon of probe dependence, to propose that ORG27569 binds with higher affinity to CB 1 bound by high efficacy orthosteric agonists.