An inter-method comparison of mercury measurements in Icelandic volcanic gases - Brock A. Edwards; Melissa A. Pfeffer; þorsteinn Jóhannsson; Peter M. Outridge; Feiyue Wang (Applied Geochemistry, 2023)

Long‐term trajectories of non‐native vegetation on islands globally - Anna Walentowitz; Bernd Lenzner; Franz Essl; Nichola Strandberg; Alvaro Castilla‐Beltrán; José María Fernández‐Palacios; Svante Björck; Simon Connor; Simon G. Haberle; Karl Ljung; Matiu Prebble; Janet M. Wilmshurst; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2023)
Human‐mediated changes in island vegetation are, among others, largely caused by the introduction and establishment of non‐native species. However, data on past changes in non‐native plant species abundance that predate historical documentation and censuses are scarce. Islands are among the few places where we can track human arrival in natural systems allowing us to reveal changes in vegetation dynamics with the arrival of non‐native species. We matched fossil pollen data with botanical status information (native, non‐native), and quantified the timing, trajectories and magnitude of non‐native plant vegetational change on 29 islands over the past 5000 years. We recorded a proportional increase in pollen of non‐native plant taxa within the last 1000 years. Individual island trajectories are context‐dependent and linked to island settlement histories. Our data show that non‐native plant introductions have a longer and more dynamic history than is generally recognized, with critical implications for biodiversity baselines and invasion biology.

New insights into the climate of northern Iberia during the Younger Dryas and Holocene: The Mendukilo multi-speleothem record - J.L. Bernal-Wormull; A. Moreno; M. Bartolomé; M. Arriolabengoa; C. Pérez-Mejías; E. Iriarte; C. Osácar; C. Spötl; H. Stoll; I. Cacho; R.L. Edwards; H. Cheng (Quaternary Science Reviews, 2023)

Forecast Sensitivity-based Observation Impact (FSOI) in an analysis–forecast system of the California Current Circulation - Patrick Drake; Christopher A. Edwards; Hernan G. Arango; John Wilkin; Tayebeh TajalliBakhsh; Brian Powell; Andrew M. Moore (Ocean Modelling, 2023)

Climate-driven shifts in pelagic fish distributions in a rapidly changing Pacific Arctic - Robert M. Levine; Alex De Robertis; Daniel Grünbaum; Sharon Wildes; Edward V. Farley; Phyllis J. Stabeno; Christopher D. Wilson (Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 2023)

Integrated research in the Arctic – Ecosystem linkages and shifts in the northern Bering Sea and eastern and western Chukchi Sea - Matthew R. Baker; Edward V. Farley; Seth L. Danielson; Calvin Mordy; Kathleen M. Stafford; Danielle M.S. Dickson (Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 2023)

Biotinylation of reducing and non-reducing termini to create plug-and-play polysaccharides - Nimisha Mohandas; Patrick J.B. Edwards; Lisa M. Kent; Geoffrey B. Jameson; Martin A.K. Williams (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2023)

Spectroscopic identification of the catalytic intermediates of cytochrome c oxidase in respiring heart mitochondria - Raul Covian; Lanelle O. Edwards; Bertrand M. Lucotte; Robert S. Balaban (Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics, 2023)

Updated guidelines for gene nomenclature in wheat - S. A. Boden; R. A. McIntosh; C. Uauy; S. G. Krattinger; J. Dubcovsky; W. J. Rogers; X. C. Xia; E. D. Badaeva; A. R. Bentley; G. Brown-Guedira; M. Caccamo; L. Cattivelli; et al. (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2023)
Key message Here, we provide an updated set of guidelines for naming genes in wheat that has been endorsed by the wheat research community. Abstract The last decade has seen a proliferation in genomic resources for wheat, including reference- and pan-genome assemblies with gene annotations, which provide new opportunities to detect, characterise, and describe genes that influence traits of interest. The expansion of genetic information has supported growth of the wheat research community and catalysed strong interest in the genes that control agronomically important traits, such as yield, pathogen resistance, grain quality, and abiotic stress tolerance. To accommodate these developments, we present an updated set of guidelines for gene nomenclature in wheat. These guidelines can be used to describe loci identified based on morphological or phenotypic features or to name genes based on sequence information, such as similarity to genes characterised in other species or the biochemical properties of the encoded protein. The updated guidelines provide a flexible system that is not overly prescriptive but provides structure and a common framework for naming genes in wheat, which may be extended to related cereal species. We propose these guidelines be used henceforth by the wheat research community to facilitate integration of data from independent studies and allow broader and more efficient use of text and data mining approaches, which will ultimately help further accelerate wheat research and breeding.

Advances in the biosynthesis, diversification, and hyperproduction of ganoderic acids in Ganoderma lucidum - Precious Bondzie-Quaye; Mohammed Sharif Swallah; Adolf Acheampong; Shereen M. Elsherbiny; Edward Opong Acheampong; Qing Huang (Mycological Progress, 2023)

Cancer survivorship experiences in Utah: an evaluation assessing indicators of survivors’ quality of life, health behaviors, and access to health services - Morgan M. Millar; Kimberly A. Herget; Blessing Ofori-Atta; Rachel R. Codden; Sandra L. Edwards; Marjorie E. Carter; Brad Belnap; Anne C. Kirchhoff; Carol Sweeney (Cancer Causes & Control, 2023)

Ocean monitoring, observation network and modelling of the Gulf of Mexico by CIGOM - Juan Carlos Herguera; Edward M. Peters; Julio Sheinbaum; Paula Pérez-Brunius; Sharon Z. Herzka; Alexei Licea-Navarro; Francisco Ocampo-Torres; M. Leopoldina Aguirre-Macedo; Victor M. Vidal-Martínez; Hector García-Nava; Tomas Salgado; Rosario Romero-Centeno; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2023)
The tragic accident of the Macondo platform operated by British Petroleum (BP) unleashed in 2010 one of the largest oil spills in history, lasting over three months, spilling nearly 500 million liters of oil in one of the most biodiverse ocean regions. This accident revealed the technological deficiencies for the control of a spill in deep waters of the hydrocarbon industry. Simultaneously it showed important gaps in knowledge to predict the propagation and fate of the large volumes of hydrocarbons at depth and on the surface ocean and, more importantly, on their impact on the great ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico. The necessity to understand and predict the transport, fate and ecosystem-level impacts of large oil spills in the southern Gulf of Mexico, a key region for oil exploration and extraction, led policymakers, scientists, and industry representatives from PEMEX (the Mexican oil company) to jointly launch an ocean observation project (2015-22) aimed to provide a multi-layered environmental baseline, develop a modern monitoring and computational modeling capacity and promote scientific understanding of the marine environment throughout the Mexican Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The initiative, led by the Research Consortium for the Gulf of Mexico (CIGoM), brought together more than 300 multidisciplinary researchers from more than a two dozen institutions in Mexico and abroad, including the Centre for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE) as the leading institution, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) in Mérida, the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), and the Centre for Engineering and Industrial Development (CIDESI). Financial support was provided by the National Council for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Energy Hydrocarbon Fund.

Effects of data sources and biological criteria on length-at-maturity estimates and spawning periodicity of the commercially important Hawaiian snapper, Etelis coruscans - Erin M. Reed; Nancy J. Brown-Peterson; Edward E. DeMartini; Allen H. Andrews (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2023)
Reproductive characteristics of a fish stock provide important tools for assessing population health. Change in length-at-maturity ( L 50 ) is a potential indicator of exploited fish populations but when criteria for determining maturity classifications are inconsistent, it is difficult to accurately assess change over time and space. Etelis coruscans is a commercially important eteline snapper found throughout the Indo-Pacific, but its region-specific reproductive information in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) is sparse. The present study describes length-specific (fork length: FL) female reproductive characteristics of this deep water snapper in the context of a data-limited fishery. We explored the use of six maturity classification criteria based on a functionally mature (containing vitellogenic oocytes and capable of spawning within the season of collection) or physiologically mature (gonadotropin-dependent maturation initiation) designation combined with seasonality and inclusion of additional reproductive phases. Of these classifications, the largest and therefore most conservative estimate was for functional maturity during the spawning period, September-December ( L 50F = 65.8 cm ). Progressively smaller L 50 estimates occurred as we incorporated additional reproductive phases and seasonality, the smallest being for physiological maturity during the entire year ( L 50PY = 50.0 cm). Both functional and physiological maturity criteria are valid for estimating L 50 but can yield drastically different parameter estimates based on the definition of mature or immature reproductive phases. Fish that are relatively slow growing, late to mature, and whose fisheries encompass a wide size range, such as E. coruscans , may be more subject to unreliability in the development of their reproductive indicators (length-at-maturity and spawning period) when inconsistent maturity classification criteria are executed over time. We discuss the reproductive characteristics of E. coruscans in the MHI, the use of alternative maturity classification criteria in L 50 estimation, the impact on resultant parameters estimates, and the life history implications for the future fishery.

In vitro protein bioaccessibility and human serum amino acid responses to white bread enriched with intact plant cells - Natalia Perez-Moral; Shikha Saha; Ana M. Pinto; Balazs H. Bajka; Cathrina H. Edwards (Food Chemistry, 2023)

Thalamus sends information about arousal but not valence to the amygdala - Chris A. Leppla; Laurel R. Keyes; Gordon Glober; Gillian A. Matthews; Kanha Batra; Maya Jay; Yu Feng; Hannah S. Chen; Fergil Mills; Jeremy Delahanty; Jacob M. Olson; Edward H. Nieh; et al. (Psychopharmacology, 2023)
Rationale The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (MGN) have both been shown to be necessary for the formation of associative learning. While the role that the BLA plays in this process has long been emphasized, the MGN has been less well-studied and surrounded by debate regarding whether the relay of sensory information is active or passive. Objectives We seek to understand the role the MGN has within the thalamoamgydala circuit in the formation of associative learning. Methods Here, we use optogenetics and in vivo electrophysiological recordings to dissect the MGN-BLA circuit and explore the specific subpopulations for evidence of learning and synthesis of information that could impact downstream BLA encoding. We employ various machine learning techniques to investigate function within neural subpopulations. We introduce a novel method to investigate tonic changes across trial-by-trial structure, which offers an alternative approach to traditional trial-averaging techniques. Results We find that the MGN appears to encode arousal but not valence, unlike the BLA which encodes for both. We find that the MGN and the BLA appear to react differently to expected and unexpected outcomes; the BLA biased responses toward reward prediction error and the MGN focused on anticipated punishment. We uncover evidence of tonic changes by visualizing changes across trials during inter-trial intervals (baseline epochs) for a subset of cells. Conclusion We conclude that the MGN-BLA projector population acts as both filter and transferer of information by relaying information about the salience of cues to the amygdala, but these signals are not valence-specified.

Survival of epithelial ovarian cancer in Black women: a society to cell approach in the African American cancer epidemiology study (AACES) - Joellen M. Schildkraut; Courtney Johnson; Lauren F. Dempsey; Bo Qin; Paul Terry; Maxwell Akonde; Edward S. Peters; Hannah Mandle; Michele L. Cote; Lauren Peres; Patricia Moorman; Ann G. Schwartz; et al. (Cancer Causes & Control, 2023)
Purpose The causes for the survival disparity among Black women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are likely multi-factorial. Here we describe the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES), the largest cohort of Black women with EOC. Methods AACES phase 2 (enrolled 2020 onward) is a multi-site, population-based study focused on overall survival (OS) of EOC. Rapid case ascertainment is used in ongoing patient recruitment in eight U.S. states, both northern and southern. Data collection is composed of a survey, biospecimens, and medical record abstraction. Results characterizing the survival experience of the phase 1 study population (enrolled 2010–2015) are presented. Results Thus far, ~ 650 patients with EOC have been enrolled in the AACES. The five-year OS of AACES participants approximates those of Black women in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry who survive at least 10-month past diagnosis and is worse compared to white women in SEER, 49 vs. 60%, respectively. A high proportion of women in AACES have low levels of household income (45% < $25,000 annually), education (51% ≤ high school education), and insurance coverage (32% uninsured or Medicaid). Those followed annually differ from those without follow-up with higher levels of localized disease (28 vs 24%) and higher levels of optimal debulking status (73 vs 67%). Conclusion AACES is well positioned to evaluate the contribution of social determinants of health to the poor survival of Black women with EOC and advance understanding of the multi-factorial causes of the ovarian cancer survival disparity in Black women.

Plant phenology drives seasonal changes in shear stress partitioning in a semi-arid rangeland - Nancy P. Ziegler; Nicholas P. Webb; John A. Gillies; Brandon L. Edwards; George Nikolich; Justin W. Van Zee; Brad F. Cooper; Dawn M. Browning; Ericha M. Courtright; Sandra L. LeGrand (Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2023)

Whole‐genome phylogeography of the blue‐faced honeyeater ( Entomyzon cyanotis ) and discovery and characterization of a neo‐Z chromosome - John T. Burley; Sophia C. M. Orzechowski; Simon Yung Wa Sin; Scott V. Edwards (Molecular Ecology, 2023)
Whole‐genome surveys of genetic diversity and geographic variation often yield unexpected discoveries of novel structural variation, which long‐read DNA sequencing can help clarify. Here, we report on whole‐genome phylogeography of a bird exhibiting classic vicariant geographies across Australia and New Guinea, the blue‐faced honeyeater ( Entomyzon cyanotis ), and the discovery and characterization of a novel neo‐Z chromosome by long‐read sequencing. Using short‐read genome‐wide SNPs, we inferred population divergence events within E. cyanotis across the Carpentarian and other biogeographic barriers during the Pleistocene (~0.3–1.7 Ma). Evidence for introgression between nonsister populations supports a hypothesis of reticulate evolution around a triad of dynamic barriers around Pleistocene Lake Carpentaria between Australia and New Guinea. During this phylogeographic survey, we discovered a large (134 Mbp) neo‐Z chromosome and we explored its diversity, divergence and introgression landscape. We show that, as in some sylvioid passerine birds, a fusion occurred between chromosome 5 and the Z chromosome to form a neo‐Z chromosome; and in E. cyanotis , the ancestral pseudoautosomal region (PAR) appears nonrecombinant between Z and W, along with most of the fused chromosome 5. The added recombination‐suppressed portion of the neo‐Z (~37.2 Mbp) displays reduced diversity and faster population genetic differentiation compared with the ancestral‐Z. Yet, the new PAR (~17.4 Mbp) shows elevated diversity and reduced differentiation compared to autosomes, potentially resulting from introgression. In our case, long‐read sequencing helped clarify the genomic landscape of population divergence on autosomes and sex chromosomes in a species where prior knowledge of genome structure was still incomplete.

Prediction of near‐term climate change impacts on UK wheat quality and the potential for adaptation through plant breeding - Nick S. Fradgley; James Bacon; Alison R. Bentley; Germano Costa‐Neto; Andrew Cottrell; Jose Crossa; Jaime Cuevas; Matthew Kerton; Edward Pope; Stéphanie M. Swarbreck; Keith A. Gardner (Global Change Biology, 2023)
Wheat is a major crop worldwide, mainly cultivated for human consumption and animal feed. Grain quality is paramount in determining its value and downstream use. While we know that climate change threatens global crop yields, a better understanding of impacts on wheat end‐use quality is also critical. Combining quantitative genetics with climate model outputs, we investigated UK‐wide trends in genotypic adaptation for wheat quality traits. In our approach, we augmented genomic prediction models with environmental characterisation of field trials to predict trait values and climate effects in historical field trial data between 2001 and 2020. Addition of environmental covariates, such as temperature and rainfall, successfully enabled prediction of genotype by environment interactions (G × E), and increased prediction accuracy of most traits for new genotypes in new year cross validation. We then extended predictions from these models to much larger numbers of simulated environments using climate scenarios projected under Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 for 2050–2069. We found geographically varying climate change impacts on wheat quality due to contrasting associations between specific weather covariables and quality traits across the UK. Notably, negative impacts on quality traits were predicted in the East of the UK due to increased summer temperatures while the climate in the North and South‐west may become more favourable with increased summer temperatures. Furthermore, by projecting 167,040 simulated future genotype–environment combinations, we found only limited potential for breeding to exploit predictable G × E to mitigate year‐to‐year environmental variability for most traits except Hagberg falling number. This suggests low adaptability of current UK wheat germplasm across future UK climates. More generally, approaches demonstrated here will be critical to enable adaptation of global crops to near‐term climate change.

Comparative assessment of the impacts of artisanal trolling and industrial longlining on yellowfin tuna exploited off the Kenyan coast - Almubarak A. Abubakar; Gladys M. Okemwa; Edward N. Kimani (Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 2023)
The Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock has been classified as overfished and remains subject to overfishing by industrial and artisanal fleets despite the implementation of catch reduction measures to rebuild the stocks. This study assessed the impacts of artisanal trolling and industrial pelagic longlining on the population structure of yellowfin tuna exploited in Kenyan waters. Catch data including fork length, sex and gonad maturity was examined for the two fisheries between April 2019 and April 2021. Selection patterns were then compared using eight length-based indicators and a suite of indicator ratios. Results showed that artisanal trolling caught smaller individuals ranging from 32−177 cm with a mean of 76 ± 0.5 cm and a mode of 71 cm. The industrial fishery caught significantly larger individuals (p > 0.05) ranging from 52 – 204 cm with a mean of 137 ± 0.7 cm and a mode of 160 cm. Length at first capture (Lc) for artisanal trolling was estimated at 36 cm and 80 cm for the industrial fishery. Statistical tests further revealed significant differences in length distribution and selectivity curves. It was clear that the fisheries consistently captured distinct components of the yellowfin tuna population structure. The industrial fishery was dominated by mature individuals above length at 50 % maturity (>100 cm, L50) constituting 90 % of the sampled catch of which 56 % were large mega-spawners above the optimum length (> Lopt + 10%). On the other hand, 92 % the artisanal trolling fishery constituted small individuals below L50 and no mega-spawners. Overall, the average monthly sex ratio was skewed to males (F:M ratio = 1: 1.14). Deviations from the expected 1:1 sex-ratio were not significant; however, industrial longline catches were skewed towards large males, and artisanal trolling catches towards small females. The study illustrates application of widely used lengthbased approaches to derive insights on fishery interactions in data limited scenarios.

Vulnerability to climate change of managed stocks in the California Current large marine ecosystem - Michelle M. McClure; Melissa A. Haltuch; Ellen Willis-Norton; David D. Huff; Elliott L. Hazen; Lisa G. Crozier; Michael G. Jacox; Mark W. Nelson; Kelly S. Andrews; Lewis A.K. Barnett; Aaron M. Berger; Sabrina Beyer; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2023)
Introduction Understanding how abundance, productivity and distribution of individual species may respond to climate change is a critical first step towards anticipating alterations in marine ecosystem structure and function, as well as developing strategies to adapt to the full range of potential changes. Methods This study applies the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries Climate Vulnerability Assessment method to 64 federally-managed species in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem to assess their vulnerability to climate change, where vulnerability is a function of a species’ exposure to environmental change and its biological sensitivity to a set of environmental conditions, which includes components of its resiliency and adaptive capacity to respond to these new conditions. Results Overall, two-thirds of the species were judged to have Moderate or greater vulnerability to climate change, and only one species was anticipated to have a positive response. Species classified as Highly or Very Highly vulnerable share one or more characteristics including: 1) having complex life histories that utilize a wide range of freshwater and marine habitats; 2) having habitat specialization, particularly for areas that are likely to experience increased hypoxia; 3) having long lifespans and low population growth rates; and/or 4) being of high commercial value combined with impacts from non-climate stressors such as anthropogenic habitat degradation. Species with Low or Moderate vulnerability are either habitat generalists, occupy deep-water habitats or are highly mobile and likely to shift their ranges. Discussion As climate-related changes intensify, this work provides key information for both scientists and managers as they address the long-term sustainability of fisheries in the region. This information can inform near-term advice for prioritizing species-level data collection and research on climate impacts, help managers to determine when and where a precautionary approach might be warranted, in harvest or other management decisions, and help identify habitats or life history stages that might be especially effective to protect or restore.

Bioavailability of dissolved organic matter varies with anthropogenic landcover in the Upper Mississippi River Basin - Derrick R. Vaughn; Anne M. Kellerman; Kimberly P. Wickland; Robert G. Striegl; David C. Podgorski; Jon R. Hawkings; Jaap H. Nienhuis; Mark M. Dornblaser; Edward G. Stets; Robert G.M. Spencer (Water Research, 2023)

Carbon acquisition ecological strategies to connect soil microbial biodiversity and carbon cycling - Ember M. Morrissey; Jennifer Kane; Binu M. Tripathi; Md Shafiul Islam Rion; Bruce A. Hungate; Rima Franklin; Chris Walter; Benjamin Sulman; Edward Brzostek (Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2023)

Microplastic pollution and its implicated risks in the estuarine environment of Tamil Nadu, India - K. Immaculate Jeyasanta; R.L. Laju; Jamila Patterson; M. Jayanthi; Deepak S. Bilgi; Narmatha Sathish; J.K. Patterson Edward (Science of The Total Environment, 2023)

Hotspots of geogenic arsenic and manganese contamination in groundwater of the floodplains in lowland Amazonia (South America) - Caroline M.C. de Meyer; Ingo Wahnfried; Juan M. Rodriguez Rodriguez; Rolf Kipfer; Pilar A. García Avelino; Edward A. Carpio Deza; Michael Berg (Science of The Total Environment, 2023)

Integrated bio- and chemo-stratigraphy for Early Cretaceous strata offshore Gabon: Additional constraints on the timing of salt deposition and rifting of the South Atlantic - James S. Eldrett; Steven C. Bergman; Christian Heine; Paul Edwards; Marcus Jakeman; Nick Miles; Bastian Hambach; Steven M. Bohaty; Megan R. Wilding (Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2023)

Impact of storage on starch digestibility and texture of a high-amylose wheat bread - M. Corrado; P. Zafeiriou; J.H. Ahn-Jarvis; G.M. Savva; C.H. Edwards; B.A. Hazard (Food Hydrocolloids, 2023)

Adaptation pathways to inform policy and practice in the context of development - Edward Sparkes; Edmond Totin; Saskia E. Werners; Russell M. Wise; James R.A. Butler; Katharine Vincent (Environmental Science & Policy, 2023)

Foxes at your front door? Habitat selection and home range estimation of suburban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) - Halina T. Kobryn; Edward J. Swinhoe; Philip W. Bateman; Peter J. Adams; Jill M. Shephard; Patricia A. Fleming (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) is one of the most adaptable carnivorans, thriving in cities across the globe. We used GPS-tracking of five suburban foxes across high-density residential suburbs of Perth, Western Australia to quantify (1) their habitat selection and (2) home range area. All five foxes showed statistically significant avoidance of residential locations (p < 0.001) and preference for parkland (p < 0.001), with native vegetation reserves, golf courses, and water reserves showing disproportionately greater use. Landuse category also influenced their movements, with foxes moving quickest (i.e., commuting) in proximity to roads and slowest (i.e., foraging) when they were further from roads. Three females had core home ranges (50% autocorrelated-corrected kernel density estimate; AKDE c ) averaging 37 ± 20 ha or 95% AKDE c averaging 208 ± 196 ha. One male had a 95 ha core home range and 349 ha 95% AKDE c but the other male covered an area ~ 20 times this: using a 371 ha core home range and 7,368 ha 95% AKDE c . The extensive movement patterns we describe are likely to be common for urban foxes, with half of published home range estimates for urban foxes (principally based on VHF data) excluding data for ‘lost’ individuals or animals that showed ‘excursions’. It is likely that the home range estimates for these urban exploiters have therefore been grossly underestimated to date. Further application of GPS trackers that allow remote download will vastly improve our understanding of habitat preference and exploitation of resources by urban foxes.

The National Conference on Health Disparities Student Research Forum - Marvella E. Ford; Angela M. Malek; Erica Martino; Latecia Abraham-Hilaire; Oluwole Ariyo; Dana Burshell; Gloria Callwood; Laura Campbell; Kimberly Cannady; Courtney Chavis; Brittney Crawford; Andie Edwards; et al. (Journal of Cancer Education, 2023)
The annual National Conference on Health Disparities (NCHD) was launched in 2000. It unites health professionals, researchers, community leaders, and government officials, and is a catalyzing force in developing policies, research interventions, and programs that address prevention, social determinants, health disparities, and health equity. The NCHD Student Research Forum (SRF) was established in 2011 at the Medical University of South Carolina to build high-quality biomedical research presentation capacity in primarily underrepresented undergraduate and graduate/professional students. This paper describes the unique research training and professional development aspects of the NCHD SRF. These include guidance in abstract development, a webinar on presentation techniques and methods, a vibrant student-centric conference, and professional development workshops on finding a mentor and locating scholarship/fellowship funding, networking, and strategies for handling ethical issues in research with mentors. Between 2011 and 2018, 400 undergraduate and graduate/professional students participated in the NCHD SRF. Most students were women (80.5%). Approximately half were African American or black (52.3%), 18.0% were white, and 21.3% were of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. The NCHD SRF is unique in several ways. First, it provides detailed instructions on developing a scientific abstract, including content area examples. Second, it establishes a mandatory pre-conference training webinar demonstrating how to prepare a scientific poster. Third, it works with the research mentors, faculty advisors, department chairs, and deans to help identify potential sources of travel funding for students with accepted abstracts. These features make the NCHD SRF different from many other conferences focused on students’ scientific presentations.

Correction to: Partial body cryotherapy exposure drives acute redistribution of circulating lymphocytes: preliminary findings - Catriona L. Rose; Helen McGuire; Kenneth Graham; Jason Siegler; Barbara Fazekas de St Groth; Corinne Caillaud; Kate M. Edwards (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2023)

Partial body cryotherapy exposure drives acute redistribution of circulating lymphocytes: preliminary findings - Catriona L. Rose; Helen McGuire; Kenneth Graham; Jason Siegler; Barbara Fazekas de St Groth; Corinne Caillaud; Kate M. Edwards (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2023)
Partial body cryotherapy (PBC) is proposed to alleviate symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) by reducing associated inflammation. No studies have assessed acute PBC exposure on peripheral blood mononuclear cell mobilisation or compared these with cold water immersion (CWI), which may inform how PBC impacts inflammatory processes. This trial examined the impact of a single PBC exposure on circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared to CWI or a control. 26 males were randomised into either PBC (3 min at − 110 to − 140 °C), CWI (3 min at 9 °C), or control (3 min at 24 °C), with blood samples, heart rate, and blood pressure taken before and after exposure. Cytometric analysis determined that CD8 + T-cell populations were significantly elevated after treatments, with PBC increasing CD8 + T cells to a greater degree than either CWI or CON. Natural killer cell counts were also elevated after PBC, with the increase attributed specifically to the CD56 lo CD16 + cytotoxic subset. This provides the first evidence for the effect of PBC exposure on redistribution of immune cells. An increase in circulating leukocyte subsets such as CD8 + T cells and CD56 lo CD16 + natural killer cells suggests that PBC may induce a transient mobilisation of lymphocytes. PBC may thus enable a more efficient trafficking of these cells from the circulation to the site of initial cellular insult from exercise, potentially accelerating the process of cellular recovery. This provides novel evidence on the use of PBC as a recovery treatment and may also have applicability in other clinical settings involving the recovery of damaged skeletal muscle.

Evolving insights into the epidemiology of Moraxella species bloodstream infection from two decades of surveillance in Queensland, Australia - Jessica Schults; Felicity Edwards; Karina Charles; Adam D. Irwin; Claire M. Rickard; Patrick N. A. Harris; David L. Paterson; Kevin Laupland (European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 2023)

Abolishment of morphology-based taxa and change to binomial species names: 2022 taxonomy update of the ICTV bacterial viruses subcommittee - Dann Turner; Andrey N. Shkoporov; Cédric Lood; Andrew D. Millard; Bas E. Dutilh; Poliane Alfenas-Zerbini; Leonardo J. van Zyl; Ramy K. Aziz; Hanna M. Oksanen; Minna M. Poranen; Andrew M. Kropinski; Jakub Barylski; et al. (Archives of Virology, 2023)
This article summarises the activities of the Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses for the period of March 2021−March 2022. We provide an overview of the new taxa proposed in 2021, approved by the Executive Committee, and ratified by vote in 2022. Significant changes to the taxonomy of bacterial viruses were introduced: the paraphyletic morphological families Podoviridae , Siphoviridae , and Myoviridae as well as the order Caudovirales were abolished, and a binomial system of nomenclature for species was established. In addition, one order, 22 families, 30 subfamilies, 321 genera, and 862 species were newly created, promoted, or moved.

Nutrient function over form: Organic and inorganic nitrogen additions have similar effects on lake phytoplankton nutrient limitation - Sabrina N. Volponi; Heather L. Wander; David C. Richardson; Clayton J. Williams; Denise A. Bruesewitz; Shelley Arnott; Jennifer A. Brentrup; Hailee L. Edwards; Holly A. Ewing; Kristen Holeck; Lauren Johnson; Brian S. Kim; et al. (Limnology and Oceanography, 2023)
The concentration of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is increasing in many northern hemisphere lakes, yet its use by phytoplankton and fate in the environment seldom have been quantified. We conducted 1 week, in situ, microcosm incubations across 25 lakes in northeastern North America to understand how DON, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (P) affected phytoplankton biomass. In addition, we tested whether lakes were limited by single macronutrients (N or P) or colimited by both. Phytoplankton biomass in 80% of lakes responded similarly to DON and DIN additions. Of the lakes where N form produced differential responses, the majority of phytoplankton communities exhibited greater biomass accumulation with DON than DIN. Colimitation was the most common type of nutrient limitation among the study lakes, followed by P limitation. Limitation type shifted with N form in 40% of the study lakes, but without consistent patterns explaining how shifts occurred. Regardless of N form, lakes with watersheds more dominated by agriculture and higher total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) tended to show P‐limited phytoplankton responses, while lakes with less agricultural watersheds and lower TDN tended to show colimited phytoplankton responses. Finally, ambient TDN and total phosphorus (TP) nutrient concentrations were stronger predictors of limitation type than ambient TDN : TP ratios. The different contributions of DON and DIN to phytoplankton biomass in some of our study lakes suggest that DON loading from surrounding watersheds may be an overlooked component in predicting phytoplankton productivity and nutrient limitation dynamics in freshwater ecosystems.

A roadmap for ladybird conservation and recovery - António O. Soares; Danny Haelewaters; Olga M. C. C. Ameixa; Isabel Borges; Peter M. J. Brown; Pedro Cardoso; Michiel D. de Groot; Edward W. Evans; Audrey A. Grez; Axel Hochkirch; Milada Holecová; Alois Honěk; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2023)
Ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) provide services that are critical to food production, and they fulfill an ecological role as a food source for predators. The richness, abundance, and distribution of ladybirds, however, are compromised by many anthropogenic threats. Meanwhile, a lack of knowledge of the conservation status of most species and the factors driving their population dynamics hinders the development and implementation of conservation strategies for ladybirds. We conducted a review of the literature on the ecology, diversity, and conservation of ladybirds to identify their key ecological threats. Ladybird populations are most affected by climate factors, landscape composition, and biological invasions. We suggest mitigating actions for ladybird conservation and recovery. Short‐term actions include citizen science programs and education, protective measures for habitat recovery and threatened species, prevention of the introduction of non‐native species, and the maintenance and restoration of natural areas and landscape heterogeneity. Mid‐term actions involve the analysis of data from monitoring programs and insect collections to disentangle the effect of different threats to ladybird populations, understand habitat use by taxa on which there is limited knowledge, and quantify temporal trends of abundance, diversity, and biomass along a management‐intensity gradient. Long‐term actions include the development of a worldwide monitoring program based on standardized sampling to fill data gaps, increase explanatory power, streamline analyses, and facilitate global collaborations.

Coral disease outbreak at the remote Flower Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico - Michelle A. Johnston; Michael S. Studivan; Ian C. Enochs; Adrienne M. S. Correa; Nicole Besemer; Ryan J. Eckert; Kimberly Edwards; Ryan Hannum; Xinping Hu; Marissa Nuttall; Kelly O’Connell; Ana M. Palacio-Castro; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2023)
East and West Flower Garden Bank (FGB) are part of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. This geographically-isolated reef system contains extensive coral communities with the highest coral cover (>50%) in the continental United States due, in part, to their remoteness and depth, and have historically exhibited low incidence of coral disease and bleaching despite ocean warming. Yet in late August 2022, disease-like lesions on seven coral species were reported during routine monitoring surveys on East and West FGB (2.1–2.6% prevalence). A series of rapid response cruises were conducted in September and October 2022 focused on 1) characterizing signs and epidemiological aspects of the disease across FGB and within long-term monitoring sites, 2) treating affected coral colonies with Base 2B plus amoxicillin, and 3) collecting baseline images through photostations and photomosaics. Marginal and/or multi-focal lesions and tissue loss were observed, often associated with substantial fish and invertebrate predation, affecting the dominant coral species Pseudodiploria strigosa (7–8% lesion prevalence), Colpophyllia natans (11–18%), and Orbicella spp. (1%). Characterizing this disease event during its early epidemic phase at East and West FGB provides a critical opportunity to observe how coral disease functions in a relatively healthy coral ecosystem versus on reefs chronically affected by various stressors (e.g., Caribbean reefs adjacent to urban centers). Insights into the etiology, spread, and impacts of the disease can ultimately inform efforts to mitigate its effects on coral communities.

Development and Validation of Accumulation Term (Distributed and/or Point Source) in a Finite Element Hydrodynamic Model - Kendra M. Dresback; Christine M. Szpilka; Randall L. Kolar; Saeed Moghimi; Edward P. Myers (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2023)
During tropical storms, precipitation and associated rainfall-runoff can lead to significant flooding, in both the upland and coastal areas. Flooding in coastal areas is compounded by the storm surge. Several hurricanes in recent history have exhibited the destructive force of compound flooding due to precipitation, rainfall-runoff, storm surge and waves. In previous work, various coupled modeling systems have been developed to model total water levels (defined as tides, waves, surge, and rainfall-runoff) for tropical storms. The existing coupled system utilizes a hydrologic model in the upland areas of the domain to capture the precipitation and rainfall-runoff associated with the storms; however, in the coastal areas the precipitation and rainfall-runoff is not captured. Herein a source/sink term is incorporated within the hydrodynamic model itself to capture precipitation and rainfall-runoff over the already inundated coastal areas. The new algorithm is verified for several idealized test cases, and then it is applied to Hurricane Irene. Validation indicates that the new methodology is comparable to the existing river flux forcing under most conditions and allows for the addition of streamflows due to overland runoff, as well as the actual precipitation itself.

Detection of numerous phycotoxins in young bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) collected from an estuary of national significance - Michelle L. Edwards; Adam M. Schaefer; Malcolm McFarland; Spencer Fire; Christopher R. Perkins; Matthew J. Ajemian (Science of The Total Environment, 2023)

Modelling the epidemiological implications for SARS-CoV-2 of Christmas household bubbles in England - Edward M. Hill (Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2023)

Changes in growth and developmental timing in Manduca sexta when exposed to altered oxygen levels - Sara M. Wilmsen; Edward M. Dzialowski (Arthropod Structure & Development, 2023)

Hypertrophic and fibrotic human PKD hearts are associated with macrophage infiltration and abnormal TGF-β1 signaling - Farideh Amirrad; Gregory A. Fishbein; Robert A. Edwards; Surya M. Nauli (Cell and Tissue Research, 2023)

Water-Quality Improvement of an Agricultural Watershed Marsh After Macrophyte Establishment and Point-Source Reduction - Sarah Fuller; Edward P. Boswell; Anita M. Thompson; Dale M. Robertson (Wetlands, 2022)

Sign-oriented Dirichlet Normal Energy: Aligning Dental Topography and Dental Function in the R-package molaR - James D. Pampush; Paul E. Morse; Edward J. Fuselier; Matthew M. Skinner; Richard F. Kay (Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 2022)

Emergence of heartbeat frailty in advanced age I: perspectives from life-long EKG recordings in adult mice - Jack M. Moen; Christopher H. Morrell; Michael G. Matt; Ismayil Ahmet; Syevda Tagirova; Moran Davoodi; Michael Petr; Shaquille Charles; Rafael de Cabo; Yael Yaniv; Edward G. Lakatta (GeroScience, 2022)
The combined influences of sinoatrial nodal (SAN) pacemaker cell automaticity and its response to autonomic input determine the heart’s beating interval variability and mean beating rate. To determine the intrinsic SAN and autonomic signatures buried within EKG RR interval time series change in advanced age, we measured RR interval variability before and during double autonomic blockade at 3-month intervals from 6 months of age until the end of life in long-lived (those that achieved the total cohort median life span of 24 months and beyond) C57/BL6 mice. Prior to 21 months of age, time-dependent changes in intrinsic RR interval variability and mean RR interval were relatively minor. Between 21 and 30 months of age, however, marked changes emerged in intrinsic SAN RR interval variability signatures, pointing to a reduction in the kinetics of pacemaker clock mechanisms, leading to reduced synchronization of molecular functions within and among SAN cells. This loss of high-frequency signal processing within intrinsic SAN signatures resulted in a marked increase in the mean intrinsic RR interval. The impact of autonomic signatures on RR interval variability were net sympathetic and partially compensated for the reduced kinetics of the intrinsic SAN RR interval variability signatures, and partially, but not completely, shifted the EKG RR time series intervals to a more youthful pattern. Cross-sectional analyses of other subsets of C57/BL6 ages indicated that at or beyond the median life span of our longitudinal cohort, noncardiac, constitutional, whole-body frailty was increased, energetic efficiency was reduced, and the respiratory exchange ratio increased. We interpret the progressive reduction in kinetics in intrinsic SAN RR interval variability signatures in this context of whole-body frailty beyond 21 months of age to be a manifestation of “heartbeat frailty.”

Streptomyces spiramenti sp. nov., isolated from a deep-sea microbial mat - Rachel M. Loughran; Caitlin M. Diefendorf; Jassmine R. Reill-VanSise; Edward A. Mitchell; Oliver B. Vining; David A. Gallegos; Gregory Miller; Marc J. Koyack; David K. Oline; Orion S. Rivers; Blake Ushijima; Jimmy H. Saw; et al. (Archives of Microbiology, 2022)

DNA barcoding markers provide insight into species discrimination, genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of yam (Dioscorea spp.) - Nicholas Kipkiror; Edward K. Muge; Dennis M. W. Ochieno; Evans N. Nyaboga (Biologia, 2022)

Riverine drift communities during larval fish dispersal over multiple recruitment years - Joseph P. Receveur; Alberto Doretto; Edward A. Baker; Douglas L. Larson; John M. Bauman; Ryan Walquist; M. Eric Benbow; Kim T. Scribner (Hydrobiologia, 2022)

Invading the soundscape: exploring the effects of invasive species’ calls on acoustic signals of native wildlife - Jaimie M. Hopkins; Will Edwards; Lin Schwarzkopf (Biological Invasions, 2022)
The transmission and reception of sound, both between conspecifics and among individuals of different species, play a crucial role in individual fitness, because correct interpretation of meaning encoded in acoustic signals enables important context-appropriate behaviours, such as predator avoidance, foraging, and mate location and identification. Novel noise introduced into a soundscape can disrupt the processes of receiving and recognising sounds. When species persist in the presence of novel noise, it may mask the production and reception of sounds important to fitness, and can reduce population size, species richness, or relative abundances, and thus influence community structure. In the past, most investigations into the effects of novel noise have focused on noises generated by anthropogenic sources. The few studies that have explored the effects of calls from invasive species suggest native species alter behaviours (particularly their vocal behaviour) in the presence of noise generated by invasive species. These effects may differ from responses to anthropogenic noises, because noises made by invasive species are biotic in origin, and may therefore be more spectrally similar to the calls of native species, and occur at similar times. Thus, in some cases, negative fitness consequences for native species, associated with noises generated by invasive species, may constitute interspecific competition. Possible negative consequences of invasive species calls represent an overlooked, and underappreciated, class of competitive interactions. We are far from understanding the full extent of the effects of invasive species on native ones. Further investigation of the contribution of noise interference to native species’ decline in the presence of invasive species will significantly increase our understanding of an important class of interactions between invasive and native species.

Extrapolating Contaminant Effects from Individuals to Populations: A Case Study on Nanoparticle Toxicity to Daphnia Fed Environmentally Relevant Food Levels - Louise M. Stevenson; Katherine E. Krattenmaker; Edward McCauley; Roger M. Nisbet (Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2022)

Elevated CO 2 does not alter behavioural lateralization in free‐swimming juvenile European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) tested in groups - Dominic M. Jarvis; Edward C. Pope; Mathieu Duteil; Ines Fürtbauer; M. Rowan Brown; Richard J. Davis; Andrew J. King (Journal of Fish Biology, 2022)
The authors investigated left–right turning preferences of n = 260 juvenile European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) reared in ambient conditions and ocean acidification (OA) conditions or in ambient conditions but tested in OA water. Groups of 10 individuals were observed alone in a circular tank, and individuals' left and right turning during free‐swimming was quantified using trajectory data from the video. The authors showed that near‐future OA levels do not affect the number of turns made, or behavioural lateralization (turning preference), in juvenile D. labrax tested in groups.

Lowering water table reduces carbon sink strength and carbon stocks in northern peatlands - Min Jung Kwon; Ashley Ballantyne; Philippe Ciais; Chunjing Qiu; Elodie Salmon; Nina Raoult; Bertrand Guenet; Mathias Göckede; Eugénie S. Euskirchen; Hannu Nykänen; Edward A. G. Schuur; Merritt R. Turetsky; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2022)
Peatlands at high latitudes have accumulated >400 Pg carbon (C) because saturated soil and cold temperatures suppress C decomposition. This substantial amount of C in Arctic and Boreal peatlands is potentially subject to increased decomposition if the water table (WT) decreases due to climate change, including permafrost thaw‐related drying. Here, we optimize a version of the Organizing Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems model (ORCHIDEE‐PCH4) using site‐specific observations to investigate changes in CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes as well as C stock responses to an experimentally manipulated decrease of WT at six northern peatlands. The unmanipulated control peatlands, with the WT −2 year −1 ; including 6 ± 7 g C–CH 4 m −2 year −1 emission). We found, however, that lowering the WT by 10 cm reduced the CO 2 sink by 13 ± 15 g C m −2 year −1 and decreased CH 4 emission by 4 ± 4 g CH 4 m −2 year −1 , thus accumulating less C over 100 years (0.2 ± 0.2 kg C m −2 ). Yet, the reduced emission of CH 4 , which has a larger greenhouse warming potential, resulted in a net decrease in greenhouse gas balance by 310 ± 360 g CO 2‐eq m −2 year −1 . Peatlands with the initial WT close to the soil surface were more vulnerable to C loss: Non‐permafrost peatlands lost >2 kg C m −2 over 100 years when WT is lowered by 50 cm, while permafrost peatlands temporally switched from C sinks to sources. These results highlight that reductions in C storage capacity in response to drying of northern peatlands are offset in part by reduced CH 4 emissions, thus slightly reducing the positive carbon climate feedbacks of peatlands under a warmer and drier future climate scenario.

Acute exposure of early-life stage zebrafish (Danio rerio) to Deepwater Horizon crude oil impairs glomerular filtration and renal fluid clearance capacity - Fabrizio Bonatesta; Victoria L. Messerschmidt; Leah Schneider; Juhyun Lee; Amie K. Lund; Edward M. Mager (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2022)

More than a whistle: Automated detection of marine sound sources with a convolutional neural network - Ellen L. White; Paul R. White; Jonathan M. Bull; Denise Risch; Suzanne Beck; Ewan W. J. Edwards (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2022)
The effective analysis of Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) data has the potential to determine spatial and temporal variations in ecosystem health and species presence if automated detection and classification algorithms are capable of discrimination between marine species and the presence of anthropogenic and environmental noise. Extracting more than a single sound source or call type will enrich our understanding of the interaction between biological, anthropogenic and geophonic soundscape components in the marine environment. Advances in extracting ecologically valuable cues from the marine environment, embedded within the soundscape, are limited by the time required for manual analyses and the accuracy of existing algorithms when applied to large PAM datasets. In this work, a deep learning model is trained for multi-class marine sound source detection using cloud computing to explore its utility for extracting sound sources for use in marine mammal conservation and ecosystem monitoring. A training set is developed comprising existing datasets amalgamated across geographic, temporal and spatial scales, collected across a range of acoustic platforms. Transfer learning is used to fine-tune an open-source state-of-the-art ‘small-scale’ convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect odontocete tonal and broadband call types and vessel noise (from 0 to 48 kHz). The developed CNN architecture uses a custom image input to exploit the differences in temporal and frequency characteristics between each sound source. Each sound source is identified with high accuracy across various test conditions, including variable signal-to-noise-ratio. We evaluate the effect of ambient noise on detector performance, outlining the importance of understanding the variability of the regional soundscape for which it will be deployed. Our work provides a computationally low-cost, efficient framework for mining big marine acoustic data, for information on temporal scales relevant to the management of marine protected areas and the conservation of vulnerable species.

Magmatic origin for the massive sulfide ores in the sedimentary country rocks of mafic–ultramafic intrusions in the Midcontinent Rift System - Joshua M. Smith; Edward M. Ripley; Chusi Li; Steven B. Shirey; Erin K. Benson (Mineralium Deposita, 2022)

The Toxicology Investigators Consortium Case Registry—the 2021 Annual Report - Jennifer S. Love; Dana L. Karshenas; Meghan B. Spyres; Lynn A. Farrugia; A. Min Kang; HoanVu Nguyen; Sharan L. Campleman; Shao Li; Paul M. Wax; Jeffery Brent; Kim Aldy; Michael Abesamis; et al. (Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2022)

Population genomic structure in Goodman's mouse lemur reveals long‐standing separation of Madagascar's Central Highlands and eastern rainforests - George P. Tiley; Tobias van Elst; Helena Teixeira; Dominik Schüßler; Jordi Salmona; Marina B. Blanco; José M. Ralison; Blanchard Randrianambinina; Rodin M. Rasoloarison; Amanda R. Stahlke; Paul A. Hohenlohe; Lounès Chikhi; et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2022)
Madagascar's Central Highlands are largely composed of grasslands, interspersed with patches of forest. The historical perspective was that Madagascar's grasslands had anthropogenic origins, but emerging evidence suggests that grasslands were a component of the pre‐human Central Highlands vegetation. Consequently, there is now vigorous debate regarding the extent to which these grasslands have expanded due to anthropogenic pressures. Here, we shed light on the temporal dynamics of Madagascar's vegetative composition by conducting a population genomic investigation of Goodman's mouse lemur ( Microcebus lehilahytsara ; Cheirogaleidae). These small‐bodied primates occur both in Madagascar's eastern rainforests and in the Central Highlands, making them a valuable indicator species. Population divergences among forest‐dwelling mammals will reflect changes to their habitat, including fragmentation, whereas patterns of post‐divergence gene flow can reveal formerly wooded migration corridors. To explore these patterns, we used RADseq data to infer population genetic structure, demographic models of post‐divergence gene flow, and population size change through time. The results offer evidence that open habitats are an ancient component of the Central Highlands, and that widespread forest fragmentation occurred naturally during a period of decreased precipitation near the last glacial maximum. Models of gene flow suggest that migration across the Central Highlands has been possible from the Pleistocene through the recent Holocene via riparian corridors. Though our findings support the hypothesis that Central Highland grasslands predate human arrival, we also find evidence for human‐mediated population declines. This highlights the extent to which species imminently threatened by human‐mediated deforestation may already be vulnerable from paleoclimatic conditions.

Experimental validation of specialized questioning techniques in conservation - Harriet Ibbett; Leejiah Dorward; Asri A. Dwiyahreni; Julia P. G. Jones; Joseph Kaduma; Edward M. Kohi; Jesca Mchomvu; Karlina Prayitno; Humairah Sabiladiyni; Stephen Sankeni; Andie Wijaya Saputra; Jatna Supriatna; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2022)
Conservation increasingly relies on social science tools to understand human behavior. Specialized questioning techniques (SQTs) are a suite of methods designed to reduce bias in social surveys and are widely used to collect data on sensitive topics, including compliance with conservation rules. Most SQTs have been developed in Western, industrialized, educated, rich, and democratic countries, meaning their suitability in other contexts may be limited. Whether these techniques perform better than conventional direct questioning is important for those considering their use. We designed an experiment to validate the performance of four SQTs (unmatched count technique, randomized response technique, crosswise model, and bean method) against direct questions when asking about a commonly researched sensitive behavior in conservation, wildlife hunting. We developed fictional characters, and for each method asked respondents to report the answers that each fictional character should give when asked if they hunt wildlife. We collected data from 609 individuals living close to protected areas in two different cultural and socioeconomic contexts (Indonesia and Tanzania) to quantify the extent to which respondents understood and followed SQT instructions and to explore the sociodemographic factors that influenced a correct response. Data were modeled using binomial general linear mixed models. Participants were more likely to refuse to answer questions asked using SQTs compared with direct questions. Model results suggested that SQTs were harder for participants to understand. Demographic factors (e.g., age and education level) significantly influenced response accuracy. When sensitive responses to sensitive questions were required, all SQTs (excluding the bean method) outperformed direct questions, demonstrating that SQTs can successfully reduce sensitivity bias. However, when reviewing each method, most respondents (59–89%) reported they would feel uncomfortable using them to provide information on their own hunting behavior, highlighting the considerable challenge of encouraging truthful reporting on sensitive topics. Our results demonstrate the importance of assessing the suitability of social science methods prior to their implementation in conservation contexts.

State of the California Current Ecosystem in 2021: Winter is coming? - Andrew R. Thompson; Eric P. Bjorkstedt; Steven J. Bograd; Jennifer L. Fisher; Elliott L. Hazen; Andrew Leising; Jarrod A. Santora; Erin V. Satterthwaite; William J. Sydeman; Michaela Alksne; Toby D. Auth; Simone Baumann-Pickering; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2022)
In late 2020, models predicted that a strong La Niña would take place for the first time since 2013, and we assessed whether physical and biological indicators in 2021 were similar to past La Niñas in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE). The Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Oceanic Niño Index indeed remained negative throughout 2021; the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation Index, however, remained strongly negative. The seventh largest marine heatwave on record was unexpectedly present from April to the end of 2021; however, similar to past La Niñas, this mass of warm water mostly remained seaward of the continental shelf. As expected from past La Niñas, upwelling and chlorophyll were mostly high and sea surface temperature was low throughout the CCE; however, values were close to average south of Point Conception. Similar to past La Niñas, abundances of lipid-rich, northern copepods off Oregon increased. In northern California, unlike past La Niñas, the body size of North Pacific krill ( Euphausia pacifica ) was close to average. Predictably, overall krill abundance was above average in far northern California but, unexpectedly, below average south of Cape Mendocino. Off Oregon, similar to past La Niñas, larval abundances of three of six coastal species rose, while five of six southern/offshore taxa decreased in 2021. Off California, as expected based on 2020, Northern Anchovy ( Engraulis mordax ) were very abundant, while Pacific Sardine ( Sardinops sagax ) were low. Similar to past La Niñas, market squid ( Doryteuthis opalescens ) and young of the year (YOY) Pacific Hake ( Merluccius pacificus ), YOY sanddabs ( Citharichthys spp.), and YOY rockfishes ( Sebastes spp.) increased. Southern mesopelagic (e.g., Panama lightfish Vinciguerria lucetia , Mexican lampfish Triphoturus mexicanus ) larvae decreased as expected but were still well above average, while northern mesopelagic (e.g., northern lampfish Stenobrachius leucopsarus ) larvae increased but were still below average. In line with predictions, most monitored bird species had above-average reproduction in Oregon and California. California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus ) pup count, growth, and weight were high given the abundant Anchovy forage. The CCE entered an enduring La Niña in 2021, and assessing the responses of various ecosystem components helped articulate aspects of the system that are well understood and those that need further study.

Comparative analysis of patient scatter to phantom scatter for computed tomography systems - S. M. Edwards; D. Schick (Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine, 2022)

Supercritical water oxidation of phenol and process enhancement with in situ formed Fe2O3 nano catalyst - Ammar Al-Atta; Farooq Sher; Abu Hazafa; Ayesha Zafar; Hafiz M. N. Iqbal; Emina Karahmet; Edward Lester (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2022)
During the past few decades, the treatment of hazardous waste and toxic phenolic compounds has become a major issue in the pharmaceutical, gas/oil, dying, and chemical industries. Considering polymerization and oxidation of phenolic compounds, supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) has gained special attention. The present study objective was to synthesize a novel in situ Fe 2 O 3 nano-catalyst in a counter-current mixing reactor by supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) method to evaluate the phenol oxidation and COD reduction at different operation conditions like oxidant ratios and concentrations. Synthesized nano-catalyst was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). TEM results revealed the maximum average particle size of 26.18 and 16.20 nm for preheated and non-preheated oxidant configuration, respectively. XRD showed the clear peaks of hematite at a 2θ value of 24, 33, 35.5, 49.5, 54, 62, and 64 for both catalysts treated preheated and non-preheated oxidant configurations. The maximum COD reduction and phenol oxidation of about 93.5% and 99.9% were observed at an oxidant ratio of 1.5, 0.75 s, 25 MPa, and 380 °C with a non-preheated H 2 O 2 oxidant, while in situ formed Fe 2 O 3 nano-catalyst showed the maximum phenol oxidation of 99.9% at 0.75 s, 1.5 oxidant ratio, 25 MPa, and 380 °C. Similarly, in situ formed Fe 2 O 3 catalyst presented the highest COD reduction of 97.8% at 40 mM phenol concentration, 1.0 oxidant ratio, 0.75 s residence time, 380 °C, and 25 MPa. It is concluded and recommended that SCWO is a feasible and cost-effective alternative method for the destruction of contaminants in water which showed the complete conversion of phenol within less than 1 s and 1.5 oxidant ratio.

Consistent signatures of urban adaptation in a native, urban invader ant Tapinoma sessile - Alexander J. Blumenfeld; Pierre‐André Eyer; Anjel M. Helms; Grzegorz Buczkowski; Edward L. Vargo (Molecular Ecology, 2022)
Biological invasions are becoming more prevalent due to the rise of global trade and expansion of urban areas. Ants are among the most prolific invaders with many exhibiting a multiqueen colony structure, dependent colony foundation and reduced internest aggression. Although these characteristics are generally associated with the invasions of exotic ants, they may also facilitate the spread of native ants into novel habitats. Native to diverse habitats across North America, the odorous house ant Tapinoma sessile has become abundant in urban environments throughout the United States. Natural colonies typically have a small workforce, inhabit a single nest, and are headed by a single queen, whereas urban colonies tend to be several orders of magnitude larger, inhabit multiple nests (i.e., polydomy) and are headed by multiple queens (i.e., polygyny). Here, we explore and compare the population genetic and breeding structure of T . sessile within and between urban and natural environments in several localities across its distribution range. We found the social structure of a colony to be a plastic trait in both habitats, although extreme polygyny was confined to urban habitats. Additionally, polydomous colonies were only present in urban habitats, suggesting T . sessile can only achieve supercoloniality within urbanized areas. Finally, we identified strong differentiation between urban and natural populations in each locality and continent‐wide, indicating cities may restrict gene flow and exert intense selection pressure. Overall, our study highlights urbanization's influence in charting the evolutionary course for species.

Predicting larval alewife transport in Lake Michigan using hydrodynamic and Lagrangian particle dispersion models - Mark D. Rowe; Sara E. Prendergast; Karen M. Alofs; David B. Bunnell; Edward S. Rutherford; Eric J. Anderson (Limnology and Oceanography, 2022)
Several species of fish in large lakes and marine environments have a pelagic larval stage, and are subject to variable transport that can ultimately regulate survival and recruitment success. Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus , are subject to transport by complex coastal currents during their pelagic larval stage (~ 30 d). We assessed backward‐trajectory simulations, consisting of a Lagrangian particle dispersion model linked to the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model, to estimate likely hatch locations of aged larval alewife collected from locations on both the eastern and western sides of Lake Michigan during July 2015. We used four deployments of three satellite‐tracked drifter buoys in coastal waters to assess model skill in estimating the origin of a drifter from its final location. We found that the trajectories of drifters varied greatly, depending on wind events and associated coastal transport processes, including upwelling/downwelling and coastal jet currents. In 2 of 12 cases, the backward trajectory simulations failed to predict the drifter origin, associated with transport of 170 km in a narrow coastal jet current. In the remaining 10 cases, the known drifter origin was within 3.5 km of the spatial patch of predicted possible origins for a scenario of horizontal diffusivity (188 m 2 s −1 ) consistent with the offshore model grid resolution. Modeled backward trajectories estimated that alewife originated from the same side of the lake where they were collected, within ~ 100 km of the collection site. Our paper demonstrates the utility of hydrodynamic models to estimate a region of origin for aged larval fish.

Grazing by an endemic atyid shrimp controls microbial communities in the Hawaiian anchialine ecosystem - Justin C. Havird; Pamela M. Brannock; Reyn M. Yoshioka; Rebecca C. Vaught; Kaile'a Carlson; Collin Edwards; Allison Tracy; Cornelia W. Twining; Yun Zheng; David Chai; Alan E. Wilson; Nelson G. Hairston; et al. (Limnology and Oceanography, 2022)
Animals often shape environmental microbial communities, which can in turn influence animal gut microbiomes. Invasive species in critical habitats may reduce grazing pressure from native species and shift microbial communities. The landlocked coastal ponds, pools, and caves that make up the Hawaiian anchialine ecosystem support an endemic shrimp ( Halocaridina rubra ) that grazes on diverse benthic microbial communities, including orange cyanobacterial‐bacterial crusts and green algal mats. Here, we asked how shrimp: (1) shape the abundance and composition of microbial communities, (2) respond to invasive fishes, and (3) whether their gut microbiomes are affected by environmental microbial communities. We demonstrate that ecologically relevant levels of shrimp grazing significantly reduce epilithon biomass. Shrimp grazed readily and grew well on both orange crusts and green mat communities. However, individuals from orange crusts were larger, despite crusts having reduced concentrations of key fatty acids. DNA profiling revealed shrimp harbor a resident gut microbiome distinct from the environment, which is relatively simple and stable across space (including habitats with different microbial communities) and time (between wild‐caught individuals and those maintained in the laboratory for >2 yr). DNA profiling also suggests shrimp grazing alters environmental microbial community composition, possibly through selective consumption and/or physical interactions. While this work suggests grazing by endemic shrimp plays a key role in shaping microbial communities in the Hawaiian anchialine ecosystem, the hypothesized drastic ecological shifts resulting from invasive fishes may be an oversimplification as shrimp may largely avoid predation. Moreover, environmental microbial communities may have little influence on shrimp gut microbiomes.

Three‐dimensional ontogenetic shifts of groundfish in the Northeast Pacific - Lingbo Li; Anne B. Hollowed; Edward D. Cokelet; Michelle M. McClure; Aimee A. Keller; Steve J. Barbeaux; Wayne A. Palsson (Fish and Fisheries, 2022)
It has been more than 100 years since fish were first described to move to deep waters as size increased, termed ‘Heincke's Law’. However, large‐scale studies on ontogenetic shifts are rare compared with increased reports of distributional changes in response to temperature, often confounded with the ontogenetic shifts. We fill this gap by examining the distribution of ten abundant groundfish species in three dimensions, depth, latitude and longitude, at 10‐cm size intervals within nine subregions of NE Pacific. Here, we utilized large, quality‐controlled datasets from random depth‐stratified, bottom trawl surveys consistently conducted during summer along the NE Pacific shelf from 1996 to 2015. Groundfish demonstrated complex ontogenetic movements in three dimensions across species, size class and subregion. In addition to the expected ontogenetic deepening, shoaling also occurred and some species demonstrated major ontogenetic shifts in longitude and/or latitude with limited changes in depth. Based on standardized ontogenetic shifts in three dimensions, our analyses show that there were significant differences in aggregate fish ontogenetic shifts between small (≤30 cm) and large (>30 cm) size groups. Small fish exhibited substantially larger ontogenetic shifts in depth than the large size group while both groups showed relatively small shifts in latitude and longitude. Our analyses strongly suggest that size structure and ontogenetic shifts should be included in the population distribution.

Shifts in root dynamics along a hillslope in a mixed, mesic temperate forest - Edward J. Primka; Thomas S. Adams; Alexandra S. Buck; David M. Eissenstat (Plant and Soil, 2022)

Seismic site characterization with shear wave (SH) reflection and refraction methods - James A. Hunter; Heather L. Crow; William J. Stephenson; André J.-M. Pugin; Robert A. Williams; James B. Harris; Jack K. Odum; Edward W. Woolery (Journal of Seismology, 2022)
Reflection and critically refracted seismic methods use traveltime measurements of body waves propagating between a source and a series of receivers on the ground surface to calculate subsurface velocities. Body wave energy is refracted or reflected at boundaries where there is a change in seismic impedance, defined as the product of material density and seismic velocity. This article provides practical guidance on the use of horizontally propagating shear wave (SH-wave) refraction and reflection methods to determine shear wave velocity as a function of depth for near-surface seismic site characterizations. Method principles and the current state of engineering practice are reviewed, along with discussions of limitations and uncertainty assessments. Typical data collection procedures are described using basic survey equipment, along with information on more advanced applications and emerging technologies. Eight case studies provide examples of the techniques in real-world seismic site characterizations performed in a variety of geological settings.

Growth and survival rates of dispersing free embryos and settled larvae of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Missouri River, Montana and North Dakota - Patrick J. Braaten; Robert J. Holm; Jeffrey Powell; Edward J. Heist; Amy C. Buhman; Colt T. Holley; Aaron J. DeLonay; Tyler M. Haddix; Ryan H. Wilson; Robert B. Jacobson (Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2022)
We released nearly 1.0 million 1-day post-hatch (dph) and 5-dph pallid sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus albus ) free embryos in the Missouri River on 1 July 2019 and sequentially captured survivors at multiple sites through a 240-km river reach to quantify daily growth and survival rates during the early life stages. Genetic analysis was used to assign captured fish to released family lots and known ages. Growth rate was similar (0.74–0.75 mm day −1 ) between the 1- and 5-dph age groups during the 3–4-day dispersal period when water temperature averaged 16.8 °C. Daily survival rate was 0.64 during 1–4 dph for the original 1-dph age group and 0.80 during 5–7 dph for the original 5-dph age group. Total survival during free embryo dispersal (hatch to 9 dph) was estimated as 0.0437. The transition from dispersing as free embryos to settling as benthic larvae was verified for fish originally released as 5 dph. Growth of settled larvae was quantified with a Gompertz model through 75 dph (9 September; 112 mm) when water temperature was 18.8–21.0 °C in the rearing areas. Settled larvae had an estimated daily survival rate of 0.96, and estimated total survival during 9–75 dph was 0.0714. This study provides the first empirical survival estimates for pallid sturgeon early life stages in natural settings and is one of few studies reporting similar information for other sturgeon species. Applications of this work extend to pallid sturgeon restoration programs where population models are being developed to predict recruitment potential and population responses to river management alternatives.

Assessment of potential selection bias in neuroimaging studies of postoperative delirium and cognitive decline: lessons from the SAGES study - Michele Cavallari; Tamara G. Fong; Alexandra Touroutoglou; Bradford C. Dickerson; Eva Schmitt; Thomas G. Travison; Edward R. Marcantonio; Long H. Ngo; Towia Libermann; Alvaro Pascual-Leone; Mouhsin M. Shafi; Sharon K. Inouye; et al. (Brain Imaging and Behavior, 2022)

Giant Tree Frog diversification in West and Central Africa: Isolation by physical barriers, climate, and reproductive traits - Kyle E. Jaynes; Edward A. Myers; Václav Gvoždík; David C. Blackburn; Daniel M. Portik; Eli Greenbaum; Gregory F. M. Jongsma; Mark‐Oliver Rödel; Gabriel Badjedjea; Abraham Bamba‐Kaya; Ninda L. Baptista; Jeannot B. Akuboy; et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2022)
Secondary sympatry amongst sister lineages is strongly associated with genetic and ecological divergence. This pattern suggests that for closely related species to coexist in secondary sympatry, they must accumulate differences in traits that mediate ecological and/or reproductive isolation. Here, we characterized inter‐ and intraspecific divergence in three giant tree frog species whose distributions stretch across West and Central Africa. Using genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphism data, we demonstrated that species‐level divergence coincides temporally and geographically with a period of large‐scale forest fragmentation during the late Pliocene. Our environmental niche models further supported a dynamic history of climatic suitability and stability, and indicated that all three species occupy distinct environmental niches. We found modest morphological differentiation amongst the species with significant divergence in tympanum diameter and male advertisement call. In addition, we confirmed that two species occur in secondary sympatry in Central Africa but found no evidence of hybridization. These patterns support the hypothesis that cycles of genetic exchange and isolation across West and Central Africa have contributed to globally significant biodiversity. Furthermore, divergence in both ecology and reproductive traits appear to have played important roles in maintaining distinct lineages. At the intraspecific level, we found that climatic refugia, precipitation gradients, marine incursions, and potentially riverine barriers generated phylogeographic structure throughout the Pleistocene and into the Holocene. Further studies examining phenotypic divergence and secondary contact amongst these geographically structured populations may demonstrate how smaller scale and more recent biogeographic barriers contribute to regional diversification.

Re-evaluating cancer risks associated with the CHEK2 p.Ser428Phe Ashkenazi Jewish founder pathogenic variant - Yael Laitman; Sarah M. Nielsen; Kathryn E. Hatchell; Rebecca Truty; Rinat Bernstein-Molho; Edward D. Esplin; Eitan Friedman (Familial Cancer, 2022)

Managing fisheries for maximum nutrient yield - James P.W. Robinson; Kirsty L. Nash; Julia L. Blanchard; Nis S. Jacobsen; Eva Maire; Nicholas A.J. Graham; M. Aaron MacNeil; Jessica Zamborain‐Mason; Edward H. Allison; Christina C. Hicks (Fish and Fisheries, 2022)
Wild‐caught fish are a bioavailable source of nutritious food that, if managed strategically, could enhance diet quality for billions of people. However, optimising nutrient production from the sea has not been a priority, hindering development of nutrition‐sensitive policies. With fisheries management increasingly effective at rebuilding stocks and regulating sustainable fishing, we can now begin to integrate nutritional outcomes within existing management frameworks. Here, we develop a conceptual foundation for managing fisheries for multispecies Maximum Nutrient Yield (mMNY). We empirically test our approach using size‐based models of North Sea and Baltic Sea fisheries and show that mMNY is predicted by the relative contribution of nutritious species to total catch and their vulnerability to fishing, leading to trade‐offs between catch and specific nutrients. Simulated nutrient yield curves suggest that vitamin D, which is deficient in Northern European diets, was underfished at fishing levels that returned maximum catch weights. Analysis of global catch data shows there is scope for nutrient yields from most of the world's marine fisheries to be enhanced through nutrient‐sensitive fisheries management. With nutrient composition data now widely available, we expect our mMNY framework to motivate development of nutrient‐based reference points in specific contexts, such as data‐limited fisheries. Managing for mMNY alongside policies that promote access to fish could help close nutrient gaps for coastal populations, maximising the contribution of wild‐caught fish to global food and nutrition security.

Usefulness of temperate-adapted maize lines developed by doubled haploid and single-seed descent methods - Iara Gonçalves dos Santos; Anderson Luiz Verzegnazzi; Jode Edwards; Ursula K. Frei; Nicholas Boerman; Leandro Tonello Zuffo; Luiz P. M. Pires; Gerald de La Fuente; Thomas Lübberstedt (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2022)

Prediction of disability-free survival in healthy older people - Johannes Tobias Neumann; Le T. P. Thao; Anne M. Murray; Emily Callander; Prudence R. Carr; Mark R. Nelson; Rory Wolfe; Robyn L. Woods; Christopher M. Reid; Raj C. Shah; Anne B. Newman; Jeff D. Williamson; et al. (GeroScience, 2022)
Prolonging survival in good health is a fundamental societal goal. However, the leading determinants of disability-free survival in healthy older people have not been well established. Data from ASPREE, a bi-national placebo-controlled trial of aspirin with 4.7 years median follow-up, was analysed. At enrolment, participants were healthy and without prior cardiovascular events, dementia or persistent physical disability. Disability-free survival outcome was defined as absence of dementia, persistent disability or death. Selection of potential predictors from amongst 25 biomedical, psychosocial and lifestyle variables including recognized geriatric risk factors, utilizing a machine-learning approach. Separate models were developed for men and women. The selected predictors were evaluated in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and validated internally by bootstrapping. We included 19,114 Australian and US participants aged ≥65 years (median 74 years, IQR 71.6–77.7). Common predictors of a worse prognosis in both sexes included higher age, lower Modified Mini-Mental State Examination score, lower gait speed, lower grip strength and abnormal (low or elevated) body mass index. Additional risk factors for men included current smoking, and abnormal eGFR. In women, diabetes and depression were additional predictors. The biased-corrected areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the final prognostic models at 5 years were 0.72 for men and 0.75 for women. Final models showed good calibration between the observed and predicted risks. We developed a prediction model in which age, cognitive function and gait speed were the strongest predictors of disability-free survival in healthy older people. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01038583)

The North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database ( NAFMFD ): Characterizing the migratory life histories of freshwater fishes of Canada, the United States and Mexico - Emily M. Dean; Arthur R. Cooper; Lizhu Wang; Wesley Daniel; Solomon David; Clayton Ernzen; Keith B. Gido; Edward Hale; Tim J. Haxton; William Kelso; Nancy Leonard; Chris Lido; et al. (Journal of Biogeography, 2022)
Aim Migratory freshwater fishes are those that must access discrete habitats to complete their life cycles. Freshwater fish migrations occur around the world and provide numerous ecosystem services for humans and natural systems; however, many migratory species are in decline globally. A limiting factor to successfully conserve freshwater migratory fishes is that the migratory life histories of many species are unknown or only partially described. To provide researchers with critical and comprehensive information to conserve migratory fishes, we developed the North American Freshwater Migratory Fish Database (NAFMFD). Location Canada, Mexico and the United States. Taxon Freshwater fish. Methods To develop this database, we assigned migratory status, pattern and behaviour to a comprehensive list of freshwater fish species found throughout North America. We assembled the database which included assignments (i.e. migratory status, pattern and behaviour) as well as the sources used to make the assignments. Researchers and managers from across North America reviewed the database for completeness and accuracy on the migratory life histories of fishes. Results The database synthesizes current knowledge of migratory status, pattern and behaviour of native and non‐native freshwater fishes throughout North America, including 1250 species representing 79 families and 325 genera. Results showcase the diversity of migratory life histories of freshwater fishes on the continent, including that at least 25% of North American freshwater fishes are migratory, 23% are non‐migratory and 44% have undetermined migratory status. Main conclusions NAFMFD improves the quality of migratory data accessible to researchers, which supports a more holistic understanding of the threats encountered by migratory fishes, including habitat fragmentation. The approach we used in developing NAFMFD can provide guidance for developing similar databases in other regions. Collectively, our work offers new insights into the range of freshwater fish migratory life histories, stimulating a need to better understand this diversity globally.

Wildfire, Smoke Exposure, Human Health, and Environmental Justice Need to be Integrated into Forest Restoration and Management - Savannah M. D’Evelyn; Jihoon Jung; Ernesto Alvarado; Jill Baumgartner; Pete Caligiuri; R. Keala Hagmann; Sarah B. Henderson; Paul F. Hessburg; Sean Hopkins; Edward J. Kasner; Meg A. Krawchuk; Jennifer E. Krenz; et al. (Current Environmental Health Reports, 2022)
Purpose of Review Increasing wildfire size and severity across the western United States has created an environmental and social crisis that must be approached from a transdisciplinary perspective. Climate change and more than a century of fire exclusion and wildfire suppression have led to contemporary wildfires with more severe environmental impacts and human smoke exposure. Wildfires increase smoke exposure for broad swaths of the US population, though outdoor workers and socially disadvantaged groups with limited adaptive capacity can be disproportionally exposed. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with a range of health impacts in children and adults, including exacerbation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, worse birth outcomes, and cardiovascular events. Seasonally dry forests in Washington, Oregon, and California can benefit from ecological restoration as a way to adapt forests to climate change and reduce smoke impacts on affected communities. Recent Findings Each wildfire season, large smoke events, and their adverse impacts on human health receive considerable attention from both the public and policymakers. The severity of recent wildfire seasons has state and federal governments outlining budgets and prioritizing policies to combat the worsening crisis. This surging attention provides an opportunity to outline the actions needed now to advance research and practice on conservation, economic, environmental justice, and public health interests, as well as the trade-offs that must be considered. Summary Scientists, planners, foresters and fire managers, fire safety, air quality, and public health practitioners must collaboratively work together. This article is the result of a series of transdisciplinary conversations to find common ground and subsequently provide a holistic view of how forest and fire management intersect with human health through the impacts of smoke and articulate the need for an integrated approach to both planning and practice.

Estimated life-history traits and movements of the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) in The Bahamas based on tag-recapture data - Brendan S. Talwar; Darcy Bradley; Christopher Berry; Mark E. Bond; Ian A. Bouyoucos; Annabelle M. L. Brooks; Candace Y. A. Fields; Austin J. Gallagher; Tristan L. Guttridge; Annie E. Guttridge; Neil Hammerschlag; Ian Hamilton; et al. (Marine Biology, 2022)

Applying Mendelian randomization to appraise causality in relationships between nutrition and cancer - Kaitlin H. Wade; James Yarmolinsky; Edward Giovannucci; Sarah J. Lewis; Iona Y. Millwood; Marcus R. Munafò; Fleur Meddens; Kimberley Burrows; Joshua A. Bell; Neil M. Davies; Daniela Mariosa; Noora Kanerva; et al. (Cancer Causes & Control, 2022)
Dietary factors are assumed to play an important role in cancer risk, apparent in consensus recommendations for cancer prevention that promote nutritional changes. However, the evidence in this field has been generated predominantly through observational studies, which may result in biased effect estimates because of confounding, exposure misclassification, and reverse causality. With major geographical differences and rapid changes in cancer incidence over time, it is crucial to establish which of the observational associations reflect causality and to identify novel risk factors as these may be modified to prevent the onset of cancer and reduce its progression. Mendelian randomization (MR) uses the special properties of germline genetic variation to strengthen causal inference regarding potentially modifiable exposures and disease risk. MR can be implemented through instrumental variable (IV) analysis and, when robustly performed, is generally less prone to confounding, reverse causation and measurement error than conventional observational methods and has different sources of bias (discussed in detail below). It is increasingly used to facilitate causal inference in epidemiology and provides an opportunity to explore the effects of nutritional exposures on cancer incidence and progression in a cost-effective and timely manner. Here, we introduce the concept of MR and discuss its current application in understanding the impact of nutritional factors (e.g., any measure of diet and nutritional intake, circulating biomarkers, patterns, preference or behaviour) on cancer aetiology and, thus, opportunities for MR to contribute to the development of nutritional recommendations and policies for cancer prevention. We provide applied examples of MR studies examining the role of nutritional factors in cancer to illustrate how this method can be used to help prioritise or deprioritise the evaluation of specific nutritional factors as intervention targets in randomised controlled trials. We describe possible biases when using MR, and methodological developments aimed at investigating and potentially overcoming these biases when present. Lastly, we consider the use of MR in identifying causally relevant nutritional risk factors for various cancers in different regions across the world, given notable geographical differences in some cancers. We also discuss how MR results could be translated into further research and policy. We conclude that findings from MR studies, which corroborate those from other well-conducted studies with different and orthogonal biases, are poised to substantially improve our understanding of nutritional influences on cancer. For such corroboration, there is a requirement for an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to investigate risk factors for cancer incidence and progression.

Attributes of climate resilience in fisheries: From theory to practice - Julia G. Mason; Jacob G. Eurich; Jacqueline D. Lau; Willow Battista; Christopher M. Free; Katherine E. Mills; Kanae Tokunaga; Lily Z. Zhao; Mark Dickey‐Collas; Mireia Valle; Gretta T. Pecl; Joshua E. Cinner; et al. (Fish and Fisheries, 2022)
In a changing climate, there is an imperative to build coupled social‐ecological systems—including fisheries—that can withstand or adapt to climate stressors. Although resilience theory identifies system attributes that supposedly confer resilience, these attributes have rarely been clearly defined, mechanistically explained, nor tested and applied to inform fisheries governance. Here, we develop and apply a comprehensive resilience framework to examine fishery systems across (a) ecological, (b) socio‐economic and (c) governance dimensions using five resilience domains: assets, flexibility, organization, learning and agency. We distil and define 38 attributes that confer climate resilience from a coupled literature‐ and expert‐driven approach, describe how they apply to fisheries and provide illustrative examples of resilience attributes in action. Our synthesis highlights that the directionality and mechanism of these attributes depend on the specific context, capacities, and scale of the focal fishery system and associated stressors, and we find evidence of interdependencies among attributes. Overall, however, we find few studies that test resilience attributes in fisheries across all parts of the system, with most examples focussing on the ecological dimension. As such, meaningful quantification of the attributes’ contributions to resilience remains a challenge. Our synthesis and holistic framework represent a starting point for critical application of resilience concepts to fisheries social‐ecological systems.

Use of a 360-Degree Underwater Camera to Characterize Artificial Reef and Fish Aggregating Effects around Marine Energy Devices - Lenaïg G. Hemery; Kailan F. Mackereth; Cailene M. Gunn; Edward B. Pablo (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2022)
Marine energy devices must be attached to the seafloor by their foundations, pilings, or anchors, and will have other parts in the water column like the devices themselves, mooring lines, and power export cables running along the seafloor. The installation and presence of these artificial structures will create physical changes that can disrupt or create new habitats, and potentially alter the behavior of mobile organisms such as fish around a device by attracting them to these new artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices. In this study, we tested a new approach for monitoring fish activity around a marine energy device anchor: a 360-degree underwater camera to keep the target (a wave energy converter’s anchor) in the field of view of the camera. The camera was deployed in three configurations (hand-held, tripod, video lander) at sites with different hydrodynamics and underwater visibilities. The video lander was the best configuration: very stable, versatile, and easy to handle. The 360-degree field of view enabled observing and counting fishes, which were more abundant at dusk than dawn or noon, around the anchor. Despite remaining challenges, 360-degree cameras are useful tools for monitoring animal interactions with marine energy devices.

Fear at the top: killer whale predation drives white shark absence at South Africa’s largest aggregation site - AV Towner; RGA Watson; AA Kock; Y Papastamatiou; M Sturup; E Gennari; K Baker; T Booth; M Dicken; W Chivell; S Elwen; T Kaschke; et al. (African Journal of Marine Science, 2022)

Resolving taxonomic confusion: establishing the genus Phytobacter on the list of clinically relevant Enterobacteriaceae - Theo H. M. Smits; Lavinia N. V. S. Arend; Sofia Cardew; Erika Tång-Hallbäck; Marcelo T. Mira; Edward R. B. Moore; Jorge L. M. Sampaio; Fabio Rezzonico; Marcelo Pillonetto (European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 2022)
Although many clinically significant strains belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae fall into a restricted number of genera and species, there is still a substantial number of isolates that elude this classification and for which proper identification remains challenging. With the current improvements in the field of genomics, it is not only possible to generate high-quality data to accurately identify individual nosocomial isolates at the species level and understand their pathogenic potential but also to analyse retrospectively the genome sequence databases to identify past recurrences of a specific organism, particularly those originally published under an incorrect or outdated taxonomy. We propose a general use of this approach to classify further clinically relevant taxa, i.e., Phytobacter spp., that have so far gone unrecognised due to unsatisfactory identification procedures in clinical diagnostics. Here, we present a genomics and literature-based approach to establish the importance of the genus Phytobacter as a clinically relevant member of the Enterobacteriaceae family.

Importance of equitable cost sharing in the Convention on Biological Diversity's protected area agenda - Keila Stark; Vanessa Adams; Christopher J. Brown; Alienor Chauvenet; Katrina Davis; Edward T. Game; Benjamin S. Halpern; John Lynham; Bonnie Mappin; Kim Selkoe; James E. M. Watson; Hugh P. Possingham; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2022)

Myocardial work and left ventricular mechanical adaptations following isometric exercise training in hypertensive patients - Jamie M. O’Driscoll; Jamie J. Edwards; Jonathan D. Wiles; Katrina A. Taylor; Paul Leeson; Rajan Sharma (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2022)

In Utero Gene Editing for Inherited Lung Diseases - Brandon M. White; Edward E. Morrisey; William H. Peranteau (Current Stem Cell Reports, 2022)

The emergence of marine recreational drone fishing: Regional trends and emerging concerns - Alexander C. Winkler; Edward C. Butler; Colin G. Attwood; Bruce Q. Mann; Warren M. Potts (Ambio, 2022)

Permafrost thaw with warming reduces microbial metabolic capacities in subsurface soils - Linwei Wu; Felix Yang; Jiajie Feng; Xuanyu Tao; Qi Qi; Cong Wang; Edward A. G. Schuur; Rosvel Bracho; Yi Huang; James R. Cole; James M. Tiedje; Jizhong Zhou (Molecular Ecology, 2022)
Microorganisms are major constituents of the total biomass in permafrost regions, whose underlain soils are frozen for at least two consecutive years. To understand potential microbial responses to climate change, here we examined microbial community compositions and functional capacities across four soil depths in an Alaska tundra site. We showed that a 5‐year warming treatment increased soil thaw depth by 25.7% ( p = .011) within the deep organic layer (15–25 cm). Concurrently, warming reduced 37% of bacterial abundance and 64% of fungal abundances in the deep organic layer, while it did not affect microbial abundance in other soil layers (i.e., 0–5, 5–15, and 45–55 cm). Warming treatment altered fungal community composition and microbial functional structure ( p p

Low occurrence of multi‐antimicrobial and heavy metal resistance in Salmonella enterica from wild birds in the United States - Yezhi Fu; Nkuchia M. M'ikanatha; Chris A. Whitehouse; Heather Tate; Andrea Ottesen; Jeffrey M. Lorch; David S. Blehert; Brenda Berlowski‐Zier; Edward G. Dudley (Environmental Microbiology, 2022)
Summary Wild birds are common reservoirs of Salmonella enterica . Wild birds carrying resistant S . enterica may pose a risk to public health as they can spread the resistant bacteria across large spatial scales within a short time. Here, we whole‐genome sequenced 375 S . enterica strains from wild birds collected in 41 U.S. states during 1978–2019 to examine bacterial resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. We found that Typhimurium was the dominant S . enterica serovar, accounting for 68.3% (256/375) of the bird isolates. Furthermore, the proportions of the isolates identified as multi‐antimicrobial resistant (multi‐AMR: resistant to at least three antimicrobial classes) or multi‐heavy metal resistant (multi‐HMR: resistant to at least three heavy metals) were both 1.87% (7/375). Interestingly, all the multi‐resistant S . enterica ( n = 12) were isolated from water birds or raptors; none of them was isolated from songbirds. Plasmid profiling demonstrated that 75% (9/12) of the multi‐resistant strains carried resistance plasmids. Our study indicates that wild birds do not serve as important reservoirs of multi‐resistant S . enterica strains. Nonetheless, continuous surveillance for bacterial resistance in wild birds is necessary because the multi‐resistant isolates identified in this study also showed close genetic relatedness with those from humans and domestic animals.

Corrigendum: State of the California Current 2019–2020: Back to the Future With Marine Heatwaves? - Edward D. Weber; Toby D. Auth; Simone Baumann-Pickering; Timothy R. Baumgartner; Eric P. Bjorkstedt; Steven J. Bograd; Brian J. Burke; José L. Cadena-Ramírez; Elizabeth A. Daly; Martin de la Cruz; Heidi Dewar; John C. Field; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2022)

Farmers’ preferences for climate-smart cowpea varieties: implications for crop breeding programmes - Edward Martey; Prince M. Etwire; Desmond Sunday Adogoba; Theophilus Kwabla Tengey (Climate and Development, 2022)

Geology and geochemistry of the Tulaergen conduit-style magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, northwestern China - Yalei Wang; Chusi Li; Wenyuan Li; Zhaowei Zhang; Edward M. Ripley; Yongbao Gao; Jiangwei Zhang (Mineralium Deposita, 2022)

Design and discovery of a high affinity, selective and β-arrestin biased 5-HT7 receptor agonist - Edem K. Onyameh; Edward Ofori; Barbara A. Bricker; Uma M. Gonela; Suresh V. K. Eyunni; Hye J. Kang; Chandrashekar Voshavar; Seth Y. Ablordeppey (Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2022)

Persistently elevated complement alternative pathway biomarkers in COVID-19 correlate with hypoxemia and predict in-hospital mortality - Alexander Leatherdale; Sophie Stukas; Victor Lei; Henry E. West; Christopher J. Campbell; Ryan L. Hoiland; Jennifer Cooper; Cheryl L. Wellington; Mypinder S. Sekhon; Edward L. G. Pryzdial; Edward M. Conway (Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 2022)

Observation of Aerosol Generation by Human Subjects During Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Using a High-Powered Laser Technique: A Pilot Project - Christopher M. Varga; Keith J. Kwiatkowski; Michael J. Pedro; Herman Groepenhoff; Edward A. Rose; Callum Gray; Kai D. Pinkerton; Michael G. McBride; Stephen M. Paridon (Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering, 2022)

A National-Level Assessment of Lemur Hunting Pressure in Madagascar - Cortni Borgerson; Steig E. Johnson; Emma Hall; Kerry A. Brown; Pamela R. Narváez-Torres; Be Jean Rodolph Rasolofoniaina; Be Noel Razafindrapaoly; Samuel D. Merson; Katharine E. T. Thompson; Sheila M. Holmes; Edward E. Louis; Christopher D. Golden (International Journal of Primatology, 2022)

Expanding the horizon of research into the pathogenesis of the white matter diseases: Proceedings of the 2021 Annual Workshop of the Albert Research Institute for White Matter and Cognition - Shawn N. Whitehead; Askiel Bruno; Jeffrey M. Burns; S. Thomas Carmichael; Anna Csiszar; Jodi D. Edwards; Fanny M. Elahi; Giuseppe Faraco; Douglas B. Gould; Deborah R. Gustafson; Vladimir Hachinski; Gary Rosenberg; et al. (GeroScience, 2022)

Left ventricular mechanical, cardiac autonomic and metabolic responses to a single session of high intensity interval training - Jamie J. Edwards; Jonathan D. Wiles; Noemi Vadaszy; Katrina A. Taylor; Jamie M. O’Driscoll (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2022)

Genome-wide analysis of deletions in maize population reveals abundant genetic diversity and functional impact - Xiao Zhang; Yonghui Zhu; Karl A. G. Kremling; M. Cinta Romay; Robert Bukowski; Qi Sun; Shibin Gao; Edward S. Buckler; Fei Lu (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2022)

The C-BIG Repository: an Institution-Level Open Science Platform - Samir Das; Rida Abou-Haidar; Henri Rabalais; Sonia Denise Lai Wing Sun; Zaliqa Rosli; Krishna Chatpar; Marie-Noëlle Boivin; Mahdieh Tabatabaei; Christine Rogers; Melanie Legault; Derek Lo; Clotilde Degroot; et al. (Neuroinformatics, 2022)
In January 2016, the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro) declared itself an Open Science organization. This vision extends beyond efforts by individual scientists seeking to release individual datasets, software tools, or building platforms that provide for the free dissemination of such information. It involves multiple stakeholders and an infrastructure that considers governance, ethics, computational resourcing, physical design, workflows, training, education, and intra-institutional reporting structures. The C-BIG repository was built in response as The Neuro’s institutional biospecimen and clinical data repository, and collects biospecimens as well as clinical, imaging, and genetic data from patients with neurological disease and healthy controls. It is aimed at helping scientific investigators, in both academia and industry, advance our understanding of neurological diseases and accelerate the development of treatments. As many neurological diseases are quite rare, they present several challenges to researchers due to their small patient populations. Overcoming these challenges required the aggregation of datasets from various projects and locations. The C-BIG repository achieves this goal and stands as a scalable working model for institutions to collect, track, curate, archive, and disseminate multimodal data from patients. In November 2020, a Registered Access layer was made available to the wider research community at https://cbigr-open.loris.ca , and in May 2021 fully open data will be released to complement the Registered Access data. This article outlines many of the aspects of The Neuro’s transition to Open Science by describing the data to be released, C-BIG’s full capabilities, and the design aspects that were implemented for effective data sharing.

Common, low-frequency, rare, and ultra-rare coding variants contribute to COVID-19 severity - Chiara Fallerini; Nicola Picchiotti; Margherita Baldassarri; Kristina Zguro; Sergio Daga; Francesca Fava; Elisa Benetti; Sara Amitrano; Mirella Bruttini; Maria Palmieri; Susanna Croci; Mirjam Lista; et al. (Human Genetics, 2022)
The combined impact of common and rare exonic variants in COVID-19 host genetics is currently insufficiently understood. Here, common and rare variants from whole-exome sequencing data of about 4000 SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals were used to define an interpretable machine-learning model for predicting COVID-19 severity. First, variants were converted into separate sets of Boolean features, depending on the absence or the presence of variants in each gene. An ensemble of LASSO logistic regression models was used to identify the most informative Boolean features with respect to the genetic bases of severity. The Boolean features selected by these logistic models were combined into an Integrated PolyGenic Score that offers a synthetic and interpretable index for describing the contribution of host genetics in COVID-19 severity, as demonstrated through testing in several independent cohorts. Selected features belong to ultra-rare, rare, low-frequency, and common variants, including those in linkage disequilibrium with known GWAS loci. Noteworthily, around one quarter of the selected genes are sex-specific. Pathway analysis of the selected genes associated with COVID-19 severity reflected the multi-organ nature of the disease. The proposed model might provide useful information for developing diagnostics and therapeutics, while also being able to guide bedside disease management.

Contrasting climate velocity impacts in warm and cool locations show that effects of marine warming are worse in already warmer temperate waters - Philina A. English; Eric J. Ward; Christopher N. Rooper; Robyn E. Forrest; Luke A. Rogers; Karen L. Hunter; Andrew M. Edwards; Brendan M. Connors; Sean C. Anderson (Fish and Fisheries, 2022)
Species responses to climate change are often measured at broad spatiotemporal scales, which can miss the fine‐scale changes that are most relevant to conservation and fisheries management. We develop a scaleable geostatistical approach to assess how juvenile and adult fish distributions have been shaped by changes in bottom temperature and dissolved oxygen over a recent decade of warming in the northeast Pacific. Across 38 demersal fishes, biomass trends were associated negatively with warming and positively with dissolved oxygen, but when trends in both biomass and climate were converted to velocities—the speed and direction a population would have to move to maintain consistent conditions—the effect of temperature change differed depending on local conditions. In the warmest locations, warming velocities were associated with negative biotic velocities for 19 of 69 species‐maturity combinations, and yet were almost always associated with stable or positive biotic velocities in the coolest locations (64 of 69). These spatially consistent biomass declines (negative biotic velocities) in the warmest locations and increases in cooler locations suggest a redistribution of species with the potential for new ecological and fisheries interactions. After controlling for temperature, the more spatially consistent effects of dissolved oxygen were often negative, suggesting a mechanism other than hypoxia avoidance—potentially changes in primary production. Our approach identifies the species and locations that are most sensitive to observed changes in the environment at any scale, thus facilitating future vulnerability assessments.

The Use of Hypnotics for Insomnia Disorder in Saudi Arabia: A Survey of Patients’ Experiences and Perceptions - Ali M. Dobia; Kath M. Ryan; Ahmed S. BaHammam; Mohammed H. Abutaleb; Rawaah Y. Alwadani; Alexander D. Edwards (Sleep and Vigilance, 2021)

Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summer - Daphne Donis; Evanthia Mantzouki; Daniel F. McGinnis; Dominic Vachon; Irene Gallego; Hans‐Peter Grossart; Lisette N. de Senerpont Domis; Sven Teurlincx; Laura Seelen; Miquel Lürling; Yvon Verstijnen; Valentini Maliaka; et al. (Limnology and Oceanography, 2021)
To determine the drivers of phytoplankton biomass, we collected standardized morphometric, physical, and biological data in 230 lakes across the Mediterranean, Continental, and Boreal climatic zones of the European continent. Multilinear regression models tested on this snapshot of mostly eutrophic lakes (median total phosphorus [TP] = 0.06 and total nitrogen [TN] = 0.7 mg L −1 ), and its subsets (2 depth types and 3 climatic zones), show that light climate and stratification strength were the most significant explanatory variables for chlorophyll a (Chl a ) variance. TN was a significant predictor for phytoplankton biomass for shallow and continental lakes, while TP never appeared as an explanatory variable, suggesting that under high TP, light, which partially controls stratification strength, becomes limiting for phytoplankton development. Mediterranean lakes were the warmest yet most weakly stratified and had significantly less Chl a than Boreal lakes, where the temperature anomaly from the long‐term average, during a summer heatwave was the highest (+4°C) and showed a significant, exponential relationship with stratification strength. This European survey represents a summer snapshot of phytoplankton biomass and its drivers, and lends support that light and stratification metrics, which are both affected by climate change, are better predictors for phytoplankton biomass in nutrient‐rich lakes than nutrient concentrations and surface temperature.

Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact - Molly K. Grace; H. Resit Akçakaya; Elizabeth L. Bennett; Thomas M. Brooks; Anna Heath; Simon Hedges; Craig Hilton‐Taylor; Michael Hoffmann; Axel Hochkirch; Richard Jenkins; David A. Keith; Barney Long; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2021)
Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a “Green List of Species” (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species’ progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 separate but interlinked components: a standardized method (i.e., measurement against benchmarks of species’ viability, functionality, and preimpact distribution) to determine current species recovery status (herein species recovery score ) and application of that method to estimate past and potential future impacts of conservation based on 4 metrics ( conservation legacy, conservation dependence , conservation gain , and recovery potential ). We tested the framework with 181 species representing diverse taxa, life histories, biomes, and IUCN Red List categories (extinction risk). Based on the observed distribution of species’ recovery scores, we propose the following species recovery categories : fully recovered, slightly depleted, moderately depleted, largely depleted, critically depleted, extinct in the wild, and indeterminate. Fifty‐nine percent of tested species were considered largely or critically depleted. Although there was a negative relationship between extinction risk and species recovery score, variation was considerable. Some species in lower risk categories were assessed as farther from recovery than those at higher risk. This emphasizes that species recovery is conceptually different from extinction risk and reinforces the utility of the IUCN Green Status of Species to more fully understand species conservation status. Although extinction risk did not predict conservation legacy, conservation dependence, or conservation gain, it was positively correlated with recovery potential. Only 1.7% of tested species were categorized as zero across all 4 of these conservation impact metrics , indicating that conservation has, or will, play a role in improving or maintaining species status for the vast majority of these species. Based on our results, we devised an updated assessment framework that introduces the option of using a dynamic baseline to assess future impacts of conservation over the short term to avoid misleading results which were generated in a small number of cases, and redefines short term as 10 years to better align with conservation planning. These changes are reflected in the IUCN Green Status of Species Standard.

Guiding principles for rewilding - Steve Carver; Ian Convery; Sally Hawkins; Rene Beyers; Adam Eagle; Zoltan Kun; Erwin Van Maanen; Yue Cao; Mark Fisher; Stephen R. Edwards; Cara Nelson; George D. Gann; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2021)
There has been much recent interest in the concept of rewilding as a tool for nature conservation, but also confusion over the idea, which has limited its utility. We developed a unifying definition and 10 guiding principles for rewilding through a survey of 59 rewilding experts, a summary of key organizations’ rewilding visions, and workshops involving over 100 participants from around the world. The guiding principles convey that rewilding exits on a continuum of scale, connectivity, and level of human influence and aims to restore ecosystem structure and functions to achieve a self‐sustaining autonomous nature. These principles clarify the concept of rewilding and improve its effectiveness as a tool to achieve global conservation targets, including those of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and post‐2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Finally, we suggest differences in rewilding perspectives lie largely in the extent to which it is seen as achievable and in specific interventions. An understanding of the context of rewilding projects is the key to success, and careful site‐specific interpretations will help achieve the aims of rewilding.

High-Resolution Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Harmful Algae in the Indian River Lagoon (Florida)—A Case Study of Aureoumbra lagunensis, Pyrodinium bahamense, and Pseudo-nitzschia - Cary B. Lopez; Charles L. Tilney; Eric Muhlbach; Josée N. Bouchard; Maria Célia Villac; Karen L. Henschen; Laura R. Markley; Stephanie Keller Abbe; Sugandha Shankar; Colin P. Shea; Leanne Flewelling; Matthew Garrett; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), located on the east coast of Florida, is a complex estuarine ecosystem that is negatively affected by recurring harmful algal blooms (HABs) from distinct taxonomic/functional groups. Enhanced monitoring was established to facilitate rapid quantification of three recurrent bloom taxa, Aureoumbra lagunensis , Pyrodinium bahamense , and Pseudo-nitzschia spp., and included corroborating techniques to improve the identification of small-celled nanoplankton (<10 μm in diameter). Identification and enumeration of these target taxa were conducted during 2015–2020 using a combination of light microscopy and species-specific approaches, specifically immunofluorescence flow cytometry as well as a newly developed qPCR assay for A. lagunensis presented here for the first time. An annual bloom index (ABI) was established for each taxon based on occurrence and abundance data. Blooms of A. lagunensis (>2 × 10 8 cells L –1 ) were observed in all 6 years sampled and across multiple seasons. In contrast, abundance of P. bahamense , largely driven by the annual temperature cycle that moderates life cycle transitions and growth, displayed a strong seasonal pattern with blooms (10 5 –10 7 cells L –1 ) generally developing in early summer and subsiding in autumn. However, P. bahamense bloom development was delayed and abundance was significantly lower in years and locations with sustained A. lagunensis blooms. Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were broadly distributed with sporadic bloom concentrations (reaching 10 7 cells L –1 ), but with minimal concentrations of the toxin domoic acid detected (<0.02 μg L –1 ). In summer 2020, multiple monitoring tools characterized a novel nano-cyanobacterium bloom (reaching 10 9 cells L –1 ) that coincided with a decline in A. lagunensis and persisted into autumn. Statistical and time-series analyses of this spatiotemporally intensive dataset highlight prominent patterns in variability for some taxa, but also identify challenges of characterizing mechanisms underlying more episodic yet persistent events. Nevertheless, the intersect of temperature and salinity as environmental proxies proved to be informative in delineating niche partitioning, not only in the case of taxa with long-standing data sets but also for seemingly unprecedented blooms of novel nanoplanktonic taxa.

Reductions in Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2 Isoforms in the Cortex and Hippocampus in a Rat Model of Traumatic Brain Injury - Katherine M. Fronczak; Youming Li; Jeremy Henchir; C. Edward Dixon; Shaun W. Carlson (Molecular Neurobiology, 2021)

Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee and Archaeal Viruses Subcommittee of the ICTV: update of taxonomy changes in 2021 - Mart Krupovic; Dann Turner; Vera Morozova; Mike Dyall-Smith; Hanna M. Oksanen; Rob Edwards; Bas E. Dutilh; Susan M. Lehman; Alejandro Reyes; Diana P. Baquero; Matthew B. Sullivan; Jumpei Uchiyama; et al. (Archives of Virology, 2021)
In this article, we – the Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee and the Archaeal Viruses Subcommittee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) – summarise the results of our activities for the period March 2020 – March 2021. We report the division of the former Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses Subcommittee in two separate Subcommittees, welcome new members, a new Subcommittee Chair and Vice Chair, and give an overview of the new taxa that were proposed in 2020, approved by the Executive Committee and ratified by vote in 2021. In particular, a new realm, three orders, 15 families, 31 subfamilies, 734 genera and 1845 species were newly created or redefined (moved/promoted).

Prostaglandin E2 Enhances Aged Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function - Andrea M. Patterson; P. Artur Plett; Carol H. Sampson; Edward Simpson; Yunlong Liu; Louis M. Pelus; Christie M. Orschell (Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2021)

Evidence that geographic variation in genetic ancestry associates with uterine fibroids - Jacob M. Keaton; Elizabeth A. Jasper; Jacklyn N. Hellwege; Sarah H. Jones; Eric S. Torstenson; Todd L. Edwards; Digna R. Velez Edwards (Human Genetics, 2021)

Linear extension, skeletal density, and calcification rates of the blue coral Heliopora coerulea - Travis A. Courtney; James R. Guest; Alasdair J. Edwards; Romeo M. Dizon (Coral Reefs, 2021)
The brooding reef-building octocoral Heliopora is widespread on Indo-West Pacific reefs and appears to be relatively resistant to thermal stress, which may enable it to persist locally while scleractinians diminish under Anthropocene conditions. However, basic physiological measurements of “blue corals” are lacking and prevent their inclusion in trait-based studies. We address this by quantifying rates (mean ± SE) of linear extension (0.86 ± 0.05 cm yr −1 ) and skeletal density (2.01 ± 0.06 g cm −3 ) to estimate calcification rates (0.87 ± 0.08 g cm −2 yr −1 ) for the small branching/columnar morphology of Heliopora coerulea . We postulate that H. coerulea may become an increasingly important reef-builder under ocean warming due to its relative resistance to thermal stress and high skeletal density that make colonies less vulnerable to storm damage under ocean acidification. Moreover, Heliopora corals are likely dispersal limited suggesting they may be an underappreciated genus for restoration of stress-tolerant reef-building capacity on degraded reefs.

The ghost of a giant – Six hypotheses for how an extinct megaherbivore structured kelp forests across the North Pacific Rim - Cameron D. Bullen; Alberto A. Campos; Edward J. Gregr; Iain McKechnie; Kai M. A. Chan (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2021)
Aim The global decline of megafauna is believed to have had significant and widespread ecological impacts. One such extinction of likely important consequence is the 18th century extinction of the Steller’s sea cow ( Hydrodamalis gigas ); however, little has been written about how the loss of this megaherbivore may have impacted coastal ecosystem dynamics. Drawing on historical evidence, sea cow biology, kelp forest ecology, and the ecology of extant sirenians, we propose several discrete hypotheses about the effects Steller’s sea cows may have had on kelp forest dynamics of the North Pacific. Location North Pacific Ocean. Time period Pre‐1760s. Major taxa studied Steller’s sea cow ( Hydrodamalis gigas ). Results & conclusions The evidence we review suggests that Steller’s sea cows exerted substantial direct and indirect influences on kelp forests, likely affecting the physical ecosystem structure, productivity, nutrient cycling, species interactions, and export of nutrients to surrounding ecosystems. This suggests that kelp forest dynamics and resilience were already significantly altered prior to the influence of more recent and well‐known stressors, such as industrial fishing and climate change, and illustrates the important ecological roles that are lost with megafaunal extinction.

Cyclical Patterns and a Regime Shift in the Character of Phytoplankton Blooms in a Restricted Sub-Tropical Lagoon, Indian River Lagoon, Florida, United States - Edward J. Phlips; Susan Badylak; Natalie G. Nelson; Lauren M. Hall; Charles A. Jacoby; Margaret A. Lasi; Jean C. Lockwood; Janice D. Miller (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
This paper examines the character of phytoplankton blooms in a restricted sub-tropical lagoon along the Atlantic coast of central Florida. The results of the 23-year study (1997–2020) provide evidence for multiple types of variability in bloom activity, including cyclical patterns, stochastic events, and most prominently a regime shift in composition and intensity. Cyclical patterns (e.g., El Niño/La Niña periods) and stochastic events (e.g., tropical storms) influenced rainfall levels, which in turn impacted nutrient concentrations in the water column and the timing and intensity of blooms. In 2011, a major change occurred in the character of blooms, with a dramatic increase in peak biomass levels of blooms and the appearance of new dominant taxa, including the brown tide species Aureoumbra lagunensis and other nanoplanktonic species. Results of quantitative analyses reveal system behavior indicative of a regime shift. The shift coincided with widespread losses of seagrass community and reduced drift algae biomass. A combination of exceptionally low water temperatures in the winters of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, hypersaline conditions associated with drought conditions, and high light attenuation caused by blooms appear to have contributed to the widespread and protracted decline in seagrass and drift macroalgal communities in the lagoon, leading to shifts in distribution of internal and external nutrient sources toward phytoplankton.

Genetic analyses of gynecological disease identify genetic relationships between uterine fibroids and endometrial cancer, and a novel endometrial cancer genetic risk region at the WNT4 1p36.12 locus - Pik Fang Kho; Sally Mortlock; Frederic Amant; Daniela Annibali; Katie Ashton; John Attia; Paul L. Auer; Matthias W. Beckmann; Amanda Black; Louise Brinton; Daniel D. Buchanan; Stephen J. Chanock; et al. (Human Genetics, 2021)

Healthy Aging Requires a Healthy Home Care Workforce: the Occupational Safety and Health of Home Care Aides - M. M. Quinn; P. K. Markkanen; C. J. Galligan; S. R. Sama; J. E. Lindberg; M. F. Edwards (Current Environmental Health Reports, 2021)
Purpose of Review To identify important home care (HC) aide occupational safety and health (OSH) hazards and examine how addressing these can improve aide health and the delivery of HC services overall. Specifically, this review seeks to answer: Why is HC aide OSH important? What are the most significant OSH challenges? How can improving HC aide OSH also improve the safety and health of their clients? What implications do the findings have for future research? Recent Findings HC is one of the fastest growing US industries. Aides comprise its largest workforce and are increasingly needed to care for the rapidly aging population. There is an aide shortage due in part to instabilities in HC work organization and to serious job-specific hazards, resulting in aides losing work time. Recent social, economic, and technological factors are rapidly changing the nature of HC work, creating OSH hazards similar to those found in nursing homes. At the same time, aides are experiencing social and economic inequities that increase their vulnerability to OSH hazards. These hazards are also a burden on employers who are challenged to recruit, retain, and train aides. OSH injuries and illness interrupt the continuity of care delivery to clients. Many OSH hazards also put HC clients and families at risk. Summary A new framework and methodologies are needed to assess aide and client safety together in order to guide future HC research, policies, and practices. Government, industry, and labor commitment is needed to fund and coordinate a comprehensive, multidisciplinary research program.

Association between weight cycling and risk of kidney cancer: a prospective cohort study and meta-analysis of observational studies - Dong Hoon Lee; NaNa Keum; Leandro F. M. Rezende; Fred K. Tabung; SungEun Hong; Edward L. Giovannucci (Cancer Causes & Control, 2021)

Statistical upscaling of ecosystem CO 2 fluxes across the terrestrial tundra and boreal domain: Regional patterns and uncertainties - Anna‐Maria Virkkala; Juha Aalto; Brendan M. Rogers; Torbern Tagesson; Claire C. Treat; Susan M. Natali; Jennifer D. Watts; Stefano Potter; Aleksi Lehtonen; Marguerite Mauritz; Edward A. G. Schuur; John Kochendorfer; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2021)
The regional variability in tundra and boreal carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fluxes can be high, complicating efforts to quantify sink‐source patterns across the entire region. Statistical models are increasingly used to predict (i.e., upscale) CO 2 fluxes across large spatial domains, but the reliability of different modeling techniques, each with different specifications and assumptions, has not been assessed in detail. Here, we compile eddy covariance and chamber measurements of annual and growing season CO 2 fluxes of gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) during 1990–2015 from 148 terrestrial high‐latitude (i.e., tundra and boreal) sites to analyze the spatial patterns and drivers of CO 2 fluxes and test the accuracy and uncertainty of different statistical models. CO 2 fluxes were upscaled at relatively high spatial resolution (1 km 2 ) across the high‐latitude region using five commonly used statistical models and their ensemble, that is, the median of all five models, using climatic, vegetation, and soil predictors. We found the performance of machine learning and ensemble predictions to outperform traditional regression methods. We also found the predictive performance of NEE‐focused models to be low, relative to models predicting GPP and ER. Our data compilation and ensemble predictions showed that CO 2 sink strength was larger in the boreal biome (observed and predicted average annual NEE −46 and −29 g C m −2 yr −1 , respectively) compared to tundra (average annual NEE +10 and −2 g C m −2 yr −1 ). This pattern was associated with large spatial variability, reflecting local heterogeneity in soil organic carbon stocks, climate, and vegetation productivity. The terrestrial ecosystem CO 2 budget, estimated using the annual NEE ensemble prediction, suggests the high‐latitude region was on average an annual CO 2 sink during 1990–2015, although uncertainty remains high.

State of the California Current 2019–2020: Back to the Future With Marine Heatwaves? - Edward D. Weber; Toby D. Auth; Simone Baumann-Pickering; Timothy R. Baumgartner; Eric P. Bjorkstedt; Steven J. Bograd; Brian J. Burke; José L. Cadena-Ramírez; Elizabeth A. Daly; Martin de la Cruz; Heidi Dewar; John C. Field; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
The California Current System (CCS) has experienced large fluctuations in environmental conditions in recent years that have dramatically affected the biological community. Here we synthesize remotely sensed, hydrographic, and biological survey data from throughout the CCS in 2019–2020 to evaluate how recent changes in environmental conditions have affected community dynamics at multiple trophic levels. A marine heatwave formed in the north Pacific in 2019 and reached the second greatest area ever recorded by the end of summer 2020. However, high atmospheric pressure in early 2020 drove relatively strong Ekman-driven coastal upwelling in the northern portion of the CCS and warm temperature anomalies remained far offshore. Upwelling and cooler temperatures in the northern CCS created relatively productive conditions in which the biomass of lipid-rich copepod species increased, adult krill size increased, and several seabird species experienced positive reproductive success. Despite these conditions, the composition of the fish community in the northern CCS remained a mixture of both warm- and cool-water-associated species. In the southern CCS, ocean temperatures remained above average for the seventh consecutive year. Abundances of juvenile fish species associated with productive conditions were relatively low, and the ichthyoplankton community was dominated by a mixture of oceanic warm-water and cosmopolitan species. Seabird species associated with warm water also occurred at greater densities than cool-water species in the southern CCS. The population of northern anchovy, which has been resurgent since 2017, continued to provide an important forage base for piscivorous fishes, offshore colonies of seabirds, and marine mammals throughout the CCS. Coastal upwelling in the north, and a longer-term trend in warming in the south, appeared to be controlling the community to a much greater extent than the marine heatwave itself.

A Brief Educational Intervention Enhances Basic Cancer Literacy Among Kentucky Middle and High School Students - Lauren Hudson; Kerrigan M. Samons; Haley E. Dicken; Chris Prichard; L. Todd Weiss; Jean Edward; Robin C. Vanderpool; Nathan L. Vanderford (Journal of Cancer Education, 2021)
Kentucky experiences the highest overall cancer incidence and mortality rates in the USA with the greatest burden in the eastern, Appalachian region of the state. Cancer disparities in Kentucky are driven in part by poor health behaviors, poverty, lack of health care access, low education levels, and low health literacy. Individuals with inadequate health literacy are less likely to participate in preventive measures such as obtaining screenings and making healthy lifestyle choices, thus increasing their chances of developing and dying from cancer. By increasing cancer literacy among youth and adults, it may be possible to decrease cancer disparities across Kentucky. This study aimed to establish connections with middle and high schools in Kentucky that would facilitate pilot implementation of a brief cancer education intervention and assessment of cancer health literacy among these student populations. A baseline pretest cancer literacy survey consisting of 10 items was given to 349 participants, followed by the delivery of a cancer education presentation. Immediately following the presentation, participants were given a posttest with identical items to the pretest. Participants were primarily Caucasian (89.4%), female (68.7%), and in 10th through 12th grade (80.5%). Significant ( p < 0.0001) increases in both average and median percent of correctly marked items were observed between the pretest and posttest (average, pretest = 56% versus posttest = 85%; median, pretest = 60% versus posttest = 90%). The scores for all individual items increased after the brief intervention. The results demonstrated a significant increase in cancer literacy levels immediately after the pilot educational intervention. We suggest that it may be possible to improve cancer literacy rates in Kentucky by integrating cancer education into middle and high school science and/or health education curricula. This could ultimately drive changes in behaviors that may help lower cancer incidence and mortality rates. Plans for future interventional studies measuring long-term cancer knowledge retention and resultant behavioral changes among middle and high school students as well as the feasibility of integrating cancer education into middle and high school curricula are also discussed.

Physiological responses to maximal 4 s sprint interval cycling using inertial loading: the influence of inter-sprint recovery duration - Emre Vardarli; Remzi Satiroglu; Jacob R. Allen; Ryan Bjellquist-Ledger; Heath M. Burton; Edward F. Coyle (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2021)

Coral reef resilience differs among islands within the Gulf of Mannar, southeast India, following successive coral bleaching events - K. Diraviya Raj; Greta S. Aeby; G. Mathews; Gareth J. Williams; Jamie M. Caldwell; R. L. Laju; M. Selva Bharath; P. Dinesh Kumar; A. Arasamuthu; N. Gladwin Gnana Asir; Lisa M. Wedding; Andrew J. Davies; et al. (Coral Reefs, 2021)

Unraveling the predictive role of temperature in the gut microbiota of the sea urchin Echinometra sp. EZ across spatial and temporal gradients - Remi N. Ketchum; Edward G. Smith; Grace O. Vaughan; Dain McParland; Noura Al‐Mansoori; John A. Burt; Adam M. Reitzel (Molecular Ecology, 2021)
Shifts in microbial communities represent a rapid response mechanism for host organisms to respond to changes in environmental conditions. Therefore, they are likely to be important in assisting the acclimatization of hosts to seasonal temperature changes as well as to variation in temperatures across a species’ range. The Persian/Arabian Gulf is the world's warmest sea, with large seasonal fluctuations in temperature (20℃ ‐ 37℃) and is connected to the Gulf of Oman which experiences more typical oceanic conditions ( Echinometra sp. EZ and identify microbial taxa that are tightly correlated with the thermal environment. We generated two independent datasets with a high degree of geographic and temporal resolution. The results show that microbial communities vary across thermally variable habitats, display temporal shifts that correlate with temperature, and can become more disperse as temperatures rise. The relative abundances of several ASVs significantly correlate with temperature in both independent datasets despite the >300 km distance between the furthest sites and the extreme seasonal variations. Notably, over 50% of the temperature predictive ASVs identified from the two datasets belonged to the family Vibrionaceae. Together, our results identify temperature as a robust predictor of community‐level variation and highlight specific microbial taxa putatively involved in the response to thermal environment.

Using Evidence From Voluntary Fisheries Data Collection Programmes to Support Marine Spatial Planning and Resolve Multiple-Use Conflicts - Abbie Dosell; Dan Edwards; Amanda Gregory; Alwyn Ponteen; Joseph O’Garro; Laura Cornick; Jane M. Hawkridge (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Natural disasters have altered the landscape of Montserrat’s marine environment significantly over the past 30 years, forcing rapid adaptation of marine species and the human population that relies upon them. Volcanic activity has led to an abundance of volcanic sediment, which has seen rise to the expansion of the island’s sand mining and aggregate industry. Similarly, a series of volcanic eruptions has resulted in smothered fishing grounds and maritime exclusion zones, increasing the pressure on the remaining accessible marine environment. Recent increases in shipping activity, due to the expanding aggregate sector, partnered with a lack of official marine spatial planning, has led to the west coast of the island becoming a stakeholder conflict hotspot. Regular interactions between fishing gear and shipping vessels were resulting in damaged and lost fish pots and causing physical damage and increased ghost-fishing on the coral reefs, with additional impacts on fisher livelihoods. This paper builds upon earlier work in Montserrat to engage fishers in fisheries data collection programmes. Here we use data from Montserrat’s fishing fleet to understand the distribution and intensity of fish pot activity within the conflict area. Maximum activity was distributed along the edge of the reef front, near the drop-off, with the greatest intensity toward the south. These data, and outcomes from stakeholder consultation, have allowed the relevant authorities and decision-makers to identify a suitable shipping route that avoids pot-based fishing grounds, while remaining as close inshore as feasible, to avoid unnecessary fuel costs for shipping vessels. As a result, the Montserrat Port Authority has implemented a restricted area around the identified fishing grounds, in which commercial vessels are not allowed to transit. This intervention represents a “win-win” solution, reducing the risk of commercial vessel-fishing gear conflict in the southwestern pot-based fishing grounds, without substantially increasing the burden of excess travel on commercial vessels. Here we show how engagement with the fishing community and voluntary participation in data collection has supported a conflict resolution deemed suitable to both parties; allowing the needs of the smaller traditional fishing sector to influence management of the rapidly expanding, high value aggregate sector.

Evaluating a Steady-State Model of Soil Accretion in Everglades Mangroves (Florida, USA) - Randolph M. Chambers; Adrianna L. Gorsky; Edward Castañeda-Moya; Victor H. Rivera-Monroy (Estuaries and Coasts, 2021)

Are visual working memory and episodic memory distinct processes? Insight from stroke patients by lesion-symptom mapping - Selma Lugtmeijer; Linda Geerligs; Frank Erik de Leeuw; Edward H. F. de Haan; Roy P. C. Kessels; Anouk R. Smits; Ben A. Schmand; Edward H. F. de Haan; Frank Erik de Leeuw; Gert jan Luijckx; H. Steven Scholte; Joke M. Spikman; et al. (Brain Structure and Function, 2021)
Working memory and episodic memory are two different processes, although the nature of their interrelationship is debated. As these processes are predominantly studied in isolation, it is unclear whether they crucially rely on different neural substrates. To obtain more insight in this, 81 adults with sub-acute ischemic stroke and 29 elderly controls were assessed on a visual working memory task, followed by a surprise subsequent memory test for the same stimuli. Multivariate, atlas- and track-based lesion-symptom mapping (LSM) analyses were performed to identify anatomical correlates of visual memory. Behavioral results gave moderate evidence for independence between discriminability in working memory and subsequent memory, and strong evidence for a correlation in response bias on the two tasks in stroke patients. LSM analyses suggested there might be independent regions associated with working memory and episodic memory. Lesions in the right arcuate fasciculus were more strongly associated with discriminability in working memory than in subsequent memory, while lesions in the frontal operculum in the right hemisphere were more strongly associated with criterion setting in subsequent memory. These findings support the view that some processes involved in working memory and episodic memory rely on separate mechanisms, while acknowledging that there might also be shared processes.

The Impact of Atmosphere–Ocean–Wave Coupling on the Near-Surface Wind Speed in Forecasts of Extratropical Cyclones - Emanuele S. Gentile; Suzanne L. Gray; Janet F. Barlow; Huw W. Lewis; John M. Edwards (Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 2021)
Accurate modelling of air–sea surface exchanges is crucial for reliable extreme surface wind-speed forecasts. While atmosphere-only weather forecast models represent ocean and wave effects through sea-state independent parametrizations, coupled multi-model systems capture sea-state dynamics by integrating feedbacks between the atmosphere, ocean and wave model components. Here, we investigate the sensitivity of extreme surface wind speeds to air–sea exchanges at the kilometre scale using coupled and uncoupled configurations of the Met Office’s UK Regional Coupled Environmental Prediction system. The case period includes the passage of extra-tropical cyclones Helen, Ali, and Bronagh, which brought maximum gusts of 36 m s $$^{-1}$$ - 1 over the UK. Compared with the atmosphere-only results, coupling to the ocean decreases the domain-average sea-surface temperature by up to 0.5 K. Inclusion of coupling to waves reduce the 98th percentile 10-m wind speed by up to 2 m s $$^{-1}$$ - 1 as young, growing wind waves reduce the wind speed by increasing the sea-surface aerodynamic roughness. Impacts on gusts are more modest, with local reductions of up to 1 m s $$^{-1}$$ - 1 , due to enhanced boundary-layer turbulence which partially offsets air–sea momentum transfer. Using a new drag parametrization based on the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Response Experiment 4.0 parametrization, with a cap on the neutral drag coefficient and reduction for wind speeds exceeding 27 m s $$^{-1}$$ - 1 , the atmosphere-only model achieves equivalent impacts on 10-m wind speeds and gusts as from coupling to waves. Overall, the new drag parametrization achieves the same 20% improvement in forecast 10-m wind-speed skill as coupling to waves, with the advantage of saving the computational cost of the ocean and wave models.

Microbial biogeography through the lens of exotic species: the recent introduction and spread of the freshwater diatom Discostella asterocostata in the United States - Andrew J. Alverson; Tyler K. Chafin; Kiley A. Jones; Kalina M. Manoylov; Hillary Johnson; Matthew L. Julius; Teofil Nakov; Elizabeth C. Ruck; Edward C. Theriot; Kevin M. Yeager; Jeffery R. Stone (Biological Invasions, 2021)

Antarctic desert soil bacteria exhibit high novel natural product potential, evaluated through long‐read genome sequencing and comparative genomics - Nicole Benaud; Richard J. Edwards; Timothy G. Amos; Paul M. D'Agostino; Carolina Gutiérrez‐Chávez; Kate Montgomery; Iskra Nicetic; Belinda C. Ferrari (Environmental Microbiology, 2021)
Summary Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria are important producers of bioactive natural products (NP), and these phyla dominate in the arid soils of Antarctica, where metabolic adaptations influence survival under harsh conditions. Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) which encode NPs, are typically long and repetitious high G + C regions difficult to sequence with short‐read technologies. We sequenced 17 Antarctic soil bacteria from multi‐genome libraries, employing the long‐read PacBio platform, to optimize capture of BGCs and to facilitate a comprehensive analysis of their NP capacity. We report 13 complete bacterial genomes of high quality and contiguity, representing 10 different cold‐adapted genera including novel species. Antarctic BGCs exhibited low similarity to known compound BGCs (av. 31%), with an abundance of terpene, non‐ribosomal peptide and polyketide‐encoding clusters. Comparative genome analysis was used to map BGC variation between closely related strains from geographically distant environments. Results showed the greatest biosynthetic differences to be in a psychrotolerant Streptomyces strain, as well as a rare Actinobacteria genus, Kribbella , while two other Streptomyces spp. were surprisingly similar to known genomes. Streptomyces and Kribbella BGCs were predicted to encode antitumour, antifungal, antibacterial and biosurfactant‐like compounds, and the synthesis of NPs with antibacterial, antifungal and surfactant properties was confirmed through bioactivity assays.

Developmental Timeline of Wild Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) Infants in Kianjavato and Torotorofotsy, Madagascar - Jeannin Nicolas Rakotondrazandry; Faranky Ravelomandrato; Timothy M. Sefczek; Yves Rostant Andriamalala; Cynthia L. Frasier; Vicki L. Villanova; Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona; Herimalala Raveloson; Edward E. Louis (International Journal of Primatology, 2021)

Effects of Holocene climate change, volcanism and mass migration on the ecosystem of a small, dry island (Brava, Cabo Verde) - Alvaro Castilla‐Beltrán; Lea de Nascimento; José María Fernández‐Palacios; Robert J. Whittaker; Maria M. Romeiras; Andrew B. Cundy; Mary Edwards; Sandra Nogué (Journal of Biogeography, 2021)
Aim Palaeoecological data provide an essential long‐term perspective of ecological change and its drivers in oceanic islands. However, analysing the effects of multi‐scalar and potentially co‐occurring disturbances is particularly challenging in dry islands. Here, we aim to identify the ecological consequences of the integrated impacts of a regional drying trend, volcanic eruptions and human mass migrations in a spatially constrained environment—a small, dry oceanic island in Macaronesia. Location Brava Island, Republic of Cabo Verde. Taxa Terrestrial vegetation and fungi. Methods We use palaeoecological analyses applied to a caldera soil profile that dates back to 9700 cal yr BP (calibrated years before the present). Analyses include pollen (vegetation history), non‐pollen palynomorphs (changes in fern and fungal communities), grain‐size distribution, loss‐on‐ignition and geochemistry (sedimentology and erosion regimes), microscopic tephra shards (volcanic ash deposition) and charcoal (fire regime). Results A regional drying trend after c. 4000 cal yr BP caused increased erosion but had limited immediate impacts on highland grassland vegetation. The expansion of fern‐rich woody scrubland was contemporaneous with significant deposition of volcanic ash and erosion between 1800 and 650 cal yr BP. About 300 cal yr BP, exogenous plants expanded, grazing and fires increased, and there was a decrease of native vegetation cover. Main conclusions Throughout the Holocene, highland vegetation in Brava was characterized by the presence of open landscapes dominated by herbaceous species (e.g. Poaceae, Forsskaolea ), with some presence of woody native taxa (e.g. Ficus , Dodonaea ). A regional drying trend was a driver of erosion since the Mid Holocene but did not have an immediate influence on highland vegetation. Tephra deposition is a possible driver of vegetation change. Inter‐island mass migration after volcanic events in Fogo Island c. 1680 CE potentially triggered land use change and intensification, causing a reduction of native vegetation in Brava.

SNAPSHOT USA 2019: a coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States - Michael V. Cove; Roland Kays; Helen Bontrager; Claire Bresnan; Monica Lasky; Taylor Frerichs; Renee Klann; Thomas E. Lee; Seth C. Crockett; Anthony P. Crupi; Katherine C. B. Weiss; Helen Rowe; et al. (Ecology, 2021)
With the accelerating pace of global change, it is imperative that we obtain rapid inventories of the status and distribution of wildlife for ecological inferences and conservation planning. To address this challenge, we launched the SNAPSHOT USA project, a collaborative survey of terrestrial wildlife populations using camera traps across the United States. For our first annual survey, we compiled data across all 50 states during a 14‐week period (17 August–24 November of 2019). We sampled wildlife at 1,509 camera trap sites from 110 camera trap arrays covering 12 different ecoregions across four development zones. This effort resulted in 166,036 unique detections of 83 species of mammals and 17 species of birds. All images were processed through the Smithsonian’s eMammal camera trap data repository and included an expert review phase to ensure taxonomic accuracy of data, resulting in each picture being reviewed at least twice. The results represent a timely and standardized camera trap survey of the United States. All of the 2019 survey data are made available herein. We are currently repeating surveys in fall 2020, opening up the opportunity to other institutions and cooperators to expand coverage of all the urban–wild gradients and ecophysiographic regions of the country. Future data will be available as the database is updated at eMammal.si.edu/snapshot‐usa, as will future data paper submissions. These data will be useful for local and macroecological research including the examination of community assembly, effects of environmental and anthropogenic landscape variables, effects of fragmentation and extinction debt dynamics, as well as species‐specific population dynamics and conservation action plans. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this paper when using the data for publication.

An Experimental Framework for Selectively Breeding Corals for Assisted Evolution - Adriana Humanes; Elizabeth A. Beauchamp; John C. Bythell; Mitch K. Carl; Jamie R. Craggs; Alasdair J. Edwards; Yimnang Golbuu; Liam Lachs; Helios M. Martinez; Pawel Palmowski; Faith Paysinger; Janna L. Randle; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Coral cover on tropical reefs has declined during the last three decades due to the combined effects of climate change, destructive fishing, pollution, and land use change. Drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions combined with effective coastal management and conservation strategies are essential to slow this decline. Innovative approaches, such as selective breeding for adaptive traits combined with large-scale sexual propagation, are being developed with the aim of pre-adapting reefs to increased ocean warming. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding of the technical and methodological constraints to producing corals for such restoration interventions. Here we propose a framework for selectively breeding corals and rearing them from eggs to 2.5-year old colonies using the coral Acropora digitifera as a model species. We present methods for choosing colonies for selective crossing, enhancing early survivorship in ex situ and in situ nurseries, and outplanting and monitoring colonies on natal reefs. We used a short-term (7-day) temperature stress assay to select parental colonies based on heat tolerance of excised branches. From six parental colonies, we produced 12 distinct crosses, and compared survivorship and growth of colonies transferred to in situ nurseries or outplanted to the reef at different ages. We demonstrate that selectively breeding and rearing coral colonies is technically feasible at small scales and could be upscaled as part of restorative assisted evolution initiatives. Nonetheless, there are still challenges to overcome before selective breeding can be implemented as a viable conservation tool, especially at the post-settlement and outplanting phases. Although interdisciplinary approaches will be needed to overcome many of the challenges identified in this study, selective breeding has the potential to be a viable tool within a reef managers toolbox to support the persistence of selected reefs in the face of climate change.

Corrigendum: OceanGliders: A Component of the Integrated GOOS - Pierre Testor; Brad de Young; Daniel L. Rudnick; Scott Glenn; Daniel Hayes; Craig M. Lee; Charitha Pattiaratchi; Katherine Hill; Emma Heslop; Victor Turpin; Pekka Alenius; Carlos Barrera; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)

The Path to an Ecosystem Approach for Forage Fish Management: A Case Study of Atlantic Menhaden - Kristen A. Anstead; Katie Drew; David Chagaris; Amy M. Schueller; Jason E. McNamee; Andre Buchheister; Geneviève Nesslage; Jim H. Uphoff Jr.; Michael J. Wilberg; Alexei Sharov; Micah J. Dean; Jeffrey Brust; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Atlantic menhaden ( Brevoortia tyrannus ) support the largest fishery by volume on the United States East Coast, while also playing an important role as a forage species. Managers’ and stakeholders’ increasing concerns about the impact of Atlantic menhaden harvest on ecosystem processes led to an evolution in the assessment and management of this species from a purely single-species approach to an ecosystem approach. The first coastwide stock assessment of Atlantic menhaden for management used a single-species virtual population analysis (VPA). Subsequent assessments used a forward projecting statistical catch-at-age framework that incorporated estimates of predation mortality from a multispecies VPA while analytical efforts continued toward the development of ecosystem models and explicit ecological reference points (ERPs) for Atlantic menhaden. As an interim step while ecosystem models were being developed, a series of ad hoc measures to preserve Atlantic menhaden biomass for predators were used by managers. In August 2020, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission formally adopted an ecological modeling framework as a tool to set reference points and harvest limits for the Atlantic menhaden that considers their role as a forage fish. This is the first example of a quantitative ecosystem approach to setting reference points on the United States Atlantic Coast and it represents a significant advance for forage fish management. This case study reviews the history of Atlantic menhaden stock assessments and management, outlines the progress on the current implementation of ERPs for this species, and highlights future research and management needs to improve and expand ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Exploring the Pacific Arctic Seasonal Ice Zone With Saildrone USVs - Andrew M. Chiodi; Chidong Zhang; Edward D. Cokelet; Qiong Yang; Calvin W. Mordy; Chelle L. Gentemann; Jessica N. Cross; Noah Lawrence-Slavas; Christian Meinig; Michael Steele; Don E. Harrison; Phyllis J. Stabeno; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
More high-quality, in situ observations of essential marine variables are needed over the seasonal ice zone to better understand Arctic (or Antarctic) weather, climate, and ecosystems. To better assess the potential for arrays of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to provide such observations, five wind-driven and solar-powered saildrones were sailed into the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas following the 2019 seasonal retreat of sea ice. They were equipped to observe the surface oceanic and atmospheric variables required to estimate air-sea fluxes of heat, momentum and carbon dioxide. Some of these variables were made available to weather forecast centers in real time. Our objective here is to analyze the effectiveness of existing remote ice navigation products and highlight the challenges and opportunities for improving remote ice navigation strategies with USVs. We examine the sources of navigational sea-ice distribution information based on post-mission tabulation of the sea-ice conditions encountered by the vehicles. The satellite-based ice-concentration analyses consulted during the mission exhibited large disagreements when the sea ice was retreating fastest (e.g., the 10% concentration contours differed between analyses by up to ∼175 km). Attempts to use saildrone observations to detect the ice edge revealed that in situ temperature and salinity measurements varied sufficiently in ice bands and open water that it is difficult to use these variables alone as a reliable ice-edge indicator. Devising robust strategies for remote ice zone navigation may depend on developing the capability to recognize sea ice and initiate navigational maneuvers with cameras and processing capability onboard the vehicles.

Catchment-scale groundwater-flow and recharge paradox revealed from base flow analysis during the Australian Millennium Drought (Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia) - Thomas T. Anderson; Erick A. Bestland; Ilka Wallis; Peter J. C. Kretschmer; Lesja Soloninka; Edward W. Banks; Adrian D. Werner; Dioni I. Cendón; Markus M. Pichler; Huade Guan (Hydrogeology Journal, 2021)

Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding - Abigail Bennett; Xavier Basurto; John Virdin; Xinyan Lin; Samantha J. Betances; Martin D. Smith; Edward H. Allison; Barbara A. Best; Kelly D. Brownell; Lisa M. Campbell; Christopher D. Golden; Elizabeth Havice; et al. (Ambio, 2021)
The international development community is off-track from meeting targets for alleviating global malnutrition. Meanwhile, there is growing consensus across scientific disciplines that fish plays a crucial role in food and nutrition security. However, this ‘fish as food’ perspective has yet to translate into policy and development funding priorities. We argue that the traditional framing of fish as a natural resource emphasizes economic development and biodiversity conservation objectives, whereas situating fish within a food systems perspective can lead to innovative policies and investments that promote nutrition-sensitive and socially equitable capture fisheries and aquaculture. This paper highlights four pillars of research needs and policy directions toward this end. Ultimately, recognizing and working to enhance the role of fish in alleviating hunger and malnutrition can provide an additional long-term development incentive, beyond revenue generation and biodiversity conservation, for governments, international development organizations, and society more broadly to invest in the sustainability of capture fisheries and aquaculture.

The Impact of Wave Model Source Terms and Coupling Strategies to Rapidly Developing Waves across the North-West European Shelf during Extreme Events - Nieves G. Valiente; Andrew Saulter; John M. Edwards; Huw W. Lewis; Juan M. Castillo Sanchez; Diego Bruciaferri; Christopher Bunney; John Siddorn (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2021)
Prediction of severe natural hazards requires accurate forecasting systems. Recently, there has been a tendency towards more integrated solutions, where different components of the Earth system are coupled to explicitly represent the physical feedbacks between them. This study focuses on rapidly developing waves under extratropical storms to understand the impact of different wave source term parameterisations in the WAVEWATCH III (WWIII) model (ST4 and ST6) and coupling strategies (surface roughness closure versus surface stress closure) on the accuracy of the Met Office regional atmosphere-ocean-wave coupled research system for the north-west (NW) European shelf (UKC4). Results of a study focused on simulations during winter 2013/14 demonstrate that ST6 allows for a faster wave growth than the ST4 parameterisation but might degrade low to mid energy wave states. The difference between ST6 and ST4 in wave growth is larger for higher wind speeds and short fetches. The experiment with ST4 and roughness closure consistently under-predicts the wave growth in those locations where fetch dependence is an important factor (i.e., seas at the East (E) of Ireland and the UK for storms coming from the NW-WNW). The implementation in the wave model of ST6 physics with the stress closure coupling strategy appears to improve growth of young wind-seas, reducing bias in those locations where the storms are underestimated. The slower wave growth when using surface roughness closure seems to be related to an underestimation of the momentum transfer computed by the wave model when coupling the wind speeds. For very young to young wind seas, this can be overcome when the surface stress is computed by the atmospheric model and directly passed to the ocean.

Agrochemical Health Risks Exposure and Its Determinants: Empirical Evidence among Cassava Farmers in Nigeria - Toyin S Olowogbon; Raphael O Babatunde; Edward Asiedu; Aaron M Yoder (Journal of Agromedicine, 2021)

Microplastic pollution in the surface waters of creeks along the Kenyan coast, Western Indian Ocean (WIO) - Joyce O. Kerubo; Agnes W. Muthumbi; John M. Onyari; Edward N. Kimani; Deborah Robertson-Andersson (Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 2021)
Microplastic pollution has been recognized as a global threat in marine environments and a danger to prey, predators and humans. Yet there have been limited studies in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and along the Kenyan coast making it difficult to estimate the extent of such pollution. This is the first study on microplastics (MPs) in the surface waters within creeks (Tudor, Port-Reitz and Mida creeks) in Kenya. Sampling was done in January/ February and September 2018 to collect microplastics from surface water. Neuston nets of 500 μm (large) and 250 μm (medium) size were towed for ten minutes and 50 litres of seawater sieved through a 20 μm net (small) in three replicates. The samples were digested in 10 % Potassium Hydroxide, sieved, and then filtered with cellulose nitrate membrane microfilters. Concentrations of total microplastics, different shapes and colours were established under a microscope. High concentrations of small size (20-250 μm) MPs were encountered and Tudor and Port Reitz had higher concentrations compared to Mida Creek. The study provides data on microplastic concentrations within the creeks and recommends focussing on small size microplastics for monitoring purposes, which due to their high concentrations can be hazardous to organisms.

Upland burning and grazing as strategies to offset climate-change effects on wetlands - Owen P. McKenna; David A. Renton; David M. Mushet; Edward S. DeKeyser (Wetlands Ecology and Management, 2021)
Wetland ecosystems perform a multitude of services valued by society and provide critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Despite their importance, wetlands have been lost to different local, regional, and global drivers. Remaining wetlands are extremely sensitive to changing temperature and precipitation regimes. Management of grassland areas in wetland catchments may be an effective strategy for counteracting potentially negative impacts of climate change on wetlands. Our objective was to estimate the effects of climate changes on wetland hydrology, and to explore strategies for increasing surface-water inputs to wetlands. We coupled a field study with process-based simulation modeling of wetland-water levels. We found that climate change could decrease the number of wetlands that hold ponded water during the waterfowl breeding season by 14% under a hot wet scenario or 29% under a hot dry scenario if no upland-management actions were taken. Upland burning reduced pond losses to 9% (hot wet) and 26% (hot dry). Upland grazing resulted in the smallest loss of ponded wetlands, 6% loss under the hot-and-wet scenario and 22% loss under the hot-and-dry scenario. Overall, water inputs could be increased by either burning or grazing of upland vegetation thereby reducing pond losses during the waterfowl breeding season. While field results suggest that both grazing and burning can reduce the vegetative structure that could lead to increases in runoff in grassland catchments, our model simulations indicated that additional actions may be needed for managers to minimize future meteorologically driven water losses.

Isonicotinoyl hydrazones of pyridoxine derivatives: synthesis and antimycobacterial activity - Nikita V. Shtyrlin; Rail M. Khaziev; Valery G. Shtyrlin; Edward M. Gilyazetdinov; Mariya N. Agafonova; Konstantin S. Usachev; Daut R. Islamov; Alexander E. Klimovitskii; Tatiana I. Vinogradova; Marine Z. Dogonadze; Natalia V. Zabolotnykh; Evgenii G. Sokolovich; et al. (Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2021)

Autonomous vehicle surveys indicate that flow reversals retain juvenile fishes in a highly advective high‐latitude ecosystem - Robert M. Levine; Alex De Robertis; Daniel Grünbaum; Rebecca Woodgate; Calvin W. Mordy; Franz Mueter; Edward Cokelet; Noah Lawrence‐Slavas; Heather Tabisola (Limnology and Oceanography, 2021)
Summer surveys of the Chukchi Sea indicate that high densities of age‐0 gadid fishes, historically Arctic cod ( Boreogadus saida ) but recently also walleye pollock ( Gadus chalcogrammus ), dominate the pelagic fish community. Adults are comparatively scarce, suggesting that either overwinter survivorship of age‐0 gadids is low, or that they emigrate to other areas of the Pacific Arctic. To examine population movement, we conducted repeat acoustic surveys with saildrone autonomous surface vehicles equipped with echosounders throughout summer 2018. The saildrones' range and endurance enabled two large‐scale surveys of the U.S. Chukchi shelf. Acoustic backscatter, a proxy for fish density, was highest in regions with sea surface temperatures of 6–8°C, and lowest in areas influenced by recent ice melt. A subarea of the central Chukchi was surveyed a total of four times; backscatter in this subarea increased by > 85% from late‐July to mid‐September. As summer progressed, fish developed more extensive diel vertical migrations and backscatter from individuals doubled. Both changes suggest increases in backscatter were driven primarily by increasing body size. Particle tracking simulations indicated age‐0 gadids were likely retained over the Chukchi shelf by extended periods of wind‐driven southward flow during the survey period before strong northward flow in late fall transported them to the north. These findings suggest that in summer 2018, age‐0 gadids were advected northward to the Chukchi shelf from the northern Bering Sea, where they were retained during a period of growth until late fall before being advected farther north toward the Chukchi and Beaufort shelf breaks.

The Essentials of Marine Biotechnology - Ana Rotter; Michéle Barbier; Francesco Bertoni; Atle M. Bones; M. Leonor Cancela; Jens Carlsson; Maria F. Carvalho; Marta Cegłowska; Jerónimo Chirivella-Martorell; Meltem Conk Dalay; Mercedes Cueto; Thanos Dailianis; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Coastal countries have traditionally relied on the existing marine resources (e.g., fishing, food, transport, recreation, and tourism) as well as tried to support new economic endeavors (ocean energy, desalination for water supply, and seabed mining). Modern societies and lifestyle resulted in an increased demand for dietary diversity, better health and well-being, new biomedicines, natural cosmeceuticals, environmental conservation, and sustainable energy sources. These societal needs stimulated the interest of researchers on the diverse and underexplored marine environments as promising and sustainable sources of biomolecules and biomass, and they are addressed by the emerging field of marine (blue) biotechnology. Blue biotechnology provides opportunities for a wide range of initiatives of commercial interest for the pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetic, nutraceutical, food, feed, agricultural, and related industries. This article synthesizes the essence, opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges encountered in marine biotechnology and outlines the attainment and valorization of directly derived or bio-inspired products from marine organisms. First, the concept of bioeconomy is introduced. Then, the diversity of marine bioresources including an overview of the most prominent marine organisms and their potential for biotechnological uses are described. This is followed by introducing methodologies for exploration of these resources and the main use case scenarios in energy, food and feed, agronomy, bioremediation and climate change, cosmeceuticals, bio-inspired materials, healthcare, and well-being sectors. The key aspects in the fields of legislation and funding are provided, with the emphasis on the importance of communication and stakeholder engagement at all levels of biotechnology development. Finally, vital overarching concepts, such as the quadruple helix and Responsible Research and Innovation principle are highlighted as important to follow within the marine biotechnology field. The authors of this review are collaborating under the European Commission-funded Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action Ocean4Biotech – European transdisciplinary networking platform for marine biotechnology and focus the study on the European state of affairs.

Tropical land-use change alters trait-based community assembly rules for dung beetles and birds - Felicity A. Edwards; David P. Edwards; Keith C. Hamer; Tom M. Fayle (Oecologia, 2021)
Tropical rainforest disturbance and conversion are critical drivers of biodiversity loss. A key knowledge gap is understanding the impacts of habitat modification on mechanisms of community assembly, which are predicted to respond differently between taxa and across spatial scales. We use a null model approach to detect trait assembly of species at local- and landscape-scales, and then subdivide communities with different habitat associations and foraging guilds to investigate whether the detection of assembly mechanisms varies between groups. We focus on two indicator taxa, dung beetles and birds, across a disturbance gradient of primary rainforest, selectively logged rainforest, and oil palm plantations in Borneo, Southeast Asia. Random community assembly was predominant for dung beetles across habitats, whereas trait convergence, indicative of environmental filtering, occurred across the disturbance gradient for birds. Assembly patterns at the two spatial scales were similar. Subdividing for habitat association and foraging guild revealed patterns hidden when focusing on the overall community. Dung beetle forest specialists and habitat generalists showed opposing assembly mechanisms in primary forest, community assembly of habitat generalists for both taxa differed with disturbance intensity, and insectivorous birds strongly influenced overall community assembly relative to other guilds. Our study reveals the sensitivity of community assembly mechanisms to anthropogenic disturbance via a shift in the relative contribution of stochastic and deterministic processes. This highlights the need for greater understanding of how habitat modification alters species interactions and the importance of incorporating species’ traits within assessments.

Genetic analysis of endometriosis and depression identifies shared loci and implicates causal links with gastric mucosa abnormality - Emmanuel O. Adewuyi; Divya Mehta; Yadav Sapkota; Yadav Sapkota; Kosuke Yoshihara; Mette Nyegaard; Valgerdur Steinthorsdottir; Andrew P. Morris; Amelie Fassbender; Nilufer Rahmioglu; Immaculata De Vivo; Julie E. Buring; et al. (Human Genetics, 2021)

Characterization and engineering of two new GH9 and GH48 cellulases from a Bacillus pumilus isolated from Lake Bogoria - Lydia A. Ogonda; Amélie Saumonneau; Michel Dion; Edward K. Muge; Benson M. Wamalwa; Francis J. Mulaa; Charles Tellier (Biotechnology Letters, 2021)

Palynological evidence for pre-agricultural reindeer grazing and the later settlement history of the Lycksele region, northern Sweden - Ilse M. Kamerling; J. Edward Schofield; Kevin J. Edwards (Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2021)
Analyses of high-resolution pollen data, coprophilous fungal spores, microscopic charcoal and sedimentology, combined with radiocarbon dating, allow the assessment of the impact of Sami and Nordic land use in the region surrounding the winter market town of Lycksele in northern Sweden. Such winter markets were established by the Crown during the seventeenth century AD to control the semi-nomadic movements of the Sami who traded here with Finnish settlers and were also taxed and educated. Little is known about Sami and Nordic co-existence beyond these market places, mainly due to a lack of archaeological evidence relating to Sami activity. Vegetation and land-use changes in the region between ~ AD 250 and 1825 reveal no signal for pre-seventeenth century agricultural activity, but the coprophilous fungal spore records suggest the increased regional presence of grazing herbivores (possibly reindeer) between ~ AD 800 and 1100. Sami activity in the parish of Lycksele has been suggested by rich metal finds dated to ~ AD 1000–1350 and they may have been attracted by an abundance of reindeer.

Perlecan Domain-V Enhances Neurogenic Brain Repair After Stroke in Mice - Amanda L. Trout; Michael P. Kahle; Jill M. Roberts; Aileen Marcelo; Leon de Hoog; Jeffery A. Boychuk; Stephen L. Grupke; Antonio Berretta; Emma K. Gowing; Carie R. Boychuk; Amanda A. Gorman; Danielle N. Edwards; et al. (Translational Stroke Research, 2021)
The extracellular matrix fragment perlecan domain V is neuroprotective and functionally restorative following experimental stroke. As neurogenesis is an important component of chronic post-stroke repair, and previous studies have implicated perlecan in developmental neurogenesis, we hypothesized that domain V could have a broad therapeutic window by enhancing neurogenesis after stroke. We demonstrated that domain V is chronically increased in the brains of human stroke patients, suggesting that it is present during post-stroke neurogenic periods. Furthermore, perlecan deficient mice had significantly less neuroblast precursor cells after experimental stroke. Seven-day delayed domain V administration enhanced neurogenesis and restored peri-infarct excitatory synaptic drive to neocortical layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons after experimental stroke. Domain V’s effects were inhibited by blockade of α2β1 integrin, suggesting the importance of α2β1 integrin to neurogenesis and domain V neurogenic effects. Our results demonstrate that perlecan plays a previously unrecognized role in post-stroke neurogenesis and that delayed DV administration after experimental stroke enhances neurogenesis and improves recovery in an α2β1 integrin-mediated fashion. We conclude that domain V is a clinically relevant neuroprotective and neuroreparative novel stroke therapy with a broad therapeutic window.

Winter warming rapidly increases carbon degradation capacities of fungal communities in tundra soil: Potential consequences on carbon stability - Jingmin Cheng; Yunfeng Yang; Mengting M. Yuan; Qun Gao; Liyou Wu; Ziyan Qin; Zhou J. Shi; Edward A. G. Schuur; James R. Cole; James M. Tiedje; Jizhong Zhou (Molecular Ecology, 2021)
High‐latitude tundra ecosystems are increasingly affected by climate warming. As an important fraction of soil microorganisms, fungi play essential roles in carbon degradation, especially the old, chemically recalcitrant carbon. However, it remains obscure how fungi respond to climate warming and whether fungi, in turn, affect carbon stability of tundra. In a 2‐year winter soil warming experiment of 2°C by snow fences, we investigated responses of fungal communities to warming in the active layer of an Alaskan tundra. Although fungal community composition, revealed by the 28S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, remained unchanged ( p > .05), fungal functional gene composition, revealed by a microarray named GeoChip, was altered ( p p p

Pantropical variability in tree crown allometry - Grace Jopaul Loubota Panzou; Adeline Fayolle; Tommaso Jucker; Oliver L. Phillips; Stephanie Bohlman; Lindsay F. Banin; Simon L. Lewis; Kofi Affum‐Baffoe; Luciana F. Alves; Cécile Antin; Eric Arets; Luzmila Arroyo; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2021)
Aim Tree crowns determine light interception, carbon and water exchange. Thus, understanding the factors causing tree crown allometry to vary at the tree and stand level matters greatly for the development of future vegetation modelling and for the calibration of remote sensing products. Nevertheless, we know little about large‐scale variation and determinants in tropical tree crown allometry. In this study, we explored the continental variation in scaling exponents of site‐specific crown allometry and assessed their relationships with environmental and stand‐level variables in the tropics. Location Global tropics. Time period Early 21st century. Major taxa studied Woody plants. Methods Using a dataset of 87,737 trees distributed among 245 forest and savanna sites across the tropics, we fitted site‐specific allometric relationships between crown dimensions (crown depth, diameter and volume) and stem diameter using power‐law models. Stand‐level and environmental drivers of crown allometric relationships were assessed at pantropical and continental scales. Results The scaling exponents of allometric relationships between stem diameter and crown dimensions were higher in savannas than in forests. We identified that continental crown models were better than pantropical crown models and that continental differences in crown allometric relationships were driven by both stand‐level (wood density) and environmental (precipitation, cation exchange capacity and soil texture) variables for both tropical biomes. For a given diameter, forest trees from Asia and savanna trees from Australia had smaller crown dimensions than trees in Africa and America, with crown volumes for some Asian forest trees being smaller than those of trees in African forests. Main conclusions Our results provide new insight into geographical variability, with large continental differences in tropical tree crown allometry that were driven by stand‐level and environmental variables. They have implications for the assessment of ecosystem function and for the monitoring of woody biomass by remote sensing techniques in the global tropics.

Dietary intake, eating behavior and physical activity in individuals with and without obstructive sleep apnea - Caroline J. Beatty; Shane A. Landry; Joy Lee; Simon A. Joosten; Anthony Turton; Denise M. O’Driscoll; Ai-Ming Wong; Luke Thomson; Bradley A. Edwards; Garun S. Hamilton (Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2021)

Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Management of Texas Coral Snake (Micrurus tener) Envenomations Reported to the North American Snakebite Registry - Spencer Greene; Anne-Michelle Ruha; Sharan Campleman; Jeffrey Brent; Paul Wax; Kim Aldy; Peter Akpunonu; Vikhyat S. Bebarta; Gillian A. Beauchamp; Michael C. Beuhler; Mary Billington; William Boroughf; et al. (Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2021)

Differences in joint power distribution in high and low lactate threshold cyclists - Brian K. Leary; Heath M. Burton; Emre Vardarli; Anthony S. Wolfe; Charles K. Crawford; John D. Akins; Edward F. Coyle (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2021)

Spatial and Temporal Influences of Nearshore Hydrography on Fish Assemblages Associated with Energy Platforms in the Northern Gulf of Mexico - Ryan T. Munnelly; David B. Reeves; Edward J. Chesney; Donald M. Baltz (Estuaries and Coasts, 2021)

Spatial analysis of urine zinc (Zn) concentration for women of reproductive age and school age children in Malawi - Felix P. Phiri; E. Louise Ander; R. Murray Lark; Edward J. M. Joy; Alexander A. Kalimbira; Parminder S. Suchdev; Jellita Gondwe; Elliott M. Hamilton; Michael J. Watts; Martin R. Broadley (Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2021)
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient, and Zn deficiency remains a major global public health challenge. Recognised biomarkers of population Zn status include blood plasma or serum Zn concentration and proxy data such as dietary Zn intake and prevalence of stunting. Urine Zn concentration is rarely used to assess population Zn status. This study assessed the value of urine Zn concentration as a biomarker of population Zn status using a nationally representative sample of non-pregnant women of reproductive age (WRA) and school-aged children (SAC) in Malawi. Spot (casual) urine samples were collected from 741 WRA and 665 SAC. Urine Zn concentration was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with specific gravity adjustment for hydration status. Data were analysed using a linear mixed model with a spatially correlated random effect for between-cluster variation. The effect of time of sample collection (morning or afternoon), and gender (for SAC), on urine Zn concentration were examined. There was spatial dependence in urine Zn concentration between clusters among SAC but not WRA, which indicates that food system or environmental factors can influence urine Zn concentration. Mapping urine Zn concentration could potentially identify areas where the prevalence of Zn deficiency is greater and thus where further sampling or interventions might be targeted. There was no evidence for differences in urine Zn concentration between gender ( P = 0.69) or time of sample collection ( P = 0.85) in SAC. Urine Zn concentration was greater in afternoon samples for WRA ( P = 0.003). Relationships between urine Zn concentration, serum Zn concentration, dietary Zn intake, and potential food systems covariates warrant further study.

Physical activity for cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic: a call to action - Leandro F. M. Rezende; Dong Hoon Lee; Gerson Ferrari; José Eluf-Neto; Edward L. Giovannucci (Cancer Causes & Control, 2021)

A marine teleost, Opsanus beta, compensates acidosis in hypersaline water by H+ excretion or reduced HCO3− excretion rather than HCO3− uptake - Zongli Yao; Kevin L. Schauer; Ilan M. Ruhr; Edward M. Mager; Rachael M. Heuer; Martin Grosell (Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 2021)

A global analysis of complexity–biodiversity relationships on marine artificial structures - Elisabeth M. A. Strain; Peter D. Steinberg; Maria Vozzo; Emma L. Johnston; Marco Abbiati; Moises A. Aguilera; Laura Airoldi; J. David Aguirre; Gail Ashton; Maritina Bernardi; Paul Brooks; Benny K. K. Chan; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2021)
Aim Topographic complexity is widely accepted as a key driver of biodiversity, but at the patch‐scale, complexity–biodiversity relationships may vary spatially and temporally according to the environmental stressors complexity mitigates, and the species richness and identity of potential colonists. Using a manipulative experiment, we assessed spatial variation in patch‐scale effects of complexity on intertidal biodiversity. Location 27 sites within 14 estuaries/bays distributed globally. Time period 2015–2017. Major taxa studied Functional groups of algae, sessile and mobile invertebrates. Methods Concrete tiles of differing complexity (flat; 2.5‐cm or 5‐cm complex) were affixed at low–high intertidal elevation on coastal defence structures, and the richness and abundance of the colonizing taxa were quantified after 12 months. Results The patch‐scale effects of complexity varied spatially and among functional groups. Complexity had neutral to positive effects on total, invertebrate and algal taxa richness, and invertebrate abundances. However, effects on the abundance of algae ranged from positive to negative, depending on location and functional group. The tidal elevation at which tiles were placed accounted for some variation. The total and invertebrate richness were greater at low or mid than at high intertidal elevations. Latitude was also an important source of spatial variation, with the effects of complexity on total richness and mobile mollusc abundance greatest at lower latitudes, whilst the cover of sessile invertebrates and sessile molluscs responded most strongly to complexity at higher latitudes. Conclusions After 12 months, patch‐scale relationships between biodiversity and habitat complexity were not universally positive. Instead, the relationship varied among functional groups and according to local abiotic and biotic conditions. This result challenges the assumption that effects of complexity on biodiversity are universally positive. The variable effect of complexity has ramifications for community and applied ecology, including eco‐engineering and restoration that seek to bolster biodiversity through the addition of complexity.

Climate change literature and information gaps in mountainous headwaters of the Columbia River Basin - Adrienne M. Marshall; Meghan Foard; Courtney M. Cooper; Paris Edwards; Shana L. Hirsch; Micah Russell; Timothy E. Link (Regional Environmental Change, 2020)

Volatile Organic Compounds as Insect Repellents and Plant Elicitors: an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategy for Glasshouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) - Niall J.A. Conboy; Thomas McDaniel; David George; Adam Ormerod; Martin Edwards; Paul Donohoe; Angharad M. R Gatehouse; Colin R. Tosh (Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2020)
The glasshouse whitefly ( Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood) is a polyphagous arthropod pest that is of particular detriment to glasshouse grown tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) across temperate regions of the world. Control of whiteflies with synthetic pesticides has resulted in the evolution of resistant genotypes and a reduction in natural enemies, thus highlighting the need for environmentally sound control strategies. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) offer an environmentally benign alternative to synthetic chemical sprays and this study explored the use of VOCs as insect repellents and plant defence elicitors to control whiteflies on tomato in a commercial glasshouse setting. Limonene in the form of a volatile dispenser system was found to successfully repel whitefly from the target crop and increased fruit yield by 32% during a heavy whitefly infestation. Analysis of tomato herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) led us to select methyl salicylate (MeSA) as the plant elicitor and application of MeSA to un-infested tomato plants was found to successfully reduce whitefly population development and increase yield by 11%, although this difference was marginally statistically significant. Combination of these two methods was also effective but whitefly abundance in combined plots was similar to the standalone limonene treatment across the course of the experiment. All of the VOC based control methods we used had a negative impact on whitefly performance, with more pronounced effects during the first few weeks of infestation. In subsequent laboratory experiments, we found elevated peroxidase (POD) activity and a significant increase in TPX1 and PR1 transcripts in MeSA treated plants. This led us to deduce that MeSA immediately induced plant defences, rather than priming them. We did however see evidence for residual priming, as plants treated with MeSA and infested with whiteflies produced significantly higher levels of POD activity than whitefly infestation alone. Despite the fact that our treatments failed to synergise, our methods can be optimised further, and the effectiveness of the standalone treatments is promising for future studies. In particular, our repellent limonene dispensers were extremely effective at deterring whiteflies and offer a low economic cost and easy to implement whitefly control option. The methods we have used here could be incorporated into current integrated pest management (IPM) systems, a sustainable approach to pest control which will be central to our efforts to manage whitefly populations under glass in the future.

Correction to: Transition Periods in the Diurnally-Varying Atmospheric Boundary Layer Over Land - Wayne M. Angevine; John M. Edwards; Marie Lothon; Margaret A. LeMone; Simon R. Osborne (Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 2020)

Representation of Boundary-Layer Processes in Numerical Weather Prediction and Climate Models - John M. Edwards; Anton C. M. Beljaars; Albert A. M. Holtslag; Adrian P. Lock (Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 2020)

Transition Periods in the Diurnally-Varying Atmospheric Boundary Layer Over Land - Wayne M. Angevine; John M. Edwards; Marie Lothon; Margaret A. LeMone; Simon R. Osborne (Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 2020)

Dominance of endemics in the reef fish assemblages of the Hawaiian Archipelago - Alan M. Friedlander; Mary K. Donovan; Edward E. DeMartini; Brian W. Bowen (Journal of Biogeography, 2020)
Aim Species ranges provide a valuable foundation for resolving biogeographical regions, evolutionary processes and extinction risks. To inform conservation priorities, here we develop the first bioregionalization based on reef fish abundance of the Hawaiian Archipelago, which spans nearly 10° of latitude across 2,400 km, including 8 high volcanic islands in the populated main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), and 10 low islands (atolls, shoals and islets) in the remote northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Location The Hawaiian Archipelago. Taxon Fishes (276 taxa). Methods We compiled 5,316 visual fish surveys at depths of 1–30 m from throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. Geographical range (km 2 ) for each species was measured as extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occurrence (AOO). PERMANOVA and PCO were used to investigate drivers of fish assemblage structure. Distance‐based multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between fish assemblage structure and predictor variables including latitude, reef area, temperature, chlorophyll‐ a , wave energy and human population density. Results Distinct fish assemblages exist in the MHI and NWHI, with two additional faunal breaks driven primarily by endemic species abundance. Latitude explained 37% of the variability in fish assemblages, with reef area accounting for an additional 9%. EOO showed a significant correlation with latitude. Endemics comprised 52%–55% of the numerical abundance at the northern end of the archipelago but only 17% on Hawai‘i Island in the extreme south. Maximum size and activity regime (day vs. night) explained the most variation in the abundance of endemics. Main conclusions The Hawaiian fish assemblages are strongly influenced by endemic species, affirming the archipelago as a biodiversity hotspot of high conservation value. The higher abundance of endemics in the NWHI may represent preadaptation to oceanic (oligotrophic) conditions. Resolution of distinct bioregions across the archipelago provides a better understanding of reef fish macroecology, with implications for management at the archipelago scale.

Public Perceptions of Mangrove Forests Matter for Their Conservation - Farid Dahdouh-Guebas; Gordon N. Ajonina; A. Aldrie Amir; Dominic A. Andradi-Brown; Irfan Aziz; Thorsten Balke; Edward B. Barbier; Stefano Cannicci; Simon M. Cragg; Marília Cunha-Lignon; David J. Curnick; Carlos M. Duarte; et al. (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2020)

A review of a decade of lessons from one of the world’s largest MPAs: conservation gains and key challenges - Graeme C. Hays; Heather J. Koldewey; Samantha Andrzejaczek; Martin J. Attrill; Shanta Barley; Daniel T. I. Bayley; Cassandra E. Benkwitt; Barbara Block; Robert J. Schallert; Aaron B. Carlisle; Pete Carr; Taylor K. Chapple; et al. (Marine Biology, 2020)

Deforestation leakage undermines conservation value of tropical and subtropical forest protected areas - Scott Alan Ford; Martin Rudbeck Jepsen; Naomi Kingston; Edward Lewis; Thomas M. Brooks; Brian MacSharry; Ole Mertz (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2020)
Aim The establishment of protected areas is among the most widespread responses to mitigate species loss. Although protected areas are often assumed to have conservation benefits, negative impacts have also been documented. One potential negative outcome is leakage, whereby protected areas displace land‐use activities harmful to conservation into adjacent areas. This can undermine protection by accelerating loss of species or skewing judgements of effectiveness. This study assessed the prevalence of deforestation leakage in a pan‐tropical and subtropical selection of 120 protected areas. Location Tropical and subtropical forest regions of America, Africa and Asia. Time period 2001–2017. Major taxa studied Threatened species of amphibians, birds and terrestrial mammals. Methods We used Global Forest Change data to assess the average yearly rate of deforestation in protected areas, protected area buffer zones and statistically matched, unprotected control areas. We calculated and compared irreplaceability of habitat for threatened amphibian, bird and terrestrial mammal species between protected areas and buffer zones. Results In 55 cases, deforestation rates were higher in buffer zones than in protected and control areas, suggesting a relatively high prevalence of deforestation leakage stemming from protected areas. In 78.2% of documented leakage cases, reduced deforestation in protected areas was not sufficient to offset the amount of deforestation in 10 km buffer zones to a level that would be expected without protection. In 90.9% of leakage cases, the irreplaceability of species in the 10 km buffer zone was greater than that of the protected area, implying a negative impact of leakage on threatened species. Main conclusions The results suggest that protected areas are generally effective at preventing deforestation within their jurisdiction; however, leakage patterns can undermine conservation success because buffer zones often contain habitat for threatened species. We recommend accounting for the possibility of leakage when designing new protected areas and networks.

Historical biogeography of smoothhound sharks (genus Mustelus ) of Southern Africa reveals multiple dispersal events from the Northern Hemisphere - Simo N. Maduna; Kelvin L. Hull; Edward D. Farrell; Jessica J. Boomer; Ana Veríssimo; Ilaria A. M. Marino; Carlotta Mazzoldi; Lorenzo Zane; Sabine P. Wintner; Mikhail V. Chesalin; Charlene da Silva; Chrysoula Gubili; et al. (Systematics and Biodiversity, 2020)

Understanding Naloxone Uptake from an Emergency Department Distribution Program Using a Low-Energy Bluetooth Real-time Location System - Jeffrey T. Lai; Brittany P. Chapman; Stephanie P. Carreiro; Kavita M. Babu; Edward W. Boyer; Peter R. Chai (Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2020)

Modelling climate change impacts on maize yields under low nitrogen input conditions in sub‐Saharan Africa - Gatien N. Falconnier; Marc Corbeels; Kenneth J. Boote; François Affholder; Myriam Adam; Dilys S. MacCarthy; Alex C. Ruane; Claas Nendel; Anthony M. Whitbread; Éric Justes; Lajpat R. Ahuja; Folorunso M. Akinseye; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2020)
Smallholder farmers in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) currently grow rainfed maize with limited inputs including fertilizer. Climate change may exacerbate current production constraints. Crop models can help quantify the potential impact of climate change on maize yields, but a comprehensive multimodel assessment of simulation accuracy and uncertainty in these low‐input systems is currently lacking. We evaluated the impact of varying [CO 2 ], temperature and rainfall conditions on maize yield, for different nitrogen (N) inputs (0, 80, 160 kg N/ha) for five environments in SSA, including cool subhumid Ethiopia, cool semi‐arid Rwanda, hot subhumid Ghana and hot semi‐arid Mali and Benin using an ensemble of 25 maize models. Models were calibrated with measured grain yield, plant biomass, plant N, leaf area index, harvest index and in‐season soil water content from 2‐year experiments in each country to assess their ability to simulate observed yield. Simulated responses to climate change factors were explored and compared between models. Calibrated models reproduced measured grain yield variations well with average relative root mean square error of 26%, although uncertainty in model prediction was substantial (CV = 28%). Model ensembles gave greater accuracy than any model taken at random. Nitrogen fertilization controlled the response to variations in [CO 2 ], temperature and rainfall. Without N fertilizer input, maize (a) benefited less from an increase in atmospheric [CO 2 ]; (b) was less affected by higher temperature or decreasing rainfall; and (c) was more affected by increased rainfall because N leaching was more critical. The model intercomparison revealed that simulation of daily soil N supply and N leaching plays a crucial role in simulating climate change impacts for low‐input systems. Climate change and N input interactions have strong implications for the design of robust adaptation approaches across SSA, because the impact of climate change in low input systems will be modified if farmers intensify maize production with balanced nutrient management.

The metabolism and swimming performance of sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) following thermal acclimation or acute thermal exposure - Amanda Reynolds Kirby; Dane A. Crossley; Edward M. Mager (Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 2020)

Modeling the interactive effects of nutrient loads, meteorology, and invasive mussels on suitable habitat for Bighead and Silver Carp in Lake Michigan - Peter J. Alsip; Hongyan Zhang; Mark D. Rowe; Edward Rutherford; Doran M. Mason; Catherine Riseng; Zhenming Su (Biological Invasions, 2020)
Anthropogenic stressors that affect ecological processes in the Laurentian Great Lakes can impact their susceptibility to bioinvasions. Bighead Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix , collectively ‘bigheaded carps’ (BHC), are planktivorous fishes threatening to invade Lake Michigan. While previous studies indicate the lake contains habitat suitable for BHC growth, there is a need to understand how anthropogenic-driven changes to the abiotic and biotic environment could alter its vulnerability to BHC. We applied a spatially explicit model of BHC growth rate potential (GRP; g g −1 d −1 ) to nine biophysical model scenarios to evaluate changes in habitat suitability in Lake Michigan. Scenarios differed in meteorology (cool, reference, warm), annual tributary phosphorus loads (0, 3300, and 5600 MTA), and the presence/absence of invasive dreissenid mussels. Mussel effects on BHC GRP relied on their contact with the surface mixed layer (SML), the depth of which was affected by meteorology. The warm year advanced the expansion of Bighead Carp habitat by increasing temperature-dependent foraging rates and lessening the time of competitive interaction with mussels due to earlier stratification separating mussels from the SML. Phosphorus loads were the most influential driver of the lake’s suitability. Compared to present conditions, we estimate BHC could have grown an additional 8–40% annually in the 1980s when mussels were not in the lake and phosphorus loads were higher. Our study demonstrates how climate change and nutrient enrichment can increase Lake Michigan’s vulnerability to BHC by affecting thermal regime and productivity, thereby limiting negative effects of dreissenid mussels on BHC growth.

The global abundance of tree palms - Robert Muscarella; Thaise Emilio; Oliver L. Phillips; Simon L. Lewis; Ferry Slik; William J. Baker; Thomas L. P. Couvreur; Wolf L. Eiserhardt; Jens‐Christian Svenning; Kofi Affum‐Baffoe; Shin‐Ichiro Aiba; Everton C. de Almeida; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2020)
Aim Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Palms (Arecaceae). Methods We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co‐occurring non‐palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long‐term climate stability. Life‐form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non‐tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above‐ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests.

Characterization of Physicochemical Attributes and Muscle Protein Quality of Blue Catfish ( Ictalurus furcatus ) in Chesapeake Bay - Yixiang Xu; Edward Sismour; Jaron Woods; Jayjuan M Robinson; Mzuna Aldossari; Chidera Ntiwunka-Ifeanyi; Adnan Yousuf; Zaid Abraha-Eyob; Patricia Lynch (Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 2020)

Quantifying life history demographics of the scleractinian coral genus Pocillopora at Palmyra Atoll - Sho M. Kodera; Clinton B. Edwards; Vid Petrovic; Nicole E. Pedersen; Yoan Eynaud; Stuart A. Sandin (Coral Reefs, 2020)

Fitness, independent of physical activity is associated with cerebral blood flow in adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease - Ryan J. Dougherty; Elizabeth A. Boots; Jacob B. Lindheimer; Aaron J. Stegner; Stephanie Van Riper; Dorothy F. Edwards; Catherine L. Gallagher; Cynthia M. Carlsson; Howard A. Rowley; Barbara B. Bendlin; Sanjay Asthana; Bruce P. Hermann; et al. (Brain Imaging and Behavior, 2020)

Potential establishment and ecological effects of bighead and silver carp in a productive embayment of the Laurentian Great Lakes - Lori N. Ivan; Doran M. Mason; Hongyan Zhang; Edward S. Rutherford; Tim Hunter; Shaye Sable; Aaron T. Adamack; Kenneth Rose (Biological Invasions, 2020)
Bighead carp H . nobilis and silver carp Hypothalmichthys molitrix (collectively bigheaded carps, BHC) are invasive planktivorous fishes that threaten to enter the Laurentian Great Lakes and disrupt food webs. To assess the likelihood of BHC establishment and their likely effects on the food web of Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, we developed a multi-species individual-based bioenergetics model that tracks individual bighead and silver carp, four key fish species, and seven prey biomass groups over 50 years. The model tracks the daily consumption, mortality and growth of all individuals and the biomass dynamics of interacting prey pools. We ran simulation scenarios to determine the likelihood of BHC establishment under initial introductions from 5 to 1 million yearling and older individuals, and assuming variable age-0 carp survival rates (high, intermediate, and low). We bounded the survival of age-0 BHC as recruitment continues to be one of the biggest unknowns. We also simulated the potential effects of an established population of 1 million bighead carp or silver carp assuming variation in age-0 survival. Results indicated that as few as 10 BHC could establish a population assuming high or intermediate age-0 survival, but at least 100,000 individuals were needed to establish a population assuming low age-0 survival. BHC had negative effects on plankton and planktivorous fish biomass, which increased with BHC density. However, piscivorous walleye Sander vitreus appeared to benefit from BHC establishment. The potential for BHC to establish and affect ecologically and economically important fish species in Saginaw Bay is a cause for concern.

Coronavirus surveillance of wildlife in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic detects viral RNA in rodents - David J. McIver; Soubanh Silithammavong; Watthana Theppangna; Amethyst Gillis; Bounlom Douangngeun; Kongsy Khammavong; Sinpakone Singhalath; Veasna Duong; Philippe Buchy; Sarah H. Olson; Lucy Keatts; Amanda E. Fine; et al. (Archives of Virology, 2020)

Ensuring tests of conservation interventions build on existing literature - William J. Sutherland; Sergio Ticul Alvarez‐Castañeda; Tatsuya Amano; Roberto Ambrosini; Philip Atkinson; John M. Baxter; Alexander L. Bond; Philip J. Boon; Katherine L. Buchanan; Jos Barlow; Giuseppe Bogliani; Olivia M. Bragg; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2020)

Exploiting the genome of Thinopyrum elongatum to expand the gene pool of hexaploid wheat - Lauren Baker; Surbhi Grewal; Cai-yun Yang; Stella Hubbart-Edwards; Duncan Scholefield; Stephen Ashling; Amanda J. Burridge; Alexandra M. Przewieslik-Allen; Paul A. Wilkinson; Ian P. King; Julie King (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2020)
Key message One hundred and thirty four introgressions from Thinopyrum elongatum have been transferred into a wheat background and were characterised using 263 SNP markers. Abstract Species within the genus Thinopyrum have been shown to carry genetic variation for a very wide range of traits including biotic and abiotic stresses and quality. Research has shown that one of the species within this genus, Th. elongatum , has a close relationship with the genomes of wheat making it a highly suitable candidate to expand the gene pool of wheat. Homoeologous recombination, in the absence of the Ph1 gene, has been exploited to transfer an estimated 134 introgressions from Th. elongatum into a hexaploid wheat background. The introgressions were detected and characterised using 263 single nucleotide polymorphism markers from a 35 K Axiom ® Wheat-Relative Genotyping Array, spread across seven linkage groups and validated using genomic in situ hybridisation. The genetic map had a total length of 187.8 cM and the average chromosome length was 26.8 cM. Comparative analyses of the genetic map of Th. elongatum and the physical map of hexaploid wheat confirmed previous work that indicated good synteny at the macro-level, although Th. elongatum does not contain the 4A/5A/7B translocation found in wheat.

High-Dose IV Administration of Rasburicase Suppresses Anti-rasburicase Antibodies, Depletes Rasburicase-Specific Lymphocytes, and Upregulates Treg Cells - Hui Xu; Gerald M. Feldman; Edward E. Max (The AAPS Journal, 2020)

Nutritional factors modulating plant and fruit susceptibility to pathogens: BARD workshop, Haifa, Israel, February 25–26, 2018 - Dov Prusky; Leandro José de Assis; Riccardo Baroncelli; Ernesto P. Benito; Virginia Casado del Castillo; Timothy Chaya; Shay Covo; José María Díaz-Mínguez; Nicole M. Donofrio; Eduardo Espeso; Tânia Ribeiro Fernandes; Gustavo H. Goldman; et al. (Phytoparasitica, 2020)

Quaternary land bridges have not been universal conduits of gene flow - Emilie Cros; Balaji Chattopadhyay; Kritika M. Garg; Nathaniel S. R. Ng; Suzanne Tomassi; Suzan Benedick; David P. Edwards; Frank E. Rheindt (Molecular Ecology, 2020)
Quaternary climate oscillations are a well‐known driver of animal diversification, but their effects are most well studied in areas where glaciations lead to habitat fragmentation. In large areas of the planet, however, glaciations have had the opposite effect, but here their impacts are much less well understood. This is especially true in Southeast Asia, where cyclical changes in land distribution have generated enormous land expansions during glacial periods. In this study, we selected a panel of five songbird species complexes covering a range of ecological specificities to investigate the effects Quaternary land bridges have had on the connectivity of Southeast Asian forest biota. Specifically, we combined morphological and bioacoustic analysis with an arsenal of population genomic and modelling approaches applied to thousands of genome‐wide DNA markers across a total of more than 100 individuals. Our analyses show that species dependent on forest understorey exhibit deep differentiation between Borneo and western Sundaland, with no evidence of gene flow during the land bridges accompanying the last 1–2 ice ages. In contrast, dispersive canopy species and habitat generalists have experienced more recent gene flow. Our results argue that there remains much cryptic species‐level diversity to be discovered in Southeast Asia even in well‐known animal groups such as birds, especially in nondispersive forest understorey inhabitants. We also demonstrate that Quaternary land bridges have not been equally suitable conduits of gene flow for all species complexes and that life history is a major factor in predicting relative population divergence time across Quaternary climate fluctuations.

The influence of marine algae on iodine speciation in the coastal ocean - Mary W. Carrano; Kyoko Yarimizu; Jennifer L. Gonzales; Ricardo Cruz-López; Matthew S. Edwards; Teresa M. Tymon; Frithjof C. Küpper; Carl J. Carrano (Algae, 2020)

Impairments in Emotion Recognition and Risk-Taking Behavior After Isolated, Cerebellar Stroke - Nils S. van den Berg; Rients B. Huitema; Jacoba M. Spikman; Gert-Jan Luijckx; Edward H. F. de Haan (The Cerebellum, 2020)
An increasing amount of research has shown a cerebellar involvement in higher order cognitive functions, including emotional processing and decision-making. However, it has not been investigated whether impairments in facial emotion recognition, which could be a marker of impaired emotional experiences, are related to risky decision-making in these patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate facial emotion recognition and risky decision-making in these patients as well as to investigate a relationship between these constructs. Thirteen patients with a discrete, isolated, cerebellar lesion as a consequence of a stroke were included in the study. Emotion recognition was assessed with the Facial Expressions of Emotions—Stimuli and Test (FEEST). Risk-taking behavior was assessed with the Action Selection Test (AST). Furthermore, 106 matched healthy controls performed the FEEST and 20 matched healthy controls performed the AST. Compared with healthy controls, patients were significantly worse in the recognition of emotional expressions and they took significantly more risks. In addition, a worse ability to recognize fearful facial expressions was strongly related to an increase in risky decisions in the AST. Therefore, we suggest that tests of emotion recognition should be incorporated into the neuropsychological assessment after cerebellar stroke to boost detection and treatment of these impairments in these patients.

Split-Brain: What We Know Now and Why This is Important for Understanding Consciousness - Edward H. F. de Haan; Paul M. Corballis; Steven A. Hillyard; Carlo A. Marzi; Anil Seth; Victor A. F. Lamme; Lukas Volz; Mara Fabri; Elizabeth Schechter; Tim Bayne; Michael Corballis; Yair Pinto (Neuropsychology Review, 2020)
Recently, the discussion regarding the consequences of cutting the corpus callosum (“split-brain”) has regained momentum (Corballis, Corballis, Berlucchi, & Marzi, Brain , 141 (6), e46, 2018; Pinto et al., Brain, 140 (5), 1231–1237, 2017a; Pinto, Lamme, & de Haan, Brain, 140 (11), e68, 2017; Volz & Gazzaniga, Brain , 140 (7), 2051–2060, 2017; Volz, Hillyard, Miller, & Gazzaniga, Brain , 141 (3), e15, 2018). This collective review paper aims to summarize the empirical common ground, to delineate the different interpretations, and to identify the remaining questions. In short, callosotomy leads to a broad breakdown of functional integration ranging from perception to attention. However, the breakdown is not absolute as several processes, such as action control, seem to remain unified. Disagreement exists about the responsible mechanisms for this remaining unity. The main issue concerns the first-person perspective of a split-brain patient. Does a split-brain harbor a split consciousness or is consciousness unified? The current consensus is that the body of evidence is insufficient to answer this question, and different suggestions are made with respect to how future studies might address this paucity. In addition, it is suggested that the answers might not be a simple yes or no but that intermediate conceptualizations need to be considered.

Can One-Run-Fixed-Arrhenius Kerogen Analysis Provide Comparable Organofacies Results to Detailed Palynological Analysis? A Case Study from a Prospective Mississippian Source Rock Reservoir (Bowland Shale, UK) - Sarah M. Newport; Jan A. I. Hennissen; James P. Armstrong; Kevin G. Taylor; Leo P. Newport; Edward Hough (Natural Resources Research, 2020)

Site use and connectivity of female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) around Wales - Izzy Langley; Tobias Rosas da Costa Oliver; Lex Hiby; Thomas B. Stringell; Ceri W. Morris; Oliver O’Cadhla; Lisa Morgan; Kate Lock; Sarah Perry; Stephen Westcott; Dave Boyle; Birgitta I. Büche; et al. (Marine Biology, 2020)
Grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) are a qualifying feature of three special areas of conservation (SACs) in Wales, yet relatively little is known of their site use along this coastline. Since 1992, many individuals and organisations have contributed to a grey seal photographic identification database held by Natural Resources Wales, which is one of the largest and oldest of its kind, providing key information from grey seal haul-out sites around the Celtic and Irish Seas. Here, we investigated spatial connectivity of haul-out sites and fidelity of adult females to breeding sites. The minimum number of adult female grey seals using the area between 1992 and 2016 was 2688. Individual capture histories and relative spatial transition probabilities ( P ij ) between pairs of location groups were calculated. Adjacent locations were highly connected (e.g. Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey, P ij = 0.7) but connections spanned the entire region, up to 230 km apart (e.g. Skomer and Dee Estuary, P ij = 0.004). Resights were recorded within SACs (e.g. Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey [Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC], P ij = 0.7), between SACs (e.g. Bardsey and Skomer [Pembrokeshire Marine], P ij = 0.03), between SACs and non-designated areas (e.g. Skerries and Bardsey, P ij = 0.09) and between sites outside any protected area (e.g. Dee Estuary and Anglesey, P ij = 0.5). While inter-annual fidelity to breeding sites was high ( P ij = 0.82–1), individual female grey seals moved throughout the region. This evidence of extensive site use beyond protected areas is important for the management and conservation of grey seals around Wales.

Individual variations of the human corticospinal tract and its hand-related motor fibers using diffusion MRI tractography - Kyriakos Dalamagkas; Magdalini Tsintou; Yogesh Rathi; Lauren J. O’Donnell; Ofer Pasternak; Xue Gong; Anne Zhu; Peter Savadjiev; George M. Papadimitriou; Marek Kubicki; Edward H. Yeterian; Nikos Makris (Brain Imaging and Behavior, 2020)

Factors determining variation in colour morph frequencies in invasive Harmonia axyridis populations - Alois Honek; Peter M. J. Brown; Zdenka Martinkova; Jiri Skuhrovec; Marek Brabec; Giovanni Burgio; Edward W. Evans; Marc Fournier; Audrey A. Grez; Jan Kulfan; Francesco Lami; Eric Lucas; et al. (Biological Invasions, 2020)

Genetic structures across a biogeographical barrier reflect dispersal potential of four Southeast Asian mangrove plant species - Alison K. S. Wee; Annika M. E. Noreen; Junya Ono; Koji Takayama; Prakash P. Kumar; Hugh T. W. Tan; Mohd N. Saleh; Tadashi Kajita; Edward L. Webb (Journal of Biogeography, 2020)
Aim Biogeographical barriers restrict the movement of individuals, resulting in population divergence, genetic differentiation, endemism and speciation. Yet, some barriers demonstrate unequal effect across species depending on species dispersal, which manifests in varying genetic structure. We test the hypotheses that the genetic structure of four coastal mangrove species would reflect differences in dispersal potential across the Malay Peninsula, a major biogeographical barrier in the Indo‐West Pacific region. Location East and west coasts of the Malay Peninsula. Taxon Mangrove trees Avicennia alba , Sonneratia alba , Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Rhizophora mucronata. Methods For each species, we characterized genetic structure and gene flow using 7–12 species‐specific nuclear microsatellite markers. We tested for east–west genetic differentiation across the peninsula, a stepping‐stone migration pattern, and assessed the proportion of recent dispersal and direction of historical migration along the Malacca Strait. Results Significant east–west genetic differentiation across the peninsula was observed in A. alba , S. alba and B. gymnorhiza , and the effect was most pronounced for the two species with lower dispersal potential ( A. alba , S. alba ). In contrast, the two species with higher dispersal potential ( B. gymnorhiza and R. mucronata ) exhibited much higher proportion of recent inter‐population migration along the Malacca Strait. The signature of historical colonization from refugia in the Andaman Sea (north‐to‐south migration along the Malacca Strait) predominated for A. alba and S. alba. Historical south–north migration predominated for R. mucronata and B. gymnorhiza . Main conclusions This study implicated dispersal potential as a cause of varying mangrove species genetic structure across a biogeographical barrier. The Malay Peninsula functions as a filter to gene flow rather than a barrier. The genetic structure in mangrove species with a higher dispersal potential is more congruent with contemporary gene flow while that of species with a lower dispersal potential reflects historical processes. Our findings hint at the role of dispersal potential as a predictor of gene flow in mangroves.

Taxonomy of prokaryotic viruses: 2018-2019 update from the ICTV Bacterial and Archaeal Viruses Subcommittee - Evelien M. Adriaenssens; Matthew B. Sullivan; Petar Knezevic; Leonardo J. van Zyl; B. L. Sarkar; Bas E. Dutilh; Poliane Alfenas-Zerbini; Małgorzata Łobocka; Yigang Tong; James Rodney Brister; Andrea I. Moreno Switt; Jochen Klumpp; et al. (Archives of Virology, 2020)

Behavioral pharmacology of the mixed-action delta-selective opioid receptor agonist BBI-11008: studies on acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, respiration, and drug self-administration - Glenn W. Stevenson; Denise Giuvelis; James Cormier; Katherine Cone; Phillip Atherton; Rebecca Krivitsky; Emily Warner; Brooke St. Laurent; Julio Dutra; Jean M. Bidlack; Lajos Szabò; Robin Polt; et al. (Psychopharmacology, 2020)

The Rapid Regenerative Response of a Model Sea Anemone Species Exaiptasia pallida Is Characterised by Tissue Plasticity and Highly Coordinated Cell Communication - Chloé A. van der Burg; Ana Pavasovic; Edward K. Gilding; Elise S. Pelzer; Joachim M. Surm; Hayden L. Smith; Terence P. Walsh; Peter J. Prentis (Marine Biotechnology, 2020)

Loss of vacuolar acidity results in iron-sulfur cluster defects and divergent homeostatic responses during aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae - Kenneth L. Chen; Toby N. Ven; Matthew M. Crane; Matthew L. C. Brunner; Adrian K. Pun; Kathleen L. Helget; Katherine Brower; Dexter E. Chen; Ha Doan; Justin D. Dillard-Telm; Ellen Huynh; Yen-Chi Feng; et al. (GeroScience, 2020)

Virulence/avirulence patterns among Leptosphaeria maculans isolates determines expression of resistance, senescence and yellowing in cotyledons of Brassica napus - A. Dolatabadian; J. Batley; D. Edwards; M. J. Barbetti (European Journal of Plant Pathology, 2020)

Intensive agriculture alters the biomass size spectrum and body-mass of benthic insects: evidence from a reciprocal transfer experiment - Edward M. Krynak; Adam G. Yates (Hydrobiologia, 2020)

Decrease in 230 Th in the Amundsen Basin since 2007: far-field effect of increased scavenging on the shelf? - Ole Valk; Michiel M. Rutgers van der Loeff; Walter Geibert; Sandra Gdaniec; S. Bradley Moran; Kate Lepore; Robert Lawrence Edwards; Yanbin Lu; Viena Puigcorbé; Nuria Casacuberta; Ronja Paffrath; William Smethie; et al. (Ocean Science, 2020)
This study provides dissolved and particulate 230Th and 232Th results as well as particulate 234Th data collected during expeditions to the central Arctic Ocean (GEOTRACES, an international project to identify processes and quantify fluxes that control the distributions of trace elements; sections GN04 and GIPY11). Constructing a time series of dissolved 230Th from 1991 to 2015 enables the identification of processes that control the temporal development of 230Th distributions in the Amundsen Basin. After 2007, 230Th concentrations decreased significantly over the entire water column, particularly between 300 and 1500 m. This decrease is accompanied by a circulation change, evidenced by a concomitant increase in salinity. A potentially increased inflow of water of Atlantic origin with low dissolved 230Th concentrations leads to the observed depletion in dissolved 230Th in the central Arctic. Because atmospherically derived tracers (chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)) do not reveal an increase in ventilation rate, it is suggested that these interior waters have undergone enhanced scavenging of Th during transit from Fram Strait and the Barents Sea to the central Amundsen Basin. The 230Th depletion propagates downward in the water column by settling particles and reversible scavenging.

Lipopolysaccharide and Morphine-3-Glucuronide-Induced Immune Signalling Increases the Expression of Polysialic Acid in PC12 Cells - Sameera Iqbal; Lindsay M. Parker; Arun V. Everest-Dass; Edward S. X. Moh; Nima Sayyadi; Mark R. Hutchinson; Nicolle H. Packer (Molecular Neurobiology, 2020)