Quantifying the impact of 4 R nutrient stewardship and cover cropping on soil health across the U.S. Corn Belt - Cecilia Crespo; Moges Kidane Biru; Marcio R. Nunes; John L. Kovar; Lori J. Abendroth; Ikechukwu V. Agomoh; Sylvie M. Brouder; Derek Carney; Laura E. Christianson; Craig F. Drury; Alison J. Eagle; Bryan Emmett; et al. (Soil and Tillage Research, 2026)

Environmental life cycle impacts of bioenergy and value-added bioproducts derived from macroalgae - Jingyi Zhang; Farah Naaz; Udayan Singh; Troy R. Hawkins; Stephen T. Crafton-Tempel; Scott J. Edmundson; Jeff Caminiti; Jacob D. Watkins; Peter J. Valdez; Michael Huesemann (Energy and Climate Change, 2026)

Vertebrate predators as hidden players in ant-plant mutualisms: costs, resistance, and recovery - Peter R Marting (Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2026)

Building climate-smart fisheries in Australia: insights from climate and ecosystem status reports - Stephanie Brodie; Laura K. Blamey; Alistair J. Hobday; Éva Plagányi; Daniel Corrie; Natalie Couchman; Alice McDonald; Campbell Davies; Ryan A. Downie; J. Paige Eveson; Elizabeth A. Fulton; Jason R. Hartog; et al. (Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 2026)
Ongoing concerns about the impact of climate change on Australia’s oceans has driven a request from fisheries managers for improved science communication to the seafood sector. Despite these concerns, translating climate science into management and industry action at regional and sectoral scales remains a challenge. We developed a reporting structure for communicating climate and ecosystem status to fisheries management, industry, and research stakeholders. Our reports consider historical climate impacts, ecosystem indices derived from scientific observing programs, anecdotal on-the-water observations from industry, and forecast climate outlooks tailored for the upcoming fishing season. We developed and delivered reports across 10 diverse fishery case studies, spanning multiple spatial scales and regions (from the tropical north to the temperate south and sub-Antarctic islands) and target species (encompassing benthic invertebrates, demersal fish and sharks, and pelagic billfish and tunas). Here, we describe the reporting structure, the climate and ecosystem indices used, as well as key lessons from the development and dissemination of reports. Key lessons include: (1) Developing tailored environmental indices enhances relevance; (2) Ecosystem observations are essential but remain spatially and temporally patchy; (3) Fishery-independent surveys provide vital data; (4) Remote climate drivers must be considered; (5) Seasonal forecasts offer actionable insights for short-term planning; (6) Fisher observations provide context-rich information that should be systematically incorporated. The lessons and general reporting structure can be applied to the development of other climate and integrated ecosystem reporting activities that are ongoing around the world. We contend that these reports serve as important tools for fostering climate resilience and facilitating the adaptation of the Australian seafood sector to the short and long-term challenges of rapidly changing ocean ecosystems.

The complete mitogenome, phylogenetic placement and cox1 variation of Cape sea urchins (Parechinus angulosus) in southern Africa - Suzanne Redelinghuys; Arsalan Emami-Khoyi; Gwynneth Matcher; Peter R. Teske; Sándor Csányi; Miklós Heltai; Robert J. Toonen; Francesca Porri (Molecular Biology Reports, 2026)
Background The Cape sea urchin, Parechinus angulosus , is a widely distributed keystone species that inhabits intertidal and subtidal ecosystems along the South African coastline. Despite its importance as an ecosystem engineer, its phylogenetic placement and mitochondrial genomic (hereafter mitogenome) variation remain poorly understood. In the current study, we present the first complete mitogenome for this species, assembled from long-read sequences generated on the Oxford Nanopore sequencing platform, and investigate its phylogenetic placement among other sea urchin species using a combination of Bayesian Inference and Maximum-Likelihood methods. Methods and results A circular genome of 15 722 bp, with an average coverage of 159, comprising 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNAs and 22 tRNAs, was assembled de novo . Phylogenetic reconstructions based on 13 protein-coding genes recovered Paracentrotus lividus as the sister taxon of P. angulosus , and these two species formed a monophyletic clade with Loxechinus albus and Sterechinus neumayeri within Camaradont sea urchins. Using the mitogenome assembly as a template, an additional set of 29 cox1 sequences was mined from publicly available genomic sequences. These revealed that Cape sea urchins maintain substantial mitogenomic variation across their distribution range, expressed predominantly as low-frequency haplotypes. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the Cape sea urchin is genetically distinct within the order Camarodonta and exhibits considerable variation in the cox1 gene across coastal habitats of southern Africa. Furthermore, the identification of a large number of low-frequency haplotypes may indicate population expansion or ongoing purifying selection.

Dynamic shrinkage behaviour of volcanic ash and organic (rich) soils in the Southern and Austral macrozones of Chile - J. Dörner; J. Ivelic-Sáez; F. Zúñiga; D. Dec; R. Horn; S. Valle; V. Vera-Peters; J. Clunes; S. Bravo-Peña (Soil and Tillage Research, 2026)

Wetlands function as a nature-based microcystin remediation system - Jessica Lerminiaux; Matthew J. Bogard; Jonathan K. Challis; Mia Lahiji; Peter R. Leavitt; Kerri Finlay (Harmful Algae, 2026)

Forty years of pollution monitoring in the Wadden Sea using bird eggs: insights from the Trilateral monitoring and assessment program - Justine Bertram; Frank R. Mattig; Peter H. Becker; Moritz Maxeiner; Peter J. Schupp; Sandra Bouwhuis (Environmental Pollution, 2026)

Can urban green infrastructure influence the urban heat island effect and air quality nexus? - Ralph Fares; Stephen Matheson; Jua Cilliers; Sebastian Pfautsch; Fraser R. Torpy; Peter J. Irga (Environmental Pollution, 2026)

Microplate subdivision, terrane identification and intra-terrane stratigraphic framework of the Arabian Shield—volcanic arcs priming the planet for the Cryogenian? - Alan S. Collins; Mahrous M. Abu El-Enen; Pierre Nehlig; Paul H. Macey; Joachim Jacobs; Cees W. Passchier; Fayek H. Kattan; Martin J. Whitehouse; Rami A. Bakhsh; Saad M. Al Garni; Mohammed B. Elkomi; Peter R. Johnson; et al. (Earth-Science Reviews, 2026)

Expansion microscopy visualizes the photosystem distribution in Synechocystis cells - Peter R. Bos; Elio Langlois-Legrand; Emilie Wientjes (Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics, 2026)

Variations in soil functioning of grasslands along a management gradient - R.W.C. Boone; B.J.M. Robroek; W.H. van der Putten; N. van Eekeren; R.T.E. Mills; A. Tiekstra; C.A.M. Wagemaker; R. Peters; S.K. van den Berg; P.L. Wijnen; H. de Kroon (Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2026)

Resistance of Icelandic lake ecosystems to two centuries of agricultural pressures despite growing instability - Emily Koenders; Peter G. Langdon; Mathis Blache; Egill Erlendsson; Wesley R. Farnsworth; Boris K. Biskaborn; Steffen Mischke (Journal of Paleolimnology, 2026)
In the early nineteenth century, Iceland entered the global market, which caused a large expansion and modernisation of agricultural practices, including rising livestock numbers, higher crop density and the introduction of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. However, the impact of these pressures on Icelandic ecosystems over the past two centuries are largely unknown. This study applies paleolimnological analyses to a sediment core taken from Vestra Gíslholtsvatn, a small lake in southern Iceland surrounded by three farms that broadly reflect national agricultural trends, to assess how changes in agricultural practices have influenced lake-ecosystem dynamics over the past 250 years. Geochemical proxies such as total organic carbon and total nitrogen show increasing trends alongside decreasing δ 13 C values, suggesting increased terrestrial and/or algal organic matter influx, which coincide with the introduction of artificial fertilizers. Additionally, Chironomidae head capsules were analysed to investigate changes in the lake ecosystem. The chironomid community shows no sustained change in the assemblage, with a continuous dominance of Heterotrissocladius grimshawi -type, which favours cold and oligotrophic waters, and Psectrocladius sordidellus -type, which prefers macrophyte-rich littoral habitats. Only Chironomus spp. shows some short term increases possibly in response to artificial fertilizer usage. Despite the relative stability in the chironomid assemblage, statistical analyses of the chironomid record reveal increasing skewness, kurtosis and amplitude of the rate of change towards the top of the core. These results possibly represent early warning signals of ecosystem instability. In spite of these signals, no ecological tipping point was reached within the studied period, indicating that impacts from the agricultural intensification were insufficient to drive regime shifts in the lake ecosystems. Our results highlight the resistance of Icelandic lake ecosystems to the agricultural pressures of the past two centuries, despite growing instability.

Evaluation of sampling strategies for measurement of baseline methane and ammonia emission from pig housing - Sasha D. Hafner; Anders Peter S. Adamsen; Allan Leck Jensen; Peter Kai; Frederik R. Dalby (Biosystems Engineering, 2026)

Pan-continental assessment of socioeconomic and environmental predictors of PFAS occurrence in European rivers from a harmonised monitoring study - Jun Li; Alistair B.A. Boxall; Caroline Swan; Selwyn Hoeks; Racliffe W.S. Lai; John L. Wilkinson; Recep C. Altinbag; Åsa Arrhenius; Roman Ashauer; Thomas Backhaus; Besnik Baraj; Vasiliki G. Beretsou; et al. (Water Research, 2026)

Corrigendum to “First lunar-light mapping of nighttime dust season oceanic aerosol optical depth over North Atlantic from space” [Remote Sensing of Environment, Volume 312, 2024, 114315] - Meng Zhou; Jun Wang; Xi Chen; Yi Wang; Peter R. Colarco; Robert C. Levy; Steven D. Miller (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2026)

A numerical assessment of microclimate and cooling effects of a modular street parklet for urban heat mitigation - Qingyun Wu; Peter Irga; Lehan Chen; Christof Gromke; Fraser R. Torpy; Gabrielle Duani; Ralph Fares; Sebastian Pfautsch; Chengwang Lei; Yuhan Huang (Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 2026)

Influence of aqueous anionic species on hydrogen peroxide production via non-thermal plasma for in situ uranium recovery - Zoë C. Emory; Ian A. Russell; Mae E. Fischer; Sarah R. Oliva; Peter C. Burns (Minerals Engineering, 2026)

Fatal emetic Bacillus cereus outbreak associated with consumption of pre-cooked tortellini, Germany, August to September 2024 - Laura Schiel; Hendrik Frentzel; Marco Krämer; Gaby Raatz; Peter Lasch; Andy Schneider; Holger C. Scholz; Silke R. Klee; Sandra Appelt; Ute Messelhäußer; Mareike Wenning; Anja Berger; et al. (International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2026)

Ecotonal gradients shape biodiversity of multiple estuarine taxa - Rebecca Oester; Benjamin Branoff; Johanna Biederbick; Luise Grüterich; Raphael Koll; Fay Lexmond; Nele Martens; Julian Mittmann-Goesele; Friederike Neiske; Widhi Putri; Sina Remmers; Diana Richter; et al. (Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2026)

Applicability of 26Al and 10Be for depositional age dating in deep-sea records - Jenny Feige; Alessandro Airo; Dominik Koll; Stella R. Winkler; Robin Golser; Klaus Knie; Ulf Linnemann; Silke Merchel; Georg Rugel; Peter Steier; Anton Wallner (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2026)

Fluorescence-based non-destructive analysis of cellulose and lignin in individual softwood fibers and bulk suspensions enabled by Carbotrace 680 - Hugo Hammar; Alina E.M. Schmidt; Ulrica Edlund; K. Peter R. Nilsson; Agneta Richter-Dahlfors (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2026)

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

Phylogenetically Diverse Introgression Drives Subtle Population Structure in Pacific Rockfishes - Nathan T. B. Sykes; R. Nicolas Lou; Matthew R. Siegle; Peter H. Sudmant; Wesley A. Larson; Gregory L. Owens (Molecular Ecology, 2026)
Genomic methods have shown that admixture and introgression are common across animal taxa. Pacific rockfishes, genus Sebastes , are a group of commercially important species that primarily inhabit inshore, shelf and slope habitats along the North American west coast. Among these, Copper and Quillback Rockfishes are closely related species known to hybridize, particularly within the Salish Sea in North America's Pacific Northwest. Here, we investigate genetic population structure and introgression patterns in Copper and Quillback Rockfish from Alaska to California. Using whole‐genome resequencing across a broad geographic range, we seek to (1) compare population structure between these species, and (2) assess how introgression affects population structure patterns. Our analyses reveal that Copper exhibits much higher levels of population differentiation compared to Quillback, especially separating Salish Sea samples from all other populations. In contrast, Quillback populations appear to be nearly panmictic, with lower overall differentiation. Surprisingly, we detected signatures of introgression from seven other rockfish species in Copper and 10 species in Quillback. This introgression was highly regional, suggesting hybridization depended on geographic or environmental context. Yelloweye Rockfish introgression in the Salish Sea drives the strongest signal of regional population structure in Quillback. These findings provide novel insights into the range‐wide genetic structure of these species and highlight that hybridization in Sebastes is phylogenetically broader than previously appreciated.

Long-chain alkenones and other fossil proxies reveal cyclic hydrological variability in the Canadian prairies during the past 2000 years - Bianca Cavazzin; Julien Plancq; Antonio García-Alix; Mike Zwick; Christian Ohlendorf; Peter R. Leavitt; Jaime L. Toney (Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2026)

Bits and pieces: A survey characterizing equipment use on the heads of therapeutic/adaptive riding horses in the United States - Sarah Jean Reega; Sarah K. Matlock; Sharon Butler; Kathleen R. Auchmoody; Ann M. Hess; B. Caitlin Peters (Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2026)

In ovo dose-response characterization of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HY7715 reveals coordinated physiological and microbiome responses in vivo (Gallus gallus) - Chloe J. McGovern; Peter R. Gracey; Hannah Glesener; Lee Voth Gaeddert; Elad Tako (Food Research International, 2026)

Autochthonous probiotic Lactococcus lactis MA5 improves recovery from acute hypoxia stress and resistance to Edwardsiella ictaluri in hybrid catfish (Ictalurus punctatus × I. furcatus) - Jing Huang; Caitlin E. Older; Taylor I. Heckman; Heather R. Jordan; Matt J. Griffin; Peter J. Allen; J. Grant Reifers; Penelope M. Goodman; Fernando Y. Yamamoto (Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 2026)

Weathering the ride: Associations of heat, smoke, precipitation, and ozone with bus ridership in Colorado - Priyanka deSouza; Elizabeth A. Dzwonczyk; Peter C Ibsen; Adam M. Lippert; Carl Green; TC Chakraborty; Melissa R. McHale; Peter Anthamatten; Ebru Altintas; Carrie Makarewicz (Environmental Research, 2026)

Heteroatom engineering of carbon electrodes: Lithium-ion selective capacitive deionization - Yassine Seffar; Peter R. Burger; Maria Brzhezinskaya; Mouad Dahbi; Volker Presser (Desalination, 2026)

Optimised light sources reduce nocturnal insect attraction at railway stations - Carmen Ludreschl; Ameli Kirse; Tamara R. Hartke; Sneha Bhansali; Sarah J. Bourlat; Christoph Mayer; David Ott; Frederick Bott; Daniel Rutte; Peter Siemt; Marianne Espeland; Christoph Scherber (Biological Conservation, 2026)

Avoidance of bacterial and viral threat is affected by infection status in a terrestrial snail - Martin Kavaliers; Indra R. Bishnoi; Vangel Matic; Klaus-Peter Ossenkopp; Elena Choleris (Behavioural Processes, 2026)

Barriers and facilitators to implementing the European code of cancer practice in a rural and coastal setting: a qualitative study - Shanice Thomas; Hannah Cumberland Keeble; Erica Brown; Sarah R. Baker; Samuel Cooke; Mark Lawler; Kathie McPeake; Kathy Oliver; Peter Selby; David Nelson (Cancer Causes & Control, 2026)
Purpose The European Code of Cancer Practice (ECCP) is a patient-centred framework for good clinical cancer practice, to improve outcomes for all of Europe’s patients [1]. Given challenges with applications to rural regions, the study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to implementing the ECCP in a rural, coastal, and urban context. Methods We conducted semi-structured individual and group interviews with nine acute cancer professionals; nine non-clinical professionals; and four people with lived experience of cancer. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, underpinned by a constructivist approach. Results Three themes were developed across all groups. 1) ‘Fragmented communication pathways limits access’ to information-sharing between services, and about support and research, linked to workforce challenges. 2) ‘Geographic and infrastructural disparities between urban, rural, and coastal areas’ highlight barriers to accessing and delivering care, including transport issues, alongside place-specific facilitators to wellbeing. 3) ‘Unmet needs for living well during and after treatment’ denotes financial, work-related, and psychological challenges through treatment and survivorship. These barriers transcended across all ECCP domains. Conclusion Workforce challenges that limit information-sharing about support and research, and gaps in post-treatment support, must be addressed to meet the ECCP aim to ensure equitable cancer care across geographical locations.

Lessons learned: drivers of non-response in a large population-based cohort study of Black women - Jeuneviette E. Bontemps-Jones; Lauren E. McCullough; Elizabeth G. Kirkland; Lauren R. Teras; Maddison L. Hall; Peter J. Briggs; Daniela M. Dudas; Maria Moore; Jamal Winn; Alpa V. Patel (Cancer Causes & Control, 2026)

Applying machine learning tools to advance quality control in oyster nurseries - Sarah Bodenstein; Gowri Priya Sunkara; Dow Draper; Mark C. Herpin; Austin C. Louque; Angel S. Wilson; Sanjida Nupur; Maxwell T. Shroyer; Alex Mensen Johnson; Shalini Shalini; Nadejda Drenska; Peter R. Wolenski; et al. (Aquacultural Engineering, 2026)

Lake size and bathymetry determine resilience of Icelandic lake biota to anthropogenic and climatic pressures - Emily Koenders; Peter G. Langdon; Mathis Blache; Egill Erlendsson; Wesley R. Farnsworth; Steffen Mischke (Hydrobiologia, 2026)
Over recent decades, Iceland has experienced a decline in conventional agriculture, a rapid increase in tourism and significant climatic change, all of which can potentially influence lake ecosystems. To investigate limnological changes over the past 70 years, sediment cores were collected from two lakes: Hafravatn, near Reykjavík and surrounded by summerhouses, and Grænavatn, a less accessible lake 25 km south-west of Reykjavík. Analyses of chironomid head capsules and geochemical parameters reveal that Hafravatn is well-buffered against increasing human activities and changing climate, possibly due to its larger surface area (c. 1.01 km 2 ) and depth (c. 28 m). Short-lived shifts in chironomid assemblages coincide with changes in sediment accumulation rate, associated with infrastructure projects. However, no significant correlation was found between the chironomid assemblage and the number of summerhouses present. The chironomid assemblage of Grænavatn shows long-term shifts mainly caused by changes in summer temperatures, which likely influence lake-water levels and habitat availability. Due to Grænavatn’s smaller and shallower basin (c. 0.62 km 2 , c. 4.4 m) or lack of other influences, the chironomid assemblage likely responded more sensitively to climate change. This study shows that lake size and bathymetry are important determinants of resilience to land-use and climate change in Iceland.

Corrigendum to “Transit time modeling framework for predicting salinization in urban catchments” [Water Research 297 (2026) 125692] - Shantanu V. Bhide; Stanley B. Grant; Kevin McGuire; Karen Prestegaard; Sujay S. Kaushal; Andrew J. Sekellick; Megan A. Rippy; Todd Schenk; Shannon Curtis; Jessus D. Gomez-Velez; Erin R. Hothckiss; Peter Vikesland (Water Research, 2026)

Caledochytrium aldermanii gen. Et sp. nov.; a new Labyrinthulomycete displaying a novel reproductive strategy - Jane L. Polglase; Peter C. Morris; Stephen W. Feist; Wilfrid J. Mitchell; Fiona Strachan; Kirsty A. Fraser; James R. Iremonger; Elisabeth A. Dyrynda; Alastair R. Lyndon; Lydia A. Brown (Protist, 2026)

Why BCF values from high test concentrations underestimate bioaccumulation – Reply to the comment by Ebert et al. - Heinz-R. Köhler; Reza Aalizadeh; Gabriele Treu; Thomas Gräff; Nikolaos S. Thomaidis; Rita Triebskorn; Peter C. von der Ohe (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2026)

Testing water banking recovery policies to secure drought water supply in semi-arid areas with a changing climate - Peter Dillon; Bridget R. Scanlon; Rebecca Bernat; Dennis Gonzalez; Constantin Seidl; Declan Page; Rebecca Doble; John Radcliffe; Adam Hutchinson; Sharon B. Megdal (Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 2026)

Phase-dependent interfacial coupling in MoS2/CoS2 heterostructures for hydrogen evolution stability - Peter Francis Prashanth; Naimeh Naseri; Sally El Meragawi; Muhammed Afnas Villayateri; Tianchang Huang; Ali Zavabeti; Nikhil V. Medhekar; Matthew R. Hill; Mainak Majumder (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2026)

Acorn woodpeckers alter resource use, group size, and spring productivity across an urban landscape - Olivia R. Knapp; Kendra E. Forster; Alexander J. Rurik; Isabelle Hugoniot; Eric S. Reyes; Peter B. Schramm; Corban A. Muthiah; Aaron Wong; Seth C. Wilmoth; Sophia L. McRae; Caleb Courson; Theodore J. Patterson; et al. (Urban Ecosystems, 2026)
Access to suitable resources shapes the evolution and maintenance of avian cooperative breeding by influencing whether an individual will have a greater chance of survival and reproduction by dispersing or remaining on a natal territory. Cooperatively-breeding species exhibit altered dispersal according to food availability and habitat quality, but the relationship between resource use, group size, and reproduction in human-altered landscapes remains to be studied. We examined how urbanization, key resource availability, and resource use relate to differences in group size and number of offspring in an urban population of facultative cooperatively-breeding acorn woodpeckers. Acorn woodpeckers shifted to increased use of ornamental trees, palms, and anthropogenic structures for granaries in more urbanized areas and where oak trees, a key historic food and granary resource, are in lower abundance and proximity. Pair breeding was more prevalent in urbanized areas and seemed to be primarily associated with use of utility poles for granaries. In general, territories with utility poles as granaries and higher urbanization levels hosted smaller group sizes. In contrast, while the number of fledglings was higher in larger groups, it did not vary with urban resources when controlling for group size. Our findings suggest that land conversion levels and the relative availability of historic and novel resources shape habitat quality, resulting in differing patterns of group living and subsequent productivity across the urban landscape. This indicates that while novel resources may enable wildlife to occupy urban areas, they may also influence the social behavior of facultative cooperative breeders.

β1- and β2-adrenergic receptor mediated spontaneous contractions and ryanodine receptor channel opening in human failing heart - Weilan Mo; Nicole A. Beard; Katherine T. Gillette-Browne; Karen Hay; Elizabeth Cheesman; Alexander Dashwood; Melanie Spratt; Annalese B. Semmler; Yee Weng Wong; Haris Haqqani; Derek R. Laver; Torsten Christ; et al. (Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 2026)
In heart failure, β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR)-Gsα-cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signalling predisposes to delayed-afterdepolarisation-mediated arrhythmias. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) hydrolyse cAMP, and PDE3 restrains β 1 -AR, β 2 -AR-mediated inotropic responses in failing hearts from β-blocker-treated patients. Whether these receptors provoke arrhythmias through ryanodine receptor (RyR2) dysregulation, and how PDE activity and prior β-blockade treatment modify this, is undefined. We sought to define how β 1 -AR and β 2 -AR activation provokes arrhythmias through RyR2 mechanisms in explanted human failing hearts, and how PDE activity and prior β-blocker therapy modulate this response. A diastolic model of ventricular arrhythmia using human right ventricular trabeculae with pacing stopped was used. Trabeculae were exposed to (-)-noradrenaline/(-)-adrenaline to activate β 1 -AR/β 2 -AR respectively with or without PDE inhibitors and monitored for spontaneous contractions. In parallel, sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles from trabeculae were used to assess RyR2 channel function, phosphorylation and oxidation. Activation of β 1 -AR or β 2 -AR increased the frequency of spontaneous contractions, concomitant increases in diastolic RyR2 channel opening, phosphorylation and oxidation. Trabeculae from carvedilol-treated patients showed fewer β 2 -AR-mediated spontaneous contractions than those treated with β 1 -AR blockers. The PDE3 inhibitor cilostamide augmented β 2 -AR-mediated spontaneous contractions, RyR2 channel opening and Ser2808 phosphorylation. In human failing heart, β 1 -AR or β 2 -AR activation increased arrhythmic contractions associated with greater diastolic RyR2 channel opening, phosphorylation and oxidation. PDE3 attenuated β 2 -AR-mediated arrhythmic contractions, RyR2 channel opening and Ser2808 hyperphosphorylation. These findings suggest that combining β 1 - and β 2 -AR blockade with strategies that reduce RyR2 Ca 2+ leak and preserve RyR2-associated PDE3 activity may improve arrhythmia control in heart failure. Graphical abstract The arrhythmogenic human failing heart. Figure shows β 1 -AR, β 2 -AR mediated arrhythmia mechanisms in human HF. Activated β 1 -AR or β 2 -AR couple to the Gsα-protein-adenylyl cyclase signalling pathway to increase cyclic AMP, activation of PKA with consequent phosphorylation of RyR2. Other changes to RyR2 include oxidation and dissociation of FKBP12.6 (Walweel et al. 2017; Denniss et al. 2020). The changes contribute to Ca 2+ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum through RyR2 during diastole to cause outward transport of Ca 2+ /inward transport of Na + through the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger resulting in DAD induced action potentials, depolarization of the myocyte and arrhythmic contractions (Walweel et al. 2017; Denniss et al. 2020). The β 2 -AR pathway that mediates arrhythmia generation is under the control of PDE3 (this paper).

Genome-wide molecular diversity analyses identify wild Cicer as reservoirs of variations for chickpea improvement - Edward Asare; Rosy Raman; Peter R. Ryan; Nay Chi Khin; Ulrike Mathesius; Harsh Raman (Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2026)
As climate change intensifies abiotic and biotic stresses, expanding the genetic base of cultivated chickpea ( Cicer arietinum ) is crucial for sustaining global pulse production. Modern chickpea cultivars have a narrow genetic base, restricting genetic gain especially for adaptation to environmental stresses, soil constraints and disease resistance. The wild Cicer species, particularly Cicer reticulatum and Cicer echinospermum , represent valuable reservoirs of genetic diversity for the improvement of existing chickpea cultivars, but their potential has not been fully exploited. Here, we evaluated genome-wide diversity and population structure in 317 Cicer accessions, comprising C. reticulatum (234), C . echinospermum (68) and C. arietinum (15), using 5792 high-confidence DArTseq SNP and 4628 SilicoDArT markers. We observed moderate polymorphic information content values, ranging from 0.25 (DArTseq SNPs) to 0.30 (SilicoDArT), indicating a medium level of informativeness and demonstrating that both marker systems are appropriate for diversity analysis for identifying useful variation for chickpea breeding. Genetic diversity indices revealed high diversity in C. reticulatum accessions. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most molecular variation occurred within species rather than among species, indicating substantial intraspecific variation that can be exploited in chickpea breeding programs. Principal coordinates and neighbour-joining analyses resolved clear clustering at the species-level, confirming close genetic relationships between C. arietinum and C. reticulatum . The probability of identity-by-descent analysis and genome-wide linkage disequilibrium revealed extensive diversity in C. reticulatum compared to C. arietinum and C. echinospermum . Overall, this study establishes that high allelic diversity present in C. reticulatum accessions can be accessed for cultivated chickpea improvement.

Changes in feeding behavior of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) following mass coral bleaching in the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia - Leighton T. Levering; Peter C. Doll; Madeline R. Garing; Sterling B. Tebbett; Morgan S. Pratchett (Coral Reefs, 2026)
The Great Barrier Reef, like most reef ecosystems, is increasingly subject to major acute disturbances, including population irruptions of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) and climate-induced coral bleaching. Given their increasing incidence, acute disturbances are likely to occur simultaneously or successively, though interactive effects of major disturbances are generally unknown. This study explores changes in the feeding behavior of CoTS during an emerging population irruption at Lizard Island that coincided with the 2024 mass bleaching, using in situ survey data. We conducted Scooter-Assisted Large Area Diver-Based surveys to investigate changes in CoTS demography and feeding, and point-intercept transects to examine changes in coral cover. From 2023 to 2025, there was a 49% decline in coral cover at Lizard Island, which was largely attributable to mass bleaching. Daily feeding rates of CoTS significantly declined over the same period, both in terms of the number of coral colonies (42.8% decline) and the combined tissue surface area of all corals consumed for each starfish (46.3% decline). CoTS density increased by 96.1% from 2023 to 2025 despite decreased feeding rates. Additionally, the relative consumption of different coral genera was consistent throughout the study period, with Acropora spp. contributing to > 80% of CoTS diet throughout the study. Though the 2024 bleaching event may have suppressed feeding rates and ecological impact of individual CoTS, the longer-term effects of CoTS are likely to conflate with coral loss due to mass bleaching, especially given sustained increases in CoTS densities.

Over‐Representation of Sperm‐Associated Deleterious Mutations Across Wild and Ex Situ Cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ) Populations - Jessica A. Peers; Heather R. Sibley; Ellie E. Armstrong; Adrienne E. Crosier; Will J. Nash; Klaus‐Peter Koepfli; Wilfried Haerty (Molecular Ecology, 2026)
As purifying selection becomes less effective and inbreeding increases, small populations frequently develop an increased load of genome‐wide deleterious mutations. Reflecting this pattern, deleterious mutations in genes associated with fertility and immunity have previously been identified in the cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ), which has had a low effective population size for at least the last 10,000 years. However, the distribution of deleterious mutations across cheetah populations is currently unknown. Here, we analysed novel whole genome resequencing data from 30 ex situ and 9 wild cheetahs. We investigated variation in genetic diversity, genomic measures of inbreeding, and the distribution of deleterious mutations across cheetah populations. South Sudanese and Tanzanian cheetahs showed higher inbreeding and realised load, while Namibian cheetahs had a higher proportion of population‐specific deleterious mutations. Genes containing high‐ or moderate‐impact deleterious mutations were significantly enriched for sperm‐related functions, highlighting putative causative loci associated with poor sperm quality in cheetahs. Similar levels of genetic diversity and inbreeding were observed in ex situ cheetahs compared to their wild counterparts, providing empirical evidence of the efficacy of captive breeding programmes in maintaining genetic variation in ex situ populations.

The MIREN Road Survey Database: Standardized Vegetation Sampling to Advance Our Understanding of Biodiversity Responses in Mountain Systems Across the Globe - Sylvia Haider; Jonas J. Lembrechts; Jake Alexander; Vincent Ralph Clark; Lisa J. Rew; Meike Buhaly; Marc Achermann; Alla Aleksanyan; Alisa Alvarez; Marco Andrello; José R. Arévalo; Valeria Aschero; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2026)
Motivation The database initiated by the Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN) is one of the few globally implemented standardized vegetation surveys in mountains. The focus is on collecting plant species occurrences at 5‐year intervals along and adjacent to mountain roads spanning elevational gradients, with the goal of providing critical information about the ongoing spread of non‐native plants and the potential impacts of climate and human‐caused disturbance in the form of road infrastructure on mountain vegetation. Main Types of Variables Contained To date, the database contains almost 170,000 georeferenced records of plant species. Overall, 6854 vascular plant species were observed in 3364 plots across 25 regions, with many of these plots being revisited every 5 years. Each plot is identified by its coordinates, elevation and distance to the road. The status of each individual species (native, non‐native or unknown) is determined in accordance with regional databases. Spatial Location and Grain Plant species were surveyed at 20 sample sites, placed at regular elevational intervals along each mountain road, with typically three roads selected per region. Each sample site is subdivided into three 2 m × 50 m plots, one parallel to the road and two perpendicular to it, extending into adjacent vegetation. The 25 studied regions cover all continents except Antarctica. Time Period and Grain Data were collected between 2007 and 2023, with surveys being repeated at 5‐year intervals in a subset of regions. Three regions include four time‐steps, while seven and three regions were sampled three times or twice, respectively. In most regions, long‐term monitoring is ongoing. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement All vascular plant species. Software Format Data are available through a .csv file on Zenodo ( https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15749536 ).

Prioritizing Shark, Ray, and Chimaera Conservation in Rapidly Changing Polar Waters - Vanessa B. Bettcher; Amanda Batlle‐Morera; Peter M. Kyne; Ryan Charles; Emiliano García‐Rodríguez; Christoph A. Rohner; Asia O. Armstrong; Margaret O’Leary Amsler; Natalia V. Chernova; Brynn M. Devine; Andrey V. Dolgov; Meghan M. Donovan; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2026)
Climate‐driven alterations in sea‐ice dynamics and shifting fishing activity are reshaping ecosystems across the Arctic and Antarctic, yet conservation‐relevant information for chondrichthyans (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) remains limited. We present the first assessment of Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) across Polar Waters, integrating species distributions, extinction risk, critical habitat evidence, spatial protection coverage, apparent fishing effort (2013–2018 vs. 2019–2024), and sea‐ice concentration trends. Of 86 chondrichthyan species reported from Polar Waters, only 15 (17.4%) had sufficient evidence to meet the ISRA Criteria, and 28 (32.6%) are threatened with extinction. We identified 35 ISRAs (27 Arctic; 8 Antarctic) covering 0.75% of the Polar Waters region. ISRAs were delineated predominantly based on data from scientific fishing surveys and harvest fisheries. Most Antarctic ISRAs were delineated under Criterion B—Range Restricted, reflecting endemism and scarce life‐history evidence. Major knowledge gaps persist, particularly for highly adapted Polar Species (10 species) and deepwater taxa (72.1% of regional chondrichthyan fauna). Between 2013 and 2024, the spatial footprint of fishing expanded in both poles for trawlers and longliners, despite stable or declining fishing hours in some fleets. Concurrent areas of increasing fishing effort and decreasing sea‐ice concentration remained minimal. However, apparent fishing effort overlapped with most ISRAs, indicating ongoing fishing pressure in critical habitats. Marine Protected Area (MPA) coverage remains uneven: 8.2% of Arctic ISRA spatial extent overlaps MPAs (0.8% no‐take), compared with 43.8% in the Antarctic (14.8% no‐take), with insufficient effective coverage in areas beyond national jurisdiction. These results reveal substantial mismatches between chondrichthyan critical habitats, fishing exposure, and existing protection measures. Integrating ISRAs into existing management frameworks, such as Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework, High Seas Treaty mechanisms, and fisheries governance bodies, will be essential to safeguard vulnerable polar chondrichthyans as sea‐ice concentration declines and exposure risk increases.

An experimental approach to assess the combined effects of multiple stressors on a large vertebrate species - Enrico Pirotta; Catriona M. Harris; Lori H. Schwacke; Len Thomas; Jason B. Allen; Aaron A. Barleycorn; Marco Casoli; Jonathan Crossman; Laura Aichinger Dias; Laura Engleby; Erin LaBrecque; Jenny A. Litz; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2026)
The design of experiments to investigate the combined effects of multiple stressors requires exposing target organisms to multiple combinations of stressor doses. Concurrent manipulation of stressors is often infeasible with wildlife, but long‐lasting health effects allow individual health to be used as an integrator of prior stressor exposure. The population of bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, experienced long‐lasting health effects after exposure to oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. We investigated whether compromised health status affects dolphins’ ability to respond to other stressors, specifically vessel traffic, potentially leading to increased collision risk. We used this case study to develop a hypothesis‐driven experimental approach to assess the combined effects of multiple stressors in a large, long‐lived vertebrate species. We conducted controlled vessel approaches to test whether the health status of targeted dolphins affected their behavioral responses. Our results highlighted some effects of health, suggesting that oil spills may exacerbate the effects of other stressors in coastal populations. For example, lung disease was associated with a delayed dive response, which could affect the ability to vertically avoid vessels and lead to increased collision risk. However, health effects on response probability were overall smaller than anticipated, and other contextual variables (e.g., sex, age, calf presence, prior experience, and exposure context) contributed to response variability. Our work demonstrated the value of formalizing stressor interactions as multidimensional dose–response functions and showed the feasibility of an experimental, multiple‐stressor study in a wild system in which individual health status can be used as an integrator of prior stressor exposure. This approach has broad implications for other species that are difficult to handle experimentally. The quantification and management of the cumulative risk from multiple stressors on wildlife will require a combination of empirical and mechanistic approaches to inform long‐term, population consequences.

TEAD inhibitor induced switch in energy metabolism drives human podocyte injury in vitro - Alexander Zielinski; Julia Hauptstein; Bernd Baier; Peter Schaarschmidt; Natalie Ketter; Daniel R. Dietrich; Florian Meier (Archives of Toxicology, 2026)
Early detection and understanding of the potential adverse effects of a drug candidate is of utmost importance to reduce the attrition rate during drug development while delivering safe medications to patients. The kidney is one of the most frequently challenged organs involved in drug-induced toxicity, including general glomerulopathy and podocyte- specific cytotoxicity with ensuing overt proteinuria. Whilst TEAD inhibitors address the need for treatment of mesotheliomas and other tumours unaffected by approved drugs, animal testing and clinical trials provide evidence of renal toxicity induced by this novel class of drugs. Here we present an in vitro test system consisting of immortalized human podocytes PODO/TERT256 to characterize the potential adverse effects of TEAD inhibitors. We demonstrate that TEAD inhibitors K-975, IK-930 and VT-107 affect the podocyte monolayer in a wide dose range (33.3–100 µM), disrupt the cellular vesicle system, and subsequently induce cell death, especially after exposure to pan-TEAD inhibitors (VT-107 and K-975). Of note, low micromolar concentrations of TEAD inhibitors lowered mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation directly after exposure which was confirmed by reduced basal ATP levels after 3 d of exposure. In summary, the in vitro human podocyte model presented can characterize glomerular filtration functionality decline subsequent to TEAD inhibitor exposure and thus represents a promising model for early detection and prediction of potential drug related glomerulopathy in humans.

Pseudomonas corni sp. nov., Pseudomonas oplopanacis sp. nov., Pseudomonas salicis sp. nov., Pseudomonas rosaeacicularis sp. nov., Pseudomonas artemisiae sp. nov., Pseudomonas imperatae sp. nov. and Zestomonas ipomoeae sp. nov., isolated from rhizospheres showing plant growth promoting potential - Peter Kämpfer; André Lipski; Kathy S. Lawrence; Walker R. Olive; Molli M. Newman; John A. McInroy; Tomeu Viver (Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 2026)

Mesoscale eddies in the Southern Ocean influence foraging trip behaviour of multiple penguin species - Joshua C. Wilson; Philip N. Trathan; Hugh J. Venables; David G. Ainley; Matthis Auger; Alistair M.M. Baylis; Charles-André Bost; Louise Emmerson; Kimberley T. Goetz; Mark A. Hindell; Jefferson T. Hinke; Catharine Horswill; et al. (Progress in Oceanography, 2026)

Association of area deprivation index and median household income with early postoperative outcomes after spine tumor surgery - Kristen H. Park; Joshua L. Golubovsky; Jennifer Cirvello; Emily Xu; Scott D. McClintock; Anish Butala; Gabrielle W. Peters; Alvand Hassankhani; Hayley M. Knollman; James Schuster; Colbey W. Freeman; Neil R. Malhotra (Next Research, 2026)

Development and Evaluation of a Sham Diet Intended as a Placebo-Control Diet for Food-Based Interventional Trials in Ulcerative Colitis - Alice S. Day; Tessa M. Ballard; Matthew Benetti; Emma Halmos; Peter R. Gibson; Chu K. Yao; Robert V. Bryant (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2026)

Analysis of urban greenhouse gas dispersion for downtown Montréal using computational fluid dynamics and field measurements - Quinn Dyer-Hawes; Djordje Romanic; Yi Huang; John R. Gyakum; Peter M.J. Douglas; Lei Liu; Benjamin Riot–Bretêcher; Regina Gonzalez Moguel; Jacob Asomaning; John Stix; Gustavo Villarruel; Margaret Kalacska; et al. (Atmospheric Pollution Research, 2026)

Altering sensory cues for spatial navigation does not impose a dual-task effect on gait and balance - Sam Beech; Maggie K. McCracken; Christina Geisler; Leland E. Dibble; Colby R. Hansen; Sarah H. Creem-Regehr; Peter C. Fino (Experimental Brain Research, 2026)

Smooth Gradients or Defined Fronts: Characterizing Within-Marsh Spatial Variability of CO2 Fluxes - Lena K. Champlin; Emily Wilson; Kenneth B. Raposa; Jason S. Goldstein; Ashley Hamilton; Jason S. Krumholz; Christopher R. Peter; Megan C. Tyrrell; Jamie M. P. Vaudrey; Robinson W. Fulweiler (Estuaries and Coasts, 2026)

Characteristics of slant sporadic-E layers observed at low-latitudes - Peter T. Muka; Marcio T.A.H. Muella; Fredson Conceição-Santos; Laysa C.A. Resende; Paulo R. Fagundes; Olufemi L. Ogunmola; Pedro A. Fontes; Valdir G. Pillat; Mariah Cesar; Rodolfo de Jesus (Advances in Space Research, 2026)

Radiographic Assessment of Bone Maturation: A Tool to Estimate Sexual Maturity in Common Dolphins ( Delphinus delphis )? - Eva‐Maria F. Hanninger; Ashley Barratclough; Emma L. Betty; Marti J. Anderson; Matthew R. Perrott; Joy Bowler; Emily I. Palmer; Katharina J. Peters; Karen A. Stockin (Marine Mammal Science, 2026)
Accurate inference of sexual maturity is fundamental to interpreting marine mammal life histories and population structure. Using Bayesian logistic regression models with a hierarchical ordinal (HOF‐style) parameterisation and canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP), we evaluate skeletal metrics in the pectoral flippers of common dolphin ( Delphinus delphis ) as indicators of attainment of sexual maturity. HOF models were used to relate sexual maturity to skeletal ossification, generating probabilistic response curves based on (i) a total bone score defined as the sum of discrete morphological maturation stages (scored from −1 to 8) across 16 flipper bones, and (ii) the minimum maturation stage (−1 to 8) reached by either the distal radius or ulna. For total bone scores, the predicted midpoint of sexual maturity (probability = 0.5) occurred at an ossification score of 74.85 points in females (95% credible interval: 72.50–77.13) and 68.35 points in males (95% credible interval: 63.47–73.12), with a steeper transition in females. For the minimum radius–ulna score, midpoints were similar between sexes, at 4.90 in females (95% CI: 4.51–5.27) and 4.75 in males (95% CI: 4.32–5.16). CAP was applied as a complementary multivariate constrained ordination method to distinguish immature and mature individuals based on combined ossification patterns and to quantify leave‐one‐out classification performance. For the whole dataset, CAP demonstrated strong discrimination between maturity states (squared canonical correlation = 0.84), with 95.8% of females and 98.4% of males correctly classified and misclassification restricted to individuals near the maturity boundary. Together, these results demonstrate that radiographic skeletal ossification provides a robust proxy for sexual maturity in common dolphins in New Zealand.

Historical Imprints and Future Shifts: Evolutionary Biogeography of Atlantic Reef Fishes Under Climate Change - Isadora Cord; Lucas T. Nunes; Peter F. Cowman; Lucas L. Lutzenkirchen; Sergio R. Floeter; Alexandre C. Siqueira (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2026)
Aim To incorporate phylogenetic relationships into Atlantic marine biogeography, investigating how evolutionary history and environmental conditions interact to shape biodiversity patterns at ocean‐basin scales, and to assess how phylogenetic metrics can inform predictions of ecological vulnerability under climate change. Location Atlantic Ocean. Time Period Last glacial maximum to 2100. Major Taxa Studied Reef‐associated ray‐finned fishes. Methods We integrated the distributions of 1637 species with detailed phylogenetic information to delineate phylogenetically informed bioregions (“phyloregions”). Using phylogenetic diversity, endemism, and evolutionary distinctiveness, we quantified large‐scale evolutionary patterns and applied machine‐learning models with climate projections to forecast future changes in biodiversity structure, including alpha‐ and beta‐diversity metrics and thermal niche breadth. Results We delineated 19 distinct phyloregions, shaped mainly by past isolation and major oceanographic barriers. Evolutionary distinctiveness was highest in temperate transition zones and remote oceanic islands, while tropical regions emerged as hotspots of phylogenetic diversity and endemism. Future climate scenarios indicate rising phylogenetic diversity and endemism in tropical areas, likely reflecting lineage mixing and range shifts, alongside narrowing thermal niche breadths that signal reduced ecological adaptability. Main Conclusions The delineation of Atlantic phyloregions reveals how evolutionary legacies, historical climatic dynamics, and major oceanographic barriers have shaped reef fish diversity at ocean‐basin scales. Temperate transition zones and remote oceanic islands harbour highly distinct evolutionary lineages, while tropical regions concentrate phylogenetic diversity and endemism. Coupling this bioregionalization framework with future climate projections further suggests that warming may reorganize assemblage composition and narrow thermal niche breadths across the Atlantic. Together, these findings provide a scalable framework for integrating evolutionary history into conservation prioritization and improving our understanding of biodiversity dynamics under global change.

Climate Predicts Tree Dispersal Strategies Across Brazil's Ecosystems - Fernanda C. Souza; Vinícius Andrade Maia; Renata Françoso; Matheus Coutinho Freitas de Oliveira; Ana Beatriz Ligo; Bruno X. Pinho; Jesús Aguirre‐Gutiérrez; Martin Sullivan; Larissa Rocha‐Santos; Laura de Brito Évora; Leonardo de Sousa Miranda; María Natalia Umaña; et al. (Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2026)
Aim We investigate the distribution of dispersal modes — endozoochory (via animal ingestion), synzoochory (via animal seed accumulation) and anemochory (via wind)—and seed mass of woody plants across Brazilian ecosystems, testing whether their relative abundance in local plant communities could be predicted by climate, edaphic factors and dispersal agents (e.g., the main vectors moving seeds). We expected climate to be the main predictor of dispersal strategy abundance. Location Brazilian ecosystems (Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga). Time Period 2004–2020. Major Taxa Studied Woody angiosperms, trees and shrubs. Methods We assigned seed mass to 1984 species and dispersal mode to 2203 species within 300 old‐growth and non‐flooded plots. We employed Random Forest regressions to assess the influence of water availability, temperature seasonality, soil fertility, wind and frugivorous primates on the community‐weighted means of seed mass and dispersal modes. We mapped predictions and estimated the area of applicability to identify regions where predictions were reliable. Results Climate was the main factor predicting tree dispersal strategies, followed by dispersal agents or soil properties. Endozoochory was prevalent in wetter regions with high water availability and greater diurnal temperature range. Anemochory was more common in drier regions with low water availability, stronger winds and greater diurnal temperature range, whereas synzoochory was more abundant in areas with low temperature seasonality. Heavier seeds were more prevalent in regions with less seasonal temperatures, smaller diurnal temperature ranges and weaker winds. Main Conclusions Climate is a key predictor of the distribution and prevalence of plants with contrasting dispersal modes and seed masses. We thus expect functional responses to environmental change associated with shifts in the relative abundance of dispersal strategies, with implications for ecosystem services. Our results also highlight the critical role of plot‐based datasets in improving our understanding of how environmental factors influence seed dispersal strategies across tropical ecosystems.

Stomatal Decoupling From Photosynthesis Under High Temperatures Is Consistent With Stomatal Optimisation - Simon R. G. Jones; Georg Wohlfahrt; Andrew D. Friend; Peter J. Franks; Alexander W. Cheesman; Lucas A. Cernusak; Haoyu Diao; Xiaolong Feng; Josef Urban; Tyeen Taylor; Martijn Slot; Lina M. Mercado; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2026)
Stomatal pores on plant leaves regulate the gain of carbon through photosynthesis and the loss of water through transpiration. Through their responses to environmental conditions, stomata can constrain plant productivity and transpiration fluxes, exerting a strong control on climate feedbacks over land. Although mechanistic modelling of stomata remains a challenge, semi‐empirical and optimisation models have been successfully applied to improve the simulation of land‐atmosphere fluxes of water and carbon. Optimisation approaches assume that some aspect of plant function, such as photosynthesis or growth rate, is optimised with respect to an environmental constraint, such as available soil water. Both optimisation models and semi‐empirical models predict that stomatal conductance will increase in concert with rising photosynthetic rates as temperatures approach a thermal optimum, beyond which declines in both photosynthesis and stomatal conductance are expected. However, a growing number of experiments have found that while photosynthesis declines beyond its thermal optimum, stomatal conductance often continues to increase at high temperatures. Early modelling work suggests that this phenomenon can be captured and explained by an optimal thermoregulation strategy via increased evaporative cooling at the leaf surface. However, many stomatal conductance models that are embedded within climate and Earth System Models do not correctly account for this feedback and so cannot capture observed decoupling. Here, we demonstrate that if leaf temperature is calculated iteratively outside the optimisation scheme, as is commonly done in Earth System Models, stomatal decoupling will not be captured. However, by calculating leaf temperature in parallel with optimal stomatal conductance, we find that we are able to capture observed decoupling and improve predicted leaf temperature and gas exchange. Correctly implementing the leaf energy balance equation within stomatal optimisation models will be essential for capturing high temperature responses of forests across the globe.

The Forgotten Pink Salmon in the Laurentian Great Lakes: An Unexpected Invasion With Insights for Three Oceans - Joseph A. Langan; Peter J. Alsip; Hazem U. Abdelhady; Charles R. Bronte; Cory A. Goldsworthy; Matthew S. Kornis; Krista B. Oke; Eva B. Thorstad; Benjamin A. Turschak (Fish and Fisheries, 2026)
Introductions of species outside their native range, such as pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ) in the Laurentian Great Lakes, can serve as unplanned experiments that provide new insights into ecological adaptation. We synthesize available information on the understudied Great Lakes pink salmon invasion and highlight how this case can inform research and management related to expansions and invasions of this species in the Pacific, Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans. Accidentally introduced to Lake Superior in 1956, pink salmon quickly spread to all five Great Lakes, displaying unexpected behaviours and life history plasticity. This invasion history demonstrates a remarkable ability of pink salmon to establish from a small founder population, colonize large areas, produce explosive year classes to rapidly increase in abundance, and complete a full life cycle entirely in freshwater. One of the most striking changes is a shift from their rigid 2‐year Pacific life cycle to a variable maturation age ranging from 1 to 4 years, likely influenced by prey availability as well as temperature and other environmental factors. We discuss implications for expansions elsewhere and outline five research themes necessary for understanding pink salmon dynamics in the Great Lakes with broader relevance for managing the species everywhere: (1) What drives rapid changes in abundance? (2) How do temperature extremes influence their ecology? (3) What causes departures from the 2‐year life cycle? (4) How important is it for the phenology of life history events to match new habitats? (5) What guides pelagic movements and straying in new habitats?

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

Understanding DMG: current treatment options and prospective solutions using nanoparticles - Ahmed Mohamed; Aleksey Lyzlov; Rachna Prasad; Rex A. Moats; Mark D. Krieger; Virendra R. Desai; Ashley S. Margol; Peter A. Chiarelli; Meenakshi Upreti (Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2026)

Continent-wide stock structure and connectivity of silver trevally (Pseudocaranx georgianus) based on population genomics and otolith shape and chemistry - Zoriana H.T. Lam; John Stewart; Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo; Patrick Reis-Santos; Rhiannon A. Van Eck; Bronwyn M. Gillanders; Peter Ritchie; Maren Wellenreuther; Charlie Huveneers; David V. Fairclough; Ashley M. Fowler; Julian Hughes; et al. (Fisheries Research, 2026)

A spatial approach to duet function in Adelaide's warbler, Setophaga adelaidae - Samantha W. Krause; Tyler R. Bonnell; Marcus J. Dostie; Samantha I. Booth; Peter C. Mower; David M. Logue (Animal Behaviour, 2026)

Transit time modeling framework for predicting freshwater salinization in urban catchments - Shantanu V. Bhide; Stanley B. Grant; Kevin McGuire; Karen Prestegaard; Sujay S. Kaushal; Andrew J. Sekellick; Megan A. Rippy; Todd Schenk; Shannon Curtis; Jesus D. Gomez-Velez; Erin R. Hotchkiss; Peter Vikesland; et al. (Water Research, 2026)

Precision measurement of the Ds*+-Ds+ meson mass difference - M. Ablikim; M.N. Achasov; P. Adlarson; X.C. Ai; R. Aliberti; A. Amoroso; Q. An; Y. Bai; O. Bakina; Y. Ban; H.-R. Bao; V. Batozskaya; et al. (Science Bulletin, 2026)

Making global environmental assessments fit for future challenges - Håkon B. Stokland; Alice Vadrot; Elizabeth Sanna Barron; Silke Beck; Marla R. Emery; Rolf Lidskog; Timo Maas; Jasper Montana; Camilla Sandström; Marie Stenseke; Andy Stirling; Peter Stoett; et al. (Environmental Science & Policy, 2026)

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

Interspecific interaction, habitat, or neighborhood occupancy? Long-term dataset reveals factors influencing the barred owl invasion through time - Kaitlin R. McGee; Alan B. Franklin; Peter C. Carlson; Angela Rex; Paul Doherty, Jr. (Biological Conservation, 2026)

Network-Scale Patterns and Drivers of Microcystins in a Heavily Impacted Watershed - Jessica Lerminiaux; Kerri Finlay; Peter R. Leavitt; Samuel G. Woodman; Matthew J. Bogard (Ecosystems, 2026)

Structural characterisation of a fucose-rich acidic extracellular polysaccharide produced by Lindavia intermedia in New Zealand lakes - Cara A. Luiten; Ian M. Sims; Tracey J. Bell; Peter T. Northcote; A. Jonathan Singh; Andrew R. Lewis; Guilherme L. Sassaki; Phil M. Novis; Marc Schallenberg; Simon F.R. Hinkley (Algal Research, 2026)

Critical habitats for sharks and rays in Asia remain largely unprotected - Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana; Peter M. Kyne; Emiliano García-Rodríguez; Ryan Charles; Vanessa Bettcher Brito; Asia O. Armstrong; Amanda Batlle-Morera; Marta D. Palacios; Christoph A. Rohner; Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara; Jo Marie V. Acebes; Serena Adam; et al. (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2026)
The Asia region harbors exceptional chondrichthyan (shark, ray, and chimaera) diversity but faces intense fishing pressure. The Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRA) process provides a collaborative, evidence-based framework to identify critical habitats and inform spatial management. We assessed ISRAs across the Bay of Bengal, Southeast Asia, and the Northwest Pacific to characterize their extent, ecological significance, and conservation relevance. We delineated 122 ISRAs spanning ~ 1 million km 2 (~ 3% of the region) across 12 jurisdictions and international waters, encompassing habitats for 121 species (~ 30% of Asia’s chondrichthyans), 76% of which are threatened. Depleted taxa (e.g., giant guitarfishes, Glaucostegidae) were represented, but charismatic megafauna (e.g., Whale Shark Rhincodon typus ) were overrepresented. In contrast, deepwater and freshwater species were underrepresented. Reproductive Areas were the most common ISRA sub-criterion applied (52% of ISRAs), largely in nearshore zones, while areas for range-restricted species were less frequently (18%) identified. Twelve ISRAs overlapped with biodiversity hotspots, including seven in areas of high overall chondrichthyan species richness and five in areas of high range-restricted species richness. Citizen science was the predominant research method used to delineate ISRAs, while fisheries data were underused despite the region’s major fisheries footprint. Geographic coverage was uneven: Indonesia held the most ISRAs (n = 40; 71.7% of ISRA coverage) while eight jurisdictions (e.g., Viet Nam, China, Republic of Korea) lacked ISRAs due to data gaps. Protection shortfalls are stark: MPAs cover

Lachnaceae ( Helotiales , Leotiomycetes ) of New Zealand—An Introduction - Peter R. Johnston; Duckchul Park (New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2026)
This is the first of a planned series of articles on the taxonomy and diversity of Lachnaceae ( Leotiomycetes , Helotiales ) of New Zealand. Based largely on specimens from the New Zealand Fungarium (Te Kohinga Hekaheka o Aotearoa) (PDD) that have DNA sequences available, this paper provides a brief survey of the New Zealand species present in each of the genera currently accepted as Lachnaceae . Ninety species of Lachnaceae are listed here for New Zealand from either PDD or the literature, but 14 of these records lack validation with DNA sequence data. Of the records that have been validated genetically, eight require recombination and 56 are of unnamed species. Based on an ITS phylogeny, several of the species appear to belong in no currently named genus. For most of these taxa without a genus, a recent separate multi‐gene analysis confirmed their phylogenetic position. One of the unnamed genera contains a single species that has been identified as Cudoniella javanica , a species first described from Java in 1899; a lectotype is selected for this species and it is here recombined in a new genus, Lachnocudoniella . The other four unnamed genera are not formally described here as new taxa.

Tidal phasing drives intertidal heat stress and climate vulnerability - Sophie‐Berenice Wilmes; Luis Giménez; Stuart R. Jenkins; Emily Perks; Ben Winterbourn; Shelagh K. Malham; Peter E. Robins (Limnology and Oceanography, 2026)
Intertidal organisms are exposed to extreme and variable thermal conditions due to periodic aerial exposure by tides. For sessile species that cannot seek refuge, heat stress is strongly influenced by the timing of low tides, which in semidiurnal tidal systems is governed by the spring–neap tidal cycle. Here, we deployed biomimetic loggers, designed to replicate body temperature of the mussel Mytilus edulis , at two climatologically similar yet tidally distinct sites in Wales, UK, to examine how interactions between climate and tidal phasing regulate intertidal heat stress. Despite comparable weather conditions, South Wales mussels—exposed during midday spring low tides—experienced daily maximum body temperatures over 3°C higher compared to North Wales, where exposure occurred during morning and evening spring low tides. Consequently, South Wales mussels exceed critical temperature thresholds more frequently. Based on the observations, we developed and validated a mussel body temperature model incorporating readily available tidal and climatic data, which accurately reproduced observed logger temperatures and successfully simulated a 2018 mass mortality event in the English Channel. Model experiments showed that tidal phasing can modulate 95 th ‐percentile daily maxima by up to 5.5°C, with midday spring low tides producing the warmest possible conditions. Long‐term simulations (1990–2023) further revealed a 2 to 2.5‐fold increase in extreme temperature exposure since 2020. These results demonstrate that tidal characteristics in semidiurnal systems can amplify or mitigate intertidal thermal stress as strongly as local climate, and that simple, process‐based models can forecast heat exposure and ecological vulnerability under future climate change.

First reported evidence of healing after a traumatic mandibular fracture with associated soft‐tissue avulsion in the deep‐sea sevengill shark ( Heptranchias perlo ) - Andrej A. Gajić; James A. Sulikowski; Jodie L. Rummer; Joel H. Gayford; Emina Karalić; Hajrudin Beširović; Elia N. Latta; Peter R. Møller (Journal of Fish Biology, 2026)
This study presents the first documented case of healing in the deep‐sea sharpnose sevengill shark ( Heptranchias perlo ), a poorly understood species in the Mediterranean Sea. A juvenile specimen that sustained a traumatic mandibular fracture with extensive soft‐tissue avulsion, which likely resulted from de‐hooking during a previous longline capture, was retrieved dead by a bottom trawler in the southern Adriatic Sea. Gross pathological and radiographic examinations confirmed that the injury remained isolated to the mandibular region, with no abnormalities detected in the splanchnocranium or the musculoskeletal system. Evidence of advanced healing and scar tissue formation was observed, and stomach content analysis revealed active feeding had occurred despite the injury, suggesting that severe mandibular trauma may not have impaired prey capture or consumption. The documented healing indicates that survival following severe mandibular injury and longline capture is possible in H. perlo , in contrast to the high at‐vessel mortality previously recorded for this species in bottom‐trawl fisheries. However, this conclusion remains tentative, and our findings highlight the need for further research into the recovery capacity of deep‐sea shark species that are impacted by commercial fishing, which is crucial for informing conservation strategies and fishery management.

From dive slates to digital imagery: an evaluation of the effect of coral reef assessment methods on benthic and substrate compositions and an alignment between methods - Tri A. Hadi; Ian R. Tibbetts; Giyanto; Novi S. Adi; Peter J. Mumby; Simone P. Blomberg (Coral Reefs, 2026)
Various underwater survey methods have been used for coral reef assessment and long-term monitoring; however, comparing data across different methods remains challenging and can obscure ecological patterns. This study compared and aligned three commonly used survey methods in Indonesia, including line-intercept transects (LIT) and point-intercept transects (PIT) recorded on dive slates, and underwater photo transects (UPT), to improve data consistency and comparability. Surveys were conducted at 56 sites across four locations between 2013 and 2014. Two Bayesian Dirichlet models were fitted. The first model assessed the relative performance of the methods while accounting for random effects (location and site within location). The results indicated that UPT generally produced higher estimated per cent cover across most benthic and substrate categories; PIT was typically intermediate; and LIT tended to yield lower estimates for most categories, while relatively overestimating hard coral cover compared with UPT. Because of these discrepancies, the second model was developed to convert LIT or PIT data into UPT-equivalent compositions. While the predictive models have limitations, the predictions for most categories were relatively reliable and, in general, statistically indistinguishable from the observed UPT data, especially at the community level. These models can be iteratively refit to improve regional generalisability by adding observations from different sites and locations, or applied to new sites and locations by excluding the random effect at the cost of increased uncertainty. Overall, this approach improves data comparability and consistency, supporting long-term monitoring and conservation efforts by making conventional and modern methods more directly comparable.

Decadal migration timing and temporal variation in dive behavior of an endangered beluga whale population - Kasey P. Ryan; Sean F. Ryan; Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen; Steven H. Ferguson; Sasha R. X. Dall; James D. Roth; Cortney A. Watt (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2026)
Introduction Understanding migration timing and movement behavior is critical for predicting population responses to environmental changes. The beluga whale ( Delphinapterus leucas ) population in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, is currently endangered due to historical and ongoing overharvesting. Methods By comparing satellite telemetry data from two distinct time periods (1998–1999 and 2006–2008), we evaluated beluga whale dive behavior and migration timing in relation to environmental and seasonal factors. To infer potential prey shifts, we compared the proportion of dives deeper than 100 m, where Arctic cod ( Boreogadus saida ) are typically found, with shallower dives indicative of capelin ( Mallotus villosus ) foraging. Dive behavior was analyzed in relation to seasonal progression (day of year), time period, ice cover, bottom depth, and sex using mixed-effects models. Migration timing was evaluated using latitudinal thresholds and a transect line to identify the timing and variability of southward autumn movements relative to sea ice formation. Results We found significant seasonal (day of year) variation in dive behavior, with deep dives increasing from September to December. Additionally, there was a notable shift to more shallow dives in the second time period compared to the first, suggesting a change in foraging from Arctic cod to capelin. We found that the whales’ initial movements out of their summering area appeared largely independent of ice phenology, while their movements later in their migration were highly variable. Discussion The shift in prey likely occurred due to changes in prey distribution driven by warmer ocean temperatures, which may have negative long-term impacts on population health. Some of these behavioral trends contrasted with those of other beluga whale populations, emphasizing the need for population-specific management strategies to support long-term survival of the Cumberland Sound beluga whale population.

Melanoma and Other Melanistic Lesions in Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus From Waterbodies in the Northeastern United States and Canada: Identification of Risk Factors - Vicki S. Blazer; Peter Emerson; Matthew Bodnar; Thomas Jones; David R. Russell; Matthew Pehrson; Cheyenne R. Smith; Danielle Cleveland; Mark J. Henderson; Patricia M. Mazik (Journal of Fish Diseases, 2026)
Melanistic lesions, including non‐raised black areas due to proliferations of melanocytes and melanomacrophages in the dermis and epidermis, as well as raised black areas consistent with melanoma, are described in brown bullhead (BBH) Ameiurus nebulosus from three water bodies in the northeastern United States and Quebec, Canada. First observed in the Vermont portion of Lake Memphremagog, Vermont, USA and Quebec, Canada, the prevalence of melanistic lesions during 2014–2020 was greater than 30% in BBH 200 mm and longer. In 2023, seven sites throughout the lake were assessed, and prevalence ranged from 18% to 42%. In Hermon Pond, Maine, the prevalence was 29% in 2024, and in Village Pond, New Hampshire, lesions occurred in 22% of BBH in 2025. Compared to skin from visibly normal BBH, skin with melanistic lesions had significantly higher concentrations of seven metals, including arsenic, a known carcinogen and zinc. Lesions associated with oxidative damage, such as the accumulation of ceroid/lipofuscin, were also observed in the gill, spleen and kidney tissue of both affected and visibly normal BBH. The progression of lesions, observed by histopathology, ranged from inflammation, signs of oxidative damage, proliferation and necrosis of club cells, and the presence of melanomacrophages and melanocytes in the epidermis to invasive melanoma and suggests chronic exposure of BBH to environmental initiators and promoters of carcinogenesis.

Continental‐wide prioritization of protected areas to address global and habitat‐specific goals for avian biodiversity conservation - Yanjie Xu; Diego Pavón‐Jordán; Tyler Hallman; Tristan R. M. Bakx; Lluís Brotons; Sergi Herrando; Alison Johnston; Brett K. Sandercock; Thomas Sattler; Alaaeldin Soultan; Vitalie Ajder; Dawn E. Balmer; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2026)
The United Nations and European Union have set ambitious conservation goals to halt and reverse declines in biodiversity by protecting 30% of land and sea areas by 2030. Effective conservation planning requires evidence‐based spatial prioritization to maximize the coverage of species within designated protected areas. Based on a pan‐European database for occurrence and abundance of breeding birds collected in the 2010s, we applied the Zonation algorithm to identify key areas that would maximize the protection of ranges and populations for 435 species of breeding birds across Europe using either continental or national prioritization targets. When 30% of Europe's highest priority terrestrial areas were selected by the algorithm, 49% of species’ ranges and 63% of species’ populations were protected. When 10% and 30% of the highest priority lands were selected, compared with prioritization using occurrence data, prioritization using abundance data resulted in a higher percentage of species’ populations, especially rare and range‐restricted species, being represented for protected area coverage. Stratifying prioritization by habitat criteria greatly enhanced habitat‐specific conservation efficiency, enabling coverage of over 80% of breeding bird species’ populations in tundra, Mediterranean, and coastal habitats with a selection of 10% of the highest priority areas for each. Our prioritization supports international targets adopted under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by identifying key areas and providing a roadmap to guide optimal site protection and conservation planning in Europe.

Evaluating the use of uncrewed surface vessels to enhance Lake Erie acoustic prey-fish surveys. - Mark R. DuFour; Thomas M. Evans; Lars G. Rudstam; Suresh A. Sethi; Jeremy P. Holden; Heather Luken; Peter Jenkins; Daniel L. Yule; David M. Warner; Steven A. Farha; Timothy P. O’Brien; Andrew R. Barnard; et al. (Fisheries Research, 2026)

Mapping population immunity: How protease and antibody fragmentation shape wastewater findings - Daniel G R Yim; Wei Lin Lee; Federica Armas; Lucas Luke; Zi Jian Yuen; Hadley D. Sikes; Peter R. Preiser; Eric J. Alm; Megan E. McBee (Water Research, 2026)

Re-examination of the 1958 Huslia earthquake sequence and regional tectonics of the northwestern Koyukuk Basin, Alaska - Diane I. Doser; Mark R. Baker; Peter J. Haeussler (Tectonophysics, 2026)

Multivariate evaluation of soil-water-plant health in multifunctional buffer-strip systems - Helen C.S. Amorim; Sheela Katuwal; Amanda J. Ashworth; Philip A. Moore; Phillip R. Owens; Grace L. Miner; Peter J.A. Kleinman; Gerson L. Drescher (Science of The Total Environment, 2026)

Goals and trends in space exploration: An overview of the panel on exploration sessions at the committee on space research general assembly 2024 - André Galli; Heather Smith; Michel Blanc; Bernard Foing; Hélène Boithias; Scott J. Bolton; Soyoung Chung; Athena Coustenis; Eric Dautriat; Jean-Pierre de Vera; Peter Doran; François Dubrulle; et al. (Life Sciences in Space Research, 2026)

Relationships between sediment connectivity and hypsometry in an intertidal microtidal estuary - Peter J. De Ruiter; Julia C. Mullarney; Karin R. Bryan; Christian Winter (Geomorphology, 2026)

Mineral transformations driven by Acidimicrobium sp. A6 increase the bioavailability of crystalline Fe oxides in co-cultures with Geobacter sulfurreducens - Jinhee Park; Joshua Atkinson; Shan Huang; Bruce E. Koel; Peter R. Jaffé (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2026)

Shade avoidance conditions soybean productivity in relay intercropping with winter canola - Marinda DeGier; François J. Tardif; Joshua Nasielski; Peter J. Smith; Sydney Meloche; Alyssa Thibodeau; Meghan Moran; Brian Caldbeck; Eric R. Page (Field Crops Research, 2026)

A lightweight deepwater oxygen model for investigating lake responses to future climate - Mahtab Yaghouti; Ana I. Ayala; Jorrit P. Mesman; Don C. Pierson; Tom Shatwell; Lipa G.T. Nkwalale; Karsten Rinke; Haoran Shi; Eleanor Jennings; Peter Hunter; R. Iestyn Woolway; Ian D. Jones (Environmental Modelling & Software, 2026)

Energy efficiency of botanical systems for the remediation of indoor CO2 - Ralph Fares; James D. Torpy; Peter J. Irga; Fraser R. Torpy (Energy and Buildings, 2026)

Are there enough native tree seed sources to meet forest restoration targets? A spatially explicit assessment in tropical Asia - Riina Jalonen; Tobias Fremout; Rekha R. Warrier; Vivi Yuskianti; Enrique Tolentino; Cristino Tiburan; Md. Zahidur Rahman Miah; Md. Tauhidor Rahaman; Peter Wilkie; Dede J. Sudrajat; Denny; Christopher J. Kettle (Biological Conservation, 2026)

Transitioning to 1500 m at LA2028: Impact of duration on energetic contribution and performance in maximal ergometer rowing - Peter R. Higgins; Mathijs J. Hofmijster (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2026)

Developing and testing of a winegrape phenology model for Australian conditions - Dane S. Thomas; Wendy Cameron; Peter T. Hayman; Marcos Bonada; Victor O. Sadras; Joanna M. Gambetta; Jessica Y.C. Jolley; Paul R. Petrie (Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 2026)

The future of evolutionary behavioral biology - Theo C. M. Bakker; James F. A. Traniello; Tim R. Birkhead; Monika Borgerhoff Mulder; Bernard Crespi; Niels J. Dingemanse; Raghavendra Gadagkar; Ashleigh S. Griffin; Mark E. Hauber; Bert Hölldobler; John L. Hoogland; Sarah B. Hrdy; et al. (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2026)

Population Genomics of a Cosmopolitan Weed Provides Insights Into Its Local Adaptation and Recent Demographic History - Marilia Souza Lucas; Christoph Rosche; Isabell Hensen; Stefan G. Michalski; Dávid U. Nagy; Diana Gamba; Renske E. Onstein; Karime Abidkulova; Mohammad Al‐Gharaibeh; Ali A. Al‐Namazi; Sirwan Babaei; Fernando Bastida; et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2026)
Invasive plant species present a growing ecological and economic challenge, and often adapt rapidly to their novel environments through complex demographic and evolutionary processes. Invasion genomics offers powerful tools to disentangle these processes, but most studies rely on geographically narrow sampling across native and non‐native ranges. Erigeron canadensis is a cosmopolitan weed native to North America that has successfully invaded diverse climates worldwide. We used double‐digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of 280 E. canadensis populations across the Northern Hemisphere. We found that native and non‐native populations maintained comparable genetic diversity. Population structure analyses revealed four genetic clusters that were mainly differentiated along latitudinal and aridity gradients. However, one cluster was strongly overrepresented in the non‐native compared to the native range. In the native range, genetic differentiation was shaped by spatial and environmental gradients, while in non‐native regions human‐mediated dispersal and repeated introductions disrupted environmentally driven genetic structure. Migration network analyses revealed limited intercontinental connectivity and a possible role of long‐distance dispersal in within‐range expansions. Genomic offset analyses showed that genotype‐environment mismatches in non‐native populations associated with reduced growth and reproduction. Together, our results indicate that the invasion dynamics of E. canadensis were driven by multiple introductions, population admixture, and lineage sorting, while some genotypes contributed disproportionately to the spread of this invader. The presence of apparent maladaptation suggests that even long‐established invaders may still be evolving in response to their novel environment, raising concerns about potential future expansions.

Nonapeptide cell size differs between male morphs of the West African cichlid, Pelvicachromis pulcher - Adam R. Reddon; Douglas R. Wylie; Peter L. Hurd (Journal of Fish Biology, 2026)
Alternative male morphs are found in many species of fishes. These morphs often differ in suites of social behaviours, such as aggression and territoriality, associated with alternative reproductive tactics. Such consistent morph‐typical behavioural profiles suggest common differences in underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms. The nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasotocin are linked to a wide range of behaviours, including aggression, mating behaviour and social attraction. These behaviours often differ between male morphs, suggesting that nonapeptides may mediate behavioural variation between morphs. We compared two morphs of a West African cichlid, Pelvicachromis pulcher , to test for differences in nonapeptide neuronal phenotypes. P . pulcher exhibit at least four distinct male colour morphs, of which the red and yellow morphs are the most common and have the best‐described social and reproductive behaviours. Red males tend towards breeding as harem holders, whereas yellow males breed monogamously or act as satellite males on the territories of red males. Here, we examine nonapeptide‐producing neurons in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus in the red and yellow morphs. We found that the more aggressive polygynous red morph has larger parvocellular oxytocin and vasotocin‐producing neurons, as well as larger gigantocellular oxytocin neurons, compared to the yellow morph. We did not find any association between the number of oxytocin or vasotocin cells and male morph. Our results suggest that the production of oxytocin and vasotocin in the preoptic area may play a role in determining morph‐typical behaviour among P. pulcher males.

The SPoRC Stock Assessment Package: A Generalized Next‐Generation Platform to Assess Spatial, Age and Sex‐Structured Populations - Matthew LH. Cheng; Daniel R. Goethel; Curry J. Cunningham; Peter‐John F. Hulson; James N. Ianelli; Kristen L. Omori (Fish and Fisheries, 2026)
Fisheries managers increasingly rely on stock assessment models to provide sustainable management advice, which must balance complex and competing objectives. Although assessment models necessitate simplifying assumptions, there is increasing recognition to improve the integration of realistic biological and fishery dynamics. While ongoing and future development of increasingly complex stock assessments requires increased capacity (i.e., time, training, and personnel), there are concerns that the growing demand for assessment advice cannot be adequately fulfilled under current resources. To address these needs, we present the Stochastic Population over Regional Components (SPoRC) model, a modern integrated analysis platform that is generalized, modular and developed in a user‐friendly programming language (R with Template Model Builder, RTMB). Development of SPoRC emphasized consideration of age, sex, and spatial dynamics at the outset, while ensuring the ability to integrate diverse data sources (e.g., catch, abundance indices, age/length compositions and tagging). Moreover, state‐space specification of time‐varying processes through random effects and robust simulation capabilities were primary design features. Here, we highlight SPoRC's utility in cohesively implementing single‐and multi‐region applications, its ability to estimate time‐varying processes as random effects, and the potential to conduct closed‐loop simulations for evaluating the robustness of management procedures. By developing a generalized assessment platform in a user‐friendly R package, we suggest that SPoRC reduces barriers to implementation of next‐generation stock assessment models and facilitates team‐based model development, which will ultimately help improve the capacity to implement stock assessments globally.

Congo River Bacterioplankton Genomic Diversity Reflects Water Travel Time, Wetland Habitats, and Greenhouse Gases - Ted Bambakidis; Shaoda Liu; Alexandra M. Wettengel; R. Max Holmes; Bienvenu J. Dinga; Aaron A. Koning; Peter B. McIntyre; Mikayla A. Borton; Paul J. Mann; Byron C. Crump (Environmental Microbiology, 2026)
Tropical rivers are major contributors to global carbon cycling, yet the microbial communities driving these transformations remain largely uncharacterized. We investigated bacterioplankton communities along the northwest Congo watershed using 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing, paired with hydrological, biogeochemical, and greenhouse gas data. In large rivers, community composition correlated with temperature and water travel time, while smaller streams were shaped by nutrient chemistry and landscape. Most sites were dominated by Burkholderiales, but composition varied, especially in DOC‐rich Cuvette Centrale wetland streams that hosted distinct communities associated with high methane and CO 2 , and low oxygen. Indicator species analysis identified specific taxa and metagenome‐assembled genomes (MAGs) strongly associated with long travel times, wetlands, and methane, including methanotrophs (Methylcoccaceae, Methylophilaceae, Methylomonas) and MAGs encoding diverse carbon‐processing metabolisms. For global context, Congo and northern Thailand river bacterioplankton were more similar to each other than to temperate Connecticut River communities, possibly reflecting shared tropical features such as high precipitation, temperature, and travel time. As in temperate systems, bacterioplankton in large tropical rivers are shaped by temperature and hydrology, while smaller tropical streams reflect localized environmental drivers. The striking similarity of tropical river bacterioplankton from Africa and Asia suggests the primacy of environmental controls on river bacterioplankton.

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

Anterior-Posterior Shear Stiffness of C6/C7 Functional Spinal Units: Effects of Mechanical and Intrinsic Factors - Luis F. M. Dias; Shun Yamamoto; Duane S. Cronin; Devon C. Hartlen; Thomas R. Oxland; Peter A. Cripton (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2026)

Early Paleozoic magmatism in the Himalaya linked with a peri-Gondwana silicic large igneous province - Dominik R. Vlaha; Andrew V. Zuza; Ariuntsetseg Ganbat; Chen Wu; Peter J. Haproff; Victor E. Guevara; A. Alexander G. Webb; Marie C. Genge; Birendra P. Singh (Tectonophysics, 2026)

Innovative methodologies for elucidating bushfire smoke-induced pathophysiological mechanism - Keshav R. Paudel; Karl J. Hegarty; Jesus Shrestha; Kurtis F. Budden; Nikhil T. Awatade; Tayyaba Sadaf; Vamshikrishna Malyla; Shafagh Waters; Paris C. Papagianis; Jane E. Bourke; Peter A. Wark; Philip M. Hansbro (Science of The Total Environment, 2026)

Accurate mapping of hay, pasture, and cropland in the Northeastern U.S. by combining multi-sensor remotely sensed time series data - Matthew Walter; José P. Castaño-Sánchez; Patrick Ewing; Gillian L. Galford; Eva Kinnebrew; C.B. Knox; Ashley C. McCarthy; Matthew M. McIntosh; Christian Peters; Hannah C. Turner; Courtney R. Hammond Wagner (Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 2026)

Synthesis and biological activity of 2-SF5-pyridyl substituted analogs of commercial neonicotinoid insecticides Sulfoxaflor, Flupyradifurone, Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam - Oleksandr S. Kanishchev; Andrew J.F. Edmunds; Peter Maienfisch; William R. Dolbier (Journal of Fluorine Chemistry, 2026)

Discrimination of three Termitomyces species by HS-GC-IMS volatile profiles combined with biomarkers - Qianqian Tao; Asanka R. Bandara; Rohan S. Dassanayake; Jianchu Xu; Heng Gui; Itthayakorn Promputtha; Peter E. Mortimer; Yuwei Hu (Food Chemistry, 2026)

Effect of low-energy X-ray/high-energy gamma-ray combined with modified atmosphere packaging and encapsulated nanoemulsion on microbiological and physicochemical properties of seasoned ground beef - Jumana Mahmud; Peter Muranyi; Muhammed R. Sharaby; Elham Sarmast; Stephane Salmieri; Monique Lacroix (Food Control, 2026)

Particle emissions characterization of seventeen 3D printer filaments - Ashley A. Lewis; Peter Byrley; Georges-Marie Momplaisir; Jonathan M. Beard; Christie M. Sayes; Souhail R. Al-Abed (Building and Environment, 2026)

Peri-urban sustenance: unexpectedly broad overlap in dwarf chameleon (Bradypodion) diets between natural and transformed habitats - Matthew G. Adair; Peter R. Teske; Krystal A. Tolley (Urban Ecosystems, 2026)
Urban sprawl can fundamentally alter local biodiversity, resulting in food web shifts. Consequently, one would expect organisms living in peri-urban areas to experience a functional dietary shift compared to their counterparts inhabiting natural habitats. Here, the diets of two dwarf chameleon species, Bradypodion damaranum and B. ventrale , were assessed using eDNA metabarcoding of faecal material. Both species have well established peri-urban and natural populations, making them well suited for dietary comparisons. Assuming prey assemblages differ between natural and peri-urban areas, chameleons may have enough flexibility to take advantage of new prey resources. This would be reflected in corresponding differences in dietary composition. Two primer combinations amplifying portions of the mitochondrial COI gene, mlCOIintF/jgHCO2198 (universal) and ZBJ-ArtF1c/ZBJ-ArtR2c (arthropod-specific), were used to explore their diets. A total of 40 arthropod prey species and one nematode species were identified from 22 chameleon individuals. The mlCOIintF/jgHCO2198 primers produced a greater number of taxonomic identifications, whereas the ZBJ-ArtF1c/ZBJ-ArtR2c primers identified rarer taxa, with limited taxonomic overlap between primer sets. This suggests that combining multiple primer sets will enhance diversity exploration in future studies, however, relative costs have to be balanced with intended outcomes. Three major soft-bodied insect orders (Neuroptera, Thysanoptera, and Trichoptera) were identified in the dwarf chameleon diets. No significant differences in the composition of prey items were found between peri-urban and natural populations of B. damaranum . A relative abundance of lepidopterans was found in peri-urban B. ventrale populations, however, other prey items remained consistent between populations. Overall, our findings suggest that prey items consumed by the peri-urban population are not overtly different to their natural counterparts.

The relationship between psychosocial working conditions and sickness absence days among employees reporting symptoms of common mental disorders in Germany - Meike Heming; Florian Angerer; Christoph Kröger; Gianni Lidolt; Nicole R. Hander; Eva Rothermund; Harald Gündel; Nadine Mulfinger; Ute Schröder; Uta Wegewitz; Regina Herold; Peter Angerer (International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2026)
Purpose Psychosocial working conditions influence the risk for sickness absence days. These relationships can differ for employees with common mental disorders (CMDs). This study therefore investigates relationships between psychosocial working conditions and sickness absence days in employees reporting CMD symptoms. Methods Data of participants of a randomized controlled trial are investigated ( n = 529). The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire assessed 12 scales of working conditions at baseline. The outcomes number of sickness absence days were assessed nine and 15 months later, as well as during the follow-up period. Negative binomial regression analyses were adjusted for several factors and were conducted for imputed data and supplemented by complete case analyses. Results Influence at work was associated with lower risks of sickness absence days nine (RR= -0.009, CI= − 0.018; − 0.001) and 15 months later (RR= − 0.008, CI= − 0.015; 0.000). Dissolution (i.e., reporting to work outside of work hours or being available for colleagues during free time) was associated with lower risks of sickness absence days during the follow-up period. Complete case analyses showed positive associations between social support and sickness absence days nine (RR = 0.01, CI = 0.0; 0.02; n = 377) and 15 months later (RR = 0.01, CI = 0.0; 0.03; n = 320). Conclusions Among employees reporting symptoms of CMDs, influence at work and dissolution predicted sickness absence days for different time periods. However, many psychosocial working conditions showed no such relevance, indicating that other factors may be more relevant in regard of sickness absence days among this particular group of employees. Trial registration The randomized controlled trial was registered at the German Clinical Trial Register on 01.03.2021 (DRKS00023049; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00023049).

Evaluating MPA success for Caribbean reef fish: the role of design, habitat, and management - Christina Skinner; Kaylee R. F. Prince; Nicholas V. C. Polunin; Peter J. Mumby; Stacey M. Williams; Cristina Sánchez-Godínez; Charlie S. Dryden; Steven P. Newman (Coral Reefs, 2026)
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential tools for protecting marine ecosystems; yet, their effectiveness varies across regions. In the Caribbean, home to some of the world’s most degraded reefs, evaluating MPA performance requires consistent ecological data and information on management practices. To address this, we conducted standardised reef fish surveys of small (< 20 cm) and large (≥ 20 cm) fish across 83 sites in ten countries (32 MPA and 51 non-MPA sites) and interviewed MPA managers to assess compliance and enforcement. Across all sites, MPAs supported higher total biomass and species richness of small fish, but responses for herbivores, piscivores, and large fish groups were inconsistent. MPA sites in Jamaica and Saint Lucia showed significant biomass increases, while other sites showed minimal effects, highlighting the role of local ecological and socio-economic contexts. Both old and new MPAs had high total and herbivore biomass of large fish, suggesting that thoughtful site selection may enhance MPA effectiveness. Small to medium-sized MPAs (up to ~ 66 km 2 ) showed positive effects on total and herbivore biomass, while larger MPAs exhibited diminishing returns. For large fish, compliance and enforcement were critical drivers of higher biomass, outweighing MPA size, age, or benthic habitat characteristics, while increasing human population density negatively impacted biomass. For small fish, drivers of biomass were more variable, although MPA size emerged as a positive influence. These results emphasise the importance of enforcement, compliance, and careful MPA design in achieving ecological benefits; well-managed MPAs, regardless of size, can support coral reef fish communities.

Correction to: A quest for greater thermodynamic rigour in the quantitative characterization of protein self-association by direct assessment of sedimentation equilibrium distributions - Donald J. Winzor; Peter R. Wills (Biophysical Reviews, 2026)

A quest for greater thermodynamic rigour in the quantitative characterization of protein self-association by direct assessment of sedimentation equilibrium distributions - Donald J. Winzor; Peter R. Wills (Biophysical Reviews, 2026)
This review summarizes research designed to enhance thermodynamic rigour in the quantitative characterization of protein self-association by direct analysis of sedimentation equilibrium distributions. The effects of thermodynamic nonideality have been incorporated into analytical approaches that not only afford experimental delineation of the monomer thermodynamic activity throughout a sedimentation equilibrium distribution but also take into account the composition dependence of species activity coefficients that arises from their consideration on the statistical-mechanical basis of excluded volume. Allowance for thermodynamic nonideality in terms of nearest-neighbor interactions should suffice for that iterative procedure. Attempts to eliminate the need for iterative analysis by expressing total protein concentration as a virial expansion in monomer activity have met with only limited success. The relevance of these scientific developments to their incorporation into the currently used numerical simulation approaches for the characterization of protein self-association by sedimentation equilibrium is also discussed.

Soil health indicator variability and management sensitivity across soils, bioregions, and agricultural systems - Katherine A. Dynarski; Ekundayo Adeleke; R. Louis Baumhardt; Joseph Burke; Tiffany Carter; Paul DeLaune; Huijie Gan; Julie Grossman; Josh Heitman; Divya Kandanool; Katie Lewis; Katherine Naasko; et al. (Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2026)

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

Discard Survival of Thornback Ray ( Raja clavata ), Undulate Ray ( Raja undulata ) and Small‐Eyed Ray ( Raja microocellata ) in Northeast Atlantic Inshore Fisheries - Serena R. Wright; Ana Ribeiro Santos; Ruth Hicks; Peter Randall; Joana Silva; Victoria Bendall; Thomas Catchpole (Fisheries Management and Ecology, 2026)
Quantifying discard survival of species is crucial for effective fishery management. Electronic tags and visual health assessments were used to estimate postrelease survival of commercially caught thornback ray ( Raja clavata ), undulate ray ( Raja undulata ) and small‐eyed ray ( Raja microocellata ) from Northeast Atlantic inshore fisheries. Thornback ray were sampled in the English Channel trammel net fishery ( n = 60), the southern North Sea otter trawl ( n = 52) and longline ( n = 60) fisheries. Undulate ray ( n = 65) and small‐eyed ray ( n = 68) were sampled in the English Channel otter trawl fishery. Depth and temperature measurements logged on data storage tags were used to infer fish fate. Fish condition was assigned to ordinal classes of vitality, reflex impairment and injury ( n = 1480). Vitality data were combined with inferred fates of tagged skates to estimate fishery discard survival. For thornback rays, estimated survival was 94.3% in trammel nets, 97.0% in otter trawls and 75.1% on longlines. In otter trawl fisheries, estimated survival was 82.7% for undulate ray and 55.3% for small‐eyed ray. Estimates of discard survival have immediate application to support regulations permitting release of unwanted skates and for estimating population removals in stock assessments.

User and data-centric artificial intelligence for mapping and benchmarking urban deprivation for a global sample of cities - Bedru Tareke; Paulo Silva Filho; Claudio Persello; Monika Kuffer; Raian V. Maretto; Jon Wang; Angela Abascal; Priam Pillai; Binti Singh; Juan Manuel D’Attoli; Caroline Kabaria; Julio Pedrassoli; et al. (Remote Sensing of Environment, 2026)

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

From little things big things flow: the drivers of flood risk adaptation - Peter Kamstra; Nicholas Harrigan; Brian R. Cook (Journal of Hydrology, 2026)

Microencapsulation of salmon oil using fish gelatin/gum acacia complexes as wall materials for spray drying: Effect of gelatin source and processing on interfacial tension and oxidative stability - Wilhelm R. Glomm; Peter P. Molesworth; Betül Yesiltas; Rasa Slizyte; Revilija Mozuraityte; Charlotte Jacobsen; Heidi Johnsen (Food Hydrocolloids, 2026)

Responses of the earthworms Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea caliginosa to wheat straw provision across a range of residue sizes - Peter Bentley; Kevin R. Butt (European Journal of Soil Biology, 2026)

Association between noise pollution exposure and incident breast cancer in the Sister Study - Brittney A. Gedeon; Che-Jung Chang; Peter James; Rena R. Jones; Alexandra J. White (Environmental Research, 2026)

Characterisation, biocompatibility, and immunogenicity of tunicate-derived nanocellulose for tissue engineering - Matthew L. Turner; Thomas H. Jovic; Lydia S. Bullock; Laurence Hill; Bethan R. Thomas; Salvatore A. Gazze; Thierry G.G. Maffeis; Lewis W. Francis; Karl Hawkins; Yannick M. Sillmann; Ana M.P. Baggio; Peter R. Dunstan; et al. (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2026)

Social status as a developmental process in wild vervet monkeys: beyond maternal inheritance - Chloé Vilette; Christina M. Nord; Tyler R. Bonnell; Marcus J. Dostie; Richard McFarland; Christopher Young; S. Peter Henzi; Louise Barrett (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2026)

Behavioral ecology and sociobiology since 1975: The growth and diversification of the biology of adaptive social behavior - James F.A. Traniello; Theo C.M. Bakker; Peter A. Bednekoff; Siobhán M. Cully; Marco Festa-Bianchet; Caitlin R. Gabor; David J. Hosken; Michele A. Johnson; Mirjam Knörnschild; Bernhard Voelkl; Gerald S. Wilkinson (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2026)

Larval Transport Pathways Reveal Critical Habitat and Benefits of a Marine Protected Area to Fisheries - Lucinda A. Quigley; Peter J. S. Franks; Andrew R. Thompson; Noah Ben‐Aderet; H. William Fennie; Mark M. Morales; Jarrod A. Santora; Eric P. Bjorkstedt (Fisheries Oceanography, 2026)
Quantifying where marine organisms are born and subsequently disperse to is essential for fisheries management. Here, we conducted Lagrangian particle tracking of viviparous rockfish ( Sebastes spp.) collected in the Southern California Bight over the course of 16 years. Particle tracking was performed forward‐ and backward‐in‐time to investigate birth locations and dispersal patterns of rockfish larvae, respectively. Otolith core width at extrusion was used as a proxy for larval condition at birth. We found that high‐quality larvae may have been born in offshore locations and subsequently advected throughout the region, including into large marine protected areas (e.g., Cowcod Conservation Areas). Additionally, 24% of larvae that were born in the Cowcod Conservation Areas remained within the reserve boundaries after 30 days, while the majority were advected to surrounding areas. Our analyses illustrate the utility of coupling particle tracking methods with in situ collections to better identify areas that are hotspots for the production and growth of high‐quality larvae.

Clarifying space use concepts in ecology: Range vs. occurrence distributions - Jesse M. Alston; Christen H. Fleming; Michael J. Noonan; Marlee A. Tucker; Inês Silva; Cody Folta; Thomas S. B. Akre; Abdullahi H. Ali; Jerrold L. Belant; Dean Beyer; Niels Blaum; Katrin Böhning‐Gaese; et al. (Ecology, 2026)
Quantifying animal movements is necessary for answering a wide array of research questions in ecology and conservation biology. Consequently, ecologists have made considerable efforts to identify the best way to estimate an animal's home range, and many methods of estimating home ranges have arisen over the past half a century. Most of these methods fall into two distinct categories of estimators that have only recently been described in statistical detail: those that measure range distributions (methods such as kernel density estimation that quantify the long‐run behavior of a movement process that features restricted space use) and those that measure occurrence distributions (methods such as Brownian bridge movement models and the Correlated Random Walk Library that quantify uncertainty in an animal movement path during a specific period of observation). In this paper, we use theory, simulations, and empirical analysis to demonstrate the importance of appropriately using these two categories of distributions and their estimators. Conflating range and occurrence distributions can have serious consequences for ecological inference and conservation practice. For example, in most situations, home ranges estimated using estimators of occurrence distributions are too small, and this problem is exacerbated by ongoing improvements in tracking technology that enable more frequent and more accurate data on animal movements. We encourage researchers to use estimators of range distributions to quantify home ranges and estimators of occurrence distributions to answer other questions in movement ecology, such as when and where an animal crossed a linear feature, visited a location of interest, or interacted with other animals.

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

Brain-inspired energy efficient technologies for next-generation artificial intelligence - Hillel J. Chiel; Jay S. Coggan; Gourav Datta; Jean-Marc Fellous; William R. P. Nourse; Roger D. Quinn; Peter J. Thomas (Biological Cybernetics, 2026)
Since the advent of widely accessible AI tools, AI technology has been in high demand by businesses, academic researchers and individuals. Technology companies are building AI infrastructure at a rapid pace, and these facilities consume vast and growing resources, particularly electricity and water, with significant real and projected climate impacts. There is a need for new research initiatives to support long time horizon efforts to develop energy efficient computing capabilities to support the continued growth of AI infrastructure in a sustainable fashion. Such efficiency is required at both the hardware and software levels. Where can industry turn for examples of ultra-low power, energy efficient computing? We argue here that neurobiological principles offer rich and under-exploited sources of inspiration for energy efficient NeuroAI, and that new partnerships between industry and academia should be developed in this direction.

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

Biological Characteristics of a Subtropical Nemipterid (Pentapodus vitta) Established in a Temperate Embayment - Billy E. Bowe; James R. Tweedley; Neil R. Loneragan; Daniel E. Yeoh; Peter G. Coulson (Fishes, 2026)
The biological characteristics of the Western Butterfish (Pentapodus vitta), a subtropical nemipterid, were determined in a temperate embayment (Cockburn Sound) and compared to those from a previous study in a subtropical embayment (Shark Bay), 700 km northward, to test predictions from the temperature-size-rule (TSR). In Cockburn Sound, P. vitta displayed sexually dimorphic growth with females attaining significantly smaller lengths at age and total length at maturity than males (127 vs. 147 mm), but a greater maximum age (12 vs. 9 years). Analysis of monthly trends in reproductive data indicates peak spawning occurs from October to December. Pentapodus vitta grows more slowly to a larger maximum size (265 vs. 240 mm) and attains an older age (12 vs. 8 years) in the temperate than the subtropical embayment. These findings are consistent with the predictions of both the MTE and the TSR, where fish in cooler waters grow more slowly but reach larger sizes than those in warmer waters, which grow faster but attain smaller maximum sizes. There was a 30-fold increase in the mean abundance of P. vitta in Cockburn Sound between 2007/08 and 2021–2023, and an increase in the frequency of occurrence in otter trawl samples from 44% to almost 100%, making this species among the most abundant and ubiquitous teleosts in this embayment. These results enable a better understanding of the impact of the increasing abundance of a subtropical generalist in a temperate embayment.

First evidence of CP violation in beauty baryon to charmonium decays - R. Aaij; A.S.W. Abdelmotteleb; C. Abellan Beteta; F. Abudinén; T. Ackernley; A.A. Adefisoye; B. Adeva; M. Adinolfi; P. Adlarson; C. Agapopoulou; C.A. Aidala; Z. Ajaltouni; et al. (Science Bulletin, 2026)

Repairing of in-mold electronics and life cycle assessment - Stephan Harkema; Diana E. Godoi Bizarro; Maarten H. Bakker; Jan P.H. van Delft; Pim R. Ostendorf; Peter A. Rensing; Lia de Simon; A. van Schaik (Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2026)

Possible dickinsoniomorphs from the latest Ediacaran Nama Group, southern Namibia - Brandt M. Gibson; Joshua H.F.L. Davies; Simon A.F. Darroch; Ajani Bissick; Andrea Boscaini; Galen P. Halverson; Frederick J. Hilgen; Peter R. Liberty; Johnathan A. Sorrentino; Bianca R. Spiering; Patricia Vickers-Rich; Marc Laflamme (Precambrian Research, 2026)

Key examples of nanotechnology in microplastics, packaging and textiles - Carsten Gellermann; Karl-Heinz Haas; Christian Hagendorf; Peter Laux; Andreas Luch; Paul-Tiberiu Miclea; Stefan Schiessl; Holger Sieg; Ferdinand Somorowsky; Harald R. Tschiche; Yvonne Zimmermann; Günter E.M. Tovar (Next Research, 2026)

Geomorphic impacts of wildfire on soil erosion: pre- and post-fire RUSLE modeling in Bosco Difesa Grande, Southern Italy, using Google Earth Engine - Somayeh Zahabnazouri; Patrick Belmont; Scott R. David; Peter E. Wigand; Domenico Capolongo (Geomorphology, 2026)

Climatic controls on erosional efficiency vary with lithology across the Himalaya - Kevin Shao; Seulgi Moon; Gen K. Li; Peter J. Haproff; An Yin; Lee B. Corbett; Paul R. Bierman; Marina O. Argueta; Alan J. Hidy (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2026)

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

Dissection of Fusarium head blight resistance in a modified nested association mapping panel of synthetic and bread wheat germplasm - Anil Karmacharya; Dhondup Lhamo; Krishna Acharya; Qijun Zhang; Han-Chang Chang; Shaobin Zhong; Andrew J. Green; Jason D. Fiedler; Mingcheng Luo; Kirk M. Anderson; Amanda R. Peters Haugrud; Elias M. Elias; et al. (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2026)

Expression of the P2X1 receptor remains in the type II spiral ganglion neurons in the mature rat cochlea - Prakansha N. Kumar; Srdjan M. Vlajkovic; Peter R. Thorne; Haruna Suzuki-Kerr (Purinergic Signalling, 2026)
Our sense of hearing commences in the cochlea, the peripheral sensory organ for hearing. Spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) in the cochlea are primary auditory neurons responsible for auditory neurotransmission. There are two classes of SGNs: type I SGNs, which make up 90-95% of the SGN population, and type II SGNs, which make up the remainder. Previous studies have shown that SGNs express a combination of purinergic (P2X, P2Y and adenosine) receptors at the mRNA and protein levels. In this study, we have focused on the P2X1 receptor to characterise its expression pattern in the Wistar rat cochlea at postnatal day 8 and in adult (6–8-week-old) rats of both genders using immunohistochemistry. Our results show differential expression of P2X1 receptors in 9.4-14.2% of SGNs in the adult cochlea, and 14.2-23.3% in the cochlea of P8 pups. In most of these neurons, P2X1 receptors were co-expressed with peripherin-1, an established type II SGN marker. These results suggest a potential role for the P2X1 receptor as a modulator of auditory neurotransmission in type II spiral ganglion neurons.

Geomorphological and sedimentological traces of the 365 AD and 1303 AD tsunami impacts on the Korission Lagoon (Corfu Island, Greece) compared with tsunami simulation scenarios - Tina Georg; Björn R. Röbke; Peter Fischer; Peter Frenzel; Kalliopi Baika; Timo Willershäuser; Andreas Vött (Natural Hazards, 2026)
The AD 365 and the AD 1303 tsunamis are known extreme wave events that caused severe damage and fatalities along the coastlines of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. We analysed geomorphological and sedimentological data from the Korission Lagoon (Corfu Island, Greece) and compared them with results of numerical simulations. Washover fans and sediment cores reveal coarse-grained high-energy deposits intersecting prevailing lagoonal conditions. Geochemical and microfaunal analyses document a marine origin of these deposits. Results of radiocarbon dating suggest that they may correlate with the 365 AD and 1303 AD tsunami events. Numerical simulations of the 365 AD tsunami suggest the formation of several generations of tsunami waves during tsunami landfall. Erosion of the beach ridge and sedimentation in the lagoon increases with higher tsunami wave heights and flow velocities and is strongly controlled by the local topography. Generally, we found good agreement between field data and numerical simulation. Our model validation allows to investigate the morphodynamic response of the 365 AD tsunami along other coastlines of Greece. The current study demonstrates that numerical morphodynamic models can successfully be applied for a comparison with historical tsunami events, if tsunami deposits are well-preserved and sufficient information on the tsunami trigger mechanism is available.

Metabolic cost of external work: a novel CPET parameter optimises characterisation of exercise performance in obese individuals - Jennifer J. Rayner; Rebecca R. Chamley; Robert Barker Davies; Oliver O’Sullivan; Peter Ladlow; Alex N. Bennett; Edward D. Nicol; Oliver J. Rider; David A. Holdsworth (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2026)
Purpose Both obesity and cardiorespiratory fitness are crucial determinants of symptoms and prognosis. However, interpreting the gold-standard cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is complicated by increasing body size and varying body composition. We hypothesised that the ‘metabolic cost of external work’ (or oxygen uptake (ml/min)/workload (Watts); V̇O 2 /W), a body weight-independent determinant of endurance capacity, would reflect metabolic health more accurately than V̇O 2 alone. Methods A test cohort of 160 fit individuals underwent anthropomorphic and metabolic assessment, maximal bicycle ergometer CPET, and six-minute walk test (6MWT). V̇O 2 /W was calculated at VT1 and peak. The performance of V̇O 2 /W was validated in 62 older, less fit individuals, undergoing the same protocol. 24 obese volunteers were assigned a weight loss intervention, and the impact on V̇O 2 /W examined. Results In both test and validation cohort, V̇O 2 /W at VT1 and peak correlated with 6MWT distance, more strongly than standard CPET parameters. Including V̇O 2 /W improved the accuracy of predicting 6MWT distance. V̇O 2 /W correlated with BMI, insulin sensitivity and waist-to-hip ratio. Metabolic cost falls with weight loss, in parallel to metabolic and functional improvements, in contrast to other CPET parameters. Conclusion Metabolic cost is strongly associated with functional capacity and metabolic health across a range of body weight and fitness, outperforming standard CPET metrics. It is a simple measure which may improve our assessment of the extent to which exertional symptoms are determined by metabolic factors in an individual, and thereby target the most appropriate intervention to those who will benefit most. Graphical Abstract

Caribbean octocoral communities: finding the forest for the trees? - Howard R. Lasker; Lorenzo Bramanti; Peter J. Edmunds; John F. Girard; Nolwenn Pages; Kaitlyn J. Tonra; Christopher D. Wells; Katell Guizien (Coral Reefs, 2026)
Octocorals have increased in abundance on many Caribbean coral reefs, and at some sites, “octocoral forest” may be a better community descriptor than “coral reef.” Implicit to the concept of a forest is that structural elements, i.e., trees, colonies, etc., alter the environment in ways that affect the structural elements themselves and the organisms that inhabit the forest. At what density do the structural elements create the emergent properties of a “forest?” Communities traditionally characterized as hardgrounds and coral reefs around Puerto Rico and St John, US Virgin Islands, varied in density of octocoral colonies from a few to > 100 colonies m −2 in surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022. Canopy cover was correlated with the density of colonies, but among the quadrats with the highest octocoral densities, there was no significant correlation between numbers of colonies and canopy cover. Frontal area, a measure related to the community’s effect on water flow, as well as the volume occupied by colonies followed patterns similar to canopy cover. Vertical profiles of flow velocity were measured from the substratum to 2.3 m above the bottom on a reef on St John where octocoral population density ranged from 0 to 16 colonies m −2 . Profiles of orbital velocity exhibited perturbations which were more pronounced in locations with > 10 colonies m −2 . Using the effect on flow as a criterion, four of the eight surveyed sites would function as octocoral forests. Understanding the density of organisms at which emergent properties appear is essential to understanding the bio-physical interactions affecting the community. Developing explicit definitions of animal forests such as octocoral forests and coral reefs is critical to following the trajectories of these ecosystems in a world of changing climate.

Genomic analysis reveals population structure and guides conservation actions of the endangered plant, Pedicularis furbishiae (Orobanchaceae) - Dawson M. White; Eric Normandeau; Manuel Lamothe; Peter R. Nelson; Richard H. Ree; Martin Williams (Conservation Genetics, 2026)
Pedicularis furbishiae is a globally rare, hemiparasitic perennial restricted to dynamic riverbank habitats along the Wolastoq (Saint John) River in Maine, USA, and New Brunswick, Canada. The species now faces severe threats from habitat fragmentation, altered hydrology, and demographic collapse—particularly in New Brunswick, where several subpopulations have been recently extirpated and where recovery activities are being undertaken to protect the species from further decline. In this study, we assembled the first reference genome for P. furbishiae and conducted reduced-representation genotyping by sequencing (GBS) across 69 individuals sampled from all major subpopulations. Despite recovering a modest number of SNPs (152), we identified four genetically distinct populations: one in Maine with some subpopulation structure and three isolated subpopulations in New Brunswick. Genetic diversity was low overall, with elevated inbreeding coefficients in Grand Falls and Medford populations. All subpopulations contain private alleles, indicating the importance of conserving even the most demographically vulnerable sites. These findings support an integrated conservation strategy combining seed banking, ex situ propagation, and genetic rescue through controlled outcrossing among subpopulations, and provide a critical genomic baseline to inform the recovery of this imperiled species through population reinforcement and reintroduction across its range.

Extreme heat and drought at flowering could threaten global wheat yields under climate change - Nimai Senapati; Nigel G. Halford; Malcolm J. Hawkesford; Peter R. Shewry; Mikhail A. Semenov (Climatic Change, 2026)
Global food security is a major challenge in the 21st century, exacerbated by increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events under climate change. The extreme climatic events around flowering, such as intense heatwaves and droughts, threaten crop yields by impacting reproductive development and grain setting. Our study estimated the potential impacts of short-term, high impact extreme temperature and drought events during flowering on global wheat yields under future climates, using climate projections from CMIP6 and a state-of-the-art wheat model (Sirius). Results show that although extreme drought around flowering currently poses a higher yield loss than extreme heat, global yield loss due to drought is predicted to decrease by 9% and 18% by 2050 and 2090, respectively. Yet, global yield losses from heat stress are expected to increase significantly, by 32% and 77% by 2050 and 2090, respectively. Consequently, heat stress at flowering emerges as a serious threat to global wheat yields under climate change, substantially increasing the vulnerability of wheat. Therefore, developing new cultivars tolerant not only to drought but also heat stress during flowering is critical for enhancing future wheat yields and sustainability in changing climates.

Inflammation and insulin profiles in men assigned to exercise vs. usual care for prostate cancer: results from the active surveillance exercise (ASX) randomized controlled trial - William A. Pace; Adam Olshen; Ye Wang; Stacey A. Kenfield; Erin L. Van Blarigan; Rebecca E. Graff; Janet Cowan; Lufan Wang; Imelda Tenggara; Karen Lopez; Katriel Encabo; Lee W. Jones; et al. (Cancer Causes & Control, 2026)
Objectives Physical activity is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (PCa) progression and death; changes in insulin sensitivity and inflammation are potential mediating mechanisms. This study examined whether exercise after PCa diagnosis affects insulin-related and inflammatory biomarkers. Methods The Active Surveillance Exercise (ASX) randomized controlled trial was assigned to men undergoing active surveillance for low-risk, localized PCa to a 16-week exercise intervention (home-based walking program; n = 26) or printed physical activity recommendations (control group; n = 25). Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and after 16 weeks. Samples were analyzed for markers of insulinemia (insulin, C-peptide, adiponectin), inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP)), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Biomarker changes over time and between arms were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and intention-to-treat analysis. Results 22 (85%) intervention and 23 (92%) control participants, mean (SD) age of 63.6 (6.6) years, provided two blood samples. Average baseline biomarker values were within expected ranges. Analyses showed no changes within or differences in changes between intervention and control groups from baseline to 16 weeks for any biomarker ( p > 0.05). Conclusions We observed no changes in markers of insulinemia, inflammation, or PSA from a 16-week at-home walking intervention vs. control in individuals with low-risk PCa.

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

Comparing tree swallow dispersal strategies in a continuous mainland environment - Kelly K. Hallinger; Teresa M. Pegan; Michael J. Andersen; Daniel R. Ardia; Amos Belmaker; David Chang van Oordt; Valentina Ferretti; Anna M. Forsman; Jennifer R. Gaul; Paulo E. Llambías; Sophia C. Orzechowski; J. Ryan Shipley; et al. (Ecology, 2026)
Dispersal is one of the most important aspects of animal behavior and can have far‐reaching consequences for organismal ecology and evolution. Despite recent theoretical advances in understanding why individuals within the same population vary in dispersal behavior, relatively few studies have empirically evaluated the long‐term causes and consequences of variable dispersal within natural populations. In this study, we used life history data collected over the course of 16 years to examine fitness outcomes in 867 known‐age female tree swallows breeding in New York, USA, that differed in their dispersal status: “immigrant” females, defined as dispersers that hatched elsewhere, and “local” females, defined as non‐dispersers that hatched within the study site and returned there after migration to breed. We also compared the life history responses of immigrant and local females to natural variation in weather, nest predation risk, and social environment at their breeding site. Local females were more likely to produce fledglings that recruited into the study area as adults. We also found several instances in which dispersal status interacted with an environmental metric to influence relative fitness, and these responses were largely consistent across life history measures. Overall, immigrant females were relatively resilient to variation in their extrinsic environment, while local females were highly sensitive to environmental conditions at the breeding site, performing relatively well when conditions were benign and faring relatively poorly as conditions became more stressful. We found little evidence that distance dispersed within a study site impacted female fitness, suggesting that the dispersal‐associated differences in fitness that we observed operate mostly across broader spatial scales. Future work should undertake the direct and simultaneous measurement of behavior, physiology, and fitness of immigrant and local females across environmental contexts and should seek to understand whether and how context‐dependent fitness variation of dispersers and non‐dispersers scales up to influence larger ecological and evolutionary processes.

Contribution of microcosm experiments to conservation science - Eleanor R. Stern; Peter A. Vesk; Chris C. Clements; Michael A. McCarthy (Conservation Biology, 2026)
Microcosms, or miniature experimental systems, have been used to develop models and theories in ecology. However, their contribution to conservation science is unclear. We explored the application, design, and impact of microcosms in conservation science from 469 systematically identified articles published from 1986 to 2023. We used generalized linear modeling to compare cumulative citations over time for each microcosm article with those of 71,738 nonmicrocosm articles in conservation science. We also surveyed the proportion of microcosm articles and nonmicrocosm articles focused on conservation science that were cited in policy documents. Two types of microcosms were used in conservation research: generalized microcosms (i.e., simplified analogies of systems used to test general theories and mathematical models) and specialized microcosms (i.e., recreations of specific ecosystems or species assemblages that test specific hypotheses). Microcosms were used to study biodiversity, invasive species, extinction, pollution, and climate change and were applied to a broad array of ecosystems and species. Microcosm experiments tended to be small (systems were liters in size or smaller) and conducted over short periods (weeks or months); could monitor study species for up to hundreds of generations; and had high sample replication. On average, microcosm studies were cited up to twice as often as nonmicrocosm studies 25 years after publication. Microcosm articles and nonmicrocosm articles focused on conservation science were cited in policy documents at similar rates to each other. We recommend that conservation science, which often focuses on urgent topics and rare or threatened ecosystems and species, may benefit from the manipulability and replicability that microcosms offer. Microcosm experiments may also be low risk for the study systems involved. Future uses of microcosms include providing experimental evidence and testing of conservation theories, models, and hypotheses.

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

Meloxicam Eluting 3D Printed 316L Stainless Steel Implants for Targeted Delivery in Bone Fixation Surgeries - Manjusha Annaji; Ishwor Poudel; Nur Mita; Chu Zhang; Humaira Yeasmin; Seungjong Lee; Peter Panizzi; Robert D. Arnold; Amal Kaddoumi; Nima Shamsaei; Byron Farnum; Oladiran Fasina; et al. (AAPS PharmSciTech, 2026)
Implant failures in orthopedic surgeries can occur due to inflammation, poor osteointegration, and biofilm formation. The local delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs is one of the potential solutions to address orthopedic implant failures caused by extensive inflammation, poor osteointegration, and biofilm formation. This study utilized a simple spray coating technique to deposit multilayer coatings of the anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam and PLGA on 3D printed 316L stainless steel implants. The implants were evaluated for their drug content, drug-polymer miscibility, static contact angle, corrosion resistance, in vitro release, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, and bacterial adhesion studies. The coatings aimed to improve osteointegration and reduce biofilm formation. The drug release studies demonstrated an initial burst release accompanied by sustained release for more than 30 days. The meloxicam-PLGA coated implants showed higher resistance to pitting corrosion, improved adhesion, and proliferation of human U2OS cells in comparison to uncoated implants. In addition, results from cell cytotoxicity studies confirmed that all the coatings are biocompatible and safe for in vivo application. The meloxicam-PLGA coated implants were also found to have significantly lower bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation compared to uncoated implants for both S. aureus ( p S. pseudintermedius ( p Graphical Abstract

Asymmetries challenging global biodiversity sciences - Leandro O. Salles; Hussam Zaher; Marcos Tavares; Mario C. C. de Pinna; Rosane G. Collevatti; Krister T. Smith; Diego Pol; Hongyu Yi; Nancy B. Simmons; Christopher J. Tribe; Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales; Nour-Eddine Jalil; et al. (Systematics and Biodiversity, 2026)

Transit times link pollution sources to drinking water quality in a “One Water” system - Shantanu V. Bhide; Stanley B. Grant; Paolo Benettin; Megan A. Rippy; Ahmed Monofy; Kirin E. Furst; Sydney Shelton; Sujay S. Kaushal; Shalini Misra; Peter J. Vikesland; Erin R. Hotchkiss; Anne Spiesman; et al. (Water Research, 2026)

Cupule-bearing cones of Jarudia (Doyleales) and associated leaves from the Early Cretaceous of the New Siberian Islands, Arctic Russia - Natalya Nosova; Peter R. Crane; Gongle Shi; Ksenia Domogatskaya (Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 2026)

Minimizing use of nonhuman primates to inform risk to fertility and of adverse pregnancy outcomes with pharmaceuticals - Christopher J. Bowman; Ann Baker; Diann L. Blanset; Kimberly C. Brannen; Gary J. Chellman; Brian Enright; Wendy Halpern; Bethany R. Hannas; Kazushige Maki; Fumito Mikashima; Shermaine Mitchell-Ryan; Eve Mylchreest; et al. (Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 2026)

Holocene sea-ice and productivity changes on the Scotian Shelf, NW Atlantic - Peter Matzerath; Henriette M. Kolling; Markus Kienast; Kirsten Fahl; Ruediger Stein; Felix Gross; Ralph R. Schneider (Quaternary Science Reviews, 2026)

Characterizing organic carbon source, age, and degradation state in Northern Patagonia fjord surface sediments - Emily G. Watts; Iván Pérez-Santos; Jack A. Hutchings; Derrick R. Vaughn; Peter A. Raymond; Andrew R. Zimmerman; Zhanfei Liu; Guido Mancilla-Gutiérrez; Thomas S. Bianchi (Marine Chemistry, 2026)

By integrating previously overlooked drivers AI boosts bioaccumulation assessment in fish - Heinz-R. Köhler; Reza Aalizadeh; Gabriele Treu; Thomas Gräff; Katharina Peschke; Ines Prutz; Nikolaos S. Thomaidis; Rita Triebskorn; Peter C. von der Ohe (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2026)

Regional drivers of soybean farmers’ yield, seed protein, and oil concentration - Valentina M. Pereyra; Carlos Hernandez; Trevor Hefley; Ajay Sharda; P.V. Vara Prasad; Laila Puntel; Guillermo R. Balboa; David Moseley; J. Trenton Irby; Eros Francisco; André F.B. Reis; Aaron Prestholt; et al. (Field Crops Research, 2026)

Phthalates, bisphenols, and childhood allergic Phenotypes: Findings from two birth cohort studies - Thomas Boissiere-O'Neill; Nina Lazarevic; Anne-Louise Ponsonby; Peter D. Sly; Aimin Chen; Tamara L. Blake; Jeffrey R. Brook; Cassidy Du Berry; Louise King; Piushkumar J. Mandhane; Theo J. Moraes; Elinor Simons; et al. (Environmental Pollution, 2026)

Changes to virus taxonomy, the international code of virus classification and nomenclature, and the ICTV statutes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2025) - Peter Simmonds; Evelien M. Adriaenssens; Elliot J. Lefkowitz; Hanna M. Oksanen; Francisco Murilo Zerbini; Poliane Alfenas-Zerbini; Frank O. Aylward; Donald M. Dempsey; Juliana Freitas-Astúa; R. Curtis Hendrickson; Holly R. Hughes; Mart Krupovic; et al. (Archives of Virology, 2026)
The 56th meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) was held in Bari, Italy, in July/August, 2024, and 115 submitted taxonomy proposals were reviewed. A total of 112 were subsequently ratified by the ICTV membership. An additional 9 error correction proposals were also approved in August 2025. This article lists the taxonomy proposals that have now been incorporated into release 40 version v2 of the Master Species List ( https://ictv.global/msl ), the Virus Metadata Resource ( https://ictv.global/vmr ), and associated ICTV databases. In addition to the assignments of 1,563 new virus species, 243genera, 55 families, 11 orders, and 8 classes, there were substantial additions to higher taxonomic ranks. These include the creation of a new realm ( Singelaviria ), which is based on the recognition of a separate evolutionary origin for the hallmark capsid genes of members of the kingdom Helvetiavirae. These express capsid proteins forming a single jelly-roll fold that is structurally and evolutionarily distinct from those of members of the family Bamfordvirae , assigned to the realm Varidnaviria . Furthermore, the realm Varidnaviria underwent a major reorganization, including the addition of a new kingdom, Abadenavirae . Another notable change was the classification of the vertebrate-infecting single-stranded DNA anellovirids into a new phylum Commensaviricota (kingdom Shotokuvirae , realm Monodnaviria ). Archaeal viruses infecting the hyperthermophilic Archaeoglobi were assigned to a new phylum Calorviricota , in the kingdom Trapavirae (realm Monodnaviria ), whereas RNA viruses infecting hyperthermophilic bacteria were classified into a new phylum Artimaviricota (realm Riboviria ). In recognition of his extensive and valuable contributions to virus taxonomic developments in Study Groups and over the period of his EC membership, Stuart Siddell was honoured as a new life member of the ICTV. The ICTV has created a new strategy for disseminating information on taxonomy advances through annual open-access publication of citeable taxonomy proposal summaries from each ICTV Subcommittee. A collective total of 354 co-authors of the seven summaries were drawn from members of each Subcommittee, the EC, and a very large number of contributors from the wider virology community.

Exploring Marine Mammal Cognition as a Conservation Tool - Gordon B. Bauer; Peter F. Cook; Heidi E. Harley; Jason Bruck; Mel Cosentino; Charles J. Deutsch; Nicola Erdsack; Wendi Fellner; Tabitha Gunnars; Heather Manitzas Hill; Sonia V. Kumar; Malin K. Lilley; et al. (Marine Mammal Science, 2026)
Cognition is an animal's real‐time adaptation system for responding to change. Rapid environmental change, often anthropogenic, is expanding the range and severity of challenges confronting wild animals. Effective conservation requires a multifaceted approach that includes animals' capacities. Large‐brained, long‐lived animals such as marine mammals often have extensive capability to adaptively modify their behavior due to their cognition, which comprises the mechanisms of information acquisition, processing, and flexible action. Consequently, current behavior need not be a final predictor of future behavior for these animals. This flexibility provides an underutilized and under examined point of leverage for humans interested in improving life outcomes for wild animals. In this team‐written, interdisciplinary paper, we argue that application of cognitive approaches may facilitate many conservation efforts directed toward marine mammals. Starting with a workshop on this topic at the 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, scientists representing a wide range of disciplinary expertise addressed eight different conservation concerns for six marine mammal species and provided potential cognitive explanations of and interventions aimed at related behavior. Our treatment highlights the value of integrated laboratory and field research, and the importance of tight lines of communication between scientists and conservation managers.

Effects of temporal and spatial variability in energy fluxes on phytoplankton - Jian Zhou; Changchun Huang; Guonian Lü; Kun Shi; Peter R. Leavitt (Limnology and Oceanography, 2026)
Climate change has significantly altered the energy dynamics of lakes; however, little is known of how the temporal and spatial variation in energy fluxes impacts the structure and function of lake ecosystems. This study combined long‐term (2011–2018) measurements of lake energy fluxes with environmental, nutrient, and phytoplankton data at five stations to investigate the effects of variably energy fluxes on phytoplankton production and composition in a large, shallow, eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu, China). Overall, atmospheric warming increased heat storage and water temperatures, with energy fluxes exhibiting significant spatial heterogeneity. Specifically, faster rates of energy input and higher energy budgets increases were observed in the clear macrophyte‐rich regions of the lake compared to turbid hypereutrophic habitats. Temporal variation in energy fluxes was a strong predictor of primary production (as chlorophyll a ), the spatial extent of cyanobacterial blooms, and phytoplankton biodiversity at the whole‐lake level, whereas 42.4% of the variation in phytoplankton community composition was explained by a combination of energy fluxes, nutrients, and other environmental factors. Cyanobacterial taxa were significantly correlated with nutrients (total nitrogen and phosphorus), while green algal abundance was associated mainly with variations in the energy budget. These findings highlight the spatial variability of energy fluxes driven by local environmental conditions, underscoring the need for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies to account for heterogeneous energy effects on lake production and structure.

Recovering European River Invertebrate Communities Homogenize or Differentiate Depending on Anthropogenic Stress - Daniela Cortés‐Guzmán; Diana E. Bowler; Marie Anne Eurie Forio; Peter Goethals; Ioannis Karaouzas; Ariane Moulinec; James S. Sinclair; Rudy Vannevel; Peter Haase; Ellen A. R. Welti (Global Change Biology, 2026)
Biodiversity loss can lead to biotic homogenization, whereby local communities within a region become increasingly similar over time, resulting in simplified communities with reduced functionality. However, our understanding of whether alleviating anthropogenic stress can reverse homogenization and promote biotic differentiation (i.e., increasing dissimilarity) remains limited, partly because the effectiveness of conservation actions is often assessed only at the local scale (e.g., increases in local diversity). Here, we examined evidence for biotic differentiation in European river invertebrate communities, a system that has generally shown signs of local recovery. We analyzed 447 time series of river invertebrate communities from 1994 to 2023, spanning 48 river basins across 15 European countries. We then related trends in community similarity within each basin, measured as taxonomic and trait β‐diversity, to spatial gradients of anthropogenic stress, including ecological quality (a proxy of general anthropogenic stress), air temperature increase, and land cover pressure. β‐diversity trends were strongly mediated by anthropogenic stress levels, with communities in lower‐stress basins showing differentiation, while those in higher‐stress basins homogenized. In addition, we found that the direction of β‐diversity change depended less on taxa or traits being gained or lost, and more on the identity of the traits involved, highlighting how trait composition mediates community responses to anthropogenic change. Specifically, additions promoted differentiation at lower stress levels but contributed to homogenization under conditions of higher stress, whereas subtractions exhibited the inverse pattern. Our results demonstrate that β‐diversity responds asymmetrically to spatial variation in anthropogenic stress, with both homogenization and differentiation occurring within a system that is, overall, undergoing recovery. Recognizing the stress‐dependent responses of β‐diversity allows researchers and managers to more accurately assess conservation success and provide recommendations that promote long‐term ecosystem structural and functional recovery.

Linking Community‐Climate Disequilibrium to Ecosystem Function - Michael Stemkovski; Michael H. Cortez; Joey R. Bernhardt; Kelvyn K. Bladen; John B. Bradford; Kyra Clark‐Wolf; Margaret E. K. Evans; Loretta C. Johnson; Abigail J. Lynch; Melissa A. Pastore; Malin L. Pinsky; Christine R. Rollinson; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2026)
Turnover in species composition often lags behind the pace of climate change, resulting in mismatches between climate and communities. However, the impact of these community‐climate disequilibria on ecosystem functions is rarely considered, and current methods for measuring disequilibria assume that species ranges were, until recently, in equilibrium with climate. Here, we develop a simple theoretical model to address both of these problems by linking community‐climate disequilibrium with ecosystem functioning. We show how disequilibrium can impair functioning in the near‐term even when climate change is expected to enhance functioning in the long‐term. Responses are most likely to change over time in communities where turnover is slow, the impact of disequilibrium counteracts the direct effects of climate on ecosystem function, and pre‐existing disequilibrium is large. These findings emphasise the importance of precise and unbiased estimates of community‐climate disequilibria for improving ecological forecasts. By fitting our model to time series of both climate and ecosystem function from a metacommunity simulation, we show the potential for community‐climate disequilibrium to be inferred without direct knowledge about species' distributions or climatic tolerances. We end by outlining a research agenda to apply dynamic disequilibrium concepts and test novel hypotheses across diverse ecosystems.

Waterfowl Move Less in Heterogeneous and Human‐Populated Landscapes, With Implications for Spread of Avian Influenza Viruses - Claire S. Teitelbaum; Diann J. Prosser; Joshua T. Ackerman; Sakib Ahmed; A. B. M. Sarowar Alam; Kazi Zenifar Azmiri; Nyambaya Batbayar; Joël Bêty; Abigail Blake‐Bradshaw; Dmitrijs Boiko; Nelleke H. Buitendijk; Jeffrey J. Buler; et al. (Ecology Letters, 2026)
Animal movements contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and are driven in part by environmental conditions. We investigated the links among the environment, animal movement, and infectious disease dynamics in waterfowl, which are among the primary wildlife hosts of avian influenza viruses. By combining telemetry data on 4606 individuals from 26 waterfowl species with data on land cover, weather, and vegetation, we found that waterfowl moved less in areas of higher land cover heterogeneity and higher human population density. Moreover, predicted waterfowl movement distances were weakly but positively correlated with distances between detections of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild waterfowl, suggesting that environmental conditions might contribute to the spread of this disease via their effects on bird movements. By considering wildlife movements alongside other drivers of infectious disease dynamics, such as livestock production and human mobility, we move closer to predicting outbreaks and informing interventions.

Health-related effects of byproducts from the food industry within in vivo models: a systematic review - Caroline Woelffel Silva; Eliot M. Dugan; Peter R. Gracey; Matthew J. Pataki; Frederico Augusto Ribeiro de Barros; Elad Tako (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2025)

A data-driven approach to mesoscale ocean forecasting - Peter R. Oke; Tatiana Rykova (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2025)
Accurate ocean forecasting is essential for many marine industries, including oil and gas, search and rescue, and Defence. Traditional forecasting systems typically produce analyses that are not dynamically consistent – leading to initialisation shock that degrades forecasts. These systems are computationally intensive and generate vast amounts of data, making it difficult for end users to interpret and exploit. Here, we develop a data-driven alternative using analog forecasting. We use along-track sea-level anomaly observations to identify past ocean states that most closely match present conditions in a large archive of model simulations. These historical cases serve as analogs to the present state. The subsequent evolution of each analog is then assembled into an ensemble forecast. We generate 15-day sea-level anomaly forecasts for twelve 5 ° x5 ° regions around Australia and demonstrate that our system outperforms traditional operational forecasts in 40-60% of cases, performs equally well (no statistical difference) in about 30% of cases, and is outperformed in about 10-25% of cases. By offering a computationally efficient approach to predicting mesoscale ocean circulation, analog forecasting presents a viable and practical alternative or compliment for ocean prediction.

Co-creating water knowledge: a community perspective - Giulio Castelli; Ben C. Howard; Tanveer M. Adyel; Amir AghaKouchak; Afnan Agramont; Hafzullah Aksoy; Rossella Alba; Pedro H.L. Alencar; Amobichukwu C. Amanambu; Hasnat Aslam; Luna Bharati; Liduin Bos-Burgering; et al. (Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2025)

Spike-wave discharges are uncoupled with cognitive outcome in aged Long-Evans rats - Craig Myrum; Zach Uttke; Diba Ramezan; Margaret E Stelzner; Jeffrey M. Long; Peter R. Rapp (Psychopharmacology, 2025)
Rational Rodent EEGs display 7–12 Hz oscillations called spike-wave discharges (SWDs) that are more abundant with age, and some data suggest that they might interfere with hippocampus-dependent memory processing. Objective To test whether SWD activity contributes to the memory decline reported in aged rats. Methods Spatial learning was assessed in young and aged Long-Evans (LE) rats using a water maze protocol where aged rats display substantial interindividual variability in hippocampus-dependent memory. We then collected 24 h EEG data to quantify SWD incidence and duration among young and aged animals. Lastly, we took a pharmacological approach to test the efficacy of two antiepileptic drugs—levetiracetam and ethosuximide—at reducing SWD activity. Results We found that SWDs were significantly more frequent in aged rats than young, but entirely unrelated to between-subject differences in cognitive outcome. Age-dependent increases in SWD frequency were also insensitive to levetiracetam at doses known to reverse memory impairment in aged rats, but potently inhibited by the other antiepileptic drug, ethosuximide, that functions through a different mechanism of action. Conclusion Together these findings provide evidence that the disrupted excitatory/inhibitory balance associated with individual differences in cognitive aging is unrelated to the SWD increase seen in aged rats.

Near-real-time geochemical monitoring of Hawaiian volcanoes using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) - Steven P. Lundblad; Peter R. Mills; Kendra J. Lynn; Elisabeth Gallant; Cheryl Gansecki; Meghann Decker; Drew T. Downs (Bulletin of Volcanology, 2025)

The 10/20/30 planting rule aligns with traditional plant diversity metrics across spatial scales - Michael R. Freiburger; Colleen Murphy-Dunning; Danica A. Doroski; P. Mark Ashton; Jacob D.J. Peters (Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2025)

Heat and mortality in a semi-arid city: A multi-scalar analysis of the impacts of temperature in Denver, Colorado - Elizabeth A. Dzwonczyk; Peter Anthamatten; Benjamin R. Crawford (Urban Climate, 2025)

Hot stops, cool looks: Aesthetic solutions for thermal comfort at transit stops - Logan Steinharter; Peter C. Ibsen; Tzeng Yih Lam; Lorien Nesbitt; Keunhyun Park; Melissa R. McHale (Urban Climate, 2025)

High quality terephthalic acid produced via a single step depolymerization-purification process of postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate for co-crystallization applications - Olivia A. Attallah; Vasilisa Palkova; Ria Vij; Michael R. O'Krepky; Melika Niakosari; Peter Boldyrev; Rhianna Candido (Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 2025)

Controllable reconstruction of 2D-2D interfaced ultrathin Bi4NbO8Cl/Bi5Nb3O15 nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction - Xiao Tian; Xiaojing Wang; Fatang Li; Peter R. Makgwane; Yali Yao; Xinying Liu (Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2025)

Trophic state and phytoplankton composition shape lake mycoplankton diversity - Joanna Gauthier; Frances R. Pick; Rebecca E. Garner; Hans-Peter Grossart; David A. Walsh (Fungal Ecology, 2025)

How Do Patient Outcomes in Mechanical Thrombectomy for Large-Core Stroke Vary Based on Neuroimaging Modalities Used for Patient Selection? A Multicenter Multinational Study - Omar Alwakaa; Rahim Abo Kasem; Felipe Ramirez-Velandia; Aryan Wadhwa; Kimberly Han; Michael R. Levitt; Ali Alaraj; Pascal Jabbour; Joon-Tae Kim; Brian Howard; Ali Alawieh; Stacey Quintero Wolfe; et al. (Translational Stroke Research, 2025)

Soil–climate interactions drive above-ground biomass in the Caatinga, the largest Neotropical seasonally dry tropical forest - Alexandre T. Brunello; Domingos Cardoso; Peter W. Moonlight; Ítalo A. C. Coutinho; John Cunha; Mário M. do Espírito Santo; Magna S. B. de Moura; Luciano P. de Queiroz; Rubens M. dos Santos; Tiina Särkinen; Raquel C. Miatto; Tony C. de S. Oliveira; et al. (Plant and Soil, 2025)

Relative importance of water stress and host vitality in structuring root fungal communities in beech forests - F. Fracchia; B. Dauphin; L. Walthert; R. Graf; R. Köchli; S. Pfister; A. Baltensweiler; A. Kohler; M. Peter (Plant and Soil, 2025)
Background and aims In forest ecosystems, trees interact with a broad range of soil microorganisms, such as ectomycorrhizal fungi, improving nutrition and water uptake and mitigating biotic and abiotic stress. In the context of the predicted more frequent and more severe droughts, it is critical to characterise how trees and their associated fungal partners respond to water shortage to improve future forest management. Methods We investigated the importance of diverse environmental predictors (e.g., edaphic, climatic, topographic) on the fungal communities associated with the root systems of decaying and healthy beech trees in natural beech forests. In parallel, we identified specific fungal taxa linked with their host vitality and water stress gradient. Results We observed that soil water shortage had a greater effect on the structuring of fungal communities than beech vitality or other environmental factors. We identified a core group of fungi that remained unaffected by water availability among all study sites, while 17 fungal species (i.e. Lactarius blennius ) were more abundant in sampling sites more prone to water shortage. Finally, we showed that the higher abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi was significantly associated with healthy beech root systems, while three saprotrophic fungi (i.e. Pezicula radicicola ) prevailed in the roots of trees exhibiting severe decay. Conclusions Overall, our study highlights the major role of drought in structuring fungal communities associated with beech root systems and pinpoints the key fungal taxonomic groups found in healthy beech trees.

IND-enabling preclinical studies of [11C]COU, a trapped metabolite PET radiotracer for monoamine oxidase-B - Madison S. Frazier; Tanpreet Kaur; Jenelle Stauff; Wade P. Winton; Bradford D. Henderson; Alexandra S. Dumond; Xia Shao; David M. Raffel; Kirk A. Frey; Michael R. Kilbourn; Allen F. Brooks; Peter J. H. Scott (Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2025)
[ 11 C]COU is a trapped metabolite radiotracer for in vivo analysis of Monoamine Oxidase B activity using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. [ 11 C]COU has the potential to quantify astrocytosis in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, providing an earlier marker of disease than currently available for staging disease progression. Prior preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this radiotracer in preclinical imaging studies, warranting the translation for clinical evaluation. In this paper, we describe results of the requisite preclinical studies required to obtain approval for translation of [ 11 C]COU into first-in-human studies. Development and validation of a production method that conforms to the quality requirements described in the US Pharmacopeia was accomplished, along with preclinical rodent studies to determine human radiation dose estimates and a single acute dose pharmacology and toxicology study to establish that an injected mass dose 100-fold higher than the proposed PET imaging dose was below the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL). The production method was validated in triplicate, yielding [ 11 C]COU in sufficient radiochemical yield (9.3 ± 0.008%), radiochemical purity (99.2 ± 0.002%) and molar activity (165 ± 65 TBq/mmol) for routine clinical use, and providing a product that was sterile and met (or exceeded) all quality control requirements for human use. Dosimetric analysis determined that the effective human dose of [ 11 C]COU is 0.005 mSv/MBq, also acceptable for clinical use. Lastly, no observable adverse effects were noted at 86 μg/kg in rodent toxicology studies (100x the proposed human dose). From these results we received approval to advance [ 11 C]COU into clinical studies.

Fine-scale behavioural responses to mixing fronts are linked to variation in geographic space use in a medium ranging seabird - Ian R. Cleasby; Ellie Owen; Peter I. Miller; Saskia Wischnewski; Mark Bolton (Marine Biology, 2025)

Shelf-life of Bacillus subtilis and Gongronella butleri consortium in coirpith-based composting inoculum - K. Surendra Gopal; Nisha Peter; P. R. Anju; A. B. Anju (Indian Phytopathology, 2025)

Subcellular localization of the P2X4 receptor in sensory hair cells of Wistar rat cochlea - Ziyin Huang; Jacqueline M. Ross; Shelly C. Y. Lin; Prakansha N. Kumar; Kevin Roy; Srdjan M. Vlajkovic; Peter R. Thorne; Haruna Suzuki-Kerr (Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 2025)
Our sense of hearing starts in the inner ear organ, the cochlea, which contains two types of auditory hair cells for signal transduction. Earlier research showed that the complex cochlear physiology is regulated in part by purinergic signalling through activation of purine-mediated P2X, P2Y and adenosine receptors expressed in the cochlea. This study aims to extend our knowledge of purinergic signalling in the cochlea by comprehensively characterising the expression of the P2X4 receptor subtype. Wistar rat cochlea (embryonic day 20.5–6 weeks, both sexes) were collected, and the P2X4 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry. Robust P2X4 expression was found in the organ of Corti (OoC) in the inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs), confirmed by double-labelling with hair cells (HCs) marker myosin VIIa. In IHCs, a robust cytoplasmic P2X4 expression occurred throughout the cell body, with the most intense signal at the medial side. In OHCs, P2X4 formed puncta near the apical and basal ends of the cell body. Using markers for subcellular organelles, P2X4 immunoreactivity was predominately associated with the trans-Golgi network apparatus and early endosomes in IHC and with early endosomes and lysosomes in OHC in the mature cochlea. In both cell types, some co-localisation of P2X4 with presynaptic marker was also observed. Taken together, these observations suggest unique roles for P2X4 in mature IHCs and OHCs as a purinergic receptor subtype responsible for the homeostatic regulation of hair cells and auditory sensory transduction.

Fishing for data: AI approaches to advance recreational fisheries monitoring - Lachlan R. Baker; Nathan A. Knott; Robert Gorkin; Sam Aubin; Culum Brown; Katharina J. Peters (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2025)
Recreational fishing is an important social and economic activity on a global scale. In Australia, the quantification of the recreational fishing catch has relied on voluntary surveys, which require significant human resourcing for data collection and also limit the sampling and the precision of the estimates. Artificial intelligence (AI) incorporated into fish cleaning tables offers the opportunity to collect data in an almost continuous manner with little human effort. To date, the feasibility of such an approach has not been tested nor optimised. Here, we present a rudimentary image classification model that we developed with a dataset of only 2000 images, and test its accuracy and the deployment variables that may affect its performance. We assessed the influence of camera height, image resolution, species, fish orientation and position on identification and measurement accuracy. Lowering camera height and photographing fish in their dorsal orientation increased identification accuracy, while poor image resolution decreased measurement accuracy. These results informed subsequent development of an object detection model with increased performance (80% true positives compared to 30% for the image classification model). This assessment indicates the substantial promise of AI to sample recreational fisheries catches, with the potential to dramatically increase data collection for recreational fisheries management.

Near‐seabed sediment dynamics and fluxes on Chatham Rise, the effects of seabed disturbance, and implications for deep‐sea bottom trawling and seabed mining - Scott D. Nodder; Christopher A. Eager; Joe O’Callaghan; Daniel Leduc; Sam Davidson; Stacy Deppeler; Grace Frontin‐Rollet; Peter Gerring; Sarah Searson; William Quinn; Steve George; Ron Ovenden; et al. (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2025)
Anthropogenic impacts are increasingly affecting deep‐sea environments, including seafloor sediment disturbances by bottom trawling and seafloor mining. Fieldwork in the ‘Resilience Of Benthic Ecosystems to Sedimentation’ (ROBES) project were conducted in 2018–2020 on the 400 m‐deep Chatham Rise crest, eastern Aotearoa New Zealand. Water column turbidity data, sediment traps on near‐seabed moorings and benthic landers and surficial sediments from multi‐corers provided baseline and post‐impact information following an artificially induced seafloor disturbance event in June 2019 using a modified harrow plough in and around an elongated bathymetric depression, designated as the ‘Butterknife’. During the disturbance, total mass and particulate organic carbon (POC) near‐bed fluxes were elevated above long‐term fluxes (2018–20). Long‐term 2018–19 fluxes were generally less than in 2019–20, driven by interannual oceanographic variations. These results, coupled with 50–100 m‐thick benthic boundary layers, suggest that lateral advection is a dominant process in the resuspension and redistribution of seafloor sediments on the rise. Further research is required to better understand the longer term dynamics of particle transport and deposition in response to human activities, such as bottom trawling or proposed phosphorite seafloor mining, especially in bathyal environments, such as the Chatham Rise.

Age and growth of a habitat‐forming deep‐sea coral Solenosmilia variabilis in the New Zealand region: implications for fisheries management - Dianne M. Tracey; Peter Marriott; Nicholas Hitt; Helen Neil; Malcolm R. Clark (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2025)
One of the most widespread and abundant habitat forming deep‐sea corals in the South Pacific region is Solenosmilia variabilis . The age of this species was assessed using radiocarbon content ( 14 C) on long dead, recently dead, and live branch sections of coral reef matrix sampled from the New Zealand region. Conventional 14 C colony ages (yrs BP), for the living, recently dead, and long dead samples, ranged from 803 to 1186 years (Graveyard Knolls, Chatham Rise), and 907 to 11, 694 years (Louisville Seamount Chain east of New Zealand). Overall calendar ages, ranged from 84 to 292 years, and similar linear and step‐wise growth rate data were obtained. Linear growth ranged from 0.2 to 1.3 mm/yr. From a conservative estimate of matrix height of ∼20 cm, it could take hundreds of years (∼150–660) of growth for a colony of S. variabilis to attain this height, and around ∼2000 years to build a colony diameter of 1 metre. Defining the age, growth and recovery timeframes of deep‐sea coral can inform risk assessments of the level of susceptibility to trawling activity and their potential to recover, as well as provide options for the considered management of deep‐sea habitats.

Pelagic sharks target long‐lived, retentive anticyclonic eddies in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean - Camrin D. Braun; Peter Gaube; Alice Della Penna; Simon R. Thorrold; Laura H. McDonnell; G. Chris Fischer; Gonzalo Mucientes; Nuno Queiroz; Mahmood Shivji; David W. Sims; Gregory B. Skomal; Bradley Wetherbee; et al. (Limnology and Oceanography, 2025)
Open ocean ecosystems represent the largest habitat on Earth and are highly dynamic in time and space. Mesoscale eddies are a primary driver of this variability and serve a key structural role in ocean ecosystems. Eddies modulate marine biodiversity beyond their impacts on plankton, influencing many ecologically and commercially important predators that may preferentially occupy anticyclonic eddies. However, how animal‐eddy interactions scale across predator species and the mechanistic drivers of these relationships remain an area of active research. We integrated satellite tracking data for sharks with observations of mesoscale eddies to determine how four shark species interact with eddies in the Gulf Stream region. Based on over 24,000 tracking days, we found that blue, white, and shortfin mako sharks selected for the cores of anticyclones while the use of eddies by tiger sharks was less conspicuous. Some particularly large and long‐lived anticyclones were occupied by tagged sharks for multiple weeks suggesting that these eddies may serve as hotspots for pelagic predators.

Growth, Reproductive Parameters and Stock Status of Brown-Marbled Grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, a Commonly Targeted Grouper in Saleh Bay, Indonesia - Yudi Herdiana; Peter G. Coulson; James R. Tweedley; Budy Wiryawan; Sugeng H. Wisudo; Neil R. Loneragan (Fishes, 2025)
The brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), a high-value species in international trade, has experienced population declines due to intensive fishing. It is one of 12 grouper and snapper species prioritized for management in Saleh Bay, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This study analyzed catch data (2017–2022) and biological samples (2020–2021) to update key life history parameters, including natural mortality, von Bertalanffy growth parameters, asymptotic length, and size at maturity. Growth was estimated using an ELEFAN-optimized model applied to catch length–frequency data, while maturity was determined through macroscopic examination of gonads. The updated estimates (L50 = 488 mm for both sex; L95 = 568 mm for females and 616 mm for males) were incorporated into a length-based spawning potential ratio (SPR) assessment. Annual SPR values ranged from 0.13 to 0.28, substantially higher than previous estimates of 0.05–0.07, mainly due to the lower L50 used in this study. Despite this improvement, SPR values remain below the management target of 0.30 for groupers and snappers in Saleh Bay. Limited biological samples, particularly the scarcity of larger individuals and males, introduce uncertainty in the estimates. These findings emphasize the value of locally derived life history information and highlight the need for continued biological sampling to refine growth and reproductive parameters and support sustainable fisheries management.

Polygenic risk scores in routine genetic diagnostics: what lies ahead? - Peter Lauffer; W. van Weelden; M.M. van Haelst; Philip R. Jansen (Journal of Community Genetics, 2025)
Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have emerged as a potential tool for predicting complex genetic traits and disorders, which may complement traditional rare variant testing. As genome-wide association studies (GWAS) expand, PRS predictive accuracy improves, yet its role in clinical genetics remains undefined. Here, we discuss four scenarios for PRS integration into diagnostic workflows: (1) PRS as a first-tier screen to stratify patients for rare variant testing; (2) parallel testing with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to capture both rare and common variant contributions; (3) selection between PRS and rare variant testing guided by clinical characteristics; and (4) PRS application in rare variant-negative cases to identify likely polygenic etiologies. We highlight different trade-offs of each approach, which include costs, turnaround time, diagnostic efficiency, and risk of secondary findings. While PRS shows promise in conditions with both monogenic and polygenic contributions, challenges remain in defining risk thresholds, equal accuracy across (non-European) ancestries, and integrating PRS into clinical decision-making. Although not yet standard practice, we envision PRS is likely to play an increasing role in genetic diagnostics, necessitating collaboration between clinicians and laboratory geneticists to optimize its application.

Gas transport dynamics at Kolumbo submarine volcano: high-resolution numerical simulations, scaling laws, and hazard implications - Matteo Cerminara; Peter Baxter; Augusto Neri; R. Stephen J. Sparks; Orlando Vaselli; Georges Vougioukalakis (Bulletin of Volcanology, 2025)
The 1650 CE Kolumbo (Greece) submarine eruption resulted in the reported deaths of 50 people and thousands of animals on Santorini (Thera) due to exposure to a cloud of noxious volcanic gases. Lack of ash in the cloud indicates that the gas release was unrelated to a magmatic explosive eruption. Medical evidence from historic accounts suggests lethal exposure to CO 2 and H 2 S, which were likely the main hazardous gases, whereas strongly acidic gases such as SO 2 , HCl, and HF were less relevant due to their high solubility in seawater. Expert elicitation indicates significant uncertainty, with probabilities of gas releases conditional on the occurrence of an eruption in the next 30 years ranging in 15–58–93% (5th–50th–95th percentiles), and a 2–17–48% likelihood of the gas cloud reaching Thera. A transient 3D multiphase fluid dynamics model (ASHEE) is employed to simulate turbulent gas cloud propagation and dilution under scenarios with source and meteorological conditions informed by expert elicitation and ECMWF-ERA5 2005−2016 data. A novel component of this study is the derivation of analytical predictive relationships through a non-dimensional scaling analysis, based on parameters like the Richardson number. Simple models are presented for weak, intermediate, and strong wind regimes, providing a generalized framework for gas transport and hazard assessment in similar volcanic settings. Results indicate about 50% probability of the gas cloud reaching Thera, even with a relatively modest volumetric flow rate of 10 3 m 3 s −1 and a wind speed half of the average. However, hazardous concentrations (above 200 ppm of H 2 S and 10 vol.% of CO 2 ) along the NE coast of Thera are reached if source gas flux exceeds 10 4 m 3 s −1 . By integrating elicitation outcomes, physical modeling, and probabilistic analysis, this study estimates a 16% and 17% likelihood of hazardous gas exposure for CO 2 and H 2 S, respectively, along the NE coast of Thera in case of formation of a gas density current in the next 30 years.

Cascading Effects of Surface Water Pollution and Land Subsidence in Indonesia - Peter A. Gell; Tri R. Soeprobowati; Aulia Rahim; Robert L. Wilby (Coastal Management, 2025)

‘Earth system engineers’ and the cumulative impact of organisms in deep time - Simon A.F. Darroch; Michelle M. Casey; Alison T. Cribb; Amanda E. Bates; Matthew E. Clapham; Dori L. Contreras; Matthew Craffey; Ivo A.P. Duijnstee; William Gearty; Nicholas J. Gotelli; Marcus J. Hamilton; Riley F. Hayes; et al. (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2025)

Chryseobacterium hilariae sp. nov., Sphingomonas larreae sp. nov., Sphingomonas astragali sp. nov., Sphingomonas radicis sp. nov., Variovorax stachyos sp. nov., Parapedobacter brassicae sp. nov., Neorhizobium descurainiae sp. nov., and Erwinia artemisiae sp. nov. isolated from dry soils revealing a diverse plant growth promoting potential - Peter Kämpfer; André Lipski; Kathy S. Lawrence; Walker R. Olive; Molli M. Newman; John A. McInroy; Tomeu Viver (Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 2025)

Some South African medicinal plants associated with oral health care: Their phytochemical constituents and involvement in biological activities - Semakaleng Mpai; Ashwell R. Ndhlala; Mulanga L. Mulaudzi; Peter Masoko (South African Journal of Botany, 2025)

Bio-electrochemical denitrification – The impact of cathode potential, inoculum source and nitrate loading rate - Danish Laidin; Peter A. Gostomski; Aaron T. Marshall; Carlo R. Carere (Journal of Water Process Engineering, 2025)

Wavelength-dependent excitation ratio of photosystem I and II in Arabidopsis thaliana - Peter R. Bos; Herbert van Amerongen; Emilie Wientjes (Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 2025)

Patterns of pharmaceutical contamination in streams of European cities across urbanisation gradients: Potential impacts on One Health - Fernanda Rodrigues; Ana R. Calapez; André M.P.T. Pereira; Liliana J.G. Silva; Andreia Freitas; Rayan Bouchali; Andree De Cock; Marie Anne Eurie Forio; Peter Goethals; Silje H. Henni; Adeline Loyau; Anne Moen; et al. (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2025)

Hydrogen, single-carbon compounds, and thermal regime in the oceanic ultramafic-dominated lithosphere: insights from a deep borehole on the Atlantis Massif - Susan Q. Lang; C. Geoffrey Wheat; Kristin L. Dickerson; Mark K. Reagan; Ivan P. Savov; Jordyn A. Robare; William J. Brazelton; Johanna Suhonen; Oscar Cavazos; Andrew McCaig; Peter Blum; Natsue Abe; et al. (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2025)