Understanding movement and habitat use patterns of co-occurring predatory fishes is crucial for effective conservation and management of estuarine ecosystems, where dynamic seasonal shifts and species interactions play crucial roles in shaping community structure. Using acoustic telemetry and network analysis, we compared the movements of alligator gar ( Atractosteus spatula , n = 13), bull sharks ( Carcharhinus leucas , n = 1...

Growth habit is one of the most important domestication traits in dry bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In the U.S. for example, Type II indeterminate upright plant varieties have allowed farmers to switch from historic two-pass harvest to one-pass direct harvest. Previous work suggested a stem diameter of 5.6 mm as threshold to select Type II architecture genotypes suitable for direct combining. This study aimed to validate the...

Purpose Spinal deformities and motions of the spinal joints are rarely confined to a single anatomical plane. Yet diagnosis of such deformities and characterizations of their biomechanical behavior under load are often limited to two-dimensional methods of analysis. This study presented a testing methodology and visualization method to characterize the biomechanical responses of the intact and deformed lumbar spine under combi...

Primary production underpins much of ecosystem functioning and is often limited by nutrient and water availability. Ongoing global increases in nutrient inputs and interannual precipitation variability are thus likely to impact primary production, with unclear consequences for interannual variability in plant biomass. We used data from 35 grasslands in the Nutrient Network coordinated fertilization experiment to test if nutrie...

Global population ageing is increasing the burden of chronic disease, functional decline, and loss of independence. For most organs, decline in function starts during the 5th decade of life. Micronutrient (MN) insufficiencies/deficiencies are common and may accelerate biological ageing. MNs are required to support multiple physiologic processes, including mitochondrial homeostasis. Age-related declines in organ function are ti...

Seaweeds are increasingly being incorporated into animal diets to address the challenge of intensifying food production while minimizing ecological impacts. Although seaweeds represent promising natural resources for developing economically and environmentally sustainable feeds, especially in aquaculture, the consequences of ingesting seaweed for the animals themselves are often unclear. Therefore, this study examined how the...

Autonomous multi-robot missions are revolutionizing oceanographic data collection by increasing spatial coverage, mission durations, and allowing safe access to remote and dangerous environments at a fraction of the cost of ship-based missions. While terrestrial and aerial field robotics offer several approaches for multi-robot coordination, ocean applications present unique challenges — including navigation in a time-evolving...

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 mai...

Genetic and other predisposing factors can influence the progression from initiation of drug intake to compulsive substance use through distinct biobehavioral processes. Operant cocaine self-administration studies in laboratory mice offer a powerful method to dissect the biology of this progression from initiation, dose-response, extinction, and cued reinstatement in a controlled, tractable system. However, many such studies e...