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The hyperiid amphipod Brachyscelus rapacoides is a warm-water species associated with gelatinous zooplankton. In the Mediterranean it has been reported in association with Rhopilema nomadica in both Israel and Turkey. Here, we document the first record of B. rapacoides in Greek waters, representing the first confirmed record for Europe, based on both morphological examination and DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene. Sp...
Guidance on selecting and evaluating AI auto-segmentation systems in clinical radiotherapy: insights from a six-vendor analysisNARA Subscribed
Artificial Intelligence (AI) based auto-segmentation has demonstrated numerous benefits to clinical radiotherapy workflows. However, the rapidly changing regulatory, research, and market environment presents challenges around selecting and evaluating the most suitable solution. To support the clinical adoption of AI auto-segmentation systems, Selection Criteria recommendations were developed to enable a holistic evaluation of...
Pathways from research to sustainable development: Insights from ten research projects in sustainability and resilienceNARA Subscribed
Drawing on collective experience from ten collaborative research projects focused on the Global South, we identify three major challenges that impede the translation of research on sustainability and resilience into better-informed choices by individuals and policy-makers that in turn can support transformation to a sustainable future. The three challenges comprise: (i) converting knowledge produced during research projects in...
Mechanisms underpinning community stability along a latitudinal gradient: Insights from a niche‐based approachNARA Subscribed
At large scales, the mechanisms underpinning stability in natural communities may vary in importance due to changes in species composition, mean abundance, and species richness. Here we link species characteristics (niche positions) and community characteristics (richness and abundance) to evaluate the importance of stability mechanisms in 156 butterfly communities monitored across three European countries and spanning five bi...
Aim It is important to understand the factors affecting community stability because ecosystem function is increasingly at risk from biodiversity loss. Here, we evaluate how a key factor, the position of local environmental conditions within the thermal range of the species, influences the stability of butterfly communities at a continental scale. Location Spain, UK and Finland. Time period 1999–2017. Major taxa studied Butterf...
Prolonging survival in good health is a fundamental societal goal. However, the leading determinants of disability-free survival in healthy older people have not been well established. Data from ASPREE, a bi-national placebo-controlled trial of aspirin with 4.7 years median follow-up, was analysed. At enrolment, participants were healthy and without prior cardiovascular events, dementia or persistent physical disability. Disab...
Oviposition behaviour and emergence through time of the small blue butterfly (Cupido minimus) in a nature reserve in Bedfordshire, UKNARA Subscribed
Abstract Climate change affects butterflies in many ways, influencing the timing of emergence and reproduction, habitat preferences, and behaviour. The small blue ( Cupido minimus Fuessley, 1775) is highly specialised in its host plant requirements, feeding on the seeds of a single species, kidney vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria ), on which the larvae occur singly to avoid cannibalism. The butterfly is likely to be vulnerable to...
In a recent paper, “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term? Clarifying the terminology and recommendations for its future use in biomonitoring,” Pawlowski et al . argue that the term eDNA should be used to refer to the pool of DNA isolated from environmental samples, as opposed to only extra‐organismal DNA from macro‐organisms. We agree with this view. However, we are concerned that their proposed two‐level terminology spec...
Low dispersal and ploidy differences in a grass maintain photosynthetic diversity despite gene flow and habitat overlapNARA Subscribed
Geographical isolation facilitates the emergence of distinct phenotypes within a single species, but reproductive barriers or selection are needed to maintain the polymorphism after secondary contact. Here, we explore the processes that maintain intraspecific variation of C 4 photosynthesis, a complex trait that results from the combined action of multiple genes. The grass Alloteropsis semialata includes C 4 and non‐C 4 popula...
Incorporating connectivity into conservation planning for the optimal representation of multiple species and ecosystem servicesNARA Subscribed
Conservation planning tends to focus on protecting species’ ranges or landscape connectivity but seldom both—particularly in the case of diverse taxonomic assemblages and multiple planning goals. Therefore, information on potential trade‐offs between maintaining landscape connectivity and achieving other conservation objectives is lacking. We developed an optimization approach to prioritize the maximal protection of species’ r...
TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open accessNARA Subscribed
Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodivers...
C 4 anatomy can evolve via a single developmental changeNARA Subscribed
C 4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that boosts productivity in warm environments. Paradoxically, it evolved independently in numerous plant lineages, despite requiring specialised leaf anatomy. The anatomical modifications underlying C 4 evolution have previously been evaluated through interspecific comparisons, which capture numerous changes besides those needed for C 4 functionality. Here, we quantify the anatomical chang...
Genome biogeography reveals the intraspecific spread of adaptive mutations for a complex traitNARA Subscribed
Physiological novelties are often studied at macro‐evolutionary scales such that their micro‐evolutionary origins remain poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that key components of a complex trait can evolve in isolation and later be combined by gene flow. We use C 4 photosynthesis as a study system, a derived physiology that increases plant productivity in warm, dry conditions. The grass Alloteropsis semialata incl...
The piggybacking stingrayNARA Subscribed
Making decisions to conserve species under climate changeNARA Subscribed
Summary Biomineralization in the marine phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi is a stringently controlled intracellular process. The molecular basis of coccolith production is still relatively unknown although its importance in global biogeochemical cycles and varying sensitivity to increased pCO 2 levels has been well documented. This study looks into the role of several candidate Ca 2+ , H + and inorganic carbon transport genes in...
Ecological assessment to detect imminent change in coral reefs of Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park, Turks and Caicos IslandsNARA Subscribed
Coral reefs of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCIs) (Caribbean Sea) constitute some of the few pristine coral reef systems in the world and play a crucial role in the islands’ economy because they support rich fisheries catches and tourism development. Ambitious development plans involving increase in fishing and tourism pressures are about to bring changes in coastal zone resources of the TCIs associated with increased sedimen...
The mechanisms that determine population structure in highly mobile marine species are poorly understood, but useful towards understanding the evolution of diversity, and essential for effective conservation and management. In this study, we compare putative sperm whale populations located in the Gulf of Mexico, western North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and North Sea using mtDNA control region sequence data and 16 polymorphic...