Ectoparasites that penetrate host skin can act as biological or mechanical vectors for pathogens and, in some cases, serve as reservoirs. Crustacean ectoparasites of fish are potential vectors of pathogens, which is especially relevant for obligate pathogens (e.g., Aeromonas salmonicida ) with limited seawater survival. Sea lice ( Lepeophtheirus salmonis ), affecting Atlantic salmon, cause dermal damage and can facilitate seco...

Mite domatia — small structures on plant leaves that house mutualistic mites — are widespread across plants yet remain relatively understudied. Here we investigate the chemistry and micromorphology of mite domatia across sympatric species of broadleaf deciduous woody species that have convergently evolved tuft-form mite domatia. Specifically, we test whether domatia display similar micromorphological and chemical properties us...

In the waters of North Carolina, on the United States east coast, Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops erebennus ) is managed as four stocks, differentiated largely based on photo-identification and satellite telemetry data. Two of the stocks reside primarily within estuarine habitats throughout the year, and two others inhabit coastal waters and make broad scale, migratory movements. The spatio-temporal overlap of these s...

Septin GTPases are morphogenetic proteins that are widely conserved in eukaryotic organisms fulfilling diverse roles in cell division, differentiation and development. In the filamentous fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae , the causal agent of the devastating blast diseases of rice and wheat, septins have been shown to be essential for plant infection. The blast fungus elaborates a specialised infection structure called an app...

A cornerstone of classical virulence evolution theories is the assumption that pathogen growth rate is positively correlated with virulence, the amount of damage pathogens inflict on their hosts. Such theories are key for incorporating evolutionary principles into sustainable disease management strategies. Yet, empirical evidence raises doubts over this central assumption underpinning classical theories, thus undermining their...

Circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker of ageing, tissue damage and cellular stress. However, less is known about health behaviours, ageing phenotypes and metabolic processes that lead to elevated cf-DNA levels. We sought to analyse the relationship of circulating cf-DNA level to age, sex, smoking, physical activity, vegetable consumption, ageing phenotypes (physical functioning, the number of...

Septic arthritis is a serious condition with significant morbidity and mortality, routinely diagnosed using culture. The FDA has recently approved the rapid molecular BioFire® Joint Infection Panel (BJIP) for synovial fluid. We aimed to evaluate the BJIP compared to culture and its potential use in patient management. A multicentre retrospective evaluation of BJIP was conducted in the UK and Ireland. Positive percent agreement...

Episodes of Quaternary environmental change shaped the genomes of extant species, influencing their response to contemporary environments, which are changing rapidly. Island endemics are among the most vulnerable to such change, accounting for a disproportionate number of recent extinctions. To prevent extinctions and conserve island biodiversity it is vital to combine knowledge of species' ecologies with their complex evoluti...

Aim Water availability is the major driver of tropical forest structure and dynamics. Most research has focused on the impacts of climatic water availability, whereas remarkably little is known about the influence of water table depth and excess soil water on forest processes. Nevertheless, given that plants take up water from the soil, the impacts of climatic water supply on plants are likely to be modulated by soil water con...

Purpose We determined the effect of habitual endurance exercise and age on aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), augmentation pressure (AP) and systolic blood pressure (aSBP), with statistical adjustments of aPWV and AP for heart rate and aortic mean arterial pressure, when appropriate. Furthermore, we assessed whether muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) correlates with AP in young and middle-aged men. Methods Aortic PWV, AP...

Summary Azole‐resistant environmental Aspergillus fumigatus presents a threat to public health but the extent of this threat in Southeast Asia is poorly described. We conducted environmental surveillance in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, collecting air and ground samples across key land‐use types, and determined antifungal susceptibilities of Aspergillus section Fumigati (ASF) isolates and azole concentrations in soils. O...

Marine spatial planning that addresses ocean climate‐driven change (‘climate‐smart MSP’) is a global aspiration to support economic growth, food security and ecosystem sustainability. Ocean climate change (‘CC’) modelling may become a key decision‐support tool for MSP, but traditional modelling analysis and communication challenges prevent their broad uptake. We employed MSP‐specific ocean climate modelling analyses to inform...

Summary Cell cycle regulation is pivotal for proper cell division and cellular differentiation in eukaryotic cells. The central regulators that govern eukaryotic cell cycle progression are cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) and their partners. Here, we report that Magnaporthe oryzae CKS1 encodes a cyclin‐dependent kinase subunit, which plays a significant role in regulation of plant infection. We demonstrate that CKS1 is a functi...