Tuberculosis (TB) treatment is highly effective, but response to therapy varies by geography and population subgroups. We assessed differences in TB treatment response in a representative and heterogeneous Brazilian population. We estimated genetic ancestry according to major genetic ancestry groups (African, European, and Amerindian) in the Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT)-Brazil cohort usi...

This study evaluated the effects of providing 3–15 kg of a soluble and biodegradable biopolymer-based enrichment material (blend of biodegradable polymers and natural fibers) to prepartum sows housed in farrowing crates. Fifteen sows were blocked by body weight and backfat thickness and assigned to three treatments: no enrichment material (CONT), 3 kg of enrichment material (BN3), or 15 kg of enrichment material with added nut...

Insectivorous bats are widely recognised as effective biocontrol agents. However, assessments of their effectiveness as service providers have traditionally relied on measures of foraging behaviour, such as activity levels and trophic ecology. Increasing evidence suggests that a more complete evaluation of bat-mediated biocontrol requires integrative frameworks that consider not only foraging behaviour but also species- and po...

Pathogenic fungi that cause rust adversely affect plants, including crops, affecting them differentially depending on the cultivar. This is the case of blackberry ( Rubus spp.), a member of Rosaceae, introduced in Brazil by Embrapa during the 1980s and 1990s. Given the advantageous nutritional properties of its fruits and the relatively low management costs associated with its cultivation, blackberry production has emerged as...

The cave of Les Pradelles (Marillac‐le‐Franc, France) was repeatedly visited by Neandertals ~55 000 years ago and is a key site in discussions of Neandertal cannibalism. Excavations between 1967 and 1980 (Vandermeersch) and between 2001 and 2013 (Maureille/Mann) produced a rich faunal assemblage (>20 000 bones), alongside Quina Mousterian tools. Here, we provide a combined study of both collections integrating ZooMS (Zooarchae...

Aim We evaluated how native vegetation cover influences the diversity of arachnid assemblages across multiple spatial scales in major Brazilian ecosystems. Location Brazil (Amazon and Atlantic rainforests, Cerrado savanna and Caatinga dry forest). Taxon Arachnida (Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones and Scorpiones). Methods We sampled arachnids at 120 sites using active search and litter sifting. Native vegetation cover was quantified...

In its early years, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has mobilized unprecedented global commitments. Yet, measuring restoration success remains contested, particularly in megadiverse countries where the absence of standardized indicators and assessment protocols often leads to subjective decisions by environmental agencies. Here, we present a core set of leading indicators developed through a pioneering Brazil-led scienc...

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...

Aims Soil-borne pathogens can severely compromise legume cultivation and, consequently, plant-based protein production by triggering root rot, particularly in pea ( Pisum sativum L.). Although some pea genotypes exhibit enhanced performance compared to others under root rot stress, breeding efforts have so far achieved only limited resistance. Microbiome-mediated breeding might show more success in alleviating root rot. We hyp...

Kelp forests are among the most extensive and productive coastal ecosystems, yet they remain underrepresented in global conservation policy despite widespread declines driven by interacting global- (i.e., ocean warming, marine heatwaves) to local-scale stressors. At the same time, kelp conservation and restoration efforts are expanding rapidly across regions, but measures of success and syntheses tend to primarily focus on eco...

The genus Astyanax is highly diverse within the family Acestrorhamphidae, and species identification remains challenging due to overlapping morphological, morphometric, meristic, and coloration traits. As a result, several taxa have been considered as species complexes or treated as synonyms. Molecular and cytogenetic approaches are essential for clarifying taxonomic boundaries and assessing potential genetic divergence among...