Background Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a biomarker for cardiovascular diseases, and its circulating levels are altered in preeclampsia (PE), which shares mechanisms with cardiovascular diseases. Several SNPs in the GDF15 locus were associated with GDF15 levels, including the GWAS lead SNP rs888663. However, no previous study had performed a functional characterization of rs888663 nor had tested the hypothesis t...

Metal complexes are well known for their DNA cleavage activity. Copper is a metal that stands out for this purpose because it is able to perform cleavage through oxidative mechanisms using the Haber–Weiss cycle. We report two unprecedented copper(II) complexes ( 2 and 3 ) with long-chain ligands and compare the results with those of a previously reported complex ( 1 ), which we use as a reference in our studies. They were all...

Coastal ecosystems play a major role in global carbon cycling and storage, yet the contribution of calcifying macroalgal habitats, such as coralline algal beds (CABs; rhodolith and maerl beds), remains poorly understood. Because carbon cycling in CABs is governed by community productivity and calcification, which exert opposing effects on seawater carbonate chemistry, understanding the balance between these processes is essent...

Anthropogenic habitat transformation has led to population declines and increasing isolation of populations of many species, particularly top predators, where small and fragmented populations often experience limited dispersal and reduced genetic diversity. Jaguars ( Panthera onca ), for example, have lost half of their historical range and most populations outside the Amazon biome are small, isolated and highly threatened. He...

Carbonatitic melt–rock interactions in the crust provide key insights into element mobility, metasomatic processes, and the formation of rare mineral assemblages in high-grade metamorphic terrains. Ekanite-containing calc-silicate dykes at Ampegama, southwestern Highland Complex, Sri Lanka, provide compelling evidence for the interaction of crustal-derived carbonatitic melt with charnockitic gneiss wall rocks, forming an “anti...

Soil microbiomes are critical for ecosystem functioning, yet the global influences of climate and agricultural practices on their diversity and structure remain incompletely characterized. Here we analyzed 1921 soil samples from 33 countries worldwide across diverse biomes to assess how climate gradients and agricultural inputs, including pesticides and fertilizers, shape prokaryotic and fungal communities. We found that micro...

This study aimed to identify risk factors related to management practices, environmental conditions, and infrastructure characteristics in nursery and growing–finishing pig farms located in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and their association with the rate ratio of pleuritis at slaughter. A prospective observational study was conducted using a structured survey on 159 growing–finishing farms, totaling 162,252 slaughtered...

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...

Rock outcrops are geological formations that harbor a highly specialized biota adapted to harsh environmental conditions that differ from their surrounding landscapes. They are globally distributed, especially in old, highly weathered landscapes, and can function as habitat islands containing high levels of endemism and distinct evolutionary lineages. Despite their ecoevolutionary importance, rock outcrops remain largely overl...

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 succe...

This study evaluated pig production performance in herds with M. hyopneumoniae by replacing in-feed antimicrobials with the herbal extract carvacrol during nursery and finishing phases. A total of 324 piglets were allocated across three treatments: ATM-Free (without antimicrobial); HE (carvacrol); and ATM (antimicrobial). They were housed in the nursery from 21 to 63 days of age (doa), then transferred to finishing and slaught...

Members of the copepod family Lernaeopodidae are parasites of chondrichthyan and actinopterygian fishes, with the genus Naobranchia Hesse, 1863 being one of the most diverse groups parasitizing the gills of marine fishes. The genus currently comprises 21 species; however, molecular data for most species remain unavailable or poorly validated. In this study, copepod specimens were collected from the gills of Mugil cephalus Linn...

Aim Microbiome rewilding seeks to harness plant‐microbe interactions for sustainable agriculture, assuming that ancestral microbial partners have been lost during domestication and geographical spread. Designing microbiome rewilding strategies requires a quantitative and predictive understanding of the fundamental ecological processes—selection, dispersal, and drift—driving microbial assembly and persistence in the rhizosphere...

Rhodolith beds are globally distributed benthic habitats that play a key role in supporting associated faunal communities and serve as important biodiversity hotspots. Their ecological importance has been attributed to their ability to increase habitat complexity. In this context, rhodoliths are considered habitat-forming species (primary facilitator) that potentially support the establishment of further habitat providers, suc...