††slugcomment: Draft version Seriola lalandi comprises three genetically distinct clades, with S. lalandi lalandi inhabiting the Southern Hemisphere. While a chromosome-level genome exists for the Northwestern Pacific S. lalandi aureovittata, no such resource is available for S. lalandi lalandi, limiting genetic research and aquaculture advancements. This study presents a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of S. lalandi lalandi using Illumina short-read, long-read (ONT) and Hi-C. A total of 289.12 Gb of raw genomic data was generated, and a final assembly of 644 Mb was produced with 99.64% of the assembled bases anchored into 24 pseudo-chromosomes. Genome annotation identified 24,600 protein-coding genes, with 96.1% completeness based on 3,640 BUSCO orthologs. Additionally, the complete mitogenome was assembled and annotated for S. lalandi lalandi. This genomic resource will help to inform comparative genomic studies, improve aquaculture breeding programs, and support appropriate fishery strategies, particularly in Aotearoa New Zealand, where S. lalandi lalandi is a culturally significant taonga species for M¯aori.

Urbanisation reshapes habitat structure, resource availability, and movement pathways for many wildlife species, often creating novel selective pressures and management challenges. The Australian white ibis ( Threskiornis molucca) has rapidly expanded from its historic range into eastern Australian cities, causing some conflicts with people, yet the genetic and demographic processes underpinning this shift remain poorly understood. We used SNP‑based genomic data from 184 individuals sampled across 15 colonies in the Moreton Bay region of Southeast Queensland to investigate population structure, genetic diversity, inbreeding, dispersal, and landscape resistance. Genetic diversity was moderate across sites (He 0.134–0.166; Ho 0.084–0.145), and pairwise FST values were uniformly low (<0.14), consistent with widespread gene flow, though two colonies exhibited elevated inbreeding (F IS = up to 0.28), suggesting local dispersal constraints. Kinship analyses confirmed both within- and cross-colony sibling and parental relatedness, providing direct evidence of recent interbreeding and movement. We found a balanced sex ratio and no evidence of sex-biased dispersal. Landscape resistance models revealed that genetic differentiation was only weakly associated with habitat variables, a striking contrast to many urban adaptation studies where anthropogenic features typically fragment populations. This suggests that urban development may paradoxically facilitate connectivity for this species by creating a network of resource-rich foraging and breeding sites that promote movement. Together, these results demonstrate that ibis in this region form a single, interconnected population with high gene flow and demographic resilience, rather than a classic metapopulation. Management seeking to minimise human-ibis conflict therefore requires coordinated, landscape-scale strategies addressing resource availability and inter-site movement, rather than colony-specific approaches alone.

Larval mode is long held as a key determinant of dispersal capacity, geographic range and geologic persistence in benthic marine invertebrates. In gastropods, multispiral protoconchs are associated with prolonged planktotrophic dispersal and broad distributions, whereas paucispiral protoconchs indicate lecithotrophic or direct development and are typically linked to restricted ranges. Here, I report a striking exception in the carrier snail Xenophora conchyliophora, a species distributed across tropical Western Atlantic. Direct examination of rare, well-preserved material reveals a consistently paucispiral protoconch of approximately 1¾–2 whorls. Molecular analysis supports X. conchyliophora as a cohesive species across its range. Despite its inferred low dispersal potential, X. conchyliophora occupies a wide range essentially identical to other planktotrophic xenophores, with a range spanning ~8300 km. This paradox highlights a decoupling between protoconch morphology and realized distribution and suggests that factors such as habitat selection may play a stronger role in shaping species ranges than larval mode alone.

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reprint, amsmath,amssymb, aps, ]revtex4-2 We report a female Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) exhibiting a rare “sandalwood” colour morph from a camera-trap survey conducted in southern India between December 2025 and January 2026. Among five individuals identified in the study area, this individual was recorded on nine occasions across six camera-trap locations. Across a long-term dataset comprising 926 individually identified leopards from 148,853 camera-trap days collected over 14 years of surveys across Karnataka, this represents the only record of this phenotype. The individual displayed a distinctive combination of traits, including lighter pelage, pale brown rosettes, and reduced pigmentation in exposed skin. Although these features are clearly distinguishable from the typical phenotype, the underlying genetic basis remains unknown and would require molecular analysis from non-invasive samples. In the absence of such evidence, we conservatively classify this individual as a rare colour morph. As the first documented record of this phenotype from Karnataka, we propose the term “Sandalwood leopard” as a regionally contextualized descriptor reflecting the state’s natural and cultural heritage.

Objective: Increased pelvic floor muscle tone (IPFMt) is associated with somatic symptoms, in different domains, such as sexual dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, defecation problems, pelvic pain and pelvic organ prolapse. This study aims to ascertain the prevalence of symptoms indicating IPFMt in adolescent women. Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Online spread questionnaire throughout the Netherlands. Population: Women between 18 and 25 years. Methods: This study included Dutch women aged between 18 and 25 years, who had no history of gynecological, urological, gastrointestinal conditions or pregnancy. Participants were recruited through social media and completed the questionnaire ”Amsterdam Hyperactive Pelvic Floor Scale for Women (AHPFS-W)” online. The AHPFS-W distinguishes six different domains of symptoms (max score 30). Main outcome measures: Clinical AHPFS-W cut-off score: no IPFMt (6.00-10.99), mild IPFMt (11.00-12.99), and moderate to severe IPFMt (13.00-30.00). Results: A total of 1,121 eligible women participated in this study, of whom 485 (43.3%) had no indication of IPFMt, and 299 (26.7%) respectively 337 (30.1%) had a mild indication or moderate to severe indication of IPFMt. The highest AHPFS-W score was achieved in the ”Irritable Bowel Symptoms” domain. Conclusions: Among Dutch women aged 18 to 25 years, almost one third reported moderate to severe complaints on the questionnaire, indicating IPFMt. These findings suggest a high prevalence of symptoms that might be associated with IPFMt among adolescent women, thus stressing the need for awareness and further research to IPFMt in this age group.

reprint, amsmath,amssymb, aps, ]revtex4-2 Background: Preterm birth leads to significant neonatal morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are no universal guidance for the ideal method of delivery when managing preterm births. Objective: To determine whether mode of delivery is associated with adverse outcomes in extremely (<28 weeks), very (29–32 weeks) and moderate to late (33-37 weeks) preterm birth. Search strategy and selection criteria: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, including all singleton pregnancies up to 37 weeks. Studies from 2000 to 2025 were included. Data on the most common adverse neonatal outcomes were extracted. Data collection and analysis: 31 studies were included in the meta-analysis, which was conducted using random effects models. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for qualitative assessment. Results: Mode of delivery was not associated with neonatal mortality at any gestation irrespective of presentation. However, in women with a breech presentation less than 28 weeks, caesarean was associated with a reduction in mortality (OR, 0.30 [95%CI:0.25-0.37]) compared to vaginal delivery. Caesarean delivery below 28 weeks was associated with lower intracranial haemorrhage and higher bronchopulmonary dysplasia rates compared with vaginal delivery (OR, 0.76 [95%CI: 0.59-0.97]) and (OR, 1.56 [95%CI: 1.01-2.39]) respectively. There was an increase in respiratory distress syndrome above 32 weeks in caesarean compared to vaginal delivery (OR, 1.97[95%CI: 1.00-3.88]). Conclusion: There is no indication to undertake caesarean to reduce neonatal mortality in preterm deliveries other than from those with a breech presentation less than 28 weeks. This has important implications for clinical practice.

Understanding the ecological drivers of abundance is essential for assessing how environmental changes affect distributions. Gaining deeper insights into these drivers can also help explain global biodiversity patterns. Birds offer an exceptional opportunity to explore these patterns given their extensive spatial data coverage. In this study we used abundance data for 2,182 bird species to identify main drivers of intraspecific variation in abundance. We explored the relative impact of macroclimatic, biotic and anthropogenic drivers and distance to range centroid. We then applied phylogenetic comparative analyses to assess how morphological, geographical and ecological traits mediate species' responses to these drivers. We found that macroclimatic drivers were the most important predictors of abundance. We further found support for the abundant centre hypothesis. Trait analyses reveal that range size, hand-wing index and migratory behaviour are good predictors of how species respond to various environmental gradients. Our findings highlight a prominent role of the climate in explaining relative abundances of birds, but also that species traits can explain part of the complexity of abundance distributions. To this end, our results can help better predict how different species might respond to ongoing environmental changes.

Whether invasive species retain ancestral climatic niches or undergo niche shifts remains a central question in invasion ecology, directly affecting the reliability of risk predictions based solely on native-range data. We integrated ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) with the Centroid Shift, Overlap, Unfilling, and Expansion (COUE) framework and multivariate environmental similarity surface (MESS) analysis to quantify global invasion risk and climatic niche dynamics of Solanum rostratum across four major invaded regions: China, Australia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. The species exhibits a heat-dominated yet precipitation-constrained niche. Annual mean temperature and extreme heat were the principal limiting factors, whereas excessive precipitation imposed an upper threshold on habitat suitability. Cross-regional comparisons revealed a continuum of niche dynamics rather than a uniform invasion strategy, shaped by invasion history, environmental availability, and adaptive processes. Australian populations showed near-complete niche conservatism (Stability = 0.98), indicating long-term persistence within historical introduction limits. European populations displayed pronounced niche unfilling (Western Europe: Unfilling = 0.69), likely reflecting dispersal constraints and environmental heterogeneity. In contrast, Chinese populations exhibited substantial niche expansion (Expansion = 0.48), suggesting adaptive shifts into colder and drier climates beyond native conditions. These findings demonstrate that ignoring niche dynamics leads to systematic underestimation of invasion risk. We propose a region-specific assessment framework that explicitly incorporates dynamic niche processes, thereby improving predictive accuracy and informing precision management of invasive plants under ongoing global change.

Species distribution models often assume that present distributions are in equilibrium with current environmental conditions. However, in low-dispersal amphibians, present occurrence may also reflect long-term topographic and hydrological stability, as well as historical constraints on dispersal and persistence. This study examined whether the distribution of Hynobius quelpaertensis on Jeju Island is associated more strongly with a historical template than with contemporary local environmental conditions. Using 85 spatially thinned occurrence points and 10,000 background points, we compared historical template variables with contemporary local-filter variables derived from Google Earth Engine. Broad-scale distributions were analyzed using weighted elastic-net models, while local filtering effects were evaluated via a generalized additive model (GAM) with historical suitability as an offset. Candidate empty niche space was identified from the combination of historical and contemporary suitability. The historical model consistently outperformed the contemporary model in broad-scale discrimination (ROC AUC = 0.931816; PR AUC = 0.149136; Boyce index = 1.000000; Tjur’s R² = 0.477017). Although the combined model improved some probability metrics, it did not exceed the historical model’s discriminatory power. The local GAM greatly reduced residual spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I = 0.001814) while primarily refining occurrence patterns within the historical core. Most observed occurrences were concentrated in areas with both high historical and high contemporary suitability. These results suggest that the distribution of H. quelpaertensis is associated primarily with a historical template, whereas contemporary microenvironmental conditions mainly act as secondary local filters.

Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) has impacted over twenty sea star species along the Northeast Pacific Coast, with some seemingly more susceptible than others. The once common sunflower sea star, Pycnopodia helianthoides, has been driven to endangerment. Observations from natural SSWD outbreaks have indicated higher mortality rates in adults than juveniles, suggesting that susceptibility may be age-dependent. The hypothesis of age-related differences in immunity was assessed by challenging both juvenile and adult P. helianthoides in controlled laboratory exposures to SSWD. Using a transcriptomic approach, we compared the immune response of adult and juvenile P. helianthoides exposed to SSWD in two independent disease challenge trials. In both trials, all disease-exposed sea stars showed disease signs consistent with SSWD with no observable differences in outcome across age class, although age-driven differentially expressed genes were identified, related to development, signaling, differentiation, and stress and metabolism regulation. Transcriptomic sequencing datasets showed a majority of differentially expressed genes were shared across the two experiments, suggesting a core response to SSWD that did not differ between age classes in the second trial. Functional annotation identified a core immune response to bacterial pathogens.

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Peatlands provide critical ecosystem services, including carbon storage, water regulation, and climate mitigation, yet spatial information on their ecological condition remains limited despite widespread degradation that is expected to intensify under ongoing climate change. Here, we assess whether vegetation dynamics associated with peatland degradation can be detected using high-resolution spectral data and linked to underlying biogeochemical processes. We present an integrated approach combining PlanetScope multispectral imagery with soil biogeochemical indicators to distinguish pristine from drained peatlands across climatic zones in Europe. Vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, gNDVI, Greenness Index, and albedo) were derived to characterize vegetation properties, while soil biogeochemistry was assessed using elemental carbon and nitrogen contents and molecular composition determined by pyrolysis–GC/MS. Our results show that spectral indices effectively differentiate peatland conditions, with NDVI and Greenness Index consistently higher in drained areas, reflecting increased vascular plant productivity. EVI and albedo further distinguish between open and sparsely treed systems. The strongest spectral contrasts occurred during the early growing season, highlighting the importance of seasonal timing for remote sensing assessments. Biogeochemical analyses support these patterns, showing increased nitrogen content, reduced C/N ratios, and enhanced microbial decomposition under drainage. Our results reveal a strong link between the stoichiometric and molecular composition of peat soils and spectral indices, demonstrating that spectral indicators can serve as rapid and reliable proxies for peatland condition across diverse vegetation types and climatic settings. This integrative approach enables large-scale monitoring and supports restoration efforts under ongoing environmental change.

Understanding how interfacial chemistry influences the nanoscale electronic properties of absorber layers is critical for optimizing the performance of the emerging Sb2S3 solar cells. In this work, we employ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and surface photovoltage (SPV) to reveal the local surface potential, grain-boundary band bending and interfacial potential step in hydrothermally grown Sb2S3 deposited on CdS buffer layers prepared with and without NH4Cl. Complementary SEM and AFM reveal morphology changes, while Raman spectroscopy, cross-sectional KPFM and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) are used to probe the electronic structure and the buried CdS/Sb2S3 interface. Sb2S3 grown on CdS:NH4Cl exhibits a stronger SPV response and a larger interfacial potential step than Sb2S3 deposited on untreated CdS, indicating more efficient photoinduced charge separation. UPS analysis indicates a reduction in the cliff-like conduction band offset at the CdS/Sb2S3 interface upon NH4Cl treatment. KPFM analysis also reveals substrate-dependent grain-boundary band bending under illumination, highlighting how local potential changes are modified by CdS surface chemistry. Consistent with these nanoscale observations, solar cells fabricated on CdS:NH4Cl show improved fill factor, thereby increasing the maximum power conversion efficiency from 4.75% to 4.92%. These results demonstrate that NH4Cl treatment of CdS alters the nanoscale electronic properties of the Sb2S3 absorber and its buried interface, thereby improving device performance.

Objective: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Erianin has demonstrated broad-spectrum antitumor activity, yet its role in CCA and tumor immunity remains unclear. Methods: The cytotoxic and growth-inhibitory effects of erianin were evaluated in CCA cell lines and xenograft models. Apoptosis induction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and suppression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling were examined. The effects of erianin on cellular senescence, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factor secretion, and senescent cell clearance were assessed. Pharmacological FAK inhibition was applied to validate the FAK-mediated cell growth and senolytic activity of erianin. The therapeutic efficacy of erianin alone or combined with anti-PD-L1 therapy was evaluated in senescent tumor-bearing mice. Results: Erianin exhibited significant cytotoxicity and induced mitochondrial apoptosis in CCA cells. Rather than inducing senescence, erianin eliminated senescent cells by promoting apoptosis and reduced SASP factor secretion. Erianin effectively inhibited FAK phosphorylation, and FAK blockade further enhanced its antiproliferative and senolytic activity. Moreover, erianin reprogrammed senescence-induced macrophage polarization from an M2- to an M1-like phenotype and increased antitumor immune cell infiltration within the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, erianin synergized with anti-PD-L1 therapy to achieve superior tumor control and prolonged survival in vivo. Conclusions: Erianin exerts potent antitumor effects in CCA by inhibiting FAK-mediated cell growth and senolytic activity, thereby enhancing antitumor immunity and immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy. These findings identify erianin as a promising senolytic and immunotherapy adjuvant for CCA.