Predation by pine martens (Martes martes) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) is an important factor influencing the population dynamics of capercaillie grouse (Tetrao urogallus). However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the relative effects of these mesopredators on the reproductive success of capercaillie. To better understand how various landscape factors influence nest predation by pine martens and red foxes, we monitored capercaillie nests in Norway between 2009 and 2014 using camera trap. We classified the fate of 156 nests and employed a cause-specific hazard model to evaluate the competing risks of capercaillie nest predation, while accounting for landscape covariates such as distance from nest to forest-clearcut edges, proximity to roads, and agricultural land density. We found that predation by pine martens and red foxes was the predominant hazard to capercaillie nests, with similar daily predation rates observed for both mesopredators. Nest predation by pine martens decreased with increasing agricultural land density and tended to increase along gradients from clearcuts to forest interiors. Moreover, pine marten predation tended to decrease with increasing distance from roads. Nest predation by red foxes increased with distance from roads, but only in areas characterized by high density of agricultural land. Red fox predation was not associated with distance to forest-clearcut edges or to agricultural land density. Our findings show that landscape factors differentially influence pine marten and red fox predation on capercaillie nests and highlight the importance of considering predator-specific effects while managing populations of game birds and their predators.

Land degradation due to unsustainable land use is of major concern worldwide and recovery is often slow. A potential mechanism behind slow recovery of degraded ecosystems is the retarding impacts of allelopathic plant species on the establishment of species that might facilitate the recovery process. However, the strength of the retarding impact may depend on soil type. In this study, we investigated the potential role of an abundant, evergreen and allelopathic dwarf shrub, Empetrum nigrum, in trapping tundra ecosystems in a degraded state in Iceland after centuries of unsustainable land use. We first run a series of bioassays to assess the potential allelopathic legacy effects of the Empetrum-associated volcanic soils (Andosol and Vitrosol) on seed germination and root elongation of the common grass species Festuca richardsonii in comparison with non-volcanic Histosol and Podzol soil types. Then we assessed the Empetrum leaf-soil interactions for all soil types using leaves from a degraded site in Iceland. We found no potential allelopathic legacy effects of Empetrum associated volcanic soils, whereas the non-volcanic soils negatively impacted Festuca root elongation. Empetrum leaves alone affected both seed germination and root elongation. These effects were strongly alleviated by the volcanic soils, but not by the non-volcanic soils. We conclude that abundant allelopathic plant species may significantly contribute to trapping tundra ecosystems in a degraded state, but the strength of this trapping mechanism depends on the soil environment .

Plant invasion significantly disrupts plant community structure and ecosystem functioning, especially the stability of net primary productivity (NPP). However, evidence for invasion effects on the community- and ecosystem-level stability of NPP, and whether the effects are consistent belowground and aboveground, is scarce. Here, we investigated the responses of the stability of both aboveground and belowground NPP (ANPP and BNPP) to invasion of the parasitic plant Pedicularis kansuensis, based on a two-year manipulative experiment in an alpine grassland in northwest China. Invasion decreased ANPP resistance while increasing its recovery, and conversely increased BNPP resistance but decreased its recovery. Notably, the asymmetric responses of ANPP and BNPP to invasion underscored the complexity of grassland ecosystems and highlighted the critical role of belowground processes in maintaining ecosystem recovery. Species asynchrony and richness were key factors for ANPP stability, whereas BNPP stability was more directly influenced by invasive species, contributing more significantly to overall NPP stability. Our findings provide crucial evidence that stability of aboveground and belowground components responds asymmetrically to invasion, emphasizing the need for comprehensive assessments of both dimensions in ecosystem studies. The insights gained underline the importance of belowground stability for sustaining ecosystem recovery and offer guidance for ecological management and conservation strategies.

An increasing number of genomic studies are showing that genetic introgression between closely related species is surprisingly common across the tree of life, thus making the description of biodiversity and understanding the process of speciation complex and challenging. The adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes in Lake Malawi, with hybrid origins and recent cases of introgression, provides an important model system to study the evolutionary implications of introgression. However, many potential sources of introgression into the radiation have not yet been investigated. Here we use whole genome data from 239 cichlid species from Lake Malawi and a comprehensive dataset of 76 species from surrounding African river and lake systems to discover and map previously unknown introgression events involving the Malawi cichlid radiation. Using genome-wide excess allele sharing (ABBA BABA statistics) and window-based analyses, we found that three independent riverine cichlid lineages are significantly closer to the Malawi radiation than to its sister group, suggesting historical genetic exchange between these lineages and the Malawi radiation. Across Malawi species, we found low variability in the levels of excess allele sharing with non-Malawi species, suggesting that introgressed haplotypes are distributed relatively uniformly across the radiation and that most hybrid-derived polymorphism was acquired and sorted before the formation of the contemporary Malawi cichlid radiation. Our results point towards several previously unknown contributors to the Malawi hybrid swarm, suggesting that the history of one of the largest vertebrate radiations was even more complex than previously thought.

This study investigates the capability of FAST.Farm, a mid-fidelity wind farm simulation tool employing the dynamic wake meandering approach, to accurately predict loads on wind turbines in a small wind farm. The wind farm consists of three 1:150 scale models of the DTU 10 MW wind turbine tested in a wind tunnel under scenarios including steady-state operation, wake steering, and dynamic wake actuation. The results demonstrate that FAST.Farm, once calibrated with experimental data, effectively predicts the thrust force and yaw moment of wind turbines across diverse wake conditions. Notably, the Curl wake model—designed to replicate the kidney-shaped wake deficit—has better accuracy in capturing yaw moments of downstream turbines under yaw misalignment. However, its tendency to overestimate wake expansion reduces accuracy in non-skewed inflow scenarios compared to the Polar model. The study highlights the necessity of optimizing FAST.Farm dynamic wake meandering parameters to enhance its precision, particularly by accounting for turbine spacing and wake interactions. Furthermore, it is crucial to improve the accuracy of aerodynamic load calculations under skewed inflow conditions. These findings provide a validated framework for advancing wind farm simulation tools and optimizing wind turbine performance in complex operational conditions.

A document by zaid khamis. Click on the document to view its contents.

Case report

Background: Influenza presents a significant global health challenge, with seasonal epidemics causing 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths annually. In Bhutan, the highest rates of influenza-associated hospitalizations were observed among children under 5 years of age emphasizing the need for robust surveillance and preparedness. Objective: This study aims to assess influenza severity in Bhutan using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Pandemic Influenza Severity Assessment (PISA) framework. By integrating syndromic and influenza-specific data, we establish national-level baseline and threshold values for influenza activity. Methods: The WHO Average Curve Method was employed to establish seasonal and intensity thresholds, categorizing influenza severity based on historical data from 2016-2019 and 2023. Results: Analysis of influenza activity revealed near-continuous activity with two annual peaks. Thresholds for epidemic, moderate, high, and extraordinary levels of transmissibility and morbidity were determined. The 2019 season exhibited the highest transmissibility and morbidity, with significant variability in intensity across different seasons. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the PISA framework in assessing influenza severity in Bhutan. The established thresholds provide a valuable tool for public health decision-making, enhancing the country’s preparedness for both seasonal and pandemic influenza. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining and adapting surveillance systems to monitor influenza activity year-round.

For decades managers have sought to mitigate the effects of fragmentation on wildlife. In aquatic ecosystems, fragmentation strongly affects headwater streams due to the architecture of riverine networks and the abundance of road crossing culverts. Standardized road crossing assessments offer an alternative to historical methods in facilitating the identification and prioritization of barriers for restoration. However, the ecological relevance of these assessments are seldom empirically investigated, and most assessments assume homogenous environmental and biotic conditions observed during snapshot surveys. Our goal was to assess both the efficacy and assumptions of the widely adopted Southeastern Resource Aquatic Partnership’s (SARP AOP) Road Crossing Assessment for predicting fish passage. We used model selection of generalized linear mixed models to compare SARP AOP scores to observed movement calculated through mark-recapture. We also compared the SARP AOP score with a modified version of the score that included alterations to better reflect local environmental conditions. Although limited in scope, our results suggest an overall lack of support for the efficacy of the SARP AOP score in predicting fish passage and only marginal improvements under the modified score. This study is an important first step in our ability to modify standardized score calculations to increase efficacy without additional surveys. Regardless of the scoring framework efficacy, standardized road crossing surveys remain highly useful in collecting information related to potentially harmful structures (i.e., failing infrastructure). Future studies should further explore how to improve the efficacy of these assessments, which represent a promising tool to facilitate efficient and effective restoration.

Vocalization is an important feature in anuran identification that could vary among individuals and populations. We present an investigation of multiple-level variation on advertisement calls of Microhyla fissipes from nine populations across Hainan Island and further test the differences between the two geographical groups that were divided by morphological features in a previous study. We found that dominant frequency is the most static call parameter at the individual-level. Four of six call parameters show significant differences between groups and could be useful for identification among groups. The southwest (SW) group from Hainan Island represents the highest dominant frequency among all reported advertisement calls in the literature implying a need for re-evaluation of its taxonomy position.

Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), a vital medicinal plant, faces significant losses due to fungal diseases such as root rot, wilt, and leaf spot caused by Fusarium annulatum and Alternaria alstroemeriae. To manage these pathogens, metabolites of Cordyceps militaris were extracted following methods from Vinale et al. (2006) and others, with modifications. These metabolites were tested for antifungal efficacy using the poison food technique. Results showed the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against F. annulatum and A. alstroemeriae were 15 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL, respectively, with cidal effects observed at 20 mg/mL and 30 mg/mL. In-silico investigations revealed that Cordycepin, a metabolite, exhibited strong binding affinity to the fungal chitin synthetase protein. These findings suggest that C. militaris metabolites could serve as a potential alternative to synthetic fungicides, pending further research.

We report a case with multiple lineage switches, a rare event that mostly occurred in infants, in a ten-year-old girl with KMT2A-AFF1 positive ALL. Although she received standard chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the leukemic clone continuously switched on AML or ALL, maintaining immunoglobulin/T-cell receptor (IG/TR) rearrangements and showing a high grade of therapy-escaping. Since other genes are involved in this event, considering the selective pressure imposed by the applied treatment, it is mandatory to characterize the cell-of-origin that is capable to proliferate towards both lineages in the attempt to design a targeted therapy.

IntroductionAmeloblastic fibroma (AF) is a rare, benign odontogenic tumor, accounting for approximately 1.5% to 4.5% of all odontogenic tumors. It was first described by Krause in 1891, but it was later recognized as a distinct entity by Thoma and Goldman in 1946.1 It is more commonly seen in children and adolescents, especially within the first two decades of life. There is a slight predilection for males,2 and the posterior mandible is the most frequent site of involvement. It is often associated with impacted or unerupted teeth.3Clinically, AF typically presents as a slow-growing, painless swelling, which may remain undetected until incidental discovery during routine radiographic examination. Radiographically, it often appears as a well-defined, unilocular or multilocular radiolucent lesion often with sclerotic radiopaque borders.1 Although considered benign, AF has the potential for recurrence and, in rare instances, malignant transformation into ameloblastic fibrosarcoma, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate management.Histopathologically, ameloblastic fibroma consists of both epithelial and connective tissue components. The epithelial component shows proliferating islands, cords, and strands of odontogenic epithelium with a peripheral layer of cuboidal or columnar cells and a central area resembling the stellate reticulum. The connective tissue component, resembling dental papilla, contains spindle and angular cells within a myxomatous stroma of delicate collagen. 2,3 Treatment options typically involve enucleation and curettage, surgical excision, partial resection and reconstruction. This case report discusses a rare presentation of ameloblastic fibroma in an 8-year-old female child, who presented with a painless swelling in the right posterior region of the mandible, which was histologically characterized by dentinoid formation.

Aim: In 2016, the Access and Waiting Time Standard (AWTS) was introduced in England, UK, outlining that people with first-episode psychosis should receive treatment from an early intervention for psychosis (EIP) service within two weeks. We examined sociodemographic, pathways to care (PtC), and clinical factors associated with EIP service wait time. Method: We collected de-identified data from a large mental health provider in South London, UK. We included patients referred and accepted to EIP services as inpatient or community contacts between 1st May 2016 and 30th April 2019, providing 3 years of data from the introduction of AWTS. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression were performed. Results: A total of 1806 patients were identified with a mean age of 30 (SD:10.7) years, of whom 86.3% (n=1559) accessed community EIP and 13.7% (n=247) accessed inpatient EIP; of these, 26.7% were not seen within 2 weeks. Community EIP patients waited longer adj.β =2.21 days (95% CI: 2.05 – 2.37) compared with inpatient EIP patients, and being older was associated with longer wait time. Conversely, a shorter wait time was associated with A&E [adj.β = -0.22 days (95% CI: -0.36, -0.10)] and ‘other’ [adj.β = -0.21 days (95% CI: -0.36, -0.03)] PtC. White non-British and South Asian patients had shorter wait times compared with White British patients; however, this difference diminished after adjusting for PtC and clinical factors. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that individual factors, PtC, and mode of contact influence wait time for EIP services. More than a quarter of patients were not seen within 2 weeks, indicating that targeted support in community EIP services is needed to meet clinical guidelines.

This paper proposes a novel nonlinear H∞ control strategy for the suspended transport system of dual quadrotor UAVs, aimed at achieving precise trajectory tracking under unknown disturbance. First, based on the Euler-Lagrange method, a non-redundant model of the dual quadrotor UAVs’ suspended transport system is established. Then, a hierarchical control structure is designed. For the outer loop subsystem, a new nonlinear H∞ control strategy is proposed, where the integration effect of the all DOF is considered in the state space, and a nonlinear H∞ controller is designed in the weighted Sobolev space. The stability of the closed-loop system is then proved through the Lyapunov theorem. For the inner loop subsystem, Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) is employed. Finally, comparative simulation results highlight that the proposed controller outperforms existing methods in terms of control performance and robustness.

Co-developed conservation programs for Species At-Risk, created in partnership between Indigenous Nations and non-Indigenous researchers, represent a vital shift toward effective species recovery strategies that are culturally respectful, and contribute to reconciliation within the natural sciences. By weaving together diverse knowledge systems and prioritizing Indigenous laws, knowledge values, and community priorities, these collaborations aim to restore species at-risk populations and prevent species extirpation—a task of increasing urgency amid the global biodiversity decline. As similar partnerships gain momentum across Canada, it is critical to reflect on approaches that honor Indigenous perspectives and actively avoid the historical harms associated with colonial research practices on Indigenous lands. This paper presents six key themes for meaningful collaboration, informed by experiences from Whitefish River First Nation, or Wiigwaaskingaa (Elder Arthur McGregor baa, 2000) in Northern Mnidoo Gamii (Georgian Bay), Ontario, Canada, where community members and researchers co-developed a mshiikenh (freshwater turtle) conservation initiative. We focus on the importance of co-developing project objectives, honouring community priorities, respecting data sovereignty, the journey of learning and unlearning, focusing on a community-guided trajectory, and promoting tangible outcomes. By highlighting specific examples from Whitefish River First Nation’s mshiikenh conservation project, we demonstrate the value of community-engaged research as a pathway forward for Species At-Risk conservation in Canada and beyond.

Kelp forests are susceptible to climate change as their sessile nature and low dispersal capacity hinders tracking of suitable conditions. The emergence of a wide array of approaches to increasing thermal tolerance seeks to change the outlook of biodiversity in a changing climate but lacks clear targets of impactful thermal resilience. Here, we utilize species distribution models (SDMs) to evaluate the potential of enhanced thermal tolerance to buffer the effects of climate change on cold-adapted kelp species: Saccharina latissima, Alaria esculenta, Laminaria hyperborea, and Laminaria digitata. For each species, we compared a baseline model - where the thermal niche remained unchanged - to models where the simulated maximum sea surface temperature tolerance was increased by 1-5°C. These models were projected into three climate change scenarios: sustainability (Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 1-1.9, Paris Agreement), regional rivalry (SSP3-7.0) and fossil-fuel development (SSP 5-8.5). Our SDMs demonstrate that an increase of 1-2°C in thermal tolerance could recover over 50% of predicted losses of suitable habitat for cold-adapted kelps. However, A. esculenta and L. digitata still faced persistent habitat reductions (up to 20%) under SSP1-1.9 and SSP3-7.0, even with a simulated 5°C increase in thermal tolerance. Furthermore, A. esculenta, a species of growing commercial interest, showed disproportionate habitat contraction across all climate change scenarios and simulated tolerance increases. Our findings highlight the need for a two-pronged approach to conserve cold-adapted kelp forests: stringent reductions in greenhouse gas emission reductions in line with the SSP1-1.9 scenario, and strategies to boost kelp thermal tolerance by at least 1-2°C. This dual approach is crucial to maintain 90% of the current suitable habitat of S. latissima and L. digitata, and 70% for A esculenta and L. hyperborea. Relying on mitigation or adaptation alone will likely be insufficient to maintain their historic range under projected climate change.

Lipoylation is a post-translational modification in which lipoic acid is attached to specific apoproteins of enzyme complexes, like E2 subunits of dehydrogenases or GcvH of the glycine cleavage system. A defining feature of organisms with a lipoyl-relay system is the presence of amidotransferase activity, which enables the transfer of lipoyl groups attached to intermediary proteins to the E2 subunits. In this study, we characterized the lipoate metabolism of Capsaspora owczarzaki and Plasmodium falciparum. Both organisms utilize amidotransferases in their lipoylation pathways, with the filasterian enzyme playing a key role in lipoate synthesis, while the apicomplexan counterpart, previously considered a lipoyltransferase, is essential in its lipoate salvage pathway. We also discovered that specific structural features and certain conserved domains in eukaryotic amidotransferases can significantly influence their mechanism of action and susceptibility to the lipoate analog bromooctanoate. Overall, this study highlights the metabolic strategies of C. owczarzaki and emphasizes the critical role of amidotransferases as ancestral enzymes in the evolution of lipoate metabolism, suggesting that the lipoyl relay may represent a universal pathway across diverse clades.