Purpose: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. To achieve better explorations of dopamine changes both centrally and peripherally, we employed uEXPLORER dynamic [11C]CFT PET/CT imaging combined with voxel-wise kinetic modeling. Methods: Eleven participants (five patients, PD and six healthy volunteers, HC) underwent 75-min dynamic scans were enrolled. Volumes of interest for four nigrostriatal nuclei (caudate, putamen, pallidum and substantial nigra) and three digestive organs (pancreas, stomach and duodenum) were delineated. Total-body parametric images of relative transporter rate constant (R1) and distribution volume ratio (DVR) using the simplified reference tissue model (SRTM2) were quantitatively generated by a linear regression with spatial-constraint algorithm. Standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) at early and late phase were calculated as the semi-quantitative substitutes. Results: Significant differences between the two groups were identified in DVR and SUVRLP of putamen (P < 0.05) and SUVREP of stomach (P < 0.01). For HC group, negative correlations of R1 were achieved between stomach and both putamen and substantial nigra (all P < 0.05); positive correlations of DVR were identified between pancreas and all four brain nuclei (all P < 0.05). Yet in PD group, correlations of R1 or DVR between the targeted digestive and brain areas were considerably diminished. Similar trends in correlations were also found in SUVR analysis. Conclusions: We introduced a pioneering approach using dynamic total-body [11C]CFT PET/CT imaging to investigate distinctive patterns of potential “brain-GI” interplays, which may provide new insights towards the understanding of PD.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important molecule in cellular physiology, serving various functions such as regulating blood pressure, protecting cells against oxidative stress, modulating cellular metabolism, and regulating cell survival and death. Another essential biomolecule is hypochlorous acid (HClO), which is produced by white blood cells to eliminate bacteria and viruses during infection. However, excessive production of ClO– can lead to tissue damage and contribute to many chronic diseases. Several fluorescent probes have been developed for the sensitive and selective detection of HS– and ClO–, but most of them are designed to target only one of these analytes. Here we report a sequential detection mode fluorescence probes P1-P3 that allow for the sensing of HS– and ClO–. The mixture of P and HS– constructs a specific sensing system for ClO–, leading to significant fluorescent quenching. Mechanism studies demonstrate that HS– substitutes the Cl atom in P, which leads to fluorescence enhancement. Furthermore, the addition of ClO– facilitates a ring-forming reaction, resulting in the formation of a thiofuran ring within the product (T) that quenches the fluorescence. Interestingly, P has a highly ordered steric packing and could self-assemble into a rice-spike-like structure. Upon the addition of HS–, the assemblies decompose into free molecules. After interaction with ClO–, these molecules further transform to T with strong assembled capacity, featuring a larger number of nanosheets. This study provides a novel mechanism for sensing HS– and ClO–, cell and living animal imaging further indicating the good application prospects of these probes in biosensing and bioimaging.

This study aims to investigate the effect of NaOH immersion time and concentration on the activation of carbon from Oil Palm Frond (OPF), specifically focusing on the surface morphology and characteristics as the electrodes to biobattery application. The method employed involves carbonization and activation with NaOH at various concentrations: 0.5 M, 1 M, 1.5 M, 2 M, and 2.5 M, along with different immersion times of 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 hours. Subsequently, the activated carbon is analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to observe its morphology, and the Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) method is utilized to determine the carbon surface area. Furthermore, a voltage test uses a multimeter to assess the electric potential properties. Another outcome of this study is developing a prototype bio-battery POWER. Activated carbon from oil palm frond (OPF) testing resulted in 1 M NaOH, giving the highest surface area of 336.493 m 2g -1, and immersion time at 30 hours gave the optimum result of 396,808 m 2g -1. At the same time, the biobattery electrical test voltage of 0,653 V at a concentration of 1 M and 0,902 V at 30 hours of immersion.

Open watersheds and their rivers play a pivotal role in biogeochemical cycles, forming crucial links between land and ocean ecosystems. This study utilized remotely sensed and reanalysis datasets to investigate the land-ocean Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) dynamics of 15 major watersheds: Mississippi, Nelson, St. Lawrence, Amazon, Parana, Congo, Zambezi, Niger, Orange, Ganges Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Huang He, Amur, Danube, and Murray Darling. It looked at the dynamics and vulnerabilities of major watersheds to identify the influences of land use and land management, moisture balance, and temperature on the patterns of how primary producers absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Intensive human interventions, particularly in agriculture-dominant watersheds like Mississippi, Ganges Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Huang He, and Murray Darling, were observed to substantially influence land productivity, with consequent cascading effects on adjoining ocean ecosystems. In contrast, the vast rainforests of Amazon and Congo illuminated their intrinsic vulnerability to moisture dynamics, accentuating potential threats under shifting climatic regimes. Watersheds like the Parana and Zambezi offered insights into ecosystem susceptibilities arising from temperature variations. As climatic anomalies continue to redefine land-ocean interactions, our study not only underscores the imperative for adaptive conservation strategies but also to study adjacent land and marine systems as intricately linked entities.

Our attentional orientation to a particular object or category is influenced by uncertainty. However, it is still unclear how different forms of uncertainty affect category-specific attentional orientation (CAO). In order to investigate the neural mechanisms of uncertainty on CAO in different dimensions, a task combined with associative learning task and visual search paradigm was employed in two event-related potential (ERP) experiments, and the target was defined by shape (Experiment 1) or color category (Experiment 2). As the uncertainty regarding background information, the expectation was manipulated by the validity between auditory cue and target’s location. As the uncertainty regarding immediate sensory information, the perceptual load was manipulated by the homogeneity of distractors. The results showed that in the shape dimension (Experiment 1), a larger N2pc was elicited by invalid cues relative to valid ones, indicating the role of expectation on CAO. In the color dimension (Experiment 2), the interaction between expectation and perceptual load for cue - elicited N2pc showed an integrated effect of two forms of uncertainty on CAO. The findings supported an account of feature-based activation of category and an integrated processing of two uncertainties on CAO with sufficient resources.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulates the autonomic nervous system by activating deeper brain areas via top-down pathway. However, effects on the nervous system are heterogeneous and may depend on the amount of current that penetrates the brain due to individual brain anatomical differences. Therefore, investigated the variable effects of tDCS on heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the functional state of the autonomic nervous system. Using three prefrontal tDCS protocols (1.5mA, 3mA and sham), we associated the simulated individual electric field (E-field) magnitude in brain regions of interest with the HRV effects. This was a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled and within-subject trial, in which participants received tDCS sessions separated by two weeks. The brain regions of interest were the dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex, insula and amygdala. Overall, 37 participants (mean age = 24.3 years, standard deviation = 4.8) were investigated, corresponding to a total of 111 tDCS sessions. The findings suggested that HRV, measured by Root Mean Squared of Successive Differences (RMSSD) and high-frequency HRV (HF-HRV), were significantly increased by the 3.0mA tDCS when compared to sham and 1.5mA. No difference was found between sham and 1.5mA. E-field analysis showed that all brain regions of interest were associated with the HRV outcomes. However, this significance was associated with the protocol intensity, rather than inter-individual anatomical variability. To conclude, our results suggest a dose-dependent effect of tDCS for HRV. Therefore, further research is warranted to investigate the optimal current dose to HRV.

Objective A blood pressure (BP) of 120-140/80-90 mmHg at <20 weeks’ gestation is associated with risks for preeclampsia. We aimed to explore the effect of maternal metabolic risk factors on the strength of the association between blood pressure thresholds based on 2017 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines and preeclampsia. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting The reproductive center is based in Shanghai, China. Population or Sample Data from 78,016 women enrolled between 2014 and 2019 from the medical record system of the center were used. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 78,016 participants. Preeclampsia prevalence was analyzed among women of four BP categories, stratified by maternal BMI and TG. Main outcome measures Incidence of preeclampsia Results Maternal BMI and TG showed a dose-response superimposed impact on the relationships between BPs and preeclampsia rates. Although heightened risks for preeclampsia were found in women with normal BMI (18.5-<25 kg/m2) and TG (<90th, 2.04 mM) women at a BP of 120-140 /80-90 mmHg, women with obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and (or) high TG (≥ 90th) showed higher rates of preeclampsia. The preeclampsia risk was the highest in women with obesity and high TG at a BP of 130-140/80-90 mmHg and over 140/90 mmHg, which was 6-fold, and 13-fold greater than normotensive women with normal BMI and TG respectively. Conclusion Obesity and (or) high TG tended to strengthen the association between BP over 130/80 mmHg and risk of preeclampsia.

In the search for compounds with nutritional and functional value, seeds from several Neltuma species were examined for lipid, protein and phenolic components. Lipid contents ranged between 9.3 - 12.5 g/100 g (seed DW), and showed MUFA and PUFA predominating largely. Lipids were also a good source of tocopherols (170 – 603 mg total tocopherols/kg). Proteins accounted for 14.7 - 35.5 g/100 g seed. Essential amino acids (EAA) comprised 26.1 – 40.2 % of the total AA content. Based on the EAA score, proteins from all the species analysed were deficient in leucine, isoleucine and valine, but could meet requirements for histidine, threonine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and lysine. The qualitative patterns of phenolic compounds were similar each other (predominance of flavonoids, particularly apigenin derivatives). Keeping in mind the examined chemical components, Neltuma seeds have potential value as a source of healthy macronutrients and bioactive compounds.

Objective: Based on the discovery and summary of adverse drug reactions of nucleotide analogues against herpes virus drugs, this study aims to analyze the situations of ADRs in the real world, put forward reasonable drug use recommendations, refine the rules of use, and formulate necessary alternative strategies to provide protection against herpes virus infection, and provide guidance and reference for the rational and individualized use of clinical drugs. Methods: All ADRs data of the drugs from the Q1 of 2004 to the Q4 of 2022 were obtained from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database. Duplicate reports, reports with uncertain information, and other reports containing abnormal information were excluded from the obtained data, and the data with more than 3 reports were selected. Apply the ROR, PRR and BCPNN in the disproportionality analysis for data mining . Results: All data from the Q1 of 2004 to the Q4 of 2022 were screened from the FAERS database. For ADEs with high frequency SOC level, we found that several important signals, including ADEs of ACV, GCV and VACV, simultaneously involved the following SOC systems: kidney and urinary system diseases, nervous system disease, skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases and mental diseases. Conclusion: Analysis of the FAERS database suggests that in addition to paying attention to efficacy, drug administration should be individualized according to the specific condition and potential risk of disease.

Intro: Evaluation of gustatory dysfunction is important in patients with subjective chemosensory dysfunction, especially for geriatrics. This study investigated the clinical characteristics associated with objective gustatory dysfunction in patients with chemosensory dysfunction. Methods: The Medical records of patients who visited the smell and taste center in a tertiary medical center were reviewed. Patients who underwent all the psychophysical olfactory and chemical gustatory function tests and the subjective questionnaire about chemosensory function were enrolled in this study. The clinical characteristics associated with the objective diagnosis of gustatory dysfunction were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 219 patients were enrolled; 180 were objectively diagnosed as having normal gustatory function, and 39 were objectively diagnosed as having gustatory dysfunction. Subjective recognition of gustatory function was not associated with objective gustatory function. Age, sex, objective olfactory function, and the threshold and discrimination scores for the olfactory function test were significant factors in the multivariate analysis. When the patients were further divided according to age, the threshold test scores rather than other subsets in the olfactory function test were significantly associated with objective gustatory dysfunction in patients 60 and older. Conclusion: In older adult male patients with olfactory dysfunction, gustatory function should be considered regardless of subjective gustatory dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of Regenerated Oxidised Cellulose (ROC) gauze (Surgicel) as a tissue sealant and adhesive, in addition to its hemostatic role, in the reconstruction of skull base defects following endoscopic endonasal Skull base surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery with skull base defect and intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, for which reconstruction was performed using fibrin glue or ROC or both as a sealant and adhesive. Demographic data, approach used, type of intraoperative CSF leak, type of repair performed, type of sealant and adhesive used, and postoperative CSF leak rates with different agents used were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 64 patients were investigated. Fibrin glue alone was used initially in six (9.4%) patients as a sealant/adhesive, of which four (66.6%) experienced postoperative CSF leak. Both fibrin glue and surgicel (ROC) were used in 26 (46.43%) patients, among which two (7.6%) exhibited postoperative CSF leak. Surgicel (ROC) alone was used as sealant/adhesive in 24 (42.86%) patients, wherein two (8.3%) presented with postoperative CSF leak. Fibrin glue alone was once again used later in the learning curve in eight (12.5%) patients, of which two (25%) experienced postoperative CSF leak (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: ROC is a useful adjunct in endoscopic endonasal reconstruction of skull base defects with both hemostatic and sealant/adhesive effects and can be used for holding the reconstruction in position until complete healing occurs. KEYWORDS: Surgicel, Regenerated oxidised cellulose, CSF leak, tissue sealant, tissue adhesive.

Chemical signals are crucial in mediating ecological and evolutionary adaptation of plants to their environments. Invasive plants can release distinct secondary metabolite mixtures in their new ranges, enhancing their mutualistic interactions and improving their performance, but genetic mechanisms of such adaptations are unexplored. We used Triadica sebifera plants to investigate evolutionary changes in chemical signals (flavonoids and strigolactones) that enhance arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal associations. We found plants from invasive populations produced higher concentrations of the flavonoid quercetin and the strigolactone 5-deoxystrigol, and had higher AM fungal colonization rates and biomass, relative to those from native populations. Also, applications of either chemical increased AM fungal colonization. Higher expression of genes in flavonoid (FLS) and strigolactone (CCD8) biosynthesis pathways that increased levels of quercetin and 5-deoxystrigol, respectively, were confirmed. These results provide insights into genetic mechanisms that contribute to higher AM fungal colonization and plant invasion success.

Besides cryptocurrencies, DLTs may be also exploited in enterprise systems operated by a consortium of organizations. Their interaction takes usually place on a permissioned blockchain network that holds a set of data to be queried frequently. In this scope, the main problem of DLTs is their unsuitability for a fast service of complex queries on those data. In order to solve this issue, many proposals dump the ledger contents onto databases that, because of their own goals and design, are already optimized for the execution of those queries. Unfortunately, many of those proposals assume that the data to be queried consist in only a block or (cryptocurrency-related) transaction history. However, those organization consortiums commonly store other structured business-related information in the DLT, and there is an evident lack of support for querying that other kind of structured data. To remedy those problems, DELTA synchronizes, with minimal overhead, the DLT state into a database, providing: (1) a modular architecture with event-based handling of DLT updates that supports different DLTs and databases, (2) a transparent management, since DLT end users do not need to learn or use any new API in order to handle that synchronization (i.e., those users still rely on the original interface provided by their chosen DLT), (3) the efficient execution of complex queries on those structured data. Thus, DELTA reduces query times up to five orders of magnitude, depending on the DLT and the database, compared to queries directed to the ledger nodes.

This paper presents Deeper, a design for a decentralized exchange that enhances liquidity via reserve sharing. By doing this, it addresses the problem of shallow liquidity in low trading volume token pairs. Shallow liquidity impairs the functioning of on-chain markets by creating room for unwanted phenomena such as high slippage and sandwich attacks. Deeper solves this by allowing liquidity providers of multiple trading pairs against a common token to share liquidity. This is achieved by creating a common reserve pool for the shared token that is accessible by each trading pair. Independent from the shared liquidity, providers are free to add liquidity to individual token pairs without any restriction. The trading between one token pair does not affect the price of other token pairs even though the reserve of the shared token changes. The proposed design is an extension of concentrated liquidity automated market maker DEXs that is simple enough to be implemented on smart contracts. This is demonstrated by providing a template for a hook-based smart contract that adds our custom functionality to Uniswap V4. Experiments on historical prices show that for a batch consisting of 8 trading pairs, Deeper enhances liquidity by over 2.6–5.9×. The enhancement in liquidity can be increased further by increasing the participating tokens in the shared pool. While providing shared liquidity, Liquidity Providers should be cautious of certain risks and pitfalls, which are described. Overall, Deeper enables the creation of fair markets for low trading volume token pairs.

Whether individuals migrate or not is rapidly shifting in many populations. Exactly how and why environmental change alters migration propensity is not well understood. We conducted a systematic literature review to gain insights into the mechanisms that affect the propensity to migrate. Motivated by findings from our literature review, we constructed density-dependent structured population models to explore the coexistence of migrants and non-migrants, when they coexist, and when they do not. We find that carrying capacity in a seasonal environment determines the dominant type in the population. Partial migration can be maintained, or not, depending on where in the life cycle density-dependent operates. Bet-hedging also promotes partial migration. Our study disentangles density-dependence and density-independence in seasonal environments, providing insights into the coexistence of polymorphism, potentially explaining the rapid change in migration strategy observed.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first appeared in Wuhan, China in 2019. Soon after, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The health crisis imposed by a new virus and its rapid spread worldwide prompted the fast development of vaccines. For the first time in human history, two vaccines based on recombinant genetic material technology were approved for human use. These mRNA vaccines were applied in massive immunization programs around the world, followed by other vaccines based on more traditional approaches. Even though all vaccines were tested in clinical trials prior to their general administration, serious adverse events, usually of very low incidence, were mostly identified after application of millions of doses. Probing a direct correlation (the cause-effect paradigm) between vaccination and the appearance of adverse effects has proven challenging. This review focuses on anaphylaxis, myocarditis, vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, Guillain-Barré syndrome and transverse myelitis reported in the context of COVID-19 vaccination. We highlight their symptoms and laboratory tests required for an adequate diagnosis, and briefly outline the recommended treatments. The aim of the present work is to increase awareness among healthcare personal about these serious adverse events that may arise post-vaccination. Regardless of the ongoing discussion about the safety of COVID-19 vaccination, these adverse effects must be identified promptly and treated effectively to reduce the risk of complications.

Approximately 9.3% of people worldwide have diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic illness that affects countless individuals and has a significant financial impact on national public health budgets. Defects in insulin action, secretion, or both might trigger it. A hormone referred to as insulin aids in regulating metabolism and blood glucose levels. About 6 million diabetics require insulin injection to keep their blood sugar levels stable. The glucose-insulin system is modeled in this paper as a nonlinear system with input and state delays. For the glucose-insulin system, we first provide a control law to reach global asymptotic stability with a delay in its states. The concept is then expanded to include an insulin-glucose system with input and state delays. To control blood glucose and insulin levels, our strategy makes use of the Lyapunov-Krasovskii theorem and the backstepping technique. Simulating a closed-loop system has been used to validate the proposed control law. The presented approach successfully creates global asymptotic stability for the glucose-insulin system, according to simulation data.

Metamorphosis is the vital biological and morphologic process in sea urchins with planktonic larval stage. With complex physiological and biochemical mechanisms demanded during metamorphosis, high mortality is always a problem in the purple sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina. In our study, the transcriptome of the entire individual was assembled de novo and compared between eight-arm larva (LA) and post-larva (PL) of H. crassispina, aimed to explore the differential regulators associated with metamorphosis. Differential expression genes (DEGs) analysis demonstrated 29,542 DEGs in two groups, with 22,507 significant up-regulated genes and 7,035 significant down-regulated genes, respectively. These DEGs may make a difference to cellular components, molecular functions, and biological processes correlated with metamorphosis. Afterward, with the threshold among depths of SNPs, qualities of SNPs, Bonferroni Correction for p-value, and minor allele frequency (MAF) values, 157 potential positive SNPs associated with metamorphosis were screened from a total of 672,329 SNPs in this RNA-seq. Among them, 8 candidate SNPs were screened and genotyped accurately on SNP loci of 264 PL individuals and 288 LA individuals via Genotyping-in-thousands by sequencing technology (GT-seq), respectively. Subsequent correlation analysis indicated that three SNPs might be closely associated with the threshold trait that metamorphoses rapidly or slowly. More importantly, these data suggest that sea urchin H. crassispina could exhibit a biochemical-level and genetic-level adaptive strategy when facing selection pressure. This study lays a solid foundation for further exploring the molecular mechanism of metamorphosis in purple sea urchin H. crassispina and then provides basic data and reasonable methods to screen and revalidate SNPs for metamorphic traits of purple sea urchin H. crassispina.

The increasing incidence of severe adenovirus cases underscores the imperative for efficacious anti-adenovirus medications, given the current absence of targeted therapeutic options. This study explores the potential antiviral effects of the natural product Resveratrol (RSV) on various cell lines, marking the first-time discovery of such properties. The results suggest that RSV suppresses the upregulated pathways (NF-κB, JAK-STAT) triggered by viral infections, with its mechanism contingent upon the presence of the SIRT1 protein. Consequently, RSV mitigates the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8) as detected by ELISA. Subsequently, we elucidate the specific amino acid sites on both RSV and SIRT1 using macromolecular docking and protein docking methodologies. This revelation represents the pioneering elucidation of the mechanism and mode of action of resveratrol as an antiviral agent. These promising results establish the substantial potential of RSV as a therapeutic agent against adenovirus-7. The capacity to proficiently hinder adenovirus-7 replication and demonstrate potent antiviral properties in vitro experiments introduces novel avenues for crafting targeted therapies to combat adenovirus infections.

Background: It is unclear whether sensitization patterns differentiate children with severe recurrent wheeze (SRW) / severe asthma (SA) from those with non-severe recurrent wheeze (NSRW) / non-severe asthma (NSA). Our objective was to compare the sensitization patterns between children with SRW/SA and NSRW/NSA from the French COBRAPed cohort. Methods: IgE to 112 components (c-sIgE) (ImmunoCAP® ISAC) were analyzed in 125 preschool (3-6 years) and 170 school-age children (7-12 years). Supervised analyses and clustering methods were applied to identify patterns of sensitization among children with positive c-sIgE. Results: We observed c-sIgE sensitization in 51% of preschool and 75% of school-age children. Sensitization to house dust mite (HDM) components was more frequent among NSRW than SRW (53% vs 24%, p<0.01). Sensitization to non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) components was more frequent among SA than NSA (16% vs 4%, p<0.01) and associated with a FEV1/FVC <-1.64 z-score. Among sensitized children, seven clusters with varying patterns were identified. The two broader clusters identified in each age group were characterized by “few sensitizations, mainly to HDM”. One cluster (n=4) with “multiple sensitizations, mainly to grass pollen, HDM, PR-10, and nsLTP” was associated with SA in school-age children. Conclusions: Although children with wheeze/asthma display frequent occurrences and high levels of sensitization, the sensitization patterns did not clearly discriminate children with severe disease from those with milder disease. These results suggest that the severity of wheeze/asthma may depend on both IgE- and non-IgE-mediated mechanisms.

The present distribution of Siberian boreal forests that are dominated by larches is influenced, to an unknown extent, by the glacial history. Knowing the past treeline response to climate shifts can improve our understanding of future treeline dynamics under changing climate. Here, we study patterns in the genetic variability of Siberian larches (Larix spp.) that can help us to unravel biogeographic migration routes since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We sampled 148 larch individuals from Eastern Siberia. For each individual, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were derived through genotyping by sequencing (GBS). We inferred the spatial distribution from 14,003 SNPs with a cluster analysis. To infer the postglacial demographic history of Larix, we applied an Approximate Bayesian Computation. The Bayesian population assignment statistically supported three to four clusters from Western to Eastern Siberia that correspond well to the geographic ranges of the main Siberian larch species Larix sibirica, L. gmelinii, and L. cajanderi. Using four plausible clusters, the tested hypotheses in DIYABC show that the existing populations seem to have been initiated long before the LGM. We presume that the different populations originate from larch populations that survived the glacial periods. From our genetic studies, we deduce that Larix was more likely to have survived the cold LGM in northern refugia, from where a fast colonization of Siberia was possible, rather than Larix completely repopulating Siberia in the postglacial spreading out from southern areas with less harsh climatic conditions. The northernmost expansion during the Holocene seems to have benefitted from refugial populations ahead of the treeline at that time, which explains the existence of Larix in the far north. We expect from our results that the present migration will be slow at first as there are currently no refugial populations far north, as there probably were in the Holocene.

Climatic and anthropogenic impacts have determined the extinction of species in the past and are also the main factors shaping their present distribution ranges. Geographic range size – a biogeographic variable commonly used to assess population abundance, survival, and conservation status – varies with latitude. According to Rapoport’s rule, range size typically increases with latitude in mammals. Bats differ from other groups of mammals with regards to numerous morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of sensory and motor systems. Nevertheless, bats are a suitable group for evaluating the rule because they show a strong latitudinal gradient in species richness. Our aim was to investigate the distribution patterns of European bat fauna based on two biogeographic variables 1) geographical range size and 2) average latitude of their distribution range, and investigate whether species traits characteristic to bats, mobility and hibernation, are associated with variation in range size and latitudinal distribution. We collected geographical data and species trait data on 44 European bat species from the literature. We discovered that range size and average latitude of distribution range follows Rapoport’s rule to a high degree in bats. Additionally, traits related to hibernation and movement behavior, more specifically hibernation breadth (indicating how widely a species utilizes different types of hibernacula) and mobility (based on seasonal movements), are associated with large distribution ranges and could affect northerly ranges in European bats. Range size does not only assist in directing conservation of threatened species, but it also provides insights into fundamental processes such as dispersal and adaptation. Our results emphasize that knowledge on the relationship between traits and species distribution is important for understanding current distribution patterns and could work as background information for predictive models on the effect of future landscape changes.

Freshwater biodiversity is facing a great crisis due to the looming threat of biodiversity loss. Some important target areas are difficult to survey owing to their accessibility, making them susceptible to data deficiencies. In this study, we surveyed 52 sites using environmental DNA techniques to investigate fish biodiversity in the Chishui River Basin of the Yangtze River. A total of 96,031 valid fish sequences were read, resulting in the identification of 77 species belonging to six orders, 62 genera, and 18 families. The dominant orders were Cypriniformes, Siluriformes, and Perciformes. Among the identified fishes, 71 were native and six were exotic, with the native fishes including 16 endemic fishes from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The upstream and downstream Shannon-Wiener indices differed significantly, the Shannon-Wiener and richness indices of the tributaries in the upstream section were significantly higher than those of the tributaries in the downstream section, and we found that the Datong River is the most diverse secondary tributary of the Chishui River. Among the environmental factors in the Chishui River Basin, altitude and electrical conductivity had the greatest influence on fish diversity (P <0.01), whereas human factors had little effect. Our findings highlight the application of environmental DNA technology to modern biodiversity surveys and illustrate that the Chishui River Basin is primarily affected by environmental factors at this stage. However, continuing efforts are needed to protect freshwater biodiversity, and additional research is required to better understand the complex interplay between human activity and environmental factors.

Objectives Very few investigations have explored the association between CHDs in offspring and mothers with autoimmune disease. In this study, we aimed to explore whether maternal autoimmune disease increases the risk of CHDs in newborns. Methods We analyzed 4780 offspring with maternal autoimmune disease and 9416 offspring without maternal autoimmune disease matching 1:2 with age and sex between 2009 and 2016 from databases including the National Health Insurance program, birth certificate applications, cause of death data, and Maternal and Child Health Database, which is managed by the Health and Welfare Data Science Center (HWDC) in Taiwan. Birth year, birth weight, gestational age, the children’s sex, mode of delivery, congenital defects, urbanization, insurance unit, maternal and paternal comorbidities, child or parents died within one year after birth and medication exposure during pregnancy were selected as covariates for further multivariate analysis. Also, multiple Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of CHDs. Results The incidence of CHDs was 5.35 per 10000 person-months in autoimmune mothers. The result of the multivariate Cox regression showed that the children whose mothers had autoimmune disease had a 1.57-fold risk of CHDs compared to children whose mothers did not have an autoimmune disease (crude hazard ratio: 1.57; 95% CI, 1.29-1.90, aHR: 1.51; 95% CI, 1.24-1.85). Conclusion Maternal autoimmune disease might be a risk factor for developing CHDs in offspring, especially in mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus or Sjogren’s syndrome. Further research is warranted to investigate the possible pathogenesis mechanisms of this association.