Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurs less frequently in cigarette smokers than in non-smokers. Assuming that nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are periodically active by activation through endogenous acetylcholine, we tested whether they act against the effect of α-synuclein, a protein relevant in PD. Transgenic mice with a human α-synuclein containing two mutations that cause familial PD were crossed with mice lacking the nicotinic α7-acetylcholine receptor. Vertical movements determined at 7 and 16 months and non-ambulatory movements at 16 months of age were significantly lower in mice with α7-acetylcholine receptor knockout if they express the mutated α-synuclein, but not in mice with α-synuclein wildtype. Striatal noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine levels did not differ between the four groups of mice at 21 months however striatal dopamine turnover was significantly higher in mice without than with α7-acetylcholine receptor. Stereological counts of nigral cells positive for tyrosine hydroxylase in the left and right hemisphere at 21 months revealed that asymmetry was also significantly higher in mice without than with α7-acetylcholine receptor. In conclusion, up to the age of 16 months there was no obvious PD behavior, however absence of the α7-acetylcholine receptor generally reduced several features of motor behavior and showed a statistically significant interaction between α7-acetylcholine receptor and mutated α-synuclein. The asymmetry of nigral cell counts and the increased striatal dopamine turnover suggest a stressed nigrostriatal system in mice without α7-acetylcholine receptor and that the neuroprotective effect of smoking might at least partly be mediated by the nicotine in the cigarettes acting via α7-acetylcholine receptors.

Mental health contributes to 10% of maternal deaths. Suicide is the second highest cause of death in women between 6 weeks and 1 year after the end of their pregnancy [(1)](#ref-0001). Non-pharmacological techniques can be used to improve maternal mental health. Abera et al demonstrated improvements in maternal mental health and pregnancy outcomes through the use of relaxation techniques [(2)](#ref-0002). Virtual reality (VR) creates a three-dimensional environment that a user interacts with using a headset and handheld controls. VR technology is a promising new option in improving mental health [(3)](#ref-0003). However, VR is a novel concept in maternal mental health and as such, there is a paucity of evidence supporting its use. The two published reports demonstrate that whilst VR can improve anxiety and stress during pregnancy, there may be certain patient groups who are disproportionately marginalised by this technology [(4, 5)](#ref-0004). This is the first work looking at VR in the perinatal mental health (PNMH) outpatient setting. This research letter proposes VR mindfulness as a novel and accessible way for maternity services to improve PNMH outcomes, patient satisfaction and increase clinic attendance across a range of services.

Pediatric Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Complicated by Chronic Steroid UseMegan Jayne Ralstona, MS, and Edward Johnsonb, MD,Affiliations: aChildren’s Hospital of the King’s DaughterAddress correspondence to: Megan Jayne Ralston, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter, Norfolk, VA 23510 [ralstom@odu.edu], 7742389377.Short title: Pediatric EGPA Complicated by Chronic Steroid UseConflict of Interest Disclosures: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.IRB Approval: IRB approval for case reports is not required by our institution. Verbal consent was obtained from the patient and their parents.Funding/Support: No funding was secured for this study.Abbreviations:HES - Hypereosinophilic syndromeEGPA - Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with PolyangiitisGI - GastrointestinalCS - CorticosteroidsOCS - Oral corticosteroidsCXR - Chest X-rayCT - Computed TomographyPFT - Pulmonary function testingRP2-PCR - Respiratory Pathogen Panel PCRANCA - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodiesp-ANCA - Perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodiesPR3 - Proteinase 3MPO - MyeloperoxidaseWBC - White blood cellsPSL - PrednisoloneCBC - Complete Blood CountFeNO - Fractional exhaled nitric oxidePICU - Pediatric Intensive Care UnitKeywords: Pediatric Eosinophilic Granulomatosis; Polyangiitis; Chronic Steroid Use; Vasculitis; Pediatric Autoimmune Disease; Steroid ComplicationsArticle SummaryExplore the complex diagnosis and successful treatment of a rare case of pediatric Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) in an 11-year-old boy.

Background: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a disease characterized by systemic inflammatory response with high mortality. Nowadays, there is no prediction model for its long-term prognosis. We aimed to establish and validate a prognostic prediction model incorporating inflammation indexes to forecast the long-term prognosis of patients with hepatitis B-related ACLF (HBV-ACLF). Methods: Retrospective analysis of 986 patients’ clinical data with HBV-ACLF from Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2014 and December 2018 were conducted. The patients were randomly divided into the training cohort (690 cases) and the validation cohort (296 cases) according to the ratio of 7:3. LASSO and Cox regression analysis were used to determine the independent risk factors for long-term mortality. Results: The following variables were identified: age, cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy, total bilirubin (TBIL), international normalized ratio (INR), Monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and Neutrophil to platelet ratio (NPR), and a new nomogram was constructed to predict the survival rate of 1 -month, 3-month, and 12-month by weighting the scores of each variable. The C-index was 0.777 (95%CI 0.752-0.802), and the AUC was 0.829 (95%CI 0.798-0.859) in the training cohort. The predictive value of the nomogram demonstrated a superior ability to predict long-term survival rate compared to MELD score (0.767, 95% CI: 0.730-0.804, P<0.001), and COSSH-ACLF II score (0.807, 95%CI: 0.774-0.840, P=0.028). Evaluation using calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA) suggested its practical utility. Conclusions: The novel inflammation scoring system, including MLR and NPR, can well predict long-term mortality in HBV- ACLF patients.

ERAS in gynecologic surgery: insights and future directionsAuthors: Jiayu Yan, Bilan Li, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, Chinalibilan@51mch.comThis study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.82372925 to LBL,No.82172714 to LBL, No. 81602281 to LBL), Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (No.22Y11906300 and No.20ZR1443900 to LBL), Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (No. SHDC2020CR4086).

Background: Autosomal recessive severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) has been associated with homozygous variants in the HAX1(HCLS1 Associated Protein X-1) gene. In this rare disease, ovarian insufficiency has been reported only in nine female patients in the literature. There is insufficient data on the gonadal function of patients with SCN due to HAX1 gene variant ( HAX1-SCN ) in childhood and the age of onset of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is unknown. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the gonadal functions and pubertal development in pediatric patients with HAX1-SCN. Methods: Forty-five patients, including 24 females (median age 11.3 years, 1.5–31 years, 13 pubertal and 11 prepubertal), and 21 males (median age 9.5 years, 3–18.8 years, 7 pubertal and 14 prepubertal), followed in 7 centers, were included. POI is defined as a menstrual disturbance with increased follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and low anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH). We classified prepubertal female patients as impending POI when they had low AMH and high FSH values, indicating impaired ovarian function. Results: A homozygous single nucleotide insertion (position 130-131insA) leading to a premature stop codon; p.Trp44*(c.132G>A) variant in HAX1 gene was detected in 42 (93.3%) affected individuals. Other homozygous variants were p.Arg86*(c.256C>T) and p.Glu60Aspfs*25(c.180delA). We detected elevated serum FSH levels in 10/11 (90.9%) of prepubertal female patients, supporting the diagnosis of impending POI, and in 12/13 (92.3%) of pubertal female patients, classifying them as POI. All female patients had low AMH levels. Male patients did not exhibit gonadal insufficiency. Conclusions: This is the first and largest case series covering early childhood to evaluate patients with HAX1-SCN for gonadal functions. It has been observed that pubertal girls develop POI, prepubertal girls are at increased risk for gonadal failure and male patients are not affected. Our results suggest that HAX1 has an important role in ovarian maturation and/or function. The genotype-phenotype relationship of these patients and the effect of clinical features of SCN on gonadal function should be further investigated.

Escalating concern regarding the impacts of reduced genetic diversity on the conservation of endangered species has spurred efforts to obtain chromosome-level genomes through consortia such as the Vertebrate Genomes Project. However, assembling reference genomes for many threatened species remains challenging due to difficulties obtaining optimal input samples (e.g., fresh tissue, cell lines) that can characterize long-term conservation collections. Here, we present a pipeline that leverages genome synteny to construct high-quality genomes for species of conservation concern despite less-than-optimal samples and/or sequencing data, demonstrating its use on Hector’s and Māui dolphins. These endemic New Zealand dolphins are threatened by human activities due to their coastal habitat and small population sizes. Hector’s dolphins are classified as endangered by the IUCN, while the Māui dolphin is among the most critically endangered marine mammals. To assemble reference genomes for these dolphins, we created a pipeline combining de novo assembly tools with reference-guided techniques, utilizing chromosome-level genomes of closely related species. The pipeline assembled highly contiguous chromosome-level genomes (scaffold N50: 110 MB, scaffold L50: 9, miniBUSCO completeness scores >96.35%), despite non-optimal input tissue samples. We demonstrate that these genomes can provide insights relevant for conservation, including historical demography revealing long-term small population sizes, with subspecies divergence occurring ~20 kya, potentially linked to the Last Glacial Maximum. Māui dolphin heterozygosity was 40% lower than Hector’s and comparable to other cetacean species noted for reduced genetic diversity. Through these exemplar genomes, we demonstrate that our pipeline can provide high-quality genomic resources to facilitate ongoing conservation genomics research.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is effective for non-invasive biodiversity monitoring, as it reveals species distribution and abundance without ecosystem disruption. Concentration, extraction, and preservation are three essential steps in the eDNA analysis process. Among these, the concentration of eDNA has attracted significant research interest, particularly due to the variability of water samples used in studies. To date, various methods for eDNA concentration have been developed, including glass fiber filtration, Sterivex filters, and passive samplers; however, no single method is universally applicable because of the variabilities of eDNA presence and water characteristics including turbidity levels. Therefore, the development of alternative eDNA concentration methods is crucial for advancing eDNA research. This study introduces QuickConc, a novel nucleic acid capture method that combines benzalkonium chloride (BAC) with dispersed glass fibers. Our results indicate that this approach enhances eDNA capture sensitivity by likely improving the interaction between silica and eDNA. QuickConc was tested in three environments, using metabarcoding and qPCR. Species-specific qPCR results showed that QuickConc detected 2 to 3 times higher copy numbers compared to the glass fiber filter and Sterivex methods. Metabarcoding analyses using the MiFish method revealed that the number of fish species detected in river water was higher with QuickConc, compared to other methods, while in sea water, the number of fish species was at a similar level compared to other methods. QuickConc offers new options for eDNA analysis, providing a more sensitive and easily deployable approach to biodiversity monitoring and conservation strategies.

Hydrographic data collected in the western Baltic Sea were used to study the hydrodynamics of the region between September 2022 and February 2023. The amount of volume change and salt transport into the Baltic Sea were quantified directly from observations and were estimated using an operational model. Salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and current velocities were measured at several locations: Fehmarn Belt buoy (FEB), Darss Sill station (DAR), Arkona Basin buoy (ARK), and Bornholm Basin station (BB). Using sea level height (SLH) data two inflow events were characterized by saline and warm near-bottom water with high dissolved oxygen concentrations between 14 September-10 October 2022, and 5 December 2022-15 January 2023. The unusually warm winter event was the result of a southwesterly wind regime featuring the transport of warm Channel Water through the North Sea towards the Kattegat. The first event transported 126 $\mathrm{km^3}$ of water into the Baltic Sea, corresponding to a salt transport of about 0.55 Gt. The second event transported about 140 $\mathrm{km^3}$ of water and added 1.1 Gt of salt to the Baltic Sea. While the water column properties at the DAR did not show the typical characteristics of a major Baltic inflow (MBI) during either event, the amount of salt transport, especially during the second inflow event, was similar to that of a weak MBI. Both events left their distinct mark on the temperature of the deep Bornholm Basin and the second event at least led to deep water ventilation in this basin.

The Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) Ground Radio Lab (GRL) is a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) project aiming to engage and train the next generations of scholars. To achieve this, the project 1) recruited students to participate in the design, development, and testing of a simple antenna kit that were sent to high schools nationwide free of charge, 2) prepared online, self-paced training modules to educate students on topics including radio astronomy and space weather, and 3) recruited high schools to host antenna installations, participate in regular data collection and analysis campaigns, and engage in monthly webinars and Q&A sessions with space industry experts. GRL observation campaigns during the ongoing solar maximum have cataloged various solar radio bursts (SRB) types, defined as low-frequency radio emissions emanated by accelerated electrons associated with extreme solar activity, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Our observations indicate that 1) Type III radio bursts closely follow solar flares, with their intensity often matching the flare’s strength, helping to further our understanding of electron acceleration and propagation dynamics, and 2) Type II radio bursts coincide with geomagnetic disturbances caused by Earth-bound CMEs, aligned with established literature. Our community of high school students and mentors will continue to maintain our publicly available catalog of SRBs in support of the science objectives of SunRISE mission.

Understanding Differential Pacing: Unraveling the pitfalls of base vs apex pacing in distinguishing AVNRT from AVRT over a septal APPavel Antiperovitch1, Ahmed Mokhtar2, George Klein1Western University, Department of MedicineDepartment of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaWord Count : 552Abbreviations :AVNRT: Atypical Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia, AVRT: Atrioventricular Reentrant Tachycardia, AP: Accessory Pathway, AV: Atrioventricular, CS: Coronary Sinus, PPI-TCL:, Post-Pacing Interval – Tachycardia Cycle Length, RA: Right Atrium, RBB: Right Bundle Branch, RV: Right Ventricle, SVT: Supraventricular Tachycardia, VA: Ventriculo-Atrial, VOP: Ventricular Overdrive PacingThe article “Differential Ventricular Overdrive Pacing During Long RP’ Supraventricular Tachycardia: How Can We Interpret?” by Nakashima et al1provides some reflection on a widely used differential pacing maneuver. The authors present a case of long RP supraventricular tachycardia, where right ventricular (RV) entrainment excluded atrial tachycardia. Following adenosine administration, there was AH prolongation and a block to the RV while the tachycardia persisted, indicating that neither the AH interval nor the RV were part of the reentrant circuit. The authors conclude that the most likely diagnosis is atypical AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). To further explore this, the authors conducted ventricular overdrive pacing (VOP) from both the base and apex of the RV. They observed that entrainment from the RV base resulted in a shorter VA interval and a smaller PPI-TCL compared to the apex. This finding supports the presence of an AV pathway, which contradicts earlier diagnostic assessmentsDifferential pacing is a widely used technique to distinguish between nodal and extranodal ventriculo-atrial (VA) conduction via an accessory pathway.² In this case, why did the standard maneuver fail? The authors suggest that inadvertent His bundle capture was the reason, as indicated by the narrower paced QRS on the surface ECG when pacing close to the base. This issue can be avoided by repositioning the pacing electrode away from the His bundle or adjusting the pacing output. Another common pitfall in differential pacing is the location of the second pacing site. The traditional second pacing site is the apical region, which is a surrogate for approximating the site of the right bundle branch (RBB) exit into the RV. However, identifying the apex on fluoroscopy or a mapping system is subjective and probably poorly reproducible between patients and operators, leading to inconsistent distances of the recording catheter to the RBB terminus .To overcome these issues, we propose a slight shift of focus away from the conventional “apex” and “base” approach to a more reproducible physiological concept that is familiar to every electrophysiologist: the line of block. The atrioventricular (AV) plane of the heart serves as a natural line of block, and any conduction gaps other than the normal AV conduction system along this plane represent AV pathways. The operator’s goal is to test for completeness of the line of block by pacing close to and at a fixed distance from the AV ring (Figure 1). The first pacing site is positioned as close as possible to the annulus, typically in the posteroseptal RV just beyond the coronary sinus (CS) ostium, to reduce the risk of capturing the conduction system or atrium. The second site is placed a few centimeters farther away from the base moving inferiorly. Very simply, moving inferiorly a short distance from the annulus must shorten the SA interval if the “line of block” is complete (i.e. no septal pathway) and lengthen if there is no block (i.e. a septal AP). This approach removes the need to locate the true apex, at best an imprecise surrogate for the RBB exit into the RV, and reframes differential pacing in terms familiar to every electrophysiologist—it’s grounded in the fundamental principles we apply daily in the lab. It also sheds light on the common pitfalls of the maneuver, which are akin to those encountered when testing for gaps along ablation lines.REFERENCES1. Nakashima T, Nagase M, Usui T, et al. Differential ventricular overdrive pacing during long-RP supraventricular tachycardia: How can we interpret?Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. n/a.2. Martínez-Alday JD, Almendral J, Arenal A, et al. Identification of concealed posteroseptal Kent pathways by comparison of ventriculoatrial intervals from apical and posterobasal right ventricular sites. Circulation. 1994;89:1060–1067.3. Derval N, Skanes AC, Gula LJ, et al. Differential sequential septal pacing: A simple maneuver to differentiate nodal versus extranodal ventriculoatrial conduction. Heart Rhythm. 2013;10:1785–1791.FIGURE 1 - Diagram illustrating the concept of differential pacing/entrainment using the “Line of Block” principle.

In urban forests, soil fungal communities play a crucial role, but how the spatial distribution characteristics of fungi respond to changes in canopy structure remains unclear. This uncertainty represents an important knowledge gap, as the synergistic effect between the aboveground plant community and the underground fungal community significantly contributes to the stability, resilience, and anti-interference capability of the ecosystem. In this study, we characterized soil fungal communities in 30 plant communities with diverse canopy microhabitats within an urban forest ecosystem in China. Through network analysis and torus-translation testing, we were able to ascertain the microhabitats preferences of fungal species. Subsequently, we analyzed the fungi-environment relationships among various canopy microhabitats using NMDS, Mantel tests, and Pearson correlation analysis.The results revealed that different canopy microhabitats favor the presence of distinct fungal species, and there are notable differences in the fungi-environment relationships across various canopy microhabitats in warm temperate urban ecosystems. Our findings indicate that the distribution of fungi has strong associations with canopy microhabitats, which could exert significant effects on fungal diversity in warm temperate urban ecosystems. Our research provides novel insights into the mechanisms by which complex soil fungal communities respond to alterations in the canopy structure of plant communities.

The CO2 methanation reaction not only addresses energy problems but also fixed atmospheric CO2, thereby mitigating the greenhouse effect. However, as a complex heterogeneous catalytic process, the CO2 methanation reaction requires the synergistic effect of the support and the active metal. As one of the components of catalyst, the promoter significantly influences the physical and chemical properties of the active metal and support. This article reviews the effects of promoters on the structural characteristics of CO2 methanation catalysts, including the dispersion and reducibility of active metals, as well as the oxygen vacancy and basicity of the support. Detailed discussions are provided on strong metal-support interactions, electron transfer, and the H-spillover effect. The addition of a promoter can enhance the catalytic performance of CO2 methanation catalysts, primarily due to their impact on the reaction mechanism. Finally, this article discusses how the promoter improves the catalytic performance by changing the reaction intermediate from a mechanistic perspective.

Co-salient object detection (CoSOD) in optical remote sensing images (ORSI) is an emerging extension of salient object detection (SOD), which aims to identify common salient objects from a set of related optical remote sensing images. For this mission, we carefully construct the first large-scale dataset, CoORSI. The dataset consists of 7668 elaborately selected high-quality images and target mask annotations, covering macroscopic geographic scenes such as rivers and beaches, as well as man-made targets such as airplanes and ships, in a total of 10 categories. In addition, we propose a consensus exploration and detail perception network (CEDPNet) for cosalient object detection in remote sensing images. Specifically, a collaborative object search module (COSM) is introduced to effectively integrate high-level features and obtain inter-pixel and inter-region correlation, so as to further explore and locate collaborative objects. On the basis of this module, we design a feature sensing module (FSM), which integrates difference contrast enhancement unit (DCEU) and multi-scale detail boosting unit (MBDU) to enhance the perception of salient targets. Finally, the high-level semantic information is continuously fused with the low-level detailed features to obtain the final co-salient detection maps. Extensive experimental evaluations confirm that CEDPNet has significantly superior performance compared to other competitors in Co-salient object detection in optical remote sensing images. The CoORSI dataset, model and results will be available at: https://github.com/chen000701/CEDPNet.

Ransomware continues to pose a significant threat to global digital infrastructure, as its complexity and capacity for evasion have advanced rapidly in recent years. The novel approach proposed in this research integrates machine learning into intrusion detection systems, offering a robust solution to identify zero-day ransomware attacks in unseen data. Through rigorous experimentation with multiple machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, and Neural Networks, the study demonstrates that machine learning models can effectively detect previously unknown ransomware behavior through the analysis of system anomalies. Performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, and recall illustrate the strengths and trade-offs associated with different models, while results from zero-day simulations highlight the adaptability of machine learning techniques in handling novel threats. The findings demonstrate the potential for machine learning to enhance cybersecurity defenses by providing more dynamic and scalable detection methods for emerging ransomware attacks.

This paper introduces a conceptual framework, denoted as 'Line Theory,' which is predicated on the procedural anatomy inherent in ordinary plans. A plan, recognized as a set of instructions for execution, undergoes in-depth scrutiny to analyze its constituent elements. The concise examination delves into the formation of line and effect within real space stemming from procedures. Line theory serves the purpose of elucidating the absolute optimization of plans. It is formulated to inaugurate an exploration into the veracity of procedures and their elemental changes, examining their correlation with space and motion at the most fundamental level. The scientific community has extensively delved into the examination of the behavior and structure of objects at the microscopic level. This paper endeavors to stimulate interest in the analogous analysis of procedures. The fundamental objective within this theoretical framework is to offer a distinct philosophical perspective on changes and effects.

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RMND1 and PLN variants are the underlying cause of Perrault-like syndrome and cardiac anomalies in a patientXiaoli Du1, Cara L. Barnett1, Kimberly M. Widmeyer1, Xinjian Wang1, Diana S. Brightman1, Carolee W. Noonan1, Kathryn N. Weaver2,*, Robert J. Hopkin2,*, Yaning Wu2,*1 Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USADivision of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and Department ofPediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA*co-corresponding author

Traditional collaborative filtering-based recommender systems rely on prior user activity to suggest items, while deep learning-based systems focus on improving accuracy, often neglecting scalability. Moreover, these techniques are not suitable for resource-constrained environments, such as edge devices and poses significant challenges due to high computational and power requirements. This study presents an innovative approach for efficiently pruning neural networks by integrating the Lottery Ticket Hypothesis (LTH) with the Knowledge Distillation (KD) framework. These models aim to address scalability challenges in recommender systems by optimizing throughput time, query response time, power consumption while preserving accuracy. Through empirical evaluation against three baselines using Amazon dataset, the effectiveness and efficiency of these approaches were demonstrated, showcasing superior performance by having 33.21% and 43.58% reduction in MSE and MAE respectively, as compared to three baselines. Furthermore, our model consumes 25.76% less power with a 65% reduced model size compared to all the baselines.

On the morning of July 30, 2024, a catastrophic landslide struck Wayanad, India, in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, claiming over 200 lives, with many still missing beneath the debris. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the landslide event based on field, satellite images analysis, numerical modeling, geotechnical testing and aerial surveys to unravel the failure mechanism and its catastrophic impact downstream. We found that a preexisting crack developed in the source area in 2020, underlying complex geology, with sheared rocks and structural discontinuities contributes mainly to the failure causes, exacerbated by excessive rainfall. Water infiltration through cracks and joint sets in the gneissic complex led to severe weathering and erosion, with soil thickness exceeding 30 m, increased susceptibility to such an event. Simulations show the debris flows initiated around 01:00 hrs and peaked at approximately 04:00 hrs on 30 July 2024, and reached a maximum velocity of 28 m/s. The volume of the eroded materials from the event was estimated as 5.17×10 6-5.72×10 6 m 3 , ranking it one of India's largest debris flows. The debris flow runup height in the transitional (deposition dominant) zone (up to 32 m) was enhanced by multiple damming effects and entrainment, and topographic attributes such as cascades and river sinuosity, causing extensive infrastructure damage. Given the terrain's known fragility and history of sequential events, this region requires special attention and real-time monitoring systems to mitigate future risks.

Understanding the genetic, and transcriptomic changes that drive the phenotypic plasticity of fitness traits is a central question in evolutionary biology. In this study, we utilised 152 natural Swedish Arabidopsis thaliana accessions with re-sequenced genomes, transcriptomes, and methylomes and measured flowering times under two temperature conditions (10 °C and 16 °C) to address this question. We revealed that the northern accessions exhibited advanced flowering in response to decreased temperature, whereas the southern accessions delayed their flowering, indicating a divergent flowering response. This contrast in flowering responses was associated with the isothermality of their native ranges, which potentially enables the northern accessions to complete their life cycle more rapidly in years with shorter growth seasons. At the transcriptome level, we observed extensive rewiring of gene co-expression networks, with the expression of 25 core genes being associated with the mean flowering time and its plastic variation. Notably, variations in FLC expression sensitivity between northern and southern accessions were found to be associated with the divergence flowering time response. Further analysis suggests that FLC expression sensitivity is associated with differences in CG, CHG and CHH methylation at the promoter region. Overall, our study revealed the association between transcriptome plasticity and flowering time plasticity among different accessions, providing evidence for its relevance in ecological adaptation. These findings offer deeper insights into the genetics of rapid responses to environmental changes and ecological adaptation.

The evolutionary processes that shape host-parasitoid coexistence in a changing environment and in running time are poorly understood. We examined the large-scale distribution of highly-specialized polysphinctine Darwin wasps associated with spiders along an elevational gradient and tested the hypothesis that distribution and parasitism rates depend on elevation, habitat type, and the species and age composition of the host community. Further, on the basis of a large-scale dataset, we examined the hypothesis that three-dimensional webs in spiders may be an evolutional adaptation against polysphinctine parasitoids. We found significant variation in parasitoid distribution and parasitism rates along a 1500 m elevational gradient in central Europe. The optimal model showed a humped shape for the parasitism rate on an elevational gradient. Overall, we found relatively low parasitism rates (4%) on spiders, with the highest parasitism rates in non-forested riparian vegetation and the lowest in agroecosystems. Rates of parasitism varied significantly among spiders forming different types of webs (foraging guilds). Spiders spinning 3D webs were dominant in the spider community, but parasitism on them was lower compared to spiders spinning 2D webs, probably because of the defensive function of the 3D web architecture. The bottom-up approach supports the theory that 3D webs are evolutionarily novel and arose as a result of the need for defence against enemies such as parasitoids.