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Abstract The human otolithic system (utricle and saccule), housed within the bony vestibule of the inner ear, establishes our sense of balance in conjunction with the semicircular canals. Yet, while the morphological evolution of the semicircular canals is actively explored, comparative morphological analyses of the otolithic system are lacking. This is regrettable because functional links with head orientation suggest the otolithic system could be used to track postural change throughout human evolution and across primates more broadly. In this context, we present the first analysis of the evolution of the human otolithic system within an anthropoid primate setting. Using the vestibule as a morphological proxy for the utricle and saccule, we compare humans to 13 other extant anthropoid species, and use phylogenetically-informed methods to find correlations with body size, endocranial flexion, and head-neck posture. Our results, obtained through micro-CT of 136 inner ears, reveal two major evolutionary transitions in hominoids, leading to distinctive vestibular morphology in humans, characterized by otolithic morphology resembling squirrel monkeys (possibly due to reversal), with a pronounced supraovalic fossa. Finally, we find a positional signal embedded in the anthropoid bony vestibule, providing the foundation to further explore the evolution of human head-neck posture using inner ear morphology.

Abstract The Black Sea is a semi‐enclosed inland sea with an unevenly distributed extensive coastal shelf area and anoxic deep waters. It is inhabited by common and bottlenose dolphins, as well as harbour porpoises, all represented by local subspecies. Between September 2020 and October 2022, 19 F‐PODs deployed by research teams from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine collected data on acoustic activity of Black Sea harbour porpoises. Strong seasonal and diel patterns were found, which varied in three regions. In the south‐eastern part of the Black Sea, harbour porpoise acoustic activity was higher from January to May, with a peak in April. This pattern agrees with the seasonal anchovy migration from the winter spawning grounds in warmer waters in the south‐eastern region to feeding grounds on the productive shallow north‐west shelf. The diel pattern showed strong nocturnal acoustic activity, which is consistent with anchovy vertical migration. Porpoises on the western side of the Black Sea exhibited a bimodal seasonal pattern in acoustic activity, with a larger peak in April and a smaller one in October. Diel activity was primarily nocturnal. On the north‐west shelf, harbour porpoise acoustic activity was mostly recorded during the warm period from April to October. The diel pattern showed activity mainly during daylight with two peaks: a smaller one approximately at dawn and a larger one at dusk. This pattern is similar to the vertical migrations of sprat. Overall, the results of the study were consistent with the prey being an important driver of seasonal and diel dynamics of harbour porpoise acoustic activity.

Abstract Afar is undergoing the final stages of continental rifting and hosts the triple junction between the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Main Ethiopian rifts. To better understand the nature of the crust and continental breakup in the region, we calculate teleseismic receiver functions across northeastern Afar and the Danakil microplate, using new data from a regional deployment in Eritrea. We estimate the Moho depth and bulk crustal VP/VS ratio using the H‐κ stacking method. The heterogeneity of our crustal thickness estimates (∼19–35 km) indicates that the Danakil microplate has undergone stretching and crustal thinning. By investigating the relationship between crustal thickness and topographic elevation, we estimate the regional crustal bulk density as ρc ≈ 2,850 ± 20 kg m−3, which is higher than expected, given the crustal thickness of the region. We show that topography is 1.5 ± 0.4 km higher than would be expected due to crustal isostasy alone. We propose that this topography is supported by the same hot mantle upwelling suggested to be responsible for the onset of rifting in East Africa. Uplift is generated due to the presence of a hot thermal anomaly beneath the plate and by thinning of the lithospheric mantle. Our results are consistent with a number of independent constraints on the thermal structure of the asthenospheric and lithospheric mantle. Evidence of melt within the crust is provided by anomalously high VP/VS ratios of >1.9, demonstrating that magma‐assisted extension continues to be important in the final stages of continental breakup.

Abstract This study investigates survival and abundance of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Norway in 1988–2019 using capture–recapture models of photo‐identification data. We merged two datasets collected in a restricted fjord system in 1988–2008 (Period 1) with a third, collected after their preferred herring prey shifted its wintering grounds to more exposed coastal waters in 2012–2019 (Period 2), and investigated any differences between these two periods. The resulting dataset, spanning 32 years, comprised 3284 captures of 1236 whales, including 148 individuals seen in both periods. The best‐supported models of survival included the effects of sex and time period, and the presence of transients (whales seen only once). Period 2 had a much larger percentage of transients compared to Period 1 (mean = 30% vs. 5%) and the identification of two groups of whales with different residency patterns revealed heterogeneity in recapture probabilities. This caused estimates of survival rates to be biased downward (females: 0.955 ± 0.027 SE, males: 0.864 ± 0.038 SE) compared to Period 1 (females: 0.998 ± 0.002 SE, males: 0.985 ± 0.009 SE). Accounting for this heterogeneity resulted in estimates of apparent survival close to unity for regularly seen whales in Period 2. A robust design model for Period 2 further supported random temporary emigration at an estimated annual probability of 0.148 (± 0.095 SE). This same model estimated a peak in annual abundance in 2015 at 1061 individuals (95% CI 999–1127), compared to a maximum of 731 (95% CI 505–1059) previously estimated in Period 1, and dropped to 513 (95% CI 488–540) in 2018. Our results indicate variations in the proportion of killer whales present of an undefined population (or populations) in a larger geographical region. Killer whales have adjusted their distribution to shifts in key prey resources, indicating potential to adapt to rapidly changing marine ecosystems.

Abstract Quantifying consumption and prey choice for marine predator species is key to understanding their interaction with prey species, fisheries, and the ecosystem as a whole. However, parameterizing a functional response for large predators can be challenging because of the difficulty in obtaining the required data on predator diet and on the availability of multiple prey species. This study modeled a multi‐species functional response (MSFR) to describe the relationship between consumption by harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and the availability of multiple prey species in the southern North Sea. Bayesian methodology was employed to estimate MSFR parameters and to incorporate uncertainties in diet and prey availability estimates. Prey consumption was estimated from stomach content data from stranded harbour porpoises. Prey availability to harbour porpoises was estimated based on the spatial overlap between prey distributions, estimated from fish survey data, and porpoise foraging range in the days prior to stranding predicted from telemetry data. Results indicated a preference for sandeels in the study area. Prey switching behavior (change in preference dependent on prey abundance) was confirmed by the favored type III functional response model. Variation in the size of the foraging range (estimated area where harbour porpoises could have foraged prior to stranding) did not alter the overall pattern of the results or conclusions. Integrating datasets on prey consumption from strandings, predator foraging distribution using telemetry, and prey availability from fish surveys into the modeling approach provides a methodological framework that may be appropriate for fitting MSFRs for other predators.

Understanding how diverse locomotor repertoires evolved in anthropoid primates is key to reconstructing the clade's evolution. Locomotor behaviour is often inferred from proximal femur morphology, yet the relationship of femoral variation to locomotor diversity is poorly understood. Extant acrobatic primates have greater ranges of hip joint mobility—particularly abduction—than those using more stereotyped locomotion, but how bony morphologies of the femur and pelvis interact to produce different locomotor abilities is unknown. We conducted hypothesis-driven path analyses via regularized structural equation modelling (SEM) to determine which morphological traits are the strongest predictors of hip abduction in anthropoid primates. Seven femoral morphological traits and two hip abduction measures were obtained from 25 primate species, split into broad locomotor and taxonomic groups. Through variable selection and fit testing techniques, insignificant predictors were removed to create the most parsimonious final models. Some morphological predictors, such as femur shaft length and neck-shaft angle, were important across models. Different trait combinations best predicted hip abduction by locomotor or taxonomic group, demonstrating group-specific linkages among morphology, mobility and behaviour. Our study illustrates the strength of SEM for identifying biologically important relationships between morphology and performance, which will have future applications for palaeobiological and biomechanical studies.

KNM-ER 2598 is one of the oldest known Homo erectus fossils but there are doubts about its age. Here, Hammond et al. trace the original location of the specimen, confirming an age >1.85 million years, and locating additional hominin fossils situated in a paleohabitat dominated by C4 grazers.

Fisheries bycatch is the greatest current source of human-caused deaths of marine mammals worldwide, with severe impacts on the health and viability of many populations. Recent regulations enacted in the United States under the Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions of its Marine Mammal Protection Act require nations with fisheries exporting fish and fish products to the United States (hereafter, “export fisheries”) to have or establish marine mammal protection standards that are comparable in effectiveness to the standards for United States commercial fisheries. In many cases, this will require estimating marine mammal bycatch in those fisheries. Bycatch estimation is conceptually straightforward but can be difficult in practice, especially if resources (funding) are limiting or for fisheries consisting of many, small vessels with geographically-dispersed landing sites. This paper describes best practices for estimating bycatch mortality, which is an important ingredient of bycatch assessment and mitigation. We discuss a general bycatch estimator and how to obtain its requisite bycatch-rate and fisheries-effort data. Scientific observer programs provide the most robust bycatch estimates and consequently are discussed at length, including characteristics such as study design, data collection, statistical analysis, and common sources of estimation bias. We also discuss alternative approaches and data types, such as those based on self-reporting and electronic vessel-monitoring systems. This guide is intended to be useful to managers and scientists in countries having or establishing programs aimed at managing marine mammal bycatch, especially those conducting first-time assessments of fisheries impacts on marine mammal populations.

Bycatch, the undesirable and non-intentional catch of non-target species in marine fisheries, is one of the main causes of mortality of marine mammals worldwide. When quantitative conservation objectives and management goals are clearly defined, computer-based procedures can be used to explore likely population dynamics under different management scenarios and estimate the levels of anthropogenic removals, including bycatch, that marine mammal populations may withstand. Two control rules for setting removal limits are the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) established under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Removals Limit Algorithm (RLA) inspired from the Catch Limit Algorithm (CLA) developed under the Revised Management Procedure of the International Whaling Commission. The PBR and RLA control rules were tested in a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework. A key feature of PBR and RLA is to ensure conservation objectives are met in the face of the multiple uncertainties or biases that plague real-world data on marine mammals. We built a package named RLA in the R software to carry out MSE of control rules to set removal limits in marine mammal conservation. The package functionalities are illustrated by two case studies carried out under the auspices of the Oslo and Paris convention (OSPAR) (the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) Marine Mammal Expert Group (OMMEG) in the context of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The first case study sought to tune the PBR control rule to the conservation objective of restoring, with a probability of 0.8, a cetacean population to 80% of carrying capacity after 100 years. The second case study sought to further develop a RLA to set removals limit on harbor porpoises in the North Sea with the same conservation objective as in the first case study. Estimation of the removals limit under the RLA control rule was carried out within the Bayesian paradigm. Outputs from the functions implemented in the package RLA allows the assessment of user-defined performance metrics, such as time to reach a given fraction of carrying capacity under a given level of removals compared to the time needed given no removals.

Bycatch in marine fisheries is the leading source of human-caused mortality for marine mammals, has contributed to substantial declines of many marine mammal populations and species, and the extinction of at least one. Schemes for evaluating marine mammal bycatch largely rely on estimates of abundance and bycatch, which are needed for calculating biological reference points and for determining conservation status. However, obtaining these estimates is resource intensive and takes careful long-term planning. The need for assessments of marine mammal bycatch in fisheries is expected to increase worldwide due to the recently implemented Import Provisions of the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act. Managers and other stakeholders need reliable, standardized methods for collecting data to estimate abundance and bycatch rates. In some cases, managers will be starting with little or no data and no system in place to collect data. We outline a comprehensive framework for managing bycatch of marine mammals. We describe and provide guidance on (1) planning for an assessment of bycatch, (2) collecting appropriate data (e.g., abundance and bycatch estimates), (3) assessing bycatch and calculating reference points, and (4) using the results of the assessment to guide marine mammal bycatch reduction. We also provide a brief overview of available mitigation techniques to reduce marine mammal bycatch in various fisheries. This paper provides information for scientists and resource managers in the hope that it will lead to new or improved programs for assessing marine mammal bycatch, establishing best practices, and enhancing marine mammal conservation globally.

Motivated by the need to estimate the abundance of marine mammal populations to inform conservation assessments, especially relating to fishery bycatch, this paper provides background on abundance estimation and reviews the various methods available for pinnipeds, cetaceans and sirenians. We first give an “entry-level” introduction to abundance estimation, including fundamental concepts and the importance of recognizing sources of bias and obtaining a measure of precision. Each of the primary methods available to estimate abundance of marine mammals is then described, including data collection and analysis, common challenges in implementation, and the assumptions made, violation of which can lead to bias. The main method for estimating pinniped abundance is extrapolation of counts of animals (pups or all-ages) on land or ice to the whole population. Cetacean and sirenian abundance is primarily estimated from transect surveys conducted from ships, small boats or aircraft. If individuals of a species can be recognized from natural markings, mark-recapture analysis of photo-identification data can be used to estimate the number of animals using the study area. Throughout, we cite example studies that illustrate the methods described. To estimate the abundance of a marine mammal population, key issues include: defining the population to be estimated, considering candidate methods based on strengths and weaknesses in relation to a range of logistical and practical issues, being aware of the resources required to collect and analyze the data, and understanding the assumptions made. We conclude with a discussion of some practical issues, given the various challenges that arise during implementation.

The common Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) ‘ethaline’ (1:2 choline chloride:ethylene glycol) was examined here as a basis for the self-assembly of the surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12TAB). A phase diagram was constructed, showing evidence for a L1 (micellar) phase, confirmed by tensiometry to have a room temperature critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 1.2 wt.%. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements indicate formation of interacting globular micelles with slightly smaller apparent radii than in water. The apparent mesophase/multiphase region was studied using SWAXS, demonstrating rich mesoscopic lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behaviour, with evidence for lamellar Lα peaks, alongside potential co-crystalline phases. We attempted to tailor the self-assembly by studying binary DES containing longer diols including 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, and 1,5-pentanediol, and ternary DES where the HBD component was a 1:1 ethylene glycol:diol mixture. However, synchrotron SAXS showed that only ternary ‘propethaline’ mixtures displayed signs of self-assembly and micellization, perhaps due to the reduction in calculated Gordon parameter, which decreases linearly with increasing alkyl chain length. Systematic differences were thus observed in the ability of the solvents to modulate assembly, from globular micelles in ChCl:EG, to weaker assembly in long-tail DES, and complete solubilisation in butaline and pentaline.

The proximal femur is key for understanding locomotion in primates. Here, the authors analyze the evolution of the proximal femur in catarrhines, including a new Aegyptopithecus fossil, and suggest that Old World monkeys and hominoids diverged from an ancestral state similar to Aegyptopithecus.

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations specialize in both prey and prey acquisition tactics around the world and may be a primary evolutionary driver of the habits of small cetaceans. Entanglement in fishing gear is the most significant anthropogenic threat to the survival of cetaceans worldwide. Distinguishing between natural and human-caused sources of mortality and injury is a key task in marine mammal conservation and management. In British Columbia (BC), Canada, mammal-eating killer whales co-occur with Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). Bycatch mortality rates are unknown here due to lack of systematic fisheries observer coverage. Drawing from more than three decades of first-hand observations of killer whale attacks on Pacific white-sided dolphins, we identify common themes with respect to predatory behavior of killer whales and anti-predatory responses of dolphins. With input from veterinary pathologists, we outline clues to distinguish killer whale rake marks from scars and wounds likely to be caused by fishery interactions. We examined photographs of 415 well-marked Pacific white-side dolphins for evidence of injuries and scars consistent with either killer whale attacks or fishery interactions. In this case study, healed scars from interactions with killer whale predators were ∼8× more common than scars from fishery interactions (3.9 vs. 0.5%), suggesting that predation is a much bigger threat to Pacific white-sided dolphins in the study area than anthropogenic impacts, or that dolphins are much less likely to survive a fishery interaction than a predation attempt. To advance our knowledge on poorly studied species, multiple lines of evidence will be needed.

Preventing declines in common species is key to sustaining the structure and function of marine ecosystems. Yet for many common marine mammals, including oceanic dolphins, statistical power to detect declines remains low due to patchy distribution and large variability in group sizes. In this study, population viability analyses (PVA) were used to model the dynamics of four oceanic dolphin populations off the United States West Coast: eastern North Pacific long-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis capensis), short-beaked common dolphins (D. delphis delphis), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), and “offshore” common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We calibrated the PVA with life-history tables, studies on proxy species, and stock assessment reports. We explored the sensitivity of populations to demographic variation and projected how they may respond to changes in three sublethal threats (prey limitation, ocean noise, and chemical pollution) and one lethal threat (fisheries bycatch). We found the most serious projected declines in long-beaked common dolphins, which showed the lowest birth rate. Most threat scenarios resulted in declines that would not be detected by existing monitoring programs in the United States, which are among the most data-rich surveys of their kind. The cumulative effects of the three sublethal stressors exceeded the effect of the one lethal stressor (fisheries bycatch). To implement pro-active management and monitoring programs, anticipating which cetaceans are more at risk and which anthropogenic threats could cause declines is paramount. Our study highlights the value of model testing with PVA when monitoring data are poor, thereby identifying priorities for future research, monitoring, and management.

Abstract Changbaishan/Paektu volcano straddles the border between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and China. It was responsible for one of the largest eruptions in history, the “Millennium Eruption' of 946 CE. An episode of unrest between 2002 and 2005, characterized by inflation and seismicity, refocused attention on this volcano. While satellite remote sensing has provided synoptic observations, ground‐based surveillance has hitherto supported only disparate analyses and geophysical interpretations on either side of the border. Here, we derive receiver functions using seismic records from both Democratic People's Republic of Korea and China. H‐κ stacking indicates thick crust (up to 40 km) and high average crustal VP/VS (up to 1.93) beneath the volcano. Grid search inversions constrain a significant velocity reduction at 4–8 km depth (below sea level), and harmonic analysis suggests this dips away from the volcano, with shallowest depths centered beneath the volcano. Common conversion point migrations show that this anomaly extends ∼30 km from the volcano summit and possibly as far as neighboring volcanoes. The colocation of the velocity reduction with a zone of high‐conductivity, low‐velocity, and low‐density material at the depth of the inflation source implicated in the 2002–2005 unrest indicates that partial melt is present directly beneath Changbaishan/Paektu, likely recharged during the episode of unrest. Our study highlights the importance of continued surveillance of the volcano and the need for further geophysical studies to constrain more fully the triggers for unrest and controls on its evolution.

Abstract Imaging the lithosphere is key to understand mechanisms of extension as rifting progresses. Continental rifting results in a combination of mechanical stretching and thinning of the lithosphere, decompression upwelling, heating, sometimes partial melting of the asthenosphere, and potentially partial melting of the mantle lithosphere. The northern East African Rift system is an ideal locale to study these processes as it exposes the transition from tectonically active continental rifting to incipient seafloor spreading. Here we use S‐to‐P receiver functions to image the lithospheric structure beneath the northernmost East African Rift system where it forms a triple junction between the Main Ethiopian rift, the Red Sea rift, and the Gulf of Aden rift. We image the Moho at 31 ± 6 km beneath the Ethiopian plateau. The crust is 28 ± 3 km thick beneath the Main Ethiopian rift and thins to 23 ± 2 km in northern Afar. We identify a negative phase, a velocity decrease with depth, at 67 ± 3 km depth beneath the Ethiopian plateau, likely associated with the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (LAB), and a lack of a LAB phase beneath the rift. Using observations and waveform modeling, we show that the LAB phase beneath the plateau is likely defined by a small amount of partial melt. The lack of a LAB phase beneath the rift suggests melt percolation through the base of the lithosphere beneath the northernmost East African Rift system.

Abstract Background Interventions are needed to improve viral suppression rates among persons with HIV and substance use. A 3-arm randomized multi-site study (Metsch et al. in JAMA 316:156–70, 2016) was conducted to evaluate the effect on HIV outcomes of usual care referral to HIV and substance use services (N = 253) versus patient navigation delivered alone (PN: N = 266) or together with contingency management (PN + CM; N = 271) that provided financial incentives targeting potential behavioral mediators of viral load suppression. Aims This secondary analysis evaluates the effects of financial incentives on attendance at PN sessions and the relationship between session attendance and viral load suppression at end of the intervention. Methods Frequency of sessions attended was analyzed over time and by distribution of individual session attendance frequency (PN vs PN + CM). Percent virally suppressed (≤200 copies/mL) at 6 months was compared for low, medium and high rate attenders. In PN + CM a total of $220 could be earned for attendance at 11 PN sessions over the 6-month intervention with payments ranging from $10 to $30 under an escalating schedule. Results The majority (74%) of PN-only participants attended 6 or more sessions but only 28% attended 10 or more and 16% attended all eleven sessions. In contrast, 90% of PN + CM attended 6 or more visits, 69% attended 10 or more and 57% attended all eleven sessions (attendance distribution χ2[11] = 105.81; p

Synthesis of nanostructured ceria on green deep eutectic solvent reline is one of the less energy-intensive routes to date. Here, the authors show that the reline solvent plays the role of a latent supramolecular catalyst driving the pre-organization of the reactants, allowing morphology and porosity control.

Orangutan pelves commonly exhibit a large, projecting tubercle in the iliopubic region, historically assumed to homologous to the pubic tubercle in humans. However, it is not clear whether this tubercle is a unique feature of Pongo, or if it is anatomically homologous with the human pubic tubercle when considered as a soft tissue attachment point. To clarify this issue, we dissected orangutan and other ape cadaveric specimens to evaluate the pelvic brim soft tissues and how they may relate to the tubercle (when present). We additionally conducted a broad osteological survey of pelvic brim morphology across 28 primate genera (n = 294 specimens) to document the presence of the tubercle in primate pelves. Cadaveric dissections revealed that the tubercle is exclusively associated with the proximal attachment of the adductor longus muscle tendon in orangutans. Our osteological survey confirms that the tubercle is both constantly present and very prominent in orangutans. We observed that the tubercle is consistently situated along the pectineal line, lateral to where the pubic tubercle in humans is found, thereby making its structural homology unlikely. The osteological survey documented the tubercle at polymorphic frequencies in all hominoid taxa, though generally less protuberant than observed in Pongo. We argue that this further excludes its possibility of homology with the pubic tubercle, and that it may therefore be more appropriately be considered an adductor longus tubercle. We discuss possible functional and phylogenetic implications for this feature.

Our understanding of melt production during early continental breakup remains poorly constrained. Using the Afar triple junction as an example, Gallacher et al. generate a 3D velocity model suggesting that melt production is highest during early continental breakup due to localised thinning of the crust.

The requirement to monitor listed species in European designated sites is challenging for long-lived mobile species that only temporarily occupy protected areas. We use a 21 year time series of bottlenose dolphin photo-identification data to assess trends in abundance and conservation status within a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Scotland. Mark–recapture methods were used to estimate annual abundance within the SAC from 1990 to 2010. A Bayesian mark–recapture model with a state-space approach was used to estimate overall population trends using data collected across the populations’ range. Despite inter-annual variability in the number of dolphins within the SAC, there was a >99% probability that the wider population was stable or increasing. Results indicate that use of the SAC by the wider population has declined. This is the first evidence of long-term trends in the use of an EU protected area by small cetaceans in relation to changes in overall population status. Our results highlight the importance of adapting the survey protocols used in long-term photo-identification studies to maintain high capture probabilities and minimise sampling heterogeneity. Crucially, these data demonstrate the value of collecting data from the wider population to assess the success of protected areas designated for mobile predators. Keywords: Abundance, Bayesian, Bottlenose dolphin, Mark–recapture, Photo-identification, Special Area of Conservation

Abstract Accurate estimates of fecundity rate are key to population assessments and effectively direct conservation efforts. We present a new approach to estimate fecundity rate based on the probability of a female giving birth, conditional on a previous birth t years ago, from which an expected inter‐birth interval (IBI) can be estimated. We use generalized linear mixed‐effects models to account for individual and temporal variability and apply the approach to individual reproductive histories of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the east coast of Scotland. We estimate a fecundity rate of 0.222 (95% CI = 0.218–0.253) and an expected IBI of 4.49 yr (95% CI = 3.94–4.93 yr). We use simulated data samples to show that the approach produces estimates with a minimum bias of

Global warming poses particular challenges to migratory species, which face changes to the multiple environments occupied during migration. For many species, the timing of migration between summer and winter grounds and also within-season movements are crucial to maximise exploitation of temporarily abundant prey resources in feeding areas, themselves adapting to the warming planet. We investigated the temporal variation in the occurrence of fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in a North Atlantic summer feeding ground, the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada), from 1984 to 2010 using a long-term study of individually identifiable animals. These two sympatric species both shifted their date of arrival at a previously undocumented rate of more than 1 day per year earlier over the study period thus maintaining the approximate 2-week difference in arrival of the two species and enabling the maintenance of temporal niche separation. However, the departure date of both species also shifted earlier but at different rates resulting in increasing temporal overlap over the study period indicating that this separation may be starting to erode. Our analysis revealed that the trend in arrival was strongly related to earlier ice break-up and rising sea surface temperature, likely triggering earlier primary production. The observed changes in phenology in response to ocean warming are a remarkable example of phenotypic plasticity and may partly explain how baleen whales were able to survive a number of changes in climate over the last several million years. However, it is questionable whether the observed rate of change in timing can be maintained. Substantial modification to the distribution or annual life cycle of these species might be required to keep up with the ongoing warming of the oceans.

The harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) is a widespread marine predator in Northern Hemisphere waters. British populations have been subject to rapid declines in recent years. Food supply or inter-specific competition may be implicated but basic ecological data are lacking and there are few studies of harbour seal foraging distribution and habits. In this study, satellite tagging conducted at the major seal haul outs around the British Isles showed both that seal movements were highly variable among individuals and that foraging strategy appears to be specialized within particular regions. We investigated whether these apparent differences could be explained by individual level factors: by modelling measures of trip duration and distance travelled as a function of size, sex and body condition. However, these were not found to be good predictors of foraging trip duration or distance, which instead was best predicted by tagging region, time of year and inter-trip duration. Therefore, we propose that local habitat conditions and the constraints they impose are the major determinants of foraging movements. Specifically the distance to profitable feeding grounds from suitable haul-out locations may dictate foraging strategy and behaviour. Accounting for proximity to productive foraging resources is likely to be an important component of understanding population processes. Despite more extensive offshore movements than expected, there was also marked fidelity to the local haul-out region with limited connectivity between study regions. These empirical observations of regional exchange at short time scales demonstrates the value of large scale electronic tagging programs for robust characterization of at-sea foraging behaviour at a wide spatial scale.

BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections cause morbidity worldwide. They are difficult to diagnose in resource-limited regions, and most patients receive empiric treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Our objective here is to evaluate the potential impact of NTM diseases among patients treated presumptively for tuberculosis in Mali. METHODS: We re-evaluated sputum specimens among patients newly diagnosed with TB (naïve) and those previously treated for TB disease (chronic cases). Sputum microscopy, culture and Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing were performed. Identification of strains was performed using molecular probes or sequencing of secA1 and/or 16S rRNA genes. RESULTS: Of 142 patients enrolled, 61 (43%) were clinically classified as chronic cases and 17 (12%) were infected with NTM. Eleven of the 142 (8%) patients had NTM disease alone (8 M. avium, 2 M. simiae and 1 M. palustre). All these 11 were from the chronic TB group, comprising 11/61 (18%) of that group and all were identified as candidates for second line treatment. The remaining 6/17 (35.30%) NTM infected patients had coinfection with M. tuberculosis and all 6 were from the TB treatment naïve group. These 6 were candidates for the standard first line treatment regimen of TB. M. avium was identified in 11 of the 142 (8%) patients, only 3/11 (27.27%) of whom were HIV positive. CONCLUSIONS: NTM infections should be considered a cause of morbidity in TB endemic environments especially when managing chronic TB cases to limit morbidity and provide appropriate treatment.

Human mothers wean their children from breast milk at an earlier developmental stage than do ape mothers, resulting in human children chewing solid and semi-solid foods using the deciduous dentition. Mechanical forces generated by chewing solid foods during the post-weaning period travel through not only the deciduous teeth, but also the enamel caps of the developing permanent teeth within the maxilla and mandible, which are not present in the adult face. The effects of mechanical stress propagating through these very stiff structures have yet to be examined. Based on a heuristic model, we predicted that the enamel of the embedded developing teeth would act to reduce stresses in the surrounding bony elements of the juvenile face. We tested this hypothesis by simulating occlusal loading in a finite element (FE) model of a child's cranium with a complete set of deciduous teeth and the first permanent molars embedded in the bony crypt in the maxilla. We modeled bone and enamel with appropriate material properties and assessed the effect of embedding high-stiffness enamel structures on stress distribution in the juvenile face. Against expectation, the presence of unerupted enamel caps does not affect the magnitude or location of stresses in the juvenile face. Our results do not support the hypothesis that the unerupted secondary teeth act to moderate stresses in the juvenile face.

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) of marine resources attempts to conserve interacting species. In contrast to single-species fisheries management, EBM aims to identify and resolve conflicting objectives for different species. Such a conflict may be emerging in the northeastern Pacific for southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) and their primary prey, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Both species have at-risk conservation status and transboundary (Canada-US) ranges. We modeled individual killer whale prey requirements from feeding and growth records of captive killer whales and morphometric data from historic live-capture fishery and whaling records worldwide. The models, combined with caloric value of salmon, and demographic and diet data for wild killer whales, allow us to predict salmon quantities needed to maintain and recover this killer whale population, which numbered 87 individuals in 2009. Our analyses provide new information on cost of lactation and new parameter estimates for other killer whale populations globally. Prey requirements of southern resident killer whales are difficult to reconcile with fisheries and conservation objectives for Chinook salmon, because the number of fish required is large relative to annual returns and fishery catches. For instance, a U.S. recovery goal (2.3% annual population growth of killer whales over 28 years) implies a 75% increase in energetic requirements. Reducing salmon fisheries may serve as a temporary mitigation measure to allow time for management actions to improve salmon productivity to take effect. As ecosystem-based fishery management becomes more prevalent, trade-offs between conservation objectives for predators and prey will become increasingly necessary. Our approach offers scenarios to compare relative influence of various sources of uncertainty on the resulting consumption estimates to prioritise future research efforts, and a general approach for assessing the extent of conflict between conservation objectives for threatened or protected wildlife where the interaction between affected species can be quantified.

Qualitative and quantitative changes in IGRA response offer promise as biomarkers to monitor Tuberculosis (TB) drug therapy, and for the comparison of new interventions. We studied the decay kinetics of TB-specific antigen T-cell responses measured with an in-house ELISPOT assay during the course of therapy.Newly diagnosed sputum smear positive TB cases with typical TB chest radiographs were recruited. All patients were given standard anti-TB treatment. Each subject was followed up for 6 months and treatment outcomes were documented. Blood samples were obtained for the ESAT-6 and CFP-10 (EC) ELISPOT at diagnosis, 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-months. Qualitative and quantitative reversion of the ELISPOT results were assessed with McNemar test, conditional logistic regression and mixed-effects hierarchical Poisson models.A total of 116 cases were recruited and EC ELISPOT was positive for 87% (95 of 109) at recruitment. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of EC ELISPOT positive cases over the treatment period (p

About 2.5 million agricultural acres are located adjacent or in close proximity to nonfarm residences in California, leading to widespread farm-residential conflicts. This exploratory study compared high- and low-conflict edges in four crop-growing communities in two counties. (A separate analysis of San Diego County in a sidebar compares two edge situations involving animal and nursery operations.) We present tentative generalizations about conflict variations, sources and solutions. High conflict levels were largely due to residents’ unfamiliarity with agricultural activities, although conflict levels were also related to specific farming practices. We also pose questions to guide further and more systematic research on the edge issue in California agriculture.

Vaccination with a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara expressing antigen 85A from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, MVA85A, induces high levels of cellular immune responses in UK volunteers. We assessed the safety and immunogenicity of this new vaccine in West African volunteers.We vaccinated 21 healthy adult male subjects (11 BCG scar negative and 10 BCG scar positive) with MVA85A after screening for evidence of prior exposure to mycobacteria. We monitored them over six months, observing for clinical, haematological and biochemical adverse events, together with assessment of the vaccine induced cellular immune response using ELISPOT and flow cytometry. MVA85A was well tolerated with no significant adverse events. Mild local and systemic adverse events were consistent with previous UK trials. Marked immunogenicity was found whether individuals had a previous BCG scar or not. There was not enhanced immunogenicity in those with a BCG scar, and induced T cell responses were better maintained in apparently BCG-naïve Gambians than previously studied BCG-naïve UK vaccinees. Although responses were predominantly attributable to CD4+ T cells, we also identified antigen specific CD8+ T cell responses, in subjects who were HLA B-35 and in whom enough blood was available for more detailed immunological analysis.These data on the safety and immunogenicity of MVA85A in West Africa support its accelerated development as a promising booster vaccine for tuberculosis.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00423839.

Information on animal abundance and distribution is at the cornerstone of many wildlife and conservation strategies. However, these data can be difficult and costly to obtain for cetacean species. The expense of sufficient ship time to conduct design-unbiased line transect surveys may be simply out of reach for researchers in many countries, which nonetheless grapple with problems of conservation of endangered species, by-catch of small cetaceans in commercial fisheries, and progression toward ecosystem-based fisheries management. Recently developed spatial modeling techniques show promise for estimating wildlife abundance using non-randomized surveys, but have yet to receive much field-testing in areas where designed surveys have also been conducted. Effort and sightings data were collected along 9 650 km of transects aboard ships of opportunity in the Southern Ocean during the austral summers of 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. Generalized additive models with generalized cross-validation were used to express heterogeneity of cetacean sightings as functions of spatial covariates. Models were used to map predicted densities and to estimate abundance of humpback, minke, and fin whales in the Drake Passage and along the Antarctic Peninsula. All species' distribution maps showed strong density gradients, which were robust to jackknife resampling when each of 14 trips was removed sequentially with replacement. Looped animations of model predictions of whale density illustrate uncertainty in distribution estimates in a way that is informative to non-scientists. The best abundance estimate for humpback whales was 1 829 (95% CI: 978-3 422). Abundance of fin whales was 4 487 (95% CI: 1 326-15 179) and minke whales was 1,544 (95% CI: 1,221-1,953). These estimates agreed roughly with those reported from a designed survey conducted in the region during the previous austral summer. These estimates assumed that all animals on the trackline were detected, but preliminary results suggest that any negative bias due to violation of this assumption was likely small. Similarly, current methodological limitations prohibit inclusion of all known sources of uncertainty in the favored variance estimator. Meanwhile, our approach can be seen generally as an inexpensive pilot study to identify areas of predicted high density that could be targeted to: inform stratified designs for future line transect surveys, making them less expensive and more precise; increase efficiency of future photo-identification or biopsy studies; identify candidate time-area fisheries closures to minimize by-catch; or direct ecotourism activities. The techniques are likely to apply to areas where funding is limiting, where cetacean studies or wilderness-based tourism are just beginning, or in regions where even a very rough estimate of animal abundance is needed for conservation or management purposes.

Systems devised for managing tropical forests sustainably have yet to prove successful. In many instances, they have fallen short of initial prospects, but the reasons for these shortfalls are often not apparent. Here, we explore factors that can shape the likelihood of success, collectively referred to as background conditions, which are not always adequately considered prior to selecting a suitable management system. We examine the ability of one background condition, geologic terrane, to explain crude spatial variation in a number of trailing indicators of varying forest land use. Forest areas on Precambrian and Phanerozoic terranes show significant differences in production of fossil hydrocarbons, gold, and tropical roundwood, among other indicators, even after considering regional effects. Background conditions are considered to be factors capable of quantifying spatial variation in the likelihood of achieving management success given predefined benchmarks of sustainability. A number of avenues for further exploring and discriminating spatial variation of background conditions are discussed.