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[Display omitted] Within the Great Lakes, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have been detected in urban surface waters. Understanding the human and ecological health consequences of environmentally-relevant exposures to persistent CECs, particularly as complex mixtures, is essential. Surface water and a limited number of sediment samples were collected over two years (Spring and Fall 2018–2019) at multiple locations in the Lake Huron to Lake Erie corridor to investigate more than 150 CECs. Surface water was analyzed for pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Sediment was analyzed for PFAS. Fifty compounds were detected at ng/L or ng/kg levels. Synthetic sweeteners accounted for 55.7% of the cumulative concentration of all compounds detected across sampling events, followed by pesticides (27.5%), pharmaceuticals (11.7%), and stimulants (3.5%), with 14 compounds consistently detected: acesulfame-potassium, sucralose, sulfamethoxazole, acetaminophen, lidocaine, atenolol, gemfibrozil, iohexol, atrazine, diaminochlorotriazine, deethyl-atrazine, deisopropylatrazine, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and caffeine. Compound mixtures became increasingly complex downstream and indicated that the downstream Lake Huron to Erie corridor is wastewater effluent-dominated, whereas the aquatic environment associated with Lake St. Clair is influenced by a mixed urban, suburban, and agricultural landscape. These results will inform follow-up studies on persistent contaminant mixtures and multiple stressors, and offer science-based priorities and evaluation objectives for natural resource and public health agencies/initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The morphology and development of the larval oral apparatus of Rana dalmatina, Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo, and Bufo viridis are described and compared using scanning electron microscopy. The species show different arrangements of the mouthparts. The small oral apparatus of R. dalmatina larvae has three labial tooth rows on the upper labium, while there are four tooth rows on the lower labium with a medial gap in row proximal to the mouth. The margins of the oral apparatus are defined by papillae that encircle the lower labium. B. variegata tadpoles have two upper labial tooth rows and three lower labial tooth rows that are uninterrupted, unlike the ones of R. dalmatina. The mouth is encircled by papillae that are larger than those of R. dalmatina. The oral discs of tadpoles of both B. bufo and B. viridis are similar. They are defined by two upper labial tooth rows (the second of which is interrupted by a medial gap) and by three lower tooth rows that differ in lengths in the two Bufo species. Both species develop papillae on the mouth angles and in two rows on the upper labium. Some morphological differences among the oral discs of R. dalmatina, B. variegata, B. bufo, and B. viridis tadpoles can be attributed to phylogenetic differences, but most can be related to their varying feeding habits and/or to their dietary specializations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• First toolkit to assist forensic genetic applications for the Hermann's tortoise. • Six major genetic clusters found along the Mediterranean range. • More than two thirds of confiscated tortoises assigned to their areas of origin. • Evidence of long-distance translocation and illegal trade from Balkan areas. • Useful toolkit to manage the reintroduction of confiscated tortoises. The illegal trade has been threatening tortoise populations worldwide for decades. Nowadays, however, DNA typing and forensic genetic approaches allow us to investigate the geographic origin of confiscated animals and to relocate them into the wild, providing that suitable molecular tools and reference data are available. Here we assess the suitability of a small panel of microsatellite markers to investigate patterns of illegal translocations and to assist forensic genetic applications in the endangered Mediterranean land tortoise Testudo hermanni hermanni. Specific allelic ladders were created for each locus and tested on several reference samples. We used the microsatellite panel to (i) increase our understanding of the population genetic structure in wild populations with new data from previously unsampled geographic areas (overall 461 wild individuals from 28 sampling sites); (ii) detect the presence of non-native individuals in wild populations; and (iii) identify the most likely geographic area of origin of 458 confiscated individuals hosted in Italian seizure and recovery centers. Our analysis initially identified six major genetic clusters corresponding to different geographic macro-areas along the Mediterranean range. Long-distance migrants among wild populations, due to translocations, were found and removed from the reference database. Assignment tests allowed us to allocate approximately 70 % of confiscated individuals of unknown origin to one of the six Mediterranean macro-areas. Most of the assigned tortoises belonged to the genetic cluster corresponding to the area where the respective captivity center was located. However, we also found evidence of long-distance origins of confiscated individuals, especially in centers along the Adriatic coast and facing the Balkan regions, a well-known source of illegally traded individuals. Our results clearly show that the microsatellite panel and the reference dataset can play a beneficial role in reintroduction and repatriation projects when confiscated individuals need to be re-assigned to their respective macro-area of origin before release, and can assist future forensic genetic applications in detecting the illegal trade and possession of Testudo hermanni individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The optimal therapy for locally advanced malignant thymoma is controversial. We review our experience with a multimodal approach in 63 consecutive cases. Patients and methods: Forty-three patients had stage III and 20 stage IVa disease. Surgery with radical intent was initially performed in 30 cases, while 33 cases not amenable to radical surgery underwent neoadjuvant treatment (radiotherapy in 8 and chemotherapy in 25) before surgical reassessment. All patients, whether or not surgically resected, received radiation therapy. Results: Radical resection (RR) was performed in 20 patients ab initio (all stage III) and in 12 patients after neoadjuvant treatment (eight stage III and four stage IVa). With the addition of patients radically operated with neoadjuvant treatment, the radical resection rate increased from 46 to 65% in stage III patients, and from 0 to 20% in those with stage IVa disease, respectively. Radical surgery was associated with longer progression free survival and overall survival according to both univariate analysis (P<0.001 and 0.01, respectively) and multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, gender, histology and disease stage (P<0.001 and <0.02, respectively). Progression free survival (median 56.9 months) was slightly lower in patients undergoing radical surgery after neoadjuvant approaches than in those radically resected ab initio (median not achieved), but overall survival (median not achieved) was similar in both groups. Subtotal surgical resection promoted complete response to subsequent radiation therapy. This condition significantly correlated with a better outcome. Conclusions: Complete surgical resection is an independent prognostic parameter in locally advanced thymoma treated with a multimodal approach. Preoperative treatment to increase the complete resection rate could improve the overall survival of these patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]