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The article discusses the need for mechanistic explanations in seed ecology and highlights the limitations of broad-scale correlative studies that ignore mechanisms. The authors specifically focus on seed dormancy and argue that the current understanding of seed dormancy as an adaptive response to climate seasonality is flawed. They propose that fire regime, rather than climate seasonality, is a more plausible mechanism for selecting prolonged seed dormancy. The article also mentions similar issues in other areas of ecology, such as species diversity and trait ecology, and emphasizes the importance of a mechanistic understanding and hypothesis-driven research. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction Material and Methods Results Conclusions Peritoneal infiltrating and fibrotic endometriosis, also known as deep endometriosis, is the most severe manifestation of the disease that can cause severe complications including bowel and ureteral stenosis. The natural history of these lesions and the possible effect of hormonal treatments on their progression are undefined. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to investigate whether and how frequently deep endometriosis progresses over time without or with ovarian suppression. This could inform management decisions in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients.For this pre‐registered systematic review (CRD42023463518), the PubMed and Embase databases were screened, and studies published between 2000 and 2023 that serially evaluated the size of deep endometriotic lesions without or with hormonal treatment were selected. Data on the progression, stability, or regression of deep endometriotic lesions were recorded as absolute frequencies or mean volume variations. Estimates of the overall percentage of progression and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random‐effect model. When studies reported lesion progression as pre‐ and post‐treatment volume means, the delta of the two‐volume means was calculated and analyzed using the inverse variance method.A total of 29 studies were identified, of which 19 studies with 285 untreated and 730 treated patients were ultimately selected for meta‐analysis. The overall estimate of the percentage of lesion progression in untreated individuals was 21.4% (95% CI, 6.8–40.8%; I2 = 90.5%), whereas it was 12.4% during various hormonal treatments (95% CI, 9.0–16.1%; I2 = 0%). Based on the overall meta‐analysis estimates, the odds ratio of progression in treated versus untreated patients was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.41–0.66). During hormonal suppression, the mean volume of deep endometriotic lesions decreased significantly by 0.87 cm3 (95% CI, 0.19–1.56 cm3; I2 = 0%), representing −28.5% of the baseline volume.Untreated deep endometriotic lesions progressed in about one in five patients. Medical therapy reduced but did not eliminate this risk. Given the organ function failure potentially caused by these lesions, the decision whether to use hormonal treatments in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic women should always be shared, carefully weighing the potential benefits and harms of the two alternatives after extensive counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most published reports on SAMD9L‐related ataxia‐pancytopenia syndrome (ATXPC) have emphasized the hematologic findings. Fewer details are known about the progression of neurologic manifestations and methods for monitoring them. Cases: We present six individuals from two families transmitting a heterozygous variant in SAMD9L, exhibiting clinical variations in their hematologic and neurologic findings. Serial motor function testing was used to monitor motor proficiency over a 2 to 3 year period in the proband and his father from Family 1. Conclusions: Our case series focuses on the neurologic progression in patients with heterozygous variants in SAMD9L. Patients with ATXPC should be followed to evaluate a wide range of neurologic manifestations. Serial motor function testing using a standardized method is helpful to track changes in balance and coordination in children and adults with ATXPC and could aid in a future extended natural history study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the more significant issues to have emerged from the discourse surrounding the Anthropocene has concerned the apparent incommensurability of human and natural history and the vastly different timescales involved. More generally, such discourse raises critical questions about the very different way time is conceptualized in the natural sciences as opposed to in the social sciences and humanities. In this article, I draw on my own disciplinary background in archaeology in order to contribute to these differences and build bridges between the two disciplinary domains by foregrounding the materiality of time. I use a partly allegorical approach inspired by Edwin Abbott's nineteenth‐century novel Flatland to investigate a notion of three‐dimensional of time, which I compare with Gilles Deleuze's three temporal syntheses. The article argues for the concept of Thick Time, which emphasizes the importance of time as constituted by things, whereby things make time rather than exist within it. A material time is one that foregrounds time as a mode of transmission, a "passing on," and of the persistence of the past in the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses methods to take into account interactions between characters, in the context of parsimony analysis. These interactions can be in the form of some characters becoming inapplicable given certain states of other, primary characters; in the form of only certain states being allowed in some characters when a given state or set of states occurs for other characters; or in the form of transformation costs in some character being higher or lower when other characters have certain states or transformations between states. Character–state reconstructions and evaluation of trees under the assumption of independence may easily lead to ancestral assignments that violate elementary rules of biomechanics, well‐established theories relating form and function or ideas about character co‐variation. An obvious example is reconstructing an ancestral bird as wingless and flying at the same time; another is reconstructing a protein‐coding gene as having a stop codon in some ancestors. If the characters are optimized independently, such chimeric ancestral reconstructions can occur even when no terminal displays the impossible combination of states. A set of conventions (implemented via new TNT commands and options) allows the definition of complex rules of interaction. By recoding groups of characters with proper step–matrix costs (and excluding impossible combinations from the set of permissible states), it is possible to find the ancestral reconstructions that maximize homology (and thus the degree to which similarities can be explained by common ancestry), within the constraints imposed by the rules specified by the user. We expect that considerations of biomechanics, functional morphology and natural history will be a source of many theories on possible character dependences, and that the present implementation will encourage users to take the possibility of character dependences into account in their phylogenetic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Null models provide a valuable baseline against which fundamental ecological hypotheses can be tested and foraging choices that cannot be explained by neutral processes or sampling biases can be highlighted. In this way, null models can advance our understanding beyond simplistic dietary descriptions to identify drivers of interactions. This method, however, requires estimates of resource availability, which are generally imperfect representations of highly dynamic systems. Optimising method selection is crucial for study design, but the precise effects of different resource availability data on the efficacy of null models are poorly understood.Using spider–prey networks as a model, we used prey abundance (suction sample) and activity density (sticky trap) data, and combinations of the two, to simulate null networks. We compared null diet composition, network properties (e.g., connectance and nestedness) and deviations of simulations from metabarcoding‐based spider dietary data to ascertain how different prey availability data alter ecological interpretation.Different sampling methods produced different null networks and inferred distinct prey selectivity. Null models based on prey abundance and combined frequency‐of‐occurrence data generated null diet compositions, which more closely resembled the diet composition determined by metabarcoding. Null models based on prey abundance, activity density and proportionally combined data generated null network properties most like the networks constructed via dietary metabarcoding.We show that survey method choice impacts all aspects of null network analyses, the precise effects varying between methods but ultimately altering ecological interpretation by increasing disparity in network properties or trophic niches between null and directly constructed networks. Merging datasets can generate more complete prey availability data but is not a panacea because it introduces different biases. The choice of method should reflect the research hypotheses and study system being investigated. Ultimately, survey methods should emulate the foraging mode of the focal predator as closely as possible, informed by the known ecology, natural history and behaviour of the predator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation museomics is an emerging approach in conservation science that utilizes high-dimensional data sets derived from natural history collections to understand how biodiversity responds to environmental change and its relationship to human well-being. This approach combines novel technology and interdisciplinary expertise in museums and other collections to address key challenges in conservation science and practice. Conservation museomics also emphasizes the importance of collaboration, participatory research frameworks, and the integration of museums' public-facing nature to engage the public, form partnerships, and educate. It has the potential to enhance the understanding of species interactions, historical community structures, and the impacts of environmental changes on species. Additionally, conservation museomics can contribute to the study of historical pathogen genomes and interactions, as well as boost the dimensionality of existing methods for monitoring and measuring biodiversity. However, it is important for conservation museomics to be interdisciplinary, inclusive, and respectful of Indigenous Peoples' rights and wishes in order to broaden its scope and contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and human well-being. [Extracted from the article]

Pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are a priority population for hepatitis B care. Identification of HBV status prior to pregnancy would facilitate timely maternal interventions and perinatal care. In our study, we aimed to study the epidemiology of CHB among women of childbearing age (WoCBA, 18–49 years) in Alberta, Canada. We retrospectively analysed Alberta Analytics databases to study CHB epidemiology, natural history and care linkage among WoCBA in Alberta, between April 2012 and March 2021. A Poisson regression was conducted to estimate incidence of newly identified CHB cases and prevalence trends, whereas predictors of care linkage were determined using logistic regression. Age/sex‐adjusted incidence of newly identified CHB among WoCBA between 2015 and 2020 was 36.2/100,000 person/years, highest among individuals aged 30–39 years. Incidence of newly identified CHB decreased from 52.6 to 18.2/100,000 between 2015 and 2020, but prevalence increased from 131.7 to 248.6/100,000 in the same period. Newly identified CHB incident cases (n = 2124) had lower survival rates than age/sex‐matched Canadians, with a standardized mortality ratio of 5.7 (95% CI 2.6–11.0). Increasing age (years) at diagnosis (HR, 1.2; 95% CI 1.1–1.3) was independently associated with mortality. Comorbid hepatocellular carcinoma, anti‐HBV treatment and year of diagnosis were not significantly associated with mortality. Of the 1927 women with 2436 hepatitis B surface antigen‐positive pregnancies from 2012 to 2020, only 27.6% had recommended HBV assessment during pregnancy. Of those women meeting criteria for antiviral therapy to prevent mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT), only 66.4% received treatment. Suboptimal management during pregnancy and overall lower survival rates highlight the need to address care linkage barriers in women of childbearing age living with CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LAMA2‐related dystrophies (LAMA2‐RD) constitute a rare neuromuscular disorder with a broad spectrum of phenotypic severity. Our understanding of the genotype–phenotype correlations in this condition remains incomplete, and reliable clinical data for clinical trial readiness is limited. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the genetic data and medical records of 114 LAMA2‐RD patients enrolled at seven research centers in Brazil. We identified 58 different pathogenic variants, including 21 novel ones. Six variants were more prevalent and were present in 81.5% of the patients. Notably, the c.1255del, c.2049_2050del, c.3976 C>T, c.5234+1G>A, and c.4739dup variants were found in patients unable to walk and without cortical malformation. In contrast, the c.2461A>C variant was present in patients who could walk unassisted. Among ambulatory patients, missense variants were more prevalent (p < 0.0001). Although no specific hotspot regions existed in the LAMA2, 51% of point mutations were in the LN domain, and 88% of the missense variants were found within this domain. Functional analysis was performed in one intronic variant (c.4960‐17C>A) and revealed an out‐of‐frame transcript, indicating that the variant creates a cryptic splicing site (AG). Our study has shed light on crucial phenotype–genotype correlations and provided valuable insights, particularly regarding the Latin American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Methods Results Conclusion To report clinical and genetic characteristics of familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) in the Finnish population.Detailed clinical and genetic data of 35 individuals with heterozygous pathogenic variants in FZD4 were gathered and analysed.Thirty‐two individuals with FZD4 c.313A>G variant and three individuals with FZD4 c.40_49del were included in the study. The clinical phenotype was variable even among family members with the same FZD4 variant. Only 34% (N = 12/35) of variant‐positive individuals had been clinically diagnosed with FEVR. The median age of the onset of symptoms was 2.3 years, ranging between 0 to 25 years. Median visual acuity was 0.1 logMAR (0.8 Snellen decimal), ranging between light perception and −0.1 logMAR (1.25 Snellen decimal). Most (N = 33/35, 94%) were classified as not visually impaired. Despite unilateral visual loss present in some, they did not meet the criteria of visual impairment according to the WHO classification. Two study patients (N = 2/35, 6%) had severe visual impairment. The most common FEVR stage in study patient's eyes (N = 28/70 eyes, 40%) was FEVR stage 1, that is, avascular periphery or abnormal vascularisation. Most of FZD4‐variant‐positive study patient's eyes (N = 31/50 eyes, 62%) were myopic. Two individuals presented with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous expanding the phenotypic spectrum of FEVR. Shared haplotypes extending approximately 0.9 Mb around the recurrent FZD4 c.313A>G variant were identified.Most study patients were unaffected or had mild clinical manifestations by FEVR. Myopia seemed to be overly common in FZD4‐variant‐positive individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genetic, lifestyle, reproductive, and anthropometric factors are associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. However, it is not yet known whether polygenic risk score (PRS) and absolute risk based on a combination of risk factors are associated with the risk of progression of breast cancer. This study aims to estimate the distribution of sojourn time (pre‐clinical screen‐detectable period) and mammographic sensitivity by absolute breast cancer risk derived from polygenic profile and the other risk factors. Methods: The authors used data from a population‐based case‐control study. Six categories of 10‐year absolute risk based on different combinations of risk factors were derived using the Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm. Women were classified into low, medium, and high‐risk groups. The authors constructed a continuous‐time multistate model. To calculate the sojourn time, they simulated the trajectories of subjects through the disease states. Results: There was little difference in sojourn time with a large overlap in the 95% confidence interval (CI) between the risk groups across the six risk categories and PRS studied. However, the age of entry into the screen‐detectable state varied by risk category, with the mean age of entry of 53.4 years (95% CI, 52.2–54.1) and 57.0 years (95% CI, 55.1–57.7) in the high‐risk and low‐risk women, respectively. Conclusion: In risk‐stratified breast screening, the age at the start of screening, but not necessarily the frequency of screening, should be tailored to a woman's risk level. The optimal risk‐stratified screening strategy that would improve the benefit‐to‐harm balance and the cost‐effectiveness of the screening programs needs to be studied. The age at which individuals with breast cancer enter a screen‐detectable state, as opposed to the length of time spent in that state, varied by absolute risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The conceptualization of brain death (BD) was pivotal in the shaping of judicial and medical practices. Nonetheless, media reports of alleged recovery from BD reinforced the criticism that this construct is a self‐fulfilling prophecy (by treatment withdrawal or organ donation). We meta‐analyzed the natural history of BD when somatic support (SS) is maintained. Methods: Publications on BD were eligible if the following were reported: aggregated data on its natural history with SS; and patient‐level data that allowed censoring at the time of treatment withdrawal or organ donation. Endpoints were as follows: rate of somatic expiration after BD with SS; BD misdiagnosis, including "functionally brain‐dead" patients (FBD; i.e. after the pronouncement of brain‐death, ≥1 findings were incongruent with guidelines for its diagnosis, albeit the lethal prognosis was not altered); and length and predictors of somatic survival. Results: Forty‐seven articles were selected (1610 patients, years: 1969–2021). In BD patients with SS, median age was 32.9 years (range = newborn–85 years). Somatic expiration followed BD in 99.9% (95% confidence interval = 89.8–100). Mean somatic survival was 8.0 days (range = 1.6 h–19.5 years). Only age at BD diagnosis was an independent predictor of somatic survival length (coefficient = −11.8, SE = 4, p < 0.01). Nine BD misdiagnoses were detected; eight were FBD, and one newborn fully recovered. No patient ever recovered from chronic BD (≥1 week somatic survival). Conclusions: BD diagnosis is reliable. Diagnostic criteria should be fine‐tuned to avoid the small incidence of misdiagnosis, which nonetheless does not alter the prognosis of FBD patients. Age at BD diagnosis is inversely proportional to somatic survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While global patterns of bee diversity have been modelled, our understanding of fine‐scale regional patterns is more limited, particularly for under‐sampled regions such as Africa. South Africa is among the exceptions on the African continent; its bee fauna (ca. 1253 species) has been well collected and documented, including mass digitising of its natural history collections. It is a region with high floral diversity, high habitat heterogeneity and variable rainfall seasonality.Here, we combine a South African bee species distributional database (877 bee species) with a geospatial modelling approach to determine fine‐scale (~11 × 11 km grid cell resolution) hotspots of bee species richness, endemism and range‐restricted species.Our analyses, based on the probabilities of occurrence surfaces for each species across 108,803 two‐minute grid cells, reveal three bee hotspots of richness: Winter rainfall, Aseasonal rainfall and Early‐to‐late summer rainfall. These hotspots contain large numbers of endemic and geographically restricted taxa. Hotspots with particularly high bee diversity include the Fynbos, Succulent Karoo and Desert biomes; the latter showing 6–20 times more species per unit area than other biomes. Our results conform with global species‐area patterns: areas of higher‐than‐expected bee density are largely concentrated in Mediterranean and arid habitats.This study further enhances our knowledge in identifying regional and global hotspots of richness and endemism for a keystone group of insects and enabling these to be accounted for when setting conservation priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Udeus Champion, 1902 is a weevil genus in the tribe Eugnomini associated with the inflorescences of Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae), with 11 valid species distributed in the Neotropics. Species of Udeus are generally rare in collections and their biology is poorly known, despite a high abundance in nature. Here, we describe Udeus cerradensis Lira, de Medeiros & Grossi, sp. nov. from the Brazilian Cerrado, including the first descriptions of larvae and pupae for a Neotropical eugnomine. We assess their role as potential pollinators of their host plant Cecropia saxatilis Snethl. and find that adults do not visit pistillate flowers and therefore are unlikely to be pollinators. This contrasts with previous reports in a different pair of species in Cecropia‐Udeus, suggesting that pollinator agents vary between species in this plant genus. Finally, we provide notes about the predation of larvae of U. cerradensis by social wasps Synoeca surinama (L.) and Protopolybia aff. sedula (Saussure), revealing that, in this instance, an endophytic larva does not prevent predation by a behaviourally flexible predator. This study is the first of a series on the natural history of Udeus and their specialised interactions with host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Intraspecific genetic variation is key for adaptation and survival in changing environments and is known to be influenced by many factors, including population size, dispersal and life‐history traits. We investigated genetic variation within Neotropical amphibian species to provide insights into how natural history traits, phylogenetic relatedness, climatic and geographic characteristics can explain intraspecific genetic diversity. Location: Neotropics. Taxon: Amphibians. Methods: We assembled data sets using open‐access databases for natural history traits, genetic sequences, phylogenetic trees, climatic and geographic data. For each species, we calculated overall nucleotide diversity (π) and tested for isolation by distance (IBD) and isolation by environment (IBE). We then identified predictors of π, IBD and IBE using random forest (RF) regression or RF classification. We also fitted phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models (PGLMMs) to predict π, IBD and IBE. Results: We compiled 4052 mitochondrial DNA sequences from 256 amphibian species (230 frogs and 26 salamanders), georeferencing 2477 sequences from 176 species that were not linked to occurrence data. RF regressions and PGLMMs were congruent in identifying range size and precipitation (σ) as the most important predictors of π, influencing it positively. RF classification and PGLMMs identified minimum elevation as an important predictor of IBD; most species without IBD tended to occur at higher elevations. Maximum latitude and precipitation (σ) were the best predictors of IBE, and most species without IBE occur at lower latitudes and in areas with more variable precipitation. Main Conclusions: This study identified predictors of genetic variation in Neotropical amphibians using both machine learning and phylogenetic methods. This approach was valuable to determine which predictors were congruent between methods. We found that species with small ranges or living in zones with less variable precipitation tended to have low genetic diversity. We also showed that Western Mesoamerica, Andes and Atlantic Forest biogeographic units harbour high diversity across many species that should be prioritized for protection. These results could play a key role in the development of conservation strategies for Neotropical amphibians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent proliferation of GPS technology has transformed animal movement research. Yet, time‐series data from this recent technology rarely span beyond a decade, constraining longitudinal research. Long‐term field sites hold valuable historic animal location records, including hand‐drawn maps and semantic descriptions. Here, we introduce a generalised workflow for converting such records into reliable location data to estimate home ranges, using 30 years of sleep‐site data from 11 white‐faced capuchin (Cebus imitator) groups in Costa Rica. Our findings illustrate that historic sleep locations can reliably recover home range size and geometry. We showcase the opportunity our approach presents to resolve open questions that can only be addressed with very long‐term data, examining how home ranges are affected by climate cycles and demographic change. We urge researchers to translate historical records into usable movement data before this knowledge is lost; it is essential to understanding how animals are responding to our changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Many congenital hydronephroses spontaneously resolve. This study evaluated a long‐term follow‐up of more than 4 years of patients with congenital hydronephrosis at a single center. Methods: In total, 215 patients (286 kidneys) with congenital hydronephrosis were included. Hydronephrosis outcomes (resolution, improvement, and persistence) and time‐to‐outcome were evaluated. Results: Fourteen patients underwent early surgical intervention until the age of 2 years. A total of 189 congenital hydronephrosis cases (66%) showed resolution at a median of 16 months (interquartile range: 7–21 months) and 169 (80%) of 210 kidneys with grade I to II hydronephrosis showed resolution at a median of 14 months (interquartile range: 6–23 months). Of 76 kidneys with grade III to IV hydronephrosis, 24 (32%) showed resolution at a median of 29 months (interquartile range: 24–41 months), and 56 (74%) showed improvement to grade II or less at a median of 12 months (interquartile range: 5–23 months). Of the 76 kidneys with grade III to IV hydronephrosis, five required delayed pyeloplasty at a median of 66 months (interquartile range: 42–89 months). One patient was asymptomatic, with a marked worsening of hydronephrosis and decreased renal function 6 years after the resolution of hydronephrosis. Conclusions: None of the patients with grade I to II hydronephrosis required surgical treatment, and a shorter follow‐up may be sufficient. Grade III to IV severe hydronephrosis should be considered for a longer and more careful follow‐up, given the possibility of asymptomatic exacerbation of hydronephrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Recursive partitioning of healthy consortia led to the development of the Clonal Hematopoiesis Risk Score (CHRS) for clonal haematopoiesis (CH); however, in the practical setting, most cases of CH are diagnosed after patients present with cytopenias or related symptoms. To address this real‐world population, we characterize the clinical trajectories of 94 patients with CH and distinguish CH harbouring canonical DNMT3A/TET2/ASXL1 mutations alone ('sole DTA') versus all other groups ('non‐sole DTA'). TET2, rather than DNMT3A, was the most prevalent mutation in the real‐world setting. Sole DTA patients did not progress to myeloid neoplasm (MN) in the absence of acquisition of other mutations. Contrastingly, 14 (20.1%) of 67 non‐sole DTA patients progressed to MN. CHRS assessment showed a higher frequency of high‐risk CH in non‐sole DTA (vs. sole DTA) patients and in progressors (vs. non‐progressors). RUNX1 mutation conferred the strongest risk for progression to MN (odds ratio [OR] 10.27, 95% CI 2.00–52.69, p = 0.0053). The mean variant allele frequency across all genes was higher in progressors than in non‐progressors (36.9% ± 4.62% vs. 24.1% ± 1.67%, p = 0.0064). This analysis in the post‐CHRS era underscores the natural history of CH, providing insight into patterns of progression to MN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores a specific type of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) known as ahemolytic PNH or white cell PNH. Unlike typical PNH, this subtype does not exhibit signs of hemolysis but is characterized by bone marrow failure and thrombophilia. The document suggests that this subtype may be caused by a PIGA mutation in a committed progenitor cell rather than a stem cell. The authors recommend considering screening for ahemolytic PNH in cases of thromboembolic events and bone marrow failure without hemolysis. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction Material and Methods Results Conclusions There is a gap in knowledge regarding development of endometriosis and adenomyosis lesions visible at transvaginal ultrasound. The objectives were to evaluate if women with symptoms suggestive of endometriosis or adenomyosis but normal ultrasound examination develop endometriosis or adenomyosis lesions visible at ultrasound over time and if alterations of symptoms over time are associated with ultrasound findings at follow‐up.This was a prospective cohort study of 100 symptomatic women with normal initial ultrasound examination during 2014–2017 who underwent follow‐up ultrasound examination in 2022. Symptoms suggestive of endometriosis were assessed using visual analog scale at both examinations and minimal clinically important difference of 10 mm was considered as a significant alteration. An examiner with expertise in advanced ultrasound examination of endometriosis performed transvaginal ultrasound examinations in accordance with the consensus protocol by the International Deep Endometriosis Analysis group.At follow‐up ultrasound examination of 100 women, 13 (13% [95% CI 7.1–21.2]) had visible endometriosis or adenomyosis lesions, 8 (8% [95% CI 3.5–15.2]) had endometriosis lesions, and 6 (6% [95% CI 2.2–12.6]) had adenomyosis. At follow‐up, women with endometriosis or adenomyosis lesions reported lower intensity of dysmenorrhea and chronic pelvic pain compared to women without lesions (48 mm [IQR 16–79] vs. 73 mm [IQR 46–85] and 45 mm [IQR 26–57] vs. 57 mm [IQR 36–75], p = 0.087 and p = 0.026, respectively). None of the women with endometriosis or adenomyosis lesions reported increased intensity of dysmenorrhea at follow‐up, compared to 32/86 women (37%) without lesions (p = 0.008). Increased intensity of chronic pelvic pain tended to be less common in women with lesions compared to those without (3/13 [23%] vs. 35/86 [41%], p = 0.223).Our findings suggest that in symptomatic women, endometriosis and adenomyosis lesions visible at ultrasound may develop over time. However, majority of women remain having normal ultrasound examinations despite symptoms. Exacerbation of dysmenorrhea or chronic pelvic pain during follow‐up was not associated with the development of endometriosis or adenomyosis lesions visible at ultrasound, suggesting that even women with less severe symptoms might benefit from a follow‐up ultrasound when indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among phytophagous insects, life history often evolves as a strategy to cope with seasonality in host plant availability. Whereas specialization often leads to dormancy, aestivation, or longevity, polyphagous species bridge between periods of host availability by exploiting alternative host plants. The aim of the present work was to characterize the life histories of four species of specialist and generalist uni‐ and multivoltine frugivorous fruit flies – Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann, Anastrepha fraterculus Wiedemann, Rhagoletis blanchardi Aczel, and Rhagoletotrypeta pastranai Aczel (all Diptera: Tephritidae) – inhabiting in sympatry in Las Yungas phytogeographical province in Tucumán (northwestern Argentina). For this purpose, infested host plant fruits were sequentially collected during two consecutive years, and flies recovered from these fruits were subjected to demographic experiments to establish longevity and overwintering mechanisms. The results indicated that life cycles were tightly related to host fruit availability, where multivoltine species sequentially exploit different host plants over the year, whereas univoltine species must undergo pupal dormancy to reach the next host fructification period and may extend the duration of dormancy when climatic conditions are acyclic and unpredictable. The present study may broaden knowledge about diapausing Tephritidae in subtropical regions and may contribute to an increased conceptual basis for the improvement of pest control strategies, such as the sterile insect technique (SIT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) are important consumers that range across the oceans throughout the southern hemisphere. In Argentina, previous studies have shown they eat primarily pinnipeds and penguins, which they are assumed to scavenge, although there are occasional anecdotes of them attacking living penguins. Here we describe a predation attempt by a trio of southern giant petrels on a molting adult Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) at the large colony at Punta Tombo, Argentina. We relate giant petrel attendance patterns at the colony to the penguins' phenology, showing how giant petrel numbers rise with the increasing prevalence of vulnerable penguins. We suggest that living penguins—both fledglings and adults—may constitute a more seasonally significant proportion of the giant petrel diet than previously assumed, and their capture may represent a specialized predation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) due to an X‐linked OTC mutation, is responsible for moderate to severe hyperammonemia (HA) with substantial morbidity and mortality. About 80% of females with OTCD remain apparently "asymptomatic" with limited studies of their clinical characteristics and long‐term health vulnerabilities. Multimodal neuroimaging studies and executive function testing have shown that asymptomatic females exhibit limitations when stressed to perform at higher cognitive load and had reduced activation of the prefrontal cortex. This retrospective study aims to improve understanding of factors that might predict development of defined complications and serious illness in apparent asymptomatic females. A proband and her daughter are presented to highlight the utility of multimodal neuroimaging studies and to underscore that asymptomatic females with OTCD are not always asymptomatic. Methods: We review data from 302 heterozygote females with OTCD enrolled in the Urea Cycle Disorders Consortium (UCDC) longitudinal natural history database. We apply multiple neuroimaging modalities in the workup of a proband and her daughter. Results: Among the females in the database, 143 were noted as symptomatic at baseline (Sym). We focused on females who were asymptomatic (Asx, n = 111) and those who were asymptomatic initially upon enrollment in study but who later became symptomatic sometime during follow‐up (Asx/Sym, n = 22). The majority of Asx (86%) and Asx/Sym (75%) subjects did not restrict protein at baseline, and ~38% of Asx and 33% of Asx/Sym subjects suffered from mild to severe neuropsychiatric conditions such as mood disorder and sleep problems. The risk of mild to severe HA sometime later in life for the Asx and Asx/Sym subjects as a combined group was ~4% (5/133), with ammonia ranging from 77 to 470 μM and at least half (2/4) of subjects requiring hospital admission and nitrogen scavenger therapy. For this combined group, the median age of first HA crisis was 50 years, whereas the median age of first symptom which included neuropsychiatric and/or behavioral symptoms was 17 years. The multimodal neuroimaging studies in female heterozygotes with OTCD also underscore that asymptomatic female heterozygotes with OTCD (e.g., proband) are not always asymptomatic. Conclusions: Analysis of Asx and Asx/Sym females with OTCD in this study suggests that future evidence‐based management guidelines and/or a clinical risk score calculator for this cohort could be useful management tools to reduce morbidity and improve long‐term quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The prevalence TFCC injuries has increased over time. However, there remains a lack of understanding of its natural history. Along with the paucity of evidence on treatment options, there is lack of consensus on how best to manage them. This is a retrospective study with subgroup cohort analysis, examining variables and management options associated with patient‐reported disability and pain. Methods: Patients from a metropolitan health network who have been referred for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the wrist between 2010 and 2019 and identified to have TFCC injury, were followed up to determine patient‐reported outcomes. Disability of arm shoulder and hand scores (DASH) and visual assessment pain scale (VAS) were used to measure disability and pain respectively. An 'excellent' DASH and VAS scores were defined as ≤10 and ≤2, respectively. Results: One hundred and twenty‐four patients met the inclusion criteria and consented to participate in this study. There were 53 patients with excellent DASH score, 95 excellent VAS score and 51 excellent outcomes at mean follow‐up of 75.5 months (Range: 5–402.8 months). Concomitant pathology and surgical management were less likely to have excellent DASH and VAS scores, while traumatic aetiology and smoking were less likely to have excellent VAS score. Age was not predictive of excellent DASH or VAS score. Conclusions: Surgical management of TFCC injuries were associated with worse outcomes than if they were left alone. Smoking cessation is a patient‐modifiable risk factor that may help improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades of empirical research have revealed how the geological history of our planet shaped plant evolution by establishing well‐known patterns (e.g., how mountain uplift resulted in high rates of diversification and replicate radiations in montane plant taxa). This follows a traditional approach where botanical data are interpreted in light of geological events. In this synthesis, I instead describe how by integrating natural history, phylogenetics, and population genetics, botanical research can be applied alongside geology and paleontology to inform our understanding of past geological and climatic processes. This conceptual shift aligns with the goals of the emerging field of geogenomics. In the neotropics, plant geogenomics is a powerful tool for the reciprocal exploration of two long standing questions in biology and geology: how the dynamic landscape of the region came to be and how it shaped the evolution of the richest flora. Current challenges that are specific to analytical approaches for plant geogenomics are discussed. I describe the scale at which various geological questions can be addressed from biological data and what makes some groups of plants excellent model systems for geogenomics research. Although plant geogenomics is discussed with reference to the neotropics, the recommendations given here for approaches to plant geogenomics can and should be expanded to exploring long‐standing questions on how the earth evolved with the use of plant DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Few long‐term studies have examined the life‐time prevalence of comorbid psychiatric conditions in patients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD). We therefore studied the frequency of comorbid psychiatric disorders, and their relation to onset and prognosis, in patients with OCD who were followed for almost half a century. Methods: During 1947–1953, 285 OCD patients were admitted as inpatients to a university hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. Among those, 251 (88%) accepted a structured comprehensive psychiatric examination in 1954–1956. In 1989–1993, 176 survivors were eligible and 144 (response rate 82%) were re‐examined. The same psychiatrist performed both examinations. OCD was diagnosed according to the Schneider criteria, and other mental disorders according to DSM‐IV. Mean follow‐up since onset was 47 years. Results: The lifetime frequency of depressive disorders was 84.7% (major depression 43.8%), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) 71.5%, panic anxiety disorder 47.9%, agoraphobia 52.1%, specific phobias 64.6%, social phobia 47.9%, paranoid conditions 40.3% (29.1% paranoid ideation), psychotic disorders 15.3%, alcohol abuse 13.2% (men 39%, women 3%) and substance abuse 17.4%. Specific phobia most often started before OCD, while depression had a varied onset in relation to OCD. Social phobia, agoraphobia, GAD, alcohol and substance abuse, psychotic disorders and paranoid conditions most often started after OCD. Presence of GAD, psychotic disorder and substance abuse worsened prognosis of OCD. Conclusion: Comorbid psychiatric conditions are common in OCD patients, and have onset throughout the course. OCD signals vulnerability for other psychiatric conditions, which are important to detect in clinical practice as they negatively affect the outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) are important consumers that range across the oceans throughout the southern hemisphere. In Argentina, previous studies have shown they eat primarily pinnipeds and penguins, which they are assumed to scavenge, although there are occasional anecdotes of them attacking living penguins. Here we describe a predation attempt by a trio of southern giant petrels on a molting adult Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) at the large colony at Punta Tombo, Argentina. We relate giant petrel attendance patterns at the colony to the penguins' phenology, showing how giant petrel numbers rise with the increasing prevalence of vulnerable penguins. We suggest that living penguins—both fledglings and adults—may constitute a more seasonally significant proportion of the giant petrel diet than previously assumed, and their capture may represent a specialized predation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine animal phylum Placozoa is characterized by a poorly explored cryptic biodiversity combined with very limited knowledge of their ecology. While placozoans are typically found as part of the epibenthos of coastal waters, known placozoan predators, namely small, shell‐less sea slugs belonging to the family Rhodopidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia), inhabit the interstitium of seafloor sediment. In order to gain further insights into this predator–prey relationship and to expand our understanding of placozoan ecological niches, we screened publicly available whole‐body metagenomic data from two rhodopid specimens collected from coastal sediments. Our analysis not only revealed the signatures of three previously unknown placozoan lineages in these sea slug samples but also enabled the assembly of three complete and two partial mitochondrial chromosomes belonging to four previously described placozoan genera, substantially extending the picture of placozoan biodiversity. Our findings further refine the molecular phylogeny of the Placozoa, corroborate the recently established taxonomic ranks in this phylum, and provide molecular support that known placozoan clades should be referred to as genera. We finally discuss the main finding of our study – the presence of placozoans in the sea floor sediment interstitium – in the context of their ecological, biological, and natural history implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To confirm the identity and assess the prevalence and evolution of the fluid‐filled interhemispheric midline structure, thought to be the cavum veli interpositi (CVI), in fetuses at 11–14 weeks' gestation. Methods: This was a retrospective study of first‐trimester ultrasound scans performed at a single center over 3 months. Inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancies at 11–14 weeks' gestation with known neonatal outcome. Five experts reviewed the images. Mixed‐effects logistic regression and generalized estimating equations (GEE) were conducted to analyze the associations between the presence of the structure and variables including ultrasound approach (transabdominal vs transvaginal), maternal body mass index (BMI), gestational age, fetal crown–rump length (CRL) and biparietal diameter (BPD). Second‐trimester ultrasound scans of the fetal central nervous system at 18–24 weeks' gestation were evaluated for the persistence of the CVI in fetuses in which the structure was observed in the first trimester. Results: Of the 223 cases reviewed, 104 were included, among which the CVI was observed in 25 (24%) cases. There was no statistically significant difference in CVI visualization between transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound examinations. GEE showed significant associations between the presence of the fetal structure and CRL (odds ratio (OR) per 10‐unit increase, 1.32; P < 0.0001) and BPD (OR per 10‐unit increase, 1.88; P = 0.0011). Maternal BMI and gestational age showed no significant effect on the presence of the CVI. At second‐trimester follow‐up of the 25 fetuses in which the CVI was observed initially, 44% still showed a CVI, 32% exhibited a cavum vergae, 4% had both structures and 20% had neither. Conclusions: Based on its anatomical location and, in some fetuses, its visualization as a distinct entity from the third ventricle, the identity of the interhemispheric midline structure in the suprathalamic region of the fetal brain between 11–14 weeks' gestation was confirmed as the CVI. The CVI and/or cavum vergae persisted into the second trimester in 80% of fetuses identified initially as having a CVI. Its presence is not linked to pathology, offering reassurance to practitioners and parents. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Patterns of individual variation are key to testing hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying biogeographic patterns. If species distributions are determined by environmental constraints, then populations near range margins may have reduced performance and be adapted to harsher environments. Model organisms are potentially important systems for biogeographical studies, given the available range‐wide natural history collections, and the importance of providing biogeographical context to their genetic and phenotypic diversity. Location: Global. Taxon: Arabidopsis thaliana ('Arabidopsis'). Methods: We fit occurrence records to climate data, and then projected the distribution of Arabidopsis under last glacial maximum, current and future climates. We confronted model predictions with individual performance measured on 2194 herbarium specimens, and we asked whether predicted suitability was associated with life history and genomic variation measured on ~900 natural accessions. Results: The most important climate variables constraining the Arabidopsis distribution were winter cold in northern and high elevation regions and summer heat in southern regions. Herbarium specimens from regions with lower habitat suitability in both northern and southern regions were smaller, supporting the hypothesis that the distribution of Arabidopsis is constrained by climate‐associated factors. Climate anomalies partly explained interannual variation in herbarium specimen size, but these did not closely correspond to local limiting factors identified in the distribution model. Late‐flowering genotypes were absent from the lowest suitability regions, suggesting slower life histories are only viable closer to the centre of the realized niche. We identified glacial refugia farther north than previously recognized, as well as refugia concordant with previous population genetic findings. Lower latitude populations, known to be genetically distinct, are most threatened by future climate change. The recently colonized range of Arabidopsis was well‐predicted by our native‐range model applied to certain regions but not others, suggesting it has colonized novel climates. Main Conclusions: Integration of distribution models with performance data from vast natural history collections is a route forward for testing biogeographical hypotheses about species distributions and their relationship with evolutionary fitness across large scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantitatively‐driven evaluation of existing clinical data and associated knowledge to accelerate drug discovery and development is a highly valuable approach across therapeutic areas, but remains underutilized. This is especially the case for rare diseases for which development is particularly challenging. The current work outlines an organizational framework to support a quantitatively‐based reverse translation approach to clinical development. This approach was applied to characterize predictors of the trajectory of cognition in Hunter syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II; MPS‐II), a rare X‐linked lysosomal storage disorder, highly heterogeneous in its course. Specifically, we considered ways to refine target populations based on age, cognitive status, and biomarkers, that is, cerebrospinal fluid glycosaminoglycans (GAG), at trial entry. Data from a total of 138 subjects (age range 2.5 to 10.1 years) from Takeda‐sponsored internal studies and external natural history studies in MPS‐II were included. Quantitative analyses using mixed‐effects models were performed to characterize the relationships between neurocognitive outcomes and potential indicators of disease progression. Results revealed a specific trajectory in cognitive development across age with an initial progressive phase, followed by a plateau between 4 and 8 years and then a variable declining phase. Additionally, results suggest a faster decline in cognition among subjects with lower cognitive scores or with higher cerebrospinal fluid GAG at enrollment. These results support differences in the neurocognitive course of MPS‐II between distinct groups of patients based on age, cognitive function, and biomarker status at enrollment. These differences should be considered when designing future clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Eteplirsen, approved in the US for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) with exon 51 skip‐amenable variants, is associated with attenuated ambulatory/pulmonary decline versus DMD natural history (NH). We report overall survival in a US cohort receiving eteplirsen and contextualize these outcomes versus DMD NH. Methods: US patients with DMD receiving eteplirsen were followed through a patient support program, with data collected on ages at eteplirsen initiation and death/end of follow‐up. Individual DMD NH data were extracted by digitizing Kaplan–Meier (KM) curves from published systematic and targeted literature reviews. Overall survival age was analyzed using KM curves and contextualized with DMD NH survival curves; subanalyses considered age groups and duration of eteplirsen exposure. Overall survival time from treatment initiation was also evaluated. Results: A total of 579 eteplirsen‐treated patients were included. During a total follow‐up of 2119 person‐years, median survival age was 32.8 years. DMD NH survival curves extracted from four publications (follow‐up for 1224 DMD NH controls) showed overall pooled median survival age of 27.4 years. Eteplirsen‐treated patients had significantly longer survival from treatment initiation versus age‐matched controls (age‐adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44–0.98; p <.05). Longer treatment exposure was associated with improved survival (HR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05–0.41; p <.001). Comparisons using different DMD NH cohorts to address common risks of bias yielded consistent findings. Discussion: Data suggest eteplirsen may prolong survival in patients with DMD across a wide age range. As more data become available, the impact of eteplirsen on survival will be further elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural history collections worldwide house billions of specimens, representing one of the most globally important biobanks. In recent years, the advent of next‐generation sequencing has significantly reduced the challenges of obtaining considerable genetic information from historical museum specimens. Crickets in the Australian tribe Eurepini Robillard are a good example of a taxon in which such museomic data have particularly strong potential to advance systematic knowledge, because comprehensive sampling requires decades of work over a very wide area. The tribe currently comprises 64 described species in five genera. Previous studies conflict in the generic relationships inferred for this tribe, all of which are poorly resolved, being based on limited data and sampling. In addition, there has so far been no systematic research for this tribe with extensive taxon sampling, and therefore, the consequence for genus boundaries remains to be investigated. To investigate phylogenetic relationships within Eurepini, we first applied the genome skimming approach to obtain molecular data from a comprehensive sample of Eurepini museum specimens. Of the 69 specimens sampled representing 61 described species, mainly including holotype specimens, we obtained 50 complete and 11 partially complete mitogenomes. Three nuclear genes (H3, 18S, and 28S) were also partially recovered for nearly all of these specimens. Phylogenetic analyses performed with mitogenomes plus three nuclear genes using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference generated well‐supported and highly congruent topologies. Eurepini was strongly recovered monophyletic with eight well‐defined groups. These groups are used to revise the systematics of the tribe based on a combination of molecular phylogenetics and morphology. The phylogenetic results support the current definition of three genera (Eurepa Walker, Arilpa Otte & Alexander and Eurepella Otte & Alexander), lead us to redefine three genera (Salmanites Chopard, Napieria Baehr and Piestodactylus Saussure), and define and describe two new genera: Miripella Robillard, Tan & Su gen.nov. and Arrakis Robillard, Tan & Su gen.nov. Our results reinforce the importance of natural history collections as a repository for information on biodiversity and genetics, and provide the first comprehensive and robust phylogenetic framework for future systematic and evolutionary studies of Eurepini. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uma Ramakrishnan, the recipient of the 2023 Molecular Ecology Prize, has had a successful career in population genetics and molecular ecology. She grew up in an academic environment and was exposed to scientists and ecological ideas from a young age. Her interest in animals and ecology led her to pursue degrees and internships in related fields, where she developed skills in genetic analysis and data-driven research. Uma's research has focused on various species, including tigers, bats, and elephants, and has contributed to our understanding of genetic diversity, population structure, and conservation strategies. She has also been involved in mentoring and outreach efforts to inspire and support students, particularly women, in the field of research. [Extracted from the article]

Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason remains one of the most opaque of Kant's published writings. Though this opacity belongs, partly, to the text itself, a key claim of this article is that this opacity stems also from the narrow lenses through which his readers view this text. Often read as part of Kant's moral philosophy or his universal history, the literature has thus far neglected a different vantage point on the Religion, one that does not refute the utility of these lenses but complements them. This paper places the Religion alongside parts of Kant's corpus that it is less typically paired with, namely his natural history writings—in particular, his writings on the concept of race and the development of the human races. I argue that by doing so, we can shed much light on Kant's infamous claim that there is a radical evil in the human species. More precisely, we will come to appreciate that this evil is not, as it is usually understood, a static property or fixed characteristic of human beings. Instead, radical evil concerns a dynamic, changing defect in human nature that increasingly threatens our aspirations to collective moral perfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyadesimyia clausa Bigot is a morphologically striking tachinid that inhabits the Sub‐Antarctic Ecoregion of the Magallanes Region in Chile and Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina. Much of the distributional information about this species is restricted to the Cape Horn islands, which have extreme environmental conditions, but the species' natural history, range limits, and habitat use have never been described or confirmed. Our goals were to describe the distributional limits of this sub‐Antarctic fly with the help of citizen science and use this information type to describe this tachinid's habitat use and potential biological interactions with nonvascular and vascular flora. We found that citizen science significantly increased our understanding of the extent of occurrence, expanding the known distributional range by 195 km to the north and 153 km to the west. On the contrary, the values for the area of occupancy were not significant, but the occupancy overlap between different records was very low. We confirmed that H. clausa's habitat uses peatlands and although we have not provided evidence of pollination or movement of spores, we hypothesized, that the walking activity of H. clausa could help move sperm from mosses and pollen from the flowers of vascular plants, so they could act as potential pollinators. Citizen science can reduce and eliminate some scientific knowledge shortfalls and propose new ecological questions that could increase our knowledge of extreme ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core breeding range of Swainson's warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) overlaps a zone of exceptionally high tornado frequency in southeastern North America. The importance of tornadoes in creating breeding habitat for this globally rare warbler and other disturbance‐dependent species has been largely overlooked. This paper estimates tornado frequency (1950–2021) and forest disturbance in the 240 counties and parishes in which breeding was documented from 1988 to 2014. The frequency of destructive tornadoes (EF1‐EF5) varied 6‐fold across the breeding range with a peak in the Gulf Coast states. Counties from east Texas to Alabama experienced the lowest median return interval of 5.4 years per 1000 km2, resulting in approximately 2477 ha of forest damage per 1000 km2 per century, based on current forestland cover. Tornadoes were significantly less frequent north and east of the core breeding range, with return intervals increasing to 9.1 years per 1000 km2 for breeding counties on the Atlantic coastal plain, 10.2 years per 1000 km2 in the Ozark Mountains, and 32.3 years per 1000 km2 in the Appalachian Mountains. Breeding counties within 150 km of the coastline from east Texas to North Carolina are also subjected to the highest frequency of hurricanes in the Western Hemisphere. Hurricanes often cause massive forest damage but archived meteorological and forestry data are insufficient to estimate the aggregate extent of forest disturbance in breeding counties. Nevertheless, the combined impact of tornadoes and hurricanes in the pre‐Anthropogenic era was likely sufficient to produce a dynamic mosaic of early‐successional forest crucial for the breeding ecology of Swainson's warbler. To ensure the long‐term survival of this rare warbler, it is advisable to develop habitat management plans that incorporate remote sensing data on early‐successional forest generated by catastrophic storms as well as anthropogenic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Long‐term outcomes of gastric subepithelial lesions have not been elucidated. To reveal the natural history, we initiated a prospective, 10‐year follow‐up of patients with small (≤20 mm) gastric subepithelial lesions in September 2014. Here, we report the results of an interim analysis of a prospective observational study. Methods: In total, 567 patients with 610 lesions were prospectively registered between September 2014 and August 2016. The location, size, morphology, and number of subepithelial lesions were recorded on a web‐based case report form. This study has been conducted as an Academic Committee Working Group of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society. Results: The endoscopic follow‐up period was 4.60 ± 1.73 years (mean ± standard deviation), and survival data were investigated for 5.28 ± 1.68 years. This interim analysis revealed that the estimated cumulative incidence of a size increase ≥5 mm, after accounting for patients' death and resection of the tumor as competing risk events, was 4.5% at 5 years. In addition, the estimated cumulative incidence of lesion size increase ≥5 mm or resection of lesions was 7.9% at 5 years, and that of size increase ≥10 mm or resection of lesions was 4.5% at 5 years. Conclusion: These results indicate that approximately one in 13 patients with small (≤20 mm) gastric subepithelial lesions may require resection or further investigation for increased tumor size (≥5 mm) within 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The association between onset age and sex with relapse risk in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remains inconclusive. We aimed to describe the clinical features of patients with NMOSD in different age groups and sexes and to analyse relapse characteristics pre‐ and post‐immunosuppressive therapy (IST). Methods: Patients with NMOSD were retrospectively reviewed from our clinical centre's database. Demographic and clinical data, attack presentation, and disease course pre‐ and post‐IST were investigated. We also analysed the effect of onset age on the annualized relapse rate and relapse risk according to sex and IST status. Interactions on the additive scale between onset age and sex were analysed. A restricted cubic spline was used to analyse potential nonlinear correlations. Longitudinal changes in the Expanded Disability Status Scale score across NMOSD attacks were analysed using linear mixed‐effect models. Results: In total, 533 patients experienced 1394 attacks pre‐IST and 753 relapses post‐IST. Older age at onset was correlated with more myelitis attacks but fewer optic neuritis attacks, with no sex‐related differences in attack presentation. Pre‐IST, relapse risk increased with age at onset in women, while a U‐shaped correlation between onset age and relapse risk was found in men. Post‐IST, an inverted U‐shaped association between the predicted relapse risk and onset age was observed in women. Conversely, a negative correlation between the predicted relapse risk and onset age was found in men. Overall, a higher ratio of myelitis attacks was found post‐IST. Conclusions: Patients of different onset ages and sexes had different relapse patterns before and after IST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populations composed of individuals descended from multiple distinct genetic lineages often feature significant differences in phenotypic frequencies. We considered hatchery production of steelhead, the migratory anadromous form of the salmonid species Oncorhynchus mykiss, and investigated how differences among genetic lineages and environmental variation impacted life history traits. We genotyped 23,670 steelhead returning to the four California Central Valley hatcheries over 9 years from 2011 to 2019, confidently assigning parentage to 13,576 individuals to determine age and date of spawning and rates of iteroparity and repeat spawning within each year. We found steelhead from different genetic lineages showed significant differences in adult life history traits despite inhabiting similar environments. Differences between coastal and Central Valley steelhead lineages contributed to significant differences in age at return, timing of spawning, and rates of iteroparity among programs. In addition, adaptive genomic variation associated with life history development in this species varied among hatchery programs and was associated with the age of steelhead spawners only in the coastal lineage population. Environmental variation likely contributed to variations in phenotypic patterns observed over time, as our study period spanned both a marine heatwave and a serious drought in California. Our results highlight evidence of a strong genetic component underlying known phenotypic differences in life history traits between two steelhead lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: KCTD7‐related progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME) is a rare autosomal‐recessive disorder. This study aimed to describe the clinical details and genetic variants in a large international cohort. Methods: Families with molecularly confirmed diagnoses of KCTD7‐related PME were identified through international collaboration. Furthermore, a systematic review was done to identify previously reported cases. Salient demographic, epilepsy, treatment, genetic testing, electroencephalographic (EEG), and imaging‐related variables were collected and summarized. Results: Forty‐two patients (36 families) were included. The median age at first seizure was 14 months (interquartile range = 11.75–22.5). Myoclonic seizures were frequently the first seizure type noted (n = 18, 43.9%). EEG and brain magnetic resonance imaging findings were variable. Many patients exhibited delayed development with subsequent progressive regression (n = 16, 38.1%). Twenty‐one cases with genetic testing available (55%) had previously reported variants in KCTD7, and 17 cases (45%) had novel variants in KCTD7 gene. Six patients died in the cohort (age range = 1.5–21 years). The systematic review identified 23 eligible studies and further identified 59 previously reported cases of KCTD7‐related disorders from the literature. The phenotype for the majority of the reported cases was consistent with a PME (n = 52, 88%). Other reported phenotypes in the literature included opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome (n = 2), myoclonus dystonia (n = 2), and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (n = 3). Eight published cases died over time (14%, age range = 3–18 years). Significance: This study cohort and systematic review consolidated the phenotypic spectrum and natural history of KCTD7‐related disorders. Early onset drug‐resistant epilepsy, relentless neuroregression, and severe neurological sequalae were common. Better understanding of the natural history may help future clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the spawning and larval development of Colossendeis megalonyx, a large sea spider found in Antarctica. The researchers observed the unique reproductive behavior of this species, where male parents care for the offspring. They collected eggs and observed the slow development of embryos, leading to the hatching of larvae. The study also suggests that the larvae of C. megalonyx have limited potential for long-distance dispersal and that the family Colossendeidae as a whole are nonbrooders. The researchers highlight the importance of field and laboratory observations for understanding the biology and natural history of sea spiders. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the unique phenomenon of Carlina corymbosa thistle flowers in the Mediterranean having a cooler interior than the surrounding air during the hot summer months. The author conducted temperature measurements and found that the interior of the flowers was consistently cooler than the air outside. The study suggests that this cooling effect is achieved through enhanced transpiration in the flowers, which is more effective in the high ambient temperatures and low humidity of the Mediterranean climate. The article also discusses the potential benefits of this cooling mechanism for the plant's reproduction by attracting pollinators. Further research can be done to test this hypothesis. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a study that challenges the assumption that animals adapted to underground environments are strictly bound to those environments. The researchers found evidence of olms, a species of amphibian, actively exploiting surface habitats outside of caves. This discovery expands our understanding of the interactions between subterranean and surface environments and highlights the importance of studying groundwater and its borders. The article also provides a list of references for further research on subterranean organisms, particularly the Olm. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the presence of yellow tails in Iasis cylindrica colonies, suggesting the existence of specialized zooid types within salp colonies. This phenomenon, known as colonial polymorphism, has been observed in other marine invertebrates but not in salps. The article describes the anatomy and characteristics of the yellow zooids, called lepidozooids, and proposes that they may function as a decoy to distract predators. The study emphasizes the importance of direct observation and in situ fieldwork in uncovering new aspects of salp natural history, including the discovery of a pigmented defense mechanism called a lepidosome in I. cylindrica. The text also mentions the widespread presence of pigmentation in salps and its potential role in interactions with predators and symbionts. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: Intraspecific variation in species relative abundance is shaped by a complex interplay of abiotic and biotic factors, making it both necessary and challenging to assess their combined relative importance in explaining variations across space and time. We used two congeneric butterfly species for which extensive count data and a deep understanding of their natural history is available to test three hypotheses explaining intraspecific variation in their abundance: (H1) seasonal dispersal behaviour driven by climate, (H2) resource availability and (H3) apparent competition mediated via shared parasitoids. Taxon: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone) and G. cleopatra (Cleopatra). Location: NE Iberian Peninsula, where both species coexist, and a nearby archipelago (Balearic Islands), where only Cleopatra occurs. Methods: We analysed spatial abundance variations for both species in the mainland and island–mainland differences in the abundance of Cleopatra. Abiotic and biotic factors, including temperature, host plant and overwintering habitat availability, larval parasitism and density dependence, were tested to explain the observed variations. Results: H1 can explain variation in butterfly abundance between mainland regions since in warmer summers populations increased in cooler areas but decreased in warmer areas. H2 explains the variation within mainland climate regions with a strong positive relationship between resource availability and abundance but is unlikely to explain the island–mainland variation in the abundance of Cleopatra. H3 could neither explain biogeographical variation in abundance because although richer parasitoid communities were found on the mainland, larval mortality rates were similar or lower on the mainland than in the islands. Main Conclusions: Climate and resource availability jointly account for variation in butterfly abundance across the mainland, but neither these factors nor parasitism can explain island–mainland differences. Both coexisting butterfly species and their larval parasitoids may have undergone evolutionary processes, resulting in spatial segregation that promotes the coexistence of the two butterfly species on the mainland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chance pervades life. In turn, life histories are described by probabilities (e.g. survival and breeding) and averages across individuals (e.g. mean growth rate and age at maturity). In this study, we explored patterns of luck in lifetime outcomes by analysing structured population models for a wide array of plant and animal species. We calculated four response variables: variance and skewness in both lifespan and lifetime reproductive output (LRO), and partitioned them into contributions from different forms of luck. We examined relationships among response variables and a variety of life history traits. We found that variance in lifespan and variance in LRO were positively correlated across taxa, but that variance and skewness were negatively correlated for both lifespan and LRO. The most important life history trait was longevity, which shaped variance and skew in LRO through its effects on variance in lifespan. We found that luck in survival, growth, and fecundity all contributed to variance in LRO, but skew in LRO was overwhelmingly due to survival luck. Rapidly growing populations have larger variances in LRO and lifespan than shrinking populations. Our results indicate that luck‐induced genetic drift may be most severe in recovering populations of species with long mature lifespan and high iteroparity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aspergillus nodules are classified as a subset of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. The optimal management approach is not known as their natural evolution following biopsy, the rate of progression to chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) and the effect of antifungal treatment have not been described. Objectives: To describe the clinical course of patients diagnosed with Aspergillus nodules and the effect of antifungal treatment. Patients/Methods: We present a series of 23 patients with histologically confirmed Aspergillus nodules and describe serial imaging, antifungal treatment and progression to other diagnoses. Results: Thirteen patients were diagnosed after a CT‐guided biopsy and 10 after surgical resection. Among those who had CT‐guided biopsy, 8 did not receive antifungal treatment; the nodule was stable or smaller in all cases on subsequent CT scan after a mean of 15.5 months. However, one patient developed squamous cell carcinoma after 16 months and another developed CCPA after 7 months. Among the 5 patients who received antifungals for at least 4 weeks, the nodule was smaller in 1 and stable in 4. One patient developed CCPA 3 years after the biopsy. No patient who had a surgical resection subsequently had a CCPA diagnosis. Conclusion: Most Aspergillus nodules remained stable or improved following biopsy, irrespective of the effect of antifungals. However, CCPA can develop occasionally in patients with Aspergillus nodules and ongoing radiological follow‐up may be warranted when the nodule is not resected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leucism, in which pigmentation is lost over part or the entire body of an animal, has a range of possible genetic causes. Here, we report leucism in an individual tiger keelback (Rhabdophis tigrinus) found on Jeung Island, Shinan‐gun, Jeollanam‐do, South Korea, during a survey of the distribution of reptiles in the area. The individual was observed sunbathing in the bushes next to a pond. This individual exhibited ecdysis, thus it considered that have normal feeding activity. Our report represents the first observation of leucism in R. tigrinus, and thus, further analysis is needed of this phenotype to more clearly understand its impact on the species and its natural history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the 12 wild felid species found in China, Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is one of the least studied species. This medium‐sized cat with a prominently polymorphic coat was once distributed across much of southern China, but is believed to have experienced severe decline and range contraction during the past decades, primarily due to anthropogenic pressures. A lack of knowledge of its current distribution, ecology, and natural history has greatly hindered the implementation of conservation and management actions for this species. In this study, for the first time, we compiled the state‐wide occurrence records (N = 409), mainly from the camera‐trapping surveys, of Asiatic golden cats from 2008 to 2019, and predicted its distribution across the country through species distribution modeling using random forest algorithm. The results showed that the predicted habitats were mainly located in southwest China and suggested a rather low probability of possible current distribution across its vast historic range in central, eastern, and southern China. We divided its current range into four geographic regions (i.e., Qinling Mountains, Hengduan Mountains, East Himalayas, and southern Yunnan region) and considered the cats in each region as a regional population within the country. From the 287 camera‐trapping detections with photographs and/or videos collected across all populations, we identified six coat morphs and determined their occurrence percentages: common golden (47.4%), spotted (20.9%), red (13.6%), dark cinnamon (10.1%), melanistic (7.0%), and gray (1.0%). The complexity of coat morph composition within regional populations showed an increasing gradient from northeast to southwest. Among the four regional populations, the East Himalayas hosted the highest abundance and coat variation with all six morphs recorded. Our study results update the current distribution and coat morphology variations of this elusive cat in China and provide important knowledge to guide future research and conservation planning for this threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]