Search

Future climate presents conflicting implications for forest biomass. We evaluate how plant hydraulic traits, elevated CO2 levels, warming, and changes in precipitation affect forest primary productivity, evapotranspiration, and the risk of hydraulic failure. We used a dynamic vegetation model with plant hydrodynamics (FATES-HYDRO) to simulate the stand-level responses to future climate changes in a wet tropical forest in Barro Colorado Island, Panama. We calibrated the model by selecting plant trait assemblages that performed well against observations. These assemblages were run with temperature and precipitation changes for two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (2086-2100: SSP2-45, SSP5-85) and two CO2 levels (contemporary, anticipated). The risk of hydraulic failure is projected to increase from a contemporary rate of 5.7% to 10.1-11.3% under future climate scenarios, and, crucially, elevated CO2 provided only slight amelioration. By contrast, elevated CO2 mitigated GPP reductions. We attribute a greater variation in hydraulic failure risk to trait assemblages than to either CO2 or climate. Our results project forests with both faster growth (through productivity increases) and higher mortality rates (through increasing rates of hydraulic failure) in the neo-tropics accompanied by certain trait plant assemblages becoming nonviable.

Abstract Grasslands cover approximately a third of the Earth’s land surface and account for about a third of terrestrial carbon storage. Yet, we lack strong predictive models of grassland plant biomass, the primary source of carbon in grasslands. This lack of predictive ability may arise from the assumption of linear relationships between plant biomass and the environment and an underestimation of interactions of environmental variables. Using data from 116 grasslands on six continents, we show unimodal relationships between plant biomass and ecosystem characteristics, such as mean annual precipitation and soil nitrogen. Further, we found that soil nitrogen and plant diversity interacted in their relationships with plant biomass, such that plant diversity and biomass were positively related at low levels of nitrogen and negatively at elevated levels of nitrogen. Our results show that it is critical to account for the interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass and several environmental variables to accurately include plant biomass in global vegetation and carbon models.

Abstract Background Under South Africa’s Universal Test and Treat (UTT) policy, CD4 counts are no longer required to determine HIV treatment eligibility. However, CD4 count at presentation remains an important marker of disease progression. We assessed whether CD4 testing declined in the UTT era and, if so, by how much. Methods We analysed CD4 count data from the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) National HIV Cohort and TIER.Net database for individuals in HIV care across five South African provinces. “First CD4 count” was defined as the first CD4 test recorded for each patient. In TIER.Net, “date of presentation” was the earliest date of HIV testing, CD4 measurement, or clinic visit. Trends in first CD4 testing volumes (2004–2018) were analyzed, with interrupted time-series analyses assessing the impact of UTT (September 2016). Results Data included 5,274,218 (NHLS) and 2,265,557 (TIER.Net) individuals with a first CD4 count. In NHLS, first CD4 counts increased from 47,604 in 2004 to 383,705 in 2010 and then declined. Lower volumes were recorded in TIER.Net. Adjusting for prior trends, first CD4 counts increased slightly after UTT, by 32 individuals/day in NHLS (95% CI: − 6 to 61) and 88 individuals/day in TIER.Net (95% CI: 30 to 148). Among TIER.Net patients, the percentage with a CD4 count decreased by 4.3% (95% CI: − 5.2 to − 3.0%). Conclusions We found no major decline in CD4 testing at presentation following UTT, contrasting findings from resource-constrained settings with greater reliance on external donors.

Technology has expanded the landscape of higher education. The ability to learn almost anything from anywhere at any time has impacted educational attainment, particularly for those who lacked access in the past. Many who enter the virtual classroom, however, do not stay. Completion rates for online learning fall short, especially when compared to in-person experiences. For all its advancements, online learning has also created a chasm in human connection that influences learning. We are not made to connect through wires. Though we may espouse having multitudes of "friends" online, developing a true sense of belonging and connection must be purposefully developed when working through a screen and keyboard. This reflective essay interrogates the use of technology in higher education and encourages the inclusion of positive psychology practices to bridge the gap of human connection that is an integral part of student success.

Autophagy in eukaryotes functions to maintain homeostasis by degradation and recycling of long-lived and unwanted cellular materials. Autophagy plays important roles in pathogenicity of various fungal pathogens, suggesting that autophagy is a novel target for development of antifungal compounds. Here, we describe bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based high-throughput screening (HTS) strategy to identify compounds that inhibit fungal ATG4 cysteine protease-mediated cleavage of ATG8 that is critical for autophagosome formation. We identified ebselen (EB) and its analogs ebselen oxide (EO) and 2-(4-methylphenyl)-1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one (PT) as inhibitors of fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Magnaporthe oryzae ATG4-mediated ATG8 processing. The EB and its analogs inhibit spore germination, hyphal development, and appressorium formation in Ascomycota pathogens, B. cinerea, M. oryzae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Monilinia fructicola. Treatment with EB and its analogs significantly reduced fungal pathogenicity. Our findings provide molecular insights to develop the next generation of antifungal compounds by targeting autophagy in important fungal pathogens.

Atrial infarction is often undiagnosed in patients with underlying ischemic heart disease and is identified only later, upon autopsy. One of the main challenges in diagnosing the condition is its localization within the affected atria. Treatment of atrial infarction focuses on acute reperfusion therapy, long-term management of cardiovascular disease risk factors, consideration of antiarrhythmia medications, and anticoagulation therapy. This review covers the anatomy of the atrial vasculature, complications associated with atrial infarction, diagnostic criteria for use of electrocardiography and other imaging modalities, and overall prognosis and management.

Abstract Background Health care staff should be given the opportunity to participate in research, but recruiting clinicians via their employing organisation is not always straightforward or quick in the UK. Unlike many countries outside the UK, very low-risk survey, interview or focus group studies can be subject to some of the same governance approval procedures as interventional studies. An exemplar study carried out by the NIHR funded Palliative Care Research Partnership North West Coast is used to highlight the challenges still faced by researchers and health care organisations when setting up a low-risk staff study across multiple NHS and non-NHS sites. Methods A study database was created and information was collected on the first point of contact with the clinical site, Health Research Authority (HRA) and local organisational approval times, time from trust or hospice agreement to the first survey participant recruited and overall site survey recruitment numbers. Descriptive statistics (median, range) were used to analyse these data. Results Across participating NHS trusts, it took a median of 147.5 days (range 99–195) from initial contact with the local collaborator to recruitment of the first survey participant and hospice sites mirrored these lengthy timescales (median 142 days, range 110–202). The lengthiest delays in the HRA approval process were the period between asking NHS trusts to assess whether they had capacity and capability to support the research and them granting local agreement. Local approval times varied between trusts and settings which may indicate organisations are applying national complex guidance differently. Conclusions There is the potential for HRA processes to use more NHS resources than the research study itself when recruiting to a low-risk staff study across multiple organisations. There is a need to reduce unnecessary administrative burden and bureaucracy to give clinicians and research staff more opportunities to participate in research, and to free up NHS R&D departments, research nurses and clinicians to focus on more demanding and patient focused research studies. Hospices need standardised guidance on how to assess the risk of being involved in low-risk research without adopting the unnecessarily complex systems that are currently used within the NHS.

ABSTRACT Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a sight-threatening corneal infection that is challenging to diagnose and treat due to the resistance of Acanthamoeba to standard antimicrobial agents. Current detection methods have limitations. This study aimed to develop and validate a sensitive viability PCR (v-PCR) assay using a photoreactive dye to distinguish viable from non-viable Acanthamoeba for rapid identification of viable Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts. Propidium monoazide (PMAxx) was used as a photoreactive dye. Mixtures containing decreasing percentages of viable Acanthamoeba, including reference strains Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites and cysts, Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites, and Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites from a clinical sample, were prepared. Disinfectant efficacy against Acanthamoeba was also assessed. Samples were divided into PMAxx-treated and non-PMAxx-treated parts, and v-PCR assay was applied to both. The difference in viable Acanthamoeba was determined by subtracting the cycle threshold (Ct) value of the PMAxx-treated sample from the non-PMAxx-treated sample. Mixtures with decreasing concentrations of viable Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts showed increasingly lower delta Ct values as the percentage of viable Acanthamoeba decreased, as expected. This relationship was observed across all tested samples. Menicon Progent effectively eliminated A. polyphaga trophozoites and cysts, while propamidine, chlorhexidine, or their combination resulted in approximately 2-log reductions in A. polyphaga trophozoites and cysts. In the current study, a rapid v-PCR assay was developed that can distinguish between viable and non-viable Acanthamoeba, for both trophozoites and cysts, across multiple species. The presence of viable Acanthamoeba, as determined by v-PCR, allows monitoring of treatment response and efficacy in AK.IMPORTANCEThe development of a sensitive viability PCR (v-PCR) assay using propidium monoazide (PMAxx) as a photoreactive dye marks a significant advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a severe corneal infection notorious for its resistance to conventional antimicrobials. This innovative assay offers a rapid and accurate method to distinguish viable from non-viable Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts, addressing a critical need in the field. By effectively distinguishing between viable and non-viable Acanthamoeba, this test enables monitoring of treatment response and efficacy, essential for guiding clinical interventions in AK cases. The successful validation of this v-PCR assay across various Acanthamoeba species and its ability to assess disinfectant efficacy further underline its potential as a valuable tool for improving diagnostic precision and therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of AK.

Nocturnal polyuria (NP) is a leading cause of nocturia in adults. While diagnostic criteria for NP have been established in adult men, they have not been validated in other demographic groups including women, adolescents, and children, and little is known about appropriate reference values in these populations. Accordingly, the present study aimed to determine an hourly nocturnal urine production (NUP) rate in adolescents most predictive of the presence of nocturia. We analyzed prospectively collected data of 100 male and female adolescents aged 10-18 years. All subjects completed nocturnal voiding diaries and significant nocturia was defined as ≥1 or more voids per night. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to test the performance of different NUP values in predicting nocturia. On ROC, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.85. On multivariable logistic regression with variables of sex, obesity, and elevated blood pressure, adding NUP as a categorical variable maximally increased the predictive value of the model upon utilizing a cutoff of 50 ml/h, increasing the R2 from 0.491 to 0.683. A NUP >50 ml/h had a sensitivity of 62.2% and a specificity of 96.4% in predicting nocturia. A cut-off value of NUP >50 ml/h may be relevant to the clinical management of adolescents with nocturia.

Mutations of the Cullin-3 (Cul3) E3 ubiquitin ligase are associated with autism and schizophrenia, neurological disorders characterized by sleep disturbances and altered synaptic function. Cul3 engages dozens of adaptor proteins to recruit hundreds of substrates for ubiquitination, but the adaptors that impact sleep and synapses remain ill-defined. Here we implicate Insomniac (Inc), a conserved protein required for normal sleep and synaptic homeostasis in Drosophila, as a Cul3 adaptor. Inc binds Cul3 in vivo, and mutations within the N-terminal BTB domain of Inc that weaken Inc-Cul3 associations impair Inc activity, suggesting that Inc function requires binding to the Cul3 complex. Deletion of the conserved C-terminus of Inc does not alter Cul3 binding but abolishes Inc activity in the context of sleep and synaptic homeostasis, indicating that the Inc C-terminus has the properties of a substrate recruitment domain. Mutation of a conserved, disease-associated arginine in the Inc C-terminus also abolishes Inc function, suggesting that this residue is vital for recruiting Inc targets. Inc levels are negatively regulated by Cul3 in neurons, consistent with Inc degradation by autocatalytic ubiquitination, a hallmark of Cullin adaptors. These findings link Inc and Cul3 in vivo and support the notion that Inc-Cul3 complexes are essential for normal sleep and synaptic function. Furthermore, these results indicate that dysregulation of conserved substrates of Inc-Cul3 complexes may contribute to altered sleep and synaptic function in autism and schizophrenia associated with Cul3 mutations.

Sexual violence prevention programs are important for addressing sexual violence and are often implemented in local community and university settings. However, program implementer perspectives are often missing from academic research literature, limiting access to practical knowledge that can provide insights to improving programs and prevention. This study illustrates the landscape of sexual violence primary prevention work in a Midwestern metropolitan area. Seven interviews with community and university implementers took place in 2020, providing information about local prevention programs and expert insights to community prevention culture. Geographic data about implementation locations was also collected to visually assess coverage of preventive services and confirm that the major sub-areas of the metropolitan area were represented by this research. Interviews provided descriptions of local programs implemented with adolescents and young adults which usually took place in school or university settings and focused on healthy relationships. Capacity was most often cited as a challenge faced internally, whereas broader outer contexts may inhibit or support prevention externally. Findings capture the perspectives of sexual violence prevention program implementers, including discussion of tensions related to adaptation versus fidelity and how implementation contexts specific to this programming may influence implementation.

Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,1– 4 Hicham Khabbache,5 Khalid Ouazizi,6 Driss Ait Ali,6 Hanane El Ghouat,6 Laila El Alami,6 Hisham Atwan,7 Ruba Tuma,8– 10 Nomy Dickman,10 Raymond Farah,10,11 Rola Khamisy-Farah9,10 1Human Nutrition Unit (HNU), Department of Food and Drugs University of Parma, Parma, Italy; 2Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (LIAM), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Postgraduate School of Public Health, Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 4United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair, Health Anthropology Biosphere and Healing Systems, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 5Director of the UNESCO Chair “Lifelong Learning Observatory” (UNESCO/UMSBA), Fez, Morocco; 6Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences Fès-Saïss, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco; 7Department of Internal Medicine, Kaplan Medical Centre, Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel; 8Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Galilee, Israel; 9Clalit Health Services, Akko, Israel; 10Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel; 11Department of Internal Medicine B, Ziv Medical Center, Safed, IsraelCorrespondence: Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Human Nutrition Unit (HNU), Department of Food and Drugs University of Parma, Via Volturno 39, Parma, 43125, Italy, Tel +39 0521 903121, Email nicolaluigi.bragazzi@unipr.itPurpose: Sex and Gender-Based Medicine (SGBM) addresses the influence of sex and gender on health and healthcare, emphasizing personalized care. Integrating SGBM into medical education is challenging. This study examines the implementation of an SGBM course in an Israeli university during the first year of the medical school.Methods: The course integrated lectures, group work, online gender studies resources, workshops, teacher training, and essential literature. The curriculum spanned pre-clinical and clinical aspects, featuring seven 90-minute sessions. Surveys assessed course structure, content, and lecturers using a 5-point Likert scale and qualitative feedback. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.Results: Of the 84 students surveyed, 35 (41.7%) responded to the first part, and 30 (35.7%) to the second. The SGBM course received high satisfaction with an average score of 3.63, surpassing other first-year courses (average 3.21). Students appreciated the supportive academic atmosphere (mean score 4.20) and diverse teaching methods (mean score 4.03), while the development of feminist thinking was less appreciated (average score 3.49). Lecturers received high ratings (average score 4.33). Qualitative feedback highlighted the value of group work, the significance of the subject matter, and the helpfulness of supplementary videos. Students requested more content on contemporary issues like gender transition and patient perspectives. The feminist medicine aspect was contentious, with students seeking better gender balance and scientific evidence.Conclusion: Introducing SGBM into the first-year curriculum yielded positive results with high student satisfaction for content and lecturers. An expanded course module is planned, to be assessed at the end of the next academic year.Keywords: sex- and gender-based medicine, medical education, medical training, curriculum integration

The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus has suffered considerable range contractions in recent decades. Despite the importance of up-to-date information on distribution to guide conservation, such information is lacking for large areas within the species’ remaining potential range. In Tanzania, the largest tract of potential cheetah habitat without such data is the Selous–Nyerere ecosystem. Although the cheetah is considered possibly extant in this landscape, the last confirmed sighting was in the late 1990s. During 2020–2022, we carried out sign-based (spoor) and camera-trap surveys across Selous Game Reserve and Nyerere National Park. We did not record any evidence of cheetah presence, and opportunistic enquiries with tourism operators and protected area management staff did not provide any evidence of current or recent presence. Our findings suggest that current cheetah presence is unlikely, and that Selous–Nyerere should not be treated as potential contemporary cheetah range. We discuss the possibility that Selous–Nyerere may have never hosted a resident cheetah population, and was either occasionally occupied by dispersers from other populations or represented the edge of populations that spanned areas now treated as corridors.

Access to highly detailed models of heterogeneous forests, spanning from the near surface to above the tree canopy at varying scales, is increasingly in demand. This enables advanced computational tools for analysis, planning, and ecosystem management. LiDAR sensors, available through terrestrial (TLS) and aerial (ALS) scanning platforms, have become established as primary technologies for forest monitoring due to their capability to rapidly collect precise 3D structural information directly. Selection of these platforms typically depends on the scales (tree-level, plot, regional) required for observational or intervention studies. Forestry now recognizes the benefits of a multi-scale approach, leveraging the strengths of each platform while minimizing individual source uncertainties. However, effective integration of these LiDAR sources relies heavily on efficient multi-scale, multi-view co-registration or point-cloud alignment methods. In GPS-denied areas, forestry has traditionally relied on target-based co-registration methods (e.g., reflective or marked trees), which are impractical at scale. Here, we propose ForestAlign: an effective, target-less, and fully automatic co-registration method for aligning forest point clouds collected from multi-view, multi-scale LiDAR sources. Our co-registration approach employs an incremental alignment strategy, grouping and aggregating 3D points based on increasing levels of structural complexity. This strategy aligns 3D points from less complex (e.g., ground surface) to more complex structures (e.g., tree trunks/branches, foliage) sequentially, refining alignment iteratively. Empirical evidence demonstrates the method’s effectiveness in aligning TLS-to-TLS and TLS-to-ALS scans locally, across various ecosystem conditions, including pre/post fire treatment effects. In TLS-to-TLS scenarios, parameter RMSE errors were less than 0.75 degrees in rotation and 5.5 cm in translation. For TLS-to-ALS, corresponding errors were less than 0.8 degrees and 8 cm, respectively. These results, show that our ForestAlign method is effective for co-registering both TLS-to-TLS and TLS-to-ALS in such forest environments, without relying on targets, while achieving high performance.

Oligo-deoxythymidine (oligo-dT) ligand-based affinity chromatography is a robust method for purifying mRNA drug substances within the manufacturing process of mRNA-based products, including vaccines and therapeutics. However, the conventional batch mode of operation for oligo-dT chromatography has certain drawbacks that reduce the productivity of this process. Here, we report a new continuous oligo-dT chromatography process for the purification of in vitro transcribed mRNA, which reduces losses, improves the efficiency of oligo-dT resin use, and intensifies the chromatography process. Furthermore, the quality by design (QbD) framework was used to establish a design space for the newly developed method. The optimization of process parameters (PPs), including salt type, salt concentration, load flow rate and mRNA load concentration both in batch and the continuous mode, achieved a greater than 90% yield (mRNA recovery) along with greater than 95% mRNA integrity and greater than 99% purity. The productivity of continuous chromatography was estimated to be 5.75-fold higher, and the operating cost was estimated 15% lower, when compared with batch chromatography. Moreover, the QbD framework was further used to map the relationship between critical quality attributes and key performance indicators as a function of critical process parameters and critical material attributes.

Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapy drug, is well-established for its ototoxic effects, primarily attributed to the damage it inflicts on cochlear hair cells. However, its impact on the vestibular system remains inadequately understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of existing literature concerning cisplatin-induced vestibulotoxicity. Animal studies have shown that cisplatin induces a vestibular hair cell loss that is dose-dependent, with the severity of damage also varying according to the route of administration. Notably, intratympanic and systemic injections in animal models have manifested significant damage primarily to utricular hair cells, with a lesser degree of damage observed for the other vestibular end organs. The underlying mechanisms of cisplatin induced vestibular hair cell loss include apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines. Several protective agents, such as Pifithrin-α, DAPT, Ginkgolide B, and heat shock proteins, have demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting cisplatin-induced vestibular damage in preclinical studies. Human clinical findings indicate that cisplatin treatment can cause vestibular dysfunction, characterized by symptoms ranging from transient dizziness to persistent vertigo. Challenges in diagnosis, including the limited utilization of comprehensive vestibular testing for many patients, contribute to the variability in reported outcomes. Cisplatin-induced vestibulotoxicity is a significant complication of chemotherapy, necessitating further research to understand its mechanisms and to improve diagnosis and management, ultimately aiming to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients undergoing cisplatin therapy.

IntroductionApproximately 75% of caregivers providing unpaid care to family members or friends experience persistent pain. Simultaneously, individuals who require caregiving commonly experience pain. The inherent complexity of pain is enhanced by relationship dynamics of two closely tied individuals (i.e., caregiving dyad = caregivers and care recipients). Currently there are no proven pain interventions that target the caregiving dyad. Thus, the purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of a new behavioral multi-modal intervention, the Merging Yoga and self-management to develop Skills (MY-Skills) intervention.MethodsEach participant was part of a caregiving dyad and all participants had moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain, a score of ≥4 of 6 on the short mini-mental status exam, were ≥18 years old, sedentary, able to speak English, able to stand, and living at home. Participants were randomized to MY-Skills or the control group. MY-Skills was offered twice a week for eight weeks and each two-hour session included yoga and self-management education developed specifically for caregiving dyads experiencing persistent pain. MY-Skills was group based and developed as an in-person intervention. Due to Covid-19, the intervention was moved online and data are presented for in-person and online cohorts. Benchmarks for feasibility were set a priori, addressing: recruitment, attrition, attendance, safety, acceptability/satisfaction, and study completion.ResultsThirteen participants completed the in-person MY-Skills intervention (caregivers n = 7, care-receivers n = 6) and 18 individuals completed the online MY-Skills intervention (9 dyads). Most participants had pain for ≥10 years. Recruitment and attrition benchmarks for the in-person intervention were not met; yet they were met for the online version. In-person and online MY-Skills intervention attendance, safety, acceptability/satisfaction, and completion exceeded benchmark criteria.DiscussionThe MY-Skills intervention appears feasible and acceptable, however changes to recruitment criteria are necessary. Additional testing and larger sample sizes are required to test efficacy. Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, #NCT03440320.

Abstract Public policy addressing biodiversity loss is most likely to be effective when it is informed by appropriate evidence and considers potential unintended consequences. We evaluate key evidence relating to the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill that was discussed in the UK Parliament between 2022 and 2024. We characterize the UK's role in international hunting trophy trade by analyzing CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) trade data for 2000–2021 and 2015–2021. For CITES‐listed species imported to/exported from the UK as hunting trophies in these periods we use data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to determine whether hunting designated as “trophy hunting” is (i) likely a major threat contributing to species being of elevated conservation concern, (ii) likely or possibly causing localized declines, or (iii) not a threat. We then use the Red List to determine whether such hunting provides, or potentially provides, benefits for species and/or people. Finally, we evaluate the UK Government's impact assessment of the bill. In 2000–2021 an estimated 3494 hunting trophies from 73 CITES‐listed species and subspecies were exported to the UK involving an estimated 2549 whole organism equivalents (WOEs), that is, individual animals. Imports involved 158.86 ± 66.53 (mean ± SD) trophies/year (115.83 ± 32.27 WOEs/year). In 2015–2021, 79% of imports were from countries where populations of the hunted species are stable, increasing, or abundant. Legal hunting for trophies is not a major threat to any of the species or subspecies imported to the UK, but likely or possibly represents a local threat to some populations of eight species. This hunting does, or could potentially, benefit 20 species and subspecies, and people. Among other concerns, the impact assessment failed to adequately consider the costs and benefits to local communities in countries where such hunting occurs. Informed by these analyses we discuss alternative regulatory options.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) currently occupy the 38th place in the Global Invasive Species Database. Free-roaming cats potentially have broad-ranging impacts on wildlife, occupying most terrestrial environments globally as house pets, strays, or feral animals. In Australia, for example, cats are responsible for the decline in many vertebrate populations and extinction of several native mammals. However, in Brazil, few studies have explored either direct impacts of predation on wildlife, or other indirect impacts, such as competition for resources, niche overlap, hybridization, and disease transmission. In this review, we summarize and discuss 34 original research reports, published between 2001 and 2020, on impacts of free-roaming cats in Brazil. We briefly contextualize the history of cat domestication and present that, in Brazil, more studies have focused on the potential of free-roaming cats to transmit disease than to exert impacts via predation or competition on wildlife. More studies were conducted in Brazilian mainland areas (n = 23)—notably in Atlantic Forest—than on islands (n = 11). The review highlights potential impacts of cats on wildlife. We also discuss how control management strategies can affect the welfare of domestic cats, identifying potential knowledge gaps as well as opportunities for future research. Finally, understanding risks of cat predation is necessary to inform future measures to mitigate impacts on wildlife, without neglecting cat welfare.