Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Jonathon Brown, Pierpaolo Sgroi, Luigi Giannelli, Gheorghe Sorin Paraoanu, Elisabetta Paladino, Giuseppe Falci, Mauro Paternostro, Alessandro Ferraro
Summary: A combination of reinforcement learning and traditional optimization techniques is used to identify optimal protocols for population transfer in a multi-level system. The new protocols identified in the study are efficient and different from standard methods, showing robustness against energy losses and dephasing. This research has the potential to simplify the implementation of population transfer in experimental platforms like semiconducting and superconducting systems.
NEW JOURNAL OF PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Sarah J. Kupferberg, Hana Moidu, Andrea J. Adams, Alessandro Catenazzi, Marcia Grefsrud, Steven Bobzien, Robert Leidy, Stephanie M. Carlson
Summary: The study shows that in central California, increasing drought leads non-native bullfrogs to enter streams, while native foothill yellow-legged frogs experience higher infection rates and loads. Despite fluctuations in population size due to worsening seasonal droughts, the foothill yellow-legged frogs still exhibit some resistance to non-indigenous species and chytridiomycosis.
Article
Medical Informatics
Yonghong Liu, Zengmiao Wang, Benjamin Rader, Bingying Li, Chieh-Hsi Wu, Jason D. Whittington, Pai Zheng, Nils Chr Stenseth, Ottar N. Bjornstad, John S. Brownstein, Huaiyu Tian
Summary: The reduction in intra-city movement intensity in China was stronger in cities with a higher socioeconomic index, and reductions in inter-city movement flow were associated with government control measures. At the country level, countries with higher sociodemographic and Universal Health Coverage indexes had greater reductions in population mobility following national emergency declarations.
LANCET DIGITAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gretchen A. Stevens, Ty Beal, Mduduzi N. N. Mbuya, Hanqi Luo, Lynnette M. Neufeld
Summary: This study estimates that over half of preschool-aged children and two-thirds of non-pregnant women of reproductive age worldwide have micronutrient deficiencies, with uncertain reliability of the data.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Kate C. Donlon, Thomas McElroy, John B. Jensen
Summary: Global amphibian species are declining rapidly due to habitat loss, disease, and climate change. The Pigeon Mountain Salamander is a rare and protected species in Georgia, with a distribution limited to rocky outcrops. Effective long-term management plans are essential in conserving species with small ranges.
HERPETOLOGICAL CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yupu Liu, Weijun Huang, Jianyin Zou, Huajun Xu, Yingjun Qian, Huaming Zhu, Lili Meng, Jian Guan, Hongliang Yi, Shankai Yin
Summary: A predictive model based on nocturnal minimal oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) alone showed good performance in accurately detecting the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a population with suspected OSA. This model outperformed models including multiple predictors or gender-specific models, indicating that minimal SpO(2) may be a reliable alternative for OSA detection when standard diagnostic tests are unavailable.
SLEEP AND BREATHING
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Zengmiao Wang, Ruixue Wang, Peiyi Wu, Bingying Li, Yidan Li, Yonghong Liu, Xiaoli Wang, Peng Yang, Huaiyu Tian
Summary: This study investigates the effectiveness of population-level testing (PLT) and contact tracing (CT) in curbing COVID-19 resurgences in China. The results show that multiple rounds of PLT, supplemented by CT, can effectively control the Omicron variant in urban areas as long as testing is frequent. The study also evaluates the time needed to detect COVID-19 cases for surveillance under different routine testing rates.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Kieran A. Bates, Chelsea Higgins, Maurine Neiman, Kayla C. King
Summary: This opinion piece argues for considering host sex in studying the microbiota of aquatic animals and highlights the advancements that this information could provide in various fields of life sciences.
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Peter Bridgewater, Dirk S. Schmeller
Summary: The ninth plenary session of IPBES was held in Bonn, Germany in July 2022. Key issues discussed included the assessment of the Sustainable Use of Wild Species and Values of Biodiversity, as well as the Nature Future Framework and a scoping document for business and biodiversity. We present the insights from the plenary and suggest matters for the consideration of Platform members.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Venkat Talla, Veronika Mrazek, Jacob Hoglund, Niclas Backstrom
Summary: The clouded apollo butterfly in Sweden is currently endangered and only found in three geographically separated populations. Conservation efforts include habitat restoration and captive breeding. By using whole-genome resequencing and population genomic approaches, we found that the different populations in Sweden have similar but comparatively low levels of genetic diversity, with significant genetic differentiation between the northernmost and southern populations. We also discovered population sub-structure in one of the populations. These findings provide insights into the genetic consequences of population declines and fragmentation, and important information for the conservation of clouded apollo butterflies in Sweden.
CONSERVATION GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
K. A. Bates, J. Friesen, A. Loyau, H. Butler, V. T. Vredenburg, J. Laufer, A. Chatzinotas, D. S. Schmeller
Summary: The study investigated how the skin microbiome of wild Dhofar toads in Oman is influenced by host environment, pathogen presence, and host biology. The results showed that skin microbiome diversity is mainly influenced by host life stage, water source, and habitat disturbance. The network analysis revealed high site specificity in bacterial co-occurrence patterns.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theresa Wacker, Nicolas Helmstetter, Duncan Wilson, Matthew C. Fisher, David J. Studholme, Rhys A. Farrer
Summary: The origins and evolution of virulence in amphibian-infecting chytrids Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) are largely unknown. In this study, deep nanopore sequencing and comparative genomics were used to analyze the genomes of Bd and Bsal. The study discovered that Bsal has a repeat-rich genome and an expanded length compared to Bd, with specific virulence factors and genes related to pathogenicity enriched in repeat-rich regions. This study provides evidence of two-speed genome evolution in an animal pathogen, shedding light on the evolution of fungal pathogens driving global declines and extinctions of vertebrates.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Oliver Machate, Dirk S. Schmeller, Tobias Schulze, Werner Brack
Summary: This article critically reviews the current knowledge on the exposure and risk of chemical pollution for mountain lakes. It suggests that mountain lakes, despite their remote locations, are likely to suffer from pollution-induced toxicity. The vulnerability of mountain lakes to toxic effects is expected to be particularly high due to harsh environmental conditions, the traits of organisms, the insular position of mountain lakes, and lower species richness with increasing altitudes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sara Martin-Garcia, Maria Cortazar-Chinarro, Mariano Rodriguez-Recio, Jose Jimenez, Jacob Hoglund, Emilio Virgos
Summary: Choosing the most appropriate sampling method is crucial for estimating population size. This study compared two commonly used sampling methods for the red fox and found that camera trapping provided a slightly higher minimum number of individuals compared to DNA faecal genotyping. Abundance estimates from camera trapping were positively correlated with the number of individuals detected, while there was a non-significant negative relationship between DNA faecal genotyping and abundance estimates.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Mycology
Samuel J. Hemmings, Johanna L. Rhodes, Matthew C. Fisher
Summary: Aspergillus fumigatus is a genetically diverse fungal species that is widely distributed globally and is a major cause of the life-threatening disease invasive aspergillosis. We present 3 de novo genome assemblies that represent the genetic diversity of clinical and environmental A. fumigatus. Sequencing using long-read Oxford Nanopore and subsequent assembly of the genomes resulted in 10-23 contigs with N50 ranging from 4.05 Mbp to 4.93 Mbp.
Article
Ecology
Jaime Bosch, Barbora Thumsova, Robert Puschendorf, Jon Bielby
Summary: Chytridiomycosis is affecting amphibian species worldwide, and this study focused on its impact on breeding adults in a temperate area. The study found that the duration of time spent in the water and the condition of the host predicted infection levels, with animals in good physical condition and longer water exposure having higher infection levels. The pond with the largest breeding population housed smaller and poorer-condition male toads. These findings have implications for disease mitigation and the evolutionary response to infection.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Carlos Henrique de-Oliveira-Nogueira, Ubirata Ferreira Souza, Thaynara Mendes Machado, Caio Antonio Figueiredo-de-Andrade, Alexander Tamanini Monico, Ivan Sazima, Marlies Sazima, Luis Felipe Toledo
Summary: Pollination and seed dispersal are crucial for plant survival, with mammals and birds being the main players. Surprisingly, the amphibian species Xenohyla truncata has been observed consuming various plant parts, including fruits, flowers, and nectar, and carrying pollen grains on its back. This unexpected interaction suggests that the treefrog may serve as a potential pollinator, in addition to its known role as a seed disperser. This unique finding highlights unforeseen relationships between amphibians and plants.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jordan O. Hampton, Michael T. Lohr, Aaron J. Specht, Damien Nzabanita, Jasmin Hufschmid, Lee Berger, Kate McGinnis, Jane Melville, Emma Bennett, James M. Pay
Summary: Lead (Pb) toxicity from lead ammunition poses a threat to scavenging birds in Australia, particularly the wedge-tailed eagle. Our study found that 84% of wedge-tailed eagle bone samples collected from southeast mainland Australia had detectable lead concentrations. The elevated lead levels in these eagles may have negative impacts on their health and population. Further studies on lead exposure in other Australian avian scavenger species are necessary.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
B. Tarbiat, N. Enweji, D. S. Jansson, E. Wallstrom, E. Osterman-Lind, J. Hoglund
Summary: Poultry roundworms have re-emerged in European countries due to noncaged housing, impacting bird welfare and productivity. The Swedish Egg Association initiated a control program in 2009, but its data have not been fully explored, and understanding of producer perception is inadequate. This study addresses these issues through analyzing program data and conducting an online survey. The findings highlight the need for strategic sampling, appropriate diagnostic tools, and education on anthelmintics use and resistance development.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POULTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hugo Sentenac, Adeline Loyau, Luca Zoccarato, Vincent E. J. Jassey, Hans-Peter Grossart, Dirk S. Schmeller
Summary: Mountain lakes, which provide clean drinking water to humans, are strongly affected by global change. Benthic biofilms play a crucial role in maintaining water quality, but little is known about the effects of global change on mountain biofilm communities. By analyzing metabarcoding data and climatic and environmental data, this study reveals significant shifts in the composition and decline in biodiversity of prokaryotic and micro-eukaryotic biofilm communities in Pyrenean lakes from 2016 to 2020.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lucia Arregui, Jaime Bosch
Summary: The genus Alytes consists of six primitive terrestrial-breeding species, five of which are endangered or have restricted distributions, and they exhibit unique male parental care. Alytes obstetricans has been used as a model for developing assisted reproductive technologies for gamete collection, artificial fertilization, and captive-rearing of embryos. Sperm collection using human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) resulted in a response rate of only 17 to 50% of males, and captivity was found to have an effect on sperm quality. A combination of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) and hCG was able to induce ovulation in 100% of females. Artificial fertilization using recently collected sperm resulted in 10% of eggs showing complete embryo development. A method for captive-rearing of embryos was designed by dividing natural clutches into two sub-clutches, one with all eggs together and the other with individual eggs split. The sub-clutches with separated eggs had embryo survival rates ranging from 27 to 61%, while the sub-clutch with embryos kept together had a lower embryo survival rate of 36%. These findings have important implications for the management of Alytes species and related species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Staci M. Amburgey, Brian Gratwicke, Victor Acosta Chaves, Anat M. Belasen, David Bickford, Carsten A. Bruehl, Natalie E. Calatayud, Nick Clemann, Simon Clulow, Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailovic, Jeff Dawson, David A. De Angelis, C. Kenneth Dodd, Annette Evans, Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Mattia Falaschi, Sergio Gonzalez-Mollinedo, David M. Green, Roseanna Gamlen-Greene, Richard A. Griffiths, Brian J. Halstead, Craig Hassapakis, Geoffrey Heard, Catharina Karlsson, Tom Kirschey, Blake Klocke, Tiffany A. Kosch, Sophia Kusterko Novaes, Luke Linhoff, John C. Maerz, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine O'Donnell, Leticia M. Ochoa-Ochoa, Deanna H. Olson, Kristiina Ovaska, J. Dale Roberts, Aimee J. Silla, Tariq Stark, Jeanne Tarrant, R. Upton, Judit Voros, Erin Muths
Summary: Extensive research has been conducted on the problem of global amphibian declines in the past three decades, with a recent shift towards evidence-based research to identify best solutions and improve conservation outcomes. However, there are still knowledge gaps and disconnects between science and action that hinder conservation efforts.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
