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Seed germination analysis often ignores temporal dynamics and non-germinating fractions, limiting biological inference. Conventional methods assume all seeds germinate, which is unrealistic for heterogeneous forest seed lots. Long-term survival (cure fraction) models offer a framework to address this limitation. This study uses seed germination of native Brazilian forest species to demonstrate the applicability and advantages of long-term modeling. Five independent datasets from native Brazilian forest species were analyzed under varying environmental conditions, including temperature, osmotic stress, light, and seed traits. Germination was modelled as a time-to-event process using parametric (log-normal, Weibull, log-logistic) and semiparametric (Cox) approaches with long-term survival models. Kaplan-Meier estimators were used for initial exploration and model comparison. Model selection was based on graphical fit and Cox-Snell residuals. All datasets showed a fraction of non-germinated seeds, with germination curves stabilizing below 100%, which corroborates the use of cure models. Long-term models consistently outperformed traditional survival approaches, providing better fit and biological interpretability. Environmental factors differentially affected incidence and latency components: extreme temperatures and water stress significantly reduced the probability of germination, while having smaller effects on germination speed. The probability of germination varied widely between species and conditions, from 10% to 95%. The models also revealed complex interactions between environmental and seed characteristics that influence germination dynamics. This study demonstrates that long-term survival models provide a robust, biologically realistic statistical framework for analyzing germination data from forest seeds. Partitioning the germination process into incidence (probability of germination) and latency (time to germination) components enabled key advances. First, it allowed precise quantification of the fractions of germinating and non-germinating seeds. Second, it provided more accurate and informative estimates than traditional survival methods. Finally, it enabled the isolation of the effects of environmental factors on germination capacity and speed.

The integration of mobile health (mHealth) technologies for continuous, real-time monitoring of physiological and behavioural signals, in concert with detailed measurement of environmental exposures, holds transformative potential for advancing personalized health risk assessment and enabling more effective treatment and intervention. In this protocol, I introduce a multimodal mobile monitoring system specifically designed to capture and integrate data on individual behaviour (daily activities and travel), respiratory function, physiological parameters and environmental exposures. The system combines mobile health devices and portable environmental sensors with GPS-enabled smartphone-based applications to generate synchronized, high-resolution data streams. These data are processed through a smart mobile phone application by incorporating physiological parameter calculation (e.g., physical activity intensity, respiratory rate) and external urban environmental data (e.g., urban green spaces, street view maps), after which a machine learning-based alert system was deployed to provide actionable insights into respiratory health, daily activities and mobility patterns, and exposure to risk factors. The protocol provides comprehensive and detailed guidance on hardware setup, software configuration, data acquisition procedures, and analytical workflows necessary for deploying the Multimodal Mobile Monitoring of Behaviour, Respiration, and Exposures (air pollution, noise, light, heat, greenness, etc.) for Treatment and Health Evaluation (M3-BREATHE) in both controlled clinical experiments and real-world contexts. This forward-looking M3-BREATHE platform establishes a scalable, non-invasive, and cost-efficient approach to longitudinal environment-mobility-health (E-M-H) monitoring, linking individual-level precision health in everyday life with long-term health intelligence at the population scale.

Isolated lakes in subtropical floodplains serve as crucial biodiversity refuges within intensively managed agricultural landscapes. However, the ecological mechanisms underlying waterbird community assembly in these fragmented habitats remain poorly understood, limiting the development of effective conservation strategies. We conducted synchronous winter surveys (November 2022 - March 2024) across 18 isolated lakes in the Dongting Lake basin, China, and evaluated community-assembly patterns using a multidimensional diversity framework that integrated taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic perspectives. During the study period, we recorded 70 waterbird species. Species richness and abundance both increased significantly with lake area. Partitioning β-diversity revealed contrasting drivers. Turnover dominated the taxonomic and phylogenetic components, whereas functional β-diversity was driven mainly by nestedness, suggesting trait homogenisation among lakes. Null-model analyses showed that taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity did not differ significantly from stochastic expectations at the regional scale. At the local scale, functional richness (FRic) correlated positively with both functional and phylogenetic diversity. Both dimensions were also positively associated with standardized mean pairwise distances. Variance partitioning showed that pure spatial factors and shared environmental-spatial effects partially explained taxonomic β-diversity. Functional β-diversity was explained by pure environmental, pure spatial, and shared environmental-spatial factors. In contrast, only shared environmental-spatial factors accounted for variation in phylogenetic β-diversity. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating evolutionary and functional perspectives into biodiversity management. Overall, our study presents a multidimensional framework to guide effective conservation strategies and improve biodiversity outcomes in fragmented agricultural landscapes worldwide.

Urban air pollution, specifically Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), presents a multifaceted challenge that is intricately coupled with the stochastic, multi-modal, and non-linear dynamics of mega-city traffic systems. This study systematically investigates the non-linear impacts of mixed traffic flow-comprising motorcycles (MC), private cars (PC), and heavy vehicles (BT)-on local air quality at the iconic Bundaran HI intersection in Jakarta, Indonesia. Leveraging a high-resolution, year-long longitudinal dataset, we developed a robust Random Forest (RF) modeling framework integrated with Permutation Importance and Partial Dependence Analysis (PDP) to decipher the environmental footprint of urban transport under tropical conditions. Our results reveal that private car volume and the Volume-to-Capacity (V/C) ratio act as the primary catalysts for NO2 spikes, significantly outweighing the contribution of heavy vehicles in this specific urban corridor. Crucially, a distinct non-linear threshold effect was identified: NO2 concentrations undergo a regime shift, rising exponentially once the V/C ratio exceeds a critical "elbow" of 0.65. This non-linearity indicates that traditional linear mitigation strategies and average-speed-based emission models significantly underestimate pollution risks during saturated traffic states. Policy scenario simulations demonstrate that a 30% reduction in private vehicle volume yields a 5.8% reduction in mean NO2, offering nearly six times the environmental utility of heavy vehicle restrictions. Furthermore, the study explores the role of road surface materials-specifically Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA)-and meteorological interactions in exacerbating localized pollution. This research provides a data-driven, interpretable framework for urban planners to transition from generic traffic bans toward precision-based, sustainable management strategies that align with the core principles of cleaner production, urban resilience, and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11.

Elevated environmental zinc levels pose significant toxicity to biological systems, necessitating adaptive responses to mitigate excessive zinc exposure. In C. elegans, a specific lysosome-related organelle, the gut granule, may increase in number and volume with high dietary zinc, thereby lowering cytosolic zinc concentration, though the mechanisms remain unclear. Our results suggest that GLO-1 predominantly controls granule biogenesis, whereas zinc-induced granule expansion involves distinct mechanisms. Further study revealed that high zinc upregulated GLO-1 activity through its GEF complex GLO-3-CCZ-1, by enhancing transcription of GLO-3 and post-translational modification of CCZ-1. Zinc transporter CDF-2 has been identified to mediate zinc influx into gut granules. In this study, analysis of 14 C. elegans CDFs reveals that ZK185.5 (CDF-3) and F19C6.5 (CDF-4) also localize in gut granules. Functional studies suggest that CDF-3, not CDF-4, complements CDF-2 in facilitating zinc influx into gut granules. Unlike CDF-2, the expression of CDF-3 is downregulated in a high zinc diet. These results suggest a modulation in the composition of CDFs within gut granules in response to environmental zinc. Together, our study reveals a sophisticated zinc detoxification mechanism of C. elegans gut granule to uphold cytosolic zinc homeostasis amidst fluctuating environments.

Although both straight N and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) compound fertilisers are widely used, the influence of nitrate (NO3--N) to ammonium (NH4+-N) ratios in these fertilisers on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission dynamics remains poorly quantified. This study examined how fertilisers with contrasting NO3--N to NH4+-N ratios influence N2O emissions under varying environmental conditions, over a growing year in an Irish grassland soil. A randomised block field experiment was conducted on a moderately drained luvisol with a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) sward. Fertilisers with varying NO3--N to NH4+-N ratios, calcium nitrate (CN) (100:0), NPK 27-2.5-5 (80:20), NPK 18-6-12 (53:47) and ammonium sulphate (AS) (0:100), were applied at a rate of 200 kg N ha-1 yr-1 in five equal splits. Nitrous oxide emissions were measured continuously from March to December 2023 using high-frequency automatic chambers, together with concurrent measurements of environmental variables. Daily N2O fluxes ranged from -2.07 to 271.34 g N2O-N ha-1 d-1. Higher NO3--N fertilisers (CN and NPK 27-2.5-5) produced short-lived peaks under high water-filled pore space (WFPS) following the first (early spring) and fourth (late summer) applications, likely due to readily available NO3- promoting denitrification. Conversely, higher NH4+-N fertilisers (AS and NPK 18-6-12) produced greater peaks after the fifth application (early autumn), when repeated NH4+ inputs coincided with warm, drying-rewetting conditions. Cumulative N2O-N emissions (1.8 to 2.4 kg N2O-N ha-1) and partial emission factors (0.81 to 1.08 %) did not differ significantly among fertiliser formulations. Overall, the response of N2O emissions to fertilisers with varying NO3--N to NH4+-N ratios was driven primarily by soil moisture dynamics. The results suggest that compound fertilisers with lower NO3--N to NH4+-N ratios may be suitable for early-season applications when soils are typically wet, while NO3--N fertilisers may be better targeted to periods when soils are expected to remain relatively dry. Additionally, ammonium accumulation in soils receiving repeated applications might be a significant source of delayed N2O emissions late in the year when soil conditions are conducive; this may have implications for mitigation strategies and for monitoring of emissions from NH4+-N based fertilisers, which might be underestimated by short-term monitoring.

Since 2009, Argentina has faced recurrent dengue outbreaks, with a notable incidence increase during the 2023-2024 season. Despite following the guidelines from the Pan American Health Organization for controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the disease remains a significant health problem. This review article analyzes the efficacy of the recommended actions and emphasizes the need for operational research to improve implementation. The Control de Aedes aegypti in Argentina traditional approach focuses on prevention, control and containment actions, including environmental sanitation, monitoring and focal control. However, limitations have been identified, such as the presence of asymptomatic cases contributing to arbovirus transmission, mosquito insecticide resistance, and insufficient community participation in eliminating breeding sites. Alternative control measures that have shown effectiveness in other countries are described, such as the autodissemination of larvicides, the release of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, the sterile insect technique, indoor residual spraying, and mass trapping. These innovative strategies need to be systematically evaluated to determine their effectiveness. The persistence of dengue outbreaks indicates that current strategies are insufficient. It is essential to integrate alternative approaches and foster collaboration among health agencies, researchers, and the community to improve dengue control in Argentina and prevent future outbreaks. Desde 2009, Argentina ha enfrentado brotes recurrentes de dengue, con un aumento notable en la incidencia durante la temporada 2023-2024. A pesar de las acciones llevadas a cabo siguiendo las directrices de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud para el control del mosquito Aedes aegypti, la enfermedad sigue siendo un problema de salud significativo. Este trabajo analiza la eficacia de las acciones recomendadas y subraya la necesidad de investigaciones operativas para mejorar la implementación. El enfoque tradicional se centra en la prevención, control y contención, incluyendo saneamiento ambiental, monitoreo y control focal. Sin embargo, se identifican limitaciones, como la existencia de casos asintomáticos que contribuyen a la transmisión, la resistencia de los insectos a insecticidas y la insuficiente participación comunitaria en la eliminación de criaderos. Se describen alternativas de control que han mostrado eficacia en otros países, como la autodiseminación de larvicidas, la liberación de mosquitos infectados con Wolbachia, la técnica del insecto estéril, el rociado residual intradomiciliario y el trampeo masivo. Estas estrategias innovadoras deben ser evaluadas sistemáticamente para determinar su efectividad. La persistencia de brotes de dengue indica que las estrategias actuales no son suficientes. Es fundamental integrar enfoques alternativos y fomentar la colaboración entre agencias de salud, investigación y la comunidad para mejorar el control del dengue en Argentina y prevenir futuros brotes.

To develop a structured evidence-to-decision (EtD) framework for occupational disease compensation that separates causal validity from socio-policy considerations. A three-round Delphi study was conducted with 18 of 20 invited occupational and environmental medicine experts, with 100% participation across all rounds. Round 1 generated 21 candidate criteria. After Round 2, 15 criteria were retained following evaluation using a predefined consensus threshold (Content Validity Ratio ≥0.44). In Round 3, 14 criteria achieved consensus and were organized into two sequential tiers comprising four mandatory and five conditional scientific criteria, and three mandatory and two conditional socio-policy criteria. The proposed two-tier EtD framework enhances transparency and consistency in occupational disease compensation decision-making.

Based on the Chapel Hill consensus criteria, the primary forms of vasculitis are classified by the predominant size of the affected blood vessels into large, medium, or small vessels. The two main forms of large vessel vasculitis (LVV) are giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis, both of which are more prevalent in women while showing distinct geographic patterns of prevalence. The pathogenesis of LVV is complex and multifactorial, involving a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental and geographic triggers, immune dysregulation, and aging or (premature) senescence of the immune system and blood vessels. Diagnosis based on clinical presentation alone can be challenging because of the wide variety and often nonspecific symptoms that are associated with LVV. This has prompted the development of novel diagnostic tools to aid patient management, in particular advanced vascular imaging approaches. New therapies targeting specific immune pathways are now becoming available to improve outcomes while limiting the side effects associated with traditional glucocorticoid treatment. Advances in molecular imaging techniques may also enhance our ability to objectively monitor disease and treatment response in patients with LVV. Ongoing research aims to better understand the underlying mechanisms and to develop better targeted therapies for LVV, and to improve patient assessment and life time management. This narrative review will provide an in-depth update on current challenges and future trends in LVV, enhancing our understanding of its pathogenesis, diagnostic features, and management strategies, including disease- and treatment-related cardiovascular complications.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent carcinogen produced by Aspergillus species that contaminates maize crops, posing severe health risks to humans and animals through dietary exposure. Traditional post-harvest management and chemical interventions are often costly or ineffective at preventing the translocation of soil-borne toxins into the plant during growth. The primary goal of this protocol was to evaluate green-synthesized copper oxide/zinc oxide (CuO/ZnO) hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) as a sustainable pre-harvest soil amendment. The study aimed to determine if these NPs could effectively inhibit the translocation and accumulation of AFB1 within maize tissues, thereby reducing toxin accumulation in edible grains. Using a randomized complete block design across two distinct field sites, maize was grown in soil inoculated with AFB1 or Aspergillus flavus spores and treated with varying concentrations of NPs (0-125 mg/kg). The protocol employed green synthesis with Pleurotus ostreatus substrate to ensure eco-friendliness. Plant tissues were analyzed at different physiological stages using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to measure AFB1 levels and calculate human and livestock risk assessments. Treatment with 125 mg/kg of green hybrid NPs significantly (p < 0.05) decreased AFB1 concentrations across all growth stages. At the on-campus site, AFB1 was reduced by 68% at the vegetative stage, 82% at flowering, and 76% at maturity compared to the positive control. Crucially, grain AFB1 levels dropped to 6.91 ppb, significantly lowering the estimated daily intake for humans. However, further research is required to evaluate potential nanoparticle residues and long-term toxicity. This method demonstrates that green CuO/ZnO hybrid NPs act as an effective bioremediation agent, preventing the transport of toxins to edible parts of the plant. This approach offers a scalable, environmentally safe strategy to enhance food security and mitigate AFB1 exposure in aflatoxin-prone regions.

The ecological success of modern reef-building corals is rooted in photosymbiosis, yet its macroevolutionary benefit remains unclear. Analyzing the Phanerozoic record of inferred zooxanthellate (Z) and azooxanthellate (AZ) corals over geologic time scales using Bayesian methods, we identify a fundamental shift in diversification dynamics and their drivers across the Paleozoic-Mesozoic transition. Although Z corals dominate modern tropical reef ecosystems, their Paleozoic counterparts were outpaced by AZ forms and showed failed recoveries after the Late Devonian mass extinction. We found Z coral diversification was primarily driven by origination, whereas AZ diversification was controlled by extinction. Multivariate birth-death models reveal that Paleozoic coral diversification was governed by abiotic stressors like warming and anoxia, to which Z and AZ corals showed similar vulnerability. The rise of scleractinian corals in the Triassic marked a distinct macroevolutionary regime shift after which photosymbiosis spurred coral diversification. Positive correlations between temperature and Z coral extinction dominated the Paleozoic, while negative correlations prevailed in the Meso-Cenozoic. The long-term reversal of this relationship could be the reduced supersaturation of the oceans with respect to CaCO3 due to the emergence of calcareous plankton in the Triassic. Our deep-time perspective demonstrates that the advantage of photosymbiosis is not intrinsic but contingent on the broader ecological and environmental context.

We report a case of paucibacillary leprosy presenting as fibular neuropathy in a patient from Florida, an area with documented autochthonous transmission of Mycobacterium leprae. The patient exhibited neuropathic symptoms and a characteristic skin lesion, ultimately confirmed by biopsy with histopathological findings consistent with paucibacillary Hansen's disease, with negative Fite-Faraco staining and negative M. leprae PCR. The patient reported no travel history to internationally endemic areas; zoonotic exposure through frequent contact with armadillo-inhabited soil was identified as the most probable source of infection. This case underscores the importance of thorough physical examination and consideration of autochthonous zoonotic exposure in regions with documented environmental transmission.

The bacterial 16S rRNA gene is widely used to characterize host-associated and environmental microbiomes, most commonly through sequencing short hypervariable regions. Recent improvements in PacBio sequencing chemistry and concatenation approaches can now enable high-throughput, full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing with high accuracy and depth. However, errors introduced during library preparation remain a major limitation, particularly during PCR amplification of full-length amplicons, where error accumulation may be elevated due to longer sequence lengths. These challenges are amplified when samples vary widely in microbial biomass, making it difficult to select a single optimal number of PCR cycles. Here, we evaluated PCR cycle autonormalization for PacBio Kinnex full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing across seven agriculturally relevant specimen types. We compared conventional fixed-cycle PCR protocols (20, 24, and 30 cycles) with an autonormalization approach in which individual reactions were terminated during exponential amplification based on real-time fluorescence thresholds. Under the workflow tested here, autonormalized libraries generally retained a high proportion of sequences following denoising and chimera removal, exhibited low residual error rates (<0.005%), and yielded relatively even read distributions across heterogeneous sample inputs. Overamplified reactions (30 cycles) showed elevated residual error rates and greater sequence loss, particularly in samples with higher microbial biodiversity, whereas low-cycle libraries produced more variable read output among specimens. Importantly, the PCR protocol had relatively minor effects on overall community composition compared with specimen type. These results support PCR cycle autonormalization as a useful workflow strategy for heterogeneous full-length 16S library preparation, while also highlighting the importance of library design, pooling strategy, and downstream processing in shaping technical outcomes.IMPORTANCEAmplicon-based sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene is a foundational tool in microbiome research, yet PCR amplification remains a major source of library-preparation error. This challenge is magnified for full-length 16S rRNA sequencing and for workflows that process specimen types with widely varying microbial biomass. Selecting a single PCR cycle number can underamplify low-biomass samples or overamplify high-titer samples, increasing artifacts and sequence loss during downstream processing. Here, we show that PCR cycle autonormalization can be integrated into a PacBio full-length 16S rRNA workflow and, under the conditions tested, provides low residual error rates and relatively even sample representation across heterogeneous inputs. Autonormalization also enables blind pooling of amplicons without post-PCR quantification or equimolar normalization, reducing hands-on time and sample loss. These benefits make cycle autonormalization particularly valuable for high-throughput and production-scale library preparation applications handling diverse specimen types.

In the urban periphery, applying sludge from decentralized sewage treatment system to farmlands is increasingly adopted in response to demand of nutrient recovery and local crop promotion, but potential risks pertain due to persistent micropollutants. We elucidate thermal destruction of multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) species after slow pyrolysis (&#x223c;300&#x202f;&#xb0;C) of real sewage sludge samples from both decentralized and centralized treatment plants to determine how low-temperature pyrolysis mitigates PFAS persistence and post-treatment release for edible crop production. Pyrolysis reduced total PFAS concentrations by up to 85%, regardless of initial sludge concentrations but strongly dependent on functional group and chain length. In both sludge types, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) exhibited the highest thermal stability, with reductions of only 30-68.7%. In contrast, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) declined substantially (95-96%) while long-chain PFCAs remained detectable in the resulting biochar. Leaching experiments showed greater PFAS release under acidic conditions, with PFOA consistently the most mobile compound (43-168%). Chain-length-dependent leaching trends under both acidic and basic conditions indicate that hydrophobic interaction contributes to PFAS retention on biochar. Despite differences in total PFAS burdens and composition, biochar derived from decentralized sludge exhibited leaching behavior comparable to centralized sludge, suggesting that contaminant mobility rather than bulk concentration governs environmental risk. Evaluation of leachate metal and PFAS concentrations infers that low-temperature pyrolysis alone, without further optimization, may be insufficient to ensure safe agricultural reuse.

Speciation is the ultimate source of biodiversity, yet because most species arise in spatial isolation (allopatry), it remains unclear how speciation history shapes patterns of sympatric species richness. Here, we examine how the timing of past speciation events influences the maximum sympatric species richness attained across 40 families of passerine birds. Using a phylogenetic model, we infer that the average waiting time for species to assemble in sympatry is remarkably long (~8 million years), occurring over macroevolutionary timescales comparable to the pace of speciation itself. Consequently, we find that the proportion of species in sympatry varies substantially across families, peaking in ancient or small clades comprised of older species, while remaining low in large, rapidly diversifying clades. Our analysis shows that macroevolutionary delays in colonisation are sufficient for speciation history to leave an indelible legacy on present-day assemblages, challenging the view that richness is strictly limited by contemporary environmental capacity.

Fire severity exerts crucial ecological controls in many forests globally. In California, where annual forest-fire area has increased dramatically in recent decades, understanding how burn severity is changing is essential for informing environmental policy and management. We developed remotely sensed high-resolution maps of severity for 4,391 forest fires to assess trends and drivers of burn severity across California's forests from 1985-2024. We observed that historically dominant low-severity and ecologically restorative fire was increasingly replaced by high-severity stand-replacing fire, which became the most common severity class beginning in 2012. This regime shift indicates that forested areas are increasingly burning at severity levels they are unlikely to survive. Redistribution toward high-severity fire was strongest in high-biomass forests, implicating heavy fuel loads due to fire exclusion as an amplifier of tree mortality. Importantly, California's forests provide a vast array of ecosystem services, including the regulation of climate and the water cycle, biodiversity support, and timber and recreation revenue. Thus, the growing dominance of high-severity forest fire is likely to impose significant socioeconomic costs on California.

Pediatric dermatoses presenting as follicular papules are common entities encountered in clinical practice. These are a heterogeneous group of disorders of infectious or noninfectious origin that commonly present as regularly spaced, small papules with or without perifollicular inflammation. Inflammatory causes include follicular eczema, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen nitidus, follicular seborrheic dermatitis, keratosis pilaris and its variants, keratosis circumscripta, follicular psoriasis, lichen spinulosus, follicular lichen planus, follicular mucinosis, perforating folliculitis, follicular porokeratosis, and follicular dermographism. These conditions may arise due to filaggrin mutations, keratinization defects, autoimmunity, or microbial triggers. Nutritional causes include phrynoderma and scurvy, while connective tissue diseases such as dermatomyositis and chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus are autoimmune. Additional categories include infectious, genetic, hormonal, environmental, frictional, malignant, nevus-related, iatrogenic, and idiopathic entities. An early and accurate diagnosis is essential for proper management and reducing disease-associated apprehension in children and/or their parents. This review attempts to describe the role of history taking and clinical examination, including morphology, location, pattern of distribution, and associated features, while dealing with a child with follicular-based papules. In addition, it delineates the role of dermoscopy and pathological examination in reaching a correct diagnosis. Furthermore, it describes the available treatment options and disease course of various follicle-based dermatoses.