Enzymatic modification of cotton fibre polysaccharides as an enabler of sustainable laundry detergents.

Cotton is the most common natural fibre used in textile manufacture, used alone or with other fibres to create a wide range of fashion clothing and household textiles. Most of these textiles are cleaned using detergents and domestic or commercial washing machines using processes that require many chemicals and large quantities of water and energy. Enzymes can reduce this environmental footprint by enabling effective detergency at reduced temperatures, mostly by directly attacking substrates present in the soils.

Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests.

Characterizing the population density of species is a central interest in ecology. Eastern North America is the global hotspot for biodiversity of plethodontid salamanders, an inconspicuous component of terrestrial vertebrate communities, and among the most widespread is the eastern red-backed salamander, . Previous work suggests population densities are high with significant geographic variation, but comparisons among locations are challenged by lack of standardization of methods and failure to accommodate imperfect detection.

Geographic variation in larval cold tolerance and exposure across the invasion front of a widely established forest insect.

Under global climate change, high and low temperature extremes can drive shifts in species distributions. Across the range of a species, thermal tolerance is based on acclimatization, plasticity, and may undergo selection, shaping resilience to temperature stress. In this study, we measured variation in cold temperature tolerance of early instar larvae of an invasive forest insect, Lymantria dispar dispar L.

Epigenetic changes induced by pathogenic Chlamydia spp.

Chlamydia trachomatis, C. pneumoniae, and C. psittaci, the three Chlamydia species known to cause human disease, have been collectively linked to several pathologies, including conjunctivitis, trachoma, respiratory disease, acute and chronic urogenital infections and their complications, and psittacosis.

Understanding intentionality of fentanyl use and drug overdose risk: Findings from a mixed methods study of people who inject drugs in New York City.

Background: As the proportion of drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl continues to increase in the US, monitoring exposure to and possible changes in intention to use fentanyl among people who use drugs (PWUD) is of great public health importance. This mixed methods study examines intentionality of fentanyl use among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in New York City during a period of unprecedently high rates of drug overdose mortality.

Methods: Between October 2021 and December 2022, N = 313 PWID were enrolled in a cross-sectional study that included a survey and urine toxicology screening.

Molecular mechanisms protecting centromeres from self-sabotage and implications for cancer therapy.

Centromeres play a crucial role in DNA segregation by mediating the cohesion and separation of sister chromatids during cell division. Centromere dysfunction, breakage or compromised centromeric integrity can generate aneuploidies and chromosomal instability, which are cellular features associated with cancer initiation and progression. Maintaining centromere integrity is thus essential for genome stability.

Growth and development of an invasive forest insect under current and future projected temperature regimes.

Temperature and its impact on fitness are fundamental for understanding range shifts and population dynamics under climate change. Geographic climate heterogeneity, behavioral and physiological plasticity, and thermal adaptation to local climates make predicting the responses of species to climate change complex. Using larvae from seven geographically distinct wild populations in the eastern United States of the non-native forest pest (L.

Methylene blue and monosodium glutamate improve neurologic signs after fluoroacetate poisoning.

Fluoroacetate (FA) is a tasteless, odorless, water-soluble metabolic poison with severe toxicological effects. Characterized in the mid-1900s, it has been used as a rodenticide but is comparably lethal to all mammals. Many countries have restricted its use, and modern-day accidental human exposures are rare, but recently, concerns have been raised about its application as a chemical weapon with no known antidote.

Unexpected spatial population ecology of a widespread terrestrial salamander near its southern range edge.

Under the current amphibian biodiversity crisis, common species provide an opportunity to measure population dynamics across a wide range of environmental conditions while examining the processes that determine abundance and structure geographical ranges. Studying species at their range limits also provides a window for understanding the dynamics expected in future environments under increasing climate change and human modification. We quantified patterns of seasonal activity, density and space use in the eastern red-backed salamander () near its southern range edge and compare the spatial ecology of this population to previous findings from the core of their range.

Evolutionary genomics of gypsy moth populations sampled along a latitudinal gradient.

The European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) was first introduced to Massachusetts in 1869 and within 150 years has spread throughout eastern North America. This large-scale invasion across a heterogeneous landscape allows examination of the genetic signatures of adaptation potentially associated with rapid geographical spread.

A tissue-specific enhancer of the C. elegans nhr-67/tailless gene drives coordinated expression in uterine stem cells and the differentiated anchor cell.

The nhr-67 nuclear receptor gene of Caenorhabditis elegans encodes the ortholog of the Drosophila tailless and vertebrate Tlx genes. In C. elegans, nhr-67 plays multiple roles in the development of the uterus during L2 and L3 larval stages.

Thermal Sensitivity of Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) During Larval and Pupal Development.

As global temperatures rise, thermal limits play an increasingly important role in determining the persistence and spread of invasive species. Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L. Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in North America provides an ideal system for studying the effect of high temperatures on invasive species performance.

Physiological responses to elevated temperature across the geographic range of a terrestrial salamander.

Widespread species often possess physiological mechanisms for coping with thermal heterogeneity, and uncovering these mechanisms provides insight into species' responses to climate change. The emergence of non-invasive corticosterone (CORT) assays allows us to rapidly assess physiological responses to environmental change on a large scale. We lack, however, a basic understanding of how temperature affects CORT, and whether temperature and CORT interactively affect performance.

Geographic Variation in Larval Metabolic Rate Between Northern and Southern Populations of the Invasive Gypsy Moth.

Thermal regimes can diverge considerably across the geographic range of a species, and accordingly, populations can vary in their response to changing environmental conditions. Both local adaptation and acclimatization are important mechanisms for ectotherms to maintain homeostasis as environments become thermally stressful, which organisms often experience at their geographic range limits. The spatial spread of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.

Thermal Physiology and Developmental Plasticity of Pigmentation in the Harlequin Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Traits that promote the maintenance of body temperatures within an optimal range provide advantages to ectothermic species. Pigmentation plasticity is found in many insects and enhances thermoregulatory potential as increased melanization can result in greater heat retention. The thermal melanism hypothesis predicts that species with developmental plasticity will have darker pigmentation in colder environments, which can be an important adaptation for temperate species experiencing seasonal variation in climate.