Behavioral and molecular effects of micro and nanoplastics across three plastic types in fish: weathered microfibers induce a similar response to nanosized particles.

Micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and have been detected in most ecosystems, including remote regions. The class of contaminants under the MNP umbrella is quite broad and encompasses variable polymer types, shapes, and sizes. Fibers are the most frequently detected in the environment, followed by fragments, but still represent only a small fraction of laboratory studies.

MIBiG 4.0: advancing biosynthetic gene cluster curation through global collaboration.

Specialized or secondary metabolites are small molecules of biological origin, often showing potent biological activities with applications in agriculture, engineering and medicine. Usually, the biosynthesis of these natural products is governed by sets of co-regulated and physically clustered genes known as biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). To share information about BGCs in a standardized and machine-readable way, the Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene cluster (MIBiG) data standard and repository was initiated in 2015.

Effects of elicitors on plant host selection by adult Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

The Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, is the principal defoliator of potato crops globally. It is well known for its propensity to rapidly develop resistance. Thus, new control options which are resilient to the pest's resistance capabilities are a critical need.

Soil microbial biomass influenced by cover crop after fumigation of potato fields.

Soil fumigation is commonly employed for pest control in potato production, although it can unintentionally harm non-target organisms in the soil. The presence of cover crops can significantly influence the abundance and composition of microorganisms. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the combined impact of soil fumigation and cover crops on soil health in potato fields.

Rapid determination of chemical losses in a microplate bioassay using fluorescence spectroscopy.

The increase in production and innovation of chemicals that humans interface with has enhanced the need for rapid toxicity testing of new and existing chemicals. This need, along with efforts to reduce animal testing, has led to the development of high-throughput bioassays typically conducted in microplates. These bioassays offer time and resource advantages over traditional animal models; however, significant chemical losses can occur in microplates.

Open-source insect camera trap with vibrational detection and luring for monitoring (Walker, Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae).

We have developed a novel device for automatic sensing, luring, and imaging insects that use substrate-borne vibrational signals for identifying and locating mating partners. The device is capable of measuring the activity patterns of these insects in a local area. It is intended to be used for monitoring pest insects; the current version of the device focuses on the treehopper species (Walker, Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae) that may serve as a vector for Grapevine Red Blotch Disease.

Correction: Fluorinated aromatic PCBTF and 6:2 diPAP in bridge and traffic paints.

Correction for 'Fluorinated aromatic PCBTF and 6:2 diPAP in bridge and traffic paints' by Mitchell L. Kim-Fu , , 2024, https://doi.org/10.

Corticotropin-releasing factor-like diuretic hormone 44 and five corresponding GPCRs in Drosophila suzukii: Structural and functional characterization.

Diuretic hormones (DHs) activate corresponding G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), mediating the water and ion homeostasis in arthropods. There are two different DHs known to be expressed in insects, calcitonin (CT)-like DH31 and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-like DH44. In this study, we identified and characterized a DH44 and five GPCR variants, DH44-R1 and DH44-R2a/b/c/d, in Drosophila suzukii (spotted-wing drosophila), causing detrimental damage to fresh and soft-skinned fruits.

Horses with previous episodes of laminitis have altered insulin responses to seasonal oral sugar testing and grazing compared to horses with no known history of laminitis.

Forage is essential for equine health and performance, but intake of elevated pasture nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) may exacerbate metabolic disorders. This study aimed to investigate the influence of laminitis history on metabolic and morphometric responses in grazing horses. Twelve non-pregnant mares (15 ± 3.

Developmental toxicity of alkylated PAHs and substituted phenanthrenes: Structural nuances drive diverse toxicity and AHR activation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a diverse class of chemicals that occur in complex mixtures including parent and substituted PAHs. To understand the hazard posed by complex environmental PAH mixtures, we must first understand the structural drivers of activity and mode of action of individual PAHs. Understanding the toxicity of alkylated PAHs is important as they often occur in higher abundance in environmental matrices and can be more biologically active than their parent compounds.

Comparing statistical and deep learning approaches for simultaneous prediction of stand-level above- and belowground biomass in tropical forests.

Accurate and cost-effective prediction of aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), and the total (ABGB) at stand-level within tropical forests is crucial for effective forest ecological management and the provision of forest ecosystem services. Although there has been research on simultaneously fitting biomass equations for tree components, rather few studies focus on simultaneously predicting AGB and BGB at stand-level while maintaining additivity. We developed innovative Deep Learning Additive Models (DLAMs) for the simultaneous predictions of stand-level AGB, BGB, and ABGB integrating forest stand, ecological, and environmental factors as predictive covariates and compared them with conventional weighted nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression (WNSUR) and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS).

Unreported large errors in a common method for sound source localization of marine mammals.

Confidence intervals of location of calling marine mammals, derived from time differences of arrival (TDOA) between receivers, depend on errors of TDOAs, receiver location, clocks, sound speeds, and location method. Simulations demonstrate Ishmael, a TDOA locator based on uncorrected least squares minimization (ULSM), yields errors with mean, standard deviation, and maximum of 0.1, 0.

A horizon scan of biological conservation issues for 2025.

We discuss the outcomes of our 16th horizon scan of issues that are novel or represent a considerable step-change and have the potential to substantially affect conservation of biological diversity in the coming decade. From an initial 96 topics, our international panel of 32 scientists and practitioners prioritised 15 issues. Technological advances are prominent, including metal and non-metal organic frameworks, deriving rare earth elements from macroalgae, synthetic gene drives in plants, and low-emission cement.

Enhancing resource recovery from acid whey through chitosan-based pretreatment and machine learning optimization.

Acid whey, a dairy byproduct with low pH and high organic content, presents disposal challenges but also potential for resource recovery. In this study, chitosan gel was synthesized and evaluated for turbidity reduction of acid whey. Machine learning (ML) models were employed to predict and optimize the pretreatment process, with the Random Forest algorithm achieving a prediction accuracy of 0.

The tradeoff of solitude? Restoration and relatedness across shades of solitude.

Social interaction and solitude entail tradeoffs. Communicate Bond Belong (CBB) theory holds that social interaction can foster relatedness with others at the cost of social energy, whereas solitude can restore social energy at the cost of relatedness. The current study empirically tests this tradeoff of solitude and its implications for well-being by investigating different degrees of solitude.

Ultra-wide band near-infrared (NIR) optical thermometry (12-673 K) performance enhanced by Stark sublevel splitting in Er ions near the first biological window in the PbZrTiO:Er/Yb phosphor.

The fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) approach, which relies on thermally coupled levels (TCLs), is significantly important for optical thermometry at room temperature and above, but was found to be impractical for low temperature sensing due to limited population density (thermal) or lack of spectrum at extremely low temperatures. Herein, we report a wide temperature range (12-673 K) sensing capability of the PbZrTiO:Er/Yb (C1:PZT) phosphor utilising the bandwidth of Stark sublevel split near-infrared (NIR) emission bands as one sensing parameter and FIR as another. Motivated by our previous studies on upconversion (UC) and the promising thermometry performance of the C1:PZT phosphor for real time nanothermometer monitoring (using visible TCLs), this work extends to the same thermometry application using UC-NIR emission as TCLs.

Variability in perinatal sleep quality is associated with an atypical cortisol awakening response and increased mood symptoms.

Objective: Pregnancy is often typified with a decrease in sleep quality, which for many women, progressively worsens across gestation and into the postpartum. A mechanism linking poor sleep with certain adverse pregnancy outcomes is dysregulation of the HPA axis resulting in atypically elevated cortisol production. While total cortisol output normally increases across pregnancy, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a response to waking up, is influenced by factors such as stress and mood.

Associations between defensive victim-blaming responses (DARVO), rape myth acceptance, and sexual harassment.

DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) is a response frequently exhibited by perpetrators of wrongdoing after being confronted or held accountable for their harmful behaviors. Consistent with the original conceptualization of DARVO as a strategy used by sex offenders to deflect blame and responsibility, sexual violence survivors report experiencing DARVO from their perpetrators following an assault. The purpose of the current study was to extend research on the connections between DARVO and sexual violence.

Candidate genes in canine hepatocellular carcinoma for molecular targeted therapy.

Objectives: Unresectable canine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has limited nonsurgical treatment options. Sorafenib is a targeted therapy for unresectable canine HCC. However, there are limited reports on the expression of target genes.

Rewriting History in Integrable Stochastic Particle Systems.

Many integrable stochastic particle systems in one space dimension (such as TASEP-Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process-and its -deformation, the -TASEP) remain integrable if we equip each particle with its own speed parameter. In this work, we present intertwining relations between Markov transition operators of particle systems which differ by a permutation of the speed parameters. These relations generalize our previous works (Petrov and Saenz in Probab Theory Relat Fields 182:481-530, 2022), (Petrov in SIGMA 17(021):34, 2021), but here we employ a novel approach based on the Yang-Baxter equation for the higher spin stochastic six vertex model.