Unraveling the degradation mechanism of multiple pyrethroid insecticides by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its environmental bioremediation potential.

Extensive use of pyrethroid insecticides poses significant risks to both ecological ecosystems and human beings. Herein, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 exhibited exceptional degradation capabilities towards a range of pyrethroid family insecticides including etofenprox, bifenthrin, tetramethrin, D-cypermethrin, allethrin, and permethrin, with a degradation efficiency reaching over 84 % within 36 h (50 mg·L). Strain PAO1 demonstrated effective soil bioremediation by removing etofenprox across different concentrations (25-100 mg·kg), with a degradation efficiency over 77 % within 15 days.

Monkey-deer rodeo: exploring the mounting behaviours of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) on Sika deer (Cervus nippon).

Interspecies interactions present diverse forms and functions, contributing significantly to ecological and social dynamics. This study focuses on the mounting behaviours of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) towards Sika deer (Cervus nippon), a rare and still unexplained phenomenon, with minimal emphasis on the behaviour of the deer. Using video data from two distinct sites, Yakushima and Minoh, Japan, we documented 45 sequences of macaque-deer interactions and analysed macaques' behaviours and deer behaviours using focal and behavioural sampling techniques.

Climate change and contagion: the emerging threat of zoonotic diseases in Africa.

This article investigates the escalating occurrence of zoonotic diseases in Africa, attributing their spread to climate change and human activities. Africa's unique combination of biodiversity, reliance on animal husbandry, and swift urbanization heightens its susceptibility. Climate change disrupts ecosystems and animal habitats, intensifying human-wildlife interactions.

Love Components in Free-Choice and Arranged Marriages Among Five Non-Western Populations From Africa, Amazonia, and Himalayas.

Two main ways to enter a marriage are through free choice and through an arrangement between families, known as an arranged marriage. In this study, we compared differences in three dimensions of love (Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment) between spouses in love-based marriages and arranged marriages among five non-Western societies: Bhotiya from the Himalayas, Igbo from Nigeria, Kimeru from Kenya, Meru from Tanzania, and Tsimane' from Bolivia. When considering all data gathered from the five cultures, free choice and arranged marriages did not differ significantly in average love scores.

Evidence of natural lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) infection and genetic characterization of LSDV strains from water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in India.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) has emerged as a threat to cattle production in Asia, and India has been facing LSD epidemics since 2019. Although water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is susceptible to natural LSDV infection, there have been no confirmed reports of LSDV infection in water buffalo in India. In this study, we investigated suspected cases of LSD in water buffaloes from 12 Indian states and one union territory during 2020-2023.

Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups.

Animals within social groups respond to costs and benefits of sociality by adjusting the proportion of time they spend in close proximity to other individuals in the group (cohesion). Variation in cohesion between individuals, in turn, shapes important group-level processes such as subgroup formation and fission-fusion dynamics. Although critical to animal sociality, a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cohesion remains a gap in our knowledge of cooperative behavior in animals.

Integrating one health strategies for rabies control: Insights from Jackal-mediated human rabies in Northeast India.

Introduction: Rabies is an ancient, lethal zoonotic disease caused by viruses of the genus Lyssavirus, affecting a wide variety of mammals. Though domestic dogs are the main vectors of rabies transmission to humans, other domestic and wildlife species also contribute to the spread of the disease in endemic regions like India. This report presents a case of human rabies following jackal exposure in India, along with the molecular characterization of the rabies virus (RABV) from both the jackal and the affected human patient.

First record of Bagauda aelleni (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from India and notes on its natural history in Sri Lanka.

Bagauda aelleni Villiers, 1970 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae: Leistarchini), described from Sri Lanka, is reported from India for the first time. Based on specimens collected at Sirumalai, Tamil Nadu, the species is redescribed and various aspects of its morphology and life history are highlighted and illustrated.

Description of Protosticta khasia sp. nov. and Yunnanosticta siangi sp. nov., with new records of P. samtsensis Gurung & Phan, 2023 from Northeast India (Odonata: Zygoptera: Platystictidae).

Protosticta Selys is a genus of damselflies of the family Platystictidae Kennedy found in forests of tropical Southeast Asia. The genus Protosticta has rarely been reported from Northeast India. In this paper, we describe Protosticta khasia sp.

What is Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth, 1854 "1853") (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae)? Validating cryptic diversity and the designation of a neotype.

The Spotted Litter Skink, Sphenomorphus maculatus, initially described by Edward Blyth in 1854, lacks a taxonomic reference point, as the holotype was reported lost by 1868. A preliminary molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed indications of cryptic diversity within S. maculatus across its range in Northeast India.

A new species of Uropeltis Cuvier, 1829 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the eastern escarpment of the southern Western Ghats, India.

A new species of the uropeltid ('shieldtail') snake genus Uropeltis is described based on eight specimens from the southern part of peninsular India's Western Ghats. Uropeltis caudomaculata sp. nov.

Discovery of the cicada genus Becquartina Kato, 1940 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae) in India with the description of a new species from Meghalaya.

The genus Becquartina Kato, 1940 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) is reported for the first time from India with a new species, Becquartina bicolor sp. nov., along with records of two distinct colour forms, from the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya and located within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity hotspot.

Monitoring alpha-cypermethrin susceptibility of Phlebotomus argentipes, the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in India, using the CDC bottle bioassay.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), known as Kala-azar on the Indian subcontinent, is a parasitic disease caused by the flagellated protozoa Leishmania donovani and can be fatal if left untreated. The sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes is the only proven vector of VL in the Southeast Asia region, and VL control in this region has relied on the use of synthetic insecticides for indoor residual spraying (IRS). The use of DDT in VL control programmes has led to the development of resistance to this insecticide in sand flies, resulting in DDT being replaced with the insecticide alpha-cypermethrin.

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.

Genotypic analysis of zoonotic Enterocytozoon bieneusi in wild deer in Korea.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an important microsporidian protozoa that causes intestinal disorders in humans. We collected 191 fecal samples from roadkill deer carcasses, among which 13 (6.8%) showed positive reaction for E.

Enhanced Disease Resistance Mechanism of the CmoAP2/ERF Transcription Factor in Pumpkin through Genetic Mutations.

The squash species has been historically utilized by both animals and humans as a food source. It is an annual dicotyledonous vegetable known for its health benefits, including reducing the risk of various diseases, such as cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, intestinal disorders, and atherosclerosis, in humans. However, the cultivation of this valuable crop is often challenged by diseases such as powdery mildew (PM), caused by the fungus .

Dysregulation of protein degradation and alteration of secretome in α-synuclein-exposed astrocytes: implications for dopaminergic neuronal dysfunction.

Background: A key factor in the propagation of α-synuclein pathology is the compromised protein quality control system. Variations in membrane association and astrocytic uptake between different α-synuclein forms suggest differences in exocytosis or membrane cleavage, potentially impacting the secretome's influence on dopaminergic neurons. We aimed to understand differences in protein degradation mechanisms of astrocytes for both wild-type (WT) and mutant forms of α-synuclein, specifically during periods of reduced degradation efficiency.

Deciphering the enigma of human-lion coexistence in India.

Asiatic lions (Panthera leo leo) have increased in range and abundance in densely populated India, a rare example of coexistence between humans and large carnivores. We sought to determine the underlying mechanisms of this coexistence and to infer lessons that could help conserve carnivores in multiuse landscapes, globally. Using data collected from 2012 to 2017 from conflict-compensation records, we studied the spatiotemporal trends in human-lion conflict across the lion's range in India.

Adivasi (Tea Tribe) worldviews of living close to wild Asian elephants in Assam, India.

In Assam state, northeastern India, human-elephant conflict mitigation has included technocentric measures, such as installation of barriers, alternative livelihoods, and afforestation. Such measures treat conflict as a technical problem with linear cause-effect relations and are usually ineffective over the long term because they do not consider how historical conditions have shaped present interactions between humans and elephants. Human-elephant encounters in South Asia, including in Assam, have arisen from colonial and postcolonial land-use policies, ethnic relations, and capital extraction.

Creating constellations of coexistence through connections between people in human-wildlife conflict areas.

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a critical challenge to human development and well-being and threatens biodiversity conservation. Ideally, HWC mitigation should benefit both wildlife and communities and limit the costs associated with living alongside wildlife. However, place- and context-dependent realizations of conflict are often overlooked in HWC mitigation.