Malacological surveys were conducted in 2021 in the Kimpese region of Central Kongo Province, west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Snail specimens were collected following a standardised protocol, identified using morphological and molecular methods, and tested for schistosome infection using a diagnostic PCR assay. Positive snail samples were sequenced to characterise the infecting schistosome species. Partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene sequences were used in phylogenetic analyses to explore the evolutionary position of these snail species within the broader African context. At least four intermediate snail hosts were identified: Bulinus truncatus, Bulinus forskalii, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, and a Biomphalaria species belonging to the Nilotic species complex (tentatively named Biomphalaria cf sudanica), of which the species identity needs to be confirmed. A total of 37 out of 1,196 snails (3.1%) tested positive for schistosome infection, with an infection prevalence of 7.4% for B. truncatus with Schistosoma haematobium and 1.5% for Biomphalaria spp. with Schistosoma mansoni. The S. mansoni sequence retrieved from these samples formed a basal clade relative to Zambian isolates, whereas S. haematobium grouped with the most frequently characterised haplotype cluster previously identified across mainland Africa. It is important to note that no animal schistosome species were identified in this study. Both the sequences from the snail hosts and the parasites represent novel contributions from the DRC. Additionally, the findings update the current knowledge of schistosomiasis transmission in the Kimpese region by providing insight into the phylogenetic placement, species diversity, and infection status of local snail populations.

Weed management is a major challenge in pearl millet production. Limited herbicide options available for use with pearl millet further complicates weed control. To fill this knowledge gap, field experiments were conducted during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons in Hays, Kansas, to investigate eight preemergence herbicides (labeled for use in sorghum production) for crop safety and weed control when applied to three pearl millet hybrids. Averaged across two growing seasons, S-metolachlor applied preemergence alone or in combination with atrazine, mesotrione, or atrazine + mesotrione resulted in >95% injury to all three pearl millet hybrids at 28 d after application (DAA). Visible injury with acetochlor + atrazine applied preemergence ranged from 50% to 96% among hybrids at 28 DAA. Atrazine or mesotrione applied alone or in combination were safe (<5% injury) on all hybrids. All tested preemergence herbicides provided effective (≥90%) control of Palmer amaranth at 28 DAA, except S-metolachlor, which provided 86% control. The greatest green foxtail control (≥99%) was achieved with mesotrione and acetochlor in combination with atrazine applied preemergence. All three hybrids recorded the highest grain yields (4,370 to 5,870 kg ha−1) with atrazine and mesotrione applied separately, and when they were combined. These results suggested that atrazine, mesotrione, or a mixture of atrazine + mesotrione applied preemergence may be safely used for Palmer amaranth and green foxtail control with newly developed pearl millet hybrids.

Soil health refers to the ongoing ability of soil as a living ecosystem to maintain environmental quality, support crop productivity, and ensure human health. Evaluating and enhancing soil health is crucial for ensuring more productive and resilient agricultural systems. The aim of this work is to assess soil health using both on-farm and computational methods. The study was carried out on a slope with textural variation at Ponta Grossa–Paraná State, Brazil. The slope was divided into three segments based on altitude and clay content: upper, middle, and lower positions. In each segment, twenty points were sampled, resulting in a total of sixty points along the slope. Soil health was analysed at these points by visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS), and samples were also collected to use the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) approach in the 0–0.10 m and 0.10–0.20 m soil layers. The indicators used in this approach were soil organic carbon, macroaggregates, bulk density, water-filled pore space, pH, phosphorus, and potassium. The data were analysed using analysis of variance, mean comparison with Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). In addition, principal component analysis was performed on the soil health index (SHI) and its components (chemical, physical, and biological) with clay content and VESS scores. The study discovered that the upper position had the highest clay content, lower visual scores (2.44), and a higher SHI (up to 0.80) compared to the middle (3.7 and 0.78) and lower positions (2.9 and 0.73). This study highlights the significant influence of soil texture, particularly clay content, on soil structural quality and health as assessed by VESS and SMAF. Higher clay content improved soil aggregation and health, while lower clay content in the middle and lower slope positions resulted in poorer structure. VESS proved to be an effective field-based tool for rapid assessment of soil health, complementing the more detailed SMAF framework. The integration of both methods is essential for the development of adaptive and sustainable soil management strategies.

Macrophytes serve as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health and are often employed in monitoring the condition of water bodies. Traditionally, such observations are conducted in situ, but remote sensing offers a cost-effective and scalable alternative. Here, an algorithm for macrophyte detection using satellite data was created; we utilized clustering, with its results serving as target labels for building a machine-learning model. We developed a model for macrophyte identification using reflectance data in the near-infrared band during spring and summer. The derived algorithm, employing Sentinel-2 satellite reflectance data, enables the identification of open water, submerged and floating macrophytes and emergent macrophytes. This approach enhances the efficiency and applicability of macrophyte assessment, bridging the gap between field observations and remote sensing for comprehensive aquatic ecosystem monitoring.

Climate-smart agriculture that promotes climate change adaptation and mitigation while improving livelihoods is being advocated to smallholder farmers. Most studies in this area focus on the yield and income impacts of practices, but we explore farmer well-being impacts. Using a multi-criteria analysis embedded in an in-person questionnaire, our findings suggest that smallholder farmers in Southern Malawi have diverse preferences for climate-smart practices based on location, access to markets and resources and importance placed on climate adaptation. The use of multidimensional well-being criteria provides deeper insights into the motivations and priorities of farmers, revealing trade-offs between immediate food needs and climate adaptation concerns, as well as between the need for incentives versus the risk of conditional credits. Our study calls for tailored climate-smart agriculture projects that allow farmers to adopt practices that meet their needs.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) in preventing forest degradation and land-use changes within communal lands in the context of limited public consultation and the transformation of communal forest governance. We analysed forest-cover changes over 50 years using a multi-temporal approach, integrating aerial photographs, orthophotographs and satellite imagery. We obtained contextual knowledge through our long-term research engagement with the region and interviews conducted during participatory fieldwork. We analysed land-use changes in a watershed within the MBBR in Mexico before and after its designation as a protected area. Despite the reserve’s protected status, nearly half of the study area experienced forest-cover changes. Surprisingly, the most intense deforestation occurred after conservation decrees, as some communities engaged in pre-emptive forest clearing in response to anticipated restrictions. However, in later periods, forest recovery – driven by payment for environmental services, natural regeneration and community participation – began to outpace degradation. Nonetheless, the fir forest that is essential for monarch butterfly habitat was reduced by 43.3%, with illegal logging being one of the leading causes. This study highlights the importance of community involvement when establishing protected areas, as it can help reduce environmental impacts and ensure conservation success.

The World Organisation for Animal Health describes animal welfare as a “complex and multi-faceted subject with scientific, ethical, economic, cultural, social, religious and political dimensions.” In this study, an online survey in English and Japanese was developed based on the Five Freedoms, with the aim of investigating attitudes of veterinarians and behaviour/welfare scientists in the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan toward management of companion, farmed, experimental, zoo and wildlife animals. Respondents from the UK (n = 212) were more familiar with the Five Freedoms than those from Japan (n = 321) but both countries tended to prioritise ‘survival-related’ attributes (health and nutrition) over ‘situation-related’ attributes (behaviour) and the environmental impacts (discomfort). In Japan, however, fewer respondents recognised the ‘Freedom to express normal behaviour’ as important for domesticated animals compared to UK respondents. When considering vignettes with practical situations of cat management and dog euthanasia, UK respondents considered the provision of outdoor access to represent better management for cat welfare while most Japanese respondents thought cats should be managed entirely indoors, although the benefits and risks of going outdoors were similarly recognised in both countries. For the vignette of dog pain relating to an incurable tumour, severe pain and the dog’s mental stress motivated respondents from both countries to consider euthanasia. However, for Japanese respondents, the data suggested a perception that mental stress did not have an association with the dog’s inabilities to express normal behaviour. These data highlighted the importance of understanding the manner in which people perceive animals in different contexts and the value of considering different cultural approaches.

Cross-cutting issues like nutrition have not been adequately addressed for children with severe visual impairment studying in integrated schools of Nepal. To support advocacy, this study aimed to determine the nutritional status of this vulnerable group, using a descriptive cross-sectional design involving 101 students aged 5–19 years from two integrated public schools near Kathmandu Valley and two in western Nepal. The weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), height-for-age z-score (HAZ), and body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) were computed and categorised using World Health Organization cut-off values (overnutrition: z-score > +2.0 standard deviations (SD), healthy weight: z-score −2.0SD to +2.0SD, moderate undernutrition: z-score ≥ −3.0SD to <−2.0SD, severe undernutrition: z-score < −3.0 SD) to assess nutritional status. A child was considered to have undernutrition for any z-scores <−2.0SD. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse variables linked to undernutrition. The mean age of participants was 11.86 ± 3.66 years, and the male-to-female ratio was nearly 2:1. Among the participants, 71.29% had blindness, and 28.71% had low vision. The mean BAZ and HAZ scores decreased with age. The WAZ, HAZ, and BAZ scores indicated that 6.46% were underweight, 20.79% were stunted, and 5.94% were thin, respectively. Overall, 23.76% of students had undernutrition and 7.92% had overnutrition. More than three in ten students had malnutrition and stunting was found to be prevalent. Older students and females were more likely to have undernutrition. These findings highlight the need for nutrition interventions within inclusive education settings, particularly targeting girls with visual impairments who may face compounded vulnerabilities.

The obesogenic maternal environment can lead to cardiac hypertrophy in the offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate whether (-)-epicatechin (Epi) modify the expression of genes related to pathological cardiac hypertrophy (CH), and its physiological pathway, in offspring obese by programing. Four groups of eight male offspring Wistar rats of 110 days were randomly selected to control groups [C and offspring of maternal obesity (MO)] or to Epi groups (C + Epi or MO + Epi). In heart tissue, we evaluated the size of the ventricular walls and cavities, presence of fibrosis, mRNA and protein of Myh6, Myh7, Anp, Bnp, Acta 1, Col1a1, Akt, and Mtor. We observed an increase of the heart weight/body ratio in groups treated with Epi. Only in MO group, heart area and its perimeter were increased, as well as Myh7 and Anp mRNA. We found a significant decrease of fibrosis area in male offspring treatment with Epi. In Epi group Anp mRNA was decreased whilst Anp protein in MO group was increased; further, a decrease in Col1a1 protein was found in MO group. In conclusion, the maternal obesity activates pathological CH markers reactivating fetal cardiac genes involved in histological changes observed in cardiac tissue. Epi treatment decreased the content of collagen area and expression of some fetal cardiac genes participating in this pathway in offspring of maternal obesity.

Residents’ attitudes towards wildlife and their management can be crucial in population control. Using a novel approach, we examined East Tennessee residents’ tolerance for American black bears and attitudes towards hunting. Most residents viewed black bears positively, tolerated their presence and preferred seeing them in their area. Attitudes were influenced by concern about future encounters, the values and benefits attributed to bears, prior experiences and perceptions of human–bear conflict and conflict frequency, whereas sociodemographic factors were less influential. Support for regulated hunting was influenced by sociodemographic factors more so than cognitive factors. Our findings suggest opportunities for managers to increase tolerance of black bears among residents through outreach emphasizing the benefits of living with the bears and guidance for avoiding negative encounters. Greater trust in the wildlife agency may result from such outreach, potentially leading to greater levels of tolerance among residents of bear-inhabited areas.

Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Barbuda in September 2017. Motivated by the need to assess the population status of the endemic Barbuda Warbler Setophaga subita and resident Yellow Warbler S. petechia bartholemica, we used distance sampling to estimate total abundance (i.e. density and population size in a well-defined survey region, accounting for incomplete counts due to imperfect detection) in October 2017 and March 2019. Vocalising warblers were more detectable than non-vocalising warblers (two-tailed z scores >2.01, P values <0.04). In October 2017, detectability and density of the Barbuda Warbler were higher at points where the Yellow Warbler was undetected than detected (z > 2.20, P <0.03), suggesting competitive interactions following the hurricane. However, detectability did not differ (z = 0.45, P = 0.62) and density was higher (z = 2.11, P = 0.03) for the Barbuda Warbler at points where the Yellow Warbler was detected than undetected in March 2019, suggesting non-competitive coexistence after population recovery. The density (i.e. no. individuals/ha) and population size (no. individuals in the 9,000-ha survey region) of the Barbuda Warbler increased (z = -2.60, P = 0.01) from 0.27 (SE = 0.03) and 2,436 (SE = 261) in October 2017 to 0.40 (SE = 0.02) and 3,570 (SE = 171) in March 2019. The density and population size of the Yellow Warbler also increased (z = -2.40, P = 0.02) from 0.68 (SE = 0.03) and 6,093 (SE = 269) in October 2017 to 0.80 (SE = 0.04) and 7,158 (SE = 358) in March 2019. Owing to the small distribution range and threats from hurricanes and habitat loss on the island, the Barbuda Warbler should remain classified as “Vulnerable” to extinction. However, the more abundant and widely distributed Yellow Warbler should remain classified as of “Least Concern”.

This work attempts to better understand the significance of morphological diversity among fungal-algal contact zones present in lichens. We used TEM to examine a variety of lichen symbioses involving non-trebouxialean green algae that show intraparietal penetration by the mycobiont. A principal focus was on Endocarpon pusillum, a well-known member of a family (Verrucariaceae; Eurotiomycetes) previously reported to be characterized by unwalled haustoria exposing a naked fungal protoplast. Peg-like haustoria arose from an inner layer(s) of the mycobiont cell wall that broke through outer layers and penetrated a short distance into the wall of the green algal symbiont (Diplosphaera). In both fungal and algal cells at the contact interface, lomasome-like vesicles and tubules occurred as modifications of the plasmalemma intermixed with wall materials at the inner surface of the cell wall. A fungal cell wall was consistently present around the haustorium, which resembled those depicted in earlier TEM studies of Verrucariaceae. Previously published micrographs of Verrucariaceae purporting to show wall-less haustoria surrounded by an empty space are believed to have been misinterpreted. However, in the isidiose Porina and foliicolous Calopadia, Byssoloma and Fellhanera species (Lecanoromycetes), we did observe extreme degrees of reduction in the mycobiont cell wall at symbiont contact interfaces. In those lichens, a broad area of the fungal cell bulged into the adjacent algal symbiont, broadly invaginating the wall of the latter and penetrating it intraparietally without differentiation of a distinct haustorial structure. The mycobiont wall surrounding such protrusions often thinned to near indistinguishability towards its extremity. The protrusion made direct contact with the algal cell wall; no empty space occurred between them. We propose that the short, peg-like intraparietal haustoria bind the symbionts and help maintain cell contacts amid the stresses of tissue expansion and shrinkage, thereby avoiding disruption of the continuous hydrophobic coating that facilitates transfer between them. Broader contact interfaces with extremely thin adjacent walls may facilitate solute flow between symbionts. Reciprocal penetration of algal protrusions into mycobiont cells, noted in Porina as well as other lichens studied previously, is a neglected but potentially significant indication that both symbionts may actively work to maintain functional contact interfaces.

A new species of the genus Verdeia is described from the continental slope of the Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil at a depth of 150 m. Verdeia setosa sp. nov. is readily distinguished from its congeners by the ornamentation of the larger gnathopod 2 in males and the densely setose basis of pereopods 6–7. This is also a new record of the genus from Brazilian waters. We presented an amended diagnosis of the genus to accommodate all Verdeia species and discuss these changes. Furthermore, an identification key to the family Melitidae from Brazil is provided.

Anapachydiscus (Anapachydiscus) haegerti n. sp., an ammonite belonging to the Pachydiscidae, is reported for the first time from the upper Campanian Northumberland Formation of Hornby Island, British Columbia. Thirty-five specimens have allowed for the complete ontogenetic reconstruction of the taxon as well as thanatocoenosic (death assemblage) observations with paleoecological implications for ammonoid early life. Although isolated juvenile specimens occur, instances of concretions containing a multitude of individuals are typical. One concretion yielding twenty-six early-stage juveniles lends support to a mode of preservation reflective of life association through a taphonomic process of capture and burial. The new species presents age-diagnostic utility as a distinct fossil within the molluscan assemblage of the Nostoceras (Didymoceras?) adrotans regional subzone; a highly constrained interval of the upper Campanian in the eastern North Pacific. A specimen attributed to Anapachydiscus (Anapachydiscus) cf. A. (A.) fascicostatus from the upper Campanian of the Cedar District Formation on Denman Island is also described, and the genus Anapachydiscus is retained with an emended diagnosis. Additional collections have enabled revised conceptualizations of Pachydiscus (Pachydiscus) hornbyense and Pachydiscus (Pachydiscus) ootacodensis accounting for the spectrum of variance within these species. Recognition of an upper Campanian P. (P.) ootacodensis–Pachydiscus (Pachydiscus) suciaensis Concurrent-range Zone is proposed for the eastern North Pacific to assist broader efforts of interregional biostratigraphic correlation given the endemic limitation of the latter taxon.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/d8eb27f6-7221-4efb-9548-ec2001986b19

Squamate faunas from the lower Eocene of Europe are rare. We here describe pleurodontan iguanian (potentially Geiseltaliellus Kuhn, 1944), scincoid, and Squamata indet. jaw remains from Cos locality (near the Caylus village, southwestern France). The age of the Cos deposit has been proposed to fit the MP 10−11 interval (MP 10b; late Ypresian). Thus, it either corresponds to the end of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO) or slightly postdates it. Although very fragmentary, the finds represent the first evidence of these clades in this locality, which is one of the oldest from Phosphorites du Quercy, adding to the squamate paleobiodiversity of the site. Besides iguanians and scincoids, the fauna also includes gekkotans, glyptosaurids, varanoids, and a constrictor snake. Some of the genera from Cos are known solely from this locality, revealing a crucial part of the squamate history in Europe. In the last few years, our knowledge of the Paleocene and especially early Eocene lizard faunas has increased. This allows a better understanding of the faunas and their changes due to temperature changes and migrations. Records are still very sketchy at European localities, but the overall picture is somewhat clearer, even on a smaller scale. A small but visible drop in lizard diversity appears to be present at localities from MP 8−9 relative to those from MP 7, whereas at MP 10, the diversity slightly increased. This appears to correlate well with observed changes in temperature.

A new species of syngnathiform fish, Gerpegezhus daniaoriundus n. sp., from the Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark is described herein. The description is based on 17 specimens preserved in either soft diatomite or carbonate concretions. The two lithologies result in different preservation of the morphological features. Gerpegezhus daniaoriundus n. sp. exhibits a set of diagnostic features of the extinct monotypic family Gerpegezhidae and of the genus Gerpegezhus, including (1) greatly elongated body, (2) presence of ossified myoseptal tendons, (3) lower procurrent caudal-fin rays absent, (4) dorsal- and anal-fin spines absent, and (5) pelvic fin and girdle absent. It can be separated from the species Gerpegezhus paviai by having a much slenderer body bearing unpaired leaf-like appendages protruding from its ventral side, and completely different meristic values, including up to 39 (or 40) vertebrae, a total of 16 unbranched caudal-fin rays, dorsal and anal fins with 5 and 16 unbranched rays, respectively, and a different organization of body armor comprising two dorsal bilateral series of dermal plates. The occurrence of the genus Gerpegezhus from the Fur Formation provides a remarkable example of the biogeographic relationships between the North Sea realm and the Tethys in the earliest Eocene.

http://zoobank.org/3a57ae6b-faae-44c6-9a0a-aaeea03b57b3