We examined how BMI, BMI trajectories, and BMI fluctuation around these trajectories in adolescence were correlated with BMI trajectories and BMI fluctuation in early adulthood, as well as the genetic basis of these associations. BMI data from Finnish twins (N = 1379, 48% males) were collected at ages 11.5, 14, 17.5, 24, and 37 years. BMI trajectories in adolescence (11.5–17.5 years) and early adulthood (17.5–37 years) were estimated using linear mixed-effect models. BMI fluctuation was calculated as the average squared differences between observed and expected BMI around these trajectories. Genetic twin models and a polygenic risk score for BMI (PRSBMI) were used to assess genetic contributions to BMI fluctuation and its associations with BMI and BMI trajectories. Adolescent BMI fluctuation was positively correlated with early adulthood BMI trajectories in females, while in males, adolescent BMI trajectories were positively associated with BMI fluctuation in early adulthood. Genetic factors affected BMI fluctuation in both adolescence and early adulthood when estimated using twin modelling and PRSBMI. Adolescent BMI was positively associated with early adulthood fluctuation in both sexes, with genetic factors playing a role (genetic correlations .08–.29). It was concluded that genetic factors play a significant role in BMI fluctuations in adolescence and early adulthood, with some overlap with the genetics of BMI.

Cladonia norvegica was originally described from Norway based on different morphological and chemical characters distinguishing the species from C. coniocraea. Shortly after its description, material containing red spots on the thallus was reported from different parts of the world, but the taxonomic status of this form remained unclear. In this study, we investigated the morphological, chemical and genetic differences between the spotless form of C. norvegica and the red-spotted material. Phylogenetic analyses of mycobiont DNA (ITS rDNA, mtSSU, EF-1α) revealed that red-spotted specimens form a well-supported monophyletic clade, distinct from the spotless form of C. norvegica. We therefore describe red-spotted material as a new species, C. rubrotincta, with the type from Norway and we genetically and morphologically confirm occurrences from Austria, Czechia, Estonia, Great Britain and western Canada. The identity of the red pigment was confirmed to be a rhodocladonic acid by HPLC and LC-HRMS. Specimens with red spots exhibit consistently smaller and more irregularly shaped podetia. Additionally, our analysis of photobionts indicated that both species share a similar pool of Asterochloris symbionts. This study underscores the importance of integrating molecular, chemical, and morphological data in lichen taxonomy and provides insights into the distribution and ecological preferences of C. rubrotincta and C. norvegica.

Dicamba-resistant soybean was developed and commercialized by Monsanto in 2016, and in recent years, barnyardgrass has become more troublesome for growers who use residual herbicides with dicamba technology. Field studies were conducted from 2019 to 2021 in Stoneville, Mississippi, to evaluate barnyardgrass control after applications of glyphosate or glyphosate + dicamba, when mixed with residual herbicides, and when applied sequentially. In the first field study, glyphosate (1,120 g ae ha−1) and glyphosate + dicamba (560 g ae ha−1) were applied in combination with common residual herbicides. The second field study included an initial treatment with glyphosate (1,120 g ha−1), glyphosate + dicamba (560 g ha−1), and glyphosate + dicamba + S-metolachlor (1,064 g ai ha−1) followed by a sequential treatment of glyphosate or glyphosate + dicamba at 3 and 7 d after an initial herbicide treatment. Results indicated that glyphosate alone provided greater barnyardgrass control than glyphosate + dicamba. Additionally, at 28 d after treatment, pyroxasulfone, pyroxasulfone + fluthiacet, dimethenamid-P, and S-metolachlor did not affect postemergence control of barnyardgrass after glyphosate + dicamba treatments. Furthermore, sequential herbicide treatments of glyphosate or glyphosate + dicamba led to no difference in barnyardgrass control 28 d after the sequential treatment. These results indicate that options exist for adding residual herbicides to glyphosate + dicamba treatments and that sequential treatments of glyphosate or glyphosate + dicamba are important for optimizing barnyardgrass control.

The Malvaceae is the 12th largest angiosperm family with ten subfamilies, 243 genera and c. 4000 species of trees, shrubs, herbs and a few climbers. Subfamilies originated in the Upper Cretaceous-Palaeocene, and their divergence times range from 71.6 to 33.0 Ma. Seeds have a folded, investing or spatulate embryo, and they may be nondormant (ND) or have physical (PY) and/or physiological (PD) dormancy. Of the 365 species for which dormancy/germination data were found, 34.0% had ND seeds and 46.6% PY; 1.6%, PD&ND; 13.1%, PY&ND; and 4.7% PY+PD. Seeds with PY have a palisade layer of Malpighian cells (with a light line) in the outer epidermis of the inner integument, and a chalazal plug is the water gap. Seeds of 168 species of wet tropical trees, in all ten subfamilies, were ND (57.2%) or had PY (19.7%), but seed collections of many species were a mixture of ND & PY (20.2%); 2.9% had PD&ND. We found 13 tree species in wet tropics with recalcitrant seeds and 57 species in 28 genera in seven subfamilies in various habitats with persistent soil seed banks. Malvoideae is the most species rich and widely distributed subfamily and is found in tropical and temperate regions but rarely in subalpine/boreal or Arctic/alpine tundra vegetation. Few if any Malvaceae, in particular Malvoideae, grow as herbaceous perennials in tundra vegetation; possible reasons for this are considered.

Invasive non-native species proceed through the Invasion Process upon introduction to a new location, with stages comprising establishment, growth, spread, and invasive impact. High fecundity, driven by fast growth, short lifespan, and a long reproduction period, can lead to high population densities, facilitating stage progression. The Asian date mussel (Arcuatula senhousia) is a marine intertidal–subtidal species, recently established in the UK. Given its potential to impact ecosystem services in Northern Europe, understanding the Invasion Process stage it has reached is imperative for assessing potential invasiveness and informing management. Therefore, population parameters of subtidal A. senhousia in the UK were evaluated from April 2021 to March 2022 to assess invasion stage. Specimens were collected (n = 1,029) via dredging and processed for condition index, gonadosomatic index, gonad index, length-frequency distribution, and electronic length-frequency analyses. While densities were low (<1 individuals per m2), maximum lifespan was high (23 months) and growth rate was high (1.8 mm per month), relative to other populations within the species’ global range. Results confirmed June to October spawning as previously reported in the UK and France but also evidenced secondary spawning (in November) for the first time in Northern Europe. Successful recruitment from primary and secondary spawning in 2020 was also apparent. Findings indicate A. senhousia has reached the Growth stage, and that further spread within the UK and Northern Europe is likely. Climate change will likely increase larval survivorship and individual and population fecundity, facilitating progression to invasive impact, potentially within the next decade.

Studies on tillering dynamics are essential to understand the aspects underlying the persistence and adaptation pathways of grass communities, especially in more complex multispecific pastures. This study aimed to assess the tillering dynamics and population stability of Andropogon gayanus cv. Planaltina (PG), Megathyrsus maximus cv. Massai (MG) and Urochloa brizantha cv. BRS Piatã (PP) grown as monocultures and as a mixture. The treatments corresponded to three grasses described above. Sixteen 180 m2 plots were randomly assigned and managed intermittently under manual harvest at pre- and post-harvest heights of 35 and 17.5 cm, respectively, for two years. During autumn/winter/early spring, when resource availability is limited by abiotic factors, pasture population stability was ensured by the conservation strategy of all species, mainly through the high tiller survival rate (85.5 ± 0.32). In late spring and summer, the capture strategy was prioritized for all species, with stability ensured through high tiller appearance rates (30.3 ± 0.80 and 40.4 ± 1.47, respectively), which compensated for the high tiller death rate (28.7 ± 1.10) and resulted in greater species turnover during these both seasons. The association among PG, MG and PP in a mixture allows species to coexist with relatively stable populations and tillering dynamics, similar to their monocultures. These findings represent a step forward in our understanding of mixed swards stability and indicate that such associations could be viable alternatives to palisadegrass monocultures in tropical regions. Further research should test this mixed sward under grazing, during medium to long-term.

This article argues that a pervasive but confused theory of free will is driving unwarranted resistance to behavioral genetic research and undermining the concept of personal responsibility enshrined in our moral and legal conventions. We call this the theory of ‘free-will-by-subtraction’. A particularly explicit version of this theory has been propounded by the psychologist Eric Turkheimer, who has proposed that human agency can be scientifically quantified as the behavioral variation that remains unexplained after known genetic and environmental causes have been accounted for. This theory motivates resistance to research that suggests genetic differences substantially account for differences in human behavior because that is seen to reduce the scope of human freedom. In academic philosophy, free-will-by-subtraction theory corresponds to a position called ‘libertarian incompatibilism’, which holds that human beings are not responsible for behavior that has antecedent causes yet maintains that free will nonetheless exists because some fraction of human behavioral variation is self-caused. However, this position is rejected by most professional philosophers. We argue that libertarian incompatibilism is inconsistent with a secular materialist outlook in which all human behavior is understood to have antecedent causes whether those causes are known to science or not — an outlook Turkheimer shares. We show that Turkheimer sustains this contradiction by adopting an untenable position we call ‘epistemic libertarianism’, which holds that antecedent causes of our behavior only infringe on our freedom if we know about them. By contrast, the overwhelming majority of secular materialist philosophers support a position called ‘compatibilism’, which maintains that free will is compatible with the comprehensive causation of human behavior. We show that compatibilism neutralizes the threat that genetic explanation poses to human agency and rescues a generous conception of personal responsibility that aligns with our moral intuitions.

Nutrition plays a key role in shaping children’s eating behaviours, which can be influenced by environment and social interactions, making careful management essential at home and school. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of caregivers in these settings regarding the consumption and eating behaviours of children aged 3–6 years. Food preferences and frequency questionnaires were administered to children, and their teachers and caregivers, supplemented by free drawing and colouring activities. The results revealed discrepancies between parents and teachers, with parents recognising the importance of fruits and vegetables for health and reporting that children have access to these foods at home. Although parents recognised the importance of vegetable consumption, teachers did not share this perception, as they observed limited access to these foods among children and even reported difficulties in introducing them into the school environment. The most consumed foods during main meals were rice, beans, vegetables and meats, while fruits and dairy products were predominant in breakfast and snacks. Children frequently mentioned fruits such as watermelon, strawberry, and apple using free drawing and colouring activities. These findings highlight significant differences in perceptions between parents and teachers regarding children’s access to healthy foods, underscoring the need for improved communication to promote healthier eating habits.

An understanding of bird movement and habitat use in breeding and non-breeding areas is critical for the conservation of migratory birds. Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii breeds in Japan and Russia then migrates more than 6,000 km to its non-breeding sites in Australia. It is at risk because it favours areas under pressure from urban development. We investigated the movement patterns of Latham’s Snipe at a key non-breeding site – Jerrabomberra Wetlands, in Canberra, Australia. We tracked 32 Latham’s Snipe using GPS telemetry devices in the 2022/3 and 2023/4 seasons. The tracked birds remained at Jerrabomberra Wetlands for their non-breeding season and formed distinctive and predictable patterns of roosting and foraging. The distance range between roosting and foraging sites was similar across both the 2022/3 and 2023/4 seasons, with 75% of birds travelling less than 2.5 km and the majority of birds travelling <6 km. Approximately one third (31%) of birds travelled up to 30 km overnight before returning to the wetlands, and two birds (6%) travelled up to 140 km for up to three days. Home range sizes averaged 19 ha and did not significantly differ among individuals in either season. The relatively small size of the home ranges and short foraging trip distances suggest that conservation of non-breeding habitat in urbanised areas can be achieved through the protection of small areas, providing the habitat is suitable. However, individuals varied in their use of the broader landscape and therefore their susceptibility to threats may vary. From an urban planning perspective, habitat protection should prioritise roost sites while ensuring a diversity of foraging habitat within 6 km.