Semecarpus calcicola is an endangered tree restricted to Pulau Mantanani, Malaysia. New data of population size and structure was used to reassess the IUCN threat category of this species. Results are based on twenty-six 400 m2 plots in a 26.5 ha area that included the majority of Semecarpus calcicola’s known population. GLMs were used to investigate the relationship between the number of individuals and elevation. Estimates of the population size for each size class were determined using Horvitz-Thompson estimators, generalised regression estimators and spatial linear models and extrapolated to the study area. Elevations of the plots were obtained from a digital elevation model as auxiliary data. Significant relationships were found between the number of individuals and elevation. Mature individuals are more common at higher elevations, whilst seedlings, saplings and poles are more abundant in the lower elevation plots. Land-use change due to the increase of tourism activities and the local community drives the significant decreases of mature individuals within the lower elevation. Introduced cattle, tourism-related land-use change and plantation activities further threaten the population of S. calcicola, particularly smaller individuals due to herbivory. The estimate of population size varied among the methods and size classes. The estimated number of mature individuals ranged from 509 to 764.

This research paper aimed to develop a supervised machine learning (ML) approach that learns and predicts data-based culling from farm information that reflects the criteria of the decisions taken to cull a cow by a farm manager. Data containing the features of milk yield, days in milk, lactation number, pregnancy status, days open and days pregnant were obtained from January to December 2020 from dairy cows on a large dairy farm in northern Mexico. The cows were labelled as those that were data-based culled (Cull) and those that were not culled (Stay). Six supervised ML algorithms were evaluated in a binary classification including logistic regression (LR), Gaussian naïve Bayes (GNB), k-nearest neighbors (k-NN), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF) and multilayer perceptron (MLP). Each model was subjected to hyperparameter optimization using a grid search approach combined with tenfold stratified cross-validation. This ensured that the class imbalance (Cull vs. Stay) was accounted during model evaluation. The best-performing model for each algorithm was selected on cross-validated accuracy. To evaluate the prediction performance of the ML algorithms on both labels from learned data, the metrics accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score and the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) were employed. Accuracy among all classifiers was >0.90. The poorest prediction performance was observed in GNB (MCC = 0.50) and LR (MCC = 0.72). Conversely, the rest of the classifiers achieved superior prediction performance in learning the specific culling criteria, reaching an MCC score >0.91. Overall, culling criteria can be learned and predicted by ML algorithms and their performance varies among classifiers. This study identified RF as the best performing algorithm, but k-NN, SVM and MLP are possible candidates to be used in on-farm conditions. To increase their reliability, these approaches need to be tested in several farms, under different scenarios and varieties of features.

Honeydew is a carbohydrate-rich exudate produced by scale insects (Hemiptera) that feed on phloem sap and excrete surplus sugars. Although its consumption by birds has been documented in a few tropical and temperate systems, its ecological relevance remains underexplored. Here, we describe the use of honeydew produced by Stigmacoccus paranaenses (Stigmacoccidae) on Inga trees (Fabaceae) by birds in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. From March to October 2017, we conducted 359 hours of full-day observations and recorded 2599 visits from 25 bird species. Visitation was dominated by nectarivorous and frugivorous species, especially Coereba flaveola, Thalurania glaucopis, and Thraupis ornata, which together accounted for over 75% of visits. Generalised linear mixed models indicated strong seasonal variation in visitation rates, with peaks during the dry season (April–July) and a decline during wetter months. In contrast, no significant effects were found for time of day, honeydew sugar concentration, or air temperature. Species richness of visitors was also higher during the dry season. These findings suggest that honeydew may serve as a seasonal fallback resource for birds with high energetic demands, reinforcing its potential ecological role in fragmented tropical landscapes. From a restoration perspective, the presence of native plant species that host honeydew-producing insects, such as Inga, may enhance trophic complexity and support bird foraging during periods of resource scarcity, contributing to the ecological resilience of restored Atlantic Forest landscapes.

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.

Invasive agriolimacid slug Krynickillus melanocephalus was found infected by several species of malacopathogenic nematodes of the genus Pellioditis. Now, this Caucasian slug is actively spreading across Europe. Pellioditis is a genus of nematodes capable of killing molluscs, and its two species have been developed into widely used biological control agents. As malacopathogenic nematodes can pose a threat to survival of native, susceptible gastropod species, the distribution of K. melanocephalus and examination of associated parasites are needed. All Pellioditis species found in association with K. melanocephalus were of Caucasian origin. The new Pellioditis species was found to belong to a different clade within the genus than the other five Caucasian species and is the first representative of the clade Papillosa in the Caucasus.

The decisions made by horse owners on behalf of their animal, including decisions to involve a veterinarian, play an important role in the management of pain. This study explored horse owners’ experiences to understand how they conceptualised chronic pain within the context of their horse-human relationship, what led them to seek veterinary involvement, and how veterinary interactions shaped their perceptions of pain and its management. An ethnographic approach using constructivist grounded theory methods was adopted. This paper draws upon field notes generated through 200 h of observation undertaken within four veterinary practices in the UK, as well as interviews with horse owners and carers. Analysis identified that owners’ understandings of pain-related issues of their horse were based upon knowledge of what was normal for their animal, and deviation from this norm. Horse behaviours were ascribed meaning by owners in light of contextual factors, in turn affecting owners’ perceptions of pain. While pain could factor into decisions to initiate a veterinary consultation, it was generally not the specific reason owners presented their animal. Veterinarians’ approaches to identifying and treating painful problems played a role in the formulation of owners’ understanding of their horse’s behaviour. Interactions had implications not only for treatment opportunities, but for perceptions of veterinary expertise. This study highlights the context-specific nature through which pain recognition and decisions regarding a horse’s treatment arise. It highlights the drivers of human decision-making and offers potential avenues to support human behaviour change and improve horse welfare.

This Research Paper addresses the hypothesis that the dietary inclusion of an Aspergillus niger fermentation product will alter the degradation kinetics and rumen fermentation patterns of feeds in dairy cattle. Fungal fermentation products often contain a suite of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites, which can influence the microbial environment in the rumen and act as digestibility enhancers. As the cattle sector is under increasing pressure to enhance its sustainability, the investigation of dietary interventions that could improve the efficiency of production is warranted. In a previous experiment, Synergen®, a product of the solid-state fermentation of Aspergillus niger (ANP) containing residual enzyme activities, significantly increased the in vitro digestibility of a grass silage-based dairy total mixed ration (TMR), suggesting that in vivo studies would be valuable. Hence the present study aimed to quantify the effects of this ANP on rumen fermentation measures in cattle. Using a 4 × 4 Latin square design, the effect of four doses of ANP (0, 5, 10, 15 g/day) in four cannulated Jersey heifers was measured on the in sacco degradation of dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre in steam-flaked barley, grass silage and a grass silage-based TMR formulated for dairy cattle. Treatments had no significant effect on the rate, or extent, of degradation of any component in any feed investigated. Rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations and proportions, and rumen pH, were quantified at seven timepoints during each 48-h sampling period and were unaffected by treatment, as was the apparent total tract digestibility of DM. Under the conditions of this trial, ANP did not influence rumen fermentation kinetics; indicating that supplementing mature, non-lactating Jersey cattle with this fungal fermentation product is not an advantageous strategy to enhance feed digestibility.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic recurrent inflammation of the colonic mucosa, has become a global emergency. With the restricted response and significant side effects of traditional drugs, a search for alternatives is mandatory. The current study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) and laminated layer (HLL) derived crude extract of E. granulosus, combined with the standard medication sulfasalazine (SLZ), for treating acetic acid-induced colitis. Mice were divided into 7 groups. A colitis model using acetic acid (150 μl of 5% con.) intrarectally was induced. On the 8th day following colitis induction, the mice were sacrificed. We assessed the severity of colitis using survival rate, disease activity index, colon weight/length ratio, colon weight/bodyweight ratio, and gross and histopathological score of colon damage. Immunohistochemistry for Foxp3 T-reg expression in colonic tissues was done. The levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-10, oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant capacity in serum samples were assessed. Groups treated with a combination of SLZ+HCF and SLZ+HLL revealed a statistically significant improvement compared to the colitis group by improving disease activity index, colon weight/length ratio and colon weight/bodyweight ratio, and gross and histopathological colon damage scores. Additionally, there was a significant rise in IL-4, TAC, and Foxp3+ Treg cell expression and decreased TNF-α and MDA expression. E. granulosus-derived HCF and HLL potentiate the protective effect of SLZ by increasing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties against murine colitis, suggesting the potential for novel therapeutic approaches.

Abrupt appearance of the dikelocephalid trilobite genus Osceolia in later Cambrian strata of the upper Mississippi Valley immediately above a flooding surface is succeeded by widespread regional occurrence among approximately eight parasequences in the early part of a falling stage systems tract. All of Osceolia’s sclerite types are illustrated for the first time. The taxonomy is revised to recognize two species, of which O. tumerispina is new and known only from a dolomitic horizon at a single locality. All five of Ulrich and Resser’s (1930) Osceolia species are synonymized within O. osceola (Hall, 1863), a species widespread in regional dolomitic mudstones and feldspathic sandstones. Osceolia osceola shows notable polymorphism in the presence of an axial ledge in the anterior cranidial border. Holaspid ontogenetic variation evident within bedding-plane collections of O. osceola scales with that occurring among collections and across facies. Collection-related morphological differences among the samples beyond those related to size are subtle. The occurrence of larger individuals in more distal settings may reflect ontogenetically related habitat preference. Osceolinae Ulrich and Resser, 1930 is rejected. The closest relatives of the two Osceolia species may occur outside of the upper Mississippi Valley. Material of a local, stratigraphically older, and possibly related Ulrich and Resser 1930 nomen nudum is figured and described for the first time. Osceolia’s cranidial morphotype was converged upon several times during the evolution of Cambrian trilobites among relatives both phylogenetically close and distant.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/bdd2cf1b-331f-4204-8957-eadce195610d

Monitoring snow depth in Antarctica is essential for understanding permafrost dynamics and soil thermal regimes. This study assesses the performance of low-cost, high-resolution, autocleaning ultrasonic sensors (MB7574-SCXL-Maxsonar-WRST7), powered by lithium D-type battery Geoprecision-Box dataloggers, in the South Shetland Islands. Traditional methods for estimating snow thickness, such as air temperature sensors in snow stakes, are economical but involve high maintenance costs and various complexities. To address these issues, we deployed ultrasonic sensors across 12 stations on Livingston and Deception islands from early 2023 to early 2024. Located at altitudes from 15 to 274 m above sea level and with varying wind exposures, these devices demonstrated notable durability and reliability, with only one sensor failure occurring due to structural damage. Data processing involved using an R script to filter out noise, and this process provided accurate hourly snow-depth measurements and revealed significant spatial and altitudinal variability, with depths ranging from 20 to 110 cm. Snow accumulation began in April and peaked in August and October, with major snowfall events contributing temporarily to snow depth but not to long-term accumulation. Our findings suggest that these sensors, as low-cost alternatives, could be integrated into networks such as the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P), supporting climate and permafrost studies.