Desalting strategies for native mass spectrometry.

In native mass spectrometry (MS) salts are indispensable for preserving the native structures of biomolecules, but detrimental to mass sensitivity, resolution, and accuracy. Such a conflict makes desalting in native MS more challenging, distinctive, and sample-dependent than in peptide-centric MS. This review first briefly introduces the charged residue mechanism whereby native-like gaseous protein ions are released from electrospray droplets, revealing a higher degree of salt adduction than denatured proteins. Subsequently, this review summarizes and explores the existing strategies, underlying mechanisms and future perspectives of desalting in native MS. These strategies mainly focus on buffer exchange into volatile salts (offline and online approaches), addition of solution additives (e.g., anion, supercharging reagent, solution phase chelator and amino acid), use of submicron electrospray emitters (down to 60 nm), and other potential approaches (e.g., induced and electrophoretic nanoelectrospray ionization). The strategies of online buffer exchange and using nanoscale electrospray emitters are highlighted. This review would not only be a valuable addition to the field of sample preparation in MS, but would also serve as a beginner's guide to desalting in native MS.

First record of the coypu Myocastor coypus (Molina, 1782)for the Arthur Thomas Municipal Park in themunicipality of Londrina, Paraná / Primeiro registro de ratão-do-banhado Myocastor coypus(Molina, 1782) para o Parque Municipal ArthurThomas no município de Londrina, Paraná

Myocastor coypus (coypu or nutria) is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world due to its risk to local wildlife, such as waterfowl, zoonotic risks, and environmental damage, such as riverbank erosion, arising from its habit of constructing burrows along the edge of water bodies. The presence of M. coypus is already known locally in the municipality of Londrina based on records at Igapó Lake. This paper presents the first record of M. coypus in Arthur Thomas Municipal Park, a Conservation Unit of Integral Protection located in the urban area of Londrina. The records were obtained through direct observation of one live individual and one carcass during campaigns to monitor medium and large mammals. Subsequently, ten records were obtained using camera traps, of unknown gender, located near waterbodies. We emphasize the need for continuous fauna monitoring in conservation units to detect and verify potential increases in invasive alien species populations that can result in environmental damage.

A espécie Myocastor coypus (ratão-do-banhado) é considerada uma das 100 piores espécies invasoras do mundo por representar risco para a fauna local, como aves aquáticas, e risco de zoonoses, além de causar danos ambientais, como desbarrancamento de encostas de rios, devido ao seu hábito de construção de tocas nas margens de corpos d'água. A presença de M. coypus já é conhecida localmente no município de Londrina a partir de registros no Lago Igapó. Assim, este estudo apresenta o primeiro registro de M. coypus no Parque Municipal Arthur Thomas, uma Unidade de Conservação de Proteção Integral localizada na zona urbana de Londrina. Os registros foram obtidos através da observação direta de um indivíduo vivo e uma carcaça durante campanhas de monitoramento de mamíferos de médio e grande porte. Posteriormente foram obtidos dez registros por armadilha fotográfica de indivíduos de sexo desconhecido, próximos a corpos d'água. Enfatiza-se a necessidade do monitoramento contínuo da fauna em áreas de conservação para a detecção do potencial aumento na população de espécies exóticas e invasoras que podem causar severos danos ambientais.

Two hearts beat as one: the debate over RAS dimers continues.

A recent report by Yun et al. describes the detection of RAS dimers using intact mass spectrometry and investigates the role that membrane lipids, nucleotide state, and binding partners have in their formation.

Large-scale selection of highly informative microhaplotypes for ancestry inference and population specific informativeness.

Microhaplotypes (MHs) describe physically close genetic markers that are inherited together and are gaining prominence due to their efficiency in forensic, clinical, and population studies. They excel in kinship analysis, DNA mixture detection, and ancestry inference, offering advantages in precision over individual SNPs and STRs. In this study, a pipeline was developed to efficiently select highly informative MHs from large-scale genomic datasets. Over 120,000 MHs were identified from almost a million markers, which allow this non-independent information to be efficiently used for inference. The MHs were compared to SNPs in terms of their informativeness and performance of their subsets in ancestry inference and all the results consistently favored MHs. A method for ranking markers by specific population informativeness was also introduced, which showed improvement in the accuracy of Native American ancestry estimation, overcoming the challenges of its underrepresentation in datasets. In conclusion, this study presents a comprehensive way for selecting highly informative MHs for accurate ancestry inference. The proposed approach and the subsets selected by specific population informativeness offer valuable tools for improving ancestry inference accuracy, particularly for admixed populations as demonstrated for a Brazilian dataset.

Incident cardiovascular disease risk among older Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander liver cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant global health concern, particularly among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) communities that face unique health challenges. Liver cancer disproportionately affects ANHPI populations and has intricate associations with CVD risks due to shared pathophysiological mechanisms and metabolic disturbances. However, the specific CVD risk profile of ANHPI liver cancer patients remains poorly understood. METHODS: Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data, we identified and matched 1150 ANHPI and 2070 Non-Hispanic White (NHW) liver cancer patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2017. We used the Fine-Gray sub-distribution hazard model to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for CVD risks, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure, and stroke, among ANHPI liver cancer patients compared to NHW counterparts and among ANHPI subgroups. RESULTS: ANHPI liver cancer patients demonstrated a lower risk of IHD compared to NHW counterparts (HR, 0.65, 95 % CI, 0.50, 0.86), aligning with broader trends. Subgroup analysis revealed notable heterogeneity within ANHPI populations, with Southeast Asian (HR, 0.65, 95 % CI, 0.42, 1.00) and Chinese patients (HR, 0.53, 95 % CI, 0.33-0.83) exhibiting lower IHD risks compared to their NHW counterparts. However, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander liver cancer patients showed elevated risks of heart failure (HR, 3.16, 95 % CI, 1.35-7.39) and IHD (HR, 5.64, 95 % CI, 2.19-14.53) compared to their Chinese counterparts. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the complexity of CVD risks among ANHPI liver cancer patients. Addressing these disparities is crucial for improving cardiovascular outcomes and reducing the burden of CVD among ANHPI liver cancer patients.

Free-radical-induced grafting of rice starch with gallic acid and evaluation of the reaction products' ability to stabilize Pickering emulsions.

Pickering emulsions can be stabilized with native rice starch (NRS), but their hydrophobicity is low. Gallic acid (GA) has a simple molecular structure and a rich variety of functional groups. Pickering emulsions can be made more stable by hydrophobically modifying the esterification reaction of NRS with GA to improve its dual wetting properties. In this study, the free radical-induced grafting method was used to prepare rice starch-GA graft copolymer (NRS-g-GA). The addition of GA could improve the crystallinity and orderliness of NRS. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H NMR indicated that GA was successfully grafted onto NRS. After modification, the contact angle of NRS increased from 18.2° to 60.2° (NRS-g-GA; 1:1). The emulsion prepared from NRS-g-GA showed better stability than NRS, improving the emulsification of NRS. Its stable emulsion exhibited an emulsion system dominated by elasticity. Thus, GA could be grafted onto NRS to enhance its emulsifying properties, opening up new applications for GA and NRS and promoting the development of starch-based Pickering emulsions in the future.

Native and non-native species response to the colonization and subsequent suppression of northern pike Esox lucius.

The expansion of northern Pike Esox lucius outside its native range into the western states of North America is a growing problem due to their negative effects on fish communities. Illegally introduced E. lucius were first detected in Box Canyon Reservoir in northeast Washington in 2004. By 2010, the E. lucius population was estimated at more than 10,000 individuals. Between 2012 and 2019, a gillnet suppression programme was conducted, which reduced the E. lucius catch per unit effort in Box Canyon Reservoir by 97% and their biomass by 98%. Between 2004 and 2019, four standardized surveys were conducted to characterize changes in the Box Canyon Reservoir fish community. Even after E. lucius were effectively suppressed, native species showed no signs of recovery during the study. The relative abundance of all native species decreased 82% in total number and 56% in total biomass between 2004 and 2019. Conversely, the relative abundance of non-native species increased 26% in total number and 33% in total biomass over the same period. As an apex predator, E. lucius had a significant impact on the fish community in Box Canyon Reservoir over a relatively short period of time (7 years), and appeared to act as a catalyst to increase the rate of replacement of native species with non-native species, which likely increased the pace of taxonomic homogenization in the reservoir.

H3K4me3 changes occur in cell wall genes during the development of Fagopyrum tataricum morphogenic and non-morphogenic calli.

Epigenetic changes accompany the dynamic changes in the cell wall composition during the development of callus cells. H3K4me3 is responsible for active gene expression and reaction to environmental cues. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a powerful technique for studying the interplay between epigenetic modifications and the DNA regions of interest. In combination with sequencing, it can provide the genome-wide enrichment of the specific epigenetic mark, providing vital information on its involvement in the plethora of cellular processes. Here, we describe the genome-wide distribution of H3K4me3 in morphogenic and non-morphogenic callus of Fagopyrum tataricum. Levels of H3K4me3 were higher around the transcription start site, in agreement with the role of this mark in transcriptional activation. The global levels of methylation were higher in the non-morphogenic callus, which indicated increased gene activation compared to the morphogenic callus. We also employed ChIP to analyse the changes in the enrichment of this epigenetic mark on the cell wall-related genes in both calli types during the course of the passage. Enrichment of H3K4me3 on cell wall genes was specific for callus type, suggesting that the role of this mark in cell-wall remodelling is complex and involved in many processes related to dedifferentiation and redifferentiation. This intricacy of the cell wall composition was supported by the immunohistochemical analysis of the cell wall epitopes' distribution of pectins and extensins. Together, these data give a novel insight into the involvement of H3K4me3 in the regeneration processes in F. tataricum in vitro callus tissue culture.

Native nephrectomy in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in kidney transplant program: long-term single-center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common genetic disorder that frequently leads to end-stage renal disease. In this study, we examine the indications, procedures, and outcomes of native nephrectomy (NN) in ADPKD patients at our transplant center. Drawing on 25 years of clinical practice, we aim to provide insights into the surgical management of ADPKD, focusing on the specific factors influencing NN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted involving ADPKD patients who underwent KT and NN between 1999 and 2023. Collected data encompassed demographics and surgery parameters, such as duration, hospital stay length, blood loss, and complications. Patients were classified based on the urgency (acute/planned) of the NN and its type (unilateral/bilateral), followed by an analysis of the outcomes per group. RESULTS: Out of 152 patients post-KT for ADPKD, 89 (58.6%) underwent NN. The procedures were predominantly unilateral (71; 64%), with bilateral NN accounting for 40 (36%) cases. NN timing relative to KT was 31 (27.9%) pretransplant, 9 (8.1%) concomitant, 51 (45.9%) posttransplant, and 10 (9%) patients undergoing the sandwich technique. Acute NN were performed in 42 cases, while 69 were planned. Acute NNs were associated with longer surgeries, greater blood loss, and a higher incidence of perioperative complications compared to planned NNs. Specifically, unilateral acute NN had a 23.8% complication rate compared to 2.9% in planned cases; bilateral acute NN showed a 28.6% complication rate versus 4.3% in planned cases. CONCLUSION: This investigation accentuates the significance of planning and selection in NN for ADPKD, factoring in the heightened risk of complications. Acute NN are linked to worse outcomes, including higher rates of complications. The data emphasize the necessity of tailored surgical approaches based on individual patient circumstances.

Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in American Indian and Alaska Native Adolescents.

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have consistently exhibited suicide rates that surpass all other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. However, not much has been published regarding the epidemiology of AI/AN youth suicides. The objectives of this study on AI/AN adolescents were to assess the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors by age and gender, assess the number of years of life lost to suicide before the age of 80, and assess the most common methods used to commit suicide by AI/AN adolescents. Data utilized for this study were from the national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys and the Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive analysis of the suicide-related data from years 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. We found AI/AN adolescents averaged one in four contemplated suicides, one in five planned suicides, and one in six attempted suicides. A total of 257 adolescents committed suicide during the study period where the majority (62.5%) were observed in males and suicides were more common in older adolescents. AI/AN adolescents had the highest crude suicide death rate of any racial or ethnic group and the most common methods used to commit suicide were suffocation (57.5%) and firearms (35.5%). AI/ AN adolescents lost almost 16,000 years of potential life during the four years of the study and the majority were lost by males. Professionals and policymakers desiring to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors among AI/AN adolescents need to focus more of their efforts on providing youths with resilience factors to establish sufficient ego strength in them to deal with all types of stressors. Concurrently, federal, state, and tribal leaders need to work together to improve the social and economic circumstances faced by many AI/AN families and children.

Accelerating Covalent Binding Studies: Direct mass shift measurement with acoustic ejection and TOF-MS.

Tracking chemical reactions by measuring incurred mass shifts upon successful binding is a direct and attractive alternative to existing assays based on chemical tags. Traditional methods use liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and because the required buffers are not amenable to direct MS injection, sample pre-treatment is needed to desalt. This leads to analysis times from ten seconds to minutes per sample, limiting throughput and preventing widespread application. Combining an acoustic ejection (AE) interface with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MS) removes this bottleneck, as samples can be directly introduced at rates of up to one second per sample. This article describes a complete workflow for measuring the covalent binding of compounds to proteins in real-time, from assay to data evaluation. It is noteworthy that this is the first instance of using SCIEX Echo® MS+ system with ZenoTOF 7600 system to study the kinetic regimes of covalent binding.

Clonality contributes to the spread of Avrainvillea lacerata (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) in Hawai'i.

The relative rates of sexual versus asexual reproduction influence the partitioning of genetic diversity within and among populations. During range expansions, asexual reproduction often facilitates colonization and establishment. The arrival of the green alga Avrainvillea lacerata has caused shifts in habitat structure and community assemblages since its discovery in 1981 offshore of O'ahu, Hawai'i. Field observations suggest this species is spreading via vegetative reproduction. To characterize the reproductive system of A. lacerata in Hawai'i, we developed seven microsatellite loci and genotyped 321 blades collected between 2018 and 2023 from three intertidal sites at Maunalua Bay and 'Ewa Beach. We observed one to four alleles at multiple loci, suggesting A. lacerata is tetraploid. Each site was characterized by high genotypic richness (R > 0.8). However, clonal rates were also high, suggesting the vegetative spread of A. lacerata plays a significant role. The importance of clonal reproduction for the persistence of A. lacerata in Hawai'i is consistent with the ecological data collected for this species and observations of other abundant macroalgal invaders in Hawai'i and other regions of the world. These data demonstrate the necessity for implementing appropriate population genetic methods and provide insights into the biology of this alga that will contribute to future studies on effective management strategies incorporating its reproductive system. This study represents one of the few that investigate green algal population genetic patterns and contributes to our understanding of algal reproductive system evolution.

Freshwater habitat invaders: Impacts on artificial flow refuge use by native fish under pulsed flows.

Flow regulation and the spread of invasive species are significant threats to freshwater biodiversity, including native fish communities in rivers across the globe. The bleak (Alburnus alburnus), an invasive fish currently widespread throughout the main rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, threatens native fish biodiversity, mostly via trophic competition and hybridisation. In this study, we assessed the impacts of bleak presence and rapid flow fluctuations (both main and interactive effects) on the use of artificial habitats (a flow refuge) and the stress physiology of barbels. We examined how bleak's presence influenced the selection of flow refuges by the native Iberian barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) under base (continuous 7 L s-1 flow stimulus) and pulsed (7 L s-1 to a 60 L s-1 pulse) flows in an indoor flume. We quantified habitat use within three specific regions of two installed flow refuges and two physiological responses (glucose and lactate) associated with the stress axis. The results indicated that the presence of bleak significantly reduced flow refuge use by barbels and this effect was more prominent during pulsed flows. Additionally, barbels exhibited higher levels of glucose and lactate in the presence of bleaks. These results show that bleaks compete with barbels for habitat under fluctuating flows and induce physiological adjustments that may reduce the ability of barbels to find low-velocity areas to shelter. Overall, the bleaks had a competitive advantage under high flow variability. This underscores the need for further studies and effective management strategies to protect native freshwater fish communities in the context of biological invasions and anthropogenic flow variability.

Growth, Evapotranspiration, Gas Exchange and Chl a Fluorescence of Ipê-Rosa Seedlings at Different Levels of Water Replacement.

In general, young plants in the establishment phase demonstrate sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions, especially regarding water availability. The effects of the seasonality of biophysical processes on plant physiology can trigger differential responses, even within the same region, making it necessary to conduct studies that characterize the physiological performance of the species at different spatial and temporal scales, making it possible to understand their needs and growth limits under water stress conditions. This paper aimed to evaluate the growth, gas exchange and Chl a fluorescence in ipê-rosa seedlings subjected to levels of water replacement (LWRs) of 100, 75, 50 and 25% in a greenhouse. The morphometric variables of plant height, diameter at stem height, numbers of leaves and leaflets, root length and volume, plant dry mass and leaf area were evaluated. The potential evapotranspiration of seedlings (ETc) was obtained using direct weighing, considering the water replacement of 100% of the mass variation between subsequent days as a reference; the cultivation coefficients (kc) were obtained using the ratio between ETc and the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) obtained by the Penman-Monteith FAO-56 method. Biomass and evapotranspiration data were combined to determine water sensitivity. Diurnal fluxes of gas exchange (net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, internal and atmospheric carbon ratio, water use efficiency and leaf temperature) and Chl a fluorescence (Fv/Fm, ΦPSII, ETR, Fv'/Fm', NPQ and qL) were evaluated. Water restriction caused reductions of 90.9 and 84.7% in the increase in height and diameter of seedlings subjected to 25% water replacement when compared to seedlings with 100% water replacement. In comparison, biomass accumulation was reduced by 96.9%. The kc values increased throughout the seedling production cycle, ranging from 0.59 to 2.86. Maximum water sensitivity occurred at 50% water replacement, with Ky = 1.62. Maximum carbon assimilation rates occurred in the morning, ranging from 6.11 to 12.50 µmol m-2 s-1. Ipê-rosa seedlings regulate the physiology of growth, gas exchange and Chl a fluorescence depending on the amount of water available, and only 25% of the water replacement in the substrate allows the seedlings to survive.

Arthroscopic Debridement Enhanced by Intra-Articular Antibiotic-Loaded Calcium Sulphate Beads for Septic Arthritis of a Native Knee Following Iatrogenic Joint Injection: A Case Report.

Septic arthritis (SA) represents an orthopedics urgency and mainly affects the knee joint. Due to its devastating effects on cartilage, immediate management is crucial. SA is characterized by an annual incidence of 2 to 10 cases per 100,000 individuals, with mortality rates fluctuating between 0.5% and 15%, with a substantially higher mortality rate observed in older people (15%) in contrast to younger cohorts (4%). The etiology of septic arthritis is multifactorial: a spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can contribute to the development of this condition, especially Staphylococcus aureus. The treatment involves urgent (arthroscopic or arthrotomic) debridement associated with adequate antibiotic therapy. Intra-articular antibiotic carriers can also be used to increase their local concentration and effectiveness. The case of a 67-year-old woman affected by knee SA from methicillin-susceptible S. aureus is presented. She was treated with an arthroscopic debridement enhanced by intra-articular antibiotic-loaded calcium sulphate beads, together with antibiotic therapy. At 2-year follow up, the infection had been eradicated and the patient fully recovered. This is the first description, to our knowledge, in the English literature, of the use of antibiotic-loaded calcium sulphate beads as an adjuvant in the surgical treatment of SA of a native knee joint.

Role of vitamin E on bovine skeletal-muscle-derived cells from Korean native cattle under heat treatment.

Our study aimed to evaluate the dualistic effect of heat stress on muscle differentiation at different temperatures, and whether vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, could offset any negative effects, using bovine skeletal-muscle-derived cells (BSMCs) with myogenic properties. The BSMCs were extracted from the skeletal muscle of 30-mo-old Korean native cattle and subjected to myogenic differentiation under 3 heat exposure conditions: 37 °C (control; CON), 39 °C (mild heat stress; MHS), and 41 °C (severe heat stress; SHS) for 24 h with or without vitamin E treatment (NE or VE). After 24 h treatments, the cells were returned to 37 °C incubators and differentiated until day 6. On day 1, because of the heat exposure, the gene expression of MYOG was the highest in MHS (P = 0.047), suggesting a promotive effect of mild heat stress on myogenic differentiation, while on day 6, compared with CON and MHS, MYOD (P = 0.013) and MYOG (P = 0.029) were the lowest in SHS. Vitamin E treatment also lowered MYOG (P = 0.097), regardless of heat exposure. On day 1, HSPB1 (P = 0.001) and HSP70 (P < 0.001) were the highest in SHS, and an interaction between heat exposure and vitamin E treatment was found on day 6 (P < 0.027). BCL-2 was also the highest on day 1 in SHS (P = 0.05), and an interaction of heat exposure and vitamin E treatment was found on day 1 on BAX expression (P = 0.038). For antioxidant genes, SOD1 (P = 0.002) and GPX1 (P < 0.001) were affected by heat exposure, with the highest levels being observed in SHS, and on day 6, GPX1 was still the highest in SHS (P = 0.027). The fusion index was also affected by heat exposure, showing a decrease in SHS and an increase in MHS compared with CON (P < 0.001). Significant effects were noted from heat exposure (P < 0.001), vitamin E treatment (P < 0.001), and the interaction of heat exposure and vitamin E treatment (P = 0.002) on the protein content. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that vitamin E could ameliorate the harmful effects of heat exposure by modulating heat shock proteins and apoptosis regulators, improving the protein synthesis of BSMCs during myogenic differentiation. These results suggest that vitamin E supplementation could potentially protect muscle development in beef cattle under summer heat stress.

Our research explored how heat affects muscle cell development and whether vitamin E could ameliorate any potential adverse effects on beef production. The study used muscle cells derived from 30-mo-old Korean native cattle. We conducted the experiments by exposing these cells to 3 different temperatures, 37 °C (CON), 39 °C (MHS), and 41 °C (SHS), for a day during myogenic differentiation and under different vitamin E treatments (NE or VE). After this heat exposure, all cells were kept under normal conditions for 6 d to observe differentiation and gene expression. Indicated by the increased expression of a myogenic gene (MYOG) and increased protein accumulation, we revealed that MHS helped the development of bovine skeletal-muscle-derived cells. However, SHS appeared to hinder muscle growth, reducing the levels of muscle-specific genes, MYOD and MYOG, compared with CON and MHS. Interestingly, vitamin E seemed to reduce the negative impact of heat by modulating heat-stress proteins (HSPB1 and HSP70) and the genes involved in cell death (BCL-2 and BAX). Additionally, cells under SHS showed the highest expression of antioxidant genes (SOD1 and GPX1). Taken together, these findings suggest that vitamin E could be beneficial in environments where cells are exposed to heat conditions, helping them to maintain better cellular function and growth.

Road corridors vegetation in the semi-arid region: functional trait diversity and dynamics.

Road corridor vegetation plays a vital role in maintaining ecosystem stability and providing essential ecological services, particularly in semi-arid regions where environmental conditions are challenging. In this study, we investigated the functional traits of native and non-native plant species along the N5 highway corridor in the semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan. The methodology involved extensive field surveys and systematic sampling of herbaceous vegetation, followed by detailed measurements of functional traits diversity. We classified 38 plant species into native and non-native categories and analyzed their distribution, life forms, leaf spectra, and flowering phenology. Our results revealed distinct patterns in the functional traits of native and non-native species, with non-native species exhibiting larger plant heights, leaf sizes, and leaf surface areas compared to native species. Additionally, native species displayed greater root and stem biomass, indicative of adaptations to nutrient-poor soils and water-limited environments. The findings suggest that non-native species possess traits associated with rapid growth and resource acquisition, enabling them to outcompete native vegetation and establish dominance in roadside ecosystems. These results provide valuable insights for understanding the ecological implications of non-native species and designing effective management strategies to mitigate their impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystem resilience in semi-arid regions.

Survival Difference of Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups: A SEER Database Study.

Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, racial disparities continue to exist in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival. This study aims to characterize the CRC survival differences among racial and ethnic minority groups. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify adults diagnosed with CRC from 2015 to 2019. Demographics, disease characteristics, surgical treatment, stages, and survival data for individuals who are Hispanic, Black, Southeast Asian, Chinese, American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN), Asian Indian and Pakistani (AIP), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) were extracted. Survival analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve. Multivariate analysis was done with the Cox proportional hazard model. There were 40 091 individuals with CRC. NHOPI had the youngest median age of 59 years, while Chinese individuals had the oldest median age of 65 years. From the total sample of their respective subgroups, 43.8% of Black patients and 36.7% of AIAN patients had a median household income of <$60 000, while 55.3% of Southeast Asian patients, 59.7% of Chinese patients, 55.8% of AIP patients, and 65.6% of NHOPI patient had a median household income >$70 000. The 1-year survival rate was lower for patients who were Hispanic (62.0%), Black (60.9%), and AIAN (63.1%). Even after multivariate analysis, Black patients had a significant hazard ratio (HR) of 1.21 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.05-1.38), while AIP had a HR of 0.68 (95% CI 0.55-0.84), compared to AIAN. Other significant variables that were linked with survival included older age, advanced stage of CRC, a median household income <$60 000, male sex, no surgery, subtotal colectomy/hemicolectomy, and total colectomy. Further studies are needed to elucidate the specific causes of these differences and create appropriate strategies to reduce this survival disparity.

Assessing the Impacts of Adaptation to Native-Range Habitats and Contemporary Founder Effects on Genetic Diversity in an Invasive Fish.

Species invading non-native habitats can cause irreversible environmental damage and economic harm. Yet, how introduced species become widespread invaders remains poorly understood. Adaptation within native-range habitats and rapid adaptation to new environments may both influence invasion success. Here, we examine these hypotheses using 7058 SNPs from 36 native, 40 introduced and 19 farmed populations of tench, a fish native to Eurasia. We examined genetic structure among these populations and accounted for long-term evolutionary history within the native range to assess whether introduced populations exhibited lower genetic diversity than native populations. Subsequent to infer genotype-environment correlations within native-range habitats, we assessed whether adaptation to native environments may have shaped the success of some introduced populations. At the broad scale, two glacial refugia contributed to the ancestry and genomic diversity of tench. However, native, introduced and farmed populations of admixed origin exhibited up to 10-fold more genetic diversity (i.e., observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity and allelic richness) compared to populations with predominantly single-source ancestry. The effects of introduction to a new location were also apparent as introduced populations exhibited fewer private alleles (mean = 9.9 and 18.9 private alleles in introduced and native populations, respectively) and higher population-specific Fst compared to native populations, highlighting their distinctiveness relative to the pool of allelic frequencies across tench populations. Finally, introduced populations with varying levels of genetic variation and similar genetic compositions have become established and persisted under strikingly different climatic and ecological conditions. Our results suggest that lack of prior adaptation and low genetic variation may not consistently hinder the success of introduced populations for species with a demonstrated ability to expand their native range.

Effects of the control of an invasive tree on the structure of a plant-frugivore network.

Invasive non-native species are one of the main causes of degradation of ecosystems worldwide. The control of invasive species is key to reducing threats to ecosystem viability in the long term. Observations of structural changes in ecological interaction networks following invasive species suppression can be useful to monitor the success of ecological restoration initiatives. We evaluated the structure of plant-bird frugivory interaction networks in a plant community invaded by the guava tree (Psidium guajava L.) by comparing network metrics before and after control actions. Psidium guajava was relevant in all metrics for the unmanaged network in this study, with high degree centrality and high nestedness contribution. Based on the asymmetry of species interactions, we found that birds were highly dependent on the invasive plant before suppression. Once P. guajava trees were eliminated, bird and plant species richness, total number of interactions, and modularity increased, whereas nestedness and interaction strength asymmetry decreased. The diet of the bird community became more diversified once P. guajava was no longer available and relevant species roles in community structure emerged. Our results corroborate the fact that ecological restoration interventions should include the control of non-native plant species that attract frugivorous animals in order to diversify plant-frugivore interactions and thus maintain biodiversity in natural ecosystems.