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Temperature fluctuation effects on the demography and fitness of Xyleborus bispinatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae): thresholds and growth rates
No full textAbstract Understanding the demography of Xyleborini ambrosia beetles and accurately estimating their optimal growth temperatures remains a challenge due to their cryptic behavior and complex reproductive habits. In this study, we reared the ambrosia beetle Xyleborus bispinatus at five distinct temperatures (17 °C, 20 °C, 26 °C, 29 °C, and 35 °C) over a 36-d period. Population dynamics, growth rates, and life cycle durations were assessed through destructive sampling every 4 d for each temperature treatment. To analyze temperature-dependent growth and development, a nonlinear model was fitted to the intrinsic growth rate values at each temperature, allowing us to determine the species’ optimal temperature and corresponding maximum growth rate. In the laboratory, X. bispinatus exhibited optimal growth rates between 26 °C and 29 °C, with rates of 0.10 and 0.12, individuals/individuals/day, and life cycle durations of 20 and 16 d, respectively. However, based on the fitted growth curve, the thermal optimum was estimated at 26.2 °C, where the maximum intrinsic growth rate reached 0.13 individuals/individuals/day. Given its potential to transmit Harringtonia lauricola, these findings provide valuable insights into the thermal effects on X. bispinatus throughout its life cycle and offer a practical approach for estimating growth rates and thresholds in species with cryptic behavior or where cohort tracking is challenging for demographic assessments
Clinical translation of 3D-printed patient-specific bone implants: a consensus statement
No full textBackground: Extensive defects in long bones, resulting from trauma, disease, or other etiologies, impose significant morbidity on patients and may necessitate amputation, long-term disability, or premature mortality. While 3D-printed, patient-specific implants offer promising regenerative solutions, their clinical implementation remains hindered by regulatory challenges, lack of standardized guidelines, and gaps in translational research. Addressing these barriers is critical to improving patient outcomes and optimizing healthcare resource utilization. Materials and methods: A multidisciplinary group of 29 experts—including clinicians (surgeons, anesthesiologists), biomaterial scientists, biomedical engineers, legal/regulatory professionals, health economists, meta-researchers, artificial intelligence experts, trialists, and biomaterial industry representatives—convened for the Consensus Meeting on 3D-printed patient-specific Bone Implants (CoMBI). Preceding the meeting, key questions were discussed in individual interviews and categorized into fundamental research, preclinical studies, and clinical trials & implementation (CoMBI themes). Experts presented on each theme, followed by structured discussions. Statements were synthesized, iteratively refined, and validated through open review. Results: The consensus meeting resulted in 20 key statements addressing the CoMBI themes, outlining a framework to advance regulatory compliance and facilitate the clinical adoption of 3D-printed implants. Key statements include the need for harmonized regulatory pathways, clear guidelines on preclinical validation, and innovative trial designs tailored to complex, patient-specific implants. Strengthening collaboration among policymakers, regulatory agencies, and clinicians is crucial to overcoming current implementation barriers and ensuring equitable patient access to these advanced technologies. Conclusion: This Consensus Statement presents 20 key statements across fundamental research, preclinical studies, and clinical trials & implementation, offering a roadmap for accelerating the regulatory and clinical translation of 3D-printed patient-specific bone implants. The findings emphasize the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in overcoming challenges, such as standardizing implant development and navigating complex regulatory landscapes. By addressing these barriers and outlining practical strategies, the consensus highlights actionable steps to bridge the gap between innovation and clinical application
Page curve and entanglement dynamics in an interacting fermionic chain
No full textGeneric nonequilibrium many-body systems display a linear growth of bipartite entanglement entropy in time, followed by a volume law saturation. In stark contrast, the Page curve dynamics of black-hole physics shows that the entropy peaks at the Page time t Page and then decreases to zero. Here, we investigate such Page-like behavior of the von Neumann entropy in a model of strongly correlated spinless fermions in a typical system-environment setup and characterize the properties of the Page curve dynamics in the presence of interactions using numerically exact matrix product states methods. The two phases of growth, namely, linear growth and bending down, are shown to be separated by a nonanalyticity in the min-entropy before t Page , which separates two different quantum phases, realized as the respective ground states of the corresponding entanglement (or equivalently, modular) Hamiltonian. We confirm and generalize, by introducing interactions, the findings of for a free spinless fermionic chain where the corresponding entanglement Hamiltonian undergoes a quantum phase transition at the point of nonanalyticity. However, in the presence of interactions, a scaling analysis gives a nonzero critical time for the nonanalyticity in the thermodynamic limit only for weak to intermediate interaction strengths, while the dynamics leading to the nonanalyticity becomes for interactions large enough. We present a physical picture explaining these findings.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659National Science Foundation http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/10000595
Drought Resilience of Wheat Genotypes Through Microbial Biostimulants Under Water Deficit Regimes
No full textABSTRACT Drought resilience strategies are needed to tackle the escalating issue of water scarcity and to sustain crop productivity under water deficit conditions. There is a gap in identifying the most effective consortium of microbial biostimulants and understanding the underlying physiological and antioxidant mechanisms involved in the drought resilience of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crop. To address this, three experiments were carried out in laboratory and wire house conditions to identify and optimise the response of drought‐tolerant microbial biostimulants for wheat genotypes. Three drought‐tolerant microbial biostimulants: Bacillus subtilis , Bacillus megaterium and Trichoderma harzianum were selected from a laboratory study. The two wheat genotypes: Dilkash‐2021 and Bakhar Star (drought tolerant and sensitive, respectively) were selected from a wire house experiment. Afterwards, the response of individual and consortium of selected drought‐tolerant microbial biostimulants was evaluated in drought‐tolerant and sensitive wheat genotypes under well‐watered and water deficit regimes. Results indicated that seed inoculation of drought‐tolerant genotype with the microbial consortium of Bacillus subtilis , Bacillus megaterium and Trichoderma harzianum significantly increased relative water contents (58%), stomatal conductance (39%), sub‐stomatal conductance (70%), water use efficiency (38%) and net leaf photosynthetic rate (34%) as compared with the un‐inoculated control under water deficit. Furthermore, a significant reduction in malondialdehyde concentration (36%) and an improvement in proline contents (77%), superoxide dismutase (82%) and peroxidase (51%) were observed with this microbial consortium under water deficit. Therefore, seed inoculation of drought‐tolerant wheat genotypes with the microbial consortium might be considered in formulating the best agricultural practices for alleviating the adverse effects of water deficit on the wheat crop
Associations between digital speech features of automated cognitive tasks and trajectories of brain atrophy and cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's disease
No full textBackground Speech-based features extracted from telephone-based cognitive tasks show promise for detecting cognitive decline in prodromal and manifest dementia. Little is known about the cerebral underpinnings of these speech features. Objective To examine associations between speech features, brain atrophy, and longitudinal cognitive decline in individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods Healthy volunteers, individuals with subjective cognitive decline, and those with mild cognitive impairment completed phonebot-guided semantic verbal fluency (SVF) and 15-word verbal learning task (VLT). Speech features were automatically extracted, and a global cognitive score (SB-C score) was computed. We analyzed data from 161 participants for cognitive trajectories, 141 for cross-sectional brain atrophy, and 102 for longitudinal brain changes. Analyses were conducted using multiple linear regressions, mixed-effects models, and voxel-based morphometry. Results The SB-C score was associated with bilateral hippocampal volumes, SVF features were primarily associated with left hemisphere regions, including the inferior frontal, parahippocampal, and superior/middle temporal gyri ( p uncorr < 0.001). SB-C score, SVF correct counts, and VLT delayed recall were associated with atrophy rates in the hippocampal/parahippocampal gyrus and left middle/inferior temporal gyri ( p FDR < 0.05). These features were also associated with cognitive decline assessed via Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 5, SVF, and Wordlist learning delayed recall ( p FDR < 0.01). Word frequency and temporal cluster switches showed varying associations with cognitive trajectories. Other features did not show robust associations. Conclusions In this study, we highlight the potential of digital speech features for identifying brain atrophy and cognitive decline over time in at-risk AD populations
Switch From rhPTH1-84 to TransCon PTH With Individual Dose Adjustment in Adult Hypoparathyroidism—4-Week Results
No full textAbstract Background Replacement therapy with recombinant human PTH (rhPTH1-84) represents a causal treatment for patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT). Recently, palopegteriparatide (TransCon PTH), a novel long-acting drug with slow release of PTH1-34, was approved by the European Medicines Agency and Food and Drug Administration for treatment of HypoPT. To date, no data exist on the treatment switch from rhPTH1-84 to TransCon PTH. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 40 patients with chronic HypoPT during the switch from rhPTH1-84 to TransCon PTH. Independent of the last prior rhPTH1-84 dose, all patients were started on 18 µg of TransCon PTH as recommended by the manufacturer. TransCon PTH dose adjustments, changes in additional medication, and adverse events were documented during the treatment switch. Results Within the first month after the treatment switch, 80% (n = 32) of patients needed individual adjustment of their TransCon PTH dose to achieve normocalcemia. Dose reduction (to 9-15 µg) was necessary in 38% (n = 15) and an increase (to 21-27 µg) in 43% (n = 17) of patients. Adjustments occurred predominantly (in 62% cases) according to serum calcium levels, partly dependent on symptoms. The prior applied rhPTH1-84 dose correlated significantly with the adjusted TransCon PTH dose (r = 0.4; P = .01). The treatment change was associated with moderate or mild adverse events in 24/40 patients. Conclusion We hereby report the first clinical data on switching treatment from rhPTH1-84 to 18 µg TransCon PTH independent of the prior rhPTH1-84 dose. Our data support discrete adaptation of the starting dose depending on the prior rhPTH1-84 dosage
Energy independence, rural sustainability and potential of bioenergy villages in Germany: machine learning perspectives
No full textAbstract In Germany, bioenergy villages (BEVs) are a community-centered model of rural energy transition that sells renewable energy generated from local biomass — essentially biogas — to residents who are cooperative members. BEVs are associated with economic viability, an interesting feature in the current context of narrowing subsidies that fostered the development of biogas production in Germany. They are acclaimed for fostering local energy autonomy, empowerment of rural communities, and sustainability. However, they remain marginal and require a lengthy and intricate process for development. Using Machine Learning methods, we aim to identify the untapped potential for BEVs in Germany, by predicting which municipalities with conventional, privately owned biogas operations could become BEVs. Results indicate that over 100 municipalities are potential candidates for transition to BEV. The article finds that compared to conventional villages, BEVs are characterized by strong citizen support for green political parties and more extensive experience with biogas plants. Although social factors like cohesion and human capital are crucial for successful transitions, the results show that the profiles of BEVs are not very distinct from conventional municipalities from their agricultural, demographic, and economic characteristics. This implies that many villages with conventional private biogas plants could become BEVs. Therefore, cooperative models of bioenergy present an avenue for the future of existing biogas plants in Germany in the context of decreasing subsidies
Self‐Powered Mechanical Nanofluidic Generators Based on Gradient Charge‐Modified Sustainable Wood‐Derived Nanochannels
No full textAbstract The growing demand for self‐powered technology in portable and wearable electronics has spurred significant advancements in energy harvesting systems. However, conventional mechanical generators based on triboelectric and piezoelectric effects are limited by short discharge durations, despite achieving high output potentials. Here, a mechanical nanofluidic generator (MNG) is reported with gradient charge‐modified nanochannels, designed for mechanical energy harvesting. The MNG features highly aligned nanochannels with engineered surface charges, enabling a peak output voltage of 10.58 ± 1.29 V and a prolonged energy release time of 675.80 ± 112.08 s, with orders of magnitude longer than traditional generators that normally discharge in milliseconds to microseconds. This superior performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of gradient surface charge modification and enhanced interactions between transport ions and surface charges. This performance is attributed to the synergistic effects of surface charge gradients and strengthened ion–surface interactions, underscoring the MNG's potential for next‐generation self‐powered systems.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000038Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung https://doi.org/10.13039/100005156Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001659China Scholarship Council https://doi.org/10.13039/50110000454
Diel and seasonal vocal activity patterns revealed by passive acoustic monitoring suggest expert recommendations for breeding bird surveys need adjustment
No full textAbstract Species identification and recording in breeding bird surveys vastly rely on the registration of avian calls and songs. Despite comprehensive expert knowledge on species-specific activity patterns, data-based analyses of vocal activity patterns are lacking. Recent advances in passive acoustic monitoring allow the direct measurement of bird vocal activity at very high temporal resolution. We conducted a comprehensive survey, recording 25,000 h of audio data at 256 forest sites in Lower Saxony, Germany, to investigate vocal activity patterns of the European forest bird community. Our results reveal a high degree of inter-specific variability in seasonal and diel vocal activity patterns, including strong circular patterns along the day–night cycle and a significant seasonal component. Comparing acoustic detectability to species-specific survey recommendations revealed critical temporal discrepancies for 64.2% of species, and standard protocols (sunrise to 4 h after sunrise) showed discrepancies for 41.5% of species. This highlights the potential for temporal survey optimization to reduce imperfect detection and increase accuracy and precision. Emphasis should be given to the hours before and after sunrise and also sunset for sampling less detectable species. Combining observer-based surveys with passive acoustic monitoring might leverage the strengths of both methods. Our results also emphasize the potential of continuous recording schedules in passive acoustic monitoring to capture diverse temporal patterns. This study provides a baseline for future research on vocal activity patterns across habitats, throughout the year, and regarding anthropogenic impacts. Our findings may raise awareness among ornithologists about the sources of variation in acoustic detectability and its implications for breeding bird surveys, highlighting potential for methodological adjustments in survey timing and consequences for carful interpretation of bird surveys.Zusammenfassung Tageszeitliche und saisonale Muster der Gesangs- und Rufaktivität mitteleuropäischer Waldvogelarten, erfasst durch passives akustisches Monitoring, deuten auf Anpassungsbedarf zeitlicher Expertenempfehlungen für Brutvogelerfassungen hin. Brutvogelerfassungen basieren maßgeblich auf der Registrierung von Vogelrufen und -gesängen. Trotz umfassendem Expertenwissen über artspezifische Aktivitätsmuster sind datenbasierte Analysen akustischer Aktivitätsmuster bislang nur selten durchgeführt worden. Fortschritte im Bereich des passiven akustischen Monitorings (PAM) ermöglichen inzwischen jedoch die direkte Messung der Gesangs- und Rufaktivität von Vogelgemeinschaften mit hoher zeitlicher Auflösung. In einer umfassenden Untersuchung haben wir 25.000 Stunden Audiomaterial an 256 Waldstandorten in Niedersachsen (Deutschland) aufgezeichnet und mittels BirdNET ausgewertet, um die akustischen Aktivitätsmuster mitteleuropäischer Waldvogelarten zu untersuchen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen ein hohes Maß an interspezifischer Variabilität in saisonalen und tageszeitlichen Aktivitätsmustern. Ein Vergleich der akustischen Nachweisbarkeit durch PAM mit artspezifischen Expertenempfehlungen offenbarte kritische zeitliche Diskrepanzen bei 64,2% der Arten; bei den Empfehlungen für standardisierte Erfassungen ganzer Brutvogelgemeinschaften (Sonnenaufgang bis vier Stunden danach) traten Diskrepanzen bei 41,5% der Arten mit der akustischen Nachweisbarkeit mittels PAM auf. Insbesondere artspezifische Erfassungen können somit zeitlich optimiert werden, um Erfassungsgrad und Genauigkeit von Brutvogelerfassungen zu erhöhen. Ein besonderes Augenmerk sollte auf die Stunde vor sowie eine Stunde nach Sonnenaufgang sowie auf den Zeitraum um den Sonnenuntergang gelegt werden, um zu diesen Zeitpunkten schwerpunktmäßig aktive Arten besser zu erfassen. Die Kombination von beobachterbasierten Erhebungen mit passivem akustischem Monitoring könnte die Stärken beider Methoden vereinen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen zudem das Potenzial kontinuierlicher Aufnahmeschemata im passiven akustischen Monitoring um die Vielfalt zeitlicher Aktivitätsmuster im Tages- und Nachtverlauf optimal zu erfassen. Diese Studie liefert eine Grundlage für zukünftige Forschung zu akustischen Aktivitätsmustern in verschiedenen Lebensräumen, über das gesamte Jahr hinweg oder im Hinblick auf anthropogene Einflüsse. Unsere Erkenntnisse können das Bewusstsein für die (tages)zeitliche Variabilität in der akustischen Nachweisbarkeit – insbesondere auch von häufigen Arten – und die Notwendigkeit einer kritischen Interpretation der Vollständigkeit von Brutvogelerfassungen schärfen sowie Hinweise für eine Optimierung zeitlicher Vorgaben für Brutvogelerfassungen geben.Abstract Species identification and recording in breeding bird surveys vastly rely on the registration of avian calls and songs. Despite comprehensive expert knowledge on species-specific activity patterns, data-based analyses of vocal activity patterns are lacking. Recent advances in passive acoustic monitoring allow the direct measurement of bird vocal activity at very high temporal resolution. We conducted a comprehensive survey, recording 25,000 h of audio data at 256 forest sites in Lower Saxony, Germany, to investigate vocal activity patterns of the European forest bird community. Our results reveal a high degree of inter-specific variability in seasonal and diel vocal activity patterns, including strong circular patterns along the day–night cycle and a significant seasonal component. Comparing acoustic detectability to species-specific survey recommendations revealed critical temporal discrepancies for 64.2% of species, and standard protocols (sunrise to 4 h after sunrise) showed discrepancies for 41.5% of species. This highlights the potential for temporal survey optimization to reduce imperfect detection and increase accuracy and precision. Emphasis should be given to the hours before and after sunrise and also sunset for sampling less detectable species. Combining observer-based surveys with passive acoustic monitoring might leverage the strengths of both methods. Our results also emphasize the potential of continuous recording schedules in passive acoustic monitoring to capture diverse temporal patterns. This study provides a baseline for future research on vocal activity patterns across habitats, throughout the year, and regarding anthropogenic impacts. Our findings may raise awareness among ornithologists about the sources of variation in acoustic detectability and its implications for breeding bird surveys, highlighting potential for methodological adjustments in survey timing and consequences for carful interpretation of bird surveys.Zusammenfassung Tageszeitliche und saisonale Muster der Gesangs- und Rufaktivität mitteleuropäischer Waldvogelarten, erfasst durch passives akustisches Monitoring, deuten auf Anpassungsbedarf zeitlicher Expertenempfehlungen für Brutvogelerfassungen hin. Brutvogelerfassungen basieren maßgeblich auf der Registrierung von Vogelrufen und -gesängen. Trotz umfassendem Expertenwissen über artspezifische Aktivitätsmuster sind datenbasierte Analysen akustischer Aktivitätsmuster bislang nur selten durchgeführt worden. Fortschritte im Bereich des passiven akustischen Monitorings (PAM) ermöglichen inzwischen jedoch die direkte Messung der Gesangs- und Rufaktivität von Vogelgemeinschaften mit hoher zeitlicher Auflösung. In einer umfassenden Untersuchung haben wir 25.000 Stunden Audiomaterial an 256 Waldstandorten in Niedersachsen (Deutschland) aufgezeichnet und mittels BirdNET ausgewertet, um die akustischen Aktivitätsmuster mitteleuropäischer Waldvogelarten zu untersuchen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen ein hohes Maß an interspezifischer Variabilität in saisonalen und tageszeitlichen Aktivitätsmustern. Ein Vergleich der akustischen Nachweisbarkeit durch PAM mit artspezifischen Expertenempfehlungen offenbarte kritische zeitliche Diskrepanzen bei 64,2% der Arten; bei den Empfehlungen für standardisierte Erfassungen ganzer Brutvogelgemeinschaften (Sonnenaufgang bis vier Stunden danach) traten Diskrepanzen bei 41,5% der Arten mit der akustischen Nachweisbarkeit mittels PAM auf. Insbesondere artspezifische Erfassungen können somit zeitlich optimiert werden, um Erfassungsgrad und Genauigkeit von Brutvogelerfassungen zu erhöhen. Ein besonderes Augenmerk sollte auf die Stunde vor sowie eine Stunde nach Sonnenaufgang sowie auf den Zeitraum um den Sonnenuntergang gelegt werden, um zu diesen Zeitpunkten schwerpunktmäßig aktive Arten besser zu erfassen. Die Kombination von beobachterbasierten Erhebungen mit passivem akustischem Monitoring könnte die Stärken beider Methoden vereinen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen zudem das Potenzial kontinuierlicher Aufnahmeschemata im passiven akustischen Monitoring um die Vielfalt zeitlicher Aktivitätsmuster im Tages- und Nachtverlauf optimal zu erfassen. Diese Studie liefert eine Grundlage für zukünftige Forschung zu akustischen Aktivitätsmustern in verschiedenen Lebensräumen, über das gesamte Jahr hinweg oder im Hinblick auf anthropogene Einflüsse. Unsere Erkenntnisse können das Bewusstsein für die (tages)zeitliche Variabilität in der akustischen Nachweisbarkeit – insbesondere auch von häufigen Arten – und die Notwendigkeit einer kritischen Interpretation der Vollständigkeit von Brutvogelerfassungen schärfen sowie Hinweise für eine Optimierung zeitlicher Vorgaben für Brutvogelerfassungen geben
