The great diversity of specialist plant-feeding insects suggests that host plant shifts may initiate speciation, even without geographic barriers. Pheromones and kairomones mediate sexual communication and host choice, and the response to these behaviour-modifying chemicals is under sexual and natural selection, respectively. The concept that the interaction of mate signals and habitat cues facilitates reproductive isolation and ecological speciation is well established, while the traits and the underlying sensory mechanisms remain unknown. The larva of codling moth feeds in apple and other rosaceous fruits. We show for the first time that the response of male moths to female sex pheromone codlemone relies upon presence of pear ester, a kairomone emitted by host fruit. In the non-host tree birch, attraction to pheromone alone is very strongly reduced, but is fully rescued by blending pheromone with kairomone. This affords a mechanism how host plant shifts shape new mate-finding signals that can give rise to assortative mating and reproductive isolation.

ABSTRACTWood use generates technosphere carbon credits (TCCs) through avoided fossil‐based emissions and net sequestration of carbon into the technosphere (harvested wood products and geological storage). We investigated how large and uncertain TCCs of wood use per carbon harvested are considering the current and alternative ways of using wood, and the effects of the decarbonization of societies over 25‐, 50‐, and 100‐year time horizons. We applied stochastic simulation and scenario analysis using Finnish market structure as a baseline to demonstrate the use of the TCC calculator created. The mean value of TCCs of wood use were between 0.2 and 0.5 tC/tC with an uncertainty range from 0.1 to 0.8 tC/tC, depending on the scenario. The uncertainties were mainly concerned with the extent to which (1) fossil‐based emissions are avoided through substitution (displacement factors) and (2) fossil‐based raw materials are substituted (substitution rates). Assumptions on the decarbonization of societies reduced TCCs of wood use significantly over time. TCCs of wood use can be increased by directing wood into uses that substitute fossil‐intensive materials and have a long lifetime, such as construction materials, and increasing energy recovery and avoiding emitting carbon at the end of life of harvested wood products by carbon capture and storage. However, they were very likely to be considerably lower than forest carbon debits resulting from harvesting additional wood for substitution under all considered circumstances and under a wide but reasonable range of stochastic parameter values. Thus, the result emphasizes the need to reduce overall consumption of goods to mitigate climate change.

Introduction Common recreational drugs and new psychoactive substances pose challenges to public health. This study investigated the feasibility of merging cases of recreational drug poisoning reported to European poison centres. Methods Four European poison centres (Freiburg, Germany; the Netherlands; Sweden and Switzerland) collaborated in a retrospective, observational study. We collected aggregated data on poisonings with 11 common recreational drugs and case-by-case data on poisonings with new psychoactive substances in 2021 by using anonymized data from electronic case reports. Results In 2021, 2.0% of the poison centre calls involved poisonings with recreational drugs. The poison centres were contacted about 3,705 patients, involving 4,380 drug exposures, of which 3,708 were common recreational drugs, and 672 were new psychoactive substances. Per million inhabitants, the poisoning rate with common recreational drugs varied between 48 (Freiburg) and 145 (Sweden). Poisonings with amfetamine (22%), cocaine (20%), all delta-9-tetra­hydrocannabinol-containing preparations (20%), and 3,4-methylenedioxymetamfetamine (13%) exposures were most frequent. The poisoning rate per million inhabitants with new psychoactive substances varied between two (Switzerland) and 29 (Netherlands). Cathinones (43%), designer benzodiazepines (28%), and phenethylamines (13%) were the most commonly involved new psychoactive substance classes. Symptoms following cathinone poisoning were tachycardia (35%) and hypertension (13%), while following designer benzodiazepines, somnolence was most prominent (38%). The majority of users of new psychoactive substances were male (67%), 55% were between 18 and 30 years, and 8% involved minors (<18 years). Discussion This study showed the feasibility of merging data on recreational drug poisoning collected by poison centres in four countries. Despite underestimating the overall incidence of drug-related health incidents, poison centre data offers national coverage, unlike other data sources, such as drug-related emergency department visits. Conclusion This multi-centre, multi-national study reported a substantial annual number of recreational drug poisonings, with a variable proportion of new psychoactive substances. It shows that poison centre data offers detailed insights into exposures to common recreational drugs and new psychoactive substances, user characteristics, and symptoms. It can be used for comprehensive monitoring of drug-related health incidents on a multi-national level.

The biodiversity crisis calls for immediate restoration of deteriorated and rare habitat. Due to fire suppression and intensive forest management, boreal pine forests of high conservation value are exceptionally rare. Despite decades of restoration research in boreal forests, relatively few studies have evaluated multi-taxon biodiversity response of restoration measures in pine forests. In a Scots pine experiment, we investigated biodiversity patterns of wood-inhabiting fungi and beetles a decade after restoration (prescribed burning and deadwood creation) and forest management (harvest with varying retention). We found that fungi and beetles develop differently and have distinct preferences in deadwood originating from restoration. Standing deadwood supported more species for beetles and lying deadwood for fungi and for both taxa, standing and lying deadwood harboured different species assemblages. Burned deadwood displayed less variable assemblages than unburned deadwood for both organism groups. We found that, after a decade, deadwood type and not harvest with different retention levels better explained diversity patterns of wood-inhabiting beetles and fungi in pine forests. Pine forests are naturally prone to recurring disturbances creating open light conditions. Pine-associated species are therefore likely resistant to disturbance as long as a variety of deadwood resources are present. To accommodate multiple taxa, a variety of substrate and environment types is required. Beetles benefit from standing deadwood while fungi benefit from lying deadwood. To support assemblages with both rapid and slow turnover rates, a combination of recurring restoration and leaving restored stands in the adjacent landscapes is required.

SummaryThe most common disorder affecting the salivary glands in horses is trauma to the parotid gland or duct. Several management techniques have been described, each with their own set of complications. The objective of this case report was to describe the direct injection of botulinum toxin type A into the parotid gland and its outcome in two clinical cases involving damage to either the parotid salivary gland or its duct. Both cases involved iatrogenic damage to either the parotid salivary gland or its duct. Treatment for both cases involved the injection of 200 units of botulinum toxin type A into the parotid gland in order to reduce salivary production and to prevent the potential development of a chronic fistula. Follow‐up assessment after the treatment was conducted via telephone consultation and photographs from the owners. In both clinical cases, a marked reduction in saliva production from the parotid gland was noted within 2 days after toxin injection and the wounds healed without complication. In the first case, the treatment was repeated after 3 weeks. No short‐ or long‐term side effects after injection were reported by the owners. Limitations were the small number of cases and the lack of literature regarding the dose and treatment regime for botulinum toxin type A in horses. It was concluded that the administration of botulinum toxin type A appears to be a safe and effective therapeutic alternative or complementary procedure for the treatment and prevention of parotid gland or duct fistulas in horses.

BackgroundIn prey, patterns of individual habitat selection and movement can be a consequence of an individuals’ anti-predator behavior. Adjustments of anti-predator behavior are important for prey to increase their survival. Hunters may alter the anti-predator behavior of prey. In long-lived animals, experience may cause behavioral changes during individuals’ lifetime, which may result in altered habitat selection and movement. Our knowledge of which specific events related to hunting activity induce behavioral changes in solitary living species is still limited.MethodsWe used offspring loss in a solitary and long-lived ungulate species, moose (Alces alces), as our model system. We investigated whether offspring loss to hunters induces behavioral changes in a species subjected to heavy human harvest but free from natural predation. To test for behavioral change in relation to two proxies for experience (calf fate and age), we combined movement data from 51 adult female moose with data on their offspring survival and female age. We tested for adjustments in females’ habitat selection and movement following calf harvest using Hidden Markov Models and integrated Step Selection Analysis to obtain behavioral state specific habitat selection coefficients.ResultsWe found that females with a harvested calf modified habitat selection and movement during the following hunting season. Female moose selected for shorter distance to roads during the night, selected for shorter distance to forests and greater distance to human settlements following calf harvest than females who had not lost a calf. The survival of twins in a given hunting season was related to female age. Older females we more likely to have twins survive the hunting season.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that losing offspring to human harvest imposes behavioral changes in a long-lived ungulate species, leading to adjustments in females' habitat selection and movement behavior, which may lower the risk of encountering hunters. In our study, female moose that experienced calf loss selected for lower distance to forest and selected for greater distance to human settlements during periods of high hunting pressure compared to females without the experience of calf loss during the previous hunting season. We interpret this as potential learning effects.

Structural- and functional heterogeneity, as well as allosteric regulation, in homo-monomeric enzymes is a highly active area of research. One such enzyme is human nuclear-associated deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase (dUTPase), which has emerged as an interesting drug target in combination therapy with traditional nucleotide analogue treatment of cancer. We report, for the first time, a full structural dynamics study of human dUTPase by NMR. dUTPase has been investigated in terms of structural dynamics in its apo form, in complex with the modified substrate resistant to hydrolysis, 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-a,b-imido-triphosphate (dUpNHpp), as well as the product, 2'-deoxy-uridine-monophosphate (UMP). The apo form of the enzyme displayed slow dynamics in the milli- to microsecond regime in relaxation dispersion experiments, which was further slowed down to observable heterogeneity upon substrate-analogue binding. The results suggest that the non-hydrolysable substrate-analogue traps the enzyme in the conformational isomerization step that has been previously suggested to be part of the enzyme catalysis kinetics cycle. The observed heterogeneity fits well with the pattern expected to emerge from the suggested kinetic model, and no evidence for homotropic allosterism was found. The heatmaps of the slow dynamics, chemical shift perturbation upon substrate binding and conserved regions of the enzyme sequence all displayed a similar pattern, which suggests that the structural dynamics is finely tuned and important for the biological function of the enzyme for binding, conformational shift, catalysis and substrate release.