North America Research Articles

Celebrating the centenary of the Russian Orthodox Mission in North America

The article is devoted to a memorable event in the history of the Russian ecclesiastical mission in the USA – the celebration of its centennial anniversary in 1894. This event has hardly been studied in Russian and foreign historiography, although Russian and American archives have all the necessary sources for this. This is case 3101 (op. 174) from the fund of the Holy Synod of the Russian State Historical Archive entitled "Accord ing to the presentation of His Grace of Aleut on the celebration in 1894 of the centennial of the spread of Ortho doxy in North America" and the case "Centennial Celebration. Instructions and Reports from various parishes (1893–1894)" from the Archive of the Russian Church in Alaska in the Manuscript Department of the Library of Congress (The Alaskan Russian Church Archives records. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Container D 472–474). The relevance of the topic is related to the fact that such anniversaries occur at certain intervals, and the experience of past celebrations should be taken into account when preparing celebrations in the future. The article discusses the preparation of this celebration, initiated by the head of the Aleutian and Alaska diocese, Bishop Nikolai (Ziorov), and the role of St. Nicholas in this. The Synod and its chief prosecutor K. P. Pobedonostsev. The very conduct of this celebration and its theological sound are analyzed in detail on the basis of the report of Bishop Nicholas, reports from various Orthodox parishes in America, as well as materials from the American press. The conclusion is made that the celebration of the centenary of Orthodoxy in North America has become a serious milestone on the path of the revival of the overseas diocese of the Russian Church after almost a quarter of a century of stagnation and crisis. It gave a great impetus to the further work of the ep. St. Nicholas on the development of the diocese, which became the basis for its highest flourishing under the suc cessor of Bishop Nicholas, St. Tikhon (Bellavin), the future Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. Статья посвящена памятному событию в истории русскои духовнои миссии в США – празднованию в 1894 году ее столетнеи годовщины. Это событие практически не изучено в россии скои и зарубежнои историографии, хотя в россии ских и американских архивах имеются все необходимые для этого источники. Это дело 3101 (оп. 174) из фонда Св. Синода России ского государственного историческо го архива под названием "По представлению Преосвященного Алеутского о праздновании в 1894 году столетия распространения православия в Севернои Америке" и дело «Centennial Celebration. Instructions and Reports from various parishes (1893–1894)» из Архива Русскои Церкви на Аляске в Рукописном отделе Библиотеки Конгресса США (The Alaskan Russian Church Archives records. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Container D 472–474). Актуальность темы связана с тем, что подобные юбилеи наступают через определе нные промежутки времени, и опыт прошедших праздновании должен быть учте н при подго товке торжеств в будущем. В статье рассматривается подготовка этого празднования, инициированного главои Алеутскои и Аляскинскои епархии епископом Николаем (Зиоровым), роль в этом Св. Синода и его обер-прокурора К. П. Победоносцева. Подробно анализируется само проведение этого торжества и его богословское зву чание на основе отчета епископа Николая, отчетов разных православных приходов в Америке, а также материалов американскои прессы. Делается вывод о том, что празднование столетия православия в Севернои Америке стало серьезнои вехои на пути возрождения заокеанскои епархии Русскои Церкви после почти четверти века застоя и кризиса. Оно придало большои импульс дальнеи шим трудам еп. Николая по развитию епархии, которые стали основои для ее наивысшего расцвета при преемнике вла дыки Николая, святителе Тихоне (Беллавине), будущем патриархе Московском и всея России.

Low Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Farmed and Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer in Florida

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in multiple animal species, including white-tailed deer (WTD), raising concerns about zoonotic transmission, particularly in environments with frequent human interactions. To understand how human exposure influences SARS-CoV-2 infection in WTD, we compared infection and exposure prevalence between farmed and free-ranging deer populations in Florida. We also examined the timing and viral variants in WTD relative to those in Florida’s human population. Between 2020 and 2022, we collected respiratory swabs (N = 366), lung tissue (N = 245), retropharyngeal lymph nodes (N = 491), and serum specimens (N = 381) from 410 farmed and 524 free-ranging WTD. Specimens were analyzed using RT-qPCR for infection and serological assays for exposure. SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected in less than 1% of both northern Florida farmed (0.85%) and free-ranging (0.76%) WTD. No farmed deer possessed virus-neutralizing antibodies, while one free-ranging WTD tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (3.45%). Viral sequences in infected WTD matched peaks in human cases and circulating variants, indicating human-to-deer spillover but at a lower frequency than reported elsewhere. Our findings suggest a reduced risk of SARS-CoV-2 spillover to WTD in northern Florida compared to other regions, highlighting the need for further research on transmission dynamics across North America.

A Global Perspective on Transition Models for Pediatric to Adult Cystic Fibrosis Care: What Has Been Made So Far?

Interest in the transition of care for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has grown significantly over time, driven by advancements in treatment that have extended life expectancy. As more CF patients survive into adulthood, the need for structured transition strategies has become a priority for healthcare systems worldwide. Transition programs for CF differ globally, reflecting varying resources and healthcare systems. In North America, the US CF Foundation has fostered adult care since the 1990s, with accreditation standards mandating adult programs and structured transition guidelines, exemplified by the CF RISE program for gradual responsibility shifts. Canada integrates US-inspired models, emphasizing national advocacy and outcomes evaluation. In Europe, approaches varies widely; the UK leads with structured programs like the Liverpool model and robust registry support, while France and Germany adopt multidisciplinary methods. In Australia and New Zealand, youth-centered policies prioritize early planning and access via telemedicine. In Asia, where CF is rare, transitions are less formalized, with some progress in countries like Japan and Turkey, though resource gaps and limited data tracking remain significant challenges. Despite varied approaches across countries, common barriers like resource limitations and psychological readiness continue to challenge successful transitions. Highlighting the importance of centralized, well-coordinated transition programs, recent initiatives have focused on the implementation of national and international CF registries to enhance health outcomes and quality of life. This narrative review provides a global perspective on transition strategies developed across various healthcare systems for CF patients, identifying best practices, common challenges, and outcomes related to the continuity of care.

Rate and setting of neurodevelopmental and psychosocial encounters for children with CHD.

In North America, less than 30% of children with complex CHD receive recommended follow-up for neurodevelopmental and psychosocial care. While rates of follow-up care at surgical centres have been described, little is known about similar services outside of surgical centres. This cohort study used Maine Health Data Organization's All Payer Claims Data from 2015 to 2019 to identify developmental and psychosocial-related encounters received by children 0-18 years of age with complex CHD. Encounters were classified as developmental, psychological, and neuropsychological testing, mental health assessment interventions, and health and behaviour assessments and interventions. We analysed the association of demographic and clinical characteristics of children and the receipt of any encounter. Of 799 unique children with complex CHD (57% male, 56% Medicaid, and 64% rural), 185 (23%) had at least one developmental or psychosocial encounter. Only 13 children (1.6%) received such care at a surgical centre. Developmental testing took place at a mix of community clinics/private practices (39%), state-based programmes (31%), and hospital-affiliated clinics (28%) with most encounters billing Medicaid (86%). Health and behavioural assessments occurred exclusively at hospital-affiliated clinics, predominately with Medicaid claims (82%). Encounters for mental health interventions, however, occurred in mostly community clinics/private practices (80%) with the majority of encounters billing commercial insurance (64%). Children with complex CHD in Maine access developmental and psychosocial services in locations beyond surgical centres. To better support the neurodevelopmental outcomes of their patients, CHD centres should build partnerships with these external providers.

ACL injuries in American Football: Mechanisms, Diagnostic Methods, and Preventive Strategies

American football, with a history spanning nearly 200 years, is known for its high entertainment value and significant fitness benefits, particularly in North America. In recent years, the sport has seen increasing popularity in China, drawing more young athletes to participate. However, the sport's physical demands increase the danger of injury, particularly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, which are among the most prevalent and severe. This article seeks to give a complete examination of ACL injuries in American football players by looking at their prevalence and causes. It explores key diagnostic methods used to assess ACL damage, such as the Lachman test and axial displacement test, and highlights the importance of early and accurate diagnosis. Additionally, the article discusses various prevention strategies, including strength training and neuromuscular conditioning, aimed at reducing the occurrence of ACL injuries. The review also covers post-surgical rehabilitation, outlining exercises and protocols that facilitate recovery and prevent reinjury, ensuring athletes can safely return to the field.

First report of Stenocarpella macrospora causing Diplodia leaf streak disease of maize in Yunnan Province, China.

Maize (Zea mays. L) is cultivated globally as a staple food crop, animal feed, and biofuel. However, persistent diseases in maize have led significant yield losses and a decline in grain quality (Yang et al., 2017). In August 2024, long and narrow lesions were observed on the leaves of maize growing in a field in Luoping County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, China (24° 94' 87" N, 101° 32' 24" E). The incidence of the disease was investigated to be about 15-30% in different varieties of maize planting areas in seven townships. Initial symptoms appeared as yellow to tan stripes, with the lesions measuring 3 to 48 mm in width and 45 to 560 mm in length. In severe cases, the lesions expanded, leading to complete leaf necrosis, which caused significant damage to maize production. Dark brown sub-epidermal pycnidia and conidia were observed on the necrotic leaf tissue. The pycnidia were globose or sac-like structures, with short and narrow conidiophores. The newly formed conidia are narrow, non-septate, and have transparent cytoplasm. The conidia are subcylindrical to narrowly ellipsoid, straight, curved, or occasionally irregular, measuring 38 to 86 × 7.2 to 12.3 µm. They are 0-3-septate, smooth-walled, pale brown, apex obtuse, base truncate. Therefore, 80 individual conidia were picked under a dissecting microscope, transferred to PDA plates containing antibiotics (10 mg/L rifampicin and ampicillin) followed by incubation at 28°C for 7 days (Fei et al., 2019). After seven days, the colonies of all isolates were turned grey and downy. Based on the maize leaf symptoms and the morphological characteristics of the pycnidia and conidia, the fungus was tentatively identified as Stenocarpella spp. (Luna et al., 2016). To confirm the identity of all isolates, DNA was extracted from 10 randomly selected isolates using the cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the translation elongation factor 1α (TEF-1α) gene were amplified using the primer pairs ITS-1/ITS-4 and EF-1/EF-2, respectively, and then sequenced (Lamprecht et al., 2011). After comparison, the two target sequences of 10 isolates were consistent. BLASTn analysis revealed 99.27% and 100.00% homology with the two target sequences of Stenocarpella macrospora (syn. = Diplodia macrospora) (GQ259128.1, MG934504.1). Based on phylogenetic analysis of two targets, the isolate MS01 was clustered on the same evolutionary branch with S. macrospora. The two target sequences of isolate MS01 was submitted to GenBank under the accession numbers PQ241617.1 and PQ243292.1. To confirm the pathogenicity, a suspension (1 × 106 spores /mL) of isolate MS01 conidial was sprayed onto nine healthy leaves of maize plants in vitro and three pots cultivated with the plants (five plants per pot) in vivo. Plant treated with sterilized water served as control group. The treated plants were incubated at 28°C, 90% relative humidity with alternating light-dark cycles (i.e. 12 h shifts) for 3-10 days. At the same time, the conidial suspension was injected and inoculated onto maize ears, with water used as a blank control. Each treatment contained 3ears, 10 µL of the suspension was applied to each seed treatment. Inoculated leaves developed brown spots that gradually expanded into streak lesions extending toward the ends of the leaves, similar to those observed in the field. Additionally, the maize seeds become also moldy, whereas the control leaves and ears remained symptomless. The same pathogen was re-isolated from the infected leaves and ears, confirming Koch's postulates. Previously, S. macrospora and S. maydis have been reported in many countries across North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, where maize is grown commercially. These pathogens are known to infect maize ears, stalks, and leaves of maize and also can produce mycotoxins (Romero et al., 2015; Snyman et al., 2011). To our knowledge, S. macrospora causing dry rot and ear rot of maize has been reported in China, but it is mostly found in quarantine at the time of importation (Tai et al., 1979; Shan et al., 2024). This is the first report of S. macrospora causing Diplodia leaf streak disease of maize in Yunnan Province, China. Since Stenocarpella spp. is one of the most destructive diseases of maize globally, the results of this study provide a foundation for developing effective prevention, control, and quarantine strategies for managing this disease.

Current state of neurodevelopmental and psychosocial care practices for paediatric patients with ventricular assist devices: an Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network and Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative collaborative survey.

Paediatric patients with heart failure requiring ventricular assist devices are at heightened risk of neurologic injury and psychosocial adjustment challenges, resulting in a need for neurodevelopmental and psychosocial support following device placement. Through a descriptive survey developed in collaboration by the Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network and the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative, the present study aimed to characterise current neurodevelopmental and psychosocial care practices for paediatric patients with ventricular assist devices. Members of both learning networks developed a 25-item electronic survey assessing neurodevelopmental and psychosocial care practices specific to paediatric ventricular assist device patients. The survey was sent to Advanced Cardiac Therapies Improving Outcomes Network site primary investigators and co-primary investigators via email. Of the 63 eligible sites contacted, responses were received from 24 unique North and South American cardiology centres. Access to neurodevelopmental providers, referral practices, and family neurodevelopmental education varied across sites. Inpatient neurodevelopmental care consults were available at many centres, as were inpatient family support services. Over half of heart centres had outpatient neurodevelopmental testing and individual psychotherapy services available to patients with ventricular assist devices, though few centres had outpatient group psychotherapy (12.5%) or parent support groups (16.7%) available. Barriers to inpatient and outpatient neurodevelopmental care included limited access to neurodevelopmental providers and parent/provider focus on the child's medical status. Paediatric patients with ventricular assist devices often have access to neurodevelopmental providers in the inpatient setting, though supports vary by centre. Strengthening family neurodevelopmental education, referral processes, and family-centred psychosocial services may improve current neurodevelopmental/psychosocial care for paediatric ventricular assist device patients.

Analysis of the Monophyletic Lineage of Avian Influenza H5N1 Which Circulated in Venezuelan Birds During the 2022–2023 Outbreak

Avian influenza subtype H5N1 has caused outbreaks worldwide since 1996, with the emergence of the Guandong lineage in China. The current clade 2.3.4.4b has evolved from this lineage, with increased virulence and mass mortality events in birds and mammals. The objective of this study was the analysis of 17 viral genomes of H5N1 avian influenza isolated in Venezuela during the 2022–2023 outbreak. The eight viral genomic segments were amplified using universal primers and sequenced via next-generation sequencing. The sequences were analyzed to confirm the H5 hemagglutinin clade, identify possible genetic reassortments, and perform a phylogenetic and docking analysis of the viral isolates. The viruses found in Venezuela belonged, as expected, to clade 2.3.4.4b and formed a monophyletic clade with North American influenza viruses, with no evidence of further reassortment. The introduction of the virus in South America is associated with bird migration through the Atlantic (Venezuela), Atlantic/Mississippi (Choco, Colombia), and Pacific migratory flyways, with the emergence of several viral lineages. Several mutations were found in all segments of the genome, although none of the key mutations was involved in mammalian adaptation. Moreover, in silico structural analysis suggests, as expected, that the viral hemagglutinin maintained a predilection for avian α2,3-linked sialic acid. The unprecedented pathogenic outbreak of avian influenza disease in South America was associated with the circulation of three different lineages, which maintain a lower affinity for the mammalian receptor.

Field Guide to North American Flycatchers, Kingbirds and Myiarchus

Field Guide to North American Flycatchers, Kingbirds and Myiarchus

Seasonal variations of permanent stations in close vicinity to tectonic plate boundaries

Abstract With the increasing use and popularity of GNSS, there is a growing emphasis on understanding the characteristics of the signals and the impact on their outputs. This article provides an analysis of the daily solution of Iceland permanent GNSS stations daily time series in near proximity to tectonic plate boundaries, aiming to investigate seasonal changes in coordinate values. As a part of the study, the data are prepared, and a function is fitted using the method of least squares, providing for further analysis coefficients and the quality of fit. The research reveals no unequivocal correlation between location and the height of annual amplitudes, except for the stations situated on the Vatnajökull ice cap. It consistently demonstrates higher seasonal changes compared to others, which indicates the influence of snow and water load. Excluding these results, the annual displacement for horizontal components is approximately 1 mm, while the average yearly amplitude for vertical components is almost 5 mm. The results concerned with the Up generally exhibit larger values compared to the other components. It is observed that the mean station variations are higher for the Eurasian plate. The quality of the fit, with regard to outliers and RMSE, does not demonstrate a correlation between the duration of the time series. Furthermore, the average percentage of detected outlier observations is higher for the North American plate.

In memory of Bob Hempel

On August 14, 2024, Bob Hempel, an outstanding member of the TA community, passed away. He has been associated with TA for more than 50 years, and in the last 12 years his activities have been associated with the North American Transactional Analysis Association (NATAA): first, Bob was the coordinator of the association in the Midwest, and then became the General Coordinator of NATAA. In memory of him, we are publishing the text of an obituary written by the International TA Association (ITAA).

Taxonomic Overview of World Dasytinae (Coleoptera: Melyridae), with Emphasis on the North American Fauna of the Subfamily and Two Newly Established Tribes

Taxonomic Overview of World Dasytinae (Coleoptera: Melyridae), with Emphasis on the North American Fauna of the Subfamily and Two Newly Established Tribes

Towards a Macro-Level Theoretical Understanding of Police Services’ Acquisition of Risk Technologies

Most North American police services have rapidly acquired and implemented a range of emerging and disruptive technologies in recent years. This rapid adoption of technologies has left a significant gap in our theoretical understanding of how police make decisions about which technologies to acquire. While existing research has focused on technology’s impact at the organizational level, the macro-level context that shapes technological acquisition by the police is undertheorized. To address this gap in the literature, this article combines theorizing by Ericson and Haggerty (1997) on policing the risk society (PRS) and Zuboff (2019) on surveillance capitalism (SC) to develop a macro-level theoretical framework. We consider technologies acquired by the police to be risk technologies and argue that combining key elements of PRS and SC theorizing offers a macro-level understanding of police decision-making about which technologies to adopt that can complement meso-level organizational theories. While calling for additional empirical research, this article concludes by discussing the potential impacts associated with private-sector involvement in public-sector initiatives and providing directions for future research.

Validation of the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) Automated Speech Processing Algorithm Labels for Adult and Child Segments in a Sample of Families From India.

The Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) technology uses automated speech processing (ASP) algorithms to estimate counts such as total adult words and child vocalizations, which helps understand children's early language environment. This ASP has been validated in North American English and other languages in predominantly monolingual contexts but not in a multilingual context like India. Thus, the current study aims to validate the classification accuracy of the LENA algorithm specifically focusing on speaker recognition of adult segments (AdS) and child segments (ChS) in a sample of bi/multilingual families from India. Thirty neurotypical children between 6 and 24 months (M = 12.89, SD = 4.95) were recruited. Participants were growing up in bi/multilingual environment hearing a combination of Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, and/or English. Daylong audio recordings were collected using LENA and processed using the ASP to automatically detect segments across speaker categories. Two human annotators manually annotated ~900 min (37,431 segments across speaker categories). Performance accuracy (recall and precision) was calculated for AdS and ChS. The recall and precision for AdS were 0.62 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.61, 0.63]) and 0.83 (95% CI [0.8, 0.83]), respectively. This indicated that 62% of the segments identified as AdS by the human annotator were also identified as AdS by the LENA ASP algorithm and 83% of the segments labeled by the LENA ASP as AdS were also labeled by the human annotator as AdS. Similarly, the recall and precision for ChS were 0.65 (95% CI [0.64, 0.66]) and 0.55 (95% CI [0.54, 0.56]), respectively. This study documents the performance of the ASP in correctly classifying speakers as adult or child in a sample of families from India, indicating recall and precision that is relatively low. This study lays the groundwork for future investigations aiming to refine the algorithm models, potentially facilitating more accurate performance in bi/multilingual societies like India. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27910710.

Use of multiple reference data sources to cross-validate gridded snow water equivalent products over North America

Abstract. We use snow course and airborne gamma data available over North America to compare the validation of gridded snow water equivalent (SWE) products when evaluated with one reference dataset versus the other. We assess product performance across both non-mountainous and mountainous regions, determining the sensitivity of relative product rankings and absolute performance measures. In non-mountainous areas, product performance is insensitive to the choice of SWE reference dataset (snow course or airborne gamma): the validation statistics (bias, unbiased root mean squared error, and correlation) are consistent with one another. In mountainous areas, the choice of reference dataset has little impact on relative product ranking but a large impact on assessed error magnitudes (bias and unbiased root mean squared error). Further analysis indicates the agreement in non-mountainous regions occurs because the reference SWE estimates themselves agree up to spatial scales of at least 50 km, comparable to the grid spacing of most available SWE products. In mountain areas, there is poor agreement between the reference datasets, even at short distances (< 5 km). We determine that differences in assessed error magnitudes result primarily from the range of SWE magnitudes sampled by each method, although their respective spatiotemporal distribution and elevation differences between the reference measurements and grid centroids also play a role. We use this understanding to produce a combined reference SWE dataset for North America, applicable to future gridded SWE product evaluations and other applications.

Use of diatomaceous earth to control nymphal American dog ticks,Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae): laboratory to simulated field experiments.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) recently was shown to rapidly kill ticks. Proof of concept for use of DE to kill the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, the most widely distributed native three-host tick in North America, has not been investigated. Unfed D. variabilis nymphs dipped into DE and incubated at 30 °C and 50 versus 70% relative humidity (RH) had an estimated median survival time of 5h and 4h, respectively, with mortality starting within 1h. There was no difference in survival time at the 50 and 70% RH. In a two-choice assay at 30 °C and 50% RH, ticks walked freely onto DE treated surfaces; the estimated median survival time was 3h, indicating that DE is not a repellent. There was no difference in locomotor activity between DE-treated nymphs and untreated controls. In simulated-field experiments, pine straw infested with nymphs and then treated with DE at 5.00, 2.50, 1.25, 0.63 and 0.31g DE/m2 resulted in 100% mortality and 81.40% (± 4.13%) mortality at 0.15g DE/m2 after 24h. Scanning electron microscopy of the dead ticks in the 0.15g DE/m2 treatments showed most of the cuticle surface was devoid of DE except for the hypostome. The rapid time to first death by dipping, the no effect of RH on survival time, the small amounts of mineral on the tick body and no visible scarring on the tick cuticle questions the generally accepted mode of action for DE, that is, cuticle damage and dehydration.

Prenatal cfDNA Sequencing and Incidental Detection of Maternal Cancer

BackgroundCell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequence analysis to screen for fetal aneuploidy can incidentally detect maternal cancer. Additional data are needed to identify DNA-sequencing patterns and other biomarkers that can identify pregnant persons who are most likely to have cancer and to determine the best approach for follow-up.MethodsIn this ongoing study we performed cancer screening in pregnant or postpartum persons who did not perceive signs or symptoms of cancer but received unusual clinical cfDNA-sequencing results or results that were nonreportable (i.e., the fetal aneuploidy status could not be assessed) from one of 12 different commercial laboratories in North America. We used a uniform cancer-screening protocol including rapid whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), laboratory tests, and standardized cfDNA sequencing for research purposes with the use of a genomewide platform. The primary outcome was the presence of cancer in participants after the initial cancer-screening evaluation. Secondary analyses included test performance.ResultsCancer was present in 52 of the 107 participants in the initial cohort (48.6%). The sensitivity and specificity of whole-body MRI in detecting occult cancer were 98.0% and 88.5%, respectively. Physical examination and laboratory tests were of limited use in identifying participants with cancer. Research sequencing showed that 49 participants had a combination of copy-number gains and losses across multiple (≥3) chromosomes; cancer was present in 47 of the participants (95.9%) with this sequencing pattern. Sequencing patterns of cfDNA in which there were only chromosomal gains (multiple trisomies) or only chromosomal losses (one or more monosomies) were found in participants with nonmalignant conditions, such as fibroids.ConclusionsIn this study, 48.6% of participants who received unusual or nonreportable clinical cfDNA-sequencing results had an occult cancer. Further study of DNA-sequencing patterns that are suggestive of occult cancer during prenatal screening is warranted. (Funded by the NIH Intramural Research Programs; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04049604.)

Coastal hardening and what it means for the world’s sandy beaches

Sea level rise is expected to cause chronic shoreline retreat, affecting over 10% of the world’s population in low-elevation coastal zones (LECZ). Sandy beaches supported by man-made structures are more vulnerable to substantial beach area loss due to restricted landward migration, affecting ecosystem services. However, the global extent of ‘hardened’ sandy coastlines at risk of ‘severe beach loss’ has not been comprehensively quantified. Here, using products and geospatial datasets derived from satellite imagery, we find that, 33% of the world’s sandy coastline is currently hardened. Analysis of the results by IPCC AR6 regions show that the most hardened coastal regions are the Bay of Bengal, Western & Central Europe, the Mediterranean, Western North America, and East Asia. Linking coastal hardening information with existing shoreline retreat projections, we find that under SSP5-8.5, up to 26% of the world’s sandy coastline (~52,100 km) is likely to face severe beach loss by the end of the 21st century. Under a moderate emissions scenario (SSP2-4.5), this projection decreases to 21% (~42,080 km), highlighting the potential mitigation gain. The results also show that the vast majority of projected severe sandy beach losses are in high and upper-middle-income countries, with up to 82% of severe losses under SSP5-8.5 and up to 81% under SSP2-4.5 by the end of the 21st century, relative to the total length of sandy coastline, including both hardened and natural coastlines. The IPCC AR6 regions with the highest projected sandy beach losses include Eastern North America, Northern South America, the Mediterranean, the Bay of Bengal, Western Africa, and South-east Asia.

Abundance-mediated species interactions.

Species interactions shape biodiversity patterns, community assemblage, and the dynamics of wildlife populations. Ecological theory posits that the strength of interspecific interactions is fundamentally underpinned by the population sizes of the involved species. Nonetheless, prevalent approaches for modeling species interactions predominantly center around occupancy states. Here, we use simulations to illuminate the inadequacies of modeling species interactions solely as a function of occupancy, as is common practice in ecology. We demonstrate erroneous inference into species interactions due to error in parameter estimates when considering species occupancy alone. To address this critical issue, we propose, develop, and demonstrate an abundance-mediated interaction framework designed explicitly for modeling species interactions involving two or more species from detection/non-detection data. We present Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) samplers tailored for diverse ecological scenarios, including intraguild predation, disease- or predator-mediated competition, and trophic cascades. Illustrating the practical implications of our approach, we compare inference from modeling the interactions in a three-species network involving coyotes (Canis latrans), fishers (Pekania pennanti), and American marten (Martes americana) in North America as a function of occupancy states and as a function of abundance. When modeling interactions as a function of abundance rather than occupancy, we uncover previously unidentified interactions. Our study emphasizes that accounting for abundance-mediated interactions rather than simple co-occurrence patterns can fundamentally alter our comprehension of system dynamics. Through an empirical case study and comprehensive simulations, we demonstrate the importance of accounting for abundance when modeling species interactions, and we present a statistical framework equipped with MCMC samplers to achieve this paradigm shift in ecological research.

Analysis of the Cultured Microbiome of Fertilization-Stage Maize Silks (Styles) Reveals Taxonomic Relationships Across North American Maize Genotypes and Heterotic Groups

Analysis of the Cultured Microbiome of Fertilization-Stage Maize Silks (Styles) Reveals Taxonomic Relationships Across North American Maize Genotypes and Heterotic Groups