Interpretable forecasting of dissolved oxygen leveraging foundation model for proactive aeration in rural wastewater treatment systems.

Functional gene abundance and metabolic pathways during defluorination of fluorinated glucocorticoids by Acinetobacter pittii C3 in natural waters under different seasonal temperatures.

Avian haemosporidians are vector-borne parasites with complex transmission dynamics influenced by host ecology and environmental factors. Both prevalence and parasitemia are key measures in host-parasite studies. While prevalence reflects the proportion of infected individuals in a population, parasitemia provides insights into the intensity of infection within hosts, offering a different but complementary perspective. In this study, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to investigate seasonal and interannual variation in haemosporidian infection intensity among 266 individuals from six bird species in a temperate woodland in Slovakia over 3 years (2017-2019). We focused on the four most abundant taxonomic groups: Erithacus rubecula, Sylvia atricapilla, two parid species (Parus major, Cyanistes caeruleus), and two turdid species (Turdus merula, T. philomelos). Our results revealed distinct, taxon-specific seasonal trajectories. Turdid species showed similar unimodal summer peaks, whereas parids lacked early spring infections and exhibited a steady decline from summer to autumn. E. rubecula demonstrated a gradual increase across the season, while S. atricapilla showed a bimodal pattern with peaks in late spring and early autumn. Spring intensities were highest in 2017-2018, likely due to relapse or new infections, and lowest in 2019, coinciding with warmer and wetter conditions. These findings highlight how seasonal variation in environmental conditions, such as temperature and precipitation, interacts with host life history to shape infection intensity patterns. Our study emphasizes the importance of integrating ecological context with molecular tools to better understand haemosporidian dynamics in wild bird populations.

Seasonal reproduction is common among wild mammals, but male fertility traits are often understudied. The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) is a seasonal breeder with a narrow reproductive window, yet its semen characteristics and seasonal variation remain poorly understood. Our objectives were to develop and validate an electroejaculation protocol for semen collection, and to enable, for the first time, in vivo assessments of sperm morphology, ultrastructure, morphometry, and seasonal variation in semen quality in both captive and wild populations. A total of 70 semen collection attempts were conducted: 17 in captive males at approximately monthly intervals over 1 year and 53 in wild males just before peak mating season and again 2-4 weeks later, across 3 consecutive years (2021-2023). Electroejaculation was well tolerated and effective, particularly around the mating season, eliciting consistent responses and yielding sperm-containing ejaculates in 88.7% of wild procedures. Sperm morphometry revealed a mean total length of ∼56 µm, with ultrastructural features resembling other eutherian mammals. Seasonal analysis demonstrated significantly higher sperm concentration, motility, and normal morphology during peak mating season compared to later samples. Post-peak samples showed increased structural abnormalities, including midpiece and principal piece defects, and signs of disrupted spermatogenesis and epididymal maturation. Cytology and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy confirmed these findings, revealing compromised sperm integrity and elevated round cell counts outside the breeding peak. This study establishes the first in vivo semen collection protocol and comprehensive semen evaluation in the rock hyrax, revealing seasonal variation in male fertility and enabling repeatable, non-lethal reproductive monitoring. Male fertility traits are poorly characterized in most wild mammals. The rock hyrax (also known as rock rabbit) is a seasonal breeder with a short mating period each year, but little was known about its male reproductive physiology because semen studies relied on post-mortem material. We established a non-lethal protocol for semen collection in rock hyraxes and applied it both in captivity and under natural desert conditions. This enabled detailed analyses of sperm's shape (morphology), architecture (ultrastructure), and dimensions (morphometry), and seasonal semen changes. We found that sperm concentration, motility, and normal morphology were highest during peak breeding season but declined sharply only a few weeks later, accompanied by structural abnormalities and signs of disrupted spermatogenesis. Our study reveals sharp seasonal shifts in male fertility and demonstrates a safe, repeatable method for studying reproduction in wild mammals, with potential applications in conservation and comparative studies among seasonal species.

Exploring seasonal fluctuations in dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in healthy adults: A [11C]PHNO imaging study.

Leaked tritium reveals the source of 137Cs from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to the ocean.

Predicting the thermal performance of organisms is crucial for understanding the effects of climate warming. In ectotherms, organismal performance depends on how well aligned the thermal sensitivities of fitness components are to body temperatures in the natural habitat. It is frequently assumed that Topt (temperatures that maximize performance) for important fitness components has evolved to align with habitat temperatures. However, most organisms at temperate latitudes experience significant seasonal temperature variation, and therefore frequently operate at suboptimal temperatures. Importantly, seasonal performance patterns may differ among fitness components if those components have different thermal sensitivities. The extent to which habitat temperature can deviate from Topt before an organism can no longer persist in its environment, and the role of seasonality in driving this deviation, is infrequently explored. Here, we assess how well aligned the thermal sensitivity (thermal performance curves, or TPCs) of development, growth and survival is to local habitat temperatures across two seasons using embryos of the marine gastropod Haminoea vesicula. We develop a mechanistic model by integrating thermal sensitivity for development, growth and survival with habitat temperatures to predict embryo performance across seasons. Our results demonstrate that habitat temperatures mostly fall far below Topt for development and growth. Accordingly, model predictions show that in the cool spring, developmental periods are 20% longer and hatchling sizes are slightly (~1%) smaller on average than in the summer. Survival risk intensifies in the summer due to an acute high-temperature event, indicating that seasonal temperature variation affects performance differently between fitness components. We horizontally shift TPC functions to assess how well aligned the thermal sensitivity of each fitness component is to habitat temperatures. Simulations indicate that thermal sensitivity for survival is well aligned to habitat temperature, but Topt for development and growth would need to cold shift by 11°C and 16°C, respectively, to achieve maximal performance. However, cold shifting TPCs to maximize development and growth results in sharp survival reductions due to summer heat spikes. Overall, Topt greatly exceeds the most frequent habitat temperatures, leading to suboptimal performance most of the time. However, high Topt allows embryos to survive seasonally driven heat spikes. Sometimes 'suboptimal' is good enough.

Insight into the profiles and sources of free amino acids (FAAs) and combined amino acids (CAAs) in PM2.5 over Xi'an, China.

Seasonal dynamics and assembly mechanisms of Roseobacter clade in Mytilus coruscus aquaculture: Implications for environmental monitoring.

Integrated statistical and feature based time series analysis of natural radionuclides and physicochemical parameters in surface water and groundwater of a hydrogeological system.

Response of microbial communities in sediments from marine artificial and natural habitats to seasonal variations.

The role of air pollution, seasonal variations, and sunlight in childhood food allergy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Environmental drivers and ecological responses of seaweed litter production and decomposition: A comprehensive review.

Growth in the margins: Field measured protein metabolism rates in the common limpet, Patellavulgata.

Previous studies have shown inconsistent links between seasonal variation or ambient temperature and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) onset. Furthermore, the impact of short-term temperature fluctuations on aSAH remains unclear. This study aims to quantify the exposure-response relationship between short-term extreme temperatures or temperature fluctuations and aSAH risk. This time-stratified case-crossover study used a multicenter registry database (May 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022) from 33 tertiary hospitals in China, including 6004 consecutive aSAH cases with onset dates and residential addresses. Exposures were short-term extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations (diurnal temperature range and temperature change between neighboring days) lagging up to 6 days before onset. Main outcomes were analyzed using conditional logistic regression with a distributed lag nonlinear model to assess associations between aSAH onset and daily mean ambient temperature, diurnal temperature range, and temperature change between neighboring days. Subgroup, sensitivity, and attributable analyses were also performed. The final analysis included 5842 patients with aSAH (mean age, 57.1±11.6 years; 61.9% women). Higher or lower daily mean ambient temperature (95% CI, ≤6.6 °C or ≥21.3 °C), higher diurnal temperature range (95% CI, ≥14.1 °C), and larger absolute values of temperature change between neighboring days (95% CI, ≤-2.1 °C or ≥0.8 °C) were associated with an increased risk of aSAH, with effects lasting 3 days for them. Hypertension (P=0.018; odds ratio, 3.78 [95% CI, 1.85-7.74]) and low annual income (P=0.033; odds ratio, 3.45 [95% CI, 1.80-6.60]) were significantly associated with increased aSAH risk under low daily mean ambient temperature condition; furthermore, the odds ratios associated with extreme temperature exhibited higher trends for patients who aged ≥65 years or lived in northern China. In this nationwide, case-crossover study, exposure-response relationships of higher risks of aSAH onset with short-term extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations were identified, especially for high-risk populations, indicating the need for tailored prevention strategies. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03115905.

Dairy environment and seasons affect the microbiome of a traditional artisanal cheese.

Spatial and seasonal variation, source and risk assessment of sedimentary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the Red River to the Ba Lat estuary (Vietnam).

Anthropogenic and natural impacts on seasonal variations in surface sediment distribution and stratigraphy in semi-enclosed macrotidal flats on the west coast of Korea

Oxidative stress biomarkers in Vitta zebra (Gastropoda): responses to tidal, seasonal and anthropogenic pressures in an estuary of the Eastern Amazon.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are widely detected in aquatic environments. However, recent studies on the environmental occurrence of currently used PPCPs in Japan are limited. In this study, a nationwide monitoring initiative focusing on PPCPs was undertaken to investigate the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in aquatic environments in Japan. A total of 700 samples were collected and analyzed from 2018 to 2022. Ninety-one PPCPs were detected in the analyzed samples. Three PPCPs (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide [DEET], salicylic acid, and crotamiton) were detected at particularly high frequencies, with a prevalence exceeding 99% of analyzed samples. Seasonal variations were observed for several PPCPs across multiple rivers, with concentrations generally increasing during fall/winter and decreasing during spring/summer (except DEET) throughout the sampling period. The detection frequencies and concentrations were higher in PPCPs with higher domestic prescription amounts. Some PPCPs, such as acetylsalicylic acid, exhibited low frequencies and concentrations despite high domestic prescription amounts, suggesting transformation into metabolites or degradates in the aquatic environment. The contribution of sewage treatment plant effluent to the PPCP concentrations in the environment was estimated by examining the correlation between each PPCP and sucralose concentration. Sewage effluents appeared to be a significant contributor to the majority of target PPCPs; however, DEET and certain other PPCPs may originate from alternate sources. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of the occurrence and fate of PPCPs in Japan's aquatic environment. Future research should assess the environmental and human health risks of these PPCPs and identify the occurrence of their metabolites or degradates in the aquatic environment.