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Patterns of cohort decline are key demographic traits that provide a unique temporal perspective vital to understanding population dynamics. The discovery of multidecadal lifespans in tropical surgeonfishes in the 1990s created a paradigm shift to the notion that they are highly vulnerable species with low population recovery rates; however, research into the mortality patterns of surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) has been sparse until recently. Recent studies on this family have demonstrated an unusual (possibly unique), two‐phase pattern of adult catch‐at‐age, whereby there is a population‐level shift from higher‐than‐expected rates of decline early in life to lower‐than‐expected decline rates for the remainder of the lifespan. To examine the geographic and phylogenetic ubiquity of this pattern, we compiled age‐based information from demographic samples of 70 populations of 25 tropical species spanning the Indo‐Central Pacific and Central‐Western Atlantic. Overall, we found that 79% of populations exhibited strong biphasic patterns, including 88% of populations across the Indo‐Central Pacific. By accounting for empirical relationships instead of using linear catch curves or classical assumptions of natural population decay based on lifespan, we demonstrate that surgeonfishes have turnover times that are two to four times faster than previously believed. Faster turnover times may suggest a higher level of sustainability for surgeonfish fisheries throughout the global tropics than previously estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the spawning seasonality of two highly targeted jacks (Carangidae; Giant Trevally [known in Hawai'i as ulua aukea] Caranx ignobilis and Bluefin Trevally [known in Hawai'i as 'ōmilu] Caranx melampygus) within Hawai'i through a collaborative effort with local fishers. Methods: By working with volunteer fishers, we collected gonad samples for Giant and Bluefin trevally throughout a 15‐month period on four of the main Hawaiian Islands. Spawning seasonality was assessed using histological gonad samples as well as mean monthly gonadosomatic index (GSI). Result: Fishery involvement proved successful in collecting biological samples needed to understand the spawning seasonality of these species. Participants were able to macroscopically identify when females were spawning versus undeveloped following initial instruction from the researchers. Mature female GSI resulted in similar conclusions as histological analyses. Both species had a spawning season between February and September, with peak spawning occurring from May to July. During the spawning months, a semilunar spawning pattern was observed for Giant Trevally with peak GSI occurring shortly before the full moon. Bluefin Trevally had higher variability, with no distinct lunar periodicity. Conclusion: Training fishers to be a part of the scientific process and collect gonad samples created trust in science and interest in learning more about the biology of their catch. By consistently sharing our progress and results through social media we were able to engage and build trust with the greater fishing community. Impact statementThrough the spawning seasons project, fishers were empowered to contribute to science and be part of the scientific process, which in turn can lead to continuing interest and participation in future management solutions that ensure sustainability. Fishers can use the information learned in this study to practice sustainable fishing by allowing fish to spawn before targeting them. By using science to substantiate traditional management practices based upon observed spawning behaviors, the participants were able to reinforce behaviors that celebrate sustainability within the larger fishing community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth rate, longevity, maturity and spawning seasonality were estimated for the endemic Hawaiian hogfish Bodianus albotaeniatus. The sex‐specific von Bertalanffy growth parameters are L∞ = 339 mm fork length (LF) and K = 0.66 year−1 for females and L∞ = 417 mm LF and K = 0.33 year−1 for males. The maximum age is 22 years. Histological gonad analysis and the absence of small and young males indicate a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite. Size and age at maturity for combined sexes are L50 = 238 mm LF and A50 = 1.6 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SARS‐CoV‐2 omicron variant (B.1.1.529) was first identified in Botswana and South Africa, and its emergence has been associated with a steep increase in the number of SARS‐CoV‐2 infections. The omicron variant has subsequently spread very rapidly across the world, resulting in the World Health Organization classification as a variant of concern on 26 November 2021. Since its emergence, great efforts have been made by research groups around the world that have rapidly responded to fill our gaps in knowledge for this novel variant. A growing body of data has demonstrated that the omicron variant shows high transmissibility, robust binding to human angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 receptor, attenuated viral replication, and causes less severe disease in COVID‐19 patients. Further, the variant has high environmental stability, high resistance against most therapeutic antibodies, and partial escape neutralisation by antibodies from convalescent patients or vaccinated individuals. With the pandemic ongoing, there is a need for the distillation of literature from primary research into an accessible format for the community. In this review, we summarise the key discoveries related to the SARS‐CoV‐2 omicron variant, highlighting the gaps in knowledge that guide the field's ongoing and future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenological distributions are characterized by their central tendency, breadth, and shape, and all three determine the extent to which interacting species overlap in time. Pollination mutualisms rely on temporal co‐occurrence of pollinators and their floral resources, and although much work has been done to characterize the shapes of flower phenological distributions, similar studies that include pollinators are lacking. Here, we provide the first broad assessment of skewness, a component of distribution shape, for a bee community. We compare skewness in bees to that in flowers, relate bee and flower skewness to other properties of their phenology, and quantify the potential consequences of differences in skewness between bees and flowers. Both bee and flower phenologies tend to be right‐skewed, with a more exaggerated asymmetry in bees. Early‐season species tend to be the most skewed, and this relationship is also stronger in bees than in flowers. Based on a simulation experiment, differences in bee and flower skewness could account for up to 14% of pairwise overlap differences. Given the potential for interaction loss, we argue that difference in skewness of interacting species is an underappreciated property of phenological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides estimates of growth rate, longevity, maturity, spawning seasonality and mortality for Hawai'i's only lethrinid, the humpnose big‐eye bream (known as Mū in Hawai'i) Monotaxis grandoculis, a commercially and recreationally important species in Hawai'i and throughout the Indo‐Pacific. M. grandoculis reaches maturity at 303 mm fork length or 3.6 years of age for both sexes. Males were significantly larger than females for a given age. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for males and females were L∞ = 506 mm fork length and von Bertalanffy growth coefficient (K) = 0.24 year−1, and L∞ = 427 mm fork length and K = 0.33 year−1, respectively. Both males and females reached ages over 20 years old, with a maximum age of 23 years. M. grandoculis had a distinct spawning season from May through August with corresponding elevated female gonadosomatic index. An age‐based multinomial catch curve indicated that the commercial exploitation rate (natural mortality/fishing mortality) was 0.48 year−1, which is considered below the overfishing limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland restoration is an important tool for conserving bee biodiversity within agricultural landscapes. Restorations foster increases in local bee abundance and α‐diversity; however, these measures are insufficient for understanding whether remnant communities are being conserved. We compared native bee α‐diversity, β‐diversity and community composition between restored and remnant prairies in Minnesota, USA. We then investigated two potential drivers of bee community dissimilarity between restored and remnant prairies: proportion of agricultural land surrounding a restoration and differences in floral community between restored and remnant prairies.We selected 10 restored prairies that lie along a gradient of increasing agricultural land cover, ranging from 20% to 85% of surrounding land in agricultural production. We paired each restoration with a nearby prairie remnant and sampled bee and floral communities concurrently in each restoration–remnant pair. We quantified bee and forb α‐diversity, community composition, β‐diversity and levels of dissimilarity between restoration–remnant pairs along the gradient of agricultural development. Additionally, we quantified differences in the community‐weighted mean between restored and remnant prairies for two bee traits, oligolecty and tongue length, to investigate how differences in floral community between restored and remnant prairies may influence bee community composition.While bee α‐diversity between restored and remnant prairies was similar, bee composition between restorations and remnants was significantly different with restorations being more homogeneous than remnants. Differences in bee community composition and β‐diversity were not significantly related to agricultural landscapes or floral community dissimilarity; however, we found a significantly higher proportion of oligolectic bees in remnant prairies. This difference in oligolectic bees was likely related to the absence of important host plants in restorations.Synthesis and application. Prairie restorations should seek to provide diverse floral resources that are of similar composition to remnant prairies. Specifically, providing important floral host plants for pollen specialist bees could improve restorations' ability to conserve prairie remnant bee communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides growth rate, longevity and maturity estimates for the two important species of jack in Hawaiʻi: ulua aukea/giant trevally Caranx ignobilis and omilu/bluefin trevally Caranx melampygus. Maximum observed ages for C. ignobilis and C. melampygus were 31 years and 24 years, respectively. Combined sex von Bertalanffy growth parameter values for C. ignobilis and C. melampygus were as follows: L∞ = 1064 mm and K = 0.18 year−1; and L∞ = 718 mm and K = 0.20 year−1, respectively. Female size at maturity was significantly greater than males for both C. ignobilis and C. melampygus. Size and age at maturity for C. ignobilis was 594 mm and 4.4 years for females and 465 mm and 2.8 years for males. Size and age at maturity for C. melampygus was 372 mm and 4.1 years for females and 329 mm and 2.9 years for males. This study provides the first robust demographic data for both of these highly prized and ecologically important predatory species in Hawaiʻi, which can be used for future assessments or management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is shifting the environmental cues that determine the phenology of interacting species. Plant–pollinator systems may be susceptible to temporal mismatch if bees and flowering plants differ in their phenological responses to warming temperatures. While the cues that trigger flowering are well‐understood, little is known about what determines bee phenology. Using generalised additive models, we analyzed time‐series data representing 67 bee species collected over 9 years in the Colorado Rocky Mountains to perform the first community‐wide quantification of the drivers of bee phenology. Bee emergence was sensitive to climatic variation, advancing with earlier snowmelt timing, whereas later phenophases were best explained by functional traits including overwintering stage and nest location. Comparison of these findings to a long‐term flower study showed that bee phenology is less sensitive than flower phenology to climatic variation, indicating potential for reduced synchrony of flowers and pollinators under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standardized phase angle (SPhA) is a tool used to estimate body composition and cell membrane integrity. Standardized phase angle has been shown to predict survival in solid malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. We investigated the predictive value of SPhA on 60‐day mortality, overall survival (OS), and length of hospital stay (LHS) for adults with acute myelogenous and lymphoblastic leukemia (AML and ALL). Consecutive patients ≥18 years with newly diagnosed acute leukemia receiving intensive chemotherapy were enrolled. Phase angle measurements were taken on day 1 of therapy for all patients and on the day of nadir marrow for AML patients. Measurements were standardized by BMI, gender, and age to calculate the SPhA. The difference between SPhA at nadir bone marrow compared to day 1 of induction was used to calculate change in SPhA. A cutoff of 25th percentile was used to dichotomize baseline SPhA. Among 100 patients, 88% were AML, 56% were female, and mean age was 59 years. Though not statistically significant, OS by Kaplan‐Meier analysis was shorter for those below the 25th percentile SPhA compared to those above (median OS: 11.0 months vs 19.5 months; P =.09). Lower baseline SPhA was associated with increased incidence of 60‐day mortality in univariable (odds ratio [OR] = 5.25; 1.35, 20.44; P =.02) but not multivariable analysis (OR = 3.12; 0.67, 14.48; P =.15) adjusted for age, creatinine, and cytogenetics. Increased change in SPhA was associated with worse OS (hazard ratio = 1.15; 1.00,1.33; P =.05) in multivariable analysis. Standardized phase angle is a rapid, noninvasive, and objective measure that may be used to inform risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes from historic weather patterns have affected the phenology of many organisms world‐wide. Altered phenology can introduce organisms to novel abiotic conditions during growth and modify species interactions, both of which could drive changes in reproduction.We explored how climate change can alter plant reproduction using an experiment in which we manipulated the individual and combined effects of snowmelt timing and frost exposure, and measured subsequent effects on flowering phenology, peak flower density, frost damage, pollinator visitation and reproduction of four subalpine wildflowers. Additionally, we conducted a pollen‐supplementation experiment to test whether the plants in our snowmelt and frost treatments were pollen limited for reproduction. The four plants included species flowering in early spring to mid‐summer.The phenology of all four species was significantly advanced, and the bloom duration was longer in the plots from which we removed snow, but with species‐specific responses to snow removal and frost exposure in terms of frost damage, flower production, pollinator visitation and reproduction. The two early blooming species showed significant signs of frost damage in both early snowmelt and frost treatments, which negatively impacted reproduction for one of the species. Further, we recorded fewer pollinators during flowering for the earliest‐blooming species in the snow removal plots. We also found lower fruit and seed set for the early blooming species in the snow removal treatment, which could be attributed to the plants growing under unfavourable abiotic conditions. However, the later‐blooming species escaped frost damage even in the plots where snow was removed, and experienced increased pollinator visitation and reproduction.Synthesis. This study provides insight into how plant communities could become altered due to changes in abiotic conditions, and some of the mechanisms involved. While early blooming species may be at a disadvantage under climate change, species that bloom later in the season may benefit from early snowmelt, suggesting that climate change has the potential to reshape flowering communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much progress has been made in understanding the basis of cancer. Current therapies can effectively shrink tumors. But they frequently relapse, metastasize to other locations, and are lethal. Effective therapies are very much needed for preventing this relapse. Creation of a eukaryotic organism commences with one original stem cell, a fertilized egg, which multiplies and differentiates. Mutations of normal stem cells can produce cancer stem cells (CSC). These cells may resist chemotherapy, proliferate, and produce new tumors. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is composed of two proteins (alpha and beta) that bind to the cell membrane and activate a number of intracellular pathways. hCG has been shown to activate the proliferation of cancer stem cells. Cyclin dependent regulation of the adult cells is created in normal differentiation and replaces the hCG regulation of stem cells. To selectively kill the cancer stem cells conventional cancer therapies could be followed with a therapy based on inactivating human chronic gonadotrophin (HCG). For example chemically modified prostaglandins like RU486 prevent binding of the unmodified steroid to hCG and inactivate hCG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Frost is an important episodic event that damages plant tissues through the formation of ice crystals at or below freezing temperatures. In montane regions, where climate change is expected to cause earlier snow melt but may not change the last frost‐free day of the year, plants that bud earlier might be directly impacted by frost through damage to flower buds and reproductive structures. However, the indirect effects of frost mediated through changes in plant–pollinator interactions have rarely been explored. We examined the direct and pollinator‐mediated indirect effects of frost on three wildflower species in southwestern Colorado, USA, Delphinium barbeyi (Ranunculaceae), Erigeron speciosus (Asteraceae), and Polemonium foliosissimum (Polemoniaceae), by simulating moderate (−1 to −5°C) frost events in early spring in plants in situ. Subsequently, we measured plant growth, and upon flowering measured flower morphology and phenology. Throughout the flowering season, we monitored pollinator visitation and collected seeds to measure plant reproduction. We found that frost had species‐specific direct and indirect effects. Frost had direct effects on two of the three species. Frost significantly reduced flower size, total flowers produced, and seed production of Erigeron. Furthermore, frost reduced aboveground plant survival and seed production for Polemonium. However, we found no direct effects of frost on Delphinium. When we considered the indirect impacts of frost mediated through changes in pollinator visitation, one species, Erigeron, incurred indirect, negative effects of frost on plant reproduction through changes in floral traits and pollinator visitation, along with direct effects. Overall, we found that flowering plants exhibited species‐specific direct and pollinator‐mediated indirect responses to frost, thus suggesting that frost may play an important role in affecting plant communities under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents age-based life-history information for the red lip parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus based on a 5 year sampling programme from the commercial fishery of American Samoa. Females reached sexual maturity at 31·9 cm fork length ( LF) and 2·6 years and sex change occurred at 42·3 cm LF, although not all females change sex through their ontogeny. The maximum observed age was 14 years and c. 65% of the fishery harvest was above the median LF at sex change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To measure short-term changes in physical and cognitive function and emotional well-being of older adults receiving intensive chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia ( AML). Design Prospective observational study. Setting Single academic institution. Participants Individuals aged 60 and older with newly diagnosed AML who received induction chemotherapy (N = 49, mean age 70 ± 6.2, 56% male). Measurements Geriatric assessment ( GA) was performed during inpatient examination for AML and within 8 weeks after hospital discharge after induction chemotherapy. Measures were the Pepper Assessment Tool for Disability (activity of daily living, instrumental activity of daily living ( IADL), mobility questions), Short Physical Performance Battery ( SPPB), grip strength, Modified Mini-Mental State examination, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Distress Thermometer. Changes in GA measures were assessed using paired t-tests. Analysis of variance models were used to evaluate relationships between GA variables and change in function over time. Results After chemotherapy, IADL dependence worsened (mean 1.4 baseline vs 2.1 follow-up, P < .001), as did mean SPPB scores (7.5 vs 5.9, P = .02 for total). Grip strength also declined (38.9 ± 7.7 vs 34.2 ± 10.3 kg, P < .001 for men; 24.5 ± 4.8 vs 21.8 ± 4.7 kg, P = .007 for women). No significant changes in cognitive function (mean 84.7 vs 85.1, P = .72) or depressive symptoms (14.0 vs. 11.3, P = .11) were detected, but symptoms of distress declined (5.0 vs 3.2, P < .001). Participants with depressive symptoms at baseline and follow-up had greater declines in SPPB scores those without at both time points. Conclusions Short-term survivors of intensive chemotherapy for AML had clinically meaningful declines in physical function. These data support the importance of interventions to maintain physical function during and after chemotherapy. Depressive symptoms before and during chemotherapy may be linked to potentially modifiable physical function declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 20th century great progress was made in genetics and biochemistry, and these were combined into a molecular biological understanding of functions of macromolecules. Further great discoveries will be made about bioregulations, applicable to scientific problems such as cell development and evolution, and to illnesses including heart disease through defective control of cholesterol production, and to neurological cell-based diseases. The 'War Against Cancer' is still far from won. The present generation of scientists can develop clinical applications from recent basic science discoveries. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 2898-2902, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]