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Volcanic acidification creates extreme soil conditions, where rhizotoxicity from extremely low pH (2–3) and high Al3+ strongly inhibit plant growth. C. angustisquama is a dominant extremophyte in highly acidic solfatara fields, where no other vascular plants can survive. Here we investigated the key abiotic stressor determining survival of this extremophyte.Soil analyses and topographic surveys were conducted to examine the effects of low pH and Al3+, two major abiotic stressors in acidic soils, on the occurrence of C. angustisquama in solfatara fields. Hydroponic culture experiments were also performed to test its growth responses to these stressors.In field surveys, the spatial distribution of soil pH was consistent with vegetation zonation within a solfatara field. In contrast, soil exchangeable Al content was overall low due to strong eluviation. Statistical analysis also supported the significant role of soil pH in determining the distribution of C. angustisquama in a solfatara field. Furthermore, hydroponic culture experiments revealed a higher tolerance of C. angustisquama to low pH than a sister species, especially in the range pH 2–3, corresponding to the pH values of the actual habitats of C. angustisquama. Conversely, no significant interspecific difference was detected in Al3+ tolerance, indicating that both species had high Al3+ tolerance.This study suggests that low pH is a critical abiotic stressor leading to formation of the extremophyte in highly acidic solfatara fields. In contrast, C. angustisquama displayed high tolerance to Al3+ toxicity, probably acquired prior to speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Location and degree of protection of aerial buds are important functional traits in disturbance‐ or stress‐prone environments since aerial buds ensure the development of new organs under favourable growing conditions. This study was carried out in a Brazilian Cerrado area under regeneration after long‐term Pinus cultivation, where the trees were clear‐cut in 2012 and the remaining material was burned in 2014.After the fire treatment, several species resprouted from belowground organs and their aboveground organs were directly exposed to full sunlight. We collected 15 terminal branches with fully expanded leaves from three individuals of each of three Eugenia species to investigate if those with well‐developed belowground organs invest in bark for aboveground bud protection. The samples were analysed using light and electron microscopy.In addition to terminal and axillary buds, all species presented accessory buds, and the number varied according to the node analysed. None of the aerial buds were protected by bark, but all were well protected by cataphylls and densely pubescent leaf primordia. There were also inter‐ and intra‐petiolar colleters that released a mucilaginous protein exudate. The distance between the shoot apical meristem and the outer surface was longer in the terminal bud than in axillary buds. The bud leaf primordia covering the shoot apical meristem had a thick cuticle, unicellular non‐glandular trichomes that accumulate phenolic and lipophilic compounds, and secretory cavities.Our study shows that all three Eugenia species studied here had highly protected aerial buds allocated from belowground organs. These morphological traits may improve the chances of the species' persistence in areas subjected to frost events, low relative humidity, high irradiance and harmful UV levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate is the most widely used non‐selective herbicide in the world. Glyphosate residues in soil can affect plant quality by modifying plant physiology, hormonal pathways and traits, with potential consequences for plants' interactions with herbivores.We explored these indirect effects in the context of plant–herbivore interactions in a perennial, nitrogen‐fixing herb. We quantified leaf herbivory for glyphosate‐exposed and control plants grown in phosphorus‐fertilized and non‐fertilized soils, and assessed the impacts of glyphosate treatment on traits related to plant resistance against herbivores (leaf trichome density, leaf mass per area) and performance (aboveground biomass, root:shoot ratio, nodule number, nodule activity). Moreover, we conducted a laboratory feeding experiment to compare the palatability of leaves from glyphosate‐exposed and control plants to a generalist mollusc herbivore.Herbivore damage and intensity in situ increased during the growing season regardless of glyphosate or phosphorus treatment. Glyphosate treatment reduced leaf trichome density but had no effect on the other plant traits considered. Herbivore damage was negatively associated with leaf trichome density. The feeding experiment revealed no difference in the feeding probability of mollusc herbivores between glyphosate‐exposed and control plants. However, there was an interaction between glyphosate treatment and initial leaf area for leaf consumption by herbivores: leaf consumption increased with increasing leaf area in both groups, but at a lower rate for glyphosate‐exposed plants than for control plants.Our results show that glyphosate residues in soil have the potential to indirectly affect aboveground herbivores through changes in leaf quality, which may have mixed consequences for folivore damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediterranean mountains are extraordinarily diverse and hold a high proportion of endemic plants, but they are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and most species distribution models project drastic changes in community composition. Retrospective studies and long-term monitoring also highlight that Mediterranean high-mountain plants are suffering severe range contractions. The aim of this work is to review the current knowledge of climate change impacts on the process of plant regeneration by seed in Mediterranean high-mountain plants, by combining available information from observational and experimental studies. We also discuss some processes that may provide resilience against changing environmental conditions and suggest some research priorities for the future. With some exceptions, there is still little evidence of the direct effects of climate change on pollination and reproductive success of Mediterranean high-mountain plants, and most works are observational and/or centred only in the post-dispersal stages (germination and establishment). The great majority of studies agree that the characteristic summer drought and the extreme heatwaves, which are projected to be more intense in the future, are the most limiting factors for the regeneration process. However, there is an urgent need for studies combining elevational gradient approaches with experimental manipulations of temperature and drought to confirm the magnitude and variability of species′ responses. There is also limited knowledge about the ability of Mediterranean high-mountain plants to cope with climate change through phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation processes. This could be achieved by performing common garden and reciprocal translocation experiments with species differing in life history traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold stratification provided by snow cover is essential to break seed dormancy in many alpine plant species. The forecast reduction in snow precipitation and snow cover duration in most temperate mountains as a result of global warming could threaten alpine plant populations, especially those at the edge of their species distribution, by altering the dynamics of early life stages. We simulated some effects of a reduction in the snow cover period by manipulating the duration of cold stratification in seeds of Silene ciliata, a Mediterranean alpine specialist. Seeds from three populations distributed along an altitudinal gradient were exposed to different periods of cold stratification (2, 4 and 6 months) in the laboratory and then moved to common garden conditions in a greenhouse. The duration of the cold stratification treatment and population origin significantly affected seed emergence percentage, emergence rate and seedling size, but not the number of seedling leaves. The 6-month and 4-month cold stratification treatments produced higher emergence percentages and faster emergence rates than seeds without cold stratification treatment. No significant cold stratification duration x seed population origin interactions were found, thus differential sensitivity to cold stratification along elevation is not supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change may hinder species' ability to evolutionarily adapt to environmental shifts. Assisted gene flow, introducing adaptive alleles into target populations, could be a viable solution for keystone species. Our study aimed to evaluate the benefits and limitations of assisted gene flow in enhancing the evolutionary potential of Lupinus angustifolius L. (Fabaceae), considering both phenotypic and genomic perspectives. We collected seeds from four populations in Spain at two latitudes (north and south), and grew them in a common garden. We used pollen from southern individuals to pollinate northern plants and create an F1 gene flow line that would advance its flowering onset. In the next season, we allowed F1 plants to self-pollinate creating an F2 self-pollination line. We also created a backcross line by pollinating control northern plants with pollen from F1 plants. We measured flowering onset, reproductive success, and other plant traits in all resulting lines. In parallel, we sequenced genes related to reproduction, growth, stress, nitrogen, and alkaloids. All gene flow-derived lines flowered significantly earlier than the control lines from the northern populations. F1 gene flow line plants produced heavier seeds and had a lower shoot growth than those from the northern control lines. Genomic analyses identified 36 outlier SNPs between the control and the F1 gene flow lines, associated with differences in flowering onset, seed weight, and shoot growth. These results underscore that assisted gene flow can enhance a population's evolutionary potential by altering specific traits. However, altering one trait may impact others in a way that depends on the intrinsic characteristics of each population., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2025 The Author(s). Evolutionary Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background & Aims: Current guidelines recommend a 2-step approach for risk stratification in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) with Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) followed by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) or similar second-line tests. This study aimed to examine to prognostic performance of this approach., Methods: The VCTE-Prognosis Study was a longitudinal study of patients with MASLD who had undergone VCTE examinations at 16 centres from the US, Europe and Asia with subsequent follow-up for clinical events. The primary endpoint was incident liver-related events (LREs), defined as hepatic decompensation and/or hepatocellular carcinoma., Results: Of 12,950 patients (mean age 52 years, 41% female, 12.1% LSM >12 kPa), baseline FIB-4, at cut-offs of 1.3 (or 2.0 for age ≥65) and 2.67, classified 66.3% as low-risk and 9.8% as high-risk, leaving 23.9% in intermediate-risk zone. After classifying intermediate FIB-4 patients as low-risk if LSM was <8.0 kPa and high-risk if LSM was >12.0 kPa, 81.5%, 4.6%, and 13.9% of the full cohort were classified as low-, intermediate-, and high-risk respectively. At a median (IQR) follow-up of 47 (23-72) months, 248 (1.9%) patients developed LREs. The 5-year cumulative incidence of LREs was 0.5%, 1.0% and 10.8% in the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups, respectively. Replacing LSM with Agile 3+, Agile 4, and FAST did not reduce the intermediate-risk zone or improve event prediction. Classifying intermediate FIB-4 patients by LSM <10 kPa (low-risk) and >15 kPa (high-risk) reduced the intermediate-risk zone while maintaining prediction performance., Conclusions: Non-invasive 2-step approach by FIB-4 followed by LSM is effective in classifying patients at different risks of LREs., Impact and Implications: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is emerging as one of the leading causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, but only a minority of patients will develop these complications. Therefore, it is necessary to use non-invasive tests instead of liver biopsy for risk stratification. Additionally, as most patients with MASLD are seen in primary care instead of specialist settings, cost and availability of the tests should be taken into consideration. In this multicentre study, the use of Fibrosis-4 index followed by liver stiffness measurement by vibration-controlled transient elastography effectively identified patients who would later develop liver-related events. The results support current recommendations by various regional guidelines on a clinical care pathway based on non-invasive tests to diagnose advanced liver fibrosis., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: A noteworthy proportion of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have an indeterminate vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Among these patients, we aimed to identify candidates for MASLD treatment by diagnosing significant fibrosis., Methods: This was a real-world prospective study including a large dataset of MASLD patients with paired VCTE and liver biopsy from 6 centers. A total of 1196 patients were recruited and divided in training (3 centers, Spain), internal validation (2 centers, Spain), and external validation (1 center, United States) cohorts. In patients with indeterminate liver stiffness measurement (LSM) (8-12 kPa), a diagnostic algorithm was developed to identify significant fibrosis, defined as histological stage ≥F2. Statistical analysis was performed using Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and k-means unsupervised clusterization., Results: From the eligible population, 33%, 29%, and 31% had indeterminate VCTE in the training, internal and external validation samples, respectively. The controlled attenuation parameter allowed the differentiation of GMM clusters with a cutoff of 280 dB/m (area under the curve, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-0.97). Within patients with <280 dB/m, a LSM between 8.0-9.0 kPa showed a 93% sensitivity and a 91% negative predictive value to exclude significant fibrosis. Among patients with ≥280 dB/m, a LSM between 10.3 and 12.0 kPa diagnosed significant fibrosis with a 91% specificity. Applying this algorithm to the validation cohorts, 36% of the indeterminate VCTE were reallocated. The reallocated high-risk group showed a prevalence of 86% significant fibrosis, opening the therapeutic window for MASLD patients., Conclusions: To identify candidates for MASLD treatment among indeterminate VCTE, an algorithm-based on the sequential combination of LSM and controlled attenuation parameter thresholds can optimize the diagnosis of moderate-to-advanced fibrosis., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Statins have multiple benefits in patients with metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)., Aim: To explore the effects of statins on the long-term risk of all-cause mortality, liver-related clinical events (LREs) and liver stiffness progression in patients with MASLD., Methods: This cohort study collected data on patients with MASLD undergoing at least two vibration-controlled transient elastography examinations at 16 tertiary referral centres. Cox regression analysis was performed to examine the association between statin usage and long-term risk of all-cause mortality and LREs stratified by compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD): baseline liver stiffness measurement (LSM) of ≥10 kPa. Liver stiffness progression was defined as an LSM increase of ≥20% for cACLD and from <10 kPa to ≥10 or LSM for non-cACLD. Liver stiffness regression was defined as LSM reduction from ≥10 kPa to <10 or LSM decrease of ≥20% for cACLD., Results: We followed up 7988 patients with baseline LSM 5.9 kPa (IQR 4.6-8.2) for a median of 4.6 years. At baseline, 40.5% of patients used statins, and cACLD was present in 17%. Statin usage was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR=0.233; 95% CI 0.127 to 0.426) and LREs (adjusted HR=0.380; 95% CI 0.268 to 0.539). Statin usage was also associated with lower liver stiffness progression rates in cACLD (HR=0.542; 95% CI 0.389 to 0.755) and non-cACLD (adjusted HR=0.450; 95% CI 0.342 to 0.592), but not with liver stiffness regression (adjusted HR=0.914; 95% CI 0.778 to 1.074)., Conclusions: Statin usage was associated with a relatively lower long-term risk of all-cause mortality, LREs and liver stiffness progression in patients with MASLD., Competing Interests: Competing interests: TC-FY reported serving as an advisory committee member and a speaker for Gilead Sciences outside the submitted work. EAT reported receiving personal fees as advisory board member for Boehringer, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and Siemens; receiving speaker fees from Echosens, Novo Nordisk and AbbVie outside the submitted work. HH reported personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Bristol Myers-Squibb, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from Novo Nordisk, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from KOWA and personal fees from GW Phara outside the submitted work, and grants from AstraZeneca, grants from Echosens, grants from Gilead Sciences, grants from Intercept, grants from MSD, grants from Novo Nordisk and grants from Pfizer outside the submitted work. JB reported receiving grants and personal fees from Echosens outside the submitted work. JLC reported receiving other from Echosens Clinical Trials during the conduct of the study; grants from Roche Pharma and other from Gilead Advisory Board outside the submitted work. WKC reported serving as consultant or advisory board member for Zuellig Pharma, Abbott, Roche, AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim and Novo Nordisk; and a speaker for Novo Nordisk, Abbott, Echosens, Viatris and Hisky Medical. AJS reported receiving grants from Intercept, personal consulting fees from Gilead, grants from Merck, personal consulting fees from Pfizer, grants and personal consulting fees from Eli Lilly, grants and personal consulting fees from Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Histoindex, and stock options from Genfit, Tiziana, Durect, Inversago and personal consulting fees from Genentech, ALnylam, Regeneron, Zydus, LG chem, Hanmi, Madrigal, Path AI, 89 Bio and stock options from Galmed outside the submitted work. VdL reported receiving non-financial support from Echosens during the conduct of the study. PNN reported receiving grants from Novo Nordisk, advisory board and personal consulting fees, honoraria for lectures and travel expenses from Novo Nordisk, personal consulting and advisory board fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead, Intercept, Poxel Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, MSD, Sun Pharma, Eli Lilly, Madrigal, GSK and non-financial support for educational events from AiCME outside the submitted work. LC reported receiving personal fees for consulting and speakers bureau from Echosens during the conduct of the study; personal consultancy fees from Boston pharmaceutical and Gilead, speaker bureau and consultancy personal fees from GSK, personal speaker bureau fees from Inventiva, personal consultancy fees from Madrigal, personal Consultancy fees from MSD and Novo Nordisk, personal consultancy fees from Pfizer, Sagimet and Siemens Healthineers outside the submitted work. CF reported being in the full-time employment of Echosens during the conduct of the study. GL-HW reported receiving personal fees from Echosens during the conduct of the study; grants from Gilead Sciences Research outside the submitted work. MS-WC reported being in the full-time employment of Echosens during the conduct of the study. MR-G reported receiving personal fees from Echosens outside the submitted work. SUK reported personal fees from Gilead Sciences, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Bayer, personal fees from Eisai, personal fees from AbbVie, personal fees from Echosens, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb and personal fees from AstraZeneca outside the submitted work, and grants from AbbVie, grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb, and grants from Gilead Sciences outside the submitted work. VW-SW reported receiving personal speaker fees from Abbott, consultant and speaker fees from AbbVie, personal consultant fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Echosens, Gilead Sciences, grants from Gilead Sciences, personal consultant fees from Intercept, Inventiva, Novo Nordisk, personal consultant fees from Pfizer, Sagimet Biosciences, TARGET PharmaSolutions, personal speaker fees from Unilab, personal consultant fees from Visirna, and being a cofounder of Illuminatio outside the submitted work. CDB has received grant support from Echosens. No other disclosures were reported., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background & Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrotic MASH are significant health challenges. This multi-national study aimed to validate the acMASH index (including serum creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase concentrations) for MASH diagnosis and develop a new index (acFibroMASH) for non-invasively identifying fibrotic MASH and exploring its predictive value for liver-related events (LREs)., Methods: We analyzed data from 3004 individuals with biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) across 29 Chinese and 9 international cohorts to validate the acMASH index and develop the acFibroMASH index. Additionally, we utilized the independent external data from a multi-national cohort of 9034 patients with MASLD to examine associations between the acFibroMASH index and the risk of LREs., Results: In the pooled global cohort, the acMASH index identified MASH with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.802 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.786-0.818). The acFibroMASH index (including the acMASH index plus liver stiffness measurement) accurately identified fibrotic MASH with an AUROC of 0.808 in the derivation cohort and 0.800 in the validation cohort. Notably, the AUROC for the acFibroMASH index was 0.835 (95% CI, 0.786-0.882), superior to that of the FAST score at 0.750 (95% CI, 0.693-0.800; P < .01) in predicting the 5-year risk of LREs. Patients with acFibroMASH >0.39 had a higher risk of LREs than those with acFibroMASH <0.15 (adjusted hazard ratio, 11.23; 95% CI, 3.98-31.66)., Conclusions: This multi-ethnic study validates the acMASH index as a reliable, noninvasive test for identifying MASH. The newly proposed acFibroMASH index is a reliable test for identifying fibrotic MASH and predicting the risk of LREs., (Copyright © 2024 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The fully-covered self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) has a role in the management of refractory acute variceal haemorrhage. The aim of this study was to evaluate its effectiveness and complications in real-world practice., Patients and Methods: An observational, descriptive, multicenter study was carried out. Eight patients with clinically significant portal hypertension who underwent a SEMS were included., Results: SEMS placement controlled acute bleeding in 7 patients with technical success. Stents were removed after a median of 8 days. Rescue transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt was performed around 48 hours after SEMS placement. Four patients survived after successful SEMS removal. The most common adverse event was stent loop in 2 patients., Conclusions: In our experience, SEMS was highly effective in controlling acute refractory variceal bleeding. Bleeding-related mortality rate was probably due to impossibility of TIPS implantation. Stent loop was a common limiting factor.

The terms non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis have some limitations as they use exclusionary confounder terms and the use of potentially stigmatising language. Recently, a study with content experts and patients has been set to change this nomenclature. The term chosen to replace non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which avoids stigmatising and helps improve awareness and patient identification. MASLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease with an increasing prevalence, accounting for 25% of the global population. It is considered the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome with lifestyle playing a fundamental role in its physiopathology. Diet change and physical activity are the cornerstones of treatment, encompassing weight loss and healthier behaviours and a holistic approach. In Europe, there is no approved drug for MASLD to date and there is a substantial unmet medical need for effective treatments for patients with MASLD. This review not only provides an update on advances in evidence for nutrition and physical activity interventions but also explores the different therapeutic options that are being investigated and whose development focuses on the restitution of metabolic derangements and halting inflammatory and fibrogenic pathways., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Radcliffe Group Ltd.)

Importance: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. It is important to develop noninvasive tests to assess the disease severity and prognosis., Objective: To study the prognostic implications of baseline levels and dynamic changes of the vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE)-based scores developed for the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis (Agile 3+) and cirrhosis (Agile 4) in patients with MASLD., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included data from a natural history cohort of patients with MASLD who underwent VCTE examination at 16 tertiary referral centers in the US, Europe, and Asia from February 2004 to January 2023, of which the data were collected prospectively at 14 centers. Eligible patients were adults aged at least 18 years with hepatic steatosis diagnosed by histologic methods (steatosis in ≥5% of hepatocytes) or imaging studies (ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, or controlled attenuation parameter ≥248 dB/m by VCTE)., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was liver-related events (LREs), defined as hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatic decompensation (ascites, variceal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, or hepatorenal syndrome), liver transplant, and liver-related deaths. The Agile scores were compared with histologic and 8 other noninvasive tests., Results: A total of 16 603 patients underwent VCTE examination at baseline (mean [SD] age, 52.5 [13.7] years; 9600 [57.8%] were male). At a median follow-up of 51.7 (IQR, 25.2-85.2) months, 316 patients (1.9%) developed LREs. Both Agile 3+ and Agile 4 scores classified fewer patients between the low and high cutoffs than most fibrosis scores and achieved the highest discriminatory power in predicting LREs (integrated area under the time-dependent receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.89). A total of 10 920 patients (65.8%) had repeated VCTE examination at a median interval of 15 (IQR, 11.3-27.7) months and were included in the serial analysis. A total of 81.9% of patients (7208 of 8810) had stable Agile 3+ scores and 92.6% of patients (8163 of 8810) had stable Agile 4 scores (same risk categories at both assessments). The incidence of LREs was 0.6 per 1000 person-years in patients with persistently low Agile 3+ scores and 30.1 per 1000 person-years in patients with persistently high Agile 3+ scores. In patients with high Agile 3+ score at baseline, a decrease in the score by more than 20% was associated with substantial reduction in the risk of LREs. A similar trend was observed for the Agile 4 score, although it missed more LREs in the low-risk group., Conclusions and Relevance: Findings of this study suggest that single or serial Agile scores are highly accurate in predicting LREs in patients with MASLD, making them suitable alternatives to liver biopsy in routine clinical practice and in phase 2b and 3 clinical trials for steatohepatitis.

Although the ecological network approach has substantially contributed to the study of plant-pollinator interactions, current understanding of their functional structure is biased towards diurnal pollinators. Nocturnal pollinators have been systematically ignored despite the publication of several studies that have tried to alleviate this diurnal bias. Here, we explored whether adding this neglected group of pollinators had a relevant effect on the overall architecture of three high mountain plant-pollinator networks. Including nocturnal moth pollinators modified network properties by decreasing total connectivity, connectance, nestedness and robustness to plant extinction; and increasing web asymmetry and modularity. Nocturnal moths were not preferentially connected to the most linked plants of the networks, and they were grouped into a specific "night" module in only one of the three networks. Our results indicate that ignoring the nocturnal component of plant-pollinator networks may cause changes in network properties different from those expected from random undersampling of diurnal pollinators. Consequently, the neglect of nocturnal interactions may provide a distorted view of the structure of plant-pollinator networks with relevant implications for conservation assessments., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) requires histology. In this study, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) score was developed and validated to identify MASH in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Secondarily, a screening strategy for MASH diagnosis was investigated., Methods: This prospective multicentre study included 317 patients with biopsy-proven MASLD and contemporaneous MRI. The discovery cohort (Spain, Portugal) included 194 patients. NAFLD activity score (NAS) and fibrosis were assessed with the NASH-CRN histologic system. MASH was defined by the presence of steatosis, lobular inflammation, and ballooning, with NAS ≥4 with or without fibrosis. An MRI-based composite biomarker of Proton Density Fat Fraction and waist circumference (MR-MASH score) was developed. Findings were afterwards validated in an independent cohort (United States, Spain) with different MRI protocols., Results: In the derivation cohort, 51% (n = 99) had MASH. The MR-MASH score identified MASH with an AUC = .88 (95% CI .83-.93) and strongly correlated with NAS (r = .69). The MRI score lower cut-off corresponded to 88% sensitivity with 86% NPV, while the upper cut-off corresponded to 92% specificity with 87% PPV. MR-MASH was validated with an AUC = .86 (95% CI .77-.92), 91% sensitivity (lower cut-off) and 87% specificity (upper cut-off). A two-step screening strategy with sequential MR-MASH examination performed in patients with indeterminate-high FIB-4 or transient elastography showed an 83-84% PPV to identify MASH. The AUC of MR-MASH was significantly higher than that of the FAST score (p < .001)., Conclusions: The MR-MASH score has clinical utility in the identification and management of patients with MASH at risk of progression., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background and Aims: Within-population genetic and phenotypic variation play a key role in the development of adaptive responses to environmental change. Between-population variation is also an essential element in assessing the evolutionary potential of species in response to changes in environmental conditions. In this context, common garden experiments are a useful tool to separate the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation. We aimed to assess within- and between-population phenotypic variation of Lupinus angustifolius L. in terms of its evolutionary potential to adapt to ongoing climate change., Methods: We evaluated populations' phenotypic variation of foliar, phenological and reproductive traits with a common garden experiment. Patterns of functional trait variation were assessed with (1) mixed model analyses and coefficients of variation (CVs) with confidence intervals, (2) principal component analyses (PCAs) and (3) correlations between pairs of traits. Analyses were performed at the population level (four populations) and at the latitude level (grouping pairs of populations located in two latitudinal ranges)., Key Results: Phenotypic variation had a significant genetic component associated with a latitudinal pattern. (1) Mixed models found lower specific leaf area, advanced flowering phenology and lower seed production of heavier seeds in southern populations, whereas CV analyses showed lower within-latitude variation especially in phenological and reproductive traits in southern populations. (2) PCAs showed a clearer differentiation of phenotypic variation between latitudes than between populations. (3) Correlation analyses showed a greater number of significant correlations between traits in southern populations (25 vs. 13)., Conclusions: Between-population phenotypic variation was determined by contrasting temperature and drought at different latitude and elevation. Southern populations had differential trait values compatible with adaptations to high temperatures and drought. Moreover, they had lower within-population variation and a greater number of trait correlations probably as a result of these limiting conditions, making them more vulnerable to climate change., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background & Aims: We aimed to evaluate the impact of oesophageal varices (OV) and their evolution on the risk of complications of compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We also assessed the accuracy of non-invasive scores for predicting the development of complications and for identifying patients at low risk of high-risk OV., Methods: We performed a retrospective assessment of 629 patients with NAFLD-related cACLD who had baseline and follow-up oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and clinical follow-up to record decompensation, portal vein thrombosis (PVT), and hepatocellular carcinoma., Results: Small and large OV were observed at baseline in 30 and 15.9% of patients, respectively. The 4-year incidence of OV from absence at baseline, and that of progression from small to large OV were 16.3 and 22.4%, respectively. Diabetes and a ≥5% increase in BMI were associated with OV progression. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that small (hazard ratio [HR] 2.24, 95% CI 1.47-3.41) and large (HR 3.86, 95% CI 2.34-6.39) OV were independently associated with decompensation. When considering OV status and trajectories, small (HR 2.65, 95% CI 1.39-5.05) and large (HR 4.90, 95% CI 2.49-9.63) OV at baseline and/or follow-up were independently associated with decompensation compared with the absence of OV at baseline and/or follow-up. The presence of either small (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.16-6.74) or large (HR 5.29, 95% CI 1.96-14.2) OV was also independently associated with incident PVT., Conclusion: In NAFLD-related cACLD, the presence, severity, and evolution of OV stratify the risk of developing decompensation and PVT., Impact and Implications: Portal hypertension is the main driver of liver decompensation in chronic liver diseases, and its non-invasive markers can help risk prediction. The presence, severity, and progression of oesophageal varices stratify the risk of complications of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Easily obtainable laboratory values and liver stiffness measurement can identify patients at low risk for whom endoscopy may be withheld, and can also stratify the risk of liver-related complications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest that pertain to this work. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Objectives: to evaluate the performance of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to stage liver fibrosis in patients with histologically confirmed nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to assess the impact of potential confounding factors in MRE diagnostic accuracy. The secondary objective was to compare MRE with other non-invasive methods for staging fibrosis such as transient elastography (TE) and non-invasive scores (APRI and FIB-4)., Methods: sixty-five histologically confirmed NAFLD patients were prospectively enrolled at the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (Seville, Spain). Liver stiffness was measured by MRE, TE and non-invasive scores (APRI and FIB-4). Fibrosis was assessed by liver biopsy using the steatosis, activity and fibrosis (SAF) score. Patients were classified into three groups according to the consistency between MRE and histopathological findings: underestimation, concordance and overestimation groups. Areas under the ROC curve (AUROC) and diagnostic performance were evaluated., Results: the area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of MRE in advanced fibrosis (≥ F3) was 0.90 (0.82-0.97), while TE AUROC was 0.82 (0.72-0.93) (p = 0.22) and lower for the non-invasive test (FIB-4 0.67 and APRI 0.62). Inflammatory activity, steatosis grade and higher levels of liver biochemistry appeared to overestimate MRE results in the univariate analysis, but only gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) was statistically significant in the multivariate analysis (p < 0.01). Age, sex, body mass index (BMI), weight, diabetes mellitus (DM), high blood pressure (HBP), platelets or lipidic profile did not affect MRE accuracy., Conclusions: MRE is an effective and non-invasive method for detecting and staging liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients. MRE is more accurate than TE and allows the study of liver anatomy. Histological inflammation and surrogate biomarkers of inflammation can overestimate liver stiffness, but only GGT was statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. Important features of NAFLD patients such as obesity, DM, or lipidic profile did not affect MRE accuracy.

Climate change poses a novel threat to biodiversity that urgently requires the development of adequate conservation strategies. Living organisms respond to environmental change by migrating to locations where their ecological niche is preserved or by adapting to the new environment. While the first response has been used to develop, discuss and implement the strategy of assisted migration, facilitated adaptation is only beginning to be considered as a potential approach. Here, we present a review of the conceptual framework for facilitated adaptation, integrating advances and methodologies from different disciplines. Briefly, facilitated adaptation involves a population reinforcement that introduces beneficial alleles to enable the evolutionary adaptation of a focal population to pressing environmental conditions. To this purpose, we propose two methodological approaches. The first one (called pre-existing adaptation approach) is based on using pre-adapted genotypes existing in the focal population, in other populations, or even in closely related species. The second approach (called de novo adaptation approach) aims to generate new pre-adapted genotypes from the diversity present in the species through artificial selection. For each approach, we present a stage-by-stage procedure, with some techniques that can be used for its implementation. The associated risks and difficulties of each approach are also discussed.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) prevalence and incidence is rising globally. It is associated with metabolic comorbidities, obesity, overweight, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and at least two metabolic risk factors, such as hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk, increasing the risk of mortality. The excessive accumulation of fat comprises apoptosis, necrosis, inflammation and ballooning degeneration progressing to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver decompensations including hepatocellular carcinoma development. The limitation of approved drugs to prevent MAFLD progression is a paradigm. This review focuses on recent pathways and targets with evidence results in phase II/III clinical trials., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s), 2022.)

In the present framework of global warming, it is unclear whether evolutionary adaptation can happen quick enough to preserve the persistence of many species. Specifically, we lack knowledge about the adaptive potential of the different populations in relation to the various constraints that may hamper particular adaptations. There is evidence indicating that early flowering often provides an adaptive advantage to plants in temperate zones in response to global warming. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the adaptive potential for advancing flowering onset in Lupinus angustifolius L. (Fabaceae). Seeds from four populations from two contrasting latitudes in Spain were collected and sown in a common garden environment. Selecting the 25% of the individuals that flowered earlier in the first generation, over three generations, three different early flowering selection lines were established, involving both self-crosses and outcrosses. All artificial selection lines advanced their flowering significantly with respect to the control line in the northernmost populations, but not in the southern ones. Selection lines obtained from outcrossing had a greater advancement in flowering than those from self-crossing. No differences were found in the number or weight of the seeds produced between control and artificial selection lines, probably because plants in the common garden were drip irrigated. These results suggest that northern populations may have a greater adaptive potential and that southern populations may be more vulnerable in the context of climate warming. However, earlier flowering was also associated with changes in other traits (height, biomass, shoot growth, specific leaflet area, and leaflet dry matter content), and the effects of these changes varied greatly depending on the latitude of the population and selection line. Assessments of the ability of populations to cope with climate change through this and other approaches are essential to manage species and populations in a more efficient way., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Evolutionary Applications published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Background: type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Objective: to evaluate the prevalence of NAFLD in a cohort of patients with T2D. Methods: an observational, descriptive study performed between May 2018 and December 2019 at the Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit. The χ² test was performed for qualitative variables and a non-parametric test for the comparison of medians of quantitative variables. Steatosis degree was defined by the coefficient attenuated parameter (CAP): (S0: < 248 dB/m; S1: 248-268 dB/m; S2: 268-288 dB/m; S3: > 288 dB/m) or stiffness: F0-F1: < 8 kPa; F2: 8-10 kPa; F3: 10-15 kPa; F4: > 15 kPa, using transient elastography (TE) (FibroScan®). A univariate analysis was performed and subsequently a multivariate analysis with statistically significant variables used to study the predictive factors of intense steatosis and advanced fibrosis. Results: n = 104 patients with T2D; 84 (80.7 %) were obese. TE demonstrated advanced fibrosis in 20 % and intense steatosis (S3) in more than 50 %. Lower total bilirubin (OR: 0.028; 95 % CI: (0.002-0.337); p = 0.005) was found to be an independent factor for S3 steatosis in the multivariate analysis. BMI ((OR: 1.497; 95 % CI: (1.102-2.034); p = 0.01)) was a predictive factor for advanced fibrosis in a multivariate analysis. Conclusions: NAFLD-associated intense steatosis and NAFLD-associated fibrosis were commonly found in patients with T2DM and obesity. Diabetic patients should be screened for liver disease as one more target organ.

Environmental variation within a species' range can create contrasting selective pressures, leading to divergent selection and novel adaptations. The conservation value of populations inhabiting environmentally marginal areas remains in debate and is closely related to the adaptive potential in changing environments. Strong selection caused by stressful conditions may generate novel adaptations, conferring these populations distinct evolutionary potential and high conservation value under climate change. On the other hand, environmentally marginal populations may be genetically depauperate, with little potential for new adaptations to emerge. Here, we explored the use of ecological niche models (ENMs) linked with common garden experiments to predict and test for genetically determined phenotypic differentiation related to contrasting environmental conditions. To do so, we built an ENM for the alpine plant Silene ciliata in central Spain and conducted common garden experiments, assessing flowering phenology changes and differences in leaf cell resistance to extreme temperatures. The suitability patterns and response curves of the ENM led to the predictions that: (1) the environmentally marginal populations experiencing less snowpack and higher minimum temperatures would have delayed flowering to avoid risks of late-spring frosts and (2) those with higher minimum temperatures and greater potential evapotranspiration would show enhanced cell resistance to high temperatures to deal with physiological stress related to desiccation and heat. The common garden experiments revealed the expected genetically based phenotypic differentiation in flowering phenology. In contrast, they did not show the expected differentiation for cell resistance, but these latter experiments had high variance and hence lower statistical power. The results highlight ENMs as useful tools to identify contrasting putative selective pressures across species ranges. Linking ENMs with common garden experiments provides a theoretically justified and practical way to study adaptive processes, including insights regarding the conservation value of populations inhabiting environmentally marginal areas under ongoing climate change., (© 2022 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Crop wild relatives are species related to cultivated plants, whose populations have evolved in natural conditions and confer them valuable adaptive genetic diversity, that can be used in introgression breeding programs. Targeting four wild lentil taxa in Europe, we applied the predictive characterization approach through the filtering method to identify populations potentially tolerant to drought, salinity, and waterlogging. In parallel, the calibration method was applied to select wild populations potentially resistant to lentil rust and broomrape, using, respectively, 351 and 204 accessions evaluated for these diseases. An ecogeographic land characterization map was used to incorporate potential genetic diversity of adaptive value. We identified 13, 1, 21, and 30 populations potentially tolerant to drought, soil salinity, waterlogging, or resistance to rust, respectively. The models targeting broomrape resistance did not adjust well and thus, we were not able to select any population regarding this trait. The systematic use of predictive characterization techniques may boost the efficiency of introgression breeding programs by increasing the chances of collecting the most appropriate populations for the desired traits. However, these populations must still be experimentally tested to confirm the predictions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Rubio Teso, Lara-Romero, Rubiales, Parra-Quijano and Iriondo.)

Free-range livestock grazing is a widespread human activity that not only modifies natural vegetation but also leads to interactions with wild ungulates. Most commonly, the interactions between cattle and wild ungulates have been studied with a focus on competition for high-quality forage. However, other mechanisms, such as the risk of parasite infection, might better describe this interaction. We aim to determine whether livestock affect roe deer (Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758) by reducing habitat quality and increasing the probability of infection by shared parasites. We measured noninvasive fecal cortisol metabolites as an indicator of habitat quality as well as the lung nematode larvae burden from the Dictyocaulus genus. A higher Dictyocaulus larvae load was found in the presence of livestock in pines, and feces collected in winter had a higher parasite load than feces collected in autumn. Additionally, fecal cortisol metabolite levels in the roe deer were affected by the interaction between habitat quality and livestock presence and were higher in the poorest habitat and when living in sympatry with cattle. Our results suggest that physiological stress responses in roe deer were mediated by the habitat type and the presence of competitors. The long-term implications of altered physiological responses such as those demonstrated here should be considered in management strategies for deer.

Purpose: Stenting as a bridge to surgery (SBTS) can transform an emergency surgery (ES) into an elective surgery in patients with symptomatic left-sided malignant colonic obstruction. Concerns have been raised regarding short-term morbidity and long-term oncologic outcomes, with contrasting results reported in the literature. Our main aim is to evaluate not only long-term oncologic outcomes but also short-term postoperative outcomes of stented patients who underwent elective surgery compared to those who had ES., Methods: From January 2006 to May 2012, we retrospectively identified patients with confirmed left-sided colorectal cancer obstruction. This was done in two centers of reference of colorectal diseases in southern Spain with patients who were treated with curative intent either with ES or SBTS. The short- and long-term results were compared between both groups., Results: There were 71 patients in the stenting group and 66 in the emergency surgery group, with similar demographic data. Initial stoma creation rates were lower in the SBTS group (16.9% vs. 54.5%, p < 0.005) and the primary anastomosis rate was higher in the same group (83.1% vs. 45.5%, p < 0.005). Five-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were comparable between groups (75.3 vs. 59.8%, p = 0.220), but RFS rates at 5 years for AJCC pathologic stage III were higher in the stenting group (69.7% vs 30%, p = 0.004). Both groups were comparable regarding overall and cancer-specific survival outcomes., Conclusions: The use of SBTS reduces ostomy rates in patients with obstructive colon malignancies. Long-term survival results are similar. Patients in the SBTS group with stage III AJCC status showed a higher 5-year recurrence-free survival rate than those in the ES group.

Epiphytic vascular plants comprise an essential part of the tropical flora and are a key component for ecosystem functioning. Some recent studies have used a network approach to investigate the interaction of epiphytes with host phorophytes at the community level. However, knowledge on commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte network structure still lags behind with regard to other biotic interaction networks. Our goal was to provide a more complete overall perspective on commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte interaction and its placement with respect to other better studied mutualistic interactions. We hypothesized that the intensity of the fitness effect of the different types of biotic interactions would determine the degree of specialization of the interacting organisms. Thus, commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte interactions would have lower specialization than mutualistic interactions. We compiled and analysed the structural properties (nestedness, network specialization and modularity) of 12 commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte networks and compared them with the same metrics to 11 ant-myrmecophyte, 86 pollination and 13 seed dispersal mutualistic networks. Epiphyte-phorophyte networks were nested and modular with regard to the corresponding null models and had greater nestedness than mutualistic networks, whereas specialization and modularity were significantly lower. Commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte networks of interactions are both nested and modular, and hence, are structured in a similar way to most other types of networks that involve co-evolutionary interactions. Nevertheless, the nature and intensity of the ecological processes involved in the generation of these patterns is likely to differ. The lower values of modularity in commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte networks are probably due to the low levels of specialization and the lack of co-evolutionary processes between the interacting partners.

The study of the drivers that shape spatial genetic structure across heterogeneous landscapes is one of the main approaches used to understand population dynamics and responses in changing environments. While the Isolation-by-Distance model (IBD) assumes that genetic differentiation increases among populations with geographical distance, the Isolation-by-Resistance model (IBR) also considers geographical barriers and other landscape features that impede gene flow. On the other hand, the Isolation-by-Environment model (IBE) explains genetic differentiation through environmental differences between populations. Although spatial genetic studies have increased significantly in recent years, plants from alpine ecosystems are highly underrepresented, even though they are great suitable systems to disentangle the role of the different factors that structure genetic variation across environmental gradients. Here, we studied the spatial genetic structure of the Mediterranean alpine specialist Silene ciliata across its southernmost distribution limit. We sampled three populations across an altitudinal gradient from 1850 to 2400 m, and we replicated this sample over three mountain ranges aligned across an E-W axis in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. We genotyped 20 individuals per population based on eight microsatellite markers and used different landscape genetic tools to infer the role of topographic and environmental factors in shaping observed patterns along the altitudinal gradient. We found a significant genetic structure among the studied Silene ciliata populations which was related to the orography and E-W configuration of the mountain ranges. IBD pattern arose as the main factor shaping population genetic differentiation. Geographical barriers between mountain ranges also affected the spatial genetic structure (IBR pattern). Although environmental variables had a significant effect on population genetic diversity parameters, no IBE pattern was found on genetic structure. Our study reveals that IBD was the driver that best explained the genetic structure, whereas environmental factors also played a role in determining genetic diversity values of this dominant plant of Mediterranean alpine environments.

Phenology is often identified as one of the main structural driving forces of plant - flower visitor networks. Nevertheless, we do not yet have a full understanding of the effects of phenology in basic network build up mechanisms such as ecological modularity. In this study, we aimed to identify the effect of within-season temporal variation of plant and flower visitor activity on the network structural conformation. Thus, we analysed the temporal dynamics of a plant - flower visitor network in two Mediterranean alpine communities during one complete flowering season. In our approach, we built quantitative interaction networks and studied the dynamics through temporal beta diversity of species, interaction changes and modularity analysis. Within-season dissimilarity in the identity of interactions was mainly caused by species replacement through time (species turnover). Temporal replacement of species and interactions clearly impacted modularity, to the extent that species phenology emerged as a strong determinant of modularity in our networks. From an applied perspective, our results highlight the importance of considering the temporal variation of species interactions throughout the flowering season and the requirement of making comprehensive temporal sampling when aiming to build functionally consistent interaction networks.

Anthropogenic noise is a growing ubiquitous and pervasive pollutant as well as a recognised stressor that spreads throughout natural ecosystems. However, there is still an urgent need for the assessment of noise impact on natural ecosystems. This article presents a multidisciplinary study which made it possible to isolate noise due to road traffic to evaluate it as a major driver of detrimental effects on wildlife populations. A new indicator has been defined: AcED (the acoustic escape distance) and faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) were extracted from roe deer faecal samples as a validated indicator of physiological stress in animals moving around in two low-traffic roads that cross a National Park in Spain. Two key findings turned out to be relevant in this study: (i) road identity (i.e. road type defined by traffic volume and average speed) and AcED were the variables that best explained the FCM values observed in roe deer, and (ii) FCM concentration was positively related to increasing traffic volume (road type) and AcED values. Our results suggest that FCM analysis and noise mapping have shown themselves to be useful tools in multidisciplinary approaches and environmental monitoring. Furthermore, our findings aroused the suspicion that low-traffic roads (< 1000 vehicles per day) could be capable of causing higher habitat degradation than has been deemed until now.

We present 2 radiological pictures of a malignant peritoneal mesothelioma with hepatic infiltration, in the form of impressive rough calcifications.

We present the case of a young bolivian woman who suffered two acute and impressive colonic complications due to a Chagasic megacolon.

Background: Plant recruitment depends among other factors on environmental conditions and their variation at different spatial scales. Characterizing dispersal in contrasting environments may thus be necessary to understand natural intraspecific variation in the processes underlying recruitment. Silene ciliata and Armeria caespitosa are two representative species of cryophilic pastures above the tree line in Mediterranean high mountains. No explicit estimations of dispersal kernels have been made so far for these or other high-mountain plants. Such data could help to predict their dispersal and recruitment patterns in a context of changing environments under ongoing global warming., Methods: We used an inverse modelling approach to analyse effective seed dispersal patterns in five populations of both Silene ciliata and Armeria caespitosa along an altitudinal gradient in Sierra de Guadarrama (Madrid, Spain). We considered four commonly employed two-dimensional seedling dispersal kernels exponential-power, 2Dt, WALD and log-normal., Key Results: No single kernel function provided the best fit across all populations, although estimated mean dispersal distances were short (<1 m) in all cases. S. ciliata did not exhibit significant among-population variation in mean dispersal distance, whereas significant differences in mean dispersal distance were found in A. caespitosa. Both S. ciliata and A. caespitosa exhibited among-population variation in the fecundity parameter and lacked significant variation in kernel shape., Conclusions: This study illustrates the complexity of intraspecific variation in the processes underlying recruitment, showing that effective dispersal kernels can remain relatively invariant across populations within particular species, even if there are strong variations in demographic structure and/or physical environment among populations, while the invariant dispersal assumption may not hold for other species in the same environment. Our results call for a case-by-case analysis in a wider range of plant taxa and environments to assess the prevalence and magnitude of intraspecific dispersal variation.