Sci

Trophic ecology is an important aspect to consider when studying interactions between species, especially in ecologically similar species. We studied the trophic ecology of three sympatric insectivorous lizards in a dune system in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula: Acanthodactylus erythrurus, Psammodromus algirus and Psammodromus edwardsianus. We obtained a total of 485 faecal samples and found 18 different prey groups. The trophic niche breath analysis showed that A. erythrurus was the most specialised species of the three. We also considered two different habitat types and, interestingly, both Psammodromus species had wider trophic niches in the more extreme habitat type where arthropod diversity is expected to be lower. Trophic niche overlaps were especially low between P. algirus and A. erythrurus, indicating resource partitioning, and higher between both Psammodromus species in the suboptimal habitat type. Our results lead to the conclusion that environmental stress could favour trophic generalism (increased trophic niche breadth). This is a very interesting result, especially in the context of climate change and habitat alteration.

The Child-Focused Injury Risk Screening Tool (ChildFIRST) assesses movement competence in children and currently uses a dichotomous scoring scale, which, while simple and practical, may lack the precision needed for nuanced movement skill analysis. This study compared the inter- and intra-rater reliability of the ChildFIRST when scored using a dichotomous scale versus a seven-point Likert scale. Fourteen trained raters evaluated video recordings of eight children performing ten standardized movement tasks using both scales across two sessions. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The dichotomous scale demonstrated moderate to excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.50–1.00) and good to excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.75–1.00). The seven-point scale showed similar inter-rater reliability but generally lower intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.50–1.00). In addition, raters preferred the dichotomous scale in terms of practicality (91.6%), feasibility (75%), and overall usability (66.6%). These findings suggest that while both scales provide comparable inter-rater agreement, the dichotomous format offers greater consistency across repeated ratings and is more favorably received by users. The dichotomous scoring system is therefore recommended for continued use in field-based screening and future applications of the ChildFIRST.

Breastfeeding is recommended because of its benefits for the woman and the newborn, but during lactation, pre-existing or lactation-related health conditions that require medication can expose the minor to the risk of acute or chronic intoxication. While drug safety during pregnancy is a well-discussed topic, there is scarce evidence about the safety of common licit and illicit substances during breastfeeding. Hence, we performed a systematic review on the toxicity of licit and illicit substances during lactation. Applying PRISMA criteria for systematic reviews, we found 26 eligible papers published in the last ten years. Our review showed that human milk should be considered a specific (and dynamic) matrix for toxicological analysis, and relatively little is known about the actual levels of common substances in this matrix. Current recommendations on drug safety are mainly based on a benefit–risk ratio based on the little available information. Experimental research in this field should be promoted, which is also because of the relatively high frequency of sudden infant deaths that is currently unexplained.