Search Results (169)

Fungal pathogens, such as Fusarium spp. and Alternaria spp., cause substantial yield losses worldwide through root and fruit rot, wilting, and leaf and fruit spots, and increasing restrictions on chemical pesticides have intensified interest in sustainable alternatives such as essential oils, plant extracts, and microbial biocontrol agents. However, these three treatment categories are rarely compared directly under identical experimental conditions, which limits conclusions about their relative efficacy. This study directly compared, for the first time under the same in vitro conditions, the antifungal activity of peppermint and thyme essential oils, clove and rosemary plant extracts, and three commercial biological products (Mycostop, Asir Fruit, Aegis) against Fusarium avenaceum and Alternaria alternata using the agar incorporation method, with fungicidal versus fungistatic activity determined by reinoculation. Most treatments inhibited mycelial growth of both pathogens relative to the untreated control, although a few treatments (Asir Fruit at early DAI and lowest-concentration thyme EO) showed no inhibition or even slight stimulation of A. alternata growth. At 7 days after inoculation, thyme essential oil (1000 µL/L) and clove plant extract at all concentrations tested completely inhibited both pathogens, and reinoculation confirmed that clove extract alone was fungicidal, likely reflecting its high eugenol content and consequent irreversible membrane damage; all other treatments were fungistatic, consistent with reversible effects on membrane permeability. Peppermint essential oil (2000 µL/L) inhibited F. avenaceum and A. alternata by 96% and 73%, respectively, while rosemary extract was comparatively weaker (57% and 21%). Among the commercial products, Mycostop, which contains Streptomyces griseoviridis, was the most effective, plausibly reflecting sustained antagonistic activity beyond metabolite secretion alone. These findings indicate that clove extract and thyme oil match or exceed commercial biocontrol products in vitro and warrant evaluation under greenhouse and field conditions as candidates for integrated disease management. Full article

This study investigates and explores the volatility dynamics of the South African rand against the US dollar (ZAR/USD) using the Family GARCH (fGARCH) model and the First-Order Beta-Skew-T-Generalised Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (Beta-Skew-T-EGARCH) model. Currency volatility across the globe, uncertainties, and instability in emerging markets have become increasingly consequential for trade flows, investment allocation, and macroeconomic management. The ZAR/USD serves as a benchmark of South Africa’s economic wealth and vulnerability to external shocks and is one of the most valued, significant, and heavily traded pairings of emerging market currencies. Simple standard GARCH (sGARCH) is one of the most useful models for exchange rate volatility; however, the sGARCH model has some limitations: it fails to accommodate or allow the long memory effects, skewness distribution, and leverage dynamics consistently observed in emerging-market currency returns. This study addresses these limitations by using the fGARCH model, which includes the most popular GARCH models and Beta-Skew-T-EGARCH for daily ZAR/USD returns ranging from 5 January 2000 to 1 October 2024. Five innovation distributions are used for evaluation and comparison under fGARCH and sGARCH, namely generalised hyperbolic (GH), generalised error (GED), skewed Student’s t (SSTD), skewed generalised error (SGED), and Student’s t (STD), with model fitness criteria assessed using the Shibata criterion (SIC), Hannan–Quinn criterion (HQ), Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and Akaike information criterion (AIC), choosing the specification with the lowest overall penalty. It is found that the fGARCH(1,1) model fitted to return-frequency data under the SSTD achieves the lowest AIC, outperforming sGARCH. The study also includes an analysis among covariates, which are day, month, trend, oil, and platinum; the trend variable is a statistically significant predictor, with p = 0.007, showing a positive influence on ZAR/USD volatility. The Beta-Skew-T-EGARCH model with two components divides volatility into long-run and short-run components, which is found to deliver a superior fit over the one-component variant, evidenced by a lower BIC (3.068435) and a higher log-likelihood (−748.464826). The two components confirm that the model captures declining conditional volatility, whereas the one-component model sustains persistence in the evaluated estimates. Full article

Background/Objectives: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in children and represent a leading indication for antibiotic prescribing across inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient settings. Despite the availability of multiple international guidelines, prescribing practices for pediatric UTI frequently deviate from evidence-based recommendations in antibiotic selection, route of administration, and duration of therapy. These suboptimal practices contribute to the emergence of resistant uropathogens, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing organisms, and highlight the need for a comprehensive stewardship approach specific to this population. Methods: A literature search was performed using PubMed and MEDLINE from January 2000 to May 2026 using the following search terms: urinary tract infection, children, pediatrics, antibiotic stewardship, antimicrobial resistance, diagnosis, treatment, duration, prophylaxis, and intravenous-to-oral transition. Thirteen active international guidelines published between 2011 and 2025 were identified and evaluated with specific emphasis on the integration of antibiotic stewardship principles. Clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and quality improvement studies addressing stewardship-relevant outcomes in pediatric UTI were included. Case reports were excluded. Results: Comparative analysis of 13 international UTI treatment guidelines demonstrated substantial variation in diagnostic criteria, treatment duration, and prophylaxis recommendations, with most guidelines predating the SCOUT, STOP, and INDI-UTI randomized controlled trials. Diagnostic stewardship interventions targeting urine collection methods, urinalysis-guided treatment decisions, and avoidance of antibiotic treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria represented high-impact opportunities to reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure. Oral antibiotic therapy was as effective as intravenous therapy for most children with pyelonephritis, and early intravenous-to-oral transition was supported by consistent randomized controlled trial evidence. A 5-day oral course may be reasonable for uncomplicated febrile UTI in children demonstrating clinical improvement, supported by the STOP trial, although the SCOUT trial did not meet its noninferiority margin despite a low absolute failure rate; 3 to 5 days was appropriate for uncomplicated cystitis. Antibiotic prophylaxis was not indicated in children with a normal urinary tract following a first febrile UTI and should be reserved for specific high-risk subgroups, with nitrofurantoin as the preferred agent. Formal antibiotic stewardship programs combining prospective audit and feedback, electronic health record integration, and prescriber education demonstrated measurable improvements in prescribing appropriateness for pediatric UTI. Gepotidacin, a first-in-class oral antibiotic approved in 2025 for uncomplicated UTI in female patients aged 12 years and older and weighing at least 40 kg, represented a limited option for eligible adolescents with resistant infections. Conclusions: Antibiotic stewardship for pediatric UTI addresses the full clinical pathway from diagnostic stewardship through prophylaxis rationalization. Evidence-based interventions targeting urine collection, urinalysis-guided decision-making, early intravenous-to-oral transition, duration optimization, and selective prophylaxis use can collectively reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure without compromising patient outcomes. A dedicated stewardship-oriented pediatric UTI guideline, standardized resistance surveillance, and multicenter stewardship program evaluations with patient-centered outcomes are critical research priorities. Full article

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a major cause of disease in swine production, resulting in a high economic impact that has been exacerbated by the recent North American outbreaks of highly virulent PRRSV-2 strain (L1C.5). However, there is limited knowledge about how underlying systemic infections, particularly with this emergent PRRSV strain, affect calcium regulation and bone in pigs fed varying levels of vitamin D. To address this, the goal of this study was to determine the effect of different dietary vitamin D levels and PRRSV infection on calcium regulation and phenotypic changes in bone. Three-week-old pigs (n = 42) were assigned to four treatment groups: marginal dietary vitamin D3 (200 IU/kg) + PRRSV (n = 12), industry standard dietary vitamin D3 (1500 IU/kg) + PRRSV (n = 12), industry standard dietary vitamin D3 (1500 IU/kg) supplemented with 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25-OH D3) (2000 IU/kg) + PRRSV (n = 12), or marginal dietary vitamin D3 without PRRSV inoculation (200 IU/kg) (control, n = 6). Following 26 days of dietary acclimation, assigned treatment groups were inoculated with a PRRSV-2 L1C.5 isolate. Blood samples were collected to evaluate the ionized calcium, 25-OH D3, calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone levels. The 2nd and 10th ribs were collected at 14 days post challenge for bone ash and density analysis, as well as examination of microscopic changes and scoring of the physis. High mortality was noted in all pigs infected with the virus, regardless of the vitamin D diet. Additionally, a significant depletion of serum calcium was observed at 7 DPC in infected animals, suggesting a high calcium demand at early stages of PRRSV infection. No significant differences in serum calcium, phosphorus, or ionized calcium concentrations were observed between dietary groups during the first 14 days of PRRSV-2 L1C infection. In pigs that succumbed to PRRSV at the early stage of infection, microscopic lesions of multifocal myelonecrosis were noted. This study provides the first report of microscopic changes of bone marrow necrosis and inflammation associated with PRRSV infection and demonstrates calcium dysregulation at the early stage of infection by this highly virulent PRRSV strain. Full article

We modelled, for the first time, the seasonal dynamics and long-term trends of Abies marocana forests (Rif Mountains, northern Morocco) using remote-sensing-derived vegetation indices. Using the MODIS Terra Vegetation Indices product MOD13Q1 (enhanced vegetation index, EVI; 16-day frequency; 250 m spatial resolution) from 2000 to 2024 (575 images over 25 years), we applied a robust seasonal trend analysis (RSTA) workflow, representing an inferential extension of classical seasonal trend analysis (STA) through the explicit control of Type I error under serial and spatial correlation. This approach combined: (i) harmonic regression to capture the annual and semi-annual cycles of A. marocana forests, estimating seasonal amplitudes and phases while filtering out low-frequency noise; (ii) an iterative trend-free prewhitening (TFPW) procedure following Wang and Swail, applied only to time series with significant serial autocorrelation according to the Durbin–Watson test; (iii) the Theil–Sen slope (TS) estimator, a robust non-parametric method, to quantify the magnitude and direction of seasonality trends; (iv) the contextual Mann–Kendall (CMK) test to assess the statistical significance of seasonality trends, while correcting for spatial autocorrelation and accounting for cross-correlation among neighbouring pixels; (v) the Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) procedure to control the false discovery rate (FDR), ensuring that only statistically robust seasonality trends were retained; and (vi) reconstruction of seasonal curves representing the beginning and end of the study period and derivation of phenological metrics from the statistically significant seasonal trends retained after inferential filtering. After applying the complete analytical workflow, statistically significant trends were detected in 79.2% of pixels within A. marocana forests, compared with 86.4% when prewhitening and false discovery rate control were not applied. All Theil–Sen slopes retained by the RSTA workflow were positive, with a mean slope of approximately 0.00175 EVI year⁻¹, corresponding to an average annual increase of roughly 0.7% and an overall increase of approximately 15% over the 2000–2024 study period relative to the initial mean EVI conditions. Browning trends identified by classical STA were not supported after inferential filtering and FDR control, indicating that all these patterns were spurious or only marginal, and confined to limited areas and edge zones. The reconstructed seasonal trend curves were consistent with a longer growing season, although this inference is based on land-surface vegetation dynamics rather than direct phenological observations. The long-term ecological consequences of these changes in seasonal vegetation activity will hinge on the interactions among warming, rising water demand, and potential disturbance regimes under future climatic conditions. Full article

Climate change is progressively altering the thermal environment of European agriculture, with direct consequences for high-value perennial crops such as olive (Olea europaea L.) and grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). Although the Growing Degree Days (GDD) index is widely applied to characterize crop thermal requirements, no systematic evidence exists on the actual GDD values accumulated at the locations where these crops are currently grown across Europe. This study introduces a “reverse agroclimatology” approach that anchors GDD calculations exclusively to olive grove and vineyard areas identified in the Corine Land Cover (CLC) dataset for five reference years (1990, 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018), using ERA5-Land reanalysis daily temperature data as the climatological input. For each CLC reference year, GDD was computed for olive cultivation (T_base = 7 °C, January–May) and viticulture (T_base = 10 °C, April–October) exclusively over registered cultivation pixels, and per-country means were subjected to linear regression trend analysis (p < 0.05). For olive cultivation across 11 Mediterranean countries, statistically significant positive GDD trends were detected in 7 countries, with long-term (1985–2023) country means ranging from 476.2 GDD in France to 1214.3 in Cyprus, indicating that we can revise the known GDD thresholds. The first appearance of olive cultivation in Slovenia’s 2012 CLC dataset, with a median of 546.5 GDD, provides land use-mapped evidence of a spatial displacement of cultivation boundaries. For vineyard cultivation across 22 European countries, significant positive trends were identified in 18 countries, with warming rates reaching 19.25 GDD yr⁻¹ in Turkey, 15.83 GDD yr⁻¹ in Albania, and 14.89 GDD yr⁻¹ in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mediterranean and Balkan vineyards already exceed the classical 2000 GDD threshold of viticultural suitability across all reference years. In contrast, central and northern European registered vineyards operate below it, though their warmest sites are increasingly approaching or crossing it in the most recent periods. The cultivation-anchored GDD framework, built on openly available data and a fully reproducible R-based pipeline, provides a practical and updatable tool for monitoring the evolving thermal conditions of European olive and wine production under ongoing climate change. Full article

Objective: The present study aimed to determine clinical and surgical variables associated with postoperative morbidity and 10-year mortality in isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR) and to assess the association between sex and postoperative outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 1629 patients undergoing isolated MVR in one center during the period between January 2000 and December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Hospital records provided demographic, clinical, echocardiographic, and operative data. Cox regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with postoperative morbidity and long-term mortality. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze long-term survival, and the log-rank test was used to compare the groups. Results: A total of 866 (53.1%) patients were male and 763 (46.9%) were female, and the average age was 63.8 ± 10.9 years. There were no significant differences in female and male patients regarding basic demographic and clinical characteristics. The first 30-day in-hospital morbidity rate was also significantly greater in women than in men (25.7% vs. 20.6%; p = 0.015). The in-hospital mortality was more prevalent among women (5.0% vs. 3.0%; p = 0.043). Age, sex (female), diabetes mellitus, pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, critical preoperative condition, high body mass index, longer cardiopulmonary bypass time, and low left ventricular functioning were significantly associated with postoperative morbidity in multivariable analysis. The total mortality rate during a 10-year follow-up was 33.2%, which was considerably higher among women compared to men (36.3 vs. 30.5; p = 0.013). Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated significantly lower long-term survival in female patients (log-rank p = 0.011). Conclusions: Morbidity and mortality following isolated MVR are closely related to patient-related factors. Female sex showed a significant adjusted association with higher 10-year mortality in multivariable analysis, warranting careful long-term risk assessment in female patients. Full article

Importance: A comprehensive analysis of childhood cancer and cancer predisposition syndromes (CPSs) incidence can provide insights that lead to improvements and modifications in treatment protocols through personalized therapy, thereby reducing toxicity. Purpose: This study aimed to analyze age-specific hospital-based childhood cancer rates and the distribution of CPSs in a 20-year pediatric cohort from the region. Materials: A total of 2190 patients, aged from birth to 17 years, diagnosed with any type of neoplasm classified by ICD-10 codes at Karol Jonscher’s Clinical Hospital of Poznan University of Medical Sciences (KJCH PUMS) between 1 January 2000, and 31 December 2019, were included, with 193 (8.8%) having an underlying CPS. Results: The pediatric population of the Greater Poland Region has declined over the past two decades. The most common diagnoses can be grouped into three main categories: (1) leukemias, involving 704 patients (32.1%); (2) central nervous system (CNS) tumors, represented by 382 children (17.4%); and (3) lymphomas, including 279 patients (12.7%), together accounting for 1353 cases (61.8%). The age-specific hospital-based case rate for childhood cancer (all types combined) peaked in the 0–28 days age group at 71.8 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI: 52.2–96.4), with a trend to decrease with age and a slight increase among adolescents aged 16–17 years (13.6 per 100,000, 95% CI: 12.0–15.4). The age-specific incidence of CPS-positive cancers declined from 18.0 (95% CI: 8.2–29.4) per 100,000 person-years in the first month of life to 0.7 (95% CI: 0.3–1.2) in 16–17-year-olds. CPS-positive children were diagnosed at significantly younger ages for four cancer types: liver and intrahepatic bile duct tumors (C22: A = 0.097, adjusted p < 0.001), myeloid leukemia (C92: A = 0.179, adjusted p < 0.001), lymphoid leukemia (C91: A = 0.309, adjusted p = 0.007), and renal tumors (C64: A = 0.335, adjusted p = 0.013). Conclusions: CPSs likely play a significant and underestimated role in pediatric cancers, especially during early childhood. Improving access to genetic testing could greatly enhance risk assessment, personalized treatment, and long-term outcomes in pediatric oncology. Full article

Stable, homogeneous, and internationally comparable gravimetric reference systems are fundamental components of modern geodetic infrastructure, supporting height system realization, geoid modeling, geodynamics, and the integration of national gravity networks into global reference frames. This paper reviews the historical development of gravity reference systems, from early pendulum-based realizations to modern absolute gravimetry, with particular emphasis on their application in the Republic of Croatia. The evolution of international gravity datums is presented through the Vienna Gravity System, the Potsdam Gravity System, and the International Gravity Standardization Network 1971 (IGSN71), outlining their methodological foundations, accuracy levels, and limitations. The role of IGSN71 in harmonizing national gravity networks is discussed in the context of international cooperation. Within this framework, the development of gravimetric research in present-day Croatia is outlined, from surveys conducted during the Yugoslav period to the establishment of an independent national gravimetric datum. The realization of the Croatian gravimetric reference system through absolute gravity measurements between 1996 and 2000, the formation of the Zero-Order Gravimetric Network, and the establishment and densification of the First- and Second-Order Gravimetric Networks are described. The Croatian Gravimetric Reference System 2003 (HGRS03), based on IGSN71, is presented as the official national gravity reference. In addition to documenting its historical development, the paper provides a critical assessment of the current status of HGRS03, including limitations inherited from its historical reference framework, the absence of repeated absolute observations, and the uneven spatial distribution of Zero-Order stations. The paper also discusses future modernization perspectives, particularly in the context of advances in absolute gravimetry and the long-term maintenance of the Croatian gravimetric reference infrastructure. Full article

Routine monitoring in racehorses requires indicators that are reproducible and practical under real training conditions. This observational study evaluated the short-term reproducibility of cardiovascular and speed indicators in French Standardbred trotters, with a particular focus on cardiac cost (CC), defined as the ratio of heart rate to speed (beats·m⁻¹). The full dataset comprised 483 sessions from 60 trotters and was used to describe age-related patterns. For reproducibility analyses, consecutive monitored sessions within the same horse were grouped into follow-up blocks when the interval between two successive sessions did not exceed 7 days. Only follow-up blocks containing at least three sessions were retained, resulting in 36 blocks, 126 sessions, and 18 horses. Each session included a warm-up, two 2000 m work blocks at increasing intensity, and recovery periods, while heart rate and speed were recorded using a Polar Team Pro system. Adjusted intraclass correlation coefficients indicated moderate reproducibility for CC during the first work block (CC B1: 0.67, 95% CI 0.48–0.78), heart rate recovery (HRR) after B1 (0.60, 0.40–0.73) and B2 (0.66, 0.47–0.78), and V150 (0.59, 0.39–0.73), whereas V180, recovery speed, and CC during B2 showed poor reproducibility. Reproducibility of CC B1 and HRR was preserved after adjustment for ambient temperature. In the full dataset, V200 increased with age, consistent with previous field-test literature. The minimal detectable change was 0.04 beats·m⁻¹ for CC B1 and 26 bpm for HRR after B1. These findings suggest that CC B1, HRR, and V150 may be useful indicators for short-term monitoring, although results should be interpreted considering the single-yard design. Full article

Background and Objectives: Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) after liver transplantation (LT) is associated with adverse graft and patient outcomes. However, its effects on kidney outcomes remain unclear. We retrospectively investigated the association between EAD and various kidney events following LT. Materials and Methods: We included 92 LT recipients. EAD was defined by the presence of ≥1 of the following: total bilirubin level ≥ 10 mg/dL or international normalized ratio ≥ 1.6 on postoperative day 7, or aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase level > 2000 U/L within the first 7 days post-LT. Kidney outcomes included acute kidney injury (AKI), acute kidney disease (AKD), kidney replacement therapy (KRT) performance, and changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: AKI incidence was comparable between the non-EAD and EAD groups; however, stage 3 AKI incidence was higher in the EAD group (65.0% vs. 22.2%; p = 0.001). AKD occurred more frequently in the EAD group (75.0% vs. 30.6%, p = 0.001). KRT was required more frequently within 7 days of LT in the EAD group (70.0%) than in the non-EAD group (15.3%) (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified EAD as an independent predictor of KRT requirement (p < 0.001). EAD was associated with prolonged (≥7 days) KRT requirement (p = 0.025). In the receiver operating characteristic curves, all EAD components were associated with KRT requirement following LT. The baseline and 3-month eGFR levels were comparable; however, a trend toward a steeper decline was noted in eGFR in the EAD group than that in the non-EAD group (p = 0.090). The burden of hospitalization and calcineurin inhibitor exposure were similar between the groups. Conclusions: EAD appears to be independently associated with adverse kidney outcomes following LT. Preventive strategies targeting EAD are required to improve post-transplant prognosis and mitigate kidney-related complications. Full article

Purpose: Surgical resection has been the gold standard for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) for decades. In recent years, thermal ablation has emerged as a first-line treatment option for small-size CRLM, while for intermediate-size lesions (3–5 cm), it is reserved for patients with unresectable disease. In this setting, thermal ablation has proven safe and effective, achieving durable local control (LC) in the majority of patients. This retrospective study compares oncological outcomes of thermal ablation versus surgical resection of intermediate-size (3–5 cm) CRLM. Material and methods: Patients treated with thermal ablation or surgical resection for intermediate-size CRLM between 2000 and 2025 were included. Baseline per-patient and per-procedure characteristics were compared across three groups: thermal ablation, surgical resection, and combined treatment. Per tumor characteristics were compared between thermal ablation and surgical resection. Primary outcomes included local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS) and complication rates. Secondary outcomes were OS, distant progression-free survival (DPFS), LC, and length of hospital stay. Survival outcomes were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method; additionally, LTPFS was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression models, with multivariable analyses performed to adjust for potential confounders. Results: A total of 320 patients with 448 metastases were included: 135 patients underwent thermal ablation, 156 underwent surgical resection, and 29 received combined treatment. LTPFS per tumor was significantly higher in the surgical resection group (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.24–2.81, p = 0.0025), however, LC per tumor did not significantly differ amongst groups (HR 1.48, 95% CI 0.70–3.11, p = 0.307). Complication rates were significantly higher after resection (p < 0.001). OS and DPFS did not differ significantly between the three groups (p = 0.08 and p = 0.084). OS comparing only thermal ablation and resection was significantly lower in the thermal ablation group. Median hospital stay was 3, 5, and 7 days for the ablation, resection, and combined groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Thermal ablation offers a safe alternative to surgical resection for selected patients with intermediate-size (3–5 cm) CRLM, with higher treatment-site recurrence rates. With the option of repeat ablation, comparable local tumor control can be achieved. Improvements in local control with both modalities over time support the need for a prospective clinical trial. Full article

Understanding land-use and land-cover (LULC) dynamics within protected areas (PAs) is fundamental for assessing conservation effectiveness and ecosystem resilience under increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures. This study examines the spatio-temporal evolution of LULC across Bavaria’s protected areas between 2000 and 2023 by integrating categorical land-cover data, satellite-derived vegetation indices, and environmental drivers. Annual LULC changes were first quantified using MODIS MCD12Q1 land-cover classifications to evaluate class persistence, transitions, and area trajectories and were subsequently interpreted alongside 16-day MODIS NDVI and SAVI composites to assess associated vegetation greening and browning trends. Ecological stability was characterized by using class-level persistence indicators, coefficients of variation (CVs), and linear trend slopes. The results reveal a marked greening signal after 2010, coinciding with pronounced land-cover transitions, including a decline in evergreen needleleaf forests (−480.6 km²; −32.2%) and substantial expansion of deciduous broadleaf forests (+390.8 km²; +106.1%) and grasslands (+275.8 km²; +28.4%), while wetlands experienced a severe contraction (−203.4 km²; −73.7%), indicating heightened hydrological sensitivity within protected ecosystems. Correlation analysis further indicates that anthropogenic pressure, quantified using the human footprint index, remains a dominant driver of change in croplands and urban areas, even within legally protected boundaries. Overall, this study demonstrates that vegetation trends, land-cover transitions, climatic exposure, and human pressure jointly shape ecological stability in protected areas, highlighting the value of an integrated indicator-based framework. Full article

The easily defanged myth that baby rattlesnakes (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) are more dangerous than adults has persisted in North America despite all evidence to the contrary. The most often cited reason for the babies-more-dangerous (BMD) myth is the venom-dump (VD) hypothesis: babies, in contrast to adults, cannot control how much venom they expend, and therefore inject all of it when biting. We undertook three approaches to explore the origin, transmission, and prevalence of this myth and its most frequent explanation. First, we examined historical newspaper accounts. From 130 newspaper stories mentioning the relative danger of baby rattlesnakes, we identified a timeline in which (1) most stories prior to 1969 were factually correct; (2) the BMD myth and VD hypothesis likely originated in the mid-to-late 1960s and became entrenched in California, especially, from 1970 to 1999; (3) factually incorrect statements subsequently prevailed throughout North America from 2000 to 2014; and (4) factually correct stories regained prominence with apparent effective messaging success from 2015 onward. We further learned that general information stories about rattlesnakes, more often citing subject experts like university professors, were much more likely to provide accurate information than local snakebite stories, which more often cited health professionals (e.g., physicians, veterinarians, pharmacists) and emergency responders (e.g., police and fire officers) who frequently supplied misinformation. Second, we surveyed familiarity with the BMD myth and VD hypothesis among 53 university classrooms (including one high school) representing 3751 students across 29 states within the United States. Consistent with the California media’s outsized influence on misinformation transmission, familiarity with the myth was greatest in the southwestern states (52.6%) and declined moving north and east, with the least familiarity in the northeastern states (16.4%). Third, a small survey of 75 emergency responders and health professionals from Southern California revealed that a whopping 73.3% actually believed the BMD myth. Numerous organizations generally regarded as authoritative further amplified the misinformation, especially on the internet, where some content persists to this day. Unfortunately, belief in the BMD myth and VD hypothesis can lead to negative consequences, including misinformed risk-taking by those encountering snakes, unwarranted fear among snakebite victims, and inappropriate care delivered by misinformed or patient/family-pressured medical professionals. Our findings target health professionals and emergency responders as priority audiences for education. Full article

Revealing the spatiotemporal driving mechanisms of landslide activity is fundamental to improving long-term landslide hazard management and risk mitigation in mountainous cities. Focusing on landslide events in Hong Kong from 1990 to 2024, this study develops an integrated framework at the slope-unit scale that combines rainfall index optimization with multi-factor spatiotemporal driving analysis. First, Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) is employed to systematically evaluate the spatiotemporal associations between landslide occurrences and six commonly used rainfall indices, aiming to obtain a consistent and robust representation of rainfall triggering conditions. Subsequently, the Optimal-Parameter Geographical Detector (OPGD) model is introduced to quantitatively assess the explanatory power of individual factors—covering geological, topographic, hydro-meteorological, and human-related variables—as well as their pairwise interactions, thereby revealing the spatiotemporal evolution of landslide driving factors and their multi-factor coupling mechanisms over a 35-year period. The results indicate that the maximum 3-day cumulative rainfall index (RX3day) consistently exhibits the strongest association across different resolution parameter settings and is identified as the dominant rainfall indicator representing dynamic landslide triggering. Geological conditions and topographic factors constitute a stable background controlling the spatial heterogeneity of landslides throughout the entire study period, whereas the explanatory power of RX3day increases markedly after around 2000, gradually emerging as a primary dynamic driving factor of landslide activity. Interaction detection further demonstrates that landslide occurrence is mainly governed by nonlinear enhancement effects among multiple factors, with “geology–topography” and “rainfall–topography/geology” interactions showing the highest explanatory power, and rainfall-related interactions exhibiting continuous strengthening over time. Overall, the spatiotemporal distribution of landslides in Hong Kong is jointly controlled by long-term stable geological–topographic conditions and increasingly intensified extreme rainfall forcing. Full article