Drivers of species knowledge across the tree of life.

Knowledge of biodiversity is unevenly distributed across the Tree of Life. In the long run, such disparity in awareness unbalances our understanding of life on Earth, influencing policy decisions and the allocation of research and conservation funding. We investigated how humans accumulate knowledge of biodiversity by searching for consistent relationships between scientific (number of publications) and societal (number of views in Wikipedia) interest, and species-level morphological, ecological, and sociocultural factors. Across a random selection of 3019 species spanning 29 Phyla/Divisions, we show that sociocultural factors are the most important correlates of scientific and societal interest in biodiversity, including the fact that a species is useful or harmful to humans, has a common name, and is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Furthermore, large-bodied, broadly distributed, and taxonomically unique species receive more scientific and societal attention, whereas colorfulness and phylogenetic proximity to humans correlate exclusively with societal attention. These results highlight a favoritism toward limited branches of the Tree of Life, and that scientific and societal priorities in biodiversity research broadly align. This suggests that we may be missing out on key species in our research and conservation agenda simply because they are not on our cultural radar.

Immunotherapy around the Clock: Impact of Infusion Timing on Stage IV Melanoma Outcomes.

Although the impact of circadian timing on immunotherapy has yet to be integrated into clinical practice, chronoimmunotherapy is an emerging and promising field as circadian oscillations are observed in immune cell numbers as well as the expression of immunotherapy targets, e.g., programmed cell death protein-1 and its ligand programmed death ligand 1. Concurrent retrospective studies suggest that morning infusions may lead to higher effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and kidney cancer. This paper discusses the results of a retrospective study (2016-2022) exploring the impact of infusion timing on the outcomes of all 73 patients with stage IV melanoma receiving immunotherapy at a particular medical center. While the median overall survival (OS) was 24.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.04-39.8), for a median follow-up of 15.3 months, our results show that having more than 75% of infusions in the afternoon results in shorter median OS (14.9 vs. 38.1 months; hazard ratio 0.45 [CI 0.23-0.86]; p < 0.01) with more expressive impacts on particular subgroups: women, older patients, and patients with a lower tumor burden at the outset of immunotherapy. Our findings highlight the potential benefits of follow-up validation in prospective and translational randomized studies.

Transcultural adaptation, content, and internal structure validity evidence of the perceived efficacy and goal setting system - 2 edition for Brazilian children.

Aim: The aim was to investigate the validity of evidence of the Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System second edition for Brazilian children. Methods: 258 children participated, both sexes (n = 133 girls; 51.6%), 5 to 9 years old (total sample Mage = 7.1, SD = 1.4), from four regions of Brazil. The Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System ­ second edition, was used. Results: Experts showed agreement about the high clarity and practical pertinence of the items (content validity coefficient from 98.4 to 100%; Gwet's agreement coefficient from 0.85 to 1.00, p < 0.001). Confirmatory factorial analysis showed adequate adjustment indexes (RMSEA [0.048, 90% C.I. = 0.043 to 0.053], SRMR [0.243], CFI [0.91], RNI [0.91], TLI [0.91], ꭓ2/df [1.962]). The multigroup analysis showed configural, metric and scalar invariance of two models for gender (CFI = 0.97; RMSEA, [90%C.I.] = 0.05 [0.03 to 0.07]; metric: ΔRMSEA = 0.001; scalar: ΔRMSEA = −0.004) and age band (5­7 years-old and 8­9 years-old; CFI = 0.94; RMSEA, [90%C.I.] = 0.05 [0.03 to 0.07]; metric: ΔRMSEA = 0.002; scalar: ΔRMSEA = 0.010). The Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio test showed adequate discriminant validity among three dimensions (self-care and productivity [value = 0.76]; self-care and leisure [value = 0.57], productivity and leisure [value = 0.76]). Alpha for polychoric correlations showed an adequate internal consistency for all items and total scale (all α values >0.70). Composite reliability (Self-care = 0.8; Productivity = 0.81; Leisure = 0.8) reinforce evidence about reliability. Percentage agreement showed adequate item-level test-retest reliability (values between 76 and 92%). Conclusion: This scale showed adequate content and internal structure validity evidence to assess the perceived self-efficacy for Brazilian children.

Streams in the Mediterranean Region are not for mussels: Predicting extinctions and range contractions under future climate change.

Climate change is becoming the leading driver of biodiversity loss. The Mediterranean region, particularly southwestern Europe, is already confronting the consequences of ongoing global warming. Unprecedented biodiversity declines have been recorded, particularly within freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater mussels contribute to essential ecosystem services but are among the most threatened faunal groups on Earth. Their poor conservation status is related to the dependence on fish hosts to complete the life cycle, which also makes them particularly vulnerable to climate change. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are commonly used to predict species distributions, but often disregard the potential effect of biotic interactions. This study investigated the potential impact of future climate on the distribution of freshwater mussel species while considering their obligatory interaction with fish hosts. Specifically, ensemble models were used to forecast the current and future distribution of six mussel species in the Iberian Peninsula, including environmental conditions and the distribution of fish hosts as predictors. We found that climate change is expected to severely impact the future distribution of Iberian mussels. Species with narrow ranges, namely Margaritifera margaritifera and Unio tumidiformis, were predicted to have their suitable habitats nearly lost and could potentially be facing regional and global extinctions, respectively. Anodonta anatina, Potomida littoralis, and particularly Unio delphinus and Unio mancus, are expected to suffer distributional losses but may gain new suitable habitats. A shift in their distribution to new suitable areas is only possible if fish hosts are able to disperse while carrying larvae. We also found that including the distribution of fish hosts in the mussels' models avoided the underprediction of habitat loss under climate change. This study warns of the imminent loss of mussel species and populations and the urgent need of management actions to reverse current trends and mitigate irreversible damage to species and ecosystems in Mediterranean regions.

Effects of the addition of fatty acid from soybean oil sludge in recycled asphalt mixtures.

Recycling agents provide better additions of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in the production of new asphalt mixtures. Alternative and residual materials that have the potential as asphalt binder viscosity reducers have gained visibility in the field of paving due to the perspective of circular economy in recycled mixtures. Soybean oil sludge fatty acid is a material produced from soybean oil sludge, a waste generated in the soybean oil refining step. Thus, this paper investigated the physical, chemical, and rheological effects of the asphalt binder PG 64-XX modified by the fatty acid of soybean oil sludge in the contents of 6% and 7% by weight of the binder. The modified binder samples were submitted to penetration tests, softening point, rotational viscosity, performance grade (PG), before and after short-term aging (RTFO), and multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR). A control asphalt mixture and recycled asphalt mixtures produced with 40% RAP and fatty acid-modified binders were subjected to tensile strength, induced moisture damage, resilient modulus, and fatigue life. A Student's t statistical test verified the significance of the data, as well as the estimation of production costs of these asphalt mixtures. The use of the fatty acid significantly reduced the stiffness and viscosity of the control asphalt binder, decreasing the mixing temperatures at 14 °C and 17 °C to 6% and 7%, respectively. Using higher fatty acid contents from soybean oil sludge significantly improved the performance of recycled mixtures in tensile strength, moisture damage, and fatigue life. The production cost of recycled asphalt mixtures was lower than that of the control mixture.

'If I hadn't seen this picture, I'd be smoking'-perceptions about innovations in health warnings for cigarette packages in Brazil: a focus group study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the perceptions of young people and adults, smokers and non-smokers about the current set of innovations introduced in 2018 into the Brazilian tobacco products' health warnings. METHODS: Twenty focus groups were conducted in five state capitals in Brazil. The participants (n=163) were segmented by smoking status, age (15-17 years, 18-55 years) and social grade (C, D-E classes) to examine cigarette packaging and explore the participants' perceptions of health warnings. RESULTS: Health warnings capture attention, eliciting apprehension, fear, disgust and concern about the negative consequences of cigarette consumption. The 2018 Brazil health warnings are spontaneously recalled by participants, even without the presence of cigarette packages. However, the analysis also reveals the challenges of overcoming communication barriers and distorted interpretations, especially among smokers. The inclusion of direct and provocative stimuli, such as the use of the word 'you', attracts attention and creates more proximity to the recipient of the message. The results also highlight the interest and fear elicited by warnings on toxic constituents and the importance of using contrasting colours in warnings, which differentiate them from the colours of cigarette packs. CONCLUSION: Introducing innovative components in health warnings can catch consumers' attention but considering that the interviewees encountered difficulties interpreting textual warnings about toxic constituents in cigarettes, the study reinforces the importance of adopting direct language and pictures, instead of text, which can visually transmit the warning messages and the use of specific wording that generates proximity between the emitter and receiver.

Identifying freshwater priority areas for cross-taxa interactions.

Information about biotic interactions (e.g. competition, predation, parasitism, diseases, mutualism, allelopathy) is fundamental to better understand species distribution and abundance, ecosystem functioning, and ultimately guide conservation efforts. However, conservation planning often overlooks these important interactions. Here, we aim to demonstrate a new framework to include biotic interactions into Marxan. For that, we use freshwater mussels and fish interaction (as mussels rely on fishes to complete their life cycle) in the Douro River basin (Iberian Peninsula) as a case study. While doing that, we also test the importance of including biotic interactions into conservation planning exercises, by running spatial prioritisation analysis considering either: 1) only the target species (freshwater mussels); 2) freshwater mussels and their obligatory hosts (freshwater fishes); 3) freshwater mussels, fishes and their interactions. With this framework we found that biotic interactions tend to be underrepresented when the data on both freshwater mussels and fishes is not simultaneously included in the spatial prioritisation. Overall, the priority areas selected across all scenarios are mostly located in the western part of the Douro River basin, where most freshwater mussels and fishes still occur. Given the low overlap of priority areas identified here and the current Natura 2000 network, our approach may be useful for establishing (or enlarging) protected areas, especially in light of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Also, this work may provide guidance for future habitat restoration and management of main threats to freshwater biodiversity.

Infodemia de COVID-19 e suas repercussões na saúde mental de pessoas idosas / COVID-19 infodemic and its repercussions on older adults' mental health

Em dezembro de 2019, a população mundial foi surpreendida com o surgimento de um novo vírus, o Coronavírus-2 da Síndrome Respiratória Aguda Grave (SARS-CoV-2). Foram divulgadas informações acerca da pandemia, disseminando-se por vários tipos de mídias, com grande volume informacional. Diante da sobrecarga de divulgação de notícias, foi originado um fenômeno intitulado Infodemia, que se define pelo excesso de informações, gerando desinformação, pânico e confusão. O estudo teve como objetivo geral analisar a influência da infodemia da COVID-19 na saúde mental de pessoas idosas. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e transversal realizado no município de Ribeirão Preto, organizado em duas etapas investigativas, Na primeira etapa foi caracterizado o perfil sociodemográfico e variáveis relacionadas à Infodemia de COVID-19 nas redes sociais/ TV/rádio e na segunda etapa, foram utilizadas escalas validadas, a fim de mensurar os níveis de ansiedade, estresse e depressão, de acordo com o Inventário de Ansiedade Geriátrica (GAI), Escala de Estresse Percebido (EEP) e Escala de Depressão Geriátrica (GDS), a coleta ocorreu entre agosto de 2020 a agosto de 2021, por meio de web-based survey. Participaram do estudo 380 idosos, com idade entre 60 e 92 anos, predominando a faixa etária entre 60 e 69 anos (74,7%), sexo feminino (75,3) cor branca (71,3%) e com companheiro (54,5%), 119 (31,3%) concluíram o ensino superior, 321 (84,5%) idosos possuem residência própria, residem em zona urbana (97,9%) e 216 (56,8%) idosos eram aposentados. A maioria dos participantes usava o serviço de saúde pública (50,3%), não houve alteração de renda (75,5%) e 51 (15,5 %) viviam sozinhos. Identificou-se que as pessoas idosas foram expostas a informações e notícias com maior frequência pela televisão 161 (42,4%), em seguida, pelas redes sociais 103 (27,1%), enquanto pelo rádio 44 (11,6%) a exposição foi menor. A comparação dos escores totais das escalas de EEP, GDS e GAI e os dados sociodemográficos, não indicaram diferença entre as variáveis sexo, estado civil e faixa etária. Na análise das horas de exposição aos dados sobre a pandemia de COVID-19, houve diferença significativa entre os intervalos de horas de exposição às redes sociais, se comparados aos escores das escalas de estresse, depressão e ansiedade. Quanto às horas de uso da televisão e rádio foram significantes para os escores das escalas de estresse e ansiedade. Constatou-se que, durante o período da pandemia de COVID-19, pessoas idosas deste estudo manifestaram sintomas de ansiedade, estresse e depressão devido à maior exposição a horas aos meios de comunicação. O acesso à televisão foi o meio mais utilizado, bem como o uso das redes sociais e o rádio foi o meio menos recorrido. Faz-se necessário pensar nessa população, desenvolvendo estratégias para o envelhecimento com qualidade e a participação ativa na sociedade, com uso consciente dos meios de comunicação

In December 2019, the world's population was surprised by the emergence of a new virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Information about the pandemic was disseminated, disseminated through various types of media, with a large volume of information. Faced with the overload of news dissemination, a phenomenon called Infodemic was created, which is defined by excess information, generating misinformation, panic and confusion. The general objective of this study was to analyze the influence of the COVID-19 infodemic on older adults' mental health. This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto, organized in two investigative stages. In the first stage, the sociodemographic profile and variables related to the COVID-19 Infodemic on social networks/TV/radio were characterized. In the second stage, validated scales were used to measure levels of anxiety, stress and depression, according to the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Perceived Stress Scale (EEP) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Collection took place between August 2020 and August 2021 through a web-based survey. A total of 380 older adults aged between 60 and 92 years participated in the study, with a predominance of the age group between 60 and 69 years (74.7%), female (75.3), white (71.3%) and with a partner (54.5%). Thus, 119 (31.3%) completed higher education, 321 (84.5%) older adults had their own residence, lived in an urban area (97.9%) and 216 (56.8%) older adults were retired. The majority of participants used the public health service (50.3%), there was no change in income (75.5%) and 51 (15.5%) lived alone. It was identified that older adults were most frequently exposed to information and news through television (161; 42.4%), followed by social networks (103; 27.1%), while radio (44; 11.6%) exposure was lower. The comparison of the total scores on the EEP, GDS and GAI scales and sociodemographic data did not indicate any difference between the gender, marital status and age group variables. In the analysis of hours of exposure to data on the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant difference between the intervals of hours of exposure to social networks compared to the scores on the stress, depression and anxiety scales. As for the hours of television and radio use, they were significant for the scores on stress and anxiety scales. It was found that, during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults in this study showed symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression due to greater exposure to the media for hours. Access to television was the most used means as well as the use of social networks and radio was the least used means. It is necessary to think about this population, developing strategies for quality aging and active participation in society, with conscious use of the media

Diversity, distribution and conservation of land mammals in Mauritania, North-West Africa.

Detailed knowledge about biodiversity distribution is critical for monitoring the biological effects of global change processes. Biodiversity knowledge gaps hamper the monitoring of conservation trends and they are especially evident in the desert biome. Mauritania constitutes a remarkable example on how remoteness and regional insecurity affect current knowledge gaps. Mammals remain one of the least studied groups in this country, without a concerted species checklist, the mapping of regions concentrating mammal diversity, or a national assessment of their conservation status. This work assessed the diversity, distribution, and conservation of land mammals in Mauritania. A total of 6,718 published and original observations were assembled in a spatial database and used to update the occurrence status, distribution area, and conservation status. The updated taxonomic list comprises 107 species, including 93 extant, 12 Regionally Extinct, and 2 Extinct in the Wild. Mapping of species distributions allowed locating concentrations of extant mammal species richness in coastal areas, along the Senegal River valley, and in mountain plateaus. Recent regional extinction of large-sized Artiodactyla and Carnivora has been very high (11% extinct species). From the extant mammals, 11% are threatened, including flagship species (e.g., Addax nasomaculatus and Panthera pardus). Species richness is poorly represented by the current protected areas. Despite the strong advances made, 23% of species categorise as Data Deficient. Persisting systematics and distribution uncertainties require further research. Field surveys in currently unexplored areas (northern and south-eastern regions) are urgently needed to increase knowledge about threatened mammals. The long-term conservation of land mammals in Mauritania is embedded in a complex web of socioeconomic and environmental factors that call for collaborative action and investment in sustainable human development. The current work sets the baseline for the future development of detailed research studies and to address the general challenges faced by mammals and biodiversity in the country.

The virus that devastated tourism: The impact of covid-19 on the housing market.

We study the causal impact of the negative shock on short-term rentals caused by covid-19 in the tourist-intensive city centre of Lisbon. Our difference-in-differences strategy uses a parish-level treatment relying on the pre-pandemic intensity of short-term rentals, using data between Q3 2018 and Q3 2020. The results suggest that landlords relocated properties into the long-term rental market, in which prices de-crease 4.1%, while listed quantities increase 20% in the treated civil parishes vis-`a-vis comparison ones. We also find evidence of an incremental negative impact on sale prices of 4.8% in treated areas. Our results are robust to the inclusion of Porto.

Gross motor skills trajectory variation between WEIRD and LMIC countries: A cross-cultural study.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of delays and borderline impaired performance for Brazilian girls and boys and the differences in the motor trajectories (locomotor and ball skills) of girls and boys (3- to 10-years-old) across WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic) countries and Brazil-a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). METHODS: We assessed 1000 children (524 girls; 476 boys), 3- to 10.9-year-old (M = 6.9, SD = 2.1; Girls M = 6.9, SD = 2.0; Boys M = 6.9, SD = 2.1), using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3. Using systematic search, original studies investigating FMS in children using the TGMD-3 were eligible; 5 studies were eligible to have the results compared to the Brazilian sample. One sample t-test to run the secondary data from Irish, American, Finnish, and German children (i.e., mean, standard deviation). RESULTS: The prevalence of delays and borderline impaired performance was high among Brazilian girls (28.3% and 27.5%) and boys (10.6% and 22.7%). The cross-countries comparisons showed significant (p values from .048 and < .001) overall lower locomotor and ball skills scores for Brazilian children; the only exceptions were skipping, catching, and kicking. We observed stability in performance, across countries, after 8-years-old, and no ceiling effects were found in the samples. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian sample emphasized the need for national strategies to foster children's motor proficiency. Differences in motor opportunities may explain the differences in motor trajectories between children in WEIRD and LMIC countries.

Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean key biodiversity areas.

Theidentification of key biodiversity areas (KBA) was initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004 to overcome taxonomic biases in the selection of important areas for conservation, including freshwater ecosystems. Since then, several KBAs have been identified mainly based on the presence of trigger species (i.e., species that trigger either the vulnerability and or the irreplaceability criterion and thus identify a site as a KBA). However, to our knowledge, many of these KBAs have not been validated. Therefore, classical surveys of the taxa used to identify freshwater KBAs (fishes, molluscs, odonates, and aquatic plants) were conducted in Douro (Iberian Peninsula) and Sebou (Morocco) River basins in the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. Environmental DNA analyses were undertaken in the Moroccan KBAs. There was a mismatch between the supposed and actual presence of trigger species. None of the trigger species were found in 43% and 50% of all KBAs surveyed in the Douro and Sebou basins, respectively. Shortcomings of freshwater KBA identification relate to flawed or lack of distribution data for trigger species. This situation results from a misleading initial identification of KBAs based on poor (or even inaccurate) ecological information or due to increased human disturbance between initial KBA identification and the present. To improve identification of future freshwater KBAs, we suggest selecting trigger species with a more conservative approach; use of local expert knowledge and digital data (to assess habitat quality, species distribution, and potential threats); consideration of the subcatchment when delineating KBAs boundaries; thoughtful consideration of terrestrial special areas for conservation limits; and periodic field validation.

Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean Key Biodiversity Areas Resumen La identificación de las áreas clave de biodiversidad (ACB) fue iniciada por la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza en 2004 con el objetivo de sobreponerse a los sesgos taxonómicos en la selección de áreas importantes para la conservación, incluyendo los ecosistemas de agua dulce. Desde entonces, varias ACB han sido identificadas principalmente con base en la presencia de especies desencadenantes (es decir, especies que desencadenan el criterio de vulnerabilidad o de carácter irremplazable y por lo tanto identifican a un sitio como una ACB). Sin embargo, a nuestro conocimiento, muchas de estas ACB no han sido validadas. Por lo tanto, los censos clásicos de taxones utilizados para identificar las ACB de agua dulce (peces, moluscos, odonatos y plantas acuáticas) fueron realizados en las cuencas de los ríos Duero (Península Ibérica) y Sebou (Marruecos) en el Punto Caliente de Biodiversidad del Mediterráneo. Realizamos análisis de ADN ambiental en las ACB de Marruecos. Hubo una discrepancia entre la supuesta presencia y la actual presencia de especies desencadenantes. Ninguna de las especies desencadenantes se encontró en 43% y 50% de las ACB censadas en las cuencas del Duero y del Sebou, respectivamente. Las deficiencias en la identificación de las ACB de agua dulce están relacionadas con la carencia de datos o datos erróneos sobre la distribución de las especies desencadenantes. Esta situación resulta en una identificación inicial engañosa de las ACB con base en información ecológica deficiente (o incluso incorrecta) o también puede deberse al incremento en las perturbaciones humanas ocurridas entre la identificación de la ACB y el presente. Para mejorar la identificación de ACB de agua dulce en el futuro, sugerimos que la selección de especies desencadenantes se realice con un enfoque más conservador; que se usen el conocimiento local de los expertos y los datos digitales (para evaluar la calidad del hábitat, la distribución de las especies y las amenazas potenciales); que se consideren las subcuencas cuando se delimiten las fronteras de las ACB; que se consideren cuidadosamente las áreas de especies terrestres para los límites de conservación; y que se realicen validaciones periódicas de campo.

Diversity, biogeography, evolutionary relationships, and conservation of Eastern Mediterranean freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae).

Located at the junction between Europe, Africa, and Asia, with distinct evolutionary origins and varied ecological and geographical settings, together with a marked history of changes in orogeny and configuration of the main river basins, turned the Eastern Mediterranean into a region of high diversity and endemism of freshwater taxa. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionidae) from the Western Palearctic have been widely studied in their European range, but little attention has been dedicated to these taxa in the Eastern Mediterranean region and their diversity and phylogeography are still poorly understood. The present study aims to resolve the diversity, biogeography, and evolutionary relationships of the Eastern Mediterranean freshwater mussels. To that end, we performed multiple field surveys, phylogenetic analyses, and a thorough taxonomic revaluation. We reassessed the systematics of all Unionidae species in the region, including newly collected specimens across Turkey, Israel, and Iran, combining COI + 16S + 28S and COI phylogenies with molecular species delineation methods. Phylogeographical patterns were characterized based on published molecular data, newly sequenced specimens, and species distribution data, as well as ancestral range estimations. We reveal that Unionidae species richness in the Eastern Mediterranean is over 70% higher than previously assumed, counting 19 species within two subfamilies, the Unioninae (14) and Gonideinae (5). We propose two new species, Anodonta seddonisp. nov. and Leguminaia anatolicasp. nov. Six additional taxa, Unio delicatusstat. rev., Unio eucirrusstat. rev., Unio huetistat. rev., Unio sesirmensisstat. rev., Unio terminalisstat. rev. removed from the synonymy of Unio tigridis, as well as Unio damascensisstat. rev. removed from the synonymy of Unio crassus, are re-described. The nominal taxa Unio rothi var. komarowi O. Boettger, 1880 and Unio armeniacus Kobelt, 1911 are proposed as new synonyms of Unio bruguierianus, and Anodonta cyrea Drouët, 1881 and Anodonta cilicica Kobelt & Rolle, 1895 as new synonyms of Anodonta anatina. Also, the presence of Unio tumidus in the Maritza River is confirmed. The phylogeographic patterns described here are interpreted concerning major past geological events. Conservation needs and implications are presented, together with populations and species conservation priorities.

Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from the rising sun (Far East Asia): phylogeny, systematics, and distribution.

Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) is a diverse family with around 700 species being widespread in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. These animals fulfill key ecological functions and provide important services to humans. Unfortunately, populations have declined dramatically over the last century, rendering Unionidae one of the world's most imperiled taxonomic groups. In Far East Asia (comprising Japan, Korea, and Eastern Russia), conservation actions have been hindered by a lack of basic information on the number, identity, distribution and phylogenetic relationships of species. Available knowledge is restricted to studies on national and sub-national levels. The present study aims to resolve the diversity, biogeography and evolutionary relationships of the Far East Asian Unionidae in a globally comprehensive phylogenetic and systematic context. We reassessed the systematics of all Unionidae species in the region, including newly collected specimens from across Japan, South Korea, and Russia, based on molecular (including molecular species delineation and a COI + 28S phylogeny) and comparative morphological analyses. Biogeographical patterns were then assessed based on available species distribution data from the authors and previous reference works. We revealed that Unionidae species richness in Far East Asia is 30% higher than previously assumed, counting 43 species (41 native + 2 alien) within two Unionidae subfamilies, the Unioninae (32 + 1) and Gonideinae (9 + 1). Four of these species are new to science, i.e. Beringiana gosannensissp. nov., Beringiana fukuharaisp. nov., Buldowskia kamiyaisp. nov., and Koreosolenaia sitgyensisgen. & sp. nov. We also propose a replacement name for Nodularia sinulata, i.e. Nodularia breviconchanom. nov. and describe a new tribe (Middendorffinaiini tribe nov.) within the Unioninae subfamily. Biogeographical patterns indicate that this fauna is related to that from China south to Vietnam until the Mekong River basin. The Japanese islands of Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and the Korean Peninsula were identified as areas of particularly high conservation value, owing to high rates of endemism, diversity and habitat loss. The genetically unique species within the genera Amuranodonta, Obovalis, Koreosolenaiagen. nov., and Middendorffinaia are of high conservation concern.

The taste of smoke: tobacco industry strategies to prevent the prohibition of additives in tobacco products in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The tobacco industry (TI) uses several strategies to attract new consumers, including using additives in tobacco products, which makes tobacco especially attractive to youth. Based on scientific evidence and the principles of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA, for the name in Portuguese), published the Collegiate Board Resolution (RDC, for the name in Portuguese) 14/2012 in 2012, prohibiting the addition of substances that enhance the flavour and taste of tobacco products in order to make them more attractive. In response, the TI used various strategies to prevent RDC 14/2012 from entering into force. At the time, the Brazilian additive ban was the most comprehensive in the world as it included a ban on menthol. OBJECTIVES: This paper analyses the arguments and strategies used by the TI to prevent the implementation of the additives ban. METHODS: Review of published articles, reports, legislation and legislative activity, internal TI documents, media stories and other documents to describe TI's reaction to the ban. RESULTS: The results show that the TI used some well-known strategies to delay or cancel the entering into force of the resolution. For example, the TI attempted political interference, used litigation and commissioned studies with findings that questioned the resolution's rationale. The TI strategies used in Brazil are similar to those used at the global level to oppose other tobacco control measures. CONCLUSIONS: TI successfully delayed the most comprehensive additive ban in the world using its usual tactics, despite the fact that none of the arguments presented by the TI had an acceptable scientific basis or evidence.

The role of climatic cycles and trans-Saharan migration corridors in species diversification: Biogeography of Psammophis schokari group in North Africa.

Highlands, hydrographic systems and coastal areas have been hypothesised to form corridors across the hyperarid Sahara desert in North Africa, allowing dispersal and gene flow for non-xeric species. Here we aim to provide a genetic test for the trans-Saharan corridor model, and predict the location and stability of ecological-corridors, by combining phylogeography and palaeoclimatic modelling. The model was the Psammophis schokari (Schokari sand racer) group, fast-moving and widely distributed generalist colubrids occurring mostly in arid and semiarid scrublands. We combined dated phylogenies of mitochondrial and nuclear markers with palaeoclimatic modelling. For the phylogeographic analysis, we used 75 samples of P. schokari and P. aegyptius, and Bayesian and Maximum-Likelihood methods. For the ecological models, we used Maxent over the distribution of P. schokari and West African lineages. Models were projected to past conditions (mid Holocene, Last Glacial Maximum and Last Inter-Glacial) to infer climatic stable areas. Climatic stability was predicted to be mostly restricted to coastal areas and not spatially continuous. A putative temporary trans-Saharan corridor was identified in Eastern Sahara, with a more stable one along the Atlantic coast. Six parapatric lineages were identified within P. schokari, four occurring in North Africa. These likely diverged during the Pliocene. The Tamanraset River might have been a vicariant agent. African lineages may have experienced further subsequent diversification during the late Pleistocene. The main P. schokari refugia were probably located along the northern margins of the Sahara, allowing its North-to-South colonization. Trans-Saharan corridors seem to have played a role in P. schokari biogeography, allowing colonization of central Saharan mountains and Sahel. Some might have worked as refugia, and even the most stable corridors may have sections working as filters, depending on each climatic phase. We expect the use of trans-Saharan corridors to decrease for more mesic species or with less dispersal capabilities.

Phylogeny, phylogeography, and evolution in the Mediterranean region: News from a freshwater mussel (Potomida, Unionida).

The Potomida genus (Bivalvia, Unionida) has a Circum-Mediterranean distribution and like other freshwater mussel species, its populations have suffered dramatic declines. Although this genus is currently considered as monotypic, it has a long history of taxonomic revisions and presently many aspects of its systematics and evolutionary history are unclear. We sampled a total of 323 individuals from 39 different sites across the Potomida genus distribution, and sequenced two mitochondrial (16S rDNA and Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I) and one nuclear (28S rDNA) genes to clarify its phylogeny and phylogeographic history. Our results show that the genus includes two well-supported clades, one comprising solely the western Mediterranean species Potomida littoralis, and the other including two eastern Mediterranean species, the Greek endemic P. acarnanica and the Anatolian and Middle Eastern P. semirugata. We suggest that Potomida started radiating during the upper Miocene, and that both vicariance and dispersal events shaped the diversification and distribution of the genus along the Mediterranean region. P. littoralis is further divided in two mitochondrial lineages, one restricted to Europe and the other occurring mostly in North Africa. Moreover, some European basins present both lineages in sympatry. The conservation status of the three recognized species should be reevaluated, particularly P. acarnanica, since it is restricted to two Greek river basins presenting a high risk of extinction. Overall, our results clarify some important gaps in knowledge concerning the phylogeny, phylogeography and evolution of the Potomida genus in the Mediterranean region with important taxonomical, ecological and conservational implications.