The sea urchin Arbacia spatuligera is an echinoid distributed in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean from Peru to Chile. This species was previously reported from the subtidal zone with a bathymetric distribution up to 30 m depth. In this work, 128 individuals were found in four mesophotic reefs along the central coast off Chile using closed-circuit rebreathers in technical diving at higher depths than previously, ranging from 36 to 63 m in depth. A population exhibits unexpected morphological characters, requiring an emended diagnosis and description of a new morphotype for A. spatuligera. These morphological traits are further discussed as potential ecophenotypic adaptations.

Understanding the distribution and habitat requirements of species is crucial for designing conservation actions, yet this information is not available for many plant species. We report the first confirmed wild populations of Porroglossum parsonsii, which, because of its horticultural value, is commercialized in national and international markets, from where it was first described to science. Our large-scale survey of 341 10 × 30 m plots spanning Andean forests, paramo habitats and pasturelands in Colombia suggests that P. parsonsii has a restricted geographical distribution in Andean forests with high forest cover (71.4–86.2%), where it occurs in low numbers (5–17 individuals per plot). Because of its market value (USD 18–20 per plant) there is a risk the species could be collected illegally, and therefore the habitat of the species in the Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque requires appropriate conservation.

Toxoplasma gondii has at least 318 genotypes distributed worldwide, and tropical regions usually have greater genetic diversity. Campeche is a state located in the southeastern region of México and has favourable climate conditions for the replication and dissemination of this protozoan, similar to those in South American countries where broad genetic diversity has been described. Thus, in this study, 4 T. gondii isolates were obtained from tissues of stray dogs and free-range chickens in Campeche, México, and were genotyped by Mn-PCR-RFLP with 10 typing markers (SAG1, altSAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico) and 5 virulence markers (CS3, ROP16, ROP17, ROP18 and ROP5) to provide new information about the distribution and virulence prediction of T. gondii genotypes. Two isolates of T. gondii genotype #116 and 2 of genotype #38 were obtained from stray dogs and chickens, respectively. The parasite load found in these species was between <50 and more than 35 000 tachyzoites per mg of tissue. Virulence marker genotyping revealed a recombinant 1&3 ROP5 RFLP pattern in 2 ToxoDB #116 isolates with no prediction of virulence in a murine model, while in the 2 ToxoDB #38 isolates, the ROP18/ROP5 combination predicted high virulence. Considering all the typed markers, there is a predominance of type I and III alleles, as constantly reported for the isolates characterized in various regions of México. It is crucial to determine their phenotype to corroborate the genetic virulence profile of the T. gondii isolates obtained in this study.

Urbanisation has modified the distribution and community composition of mosquito species (Culicidae). Habitat disturbance may increase the risk of loss of species diversity and the occurrence of vector-borne diseases. Studies on the presence of larvae and the eco-physicochemical characteristics of water bodies near urban areas provide information on the risk of these diseases. In this study, the presence of larvae in different types of urban and periurban water bodies in Villahermosa City, Tabasco, Mexico was analysed. The eco-physicochemical characteristics of each collecting site were measured. A total of 67 528 larvae were collected, 1366 were identified to species, and 15 species were observed. Although Culex spp. were the most dominant species, Anopheles albimanus was the only species present in all habitats. Despite the large variability in the parameters measured (especially in physicochemical parameters; e.g., pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids), differences were observed among the breeding sites. Weak correlations were found between eco-physicochemical parameters and species presence. Predators may have a major role in determining community processes in the region. Habitat disturbance may be responsible for eco-physicochemical variations altering mosquito community composition, resulting in the loss of endemic mosquito species and increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases in Villahermosa.

The identification of somatic growth, through reference curves, can be used to create strategies and public policies to reduce public health problems such as malnutrition and obesity and to identify underweight, overweight and obesity. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify studies providing reference growth curves for weight status in children and adolescents. A systematic search was conducted in eight databases and in gray literature (Google scholar). To assess the risk of bias/methodological quality of studies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies (NHLBI) was used. Overall, 86 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. Through the values   of reference growth curves for the identification of underweight, overweight and obesity, it was possible to verify that there is great variability among percentiles for the identification of underweight, overweight and obesity. The most prevalent percentiles for underweight were P3 and P5; for overweight, the most prevalent was P85 and the most prevalent percentiles for obesity were P95 and P97. The most prevalent anthropometric indicators were Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Body Mass (BM) for age and height for age. Conclusion: Such data can demonstrate that the optimal growth must be reached, through the standard growth curves, but that the reference curves demonstrate a cut of the population growth, raising possible variables that can influence the optimal growth, such as an increase in the practice of physical activities and an awareness of proper nutrition.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 (PCV13) on the molecular epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children from Andalusia. A population-based prospective surveillance study was conducted on IPD in children aged <14 years from Andalusia (2018–2020). Pneumococcal invasive isolates collected between 2006 and 2009 in the two largest tertiary hospitals in Andalusia were used as pre-PCV13 controls for comparison of serotype/genotype distribution. Overall IPD incidence rate was 3.55 cases per 100 000 in 2018; increased non-significantly to 4.20 cases per 100 000 in 2019 and declined in 2020 to 1.69 cases per 100 000 (incidence rate ratio 2020 vs. 2019: 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20–0.89, P = 0.01). Proportion of IPD cases due to PCV13 serotypes in 2018–2020 was 28% (P = 0.0001 for comparison with 2006–2009). Serotypes 24F (15%) and 11A (8.3%) were the most frequently identified non-PCV13 serotypes (NVT) in 2018–2020. Penicillin- and/or ampicillin-resistant clones mostly belonged to clonal complex 156 (serotype 14-ST156 and ST2944 and serotype 11A-ST6521). The proportion of IPD cases caused by PCV13 serotypes declined significantly after the initiation of the PCV13 vaccination programme in 2016. Certain NVT, such as serotypes 24F and 11A, warrant future monitoring in IPD owing to invasive potential and/or antibiotic resistance rates.

Wild birds are hosts of Culicoides from as early on as the nesting stage when constrained to their nests. However, the environmental factors which determine the abundance and composition of Culicoides species within each bird nest are still understudied. We sampled Culicoides from Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nests found in 2 types of forests located in southern Spain. Firstly, we monitored the abundance of Culicoides species in bird nests from a dry Pyrenean oak deciduous forest and a humid mixed forest comprising Pyrenean and Holm oaks throughout 2 consecutive years. During the 3rd year, we performed a cross-fostering experiment between synchronous nests to differentiate the role of rearing environment conditions from that of the genetically determined or maternally transmitted cues released by nestlings from each forest. We found 147 female Culicoides from 5 different species in the birds' nests. The abundance of Culicoides was higher in the dry forest than in the humid forest. Culicoides abundance, species richness and prevalence were greater when the nestlings were hatched later in the season. The same pattern was observed in the cross-fostering experiment, but we did not find evidence that nestling's features determined by the forest of origin had any effect on the Culicoides collected. These results support the notion that habitat type has a strong influence on the Culicoides affecting birds in their nests, while some life history traits of birds, such as the timing of reproduction, also influence Culicoides abundance and species composition.

This paper presents a new approach for geometrically constrained path planning applied to the field of robotic grasping. The method proposed in this paper is based on the Fast Marching Square (FM $\, ^2$ ) and a path calculation approach based on an optimization evolutionary filter named Differential Evolution (DE). The geometric restrictions caused by the link lengths of the kinematic chain composed by the robot arm and hand are introduced in the path calculation phase. This phase uses both the funnel potential of the surroundings created with FM $\, ^2$ and the kinematic constraints of the robot as cost functions to be minimized by the evolutionary filter. The use of an optimization filter allows for a near-optimal solution that satisfies the kinematic restrictions, while preserving the characteristics of a path computed with FM $\, ^2$ . The proposed method is tested in a simulation using a robot composed by a mobile base with two arms.

The Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Fringilla polatzeki is a threatened, endemic, forest‐dwelling bird species of the Canary Islands, whose core population at the end of the 20th century was restricted to the pine forests of Inagua Nature Reserve (38 km2). A translocation programme released birds from a breeding centre into the nearby (<3 km) pine forests of La Cumbre in the years following 2010. From 2015 to 2019 the La Cumbre population was reinforced by translocation of wild juveniles from the source population of Inagua. We estimate the population size, the spatial variation of abundance, and recent temporal changes in density of the species in Inagua and La Cumbre by means of line transects, distance sampling, and habitat suitability modelling using random forests. The average density of the Blue Chaffinch in Inagua Nature Reserve was 10.2 birds/km2 in spring 2019, with a population estimated at 362 birds (95% CI: 257–489). The most important variables affecting the distribution of the Blue Chaffinch in Inagua were the amount of precipitation during the summer (July–September), the solar radiation in June, and the northern position in the reserve, highlighting the importance of abiotic factors related to thermal and hydric stress during the breeding season. The density was considerably lower in the translocated population inhabiting 21 km2 of pine forests in La Cumbre (3.3 birds/km2), with an estimate of 68 Blue Chaffinches (35–141) breeding freely in the wild. The translocation programme successfully contributed to the establishment of a second viable nucleus, accounting for 16% of the total population within a time span of 10 years. This result reinforces the role of translocations in preventing extinctions of endangered species with very low population sizes restricted to only one isolated area.

Adoption of healthy dietary and snacking habits could support optimum physical and mental development in children as they define health in adulthood. This study assessed parameters associated with children’s snacking such as food home availability, parenting practices, and parents’ health beliefs. In this cross-sectional study 12 039 children, 49·4% boys 5–12 years, participating in the European Feel4Diabetes-Study were included. Children’s weekly consumption of sweets and salty snacks, home availability of snacks, food parenting practices, and health beliefs were assessed via questionnaires. Logistic regression was applied to explore associations of a) home availability of snacks, b) food parenting practices (permissiveness and rewarding with snacks) and c) parent’s opinions on deterministic health beliefs with children’s consumption of sweets and salty snacks. Results showed that home availability (sweets: ORadj: 4·76, 95 % CI: 4·32, 5·23; salty snacks: ORadj: 6·56, 95 % CI: 5·64, 7·61), allowing to consume (sweets: ORadj: 3·29, 95 % CI: 2·95, 3·67; salty snacks: ORadj: 3·41, 95 % CI: 2·98, 3·90) and rewarding with sweets/salty snacks (sweets: ORadj: 2·69, 95 % CI: 2·23, 3·24; salty snacks: ORadj: 4·34, 95 % CI: 3·57, 5·28) ‘sometimes/or less frequently’ compared to ‘always/or often’ were associated with lower weekly consumption of sweets and snacks. Parents’ disagreement compared to agreement with deterministic health beliefs and inattentive eating were associated with lower consumption of salty snacks and sweets in children. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that attempts to promote healthy snacking habits in children should aim to improve parental dietary habits, food parenting practices, health beliefs, and reducing home availability of unhealthy foods and snacks.