We then show, unequivocally, that intersex in wild roach populations results from feminisation of males, but find no strong evidence for complete sex reversal in wild roach at river sites contaminated with oestrogens. The discovered marker has utility for studies in roach on chemical effects, wild stock assessments, and reducing the number of fish used where only one sex is required for experimentation. Furthermore, we show that the marker can be applied non-destructively using a fin clip or skin swab, with animal welfare benefits. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is sweeping across the globe. Most patients have mild to moderate symptoms, but a subgroup will become severely ill. Sepsis, respiratory failure, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are common complications of the disease.(1) Factors associated with ICU admission and death include older age, comorbid conditions, elevated body mass index, lymphopenia, and elevated transaminases, LDH, D-dimer, ferritin, and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R).(1-4). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to explore the physiotherapists’ lived experiences of providing pain education (PE), to people living with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). In previous studies, PE has been associated with positive clinical outcomes within the physiotherapeutic management of NSLBP. However, the meaning of providing PE, as experienced by physiotherapists, has not been specifically explored. METHODS This study adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore PE experiences. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted, interviews were transcribed and analyzed in line with the ‘interpretative phenomenological analysis’ framework. RESULTS Five main thematic meaning structures emerged Experienced significance of assessment in understanding NSLBP, PE as explaining the nature of NSLBP, Experienced challenges in providing PE, individualisation as key to PE for NSLBP and Reassurance as central to PE for people living with NSLBP. CONCLUSIONS The significance of subjective assessment, was a key component of PE, as experienced by participants. However, differences were noted between participants in addressing the sense of assessment; in seeking a physiotherapeutic understanding of the NSLBP, and in seeking to understand the situation of those who are in pain. Within the participant experience, the significance of ‘patient’ reassurance was highlighted, related to the individualization and outcome of PE. Reassurance, as described by participants, was emotive and practically grounded and linked with physical activity promotion. Individualization in PE was meaningfully related to language modification and developing positive therapeutic relationships. Physiotherapists described PE particularly challenging related to pain chronicity and psychosocial factors, which may have significant implications to practice. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Besides providing potential medical and biosafety applications, as well as challenging the foundations of biological engineering, xenobiology can also shed light on the epistemological and metaphysical questions that puzzle philosophers of science. The paper reviews this philosophical aspect of xenobiology, focusing on the possible multiple realizability of life. According to this hypothesis, what ultimately matter in understanding life are its functions, not its particular building blocks. This is because there should be in theory many different ways to build the same function. The possibility of multiple realizability was originally raised in the context of AI’s hypothesized capacity to realize mental functions. Because we still do not have any incontrovertible examples of digital minds, not to mention alien life of foreign biochemistry, the best way to test this philosophical idea is to examine the recent results and practices of synthetic biology and xenobiology. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Recent droughts raise global concern over potential biodiversity loss and mitigating impacts to vulnerable species has become a management priority. However, drought impacts on populations are difficult to predict, in part, because habitat refuges can buffer organisms from harsh environmental conditions. In a global change context, more extreme droughts may turn previously suitable habitats into ecological traps, where vulnerable species can no longer persist. Here, we explore the impacts of California’s recent record-breaking drought on endangered. juvenile coho salmon. We estimated variability of cumulative salmon survival using mark-recapture of nearly 20,000 tagged fish in intermittent stream pools during a seven-year period encompassing drought and non-drought conditions. We then determined the relative importance of physical habitat, streamflow, precipitation, landscape, and biological characteristics that may limit survival during drought. Our most striking result was an increase in the number of poolses will require identification and protection of drought refuges and management strategies that prevent further habitat fragmentation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Reproductive performance is known to differ between cosexual and non-cosexual species. Thus, our aim was to determine whether (1) the distance between sex structures is negatively associated with sex expression; (2) male gametangia take longer to mature in rhizautoicous species than in gonioautoicous species; and (3) the gonioautoicous sexual system has greater reproductive success (i.e., percentage of ramets with sporophyte) than the rhizautoicous sexual system. One population each of Fissidens scariosus and F. submarginatus, rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous, respectively, in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in Brazil were sampled monthly from September 2016 until August 2017. Nocodazole ic50 The number and phenophases of antheridia, archegonia and sporophytes were analyzed for each species. Sexual expression and reproductive success were calculated and reproductive phenology compared across environmental variables. As expected, sexual expression was significantly higher for the gonioautoicous species, which produced antheridia throughout the year and archegonia over many months, while gametangia production by the rhizautoicous species occurred only during the rainy season.