Panthera Corporation

Relevance. Acarosis in dogs (demodicosis, otodectosis, and sarcoptic mange) is one of the reasons for visiting a veterinarian; long-acting systemic acaricides with high compliance are important for controlling infestations and reducing the risk of re-infestation. Objective. To summarize the data on the therapeutic efficacy of Vepripak® (fluralaner, chewable tablet) in the treatment of demodicosis, otodectosis, and sarcoptic mange in dogs. Materials and methods. The data of a pilot clinical observation and a prospective multicenter open study (total 986 dogs, aged 6 months to 10 years) were analyzed, as well as a study of palatability (n=520). Vepripak® was administered orally once at a dose of 25…56 mg of fluralaner/kg of body weight; in the protocol – at least 2 hours after the last feeding. The efficacy in acarosis was assessed by the dynamics of clinical signs and microscopy (skin scrapings/ear secretions). Results. 100% therapeutic efficacy was observed in dogs with diagnosed acarosis. demodicosis, otodectosis, and sarcoptic mange: Demodex canis was not detected in scrapings after 14 days, Otodectes cynotis was not detected after 28 days, and clinical improvement in sarcoptic mange was observed after 2 to 4 weeks. In a multicenter study, no adverse events were reported during a 12-week period, and the voluntary consumption of the chewable form was 99.8%. Conclusion. Vepripak® demonstrated high clinical efficacy in a series of observations of major acaroses in dogs and high consumption, which may increase adherence to therapy in dermatological practice.

Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) is an increasing challenge in rapidly changing landscapes, where agricultural expansion, settlement growth, and infrastructure development intersect with critical wildlife corridors. Addressing these conflicts requires spatially explicit methods that can evaluate trade-offs among competing land uses. This study demonstrates the application of the open-source Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy (Open-LUCIS), a suitability-based framework that integrates open geospatial data, domain knowledge, and goal-driven land-use modeling. Using Pandamatenga in Botswana's Chobe District as a case study, we identified areas of potential conflict among agriculture, human settlement, and wildlife conservation. High-conflict zones were concentrated where commercial farms overlap with transboundary wildlife corridors, highlighting the tension between agricultural development and conservation. A sensitivity analysis indicated that existing land use, road accessibility, and development constraints strongly influence conflict dynamics. The application demonstrates a clear pathway for using open-source tools to support HWC studies. By relying on open data and reproducible methods, Open-LUCIS offers a cost-effective and accessible alternative to proprietary software, with direct implications for advancing sustainable land development in regions with limited resources. Given that the dynamics observed in Chobe reflect pressures common across many parts of Africa and beyond, the framework is broadly applicable as a transferable approach for managing land-use conflicts in many rapidly developing, ecologically sensitive frontiers worldwide.

Osteosarcoma is a highly heterogeneous cancer, and molecular subtyping has the potential to increase diagnostic precision and facilitate targeted therapies. In our previous study, we classified osteosarcoma into four distinct subtypes. Here, we conducted a genomic subtype-guided pilot umbrella trial (ChiCTR2000036618, 2020/08/24) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of multiple precision therapies. Nineteen patients with refractory metastatic osteosarcoma were enrolled and stratified using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Patients were assigned to three arms: (A) PD-1 antibody plus gemcitabine and docetaxel; (B) PARP inhibitor combined with temozolomide; or (C) tinengotinib (TT-00420), a small-molecule aurora kinase inhibitor currently in clinical trials. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 50 days (95% CI: 33–89) and 149 days (95% CI: 90–185). Tinengotinib has shown promising efficacy in our preclinical studies, suggesting its potential for clinical use, particularly in combination with immunotherapy. Additionally, we found that patients with MYC amplification presented increased tumor purity and ploidy, homologous recombination deficiency scores, and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using genomic molecular subtyping to guide the precise treatment of osteosarcoma. We also revealed that the abnormal genomic and transcriptomic profiles caused by MYC amplification could be suppressed by tinengotinib.

Unsustainable development continues to fragment natural landscapes and wildlife populations, contributing to declining global biodiversity. Advances in computation have enabled ever more sophisticated assessment of development and conservation impacts on functional landscape connectivity. However, accessibility of these advances to non-expert users has lagged. Here we present CoLa, an integration and expansion of existing software applications that model functional connectivity, population dynamics, and genetic exchange across landscapes. CoLa is a cloud-based or locally installable conservation decision-support system (DSS) that enables user-friendly assessment of the trade-offs between development and conservation in a data-driven framework. We describe the origins of the CoLa DSS, its functionality, and present two case studies at different spatial scales illustrating its use. We expect the CoLa DSS will be particularly useful to decision makers attempting to reconcile economic growth and biodiversity conservation, supporting the transition to conservation-led development needed to stem the ongoing loss of biodiversity. • New connectivity conservation software, Connecting Landscapes (CoLa), is introduced. • CoLa facilitates comparison of the impacts of development and conservation scenarios. • Case studies of new road impacts on Sunda clouded leopard populations are presented. • Advances relative to existing software packages are demonstrated.

Narrative review synthesizes the most current literature on the SARS-CoV-2 XEC variant, focusing on its genomic evolution, immune evasion characteristics, epidemiological dynamics, and public health implications. To achieve this, we conducted a structured search of the literature of peer-reviewed articles, preprints, and official surveillance data from 2023 to early 2025, prioritizing virological, clinical, and immunological reports related to XEC and its parent lineages. Defined by the distinctive spike protein mutations, T22N and Q493E, XEC exhibits modest reductions in neutralization in vitro, although current evidence suggests that mRNA booster vaccines, including those targeting JN.1 and KP.2, retain cross-protective efficacy against symptomatic and severe disease. The XEC strain of SARS-CoV-2 has drawn particular attention due to its increasing prevalence in multiple regions and its potential to displace other Omicron subvariants, although direct evidence of enhanced replicative fitness is currently lacking. Preliminary analyses also indicated that glycosylation changes at the N-terminal domain enhance infectivity and immunological evasion, which is expected to underpin the increasing prevalence of XEC. The XEC variant, while still emerging, is marked by a unique recombination pattern and a set of spike protein mutations (T22N and Q493E) that collectively demonstrate increased immune evasion potential and epidemiological expansion across Europe and North America. Current evidence does not conclusively associate XEC with greater disease severity, although additional research is required to determine its clinical relevance. Key knowledge gaps include the precise role of recombination events in XEC evolution and the duration of cross-protective T-cell responses. New research priorities include genomic surveillance in undersampled regions, updated vaccine formulations against novel spike epitopes, and long-term longitudinal studies to monitor post-acute sequelae. These efforts can be augmented by computational modeling and the One Health approach, which combines human and veterinary sciences. Recent computational findings (GISAID, 2024) point to the potential of XEC for further mutations in under-surveilled reservoirs, enhancing containment challenges and risks. Addressing the potential risks associated with the XEC variant is expected to benefit from interdisciplinary coordination, particularly in regions where genomic surveillance indicates a measurable increase in prevalence.

IntroductionMarket-driven poaching and unsustainable wildlife harvest are significant drivers of population decline for numerous plant and animal species, including high-profile species like Asian and African elephants, wild cats, sharks and rays, and pangolins. This publication reviews the emerging role of conservation technology in combating this trade.Technologies and applicationsWe showcase how innovative technological tools are revolutionizing the detection and disruption of illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade, with a focus on those available to frontline staff working to prevent poaching and trafficking from source sites. We consider a diverse array of deployed technologies ranging from open-source software platforms, AI, and mobile apps to cutting-edge hardware, including camera traps, acoustic sensors, and remote sensing tools.Case studiesTo demonstrate the complex threats posed by IUWT to wildlife and the consequent need for tailored solutions, we present two case studies, one terrestrial and one marine, showcasing the importance of appropriate suites of technology tools for conservation implementation.DiscussionTechnology has potential to empower rangers, park staff, wildlife and fisheries inspectors, customs officials, police, and conservation practitioners with unprecedented capabilities to monitor threatened wildlife, detect illegal activities, gather evidence, and support law enforcement interventions.

Abstract It is common for species conservation plans to identify the establishment or maintenance of a “self‐sustaining population” as an objective. However, this statement vaguely conflates different formulations and interpretations of population viability, management costs, and cultural preferences for non‐invasive population management. Hidden value judgments and assumptions about these components can create disagreement and conflict among partners. Thus, although a simple statement about “achieving self‐sustaining populations” can be a powerful strategic vision, evoking important shared values, it will not be effective as an operational objective for conservation decision making. Best practices in decision making emphasize the importance of fundamental objectives that are clear, unambiguous, and operational. Conservation planners may be better served by replacing the self‐sustaining concept with better‐defined fundamental objectives using quantitative statements about viability and clearly laying out ecological, economic, and cultural values.

Circadian rhythms are a mechanism by which species adapt to environmental variability and fundamental to understanding species behavior. However, we lack data and a standardized framework to accurately assess and compare temporal activity for species during rapid ecological change. Through a global network representing 38 countries, we leveraged 8.9 million mammalian observations to create a library of 14,587 standardized diel activity estimates for 445 species. We found that less than half the species' estimates were in agreement with diel classifications from the reference literature and that species commonly used more than one diel classification. Species diel activity was highly plastic when exposed to anthropogenic change. Furthermore, body size and distributional extent were strongly associated with whether a species is diurnal or nocturnal. Our findings provide essential knowledge of species behavior in an era of rapid global change and suggest the need for a new, quantitative framework that defines diel activity logically and consistently while capturing species plasticity.

Tropical forests hold most of Earth's biodiversity and a higher concentration of threatened mammals than other biomes. As a result, some mammal species persist almost exclusively in protected areas, often within extensively transformed and heavily populated landscapes. Other species depend on remaining remote forested areas with sparse human populations. However, it remains unclear how mammalian communities in tropical forests respond to anthropogenic pressures in the broader landscape in which they are embedded. As governments commit to increasing the extent of global protected areas to prevent further biodiversity loss, identifying the landscape-level conditions supporting wildlife has become essential. Here, we assessed the relationship between mammal communities and anthropogenic threats in the broader landscape. We simultaneously modeled species richness and community occupancy as complementary metrics of community structure, using a state-of-the-art community model parameterized with a standardized pan-tropical data set of 239 mammal species from 37 forests across 3 continents. Forest loss and fragmentation within a 50-km buffer were associated with reduced occupancy in monitored communities, while species richness was unaffected by them. In contrast, landscape-scale human density was associated with reduced mammal richness but not occupancy, suggesting that sensitive species have been extirpated, while remaining taxa are relatively unaffected. Taken together, these results provide evidence of extinction filtering within tropical forests triggered by anthropogenic pressure occurring in the broader landscape. Therefore, existing and new reserves may not achieve the desired biodiversity outcomes without concurrent investment in addressing landscape-scale threats.