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Aim: Human land‐use and climate change are two of the main threats affecting biodiversity, especially in arid/semiarid regions. The most effective way to protect the species in these ecosystems against these threats is through the delimitation of protected areas (PAs). However, such PAs need to be targeted cost‐efficiently and consider future climate change. We identify priority areas to preserve small mammal species in the Caatinga in the present and in a future of climate changes. We also evaluate how well these priority areas are protected by currently PAs and identify ways forward to improve their protection. Location: The Caatinga Dry Forest, Northeast Brazil. Methods: We use ecological niche models and Zonation spatial prioritisation software to identify the top 30% priority areas to preserve small mammal species under current climate and land use scenarios, besides considering optimistic and pessimistic scenarios of future climate change. We also evaluate how much these priority areas are covered by current PAs, identify ways to further improve their protection using hierarchical mask analysis, and by evaluating species mean distribution coverage. Results: The consequences of climate change will not hugely impact the distribution of priority areas for species conservation in the Caatinga. Around 13% of the identified priority areas overlap with current PAs, and planning the expansion of PAs considering integral protection areas increases the coverage of priority areas to more than 18% and captures more than 72% of species suitable area. Main Conclusions: Our prioritisations take into account climate change and provide low risk if conducted as a 'no‐regrets' conservation action. These priority areas are poorly supported by the Brazilian PA system, and need of further protection. One cost‐effective option could be to upgrade some sustainable use PAs into more restrictive ones. Securing these priority areas helps preserve the long‐term ecosystem functioning and to prevent biodiversity loss in a changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Scenario simulations with coordinated production reduced mean salmon lice abundance. • The salmon lice problem increased in the second year of the production cycle. • Only strategies with less fish in open cages in spring resulted in low impact on wild fish. • Low impact was achieved by stocking larger fish, implying earlier slaughtering. Parasitic salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) are a constraint to the sustainable growth of salmonids in open net pens, and this issue has caused production to level off in recent years in the most aquaculture-intensive areas of Norway. The maximum allowed biomass at a regional level is regulated by using the so-called "traffic light" system, where salmon louse-induced mortality of migrating wild salmon post-smolts is evaluated against set targets. As a case study, we have investigated how a specific aquaculture-intensive area can reduce its louse levels sufficiently to achieve a low impact on wild salmon. Analyses of the output from a virtual post-smolt model that uses data on the reported number of salmon lice in fish farms as key input data and estimates the salmon louse-induced mortality of wild out-migrating Atlantic salmon post-smolts, suggested that female louse abundance on the local farms must be halved in spring to reach the goal implied by the traffic light system. The outcome of a modelling scenario simulating a proposed new plan for coordinated production and fallowing proved beneficial, with an overall reduction in louse infestations and treatment efforts. The interannual variability in louse abundance in spring, however, increased for this scenario, implying unacceptably high louse abundance when many farms were in their second production year. We then combined the scenario with coordinated production with other louse control measures. Only measures that reduced the density of farmed salmonids in open cages in the study area resulted in reductions in salmon louse infestations to acceptable levels. This could be achieved either by stocking with larger fish to reduce exposure time or by reducing fish numbers, e.g. by producing in closed units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal rock pools of Lake Superior in North America are a mosaic of biologically rich ecosystems that vary in their physical morphology and chemistry. Occurring in bedrock depressions between the forest edge and the lake, the aquatic communities in these pools are susceptible to impacts from both international shipping lane traffic and changing climate patterns. Individual pools are small, but the number of pools across the coastal landscape provide an expansive network of variable habitats, with >70,000 pools found in the 48 km of shoreline in the study area. In this study, we aimed to understand the relationships between aquatic invertebrates and abiotic conditions in coastal pools. The Dipteran family Chironomidae were studied because of their ubiquity and diversity in freshwater systems. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling to describe how Chironomidae diversity and abundance were related to seasonality, habitat, and environmental factors (water chemistry and trace metals). We observed 2 distinct chironomid assemblages associated with habitat type based on chemical characteristics and physical location on the shoreline, including numerous rheophilic species near the lake, where consistent wave wash mimics lotic conditions, and species preferring lentic-mesotrophic conditions near the forest edge. Conductivity and pH were higher in pools near the lake, whereas temperature and dissolved O2 varied seasonally. Nutrients and metals differed between study sites and pools at each site. At 2 sites, naturally occurring Cu and Al were found at concentrations that exceeded estimated chronic toxicity for sensitive aquatic invertebrates. Pool separation of known tolerant or sensitive species indicated a potential response to elevated metal concentrations. Metals may be an important driver for sensitive species occupancy and survival in certain pools, raising more general concerns regarding community responses to natural conditions in pristine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Shahroud Watershed, there has been an increasing occurrence of landslides that have caused a lot of human and financial losses. Therefore, landslide susceptibility zonation is crucial for reducing landslide risk. The aim of this study was to compare the Landslide Susceptibility Maps (LSMs) of different methods. Therefore, thematic layers of the ten causal factors were prepared. Then, a landslide inventory map consisting of 104 landslides covering 1401 hectares was compiled and partitioned into two subsets including 70% for training and 30% for testing purposes. Three landslide susceptibility maps were prepared using the Frequency ratio (Fr), Statistical index (Si), and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methods. The validation process showed that the Si [Area Under the Curve (AUC)= 0.732] and Fr (AUC= 0.707) models presented a more valid LSM than AHP (AUC= 0.651) method. The Qs (Quality sum) index values also confirmed the results of the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve such that the Qs index values of 1.71, 1.43, and 0.62 for, respectively, Fr, Si, and AHP models implied a more accurate LSMs of the Fr and Si models than the one from the AHP. The results of this study can be used as a basic step for landslide risk management in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a large-scale gas reservoir was discovered in granitic buried hills of the Songnan Low Uplift in the Qiongdongnan Basin. However, the strong heterogeneity of granite reservoirs limits further exploration and evaluation. Based on observations of sixty core samples and sixty thin sections, mineral composition, zircon dating, apatite fission tracks, physical properties, image logs, outcrop surveys and seismic interpretations, the characteristics of granite weathering crust of the Songnan Low Uplift are analyzed, and its controlling factors and evolution process are evaluated. The results show that weathered granite in the study area can be divided into several zones, from top to bottom: eluvium–slope zone, sandy zone, weathered fracture zone and horizontal undercurrent vuggy zone. The reservoirs in the eluvium–slope zone are dominated by microfissures and intergranular dissolution pores and have an average porosity of 4.68% and permeability of 2.34 md; the reservoirs in the sandy zone are composed of intergranular and intragranular dissolution pores and have an average porosity of 11.46% and permeability of 4.99 md; the reservoirs in the weathered fracture zone consist of various fractures and have an average porosity of 3.91% and permeability of 2.5 md; the reservoirs in the horizontal undercurrent vuggy zone are subhorizontal fractures and vugs and have an average porosity of 2.7% and permeability of 0.23 md. The development of granite reservoirs is jointly influenced by petrology and minerals, long-term exposure in a warm humid paleoclimate, faults, diverse topographies and shallow buried depth. Based on the above, our study establishes a development model of weathering crust and suggests that only the gentle slope and platform remain strongly weathered zones. After undergoing a complex evolution process of formation–destruction/denudation–regeneration–preservation, the current weathering crust of the Songnan Low Uplift is finally established. The results of this study have important theoretical and application value for the hydrocarbon exploration of buried hills in the Qiongdongnan Basin and provide a reference example for other granite reservoirs worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main management strategies of China's nature reserve is "zonation", dividing reserves into three zones (core, buffer, and experimental zones) to which different levels of restrictions on anthropogenic activities are applied. While zonation has a positive effect on the conservation of target species, it is unclear whether management zones can be effective in conserving biodiversity. Using bird data collected from five national nature reserves of Guangdong province in China during 2018–2019, we investigated how management zones and reserves are associated with bird diversity and community composition. We considered species richness, the community-weighted mean (CWM) values of 10 single traits, and beta diversity based on 2 dissimilarity indices (Jaccard and Bray–Curtis). The overall effects of zone management were weak or insignificant. Species richness and the CWMs of most traits were not associated with zone (p > 0.08). Reserve itself was a strong factor influencing bird traits. Dissimilarity indices also showed variations in bird community composition between reserves in the north region and those in the south region, which were largely contributed by the turnover component of beta diversity (p ≥ 0.06 for nestedness and p ≤ 0.03 for turnover in both dissimilarity indices). The dominance of turnover indicates that these reserves could be equally important to maintain regional bird diversity, requiring a multiple-site management plan. Our study also suggests that current zoning designations of the five reserves may not be as effective in conserving bird species diversity and traits; however, caution is needed due to the limitations of our study design, such as potential observer effect and insufficient sampling effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way strong environmental gradients shape multispecific assemblages has allowed us to examine a suite of ecological and evolutionary hypotheses about structure, regulation and community responses to fluctuating environments. But whether the highly diverse co-occurring microorganisms are shaped in similar ways as macroscopic organisms across the same gradients has yet to be addressed in most ecosystems. Here, we characterize intertidal biofilm bacteria communities, comparing zonation at both the "species" and community levels, as well as network attributes, with co-occurring macroalgae and invertebrates in the same rocky shore system. The results revealed that the desiccation gradient has a more significant impact on smaller communities, while both desiccation and submersion gradients (surge) affect the larger, macroscopic communities. At the community level, we also confirmed the existence of distinct communities within each intertidal zone for microorganisms, similar to what has been previously described for macroorganisms. But our results indicated that dominant microbial organisms along the same environmental gradient exhibited less differentiation across tidal levels than their macroscopic counterparts. However, despite the substantial differences in richness, size and attributes of co-occurrence networks, both macro- and micro-communities respond to stress gradients, leading to the formation of similar zonation patterns in the intertidal rocky shore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing patterns and processes that govern macroinvertebrate distribution in sandy beaches becomes necessary in the framework of increasing human activities. Spatial patterns in sandy beaches are affected by daily changes in physical environmental conditions and species-specific features. Here, we assess the effect of daily changes on the spatial distribution along transects perpendicular to the waterline and habitat dispersion using Callichirus corruptus as a study model. Eleven sectors (urbanized and non-urbanized) were sampled on 6 beaches in southeastern Brazil, where ecological and biological information on this species was obtained. The spatial distribution of C. corruptus differed between the sampled sectors. However, higher density of burrows was observed in the intermediate portion, indicating aggregation in this zone. The burrow spatial dispersion index presented significant positive linear relationship with the size of saturated zones and the mean size of individuals. The spatial distribution of burrows was influenced by the sampling method, adequately represented by the gradient from low to the high tide mark in the intertidal zone. There was a strong clustering when burrows were counted along perpendicular transects to the shoreline, whereas a uniform distribution when burrows were counted in parallel transects. Aggregated patterns in the distribution of C. corruptus were observed in most of sampled beaches, highlighting the preference of the species for inhabiting the intermediate portion of the intertidal zone. Furthermore, other conditions that might additionally explain the spatial dispersion of macroinvertebrates in soft sediments and the effect of human activities on natural populations of sandy beaches remain to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed spatial data are an essential part of land use planning and decision-making. Their spatial resolution sets limitations to their use, as coarse datasets are not suitable for detecting small-scale phenomena. In this study, we explored the effects of spatial resolution on the ecological outcome of a conservation prioritization process in Zonation software. Our study area was in Evo, southern Finland, covering a mosaic of managed and conserved forests. We produced the feature layers describing the forest characteristics using high-resolution remote sensing datasets, object-based mapping methods, and forest site type data. We found that increasing the resolution above the 16 m baseline resolution resulted in substantial errors. The conservation errors were the highest for rare features related to European Aspen, whereas the common features related to dominant tree species could benefit from the growth of cell size. We conclude that adequate spatial resolution is a prerequisite for efficient conservation prioritization, and that the size and spatial distribution of the features affect the resolution requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of migratory birds poses a fundamental challenge, their conservation requires coordinated action across the hemisphere, but those actions must be designed and implemented locally. To address this challenge, we describe a multilevel framework for linking broad‐scale, full annual cycle prioritizations to local conservation actions for migratory birds. We developed hemisphere‐scale spatial prioritizations for the full annual cycle of migratory birds that breed in six different ecosystems in North America. The full annual cycle prioritizations provide a hemispheric context within which regional priorities can be identified. Finer resolution, regional prioritizations can then inform local conservation actions more effectively. We describe the importance of local conservation practitioner contributions at each level of the process and provide two examples of regional spatial prioritizations that were developed to guide local action. The first example focused on coastal North and South Carolina, USA, and used information on marsh birds, shorebirds, ecological integrity, and co‐benefits for people to identify Cape Romain, South Carolina as a high‐priority site for conservation action. The second example in Colombia used information on migrant and resident birds to identify the Cauca Valley as a high‐priority site. The multilevel conceptual framework we describe is one pathway for identifying sites for implementation of local conservation actions that are guided by conservation priorities for migratory birds across their full annual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Hepatic zonation is a physiological feature of the liver, known to be key in the regulation of the metabolism of nutrients and xenobiotics and the biotransformation of numerous substances. However, the reproduction of this phenomenon remains challenging in vitro as only part of the processes involved in the orchestration and maintenance of zonation are fully understood. The recent advances in organ‐on‐chip technologies, which allow for the integration of multicellular 3D tissues in a dynamic microenvironment, could offer solutions for the reproduction of zonation within a single culture vessel. Methods: An in‐depth analysis of zonation‐related mechanisms observed during the coculture of human‐induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)‐derived carboxypeptidase M‐positive liver progenitor cells and hiPSC‐derived liver sinusoidal endothelial cells within a microfluidic biochip was carried out. Results: Hepatic phenotypes were confirmed in terms of albumin secretion, glycogen storage, CYP450 activity, and expression of specific endothelial markers such as PECAM1, RAB5A, and CD109. Further characterization of the patterns observed in the comparison of the transcription factor motif activities, the transcriptomic signature, and the proteomic profile expressed at the inlet and the outlet of the microfluidic biochip confirmed the presence of zonation‐like phenomena within the biochips. In particular, differences related to Wnt/β‐catenin, transforming growth factor‐β, mammalian target of rapamycin, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1, and AMP‐activated protein kinase signaling, to the metabolism of lipids, and cellular remolding were observed. Conclusions: The present study shows the interest in combining cocultures of hiPSC‐derived cellular models and microfluidic technologies for reproducing in vitro complex mechanisms such as liver zonation and further incites the use of those solutions for accurate reproduction of in vivo situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional versatility of the liver is paramount for organismal homeostasis. Adult liver functions are controlled by a tightly regulated transcription factor network including nuclear receptors (NRs), which orchestrate many aspects of hepatic physiology. NRs are transcription factors sensitive to extracellular cues such as hormones, lipids, xenobiotics, etc. and are modulated by intracellular signaling pathways. While liver functional zonation and adaptability to fluctuating conditions rely on a sophisticated cellular architecture, a comprehensive knowledge of NR functions within liver cell populations is still lacking. As a step toward the accurate mapping of NR functions in the liver, we characterized their levels of expression in the whole liver from C57Bl6/J male mice as a function of time and diet. Nr1d1 (Rev-erba), Nr1d2 (Rev-erbb), Nr1c2 (Pparb/d), and Nr1f3 (Rorg) exhibited a robust cyclical expression in ad libitum-fed mice which was, like most cyclically expressed NRs, reinforced upon time-restricted feeding. In a few instances, cyclical expression was lost or gained as a function of the feeding regimen. NR isoform expression was explored in purified hepatocytes, cholangiocytes, Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, and liver sinusoidal cells. The expression of some NR isoforms, such as Nr1h4 (Fxra) and Nr1b1 (Rara) isoforms, was markedly restricted to a few cell types. Leveraging liver singlecell RNAseq studies yielded a zonation pattern of NRs in hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal cells, and stellate cells, establishing a link between NR subtissular localization and liver functional specialization. In summary, we provide here an up-to-date compendium of NR expression in mouse liver in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Striving for an integrated semi-natural stream-floodplain system as restoration target would optimally serve biodiversity and the provisioning of ecosystem services. This pursuit is currently limited by multiple pressures and constraints that come with, amongst others, a high human population density and intensive land-use. To be able to weigh the ecological and societal needs in lowland-stream watersheds, we analysed the developments in lowland-stream restoration in relation to the actual and potential state of ecosystems services these systems provide. To reach an ecological-societal balance in stream restoration, we pose five steps: (i) Choose a clear and realistic restoration target, (ii) Map and quantify environmental stressors at local to watershed scale, (iii) Map and quantify biological indicators at local to regional scale, (iv) List potential restoration measures to remove or mitigate stressors, and (v) Build scenarios, composed of combinations of measures fitting the societal context of the watershed. The most promising scenarios make use of watershed processes and involve establishing a transverse landscape zonation, from the streams' riparian zone to the uplands. Such landscape transition poses a challenge for policy makers and implies a strong societal change. Therefore, a framework is provided with building blocks that help to find a suitable balance in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell transcriptomics of brain vascular cells reveals distinct subtypes of endothelial and mural cells, as well as transcriptomic profiles defining their organization and zonation in the embryonic and adult brain. Mutual interactions between angiogenesis and neurogenesis promote the formation of the blood–brain barrier and coordinate the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural progenitors. A full repertoire of endothelial and mural cell subtypes can be identified in the ventricular and subventricular zones of the cerebral cortex and germinal matrix during embryonic development, as early as the second trimester in humans. Vascularized brain organoids recapitulate many key features of neurovascular coupling during angiogenesis and neurogenesis, including the cell-fate specification of vascular cells, cortical neuron differentiation, and the reduction of cellular stress. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals profound dysfunction in neurovascular and gliovascular coupling as key features in several neurodegenerative diseases. The vasculature is increasingly recognized to impact brain function in health and disease across the life span. During embryonic brain development, angiogenesis and neurogenesis are tightly coupled, coordinating the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of neural and glial progenitors. In the adult brain, neurovascular interactions continue to play essential roles in maintaining brain function and homeostasis. This review focuses on recent advances that leverage single-cell transcriptomics of vascular cells to uncover their subtypes, their organization and zonation in the embryonic and adult brain, and how dysfunction in neurovascular and gliovascular interactions contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we highlight key challenges for future research in neurovascular biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The salinity of estuarine areas in arid or semi-arid environments can reach high values, conditioning the distribution of vegetation and soil surface characteristics. While many studies focused on the prediction of soil salinity as a function of numerous parameters, few attempted to explain the role of salinity and its distribution within the soil profile in the pattern of landscape units. In a wadi estuary in northern Morocco, landscape units derived from satellite imagery and naturalistic environmental analysis are compared with a systematic survey of salinity by means of apparent electrical conductivity (Eca) measurements. The comparison is based on the allocation of measurement points to an area of the estuary from Eca measurements alone, using linear discriminant analysis and four machine learning methods. The results show that between 57 and 66% of the points are well-classified, highlighting that salinity is a major factor in the discrimination of estuary zones. The distribution of salinity is mainly the result of the interaction between capillary rise and flooding by the tides and the wadi. The location of the misclassified points is analysed and discussed, as well as the possible causes of the confusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is an important site for nitrogen metabolism in teleosts, the mechanisms of ammonia absorption and transport remain to be elucidated. Both protein catabolism in the lumen and the metabolism of the GIT tissues produce ammonia which, in part, enters the portal blood through the anterior region of the GIT. The present study examined the possible roles of different GIT sections of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in transporting ammonia in its unionized gas form—NH3—by changing the PNH3 gradient across GIT epithelia using in vitro gut sac preparations. We also surveyed messenger RNA expression patterns of three of the identified Rh proteins (Rhbg, Rhcg1, and Rhcg2) as potential NH3 transporters and NKCC as a potential ammonium ion (NH4+) transporter along the GIT of rainbow trout. We found that ammonia absorption is not dependent on the PNH3 gradient despite expression of Rhbg and Rhcg2 in the intestinal tissues, and Rhcg2 in the stomach. We detected no expression of Rhbg in the stomach and no expression of Rhcg1 in any GIT tissues. There was also a lack of correlation between ammonia transport and [NH4+] gradient despite NKCC expression in all GIT tissues. Regardless of PNH3 gradients, the stomach showed the greatest absorption and net tissue consumption of ammonia. Overall, our findings suggest nitrogen metabolism zonation of GIT, with stomach serving as an important site for the absorption, handling and transport of ammonia that is independent of the PNH3 gradient. Research Highlights: Rainbow trout gastrointestinal tract (GIT) ammonia absorption is not dependent on the PNH3 gradient despite expression of Rh and NKCC. Stomach showed the greatest ammonia absorption and net tissue consumption, independent of the PNH3 gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfortunately for the estimated 250 million sufferers of chronic hepatitis-B viral (HBV) infection worldwide, the liver terrain is typically ignored. An immunotolerant environment attractive for pathogens, the essential metabolic roles and structural features of the liver are aligned with distinctive gradients of oxygen and nutrients established along blood flows through fundamental hepatic processing units known as sinusoids. Capillaries surrounded by banks of hepatocytes, sinusoids express spatial configurations and concentrations of not only metabolic roles but also immune cell localisations, blood filtering and transporter specialisations: the liver terrain. HBV targets proteins regulating gluconeogenesis, a crucial liver function of blood glucose management, highly active at blood entry points--the periportal sites of sinusoids. Meanwhile, at these same sites, specialised liver macrophages, Kupffer cells (KC), aggregate and perform critical pathogen capture, detection and signaling for modulating immune responses. In tandem with KC, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) complement KC blood filtration and capture of pathogens as well as determine KC aggregation at the periportal sites. Failure of these systems to establish critical spatial configurations could ironically facilitate HBV invasion and entrenchment. Investigating the impacts of spatial and structural variations on the HBV infection dynamic is experimentally challenging at best. Alternatively, mathematical modeling methods provide exquisite control over said variations, permitting teasing out the subtle and competing dynamics at play within the liver terrain. Coordinating with experimental observations, multi-scale modeling methods hold promise to illuminate HBV reliance on features of the liver terrain, and potentially how it may be defeated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although New Zealand's 2020 biodiversity strategy, Te Mana o Te Taiao, places a high priority on protecting indigenous ecosystems, it provides minimal detail on how this will be accomplished. Using spatial data and a conservation prioritisation tool we demonstrate the implementation of a comprehensive framework for the systematic conservation of New Zealand's terrestrial ecosystems, as proposed in a pioneering paper by Kelly (1980). Working within the Horizons Region (Manawatū-Whanganui, lower North Island), we analyse the extent of losses of 65 terrestrial ecosystems since human settlement by combining maps of their potential distribution and current land cover. Two-thirds of the original indigenous cover has been lost, with lowland ecosystems suffering greatest losses; much surviving cover is substantially modified. Our prioritisation analyses identify various options for siting conservation management to maintain the integrity of a full range of indigenous ecosystems in a highly modified landscape, given varying degrees of constraint on the availability of land for conservation. Restricting management to DOC-administered land would severely constrain ecosystem representation, but dramatic improvements in ecosystem representation would result from protecting and managing a relatively small number of sites on land of other tenures, mostly at lower elevations. Results such as these could play a crucial role in supporting achievement of New Zealand's high-level goals for ecosystem conservation and meeting international conservation obligations. They could be used to (1) assess the conservation status of individual terrestrial ecosystems, (2) develop national and regional policies specifically targeting protection of at-risk ecosystems, (3) design and implement strategies that explicitly target management across a full range of ecosystems, (4) support processes designed to coordinate management among different conservation actors, and (5) inform individual landowners of the conservation value of indigenous ecosystems on their land. Obstacles to implementing such an approach include a range of technical, institutional, and social factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many plant species with overlapping geographic ranges segregate at smaller spatial scales. This spatial segregation—zonation when it follows an abiotic gradient and habitat partitioning when it does not—has been experimentally investigated for over a century often using distantly related taxa, such as different genera of algae or barnacles. In those foundational studies, trade‐offs between stress tolerance and competitive ability were found to be the major driving factors of habitat partitioning for both animals and plants. Yet, the evolutionary relationships among segregating species are usually not taken into account. Since close relatives are hypothesized to compete more intensely and are more likely to interact during mating compared to distant relatives, the mechanisms underlying habitat partitioning may differ depending on the relatedness of the species in question. Here, I propose an integration of ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to habitat partitioning in plants, specifically how the relative contributions of factors predictably change with relatedness of taxa. Interspecific reproductive interactions in particular are understudied, yet important drivers of habitat partitioning. In spatially segregated species, interspecific mating can reduce the fitness of rare immigrants, preventing their establishment and maintaining patterns of spatial segregation. In this synthesis, I review the literature on mechanisms of habitat partitioning in plants within an evolutionary framework, identifying knowledge gaps and detailing future directions for this rapidly growing field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural processes and biodiversity are under pressure, especially in the human-dominated region of Central Europe. Therefore, an effective approach is needed for the conservation of the last fragments of valuable habitats. Šumava National Park is one of the biggest relatively natural forested areas within the cultural landscapes of Czechia and Central Europe. It has been protected since 1991 as a National Park, but management has been changed several times; thus, we would like to create a map with nature protection prioritization based on objective procedures and data to help manage the National Park with regard to its goals. We used occurrence data for 50 selected key fauna and flora species and made habitat suitability models; furthermore, data derived from the habitat mapping layer describing the quality of habitats were prepared. These data were inputs for prioritization ZONATION software resulting in a prioritization map, which could be compared with the current zonation of the National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Protected areas (PAs) in China have typically been designed by considering one or several focal taxa (e.g., relict plant and vertebrate species), but the effectiveness of these "protective umbrellas" in safeguarding insects remains unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the distribution and diversity of endemic true bugs for four family groups (i.e., Miridae, Lygaeoidea, Pentatomidae, and Reduviidae) in China, the environmental factors shaping these diversity patterns, and the effectiveness of China's PAs in safeguarding their diversity. Location: China. Methods: We mapped the spatial distributions of 1028 endemic true bugs in China using stacked species distribution models and pixel grids of observed points. The environmental factors that influence diversity patterns across China were explored by generalized linear models and random forest models. The effectiveness of PAs in safeguarding species distributions was evaluated by the Zonation platform. Main results: We found that most (84.9%) diversity hotspots for total species were located in mountainous areas of southern China. Additionally, the diversity patterns are shaped by the combined effects of different environmental factors, with the minimum temperature of the coldest month, annual precipitation, and elevation showing the strongest effects. On average, Chinese PAs covered 10.2% of the distribution areas of these endemic true bugs. Main conclusions In general, our research identifies the important roles of mountainous areas in southern China in maintaining species diversity. Moreover, our research also suggests that PAs in China could not provide sufficient protection for this diversity. Protecting these endemic true bugs diversity should be valued more in mountainous areas of southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges we face this century, and all species will likely be affected by it. Climate change may cause organisms to advance their phenology, delay reproduction, shift their ranges northwards, or even reduce their range. Reptiles, as typical ectotherms, are more sensitive to climate change, mainly in the form of range shifts. The crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus Ahl, 1930) belongs to a monophyletic family and genus and is a relict species from the late Quaternary glacial period. Given its unique evolutionary history, it arguably has greater conservation value. The overall population size of this species is decreasing due to habitat destruction and over-exploitation (e.g., traditional medicine, food, and pet trade). This study evaluated the effect of climate change and dispersal capacity on the potential distribution range of crocodile lizards. Temperature and precipitation interact to affect the distribution of crocodile lizards. Historical climate has seen a large expansion in the range of the crocodile lizard. However, in a future global warming scenario, the potential range of crocodile lizards will continue to shrink. The same results were obtained for different migration scenarios. However, to better predict future changes to the distribution range of the crocodile lizard we need more fieldwork and ground truthing. All we can do currently is try to protect the lizard and its habitat to ensure their continued survival. Crocodile lizards (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) are an endangered, 'living fossil' reptile from a monophyletic family and therefore, a high priority for conservation. We constructed climatic models to evaluate the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of crocodile lizards for the period 2000 to 2100 and determined the key environmental factors that affect the dispersal of this endangered species. For the construction of climatic models, we used 985 presence-only data points and 6 predictor variables which showed excellent performance (AUC = 0.974). The three top-ranked factors predicting crocodile lizard distribution were precipitation of the wettest month (bio13, 37.1%), precipitation of the coldest quarter (bio19, 17.9%), and temperature seasonality (bio4, 14.3%). Crocodile lizards were, just as they are now, widely distributed in the north of Guangdong Province in China and Quảng Ninh Province in Vietnam at the last glacial maximum (LGM). Since the LGM, there has been an increase in suitable habitats, particularly in east-central Guangxi Province, China. Under future global warming scenarios, the potential habitat for crocodile lizards is expected to decrease significantly in the next 100 years. Under the most optimistic scenario, only 7.35% to 6.54% of suitable habitat will remain, and under the worst climatic scenario, only 8.34% to 0.86% of suitable habitat will remain. Models for no dispersal and limited dispersal showed that all crocodile lizards would lose habitat as temperatures increase. Our work contributes to an increased understanding of the current and future spatial distribution of the species, supporting practical management and conservation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents the technology of complex water treatment. For the first time, a method for the joint use of electrochemical oxidation and air aeration is proposed. An assessment of the degree of influence of hydrogeological factors on the protection of groundwater from pollution is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many threats to biodiversity can be predicted and are well mapped but others are uncertain in their extent, impact on biodiversity, and ability for conservation efforts to address, making them more difficult to account for in spatial conservation planning efforts, and as a result, they are often ignored. Here, we use a spatial prioritisation analysis to evaluate the consequences of considering only relatively well-mapped threats to biodiversity and compare this with planning scenarios that also account for more uncertain threats (in this case mining and armed conflict) under different management strategies. We evaluate three management strategies to address these more uncertain threats: 1. to ignore them; 2. avoid them; or 3. specifically target actions towards them, first individually and then simultaneously to assess the impact of their inclusion in spatial prioritisations. We apply our approach to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and identify priority areas for conserving biodiversity and carbon sequestration services. We found that a strategy that avoids addressing threats of mining and armed conflict more often misses important opportunities for biodiversity conservation, compared to a strategy that targets action towards areas under threat (assuming a biodiversity benefit is possible). We found that considering mining and armed conflict threats to biodiversity independently rather than simultaneously results in 13 800–14 800 km2 and 15 700–25 100 km2 of potential missed conservation opportunities when undertaking threat-avoiding and threat-targeting management strategies, respectively. Our analysis emphasises the importance of considering all threats that can be mapped in spatial conservation prioritisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the adult liver, drug‐metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) efficiently metabolize drugs by forming an expression pattern called "zonation" structure around the central veins (CV). However, most previous studies on CYPs have focused on the expression levels of CYP mRNA and proteins in the whole liver. In this study, we analyzed not only the expression levels of Cyp2c family mRNAs and proteins in mice during fetal liver development, but also the relationship with their localization. In the whole fetal liver, Cyp2c mRNA and protein were hardly expressed. On the other hand, zonation analysis results showed that only some cells around the CV of the fetal liver expressed Cyp2c. In addition, the protein expression level of Cyp2c in the whole liver during the neonatal period started from postnatal day (P) 7 in both males and females, while the zonation was weakly formed from P5. This study suggested that fetal liver cannot metabolize Cyp2c substrate drugs transferred from mother to fetus due to the low expression of Cyp2c and unformed zonation. The expression level of Cyp2c protein in neonates was lower than that in adult liver, and the zonation structure was not clear, suggesting that drug metabolism was not sufficient. Furthermore, this study revealed that the expression level of Cyp2c does not correlate with the formation of zonation structures, because Cyp2c expression is found in hepatocytes near the CV even in the fetal and neonatal stages, when Cyp2c protein expression is hardly detectable in the whole liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epiphytic lichen species richness and community composition was compared for 600 living trees distributed within the interior of 60 Scots pine and Norway spruce monoculture stands in southern Sweden. A higher species richness, and more unique species, was found on trees of Scots pine than of Norway spruce, and distinctive communities were associated with the two tree species. Lichen species composition also shifted between the 30-, 55- and 80-year-old stands, although there was no significant difference in species richness between the different age classes. Tree species and age of the stand explained most of the variation in community composition (41%), with additional variance explained by lichen proximity to the ground (6%) and aspect (1%) (northern/southern side of trunk). Scots pine and Norway spruce share many attributes, such as both being conifers with acidic bark properties and having a similar geographical distribution in Fennoscandia. However, our study showed that species richness and community composition can nevertheless diverge in stands dominated by these two tree species. Since the occurrence of red-listed species was low in these stands, we suggest that 80-year rotations are not long enough for the occurrence of the many rare and specialized lichen species that require old forest structures and long forest continuity in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial communities of sandy beaches are poorly described despite the biogeochemical importance and ubiquity of these ecosystems. Using metabarcoding of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, we investigated the diversity, microhabitats (with or between sand grains) and intertidal distributions of microorganisms (including meiofauna) from pristine sandy beaches in British Columbia, Canada, and hypothesized that abiotic variations due to microhabitat or intertidal gradients influence the distribution of microorganisms on local scales. Bacterial, archaeal and protistan communities of the sand were clearly distinct from interstitial communities, and from planktonic communities of the overlying seawater, which correlated with differences in function and lifestyle (e.g., sulphur reduction and gliding motility). In contrast, meiofaunal communities could not be distinguished by sample type, suggesting that they are more frequently mobilized between these microhabitats. Across intertidal zones, high intertidal, mid intertidal and low intertidal/swash communities were distinct and correlated with moisture, organic carbon and phosphate content, implying that the distribution of microorganisms is influenced by intertidal abiotic gradients. However, few taxa at the genus or species level individually contributed to this zonation pattern; rather, a unique combination of multiple microbial taxa was probably responsible. Although significant differences in microbial community composition on sandy beaches can be attributed to microhabitat and intertidal gradients, further investigations are needed to assess community assembly processes, the consistency of these distributions, and the functions of the majority of the microorganisms observed in the sand and their effects on the biogeochemistry and ecology of sandy beaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is routinely used to locate the isolated elements that produce reflection hyperbolas in radargrams. However, we propose a method in this study for locating the various interfaces appearing in a medium by studying the signal attenuation to obtain resistivity sections. GPR signal decay has a strong relationship with the electromagnetic properties of the medium, particularly the electrical resistivity and permittivity. To assign values of resistivity to different layers, a relationship between the attenuation coefficient and the above parameters must be used. Moreover, there are geometric effects that affect the energy loss and, therefore, the signal amplitude, that are jointly considered for the elimination of such effects before calculating the attenuation coefficient. An envelope function of the traces previously corrected for geometric effects was created to detect interfaces in the medium and generate a local decay curve and radargram zonation. Two relationships are necessary for obtaining the resistivity values from signal decay: first, a relationship between the resistivity and relative permittivity of the medium; and second, a relationship between the attenuation coefficient and resistivity. A resistivity section obtained from the GPR data is shown with an electrical tomography section at the same location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide information on the seabirds occurring year-round in waters of the French Guiana Exclusive Economic Zone, based on data obtained from three boat-based campaigns: a campaign by the Groupe d'Étude et de Protection des Oiseaux de Guyane was conducted for four days every two months from July 2011 to June 2012; a campaign by Cohabys was performed for five days per month from January to May 2018; and a campaign by Ocean Science & Logistic consisted of four 10-day surveys conducted in June, July, September, and October 2018. Overall, 30 seabird species within 1 110 groups of birds were sighted along 6 686 km of surveys conducted during favorable weather conditions (Beaufort < 5). Seabirds of the family Laridae were the most frequently observed, followed by those of the family Procellariidae. In waters over the continental slope, the most frequently observed species were Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus; Brown Noddy Anous stolidus; Wilson's Oceanites oceanicus and Leach's Hydrobates leucorhous Storm Petrels; Great Ardenna gravis, Manx Puffinus puffinus, and Audubon's Puffinus lherminieri Shearwaters; and Masked Booby Sula dactylatra. In waters over the shelf, the most common species were Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla, and Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus. In the coastal area, the most common species were Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, and Cayenne Tern T. acuflavidus eurygnathus. The Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens was sighted in all habitats. Monthly presence/absence and associations of species were also analyzed. Our results underline the high species diversity of seabirds within the waters of French Guiana as well as the diverse uses of available habitats. Indeed, the region is not only a major nesting area, but also a major foraging area for wintering, summering, and migrating species. We recommend strengthening seabird conservation measures and, in particular, increasing the extent of Marine Protected Areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently studies have shown that Rhizaria, a super-group of marine protists, have a large role in pelagic ecosystems. They are unique in that they construct mineral tests out of silica, calcium carbonate, or strontium sulfate. As a consequence, Rhizaria can have large impacts on the ocean's cycling of carbon and other elements. However, less is known about Rhizaria ecology or their role in the pelagic food-web. Some taxa, like certain Radiolarians, are mixotrophic, hosting algal symbionts. While other taxa are flux-feeders or even predatory carnivores. Some prior research has suggested that Rhizaria will partition vertically in the water column, likely due to different trophic strategies. However, very few studies have investigated their populations over extended periods of time. In this study, we present data investigating Rhizaria abundance and vertical distribution from over a year of monthly cruises in the Sargasso Sea. This study represents the first quantification of Rhizaria throughout the mesopelagic zone in an oligotrophic system for an extended period of time. We use this data to investigate the hypothesis that Rhizaria taxonomic groups will partition due to trophic mode. We also investigate how their abundance varies in accordance with environmental parameters. Rhizaria abundance was quantified using an Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP5), an in-situ imaging device. Ultimately, we show that different Rhizaria taxa will have unique vertical distribution patterns. Models relating their abundance to environmental parameters have mixed results, yet particle concentration is a common predictive variable, supporting the importance of heterotrophy amongst many taxa. • Rhizaria abundance estimates were measured using an Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP5-HD) throughout the mesopelagic across multiple cruises in the Sargasso Sea with the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS). • Different taxa displayed distinct vertical distribution patterns with mixotrophic taxa often occupying upper portions of the water column. • A stepwise GAM approach was used to relate Rhizaria to environmental parameters. • A backwards-stepwise GAM approach was used to • Integrated Rhizaria abundances were often related to particle concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zonation is a typical pattern of soil distribution and species assembly across riparian habitats. Microorganisms are essential members of riparian ecosystems and whether soil microbial communities demonstrate similar zonation patterns and how bulk and rhizosphere soil microorganisms interact along the elevation (submergence stress) gradient remain largely unknown. In this study, bulk and rhizosphere (dominant plant) soil samples were collected and investigated across riparian zones where the submergence stress intensity increased as the elevation decreased. Results showed that the richness of bacterial communities in bulk and rhizosphere soil samples was significantly different and presented a zonation pattern along with the submergence stress gradient. Bulk soil at medium elevation that underwent moderate submergence stress had the most abundant bacterial communities, while the species richness of rhizobacteria at low elevation that experienced serious submergence stress was the highest. Additionally, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and significance tests showed that bulk and rhizosphere soil samples were distinguished according to the structure of bacterial communities, and so were bulk or rhizosphere soil samples from different elevations. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Mantel test suggested that bacterial communities of bulk soil mainly relied on the contents of soil organic matter, total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Contrastingly, the contents of Na and Mg were the main factors explaining the variation in rhizobacterial community composition. Correlation and microbial source tracking analyses showed thatthe relationship of bulk and rhizosphere soil bacteria became much stronger, and the rhizosphere soil may get more bacterial communities from bulk soil with the increase in submergence severity. Our results suggest that the abiotic and biotic components of the riparian ecosystem are closely covariant along the submergence stress gradient and imply that the bacterial community may be a key node linking soil physiochemical properties and vegetation communities. [Display omitted] • Periodic submergence made bacterial community composition to be a zonation pattern. • The abundances of soil bacteria showed distinct patterns with submergence stress changed. • SOM, TC, TN, Na, Ca and Mg were the main drivers of bacterial assemblage in bulk soil. • Rhizobacteria of bermudagrass were mainly shaped by environment factors of Na and Mg. • Relevance of bulk and rhizosphere soil bacteria increased as submergence stress enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) marks the birth of a new era in physiology and medicine. Within foreseeable future, we will know exactly what genes are expressed - and at what levels - in all the different cell types and subtypes that make up our bodies. We will also learn how a particular cell state, whether it occurs during development, tissue repair, or disease, reflects precise changes in gene expression. While profoundly impacting all areas of life science, scRNAseq may lead to a particular leap in vascular biology research. Blood vessels pervade and fulfill essential functions in all organs, but the functions differ. Innumerable organ-specific vascular adaptations and specializations are required. These, in turn, are dictated by differential gene expression by the two principal cellular building blocks of blood vessels: endothelial cells and mural cells. An organotypic vasculature is essential for functions as diverse as thinking, gas exchange, urine excretion, and xenobiotic detoxification in the brain, lung, kidney, and liver, respectively. In addition to the organotypicity, vascular cells also differ along the vascular arterio-venous axis, referred to as zonation, differences that are essential for the regulation of blood pressure and flow. Moreover, gene expression-based molecular changes dictate states of cellular activity, necessary for angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and immune cell trafficking, i.e. functions necessary for development, inflammation, and repair. These different levels of cellular heterogeneity create a nearly infinite phenotypic diversity among vascular cells. In this review, I summarize and exemplify what scRNAseq has brought to the picture in just a few years and point out where it will take us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern acorn barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides) is a robust system to study the genetic basis of adaptations to highly heterogeneous environments. Adult barnacles may be exposed to highly dissimilar levels of thermal stress depending on where they settle in the intertidal (i.e., closer to the upper or lower tidal boundary). For instance, barnacles near the upper tidal limit experience episodic summer temperatures above recorded heat coma levels. This differential stress at the microhabitat level is also dependent on the aspect of sun exposure. In the present study, we used pool‐seq approaches to conduct a genome wide screen for loci responding to intertidal zonation across the North Atlantic basin (Maine, Rhode Island, and Norway). Our analysis discovered 382 genomic regions containing SNPs which are consistently zonated (i.e., SNPs whose frequencies vary depending on their position in the rocky intertidal) across all surveyed habitats. Notably, most zonated SNPs are young and private to the North Atlantic. These regions show high levels of genetic differentiation across ecologically extreme microhabitats concomitant with elevated levels of genetic variation and Tajima's D, suggesting the action of non‐neutral processes. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that spatially heterogeneous selection is a general and repeatable feature for this species, and that natural selection can maintain functional genetic variation in heterogeneous environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosphere reserves (BR) balance biodiversity protection and sustainable use through different management restrictions in three zones: core areas, buffer zones, and transition areas. Information about the links between zoning and ecosystem services (ES) is lacking, particularly in terms of the relative roles of natural contributions (ecosystem properties and functions) and anthropogenic contributions (human inputs such as technology and infrastructure) in coproducing ES. This study aimed to: (1) analyse how coproduction of four ES (crop production, grazing, timber production, recreation) differs across the three zones of BRs; and (2) understand which predictors (zoning, natural and anthropogenic contributions, other environmental characteristics) best explain ES provision within BRs. To do this, we collected spatial data on 137 terrestrial BRs in the European Union and on 16 indicators of ES coproduction. We used non-parametric pairwise Wilcoxon rank sum tests to calculate differences in indicators between zones. We used model selection and multiple linear regression to identify predictors of ES provision patterns. Anthropogenic contributions showed most differences between zones, with contributions generally increasing from buffer zones to transition areas. Natural contributions did not, on average, differ between zones, however, for recreation and crop production they decreased from buffer zones to transition areas. ES provision differed between zones only for crop production and grazing, which increased from buffer zones to transition areas. Regression analysis showed that natural contributions are the best predictors of ES provision for all four services. Our results indicate that zoning of BRs has implications for ES coproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Private land often encompasses biodiversity features of high conservation value, but its protection is not straightforward. Commonly, landowners' perspectives are rightfully allowed to influence conservation actions. This unlikely comes without consequences on biodiversity or other aspects such as economic considerations, but these consequences are rarely quantitatively considered in decision-making. In the context of boreal mire protection in Finland, we report how acknowledging landowners' resistance to protection changes the combination of mires selected to conservation compared to ignoring landowners' opinions. Using spatial prioritization, we quantify trade-offs arising between the amount of landowners' resistance, protected biodiversity, and financial costs in different conservation scenarios. Results show that the trade-offs cannot be fully avoided. Nevertheless, we show that the systematic examination of the trade-offs opens up options to alleviate them. This can promote the evaluation of different conservation policy outcomes, enabling better-informed conservation decisions and more effective and socially sustainable allocation of conservation resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several attempts have been made to find universal zonation schemes for the benthic fauna in sandy beaches. Usually, the nature and number of zones are not fixed and depend on the beach type and temporal changes in environmental characteristics. We characterized spatial and temporal variations in the structure of macrobenthic communities on an Amazonian macrotidal sandy beach (Farol Beach, Algodoal‐Maiandeua Island, Brazil). Samples (macrobenthos and sediments) were collected during the rainy (March 2012 and 2013) and dry seasons (September 2011 and 2012) at six equidistant sites (50 m apart) from the high tide water mark to the swash zone. The physical gradients influenced the faunal distribution, with significant seasonal variations. Density and diversity increased seaward, while increasing moisture, organic matter content, and fine grains in sediments. Two faunal zonation schemes were observed. In the dry season, three faunal zones were distinguished: upper‐intertidal, mid‐intertidal, and low‐intertidal, whereas in the rainy season, only two faunal zones were distinguished: upper‐intertidal and low‐intertidal. In the rainy season, the physical gradients along the intertidal appeared to be smooth, allowing the expansion of the upper‐tidal zone. This study provides novel insights into macrobenthic distribution patterns, reinforcing that tropical macrotidal beaches have unique characteristics that strongly influence macrobenthic distribution patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purinergic signaling is a fundamental mechanism used by all cells to control their internal activities and interact with the environment. A key component of the purinergic system, the enzyme ecto-5′-nucleotidase (CD73) catalyzes the last step in the extracellular metabolism of ATP to form adenosine. Efforts to harness the therapeutic potential of endogenous adenosine in cancer have culminated in the ongoing clinical development of multiple CD73-targeting antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors. However, recent studies are painting an increasingly complex picture of CD73 mRNA and protein regulation and function in cellular homeostasis, physiological adaptation, and disease development. This review discusses the latest conceptual and methodological advances that are helping to unravel the complexity of this important enzyme that was identified nearly 90 years ago. The ectoenzyme CD73, and its product adenosine, control cellular homeostasis and allostasis by integrating extracellular purinergic signaling with intracellular kinase activities and gene transcription. CD73 is complex and coordinated at multiple levels, including transcriptional (by hypoxia), post-transcriptional (by production of an alternative splice isoform and circular mRNA), and post-translational (by N -glycosylation and shedding from the membrane to produce a soluble form). An oxygen gradient patterns zonal expression of CD73 to regulate the long-term metabolic and immune stability of epithelial cells and tissues. Multiple CD73 inhibitors are undergoing clinical development for cancer. Given the complex regulation and homeostatic functions of CD73 and adenosine, caution regarding the long-term safety of systemic inhibition of CD73 is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sopcha massif, which is part of the Paleoproterozoic layered Monchegorsk Pluton (Monchepluton), contains an ore horizon with an average thickness of ca. 4 m within the homogeneous orthopyroxenite sequence. This horizon has a layered internal structure with variations in composition from dunite to orthopyroxenite and sulfide mineralization enriched in platinum group elements (PGE). All the rocks of the ore horizon include accessory chrome-spinels, which demonstrate a high variability of the composition and are divided into two groups based on their optical properties and chemical composition. Group I chrome-spinels belong to Al-chromites. They occur as homogeneous grains in fine-to-medium-grained orthopyroxenite at the top of the horizon and form cores of zoned chrome-spinels in the medium-to-coarse-grained orthopyroxenite and harzburgite. Group II chrome-spinels belong to Fe-chromites. They form homogeneous grains in dunite and harzburgite and rims of zoned grains in harzburgite. Chemical compositions of Group I chrome-spinels are characterized by high contents of Al2O3 and Cr2O3, an increased MgO but low contents of FeOtot and values of Cr#= Cr/(Cr + Al) and Fe3+# = Fe3+/Fetot. Group II chrome-spinels have low Al2O3 and MgO contents, and sharply increased values of Cr# and Fe3+#. This variability in the composition of chrome-spinels is caused by decreasing melt temperature in the process of its cooling during two stages of magmatic crystallization. At the first stage, cumulus crystallization of Group I chrome-spinels and subsolidus diffusion between spinel and olivine ("mineral-mineral" reaction) occurred at a temperature of about 1170 °C. At the second stage, reactions between Group I chrome-spinels and intercumulus melt ("mineral-melt" reactions) resulted in the formation of a rims of zoned chrome-spinels and homogeneous Group II chrome-spinels at a temperature of 1070–970 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Jurassic coral assemblages and their ecological reef zonation (as a function of water depth) were studied in 490 m deep shafts dug for the underground laboratory of the French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (ANDRA). Based on a quantitative approach, several ecozones are distinguished. Identified ecozones represent evolution from the initiation of the reef during a shallowing of depositional environments to the end of the platform progradation in sheltered settings. Ecozones are defined by the most abundant genera Dimorpharaea, Microsolena, Rhabdophyllia, Comoseris, and Stylina. The slight differences between these coral associations when compared to regional outcrops can be explained by the more distal palaeogeographical location of the studied section, close to the platform margin. This study strengthens the zonation model proposed for coeval Oxfordian outcrops in the Jura Mountains with the exception that the Rhabdophyllia ecozone replaces the Dendraraea ecozone. Other comparisons are proposed and take into account the progress in coral taxonomy in the past 15 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat destruction reduces biodiversity and affects ecosystem functioning, putting at risk the provision of ecosystem services (ESs) essential for human well‐being. Ecological restoration using native species with multiple uses may offer a long‐term supply of natural resources for vulnerable human populations. We selected priority areas for restoration in the Brazilian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (Caatinga), targeting areas with high ES demand but low supply. We estimated the supply and demand for three ESs: (1) food/medicine, (2) wood production, and (3) pollination. We estimated ES supply using maps of the potential geographical distribution of 194 native plant species used by the local population as a means of livelihood. For ES demand, we used maps of population density, rural municipalities, wood productivity, and crops dependent on pollination. We used a large‐scale prioritization tool (Zonation) to select two scenarios for each ES: (1) ES supply‐only and (2) ES supply + ES demand, selecting only nonvegetated areas. To select priority areas, where the potential occurrence of species (ES supply) corresponds to areas of high demand for the same services, we overlapped the maps of the two scenarios for each ES. The highest percentage of scenario overlap occurred for food/medicine ES (45%), whereas pollination showed the lowest percentage of overlap (10%), indicating little similarity between potential ES supply and demand areas. Our study shows the importance of including ES in ecological restoration opportunities, taking into account the vulnerable human population in dry regions and their demand for natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ETref) is a crucial component for modeling hydrological and ecological cycles. The goal of this study was the calibration of 32 empirical equations used to determine ETref in the three classes of temperature-based, solar radiation–based, and mass transfer–based evapotranspiration. The calibration was based on measurements taken between the years 1990 and 2019 at 41 synoptic stations located in very dry, dry, semidry, and humid climates of Iran. The performance of the original and calibrated empirical equations compared to the PM-FAO56 equation was evaluated based on model evaluation techniques including the coefficient of determination (R2), the root mean square error (RMSE), the average percentage error (APE), the mean bias error (MBE), the index of agreement (D), and the scatter index (SI). The results show that the calibrated Baier and Robertson equation for temperature-based models, the Jensen and Haise equation for solar radiation–based models, and the Penman equation for mass transfer–based models performed better than the original empirical equations. The calibrated equations had, respectively, an average R2 = 0.73, 0.67, and 0.78; RMSE = 35.14, 35.02, and 30.20 mm year-1; and MBE = − 5.6, − 3.89, and 2.57 mm year-1. The original empirical equations had values of average R2 = 0.60, 0.37, and 0.65; RMSE = 68.34, 66.98, and 52.62 mm year-1; and MBE = − 5.75, 4.26, and 8.99 mm year-1, respectively. The calibrated empirical equations for very dry climate (e.g., Zabol, Zahedan, Bam, Iranshahr, and Chabahar stations) also significantly reduced the SI value from SI > 0.3 (poor class) to SI < 0.1 (excellent class). Therefore, the calibrated empirical equations are highly recommended for estimating ETref in different climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping large territories for earthquake-induced soil liquefaction hazard may sound like an oxymoron since soil liquefaction is by itself a spatially highly localized phenomenon. Thus, the zonation of liquefaction hazard at the continental scale (i.e. megazonation) is a truly hard facing challenge even if accepting a low level accuracy. Yet, the availability of a megazonation chart of liquefaction hazard could be useful to identify territories that in case of an earthquake may display this phenomenon of soil instability distinguishing them from the regions where soil liquefaction is not expected even in case of strong ground shaking. A representation of the spatial variability of liquefaction hazard potential within a single country is within reach considering the resolution and accuracy of geological and geotechnical information that is currently available in the most developed nations. The LIQUEFACT project fully addressed in a specific work package the problem of constructing georeferenced, earthquake-induced soil liquefaction hazard maps in continental Europe for various return periods. They were built using homogeneous datasets in Europe on the expected seismic hazard and on the geological, geomorphological, hydrogeological, shallow lithology and digital terrain information. A probabilistic prediction model based on a logistic regression for liquefaction occurrence was purposely developed using a set of optimal geospatial predictors (explanatory variables) which include the weighted-magnitude peak ground acceleration, the weighted-mean shear-wave velocity in the top 30 m (VS30) and the compound topographic index. The optimal geospatial descriptors were selected based on the Luco and Cornell methodology, namely on the criteria of efficiency, practicality and proficiency. To calibrate and successively validate the logistic regression, a database of liquefaction manifestations occurred in continental Europe was used. Although the level of accuracy provided by these models at a local scale is low, still the availability of continental charts of liquefaction hazard may help policy makers and administrators to prioritize which urbanized territories should be investigated further to assess the seismic risk of structures and infrastructures associated to the occurrence of soil liquefaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delineation of gully erosion susceptible areas by using statistical models, as well as optimum usage of existing data and information with the least time and cost and more precision, is important. The main objective of this study is to determine the areas accuracy to gully erosion and susceptibility mapping by using data mining of the bivariate Dempster-Shafer, linear multivariate statistical methods and their integration in Semirom watershed, southern Isfahan province. First, the geographical location of a total of 156 randomly gullies were mapped using preliminary reports, satellite imagery interpretation and field survey. In the next step, 14 conditioning parameters of the gullies in the study area were selected including the topographic, geomorphometric, environmental, and hydrologic parameters using the regional environmental characteristics and the multicollinearity test for modeling. Then, the Dempster-Shafer statistical, linear regression, and ensembled methods were developed using 70% of the identified gullies and 14 effective parameters as dependent and independent variables, respectively. The remaining 30% of the gully distribution dataset were used for validation. The results of the multivariate regression model showed that land use, slope and distance to drainage network parameters have the most significant relation to gully occurrence. The gully erosion susceptibility maps were prepared by individual and ensemble methods and they were divided to 5 classes of very low to very high rate. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to validate gully erosion susceptibly maps. The verification results showed that the AUC of ensemble method (0.948) is higher than Dempster-Shafer (0.924) and Multivariate regression (0.864) methods. Also, the the seed core area index (SCAI) value of the ensembled model from very low to very high susceptible classes have a decreasing trend that indicating a proper separation of susceptible classes by this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It still remains unclear how the functional organisation of the adrenal cortex arises. One aim of this study was to create a setup which allows for the establishment of a concentration gradient in vitro. This was achieved by a continuous flow of medium through the culture flask which caused differences in glucose and cortisol concentrations as well as in pH values between the sites of inflow and outflow of medium. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we found that a continuous supply of 1 ml medium per hour significantly increased the expression of MC2R, CYP11B1 and CYP17A1 genes of NCI-H295R cells in the distal area of the flask as compared with the proximal part. The expression of the AT1R showed a reverse regulation. The addition of dexamethasone to the medium led to an increase in gene expression of MC2R while AT1R was downregulated. Moreover, we detected a higher expression of CYP11B2 and a decreased expression of CYP11B1 when endothelial cell–conditioned medium (ECCM) was added to the inflow. Our experiments show that a directed medium delivery system creates different gradients and affects the functional differentiation of the NCI-H295R cells. Also, our results emphasise that products of endothelial cells have additional effects on the differentiation of the cultured adrenal cortical cells. Our results are in support that the regulation of the adrenal zonation is possible through different concentration gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors characterized two types of zonation within slag rims in aged alkali-activated slag (AAS) systems through SEM and TEM technology. These two elemental zonation were closely related to the pore structure of AAS pastes, thus providing strong implication for the transport- and durability-related performance of AAS systems. The first type of zonation occurred in the rims of AAS specimens under sealed curing. It was found that lath-like hydrotalcite-like phase accumulated near the boundary while a generally homogeneous and foil-like C-(N-)A-S-H gel phases precipitated in the following sub-zone. When slag rims were thick enough, a new Mg-rich region occurred. The second type of zonation was noticed in the carbonated AAS pastes. For this kind of distribution pattern, C-(N-)A-S-H gel phases were observed near the boundary. Following, the accumulation of Mg and Ca occurred alternatively. Additionally, transformation mechanism between these two types of zonation was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the integration of SEM-BSE and TEM, we gained a comprehensive 3-dimensional understanding of different distribution patterns of inner hydration products of slag. For fully hydrated small slag grains, two distinct sub-zones were formed in the rims. Lath-like, well-crystalline hydrotalcite-like crystals were found to precipitate, grow, and accumulate near the boundary, forming a layer with a thickness slightly exceeding 0.5 μm. In the center, entrapped calcium and silicon played roles in the formation of a homogeneous and fibrous C−(A)–S–H gel phase. The concentration equilibrium between cement matrix and grain core led to the establishment of a similar grey pixel value and Ca/Si atomic ratio of gel phase at ~1.10. As the size of slag grains increased, three sub-zones became visible. Hydrotalcite-like phase was enriched near the boundary, followed by a sandwiched area abundant in C–(A)–S–H gel phase. Due to the low mobility and increased migration distance, newly released magnesium from reaction front accumulated locally to form a new Mg-rich region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 15% of small vagile macrofauna could be radically disturbed and even become locally extinct in a scenario of coral reef drowning in the coming decades. Benthic organisms distribute themselves in zones of their preference, regulated by physical and biological factors, at a broad or small scale. Studies on small-scale vertical distribution are expected to grow in terms of relevance due to the likely consequences of potential rises in sea level for ecosystem biodiversity. Due to the scarcity of knowledge on this topic, this study aims to characterize the small-scale vertical distribution and zonation of the macrobenthic community in the midlittoral and shallow infralittoral zones of a coral reef environment. For the first time, we tested the hypothesis that there are important differences in the vertical distribution patterns of macrofauna in the reef environment using Artificial Substrate Units (ASU). Community structure showed significant differences even within a few centimeters. The midlittoral showed greater heterogeneity than the infralittoral, which may be threatened by the rise in mean sea level. In the horizontal plane, differences in community structure were observed, probably due to physical factors such as current flow and wave energy. The paucity of this type of research suggests the need for experimental work aimed at investigating the risks of sea level rise regarding habitat loss, biodiversity, and the modification of macrobenthic communities of coastal reefs. [Display omitted] • This study is a pioneer in small-scale zonation analysis of small coral reef macrofauna. • Macrofauna in the midlittoral had lower abundance and higher heterogeneity. • Vertical zonation was evident even between samples a few tenths of a meter apart. • Small macrofauna could be radically disturbed in the event of reef drowning in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration is an essential strategy for mitigating the current biodiversity crisis, yet restoration actions are costly. We used systematic conservation planning principles to design an approach that prioritizes restoration sites for birds and tested it in a riparian forest restoration program in the Colorado River Delta. Restoration goals were to maximize the abundance and diversity of 15 priority birds with a variety of habitat preferences. We built abundance models for priority birds based on the current landscape, and predicted bird distributions and relative abundances under a scenario of complete riparian forest restoration throughout our study area. Then, we used Zonation conservation planning software to rank this restored landscape based on core areas for all priority birds. The locations with the highest ranks represented the highest priorities for restoration and were located throughout the river reach. We optimized how much of the available landscape to restore by simulating restoration of the top 10–90% of ranked sites in 10% intervals. We found that total diversity was maximized when 40% of the landscape was restored, and mean relative abundance was maximized when 80% of the landscape was restored. The results suggest that complete restoration is not optimal for this community of priority birds and restoration of approximately 60% of the landscape would provide a balance between maximum relative abundance and diversity. Subsequent planning efforts will combine our results with an assessment of restoration costs to provide further decision support for the restoration-siting process. Our approach can be applied to any landscape-scale restoration program to improve the return on investment of limited economic resources for restoration. • Systematic conservation planning tools can be useful in landscape-scale restoration planning. • Bird-community abundance was maximized when 80% of the landscape was restored and diversity was maximized when 40% of the landscape was restored. • Six species were positively associated with increasing restoration area. • Five species were positively associated with intermediate levels of restoration. • Three species were negatively associated with increasing restoration area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Palms are an ecologically and societally important plant group, with high diversity in the Neotropics. Here, we estimated the impacts of future climate change on phylogenetic diversity (PD) of Neotropical palms under varying climatic and dispersal scenarios, assessed the effectiveness of the established network of protected areas (PAs) for conserving palms PD today and in 2070, and identified priority areas for the conservation of palm species and their evolutionary history in the face of climate change. Location: Neotropics. Methods: We used ecological niche modelling to estimate the distribution of 367 species in the present and for 2070 based on two greenhouse gas emission and two dispersal scenarios. We calculated Faith's PD within each five arc‐minute grid cell to evaluate the effectiveness of PAs relative to null models and used phylogenetic spatial prioritisation analysis to detect priority areas. Results: We found that even under the most optimistic climatic and dispersal scenarios, the established network of PAs performed poorly in safeguarding palms PD under both current conditions and those projected for 2070. Significant losses in PD inside PAs are expected under future climate conditions, especially if species are unable to disperse to suitable areas. Nevertheless, a modest and strategic increase in the number of PAs could considerably improve the protection of palms PD in the present and 2070. Main conclusions: The PD of Neotropical palms is poorly represented within the established network of PAs, at both present and in 2070. A higher realised dispersal rates would diminish PD losses inside the network of PAs. The conservation of palm PD can be improved through the expansion of PAs in strategic regions such as the upper portion of the Amazon Basin, Tropical Andes and Mesoamerica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]