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Deep-sea sponges create hotspots of biodiversity and biological activity in the otherwise barren deep-sea. However, it remains elusive how sponge hosts and their microbial symbionts acquire and process food in these food-limited environments. Therefore, we traced the processing (i.e. assimilation and respiration) of 13C- and 15N-enriched dissolved organic matter (DOM) and bacteria by three dominant North Atlantic deep-sea sponges: the high microbial abundance (HMA) demosponge Geodia barretti, the low microbial abundance (LMA) demosponge Hymedesmia paupertas, and the LMA hexactinellid Vazella pourtalesii. We also assessed the assimilation of both food sources into sponge- and bacteria-specific phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers. All sponges were capable of assimilating DOM as well as bacteria. However, processing of the two food sources differed considerably between the tested species: the DOM assimilation-to-respiration efficiency was highest for the HMA sponge, yet uptake rates were 4–5 times lower compared to LMA sponges. In contrast, bacteria were assimilated most efficiently and at the highest rate by the hexactinellid compared to the demosponges. Our results indicate that phylogeny and functional traits (e.g., abundance of microbial symbionts, morphology) influence food preferences and diet composition of sponges, which further helps to understand their role as key ecosystem engineers of deep-sea habitats.

In this paper, the characteristics of the nonlinear dynamics of thermal convection in two nanofluids and their hybrid each confined in an infinite rectangular cavity and heated from below in the presence of vertical magnetic field are studied for volume fractions fixed between 0 and 0.04. The use of the truncated Galerkin approximation made it possible to find a low-dimensional Lorenz system in order to study numerically the transition from natural convection to chaotic behavior. The various results have shown that, for low Rayleigh numbers with or without a magnetic field, the addition of nanoparticles in a base fluid (water) makes it possible to control the chaos; that is, it is possible to suppress or improve the chaotic convection. Also, during each transition, by varying the volume fraction, we notice that the critical Rayleigh number of the base fluid containing the nanoparticle of alumina is greater than that of the fluid containing copper nanoparticle. But for certain values of this volume fraction, the critical Rayleigh number of the base fluid containing copper takes over. On the other hand, for volume fractions fixed between 0 and 0.04 and Rayleigh numbers of the base fluid greater than the critical values, the bifurcation diagrams show that the copper nanofluid makes it possible to quickly switch from chaotic to periodic regimes compared to the alumina nanofluid. The use of hybrid nanoparticles allows further control of the chaos in base fluid such as water by expanding the convective flow and reducing the chaotic flow.

Tropical agriculture is highly dependent of soluble fertilizers, what raises the cost of production. An alternative to reduce the costs inputs is the use of low-cost alternative nutrient sources, such as the basic rocks. The aim of the work was to evaluate the effect of basalt powder on the soil chemical properties and plant growth. The experiment was arranged in a 2×2×2×3+4 factorial scheme: two soils (clay soil and sandy clay loam soil); two crops (maize and soybean); two agricultural inputs (basalt rock powder and limestone); three application rates (33, 66 and 99 Mg ha–1 of basalt powder or 1, 2 and 4 Mg ha–1 of limestone), and four additional control treatments, with four repetitions. The use of basalt powder resulted in greater shoots growth of maize and soybean plants when compared to the limestone. Basalt powder provided a significant increase in soil pH, Ca and P concentration; however, the higher concentration of P in the soil did not result in the greater P uptake by the plants. Even without a significant increase in the Mg concentration of the soil, basalt rock powder improved the absorption of this nutrient by the maize and soybean plants. Key words: Remineralizer, rock, soybean, maize.

Aquaculture activities are often established in the vicinity of highly populated, potentially contaminated areas. Animals cultured at such locations, namely bivalves, are frequently used as test organisms in ecotoxicological testing. In this case, a period of depuration is required to allow the normalization of physiological processes, which are likely to be altered after exposure to a multiplicity of waterborne contaminants occurring in the wild. One of the most important species in modern marine aquaculture is the oyster species Crassostrea gigas. The aim of this study was to assess if the current depuration time frame of 24 h (adopted by most aquaculture facilities), is long enough to permit oysters to revert potential toxic effects exerted by environmental contaminants, allowing their use in laboratory-based ecotoxicological studies. The selected approach involved the monitoring of biochemical (antioxidant defence, oxidative damage, phase II metabolism, and neurological homeostasis) and physiological (condition index) parameters, along a period of 42 days. The obtained results showed that a period of 24 h does not revert any of the potential toxic effects caused by environmental contaminants to which animals may have been previously subjected; even a period of 42 days was not long enough for the oysters to completely normalize the levels of their antioxidant defences, namely total GPx activity, which increased over time. Lipid peroxidation was also increased during the depuration period, and the activity of the metabolic isoenzymes GSTs was significantly decreased. Furthermore, AChE activity measured in the adductor muscle of oysters was increased over time. These assumptions suggest that a period of depuration longer than 24 h is mandatory to obtain adequate test organisms of this oyster species, to be used for ecotoxicological testing purposes. published

Endodontic infections are polymicrobial and predominantly caused by anaerobic bacteria and some facultative bacteria. The list of microorganisms involved in endodontic infections keeps expanding and has the potential to become increasingly more accurate during the next few years. Copaiba oil is an important Amazonian herbal medicine commercialized worldwide. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of copaiba oil and substances used in the treatment of endodontic infections against anaerobic microorganisms such as Prevotella melaninogenica; Prevotella intermedia; and Clostridium acetobutylicum. The MIC was determined by thioglycollate broth dilution. The data were statistically analyzed by Tukey's parametric and non-parametric methods of Cochran and Kruskal-Wallis test with a confidence level of 99%. The analysis of the antimicrobial activity showed that the samples of Copaiba oil, Sodium Hypochlorite, Otosporin, Tricresol formalin, Chlorhexidine and PMCC showed high antimicrobial activity (p

Upwelling and downwelling spectral (320–920 nm) distributions and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) intensities were measured below a first-year land-fast sea ice in a western Greenland fjord with and without a snow cover. Time-series of surface upwelling PAR, downwelling PAR, and under-ice PAR were also obtained. Spectral distributions of upwelling and downwelling irradiances were similar except for reduced intensities in the UV, the red, and NIR parts of the spectrum when the ice was snow-covered. Upwelling PAR amounted to about 10% of downwelling intensities, giving 5.1 µmol photons m-2 s-1 at the bottom of the ice with a snow cover and 8.2 µmol photons m-2 s-1 without. PAR partitioning analyses showed that the upwelling was related to scattering by suspended particles in the water column. A snow melt increased under-ice daily maximum downwelling PAR from 50 to 180 µmol photons m-2 s-1 and overall under-ice PAR of 55 and 198 µmol photons m-2 s-1 with 10% upwelling. It is concluded that upwelling PAR below sea ice might be an important factor regarding sea ice algae photophysiology and performance with a 10% higher PAR, specifically when PAR &gt, Ek the light saturation point of the sea ice algae.

Snow cover on sea ice is the most important factor controlling light availability for sea ice algae, but it is predicted by climate models to become more variable and stochastic. Here, we document effects of a sudden, complete loss of the entire snow cover on first-year sea ice at Kangerlussuaq Fjord, West Greenland, due to a natural Föhn wind event that caused a ca. 17◦ C air temperature increase over 36 h. We applied Imaging-PAM fluorometry to examine effects of snow cover on algal distribution and photobiology and observed a rapid decrease in algal biomass associated with loss of the skeletal ice crystal layer on the underside of the ice that had supported most of the visible algae. Furthermore, the remaining algae were photobiologically stressed, as seen in a significant decrease in the dark-acclimated fluorescence yield (ΦPSII_max) from 0.55 before snow loss to 0.41 after. However, recovery in the dark suggested that non-photosynthetic quenching was successfully dissipating excess energy in the community and that there was little photodamage. An observed decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency α from 0.22 to 0.16 µmol é m−2 s−1 is therefore likely to be due to photoacclimation and the change in community composition. Centric diatoms and flagellates were the main taxa lost in the snow loss event, whereas the sea ice specialist Nitzschia frigida increased in numbers. These observations are similar to those seen in artificial snow-clearing experiments and consistent with snow clearing being a useful approach for investigating the complex interactions between snow cover, irradiance fluctuations, and ice algal performance.

We have developed a convenient development-scale reactor (0.44 mol/h) to prepare diazomethane from N-methyl-N-nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide (MNTS) in ∼80% yield. Diazomethane (CH2N2) made with this ...

The development and commercialization of extra-early quality protein maize (QPM)-provitamin A (PVA) hybrids that are tolerant of low soil N (LN) and Striga resistant are essential for addressing the food insecurity and undernourishment challenges currently faced by sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study was designed (a) to determine the genetic effects regulating grain yield (GY) and important secondary traits of extra-early yellow and orange QPM-PVA inbred lines under LN, Striga-infested, and high-N (HN) conditions, (b) to investigate whether maternal genes influenced the inheritance of GY and other secondary traits, (c) to assess the GY and stability of the hybrids across the three management conditions, and (d) to examine the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker-based genetic distances and GY. Twenty-four inbred lines were used to produce ninety-six single cross hybrids using the North Carolina Design II. The performance of the hybrids plus four checks was assessed across LN, Striga-infested, and HN management conditions in Ghana and Nigeria in 2018. Additive genetic variances were preponderant over nonadditive genetic variances for GY and most secondary traits in each and across environments. TZEEQI 358 exhibited significant and positive male and female GCA effects for GY under LN, Striga infestation, HN, and across management conditions indicating that favorable alleles for GY could be donated by TZEEQI 358. Maternal effects regulated the inheritance of plant height under the Striga-infested conditions. Genetic distances were associated with GY under LN, Striga infestation, and HN conditions. TZEEIORQ 58 × TZEEQI 397 demonstrated high GY and stability of performance; therefore, it should be further tested under multiple environments for commercialization.

The authors are thankful to French embassy, Cote d'Ivoire, Universite Nangui Abrogoua (UNA), Cote d'Ivoire, and French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), France, who financially supported this research. In loving memory of Yves Lozano who left us during this period of global uncertainty of Covid-19.

No presente artigo, é apresentada a modelação de três trechos costeiros na costa Noroeste portuguesa. Apresentam-se as metodologias de construção, calibração e validação de modelos de propagação da agitação marítima e resultados de níveis extremos para diferentes cenários de alterações climáticas nos três trechos e de morfodinâmica de curto termo numa das praias. É aplicado o software SWAN na implementação de um modelo regional da zona costeira da Península Ibérica, que possibilita a aplicação de uma metodologia de downscaling dinâmico de resultados de modelos globais (atmosféricos e oceânicos), a qual permite a utilização de modelos locais de elevada resolução espacial (Delft3D). A interação dos dois modelos assim acoplados permite simular a propagação da agitação marítima até localizações próximas da costa. A modelação dos processos costeiros que governam a dinâmica sedimentar na interface mar-terra foi realizada com o software XBeach integrado no sistema de modelação SWAN+Delft3D., This paper presents a modelling work of three coastal stretches at the Northwest coast of Portugal. The implementation, calibration and validation methodologies of wave propagation models and extreme levels simulation for different climate change scenarios are presented for three coastal stretches and the short term morphodynamics is presented for one of the beaches. SWAN software is applied for the implementation of a regional coastal model of the Iberian Peninsula, which enables the application of a dynamic downscaling methodology for global (atmospheric and oceanic) model results, allowing the use of local models of high spatial resolution (Delft3D). The interaction of the two coupled models allows simulating the propagation of waves to near shore locations. Modelling of sediment dynamics at the sea-land interface was performed using XBeach software integrated with the SWAN + Delft3D modelling system., Este estudo foi parcialmente apoiado pelo fundo estratégico UID/ Multi/04423/2019 através de fundos nacionais da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia e o Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (ERDF), no âmbito do programa PT2020.

Complex [(DMPU)2Zn(CF2H)2] 1 is a crystalline organometallic reagent with utility in various catalytic difluoromethylation reactions under mild conditions. Unfortunately, this reagent is not commer...

We describe herein the development of a scalable Noyori reductive dynamic kinetic resolution to manufacture DLAC, a Δ-lactone precursor to the active pharmaceutical ingredient AMG 232. Central to t...

Purpose: Pesticide contamination of river waters is a global problem, and therefore, authorities regularly monitor the water quality status. Especially, flood events might transport large pesticide loads downstream and impact adjacent areas such as sensible floodplain environments by deposing particle bound pesticides or by contaminating the environments by dissolved substances directly. Unfortunately, only little attempts were made to quantify the pesticide pollution of such environments, as the monitoring of soil and sediment contamination is by far more time consuming and complicated compared to the analysis of water samples., Materials and methods: In the study presented, we therefore used a holistic approach starting with the reconstruction of the inundation characteristics of a floodplain located in the upper part of the river Elbe, Germany, by using nearby gauging data, screened databases for pesticide concentrations and calculated pesticide loads, and finally, sampled the floodplain soils along an elevation (inundation) gradient., Results: As expected, the reconstructed inundation characteristics showed that the low-lying areas of the backwater inflow of the floodplain were flooded more frequently compared to the areas at higher elevation, whereby even the highest elevations sampled were at least flooded during each decade. Furthermore, pesticide concentrations of the river waters and calculated pesticide loads revealed that 13 pesticides can be found regularly, whereby atrazine, terbuthylazine, metazachlor, metolachlor, isoproturon, and chlorotoluron are the main contaminants., Conclusion: Concluding, a spatial pattern in the contamination could be detected. High residues of simazine and ethofumesate were associated with areas of less and more frequent inundations, respectively. The transformation products of atrazine and terbuthylazine (2-hydroxy-atrazine and 2-hydroxy-terbuthylazine) were detected, whereby the quantity could be well explained by the inundation characteristics and pesticide loads of the river water., Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (4205)

Periodic bathymetry surveys are essential to provide data to keep navigation charts updated, obtain insights into water body bottom dynamics and processes, and for hydrodynamic modelling. Frequent bathymetry monitoring has become particularly important in a time of climate variability, which may affect hydrodynamics in yet unknown ways. Bathymetric data are, however, often scarce, because surveys are generally time consuming, expensive and complicated. A methodology combining a low-cost single beam sonar with a dual-frequency differential high-precision GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is presented. Sonar depth measurements and GNSS positions were integrated optimizing sonar and GNSS track overlay. As a result, no physical, electronic link between both devices is needed, and precise positions and depths can be obtained without the need to apply the approach based on tide correction, which always introduces some uncertainty. The methodology was successfully tested and validated, with data collected inside an estuary and offshore the estuarine inlet. Vertical accuracies, assessed at track crossings and on locations of known depths, showed mean squared errors of about 20 cm, suggesting that the method is reliable in providing bathymetric data that satisfy the highest standards of the IHO for hydrographic surveys. Validation results suggest that the effects of boat pitch, roll and yaw on depth measurements were negligible in our survey, which covered depths between 0.4 and 24.5 m below MSL and were carried out in quite calm waters, though larger errors occurred in the off-shore zone. The use of an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which can easily be coupled with the GNSS to extract ship motion data and correct depths accordingly, is advised for less optimal survey conditions and deeper waters. The proposed method is accurate, simple and affordable, allowing for more frequent surveys and a better coverage of dynamic shallow water systems such as rivers and estuaries.

Despite an increasing research conducted on ocean plastic pollution over the last decade, there are still large knowledge gaps in our current understanding of how floating plastic debris accumulating in subtropical oceanic gyres may harm the surface-associated pelagic community known as neuston. Removing floating plastic debris from the surface ocean can minimize potentially adverse effects of plastic pollution on the neuston, as well as prevent the formation of large quantities of secondary micro- and nanoplastics. However, due to the scarcity of observational data from remote and difficult to access offshore waters, neuston dynamics in subtropical oceanic gyres and thus the potential impacts of plastic pollution as well as of cleanup activities on the neuston remain uncertain. Here, we provide rare observational data of the relative distribution of floating plastic debris (0.05–5 cm in size) and members of the neuston in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Our results reveal that the dominant neustonic species co-occurring with high concentrations of floating plastic debris in the North Pacific Garbage Patch (NPGP) such as Porpita porpita, Halobates spp., pteropods, isopods, heteropods, and crabs depict either a low atmospheric drag due to physical attributes or a potential plastic-associated fitness benefit such as increased surface area for oviposition and structure for habitat. We further observe relatively higher plastic to organism ratios inside the NPGP for most target species compared to waters outside the NPGP. The findings presented here provide a first observational baseline to develop ecological models that can help evaluate the long-term risks of plastic pollution and of offshore cleanup activities for neuston in the eastern North Pacific Ocean. We further suggest that offshore mitigation strategies aiming at removing floating plastic debris from the ocean surface need to evaluate both, the direct impact of neuston bycatch during plastic removal on neuston population dynamics, as well as the potential benefits of reducing the negative effects of plastic pollution on the neuston.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals secreted by marine organisms are abundant in the ocean. These particles settle and the majority dissolves in deeper waters or at the seafloor. Dissolution of carbonates buffers the ocean, but the vertical and regional distribution and magnitude of dissolution are unclear. Here we use seawater chemistry and age data to derive pelagic CaCO3 dissolution rates in major oceanic regions and provide the first data-based, regional profiles of CaCO3 settling fluxes. We find that global CaCO3 export at 300 m depth is 76 ± 12 Tmol yr−1, of which 36 ± 8 Tmol (47%) dissolves in the water column. Dissolution occurs in two distinct depth zones. In shallow waters, metabolic CO2 release and high-magnesium calcites dominate dissolution while increased CaCO3 solubility governs dissolution in deeper waters. Based on reconstructed sinking fluxes, our data indicate a higher CaCO3 transfer efficiency from the surface to the seafloor in high-productivity, upwelling areas than in oligotrophic systems. These results have implications for assessments of future ocean acidification as well as palaeorecord interpretations, as they demonstrate that surface ecosystems, not only interior ocean chemistry, are key to controlling the dissolution of settling CaCO3 particles. About 50% of total dissolution of marine calcium carbonate occurs in the water column below 300 m depth while sinking to the seafloor, according to a reconstruction of settling fluxes of calcium carbonate in major oceanic regions from seawater observations.

Phosphorus (P) leaching from agriculture is a major driver of water eutrophication in downstream rivers and lakes. In drained lowland areas with intensive agriculture, a reduction in the fertilizer applications may be insufficient to improve the water quality in the short term as the P accumulated in the soil during decades of high fertilization may continue leaching for many years. A complementary approach to reduce P exports from agriculture is to implement edge-of-field mitigation measures at the farm scale. The selection of effective measures requires a detailed insight into the chemical and hydrological transport mechanisms. Here, we determined the main P sources, processes, and transport routes at the farm scale to support the selection of appropriate mitigation measures. We quantified the legacy P, the different P pools stored in the upper soil, and related it to the yearly P export downstream. To do this, we combined high-resolution monitoring data from the soil, groundwater, surface water, and ditch sediments. The legacy P in the topsoil was high, about 2500 kg ha−1. The predominant subsurface flow and the subsoils’ P sorption capacity retained the P mobilized from the topsoil and explained the relative moderate flux of P to surface waters (0.04 kg ha−1 during the 2018–2019 drainage season). The dissolved P entering the drainage ditch via groundwater discharge was bound to iron-containing particles formed due to the oxidation of dissolved ferrous iron. Once leached from the soil to the drainage ditch, resuspension of P-rich sediment particles during flow peaks were the most important P transport mechanism (78%). Therefore, we expect that hydraulic constructions that reduce flow velocities and promote sedimentation of P-containing particles could reduce the export of P further downstream.

Benthic animals profoundly influence the cycling and storage of carbon and other elements in marine systems, particularly in coastal sediments. Recent climate change has altered the distribution and abundance of many seafloor taxa and modified the vertical exchange of materials between ocean and sediment layers. Here, we examine how climate change could alter animal-mediated biogeochemical cycling in ocean sediments.The fossil record shows repeated major responses from the benthos during mass extinctions and global carbon perturbations, including reduced diversity, dominance of simple trace fossils, decreased burrow size and bioturbation intensity, and nonrandom extinction of trophic groups. The broad dispersal capacity of many extant benthic species facilitates poleward shifts corresponding to their environmental niche as overlying water warms. Evidence suggests that locally persistent populations will likely respond to environmental shifts through either failure to respond or genetic adaptation rather than via phenotypic plasticity. Regional and global ocean models insufficiently integrate changes in benthic biological activity and their feedbacks on sedimentary biogeochemical processes. The emergence of bioturbation, ventilation, and seafloor-habitat maps and progress in our mechanistic understanding of organism-sediment interactions enable incorporation of potential effects of climate change on benthic macrofaunal mediation of elemental cycles into regional and global ocean biogeochemical models., SCOPUS: re.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Sponges produce distinct fatty acids (FAs) that (potentially) can be used as chemotaxonomic and ecological biomarkers to study endosymbiont-host interactions and the functional ecology of sponges. Here, we present FA profiles of five common habitat-building deep-sea sponges (class Demospongiae, order Tetractinellida), which are classified as high microbial abundance (HMA) species. Geodia hentscheli, G. parva, G. atlantica, G. barretti, and Stelletta rhaphidiophora were collected from boreal and Arctic sponge grounds in the North-Atlantic Ocean. Bacterial FAs dominated in all five species and particularly isomeric mixtures of mid-chain branched FAs (MBFAs, 8- and 9-Me-C16:0 and 10- and 11-Me-C18:0) were found in high abundance (together ≥ 20% of total FAs) aside more common bacterial markers. In addition, the sponges produced long-chain linear, mid- and a(i)-branched unsaturated FAs (LCFAs) with a chain length of 24‒28 C atoms and had predominantly the typical Δ5,9 unsaturation, although the Δ9,19 and (yet undescribed) Δ11,21 unsaturations were also identified. G. parva and S. rhaphidiophora each produced distinct LCFAs, while G. atlantica, G. barretti, and G. hentscheli produced similar LCFAs, but in different ratios. The different bacterial precursors varied in carbon isotopic composition (δ13C), with MBFAs being more enriched compared to other bacterial (linear and a(i)-branched) FAs. We propose biosynthetic pathways for different LCFAs from their bacterial precursors, that are consistent with small isotopic differences found in LCFAs. Indeed, FA profiles of deep-sea sponges can serve as chemotaxonomic markers and support the concept that sponges acquire building blocks from their endosymbiotic bacteria.

Estuaries have huge socio-economic and environmental importance. They are a shelter for many species and their natural resources are exploited by human activities. However, the intensification of flood events and the sea-level rise (SLR), caused by climate change (CC), can jeopardize its complex dynamics. This work characterizes the hydrodynamic behaviour of the Douro river estuary, located in northern Portugal, under extreme flood events. This coastal system, with high population density and strong urbanized banks, is particularly important in terms of economic activities mainly related to Port wine cellars, tourism, and navigation. A numerical model of the estuary was set up and calibrated using the OpenDA software to automatically determine the model’s parameters/coefficients values. Besides, several numerical scenarios were run considering different extreme sea levels (ESL), associated with CC conditions, and extreme flood discharges (EFD), resulting from the 50, 100, and 1000 years return period estimation. Results showed that for the same flood river discharge, a water level variation from 13 to 40 cm is expected at the estuarine mouth, depending on the CC scenario. However, the water level in the Douro estuary is mainly affected by river discharges rather than by SLR. This is a consequence of the geometric configuration of the deep and narrow estuarine channel. It was also demonstrated that the breakwaters can increase flood risk during extreme events for this estuarine region, enhancing the importance of implement methodologies, such as the one proposed in this work, to unravel the configuration of complex estuarine hydrodynamic patterns.

The coastal zone of the Baltic Sea is diverse with strong regional differences in the physico-chemical setting. This diversity is also reflected in the importance of different biogeochemical processes altering nutrient and organic matter fluxes on the passage from land to sea. This review investigates the most important processes for removal of nutrients and organic matter, and the factors that regulate the efficiency of the coastal filter. Nitrogen removal through denitrification is high in lagoons receiving large inputs of nitrate and organic matter. Phosphorus burial is high in archipelagos with substantial sedimentation, but the stability of different burial forms varies across the Baltic Sea. Organic matter processes are tightly linked to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Moreover, these processes are strongly modulated depending on composition of vegetation and fauna. Managing coastal ecosystems to improve the effectiveness of the coastal filter can reduce eutrophication in the open Baltic Sea.

Analytical capabilities of Nanoscopic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (nano-SIMS) and Synchrotron Radiation based X-ray Fluorescence (SR nano-XRF) techniques were compared for nanochemical imaging of polymorphonuclear human neutrophils (PMNs). PMNs were high pressure frozen (HPF), cryosubstituted, embedded in Spurr’s resin and cut in thin sections (500 nm and 2 mm for both techniques resp.) Nano-SIMS enabled nanoscale mapping of isotopes of C, N, O, P and S, while SR based nano-XRF enabled trace level imaging of metals like Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn at a resolution of approx. 50 nm. The obtained elemental distributions were compared with those of whole, cryofrozen PMNs measured at the newly developed ID16A nano-imaging beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. Similarities were observed for elements more tightly bound to the cell structure such as phosphorus and sulphur, while differences for mobile ions such as chlorine and potassium were more pronounced. Due to the observed elemental redistribution of mobile ions such as potassium and chlorine, elemental analysis of high pressure frozen (HPF), cryo-substituted and imbedded cells should be interpreted critically. Although decreasing analytical sensitivity occurs due to the presence of ice, analysis of cryofrozen cells - close to their native state - remains the golden standard. In general, we found nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (nano-SIMS) and synchrotron radiation based nanoscopic X-ray fluorescence (SR nano-XRF) to be two supplementary alternatives for nanochemical imaging of single cells at the nanoscale.

Temperature is one of the fundamental environmental variables governing microbially mediated denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in sediments. The GHG nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced during denitrification, but not by anammox, and knowledge of how these pathways respond to global warming remains limited. Here, we show that warming directly stimulates denitrification-derived N2O production and that the warming response for N2O production is slightly higher than the response for denitrification in subtropical sediments. Moreover, denitrification had a higher optimal temperature than anammox. Integrating our data into a global compilation indicates that denitrifiers are more thermotolerant, whereas anammox bacteria are relatively psychrotolerant. Crucially, recent summer temperatures in low-latitude sediments have exceeded the optimal temperature of anammox, implying that further warming may suppress anammox and direct more of the nitrogen flow towards denitrification and associated N2O production, leading to a positive climate feedback at low latitudes.

Humanity's transformation of the nitrogen cycle has major consequences for ecosystems, climate and human health, making it one of the key environmental issues of our time. Understanding how trends could evolve over the course of the 21st century is crucial for scientists and decision-makers from local to global scales. Scenario analysis is the primary tool for doing so, and has been applied across all major environmental issues, including nitrogen pollution. However, to date most scenario efforts addressing nitrogen flows have either taken a narrow approach, focusing on a singular impact or sector, or have not been integrated within a broader scenario framework – a missed opportunity given the multiple environmental and socio-economic impacts that nitrogen pollution exacerbates. Capitalizing on our expanding knowledge of nitrogen flows, this study introduces a framework for new nitrogen-focused narratives based on the widely used Shared Socioeconomic Pathways that include all the major nitrogen-polluting sectors (agriculture, industry, transport and wastewater). These new narratives are the first to integrate the influence of climate and other environmental pollution control policies, while also incorporating explicit nitrogen-control measures. The next step is for them to be used as model inputs to evaluate the impact of different nitrogen production, consumption and loss trajectories, and thus advance understanding of how to address environmental impacts while simultaneously meeting key development goals. This effort is an important step in assessing how humanity can return to the planetary boundary of this essential element over the coming century.

Cold-water corals build extensive reefs on the seafloor that are oases of biodiversity, biomass, and organic matter processing rates. The reefs baffle sediments, and when coral growth and sedimentation outweigh ambient sedimentation, carbonate mounds of tens to hundreds of meters high and several kilometers wide can form. Because coral mounds form over ten-thousands of years, their development process remains elusive. While several environmental factors influence mound development, the mounds also have a major impact on their environment. This feedback between environment and mounds, and how this drives mound development is the focus of this paper. Based on the similarity of spatial coral mound patterns and patterns in self-organized ecosystems, we provide a new perspective on coral mound development. In accordance with the theory of self-organization through scale-dependent feedbacks, we first elicit the processes that are known to affect mound development, and might cause scaledependent feedbacks. Then we demonstrate this concept with model output from a study on the Logachev area, SW Rockall Trough margin. Spatial patterns in mound provinces are the result of a complex set of interacting processes. Spatial selforganization provides a framework in which to place and compare these processes, so as to assess if and how they contribute to pattern formation in coral mounds.

Methane leaking at depth from hydrocarbon wells poses an environmental and safety hazard. However, determining the occurrence and magnitude of gas migration at ground surface is challenging, as part of the leaking gas is retained during upward migration. We investigated migration through unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers using a two-phase, two-component (water and methane) flow and transport model constructed in DuMux. A sensitivity analysis for migration through a 60 m thick sandy aquifer showed that retention by dissolution can be significant even with low groundwater Darcy velocities of 1 m.yr−1. Retention was negligible in the absence of groundwater flow. Besides groundwater velocity, both hydrogeological (permeability, entry pressure, pore-size distribution, and residual gas saturation) and leakage conditions (depth, magnitude and spatial dimensions) determined model outcomes. Additional simulations with interbedded finer grained sediments resulted in substantial lateral spreading of migrating gas. This delayed upward migration and enhanced retention in overlying sandy units where groundwater velocities are highest. Overall, the results of this study show that for unconsolidated aquifer systems and the most commonly observed leakage rates (0.1–10 m3.d−1), significant amounts of migrating methane can be retained due to dissolution into laterally flowing groundwater. Consequently, resulting atmospheric methane emissions above such leaks may be delayed with decades after the onset of leakage, significantly reduced, or prevented entirely.

Human populations and their use of land have reshaped landscapes for thousands of years, creating the anthropogenic biomes (anthromes) that now cover most of the terrestrial biosphere. Here we introduce the first global reconstruction and mapping of anthromes and their changes across the 12,000-year interval from 10,000 BCE to 2015 CE, the Anthromes 12K dataset. Anthromes were mapped using gridded global estimates of human population density and land use from the History of the Global Environment database (HYDE version 3.2) by a classification procedure similar to that used for prior anthrome maps. Anthromes 12K maps generally agreed with prior anthrome maps for the same time periods, though significant differences were observed, including a substantial reduction in Rangelands anthromes in 2000 CE but with increases before that time. Differences between maps resulted largely from improvements in HYDE&rsquo, s representation of land use, including pastures and rangelands, compared with the HYDE 3.1 input data used in prior anthromes maps. The larger extent of early land use in Anthromes 12K also agrees more closely with empirical assessments than prior anthrome maps, the result of an evidence-based paradigm shift in characterizing the history of Earth&rsquo, s transformation through land use, from a mostly recent large-scale conversion of uninhabited wildlands, to a long-term trend of increasingly intensive transformation and use of already inhabited and used landscapes. The spatial history of anthropogenic changes depicted in Anthromes 12K remain to be validated, especially for earlier time periods. Nevertheless, Anthromes 12K is a major advance over all prior anthrome datasets and provides a new platform for assessing the long-term environmental consequences of human transformation of the terrestrial biosphere.

The number of drought and low-N tolerant hybrids with elevated levels of provitamin A (PVA) in sub-Saharan Africa could increase when PVA genes are optimized and validated for developed drought and low-N tolerant inbred lines. This study aimed to (a) determine the levels of drought and low-N tolerance, and PVA concentrations in early maturing PVA-quality protein maize (QPM) inbred lines, and (b) identify lines harbouring the crtRB1 and LcyE genes as sources of favourable alleles of PVA. Seventy early maturing PVA-QPM inbreds were evaluated under drought, low-N and optimal environments in Nigeria for two years. The inbreds were assayed for PVA levels and the presence of PVA genes using allele-specific PCR markers. Moderate range of PVA contents was observed for the inbreds. Nonetheless, TZEIORQ 55 combined high PVA concentration with drought and low-N tolerance. The crtRB1-3'TE primer and the KASP SNP (snpZM0015) consistently identified nine inbreds including TZEIORQ 55 harbouring the favourable alleles of the crtRB1 gene. These inbreds could serve as donor parents of the favourable crtRB1-3'TE allele for PVA breeding in maize.

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced mainly by two species of Aspergillus fungi, (A. flavus and A. parasiticus). The toxin contaminates maize grains during the developmental stage as well as in storage. Grains with contamination levels above 20 ng/g are usually destroyed in the USA while the European Union and Japan allow 2–4 ng/g and nil respectively. Ghana lacks regulatory infrastructure for monitoring fungal contamination and detection of aflatoxin in grains prior to market. Therefore, this study assessed the extent of A. flavus contamination together with other mould on maize and total aflatoxin accumulation among stored maize grains across 34 towns and villages under three agro-ecologies in Ghana during the minor crop season of 2015–2016. A. flavus, was identified as the most predominant contaminant and recorded average percentage contamination of 56.7%, 30.6%, 53.5% and 45.6% on grains sampled across four communities (Fumesua, Wenchi, Ejura and Akomadan), respectively. Total aflatoxins recorded in the samples per community were in the range of below limit of detection (LOD) to 692 ng/g, 23 ng/g, 945 ng/g and 112 ng/g for Fumesua, Wenchi, Ejura and Akomadan, respectively. These dangerous upper limits demand urgent attention in the area of aflatoxin resistance breeding in maize to help address the aflatoxin menace in Ghana.

Early-maturing provitamin A (PVA) quality protein maize (QPM) hybrids with combined drought and low soil nitrogen (low-N) tolerance are needed to address malnutrition and food security problems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The current study's objectives were to (i) examine combining ability of selected early maturing PVA-QPM inbreds for grain yield and other agronomic traits under drought, low-N, optimal environments and across environments, (ii) determine gene action conditioning PVA accumulation under optimal environments, (iii) classify inbreds into heterotic groups and identify testers and (iv) assess yield and stability of hybrids across environments. Ninety-six hybrids generated from 24 inbred lines using the North Carolina Design II together with four commercial hybrid controls were evaluated under drought, low-N and optimal environments in Nigeria in 2016 and 2017. Fifty-four selected hybrids were assayed for PVA carotenoid and tryptophan content. Additive genetic effects were greater than non-additive effects for grain yield and most agronomic traits under each and across environments. The gene action conditioning accumulation of PVA carotenoids under optimal growing conditions followed a pattern similar to that of grain yield and other yield-related traits. The inbred lines were categorized into four heterotic groups consistent with the pedigree records and with TZEIORQ 29 identified as the best male and female tester for heterotic group IV. No tester was found for the other groups. Hybrid TZEIORQ 24 × TZEIORQ 41 was the highest yielding and most stable across environments and should be further tested for consistent performance for commercialization in SSA.

This paper presents global estimates of nutrient discharge from households to surface water based on the relationships between income and human emissions represented by protein consumption, degree of connection to sewerage systems, presence of wastewater treatment plants and their level of nutrient removal efficiency. These relationships were used to construct scenarios for discharge of nutrients with waste water based on the five Shared Socio-economic Pathways for the period from 1970 to 2050. The number of inhabitants connected to a sewerage system will increase by 2–4 billion people between 2010 and 2050. Despite the enhanced nutrient removal by wastewater treatment, which will increase by 10%–40% between 2010 and 2050, nutrient discharge to surface water will increase in all scenarios by 10%–70% (from 10.4 Tg nitrogen (N) in 2010 to 13.5–17.9 Tg N by 2050 and from 1.5 Tg phosphorus (P) in 2010 to 1.6–2.4 Tg P by 2050). In most developing countries, nutrient discharge to surface water will strongly increase over the next decades, and in developed countries it will stabilize or decrease slightly. A global decrease in nutrient discharge is possible only when wastewater treatment plants are extended with at least tertiary treatment in developing countries and with advanced treatment in the developed countries. In future urban areas that will be developed over the 2010–2050 period, options for recycling can be included in wastewater management systems. A separate collection system for urine can yield 15 Tg N yr−1 and 1.2 Tg P yr−1, which can be made available for recycling in agriculture. The SDG 6.3 about safely treated waste water by 2030 will be reached in the developed countries in 2030. In the developing countries, the goal will be reached by 2050 only under SSP1, SSP2 and SSP5.

Genetic gain studies in a breeding program are very important for measuring the efficiency of the program over a specific period. It also provides breeders with an understanding of the outcomes of the huge investments committed to the breeding programs. This study sought to (i) estimate the gains in grain yield under drought and rainfed conditions and (ii) identify high-yielding and stable hybrids developed in the last two decades under drought and rainfed conditions. Sixty extra-early maturing hybrids developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, during three breeding periods: (2008–2010, 2011–2013, and 2014–2016) were assessed under managed drought and rainfed conditions across 14 environments in Nigeria to estimate the genetic gains in grain yield using linear regression analysis. Considerably high genetic gains (4.1%) per year for grain yield was obtained for the extra-early maturing hybrids under drought environments. Six of the top ten hybrids identified were from period 3, an indication of the high genetic gains from selection in period 3. Additionally, two of the top six period 3 hybrids (TZEEI 29 × TZEEI 13) × TZEEI 64 and TZdEEI 64 × TZEEI 54 were found to be the best yielding and most stable across the 14 test environments and were highly recommended for extensive evaluations to warrant their commercialization in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Polymetallic nodule fields provide hard substrate for sessile organisms on the abyssal seafloor between 3,000 and 6,000 m water depth. Deep-seabed mining targets these mineral-rich nodules and will likely modify the consumer-resource (trophic) and substrate-providing (non-trophic) interactions within the abyssal food web. However, the importance of nodules and their associated sessile fauna in supporting food-web integrity remains unclear. Here, we use seafloor imagery and published literature to develop highly-resolved trophic and non-trophic interaction webs for the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ, central Pacific Ocean) and the Peru Basin (PB, south-east Pacific Ocean) and to assess how nodule removal will modify these networks. The CCZ interaction web included 1,028 compartments connected with 59,793 links and the PB interaction web consisted of 342 compartments and 8,044 links. We show that knock-down effects of nodule removal resulted in a 17.9% (CCZ) to 20.8% (PB) loss of all compartments and 22.8% (PB) to 30.6% (CCZ) loss of network links. Subsequent analysis identified stalked glass sponges living attached to the nodules as key structural species that supported a high diversity of associated fauna. We conclude that polymetallic nodules are critical for food-web integrity and that their absence will likely result in reduced local benthic biodiversity.

In this paper, adaptive control and adaptive synchronization of an integer and fractional order new financial system with unknown constant parameters are studied. Based on Lyapunov’s stability theory, an adaptive control law is designed to asymptotically stabilize the state variables of the system to the origin in integer and fractional order cases. By the same theory, an adaptive synchronization law is designed to perform the identical synchronization of the new financial system in the cases of integer and fractional order with unknown constant parameters. Numerical simulations are carried out in order to show the efficiency of the theoretical results.

In this paper, the dynamical behaviors and chaos control of a fractional-order financial system are discussed. The lowest fractional order found from which the system generates chaos is 2.49 for the commensurate order case and 2.13 for the incommensurate order case. Also, period-doubling route to chaos was found in this system. The results of this study were validated by the existence of a positive Lyapunov exponent. Besides, in order to control chaos in this fractional-order financial system with uncertain dynamics, a sliding mode controller is derived. The proposed controller stabilizes the commensurate and incommensurate fractional-order systems. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify the analytical results.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), the flow of fresh and saline groundwater from the seabed into the coastal ocean, has been intensively investigated in the recent years. This research has usually been restricted to shallow water and intertidal areas, whereas knowledge about groundwater seepage in deeper water is mainly limited to point sources from karstic aquifers. In this study we observed submarine groundwater seepage and a subterranean estuary in sediments at water depths of 20–44 m located within the Ligurian Margin, western Mediterranean Sea. Here, a catastrophic submarine landslide occurred near the Nice airport (French Ligurian coast) in the fall of 1979 after a period of heavy rainfall. During two research cruises, gravity cores were recovered in and around the area of the landslide scar. Pore water samples collected from sediment cores indicated sediments containing freshwater within the landslide scar. Pore water profiles of selected ions, such as chloride, ammonium, manganese, sulfate and barium were used to assess transport and reaction processes within the sediment. A 1-dimensional transport model indicates in most cores upward pore water velocities of 2.3–8.8 cm yr −1 . This study shows that submarine groundwater seepage along the French Mediterranean coastline can occur at water depths reaching 44 m.

Electrocoagulation (EC) using Fe(0) electrodes is a low cost water treatment technology that relies on efficient production of Fe(II) from the electrolytic dissolution of Fe(0) electrodes (i.e. a high Faradaic efficiency). However, the (electro)chemical factors that favor Fe(0) oxidation rather than O 2 evolution during Fe(0) EC have not been identified. In this study, we combined electrochemical methods, electron microscopy and Fe measurements to systematically examine the interdependent effects of current density ( i ), anodic interface potential ( E A ) and solution chemistry on the Faradaic efficiency. We found that Fe(0) oxidation was favored (Faradaic efficiency >0.85) in chloride and bromide solutions at all i , whereas carbonate, phosphate, citrate, and nitrate solutions lead to Faradaic efficiencies 2 evolution) only depended on i in the sulfate and formate solutions. Experiments in binary-anion solutions revealed that molar ratios of [HCO 3 − ]/[Cl − ] near 100 and [NO 3 − ]/[Cl − ] near 20 separated the electrochemical domains of Fe(0) oxidation and O 2 evolution in the EC system. These molar ratios were supported by experiments in synthetic groundwater solutions. We also found that the E A vs i curves for solutions with poor Faradaic efficiency overlapped but were situated 2–4 V vs Ag/AgCl higher than those of solutions with high Faradaic efficiency. Therefore, the position of the E A vs i curve, rather than the E A alone, can be used to determine unambiguously the reaction occurring on the Fe(0) anode during EC treatment.

Sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) rates provide important information about biogeochemical processes in marine sediments and the activity of benthic microorganisms and fauna. Therefore, several databases of SCOC data have been compiled since the mid-1990s. However, these earlier databases contained much less data records and were not freely available. Additionally, the databases were not transparent in their selection procedure, so that other researchers could not assess the quality of the data. Here, we present the largest, best documented, and freely available database of SCOC data compiled to date. The database is comprised of 3,540 georeferenced SCOC records from 230 studies that were selected following the procedure for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Each data record states whether the oxygen consumption was measured ex situ or in situ, as total oxygen uptake, diffusive or advective oxygen uptake, and which measurement device was used. The database will be curated and updated annually to secure and maintain an up-to-date global database of SCOC data., Measurement(s)Oxygen ConsumptionTechnology Type(s)digital curation • incubationFactor Type(s)geographic location • depth • continental slope • continental rise • abyssal plain • near-shore area • continental shelfSample Characteristic - EnvironmentsedimentSample Characteristic - LocationMediterranean Sea • Southern Ocean • Atlantic Ocean • Pacific Ocean • Arctic Ocean • Indian Ocean • Gulf of Mexico • Black Sea • Red Sea Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.9960131

In this study, concrete stabilization is adopted to sustainably manage hazardous arsenic-iron sludge near the vicinity of a community-based arsenic water treatment plant for potential use as material for local construction. The strength and workability of the sludge mixed with fresh concrete were investigated to determine the suitability of the concrete mixture for building materials. We found that over 25% sludge (with respect to cement weight) can be incorporated safely into different grades of concrete (M15 and M20). Structural characterization of the concrete mixtures by Fe and As K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated a structural transformation of Fe in the sludge from a hydrous ferric oxide to a less ordered phase consistent with Fe siliceous hydrogarnet. Differences in the As K-edge XAS data of samples before and after stabilization in concrete were interpreted as a decrease in As-Fe coordination after concrete stabilization in favor of As-Ca coordination. The leaching of arsenic in the stabilized concrete was examined by the Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and found to produce

Stable isotope applications have evolved from simple characterizations of isotope composition in organisms and organic matter, to highly complex methodologies on scales ranging from individual compounds and cells, to broad ecosystem‐level approaches. New techniques are rapidly evolving, allowing novel, difficult, and inconvenient questions to be addressed. This article aims to provide an overarching perspective on how the field has evolved and where it is going with regard to aquatic systems, some of the oceanographic and limnological concepts derived from these approaches, and important challenges. To this end, we highlight a selection of natural abundance and tracer enrichment studies that represent a wide range of stable isotope applications. These include studies of rate processes and biogeochemical cycling, source tracking, food webs, and paleoenvironments. Our coverage of stable isotope applications is by no means complete, but by highlighting a mixture of classic and new applications across a wide range of research areas, our goal is to convey the power of stable isotope tools and the excitement in this rapidly expanding field, while also encouraging the scrutiny and healthy respect for limitations and assumptions necessary to take full advantage of these powerful tools.

Iron (oxyhydr)oxides (FeOx) control retention of dissolved nutrients and contaminants in aquatic systems. However, FeOx structure and reactivity is dependent on adsorption and incorporation of such dissolved species, particularly oxyanions such as phosphate and silicate. These interactions affect the fate of nutrients and metal(loids), especially in perturbed aquatic environments such as eutrophic coastal systems and environments impacted by acid mine drainage. Altered FeOx reactivity impacts sedimentary nutrient retention capacity and, eventually, ecosystem trophic state. Here, we explore the influence of phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) on FeOx structure and reactivity. Synthetic, poorly crystalline FeOx with adsorbed and coprecipitated phosphate or silicate at low but environmentally relevant P/Fe or Si/Fe ratios (0.02–0.1 mol mol−1) was prepared by base titration of Fe(III) solutions. Structural characteristics of FeOx were investigated by X-ray diffraction, synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy and high-energy X-ray scattering. Reactivity of FeOx was assessed by kinetic dissolution experiments under acidic (dilute HCl, pH 2) and circum-neutral reducing (bicarbonate-buffered ascorbic acid, pH 7.8, Eh ∼ −300 mV) conditions. At these loadings, phosphate and silicate coprecipitation had only slight impact on local and intermediate-ranged FeOx structure, but significantly enhanced the dissolution rate of FeOx. Conversely, phosphate and silicate adsorption at similar loadings resulted in particle surface passivation and decreased FeOx dissolution rates. These findings indicate that varying nutrient loadings and different interaction mechanisms between anions and FeOx (adsorption versus coprecipitation) can influence the broader biogeochemical functioning of aquatic ecosystems by impacting the structure and reactivity of FeOx.

Salinisation can have different adverse impacts on water resources that are used for drinking, irrigation, or industrial purposes. In addition, salinisation in its turn is also strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities such as irrigation. This paper maps trade-offs between water quality (SDG 6.3) and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using salinisation as an example. Many interlinkages exist between SDG 6.3 and other SDGs as identified in the literature review part. These are however not yet fully addressed in studies applying a comprehensive systems approach or modelling frameworks. In order to find solution options for achieving a sustainable future the interlinkages between SDGs related to salinisation and its impacts need to be considered as they play a key role in mitigating impacts, prioritising measures for action and hence turning trade-offs into synergies.

International audience; Fonio is an ancient orphan cereal, cultivated by resource-poor farmers in arid and semi-arid regions of West Africa, who conserved and used the cereal for nutrition and income generation. However, the extent and patterns of phenotypic variation within the fonio germplasm remain scarcely evaluated to inform breeding decisions. In this study, we used alpha lattice design to assess the phenotypic variability of 180 fonio accessions using 20 agro morphological descriptors, including both qualitative and quantitative traits at Bengou research station in 2018 and 2019. Descriptive statistics, combined analysis and multivariate analyses, including principal components analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering, and multiple factor analysis (MFA) were performed. As results, we found significant differences among fonio accessions and among agro ecological zones of provenance for most of the quantitative traits. Furthermore, highly significant positive correlations were found between grain yield and other yield-related attributes such as harvest index and thousand seeds weight, whereas significant negative correlations were found between grain yield and flowering and maturity times. Clusters analysis revealed three phenotypic groups. Group 1 was characterized by early maturing fonio accessions with higher grain yield. Groups 2 and 3 were characterized by late maturing accessions with intermediate to moderate grain yield. The accessions from Group 1 are candidate for yield improvement and development of fonio lines with enhanced lodging resistance. Accessions from Group 2 and 3 can be improved for yield through marker-assisted selection of best thousand seed weight. This study highlights how traits are correlated within the major phenotypic groups of fonio in West Africa, and we discussed how these groups could be further exploited for improving traits of economic importance. Furthermore, this study exhibited agro morphological descriptors that discriminate fonio accessions and provide useful information for parental selection with economically important agronomic traits.

Adequate knowledge and understanding of the genetic diversity and inter-trait relationships among elite maize inbred lines are crucial for determining breeding strategies and predicting hybrid performance. The objectives of this study were to investigate the genetic diversity of 162 early maturing white and yellow tropical maize inbred lines, and to determine the population structure, heterotic groups and inter-trait relationships among the lines. Using 9684 DArT single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, a gene diversity (GD) of 0.30 was recorded for the inbred lines with polymorphic information content (PIC) ranging from 0.08 to 0.38. The genetic relatedness among the inbred lines evaluated revealed six different groups based on the history of selection, colour of endosperm and pedigree. The genotype-by-trait (GT) biplot analysis identified inbred 1 (TZEI 935) as outstanding in terms of combined heat and drought (HD) tolerance with the base index analysis identifying 15 superior inbreds in the HD environment. A wide range of genetic variability was observed among the inbred lines, indicating that they are an invaluable resource for breeding for HD tolerance in maize breeding programmes, especially in West and Central Africa.

A gestão costeira enfrenta grandes desafios relacionados com a crescente vulnerabilidade resultante do impacto de atividades antrópicas como o turismo, urbanização crescente e instalação de infraestruturas, ao que se associa um crescente risco decorrente dos impactos de alterações climáticas. Uma gestão costeira integrada requer, assim, a avaliação da vulnerabilidade e dos riscos costeiros em cenários de alterações climáticas, relacionados com a subida do nível médio do mar ou o aumento de frequência e intensidade de eventos extremos. Neste trabalho apresenta-se a metodologia seguida no âmbito do projeto MarRisk, para a determinação e quantificação de diversos indicadores morfométricos e morfodinâmicos de vulnerabilidade, baseada na classificação de praias e em modelos digitais de terreno e superfície, obtidos a partir de levantamentos de LiDAR e de fotografia aérea, de 2011, 2017 e 2018. Os resultados obtidos para a costa norte de Portugal, entre Espinho e Caminha são apresentados e discutidos. As metodologias aplicadas permitiram obter imagens de elevada resolução (ortofotos) e indicadores morfométricos (posição da linha de praia, largura e volume de praias e dunas, declive da face da praia) e morfodinâmicos (variações da posição da linha de praia e do volume observadas entre levantamentos) para a área de estudo. Observou-se, em média para toda a área de estudo, estabilidade da linha de praia entre 2011 e 2017, mas uma regressão de mais de 17 m entre 2017 e 2018, o que pode, em parte, dever-se a efeitos sazonais. Quanto ao volume do sistema praia/ dunas, observou-se uma (aparente) acentuada acreção de 10% entre 2011 e 2017, e erosão de 2% entre 2017 e 2018. Contudo, demonstramos que o modelo digital de terreno obtido a partir do levantamento com LiDAR não é diretamente comparável com os modelos digitais de superfície produzidos no âmbito do projeto, e que o aumento de volume observado é, pelo menos em parte, devido à diferença de metodologias e não a uma real acreção. Sugere-se a implementação de um plano de monitorização preventivo, baseado em métodos normalizados definidos a partir do conhecimento adquirido relativo às dinâmicas instaladas nesta região., Coastal management is challenging given the increasing vulnerability due to impacts of human activities, like tourism, growing settlements and development of infrastructures, associated with the growing risk of climate change impacts. Integrated Coastal Zone Management thus requires an evaluation of coastal vulnerability and risks for climate change scenarios, which predict sea-level rise and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events. In this work, the methodology used to quantify several morphometric and morphodynamic vulnerability indicators, in the scope of the MarRisk project, is presented. Indicators are determined based on beach classification and on digital terrain and surface models, derived from LiDAR and aerial photography survey data, collected in 2011, 2017 and 2018. Results obtained for the Northern-Portuguese coast are presented and discussed. The applied methodology resulted in high-resolution imagery (orthophotos) and in morphometric (shoreline position, beach and dune width and volume, shoreface slope) and morphodynamic (changes of shoreline position and beach/dune volume between surveys) indicators for the study area. On average, and for the whole area studied, the coastline was stable between 2011 and 2017, but retreated more than 17 m between 2017 and 2018, which can be partly attributed to seasonal effects. The beach/dune volume (apparently) increased by 10% between 2011 and 2017 and decreased by 2% between 2017 and 2018. However, we found that the digital terrain model (DTM) based on the LiDAR data cannot be directly compared to the digital surface models (DSM) obtained during the project, as at least part of the observed increase in volume is due to differences in the method and not to real accretion. The implementation of a preventive monitoring plan is suggested, which should use normalized methods, defined according to the knowledge acquired about the dynamics established in the region., 0262_MarRISK - Programa Interreg V-A Espanha-Portugal (POCTEP)

This study aimed to investigate the harvesting of microalgae by microfiltration (MF) on a ceramic membrane at relatively high cross-flow velocity (CFV) of interest for commercial processes. Pilot-scale harvesting was conducted with algal suspensions (Chlorella vulgaris and Tisochrysis lutea (T-Iso)) and algal supernatants (Porphyridium cruentum) to assess the effect of feedstock characteristics and understand flux decline mechanisms. In total recycle mode (C. vulgaris, 1 g/L), high steady-state permeation flux around 200 L/m2/h was achieved. Total filtration resistance was mainly due to cake resistance (Rc, 57%) and pore adsorption and blocking (Ra, 40%). The process hydrodynamic conditions seemed to have relatively little effect on Chlorella cell integrity. In concentration mode, average permeate flux decreased from 441 to 73 L/m2/h with increasing feed concentration (C. vulgaris, 0.25–1 g/L); the contribution of Rc decreased (82 to 57%), while that of Ra rose (7 to 40%). With T-Iso suspensions and P. cruentum supernatants at 1 g/L, average permeate flux was 59 and 49 L/m2/h, respectively, with predominance of Rc and Ra, respectively. Distinct fouling mechanisms were inferred to explain the superior filterability of C. vulgaris. The results show that ceramic membrane MF at relatively high CFV could be a suitable option for harvesting certain microalgae including C. vulgaris.

The understanding and anticipating of climate change impacts is one of the greatest challenges for humanity. It is already known that, until the end of the 21st century, the mean sea level (MSL) will rise at a global scale, but its effects at the local scale need to be further analyzed. In this context, a numerical modelling tool and a methodological approach for the river Minho estuary (NW of the Iberian Peninsula) are presented, to predict possible consequences of local MSL rise, considering the greenhouse emission scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. Hydrodynamic and morphodynamic impacts were analyzed considering several driving factors, such as tides, sea level rise, storm surge, wave set-up, and different river flood peak discharges, taking into account their probabilities of occurrence. The model was calibrated using in-situ data and a data assimilation tool, the OpenDA, which automates this process, allowing to reach reliable results in a considerably short time when compared with traditional techniques. The results forecast that the predicted MSL rise will reduce the flow velocity magnitude and the sediment transport into the coastal platform but will aggravate the inundation risks along the estuarine banks. In the worst scenario (RCP 8.5) the water level near the river mouth of the estuary is expected to rise 0.20 m for 50 years return period ocean water rising, and 0.60 m for 100 years return period. It was also possible to identify that floods are the most important driver for the sediment transport along the estuary, while the tide effect in the morphodynamics is restricted to the downstream estuarine region. This work demonstrated the importance of the numerical modelling tools to better understand the effects of climate change at local scales through the representation of the estuarine hydrodynamic pattern evolution for future climate scenarios., This research was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2019 through national funds provided by FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This contribution has also been funded by the European Union MarRISK project: Adaptación costera ante el Cambio Climático: conocer los riesgos y aumentar la resiliencia (0262_MarRISK_1_E), through the EP INTERREG V A España-Portugal (POCTEP) program. The authors want also to acknowledge the contract funds provided by the project EsCo-Ensembles (PTDC/ECI-EGC/30877/2017), co-financed by NORTE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF, and by FCT through national funds.

The translation of olefin metathesis reactions from the laboratory to process scale has been challenging with traditional batch techniques. In this contribution, we describe a continuous membrane reactor design that selectively permeates the ethylene byproduct from metathetical processes, thereby overcoming the mass-transport limitations that have negatively influenced the efficiency of this transformation in batch vessels. The membrane sheet-in-frame pervaporation module yielded turnover numbers of >7500 in the case of diethyl diallylmalonate ring-closing metathesis. The preparation of more challenging, low-effective-molarity substrates, a cyclooctene and a 14-membered macrocyclic lactone, was also effective. A comparison of optimal membrane reactor conditions to a sealed tubular reactor revealed that the benefits of ethylene removal are most apparent at low reaction concentrations.

Coastal waters worldwide suffer from increased eutrophication and seasonal bottom water hypoxia. Here, we assess the dynamics of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and phosphorus (P) in sediments of the eutrophic, brackish Gulf of Finland populated by cable bacteria. At sites where bottom waters are oxic in spring, surface enrichments of Fe and Mn oxides and high abundances of cable bacteria were observed in sediments upon sampling in early summer. At one site, Fe and P were enriched in a thin layer (similar to 3 mm) just below the sediment-water interface. X-ray absorption near edge structure and micro X-ray fluorescence analyses indicate that two-thirds of the P in this layer was associated with poorly crystalline Fe oxides, with an additional contribution of Mn(II) phosphates. The Fe enriched layer was directly overlain by a Mn oxide-rich surface layer (similar to 2 mm). The Fe oxide layer was likely of diagenetic origin, formed through dissolution of Fe monosulfides and carbonates, potentially induced by cable bacteria in the preceding months when bottom waters were oxic. Most of the Mn oxides were likely deposited from the water column as part of a cycle of repeated deposition and remobilization. Further research is required to confirm whether cable bacteria activity in spring indeed promotes the formation of distinct layers enriched in Fe, Mn, and P minerals in Gulf of Finland sediments. The temporal variations in biogeochemical cycling in this seasonally hypoxic coastal system, potentially controlled by cable bacteria activity, have little impact on permanent sedimentary Fe, Mn, and P burial.