Author: "National Research Foundation (South Africa)" - Searchworks@Jio Institute Digital Library Search Results

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318 results on '"National Research Foundation (South Africa)"'

1. Urban greenspaces and nearby natural areas support similar levels of soil ecosystem services

Author: Fundación BBVA, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Commission, Junta de Andalucía, Hermon Slade Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Programa de Investimento e Despesas de Desenvolvimento da Administração Central (Portugal), Slovenian Research Agency, Banaras Hindu University, Eldridge, David J. [0000-0002-2191-486X], Cui, Haiying [0000-0003-4993-2231], Ding, Jingyi [0000-0002-4120-6318], Berdugo, Miguel [0000-0003-1053-8907], Sáez-Sandino, Tadeo [0000-0001-9539-4716], Durán, Jorge [0000-0002-7375-5290], Gaitán, Juan J. [0000-0003-2889-1418], Blanco-Pastor, José Luis [0000-0002-7708-1342], Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra [0000-0001-5849-8778], Plaza de Carlos, César [0000-0001-8616-7001], Alfaro, Fernando D. [0000-0003-2922-1838], Teixido, Alberto L. [0000-0001-8009-1237], Abades, Sebastián [0000-0001-5704-4037], Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F. [0000-0001-7085-9521], Grebenc, Tine [0000-0003-4035-8587], Nahberger, Tina U. [0000-0001-9808-1643], Liu, Yu-Rong [0000-0003-1112-4255], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Rey, Ana [0000-0003-0394-101X], Siebe, Christina [0000-0002-2636-6778], Sun, Wei [0000-0002-1601-2159], Trivedi, Pankaj [0000-0003-0173-2804], Verma, Jay Prakash [0000-0002-2643-9623], Wang, Jianyong [0000-0002-9863-0056], Zaady, Eli [0000-0002-3304-534X], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Eldridge, David J., Cui, Haiying, Ding, Jingyi, Berdugo, Miguel, Sáez-Sandino, Tadeo, Durán, Jorge, Gaitán, Juan J., Blanco-Pastor, José Luis, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Plaza de Carlos, César, Alfaro, Fernando D, Teixido, Alberto L., Abades, Sebastián, Bamigboye, Adebola R., Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F., Grebenc, Tine, Nahberger, Tina U., Illán, Javier, G., Liu, Yu-Rong, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Rey, Ana, Siebe, Christina, Sun, Wei, Trivedi, Pankaj, Verma, Jay Prakash, Wang, Jianyong, Wang, Tianxue, Zaady, Eli, Zhou, Xiaobing, Zhou, Xin-Quan, Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Fundación BBVA, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Commission, Junta de Andalucía, Hermon Slade Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Programa de Investimento e Despesas de Desenvolvimento da Administração Central (Portugal), Slovenian Research Agency, Banaras Hindu University, Eldridge, David J. [0000-0002-2191-486X], Cui, Haiying [0000-0003-4993-2231], Ding, Jingyi [0000-0002-4120-6318], Berdugo, Miguel [0000-0003-1053-8907], Sáez-Sandino, Tadeo [0000-0001-9539-4716], Durán, Jorge [0000-0002-7375-5290], Gaitán, Juan J. [0000-0003-2889-1418], Blanco-Pastor, José Luis [0000-0002-7708-1342], Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra [0000-0001-5849-8778], Plaza de Carlos, César [0000-0001-8616-7001], Alfaro, Fernando D. [0000-0003-2922-1838], Teixido, Alberto L. [0000-0001-8009-1237], Abades, Sebastián [0000-0001-5704-4037], Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F. [0000-0001-7085-9521], Grebenc, Tine [0000-0003-4035-8587], Nahberger, Tina U. [0000-0001-9808-1643], Liu, Yu-Rong [0000-0003-1112-4255], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Rey, Ana [0000-0003-0394-101X], Siebe, Christina [0000-0002-2636-6778], Sun, Wei [0000-0002-1601-2159], Trivedi, Pankaj [0000-0003-0173-2804], Verma, Jay Prakash [0000-0002-2643-9623], Wang, Jianyong [0000-0002-9863-0056], Zaady, Eli [0000-0002-3304-534X], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Eldridge, David J., Cui, Haiying, Ding, Jingyi, Berdugo, Miguel, Sáez-Sandino, Tadeo, Durán, Jorge, Gaitán, Juan J., Blanco-Pastor, José Luis, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Plaza de Carlos, César, Alfaro, Fernando D, Teixido, Alberto L., Abades, Sebastián, Bamigboye, Adebola R., Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F., Grebenc, Tine, Nahberger, Tina U., Illán, Javier, G., Liu, Yu-Rong, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Rey, Ana, Siebe, Christina, Sun, Wei, Trivedi, Pankaj, Verma, Jay Prakash, Wang, Jianyong, Wang, Tianxue, Zaady, Eli, Zhou, Xiaobing, Zhou, Xin-Quan, and Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel
Abstract: Greenspaces are important for sustaining healthy urban environments and their human populations. Yet their capacity to support multiple ecosystem services simultaneously (multiservices) compared with nearby natural ecosystems remains virtually unknown. We conducted a global field survey in 56 urban areas to investigate the influence of urban greenspaces on 23 soil and plant attributes and compared them with nearby natural environments. We show that, in general, urban greenspaces and nearby natural areas support similar levels of soil multiservices, with only six of 23 attributes (available phosphorus, water holding capacity, water respiration, plant cover, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and arachnid richness) significantly greater in greenspaces, and one (available ammonium) greater in natural areas. Further analyses showed that, although natural areas and urban greenspaces delivered a similar number of services at low (>25% threshold) and moderate (>50%) levels of functioning, natural systems supported significantly more functions at high (>75%) levels of functioning. Management practices (mowing) played an important role in explaining urban ecosystem services, but there were no effects of fertilisation or irrigation. Some services declined with increasing site size, for both greenspaces and natural areas. Our work highlights the fact that urban greenspaces are more similar to natural environments than previously reported and underscores the importance of managing urban greenspaces not only for their social and recreational values, but for supporting multiple ecosystem services on which soils and human well-being depends.
Published: 2024

2. NIR spectral classification of the companion in the gamma-ray binary HESS J1832-093 as an O6 V star

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, Generalitat de Catalunya, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Generalitat Valenciana, Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, Soelen, B. van, Bordas, P., Negueruela, Ignacio, Oña Wilhelmi, Emma de, Papitto, Alessandro, Ribó, Marc, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, Generalitat de Catalunya, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Generalitat Valenciana, Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, Soelen, B. van, Bordas, P., Negueruela, Ignacio, Oña Wilhelmi, Emma de, Papitto, Alessandro, and Ribó, Marc
Abstract: HESS J1832−093 is a member of the rare class of gamma-ray binaries, as recently confirmed by the detection of orbitally modulated X-ray and gamma-ray emission with a period of ∼86 d. The spectral type of the massive companion star has been difficult to retrieve as there is no optical counterpart, but the system is coincident with a near-infrared source. Previous results have shown that the infrared counterpart is consistent with an O or B-type star, but a clear classification is still lacking. We observed the counterpart twice, in 2019 and 2021, with the X-Shooter spectrograph operating on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The obtained spectra classify the counterpart as an O6 V-type star. We estimate a distance to the source of 6.7 ± 0.5 kpc, although this estimate can be severely affected by the high extinction towards the source. This new O6 V classification for the companion star in HESS J1832−093 provides further support to an apparent grouping around a given spectral type for all discovered gamma-ray binaries that contain an O-type star. This may be due to the interplay between the initial mass function and the wind momentum–luminosity relation.
Published: 2024

3. Characterization of the soil resistome and mobilome in Namib Desert soils

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Valverde Portal, Ángel [0000-0003-0439-9605], Naidoo, Yashini, Pierneef, Rian E, Cowan, Don A, Valverde Portal, Ángel, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Valverde Portal, Ángel [0000-0003-0439-9605], Naidoo, Yashini, Pierneef, Rian E, Cowan, Don A, and Valverde Portal, Ángel
Abstract: The study of the soil resistome is important in understanding the evolution of antibiotic resistance and its dissemination between the clinic and the environment. However, very little is known about the soil resistome, especially of those from deserts. Here, we characterize the bacterial communities, using targeted sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes, and both the resistome and the mobilome in Namib Desert soils, using shotgun metagenomics. We detected a variety of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) that conferred resistance to antibiotics such as elfamycin, rifampicin, and fluoroquinolones, metal/biocide resistance genes (MRGs/BRGs) conferring resistance to metals such as arsenic and copper, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as the ColE1-like plasmid. The presence of metal/biocide resistance genes in close proximity to ARGs indicated a potential for co-selection of resistance to antibiotics and metals/biocides. The co-existence of MGEs and horizontally acquired ARGs most likely contributed to a decoupling between bacterial community composition and ARG profiles. Overall, this study indicates that soil bacterial communities in Namib Desert soils host a diversity of resistance elements and that horizontal gene transfer, rather than host phylogeny, plays an essential role in their dynamics.
Published: 2024

4. Quijote-PNG: Quasi-maximum likelihood estimation of primordial non-Gaussianity in the nonlinear halo density field

Author: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, European Commission, Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Research Foundation (South Africa), European Research Council, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Jung, Gabriel, Karagiannis, Dionysios, Liguori, Michele, Baldi, Marco, Coulton, William R., Jamieson, Drew, Verde, Licia, Villaescusa-Navarro, Francisco, Wandelt, Benjamin D., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, European Commission, Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Research Foundation (South Africa), European Research Council, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Jung, Gabriel, Karagiannis, Dionysios, Liguori, Michele, Baldi, Marco, Coulton, William R., Jamieson, Drew, Verde, Licia, Villaescusa-Navarro, Francisco, and Wandelt, Benjamin D.
Abstract: We study primordial non-Gaussian signatures in the redshift-space halo field on nonlinear scales, using a quasi-maximum likelihood estimator based on optimally compressed power spectrum and modal bispectrum statistics. We train and validate the estimator on a suite of halo catalogs constructed from the Quijote-pngN-body simulations, which we release to accompany this paper. We verify its unbiasedness and near-optimality for the three main types of primordial non-Gaussianity (PNG): local, equilateral, and orthogonal. We compare the modal bispectrum expansion with a k-binning approach, showing that the former allows for faster convergence of numerical derivatives in the computation of the score function, thus leading to better final constraints. We find, in agreement with previous studies, that the local PNG signal in the halo field is dominated by the scale-dependent bias signature on large scales and saturates at k ∼ 0.2 h Mpc−1, whereas the small-scale bispectrum is the main source of information for equilateral and orthogonal PNG. Combining the power spectrum and bispectrum on nonlinear scales plays an important role in breaking degeneracies between cosmological and PNG parameters; such degeneracies, however, remain strong for equilateral PNG. We forecast that PNG parameters can be constrained with Df = 45 NLlocal , Df = 570 NLequil , and Df = 110 NLortho on a cubic volume of - 1 Gpc h 1 3 ( ) at z = 1, considering scales up to = - kmax 0.5 Mpc h 1.
Published: 2023

5. Floral colour variation of Nicotiana glauca in native and non-native ranges: Testing the role of pollinators' perception and abiotic factors

Author: Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina), Pauw, Anton [0000-0002-4012-648X], Traveset, Anna [0000-0002-1816-1334], Paiaro, Valeria [0000-0003-4448-1072], Costa, A., Moré, M., Sérsic, Alicia Noemí, Cocucci, Andrea Arístides, Drewniak, M. E., Izquierdo, J. V., Coetzee, A., Pauw, Anton, Traveset, Anna, Paiaro, Valeria, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina), Pauw, Anton [0000-0002-4012-648X], Traveset, Anna [0000-0002-1816-1334], Paiaro, Valeria [0000-0003-4448-1072], Costa, A., Moré, M., Sérsic, Alicia Noemí, Cocucci, Andrea Arístides, Drewniak, M. E., Izquierdo, J. V., Coetzee, A., Pauw, Anton, Traveset, Anna, and Paiaro, Valeria
Abstract: Invasive plants displaying disparate pollination environments and abiotic conditions in native and non-native ranges provide ideal systems to test the role of different ecological factors driving flower colour variation. We quantified corolla reflectance of the ornithophilous South American Nicotiana glauca in native populations, where plants are pollinated by hummingbirds, and in populations from two invaded regions: South Africa, where plants are pollinated by sunbirds, and the Balearic island of Mallorca, where plants reproduce by selfing. Using visual modelling we examined how corolla reflectance could be perceived by floral visitors present in each region. Through Mantel tests we assessed a possible association between flower colour and different abiotic factors. Corolla reflectance variation (mainly along medium to long wavelengths, i.e. human green-yellow to red colours) was greater among studied regions than within them. Flower colour was more similar between South America and South Africa, which share birds as pollinators. Within invaded regions, corolla reflectance variation was lower in South Africa, where populations could not be distinguished from each other by sunbirds, than in Spain, where populations could be distinguished from each other by their occasional visitors. Differences in corolla colour among populations were partially associated with differences in temperature. Our findings suggest that shifts in flower colour of N. glauca across native and invaded ranges could be shaped by changes in both pollination environment and climatic factors. This is the first study on plant invasions considering visual perception of different pollinators and abiotic drivers of flower colour variation.
Published: 2023

6. Mismatches between phenotype andenvironment shape fitness at hyperlocalscales

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), National Science Foundation (US), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, Alujević, Karla, Streicher, Jeffrey W., García, Raquel A., Riesgo Gil, Ana, Taboada, Sergio, Logan, Michael L., Clusella-Trullas, Susana, National Research Foundation (South Africa), National Science Foundation (US), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, Alujević, Karla, Streicher, Jeffrey W., García, Raquel A., Riesgo Gil, Ana, Taboada, Sergio, Logan, Michael L., and Clusella-Trullas, Susana
Abstract: In the era of human-driven climate change, understanding whether behavioural buffering of temperature change is linked with organismal fitness is essential. According to the ‘cost–benefit’ model of thermoregulation, animals that live in environments with high frequencies of favourable thermal microclimates should incur lower thermoregulatory costs, thermoregulate more efficiently and shunt the associated savings in time and energy towards other vital tasks such as feeding, territory defence and mate acquisition, increasing fitness. Here, we explore how thermal landscapes at the scale of individual territories, physiological performance and behaviour interact and shape fitness in the southern rock agama lizard (Agama atra). We integrated laboratory assays of whole organism performance with behavioural observations in the field, fine-scale estimates of environmental temperature, and paternity assignment of offspring to test whether fitness is predicted by territory thermal quality (i.e. the number of hours that operative temperatures in a territory fall within an individual's performance breadth). Male lizards that occupied territories of low thermal quality spent more time behaviourally compensating for sub-optimal temperatures and displayed less. Further, display rate was positively associated with lizard fitness, suggesting that there is an opportunity cost to engaging in thermoregulatory behaviour that will change as climate change progresses.
Published: 2023

7. Carbon vacancy-assisted stabilization of individual Cu5 clusters on graphene. Insights from ab initio molecular dynamics

Author: Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Cooperation in Science and Technology, European Commission, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia, CSIC - Unidad de Recursos de Información Científica para la Investigación (URICI), Carroll, Lenard L., Moskaleva, Lyudmila V., Lara Castells, María Pilar de, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Cooperation in Science and Technology, European Commission, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Centro de Supercomputación de Galicia, CSIC - Unidad de Recursos de Información Científica para la Investigación (URICI), Carroll, Lenard L., Moskaleva, Lyudmila V., and Lara Castells, María Pilar de
Abstract: Recent advances in synthesis and characterization methods have enabled the controllable fabrication of atomically precise metal clusters (AMCs) of subnanometer size that possess unique physical and chemical properties, yet to be explored. Such AMCs have potential applications in a wide range of fields, from luminescence and sensing to photocatalysis and bioimaging, making them highly desirable for further research. Therefore, there is a need to develop innovative methods to stabilize AMCs upon surface deposition, as their special properties are lost due to sintering into larger nanoparticles. To this end, dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D3) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations have been employed. Benchmarking against high-level post-Hartree-Fock approaches revealed that the DFT-D3 scheme describes very well the lowest-energy states of clusters of five and ten atoms, Cu5 and Cu10. AIMD simulations performed at 400 K illustrate how intrinsic defects of graphene sheets, carbon vacancies, are capable of confining individual Cu5 clusters, thus allowing for their stabilization. Furthermore, AIMD simulations provide evidence on the dimerization of Cu5 clusters on defect-free graphene, in agreement with the ab initio predictions of (Cu5)n aggregation in the gas phase. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of using graphene-based substrates as an effective platform for the stabilization of monodisperse atomically precise Cu5 clusters.
Published: 2023

8. A global review of the temporal and spatial patterns of DDT and dieldrin monitoring in raptors

Author: FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (South Africa), Carnegie Corporation of New York, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Padayachee, Kailen, Reynolds, Chevonne, Mateo, Rafael, Amar, Arjun, FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (South Africa), Carnegie Corporation of New York, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Padayachee, Kailen, Reynolds, Chevonne, Mateo, Rafael, and Amar, Arjun
Abstract: Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides have been extensively monitored in birds, particularly from higher trophic guilds such as raptors. While monitoring of raptors has been ongoing for decades, patterns from monitoring activities have never been summarised on a global scale. In this study, we undertake a review to better describe the monitoring of two widespread organochlorine pesticides monitored globally in raptors, DDT and dieldrin. We provide a historical retrospective on the monitoring effort of a global environmental issue. Sampling was heavily biased geographically to the global north, with more than 90 % of studies conducted in this socio-geographic region, most from Europe and North America. Although monitoring occurred from at least 114 species, most samples came from relatively few species, with three species (Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus, and Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus) comprising 50 % of samples. The types of raptors sampled have changed over time, with avian and mammal specialists dominating samples until the 1970s, but more diverse dietary guilds monitored in later decades, and greater proportions of samples coming from generalist species. The three most sampled tissues (egg, liver, and plasma) comprised 84 % of all samples. Eggs were the earliest tissue examined and the only tissue sampled in all decades. The geographical bias in monitoring effort and relatively narrow species focus, suggests that patterns in these pesticides are unlikely to be fully representative of all global environments occupied by raptors. While DDT has been banned throughout most of the global north, it remains in use in the global south, yet monitoring effort in the south, does not match that of the north. While monitoring remains prevalent in the global north, contemporary monitoring is limited in the global south with less than 10 % of raptors sampled in Asia, Africa, and South America, over the last 3 decades.
Published: 2023

9. Soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces worldwide

Author: Fundación BBVA, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Commission, Junta de Andalucía, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Swiss National Science Foundation, Hermon Slade Foundation, Fundación Séneca, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (Chile), Australian Research Council, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Slovenian Research Agency, Ministry of Education (India), Liu, Yu-Rong [0000-0003-1112-4255], van der Heijden, Marcel G. A. [0000-0001-7040-1924], Riedo, Judith [0000-0002-6887-7664], Sanz-Lázaro, Carlos [0000-0002-4431-1762], Eldridge, David J. [0000-0002-2191-486X], Bastida, F. [0000-0001-9958-7099], Moreno-Jiménez, E. [0000-0002-2125-1197], Hu, Hang-Wei [0000-0002-3294-102X], He, Ji-Zheng [0000-0002-9169-8058], Moreno, José Luis [0000-0002-6063-7156], Abades, Sebastián [0000-0001-5704-4037], Alfaro, Fernando D. [0000-0003-2922-1838], Berdugo, Miguel [0000-0003-1053-8907], Ríos, Asunción de los [0000-0002-0266-3516], Durán, Jorge [0000-0002-7375-5290], Grebenc, Tine [0000-0003-4035-8587], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F. [0000-0001-7085-9521], Plaza de Carlos, César [0000-0001-8616-7001], Rey, Ana [0000-0003-0394-101X], Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra [0000-0001-5849-8778], Siebe, Christina [0000-0002-2636-6778], Teixido, Alberto L. [0000-0001-8009-1237], Trivedi, Pankaj [0000-0003-0173-2804], Casado-Coy, Nuria [0000-0003-4348-2225], Torres-Díaz, Cristian [0000-0002-5741-5288], Verma, Jay Prakash [0000-0002-2643-9623], Zeng, Xiao-Min [0000-0003-4978-1015], Wang, Jianyong [0000-0002-9863-0056], Zaady, Eli [0000-0002-3304-534X], Huang, Qiaoyun [0000-0002-2733-8066], Zhu, Yong-Guan [0000-0003-3861-8482], Rillig, Matthias C. [0000-0003-3541-7853], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Tang, Wenfeng [0000-0002-3098-2928], Blanco-Pastor, José Luis [0000-0002-7708-1342], Liu, Yu-Rong, van der Heijden, Marcel G. A., Riedo, Judith, Sanz-Lázaro, Carlos, Eldridge, David J., Bastida, F., Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo, Zhou, Xin-Quan, Hu, Hang-Wei, He, Ji-Zheng, Moreno-Ortego, Jose Luis, Abades, Sebastián, Alfaro, Fernando D., Bamigboye, Adebola R., Berdugo, Miguel, Blanco-Pastor, José Luis, Ríos, Asunción de los, Durán, Jorge, Grebenc, Tine, Illán, Javier, G., Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Molina-Montenegro, Marco A., Nahberger, Tina U., Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F., Plaza de Carlos, César, Rey, Ana, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Siebe, Christina, Teixido, Alberto L., Casado-Coy, Nuria, Trivedi, Pankaj, Torres-Díaz, Cristian, Verma, Jay Prakash, Mukherjee, Arpan, Zeng, Xiao-Min, Wang, Ling, Wang, Jianyong, Zaady, Eli, Zhou, Xiaobing, Huang, Qiaoyun, Tang, Wenfeng, Zhu, Yong-Guan, Rillig, Matthias C., Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Fundación BBVA, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Commission, Junta de Andalucía, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Swiss National Science Foundation, Hermon Slade Foundation, Fundación Séneca, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (Chile), Australian Research Council, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Slovenian Research Agency, Ministry of Education (India), Liu, Yu-Rong [0000-0003-1112-4255], van der Heijden, Marcel G. A. [0000-0001-7040-1924], Riedo, Judith [0000-0002-6887-7664], Sanz-Lázaro, Carlos [0000-0002-4431-1762], Eldridge, David J. [0000-0002-2191-486X], Bastida, F. [0000-0001-9958-7099], Moreno-Jiménez, E. [0000-0002-2125-1197], Hu, Hang-Wei [0000-0002-3294-102X], He, Ji-Zheng [0000-0002-9169-8058], Moreno, José Luis [0000-0002-6063-7156], Abades, Sebastián [0000-0001-5704-4037], Alfaro, Fernando D. [0000-0003-2922-1838], Berdugo, Miguel [0000-0003-1053-8907], Ríos, Asunción de los [0000-0002-0266-3516], Durán, Jorge [0000-0002-7375-5290], Grebenc, Tine [0000-0003-4035-8587], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F. [0000-0001-7085-9521], Plaza de Carlos, César [0000-0001-8616-7001], Rey, Ana [0000-0003-0394-101X], Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra [0000-0001-5849-8778], Siebe, Christina [0000-0002-2636-6778], Teixido, Alberto L. [0000-0001-8009-1237], Trivedi, Pankaj [0000-0003-0173-2804], Casado-Coy, Nuria [0000-0003-4348-2225], Torres-Díaz, Cristian [0000-0002-5741-5288], Verma, Jay Prakash [0000-0002-2643-9623], Zeng, Xiao-Min [0000-0003-4978-1015], Wang, Jianyong [0000-0002-9863-0056], Zaady, Eli [0000-0002-3304-534X], Huang, Qiaoyun [0000-0002-2733-8066], Zhu, Yong-Guan [0000-0003-3861-8482], Rillig, Matthias C. [0000-0003-3541-7853], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Tang, Wenfeng [0000-0002-3098-2928], Blanco-Pastor, José Luis [0000-0002-7708-1342], Liu, Yu-Rong, van der Heijden, Marcel G. A., Riedo, Judith, Sanz-Lázaro, Carlos, Eldridge, David J., Bastida, F., Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo, Zhou, Xin-Quan, Hu, Hang-Wei, He, Ji-Zheng, Moreno-Ortego, Jose Luis, Abades, Sebastián, Alfaro, Fernando D., Bamigboye, Adebola R., Berdugo, Miguel, Blanco-Pastor, José Luis, Ríos, Asunción de los, Durán, Jorge, Grebenc, Tine, Illán, Javier, G., Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Molina-Montenegro, Marco A., Nahberger, Tina U., Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F., Plaza de Carlos, César, Rey, Ana, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Siebe, Christina, Teixido, Alberto L., Casado-Coy, Nuria, Trivedi, Pankaj, Torres-Díaz, Cristian, Verma, Jay Prakash, Mukherjee, Arpan, Zeng, Xiao-Min, Wang, Ling, Wang, Jianyong, Zaady, Eli, Zhou, Xiaobing, Huang, Qiaoyun, Tang, Wenfeng, Zhu, Yong-Guan, Rillig, Matthias C., and Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel
Abstract: Soil contamination is one of the main threats to ecosystem health and sustainability. Yet little is known about the extent to which soil contaminants differ between urban greenspaces and natural ecosystems. Here we show that urban greenspaces and adjacent natural areas (i.e., natural/semi-natural ecosystems) shared similar levels of multiple soil contaminants (metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes) across the globe. We reveal that human influence explained many forms of soil contamination worldwide. Socio-economic factors were integral to explaining the occurrence of soil contaminants worldwide. We further show that increased levels of multiple soil contaminants were linked with changes in microbial traits including genes associated with environmental stress resistance, nutrient cycling, and pathogenesis. Taken together, our work demonstrates that human-driven soil contamination in nearby natural areas mirrors that in urban greenspaces globally, and highlights that soil contaminants have the potential to cause dire consequences for ecosystem sustainability and human wellbeing.
Published: 2023

10. Nature and evolution of the lower crust under central Spain: inferences from granulite xenoliths (Calatrava Volcanic Field-Spanish central system)

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Orejana, D., Villaseca, Carlos, Elburg, Marlina A., Merino Martínez, E., García Serrano, Javier, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Orejana, D., Villaseca, Carlos, Elburg, Marlina A., Merino Martínez, E., and García Serrano, Javier
Abstract: [EN] So far, the nature and evolution of the lower crust under central Spain have been constrained mainly on the basis of a heterogeneous suite of granulite xenoliths from the Spanish Central System (SCS). In recent years, ultramafic volcanics from the Calatrava Volcanic Field (CVF) have also provided deep-seated crustal xenoliths which have not been studied in detail. Our data, combining mineral, whole-rock and isotopic geochemistry with U–Pb–Hf isotope ratios in zircons from the CVF and SCS xenoliths, highlight the felsic composition of the lower crust under central Iberia. A number of the Calatrava xenoliths represents Variscan igneous protoliths, which are a minor population in the SCS, and were likely formed by crystallisation of intermediate and felsic melts in the lower crust during the Variscan orogeny (leucodiorite protolith age of 314 ± 3 Ma and leucogranite protolith age of 308 ± 2.5 Ma). U–Pb data of metamorphic zircons show that granulite-facies metamorphism mainly occurred from 299 to 285 Ma in both areas. These ages are slightly younger than those of granitic intrusions that could be genetically related to the granulitic residue, which points to a main role of U–Pb isotope resetting in lower crustal zircons during HT or UHT conditions. The zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic ratios support the idea that the lower crust in central Iberia consists mainly of Ordovician–Neoproterozoic metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks associated with the Cadomian continental arc of northern Gondwana. These rocks provide evidence of mixing between juvenile magmas and an enriched crustal component, ultimately extracted from an Eburnean crust. Other more evolved components present in detrital zircons are likely related to recycling of Archean crust derived from North Africa cratonic terranes.
Published: 2023

11. Fungal Planet description sheets: 1478-1549

Author: European Commission, Natural History Museum (UK), University of Oslo, Estonian Research Council, National Science Centre (Poland), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia), Australian Biological Resources Study, Kerala Forest Research Institute, University of Mysore, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil), Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Ministry of Environment (South Korea), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Universidad de Alcalá, National Research Foundation (South Africa), University of Pretoria, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Israel Science Foundation, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Crous, P. W., Osieck, E. R., Shivas, R. G., Tan, Y. P., Bishop-Hurley, S. L., Esteve-Raventós, F., Larsson, E., Luangsa-Ard, J. J., Pancorbo, F., Balashov, S., Baseia, I. G., Boekhout, T., Chandranayaka, S., Cowan, D. A., Cruz, R. H.S.F., Czachura, P., De la Peña-Lastra, S., Dovana, F., Drury, B., Fell, J., Flakus, A., Fotedar, R., Jurjević, Kolecka, A., Mack, J., Maggs-Kölling, G., Mahadevakumar, S., Mateos, A., Mongkolsamrit, S., Noisripoom, W., Plaza, M., Overy, D. P., Piątek, M., Sandoval-Denis, M., Vauras, J., Wingfield, M. J., Abell, S. E., Ahmadpour, A., Akulov, A., Alavi, F., Alavi, Z., Altés, A., Alvarado, P., Anand, G., Ashtekar, N., Assyov, B., Banc-Prandi, G., Barbosa, K. D., Barreto, G. G., Bellanger, J. M., Bezerra, J. L., Bhat, D. J., Bilański, P., Bose, T., Bozok, F., Chaves, J., Costa-Rezende, D. H., Danteswari, C., Darmostuk, V., Delgado, G., Denman, S., Eichmeier, A., Etayo, J., Eyssartier, G., Faulwetter, S., Ganga, K. G. G., Ghosta, Y., Goh, J., Góis, J. S., Gramaje, David, Granit, L., Groenewald, M., Gulden, G., Gusmão, L. F. P., Hammerbacher, A., Heidarian, Z., Hywel-Jones, N., Jankowiak, R., Kaliyaperumal, M., Kaygusuz, O., Kezo, K., Khonsanit, A., Kumar, S., Kuo, C. H., Læssøe, T., Latha, K. P. D., Loizides, M., Luo, S. M., Maciá-Vicente, J. G., Manimohan, P., Marbach, P. A.S., Marinho, P., Marney, T. S., Marques, G., Martín, M. P., Miller, A. N., Mondello, F., Moreno, G., Mufeeda, K. T., Mun, H. Y., European Commission, Natural History Museum (UK), University of Oslo, Estonian Research Council, National Science Centre (Poland), Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Australia), Australian Biological Resources Study, Kerala Forest Research Institute, University of Mysore, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil), Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources, Ministry of Environment (South Korea), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Universidad de Alcalá, National Research Foundation (South Africa), University of Pretoria, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Israel Science Foundation, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Crous, P. W., Osieck, E. R., Shivas, R. G., Tan, Y. P., Bishop-Hurley, S. L., Esteve-Raventós, F., Larsson, E., Luangsa-Ard, J. J., Pancorbo, F., Balashov, S., Baseia, I. G., Boekhout, T., Chandranayaka, S., Cowan, D. A., Cruz, R. H.S.F., Czachura, P., De la Peña-Lastra, S., Dovana, F., Drury, B., Fell, J., Flakus, A., Fotedar, R., Jurjević, Kolecka, A., Mack, J., Maggs-Kölling, G., Mahadevakumar, S., Mateos, A., Mongkolsamrit, S., Noisripoom, W., Plaza, M., Overy, D. P., Piątek, M., Sandoval-Denis, M., Vauras, J., Wingfield, M. J., Abell, S. E., Ahmadpour, A., Akulov, A., Alavi, F., Alavi, Z., Altés, A., Alvarado, P., Anand, G., Ashtekar, N., Assyov, B., Banc-Prandi, G., Barbosa, K. D., Barreto, G. G., Bellanger, J. M., Bezerra, J. L., Bhat, D. J., Bilański, P., Bose, T., Bozok, F., Chaves, J., Costa-Rezende, D. H., Danteswari, C., Darmostuk, V., Delgado, G., Denman, S., Eichmeier, A., Etayo, J., Eyssartier, G., Faulwetter, S., Ganga, K. G. G., Ghosta, Y., Goh, J., Góis, J. S., Gramaje, David, Granit, L., Groenewald, M., Gulden, G., Gusmão, L. F. P., Hammerbacher, A., Heidarian, Z., Hywel-Jones, N., Jankowiak, R., Kaliyaperumal, M., Kaygusuz, O., Kezo, K., Khonsanit, A., Kumar, S., Kuo, C. H., Læssøe, T., Latha, K. P. D., Loizides, M., Luo, S. M., Maciá-Vicente, J. G., Manimohan, P., Marbach, P. A.S., Marinho, P., Marney, T. S., Marques, G., Martín, M. P., Miller, A. N., Mondello, F., Moreno, G., Mufeeda, K. T., and Mun, H. Y.
Abstract: Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia, Aschersonia mackerrasiae on whitefly, Cladosporium corticola on bark of Melaleuca quinquenervia, Penicillium nudgee from soil under Melaleuca quinquenervia, Pseudocercospora blackwoodiae on leaf spot of Persoonia falcata, and Pseudocercospora dalyelliae on leaf spot of Senna alata. Bolivia, Aspicilia lutzoniana on fully submersed siliceous schist in high-mountain streams, and Niesslia parviseta on the lower part and apothecial discs of Erioderma barbellatum onatwig. Brazil, Cyathus bonsai on decaying wood, Geastrum albofibrosum from moist soil with leaf litter, Laetiporus pratigiensis on a trunk of a living unknown hardwood tree species, and Scytalidium synnematicum on dead twigs of unidentified plant. Bulgaria, Amanita abscondita on sandy soil in a plantation of Quercus suber. Canada, Penicillium acericola on dead bark of Acer saccharum, and Penicillium corticola on dead bark of Acer saccharum. China, Colletotrichum qingyuanense on fruit lesion of Capsicum annuum. Denmark, Helminthosphaeria leptospora on corticioid Neohypochnicium cremicolor. Ecuador (Galapagos), Phaeosphaeria scalesiae on Scalesia sp. Finland, Inocybe jacobssonii on calcareouss oils in dry forests and park habitats. France, Cortinarius rufomyrrheus on sandy soil under Pinus pinaster, and Periconia neominutissima on leaves of Poaceae. India, Coprinopsis fragilis on decaying bark of logs, Filoboletus keralensis on unidentified woody substrate, Penicillium sankaranii from soil, Physisporinus tamilnaduensis on the trunk of Azadirachta indica, and Poronia nagaraholensis on elephant dung. Iran, Neosetophoma fic on infected leaves of Ficus elastica. Israel, Cnidariophoma eilatica (incl. Cnidariophoma gen. nov.) from Stylophora pistillata. Italy, Lyophyllum obscurum on acidic soil. Namibia, Aureobasidium faidherbiae on dead leaf of Faidherbia albida, and Aureobasidium welwitschiae on dead leaves of W
Published: 2023

12. Historic Sampling of a Vanishing Beast: Population Structure and Diversity in the Black Rhinoceros

Author: EMBO, European Commission, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, European Research Council, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), National Institutes of Health (US), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Natural History Museum (UK), Museum of Natural History (Germany), Hungarian Natural History Museum, Sánchez-Barreiro, Fátima, Cahsan, Binia de, Westbury, Michael V., Sun, Xin, Margaryan, Ashot, Fontsere, Claudia, Bruford, Michael W., Russo, Isa-Rita M., Kalthoff, Daniela C., Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas, Petersen, Bent, Dalén, Love, Zhang, Guojie, Marqués-Bonet, Tomàs, Gilbert, M. Thomas P., Moodley, Yoshan, EMBO, European Commission, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, European Research Council, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), National Institutes of Health (US), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Natural History Museum (UK), Museum of Natural History (Germany), Hungarian Natural History Museum, Sánchez-Barreiro, Fátima, Cahsan, Binia de, Westbury, Michael V., Sun, Xin, Margaryan, Ashot, Fontsere, Claudia, Bruford, Michael W., Russo, Isa-Rita M., Kalthoff, Daniela C., Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas, Petersen, Bent, Dalén, Love, Zhang, Guojie, Marqués-Bonet, Tomàs, Gilbert, M. Thomas P., and Moodley, Yoshan
Abstract: The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis L.) is a critically endangered species historically distributed across sub-Saharan Africa. Hunting and habitat disturbance have diminished both its numbers and distribution since the 19th century, but a poaching crisis in the late 20th century drove them to the brink of extinction. Genetic and genomic assessments can greatly increase our knowledge of the species and inform management strategies. However, when a species has been severely reduced, with the extirpation and artificial admixture of several populations, it is extremely challenging to obtain an accurate understanding of historic population structure and evolutionary history from extant samples. Therefore, we generated and analyzed whole genomes from 63 black rhinoceros museum specimens collected between 1775 and 1981. Results showed that the black rhinoceros could be genetically structured into six major historic populations (Central Africa, East Africa, Northwestern Africa, Northeastern Africa, Ruvuma, and Southern Africa) within which were nested four further subpopulations (Maasailand, southwestern, eastern rift, and northern rift), largely mirroring geography, with a punctuated north-south cline. However, we detected varying degrees of admixture among groups and found that several geographical barriers, most prominently the Zambezi River, drove population discontinuities. Genomic diversity was high in the middle of the range and decayed toward the periphery. This comprehensive historic portrait also allowed us to ascertain the ancestry of 20 resequenced genomes from extant populations. Lastly, using insights gained from this unique temporal data set, we suggest management strategies, some of which require urgent implementation, for the conservation of the remaining black rhinoceros diversity.
Published: 2023

13. IMA genome-F18 : The re-identification of Penicillium genomes available in NCBI and draft genomes for Penicillium species from dry cured meat, Penicillium biforme, P. brevicompactum, P. solitum, and P. cvjetkovicii, Pewenomyces kutranfy, Pew. lalenivora, Pew. tapulicola, Pew. kalosus, Teratosphaeria carnegiei, and Trichoderma atroviride SC1

Author: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Czech Republic), Mendel University, Department of Energy (US), Joint Genome Institute (US), Bioenergy Research Center (US), Department of Science and Innovation (South Africa), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Visagie, Cobus M., Magistà, Donato, Ferrara, Massimo, Balocchi, Felipe, Duong, Tuan A., Eichmeier, Ales, Gramaje, David, Aylward, Janneke, Baker, Scott E., Barnes, Irene, Calhoun, Sara, Angelis, Maria de, Frisvad, Jens C., Hakalova, Eliska, Hayes, Richard D., Houbraken, Jos, Grigoriev, Igor V., LaButti, Kurt, Leal, Catarina, Lipzen, Anna, Ng, Vivian, Pangilinan, Jasmyn, Pecenka, Jakub, Perrone, Giancarlo, Piso, Anja, Savage, Emily, Spetik, Milan, Wingfield, Michael J., Zhang, Yu, Wingfield, Brenda D., Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (Czech Republic), Mendel University, Department of Energy (US), Joint Genome Institute (US), Bioenergy Research Center (US), Department of Science and Innovation (South Africa), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Visagie, Cobus M., Magistà, Donato, Ferrara, Massimo, Balocchi, Felipe, Duong, Tuan A., Eichmeier, Ales, Gramaje, David, Aylward, Janneke, Baker, Scott E., Barnes, Irene, Calhoun, Sara, Angelis, Maria de, Frisvad, Jens C., Hakalova, Eliska, Hayes, Richard D., Houbraken, Jos, Grigoriev, Igor V., LaButti, Kurt, Leal, Catarina, Lipzen, Anna, Ng, Vivian, Pangilinan, Jasmyn, Pecenka, Jakub, Perrone, Giancarlo, Piso, Anja, Savage, Emily, Spetik, Milan, Wingfield, Michael J., Zhang, Yu, and Wingfield, Brenda D.
Abstract: Sequencing fungal genomes has now become very common and the list of genomes in this manuscript reflects this. Particularly relevant is that the first announcement is a re-identification of Penicillium genomes available on NCBI. The fact that more than 100 of these genomes have been deposited without the correct species names speak volumes to the fact that we must continue training fungal taxonomists and the importance of the International Mycological Association (after which this journal is named). When we started the genome series in 2013, one of the essential aspects was the need to have a phylogenetic tree as part of the manuscript. This came about as the result of a discussion with colleagues in NCBI who were trying to deal with the very many incorrectly identified bacterial genomes (at the time) which had been submitted to NCBI. We are now in the same position with fungal genomes. Sequencing a fungal genome is all too easy but providing a correct species name and ensuring that the fungus has in fact been correctly identified seems to be more difficult. We know that there are thousands of fungi which have not yet been described. The availability of sequence data has made identification of fungi easier but also serves to highlight the need to have a fungal taxonomist in the project to make sure that mistakes are not made.
Published: 2023

14. Catalogue of South African mine tailings for geochemical carbon dioxide removal purposes

Author: Natural Environment Research Council (UK), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK), Economic and Social Research Council (UK), Bullock, L. A., Nkosi, Z., Vele, M., Amponsah-Dacosta, M., Natural Environment Research Council (UK), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK), Economic and Social Research Council (UK), Bullock, L. A., Nkosi, Z., Vele, M., and Amponsah-Dacosta, M.
Abstract: South Africa has the potential to be a global leader in implementing strategies targeting geochemical carbon dioxide removal (CDR) using mine tailings, utilising methods for alkalinity production and mineral carbonation. This is due to the hundreds of millions of tonnes of geochemically and mineralogically suitable tailings produced annually from diamond, PGM, chrome, nickel, phosphate, copper, talc and magnesite mines, exploiting mafic and ultramafic rocks. This approach may offer an additional route towards emissions offsets and reduction targets for South Africa. Here, a catalogue of tailings has been developed to highlight overall national CDR potential, drawing attention to site opportunities for pilot schemes. It has been calculated, using bulk geochemistry and shrinking core modelling, that South Africa has an average 1.1-1.7 MtCO removal capacity per year across all suitable sites, while an additional 11-17 MtCO could be removed through weathering historic tailings. The total CDR that could be achieved over the 2030-2100 period, considering all annually produced tailings available to weather, is 79-119 MtCO. The capacity may be higher if mines of limited production information are considered, and pre-2017 tailings production amounts, abandoned stockpiles, and other industrial by-products are included. Diamond mines hold the highest geochemical CDR capacities, along with high tailings producers in Phalaborwa, Nkomati and Mogalakwena metal mines. There are incentives for academia, industry and policymakers to revise the geochemical CDR potential of mine sites in the years to come, and for other countries to catalogue their own suitable tailings and geochemical CDR potential capacities for future Mt-scale opportunities.
Published: 2023

15. A Mathematical Modelling Unit for First-Year Engineering Students

Author: National Research Foundation, South Africa, Durandt, Rina, Blum, Werner, Lindl, Alfred, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Durandt, Rina, Blum, Werner, and Lindl, Alfred
Abstract: [EN] This paper is practice-oriented and reports on a mathematical modelling unit specifically developed for first-year engineering students in a South African context. The main idea with the unit was to foster students’ mathematical modelling competency development. This idea supports an essential goal of mathematics teaching, that is to enable students to solve real - world problems by means of mathematics. The unit consists of five lessons and several tasks, carefully planned to consider students’ mathematical pre-knowledge, the demands of the first-year mathematics (calculus) curriculum and the intended competency development. The unit was linked to the mathematical topic of functions and taught for different groups of students according to two different teaching designs, similar to the designs used in the German DISUM project. 144 first year engineering students from the extended curriculum programme of a large public university were divided in three groups and exposed to the unit. An empirical evaluation of the intervention (with a pre-post-test design) showed a significant competency growth for all groups, with substantial differences, dependent on the teaching design. Some strengths and shortcomings of the unit will be identified and implications for future practice will be discussed., [ES] Este artículo está orientado a la práctica e informa sobre una unidad de modelización matemática desarrollada específicamente para estudiantes de primer año de ingeniería en un contexto sudafricano. La idea principal de la unidad era fomentar el desarrollo de la competencia de modelización matemática de los estudiantes. Esta idea apoya un objetivo esencial de la enseñanza de las matemáticas, que es permitir a los estudiantes resolver problemas del mundo real por medio de las matemáticas. La unidad consta de cinco lecciones y varias tareas, cuidadosamente planificadas para tener en cuenta los conocimientos matemáticos previos de los alumnos, las exigencias del plan de estudios de matemáticas de primer curso (cálculo) y el desarrollo de competencias previsto. La unidad se vinculó al tema matemático de las funciones y se impartió a distintos grupos de estudiantes según dos diseños didácticos diferentes, similares a los utilizados en el proyecto alemán DISUM. Se dividieron en tres grupos 144 estudiantes de primer año de ingeniería del programa curricular ampliado de una gran universidad pública y se les expuso la unidad. Una evaluación empírica de la intervención (con un diseño pre-post-test) mostró un crecimiento significativo de las competencias en todos los grupos, con diferencias sustanciales, dependiendo del diseño didáctico. Se identificarán algunos puntos fuertes y deficiencias de la unidad y se discutirán las implicaciones para la práctica futura.
Published: 2022

16. Rediscovery and redescription of Teneriffia quadripapillata Sig Thor (Acari: Trombidiformes: Teneriffiidae)

Author: Cabildo de Tenerife, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ueckermann, Edward A., De La Paz, Juan Carlos, Hernández-Teixidor, David, Durucan, Furkan, Cabildo de Tenerife, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ueckermann, Edward A., De La Paz, Juan Carlos, Hernández-Teixidor, David, and Durucan, Furkan
Abstract: Teneriffia quadripapillata Sig Thor, the type species of Teneriffia Sig Thor (1911), is redescribed from new material collected on Tenerife, the island which is the type locality in the Canary Islands. Sig Thor’s original material was apparently destroyed.
Published: 2022

17. Poisoned chalice: Use of transformed landscapes associated with increased persistent organic pollutant concentrations and potential immune effects for an adaptable carnivore

Author: World Wildlife Fund, Claude Leon Foundation, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Leighton, Gabriella R.M., Bishop, Jacqueline M., Camarero, Pablo R., Mateo, Rafael, O'Riain, M. Justin, Serieys, Laurel E.K., World Wildlife Fund, Claude Leon Foundation, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Leighton, Gabriella R.M., Bishop, Jacqueline M., Camarero, Pablo R., Mateo, Rafael, O'Riain, M. Justin, and Serieys, Laurel E.K.
Abstract: Wildlife around cities bioaccumulate multiple harmful environmental pollutants associated with human activities. Exposure severity can vary based on foraging behaviour and habitat use, which can be examined to elucidate exposure pathways. Carnivores can play vital roles in ecosystem stability but are particularly vulnerable to bioaccumulation of pollutants. Understanding the spatial and dietary predictors of these contaminants can inform pollutant control, and carnivores, at the top of food webs, can act as useful indicator species. We test for exposure to toxic organochlorines (OCs), including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in a medium-sized felid, the caracal (Caracal caracal), across the peri-urban and agricultural landscapes of the city of Cape Town, South Africa. Concentrations in both blood (n = 69) and adipose tissue (n = 25) were analysed along with detailed spatial, dietary, demographic, and physiological data to assess OC sources and exposure risk. The analysis revealed widespread exposure of Cape Town's caracals to organochlorines: detection rate was 100% for PCBs and 83% for DDTs in blood, and 100% for both compounds in adipose. Caracals using human-transformed areas, such as vineyards and areas with higher human population and electrical transformer density, as well as wetland areas, had higher organochlorine burdens. These landscapes were also highly selected foraging areas, suggesting caracals are drawn into areas that co-incidentally increase their risk of exposure to these pollutants. Further, biomagnification potential was higher in individuals feeding on higher trophic level prey and on exotic prey. These findings point to bioaccumulation of OC toxicants and widespread exposure across local food webs. Additionally, we report possible physiological effects of exposure, including elevated white blood cell and platelet count, suggesting a degree of immunological response that may increase disease suscept
Published: 2022

18. Virtual ontogeny of cortical growth preceding mental illness

Author: German Research Foundation, University of Münster, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), University of Cape Town, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Swinburne University of Technology, Jack Brockhoff Foundation, University of Melbourne, Barbara Dicker Brain Sciences Foundation, Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation, Society for Mental Health Research (Australia), Swedish Research Council, Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Swedish Brain Foundation, Health Research Board (Ireland), Russian Foundation for Basic Research, University of Zurich, Pratt Foundation, Ramsay Health Care, Viertel Charitable Foundation, Schizophrenia Research Institute (Australia), European Commission, Australian Research Council, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, National Institute for Health and Care Research (US), National Institute for Health Research (UK), Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council (UK), Medical Research Scotland, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, Ambrogi, Sonia [0000-0002-2897-358X], Banaschewski, Tobias [0000-0003-4595-1144], Bandeira, Cibele Edom [0000-0003-0681-1309], Cupertino, Renata [0000-0002-3452-0632], Calderoni, Sara [0000-0002-6250-5739], Cannon, Dara [0000-0001-7378-3411], Carr, Vaughan [0000-0002-8907-5804], Chew, Qian Hui [0000-0003-0969-7994], Coghill, David [0000-0003-3017-9737], Cullen, Kathryn [0000-0001-9631-3770], Dahl, Andreas [0000-0002-8097-2082], Epstein, Jeffery [0000-0003-3464-5256], Foran, William [0000-0001-7491-9798], Fortea, Lydia [0000-0001-6778-2316], Fuentes-Claramonte, Paola [0000-0002-1428-7976], Fullerton, Janice M. [0000-0003-4014-4490], Furlong, Lisa [0000-0001-6196-4565], Gallagher, Louise [0000-0001-9462-2836], Gao, Si [0000-0002-4473-1142], Gotlib, Ian [0000-0002-3622-3199], Haavik, Jan [0000-0001-7865-2808], Henskens, Frans [0000-0003-2358-5630], Hilland, Eva [0000-0002-7102-8372], Hoekstra, Pieter J [0000-0001-7260-4119], Howells, Fleur M [0000-0001-9759-2556], Ipser, Jonathan [0000-0003-1272-0032], Jørgensen, Jes Kristian [0000-0001-9133-1670], Karantonis, James A. [0000-0003-2281-0912], Lawrie, Stephen [0000-0002-2444-5675], Patel, Yash, Shin, Jean, Abé, Christoph, Agartz, Ingrid, Alloza, Clara, Alnæs, Dag, Ambrogi, Sonia, Antonucci, Linda A., Arango, Celso, Arolt, Volker, Auzias, Guillaume, Gruber, Oliver, Haavik, Jan, McDonald, Colm, Hahn, Tim, Harrison, Ben J., Heindel, Walter, Henskens, Frans, Heslenfeld, Dirk J., Hilland, Eva, King, Joseph A., Vernooij, Meike W., Hoekstra, Pieter J., Hohmann, Sarah, Holz, Nathalie, Howells, Fleur M., McIntosh, Andrew, Ipser, Jonathan C., Meinert, Susanne, Hoogman, Martine, Kircher, Tilo, Kochunov, Peter, Vieta, Eduard, Koopowitz, Sheri-Michelle, Landén, Mikael, Landrø, Nils Inge, Lawrie, Stephen, Michie, Patricia T., Ayesa Arriola, Rosa, Mitchell, Philip, Moreno-Alcázar, Ana, Franke, Barbara, Mowry, Bryan, Bau, Claiton H. D., Muratori, Filippo, Nabulsi, Leila, Nenadić, Igor, O'Gorman Tuura, Ruth, Oosterlaan, Jaap, Overs, Bronwyn, Pantelis, Christos, Banaj, Nerisa, Parellada, Mara, van Rooij, Daan, Vilarroya, Oscar, Pariente, Jose C., Pauli, Paul, Pergola, Giulio, Piarulli, Francesco Maria, Picon, Felipe, Piras, Fabrizio, Pomarol-Clotet, Edith, Pretus, Clara, Quidé, Yann, Banaschewski, Tobias, Weickert, Cynthia, Buitelaar, Jan, Radua, Joaquim, Ramos-Quiroga, J. Antoni, Rasser, Paul E., Reif, Andreas, Retico, Alessandra, Roberts, Gloria, Rossell, Susan, Rovaris, Diego Luiz, Rubia, Katya, Weickert, Thomas, Sacchet, Matthew, Ching, Christopher R. K., Bandeira, Cibele, Salavert, Josep, Salvador, Raymond, Sarró, Salvador, Sawa, Akira, Schall, Ulrich, Scott, Rodney, Selvaggi, Pierluigi, Westlye, Lars T., Silk, Tim, Sim, Kang, Andreassen, Ole A., Skoch, Antonin, Başgöze, Zeynep, Spalletta, Gianfranco, Spaniel, Filip, Stein, Dan J., Steinsträter, Olaf, Stolicyn, Aleks, Whalley, Heather, Takayanagi, Yoichiro, Tamm, Leanne, Tavares, Maria, Pozzi, Elena, Teumer, Alexander, Thiel, Katharina, Cupertino, Renata Basso, Thomopoulos, Sophia I., Tomecek, David, Tomyshev, Alexander S., Willinger, David, Tordesillas-Gutiérrez, Diana, Tosetti, Michela, Uhlmann, Anne, Van Rheenen, Tamsyn, Veltman, Dick, Vázquez-Bourgon, Javier, Schmaal, Lianne, Jahanshad, Neda, Winter, Alexandra, Wittfeld, Katharina, Yang, Tony T., Yoncheva, Yuliya, Bauer, Jochen, Zijlmans, Jendé L., Baumeister, Sarah, Lebedeva, Irina, van Erp, Theo G. M., Turner, Jessica, Jakobi, Babette, Castellanos, F. Xavier, Pausova, Zdenka, Thompson, Paul, Paus, Tomas, Bernardoni, Fabio, Bertolino, Alessandro, Bonnin, Caterina Del Mar, Brandeis, Daniel, Luna, Beatriz, Brem, Silvia, Jansen, Andreas, Bruggemann, Jason, Bülow, Robin, Bustillo, Juan R., Calderoni, Sara, Calvo, Rosa, Canales-Rodríguez, Erick J., Cannon, Dara M., Carmona, Susanna, Carr, Vaughan J., Lundervold, Astri J., Janssen, Joost, Catts, Stanley V., Chenji, Sneha, Chew, Qian Hui, Coghill, David, Connolly, Colm G., Conzelmann, Annette, Craven, Alexander R., Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto, Cullen, Kathryn, Dahl, Andreas, Jonassen, Rune, MacMaster, Frank P., Dannlowski, Udo, Davey, Christopher G., Deruelle, Christine, Díaz-Caneja, Covadonga M., Dohm, Katharina, Ehrlich, Stefan, Epstein, Jeffery, Erwin-Grabner, Tracy, Eyler, Lisa T., Kaiser, Anna, Fedor, Jennifer, Maglanoc, Luigi A., Fitzgerald, Jacqueline, Foran, William, Ford, Judith M., Fortea, Lydia, Fuentes-Claramonte, Paola, Fullerton, Janice, Furlong, Lisa, Gallagher, Louise, Kaleda, Vasiliy, Gao, Bingchen, Gao, Si, Mathalon, Daniel H., Goikolea, Jose M., Gotlib, Ian, Goya-Maldonado, Roberto, Grabe, Hans J., Green, Melissa, Grevet, Eugenio H., Groenewold, Nynke A., Karantonis, James, Grotegerd, Dominik., German Research Foundation, University of Münster, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), University of Cape Town, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Swinburne University of Technology, Jack Brockhoff Foundation, University of Melbourne, Barbara Dicker Brain Sciences Foundation, Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation, Society for Mental Health Research (Australia), Swedish Research Council, Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Swedish Brain Foundation, Health Research Board (Ireland), Russian Foundation for Basic Research, University of Zurich, Pratt Foundation, Ramsay Health Care, Viertel Charitable Foundation, Schizophrenia Research Institute (Australia), European Commission, Australian Research Council, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, National Institute for Health and Care Research (US), National Institute for Health Research (UK), Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council (UK), Medical Research Scotland, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, Ambrogi, Sonia [0000-0002-2897-358X], Banaschewski, Tobias [0000-0003-4595-1144], Bandeira, Cibele Edom [0000-0003-0681-1309], Cupertino, Renata [0000-0002-3452-0632], Calderoni, Sara [0000-0002-6250-5739], Cannon, Dara [0000-0001-7378-3411], Carr, Vaughan [0000-0002-8907-5804], Chew, Qian Hui [0000-0003-0969-7994], Coghill, David [0000-0003-3017-9737], Cullen, Kathryn [0000-0001-9631-3770], Dahl, Andreas [0000-0002-8097-2082], Epstein, Jeffery [0000-0003-3464-5256], Foran, William [0000-0001-7491-9798], Fortea, Lydia [0000-0001-6778-2316], Fuentes-Claramonte, Paola [0000-0002-1428-7976], Fullerton, Janice M. [0000-0003-4014-4490], Furlong, Lisa [0000-0001-6196-4565], Gallagher, Louise [0000-0001-9462-2836], Gao, Si [0000-0002-4473-1142], Gotlib, Ian [0000-0002-3622-3199], Haavik, Jan [0000-0001-7865-2808], Henskens, Frans [0000-0003-2358-5630], Hilland, Eva [0000-0002-7102-8372], Hoekstra, Pieter J [0000-0001-7260-4119], Howells, Fleur M [0000-0001-9759-2556], Ipser, Jonathan [0000-0003-1272-0032], Jørgensen, Jes Kristian [0000-0001-9133-1670], Karantonis, James A. [0000-0003-2281-0912], Lawrie, Stephen [0000-0002-2444-5675], Patel, Yash, Shin, Jean, Abé, Christoph, Agartz, Ingrid, Alloza, Clara, Alnæs, Dag, Ambrogi, Sonia, Antonucci, Linda A., Arango, Celso, Arolt, Volker, Auzias, Guillaume, Gruber, Oliver, Haavik, Jan, McDonald, Colm, Hahn, Tim, Harrison, Ben J., Heindel, Walter, Henskens, Frans, Heslenfeld, Dirk J., Hilland, Eva, King, Joseph A., Vernooij, Meike W., Hoekstra, Pieter J., Hohmann, Sarah, Holz, Nathalie, Howells, Fleur M., McIntosh, Andrew, Ipser, Jonathan C., Meinert, Susanne, Hoogman, Martine, Kircher, Tilo, Kochunov, Peter, Vieta, Eduard, Koopowitz, Sheri-Michelle, Landén, Mikael, Landrø, Nils Inge, Lawrie, Stephen, Michie, Patricia T., Ayesa Arriola, Rosa, Mitchell, Philip, Moreno-Alcázar, Ana, Franke, Barbara, Mowry, Bryan, Bau, Claiton H. D., Muratori, Filippo, Nabulsi, Leila, Nenadić, Igor, O'Gorman Tuura, Ruth, Oosterlaan, Jaap, Overs, Bronwyn, Pantelis, Christos, Banaj, Nerisa, Parellada, Mara, van Rooij, Daan, Vilarroya, Oscar, Pariente, Jose C., Pauli, Paul, Pergola, Giulio, Piarulli, Francesco Maria, Picon, Felipe, Piras, Fabrizio, Pomarol-Clotet, Edith, Pretus, Clara, Quidé, Yann, Banaschewski, Tobias, Weickert, Cynthia, Buitelaar, Jan, Radua, Joaquim, Ramos-Quiroga, J. Antoni, Rasser, Paul E., Reif, Andreas, Retico, Alessandra, Roberts, Gloria, Rossell, Susan, Rovaris, Diego Luiz, Rubia, Katya, Weickert, Thomas, Sacchet, Matthew, Ching, Christopher R. K., Bandeira, Cibele, Salavert, Josep, Salvador, Raymond, Sarró, Salvador, Sawa, Akira, Schall, Ulrich, Scott, Rodney, Selvaggi, Pierluigi, Westlye, Lars T., Silk, Tim, Sim, Kang, Andreassen, Ole A., Skoch, Antonin, Başgöze, Zeynep, Spalletta, Gianfranco, Spaniel, Filip, Stein, Dan J., Steinsträter, Olaf, Stolicyn, Aleks, Whalley, Heather, Takayanagi, Yoichiro, Tamm, Leanne, Tavares, Maria, Pozzi, Elena, Teumer, Alexander, Thiel, Katharina, Cupertino, Renata Basso, Thomopoulos, Sophia I., Tomecek, David, Tomyshev, Alexander S., Willinger, David, Tordesillas-Gutiérrez, Diana, Tosetti, Michela, Uhlmann, Anne, Van Rheenen, Tamsyn, Veltman, Dick, Vázquez-Bourgon, Javier, Schmaal, Lianne, Jahanshad, Neda, Winter, Alexandra, Wittfeld, Katharina, Yang, Tony T., Yoncheva, Yuliya, Bauer, Jochen, Zijlmans, Jendé L., Baumeister, Sarah, Lebedeva, Irina, van Erp, Theo G. M., Turner, Jessica, Jakobi, Babette, Castellanos, F. Xavier, Pausova, Zdenka, Thompson, Paul, Paus, Tomas, Bernardoni, Fabio, Bertolino, Alessandro, Bonnin, Caterina Del Mar, Brandeis, Daniel, Luna, Beatriz, Brem, Silvia, Jansen, Andreas, Bruggemann, Jason, Bülow, Robin, Bustillo, Juan R., Calderoni, Sara, Calvo, Rosa, Canales-Rodríguez, Erick J., Cannon, Dara M., Carmona, Susanna, Carr, Vaughan J., Lundervold, Astri J., Janssen, Joost, Catts, Stanley V., Chenji, Sneha, Chew, Qian Hui, Coghill, David, Connolly, Colm G., Conzelmann, Annette, Craven, Alexander R., Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto, Cullen, Kathryn, Dahl, Andreas, Jonassen, Rune, MacMaster, Frank P., Dannlowski, Udo, Davey, Christopher G., Deruelle, Christine, Díaz-Caneja, Covadonga M., Dohm, Katharina, Ehrlich, Stefan, Epstein, Jeffery, Erwin-Grabner, Tracy, Eyler, Lisa T., Kaiser, Anna, Fedor, Jennifer, Maglanoc, Luigi A., Fitzgerald, Jacqueline, Foran, William, Ford, Judith M., Fortea, Lydia, Fuentes-Claramonte, Paola, Fullerton, Janice, Furlong, Lisa, Gallagher, Louise, Kaleda, Vasiliy, Gao, Bingchen, Gao, Si, Mathalon, Daniel H., Goikolea, Jose M., Gotlib, Ian, Goya-Maldonado, Roberto, Grabe, Hans J., Green, Melissa, Grevet, Eugenio H., Groenewold, Nynke A., Karantonis, James, and Grotegerd, Dominik.
Abstract: [Background]: Morphology of the human cerebral cortex differs across psychiatric disorders, with neurobiology and developmental origins mostly undetermined. Deviations in the tangential growth of the cerebral cortex during pre/perinatal periods may be reflected in individual variations in cortical surface area later in life., [Methods]: Interregional profiles of group differences in surface area between cases and controls were generated using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging from 27,359 individuals including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and high general psychopathology (through the Child Behavior Checklist). Similarity of interregional profiles of group differences in surface area and prenatal cell-specific gene expression was assessed., [Results]: Across the 11 cortical regions, group differences in cortical area for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and Child Behavior Checklist were dominant in multimodal association cortices. The same interregional profiles were also associated with interregional profiles of (prenatal) gene expression specific to proliferative cells, namely radial glia and intermediate progenitor cells (greater expression, larger difference), as well as differentiated cells, namely excitatory neurons and endothelial and mural cells (greater expression, smaller difference). Finally, these cell types were implicated in known pre/perinatal risk factors for psychosis. Genes coexpressed with radial glia were enriched with genes implicated in congenital abnormalities, birth weight, hypoxia, and starvation. Genes coexpressed with endothelial and mural genes were enriched with genes associated with maternal hypertension and preterm birth., [Conclusions]: Our findings support a neurodevelopmental model of vulnerability to mental illness whereby prenatal risk factors acting through cell-specific processes lead to deviations from typical brain development during pregnancy.
Published: 2022

19. The ecological assembly of bacterial communities in Antarctic wetlands varies across levels of phylogenetic resolution

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), Junta de Castilla y León, Valverde Portal, Ángel [0000-0003-0439-9605], Quiroga, María Victoria, Valverde Portal, Ángel, Mataloni, Gabriela, Casa, Valeria, Stegen, James C., Cowan, Don A., National Research Foundation (South Africa), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), Junta de Castilla y León, Valverde Portal, Ángel [0000-0003-0439-9605], Quiroga, María Victoria, Valverde Portal, Ángel, Mataloni, Gabriela, Casa, Valeria, Stegen, James C., and Cowan, Don A.
Abstract: As functional traits are conserved at different phylogenetic depths, the ability to detect community assembly processes can be conditional on the phylogenetic resolution; yet most previous work quantifying their influence has focused on a single level of phylogenetic resolution. Here, we have studied the ecological assembly of bacterial communities from an Antarctic wetland complex, applying null models across different levels of phylogenetic resolution (i.e. clustering ASVs into OTUs with decreasing sequence identity thresholds). We found that the relative influence of the community assembly processes varies with phylogenetic resolution. More specifically, selection processes seem to impose stronger influence at finer (100% sequence similarity ASV) than at coarser (99%-97% sequence similarity OTUs) resolution. We identified environmental features related with the ecological processes and propose a conceptual model for the bacterial community assembly in this Antarctic ecosystem. Briefly, eco-evolutionary processes appear to be leading to different but very closely related ASVs in lotic, lentic and terrestrial environments. In all, this study shows that assessing community assembly processes at different phylogenetic resolutions is key to improve our understanding of microbial ecology. More importantly, a failure to detect selection processes at coarser phylogenetic resolution does not imply the absence of such processes at finer resolutions.
Published: 2022

20. A prenatal acoustic signal of heat affects thermoregulation capacities at adulthood in an arid‑adapted bird

Author: Australian Research Council, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Pessato, Anaïs [0000-0002-9694-2013], McKechnie, Andrew E. [0000-0002-1524-1021], & Mariette, Mylene M. [0000-0003-0567-4111], Pessato, Anaïs, McKechnie, Andrew E., Mariette, Mylene M., Australian Research Council, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Pessato, Anaïs [0000-0002-9694-2013], McKechnie, Andrew E. [0000-0002-1524-1021], & Mariette, Mylene M. [0000-0003-0567-4111], Pessato, Anaïs, McKechnie, Andrew E., and Mariette, Mylene M.
Abstract: Understanding animal physiological adaptations for tolerating heat, and the causes of interindividual variation, is key for predicting climate change impacts on biodiversity. Recently, a novel mechanism for transgenerational heat adaptation was identified in a desert-adapted bird, where parents acoustically signal hot conditions to embryos. Prenatal exposure to “heat-calls” adaptively alters zebra finch development and their thermal preferences in adulthood, suggesting a long-term shift towards a heat-adapted phenotype. However, whether such acoustic experience improves long-term thermoregulatory capacities is unknown. We measured metabolic rate (MR), evaporative water loss (EWL) and body temperature in adults exposed to a stepped profile of progressively higher air temperatures (Ta) between 27 and 44 °C. Remarkably, prenatal acoustic experience affected heat tolerance at adulthood, with heat-call exposed individuals more likely to reach the highest Ta in morning trials. This was despite MR and EWL reaching higher levels at the highest Ta in heat-call individuals, partly driven by a stronger metabolic effect of moderate activity. At lower Ta, however, heat-call exposed individuals had greater relative water economy, as expected. They also better recovered mass lost during morning trials. We therefore provide the first evidence that prenatal acoustic signals have long-term consequences for heat tolerance and physiological adaptation to heat.
Published: 2022

21. Late Quaternary palaeoenvironments in the central semi-arid region of South Africa from pollen in cave, pan, spring, stream and dung deposits

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), National Science Foundation (US), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, Scott, L., Sobol, M., Neumann, F.H., Fernández-Jalvo, Yolanda, Bousman, C.B., Horwitz, Liora Kolska, Aardt, A.C. van, National Research Foundation (South Africa), National Science Foundation (US), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), European Commission, Scott, L., Sobol, M., Neumann, F.H., Fernández-Jalvo, Yolanda, Bousman, C.B., Horwitz, Liora Kolska, and Aardt, A.C. van
Abstract: We have reassessed the palynological record of Equus Cave in the Savanna Biome of the southern Kalahari, one of the longest Late Quaternary pollen records for the semi-arid central interior of South Africa. We combined published pollen results from the cave, derived from hyena coprolites and the rubified deposits in which they occur, into a single sequence. By re-considering the chronology of this sequence, we critically evaluated the palaeoenvironmental record for the site. We compared the pollen evidence from Equus Cave to that from the longer Wonderwerk Cave records (stalagmite, sediments and dung), also located in the Savanna Biome. Then, we contrasted Equus and Wonderwerk records with other previously published pollen sequences derived from a range of sources from several sites in central South Africa. These sites follow a broad northwest to southeast transect of c. 500 km through the Grassland and Nama Karoo Biomes of the Free State and Eastern Cape. Applying Principal Components Analysis to the pollen data, we derived climatic signals at a regional scale to refine reconstructions of Late Quaternary changes for central South Africa.
Published: 2022

22. Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands

Author: European Research Council, Generalitat Valenciana, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, German Research Foundation, European Commission, Asia Foundation, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Comunidad de Madrid, Northern Arizona University, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (México), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil), National Science Foundation (US), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Australian Research Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Junta de Andalucía, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Junta de Extremadura, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, Taylor Family Foundation, Maestre, Fernando T. [0000-0002-7434-4856], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Eldridge, David J. [0000-0002-2191-486X], Berdugo, Miguel [0000-0003-1053-8907], Gozalo, Beatriz [0000-0003-3082-4695], Ochoa, Victoria [0000-0002-2055-2094], Guirado, Emilio [0000-0001-5348-7391], García-Gómez, Miguel [0000-0003-3148-1495], Valencia, Enrique [0000-0003-3359-0759], Gaitán, Juan J. [0000-0003-2889-1418], Deák, Balázs [0000-0001-6938-1997], Donoso, David [0000-0002-3408-1457], Erdenetsetseg, Batdegleg [0000-0002-4508-8929], Espinosa, Carlos Iván [0000-0002-5330-4505], Fajardo, Alex [0000-0002-2202-6207], Farzam, Mohammad [0000-0003-1947-0187], Ferrante, Daniela [0000-0002-6056-3839], Frank, Anke S. K. [0000-0002-0177-4898], Fraser, L. H. [0000-0003-3998-5540], Jeltsch, Florian [0000-0002-4670-6469], Gherardi, Laureano [0000-0001-5743-1096], Greenville, Aaron [0000-0002-0113-4778], Guerra, Carlos A. [0000-0003-4917-2105], Gusmán Montalván, Elizabeth [0000-0002-3103-0419], Hernández Hernández, Rosa M. [0000-0003-0689-8862], Huber-Sannwald, E. [0000-0002-8321-1270], Hughes, Frederic M. [0000-0002-5835-953X], Jadán, Oswaldo. [0000-0002-7865-2418], Jentsch, Anke [0000-0002-2345-8300], Kaseke, Kudzai Farai [0000-0002-3856-0711], Köbel, Melanie [0000-0001-8272-7999], Koopman, Jesica E. [0000-0002-7944-7969], Leder, Cintia [0000-0003-4829-4477], Linstädter, Anja [0000-0003-0038-9557], Le Roux, Peter C. [0000-0002-7941-7444], Liancourt, Pierre [0000-0002-3109-8755], Liu, Jushan [0000-0001-7768-914X], Munson, Seth M. [0000-0002-2736-6374], Low, Michelle A. [0000-0002-2148-9752], Maggs Kölling, Gillian [0000-0003-3296-8553], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Malam Issa, Oumarou [0000-0001-8357-914X], Manzaneda, Antonio J. [0000-0001-9384-7910], Marais, Eugene [0000-0001-7155-9942], Mora, Juan P. [0000-0002-6335-0150], Moreno, Gerardo [0000-0001-8053-2696], Nunes, Alice [0000-0002-6900-3838], Oliva, Gabriel [0000-0002-7839-8851], Oñatibia, Gastón [0000-0003-2329-6601], Peter, Guadalupe [0000-0002-7792-7045], Pivari, Marco O. D. [0000-0003-1764-4577], Pueyo, Yolanda [0000-0001-6970-7790], Quiroga, R Emiliano [0000-0001-9785-451X], Reed, Sasha C. [0000-0002-8597-8619], Rey, P.J. [0000-0001-5550-0393], Teixido, Alberto L. [0000-0001-8009-1237], Richard, Benoit [0000-0003-4522-027X], Rodríguez, Alexandra [0000-0001-5849-8778], Rolo, Víctor [0000-0001-5854-9512], Rubalcaba, Juan G. [0000-0003-4646-070X], Salah, Ayman [0000-0003-0596-1292], Stavi, Ilan [0000-0001-9725-0003], Stephens, Colton R. A. [0000-0002-8744-6405], Swemmer, Anthony [0000-0003-1378-7394], Thomas, Andrew [0000-0002-1360-1687], Throop, Heather L. [0000-0002-7963-4342], Travers, Samantha [0000-0002-6252-1667], Val, James [0000-0003-4519-4008], Valkó, Orsolya [0000-0001-7919-6293], van den Brink, Liesbeth [0000-0003-0313-8147], Velasco Ayuso, Sergio [0000-0002-5924-8786], Velbert, Frederike [0000-0003-0499-3807], Wamiti, Wanyoike [0000-0001-7300-2101], Asencio, Sergio [0000-0003-4376-2964], Wang, Deli [0000-0001-6576-9193], Wang, Lixin [0000-0003-0968-1247], Wardle, Glenda M. [0000-0003-0189-1899], Yahdjian, Laura [0000-0002-9635-1221], Zaady, Eli [0000-0002-3304-534X], Yuanming, Zhang [0000-0003-1370-4181], Singh, Brajesh K. [0000-0003-4413-4185], Gross, Nicolas [0000-0001-9730-3240], Mendoza, Betty [0000-0003-1149-7801], Plaza de Carlos, César [0000-0001-8616-7001], Rey, Ana [0000-0003-0394-101X], Hu, Hang-Wei [0000-0002-3294-102X], He, Ji-Zheng [0000-0002-9169-8058], Wang, Jun-Tao [0000-0002-1822-2176], Lehmann, Anika [0000-0002-9101-9297], Rillig, Matthias C. [0000-0003-3541-7853], Cesarz, Simone [0000-0003-2334-5119], Eisenhauer, Nico [0000-0002-0371-6720], Martínez-Valderrama, Jaime [0000-0001-5859-5674], Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo [0000-0002-2125-1197], Salas, O. [0000-0003-0142-9450], Abedi, Mehdi [0000-0002-1499-0119], Ahmadian , Negar [0000-0003-1191-3019], Alados, Concepción L. [0000-0002-6227-861X], Aramayo, Valeria [0000-0003-4827-6914], Amghar, Fateh [0000-0003-0379-7273], Arredondo, Tulio [0000-0003-1969-9942], Ahumada, Rodrigo J. [0000-0002-7246-4459], Bahalkeh, Khadijeh [0000-0003-1485-0316], Salem, Farah Ben [0000-0001-6100-9496], Blaum, Niels [0000-0001-6807-5162], Boldgiv, Bazartseren [0000-0003-0015-8142], Browker, Matthew A. [0000-0002-5891-0264], Bran, Donaldo [0000-0001-7749-2726], Bu, Chongfeng [0000-0002-5839-7229], Canessa, Rafaella [0000-0002-6979-9880], Castro, Helena [0000-0003-1818-1535], Castro, Ignacio [0000-0002-7594-6824], Castro-Quezada, Patricio [0000-0002-2366-2256], Conceição, Abel A. [0000-0001-7461-0133], Currier, Courtney M. [0000-0002-7617-239X], Darrouzet-Nardi, Anthony [0000-0002-2825-7962], Dougill, Andrew [0000-0002-3422-8228], Maestre, Fernando T., Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Yoann, Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Eldridge, David J., Sáiz, Hugo, Berdugo, Miguel, Gozalo, Beatriz, Ochoa, Victoria, Guirado, Emilio, García-Gómez, Miguel, Valencia, Enrique, Zhou, Xiaobing, Singh, Brajesh K., Gross, Nicolas, Mendoza, Betty, Plaza de Carlos, César, Díaz-Martínez, Paloma, Rey, Ana, Hu, Hang-Wei, He, Ji-Zheng, Wang, Jun-Tao, Bu, Chongfeng, Lehmann, Anika, Rillig, Matthias C., Cesarz, Simone, Eisenhauer, Nico, Martínez-Valderrama, Jaime, Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo, Salas, O., Abedi, Mehdi, Ahmadian , Negar, Alados, Concepcion L., Canessa, Rafaella, Aramayo, Valeria, Amghar, Fateh, Arredondo, Tulio, Ahumada, Rodrigo J., Bahalkeh, Khadijeh, Salem, Farah Ben, Blaum, Niels, Boldgiv, Bazartseren, Browker, Matthew A., Bran, Donaldo, Castillo-Monroy, Andrea P., Castro, Helena, Castro, Ignacio, Castro-Quezada, Patricio, Chibani, Roukaya, Conceição, Abel A., Currier, Courtney M., Darrouzet-Nardi, Anthony, Jeltsch, Florian, Deák, Balázs, Donoso, David, Dougill, Andrew, Durán, Jorge, Erdenetsetseg, Batdegleg, Espinosa, Carlos Iván, Fajardo, Alex, Farzam, Mohammad, Ferrante, Daniela, Frank, Anke S. K., Jentsch, Anke, Fraser, L. H., Gherardi, Laureano, Greenville, Aaron, Guerra, Carlos A., Gusmán Montalván, Elizabeth, Hernández Hernández, Rosa M., Hölzel, Norbert, Huber-Sannwald, E., Hughes, Frederic M., Jadán, Oswaldo, Kaseke, Kudzai Farai, Köbel, Melanie, Koopman, Jesica E., Leder, Cintia, Linstädter, Anja, Le Roux, Peter C., Li, Xinkai, Liancourt, Pierre, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Liu, Jushan, Low, Michelle A., Maggs Kölling, Gillian, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Malam Issa, Oumarou, Manzaneda, Antonio J., Marais, Eugene, Mora, Juan P., Moreno, Gerardo, Munson, Seth M., Rolo, Víctor, Nunes, Alice, Oliva, Gabriel, Oñatibia, Gastón, Pivari, Marco O. D., Pueyo, Yolanda, Quiroga, R Emiliano, Rahmanian, Soroor, Reed, Sasha C., Rey, P.J., Richard, Benoit, Rubalcaba, Juan G., Ruppert, Jan C., Salah, Ayman, Schuchardt, Max A., Spann, Sedona, Stavi, Ilan, Stephens, Colton R. A., Swemmer, Anthony, Gaitán, Juan J., Teixido, Alberto L., Thomas, Andrew, Throop, Heather L., Tielbörger, Katja, Travers, Samantha, Val, James, Valkó, Orsolya, van den Brink, Liesbeth, Velasco Ayuso, Sergio, Velbert, Frederike, Asencio, Sergio, Wamiti, Wanyoike, Wang, Deli, Wang, Lixin, Wardle, Glenda M., Yahdjian, Laura, Zaady, Eli, Yuanming, Zhang, European Research Council, Generalitat Valenciana, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, German Research Foundation, European Commission, Asia Foundation, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Comunidad de Madrid, Northern Arizona University, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (México), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil), National Science Foundation (US), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Australian Research Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Junta de Andalucía, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Junta de Extremadura, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, Taylor Family Foundation, Maestre, Fernando T. [0000-0002-7434-4856], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Eldridge, David J. [0000-0002-2191-486X], Berdugo, Miguel [0000-0003-1053-8907], Gozalo, Beatriz [0000-0003-3082-4695], Ochoa, Victoria [0000-0002-2055-2094], Guirado, Emilio [0000-0001-5348-7391], García-Gómez, Miguel [0000-0003-3148-1495], Valencia, Enrique [0000-0003-3359-0759], Gaitán, Juan J. [0000-0003-2889-1418], Deák, Balázs [0000-0001-6938-1997], Donoso, David [0000-0002-3408-1457], Erdenetsetseg, Batdegleg [0000-0002-4508-8929], Espinosa, Carlos Iván [0000-0002-5330-4505], Fajardo, Alex [0000-0002-2202-6207], Farzam, Mohammad [0000-0003-1947-0187], Ferrante, Daniela [0000-0002-6056-3839], Frank, Anke S. K. [0000-0002-0177-4898], Fraser, L. H. [0000-0003-3998-5540], Jeltsch, Florian [0000-0002-4670-6469], Gherardi, Laureano [0000-0001-5743-1096], Greenville, Aaron [0000-0002-0113-4778], Guerra, Carlos A. [0000-0003-4917-2105], Gusmán Montalván, Elizabeth [0000-0002-3103-0419], Hernández Hernández, Rosa M. [0000-0003-0689-8862], Huber-Sannwald, E. [0000-0002-8321-1270], Hughes, Frederic M. [0000-0002-5835-953X], Jadán, Oswaldo. [0000-0002-7865-2418], Jentsch, Anke [0000-0002-2345-8300], Kaseke, Kudzai Farai [0000-0002-3856-0711], Köbel, Melanie [0000-0001-8272-7999], Koopman, Jesica E. [0000-0002-7944-7969], Leder, Cintia [0000-0003-4829-4477], Linstädter, Anja [0000-0003-0038-9557], Le Roux, Peter C. [0000-0002-7941-7444], Liancourt, Pierre [0000-0002-3109-8755], Liu, Jushan [0000-0001-7768-914X], Munson, Seth M. [0000-0002-2736-6374], Low, Michelle A. [0000-0002-2148-9752], Maggs Kölling, Gillian [0000-0003-3296-8553], Makhalanyane, Thulani P. [0000-0002-8173-1678], Malam Issa, Oumarou [0000-0001-8357-914X], Manzaneda, Antonio J. [0000-0001-9384-7910], Marais, Eugene [0000-0001-7155-9942], Mora, Juan P. [0000-0002-6335-0150], Moreno, Gerardo [0000-0001-8053-2696], Nunes, Alice [0000-0002-6900-3838], Oliva, Gabriel [0000-0002-7839-8851], Oñatibia, Gastón [0000-0003-2329-6601], Peter, Guadalupe [0000-0002-7792-7045], Pivari, Marco O. D. [0000-0003-1764-4577], Pueyo, Yolanda [0000-0001-6970-7790], Quiroga, R Emiliano [0000-0001-9785-451X], Reed, Sasha C. [0000-0002-8597-8619], Rey, P.J. [0000-0001-5550-0393], Teixido, Alberto L. [0000-0001-8009-1237], Richard, Benoit [0000-0003-4522-027X], Rodríguez, Alexandra [0000-0001-5849-8778], Rolo, Víctor [0000-0001-5854-9512], Rubalcaba, Juan G. [0000-0003-4646-070X], Salah, Ayman [0000-0003-0596-1292], Stavi, Ilan [0000-0001-9725-0003], Stephens, Colton R. A. [0000-0002-8744-6405], Swemmer, Anthony [0000-0003-1378-7394], Thomas, Andrew [0000-0002-1360-1687], Throop, Heather L. [0000-0002-7963-4342], Travers, Samantha [0000-0002-6252-1667], Val, James [0000-0003-4519-4008], Valkó, Orsolya [0000-0001-7919-6293], van den Brink, Liesbeth [0000-0003-0313-8147], Velasco Ayuso, Sergio [0000-0002-5924-8786], Velbert, Frederike [0000-0003-0499-3807], Wamiti, Wanyoike [0000-0001-7300-2101], Asencio, Sergio [0000-0003-4376-2964], Wang, Deli [0000-0001-6576-9193], Wang, Lixin [0000-0003-0968-1247], Wardle, Glenda M. [0000-0003-0189-1899], Yahdjian, Laura [0000-0002-9635-1221], Zaady, Eli [0000-0002-3304-534X], Yuanming, Zhang [0000-0003-1370-4181], Singh, Brajesh K. [0000-0003-4413-4185], Gross, Nicolas [0000-0001-9730-3240], Mendoza, Betty [0000-0003-1149-7801], Plaza de Carlos, César [0000-0001-8616-7001], Rey, Ana [0000-0003-0394-101X], Hu, Hang-Wei [0000-0002-3294-102X], He, Ji-Zheng [0000-0002-9169-8058], Wang, Jun-Tao [0000-0002-1822-2176], Lehmann, Anika [0000-0002-9101-9297], Rillig, Matthias C. [0000-0003-3541-7853], Cesarz, Simone [0000-0003-2334-5119], Eisenhauer, Nico [0000-0002-0371-6720], Martínez-Valderrama, Jaime [0000-0001-5859-5674], Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo [0000-0002-2125-1197], Salas, O. [0000-0003-0142-9450], Abedi, Mehdi [0000-0002-1499-0119], Ahmadian , Negar [0000-0003-1191-3019], Alados, Concepción L. [0000-0002-6227-861X], Aramayo, Valeria [0000-0003-4827-6914], Amghar, Fateh [0000-0003-0379-7273], Arredondo, Tulio [0000-0003-1969-9942], Ahumada, Rodrigo J. [0000-0002-7246-4459], Bahalkeh, Khadijeh [0000-0003-1485-0316], Salem, Farah Ben [0000-0001-6100-9496], Blaum, Niels [0000-0001-6807-5162], Boldgiv, Bazartseren [0000-0003-0015-8142], Browker, Matthew A. [0000-0002-5891-0264], Bran, Donaldo [0000-0001-7749-2726], Bu, Chongfeng [0000-0002-5839-7229], Canessa, Rafaella [0000-0002-6979-9880], Castro, Helena [0000-0003-1818-1535], Castro, Ignacio [0000-0002-7594-6824], Castro-Quezada, Patricio [0000-0002-2366-2256], Conceição, Abel A. [0000-0001-7461-0133], Currier, Courtney M. [0000-0002-7617-239X], Darrouzet-Nardi, Anthony [0000-0002-2825-7962], Dougill, Andrew [0000-0002-3422-8228], Maestre, Fernando T., Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Yoann, Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Eldridge, David J., Sáiz, Hugo, Berdugo, Miguel, Gozalo, Beatriz, Ochoa, Victoria, Guirado, Emilio, García-Gómez, Miguel, Valencia, Enrique, Zhou, Xiaobing, Singh, Brajesh K., Gross, Nicolas, Mendoza, Betty, Plaza de Carlos, César, Díaz-Martínez, Paloma, Rey, Ana, Hu, Hang-Wei, He, Ji-Zheng, Wang, Jun-Tao, Bu, Chongfeng, Lehmann, Anika, Rillig, Matthias C., Cesarz, Simone, Eisenhauer, Nico, Martínez-Valderrama, Jaime, Moreno-Jiménez, Eduardo, Salas, O., Abedi, Mehdi, Ahmadian , Negar, Alados, Concepcion L., Canessa, Rafaella, Aramayo, Valeria, Amghar, Fateh, Arredondo, Tulio, Ahumada, Rodrigo J., Bahalkeh, Khadijeh, Salem, Farah Ben, Blaum, Niels, Boldgiv, Bazartseren, Browker, Matthew A., Bran, Donaldo, Castillo-Monroy, Andrea P., Castro, Helena, Castro, Ignacio, Castro-Quezada, Patricio, Chibani, Roukaya, Conceição, Abel A., Currier, Courtney M., Darrouzet-Nardi, Anthony, Jeltsch, Florian, Deák, Balázs, Donoso, David, Dougill, Andrew, Durán, Jorge, Erdenetsetseg, Batdegleg, Espinosa, Carlos Iván, Fajardo, Alex, Farzam, Mohammad, Ferrante, Daniela, Frank, Anke S. K., Jentsch, Anke, Fraser, L. H., Gherardi, Laureano, Greenville, Aaron, Guerra, Carlos A., Gusmán Montalván, Elizabeth, Hernández Hernández, Rosa M., Hölzel, Norbert, Huber-Sannwald, E., Hughes, Frederic M., Jadán, Oswaldo, Kaseke, Kudzai Farai, Köbel, Melanie, Koopman, Jesica E., Leder, Cintia, Linstädter, Anja, Le Roux, Peter C., Li, Xinkai, Liancourt, Pierre, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Liu, Jushan, Low, Michelle A., Maggs Kölling, Gillian, Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Malam Issa, Oumarou, Manzaneda, Antonio J., Marais, Eugene, Mora, Juan P., Moreno, Gerardo, Munson, Seth M., Rolo, Víctor, Nunes, Alice, Oliva, Gabriel, Oñatibia, Gastón, Pivari, Marco O. D., Pueyo, Yolanda, Quiroga, R Emiliano, Rahmanian, Soroor, Reed, Sasha C., Rey, P.J., Richard, Benoit, Rubalcaba, Juan G., Ruppert, Jan C., Salah, Ayman, Schuchardt, Max A., Spann, Sedona, Stavi, Ilan, Stephens, Colton R. A., Swemmer, Anthony, Gaitán, Juan J., Teixido, Alberto L., Thomas, Andrew, Throop, Heather L., Tielbörger, Katja, Travers, Samantha, Val, James, Valkó, Orsolya, van den Brink, Liesbeth, Velasco Ayuso, Sergio, Velbert, Frederike, Asencio, Sergio, Wamiti, Wanyoike, Wang, Deli, Wang, Lixin, Wardle, Glenda M., Yahdjian, Laura, Zaady, Eli, and Yuanming, Zhang
Abstract: Grazing represents the most extensive use of land worldwide. Yet its impacts on ecosystem services remain uncertain because pervasive interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil properties, and biodiversity may occur but have never been addressed simultaneously. Using a standardized survey at 98 sites across six continents, we show that interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil, and biodiversity are critical to explain the delivery of fundamental ecosystem services across drylands worldwide. Increasing grazing pressure reduced ecosystem service delivery in warmer and species-poor drylands, whereas positive effects of grazing were observed in colder and species-rich areas. Considering interactions between grazing and local abiotic and biotic factors is key for understanding the fate of dryland ecosystems under climate change and increasing human pressure. Copyright © 2022 the authors
Published: 2022

23. A capabilitarian participatory paradigm: methods, methodologies and cosmological issues and possibilities

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Martinez-Vargas, Carmen, Walker, Melanie, Cin, Melis, Boni Aristizábal, Alejandra, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Martinez-Vargas, Carmen, Walker, Melanie, Cin, Melis, and Boni Aristizábal, Alejandra
Abstract: Meaningful participation of people as agents in development practice has been a central concern in capabilitarian scholarship and of Amartya Sen's own work, as a valuable freedom and functioning in itself. Yet, there has been limited attention until now about knowledge generation processes and who is fully included, despite a growing body of literature arguing for pluriversality and decolonial approaches against historical and geographical inequalities at many levels. The paper proposes that capabilitarian scholarship could be enriched by considering a pluriverse of methodological perspectives, building on the work already undertaken but taking it further to create multi-epistemic conversations. This paper explores why the methodological and cosmological – onto-epistemological – unexplored areas of participatory research in capabilitarian scholarship should be embedded in our research culture and practice for more inclusive, decolonial, methodologically challenging empirical strategies (beyond methods and methodologies) that will place those situated at the margins of epistemic divisions and conflicts in the centre of knowledge production and debates. To this end and adding to the debates, the paper first considers participatory projects reported on in the journal before presenting an original framing of a capabilitarian participatory paradigm. The paper further proposes some principles that underpin its operationalisation.
Published: 2022

24. Hybridisation and chloroplast capture between distinct Themeda triandra lineages in Australia

Author: Australian Biological Resources Study, Rio Tinto, Natural Environment Research Council (UK), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Dunning, Luke T., Olofsson, Jill K., Papadopulos, Alexander S.T., Hibdige, Samuel G.S., Hidalgo, Oriane, Leitch, Ilia J., Baleeiro, Paulo C., Ntshangase, Sinethemba, Barker, Nigel, Jobson, Richard W., Australian Biological Resources Study, Rio Tinto, Natural Environment Research Council (UK), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Dunning, Luke T., Olofsson, Jill K., Papadopulos, Alexander S.T., Hibdige, Samuel G.S., Hidalgo, Oriane, Leitch, Ilia J., Baleeiro, Paulo C., Ntshangase, Sinethemba, Barker, Nigel, and Jobson, Richard W.
Abstract: Ecotypes are distinct populations within a species that are adapted to specific environmental conditions. Understanding how these ecotypes become established, and how they interact when reunited, is fundamental to elucidating how ecological adaptations are maintained. This study focuses on Themeda triandra, a dominant grassland species across Asia, Africa and Australia. It is the most widespread plant in Australia, where it has distinct ecotypes that are usually restricted to either wetter and cooler coastal regions or the drier and hotter interior. We generate a reference genome for T. triandra and use whole genome sequencing for over 80 Themeda accessions to reconstruct the evolutionary history of T. triandra and related taxa. Organelle phylogenies confirm that Australia was colonized by T. triandra twice, with the division between ecotypes predating their arrival in Australia. The nuclear genome provides evidence of differences in the dominant ploidal level and gene-flow among the ecotypes. In northern Queensland there appears to be a hybrid zone between ecotypes with admixed nuclear genomes and shared chloroplast haplotypes. Conversely, in the cracking claypans of Western Australia, there is cytonuclear discordance with individuals possessing the coastal chloroplast and interior clade nuclear genome. This chloroplast capture is potentially a result of adaptive introgression, with selection detected in the rpoC2 gene which is associated with water use efficiency. The reason that T. triandra is the most widespread plant in Australia appears to be a result of distinct ecotypic genetic variation and genome duplication, with the importance of each depending on the geographic scale considered.
Published: 2022

25. The EICAT+ framework enables classification of positive impacts of alien taxa on native biodiversity

Author: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Swiss National Science Foundation, Austrian Science Fund, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), National Science Foundation (US), European Commission, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Australian Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council (UK), Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, Czech Science Foundation, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Céspedes, Vanessa [0000-0002-9399-8791], Gallardo, Belinda [0000-0002-1552-8233], Vilà, Montserrat [0000-0003-3171-8261], Vimercati, Giovanni, Probert, Anna F., Volery, Lara, Bernardo-Madrid, Rubén, Bertolino, Sandro, Céspedes, Vanessa, Essl, Franz, Evans, Thomas, Gallardo, Belinda, Gallien, Laure, González-Moreno, Pablo, Grange, Marie Charlotte, Hui, Cang, Jeschke, Jonathan M., Katsanevakis, Stelios, Kühn, Ingolf, Kumschick, Sabrina, Pergl, Jan, Pyšek, Petr, Rieseberg, Loren, Robinson, Tamara B., Saul, Wolf-Christian, Sorte, Cascade J. B., Vilà, Montserrat, Wilson, John R. U., Bacher, Sven, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Swiss National Science Foundation, Austrian Science Fund, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), National Science Foundation (US), European Commission, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Australian Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council (UK), Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, Czech Science Foundation, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Céspedes, Vanessa [0000-0002-9399-8791], Gallardo, Belinda [0000-0002-1552-8233], Vilà, Montserrat [0000-0003-3171-8261], Vimercati, Giovanni, Probert, Anna F., Volery, Lara, Bernardo-Madrid, Rubén, Bertolino, Sandro, Céspedes, Vanessa, Essl, Franz, Evans, Thomas, Gallardo, Belinda, Gallien, Laure, González-Moreno, Pablo, Grange, Marie Charlotte, Hui, Cang, Jeschke, Jonathan M., Katsanevakis, Stelios, Kühn, Ingolf, Kumschick, Sabrina, Pergl, Jan, Pyšek, Petr, Rieseberg, Loren, Robinson, Tamara B., Saul, Wolf-Christian, Sorte, Cascade J. B., Vilà, Montserrat, Wilson, John R. U., and Bacher, Sven
Abstract: Species introduced through human-related activities beyond their native range, termed alien species, have various impacts worldwide. The IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is a global standard to assess negative impacts of alien species on native biodiversity. Alien species can also positively affect biodiversity (for instance, through food and habitat provisioning or dispersal facilitation) but there is currently no standardized and evidence-based system to classify positive impacts. We fill this gap by proposing EICAT+, which uses 5 semiquantitative scenarios to categorize the magnitude of positive impacts, and describes underlying mechanisms. EICAT+ can be applied to all alien taxa at different spatial and organizational scales. The application of EICAT+ expands our understanding of the consequences of biological invasions and can inform conservation decisions.
Published: 2022

26. On the Menger and almost Menger properties in locales

Author: National Research Foundation, South Africa, Bayih, Tilahun, Dube, Themba, Ighedo, Oghenetega, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Bayih, Tilahun, Dube, Themba, and Ighedo, Oghenetega
Abstract: [EN] The Menger and the almost Menger properties are extended to locales. Regarding the former, the extension is conservative (meaning that a space is Menger if and only if it is Menger as a locale), and the latter is conservative for sober TD-spaces. Non-spatial Menger (and hence almost Menger) locales do exist, so that the extensions genuinely transcend the topological notions. We also consider projectively Menger locales, and show that, as in spaces, a locale is Menger precisely when it is Lindelöf and projectively Menger. Transference of these properties along localic maps (via direct image or pullback) is considered.
Published: 2021

27. CO2 Reduction over Mo2C-Based Catalysts

Author: Universitat Politècnica de València. Instituto Universitario Mixto de Tecnología Química - Institut Universitari Mixt de Tecnologia Química, University of Cape Town, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Marquar, Wijnand, Raseale, Shaine, Prieto González, Gonzalo, Zimina, Anna, Bikash Sarma, Bidyut, Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk, Claeys, Michael, Fischer, Nico, Universitat Politècnica de València. Instituto Universitario Mixto de Tecnología Química - Institut Universitari Mixt de Tecnologia Química, University of Cape Town, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Marquar, Wijnand, Raseale, Shaine, Prieto González, Gonzalo, Zimina, Anna, Bikash Sarma, Bidyut, Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk, Claeys, Michael, and Fischer, Nico
Abstract: This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Catalysis, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.0c05019, [EN] Four Mo-based catalysts were prepared via three different synthesis techniques supported on SiO2 and/or SBA-15. By means of complementary in situ characterization techniques, the carburization process and the final characteristics of these catalysts were investigated. Additionally, the four catalysts were evaluated for the activation of CO2 in the absence and presence of H-2 (reverse water-gas shift, RWGS). The results suggest that CO2 reacts via a dissociation on the carbide surface, forming adsorbed oxygen surface species. Severe oxidation of the carbide into its oxidic phases (MoO2 or MoO3) only occurs at temperatures above 850 K in the presence of CO2. O-2 dissociates on the carbide surface when introduced at low concentrations (1 vol %) at room temperature, but when exposed to higher concentrations, a strong exothermic bulk re-oxidation reaction occurs, forming MoO2. All four catalysts show high RWGS activity in terms of CO2 conversions with a minimum CO selectivity of 98% without any signs of bulk catalyst oxidation. Although minimal, the observed deactivation is suggested to be primarily due to phase changes between Mo2C allotropes (beta-phase, oxycarbide, and eta-phase) and/or sintering of the active phase.
Published: 2021

28. Forest plantations reduce soil functioning in terrestrial ecosystems from South Africa

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), European Commission, Amoo, Adenike Eunice [0000-0001-8060-5015], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti [0000-0003-4344-1909], Amoo, Adenike Eunice, Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), European Commission, Amoo, Adenike Eunice [0000-0001-8060-5015], Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel [0000-0002-6499-576X], Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti [0000-0003-4344-1909], Amoo, Adenike Eunice, Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, and Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti
Abstract: The role of forest plantations in regulating soil ecosystem functions remains poorly understood in terrestrial ecosystems from Africa. Here, we evaluated the importance of forest plantations in regulating soil microbial functional profiles, community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) and activities of soil microbial communities compared with native forests in two contrasting seasons. We found that forest plantations consistently reduced the rates of multiple soil functions associated with soil nutrient and carbon (C) cycling and shifted the activity and functional profile of microbial communities in two contrasting seasons and two independent regions from South Africa. Our results suggest land use changes from natural forests to plantations to maintain a continuously growing human population will have important negative consequences for soil functions in forest ecosystems from Africa with implications for ecosystem functioning under changing environments.
Published: 2021

29. Evaluation of the morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of contrasting Medicago truncatula lines under water deficit stress

Author: Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique (Tunisie), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Haddoudi, Loua, Hdira, Sabrine, Hanana, Mohsen, Romero, Irene, Haddoudi, Imen, Mahjoub, Asma, Ben Jouira, Hatem, Djébali, Naceur, Ludidi, Ndiko, Sánchez-Ballesta, M. Teresa, Abdelly, Chedly, Badri, Mounawer, Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique (Tunisie), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Haddoudi, Loua, Hdira, Sabrine, Hanana, Mohsen, Romero, Irene, Haddoudi, Imen, Mahjoub, Asma, Ben Jouira, Hatem, Djébali, Naceur, Ludidi, Ndiko, Sánchez-Ballesta, M. Teresa, Abdelly, Chedly, and Badri, Mounawer
Abstract: Medicago truncatula is a forage crop of choice for farmers, and it is a model species for molecular research. The growth and development and subsequent yields are limited by water availability mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. Our study aims to evaluate the morpho-physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to water deficit stress in four lines (TN6.18, JA17, TN1.11 and A10) of M. truncatula. The results showed that the treatment factor explained the majority of the variation for the measured traits. It appeared that the line A10 was the most sensitive and therefore adversely affected by water deficit stress, which reduced its growth and yield parameters, whereas the tolerant line TN6.18 exhibited the highest root biomass production, a significantly higher increase in its total protein and soluble sugar contents, and lower levels of lipid peroxidation with greater cell membrane integrity. The expression analysis of the DREB1B gene using RT-qPCR revealed a tissue-differential expression in the four lines under osmotic stress, with a higher induction rate in roots of TN6.18 and JA17 than in A10 roots, suggesting a key role for DREB1B in water deficit tolerance in M. truncatula.
Published: 2021

30. PACT: II. Pressure profiles of galaxy clusters using Planck and ACT

Author: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), European Research Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), European Commission, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Department of Science and Technology (South Africa), European Organization for Nuclear Research, Pointecouteau, E., Santiago-Bautista, I., Douspis, M., Aghanim, N., Crichton, D., Diego, José María, Hurier, Guillaume, Macías-Pérez, J. F., Marriage, T. A., Remazeilles, Mathieu, Caretta, C. A., Bravo-Alfaro, H., Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), European Research Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), European Commission, South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Department of Science and Technology (South Africa), European Organization for Nuclear Research, Pointecouteau, E., Santiago-Bautista, I., Douspis, M., Aghanim, N., Crichton, D., Diego, José María, Hurier, Guillaume, Macías-Pérez, J. F., Marriage, T. A., Remazeilles, Mathieu, Caretta, C. A., and Bravo-Alfaro, H.
Abstract: The pressure of hot gas in groups and clusters of galaxies is a key physical quantity, which is directly linked to the total mass of the halo and several other thermodynamical properties. In the wake of previous observational works on the hot gas pressure distribution in massive halos, we have investigated a sample of 31 clusters detected in both the Planck and Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), MBAC surveys. We made use of an optimised Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) map reconstructed from the two data sets and tailored for the detection of the SZ effect, taking advantage of both Planck coverage of large scales and the ACT higher spatial resolution. Our average pressure profile covers a radial range going from 0.04 × R500 in the central parts to 2.5 × R500 in the outskirts. In this way, it improves upon previous pressure-profile reconstruction based on SZ measurements. It is compatible, as well as competitive, with constraints derived from joint X-ray and SZ analysis. This work demonstrates the possibilities offered by large sky surveys of the SZ effect with multiple experiments with different spatial resolutions and spectral coverages, such as ACT and Planck.
Published: 2021

31. Search trajectory networks: A tool for analysing and visualising the behaviour of metaheuristics

Author: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Blum, Christian [0000-0002-1736-3559], Ochoa, Gabriela, Malan, Katherine Mary, Blum, Christian, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Blum, Christian [0000-0002-1736-3559], Ochoa, Gabriela, Malan, Katherine Mary, and Blum, Christian
Abstract: [EN]A large number of metaheuristics inspired by natural and social phenomena have been proposed inthe last few decades, each trying to be more powerful and innovative than others. However, thereis a lack of accessible tools to analyse, contrast and visualise the behaviour of metaheuristics whensolving optimisation problems. When the metaphors are stripped away, are these algorithms differentin their behaviour? To help to answer this question, we propose a data-driven, graph-based model,search trajectory networks(STNs) in order to analyse, visualise and directly contrast the behaviour ofdifferenttypesofmetaheuristics.Onestrengthofourapproachisthatitdoesnotrequireanyadditionalsampling or algorithmic methods. Instead, the models are constructed from data gathered while themetaheuristics are solving the optimisation problems. We present our methodology, and considerin detail two case studies covering both continuous and combinatorial optimisation. In terms ofmetaheuristics,ourcasestudiescoverthemaincurrentparadigms:evolutionary,swarm,andstochasticlocal search approaches.
Published: 2021

32. 2020 FDA TIDES (Peptides and Oligonucleotides) Harvest

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Generalitat de Catalunya, Al Musaimi, Othman [0000-0003-2421-1825], Al Shaer, Danah [0000-0001-8488-2706], Albericio, Fernando [0000-0002-8946-0462], de la Torre, Beatriz G. [0000-0001-8521-9172], Al Musaimi, Othman, Al Shaer, Danah, Albericio, Fernando, de la Torre, Beatriz G., National Research Foundation (South Africa), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Generalitat de Catalunya, Al Musaimi, Othman [0000-0003-2421-1825], Al Shaer, Danah [0000-0001-8488-2706], Albericio, Fernando [0000-0002-8946-0462], de la Torre, Beatriz G. [0000-0001-8521-9172], Al Musaimi, Othman, Al Shaer, Danah, Albericio, Fernando, and de la Torre, Beatriz G.
Abstract: 2020 has been an extremely difficult and challenging year as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and one in which most efforts have been channeled into tackling the global health crisis. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 53 new drug entities, six of which fall in the peptides and oligonucleotides (TIDES) category. The number of authorizations for these kinds of drugs has been similar to that of previous years, thereby reflecting the consolidation of the TIDES market. Here, the TIDES approved in 2020 are analyzed in terms of chemical structure, medical target, mode of action, and adverse effects.
Published: 2021

33. The Pharmaceutical Industry in 2020. An Analysis of FDA Drug Approvals from the Perspective of Molecules

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), University of KwaZulu-Natal, de la Torre, Beatriz G., Albericio, Fernando, National Research Foundation (South Africa), University of KwaZulu-Natal, de la Torre, Beatriz G., and Albericio, Fernando
Abstract: Although the pharmaceutical industry will remember 2020 as the year of COVID-19, it is important to highlight that this year has been the second-best—together with 1996—in terms of the number of drugs accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Each of these two years witnessed the authorization of 53 drugs—a number surpassed only in 2018 with 59 pharmaceutical agents. The 53 approvals in 2020 are divided between 40 new chemical entities and 13 biologic drugs (biologics). Of note, ten monoclonal antibodies, two antibody–drug conjugates, three peptides, and two oligonucleotides have been approved in 2020. Close inspection of the so-called small molecules reveals the significant presence of fluorine atoms and/or nitrogen aromatic heterocycles. This report analyzes the 53 new drugs of the 2020 harvest from a strictly chemical perspective, as it did for those authorized in the previous four years. On the basis of chemical structure alone, the drugs that received approval in 2020 are classified as the following: biologics (antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and proteins); TIDES (peptide and oligonucleotides); natural products; fluorine-containing molecules; nitrogen aromatic heterocycles; and other small molecules
Published: 2021

34. Ethics of DNA research on human remains: five globally applicable guidelines

Author: Australian Research Council, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Medical Research Council (UK), Dutch Research Council, Ministry of Science and Technology (India), European Commission, Alpaslan-Roodenberg, Songül, Anthony, David, Babiker, Hiba, Bánffy, Eszter, Booth, Thomas, Capone, Patricia, Deshpande-Mukherjee, Arati, Eisenmann, Stefanie, Fehren-Schmitz, Lars, Frachetti, Michael, Fujita, Ricardo, Frieman, Catherine J., Fu, Qiaomei, Gibbon, Victoria, Haak, Wolfgang, Hajdinjak, Mateja, Hofmann, Kerstin P., Holguin, Brian, Inomata, Takeshi, Kanzawa-Kiriyama, Hideaki, Keegan, William, Kelso, Janet, Krause, Johannes, Kumaresan, Ganesan, Kusimba, Chapurukha, Kusimba, Sibel, Lalueza-Fox, Carles, Llamas, Bastien, MacEachern, Scott, Mallick, Swapan, Matsumura, Hirofumi, Morales-Arce, Ana Y., Motuzaite Matuzeviciute, Giedre, Mushirf-Tripathy, Veena, Nakatsuka, Nathan, Nores, Rodrigo, Ogola, Christine, Okumura, Mercedes, Patterson, Nick, Pinhasi, Ron, Prasad, Samayamantri P. R., Prendergast, Mary E., Punzo, Jose Luis, Reich, David, Sawafuji, Rikai, Sawchuk, Elizabeth, Schiffels, Stephan, Sedig, Jakob, Shnaider, Svetlana, Sirak, Kendra, Skoglund, Pontus, Slon, Viviane, Snow, Meradeth, Soressi, Marie, Spriggs, Matthew, Stockhammer, Philipp W., Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna, Thangaraj, Kumarasamy, Tiesler, Vera, Tober, Ray, Wang, Chuan-Chao, Warinner, Christina, Yasawardene, Surangi, Zahir, Muhammad, Australian Research Council, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brasil), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Medical Research Council (UK), Dutch Research Council, Ministry of Science and Technology (India), European Commission, Alpaslan-Roodenberg, Songül, Anthony, David, Babiker, Hiba, Bánffy, Eszter, Booth, Thomas, Capone, Patricia, Deshpande-Mukherjee, Arati, Eisenmann, Stefanie, Fehren-Schmitz, Lars, Frachetti, Michael, Fujita, Ricardo, Frieman, Catherine J., Fu, Qiaomei, Gibbon, Victoria, Haak, Wolfgang, Hajdinjak, Mateja, Hofmann, Kerstin P., Holguin, Brian, Inomata, Takeshi, Kanzawa-Kiriyama, Hideaki, Keegan, William, Kelso, Janet, Krause, Johannes, Kumaresan, Ganesan, Kusimba, Chapurukha, Kusimba, Sibel, Lalueza-Fox, Carles, Llamas, Bastien, MacEachern, Scott, Mallick, Swapan, Matsumura, Hirofumi, Morales-Arce, Ana Y., Motuzaite Matuzeviciute, Giedre, Mushirf-Tripathy, Veena, Nakatsuka, Nathan, Nores, Rodrigo, Ogola, Christine, Okumura, Mercedes, Patterson, Nick, Pinhasi, Ron, Prasad, Samayamantri P. R., Prendergast, Mary E., Punzo, Jose Luis, Reich, David, Sawafuji, Rikai, Sawchuk, Elizabeth, Schiffels, Stephan, Sedig, Jakob, Shnaider, Svetlana, Sirak, Kendra, Skoglund, Pontus, Slon, Viviane, Snow, Meradeth, Soressi, Marie, Spriggs, Matthew, Stockhammer, Philipp W., Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna, Thangaraj, Kumarasamy, Tiesler, Vera, Tober, Ray, Wang, Chuan-Chao, Warinner, Christina, Yasawardene, Surangi, and Zahir, Muhammad
Abstract: We are a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, curators and geneticists representing diverse global communities and 31 countries. All of us met in a virtual workshop dedicated to ethics in ancient DNA research held in November 2020. There was widespread agreement that globally applicable ethical guidelines are needed, but that recent recommendations grounded in discussion about research on human remains from North America are not always generalizable worldwide. Here we propose the following globally applicable guidelines, taking into consideration diverse contexts. These hold that: (1) researchers must ensure that all regulations were followed in the places where they work and from which the human remains derived; (2) researchers must prepare a detailed plan prior to beginning any study; (3) researchers must minimize damage to human remains; (4) researchers must ensure that data are made available following publication to allow critical re-examination of scientific findings; and (5) researchers must engage with other stakeholders from the beginning of a study and ensure respect and sensitivity to stakeholder perspectives. We commit to adhering to these guidelines and expect they will promote a high ethical standard in DNA research on human remains going forward.
Published: 2021

35. Search for candidate strongly lensed dusty galaxies in the Planck satellite catalogues

Author: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Trombetti, T., Burigana, C., Bonato, Matteo, Herranz, D., Zotti, G. de, Negrello, Mattia, Galluzzi, V., Massardi, Marcella, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Trombetti, T., Burigana, C., Bonato, Matteo, Herranz, D., Zotti, G. de, Negrello, Mattia, Galluzzi, V., and Massardi, Marcella
Abstract: The shallow, all-sky Planck surveys at sub-millimetre wavelengths have detected the brightest strongly gravitationally lensed dusty galaxies in the sky. The combination of their extreme gravitational flux-boosting and image-stretching offers the unique possibility of measuring in extraordinary detail the galaxy structure and kinematics in early evolutionary phases through high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic follow-up. This enables us to gain otherwise unaccessible direct information on physical processes in action. However, the extraction of candidate strongly lensed galaxies from Planck catalogues is hindered by the fact that they are generally detected with a poor signal-to-noise ratio, except for the few brightest galaxies. Their photometric properties are therefore strongly blurred, which makes them very difficult to single out. We have devised a method capable of increasing the number of identified Planck-detected strongly lensed galaxies by a factor of about three to four, although with an unavoidably limited efficiency. Our approach exploits the fact that the sub-millimetre colours of strongly lensed galaxies are definitely colder than those of nearby dusty galaxies, which constitute the overwhelming majority of extragalactic sources detected by Planck. The sub-millimetre colours of the 47 confirmed or very likely Planck-detected strongly lensed galaxies have been used to estimate the colour range spanned by objects of this type. Moreover, most nearby galaxies and radio sources can be confirmed by cross-matching with the IRAS and PCNT catalogues, respectively. We present samples of lensed candidates selected at 545, 857, and 353 GHz, comprising 177, 97, and 104 sources, respectively. The efficiency of our approach, tested by exploiting data from the SPT survey covering ≃2500 deg2, is estimated to be in the range 30%−40%. We also discuss stricter selection criteria to increase the estimated efficiency to ≃50%, at the cost of a somewhat lower completeness
Published: 2021

36. Genetic variation between and within two populations of bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis Desmarest, 1822) in South Africa

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Granell-Ruíz, María, Norén, Karin, Kalthoff, Daniela C., Roux, Aliza le, Dalerum, Fredrik, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), Granell-Ruíz, María, Norén, Karin, Kalthoff, Daniela C., Roux, Aliza le, and Dalerum, Fredrik
Abstract: Information on genetic variation within and among populations is relevant for a broad range of topics in biology. We use a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite markers to evaluate genetic variation within and between two populations of bat-eared foxes (Otocyon megalotis Desmarest, 1822) in South Africa. The bat-eared fox is a small canid occurring in southern and eastern Africa. The species is currently not threatened with extinction, but a lack of information on genetic diversity has been identified as a deficit for its future conservation. We observed low to moderate genetic differentiation between the two geographically separated populations, but neither mitochondrial nor nuclear microsatellite markers suggested that there have been dispersal barriers between them. Similar genetic diversity within both populations was contrasted by interpopulational differences in relatedness variation among males and females. A high genetic relatedness within both populations, indicated by mitochondrial data, is likely caused by a common historical origin or a combination of species-specific social organization and environmental dispersal constraints. We call for further research on the genetic divergence of bat-eared fox populations as well as on the genetic consequences of interactions between environmental characteristics and social organization in this species.
Published: 2021

37. Additional evidence on the efficacy of different Akirin vaccines assessed on Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae)

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Department of Science and Technology (South Africa), South African Medical Research Council, Letinić, Blaženka D., Contreras, Marinela, Dahan-Moss, Yael, Linnekugel, Ingrid, Fuente, José de la, Koekemoer, Lizette L., National Research Foundation (South Africa), Department of Science and Technology (South Africa), South African Medical Research Council, Letinić, Blaženka D., Contreras, Marinela, Dahan-Moss, Yael, Linnekugel, Ingrid, Fuente, José de la, and Koekemoer, Lizette L.
Abstract: [Background]: Anopheles arabiensis is an opportunistic malaria vector that rests and feeds outdoors, circumventing current indoor vector control methods. Furthermore, this vector will readily feed on both animals and humans. Targeting this vector while feeding on animals can provide an additional intervention for the current vector control activities. Previous results have displayed the efficacy of using Subolesin/Akirin ortholog vaccines for the control of multiple ectoparasite infestations. This made Akirin a potential antigen for vaccine development against An. arabiensis., [Methods]: The efficacy of three antigens, namely recombinant Akirin from An. arabiensis, recombinant Akirin from Aedes albopictus, and recombinant Q38 (Akirin/Subolesin chimera) were evaluated as novel interventions for An. arabiensis vector control. Immunisation trials were conducted based on the concept that mosquitoes feeding on vaccinated balb/c mice would ingest antibodies specific to the target antigen. The antibodies would interact with the target antigen in the arthropod vector, subsequently disrupting its function., [Results]: All three antigens successfully reduced An. arabiensis survival and reproductive capacities, with a vaccine efficacy of 68–73%., [Conclusions]: These results were the first to show that hosts vaccinated with recombinant Akirin vaccines could develop a protective response against this outdoor malaria transmission vector, thus providing a step towards the development of a novel intervention for An. arabiensis vector control.
Published: 2021

38. A Comparative Review of Macromedusae in Eastern Boundary Currents

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Royal Society (UK), University of Western Cape, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (Chile), Instituto del Mar del Perú, Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), Junta de Andalucía, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Gibbons, Mark John, Skrypzeck, Heidi, Brodeur, Richard D., Riascos, José M., Quiñones Dávila, Javier A., Grobler, Cecilia A. F., Roux, Jean Paul, Field, John C., Daly, Elizabeth A., Miller, Rebecca R., Ras, Verena, Schiariti, Agustin, Chiaverano, Luciano, Tjizoo, Beau M., Prieto, Laura, Idrissi, Farah Hounaida, Palma, Sergio, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Royal Society (UK), University of Western Cape, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (Chile), Instituto del Mar del Perú, Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US), Junta de Andalucía, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Gibbons, Mark John, Skrypzeck, Heidi, Brodeur, Richard D., Riascos, José M., Quiñones Dávila, Javier A., Grobler, Cecilia A. F., Roux, Jean Paul, Field, John C., Daly, Elizabeth A., Miller, Rebecca R., Ras, Verena, Schiariti, Agustin, Chiaverano, Luciano, Tjizoo, Beau M., Prieto, Laura, Idrissi, Farah Hounaida, and Palma, Sergio
Abstract: The productive eastern boundary current (EBC) systems provide significant sources of global marine protein and have been subject to intense research over the last 50 years. Yet large jellyfish, which are present in all four major systems, have seldom been included in otherwise comprehensive reviews. This undoubtedly reflects their lack of intrinsic commercial value, and the consequently slow pace of knowledge generation. We attempt to redress that imbalance here and to consolidate disparate information on the macromedusae of EBC systems. With the exception of the Canary Current system, which supports a generally low biomass of mostly subtropical taxa, 372jellyfish assemblages in the Benguela, Humboldt and California Current systems are dominated by cool water taxa that can occur at high abundances. While there are large gaps in knowledge, which are highlighted, it is clear that jellyfish can play significant ecological roles in each system. Although there may be strong similarities in faunal composition among the different systems, there are pronounced differences in population responses to the environment and in system resilience and these are reviewed and discussed.
Published: 2021

39. Properties of X-ray detected far-IR AGN in the green valley

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Mahoro, Antoine, Pović, Mirjana, Väisänen, Petri, Nkundabakura, Pheneas, Nyiransengiyumva, Beatrice, van der Heyden, Kurt, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Mahoro, Antoine, Pović, Mirjana, Väisänen, Petri, Nkundabakura, Pheneas, Nyiransengiyumva, Beatrice, and van der Heyden, Kurt
Abstract: In this study, we analysed active galactic nuclei in the "green valley" by comparing active and non-active galaxies using data from the COSMOS field. We found that most of our X-ray detected active galactic nuclei with far-infrared emission have star formation rates higher than the ones of normal galaxies of the same stellar mass range.
Published: 2021

40. Properties of green valley galaxies in relation to their selection criteria

Author: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Nyiransengiyumva, Beatrice, Pović, Mirjana, Nkundabakura, Pheneas, Mahoro, Antoine, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Nyiransengiyumva, Beatrice, Pović, Mirjana, Nkundabakura, Pheneas, and Mahoro, Antoine
Abstract: The distribution of galaxies has been studied to show the difference between the blue cloud and red sequence and to define the green valley region. However, there are still many open questions regarding the importance of the green valley for understanding the morphological transformation and evolution of galaxies, how galaxies change from late-type to early-type and the role of AGN in galaxy formation and evolution scenario. The work focused on studying in more details the properties of green valley galaxies by testing the six most used selection criteria, differences between them, and how they may affect the main results and conclusions. The main findings are that, by selecting the green valley galaxies using different criteria, we are selecting different types of galaxies in terms of their stellar masses, sSFR, SFR, spectroscopic classification and morphological properties, where the difference was more significant for colour criteria than for sSFR and SFR vs. M* criteria.
Published: 2021

41. Strong antibody responses to Mycobacterium bovis infection in domestic pigs and potential for reliable serodiagnostics

Author: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Commission, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, South African Medical Research Council, Sridhara, Archana A., Johnathan-Lee, Ashley, Elahi, Rubyat, Risalde, María Ángeles, Gortázar, Christian, Waters, W. Ray, Lyashchenko, Konstantin P., Miller, Michele A., Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), European Commission, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, South African Medical Research Council, Sridhara, Archana A., Johnathan-Lee, Ashley, Elahi, Rubyat, Risalde, María Ángeles, Gortázar, Christian, Waters, W. Ray, Lyashchenko, Konstantin P., and Miller, Michele A.
Abstract: Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), the main cause of animal tuberculosis (TB), can infect a wide variety of domestic and wild animal species, including suids. Suids may serve as reservoir hosts or disease sentinels in different scenarios. Accurate detection of M. bovis infection in pigs is important for TB control programs. Although previous studies have shown the value of serological assays for screening animal populations, the diagnostic accuracy was considered suboptimal. In this study, we used Dual Path Platform (DPP) technology and multi-antigen print immunoassay (MAPIA) to characterize antigen recognition profiles and temporal antibody responses. Four M. bovis experimentally infected pigs developed an early antibody response to antigen MPB83, with a peak in IgG levels starting around 4–6 weeks post-inoculation, although none of the pigs developed antibodies to fusion protein CFP10/ESAT6 within 16 weeks of the experiment. Three of four experimentally infected pigs developed antibody responses before detectable antigen-specific interferon gamma responses. Naturally infected pigs with gross lesions containing viable M. bovis showed IgM (19/40 infected animals) and IgG (39/40) antibody responses to both MPB70/MPB83 (39/40) and CFP10/ESAT6 (34/40). Using MPB70/MPB83 antigen alone to measure IgG antibody levels by DPP assay, an estimated test sensitivity was 97.5 % (95 % CI: 85.3−99.9 %). None of the 57 negative control samples had detectable IgM or IgG antibodies to either of the two test antigens in DPP assay, suggesting an estimated specificity of 100 % (95 % CI: 92.1–100.0 %) in pigs. MAPIA showed robust IgG reactivity to multiple protein antigens of M. bovis in the naturally infected pigs. The results demonstrate that serological assays which detect IgG antibodies to MPB83 have high sensitivity and specificity for accurate detection of M. bovis infection in pigs. Further investigations should be done to validate anti-MPB70/MPB83 antibodies as a reliable serodiagno
Published: 2021

42. Searching for signatures of chaos in gamma-ray light curves of selected Fermi-LAT blazars

Author: European Commission, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), National Centre for Research and Development (Poland), Ostapenko, O., Tarnopolski, M., Żywucka, N., Pascual Granado, J., European Commission, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), National Centre for Research and Development (Poland), Ostapenko, O., Tarnopolski, M., Żywucka, N., and Pascual Granado, J.
Abstract: Blazar variability appears to be stochastic in nature. However, a possibility of low-dimensional chaos was considered in the past, but with no unambiguous detection so far. If present, it would constrain the emission mechanism by suggesting an underlying dynamical system. We rigorously searched for signatures of chaos in Fermi-Large Area Telescope light curves of 11 blazars. The data were comprehensively investigated using the methods of nonlinear time-series analysis: phase-space reconstruction, fractal dimension, and maximal Lyapunov exponent (mLE). We tested several possible parameters affecting the outcomes, in particular the mLE, in order to verify the spuriousness of the outcomes. We found no signs of chaos in any of the analysed blazars. Blazar variability is either truly stochastic in nature or governed by high-dimensional chaos that can often resemble randomness. © 2021 The Author(s).
Published: 2021

43. Global homogenization of the structure and function in the soil microbiome of urban greenspaces

Author: Fundación BBVA, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), National Science Foundation (US), Estonian Science Foundation, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Australian Research Council, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile), European Commission, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Fundación Séneca, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Slovenian Research Agency, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (Portugal), Science and Engineering Research Board (India), Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Eldridge, David J., Liu, Yu-Rong, Sokoya, Blessing, Wang, Jun-Tao, Hu, Hang-Wei, He, Ji-Zheng, Bastida, F., Moreno-Ortego, Jose Luis, Bamigboye, Adebola R., Blanco-Pastor, José Luis, Cano-Díaz, Concha, Illán, Javier, G., Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Siebe, Christina, Trivedi, Pankaj, Zaady, Eli, Verma, Jay Prakash, Wang, Ling, Wang, Jianyong, Grebenc, Tine, Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F., Nahberger, Tina U., Teixido, Alberto L., Zhou, Xin-Quan, Berdugo, Miguel, Durán, Jorge, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Zhou, Xiaobing, Alfaro, Fernando D., Abades, Sebastián, Plaza de Carlos, César, Rey, Ana, Singh, Brajesh K., Tedersoo, Leho, Fierer, Noah, Fundación BBVA, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), National Science Foundation (US), Estonian Science Foundation, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Australian Research Council, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile), European Commission, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Fundación Séneca, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Slovenian Research Agency, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (Portugal), Science and Engineering Research Board (India), Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel, Eldridge, David J., Liu, Yu-Rong, Sokoya, Blessing, Wang, Jun-Tao, Hu, Hang-Wei, He, Ji-Zheng, Bastida, F., Moreno-Ortego, Jose Luis, Bamigboye, Adebola R., Blanco-Pastor, José Luis, Cano-Díaz, Concha, Illán, Javier, G., Makhalanyane, Thulani P., Siebe, Christina, Trivedi, Pankaj, Zaady, Eli, Verma, Jay Prakash, Wang, Ling, Wang, Jianyong, Grebenc, Tine, Peñaloza-Bojacá, Gabriel F., Nahberger, Tina U., Teixido, Alberto L., Zhou, Xin-Quan, Berdugo, Miguel, Durán, Jorge, Rodríguez-Pereiras, Alexandra, Zhou, Xiaobing, Alfaro, Fernando D., Abades, Sebastián, Plaza de Carlos, César, Rey, Ana, Singh, Brajesh K., Tedersoo, Leho, and Fierer, Noah
Abstract: The structure and function of the soil microbiome of urban greenspaces remain largely undetermined. We conducted a global field survey in urban greenspaces and neighboring natural ecosystems across 56 cities from six continents, and found that urban soils are important hotspots for soil bacterial, protist and functional gene diversity, but support highly homogenized microbial communities worldwide. Urban greenspaces had a greater proportion of fast-growing bacteria, algae, amoebae, and fungal pathogens, but a lower proportion of ectomycorrhizal fungi than natural ecosystems. These urban ecosystems also showed higher proportions of genes associated with human pathogens, greenhouse gas emissions, faster nutrient cycling, and more intense abiotic stress than natural environments. City affluence, management practices, and climate were fundamental drivers of urban soil communities. Our work paves the way toward a more comprehensive global-scale perspective on urban greenspaces, which is integral to managing the health of these ecosystems and the well-being of human populations.
Published: 2021

44. Pollution shapes the microbial communities in river water and sediments from the Olifants River catchment, South Africa.

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Valverde, Ángel [0000-0003-0439-9605], Valverde Portal, Ángel, Cason, Errol D., Gómez Arias, Alba, Bozkale, Derya, Govender, Danny, Riddell, Eddie, Cowan, Don A., National Research Foundation (South Africa), Valverde, Ángel [0000-0003-0439-9605], Valverde Portal, Ángel, Cason, Errol D., Gómez Arias, Alba, Bozkale, Derya, Govender, Danny, Riddell, Eddie, and Cowan, Don A.
Abstract: Human activities such as agriculture and mining are leading causes of water pollution worldwide. Individual contaminants are known to negatively affect microbial communities. However, the effect of multifaceted pollution on these communities is less well understood. We investigated, using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes, the effects of multisource (i.e., fertilizer industry and mining) chronic pollution on bacterial and archaeal communities in water and sediments from the Olifants River catchment, South Africa. Water samples showed less microbial species diversity than sediments and both habitats displayed different microbial communities. Within each of these habitats, pollution had no effect on alpha diversity but shaped the microbial composition and taxonomy-based predicted functions. Certain prokaryotic taxa and functional groups were indicative of different degrees of pollution. Heterotrophic taxa (e.g., Flavobacterium sp.) and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria (i.e., Thiobacillus sp.) were indicators of pollution in water and sediments, respectively. Ultimately, this information could be used to develop microbial indicators of water quality degradation.
Published: 2021

45. Prospective computational design and in vitro bio-analytical tests of new chemical entities as potential selective CYP17A1 lyase inhibitors

Author: FirstRand Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Gumede, N.J., Nxumalo, W., Bisetty, K., Escuder Gilabert, L., Medina-Hernández, M.J., Sagrado Vives, Salvador, FirstRand Foundation, South African Medical Research Council, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Gumede, N.J., Nxumalo, W., Bisetty, K., Escuder Gilabert, L., Medina-Hernández, M.J., and Sagrado Vives, Salvador
Abstract: [EN] The development and advancement of prostate cancer (PCa) into stage 4, where it metastasize, is a major problem mostly in elder males. The growth of PCa cells is stirred up by androgens and androgen receptor (AR). Therefore, therapeutic strategies such as blocking androgens synthesis and inhibiting AR binding have been explored in recent years. However, recently approved drugs (or in clinical phase) failed in improving the expected survival rates for this metastatic-castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. The selective CYP17A1 inhibition of 17,20-lyase route has emerged as a novel strategy. Such inhibition blocks the production of androgens everywhere they are found in the body. In this work, a three dimensional-quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QSAR) pharmacophore model is developed on a diverse set of non-steroidal inhibitors of CYP17A1 enzyme. Highly active compounds are selected to define a six-point pharmacophore hypothesis with a unique geometrical arrangement fitting the following description: two hydrogen bond acceptors (A), two hydrogen bond donors (D) and two aromatic rings (R). The QSAR model showed adequate predictive statistics. The 3D-QSAR model is further used for database virtual screening of potential inhibitory hit structures. Density functional theory (DFT) optimization provides the electronic properties explaining the reactivity of the hits. Docking simulations discovers hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions as responsible for the binding affinities of hits to the CYP17A1 Protein Data Bank structure. 13 hits from the database search (including five derivatives) are then synthesized in the laboratory as different scaffolds. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) in vitro experiments reveals three new chemical entities (NCEs) with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against the lyase route at mid-micromolar range with favorable selectivity to the
Published: 2020

46. Cross pathogenicity of Neofusicoccum australe and Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana on grapevine and selected fruit and ornamental trees

Author: Universitat Politècnica de València. Departamento de Ecosistemas Agroforestales - Departament d'Ecosistemes Agroforestals, European Commission, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Mojeremane, K., Lebenya, P., Du Plessis, Ihan L., Van der Rijst, M., Mostert, Lizel, Armengol Fortí, Josep, Halleen, F., Universitat Politècnica de València. Departamento de Ecosistemas Agroforestales - Departament d'Ecosistemes Agroforestals, European Commission, National Research Foundation, South Africa, Mojeremane, K., Lebenya, P., Du Plessis, Ihan L., Van der Rijst, M., Mostert, Lizel, Armengol Fortí, Josep, and Halleen, F.
Abstract: [EN] Neofusicoccum australe is one of the most important Botryosphaeriaceae pathogens occurring on fruit and vine crops. This fungus was recently taxonomically reassessed, identifying N. stellenboschiana as a separate species. Previous pathogenicity studies used N. stellenboschiana and N. australe isolates as N. australe, so assessment of the pathogenicity of these two species on grapevine and other hosts was required. A pathogenicity trial was conducted on detached shoots of grapevine, plum, apple, olive and Peruvian pepper tree. Shoots were individually inoculated with 11 N. australe and eight N. stellenboschiana isolates originally isolated from grapevine, plum, apple, olive, Peruvian pepper and fig. Both species formed lesions on all five hosts and were reisolated 5 weeks post-inoculation. In general, the largest lesions were formed on plum and smallest on Peruvian pepper. Isolate host origin did not influence ability to cause lesions on other hosts. Isolates of N. australe and N. stellenboschiana differed in virulence on the various hosts, ranging from those that caused the largest lesions, a group causing intermediate lesions, and another causing lesions similar to uninoculated controls. The study demonstrates that N. australe and N. stellenboschiana isolates originating from various fruit hosts can infect alternative hosts including grapevine and other major fruit crops.
Published: 2020

47. Verification of Radiative Transfer Schemes for the EHT

Author: Academy of Finland, European Commission, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, China Scholarship Council, Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Chile), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (México), European Research Council, Generalitat Valenciana, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japanese Government, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Max Planck Society, Ministry of Science and Technology (Taiwan), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US), National Science Foundation (US), National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Research Foundation of Korea, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Russian Science Foundation, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, Gold, Roman, Alberdi, Antxón, Gómez Fernández, J. L., The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, Academy of Finland, European Commission, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, China Scholarship Council, Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Chile), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (México), European Research Council, Generalitat Valenciana, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japanese Government, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Max Planck Society, Ministry of Science and Technology (Taiwan), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US), National Science Foundation (US), National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Research Foundation of Korea, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Russian Science Foundation, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, Gold, Roman, Alberdi, Antxón, Gómez Fernández, J. L., and The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration
Abstract: The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has recently produced the first resolved images of the central supermassive black hole in the giant elliptical galaxy M87. Here we report on tests of the consistency and accuracy of the general relativistic radiative transfer codes used within the collaboration to model M87∗ and Sgr A∗. We compare and evaluate (1) deflection angles for equatorial null geodesics in a Kerr spacetime; (2) images calculated from a series of simple, parameterized matter distributions in the Kerr metric using simplified emissivities and absorptivities; (3) for a subset of codes, images calculated from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations using different realistic synchrotron emissivities and absorptivities; (4) observables for the 2017 configuration of EHT, including visibility amplitudes and closure phases. The error in total flux is of order 1% when the codes are run with production numerical parameters. The dominant source of discrepancies for small camera distances is the location and detailed setup of the software "camera"that each code uses to produce synthetic images. We find that when numerical parameters are suitably chosen and the camera is sufficiently far away the images converge and that for given transfer coefficients, numerical uncertainties are unlikely to limit parameter estimation for the current generation of EHT observations. The purpose of this paper is to describe a verification and comparison of EHT radiative transfer codes. It is not to verify EHT models more generally. © 2020. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..
Published: 2020

48. Relationships Between Livestock Damages and Large Carnivore Densities in Sweden

Author: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Dalerum, Fredrik, Selby, Liam O. K., Pirk, Christian W. W., Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), National Research Foundation (South Africa), Dalerum, Fredrik, Selby, Liam O. K., and Pirk, Christian W. W.
Abstract: Promoting co-existence between humans and their physical and ecological environment, including wildlife, has been given an increased importance due to a recent shift of society to become environmentally sustainable. However, humans and large carnivores have been in conflict throughout history. One of the most prominent reasons for this conflict is damages to livestock and domestic animals. Population reduction or even local eradication has often been used as a damage mitigation strategy. However, number of carnivore damages need to be positively related to carnivore densities for population reduction to be an effective damage limitation tool. Sweden is a country in northern Europe with frequent human-carnivore conflicts, spurred by an intense and polarized public debate. We use a 20-year data set on brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and wolf (Canis lupus) and their damages in Sweden to evaluate if temporal variation in carnivore densities has caused an equivalent variation in the number of damages to cattle, sheep and domestic dogs, if such relationships differed between the carnivore species and damage types, and if there were geographic scale dependencies in these relationships. We observed contradictory effects of large carnivore densities on damages, which included both positive and negative effects. Differences occurred between carnivore species, damage types, geographic areas, and spatial scales. However, wolf densities appeared to have been positively related to the number of damages more often than bear and lynx densities. Our results highlight that large carnivore damages can be highly context dependent, and that other factors than the size of local or regional carnivore populations may be more important damage determinants. Such an interpretation implies that population reduction may not necessarily be an effective method for limiting large carnivore damages, and highlight that damage mitigation strategies need to be flexible over time a
Published: 2020

49. Assessment of Graphitized Coal Ash Char Concentrates as a Potential Synthetic Graphite Source

Author: National Research Foundation (South Africa), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Cameán Martínez, Ignacio [0000-0003-4014-0385], Badenhorst, Charlotte, Santos, Claudia, Lázaro-Martínez, Juan, Białecka, Barbara, Cruceru, Mihai, Guedes, Alexandra, Guimarães, Renato, Moreira, Karen, Predeanu, Georgeta, Suárez Ruiz, Isabel, Cameán Martínez, Ignacio, Valentim, Bruno, Wagne, Nicola, National Research Foundation (South Africa), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Cameán Martínez, Ignacio [0000-0003-4014-0385], Badenhorst, Charlotte, Santos, Claudia, Lázaro-Martínez, Juan, Białecka, Barbara, Cruceru, Mihai, Guedes, Alexandra, Guimarães, Renato, Moreira, Karen, Predeanu, Georgeta, Suárez Ruiz, Isabel, Cameán Martínez, Ignacio, Valentim, Bruno, and Wagne, Nicola
Abstract: Coal ash char concentrates from four countries (Portugal, Poland, Romania, and South Africa) were prepared, characterised, and graphitized under the scope of the Charphite project (Third ERA-MIN Joint Call (2015) on the Sustainable Supply of Raw Materials in Europe). Coal ash chars may be a secondary raw material to produce synthetic graphite and could be an alternative to natural graphite, which is a commodity with a high supply risk. The char concentrates and the graphitized material derived from the char concentrates were characterised using proximate analysis, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction (structural), Raman microspectroscopy, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscopy, and petrographic analyses to determine if the graphitization of the char was successful, and which char properties enhanced or hindered graphitization. Char concentrates with a lower proportion of anisotropic particles and a higher proportion of mixed porous particles showed greater degrees of graphitization. It is curious to see that embedded Al2O3 minerals, such as glass and clay, influenced graphitization, as they most likely acted as catalysts for crystal growth in the basal direction. However, the graphitized samples, as a whole, do not compare well against a reference natural graphite sample despite some particles in select char concentrates appearing to be graphitized following graphitization.
Published: 2020

50. Observational constraints on the optical and near-infrared emission from the neutron star-black hole binary merger candidate S190814bv

Author: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US), University of Hawaii, Queen's University Belfast, Space Telescope Science Institute (US), National Research Foundation (South Africa), National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, University of Portsmouth, University of Turku, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK), Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo (Chile), Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Chile), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), European Commission, Danish National Research Foundation, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Villum Fonden, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, Ackley, K., Castro-Tirado, Alberto J., Hu, Youdong, Kann, D.A., National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US), University of Hawaii, Queen's University Belfast, Space Telescope Science Institute (US), National Research Foundation (South Africa), National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, University of Portsmouth, University of Turku, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK), Ministerio de Economía, Fomento y Turismo (Chile), Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (Chile), Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), European Commission, Danish National Research Foundation, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Villum Fonden, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, Ackley, K., Castro-Tirado, Alberto J., Hu, Youdong, and Kann, D.A.
Abstract: Context. Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy has rapidly reached maturity, becoming a fundamental observing window for modern astrophysics. The coalescences of a few tens of black hole (BH) binaries have been detected, while the number of events possibly including a neutron star (NS) is still limited to a few. On 2019 August 14, the LIGO and Virgo interferometers detected a high-significance event labelled S190814bv. A preliminary analysis of the GW data suggests that the event was likely due to the merger of a compact binary system formed by a BH and a NS. Aims. In this paper, we present our extensive search campaign aimed at uncovering the potential optical and near infrared electromagnetic counterpart of S190814bv. We found no convincing electromagnetic counterpart in our data. We therefore use our non-detection to place limits on the properties of the putative outflows that could have been produced by the binary during and after the merger. Methods. Thanks to the three-detector observation of S190814bv, and given the characteristics of the signal, the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations delivered a relatively narrow localisation in low latency - a 50% (90%) credible area of 5 deg2 (23 deg2) - despite the relatively large distance of 267 ± 52 Mpc. ElectromagNetic counterparts of GRAvitational wave sources at the VEry Large Telescope collaboration members carried out an intensive multi-epoch, multi-instrument observational campaign to identify the possible optical and near infrared counterpart of the event. In addition, the ATLAS, GOTO, GRAWITA-VST, Pan-STARRS, and VINROUGE projects also carried out a search on this event. In this paper, we describe the combined observational campaign of these groups. Results. Our observations allow us to place limits on the presence of any counterpart and discuss the implications for the kilonova (KN), which was possibly generated by this NS-BH merger, and for the strategy of future searches. The typical depth of our wide-field observati
Published: 2020

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