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13 Pág., Metal homeostasis is fundamental for optimal performance of cell metabolic pathways. Over the course of evolution, several systems emerged to warrant an intracellular metal equilibrium. When exposed to growth-challenging copper concentrations, Gram-negative bacteria quickly activate copper-detoxification mechanisms, dependent on transmembrane-protein complexes and metallochaperones that mediate metal efflux. Here, we show that vesiculation is also a common bacterial response mechanism to high copper concentrations, and that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in transporting copper. We present evidence that bacteria from different ecological niches release copious amounts of EVs when exposed to copper. Along with the activation of the classical detoxification systems, we demonstrate that copper-stressed cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 release EVs loaded with the copper-binding metallochaperone CopM. Under standard growth conditions, CopM-loaded EVs could also be isolated from a Synechocystis strain lacking a functional TolC-protein, which we characterize here as exhibiting a copper-sensitive phenotype. Analyses of Synechocystis tolC-mutant's EVs isolated from cells cultivated under standard conditions indicated the presence of copper therein, in significantly higher levels as compared to those from the wild-type. Altogether, these results suggest that release of EVs in bacteria represent a novel copper-secretion mechanism, shedding light into alternative mechanisms of bacterial metal resistance., This work was financed by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) funds through the COMPETE 2020 Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project POCI-01–0145-FEDER-029540 (PTDC/BIA-OUT/29540/2017). Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia is also greatly acknowledged for the PhD fellowship SFRH/BD/130478/2017 (SL), the Assistant Researcher contract CEECIND/00259/2017 (CCP), and FCT Investigator grant IF/00256/2015 (PO). Funding from the EPSRC (EP/E036252/1) and BBSRC (BB/M012166/1) (PCW), and Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (grant PGC2018-098073-A-I00 MCIU/AEI/FEDER) (JG-L) is also acknowledged.

A implementação de plataformas digitais em contexto educacional visa aprimorar, entre outros, os processos de gestão e administração escolar. Este estudo apresenta um mapeamento sistemático de literatura sobre os usos de plataformas digitais na gestão das instituições escolares com o intuito de responder à pergunta de investigação “Qual o papel dos/as diretores/as escolares na integração das plataformas digitais na gestão educacional?”. Pretende-se conhecer como o tema tem sido destacado na literatura, no período de 2000-2018, atentando dois marcos históricos no sistema escolar português. Através da recolha de publicações científicas em 4 bases de dados, a investigação centrou-se no estudo de 28 artigos através de um processo de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados apontam que os/as diretores/as escolares podem contribuir para uma otimização da gestão educacional. Foram ainda identificados constrangimentos e fatores facilitadores nos processos de implementação das tecnologias educativas.

Grisaille was the first paint applied on stained-glass panels, used in Europe since the twelfth century. Historical written sources described the use of iron and copper together with a high lead-silica base glass in the grisailles production. This project aims to study the evolution of the grisaille paint composition throughout time and the changes in the raw materials used in their production using non-destructive and non-invasive techniques. To achieve this objective, 23 grisaille samples dated from the 13th to the twentieth centuries from nine different countries (Portugal, Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Low Countries, Germany, and France) were studied by means of micro particle-induced X-ray emission (μ-PIXE), micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (μ-EDXRF), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), non-linear optical microscopy (NLOM) in the modality of multiphoton excitation fluorescence (MPEF) and optical microscopy (OM). The results showed that it was possible to identify compositional differences and patterns throughout the samples when compared with literature results. The preference for using copper in central and south-central European countries and the addition of new compounds (CoO, Cr2O3, MnO) as colouring agents since the nineteenth century was verified. The LIBS analyses allow the identification of boron on two samples, confirming the change of base glass components since the seventeenth century. The NLOM-MPEF showed the capability of this technique to measure the grisaille paint layers’ thickness. This non-invasive multi-analytical and complementary approach proves itself efficient in identifying changes in the grisaille’s composition throughout time, which can be interpreted as changes in the raw materials and manufacture used in the production of these paint materials., This research has been funded by the H2020 European project IPERION HS (Integrated Platform for the European Research Infrastructure ON Heritage Science, GA 871034), by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through project PID2019-104124RB-I00/AEI/, by the Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia de Portugal (project ref. UIDB/EAT/00729/2020, UIDP/00729/2020, LA/P/0008/2020, UIDB/ 04349/2020 and PTDC/ART-PER/1702/2021, researcher grant CEECIND/02249/2021 and doctoral grant ref. PD/BD/136673/2018) and by project TOP Heritage-CM (S2018/NMT-4372) from Community of Madrid.

5 pages, 3 figures.-- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, The smalltooth sand tiger shark Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) appears to have an extensive and fragmented distribution in tropical and warm-temperate worldwide oceans. One female of O. ferox was caught and released by a small-scale fishery vessel in Ría de Arousa (Northwest of Spain), subsequently stranded still alive on the coast (42°33’18.4"N 8°49’18.3"O) after a few hours. The individual (336 cm total length, weight ~ 300 kg) was identified based on a collection of features including the characteristic dentition, body morphology and by molecular assignment. This is the first confirmed record of O. ferox in Galician waters. This finding complements the knowledge of the geographic distribution and occurrence of this rare and sparse species in the Northeastern Atlantic, The Galician stranding network, coordinated by CEMMA, is funded by the Biodiversity Foundation, of the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition, through the REVARGAL project, and Xunta de Galicia. AL is funded by national funds (OE), through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, This work was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology to GS (SFRH/BD/139069/2018) and EF (CEECIND/00627/2017), by Strategic Funding UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020. Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature

17 páginas.- 10 figuras.- 2 tablas.- 133 referencias., Anthracological analyses of charcoal samples retrieved from Pit 16 of Perdigões (Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal), a secondary deposition of cremated human remains dated back to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, enabled the identification of 7 different taxa: Olea europaea, Quercus spp. (evergreen), Pinus pinaster, Fraxinus cf. angustifolia, Arbutus unedo, Cistus sp. and Fabaceae. All taxa are characteristic of both deciduous and evergreen Mediterranean vegetation, and this data might indicate that the gathering of woods employed for the human cremation/s occurred either on site, or in its vicinity. However, considering both the large distribution of the identified taxa and data about human mobility, it is not possible to conclusively determine the origin of the wood used in the cremation(s). Chemometric analysis were carried out to estimate the absolute burning temperature of woods employed for the human cremation/s. An in-lab charcoal reference collection was created by burning sound wood samples of the three main taxa identified from Pit 16, Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Quercus suber (evergreen type) and Pinus pinaster, at temperatures between 350 and 600 °C. The archaeological charcoal samples and the charcoal reference collection were chemically characterized by using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy in the 1800–400 cm-1 range, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression method was used to build calibration models to predict the absolute combustion temperature of the archaeological woods. Results showed successful PLS forecasting of burn temperature for each taxon (significant (P, This study was developed in the framework of the HERITAS Doctoral Program througha PhD grant to G.C. (FCT (PD/BD/128278/2017) funded by the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia). Analyses were developed at the HERCULES Laboratory of the University of Évora, also funded by FCT through the projects UIDB/04449/2020 and UIDP/04449/2020. The funder FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

9 p.-6 fig., The capacity to regenerate is intrinsic to plants and is the basis of natural asexual propagation and artificial cloning. Despite there are different ways of plant regeneration, they all require a change in cell fate and pluripotency reacquisition, in particular somatic embryogenesis. The mechanisms underlying somatic cell reprogramming for embryogenic competence acquisition, expression and maintenance remain not fully understood. These complex processes have been often associated with epigenetic markers, mainly DNA methylation, while little is known about the possible role of histone modifications. In the present study, the dynamics of global levels and distribution patterns of histone H3 methylation at lysine 9 (H3K9), a major repressive histone modification, were analyzed in somatic embryogenesis-induced cell lines with different embryogenic capacities and during somatic embryo initiation, in the woody species Solanum betaceum. Quantification of global H3K9 methylation showed similar levels in the three types of proliferating calli (embryogenic, long-term and non-embryogenic), kept in high sucrose and auxin-containing medium. Microscopic analyzes revealed heterogeneous cell organization and different cell types, particularly evident in embryogenic callus. The H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) immunofluorescence signal was lower in nuclei of cells showing embryogenic-like and proliferating features, while labeling was higher in vacuolated, non-embryogenic cells with higher proliferation rates. By auxin removal, somatic embryo development was promoted in the embryogenic cell line. During the initiation of this process, increasing levels of global H3K9 methylation were found, together with increasing H3K9me2 immunofluorescence signals, especially in cells of the developing embryo. These results suggest that H3K9 methylation is involved in somatic embryo development, a developmental pathway in which this epigenetic mark could play a role in the gene transcription variation that is associated with embryogenic competence expression in S. betaceum. Altogether, these data provide new insights into the role of this epigenetic mark in somatic embryogenesis in trees, where scarce information is available., This work was supported by Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal), through PhD fellowship SFRH/BD/136925/2018 and COVID/BD/152914/2023 awarded to Daniela Cordeiro; Center for Functional Ecology—Science for People and the Planet (UIDB/04004/2020), financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC); Cost Action 19125, through a Short-Term Scientific Mission awarded to Daniela Cordeiro; project PID2020-113018RB-I00, funded by Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and projects TED2021-129633B-I00 and CPP2021-008750, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and NextGenerationEU/ PRTR.

Forkhead box (FOX)O proteins are transcription factors (TFs) with four members in mammals designated FOXO1, FOXO3, FOXO4, and FOXO6. FOXO TFs play a pivotal role in the cellular adaptation to diverse stress conditions. FOXO proteins act as context-dependent tumor suppressors and their dysregulation has been implicated in several age-related diseases. FOXO3 has been established as a major gene for human longevity. Accordingly, FOXO proteins have emerged as potential targets for the therapeutic development of drugs and geroprotectors. In this review, we provide an overview of the most recent advances in our understanding of FOXO regulation and function in various pathological conditions. We discuss strategies targeting FOXOs directly or by the modulation of upstream regulators, shedding light on the most promising intervention points. We also reveal the most relevant clinical indications and discuss the potential, trends, and challenges of modulating FOXO activity for therapeutic purposes., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities through Grant RTI2018-094629-B-I00 to W.L. This work was supported by the Kuakini Medical Center, the US National Institutes of Health [contract N01-AG-4-2149, grants 5U01AG019349-05, 5R01AG027060 (Kuakini Hawaii Lifespan Study) (B.J.W.), 5R01AG038707 (Kuakini Hawaii Healthspan Study), and 1P20GM125526-01A1 (Kuakini Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for Clinical and Translational Research on Aging) (B.J.W.)], contract N01-HC-05102 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (B.J.W.), P01CA214274 from the National Cancer Institute (J.P.), MCL-RI from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (J.P.), and R56AG048284 from the National Institute of Aging (J.P.). J.B. thanks the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and the Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Algarve (CCDR Algarve) for supporting the work with the project ALG-01-0145-FEDER-28044 ‘VITAL’, PTDC/BTM-TEC/28044/2017, and the project ALG-01-0145-FEDER-072586 ‘ALFA Score’ #072586. This review is supported by STRATAGEM COST Action, CA17104.

Both gradual and extreme weather changes trigger complex ecological responses in river ecosystems. It is still unclear to what extent trend or event effects alter biodiversity and functioning in river ecosystems, adding considerable uncertainty to predictions of their future dynamics. Using a comprehensive database of 71 published studies, we show that event – but not trend – effects associated with extreme changes in water flow and temperature substantially reduce species richness. Furthermore, event effects – particularly those affecting hydrological dynamics – on biodiversity and primary productivity were twice as high as impacts due to gradual changes. The synthesis of the available evidence reveals that event effects induce regime shifts in river ecosystems, particularly affecting organisms such as invertebrates. Among extreme weather events, dryness associated with flow interruption caused the largest effects on biota and ecosystem functions in rivers. Effects on ecosystem functions (primary production, organic matter decomposition and respiration) were asymmetric, with only primary production exhibiting a negative response to extreme weather events. Our meta-analysis highlights the disproportionate impact of event effects on river biodiversity and ecosystem functions, with implications for the long-term conservation and management of river ecosystems. However, few studies were available from tropical areas, and our conclusions therefore remain largely limited to temperate river systems. Further efforts need to be directed to assemble evidence of extreme events on river biodiversity and functioning., This research was funded by the CLIMALERT ERA4CS project (CGL2017-88640-C2-1-R of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; ERA4CS/0004/2016 of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology). Additional support was received through the projects RIVSTRESS (PID2020-115708RB-C22) and STREAMECO (PTDC/CTA-AMB/31245/2017). ICRA researchers acknowledge funding from the CERCA program and the support through the Consolidated Research Group ICRA-ENV 2017 SGR 1124. The CBMA researchers acknowledge the Contrato-Programa UIDB/04050/2020 funded by Fundaçao para a Ciência e a Tecnologia. A.F. acknowledges the Juan de la Cierva program (IJC2019-039181-I) funded by MCIN/AEI.

Marine protected areas (MPAs), and specially no-take areas (NTAs), play an important role in protecting target populations from fisheries. When developing spatial conservation and management tools, the design has mainly focused on population-level measures of fish home ranges, spawning and feeding areas, and migration routes. Intraspecific differences in fish behaviour, however, are often not accounted for, even though they could influence the level of realized protection. In this study, we investigated the intraspecific variation in spatial behaviour of a harvested fish, Diplodus sargus, and how it impacts the degree of protection granted by a NTA in the south of Portugal. We identified four behavioural types according to their spatial behaviour: residents, commuters, seasonal visitors, and single users. Time at risk (i.e. outside the NTA) greatly varied among the four groups, but also over the year for the seasonal and the single users. Our study shows how acoustic telemetry can assist spatial conservation and fisheries management and provides novel insight regarding the role of individual variation in behaviour to understand protection granted by MPAs to harvested species. It also suggests that incorporating such information into all stages of MPA design and implementation can result in increased resilience of the protected populations., This study received funding from POSEUR through the MARSW project (POSEUR-03-2215-FC-000046). The beneficiary of the MARSW project was the Liga para a Proteção da Natureza (LPN), and cofounders were the Municipalities of Aljezur, Vila do Bispo, and Odemira, and the Fundo Ambiental. This study also received funding from the Portuguese FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology to CCMAR through the strategic projects UIDB/04326/2020, UIDP/04326/2020 and LA/P/0101/2020. B.H.C. was supported by national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (Portugal), in agreement with the University of Algarve, in the scope of Norma Transitória with the research contract DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0038. D.V.R. has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 793627 (BEMAR) and from the programme IF_ERC from the Spanish National Research Council. C.B.A. and M.P. were supported by an Erasmus+ EU fund (VLUHR).

11 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, We report on the synthesis of hyaluronan (HA) brush-like copolymers and their application as antagonists of tumorigenic CD44-HA interactions. HA (4.8 kDa, ca. 24 saccharides) was grafted on 2-hydrohyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) by end-on oxime ligation. The obtained copolymers were compared with low and high molecular weight HA in terms of hydrolysis kinetics in the presence of hyaluronidase (isothermal titration calorimetry) and interactions with CD44 (surface plasmon resonance). The results evidenced that the high molecular weight HA and HA-g-HEMA have a much higher affinity to CD44 than low molecular weight HA. Additionally, slower enzymatic degradation was observed for the copolymer, making it an excellent candidate for active targeting of tumorigenic CD44-HA interactions. We, therefore, investigated the effect of the copolymer on cancer cell lines with different expression of CD44 and observed an efficient declustering of CD44 that is usually associated with reduction of metastasis and drug resistance, The authors thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for funding (Grants. SFRH/BD/114847/2016, PTDC/QUI-POL/28117/2017, and CEECIND/00814/2017)

The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, HI) is a promising insect species to be included in aquafeeds. HI larvae are rich in protein but also in fat, with a fatty acid profile dominated by saturated and medium-chain fatty acids. This study aimed to evaluate the replacement of vegetable oils (VO) with HI larvae oil (HIO) and its effects on growth, whole-body composition, nutrient retention, diet digestibility, and digestive enzyme activity. A control diet (HIO0, 45% crude protein, 18% lipids) was formulated to include 9.5% of a VO blend, and three other diets were formulated similar to the control but with the VO blend replaced at 42% (HIO42), 84% (HIO84), and 100% (HIO100). A growth trial was performed with triplicate groups of fish (initial body weight of 63 g) hand-fed to apparent visual satiation for 10 weeks. A digestibility trial was also performed simultaneously with triplicate groups of fish with similar initial body weights. Results indicate that the total replacement of VO mix with HIO did not affect growth performance, but feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio linearly improved with the increase of HIO in the diets. No differences between groups were found in whole-body composition and protein and energy retention. There was a trend for protein and energy digestibility to linearly increase with dietary HIO inclusion. Lipid digestibility was not affected by diet composition, however, the apparent digestibility of saturated fatty acids increased and of unsaturated decreased with the increase of dietary HIO inclusion. Total proteases activity was higher in fish fed diet HIO84 and lipase activity followed a positive linear trend with the increase in dietary HIO content. Overall, present results indicate that gilthead seabream can effectively utilize HIO without compromising growth performance and digestibility while improving feed utilization efficiency, thus establishing its potential as an alternative lipid source for aquafeeds., This work was supported by the R&D&I project “ATLANTIDA - Platform for the monitoring of the North Atlantic Ocean and tools for the sustainable exploitation of the marine resources”, reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040, funded by the North Portugal Regional Operational Program for Norte's Regional Operational Program (NORTE2020), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by Ocean3R project (NORT-01-0145-FEDER-000064), supported by the North Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE2020) under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). S.M. was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (SFRH/BD/138224/2018).

Natural Products (NP) are essential for the discovery of novel drugs and products for numerous biotechnological applications. The NP discovery process is expensive and time-consuming, having as major hurdles dereplication (early identification of known compounds) and structure elucidation, particularly the determination of the absolute configuration of metabolites with stereogenic centers. This review comprehensively focuses on recent technological and instrumental advances, highlighting the development of methods that alleviate these obstacles, paving the way for accelerating NP discovery towards biotechnological applications. Herein, we emphasize the most innovative high-throughput tools and methods for advancing bioactivity screening, NP chemical analysis, dereplication, metabolite profiling, metabolomics, genome sequencing and/or genomics approaches, databases, bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, and three-dimensional NP structure elucidation., This publication is based upon work from COST Action CA18238 (Ocean4Biotech), funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Program in the period 2019–2023. SPG: This work is financed by national funds from FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the projects UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences—UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy—i4HB. LLB: The publication is part of a project that has received funding from the Erasmus + Project No. ECOBIAS_609967-EPP-1-2019-1-RS-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP; GA.2019-1991/001-001. Development of master curricula in ecological monitoring and aquatic bioassessment for Western Balkans HEIs/ECOBIAS. CJ: This work was supported by grants PID2021-122732OB-C22 from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER “A way to make Europe” (AEI, Spanish State Agency for Research and FEDER Programme from the European Union) and RTI2018-093634-B-C22 from the State Agency for Research (AEI) of Spain, co-funded by the FEDER Programme from the European Union, and BLUEBIOLAB (0474_BLUEBIOLAB_1_E), Programme INTERREG V A of Spain-Portugal (POCTEP). FP: This work is financed by national funds from FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the project UIDB/50006/2020 of the Research Unit on Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV) of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (REQUIMTE) and for an Assistant Research Position (CEECIND/01649/2021). MC: INTERREG-MAC2/1.1b/279 (AHIDAGRO) and the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) (grant PID2020-115979RR-C32). ARDM is supported with funds from Proyecto Intramural Especial CSIC [Ref. 202280I032].

Pest resistance against fungicides is a widespread and increasing problem, with impact on crop production and public health, making the development of new fungicides an urgent need. Chemical analyses of a crude methanol extract (CME) of Guiera senegalensis leaves revealed the presence of sugars, phospholipids, phytosterols, guieranone A, porphyrin-containing compounds, and phenolics. To connect chemical composition with biological effects, solid-phase extraction was used to discard water-soluble compounds with low affinity for the C18 matrix and obtain an ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) that concentrates guieranone A and chlorophylls, and a methanol fraction (MF) dominated by phenolics. While the CME and MF exhibited poor antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the EAF demonstrated antifungal activity against these filamentous fungi, particularly against C. gloeosporioides. Studies with yeasts revealed that the EAF has strong effectiveness against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida krusei with MICs of 8, 8 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. A combination of in vivo and in vitro studies shows that the EAF can function as a mitochondrial toxin, compromising complexes I and II activities, and as a strong inhibitor of fungal tyrosinase (Ki = 14.40 ± 4.49 µg/mL). Thus, EAF appears to be a promising candidate for the development of new multi-target fungicides., This work received financial support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects UIDB/50006/2020 of REQUIMTE/LAQV, and UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 of CIIMAR.

This paper presents an efficient and reliable approach to study the low-velocity impact response of woven composite shells using 3D finite element models that account for the physical intralaminar and interlaminar progressive damage. The authors’ previous work on the experimental assessment of the effect of thickness on the impact response of semicylindrical composite laminated shells served as the basis for this paper. Therefore, the finite element models were put to the test in comparison to the experimental findings. A good agreement was obtained between the numerical predictions and experimental data for the load and energy histories as well as for the maximum impact load, maximum displacement, and contact time. The use of the mass-scaling technique was successfully implemented, reducing considerably the computing cost of the solutions. The maximum load, maximum displacement, and contact time are negligibly affected by the choice of finite element mesh discretization. However, it has an impact on the initiation and progression of interlaminar damage. Therefore, to accurately compute delamination, its correct definition is of upmost importance. The validation of these finite element models opens the possibility for further numerical studies on of woven composite shells and enables shortening the time and expenses associated with the experimental testing. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia UIDB/00285/2020 LA/P/0112/2020.

Light pollution critically affects fledglings of burrow-nesting seabirds, leading to massive mortality events. The successful management of this pollutant depends upon a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing visual sensitivity and corresponding behaviours towards light. Factors shaping the development of the visual system could account for variation in seabirds' vulnerability to light pollution. We investigated how Cory's shearwater chicks respond to selected contrasting artificial light stimuli. Chicks were subjected to blue and red light treatments, and repeatedly tested throughout the nestling period. We analysed behavioural responses (number, timing and orientation of reactions) to determine how age, exposure to experimental light stimuli and spectra influenced the onset of visually guided behaviours, thus inferring drivers of vulnerability to light pollution. Repetitive exposure to light significantly increased the number of reactions, and chicks predominantly displayed light avoidance behaviour. We did not find differences in the number of reactions, timing and orientation between blue and red light treatments. The responses did not differ across different age groups. These results provide empirical evidence for the contribution of the light available in the rearing environment to seabird visual development. They support the hypothesis that differential exposure to light during the growth period influences responses to artificial light, and that the state of visual development at fledging could be a main driver of the age bias observed during seabird fallout events. It is thus important to evaluate lighting schemes in both urban and natural areas, and determine the as yet unknown consequences that may be affecting the populations., Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia SFRH/BD/143514/2019, 190823-3, UIDB/05634/2020, UIDP/05634/2020; Marius Jakulis Jason Foundation; Government of the Azores M1.1.A/FUNC.UI&D/003/2021-2024.

The distribution of mangrove intra-specific biodiversity can be structured by historical demographic processes that enhance or limit effective population sizes. Oceanographic connectivity (OC) may further structure intra-specific biodiversity by preserving or diluting the genetic signatures of historical changes. Despite its relevance for biogeography and evolution, the role of oceanographic connectivity in structuring the distribution of mangrove’s genetic diversity has not been addressed at global scale. Here we ask whether connectivity mediated by ocean currents explains the intra-specific diversity of mangroves. A comprehensive dataset of population genetic differentiation was compiled from the literature. Multigenerational connectivity and population centrality indices were estimated with biophysical modeling coupled with network analyses. The variability explained in genetic differentiation was tested with competitive regression models built upon classical isolation-by-distance (IBD) models considering geographic distance. We show that oceanographic connectivity can explain the genetic differentiation of mangrove populations regardless of the species, region, and genetic marker (significant regression models in 95% of cases, with an average R-square of 0.44 ± 0.23 and Person’s correlation of 0.65 ± 0.17), systematically improving IBD models. Centrality indices, providing information on important stepping-stone sites between biogeographic regions, were also important in explaining differentiation (R-square improvement of 0.06 ± 0.07, up to 0.42). We further show that ocean currents produce skewed dispersal kernels for mangroves, highlighting the role of rare long-distance dispersal events responsible for historical settlements. Overall, we demonstrate the role of oceanographic connectivity in structuring mangrove intra-specific diversity. Our findings are critical for mangroves’ biogeography and evolution, but also for management strategies considering climate change and genetic biodiversity conservation., This study received Portuguese national funds from FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology through projects UIDB/04326/2020, UIDP/04326/2020, LA/P/0101/2020, PTDC/BIA-CBI/6515/2020, SFRH/BSAB/150485/2019, SFRH/BD/144878/ 2019, the transitional norm DL57/2016/ CP1361/CT0035, and the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus 2022.00861.CEECIND. M.B.A. also acknowledges funding from BNP-PARIBAS Foundation, through the CORESCAM project (“Coastal Biodiversity Resilience to Increasing Extreme Events in Central America”).

Volcanic caves are priceless resources found worldwide. Recently, these environments and the life within have captured the attention of the world, due to the detection of numerous volcanic cave entrances on the Moon and Mars. The TUBOLAN and HIRES-SOM (funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation), the MICROCENO (funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) and the MICROLAVA (funded by the Regional Government of Andalusia) research projects are extraordinary examples of the raising scientific interest in exploring lava tubes on Earth. The goals are the deep characterization of the highly complex subsurface microbial communities adapted to lava tubes from Lanzarote and La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain), and Selvagens Islands (Portugal), respectively, and understand their interactions with biotic and abiotic factors to provide clues on how microbial life has evolved. Recognizing biosignatures and reconstruct climate information recorded in siliceous speleothems from these volcanic caves are also key priorities of these ongoing projects. The interdisciplinary and international dimensions gleaned in these projects are crucial toward properly exploring and protect these unique underground resources. The objective of this multidisciplinary meeting was to gather European leading researchers involved in the study of volcanic caves to share their knowledge, results obtained thus far and discuss current development in their respective fields., The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation from the Spanish State Agency (AEI) through the projects TUBOLAN (PID2019-108672RJ-I00) and HIRES-SOM (TED2021-130683B-C22). The Portuguese FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) through the MICROCENO project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020). The Regional Government of Andalusia through the MICROLAVA research project (PROYEXCEL_00185).

Comunicación oral presentada en el 1st European Meeting on Geomicrobiology of volcanic caves. días 2-3 de marzo de 2023 celebrado en la Casa de la Ciencia-CSIC de Sevilla, The oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) of water are useful tracers of hydrological processes. The δ18O and δ2H of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) hydration water can be used to reconstruct the isotopic composition of the solution at the time of mineral precipitation. Here, we apply this approach to investigate the formation mechanisms of gypsum speleothems, mostly powder gypsum deposits and gypsum crusts, collected in several lava tubes of the Volcán de la Corona area (Lanzarote). The δ18O correlates linearly with δ2H (δ2H = 3.9 · δ 18O – 0.5; R2=0.8), suggesting that the solution underwent significant evaporation prior to gypsum precipitation. We observe an evaporation trajectory that departs δ18O and δ2H values that are similar to those of the mean isotopic composition of rainfall in the Canary Islands (~ –2‰ and ~ –10‰ for δ18O and δ2H, respectively). This indicates a meteoric seepage source of water for the formation of gypsum speleothems. Thus, a direct contribution of seawater can be ruled out. Previous analyses of δ34S and δ18OSO4 in similar speleothems from Lanzarote lava tubes [1] revealed that sulfate is of marine origin. We suggest that sea-spray sulfates accumulate on the soils over the lava tubes and are later dissolved and transported into the caves by infiltration water. Upon entering lava tubes, evaporation ultimately triggers the precipitation of gypsum speleothems. References: [1] Huerta et al., 2019. Sedimentary Geology 383, 136–147., This study has been funded by the TUBOLAN (PID2019-108672RJ-I00) and HIRES-SOM (TED2021-130683B-C22) research projects from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the MICROCENO project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020) from the Portuguese FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) and the MICROLAVA research project (PROYEXCEL_00185) from the Regional Government of Andalusia. Dr. Fernando Gázquez acknowledges the Ramón y Cajal fellowship, RYC2020-029811-I of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The analyses were funded by the PALEOQUANT research project (P18-RT-871) of the Regional Government of Andalusia and the GYPCLIMATE research project (PID2021-123980OA-I00) of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Comunicación oral presentada en el 1st European Meeting on Geomicrobiology of volcanic caves. días 2-3 de marzo de 2023 celebrado en la Casa de la Ciencia-CSIC de Sevilla, The interest in geomicrobiology is clearly raising due to its important applications in biomining, bioremediation of metal-rich waters and soils, mineral transformations, astrobiology, or space exploration activities. This emerging field of science studies the interactions of microorganisms with geological substrates. Caves provide an excellent habitat for extremely specialized microorganisms able to interact with minerals, where we can understand the role of microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles and biomineralization processes. These priceless subterranean resources are found worldwide and remain one of the least explored habitats on Earth. Yet, lava caves, such as those in Hawaii (USA), Canary (Spain), Azores and Madeira Islands (Portugal) have recently received particular attention due to the detection of numerous volcanic cave entrances on the Moon and Mars. Such subsurface geological settings may host microbial activity over geological timescales, offering a unique opportunity to study highly specialized microorganisms, their novel metabolic strategies, and their interactions with igneous rocks that are relevant for a wide range of disciplines. Implementing portable cutting-edge DNA-based analysis, complemented with in-depth metagenomics, as well as high resolution microscopy techniques, the diversity and function of microbial communities in speleothems from Selvagens Islands (Madeira, Portugal) and Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) lava tubes have been investigated to understand which microorganisms grow in these extreme ecosystems, which functional properties they have, and their role in constructive and/or destructive mineralization processes. Characterizing cave microbiota and the stressors (e.g., tourism, agriculture, and human habitation) threatening these subterranean environments represents a crucial step toward robustly exploring and protect these unique underground resources, allowing for implementation of future protection policies., The author thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation from the Spanish State Agency (AEI) for funding the projects TUBOLAN (PID2019-108672RJ-I00) and HIRES-SOM (TED2021-130683B-C22), the Portuguese FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) for funding the MICROCENO project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020) and the Regional Government of Andalusia for funding the MICROLAVA research project (PROYEXCEL_00185)

Comunicación oral presentada en el 1st European Meeting on Geomicrobiology of volcanic caves. días 2-3 de marzo de 2023 celebrado en la Casa de la Ciencia-CSIC de Sevilla, Pristine environments can be defined as places with limited or no connections to anthropogenic activities [1], for example karstic and marine caves, relevant locations of Natural and Cultural Heritage. Usually, these environments are exposed to extreme factors such as, temperature, salinity, osmolarity, UV radiation, pressure, or pH, with values close to the limit of life. In these extreme environments living organisms biosynthesize secondary metabolites with potential bioactivities giving them unique survival skills to grow in hostile conditions [2]. This study is being performed within the MICROCENO and TUBOLAN research projects and aims to search for new bioactive compounds produced by bacterial cultures, isolated from volcanic caves. Samples were collected from caves of Selvagens Islands (Madeira archipelago, Portugal) and Lanzarote Island (Canary archipelago, Spain). Cultivable microorganisms were previously isolated on different culture medium and identified by sequencing 16S rDNA [3]. The antioxidant activity and antimicrobial spectra against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria was evaluated. The results obtained suggest that selected bacteria isolates produce biologically active compounds with potential application in biotechnology and biomedicine. Additionally, screening assays testing antitumor potential of supernatants from bacterial strain cultures against a breast cancer epithelial cell line MDA-MB-231 and colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 are in progress. Bioprospection and discovery of new compounds represent an opportunity for implement new products obtained by fast and low-cost biotechnological processes as a novel greensafe and sustainable solutions. References: [1] S. Atashgahi, MM. Häggblom, H. Smidt. Environmental Microbiology 20(3), 2018, 934–48. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14016. [2] D. Giordano, Marine drugs of MDPI 19(11), 2020; 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3390/md19110642. [3] A. T. Caldeira, N. Schiavon, G. Mauran,C. Salvador,T. Rosado, J. Mirão, A. Candeias. Coatings of MDPI 11(2),2021;1–17., Funder of Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the scope of the projects UIDB/04449/2020, MICROCENO (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020), ART3mis (2022.07303.PTDC) and C. Salvador (DL 57/2016/CP1372/CT0019) to individual support. The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation is also acknowledged for funding the TUBOLAN project (PID2019-108672RJ-I00).

Forest expansion after rural abandonment is changing landscapes, bringing new challenges and opportunities. Juvenile performance has an effect in the establishment of new forests and the subsequent acclimation of adult trees. However, most studies have focused on the performance of adult trees. Here, we analysed differences in the phenotypic trait space of juveniles across gradients of Juniperus thurifera woodland expansion and explored which traits shape juveniles’ performance, seeking specific drivers of such differentiation and the role of the ontogeny. Thus, we surveyed functional leaf and plant-size traits in 180 juveniles growing in 18 plots at three different tree density stages (mature woodland, recently established area and a transition zone between both) and recorded local environmental conditions around each individual. We also estimated their radial growth and resilience to drought (in terms of resistance, recovery and resilience) as performance indicators. We found no relevant effects of the study environmental variables, but we did find a shift in the phenotypic space among juveniles across the gradient, with taller crowns and higher amount of leaf N and d13C at the expanding edge. This trait differentiation across the gradient implied higher performance of young trees growing in old agricultural fields, both in growth rate and drought resilience terms. Our results showed a relevant land-use legacy on early trait differentiation that shapes more efficient phenotypes in the expanding edge compared to those in mature woodlands, suggesting that the future of these new forests is not compromised under current conditions., Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUECSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Funding was provided by Spanish projects REMEDINAL TECM (Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid, S2018/EMT-4338) and COMEDIAS (CGL2017-83170-R, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades). RB was funded during the conductance of the study partially by the Contrato Programa CEEC Individual, Fundaçao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal.

10 Pág. Centro de Investigación Forestal (CIFOR), Riparian vegetation supports high biodiversity providing many services and is, therefore, an important landscape element. Riparian ecosystems are subject to numerous pressures leading to population decline and genetic erosion of riparian plants. This may have cascading effects at various ecosystem levels, including decreasing ecosystem services, so identifying the current status of genetic diversity of riparian tree species is vital to improve the effectiveness of restoration efforts. We aimed to elicit expert views on the status and importance of genetic diversity of tree species, and conservation needs across European riparian ecosystems. Sharing of such information among researchers, managers and policymakers has the potential to enhance ecological restoration and management of riparian ecosystems. We identified experts in riparian genetic resources conservation and management across Europe. These included stakeholders with different perspectives, ranging from researchers to practitioners. We designed a set of questionnaires where our identified experts were asked to answer questions related to the status and conservation of genetic diversity of riparian tree species in their respective countries. Specifically, we asked about societal awareness, legislative tools, good practices and conservation or restoration projects accounting for intraspecific genetic diversity and differentiation of tree species in riparian ecosystems. Questionnaire responses were analysed and discussed in light of the scientific literature to define needs and priorities related to the management and conservation of genetic diversity of riparian tree species. The experts recognized that a combination of in situ and ex situ measures and/or integrative conservation of riparian ecosystems is the most appropriate option for conserving the genetic diversity of riparian tree species. Simultaneous application of conservation measures at the level of priority species, identified by experts, and protection of riparian areas are required. Synthesis and applications. This study revealed the importance of recognizing the ecological processes that shape the genetic diversity of riparian tree species in hydrographic networks (dendritic spatial configuration, specific patterns of gene flow among riparian populations, fragmentation of river by dams) but also the need to overcome socio-economic barriers, such as lack of policy priority, deficiency in funding and weak legislation framework., The work leading to this paper was developed within the COST Action (CA16208)—CONVERGES (Knowledge Conversion for Enhancing Management of European Riparian Ecosystems and Services), supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology; www.cost.eu) and by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union. We thank three anonymous reviewers for comments and suggestions that greatly improved the paper. JM was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, according to the agreement No. 0801-417/1. PMRG was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the 2020.03356.CEECIND grant, and through PTDC/ASP-SIL/28593/2017 grant; and Forest Research Centre by the FCT (UIDB/00239/2020) grant. RP was supported by the grant from the National Science Centre, Poland (2019/35/B/NZ8/01901).

In this work, we report the use of bioorthogonal chemistry, specifically the strain-promoted click azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) for the covalent attachment of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) on living cell membranes. Four types of MNPs were prepared, functionalized with two different stabilizing/passivation agents (a polyethylene glycol derivative and a glucopyranoside derivative, respectively) and two types of strained alkynes with different reactivities: a cyclooctyne (CO) derivative and a dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) derivative. The MNPs were extensively characterized in terms of physicochemical characteristics, colloidal stability, and click reactivity in suspension. Then, the reactivity of the MNPs toward azide-modified surfaces was evaluated as a closer approach to their final application in a living cell scenario. Finally, the DBCO-modified MNPs, showing superior reactivity in suspension and on surfaces, were selected for cell membrane immobilization via the SPAAC reaction on the membranes of cells engineered to express azide artificial reporters. Overall, our work provides useful insights into the appropriate surface engineering of nanoparticles to ensure a high performance in terms of bioorthogonal reactivity for biological applications., This work has been supported by the European Commission, MagicCellGene Project (M-ERA.NET COFUND call 2016, funded by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MINECO, Spain in the framework of the PCIN-2017-060 project), Ministerio de Innovación, Ciencia y Universidades (MCIU, PGC2018-096016-B-I00 to R.M.F), Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (BIO 2017-84246-C2-1R to V.G. and J.M.F.), and MINECO and FSE/Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Ramón y Cajal subprogram, grant RYC-2015-17640 to R.M.F.). J.I.L. and E.M.A acknowledge financial support for their predoctoral fellowships from Gobierno de Aragón (DGA 2017–2021 call, co-funded by the Programa Operativo Fondo Social Europeo de Aragón 2014–2020) and Ministerio de Universidades (FPU17/02024), respectively. Authors also acknowledge support from Gobierno de Aragón and Fondos Feder for funding the Bionanosurf (E15_20R) research group. J.M.A. and M.E. acknowledge support from the Basque Government (GIC-2015_IT-1033-16).

This work explores the effect of exposing the Bi2Ca2Co1.7Ox-textured ceramics at temperatures above working conditions, on mechanical and electrical properties. Microstructural studies have shown a first improvement of microstructure with an important grain growth, followed by the formation of porosity and the appearance of cracks for larger times. These features were reflected on their mechanical and electrical properties. Three point bending tests have revealed an increase of bending strength with the thermal treatment, reaching the maximum at 24 h and decreasing for further treatment time, which is very slight for times larger than 196 h. On the other hand, electrical resistivity is drastically reduced with the thermal treatment when compared to the as-grown samples. Moreover, the samples behavior is modified from semiconducting-like for as-grown samples to metallic-like for the thermally treated ones. Accordingly, Seebeck coefficient is decreased with the thermal treatment, being very similar for all thermally treated samples. As a consequence of the drastic decrease of electrical resistivity, although with lower reduction on the Seebeck coefficient, all thermally treated samples display higher power factor values than the as-grown ones. The highest values at 650 °C (0.29 mW/K2 m) have been obtained in textured samples thermally treated for 48 h, which are comparable to the best values reported in the literature without the use of expensive materials., M. A. Torres, M. A. Madre, and A. Sotelo acknowledge the Spanish MINECO-FEDER (MAT2017-82183-C3-1-R) and Gobierno de Aragón-FEDER (Research group T54-20R), for financial support. Sh. Rasekh acknowledges the support of the Research Employment Contract FCT–CEECIND/02608/2017.

Food webs represent the energy fluxes and the nutrient cycling between interacting species that underpin several ecosystem functions. Whether and how interactions vary across environmental gradients is still largely unknown. We reviewed the literature searching for systematic relationships between structural food-web properties and environmental gradients. Temperature and biotic factors are amongst the most frequently addressed drivers of food-web structure. We also assessed the degree to which food-web ecology has accomplished a mechanistic understanding of ecosystem functioning. We found that most studies are one-off descriptions of local food webs making it difficult to achieve an understanding of the response to human or environmental gradients. The lack of a consistent theory predicting how food webs change across environmental gradients, the diversity of objectives in food-web studies, and the absence of a standardized methodology for analysing them severely limit progress in the field. Moving forward requires the establishment of a core set of testable predictions, agreed standards for data collection and analysis, and the development of geographically distributed experimental studies of food-web dynamics., FM, DGC, CPC, MGM, MBA were supported through the project StateShifts (ref. PTDC/AAG-MAA/3764/2014) funded by FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 731065 (AQUACOSM) and No 871081 (AQUACOSM-plus).

10 pags., 2 figs., 1 tab., Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 is an attractive host for the development of microbial cell factories to synthesize high-value compounds, including prebiotics. In this study, a straightforward process to produce fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from sucrose was established. To control the relative FOS composition, recombinant Z. mobilis strains secreting a native levansucrase (encoded by sacB) or a mutated β-fructofuranosidase (Ffase-Leu196) from Schwanniomyces occidentalis were constructed. Both strains were able to produce a FOS mixture with high concentration of 6-kestose. The best results were obtained with Z. mobilis ZM4 pB1-sacB that was able to produce 73.4 ± 1.6 g L-1 of FOS, with a productivity of 1.53 ± 0.03 g L-1 h-1 and a yield of 0.31 ± 0.03 gFOS gsucrose-1. This is the first report on the FOS production using a mutant Z. mobilis ZM4 strain in a one-step process. KEY POINTS: • Zymomonas mobilis was engineered to produce FOS in a one-step fermentation process. • Mutant strains produced FOS mixtures with high concentration of 6-kestose. • A new route to produce tailor-made FOS mixtures was presented., The study received financial support from Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and the project FoSynBio—Synthetic biology approaches to design and construct microbial cell factories for the production of fructooligosaccharides (POCI-01–0145-FEDER-029549).

In a context of disease emergence and faced with the ever-growing evidence of the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of transmissible diseases, efforts have been made to develop wildlife disease surveillance (WDS) programs throughout Europe. Disease monitoring is ideally composed of “numerator data” (number of infected individuals) and “denominator data” (size of the target population). Too often however, information is available for only one. Hence, there is a need for developing integrated and harmonized disease and population monitoring tools for wildlife: integrated wildlife monitoring (IWM). IWM should have three components. Passive disease surveillance improves the likelihood of early detection of emerging diseases, while active surveillance and population monitoring are required to assess epidemiological dynamics, freedom of disease, and the outcome of interventions. Here, we review the characteristics of ongoing WDS in Europe, observe how pathogens have been ranked, and note a need for ranking host species, too. Then, we list the challenges for WDS and draw a roadmap for stepping up from WDS to IWM. There is a need to integrate and maintain an equilibrium between the three components of IWM, improve data collection and accessibility, and guarantee the adaptability of these schemes to each epidemiological context and temporal period. Methodological harmonization and centralization of information at a European level would increase efficiency of national programs and improve the follow-up of eventual interventions. The ideal IWM would integrate capacities from different stakeholder; allow to rapidly incorporate relevant new knowledge; and rely on stable capacities and funding., The author Beatriz Cardoso was supported by the FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia IP [grant number 2020.04872.BD]. The authors are grateful to the MCIU project CGL2017-89866 WildDriver.

Wildfires usually increase the hydrological and erosive response of forest areas, carrying high environmental, human, cultural, and financial on- and off-site effects. Post-fire soil erosion control measures have been proven effective at mitigating such responses, especially at the slope scale, but there is a knowledge gap as to how cost-effective these treatments are. In this work, we review the effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments at reducing erosion rates over the first post-fire year and provide their application costs. This allowed assessing the treatments’ cost-effectiveness (CE), expressed as the cost of preventing 1 Mg of soil loss. This assessment involved a total of 63 field study cases, extracted from 26 publications from the USA, Spain, Portugal, and Canada, and focused on the role of treatment types and materials, and countries. Treatments providing a protective ground cover showed the best median CE (895 $ Mg−1), especially agricultural straw mulch (309 $ Mg−1), followed by wood-residue mulch (940 $ Mg−1) and hydromulch (2332 $ Mg−1). Barriers showed a relatively low CE (1386 $ Mg−1), due to their reduced effectiveness and elevated implementation costs. Seeding showed a good CE (260 $ Mg−1), but this reflected its low costs rather than its effectiveness to reduce soil erosion. The present results confirmed that post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments are cost-effective as long as they are applied in areas where the post-fire erosion rates exceed the tolerable erosion rate thresholds (>1 Mg−1 ha−1 y−1) and are less costly than the loss of on- and off-site values that they are targeted to protect. For this reason, the proper assessment of post-fire soil erosion risk is vital to ensure that the available financial, human and material resources are applied appropriately., Antonio Girona-García is recipient of the Grant RYC2021-031262-I funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR; and was also funded by the Spanish Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, CSIC) through project 20208AT007. This work was supported by the FEMME project (PCIF/MPG/0019/2017) funded by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; and by the project EPyRIS (SOE2/P5/E0811), funded by the European Union through the SUDOE and Program. Thanks are also due for the financial support from FCT/MCTES, through FEDER funds in the framework of the Operational Program Competitiveness Factors—COMPETE and national funds attributed to GeoBioTec (UIDB/04035/2020).

24 Pág., The forest-based sector plays a significant role in supporting Europe on its pathway towards a more integrated and bio-based circular economy. Beyond the supply of timber, forest ecosystems offer a wide range of products and services beneficial to human wellbeing. Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) play an integral role in provisioning forest ecosystem services and constitute a huge portfolio of species from various taxonomic kingdoms. As diverse as the resources themselves is the list of end-products that may be derived from raw non-wood materials. Multiple value-chains of NWFPs provide benefits to actors across all stages of the supply chain. Forest management has not yet directed full attention towards NWFPs, since timber production remains the main management objective, although multi-purpose management is recognised as a key principle of the sector’s sustainability paradigm. Lack of knowledge of the socio-economic relevance of NWFPs for European societies and diverse property rights frameworks increase the complexity in forest-based decision making additionally. In this study, the future potential of 38 NWFPs for diversifying the forest bioeconomy is investigated by means of multi-criteria analysis, including stakeholder interaction and expert involvement. The results for six case studies in different biogeographical zones in Europe indicate the latent opportunities NWFPs provide to forest owners who are willing to focus their management on the joint production of wood and non-wood resources as well as their value networks. This study intends to unravel perspectives for forest owners in particular, as they often represent principal decision makers in forest ecosystem management, act as main suppliers of NWFP raw materials, and thus can be understood as key stakeholders in a forest bioeconomy. Even though regional perspectives differ, due to varying socio-economic and ecological environments, there is huge potential to strengthen the economic viability of rural areas. Furthermore, sustainable co-production may foster the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems across Europe. Results show that wild mushrooms constitute the most widespread opportunity to increase additional income from forest management, but the most promising NWFPs can be found in the tree product, understorey plant and animal origin categories., This study was financially supported by FP7 Project no. 311919 KBBE.2012.1.2-06 StarTree—Multipurpose trees and non-wood forest products a challenge and opportunity, and COST-Action FP1203: European non-wood forest products (NWFPs) network. Mr. S. de-Miguel was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 MultiFUNGtionality Marie Skłodowska-Curie (IF-EF No 655815), and Mr. J.A. Bonet benefited from a Serra-Húnter Fellowship provided by the Generalitat of Catalunya. José G. Borges and M. Marques participation was also funded by the Forest Research Centre, a research unit funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT), Portugal (UIDB/00239/2020). This study has been also done with affiliation to the Academy of Finland Flagship Forest-Human-Machine Interplay—Building Resilience, Redefining Value Networks and Enabling MeaningfulExperiences (UNITE) with decision number 337127.

The Malagasy genus Gephyromantis contains 51 species of primarily terrestrial or scansorial frogs. Although many species are morphologically weakly divergent from each other, the combination of molecular and bioacoustic evidence has led to a continuous flow of species discoveries in the last years. Previous works have notably shown the existence of numerous additional deep mitochondrial lineages of uncertain status in the nominal subgenus Gephyromantis, some of these considered as confirmed or unconfirmed candidate species, some as deep conspecific lineages. Here we use DNA sequences of one mitochondrial and one nuclear marker, as well as morphological and bioacoustic data, to conduct an integrative revision of the subgenus Gephyromantis. The analyses reveal at least 12 distinct and independent evolutionary lineages belonging to the G. blanci and G. boulengeri species complexes. Evidence for the species status of these lineages included multiple cases of syntopic occurrence without genetic admixture, as well as differences in advertisement calls or morphological differentiation without intermediate forms, suggesting reproductive isolation. We discuss the relevance of these different lines of evidence and describe six new species of Gephyromantis., The work of AM was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant MI 2748/1-1) and the work of AC was supported by the Portuguese National Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, contract 2020.00823. CEECIND/CP1601/CT0003).

Species' environmental requirements and large-scale spatial and evolutionary processes determine the structure and composition of local communities. However, ecological interactions also have major effects on community assembly at landscape and local scales. We evaluate whether two xerophytic shrub communities occurring in SW Portugal follow constrained ecological assembly dynamics throughout large geographical extents, or their composition is rather driven by species’ individualistic responses to environmental and macroecological constraints. Inland dune xerophytic shrub communities were characterized in 95 plots. Then, we described the main gradients of vegetation composition and assessed the relevance of biotic interactions. We also characterized the habitat suitability of the dominant species, Stauracanthus genistoides, and Ulex australis, to map the potential distribution of the xerophytic shrub communities. Finally, we examined the relationships between the vegetation gradients and a broad set of explanatory variables to identify the relative importance of each factor driving changes in community composition. We found that xerophytic shrubs follow uniform successional patterns throughout the whole geographical area studied, but each community responds differently to the main environmental gradients in each region. Soil organic matter is the main determinant of community variations in the northern region, Setúbal Peninsula, whereas aridity is so in the South/South-Western region. In contrast, in the central region, Comporta, the variation between S. genistoides and U. australis communities is explained mainly by aridity and temperature seasonality, followed by the individualistic responses of the dominant species and soil organic matter. Overall, these results indicate that, the relative importance of the main factors causing community-level responses varies according to regional processes and the suitability of the environmental conditions for the dominant species in these communities. These responses are also determined by intrinsic community mechanisms that result in a high degree of similarity in the gradient-driven community stages in different regions., This work was funded by the projects COMDUNES (EXPL/BIA-BIC/2311/2013, Portuguese FCT) and SCENIC (PID2019-106840GB-C21, Spanish MCIN/ AEI/10.13039/501100011033). SC was supported by the FCT grant (SFRH/BD/65659/2009) and the FCT PORBIOTA project through a postdoctoral fellowship. RMC was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (Grant agreement N° 894941); AMCS by a “Ramón y Cajal” Fellowship (RYC2020-029407-I) of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.

Cumulative cultural evolution (CCE) occurs among humans who may be presented with many similar options from which to choose, as well as many social influences and diverse environments. It is unknown what general principles underlie the wide range of CCE dynamics and whether they can all be explained by the same unified paradigm. Here, we present a scalable evolutionary model of discrete choice with social learning, based on a few behavioural science assumptions. This paradigm connects the degree of transparency in social learning to the human tendency to imitate others. Computer simulations and quantitative analysis show the interaction of three primary factors—information transparency, popularity bias and population size—drives the pace of CCE. The model predicts a stable rate of evolutionary change for modest degrees of popularity bias. As popularity bias grows, the transition from gradual to punctuated change occurs, with maladaptive subpopulations arising on their own. When the popularity bias gets too severe, CCE stops. This provides a consistent framework for explaining the rich and complex adaptive dynamics taking place in the real world, such as modern digital media., B.V. is supported through the 2020–2021 Biodiversa and Water JPI joint call under the BiodivRestore ERA-NET Cofund (grant no. 101003777) project MPA4Sustainability with funding organizations: Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and grant no. PCI2022-132936 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. S.V. is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the State Research Agency (AEI), grant no. PID2020-117822GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. We acknowledge the support of the network PIE-202120E047- Conexiones-Life.

Lemon verbena infusions are widely appreciated due to their agreeable lemony flavor and medicinal properties. In this study, the antioxidant potential, phenolic profile, and free amino acid profile of lemon verbena infusions from different commercial brands were studied. Characterization by UHPLC-QTOF-HRMS allowed the identification of 34 phenolics. The free amino acid profile (by RP-HPLC-FLD) was assessed for the first time, allowing the quantification of 16 amino acids. Furthermore, the infusions showed high antioxidant activity by different assays (ferric reducing antioxidant power, DPPH• scavenging, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays), which in turn were significantly correlated with total phenolics and total flavonoid contents. Notwithstanding, phenylalanine seemed to have also an impact on the antioxidant activity of the infusions, with significant correlations found. Finally, significant differences were found in all the evaluated parameters for one of the four commercial brands herein studied, which was possibly related to the different geographical origins of this sample. Overall, these lemon verbena infusions proved to be rich in a huge variety of bioactive compounds that can provide therapeutic potential., The open access publication fee for this paper was funded by the AgriFood XXI I&D&I project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000041) and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through NORTE 2020 (Programa Operacional Regional do Norte 2014/2020)., The authors acknowledge FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) for the PT national funds received through the projects UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. J.A.B.P. gives thanks to FCT/MCTES and ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (Programa Operacional Região Norte) for her PhD grant (Ref. SFRH/BD/07329/2021. G.Á.-R. would like to acknowledge the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) for a “Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación” postdoctoral grant (Ref. IJC2019-041482-I). S.M. is grateful to the project PTDC/SAU-NUT/2165/2021 for her research grant. R.C.A. gives thanks to FCT for funding through the Scientific Employment Stimulus Individual Call (Ref. CEECIND/01120/2017).

Top predators such as most shark species are extremely vulnerable to amassing high concentrations of contaminants, but not much is known about the effects that the contaminant body burden imparts on these animals. Species like the blue shark (Prionace glauca) are very relevant in this regard, as they have high ecological and socioeconomic value, and have the potential to act as bioindicators of pollution. This work aimed to assess if differences in contaminant body burden found in blue sharks from the Northeast Atlantic would translate into differences in stress responses. Biochemical responses related to detoxification and oxidative stress, and histological alterations were assessed in the liver and gills of 60 blue sharks previously found to have zone-related contamination differences. Similar zone-related differences were found in biomarker responses, with the sharks from the most contaminated zone exhibiting more pronounced responses. Additionally, strong positive correlations were found between contaminants (i.e., As, PCBs, and PBDEs) and relevant biomarkers (e.g., damaged DNA and protective histological alterations). The present results are indicative of the potential that this species and these tools have to be used to monitor pollution in different areas of the Atlantic., This study had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through the project BLUESHARKER (PTDC/CTAAMB/29136/2017), co-financed by COMPETE2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029136), the Strategic Project granted to MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (UIDB/04292/2020 and UIDP/04292/2020), the project granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET (LA/P/0069/2020), and the grant awarded to Luís Alves (SFRH/BD/122082/2016). Vanessa F. Fonseca was supported by FCT, via research contract 2021.00244.CEECIND. Sara Novais is funded by national funds (OE), through FCT, in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5, and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Law 57/2017, of July 19.

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the progression of many inflammatory diseases. The search for antioxidants with the ability for scavenging free radicals from the body cells that reduce oxidative damage is essential to prevent and treat these pathologies. Haloarchaea are extremely halophilic microorganisms that inhabit hypersaline environments, such as saltworks or salt lakes, where they have to tolerate high salinity, and elevated ultraviolet (UV) and infrared radiations. To cope with these extreme conditions, haloarchaea have developed singular mechanisms to maintain an osmotic balance with the medium, and are endowed with unique compounds, not found in other species, with bioactive properties that have not been fully explored. This study aims to assess the potential of haloarchaea as a new source of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. A carotenoid-producing haloarchaea was isolated from Odiel Saltworks (OS) and identified on the basis of its 16S rRNA coding gene sequence as a new strain belonging to the genus Haloarcula. The Haloarcula sp. OS acetone extract (HAE) obtained from the biomass contained bacterioruberin and mainly C18 fatty acids, and showed potent antioxidant capacity using ABTS assay. This study further demonstrates, for the first time, that pretreatment with HAE of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages results in a reduction in ROS production, a decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 levels, and up-regulation of the factor Nrf2 and its target gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), supporting the potential of the HAE as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of oxidative stress-related inflammatory diseases. Fondos europeos FEDER Programa Andalucía 2014–2020/US-1380844 y UHU-1257518 Agencia Estatal de Investigación de España - PID2019-110438RBC22-AEI/FEDER Junta de Andalucía - I+D+i-JA-PAIDI-Retos 2020-PY20 VII Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia de la Universidad de Sevilla Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia de Portugal (FCT) - UIDB/04565/2020 y UIDP/04565/2020 Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy de Portugal (i4HB) - LA/P/0140/2020 Beca “Margarita Salas” Universidad de Huelva.

Green and environmentally friendly approaches are increasingly necessary when developing new analytical methodologies. Electromembrane extraction (EME) has contributed to this by offering new alternatives to the traditional and widely used plastic materials. Specially, those derived from bio- polymers (such as agarose or chitosan) have recently gained a great importance in EME as they are biodegradable and sustainable, which constitutes a major advantage in the environmental impact of these processes. This review is intended to cover the recent advances made on EME procedures based on the use of sustainable biopolymer-based materials by addressing the properties and synthesis of these materials as well as their analytical application. Extraction devices and EME methods will be extensively discussed, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, aiming at improving analytical methodologies for sample processing, while contributing to their sustainability. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2021- 23073NB-C2, CIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033/FEDER Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia UIDB/50006/ 2020 Scientific Employment Stimulus Ref. 2021.03610, CEECIND/CP1662/CT0002, DL 57/2016

21 pages, 11 figures, 1 table.-- Open access, Aquatic food systems are important contributors to global food security to satisfy an intensifying demand for protein-based diets, but global economic growth threatens marine systems. Cephalopod (octopus, squid and cuttlefish) fisheries can contribute to food security; however, their sustainable exploitation requires understanding connections between nature's contributions to people (NCP), food system policies and human wellbeing, The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Cephs and Chefs Project (https://www.cephsandchefs.com/) funded by the European Regional Development Fund (https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/) through the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme grant number EAPA_282/2016. CP, TF, KR and DC acknowledge financial support to CESAM by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/MCTES (UIDP/50017/2020 + UIDB/50017/2020 + LA/P/0094/2020), through national funds. CP acknowledges the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia research contract 2020.02510. CEECIND and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). SV and PP acknowledge financial support from the Xunta de Galicia (https://www.xunta.gal/portada) (RECREGES II project under Grant 1400 ED481B2018/017 and Grupo de Referencia Competitiva GI-2060 AEMI, under Grant 1401 ED431C2019/11)

The dissipation of heat generation has been one of the largest obstacles in the design of semiconductor devices and reducing the thermal conductivity is vital for improving thermoelectric efficiency. This work focuses on the Bi doping effect on ZnO, and ZnO:Al thin films produced by magnetron sputtering with thickness varying between 500 and 900 nm. The approach introduces Bi ions, a higher mass element, into the ZnO metal-oxide matrix, to hinder phonon-mediated heat conduction and, consequently, reduce thermal conductivity. Atom probe tomography (APT) was employed to survey Bi doping distribution in ZnO:Al:Bi and ZnO:Bi thin films and to study the morphology of the grain boundaries. The thermal properties of the thin films were measured by frequency-domain thermoreflectance. Based on thermal conductivity results, it is concluded that the doping of ZnO films with Al has a significant effect on thermal conductivity, being reduced from 6.0 W m−1 K−1 in its undoped state to 3.3 W m−1 K−1 for ZnO with ∼3 at.% of Al, mainly due to alloy scattering of phonons in the wurtzite cell. Further doping with Bi contributes to a slight reduction in the thermal conductivity of ZnO:Al.Bi films (2.9 W m−1 K−1), due to grain boundary scattering by Bi/Bi2O3 phases. This result is understood as the confluence of two counteracting effects. On the one hand, the thermal conductivity of the film decreases because Bi, unlike Al, is segregated to grain boundaries and does not substitute Zn in the wurtzite crystal lattice, which is unequivocally demonstrated by APT results. On the other hand, the simultaneous presence of Al and Bi triggers a morphological change with the film's microstructure becoming more columnar. This change in microstructure from 3D island growth in ZnO:Al and ZnO:Bi to a more regular columnar structure in ZnO:Al,Bi limits further reduction in the thermal conductivity., Filipe Correia is grateful to the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015. Joana Ribeiro is grateful to the FCT, Portugal, for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/147221/2019. Funding is also gratefully acknowledged from FCT/PIDDAC through the Strategic Funds project reference UIDB/04650/2020–2023 and from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) through grants SEV-2015-0496 (FUNMAT) and CEX2019-000917-S (FUNFUTURE) in the framework of the Spanish Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence program, and grant PID2020-119777 GB-I00 (THERM2MAIN). This work (proposal ID 2018-020-022469) was carried out with the support of the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMFi, www.knmf.kit.edu), a Helmholtz Research Infrastructure at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, www.kit.edu)., With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S).

As the number of introduced species keeps increasing unabatedly, identifying and prioritising current and potential Invasive Alien Species (IAS) has become essential to manage them. Horizon Scanning (HS), defined as an exploration of potential threats, is considered a fundamental component of IAS management. By combining scientific knowledge on taxa with expert opinion, we identified the most relevant aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., those with the greatest geographic extent (or probability of introduction), severe ecological, economic and human health impacts, greatest difficulty and acceptability of management. We highlighted the 126 most relevant IAS already present in Iberian inland waters (i.e., Concern list) and 89 with a high probability of being introduced in the near future (i.e., Alert list), of which 24 and 10 IAS, respectively, were considered as a management priority after receiving the highest scores in the expert assessment (i.e., top-ranked IAS). In both lists, aquatic IAS belonging to the four thematic groups (plants, freshwater invertebrates, estuarine invertebrates, and vertebrates) were identified as having been introduced through various pathways from different regions of the world and classified according to their main functional feeding groups. Also, the latest update of the list of IAS of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 includes only 12 top-ranked IAS identified for the Iberian Peninsula, while the national lists incorporate the vast majority of them. This fact underlines the great importance of taxa prioritisation exercises at biogeographical scales as a step prior to risk analyses and their inclusion in national lists. This HS provides a robust assessment and a cost-effective strategy for decision-makers and stakeholders to prioritise the use of limited resources for IAS prevention and management. Although applied at a transnational level in a European biodiversity hotspot, this approach is designed for potential application at any geographical or administrative scale, including the continental one. EU LIFE Program LIFE17 GIE/ES/000515 Foundation for Science and Technology CEEC/0482/2020, CEEC/01896/2021 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia SFRH/BD/140556/2018

As drought-induced tree defoliation and mortality (i.e. tree decline) in the Mediterranean is expected to worsen with ongoing climate change, it is of paramount importance to understand how, why, and when tree decline affects soil respiration (Rs). We carried out a novel study exploring the interacting effects of climatic variability (i.e. season and year) and tree decline on soil water content (SWC), soil temperature (Tsoil), and Rs temporal variability in a Mediterranean holm oak woodland. The study further explores the effects of tree decline on the main controls of Rs at the stand scale (i.e. plant variables, SWC, Tsoil, and soil physicochemical variables). We monitored Rs, Tsoil, and SWC under the canopy of 30 holm oak trees with different defoliation degrees (healthy, affected, and dead) during two years of contrasting precipitation patterns. We estimated different plant structural variables (e.g. height, canopy diameter) on those selected trees under whose canopies we also collected soil samples to analyze different soil physicochemical variables. Our study provides, up to our knowledge, the first observational (i.e. in situ) evidence that tree decline might decrease the positive response of Rs to increased precipitation and drying-rewetting cycles. It also suggests that tree decline can significantly increase SWC and decrease Rs but largely depending on the declining stage, the year, and the season. Finally, tree decline affected the relative importance of the different drivers of Rs, with both SWC and Tsoil gaining importance as trees defoliate and die. Altogether, our results point towards a negative impact of drought-induced tree decline on soil carbon (C) content and cycling, particularly under forecasted climate change scenarios with dryer and more intense precipitation regimes., This research was supported by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in the JAE-doc modality co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), the ATLANTIS (PID2020–113244GB-C21) projects funded by the Spanish Government, the Basque Government through the BERC 2022–2025 program, and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the BC3 María de Maeztu excellence accreditation (MDM-2017–0714). J.D. and A.R. acknowledge support from the FCT (2020.03670.CEECIND and SFRH/BDP/108913/2015, respectively), as well as from the MCTES, FSE, UE, and the CFE (UIDB/04004/2021) research unit financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC)., With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence" accreditation MDM-2017–0714.

As the number of introduced species keeps increasing unabatedly, identifying and prioritising current and potential Invasive Alien Species (IAS) has become essential to manage them. Horizon Scanning (HS), defined as an exploration of potential threats, is considered a fundamental component of IAS management. By combining scientific knowledge on taxa with expert opinion, we identified the most relevant aquatic IAS in the Iberian Peninsula, i.e., those with the greatest geographic extent (or probability of introduction), severe ecological, economic and human health impacts, greatest difficulty and acceptability of management. We highlighted the 126 most relevant IAS already present in Iberian inland waters (i.e., Concern list) and 89 with a high probability of being introduced in the near future (i.e., Alert list), of which 24 and 10 IAS, respectively, were considered as a management priority after receiving the highest scores in the expert assessment (i.e., top-ranked IAS). In both lists, aquatic IAS belonging to the four thematic groups (plants, freshwater invertebrates, estuarine invertebrates, and vertebrates) were identified as having been introduced through various pathways from different regions of the world and classified according to their main functional feeding groups. Also, the latest update of the list of IAS of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 includes only 12 top-ranked IAS identified for the Iberian Peninsula, while the national lists incorporate the vast majority of them. This fact underlines the great importance of taxa prioritisation exercises at biogeographical scales as a step prior to risk analyses and their inclusion in national lists. This HS provides a robust assessment and a cost-effective strategy for decision-makers and stakeholders to prioritise the use of limited resources for IAS prevention and management. Although applied at a transnational level in a European biodiversity hotspot, this approach is designed for potential application at any geographical or administrative scale, including the continental one., This research was supported by the LIFE INVASAQUA project (Aquatic In- vasive Alien Species of Freshwater and Estuarine Systems: Awareness and Prevention in the Iberian Peninsula) (LIFE17 GIE/ES/000515) funded by the EU LIFE Program. The Fundación Biodiversidad (Government of Spain) and the Government of Navarre financially support specific actions into the LIFE INVASAQUA. F.R. is supported by Foundation for Science and Technology through an individual contract (CEEC/0482/2020). J.E. has a Ph.D. scholarship (SFRH/BD/140556/2018) funded by FCT, Portugal. F.B. is supported by Foundation for Science and Technology through an individual contract (CEEC/01896/2021).

14 páginas.- 8 figuras.- 1 tabla.- 93 referencias.- Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02181-2, While microbial communities in limestone caves across the world are relatively understood, knowledge of the microbial composition in lava tubes is lagging behind. These caves are found in volcanic regions worldwide and are typically lined with multicolored microbial mats on their walls and ceilings. The Mount Etna (Sicily, S-Italy) represents one of the most active volcanos in the world. Due to its outstanding biodiversity and geological features, it was declared Natural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in 2013. Despite the presence of more than 200 basaltic lava tubes, the microbial diversity of these hypogean systems has never been investigated so far. Here, we investigated bacterial communities in four lava tubes of Mount Etna volcano. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was carried out for the morphological characterization and detection of microbial features. We documented an abundant presence of microbial cells with different morphotypes including rod-shaped, filamentous, and coccoidal cells with surface appendages, resembling actinobacteria reported in other lava tubes across the world. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, the colored microbial mats collected were mostly composed of bacteria belonging to the phyla Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexota, and Cyanobacteria. At the genus level, the analysis revealed a dominance of the genus Crossiella, which is actively involved in biomineralization processes, followed by Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Chujaibacter, and Sphingomonas. The presence of these taxa is associated with the carbon, nitrogen, and ammonia cycles, and some are possibly related to the anthropic disturbance of these caves. This study provides the first insight into the microbial diversity of the Etna volcano lava tubes, and expands on previous research on microbiology of volcanic caves across the world., Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN) under the research project TUBOLAN PID2019-108672RJ-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033. In addition, this work received support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the MICROCENO project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020), and from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) through the intramural project PIE_20214AT021. A.Z.M. was supported by the CEECIND/01147/2017 contract from FCT and the Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC2019-026885-I) from the MCIN.

15 páginas.- 6 figuras.- 2 tablas.- 40 referencias, Removing lampenflora, phototrophic organisms developing on rock surfaces in tourist cavities due to the artificial lighting, is a challenge for sustainable and appropriate long-term management of caves. Photosynthetic-based biofilms usually cause rock biodeterioration and an ecological imbalance in cave ecosystems. In this work, a detailed investigation of the effects of the 3 most commonly used lampenflora cleaning operations (NaClO, H2O2 and UVC) was carried out in Pertosa-Auletta Cave (Italy). The application of NaClO showed good disinfection capability over extended periods of time without causing any appreciable rock deterioration. The H2O2 treatment showed to be corrosive for the rock surfaces covered with vermiculation deposits. The chemical alteration of organic and inorganic compounds by H2O2 did not remove biomass, favoring biofilm recovery after three months of treatment. Both NaClO and H2O2 treatments were effective at removing photoautotrophs, although the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes as well as Apicomplexa and Cercozoa among the Eukaryotes, were found to be resistant to these treatments. The UVC treatments did not show any noticeable effect on the biofilms., This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN) under the research project TUBOLAN PID2019-108672RJ-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033; the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the MICROCENO project (PTDC/CTA-AMB/0608/2020); the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) through the intramural project PIE_20214AT021. A.Z.M. was supported by the CEECIND/01147/2017 contract from FCT, and the Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC2019-026885-I) from MCIN. This work was partly funded by University of Salerno (Italy) within the ORSA197159 and ORSA205530 projects.

12 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, supporting information https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5508.-- Data Availability Statement: Data, associated metadata, and calculation tools are available from the corresponding author (rosafreitas@ua.pt). The data were restricted on request because they belong to a thesis of a PhD student not yet defended, The production of electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste) is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. This may eventually lead to its accumulation in aquatic environments, mainly because of the presence of nonbiodegradable components. The rare-earth element yttrium (Y) is particularly relevant because it is present in a wide variety of electro-based equipment. Within this context, the present study investigated the biological consequences of anthropogenic Y exposure in Mytilus galloprovincialis. Mussels were exposed to Y (0, 5, 10, 20, 40 μg/L) for 28 days, and their bioaccumulation and biomarkers related to metabolism, oxidative stress defenses, cellular damage, and neurotoxicity were evaluated. The results revealed that tissue Y content increased at increasing exposure concentrations (though the bioconcentration factor decreased). At the lowest Y dosage (5 µg/L), mussels lowered their electron transport system (ETS) activity, consumed more energy reserves (glycogen), and activated superoxide dismutase activity, thus preventing cellular damage. At the highest Y dosage (40 μg/L), mussels reduced their biotransformation activities with no signs of cellular damage, which may be associated with the low toxicity of Y and the lower/maintenance of ETS activity. Although only minor effects were observed, the present findings raise an environmental concern for aquatic systems where anthropogenic Y concentrations are generally low but still may compromise organisms' biochemical performance. Particularly relevant are the alterations in energy metabolism and detoxification processes for their longer-term impacts on growth and reproduction but also as defense mechanisms against other stressors, Madalena Andrade benefits from a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/143422/2019) by the National Funds through the Portuguese Science Foundation (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT). Thanks for financial support to the REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020) and CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 + UIDB/50017/2020 + LA/P/0094/2020). The authors also acknowledge the RED RIESCOS—Evaluación de los Efectos de los Contaminantes Emergentes en Organismos Acuáticos y sobre la Salud Humana, from the Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (419RT0578) and the institutional support of the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

6 pages, 4 tables, 1 figure.-- Under a Creative Commons license, Listeria monocytogenes is a major foodborne pathogen which mainly infects susceptible individuals through the consumption of contaminated foods. To this end, ready-to-eat (RTE) food products are of particular concern as this microorganism is widely distributed, can survive, and even grow, under adverse conditions, and thus must be carefully controlled. In the present study, an interlaboratory ring trial was organized to evaluate an open formula qPCR-based method for the detection of L. monocytogenes. The molecular method was evaluated on a novel RTE seafood product, developed in the framework of a European project, the SEAFOODAGE (EAPA_758/2018). Six laboratories located in Spain and Portugal participated in the study, and the results obtained indicated that this new method presented high diagnostic sensitivity (100%) reaching a low limit of detection (, This work was financially supported by the Seafood Age project, which was co-financed by the Interreg Atlantic Area Program (EAPA_758/2018) though the European Development Fund (ERDF). Mrs. Sarah Azinheiro was financed by a Ph.D. grant from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/140396/2018). Dr. Alejandro Garrido-Maestu and Luís D. R. Melo acknowledge funding from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the Scientific Employment Stimulus Program (2021.02810. CEECIND and 2021.00221. CEECIND, respectively). This study was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit

12 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables.-- Under a Creative Commons license, The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) induces severe impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Macaronesia is an ecologically relevant region where several NIS were detected recently. For the first time, a standard experimental approach was designed to examine biofouling assemblages and investigate NIS across the region. In this context, sessile biofouling assemblages were examined in four recreational marinas in all the Macaronesian archipelagos from 2018 to 2020: the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cabo Verde. We hypothesised that NIS numbers, abundance, and recruitment differed in each location due to abiotic and biotic features. From the Azores (higher latitudes) to Cabo Verde (lower latitudes), NIS recruitment and percentage cover decreased following a partial latitude gradient. The present study unveiled 25 NIS, with new records for the Azores (two cryptogenic species), Canary Islands (one NIS and two cryptogenic species), and Cabo Verde (three NIS and three cryptogenic species). The present research represents a pioneer and relevant step in advancing our current understanding of marine biological invasions in Macaronesia, employing a standard and low-cost approach, NC is funded by a doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/146881/2019) awarded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). PR is financed by project MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente (UIDB/04292/2020). IG is supported financially by a Maria Zambrano contract UCA under the grants call for the requalification of the Spanish university system 2021–2023, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. AC and MP had the support of FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors -COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT under the UID/BIA/50027/2020 and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006821. JCC is funded by FCT under the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call - (CEECINST/00098/2018). This work was partially funded by MIMAR+ (MAC2/4.6.d/249) in the INTERREG MAC 2014-2020 Programme framework. This study had the support of FCT through the strategic project UIDB/04292/2020, awarded to MARE and through project LA/P/0069/2020, granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. This is contribution 129 from the Smithsonian's MarineGEO and Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network

If neutrinos are their own antiparticles the otherwise-forbidden nuclear reaction known as neutrinoless double beta decay can occur. The very long lifetime expected for these exceptional events makes its detection a daunting task. In order to conduct an almost background-free experiment, the NEXT collaboration is investigating novel synthetic molecular sensors that may capture the Ba dication produced in the decay of certain Xe isotopes in a high-pressure gas experiment. The use of such molecular detectors immobilized on surfaces must be explored in the ultra-dry environment of a xenon gas chamber. Here, using a combination of highly sensitive surface science techniques in ultra-high vacuum, we demonstrate the possibility of employing the so-called Fluorescent Bicolor Indicator as the molecular component of the sensor. We unravel the ion capture process for these molecular indicators immobilized on a surface and explain the origin of the emission fluorescence shift associated to the ion trapping., This material is based upon work supported by the following agencies and institutions: the European Research Council (ERC) under ERC-2020-SyG 951281; the MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 of Spain and ERDF A way of making Europe under grants PID2020-114252GB-I00, PID2019-107338RB-C63, PID2019-104772GB-I00, PID2019-111281GB-I00, and RTI2018-095979, the Severo Ochoa Program grant CEX2018-000867-S; the Basque Government (GV/EJ) under grants IT-1553-22, IT-1591-22. The NEXT Collaboration acknowledges support from the following agencies and institutions: the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) under Grant Agreement No. 957202-HIDDEN; the MCIN/AEI of Spain and ERDF A way of making Europe under grants RTI2018-095979 and PID2021-125475NB, the Severo Ochoa Program grant CEX2018-000867-S and the Ramón y Cajal program grant RYC-2015-18820; the Generalitat Valenciana of Spain under grants PROMETEO/2021/087 and CIDEGENT/2019/049; the Department of Education of the Basque Government of Spain under the predoctoral training program non-doctoral research personnel; the Portuguese FCT under project UID/FIS/04559/2020 to fund the activities of LIBPhys-UC; the Pazy Foundation (Israel) under grants 877040 and 877041; the US Department of Energy under contracts number DE-AC02-06CH11357 (Argonne National Laboratory), DE-AC02-07CH11359 (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), DE-FG02-13ER42020 (Texas A&M), DE-SC0019054 (Texas Arlington) and DE-SC0019223 (Texas Arlington); the US National Science Foundation under award number NSF CHE 2004111; the Robert A Welch Foundation under award number Y-2031-20200401. Finally, we are grateful to the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc for hosting and supporting the NEXT experiment.

11 p.-7 fig., Bacterial cells are equipped with a variety of immune strategies to fight bacteriophage infections. Such strategies include unspecific mechanisms directed against any phage infecting the cell, ranging from the identification and cleavage of the viral DNA by restriction nucleases (restriction-modification systems) to the suicidal death of infected host cells (abortive infection, Abi). In addition, CRISPR-Cas systems generate an immune memory that targets specific phages in case of reinfection. However, the timing and coordination of different antiviral systems in bacterial cells are poorly understood. Here, we use simple mathematical models of immune responses in individual bacterial cells to propose that the intracellular dynamics of phage infections are key to addressing these questions. Our models suggest that the rates of viral DNA replication and cleavage inside host cells define functional categories of phages that differ in their susceptibility to bacterial anti-phage mechanisms, which could give raise to alternative phage strategies to escape bacterial immunity. From this viewpoint, the combined action of diverse bacterial defenses would be necessary to reduce the chances of phage immune evasion. The decision of individual infected cells to undergo suicidal cell death or to incorporate new phage sequences into their immune memory would be determined by dynamic interactions between the host’s immune mechanisms and the phage DNA. Our work highlights the importance of within-cell dynamics to understand bacterial immunity, and formulates hypotheses that may inspire future research in this area., F.B. and C.F.A. are grateful to the Roechling Foundation for its support. C.F.-A. was partially supported by the FCT grant no. EXPL/BIA-BIO-0644/2021.

Common bean is a nutritious food legume widely appreciated by consumers worldwide. It is a staple food in Latin America, and a component of the Mediterranean diet, being an affordable source of protein with high potential as a gourmet food. Breeding for nutritional quality, including both macro and micronutrients, and meeting organoleptic consumers' preferences is a difficult task which is facilitated by uncovering the genetic basis of related traits. This study explored the diversity of 106 Portuguese common bean accessions, under two contrasting environments, to gain insight into the genetic basis of nutritional composition (ash, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, moisture, protein, and resistant starch contents) and protein quality (amino acid contents and trypsin inhibitor activity) traits through a genome-wide association study. Single-nucleotide polymorphism-trait associations were tested using linear mixed models accounting for the accessions' genetic relatedness. Mapping resolution to the gene level was achieved in 56% of the cases, with 102 candidate genes proposed for 136 genomic regions associated with trait variation. Only one marker-trait association was stable across environments, highlighting the associations' environment-specific nature and the importance of genotype × environment interaction for crops' local adaptation and quality. This study provides novel information to better understand the molecular mechanisms regulating the nutritional quality in common bean and promising molecular tools to aid future breeding efforts to answer consumers' concerns., Financial support by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., Portugal, is acknowledged through research project BeGeQA (PTDC/AGR-TEC/3555/2012) and R&D Unit “GREEN-IT—Bioresources for Sustainability” (UIDB/04551/2020 and UIDP/04551/2020). The European Union Rural Development Program PDR2020 project (PDR2020-784-042734) is also acknowledged.

Monogenetic volcanoes occur in many different geotectonic settings and are usually small and short-lived. They can experience a variety of eruptive styles, even during the same eruption. In monogenetic volcanic fields, volcanism usually migrates to different locations over time, making volcanic hazard assessment very challenging. The eruptive history of a volcanic region, including the size, style, and location of previous eruptions, provides valuable information to help predict the behaviour of future volcanic events and their associated hazards. Here, we reconstruct for the first time the eruptive history of the Funda Volcanic System (FVS), one of the most recent (similar to 3 ka) monogenetic eruptive centres of Flores Island (Azores), based on a detailed tephrostratigraphic work coupled with geochemical analysis of glass shards and radiocarbon dating. We identified at least three volcanic events at FVS spaced by time intervals of similar to 100 yr. The first event (3430 cal yr BP) was a small Strombolian eruption, the second event (3330 cal yr BP) started as a violent Strombolian eruption and may have ended as phreatomagmatic, and the third event (3250 cal yr BP) was exclusively phreatomagmatic. Our results demonstrate that volcanism at the FVS was more prolonged and recurrent than previously reported. Moreover, we show that the FVS experienced different eruptive styles in a short timeframe, ranging from small basaltic eruptions to violent explosive phreatomagmatic events. Such diversity of eruptive styles results in different volcanic products, which have different hazard implications. Our new results contribute to the knowledge of the recent volcanic activity of Flores Island, and we anticipate them to be of paramount importance for future volcanic hazard assessment studies., This work was funded by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) I.P./MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) – UIDB/50019/2020 - and project IF/01641/2015 MEGAWAVE.. MA is funded by FCT through her doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/138261/2018). AH is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Ramón y Cajal Scheme [RYC2020-029253-I].