Impact of dense-water flow over a sloping bottom on open-sea circulation: laboratory experiments and an Ionian Sea (Mediterranean) example - Miroslav Gačić; Laura Ursella; Vedrana Kovačević; Milena Menna; Vlado Malačič; Manuel Bensi; Maria-Eletta Negretti; Vanessa Cardin; Mirko Orlić; Joël Sommeria; Ricardo Viana Barreto; Samuel Viboud; et al. (Ocean Science, 2021)
The North Ionian Gyre (NIG) displays prominent inversions on decadal scales. We investigate the role of internal forcing induced by changes in the horizontal pressure gradient due to the varying density of Adriatic Deep Water (AdDW), which spreads into the deep layers of the northern Ionian Sea. In turn, the AdDW density fluctuates according to the circulation of the NIG through a feedback mechanism known as the bimodal oscillating system. We set up laboratory experiments with a two-layer ambient fluid in a circular rotating tank, where densities of 1000 and 1015 kg m−3 characterize the upper and lower layers, respectively. From the potential vorticity evolution during the dense-water outflow from a marginal sea, we analyze the response of the open-sea circulation to the along-slope dense-water flow. In addition, we show some features of the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies that form in the upper layer over the slope area. We illustrate the outcome of the experiments of varying density and varying discharge rates associated with dense-water injection. When the density is high (1020 kg m−3) and the discharge is large, the kinetic energy of the mean flow is stronger than the eddy kinetic energy. Conversely, when the density is lower (1010 kg m−3) and the discharge is reduced, vortices are more energetic than the mean flow – that is, the eddy kinetic energy is larger than the kinetic energy of the mean flow. In general, over the slope, following the onset of dense-water injection, the cyclonic vorticity associated with current shear develops in the upper layer. The vorticity behaves in a two-layer fashion, thereby becoming anticyclonic in the lower layer of the slope area. Concurrently, over the deep flat-bottom portion of the basin, a large-scale anticyclonic gyre forms in the upper layer extending partly toward a sloping rim. The density record shows the rise of the pycnocline due to the dense-water sinking toward the flat-bottom portion of the tank. We show that the rate of increase in the anticyclonic potential vorticity is proportional to the rate of the rise of the interface, namely to the rate of decrease in the upper-layer thickness (i.e., the upper-layer squeezing). The comparison of laboratory experiments with the Ionian Sea is made for a situation when the sudden switch from cyclonic to anticyclonic basin-wide circulation took place following extremely dense Adriatic water overflow after the harsh winter in 2012. We show how similar the temporal evolution and the vertical structure are in both laboratory and oceanic conditions. The demonstrated similarity further supports the assertion that the wind-stress curl over the Ionian Sea is not of paramount importance in generating basin-wide circulation inversions compared with the internal forcing.

In silico studies of Potency and safety assessment of selected trial drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 - Peter Ifeoluwa Adegbola; Olumide Samuel Fadahunsi; Aanuoluwa Eunice Adegbola; Banjo Semire (In Silico Pharmacology, 2021)

Marine Water Quality at Diego Garcia: A Preliminary Study of Pollution Levels in Coastal and Lagoon Waters - Suzanne J. Painting; Paul Nelson; Andy J. Smith; Carolyn A. Graves; Andy Powell; Philippe Bersuder; Samuel Bullen; Simeon Archer-Rand (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Diego Garcia is the largest atoll within the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Since the 1960s it has been a military base, populated only by military and support personnel. Infrastructure includes sewage treatment works, a waste disposal facility and an airbase. Lagoon use includes boating and large vessel anchorage. Current pollution levels by inorganic nutrients and other contaminants are unknown. A field study was undertaken in March 2019 to obtain baseline information on key environmental parameters and pollutants for assessing the state of marine water quality. Outside the atoll, three stations were sampled where human impacts were likely to be lowest (two off the north coast, considered as ‘near-pristine’; one on the east coast); one station was sampled in the lagoon mouth; 10 stations were sampled downstream from two sewage outflows. Inside the lagoon, 10 stations were sampled at near-shore sites likely to be directly impacted by activities such as boating and waste management; six stations were sampled in the central or eastern lagoon. In situ sensors were used to estimate temperature, salinity, chlorophyll (as fluorescence) and dissolved oxygen. Discrete water samples were analyzed for nutrients, chemical contaminants, heavy metals and fecal indicator bacteria. Sea surface temperatures were highest (29.5–35 °C) inside the lagoon; salinities were generally higher (> 34.1) outside the lagoon ( vs 33.8–34.1 inside). Surface nutrient concentrations at near-pristine stations were undetectable for nitrate and phosphate and averaged 1.39 μM for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and 1.73 μM for silicate. Concentrations were higher at most other stations (maximum 5.7 μM DIN, 0.38 μM phosphate, and 9.93 μM silicate), with ammonium contributing most to DIN. In the lagoon, chlorophyll concentrations were relatively low (0.3 – 0.6 μg chl l –1 ) near the surface and higher (max 0.9 μg chl l –1 ) at depth. Results suggested low levels of pollution overall. However, levels of nutrients, oxygen deficiency, chemical contaminants (e.g., solvents and DEET) and heavy metals (cadmium, nickel, zinc and copper) at some sites inside the lagoon are a concern due to slow flushing rates and will be used to inform future monitoring and assessment of environmental health at Diego Garcia.

Diversity and Consequences of Social Network Structure in Toothed Whales - Michael N. Weiss; Samuel Ellis; Darren P. Croft (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Toothed whales (suborder Odontoceti) are highly social, large brained mammals with diverse social systems. In recent decades, a large body of work has begun investigating these dynamic, complex societies using a common set of analytical tools: social network analysis. The application of social network theory to toothed whales enables insight into the factors that underlie variation in social structure in this taxon, and the consequences of these structures for survival, reproduction, disease transmission, and culture. Here, we perform a systematic review of the literature regarding toothed whale social networks to identify broad patterns of social network structure across species, common drivers of individual social position, and the consequences of network structure for individuals and populations. We also identify key knowledge gaps and areas ripe for future research. We recommend that future studies attempt to expand the taxonomic breadth and focus on standardizing methods and reporting as much as possible to allow for comparative analyses to test evolutionary hypotheses. Furthermore, social networks analysis may provide key insights into population dynamics as indicators of population health, predictors of disease risk, and as direct drivers of survival and reproduction.

A Temporally Dynamic Gut Microbiome in Atlantic Salmon During Freshwater Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) Production and Post-seawater Transfer - Marlene Lorgen-Ritchie; Michael Clarkson; Lynn Chalmers; John F. Taylor; Herve Migaud; Samuel A. M. Martin (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Atlantic salmon aquaculture is undergoing an expansion of land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), especially for freshwater (FW) stages of production. Juvenile salmon undergo parr-smolt transformation, also known as smoltification and become pre-adapted to tolerate seawater (SW). One aspect requiring study is the development of microbial communities during this time, especially in RAS systems. Here we analyzed temporal changes in microbiome associated with the intestine in Atlantic salmon during smolt production in a commercial RAS production facility and followed the same cohort of fish post-seawater transfer (SWT), using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Microbial diversity and richness showed an increase over time across FW production, but declined sharply and significantly 1-week post-SWT before re-establishing itself with a completely different community structure after 4 weeks. Core microbial taxa could be assigned to three distinct categories; (1) omnipresent, (2) salinity specific, or (3) transient. By including diet and water samples in the analyses, we classified true core taxa associated with the host, those associated with the diet, and transient cores associated with microbial communities in tank water. The rising trend observed in microbial richness in the water may be a consequence of a temporal increase in organic load while dominance of Vibrionaceae may be attributed to the higher temperatures maintained during RAS production and above average natural water temperatures post-SWT. Functional analysis suggests modulation of metabolic pathways post-SWT, but downstream impacts on fish growth and health in a commercial setting remain to be elucidated. A deeper understanding of the interplay between microbial composition and functionality can play a role in optimizing fish performance in tightly regulated RAS production.

World Octopus Fisheries - Warwick H. H. Sauer; Ian G. Gleadall; Nicola Downey-Breedt; Zöe Doubleday; Graham Gillespie; Manuel Haimovici; Christian M. Ibáñez; Oleg N. Katugin; Stephen Leporati; Marek R. Lipinski; Unai Markaida; Jorge E. Ramos; et al. (Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 2021)

Spatial and temporal variability of deep convective clouds over the tropics using multi-year Megha - Tropiques – Sondeur Atmosphérique du Profil d’Humidité Intertropicale par Radiométrie (SAPHIR) observations - Sisma Samuel; Nizy Mathew; Manoj Kumar Mishra; R. Renju (International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2021)

Flow and Transport Properties of Deforming Porous Media. II. Electrical Conductivity - Samuel Richesson; Muhammad Sahimi (Transport in Porous Media, 2021)

Flow and Transport Properties of Deforming Porous Media. I. Permeability - Samuel Richesson; Muhammad Sahimi (Transport in Porous Media, 2021)

Characterization and elimination of linkage-drag associated with Fusarium wilt race 3 resistance genes - Jessica Chitwood-Brown; Gary E. Vallad; Tong Geon Lee; Samuel F. Hutton (Theoretical and Applied Genetics, 2021)
Key message Reducing the size of the I-3 introgression resulted in eliminating linkage-drag contributing to increased sensitivity to bacterial spot and reduced fruit size. The I-7 gene was determined to have no effect on bacterial spot or fruit size, and germplasm is now available with both the reduced I-3 introgression and I-7. Abstract Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) production is increasingly threatened by Fusarium wilt race 3 ( Fol3 ) caused by the soilborne fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici . Although host resistance based on the I-3 gene is the most effective management strategy, I-3 is associated with detrimental traits including reduced fruit size and increased bacterial spot sensitivity. Previous research demonstrated the association with bacterial spot is not due to the I-3 gene, itself, and we hypothesize that reducing the size of the I-3 introgression will remedy this association. Cultivars with I-7 , an additional Fol3 resistance gene, are available but are not widely used commercially, and it is unclear whether I-7 also has negative horticultural associations. To characterize the effect of I-3 on fruit size, segregating populations were developed and evaluated, revealing that the large I-3 introgression decreased fruit size by approximately 21%. We reduced the I-3 introgression from 5 to 140 kb through successive recombinant screening and crossing efforts. The reduced I-3 introgression and I-7 were then separately backcrossed into elite Florida breeding lines and evaluated for effects on bacterial spot sensitivity and fruit size across multiple seasons. The reduced I-3 introgression resulted in significantly less bacterial spot and larger fruit size than the large introgression, and it had no effect on these horticultural characteristics compared with Fol3 susceptibility. I-7 was also found to have no effect on these traits compared to Fol3 susceptibility. Together, these efforts support the development of superior Fol3 -resistant cultivars and more durable resistance against this pathogen.

Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) vocalizations across seasons and habitat types in Svalbard, Norway - Samuel M. Llobet; Heidi Ahonen; Christian Lydersen; Jørgen Berge; Rolf Ims; Kit M. Kovacs (Polar Biology, 2021)
Male bearded seals ( Erignathus barbatus ) use vocal displays to attract females and to compete with other males during the mating season. This makes it possible to monitor breeding populations of this species using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). This study analysed year-round acoustic data records from AURAL instruments in Svalbard (Norway) to investigate seasonal variation in the acoustic presence of male bearded seals and the phenology of different call types (long, step and sweep trills) at three sites representing a variety of habitats with varied ice conditions. Male bearded seals vocalized for an extended period at a drift-ice site (Atwain; January–July) north of Spitsbergen, while the vocal season was shorter at a High Arctic land-fast-ice site (Rijpfjorden; February–June) and shorter yet again at a west-coast site that has undergone dramatic reductions in sea ice cover over the last 1.5 decades (Kongsfjorden; April–June). Generalized Additive Models showed marked seasonal segregation in the use of different trill types at Atwain, where call rates reached 400 per h, with long trills being the most numerous call type. Modest segregation of trill types was seen at Rijpfjorden, where call rates reached 300 per h, and no segregation occurred in Kongsfjorden (peak call rate 80 per h). Sea ice cover was available throughout the vocal season at Atwain and Rijpfjorden, while at Kongsfjorden peak vocal activity (May–June) occurred after the sea ice disappeared. Ongoing climate warming and sea ice reductions will likely increase the incidence of such mismatches and reduce breeding habitat for bearded seals.

Sodium acetate ameliorated systemic and renal oxidative stress in high-fructose insulin-resistant pregnant Wistar rats - Adewumi Oluwafemi Oyabambi; Olugbenga Samuel Michael; Emmanuel Damilare Areola; Salam Babatunde Saliu; Lawrence Aderemi Olatunji (Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 2021)

Burrowing behavior protects a threatened freshwater mussel in drying rivers - Alan J. Lymbery; Le Ma; Samuel J. Lymbery; Michael W. Klunzinger; Stephen J. Beatty; David L. Morgan (Hydrobiologia, 2021)

Roundup negatively impacts the behavior and nerve function of the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) - Megha Kanabar; Samuel Bauer; Zimuzo M. Ezedum; Ian P. Dwyer; William S. Moore; Gabriella Rodriguez; Aditya Mall; Anne T. Littleton; Michael Yudell; Jenil Kanabar; Wade J. Tucker; Emily R. Daniels; et al. (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Temperature dataset of CMIP6 models over China: evaluation, trend and uncertainty - Qinglong You; Ziyi Cai; Fangying Wu; Zhihong Jiang; Nick Pepin; Samuel S. P. Shen (Climate Dynamics, 2021)

Gobius xoriguer, a new offshore Mediterranean goby (Gobiidae), and phylogenetic relationships within the genus Gobius - Samuel P. Iglésias; Jasna Vukić; Daniel Y. Sellos; Tereza Soukupová; Radek Šanda (Ichthyological Research, 2021)

Genome size estimation of Cotoneaster species (Rosaceae) from the Western Carpathians - Samuel Kšiňan; Ľuba Ďurišová; Pavol Eliáš (Biologia, 2021)

Contribution of corncob biochar to the chemical properties of a ferralsol in Uganda - Samuel Obeng Apori; John Byalebeka (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021)

Investigation of structurally controlled mineralisation in Bode-Saadu axis, southwestern Nigeria — a case study using magnetic data - Samuel Abiodun Adebayo; Peter Ibikunle Olasehinde; Daniel Opemipo Obasaju; Oluwaseun Victoria Fatoye; Esther Adetola Alejolowo (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021)

The first head‐tailed virus, MFTV1 , infecting hyperthermophilic methanogenic deep‐sea archaea - Sarah Thiroux; Samuel Dupont; Camilla L. Nesbø; Nadège Bienvenu; Mart Krupovic; Stéphane L'Haridon; Dominique Marie; Patrick Forterre; Anne Godfroy; Claire Geslin (Environmental Microbiology, 2021)
Summary Deep‐sea hydrothermal vents are inhabited by complex communities of microbes and their viruses. Despite the importance of viruses in controlling the diversity, adaptation and evolution of their microbial hosts, to date, only eight bacterial and two archaeal viruses isolated from abyssal ecosystems have been described. Thus, our efforts focused on gaining new insights into viruses associated with deep‐sea autotrophic archaea. Here, we provide the first evidence of an infection of hyperthermophilic methanogenic archaea by a head‐tailed virus, Methanocaldococcus fervens tailed virus 1 (MFTV1). MFTV1 has an isometric head of 50 nm in diameter and a 150 nm‐long non‐contractile tail. Virions are released continuously without causing a sudden drop in host growth. MFTV1 infects Methanocaldococcus species and is the first hyperthermophilic head‐tailed virus described thus far. The viral genome is a double‐stranded linear DNA of 31 kb. Interestingly, our results suggest potential strategies adopted by the plasmid pMEFER01, carried by M . fervens , to spread horizontally in hyperthermophilic methanogens. The data presented here open a new window of understanding on how the abyssal mobilome interacts with hyperthermophilic marine archaea.

Hydro-Saline Dynamics of a Shallow Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon: Complementary Information from Short and Long Term Monitoring - Olivier Boutron; Caroline Paugam; Emilie Luna-Laurent; Philippe Chauvelon; Damien Sous; Vincent Rey; Samuel Meulé; Yves Chérain; Anais Cheiron; Emmanuelle Migne (Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 2021)
The Vaccarès Lagoon System, located in the central part of the Rhône Delta (France), is a complex shallow coastal lagoon, exposed to a typical Mediterranean climate and a specific hydrological regime affected by man-controlled exchanges with the sea and agricultural drainage channels. In this article, we report the results obtained by a series of monitoring programs, with different spatial and temporal resolutions. Long-term datasets from 1999 to 2019 with data collected on a monthly basis and a high spatial resolution highlighted the significant spatial heterogeneity in salinity regimes, and helped to determine the long-term evolution of the total mass of dissolved salt. High-frequency surveys allowed to characterize the water levels and salinity dynamics seasonal response to (i) the exchanges with the Mediterranean Sea, (ii) the exchanges with agricultural drainage channels, and (iii) the rain and evaporation. In addition, wind effects on salinity variations are also explored. This work shows how different spatial and temporal monitoring strategies provide complementary information on the dynamic of such a complex system. Results will be useful and provide insight for the management of similar lagoon systems, accommodating for both human activities and ecological stakes in the context of global change.

Diabetes Mellitus/Poststroke Hyperglycemia: a Detrimental Factor for tPA Thrombolytic Stroke Therapy - Yinghua Jiang; Ning Liu; Jinrui Han; Yadan Li; Pierce Spencer; Samuel J. Vodovoz; Ming-Ming Ning; Gregory Bix; Prasad V. G. Katakam; Aaron S. Dumont; Xiaoying Wang (Translational Stroke Research, 2021)

Beyond abstinence and relapse II: momentary relationships between stress, craving, and lapse within clusters of patients with similar patterns of drug use - Leigh V. Panlilio; Samuel W. Stull; Jeremiah W. Bertz; Albert J. Burgess-Hull; Stephanie T. Lanza; Brenda L. Curtis; Karran A. Phillips; David H. Epstein; Kenzie L. Preston (Psychopharmacology, 2021)

Prey Composition of Post-denning Dhole (Cuon alpinus) in South Wayanad Forest Division, Kerala, India - Samuel George; Ashokkumar Mohanarangan; Dencin Rons Thampy; George Chandy (Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 2021)

Electrical tomographic and geotechnical investigation of landslide occurrence at Agbona Hill in Okemesi, Southwestern Nigeria - Gbenga Moses Olayanju; Olusiji Samuel Ayodele; Ayodeji Victor Oni (Natural Hazards, 2021)

Primer biases in the molecular assessment of diet in multiple insectivorous mammals - Samuel S. Browett; Thomas G. Curran; Denise B. O’Meara; Andrew P. Harrington; Naiara Guimarães Sales; Rachael E. Antwis; David O’Neill; Allan D. McDevitt (Mammalian Biology, 2021)
Our understanding of trophic interactions of small insectivorous mammals has been drastically improved with the advent of DNA metabarcoding. The technique has continued to be optimised over the years, with primer choice repeatedly being a vital factor for dietary inferences. However, the majority of dietary studies examining the effect of primer choice often rely on in silico analyses or comparing between species that occupy an identical niche type. Here, we apply DNA metabarcoding to empirically compare the prey detection capabilities of two widely used primer sets when assessing the diets of a flying (lesser horseshoe bat; Rhinolophus hipposideros ) and two ground-dwelling insectivores (greater white-toothed shrew; Crocidura russula and pygmy shrew; Sorex minutus ). Although R. hipposideros primarily rely on two prey orders (Lepidoptera and Diptera), the unique taxa detected by each primer shows that a combination of primers may be the best approach to fully describe bat trophic ecology. However, random forest classifier analysis suggests that one highly degenerate primer set detected the majority of both shrews’ diet despite higher levels of host amplification. The wide range of prey consumed by ground-dwelling insectivores can therefore be accurately documented from using a single broad-range primer set, which can decrease cost and labour. The results presented here show that dietary inferences will differ depending on the primer or primer combination used for insectivores occupying different niches (i.e., hunting in the air or ground) and demonstrate the importance of performing empirical pilot studies for novel study systems.

Gas Exchange Parameters, Fruit Yield, Quality, and Nutrient Status in Tomato Are Stimulated by ZnO Nanoparticles of Modified Surface and Morphology and Their Application Form - Eneida Adilene Pérez-Velasco; Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilar; Rebeca Betancourt-Galindo; Javier Martínez-Juárez; Samuel Alejandro Lozano-Morales; José Antonio González-Fuentes (Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2021)

Ridership Estimation Along Bus Transit Lines Based on Kriging: Comparative Analysis Between Network and Euclidean Distances - Samuel de França Marques; Cira Souza Pitombo (Journal of Geovisualization and Spatial Analysis, 2021)

Disentangling the path of pollinator attraction in temporarily colored flowers - Samuel Boff; Jessica Amaral Henrique; Anna Friedel; Josué Raizer (International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 2021)
Plants may use different strategies to attract pollinators in long distance (e.g. floral display) and in short distance (e.g. ratio between differentially colored flowers) scales. The Verbenaceae Lantana canescens Kunth is a wide spread species in open sites of the Brazilian Pantanal wetland. Individuals of this generalist species can produce a variable number of open inflorescences with yellow and white flowers that are organized in whorls. In this study we tested the hypothesis that increased floral display (long distance attraction) and the ratio between yellow and white flowers (short distance attraction) enhances the number of pollinator species and individuals. We observed flower visitors and calculated floral parameters in 38 plots of 1 m 2 each, that contained a varying number of flowering L. canescens individuals. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and Bray-Curtis distances were used to account for flower visitor composition and the relative visitation rate, respectively. We used a structural equation model to test the power of each predictor variable on the visitation rate and a covariance analysis to disentangle the effect of each independent variable on the frequency of plant-pollinator interactions. We found that the number of flower visitors and the visitation rate increased with increasing number of inflorescences. Disentangling long and short distance attraction indicated that the number of inflorescences (per plot) and the number of yellow flowers (yellowing effect) contributed most to flower visitation at long and short distance, respectively.

Cytokine response following perturbation of the cervicovaginal milieu during HPV genital infection - Christian Selinger; Massilva Rahmoun; Carmen Lia Murall; Claire Bernat; Vanina Boué; Marine Bonneau; Christelle Graf; Sophie Grasset; Soraya Groc; Jacques Reynes; Christophe Hirtz; Nathalie Jacobs; et al. (Immunologic Research, 2021)

Evaluation of Typologies, Use Values, Degradation Risk, and Relevance of the Seridó Aspiring UNESCO Geopark Geosites, Northeast Brazil - Marcos Antonio Leite do Nascimento; Matheus Lisboa Nobre da Silva; Mateus Carlos de Almeida; Silas Samuel dos Santos Costa (Geoheritage, 2021)

Expatiating the impact of anthropogenic aspects and climatic factors on long-term soil monitoring and management - Simona Bungau; Tapan Behl; Lotfi Aleya; Pascale Bourgeade; Badr Aloui-Sossé; Anamaria Lavinia Purza; Areha Abid; Alina Dora Samuel (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Metabo-tip: a metabolomics platform for lifestyle monitoring supporting the development of novel strategies in predictive, preventive and personalised medicine - Julia Brunmair; Andrea Bileck; Thomas Stimpfl; Florian Raible; Giorgia Del Favero; Samuel M. Meier-Menches; Christopher Gerner (EPMA Journal, 2021)
Background/aims Exposure to bioactive compounds from nutrition, pharmaceuticals, environmental contaminants or other lifestyle habits may affect the human organism. To gain insight into the effects of these influences, as well as the fundamental biochemical mechanisms behind them, individual molecular profiling seems to be a promising tool and may support the further development of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine. Methods We developed an assay, called metabo-tip for the analysis of sweat, collected from fingertips, using mass spectrometry—by far the most comprehensive and sensitive method for such analyses. To evaluate this assay, we exposed volunteers to various xenobiotics using standardised protocols and investigated their metabolic response. Results As early as 15 min after the consumption of a cup of coffee, 50 g of dark chocolate or a serving of citrus fruits, significant changes in the sweat composition of the fingertips were observed, providing relevant information in regard to the ingested substances. This included not only health-promoting bioactive compounds but also potential hazardous substances. Furthermore, the identification of metabolites from orally ingested medications such as metamizole indicated the applicability of this assay to observe specific enzymatic processes in a personalised fashion. Remarkably, we found that the sweat composition fluctuated in a diurnal rhythm, supporting the hypothesis that the composition of sweat can be influenced by endogenous metabolic activities. This was further corroborated by the finding that histamine was significantly increased in the metabo-tip assay in individuals with allergic reactions. Conclusion Metabo-tip analysis may have a large number of practical applications due to its analytical power, non-invasive character and the potential of frequent sampling, especially regarding the individualised monitoring of specific lifestyle and influencing factors. The extraordinarily rich individualised metabolomics data provided by metabo-tip offer direct access to individual metabolic activities and will thus support predictive preventive personalised medicine.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Pollution and its Associated Human Health Risks in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria: a Systematic Review - Samuel Appiah Ofori; Samuel Jerry Cobbina; Abubakari Zarouk Imoro; Dzigbodi Adzo Doke; Thomas Gaiser (Environmental Processes, 2021)

Evaluation of RFE Satellite Precipitation and its Use in Streamflow Simulation in Poorly Gauged Basins - Sylvester Darko; Kwaku Amaning Adjei; Charles Gyamfi; Samuel Nii Odai; Hubert Osei-Wusuansa (Environmental Processes, 2021)

Linking Altered Flow Regimes to Biological Condition: an Example Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Small Streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Kelly Oliver Maloney; Daren Milo Carlisle; Claire Buchanan; Jennifer Lynn Rapp; Samuel Hess Austin; Matthew Joseph Cashman; John André Young (Environmental Management, 2021)
Regionally scaled assessments of hydrologic alteration for small streams and its effects on freshwater taxa are often inhibited by a low number of stream gages. To overcome this limitation, we paired modeled estimates of hydrologic alteration to a benthic macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity data for 4522 stream reaches across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Using separate random-forest models, we predicted flow status (inflated, diminished, or indeterminant) for 12 published hydrologic metrics (HMs) that characterize the main components of flow regimes. We used these models to predict each HM status for each stream reach in the watershed, and linked predictions to macroinvertebrate condition samples collected from streams with drainage areas less than 200 km 2 . Flow alteration was calculated as the number of HMs with inflated or diminished status and ranged from 0 (no HM inflated or diminished) to 12 (all 12 HMs inflated or diminished). When focused solely on the stream condition and flow-alteration relationship, degraded macroinvertebrate condition was, depending on the number of HMs used, 3.8–4.7 times more likely in a flow-altered site; this likelihood was over twofold higher in the urban-focused dataset (8.7–10.8), and was never significant in the agriculture-focused dataset. Logistic regression analysis using the entire dataset showed for every unit increase in flow-alteration intensity, the odds of a degraded condition increased 3.7%. Our results provide an indication of whether altered streamflow is a possible driver of degraded biological conditions, information that could help managers prioritize management actions and lead to more effective restoration efforts.

Fundamentals, synthesis, characterization and environmental applications of layered double hydroxides: a review - Prabagar Samuel Jijoe; Shivamurthy Ravindra Yashas; Harikaranahalli Puttaiah Shivaraju (Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2021)

The nCOVID-19 and financial stress in the USA: health is wealth - Andrew Adewale Alola; Uju Violet Alola; Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie (Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021)
Since its first report in the USA on 13 January 2020, the novel coronavirus (nCOVID-19) pandemic like in other previous epicentres in India, Brazil, China, Italy, Spain, UK, and France has until now hampered economic activities and financial markets. To offer one of the first empirical insights into the economic/financial effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the USA, this study utilized the daily frequency data for the period 25 February 2020–30 March 2020. By employing the empirical Markov switching regression approach and the compliments of cointegration techniques, the study establishes a two-state (stable and distressing) financial stress situation resulting from the effects of COVID-19 daily deaths, COVID-19 daily recovery, and the USA’ economic policy uncertainty. From the result, it is assertive that daily recovery from COVID-19 eases financial stress, while the reported daily deaths from COVID-19 further hamper financial stress in the country. Moreover, the uncertainty of the USA’ economic policy has also cost the Americans more financial stress and other socio-economic challenges. While the cure for COVID-19 remains elusive, as a policy instrument, the USA and similar countries with high severity of COVID-19 causalities may intensify and sustain the concerted efforts targeted at attaining a landmark recovery rate.

Uncertainty quantification in reservoirs with faults using a sequential approach - Samuel Estes; Clint Dawson (Computational Geosciences, 2021)

Tropical cyclone contribution to extreme rainfall over southwest Pacific Island nations - Anil Deo; Savin S. Chand; Hamish Ramsay; Neil J. Holbrook; Simon McGree; Andrew Magee; Samuel Bell; Mulipola Titimaea; Alick Haruhiru; Philip Malsale; Silipa Mulitalo; Arieta Daphne; et al. (Climate Dynamics, 2021)
Southwest Pacific nations are among some of the worst impacted and most vulnerable globally in terms of tropical cyclone (TC)-induced flooding and accompanying risks. This study objectively quantifies the fractional contribution of TCs to extreme rainfall (hereafter, TC contributions) in the context of climate variability and change. We show that TC contributions to extreme rainfall are substantially enhanced during active phases of the Madden–Julian Oscillation and by El Niño conditions (particularly over the eastern southwest Pacific region); this enhancement is primarily attributed to increased TC activity during these event periods. There are also indications of increasing intensities of TC-induced extreme rainfall events over the past few decades. A key part of this work involves development of sophisticated Bayesian regression models for individual island nations in order to better understand the synergistic relationships between TC-induced extreme rainfall and combinations of various climatic drivers that modulate the relationship. Such models are found to be very useful for not only assessing probabilities of TC- and non-TC induced extreme rainfall events but also evaluating probabilities of extreme rainfall for cases with different underlying climatic conditions. For example, TC-induced extreme rainfall probability over Samoa can vary from ~ 95 to ~ 75% during a La Niña period, if it coincides with an active or inactive phase of the MJO, and can be reduced to ~ 30% during a combination of El Niño period and inactive phase of the MJO. Several other such cases have been assessed for different island nations, providing information that have potentially important implications for planning and preparing for TC risks in vulnerable Pacific Island nations.

A novel human donor cornea preservation cocktail incorporating a thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP), enhancing the corneal endothelial cell density maintenance and explant culture of corneal limbal cells - Bhuvaneshwari Namitha; Munusamy Rajendran Chitra; Mathevan Bhavya; Periasamy Parikumar; Shojiro Katoh; Hiroshi Yoshioka; Masaru Iwasaki; Rajappa Senthilkumar; Mathaiyan Rajmohan; Ramalingam Karthick; Senthilkumar Preethy; Samuel J. K. Abraham (Biotechnology Letters, 2021)
Purpose McCarey-Kaufman’s (MK) medium and Optisol-GS medium are the most commonly employed media for human donor corneal preservation. In this study, we evaluated the preservation efficacy of discarded human donor corneas using a Thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP) added to these two media. Methods Thirteen human corneal buttons collected from deceased donors, which were otherwise discarded due to low endothelial cell density (ECD) were used. They were stored in four groups: MK medium, MK medium with TGP, Optisol-GS and Optisol-GS with TGP at 4 °C for 96 h. Slit lamp examination and specular microscopy were performed. Corneal limbal tissues from these corneas were then cultured using explant methodology one with and the other without TGP scaffold, for 21 days. Results MK + TGP and Optisol-GS + TGP preserved corneas better than without TGP, which was observed by maintenance of ECD which was significantly higher in Optisol-GS + TGP than MK + TGP (p-value = 0.000478) and corneal thickness remaining the same for 96 h. Viable corneal epithelial cells could be grown from the corneas stored only in MK + TGP and Optisol-GS + TGP. During culture, the TGP scaffold helped maintain the native epithelial phenotype and progenitor/stem cell growth was confirmed by RT-PCR characterization. Conclusion TGP reconstituted with MK and Optisol—GS media yields better preservation of human corneal buttons in terms of relatively higher ECD maintenance and better in vitro culture outcome of corneal limbal tissue. This method has the potential to become a standard donor corneal transportation-preservation methodology and it can also be extended to other tissue or organ transportation upon further validation.

Fruit and seed traits of native and invasive plant species in Hawai‘i: implications for seed dispersal by non-native birds - Jinelle H. Sperry; Dylan O’Hearn; Donald R. Drake; Amy M. Hruska; Samuel B. Case; Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni; Clint Arnett; Tim Chambers; Corey E. Tarwater (Biological Invasions, 2021)

Assessing awareness on biodiversity conservation among Nigerians: the Aichi Biodiversity Target 1 - Emmanuel O. Akindele; Michael C. Ekwemuka; Paul Apeverga; Tajudeen O. Amusa; Samuel Olajuyigbe; Oluwakayode M. Coker; Fatsuma Olaleru; Michelle Fasona; Elizabeth N. Usen; Abubakar S. Ringim; Opeyemi A. Adedoja; Chinedu C. Nsude; et al. (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2021)

Trace element characterization of selected tar sand samples from tar sand belt of southwestern Nigeria - Solomon Adeniyi Adekola; Akinsehinwa Akinlua; Samuel Adebisi Adeyemi (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021)

Optimisation of shovel-truck haulage system in an open pit using queuing approach - Kaungu Elijah; Githiria Joseph; Mutua Samuel; Dalmus Mauti (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021)

Effects of biochar on microbial community in bioflocs and gut of Oreochromis niloticus reared in a biofloc system - Godwin Abakari; Guozhi Luo; Lina Shao; Yusuf Abdullateef; Samuel Jerry Cobbina (Aquaculture International, 2021)

Arthropod diversity of cocoa farms under two management systems in the Eastern and Central regions of Ghana - Geoffrey Akesse-Ransford; Ebenezer Oduro Owusu; Rosina Kyerematen; Samuel Adu-Acheampong (Agroforestry Systems, 2021)

Statistics of tropospheric amplitude scintillation over selected locations in tropical Nigeria - Ayodeji Gabriel Ashidi; Joseph Sunday Ojo; Affan Idowu Kareem; Olusola Samuel Ojo; Israel Emmanuel (Acta Geophysica, 2021)

Seasonal reproduction of the blue mussel ( Mytilus galloprovincialis ) from two locations in southern New Zealand - Daniel C. Smart; Samuel Heenan; P. Mark Lokman; Miles D. Lamare (New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2021)
Blue mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, are a widespread and ecologically important species in New Zealand coastal ecosystems, yet, there is limited information on the seasonality and variability in reproduction among populations. The reproductive cycle of M. galloprovincialis was studied monthly over 1‐year in two southern New Zealand populations (Aramoana (45.7787°S, 170.7037°E) and Timaru (44.3905°S, 171.2498°E)). Tissue indices were determined, and gonads examined histologically. At both sites, males and females displayed synchronous changes in condition indices and gonad indices, with both indices generally greater in the Timaru population than in the Aramoana population. Both sampling sites presented with comparable seasonality of reproduction with spawning over spring and summer months (September to February). Gametogenic development occurred over the autumn and early‐winter period (March to August). Spatial differences in reproduction coincided with differences in phytoplankton food abundance (greater in Timaru), while there were only small differences in sea temperatures between sites. This study indicates the likelihood of spatial variation in reproductive biology between M. galloprovincialis populations, even across small spatial scales (

Mathematical Modeling of Drying Kinetics and Quality Characteristics of Shrimps Dried under a Solar–LPG Hybrid Dryer - S. Murali; D. S. Aniesrani Delfiya; K. Sathish Kumar; Lekshmi R. G. Kumar; S. Ezhil Nilavan; P. R. Amulya; V. Soumya Krishnan; P. V. Alfiya; Manoj P. Samuel (Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 2021)

Fortification of Surimi Gels with Camel Milk - Abdulhakim Sharaf Eddin; Samuel Chetachukwu Adegoke; Salam A. Ibrahim; Reza Tahergorabi (Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 2021)

Positive Social-Ecological Feedbacks in Community-Based Conservation - Anastasia C. E. Quintana; Alfredo Giron-Nava; Samuel Urmy; Alli N. Cramer; Santiago Domínguez-Sánchez; Salvador Rodríguez-Van Dyck; Octavio Aburto-Oropeza; Xavier Basurto; Amy Hudson Weaver (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Marine area-based conservation measures including no-take zones (areas with no fishing allowed) are often designed through lengthy processes that aim to optimize for ecological and social objectives. Their (semi) permanence generates high stakes in what seems like a one-shot game. In this paper, we theoretically and empirically explore a model of short-term area-based conservation that prioritizes adaptive co-management: temporary areas closed to fishing, designed by the fishers they affect, approved by the government, and adapted every 5 years. In this model, no-take zones are adapted through learning and trust-building between fishers and government fisheries scientists. We use integrated social-ecological theory and a case study of a network of such fisheries closures (“fishing refugia”) in northwest Mexico to hypothesize a feedback loop between trust, design, and ecological outcomes. We argue that, with temporary and adaptive area-based management, social and ecological outcomes can be mutually reinforcing as long as initial designs are ecologically “good enough” and supported in the social-ecological context. This type of adaptive management also has the potential to adapt to climate change and other social-ecological changes. This feedback loop also predicts the dangerous possibility that low trust among stakeholders may lead to poor design, lack of ecological benefits, eroding confidence in the tool’s capacity, shrinking size, and even lower likelihood of social-ecological benefits. In our case, however, this did not occur, despite poor ecological design of some areas, likely due to buffering by social network effects and alternative benefits. We discuss both the potential and the danger of temporary area-based conservation measures as a learning tool for adaptive co-management and commoning.

Effects of Food Provisioning on the Daily Ration and Dive Site Use of Great Hammerhead Sharks, Sphyrna mokarran - Vital Heim; Félicie Dhellemmes; Matthew J. Smukall; Samuel H. Gruber; Tristan L. Guttridge (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Wildlife provisioning is popular, economically valuable, and a rapidly growing part of marine tourism, with great potential to benefit conservation. However, it remains controversial due to limited understanding of its implications on the behavior and ecology of target species. In this study, we modeled how various abiotic and biotic factors influenced great hammerhead sharks’ ( Sphyrna mokarran ) use of a recreational dive site in Bimini, the Bahamas, where shark-feeding has been conducted since 2012. Further, we calculated bioenergetic models to estimate their daily ration and examined if individual sharks fulfilled their daily energetic requirements from food uptake during dives. Between December 2016 and May 2017, we collected data during 104 provisioning dives in collaboration with a local dive operator. Twenty-eight individual great hammerhead sharks were observed, 11 were philopatric (i.e., identified at the dive site in previous years), and 17 were new (i.e., identified at the dive site for the first time during this study) individuals. On average, four sharks were observed daily, occasionally up to nine individuals, with some individuals spending more than 2 h attending each dive, consuming up to 4.75 kg of provisioned food per dive and returning repeatedly throughout the study period. When we grouped sharks based on their previous experience of the dive site (i.e., philopatric vs. new sharks), we found significantly higher attendance indices, i.e., the number of attended dives divided by the total number dives, and longer presence times during dives in philopatric sharks and different responses toward the number of boats and conspecifics between the two groups. Overall, great hammerhead sharks increased their bait uptake during longer dives and when more boats were present at the dive site. Finally, nine of 12 provisioned great hammerhead sharks were regularly able to fuel their daily energetic requirements from provisioned food alone, with two sharks doing so on 77.8% of all dives. Our study provides insights into how large-bodied marine predators react toward wildlife tourism associated provisioning and allows further discussion about daily energy uptake during provisioning dives, its potential impacts on the ecological role of the target species and associated management measures.

Evaluation of non-linear models for growth curve in Brazilian tropical goats - José Ernandes Rufino de Sousa; Debora Andréa Evangelista Façanha; Luis Alberto Bermejo; Josiel Ferreira; Renato Diógenes Macedo Paiva; Samuel Freitas Nunes; Maria do Socorro Medeiros de Souza (Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2021)

Identifying shark species responsible for fisheries depredation off Southeast Queensland, Australia - Jaeden L. Vardon; Samuel M. Williams; Daniel J. Bucher; Jess A. T. Morgan (Molecular Biology Reports, 2021)

Do changes in snow conditions have an impact on snowmaking investments in French Alps ski resorts? - Lucas Berard-Chenu; Jonathan Cognard; Hugues François; Samuel Morin; Emmanuelle George (International Journal of Biometeorology, 2021)
This study investigates the relationship between snow conditions and snowmaking investments for over 100 French Alps ski resorts. Investment trends represent a critical issue in capital-intensive sectors such as the ski industry. The data are based on snow reliability indicators and snowmaking investments covering 1997–2014. Descriptive statistics reveal that snowmaking has been the second investment item for ski resorts regardless of the elevation or ski resort size. The study finds that snowmaking investments are highly negatively correlated to snow conditions of the prior year for small and medium-sized ski resorts. Other factors are also likely to play a significant role in driving snowmaking investment dynamics.

Calibrating analytical ultracentrifuges - Huaying Zhao; Ai Nguyen; Samuel C. To; Peter Schuck (European Biophysics Journal, 2021)

Photoactivation and photoregeneration of TiO2/PAC mixture applied in suspension in water treatments: approach to a real application - Samuel Moles; Javier Berges; María P. Ormad; M. Jesús Nieto-Monge; Jairo Gómez; Rosa Mosteo (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Trend analysis of global usage of digital soil mapping models in the prediction of potentially toxic elements in soil/sediments: a bibliometric review - Prince Chapman Agyeman; Samuel Kudjo Ahado; Luboš Borůvka; James Kobina Mensah Biney; Vincent Yaw Oppong Sarkodie; Ndiye M. Kebonye; John Kingsley (Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2021)

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on waste management - Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie; Phebe Asantewaa Owusu (Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021)
The containment of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and limitations on commercial activities, mobility and manufacturing sector have significantly affected waste management. Waste management is critical to human development and health outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The invaluable service provided by the waste management sector ensures that the unusual heaps of waste that poses health risks and escalate the spread of COVID-19 is avoided. In this study, we assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on waste management by observing lockdown and social distancing measures. We found that the quantity of waste increased across countries observing the social distancing measure of staying at home. The intensification of single-use products and panic buying have increased production and consumption, hence thwarting efforts towards reducing plastic pollution. However, several countries have thus far instituted policies to ensure sustainable management of waste while protecting the safety of waste handlers.

Twenty-first century regional temperature response in Chile based on empirical-statistical downscaling - Sebastian G. Mutz; Samuel Scherrer; Ilze Muceniece; Todd A. Ehlers (Climate Dynamics, 2021)
Local scale estimates of temperature change in the twenty-first century are necessary for informed decision making in both the public and private sector. In order to generate such estimates for Chile, weather station data of the Dirección Meteorológica de Chile are used to identify large-scale predictors for local-scale temperature changes and construct individual empirical-statistical models for each station. The geographical coverage of weather stations ranges from Arica in the North to Punta Arenas in the South. Each model is trained in a cross-validated stepwise linear multiple regression procedure based on (24) weather station records and predictor time series derived from ERA-Interim reanalysis data. The time period 1979–2000 is used for training, while independent data from 2001 to 2015 serves as a basis for assessing model performance. The resulting transfer functions for each station are then directly coupled to MPI-ESM simulations for future climate change under emission scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP 8.5 to estimate the local temperature response until 2100 A.D. Our investigation into predictors for local scale temperature changes support established knowledge of the main drivers of Chilean climate, i.e. a strong influence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation in northern Chile and frontal system-governed climate in central and southern Chile. Temperature downscaling yields high prediction skill scores (ca. 0.8), with highest scores for the mid-latitudes. When forced with MPI-ESM simulations, the statistical models predict local temperature deviations from the 1979–2015 mean that range between − 0.5–2 K, 0.5–3 K and 2–7 K for RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 respectively.

Does the transcranial direct current stimulation improve dual-task postural control in young healthy adults? - Noëmie Pineau; Alison Robin; Samuel Bulteau; Véronique Thomas-Ollivier; Anne Sauvaget; Thibault Deschamps (Cognitive Processing, 2021)

Kidney Adaptations Prevent Loss of Trace Elements in Wistar Rats with Early Metabolic Syndrome - Cristhian Neftaly Sánchez-Solís; Hugo Hernández-Fragoso; Violeta Aburto-Luna; Christophe Barbier Olivier; Alfonso Diaz; Eduardo Brambila; Samuel Treviño (Biological Trace Element Research, 2021)

Central Asian wild tulip conservation requires a regional approach, especially in the face of climate change - Brett Wilson; Aibek Dolotbakov; Benjamin J. Burgess; Colin Clubbe; Georgy Lazkov; Kaiyrkul Shalpykov; Myskalai Ganybaeva; Ormon Sultangaziev; Samuel F. Brockington (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2021)
Tulips ( Tulipa spp.) are one of the most widely appreciated plants worldwide, nevertheless species taxonomy and biogeography are often poorly understood. Most wild tulips inhabit the mountains of Central Asia, a recognised biodiversity hotspot, and a centre of tulip diversity. Despite the presence of several country-level endemic Tulipa species, most taxa span the borders of several nations. With no globally Red Listed tulip taxa from this region national level conservation assessments are an important resource. Nonetheless, threats posed to tulips are still inadequately understood, especially climate change, and given the trans-national nature of most species, distributional information is restricted and often misleading. Here we collate 330 species records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility with 85 newly collected records, to undertake species distribution modelling (MaxEnt) for ten native Central Asian species. This work showed that regional level models provide a much more comprehensive understanding of species’ extinction risks, proportions of habitat in different countries, and limitations in protected area coverage. Furthermore, our climate modelling, the first of its kind for tulips, suggests that climate change will have a significant negative impact on the range size of all species; including those that are currently widespread. We therefore add climate change to the list of threats affecting tulip populations in Central Asia, which already includes livestock overgrazing, urbanisation, wild collection, and mining. Overall, our work shows that although national information is important, a regional approach is crucial not just for tulip conservation efforts, but likely for Central Asian plant conservation in general.

A new highly divergent copiparvovirus in sheep - Ana C. S. Mosena; Mariana S. da Silva; Marina P. Lorenzett; Samuel P. Cibulski; Matheus N. Weber; Renata F. Budaszewski; Fabiana Q. Mayer; Luan C. Henker; Bianca S. de Cecco; Saulo P. Pavarini; David Driemeier; Cláudio W. Canal (Archives of Virology, 2021)

Challenges in Current Coral Reef Protection – Possible Impacts of UV Filters Used in Sunscreens, a Critical Review - Mareen Moeller; Sascha Pawlowski; Mechtild Petersen-Thiery; Ingo B. Miller; Samuel Nietzer; Yannik Heisel-Sure; Matthias Y. Kellermann; Peter J. Schupp (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Coral reefs are highly endangered ecosystems. The identification and quantification of potential stress factors are essential to protect them. UV filters from sunscreens that are introduced to coral reef areas are considered as one of these stressors and their impact on corals needs to be further investigated. Even though UV filters are functionally similar, their structural features are very diverse. Their impact on limnic organisms have also been shown to be highly variable ranging from no or low to high toxicity. It is therefore to be expected that their effect on corals also differs significantly and that each compound has to be evaluated individually. The demand for conclusive benchmarks and guidelines from policy makers and the public over the past years shows the necessity for an objective literature review on the effects of various UV filters on scleractinian corals. Here, we review the present literature, summarize the data on the different UV filters and discuss the different approaches, advantages and limitations of the studies. However, the methods used in the latter studies vary greatly. They differ in many aspects such as species and life stage used, field and laboratory approaches, with exposure times ranging from hours to weeks. Some studies include analytics and measure the actual test concentration, others only provide nominal concentrations. The lack of standardized methods renders comparisons between studies futile. Additionally, most UV filters have only been investigated in a single or a few studies of different quality. Reliable thresholds are therefore impossible to draw on the basis of currently available studies. Nevertheless, certain UV filters repeatedly showed comparable toxicity in both freshwater and marine species tested. Yet, existing differences in results from coral tests emphasize the need for a standardized testing method comparable to those established for other aquatic organisms in order to allow for a more conclusive assessment. In this review, we describe what a scientifically sound testing proposal should include in order to obtain reliable and reproducible data, which ultimately should result in an internationally organized standardized ring test trial. Such standardized toxicity tests would enable validation of coral toxicity data related to UV filters, but also testing of other types of compounds that are known to be introduced and effect coral reefs, thus helping to identify significant stressors and enabling objective policy decisions.

Occurrence and risk assessment of sesame as an allergen in selected Middle Eastern foods available in Montreal, Canada - Joseph Touma; Sébastien La Vieille; Laurent Guillier; Virginie Barrere; Emilie Manny; Jérémie Théolier; Silvia Dominguez; Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy (Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2021)

Regional Wetland Plant Responses to Sulfur and Other Porewater Chemistry in Calcareous Rich Fens - Samuel M. Simkin; Barbara L. Bedford; Kathleen C. Weathers (Wetlands, 2021)

Convergent observations of MK-801-induced impairment in rat 5C-CPT performance across laboratories: reversal with a D1 but not nicotinic agonist - Andrew J. Grottick; David L. MacQueen; Samuel A. Barnes; Chris Carroll; Erin K. Sanabria; Vishal Bobba; Jared W. Young (Psychopharmacology, 2021)

Striae in the Antarctic scallop Adamussium colbecki provide environmental insights but not reliable age increments - Kelly E. Cronin; Sally E. Walker; Samuel S. Bowser (Polar Biology, 2021)

Neuroimaging PheWAS (Phenome-Wide Association Study): A Free Cloud-Computing Platform for Big-Data, Brain-Wide Imaging Association Studies - Lu Zhao; Ishaan Batta; William Matloff; Caroline O’Driscoll; Samuel Hobel; Arthur W. Toga (Neuroinformatics, 2021)

Phthalamide derivatives as ACE/AChE/BuChE inhibitors against cardiac hypertrophy: an in silico, in vitro, and in vivo modeling approach - Erik Andrade-Jorge; Jessica E. Rodríguez; Jesús A. Lagos-Cruz; Josué I. Rojas-Jiménez; Samuel E. Estrada-Soto; Itzell A. Gallardo-Ortíz; José G. Trujillo-Ferrara; Rafael Villalobos-Molina (Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2021)

Associations of muscle lipid content with physical function and resistance training outcomes in older adults: altered responses with metformin - Douglas E. Long; Bailey D. Peck; Steven C. Tuggle; Alejandro G. Villasante Tezanos; Samuel T. Windham; Marcas M. Bamman; Philip A. Kern; Charlotte A. Peterson; Rosicka G. Walton (GeroScience, 2021)

Handgrip strength—a risk indicator for future fractures in the general population: findings from a prospective study and meta-analysis of 19 prospective cohort studies - Setor K. Kunutsor; Samuel Seidu; Ari Voutilainen; Ashley W. Blom; Jari A. Laukkanen (GeroScience, 2021)
Evolving debate suggests that handgrip strength, a measure of muscular strength, might be associated with the risk of fractures; however, the evidence is conflicting. We aimed to assess the association of handgrip strength with the risk of fracture in the general population. Handgrip strength, measured using a dynamometer, was assessed at baseline in a population-based sample of 853 men and women aged 61–73 years in the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease prospective cohort. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for incident fractures. Incident fractures (hip, humeral, or wrist) ( n = 159) occurred during a median follow-up of 16.7 years. Comparing extreme tertiles of handgrip strength, the age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for fractures was 0.80 (0.55–1.18). The association remained similar on further adjustment for other potential confounders: HR (95% CI) of 0.82 (0.55–1.21). In a meta-analysis of 19 population-based prospective cohort studies (including the current study) comprising 220,757 participants and 9199 fractures (including 1302 hip fractures), the fully adjusted relative risk (RR) (95% confidence interval, CI) for incident fractures was 0.70 (0.61–0.80) comparing the top versus bottom thirds of handgrip strength. The association remained significant after trim-and-fill correction for publication bias. The corresponding RR (95% CI) for hip fractures (9 studies) was 0.61 (0.54–0.70). Handgrip was only modestly associated with fracture risk in the primary analysis, which may be driven by the low event rate. Pooled prospective cohort evidence suggests that elevated handgrip strength is associated with reduced future fracture risk.

Correction to: Eye‐body allometry across biphasic ontogeny in anuran amphibians - Samuel J. Shrimpton; Jeffrey W. Streicher; David J. Gower; Rayna C. Bell; Matthew K. Fujita; Ryan K. Schott; Kate N. Thomas (Evolutionary Ecology, 2021)
A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-021-10109-w

Eye‐body allometry across biphasic ontogeny in anuran amphibians - Samuel J. Shrimpton; Jeffrey W. Streicher; David J. Gower; Rayna C. Bell; Matthew K. Fujita; Ryan K. Schott; Kate N. Thomas (Evolutionary Ecology, 2021)
Animals with biphasic lifecycles often inhabit different visual environments across ontogeny. Many frogs and toads (Amphibia: Anura) have free-living aquatic larvae (tadpoles) that metamorphose into adults that inhabit a range of aquatic and terrestrial environments. Ecological differences influence eye size across species, but these relationships have not yet been explored across life stages in an ontogenetic allometric context. We examined eye-body size scaling in a species with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults, the common frog Rana temporaria , using a well-sampled developmental series. We found a shift in ontogenetic allometric trajectory near metamorphosis indicating prioritized growth in tadpole eyes. To explore the effects of different tadpole and adult ecologies on eye-body scaling, we expanded our taxonomic sampling to include developmental series of eleven additional anuran species. Intraspecific eye-body scaling was variable among species, with 8/12 species exhibiting a significant change in allometric slope between tadpoles and adults. Traits categorizing both tadpole ecology (microhabitat, eye position, mouth position) and adult ecology (habitat, activity pattern) across species had significant effects on allometric slopes among tadpoles, but only tadpole eye position had a significant effect among adults. Our study suggests that relative eye growth in the preliminary stages of biphasic anuran ontogenies is somewhat decoupled and may be shaped by both immediate ecological need (i.e. tadpole visual requirements) and what will be advantageous during later adult stages.

Environmental change and infectious diseases in the Mediterranean region and the world: an interpretive dialectical analysis - Samuel R. Friedman (Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, 2021)

Climate change and crop production nexus in Somalia: an empirical evidence from ARDL technique - Abdimalik Ali Warsame; Ibrahim Abdukadir Sheik-Ali; Abdullahi Osman Ali; Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Annual and intra-annual climate variability and change of the Volta Delta, Ghana - Jennifer Ayamga; Opoku Pabi; Barnabas A. Amisigo; Benedicta Y. Fosu-Mensah; Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2021)

Comparison of Cubist models for soil organic carbon prediction via portable XRF measured data - Kingsley John; Ndiye M. Kebonye; Prince C. Agyeman; Samuel K. Ahado (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2021)

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic assessment for characterizing groundwater quality and recharge processes in the Lower Anayari catchment of the Upper East Region, Ghana - Dickson Abdul-Wahab; Dickson Adomako; Gibrilla Abass; Dennis K. Adotey; Geophrey Anornu; Samuel Ganyaglo (Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021)

Global assessment of environment, health and economic impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) - Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie; Phebe Asantewaa Owusu (Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021)
The institution of social distancing and punitive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 through human-to-human transmission has environmental, health and economic impact. While the global pandemic has led to the enhancement of the health system and decline of emissions, economic development appears deteriorating. Here, we present the global environmental, health and economic dimension of the effect of COVID-19 using qualitative and empirical assessments. We report the health system policies, environmental sustainability issues, and fiscal, monetary and exchange rate measures introduced during lockdown across countries. While air pollution is reported to have declined, municipal and medical waste is increasing. The COVID-19 global pandemic uncertainty ranks the UK as the country with the highest uncertainty level among 143 countries. The USA has introduced 100% of pre-COVID-19 crisis level GDP, the highest policy cut-rate among 162 countries. Science, innovation, research and development underpin COVID-19 containment measures implemented across countries. Our study demonstrates the need for future research to focus on environment-health-economic nexus—a trilemma that has a potential trade-off.

Mono- and multispecies biofilms from a crustose coralline alga induce settlement in the scleractinian coral Leptastrea purpurea - Lars-Erik Petersen; Mareen Moeller; Dennis Versluis; Samuel Nietzer; Matthias Y. Kellermann; Peter J. Schupp (Coral Reefs, 2021)
Microorganisms have been reported to induce settlement in various marine invertebrate larvae but their specificity of inductive capacities for the settlement of coral larvae remains poorly understood. In this study, we isolated 56 microbial strains from the crustose coralline alga (CCA) Hydrolithon reinboldii using five different media either with or without additional antibiotics and/or spiked CCA extract. We tested the isolates for their potential to induce settlement behavior in larvae of the brooding scleractinian coral Leptastrea purpurea . From these 56 CCA-associated microbial strains, we identified six bacterial classes and 18 families. The culturable bacterial community associated with H. reinboldii was dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria while the Illumina MiSeq analysis showed that the culture-independent bacterial community was dominated by Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Flavobacteria. Furthermore, we found no correlation between inductive settlement capacities and phylogenetic relationships. Instead, settlement behavior of L. purpurea larvae was induced by specific isolated species. Strains #1792 ( Pseudovibrio denitrificans ), #1678 ( Acinetobacter pittii ), #1633 ( Pseudoalteromonas phenolica ), #1772 (Marine bacterium LMG1), #1721 ( Microbulbifer variabilis ), and #1783 ( Pseudoalteromonas rubra ) induced settlement behavior in coral larvae at mostly high and significant levels (≥ 40%) but the remaining isolates strongly varied in their activity. Multispecies biofilms consisting of four strains (#1792, #1678, #1633, and #1721) were observed to synergistically increase settlement behavior levels (> 90%); however, the addition of #1772 to the multispecies biofilms negatively affected coral larvae and resulted in a total loss of inducing activity. The findings provide new insights into the role of bacteria in the settlement process of scleractinian corals and may help to identify the true nature of bacteria-derived morphogenic cues.

Prey partitioning between sympatric wild carnivores revealed by DNA metabarcoding: a case study on wolf (Canis lupus) and coyote (Canis latrans) in northeastern Washington - Yue Shi; Yves Hoareau; Ellen M. Reese; Samuel K. Wasser (Conservation Genetics, 2021)

Sodium metavanadate treatment improves glycogen levels in multiple tissues in a model of metabolic syndrome caused by chronic cadmium exposure in Wistar rats - Victor Enrique Sarmiento-Ortega; Diana Moroni-González; Alfonso Díaz; Carolina Morán; Eduardo Brambila; Samuel Treviño (BioMetals, 2021)

Mixture models as a method for comparative sociality: social networks and demographic change in resident killer whales - Samuel Ellis; Daniel W. Franks; Michael N. Weiss; Michael A. Cant; Paolo Domenici; Kenneth C. Balcomb; David K. Ellifrit; Darren P. Croft (Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2021)
In studies of social behaviour, social bonds are usually inferred from rates of interaction or association. This approach has revealed many important insights into the proximate formation and ultimate function of animal social structures. However, it remains challenging to compare social structure between systems or time-points because extrinsic factors, such as sampling methodology, can also influence the observed rate of association. As a consequence of these methodological challenges, it is difficult to analyse how patterns of social association change with demographic processes, such as the death of key social partners. Here we develop and illustrate the use of binomial mixture models to quantitatively compare patterns of social association between networks. We then use this method to investigate how patterns of social preferences in killer whales respond to demographic change. Resident killer whales are bisexually philopatric, and both sexes stay in close association with their mother in adulthood. We show that mothers and daughters show reduced social association after the birth of the daughter’s first offspring, but not after the birth of an offspring to the mother. We also show that whales whose mother is dead associate more with their opposite sex siblings and with their grandmother than whales whose mother is alive. Our work demonstrates the utility of using mixture models to compare social preferences between networks and between species. We also highlight other potential uses of this method such as to identify strong social bonds in animal populations. Significance statement Comparing patters of social associations between systems, or between the same systems at different times, is challenging due to the confounding effects of sampling and methodological differences. Here we present a method to allow social associations to be robustly classified and then compared between networks using binomial mixture models. We illustrate this method by showing how killer whales change their patterns of social association in response to the birth of calves and the death of their mother. We show that after the birth of her calf, females associate less with their mother. We also show that whales’ whose mother is dead associate more with their opposite sex siblings and grandmothers than whales’ whose mother is alive. This clearly demonstrates how this method can be used to examine fine scale temporal processes in animal social systems.

Trophic interactions and food web structure of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in afromontane wetlands: the influence of hydroperiod - Nonkazimulo D. Mdidimba; Musa C. Mlambo; Samuel N. Motitsoe (Aquatic Sciences, 2021)

Catfish farming: a sustainability study at Eriwe fish farming village in southwest Nigeria - Ewumi Azeez Folorunso; Muhammad Arifur Rahman; Isaac Sarfo; George Darko; Olumide Samuel Olowe (Aquaculture International, 2021)

Transgene‐mediated skeletal phenotypic variation in zebrafish - Charles B. Kimmel; Alexander L. Wind; Whitney Oliva; Samuel D. Ahlquist; Charline Walker; John Dowd; Bernardo Blanco‐Sánchez; Tom A. Titus; Peter Batzel; Jared C. Talbot; John H. Postlethwait; James T. Nichols (Journal of Fish Biology, 2021)
When considering relationships between genotype and phenotype we frequently ignore the fact that the genome of a typical animal, notably including that of a fish and a human, harbours a huge amount of foreign DNA. Such DNA, in the form of transposable elements, can affect genome function in a major way, and transgene biology needs to be included in our understanding of the genome. Here we examine an unexpected phenotypic effect of the chromosomally integrated transgene fli1a‐F‐hsp70l:Gal4VP16 that serves as a model for transgene function generally. We examine larval fras1 mutant zebrafish ( Danio rerio ). Gal4VP16 is a potent transcriptional activator that is already well known for toxicity and mediating unusual transcriptional effects. In the presence of the transgene, phenotypes in the neural crest‐derived craniofacial skeleton, notably fusions and shape changes associated with loss of function fras1 mutations, are made more severe, as we quantify by scoring phenotypic penetrance, the fraction of mutants expressing the trait. A very interesting feature is that the enhancements are highly specific for fras1 mutant phenotypes, occurring in the apparent absence of more widespread changes. Except for the features due to the fras1 mutation, the transgene‐bearing larvae appear generally healthy and to be developing normally. The transgene behaves as a genetic partial dominant: a single copy is sufficient for the enhancements, yet, for some traits, two copies may exert a stronger effect. We made new strains bearing independent insertions of the fli1a‐F‐hsp70l:Gal4VP16 transgene in new locations in the genome, and observed increased severities of the same phenotypes as observed for the original insertion. This finding suggests that sequences within the transgene, for example Gal4VP16, are responsible for the enhancements, rather than the effect on neighbouring host sequences (such as an insertional mutation). The specificity and biological action underlying the traits are subjects of considerable interest for further investigation, as we discuss. Our findings show that work with transgenes needs to be undertaken with caution and attention to detail.

Ecotrons: Powerful and versatile ecosystem analysers for ecology, agronomy and environmental science - Jacques Roy; François Rineau; Hans J. De Boeck; Ivan Nijs; Thomas Pütz; Samuel Abiven; John A. Arnone; Craig V. M. Barton; Natalie Beenaerts; Nicolas Brüggemann; Matteo Dainese; Timo Domisch; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2021)
Ecosystems integrity and services are threatened by anthropogenic global changes. Mitigating and adapting to these changes require knowledge of ecosystem functioning in the expected novel environments, informed in large part through experimentation and modelling. This paper describes 13 advanced controlled environment facilities for experimental ecosystem studies, herein termed ecotrons, open to the international community. Ecotrons enable simulation of a wide range of natural environmental conditions in replicated and independent experimental units while measuring various ecosystem processes. This capacity to realistically control ecosystem environments is used to emulate a variety of climatic scenarios and soil conditions, in natural sunlight or through broad‐spectrum lighting. The use of large ecosystem samples, intact or reconstructed, minimizes border effects and increases biological and physical complexity. Measurements of concentrations of greenhouse trace gases as well as their net exchange between the ecosystem and the atmosphere are performed in most ecotrons, often quasi continuously. The flow of matter is often tracked with the use of stable isotope tracers of carbon and other elements. Equipment is available for measurements of soil water status as well as root and canopy growth. The experiments ran so far emphasize the diversity of the hosted research. Half of them concern global changes, often with a manipulation of more than one driver. About a quarter deal with the impact of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning and one quarter with ecosystem or plant physiology. We discuss how the methodology for environmental simulation and process measurements, especially in soil, can be improved and stress the need to establish stronger links with modelling in future projects. These developments will enable further improvements in mechanistic understanding and predictive capacity of ecotron research which will play, in complementarity with field experimentation and monitoring, a crucial role in exploring the ecosystem consequences of environmental changes.

Tundra wildfire triggers sustained lateral nutrient loss in Alaskan Arctic - Benjamin W. Abbott; Adrian V. Rocha; Arial Shogren; Jay P. Zarnetske; Frances Iannucci; William B. Bowden; Samuel P. Bratsman; Leika Patch; Rachel Watts; Randy Fulweber; Rebecca J. Frei; Amanda M. Huebner; et al. (Global Change Biology, 2021)
Climate change is creating widespread ecosystem disturbance across the permafrost zone, including a rapid increase in the extent and severity of tundra wildfire. The expansion of this previously rare disturbance has unknown consequences for lateral nutrient flux from terrestrial to aquatic environments. Lateral loss of nutrients could reduce carbon uptake and slow recovery of already nutrient‐limited tundra ecosystems. To investigate the effects of tundra wildfire on lateral nutrient export, we analyzed water chemistry in and around the 10‐year‐old Anaktuvuk River fire scar in northern Alaska. We collected water samples from 21 burned and 21 unburned watersheds during snowmelt, at peak growing season, and after plant senescence in 2017 and 2018. After a decade of ecosystem recovery, aboveground biomass had recovered in burned watersheds, but overall carbon and nitrogen remained ~20% lower, and the active layer remained ~10% deeper. Despite lower organic matter stocks, dissolved organic nutrients were substantially elevated in burned watersheds, with higher flow‐weighted concentrations of organic carbon (25% higher), organic nitrogen (59% higher), organic phosphorus (65% higher), and organic sulfur (47% higher). Geochemical proxies indicated greater interaction with mineral soils in watersheds with surface subsidence, but optical analysis and isotopes suggested that recent plant growth, not mineral soil, was the main source of organic nutrients in burned watersheds. Burned and unburned watersheds had similar δ 15 N‐NO 3 − , indicating that exported nitrogen was of preburn origin (i.e., not recently fixed). Lateral nitrogen flux from burned watersheds was 2‐ to 10‐fold higher than rates of background nitrogen fixation and atmospheric deposition estimated in this area. These findings indicate that wildfire in Arctic tundra can destabilize nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur previously stored in permafrost via plant uptake and leaching. This plant‐mediated nutrient loss could exacerbate terrestrial nutrient limitation after disturbance or serve as an important nutrient release mechanism during succession.

Density‐dependent natural selection mediates harvest‐induced trait changes - Alix Bouffet‐Halle; Jacques Mériguet; David Carmignac; Simon Agostini; Alexis Millot; Samuel Perret; Eric Motard; Beatriz Decenciere; Eric Edeline (Ecology Letters, 2021)
Rapid life‐history changes caused by size‐selective harvesting are often interpreted as a response to direct harvest selection against a large body size. However, similar trait changes may result from a harvest‐induced relaxation of natural selection for a large body size via density‐dependent selection. Here, we show evidence of such density‐dependent selection favouring large‐bodied individuals at high population densities, in replicated pond populations of medaka fish. Harvesting, in contrast, selected medaka directly against a large body size and, in parallel, decreased medaka population densities. Five years of harvesting were enough for harvested and unharvested medaka populations to inherit the classically predicted trait differences, whereby harvested medaka grew slower and matured earlier than unharvested medaka. We show that this life‐history divergence was not driven by direct harvest selection for a smaller body size in harvested populations, but by density‐dependent natural selection for a larger body size in unharvested populations.

Effects of climate adaptation on households’ livelihood vulnerability in South Tongu and Zabzugu districts of Ghana - Shaibu Baanni Azumah; William Adzawla; Samuel A. Donkoh; Paul Yao Anani (Climate and Development, 2021)

Streptococcus agalactiae infective endocarditis: analysis of eight surgical cases from a single centre - Vincent Tchana-Sato; Gregory Hans; Frederic Frippiat; Ines Zekhnini; Raluca Dulgheru; Samuel Bruls; Rodolphe Durieux; Jean Paul Lavigne; Jean Olivier Defraigne (Infectious Diseases, 2021)

Industrial Fishing Near West African Marine Protected Areas and Its Potential Effects on Mobile Marine Predators - Guido Leurs; Karin J. van der Reijden; Sidi Yahya Cheikhna Lemrabott; Iça Barry; Diosnes Manuel Nonque; Han Olff; Samuel Ledo Pontes; Aissa Regalla; Laura L. Govers (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly implemented to facilitate the conservation of marine biodiversity and key habitats. However, these areas are often less effective to conserve mobile marine species like elasmobranchs (i.e., sharks and rays). Industrial fishing near MPA borders possibly impacts vulnerable species utilizing these protected areas. Hence, we aimed to study spatiotemporal patterns of industrial fisheries near MPAs, in relation to the bycatch of elasmobranchs. Specifically, we analyzed the spatiotemporal fishing effort within the West African region, mapped fishing effort in the direct vicinity of the Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA, Mauritania) and the Bijagós Archipelago (BA, Guinea Bissau), and compared the seasonal overlap between elasmobranch bycatch and fishing effort near these MPAs. We combined Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and local fisheries observer data, and determined fishing effort for each gear type and compared this with bycatch of elasmobranchs. We found that industrial fishing effort was dominated by trawling, drifting longlines, and fixed gear types. Although no industrial fishing was observed within both MPAs, 72 and 78% of the buffer zones surrounding the MPAs were fished for the Banc d’Arguin and Bijagós, respectively. Within the Banc d’Arguin buffer zone, trawling and drifting longlines dominated, with longlines mainly being deployed in fall. In the Bijagós buffer zone, trawling and fixed gears were most prevalent. Fisheries observer data for Mauritania showed that elasmobranch catches increased during the most recent sampling years (2016–2018). Elasmobranch catches within the waters of Guinea Bissau peaked in 2016 and decreased in the following two years. Seasonal patterns in elasmobranch bycatch within the waters of both countries are likely caused by increased catches of migratory species. Catches of rays peaked in May and June for Mauritania, and in October for Guinea Bissau. Shark catches were highest in February and July in Mauritanian waters, and in May and October in the waters of Guinea Bissau. Our study indicates that industrial fisheries near the border of ecologically important MPAs may have potentially major implications for ecosystem functioning by the removal of (migratory) predatory species.

Microbial diversity and chemical characteristics of Coffea canephora grown in different environments and processed by dry method - Priscila Vargas Pereira; Danielle Gonçalves Bravim; Renata Pancini Grillo; Larissa Diirr Bertoli; Vanessa Moreira Osório; Daniela da Silva Oliveira; Maria Gabriela da Cruz Pedrozo Miguel; Rosane Freitas Schwan; Samuel de Assis Silva; Jussara Moreira Coelho; Patrícia Campos Bernardes (World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2021)

Molecular docking and ADMET studies of Allium cepa, Azadirachta indica and Xylopia aethiopica isolates as potential anti-viral drugs for Covid-19 - Peter Ifeoluwa Adegbola; Banjo Semire; Olumide Samuel Fadahunsi; Aanuoluwa Eunice Adegoke (VirusDisease, 2021)

Integration of georeferenced and genetic data for the management of biodiversity in sheep genetic resources in Brazil - Concepta Margaret McManus; Potira Hermuche; Renato Fontes Guimarães; Osmar Abílio de Carvalho Júnior; Bruno Stéfano Lima Dallago; Renata Augusto Vieira; Danielle Assis de Faria; Harvey Blackburn; José Carlos Ferrugem Moraes; Carlos Hoff Souza; Olivardo Facó; Adriana Mello Araújo; et al. (Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2021)

Core Cell Cycle–Related Gene Identification and Expression Analysis in Maize - Qianlin Xiao; Bin Wei; Yayun Wang; Hui Li; Huanhuan Huang; Babatope Samuel Ajayo; Yufeng Hu; Yubi Huang (Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 2021)

Toxicity and sub-lethal effects of temephos, lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin on predatory insect Diplonychus rusticus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) - Appadurai Daniel Reegan; Bosvin Ben Bentrock; Antony Cruz Asharaja; Samuel Tennyson; Rajasingh Raveen (International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 2021)

Geodiversity Index Map of Rio Grande do Norte State, Northeast Brazil: Cartography and Quantitative Assessment - Marília Cristina Santos Souza Dias; Jéssica Oliveira Domingos; Silas Samuel dos Santos Costa; Marcos Antonio Leite do Nascimento; Matheus Lisboa Nobre da Silva; Larissa Praxedes Granjeiro; Rafael Felipe de Lima Miranda (Geoheritage, 2021)

A comparative study on the raw chitin and chitosan yields of common bio-waste from Philippine seafood - James Ryand Cadano; Mariel Jose; Aloysius Gerard Lubi; Joel Nathaniel Maling; Josiah Samuel Moraga; Quinn Yale Shi; Hannah Mae Vegafria; Chona Camille VinceCruz-Abeledo (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Evaluation and Comparison of Satellite Rainfall Products in the Black Volta Basin - Frederick Yaw Logah; Kwaku Amaning Adjei; Emmanuel Obuobie; Charles Gyamfi; Samuel Nii Odai (Environmental Processes, 2021)

Richness and abundance of stream fish communities in a fragmented neotropical landscape - Samuel S Leberg; Ramiro Barriga; Henry Bart; Alfredo Olivo; Kaushik Narasimhan; Jordan Karubian (Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2021)

An integrated approach to assess coastal vulnerability versus fisheries livelihood sustainability: Strategies for climate change adaptation in Sindhudurg, west coast of India - J. Joyson Joe Jeevamani; P. Priya; J. Amali Infantina; K. R. Abhilash; Durga Prasad Behera; V. Deepak Samuel; R. Soundararajan; R. Purvaja; R. Ramesh (Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2021)

The effect of salinity fluctuation in freshwater streams on the fecundity of post-diapause Chironomus dilutus - Emily Dobry; Grace Schoeniger; Samuel A. Nutile (Ecotoxicology, 2021)

Modelling Mediterranean heavy precipitation events at climate scale: an object-oriented evaluation of the CNRM-AROME convection-permitting regional climate model - Cécile Caillaud; Samuel Somot; Antoinette Alias; Isabelle Bernard-Bouissières; Quentin Fumière; Olivier Laurantin; Yann Seity; Véronique Ducrocq (Climate Dynamics, 2021)
Modelling the rare but high-impact Mediterranean Heavy Precipitation Events (HPEs) at climate scale remains a largely open scientific challenge. The issue is adressed here by running a 38-year-long continuous simulation of the CNRM-AROME Convection-Permitting Regional Climate Model (CP-RCM) at a 2.5 km horizontal resolution and over a large pan-Alpine domain. First, the simulation is evaluated through a basic Eulerian statistical approach via a comparison with selected high spatial and temporal resolution observational datasets. Northwestern Mediterranean fall extreme precipitation is correctly represented by CNRM-AROME at a daily scale and even better at an hourly scale, in terms of location, intensity, frequency and interannual variability, despite an underestimation of daily and hourly highest intensities above 200 mm/day and 40 mm/h, respectively. A comparison of the CP-RCM with its forcing convection-parameterised 12.5 km Regional Climate Model (RCM) demonstrates a clear added value for the CP-RCM, confirming previous studies. Secondly, an object-oriented Lagrangian approach is proposed with the implementation of a precipitating system detection and tracking algorithm, applied to the model and the reference COMEPHORE precipitation dataset for twenty fall seasons. Using French Mediterranean HPEs as objects, CNRM-AROME’s ability to represent the main characteristics of fall convective systems and tracks is highlighted in terms of number, intensity, area, duration, velocity and severity. Further, the model is able to simulate long-lasting and severe extreme fall events similar to observations. However, it fails to reproduce the precipitating systems and tracks with the highest intensities (maximum intensities above 40 mm/h) well, and the model’s tendency to overestimate the cell size increases with intensity.

A Cellulolytic Streptomyces Sp. Isolated from a Highly Oligotrophic Niche Shows Potential for Hydrolyzing Agricultural Wastes - Samuel Celaya-Herrera; Luz E. Casados-Vázquez; Idania Valdez-Vazquez; Francisco Barona-Gómez; Dennis K. Bideshi; José E. Barboza-Corona (BioEnergy Research, 2021)

A new virus of the family Tombusviridae infecting sugarcane - Muhammad N. Tahir; Stephen Bolus; Samuel C. Grinstead; Sharon A. McFarlane; Dimitre Mollov (Archives of Virology, 2021)

Effects of Machine Operating Parameters on the Grating Time of a Double-Action Cassava Grater with Automated Contact Plate: A Response Surface approach - Kingsley Charles Umani; Olugbenga Abiola Fakayode; Inimfon Samuel Ossom (Agricultural Research, 2021)

Spatial population genomics of a recent mosquito invasion - Thomas L. Schmidt; Tom Swan; Jessica Chung; Stephan Karl; Samuel Demok; Qiong Yang; Matt A Field; Mutizwa Odwell Muzari; Gerhard Ehlers; Mathew Brugh; Rodney Bellwood; Peter Horne; et al. (Molecular Ecology, 2021)
Population genomic approaches can characterize dispersal across a single generation through to many generations in the past, bridging the gap between individual movement and intergenerational gene flow. These approaches are particularly useful when investigating dispersal in recently altered systems, where they provide a way of inferring long‐distance dispersal between newly established populations and their interactions with existing populations. Human‐mediated biological invasions represent such altered systems which can be investigated with appropriate study designs and analyses. Here we apply temporally restricted sampling and a range of population genomic approaches to investigate dispersal in a 2004 invasion of Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) in the Torres Strait Islands (TSI) of Australia. We sampled mosquitoes from 13 TSI villages simultaneously and genotyped 373 mosquitoes at genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): 331 from the TSI, 36 from Papua New Guinea (PNG) and four incursive mosquitoes detected in uninvaded regions. Within villages, spatial genetic structure varied substantially but overall displayed isolation by distance and a neighbourhood size of 232–577. Close kin dyads revealed recent movement between islands 31–203 km apart, and deep learning inferences showed incursive Ae. albopictus had travelled to uninvaded regions from both adjacent and nonadjacent islands. Private alleles and a co‐ancestry matrix indicated direct gene flow from PNG into nearby islands. Outlier analyses also detected four linked alleles introgressed from PNG, with the alleles surrounding 12 resistance‐associated cytochrome P450 genes. By treating dispersal as both an intergenerational process and a set of discrete events, we describe a highly interconnected invasive system.

Regional-scale interactions between groundwater and surface water under changing aridity: evidence from the River Awash Basin, Ethiopia - Seifu Kebede; Katrina Charles; Samuel Godfrey; Alan MacDonald; Richard G. Taylor (Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2021)

Recovery of Fuels Using the Supramolecular Gelation Ability of a Hydroxybenzoic Acid Bisamide Derivative - Samuel Zapién-Castillo; Jorge Jesús Montes-Patiño; Josué Francisco Pérez-Sánchez; Jessica Ismalé Lozano-Navarro; José Aarón Melo-Banda; Philippe J. Mésini; Nancy Patricia Díaz-Zavala (Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2021)

Selection and validation of reference genes for accurate RT-qPCR gene expression normalization in cacao beans during fermentation - Jocelyn De Wever; Tibo De Coninck; Helena Everaert; Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa; Frauke Coppieters; Hayley Rottiers; Stephen Yaw Opoku; Samuel Lowor; Koen Dewettinck; Jo Vandesompele; Steve Lefever; Kathy Messens (Tree Genetics & Genomes, 2021)

Spiders in space—orb-web-related behaviour in zero gravity - Samuel Zschokke; Stefanie Countryman; Paula E. Cushing (The Science of Nature, 2021)
Gravity is very important for many organisms, including web-building spiders. Probably the best approach to study the relevance of gravity on organisms is to bring them to the International Space Station. Here, we describe the results of such an experiment where two juvenile Trichonephila clavipes (L.) (Araneae, Nephilidae) spiders were observed over a 2-month period in zero gravity and two control spiders under otherwise identical conditions on Earth. During that time, the spiders and their webs were photographed every 5 min. Under natural conditions, Trichonephila spiders build asymmetric webs with the hub near the upper edge of the web, and they always orient themselves downwards when sitting on the hub whilst waiting for prey. As these asymmetries are considered to be linked to gravity, we expected the spiders experiencing no gravity to build symmetric webs and to show a random orientation when sitting on the hub. We found that most, but not all, webs built in zero gravity were indeed quite symmetric. Closer analysis revealed that webs built when the lights were on were more asymmetric (with the hub near the lights) than webs built when the lights were off. In addition, spiders showed a random orientation when the lights were off but faced away from the lights when they were on. We conclude that in the absence of gravity, the direction of light can serve as an orientation guide for spiders during web building and when waiting for prey on the hub.

Effects of endogenous H2S production inhibition on the homeostatic responses induced by acute high-salt diet consumption - Andreia Mara Moreira; Samuel Amorin Grisote; Heloisa Della Colleta Francescato; Terezila Machado Coimbra; Lucila Leico Kagohara Elias; José Antunes-Rodrigues; Silvia Graciela Ruginsk (Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 2021)

Evaluation of different control strategies for the management of redberry disease associated with Acalitus orthomera (Eriophyoidea: Eriophyidae) in commercial blackberry crops - José de J. Arreguín-Zavala; Gabriel Otero-Colina; Samuel Pineda; Everardo López-Bautista; Beatriz A. Flores-Martínez; Ángel Rebollar-Alviter (Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, 2021)

Allometric models effectively predict Saccharina latissima (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) fresh weight at local scales - Jillian Campbell; Samuel Starko (Journal of Applied Phycology, 2021)

Intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing improves markers of exercise capacity in hot and temperate conditions in trained middle-distance runners - Nathalie V. Kirby; Samuel J. E. Lucas; Oliver J. Armstrong; Samuel R. Weaver; Rebekah A. I. Lucas (European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2021)
Purpose This study investigated whether intermittent post-exercise sauna bathing across three-weeks endurance training improves exercise heat tolerance and exercise performance markers in temperate conditions, compared to endurance training alone. The subsidiary aim was to determine whether exercise-heat tolerance would further improve following 7-Weeks post-exercise sauna bathing. Methods Twenty middle-distance runners (13 female; mean ± SD, age 20 ± 2 years, $$V$$ V O 2max 56.1 ± 8.7 ml kg −1 min −1 ) performed a running heat tolerance test (30-min, 9 km h −1 /2% gradient, 40 °C/40%RH; HTT) and temperate (18 °C) exercise tests (maximal aerobic capacity [ $$V$$ V O 2max ], speed at 4 mmol L −1 blood lactate concentration ([La − ]) before (Pre) and following three-weeks (3-Weeks) normal training (CON; n = 8) or normal training with 28 ± 2 min post-exercise sauna bathing (101–108 °C, 5–10%RH) 3 ± 1 times per week (SAUNA; n = 12). Changes from Pre to 3-Weeks were compared between-groups using an analysis of co-variance. Six SAUNA participants continued the intervention for 7 weeks, completing an additional HTT (7-Weeks; data compared using a one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance). Results During the HTT, SAUNA reduced peak rectal temperature ( T rec ; − 0.2 °C), skin temperature (− 0.8 °C), and heart rate (− 11 beats min −1 ) more than CON at 3-Weeks compared to Pre (all p < 0.05). SAUNA also improved $$V$$ V O 2max (+ 0.27 L −1 min −1 ; p = 0.02) and speed at 4 mmol L −1 [La − ] (+ 0.6 km h −1 ; p = 0.01) more than CON at 3-Weeks compared to Pre. Only peak T rec (− 0.1 °C; p = 0.03 decreased further from 3-Weeks to 7-Weeks in SAUNA (other physiological variables p > 0.05). Conclusions Three-weeks post-exercise sauna bathing is an effective and pragmatic method of heat acclimation, and an effective ergogenic aid. Extending the intervention to seven weeks only marginally improved T rec .

Antibiotics removal from aquatic environments: adsorption of enrofloxacin, trimethoprim, sulfadiazine, and amoxicillin on vegetal powdered activated carbon - Javier Berges; Samuel Moles; María P. Ormad; Rosa Mosteo; Jairo Gómez (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Immobilization of laccases and applications for the detection and remediation of pollutants: a review - Saptashwa Datta; R. Veena; Melvin S. Samuel; Ethiraj Selvarajan (Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2021)

Shift of Maternal Gut Microbiota of Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) During the Periparturition Period - Yue Shi; Zi-Yan Miao; Jian-Ping Su; Samuel K. Wasser (Current Microbiology, 2021)

Effect of protists on rhizobacterial community composition and rice plant growth in a biochar amended soil - Rasit Asiloglu; Bahar Sevilir; Solomon Oloruntoba Samuel; Murat Aycan; Muhittin Onur Akca; Kazuki Suzuki; Jun Murase; Oguz Can Turgay; Naoki Harada (Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2021)

Few Sensory Cues Differentiate Host and Dead-End Trap Plant for the Sugarcane Spotted Borer Chilo sacchariphagus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) - Vincent Jacob; Richard Tibère; Samuel Nibouche (Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2021)

Anaerobic benzene mineralization by natural microbial communities from Niger Delta - Samuel C. Eziuzor; Matthias Schmidt; Carsten Vogt (Biodegradation, 2021)
The Niger Delta is one of the most damaged ecosystems in the world, mainly due to petroleum contamination by oil exploration accidents. We investigated the natural attenuation potential of Niger Delta subsurface sediment samples for anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation using benzene as a model compound under iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. Benzene was slowly mineralized under methanogenic and iron-reducing conditions using nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-Fe(III), or poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxyhydroxides as electron acceptors, analyzed by measurement of 13 CO 2 produced from added 13 C-labelled benzene. Highest mineralization rates were observed in microcosms amended with Fe(III) oxyhydroxides. The microbial communities of benzene-mineralizing enrichment cultures were characterized by next-generation sequencing of the genes coding for 16S rRNA and methyl coenzyme M reductase A (mcrA). Abundant phylotypes were affiliated to Betaproteobacteriales, Ignavibacteriales, Desulfuromonadales, and Methanosarcinales of the genera Methanosarcina and Methanothrix, illustrating that the enriched benzene-mineralizing communities were diverse and may contain more than a single benzene degrader. The diversity of the microbial communities was furthermore confirmed by scanning helium-ion microscopy which revealed the presence of various rod-shaped as well as filamentous microbial morphotypes.

Rose virus R, a cytorhabdovirus infecting rose - Stephen Bolus; Maher Al Rwahnih; Samuel C. Grinstead; Dimitre Mollov (Archives of Virology, 2021)

miR-29a is a negative regulator of influenza virus infection through targeting of the frizzled 5 receptor - Xiaoyun Yang; Yurong Liang; Gayan Bamunuarachchi; Yanzhao Xu; Kishore Vaddadi; Samuel Pushparaj; Dao Xu; Zhengyu Zhu; Rachel Blaha; Chaoqun Huang; Lin Liu (Archives of Virology, 2021)

Man-made earthquakes prevention through monitoring and discharging of their causative stress-deformed states - Oleg Kuznetsov; Igor Chirkin; Ahmed A. Radwan; Ahmed Ismail; Yury Lyasch; Samuel LeRoy; Evgeny Rizanov; Sergey Koligaev; Ahmed Abdelmaksoud (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021)

Sensor Anchoring Improves the Correlation Between Intramuscular Pressure and Muscle Tension in a Rabbit Model - Shawn M. O’Connor; Kenton R. Kaufman; Samuel R. Ward; Richard L. Lieber (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2021)

Analysis of Silicone Oil in Prefilled Syringes and Biopharmaceutical Drug Products Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography - Jian Liu; Mike Ronk; Kiyoshi Fujimori; Hans Lee; Yasser Nashed-Samuel (AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021)

Suppression gene drive in continuous space can result in unstable persistence of both drive and wild‐type alleles - Jackson Champer; Isabel K. Kim; Samuel E. Champer; Andrew G. Clark; Philipp W. Messer (Molecular Ecology, 2021)
Rapid evolutionary processes can produce drastically different outcomes when studied in panmictic population models vs. spatial models. One such process is gene drive, which describes the spread of “selfish” genetic elements through a population. Engineered gene drives are being considered for the suppression of disease vectors or invasive species. While laboratory experiments and modelling in panmictic populations have shown that such drives can rapidly eliminate a population, it remains unclear if these results translate to natural environments where individuals inhabit a continuous landscape. Using spatially explicit simulations, we show that the release of a suppression drive can result in what we term “chasing” dynamics, in which wild‐type individuals recolonize areas where the drive has locally eliminated the population. Despite the drive subsequently reconquering these areas, complete population suppression often fails to occur or is substantially delayed. This increases the likelihood that the drive is lost or that resistance evolves. We analyse how chasing dynamics are influenced by the type of drive, its efficiency, fitness costs, and ecological factors such as the maximal growth rate of the population and levels of dispersal and inbreeding. We find that chasing is more common for lower efficiency drives when dispersal is low and that some drive mechanisms are substantially more prone to chasing behaviour than others. Our results demonstrate that the population dynamics of suppression gene drives are determined by a complex interplay of genetic and ecological factors, highlighting the need for realistic spatial modelling to predict the outcome of drive releases in natural populations.

The spawning location of vulnerable ferox trout ( Salmo trutta L. ) in the Lough Corrib and Lough Mask catchments, Western Ireland - Patrick G. Gargan; Finn Økland; Samuel Shephard; Colm Fitzgerald; Martin O'Grady (Journal of Fish Biology, 2021)
Ferox trout are large, long‐lived, piscivorous trout normally found in deep lakes; they are highly prized by trophy anglers. Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, Western Ireland, have recorded the majority of Irish specimen ferox trout since angling records began. Little was known regarding the spawning location of ferox trout relative to sympatric brown trout, and a radio telemetry study was initiated in both catchments in 2005. Over the period 2005–2009, 79 ferox were captured by angling and radio tagged in Lough Corrib, while 55 ferox were tagged in Lough Mask. Manual and helicopter tracking were carried out on all spawning streams entering both lakes over the autumn/winter period to detect tagged fish. Overall, 37 radio‐tagged trout (46.8%) were detected in Lough Corrib streams and 21 tagged trout (38.2%) were recorded from Lough Mask streams. Results from radio tracking indicate that the majority (92%) of ferox trout tagged in Lough Corrib spawned in a single spawning stream, the Cong river, while the majority (76%) of ferox trout tagged in Lough Mask spawned in the Cong canal and Cong river. These results suggest that these streams are most likely the principle spawning locations of ferox trout in both lakes. The occurrence of ferox trout predominantly in single spawning rivers in both catchments highlights the vulnerability of the study ferox populations. As a result of these findings, conservation measures were introduced for ferox trout in both catchments.

Frenemy at the gate: Invasion by Pheidole megacephala facilitates a competitively subordinate plant ant in Kenya - Todd M. Palmer; Corinna Riginos; Patrick D. Milligan; Brandon R. Hays; Alejandro G. Pietrek; Nelly J. Maiyo; Samuel Mutisya; Benard Gituku; Simon Musila; Scott Carpenter; Jacob R. Goheen (Ecology, 2021)
Biological invasions can lead to the reassembly of communities and understanding and predicting the impacts of exotic species on community structure and functioning are a key challenge in ecology. We investigated the impact of a predatory species of invasive ant, Pheidole megacephala , on the structure and function of a foundational mutualism between Acacia drepanolobium and its associated acacia‐ant community in an East African savanna. Invasion by P. megacephala was associated with the extirpation of three extrafloral nectar‐dependent Crematogaster acacia ant species and strong increases in the abundance of a competitively subordinate and locally rare acacia ant species, Tetraponera penzigi , which does not depend on host plant nectar. Using a combination of long‐term monitoring of invasion dynamics, observations and experiments, we demonstrate that P. megacephala directly and indirectly facilitates T. penzigi by reducing the abundance of T. penzigi ’s competitors ( Crematogaster spp.), imposing recruitment limitation on these competitors, and generating a landscape of low‐reward host plants that favor colonization and establishment by the strongly dispersing T. penzigi . Seasonal variation in use of host plants by P. megacephala may further increase the persistence of T. penzigi colonies in invaded habitat. The persistence of the T. penzigi–A. drepanolobium symbiosis in invaded areas afforded host plants some protection against herbivory by elephants ( Loxodonta africana ), a key browser that reduces tree cover. However, elephant damage on T. penzigi ‐occupied trees was higher in invaded than in uninvaded areas, likely owing to reduced T. penzigi colony size in invaded habitats. Our results reveal the mechanisms underlying the disruption of this mutualism and suggest that P. megacephala invasion may drive long‐term declines in tree cover, despite the partial persistence of the ant–acacia symbiosis in invaded areas.

Surviving Heatwaves: Thermal Experience Predicts Life and Death in a Southern Ocean Diatom - Toby Samuels; Tatiana A. Rynearson; Sinéad Collins (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021)
Extreme environmental fluctuations such as marine heatwaves (MHWs) can have devastating effects on ecosystem health and functioning through rapid population declines and destabilization of trophic interactions. However, recent studies have highlighted that population tolerance to MHWs is variable, with some populations even benefitting from MHWs. A number of factors can explain variation in responses between populations including their genetic variation, previous thermal experience and the cumulative heatwave intensity (°C d) of the heatwave itself. We disentangle the contributions of these factors on population mortality and post-heatwave growth rates by experimentally simulating heatwaves (7.5 or 9.2°C, for up to 9 days) for three genotypes of the Southern Ocean diatom Actinocyclus actinochilus . The effects of simulated heatwaves on mortality and population growth rates varied with genotype, thermal experience and the cumulative intensity of the heatwave itself. Firstly, hotter and longer heatwaves increased mortality and decreased post-heatwave growth rates relative to milder, shorter heatwaves. Secondly, growth above the thermal optimum before heatwaves exacerbated heatwave-associated negative effects, leading to increased mortality during heatwaves and slower growth after heatwaves. Thirdly, hotter and longer heatwaves resulted in more pronounced changes to thermal optima (T opt ) immediately following heatwaves. Finally, there is substantial intraspecific variation in post-heatwave growth rates. Our findings shed light on the potential of Southern Ocean diatoms to tolerate MHWs, which will increase both in frequency and in intensity under future climate change.

Designing a conserved peptide-based subunit vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 using immunoinformatics approach - Elijah Kolawole Oladipo; Ayodeji Folorunsho Ajayi; Olugbenga Samson Onile; Olumuyiwa Elijah Ariyo; Esther Moradeyo Jimah; Louis Odinakaose Ezediuno; Oluwadunsin Iyanuoluwa Adebayo; Emmanuel Tayo Adebayo; Aduragbemi Noah Odeyemi; Marvellous Oluwaseun Oyeleke; Moyosoluwa Precious Oyewole; Ayomide Samuel Oguntomi; et al. (In Silico Pharmacology, 2021)

Occurrence of milk and egg allergens in foodstuffs in Canada - Emilie Manny; Sébastien La Vieille; Virginie Barrere; Jérémie Theolier; Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy (Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2021)

Improving Performance Criteria in the Water Resource Systems Based on Fuzzy Approach - Mohammad H. Golmohammadi; Hamid R. Safavi; Samuel Sandoval-Solis; Mahmood Fooladi (Water Resources Management, 2021)

Inhibitory effect of cathepsin K inhibitor (ODN-MK-0822) on invasion, migration and adhesion of human breast cancer cells in vitro - Yaongamphi Vashum; Riya Premsingh; Amuthavalli Kottaiswamy; Mathangi Soma; Abirami Padmanaban; Parkavi Kalaiselvan; Shila Samuel (Molecular Biology Reports, 2021)

Accelerometry as an objective measure of upper-extremity activity - Samuel Larrivée; Emma Avery; Jeff Leiter; Jason Old (Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 2021)

Target region sequencing and applications in plants - Alexandra Ostezan; Samuel Clay McDonald; Dung Thuy Tran; Renan Silva E Souza; Zenglu Li (Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology, 2021)

Estimation of evapotranspiration and single and dual crop coefficients of acai palm in the Eastern Amazon (Brazil) using the Bowen ratio system - Denis de Pinho Sousa; Thiago Feliph Silva Fernandes; Lucas Belém Tavares; Vivian Dielly da Silva Farias; Marcus José Alves de Lima; Hildo Giuseppe Garcia Caldas Nunes; Deborah Luciany Pires Costa; Samuel Ortega-Farias; Paulo Jorge de Oliveira Ponte Souza (Irrigation Science, 2021)

Molecular phylogeny of the phytoparasitic mite family Phytoptidae (Acariformes: Eriophyoidea) identified the female genitalic anatomy as a major macroevolutionary factor and revealed multiple origins of gall induction - Philipp E. Chetverikov; Charnie Craemer; Tatjana Cvrković; Pavel B. Klimov; Radmila U. Petanović; Anna E. Romanovich; Sogdiana I. Sukhareva; Sarah N. Zukoff; Samuel Bolton; James Amrine (Experimental and Applied Acarology, 2021)

Does the Size Structure of Venerid Clam Populations Affect Ecosystem Functions on Intertidal Sandflats? - Samuel Thomas; Conrad A. Pilditch; Simon F. Thrush; Federico Baltar; Josie A. Crawshaw; Blair Thomson; Candida Savage (Estuaries and Coasts, 2021)

Assessment of the environmental impacts associated with vineyards and winemaking. A case study in mountain areas - Amanda Laca; Samuel Gancedo; Adriana Laca; Mario Díaz (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021)

Bioaccumulation and toxic potencies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in freshwater biota from the Ogbese River, Nigeria - Isaac Ayodele Ololade; Nurudeen Abiola Oladoja; Oluwaranti Olubunmi Ololade; Toyin Dunsin Saliu; Adenike Bosede Alabi; Samuel Babatunde Obadawo; Mayowa Monday Anifowose (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2021)

Source apportionment, contamination levels, and spatial prediction of potentially toxic elements in selected soils of the Czech Republic - Prince Chapman Agyeman; Samuel Kudjo Ahado; John Kingsley; Ndiye Michael Kebonye; James Kobina Mensah Biney; Luboš Borůvka; Radim Vasat; Martin Kocarek (Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 2021)

Effectiveness of diet and physical activity interventions amongst adults attending colorectal and breast cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Samuel T. Orange; Kirsty M. Hicks; John M. Saxton (Cancer Causes & Control, 2021)
Purpose To estimate the effectiveness of tailored physical activity and dietary interventions amongst adults attending colorectal and breast cancer screening. Methods Five literature databases were systematically searched to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of tailored physical activity and/or dietary interventions with follow-up support initiated through colorectal and breast cancer screening programmes. Outcomes included markers of body fatness, physical activity, and dietary intake. Mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random effects models. Results Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria encompassing a total of 722 participants. Diet and physical activity interventions led to statistically significant reductions in body mass (MD − 1.6 kg, 95% CI − 2.7 to − 0.39 kg; I 2 = 81%; low quality evidence), body mass index (MD − 0.78 kg/m 2 , 95% CI − 1.1 to − 0.50 kg/m 2 ; I 2 = 21%; moderate quality evidence), and waist circumference (MD − 2.9 cm, 95% CI − 3.8 to − 1.91; I 2 = 0%; moderate quality evidence), accompanied by an increase in physical activity (SMD 0.31, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.50; I 2 = 0%; low quality evidence) and fruit and vegetable intake (SMD 0.33, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.64; I 2 = 51%; low quality evidence). Conclusion There is low quality evidence that lifestyle interventions involving follow-up support lead to modest weight loss and increased physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. Due to the modest intervention effects, low quality of evidence and small number of studies, further rigorously designed RCTs with long-term follow-up of modifiable risk factors and embedded cost–benefit analyses are warranted (PROSPERO ref: CRD42020179960).

Biochar affects taxonomic and functional community composition of protists - Rasit Asiloglu; Solomon Oloruntoba Samuel; Bahar Sevilir; Muhittin Onur Akca; Pinar Acar Bozkurt; Kazuki Suzuki; Jun Murase; Oguz Can Turgay; Naoki Harada (Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2021)

Correction to: Widespread army ant aversion among East African jumping spiders (Salticidae) - Ximena J. Nelson; Samuel Aguilar-Arguello; Robert R. Jackson (Journal of Ethology, 2021)
The article Widespread army ant aversion among East African jumping spiders (Salticidae)

The “Rzehakia beds” on the northern shelf of the Pannonian Basin: biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental implications - Andrej Ruman; Stjepan Ćorić; Eva Halásová; Mathias Harzhauser; Natália Hudáčková; Michal Jamrich; Marcus Palzer-Khomenko; Mathias Kranner; Oleg Mandic; Samuel Rybár; Vladimír Šimo; Michal Šujan; et al. (Facies, 2021)

Detection of multiple viruses in oropharyngeal samples from Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) using viral metagenomics - Samuel Paulo Cibulski; Francisco Esmaile de Sales Lima; Thais Fumaco Teixeira; Ana Paula Muterle Varela; Camila Mengue Scheffer; Fabiana Quoos Mayer; André Alberto Witt; Paulo Michel Roehe (Archives of Virology, 2021)

Impact of land use/land cover change on stream flow in the Shaya catchment of Ethiopia using the MIKE SHE model - Mesfin Reta Aredo; Samuel Dagalo Hatiye; Santosh Murlidhar Pingale (Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2021)

Fisher Shannon analysis of drought/wetness episodes along a rainfall gradient in Northeast Brazil - Antonio Samuel Alves da Silva; Rômulo Simões Cezar Menezes; Luciano Telesca; Borko Stosic; Tatijana Stosic (International Journal of Climatology, 2021)
We applied the informational approach of the Fisher‐Shannon method to study the time series of Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) derived from monthly rainfall data at 133 gauging stations in Northeast (NE) Brazil. The climate in the study region ranges from tropical humid in the coastal area Zona de Mata to tropical semiarid inland Sertão , passing through a sub‐humid transition region Agreste . The time span is from 1962 to 2012, and SPI was calculated for 1, 3, 6, and 12 ‐ month time scales. We calculate information quantifiers Shannon entropy power (SEP) and Fisher information measure (FIM) that quantify signal disorder and structural organization, respectively, and define its position in the Fisher Shannon plane (FS). We find that the SPI‐1 series that describes short term dry/wet conditions display a higher degree of organization (higher FIM) and a lower degree of disorder (lower SEP) than SPI's that describe medium and long term conditions (SPI‐3, SPI‐6, and SPI‐12). By analysing the spatial distribution of information quantifiers, we find that short term dry/wet conditions (SPI‐1) show the lowest disorder and highest organization degree in the deep inland Sertão region and highest disorder and lowest organization degree in the coastal Zona de Mata region, while long term conditions (SPI‐12) show the opposite trend. For medium‐term conditions (SPI‐3 and SPI‐6), the SEP is highest and FIM lowest in the transition sub‐humid Agreste region. Our findings indicate that information theory‐based methods, particularly FS have the potential to discriminate among different climatic regimes.

Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Soil Water Storage Using a Distributed Hydrological Model - Nayara P. V. Andrade; Marcelo R. Viola; Samuel Beskow; Tamara L. Caldeira; Li Guo; Carlos R. Mello (Water Resources Management, 2020)

Ecosystem Functioning of Great Salt Lake Wetlands - Maya C. Pendleton; Samuel Sedgwick; Karin M. Kettenring; Trisha B. Atwood (Wetlands, 2020)

Biomass-glycerol briquettes are not necessarily mechanically stable and energetically effective - Bruno Rafael de Almeida Moreira; Ronaldo da Silva Viana; Samuel Dias Moreira; Monique dos Santos Lima; Anderson Chagas Magalhães; Celso Tadao Miasaki; José Claudio Caraschi (Waste Disposal & Sustainable Energy, 2020)

Leaf hydraulic properties are decoupled from leaf area across coffee species - Rafael Mauri; Amanda A. Cardoso; Mariela M. da Silva; Leonardo A. Oliveira; Rodrigo T. Avila; Samuel C. V. Martins; Fábio M. DaMatta (Trees, 2020)

Contamination issues in sachet and bottled water in Nigeria: a mini-review - Oluwaseun J. Ajala; Joshua O. Ighalo; Adewale George Adeniyi; Samuel Ogunniyi; Comfort Abidemi Adeyanju (Sustainable Water Resources Management, 2020)

Applying information for national adaptation planning and decision making: present and future practice in the Pacific Islands - Kate Morioka; Madeleine McGann; Samuel Mackay; Brendan Mackey (Regional Environmental Change, 2020)

Systematic review and meta-analysis of PIT tagging effects on mortality and growth of juvenile salmonids - Knut Wiik Vollset; Robert J. Lennox; Eva B. Thorstad; Samuel Auer; Kerstin Bär; Martin H. Larsen; Shad Mahlum; Joacim Näslund; Henrik Stryhn; Ian Dohoo (Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 2020)
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the appropriate tag:fish size ratio when tagging juvenile salmonids (genera Oncorhynchus , Salmo , and Salvelinus ). The review yielded 18 publications with 211 control and treatment groups reporting results from laboratory studies on the effects of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, plus a small number of additional studies on acoustic transmitters. A meta-analysis of the PIT tagging studies showed significant heterogeneity among studies with respect to mortality. Meta-regression revealed that juvenile salmonid mortality increased curvilinearly with the tag:fish length ratio, indicating that mortality risk is rapidly enhanced as smaller fish or larger tag sizes are used. The tag:fish length ratio effect on daily length or mass gain increased linearly. The results provide an estimate of the effects of the tag:fish length ratio on mortality and growth parameters in juvenile salmonids. Based on this, we suggest that researchers can follow best practices for tagging juvenile salmonids with tags that are not greater than 17.5% of fish total length (TL). This equates a minimum size threshold of 131 mm TL for tagging salmonids with 23-mm PIT tags, and 69 mm TL with 12-mm PIT tags. This information can assist researchers, managers, and welfare agencies striving to use the best possible evidence to make informed decisions regarding fish tagging.

Impaired thermoregulation in spontaneously hypertensive rats during physical exercise is related to reduced hypothalamic neuronal activation - Lucas Rios Drummond; Helton Oliveira Campos; Paulo Marcelo de Andrade Lima; Cletiana Gonçalves da Fonseca; Ana Cançado Kunstetter; Quezia Teixeira Rodrigues; Raphael Escorsim Szawka; Antônio José Natali; Thales Nicolau Prímola-Gomes; Samuel Penna Wanner; Cândido Celso Coimbra (Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology, 2020)

DNA barcoding and species delimitation of butterflies (Lepidoptera) from Nigeria - Lotanna Micah Nneji; Adeniyi Charles Adeola; Adeola Oluwakemi Ayoola; Segun Olayinka Oladipo; Yun-Yu Wang; Yoila D. Malann; Okorie Anyaele; Ifeanyi Christopher Nneji; Md Mizanur Rahman; Caroline Samuel Olory (Molecular Biology Reports, 2020)

Structural equation modeling and GIS application into non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of the phreatic aquifers of the south-western coastal basin-Ghana - Robert Kofi Yankey; Geophrey Kwame Anornu; Emmanuel Kwame Appiah-Adjei; Shiloh Kwabena Osae; Samuel Yao Ganyaglo (Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 2020)

Impact of Mother Plant Saline Stress on the Agronomical Quality of Pepper Seeds - Carolina Pezo; Samuel Valdebenito; M. Fernanda Flores; Eduardo Oyanedel; Kooichi Vidal; Alexander Neaman; Patricia Peñaloza (Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2020)

Dominant Control of Macroporosity on Saturated Soil Hydraulic Conductivity at Multiple Scales and Locations Revealed by Wavelet Analyses - Luana Nunes Centeno; Wei Hu; Luís Carlos Timm; Dongli She; Arlan da Silva Ferreira; Willian Silva Barros; Samuel Beskow; Tamara Leitzke Caldeira (Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2020)

Long-term effects of empagliflozin on excitation-contraction-coupling in human induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes - Steffen Pabel; Florian Reetz; Nataliya Dybkova; Orr Shomroni; Gabriela Salinas; Julian Mustroph; Karin P. Hammer; Gerd Hasenfuss; Nazha Hamdani; Lars S. Maier; Katrin Streckfuss-Bömeke; Samuel Sossalla (Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2020)
The SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin improved cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes. As the cardiac mechanisms remain elusive, we investigated the long-term effects (up to 2 months) of empagliflozin on excitation-contraction (EC)-coupling in human cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CM) in a blinded manner. IPSC from 3 donors, differentiated into pure iPSC-CM (4 differentiations), were treated with a clinically relevant concentration of empagliflozin (0.5 μmol/l) or vehicle control. Treatment, data acquisition, and analysis were conducted externally blinded. Epifluorescence microscopy measurements in iPSC-CM showed that empagliflozin has neutral effects on Ca 2+ transient amplitude, diastolic Ca 2+ levels, Ca 2+ transient kinetics, or sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ load after 2 weeks or 8 weeks of treatment. Confocal microscopy determining possible effects on proarrhythmogenic diastolic Ca 2+ release events showed that in iPSC-CM, Ca 2+ spark frequency and leak was not altered after chronic treatment with empagliflozin. Finally, in patch-clamp experiments, empagliflozin did not change action potential duration, amplitude, or resting membrane potential compared with vehicle control after long-term treatment. Next-generation RNA sequencing (NGS) and mapped transcriptome profiles of iPSC-CMs untreated and treated with empagliflozin for 8 weeks showed no differentially expressed EC-coupling genes. In line with NGS data, Western blots indicate that empagliflozin has negligible effects on key EC-coupling proteins. In this blinded study, direct treatment of iPSC-CM with empagliflozin for a clinically relevant duration of 2 months did not influence cardiomyocyte EC-coupling and electrophysiology. Therefore, it is likely that other mechanisms independent of cardiomyocyte EC-coupling are responsible for the beneficial treatment effect of empagliflozin. Key messages This blinded study investigated the clinically relevant long-term effects (up to 2 months) of empagliflozin on cardiomyocyte excitation-contraction (EC)-coupling. Human cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CM) were used to study a human model including a high repetition number of experiments. Empagliflozin has neutral effects on cardiomyocyte Ca 2+ transients, sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ load, and diastolic sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ leak. In patch-clamp experiments, empagliflozin did not change the action potential. Next-generation RNA sequencing, mapped transcriptome profiles, and Western blots of iPSC-CM untreated and treated with empagliflozin showed no differentially expressed EC-coupling candidates.

Investigation of anomalous propagation conditions in Central and West African stations using high-resolution GPS radiosonde observations - Samuel Kaissassou; A Lenouo; R S Tanessong; Kamsu Tamo; A Vondou; W Pokam; J Kanko (Journal of Earth System Science, 2020)

Comparison of heat-illness associations estimated with different temperature metrics in the Australian Capital Territory, 2006–2016 - Samuel Ross McEwen; Marlena Kaczmarek; Rebecca Hundy; Aparna Lal (International Journal of Biometeorology, 2020)

Integrated metabolomics reveals altered lipid metabolism in adipose tissue in a model of extreme longevity - Justin Darcy; Yimin Fang; Samuel McFadden; Matthew D. Lynes; Luiz O. Leiria; Jonathan M. Dreyfuss; Valerie Bussburg; Vladimir Tolstikov; Bennett Greenwood; Niven R. Narain; Michael A. Kiebish; Andrzej Bartke; et al. (GeroScience, 2020)

Sex-specific responses to competitive environment in the mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki - Samuel Brookes; Maider Iglesias-Carrasco; Loeske E. B. Kruuk; Megan L. Head (Evolutionary Ecology, 2020)

Trade and environmental pollution in Africa: accounting for consumption and territorial-based emissions - Samuel Adams; Eric Evans Osei Opoku (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020)
This paper employs a recently constructed consumption-based carbon dioxide emissions data in which emissions computations are made based on fossil fuel usage domestically, in addition to emissions emanating from imports minus exports. We contrast this measure with the commonly measured territory-based carbon dioxide emissions data and examine how trade performance (split into imports, exports, and total trade) impacts these two measures of carbon dioxide. We focus on 22 sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1995–2014. Employing the system generalized method of moments, we find trade to generally have positive effect on emissions. The results are consistent across the different measures of trade and carbon dioxide emissions. The results of the paper allow us to give some policy suggestions regarding carbon dioxide emissions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Early warning systems development for agricultural drought assessment in Nigeria - Oluwatola Adedeji; Adeyemi Olusola; Godstime James; Halilu Ahmad Shaba; Israel Ropo Orimoloye; Sudhir Kumar Singh; Samuel Adelabu (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2020)

Radiometric evaluation of indoor radon levels with influence of building characteristics in residential homes from southwestern Nigeria - Kehinde Aladeniyi; Adeseye Muyiwa Arogunjo; Alcides J. S. C. Pereira; Oladele Samuel Ajayi; Ibiyinka Agboola Fuwape (Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2020)

Liquid crystalline nanodispersion functionalized with cell-penetrating peptides improves skin penetration and anti-inflammatory effect of lipoic acid after in vivo skin exposure to UVB radiation - Patrícia Mazureki Campos; Fabíola Garcia Praça; Samuel Vidal Mussi; Sônia Aparecida Figueiredo; Márcia Carvalho de Abreu Fantini; Maria José Vieira Fonseca; Vladimir P. Torchilin; Maria Vitória Lopes Badra Bentley (Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2020)

Canine papillomavirus type 16 associated to squamous cell carcinoma in a dog: virological and pathological findings - Christian D. B. T. Alves; Matheus N. Weber; Lorena L. B. Guimarães; Samuel P. Cibulski; Flávio R. C. da Silva; Cíntia Daudt; Renata F. Budaszewski; Mariana S. Silva; Fabiana Q. Mayer; Ronaldo M. Bianchi; Claiton Ismael Schwertz; Carine R. Stefanello; et al. (Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 2020)

Pseudoneotachidius sinuspersici gen. et sp. nov., a new member of the family Tachidiidae Boeck, 1865 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) from Iran - Fatemeh Nazari; Omid Mirshamsi; Alireza Sari; Mansour Aliabadian; Samuel Gomez (Marine Biodiversity, 2020)

Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene mutations and its association with epilepsy: a single centre study from the Indian subcontinent - Payal Kamdar; Maya Thomas; Sangeetha Yoganathan; Karthik Muthusamy; Beena Koshy; Samuel Philip Oommen; Rekha Aaron; Anitha Barney; Suneetha Susan C. Abraham; Sumita Danda (Journal of Genetics, 2020)

The potential and efficacy of Allium sativum leaf lectin (ASAL) against sap-sucking insect pests of transgenic maize - Muhammad Umar Bhatti; Saman Riaz; Nida Toufiq; Olawale Samuel Adeyinka; Anwar Khan; Iqra Yousaf; Muhammad Tariq; Shahid Murtaza; Idrees Ahmad Nasir; Bushra Tabassum (Biologia, 2020)

Impact of Hot Water and Alkaline Pre-treatments in Cellulosic Ethanol Production from Banana Pseudostem - Isadora Ferreira da Silva; Luciana Reis Fontinelle Souto; Samuel R. A. Collins; Adam Elliston; José Humberto de Queiroz; Keith W. Waldron (BioEnergy Research, 2020)

Predicting biodiversity richness in rapidly changing landscapes: climate, low human pressure or protection as salvation? - David W. Macdonald; Luca Chiaverini; Helen M. Bothwell; Żaneta Kaszta; Eric Ash; Gilmoore Bolongon; Özgün Emre Can; Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz; Phan Channa; Gopalasamy Reuben Clements; Andrew J. Hearn; Laurie Hedges; et al. (Biodiversity and Conservation, 2020)
Rates of biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia are among the highest in the world, and the Indo-Burma and South-Central China Biodiversity Hotspots rank among the world’s most threatened. Developing robust multi-species conservation models is critical for stemming biodiversity loss both here and globally. We used a large and geographically extensive remote-camera survey and multi-scale, multivariate optimization species distribution modelling to investigate the factors driving biodiversity across these two adjoining biodiversity hotspots. Four major findings emerged from the work. (i) We identified clear spatial patterns of species richness, with two main biodiverse centres in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and in the mountainous region of Southwest China. (ii) Carnivores in particular, and large ungulates to a lesser degree, were the strongest indicators of species richness. (iii) Climate had the largest effect on biodiversity, followed by protected status and human footprint. (iv) Gap analysis between the biodiversity model and the current system of protected areas revealed that the majority of areas supporting the highest predicted biodiversity are not protected. Our results highlighted several key locations that should be prioritized for expanding the protected area network to maximize conservation effectiveness. We demonstrated the importance of switching from single-species to multi-species approaches to highlight areas of high priority for biodiversity conservation. In addition, since these areas mostly occur over multiple countries, we also advocate for a paradigmatic focus on transboundary conservation planning.

The Effect of Muscle Activation on Head Kinematics During Non-injurious Head Impacts in Human Subjects - Kristen A. Reynier; Ahmed Alshareef; Erin J. Sanchez; Daniel F. Shedd; Samuel R. Walton; Nicholas K. Erdman; Benjamin T. Newman; J. Sebastian Giudice; Michael J. Higgins; James R. Funk; Donna K. Broshek; Thomas J. Druzgal; et al. (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 2020)

Identification of Tetraploid Potato Clones with Good Processing Quality among Genotypes with Reduced Zebra Chip Disease Symptomatology - Samuel J. Vigue; Douglas C. Scheuring; Jeffrey W. Koym; Charles M. Rush; Fekede Workneh; Cecilia Tamborindeguy; J. Creighton Miller; David S. Douches; Richard G. Novy; M. Isabel Vales (American Journal of Potato Research, 2020)

North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone activity in CMIP5 experiments: Future projections using a model‐independent detection and tracking scheme - Samuel S. Bell; Savin S. Chand; Kevin J. Tory; Hua Ye; Chris Turville (International Journal of Climatology, 2020)
The sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) projection results to different models and the detection and tracking scheme used is well established. In this study, future climate projections of TC activity in the North Indian Ocean (NIO) are assessed with a model‐ and basin‐independent detection and tracking scheme. The scheme is applied to selected models from the coupled model intercomparison project phase 5 (CMIP5) experiments forced under the historical and representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) conditions. Most models underestimated the frequency of early season (April–June) TCs and contained genesis biases equatorward of ~7.5°N in comparison to the historical records. TC tracks detected in reanalysis and model data were input to a clustering algorithm simultaneously, with two clusters in the Arabian Sea and two in the Bay of Bengal ( k = 4). Projection results indicated a slight decrease of overall TC genesis frequency in the NIO, with an increase of TC genesis frequency in the Arabian Sea (30–64%) and a decrease in the Bay of Bengal (22–43%), consistent between clusters in each of these sub‐regions. These changes were largely due to changes in the pre‐monsoon season (April–June) where Bay of Bengal TCs significantly decreased, consistent with changes in vertical ascent. Northern Arabian Sea TCs significantly increased during the pre‐monsoon season, consistent with changes in vertical wind shear and relative humidity. There was a projected increase of TC frequency in the post‐monsoon season (October–December), consistent with changes in relative humidity and vertical ascent, although not all clusters followed this trend; noting a different response in the southern Bay of Bengal. In turn, these projections caused changes to the climate averaged TC track density, including a decrease (up to 2 TCs per decade) affecting the eastern coast of India and a small increase (up to 0.5 TCs per decade) affecting eastern Africa, Oman and Yemen.

Determining the prevalence, identity and possible origin of bacterial pathogens in soil - Jacopo Ferraresso; Benedict Lawton; Sion Bayliss; Samuel Sheppard; Barbara Cardazzo; Will Gaze; Angus Buckling; Michiel Vos (Environmental Microbiology, 2020)
Summary Soil biomes are vast, exceptionally diverse and crucial to the health of ecosystems and societies. Soils also contain an appreciable, but understudied, diversity of opportunistic human pathogens. With climate change and other forms of environmental degradation potentially increasing exposure risks to soilborne pathogens, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of their ecological drivers. Here we use the Galleria mellonella insect virulence model to selectively isolate pathogenic bacteria from soils in Cornwall (UK). We find a high prevalence of pathogenic soil bacteria with two genera, Providencia and Serratia, being especially common. Providencia alcalifaciens , P. rustigianii, Serratia liquefaciens and S. plymuthica strains were studied in more detail using phenotypic virulence and antibiotic resistance assays and whole‐genome sequencing. Both genera displayed low levels of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic resistance gene carriage. However, Serratia isolates were found to carry the recently characterized metallo‐β‐lactamase bla SPR‐1 that, although not conferring high levels of resistance in these strains, poses a potential risk of horizontal transfer to other pathogens where it could be fully functional. The Galleria assay can be a useful approach to uncover the distribution and identity of pathogenic bacteria in the environment, as well as uncover resistance genes with an environmental origin.

Long‐term trends (1958–2017) in snow cover duration and depth in the Pyrenees - J. I. López‐Moreno; Jean Michel Soubeyroux; Simon Gascoin; E. Alonso‐Gonzalez; Nuria Durán‐Gómez; Matthieu Lafaysse; Matthieu Vernay; Carlo Carmagnola; Samuel Morin (International Journal of Climatology, 2020)
This study investigated the temporal variability and changes in snow cover duration and the average snow depth from December to April in the Pyrenees at 1,500 and 2,100 m a.s.l. for the period 1958–2017. This is the first such analysis for the entire mountain range using SAFRAN‐Crocus simulations run for this specific purpose. The SAFRAN‐Crocus simulations were evaluated for the period 1980–2016 using 28 in situ snow depth data time series, and for the period 2000–2017 using MODIS observations of the snow cover duration. Following confirmation that the simulated snow series satisfactorily reproduced the observed evolution of the snowpack, the Mann–Kendall test showed that snow cover duration and average depth decreased during the full study period, but this was only statistically significant at 2,100 m a.s.l. The temporal evolution in the snow series indicated marked differences among massifs, elevations, and snow variables. In general, the most western massifs of the French Pyrenees underwent a greater decrease in the snowpack, while in some eastern massifs the snowpack did not decrease, and in some cases increased at 1,500 m a.s.l. The results suggest that the trends were consistent over time, as they were little affected by the start and end year of the study period, except if trends are computed only starting after 1980, when no significant trends were apparent. Most of the observed negative trends were not correlated with changes in the atmospheric circulation patterns during the snow season. This suggests that the continuous warming in the Pyrenees since the beginning of the industrial period, and particularly the sharp increase since 1955, is a major driver explaining the snow cover decline in the Pyrenees.

Physicochemical Changes of Surimi Gels with Addition of Different Particle Sizes of Citrus Peel Fiber - Abdulhakim Sharaf Eddin; Samuel Adegoke; Aseel T. Issa; Cassidy Wilson; Reza Tahergorabi (Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 2020)

Projected Effects of Climate-Induced Changes in Hydrodynamics on the Biogeochemistry of the Mediterranean Sea Under the RCP 8.5 Regional Climate Scenario - Rémi Pagès; Melika Baklouti; Nicolas Barrier; Mohamed Ayache; Florence Sevault; Samuel Somot; Thierry Moutin (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2020)

Update on Peste des petits ruminants status in South East Nigeria: serological and farmers’ awareness investigation, and potential risk factors - Ijeoma Chekwube Chukwudi; Kenneth Ikejiofor Ogbu; Adaeze Lilian Nwabueze; Olushola Samuel Olaolu; Emmanuel Ikenna Ugochukwu; Kennedy Foinkfu Chah (Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2020)

Beyond abstinence and relapse: cluster analysis of drug-use patterns during treatment as an outcome measure for clinical trials - Leigh V. Panlilio; Samuel W. Stull; Jeremiah W. Bertz; Albert J. Burgess-Hull; William J. Kowalczyk; Karran A. Phillips; David H. Epstein; Kenzie L. Preston (Psychopharmacology, 2020)

Transcriptome analysis of Eucalyptus grandis genotypes reveals constitutive overexpression of genes related to rust (Austropuccinia psidii) resistance - Samuel A. Santos; Pedro M. P. Vidigal; Lúcio M. S. Guimarães; Reginaldo G. Mafia; Matthew D. Templeton; Acelino C. Alfenas (Plant Molecular Biology, 2020)

Haplotype of RNASE 3 polymorphisms is associated with severe malaria in an Indian population - Benudhar Mukhi; Himanshu Gupta; Samuel C. Wassmer; Anupkumar R. Anvikar; Susanta Kumar Ghosh (Molecular Biology Reports, 2020)

Loss of the nutrient receptor Tas1R3 reduces atherosclerotic plaque accumulation and hepatic steatosis in ApoE−/− mice - Shayla S. Shojaat; Samuel Engman; Jason Hofferber; Faithe Keomanivong; Eric M. Wauson (Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, 2020)

dietr: an R package for calculating fractional trophic levels from quantitative and qualitative diet data - Samuel R. Borstein (Hydrobiologia, 2020)

First report of heavy metal presence in muscular tissue of loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Balearic Sea (Balearic Islands, Spain) - Maria Febrer-Serra; Emanuela Renga; Gloria Fernández; Nil Lassnig; Silvia Tejada; Xavier Capó; Samuel Pinya; Antoni Sureda (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020)

Rethinking electricity consumption and economic growth nexus in Turkey: environmental pros and cons - Mfonobong Udom Etokakpan; Olawumi Abeni Osundina; Festus Victor Bekun; Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020)

In vivo comparison of the proangiogenic properties of chlordecone and three of its dechlorinated derivatives formed by in situ chemical reduction - Eid Alabed Alibrahim; Samuel Legeay; Pierre-André Billat; Emmanuelle Bichon; Ingrid Guiffard; Jean-Philippe Antignac; Pierre Legras; Jérôme Roux; Sébastien Bristeau; Nicolas Clere; Sébastien Faure; Christophe Mouvet (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020)

Cause of death variation under the shared socioeconomic pathways - Samuel Sellers (Climatic Change, 2020)

Brain connections derived from diffusion MRI tractography can be highly anatomically accurate—if we know where white matter pathways start, where they end, and where they do not go - Kurt G. Schilling; Laurent Petit; Francois Rheault; Samuel Remedios; Carlo Pierpaoli; Adam W. Anderson; Bennett A. Landman; Maxime Descoteaux (Brain Structure and Function, 2020)

The SoNAP gene from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) encodes a senescence-associated NAC transcription factor involved in response to osmotic and salt stress - Evelyn A. Carrillo-Bermejo; Samuel David Gamboa-Tuz; Alejandro Pereira-Santana; Miguel A. Keb-Llanes; Enrique Castaño; Luis Joel Figueroa-Yañez; Luis C. Rodriguez-Zapata (Journal of Plant Research, 2020)

Genomic analysis of Caldalkalibacillus thermarum TA2.A1 reveals aerobic alkaliphilic metabolism and evolutionary hallmarks linking alkaliphilic bacteria and plant life - Samuel I. de Jong; Marcel A. van den Broek; Alexander Y. Merkel; Pilar de la Torre Cortes; Falk Kalamorz; Gregory M. Cook; Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht; Duncan G. G. McMillan (Extremophiles, 2020)
The aerobic thermoalkaliphile Caldalkalibacillus thermarum strain TA2.A1 is a member of a separate order of alkaliphilic bacteria closely related to the Bacillales order. Efforts to relate the genomic information of this evolutionary ancient organism to environmental adaptation have been thwarted by the inability to construct a complete genome. The existing draft genome is highly fragmented due to repetitive regions, and gaps between and over repetitive regions were unbridgeable. To address this, Oxford Nanopore Technology’s MinION allowed us to span these repeats through long reads, with over 6000-fold coverage. This resulted in a single 3.34 Mb circular chromosome. The profile of transporters and central metabolism gives insight into why the organism prefers glutamate over sucrose as carbon source. We propose that the deamination of glutamate allows alkalization of the immediate environment, an excellent example of how an extremophile modulates environmental conditions to suit its own requirements. Curiously, plant-like hallmark electron transfer enzymes and transporters are found throughout the genome, such as a cytochrome b 6 c 1 complex and a CO 2 -concentrating transporter. In addition, multiple self-splicing group II intron-encoded proteins closely aligning to those of a telomerase reverse transcriptase in Arabidopsis thaliana were revealed. Collectively, these features suggest an evolutionary relationship to plant life.