Mutualisms within light microhabitats are associated with sensory convergence in a mimetic butterfly community.

Niche partitioning within variable habitats can expose species to distinct sensory information. Vision is the primary sensory modality used by many animals to interact with their habitat. However, the role of terrestrial light environment properties in shaping species assemblages and visual system evolution is not fully understood.

Environmental and human factors shape the trophic ecology of a widespread marine predator.

Integrative approaches that investigate trophic ecology drivers provide knowledge to explore and predict changes in food-web dynamics under contrasting scenarios of global change. However, there are few studies that analyse the relationship between environmental factors and trophic interactions and that additionally consider other human stressors such as fisheries. Here, we use Bayesian Stable isotope mixing models to study the trophic ecology of a widespread pelagic predatory fish, the swordfish (Xiphias gladius), in the western Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent Atlantic waters.

Automated and virus variant-programmable surrogate test qualitatively compares to the gold standard SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assay.

The ongoing emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants underscores the need for rapid, adaptable, high-throughput testing. However, assays for neutralizing antibodies, which are a good measure of viral protection, usually require cell culture and either infectious SARS-CoV-2 or pseudotyped viral particles. To circumvent the challenges of cell-based assays, SARS-CoV-2 surrogate virus neutralization tests (sVNTs) measure inhibition of the binding of the spike (S) protein receptor binding domain (RBD) to its receptor, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) by neutralizing antibodies.

Opportunistic Gulls Infected by Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Show Contrasting Movement Behaviour.

The emergence, spread and potential zoonotic importance of pathogenic-resistant bacteria (e.g., ) has fuelled the research on epidemiology and vector movement dynamics.

Ocean Warming Effects on Catch and Revenue Composition in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

Climate change-induced ocean warming can have profound implications for marine ecosystems and the socioeconomic activities dependent on them, affecting the catch composition, and fisheries revenue. Our study evaluates spatio-temporal changes in the Northwestern Mediterranean marine fisheries catch and revenue composition tied to ocean warming and disentangles the different underlying processes. To do so, we analyzed the weighted mean thermal affinity of the catch (Mean Temperature of the Catch: MTC) and revenue (Mean Temperature of Revenue: MTR) across different taxonomic groups, fishing fleets, and fishing harbors, using a 23-year time series of commercial landings.

Chiroptical Signature and Absolute Configuration of Tröger's Base-Based Triangular Macrocycles.

Chiral macrocycles are an attractive subject in supramolecular chemistry because of their proven relevance in appealing applications such as asymmetric catalysis, selective absorption, or chiral recognition. Taking into account the strong topological nature of these topics, the determination of the exact 3D structure of a chiral macrocycle becomes critical to developing all of its potential usages. In this paper, we have addressed the absolute configuration determination of a Tröger's base-based triangular macrocycle, , by means of vibrational and electronic chiroptical spectroscopy with the support of DFT quantum chemistry calculations.

Potential Spatial Mismatches Between Marine Predators and Their Prey in the Southern Hemisphere in Response to Climate Change.

Global change is rapidly reshaping species' habitat suitability ranges, hence leading to significant shifts in the distribution of marine life. Contrasting distributional responses among species can alter the spatial overlap between predators and prey, potentially disrupting trophic interactions and affecting food web dynamics. Here, we evaluate long-term changes in the spatial overlap of habitat suitability ranges for trophically related species, including crustaceans, fish, penguins, and pinnipeds across 12 Large Marine Ecosystems from the Southern Hemisphere, merged into three primary regions: South America, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Oxidation of [3]naphthylenes to cations and dications converts local paratropicity into global diatropicity.

Oxidized states of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are of importance as they represent charged conductive species in organic semiconductor substrates. In this work, we investigated the properties of radical cations and dications of linear and angular [3]naphthylenes, consisting of fused aromatic naphthalenoid and antiaromatic cyclobutadienoid moieties and containing different degrees of paratropicity. Electronic absorption and vibrational Raman spectroscopies were used to describe the more relevant bonding changes.

Annual trends in mercury contamination are associated with changing trophic niches of giant petrels.

Annual variation in prey availability can influence seabird diets and hence their exposure to pollutants, including mercury (Hg). Among seabirds, those species that scavenge carrion of marine mammals and other top predators may be especially vulnerable to accumulating high Hg concentrations. In this study, total Hg (THg) concentrations and carbon (δC) and nitrogen (δN) stable isotope values were measured in chick feathers of northern giant petrels Macronectes halli and southern giant petrels M.

Enhanced lung endothelial glycolysis is implicated in the development of severe pulmonary hypertension in type 2 diabetes.

Metabolic abnormalities in pulmonary endothelial cells are implicated in pulmonary hypertension (PH) while increasing evidence shows the influence of diabetes on progressing PH. In this study, we examined the effect of type 2 diabetes on hypoxia-induced PH and investigated its molecular mechanisms using hypoxia-induced diabetic male mice. Chronic hypoxia led to a more severe PH in type 2 diabetic mice than in control mice.

Transcriptome meta-analysis of Kawasaki disease in humans and mice.

Kawasaki Disease (KD) affects young children less than five years old with severe blood vessel inflammation. Despite being treatable, the causes and mechanisms remain elusive. This study conducted a meta-analysis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from human and animal models to explore KD's transcriptomic profile and evaluate animal models.

Distribution and habitat use by the Audouin's Gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) in anthropized environments.

Human activities provide wildlife with highly abundant and predictable food subsidies, which can affect population dynamics and have wide-ranging ecological impacts. A key ecological question is how species adapt their foraging behaviour to capitalize on these new feeding opportunities. We investigate habitat use by Audouin's Gulls (Ichthyaetus audouinii) off the Western Mediterranean Sea, an opportunistic seabird that has recently expanded to diverse breeding colonies subjected to varying degrees of human influence.

Fish and tips: Historical and projected changes in commercial fish species' habitat suitability in the Southern Hemisphere.

Global warming has significantly altered fish distribution patterns in the ocean, shifting towards higher latitudes and deeper waters. This is particularly relevant in high-latitude marine ecosystems, where climate-driven environmental changes are occurring at higher rates than the global average. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are increasingly being used for predicting distributional shifts in habitat suitability for marine species as a response to climate change.

eNAMPT is a novel therapeutic target for mitigation of coronary microvascular disease in type 2 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Individuals with diabetes are at high risk of cardiovascular complications, which significantly increase morbidity/mortality. Coronary microvascular disease (CMD) is recognised as a critical contributor to the increased cardiac mortality observed in people with diabetes. Therefore, there is an urgent need for treatments that are specific to CMD.

Mercury Concentrations in Feathers of Albatrosses and Large Petrels at South Georgia: Contemporary Patterns and Comparisons with Past Decades.

Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that can negatively impact the health of humans and wildlife. Albatrosses and large petrels show some of the highest levels of Hg contamination among birds, with potential repercussions for reproduction and survival. Here, body feather total Hg (THg) concentrations were determined in breeding adults of five species of albatrosses and large petrels in the foraging guild at South Georgia during the mid-2010s.

A bridge between trust and control: computational workflows meet automated battery cycling.

Compliance with good research data management practices means trust in the integrity of the data, and it is achievable by full control of the data gathering process. In this work, we demonstrate tooling which bridges these two aspects, and illustrate its use in a case study of automated battery cycling. We successfully interface off-the-shelf battery cycling hardware with the computational workflow management software AiiDA, allowing us to control experiments, while ensuring trust in the data by tracking its provenance.

Cross-basin and cross-taxa patterns of marine community tropicalization and deborealization in warming European seas.

Ocean warming and acidification, decreases in dissolved oxygen concentrations, and changes in primary production are causing an unprecedented global redistribution of marine life. The identification of underlying ecological processes underpinning marine species turnover, particularly the prevalence of increases of warm-water species or declines of cold-water species, has been recently debated in the context of ocean warming. Here, we track changes in the mean thermal affinity of marine communities across European seas by calculating the Community Temperature Index for 65 biodiversity time series collected over four decades and containing 1,817 species from different communities (zooplankton, coastal benthos, pelagic and demersal invertebrates and fish).

Climate and human stressors on global penguin hotspots: Current assessments for future conservation.

As charismatic and iconic species, penguins can act as "ambassadors" or flagship species to promote the conservation of marine habitats in the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, there is a lack of reliable, comprehensive, and systematic analysis aimed at compiling spatially explicit assessments of the multiple impacts that the world's 18 species of penguin are facing. We provide such an assessment by combining the available penguin occurrence information from Global Biodiversity Information Facility (>800,000 occurrences) with three main stressors: climate-driven environmental changes at sea, industrial fisheries, and human disturbances on land.

Assessing mercury contamination in Southern Hemisphere marine ecosystems: The role of penguins as effective bioindicators.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant known for its significant bioaccumulation and biomagnification capabilities, posing a particular threat to marine environments. Seabirds have been recognized as effective bioindicators of marine pollution, and, among them, penguins present a unique opportunity to serve as a single taxonomic group (Sphenisciformes) for monitoring Hg across distinct marine ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review of Hg concentrations, and performed a meta-analysis that took into account the various sources of uncertainty associated with Hg contamination in penguins.

Development of automated microfluidic immunoassays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and antigen.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Rapid and sensitive detection of the virus soon after infection is important for the treatment and prevention of transmission of COVID-19, and detection of antibodies is important for epidemiology, assessment of vaccine immunogenicity, and identification of the natural reservoir and intermediate host(s). Patient nasal or oropharyngeal swabs or saliva used in conjunction with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA, whereas lateral flow immunoassays (LFI) detect SARS-CoV-2 proteins.

Retrospective analysis of the pelagic ecosystem of the Western Mediterranean Sea: Drivers, changes and effects.

In the Western Mediterranean Sea, forage fishes have changed in abundance, body condition, growth, reproduction, and distribution in the last decades. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain these changes, including increase in fishing mortality; changes in environmental conditions affecting species fitness, and planktonic productivity and quality; recovery of top predators; and increase in competitors. We investigated the main drivers and changes of the pelagic ecosystem and their effects using an ecosystem-based modelling approach.

Assessing juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) diet as an indicator of marine ecosystem changes in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

To preserve marine biodiversity, we need reliable early warning indicators that inform changes in marine ecosystems. As reliable samplers of mid-trophic level communities, studying the trophodynamics of large pelagic fish can contribute to monitoring these changes. Here, we combined stomach content and stable isotope analyses to reconstruct the diet of juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, in a time-lapse of almost a decade (2012 and 2020).