New records and updated checklist of the seaweeds of the phycologically little-known coast of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

A checklist of the benthic marine algae (seaweeds) of the Emirate of Fujairah is presented, with a total of 38 species: 9 brown algae (Ochrophyta, Phaeophyceae), 23 red algae (Rhodophyta), and 3 green algae (Chlorophyta). Of this number 17 species are new records and are based on samples collected in 2023 in shallow coastal waters with many from floating structures. Earlier records come mostly from intertidal surveys carried out in the late 1990s of open rocky shores that are common along the northern part of the 70 km long coastline of Fujairah.

Iatrogenic transmission of Trypanosoma evansi infection in camels and its consequences.

Trypanosoma evansi infection has started to become a wide spread phenomena around the camel-rearing areas of North Africa and the Middle East. The disease caused by trypanosomes is locally known as "Surra" and it can seriously impact not only the health of domestic animals but the local economy as well. After taking over the management of a farm containing approximately 700 camels, it was found that a large number were suffering from trypanosome infection and it was of the utmost importance to find the source of this infection.

Clinging on the brink: Whole genomes reveal human-induced population declines and severe inbreeding in the Critically Endangered Emirati Leaf-toed Gecko (Asaccus caudivolvulus).

Human-mediated habitat destruction has had a profound impact on increased species extinction rates and population declines worldwide. The coastal development in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the last two decades, serves as an example of how habitat transformation can alter the landscape of a country in just a few years. Here, we study the genomic implications of habitat transformation in the Critically Endangered Emirati Leaf-toed Gecko (Asaccus caudivolvulus), the only endemic vertebrate of the UAE.

Evolution of the polycrisis: Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability.

The Anthropocene is characterized by accelerating change and global challenges of increasing complexity. Inspired by what some have called a polycrisis, we explore whether the human trajectory of increasing complexity and influence on the Earth system could become a form of trap for humanity. Based on an adaptation of the evolutionary traps concept to a global human context, we present results from a participatory mapping.

Disrupting the opportunity narrative: navigating transformation in times of uncertainty and crisis.

Unlabelled: COVID-19 posed threats for health and well-being directly, but it also revealed and exacerbated social-ecological inequalities, worsening hunger and poverty for millions. For those focused on transforming complex and problematic system dynamics, the question was whether such devastation could create a formative moment in which transformative change could become possible. Our study examines the experiences of change agents in six African countries engaged in efforts to create or support transformative change processes.

The lure of novel biological and chemical entities in food-system transformations.

Synthetic chemicals and biologically engineered materials are major forces in today's food systems, but they are also major drivers of the global environmental changes and health challenges that characterize the Anthropocene. To address these challenges, we will need to increase assessment activity, promote alternative production practices with less reliance on such technologies, and regulate social campaigns and experiments.

Influence of PMSG on Superstimulation and Embryo Development Following Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer in Holstein Cows in the United Arab Emirates.

The present study investigated the effect of superstimulation to improve embryo production in the Gulf area, where the temperature is high. Holstein cows were classified into the control and superstimulation groups. Superstimulation was induced with a single intramuscular injection of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG; 2500 IU) on day 14 of the estrus cycle (day 0; estrus).

Systematic molecular analysis of the human secretome and membrane proteome in gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas.

The human secretome and membrane proteome are a large source of cancer biomarkers. Membrane-bound and secreted proteins are promising targets for many clinically approved drugs, including for the treatment of tumours. Here, we report a deep systematic analysis of 957 adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus, stomach, colon and rectum to examine the cancer-associated human secretome and membrane proteome of gastrointestinal tract adenocarcinomas (GIACs).

Comparative evaluation of three different formulas for predicting the parturition date of German Shepherds following somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Several studies have reported methods to estimate the parturition date of dogs using ultrasonographic measurements. However, these prediction models were mainly determined using ultrasonographic measurements of naturally pregnant small- and medium-sized dogs, and no such studies have been performed using dogs carrying cloned fetuses produced via somatic cell nuclear transfer. The present study evaluated the abilities of three reference formulas (Luvoni and Grioni, Milani et al.

Development and pregnancy rates of Camelus dromedarius-cloned embryos derived from in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes.

Objective: The present study evaluated the efficiency of embryo development and pregnancy of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos using different source-matured oocytes in Camelus dromedarius.

Methods: Camelus dromedarius embryos were produced by SCNT using in vivo- and in vitro- matured oocytes. In vitro embryo developmental capacity of reconstructed embryos was evaluated.

Cell Source-Dependent In Vitro Chondrogenic Differentiation Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Established from Bone Marrow and Synovial Fluid of .

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising multipotent cells with applications for cartilage tissue regeneration in stem cell-based therapies. In cartilage regeneration, both bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and synovial fluid (SF-MSCs) are valuable sources. However, the cellular characteristics and chondrocyte differentiation potential were not reported in either of the camel stem cells.

Sustainability transformations: socio-political shocks as opportunities for governance transitions.

Faced with accelerating environmental challenges, research on social-ecological systems is increasingly focused on the need for transformative change towards sustainable stewardship of natural resources. This paper analyses the potential of rapid, large-scale socio-political change as a window of opportunity for transformative change of natural resources governance. We hypothesize that shocks at higher levels of social organization may open up opportunities for transformation of social-ecological systems into new pathways of development.

Adaptive governance, ecosystem management, and natural capital.

To gain insights into the effects of adaptive governance on natural capital, we compare three well-studied initiatives; a landscape in Southern Sweden, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and fisheries in the Southern Ocean. We assess changes in natural capital and ecosystem services related to these social-ecological governance approaches to ecosystem management and investigate their capacity to respond to change and new challenges. The adaptive governance initiatives are compared with other efforts aimed at conservation and sustainable use of natural capital: Natura 2000 in Europe, lobster fisheries in the Gulf of Maine, North America, and fisheries in Europe.

Lessons for resource conservation from two contrasting small-scale fisheries.

Small-scale fisheries present challenges to management due to fishers' dependency on resources and the adaptability of management systems. We compared social-ecological processes in the sea cucumber fisheries of Zanzibar and Mayotte, Western Indian Ocean, to better understand the reasons for resource conservation or collapse. Commercial value of wild stocks was at least 30 times higher in Mayotte than in Zanzibar owing to lower fishing pressure.

Planetary stewardship in an urbanizing world: beyond city limits.

Cities are rapidly increasing in importance as a major factor shaping the Earth system, and therefore, must take corresponding responsibility. With currently over half the world's population, cities are supported by resources originating from primarily rural regions often located around the world far distant from the urban loci of use. The sustainability of a city can no longer be considered in isolation from the sustainability of human and natural resources it uses from proximal or distant regions, or the combined resource use and impacts of cities globally.

Mobility, expansion and management of a multi-species scuba diving fishery in East Africa.

Background: Scuba diving fishing, predominantly targeting sea cucumbers, has been documented to occur in an uncontrolled manner in the Western Indian Ocean and in other tropical regions. Although this type of fishing generally indicates a destructive activity, little attention has been directed towards this category of fishery, a major knowledge gap and barrier to management.

Methodology And Principal Findings: With the aim to capture geographic scales, fishing processes and social aspects the scuba diving fishery that operate out of Zanzibar was studied using interviews, discussions, participant observations and catch monitoring.

Tipping toward sustainability: emerging pathways of transformation.

This article explores the links between agency, institutions, and innovation in navigating shifts and large-scale transformations toward global sustainability. Our central question is whether social and technical innovations can reverse the trends that are challenging critical thresholds and creating tipping points in the earth system, and if not, what conditions are necessary to escape the current lock-in. Large-scale transformations in information technology, nano- and biotechnology, and new energy systems have the potential to significantly improve our lives; but if, in framing them, our globalized society fails to consider the capacity of the biosphere, there is a risk that unsustainable development pathways may be reinforced.

Reconnecting to the biosphere.

Humanity has emerged as a major force in the operation of the biosphere, with a significant imprint on the Earth System, challenging social-ecological resilience. This new situation calls for a fundamental shift in perspectives, world views, and institutions. Human development and progress must be reconnected to the capacity of the biosphere and essential ecosystem services to be sustained.

Navigating transformations in governance of Chilean marine coastal resources.

Marine ecosystems are in decline. New transformational changes in governance are urgently required to cope with overfishing, pollution, global changes, and other drivers of degradation. Here we explore social, political, and ecological aspects of a transformation in governance of Chile's coastal marine resources, from 1980 to today.

Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet.

Ecosystem stewardship is an action-oriented framework intended to foster the social-ecological sustainability of a rapidly changing planet. Recent developments identify three strategies that make optimal use of current understanding in an environment of inevitable uncertainty and abrupt change: reducing the magnitude of, and exposure and sensitivity to, known stresses; focusing on proactive policies that shape change; and avoiding or escaping unsustainable social-ecological traps. As we discuss here, all social-ecological systems are vulnerable to recent and projected changes but have sources of adaptive capacity and resilience that can sustain ecosystem services and human well-being through active ecosystem stewardship.

Navigating the transition to ecosystem-based management of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

We analyze the strategies and actions that enable transitions toward ecosystem-based management using the recent governance changes of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park as a case study. The interplay among individual actors, organizations, and institutions at multiple levels is central in such transitions. A flexible organization, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, was crucial in initiating the transition to ecosystem-based management.

Adaptive management of the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon world heritage areas.

Conventional perceptions of the interactions between people and their environment are rapidly transforming. Old paradigms that view humans as separate from nature, natural resources as inexhaustible or endlessly substitutable, and the world as stable, predictable, and in balance are no longer tenable. New conceptual frameworks are rapidly emerging based on an adaptive approach that focuses on learning and flexible management in a dynamic social-ecological landscape.

Fractional contributions by autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration to soil-surface CO2 efflux in Boreal forests.

Soil-surface CO2 efflux ('soil respiration') accounts for roughly two-thirds of forest ecosystem respiration, and can be divided into heterotrophic and autotrophic components. Conventionally, the latter is defined as respiration by plant roots. In Boreal forests, however, fine roots of trees are invariably covered by ectomycorrhizal fungi, which by definition are heterotrophs, but like the roots, receive sugars derived from photosynthesis.