•Biodiversity underpins human health as an essential life-support system.•We present an integrated biodiversity-health framework.•Biodiversity influences human health via four domains of ...pathways.•The four pathway domains are: reducing harm, restoring capacities, building capacities, and causing harm.•Understanding biodiversity-health pathways can inform public health interventions.
Biodiversity is a cornerstone of human health and well-being. However, while evidence of the contributions of nature to human health is rapidly building, research into how biodiversity relates to human health remains limited in important respects. In particular, a better mechanistic understanding of the range of pathways through which biodiversity can influence human health is needed. These pathways relate to both psychological and social processes as well as biophysical processes. Building on evidence from across the natural, social and health sciences, we present a conceptual framework organizing the pathways linking biodiversity to human health. Four domains of pathways—both beneficial as well as harmful—link biodiversity with human health: (i) reducing harm (e.g. provision of medicines, decreasing exposure to air and noise pollution); (ii) restoring capacities (e.g. attention restoration, stress reduction); (iii) building capacities (e.g. promoting physical activity, transcendent experiences); and (iv) causing harm (e.g. dangerous wildlife, zoonotic diseases, allergens). We discuss how to test components of the biodiversity-health framework with available analytical approaches and existing datasets. In a world with accelerating declines in biodiversity, profound land-use change, and an increase in non-communicable and zoonotic diseases globally, greater understanding of these pathways can reinforce biodiversity conservation as a strategy for the promotion of health for both people and nature. We conclude by identifying research avenues and recommendations for policy and practice to foster biodiversity-focused public health actions.
Leading societies toward a more sustainable, equitably shared, and environmentally just future requires elevating and strengthening conversations on the nonmaterial and perhaps unquantifiable values ...of nonhuman nature to humanity. Debates among conservationists relating to the appropriateness of valuing ecosystems in terms of their human utility have eclipsed the more important and impactful task of expressing conservation concerns in terms that are meaningful to diverse stakeholders. We considered the wide global diversity of perspectives on the biosocial complex—the relationships and interactions between all living species on Earth—and argue that humanity's best chance for effective conservation is to take a pluralistic approach that engages seriously with the worldviews of all stakeholders. Many worldviews—particularly those in indigenous cultures—place a higher value on the spiritual and nonmaterial aspects than what is often represented by the discourse surrounding Western conservation policy. Alternative framings of the biosocial complex that recognize nature's intrinsic value can be powerful motivators for social change and for local‐scale conservation efforts. At a national and international level, changing ethical framings of human relationships with nature have started influencing conceptions of human rights relating to the environment and of the rights of nature itself. This change has led to an increased role of the judiciary in promoting environmental sustainability and promoting justice for groups who are most often affected by environmental harms. We hope our essay will motivate the scientific community to change its own perception of what a sound and sustainable relationship between humanity and other species should be and will help citizens become active environmental subjects, connected to the ecosystems around them.
Adopción de Diferentes Cosmovisiones para Compartir el Planeta Tierra
Resumen
Para poder llevar a las sociedades hacia un futuro sustentable, compartido equitativa y ambientalmente justo se requiere elevar y fortalecer las conversaciones sobre los valores no materiales y probablemente imposibles de cuantificar que la naturaleza no humana tiene para la humanidad. Los debates entre los conservacionistas en relación con lo apropiado que es valorar los ecosistemas en términos de utilidad para los humanos han eclipsado la labor más importante e impactante de expresar los asuntos de conservación en términos que son significativos para diferentes accionistas. Consideramos la amplia diversidad mundial de perspectivas que existen sobre el complejo biosocial — las relaciones e interacciones entre todas las especies vivientes en la Tierra — y argumentamos que la mejor oportunidad que tiene la humanidad para lograr una conservación efectiva es realizar una estrategia pluralística que se comprometa seriamente con las cosmovisiones de todos los accionistas. Muchas cosmovisiones — particularmente aquellas de las culturas indígenas — les otorgan un valor más alto a los aspectos espirituales y no materiales que lo que se suele representar en el discurso que rodea la política de conservación occidental. Los marcos alternativos del complejo biosocial que reconocen el valor intrínseco de la naturaleza pueden ser motivadores poderosos para el cambio social y para los esfuerzos de conservación a escala local. A nivel nacional e internacional, el cambio de los marcos éticos de las relaciones humanas con la naturaleza ha comenzado a influenciar las concepciones de los derechos humanos en relación con el ambiente y los derechos de la naturaleza misma. Este cambio ha resultado en un papel mucho mayor del poder judicial en la promoción de la sustentabilidad ambiental y de la justicia para grupos a los que con frecuencia les afectan los daños ambientales. Esperamos que nuestro ensayo motive a la comunidad científica a cambiar su propia percepción de lo que debe ser una relación sana y sustentable entre la humanidad y otras especies y que ayude a los ciudadanos a volverse sujetos ambientales más activos y conectados con el ecosistema.
摘要
要引导社会走向一个更加可持续、公平共享和环境公正的未来, 需要更多地探讨自然对人类非物质的、难以量化的价值。然而, 保护主义者关于对生态系统的人类利用价值进行评估是否合理这一问题的争论, 掩盖了一项更重要、更有影响力的任务, 那就是从不同利益相关者的角度提出保护关注的问题。本文讨论了全球范围内对生物社会复合体 (即地球上所有生命的相互关系和相互作用) 多种多样的观点, 并指出人类进行有效保护的最佳机会就是采取多元化的方法, 认真对待所有利益相关者的世界观。许多世界观, 特别是一些本土文化的世界观, 认为精神和非物质方面的价值比西方国家保护政策的论述更有意义。这种考虑自然内在价值的生物社会复合体替代框架, 或能成为社会变革和区域性保护工作的强大动力。而在国家和国际尺度上, 关于人与自然不断变化的伦理框架已经开始影响与环境有关的人权和自然本身的权利这样的概念。这一变化使司法在促进环境可持续性, 以及进一步提升那些受环境破坏影响的群体的应获得的公正性方面发挥了更大作用。我们希望本文可以激励科学界同仁改变对人类和其它物种之间健康且可持续的关系的认识, 并帮助公民成为积极的环境主体, 与周围的生态系统相连接。【翻译: 胡怡思; 审校: 聂永刚】
Article impact statement: To preserve nature, humanity must embrace the diversity of human–nature relations and undertake a new set of conservation actions.
1. Predicted climate change is heading in many respects into untested environmental conditions for trees and to the reshuffling of species distributions. We explore the consequences that these ...changes are likely to have on population differentiation of adaptive traits. Superimposed on the spatial redistribution of the species, will there be a redistribution of their genetic variation? 2. We base our predictions on a conceptual framework, whose elements are the extant differentiation, and the predicted divergent evolution of populations along purposely chosen altitudinal/latitudinal gradients. We consider simultaneously phenotypic and genetic divergence, but emphasize genetically driven population differentiation. We illustrate phenotypic and genetic patterns of variation with examples from well-studied northern and southern hemisphere tree genera Quercus and Eucalyptus. 3. Most phenotypic traits show very large in situ clinal variation with variation in altitude or latitude. Genetic clines detected in common gardens usually follow the observed in situ phenotypic clines, reflecting cogradient variation. Rare counter gradients have also been detected, where phenotypic and genetic clines exhibit opposing signs. These patterns suggest that plasticity and selection contributed in most cases synergistically to the extant differentiation. 4. We anticipate that microevolutionary processes will be different along environmental gradients. At the leading edge, availability of newly suitable habitats will trigger migration favouring genotypes equipped with colonists attributes. At the rear edges of the distribution, populations will be submitted to strong selective pressures favouring genotypes capable of withstanding drought and heat stress. Central populations will benefit from the plastic response of trees that will temporarily compensate for the maladaptation, until genetic adaptive variation will be restored by gene flow, mutation or recombination. 5. We make predictions about future differentiation along environmental gradients, by highlighting traits that are likely to diverge, the rate at which differentiation will take place, and the role of gene flow and hybridization. We envisage that parallel selection may maintain differentiation at extant levels, whereas divergent selection will promote substantial differentiation for traits facilitating adaptation to contrasting conditions along the environmental gradient. We anticipate that genetic divergence may occur very rapidly and will be enhanced by the multilocus architecture of most adaptive traits.
Sole-carbon-source tests (Biolog), designed to identify bacteria, have become very popular for metabolically fingerprinting soil microbial communities, despite disadvantages associated with the use ...of carbon source profiles that primarily select for fast-growing bacteria. In this paper we describe the use of an alternative method that combines the advantages of the Biolog community-level physiological profile (CLPP) method, in which microtiter-based detection plates are used, with the ability to measure carbon dioxide evolution from whole soil. This method facilitates measurement over short periods of time (4 to 6 h) and does not require the extraction and culturing of organisms. Deep-well microtiter plates are used as test wells into which soil is placed. The apparatus to fill the deep-well plates and interface it with a second removable detection plate is described. Two detection systems, a simple colorimetric reaction in absorbent alkali and scintillation counting with radioactive carbon sources, are described. The methods were compared to the Biolog-CLPP system by using soils under different vegetation types and soil treated with wastewater sludge. We aimed to test the hypothesis that using whole soil would have specific advantages over using extracts in that more immediate responses to substrates could be obtained that would reflect activity rather than growth. The whole-soil method was more rapid and gave earlier detection of C source use. Also, the metabolic fingerprints obtained could discriminate between sludge treatments.
Quantitative assessments of normative brain development using MRI are of critical importance to gain insights into healthy neurodevelopment. However, quantitative MR imaging poses significant ...technical challenges and requires prohibitively long acquisition times, making it impractical for pediatric imaging. This is particularly relevant for healthy subjects, where imaging under sedation is not clinically indicated. MR Fingerprinting (MRF), a novel MR imaging framework, provides rapid, efficient, and simultaneous quantification of multiple tissue properties. In this study, a 2D MR Fingerprinting method was developed that achieves a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 × 3 mm3 with rapid and simultaneous quantification of T1, T2 and myelin water fraction (MWF). Phantom experiments demonstrated that accurate measurements of T1 and T2 relaxation times were achieved over a wide range of T1 and T2 values. MRF images were acquired cross-sectionally from 28 typically developing children, 0 to five years old, who were enrolled in the UNC/UMN Baby Connectome Project. Differences associated with age of R1 (=1/T1), R2 (=1/T2) and MWF were obtained from several predefined white matter regions. Both R1 and R2 exhibit a marked increase until ∼20 months of age, followed by a slower increase for all WM regions. In contrast, the MWF remains at a negligible level until ∼6 months of age for all predefined ROIs and gradually increases afterwards. Depending on the brain region, rapid increases are observed between 6 and 12 months to 6–18 months, followed by a slower pace of increase in MWF. Neither relaxivities nor MWF were significantly different between the left and right hemispheres. However, regional differences in age-related R1 and MWF measures were observed across different white matter regions. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the MRF technique holds great potential for multi-parametric assessments of normative brain development in early childhood.
•2D MRF with a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 × 3 mm3 for pediatric neuroimaging.•Quantitative tissue mapping for T1, T2 and myelin water fraction in 19 s per slice.•A cross-sectional design characterizing normative age-related differences of T1, T2 and myelin water fraction using MRF.•Age-related measures of R1 and myelin water fraction differ significantly across different brain regions.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle weakness and loss of voluntary muscle control. While the exact ...cause of ALS is not fully understood, emerging research suggests that dysfunction of the nuclear envelope (NE) may contribute to disease pathogenesis and progression. The NE plays a role in ALS through several mechanisms, including nuclear pore defects, nucleocytoplasmic transport impairment, accumulation of mislocalized proteins, and nuclear morphology abnormalities. The LINC complex is the second biggest multi-protein complex in the NE and consists of the SUN1/2 proteins spanning the inner nuclear membrane and Nesprin proteins embedded in the outer membrane. The LINC complex, by interacting with both the nuclear lamina and the cytoskeleton, transmits mechanical forces to the nucleus regulating its morphology and functional homeostasis. In this study we show extensive alterations to the LINC complex in motor and cortical iPSC-derived neurons and spinal cord organoids carrying the ALS causative mutation in the C9ORF72 gene (C9). Importantly, we show that such alterations are present in vivo in a cohort of sporadic ALS and C9-ALS postmortem spinal cord and motor cortex specimens. We also found that LINC complex disruption strongly correlated with nuclear morphological alterations occurring in ALS neurons, independently of TDP43 mislocalization. Altogether, our data establish morphological and functional alterations to the LINC complex as important events in ALS pathogenic cascade, making this pathway a possible target for both biomarker and therapy development.
The coastal zone represents one of the most economically and ecologically important ecosystems on the planet, none more so than in southern Africa. This manuscript examines the potential impacts of ...climate change on the coastal fishes in southern Africa and provides some of the first information for the Southern Hemisphere, outside of Australasia. It begins by describing the coastal zone in terms of its physical characteristics, climate, fish biodiversity and fisheries. The region is divided into seven biogeographical zones based on previous descriptions and interpretations by the authors. A global review of the impacts of climate change on coastal zones is then applied to make qualitative predictions on the likely impacts of climate change on migratory, resident, estuarine-dependent and catadromous fishes in each of these biogeographical zones. In many respects the southern African region represents a microcosm of climate change variability and of coastal habitats. Based on the broad range of climate change impacts and life history styles of coastal fishes, the predicted impacts on fishes will be diverse. If anything, this review reveals our lack of fundamental knowledge in this field, in particular in southern Africa. Several research priorities, including the need for process-based fundamental research programs are highlighted.
Plants are attacked by diverse insect and mammalian herbivores and respond with different physical and chemical defences. Transcriptional changes underlie these phenotypic changes. Simulated ...herbivory has been used to study the transcriptional and other early regulation events of these plant responses. In this study, constitutive and induced transcriptional responses to artificial bark stripping are compared in the needles and the bark of Pinus radiata to the responses from application of the plant stressor, methyl jasmonate. The time progression of the responses was assessed over a 4-week period.
Of the 6312 unique transcripts studied, 86.6% were differentially expressed between the needles and the bark prior to treatment. The most abundant constitutive transcripts were related to defence and photosynthesis and their expression did not differ between the needles and the bark. While no differential expression of transcripts were detected in the needles following bark stripping, in the bark this treatment caused an up-regulation and down-regulation of genes associated with primary and secondary metabolism. Methyl jasmonate treatment caused differential expression of transcripts in both the bark and the needles, with individual genes related to primary metabolism more responsive than those associated with secondary metabolism. The up-regulation of genes related to sugar break-down and the repression of genes related with photosynthesis, following both treatments was consistent with the strong down-regulation of sugars that has been observed in the same population. Relative to the control, the treatments caused a differential expression of genes involved in signalling, photosynthesis, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as well as defence and water stress. However, non-overlapping transcripts were detected between the needles and the bark, between treatments and at different times of assessment. Methyl jasmonate induced more transcriptional responses in the bark than bark stripping, although the peak of expression following both treatments was detected 7 days post treatment application. The effects of bark stripping were localised, and no systemic changes were detected in the needles.
There are constitutive and induced differences in the needle and bark transcriptome of Pinus radiata. Some expression responses to bark stripping may differ from other biotic and abiotic stresses, which contributes to the understanding of plant molecular responses to diverse stresses. Whether the gene expression changes are heritable and how they differ between resistant and susceptible families identified in earlier studies needs further investigation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cellulosic biomass is an abundant and underused substrate for biofuel production. The inability of many microbes to metabolize the pentose sugars abundant within hemicellulose creates specific ...challenges for microbial biofuel production from cellulosic material. Although engineered strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae can use the pentose xylose, the fermentative capacity pales in comparison with glucose, limiting the economic feasibility of industrial fermentations. To better understand xylose utilization for subsequent microbial engineering, we sequenced the genomes of two xylose-fermenting, beetle-associated fungi, Spathaspora passalidarum and Candida tenuis. To identify genes involved in xylose metabolism, we applied a comparative genomic approach across 14 Ascomycete genomes, mapping phenotypes and genotypes onto the fungal phylogeny, and measured genomic expression across five Hemiascomycete species with different xylose-consumption phenotypes. This approach implicated many genes and processes involved in xylose assimilation. Several of these genes significantly improved xylose utilization when engineered into S. cerevisiae, demonstrating the power of comparative methods in rapidly identifying genes for biomass conversion while reflecting on fungal ecology.
•Ni-doped TiN thin films were successfully deposited by jet electrodeposition.•The average size of nickel grains and TiN nanoparticles in the Ni-doped TiN thin film deposited at 5g/L were 44.5 and ...23.2nm, respectively.•The nanohardness of the film deposited at 5g/L demonstrated the highest nanohardness (∼34.5GPa).
The Ni-doped TiN thin films were successfully prepared by jet electrodeposition in this paper. The microstructure, corrosion properties and mechanical deformation response of the films were studied by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical workstation and triboindenter (TI) equipment. The results indicated that the Ni-doped TiN thin film fabricated at the TiN addition amount of 5g/L, had an uniform and fine microstructure. The average particle sizes of nickel grains and TiN nanoparticles were 44.5 and 23.2nm, respectively. The Ni-doped TiN thin film obtained at 5g/L had the minimum corrosion potential and corrosion current values of −0.398V and 1.08×10−3mA/cm2, respectively. When the applied load was 1500μN, the depths of the Ni-doped TiN thin films produced at 3g/L, 5g/L and 8g/L were approximately 35, 28 and 30μm, respectively. The nanohardness of the Ni-doped TiN thin film deposited at 5g/L demonstrated the highest nanohardness (∼34.5GPa), whereas the film prepared at 3g/L had the lowest nanohardness (∼25.8GPa). Subsequently to 4 sliding scans, the amounts of plastic deformation and wear damage in the Ni-doped TiN thin film prefabricated at 5g/L were the lowest compared to the other films.
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