Environmental Changes Research Articles

The single-berry metabolomic clock paradigm reveals new stages and metabolic switches during grapevine berry development.

Asynchronicity causes metabolic chimerism in usual grapevine phenological stages, calling for a revisit of berry development at the individual fruit scale. To reveal the dynamics of metabolite composition in grapevine berries without phenological a priori, a dataset of 9,256 ions was obtained on 125 fruits at different stages by non-targeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. This large metabolomic dataset was submitted to an analysis workflow combining classification and dimension reduction tools. This led to the clustering of metabolites into 12 specific kinetic patterns and a metabolome-based definition of the pericarp intrinsic clock outperforming expert timing procedures. Such increased temporal resolution enabled the identification of metabolite clusters that are annunciative of the onset of ripening, noticeably characterized by transient lipidic changes and the start of ABA accumulation. We also highlighted a cluster of stilbenes that accumulate during terminal fruit shriveling, after the arrest of phloem unloading. This non-targeted approach enables a more precise characterization of grapevine berry development through the concept of metabolomic clock. The discovery of new metabolic milestones of berry development paves the way toward a better assessment of the impact of environmental changes on the metabolism of non-climacteric fruit, in different genotypes.

Mechanical modeling of biofilm morphology variation induced by changes in environments and internal stress

Mechanical modeling of biofilm morphology variation induced by changes in environments and internal stress

Tourism and Environmental Change in Saint Martin Island, Bangladesh: Insights from Remote Sensing Data

Tourism and Environmental Change in Saint Martin Island, Bangladesh: Insights from Remote Sensing Data

Comparative analysis of global urban land surface phenology between the MODIS and VIIRS products and extraction methods.

The reliability of land surface phenology (LSP) derived from satellite remote sensing is crucial for obtaining accurate estimates of the phenological response of vegetation to future climate change in urban ecosystems. Differences in phenological definition and extraction methodology using remote sensing can generate systemic errors in estimating the phenological temperature sensitivity to predict the biological response of vegetation. Here, we evaluated the start of the season (SOS), the end of the season (EOS), and the growing season length (GSL) between the Terra and Aqua combined Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Cover Dynamics (MCD12Q2) and the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership NASA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Cover Dynamics (VNP22Q2) over 1470 urban clusters worldwide. We found that the availability of valid phenological estimation in urban areas was low across climates, and cities without valid phenological data were mainly distributed in tropical and dry climate zones. The phenological comparison for each urban cluster worldwide revealed significant differences between the two products. For SOS, EOS, and GSL, only a small proportion of urban clusters (6.01%, 3.54%, and 1.50%, respectively) exhibited R2 surpassing 0.5, and approximately 31.63%, 37.37%, and 58.57% showed the RMSD values exceeding two weeks. These results remained consistent and robust across various climates, latitudinal gradients, and valid pixel proportions. We also revealed discrepancies in the inter-annual variability of LSP between the two products. These disparities in phenological metrics directly lead to systematic uncertainties in the measurements of temperature sensitivity. Furthermore, urban phenology disparities primarily arise from the different phenology definitions employed by the two products. Standardizing the definition of phenology metrics extraction from remote sensing data is crucial to the comprehensive understanding of phenological responses to urban environments, which thus provides referencing resources for studying how future environmental changes affect vegetation in natural ecosystems.

Effects of water temperature on zooplankton abundance and biomass in the southwestern Barents Sea: Implications for Arctic monitoring and management

Zooplankton exhibit rapid responses to environmental changes owing to predominantly short life cycles. However, at higher latitudes, the maximum age of mesozooplankton organisms can reach 2 and even 5 years, with such organisms potentially comprising a substantial proportion of communities. Despite this, there is limited understanding of the prolonged responses of zooplankton to temperature fluctuations in the southern Barents Sea. To address this gap, zooplankton were sampled during analogous seasons over a two-year period (2011 and 2012) characterized by an increasing water temperature trend. Our findings revealed a spatial shift from a community with lower abundance and biomass, situated within the area dominated by Coastal Water and Atlantic Water, to a community with higher abundance and biomass in colder waters influenced by the Arctic Water mass. Within the latter community, we identified 17 species as relevant indicators, with significant differences in both fidelity and specificity observed for Triconia borealis and Aglantha digitale. Redundancy analysis indicated water temperature recorded 10 months prior as the sole significant predictor of population characteristics in both years. Relationships between water temperature and abundance/biomass were computed for the 2011 dataset and the resultant equations used to predict 2012 zooplankton parameters. No significant differences were found between predicted and observed data. These findings suggest the utility of our data for forecasting autumn zooplankton population status, which, given ongoing Arctic warming and the critical trophic role of zooplankton for fish, could aid ecosystem monitoring and inform fisheries management in the Barents Sea from a short-term perspective.

Visible light communication for rapid monitoring of environmental changes using thin film solar cells

Visible light communication for rapid monitoring of environmental changes using thin film solar cells

Long-term temporal response of eastern canadian lakes chemistry along a large spatial gradient of atmospheric sulfate deposition.

A major consequence of the Industrial Revolution was the acidification of continental water bodies by sulfates (SO42-) and nitrates deposited over long-range distance from atmospheric emissions. Regulation policies were implemented in the 1980s leading to the general decrease of SO42- concentrations in freshwaters and progressive recovery from acidification, a complex process that is still ongoing. The surface water SO42- decrease has been linked to declining calcium (Ca2+) and increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. Here, up to 40 years (1983-2023) of chemical data in 46 lakes of Eastern Canada are analyzed for long-term trends and spatial patterns along a large gradient of SO42- deposition. The average lake SO42- concentration decreased along the distance from sulfur dioxide sources. SO42- concentration decreased significantly in every lake and faster close to the emission sources. In 70% of the lakes, the SO42- decline drove concurrent but slower Ca2+ and magnesium declines, leading to an overall increase in the Ca2+/SO42- ratio, in pH and in alkalinity for 72% of the lakes. The Ca2+ concentration is now below the crucial threshold for large zooplankton species in most lakes. Increasing trends in lake sodium concentration suggest an intensification of mineral weathering in catchment soils, potentially linked to rising temperatures, which could be involved in the observed recovery. DOC increased in 67% of lakes which drove a concurrent increase in aluminum in some lakes. The numerous environmental changes in progress across temperate and boreal lakes will deeply modify the structure and functioning of these systems, especially in the context of climatic changes.

Eutrophication impacts on seasonal endocrine disrupting compounds (PAE and AP) accumulation in estuarine microplankton.

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), such as phthalate esters (PAE) and alkyl phenols (AP) in marine primary trophic levels, are still underexplored. We present their seasonal changes and the potential impacts of environmental factors during Summer (2022), Autumn (2022), and Spring (2023) in a polluted environment. Plankton samples (55-1000μm) were collected in duplicate, processed for PAE and AP solvent extraction, and analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. All PAEs and APs, except di-isodecyl phthalate, were detected in plankton through seasons, ranging between 3276 and 134,436 and 3.27-12,101ng/g dw, respectively. The composition was dominated by di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and nonylphenols (NP), ranging between 207 and 117,861, 793-13,224, and 3.27-12,050ng/g dw, respectively. Rivers primarily drive EDC distribution in microplankton, with eutrophication and suspended matter potentially influencing their seasonal changes. This study presents EDC seasonal dynamics in marine microplankton and the potential impacts of environmental changes.

Lung proteomic and metabolomic changes induced by carbon black nanoparticles and high humidity in a mouse asthma model.

Allergic asthma is a significant international concern in respiratory health, which can be exacerbated by the increasing levels of non-allergenic pollutants. This rise in airborne pollutants is a primary driver behind the growing prevalence of asthma, posing a health emergency. Additionally, climatic risk factors can contribute to the onset and progression of asthma. Understanding the complex interplay between pollution, climate, and asthma induction is crucial to elucidate how environmental changes intensify asthma. In this study, we investigated the proteomic and metabolomic changes in the lungs of a mouse asthma model following co-exposure to carbon black nanoparticles and high humidity, which represent airborne and climatic factors, respectively. An asthma model was established using ovalbumin, and mice were intratracheally instilled with 15 or 30μg/kg of carbon black and simultaneously exposed to either 70% or 90% relative humidity. Protein and metabolite profiles from the lung were used to analyze the most significantly changed clusters, and potential biomarkers and enriched pathways were identified to dissect the adverse effects of the two risk factors. The lung proteome and metabolome are significantly altered by the co-exposure, with the effects modulated by carbon black concentration and humidity level. This study proposes 10 proteins and 18 metabolites as candidate biomarkers. The significantly enriched KEGG pathways include one protein pathway (primary immunodeficiency) and six metabolic pathways (ABC transporters, nucleotide metabolism, Parkinson's disease, purine metabolism, choline metabolism in cancer, and biosynthesis of cofactors). A joint proteomic and metabolomic analysis identifies five common pathways across both omics, namely, ABC transporters, central carbon metabolism in cancer, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, glioma, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway, disturbed by the co-exposure. We provide a multi-omic basis for the health risk assessment and management of co-exposures to environmental risk factors.

Ticks jump in a warmer world: Global distribution shifts of main pathogenic ticks are associated with future climate change.

In recent decades, the threats of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) increased extensively with environmental change, urbanization, and rapidly changing interactions between human and animals. However, large-scale distribution of tick and TBD risks as well as their relationship with environmental change remain inadequately unclear. Here, we first proposed a "tick-pathogen-habitat-human" model to project the global potential distribution of main pathogenic ticks using a total of 70,714 occurrence records. Meanwhile, the effects of ecological factors and socio-economic factors driving the distribution pattern were evaluated. Based on this, the risk distribution of TBDs was projected by large-scale "tick-pathogen-disease" analysis. Furthermore, the distribution shifts of tick suitability were projected under different shared socio-economic pathways in the future. Our findings demonstrate that warm temperate countries (e.g., the United States, China and European countries) in the Northern Hemisphere represent significant high risk regions for ticks and TBDs. Specifically, solar radiation of January emerges as the main decisive factor determining the risk distribution pattern. Future shifts of tick suitability showed decrease trend under low greenhouse gas emission scenarios but increase trend under high scenarios. These suitability shifts were significantly correlated with future temperature- (9 species) and precipitation- (19 species) related factors. Collectively, in this study we first shaped the global risk distribution of main ticks and TBDs as well as tick suitability shifts correlated with future global climate change, which will provide helpful references for disease prevention and administration. The methods proposed here will also shed light on other emerging and recurrent zoonotic diseases (e.g., COVID-19, monkeypox) in the future.

Mercury evidence for volcanism driving environmental changes during the protracted Late Ordovician mass extinction and early Silurian recovery

Mercury evidence for volcanism driving environmental changes during the protracted Late Ordovician mass extinction and early Silurian recovery

Does quantity matter for distance decay? Evidence from two choice experiments on urban green

The value of environmental goods to individuals often depends on spatial features such as distance. The most common approach of accounting for distance decay is to model utility as some function of distance. It has been suggested to instead model the value as a function of the quantity of an environmental good within a certain distance. We develop three novel quantity-within-distance models that may be more suited for evaluating quantity changes in an environmental good. We argue that these models could capture spatial patterns better than distance-based models when i) secondary benefits are a relevant source of welfare, ii) the environmental change is spatially scattered, iii) the distribution of the endowment, i.e. the present availability of the environmental good, matters. Using data from choice experiments on the extension of green space and trees in two urban areas, we compare required assumptions, model fit, and size and precision of aggregated welfare estimates. Our results indicate limited differences in model fit. However, the quantity-within-distance models consistently produce aggregate welfare estimates roughly half of common distance decay models and have narrower confidence intervals. While it is not possible to infer which is more accurate, the large differences can have considerable policy implications.

Genome-wide identification, phylogeny, evolutionary expansion, and expression analyses of ABC gene family in Castanea mollissima under temperature stress.

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) gene family comprises some of the most critical transporter proteins in plants, playing vital roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and adapting to environmental changes. While ABC transporters have been extensively characterized in various plant species, their profile in C. mollissima remains less understood. In this study, 164 ABC genes were identified and characterized within the C. mollissima genome, and subsequently classified into eight subfamilies. Collinear analysis suggested that dispersed duplication was the primary mechanism driving the expansion of the CmABC gene family. The study also examined morphological and physiological changes in C. mollissima under temperature stress, highlighting significant decreases in photosynthetic indicators and SOD enzyme activity, while other indicators varied. Transcriptome analysis revealed distinct expression patterns of various CmABC genes under temperature stress, identifying CmABCG29c and CmABCB11e as key candidates for responding to temperature stress. This was based on their expression patterns, correlation with physiological indicators, and WGCNA analysis. The expression levels of CmABC genes measured in RT-qPCR experiments were consistent with those observed in RNA-seq analysis. This research provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the physiological and gene expression responses of C. mollissima to temperature stress.

Bioinformatics Characteristics and Genomic Patterns of the Envelope Glycoproteins of the Crimean-congo Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses

Background: Rodents and many wild and domestic animals, including cattle, donkeys, goats, hares, ostriches, and sheep, spread the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV), acting as hosts for infected ticks primarily of the Hyalomma genus, which serve as vectors and reservoirs of the virus. CCHF is a severe, potentially lethal, and widespread disease, making it a serious public health issue. Environmental changes impacting rodent populations affect their global distribution and, therefore, play a role in the spread of CCHFV. Objective: This study aims togain a deeper understanding of the envelope glycoproteins expressed by the CCHFV. Methods: Multiple computational algorithms determined the Intrinsic Disorder Predisposition (PIDP), Polarity Index, and genomic profiles of each sequence of the glycoproteins. Results: When examining the Polarity Index Method Profile, 3.0v profile, and the PIDP profile, the envelope glycoproteins of the CCHFV showed different patterns. With these patterns, it was possible to identify structural and morphological similarities. Conclusion: With the PIM 3.0v profile, our computer programs were able to identify isolated CCHFV envelope glycoproteins. We believe that this research provides a deeper understanding of this virus.

Integrated adaptive communication in multi-agent systems: Dynamic topology, frequency, and content optimization for efficient collaboration

In multi-agent systems (MAS), effective communication is essential for coordination and achieving common goals, especially in complex environments. However, existing communication methods face significant challenges, such as high resource consumption and limited adaptability to dynamic environments. To address these, we propose the integrated adaptive communication network (IACN) built on multi-agent proximal policy optimization (MAPPO), which enhances communication efficiency and adaptability in MAS. IACN dynamically adjusts communication topology using a learnable graph and optimizes content based on task relevance. Additionally, it incorporates an adaptive frequency adjustment mechanism to balance communication demands based on task urgency and environmental changes. Experiments in multi-agent particle environments demonstrate that IACN significantly outperforms existing methods in terms of overall performance, coordination effectiveness, and adaptability.

Intravital imaging reveals glucose-dependent cilia movement in pancreatic islets in vivo.

Pancreatic islet cells harbor primary cilia, small sensory organelles that detect environmental changes to regulate hormone secretion and intercellular communication. While the sensory and signaling capacity of primary cilia are well-appreciated, it is less recognized that these organelles also possess active motility, including in dense multicellular tissues such as the pancreatic islet. In this manuscript, we use transgenic cilia reporter mice and an intravital imaging approach to quantitate primary cilia dynamics as it occurs in live mouse pancreatic islets. We validate this imaging workflow as suitable for studying islet cilia motion in real time in vivo and demonstrate that glucose stimulation corresponds to a change in cilia motility, which may be a physiologic measure of nutrient-dependent fluxes in islet cell function. Complementary ex vivo analysis of isolated islets further demonstrates that metabolic stress in the form of lipotoxicity impairs cilia motility and these effects can be reversed by glucose elevation. These findings suggest that cilia motility is sensitive to metabolic stress and highlight its potential functional role in beta cell adaptation.

Leptin receptor neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus require distinct neuronal subsets for thermogenesis and weight loss.

The dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) receives inputs from the preoptic area (POA), where ambient temperature mediates physiological adaptations of energy expenditure and food intake. Warm-activated POA neurons suppress energy expenditure via brown adipose tissue (BAT) projecting neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus/dorsal hypothalamic area (dDMH/DHA). Our earlier work identified leptin receptor (Lepr)-expressing, BAT-projecting dDMH/DHA neurons that mediate metabolic leptin effects. Yet, the neurotransmitter (glutamate or GABA) used by dDMH/DHALepr neurons remains unexplored and was investigated in this study using mice. We report that dDMH/DHALepr neurons represent equally glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. Surprisingly, chemogenetic activation of glutamatergic and/or GABAergic dDMH/DHA neurons were capable to increase energy expenditure and locomotion, but neither reproduced the beneficial metabolic effects observed after chemogenetic activation of dDMH/DHALepr neurons. We clarify that BAT-projecting dDMH/DHA neurons that innervate the raphe pallidus (RPa) are exclusively glutamatergic Lepr neurons. In contrast, projections of GABAergic or dDMH/DHALepr neurons overlapped in the ventromedial arcuate nucleus (vmARC), suggesting distinct energy expenditure pathways. Brain slice patch clamp recordings further demonstrate a considerable proportion of leptin-inhibited dDMH/DHALepr neurons, while removal of pre-synaptic (indirect) effects with synaptic blocker increased the proportion of leptin-activated dDMH/DHALepr neurons, suggesting that pre-synaptic Lepr neurons inhibit dDMH/DHALepr neurons. We conclude that stimulation of BAT-related, GABA- and glutamatergic dDMH/DHALepr neurons in combination mediate the beneficial metabolic effects. Our data support the idea that dDMH/DHALepr neurons integrate upstream Lepr neurons (e.g., originating from POA and ARC). We speculate that these neurons manage dynamic adaptations to a variety of environmental changes including ambient temperature and energy state. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Our earlier work identified leptin receptor expressing neurons in the dDMH/DHA as an important thermoregulatory site. Dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) Lepr neurons participate in processing and integration of environmental exteroceptive signals like ambient temperature and circadian rhythm, as well as interoceptive signals including leptin and the gut hormone glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP1). The present work further characterizes dDMH/DHALepr neurons as a mixed glutamatergic and GABAergic population, but with distinct axonal projection sites. Surprisingly, select activation of glutamatergic and/or GABAergic populations are all able to increase energy expenditure, but are unable to replicate the beneficial metabolic effects observed by Lepr activation. These findings highlighting dDMH/DHA Lepr neurons as a distinct subgroup of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons that are under indirect and direct influence of the interoceptive hormone leptin and if stimulated are uniquely capable to mediate beneficial metabolic effects. Our work significantly expands our knowledge of thermoregulatory circuits and puts a spotlight onto DMH-Lepr neurons for the integration into whole body energy and body weight homeostasis.

Neophobia and exploration behavior in urban gulls: The Kelp Gulls (Larus dominicanus) as a study case.

Neophobia and exploratory behavior are personality traits through which organisms evaluate and respond to environment changes by adjusting their behavior. The Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) is a generalist seabird that consumes a wide variety of prey. Neophobia levels and exploratory behavior in novel circumstances were analyzed in urban adult (n = 13) and immature (n = 15) Kelp Gulls captured in the landfill of Mar del Plata city. These personality traits were not significantly affected by the age of the bird. Longer feeding latencies were observed in presence of novel objects, and neophobia levels were higher in the presence of a transparent box. The exploratory events were brief and influenced by the physical properties of the objects; gulls favored complex and yellow objects. Higher neophobia levels were associated with a longer time to start the exploration and spending less time investigating the objects. Exposure to an urban environment can modulate the novelty response, partially explaining lack of difference in neophobia levels and exploratory behavior between ages, as well as the apparent absence of intrinsic attraction to unfamiliar objects when not associated with a food source. Furthermore, in relation to complex objects, unfamiliar objects likely offer richer information, driving gulls' exploratory preference.

Regulation and response of heterotrophic bacterial production to environmental changes in marginal seas of the Western Pacific Ocean

Regulation and response of heterotrophic bacterial production to environmental changes in marginal seas of the Western Pacific Ocean

Abstract TP382: Genome-wide DNA Methylation Profiling Reveals Low Methylation Variability in Moyamoya Disease

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic cerebrovascular disorder that can affect both children and adults. It is characterized by chronic and progressive narrowing of the cerebral arteries and the formation of fragile collateral blood vessels. The narrowed arteries can lead to lead to stroke and neurological dysfunctions. Considering that MMD is mostly sporadic and gene-environment interactions play an important in various diseases, we sought to investigate epigenetic modifications in MMD, focusing specifically on changes in DNA methylation magnitude and variability. Methods: We performed genome-wide DNA methylation using Illumina 850K Methylation EPIC BeadChip, in two racially distinct adult female cohorts: A Non-Asian cohort (13 MMD patients and 7 healthy controls) and an Asian cohort (14 MMD patients and 3 healthy controls). An additional external cohort with both sexes (females: 5 MMD patients and 5 healthy controls, males: 5 MMD patients and 5 healthy controls) was included for validation. Results: Our findings revealed subtle changes in the magnitude of DNA methylation, but a strikingly low DNA methylation variability between MMD patients and healthy controls across both female MMD cohorts. In the Non-Asian cohort, only 6 probes showed increased variability, compared to 647 probes that showed decreased variability. Similarly, in the Asian cohort, the MMD group also displayed a reduced methylation variability across all 2845 probes. Further analysis showed that these differentially variable probes are associated with genes involved in key biological processes such as methylation and transcription, DNA repair, cytoskeletal remodeling, natural killer cell signaling, cellular growth, and migration. Conclusions: These findings mark the first observation of low methylation variability in any disease, contrasting with the high variability observed in other disorders. This reduced methylation variability in MMD may impair patients’ adaptability to environmental changes, such as hemodynamic stress, thereby disrupting vascular homeostasis and contributing to MMD pathology. These findings offer new insights into the mechanisms of MMD and suggest potential avenues for treatment strategies.