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In order to effectively address global environmental problems, it is important that future decision-makers in society are aware of the safe operation space for humans, which is limited by the planetary boundaries. Until now, however, there has been a lack of international studies examining how the planet's boundaries are perceived. In this study, we investigated how students of environmental and sustainability studies in 35 countries (n = 4140) assess the planetary boundaries. Based on the rating, using spectral clustering, the 35 countries were assigned to five different clusters. Four indicators (Human Development Index, Legatum Prosperity Index, Natural Resources Income and Forest Area) were used to provide explanations for the clustering result. The indices allow a distinction between the clusters and provide initial explanations for the clustering. The results provide important insights for today's decision-makers, as possible measures for action in the individual countries can be derived from the findings.
Background: In times of global warming there is an urgent need to replace fossil fuel-based energy vectors by less carbon dioxide (CO2)-emitting alternatives. One attractive option is the use of molecular hydrogen (H2) since its combustion emits water (H2O) and not CO2. Therefore, H2 is regarded as a non-polluting fuel. The ways to produce H2 can be diverse, but steam reformation of conventional fossil fuel sources is still the main producer of H2 gas up to date. Biohydrogen production via microbes could be an alternative, environmentally friendly and renewable way of future H2 production, especially when the flexible and inexpensive C1 compound formate is used as substrate.
Results: In this study, the versatile compound formate was used as substrate to drive H2 production by whole cells of the thermophilic acetogenic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter kivui which harbors a highly active hydrogen-dependent CO2 reductase (HDCR) to oxidize formate to H2 and CO2 and vice versa. Under optimized reaction conditions, T. kivui cells demonstrated the highest H2 production rates (qH2 = 685 mmol g−1 h−1) which were so far reported in the literature for wild-type organisms. Additionally, high yields (Y(H2/formate)) of 0.86 mol mol−1 and a hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 999 mmol L−1 h−1 were observed. Finally, stirred-tank bioreactor experiments demonstrated the upscaling feasibility of the applied whole cell system and indicated the importance of pH control for the reaction of formate-driven H2 production.
Conclusions: The thermophilic acetogenic bacterium T. kivui is an efficient biocatalyst for the oxidation of formate to H2 (and CO2). The existing genetic tool box of acetogenic bacteria bears further potential to optimize biohydrogen production in future and to contribute to a future sustainable formate/H2 bio-economy.
Biodiversity patterns of marine crustaceans are still unknown in many locations or might have been overlooked due to our knowledge gaps, despite increasing sampling and data sharing efforts during the last decades. By analysing big data extracted from open portals such as Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) and Global Biodiversity Information System (GBIF), we aim to revisit the distribution and biodiversity patterns of the highly speciose and abundant Crustacea in the Northwest Pacific (NWP) from shallowest depths to the deep sea. This study focussed on selected benthic and pelagic crustacean (sub) classes and their species richness, sampling effort, and expected species richness (ES50) using equal/sized hexagonal cells, 5° latitudinal bands, 500 m depth intervals were analyzed. Crustacean species richness was highest in the tropical Philippines as well as around the Japanese islands. Pelagic crustacean species richness peaked at 30° latitude and declined beyond that. Benthic taxa; however, depicted high levels of species richness across most of the latitudinal gradient, reaching its highest point at 45° latitude. Due to the prevalence of certain crustacean orders in the deep sea, benthic species richness showed a distribution pattern with two distinct peaks across bathymetric gradients; with highest species richness recorded at shallow-water depths and also at abyssal depths. The most important environmental drivers of benthic and pelagic crustacean species richness were primary productivity (positive correlation) and salinity (negative correlation). Our study provides first insights into biodiversity patterns of the highly diverse Crustacea in the NWP and highlights strong differences between benthic and pelagic taxa. The results presented here could help us to better understand whether benthic or pelagic taxa might respond differently to climate changes in the NWP based on their distinct physiological and biological characteristics. This information is crucial in establishing species management strategies and ecosystem restorations in both shallow water and deep-sea environments.
In recent decades, a rapid range expansion of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) towards Northern and Western Europe has been observed. The golden jackal is a medium-sized canid, with a broad and flexible diet. Almost 200 different parasite species have been reported worldwide from C. aureus, including many parasites that are shared with dogs and cats and parasite species of public health concern. As parasites may follow the range shifts of their host, the range expansion of the golden jackal could be accompanied by changes in the parasite fauna in the new ecosystems. In the new distribution area, the golden jackal could affect ecosystem equilibrium, e.g., through changed competition situations or predation pressure. In a niche modeling approach, we project the future climatic habitat suitability of the golden jackal in Europe in the context of whether climatic changes promote range expansion. We use an ensemble forecast based on six presence-absence algorithms to estimate the climatic suitability of C. aureus for different time periods up to the year 2100 considering different IPCC scenarios on future development. As predictor variables, we used six bioclimatic variables provided by worldclim. Our results clearly indicate that areas with climatic conditions analogous to those of the current core distribution area of the golden jackal in Europe will strongly expand towards the north and the west in future decades. Thus, the observed range expansion may be favored by climate change. The occurrence of stable populations can be expected in Central Europe. With regard to biodiversity and public health concerns, the population and range dynamics of the golden jackal should be surveyed. Correlative niche models provide a useful and frequently applied tool for this purpose. The results can help to make monitoring more efficient by identifying areas with suitable habitat and thus a higher probability of occurrence.
The success of the increasing use of technology in education is highly dependent on learner acceptance. Although the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is dominant in research for surveying acceptance of technology, it does not allow the prediction of a successful first time use of technology. The successful first time use can be determined with the survey of technology affinity, as it corresponds to the expression of certain personality traits of users and is thus detached from the specific technology. Since there are no measurement instruments for the educational sector so far and existing instruments for measuring technology affinity do not meet the specific requirements for use in the educational context (e.g., limited time for questioning), we present the single item Inclusion of Technology Affinity in Self-Scale (ITAS). In study 1 we provide evidence of convergent and discriminant validity within the general population so that a generalization of its applicability is possible. In study 2 we subsequently tested ITAS in the actual target group, the educational sector. The high correlations of the ITAS with the ATI and the control instrument TA-EG (ranging from rs = 0.679 to rs = 0.440) show that ITAS is suitable for use in research. Furthermore, the newly developed instrument convinces with its low complexity, the graphical component, which requires little text understanding and the high time saving. This research thus can contribute to the investigation of technology affinity in the educational sector helping educators to conduct technical activities with their learning group, to predict possible difficulties and adjust their planning accordingly.
Diurnal and nocturnal behaviour of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and lions (Panthera leo) in zoos
(2022)
Mammals are constantly exposed to exogenous and endogenous influences that affect their behaviour and daily activity. Light and temperature, as well as anthropogenic factors such as husbandry routines, visitors, and feeding schedules are potential influences on animals in zoological gardens. In order to investigate the effects of some of these factors on animal behaviour, observational studies based on the analyses of activity budgets can be used. In this study, the daily and nightly activity budgets of six lions (Panthera leo) and five cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from four EAZA institutions were investigated. Focused on the influencing factor light and feeding, we analysed these activity budgets descriptively. Behaviour was recorded and analysed during the winter months over an observation period of 14 days and 14 nights using infrared-sensitive cameras. Our results show that lions and cheetahs exhibit activity peaks at crepuscular and feeding times, regardless of husbandry. Thus, lions in captivity shift nocturnal behaviour familiar from the wild to crepuscular and diurnal times. In cheetahs, in contrast, captive and wild individuals show similar 24 h behavioural rhythms. The resting behaviour of both species is more pronounced at night, with cheetahs having a shorter overall sleep duration than lions. This study describes the results of the examined animals and is not predictive. Nevertheless, the results of this study make an important contribution to gaining knowledge about possible factors influencing the behaviour of lions and cheetahs in zoos and offer implications that could be useful for improving husbandry and management.
Spatial genome organization is tightly controlled by several regulatory mechanisms and is essential for gene expression control. Nuclear receptors are ligand-activated transcription factors that modulate physiological and pathophysiological processes and are primary pharmacological targets. DNA binding of the important loop-forming insulator protein CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) was modulated by 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). We performed CTCF HiChIP assays to produce the first genome-wide dataset of CTCF long-range interactions in 1,25(OH)2D3-treated cells, and to determine whether dynamic changes of spatial chromatin interactions are essential for fine-tuning of nuclear receptor signaling. We detected changes in 3D chromatin organization upon vitamin D receptor (VDR) activation at 3.1% of all observed CTCF interactions. VDR binding was enriched at both differential loop anchors and within differential loops. Differential loops were observed in several putative functional roles including TAD border formation, promoter-enhancer looping, and establishment of VDR-responsive insulated neighborhoods. Vitamin D target genes were enriched in differential loops and at their anchors. Secondary vitamin D effects related to dynamic chromatin domain changes were linked to location of downstream transcription factors in differential loops. CRISPR interference and loop anchor deletion experiments confirmed the functional relevance of nuclear receptor ligand-induced adjustments of the chromatin 3D structure for gene expression regulation.
Climate forecasts show that in many regions the temporal distribution of precipitation events will become less predictable. Root traits may play key roles in dealing with changes in precipitation predictability, but their functional plastic responses, including transgenerational processes, are scarcely known. We investigated root trait plasticity of Papaver rhoeas with respect to higher versus lower intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal precipitation predictability (i.e., the degree of temporal autocorrelation among precipitation events) during a four-year outdoor multi-generation experiment. We first tested how the simulated predictability regimes affected intra-generational plasticity of root traits and allocation strategies of the ancestors, and investigated the selective forces acting on them. Second, we exposed three descendant generations to the same predictability regime experienced by their mothers or to a different one. We then investigated whether high inter-generational predictability causes root trait differentiation, whether transgenerational root plasticity existed and whether it was affected by the different predictability treatments. We found that the number of secondary roots, root biomass and root allocation strategies of ancestors were affected by changes in precipitation predictability, in line with intra-generational plasticity. Lower predictability induced a root response, possibly reflecting a fast-acquisitive strategy that increases water absorbance from shallow soil layers. Ancestors’ root traits were generally under selection, and the predictability treatments did neither affect the strength nor the direction of selection. Transgenerational effects were detected in root biomass and root weight ratio (RWR). In presence of lower predictability, descendants significantly reduced RWR compared to ancestors, leading to an increase in performance. This points to a change in root allocation in order to maintain or increase the descendants’ fitness. Moreover, transgenerational plasticity existed in maximum rooting depth and root biomass, and the less predictable treatment promoted the lowest coefficient of variation among descendants’ treatments in five out of six root traits. This shows that the level of maternal predictability determines the variation in the descendants’ responses, and suggests that lower phenotypic plasticity evolves in less predictable environments. Overall, our findings show that roots are functional plastic traits that rapidly respond to differences in precipitation predictability, and that the plasticity and adaptation of root traits may crucially determine how climate change will affect plants.
Microplastics are small plastic fragments that are widely distributed in marine and terrestrial environments. While the soil ecosystem represents a large reservoir for plastic, research so far has focused mainly on the impact on aquatic ecosystems and there is a lack of information on the potentially adverse effects of microplastics on soil biota. Earthworms are key organisms of the soil ecosystem and are due to their crucial role in soil quality and fertility a suitable and popular model organism in soil ecotoxicology.
Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain insight into the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia andrei on multiple levels of biological organization after different exposure periods. Earthworms were exposed to two types of microplastics: (1) polystyrene-HBCD and (2) car tire abrasion in natural soil for 2, 7, 14 and 28 d. Acute and chronic toxicity and all subcellular investigations were conducted for all exposure times, avoidance behavior assessed after 48 h and reproduction after 28 d. Subcellular endpoints included enzymatic biomarker responses, namely, carboxylesterase, glutathione peroxidase, acetylcholinesterase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase and catalase activities, as well as fluorescence-based measurements of oxidative stress-related markers and multixenobiotic resistance activity. Multiple biomarkers showed significant changes in activity, but a recovery of most enzymatic activities could be observed after 28 d. Overall, only minor effects could be observed on a subcellular level, showing that in this exposure scenario with environmentally relevant concentrations based on German pollution levels the threat to soil biota is minimal. However, in areas with higher concentrations of microplastics in the environment, these results can be interpreted as an early warning signal for more adverse effects. In conclusion, these findings provide new insights regarding the ecotoxicological effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics on soil organisms.
Organismic aging is known to be controlled by genetic and environmental traits. Pathways involved in the control of cellular metabolism play a crucial role. Previously, we identified a role of PaCLPP, a mitochondrial matrix protease, in the control of the mitochondrial energy metabolism, aging, and lifespan of the fungal aging model Podospora anserina. Most surprisingly, we made the counterintuitive observation that the ablation of this component of the mitochondrial quality control network leads to lifespan extension. In the current study, we investigated the role of energy metabolism of P. anserina. An age-dependent metabolome analysis of the wild type and a PaClpP deletion strain verified differences and changes of various metabolites in cultures of the PaClpP mutant and the wild type. Based on these data, we generated and analyzed a PaSnf1 deletion mutant and a ΔPaSnf1/ΔPaClpP double mutant. In both mutants PaSNF1, the catalytic α-subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is ablated. PaSNF1 was found to be required for the development of fruiting bodies and ascospores and the progeny of sexual reproduction of this ascomycete and impact mitochondrial dynamics and autophagy. Most interestingly, while the single PaSnf1 deletion mutant is characterized by a slight lifespan increase, simultaneous deletion of PaSnf1 and PaClpP leads to a pronounced lifespan extension. This synergistic effect is strongly reinforced in the presence of the mating-type “minus”-linked allele of the rmp1 gene. Compared to the wild type, culture temperature of 35°C instead of the standard laboratory temperature of 27°C leads to a short-lived phenotype of the ΔPaSnf1/ΔPaClpP double mutant. Overall, our study provides novel evidence for complex interactions of different molecular pathways involved in mitochondrial quality control, gene expression, and energy metabolism in the control of organismic aging.