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DiSSCo RI: the Cost Book for DiSSCo
No full textThe European Research Infrastructure DiSSCo (Distributed System of Scientific Collections) aims to digitally unify all European natural science assets, to ensure that collection data are easily findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR). 170 institutions across more than 23 countries are involved in this ambitious objective of transforming a fragmented landscape of collections into an integrated knowledge base, enabling researchers to use and interconnect different collections.Research Infrastructure (hereinafter referred as to RI) cost calculation can be multifaceted and complex. DiSSCo is both a central team and a coordinated network responsible for supplying the infrastructure’s services. The RI linked costs are spread all over Europe and connect thousands of people. As the extended DiSSCo perimeter encompasses a wide range of services - from physical access, to digitisation on demand and consulting services - distributed amongst a great number of partners, cost information is spread across centralised and decentralised areas.The following article outlines the first “centralised” cost calculation exercise for DiSSCo and concludes that the DiSSCo Central Hub office would need a minimum annual budget of 1.4 million euros to be operational. This would not change between the construction and the operation phases. Furthermore, the DiSSCo Central Hub IT team would need a budget of 2.2 million euros to finalise all IT systems under the construction phase (if the construction phase lasts two years, it would cost around 1.1 million euros per year) in order to develop the digital services that will facilitate access to NSC data. The annual cost to operate these services would be around 1.2 million euros per year. This budget will evolve according to funding opportunities, the enlargement of the membership and the implementation of a business model open to new sources of income. As is often the case, research infrastructures grow over time and the more DiSSCo becomes known and recognised, the more it will attract users and the more its budget will increase.In order to calculate the RI linked costs, which are spread all over Europe, we developed a cost calculation methodology that has been distributed amongst all the 170 DiSSCo partner institutions. Twenty-seven institutions responded to the exercise. This allows for a first shared understanding on how to calculate DiSSCo related costs. It also provides the first figures on a cost-per-hour or a cost-per-service basis and it opens the door for the pricing of DiSSCo services. Finally, such a methodology also aims at guaranteeing a fair service pricing, based on the same principles and variables
Population genetic data (COI, ddRAD) of Sialis lutaria (Insecta, Megaloptera) from the Emscher catchment (Germany)
No full textIn urban river systems, fragmentation of habitats and in-stream dispersal barriers play a major role in shaping the population genetic structure of freshwater macroinvertebrate species. In small, fragmented populations, effects of genetic drift and inbreeding are enhanced, which can lead to increased population differentiation and genetic diversity loss. One formerly strongly degraded and fragmented stream system in a highly urbanised area is the Emscher catchment in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Major restoration efforts have led to an improvement of water and habitat quality over the past 20 years also in the formerly polluted tributaries, for example, the Boye catchment. However, the analysis of the population structure of two different amphipod and isopod species has revealed that some populations are still strongly isolated, indicating persisting gene flow barriers. In contrast, the effects are expected to be less pronounced in merolimnic species, which have an adult winged life stage, such as the alderfly Sialis lutaria (Linnaeus, 1758) . However, this species was much less abundant in the Boye catchment and not found in adjacent catchments (only 9 of 41 sampling sites), reducing the power of possible analyses.As no population genetic studies of S. lutaria have to our knowledge been published so far and genetic resources are generally scarce for this species, we generated and present here population genetic data for 70 S. lutaria specimens for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene and, more importantly, high resolution genomic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for 71 specimens, generated with double-digest restriction site-associated sequencing (ddRAD-seq). These data can be valuable for further studies, analysing the population genetic structure, dispersal pathways and potential gene flow barriers for S. lutaria on a larger geographic scale. Additional to presenting the data, we also give first insights in the population structure on a small geographic scale (area of approx. 15 km2). While the population differentiation was generally low, as expected on this small scale, we still found that gene flow was not equally strong between all populations, but that one population played a central role as a source and sink population, which cannot only be explained by the distance between populations
A new species of Pseudodendroides Blair, 1914 (Coleoptera, Pyrochroidae, Pyrochroinae) from China, with a key to the species
No full textPseudodendroides Blair, 1914 is distributed in East Asia, with five described species. Currently, a new species, Pseudodendroides frontalis Gao & Pan, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Yunnan Province, China. A key to the species of Pseudodendroides is provided and the phylogenetic relationships among Pseudodendroides and related genera are briefly discussed
Centipedes (Myriapoda, Chilopoda) of Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles)
No full textCentipedes collected during Royal Society surveys of the arthropod fauna of the Aldabra Atoll in 1968–1975 are identified, described, and illustrated to provide the first checklist to the Aldabran centipede fauna, comprising 12 species. These newly include the lithobiomorph Lamyctes tristani (Pocock, 1893), the scolopendromorphs Scolopendra morsitans Linnaeus 1758, Cryptops cf. japonicus Takakuwa, 1934, Cryptops mauritianus Verhoeff, 1939, and Cryptops nigropictus Takakuwa, 1936, and the geophilomorphs Ityphilus cf. taeniaformis (Lawrence, 1960), Mecistocephalus angusticeps (Ribaut, 1914), Mecistocephalus lohmanderi Verhoeff, 1939, Orphnaeus dekanius Verhoeff, 1938, Ribautia cf. paucipes Attems, 1952, and Tuoba sydneyensis (Pocock, 1891). The geophilomorph genera Hovanyx Lawrence, 1960, syn. nov., and Mixophilus Silvestri, 1929, syn. nov., are revised in light of the examined material and hereby designated junior subjective synonyms of Tuoba Chamberlin, 1920 with the species Geophilus lemuricus Verhoeff, 1939, syn. nov., and Hovanyx waterloti Lawrence, 1960, syn. nov., designated as junior subjective synonyms of T. sydneyensis. The oryid genus Nycternyssa Crabill, 1959, syn. nov., is revised and designated a junior subjective synonym of Orphnaeus Meinert, 1870. New data on intraspecific morphological variation are presented for C. nigropictus, with the validity of Cryptops daszaki Lewis, 2002 being questioned following examination of its type material. The affinities and possible origins of the Aldabran centipede fauna are found to be mainly East African, with several species occurring across other islands in the Western Indian Ocean
The contemporary role of lactate in exercise physiology and exercise prescription – a review of the literature
No full textLactate is a key molecule in exercise metabolism. In the last two decades, there has been a revolution in the understanding of its role – from a byproduct of hypoxic muscles to a major energy resource and a signaling molecule – ‘lactormone’. The aim of this review is to compile all the up-to-date information that is available on the general metabolism of lactate, but also the specific use that exercise physiologists, coaches, and athletes can get out of lactate measurements, lactate-based training zones, and periodization of training sessions. Since the revolution in the understanding of lactate’s role in normal metabolism and disease in the late 20th century, more evidence has been assembled regarding the specific part it plays in exercise. From the vast body of knowledge, the researchers developed the concept of training intensity distribution into zones according to the level of blood lactate. The end goal of training to a specific lactate level or ‘threshold’ is the increased adaptation to specific training stimuli and ultimately better performance, which has been backed up by the achievements of numerous athletes training according to this concept
Sinocyclocheilus xingrenensis (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae), a new underground fish from Guizhou Province, Southeastern China
No full textThis study describes a new species, Sinocyclocheilus xingrenensis sp. nov., collected from a cave near Xingren City, Guizhou Province, China. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from the 80 species currently assigned to the genus Sinocyclocheilus by a combination of the following characteristics: absence of horn-like structures and indistinct elevation at the head-dorsal junction; body scaleless, with irregular black markings scattered above the lateral line; tip of pectoral fin not reaching the pelvic fin origin; tip of pelvic fin not reaching the anus; lateral line complete and curved, with pores 65–77; tip of maxillary barbel reaching the anterior margin of the operculum; and six rakers on the first gill arch. Phylogenetic trees constructed based on mitochondrial genes indicate that the new species represents an independent evolutionary lineage with relatively large genetic differences of 2.8–9.0% for the mitochondrial Cyt b and 2.7–8.5% for ND4
Floristic patterns in the Andes of northern Patagonia’s forests, Argentina: towards integrating ecological responses with expert-based and unsupervised classification methods
No full textAims: To explore the relationship between plant communities and key environmental drivers in the Andes of northwest Patagonia, Argentina, and to evaluate the applicability of traditional phytosociological definitions to this region. Methods: We conducted 141 vegetation samples using a stratified systematic sampling design. This was done along two steep gradients of aridity and temperature, which are further modified by local factors that include successional changes due to fire and soil variation. We employed a series of multivariate approaches, including hierarchical clustering, Indicator Species Analysis (ISA), restricted Monte Carlo permutation tests, and both constrained and unconstrained ordinations, to identify (a) the main plant community types, (b) their representative species, and (c) the primary drivers of variation in species composition. Finally, we compared the obtained groups and species to associations described by earlier expert-based classifications. Results: From the set of analyses, we identified six different plant community types with 241 recorded species. We found significant differences across communities’ species composition and their environmental indicators. Among the considered environmental variables, elevation and annual precipitation had the strongest effect on species composition. Additionally, variation in composition was significantly related to forest structure, land use and soil characteristics. We further outlined the influence of locally biased classifications based on a predominance of sampling in areas western to the Andes in classification systems developed in the region. Conclusion: Our analysis allowed us to identify the most relevant environmental drivers and indicator species of the six classified plant communities based on numerical methods. The findings highlight the importance of considering full ecological gradients and communities’ responses for developing stable classification approaches. Taxonomic reference: Anton and Zuloaga (2023). Abbreviations: db-RDA = distance-based Redundancy Analysis; ISA = Indicator Species Analysis; NMDS = Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling
On art, science, and the conservation of subterranean ecosystems
No full textCaves, with their unique geologic and biological features, have inspired human imagination throughout history. From photography to movies, through comics, painting, and poetry, subterranean ecosystems feature prominently in various forms of artistic expression, often incorporating scientific ideas or concepts. Integrating art with science offers a powerful way to convey the uniqueness and importance of the organisms that inhabit subterranean ecosystems, emphasizing their importance as providers of key ecological and cultural services. This, in turn, would help promote their conservation. We discuss realized and unrealized connections between subterranean biologists and artists, aiming to achieve broader protection for subterranean ecosystems. We showcase the different art forms that depict subterranean environments, explain how each aligns with conservation science, and highlight the mutual benefits artists and researchers in subterranean biology can derive from collaboration. In doing so, we pose two important questions: How can we effectively bridge the cultural divide between subterranean scientists and artists? And how can we assess the effectiveness of art in enhancing science communication about subterranean ecosystems and their conservation? By addressing these questions, we envision a future where art and science intersect to safeguard the rich and diverse subterranean biological and cultural heritage
Anatomical variation of the superficial branch of the radial nerve and brachioradialis tendon: a case report with embryological and clinical insights
No full textAnatomical variation of the peripheral nerves are important because they may have therapeutic implications. The variation of the brachioradialis muscle (BRM) and the superficial branch of the radial nerve (SBRN) was noted during a regular teaching dissection of the upper extremity of a cadaver. There was splitting of the brachioradialis tendon (BRT), and the SBRN emerged, and it eventually became cutaneous. Following that, it bifurcated and ran superficial to the extensor retinaculum and gave off digital branches. The SBRN may be compressed by the BRM/BRM tendon contraction, which may result in Wartenberg’s syndrome. This anatomical variation likely results from a complex interplay of genetic factors, molecular signals, and embryological development. For the purpose of differentiating between pain and paresthesia on the dorsoradial aspect of the hand, awareness of this neuromuscular variation is clinically significant
Three new species of the millipede genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993 from Thailand (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)
No full textAn examination of newly collected material from northeastern Thailand revealed three new millipede species in the genus Enghoffosoma Golovatch, 1993: E. furca sp. nov., E. parvispina sp. nov., and E. rubellum sp. nov. We utilized morphological evidence together with genetic analysis of the COI gene to validate species identification. Each of the new species has unique characteristics, particularly in the structure of the gonopodal solenophore, that easily distinguish them from other species in the genus. The interspecific p-distances calculated from 658-bp barcoding sequences between the new species and their congeners show ranges of 18.56% to 22.78% for E. furca sp. nov., 15.09% to 21.25% for E. parvispina sp. nov., and 15.09% to 22.37% for E. rubellum sp. nov., supporting the morphological distinctions. Preliminary phylogenetic trees using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) indicate that the genus Enghoffosoma is monophyletic, with two of the newly described species forming distinct clades. Our findings increase the total number of Enghoffosoma species to 16 (including six in Thailand) and underscore a greater diversity within the genus than previously known. Morphological illustrations of the new species, derived from SEM micrographs, and a distribution map of all known species are included