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Hazard analysts and risk managers of natural perils, such as earthquakes, landslides and floods, need to access information from sensor networks surveying their regions of interest. However, currently information about these networks is difficult to obtain and is available in varying formats, thereby restricting accesses and consequently possibly leading to decision-making based on limited information. As a response to this issue, state-of-the-art interoperable catalogues are being currently developed within the framework of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) workplan. This article provides an overview of the prototype catalogue that was developed to improve access to information about the sensor networks surveying geological hazards (geohazards), such as earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes.

The CERN-MEDICIS (MEDical Isotopes Collected from ISolde) facility has delivered its first radioactive ion beam at CERN (Switzerland) in December 2017 to support the research and development in nuclear medicine using non-conventional radionuclides. Since then, fourteen institutes, including CERN, have joined the collaboration to drive the scientific program of this unique installation and evaluate the needs of the community to improve the research in imaging, diagnostics, radiation therapy and personalized medicine. The facility has been built as an extension of the ISOLDE (Isotope Separator On Line DEvice) facility at CERN. Handling of open radioisotope sources is made possible thanks to its Radiological Controlled Area and laboratory. Targets are being irradiated by the 1.4 GeV proton beam delivered by the CERN Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) on a station placed between the High Resolution Separator (HRS) ISOLDE target station and its beam dump. Irradiated target materials are also received from external institutes to undergo mass separation at CERN-MEDICIS. All targets are handled via a remote handling system and exploited on a dedicated isotope separator beamline. To allow for the release and collection of a specific radionuclide of medical interest, each target is heated to temperatures of up to 2,300°C. The created ions are extracted and accelerated to an energy up to 60 kV, and the beam steered through an off-line sector field magnet mass separator. This is followed by the extraction of the radionuclide of interest through mass separation and its subsequent implantation into a collection foil. In addition, the MELISSA (MEDICIS Laser Ion Source Setup At CERN) laser laboratory, in service since April 2019, helps to increase the separation efficiency and the selectivity. After collection, the implanted radionuclides are dispatched to the biomedical research centers, participating in the CERN-MEDICIS collaboration, for Research & Development in imaging or treatment. Since its commissioning, the CERN-MEDICIS facility has provided its partner institutes with non-conventional medical radionuclides such as Tb-149, Tb-152, Tb-155, Sm-153, Tm-165, Tm-167, Er-169, Yb-175, and Ac-225 with a high specific activity. This article provides a review of the achievements and milestones of CERN-MEDICIS since it has produced its first radioactive isotope in December 2017, with a special focus on its most recent operation in 2020.

Odorant receptors (ORs) are main actors of the insects peripheral olfactory system, making them prime targets for pest control through olfactory disruption. Traditional methods employed in the context of chemical ecology for identifying OR ligands rely on analyzing compounds present in the insect's environment or screening molecules with structures similar to known ligands. However, these approaches can be time-consuming and constrained by the limited chemical space they explore. Recent advances in OR structural understanding, coupled with scientific breakthroughs in protein structure prediction, have facilitated the application of Structure-Based Virtual Screening (SBVS) techniques for accelerated ligand discovery. Here, we report the first successful application of SBVS to insect ORs. We developed a unique workflow that combines molecular docking predictions, validation and behavioral assays to identify new behaviorally active volatiles for non-pheromonal receptors. This work serves as a proof of concept, laying the groundwork for future studies and highlighting the need for improved computational approaches. Finally, we propose a simple model for predicting receptor response spectra based on the hypothesis that the binding pocket properties partially encode this information, as suggested by our results on ORs.

Aims :Plastic films efficiently control weed development in agriculture but may have environmental impacts, including alterations of the soil functioning and its microbiota. Canvases made of plant fibres are promising biodegradable alternatives showing uniform soil covering like plastic films, unlike straw mulching which is often laid unevenly on the ground. Hemp is particularly interesting for its resistance and possible effects on the soil microbiota. We tested the effect of several mulches differing in their biodegradability and homogeneity (uniform/uneven soil covering) on soil functioning and crop yield.Methods :In greenhouse, we assessed the effects of different mulching on lettuce yields, soil properties (temperature, moisture, enzymatic activities) and the soil microbiota. We cropped lettuces either on bare soil (control), a homogeneous non-biodegradable mulch (plastic film), a biodegradable heterogeneous mulch (hemp straw) and a biodegradable and homogenous mulch (hemp canvas).Results :Plastic film increased soil temperature, decreased most enzymatic activities, and altered the soil microbiota composition. The hemp canvas decreased fungal diversity, while increasing soil moisture, laccase activity, and the abundance of specific Ascomycota, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria taxa. Plastic and hemp canvas gave similar lettuce yields.Conclusions :Mulching with plastic films and hemp canvases changed soil functioning (C cycle enzymatic activities) and the soil microbiota. Although similar lettuce yields were obtained, effects of the plastic film were likely mediated by the increased soil temperature and accelerated organic matter degradation, while effects of the hemp canvas resulted from increased soil moisture and recalcitrant matter degradation, combined with the stimulation of potentially beneficial soil microorganisms.

The insecticide 14 C-chlorpyrifos was found mineralized in a Tunisian soil with repeated exposure to it. From this soil, a bacterial strain was isolated that was able to grow in a minimal salt medium (MSM) supplemented with 25 mg L −1 of chlorpyrifos. It was characterized as Serratia rubidaea strain ABS 10 using morphological and biochemical analyses, as well as 16S rRNA sequencing. In a liquid culture, the S. rubidaea strain ABS 10 was able to dissipate chlorpyrifos almost entirely within 48 h of incubation. Although the S. rubidaea strain ABS 10 was able to grow in an MSM supplemented with chlorpyrifos and dissipate it in a liquid culture, it was not able to mineralize 14 C-chlorpyrifos. Therefore, it can be concluded that the dissipation capability of this bacteria might be attributed to its capacity to adsorb CHL. It can also be ascribed to other reasons such as the formation of biogenic non-extractable residues. In both non-sterile and sterile soil inoculated with S. rubidaea strain ABS 10 , chlorpyrifos was more rapidly dissipated than in controls with DT 50 of 1.38 and 1.05 days, respectively.

Mate preference for conspecifics does not necessarily lead to assortative mating in cases where mating outcomes also depend on preferences based on mate quality and on individual competitiveness. We tested how such traits affected mate choice among genetically divergent lineages (called molecular operational taxonomic units; MOTU) of the amphipod Gammarus fossarum. We presented males with two females, including one from its own MOTU. Females also potentially differed in body size, and therefore fecundity, and in time before reproduction, two traits previously recognized as important in male mate choice. Males generally preferred females from their own MOTU when females originated from highly divergent MOTUs (17 % genetic divergence), but not when they were more closely related (3.5 % genetic divergence). Contrary to expectations, they did not prefer larger females, but they consistently paired with the female closest to reproduction. A second experiment involving duos of males of different MOTUs in competition for a female also revealed that males consistently won the competition over pairing with females of their own MOTU. Overall, these results reveal a strong influence of genetic divergence on mate recognition and reproductive isolation between sympatric MOTUs. However, male preference for females that are close to being available for reproduction also potentially results in hybridization among closely related MOTUs. We examine these results in the light of field mating patterns observed in a previous study of G. fossarum and discuss the importance of considering competitiveness and preferences for mate quality signals when studying evolutionary consequences of secondary contact between divergent lineages.

Wild bees are declining, mainly due to the expansion of urban habitats that have led to land-use changes. Effects of urbanization on wild bee communities are still unclear, as shown by contrasting reports on their species and functional diversities in urban habitats. To address this current controversy, we built a large dataset, merging 16 surveys carried out in 3 countries of Western Europe during the past decades, and tested whether urbanization influences local wild bee taxonomic and functional community composition. These surveys encompassed a range of urbanization levels, that were quantified using two complementary metrics: the proportion of impervious surfaces and the human population density. Urban expansion, when measured as a proportion of impervious surfaces, but not as human population density, was significantly and negatively correlated with wild bee community species richness. Taxonomic dissimilarity of the bee community was independent of both urbanization metrics. However, occurrence rates of functional traits revealed significant differences between lightly and highly urbanized communities, for both urbanization metrics. With higher human population density, probabilities of occurrence of above-ground nesters, generalist and small species increased. With higher soil sealing, probabilities of occurrence of above-ground nesters, generalists and social bees increased as well. Overall, these results, based on a large European dataset, suggest that urbanization can have negative impacts on wild bee diversity. They further identify some traits favored in urban environments, showing that several wild bee species can thrive in cities.

The effect of wastewater irrigation on the diversity and composition of bacterial communities of soil mesocosms planted with lettuces was studied over an experiment made of five cultivation campaigns. A limited effect of irrigation with either raw or treated wastewater was observed in both alpha-diversity and beta-diversity of soil bacterial communities. However, the irrigation with wastewater fortified with a complex mixture of fourteen relevant chemicals at 10 mu g/L each, including pharmaceutical, biocide, and pesticide active substances, led to a drift in the composition of soil bacterial community. One hundred operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified as responsible for changes between treated and fortified wastewater irrigation treatments. Our findings indicate that under a realistic agronomical scenario, the irrigation of vegetables with domestic (treated or raw) wastewater has no effect on soil bacterial communities. Nevertheless, under the worst-case scenario tested here (i.e., wastewater fortified with a mixture of chemicals), non-resilient changes were observed suggesting that continuous/repeated irrigation with wastewater could lead to the accumulation of contaminants in soil and induce changes in bacterial communities with unknown functional consequences.

Odorant receptors (ORs) are main actors of the insects peripheral olfactory system, making them prime targets for pest control through olfactory disruption. Traditional methods employed in the context of chemical ecology for identifying OR ligands rely on analyzing compounds present in the insect’s environment or screening molecules with structures similar to known ligands. However, these approaches can be time-consuming and constrained by the limited chemical space they explore. Recent advances in OR structural understanding, coupled with scientific breakthroughs in protein structure prediction, have facilitated the application of structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) techniques for accelerated ligand discovery. Here, we report the first successful application of SBVS to insect ORs. We developed a unique workflow that combines molecular docking predictions, in vivo validation and behavioral assays to identify new behaviorally active volatiles for non-pheromonal receptors. This work serves as a proof of concept, laying the groundwork for future studies and highlighting the need for improved computational approaches. Finally, we propose a simple model for predicting receptor response spectra based on the hypothesis that the binding pocket properties partially encode this information, as suggested by our results on Spodoptera littoralis ORs.