Towards an ethical and legal framework in archeogenomics: A local case in the Atlantic coast of central Patagonia

Ethical discussions around ancient DNA (aDNA) research predate the technological breakthroughs that led to the accelerated generation of ancient genomic data, revealing a long-due need to address these aspects in the field. Given the diverse conflicts that genomics has raised towards the communities associated with the Non-living Human Ancestors under study, it has been suggested that the ethical and legal implications of genetically studying present-day and ancient human populations should be considered case-by-case. Nevertheless, the discussions have focused on US and European perspectives. To contribute from a local and Latin American position to the problem, we present the history of consensus and disagreement of the relationships between scientists and Indigenous communities of the Atlantic coast of the central Argentinian Patagonia. We describe how these relationships resulted in the approval of a groundbreaking provincial law that acknowledges the Indigenous community's right to be involved in decision-making concerning their Ancestors. In addition, we emphasize how these established relationships allowed the development of aDNA studies. With this background, we address the main ethical concerns of genomic studies of Ancestors identified in the reference literature and commit to applying some of the recommendations suggested in those ethical guidelines. Then, we reflect on possible negative consequences of ongoing research and propose some suggestions based on personal experiences that will contribute to moving the ethical field towards a more contextualized science with a local perspective.     

Combined effect of ambient temperature and solar radiation on maned sloths' behaviour and detectability

Changes in ambient temperature and solar radiation may affect sloths' metabolic rate and body temperature, with consequent changes in activities, postures and microhabitat selection. Although the separate effect of temperature and solar radiation on sloth's behaviour have been previously studied, the combined effect of these climatic factors on behavioural aspects of sloths has never been systematically evaluated in field conditions. Here we evaluated the influence of hourly ambient temperature variation on maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) activities, postures and tree crown positions, under sunny and cloudy conditions; and tested if any of the animal posture and position increase their exposure to human detection. We performed 350 h of visual observation on eight maned sloths, equipped with radio-backpacks, in northern Bahia, Brazil, recording their activities, and their resting postures and positions on tree crowns. We also recorded the time taken to visualize the sloths on 58 days to analyse if sloths' detection is affected by posture and position. Higher ambient temperature, within a range of 21–33°C, increased the sloths' activity levels in cloudy conditions but reduced their activity in sunny conditions. Increasing ambient temperature also reduced the frequency of huddled posture and increased the frequency of extended posture and permanence in the inner tree crown. Lastly, the postures and positions did not influence sloths' detectability. Thus, the direction of the temperature–activity relationship depends on climatic conditions (sunny/cloudy), and individuals rely on resting postures and positions to thermoregulate. The warmer and drier future climate, expected to occur in the northern Atlantic Forest, may impose change in the diurnal activity levels and postural pattern for this threatened species, leading maned sloths to reduce its activity on sunny and warmer days and adopting an extended posture.     

Canopy tree mortality depends on the proportion of crown exposed to sunlight,but this effect varies with species' wood density

Understanding what drives changes in tree mortality as well as the covariates influencing trees' response is a research priority to predict forest responses to global change. Here, we combined drone photogrammetry and ground-based data to assess the influence of crown exposure to light (relative to total crown area), growth deviations (relative to conspecifics), tree size, and species' wood density (as a surrogate for light-demanding and shade-tolerant life-history strategies) on the mortality of 984 canopy trees in an Amazon terra firme forest. Trees with lower wood density were less prone to die when their proportion of crown was more exposed to sunlight, but this relationship with relative crown exposure weakened and slightly reversed as wood density increased. Trees growing less than their species average had higher mortality, especially when the species' wood density decreased. The role of wood density in determining the survival of canopy trees under varying light conditions indicates differential responses of light-demanding versus shade-tolerant species. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for life-history strategies, via plant functional types, in vegetation dynamic models aiming to predict forest demography under a rapidly changing climate. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

Identifying Mozambique's most critical areas for plant conservation: An evaluation of protected areas and Important Plant Areas

Successful protected area networks must represent biodiversity across taxonomic groups. However, too often plant species are overlooked in conservation planning, and the resulting protected areas may, as a result, fail to encompass the most important sites for plant diversity. The Mozambique Tropical Important Plant Areas project sought to promote the conservation of Mozambique's flora through the identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs). Here, we use the Weighted Endemism including Global Endangerment (WEGE) index to identify the richest areas for rare and endemic plants in Mozambique and subsequently evaluate how well represented these hotspots are within the current protected area and IPA networks. We also examine the congruence between IPA and protected areas to identify opportunities for strengthening the conservation of plants in Mozambique. We found that high WEGE scores, representing areas rich in endemic/near-endemic and threatened species, predict the presence of IPAs in Mozambique, but do not predict the presence of protected areas. We also find that there is limited overlap between IPAs and protected areas in Mozambique. We demonstrate how IPAs could be an important tool for ensuring priority sites for plant diversity are included within protected area network expansions, particularly following the adoption of the “30 by 30” target agreed within the post-2020 Convention on Biological Diversity framework, with great potential for this method to be replicated elsewhere in the global tropics.     

Phytochemical Characterization of Cannabis sativa L. Roots from Northeastern Brazil

This article describes the phytochemical study of Cannabis sativa roots from northeastern Brazil. The dried plant material was pulverized and subjected to exhaustive maceration with ethanol at room temperature, obtaining the crude ethanolic extract (Cs-EEBR). The volatile compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which allowed to identify 22 compounds by comparing the linear retention index (LRI), the similarity index (SI) and the fragmentation pattern of the constituents with the literature. By this technique the major compounds identified were: friedelan-3-one and β-sitosterol. In addition, two fractions were obtained from Cs-EEBR by classical column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. These fractions were analyzed by NMR and IR and together with the mass spectrometry data allowed to identify the compounds: epifriedelanol, friedelan-3-one, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The study contributed to the phytochemical knowledge of Cannabis sativa, specifically the roots, as there are few reports on the chemical constituents of this part of the plant.     

Identification of Seroreactive Proteins of Leptospira interrogans Serovar Copenhageni Using a High-Density Protein Microarray Approach

Background

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease worldwide. The lack of an adequate laboratory test is a major barrier for diagnosis, especially during the early stages of illness, when antibiotic therapy is most effective. Therefore, there is a critical need for an efficient diagnostic test for this life threatening disease.

Methodology

In order to identify new targets that could be used as diagnostic makers for leptopirosis, we constructed a protein microarray chip comprising 61% of Leptospira interrogans proteome and investigated the IgG response from 274 individuals, including 80 acute-phase, 80 convalescent-phase patients and 114 healthy control subjects from regions with endemic, high endemic, and no endemic transmission of leptospirosis. A nitrocellulose line blot assay was performed to validate the accuracy of the protein microarray results.

Principal findings

We found 16 antigens that can discriminate between acute cases and healthy individuals from a region with high endemic transmission of leptospirosis, and 18 antigens that distinguish convalescent cases. Some of the antigens identified in this study, such as LipL32, the non-identical domains of the Lig proteins, GroEL, and Loa22 are already known to be recognized by sera from human patients, thus serving as proof-of-concept for the serodiagnostic antigen discovery approach. Several novel antigens were identified, including the hypothetical protein LIC10215 which showed good sensitivity and specificity rates for both acute- and convalescent-phase patients.

Conclusions

Our study is the first large-scale evaluation of immunodominant antigens associated with naturally acquired leptospiral infection, and novel as well as known serodiagnostic leptospiral antigens that are recognized by antibodies in the sera of leptospirosis cases were identified. The novel antigens identified here may have potential use in both the development of new tests and the improvement of currently available assays for diagnosing this neglected tropical disease. Further research is needed to assess the utility of these antigens in more deployable diagnostic platforms.     

Reconstructing past ecological networks: the reconfiguration of seed-dispersal interactions after megafaunal extinction

The late Quaternary megafaunal extinction impacted ecological communities worldwide, and affected key ecological processes such as seed dispersal. The traits of several species of large-seeded plants are thought to have evolved in response to interactions with extinct megafauna, but how these extinctions affected the organization of interactions in seed-dispersal systems is poorly understood. Here, we combined ecological and paleontological data and network analyses to investigate how the structure of a species-rich seed-dispersal network could have changed from the Pleistocene to the present and examine the possible consequences of such changes. Our results indicate that the seed-dispersal network was organized into modules across the different time periods but has been reconfigured in different ways over time. The episode of megafaunal extinction and the arrival of humans changed how seed dispersers were distributed among network modules. However, the recent introduction of livestock into the seed-dispersal system partially restored the original network organization by strengthening the modular configuration. Moreover, after megafaunal extinctions, introduced species and some smaller native mammals became key components for the structure of the seed-dispersal network. We hypothesize that such changes in network structure affected both animal and plant assemblages, potentially contributing to the shaping of modern ecological communities. The ongoing extinction of key large vertebrates will lead to a variety of context-dependent rearranged ecological networks, most certainly affecting ecological and evolutionary processes.     

Creatine and creatinine quantification in olympic athletes: dried blood spot analysis pilot study

Capillary dried blood spot (DBS) samples facilitate field-based collection without venipuncture. This pilot study aims to evaluate the viability of creatine (Cr) and creatinine (Crt) quantification using fresh capillary serum (Cr_S/Crt_S) and DBS samples (Cr_DBS/Crt_DBS), using Flow Injection Analysis Mass Spectrometry (FIA – MS). Nine Olympic Athletes provided a capillary blood sample to assess Cr_S/Crt_S and Cr_DBS/Crt_DBS quantified by FIA – MS. No difference between Crt_S (mean ± SD: 813.6 ± 102.4 μmol/L) and Crt_DBS (812.4 ± 108.1 μmol/L) was observed with acceptable variance [SEM 88.7; CV 10.7%; ICC 0.57 (CI 95% 0.06 – 0.84)] and agreement [very strong (Spearman: r = 0.77; p < 0.01) or strong (Pearson: r = 0.56; p = 0.04); Bland Altman: lower (-193) and upper (+196) limits of agreement]. Cr_S (mean ± SD: 691.8 ± 165.2 μmol/L) was significantly different to Cr_DBS (2911 ± 571.4 μmol/L) with unacceptable variance [SEM 171.6; CV 27%; ICC 0.002 (CI 95% -0.02 – 0.07)] and ‘weak’ agreement [Spearman: r = 0.21, p = 0.47 and Pearson: r = 0.06, p = 0.84; Bland Altman lower (-3367) and upper (-1072) limits of agreement]. Crt quantification is viable using both Crt_S and Crt_DBS (but not for Cr and Cr_S/Cr_DBS), with the DBS tissue handling technique offering several methodological and practice facing advantages. Future work should expand upon the sample size, explore sport/discipline relevant analytes across a full competitive season, including key training, recovery and performance blocks of their periodized performance plan.