Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Cook, Stephen T. Lee, Dale R. Gardner, Russell J. Molyneux, Robert L. Johnson, Charlotte M. Taylor
Summary: Poisonous plants have significant negative impacts on livestock, and studying them is complex due to the need for taxonomic classification, sufficient plant collection, and defining active principles. Herbarium specimens are important resources for analyzing chemical composition and identifying toxic plants in poisonous plant research.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elena Gazzano, Jasmine Rita Petriglieri, Elisabetta Aldieri, Bice Fubini, Christine Laporte-Magoni, Cristina Pavan, Maura Tomatis, Francesco Turci
Summary: Exposure to asbestos and asbestos-like minerals is associated with severe lung diseases. The study investigated the toxicity and cellular effects of fibrous antigorites on murine macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells. The findings revealed significant cellular toxicity of fibrous antigorites, which correlated with their fibrous habit and surface reactivity.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Estrela Figueiredo, Gideon F. Smith
Summary: This study investigates the collection of botanical specimens in Mozambique from 1900 to 1929 and provides a comprehensive catalog of collectors active in the country during the first approximately 30 years of the 20th century. The catalog includes biographical information, details of their activities, employment, collections, and the herbaria where their collections are stored. The analysis is presented in a historical context, reflecting on the reasons behind the relatively unproductive nature of this period.
Article
Microbiology
Eve Tessier, Melanie Hennart, Edgar Badell, Virginie Passet, Julie Toubiana, Antoine Biron, Ann-Claire Gourinat, Audrey Merlet, Julien Colot, Sylvain Brisse
Summary: The study analyzed the clinical and microbiological features of Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolates in New Caledonia. The majority of isolates were from cutaneous sources and were associated with Staphylococcus aureus and/or Streptococcus pyogenes. Toxigenic isolates were observed in patients returning from Vanuatu. The isolates showed susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics. The study highlights the importance of diphtheria surveillance and improving immunization in neighboring islands.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tanguy Jaffre
Summary: New Caledonia is renowned for its diverse geological substrates, which have shaped the unique and diverse flora. This article describes the impact of soil on vegetation, focusing on contact zones between ultramafic and other substrates. It discusses the main vegetation formations on ultramafic soils, including low and medium altitude rainforests, high altitude rainforests, and maquis. The types of maquis and the biological characteristics of maquis species are also presented.
Review
Plant Sciences
Carolyn M. Malmstrom, Michael D. Martin, Lionel Gagnevin
Summary: Biotechnological advances have allowed broad exploration of past microbial communities, providing invaluable genomic and metagenomic data. This research has expanded to include plant-associated microbes, revealing insights into past epidemics and evolutionary history. It also enables the reconstruction of genetic mechanisms underlying microbial pathogenicity and the assessment of epidemiological parameters.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Thermodynamics
Gang Xiao, Jing Nie, Haoran Xu, Chunlin Zhang, Peiwang Zhu
Summary: This study developed a system that combines trough collectors with an individual SPT plant to improve efficiency and electricity generation, with optimized area ratio and tank capacity.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Shao-Jinn Chin, Rupert Sutherland, Martha K. Savage, John Townend, Julien Collot, Bernard Pelletier, Olivier Monge, Finnigan Illsley-Kemp
Summary: We used a network of seismometers near Noumea, the capital city of New Caledonia, to record and analyze earthquakes for 14 months. The earthquakes in southern New Caledonia are smaller but more hazardous due to their shallow depths and proximity to local communities. Our study highlights the need for long-term monitoring of local earthquakes in this region and suggests that current models overestimate the hazard from large earthquakes in nearby subduction zones. Further research is needed to improve ground motion prediction in subduction zone footwall settings.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Estrela Figueiredo, Gideon F. Smith
Summary: This article mainly discusses the plant diversity and historical plant collection in Angola, as well as the connections between scientific endeavor, colonialism, and slavery, and also examines aspects related to gender and ethnicity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Tanguy Jaffre
Summary: In New Caledonia, the environmental heterogeneity on ultramafic rocks drives plant diversity. The low availability of major elements and abnormal high concentration of trace elements in leaf tissues of species growing on these rocks reflect the poor fertility of ultramafic soils and the adaptation of plants to specific mineral conditions.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Cyril Dutheil, C. Menkes, M. Lengaigne, J. Vialard, A. Peltier, M. Bador, X. Petit
Summary: The study indicates that annual mean rainfall over New Caledonia may decrease by 18% by 2080-2100, with a significant reduction during the hot season. This drying trend is mainly driven by circulation changes, including strong anti-cyclonic and air subsidence anomalies reducing moisture convergence over the archipelago.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Romain Garrouste, Jerome Munzinger, Andrew Leslie, Jessica Fisher, Nicolas Folcher, Emma Locatelli, Wyndy Foy, Thibault Chaillon, David J. Cantrill, Pierre Maurizot, Dominique Cluzel, Porter P. I. I. I. I. Lowry, Peter Crane, Jean-Jacques Bahain, Pierre Voinchet, Herve Jourdan, Philippe Grandcolas, Andre Nel
Summary: New Caledonia's history is influenced by deep marine sedimentation and tectonic evidence, with some deeply-diverging clades present before the Eocene. Fossil data are crucial for understanding the biota's history in New Caledonia.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jay Delves, Joaquina Alban-Castillo, Asuncion Cano, Carmen Fernandez Aviles, Edeline Gagnon, Paul Gonzales, Sandra Knapp, Blanca Leon, Jose Luis Marcelo-Pena, Carlos Reynel, Rocio del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Eric F. Rodriguez Rodriguez, Tiina Sarkinen, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Peter W. Moonlight
Summary: Internationally agreed targets for assessing the conservation status of plant species rely on digitized distribution data from herbarium specimens. Using taxonomically curated databases, this study in Peru found that adding data from local and different-sized herbaria improved the accuracy of threat status estimations for Begonia and Solanum genera. This highlights the importance of supporting and recognizing the contributions of small and in-country herbaria for achieving global plant conservation goals.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ophelie Germande, Peggy Gunkel-Grillon, Yannick Dominique, Agnes Feurtet-Mazel, Emilie Bierque, Emilie Dassie, Guillemine Daffe, Fabien Pierron, Isabelle Baudrimont, Magalie Baudrimont
Summary: New Caledonia is heavily impacted by nickel open pit mining activities due to the presence of ultramafic soils rich in metals. The dispersion of particles during the excavation process results in deposition or leaching in rivers, leading to bioaccumulation in downstream organisms. This study investigates the bioaccumulation of metals in eels and its potential effects on their health.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benedicte Melot, Gauthier Delvallez, Ann-Claire Gourinat, Nicolas Molko, Cyrille Goarant, Yves-Marie Ducrot, Emilie Huguon, Cecile Cazorla, Martine Chauvet, Antoine Biron, Julien Colot
Summary: Eosinophilic meningitis is a rare disease predominantly caused by parasites, with Angiostrongylus cantonensis identified as the main pathogen in cases in New Caledonia. The study found that the disease primarily affects young adults and non-walking infants, with distinct peaks of incidence during the dry and rainy seasons. Identification of potential reservoirs is crucial for targeted prevention campaigns due to the high and regular incidence of cases.
