Editorial Material
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Marta N. Shahbazi
Summary: Cell Stem Cell has introduced early-career researchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and invited them to reflect on their experiences. In this particular story, Marta Shahbazi discusses the challenges of balancing running a lab with motherhood and the importance of maintaining personal identity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shengpeng Wang, Zhao Jing, Lixin Wu, Shantong Sun, Qihua Peng, Hong Wang, Yu Zhang, Jian Shi
Summary: Under global warming, marine heatwaves (MHWs) are becoming more severe and frequent, especially in the eastern boundary upwelling systems in the Southern Hemisphere. The weakening of eastern boundary currents overrides the buffering effect of upwelling, leading to increased MHW stress and potential threats to ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Bo Zhang, Li Dong, Hairu Ding, Zhiang Xie
Summary: This study establishes a new blocking climatology in the Southern Hemisphere based on improved detection methods and reanalysis data. The study also investigates the relationship between Southern Hemisphere blocking and ENSO phases. The findings show that ENSO warm phase is more conducive to blocking formation, while blocking intensity is not affected by ENSO phases.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Rishav Goyal, Martin Jucker, Alex Sen Gupta, Matthew H. England
Summary: This study introduces a new way to characterize the variability of Zonal wave 3 (ZW3) in the Southern Hemisphere extratropical atmospheric circulation. The new index provides a clear advantage over existing indices and can be used for both reanalysis datasets and coupled climate models. The study also reveals a strong relationship between the ZW3 and sea ice fraction around Antarctica.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tiffany A. Shaw, Osamu Miyawakia, Aaron Donohoe
Summary: The Southern Hemisphere has more storms than the Northern Hemisphere due to equal contributions from topography and ocean circulation. Understanding the energy transfer between land and ocean and its effects on future storminess is crucial. The storminess in the Southern Hemisphere is linked to changes in ocean energy transport in the Southern Ocean, while storminess in the Northern Hemisphere has not significantly changed due to opposing oceanic and radiative changes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Itamar Karbi, Rei Chemke
Summary: Temperature anomalies have a significant impact on the climate and weather of the mid-latitudes. Climate models predict that in the coming decades, the Southern Hemisphere mid-latitudes will experience larger and shorter-lasting temperature anomalies. This shift is mainly driven by changes in the meridional heat flux of atmospheric perturbations. Understanding the effects of different length scales and periods on mid-latitude climate is crucial for more accurate climate projections.
NPJ CLIMATE AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dania Kallas, Avani Lamba, Thomas M. Roston, Alia Arslanova, Sonia Franciosi, Glen F. Tibbits, Shubhayan Sanatani
Summary: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare and potentially lethal inherited arrhythmia disease characterized by exercise or emotion-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Most CPVT patients have pathogenic variants in the genes encoding cardiac ryanodine receptor or calsequestrin 2, leading to mishandling of calcium in cardiomyocytes and resulting in arrhythmias. Despite decades of research, risk stratification is imprecise and long-term prognosis remains unknown for pediatric CPVT patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robin Aguilar
Summary: Institutions require experts in racial justice and queer liberation to support and advocate for scientists from marginalized groups, according to Robin Aguilar.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
John M. Dickey, J. H. S. Weston, J. L. Sokoloski, S. D. Vrtilek, Michael McCollough
Summary: Symbiotic stars exhibit emission across the electromagnetic spectrum from various physical processes, with radio luminosity and size of radio emission regions being correlated with the shell burning rate on the white dwarf. This suggests that radio luminosity can be used to distinguish between accretion-powered and shell burning-powered symbiotic stars.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Micheal T. Pillay, Jennifer M. Fitchett
Summary: Tropical cyclones pose a greater risk and impact on southern hemisphere countries compared to the northern hemisphere due to lower adaptive capacity. Differences between hemispheric storm activities include seasonality, storm number, and the latitudinal position at which storms form and intensify. Higher sea surface temperatures are a major factor associated with increased intensity and lifetime of tropical cyclones in the southern hemisphere.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Rishav Goyal, Alex Sen Gupta, Martin Jucker, Matthew H. England
Summary: The Southern Hemisphere surface westerlies play a significant role in controlling regional climate patterns, ocean circulation, and carbon uptake. Research based on CMIP5, CMIP6, and reanalysis data reveals historical and projected changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly winds, including a reduction in poleward shift and an increase in wind intensity under high emission scenarios.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anna Clara Mota Duque, Taryn Ariadna Castro Cuesta, Ailton de Souza Melo, Igor Lima Maldonado
Summary: Metaphor comprehension is a complex cognitive task that involves multiple brain areas, and the involvement of the right hemisphere can vary with cognitive effort. The interconnecting pathways of distributed cortical centers should be considered when studying this topic, but the potential contribution of white matter fasciculi has received little attention in the literature. To highlight the implications of specific white matter pathways, we integrate findings from different research fields to provide important insights enabled by the cross-fertilization of functional neuroimaging, clinical findings, and structural connectivity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patience E. Castleton, Joshua C. Deluao, David J. Sharkey, Nicole O. McPherson
Summary: Oxidative stress and elevated levels of sperm ROS are major contributors to male infertility, with the potential to affect fetal development. Current clinically available tests for semen ROS have limitations in terms of decision limits and lack of studies on their effects on reproductive outcomes.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Mark Durre, Jeremy Mould
Summary: This study conducted a near-infrared spectroscopic survey of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies in the Southern hemisphere, examining the kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR) and reevaluating the catalogue black hole (BH) mass estimates. The results suggest a new understanding of the BH mass estimation and the differential absorption of line radiation of the BLR by a mixture of dusty and dust-free clouds.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adrian E. Yuchechen, S. Gabriela Lakkis, Pablo O. Canziani
Summary: This study presents an updated climatology of blockings in the Southern Hemisphere using daily reanalysis data from 1948-2021. The results show that the primary region for blockings is located around the date line, with secondary regions in southern South America and southern Africa. The study also examines the intensity and duration of the events, as well as the annual and seasonal differences.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhihui Wen, Jiayin Pang, Xiao Wang, Clement E. Gille, Axel De Borda, Patrick E. Hayes, Peta L. Clode, Megan H. Ryan, Kadambot H. M. Siddique, Jianbo Shen, Hans Lambers
Summary: The difference in photosynthetic phosphorus use efficiency (PPUE) among chickpea genotypes is attributed to optimized allocation to specific foliar phosphorus fractions rather than preferential allocation to specific leaf tissues. Genotypes with high PPUE show lower total foliar phosphorus concentration without slower photosynthetic rates. This study highlights the importance of allocation to different phosphorus fractions in determining PPUE.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Muhammad Asif, Idil Ertem, Huseyin Beyaz, Cynthia A. A. Grant, Hans Lambers, Ismail Cakmak
Summary: Rapeseed rotation can lead to increased cadmium concentration in wheat plants due to the suppression of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi activity.
Review
Agronomy
Ismail Cakmak, Hans Lambers, Cynthia A. Grant, Fang-Jie Zhao
Summary: Cadmium (Cd) levels in food crops can be increased through management activities and geogenic factors. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a significant role in reducing Cd accumulation in plants. AMF have various mechanisms to reduce shoot Cd accumulation, including immobilizing Cd in fungal structures and increasing root Zn uptake.
Article
Agronomy
Jingfan Zhang, Jinge Zhou, Emma J. Sayer, Hans Lambers, Zhanfeng Liu, Xiankai Lu, Yingwen Li, Yongxing Li, Hui Li, Faming Wang
Summary: This study assessed the influence of nitrogen deposition on glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and microbial residual carbon (MRC) as sources of soil organic carbon (SOC). The results showed that although total GRSP, MRC, and SOC concentrations were higher under nitrogen deposition, this was mainly due to long-term accumulation and reduced microbial degradation. The relative contributions of GRSP or MRC to SOC did not change or were lower compared to the controls.
Review
Ecology
Felix de Tombeur, John A. Raven, Aurele Toussaint, Hans Lambers, Julia Cooke, Sue E. Hartley, Scott N. Johnson, Sylvain Coq, Ofir Katz, Jorg Schaller, Cyrille Violle
Summary: Despite previous studies focusing on Si supply and stress mitigation, the ecological significance of Si in plant biology and ecology remains understudied and challenging to capture. This paper highlights the high costs of Si accumulation and explores its potential links to fitness components, environment, and ecosystem functioning. The authors propose that Si may play a greater role in trait-based ecology than currently recognized, but knowledge gaps hinder understanding of its contribution to clade success and biome expansion.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shanwu Lyu, Qiming Mei, Hui Liu, Baosheng Wang, Jun Wang, Hans Lambers, Zhengfeng Wang, Bin Dong, Zhanfeng Liu, Shulin Deng
Summary: This study presents a high-quality genome assembly of Plantago major L., a species of Plantago, using Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technologies. The genome size was approximately 671.27 Mb with a contig N50 length of 31.30 Mb, and 31,654 protein-coding genes were identified. Evolutionary analysis revealed divergence of P. major from other Lamiales species about 62.18 Mya and two rounds of WGD events. The expansion of gene families related to plant acclimation and adaptation, as well as the high expression patterns of polyphenol biosynthesis genes in roots, were observed. The decoding of P. major genome provides valuable genomic resources for various research areas.
Article
Ecology
Lulu Zhang, Yuting Li, Wenming Bai, Hans Lambers, Wen-Hao Zhang
Summary: In this study, we investigated the effects of mowing on the plant community of a temperate steppe in northern China. The results showed that long-term mowing increased species richness and had a negative impact on overall plant biomass, but differentially affected the growth of forbs and grasses. In addition, mowing influenced the microbial community and nutrient acquisition strategies of dominant species. These findings highlight the importance of physiological and morphological strategies in shaping plant responses to mowing in temperate grasslands.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jiayin Pang, Megan H. H. Ryan, Zhihui Wen, Hans Lambers, Yifei Liu, Yi Zhang, Guillaume Tueux, Sasha Jenkins, Bede Mickan, Wei San Wong, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: This study investigates the relationships between root nodulation, morphology, carboxylates, and colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) under varying phosphorus (P) levels and sources. The presence of AMF inhibits shoot growth and branching, decreases total root length and specific root length, increases mean root diameter and root tissue density, and reduces carboxylates. However, the role of AMF in P acquisition differs depending on the P source.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Qi Shen, Kosala Ranathunge, Hongtao Zhong, Patrick M. M. Finnegan, Hans Lambers
Summary: This study investigated how Adenanthos cygnorum, a Proteaceae plant in a low-phosphorus environment in southwestern Australia, acquires phosphorus. It was found that this plant did not produce functional cluster roots and relied on the release of organic acids from other phosphorus-mobilizing plants to acquire phosphorus. This reliance strongly depended on location. This study provides important insights into the phosphorus-acquisition strategies of different plants in severely phosphorus-impoverished environments.
Article
Agronomy
Yuki Tsujii, Baoli Fan, Brian J. Atwell, Hans Lambers, Zhangying Lei, Ian J. Wright
Summary: The allocation of leaf phosphorus (P) among different functions is coordinated with the leaf economic spectrum (LES) and plays a role in determining the co-occurrence of different species under P limitation. Pioneers exhibited higher total P concentration, particularly in fractions such as orthophosphate P (P-i), nucleic acid P (P-N) and lipid P (P-L), compared to non-pioneer species.
Article
Agronomy
Christiana Staudinger, Michael Renton, Matthias Leopold, Jun Wasaki, Erik J. Veneklaas, Patricia de Britto Costa, Gustavo Boitt, Hans Lambers
Summary: In Banksia woodlands in southwestern Australia, the roots of Banksia trees facilitate the uptake of manganese (Mn) by nearby shrubs. The study found that shrubs growing closer to Banksia trees had higher manganese concentrations in their leaves. This finding is important for understanding how plants coexist in nutrient-poor ecosystems.
Article
Agronomy
Oliver Wiche, Christine Dittrich, Olivier Pourret, Nthati Monei, Juliane Heim, Hans Lambers
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated how the availability of phosphorus (P) affects the accumulation of rare earth elements (REE) in plant species beyond the commonly explored REE-phosphate precipitation. They found that P-acquisition strategies and rhizosphere acidification, as well as the amount and composition of carboxylate release, influenced the accumulation of REE in plants.
Article
Agronomy
Hao Yang, Wei-Ping Zhang, Rui-Peng Yu, Ye Su, Surigaoge Surigaoge, Pei-Xuan Wang, Xin Yang, Hans Lambers, Long Li
Summary: This study evaluated the relationships between functional traits resulting from interspecific interactions and determined relationships between functional traits and N acquisition of intercropping systems. The results showed that intercropping systems have higher N uptake capacity and can increase the quality of crop products by increasing crude protein production. The synergy and trade-offs in plant functional traits together enhance efficient N use in intercropping systems. These findings help to better understand the underlying mechanisms that determine efficient resource use in diverse cropping systems and have implications for the sustainable management of food-production systems.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lulu Zhang, Wenming Bai, Yunhai Zhang, Hans Lambers, Wen-Hao Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the effects of mowing on grassland ecosystem stability and finds that increasing mowing duration and decreasing stubble height can enhance stability. It also highlights the important role of plant defence traits in stabilizing ecosystem functions under human-induced environmental changes.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xin Zhao, Yang Lyu, Qianqian Dong, Xiyong He, Hai Yue, Liping Yang, Liang Tao, Lidan Gong, Hongxu Zheng, Sijie Wen, Hans Lambers, Jianbo Shen
Summary: Knowledge of the ionome of Macadamia, an important nut-producing tree, is limited. This study found that roots, stems, branches, and leaves of Macadamia have different proportions of dry weight in the total plant weight. Macadamia has low phosphorus and zinc concentrations, but high manganese concentrations, with leaves being the most nutrient-rich organs.
FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
