Just preservation

We are failing to protect the biosphere. Novel views of conservation, preservation, and sustainability are surfacing in the wake of consensus about our failures to prevent extinction or slow climate change. We argue that the interests and well-being of non-humans, youth, and future generations of both human and non-human beings (futurity) have too long been ignored in consensus-based, anthropocentric conservation. Consensus-based stakeholder-driven processes disadvantage those absent or without a voice and allow current adult humans and narrow, exploitative interests to dominate decisions about the use of nature over its preservation for futurity of all life. We propose that authentically non-anthropocentric worldviews that incorporate multispecies justice are needed for a legitimate, deliberative, and truly democratic process of adjudication between competing interests in balancing the preservation and use of nature. Legitimate arenas for such adjudication would be courts that can defend intergenerational equity, which is envisioned by many nations\u27 constitutions, and can consider current and future generations of non-human life. We urge practitioners and scholars to disavow implicit anthropocentric value judgments in their work – or make these transparent and explicit – and embrace a more comprehensive worldview that grants future life on earth fair representation in humanity\u27s decisions and actions today

Phenomenology of scotogenic scalar dark matter

We reexamine the minimal Singlet + Triplet Scotogenic Model, where dark matter is the mediator of neutrino mass generation. We assume it to be a scalar WIMP, whose stability follows from the same $\mathbb{Z} _{2}$ symmetry that leads to the radiative origin of neutrino masses. The scheme is the minimal one that allows for solar and atmospheric mass scales to be generated. We perform a full numerical analysis of the signatures expected at dark matter as well as collider experiments. We identify parameter regions where dark matter predictions agree with theoretical and experimental constraints, such as neutrino oscillations, Higgs data, dark matter relic abundance and direct detection searches. We also present forecasts for near future direct and indirect detection experiments. These will further probe the parameter space. Finally, we explore collider signatures associated with the mono-jet channel at the LHC, highlighting the existence of a viable light dark matter mass range.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables, 2 appendice

Digestive alfa-amylases from Tecia solanivora larvae (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): response to pH, temperature and plant amylase inhibitors.

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Ecology and parasitism of the lizard Tropidurus jaguaribanus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from northeastern Brazil

Ecology and parasitism of the lizard Tropidurus jaguaribanus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from northeastern Brazil. Specimens of Tropidurus jaguaribanus were collected as part of a study of their use of microhabitats, activity period, body temperature, diet, foraging, sexual dimorphism (in size and in form), reproductive biology, and parasite community composition. The preferential microhabitat of the species is the surface of rocks (saxicolous habit). The species has a bimodal diurnal activity period and a seasonal reproductive cycle. The diet is composed mainly of beetles and ants in adults and juveniles. The species is a sit-and-wait forager; the lizards scarcely move and feed on sedentary, immobile prey. The helminth community associated with these lizards is composed of fve species: Oochoristica travassosi, Parapharyngodon alvarengai, Physaloptera sp., Spauligodon sp., and Strongyluris oscari. The prevalence, intensity of infection, and parasite abundance is the same in both sexes.Ecologia e parasitismo do lagarto Tropidurus jaguaribanus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) do nordeste do Brasil. Espécimes de Tropidurus jaguaribanus foram coletados como parte de um estudo de uso de micro-hábitats, período de atividade, temperatura corporal, dieta, forrageamento, dimorfsmo sexual (tamanho e forma), biologia reprodutiva e composição da comunidade parasitária. O micro-hábitat preferencial da espécie é a superfície das rochas (hábito saxícola). A espécie possui um período de atividade diurna bimodal e um ciclo reprodutivo sazonal. A dieta é composta principalmente por besouros e formigas em adultos e juvenis. A espécie é um forrageador senta-eespera; os lagartos movem-se pouco e alimentam-se de presas sedentárias e imóveis. A comunidade de helmintos associada a esses lagartos é composta por cinco espécies: Oochoristica travassosi, Parapharyngodon alvarengai, Physaloptera sp., Spauligodon sp. e Strongyluris oscari. A prevalência, a intensidade da infecção e a abundância de parasitas são as mesmas em ambos os sexos

Barriers to innovation and sustainability at universities around the world

This paper explores the link between innovation and sustainability in the context of higher education, with the purpose of investigating the fundamental barriers for innovation and sustainable development in universities around the world. The method used involves both a quantitative and a qualitative approach, gathering the views of 301 experts from 172 universities across all continents. The results show that there are similar barriers across different geographical regions that require greater support from university administrations and management. In particular, the willingness of leaders, policy makers and decision-makers to envisage a sustainable future inside universities is often missing. Yet, without the support of senior management within a university, bottom-up sustainable initiatives seem destined to fail in the longer term due to a lack of investment and administrative support. This study also identifies that in order to yield the anticipated benefits, barriers need to be tackled in an integrated way, and that closer cooperation between sustainability researchers, university administrations and students is needed

Helminths of the lizard Colobosauroides cearensis (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) in an area of Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil

Lizards are hosts to a variety of parasites, but in South America only 15% of lizard species have been studied for helminths. In the present study, the component community of helminths associated with the gymnophthalmid Colobosauroides cearensis in an area of Caatinga (7°22’46.08” S, 38°38’47.87”W) is reported. We examined 91 specimens from the Brazilian state of Ceará, and five taxa of helminths were recovered: four Nematoda (Parapharyngodon largitor, Spauligodon sp., Physaloptera sp. and Oswaldocruzia sp.) and one Cestoda (Oochoristica sp.). Parapharyngodon largitor was the most prevalent species (61%), and presented the highest mean abundance of infection (1.60 ± 0.18). Lizard body size influenced the richness and abundance of helminths, while infection parameters were not related to lizard sex

Room-Temperature Cubic Phase Crystallization and High Stability of Vacuum-Deposited Methylammonium Lead Triiodide Thin Films for High-Efficiency Solar Cells

Methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPI) has emerged as a high-performance photovoltaic material. Common understanding is that at room temperature it adopts a tetragonal phase and it only converts to the perfect cubic phase around 50-60 ºC. Most MAPI films are prepared using a solution-based coating process, yet they can also be obtained by vapor phase deposition methods. Vapor phase processed MAPI films have significantly different characteristics compared to their solvent processed analogous, such as a relatively small crystal grain sizes and short excited state lifetimes. Yet solar cells based on vapor phase processed MAPI films exhibit high power conversion efficiencies. Surprisingly, after detailed characterization we find that our vapor phase processed MAPI films adopt a cubic crystal structure at room temperature that is stable for weeks, even in ambient atmosphere. Furthermore, we demonstrate that by tuning the deposition rates of both precursors during co-deposition it is possible to vary the perovskite phase from cubic to tetragonal at room temperature. Our finding challenges the common belief that MAPI is only stable in tetragonal phase at room temperature. Additionally, these findings can be used to explain the somewhat unexpected high performance of solar cells based on vacuum processed MAPI films with sub 100 nm grain sizes and excited state lifetimes < 100 nanoseconds

Biochemical characterization of a novel monospecific endo-β-1,4-glucanase belonging to GH Family 5 from a rhizosphere metagenomic library

Cellulases have a broad range of different industrial applications, ranging from food and beverages to pulp and paper and the biofuels area. Here a metagenomics based strategy was used to identify the cellulolytic enzyme CelRH5 from the rhizosphere. CelRH5 is a novel monospecific endo-β-1,4-glucanase belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH5). Structural based modelling analysis indicated that CelRH5 is related to endo-β-1,4-glucanases derived from thermophilic microorganisms such as Thermotoga maritima, Fervidobacterium nodosum and Ruminiclostridium thermocellum sharing 30-40% amino acid sequence identity. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined as 40.5 kDa. Biochemical analyses revealed that the enzyme displayed good activity with soluble forms of cellulose as a substrate such as ostazin brilliant red hydroxyethyl cellulose (OBR-HEC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and insoluble azurine cross-linked hydroxyethylcellulose (AZCL-HEC). The enzyme shows highest enzymatic activity at pH 6.5 with high pH tolerance, remaining stable in the pH range 4.5 – 8.5. Highest activity was observed at 40 ˚C, but CelRH5 is psychrotolerant being active and stable at temperatures below 30 ˚C. The presence of final products of cellulose hydrolysis (glucose and cellobiose) or metal ions such as Na+, K+, Li+ and Mg2+, as well as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), urea, dithiothreitol (DTT), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) or glycerol, did not have a marked effect on CelRH5 activity. However, the enzyme is quite sensitive in presence of 10 mM ions Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Fe3+ and reagents such as 1 M guanidine HCl, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and 20% ethanol. Given that it is psychrotolerant and retains activity in the presence of final cellulose degradation products, metal ions and various reagents, which are common in many technological processes; CelRH5 may be potential suitability for a variety of different biotechnological applications