Partnerships for Transformation towards Sustainable Pathways : Research and Innovation Collaboration between Finland and Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean for the SDGs

As highlighted in the PATH2030 – An Evaluation of Finland’s Sustainable Development Policy, Finland has made significant progress towards achieving the SDGs nationally – though not without its own weaknesses and challenges. However, for the country to become a global leader in addressing the SDGs, greater emphasis must be placed on policy coherence, resourcing, and utilizing research data for decision-making.Non peer reviewe

Discrete model for laser driven etching and microstructuring of metallic surfaces

We present a unidimensional discrete solid-on-solid model evolving in time using a kinetic Monte Carlo method to simulate micro-structuring of kerfs on metallic surfaces by means of laser-induced jet-chemical etching. The precise control of the passivation layer achieved by this technique is responsible for the high resolution of the structures. However, within a certain range of experimental parameters, the microstructuring of kerfs on stainless steel surfaces with a solution of $\mathrm{H}_3\mathrm{PO}_4$ shows periodic ripples, which are considered to originate from an intrinsic dynamics. The model mimics a few of the various physical and chemical processes involved and within certain parameter ranges reproduces some morphological aspects of the structures, in particular ripple regimes. We analyze the range of values of laser beam power for the appearance of ripples in both experimental and simulated kerfs. The discrete model is an extension of one that has been used previously in the context of ion sputtering and is related to a noisy version of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation used extensively in the field of pattern formation.Comment: Revised version. Etching probability distribution and new simulations adde

Let‘s talk about… different things! Communication within and among sexes in Farasan gazelles

Scent marking in localized defecation sites (latrines) has often been interpreted in the context of male territory defense. Still, latrines could have different functions in both sexes, especially where territorial males monopolize groups of females with stable social alliances. We assessed the spatial distribution of latrines within home ranges of wild ranging Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) on Farasan Island (Red Sea, Saudi Arabia)

Age-dependent mating tactics in male bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)

Intra-specific variation in mating behaviour has been described for a number of taxa including arthropods, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the various mating behavioural variations observed in mammals. For example, an individual’s behaviour may be constrained by its condition or status (making-the- best of-a-bad-job strategy) or an alternative phenotype may be maintained by frequency-dependent selection influencing a genetic polymorphism (alternative strategies). In the majority of ungulates, variation in mating tactics is most likely maintained as a conditional strategy influenced by multiple internal factors like age, health or body size, as well as external factors such as population density, number of competitors and social dominance rank. In the present study, we investigated male mating tactics in a cryptic, bush-dwelling antelope from tropical Africa, the bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus (Figures.1, 2). Different mating strategies are expected to emerge, if variation in mating tactic is maintained as a conditional strategy influenced by age and / or body size: 1) Defending a territory when old and strong, what allows the owner to associating more frequently with females within the combined territory and home-range area. 2) No territory defence when young and weak, thereby associating with females less frequently and therefore sneak-mating with them

Female philopatry and male dispersal in a cryptic, bush-dwelling antelope: A combined molecular and behavioural approach

In most mammals, females are philopatric while males disperse in order to avoid inbreeding. We investigated social structure in a solitary ungulate, the bushbuck Tragelaphus sylvaticus in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda by combining behavioural and molecular data. We correlated spatial and social vicinity of individual females with a relatedness score obtained from mitochondrial DNA analysis. Presumed clan members shared the same haplotype, showed more socio-positive interactions and had a common home range. Males had a higher haplotype diversity than females. All this suggests the presence of a matrilineal structure in the study population. Moreover, we tested natal dispersal distances between male and female yearlings and used control region sequences to confirm that females remain in their natal breeding areas whereas males disperse. In microsatellite analysis, males showed a higher genetic variability than females. The impoverished genetic variability of females at both molecular marker sets is consistent with a philopatric and matrilineal structure, while the higher degree of genetic variability of males is congruent with a higher dispersal rate expected in this sex. Evidence even for male long-distance dispersal is brought about by one male carrying a haplotype of a different subspecies, previously not described to occur in this area. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation. © 2009 The Zoological Society of London

Rigid clumps in the <em>MercuryDPM</em> particle dynamics code

Discrete particle simulations have become the standard in science and industrial applications exploring the properties of particulate systems. Most of such simulations rely on the concept of interacting spherical particles to describe the properties of particulates, although, the correct representation of the nonspherical particle shape is crucial for a number of applications. In this work we describe the implementation of clumps, i.e. assemblies of rigidly connected spherical particles, which can approximate given nonspherical shapes, within the MercuryDPM particle dynamics code. MercuryDPM contact detection algorithm is particularly efficient for polydisperse particle systems, which is essential for multilevel clumps approximating complex surfaces. We employ the existing open-source CLUMP library to generate clump particles. We detail the pre-processing tools providing necessary initial data, as well as the necessary adjustments of the algorithms of contact detection, collision/migration and numerical time integration. The capabilities of our implementation are illustrated for a variety of examples

Predator-induced changes of female mating preferences: innate and experiential effects

Background: In many species males face a higher predation risk than females because males display elaborate traits that evolved under sexual selection, which may attract not only females but also predators. Females are, therefore, predicted to avoid such conspicuous males under predation risk. The present study was designed to investigate predator-induced changes of female mating preferences in Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana). Males of this species show a pronounced polymorphism in body size and coloration, and females prefer large, colorful males in the absence of predators. Results: In dichotomous choice tests predator-naïve (lab-reared) females altered their initial preference for larger males in the presence of the cichlid Cichlasoma salvini, a natural predator of P. mexicana, and preferred small males instead. This effect was considerably weaker when females were confronted visually with the non-piscivorous cichlid Vieja bifasciata or the introduced non-piscivorous Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). In contrast, predator experienced (wild-caught) females did not respond to the same extent to the presence of a predator, most likely due to a learned ability to evaluate their predators' motivation to prey. Conclusions: Our study highlights that (a) predatory fish can have a profound influence on the expression of mating preferences of their prey (thus potentially affecting the strength of sexual selection), and females may alter their mate choice behavior strategically to reduce their own exposure to predators. (b) Prey species can evolve visual predator recognition mechanisms and alter their mate choice only when a natural predator is present. (c) Finally, experiential effects can play an important role, and prey species may learn to evaluate the motivational state of their predators. Keywords: Sexual selection; female choice; non-independent mate choice; predator recognition; Poecilia mexican

Variability Abstraction and Refinement for Game-Based Lifted Model Checking of Full CTL

One of the most promising approaches to fighting the configuration space explosion problem in lifted model checking are variability abstractions. In this work, we define a novel game-based approach for variability-specific abstraction and refinement for lifted model checking of the full CTL, interpreted over 3-valued semantics. We propose a direct algorithm for solving a 3-valued (abstract) lifted model checking game. In case the result of model checking an abstract variability model is indefinite, we suggest a new notion of refinement, which eliminates indefinite results. This provides an iterative incremental variability-specific abstraction and refinement framework, where refinement is applied only where indefinite results exist and definite results from previous iterations are reused. The practicality of this approach is demonstrated on several variability models