The first record of the marbled spinefoot, Siganus rivulatus Forsskål & Niebuhr, 1775 and further records of the dusky spinefoot, Siganus luridus (Rüppell, 1829) from Malta

Here we report the first record of the Marbeled spinefoot, Siganus rivulatus Forsskål and Niebuhr, 1775 (Acanthuriformes: Siganidae), collected in July 2022 from Maltese coastal waters. The specimen was identified through morphological characters and confirmed genetically through DNA barcoding, given that the family Siganidae is composed of several species belonging to only one genus with similar and overlapping morphological characters. Previous to this report, the closest record of S. rivulatus was off the island of Sicily. Thus, the presence of S. rivulatus in Maltese waters suggests that this species is expanding its distribution within the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, this study compares this central Mediterranean record of S. rivulatus with genetic data of the Dusky spinefoot, Siganus luridus (Rüppell, 1829), a previously established species. Individual records of Siganus (rabbitfishes) are important to note, as they represent the first warning signs of a possible invasion. Previous work has shown that these species drastically alter the ecosystems of the Mediterranean region through their herbivorous diet and grazing behaviour. Therefore, we need to closely monitor for more individuals and establish mitigation measures against established and expanding populations of these two species.peer-reviewe

Charge trapping and coalescence dynamics in few layer MoS2

The optoelectronic properties of a material are determined by the processes following light-matter interaction. Here we use femtosecond optical spectroscopy to systematically study photoexcited carrier relaxation in few-layer MoS2flakes as a function of excitation density and sample thickness. We find bimolecular coalescence of charges into indirect excitons as the dominant relaxation process in two- to three-layer flakes while thicker flakes show a much higher density of defects, which efficiently trap charges before they can coalesce

Ultrafast nonequilibrium dynamics of strongly coupled resonances in the intrinsic cavity of W S 2 nanotubes

This paper presents a femtosecond optical pump-probe study of the non-equilibrium behavior of the coupled optical resonances in semiconducting WS2. The authors focus on the transient optical response of WS2 nanotubes and show that it arises primarily from the photoinduced shifts of the exciton and trion resonances due to band gap renormalization and screening of the Coulomb interaction providing the exciton and trion binding energy

New Mediterranean marine biodiversity records (December, 2013)

Based on recent biodiversity studies carried out in different parts of the Mediterranean, the following 19 species are included as new records on the floral or faunal lists of the relevant ecosystems: the green algae Penicillus capitatus (Maltese waters); the nemertean Am- phiporus allucens (Iberian Peninsula, Spain); the salp Salpa maxima (Syria); the opistobranchs Felimida britoi and Berghia coerulescens (Aegean Sea, Greece); the dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus (central-west Mediterranean and Ionian Sea, Italy); Randall’s threadfin bream Nemipterus randalli, the broadbanded cardinalfish Apogon fasciatus and the goby Gobius kolombatovici (Aegean Sea, Turkey); the reticulated leatherjack Stephanolepis diaspros and the halacarid Agaue chevreuxi (Sea of Marmara, Turkey); the slimy liagora Ganon- ema farinosum, the yellowstripe barracuda Sphyraena chrysotaenia, the rayed pearl oyster Pinctada imbricata radiata and the Persian conch Conomurex persicus (south-eastern Kriti, Greece); the blenny Microlipophrys dalmatinus and the bastard grunt Pomadasys incisus (Ionian Sea, Italy); the brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus (north-eastern Levant, Turkey); the blue-crab Callinectes sapidus (Corfu, Ionian Sea, Greece). In addition, the findings of the following rare species improve currently available biogeographical knowledge: the oceanic pufferfish Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Malta); the yellow sea chub Kyphosus incisor (Almuñécar coast of Spain); the basking shark Cetorhinus maximus and the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus (north-eastern Levant, Turkey).peer-reviewe

Deformable and Robust Core–Shell Protein Microcapsules Templated by Liquid–Liquid Phase‐Separated Microdroplets

Abstract: Microcapsules are a key class of microscale materials with applications in areas ranging from personal care to biomedicine, and with increasing potential to act as extracellular matrix (ECM) models of hollow organs, tissues, or biomolecular condensates. Such capsules are conventionally generated from non‐ECM materials including synthetic polymers. Here, robust microcapsules with controllable shell thickness from physically‐ and enzymatically‐crosslinked gelatin are fabricated, and a core–shell architecture is achieved by exploiting a liquid–liquid phase‐separated aqueous system in a one‐step microfluidic process. Microfluidic mechanical testing reveals that the mechanical robustness of thicker‐shell capsules could be controlled through modulation of the shell thickness. Furthermore, the microcapsules demonstrate environmentally‐responsive deformation, including buckling driven by osmosis and external mechanical forces. A sequential release of cargo species is obtained through the degradation of the capsules. Stability measurements show the capsules are stable at 37 °C for more than 2 weeks. Finally, through gel–sol transition, microgels function as precursors for the formation of all‐aqueous liquid–liquid phase‐separated systems that are two‐phase or multiphase. These smart capsules that can undergo phase transition are promising models of hollow biostructures, microscale drug carriers, and building blocks or compartments for active soft materials and robots

How genomics can help biodiversity conservation

The availability of public genomic resources can greatly assist biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Here we survey the main approaches and applications in biodiversity and conservation genomics, considering practical factors, such as cost, time, prerequisite skills, and current shortcomings of applications. Most approaches perform best in combination with reference genomes from the target species or closely related species. We review case studies to illustrate how reference genomes can facilitate biodiversity research and conservation across the tree of life. We conclude that the time is ripe to view reference genomes as fundamental resources and to integrate their use as a best practice in conservation genomics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics

Progress in genome sequencing now enables the large-scale generation of reference genomes. Various international initiatives aim to generate reference genomes representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, thereby enabling comprehensive analyses of population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics