Characterisation and traceability of extra virgin olive oil and table olive of Azapa variety marketed in Chile using Microsatellite Molecular Markers / Caracterización y trazabilidad de aceite de oliva virgen extra y aceituna de mesa de la variedad Azapa comercializados en Chile mediante marcadores moleculares microsatélites

Chile has two certified origin olive products: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) from Huasco valley and the Azapa variety table olive from the Azapa valley. However, efficient methodologies are needed to determine the varieties and raw materials involved in the end products. In this study, we assessed the size of alleles from ten microsatellites in 20 EVOOs and in leaves and fruits of 16 olive varieties cultivated in Chile to authenticate their origins. The identification of varieties relied on specific allele sizes derived from microsatellites markers UDO99-011 and DCA18-M found in leaves and fruit mesocarp. While most Chilean single-variety EVOOs matched the variety declared on the label, inconsistencies were observed in single-variety EVOOs containing multiple varieties. Our findings confirm that microsatellites serve as a valuable as diagnostic tools for ensuring the quality control of Geographical Indication certification for Azapa olives and EVOO with Designation of Origin from Huasco.

Chile cuenta con dos productos de oliva de origen certificado: El aceite de oliva virgen extra (AOVE) del valle del Huasco y la aceituna de mesa de la variedad Azapa del valle de Azapa. Sin embargo, se necesitan metodologías eficientes para determinar las variedades y materias primas involucradas en los productos finales. En este estudio, evaluamos el tamaño de los alelos de diez microsatélites en 20 AOVEs y en hojas y frutos de 16 variedades de aceituna cultivadas en Chile para autentificar sus orígenes. La identificación de las variedades se basó en los tamaños alélicos específicos derivados de los marcadores microsatélites UDO99-011 y DCA18-M encontrados en las hojas y el mesocarpio de los frutos. Aunque la mayoría de los AOVEs chilenos monovarietales coincidían con la variedad declarada en la etiqueta, se observaron incoherencias en los AOVEs monovarietales que contenían múltiples variedades. Nuestros hallazgos confirman que los microsatélites sirven como valiosas herramientas de diagnóstico para asegurar el control de calidad de la certificación de Indicación Geográfica para aceitunas de Azapa y AOVE con Denominación de Origen de Huasco.

Global arthropod beta-diversity is spatially and temporally structured by latitude.

Global biodiversity gradients are generally expected to reflect greater species replacement closer to the equator. However, empirical validation of global biodiversity gradients largely relies on vertebrates, plants, and other less diverse taxa. Here we assess the temporal and spatial dynamics of global arthropod biodiversity dynamics using a beta-diversity framework. Sampling includes 129 sampling sites whereby malaise traps are deployed to monitor temporal changes in arthropod communities. Overall, we encountered more than 150,000 unique barcode index numbers (BINs) (i.e. species proxies). We assess between site differences in community diversity using beta-diversity and the partitioned components of species replacement and richness difference. Global total beta-diversity (dissimilarity) increases with decreasing latitude, greater spatial distance and greater temporal distance. Species replacement and richness difference patterns vary across biogeographic regions. Our findings support long-standing, general expectations of global biodiversity patterns. However, we also show that the underlying processes driving patterns may be regionally linked.

Geography and health: role of human translocation and access to care.

Natural, geographical barriers have historically limited the spread of communicable diseases. This is no longer the case in today's interconnected world, paired with its unprecedented environmental and climate change, emphasising the intersection of evolutionary biology, epidemiology and geography (i.e. biogeography). A total of 14 articles of the special issue entitled "Geography and health: role of human translocation and access to care" document enhanced disease transmission of diseases, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, COVID-19 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona 2) and Oropouche fever in spite of spatiotemporal surveillance. High-resolution satellite images can be used to understand spatial distributions of transmission risks and disease spread and to highlight the major avenue increasing the incidence and geographic range of zoonoses represented by spill-over transmission of coronaviruses from bats to pigs or civets. Climate change and globalization have increased the spread and establishment of invasive mosquitoes in non-tropical areas leading to emerging outbreaks of infections warranting improved physical, chemical and biological vector control strategies. The translocation of pathogens and their vectors is closely connected with human mobility, migration and the global transport of goods. Other contributing factors are deforestation with urbanization encroaching into wildlife zones. The destruction of natural ecosystems, coupled with low income and socioeconomic status, increase transmission probability of neglected tropical and zoonotic diseases. The articles in this special issue document emerging or re-emerging diseases and surveillance of fever symptoms. Health equity is intricately connected to accessibility to health care and the targeting of healthcare resources, necessitating a spatial approach. Public health comprises successful disease management integrating spatial surveillance systems, including access to sanitation facilities. Antimicrobial resistance caused, e.g. by increased use of antibiotics in health, agriculture and aquaculture, or acquisition of resistance genes, can be spread by horizontal gene transfer. This editorial reviews the key findings of this 14-article special issue, identifies important gaps relevant to our interconnected world and makes a number of specific recommendations to mitigate the transmission risks of infectious diseases in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.

Assessing eco-geographic influences on COVID-19 transmission: a global analysis.

COVID-19 has been massively transmitted for almost 3 years, and its multiple variants have caused serious health problems and an economic crisis. Our goal was to identify the influencing factors that reduce the threshold of disease transmission and to analyze the epidemiological patterns of COVID-19. This study served as an early assessment of the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 using the MaxEnt species distribution algorithm using the maximum entropy model. The transmission of COVID-19 was evaluated based on human factors and environmental variables, including climate, terrain and vegetation, along with COVID-19 daily confirmed case location data. The results of the SDM model indicate that population density was the major factor influencing the spread of COVID-19. Altitude, land cover and climatic factor showed low impact. We identified a set of practical, high-resolution, multi-factor-based maximum entropy ecological niche risk prediction systems to assess the transmission risk of the COVID-19 epidemic globally. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of various factors influencing the transmission of COVID-19, incorporating both human and environmental variables. These findings emphasize the role of different types of influencing variables in disease transmission, which could have implications for global health regulations and preparedness strategies for future outbreaks.

Geographical variation in hotspots of stunting among under-five children in Ethiopia: A geographically weighted regression and multilevel robust Poisson regression analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood stunting is a global public health concern, associated with both short and long-term consequences, including high child morbidity and mortality, poor development and learning capacity, increased vulnerability for infectious and non-infectious disease. The prevalence of stunting varies significantly throughout Ethiopian regions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the geographical variation in predictors of stunting among children under the age of five in Ethiopia using 2019 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. METHOD: The current analysis was based on data from the 2019 mini Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). A total of 5,490 children under the age of five were included in the weighted sample. Descriptive and inferential analysis was done using STATA 17. For the spatial analysis, ArcGIS 10.7 were used. Spatial regression was used to identify the variables associated with stunting hotspots, and adjusted R2 and Corrected Akaike Information Criteria (AICc) were used to compare the models. As the prevalence of stunting was over 10%, a multilevel robust Poisson regression was conducted. In the bivariable analysis, variables having a p-value < 0.2 were considered for the multivariable analysis. In the multivariable multilevel robust Poisson regression analysis, the adjusted prevalence ratio with the 95% confidence interval is presented to show the statistical significance and strength of the association. RESULT: The prevalence of stunting was 33.58% (95%CI: 32.34%, 34.84%) with a clustered geographic pattern (Moran's I = 0.40, p<0.001). significant hotspot areas of stunting were identified in the west and south Afar, Tigray, Amhara and east SNNPR regions. In the local model, no maternal education, poverty, child age 6-23 months and male headed household were predictors associated with spatial variation of stunting among under five children in Ethiopia. In the multivariable multilevel robust Poisson regression the prevalence of stunting among children whose mother's age is >40 (APR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.55, 0.99). Children whose mother had secondary (APR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.60, 0.91) and higher (APR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.44, 0.84) educational status, household wealth status (APR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.76, 0.99), child aged 6-23 months (APR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.53, 2.28) were all significantly associated with stunting. CONCLUSION: In Ethiopia, under-five children suffering from stunting have been found to exhibit a spatially clustered pattern. Maternal education, wealth index, birth interval and child age were determining factors of spatial variation of stunting. As a result, a detailed map of stunting hotspots and determinants among children under the age of five aid program planners and decision-makers in designing targeted public health measures.

Identifying the geographical origin and processing technology of Moyao () on the basis of near-infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of Moyao (Myrrh) in the identification of the geographical origin and processing of the products. METHODS: Raw Moyao (Myrrh) and two kinds of Moyao (Myrrh) processed with vinegar from three countries were identified using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometric techniques. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of the data and visualize the clustering of samples from different categories. A classical chemometric algorithm (PLS-DA) and two machine learning algorithms [K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and support vector machine] were used to conduct a classification analysis of the near-infrared spectra of the Moyao (Myrrh) samples, and their discriminative performance was evaluated. RESULTS: Based on the accuracy, precision, recall rate, and F1 value in each model, the results showed that the classical chemometric algorithm and the machine learning algorithm obtained positive results. In all of the chemometric analyses, the NIR spectrum of Moyao (Myrrh) preprocessed by standard normal variation or Multivariate scattering correction combined with KNN achieved the highest accuracy in identifying the geographical origins, and the accuracy of identifying the processing technology established by the KNN method after first-order derivative pretreatment was the best. The best accuracy of geographical origin discrimination and processing technology discrimination were 0.9853 and 0.9706 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric technology can be an important tool for tracking the origin and processing technology of Moyao (Myrrh) and can also provide a reference for evaluations of its quality and the clinical use.

Geographic variation of mutagenic exposures in kidney cancer genomes.

International differences in the incidence of many cancer types indicate the existence of carcinogen exposures that have not yet been identified by conventional epidemiology make a substantial contribution to cancer burden1. In clear cell renal cell carcinoma, obesity, hypertension and tobacco smoking are risk factors, but they do not explain the geographical variation in its incidence2. Underlying causes can be inferred by sequencing the genomes of cancers from populations with different incidence rates and detecting differences in patterns of somatic mutations. Here we sequenced 962 clear cell renal cell carcinomas from 11 countries with varying incidence. The somatic mutation profiles differed between countries. In Romania, Serbia and Thailand, mutational signatures characteristic of aristolochic acid compounds were present in most cases, but these were rare elsewhere. In Japan, a mutational signature of unknown cause was found in more than 70% of cases but in less than 2% elsewhere. A further mutational signature of unknown cause was ubiquitous but exhibited higher mutation loads in countries with higher incidence rates of kidney cancer. Known signatures of tobacco smoking correlated with tobacco consumption, but no signature was associated with obesity or hypertension, suggesting that non-mutagenic mechanisms of action underlie these risk factors. The results of this study indicate the existence of multiple, geographically variable, mutagenic exposures that potentially affect tens of millions of people and illustrate the opportunities for new insights into cancer causation through large-scale global cancer genomics.

Tree water uptake patterns across the globe.

Plant water uptake from the soil is a crucial element of the global hydrological cycle and essential for vegetation drought resilience. Yet, knowledge of how the distribution of water uptake depth (WUD) varies across species, climates, and seasons is scarce relative to our knowledge of aboveground plant functions. With a global literature review, we found that average WUD varied more among biomes than plant functional types (i.e. deciduous/evergreen broadleaves and conifers), illustrating the importance of the hydroclimate, especially precipitation seasonality, on WUD. By combining records of rooting depth with WUD, we observed a consistently deeper maximum rooting depth than WUD with the largest differences in arid regions - indicating that deep taproots act as lifelines while not contributing to the majority of water uptake. The most ubiquitous observation across the literature was that woody plants switch water sources to soil layers with the highest water availability within short timescales. Hence, seasonal shifts to deep soil layers occur across the globe when shallow soils are drying out, allowing continued transpiration and hydraulic safety. While there are still significant gaps in our understanding of WUD, the consistency across global ecosystems allows integration of existing knowledge into the next generation of vegetation process models.

Rapid discrimination of geographical origin of garlic (Allium sativum L.): A metabolomic approach applied to paper spray mass spectrometry data.

INTRODUCTION: Distinguishing and categorizing the origin of garlic are highly significant, considering its widespread use as a flavoring agent. With billions of dollars annually in global trade, garlic is frequently susceptible to fraudulent practices. METHODOLOGY: Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS-MS) was employed to quickly analyze garlic samples from distinct geographic origins: China and Brazil. The so-generated PS-MS data were treated with metabolomic multivariate approaches, and the garlic samples from these different geographic regions were easily discriminated. RESULTS: Brazilian garlic was characterized to contain higher levels of amino acids, such as arginine, proline, and valine, and organosulfur compounds, such as allicin, alliin, and l-γ-glutamil-S-allyl-l-cysteine, compared to Chinese garlic. The PS-MS data were treated employing multivariate approaches, typically used in the metabolomics field, and this protocol was promptly able to discern among both types of samples. CONCLUSION: Hence, this combined strategy holds promise not only as an effective tool for the authentication of the geographical origin of garlic but also as a powerful means for biomarker discovery.

Study on the differences and influencing factors of spatial distribution of population aging at township scale: a case study of township research units in Anshun City, China.

An aging population is one of the main features of China's current population structure, and it is a key area that needs attention to achieve high-quality population development. Because of its unique geographical environment, economic conditions, and sociocultural background, the study of population aging in the karst region of southwest China is particularly important. However, there is a lack of research exploring the regional differentiation of population aging and its influencing factors in the karst regions of southwest China. In light of this, we chose Anshun City, located in Guizhou Province's southwest area, as the case study area. We used the Lorenz curve and spatial autocorrelation to study the differences in the spatial distribution pattern of population aging and introduced multi-scale geographical weighted regression to explore its influencing factors. The results show that Anshun City's older people population proportion (OPP) is generally high with more than 7% of the older people there, making it part of an aging society. The OPP appeared high in the east and low in the west in spatial distribution; the older people population density (OPD) revealed a gradually increasing trend from south to north. At the township scale, both the OPP and the OPD showed significant spatial positive correlation, and the spatial agglomeration characteristics were obvious. OPD and OPP have a positive spatial correlation at the global level, and townships with similar OPP or OPD were spatially adjacent. The spatial distribution characteristics of population aging are the consequence of complex contributions such as natural, social, economic, and karst factors. Further, the spatial distribution pattern of aging is determined by a variety of influencing factors, which have different directions and intensities. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate and implement corresponding policies and strategies to deal with the aging problem in the future.

When everyone's doing it: The relative effects of geographical context and social determinants of health on teen birth rates.

Geographic disparities in teen birth rates in the U.S. persist, despite overall reductions over the last two decades. Research suggests these disparities might be driven by spatial variations in social determinants of health (SDOH). An alternative view is that "place" or "geographical context" affects teen birth rates so that they would remain uneven across the U.S. even if all SDOH were constant. We use multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to quantify the relative effects of geographical context, independent of SDOH, on county-level teen birth rates across the U.S. Findings indicate that even if all counties had identical compositions with respect to SDOH, strong geographic disparities in teen birth rates would still persist. Additionally, local parameter estimates show the relationships between several components of SDOH and teen birth rates vary over space in both direction and magnitude, confirming that global regression techniques commonly employed to examine these relationships likely obscure meaningful contextual differences in these relationships. Findings from this analysis suggest that reducing geographic disparities in teen birth rates will require not only ameliorating differences in SDOH across counties but also combating community norms that contribute to high rates of teen birth, particularly in the southern U.S. Further, the results suggest that if geographical context is not incorporated into models of SDOH, the effects of such determinants may be interpreted incorrectly.

Global field collection data confirm an affinity of brown rot fungi for coniferous habitats and substrates.

Unlike 'white rot' (WR) wood-decomposing fungi that remove lignin to access cellulosic sugars, 'brown rot' (BR) fungi selectively extract sugars and leave lignin behind. The relative frequency and distribution of these fungal types (decay modes) have not been thoroughly assessed at a global scale; thus, the fate of one-third of Earth's aboveground carbon, wood lignin, remains unclear. Using c. 1.5 million fungal sporocarp and c. 30 million tree records from publicly accessible databases, we mapped and compared decay mode and tree type (conifer vs angiosperm) distributions. Additionally, we mined fungal record metadata to assess substrate specificity per decay mode. The global average for BR fungi proportion (BR/(BR + WR records)) was 13% and geographic variation was positively correlated (R2 = 0.45) with conifer trees proportion (conifer/(conifer + angiosperm records)). Most BR species (61%) were conifer, rather than angiosperm (22%), specialists. The reverse was true for WR (conifer: 19%; angiosperm: 62%). Global BR proportion patterns were predicted with greater accuracy using the relative distributions of individual tree species (R2 = 0.82), rather than tree type. Fungal decay mode distributions can be explained by tree type and, more importantly, tree species distributions, which our data suggest is due to strong substrate specificities.

The Andes as a semi-permeable geographical barrier: Genetic connectivity between structured populations in a widespread spider.

Geographical barriers like mountain ranges impede genetic exchange among populations, promoting diversification. The effectiveness of these barriers in limiting gene flow varies between lineages due to each species' dispersal modes and capacities. Our understanding of how the Andes orogeny contributes to species diversification comes from well-studied vertebrates and a few arthropods and plants, neglecting organisms unable to fly or walk long distances. Some arachnids, such as Gasteracantha cancriformis, have been hypothesized to disperse long distances via ballooning (i.e. using their silk to interact with the wind). Yet, we do not know how the environment and geography shape its genetic diversity. Therefore, we tested whether the Andes contributed to the diversification of G. cancriformis acting as an absolute or semi-permeable barrier to genetic connectivity between populations of this spider at opposite sides of the mountain range. We sampled thousands of loci across the distribution of the species and implemented population genetics, phylogenetic, and landscape genetic analyses. We identified two genetically distinct groups structured by the Central Andes, and a third less structured group in the Northern Andes that shares ancestry with the previous two. This structure is largely explained by the altitude along the Andes, which decreases in some regions, possibly facilitating cross-Andean dispersal and gene flow. Our findings support that altitude in the Andes plays a major role in structuring populations in South America, but the strength of this barrier can be overcome by organisms with long-distance dispersal modes together with altitudinal depressions.

Las barreras geográficas como las cordilleras montañosas impiden el intercambio genético entre poblaciones, promoviendo la diversificación. La efectividad de estas barreras para limitar el flujo genético varía entre linajes debido a los modos y capacidades de dispersión de cada especie. Nuestra comprensión de cómo la orogenia de los Andes contribuye a la diversificación de especies proviene de vertebrados y algunos artrópodos y plantas bien estudiados, descuidando a los organismos incapaces de volar o caminar grandes distancias. Se ha hipotetizado que algunas arañas, como Gasteracantha cancriformis, se dispersan a grandes distancias mediante la técnica de "ballooning" (es decir, utilizando su seda para interactuar con el viento). Sin embargo, no sabemos cómo el entorno y la geografía han dado forma a su diversidad genética. Por lo tanto, probamos si los Andes contribuyeron a la diversificación de G. cancriformis actuando como una barrera absoluta o permeable para la conectividad genética entre poblaciones de esta araña en lados opuestos de la cordillera. Muestreamos miles de loci a través de la distribución de la especie e implementamos análisis de genética de poblaciones, filogenéticos y de genética del paisaje. Identificamos dos grupos genéticamente distintos estructurados por los Andes Centrales, y un tercer grupo menos estructurado en los Andes del Norte que comparte ascendencia con los dos anteriores. Esta estructura se explica en gran medida por la altitud a lo largo de los Andes, que disminuye en algunas regiones, posiblemente facilitando la dispersión y el flujo genético a través de los Andes. Nuestros hallazgos apoyan que la altitud en los Andes juega un papel importante en la estructuración de las poblaciones en América del Sur, pero la fuerza de esta barrera puede ser superada por organismos con modos de dispersión a larga distancia junto con depresiones altitudinales.

Investigating isotopic markers for hazelnut geographical authentication: Promising variables and potential applications.

Hazelnuts' features and price are influenced by their geographical origin, making them susceptible to fraud, especially counterfeit claims regarding their provenance. Stable isotope analysis is a recognised approach to establish the geographical origin of foods, yet its potential in hazelnut authentication remains unexplored. In this prospective study, we assessed multiple isotopic markers in hazelnuts from different origins and evaluated the most promising variables for geographical authentication by chemometric tools. Our findings indicate that bulk δ18O, along with δ2H and δ13C in the main fatty acid methyl esters, exhibit significant potential in discriminating geographical origins, and 87Sr/86Sr analysis could serve as a proficient confirmatory tool. Though no single marker alone can differentiate between all the studied origins, employing a multi-isotopic approach based on PLS-DA models achieved up to 92.5 % accuracy in leave-10 %-out cross-validation. These findings will probably lay the groundwork for developing robust models for hazelnut geographical authentication based on larger datasets.

Geographical traceability of flavor compounds in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis): Implications for quality differentiation, authenticity assessment, and mechanism research.

Geographical traceability plays a crucial role in ensuring quality assurance, brand establishment, and the sustainable development of the crab industry. In this study, we examined the possibility of using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry with multivariate statistical authenticity analysis to identify the origin of crabs from five sites downstream of the Yangtze River. Significant variations were observed in the levels of alcoholic flavor compounds in the hepatopancreas and muscles of crabs from different geographical locations, and a support vector machine exhibited discriminant ability with 100% accuracy. These flavor variations exhibited significant correlations with the types and concentrations of elements within the crabs, as well as with free amino acids. This study offers a practical approach for determining the geographical traceability of Chinese mitten crabs and elucidates the role of elements in flavor modulation, thereby providing innovative strategies to enhance the efficiency of crab farming.

The geography of corporate fake news.

Although a rich academic literature examines the use of fake news by foreign actors for political manipulation, there is limited research on potential foreign intervention in capital markets. To address this gap, we construct a comprehensive database of (negative) fake news regarding U.S. firms by scraping prominent fact-checking sites. We identify the accounts that spread the news on Twitter (now X) and use machine-learning techniques to infer the geographic locations of these fake news spreaders. Our analysis reveals that corporate fake news is more likely than corporate non-fake news to be spread by foreign accounts. At the country level, corporate fake news is more likely to originate from African and Middle Eastern countries and tends to increase during periods of high geopolitical tension. At the firm level, firms operating in uncertain information environments and strategic industries are more likely to be targeted by foreign accounts. Overall, our findings provide initial evidence of foreign-originating misinformation in capital markets and thus have important policy implications.

Scaling approaches and macroecology provide a foundation for assessing ecological resilience in the Anthropocene.

In the Anthropocene, intensifying ecological disturbances pose significant challenges to our predictive capabilities for ecosystem responses. Macroecology-which focuses on emergent statistical patterns in ecological systems-unveils consistent regularities in the organization of biodiversity and ecosystems. These regularities appear in terms of abundance, body size, geographical range, species interaction networks, or the flux of matter and energy. This paper argues for moving beyond qualitative resilience metaphors, such as the 'ball and cup', towards a more quantitative macroecological framework. We suggest a conceptual and theoretical basis for ecological resilience that integrates macroecology with a stochastic diffusion approximation constrained by principles of biological symmetry. This approach provides an alternative novel framework for studying ecological resilience in the Anthropocene. We demonstrate how our framework can effectively quantify the impacts of major disturbances and their extensive ecological ramifications. We further show how biological scaling insights can help quantify the consequences of major disturbances, emphasizing their cascading ecological impacts. The nature of these impacts prompts a re-evaluation of our understanding of resilience. Emphasis on regularities of ecological assemblages can help illuminate resilience dynamics and offer a novel basis to predict and manage the impacts of disturbance in the Anthropocene more efficiently. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.