Ten simple rules to host an inclusive conference.

Conferences are spaces to meet and network within and across academic and technical fields, learn about new advances, and share our work. They can help define career paths and create long-lasting collaborations and opportunities. However, these opportunities are not equal for all. This article introduces 10 simple rules to host an inclusive conference based on the authors' recent experience organizing the 2021 edition of the useR! statistical computing conference, which attracted a broad range of participants from academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. Coming from different backgrounds, career stages, and even continents, we embraced the challenge of organizing a high-quality virtual conference in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and making it a kind, inclusive, and accessible experience for as many people as possible. The rules result from our lessons learned before, during, and after the organization of the conference. They have been written mainly for potential organizers and selection committees of conferences and contain multiple practical tips to help a variety of events become more accessible and inclusive. We see this as a starting point for conversations and efforts towards building more inclusive conferences across the world. * Translated versions of the English abstract and the list of rules are available in 10 languages in S1 Text: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, and Thai.

Modeling whole body trace metal concentrations in aquatic invertebrate communities: A trait-based approach.

Trace metal risk assessment and environmental quality standard definition require realistic models that quantify metal exposure and accumulation by biota. In the present study we propose a novel trait-based approach to predict whole body concentrations of metals in aquatic invertebrates from concentrations measured in different environmental compartments. Field data from a large riverine floodplain was used to calibrate and test the model. The prediction performance of the trait-based model was unbiased and uncertainty was below the twofold of measured concentrations for the four studied metals (Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb). The relative contribution of feeding, respiration and locomotion patterns as well as metal concentrations in three environmental compartments provided insights into the importance of different uptake pathways. The relation with the sediment (i.e., to what degree taxa live in or directly on the sediment) was shown to be the most important trait to predict metal accumulation. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential use of bioecological traits for the modeling of whole body metal concentrations of entire aquatic invertebrate communities.

Lateral and longitudinal patterns of water physico-chemistry and trace metal distribution and partitioning in a large river floodplain.

Floodplain water bodies provide habitat to diversified ecological communities. Floodplains are also among the most impacted aquatic ecosystems. While the link between the lateral connectivity of floodplain sites to the main channel and their plant, fish and invertebrate communities has been well established, detailed information on chemical characteristics and particularly on trace metal spatial distribution and partitioning is scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the link between the lateral connectivity and physico-chemical variables, their trace metal concentrations and partitioning as well as the upstream-downstream gradient of these parameters. In connected and disconnected water bodies of the Rhône River upstream and downstream of the city of Lyon, we measured major ions, dissolved organic carbon, trace metal concentrations (Al, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and U) in water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment. The results revealed a clear difference between connected and disconnected water bodies. pH, SPM, Na+, and NO3- concentrations were lower in disconnected sites while conductivity, DOC, Ca2+ and Mg2+ were higher. Conductivity and a part of the major ion concentrations increased in the downstream sections. Trace metal concentrations and partitioning varied between connected and disconnected sites. In the dissolved fraction, trace metal concentrations were higher in connected sites. In the surface sediment, concentrations were higher in disconnected sites for the majority of metals. The upstream-downstream gradient was less important than the connected-disconnected gradient. Only three metals in the dissolved fraction (Cu, Cd and Pb) showed a clear increase in downstream sections. Overall, the study shows that the functioning of floodplains produces strong spatial patterns concerning the concentrations and partitioning of trace metals. These findings improve our understanding of trace metal biogeochemistry in floodplains and have important applications for floodplain restoration projects.

Biofilm composition in the Olt River (Romania) reservoirs impacted by a chlor-alkali production plant.

Freshwater biofilms can be useful indicators of water quality and offer the possibility to assess contaminant effects at the community level. The present field study examines the effects of chlor-alkali plant effluents on the community composition of biofilms grown in the Olt River (Romania) reservoirs. The relationship between ambient water quality variables and community composition alterations was explored. Amplicon sequencing revealed a significant modification of the composition of microalgal, bacterial and fungal communities in the biofilms collected in the impacted reservoirs in comparison with those living in the uncontaminated control reservoir. The abundance corrected Simpson index showed lower richness and diversity in biofilms collected in the impacted reservoirs than in the control reservoir. The biofilm bacterial communities of the impacted reservoirs were characterized by the contaminant-tolerant Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes, whereas microalgal communities were predominantly composed of Bacillariophyta and fungal communities of Lecanoromycetes and Paraglomycetes. A principal component analysis revealed that major contaminants present in the waste water of the chlor-alkali production plant, i.e. Na+, Ca2+, Cl- and Hg, were correlated with the alteration of biofilm community composition in the impacted reservoirs. However, the biofilm composition was also influenced by water quality variables such as NO3-, SO42-, DOC and Zn from unknown sources. The results of the present study imply that, even when below the environmental quality standards, typical contaminants of chlor-alkali plant releases may affect biofilm composition and that their impacts on the microbial biodiversity might be currently overlooked.

Infantile dilated X-linked cardiomyopathy, G4.5 mutations, altered lipids, and ultrastructural malformations of mitochondria in heart, liver, and skeletal muscle.

Mutations in the Xq28 gene G4.5 lead to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Differential splicing of G4.5 results in a family of proteins called "tafazzins" with homology to acyltransferases. These enzymes assemble fatty acids into membrane lipids. We sequenced G4.5 in two kindreds with X-linked DCM and in two unrelated men, one with idiopathic DCM and the other with DCM of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia. We examined the ultrastructure of heart, liver, and muscle biopsy specimens in these three DCM types; we used gas chromatography to compare fatty acid composition in heart, liver, and muscle autopsy specimens of two patients of kindred 1 with that of controls. In X-linked DCM, G4.5 had a stop codon (E188X), a nonsense mutation, in kindred 1 and an amino acid substitution (G240R), a missense mutation, in kindred 2. In the two men with isolated DCM, G4.5 was not mutated. Ultrastructural mitochondrial malformations were present in the biopsy tissues of the patients with DCM. Cardiac biopsy specimens of both kindreds with X-linked DCM exhibited greatly enlarged mitochondria with large bundles of stacked, compacted, disarrayed cristae that differed from those of the two types of isolated DCM. Autopsy tissue of patients with X-linked DCM had decreased unsaturated and increased saturated fatty acid concentrations. Seven of 13 published G4.5 missense mutations, including the one presented here, occur in acyltransferase motifs. Impaired acyltransferase function could result in increased fatty acid saturation that would decrease membrane fluidity. Mitochondrial membrane proliferation may be an attempt to compensate for impaired function of acyltransferase. Cardiac ultrastructure separates X-linked DCM with G4.5 mutations from the two types of isolated DCM without G4.5 mutations. Electron microscopy of promptly fixed myocardial biopsy specimens has a role in defining the differential diagnosis of DCM. Mutational analysis of the G4.5 gene also serves this purpose.