The experiments were designed to know the function of ascorbic acid against salinity on germination, different biochemical and micronutrients concentrations of Solanum melongena. Ascorbic acid was applied as foliar spray on leaves and given in roots through irrigation at 100 and 200 ppm to the plants growed in non saline, 60mM and 100mM salt stress conditions. Different biochemical parameters i.e. chlorophyll, carotenoids, carbohydratrates, protein and micro nutrients concentrations of Solanum melongena were observed under different salt stress concentrations from control (non-saline), 60mM NaCl and 100mM NaCl solutions. The rates of different biochemical parameters and micro nutrients concentrations exhibited decrease in saline media in comparison with their respective control while ascorbic acid used as a foliar spray and through irrigation in roots at the concentration of 100 ppm and 200 ppm resulted promotion in non saline control as compared with salt concentrations media. It was determined that chlorophyll concentration was decreased considerably under salt stress. Amongst micro nutrients ionic composition of Na, K and Na/K ratio resulted that plants treated with different NaCl concentrations at 60mM NaCl and 100mM salt concentrations showed increase in Na and K ions and ascorbic acid were used as a foliar spray and in roots showed decrease in Na and K ions. Overall from the outcomes of the study it was observed that salinity stress significantly decrease vegetative and reproductive parameters that could be improved with the using of ascorbic acid. Best concentration found were 200 ppm ascorbic acid contributed towards an increase in growth irrespective of non-saline and saline conditions. Based on these findings, ascorbic acid treatment helps in alleviating the negative effects of salinity.

Artificial reefs have been deployed in multiple regions of the world for different purposes including habitat restoration and protection, biodiversity and fish stock enhancement, fisheries management and recreation. Artificial reefs can be a valuable tool for ecosystem protection and rehabilitation, helping mitigate the effects of anthropogenic impacts that we face today. However, knowledge on artificial reefs is unevenly distributed worldwide, with some regions having much more quality information available and published (e.g. European Mediterranean Sea area), while others, for instance the North-East Atlantic area, do not. Here, we provide a characterization of purposely built artificial reefs in North-East Atlantic area based on all available literature (i.e. research papers and reports), highlighting the needs and gaps that are vital for establishing future perspectives for artificial reef deployment and research. In the North-East Atlantic area, sixty-one purposely built artificial reefs have been deployed since 1970, mostly between the years 1990-2009, with Spain being the country with the highest number of artificial reefs. The most reported purpose for their deployment is fisheries productivity and habitat/species protection, although, most artificial reefs are multipurpose in order to maximise the benefits of a given financial investment. The majority of artificial reefs were submerged at < 50 m, mainly between 10-20 m of depth. The most used designs were cubic blocks and complex designs made by an array of combined shapes, which mostly consist of concrete (79%). From all the analysed data on artificial reefs, 67% of the cases reported surveys to assess biodiversity after the deployment. However, in 26% of those cases, data was not available. When data was available, only 31% of cases reported long-term biomonitoring surveys (3 years or more). Based upon these findings, we noticed a general lack of scientifically robust data, including records of species and abundance of both fish and invertebrates, as well as macroalgae. Preventing an adequate determination of the best balance between shape, construction material and bio-colonization. Critiques and suggestions are discussed in the light of current available data in order to perform more efficient research, evaluation and functioning of future artificial reefs.

RAS oncogenes are amongst the most commonly mutated proteins in human cancers. They regulate a wide range of effector pathways that control cell proliferation, survival, differentiation, migration and metabolic status. Including aberrations in these pathways, RAS dependent signaling is altered in more than half of human cancers. Targeting mutant RAS proteins and their downstream oncogenic signaling pathways has been elusive. However, recent results comprising detailed molecular studies, large scale omics studies and computational modeling have painted a new and more comprehensive portrait of RAS signaling that helps us to understand the intricacies of RAS, how its physiological and pathophysiological functions are regulated, and how we can target them. Here, we review these efforts particularly trying to relate the detailed mechanistic studies with global functional studies. We highlight the importance of computational modeling and data integration to derive an actionable understanding of RAS signaling that will allow us to design new mechanism based therapies for RAS mutated cancers.

Low temperature is a common biological abiotic stress in major cotton growing areas. Cold stress significantly affects the growth, yield and yield quality of cotton. Therefore, it is important to develop a more robust and cold stress tolerant cotton germplasms. Climate change and erratic climatic condition, plants have evolved various survival mechanisms, one of which induction of various stress responsive transcriptome factors, such as the C-repeat binding factor GthCBF4, which have been found to enhance cold tolerance in various plants. In this study detailed evaluation of the cotton C-repeat binding factor has been carried out. A total of29, 28, 25, 21, 30, 26 and 15 proteins encoded by the C-repeat binding factor were identified in G. herbaceum, G. arboreum, G. thurberi, G. raimondii, G. turneri, G. longicalyx and G. australe, respectively. Phylogeny evaluation revealed that the proteins were grouped into seven clades, with clade 1 and 6 being the largest. Moreover, majority of the proteins encoded by the genes were predicted to be located within. the nucleus, while some are distributed in other parts of the cell. Based on the transcriptome and RT-qPCR analysis, Gthu17439 (GthCBF4) was highly upregulated and was further validated through forward genetics. The Gthu17439 (GthCBF4) overexpressed plants showed a significantly tolerance to cold stress, with higher growth vigour compared to the wild types. The results showed that the Gthu17439 (GthCBF4) could be playing a significant role in enhancing cold stress tolerance in cotton and can be further exploited in developing a more cold stress tolerance cotton germplasm

Citron watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) is an underexploited and under-researched crop species with potential to contribute to crop diversification in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. The species is commonly cultivated in the drier parts of Southern Africa, mainly by smallholder farmers who maintain a wide range of landraces. Understanding the molecular and morpho-physiological basis for drought adaptation of Citron watermelon in these dry environments can aid in screening local germplasm, identification of suitable traits for crop improvement and improving food system resilience among smallholder farmers by adding to crop diversification. This paper reviews literature on drought adaptation of C. lanatus spp. (C3 xerophytes), using the systematic review approach. The review discusses; (i) the potential role of citron watermelon in adding to crop diversification, (ii) alternative food uses and potential by-products that can be processed from citron watermelon and (iii) the role of Sub-Saharan farmers as key actors in conserving citron watermelon germplasm and biodiversity. Finally, the review provides a summary of significant findings and identifies critical knowledge gaps for further research.

The natural hosts regarding Orthohantaviruses are rodents, soricomorphs and bats, and it is well known they may cause serious or even fatal diseases among humans worldwide. The virus is persistent among animals and it is shed via urine, saliva and feces, throughout the entirety of their lives. We aim to identify the effectiveness regarding hantavirus detection from rodent tissue samples and urine originating from naturally infected rodents. Initially, animals were trapped at five distinct locations throughout the Transdanubian region in Hungary. Lung, liver, kidney and urine samples were obtained from 163 perished animals. All organs and urine were tested using nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR). Furthermore, sera were examined for IgG antibodies against DOBV and PUUV viruses by Western Blot assay. IgG antibodies against hantaviruses and/or nucleic acid were detected in 25 (15.3%) cases. Among Apodemus, Myodes, and Microtus rodent species, DOBV, PUUV, TULV were all clearly identified. The virus nucleic acid was detected most effectively from the kidney (100%), while only 55% of screened lung tissues were positive. Interestingly, only 3 out of 20 rodent urine samples were positive regarding nRT-PCR. Moreover, five rodents were seropositive without detectable virus nucleic acid from any of the tested organs.

Species have shown their habital variations in responding to climate change, especially during the spring and summer spawning seasons. The species distribution model (SDM) is considered the most favorable tool to study the potential effects of climate change on species distribution. Therefore, we developed the ensemble SDM to predict the changes in species distribution of Portunus trituberculatus among different seasons in 2050 and 2100 under the climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The results of SDM indicate that the distribution of this species will move northward and have obviouse seasonal variations. Meanwhile, the suitable habitat for the species will be significantly reduced in summer, with loses rates ranging from 45.23% (RCP4.5) to 88.26% (RCP.8.5) by 2100s. Habitat reduction will mainly occur in the East China Sea and southern part of the Yellow Sea, while there will be a small increase in the northern Bohai Sea. These findings will be important to manage the ecosystem and fishery, provide an information forecast of this species in the future, and maintain species diversity if the seawater temperature rises.

The efficacy of weed management depends on the correct control timing according to the seedling emergence dynamics. Since soil temperature and soil moisture are two main factors that determine weed germination, the hydrothermal time model can be used to predict their emergence. The aim of this study was to estimate the base temperature (Tb) and base water potential (Ψb) for germination of Chenopodium album, Amaranthus retroflexus, Setaria pumila and Panicum capillare collected from fields in continental Croatia and then to compare these values with those of Italian populations embedded in the AlertInf model. Germination tests were performed at seven constant temperatures (ranging from 4 to 27°C) and eight water potentials (0.00 to - 1.00 MPa). Estimated Tb and Ψb were 3.4°C, -1.38 MPa for C. album, 13.9°C, -0.36 MPa for A. retroflexus, 6.6°C, -0.71 MPa for S. pumila and 11.0°C, -0.87 MPa for P. capillare, respectively. According to the criterion of overlap of the 95% confidence intervals, only Tb of C. album, and Ψb of A. retroflexus were similar between Croatian and Italian populations. Further field experiments should be conducted in the Croatian field to monitor weed emergence patterns of C. album and to calibrate the AlerInf equation parameters.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes to human lifestyles across the world. The virus and associated social restriction measures have been linked to an increase in mental health conditions. A considerable body of evidence shows that spending time in and engaging with nature can improve human health and wellbeing. Our study explores nature’s role in supporting health during the COVID-19 pandemic. We created web-based questionnaires with validated health instruments and conducted spatial analyses in a geographic information system (GIS). We collected data on people’s patterns of nature exposure, associated health and wellbeing responses, and potential socioecological drivers such as relative deprivation, access to greenspaces, and land-cover greenness. We applied a range of statistical analyses including bootstrap resampled correlations and binomial regression models, adjusting for several potential confounding factors. We found that respondents significantly changed their patterns of visiting nature as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People spent more time in nature and visited nature more often during the pandemic. People generally visited nature for a health and wellbeing benefit and felt that nature helped them cope during the pandemic. Greater land-cover greenness within a 250 m radius around a respondent’s postcode was important in predicting higher levels of mental wellbeing. There were significantly more food-growing allotments within 100 m and 250 m of respondents with high mental wellbeing scores. The need for a mutually-advantageous relationship between humans and the wider biotic community has never been more important. We must conserve, restore and design nature-centric environments to maintain resilient societies and planetary health.

The alien invasive insect pest Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), commonly referred to as Fall Armyworm (FAW), is a polyphagous insect feeding on more than 350 host plants in addition to maize in its native habitat. Due to the voracious nature of FAW, significant yield losses on maize production were reported across the African continent since its detection in 2016. Despite being a polyphagous insect, little is known about its alternative host plants in the new habitat including Mozambique. This study aimed to assess the host range of FAW in the central province of Manica, Mozambique. A field survey was conducted from May to August 2019 (dry season of 2018/2019 cropping season) and in December 2019 and January 2020 (rainy season of 2019/2020 cropping season) in maize fields and crops often mixed with maize or located in the vicinity of maize fields. A total of 1291 fields were surveyed. In each field, 20 plants were selected in a “W” pattern and checked for the presence of FAW egg masses and/or larvae. At the time of the sampling, no evidence was found suggesting that in Manica province FAW feeds in crops other than maize because out of 35 different crops surveyed, FAW was only recorded on maize. Results from this study suggest that the strain of FAW occurring in Manica province might be the one specialized in maize or the continuous availability of maize fields throughout the year is influencing the choices of the host plants of this invasive insect pest.

Zebrafish is an excellent model for observing human genetic disorders. Hearing impairment is the most common genetic disorder including syndromic & non-syndromic hearing loss. Stem cell therapies are considered a new hope in case of hearing impairment. Stem cells are the master cells of the human body and having the capability to differentiate into any other form of cells in more than 200 types of cells (regeneration). This review article describes zebrafish as a biomedical model for stem cell research in hearing impairment, which revolutionized the biomedical arena to compete for the challenges.

Spodoptera frugiperda is a widely distributed insect pest that causes major economic losses in various crops, particularly maize. On the other hand, Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that establishes symbiotic associations with many plants and contributes to tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present work, under field conditions, 1x106 (first trial) and 1x10⁸ (second trial) of B. bassiana (GHA strain) blastospores were used for corn’s seed inoculation. In the first field trial, a higher number of larvae were present in the negative control plants in comparison with those in B. bassiana-treated plants. No larvae were found in negative control and B. bassiana-treated plants in the second field trial. In further laboratory experiments, the effects of the B. bassiana strains GHA, in addition to a native strain (PTG4) also delivered via seed treatment in maize seedlings, on S. frugiperda growth, development, and mortality were evaluated. 1x10⁶ B. bassiana blastospores were used to inoculate maize seeds, which were germinated and grown to seedlings under growth chamber conditions. Third-instar S. frugiperda larvae were allowed to feed on B. bassiana-treated and -untreated (negative control) seedlings until reaching 6th instar and transferred to artificial diet until reaching adult stage. Results showed that larvae feeding on B. bassiana strain PTG4 prolonged their larval stage. Furthermore, feeding with plants treated with B. bassiana strains yielded fewer S. frugiperda male moths and the female moths emerged with altered wings, compared with the untreated control. In conclusion, seed treatment with B. bassiana in maize reduced S. frugiperda infestation of maize plants in field trials. Besides S. frugiperda development was affected in laboratory trials.

Despite the popularity of theraphosids, detailed reports on bite symptoms are still limited to few geographic regions and subfamilies. We therefore examined 363 published bite reports and noticed muscles cramps caused by theraphosids from nearly all continents and subfamilies. Symptoms are mostly locally restricted and mild, but 12.7% of victims experience pronounced cramps with highest incidence rates by Poecilotheriinae, Harpactirinae and Stromatopelminae subfamilies. We discuss how variations in venom quantity correlate with muscle cramp prevalence.

Bioenergetics, genetic coding, and catalysis are all difficult to imagine emerging without pre-existing historical context. That context is often posed as a “Chicken and Egg” problem; its resolution is concisely described by de Grasse Tyson: “the egg was laid by a bird that was not a chicken”. The concision and generality of that answer furnish no details—only an appropriate framework from which to examine detailed paradigms that might illuminate paradoxes underlying these three life-defining biomolecular processes. We examine experimental aspects here of five examples that all conform to the same paradigm. The paradox in each example is resolved by coupling if, and only if, conditions for two related transitions between levels. One drives, and each restricts fluxes through, or “gates” the other. That reciprocally-coupled gating, in which two gated processes constrain one another, maps onto the formal structure of “strange loops”. That mapping may help unite the axiomatic foundations of genetics, bioenergetics, and catalysis. As a physical analog for Gödel’s logic, biomolecular strange-loops provide a natural metaphor around which to organize these data, linking biology to the physics of information, free energy, and the second law of thermodynamics.

This study demonstrated that antibiotic residue in milk can be reduced when dairy farmers use Ethno-veterinary Practices (EVP) based on herbal alternatives to prevent and cure common clinical conditions in cattle instead of antibiotics. Of the 220 farmers selected for the study, 140 were trained and motivated to use validated herbal formulations, 80 were kept as control. Milk samples from the selected farmers (except Thirukanurpatti milk society) tested positive for antibiotic residue in the baseline survey. One year after interventions, the milk from 123 (87.86%) farmers out of 140, were without any detectable antibiotic residue, while samples from 11 farmers (7.85%) were low positive for either Beta-lactams or sulphonamides and 6 (4.29%) were positive for Beta lactams and/or sulphonamides. These 17 (11 + 6) farmers had used antibiotics along with herbal formulations. The milk samples from the control groups were positive for beta lactam and sulphonamide. There was suggestive significance of change in knowledge, attitude and practice of EVP among the farmers from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A progressive reduction in the incidence of mastitis, enteritis, repeat breeding and cowpox were observed from 2016 to 2019 among the cows treated with EVP. Use of herbal alternative also resulted in a significant reduction in health care expenditure of cattle.

Background. Inferior quality of biological material compromises data, slows discovery, and wastes research funds. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in human health and disease, yet little attention has been given to optimizing collection and processing methods of human stool. Methods. We collected the entire bowel movement from 2 healthy volunteers: one to examine stool sample heterogeneity and one to test stool sample handling parameters. Sequencing and bi-oinformatic analyses were used to examine the microbiome composition. Results. The microbiome profile varied depending on where the subsample was obtained from the stool. The exterior cortex of the stool was rich in specific phyla and deficient in others while the interior core of the stool revealed opposite microbiome profiles. Sample processing also re-sulted in varying microbiome profiles. Homogenization and stabilization at 4°C gave superior microbial diversity profiles compared to the fresh or frozen subsamples of the same stool sample. Bacterial proliferation continued in the fresh subsample when processed at ambient temperature. Bacteroidetes proliferated and Firmicutes diminished during the 30-minute processing of fresh sample. The frozen sample had good overall diversity but Proteobacteria diminished likely be-cause of the freeze/thaw. Conclusions. The microbiome profile is specific to the section of the stool being sampled. Stool sample collection, homogenization, and stabilization at 4°C for 24 hours provides a “neat”, high-quality sample of sufficient quantity that can be banked into aliquots with nearly identical microbial diversity profiles. This collection pipeline is essential to accelerate our understanding of the gut microbiome in health and disease.

Outbreaks of the Nearctic leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata represent a recent issue for winegrowers in Southern Europe, in particular in North-eastern Italy. Problems are frequent in organic vineyards because insecticides labeled for organic viticulture show limited effectiveness towards leafhoppers. On the other hand, the response by naturally occurring predators and parasitoids to E. vulnerata populations in vineyards is often unable to keep leafhopper densities under levels that are acceptable for winegrowers. Here we evaluated the potential of two generalist predators, i.e., Chrysoperla carnea and Orius majusculus, in controlling E. vulnerata populations. Laboratory and semi-field experiments were carried out to evaluate both species' predation capacity on E. vulnerata nymphs. Then, predators were released in vineyards colonized by large E. vulnerata populations. Both predator species exhibited a remarkable voracity in the laboratory and significantly reduced leafhopper densities in semi-field experiments. Predator releases in vineyards reduced leafhopper densities by about 30%. Results obtained in laboratory, semi-field, and field experiments are discussed to implement these biocontrol agents' use in pest control tactics.

The Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea L.) is one of the most employed ornamental trees in towns with Mediterranean climates. For example, in the city of Rome, Pinus is the most common genus, with more than 51,000 trees. This study investigates technical and economic features of maintenance operations of Stone Pines and evaluates the productivity and costs of the observed yards. Pruning and felling are the most frequent management operations of trees in towns and this study analyzes the features of these operations carried out in 14 work sites. The operations were carried out either with aerial platforms (19 trees) or ascending the crown by tree-climbing (6 trees). The operations were sampled with time studies (12 trees for pruning and 13 for felling). Work time was measured from the beginning of operations to the transport of the residual biomass to the collection and loading point, using centesimal stopwatches and video recording. The total residual biomass was weighed or assessed. Total observation time amounted to 63.1 hours. The evaluation of the costs of each work site considered the fixed and the variable costs and the costs for the labor force. A Multiple Linear Regression model (statistics: determination coefficient R2: 0.74, adjusted R2: 0.67, p-value < 0.001) which utilizes four regressors easily evaluable before the work, was adopted to predict the gross time of the operations. This paper can contribute to optimize trees maintenance methods in urban sites and to assess the potential residual wood biomass attainable from urban forestry maintenance in the city of Rome.

This study was carried out to evaluate the impact of Amegilla calens bee on fruit and seed yields of G. hirsutum in an experimental field, in September 2018 and 2019. The experiments were carried out on 540 flowers divided in four treatments: 120 flowers accessible to all visitors; 120 flowers bagged to avoid all visits; 200 flowers protected and uncovered when they were opened, to allow A. calens visits; 100 flowers bagged then uncovered and rebagged without the visit of insects or any other organism. Bee’s daily rhythm of activity, its foraging behaviour on flowers, its pollination efficiency, the fruiting rate, the number of seeds per fruit and the percentage of normal seeds were evaluated. Among the 20 insect species recorded on G. hirsutum flowers, A. calens was the most frequent insect with 30.72 % of 655 visits. On flowers, individual bee intensely collected pollen and slightly harvested nectar. The mean duration of a visit per flower was 23.56 sec for pollen harvest and 13.68 sec for nectar collection. For the two years, through its pollination efficiency, A. calens increased the fruiting rate by 20.30 %, as well as the percentage of normal seeds by 32.39 %.

The American leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata, detected in Europe in early 2000s, has recently become a pest in North-Italian vineyards. Issues were recorded in organic and conventional vine-yards despite the application of insecticides devoted to the control of other pests. Erasmoneura vulnerata completes three generations, and the second generation is frequently associated to large populations. The selection of appropriate active ingredients and the timing of their application is crucial for effective pest control. Field trials were carried out in North-eastern Italy, using a randomized design, to evaluate the impact of insecticides applied against other grapevine leafhoppers on E. vulnerata populations. The beginning of the second generation was selected as best timing for insecticide application. For a number of natural products, two applications were planned. Among the selected insecticides, the most effective were acetamiprid, flupyradifurone and lamb-da-cyhalothrin. Regarding natural products, the most effective was kaolin that could represent an alternative to pyrethrins in organic vineyards. The identification of pest threshold levels and the evaluation of side effects of the most effective insecticides on key natural enemies occurring in vineyards are required

Mints emit diverse scents that exert specific biological functions and are relevance for applications. The current work strives to develop electronic noses that can electronically discriminate the scents emitted by different species of Mint as alternative to conventional profiling by gas chromatography. Here, 12 different sensing materials including 4 different metal oxide nanoparticle dispersions (AZO, ZnO, SnO2, ITO), one Metal-Organic Frame as Cu(BPDC), and 7 different polymer films including PVA, PEDOT: PSS, PFO, SB, SW, SG, PB were used for functionalizing of QCM sensors. The purpose was to discriminate six economically relevant Mint species (Mentha x piperita, Mentha spicata, Mentha spicata ssp. crispa, Mentha longifolia, Agastache rugosa, and Nepeta cataria). The adsorption and desorption datasets obtained from each modified QCM sensor were processed by three different classification models including Principal Component Analy-sis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and k-Nearest Neighbor Analysis (k-NN). This allowed discriminating the different Mints with classification accuracies of 97.2% (PCA), 100% (LDA), and 99.9% (k-NN), respectively. Prediction accuracies with a repeating test measurement reached up to 90.6% for LDA, and 85.6% for k-NN. These data demonstrate that this electronic nose can discriminate different Mint scents in a reliable and efficient manner.

In recent years, soil addition with organic amendments, such as biochar and compost, has gained attention as an effective agronomic practice to sustain soil fertility, enhance plant growth and crop yield. Well known are the positive effects of compost on yield of a wide crop varieties, while both positive and negative responses are reported for biochar Therefore, the aim of the study was to verify the effect of biochar mixed with three types of compost on quanti-qualitative response of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. cycla), a leafy green vegetable rich in dietary antioxidants, largely consumed worldwide. A factorial experiment in pots with two factors, including biochar (without biochar and with biochar from vine pruning residues) and compost (without compost, with compost from olive pomace, with vermicompost from cattle manure and with compost from cattle anaerobic digestate), was setup. Two growth cycles were considered and a set of quantitative (height of plants, number, area and fresh weight of leaves) and qualitative parameters (carotenoid, chlorophyll, total N and NO3-content of leaves) were analyzed. Biochar decreased plant growth and NO3- leaf content; on the contrary, it increased total N leaf content, while compost improved all the considered parameters. The interactive effect of biochar and compost was evident only on total N and NO3- leaf content. In our experimental conditions, the compost showed to be the best option to improve Swiss chard growth and increase the phytopigments content, while the biochar-compost mixtures didn’t produce the expected effect.

The recent legalization of Cannabis sativa L. in many regions has revealed a need for effective propagation and biotechnologies for the species. Micropropagation affords researchers and producers methods to rapidly propagate insect/disease/virus free clonal plants, store germplasm, and forms the basis for other biotechnologies. Despite this need, research in the area is limited due to the long history or prohibitions and restrictions. Existing literature has multiple limitation: many publications use hemp as a proxy for drug-type Cannabis when it is well established that there is significant genotype specificity, studies using drug-type cultivars are predominantly op-timized using a single cultivar, most protocols have not been replicated by independent groups, and some attempts demonstrate a lack of reproducibility across genotypes. Due to culture decline and other problems the multiplication phase of micropropagation (stage 2) has not been fully developed in many reports. This review will provide a brief background on the history and botany of Cannabis as well as a comprehensive and critical summary of Cannabis tissue culture. Special attention will be paid to current challenges faced by researchers, the limitations of existing Cannabis micropropagation studies, and recent developments and future directions of Cannabis tissue culture technologies.

Rising temperature is among the most remarkably stressful phenomena induced by global climate changes with negative impacts on crop productivity and quality. It has been previously shown that volatiles belonging to the isoprenoid family can confer protection against abiotic stresses. In this work, two Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Chardonnay’ clones (SMA130 and INRA809) differing for a mutation of the DXS gene encoding for 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (the first dedicated enzyme of the 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway) and involved in the regulation of isoprenoids biosynthesis were investigated in field trials and laboratory experiments. Leaf monoterpene emission, chlorophyll fluorescence and gas-exchange measurements were assessed over three seasons at different phenological stages and either carried out in vivo or controlled conditions under contrasting temperatures. A significant (p<0.001) increase in leaf monoterpene emission was observed in INRA809 when plants were experiencing high temperatures and over two experiments while no differences were recorded for SMA130. Significant variation was observed for the rate of leaf CO2 assimilation under heat stress, with INRA809 maintaining higher photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance values than SMA130 (p=0.003) when leaf temperature increased above 30°C. At the same time, maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) was affected by heat stress in the non-emitting clone (SMA130), while the INRA809 showed a significant resilience of PSII under elevated temperature conditions. Consistent data were recorded between field seasons and temperature treatments in controlled environment conditions suggesting a strong influence of monoterpene emission on heat tolerance under elevated temperatures. This work provides further insights on the photoprotective role of isoprenoids under high temperatures in Vitis vinifera and additional studies should focus at unravelling the mechanisms underlying heat tolerance on the monoterpene-emitter grapevine clone.

Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated crops in the history for food, fiber and drugs for thousands of years. Extension of cannabis genetic variation developed in a wide- ranging choice of varieties with various complementary phenotypes and secondary metabolites. Cannabis grow practices is very diverse, especially indoor cultivation factors, such as different lighting conditions, pot size, humidity, fertilizers. These growth factors influence a lot on the production of cannabinoids. For medical or pharmaceutical purposes, ratio of CBD or THC is very important. Plants traits and metabolic compounds are related to various conditions produced by microbes. Investigating this crosstalk between plants and microbes can play a vital role not only for stimulating the biosynthetic and signaling pathways of the host plants for the production of agronomically or pharmaceutically essential metabolic compounds but also against pathogens. This study emphasis on decoding the crosstalk between cannabis and associated microbes in the belowground environmental niches that would unravel the complexity of stabilizing cannabinoid production.

Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to dietary protein, gluten, from wheat rye and barley. It occurs in about 1% worldwide population, in genetically predisposed individuals bearing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8. Gut epithelial cell stress and innate immune activation are responsible for breaking oral tolerance to gliadin, the gluten component. To date, the only treatment available for CD is a long-term gluten-free diet. Several evidences show that an altered composition of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) could play a key role in the pathogenesis of CD, through the modulation of intestinal permeability and the regulation of the immune system. Here we show that gliadin induces a chronic ER stress condition in the small intestine of a CD mouse model and that the co-administration of probiotics efficiently attenuates both UPR and gut inflammation. Moreover, the composition of probiotics formulations might differ in their activity at molecular level, especially toward the three axes of the UPR. Therefore, rebalancing the gut microbiota composition by probiotics administration might rep-resent a new strategy to treat CD affected patients.

Since December 2019, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 has brought the majority of the world to a standstill, affecting daily lives as well as economy. Under these conditions, it is imperative to develop a cure as soon as possible. On account of some of the adverse side effects of the existing conventional drugs, researchers all around the world are screening natural antiviral phytochemicals as potential therapeutic agents against COVID-19. This paper aims to review interactions of some specific phytochemicals with the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 and suggest their possible therapeutic applications. Literature search was done based on the wide array of in-silico studies conducted using broad spectrum phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. We shortlisted 26 such phytochemicals specifically targeting the S protein and its interactions with host receptors. To validate the previously published results, we also conducted molecular docking using the AutoDockVina application and identified 6 high potential phytochemicals for therapeutic use based on their binding energies. Besides this, availability of these compounds, their mode of action, toxicity data and cost-effectiveness were also taken into consideration. Our review specifically identifies 6 phytochemicals that can be used as potential treatments for COVID-19 based on their availability, toxicology results and low costs of production. However, all these compounds need to be further validated by wet lab experiments and should be approved for clinical use only after appropriate trials.

The study aimed to elucidate the optimum level of elemental sulfur, fresh cassava root (FCR), and urea and their effect on gas production, ruminal fermentation, thiocyanate concentration, and in vitro degradability. A 3×2×4 in a completely randomized design were conducted. Factor A was level of sulfur at 0%, 1%, and 2% of concentrate dry matter (DM), factor B was level of urea at 2% and 4% of concentrate DM, and factor C was level of the FCR at 0, 200, 300, and 400 mg of the total substrate. The study found that elemental sulfur, urea, and FCR had no interaction effect on the kinetics of gas, ruminal fermentation, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and in vitro degradability. Elemental sulfur supplementation (P<0.05) significantly increased the gas produced from an insoluble fraction (b), in vitro DM degradability and either neutral detergent fiber or acid detergent fiber degradability, and propionate (C3) concentration while decreased the ruminal HCN concentration. Urea levels showed a (P<0.05) significant increase of the potential extent of gas production, ruminal NH3-N, and total volatile fatty acid (VFA). FCR supplementation (P<0.05) significantly increased the gas produced from an immediate soluble fraction (a), gas produced from insoluble fraction, gas production rate constant, total VFA, C3 concentration, and HCN while decreased ruminal pH, acetate, and butyrate concentration. It could be concluded that 2% elemental sulfur, 4% urea, and 300 mg FCR showed a greater effect on gas production, ruminal fermentation, and HCN reduction.

Trail detection in mixed canopy ecosystems has important implications for forest management, monitoring, and conservation, although active sensor technology for sub-canopy trail detection is still developing. In order to assess the effectiveness of UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-borne lidar (light detection and ranging) data for small trails (&lt; 2.5m width) in mixed forest canopy cover, we collected lidar data and trail characteristics (canopy cover and trail width) and created a high definition surface model map from the resulting lidar data, and also a high-resolution satellite imagery map using Google Earth. Through participatory mapping methods, seven respondents with limited prior geospatial experience completed a rapid identification of trails on both maps. Respondents’ trails were georeferenced in order to compare the rate of detectability between maps. We found greater detection on the lidar-derived map compared to the Google Earth map. Detectability in Google Earth maps was positively correlated with wider trails and trials with lower canopy. In lidar maps, trail detectability increased with wider trails, but canopy cover had no effect on detection rates. Our data indicate that a mixed-method approach that combines UAV-mounted lidar with high-resolution satellite imagery and participatory mapping increases rapid detection rates of small trails under varying canopy cover and trail widths.

The study presents an updated overview of the 14 non-endemic threatened Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) in Italy: Aegilops biuncialis, Ae. uniaristata, Ae. ventricosa, Asparagus pastorianus, Beta macrocarpa, Brassica insularis, B. montana, Crambe hispanica subsp. hispanica, C. tataria subsp. tataria, Ipomoea sagittata, Lathyrus amphicarpos, L. palustris, Vicia cusnae and V. serinica. Geographical distribution, ecology (with plant communities and habitat 92/43/EEC aspects), genetics (focused on gene pools), property, and in situ and ex situ conservation were analyzed. In addition, with the aim of their protection and valorization, specific actions are recommended.

Cowpea yield improvement is done by adding agricultural inputs. The use of natural substances as pesticides is being encouraged to fight against cowpea field pests. The pesticidal potentials of aqueous extracts of Azadirachta indica and Boswellia dalzielii, Metarhizium anisopliae, alone and in combination with plant extracts, as well as the commercial insecticide Decis were tested on two Vigna unguiculata varieties in field in two agroecological zones (Guinean Savanah and Sahelian Savanah) of Cameroon. The field trials were arranged in a completely randomized block design with nine treatments including control. Each treatment was replicated four times. Vigna unguiculata plants were sprayed at flowering stage thrice with insecticidal products at 5 days interval. Data assessment consisted of counting ramifications per plant, the number of pods per block, and seed yield. All the tested insecticides significantly (p&lt;0.0001) improved the cowpea yield in the two agro-ecological zones. The productions parameters were highly influenced by variety and agroecological zone. The extracts and their combinations were as effective as synthetic pesticide (Decis). Bafia variety recorded the highest ramification rate (37.03±1.59) when treated with the combination of M. anisopliae and A. indica in Maroua (Sahelian Savanah). The same variety also produced most important pods number (90.50±16.66) in Ngaoundere (Guinean Savanah) with the combination of A. indica and B. dalzielii. The highest seed yield (44.23±2.31) was recorded in Ngaoundere with B125 variety treated with the combination of the three treatments (A. indica, B. dalzielii, M. anisopliae). A. indica, B. dalzielii, M. anisopliae and their combinations could be considered as potential natural input in the improvement of V. Unguiculata yield. This would not only increase V. unguiculata yield but also preserves environment from the pollution due to the use of synthetic residual chemicals.

Root rot diseases remain a major global threat to the productivity of agricultural crops. They are usually caused by more than one type of pathogen and are thus often referred to as a root rot complex. Fungal and oomycete species are the predominant participants in the complex, while bacteria and viruses are also known to cause root rot. Incorporating genetic resistance in cultivated crops is considered as the most efficient and sustainable solution to counter root rot; however, resistance is often quantitative in nature. Several genetics studies in various crops have identified quantitative trait loci associated with resistance. With access to whole genome sequences, the identity of the genes within the reported loci is becoming available. Several of the identified genes have been implicated in pathogen response. However, it is becoming apparent that at the molecular level, each pathogen engages a unique set of proteins to either infest the host successfully or be defeated or contained in doing so. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the genes and potential mechanisms underlying resistance or susceptibility against the most investigated root rots of important agricultural crops is presented.

Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to global changes in the marine environment. The increasing frequency of massive bleaching events in the tropics is highlighting the need to better understand the stages of coral physiological responses to extreme conditions. Moreover, like many other coastal regions, coral reef ecosystems are facing additional localized anthropogenic issues such as nutrient loading, increased turbidity, and coastal development. Different strategies have been developed to measure the health status of a damaged reef, ranging from the resolution of individual polyps to an entire coral community, but techniques for measuring coral physiology in situ are not yet widely implemented. For instance, while there are many studies of the coral holobiont response in single or limited-number multiple stressor experiments, they provide only partial insights to metabolic performance under more complex temporally and spatially variable natural conditions. Here, we discuss the current status of coral reefs and their global and local stressors in the context of experimental techniques that measure core processes in coral metabolism (respiration, photosynthesis, and biocalcification) in situ, and their role in indicating the health status of colonies and communities. We highlight the need to improve the capability of in situ studies in order to better understand the resilience and stress response of corals under multiple global and local scale stressors.

Cells occupy a prominent place in the history of life on planet Earth. The central role of cellular organization is observed by the fact that “cellular life” is often used as a synonym for life itself. Thus, most characteristics used to define cells overlap with the ones used to define life. Notwithstanding, new scenarios about the origin of life are bringing alternative views to describe how cells may have evolved from the open biological systems named progenotes. Here, using a logical and conceptual analysis, we re-evaluate the characteristics used to infer a single origin for cells. We argue that some evidences used to support cell monophyly, such as the presence of elements from both the translation mechanism and the universality of the genetic code, actually indicate a unique origin for all “biological systems”, a term used to define not only cells, but also virus and progenotes. Besides, we present evidence that at least two biochemical pathways as important as (i) DNA replication and (ii) lipid biosynthesis may not homologous between Bacteria and Archaea. The identities observed between the proteins involved in those pathways along representatives of these two ancestral Domains are too low to indicate common genic ancestry. Altogether these facts can be seen as an indication that cellular organization has possibly evolved two or more times and that LUCA (the Last Universal Common Ancestor) might not have existed as a cellular entity. Thus, we aim to consider the possibility that different strategies acquired by biological systems to exist, such as viral, bacterial and archaeal were originated independently from the evolution of different progenote populations.

Ophiura sarsii is a common brittle star species across Arctic and subarctic regions of Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the Barents Sea O. sarsii is among the dominant echinoderms. We studied genetic diversity of O. sarsii by sequencing the 548 bp fragment of mitochondrial COI gene. O.sarsii demonstrated high genetic diversity in the Barents Sea. Both major Atlantic mtDNA lineages were present in the Barents Sea and were evenly distributed between the northern waters around Svalbard archipelago and the southern part near Murmansk coast of Kola Peninsula. Both regions, as well as other parts of the O.sarsii range, were characterized by high haplotype diversity with a significant number of private haplotypes, being mostly satellites to the two dominant haplotypes, each belonging to a different mtDNA clade. Demographic analyses indicated that the demographic and spatial expansion of Ophiura sarsii in the Barents Sea most plausibly has started during the Bølling–Allerød interstadial, during the deglaciation of the western margin of the Barents Sea.

The Chile-Peru subpopulation (CPe) of the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is classified as critically endangered following intense whaling in past centuries. Due to their very low abundance, information on breeding and feeding grounds is also scarce. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly applied in marine mammal research thanks to their low cost and relative ease of use. This case study documents a southern right whale nursing in Bahía Moreno (23ºS), Antofagasta, northern Chile, through high-resolution images taken by UAV of a lone adult in July 2019 and the same (photo-identified) whale with a neonate in August, confirming local parturition. Combined with earlier data we hypothesize that the Antofagasta Region may be a calving and nursing ground for the CPe subpopulation. Given the intense shipping traffic and fishing activities around the Mejillones Peninsula and Antofagasta port, priorly recommended marine spatial planning to help avoid net entanglements and vessel collisions of fin and humpback whales would also contribute to the conservation of the CPe stock of southern right whale.

Ruminants perhaps appeared about 50 million years ago (Ma). Five ruminant families had been extinct and about 200 species in 6 ruminant families are living today. The first ruminant family probably was small omnivore without functional ruminal microbiota to digest fiber. Subsequently, other ruminant families evolved around 18-23 Ma along with woodlands and grasslands. Probably, ruminants started to consume selective and highly nutritious plant leaves and grasses similar to concentrates. By 5-11 Ma, grasslands expanded and some ruminants used more grass in their diets with comparatively low nutritive values and high fibers. Historically, humans have domesticated 9 ruminant species that are mostly utilizer of low quality forages for human benefits. Thus, the non-functional rumen microbiota to predominantly concentrate fermenting microbiota, followed by predominantly fiber digesting microbiota had evolved for mutual complementary benefits of holobiont over the million years. The core microbiome of ruminant species seems the resultant of hologenome interaction in an evolutionary unit. The inertia and resilience properties of ruminal ecosystem seem to be due to this core microbiota, which makes the ecosystem most stable in response to perturbations because this core microbiota has evolutionary advantages with logically more generalists (i.e., wide metabolic versatile and redundancy). Also, a part of the ruminal microbiome shows highly plasticity, which is likely useful for evolutionary adaptability of holobiont. This review discusses ecological characteristics of ruminal microbial community in evolutionary perspectives. The updated understanding of ecological traits of ruminal microbiome would be helpful to better modulate the ruminal fermentation favorably for human benefits.

The enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157: H7 EspF is known to be a multifunctional effector that triggers several damage processes in the host cells. However, in the process of EHEC O157: H7 infection, the interactions between EspF, its N- or C-terminus, and host proteins are still unclear. In this work, we use co-immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry (CoIP-MS) to screen the interactions between EspF/EspF-N/EspF-C terminus and host proteins. A total of 311 host proteins are analyzed. The N-terminus of EspF is found to interact with 192 proteins, whereas 205 proteins interact with the C-terminus. These proteins are mainly involved in RNA splicing, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and a variety of metabolic signaling pathways. Surprisingly, MS results reveal that EspF can also phosphorylate H2AX, suggesting that EspF may directly mediate DNA damage. Here, by western blot and immunofluorescence (IF), we verified that EspF can cause phosphorylation of H2AX and mediates cell multi-nuclearation and cell hypertrophy. Furthermore, we verify here for the first time that SMC1 interacts with EspF -C-terminus, and provide evidence that EspF increases p-SMC1 levels. p-SMC1 is known to influence S-phase cell cycle arrest and usually increases during periods of DNA damage. Our work revealed a novel interaction between EspF and the host protein SMC1 and lays a foundation for further research on EspF-mediated host DNA damage, apoptosis, and even colorectal carcinogenesis.

Adult neurogenesis is an evolutionary conserved process occurring in all vertebrates. However, striking differences are observed between the taxa, considering the number of neurogenic niches, the neural stem cell (NSC) identity and brain plasticity under constitutive and injury-induced conditions. Zebrafish has become a popular model for the investigation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in adult neurogenesis. Compared to mammals, the adult zebrafish displays a high number of neurogenic niches distributed throughout the brain. Furthermore, it exhibits a strong regenerative capacity without scar formation or any obvious disabilities. In this review, we will first discuss the similarities and differences regarding (i) the distribution of neurogenic niches in the brain of adult zebrafish and mammals (mainly mouse) and (ii) the nature of the neural stem cells within the main telencephalic niches. In the second part, we will describe the cascade of cellular events occurring after telencephalic injury in zebrafish and mouse. Our study clearly shows that most early events happening right after the brain injury are shared between zebrafish and mouse including cell death, microglia and oligodendrocyte recruitment, as well as injury-induced neurogenesis. In mammals one of the consequences following an injury is the formation of a glial scar that is persistent. This is not the case in zebrafish, which may be one of the main reasons that zebrafish display a higher regenerative capacity.

Management practices must be developed to improve yam production sustainability. Image-based phenotyping techniques could help developing such practices based on non-destructive analyses of important plant traits. Our objective was to determine the potential of image-based phenotyping methods to assess traits relevant for tuber yield formation in yam grown in glasshouse and field. We took plant and leaf pictures with consumer cameras. We used the numbers of image pixels to derive the shoot biomass and the total leaf surface and calculated the ‘triangular greenness index’ (TGI) which is an indicator of the plant nitrogen (N) nutritional status. Under glasshouse conditions, the number of pixels obtained from nadir view (image taken top down) was positively correlated to the shoot biomass, and the total leaf surface, while the TGI was negatively correlated to the N content of diagnostic leaves. Under field conditions, pictures taken from the nadir view showed an increase in soil surface cover and a decrease in TGI with time. TGI was negatively correlated to SPAD measured on specific leaves but was not correlated to the N content of these leaves. In conclusion, these phenotyping techniques deliver relevant results but need to be further developed and validated for application in yam.

Aedes scapularis is a neotropical mosquito known to transmit pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Its recent establishment in southeastern Florida has potential public health implications. We used an ecological niche modeling approach to predict the abiotic environmental suitability for Ae. scapularis across much of the Americas and Caribbean Islands. Georeferenced occurrence data obtained from the Global Biodiversity Inventory Facility and recent collection records of Ae. scapularis from southern Florida served as input for model calibration. Environmental layers included bioclimatic variables provided in 2000 to 2010 average Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications climatic (MERRAclim) data. Models were run in the software program Maxent. Isothermality values found often in costal environments contributed strongest to model performance. Model projections suggested areas predicted suitable for Ae. scapularis across portions of the Amazon Basin, the Yucatán Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, and multiple Caribbean Islands. Additionally, model predictions suggested connectivity of highly suitable or relatively suitable environments spanning the United States Gulf Coast, which may facilitate geographic expansion of this species. At least sixteen Florida counties were predicted highly suitable for Ae. scapularis, suggesting vigilance is needed by vector control and public health agencies to recognize further spread of this vector.

In our study we used the data set on morphimetric traits in beetles species. It has been constantly replenishing for 20 years by the samples, received from different regions of Russia and abroad. In this case we have selected data on nine species for which the left and right sides had been measured and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) could be estimated. The samples were from 6 provinces of Russia and Belarus, which ranged in 3 degrees in latitude and 57 degrees in longitude and included more than 150 plots in different types of biotopes. FA was assessed according to the standard method in 5265 specimen in one dimensional trait and one - meristic. ANOVA showed that biotope, species and their interaction affected FA in both traits, that is different species reacted differently to biotope type. In uncommon biotopes (according to accepted in carabidology classification) FA was increased. In forest species the negative relationship between FA in dimensional and meristic traits in the range in biotopes was revealed. In those species only FA values were higher in males than in females. In generalist species FA varieв similarly in both sexes and in both traits being the highest in open biotopes. In eudomonant of arable lands biotopes – Poecilus cupreus – the highest values of FA were recorded in the meadows, being about equal in all types of crops.

Ovarian cancer is the most frequent cause of deaths in gynecologic malignancies. Many possible mechanisms have been proposed via RNAseq and DNAseq technique recently. However, the driving factors are still obscure. The possible reasons are attributed to the incomplete human reference. This study integrated the canonical mapping-based and mapping-free protocols to extract reliable variations and novel events. We eventually obtained 450 reliable SNVs from the WES data and novel events from the RNAseq data, including 154 SNVs, 462 intron events, two repeats and six splice events. We identified six differentially expressed genes and six contigs that are significantly related to survival prognosis. The recurrent SNVs in significantly differentially expressed genes can be validated in an independent cohort of 20 Chinese ovarian cancer patients.

Ancient DNA has given a new vision to the recent history of human evolution. However, by always relying on the information provided by whole genome sequencing, some relevant relationships between modern humans and its archaic relatives have been misinterpreted by hybridization and recombination causes. In contrast, the congruent phylogeny, obtained from non-recombinant uniparental markers, indicates that humans and Neanderthals are sister subspecies, and that the most recent common ancestor of modern humans was not of African origin but Eurasian.

Testudines show phenotypic plasticity, and variation among specific populations within a species is widespread. Morphological differences between populations reflect ecological factors that drive adaptation to local conditions. In this context, gathered basic data on morphology of the Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri) to document their variation across different geographical regions. We surveyed Hermann’s tortoises, in five different locales within Albania during April and May 2020 and measured 20 morphological characteristics, including carapace and plastron dimensions. We measured 188 tortoises (81 males, 107 females) in this study, and females were larger (P=.0001) and heavier (P=.0001) than males. Mean straight carapace length [SCL] and body mass were = 172.4 mm and 1128.8 g, respectively, for females and 151.3 mm and 735 g, respectively, for males. The overall Albanian T. h. boettgeri population were regionally diverged into 3 different populations that were situated in northern (Shkodra), central (Tirana, Berati and Ballshi) and southern (Saranda) Albania. The body size (curved carapace length; CCL) of females was positively correlated (r=0.216; P=0.025) with the latitude degree, in accordance with Bergmann's rule. However, there was no correlation between body size and degrees north latitude in males. These striking regional differences among Albanian T. h. boettgeri strongly suggest that further study of molecular variations in and reproductive output of Hermann’s tortoises is warranted.

Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. is abundant of vitamin C and bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activities. In this study, eight wild A. arguta accessions from different areas in Northeast China were collected. Some bioactive compounds were examined on the different tissues of different germplasms including four kinds of leaves, petioles and fruits. The method of UPLC-MS was used to detect the flavonoid compounds. The results showed that some bioactive compounds including vitamin C, soluble sugar, free amino acid, total phenolics and flavonoids content showed significant differences between six tissues of A. arguta accessions and showed significant variability with maturity. In eight accessions, the highest vitamin C content was found in young apical leaves of ‘CBS-6’ (7.47 mg/g fresh weight), and the highest soluble sugar content was in fruits of ‘CJ-1’ (196.52 mg/g fresh weight) and the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoids content were in young apical leaves of ‘CBS-11’ (3.48 mg/g fresh weight) and of ‘CBS-3’ (2.00 mg/g fresh weight), respectively. Ten flavonoid compounds including kaempferol, isorhamnetin and quercetin were detected in leaves, petioles and fruits. The total content of flavonoids were highest in young apical leaves (10219.84 µg·g-1) and the lowest in fruits (78.75 µg·g-1). Based on the comparison of the contents of several bioactive compounds, the two accessions ‘CJ-1’ and ‘CBS-8’ had relatively outstanding performance, and in the comprehensive evaluation of the antioxidant activity among different tissues, the young leaves had the strongest antioxidant activity. These results highlighted the antioxidant potentialities of A. arguta leaves as a major source of phenolics and vitamin C as well as flavonoids. It provided a theoretical basis for the utilization of leaves of A. arguta.

Climate change is likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. Therefore, we tested the impact of three key factors (temperature, water, and nitrogen supply) on traits, pollination, and seed production in Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae). We grew the plants in different combinations of temperature, water, and nitrogen supplementation, measured multiple vegetative and floral traits, and assessed the response of pollinators in the field. We also evaluated the effect of growing conditions on seed set in plants exposed to pollinators and hand-pollinated plants. Our results show that water stress impaired vegetative growth, decreased flower production, reduced visitation by pollinators and seed set, while nitrogen availability played an important role in nectar production. Temperature modulated the effect of water and nitrogen availability on vegetative and floral traits and strongly affected flowering phenology and flower production. We demonstrated that changes in temperature, water, and nitrogen availability induce changes in plant vegetative and floral traits which impact flower visitation and consequently plant reproduction. Climate change, particularly increasing temperature combined with reduced precipitation, thus may impact plant-pollinator interactions with negative consequences for the reproduction of wild plants and insect-pollinated crops.

Humpback whales perform long migrations from their breeding and nursing areas at low latitudes to feeding grounds at high latitudes. Nonetheless this strictly dichotomous paradigm of migration is challenged by accumulating examples of occasional or regular feeding in tropical or subtropical areas for several stocks worldwide. Here we report multiple lines of evidence of IWC ‘Stock G’ humpback whales feeding in coastal waters at low latitudes of the Southeast Pacific Ocean. Lunge-feeding behavior was observed in Ecuador, while both lunge- and trap-feeding in pursuit of Peruvian anchovy was documented in northern Chile. Five records of substantial defecation in a key breeding ground in Ecuador also demonstrates local foraging. In addition mark-recapture analysis of one individual feeding at high and mid latitudes of Chile suggested potential site fidelity to two foraging areas. Whether these behaviors are novel due to changes in prey distribution, intensifying competition for food from a growing humpback whale population, or rather reflect vastly increased research effort in a poorly studied region, remains unknown. Further research into the feeding ecology of 'Stock G' should help reveal historic and potentially novel feeding grounds, prey composition and precise migration paths.

We hypothesized that rumen fluid with yeast producing cellulase enzyme can occur and also produces a high biomass compared to S. cerevisiae. Therefore, the aim of this study was to screen and isolate yeast from rumen fluids with an experimental design method. We optimized a fermentation medium containing sugarcane molasses as a carbon source and urea as a nitrogen source to measure the efficiency of biomass production and cellulase activity. Two fistulated-crossbred Holstein Friesian steers, averaging 350 ± 20 kg body weight, were used to screen and isolate ruminal yeast. The two experiments were designed. A 12 × 3 × 3 factorial was used in a completely randomized design to determine biomass and carboxymethyl cellulase activity. Factor A was isolated yeasts and S. cerevisiae. Factor B was sugarcane molasses (M) concentration. Factor C was urea (U) concentration. Potential yeast was selected for identified and analyzed as a 4 × 3 factorial use in a completely randomized design including. Factor A was incubation times. Factor B was isolated yeast strains including code H-KKU20 (as P. kudriavzevii-KKU20), I-KKU20 (C. tropicalis-KKU20), and C-KKU20 (as Galactomyces sp.-KKU20). Isolation was under aerobic conditions, resulting in a total of 11 different colonies. We noted two appearances of colonies including, asymmetric colonies of isolated yeast (indicated as A, B, C, E, and J) and ovoid colonies (coded as D, F, G, H, I, and K). The highest biomass was observed in three yeasts including codes H, I, and C-KKU20 when inoculated in 25% molasses with 1% urea (M25+U1) (p <0.01). The highest CMCase activity was observed in yeast code H-KKU20 when inoculated in all media solutions (p <0.01). Ruminal yeasts strains H-KKU20, I-KKU20, and C-KKU20 were selected for their ability to produce biomass and their CMCase enzyme synthesis. Identification of isolates H-KKU20 and I-KKU20 revealed that those isolates belonged to Pichia kudriavzevii-KKU20 and Candida tropicalis-KKU20, while C-KKU20 was identified as Galactomyces sp.-KKU20. Two strains provided maximum cell growth: P. kudriavzevii-KKU20 (9.78 and 10.02 Log cell/ml) and C. tropicalis-KKU20 (9.53 and 9.6 Log cells/ml) at 60 and 72 h of incubation time, respectively. The highest ethanol production was observed in S. cerevisiae: 76.4, 77.8, 78.5, and 78.6 g/L at 36, 48, 60, and 72 h of incubation time, respectively (p <0.01). The P. kudriavzevii-KKU20 yielded the least reducing sugar about 30.6 and 29.8 g/L at 60 and 72 h of incubation time, respectively. It could be concluded that screening and isolating yeast from rumen fluids resulted in 11 different characteristics of yeasts. The first novel yeasts discovered in the rumen fluid of cattle were Pichia kudriavzevii-KKU20, Candida tropicalis-KKU20, and Galactomyces sp.- KKU20. P. kudriavzevii-KKU20 had higher results than the other yeasts in terms of biomass production, cellulase enzyme activity, and cell number.

The objective of this experiment was to study the effect of feeding pellet containing high sulfur (PELFUR) diet and fresh cassava root (FCR) to Thai native beef cattle on feed use efficiency, ruminal characteristics, and blood metabolites. Four male Thai native beef cattle (150 ± 15.0 kg of body weight (BW)) were allocated with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Factor A was FCR supplementation at 15 and 20 g/kg of BW. Factor B was the sulfur level in the PELFUR ration at 15 and 30 g/kg of dry matter (DM). No interaction effect was found among FCR supplementation and PELFUR in terms of feed intake and nutrient intake (p > 0.05). Cyanide intake was significantly increased based on FCR supplementation (p < 0.05), whereas sulfur intake was increased by level addition of PELFUR levels (p < 0.05). There were interaction effects among FCR supplementation and PELFUR on digestibility coefficients of DM and organic matter (OM) (p < 0.05). FCR supplementation at 20 g/kg BW with PELFUR 30 g/kg demonstrated the highest digestibility of DM and OM. Moreover, interactions were observed between FCR and PELFUR for bacterial populations (p < 0.01). The populations of bacteria were highest in FCR supplementation at 20 g/kg BW with PELFUR 30 g/kg at various feeding times. An interaction effects from among feeding FCR with PELFUR was found on blood thiocyanate concentrations at various feeding times (p < 0.01). The highest mean values of blood thiocyanate were observed when feeding FCR at 20 g/kg BW with PELFUR at 30 g/kg. No interaction effect was found between FCR and PELFUR on total volatile fatty acids (VFA) and their profiles (p >0.05). However, the proportions of the total VFA at 0 and 4 h post-feeding were increased when FCR at 20 g/kg BW was supplemented (p < 0.01). FCR at 20 g/kg BW could enhance propionate (C3) at 4 h post-feeding when compared with FCR at 15 g/kg BW (p < 0.01). Moreover, supplementation of PELFUR at 30 g/kg increased the total VFA at 0 and 4 h post-feeding, whereas the concentration of C3 at 4 h post-feeding was enhanced (p < 0.05). However, no significant changes were found for any parameters among treatments and between the main effect of FCR and PELFUR supplementation (p > 0.05). In conclusion, feeding of two combinations (FCR 20 g/kg BW with PELFUR 30 g/kg) could promote the nutrient digestibility, the bacterial populations, and the rate of disappearance of cyanide without having any adverse effect on rumen fermentation.

This experiment was carried out to determine the overall prevalence of pigeon diseases and especially emphasized on prevalence of parasitic diseases in study areas. During this study 45 farms were selected which have >20 pair of pigeon for commercial and >10 pair pigeon for traditional farm in the three study area namely Rajshahi, Natore and Pabna district of Bangladesh. The data were collected from different farm within the study area through a questionnaire and interview schedule with the farm owners. During one year of study period a total Out of 3677 pigeon, positive case in cage of external parasites were 722 and internal parasite positives 114 from 263 fecal sample. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal and external parasites in pigeon at northern Bangladesh is obtained. The infestation of lice Columbaecula columbae and fly Pseudolynchia canariensis were observed 18.08% and 1.55% respectively. The present study found two species of ectoparasites lice and fly. Diversity of ectoparasite in birds infestation may be depend on many factors, which may include home range, behavior, size and roosting habit of the host. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in pigeon are founded that 43.34% in research area. Specific incidence was 22.81% in Ascariasis, 18.63% in Capilariasis and 1.90% in Raillietina parasite in pigeon. Ascaridia colombae is one of the most common (22.81%) helminth species in pigeons in this study. The effect of breed of pigeon observed in present studies the highest in indigenous (63.47%) and lowest exotic (36%) prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite was observed. The specific percentages of Ascariasis, Capilariasis and Raillatina gastrointestinal parasites of pigeon were found 20% & 31.74%; 14% & 30.15% and 2% & 1.58% in exotic & indigenous breed, respectively. In the present study, there is a relation between the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections with the age of the pigeons which showed that high prevalence in adults (50%) and compare to young (22.22%). but it was statistically significant (P>0.05). In relation with farming system the gastrointestinal parasitic incidence of pigeon was observed in modern and tradition farming system, the highest incidence was 71.16% in traditional & lowest 31.14% in modern farming. When observed specifically in Ascariasis, Capillariasis & Raillietina were 16.39% & 37.41%; 13.11% & 31.25% and 1.63% & 2.5% in modern & traditional, respectively. The effect of regions on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in pigeon was observed in Pabna (68.32%), Natore (57.84%) and Rajshahi (33.33%). The specific percentages of Ascariasis, Capilariasis and Raillatina gastrointestinal parasites of pigeon were 18.18%, 33.33% & 26.31%; 14.54%, 33.33% & 23.38% and 0.606%, 1.66% & 7.89% in Rajshahi, Pabna and Natore, respectively.

In the current study, an ethyl acetate extract from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus ochraceus SPH2 isolated from the stem parts of the endemic plant Bethencourtia palmensis was screened for its biocontrol properties against plant pathogens (Fusarium moniliforme, Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea), insect pests (Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi), plant parasites (Meloidogyne javanica) and ticks (Hyalomma lusitanicum). SPH2 gave extracts with strong fungicidal and ixodicidal effects at different fermentation times. The bioguided isolation of these extracts gave compounds 1-3. Mellein (1) showed strong ixodicidal effects and was also fungicidal. This is the first report on the ixodicidal effects of 1. Neoaspergillic acid (2) showed potent antifungal effects. Compound 2 appeared during the exponential phase of the fungal growth while neohydroxyaspergillic acid (3) appeared during the stationary phase, suggesting that 2 is the biosynthetic precursor of 3. Additional molecular ions compatible with pyrazynes that were detected during the exponential phase included flavacol, and aspergilliamide while ochramide A was mostly detected during the stationary phase of the fermentation. Moreover, polyketids were also detected during the sationaty phase of the fermentation curve (dihydroaspyrone, aspyrone, asperlactone) and the alkaloid circumdatin H. Ochratoxin A was not detected. Therefore, SPH2 could be a potential biotechnological tool for the production of ixodicidal mellein.

Plants are continually exposed to multiple stresses, which co-occur in nature and the net effects are frequently more non-additive (i.e., synergistic or antagonistic) suggesting ‘unique’ responses respect to that of the individual stress. Further, plant stress responses are not uniforms showing a high spatial and temporal variability among and along the different organs. In this respect, the present work investigated the morphological responses of different root types (seminal, seminal lateral, primary, primary lateral) of maize plants exposed to single (drought and heat) and combined stress (drought + heat). Data were evaluated by a specific root image analysis system (WinRHIZO) and analyzed by uni- and multi-variate statistical analysis. The results indicated that primary root and their laterals were the types more sensitive to the single and combined stresses while the seminal laterals specifically responded to the combined only. Further, antagonistic and synergistic effects were observed for the specific traits in the primary and their laterals and in the seminal lateral roots in response to the combined stress. These results suggested that maize root system modified specific root types and traits to face with different stressful environmental conditions highlighting that the adaptation strategy to the combined stress may be different from that of the individual ones. The knowledge of “unique or shared” responses of plant to multiple stress can be utilized to develop varieties with broad spectrum stress tolerance.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of crude protein (CP) levels in concentrate and Sesbania grandiflora pod meal (SG) supplementations on feed intake, rumen fermentation, and methane (CH4) mitigation in Thai purebred beef cattle. Four cattle with 100 ± 5.0 kg body weight were used in this study. A 2 × 2 factorial experiment in a 4 × 4 Latin square design were conducted, in which factor A was the CP contents in concentrate of 14, and 16% of dry matter (DM) and factor B was the supplement contents of SG at 0.4% and 0.6% DM intake, respectively. The results showed that the CP contents in concentrate and SG had no interaction effect on intake, digestibility, ruminal ecologies, ruminal fermentation products, and nitrogen utilization. Increasing CP contents in concentrate did not influence DM intake and nutrients’ digestibility, and SG supplementation at 0.6% significantly (P<0.05) decreased CP digestibility. Increasing CP content to 16% increased significantly (P<0.05) the ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration while decreased significantly (P<0.05) the NH3-N concentration, protozoal number, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) at 4 h post-feeding. The 0.6% supplementation of the SG increased significantly average total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and propionate (C3) concentration while decreased significantly average acetate (C2), C2:C3 ratio, and CH4 production, which was 2.71% for C2, 13.17% for C2:C3 ratio, and 4.37% for CH4 production lower than 0.4% supplementation. Fecal nitrogen excretion was significantly decreased when supplemented with 0.6% of the SG. In conclusion, 0.6% of the SG supplementation showed a greater effect on intake, rumen manipulation, and CH4 mitigation and would recommend supplementation to a concentrate-based diet containing either 14% or 16% CP content.

Shrinking farm size and fragile farm resources pose a significant challenge to the sustainability of small-scale farms. Efficient resource utilization in small-scale farms is crucial to achieving farm sustainability through endogenous mechanisms. However, the precise mechanisms to integrate physical resources to achieve farm sustainability are not very clear yet. By capturing the interaction among farm resources as a network phenomenon, we identify the discrete resource interactions (RIs) in different types of small-scale farms of Indian Sundarbans, which are associated with higher farm sustainability. Thirty-two linkages, 11 reciprocal linkages, 22 triads, and three ‘core elements’ that occurred and cooccurred on highly sustainable farms are found to be critical in achieving farm sustainability. Using the properties of resource interaction networks as explanators of farm sustainability, we anticipate that sustainability in small-scale farms can be achieved by strategically creating new RIs on the farm. However, there may be limitations to such achievement depending on the nature of RI and type of farm. The analytical approach helps to understand the structural basis of sustainability in small-scale farms, and this approach can be used to achieve farm sustainability through the strategic integration of existing farm resources in the smallholder systems.

Recent developments in the cryopreservation space has increased the trend in germplasm collections established through cryopreserved in vitro material. Cryopreservation of recalcitrant seeds through embryos and embryonic axes, is not uncommon. Tropical and sub-tropical plants are not acclimated to the cold season, therefore have no in-built natural resilience to the cold. Also, larger seeds from trees, such as avocado (Persea americana Mill.), mango (Mangifera indica) and durian (Durio zibethinus L.) are sensitive to desiccation, chilling and freezing stress, making them unsuitable for seed banking or cryopreservation. Alternatively, as seeds do not carry the same genetic make-up as the mother plant, especially in the context of woody rainforest species of which the cross-pollination is dominant; seed conservation does not serve the purpose of germplasm preservation. Other plant material and methods are needed for these plants to be successfully stored in liquid nitrogen (LN). One such method commonly used is shoot-tip cryopreservation which ensures the clonal fidelity of germplasm. There are many problems when using shoot tips of tropical recalcitrant-seeded species. These include: 1) the toxic effects of cryoprotective agents towards structural integrity; 2) optimum developmental stage for success and 3) oxidative stress associated with excision injury leading to necrosis triggering cell death and hindering regeneration for the shoot tips in culture. A pre-requisite for any cryopreservation system is the availability of an established tissue culture regeneration platform. This review will outline conservation strategies for avocado with special emphasis on attempts and improvements made in the cryopreservation space for storing this horticulturally important crop ‘avocado’ at ultra-low temperatures.

The transition from a dormant to a germinating seed represents a crucial developmental switch in the life cycle of a plant. Subsequent transition from a germinating seed to an autotrophic organism also requires a robust and multi-layered control. Seed germination and seedling growth are multistep processes, involving both internal and external signals, which lead to a fine-tuning control network.

Predator-prey interactions present heightened opportunities for pathogen spillover, as predators are exposed to novel parasites through consumption of prey harboring potentially infectious agents. Epizootics with high morbidity and mortality have been recorded following prey-to-predator spillover events with significant conservation implications, particularly for sensitive species. However, relatively few virulent infections following prey consumption are reported, given the very large number of exposures that presumably occur. Further, many transmitted agents are infectious but clinically silent and thus go unrecognized. Mechanisms that determine outcome of predator exposure to prey-based pathogens therefore represent an important, understudied component of disease dynamics that should be considered in modeling approaches and empirical research to better understand disease risk and emergence, particularly in vulnerable or threatened species.

The neocortex is an exquisitely organized structure achieved through complex cellular processes from the generation of neural cells to their integration into cortical circuits after complex migration processes. During this long journey, neural cells need to stablish and release adhesive interactions through cell surface receptors known as cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Several types of CAMs have been described regulating different aspects of neurodevelopment. Whereas some of them mediate interactions with the extracellular matrix, others allow contacts with additional cells. In this review, we will focus on the role of two important families of cell-cell adhesion molecules (C-CAMs), classical cadherins and nectins, as well as in their effectors, in the control of fundamental processes related with corticogenesis, with especial attention in the cooperative actions among the two families of C-CAMs.

Scientists who hope to obtain a faculty position at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) need a distinct skill set and outlook on their future teaching and research career. To obtain a position at a PUI, candidates should 1) design a strategy for obtaining a faculty position that suits each individual’s career goals and aspirations, 2) prepare for the application process, on-campus interview, and contract negotiations, and 3) plan a strategy for the probationary period leading up to tenure and promotion. Given the different types of PUIs, candidates need to consider whether they seek a position that consists of all or mostly all teaching, or both teaching and research. Candidates should educate themselves on the expectations at PUI’s, including current thought, practice, and aspirations for science pedagogy, and gain teaching experience prior to seeking a suitable position. If the candidate’s goal is a position with both teaching and research, it is important to discuss with the current research mentor what projects the candidate can take with them to their new position. The candidate should also consider what types of projects will be successful with undergraduate student researchers in a PUI research environment Importantly, candidates should clearly demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion in their teaching, research, and outreach, and application materials should demonstrate this. On interviews, candidates should be knowledgeable about the mission, values, and resources of the institution and how the candidate will contribute to that mission. Once hired, new faculty should discuss a formal or informal mentoring plan during the probationary period that includes peer evaluations on a regular basis, and maintain communication with the department chair or designated mentor regarding teaching, research, and service activities.

The increasing demand for high-quality livestock products dictates to develop approaches to assessing the composition of the fatty acids (CFAs) and amino acids (CAAs) in animal tissues. The review considers the following issues: chromatographic methods for the determination of CAAs and CFAs of pig tissues; factors influencing the CAAs and CFAs of pig tissues; methods of regulating CAAs and CFAs of pork using nutritional factors; the effect of CAAs and CFAs on formation of meat properties. The main methods for determining CAAs or CFAs are the ion-exchange or gas chromatography, respectively. The total FA amount and individual FAs have significant effects on the tenderness, taste, color and juiciness of pork meat (due to the different melting points of particular fatty acids, formation of lipid oxidation products during cooking, etc.). Muscle proteins of pigs with regulated fatness differ also in CAAs (decreasing by increase in “pork fat” and decrease in the protein’s amount. The significance of this review is also determined by high popularity of pork in Russia and in a number of other countries of the world.

Recent studies indicated that Plasmodium vivax can infect Duffy-negative individuals, but the varied diagnostic and methodological approaches have limited our ability to characterize P. vivax across Africa. Here, we utilized a standardized approach to compare epidemiological and genetic attributes of P. vivax from Botswana, Ethiopia, and Sudan, where Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative individuals coexist. Among 1,215 febrile patients, the proportions of Duffy negativity range from 20-36% in East Africa to 84% in Southern Africa. Considerable differences were observed in P. vivax prevalence among Duffy-negative populations ranging from averaged 9.2% in Sudan to 86% in Botswana. P. vivax parasite density in Duffy-negative infections is significantly lower than in Duffy-positive infections. Phylogenetic analyses of 229 PvDBP sequences indicated that Duffy-negative P. vivax were not monophyletic but occurred in multiple well-supported clades, suggesting independent origins. Duffy-negative Africans are clearly not resistant to P. vivax and the public health significance should no longer be neglected.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential condition for soil health and a potential sink for greenhouse gases. SOC dynamics in a long-term field experiment with mineral and organic fertilization on loamy sand Podzol in Vladimir Region, Russia, was traced with the dynamic carbon model RothC since 1968 until the present time. During this period, C stock increased 21% compared with the initial level in the treatment with the application of manure in an average annual rate of 10 t·ha-1. The model was also used to forecast SOC changes until 2090 for two contrasting RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climatic scenarios. Until 2090, the steady growth of SOC stocks is expected in all compared treatments for both climate scenarios. This rate of growth was the highest until 2040, decreased in 2040-2070 and increased again in 2070-2090 for RCP4.5. The highest annual gain was within 21-27‰ under RCP4.5 and 16-21‰ in 2020-2040 in 0-20 cm soil layer. The expected accumulation of C allows increasing current C stock 1.6-1.7 times for RCP4.5 and 2.0-2.2 times for RCP8.5 scenario. Modelling demonstrated potentially more favourable conditions for SOC stability in arable Podzols than in Retisols in Central Russia in the 21st century.

To better understand the genes with altered expression caused by infection with the novel coronavirus strain SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 infectious disease, a tensor decomposition (TD)-based unsupervised feature extraction (FE) approach was applied to a gene expression profile dataset of the mouse liver and spleen with experimental infection of mouse hepatitis virus, which is regarded as a suitable model of human coronavirus infection. TD-based unsupervised FE selected 134 altered genes, which were enriched in protein-protein interactions with orf1ab, polyprotein, and 3C-like protease that are well known to play critical roles in coronavirus infection, suggesting that these 134 genes can represent the coronavirus infectious process. We then selected compounds targeting the expression of the 134 selected genes based on a public domain database. The identified drug compounds were mainly related to known antiviral drugs, several of which were also included in those previously screened with an in silico method to identify candidate drugs for treating COVID-19.

In silico analysis is a promising approach for understanding biological events in complex diseases. Herein, we report an in silico analysis of the entire genome of virus ZikaSPH2015 strain, which was performed in order to identify the occurrence of specific motifs on genomic sequence of Zika Virus that is able to bind and therefore, sequester host’s Transcription Factors (TFs) as well as subsequently predict a possible interactions within host genome. Accordingly to obtained results of this original computational work-flow it is possible to hypothesize that these TFs Binding Motifs might be able to explain the complex and heterogeneous phenotype presentation in Zika Virus affected fe-tus/newborns, as well as the less severe condition in adults. Moreover, the proposed in silico protocol identified thirty three different TFs same as the distribution of TFBSs (Transcription Factor Binding Sites) on ZikaSPH2015 strain, potentially able to influence genes and pathways with biological functions confirming that this approach could find potential answers on disease pathogenesis.

Insects quickly develop resistance to conventional chemical insecticides. The use of silica nanoparticles (SiO₂NPs) is a promising new approach for managing insect pests. The insects that have been studied are, in most cases, external feeders and internal leaf feeders have not been well studied. Here, we investigate the efficiency of SiO₂NPs in controlling the American serpentine leafminer Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae), a devastating insect pest of a wide range of crops. SiO₂NPs at concentrations of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/L compared to a control of distilled water were applied to intact Phaseolus vulgaris leaves by spraying to evaluate their effects, via the plant, on the number, survival, developmental/feeding speed, body mass/size and sex ratio of L. trifolii released after spraying. A qRT-PCR analysis was conducted to assess oxidative stress in L. trifolii based on the gene expression level of the two major antioxidant enzymes; catalase and superoxide dismutase. The number of mines, survival rate and puparia weight were lower than the control at the highest concentration of SiO₂NPs, while pupariation was delayed at most of the concentrations studied and puparium weight/size decreased at low concentrations. Sex ratio was not affected by SiO₂NPs. Gene expression levels of the antioxidant enzymes at the pupal stage were not significantly affected by SiO₂NPs at any concentration but some individuals showed up-regulation at low SiO₂NP concentrations, inferring development of resistance. This study demonstrated that a priori application of the highest concentration of SiO₂NPs to plants effectively reduces a leafminer population but that application of even the lowest concentration can decrease the life history trait values of surviving leafminers.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in arable soils is a challenging goal for soil management. Multiple factors should be considered for the prediction of the soil capacity to fix atmospheric carbon. In this study, we focused on the effect of crop rotation and previous land use for future carbon sequestration on two experimental fields with identical soils (Retisols) and input of organic fertilizers. We analyzed the SOC dynamics and used the Roth C model to forecast SOC changes under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Our experimental and modelling results indicated a consistent increase in SOC stocks and the stable fractions of soil organic matter (SOM). The increase in SOC was higher in the experiment with the crop-grassland rotation that in the experiment with a rotation of row crops and barley. With similar total SOC stocks, the efficiency of soil management differed as reflected by the contrasting composition of SOM, as fields with a long cultivation history showed higher SOM stability. The goal of 4‰ annual increase of SOC stocks may be reached under crop- grassland rotation in 2020-40 and 2080-90 when applying mineral or organic fertilizer system for scenario RCP4.5, and mineral fertilizer system in 2080-2090 for scenario RCP8.5.

Background Oil palm (OP), Elaeis guineensis , is by far the most important global oil crop, supplying about 40% of total traded vegetable oil. Palm oils are key dietary components consumed daily by over three billion people, mostly in Asia, and also have a wide range of important non-food uses including in cleansing and sanitising products. Main body Oil palm is a perennial crop with a >25-year life cycle and an exceptionally small land footprint compared to annual oilseed crops. Oil palm crops globally produce an annual 81 million tonnes (Mt) of oil from about 19 million hectares (Mha). In contrast, the second and third largest vegetable oil crops, soybean and rapeseed, yield a combined 84 Mt oil but occupy over 163 Mha of increasingly scarce arable land. Despite this advantage, oil palm has acquired a poor environmental reputation, especially in Europe and North America, although soybean planting is now responsible for more deforestation. Oil palm crops face other challenges in the 2020s. On the demand side, these include changing consumer purchasing habits, threats to global trade systems, and diminishing demand for liquid fuels as transport systems become increasingly electrified. On the supply side, major issues include stagnant yields in ageing plantations, sluggish replanting of improved varieties, labour shortages, diseases and climatic/ environmental threats. The latter include the increasing incidence of new and existing pests/diseases and a general lack of climatic resilience, especially relating to elevated temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns. This review surveys the oil palm sector in the 2020s and beyond, its major challenges and options for future progress. Conclusions Oil palm crops face many future challenges, including emerging threats from climate change and new pests and diseases, that require more effective international collaboration. Nevertheless, new breeding technologies are providing the promise of improvements, such as much higher yielding varieties, improved oil profiles, enhanced disease resistance and modified crop architecture to enable harvesting mechanisation. The industry also needs to redouble its efforts to engage with global consumers in a constructive dialogue aimed at addressing its image problem and explaining the many benefits of its products.

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are large protein families known to be important in many cellular processes. They are well known for their allosteric activation mechanisms. They are drug targets for several FDA-approved drugs. We have investigated the diversity of the ligand binding site for these class of proteins against their cognate ligands using computational docking, even if their structures are known in the ligand-complexed form. The cognate ligand of some of these receptors dock at allosteric binding site, with better score than the binding at the conservative site. Further, ligands obtained from GLASS database, which consists of experimentally verified GPCR ligands, also show allosteric binding to GPCRs. The allosteric binders show strong affinity to the binding site, though the residues at the binding site are not conserved across GPCR subfamilies.

The coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet), is a key pest in coffee producing countries. During their development, the larvae feed on the palisade parenchyma of the leaves forming mines. As a result, the photosynthetic area of the plant decreases, affecting coffee production. Despite the severity of the damage caused by coffee leaf miner (CLM), morphological aspects of the larval development and the adult genitalia remain unknown. It is important to identify more susceptible targets to an efficient and narrow control by natural or synthetic approaches, relies on determining the larval instars. Equally important is the sexing of the adult, in experiments aiming efficient ways to control CLM, as the study of pheromone-based control methods. This work presents the first morphological description of the four larval instars and the adult genitalia of L. coffeella. In each larval instar, we measured the Mean ± SD (mm) of the cephalic capsules (1^st 0,14±0,03; 2^nd 0,25±0,04; 3^rd 0,32±0,03; 4^th 0,42±0,03) and observed the following morphological details: primary setae, prolegs, crochets and ecdysial line of the cephalic capsule. In the adults, we observed the sexual structures present in both genitalia: male - bulbus ejaculatorius, valva, anellus, gnathos and aedeagus and female - ovipositor, sclerite and corpus bursae. The dissection of the adult specimens confirmed that the external morphology corresponds to the correct sex attribution in CLM adults. These results may support innovative and improved control strategies for CLM Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Despite existing strong evidence on oxidative markers overproduction following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), the mechanism by which oxidative enzyme Cytochrome P450-2E1 (CYP2E1) contributes to I/R outcomes is not clear. In this study, we sought to evaluate the functional significance of CYP2E1 in I/R. CYP2E1 KO mice and controls were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo-90min) followed by 24hr of reperfusion to induce focal I/R injury models. Then, histological and chemical analyses were conducted to investigate the role of CYP2E1 in lesion volume, oxidative stress, and inflammation exacerbation. Also, the role of CYP2E1 on the BBB integrity was investigated by measuring 20-Hydroxyecosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) activity, as well as, in vivo BBB transfer rate. Following I/R, the CYP2E1 KO mice exhibited a significantly lower lesion volume, and neurological deficits compared to controls (p<0.005). Also, ROS production, apoptosis, and the neurodegeneration were significantly lower in the CYP2E1(-/-) I/R group (p<0.001). The BBB damage was significantly lower in CYP2E1(-/-) mice compared to WT (p<0.001), while 20-HETE production was increased by 41%. Besides, inflammatory cytokines expression and the number of activated microglia were significantly lower in CYP2E1(-/-) mice following I/R. CYP2E1 suppression ameliorates I/R injury and protects BBB integrity by reducing both oxidative stress and inflammation.

The responses of the aromatic and medicinal plant Salvia sclarea (clary sage) to 900 µM Zn exposure for 8 days in a hydroponic culture were investigated. The tolerance mechanisms under excess Zn exposure were assessed by changes in nutrient uptake, photosynthetic characteristics and leaf structure. The uptake and the distribution of Zn, as well as some essential nutrient elements such as: Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu, were examined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results revealed that Salvia sclarea is a Zn accumulator plant that tolerates significantly high toxic levels of Zn in the leaves by increasing the leaf content of Fe, Ca and Mn ions to protect the photosynthetic function and even stimulate photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) activities. Additionally, the leaf photosynthetic pigments and the total phenolic and anthocyanin content were also studied. Data showed that the exposure to excess Zn significantly increases the synthesis of phenolic compounds in the leaves which plays an important role in the Zn detoxification and protection against oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage in leaves used as clear indicators for heavy metal damage were slightly increased. All these data highlight that Salvia sclarea is an economically interesting plant for phytoextraction and/or phytostabilization of Zn contaminated soils.

Polyploid seed production is complicated, and costly work, produce a fewer number of seeds/fruits as compared to diploid seeds. Here we investigated the interactive effect of a new grafting technique of polyploid watermelon scion onto rootstock on plants' survival rate. In this study, three different branches, apical meristem (AM), branch with 1 node (1N), and 2 nodes (2N) from di, tri, and tetraploid watermelon plants, were used as scion and grafted onto squash rootstock. The results showed highly significant differences between polypoid watermelon when 1N was used as a scion. Tetraploid showed maximum survival rates, higher contents of hormones, carbohydrates, and antioxidants activities, compared to diploid. Here, we also performed applied sucrose exogenously, on the rootstocks seedlings before grafting to enhance survival rates. Significant survival rates were observed in the case of 2% sucrose application in all polyploids when 1N was used as a scion. RTq-PCR results confirm that the expression of genes linked to compatibility is consistent with the carbohydrates, hormonal and antioxidants activities. This study provides an alternative and economical approach to produce more tetraploid and triploid plants for breeding and seed production by using branches as scions, furthermore, provides more understanding of graft compatibility.

Many cellular functions important for tumor initiation and progression are mediated by members of the integrin family, a diverse family of cell adhesion receptors. With recent studies emphasising on the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in tumor initiation and progression, it is not surprising that a lot of attention is being given to integrins. Several integrins are under trial with many demonstrating appealing activity in patients with different cancers. A deeper knowledge of the functions of integrins within the tumor microenvironment is still required, and might lead to better inhibitors being discovered. Integrin expression is commonly dysregulated in many tumors with integrins playing key roles in signaling as well as promotion of tumor cell invasion and migration. This review report new data on the differential expression of integrins within solid tumors using two publicly available resources: The Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). In this analysis, I investigated the expression of integrin alpha 2 (ITGα2), ITGα3, ITGβ4 and ITGβ6 in tumor tissues versus adjacent normal tissues. This analysis showed that integrins were differentially expressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). This analysis showed that ITGα2 and ITGβ6 expression are upregulated in CESC and ESCA, ITGα3 is upregulated in HNSC and ESCA whilst ITGβ4 is highly expressed in CESC, HNSC, ESCA and LUAD tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Integrins also play a major role in adhesion of circulating tumor cells to new sites and the resulting formation of secondary tumors. Furthermore, integrins have demonstrated the ability to promoting stem cell-like properties in tumor cells as well as drug resistance. Anti-integrin therapies rely heavily on the doses or concentrations used as these determine whether the drugs act as antagonists or as integrin agonists. This review offers the latest synthesis in terms of current knowledge of integrins functions within the tumor microenvironment and potential targets for different cancers.

Coccidiosis remains a major disease and economic challenge for the global poultry industry. Coccidiosis in chickens is caused by seven Eimeria species that target specific regions of the gastrointestinal tract and cause malabsorptive or haemorrhagic disease. These Eimeria species infect segment-specific epithelial cells and thus need to navigate the host’s indigenous microbiome and intestinal defences to establish an infection and cause disease. Good husbandry practices, prophylactic use of anticoccidial drugs and/or live parasite vaccination have been the primary control measures employed but there are challenges with vaccination and growing constraints on anticoccidial drug use. This review, therefore, considers available information on the key steps of the infection process, notable microbiome- or host-related changes occurring, and the (potential) influence of dietary ‘alternatives’ to anticoccidial drugs. There is good available evidence to indicate that some phytogenics, prebiotics, probiotics, betaine, n-3 fatty acids, as well as carbohydrase enzymes and anti-IL-10 antibodies, can (beneficially) modulate at least some of these features in coccidiosis-specific challenge studies. As a minimum, these anticoccidial drug ‘alternatives’ could support the establishment of a desirable host microbiome and optimum immune system development. It is important to better understand the potential of these ‘alternatives’ in commercial production and how they can complement, or reduce, the use of anticoccidial drugs.

Ocular light exposure has important influences on human health and well-being through modulation of circadian rhythms and sleep, as well as neuroendocrine and cognitive functions. Current patterns of light exposure do not optimally engage these actions for many individuals, but advances in our understanding of the underpinning mechanisms and emerging lighting technologies now present opportunities to adjust lighting to promote optimal physical and mental health and performance. A newly developed, SI-compliant standard provides a way of quantifying the influence of light on the intrinsically photosensitive, melanopsin-expressing, retinal neurons that mediate these effects. The present report provides recommendations for lighting, based on an expert-scientific consensus and expressed according to this new measurement standard. These recommendations are supported by a comprehensive analysis of the sensitivity of human ‘non-visual’ responses to ocular light, are centred on an easily measured quantity (melanopic equivalent daylight (D65) illuminance), and provide a straightforward framework to inform lighting design and practice.

Dehydrodiisoeugenol (DEH), a novel lignan component extracted from the Nutmeg seeds, displays noticeable anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects in digestive system diseases. However, the mechanism of its anti-cancer activity in gastrointestinal cancer is still to be investigated. Here, the anti-cancer effect of DEH to human colorectal cancer and its underlying mechanism were evaluated. The DEH treatment arrests the cell cycle of colorectal cancer cells at G1/S phase, which leading to a significant cell growth inhibition. Moreover, it can induce strong cellular autophagy and the autophagy would be inhibited through autophagic inhibitors with reducing EDH-induced inhibition of cell growth in colorectal cancer cells. Further studies indicated that DEH can also induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and could subsequently stimulating autophagy through activating PERK/eIF2α and IRE1α/XBP-1s/CHOP pathways. Knockdown of PERK or IRE1α can significantly decrease the DEH-induced autophagy and retrieve cell viability in cells treated with DEH. What’s more, DEH exhibits significant anti-cancer activities through CDX- and PDX-model as well. Taken together, our studies strongly suggest that DEH might be a potential anti-cancer agent against colorectal cancer via activating ER stress-induced autophagy inhibition.

In the present study, we isolated and screened thirty strains of GABA-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from Indonesian traditional fermented foods. Two strains were able to convert monosodium glutamate (MSG) to GABA after 24 h of cultivation at 37oC based on thin layer chromatography (TLC) screening. 16S rDNA sequencing and proteomic identification using MALDI-TOF MS identified these two strains as Lactobacillus plantarum designated as L. plantarum FNCC 260 and L. plantarum FNCC 343. The highest yield of GABA production obtained from the fermentation of L. plantarum FNCC 260 was 809.2 mg/l of culture medium after 60 h of cultivation. Supplementation of 0.6 mM pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) and 0.1 mM pyridoxine led to the increase in GABA production to 945.3 mg/l and 969.5 mg/l, respectively. The highest GABA production of 1226.5 mg/l of culture medium was obtained with 100 mM initial concentration of MSG added in the cultivation medium. The open reading frame (ORF) of 1410 bp of the gadB gene from L. plantarum FNCC 260 encodes 469 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 53.57 kDa. The production of GABA via enzymatic conversion of monosodium glutamate (MSG) using purified recombinant glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) from L. plantarum FNCC 260 expressed in Escherichia coli was found to be more efficient (5-fold higher within 6 h) than the production obtained from fermentation. L. plantarum FNCC 260 could be of interest for the synthesis of GABA.

Intercropping cover crops have become mandatory in areas at risk of nitrogen leaching to groundwater. These covers include several attractive late-flowering entomophilous species. They can therefore represent crucial floral resources (pollen and nectar) for pollinating insects in early autumn. Pesticides used in previous crops, however, represent a potential risk for pollinators when they are transferred to the intercropping cover plants and their floral resources. We studied the potential transfer of clothianidin (a neonicotinoid insecticide), applied two years earlier in a beet cultivation, from soil to plants and to the floral resources of three common cover species: Phacelia tanacetifolia, Sinapis alba, and Vicia faba. Soils, entire plants, flowers, and nectar were collected from plants grew in greenhouses, and soils and pollen were collected on a treated field. Our results showed that clothianidin was still present in soils (4.5 ng g−1). The residues accumulated in plants (5-15 times higher concentrations than in soils) and were present in pollen of both Vicia faba (0.07 ng g−1) and Sinapis alba (1.7 ng g−1) and in nectar of both Sinapis alba and Phacelia tanacetifolia.

With a global estimate of tens of thousands of arachnid enthusiasts, spiders and scorpions are gaining increasing popularity as pets in industrialised countries in Europe, Northern America and Asia. As most spiders and all scorpions are venomous and due to their mostly negative image in the public media, several governments are already considering introducing legislation to regulate the domestic care of potentially dangerous captive animals. We aimed to investigate the circumstances and effects of exposure to arachnids kept in captivity. Thus, we collected and analysed data from 354 self-reported bites and stings attributed to pet arachnids. Our data revealed that on average there were less than 20 recorded envenomations per year with ~90% preventable by due care. We also categorized the severity of the resulting symptoms and found that the vast majority of symptoms were either local (60.7%) or minor (32.8%), 5.4% were asymptomatic, only 1.1% were severe and no fatalities were recorded. Based on our database of bite and sting reports, we performed a risk assessment for arachnid pet ownership and concluded that, with the proper care, arachnids can be safely kept as pets and pose a lower risk than many other recreational activities.

The history of life on Earth has been shaped by a series of major evolutionary innovations. While some of these innovations occur repeatedly (e.g., multicellularity), some of the most important evolutionary innovations (e.g., the origin of life itself, eukaryotes, or the genetic code) are evolutionary singularities, arising just once in the history of life. This historical fact has often been interpreted to mean that singularities are particularly difficult, low-probability evolutionary events, thus making the long-term course of life on Earth highly contingent on their chance appearances. Alternatively, singularities may arise from evolutionary priority effects, where first-movers suppress independent origins. In this paper, we disentangle these hypotheses by examining a distinctive innovation: phototrophy. The ability to use light to generate metabolic energy evolved twice, preserving information about the evolution of rare, transformative innovations that is lost in singularities. We show that the two forms of phototrophy occupy opposite ends of several key trade-offs: efficiency of light capture vs. return on investment in photosynthetic infrastructure, dependence on limiting nutrients vs. metabolic versatility, and complexity vs. simplicity. Our results suggest that phototrophy is a 'dual singularity' because phototrophic niche space is too large for the first mover to fully suppress future innovation, but not so large as to support many innovations. While often ignored over geological time scales, ecological interactions, in particular the potential for direct competition and priority effects, plays a fundamental role in the tempo and mode of major evolutionary innovations.

Desiccation tolerance appeared as the key adaptation feature of photoautotrophic organisms for survival in terrestrial habitats. During the further evolution, vascular plants developed complex anatomy structures and molecular mechanisms to maintain the hydrated state of cell environment, which essentially increased their ability to sustain water deficit and dehydration. However, the role of the genes encoding the mechanisms behind this adaptive feature in the higher vascular plants is restricted to the dehydration protection of spores, seeds and pollen, whereas the mature vegetative stages became sensitive to desiccation. During maturation, orthodox seeds lose up to 95% of their water and successfully enter dormancy. This feature allows seeds maintaining their viability even under strongly fluctuating environmental conditions. The mechanisms behind the desiccation tolerance are activated at the late seed maturation stage and are associated with the accumulation of late embryogenesis abundant proteins (LEA proteins), small heat shock proteins (sHSP), non-reducing oligosaccharides, and antioxidants of different chemical nature. The main regulators of maturation and desiccation tolerance onset are abscisic acid and protein DOG1, which control the network of transcription factors, among which are LEC1, LEC2, FUS3, ABI3, ABI5, AGL67, PLATZ1, PLATZ2. This network is complemented by epigenetic regulation of gene expression by methylation of DNA, post-translational modifications of histones and chromatin remodeling impact on seed desiccation tolerance and longevity. Moreover, orthodox seeds are able to maintain desiccation tolerance during germination up to the stage of radicle protrusion. This time point is critical in the process of seed development, as the seeds lose desiccation tolerance at this moment.

The activity of the mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore, mPTP, a highly regulated multi-component mega-channel, is enhanced in aging and in aging-driven degenerative diseases. mPTP activity accelerates aging by releasing large amounts of cell-damaging Reactive Oxygen Species, Ca2+ and NAD+. The various pathways that control the channel activity, directly or indirectly, can therefore either, inhibit, or accelerate aging, retards, or enhance the progression of aging-driven degenerative diseases, and determine lifespan and healthspan. Autophagy, a catabolic process that removes and digests damaged proteins and organelles protects the cell against aging and disease. However, the protective effect of autophagy depends on mTORC2/SKG1 inhibition of mPTP. Autophagy is inhibited in aging cells. Mitophagy, a specialized form of autophagy, which retards aging by removing mitochondrial fragments with activated mPTP, is also inhibited in aging cells, and this inhibition leads to increased mPTP activation, which is a major contributor to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. The Increased activity of mPTP in aging turns autophagy/mitophagy into a destructive process leading to cell aging and death. Several drugs and lifestyle modifications that enhance healthspan and lifespan enhance autophagy and inhibit the activation of mPTP. Therefore, elucidating the intricate connections between pathways that activate and inhibit mPTP, in the context of aging and degenerative diseases, could enhance the discovery of new drugs and lifestyle modifications that slow aging and degenerative disease.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has two main histologic variants: classical-PTC (CL-PTC) and follicular variant PTC (FV-PTC). Recently, due to its similar features to benign lesions, the encapsulated FV-PTC variant was reclassified as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP). Nonetheless, specific molecular signatures are not yet available. It is well known that telomere-related genome instability is caused by inappropriate DNA repair of dysfunctional telomeres and that mechanisms involved in the damaged telomere repair processing may led to detrimental outcomes, altering the 3D nuclear telomere and genome organization in cancer cells. This pilot study aimed to evaluate whether a specific nuclear telomere architecture might characterize NIFTP, potentially distinguishing it from other PTC histologic variants. Our findings demonstrate that 3D telomere profiles of CL-PTC and FV-PTC were different from NIFTP and that NIFTP more closely resembles follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA). NIFTP has longer telomeres than CL-PTC and FV-PTC samples and telomere length overlaps in NIFTP and FTA. There was no association between BRAF expression and telomere length in all tested samples. Our data showing that 3D nuclear telomere organization is altered differently in thyroid cancer variants, suggest that this parameter might guide clinical management of NIFTP. Although further investigations in a larger cohort of patients are necessary to corroborate our observations, telomere-related genomic instability might be of value in the diagnosis of NIFTP and allow for a more appropriate selection of the correct treatment.

Cryonotothenioidea is the main group of fishes that thrive in the extremely cold Antarctic environment, thanks to the acquisition of peculiar morphological, physiological and molecular adaptations. We have previously disclosed that IgM, the main immunoglobulin isotype in teleosts, display typical cold-adapted features. Recently, we have analyzed the gene encoding the heavy chain constant region (CH) of the IgT isotype from the Antarctic teleost Trematomus bernacchii (family Nototheniidae), characterized by the near-complete deletion of the CH2 domain. Here, we aimed to track the loss of the CH2 domain along notothenioid phylogeny and to identify its ancestral origins. To this end, we obtained the IgT gene sequences from several species belonging to the Antarctic families Nototheniidae, Bathydraconidae and Artedidraconidae. All species display a CH2 remnant of variable size, encoded by a short Cτ2 exon, which retains functional splicing sites and therefore is included in the mature transcript. We also considered representative species from the three non-Antarctic families: Eleginopsioidea (Eleginops maclovinus), Pseudaphritioidea (Pseudaphritis urvillii) and Bovichtidae (Bovichtus diacanthus and Cottoperca gobio). Even though only E. maclovinus, the sister taxa of Cryonotothenioidea, shared the partial loss of Cτ2, the other non-Antarctic notothenioid species displayed early molecular signatures of this event. These results shed light on the evolutionary path that underlies the origins of this remarkable gene structural modification.

The zebrafish Danio rerio is suitable to study gametes as a model organism. There were &gt; 70% of zebrafish spermatozoa activated, because they were contaminated with urine or excrement. The movement of spermatozoon in water was propagated along the flagellum at 16 s after sperm activation, then damped from the end of the flagellum for 35 s and fully disappear at 61 s after activation. For artificial fertilization, milt must be added to an extender, which stops the movement of sperm and keeps the sperm motionless until fertilization. E400 was shown to be the most suitable extender as it allows to store sperm for fertilization for 6 to 12 h at 0-2oC. Sperm motility decreased only to 36% at 12 h post stripping (HPS) for E400 extender and to 19% for Kurokura extender. To achieve an optimal level of fertilization and hatching, a test tube with a well-defined amount of 6,000,000 spermatozoa in E400 extender per 100 eggs and 100 µl of activation solution has proved to be more successful than using a Petri dish. The highest fertilization and hatching rates reached 80% and 40-60%, respectively, with milt stored for 1.5 h in E400 extender at 0-2oC.

Microcystins (MCs) are cyanobacterial toxins and potent inhibitors of protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), which are involved in plant cytoskeleton (microtubules and F-actin) organization. Therefore, studies on the toxicity of cyanobacterial products on plant cells have so far being focused on MCs. In this study, we investigated the effects of extracts from 16 (4 MC-producing and 12 non-MC-producing) cyanobacterial strains from several habitats, on various enzymes (PP1, trypsin, elastase), on the plant cytoskeleton and H2O2 levels in Oryza sativa (rice) root cells. Seedling roots were treated for various time periods (1, 12 and 24h) with aqueous cyanobacterial extracts and underwent either immunostaining for α-tubulin or staining of F-actin with fluorescent phalloidin. DCF-DA staining was performed for H2O2 imaging. The enzyme assays confirmed the bioactivity of the extracts of not only MC-rich (MC+), but also MC-devoid (MC-) extracts, which induced major time-dependent alterations on both components of the plant cytoskeleton. These findings suggest that a broad spectrum of bioactive cyanobacterial compounds, apart from MCs or other known cyanotoxins (such as cylindrospermopsin), can affect plants by disrupting the cytoskeleton.

Ancient reliefs in temple can provide information of past ecosystem along with biodiversity including Makara relief representing crocodile figure. In here, this study aims to identify and model the population of freshwater Crocodylus siamensis as portrayed in reliefs in 6 temples. The result shows that the crocodile reliefs in temples were having similar pattern to the freshwater Crocodylus siamensis fossils in term of locality. The temples and the fossils were located in the inland and near the rivers. While the temple locality patterns were in contrast to the locations where extant saltwater Crocodylus porosus has occurred. These contradictions strengthen the possibility that the crocodile portrayed in reliefs was made based on the C. siamensis occurrences. Based on the analysis, it is estimated that the C. siamensis once has occupied river and wetland in Java and its presence has been recorded in the reliefs. This occurrence at least happened from 1280 to 700 BC. From assessments of habitats near the temples using ᴪ AIC, most surrounding habitats have high detection probability and occupancy for C. siamensis from ᴪ 0.500 (95%CI:0.058-0.941). to ᴪ 1.000 (95%CI:0.000-1.000).

The scale and accessibility of passive global surveillance have rapidly increased over time. This provides an opportunity to calibrate the performance of models, algorithms, and reflectance ratios between remote sensing devices. Here we test the sensitivity and specificity of Eucalypt chlorophyll-a reflectance ratio (ECARR) and Eucalypt chlorophyll-b reflectance ratio (ECBRR) to remotely identify eucalypt vegetation in Queensland, Australia. We compare reflectance ratio values from Sentinel-2 and Planet imagery across four sites of known vegetation composition. All imagery was transformed to reflectance values and Planet imagery was additionally scaled to harmonize across Planet Scenes. ECARR can identify eucalypt vegetation remotely with high sensitivity, but shows low specificity and is impacted by the density of the vegetation. ECBRR reflectance ratios show similar sensitivity and specificity when identifying eucalypt vegetation but with values an order of magnitude smaller than ECARR. We find that ECARR was better at identifying eucalypt vegetation in the Sentinel-2 imagery than Planet imagery. ECARR can serve as a general chlorophyll indicator but is not a specific index to identify Eucalyptus vegetation with certainty.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a leading cause of severe diseases in immunocompromised individuals, including AIDS and transplanted patients, and in congenitally infected newborns. The utility of available drugs is limited by poor bioavailability, toxicity, and emergence of resistant strains. Therefore, it is crucial to identify new targets of therapeutic intervention. Among the latter, viral protein-protein interactions are becoming increasingly attractive. Since dimerization of HCMV DNA polymerase processivity factor ppUL44 plays an essential role in the viral life cycle being required for oriLyt-dependent DNA replication, we performed an in silico screening and selected 18 small molecules (SMs) potentially interfering with ppUL44 homodimerization. Antiviral assays using recombinant HCMV TB40-UL83-YFP in the presence of the selected SMs led to the identification of four active compounds. The most active one, B3, also efficiently inhibited AD169 in plaque reduction assays and impaired replication of an AD169-GFP reporter virus and its ganciclovir-resistant counterpart to a similar extent. As assessed by Western blotting experiments, treatment of infected cells with B3 specifically reduced viral gene expression starting from 48 h post infection, consistent with activity on viral DNA synthesis. Therefore, inhibition of ppUL44 dimerization could represent a new class of HCMV inhibitors, complementary to those targeting the DNA polymerase catalytic subunit or the viral terminase complex.

In rye, there is a considerable variety of grain color which is determined by the diversity of compounds localized in different parts of the grain (caryopsis) - pericarp, testa, and aleurone. The localization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was analyzed in 26 rye samples with identified anthocyanin genes, along with the analysis of CIE color coordinates. The Grain Scan program [1] was used to analyze images of individual grains. The localization of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins was studied on longitudinal and cross sections of grains using light microscopy and MALDI-imaging. The violet-grained samples contain anthocyanins in the pericarp, and the green-grained samples contain anthocyanins in the aleurone layer. The green, violet and yellow-grained rye, with the exception of two anthocyaninless mutants vi3 and vi6, shows the presence of proanthocyanidins in the brown-colored testa. Four main color groups of the rye grains (yellow, green, brown, violet) could be differentiated using the color coordinate h° (hue angle). Interspecies and intraspecies variability for the localization of colored flavonoids in cereal grains is discussed.

Carbohydrate and menthol mouth-swilling have been used to enhance exercise performance in the heat. However, these strategies differ in mechanism and subjective experience. Participants (n=12) sat for 60 min in hot conditions (35°C; 15±2%), following a 15 min control period, participants undertook three 15 min testing blocks. A randomised swill (Carbohydrate; Menthol; Water) was administered per testing block (one swill every three minutes within each block). Heart rate, tympanic temperature, thermal comfort, thermal sensation and thirst were recorded every three minutes. Data were analysed by ANOVA, with carbohydrate intake controlled for via ANCOVA. Small elevations in heart rate were observed after carbohydrate (ES: 0.22 ± 90% CI: -0.09 to 0.52) and water swilling (0.26; -0.04 to 0.54). Menthol showed small improvements in thermal comfort relative to carbohydrate (-0.33; -0.63 to 0.03) and water (-0.40; -0.70 to -0.10), and induced moderate reductions in thermal sensation (-0.71; -1.01 to -0.40 and -0.66; -0.97 to -0.35, respectively). Menthol reduced thirst by a small to moderate extent. These effects persisted when controlling for dietary carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrate and water may elevate heart rate, whereas menthol elicits small improvements in thermal comfort, moderately improves thermal sensation and may mitigate thirst; these effects persist when dietary carbohydrate intake is controlled for.

Background: Phylogroup B2 Escherichia coli have been associated with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). In this study, we aimed to compare colonization with the UC-associated E. coli p19A in different mice strains, to investigate the role of alpha hemolysin in a UC mouse model. Methods: In this study, Sigirr -/- and C57BL/6 mice were chosen, and UC was induced by adding Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS) to the drinking water. The mice were pre-treated with ciprofloxacin. p19A expressing luminescence and GFP, alpha-hemolysin knock out p19A-∆hlyI II, and non-pathogenic lab E. coli DH10B were cultured in LB broth, and orally gavaged into the mice. Colonization with p19A WT was visualized using an in-vivo imaging system. Results: p19A WT colonized the colon, ileum, Peyer’s patches, liver, and spleen of infected C57BL/6 and Sigirr -/- mice. A total of 99% of the p19A WT infected C57BL/6 mice and 29% of the p19A WT infected Sigirr -/- mice survived to the 4th post infection day. Conclusion: UC-associated E. coli p19A WT colonized the intestines of DSS-treated mice and caused extra-intestinal infection. Hemolysin is an important factor in this pathogenesis, since isogenic hemolysin mutants did not cause the same inflammation.

ClinVar is a web platform that stores around 774k curated entries, which allows exploring genetic variants and their associations with complex phenotypes. A partial set of ClinVar’s genetic associations were reported with conflict of interpretation or uncertain clinical impact significance, which currently challenges clinicians and geneticists. Here, we evaluate the performance of data pre-processing methods combined with classical prediction methods, such as Naive Bayes, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine to build a meta-prediction model aiming to improve genetic pathogenicity interpretation. Models were trained with ClinVar data (September 2020), and genetic variants were annotated with eight functional impact predictors catalogued with SnpEff/SnpSift (v4.3). A 10-fold cross-validation strategy was performed for evaluation by accuracy, F1-Score, Receiver Operating Characteristic, Area Under Curve. The best meta-prediction model raises by combining one-hot encoding with tree-based classifiers as Random Forest, which shows Area Under Curve ≥ 0,93. We predict pathogenicity for 109k genetic variants, which were found labeled as uncertain significance or conflict of interpretation. Additionally, we implemented AmazonForest (https://www.lghm.ufpa.br/amazonforest), a web tool to query data for a set of 5k variants that were predicted with high pathogenic probability (RFprob >= 0.9).

Changes in agricultural policy may have rapid impact even on landscapes which have taken millennia to form. Here we explore the potential of UK leaving the EU as a catalyst for profound changes in pastoral landscapes in Wales. Impending change of the trading regime governing agricultural produce, concurrent to public pressure to use agricultural subsidies for environmental goals, may lead to unforeseen consequences for Welsh natural environment. We employ a combination of change demand modelling and ‘story and simulation approach’ to predict the effect of five hypothetical scenarios on land use and land use change in Wales by 2030. We show that the most extreme trade scenario would result in a near-uniform distribution of broadleaf woodland across most of Wales. Abandonment of marginal and low productivity grazing would likely give way to afforestation, initiating a return to forested landscapes not seen in Wales for several thousands of years.

"Medusaviridae" is a proposed family of large DNA viruses so far represented by a sole virus isolated from a hot spring. In the present study, we report the isolation and genome sequencing of a new member of this family, medusavirus stheno, discovered from a freshwater sample with Acanthamoeba castellanii coculture.

The intestinal microbiota and its functions are regarded as critical for host health and disease. Probiotics can influence the gut microbiome and its interactions with the host, and are currently defined as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. Probiotics have become common components of strategies to promote livestock health, welfare and productivity, not least due to restrictions on the use of antimicrobial drugs. Common probiotic organisms are considered commensals and are ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS) via oral administration. This review outlines potential probiotic mechanisms, including recent findings. These mechanisms include those interactions primarily occurring between the supplemented probiotic microorganisms and the indigenous intestinal microbiota, perhaps within the gut lumen, as well as more direct interactions with the host via mucosal receptors or more distally following absorption of microbial components. There is good evidence that the gut microbiome is relatively stable in ‘healthy’ individuals and resistant to ‘colonisation’ by exogenous microbes, which helps exclude pathogens, but has implications for the establishment of probiotics, and could increase the importance of microbe-microbe interactions. However, such microbiomes may be receptive to complementary microbes or functions, while supplemented probiotics may dominate luminal populations, particularly in less populated regions of the intestine. Moreover, host-adapted microbes or microbiomes may elicit different host responses and/or be more effective. Some considerations for the interpretation of study results, including extrapolation from different models or microbial strains, are also included. In addition, notable mechanistic and/or pathogen challenge studies from pigs and poultry are highlighted to underline the recognised potential of probiotics in these species, particularly as the appropriate selection of microorganisms and their application continues to be better understood and improve.

Estimation of breeding values through Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) using pedigree-based kinship and Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) are the two fundamental breeding methods used before and after the introduction of genetic markers, respectively. The emergence of high-density genome-wide markers has led to the development of two parallel series of approaches inspired by BLUP and MAS, which are collectively referred to as Genomic Selection (GS). The first series of GS methods alters pedigree-based BLUP by replacing pedigree-based kinship with marker-based kinship in a variety of ways, including weighting markers by their effects in genome-wide association study (GWAS), joining both pedigree and marker-based kinship together in a single-step BLUP, and substituting individuals with groups in a compressed BLUP. The second series of GS methods estimates the effects for all genetic markers simultaneously. For the second series methods, the marker effects are summed together regardless of their individual significance. Instead of fitting individuals as random effects like in the BLUP series, the second series fits markers as random effects. Differing assumptions regarding the underlying distribution of these marker effects have resulted in the development of many Bayesian-based GS methods. This review highlights critical concept developments for both of these series and explores ongoing GS developments in machine learning, multiple trait selection, and adaptation for hybrid breeding. Furthermore, considering the increasing use and variety of GS methods in plant breeding programs, this review addresses important concerns for future GS development and application, such as the use of GWAS-assisted GS, the long-term effectiveness of GS methods, and the valid assessment of prediction accuracy.

Biochirality is evident in the hierarchical relation of molecular and cellular physiology during organism development and aging. Chirality influences the higher levels of biological processes, such as perception, memory and cognition, through intermolecular interactions between DNA, proteins, and lipids. At the molecular level, an organism's aging is the accumulation of macro-molecules with the aberrant composition, chirality, and folding. Cellular aging is driven by the non-physiological phase transitions (PhTs) withing membrane-bound and membrane-less compartments. Genomic instability and protein aging, as the interconnected root-causes of cell and organism aging, share two essential feature – spontaneous nature and accumulation over a lifetime. Consequently, we will analyze the interaction between the enzymatic (Enz) and spontaneous (Sp) post-translational modifications (PTMs^Enz and PTMs ^Sp). Both forms of PTMs significantly contribute to the balance of L- and D-amino acids (L/D-AAs) in organisms, modulating the functions of nervous and immune systems. The most abundant form of PTM - enzymatic phosphorylation is bio-chemically associated with the spontaneous racemization (Rz^Sp). The crass talk of enzymatic phosphorylation and spontaneous racemization, as an essential determinant of protein aging and aggregation, associated with the aberrant autophagy, apoptosis, and cell signaling, is discussed in this review.

The efficiency of producing embryos using in vitro technologies in livestock species rarely exceeds the 30 to 40% threshold, indicating that the proportion of oocytes that fail to develop after in vitro fertilization and culture is considerably large. Considering that the intrinsic quality of the oocyte is one of the main factors affecting blastocyst yield, the precise identification of non-invasive cellular or molecular markers that predict oocyte competence is of major interest to research and practical applications. The aim of this review was to explore the current literature on different non-invasive markers associated with oocyte quality in the bovine model. Apart from some controversial findings, the presence of cycle-related structures in ovaries, a follicle size between 6 and 10 mm, large number of surrounding cumulus cells, slightly expanded investment without dark areas, large oocyte diameter (>120 microns), dark cytoplasm, and the presence of a round and smooth first polar body have been associated to better competence. In addition, the combination of oocyte and zygote selection by BCB test and spindle imaging have the potential to further optimize the identification of oocytes with better developmental competence for in vitro-derived technologies in livestock species.