Sentinel eggs used to monitor field parasitism of stink bug pests (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) can only be deployed for a few days to avoid releasing the pest in the monitored area. Using sterile eggs removes the risk of accidental pest introduction and extends deployment time. Freezing the eggs before deployment is one common method for sterilizing sentinel eggs. However, some egg parasitoid species have lower to no parasitism on frozen eggs. In this study, x-ray irradiation was used to sterilize Bagrada hilaris sentinel eggs intended for monitoring parasitism by Gryon aetherium (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), the most promising biological control candidate. In this case, freezing sentinel eggs is not recommended because G. aetherium has low levels of parasitism on frozen eggs. Doses as low as 10 Gy induced 100% sterility. Irradiated eggs successfully sustained the development of G. aetherium and Ooencyrtus californicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), another egg parasitoid attacking B. hilaris, and parasitism levels were comparable to fresh eggs up to seven days. In addition, G. aetherium showed no preference for fresh non-irradiated over seven-day-old irradiated eggs. Our results indicate that x-ray irradiation is a suitable alternative to produce safe and reliable sentinel eggs to monitor egg parasitism of B. hilaris and possibly other species.

Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Alcohol is oxidized to toxic and carcinogenic acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and further oxidized to a non-toxic acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Emerging evidence shows that Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species encode alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) mediate alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism, respectively. This study involves supplementation of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium probiotic mixture in humans and assessed their effects on alcohol and acetaldehyde metabolism. Here, twenty-seven wild types (ALDH2*1/*1) and the same number ofheterozygotes (ALDH2*2/*1) were recruited for the study. The enrolled participants were randomly divided into either the probiotic (Duolac ProAP4) or the placebo group. Each group received a probiotic or placebo capsule for 15 days with subsequent crossover. Primary outcomes were measurement of alcohol and acetaldehyde in the blood after the alcohol intake. Blood levels of alcohol and acetaldehyde in the ALDH2 heterozygote group were significantly downregulated in the probiotic-supplemented group with no changes in hangover score symptoms than the placebo group. No clinically significant changes were observed in safety parameters. These results suggest that probiotic has a potential to downregulate the alcohol and acetaldehyde concentrations, and their effects depend on the presence or absence of polymorphism on the ALDH2 gene.

The genus Amomum encompasses six medicinal species that are extensively utilized and have a significant historical background. Due to their morphological similarities, however, the presence of counterfeit and substandard products remains a challenge. Accurate plant identification is therefore essential to address these issues. This study utilized 11 newly sequenced samples along with extensive data from NCBI to perform molecular identification of these six species. The plastomes of Amomum displayed a typical quadripartite structure with conserved gene content, yet showed independent variations in the SC/IR boundary shifts at both inter- and intra-specific levels. Our approach incorporated ITS, ITS1, ITS2, complete plastomes, matK, rbcL, and psbA-trnH sequences for molecular identification, which effectively differentiated the six medicinal species within the genus Amomum, as confirmed by distance-based and phylogenetic tree analyses. Among these, the ITS, ITS1, and complete plastomes sequences demonstrated the highest identification success rate (3/6), followed by ITS2, matK, and psbA-trnH (1/6). In contrast, rbcL failed to identify any species. This research successfully established a reliable molecular identification method for Amomum plants, to protect wild plant resources and promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants and restrict the exploitation of these resources.

Postbiotic is a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host. Different bacterial strain and preparation method result in different functions. Herein, a postbiotic preparation named Postbiotic-P by intercepting 1-5 KD of the cell-free supernatants of L. caseiparacasei P6 fermentation broth was prepared, and its multifunctional activities were evaluated. The results showed that Postbiotic-P exerted good antihemolytic (10%-50% Postbiotic-P resulted in 4.9%-48.1% antihemolytic rate), anti-inflammatory (8% to 40% Postbiotic-P is comparable to 259.1-645.4 μg/mL of diclofenac sodium equivalents), antioxidant [reducing power (1.25%-12.5% Postbiotic-P resulted in the increase of OD700 from 0.279-2.322), DPPH free radical scavenging activity (2.5%-50% Postbiotic-P resulted in 38.9%-92.4% free radical scavenging rate), and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (0.5%-4% Postbiotic-P resulted in 4.66%-10.38% hydroxyl radical scavenging rate)], and antimicrobial activities (against 2 Gram-positive, 8 Gram-negative and 1 fungus). Furthermore, it was proved that Postbiotic-P could significantly inhibit the increase of the peroxide value and the malondialdehyde content in cookies, indicating the application potential of Postbiotic-P in food preservation. Taken together, Postbiotic-P has good application potential for the development of health care products and functional foods. However, further studies are needed to determine their precise mechanism of action, to clarify the active components responsible for the function, and to validate the biological activities in animal models or clinical trials.

Microorganisms belonging to the Lactobacillus genus are naturally associated or deliberately added to fermented food products and are widely used in probiotic food additives and supplements. Moreover these bacteria normally colonize mouth, gastrointestinal (GI) tract and female genitourinary tract of humans. They exert multiple beneficial effects and are regarded as safe microorganisms. However, infections caused by lactobacilli, mainly endocarditis, bacteremia and pleuropneumonia occasionally occur. The relevance of Lactobacillus spp. as opportunistic pathogens in humans and related risk factors and predisposing conditions are illustrated in this review article with more emphasis on the species L. rhamnosus, that has been more often involved in infection cases. The methods used to identify this species in clinical samples, to distinguish strains and to evaluate traits that can be associated to pathogenicity, as well as future perspectives for improving the identification of potentially pathogenic strains are outlined.

Lactobacillus plantarum is a bacterium with promising applications to the food industry and agriculture and probiotic properties. So far, bacteriophages of this bacterium have been moderately addressed. We examined the diversity of five new L. plantarum phages via whole genome shotgun sequencing and in silico protein predictions. Moreover, we looked into their phylogeny and their potential genomic similarities to other complete phage genome records through extensive nucleotide and protein comparisons. These analyses revealed a high degree of similarity among the five phages, which extended to the vast majority of predicted virion-associated proteins. Based on these, we selected one of the phages as a representative and performed transmission electron microscopy and structural protein sequencing tests. Overall, the results suggested that the five phages belong to the family Myoviridae, they have a long genome of 137.973-141.344 bp, a G/C content of 36,3-36,6% that is quite distinct from their host’s, and, surprisingly, seven to 15 tRNAs. Only an average 41/174 of their predicted genes were assigned a function. The comparative analyses unraveled considerable genetic diversity for the five L. plantarum phages of this study. Hence, the new genus “Semelevirus” was proposed, which comprises exclusively the five phages. This novel lineage of Lactobacillus phages provides further insight into the genetic heterogeneity of phages infecting Lactobacillus sp.. The five new Lactobacillus phages have a potential value for the development of more robust starters through, for example, the selection of mutants insensitive to phage infections. The five phages could also form part of phage cocktails, which producers would apply in different stages of L. plantarum fermentations in order to create a range of organoleptic outputs.

Probiotic feed additives have attracted considerable research interest in recent years because the effectiveness of probiotics can differ across microbial strains and the supplemented macroorganisms. The present study was conducted on 16 lambs divided into two groups (C - control and E - experimental). The examined lambs were aged 11 days at the beginning of the experiment and 40 days at the end of the experiment. The diet of group E lambs was supplemented with a multi-strain probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus plantarum AMT14, Lactobacillus plantarum AMT4, Lactobacillus rhamnosus AMT15, and Bifidobacterium animalis AMT30), whereas group C lambs did not receive the probiotic additive. At the beginning of the experiment (day 0) and on experimental days 15 and 30, blood was sampled from the jugular vein to determine and compare: phagocytic activity (PHAGOTEST) and oxidative metabolism (PHAGOBURST) of peripheral blood granulocytes and monocytes by flow cytometry. An analysis of the phagocytic activity of granulocytes and monocytes revealed significantly higher levels of phagocytic activity (expressed as the percentage of phagocytic cells and mean fluorescence intensity) in lambs administered the multi-strain probiotic formulation than in the control group. The probiotic feed additive also exerted a positive effect on the oxidative metabolism of both granulocytes and monocytes (expressed as the percentage of oxidative metabolism and mean fluorescence intensity) after stimulation with Escherichia coli bacteria and with PMA (4-phorbol-12-β-myristate-13-acetate).

In this study, we aimed to explore the oral bacteria and fungi that can help discern oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and investigate the correlations between multiple key pathogens. Methods: Twelve participants (8 females and 4 males; mean age, 54.33 ± 20.65 years) were prospectively recruited into three groups: Group 1: healthy control, Group 2: patients with stomatitis, and Group 3: patients with OSCC, with 4 individuals in each group. Unstimulated whole saliva samples from these participants were analyzed using real-time PCR to assess the presence and abundance of 14 major oral bacterial species and Candida albicans. Results: The analysis revealed significant differences for certain microorganisms, namely Treponema denticola (T. denticola), Lactobacillus casei (L. casei), and Candida albicans. T. denticola was most abundant in the OSCC group (5,358,692.95 ± 3,540,767.33), compared to the stomatitis (123,355.54 ± 197,490.86) and healthy control (9,999.21 ± 11,998.40) groups. L. casei was undetectable in the healthy control group, but was significantly more abundant in the stomatitis group (1,653.94 ± 2,981.98) and even higher in the OSCC group (21,336.95 ± 9,258.79) (p = 0.001). A similar trend was observed for C. albicans, with DNA copy numbers rising from the healthy control (464.29 ± 716.76) to the stomatitis (1,861.30 ± 1,206.15) to the OSCC group (9,347.98 ± 5,128.54) (p = 0.006). The amount of T. denticola was positively correlated with L. casei (r=0.890, p<0.001) and C. albicans (r=0.724, p=0.008). L. casei's DNA copy number was strongly correlated with C. albicans (r=0.931, p<0.001). These three oral microbes exhibited strong positive correlations with each other and had various direct or indirect relationships with other species. Conclusions: In the OSCC group, T. denticola, L. casei, and C. albicans exhibited strong positive correlations with one another, further emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of the complex microbial interactions in the OSCC environment.

This study investigated the effect of partially replacing fish meal with krill and copepod meals in inert diets, co-fed with shrimp, on the growth and nutrient digestibility of long-snout seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus). A control diet (Diet 1) using raw starch and four experimental diets with similar protein (≈44.8%) and energy (≈15.1 MJ/kg) levels were tested. Diet 2 used fish meal as the sole protein source, while in Diets 3-5, krill and copepod meals replaced 44% of the fish meal. Seahorses fed Shrimp + Diets 2-5 showed significantly higher growth rates (P &lt; 0.05) than those fed Shrimp + Diet 1, though there were no significant growth differences among Diets 2-5. Digestibility of dry matter (46.1% to 72.2%), lipids (73.3% to 85.5%), crude protein (89.8% to 95.8%), energy (82% to 92.2%), and phosphorus (28.7% to 64.4%) varied with diet, being consistently lower in seahorses fed Shrimp + Diet 1. As an agastric species, H. guttulatus did not exhibit impaired digestibility for any of the tested nutrients, minerals, or energy. This study suggests that crustacean meals can effectively substitute fish meal in inert diets for this species, contributing to the sustainability and optimization of captive seahorse husbandry practices.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry diverse cargo of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. They are crucial mediators for regulating various functions through interactions with the host. Recent investigations suggest that EVs or their constituent proteins derived from probiotics could improve the effectiveness of probiotic strains in disease management compared to probiotic strains themselves. This enhanced effec-tiveness arises from their innate antimicrobial properties, which can specifically target pathogenic mol-ecules or cells, in addition to their significant ability to regulate immune responses. Significantly, previous studies have highlighted the inhibitory potential of Lactobacillus crispatus PMC201 against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this study, we focused on optimizing isolation conditions for studying extracellular vesicles and proteins from anti-TB potent strains. We provide analysis results based on food-grade media (FGM) optimization and isolation methods. Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) was used to determine se-cretion patterns. Proteomic analysis was performed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spec-trometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 64 proteins were identified in the L. crispatus PMC201 strain, particularly enriched in s-layer and splX. Questions remain about their relevance to anti-TB. This anti-tuber strain has potential as a therapeutic agent, given its significant role in intercellular killing. Further studies are needed to investigate its mechanisms of action.

Primary themes in intergenerational justice are a healthy environment, the perpetuation of Earth’s biodiversity, and the sustainable management of the biosphere. However, the current rate of species declines globally, ecosystem collapses driven by accelerating and catastrophic global heating and a plethora of other threats, preclude the ability of habitat protection alone to prevent a cascade of amphibian and other species mass extinctions. Reproduction biotechnologies, biobanking, and conservation breeding programs (RBCs), enabling species restoration, offer a critical transformative change that can economically and reliably perpetuate species irrespective of environmental targets. These capacities extend indefinitely into the future and satisfy humanities needs as the biosphere expands into space. Currently applied RBCs include the hormonal stimulation of reproduction, the collection and refrigerated storage of sperm and oocytes, sperm cryopreservation, in vitro fertilisation, along biobanking. Advanced biotechnologies such as assisted evolution and cloning for species adaptation or restoration have yet to be fully realised. We broaden our discussion to include genetic management, broad political and cultural engagement, and future applications. The development and application of RBCs, and particularly assisted evolution and species restoration, raise intriguing ethical, theological, and philosophical issues. We address these themes with amphibian models to introduce the MDPI Special Issue, The Sixth Mass Extinction and Species Sustainability through Reproduction Biotechnologies, Biobanking, and Conservation Breeding Programs.

The ascidian fauna of the Bahamas remains grossly understudied. Here, we examined specimens of the genus Clavelina collected from four Bahamian islands using morphological observations and genetic barcoding. Only 3 species of Clavelina have been previously reported in the Caribbean: C. picta, C. oblonga, and C. puertosecensis. Here, we report C. picta (Verrill, 1900) and three new species in the Bahamas: C. rochae; C. pawliki; and C. erwinorum. C. picta and C. pawliki were found in the northernmost island surveyed, while C. rochae and C. erwinorum were particularly prevalent on the southeastern Bahamian islands. A complete review of genetic barcoding data and morphological characters of accepted Clavelina species was performed. The unique combination of in vivo coloration, morphological characteristics, haplotypes, and species distribution all supported the establishment of three new species, significantly adding to the diversity of the genus Clavelina in the Caribbean.

Living in extreme environments, marine organisms face constant exposure to a range of stressors, such as high radiation levels, fluctuations in temperature, and oxidative stress. Understanding extremophile fishes is crucial because it gives us valuable insights into the biochemical, physiological, and developmental processes that govern life, by observing how they operate under natural stressors. Among the most fascinating adaptations is the existence of specialised enzymes and compounds that function as potent antioxidants, successfully counteracting reactive oxygen species' deleterious effects. In this review, we analysed the findings from several studies on Antarctic and deep-sea fish species, while highlighting the environmental stressors effects toward the antioxidant system. The antioxidant defences of the considered extremophile fishes have been extensively studied, but there is still much to learn to fully understand this complex system, while the relative research is still ongoing. Consequently, we are properly anticipating further advancements over the next few years about our understanding of crucial physiological processes that support cell survival.

Mushroom cultivation vastly improves the yield of mushrooms under optimized, controlled conditions, but may be susceptible to opportunistic colonization by pest species that can establish themselves, as well as the pathogens and pests they may transmit. Here we describe our investigation into the bacterial communities of adult Lycoriella ingenua (Diptera: Sciaridae) and Megaselia halterata (Diptera: Phoridae) collected from button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) production houses in Pennsylvania. We collected adult flies and sequenced the hypervariable v4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA using the Illumina MiSeq. The most abundant bacterial genus detected in both species was Wolbachia, but phylogenetic analysis revealed that the infections are from different clades. Future studies include the characterization of Wolbachia infections on fly behavior and biology, comparison of microbial diversity of fly species colonizing wild mushrooms, and other microbiota that may contribute to the success of certain pest fly species.

Nose mask is a fomite and its usage was mandatory during the COVID-19 outbreak. Its effectiveness has been established; however, as a fomite, it can harbor opportunistic respiratory pathogens such as Streptococcus spp., which could complicate COVID-19 infections. This study profiled Streptococcus species resident on nose masks obtained from consenting participants. Phenotypic assays and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to identify Streptococcus spp. resident on the interior and exterior of 100 nose masks analyzed. Antibiotic resistance (AMR) was determined with disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. AMR and virulence makers were profiled with primer-specific PCR amplification. 23% of the analyzed samples had Streptococcus isolates. The isolates were highly resistant to the antimicrobials, including conventional, last-resort antibiotics, disinfectants and antiseptics. All the isolates are multidrug resistant with 80-100% levels of AMR to the 16 antibiotics tested with a Multiple-Antibiotic Resistance index greater than 0.2, indicative of potential pathogens. The isolates harbored tetB, ermB, pbp2B, pbp2b1 (resistance) and lytA, lytA1, ply1, cbpA, lytA, pavA (virulence) markers, which might constitute a serious public health risk. Overall, the study emphasizes the need to assess mask usage and the risks associated with opportunistic pathogens that are resident on frequently used nose masks in the COVID-19 era.

This experiment aimed to determine the temperature limits beyond which seahorse growth and reproduction become suboptimal due to climate change. Four temperatures (16, 20, 24, and 28°C) were tested to evaluate their effect on juvenile (1-56 days post-parturition (DPP)) and adult (one year old) seahorses. Additionally, the reproductive performance of adults was observed. Another experiment measured oxygen consumption (MO2) in the same age groups and temperatures. Adults showed significantly higher growth rates at 20 and 24°C compared to 16 and 28°C. Adult mortality rates were 0%, 0%, 6.2%, and 62.5% at the respective temperatures. Juvenile growth performance was higher at 20°C and 24°C but significantly lower at 16°C, with survival rates of 8%, 62%, 10%, and 0%, respectively. Oxygen consumption increased with age and temperature, ranging from 106.3±3.1 to 203.3±3.1 μmol O2/g BW/h at 16°C, and from 128.8±3.8 to 273.3±3.1 μmol O2/g BW/h at 28°C. The study highlights that juvenile and adult H. guttulatus have narrow thermal boundaries, beyond which reproduction, growth, and survival are seriously affected. Under climate change, the species appears unable to cope, potentially leading to their rapid disappearance.

Whole-genome DNA sequencing of Lactobacillus D75 and D76 strains (Vitaflor, Russia) was performed using the PacBio RS II platform, followed by de novo assembly with SMRT Portal 2.3.0. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) test showed that both strains belong to the Lactobacillus helveticus, but not the L. acidophilus as previously assumed. 31 exopolysaccharide (EPS) production genes (nine of which form a single genetic cluster), 13 adhesion genes, 38 milk protein and 11 milk sugar utilization genes, 13 genes for and against specific antagonistic activity, aight antibiotic resistance genes, and also three CRISPR blocks and eight Cas I-B system genes were identified in the genomes of the both strains. The expression of some genes was confirmed. In fact, the presence of identified genes suggests that L. helveticus D75 and D76 are able to form biofilms on the outer mucin layer, inhibit the growth of pathogens and pathobionts, utilize milk substrates with the formation of digestible milk sugars and bioactive peptides, resist bacteriophages and show some genome-determined resistance to antibiotics, stimulate the host’s immune system. Pathogenicity genes have not been identified. The study results confirm the safety and high probiotic potential of the strains.

We demonstrated the role of natural probiotics 3L, 3 Lactobacilli, in the establishment of a strong and sustainable beneficial healthy gut flora, after chemotherapy through experimental results through in vivo model. Using rat CTX model (immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide), we suggested some new adjuvant to chemotherapy as drugs + lactobacillus treament. Further, we proposed a new probiotic formulation (L. acidophilus + L. casei + L. plantarum) to be explored in the prevention of health condition loss by alteration of the general immune system, in numerous studies that reported the use of probiotics involving Lactobacillus in the post-chemo or post-surgical procedures. Here, in our study, Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to generate sequencing data from microbial genomic DNA libraries, which is appreciable to check for the effects of 3L on bacteria. Microbiome analysis, phylogenetic and classification reports, community data have supported the experiments and the results where 3L had strong beneficial effects on the microbiome. Further, the influence on specific metabolic pathways are assisted in deriving the conclusion of the study (use of 3L for cancer therapy) to the mode of action, mechanistically by correcting microbiota composition and enhancing specific gut metabolic functions.

Bacteriophages (phages) are potential alternatives to chemical antimicrobials against pathogens of public health significance. Understanding the diversity and host specificity of phages is important for developing effective phage biocontrol approaches. Here, we assessed the host range, morphology, and genetic diversity of eight Salmonella enterica phages isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The host range analysis revealed that six out of eight phages lysed more than 81% of the 43 Salmonella enterica isolates tested. The genomic sequences of all phages were determined. Whole genome sequencing data (WGS) data revealed that phage genome sizes ranged from 41 to 114 kb with GC contents be-tween 39.9 and 50.0 %. Two of the phages SB13 and SB28 represent new species Epsep-timavirus SB13 and genera Macdonaldcampvirus, respectively as designated by the In-ternational Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) as per genome based taxonomic classification. One phage (SB18) belonged to the Myoviridae morphotype while the re-maining phages belonged to the Siphoviridae morphotype. The gene content analyses showed that none of the phages possessed virulence, toxin, antibiotic resistance, type I-VI toxin-antitoxin modules or lysogeny genes. Three (SB3, SB15 and SB18) out of the eight phages possessed tailspike proteins. Whole genome-based phylogeny of the eight phages with their 113 homologs revealed three clusters A, B, C and seven subclusters (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1 and C2). While cluster C1 phages were predominantly isolated from animal sources, cluster B contained phages from both wastewater and animal sources. The broad host range of these phages highlights their potential use to control the presence of S. enterica in foods.

The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) includes socioeconomically important pathogens that cause disease and/or mycotoxin contamination on numerous crops. Here, we used comparative genomics to elucidate processes underlying the ability of pine-associated and grass-associated FFSC species to colonize tissues of their respective plant hosts. We characterized the identity, possible functions, evolutionary origins, and chromosomal positions of the host-range-associated genes encoded by the two groups of fungi. The 72 and 47 genes identified as unique to the respective genome groups were potentially involved in diverse processes, ranging from transcription, regulation, and substrate transport, through to virulence/pathogenicity. Most emerged early during the evolution of Fusarium/FFSC and were subsequently retained only in some lineages, while some had origins outside Fusarium. Although differences in the densities of these genes were especially noticeable on the conditionally dispensable chromosome of F. temperatum (representing the grass-associates) and F. circinatum (representing the pine-associates), the host-range-associated genes tended to be located towards the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that multiple mechanisms drive the emergence of genes in grass- and pine-associated FFSC taxa examined and highlighted the diversity of molecular processes potentially underlying niche-specificity in these and other Fusarium species.

Buttonweed (Cotula coronopifolia) is native to South Africa but invasive in wetlands in Europe, North America, and Australasia, where it excludes native plants. Despite being dry-fruited, field studies suggest migratory waterbirds can disperse its seeds via gut passage (endozoochory), aiding its expansion. To explore the potential for endozoochory in different regions and habitats, we collected seeds from six populations in Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Germination was tested under different salinity levels (0, 5, 10, 15 g/L) and simulated gut passage treatments: scarification, acidification, or both. No germination occurred at 15 g/L. Higher salinity reduced and delayed germination, but full gut passage treatment increased germinability and accelerated germination. Scarification or acid treatment alone resulted in intermediate germination patterns. There were significant salinity x population and gut passage x population interactions on germinability. The acceleration effect of gut passage on germination was stronger at 5-10 g/L than at 0 g/L. This study highlights how migratory birds can facilitate the spread of alien plants introduced by humans. Non-classical endozoochory by waterbirds is an understudied mechanism for the long-distance dispersal of dry-fruited alien plants. Further research on C. coronopifolia, including population genetics, is necessary to understand dispersal mechanisms and facilitate management strategies.

Terrestrial orchid tubers are an important source of food in some parts of Africa and are traditionally included in the diets of most rural communities in Malawi. However, there is limited information on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the Malawian orchids to substantiate their traditional use. The present study evaluates the nutritional and phytochemical variation of four orchid species: Disa zombica, Satyrium buchananii, Satyrium carsonii, and Satyrium trinerve, collected from the same ecological zone of Malawi. The proximate content, minerals, phytochemicals, and functional properties were analysed using official procedures. Protein ranged from 2.19% to 4.65%, whereas carbohydrate ranged from 65.24% to 80.22%, with S. carsonii and S. trinerve registering the highest protein and carbohydrate contents, respectively. Iron and potassium were highest in D. zombica, while sodium and calcium were highest in S. buchananii. The total phenolics ranged from 228.56 to 500.00 mg GAE/100 g, with D. zombica registering the highest. The water absorption capacity ranged from 4.10 to 10.88 g/g. Albeit variable levels, the study provides evidence that orchid species contain essential nutrients and phytochemicals important for human nutrition and health. Furthermore, the functional properties can be utilised in the development of food products, such as baked products.

Introduction. The use of probiotics demonstrate efficacy against obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Detection effective probiotic strains for hyperglycemia and immunity associated with is important task. The aim of the study was to evaluate an influence of Lactobacillus casei IMV B-7280 separately and composition L. casei IMV B-7280 / Bifidobacterium animalis VKB / B. animalis VKL on the levels of blood glucose and immunity in obese mice. Meterials and methods. Obesity was induced by fat-enriched diet (FED) in male BALB/c mice. Obese mice were transferred to standard diet and received per os probiotic strains daily during 10 days. We measured tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) in blood serum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and functional activity of peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEMs). Glucose levels in blood was defined with glucometer. Results. We ascertained that all probiotic strains induced reducing mice weight and visceral fat, normalization of TNF-a production and functional activity of PEMs. Treatment with L. casei IMV B-7280 was associated with decreasing blood glucose levels. No normalization of glucose and TNF-a levels in obese mice, transferred to standard diet without probiotic treatment, although we revealed decreasing their weight and visceral fat and partial recover of functional activity of PEMs. Conclusions. Probiotic strain L. casei IMV B-7280 (separately) and composition L. casei IMV B-7280 / B. animalis VKB / B. animalis VKL can re-equilibrate metabolic and inflammation indices in mouse obesity model. L. casei IMV B-7280 alone was more efficient in decreasing glucose levels than composition of strains.

Brucellosis is a zoonoses caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, which causes economic losses in livestock and threatens public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Brucella species and risk factors in smallholder dairy cattle in six regions of Tanzania from July 2019 to October 2020. Dairy cattle (n=2048) were sampled from 1371 farms. DNA ex-tracted from blood and vaginal swabs was tested for Brucella using qPCR targeting the IS711 gene and positives were tested for the alkB marker for B. abortus and BMEI1172 marker for B. melitensis. The molecular prevalence was 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8-4.4) with the highest prevalence 8.1% (95%CI: 4.6-13.0) in Njombe region. B. melitensis was the predominant species detected (66.2%). Logistic regression revealed PCR positivity in dairy cattle was higher in the animals with a history of abortion (OR: 3.17, 95%CI: 1.05-9.62) and farms without dogs around (OR: 2.68, 95%CI: 1.12-5.90). Further studies are recommended to understand the source of B. melitensis and the implications to veterinary public health. Livestock keepers should be informed of the risks and biosecurity practices to reduce introduction and control Brucella. Cattle and small ruminant vaccination pro-grams could be implemented to control brucellosis in high-risk populations in the country.

The inclusion of spent hemp biomass (SHB), an extracted byproduct from industrial cannabidiol (CBD) production, in the diets of dairy cows and lambs appear to be safe with minor effects on the metabolism, including a decrease of circulating cholesterol and increase bilirubinemia, both associated with liver metabolism. Those effects could be consequence of the presence of cannabinoids, particularly Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD in the SHB. This study aimed to study the transcriptional profile of the liver of dairy cows and lambs fed SHB. Dairy cows received SHB or alfalfa pellet for four weeks of intervention (IP) and four weeks of withdrawal periods (WP). Finishing lambs were fed a control diet (CON), 10% (LH2) or 20% (HH2) SHB for 2 months or 1 month followed by 1-month SHB withdrawal (LH1 and HH1, respectively). RNA sequencing was performed, and the mRNA was annotated using the latest reference genomes. The RNAseq data were filtered, normalized for library size and composition, and statistically analyzed by DESeq2. The bioinformatic analysis was performed by using DAVID, Gene Set Enrichment (GSE) analysis, and the Dynamic Impact Approach. Using a 0.2 FDR cut-off, we identified only ≤24 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the liver by feeding SHB in dairy cows and a larger number of DEG in lambs (from 71 in HH1 vs. CON to 552 in LH1 vs. CON). The KEGG analysis demonstrated that feeding SHB in dairy cows and lambs had relatively minor to moderate metabolic alterations in dairy cows and lambs mainly associated with amino acids and lipid metabolism whereas cholesterol synthesis was overall activated in lambs. GSE analysis identified activation of PPAR signaling pathway only in dairy cows. We found an opposite effect on activation of metabolism of drug and xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 enzymes in dairy cows and lambs receiving less SHB but an inhibition in HH2 lambs. Immune system-related pathways were inhibited by feeding SHB in lambs, but the impact was minor. Cumulatively, inclusion of SHB containing cannabinoids in dairy and lambs demonstrate very little effects on the alteration of transcriptomic profile of the liver.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a global agricultural pest that poses a threat to crop production, characterized by its refractory polyphagous nature that makes it difficult to control and may lead to damage to woody plants. However, research on its adaptability to woody plants remains limited. This study compares the feeding adaptations (survival rate, pupation time, pupation rate, weight, length, and feeding volume), protective enzyme activities, and feeding preferences of S. frugiperda on leaves of six economically significant tree species (Areca catechu, Aquilaria sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Camellia oleifera, Dalbergia odorifera and Hevea brasiliensis) and maize as a control treatment. The results indicate that A. sinensis as the most vulnerable trees in high risk, H. brasiliensis and C. nucifera presented varying degrees of susceptibility, A. catechu, C. oleifera, and D. odorifera were unsuitability for S. frugiperda. In conclusion, this report extensively explores the feeding effects of S. frugiperda on six economically important tree species, and provides insights into the feeding preferences on these plants, thereby informing the potential threat posed by S. frugiperda to economically vital trees.

The objective of the present study was to develop and optimize an efficient growth media for Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, an essential dairy starter culture, uses plant-based nitrogen sources. The composition of the de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) culture medium was modified, and the nitrogen content was replaced by alternative nitrogen sources X-Seed N7 and N5 in various blends of 3% and 1.5%. Results showed that bacterial growth was higher with the N7 and N5 nitrogen source blends at 3% and 1.5%. Similarly, the optical densities of the L. bulgaricus strains were higher in the N7 and N5 blends (1.5/3%) compared to the MRS medium. Although there was no significance in bacterial counts for both the MRS and the N7 and N5 media, a significant difference between the control medium and the optimized growth media was noted. Our results thus suggest that the alternative nitrogen sources X-Seed N7 and N5 can substantially support the growth of lactic acid bacteria as shown with L. bulgaricus. Moreover, the presence of complex nitrogen sources rich in free nucleotides, amino acids, and peptides enhanced L. bulgaricus growth. Our results support the development of cost-effective and plant-based growth media for LAB cultures and potential benefits to the food and dairy industries. Additional research is warranted to improve buffering capacity for higher cell counts.

Fermented rice is known as a healthy food due to the presence of lactic acid bacteria as fermentative microorganisms. The study was carried out to discover and characterize the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from white and red fermented rice (BG varieties). Fermentation was carried out naturally by soaking red, white, raw and cooked rice in water using an earthen pot. Species were confirmed based on 16S r DNA gene sequencing and studied for phenotypic characteristics including morphological, physiological (growth temperature, salt tolerance, milk coagulation) and biochemical characteristics (carbohydrate fermentation pattern) using API 50CH kits. Distinct clusters like cocci (48), diplo cocci (30) and rods (30) shaped bacteria were observed from fermented rice. Five species of lactic acid bacteria including Latilactobacillus curvatus GR Lb1,2 10 and 11 (predominant Bacillus species), Latilactobacillus graminis Lb8, Limosilactobacillus fermentum GRLb17, Weissella confuse GRLb4 and Pediococcus pentosaceus GRLc1 were identified. The base pair length of amplified DNA for the isolates was 1500 Bp. The beneficial physiological and biochemical properties of isolated Lactobacillus species from fermented rice revealed their potential applications in the food industry.

The protection and regulation of international trade of Australia’s native species is legislated by its Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999. In response to overwhelming evidence that the Act is ineffective at protecting biodiversity, the Australian Government is currently reforming its environmental laws. One problematic component of the Act is in cases where threatened species interact with multiple regulatory and management frameworks, such as commercially fished marine species that are traded as seafood. Here, we analyzed international seafood trade data and found that Australia exports four threatened fish species listed under the Act and additional species acknowledged as globally threatened. In light of our analysis, we have three recommendations for Australia’s new environmental legislation: 1) apply the same precautions to commercially harvested species as to other threatened species; 2) review the status of all threatened species annually; and 3) assess species listed on global conservation conventions. These recommendations will help ensure that Australia’s marine biodiversity is protected, despite its commercial value.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during cellular metabolism and in response to environmental stress. While low levels of ROS play essential physiological roles, excess ROS can damage cellular components, leading to cell death or transformation. ROS can also regulate protein interactions in cancer cells, thereby affecting processes such as cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis. Dysregulated interactions occur via various mechanisms, including amino acid modifications, conformational changes, and alterations in complex stability. Understanding ROS-mediated changes in protein interactions is crucial for targeted cancer therapies. In this review, we examine the role that ROS mechanisms in regulating pathways through protein-protein interactions.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) strain P3 and mutant strain P3-M2 with antioxidant properties on fermented sausage flavour via lipid and protein oxidation inhibition were investigated. The commerical strain was used to as positive control (control group). Results showed that P3 and P3-M2 had the ability of reducing lipid and protein oxidantion during fermentation. The increase of lipoxygenase activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values were retarded. Metmyoglobin(MetMb) content relatively decreased significantly(p < 0.05), while sulfhydryl group contents were significantly higher than those in the control((p < 0.05). Futhermore, changes in protein bands were confrimed with the less protein oxidation with P3-M2 than P3 and the control. Additionally, strain P3 and P3-M2 significantly enhanced the type and relative content of esters after fermented (p < 0.05), indicating that strain P3 and P3-M2 contributed to the production of flavor substances. These results revealed that L. plantarum strains with antioxidant properties were a promising approach in inhibiting lipid and protein oxidation of chinese sausage, maintaining the stable natural structure of protein, simultaneously improve the quality of sausage and promote the sausage to form a better flavor.

Hyperuricemia (HC) was one of the important risk factors for gout, arteriosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease. Animal studies have shown that Lactobacillus plantarum can improve the microbiota, immune regulation, and inhibit the uric acid production. However, it was not clear whether L. plantarum can improve HC and intestinal microbiota. We used potassium oxonate (PO) to induce HC in male SD rats, and then treated L. plantarum TCI227 in a dose dependent (HC+LD, HC+MD, HC+HD) for 4 weeks, and examined weight organs, biochemical examination of blood and urine, and analyzed the intestinal microbiota in feces by 16s rDNA sequence analysis. In this study, TCI227 improved body weight, decreased creatinine, serum uric acid, and increased urine uric acid compared to the HC group. Furthermore, TCI227 increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In fecal microbiota (family), TCI227 increased the level of Lactobacillaceae, and then decreased the level of Deferribacteres and Prevotellaceae compared to the HC group. Finally, in fecal microbiota (genus), TCI227 decreased the level of Prevotella, and then increased the level of Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus compared to the HC group. This study suggested that TCI227 can improve HC and change the compositions of the intestinal microbiota in PO induced male HC SD rats.

During choriogenesis in insects, chorion (eggshell) is formed by surrounding follicular epithelial cells in ovarioles. However, the regulatory endocrine factor(s) activating choriogenesis and the chemical components on eggshell deserve further exploration. In two representative Coleopterans, a Coccinellid Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata and a Chrysomelid Leptinotarsa decemlineata, genes encoding the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) receptor heterodimer, ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP), and two chitin biosynthesis enzymes UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase (UAP) and chitin synthase (ChS1), were highly expressed in ovaries of the young females. RNA interference (RNAi)-aided knockdown of either HvEcR or Hvusp in H. vigintioctopunctata inhibited oviposition, suppressed the expression of HvChS1, and lessened the positive signal of Calcofluor staining on the chorions, which suggests the reduction of a chitin-like substance (CLS) deposited on eggshells. Similarly, RNAi of LdEcR or Ldusp in L. decemlineata constrained oviposition, decreased the expression of LdUAP1 and LdChS1, and declined CLS contents in the resultant ovaries. Knockdown of LdUAP1 or LdChS1 caused similar defective phenotypes, i.e., reduced oviposition and CLS contents in the L. decemlineata ovaries. These results, for the first time, indicate that 20E signaling activates choriogenesis in two Coleopteran species. Moreover, our findings propose the deposition of a CLS on the chorions.

The AREB/ABF (ABA response element binding) proteins in plants are vital for plant stress responses, but the understanding of AREB/ABFs in orchid species, an important traditional medicinal and ornamental plants, is limited. Here, twelve AREB/ABF genes were identified within three orchids’ complete genome and classified into three groups (groups I, II, and III) via a phylogenetic analysis, which was further supported by the analysis of their conserved motifs and gene structures. The cis-elements analysis showed that hormone response elements followed by light and stress responses were widely rich in AREB/ABFs. A prediction analysis of orchid ABRE/ABF-mediated regulatory network was further constructed through cis-regulatory elements (CREs) analysis of their promoter regions and revealed that several transcriptional factor (TF) gene family were abundant as the potential regulators for orchid AREB/ABFs. Expression profile analysis based on public transcriptomic data showed that most AREB/ABF genes have distinct tissue-specific expression patterns in orchid plants. Additionally, DcaABI5 as the homolog of ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) from Arabidopsis was selected for further analysis. The results showed that Arabidopsis transgenic overexpressing DcaABI5 could rescue the ABA insensitive phenotype in the mutant abi5. Collectively, these findings will provide valuable information on AREB/ABF genes in orchids.

The marine region of the Zhongjieshan Islands is an essential component and location for enhancement and release in Zhoushan Fishing Ground. The scientific assessment of the target species' ecological carrying capacity serves as the foundation for augmentation and release efforts. Based on data from the 2021-2022 survey of biological resources in the waters of Zhongjieshan islands, the Ecopath model was built to analyze the trophic structure, energy flow, and overall characteristics of the ecosystem, as well as the ecological carrying capacity of the main enhancement and releasing species, Larimichthys crocea and Sepiella maindroni. The ecosystem's functional groups had trophic levels ranging from 1 to 3.48, with an average energy transfer efficiency of 8.11% and total flow of 2125.905 t·km-2. The ratio of total primary output to total respiration is 1.713. Zhongjieshan Islands' ecosystem was currently at an embryonic stage. The ecological carrying capacity of Larimichthys crocea and Sepiella maindroni was calculated to be 0.2325 t·km-2 and 0.1617 t·km-2, separately or individually. Larimichthys crocea and Sepiella maindroni showed enormous potential for development and release. The findings offered essential data for ecological studies on the waters of Zhongjieshan Islands, as well as a reference for enhancement and release efforts in this area.

Despite saltmarshes being considered as nature-based solutions (NbS) towards climate change mitigation, India’s saltmarsh ecosystems are least studied. This study quantifies the seasonal variation in carbon stocks mono-specific saltmarsh species (Porteresia coarctata) and its potential to play an important role in India’s climate change mitigation plans. Seasonal (pre-and post-monsoon) sampling of P. coarctata surface water, biomass and 30 cm sediment core was collected across four locations on the east coast of India to quantify sediment dry bulk density (DBD), organic matter (OM%), organic carbon (Corg%), Corg stocks of sediment and biomass, total carbon (C%) and nitrogen (N%) and stable isotopes of δ13C and δ15N. In general, the sediment DBD, OM and Corg of P. coarctata meadows was higher in post-monsoon and was influenced by salinity and pH changes. Isotope (δ¹³C) modelling of various sediment C sources suggested, particulate organic matter (POM) contribution was highest (0.04-0.79%) followed by P. coarctata (0.01–052%) and other macrophytes across our study locations. The seasonal variation of δ¹³C showed increased contribution of marine derived particulate and dissolved organic matter into P. coarctata meadows in post-monsoon season. Heavier δ¹⁵N values were observed in post-monsoon season suggesting anthropogenic input, that was utilized by P. coarctata to increase its above and below-ground biomass and shoot density. The combined ecosystem (30 cm sediment + biomass) Corg stocks of P. coarctata was 1.7-fold higher in post-monsoon (4021.20± 917 Mg C) compared to pre-monsoon (2297.36 ±647 Mg C) season among the four locations with a sediment Corg contribution >70%. Based on the International Panel for Climate Change Tier II assessment the P. coarctata meadows (443 ha) can help in avoiding the pre and post-monsoon emissions of 8431.34 and 14757.84 Mg CO₂ respectively. The combined price of the total CO₂ equivalent stored in P. coarctata meadows in pre- and post-monsoon is US$ 14.50 and US$ 25.38 million respectively. Further studies quantifying the NbS potential of P. coarctata mono-specific and mixed meadows of India’s coast is needed along with integration of saltmarsh ecosystems into India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Precision metagenomic approaches using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing has been shown to allow recovery of complete genomes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from overnight enrichments of agricultural waters. This study tests the applicability of a similar approach for Cronobacter genome recovery from powdered infant formula (PIF) overnight enrichments, where Cronobacter typically dominates the overall microbiome (&gt;90%). In this study, we aimed to test whether using ONT sequencing of overnight PIF enrichments could recover a completely closed Cronobacter genome for further genomic characterization. Ten PIF samples, each inoculated with different Cronobacter strains, covering Cronobacter sakazakii, C. muytjensii, C. dublinensis, C. turicensis, and C. universalis, were processed according to the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) protocol. qPCR was used for initial screening (detection and quantification) of the overnight enrichments and confirmed that the spiked PIF samples after the overnight enrichment have high levels of Cronobacter (107 to 109 CFU/mL). DNA from overnight PIF enrichments was extracted from the enrichment broth and sequenced using ONT. Results showed that ONT sequencing could accurately identify, characterize, and close the genomes of Cronobacter strains from overnight PIF enrichments in 3 days, much faster than the nearly two weeks required by the current BAM method. Complete genome recovery and species differentiation were achieved. This suggests that combining qPCR with ONT sequencing provides a rapid, cost-effective alternative for detecting and characterizing Cronobacter in PIF, enabling timely corrective actions during outbreaks.

The maintenance of traditional agricultural practices in protected small islands is closely linked to the preservation of the land, the protection of natural resources, and the conservation of local traditions. For this purpose, the Tuscan Archipelago National Park promoted the census of ancient horticultural varieties preserved by some farmers on the island of Elba. The survey revealed a deep-rooted historical, cultural, social, and economic link between this germplasm and the island’s territory. A scientific characterization of the landrace under ethnobotanical, morphological, and genetic aspects was carried out. Among these local varieties, two landraces of the Brassica species and three landraces of the Phaseolus species were identified and analyzed in this study. To ascertain their distinguishability and uniqueness, similar varieties were also identified based on morpho-physiological characteristics or territorial proximity and compared with the Elban landraces. Morpho-phenological data were collected, and molecular analyses were carried out using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. Ten different SSR loci were considered for the Phaseolus species and nine for the Brassica species. The Tuscan Archipelago landraces showed a high level of internal variability but were clearly distinct from each other and from the analyzed varieties, as shown by AMOVA (Analysis of Molecular Variance). Their distinctness was further highlighted by the UPGMA dendrogram obtained from the genetic distance matrix. The same results were confirmed by Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA). This study confirms the peculiarity of the Elban landraces, their biodiversity is a heritage to be safeguarded, which can also be used in future breeding programs. These ancient Elban landraces were allocated to local farmers (most were young farmers) to protect them from extinction and to promote more resilient varieties cultivation compared to commercial hybrids widely spread in the area. Local farmhouses also play a strategic role in safeguarding the germplasm and dissemination of sustainable agricultural practices. There is high demand for ancient Elban landraces, this has led to the development of a new local economy balanced between agricultural tradition and innovation.

The composition of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of piglets is easily affected by environmental changes, particularly during the weaning period. Compound strains of Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus salivarius were supplemented to piglets during pre- and post-weaning to determine their effects in improving the growth performance and ameliorating the diarrhea rate and stress caused by antioxidation in piglets. A larger number of L. reuteri and L. salivarius colonized the distal segment of the ileum and the total numbers of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium were higher in the ileal mucous membrane and cecal lumen with probiotics supplementation. The numbers of antioxidative and immune molecules were increased in the plasma following compound bacteria (CL) supplementation, whereas cortisol and endotoxin levels were lower and growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 were higher. Spearman’s and KEGG analysis of the bacterial operational taxonomic unit and antioxidative and immune indices and metabolic genes indicated that the body growth modulation by CL supplementation could be attributed to optimization of the intestinal bacterial composition. Collectively, these results suggest that supplementation with CL could reduce stress and improve the growth performance of piglets during weaning by optimizing the intestinal bacterial composition.

The wastewater problem is becoming an increasingly significant environmental issue affecting various aspects of human activities. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in water through certain physicochemical processes, which can oxidize or degrade various organic and chemical compounds, offers an effective purification method. The main advantage of these methods is the elimination of chemical reagents. Aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of regulating the ROS content in water by altering the characteristics of the plasma discharge that occurs under hydrodynamic cavitation in the water flow. ROS concentration was determined using the permanganate oxidation titration technique. It was found that the content of various reactive oxygen species in water after treatment can be controlled by varying the power of the electrical pulses applied. Additionally, the study obtained the dependence of ROS concentration in treated water samples on storage time, indicating a prolonged effect of sonoplasma treatment on the antibacterial properties of water. Analysis of water samples using a biological test culture of Salmonella typhimurium revealed bacteriostatic properties of the water for at least 48 hours after sonoplasma discharge treatment.

Bartonella species, intracellular parasitic zoonotic pathogens, has drawn increasing attention for their diverse host range and associated human diseases. This study investigates Bartonella infection in small mammals in Yunnan Province, China, focusing on tissue tropism. 333 small mammals were sampled from 13 species, 3 orders, 4 families, and 4 genera in Heqing and Gongshan Counties. Conventional PCR and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) were utilized for detection and quantification, followed by bioinformatic analysis of obtained DNA sequences. Results show a 31.5% detection rate, varying across species. Notably, Apodemus chevrieri, Eothenomys eleusis, Niviventer fulvescens, Rattus tanezumi, Episoriculus leucops, Anourosorex squamipes, and Ochotona Thibetana exhibited infection rates of 44.4%, 27.7%, 100.0%, 6.3%, 60.0%, 23.5%, and 22.2%, respectively. Genetic analysis identified 30, 10, and 5 strains based on ssrA, rpoB, and gltA genes, with nucleotide identities ranging from 92.1% to 100.0%. Bartonella strains were assigned to B. grahamii, B. rochalimae, B. sendai, B. koshimizu, B. phoceensis, B. taylorii, and a new species identified in the Episoriculus leucops (GS136). Tissue distribution analysis revealed varied copy numbers across different tissues, with the highest load in spleen. These findings underscore Bartonella's diverse species and host range in Yunnan Province, highlighting its broad tissue tropism in small mammals.

Fusarium species are agriculturally important fungi with a broad host range and can be found as endophytic, pathogenic, or opportunistic parasites in many crop plants. This study aimed to identify Fusarium species in bare-rooted, dormant plants in Turkish grapevine nurseries using molecular identification methods and assess their pathogenicity. Asymptomatic dormant plants were sampled from grapevine nurseries (43) in different regions of the country, and fungi were isolated from plant roots and internal basal tissues. The Fusarium isolates were identified by performing gene sequencing (TEF1-α, RPB2) and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests were carried out by inoculating mycelial agar pieces of isolates onto the stem or conidial suspensions into the rhizosphere of vines (1103 Paulsen rootstock). Laboratory tests revealed that Fusarium species were highly prevalent in Turkish grapevine nurseries (41 out of 43). Gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses unraveled that 12 Fusarium species (F. annulatum, F. brachygibbosum, F. clavum, F. curvatum, F. falciforme, F. fredkrugeri, F. glycines, F. nanum, F. nematophilum, F. nirenbergiae, F. solani, and Fusarium spp.) existed in the ready-to-sale plants. Some of these species (F. annulatum, F. curvatum and F. nirenbergiae) consistently caused wood necrosis of seedling stems, rotting of the basal zone and roots, and reduced root biomass. Although the other nine species also caused some root rot and root reduction, their virulence was not as severe as the pathogenic ones, and they were considered opportunistic parasites or endophytic species. This study is the first detailed investigation of Fusarium species in grapevine nurseries in Türkiye and emphasizes the need to consider pathogenic species in producing healthy grapevine seedlings.

As research into the relationship between the gut microbiome and health continues to evolve, probiotics are garnering increasing interest among consumers. Fermentation is rec-ognized as an efficacious biotechnology for augmenting the nutritional and functional at-tributes of foods. In this study, the ameliorative effects of Lycium barbarum L. lyophilized powder fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum NXU0011 (LP+Ly) on dextran sodium sul-fate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice were investigated employing immuno-histochemistry, qRT-PCR, macrogenomics, and metabolomics. The results revealed that LP+Ly intervention significantly ameliorated histopathological inflammation in the ulcer-ated colon, diminished the expression of inflammatory markers such as IL-6, P-STAT3, and miR-214, and enhanced the diversity of intestinal flora in the mouse model group. Moreover, there was an increase in abundance of beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Prevotella, and Akkermansia. Metabolomic analysis indicated that 15 metabolites, including citrulline, D-xylose, and α-ketoisovaleric acid, exhibited significant variations following LP+Ly inter-vention. The metabolic pathways that displayed substantial differences included tryptophan biosynthesis, arginine biosynthesis, and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. By modulating arginine biosynthesis, LP+Ly effectively improved the intestinal inflammatory state, thus mitigating the effects of UC.

Timely and accurate information on tree species is crucial for the sustainable management of natural resources, forest inventory, biodiversity detection, and carbon stock calculation. The advancement of remote sensing technology and artificial intelligence has facilitated the acquisition and analysis of remote sensing data, resulting in more precise and effective classification of tree species. Multimodal remote sensing data and deep learning seem to be the current tree species classification research mainstream, whether or not. The current review on the remote sensing data and deep learning tree species classification methods perspectives to analyze the unimodal and multimodal remote sensing data and classification methods in this realm is missing. To bridge the gap, we search for major trends in the remote sensing data and tree species classification methods, provide a detailed overview of classic deep learning-based methods for tree species classification, and discuss the limitations.

The Akosombo Nile tilapia is the only approved local strain for aquaculture production in Ghana. In this study, an exotic red tilapia sample suspected to be cultured in a fish farm within the Lower Volta River Basin of the Lake Volta was collected for species identification. A molecular screening using DNA barcoding sequencing was performed on the samples targeting the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene (COX1). We confirmed the identity of the red tilapia fish to be a non-native Oreochromis sp. recently introduced into the country. The data obtained clearly demonstrates a breach of biosecurity that potentially threatens Ghana’s native tilapia genetic resources and aquaculture development.

Climate change poses a serious threat to the ancient Magnoliaceae family, particularly for the endangered Yulania trees. Until now, little is known about the suitable geographical range of Yulania zenii, and about how it responds to past and future climate scenarios. Here, we first employed ten models from Biomod2 to preliminarily simulate its potential distribution in China and selected MaxEnt for final modeling. The results showed that among the key environmental factors influencing its distribution, the top three factors were Bio2 (Mean diurnal range), Bio15 (Precipitation seasonality of variation coefficient) and Elevation. Its current suitable distribution were primarily concentrated in southern Anhui, central Hubei, eastern Hunan, southern Jiangsu, northern Jiangxi, and northern Zhejiang. The total suitable area of Yulania zenii was 14.68 × 104 km2, only taking 1.53% of China's total territory, which is larger than known. During the Last Interglacial and Middle Holocene, its suitable habitats were larger than currently, exhibiting a relatively continuous distribution. Under various future climate scenarios, its suitable habitats may averagely decrease by 20.26% compared with the current, and these habitats become more fragmented. Collectively, the centroid of Yulania zenii is expected to migrate towards the southeast in the future. Therefore, our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that climate change takes an adverse effect on this species in distribution from the past to current till future. Our study can contribute to the conservation and management of Yulania zenii in China, and can provide reference for other endangered Yulania species of this country under the condition of climate change.

The brain's unique characteristics make it exceptionally susceptible to oxidative stress, which arises from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production, and antioxidant defense mechanisms. This review explores the factors contributing to the brain vascular tone vulnerability in the presence of oxidative damage, which can be of clinical interest in critically ill patients or presenting acute brain injuries. The brain's high metabolic rate and inefficient electron transport chain in mitochondria lead to significant ROS generation. Moreover, non-replicating neuronal cells and low repair capacity increase susceptibility to oxidative insult. ROS can influence cerebral vascular tone and permeability, with a potential impact on cerebral autoregulation. Different ROS species, including superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, exhibit vasodilatory or vasoconstrictive effects on cerebral blood vessels. Reactive nitrogen species (RNS), particularly NO and peroxynitrite, also exert vasoactive effects. This review further investigates the neuroprotective effects of antioxidants, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), vitamin C, vitamin E, and the glutathione redox system. Various studies suggest that these antioxidants could be used as adjunct therapies to protect the cerebral vascular tone during high oxidative stress conditions. Nevertheless, more extensive research is required to comprehensively grasp the relationship between oxidative stress and cerebrovascular tone, as well as to explore the potential benefits of antioxidants as adjunctive therapies in critical illnesses and acute brain injuries.

Trichinellosis is a major worldwide health concern caused by T. spiralis infection without highly efficient and safe therapeutic method so far. To solve the problem of uncomplete drug treatment schemes and the rise of anthelmintic resistance, a potential protective effect of probiotic strains against zoonotic T. spiralis infection was investigated in the framework of a new therapeutic strategy aimed at using probiotics to control parasitic zoonoses. The study was focused on L. reuteri protected against T. spiralis infection in intestinal phase throughout the detection of adult worm number, inflammatory factors mRNA expression, antioxidant enzyme expression and Nrf2 signal pathway protein expression. Mice were divided randomly into 3 groups: 1) Control group: no treatment; 2) Ts group: T. spiralis infection; 3）LAB group: T. spiralis infected after orally administered L. reuteri for 7 days. Probiotics bacteria were administered daily in a dose of 109 CFU/mL, and mice were infected with 400 T. spiralis larvae in the experimental groups. The number of adult worms was also significantly increased after administration of probiotics. Meanwhile, L. reuteri alleviate the inflammatory response caused by T. spiralis infection in intestinal has been confirmed. In addition, the promotion of antioxidant enzyme expression can be inferred that L. reuteri regulate Nrf2 signal pathways against T. spiralis infection. Our study demonstrates that L. reuteri provide protection against T. spiralis infection in intestinal. Therapeutic approaches with probiotic strains admission could help to reduce the risks of trichinellosis or complement classical anti-parasite treatments.

Age-related alterations in the gut microbiome composition and its impacts on the host’s health have been well described; however, detailed analyses of the gut microbial structure defining ecological microbe-microbe interactions is limited. One of the ways to determine these interactions is by understanding microbial co-occurrence patterns. We previously showed promising abilities of Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 on the aging gut microbiome and immune system. However, the potential of the DDS-1 strain to modulate microbial co-occurrence patterns is unknown. Hence, we aimed to investigate the ability of L. acidophilus DDS-1 to modulate the fecal, mucosal and cecal-related microbial co-occurrence networks in young and aging C57BL/6J mice. Our Kendall’s tau correlation measures of co-occurrence revealed age-related changes in the gut microbiome, which were characterized by reduced number of nodes and associations across sample types when compared to younger mice. After four-week supplementation, L. acidophilus DDS-1 differentially modulated the overall microbial community structure in fecal and mucosal samples as compared to cecal samples. Beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Akkermansia acted as connectors in aging networks in response to L. acidophilus DDS-1 supplementation. Our findings provided the first evidence of the DDS-1-induced gut microbial ecological interactions revealing the complex structure of microbial ecosystems with age.

Obesity and hyperglycemia can trigger various diseases, including diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular ailments. Health-promoting fermented milk products can be useful in tackling these issues. One such product is the fermented milk developed using Lactobacillus casei AP, a probiotic strain from Indonesia that has not been tested in humans thus far. Our objective was to examine the effects of L. casei AP-fermented milk products on lipid profiles, blood glucose levels and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels in obese adults. A total of 29 obese subjects were given L. casei AP-fermented milk products, and their fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride levels were measured using diagnostic system kits. MCP-1 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It was determined that the administration of L. casei AP-fermented milk products significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels (p < 0.05); however, it did not increase HDL (p > 0.05), MCP-1 or fasting blood glucose levels (p ≥ 0.05). In conclusion, in obese Indonesian adults, L. casei AP-fermented milk might reduce total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels but may not affect HDL, MCP-1 or fasting blood glucose levels.

For screening excellent lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains to inhibit Escherichia (E.) coli (ETEC) K88, inhibitory activities of more than 1100 LAB strains isolated from different materials and kept in the lab were evaluated in this study. Nine strains with inhibition zone at least 22.00 mm (including that of hole puncher 10.00 mm) and good physiological and biochemical characteristics identified by 16S DNA gene sequencing and recA gene multiple detection, were assigned to Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum subsp. plantarum (5), L. fermentum (1), L. reuteri (1), W. cibaria (1) and E. faecalis (1), respectively. As investigated for their tolerance abilities and safety, only strain ZA3 possessed high hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation abilities, had high survival rate in low pH, bile salt environment and GI fluids, sensitive to ampicillin, resistant to norfloxacin and amikacin, without hemolytic activity and didn’t carry antibiotic resistance genes, exhibited broad spectrum activity against a wide range of microorganisms, and antibacterial substance may attribute to organic acids, especially lactic acid and acetic acid. The results indicated that the selected strain L. plantarum subsp. plantarum ZA3 could be considered a potential probiotic to inhibit ETEC K88 for further research.

Yaba monkey tumor virus (YMTV) and Tanapox virus (TPV) are members of the Yatapoxvirus genus and can infect humans and other primates. Despite the threat posed by yatapoxviruses, the factors determining their host range are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the ability of YMTV and TPV orthologs of vaccinia virus K3 (called 012 in YMTV and TPV), which share 75% amino acid identity with one another, to inhibit PKR from 15 different primate species. We first used a luciferase-based reporter, and found that YMTV and TPV K3 orthologs inhibited PKR in a species-specific manner and showed distinct PKR inhibition profiles. TPV 012 inhibited PKR from 11 primates, including human, substantially better than YMTV 012. In contrast, both K3 orthologs inhibited the other four primate PKRs comparably well. Using YMTV 012 and TPV 012 hybrids, we mapped the region responsible for the differential PKR inhibition to the C- terminus of the K3 orthologs. Next, we generated chimeric vaccinia virus strains to investigate whether TPV K3 and YMTV K3 orthologs could rescue replication of a vaccinia virus strain that lacks PKR inhibitors K3L and E3L. Virus replication in primate-derived cells generally correlated with the patterns observed in the luciferase-based assay. Together, these observations demonstrate that yatapoxvirus K3 orthologs have distinct PKR inhibition profiles and inhibit PKR in a species-specific manner, which may contribute to the differential susceptibility of primate species to yatapoxvirus infections.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are usually used to predict current species’ geographic distributions and to forecast the impact of climate change, with different aims, such as conservation, and biodiversity management. SDMs use has been increasing in the last decades, however, they are vulnerable to parametrization and data quality input. Thus, inappropriate input can lead to potential unreliability in results. In this context, the most used data and methodologies in SDM, and putative deviations from the consensual best practices, were identified, by analysing recent literature (2018 to 2022). Results show that the parameters presented more consistently are the chosen algorithm (MaxEnt was used in 98% of the studies), the accuracy measures, and the time windows. Many papers fail to specify other parameters, limiting the reproducibility of the studies. Some papers also fail to provide information about the target species: only a fraction of the species' range is considered, or no justification for including specific variables in the model is provided. These options can decrease reliability in predictions under future scenarios since data provided to the model is inaccurate from the start or there is insufficient information for outputs discussion.

Species identification and phylogenetic relationships clarification are fundamental goals in species delimitation. Yet these tasks pose challenges when based on morphologies, geographic distribution, and genomic data. Previously, two new species of fern genus Bolbitis, B. × multipinna and B. longiaurita, were described based on morphological traits, are phylogenetically intertwined with B. sinensis and fail to form monophyletic groups. To address the unclear phylogenetic relationships within the B. sinensis species complex, RAD sequencing was performed on 65 individuals from five populations. Our integrated analysis of phylogenetic tree, neighbor net, and genetic structure, indicate that the B. sinensis species complex should not be considered as separate species. Moreover, our findings reveal differences in the degree of genetic differentiation among five populations, ranged from low to moderate, which might be influenced by geographical distance and gene flow. The Fst values also confirmed that genetic differentiation intensifies with increasing geographic distance. Collectively, this study clarifies the complex phylogenetic relationships within the B. sinensis species complex, elucidates the genetic diversity and differentiation across the studied populations, and offers valuable genetic insights that contribute to the broader study of evolutionary relationships and population genetics within the Bolbitis species.

Rosemary is one of the most important medicinal plants for natural therapy due to its multiple pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antiproliferative, antitumor, hepato- and nephroprotective, hypolipidemic, hypocholesterolemic, antihypertensive, anti-ischemic, hypoglycemic, radioprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, antiallergic, wound healing. Our study reports for the first time, over a 12-month period, the identification and quantification of polyphenols and the investigation of the antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of the Rosmarinus officinalis L. species harvested at flowering from the flora of southwestern Romania (Oltenia Region). Identification and quantification of polyphenolic acids was made by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS). Total phenolic content was determined using the spectrophotometric method. In situ antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and AChE inhibitory assay, respectively, on high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) plates. DPPH radical scavenging activity was also assessed spectrophotometrically. The results revealed significant correlations between specific polyphenolic compounds and the measured biological activities, understanding the role of seasonal variations and providing insights into the optimal harvesting times and medicinal benefits of rosemary. Our research brings new information on the phytochemical profile of R. officinalis, as a natural source of polyphenols with antioxidant and AChE inhibitory properties.

Abstract: Global ecological concern regarding the transfer of fouling organisms to ship hulls is increasing. This study investigated the species composition, dominant species, distribution patterns, community structure, and life-cycle differences of hull-fouling macroinvertebrates on five research vessels (R/Vs: Isabu, Onnuri, Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2) operated by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). Hull-fouling macroinvertebrates were collected three to five times on quadrats from the upper and middle sectors of the hull sides, bottom, and niche areas (the propellers and shafts and the thrusters). A total of 47 macroinvertebrate species were identified, represented by 8,519 individuals(ind.)/m2 and a biomass of 1,967 gWWt/m2 on the five vessels. The number of species, density, and biomass were greater on the coastal vessels the Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2 than on the ocean-going vessels the Isabu and Onnuri. Among the coastal vessels, barnacles were the most abundant and had the greatest density, while mollusks had the highest biomass. Differences between hull sectors showed that the highest species abundance and density appeared on all hulls in ports and bays where the Jangmok 1 operated, while the highest species abundance, density, and biomass were identified in the niche areas of the Eardo, which operated farther from the coast. The hull-fouling macroinvertebrates that exceeded 1% of all organisms were the barnacles Amphibalanus amphitrite, Balanus trigonus, and Amphibalanus improvisus; the polychaete Hydroides ezoensis; the bivalves Magallana gigas and Mytilus galloprovincialis; and the amphipod Jassa slatteryi. The dominant species were cosmopolitan and globally distributed, and many of them were cryptogenic. Six native species were identified: M. gigas, H. ezoensis, the amphipod Melita koreana, the isopod Cirolana ko-reana, and the barnacle B. trigonus and F. kondakovi. Eight non-indigenous species (NIS) were de-tected: barnacles A. amphitrite and A. improvisus, the bivalve M. galloprovincialis, the polychaete Perinereis nuntia, amphipods J. slatteryi and Caprella californica, and bryozoans Bugulina californica and Bugula neritina. Of the fouling macroinvertebrates found on the vessel hulls, 13% were native and 17% were NIS. The nMDS ordination analysis of the five vessels showed four clusters of fouling macroinvertebrate communities: two ocean clusters (the Isabu and Onnuri), one coastal cluster (the Eardo and Jangmok 2), and one local cluster (the Jangmok 1). More diverse communities developed on the hulls of vessels that operated locally rather than globally or in deep oceans. Spearman rank correlation showed that biological indices such as number of species, density, and biomass correlated highly and positively with the numbers of days on coastal operations and negatively with the number days on ocean operations. The species diversity index correlated positively with the total number of anchoring days and coastal operation days and negatively with the total number of operation days and ocean operation days. The macroinvertebrates differed by the area of operation, the port of anchorage, the number of days in operation and at anchor, and the hull sectors. There is no previous research data on hull-fouling macroinvertebrates in the Republic of Korea, and this study provides a basis for future studies to identify introduced species and their differences based on operation area.

Scedosporium species are human pathogenic fungi, responsible for chronic, localised, and life-threatening disseminated infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Diagnosis of Scedosporium infections currently relies on non-specific CT, lengthy and insensitive culture from invasive biopsy, and time-consuming histopathology of tissue samples. At present, there are no rapid antigen tests that detect Scedosporium-specific biomarkers. Here we report the development of a rapid (30 min) and sensitive (pmol/L sensitivity) lateral-flow device (LFD) test, incorporating a Scedosporium-specific IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), HG12, which binds to extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) antigens of between ~15 kDa and 250 kDa secreted during hyphal growth of the pathogens. The test is compatible with human serum, and allows the detection of the Scedosporium species most-frequently reported as agents of human disease (Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium aurantiacum, and Scedosporium boydii), with limits of detection (LOD) of the EPS biomarkers in human serum of ~0.81 ng/mL (S. apiospermum), ~0.94 ng/mL (S. aurantiacum), and ~1.95 ng/mL (S. boydii). The Scedosporium-specific LFD (ScedLFD) test therefore provides a potential novel opportunity for the detection of infections caused by different Scedosporium species.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can act as a nonpermeating cryoprotectant, reducing the toxicity of glycerol. The dog spermatozoa were diluted and frozen in freezing extender supplemented with 0 (control), 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 0.75 % (w/v) CMC. Post-thaw, the sperm kinematic parameters (CASA), viability (SYBR-14/PI), and acrosome integrity (FITC-PSA) were evaluated. The expression of genes related to apoptosis (BCL2, BAX, and ANAXA), motility (BACTIN), cold shock proteins (YBX3), and ROS (CAT, ROMO1, and SMOX) was evaluated using qPCR. The total motility was higher in the 0.1 % CMC group compared to the other groups (p<0.05). In addition, the expression of the antiapoptotic gene BCL2 was upregulated in 0.1 % CMC group compared to the control, whereas the gene expression of BAX and SMOX exhibited lower levels in 0.1 and 0.25 % CMC groups than the control group (p<0.05). The expression of YBX3 genes was significantly decreased with 0.25 % CMC supplementation. No significant differences were found in viability, acrosome integrity, or the relative expression of ANAXA, BACTIN, CAT, and ROMO1 genes between the groups. In conclusion, the addition of CMC to a freezing extender improved sperm motility and alleviated cryostress by regulating the gene expression of BCL2, BAX, SMOX, and YBX3.

In Cameroon, Aedes mosquitoes transmit various arboviruses, posing significant health risks. We aimed to characterize the Aedes virome in southwestern Cameroon and identify potential core viruses which might be associated with vector competence. A total of 398 Aedes mosquitoes were collected from four locations (Bafoussam, Buea, Edea and Yaounde). Aedes albopictus dominated all sites except for Bafoussam where Aedes africanus prevailed. Metagenomic analyses of mosquitoes grouped per species into 54 pools revealed notable differences in eukaryotic viromes between Ae. africanus and Ae. albopictus, with the former exhibiting greater richness and diversity. Thirty-seven eukaryotic virus species from 16 families were identified, including six novel viruses with near complete genome sequences. Seven viruses were further quantified in individual mosquitoes via qRT-PCR. Although none of them could be identified as core viruses, Guangzhou sobemo-like virus and Bafoussam mosquito solemovirus virus were highly prevalent regionally in Ae. albopictus and Ae. africanus, respectively. This study highlights the diverse eukaryotic virome of Aedes species in southwestern Cameroon. Despite their shared Genus, Aedes species exhibit limited viral sharing, with varying viral abundance and prevalence across locations. Ae. africanus, an understudied vector, harbors a rich and diverse virome, suggesting potential implications for arbovirus vector competence.

The EPA has banned PFOA and PFOS as persistent organic pollutants, but their residues in environment should not be underestimated. Based on the demand for healthy aquaculture and safe aquatic products, it is necessary to explore alleviative methods for the toxicity of PFOA and PFOS to fish. This study is the first to investigate the protective effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus against oxidative damage, neurotoxicity, and gut microbial dysbiosis induced by PFOA and PFOS in adult zebrafish. The results showed that L. rhamnosus effectively alleviated PFOA- and PFOS-induced oxidative stress by restoring superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. Both PFOA and PFOS caused intestinal tissue damage, and the degree of damage is PFOA+PFOS>PFOS>PFOA. L. rhamnosus can restore damaged intestinal villi and lymphocyte numbers and also have a restorative effect on intestinal tissue damage. The up-regulated proportion of beneficial Firmicutes and Actinobacteria was also found after L. rhamnosus feeding. These findings provide new insights for L. rhamnosus to alleviate the toxicity of PFOA and PFOS to zebrafish and promote the progress of research on the successful use of probiotics in freshwater aquaculture.

Trueperella pyogenes is a common opportunistic pathogen which is one of the main causes of postpartum endometritis in dairy cows. As a substitute for antibiotics, the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 has been used in a wide range of clinical treatments. Our experiments were designed to establish a model of anti-damage which LGR-1 was used to protect bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) from inflammatory damage and cell destruction caused by T. pyogenes. Increased expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes and cytokines was observed following T. pyogenes challenge, but this increase was relieved by LGR-1 pretreatment. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses revealed that T. pyogenes infection also results in the damage of tight junction proteins in BEECs. The expression levels of Claudin-1, Occludin, and ZO-1 were decreased in cells only infected with T. pyogenes but not in cells pretreated with LGR-1. Moreover, the detection of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and apoptotic proteins BAX, cytochrome c, as well as the activating effector caspase-3 revealed that T. pyogenes induced apoptosis of BEECs, which was also confirmed by DAPI staining to observe the morphological changes of the nuclei of cell apoptosis and by TUNEL staining to locate the cells undergoing apoptosis. Our data indicate that LGR-1 ameliorates the T. pyogenes–induced barrier dysfunction of BEECs and pre-application of LGR-1 could be an effective strategy for controlling T. pyogenes infection.

Scientific studies on the impact of wood species on solid fuel production, performance, and sustainability are grossly inadequate. The knowledge of this is imperative as users of solid fuels are increasing rapidly, especially in Africa. On this note, it becomes necessary to explore measures that will improve its efficiency and sustainability as an energy source. This study investigates some properties of selected wood species used as an energy source in Nigeria and their pelleting potential. Nine (9) samples were characterized and assessed for suitability of pelleting following four wood pellet quality standards. The findings revealed Anogeissus leiocarpus as the species with the best rating score in terms of fuel properties while Vitellaria paradoxa as the lowest. However, in terms of conformity with the four wood pellets standards, Khaya senegalensis, Parkia biglobosa and Anogeissus leiocarpus having presented density, calorific value, sulfur, arsenic, cadmium, and lead within the limits of the wood pellet quality standards were considered the best wood species in terms of fuel suitability and pelleting potential. The findings therefore suggest that not all wood species are suitable as fuel. Thus, for species that do not meet the standard wood pellet requirements, alternatives such as the use of biomass blends, additives, or process adjustments can be employed to adapt the quality to the standards or by using the fuels in improved cookstoves.

Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes whose taxonomy follows the same rules of a code (the International Botanical Nomenclature Code, IBNC) built for eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms. Hence, names of cyanobacteria follow the same rules and are assigned to biological entities (species) that should correspond to eukaryotic species. The main difficulty in the current situation is that the species concept in eukaryotes is based theoretically mainly on the biological species concept, that is centered on genetic exchange through sexual reproduction or lack of them. However, as shown, this difference is important from a theoretical point of view, but also in eukaryotes, the boundaries between different species are very rarely checked experimentally by direct observation of sexual barriers and hybridization events. The main concept for species delimitation is hence that related to morphology and, more recently and always in relation to morphology, DNA sequences. The introduction of distances obtained from matrixes of aligned sequences in the framework of a barcoding project provides a quantitative interpretation of species delimitation in relation to genetic distance that can be used both in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, the introduction of quantitative criteria needs the definition of distance thresholds to identify the boundaries between different species and, for doing that, it is necessary to test the distance thresholds in models of traditionally defined and recognized species. An alternative approach may be the comparison of the molecular distance (quantitative approach) to data about the capability of strains/species to exchange genetic information. Unfortunately data about this last question is still scarce. The adoption of molecular criteria to check species boundaries based on morphological characters has proved particularly challenging in cyanobacteria: a known example is provided. In conclusion, the only possible approach appears to be the association of molecular data to the increase of available data about the cell structure and the variation thereof in different physiological situations, particularly at the ultrastructural level. A further necessity is the check of the typus for a large number of cyanobacteria species, often based on old basionyms. In many of these cases the typus is often a drawing and more rarely a herbarium specimen or a microscope slide. In many cases an epitypification or a neotypification appears to be necessary.

The primary objective of this study was to identify a rapid and noninvasive methodology for effectively differentiating various herbal species cultivated in Eastern Poland. Typically, a plant's chemical profile is obtained using chromatographic methods; however, spectroscopic methods can serve as a complementary or independent tool for determining similarities in the analyzed samples. The investigation centered on leaves of plant species from the Lamiaceae family, encompassing basil, lavender, oregano, sage, and thyme. UV-VIS and ATR-FTIR spectra of dried plant samples' powder were recorded and subsequently analyzed using chemometric tools. This paper assesses the relative performance of different discrimination methods, including both traditional methods based on machine learning and those dealing with specimens associated with a specific category. Among the methodologies tested, SIMCA showed the best performance, particularly effective for small training sets.

The increased consumption of high fat-containing foods has been linked to the prevalence of obesity and abnormal metabolic syndromes. Rhizopus oligosporus, a fungus in the family Mucoraceae, is widely used as a starter for homemade tempeh. Although R. oligosporus can prevent the growth of other microorganisms, it grows well with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Lactobacillus plantarum can produce β-glucosidase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucoside isoflavones into aglycones (with greater bioavailability). Therefore, the development of a soybean-based functional food by the co-inoculation of R. oligosporus and L. plantarum is a promising approach to increase the bioactivity of tempeh. In this study, the ameliorative effect of L. plantarum in soy tempeh on abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperglycemic rats was evaluated. The co-incubation of L. plantarum with R. oligosporus during soy tempeh fermentation reduced the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, HbA1c, serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid, insulin, and low-density lipoprotein contents and significantly increased the high-density lipoprotein content in HFD rats. It also increased the LAB counts as well as the bile acid, cholesterol, triglyceride, and short-chain fatty acid contents in the feces of HFD rats. Our results suggested that the modulation of serum glucose and lipid levels by LAB occurs via alterations in the internal microbiota, leading to the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis and promotion of lipolysis. Tempeh, produced with both L. plantarum and R. oligosporus, may be a beneficial dietary supplement for individuals with abnormal carbohydrate metabolism.

Diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, especially among children. Recent epidemiological studies conducted in developing countries identified Shigella species as the most predominant pathogenic bacteria responsible for diarrhea. Antimicrobial therapy is necessary for Shigella infections; however, the rapid emergence of resistance against existing antimicrobials in Shigella spp. poses a serious global health problem. To identify alternative antimicrobial compounds with activity against Shigella species, the pathogens responsible for bacterial diarrhea. In this study, we have applied antibacterial phenotypic screening to identify potent anti-Shigella compounds across a broad chemical diversity, including selected acetaminophen derivatives containing benzothiazoles backbone, and their combination with certain antibiotics. In continuation to our effort in searching potent antimicrobial compounds, we have found this time around that two acetaminophen derivatives containing benzothiazoles backbone (4a and 4b) could inhibit the growth of Shigella flexneri with common MIC value of 12.5 µg/ml. These compounds were established through a time-kill kinetics’ study to be bactericidal. Meanwhile, the 2-aminobenzothiazoles (1a and 1b) used for the synthesis of compounds 4 (a & b) were found to be poorly active (MIC: 100 µg/ml) against this pathogen. Combination studies of 4a and 4b with the least susceptible antibiotics (ceftriaxone and cotrimoxazole) demonstrated synergistic anti-Shigella activity. The present study demonstrates that the azobenzothiazole dyes 4 (a & b) can be repurposed as potential anti-Shigella compounds, which can serve as scaffolds for the development of new agents against infectious diarrhea caused by Shigella and other enteric pathogens, especially in developing countries.

The principal goal of this current study was to isolate a new potential probiotic strain to prepare contamination-free probiotic dahi in a dosage form with desired shelf life. To achieve our target, firstly, probiotic dahi was prepared by a probiotic strain, Lactobacillus acidophilus JB2CON (OM909067) (identified by 16S sequencing) isolated from natural dahi in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The isolate showed five probiotic features by in vitro test and had an antagonistic effect against five different pathogens. More interestingly, it inhibited Escherichia coli (diameter of zone of inhibition = 15.75±0.35) the most. In the time-kill analysis method, E. coli was killed totally within 5.50 hours of fermentation. Finally, the time duration of 14 days was an ideal shelf life, because the probiotic count increased but a slight change in pH did not affect the taste (sourness/acidity) of dahi. The most significant impact of this research is that the probiotic dahi of our experiment might be used as a cheap option for preventing pathogenic Escherichia coli-related foodborne diseases worldwide, especially in underdeveloped countries like Bangladesh.

Amebiasis is an intestinal disease transmitted by the protist parasite, Entamoeba histolytica. Lactobacillus acidophilus is a common inhabitant of healthy human gut and a probiotic that has antimicrobial properties against a number of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The aim of this study was to investigate the amebicide activity of L. acidophilus and its mechanisms. For this purpose E.histolytica and L.acidophilus were co-incubated and the parasite’s viability was determined by eosin dye exclusion. The level of ozidized proteins (OXs) in the parasite was determined by resin-assisted capture RAC (OX-RAC). Incubation with L.acidophilus for two hours reduced the viability of E.histolytica trophozoites by 50%. As a result of the interaction with catalase, an enzyme that degrades hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to water and oxygen, this amebicide activity is lost, indicating that it is mediated by H₂O₂ produced by L.acidophilus. Redox proteomics shows that L. acidophilus triggers the oxidation of many essential amebic enzymes like pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, the lectin Gal/GalNAc and cysteine proteases (CPs). Further, trophozoites of E.histolytica incubated with L.acidophilus show reduced binding to mammalian cells. These results support L.acidophilus as a prophylactic candidate against amebiasis.

The injury causes resistance in human gastric cancer (GC). This Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) entitled “Increases in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and chronic ROS leading to human treatment-resistant gastric cancer (GC)” consists of molecular initiating event (MIE) as “Increases in cellular ROS” and “Chronic ROS”, followed by series of key events (KEs); “porcupine-induced Wnt secretion and Wnt signaling activation”, “beta-catenin activation”, “epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and adverse outcome (AO) as “human treatment-resistant GC” in the sequence. ROS has multiple roles in disease such as development and progression of cancer, or apoptotic induction causing anti-tumor effects. In this AOP, we focus on the role of sustained levels of chronic ROS to induce the therapy-resistance in human GC. EMT, which is cellular phenotypic change from epithelial to mesenchymal-like features, demonstrates cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics in human GC. EMT is induced by Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, providing the rationale to have Wnt secretion and beta-catenin activation as KEs in the AOP.

Microbiota-based strategies are a novel auxiliary therapeutic and preventative way of moderating chronic kidney disease. Lactobacillus mixture (Lm) was previously demonstrated to exert a renal-protective function in the CKD mice model. The efficacy of probiotics in pet foods is a relatively new area of study, and thus verifying the potential health benefits is necessary. This study evaluated the efficacy of Lm treats in feline CKD and elucidated the mechanisms underlying host-microbe interactions. CKD cats (2 and 3 stages) were administrated probiotic pet treats daily (10 g) for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that during the eight weeks of Lm administration, creatinine was reduced or maintained in all cats with CKD. Similarly, gut-derived uremic toxins (GDUT), IS, and TMAO were significantly downregulated in the serum (confidence intervals = 90%). The life quality of the cats also improved. Feline gut microbiome data, KEGG pathway, and renal function indicator analyses revealed the possible mechanisms involved in modulating CKD feline microbial composition. Further regulation of the microbial functions in amino acid metabolism after Lm administration contributed to downregulating deleterious IS, PCS, and TMAO. The current study provides potential adjuvant therapeutic insights into probiotic pet foods or treats for pets with CKD.

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.

Dry mouth, hyposalivation, or xerostomia is a significant problem in diabetic patients; however, there was no way to relieve these symptoms. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of Ixeris dentata (IXD) in combination with lactobacillus extract on the salivation rate in diabetes-induced dry mouth, and its mechanism was also investigated. In the streptozotocin-induced diabetes model, dry mouth condition was established as a model. Both control and diabetic rats were treated with a sublingual spray of either water or IXD and subsequently treated with or without a spray of lactobacillus extract. In diabetes condition, the salivary flow rate, amylase activity, and aquaporin-5 and Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE-1) expressions were markedly decreased, whereas they were more significantly recovered in the sequential treatment of IXD-lactobacillus extract than each single treatment. Furthermore, oxidative stress and its related ER stress response were especially regulated in the IXD/lactobacillus extract condition, where the following anti-oxidative enzymes; GSH:GSSG ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were involved. This study suggests that the combination of IXD and lactobacillus would be a potential alternative medicine against diabetes-induced hyposalivation and xerostomia.

Adlay seed samples were collected from 3 adlay growing regions (Yeoncheon, Jeonnam and Eumseong regions) in Korea during 2012. Among all the samples collected, 400 seeds were tested for fungal occurrence by standard blotter and test tube agar methods and different taxonomic groups of fungal genera were detected. The most predominant fungal genera encountered were Fusarium, Phoma, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Cochliobolus and Leptosphaerulina. The occurrence of Fusarium species were 45.6% and based on the combined sequences of two protein coding genes, EF-1a, Beta-tubulin and phylogenetic analysis, 10 species were characterized as F. incarnatum (11.67%), F. kyushense (10.33%), F. fujikuroi (8.67%), F. concentricum (6.00%), F. asiaticum (5.67%), F. graminearum (1.67%), F. miscanthi (0.67%), F. polyphialidiom (0.33%), F. armeniacum (0.33%) and F. thapsinum (0.33%). The ability of these isolates to produce mycotoxins fumonisin (FUM) and zeralenone (ZEN) were tested by ELISA quantitative analysis method. The result revealed that fumonisin (FUM) was produced only by F. fujikuroi and zeralenone (ZEN) by F. asiaticum & F. graminearum. Mycotoxigenic species were then examined for their morphological characteristics to confirm their identity. Morphological observations of the species correlated well with their molecular identification and confirmed as F. asiaticum, F. fujikuroi and F. graminearum.

Astragalus plants belong to the legume family and have obvious rhizosphere effect. The northwestern area of Yunnan China is the main distribution region of Astragalus plants with high application value, but low recognition and resource reserves. The aim of this research is to explore the species diversity of cultivable rhizosphere fungi derived from A. acaulis, A. forrestii, and A. ernestii growing in special high-cold environment of northwest Yunnan, and discover anti-infective components from these fungi. A total of 93 fungal strains belonging to 38 species in 18 genera were isolated and identified. Antibacterial and antimalarial screening yielded 10 target strains. Among them, the ethyl acetate crude extract of the fungus Aspergillus calidoustus AA12 from A. acaulis fermentation substance showed a broad antibacterial spectrum and the best antimalarial activity. Further chemical investigation led to the first discovery of seven compounds from the species of A. calidoustus, including a sesterterpine 6-epi-ophiobolin G (1), two sesquiterpenes penicisochroman A (2), pergillin (3) and 7-methyl-2-(1-methylethylethlidene)-furo[3,2-H]isoquinoline-3-one (4), and three polyketides trypacidin (5), 1,2-seco-trypacidin (6) and questin (7). Compound 1 exhibited moderate to strong antibacterial activity against six Gram-positive pathogens with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 25 to 6.25 μg/mL, and prominent inhibitory effect on the biofilm of Streptococcus agalactiae at MIC value of 3.125 μg/mL. This compound also displayed potent antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum strains 3D7 and chloroquine-resistant Dd2 at the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 3.319 and 4.340 µmol/L at 72 h, respectively. This study contributed to our understanding of the cultivable rhizosphere fungi Astragalus-derived in special high-cold environment and further increased the library of fungi available for natural anti-infectious products screening.

A relevant aspect in the epidemiology of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (TL) is the Leishmania parasites carrying a viral endosymbiont Leishmania RNA Virus 1 (LRV1), a dsRNA virus. Leishmania parasites carrying LRV1 are prone to causing more severe TL symptoms, increasing the likelihood of unfavorable clinical outcomes. LRV1 has been observed in cultured strains of five L. (Viannia) species, and host specificity was suggested when studying LRV1 from L. braziliensis and L. guyanensis strains. The coevolution hypothesis of LRV1 and Leishmania was based on phylogenetic analyses, implying an association between LRV1 genotypes, Leishmania species, and their geographic origins. This study aimed to investigate LRV1 specificity to Leishmania (Viannia) species hosts by analyzing LRV1 from L. (Viannia) species. To this end, LRV1 was screened in L. (Viannia) species other than L. braziliensis or L. guyanensis, and it was detected in 11 out of 15 L. naiffi and in 2 out of 4 L. shawi. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial LRV1 genomic sequencing supported the hypothesis of host specificity, as LRV1 clustered according to their respective Leishmania species hosts. These findings underscore the importance of investigating Leishmania and LRV1 coevolution and its impact on Leishmania (Viannia) species dispersion and pathogenesis in the American Continent.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of moisture content, additives and their interactions on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of mixed silage of amaranth and corn meal. Amaranths and corn meal were mixed in mass ratios of 69:31, 76:24 and 84:16, and the silage water content was adjusted to 60% (W1), 65% (W2) and 70% (W3), respectively. Silage treatments included no additives (U), the addition of Lactobacillus plantarum (L), the addition of cellulase (E), and the addition of Lactobacillus plantarum + cellulase (M) mixed reagents. The results showed that pH and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N/TN) levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in W1 compared to W2 and W3. At the same time, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), in vitro dry matter digestibility (ivDMD), in vitro dry matter digestibility (ivDMD), in vitro organic matter digestibility (ivOMD), and in vitro crude protein digestibility (ivCPD) were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the aerobic stability of mixed silage of seed amaranth and corn meal decreased with increasing water content. The aerobic stability of the L, E, and M treatment groups was improved by 15, 105, and 111 hours, respectively, compared to the control group at W1. pH and NH3-N/TN levels were lower in the addition of E (E and M) than in the absence of E (U and L) (3.73, 20.1 g kg−1DM vs. 3.64, 22.9 g kg−1 DM, p < 0.05).NDF and ADF were significantly lower with the addition of E than without the addition of E (598 g kg−1 DM, 145 g kg−1 DM vs. 632 g kg−1 DM, 160 g kg−1 DM, p < 0.05). However, CP, ivDMD, ivOMD, and ivCPD were significantly higher (p < 0.05). AA and NH3-N/TN were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) with the addition of L (L and M) compared to without the addition of (U and E). In conclusion, the best fermentation quality, in vitro digestibility and aerobic stability of amaranth and cornmeal mixed silage treated with Lactobacillus plantarum + cellulase (M) were achieved at 60% water content.

The probiotic bacterial strain Lactobacillus plantarum ZS2058 has been proved to manifest comprehensive functions, which were due to ability to synthesise conjugated fatty acids (CFAs). To investigate the specific functions of CFAs produced by this probiotic bacterium, α-linolenic acid was isomerized by Lactobacillus plantarum strain ZS2058, and two different conjugated α-linolenic acid (CLNA) isomers were successfully isolated. These isoforms, CLNA1 (c9, t11, c15-CLNA, purity 97.48%) and CLNA2 (c9, t11, t15-CLNA, purity 99.00%), both showed the ability to inhibit the growth of three types of colon cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the expression of MDA in Caco-2 cells was increased by CLNA1 or CLNA2, which indicated lipid peroxidation was related to the antiproliferation activity of CLNAs. Examination of the key protein of pyroptosis showed that CLNA1 induced the cleavage of caspase-1 and gasdermin-D, while CLNA2 induced the cleavage of caspase-4, 5 and gasdermin-D. The addition of relative inhibitors could alleviate the pyroptosis by CLNAs. CLNA1 and CLNA2 showed no effect on caspase-3, 7, 9 and PARP-1, which were key proteins associated with apoptosis. And no sub-diploid apoptotic peak appeared in the result of PI single staining test. In conclusion, CLNA1 activated caspase-1 and induced Caco-2 cell pyroptosis, whereas CLNA2 induced pyroptosis through the caspase-4/5-mediated pathway. The inhibition of Caco-2 cells by the two isomers was not related to apoptosis. This is the first report showing the ability of CLNAs to activate antioxidant defenses resulting in pyroptosis.

Pseudolysimachion nakaianum (Ohwi) T.Yamaz. is an endemic species that is an important species in the forest ecosystems of South Korea. This study aimed to develop an in vitro propagation system for P. nakaianum, to enhance the availability of this rare and endemic plant for commercial horticulture and restoration efforts. We utilized cotyledon explants from in vitro germinated seeds and two types of explants (petiole and leaf) from in vitro seedlings to assess the impact of five different cytokinins on adventitious shoot organogenesis in P. nakaianum. The half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with 10 µM thidiazuron (TDZ) for both cotyledon and petiole explants, yielded the highest shoot induction rates (61.1 ± 9.6% and 26.7 ± 8.8%, respectively) and the greatest number of shoots (3 ± 0.6 and 4.4 ± 0.5, respectively). Responses from leaf explants were variable, with none showing in vitro regeneration. Successfully acclimatized P. nakaianum plantlets in a greenhouse demonstrated normal growth. This protocol outlines an effective method for the direct in vitro regeneration from cotyledon and petiole explants of P. nakaianum, providing valuable information for the conservation of this species.

The establishment and spread of exotic species is a contemporary major concern. Alien species may become invasive in their new habitat, leading to both/either environmental and/or economic impacts. I briefly reviewed the literature in the last decade about the relationship of exotic species and native communities. I identified that professionals usually approach the subject in two main points of view: (1) researchers tend to point out the impacts of alien species on entire communities, evaluating if the relationship is positive, negative or neutral; (2) they focus on the eco-evolutionary processes involved in the introductions, the dynamics of invasion, and individual study cases. When evaluating the response of introductions to entire communities, evidence seems to be ambiguous and may support positive, negative or neutral relationship, especially depending on the scale approached. The unique eco-evolutionary pathways of each introduction may be a great shortcoming in the searching for generalities. On the other hand, advances have been made in understanding the dynamics of invasion on different lineages through a more selective/individualized approach. I suggest that the dynamics of invasion might be studied through a perspective in which different eco-evolutionary processes, levels of organization (from gene to entire communities), the history of the organism(s) and time are taken into account. Individual cases might be compared in attempt to understand how the relationship exotic and native works and in the search for generalities.

Verticillium wilt is a soil borne disease caused by distinct vegetative compatibility groups (VCG) of the fungus Verticillium dahliae. Two V. dahliae isolates were recovered from symptomatic cot-ton plants in Australian cotton fields and were assigned to two distinct vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs). One corresponding to the defoliating (VCG 1A) and the other non-defoliating (VCG 2A) pathotypes of Verticillium, have been transformed with Red and Green Fluorescent protein genes, respectively. The transformants maintained their ability to infect cotton and both strains were observed to colonise the xylem vessels of cotton plants. Moreover, we observed that the cotton V. dahliae strains could also infect some sampled non-Gossypium species found in the Australian landscape. The fluorescently labelled strains of V. dahliae will allow us to gain a thorough understanding of the infection processes of this important pathogen.

To date, viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in four bat species: Rhinolophus acuminatus, Rhinolophus affinis, Rhinolophus malayanus, and Rhinolophus shameli. Here, we analysed 343 sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (CO1) from georeferenced bats of the four Rhinolophus species identified as reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2-like viruses. Haplotype networks were constructed in order to investigate patterns of genetic diversity among bat populations of Southeast Asia. No strong geographic structure was found for the four Rhinolophus species, suggesting high dispersal capacity. The ecological niche of SARS-CoV-2 like viruses was predicted using the four localities of bat SARS-CoV-2-like viruses and the localities where bats showed identical or very similar CO1 haplotypes than virus-positive bats. The ecological niche of SARS-CoV-like viruses was deduced from the localities where bat SARS-CoV-like viruses were previously detected. The results show that the ecological niche of SARS-CoV2-like viruses includes several regions of mainland Southeast Asia whereas that of SARS-CoV-like viruses is mainly restricted to China. In agreement with these results, human populations in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand appear to be much less affected by the Covid-19 pandemic than other countries of Southeast Asia. In the climatic transitional zone between the two ecological niches (southern Yunnan, northern Laos, northern Vietnam, and possibly Hainan and Taiwan), genomic recombination between highly divergent viruses is more likely to occur. Since recombinant viruses can threaten the benefit of vaccination campaigns, these regions should be under surveillance.

The lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus are commonly used as starter cultures in dairy product production. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of fermented milk using different ratios of these strains and analyze the changes in volatile compounds during fermentation and storage. The 10:1 ratio of Streptococcus thermophilus CICC 6063 to Lactobacillus helveticus CICC 6064 showed optimal fermentation time (4.2 h), viable cell count (9.64 log10 colony-forming units/mL), and sensory evaluation score (79.1 points). In total, 56 volatile compounds were identified and quantified by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), including aldehydes, ketones, acids, alcohols, esters, and others. Among these, acetaldehyde, 2,3-butanedione, 2,3-pentanedione, 2-heptanone, acetoin, and 1-heptanol had the highest odor activity values and contributed to the characteristic flavor of fermented milk. The concentrations and types of key flavor compounds reached their peak at the end of fermentation. Throughout the fermentation and storage process, the levels of 2,3-pentanedione and acetoin exhibited synergistic dynamics. These findings enhance our understanding of the chemical and molecular characteristics of milk fermented with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus, providing a basis for improving the flavor and odor of dairy products during fermentation and storage.

High-resolution forecasting of vegetation type shifts may prove essential for anticipating and mitigating the impacts of future climate change on bird populations. Here, we used the US Forest Service Ecological Response Unit (ERU) classification to develop and assess vegetation-based breeding habitat profiles for eight owl species occurring in foothills and mountains of the southwestern US. Shifts in mapped habitat were forecast using an ecosystem vulnerability model based on the pre-1990 climate envelopes of ERUs and the A1B moderate IPCC emission scenario of future climate. For five of the eight owl species, regional breeding habitat extent was projected to decline by at least 60% by 2090. Three species, the boreal owl (Aegolius funereus; at the trailing edge of its distribution), flammulated owl (Psiloscops flammeolus), and northern pygmy-owl (Glaucidium gnoma) were projected to experience the steepest habitat-loss rates, or 85%, 85%, and 76%, respectively. Projected vegetation shifts overlaid with well-documented flammulated owl breeding populations showed complete or near complete loss of habitat by 2090 in areas of montane forest currently supporting dense aggregations of owl territories. Generalist or lower-elevation owl species were predicted to be less impacted, while for the whiskered screech-owl (Megascops trichopsis), the contraction of current habitat was nearly offset by a projected northward expansion. In general, the results of this study suggest high exposure to climate change impacts for upper-elevation forest owls of semi-arid southwestern North America. Long distance migration and low natal philopatry may prove important to some montane owl populations for adapting to regional loss of habitat.

Background: primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of the bile ducts. Cholestasis may lead to hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, and amelioration of cholestasis may allow recovery from inflammatory and fibrotic pathological damage. Prevotella copri (P. copri) intervention have been reported could significantly improve cholestasis and liver fibrosis in DDC-induced PSC mice model. Despite alone P. copri treatment could not recover DDC-induced inflammation, it increased the abundance of Lactobacillus murinus (L. murinus) compared to DDC treatment, which has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. The abundance of L. murinus still not recover to normal level may underlie hepatic inflammation in P. copri+DDC mice. Method: alone or in combination interventions of P. copri and L. murinus were used to investigate the molecular mechanism of improvement of PSC inflammation and fibrosis. Results: P. copri and L. murinus significantly reduced the hepatic inflammatory cell aggregation and inflammatory factor expression, as well as the hepatic collagen content and fibrin factor expression in PSC mice. Further analysis of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation levels revealed that P. copri and L. murinus combined intervention in PSC mice inhibited the activity of DDC-activated TGF-β1/Smad pathway, thereby reducing liver inflammation and fibrosis. Conclusion: combination of P. copri and L. murinus inhibits the TGF-β1/Smad pathway and reduces inflammation and fibrosis in PSC.

Hydrogen is the lightest atom and composes roughly half of the atomic content in macromolecules, yet their location can only be inferred or predicted in most macromolecular structures. This is because hydrogen can rarely be directly observed by the most common structure determination techniques (such as X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy). However, knowledge of hydrogen atom positions, especially for enzymes, can reveal protonation states of titratable active site residues, hydrogen bonding patterns, and the orientation of water molecules. Though we know they are present, this vital layer of information, which can inform a myriad of biological processes, is frustratingly invisible to us. The good news is that, even at modest resolution, neutron crystallography (NC) can reveal this layer and has emerged this century as a powerful tool for elucidating enzyme catalytic mechanisms. Due to its strong and coherent scattering of neutrons, incorporation of deuterium into the protein crystal amplifies the power of NC. This is especially true when solvation and the specific participation of key water molecules are crucial for catalysis. Neutron data allow the modeling of all three atoms in water molecules and have even revealed previously unobserved and unique species such as hydronium (D3O+) and deuteroxide (OD-) ions as well as lone deuterons (D+). Herein, we briefly review why neutrons are ideal probes for identifying catalytically important water molecules and these unique water-like species, limitations in interpretation, and four vignettes of enzyme success stories from disparate research groups. One of these groups was that of Dr. Chris G. Dealwis, who died unexpectedly in 2022. As a memorial appreciation of his scientific career, we will also highlight his interest and contributions to the neutron crystallography field. As both the authors were mentored by Chris, we feel we have a unique perspective on his love of molecular structure and admiration for neutrons as a tool to query those structures.

Growth and yield of boreal tree species are discussed. A growth model is applied, along with verified yield models of sawlogs and veneer logs. Using the normal forest-principle, thinning schedules and rotation ages maximizing the estate-level capital return rate are clarified. Regeneration expenses are amortized at the end of any rotation. Consequently, capitalizations are greater and rotations longer than in recent studies. The capital return rate is a weak function of initial stem count but differs by tree species. The initial stem count strongly contributes to biomass stored in trees. The most promising way of increasing the capital return rate is the reduction of regeneration expenses. Thinnings are triggered by stand volumes of at least 200 m3/ha. The average commercial trunk volume of trees removed in thinnings always exceeds 200 liters. Risk aversion theory proposes short rotations and low stem count in seedling planting unless carbon storage compensation exists.

In both managed and unmanaged forests, termites are functionally important members of the dead-wood-associated (saproxylic) insect community. However, little is known about regional-scale environmental drivers of geographic distributions of termite species, and how these environmental factors impact co-occurrence among congeneric species. Here we focus on the southern Appalachian Mountains—a well-known center of endemism for forest biota—and use Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) to examine the distributions of three species of Reticulitermes termites (i.e., R. flavipes, R. virginicus, and R. malletei). To overcome deficiencies in public databases, ENMs were underpinned by field-collected high-resolution occurrence records coupled with molecular taxonomic species identification. Spatial overlap among areas of predicted occurrence of each species was mapped, and aspects of niche similarity were quantified. We also identified environmental factors that most strongly contribute to among-species differences in occupancy. Overall, we found that R. flavipes and R. virginicus showed significant niche divergence, which was primarily driven by dry-season precipitation. Also, all three species were most likely to co-occur in the mid-latitudes of the study area (i.e., northern Alabama and Georgia, eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina), which is an area of considerable topographic complexity. This work provides important baseline information for follow-up studies of local-scale drivers of these species’ distributions. It also identifies specific geographic areas where future assessments of the frequency of true syntopy vs. micro-allopatry, and associated interspecific competitive interactions, should be focused.

Plants from the Myrtaceae family are well known to contain considerable amounts of volatile compounds, ranging from oxygenated monoterpenes to hydrogenated sesquiterpenes, and others, which exhibit antimicrobial activity. One such plant includes Syzygium aromaticum that has been extensively used to treat a number of disorders, including bacterial and fungal infections. Thus, the scientific validation of the essential oil (EO) of Syzygium aromaticum vis-à-vis Candida and Cryptococcus species is valuable. To this end, the present study sought to investigate the antifungal activity of EO from S. aromaticum (clove) leaves and flower buds against Candida and Cryptococcus species. The antioxidant activity of S. aromaticum’s essential oils is also elucidated. The EO was extracted from fresh leaves and floral buds of S. aromaticum using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The as-prepared essential oils were further evaluated for antifungal activity against Candida and Cryptococcus species using a microdilution method. The phytochemical analysis of the EOs was assessed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activities of the EOs were evaluated using standard methods. As a result, the GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of volatile compounds, such as eugenol (87.08%), β-caryophyllene (6.40%) and acetyleugenol (4.45%) as the major constituents of EO from the flower buds ; and eugenol (90.54%) and β-caryophyllene (24.65%) as the major components of the leaf’s EO. The eugenol-rich essential oils exhibited significant antifungal effects against Candida species (common MIC value: 200 ppm) and Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC value: 50 ppm), as well as antioxidant activity. Overall, essential oils of S. aromaticum demonstrated an-tioxidant and antifungal effects, thus validating the ethnopharmacological use of this plant in the treatment of fungal infections. However, antifungal mechanisms of action, in-depth toxicity and in vivo experiments, and pharmacokinetics are warranted to support the use of this plant in ethnomedicine.

The increasing emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens causes difficult-to-treat infections, with long-term hospitalizations and high incidence of death, thus representing a global public health problem. To manage MDR bacteria bugs, new antimicrobial strategies are necessary, and their introduction in practice is a daily challenge for scientists in the field. An extensively studied approach to treat MDR infections consists in inducing high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by several methods. Although further clinical investigations are mandatory on the possible toxic effects of ROS to mammalian cells, clinical evaluations are extremely promising, and their topical use to treat infected wounds and ulcers, also in presence of biofilm, is already clinically approved. Biochar (BC) is a carbonaceous material obtained by pyrolysis of different vegetable and animal biomass feedstocks, at 200−1000 °C in limited presence of O2. Recently, it has been demonstrated that BC capability of removing organic and inorganic xenobiotics is mainly due to the presence of persistent free radicals (PFRs), which can activate oxygen, H2O2 or persulfate in the presence or not of transition metals by electron transfer thus generating ROS, which in turn degrade pollutants by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). In this context, the antibacterial effects of BC containing PFRs have been demonstrated by some authors against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, thus giving birth to our idea of the possible use of BC-derived PFRs as a novel method capable of inducing ROS generation for antimicrobial oxidative therapy. Here, the general aspects concerning ROS physiological and pathological production and regulation, and the mechanism by which they could exert antimicrobial effects have been reviewed. The methods currently adopted to induce ROS production for antimicrobial oxidative therapy have been discussed. Finally, for the first time, BC-related PFRs have been proposed as a new source of ROS for antimicrobial therapy via AOPs.

Recent technological advancements in conservation genetics and genomics have resulted in diverse tools for aiding conservation of species. The precision and resolution of high throughput sequencing technologies provide valuable insights to aid conservation decisions, but these technologies are often financially unfeasible or unavailable in resource constrained countries. Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers, when combined with sensitive automated detection systems, provide a simple, cheap means to investigate genetic diversity and discriminate closely related species. Here we apply this technology to assess genetic diversity and taxonomic delimitation in the Encephalartos eugene-maraisii species complex, a highly threatened, taxonomically dubious group of cycads in South Africa. Our analyses support taxonomic singularity of E. dyerianus, E. dolomiticus and E. eugene-maraisii. Relationships between E. nubimontanus and E. cupidus remain uncertain. E. middelburgensis samples showed no clustering but had poor amplification success. This study demonstrates the suitability of automated ISSR fingerprinting as a method for plant conservation studies, especially in resource-constrained countries, and we make recommendations as to how this methodology can be effectively implemented.

Background: Hurricanes and other wind events are significant disturbances that affect coastal urban forests around the world. Past research has led to the creation of wind resistance ratings for different tree species which can be used in urban forest management efforts to mitigate the effects of these storms. While useful, these ratings have been limited to species common to one global region (Florida, USA).Methods: Drawing on past ratings and data from a global literature review on tropical storm research, we created a machine learning model to broaden both the geographic coverage and the variety of species currently assessed for their resistance to wind.Results: We were able to assign wind resistance ratings to 281 new species based on the available data and our modelling efforts. The model accuracy and agreement with the original ratings when applied to the testing data set was high with 91% accuracy.Conclusions: The resulting list of wind resistance ratings has been adapted into a spreadsheet-based decision aid for managers, allowing them to assess the overall susceptibility of their urban forest to wind events like hurricanes.

Zooplankton and ichthyoplankton community assessments depend on species diagnostics, yet morphological identifications are time consuming, require taxonomic expertise, and are hampered by lack of diagnostic characters –particularly for larval stages. Metabarcoding can identify multiple species in communities from short DNA sequences in comparison to reference databases. To evaluate species resolution across phylogenetic groups and food webs of zooplankton and ichthyoplankton, we compare five metabarcode mitochondrial (mt)DNA markers from gene regions of (a)cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, (b) cytochrome b, (c) 16S ribosomal RNA, and (d) 12S ribosomal RNA for DNA extracted from net tows in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean’s Salish Sea across seven sites and two seasons. Species resolved by metabarcoding are compared to invertebrate morphological identifications and biomass estimates. Results indicate that species resolution for different zooplankton and ichthyoplankton taxa can markedly vary among gene regions and markers, and in comparison to morphological identifications. Thus, researchers seeking “universal” metabarcoding should take caution that several markers and gene regions likely will be needed; all will miss some taxa and yield incomplete overlap. Species resolution requires careful attention to taxon marker selection and coverage in reference sequence repositories. In summary, combined multi-marker metabarcode and morphological approaches improve broadscale zooplankton diagnostics.

Cutaneous mycoses are common infections whose treatment has become more complex due to increasing antifungal resistance and the need for prolonged therapies, hindering patient adher-ence and increasing the incidence of adverse effects. Consequently, the use of physical therapies, especially photodynamic therapy (PDT), has increased for the treatment of onychomycosis due to its antimicrobial capacity mediated by the production of reactive oxygen species. This study investigates the in vitro effect of the combination of blue light (448 nm) and red light (645 nm) with terbinafine on the cell viability of human keratinocytes and the production of reactive ox-ygen species. The combination of terbinafine and blue light exhibits a synergistic effect on the production of reactive oxygen species and a significant increase in the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme involved in the reduction of superoxide ions (O2-) and the genera-tion of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Such effect could be useful in clinical practice to improve the response of cutaneous mycoses to pharmacological treatment, reduce their toxicity, and shorten their duration.

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma has several applications in different fields. One of these fundamental applications is medical usages, where various methods are employed to improve the plasma treatment process. The combination of different gases is one of the important strategies to improve the performance of plasma in treatment. In this paper, the optimized plasma parameters for one-dimensional radiofrequency discharge produced at low pressures in a helium gas combination is studied. In this research, the optimal combination of H₂O and He is identified to attain the highest amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Considered mixture are 5,10,15 and 20 precent of H₂O for one dimensional helium gas discharge. The results show that the parameters of the output plasma are highly dependent on the composition of the input gases. It is found that the greatest concentrations of H+, He+, Hes (excited helium), and OH/ densities are observed when the H₂O percentage is 10%. Moreover, the density distributions of various species and the temperatures of electrons are numerically calculated during the electrical discharge process. These findings provide useful knowledge on how to optimize plasma parameters for biomedical applications, which may lead to improved treatment results in several therapeutic areas.

Bangladesh has a history of species introduction from different geographic regions. The country was a major trade route during the early-modern era and was under British colonial rule until 1947s. Many species of plants and animals are either domesticated or cultivated at different times that were brought into the country by the settlers, seamen, and traders. The deliberate preferences of fast-growing, high-yielding exotics in recent decades also threaten the existence of native species and their genetic resources in the country. Here we provide an overview of the invasive alien species in Bangladesh, likely pathways of their introduction, their impacts on ecosystem and people, and strategies for their effective management and regulation. Many exotic plants and animals both terrestrial and aquatic have found to be invasive in the country with negative impacts on local ecosystems, biodiversity, and livelihoods. Collectively, those species possess serious threats to country’s agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector. Although initially introduced to favor primary productivity or other environmental benefits, many of these are now regarded as obnoxious pest or weed in Bangladesh. A comprehensive list of invasive species both for native and exotics and a framework to characterize them is also absent in the country. We recommend a separate statutory body and appropriate rules and policies for the introduction, monitoring, and management of alien species in the country. Community awareness, advocacy, surveillance, capacity building of relevant government staff and agreement with neighboring countries for transboundary management of invasive alien species is also necessary.

The focus of our study was the changes in the composition of semi-natural dry grasslands in Hungary. Since these valuable habitats were created with the help of humans, their preservation also requires regular treatment. Our mowing experiment aimed to investigate the suppression of the native Calamagrostis epigejos L. Roth. In Hungary, in the Cserhát Mountains, eight permanent plots were mowed twice a year. The vegetation was sampled annually between 2001 and 2011. The effects of mowing were investigated with repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). After 10 years, the C. epigejos cover of the mowed plots decreased significantly, from the initial average of 62.38 to 7.50%. Surprisingly, we also experienced a similar decrease in the control plots. Regular treatment also had a positive effect on the number of species and diversity. Species richness increased continuously in both treatment types, which indicates the combined effect of vegetation succession and treatment. The biomass growth of other Poaceae and Fabaceae species, which are important from a grassland management perspective, was also facilitated by mowing. Our results suggest that long-term in situ experiments and continuous botanical studies are needed to establish a reliable utilization of grasslands.

NLR genes are crucial components of the effector-triggered immunity (ETI) system, which recognizes pathogens and initiates immune responses. While NLR genes in many plants have been extensively studied, the diversity of NLR genes in citrus remains largely unknown. In this study, we systematically identified 1,585 NLR genes across the genomes of 10 citrus species. Significant variations in NLR gene copy numbers were observed among these citrus species, with gene duplication and recombination identified as major driving forces. Citrus NLR genes were classified into TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL), CC-NBS-LRR (CNL), RPW8-NBS-LRR (RNL), and NL categories. It is believed that TNL, RNL, and CNL genes originated from NL genes through the acquisition of TIR, RPW8 domains and CC motifs, respectively, followed by the random loss of the corresponding domains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that citrus NLR genes originated with the species and underwent adaptive evolution, potentially playing crucial roles in the global colonization of citrus. This study is importance for comprehensively understanding citrus NLR genes and provides a foundational dataset for research aimed at breeding disease-resistant citrus varieties.

1. Heterospecific pollen interference has recently been proposed as a mechanism contributing to the success of alien invaders, as heterospecific pollen of alien plants interferes with the reproduction of natives by reducing fruit and seed set. However, no study has looked at the opposite interaction. Moreover, few studies have considered the roles of phylogenetic and trait distances between pollen donors and recipients. 2. We did a large multi-species experiment in which we used alien and native species both as pollen recipients and as pollen donors, and included phylogenetic as well as trait distance as explanatory variables. 3. We found that both alien and native recipients suffered from heterospecific pollen from donors of the opposite status in terms of seed and fruit set. Phylogenetic distance and trait distance both affected heterospecific pollen interference, but the effect depended on recipient and donor statuses. 4. We conclude that heterospecific pollen interference affects both native and alien recipients, thus indirectly altering community composition and increasing biotic resistance against invaders.

This study aimed to examine the chemical makeup and antioxidant properties of hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from Lonicera japonica Thunb. Thunb. (honeysuckle) flowers collected from two geographically distinct regions of Romania: a mountainous region (Făgăraș Mountainous, Brașov) and a coastal region (Black Sea, Constanța). Our research revealed that the extracts from these two regions differed significantly in terms of their total polyphenol, flavone, and phenolic carboxylic acid content, as well as their antioxidant activity. These results suggest that climatic factors play a crucial role in shaping the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of Lonicera japonica Thunb. Thunb. extracts. Therefore, these findings could potentially contribute to the development of standardized herbal preparations and nutraceutical products.

We interviewed 48 people including local communities, ex hunters and protected area management professionals. The purpose of the interviews was to understand the motivations for, and the nature of, illegal hunting of prey species of iconic predators - tigers and leopards - in the northern section of Bardia National Park. Participants reported that hunting of prey species occurs mostly in spring and autumn and is less common during the summer. In the past, hunting was primarily for the purposes of obtaining meat for household consumption. Since the introduction of a road network in the region, opportunities to sell wild meat at ad-hoc ‘highway markets’ have developed. The purported medicinal properties of wild meat was also cited as a driver for illegal hunting. Mostly, locally hand-made guns are used for hunting and the use of dogs in hunting was often reported. Protected area managers informed that illegal hunting problems in the study area are associated with a lack of presence of park authorities, remoteness and underdevelopment and poverty of the community. Our study suggested that skills development training for local community members might reduce dependency on wild meat for household consumption and earning thereby reducing illegal hunting.