scholarly journals Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Correlation Between Microbiome Structure and Leonardite Characteristics from Kazakhstan Coal Deposits

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
A.A. Zhubanova ◽  
Q. Xiaohui ◽  
P.S. Ualieva ◽  
G.Zh. Abdieva ◽  
K.T. Tastambek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Biochemical Processes ◽  
Coal Deposits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
First Time

Coal microbial communities have not been well examined, despite their importance in the formation and maintenance of terrestrial ecosystems. Microorganisms are geographically versatile, exhibit wide morphological diversity and provide a rich platform for studying energy and carbon flows through different ecosystems. The coal characteristics, in turn, are important environmental factors that control the composition, structure and activity of terrestrial bio-communities through various endogenous physiological and biochemical processes. The total phylogenetic structure of prokaryotes is closely related to their functional diversity and, ultimately, to the variety of environmental conditions in oxidized coal (leonardite). Metagenomic studies in this area attempt to assess the relationship between the coal properties and its microbiome. The microbial community of the coal profiles, collected from various Kazakhstan coal deposits, have been studied in detail for the first time using high-throughput sequencing. As part of this study, a wide range of leonardites generated in various bioclimatic and geomorphological conditions are considered. A comprehensive characterization of the phylogenetic structure and diversity of coal was given on the basis of the 16S rDNA gene analysis. The revealed features of the prokaryotic composition can be used as bioindicators of the leonardite condition. In addition, metagenomic characteristics of coals of different origin can serve as valuable platform to assess the terrestrial ecosystem health.

scholarly journals Extracts from Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. Roots: A New Hope Against Honeybee Death Caused by Nosemosis

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 4452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneta A. Ptaszyńska ◽  
Daniel Załuski
Keyword(s):  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Root Extract ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Ecological Benefits ◽  
Garcinia Cambogia ◽  
Eleutherococcus Senticosus ◽  
Eleutheroside B ◽  
First Time

Pollinators, the cornerstones of our terrestrial ecosystem, have been at the very core of our anxiety. This is because we can nowadays observe a dangerous decline in the number of insects. With the numbers of pollinators dramatically declining worldwide, the scientific community has been growing more and more concerned about the future of insects as fundamental elements of most terrestrial ecosystems. Trying to address this issue, we looked for substances that might increase bee resistance. To this end, we checked the effects of plant-based adaptogens on honeybees in laboratory tests and during field studies on 30 honeybee colonies during two seasons. In this study, we have tested extracts obtained from: Eleutherococcus senticosus, Garcinia cambogia, Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Schisandra chinensis, and Camellia sinensis. The 75% ethanol E. senticosus root extract proved to be the most effective, both as a cure and in the prophylaxis of nosemosis. Therefore, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and its active compounds, eleutherosides, are considered the most powerful adaptogens, in the pool of all extracts that were selected for screening, for supporting immunity and improving resistance of honeybees. The optimum effective concentration of 0.4 mg/mL E. senticosus extract responded to c.a. 5.76, 2.56 and 0.07 µg/mL of eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E and naringenin, respectively. The effect of E. senticosus extracts on honeybees involved a similar adaptogenic response as on other animals, including humans. In this research, we show for the first time such an adaptogenic impact on invertebrates, i.e., the effect on honeybees stressed by nosemosis. We additionally hypothesised that these adaptogenic properties were connected with eleutherosides—secondary metabolites found exclusively in the Eleutherococcus genus and undetected in other studied extracts. As was indicated in this study, eleutherosides are very stable chemically and can be found in extracts in similar amounts even after two years from extraction. Considering the role bees play in nature, we may conclude that demonstrating the adaptogenic properties which plant extracts have in insects is the most significant finding resulting from this research. This knowledge might bring to fruition numerous economic and ecological benefits.

scholarly journals Structural diversity across arbuscular mycorrhizal, ectomycorrhizal, and endophytic plant—fungus networks

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirokazu Toju ◽  
Hirotoshi Sato ◽  
Satoshi Yamamoto ◽  
Akifumi S. Tanabe
Keyword(s):  
Network Architecture ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Latitudinal Gradient ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Plant Seed ◽  
Scale Properties

AbstractBackgroundBelow-ground linkage between plant and fungal communities is one of the major drivers of terrestrial ecosystem dynamics. However, we still have limited knowledge of how such plant–fungus associations vary in their community-scale properties depending on fungal functional groups and geographic locations.MethodsBased on high-throughput sequencing of root-associated fungi in eight forests along the Japanese Archipelago, we performed a comparative analysis of arbuscular mycorrhizal, ectomycorrhizal, and saprotrophic/endophytic associations across a latitudinal gradient from cool-temperate to subtropical regions.ResultsIn most of the plant–fungus networks analyzed, host–symbiont associations were significantly specialized but lacked “nested” architecture, which has been commonly reported in plant–pollinator and plant–seed disperser networks. Meanwhile, the structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal networks was differentiated from that of ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic/endophytic networks, characterized by high connectance. Our data also suggested that geographic factors affected the organization of plant–fungus network structure. For example, the southernmost subtropical site analyzed in this study displayed lower network-level specificity of host–symbiont associations and higher (but still low) nestedness than northern localities.ConclusionsOur comparative analyses suggest that arbuscular mycorrhizal, ectomycorrhizal, and saprotrophic/endophytic plant–fungus associations often lack nested network architecture, while those associations can vary, to some extent, in their community-scale properties along a latitudinal gradient. Overall, this study provides a basis for future studies that will examine how different types of plant–fungus associations collectively structure terrestrial ecosystems.

scholarly journals Direct uptake of soil nitrogen by mosses

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 286-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Ayres ◽  
René van der Wal ◽  
Martin Sommerkorn ◽  
Richard D Bardgett
Keyword(s):  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Moss Species ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Soil N Uptake ◽  
First Time

Mosses are one of the most diverse and widespread groups of plants and often form the dominant vegetation in montane, boreal and arctic ecosystems. However, unlike higher plants, mosses lack developed root and vascular systems, which is thought to limit their access to soil nutrients. Here, we test the ability of two physiologically and taxonomically distinct moss species to take up soil- and wet deposition-derived nitrogen (N) in natural intact turfs using stable isotopic techniques ( 15 N). Both species exhibited increased concentrations of shoot 15 N when exposed to either soil- or wet deposition-derived 15 N, demonstrating conclusively and for the first time, that mosses derive N from the soil. Given the broad physiological and taxonomic differences between these moss species, we suggest soil N uptake may be common among mosses, although further studies are required to test this prediction. Soil N uptake by moss species may allow them to compete for soil N in a wide range of ecosystems. Moreover, since many terrestrial ecosystems are N limited, soil N uptake by mosses may have implications for plant community structure and nutrient cycling. Finally, soil N uptake may place some moss species at greater risk from N pollution than previously appreciated.

Safety assessment of biological raw materials in the system of medicines quality assurance

2020 ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Yu. Olefir ◽  
E. Sakanyan ◽  
I. Osipova ◽  
V. Dobrynin ◽  
M. Smirnova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
First Time ◽  
Medicines Quality

The entry of a wide range of biotechnological products into the pharmaceutical market calls for rein-forcement of the quality, efficacy and safety standards at the state level. The following general monographs have been elaborated for the first time to be included into the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation, XIV edition: "Viral safety" and "Reduction of the risk of transmitting animal spongiform encephalopathy via medicinal products". These general monographs were elaborated taking into account the requirements of foreign pharmacopoeias and the WHO recommendations. The present paper summarises the key aspects of the monographs.

Innovation in Byzantine Medicine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Bouras-Vallianatos
Keyword(s):  
Human Physiology ◽  
Medical Literature ◽  
Cultural Exchange ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Medieval Medicine ◽  
Medieval Latin ◽  
Main Thesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Comprehensive Examination ◽  
First Time

Byzantine medicine is still a little-known and misrepresented field not only in the wider arena of debates on medieval medicine but also among Byzantinists. Byzantine medical literature is often viewed as ‘stagnant’ and mainly preserving ancient ideas; and our knowledge of it continues to be based to a great extent on the comments of earlier authorities, which are often repeated uncritically. This book presents the first comprehensive examination of the medical corpus of, arguably, the most important late Byzantine physician John Zacharias Aktouarios (c.1275–c.1330). The main thesis is that John’s medical works show an astonishing degree of openness to knowledge from outside Byzantium combined with a significant degree of originality, in particular, in the fields of uroscopy, pharmacology, and human physiology. The analysis of John’s edited (On Urines and On Psychic Pneuma) and unedited (Medical Epitome) works is supported for the first time by the consultation of a large number of manuscripts. The study is also informed by evidence from a wide range of medical sources, including previously unpublished ones, and texts from other genres, such as epistolography and merchants’ accounts. The contextualization of John’s works sheds new light on the development of Byzantine medical thought and practice, and enhances our understanding of the late Byzantine social and intellectual landscape. Finally, John’s medical observations are also examined in the light of examples from the medieval Latin and Islamic worlds, placing his medical theories in the wider Mediterranean milieu and highlighting the cultural exchange between Byzantium and its neighbours.

Rebels, Believers, Survivors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Malcolm
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Religious Conversion ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Napoleonic Wars ◽  
Conversion To Islam ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
History Of ◽  
External Powers ◽  
First Time ◽  
Modern Myth

This book of essays covers a wide range of topics in the history of Albania and Kosovo. Many of the essays illuminate connections between the Albanian lands and external powers and interests, whether political, military, diplomatic or religious. Such topics include the Habsburg invasion of Kosovo in 1689, the manoeuvrings of Britain and France towards the Albanian lands during the Napoleonic Wars, the British interest in those lands in the late nineteenth century, and the Balkan War of 1912. On the religious side, essays examine ‘crypto-Christianity’ in Kosovo during the Ottoman period, the stories of conversion to Islam revealed by Inquisition records, the first theological treatise written in Albanian (1685), and the work of the ‘Apostolic Delegate’ who reformed the Catholic Church in early twentieth-century Albania. Some essays bring to life ordinary individuals hitherto unknown to history: women hauled before the Inquisition, for example, or the author of the first Albanian autobiography. The longest essay, on Ali Pasha, tells for the first time the full story of the role he played in the international politics of the Napoleonic Wars. Some of these studies have been printed before (several in hard-to-find publications, and one only in Albanian), but the greater part of this book appears here for the first time. This is not only a contribution to Albanian and Balkan history it also engages with many broader issues, including religious conversion, methods of enslavement within the Ottoman Empire, and the nature of modern myth-making about national identity.

Recycling and Reuse in the Roman Economy

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Computational Modelling ◽  
Late Antique ◽  
Roman Economy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Status ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
First Time ◽  
Site Types

The recycling and reuse of materials and objects were extensive in the past, but have rarely been embedded into models of the economy; even more rarely has any attempt been made to assess the scale of these practices. Recent developments, including the use of large datasets, computational modelling, and high-resolution analytical chemistry, are increasingly offering the means to reconstruct recycling and reuse, and even to approach the thorny matter of quantification. Growing scholarly interest in the topic has also led to an increasing recognition of these practices from those employing more traditional methodological approaches, which are sometimes coupled with innovative archaeological theory. Thanks to these efforts, it has been possible for the first time in this volume to draw together archaeological case studies on the recycling and reuse of a wide range of materials, from papyri and textiles, to amphorae, metals and glass, building materials and statuary. Recycling and reuse occur at a range of site types, and often in contexts which cross-cut material categories, or move from one object category to another. The volume focuses principally on the Roman Imperial and late antique world, over a broad geographical span ranging from Britain to North Africa and the East Mediterranean. Last, but not least, the volume is unique in focusing upon these activities as a part of the status quo, and not just as a response to crisis.

scholarly journals A Virtual Telescope for the Open University Science Foundation Course

1998 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 100-105
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Norton ◽  
Mark H. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Open University ◽  
Distance Teaching ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
University Science ◽  
First Time ◽  
Degree Level ◽  
Selection Of

The Open University is the UK's foremost distance teaching university. For over twenty five years we have been presenting courses to students spanning a wide range of degree level and vocational subjects. Since we have no pre-requisites for entry, a major component of our course profile is a selection of foundation courses comprising one each in the Arts, Social Science, Mathematics, Technology and Science faculties. The Science Faculty's foundation course is currently undergoing a substantial revision. The new course, entitled “S103: Discovering Science”, will be presented to students for the first time in 1998.

scholarly journals The Role of the Reactive Species Involved in the Photocatalytic Degradation of HDPE Microplastics Using C,N-TiO2 Powders

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aranza Denisse Vital-Grappin ◽  
Maria Camila Ariza-Tarazona ◽  
Valeria Montserrat Luna-Hernández ◽  
Juan Francisco Villarreal-Chiu ◽  
Juan Manuel Hernández-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Reaction System ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Degradation Process ◽  
Reactive Species ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Degradation Behaviors ◽  
Environmentally Friendly Process

Microplastics (MPs) are distributed in a wide range of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems throughout the planet. They are known to adsorb hazardous substances and can transfer them across the trophic web. To eliminate MPs pollution in an environmentally friendly process, we propose using a photocatalytic process that can easily be implemented in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). As photocatalysis involves the formation of reactive species such as holes (h+), electrons (e−), hydroxyl (OH●), and superoxide ion (O2●−) radicals, it is imperative to determine the role of those species in the degradation process to design an effective photocatalytic system. However, for MPs, this information is limited in the literature. Therefore, we present such reactive species’ role in the degradation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) MPs using C,N-TiO2. Tert-butanol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), Tiron, and Cu(NO3)2 were confirmed as adequate OH●, h+, O2●− and e− scavengers. These results revealed for the first time that the formation of free OH● through the pathways involving the photogenerated e− plays an essential role in the MPs’ degradation. Furthermore, the degradation behaviors observed when h+ and O2●− were removed from the reaction system suggest that these species can also perform the initiating step of degradation.

scholarly journals Autophagy Deficiency by Atg4B Loss Leads to Metabolomic Alterations in Mice

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 481
Author(s):  
Gemma G. Martínez-García ◽  
Raúl F. Pérez ◽  
Álvaro F. Fernández ◽  
Sylvere Durand ◽  
Guido Kroemer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Tissue Homeostasis ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Protective Mechanism ◽  
Cardiac Damage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
First Time

Autophagy is an essential protective mechanism that allows mammalian cells to cope with a variety of stressors and contributes to maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis. Due to these crucial roles and also to the fact that autophagy malfunction has been described in a wide range of pathologies, an increasing number of in vivo studies involving animal models targeting autophagy genes have been developed. In mammals, total autophagy inactivation is lethal, and constitutive knockout models lacking effectors of this route are not viable, which has hindered so far the analysis of the consequences of a systemic autophagy decline. Here, we take advantage of atg4b−/− mice, an autophagy-deficient model with only partial disruption of the process, to assess the effects of systemic reduction of autophagy on the metabolome. We describe for the first time the metabolic footprint of systemic autophagy decline, showing that impaired autophagy results in highly tissue-dependent alterations that are more accentuated in the skeletal muscle and plasma. These changes, which include changes in the levels of amino-acids, lipids, or nucleosides, sometimes resemble those that are frequently described in conditions like aging, obesity, or cardiac damage. We also discuss different hypotheses on how impaired autophagy may affect the metabolism of several tissues in mammals.

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