scholarly journals Occurrence of the amphibians in the Volga, Don River basins and adjacent territories (Russia): research in 1996-2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ruchin ◽  
Oleg Artaev ◽  
Elvira Sharapova ◽  
Oleg Ermakov ◽  
Renat Zamaletdinov ◽  
...  

Knowledge about the distribution of living organisms on Earth is very important for many areas of biological science and understanding of the surrounding world. However, much of the existing distributional data are scattered throughout a multitude of sources, such as taxonomic publications, checklists and natural history collections and often, bringing them together is difficult. A very successful attempt to solve this problem is the GBIF project, which allows a huge number of researchers to publish data in one place in a single standard. Our dataset represents a significant addition to the occurrences of amphibians in the Volga, Don riverine basins and adjacent territories. The dataset contains up-to-date information on amphibian occurrences in the Volga river basin and adjacent territories, located for the most part on the Russian plain of European Russia. The dataset is based on our own studies that were conducted in the years 1996-2020. The dataset consists of 5,030 incident records, all linked to geographical coordinates. A total of 13 amphibian species belonging to nine genera and six families have been registered within the studied territory, although the distribution of amphibian species in this region of Russia has not yet been fully studied. This is especially relevant with the spread of cryptic species that can only be identified using molecular genetic research methods. The main purpose of publishing a database is to make our data available in the global biodiversity system to a wide range of users. The data can be used by researchers, as well as helping the authorities to manage their territory more efficiently. All occurrences are published in GBIF for the first time. Most of the data are stored in field diaries and we would like to make it available to everyone by adding it in the global biodiversity database (GBIF).

1996 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Daniels ◽  
Peter McGuffin ◽  
Mike Owen

An obvious requirement before embarking on molecular genetic investigation of a trait is prior evidence from ‘classic’ genetic studies that there is indeed a genetic component. Many behavioural traits are familial and these range from comparatively uncommon single gene disorders such as Huntington's disease which has a typical mendelian dominant pattern of transmission, to much commoner characteristics such as career choice or religious denomination which, it might be assumed, are heavily influenced by cultural factors. In between, there is a wide range of attributes including personality type, cognitive ability and liability to common disorders such as depression, that show a tendency to run in families, and which could conceivably be explained by shared genes, shared environment or a combination of the two.


1998 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. F. WARPEHA ◽  
I. CAPESIUS ◽  
T. J. GILLILAND

To date, little molecular genetic research has been conducted in Lolium and the current study is the first investigation of diversity in ribosomal DNA (rDNA) among perennial ryegrass cultivars. Ribosomal DNA probes derived from the intergenic spacer (IGS–M) and transcribed (COD–M) regions of mustard (Sinapis alba) were used to examine 35 perennial ryegrass (L. perenne L.) cultivars for genetic diversity using RFLP methodology. Analysis of digested genomic DNA on Southern blots revealed only 10 cultivars with unique RFLP patterns. Genetic diversity was exclusively associated with the IGS–M probe, as the cultivars were all indistinguishable when examined with the COD–M probe. This low incidence of distinctions was not expected, given that the 35 cultivars were known genetically distinct entities, representing the very wide range of the major phenotypic and physiological characteristics present in commercial stocks. Furthermore, the forage cultivars were proportionately less polymorphic in comparison to the amenity cultivars. This was also unexpected as amenity cultivars are recognized as a more closely clustered group than the forage cultivars, based on morphological characteristics. The potential use of rDNA for assessing cultivar diversity and breeding histories in perennial ryegrass is considered.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Igor V. Chikhlyaev ◽  
Alexander B. Ruchin

This is the first review of the helminth fauna of the moor frog Rana arvalis Nilsson, 1842 from the Volga river basin (Russia). The article summarizes the authors’ and literature data on the helminthic fauna of this species. The method of complete helminthological dissection was used. Thirthy-eight helminth species were recorded from three classes: Cestoda (1), Trematoda (28), and Chromadorea (9). Nine helminth species are new to the moor frog in Russia: trematodes Gorgodera varsoviensis Sinitzin, 1905, Strigea falconis Szidat, 1928, larvae, Neodiplostomum spathoides Dubois, 1937, larvae, Tylodelphys excavata (Rudolphi, 1803), larvae, Pharyngostomum cordatum (Diesing, 1850), larvae, Astiotrema monticelli Stossich, 1904, larvae and Encyclometra colubrimurorum (Rudolphi, 1819), larvae, nematodes Strongyloides spiralis Grabda-Kazubska, 1978 and Icosiella neglecta (Diesing, 1851). The cestode Spirometra erinacei (Rudolphi, 1918), larvae were observed of this amphibian species in the Volga basin for the first time. The nematodes Rhabdias bufonis, Oswaldocruzia filiformis, Cosmocerca ornata and the trematode Haplometra cylindracea form the core of the helminth fauna of the moor frog. Information on species of helminths includes systematic position, localization, areas of detection, type and scheme of life cycle, geographical distribution, and degree of specificity to host amphibians.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1429
Author(s):  
Yang Teng ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Guofen Zhu ◽  
Fuli Gao ◽  
Yingying Han ◽  
...  

Detailed molecular genetic research on amphibian populations has a significant role in understanding the genetic adaptability to local environments. The oriental fire-bellied toads (Bombina orientalis) were artificially introduced to Beijing from Shandong Province in 1927, and since then, this separated population went through an independent evolution. To explore the differentiation of the introduced population with its original population, this study analyzed the genetic structure of the oriental fire-bellied toad, based on the mitochondrial genome control region and six microsatellite sites. The results showed that the haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity of the mitochondrial D-loop region partial sequences of the Beijing Botanical Garden population and the Baiwangshan population were lower than those of the Shangdong Kunyushan population. Microsatellite marker analysis also showed that the observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity of the Beijing populations were lower than those of the Kunyushan population. The phylogenetic trees and network diagrams of haplotypes indicated that the three populations were not genetically separated. However, the structure analysis showed a genetic differentiation and categorized the sampling individuals into Beijing and Shandong genetic clusters, which indicated a tendency for isolated evolution in the Beijing population. Although the Beijing populations showed a decline in genetic diversity, it was still at a moderate level, which could maintain the survival of the population. Thus, there is no need to reintroduce new individuals from the Kunyushan source population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 572-587
Author(s):  
Wenting XU ◽  
Miao ZHANG ◽  
Chen WANG ◽  
Xiongzhen LOU ◽  
Xiao HAN ◽  
...  

Phoebe bournei, a plant species endemic to China, is a precious timber tree and widely used in landscaping. This tree contains numerous secondary metabolites, underscoring its potential economic value. However, studies on this species, including molecular genetic research, remain limited. In this study, both a somatic embryogenesis (SE) technical system and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation were successfully employed in P. bournei for the first time. The SE technical system was constructed using immature embryos as original material. The primary embryo and embryonic callus induction rates were 30.66% and 41.67%, respectively. The highest rate of embryonic callus proliferation was 3.84. The maximum maturity coefficient and germination rate were 53.44/g and 39%, respectively. Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation was performed using the SE technical system, and the highest transformation rate was 11.24%. The results presented here are the first to demonstrate an efficient approach to achieve numerous P. bournei plantlets, which serves as the basis for artificial cultivation and resource conservation. Furthermore, the genetic transformation platform constructed in this study will facilitate assessment of gene function and molecular regulation.


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 269
Author(s):  
Megawati Zunita

Mercury (Hg) is one of heavy metals with the highest toxicity and negative impact on the biological functions of living organisms. Therefore, many studies are devoted to solving the problem of Hg separation from wastewater. Membrane-based separation techniques have become more preferable in wastewater treatment area due to their ease of operation, mild conditions and also more resistant to toxic pollutants. This technique is also flexible and has a wide range of possibilities to be integrated with other techniques. Graphene oxide (GO) and derivatives are materials which have a nanostructure can be used as a thin and flexible membrane sheet with high chemical stability and high mechanical strength. In addition, GO-based membrane was used as a barrier for Hg vapor due to its nano-channels and nanopores. The nano-channels of GO membranes were also used to provide ion mobility and molecule filtration properties. Nowadays, this technology especially nanofiltration for Hg removal is massively explored. The aim of the review paper is to investigate Hg removal using functionalized graphene oxide nanofiltration. The main focus is the effectiveness of the Hg separation process.


Author(s):  
Charles H. Klein

Since Francis Crick and James D. Watson’s discovery of DNA in 1953, researchers, policymakers, and the general public have sought to understand the ways in which genetics shapes human lives. A milestone in these efforts was the completion of the Human Genome Project’s (HGP) sequencing of Homo sapiens’ nearly three million base pairs in 2003. Yet, despite the excitement surrounding the HGP and the discovery of the structural genetic underpinnings of several debilitating diseases, the vast majority of human health outcomes have not been linked to a single gene. Moreover, even when genes have been associated with particular diseases (e.g., breast and colon cancer), it is not well understood why certain genetically predisposed individuals become ill and others do not. Nor has the HGP’s map provided sufficient information to understand the actual functioning of the human genetic code, including the role of noncoding DNA (“junk DNA”) in regulating molecular genetic processes. In response, a growing number of scientists have shifted their attention from structural genetics to epigenetics, the study of how genes express themselves in particular situations and environments. Anthropologists play roles in these applications of epigenetics to real-world settings. Their new theoretical frameworks unsettle the nature-versus-nurture binary and support biocultural anthropological research demonstrating how race becomes biology and embodies social inequalities and health disparities across generations. Ethnographically grounded case studies further highlight the diverse epigenetic logics held by healthcare providers, researchers, and patient communities and how these translations of scientific knowledge shape medical practice and basic research. The growing field of environmental epigenetics also offers a wide range of options for students and practitioners interested in applying the anthropological toolkit in epigenetics-related work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Maksim Doronin ◽  
Dmitriy Lozovoy ◽  
Aleksey Scherbakov ◽  
Vladimir Makarov

To date the molecular genetic methods of analysis are widely used for laboratory diagnostic tests in various infectious diseases of animals. This discourse reflects information about the history of the invention of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RV), the nature of the processes that occur during this reaction, the main stages of the reaction, the preparation of biological material for research in PCR-RV. The spectrum of possibilities of using the PCR-RV method for a qualitative study of biological material in cases of suspected infection of animals with certain viral and bacterial agents, as well as a quantitative assessment of the virus content in tissues, organs or in the body by analogy with conventional methods for titrating infectiousness without direct manipulation with pathogenic agents, is presented. . A quantitative PCR-RV option allows veterinarians to evaluate the pathogenetic dynamics of the development of the disease, monitor the effect of antiviral and antibacterial therapy, and monitor the emergence of pathogen variants with high resistance to the drugs used. Thanks to the development of ARRIAH, the qualitative and quantitative PCR-RV method can now be used in domestic veterinary science and laboratory practice for the diagnosis of a wide range of animal infectious diseases.


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