Alternaria alternata is a saprophyte and is also known to cause many opportunistic infections in humans. Alternaria infections are important factors of morbidity and mortality in im-mune-compromised and solid organ transplant (SOT). Sensitivity to the airborne fungus Alter-naria alternata is also believed to be a common cause of allergic asthma. Therapies are limited by the lack of knowledge about the role of individual fungal gene products and symptoms in im-mune-compromised and transplant patients. This review summarizes the published case studies on Alternaria alternata infections in transplant patients.

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 host-guest inclusion strategy has potential to surpass the limitations of energy density and suboptimal performances of single explosives. The guest molecules can not only enhance the detonation performance of host explosives but can also enhance their stability. Therefore, the deeply analysis the role of guest influence on the pyrolysis decomposition of the host-guest explosive is necessary. The whole decomposition reaction stage of CL-20/H2O, CL-20/CO2, CL-20/N2O, CL-20/NH2OH was calculated by ReaxFF-MD. The incorporation of CO2, N2O and NH2OH significantly increase the energy levels of CL-20. However, different guest has little influence on the initial decomposition paths of CL-20. The Ea1 and Ea2 values of CL-20/CO2, CL-20/N2O, CL-20/NH2OH systems are higher than the CL-20/H2O system. Clearly, incorporation of CO2, N2O, NH2OH can inhibit the initial decomposition and intermediate decomposition stage of CL-20/H2O. Guest molecules get heavily involved in the reaction and influence on the reaction rate. k1 of CL-20/N2O and CL-20/NH2OH systems are significantly larger than that of CL-20/H2O at high temperatures. k1 of CL-20/CO2 system is much complex, which can be affected deeply by temperatures. k2 of CL-20/CO2, CL-20/N2O system is significantly smaller than that of CL-20/H2O at high temperatures. k2 of CL-20/NH2OH system is little difference at high temperatures. For the CL-20/CO2 system, the k3 value of CO2 is slight higher than that for CL-20/H2O, CL-20/N2O, CL-20/NH2OH systems, while the k3 values of N2 and H2O are slight smaller than that for CL-20/H2O, CL-20/N2O, CL-20/NH2OH systems. For the CL-20/N2O system, the k3 value of CO2 is slight smaller than that for CL-20/H2O, CL-20/CO2, CL-20/NH2OH systems. For the CL-20/NH2OH system, the k3 value of H2O is slight larger than that for CL-20/H2O, CL-20/CO2, CL-20/N2O systems. These mechanisms revealed that CO2, N2O and NH2OH molecules inhibit the early stages of the initial decomposition of CL-20, and play an important role for the decomposition subsequently.

The emergence of drug-resistant parasitic nematodes of both humans and livestock calls for development of alternative and cost-effective control strategies. For the economically important ruminant strongylid Haemonchus contortus, Barbervax® remains the only registered vaccine available. Here we compared the microbiome, genome-wide diversity and transcriptome of H. contortus adult male populations that survived vaccination with an experimental vaccine after inoculation in sheep. Our genome-wide SNP analysis revealed 16 putative candidate vaccine evasion genes. However, we did not identify any evidence for changes in microbial community profiling based of 16S rRNA gene sequencing results of vaccine surviving parasite populations. A total of 58 genes were identified as significantly differentially expressed with six being long non-coding (lnc) RNAs and no putative candidate SNP associated genes. The genes highly upregulated in surviving parasites from vaccinated animals were associated with GO terms belonging to predominantly molecular function and a few biological processes that may have facilitated evasion or potentially lessened the effect of the vaccine. These included five targets: astacin (ASTL), carbonate dehydratase (CA2), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), glutamine synthetase (GLUL) and fatty acid-binding protein (FABP3). We searched all five DEG targets against the proteomes of selected Nematoda (Clades III, V, IV, C, I) and Platyhelminthes (Clades Monogenea, Trematoda, Cestoda, Rhabditophora) to determine homologs within the H. contortus NZ_HCO_NP v1.0 genome and identified single-copy orthologous groups (OGs) in selected proteomes. All but one (FABP3) demonstrated high levels of duplication and wide-spread occurrence in closely related Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus, with complete absence of all five gene targets among other Clade III (Toxocara canis) and V (Ascaris suum, Ascaris lumbricoides and Parascaris univalens) nematodes, further supporting their vital biological functions in nematodes. Phylogenetic analyses inferred the presence of only ASTL and CA2 in almost all Nematoda, platyhelminthes and metazoans examined, with loss of GLULs observed among all outgroup vertebrate species and the presence of FABP3 in only three other species (Schmidtea mediterranea, Fasciola gigantica and F. hepatica). Our tertiary structure predictions and modelling analyses were used to perform in silico searches of all published and commercially available inhibitor molecules or substrate analogues with potential broad-spectrum efficacy against nematodes of human and veterinary importance.

Syncytium formation, i.e., cell-cell fusion resulting in the formation of multinucleated cells, is a hallmark of infection by paramyxoviruses and other important viruses. This natural mechanism has historically been a diagnostic marker for paramyxovirus infection in vivo and is now widely studied for virus-induced membrane fusion in vitro. However, the role of syncytium formation in within-host dissemination and pathogenicity of viruses remains poorly understood. The diversity of henipaviruses and their wide host range and tissue tropism make them particularly appropriate models to characterize the drivers of syncytium formation and its implications for virus fitness and pathogenicity. Based on the henipavirus literature, we summarized current knowledge on the mechanisms driving syncytium formation, mostly acquired from in vitro studies, and on the in vivo distribution of syncytia. While these data suggest that syncytium formation widely occurs across henipaviruses, hosts and tissues, we identified important data gaps that undermined our understanding of the role of syncytium formation in virus pathogenesis. Based on these observations, we propose solutions of varying complexity to fill these data gaps, from better practices in data archiving and publication for in vivo studies, to experimental approaches in vitro.

This studies the plasmonic properties of the bimetallic quantum dot Ag@Au core-shell nanostructures embedded in the non-absorbent host medium. Local field enhancement factor and coefficient of absorption of Ag-core and Au-shell are primarily studied based on quasi-static approximation of classical electrodynamics for 6-10 nm composite radius. In this quantum dot geometry, two set of plasmonic resonances in visible spectral region are observed: the first resonance associated with inner interface of gold (Ag@Au) and the second resonance associated with outer interface of gold (Au@medium). The two plasmonic resonances are close each other and enhanced when the size of composite decreased for a fixed core size while shifted to in opposite direction and the amplitude of peak decreased when the core size is increased for a fixed composite size. For the optimized size of core/composite or shell thickness and other parameters to the desired values, such type of composites are recommended for various applications like; photocatalysis, biomedical, nano-optoelectronics.

Mast cells (MCs) are best known as key effector cells of immediate type allergic reactions that may even culminate in life-threatening anaphylactic shock syndromes. However, strategically positioned at host-environment interfaces and equipped with a plethora of receptors, MCs also play an important role in the first line defense against pathogens. Their main characteristic, the huge amount of preformed pro-inflammatory mediators embedded in secretory granules, allow for a rapid response and initiation of further immune effector cell recruitment. The same mechanism, however, may account for detrimental overshooting responses. MCs are not only detrimental in MC-driven diseases, but also responsible for disease exacerbation in other inflammatory disorders. Focusing on the skin as the largest immune organ, we herein review both beneficial and detrimental functions of skin MCs all the way from skin barrier integrity via host defense mechanisms to MC-driven inflammatory skin disorders. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of IgE-independent pathways of MC activation and their role in sustained chronic skin inflammation and disease exacerbation.

Wheat blast caused by the hemibiotroph fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) pathotype, is a destructive disease of wheat in South America and Bangladesh. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the defense responses in plants during the infection process by a pathogen. However, empirical evidence on regulation of ROS in wheat and other host and non-host plants towards MoT is limited. This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of some major cereals and weeds of Bangladesh and compare the antioxidant enzyme activities in host and non-host plants in response to artificial inoculation by MoT. Seedlings of wheat, maize, barley and swamp rice grass were susceptible to MoT and produced considerable number of conidia on infected leaves (host). Rice seedlings showed a resistant response in our laboratory conditions (non-host). The activities of ROS-detoxifying enzymes; catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), Glutathione peroxidase (GPX), Glutathione S-transferase (GST), Peroxidase (POX) increased in all plants after inoculation by MoT with a few exceptions. Interestingly, an early and very high accumulation of CAT was observed within 24 hours of inoculation (hai) in wheat, barley, maize and swamp rice grass while H2O2 concentration was low during that time and immediately after that (24-48 hai). In contrast, an early and high accumulation of H2O2 was observed in rice at 48 hai with little CAT activity only at a late stage. The APX, GST and POD activity was also increased due to the inoculation of MoT at the early stage of infection in rice but were very high at the disease progression stage in wheat, barley, maize and swamp rice grass. GPX activity gradually decreased with the increase of time in rice. Taken together, our results suggest that a robust and late induction of most of the antioxidant enzyme activities occurs in susceptible/host plants whereas an early induction of antioxidant enzyme activities occurs in resistant/ non-host plant but with slow kinetics.

Piscirickettsia salmonis is an intracellular bacterial fish pathogen that causes piscirickettsiosis, a disease with numerous negative impacts in the Chilean salmon farming industry. Although transcriptomic studies of P. salmonis and its host have been performed, dual host-pathogen proteomic approaches during infection are still missing. Considering that gene expression not always corresponds with observed phenotype, and bacteriological culture studies inadequately reflect infection conditions, to improve the existing knowledge for the pathogenicity of P. salmonis we present here a global proteomic profiling of Salmon salar macrophage-like cell cultures infected with P. salmonis LF-89. The proteomic analyses identified several P. salmonis proteins from two temporally different stages of macrophages infection; some of them related to key functions for bacterial survival in other intracellular pathogens. Metabolic differences were observed in early-stage infection bacteria, compared to late-stage infections. Virulence factors related to membrane, LPS and surface component modifications, cell motility, toxins and secretion systems also varied between the infection stages. Pilus proteins, beta-hemolysin and the T6SS were characteristic of the early-infection stage, while fimbria, upregulation of 10 toxins or effector proteins, and the Dot/Icm T4SS were representative of the late-infection stage bacteria. Previously described virulence-related genes in P. salmonis plasmids were identified by proteomic assays during infection in SHK-1 cells, accompanied by an increase of mobile-related elements. By comparing the infected and un-infected proteome of SHK-1 cells, we observed changes in cellular and ROS homeostasis, innate immune response, microtubules and actin cytoskeleton organization and dynamics, alteration in phagosome components, iron transport and metabolism, and amino acids, nucleoside and nucleotide metabolism, together with an overall energy and ATP production alteration. Our global proteomic profiling and the current knowledge of the P. salmonis infection process allowed us to propose a model of the macrophage-P. salmonis interaction.

The recognition of (1→3)-β-D-glucans (BGs) by β-1,3-D-glucan recognition protein (BGRP) found in invertebrates plays a significant role in the activation of toll pathway and pro-phenol oxidase system in insect host defense against fungal invasion. To examine the structural diversity of BGs in BGRP interaction, the binding specificity of BGRPs cloned from four different insectswas characterized using ELISA. Recombinant BGRPs expressed as Fc-fusion proteins of human IgG1 bound to solid phase BGs. Because of the binding specificities, the BGRPs were categorized into two different ultrastructure- binding characters. The BGRPs from Silkworm and Indian meal moth bound to BGs containing triple-helical structure. Other BGRPs from red flour beetle and yellow mealworm beetle showed no binding to triple-helical BGs, but to alkaline-treated BGs, which have partially opened helical conformation. These evidences suggest that the innate immune system distinguishes different BG conformations and it is equipped for the diversity of BG structures.

We describe a selective and sensitive fluorescence platform for the detection of trinitrophenol (TNP) based on competitive host–guest recognition between pyridine-functionalized pillar[6]arene (PCP6) and probe (acridine orange, AO) that used PCP6-functionalized reduced graphene (PCP6-rGO) as the receptor. TNP is an electron-deficient and negative molecule which is captured by PCP6 via electrostatic interactions and π-π interactions. Therefore, a selective and sensitive fluorescence sensor for TNP detection is developed. It has a low detection limit of 0.0035 μM (S/N=3) and a wider linear response of 0.01−5.0 and 5.0−125.0 for TNP. The sensing platform is also used to test TNP in two water and soil samples with satisfying results. This suggests that this approach has potential applications for the determination of TNP.

The use of endophytic microbes is increasing in commercial agriculture. This review will describe the endophyte-plant relationship and the fungi and bacteria involved. Their abilities to alleviate biotic (diseases and pests) and abiotic stresses (drought, salt and flooding), remediate pollution and increase photosynthetic capabilities will be described. Their mechanisms of action will be elucidated. These frequently result in increased plant yields. Finally, methods and practices for formulation and commercial use will be described.

In recent years, the exploration of space has expanded beyond the confines of our home planet, Earth, and has ignited a fervor for understanding the potential of sustaining life in extraterrestrial environments. One critical aspect of this endeavor is the cultivation of plants in microgravity—a unique environment that challenges traditional notions of plant growth and development. The Microgravity Plant Habitat, a cutting-edge apparatus designed to facilitate plant growth in space, stands at the forefront of scientific innovation in the quest for sustainable life beyond Earth.This research paper aims to explore into the complexities of the Microgravity Plant Habitat, exploring its design, functionality, and the profound implications it holds for future space exploration and colonization efforts. As humanity sets its sights on venturing further into the cosmos, the ability to cultivate plants in microgravity becomes paramount, not only for nutrition but also for the profound role plants play in maintaining life support systems and contributing to the psychological well-being of space travelers. Development of such plant habitat module will result in a bioregenerative life support system that will help in future deep space exploration and colonization of extraterrestrial planets. These modules can also cut the cost of space missions. The challenge of establishing outposts on the Moon or Mars requires thoughtful consideration of nourishment strategies. Space-based agriculture faces significant hurdles due to harsh conditions and limited resources. Researchers explore innovative solutions like hydroponics and aeroponics to meet nutritional needs and enhance well-being in extraterrestrial settlements. Beyond technological prowess, creating space bases demands a holistic approach, addressing biological and psychological aspects. Navigating deep space exploration emphasizes that food isn't just a logistical challenge but a symbol of our resilience and determination to thrive beyond Earth's confines.

The chlorophyll content and mineral compositions of plants are highly dependent on the species' physiological responses and environmental stress tolerance. The chlorophyll content is important for determining abiotic stress tolerance in tomatoes and peppers. Several studies found that foliar applications of specific components increased tomato and pepper output by increasing nutrient uptake. After transferring the seedlings to the incubator, three tomatoes (Mobil, Korall, and Tyking F1) and three pepper varieties (Carma, Fokusz, and Bobita F1) were sprayed. The following solutions were applied at a rate of 4 mL to each different plant: sodium bicarbonate (0.52%), 50 mg L-1 salicylic acid, and distilled water. A chlorophyll sensor (SPAD-502) was used to collect 5 measurements from each plant after 2 days and 8 days of spraying. Five plant sap samples were collected from ten plants after 38 days of transplantation. The calcium ion (Ca+2), potassium ion (K+), and nitrate (NO3-) contents (mg L-1) in plant sap were measured using three calibrated electronic sensors of the type (HORIBA instruments LAQUA-TWIN). The factorial analysis of two factors was used in data collection and statistical analysis. The first variable was the variety and the second was the spray treatment, and each record had five observations. The Tukey-Kramer test in Minitab 20 was used to assess differences in means between groups. Minitab 20's regression response optimizer was used to determine the maximum and minimum responses to calcium, potassium, nitrate, and chlorophyll content factors in each plant. Salicylic acid 50 mg L-1 produces the strongest multiple responses, particularly in tomato cultivars (Tyking F1 and Korall). The multiple minimum responses were for the variety (Mobil). Spraying (Mobil) with salicylic acid (50 mg L-1) and sodium bicarbonate (0.52%) produced unsatisfactory results. Salicylic acid 50 mg L-1 elicits also the most powerful multiple responses, particularly in the (Carma) pepper cultivar. The results revealed multiple minimum responses for the variety (Bobita F1). Finally, it is recommended that growers grow tomatoes (Mobil) without any supportive spraying treatment because the vigor of tomato (Mobil) seedlings was significantly higher in suboptimal environmental conditions. Gardeners should consider growing (Carma) pepper with a supportive spraying application of salicylic acid 50 mg L-1.

Plant sterols are compounds with multiple biological functions, mainly cholesterol-reducing. There are no comprehensive databases on plant sterols, which makes it difficult to estimate their intake in the Polish population. In this study we used international food databases, supplemented by scientific data from the literature, to create a database on plant sterols in the food consumed in Poland to assess the size and sources of dietary plant sterols in the adult population of Poland. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify possible sources of published food composition data for plant sterols. The study group consisted of 5690 participants of the WOBASZ II survey. We identified 361 dietary sources of plant sterols based on the consumption of foods and dishes reported by participants. Cereals and fats provided 61% of the total plant sterols, and together with vegetables and fruits, this totaled 80%. Total plant sterol intake for the Polish population was 282.97 mg/day, and divided by men and women was 320.77 and 252.19 mg/day, respectively. Canola oil provided the most plant sterols at 16.92%, followed by white bread at 16.65% and soft margarine at 8.33%. This study found that the database of plant sterols facilitates the calculation of plant sterols in the typical Polish diet, and the results are comparable to those of other studies, despite different methodologies of nutritional assessment and slightly different databases. The main sources of dietary plant sterols did not differ from the data for other populations. This study confirmed the observations of other research that women's diets may have a higher plant sterol density compared to men.

EuAP2 genes are famous for their role in flower development. A legacy of the founding member of this subfamily of transcription factor, whose mutants lacked petals in Arabidopsis. However, studies of other euAP2 genes in several species have accumulated evidence highlighting the diverse roles of euAP2 genes in other aspects of plant development. Here, we emphasize other developmental roles of euAP2 genes in various species and suggest a shift from regarding euAP2 genes as just flowering genes to consider the global role they may be playing in plant development. We hypothesize that their almost universal expression profile and pleiotropic effects of their mutation suggest their involvement in fundamental plant development processes.

Signalling is a strongly influenced area trending to be applied in almost every focus of biological sciences. The part of signalling or communication from cellular level to a whole organism including plant as well as animal drags a vast diversity of wealthy structural compounds. There is immense demand for new bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical, agro and food industries. Plant-associated microbes present an attractive and promising source. The concept of the microbiome and the significance it has to host health, diseases state, and the role of immune have been the hub of research that has led to advances in our understanding of the massive power of the small unseen majority of the microbes (Peterson Andrew H., 2013). Before we say about microbiome—plant relation, it is important to first understand the working concept of the microbiome. Every organism on earth counts on their neighbours to sustain life. Microbiome can be considered a community of microorgasims who can prove to be loveable and hateful. The analysis of microbiome structure and function was protagonise in studies of human hosts and has been extensively documented as essential to genetic and functional capacity attributed to the host, comprehending aspects of metabolism and physiology. Plants are crowded with microbial organisms, counting those that colonize internal tissues, also those that adhere to external surfaces. The wide diversity of microorganisms in the soil rhizosphere is collectively plant–soil-associated microbes cover the plant microbiome. The intricate involvement of microbiome serves to plant health and as a tank of additional genes that plants can access when needed.

Bacterial endophytes (120) were isolated from six halophytes (Distichlis spicata, Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis obtusiflora, Suaeda torreyana, Kochia scoparia, and Baccharis salicifolia). These halophiles were molecularly identified and characterized with or without NaCl conditions. Characterization was based on tests such as indole acetic acid (IAA), exopolysaccharides (EPS), and siderophores (SID) production; solubilization of phosphate (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn); mineralization of phytate; enzymatic activity (acid and alkaline phosphatase, phytases, xylanases, and chitinases) and mineralization/solubilization mechanisms involved (organic acids and sugars). Eleven halophiles (tolerated NaCl 2.5 M) were identified as Oceanobacillus sp. (1), Bacillus sp. (2), Nesterenkonia sp. (3), Bacillus velezensis (4), Halobacillus sp. (5), Oceanobacillus sp. (6), B. velezensis (7) Halomonas sp. (8), B. pumilus (9), Pseudomonas sp. (10) and Oceanobacillus sp. (11). Biochemical responses of nutrient solubilization and enzymatic activity varied between bacteria and the presence of NaCl. Organic acids were involved in P-mineralization and nutrient solubilization. Tartaric acid was common in the solubilization of P, Zn, and K. Maleic and vanillic acid were only detected in Zn and K solubilization, respectively. Moreover, sugars appeared to be involved in the solubilization of nutrients; fructose was detected in solubilization tests. Therefore, these bacteria should be tested as a consortium to mitigate saline stress in glycophytes under a global climate change scheme that threatens to exacerbate soil salinity.

Excess energy from photosynthesis can be collected through biophotovoltaic platforms to generate green electrical power. This research evaluated the in-situ performance of different CAM (Crassulaceae acid metabolism) plants from Calama city located in the Atacama Desert for energy recovery as biophotovoltaic cell (BPV) using AISI 316L and Cu as electrodes. The species evaluated were Aloe perfoliata, Cereus jamacaru, Austrocylindropuntia subulata, Agave potatorum, Malephora crocea, and Kalanchoe daigremontiana. The results indicate that K. daigremontiana can be used as in-situ BFV because it has a maximum cell potential of 0.248 V and a minimum of 0.139 V with a recurrence close to 89% in the ranges [0.2 - 0.25] V. This is one of the few investigations that evaluate the potential of native CAM plants as BFV energy sources, providing new knowledge for the development of sustainable alternatives for horticultural crop production systems.

The soybean yield per unit area and soybean acreage are increased to boost overall soybean production as two effective solutions. There is a large area of saline soils in northeast China, where if soybeans could be grown with the help of isolated saline-tolerant rhizobia, the cultivation area of soybeans in China can be effectively expanded. Several rhizobia with different salt-, acid- and alkali-resistant characteristics were obtained in this research by isolating, identifying, and analyzing the nitrogen-fixing activities of indigenous rhizobia from different soybean planting soils, and further analyzed the host compliance between rhizobia and different soybean germplasm concerning 30 representative germplasm resources in the northeast region. Collectively, the results of the resistance study of HLNEAU2 isolated from the Shaanxi region are great references for guiding the application of rhizobia on soybeans.

Abstract: Assessing infection by a parasite, such as Haemonchus contortus, requires time and experienced personnel. Field-based diagnostics using metagenomic species-specific targeting methods would be beneficial. Here, we examine two helminth control methods, zoledronic acid (ZA), an activator of γ δ T cells, and a neutralizing antibody (AB) against γ δ T cells. We conducted a randomized complete block designed investigation for the effects of Haemonchus contortus (Hc) infection on Alpine wethers (young castrated male goats) to identify if metagenomic methods will provide strong evidence for diagnostics. Different tissues were collected from wethers and the microbiome compositions were identified. The relative proportion of microbial community members in the environments; the richness of the microbial community; and the evenness of distribution in microbial community members were determined. It was hypothesized that numerous parameters that include many data points will provide a more precise means to identify infection or health based on similarity to uninfected control data parameters. We found that samples did not sequence well, when multiplexed with high concentration libraries, giving taxonomic numbers that had residual and unmeasured confounding bias related to analysis or selection that define significance of OTUs in the tissue samples at the phylum or species level.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, immunosuppressed patients showed prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infections, with several studies reporting the accumulation of mutations in the viral genome. The weakened immune system present in these individuals, along with the effect of antiviral thera-pies, are thought to create a favourable environment for intra-host viral evolution and have been linked to the emergence of new viral variants, which strongly challenged the containment measures and some therapeutic treatments. To assess whether an impaired immunity could lead to an increased instability of viral genomes, longitudinal nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from eight immunocompromised patients and fourteen non-immunocompromised subjects, all undergoing SARS-CoV-2 infection. Intra-host viral evolution was compared between the two groups through deep sequencing, exploiting a probe-based enrichment method to minimize the possibility of artefactual mutations commonly generated in amplicon-based methods, which heavily rely on PCR amplification. Although, as expected, immunocompromised patients expe-rienced significantly longer infections, the acquisition of novel intra-host viral mutations was similar between the two groups. Moreover, a thorough analysis of viral quasispecies showed that the variability of viral populations in the two groups is comparable not only at the consensus level, but also when considering low frequency mutations. This study suggests that a compro-mised immune system alone does not affect SARS-CoV-2 within-host genomic variability.

Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite with the ability to infect various warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. This infection poses significant risks, leading to severe complications in immunocompromised individuals and potentially affecting the fetus through congenital transmission. A comprehensive understanding of the intricate molecular interactions between T. gondii and its host is pivotal for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. This review emphasizes the crucial role of proteomics in T. gondii research, with a specific focus on host-parasite interactions, post-translational modifications (PTMs), PTM crosstalk, and ongoing efforts in drug discovery. Additionally, we provide an overview of recent advancements in proteomics techniques, encompassing interactome sample preparation methods such as BioID, APEX, and Y2H, as well as various proteomics approaches, including single-cell analysis, DIA, targeted, top-down, and plasma proteomics. Furthermore, we discuss the integration of proteomics with other omics technologies, highlighting its potential in unraveling the intricate mechanisms of T. gondii pathogenesis and identifying novel therapeutic targets.

Presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the outer layer of outer membranes (OMs) is an almost universal molecular signature of Gram-negative bacteria. The O-antigen or O-polysaccharide (OPS) chains attach to millions of LPS molecule to form a continuous layer on the surface of most of Escherichia coli strains. OPS structure is one of the most variable features of bacteria, with about 200 E. coli O-serotypes currently described. In this review a analyze accumulating evidence suggesting that a vast majority of these OPS types provide robust shields that restrict the access of large molecules to the OM surface. Sophisticated mechanisms employed by bacteriophages to penetrate the OPS barrier are also considered. These are initiated with specific recognition of OPS molecules by phage receptor-binding proteins (RBP), or of other cell-surface molecules that are exposed above the OPS layer. Only after can virions gain access to secondary receptors found closer to the OM surface. The mechanisms of breaking through OPS in most if not all cases appear to rely on mechanical force generated by molecular motors of processive depolymerization or deacetylation of cell surface polysaccharides by enzymatically active RBPs, or by internal rearrangement of the virion.

Spodopotera frugiperda is a worldwide invasive pest that has caused major economic damage. According to classical biological control theory, natural enemies that can control invasive pests come from the area of origin as the pests that have gone through coadaptation processes. However, the new association’s approach suggests that local natural enemies are equally capable to control invasive pests. Due to the lack of data on the association of S. frugiperda and local natural enemies, research was conducted through a rapid survey to study the population density of S. frugiperda in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and to study the diversity of parasitoid associated with S. frugiperda. The results showed the difference in S. frugiperda population and parasitism rate, with 15 parasitoid species associated with S. frugiperda. Four egg parasitoids, eight larval parasitoids, and three pupal parasitoids were found to be associated with S. frugiperda for three years after it was first discovered in Indonesia. A new association was found between S. frugiperda and three parasitoid species, consisting of two egg parasitoids (Platygasteridaesp.01 and Platygasteridaesp.02) and a larval parasitoid (Eupelmidaesp.01). A relatively new association was found between S. frugiperda and two larval parasitoids (Coccygidium sp. and Stenobracon sp.), and an existing association was found between seven species including an egg parasitoid Telenomus remus, three larval parasitoids (Cotesia sp., Microplitis sp., Campoletis sp.), and three pupal parasitoids (Brachymeria lasus, B. femorata, and Charops sp.). Telenomus remus is the most dominant parasitoid, with a higher abundance and parasitism rate. This study also reported the first findings of the association of S. frugiperda with the larval parasitoid Megaselia scalaris in Indonesia. The result suggests another method for biological control using the new association approach since local natural enemies can foster quick adaptation to invasive pests.

The COVID-19 pandemic cost 7-8 million deaths worldwide, creating an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Affecting 700 million people globally, the magnitude of this pandemic is far from anything that humanity has encountered in recent times. A detailed investigation revealed that more than the SARS-CoV2 virus, the hyperactive immune system mediated injury as the real cause of mortality. Cytokine storm following viral infection leads to the surge of proinflammatory cytokines resulting in ARDS and lung injury. Anti-inflammatory intervention with anti-IL6 (anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (e.g., sarilumab, tocilizumab) and anti-IL-6 mAbs (i.e., siltuximab) and /or steroid-based approach lead to substantial protection and prevent death thereby implying the role of inflammation in COVID-19. In this short review, we summarized the dysregulated immune system in COVID-19 infection, investigating in detail the virus–host immune cross talks and presenting the possibilities of therapeutic intervention.

Spodoptera frugiperda is a new invasive and highly polyphagous pest that attacks corn in Indonesia. The availability of abundant plant species allows pests to switch to other host plants to maintain their population. This research aims to examine the development, reproduction, nutritional indices, and life table of S. frugiperda in several plant species. The plants tested were corn, rice, broccoli, oil palm, and baby corn as controls. Ten individual insects were used and repeated five times for each plant species. The test results show that different types of plant feed affect the development time, imago life span, fecundity, and fertility of S. frugiperda. The types of plant feed, that were baby corn fruit and broccoli had higher net reproduction value (R0), intrinsic growth rate (r), gross reproduction rate (GRR), shorter mean generation period (T), and population doubling time (DT) than in corn and rice leaves. On oil palm leaf feed no population parameters can be determined because no larvae developed into adults and had the lowest nutritional indices parameters, so that could not be exploited as a host plant. Also, the nutritional indices of several feed plant species tested provided information that broccoli could be a suitable host when there was no corn in the field.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) are multipotent, non-hematopoietic progenitor cells with a wide range of immune conditioning and regenerative potential which qualify them as potential component of cell based therapy for various autoimmune / chronic inflammatory ailments. Their immunomodulatory properties include the secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines, the ability to suppress T-cell activation and differentiation, and the induction of regulatory T-cells. In view of this and our interest, we here discuss the significance of MSC for the management of Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGVHD), one of the autoimmune manifestation in human.. In pre-clinical models, MSCs have been shown to reduce the severity of aGVHD symptoms, including skin and gut damage, which are the most common and debilitating manifestations of this disease. While initial clinical studies of MSCs in aGVHD cases were promising, the results were variable in randomized studies. So, further studies are warranted to fully understand their potential benefits, safety profile, and optimal dosing regimens. In view of these inevitable issues, here we discuss various mechanisms, how MSCs can be employed in managing aGVHD, as a therapeutic option for this disease.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) expresses a large number of miRNAs, and their function is still not completely understood. In addition, HSV-1 has been found to deregulate host miRNAs, which adds to the complexity of regulation of efficient virus replication. In this study, we comprehen-sively addressed the deregulation of host miRNAs by massive-parallel sequencing. We found that only miRNAs expressed from a single cluster, miR-183/96/182 are reproducibly deregulated dur-ing productive infection. These miRNAs are predicted to regulate a great number of potential tar-gets involved in different cellular processes and have only 33 shared targets. Among these, mem-bers of the FoxO family of proteins were identified as potential targets for all three miRNAs. However, our study shows that the upregulated miRNAs do not affect the expression of FoxO proteins, moreover these proteins were upregulated in HSV-1 infection. Furthermore, we show that the individual FoxO proteins are not required for efficient HSV-1 replication. Taken together, our results indicate a complex and redundant response of infected cells to the virus infection that is efficiently inhibited by the virus.

Background: Every year, millions of people are hospitalized, and thousands die from influenza A virus (FLUAV) infection. Most cases of hospitalizations and death occur among elderly. Many of these elderly patients are reliant on medical treatment of underlying chronic diseases, such as arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension. We hypothesized that the commonly prescribed medicines for treatment of underlying chronic diseases can affect host responses to FLUAV infection, and thus contribute to morbidity and mortality associated with influenza. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine whether commonly prescribed medicines could affect host responses to virus infection in vitro. Methods: We first identified 45 active compounds of medicines commonly prescribed in Central Norway. Then we constructed a drug-target interaction network and identified potential implication of these interactions for FLUAV-host cell interplay. Finally, we tested the effect of 45 drugs on viability, transcription and metabolism of mock- and A/WSN/33(H1N1)-infected human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Results: In silico drug-target interaction analysis revealed that many drugs, such as acetylsalicylic acid, atorvastatin, candesartan, and hydroxocobalam, could target and modulate FLUAV-host cell interaction. In vitro experiments showed that these and other compounds at non-cytotoxic concentrations differently affected transcription and metabolism of mock- and FLUAV-infected cells. Conclusion: Many commonly prescribed drugs modulate FLUAV-host cell interactions in vitro and therefore could affect their interplay in vivo, thus, contributing to morbidity and mortality of patients with influenza virus infections.

The integrated stress response (ISR) is an adaptational signaling pathway that is induced in response to different stimuli, such as accumulation of unfolded and misfolded protein, hypoxia, amino acid deprivation, viral infection and ultraviolet light. It has been known that viral infection can activate ISR, but the role of ISR during viral infection is still unclear. In some cases, ISR is a protective mechanism of host cell against infection with virus whilst ISR may be hijacked by viruses for facilitating its replication. In this review, we highlighted recent advances on induction of ISR upon viral infection and the downstream responses involved such as autophagy, apoptosis, formation of stress granules and innate immunity response. We then discussed the molecular mechanism of ISR regulating viral replication and how viruses antagonize this cellular stress response resulting from ISR.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 accounts for more than 14,000 deaths worldwide. However, little is known about the host genetics interaction with infection and COVID-19 progression. To better understand the role of host genetics, we review the current literature, aggregate readily available genetic resources, and provide some updated analysis relevant to COVID-19 and associated phenotypes. Using the unrelated individuals in UK Biobank (total n = 337,579 across 5 populations), we aggregate human leukocyte antigen and ABO blood type frequencies. We find significant and consistent risk reduction of blood group O reported in Zhao et al. and encourage broad sharing of ABO blood type frequencies that are readily accessible across COVID-19 with mild, moderate, and severe/critical symptoms for robust inferences at https://tinyurl.com/abo-covid19. In addition, we generate polygenic risk scores (PRSs) weights for 29 blood measurements, including clinically relevant haematological measurements for COVID-19, such as lymphocyte count and percentage. Focusing on the 8 most COVID-19 clinically relevant blood measurements, we performed PRS-PheWAS analysis across 44 disease antigen measurements (n = 6,643 unrelated individuals in White British group), infectious diseases and acute respiratory infections (n = 20,928 cases and 349,000 controls across 3 population groups) and deaths (n = 1,846 cases and 368,082 controls), recorded in hospital inpatient record and death registry data, respectively, in UK Biobank, and find host genetic PRS associations with disease risk. Taken together, we anticipate these resources (https://github.com/rivas-lab/covid19) will aid in improving our understanding of host genetic risk factors playing a role in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease severity.

Rodents are known to be reservoir hosts for at least 60 zoonotic diseases and are known to play an important role in their transmission and spreading in different ways. We sampled different rodent communities within and around human settlements in Northern Senegal, an area subjected to major environmental transformations associated with global changes. Herein, we conducted an epidemiological study on their bacterial communities.One hundred and seventy-one (171) invasive and native rodents were captured, 50 from outdoors trapping sites and 121 rodents from indoors habitats, consisting on 5 species. DNA of thirteen pathogens have been successfully screened on the rodent’s spleens. We found: 2.3% of positive spleens to Piroplasmida and amplified one which gives a potentially new species Candidatus “Theileria senegalensis”; 9.35% of Bartonella spp. and amplified 10, giving three genotypes. 3.5% of filariasis species; 18.12% of Anaplasmataceae species and amplified only 5, giving a new potential species Candidatus “Ehrlichia senegalensis”; 2.33 % of Hepatozoon spp.; 3.5% of Kinetoplastidae spp; and 15.2% of Borrelia spp. and amplified 8 belonging all to Borrelia crocidurae.Some of the species of pathogens carried by the rodents of our studied area may be unknown because most of those we have identified are new species. In one bacterial taxon, Anaplasma, a positive correlation between host body mass and infection was found. Overall, male and invasive rodents appeared less infected than female and native ones, respectively.

A supramolecular host-guest interaction and sensing between cationic pillar[5]arenes (CP5) and L-carnitine were developed by the competitive host-guest recognition for the first time. The fluorescence sensing platform was constructed by CP5 functionalized Au nanoparticles (PP5@Au-NPs) as receptor and probe (rhodamine 123, R123), which shown a high sensitivity and selectivity to L-carnitine detection. Due to the property of the negative charge and molecular size of L-carnitine, it can be highly captured by the CP5 via electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic interactions. The mechanism of host-guest between PP5 and L-carnitine was studied by ¹H NMR and molecular docking, which indicated more affinity binding force of PP5 with L-carnitine. Therefore, a selective and sensitive fluorescent method was developed. It has a linear response of 0.1–2.0 and 2.0–25.0 μM and a detection limit of 0.067 μM (S/N = 3) for L-carnitine. The fluorescent sensing platform was also used to detect L-carnitine in human serum and milk samples, which provided potential applications of detection drugs of abuse, and had path for guarding a serious food safety issues.

Factors affecting the host-virus interaction must be understood for the effective application of bacteriophages to combat bacterial pathogens. Two novel E. coli phages, the T1-like siphophage LL5 and the rV5-like myophage LL12, were subjected to forward genetic screens against the Keio collection, a library of single non-essential gene deletions in E.coli str. BW25113. These genome-wide screens and subsequent experiments identified eight genes required for efficient propagation of phage LL5 and six genes required for propagation of LL12. The majority of the genes identified were involved in production of the phage receptors. E. coli mutants deficient in heptose II and the phosphoryl substituent of heptose I of the inner core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were unable to propagate phage LL5, as were mutants deficient in the outer membrane protein TolC. Mutants lacking glucose I of the LPS outer core failed to propagate LL12. Two cytoplasmic chaperones, PpiB and SecB, were found to be required for efficient propagation of phage LL5 but not LL12. This approach may be useful for identifying phage receptors and required host factors in other phages, which would provide valuable information for their potential use as therapeutics and for phage engineering.

The vertebrate annexin superfamily (AnxA) consists of 12 members of a calcium (Ca²⁺) and phospholipid binding protein family which share a high structural homology. In keeping with this hallmark feature, annexins have been implicated in the Ca²⁺-controlled regulation of a broad range of membrane events. In this review, we identify and discuss several themes of annexin actions that hold a potential therapeutic value, namely the regulation of the immune response and the control of tissue homeostasis, and that repeatedly surface in the annexin activity profile. Our aim is to identify and discuss those annexin properties which might be exploited from a translational science and specifically clinical point of view.

Although the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most pervasive neurotropic pathogens in the world, the host-parasite interactions during CNS infection and consequences of neurological infection are just beginning to be unraveled. The chronic stages of infection have been considered dormant, although several studies have found correlations of infection with an array of host behavioral changes. These may facilitate parasite transmission and impact neurological diseases. During infection, in addition to the presence of the parasites within neurons, host-mediated neuroimmune and hormonal responses to infection are also present. T. gondii induces numerous changes to host neurons during infection and globally alters host neurological signaling pathways, as discussed in this review. Understanding the neurophysiological changes in the host brain is imperative to understanding the parasitic mechanisms and to delineate the effects of this single-celled parasite on health and its contribution to neurological disease.

The name “Spergularia hanoverensis Simon” has been misapplied for an endemic taxon confined to inland semi-desert ecosystems in central-western South Africa. It is commonly accepted to be a small annual species occurring in saline habitats in a wide elevation range, but its real identity still remains obscure. In the context of a taxonomic and phylogenetic research on the African species of Spergularia, we found that the name apparently was never validly published still. After revision of herbarium material housed in the South African herbaria, a voucher collected from Hanover was found at PRE bearing some labels handwritten by E. Simon that suggest it might be an intended type for the name. Additional herbarium material and wild populations from Karoo region were identified that matched the samples in that voucher, and taxonomic research was conducted to clarify their identity. Those Karoo plants show a woody dense compact habit, woody perennial at base; stems prostrate to ascendent; leaves entirely glabrous, somewhat glaucous; with large white-hyaline conspicuous stipules; inflorescence glanduliferous, many-flowered subdichasial cyme, with minute bracts; flowers small, with white petals about equalling sepals, stamens 78, and styles free from base; capsule small, with seeds dimorphic, unwinged to broadly winged, with testa always densely tuberculate, among other characters. Molecular analyses of plastid (trnL-trnF region) and nuclear ribosomal (5.8S-ITS2 region) DNA sequence data support morphological differentiation of the Karoo plants, for which the name S. hanoverensis is here effectively published. A full morphological description, as well as data on ecology, habitat, distribution, and taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of S. hanoverensis are compared to other members of the “South African group”, namely S. glandulosa. S. namaquensis, and S. quartzicola, from which the new species considerably differs. Adaptative significance of dimorphic seeds of S. hanoverensis is briefly commented in context to habitat preference of the species. An identification key is presented for the South African related taxa.

The present study aims to identify tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars with weed-suppressive ability against target weed species in the tomato growing season. A greenhouse study was conducted with 17 tomato cultivars and target weeds Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats), yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.), and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.). Tomato plants and weed species were grown in the same pot. The height, chlorophyll, and dry weight biomass of the weeds were measured 28 days after sowing. The largest effect of tomato interference was on Palmer amaranth. Cultivar 15 reduced Palmer amaranth height, chlorophyll, and biomass by 58, 28, and 83%, respectively. Chlorophyll percentage of yellow nutsedge seedlings was suppressed by 15% by cultivar 64, whereas 13% of its height was reduced by cultivar 20. Cultivar 15 reduced biomass of yellow nutsedge by 40%. The percentage of chlorophyll of large crabgrass was reduced by 22% with cultivar 5, whereas the height and biomass were reduced by 35 and 44% with cultivars 38 and 63, respectively. Factoring all parameters evaluated, cultivars 38, 33, and 7 were most suppressive against the problematic weed species in tomato.

In the case of vascular plants the process of water loss by leafs and water absorption by the root is well known. There is agreement on the passive nature of long-distance moisture movement in the dead cells of the xylem; however, controversy exists focusing on the long-distance water transport principle. Hales (1726) founded a view of bulk flow based on water suction after experiments with cut twigs. The previous doctrine of long-distance water transport within vessel elements and tracheid of the xylem of intact plants – the relevant cohesion theory in text books – was developed mainly by Boehm (1893), Renner (1911) and Dixon (1914) with plant artefacts. Water movement according to this theory is based on an assumed hydrodynamic bulk fluid flow in xylem in continuous water columns (free of water vapour space), under tension, according to the law of Poiseuille (see e.g. Dixon 1914). Physically hydrodynamics is part of fluid mechanics, as a result Poiseuille’s law is usually valid only for hydrodynamic bulk flow in ideal capillaries (Sutera & Skalak, 1993). Besides the basic requirement for transport, according to cohesion theory, the existence of ideal capillaries is not compatible with either: “Because vessel elements and tracheid do not stand as ideal capillaries. …” (Bresinsky et al. 2008, translated from German). Unlike ideal capillaries, the walls of vessel elements and tracheid interact with the transported water. These walls are able to function as a source or as a sink for the transported water because of interaction with the cell walls. With the interaction, vessel elements and tracheid, part of the xylem, can shrink and swell, unlike ideal capillaries. Because the xylem (in woody plants part of the wood) is inconsistent with the basic law of fluid flow, the equation of mass balance (Zimmermann et al. 2004) and cohesion theory are not strictly followed.Many plant physiologists view the cohesion theory as appropriate, however, this theory remains controver­sial, i.e. by Eisenhut (1988), Laschimke (1990) and Hahn (1993). Nultsch (1996) gives doubts referring to the present doctrine of plant water transport. Zimmermann et al. (2004) reject the cohesion theory and conclude: “... that the arguments of the proponents of the Cohesion Theory are completely misleading” (Zimmermann et al. 2004). Hence cohesion theory can be treated as inapplicable and the question arises: how does water transport in fact function? In the following, it is gone into in more detail. A sorption hypothesis of actual water transport, based on empirical fact, shall be addressed in this paper.

Rice is currently the most important food crop in the world and we are only just beginning to study the bacterial associated microbiome. It is of importance to perform screenings of the core rice microbiota and also to develop new plant-microbe models and simplified communities for increasing our understanding about the formation and function of its microbiome. In order to begin to address this aspect, we have performed the isolation of bacterial strains from the endorhizosphere of two rice cultivars from Venezuela. The validation of plant-growth promoting bacterial activities in vitro has led us to select and characterize 15 isolates for in planta studies such as germination test, endophytism ability and plant growth promotion. Consequently, a set of 10 isolates was selected for the set-up of an endophytic consortium as a simplified model of the natural rice bacterial endomicrobiota. Upon inoculation, the colonization and abundance of each strain within the rice roots was tracked by a culture-independent technique in gnotobiotic conditions in a 30 days period. Four strains belonging to Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium and Delftia genera have shown a promising capacity for colonizing and coexistence in root tissues. On the other hand, a bacterial community taxonomic profiling of the rhizosphere and the endorhizosphere of both cultivars were obtained and are discussed. This study is part of a growing body of research on core crops microbiome and simplified microbiomes, which strengthens the formation process of the endophytic community leading to a better understanding of the rice microbiome.

Rice is currently the most important food crop in the world and we are only just beginning to study the bacterial associated microbiome. It is of importance to perform screenings of the core rice microbiota and also to develop new plant-microbe models and simplified communities for increasing our understanding about the formation and function of its microbiome. In order to begin to address this aspect, we have performed the isolation of hundreds bacterial isolates obtained from endorhizosphere of two rice cultivars from Venezuela. The validation of plant-growth promoting bacterial activities in vitro has led us to select and characterize 15 isolates for in planta studies such as germination test, endophytism ability and plant growth promotion. Consequently, a set of 10 isolates was selected for the set-up of an endophytic consortium as a simplified model of the natural rice bacterial endomicrobiota. Upon inoculation, the colonization and abundance of each strain within the rice roots was tracked by a culture-independent technique in gnotobiotic conditions in a 30 days period. Four strains belonging to Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium and Delftia genera have shown a promising capacity for colonizing and coexistence in root tissues. On the other hand, a bacterial community taxonomic profiling of the rhizosphere and the endorhizosphere of both cultivars were obtained and are discussed. This study is part of a growing body of research on core crops microbiome and simplified microbiomes, which strengthens the formation process of the endophytic community leading to a better understanding of the rice microbiome.

Duckweed (Lemnaceae) rises as a crucial model system due to its unique characteristics and wide-ranging utility. The significance in physiological research and phytoremediation highlights the intricate potential of Duckweed in the current era of plant biology. Special attention to Duckweed has been brought due to its distinctive features of nutrient uptake, ion transport dynamics, detoxification, intricate signaling, and stress tolerance. In addition, Duckweed can alleviate environmental pollutants and enhance sustainability by participating in bioremediation processes and wastewater treatment. Furthermore, insights into the genomic complexity of Lemnaceae species and the flourishing field of transgenic development highlight the opportunities for genetic manipulation and biotechnological innovations. The novel methods for germplasm conservation of Duckweed can be adopted to preserve genetic diversity for future research endeavors and breeding programs. This review centers on prospects in Duckweed research promoting interdisciplinary collaborations and technological advancements to drive its full potential as a model organism.

The potential advantages of plant-based interventions in decreasing the incidence and lessening the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 are yet to be widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, recent publications propose that these interventions could be effective. Our cardiology center conducted an interventional study in which we incorporated plant-based foods and provided supplementation to 3470 elderly COVID-19 patients with multiple comorbidities. We pay close attention to the precise selection of food items, the application of appropriate processing methods, and the provision of nourishing meals to our patients. Our outcome was highly successful as we achieved a zero mortality rate, and none of our patients experienced worsening conditions or required hospitalization. In this review article we present the mechanisms how plant-based and supplement interventions can mitigate COVID-19 disease severity and mortality. And experts have validated our hypotheses very recently. The measures and methods used to address the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic through plant-based interventions and supplements are effective and may help prevent or manage future pandemics.

Abstract: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of plant-based diets and supplement interventions in mitigating the severity and mortality of COVID-19 patients. Observational research suggests that a diet high in plant-based foods may decrease the likelihood and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, several studies have faced criticism regarding the accuracy of obtaining dietary questionnaires and the insufficient intake of essential vitamins and minerals in such diets. To address these issues, this study employed a prospective interventional design that strictly controlled the quality, quantity, and processing of plant-based foods provided. Furthermore, the study incorporated supplementation, which enhanced the anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and immunomodulatory properties of a plant-based diet against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Of the 3,470 COVID-19 elderly patients, half already followed a plant-based diet, and the other half new patients, both with various comorbidities, were intervened with a plant-based diet and supplementation. The results showed that the participants in the non-plant-based diet group were twice as likely to have experienced moderate disease (with 95% confidence limit: 1.42-3.12) and 2.4 times more likely to have experienced severe disease (with 95% confidence limit: 1.2-5.0) with a significant p-value of less than 0.0005 and 0.016 respectively, compared to those in the PBD group. During the interventions, none of the participants experienced disease progression or hospitalization, and there were no reported deaths by the end of the study. The outcome was highly favorable and aligned with the researchers' expectations, as COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates in Indonesia were among the highest in Asia. This research may provide significant insights into the prevention and management of COVID-19 and aid in better preparation for future pandemics.

Plants endogenous hormones play an important role in resistance to soil lead (Pb) contamination. In order to explore the response of plant hormones to Pb stress, pot experiment was conducted to analysis the hormones contents, related gene expressions and Pb accumulation of Arabis alpina under Pb treatment and transporter (CAX(cation exchangers), HMA(heavy metal ATPase) and ABC(ATP-binding cassette transporter)) activities under foliage spraying auxin (IAA). The results showed that contents of total Pb and soluble components Pb (vacuoles) in roots and leaves of Arabis alpina increased with increase of Pb treatment concentrations. Compering to 100 mg·kg-1 Pb2+ treatment, Pb contents in soluble components of roots and leaves under 300 mg·kg-1 Pb2+ treatment increased by 896.3% and 238.8%, respectively. The contents of endogenous hormones in leaves and roots increased under Pb treatment concentrations. Comparing to control (0 mg·kg-1 Pb2+ treatment), contents of auxin in roots and leaves under 100 mg∙kg-1 Pb treatment increased by 176.19% and 585.29%, respectively. Auxin contents in xylem saps under 100 and 300 mg∙kg-1 Pb treatments increased by 283.14% and 100.30%, respectively. Gene expression related to auxin transport was up-adjusted. The expressions of three gene related to auxin-repressed 12.5 kDa protein and auxin-responsive GH3 family were down-adjusted. Under foliage spraying IAA, Pb contents in leaves increased by 29.81% and Pb content in symplast sap was higher than that with non spraying IAA treatment. The activities of CAX and HMA in roots of A. alpina increased by 9.62% and 8.79% with foliage spraying IAA treatment, while activity of ABC decreased by 21.94%. In general, contents of auxin and related genes expressions of A. alpina increased under Pb treatment, which enhanced activities of CAX and HMA resulting in Pb translocation through symplast pathway.

Salinity is a significant abiotic stress factor for ornamental plants cultivated in greenhouses, as they are supplied with fertilizers over a long period of time. It causes drastic yield losses in com-mercially important ornamentals such as Gerbera jamesonii, whose cut flowers rank fifth in the global flower trade. In the current study, pretreatment of G. jamesonii plants (white and yellow flowering varieties) with optimum concentrations of thiourea (1.0 mM, 5.0 mM & 10.0 mM) in-duced plant salt-tolerance. Gerberas pretreated with thiourea (5.0 mM), when exposed to NaCl (200mM), showed no signs of plant stress or phenotypic abnormalities, as seen in gerberas ex-posed to NaCl without thiourea pretreatment. Moreover, thiourea application significantly pro-moted plant growth as evidenced by increases in fresh and dry leaf weight, relative water con-tent, total protein content, free proline content, and chlorophyll. A decrease in H2O2 and MDA content and an increase in antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate perox-idase, glutathione reductase, and peroxidase activity indicate minimal cellular damage in gerberas treated with thiourea. Thus, spraying leaves with thiourea (5.0 mM) could help gerbera plants overcome the deleterious effects of salt stress during repeated fertilization in nethouses. In addi-tion to alleviating salt stress, thiourea can also be used as a biofertilizer. This could also be ex-tended to other ornamental species to promote sustainable development of the floriculture indus-try.

Carbon dots have received much attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and diverse applications in bioimaging, optoelectronic devices, catalysis, and agriculture. Here in this work, we report a simple hydrothermal synthesis of nitrogen and phosphorus-doped carbon dots (N, P-CDs). The optical and physical properties of the synthesized N, P-CDs were analyzed using systematical spectroscopy and electrical characterization. The synthesized N, P-CDs show strong photoluminescence at 626 nm and demonstrate high stability under UV light and other conditions. Moreover, we incorporate the synthesized N, P-CDs into water spinach by root spraying and leaf spraying. It was found that N, P-CDs could effectively promote the growth of water spinach by increasing the photosynthetic rate, and the content of total phenols and anthocyanins in water spinach

Salvia hispanica (chia) is a highly nutritious food source and has gained popularity due to its high omega-3 fatty acid content. Red spider mites are a serious problem in the production of S. hispanica. However, no study has been conducted to analyse the defensive response to the infestation of red spider mites in S. hispanica. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the defensive response of S. hispanica to red spider mites, we performed a transcriptomic analysis of S. hispanica when infested by red spider mites. In the comparative assessment of leaf transcriptomes, a total of 1743 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between control and mite-infested S. hispanica. From these, 1208 (69%) transcripts were up-regulated and 535 (31%) were down-regulated. The DEGs included transcription factors, defense hormones, and secondary metabolites that were either suppressed or activated in response to spider mite herbivory. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that plant secondary metabolites such as glucosinolates, and signalling pathways, including the jasmonic acid signalling pathway, may play an important role in the defence against red spider mites. This study provides novel insights into the defence response of S. hispanica in response to insect herbivory and could be a resource for the improvement of pest resistance in the chia.

Purpureocillium lilacinum PL11 (formerly Paecilomyces lilacinus) is a ubiquitous fungus found in several habitats, mainly in the soil, and belongs to the Ophiocordycipitaceae family. This fungus was shown to have potential applications in agriculture as a biocontrol agent and biofertilizer. P. lilacinum can inhibit plant‒pathogenic fungi and nematodes, including root-knot and potato cyst nematodes. Additionally, P. lilacinum produces siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), enhancing plant development and increasing soil nutrient availability. P. lilacinum has been extensively studied in various commodities, including pineapple, maize, soybean, and legume. Most studies have evaluated P. lilacinum as a biocontrol agent, especially for nematode control. Other studies have evaluated the production of secondary metabolites and bioremediation, and few studies have used this fungus as a plant growth promoter. This review addressed important aspects of using this fungus. P. lilacinum is a promising fungus that can be used for agricultural production, reducing environmental impact, and thus collaborating for a sustainable agriculture production system.

Siam weed, scientifically known as Chromolaena odorata and belonging to the Asteraceae family, is a fast-growing plant with prolific seed production. Although it is a traditional medicinal plant, it has become an agricultural weed in Africa and Asia, posing a threat to biodiversity and causing environmental damage. Despite this, C. odorata is highly regarded as a medicinal herb in tropical Africa, with anticancer effects on breast, liver, and colorectal cancer. However, it is important to regulate the intake of the plant extract as it can have a hepatotoxic effect on liver cells at higher doses. Further research needs to be conducted on the plant extract, and proper orientation and knowledge of its oral daily administration are necessary. This review summarizes current scientific investigations using ethanolic and methanolic aqueous extracts of C. odorata leaves on various cancer cells, to uncover its potential as an anticancer agent. The investigations were sourced from online databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, and other online-based journals.

Power generation using renewable technologies has become a primordial option to satisfy the energy demand all over the world, being solar concentrating technologies widely applied for this purpose. A combination of Parabolic Trough Collector with Direct Steam Generation has been considered an excellent option for power generation, due to the economic cost and complexity in the plant are reduced. The thermal evaluation of the solar power plant as well as the PTC in the DSG process is very important in viability and economic analysis. In this sense, as the main objective of this work, a numerical tool for evaluating DSG with PTC technology has been developed. The software SOLEEC is a versatile, reliable, accurate and friendly to the user for thermally evaluating a DSG with PTC technology. The user has the possibility to compare the thermal behavior of different geometrical dimensions for a PTC; and even consider different materials; in order to satisfy the demand of superheated steam by a DSG process. The software has an error less than 5% when compared with literature results and in this paper is used to evaluate a power plant in Mexico obtaining that the change to DSG proposing different PTC could reduce the solar field about 35%.

In today’s world, it is the need of the hour to adopt new technology to sustain the production of the future. Nanotechnology is gaining popularity for its efficiency in various applied fields of science. In agriculture, nanomaterials have a huge impact on the efficiency of fertilizers pesticides, etc. As it requires very fewer quantities and has a negligible residual effect the environment is safe with the innovation of Nano fertilizer. Keeping this view into account an experimental Trial at a farmer’s field was carried out at Berui village in the Hooghly District of West Bengal during the winter (rabi) season of 2019 – 20 under the supervision of Berui Cooperative, KVK-Hooghly, BCKV, and IFFCO with nano-Urea, nano-Zn and nano-Cu using RBD design with 10 treatments and 3 replications. Experimental results revealed that the highest tuber yield was obtained in T-7 (50% N+100% P & K+ 2 spray of nano-Urea), and that was followed by T-10 (50% N + 100% P & K + 50% Zn + 1 spray each of Nano-Urea, Zn and Cu) and T-8 (100% N-P-K + 50% Zn + 2 spray of Nano-Zn). The performance of nano fertilizers, Nano- Urea, was quite promising and economically viable as compared to the 100% recommended dose with commercial fertilizers (RDF).

Melanins are phenolic biopolymers synthesised by most of the living organism mainly for photoprotection or surviving in harsh conditions. Melanin is localised in different areas or complexed with different other biomolecules when observed from animals to microbes. This makes the melanin extraction procedure different in animal, plant and microbial tissues. Basically, the alkali-acid extraction is used in most protocols of which slight variations are there depending on the tissue used. This review will try to compile melanin extraction procedures from different cells and tissues ranging from animals to bacteria.

There are many medicinal plants that have various medicinal properties in their different parts. The medicinal plants are major backbone of pharmaceutical industries. In this article we compare the antioxidants properties from various plants parts (root, stem, leaf, flower and bark) of the most important medicinal plant, Justicia adhatoda L. Various plant parts showed the good amount of antioxidant properties. These results enhance the medicinal properties of this plant due to the presence of good amount of antioxidants; among all the plant parts leaves and flowers showed maximum natural antioxidants, hence the study could be saying that this plant has good efficacy of antioxidants.

Trees provide key ecosystem services, but the health and sustainability of these plants is under increasing biotic and abiotic threat, including from the growing incidences of non-native invasive plant pests (including pathogens). The island of Ireland (Ireland and Northern Ireland) is generally accepted to have a high plant health status, in part due to its island status and because of the national and international regulations aimed at protecting plant health. To establish a baseline of the current pest threats to tree health for the island of Ireland, the literature and unpublished sources were reviewed to produce a dataset of pests of trees on the island of Ireland. The dataset contains 396 records of pests of trees on the island of Ireland, the majority of pests being arthropods and fungi, and indicating potentially more than 44 non-native pest introductions. The reliability of many (378) of the records was judged to be high, therefore the dataset provides a robust assessment of the state of pests of trees recorded on the island of Ireland. We analyse this dataset and review the history of plant pest invasions, including (i) discussion on notable native and non-native pests of trees, (ii) pest interceptions at borders and (iii) pests and climate change. The dataset establishes an important baseline for the knowledge of plant pests on the island of Ireland, and will be a valuable resource for future plant health research and policy making.

Plants produce a diverse portfolio of sesquiterpenes that are important in their response to herbivores and the interaction with other plants. Their biosynthesis from farnesyl diphosphate depends on the sesquiterpene synthases. Here, we investigate to what extent metabolic pathways can be reconstructed just from knowledge of the final product and the reaction mechanisms catalyzed by sesquiterpene synthases. We use the software package MedØlDatschgerl (MØD) to generate chemical networks and elucidate pathways contained in them. As examples, we successfully consider the reachability of the important plant sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, and β-farnesene. We also introduce a graph database to integrate simulation results with experimental biological evidence for selected predicted sesquiterpenes biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutic agents has introduced new opportunities in upgrading medical treatment. Plant extracts contains different capping and reducing agents naturally thus provided simpler and less expensive way to synthesize AgNPs. In present work, Citrus reticulata mediated stabilised AgNPs was synthesized. Optimum concentration of reactants was achieved by varying the amount of extracts (1-11 ml) and AgNO₃ concentration (0.5-3 mM). Surface Plasmon peak of Citrus reticulata mediated AgNPs was determined by UV-visible spectrophotometer and functional groups of capping agents were examined by FTIR analysis. Surface Plasmon peaks of Citrus reticulata fresh peel, seed, and juice extracts were observed at 420 nm. But in dry peel extract, absorption peak of AgNPs appeared at 410 nm. Colour of different extracts was changed after the reduction of AgNO₃ to AgNPs by reducing agents present in the extracts. FTIR analysis showed band peaks at 3316 cm-1 correspond to amide (N-H and O-H) stretching vibrations while alkanes peaks was observed at 1638 cm-1 which showed C=C stretching aromatic ring (flavonoids). Furthermore, Citrus reticulata fresh peel mediated AgNPs showed impressive stability up-to 112 days. In conclusion, Citrus reticulata fresh peel extract provided an excellent source of reducing agents for synthesizing stabilized AgNPs.

Abstract Plant fungal pathogens are frequently found as one of limiting factors for crop production. More than 10,000 species of fungi can cause disease in plants. To control the diseases, many farmers are still rely on the use of chemical fungicides, however most synthetic fungicides can cause acute toxicity, and some cause chronic toxicity as well. Thus, an appropriate technological improvement towards a more effective use of natural resources is required in agriculture to develop environmentally friendly sustainable farming system. This paper highlights the potential of extracts of tropical plants as antifungal agent to control plant fungal diseases. Information and data presented in this paper are mainly derived from selected and related references that previously published in the scientific journals. Many higher plants of tropical origin with fungicidal activities and their potential for fungal disease control of agricultural crops have been studied, however most of the studies have been done under in vitro condition. Some plant extracts showed strong antifungal activities on in vitro as well as in vivo tests, but some plant extracts showed significant antifungal activities on in vitro test, but did not obvious on in vivo tests. A great variation in antifungal activities were shown by plants extracts of different species and plant parts, in one hand, and on the other hand, variation was also observed on the responses of different fungal species to the same plant extract. Since the purpose of the use of plant extract is to control plant fungal diseases, the field trial is needed to ensure the stability of efficacy of certain plant extract. In addition, isolation and identification of active substances in the extracts is needed to assess possible mode of action and side effect of their use.

Endophytic bacteria, especially those participate in nitrogen fixation, play critical roles in supplying essential nutrients for legume plant growth. Compared to the numerous bacterial microbiome reports targeting legume roots and nodules, little is known about embryonic bacteria that facilitate plant nutrient utilization after seed germination. Here, we collected and investigated endophytic bacterial microbiomes in edible pea (Pisum sativum) embryos using five representative cultivars and a pea sprout control. Twenty-six nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFBs) were isolated from pea embryos, with three strains found in fresh pea (FGP) and snow pea (SP) exhibiting the strongest nitrogenase activity. Some NFB isolates are also potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSBs) or phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) utilizing inorganic and/or organic phosphorus. All 26 NFBs showed variable levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) secretion. The nutrient-solubilizing NFBs identified in our research are valuable resources for biofertilizer development. At the microbiome level, high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing of 40 bacterial collections from pea embryos revealed similar community structures and species abundances and diversities in most samples. Our embryo-derived endophytic bacterial pool provides a microbiome platform for seed dormancy and germination research of edible peas.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of different drying methodologies (room, microwave, convective, oven and freeze-drying) on the chemical composition, the microbiological quality of extracts and the biological activities namely clotting milk and antioxidant activities for both spontaneous and cultivated Onopordum nervosum ssp. platylepis. The results showed that the drying methodology has significantly affected the phenolic composition. Freeze dried flowers showed the best amounts of total phenols, flavonoids and condensed tannins followed by the microwave dried flowers. However, the latest presented the lowest protein content. Finally, the biological activities were significantly dependent on the used drying process. The effective concentration EC50 values let to classify the samples according to their decreasing power to inhibit DPPH free radicals: dryer<oven<room <microwave<freeze-drying. The drying process significantly affected the clotting milk activity, freeze dried flowers showed the highest activity. All the obtained results do not reveal a significant difference between cultivated and spontaneous plants.

Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome (JPS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by multiple juvenile polyps in the gastrointestinal tract, often associated with mutations in genes such as Smad4 and BMPR1A. This study explores the impact of Smad4 knockout on the development of intestinal polyps using Collaborative Cross (CC) mice, a genetically diverse model. Our results reveal a significant increase in intestinal polyps in Smad4 knockout mice across the entire population, emphasizing the broad influence of Smad4 on polyposis. Sex-specific analyses demonstrate higher polyp counts in knockout males and females compared to their WT counterparts, with distinct correlation patterns. Line-specific effects highlight the nuanced response to Smad4 knockout, underscoring the importance of genetic variability. Multimorbidity heat maps offer insights into complex relationships between polyp counts, locations, and sizes. Heritability analysis reveals a significant genetic basis for polyp counts and sizes, while machine learning models, including k-Nearest Neighbours and Linear Regression, identify key predictors, enhancing our understanding of juvenile polyposis genetics. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate genetic interplay in the context of Smad4 knockout, offering valuable insights into potential therapeutic targets for juvenile polyposis and related diseases.

Acute and chronic graft versus host disease (a/cGVHD) are major complications of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and a frequent cause of non relapse-mortality. The treatment of a/cGVHD consists of steroid administration at full dose. In the case of aGVHD, around 60 % of patients with grade III/IV fails to respond (steroid-resistant, SR), requiring a second line therapy. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) represents a good option for second line treatment, leading to multiorgan response in several patients. Here, we have evaluated the performances of a cytofluorimetric quality control of the first ECP procedure in 29 patients with severe SR aGVHD who underwent ECP. The quality control represents a check control of in vitro cell apoptosis/death induction in collected and irradiated CD3+ cells by ECP. Our analysis shows that in more than 70 % quality controls a relevant apoptotosis/death of CD3+ cells was observed after cell irradiation, as compared to non-irradiated controls. Albeit observed in a small patients’ series, the occurrence of relevant in vitro effect after ECP relates to less procedures and/or to a better survival on ECP. Age, disease, gender, aGVHD grade and time from transplant to the first ECP had not impact on ECP efficacy in this patients’ series.

Epitranscriptomic RNA modifications play a crucial role in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal modification of eukaryotic RNA and plays a pivotal role in RNA fate. RNA m6A modification is regulated by a group of cellular proteins, methyltransferases (writers) and demethylases (erasers), which add and remove the methyl group from adenosine, respectively. m6A modification is recognized by a group of cellular RNA-binding proteins (readers) that specifically bind to m6A-modified RNA, mediating effects on RNA stability, splicing, transport, and translation. The functional significance of m6A modification of viral and cellular RNA is an active area of virology research. In this review, we summarize and analyze current literature on m6A modification of HIV-1 RNA, the multifaceted functions of m6A in regulating HIV-1 replication, and the role of viral RNA m6A modification in evading the innate immune responses to infection. Furthermore, we briefly discuss future directions and therapeutic implications of mechanistic studies of HIV-1 epitranscriptomic modifications.

Human pulmonary paragonimiasis, an emerging concern in North East India, frequently masquerades as pulmonary tuberculosis due to clinical and radiological similarities, leading to diagnostic challenges. This research was aimed to harness the immunoblotting technique to discern immunodiagnostic protein antigens from both adult worm and excretory-secretory (ES) extracts of the prevalent Paragonimus westermani type 1 in Arunachal Pradesh, North East India. We studied the time kinetics of immunoreactive patterns in relation to the duration of infection in rodent models. Immunoblot analyses were also conducted using sera from ELISA positive patients confirmed with paragonimiasis, facilitating the selection of antigenic extracts with diagnostic potential. Further, ES proteins antigens were subjected to 2D- immunoblot analysis and immunoreactive protein spots identified by MALDI-TOF MS. Immunoreactivity patterns of ES antigens with sera of paragonimiasis positive patients were detailed, and specific immunoreactive protein antigens were pinpointed using peptide mass fingerprinting (MALDI-TOF). This work underscores the enhanced diagnostic accuracy when combining ELISA with immunoblotting for pulmonary paragonimiasis in regions like North East India, marked by co-existing helminth infections.

The objective of the present study is to isolate phages targeting multidrug resistant (MDR), extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) positive clinical isolate of E. coli ( U1007), sequence and analyze the phage genome and use machine learning tools to predict host cell surface receptor and finally evaluate the efficiency of monophage and phage cocktail in vitro and in vivo in a zebrafish model. Phage specific for E. coli U1007 was isolated from Ganges River (designated as U1G), Cuoom River (designated as CR) and Hospital waste water (designated as M phage). The obtained phages were triple purified and enriched. U1G phages had a greater burst size of 124 PFU/cell and a latent time of 25 min.M phage had a burst size of 150 PFU/cell with a shortlatent time of 20min. Similarly CR phage has a short latent 20 min and a burst size of 115 PFU/cell. Based on capsid architecture, U1G phage resembles Podoviridae, CR phage is structurally similar to Myoviridae and M phage has morphology that resembles Siphoviridae. Genome sequencing and analysis revealed that the size of the U1G phage genome is 73275 bp Whereas that of CR phage and M phage are 45236 bp and 45294 bp, respectively. All three genomes were marked by the absence of genes encoding tRNA sequence, antibiotic resistant or virulent genes. A machine learning (ML) based multi-class classification model using algorithms such as Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and Decision Tree were employed to predict the host receptor targeted by all 3 phages and the best performing algorithm Random Forest predicted LPS O antigen , LamB or OmpC for U1G FhuA, OmpC for CR phage and FhuA, LamB, TonB or OmpF for the M phage as the host receptor targeted by the receptor binding protein (RBP) of the phages. In vitro time kill assay showed that treatment with monophages alone and along with colistin resulted in regrowth whereas phage combinations significantly reduced the regrowth and by 24h the phage cocktail along with colistin produced a significant 3 log declinein cell counts relative to the untreated control. In vivo intramuscular infection study in zebrafish showed that phages were non toxic and a cocktail of dual (U1G +M) phage along with colsitin resulted in a significant 3.5 log decline in cell counts whereas triple phage combination along with colistin resulted in 3 log decline in cell counts probably due to host receptor competition. Our study highlights the potential of phage cocktail therapy in mitigating MDR clinical isolate of E. coli in vitro and in vivo.

Hosting FIFA World Cup obviously produce immense socio-economic impacts to a nation. Proximal non-host city perception to mega event was frequently explored, while distal non-host city perception has less investigated. This study assessed the socio-economic impacts of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Chon Buri Sports City residents. Participants were 422 Chon Buri Sports City residents from eleven districts. Perception on socio-economic impacts of hosting FWC Qatar 2022 was measured from the translated Scale of Perceived Social Impacts. Extracted seven dimensions by confirmatory factor analysis is consistent with empirical data. Positive impact dimensions are Community Development, Community Pride, Economic Benefits. Negative impact dimensions are Traffic Problems, Security Risks, Economic Costs, and Environmental Concerns. Chon Buri Sports City residents perceived fewer negative impacts than other non-host city residents. Positive impacts of hosting FWC Qatar 2022 has more influenced on Chon Buri Sports City residents’ perception than negative impacts. These findings advantage for sport stakeholders to deeper understand the impacts of mega event hosting.

The global threat of COVID-19 has led to the increasing use of metabolomics to study SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and animals. Despite this, understanding SARS-CoV-2's metabolome during infection remains difficult and incomplete. Here, metabolic responses were characterized from sampled nasal washes collected from an asymptomatic ferret model (n = 20) at different time points before and after the SARS-CoV-2 challenge using an LC-MS-based metabolomics approach. Multivariate analysis of the nasal wash metabolome data resulted in several statistically significant features being observed. Despite no effects of gender or interaction between gender and time on the time course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, 16 metabolites were significantly different at every time point post-infection. Among these altered metabolites, the relative abundance of taurine was elevated post infection which could be an indication of hepatotoxicity, while the accumulation of sialic acids could indicate SARS-CoV-2 invasion. The pathway analysis identified several pathways influenced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of these, sugar, glycan, and amino acid metabolisms were the key altered pathways in the upper respiratory channel during infection. These findings provide some new insights into the progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection in ferrets at the metabolic level which could be useful for the development of early clinical diagnosis tools and new or repurposed drug therapies.

The different cell subsets of the immune system express vitamin D receptor (VDR). Through VDR, vitamin D exerts different functions which influences on immune responses, as previously shown in different preclinical models. Based on this background, retrospective studies have explored the impact of vitamin D levels on the outcome of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, showing that vitamin D deficiency is related to an increased risk of complications, especially graft-versus-host disease. These results have been confirmed in a prospective cohorts trial, although further studies are required to confirm this data. In addition, the role of vitamin D on the treatment of hematologic malignancies has also been explored. Considering this dual effect both on the immune system as well as on tumor cells in patients with hematologic malignancies, vitamin D might be useful in this setting both to decrease graft-versus-host disease and relapse rates.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 likely emerged from a wildlife source with transmission to humans followed by rapid geographic spread throughout the globe and severe impacts on both human health and the global economy. Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been many instances of human-to-animal transmission involving companion, farmed and zoo animals, and limited evidence for spread into free-living wildlife. The establishment of reservoirs of infection in wild animals would create significant challenges to infection control in humans and could pose a threat to the welfare and conservation status of wildlife. We discuss the potential for exposure, onward transmission and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in an initial selection of wild mammals (bats, canids, felids, mustelids, great apes, rodents and cervids). Dynamic risk assessment and targeted surveillance are important tools for the early detection of infection in wildlife, and here we describe a framework for collating and synthesising emerging information to inform targeted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife. Surveillance efforts should be integrated with information from public and veterinary health initiatives to provide insights into the potential role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.

In this paper, we have numerically investigated a metasurface based perfect absorber design established on the impedance matching phenomena. The paper comprises of two parts. In the first part, the device performance of the perfect absorber is studied which is composed of a silicon Nano-cylindrical meta-atoms periodically arranged on the thin gold layer. The device design is unique which works for both x-oriented and y-oriented polarized light, besides independent of the angle of incidence. In the second part of the paper, CO2 gas sensing application is explored by depositing a thin layer of functional host material polyhexamethylene biguanide polymer on the metasurface. The refractive index of the host material decreases due to the absorption of the CO2 gas. As a result, the resonance wavelength of the perfect absorber performs a prominent blueshift. With the help of the proposed sensor design based on metasurface, the CO2 gas concentration range of 0-524 ppm is detected. The maximum sensitivity of ~17.3 pm/ppm is acquired for the gas concentration of 434 ppm. The study presented in this work explores the opportunity of utilizing metasurface perfect absorber for gas sensing applications by employing the functional host materials.

Exploring the biological significance of mutations in SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, causing the COVID–19 pandemic, has recently become an area of paramount interest for many researchers, who are pouring their tremendous efforts, in cracking the COVID–19 pandemic code. One of many such mutations that have occurred in the viral genome is V483A mutation, which is a part of the receptor-binding motif (RBM), present in the S1 domain of the spike protein. V483A mutant virus is becoming popular in North America with 36 cases so far, due to its frequent occurrences in recent days. In this review, we have assembled all information, currently available on V483A mutation, and have made a critical analysis based on the perspectives of many researchers all around the world. Comparison is made between the wild type and the V483A mutants to analyze certain factors like the type of interaction between the virus and host cell interface, binding affinity, stability, partition energy, hydrophobicity, occurrence rate, and transmissibility. Insilico dynamic analysis shows minimal alteration in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of V483A mutant protein in free-state and no significant change of mutant tertiary structure of RBM upon binding to the ACE2 receptor. Comprehensive details about infectivity and evasion of the immune system by the virus are discussed. This information can in turn be of monumental importance in the field of vaccine and drug development because the mutants are becoming resistant to the vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus-2) of the family Coronaviridae, appeared in Wuhan, Hubei province, China being its epicenter in December 2019. This disease was declared as posing Public Health International Emergency by World Health Organization on January 30, 2020, attained the status of a very high-risk category on February 29, and now having a pandemic status (March 11, 2020). COVID-19 has presently spread to more than 195 countries/territories while killing nearly 19,600 humans out of cumulative confirmed cases accounting to more than 430,000 within a short period of just a few weeks. The majority of deaths have been reported in Italy and China. Researchers worldwide are pacing with high efforts to counter the spread of this virus and to design effective vaccines and therapeutics/drugs. Few of the studies have shown the potential of animal-human interface and zoonotic links in the origin of SARS-CoV-2. Exploring the possible zoonosis and revealing the factors responsible for its initial transmission from animals to humans will pave ways to design and implement effective preventive and control strategies to counter COVID-19. The present review presents an overview of COVID-19 and the causative virus SARS-CoV-2, with particular emphasis on the role of animals and their jumping the cross-species barriers, experiences learned from SARS- and MERS-CoVs, zoonotic links, and spillover events, transmission to humans and rapid spread., highlighting in very brief the preventive and control measures along with a few of the recent research developments to counter this pandemic virus/disease.

Despite the implementation of control strategies, the invasive parasitic mite Varroa destructor remains one of the principal causes of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses in numerous countries. For this reason, the parasite represents a serious threat to beekeeping and to agro-ecosystems that benefit from the pollination services provided by honey bees. Numerous selection programmes have been initiated over the last three decades with the aim of promoting the establishment of balance in the host–parasite relationship and, thus, helping European honey bees to survive in the presence of the parasite without the need for acaricide treatments. Such programmes have focused on either selective breeding for putative resistance traits or natural selection. To date, no clear overview of these attempts has been available, which has prevented building on past successes or failures and, therefore, hindered the development of a sustainable strategy for solving the V. destructor problem. In the present study, we review past and current selection strategies, report on their outcomes and discuss their limitations. Based on this state-of-the-art knowledge, we propose a strategy for increasing response to selection and colony survival against V. destructor infestations. Developing in-depth knowledge regarding the selected traits, optimising selection programmes and communicating their outcomes are all crucial to our efforts to establish a balanced relationship between the invasive parasite and its new host.

Abstract: With the availability of an increasing number of 3D structures of bacteriophage components, combined with powerful in silico predictive tools, it has become possible to decipher the structural assembly and functionality of phage adhesion devices. In the current study, we examined 113 members of the 936 group of lactococcal siphophages, and identified a number of Carbohydrate Binding Modules (CBMs) in the neck passage structure and major tail protein, on top of evolved Dit proteins as recently reported by us. The binding ability of such CBM-containing proteins was assessed through the construction of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins and subsequent binding assays. Two CBMs, one from the phage tail and another from the neck, demonstrated definite binding to their phage-specific host. Bioinformatic analysis of the structural proteins of 936 phages reveals that they incorporate binding modules which exhibit structural homology to those found in other lactococcal phage groups and beyond, indicating that phages utilize common structural “bricks” to enhance host binding capabilities. The omnipresence of CBMs in Siphophages supports their beneficial role in the infection process, as they can be combined in various ways to form appendages with different shapes and functionalities, ensuring their success in host detection in their respective ecological niches.

Prasinoviruses are large dsDNA viruses commonly found in aquatic systems worldwide, where they can infect and lyse unicellular prasinophyte algae such as Ostreococcus. Host susceptibility is virus strain-specific, but resistance of susceptible Ostreococcus tauri strains to a virulent virus arises frequently. In clonal resistant lines that re-grow, viruses are usually present for many generations, and genes clustered on chromosome 19 show physical rearrangements and differential expression. Here, we investigated changes occurring during the first two weeks after inoculation of viruses. By serial dilutions of cultures at the time of inoculation, we estimated the frequency of resistant cells arising in virus-challenged O. tauri cultures to be 10⁻³–10⁻⁴ of the inoculated population. Re-growing resistant cells were detectable by flow cytometry 3 days post-inoculation (dpi), visible re-greening of cultures occurred by 6 dpi, and karyotypic changes were visually detectable at 8 dpi. Resistant cell lines showed a modified spectrum of host-virus specificities and much lower levels of OtV5 adsorption.

One of the most serious concerns about mega event-related changes to small cities is how to effectively utilize newly developed public attractions after the Olympic Games. Making connections with existing local amenities and forming attraction networks can be effective strategies for continuing a city’s revitalization. However, despite the expected benefits, attraction network research shows that these benefits often fail to materialize. With the case of Gangneung, a 2018 winter Olympic hosting city, this study investigated visitation patterns to nineteen selected attractions using network analysis. The results indicate that the most influential nodes are located on the northern coast, the eastern coast, and in the south downtown area, those nodes being the central locations where the strongest of connections are made. New attractions such as the Olympic Park and Walwha Linear Park were rather isolated. While seasonal and periodic variations, visitors’ residences, and destination choice attitudes had a significant effect on visitation patterns, the attraction networks, modes of transportation, proximity to region, and type similarity were not significant factors in the forming of visitation patterns. The results make a methodological contribution to tourist behavior and network research. In addition, beyond individual attraction development, the results provide practical implications in regard to networking and cooperation between multiple attractions using temporal and spatial strategies such as management/investment prioritizing, travel route development, and program scheduling.

The pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a model organism able to synthesize industrially-relevant molecules. Commercial-scale cultivation currently requires large monocultures, prone to bio-contamination. However, little is known about the identity of the invading organisms. To reduce the complexity of natural systems, we systematically investigated the microbiome of non-axenic P. tricornutum cultures from a culture collection in reproducible experiments. The results revealed a dynamic bacterial community that developed differently in “complete” and “minimal” media conditions. In complete media, we observed an accelerated “culture crash”, indicating a more stable culture in minimal media. The identification of only four bacterial families as major players within the microbiome suggests specific roles depending on environmental conditions. From our results we propose a network of putative interactions between P. tricornutum and these main bacterial factions. We demonstrate that, even with rather sparse data, a mathematical model can be reconstructed that qualitatively reproduces the observed population dynamics, thus indicating that our hypotheses regarding the molecular interactions are in agreement with experimental data. Whereas the model in its current state is only qualitative, we argue that it serves as a starting point to develop quantitative and predictive mathematical models, which may guide experimental efforts to synthetically construct and monitor stable communities required for robust upscaling strategies.

A plant’s health and productivity is influenced by its associated microbes. Although the common microbiome is often thought to be the most influential, significant numbers of rare or uncommon microbes (eg. specialized endosymbionts) may also play an important role in the health and productivity of certain plants in certain environments. To help identify rare/specialized bacteria and fungi in the most important angiosperm plants, we contrasted microbiomes of the shoots, roots and rhizospheres of Arabidopsis, Brachypodium, maize, wheat, sugarcane, rice, tomato, coffee, common bean, cassava, soybean, switchgrass, sunflower, Brachiaria, barley, sorghum, and pea. Plants were grown inside sealed jars on sterile sand or field soil. About 95% and 86% of fungal and bacterial diversity inside plants was uncommon, however judging by read abundance, up to half of the mycobiome consists of uncommon fungal cells, while less than 11% of bacterial endophytes are rare. Uncommon seed transmitted microbiomes consisted mostly of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteriodetes, Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes that most heavily colonized shoots, to a lesser extent roots and least of all rhizospheres. Soil served as a more diverse source of rare microbes than seeds, replacing or excluding the majority of the uncommon seed transmitted microbiome. With the rarest microbes, their colonization pattern could either be the result of stringent biotic filtering by most plants, or uneven/stochastic inoculum distribution in seeds or soil. Several strong plant-microbe associations were observed such as seed transmission to shoots, roots and/or rhizospheres of Sarocladium zeae (maize), Penicillium (pea and Phaseolus), and Curvularia (sugarcane), while robust bacterial colonization from cassava field soil occurred with the cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya into Arabidopsis and Panicum roots, and Streptomyces into cassava roots. Some abundant microbes such as Sakaguchia in rice shoots or Vermispora in Arabidopsis roots appeared in no other samples, suggesting they were infrequent, stochastically deposited propagules from either soil or seed (impossible to know based on the available data). Future experiments with culturing and cross inoculation of these microbes between plants may help us better understand host preferences and their role in plant productivity, perhaps leading to their use in crop microbiome engineering and enhancement of agricultural production.

: Chemical accidents can occur anywhere. The need for chemical management in Korea was realized following the 2012 Gumi hydrofluoric acid accident in 2012. The Chemicals Control Act was enacted in 2015. This system evaluates the risks (high, medium, low) and consequent safety management at all plants that handle hazardous chemical substances. However, the system was criticized as excessive when most plants were designated high-risk without considering their size. Thus, laboratories and hospitals handling very small quantities were subject to regulation. Accordingly, in 2021 Korea revised the system to include off-site consequence analyses and a Korean-style risk analysis. Plants handling very small quantities, such as laboratories and hospitals, were exempt from regulation. In this study, plating and paint manufacturing companies, which were classified as high-risk in the previous system, even though they were medium-size business plants, were re-evaluated as low-risk plants. In the Korean-style risk analysis, it is possible to see at a glance what is lacking in the plants, such as cooperation between local residents and local governments and the construction of safety facilities according to the type of accident scenario. The revised system is a reasonable regulation for medium business plants.

Seed bank survival underpins plant population persistence but studies on seed bank trait-environment interactions are few. Changes in environmental conditions relevant to seed banks occur in desert ecosystems owing to solar energy development. We developed a conceptual model of seed bank survival to complement methodologies using in-situ seed bank packets. Using this framework, we quantified the seed bank survival of two closely related annual desert plant species, one rare (Eriophyllum mohavense) and one common (Eriophyllum wallacei) and the seed bank-environment interactions of these two species in the Mojave Desert within a system that emulates microhabitat variation associated with solar energy development. We tracked 4,860 seeds buried across 540 seed packets and found, averaged across both species, that seed bank survival was 21% and 6% for the first and second growing seasons, respectively. After two growing seasons, the rare annual had a significantly greater seed bank survival (10%) than the common annual (2%). Seed bank survival, across both species, was significantly greater in Shade (10%) microhabitats compared to Runoff (5%) microhabitats and Control microhabitats (3%). Our study confers insight into this early life-stage across rare and common congeners and their environmental interactions using a novel conceptual framework for seed bank survival.

The research objectives was to determine the plants vegetation profile in forest revegetation and Mount Arjuna springs. The method used was descriptive method. While based on the techniques and tools used to research, the author uses the survey method to obtain facts that occur in the research area, namely in the area around the springs of Arjuna mount, Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. Data obtained in the field are then processed and analyzed using GIS, ArcView 3.3 and Google Earth programs. The results of the study explain the profile of plant vegetation, namely plant stratification, bird wealth, taxonomic wealth and plant density have a significant effect on forest revegetation and springs in Arjuna mount. The forest vegetation profile has a positive and significant effect on the preservation of springs. The better the profile of forest vegetation, the preservation of springs will be better, and vice versa.

After reviewing the history of the struggle between human beings and plant diseases, insects and weeds, especially reviewing the thoughts of plant protection in ancient Chinese agricultural books, the target recognition of plant pests and the six types of plant protection methods and 36 subdi-vision measures were summarized. Then the development overview of pesticide application technology was focused and reviewed systematically by combining the development timeline of pesticide application and the key technologies including the performance measurement and the simulation and modeling of pesticide spraying system. And three suggestions for further research were proposed from the perspectives of human-being and environmental health, the sustainable and eco-friendly application medium, and the efficiently application equipment system in plant protection.

Most existing coal-fired power plants were designed for sustained operation at full load to maximize efficiency, reliability, and revenue, as well as to operate air pollution control devices at design conditions. Depending on plant type and design, these plants can adjust output within a fixed range in response to the plant operating or market conditions. The need for flexibility driven by increased penetration of variable and non-dispatchable power generation such as wind and solar is shifting the traditional mission profile of thermoelectric power plants in three ways: more frequent shutdowns when market or grid conditions warrant, more aggressive load ramp rates (rate of output change), and lower minimum sustainable load, which provides a wider operating range and helps avoid costly plant shutdowns. Recent studies have shown that flexibility of a coal-fired power plant can be improved by energy storage. The objective of this work was to analyze a set of energy storage options and determine their impact on flexibility and economics of a representative coal-fired power plant. The effect of three energy storage systems integrated with a coal power plant on plant flexibility and economics was investigated. The results obtained in this project show that Energy Storage Systems integrated with a thermal power plant improves plant flexibility and participation in the Energy and Ancillary Services markets which improves plant financial performance. The study was funded by the U.S. Department Office of Fossil Energy FE-1 under Award Number DE-FE0031903.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) has become a prevalent issue in Indonesia, resulting in a majority of fatalities and illnesses. The most recent guidelines in the United States for managing patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) have undergone significant changes, with the recommendation for conducting percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strictly limited to patients who continue to experience symptoms despite receiving optimal medical treatment (OMT). However, adopting this approach may lead to increased morbidity and mortality due to the presence of vulnerable plaque. Vulnerable plaque is characterized by minimal obstruction during coronary angiography (40-70%) and may not produce ischemia during physiological studies. Identifying vulnerable plaques can be accomplished through several methods, among which computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is the most cost-effective approach. Recently, experts have employed different techniques, either with stents or drug-coated balloons, to manage vulnerable plaques, showing the methods to be safe and effective. The other challenge faced by patients with CCS is the possibility of achieving complete revascularization (CR) to reduce the likelihood of future major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and mortality. Both approaches, identifying and intervening in the vulnerable plaque, are difficult to perform in developing countries due to the limited budget. Studies have shown that plant-based diets (PBD) can reverse atherosclerotic plaque and stabilize vulnerable plaque, possibly leading to CR. PBD is an affordable and effective approach, but it requires healthcare providers skilled in educating and implementing this dietary approach with their patients. Large-scale randomized controlled trials in PBD, specifically aimed at addressing the vulnerable plaque and achieving CR, are necessary before implementing the PBD intervention.

A significant portion of fatalities stemming from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) occur suddenly and without warning. This can be prevented through early detection of coronary stenosis. In recent years, coronary artery calcium (CAC) and computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) have been utilized. For instance, a 55-year-old interventional cardiologist had a CAC of 58 with 50% stenosis involving his left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Despite possibly having vulnerable plaque, which carries significant future cardiovascular events, the patient followed a plant-based diet (PBD), took supplements, and continued optimal medical therapy (OMT). After three years, there was a significant regression in both CAC and stenosis. During our discussion, we emphasized the importance of food selection, quantification, and how food is processed (raw) to achieve maximal benefit in regressing atherosclerosis. Additionally, we highlighted the importance of identifying the possibility of vulnerable plaque and the mechanism stabilizing it. The case supported the guidelines set by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) for managing chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) by emphasizing OMT and lifestyle changes. We hope that in the future, more doctors and patients will take responsibility for implementing lifestyle changes rather than solely relying on medications and sophisticated medical technologies.

The human landscape transforming activity contributes to the global change of vegetation in different forms. Hunting is one of the most ancient human landscape-shaping activities. Feeders for hunting are particularly disruptive to vegetation. In the present study, we conducted a vegetation survey in these highly disturbed places. We are investigating the vegetation dynamics over several years in in the turkey oak–sessile oak zone, in two areas with different moisture and shade conditions (forest and clearing). One important background factor is changes in precipitation and temperature. The novelty of our present study lies in the fact that the observation takes place with continuous disturbance, where the human influence is very large. Our results confirm that the weed infestation be detectable at bait sites over a long period, and the interannual changes were typical in every year, according to the fact that in August, more weed species are usually present with a greater cover at the bait sites. The main meteorological factors played a role in the degree of weed infestation in each year. There was a higher proportion of vegetation regeneration in wetter years, while dry periods do not favor successional processes. With the drying of the climate, the disturbed areas are constantly losing their natural value, but wetter weather is not an automatic solution either. A more precise understanding of vulnerable systems and careful planning of treatment interventions is necessary.

Revolutionizing Lng Plant Construction and its Comprehensive Comparative Analysis And Evaluation Of Modular Design Development Versus Stick-Built Approach For Enhanced Efficiency And Cost-Effectiveness,.Although the utilization of modularization concepts in the LNG industry remains limited, this study focuses on exploring their potential. It is worth noting that modular units typically incur higher costs compared to field erected units due to the additional requirements of structural steel and robustness for transportation purposes.Nevertheless, the increased cost of modularization can often be balanced by conducting the work at the fabrication site instead of on-field construction. This approach reduces the overall project cost by minimizing field construction expenses and shortening the construction schedule. The objective of this paper is to assess and compare LNG modularization options for a newly established LNG facility in comparison to a conventional stick-built plant used as the base case.:The paper delves into various topics related to LNG plant construction, such as the development of modular units, a comprehensive comparison of different options, evaluation of construction schedules and manpower requirements, logistics considerations, and a recommended approach for design and construction. The cost estimates and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) schedules are meticulously compared for each option. Additionally, an inshore/near shore gravity base structure (GBS) option is included for further comparison. It is crucial to emphasize that establishing general costs is not possible as each project is distinct and requires individual study and analysis.:Each project has unique characteristics, resulting in varying shapes of cost curves and break-even points. The outcomes of the feasibility evaluation play a crucial role in determining the extent to which the modular approach to construction is advantageous for the specific project at hand. The evaluation takes into consideration multiple factors to determine the potential benefits of adopting a modular construction approach, allowing decision-makers to make informed choices regarding the project's construction methodology

This study examined the accumulations and transfer of manganese into 11 wild plants from the mining soils of Gümüşköy, Turkey. The greatest silver resource in Turkey is found in the Gümüsköy mining area, which is situated roughly 25 kilometers to the west of Kütahya. ICP-MS was used to determine the Mn contents in soil and plant samples that were taken from the field. In the research area, the average Mn concentrations in the soil, roots, and shoots of wild plants were 1872, 1076, and 1048 ppm, respectively. Based on their ECS and ECR values, the plants were divided into three groups: the best plants, good plants, and candidate plants. While Glaucium flavum, Carduus nutans, Phlomis sp., Onosma sp., and Verbascum thapsus were selected as the best plants, Cynoglossum officinale, Anchusa arvensis were determined as good plants, and the others (Alyssum saxatile, Centaurea cyanus, Silene compacta, Isatis were determined as candidate plants. According to the current study, all of the best and good plants in the study region had a very high ability to remove Mn. As a result, these plants can be helpful in studies involving phytoremediation or remediation of Mn-polluted soil.

Transposons are mobile DNA sequences that contribute large fractions of many plant genomes. They provide exclusive resources for tracking gene and genome evolution and for developing molecular tools for basic and applied research. Despite extensive efforts, it is still challenging to accurately annotate transposons, especially for the beginners as transposon prediction requires necessary expertise in both transposon biology and bioinformatics. Moreover, the complexity of plant genomes and the dynamic evolution of transposons also bring difficulties for genome-wide transposon discovery. This review summarizes the three major strategies for transposon detections including repeat-based, structure-based, and homology-based annotation, and introduces the transposon superfamilies identified in plants thus far, and some related bioinformatics resources for detecting plant transposons. Furthermore, it describes the transposon classification and explains why the terms of ‘autonomous’ and ‘non-autonomous’ cannot be used to classify the superfamilies of transposons. Last, this review also discusses how to identify misannotated transposons and improve the quality of transposon database. This review provides helpful information about plant transposons and a beginner’s guide on annotating these repetitive sequences.

Keywords: Arachis quality; pod separation; plant extraction, peanut

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley is a food and medicinal plant with a wide range of applica-tions including anti-proliferative, anti-fertility, anti-HIV and anti-cancerous. The current study investigated the phytochemical constituents of L. siceraria fruits using gas chromatog-raphy/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS analysis of L. siceraria n-hexane fruits revealed five isoprenoids which were present in all investigated landraces, 1-Dodecene, 2,3-Dimethyldodecane, E-15-Heptadecenal, Eicosane and Tridecane, 6-propyl. Bioactive molecules with a lower carbon number on their chemical structure such as 1-Dodecene and 2,3-Dimethyldodecane with 12 and 14 carbon structures were recorded at a shorter retention rate range of 9.08-16.29 min over a lower relative peak area ranging from 1.09-6.97 %. While com-pounds with longer carbon chains ranging from 16-20 carbons (E-15-Heptadecenal, Eicosane and Tridecane, 6-propyl) had longer retention rate range of 13.42-18.00 mins over a higher relative peak area range of 2.25-11.41%. An agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis grouped landrac-es into 5 clusters (I -V). Landraces were clustered according to their fruit and seed attributes, and isoprenoid units significant to each cluster. The majority of phytochemicals revealed were terpenoids, these are responsible for attracting pollinators, fruit growth, palatability and attrac-tive aromatic scents. This is the most comprehensive study on the n-hexane fruit phytochemical constituents of different L. siceraria landraces to date.

Plant height is one of the key agronomic traits for improving the yield of sweetpotato. The phytohormones, especially gibberellins (GAs) are crucial to regulate plant height. The 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is the key enzyme for abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis signalling in higher plants. However, its role in regulating plant height has not been reported to date. Here, we cloned a NCED gene, IbNCED1, from sweetpotato cultivar Jishu26. This gene encoded the 587-amino acid polypeptide containing an NCED superfamily domain. The expression level of IbNCED1 was highest in the old tissues in the field-grown Jishu26. The expression of IbNCED1 was induced by ABA and GA. Overexpression of IbNCED1 promoted the accumulation of ABA and inhibited the content of active GA3 and plant height, and affected the expression levels of genes involved in the GA metabolic pathway. IbNCED1 overexpression reduced sensitivity to GA3 and exogenous application of GA3 could rescue the dwarf phenotype. In conclusion, we suggest that IbNCED1 regulates plant height and development by controlling the accumulation of active GA3 signalling pathway in transgenic sweetpotato.

Lack of reliable information on PTC industry in Sri Lanka is hampering the advancement of the technology. Hence, this study attempted to assess the current status of PTC industry in Sri Lanka in order to ascertain the type and the level of interventions needed to broaden the horizons of the industry. Data of last 05 years were collected through qualitative research methods including a questionnaire-based survey, personal interviews, etc. and personal interviews to identify product diversity, R&D, available facilities, production capacity, and markets. Information was analyzed qualitatively using descriptive statistical software to assess the current status, and identify gaps, challenges and opportunities. COVID pandemic and the economic crisis had a heavy toll on the PTC industry. Six major challenges experienced by business owners were identified as increasing capacity, opportunities to build market linkages, demand fluctuations, issues relating to awareness and insufficient support given by the government. Proper identification and screening of mother plants, determining the production capacities and marketing, knowledgeable and skilled human resources, were identified as important contributory factors for success. Development strategies identified mainly include instinctive decision making and government support. Embracing the significant trade achievements through resource reallocation, prioritization and improvisation processes at individual, family group, inter-organizational levels and across these levels need to be regulated through a responsible authority. These interpretations and recommendations of this research can be utilized both by the policy makers and public and private sector organizations for decision making purposes targeting commercial scale advancements.

Diffusion in recent decades of Cannabis sativa L. varieties with low concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is leading to a specialization in the whole sector, requiring innovative techniques for input optimization according to the variety and the growing environment. The continuous agricultural evolution aims at increasing the sustainability of cultivation systems, pushing toward precision technologies application for inputs management. Cannabis monitoring can benefit from Unmanned Aerial Systems applications combined with image thresholding techniques for reliable and effective near-real-time plant detection and numbering. The work compares and evaluates the potential of two threshold segmentation techniques for Cannabis plant detection and counting in two experimental fields in Italy on a multitemporal scale, bringing such techniques in competition with machine learning for object detection. The Otsu segmentation technique demonstrated more reliable performances at the early stage of cultivation with an accuracy of 0.95. The Canopy Height Model technique showed increasing performances during the growing season. Future works will compare thresholding segmentation techniques with machine learning (ML) approaches and their potential as a supporting tool for ML image annotation.

Climbing plants require an external support to grow vertically and enhance light acquisition. Climbers that find a suitable support have greater performance and fitness than those that remain prostrate. Support search is characterized by oscillatory movements (i.e., circumnutation), in which plants rotate around a central axis during their growth. Numerous studies have elucidated the mechanistic details of circumnutation, but how this phenomenon is controlled remains unclear. Here, we use supervised machine learning algorithms to generate models that learn to discriminate between the presence/absence of a support in the environment. Results indicate that there is a difference in the pattern of circumnutation, depending on the presence of a support, that can be learned and classified rather accurately. We also identify distinctive kinematic features that contribute to the classification tasks. Overall, machine learning approaches appear to be powerful tools for understanding the movement of plants.

The plant immunity system is more and more revisited and new elements and roles are attributed to participate in the response to biotic stress. New terminology is also applied trying to identify different players in the whole scenario of immunity: Phytocytokines are one of those elements that are gaining more attention due the characteristics of processing and perception, and showing they are part of a big family of compounds that can amplify the immune response. This review aims to highlight the last findings about the role of phytocytokines in the whole immune response on biotic stress, including basal and adaptive immunity, and to expose the complexity in their action in plant perception and signaling events.

Vascular pathogens are the causal agents of main diseases threatening the health and growth of olive crops worldwide. The use of endophytic microorganisms represents a challenging and promising strategy for management of vascular diseases in olive. Although current research has been focused on analyzing the structure and diversity of the endophytic microbial communities inhabiting the olive xylem, the characterization of this ecological niche has been overlooked and to date remain unexplored, despite that the characterization of the xylem sap composition is essential to unravel the nutritional requirements of xylem-limited microorganisms. In this study, branches from plantlets and adult olive trees of cultivars ‘Picual’ and ‘Arbequina' were selected to characterize the chemical composition of olive xylem sap extracted using a Scholander pressure chamber. Metabolome and ionome analyses of xylem sap were performed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based and by inductively coupled plasma with optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), respectively. Olive xylem sap metabolites included a higher relative percentage of sugars (54.35%), followed by alcohols (28.85%), amino acids (8.01%), organic acids (7.68%) and osmolytes (1.12%). Within each of these groups, the main metabolites in the olive xylem sap were mannitol, ethanol, glutamine, acetate and trigonelline, whereas K and Cl- were the main element and inorganic anion, respectively. Metabolomic profile varied when comparing olive plant age and genotype. The levels of glucose, fructose, sucrose and mannitol, choline, B and PO43 were significantly higher in adult trees than in plantlets for both olive genotypes, whereas NO3- and Rb content showed the opposite behavior. On the other hand, levels of aspartate, phenylalanine and Na were significantly higher in ‘Picual’ than in ‘Arbequina’ whereas Fe showed the opposite behavior but only for adult trees. Non-supervised hierarchical clustering analysis separated xylem sap composition firstly according to the plant age and then by the olive cultivar. Supervised PLS-DA analysis revealed that B, ethanol, Fe, Fructose, glucose, mannitol, sucrose and Sr were the most significative compounds discriminating adult trees from plantlets, whereas asparagine, aspartate, glutamate and phenylalanine or aspartate, arginine, ethanol and Sr were the most contributory compounds in the discrimination of both olive genotypes for adult trees or plantlets, respectively. Knowledge of the chemical composition of xylem sap will lead to a better understanding of the complex nutritional requirements of olive xylem-inhabiting microorganisms, including its vascular pathogens, and would allow the design of artificial growing media to improve culturing the olive microbiome.

Italian floriculture is facing structural changes. Possible options to maintain competitiveness of the involved companies include promotion of added values, from local productions to environmental sustainability. To quantify value and benefits of cleaner production processes and choices, a holistic view is necessary, and could be provided by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Previous studies on ornamental products generally focused on data from one company or a small sample. The aim of this study was a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment of two ornamental species (Cyclamen persicum Mill. and Pelargonium ×hortorum Bailey) using data from a sample of 20 companies belonging to a floriculture district in Treviso, Veneto region. We also assessed the potential benefits for the environmental impact of the selected species of alternative management choices regarding plant protection and reuse of composted waste biomass. Life cycle impact assessment showed the higher impact scores for the zonal geranium, mainly as a consequence of greenhouse heating with fossil fuels. This factor, along with higher uniformity of production practices and technological level of equipment, translated in lower variability observed in comparison with cyclamen production, which shows a wider results range, in particular for eutrophication, acidification and human toxicity potentials. The application of integrated pest management had significant benefits in terms of impact reduction for acidification and human toxicity of cyclamen, while reduced use of mineral nutrients through compost amendment of growing media resulted in a reduced eutrophication potential. The achievable benefits for zonal geranium were not observable because of the dominant contribution of energy inputs.

Nutrient management of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) depends on several yield-limiting features. Machine learning models can process such yield-impacting variables to predict berry yield. We investigated the effects of local variables on yields and nutrient management of lowbush blueberry. We collected 1504 observations from N-P-K fertilizer trials conducted in Quebec, Canada. Meteorological indices at various phenological stages showed the greatest impact on yield. High mean temperature at flower bud opening and after fruit maturation, and total precipitation at flowering showed positive effects. Low mean temperature and low total precipitation before bud opening, at flowering, and by fruit maturity, as well as number of freezing days (< -5ºC) before flower bud opening, showed negative effects. Soil fertility variables, leaf nutrient compositions and N-P-K fertilization showed smaller effects. Gaussian processes predicted berry yields from historical weather data, soil analysis, fertilizer dosage, and leaf nutrients with a root-mean-square-error of 1447 kg ha-1 on the testing data set. An in-house Markov chain algorithm optimized yields modelled with Gaussian processes from leaf nutrient composition, soil test value, and fertilizer dosage conditioned to specified historical weather features. We propose to use conditioned machine learning models to manage nutrients of lowbush blueberry at local scale.