Identification and validation of cold responsive microRNAs of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hevea brasiliensis</Emphasis> using high throughput sequencing

Cold stress is one of the major abiotic factors that influence the productivity and geographical distribution of many agriculturally important crops like Hevea brasiliensis. Cultivation of H. brasiliensis in India is being extended to northeastern regions, where low temperature during winter adversely affects its survival, growth, and productivity. Developing cold-tolerant genotypes is a primary requisite to maximize the productivity under such challenging environmental conditions. However, lack of methods for early evaluation of cold tolerance in the newly developed clones and the extensive time required for assessing their tolerance in the field are major constraints for clonal selection. The present study was initiated with an objective to identify and characterize cold stress responsive miRNAs from H. brasiliensis that show stronger association with cold tolerance. Next generation sequencing using Illumina HiSeq method revealed the expression of 21 and 29 conserved miRNA (from clone RRIM 600) families in cold-stressed and control samples, respectively. Forty-two novel miRNAs were identified from this study. Upon differential expression analysis, eight conserved miRNAs were found commonly expressed in both the samples. When expression analyses were performed subsequently with six selected miRNAs in two Hevea clones (viz. RRII 105 and RRIM 600), miR169 showed a strong association with cold tolerance. miRNAs such as miR482 and miR159 also exhibited association with cold tolerance. This study suggests the possibility of employing these miRNAs as markers for cold tolerance after validation in more number of genotypes with varying levels of cold tolerance.     

Adaption of a formula for simulating bedload transport in the Nile River,Egypt

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Bedload transport discharge is important in river engineering and morphodynamics. The Meyer-Peter and Müller (MPM) equation for determining bedload transport...     

Chemical Review of Gorgostane-Type Steroids Isolated from Marine Organisms and Their 13C-NMR Spectroscopic Data Characteristics

Gorgostane steroids are isolated from marine organisms and consist of 30 carbon atoms with a characteristic cyclopropane moiety. From the pioneering results to the end of 2021, isolation, biosynthesis, and structural elucidation using ¹³C-NMR will be used. Overall, 75 compounds are categorized into five major groups: gorgost-5-ene, 5,6-epoxygorgostane, 5,6-dihydroxygorgostane, 9,11-secogorgostane, and 23-demethylgorgostane, in addition to miscellaneous gorgostane. The structural diversity, selectivity for marine organisms, and biological effects of gorgostane steroids have generated considerable interest in the field of drug discovery research.     

Seasonal speedup along the western flank of the Greenland Ice Sheet

It has been widely hypothesized that a warmer climate in Greenland would increase the volume of lubricating surface meltwater reaching the ice-bedrock interface, accelerating ice flow and increasing mass loss. We have assembled a data set that provides a synoptic-scale view, spanning ice-sheet to outlet-glacier flow, with which to evaluate this hypothesis. On the ice sheet, these data reveal summer speedups (50 to 100%) consistent with, but somewhat larger than, earlier observations. The relative speedup of outlet glaciers, however, is far smaller (<15%). Furthermore, the dominant seasonal influence on Jakobshavn Isbrae's flow is the calving front's annual advance and retreat. With other effects producing outlet-glacier speedups an order of magnitude larger, seasonal melt's influence on ice flow is likely confined to those regions dominated by ice-sheet flow.     

青海不同产区大黄的X-射线衍射图谱研究（摘要）

[目的]为区分不同产地大黄药材的质量及鉴别提供依据。[方法]将供试材料青海玉树掌叶大黄（样品1）、青海海南唐古特大黄（样品2）与青海果洛唐古特大黄（样品3）分别粉碎成粉末,过100目筛,即可供X射线衍射试验用。设定管压30 kV,管流20 mA,2θ扫描范围3°～90°,扫描速度0.06°/s,每种样时间0.5 s,获得3种不同产区大黄的X-射线衍射图谱。试验数据以晶面间距d与特征峰相对强度L/Io表示,记为d/（I/Io）。将试验数据导入中药指纹图谱相似度计算软件,经选峰,设定匹配模板,将谱峰自动匹配,然后设定标准模板,进行谱峰差异性评价和整体相似性评价。[结果]样品1中所含的化学成分与样品2相同,但峰的强度（I/Io）不同,表明相同成分在两种样品中的含量不相等。同样把样品3的图谱与其他两个样品进行比较,也会得到相同的衍射峰值。表明不同产区的大黄中各化学成分的含量有差异,但其衍射图谱及衍射峰值具有一定的指纹特征。[结论]X-射线衍射法是鉴别不同产区的大黄及其他中药材的一种快捷有效的方法。     

Response of soil Olsen-P to P budget under different long-term fertilization treatments in a fluvo-aquic soil

The concentration of soil Olsen-P is rapidly increasing in many parts of China, where P budget(P input minus P output) is the main factor influencing soil Olsen-P. Understanding the relationship between soil Olsen-P and P budget is useful in estimating soil Olsen-P content and conducting P management strategies. To address this, a long-term experiment(1991–2011) was performed on a fluvo-aquic soil in Beijing, China, where seven fertilization treatments were used to study the response of soil Olsen-P to P budget. The results showed that the relationship between the decrease in soil Olsen-P and P deficit could be simulated by a simple linear model. In treatments without P fertilization(CK, N, and NK), soil Olsen-P decreased by 2.4, 1.9, and 1.4 mg kg~(–1) for every 100 kg ha~(–1) of P deficit, respectively. Under conditions of P addition, the relationship between the increase in soil Olsen-P and P surplus could be divided into two stages. When P surplus was lower than the range of 729–884 kg ha~(–1), soil Olsen-P fluctuated over the course of the experimental period with chemical fertilizers(NP and NPK), and increased by 5.0 and 2.0 mg kg~(–1), respectively, when treated with chemical fertilizers combined with manure(NPKM and 1.5 NPKM) for every 100 kg ha~(–1) of P surplus. When P surplus was higher than the range of 729–884 kg ha~(–1), soil Olsen-P increased by 49.0 and 37.0 mg kg~(–1) in NPKM and 1.5 NPKM treatments, respectively, for every 100 kg ha~(–1) P surplus. The relationship between the increase in soil Olsen-P and P surplus could be simulated by two-segment linear models. The cumulative P budget at the turning point was defined as the "storage threshold" of a fluvo-aquic soil in Beijing, and the storage thresholds under NPKM and 1.5 NPKM were 729 and 884 kg ha~(–1)P for more adsorption sites. According to the critical soil P values(CPVs) and the relationship between soil Olsen-P and P budget, the quantity of P fertilizers for winter wheat could be increased and that of summer maize could be decreased based on the results of treatments in chemical fertilization. Additionally, when chemical fertilizers are combined with manures(NPKM and 1.5 NPKM), it could take approximately 9–11 years for soil Olsen-P to decrease to the critical soil P values of crops grown in the absence of P fertilizer.     

不同松材线虫虫株接种雪松等寄主后的组织病理学变化

用来自日本和中国的几个松材线虫虫株,分别对黑松、马尾松和雪松进行接种,接种后分离树体内的线虫,并观察树体的组织细胞变化。研究结果表明,2个日本虫株均能使黑松、马尾松和雪松发病并枯死,而中国线虫虫株仅能够使黑松和马尾松发病枯死,不能使雪松致病。接种后不同时间分离线虫,比较线虫在寄主体内的数量消长情况。发现凡接种发病死亡的,其体内线虫数量最多;发病但没有死亡的,其体内线虫数量也较多;中国虫株接种的雪松,一直没有表现任何症状,其体内也分离到了一定数量的线虫。接种后组织病理学变化表明,细胞和组织变化与线虫的移动和扩散有关。黑松和马尾松,接种日本和中国浙江松材线虫虫株后,72 h时皮层和韧皮部的薄壁细胞变形、死亡普遍存在,树脂道泌脂细胞和木射线细胞均遭到线虫破坏。144 h后,皮层、韧皮部、木质部和髓心大量细胞死亡,形成空洞,管胞中可见线虫活动。而对于雪松,接种日本松材线虫虫株后,皮层、韧皮部和形成层细胞死亡,树脂道泌脂细胞和木射线细胞死亡,有少量代谢物聚集。中国松材线虫虫株接种后,初期皮层、韧皮部细胞变形并破坏;但是,细胞的破坏只局限在小范围内。后期皮层、韧皮部细胞被破坏,但形成层完整,木射线和管胞基本完好。     

Aurasperone A Inhibits SARS CoV-2 In Vitro: An Integrated In Vitro and In Silico Study

Several natural products recovered from a marine-derived Aspergillus niger were tested for their inhibitory activity against SARS CoV-2 in vitro. Aurasperone A (3) was found to inhibit SARS CoV-2 efficiently (IC₅₀ = 12.25 µM) with comparable activity with the positive control remdesivir (IC₅₀ = 10.11 µM). Aurasperone A exerted minimal cytotoxicity on Vero E6 cells (CC₅₀ = 32.36 mM, SI = 2641.5) and it was found to be much safer than remdesivir (CC₅₀ = 415.22 µM, SI = 41.07). To putatively highlight its molecular target, aurasperone A was subjected to molecular docking against several key-viral protein targets followed by a series of molecular dynamics-based in silico experiments that suggested M^pro to be its primary viral protein target. More potent anti-SARS CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors can be developed according to our findings presented in the present investigation.     

Relative Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance among Heterotrophic Bacteria from Natural and Culture Environments of Freshwater Prawn,Macrobrachium Rosenbergii

As antibiotic residues and multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacteria are of increasing concern to those involved in the seafood industry, there is an intense international focus to monitor MDR bacteria in seafood. There is also a trend to source seafood from organically raised farms in order to reduce antibiotic usage in culture operations. Hence this study was conducted to compare the antibiotic resistance among bacteria associated with various samples from the natural and culture environment of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Samples from the natural environment included water, sediment, eggs, larvae, postlarvae (PL), feed items, and gut samples of M. rosenbergii and those from the culture environment were water, sediment, eggs, feed pellets, and gut samples of M. rosenbergii. Bacteria from water samples of natural and culture environments were frequently resistant to ampicillin, erythromycin, and penicillin, while more than 50% of the strains from sediment were resistant to erythromycin, nalidixic acid, and penicillin. Bacterial isolates from commercial feed had a relatively high degree of antibiotic resistance. Interestingly, occurrence of multiple drug resistance was higher among the bacteria associated with the samples from the natural environment of M. rosenbergii, pointing to more favorable selection pressure for drug resistant mutants in the natural environment.     

Effects of salinity on the growth and proximate composition of selected tropical marine periphytic diatoms and cyanobacteria

Marine periphytic cyanobacteria and diatoms have been examined as a potential source of feed supplement for rearing aquatic larvae in the aquaculture industry. Culture of the periphytic diatom Amphora sp., Navicula sp., Cymbella sp. and the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. at different salinities showed significant changes in biomass and specific growth rates. Diatoms growth was significantly higher at 35 g L⁻¹, while for cyanobacteria growth was better at 25 g L⁻¹. Significantly higher levels of protein and lipid were found in diatoms at low salinities (15–25 g L⁻¹) and an increase in carbohydrate at high salinities (30–35 g L⁻¹). Conversely, cyanobacteria showed a significantly higher lipid content at 30–35 g L⁻¹ compared with other salinity levels but no significant changes were observed in the protein and carbohydrate contents at different salinity levels. The present findings can be taken into consideration when culturing marine periphytic Amphora sp., Navicula sp., Cymbella sp. and Oscillatoria sp. to provide appropriate levels of protein, lipid and carbohydrate as feed supplement as well as for bioremediation in aquaculture.