Characterization of relict Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene paleosols buried in wedge-shaped structures on the southern coast of the Finnish Gulf

The physical and physicochemical properties and morphogenetic characteristics of the buried soddy gleyic and gleyed paleosols developed from the glaciolacustrine loamy sediments on the southern coast of the Finnish Gulf in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene (12–9 ka, calibrated) are considered. It is shown that the morphology and properties of these paleosols sharply differ from those of the enclosing gravelly sands deposited in the ancient basins. The latter substrates serve as the major type of soil-forming materials for the modern surface soils. The studied paleosols fill wedge-shaped structures dissecting the gravelly sediments. Their profiles are well preserved, though their normal horizontal orientation is disturbed; large soil blocks were displaced into the open wedges. The presence of these soils attests to the fact that the initial soil cover in the studied region was formed in the Late Glacial epoch soon after the retreat of the glacial sheet. The good degree of preservation of the paleopedogenic information recorded in the profiles of these paleosols is of great value for the paleoenvironmental reconstructions.     

Hydrolytic Enzyme Inhibitors and Necrotic Reactions in Potato Leaves Reduce Reproductive Success of Colorado Potato Beetle

In field and laboratory conditions the reproductive potential （survival at different stages of development） of the Colorado potato beetle has been measured, the dependence of the parameters of insects fertility on varietal features of the feed has been investigated, the food activity of the representatives of insects from four areas of the Southern Urals has been measured, the intensity and time of hypersensitivity reactions on potato leaves has been defined. In laboratory experiments, the level of activity of hydrolytic enzymes in insects and the level of activity of these enzymes inhibitors in the leaves of three potato varieties differing in their resistance to the Colorado potato beetle have been determined. The results show that the insects-representatives of different samples have different food activity in relation to different potato varieties. High mortality rates were revealed at feeding with leaves of potato of the Bashkir variety characterized by a high level of hydrolases inhibitors and relatively rapid development of necrotic reactions after the appearance of eggs laying on the leaves. We suppose that the neerogenetic barrier appearing in the form of necrosis is the major cause of the fetal mortality of insects. The level of the content of inhibitors inactivating larvae digestive enzymes affects the survival of insects at postembryonic stages. The speed of the necrosis emergence, the level of activity of digestive enzymes inhibitors in potato can be considered as criteria for the selection of breeding material for resistance to the Colorado potato beetle.     

PAMELA measurements of cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra

Protons and helium nuclei are the most abundant components of the cosmic radiation. Precise measurements of their fluxes are needed to understand the acceleration and subsequent propagation of cosmic rays in our Galaxy. We report precision measurements of the proton and helium spectra in the rigidity range 1 gigavolt to 1.2 teravolts performed by the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA (payload for antimatter matter exploration and light-nuclei astrophysics). We find that the spectral shapes of these two species are different and cannot be described well by a single power law. These data challenge the current paradigm of cosmic-ray acceleration in supernova remnants followed by diffusive propagation in the Galaxy. More complex processes of acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays are required to explain the spectral structures observed in our data.     

Soil CO2 emission,microbial biomass,and microbial respiration of woody and grassy areas in Moscow (Russia)

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Urbanization significantly changes the carbon balance of the terrestrial ecosystem, an important component of which is soil CO2 emission. One of the main sources of...     

Chemical Characterization of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Collagen Hydrolyzed Using Enzyme Preparation Derived from Red King Crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and Its Potential as a Core Component of Bacterial Culture Medium

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) processing wastes are massive and unutilized in the Murmansk region of Russia. The samples of skin-containing waste of Atlantic cod fillets production were hydrolyzed using enzyme preparations derived from red king crab hepatopancreases, porcine pancreases, and Bacillus subtilis bacteria. The activity of enzymes from crab hepatopancreases was significantly higher than the activity of enzymes derived from other sources. The optimal conditions of the hydrolysis process have been figured out. The samples of cod processing waste hydrolysate were analyzed for amino acid composition and molecular weight distribution. The samples of hydrolysate were used as core components for bacterial culture medium samples. The efficiency of the medium samples was tested for Escherichia coli growth rate; the most efficient sample had an efficiency of 95.3% of that of a commercially available medium based on fish meal. Substitution of medium components with those derived from industrial by-products is one of the ways to decrease a cost of a culture medium in biopharmaceutical drug production.     

Sex Specificity in Innate Immunity of Insect Larvae

The innate immunity of insects has been widely studied. Although the effect of sex on insect immunity has been extensively discussed, differences in immunity between the sexes of larvae insects remain largely unstudied. Studying larval sex differences in immunity may provide valuable information about the mechanisms underlying the insect immune system, which, in turn, can be valuable for the development and improvement of pest management. Here we compared the antibacterial activity in both the midgut tissue and cell-free hemolymph of Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) females and males at the larval stage without and after a challenge by entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner. We also evaluated the sex-specific mortality of L. dispar induced by B. thuringiensis infection. We find that antibacterial activity in the midgut is activated by infection, but only in females. Thus, sex differences in immunity can have important effects even before sexual differentiation at adulthood.     

Endophytic bacteria associated with halophyte Seidlitzia rosmarinus Ehrenb. ex Boiss. from saline soil of Uzbekistan and their plant beneficial traits

Endophytic bacteria of halophytic plants play essential roles in salt stress tolerance. Therefore, an understanding of the true nature of plant-microbe interactions under extreme conditions is essential. The current study aimed to identify cultivable endophytic bacteria associated with the roots and shoots of Seidlitzia rosmarinus Ehrenb. ex Boiss. grown in the salt-affected soil in Uzbekistan and to evaluate their plant beneficial traits related to plant growth stimulation and stress tolerance. Bacteria were isolated from the roots and the shoots of S. rosmarinus using culture-dependent techniques and identified by the 16S rRNA gene. RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis was conducted to eliminate similar isolates. Results showed that the isolates from the roots of S. rosmarinus belonged to the genera Rothia, Kocuria, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Paenibacillus and Brevibacterium. The bacterial isolates from the shoots of S. rosmarinus belonged to the genera Staphylococcus, Rothia, Stenotrophomonas, Brevibacterium, Halomonas, Planococcus, Planomicrobium and Pseudomonas, which differed from those of the roots. Notably, Staphylococcus, Rothia and Brevibacterium were detected in both roots and shoots, indicating possible migration of some species from roots to shoots. The root-associated bacteria showed higher levels of IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) synthesis compared with those isolated from the shoots, as well as the higher production of ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase. Our findings suggest that halophytic plants are valuable sources for the selection of microbes with a potential to improve plant fitness under saline soils.     

Influence of Carbohydrate Additives on the Growth Rate of Microalgae Biomass with an Increased Carbohydrate Content

Our study focused on investigating the possibilities of controlling the accumulation of carbohydrates in certain microalgae species (Arthrospira platensis Gomont, Chlorella vulgaris Beijer, and Dunaliella salina Teod) to determine their potential in biofuel production (biohydrogen). It was found that after the introduction of carbohydrates (0.05 g⋅L⁻¹) into the nutrient medium, the growth rate of the microalgae biomass increased, and the accumulation of carbohydrates reached 41.1%, 47.9%, and 31.7% for Arthrospira platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, and Dunaliella salina, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris had the highest total carbohydrate content (a mixture of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose, 16.97%) among the studied microalgae, while for Arthrospira platensis and Dunaliella salina, the accumulation of total carbohydrates was 9.59% and 8.68%, respectively. Thus, the introduction of carbohydrates into the nutrient medium can stimulate their accumulation in the microalgae biomass, an application of biofuel production (biohydrogen).     

Population and biomass of microorganisms in soils of pyrogenic succession in the northern taiga pine forests

In the organic horizons of the Al-Fe-humus podzols under the old pine forests of the northern taiga, the biomass of all the groups of microorganisms, the length of the fungal and actinomycete mycelium, the number of fungal spores, and the bacterial population were maximal (13 mg/g) irrespectively of the stage of pyrogenic succession. The share of fungi (mainly, of basidiomycetes) exceeded 90%. In the mineral root-inhabited soil horizons, the biomass of microorganisms was not greater than 1.0 mg/g. The soil under the lichen pine forest had the smallest biomass of microorganisms as compared to the soil under the pine forests that were not exposed to fire for a long time. At all the stages of the pyrogenic succession, the most favorable conditions for the functioning of microorganisms were in the root-inhabited horizons of the soils in near-stem sites due to the accumulation of nutrients there. In the soils of these zones, the basidiomycete biomass was greater than that in the soils of the gaps. In the mineral soil horizons, buckleless micromycetes demonstrated the same trend. No distinct parcella differences, with respect to the soil nutrient regime, were found only for the prokaryotes. The fungi in the Al-Fe-humus podzols may be used as indicators for the pyrogenic succession stages of forest ecosystems. At the early stages, micromycetes without buckles prevailed, and, in the course of succession, the share of basidiomycetes clearly increased. The density and structure of mycorrhiza were tightly related to the nutrient regime of the soils. The increase in the concentration of available biogenic elements in the root-inhabited soil horizons did not cause the necessity of developing complex mycorrhiza forms.