Serpentine Overburden Products-Nature-Inspired Materials for Metal Detoxification in Industrially Polluted Soil.

The possibility of plants growing on serpentine soils and the ability of serpentine minerals to accumulate significant amounts of metals was the basis for developing a method for using serpentine-containing materials to restore vegetation in areas with a high level of metal pollution. Serpentine-containing products obtained from phlogopite mining overburden (Kovdor, Murmansk region, Russia) with and without thermal activation were used in a field experiment on the remediation of industrially polluted peat soil. According to the geochemical mobility of the components, one of four fractions was allocated depending on the acidic (HCl) concentration of the solution used for the material treatment: readily mobile (0.001 mol/L), mobile (0.01 mol/L), potentially mobile (0.1 mol/L), and acid-soluble (1.0 mol/L). This study showed that the addition of serpentinites to peat soil changed the fraction composition. The most significant changes were noted for serpentinite components such as Ca and Mg: their concentrations increased 2-3 times even in the smallest portion of serpentine material. On the contrary, the contents of metals in the readily mobile fraction decreased 3-18, 3-23, 5-26, and 2-42 times for Cu, Ni, Fe, and Al, respectively. The main factor causing the decrease in metal mobility was the pH rise due to the release of Ca and Mg compounds into the soil solution. This study showed that the addition of serpentine-containing material at 25 vol.% to peat soil was sufficient to create a geochemical barrier with a stable-functioning vegetation cover. All serpentine-containing materials are recommended for the remediation of large industrially polluted areas.

Use climatic space-for-time substitutions with care: Not only climate, but also local environment affect performance of the key forest species bilberry along elevation gradient.

An urgent aim of ecology is to understand how key species relate to climatic and environmental variation, to better predict their prospects under future climate change. The abundant dwarf shrub bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) has caught particular interest due to its uphill expansion into alpine areas. Species' performance under changing climate has been widely studied using the climatic space-for-time approach along elevation gradients, but potentially confounding, local environmental variables that vary along elevation gradients have rarely been considered. In this study, performed in 10 sites along an elevation gradient (200-875 m) in W Norway, we recorded species composition and bilberry performance, both vegetative (ramet size and cover) and reproductive (berry and seed production) properties, over one to 4 years. We disentangled effects of local environmental variables and between-year, climatic variation (precipitation and temperature), and identified shared and unique contributions of these variables by variation partitioning. We found bilberry ramet size, cover and berry production to peak at intermediate elevations, whereas seed production increased upwards. The peaks were less pronounced in extreme (dry or cold) summers than in normal summers. Local environmental variables explained much variation in ramet size and cover, less in berry production, and showed no relation to seed production. Climatic variables explained more of the variation in berry and seed production than in ramet size and cover, with temperature relating to vegetative performance, and precipitation to reproductive performance. Bilberry's clonal growth and effective reproduction probably explain why the species persists in the forest and at the same time invades alpine areas. Our findings raise concerns of the appropriateness of the climatic space-for-time approach. We recommend including both climatic and local environmental variables in studies of variation along elevation gradients and conclude that variation partitioning can be a useful supplement to other methods for analysing variation in plant performance.

Subcellular localization of Na+/K+-ATPase isoforms resolved by in situ hybridization chain reaction in the gill of chum salmon at freshwater and seawater.

The Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) α1-isoforms were examined by in situ hybridization chain reaction (ISHCR) using short hairpin DNAs, and we showed triple staining of NKA α1a, α1b, and α1c transcripts in the gill of chum salmon acclimated to freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW). The NKA α1-isoforms have closely resembled nucleotide sequences, which could not be differentiated by conventional in situ hybridization. The ISHCR uses a split probe strategy to allow specific hybridization using regular oligo DNA, resulting in high specificity at low cost. The results showed that NKA α1c was expressed ubiquitously in gill tissue and no salinity effects were observed. FW lamellar ionocytes (type-I ionocytes) expressed cytoplasmic NKA α1a and nuclear NKA α1b transcripts. However, both transcripts of NKA α1a and α1b were present in the cytoplasm of immature type-I ionocytes. The developing type-I ionocytes increased the cytoplasmic volume and migrated to the distal region of the lamellae. SW filament ionocytes (type-II ionocytes) expressed cytoplasmic NKA α1b transcripts as the major isoform. Results from morphometric analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated that a large portion of FW ionocytes was NKA α1b-rich, suggesting that isoform identity alone cannot mark the ionocyte types. Both immature or residual type-II ionocytes and type-I ionocytes were found on the FW and SW gills, suggesting that the chum salmon retains the potential to switch the ionocyte population to fit the ion-transporting demands, which contributes to their salinity tolerance and osmoregulatory plasticity.

Riverine microbial communities impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emissions from a fluoropolymer-manufacturing plant.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread pollutants that can influence microorganisms. To unveil the effects of PFAS in natural microecosystems, a study that focused on the bacterial, fungal, and microeukaryotic communities around the PFAS point source was conducted in China. A total of 255 specific taxa were significantly different between the upstream and downstream samples, 54 of which were directly correlated with PFAS concentration. Stenotrophomonas (99.2 %), Ralstonia (90.7 %), Phoma (21.9 %), and Alternaria (97.6 %) were the dominant genera in sediment samples from the downstream communities. In addition, most of the dominant taxa were significantly correlated with PFAS concentration. Furthermore, the type of microorganism (bacteria, fungi, and microeukaryotes) and habitat (sediment or pelagic) also influence the microbial community responses to PFAS exposure. Pelagic microorganisms featured more PFAS-correlated biomarker taxa (36 pelagic microeukaryotic biomarkers and 8 pelagic bacteria biomarkers) than the sediments (9 sediment fungi biomarkers and 5 sediment bacteria biomarker). In general, around the factory, the microbial community was more variable in pelagic, summer, and microeukaryotic conditions than in other types. Attention needs to be paid to these variables in the future effect of PFAS on microorganisms.

Fecal microbiota transplantation ameliorates bone loss in mice with ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis via modulating gut microbiota and metabolic function.

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic metabolic bone disease characterized by decreased bone mass and destruction of bone microstructure, which tends to result in enhanced bone fragility and related fractures. The postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) has a relatively high proportion, and numerous studies reveal that estrogen-deficiency is related to the imbalance of gut microbiota (GM), impaired intestinal mucosal barrier function and enhanced inflammatory reactivity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear and the existing interventions are also scarce. Methods: In this study, we established a mouse model induced by ovariectomy (OVX) and conducted fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) by gavage every day for 8 weeks. Subsequently, the bone mass and microarchitecture of mice were evaluated by the micro computed tomography (Micro-CT). The intestinal permeability, pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines expression, osteogenic and osteoclastic activities were detected by the immunohistological analysis, histological examination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot analysis accordingly. Additionally, the composition and abundance of GM were assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing and the fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) level was measured by metabolomics. Results: Our results demonstrated that FMT inhibited the excessive osteoclastogenesis and prevented the OVX-induced bone loss. Specifically, compared with the OVX group, FMT enhanced the expressions of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO-1) and Occludin) and suppressed the release of pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)). Furthermore, FMT also optimized the composition and abundance of GM, and increased the fecal SCFAs level (mainly acetic acid and propionic acid). Conclusions: Collectively, based on GM-bone axis, FMT prevented the OVX-induced bone loss by correcting the imbalance of GM, improving the SCFAs level, optimizing the intestinal permeability and suppressing the release of pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines, which may be an alternative option to serve as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of PMOP in the future. The translational potential of this article: This study indicates the ingenious involvement of GM-bone axis in PMOP and the role of FMT in reshaping the status of GM and ameliorating the bone loss in OVX-induced mice. FMT might serve as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of PMOP in the future.

Recognising the potential of large animals for modelling neuromuscular junction physiology and disease.

The aetiology and pathophysiology of many diseases of the motor unit remain poorly understood and the role of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in this group of disorders is particularly overlooked, especially in humans, when these diseases are comparatively rare. However, elucidating the development, function and degeneration of the NMJ is essential to uncover its contribution to neuromuscular disorders, and to explore potential therapeutic avenues to treat these devastating diseases. Until now, an understanding of the role of the NMJ in disease pathogenesis has been hindered by inherent differences between rodent and human NMJs: stark contrasts in body size and corresponding differences in associated axon length underpin some of the translational issues in animal models of neuromuscular disease. Comparative studies in large mammalian models, including examination of naturally occurring, highly prevalent animal diseases and evaluation of their treatment, might provide more relevant insights into the pathogenesis and therapy of equivalent human diseases. This review argues that large animal models offer great potential to enhance our understanding of the neuromuscular system in health and disease, and in particular, when dealing with diseases for which nerve length dependency might underly the pathogenesis.

Hurricane Harvey Impacts on Water Quality and Microbial Communities in Houston, TX Waterbodies.

Extreme weather events can temporarily alter the structure of coastal systems and generate floodwaters that are contaminated with fecal indicator bacteria (FIB); however, every coastal system is unique, so identification of trends and commonalities in these episodic events is challenging. To improve our understanding of the resilience of coastal systems to the disturbance of extreme weather events, we monitored water quality, FIB at three stations within Clear Lake, an estuary between Houston and Galveston, and three stations in bayous that feed into the estuary. Water samples were collected immediately before and after Hurricane Harvey (HH) and then throughout the fall of 2017. FIB levels were monitored by culturing E. coli and Enterococci. Microbial community structure was profiled by high throughput sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. Water quality and FIB data were also compared to historical data for these water body segments. Before HH, salinity within Clear Lake ranged from 9 to 11 practical salinity units (PSU). Immediately after the storm, salinity dropped to < 1 PSU and then gradually increased to historical levels over 2 months. Dissolved inorganic nutrient levels were also relatively low immediately after HH and returned, within a couple of months, to historical levels. FIB levels were elevated immediately after the storm; however, after 1 week, E. coli levels had decreased to what would be acceptable levels for freshwater. Enterococci levels collected several weeks after the storm were within the range of historical levels. Microbial community structure shifted from a system dominated by Cyanobacteria sp. before HH to a system dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes immediately after. Several sequences observed only in floodwater showed similarity to sequences previously reported for samples collected following Hurricane Irene. These changes in beta diversity corresponded to salinity and nitrate/nitrite concentrations. Differential abundance analysis of metabolic pathways, predicted from 16S sequences, suggested that pathways associated with virulence and antibiotic resistance were elevated in floodwater. Overall, these results suggest that floodwater generated from these extreme events may have high levels of fecal contamination, antibiotic resistant bacteria and bacteria rarely observed in other systems.

Differential response of soil microbial and animal communities along the chronosequence of Cunninghamia lanceolata at different soil depth levels in subtropical forest ecosystem.

Introduction: Soil biota plays a crucial role in the terrestrial ecosystem. There is growing momentum to understand the community structure and diversity of total belowground soil biota across large ecological scales. Soil biota follow divergent trends with respect to soil physiochemical properties in different ecosystems; however, little is known about their response to stand development across multiple soil depths in Chinese fir plantations, which is the most important tree species across all over China, popular for its timber production. Objectives: Here, we investigated the community assembly of soil bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists and animals across three different vertical soil profiles (0-10, 10-20, 20-40 cm) using a chronosequence of Chinese fir representing five different stand ages (5, 8, 21, 27, 40 years) in South China. Methods: High throughput illumine Hiseq2500 sequencing. Results: Our results showed that soil biotic communities exhibited a decreasing trend in alpha diversity of bacteria, fungi, protists and animals with increasing soil depth; however, archaea showed an opposite trend. Most abundant soil bacterial, fungal, archaeal, protist and animal classes were Acidobacteriia, Agaricomycetes, Bathyarchaeia, Chlorophyceae and Clitellata, respectively. Correlation of vertical distribution of biotic communities and variations in soil physiochemical properties explained that total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and pH were the most influencing factors for changes in soil biotic communities. Although the stand age was a contributing factor for fungal and animal beta diversity, however, as compared to soil depth, it was not dominatingly influencing the structure of other biotic communities. Conclusions: Collectively, these results reveal a new perspective on the vertical variation and distinct response patterns of soil biotic communities at a fine scale across different stand ages of Chinese fir plantations.

Phase partitioning effects on seasonal compositions and distributions of terrigenous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons along the South China Sea and East China Sea.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have posed serious risk to marine ecosystems due to their carcinogenic properties, and persistence in the environment and elevated bioaccumulation. It, therefore, becomes essential to examine spatial distribution, composition, and sources of PAHs. In this study, we have examined these PAH variations in the South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS), that are experiencing rapid population and economic growth by the surrounding developing countries. It revealed high seasonal variations that significantly differ between dissolved and particulate PAHs concentrations. Spatial variations of PAHs across sites remain relatively insignificant. Persistently high particulate concentrations of the Naphthalene (Nap) were observed, whereas the dissolved concentrations of Fluorene (Flu) and Phenanthrene (Phen) remained prevalent across all the seasons. The result of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) strongly reflects the weak dispersions of PAHs across the seasons and the contrasting effects of the phase partitioning. Principal component analysis indicates that the primary source of PAH contamination is coal tar or petroleum distillation. However, estimated risk quotient (RQ) values of both the dissolved and particulate PAHs in all the seasons are far below the high-risk levels, while dissolved PAHs displayed relatively higher values. This study signifies the importance of phase petitioning for PAHs monitoring and potential risk assessments.

Tree structure and diversity of a Humid Mountain Forest in the protected natural area La Martinica, Veracruz, Mexico / Estructura y diversidad arbórea de un bosque húmedo de montaña en el Área Natural Protegida La Martinica, Veracruz, México

Abstract Introduction: The Humid Mountain Forest (HMF) has the highest number of plants per unit of surface, whose vegetation grows under heterogeneous environmental conditions and possess a high floristic variation. HMF conservation is important due to the biodiversity it harbors and the environmental services it provides. Objective: This work evaluated the effect of the terrain aspect and density of the forest canopy on the structure and tree diversity in La Martinica Protected Natural Area, Mexico. Methods: Stratified sampling was performed in four terrain aspects and two canopy density conditions. Twenty five sampling units of 20 x 25 m were considered, in which the normal diameter (ND), total height and the largest and smallest diameters of the crown of the individuals with a ND ≥ 10 cm were registered. The diversity was estimated by rarefaction curves and the structure was analyzed through the importance value index (IVI) and the forest value index (FVI). Results: 37 species belonging to 30 genera and 24 families were recorded. Greater diversity was observed in the north terrain aspect and in the closed canopy. Tree species with the highest structural values were different between terrain aspect and canopy types; Carpinus tropicalis presented the highest values in the zenithal terrain aspect, Lippia myriocephala in the east and south terrain aspect, and Liquidambar styraciflua in the north. In both canopy types Lippia myriocephala obtained the highest IVI values and FVI in the open canopy; Carpinus tropicalis reached a higher FVI in the closed canopy. Conclusions: Tree structure was different in the four terrain aspects and two canopy conditions studied. The greatest difference in species composition and diversity was observed between the north and east terrain aspects; the north presented the highest richness values, frequent and dominant species.

Resumen Introducción: El Bosque Húmedo de Montaña (BHM) posee el mayor número de especies vegetales por unidad de superficie, cuya vegetación se desarrolla en condiciones ambientales muy heterogéneas y presenta una alta variación florística. La conservación del BHM es importante debido a la biodiversidad que alberga y los servicios ambientales que proporciona. Objetivo: Este trabajo evaluó el efecto de la orientación del terreno y la densidad del dosel del bosque sobre la estructura y diversidad arbórea en el Área Natural Protegida La Martinica, México. Métodos: Se efectuó un muestreo estratificado en cuatro orientaciones del terreno y dos condiciones de densidad del dosel; se consideraron 25 unidades de muestreo de 20 x 25 m, en las que se registró: el diámetro normal (DN), la altura total y los diámetros mayor y menor de la copa de los individuos con un DN ≥10 cm. La diversidad se estimó por medio de curvas de rarefacción y la estructura se analizó con el índice de valor de importancia (IVI) y el índice de valor forestal (IVF). Resultados: Se registraron 37 especies pertenecientes a 30 géneros y 24 familias. Se observó una mayor diversidad en la orientación norte y en el dosel cerrado. Las especies arbóreas con valores estructurales más altos fueron diferentes entre orientaciones y tipos de dosel; Carpinus tropicalis presentó los valores más elevados en la orientación cenital, Lippia myriocephala en las orientaciones este y sur, y Liquidambar styraciflua en la norte. En ambos tipos de dosel Lippia myriocephala obtuvo los valores más altos del IVI e IVF en el dosel abierto; Carpinus tropicalis alcanzó un IVF más elevado en el dosel cerrado. Conclusiones: La estructura arbórea fue diferente en las cuatro orientaciones estudiadas y en las dos condiciones del dosel. La mayor diferencia en composición de especies y diversidad se observó entre las orientaciones norte y este, de ellas, la norte presentó los valores más altos de riqueza, especies frecuentes y dominantes.

Indicative Marker Microbiome Structures Deduced from the Taxonomic Inventory of 67 Full-Scale Anaerobic Digesters of 49 Agricultural Biogas Plants.

There are almost 9500 biogas plants in Germany, which are predominantly operated with energy crops and residues from livestock husbandry over the last two decades. In the future, biogas plants must be enabled to use a much broader range of input materials in a flexible and demand-oriented manner. Hence, the microbial communities will be exposed to frequently varying process conditions, while an overall stable process must be ensured. To accompany this transition, there is the need to better understand how biogas microbiomes respond to management measures and how these responses affect the process efficiency. Therefore, 67 microbiomes originating from 49 agricultural, full-scale biogas plants were taxonomically investigated by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. These microbiomes were separated into three distinct clusters and one group of outliers, which are characterized by a specific distribution of 253 indicative taxa and their relative abundances. These indicative taxa seem to be adapted to specific process conditions which result from a different biogas plant operation. Based on these results, it seems to be possible to deduce/assess the general process condition of a biogas digester based solely on the microbiome structure, in particular on the distribution of specific indicative taxa, and without knowing the corresponding operational and chemical process parameters. Perspectively, this could allow the development of detection systems and advanced process models considering the microbial diversity.

Farming practices affect the amino acid profiles of the aquaculture Chinese mitten crab.

Farming operation and amino acid profiles of pond-reared Chinese mitten crabs, Eriocheir sinensis (Milne Edwards, 1853), collected from different areas in Jiangsu Province, China were investigated and compared with the aim to elucidate how farming practices affected the nutritional values of three edible tissues (muscle, hepatopancreas and gonad) of crab. The crab pond aquaculture practices including snail input, macrophytes coverage, total commercial feed, the ratio of trash fish to total feed, were much higher in Gaochun and Jintan than that in other sites (having larger pond size), which leads to higher average individual body weight and commercial yields. Further, the mean body weight, muscle weight, carapace length and width, and the ratio of gonad to hepatopancreas were significantly higher in Jintan, Suzhou and Gaochun areas than in other regions. Amino acid assessment showed that all crabs collected delivered high-quality protein (Amino acid score >1 except Valine), the main amino acids being glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and alanine. Significant differences in amino acid profiles were observed between sites, tissues and sexes. Muscles were rich in total amino acids, essential amino acids, and delicious amino acids, followed by gonads and hepatopancreas. The contents of essential amino acids in crab muscles from Gaochun, Jintan, Suzhou and Guannan were significantly higher than those from Suqian, Sihong and Xinghua. All the amino acids except Serine and Glycine were significantly higher in gonads from males than from females. The redundancy analysis revealed that the snail input, trash fish ratio to the total feed, macrophytes coverage and total trash fish supply explained 84.3% of the variation in the amino acid content and structure in crabs from Gaochun, Jintan and Suzhou. Overall, our results show that mitten crabs collected in Jiangsu province had good nutritional quality suitable for human dietary needs, and that farming practices, especially degree of fish-source protein feeding, influence the amino acids composition of crabs.

Effects of short-term grazing prohibition on soil physical and chemical properties of meadows in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Grassland plays an important role in the ecosystem, but overgrazing harms the grassland system in many places. Grazing prohibition is an effective method to restore grassland ecosystems, and it plays a great role in realizing the sustainable development of grassland systems. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out research on the influence of regional grazing prohibition on the physical and chemical properties of different grassland systems. METHODS: In Potatso National Park, Southwest China, we selected experimental plots in the artificial grazing meadow area to study the effects of grazing prohibition on plant and soil indexes in subalpine meadows and swamp meadows. We investigated the biomass and species diversity of grazing prohibition treatment and grazing treatment plots and sampled and tested the soil index. The variation percentage was used to remove the original heterogeneity and yearly variation, allowing us to compare differences in plant index and soil index values between grazing prohibition and grazing treatments. RESULTS: Grazing prohibition increased the aboveground biomass, total biomass, total meadow coverage, average height, richness index, Shannon diversity index and evenness index and reduced the belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio in the subalpine meadow and swamp meadow. Additionally, grazing prohibition reduced the pH and soil bulk density and increased the soil total carbon, soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, soil hydrolyzable nitrogen, soil total phosphorus and soil available phosphorus in the subalpine meadow and swamp meadow. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that both plant indexes and soil indexes were significantly different between grazing and grazing prohibition treatments and between meadow types. Short-term grazing prohibition had a great impact on improving the fertility of meadow soil in the study area. We suggest that long-term and extensive research should be carried out to promote the restoration and sustainable development of regional grassland systems.

Effects of gait training with a voluntary-driven wearable cyborg, Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), on quality of life in patients with neuromuscular disease, able to walk independently with aids.

Robot-assisted gait training using a voluntary-driven wearable cyborg, Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), has been shown to improve the mobility of patients with neurological disorders; however, its effect on the quality of life (QOL) of patients is not clear. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of HAL-assisted gait training on QOL and mobility in patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs). Ten patients with NMDs (seven men and three women, mean age: 57 ± 11 years), with impairment in mobility but could walk alone with aids underwent two courses of gait training with HAL over 6 months, and the single course consisted of nine sessions of training for 4 weeks. We compared the findings of the 2 min walk test, 10 m walk test, the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline, after the 1st training, before the 2nd training, and after the 2nd training using the Friedman test. A significant improvement was observed in the 2 min walking distance from baseline (93 ± 50 m) to after the 2nd training (115 ± 48 m, P = 0.034), as well as in the domains of vitality (P = 0.019) and mental component summary score (P = 0.019) of SF-36. The improvement in 10 m walking speed was significantly correlated with that in the physical functioning (R = 0.831, P = 0.003) and role physical (R = 0.697, P = 0.025) domains in the SF-36. Our findings suggest that HAL-assisted gait training is effective in improving QOL associated with mental health as well as gait ability in selected patients with NMDs.

Comparative metagenomic analysis of the vaginal microbiome in healthy women.

The composition of these vaginal microbiome has a significant impact on women's health. However, few studies have characterized the vaginal microbiome of healthy Chinese women using metagenomic sequencing. Here, we carried out a comparative metagenomic analysis to survey taxonomic, functional levels, and microbial communities' genome content in healthy women's vaginal microbiome. Overall, we observed a total of 111 species, including all dominant vaginal Lactobacillus species, such as L. iners, L. crispatus, L. gasseri, and L. jensenii. Unlike microbial taxa, several pathways were ubiquitous and prevalent across individuals, including adenosine ribonucleotides de novo biosynthesis and pyruvate fermentation to acetate and lactate II. Notably, our diversity analysis confirmed a significant difference in healthy women from different ethnic groups. Moreover, we binned vaginal assemblies into 62 high-quality genomes, including 9 L. iners, 7 A. vaginae, 5 L. jensenii, and 5 L. crispatus. We identified the pan and core genomes of L. iners and A. vaginae and revealed the genetic diversity. Primary differences between strains were the hypothetical genes and mobile element-like genes. Our results provide a framework for understanding the implications of the female reproductive tract's composition and functional potential and highlight the importance of genome-resolved metagenomic analysis to further understand the human vaginal microbiome.

Evaluation of the impact of heterogeneous environmental pollutants on benthic macroinvertebrates and water quality by long-term monitoring of the buyuk menderes river basin.

Biomonitoring is a significant method for evaluating aquatic life forms and their environments. The longer the process continues, the results of it become more precise. Benthic macroinvertebrates' exposure to changes in environmental conditions makes them an important part of any biomonitoring program. This paper reviews a long-term water quality of the Buyuk Menderes River Basin which is the biggest river basin spread across the western Anatolia (Turkey). The study area was divided into three regions (Usak, Aydin, Denizli), primarily considering the provincial borders in the basin. A total of 40 sampling sites from the main river and its tributaries were selected. The prominent agricultural and industrial pollutants (textile, tannery and sugar factories) from each region have been taken into account. The most common and current biotic indices (BMWP Spanish version, ASPT, RBPIII, MMIF, EPT%, Diversity and Evenness) based on the pollution tolerance of benthic macroinvertebrates have been used to track water quality changes. The relationships between environmental variables (sO2, dO2, water temp., salinity, flow, TDS, Cond, pH, NO3-N, NO2-N, PO4-P, Fe+3, NH4-N) and bioindicators have been revealed by using multivariate analyses (NMDS, CCA). The region-based variations in water quality were compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test. The one-way variance analysis test (ANOVA) was used for the contrast between the biotic indices. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found among the regions in terms of Shannon-Wiener, Evenness, BMWP and MMIF indices. Regions were separated according to pollution sources, and the impact of provinces on water quality may vary according to their industry types. It has been observed that pollutants can spread across a basin for very long distances and reinstatement of the environmental conditions may require long periods.

Examining Heterogeneity of Food Fortification and Biofortification Business Models: Emerging Evidence for a Typology.

Efforts to address Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) in lower-and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been gaining pace in recent years. Commodities such as staple foods (e.g., cereals, roots, and tubers) and condiments (e.g., salt) have been targeted as 'vehicles' for fortification and biofortification through numerous projects and initiatives. To date, there have been mixed experiences with delivery and coverage with very little documented on the range of business models applied in different geographies, business conditions and polities and this makes classification and measurement of success and failure difficult. This research aims to address this gap in knowledge through proposing a typology that clarifies similarities (internal heterogeneity) and differences (external heterogeneity) between models and that can allow all types to be defined by the combination of attributes. Building on a comprehensive literature review; NVivo was used to code initiatives from 34 key references (955 cases in total) which have been grouped into 17 categories. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) we find evidence of four business model groupings that typify fortification initiatives: (1) Large-scale private, unregulated, (2) Mixed-Scale, private, unregulated (3) Large-scale, public-private, regulated; and (4) Large-scale, private, regulated. We characterise these four groups with country examples and suggest that this typology can help the discourse around viability of food fortification initiatives.

Prebiotics enhance the biotransformation and bioavailability of ginsenosides in rats by modulating gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Gut microbiota mainly function in the biotransformation of primary ginsenosides into bioactive metabolites. Herein, we investigated the effects of three prebiotic fibers by targeting gut microbiota on the metabolism of ginsenoside Rb1 in vivo. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were administered with ginsenoside Rb1 after a two-week prebiotic intervention of fructooligosaccharide, galactooligosaccharide, and fibersol-2, respectively. Pharmacokinetic analysis of ginsenoside Rb1 and its metabolites was performed, whilst the microbial composition and metabolic function of gut microbiota were examined by 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic shotgun sequencing. RESULTS: The results showed that peak plasma concentration and area under concentration time curve of ginsenoside Rb1 and its intermediate metabolites, ginsenoside Rd, F2, and compound K (CK), in the prebiotic intervention groups were increased at various degrees compared with those in the control group. Gut microbiota dramatically responded to the prebiotic treatment at both taxonomical and functional levels. The abundance of Prevotella, which possesses potential function to hydrolyze ginsenoside Rb1 into CK, was significantly elevated in the three prebiotic groups (P < 0.05). The gut metagenomic analysis also revealed the functional gene enrichment for terpenoid/polyketide metabolism, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, propanoate metabolism, etc. CONCLUSION: These findings imply that prebiotics may selectively promote the proliferation of certain bacterial stains with glycoside hydrolysis capacity, thereby, subsequently improving the biotransformation and bioavailability of primary ginsenosides in vivo.

A high methionine and low folate diet alters glucose homeostasis and gut microbiome.

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is considered as a risk factor for several complications, including cardiovascular and neurological disorders. A high methionine low folate (HMLF) diet chronically causes HHcy by accumulating homocysteine in the systemic circulation. Elevated Hcy level is also associated with the incidence of diabetes mellitus. However, very few studies focus on the impact of HMLF diet on glucose homeostasis, and that on gut microbiome profile. HHcy was induced by feeding C57BL/6 mice a HMLF diet for 8 weeks. The HMLF diet feeding resulted in a progressive body weight loss, and development of slight glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in HHcy mice. Notably, the HMLF diet alters the gut microbiome profile and increases the relative abundance of porphyromonadaceae family of bacteria in HHcy mice. These findings provide new insights into the roles of dysregulated glucose homeostasis and gut flora in the pathogenesis of HHcy-related complications.

Diversity and Species Composition of Bark and Ambrosia Beetles Captured Using Ethanol Baited Traps on Different Hosts in East Java, Indonesia.

Bark and ambrosia beetles are a diverse group that causes widespread mortality of deciduous and coniferous trees. The present study aimed to investigate the species compositions and richnesses of bark and ambrosia beetles in six species of plant hosts in East Java, Indonesia. Bark and ambrosia beetles were sampled using bottle traps baited with ethanol. Studies were conducted at two sites of monoculture and polyculture systems for each host plant species. At each site, 20 ethanol-baited traps were deployed on a linear transect along the forest. Six host tree species examined were used, namely Tectona grandis (Teak), Syzygium aromaticum (Clove), Swietenia mahagoni (Mahogany), Pinus merkusii (Sumatran Pine), Paraserianthes falcataria (Moluccan Albizia), and Mangifera indica (Mango). The data were analyzed using R software. A total of 4823 beetles were collected, representing 26 ambrosia beetle and eight bark beetle species. The abundance of bark and ambrosia beetles was significantly highest at the sites of T. grandis (F = 13.88, P < 0.01). Xylosandrus crassiusculus showed a strong attraction to the ethanol lure and was the dominant beetle species (50.65% of the total number of individuals). The Shannon-Wiener diversity index of all beetles captured in this study was the highest in the S. mahogany polyculture (2.28) and the lowest in the T. grandis polyculture (0.47). According to Bray-Curtis analysis, the T. grandis monoculture and T. grandis polyculture had a high similarity value of bark and ambrosia beetle species compositions (91% similar). There were no significant differences between two cultural systems of host plants in the compositions of bark and ambrosia beetle species (ANOSIM, R = -0.1537, P = 0.961).