Dominant Class Research Articles

Correlation of Chlorophyll-a and Dissolved Oxygen in the Phytoplankton Abundance in Leyte Gulf, Philippines

Leyte Gulf is an important fishing ground in the Philippines that serves as a livelihood and food source for many coastal communities. This study aimed to determine the composition, abundance, and diversity of phytoplankton, examine the chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and distribution, and correlate the results of phytoplankton abundance to the examined water parameters in the Leyte Gulf. Samples were collected at 20 established oceanographic stations from April 24 to May 8, 2020, using 10 liters (L) of Niskin bottles at a depth of 10 meters (m), 25 m, 50 m, and 75 m. Phytoplankton were categorized into three classes, namely diatoms, dinoflagellates, and blue-green algae. Results of this study showed that diatoms were the most dominant class comprising about 89% abundance. Of all the identified phytoplankton taxa, Leptocylindrus spp., Rhizosolenia spp., and Coscinodiscus spp. were the most abundant. Leptocylindrus spp. was found to have a higher density in all sampling stations. Based on the diversity index and density-depth analysis, the phytoplankton abundance has a similar distribution in Leyte Gulf. A high concentration of phytoplankton abundance in the Leyte group was observed, wherein a high concentration of chl-a and DO occurred. Additionally, the status of water parameters throughout the study area was tolerable. Results further revealed that the relationship between the chl-a and DO was strongly positively correlated to phytoplankton. Therefore, continued monitoring of phytoplankton and other important water parameters within the gulf must be done.

UHPLC-DAD-ESI-HRMS/MS profile of phenolic compounds in northern red oak (Quercus rubra L., syn. Q. borealis F. Michx) seeds and its transformation during thermal processing

This paper describes for the first time a complete characterization and quantification of the phenolic compounds in raw and heat-treated northern red oak ( Quercus rubra L.) seeds using UHPLC-DAD-ESI-HRMS/MS. A total 42 phenolic compounds belonging to five different groups of compounds, including ellagitannins, gallotannins, phenolic glycosides, hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives (HBA derivatives) and ellagic acid derivatives (EA derivatives), were identified, and most of them were reported in Q. rubra seeds for the first time. Significant variability of phenolic composition existed among raw and roasted samples under different temperature and time conditions. The total content of the phenolics, ellagitannins, gallotannins and phenolic glycosides was drastically reduced by roasting, regardless of the thermal processing conditions. In turn, an increase the roasting temperature from 135° to 200°C led to an increment in the total content of HBA and EA derivatives. Among the roasted seeds, the highest total phenolics content was found in the samples thermally treated at 185 °C for 25 min, while the lowest amounts were observed in those roasted at 135 °C for 80 min. Ellagitannins were the dominant class of phenolic compounds in the raw samples, while EA derivatives were more abundant in heat-treated seeds. Interestingly, the second most abundant phenolic group in both unroasted and roasted samples were phenolic glycosides. The predominant individual phenolic compounds, in raw seeds, were cretanin, oenothein B and rugosin E isomers. Since, among the phenolics found in the raw seeds, cretanin had the highest thermal stability, while dimeric ellagitannins and high molecular weight gallotannins exhibited the least thermal stability. The roasted samples contained mainly compounds formed by further decomposition of abovementioned compounds. • A total of 42 phenolics were found in Quercus rubra L. seeds for the first time. • In raw oak seeds, the dominant phenolics were cretanin and dimeric ellagitannins. • Ellagitannins and gallotannins showed higher heat sensitivity than other phenolics. • Roasting effectively increased the content of low-molecular-weight phenolics. • The raw and roasted Q. rubra seeds are a valuable source of bioactive phenolics.

De novo transcriptome assembly and its utility in development and characterization of the first set of genic SSR markers in cashew

Cashew is an industrially important nut tree grown in over 30 countries. The demand for cashew is increasing due to its nutritional value and industrial applications. Despite socio-economic importance, genomic sequence and marker resources are very limited in cashew. De novo transcriptome sequencing allows the discovery of genes and molecular markers cost-effectively. In the present study, for the first time, we de novo assembled and characterized the transcriptome of cashew shoots and developed novel genic SSR markers. About 24.78 million high-quality Illumina sequences were used for de novo transcriptome assembly and it resulted in the identification of 71571 transcripts. The size of transcripts ranged from 201 to 23,274 bp with an average size of 687 bp. The N50 value of transcriptome was 1011 bp and the L50 sequence count was 13520. BUSCO analysis showed assembly completeness of 94 %. A total of 39836 transcripts had at least one BLAST hit against the Viridiplantae database. The functional annotation by KAAS analysis identified a total of 203 pathways. In silico SSR mining from assembled transcriptome identified 4271 SSRs. Tri-nucleotide (49.12 %) was the most dominant class of SSRs. The frequency of Class I SSRs (≥20 bp) was 32.1 %. Fifty-four of 80 primers synthesized successfully PCR amplified the cashew genomic DNA and 36 of them were polymorphic. Cross-species amplification rates of SSRs were 100 % in two Anacardium species whereas 61 % in Semecarpus anacardium and 87 % in S. prainii. Nineteen SSR markers were used for genetic diversity analysis in 64 accessions detected a total of 206 alleles and grouped the accessions into three major clusters. PCoA could differentiate the cashew accessions based on geographic regions to a certain extent. The population structure analysis using the Bayesian model-based clustering revealed the existence of three genetic subpopulations (K=3). The annotated transcriptome data and informative genic SSR markers developed in this study provide valuable tools for deciphering agronomically important genes and QTLs, the genetic variations in populations, and molecular breeding in cashew.

The French Revolution: The Marxist Interpretation and the Revisionist Critic

Bu çalışmada Fransız Devrimi’nin Marksist yorumu ve buna getirilen Revizyonist eleştiri karşılaştırılacaktır. Bunun için nitel araştırma yönteminde kategorik ve sistematik içerik analizine başvurulacaktır. Çalışmada Fransız Devrimi, tarihin belirli bir zamanında meydana gelmiş tek bir vaka olma özelliği taşımaktadır. Marx ve takipçileri sosyalizmin kökenini Fransız Devrimi’nde aramışlardır. Bu da onları devrimin iktisadi dinamiklerine götürmüştür. Bu dinamikler içerisinde burjuvazi baskın bir unsurdur. 1950’li yıllarda revizyonistler bu yaklaşıma itiraz etmişlerdir. Revizyonist yazar ve düşünürlerin önde gelen şahsiyetlerinden Cobban, “Genel Meclis” (États Généraux)’te burjuvaziyi temsil ettiği iddia edilen “Üçüncü Sınıf”’ın burjuva bir karaktere sahip olmadığını öne sürmektedir. Bir diğer Revizyonist yazar, Furet, devrimle birlikte ortaya siyasal kültürün olayın doğru bir şekilde incelenmesini zorlaştırdığına dikkat çekmiştir. Marksistlerin iddia ettiğinin aksine feodal düzenin monarşi yargısının varlığı nedeni ile devrim öncesinde işlevini yitirdiğine inanmaktadır. 1789 yılına gelindiğinde feodal toprakların iktisadi mekanizması sürdürülebilir bir özellik arz etmemektedir. Devrimin, bu açıdan bakıldığında etkisi feodal dünyanın geriye kalan unsurlarını ortadan kaldırmakla sınırlı kalmıştır.

The Battle of Battle Creek: Seeking Superfund Justice.

An early epidemiologic study on groundwater contamination in the United States took place at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site in Battle Creek Michigan. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) consisting of chlorinated 2-carbon solvents were identified in private and municipal wells serving several communities. One major source of VOC was a solvent recovery operation near the municipal well field. The study modeled the VOC plume and investigated mortality and morbidity outcomes thought to be related to the VOC. Although quite statistically significant excess mortality and morbidity (hospital discharge and survey questionnaire) outcomes were observed, there were few associations with VOC water cumulative metrics. Another potentially dominant class of exposures could arise in VOC water contamination episodes from the diverse contents of spent solvents generated in multiple, local manufacturing activities. The findings at Battle Creek are re-interpreted in this light and the implications for Superfund-like investigation strategy and reporting are discussed.

Climate‐driven stream‐flow impacts on bull trout metapopulation dynamics revealed by quantitative assessment of 22 years of tag–recapture data

Abstract Climate change has altered annual hydrologic cycles globally. Where stream flows are dominated by snow melt in western North America, climate change has resulted in peak flows that occur earlier in the runoff season and reduced flows during the non‐runoff season. Such changes can negatively affect the reproduction success and first‐year survival of stream‐dependent, autumn‐spawning salmonid fishes. We annually sampled bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus Suckley) populations in the St. Mary River catchment in north‐central Montana, U.S.A. Bull trout (≥ age 3; n = 3,502) electrofished from six creeks during 1998–2018 were given passive integrated transponder tags and 739 (21.1%) of those fish were recaptured through 2019 (tag loss c. 4.5%). We used tag–recapture data to (1) determine the spatial extent of the bull trout metapopulation; (2) fit a Bayesian Jolly–Seber model to identify the temporal trends in the sizes, finite growth rates (λ), and apparent survival and detection probabilities of the three main populations; and (3) assess the statistical associations between λ and flow. Bull trout movements among creeks defined the metapopulation's almost catchment‐wide spatial extent. Statistical correlations between λ and flow were clumped in the month × flow variable space at flow lags of 3–7 years, which corresponded with production of the dominant age classes in our tagged populations. Positive correlations occurred during June–September (the bull trout spawning season) and negative correlations during October–May (the embryo‐incubation period). Declining spawning‐season flow could have degraded bull trout spawning habitat, whereas increasing incubation‐period flow could have physically disturbed embryos affecting their survival. This study revealed associations between bull trout population dynamics and climate change as indexed by stream flow. Although the spawning habitats of these bull trout are protected within Glacier National Park and the occurrence of multiple local populations supports metapopulation persistence, that persistence is diminished because flow‐regime change has a strong negative influence on each population. Given the region's apparent climate trajectory, further decline in the bull trout metapopulation is anticipated.

Persistence of Salmonella Typhimurium and antibiotic resistance genes in different types of soil influenced by flooding and soil properties

Salmonella is a zoonotic foodborne bacterial pathogen that can seriously harm health. Persistence of Salmonella and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different types of soil under flooding and natural conditions are rare explored. This study investigated the dynamic changes of the Salmonella, ARGs and bacterial communities in three types of soils applied with pig manure in lab scale. Abundance of the Salmonella Typhimurium in soils reduced to the detection limit varied from 40 to 180 days, most of the Salmonella did not survive in soil for more than 90 days. Flooding and soil texture (content of sand) promote the decline rate of Salmonella. No Salmonella was found have acquired resistance gene from the soil or manure after 90 days. 64 ARGs and 11 MGEs were quantified, abundance of these genes and risky ARGs both gradually decline along with the extension of time. Most of the extrinsic ARGs cannot colonize in soil, cellular protection and antibiotic deactivation were their main resistance mechanism. Multidrug resistance and efflux pump were the dominant class and mechanism of soil intrinsic ARGs. Flooding can affect the ARGs profiles by reducing the types of extrinsic ARGs invaded into soil and inhibit the proliferation of intrinsic genes. Soil sand content, soil moisture and nutrition concentrations had significant direct effect on the abundance or profile of ARGs. Soil bacterial community structures also changed along with the extension of time and affected by flooding. Network analyses between ARGs and bacteria taxa revealed that Actinobacteria and Myxococcia were the main hosts of intrinsic ARGs, some taxa may play a role in inhibiting extrinsic ARGs colonization in the soils. These findings unveil that saturate soil with water may play a positive role in reducing potential risk of Salmonella and ARGs in the farmland environment.

Distinct roles of bacteria and fungi in mediating soil extracellular enzymes under long-term nitrogen deposition in temperate plantations

Soil microbes decompose soil organic matter by producing various extracellular enzymes, and also regulate soil carbon (C) and nutrient cycles. However, how shifts in soil microbial community under long-term nitrogen (N) deposition govern soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) is not known. Here, we conducted a decade-long N fertilization experiment consisting of control, low-N (2 g N m−2 year−1), medium-N (5 g N m−2 year−1), and high-N (10 g N m−2 year−1) treatments in a N-limited temperate plantation in northern China. The diversity and community composition of fungi and bacteria were determined with bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal internal transcribed spacer genes sequencing. Soil EEAs involved in C, N, and phosphorus (P) cycles were also measured. The results showed that high-N addition increased fungal diversity and altered microbial community composition. In particular, rare fungal diversity and rare bacterial community composition were more sensitive to N addition. N addition improved β-1,4-glucosidase (BG) and acid phosphatase (AP) activities by altering bacterial community composition, and inhibited leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and polyphenolic oxidase (PPO) activities by affecting fungal functional groups. Specifically, shifts in bacterial community composition caused by N addition were reflected in the significant increase in the dominant class Thermoleophilia, which could be an indicator of secreted hydrolase involved in C and P cycles. Symbiotrophic fungi were more closely associated with LAP for acquiring N and PPO. Our data provide a novel view of the link between major extracellular enzymes and specific microbial taxa under the background of N deposition.

Bacterial communities vary across populations and tissue type in red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophoraceae) along an expanding front.

Plant-associated microbial communities may be important sources of functional diversity and genetic variation that influence host evolution. Bacteria provide benefits for their hosts, yet in most plant systems we know little about their taxonomic composition or variation across tissues and host range. Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle L.) is a vital coastal plant species that is currently expanding poleward and with it, perhaps, its microbiome. We explored variability in bacterial communities across tissues, individuals, and populations. We collected samples from six sample types from 5 to 10 individuals at each of three populations and used 16S rRNA gene (iTag) sequencing to describe their bacterial communities. Core community members and dominant bacterial classes were determined for each sample type. Pairwise PERMANOVA of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity and Indicator Species Analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial communities between sample types and populations. We described the previously unexplored microbiome of the reproductive tissues of R. mangle. Populations and most sample types were associated with distinct communities. Bacterial communities associated with R. mangle are influenced by host geography and sample type. Our study provides a foundation for future work exploring the functional roles of these microbes and their relevance to biogeochemical cycling.

Automated Detection of Surgical Implants on Plain Knee Radiographs Using a Deep Learning Algorithm.

Background and Objectives: The number of patients who undergo multiple operations on a knee is increasing. The objective of this study was to develop a deep learning algorithm that could detect 17 different surgical implants on plain knee radiographs. Materials and Methods: An internal dataset consisted of 5206 plain knee antero-posterior X-rays from a single, tertiary institute for model development. An external set contained 238 X-rays from another tertiary institute. A total of 17 different types of implants including total knee arthroplasty, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, plate, and screw were labeled. The internal dataset was approximately split into a train set, a validation set, and an internal test set at a ratio of 7:1:2. You Only look Once (YOLO) was selected as the detection network. Model performances with the validation set, internal test set, and external test set were compared. Results: Total accuracy, total sensitivity, total specificity value of the validation set, internal test set, and external test set were (0.978, 0.768, 0.999), (0.953, 0.810, 0.990), and (0.956, 0.493, 0.975), respectively. Means ± standard deviations (SDs) of diagonal components of confusion matrix for these three subsets were 0.858 ± 0.242, 0.852 ± 0.182, and 0.576 ± 0.312, respectively. True positive rate of total knee arthroplasty, the most dominant class of the dataset, was higher than 0.99 with internal subsets and 0.96 with an external test set. Conclusion: Implant identification on plain knee radiographs could be automated using a deep learning technique. The detection algorithm dealt with overlapping cases while maintaining high accuracy on total knee arthroplasty. This could be applied in future research that analyzes X-ray images with deep learning, which would help prompt decision-making in clinics.

A Case of Rampaging Elephants: The Politics of the Middle Classes in Small-Town Pakistan

This article draws on a year of ethnographic fieldwork with traders in a Pakistani agricultural commodity market. It analyses their business and wider networking strategies to show how they – as a segment of Pakistan’s middle classes – perceive and interact with the state in the process of accumulation. Ordered by custom, contract, and selective engagement with state functionaries who also engage them selectively, traders’ economic activity is inextricably bound up with political practices that defy democratic principles. Neither a concern with the public good nor programmatic politics is visible in what traders do; the state is viewed as an instrument of accumulation while itself appearing to have no project of its own separate from the local dominant classes; and collective organisation both substitutes for the regulatory state and staves off its attempts at enforcement. These trends further militate against viewing the middle classes as catalysts of democracy and have important implications for development strategies seeking to reform the state.

Floristic composition, biological spectrum, and phytogeographic distribution of the Bin Dara Dir, in the western boundary of Pakistan

This study assessed the floristic composition, biological spectrum, and phytogeographical elements of the Bin Dara western boundary of Pakistan. The flora consisted of 140 plant species belonging to 47 families. The most dominant family was Poaceae (with 14 species), followed by Asteraceae (11 species). The biological spectrum showed the therophytes (71 species, 50.71%) as the dominant life form class, followed by mega-phanerophytes (27 species, 19.28%), nano-phanerophytes (15 species, 10.71%), geophytes (10 species, 7.14%), chamaephytes (9 species, 6.42%), and hemi-cryptophytes (8 species, 5.71%). Leaf size classes comprised of nanophylls (48 species, 34.28%), microphylls (32 species, 22.85%), mesophylls (22 species, 15.71%), macrophylls (17 species, 12.14%), leptophylls (12 species, 8.57), megaphylls (8 species, 5.75%), and aphyllous (1 species, 0.71%). Cosmopolitan was the most prominent form of phytogeographic elements (with 17 species, 12.14%), followed by pantropical and Euro-Siberian Mediterranean Irano-Turanian (14 species, 10%) each. The pluriregional represented (13 species, 9.28%), Holarctic and Mediterranean Irano-Turanian (10 species, 7.14%), Irano-Turanian and Western Himalayan (9 species, 6.42%) each. It is recommended that further study is needed to map the vegetation, its indicators, and rare species that face a huge threat of endangerment.

Pan-Arctic soil moisture control on tundra carbon sequestration and plant productivity.

Long-term atmospheric CO2 concentration records have suggested a reduction in the positive effect of warming on high-latitude carbon uptake since the 1990s. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the reduced net carbon sink of northern ecosystems with increased air temperature, including water stress on vegetation and increased respiration over recent decades. However, the lack of consistent long-term carbon flux and in situ soil moisture data has severely limited our ability to identify the mechanisms responsible for the recent reduced carbon sink strength. In this study, we used a record of nearly 100 site-years of eddy covariance data from 11 continuous permafrost tundra sites distributed across the circumpolar Arctic to test the temperature (expressed as growing degree days, GDD) responses of gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), and ecosystem respiration (ER) at different periods of the summer (early, peak, and late summer) including dominant tundra vegetation classes (graminoids and mosses, and shrubs). We further tested GPP, NEE, and ER relationships with soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit to identify potential moisture limitations on plant productivity and net carbon exchange. Our results show a decrease in GPP with rising GDD during the peak summer (July) for both vegetation classes, and a significant relationship between the peak summer GPP and soil moisture after statistically controlling for GDD in a partial correlation analysis. These results suggest that tundra ecosystems might not benefit from increased temperature as much as suggested by several terrestrial biosphere models, if decreased soil moisture limits the peak summer plant productivity, reducing the ability of these ecosystems to sequester carbon during the summer.

Carbon sequestration from refractory dissolved organic carbon produced by biodegradation of Saccharina japonica

Using macroalgae cultures to sequester carbon has been proposed in recent years. Yet the key mechanism of carbon sequestration—how carbon in degrading biomass is converted into refractory dissolved organic carbon (RDOC) remains poorly understood. The process of producting RDOC via biomass degradation of Saccharina japonica, the most productive algae in China, was thus studied in the laboratory. Most of the carbon in the kelp biomass was converted to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) by bacterial respiration. Only 7.8% of the carbon in the kelp biomass was converted into labile DOC, semi-labile or semi-refractory DOC, and refractory DOC in turn. The enrichment of DIC resulted in hypoxic conditions in the water. For the hypoxia in the experiment, the sulfur-degrading bacteria Campylobacteria and Bacteroidia became the dominant bacterial classes, which were the key drivers for the transformation of labile DOC to semi-labile or semi-refractory DOC. Then, semi-labile or semi-refractory DOC was converted to RDOC, driven by the sulfite-reducing bacteria Clostridia and Kapabacteria. Finally, 0.3% of the carbon content in kelp was transformed into RDOC. The resulting RDOC, which was rich in sulfur and nitrogen elements, increased the molecular diversity and average molecular weight in the water. An important finding was that the production of RDOC may be accompanied by the environmental risk of hypoxia.

Major impacts of caving activities on cave microbial diversity: case study of Morca Cave, Turkey.

Some of microorganisms identified in cave ecosystems have been reported to play a permanent and strategic role for maintaining life of these environments. Human entrance into caves can induce some changes of cave physicochemical parameters which ultimately impacts the living organisms. In these facts, for the first time, Morca Cave was explored in a purpose to evaluate the impacts that can be caused by the human activities on microbial diversity in a limited period of time. Morca is a karts cave located in the Taşeli Plateau in the Middle Taurus mountains in Turkey. The first entrance into this cave was in 2018, and expeditors reached to - 500m. During the second expedition in 2019, a camp was established at the - 1040-m depth during 4days. In order to evaluate the human impacts in a new explored cave, this camping depth is chosen to be our studied area because it was its first entrance. Before the installation and at the end of the camp, sediments and surface samples were taken from different points of the camp area and around. Sequencing of 16s rRNA of each sample to isolate DNA by using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method was performed. The profile of the microbial diversity before the camping revealed that the class Thermoplasmata was dominated the archaea group and Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the most dominant bacterial classes. After the camp, most studied sites were noted with a decrease of microbial diversity especially the previous cited classes strains. Bacteria belonging to Bacilli class have increased after the camp. Increase of bacteria that are belonging to Bacteroidia has also observed in the most active areas. This present study highlight how cave microbial diversity can respond to the human activities within a short period inside a closed cave. Furthermore, it may constitute a solid basis and support on the improvement of techniques for cave management and expedition planning for the conservation of cave nature.

NARASI KEKERASAN SIMBOLIK DAN MELEMBAGA DALAM NOVEL TEROR MORAL KARYA ONGKY ARISTA UA

Symbolic violence is a way that is always used by the dominant class or upper class in the social structure (ma-institutional) of society to impose. mindset,culture, also the lifestyle of the lower class. The focus of this research is on how the form of symbolic violence in the novel Moral Terror, how the institutional character in the novel Moral Terror. This research is a qualitative descriptive research with the main instrument in the research being the researcher. Alone. The purpose of this study is to describe the symbolic violence and institutionalized violence that occurs in the novel Terror Moral by Ongky Arista UA. The focus of the research is 1) violence. symbolic includes the mechanism of euphemism; in the form of twelve. love, giving, and rejection. While the sensorization mechanism; in the form of preservation of positive morals, honor, and decency. 2) institutionalized violence includes social habitus mechanisms found in coastal island communities; in the form of upper class habitus, lower class habitus.

Costa Rican Democracy

The article argues that the emergence and maintenance of Costa Rican democracy cannot be attributed to unique economic or social circumstances, but rather to identifiable elite actions that changed the character of political life. The argument is supported by a review of recent political history and an analysis of the functioning of the contemporary political system. This runs counter to a very common argument that attributes Costa Rica's unique democracy to the relative equality of wealth and status that has characterized the country since colonial times. A second persuasion emphasizes the virtual powerlessness of the mass of the population, but sees the maintenance of democracy as an outgrowth of a pluralistic dispersion of power and divergence of interests among the powerful minority. A third viewpoint, essentially the opposite of the first, sees the democratic regime as a continuation of patterns of class domination with deep historical roots. This article stands between the second and third schools of thoughts, attributing the democratic regime to explicit accommodations of interests among rival elites, while emphasizing the persistence of class domination in Costa Rican politics.

Vertical distribution of soil properties and soil organic carbon in community managed forest of Siwalik Hill, Nepal

Abstract. Lamichhane U, Ghimire P. 2022. Vertical distribution of soil properties and soil organic carbon in community managed forest of Siwalik Hill, Nepal. Asian J For 6: 91-96. Nepal's Community Forestry (CF) approach is globally recognized as an innovative and successful approach to forest resource management. Shorea robusta Gaertn. is the dominant tree species of Nepal's forest which covers 19.28% of the total stem volume of the country's forest area. Soil represents a significant terrestrial Carbon (C) pool and can play a significant role in mitigating global warming. Therefore, analyzing soil physicochemical properties and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stock is essential because they are key parameters for evaluating land use management systems. The present study was conducted in the Durga Mai Community Forest (DMCF) of Makawanpur District, Nepal, to assess the vertical distribution of soil physicochemical properties and SOC stock. Soil samples within a 1 m profile in five depth layers (0-20 cm, 21-40 cm, 41-60 cm, 61-80cm, and 81-100 cm) were collected and analyzed for Bulk Density (BD), soil texture, soil pH, soil carbon content, Total Nitrogen (TN), Available Phosphorous (AP), Available Potassium (AK) and SOC stock. Sandy loam was the dominant soil textural class reported throughout the study area. Average BD, soil pH, TN, AP, and AK in the S. robusta forest's soil in 1 m soil profile depth were found to be 1.16 ±0.07 gmcm-3, 5.78 ±0.62, 0.14 ±0.04 %, 5.94 ±1.04 kgha-1, and 104.20 ±19.66 kgha-1, respectively. The results estimated 107.57 ±3.06 tha-1 of SOC stock in 1 m soil profile, with 0.93 ±0.21% average SOC content. Further, average TN, AP, and AK were found to be decreased with an increase in soil profile depths. Similarly, soil profile depths significantly affected SOC stock and soil properties like BD, soil pH, TN, AP, and AK.

Oxidative stress is inhibited by plant-based supplements: A quantitative lipidomic analysis of antioxidant activity and lipid compositional change

Dietary supplements containing plant extracts are often marketed as having antioxidant properties. Using complex lipid mixtures derived from cellular tissue, we perform a targeted lipidomic assessment of the antioxidant activity of five plant extract supplements. Formulations derived from grape seed, milk thistle, pine bark, turmeric and hawthorn extract were evaluated. Overall, we find evidence to suggest that all supplements suppressed in vitro lipid oxidation to some degree. Suppression of oxidation was most effective in the dominant lipid classes, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), which contain significant numbers of polyunsaturated lipids. Under the conditions of study, grape seed extract supplement was the most effective antioxidant showing statistically significant suppression of lipid oxidation in 11 of the 15 lipid classes quantified. Lipid compositional changes and metrics such as the PC: PE ratio and the double bond index were determined to provide an insight into the effect of oxidative stress and antioxidants on collective membrane properties. Finally, the likely stress that in vivo lipid oxidation could cause to cells, and the mitigating effects of supplements in this context, is also discussed.

Denitrification performance and bacterial ecological network of a reactor using biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) as an electron donor for nitrate removal from aquaculture wastewater

Nitrate accumulation is a common phenomenon in aquaculture that can lead to eutrophication of surrounding water bodies. This study used poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as a carbon source and substrate and performed a microbial co-occurrence network ecological analysis to elucidate the denitrification processes in two packed-bed reactors with different salinities. The denitrification rate reached maximum values of 0.438 and 0.446 kg m−3 d−1 in reactor I (salinity 0 ‰) and reactor II (salinity 20 ‰), respectively. Although ammonia was formed in both systems based on dissimilation nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA), the concentration was very low (2.47 ± 1.99 and 2.84 ± 1.79 mg L−1); moreover, the nitrite content was average (1.01 ± 0.87 and 0.96 ± 0.86 mg L−1). These results suggested that denitrification dominated in both reactors. PHBV generally presented a stable release of DOC, although a sharp increase was observed in the start-up period of reactor II. 16S rRNA results showed that reactor I had richer microbial diversity than reactor II. Among the top ten taxa, Betaproteobacteria was the dominant class in reactor I while Gammaproteobacteria was the dominant class in reactor II. In the stable period, Thauera and Denitromonas was the most abundant genera in reactor I and reactor II, respectively. In addition, the bacterial co-occurrence network showed that reactor I had a more complex node and edge network and faster start-up time compared to reactor II; however, reactor II had a more stable nitrogen removal capacity. Higher expression of NorB and NosZ genes in reactor II indicated higher efficient denitrification in seawater system. The SEM and FTIR showed bacterial development and materials surface erosion. These findings verified the denitrification performance and niche differences between freshwater and seawater environments.