Dormant Period Research Articles

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the MADS-Box Gene Family in Almond Reveal Its Expression Features in Different Flowering Periods.

The MADS-box gene family is an important family of transcription factors involved in multiple processes, such as plant growth and development, stress, and in particular, flowering time and floral organ development. Almonds are the best-selling nuts in the international fruit trade, accounting for more than 50% of the world’s dried fruit trade, and one of the main economic fruit trees in Kashgar, Xinjiang. In addition, almonds contain a variety of nutrients, such as protein and dietary fiber, which can supplement nutrients for people. They also have the functions of nourishing the yin and kidneys, improving eyesight, and strengthening the brain, and they can be applied to various diseases. However, there is no report on the MADS-box gene family in almond (Prunus dulcis). In this study, a total of 67 PdMADS genes distributed across 8 chromosomes were identified from the genome of almond ‘Wanfeng’. The PdMADS members were divided into five subgroups—Mα, Mβ, Mγ, Mδ, and MIKC—and the members in each subgroup had conserved motif types and exon and intron numbers. The number of exons of PdMADS members ranged from 1 to 20, and the number of introns ranged from 0 to 19. The number of exons and introns of different subfamily members varied greatly. The results of gene duplication analysis showed that the PdMADS members had 16 pairs of segmental duplications and 9 pairs of tandem duplications, so we further explored the relationship between the MADS-box gene members in almond and those in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Malus domestica, and Prunus persica based on colinear genes and evolutionary selection pressure. The results of the cis-acting elements showed that the PdMADS members were extensively involved in a variety of processes, such as almond growth and development, hormone regulation, and stress response. In addition, the expression patterns of PdMADS members across six floral transcriptome samples from two almond cultivars, ‘Wanfeng’ and ‘Nonpareil’, had significant expression differences. Subsequently, the fluorescence quantitative expression levels of the 15 PdMADS genes were highly similar to the transcriptome expression patterns, and the gene expression levels increased in the samples at different flowering stages, indicating that the two almond cultivars expressed different PdMADS genes during the flowering process. It is worth noting that the difference in flowering time between ‘Wanfeng’ and ‘Nonpareil’ may be caused by the different expression activities of PdMADS47 and PdMADS16 during the dormancy period, resulting in different processes of vernalization. We identified a total of 13,515 target genes in the genome based on the MIKC DNA-binding sites. The GO and KEGG enrichment results showed that these target genes play important roles in protein function and multiple pathways. In summary, we conducted bioinformatics and expression pattern studies on the PdMADS gene family and investigated six flowering samples from two almond cultivars, the early-flowering ‘Wanfeng’ and late-flowering ‘Nonpareil’, for quantitative expression level identification. These findings lay a foundation for future in-depth studies on the mechanism of PdMADS gene regulation during flowering in different almond cultivars.

System of Biological Approaches to Interpret Seed Dormancy and Germination

Seed dormancy prevents an intact, viable seed from successfully germinating under ideal circumstances. In order for germination to occur when conditions are likely to be favourable for forming a new plant generation, this barrier to germination has developed differently among species through adaptation to the local environment. Although there is still a gap between biochemistry and morphogenesis, it is being bridged in many places slowly and methodically. This study attempts to evaluate the improvements made at a particular bridge, seed dormancy. One element of the phenomena of growth cessation is seed dormancy, which has as its central challenge the challenge of maintaining a growth potential without compromising biological integrity. It can be divided into primary and secondary dormancy. Due to endogenous causes and/or environmental conditions experienced by the mother plant, primary dormancy is developed during seed development. Non-dormant seeds can also enter a state of secondary dormancy, which is a form of dormancy that happens when germination conditions are unfavourable. This review will help in briefing the difference between dormant condition and quiescent condition of seed. Quiescence can be considered as a short period of dormancy. But, unlike dormancy, quiescence is reversible upon the return of suitable conditions. Numerous physical and physiological techniques, like as scarification and stratification, can be used to break the dormant state of seeds. Various dormancy breaking methods applied in several crop has been noted in this study. Roles of several plant hormones including Gibberellin (GA) and Abscisic acids (ABA) are regarded as the two main hormones that regulate seed development and germination in an antagonistic manner. This study focuses in particular on the molecular basis of ABA regulation of seed maturation, which includes regulation of dormancy. Various dormancy breaking methods applied in several crop mentioned in this review could also help researcher to further study the dormancy pattern and breaking of it on that particular crop.

Soil water and solute transport in an Andosol apple orchard including the dormancy period in a snowy cold region

Early spring corresponds to the snowmelt season in apple orchards of the northern hemisphere. This has a significant effect on the initial growth of shoots and flower buds of apple trees. Understanding the soil environment of the orchard during the non-growth period as monitored by farmers is important for managing year-round apple production. However, the details of mass transport, such as that of soil water and solute, during the non-growing season in the Andosols remain unclear. This study conducted soil environment monitoring in an Andosol apple orchard in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, during the non-growing season in winter to examine the year-round changes in the soil environment, using a field monitoring system that is necessary for understanding the soil environment. Volumetric water content, soil bulk electrical conductivity, and soil temperature were measured, and the cumulative changes in total soil moisture (ΣΔTSM) were calculated from the monitored volumetric water content. Results showed that although ΣΔTSM tended to increase (i.e., dry out) annually with periodicity, the variation was small compared to that of apple orchards with gravelly brown forest soil. These results could significantly influence fertilization management of apple orchard soil during the summer drought season and early spring when the roots of apple trees begin taking up nutrients. In particular, it was revealed that if sufficient nutrients remain in the soil pore water in early spring, the negative impact of excessive fertilization on the surrounding environment can be reduced. Therefore, this study constitutes an innovative step in the implementation of field monitoring system to understand the details of mass transport in the Andosol apple orchard soil.

Episodic Venting of a Submarine Gas Seep on Geological Time Scales: Formosa Ridge, Northern South China Sea

AbstractThe Formosa Ridge cold seep is among the first documented active seeps on the northern South China Sea passive margin slope. Although this system has been the focus of scientific studies for decades, the geological factors controlling gas release are not well understood due to a lack of constraints of the subsurface structure and seepage history. Here, we use high‐resolution 3D seismic data to image stratigraphic and structural relationships associated with fluid expulsion, which provide spatio‐temporal constraints on the gas hydrate system at depth and methane seepage at modern and paleo seafloors. Gas has accumulated beneath the base of gas hydrate stability to a critical thickness, causing hydraulic fracturing, propagation of a vertical gas conduit, and morphological features (mounds) at paleo‐seafloor horizons. These mounds record multiple distinct gas migration episodes between 300,000 and 127,000 years ago, separated by periods of dormancy. Episodic seepage still seems to occur at the present day, as evidenced by two separate fronts of ascending gas imaged within the conduit. We propose that episodic seepage is associated with enhanced seafloor sedimentation. The increasing overburden leads to an increase in effective horizontal stress that exceeds the gas pressure at the top of the gas reservoir. As a result, the conduit closes off until the gas reservoir is replenished to a new (greater) critical thickness to reopen hydraulic fractures. Our results provide intricate detail of long‐term methane flux through sub‐seabed seep systems, which is important for assessing its impact on seafloor and ocean biogeochemistry.

Deconvolution of main hydration kinetic peaks in properly sulfated Portland cements with boundary nucleation and growth models and relation to early-age concrete strength development

When the hydration kinetics of properly sulfated Portland cements is monitored by heat flow calorimetry, the initial dissolution peak and the dormant period is followed by the main hydration peak – formation of calcium-silicate-hydrates and portlandite, the so-called silicate peak. This main peak is superimposed by a peak associated to further tricalcium aluminate dissolution and a surge in precipitation of sulfoaluminates (the so-called sulfate depletion peak) right after sulfate added for setting control is depleted in the material system. In this paper strategies for the deconvolution of silicate peak and sulfate depletion peak are presented. Hereby, the boundary nucleation and growth model and the classical bulk nucleation and growth model serve as tools for deconvolution of calorimetric data. We discuss obtained kinetic parameters and their temperature dependency. The boundary nucleation and growth model for constant nucleation rate emerged as the most suitable model for the silicate reaction, the bulk nucleation and growth model with an order of three, indicating site saturation, as adequate for the sulfate depletion peak. The reaction enthalpy for tricalcium silicate hydration was obtained as 503 J/g, remarkably close to literature values. Calorimetric data related to the sulfate depletion peak is corroborated by X-ray diffraction analysis of formation history of crystalline hydration products. Furthermore, the history of the (silicate) degree of reaction as predicted by the boundary nucleation and growth model for different temperature histories is related to experimentally obtained early-age strength histories. • Investigation of hydration kinetics of commercial, well-sulfated Portland cement. • Main peak (C-S-H and portlandite formation) superimposed by sulfate depletion peak. • Strategies for deconvolution of peaks with Avrami–Cahn models as tools for analysis. • Degree of silicate reaction history is linked to early-age strength gain.

Predicting customer attrition using binge trading patterns: Implications for the financial services industry

Human activities tend to burst at specific times, followed by long dormant periods. This study analyzes detailed trading records, as well as the demographic profiles of 486,049 customers from a major securities company and shows that an entropy measure of non-Poisson trading patterns has advantages over the canonical recency, frequency, and monetary value framework in the financial services sector. The LASSO logistic regression, the information gain metric in gradient boosting decision trees, and the relative importance method in neural networks all lend support to the conclusion that the clumpiness measure of trade clustering plays a significant role in explaining customers’ future churning. Furthermore, it appears that recently developed statistical learning techniques reduce churn prediction errors to a greater extent. A metric-based parsimonious RFMC approach coupled with machine learning techniques can be effectively used to better gauge customer lifetime value.

Nitrogen, helium, and argon reveal the magmatic signature of fumarole gases and episodes of outgassing from upper-crustal magma reservoirs: The case of the Nisyros caldera (Aegean Arc, Greece)

The chemical composition of gases emitted by active volcanoes reflects both magma degassing and shallower processes, such as fluid-rock hydrothermal interaction and mixing with atmospheric-derived fluids. Untangling the magmatic fluid endmember within surface gas emission is therefore challenging, even with the use of well-known magma degassing tracers such as noble gases. Here, we investigate the deep magmatic fluid composition at the Nisyros caldera (Aegean Arc, Greece) by measuring nitrogen and noble gas abundances and isotopes in naturally degassing fumaroles. Gas samples were collected from 32 fumarolic vents at water-boiling temperature between 2018 and 2021. These fumaroles are admixtures of magmatic fluids typical of subduction zones, groundwater (or air saturated water, ASW), and air. The N2, He, and Ar composition of the magmatic endmember is calculated by reverse mixing modeling and shows N2/He = 31.8 ± 4.5, N2/Ar = 281.6, δ15N = +7 ± 3 ‰, 3He/4He = 6.2 Ra (where Ra is air 3He/4He), and 40Ar/36Ar = 551.6 ± 19.8. Although N2/He is significantly low with respect to typical values for arc volcanoes (1,000–10,000), the contribution of subducted sediments to the Aegean Arc magma generation is reflected by the positive δ15N values of Nisyros fumaroles. The low N2/He ratio indicates N2-depletion due to solubility-controlled differential degassing of an upper-crustal silicic (dacitic/rhyodacitic) melt in a high-crystallinity reservoir. We compare our 2018–2021 data with N2, He, and Ar values collected from the same fumaroles during a hydrothermal unrest following the seismic crisis in 1996–1997. Results show additions of both magmatic fluid and ASW during this unrest. In the same period, fumarolic vents display an increase in magmatic species relative to hydrothermal gas, such as CO2/CH4 and He/CH4 ratios, an increase of ∼50 °C in the equilibrium temperature of the hydrothermal system (up to 325 °C), and greater amounts of vapor separation. These variations reflect an episode of magmatic fluid expulsion during the seismic crisis. The excess of heat and mass supplied by the magmatic fluid injection is then dissipated through boiling of deeper and peripheral parts of the hydrothermal system. Reverse mixing modeling of fumarolic N2-He-Ar has therefore important ramifications not only to disentangle the magmatic signature from gases emitted during periods of dormancy, but also to trace episodes of magmatic outgassing and better understand the state of the upper crustal reservoir.

IMPLEMENTATION OF PHYSICAL SCARIFICATION TECHNIQUE THROUGH FUEL-FLUSH METHOD AND DEPTH OF SEED SOWING IN BREAKING SEED DORMANCY AND SEED GROWTH OF CANARI (Canarium indicum Leenh.)

Walnut (Canarium indicum Leenh.) is one of the typical plant species of East Nusa Tenggara which is included in the leading non-timber forest product (NTFP) commodity. The generative propagation of walnut plants has problems due to the long dormancy period of the seeds so that preliminary treatment is needed. Burn-flush technique and depth of seed is one of the physical dormancy breaking techniques. This technique is expected to accelerate the breaking of dormancy and seed germination. This research was conducted to determine the effect of burn-flush scarification on the breaking of dormancy of walnut seedlings (Canarium indicum Leenh.) The method used was a Randomized Block Design (RAK) with a combination of treatment levels, depth of seed sowing and length of burning time, s0t0 ( sowing 0 cm + without burning), s0t1 (0 cm sowing + burning 5 minutes), s0t2 (0 cm sowing + burning 10 minutes), s1t0 (2 cm sowing + without burning), s1t1 (2 cm sowing + burning 5 minutes), s1t2 (2 cm sowing + burning 10 minutes), s2t0 (4 cm sowing + no burning), s2t1 (4 cm sowing + burning 5 minutes), and s2t2 (4 cm sowing + burning 10 minutes). The results of this research indicate that there is no interaction between the depth of seed sowing and the length of the burning time. The level of depth of seed sowing gave insignificant results on all observation variables, while the length of time of burning had a very significant effect on all observed variables. Single factor t1 (burning time of 5 minutes) is the best treatment because shows a high influence on several observation variables.

Early age hydration of model slag cement: Interaction among C3S, gypsum and slag with different Al2O3 contents

A deeper insight into SO3/Al2O3 ratio including the contribution of alumina in slag at early age is required to ensure a properly sulfated slag cement. In this paper, to investigate the effect of gypsum and alumina of slag, emphasis was laid on the hydration characteristics of C3S-gypsum-slag system during the early age, of which slag was synthesized in the laboratory with varying Al2O3 contents from 3.69 to 18.19 wt%.The duration of dormant period during the hydration of C3S depended on Al2O3 content of slag significantly; however, the amount of silicate reaction before the onset of aluminate reaction was independent of slag chemistry and gypsum content added. The rate of aluminate reaction was controlled by the availability of reactants, SO42− and Al3+ ions in particular, which were sourced from gypsum and slag, respectively. Calcium monosulfoaluminate only occurred in mixture when slag contained a high amount of Al2O3 (18.19 wt% in this study) at early age, and its formation proceeded continuously at the expense of ettringite. Sulfur rich species incorporated in slag started to participate into aluminate reaction after the main hydration peak of C3S, and it played a similar role to gypsum.

Separating the effects of air and soil temperature on silver birch. Part II. The relation of physiology and leaf anatomy to growth dynamics.

The aboveground parts of boreal forest trees grow earlier in the growing season, the roots mostly later. The idea was to examine whether root growth followed soil temperature, or whether shoot growth also demanded most resources in the early growing season (soil temperature vs internal sink strengths for resources). The linkage between air and soil temperature was broken by switching the soil temperature. We aimed here to identify the direct effects of different soil temperature patterns on physiology, leaf anatomy and their interactions, and how they relate to the control of the growth dynamics of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth). Sixteen 2-year-old seedlings were grown in a controlled environment for two 14-week simulated growing seasons (GS1, GS2). An 8-week dormancy period interposed the GSs. In GS2, soil temperature treatments were applied: constant 10 °C (Cool), constant 18 °C (Warm), early growing season at 10 °C switched to 18 °C later (Early Cool Late Warm) and 18 °C followed by 10 °C (Early Warm Late Cool) were applied during GS2. The switch from cool to warm enhanced the water status, net photosynthesis, chlorophyll content index, effective yield of photosystem II (ΔF/Fm') and leaf expansion of the seedlings. Warm treatment increased the stomatal number per leaf. In contrast, soil cooling increased glandular trichomes. This investment in increasing the chemical defense potential may be associated with the decreased growth in cool soil. Non-structural carbohydrates were accumulated in leaves at a low soil temperature showing that growth was more hindered than net photosynthesis. Leaf anatomy differed between the first and second leaf flush of silver birch, which may promote tree fitness in the prevailing growing conditions. The interaction of birch structure and function changes with soil temperature, which can further reflect to ecosystem functioning.

Occasional but severe: Past debris flows and snow avalanches in the Helmos Mts. (Greece) reconstructed from tree-ring records

The eastern Mediterranean is a hotspot in terms of geomorphic hazards, but the activity of gravitational processes in mountainous areas is largely unexplored. We carried out dendrogeomorphic research in the Helmos Mountains (Northern Peloponnese, Greece) to determine the timing, spatial extent, and hydrometeorological triggers of debris flows and snow avalanches. Specifically, we sampled increment cores from 123 injured Greek firs (Abies cephalonica L.) growing on a debris flow cone and growing along a snow avalanche track. Tree rings were counted and cross-dated with the reference chronology using CooRecorder and CDendro software and the event years were determined on the basis of the location of scars and traumatic resin ducts. We compiled an 118-year chronology (1904–2021) with seven debris flow event years and only one severe debris flow occurring in the 1970/1971 dormant period (WIt = 148.0), followed by spatially limited records for 1986/1987 (WIt = 3.8) and 1993/1994 (WIt = 2.5). Similarly, seven snow avalanche event years were identified in the period 1854–2021, with one major event in 1997/1998 (WIt = 304.5) followed by the 1998/1999 event (WIt = 6.3). Extremely wet conditions in February–March 1971 followed by rain-on-snow precipitation were considered as the most likely trigger of the analysed debris flow event using data from nearby meteorological stations and the ERA5 reanalysis. The snow avalanche event was deciphered in the spring of 1998, when heavy snowfall over three days (62 cm) was followed by rapid snowmelt due to high average temperatures (6–11 °C). We conclude that the abundance of snow is a crucial factor in the geomorphic activity in the study region and that the temperature fluctuations and rain-to-snow transitions are the leading factors for the debris flows or snow avalanches to occur. Furthermore, the dendrogeomorphic approach used can be useful to clearly identify large-scale geomorphic events and excludes potential geomorphic noise caused by other ecological stresses.

Cold Resistance of Flower Buds of Latvian Plum Cultivars

Abstract Cold resistance of fruit tree buds is very important. Climate change brings unstable winters, and the temperature often fluctuates and creates many problems in fruit growing. Research on bud cold damage was conducted during three years (2019–2021) at the Institute of Horticulture. Three Latvian plum cultivars, ‘Ance’, ‘Adelyn’, and ‘Sonora’, were studied, while cultivar ‘Jubileum’ was used as a control. This study aimed to determine the cold resistance of flower buds and vegetative buds of plum cultivars after the deep dormancy period. Evaluation of buds was done on one-year-old shoots and spurs. Evaluation of cold damage on flower buds and vegetative buds was done after the deep dormancy period: in February 2019 and at the end of January 2020 and 2021, after keeping the buds for a limited time in temperatures thresholds of –20 °C, –25 °C, –30 °C, –35 °C in alternating climate chambers. The results showed significant differences among cultivars, years, and between branch types. Vegetative buds for all cultivars were without significant cold damage. Up to –30 °C wood browning was observed near the base of buds. A significant amount of flower bud damage (up to 100%) was observed in 2020, in a temperature threshold until –30 °C for both types of branches. The most durable cultivars were ‘Ance’ and ‘Adelyn’ (up to –25 °C, bud survival was near 100%) all three years. ‘Jubileum’ had the most vulnerable flower buds. The lowest low-temperature damage for all cultivars was in 2021. For one-year-old shoots, bud damage only occurred at –35 °C for all cultivars all years.

Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Survival States and N-Related Process during Riparian Plant Dormancy: Influences of Plant Locations and Plant Species

The plant dormancy period in the riparian zone affects the activity of microorganisms and their related nitrogen (N) process, which necessitates an investigation of the influence of the dormancy period on the microbial community. This study sampled two groups of soils (ashore and offshore soils) of two typical plants (Acorus calamus, Canna indica) in rhizosphere soils and bulk soils during the dormancy period to study the microbial communities. The results suggested that in ashore soils, especially in Canna indica soils, there was a lower abundance of N-related genes (4.79 × 106 copies/g) due to relatively competitive ecological niche competition because of possible sufficient substrate. Therefore, microbial communities still play a major role in the removal of N-related nutrients during plants’ dormancy period. In addition, the results also showed that during the plant dormancy period, the cell necrosis processes accounted for relatively lower proportions (15.75%, 7.54%, 21.46%, and 5.23% in ashore and offshore Canna indica and ashore and offshore Acorus calamus, respectively), suggesting an unexpected fairly strong microbial survival ability in the dormancy period compared to the commonly expected weak microbial state. This high microbial vitality provides us insight into the restoration of riparian soils during the plant dormancy period.

The impact of foliar application of biostimulators on the morphological characteristics of the leaf rosette of winter rape plants

The field experiment was caried out in three growing seasons (2013–2016) at the Agricultural Experimental Station – Zawady (52°03'N and 22°33'E) belonging to the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce, Poland. The experiment was set up in a split-plot configuration with three replications. The examined factors were: I – morphotypes of winter oilseed rape: population (Poznaniak), hybrid restored with a semi-dwarf type of growth (PX104), hybrid restored with a traditional type of growth (Konkret); II – four types of biostimulators: 1. control variant, 2. biostimulator Tytanit® (titan), 3. biostimulator Asahi®SL (sodium ortho-nitrophenol, sodium para-nitrophenol, sodium 5-nitroguaiacol), 4. biostimulator Silvit® (active silicon, potassium oxide, boron – form of pure element, zinc – form of pure element). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of biostimulators containing various active substances on the morphological characteristics of winter oilseed rape plants in the leaf rosette stage (number of rosette leaves, tap root length, height of the growth cone) and on the fresh and dry mass of the above-ground rosette and the root system of traditional and semi-dwarf winter oilseed rape morphotypes type of growth under changing climatic conditions. The genetic factor significantly influenced the morphological features of plants, marked in autumn by inhibition of vegetation. The population variety Poznaniak developed more rosette leaves, greater length of the tap root, and fresh and dry mass of the rosette and the root system as compared to the restored hybrids. The applied biostimulators significantly influenced plant parameters determined in the fall before the vegetation inhibition. After the use of a biostimulator containing the active substance in the form of sodium o-nitrophenol, sodium para-nitrophenol and sodium 5-nitroguajakol, a significantly higher value of the tested features was obtained compared to the control variant. Regardless of the type of biostimulator used, the height of the growth cone was the same as in the control object. The most favourable parameters of the leaf rosette were obtained in the first and second periods of summer-autumn vegetation and winter dormancy, while in extreme drought conditions during sowing and a fairy dry period of emergence, its weakest features were obtained. Natural growth stimulants are becoming an increasingly common elements of agricultural plant agrotechnics. Their use has a positive effect on the growth and development of plants and increases the resistance of plants to the adverse effects of stress factors.

Dinoflagellate cysts production, excystment and transport in the upwelling off Cape Blanc (NW Africa)

To extend the understanding of dinoflagellate cysts production, excystment and vertical/lateral transport in the water column, we compared upper water cyst export production with cysts associations and concentrations in the subsurface nepheloid layer, bottom nepheloid layer and deeper water column during active upwelling off Cape Blanc (NW Africa) in August 2020. Export production was collected by two drifting trap surveys; DTS1 in an active upwelling cell for 4 days and DTS2 in an offshore drifting upwelling filament for 2 days. Subsurface, bottom nepheloid layers and deeper waters were sampled by in-situ pumps along two transects perpendicular to the shelf break. During DTS1, light limitation hampered phytoplankton production which might have influenced cyst production negatively due to up- and downward movement of water masses. Cyst export production increased at the rim of the upwelling cell. For DTS2, upwelling filament cyst export production was up to 3 times lower than that of DTS1. Echinidinium delicatum had highest relative and absolute abundances in the active upwelling, Echinidinium zonneveldiae and Bitectatodinium spongium in the upwelling filament, and Impagidinium spp. and cysts of Gymnodinium microreticulatum/nolleri at the most distal stations. Comparison of concentrations of cysts with and without cell contents showed that the majority of cysts hatched before reaching deeper waters and displayed a dormancy period of less than 6 days. About 5% of the living cysts reached deeper waters and/or the ocean floor. Living cysts were transported offshore in the upwelling filament. In case ships exchange ballast waters in the studied region, they will take up laterally transported living cysts. Upon release of the ballast waters in the port of arrival, these cysts have the potential to become “invader species” that can threaten economy and/or health. Lateral transport of cysts was observed in the bottom nepheloid layer and in deeper waters (800 - 1200m depth) with a maximal extension of about 130km off the shelf break. Therefore, sediments in the region will contain a mixture of regionally and locally produced dinoflagellate cysts. This insight contributes to the improvement of environmental reconstructions of the Cape blanc upwelling system based on downcore cyst associations.

Timing evolution of lobular breast cancer through phylogenetic analysis.

SummaryBackgroundLate distant recurrence is a challenge for the treatment of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast. Despite in-depth characterisation of primary ILC, the molecular landscape of metastatic ILC is still only partially understood.MethodsWe retrospectively identified 38 ILC patients from the tissue banks of six European institutions. DNA extracted from patient matched primary and metastatic FFPE tissue blocks was whole genome sequenced to compute somatic copy number aberrations. This, in turn, was used to infer the evolutionary history of these patients.FindingsThe data show different metastatic seeding patterns, with both an early and late divergence of the metastatic lineage observed in ILC. Additionally, cascading dissemination from a metastatic precursor was a dominant rule. Alterations in key cancer driver genes, such as TP53 or CCND1, were acquired early while additional aberrations were present only in the metastatic branch. In about 30% of the patients, the metastatic lineage harboured less aberrations than the primary tumour suggesting a period of tumour dormancy or prolonged adaptation at the distant site. This phenomenon was mostly observed in tumours from de novo metastatic patients.InterpretationOur results provide insights into ILC evolution and offer potential paths for optimised ILC care.FundingThis work has received financial support from Les Amis de l'Institut Bordet, MEDIC, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and the Belgian Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S-FNRS).

Characterization of phosphorus sorption and microbial community in lake sediments during overwinter and recruitment periods of cyanobacteria.

The release of endogenous phosphorus from lacustrine sediment is a key element of freshwater eutrophication. The microbes in sediments may affect phosphorus migration and transformation during the growth of cyanobacteria, which may lead to the release of phosphorus from sediments and contribute to water eutrophication. To study phosphorus sorption and the microbial community structure in the overlying water and the vertical depth of sediments, samples in Meiliang Bay were collected during the dormancy and resuscitation phases of cyanobacteria. The results showed that there were high total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the overlying water and sediment, with maximum values reached 0.24 mg L−1 and 1059 mg kg−1, respectively. Fitting by modified Langmuir model indicated that the partitioning coefficients (KP) was, from greatest to least: bottom sediment (maximum of 0.923 L g−1) > middle sediment (0.571 L g−1) > surface sediment (0.262 L g−1). During the cyanobacteria resuscitation stage, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (18.37%–33.56%), Chloroflexi (9.57%–17.76%), Cyanobacteria (0.38%–2.62%), and the Nitrospirota phylum Thermodesulfovibrionia (4.61%–10.14%) were higher than the dormant period of cyanobacteria, and bacteria with phosphorus-solubilizing (27.27%–52.01%) accounted for the majority. The redundancy analysis (RDA) found that the structure of the microbial communities in sediments was significant correlation with organic phosphorus (OP) (P = 0.002) during recruitment period of cyanobacteria, which would accelerate the conversion of OP into soluble inorganic phosphorus and then gets released from sediment to water. The most predominant phylum among phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) is Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteriota, which were positively correlated with equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC0) (P < 0.05) during the cyanobacterial resuscitation phase. The sediments from the cyanobacteria resuscitation phase had phosphorus release risk and highlighted the significant role of the bacterial community.

Gregarine parasites are adapted to mosquito winter diapause

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is one of the most invasive species of mosquito. The prevalence of its apicomplexan gregarine parasite Ascogregarina taiwanensis is high in natural populations across both temperate and tropical regions. However, the parasite’s oocysts cannot colonize the insect host during winter, when the mosquito lays diapausing eggs. It is therefore unclear if the parasite can survive outside of its insect host during the cold season in temperate regions. Oocysts stored for 1 month at a low temperature (representative of the temperatures that occur during periods of mosquito diapause) were as infectious as fresh oocysts, but those stored for the same period of time at a higher temperature (representative of the temperatures that occur during periods of mosquito activity) were uninfectious. We therefore suggest that the parasite has evolved traits that maximize its maintenance during periods of mosquito dormancy, while traits that would enable its long term survival during periods of mosquito activity have not been selected for.

Tuber Flesh Colour, Enzymatic Discolouration, Dormancy and Late Blight Resistance of 29 Tuber-Bearing Accessions of Solanum spp.

Potato relatives adapted to many different habitats are promising sources of desirable agricultural traits for potato breeding. Wild potato relatives are preserved in different collections around the world, and their detailed description is key to their exploitation in practice. We described 29 seed accessions of 26 Solanum species originating from the VIR potato collection (Institute of Plant Industry – VIR, Saint Petersburg, Russia) and preserved in Poland. The description included resistance to Phytophthora infestans, tuber flesh colour, enzymatic discolouration and tuber dormancy (sprouting). Up to 13 genotypes were evaluated per accession. The evaluation was repeated in three years for each trait. Two P. infestans isolates were used in late blight resistance tests. Amongst all the tested accessions, five were resistant to both P. infestans isolates, including genotype 13_A2. Twenty-one accessions had white tuber flesh, and 13 accessions showed a lack of or weak enzymatic discolouration. Additionally, we found accessions that were whiter than the standard white-fleshed Polish potato cultivar Irys. In our material, we observed a large variation in the length of the sprouts after storage, indicating differences in the dormancy period length. Four accessions showed a lack of sprouting after 28 weeks of storage at 5–6 °C. The tested material is preserved as in vitro plants in the National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources: Polish Genebank (IHAR-PIB, Radzików, Poland), which will facilitate their use in breeding programs.

Psychedelic drugs for psychiatric disorders

Existing pharmacological treatments for psychiatric disorders have demonstrated limited efficacy, delayed onset of action, and significant burden of side effects. Recent findings from human studies with psychedelics have shown promise, demonstrating rapid and sustained clinical benefits of these compounds for a variety of psychiatric disorders. Classical psychedelics have a rich history and some of these compounds have been used in shamanic and spiritual ceremonies for millennia. The psychoactive effects of these drugs, particularly on human consciousness, have generated great scientific curiosity, and early research on psychedelics suggested their clinical benefits for psychiatric conditions, including alcohol use disorders and anxiety and depressive symptoms in terminal illness and life-threatening conditions. Since the 1990s, after a period of dormancy that followed the criminalization of psychedelic drugs since the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, the continued interest in their unique psychoactive effects along with the pursuit for novel and more effective treatments in psychiatry have led to a renewed interest in research on these compounds. While preliminary findings on psychedelics are encouraging, current evidence is still insufficient to support extensive use of these drugs routinely. Long-term safety and efficacy of these compounds remain unclear, and several clinical trials are underway and may add clarity to these questions. Therefore, this article intends to provide an overview of the evidence to date on psychedelic drugs – particularly psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD – for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.