Functional Characters Research Articles

Evolutionary radiation strategy revealed in the Scarabaeidae with evidence of continuous spatiotemporal morphology and phylogenesis

Evolutionary biology faces the important challenge of determining how to interpret the relationship between selection pressures and evolutionary radiation. The lack of morphological evidence on cross-species research adds to difficulty of this challenge. We proposed a new paradigm for evaluating the evolution of branches through changes in characters on continuous spatiotemporal scales, for better interpreting the impact of biotic/abiotic drivers on the evolutionary radiation. It reveals a causal link between morphological changes and selective pressures: consistent deformation signals for all tested characters on timeline, which provided strong support for the evolutionary hypothesis of relationship between scarabs and biotic/abiotic drivers; the evolutionary strategies under niche differentiation, which were manifested in the responsiveness degree of functional morphological characters with different selection pressure. This morphological information-driven integrative approach sheds light on the mechanism of macroevolution under different selection pressures and is applicable to more biodiversity research.

Syntheses and coordination of linear and macrocyclic pentapyrroles possessing a fused moiety: Confusion modulated structural diversity

Porphyrinoids have attracted wide interest because of their vital roles in biological processes and fascinating structural and functional characters. In this work, a doubly N-confused pentapyrrane precursor N2C–P5 has been synthesized with terminal pyrrole ring A and middle pyrrole C incorporated in the N-confused mode. On this basis, pentapyrrin 1 and sapphyrin 2 have been synthesized by oxidizing N2C–P5 with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). Both 1 and 2 possess a [5.5.5]-tricyclic fused ring involving pyrrole B and the neighboring confused pyrrole C. Meanwhile, the formation of 2 involves ring closure between the terminal rings A and E. Notably, 2 exists as a diradical showing a half-field signal in the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum and a singlet ground state with a negative singlet-triplet energy gap of −0.50 kcal/mol. Excellent thermal stability has been observed for 2, which may be related to its large π-conjugated framework involving the fused structure. On this basis, 1 and 2 were treated with Cu(acac)2 to afford Cu(II) complexes 3 and 4, respectively. As a result, an acetylacetonyl moiety is attached at the terminal pyrrole ring E to afford an NNNO coordination environment for complex 3, and the sapphyrin macrocycle of 2 has been cleaved between rings A and B to afford a fused pentapyrrin ligand, furnishing an NNNN coordination environment for complex 4, in which a pentafluorophenyl-ketal group generated during the ring cleavage reaction is attached to ring A, and it can be hydrolyzed to the corresponding pentafluorobenzoyl substituent to afford complex 5. Compared with free bases 1 and 2, complexes 3−5 show more intense low-energy near-infrared (NIR) absorption bands at ca. 791, 926 and 907 nm, respectively. This work provides an effective approach for the syntheses of linear and macrocyclic oligopyrroles with intriguing structures and properties by oxidizing oligopyrranes with precisely designed numbers and positions of N-confused pyrroles.

Transcriptomic and functional screening of weapon formation genes implies significance of cell adhesion molecules and female-biased genes in broad-horned flour beetle.

For understanding the evolutionary mechanism of sexually selected exaggerated traits, it is essential to uncover its molecular basis. By using broad-horned flour beetle that has male-specific exaggerated structures (mandibular horn, head horn and gena enlargement), we investigated the transcriptomic and functional characters of sex-biased genes. Comparative transcriptome of male vs. female prepupal heads elucidated 673 sex-biased genes. Counter-intuitively, majority of them were female-biased (584 genes), and GO enrichment analysis showed cell-adhesion molecules were frequently female-biased. This pattern motivated us to hypothesize that female-biased transcripts (i.e. the transcripts diminished in males) may play a role in outgrowth formation. Potentially, female-biased genes may act as suppressors of weapon structure. In order to test the functionality of female-biased genes, we performed RNAi-mediated functional screening for top 20 female-biased genes and 3 genes in the most enriched GO term (cell-cell adhesion, fat1/2/3, fat4 and dachsous). Knockdown of one transcription factor, zinc finger protein 608 (zfp608) resulted in the formation of male-like gena in females, supporting the outgrowth suppression function of this gene. Similarly, knockdown of fat4 induced rudimental, abnormal mandibular horn in female. fat1/2/3RNAi, fat4RNAi and dachsousRNAi males exhibited thick and/or short mandibular horns and legs. These cell adhesion molecules are known to regulate tissue growth direction and known to be involved in the weapon formation in Scarabaeoidea beetles. Functional evidence in phylogenetically distant broad-horned flour beetle suggest that cell adhesion genes are repeatedly deployed in the acquisition of outgrowth. In conclusion, this study clarified the overlooked functions of female-biased genes in weapon development.

Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Revealing the Role of IDO1 in HPV+ Cervical Cancer Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Its Implications in Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy

Persistent infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is one major etiology of cervical cancer (CC). By now, anti-PD-1 immunotherapy is approved for advanced CC patients, but the response rate was just about 10-20%, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) might be one factor that affect the efficacy. The indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a metabolic immune checkpoint, is recently shown to have a correlation-ship with HPV carcinogenesis in CC, with unknown mechanism. This study, using the single cell transcriptomic single-cell sequencing and spatial transcription sequencing analysis/immunologic technology, aimed to exam the role of IDO1 expression in HPV+ CC TIME and explore the changes after radiotherapy. Newly diagnosed advanced HPV- CC and HPV+ CC patients were tested for the tumor and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) heterogeneity and their changes after fractionated radiation therapy. Tumor tissues were collected, single cell suspension was made for Single-cell RNA sequencing (SCRNAseq) using the 10 × Genomics, while frozen tissue was embedded for spatial transcriptome sequencing (STRNAseq). Seurat 4.0 was used to cluster and annotate cell clusters and map SCRNAseq data to the STRNAseq data. The specific characters of cell clusters were computed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). SPOTLight and CellChat were used to analyze cell location and interaction respectively. A total of 28631 cells were clustered into 31 cell subsets in HPV- CC and HPV+ CC tissues, including baseline (Pre HPV- CC and Pre HPV+ CC) and 3-week after radiotherapy (Post 3w HPV- CC and Post 3w HPV+CC). There were 10431 epithelial cells (Epi) in all these 4 tumor tissues, with heterogenous IDO1 expression, including IDO1-high Epi, IDO1-low Epi, and IDO1-neg Epi. Interestingly, more than 99% of Epi in Pre HPV- CC tissues were IDO1-neg cells, while more than 99% in Pre HPV+ CC tissue were IDO1-high. Furthermore, the proportion of IDO1-high Epi in Pre HPV+ CC patient dropped to 16.7% after radiotherapy, while the proportion of IDO1-low Epi rase to 63.3%. Using GSEA, the characters of IDO1-high Epi group was shown to have positive regulation of leukocyte chemotaxis and negative regulation of cell adhesion and differentiation. IDO1-high Epi cells also had the hallmark of interferon gamma response. These cells could mainly receive regulative information of interferon gamma pathway from exhausted CD8 T cells, which could affect the apoptosis of tumor cells. This study comprehensively analyzed the immune suppressive role of IDO1-high Epi cells in HPV+ CC TIME at the single-cell transcriptional scale and explored their functional characters in CC radiotherapy. This would be able to provide more evidence to combine with radiotherapy and immunotherapy to improve patients' prognosis.

The influence of temperature on variability of male gametophyt traits in the progeny of virus-infected tomato genotypes

The action of the thermal factor on the functionality of the male gametophyte in tomato progeny infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tomato aspermia virus (TAV) was studied. It was established that the influence of high temperature on the male gametophyte in TMV/TAV offspring causes the modification of the functional characters of the male gametophyte. The effect produced is largely controlled by temperature 78.1...81.5% (for pollen viability), and the variation of pollen tubes sizes is determined by temperature and the interaction of factors (75.6%). The individual analysis of the structures of the variation spectra of the male gametophyte index for each genotype revealed significant differences in their sensitivity to the action of the factor that cause variability, a fact that allowed to the clustered of genotypes according to their reaction to stress, as well as the prediction of the sporophyte response to the stress. Based on the obtained data, genotypes with a high level of heat resistance were highlighted for their subsequent inclusion in the improvement process.

Selection of Potential Rhizobacteria As Biological Fertilizer and In Vivo Application against Red Chili Seed Germination In North Central Timor Regency, Indonesia

North Central Timor (NCT) Regency, located on Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT) Indonesia, has dry climate conditions with rainfall of 1,500 milli meters (mm) every year. This holds the potential for microbial diversity including rhizobacteria. This research aimed to select and identify potential isolates as biological fertilizers and in vivo application for bird’s eye pepper (Capsicum frutescens) germination. Selection of rhizobacteria from 20 isolates collected by researchers was obtained 5 isolates solubilizer phosphate, 4 isolates fixed nitrogen, and 5 isolates produced Indole Acetic Acid (IAA). Two isolates of CN03 and RTCR01 have potential as biofertilizers. The results of biochemical identification demonstrate that CN03 and RTCR01 isolates ferment glucose, lactose, and sucrose, are positive for citrate and catalase tests, while the molecular identification of 16S rRNA isolates CN03 99 % is similar to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and isolates RTCR01 99 % is similar to Lysinibacillus boritolerans. Meanwhile, the application with the immersion treatment of bacterial isolates on the bird’s eye pepper seed germination results in immersion treatment (K1) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa; (K3) the combination of P. aeruginosa and L. boronitolerans significantly (p > 0.05) affected germination, vigor index, length of root, and growth of sprouts, but treatment (K2) L. boronitolerans is not significantly different (p < 0.05) from the control treatment (KO) using distilled water. HIGHLIGHTS This article reports local rhizobacteria isolates from Timor Island-East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, as N-fixers, P-solubilizers, and IAA-producers. These three characters are part of the parameters needed in the utilization of microbes as biofertilizers This research is quite simple since the functional characters of isolates were examined qualitatively Application of the selected bacteria on bird’s eye pepper (Capsicum frutescens) germination was in preliminary bioassay A modern parameter is the identification of selected bacterial isolates by molecular methods based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Optimization design generation of the rural residential building towards energy saving by using “Digital intelligence” technology

Based on the “Digital Intelligence” technology, the scheme of building design can be automatically generated and optimized simultaneously. However, this method has not been reported, in terms of the optimization design generation by improving the building energy saving potential for the rural residential building. Here, according to the data of floor plans of the rural residential buildings collected from the hot summer and cold winter climate region (China), five types of floor plans were deduced. Firstly, we proposed the method of comprehensive score and weight assignment to achieve the optimum functional layout, according to evaluation indicators of the sum of the helpful and harmful radiations, the energy consumptions corresponding to the individual rooms in various spatial positions and the functional layout characters in the study region. Secondly, the plan configuration was also taken into account to improve the energy saving potential of design building, by using the evaluation indicator of plan-shaped coefficient. Based on the criteria of functional layout and plan configuration, the optimum modes for the five types of floor plans were derived. Thirdly, the component parameters of individual rooms in the design building were optimized by genetic algorithm. This study reveals the principle of the automatic generation of building design in synchronicity with improvement of its energy saving potential, and provides an achievement approach to the strategy of “rural revitalization” and the goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” in China.

Modification on Pea Protein to Enhance Its Applications in Food Products

Pea is an important nutrient source, as it contains high volumes of protein, starch and fibre. Pea protein is expected as growing alternative protein in current food factory, owing to its global convenience, cost effective high nutrient and wholesome. As several food companies already use pea protein as alternative meat protein to make burger patties. Pea protein is a potential food ingredient because of its solubility, ability to hold both water and oil, ability to form emulsions, and viscosity. Therefore, in this review, pea protein fractions, functional characters and modifications to enhance its applications have been studied. In terms of modifications, pea protein can be modified through physical, chemical and biological approaches. These modifications can potentially improve its solubility, emulsifying ability, digestibility and reduce unpleasant beany flavor. Via these modification techniques, pea protein can be added to meat products and meat analogues to provide nutrients, making it competitive in various processed foods.

Enhanced tissue infiltration and bone regeneration through spatiotemporal delivery of bioactive factors from polyelectrolytes modified biomimetic scaffold.

Efficient healing of bone defect is closely associated with the structured and functional characters of tissue engineered scaffolds. However, the development of bone implants with rapid tissue ingrowth and favorable osteoinductive properties remains a challenge. Herein, we fabricated polyelectrolytes modified-biomimetic scaffold with macroporous and nanofibrous structures as well as simultaneous delivery of BMP-2 protein and trace element strontium. The hierarchically structured scaffold incorporated with strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite (SrHA) was coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers of chitosan/gelatin via layer-by-layer assembly technique for BMP-2 immobilization, which endowed the composite scaffold with sequential release of BMP-2 and Sr ions. The integration of SrHA improved the mechanical property of composite scaffold, while the polyelectrolytes modification strongly increased the hydrophilicity and protein binding efficiency. In addition, polyelectrolytes modified-scaffold significantly facilitated cell proliferation in vitro, as well as enhanced tissue infiltration and new microvascular formation in vivo. Furthermore, the dual-factor loaded scaffold significantly enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Moreover, both vascularization and new bone formation were significantly increased by the treatment of dual-factor delivery scaffold in the rat calvarial defects model, suggesting a synergistic effect on bone regeneration through spatiotemporal delivery of BMP-2 and Sr ions. Overall, this study demonstrate that the prepared biomimetic scaffold as dual-factor delivery system has great potential for bone regeneration application.

Anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex as a hub of self-regulation: combining activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis and meta-analytic connectivity modeling analysis.

Self-regulation, which is an individual's ability to control their emotions and behaviors in pursuit of goals, is a complex cognitive function that relies on distributed brain networks. Here, we used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) to conduct two large-scale meta-analyses of brain imaging studies of emotional regulation and behavioral regulation. We used single analysis of ALE to identify brain activation regions associated with behavioral regulation and emotion regulation. The conjunction results of the contrast analysis of the two domains showed that the crucial brain regions of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), bilateral anterior insula (AI), and right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) are nested within the brain areas of the two regulation domains at the spatial and functional level. In addition, we assessed the coactivation pattern of the four common regions using meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM). The coactivation brain patterns based on the dACC and bilateral AI overlapped with the two regulation brain maps in a high proportion. Furthermore, the functional characters of the identified common regions were reverse-inferenced using the BrainMap database. Collectively, these results indicate that the brain regions of dACC and bilateral AI, playing a crucial role as a hub to other brain regions and networks by effective connectivity in self-regulation, are spatially nested in the brain network of behavioral regulation and emotion regulation.

Intraspecific variations of adaptive strategies of native and invasive plant species along an elevational gradient

The dispersal of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) into mountains has posed great threats to local native plant species. It has been assumed that high intraspecific trait variability contributes to the spread of invasive plant species, even along mountains. Although intraspecific variability of single trait was more often investigated, Grime's competitor, stress-tolerator, and ruderal (CSR) plant strategies, representing trade-offs among multiple functional characters, provides both theoretical and methodological frameworks to inspect plant species’ adaptation to environments. Thus, considering Grime's CSR plant strategies with its intraspecific variation could improve the understanding of mechanisms of successful invasion by alien plant species. We estimated intraspecific variation of CSR plant strategies of five invasive and three native herb species and environmental characteristics (e.g., soil physiochemical variables) in their habitats along an elevational gradient ranging from 300 m to 1500 m a.s.l. We conducted linear mixed models to assess the variance explained by status (native vs. invasive), species identity and elevation, whereas linear regressions were used to link each of CSR scores of each species to elevation and environmental factors. The C- and R-score decreased, and the S-score increased along the elevational gradient, especially for invasive plant species. Species identity explained more proportion of the variation of CSR plant strategies. In addition, microhabitat variables like canopy cover and the ratio of soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) concentrations (NH4/NO3) rather than elevation better explained the variation of CSR plant strategies of four out of the eight examined species. Our results showed that the species-specific and microhabitat-dependent factors determined the intraspecific variation of CSR plant strategies of the eight species along the elevational gradient. Furthermore, our study stresses the importance of microenvironment, particularly soil characteristics, in shaping intraspecific variation of plant species, which is essential for plant species to survive on large environmental gradient.

Investigation on the photocatalytic property of direct Z-type van der Waals g-C3N4/AlN heterojunction and its mechanism

Using hybrid density functional method, the electronic, interfacial and optical characters of the g-C3N4/AlN heterojunction as well as the effect of electric field and biaxial strain on its photocatalytic performance were systematically studied. The g-C3N4/AlN is a direct band gap semiconductor (2.71 eV) with stagger band alignment structure and exhibits direct Z-scheme photocatalytic reaction mechanism. Under the external electric field and biaxial strain, the staggered band feature of the heterostructure is retained and its VBM potential and CBM potential still have strong oxidation and reduction capabilities, which can meet the redox potential conditions of photocatalytic water-splitting. Meanwhile, the band gap gradually decreases with the increase of electric field strength ranged from −0.5 V/Å to 0.5 V/Å and 1% compressible strain tunes the heterostructure from direct band gap to indirect band gap. Our work provides a theoretical basis for the design of g-C3N4-based heterojunctions with high photocatalytic performance.

Novel ammonia-responsive carboxymethyl cellulose/Co-MOF multifunctional films for real-time visual monitoring of seafood freshness

Nowadays, ammonia-responsive biopolymer-based intelligent active films are of great interest for their huge potential in maintaining and monitoring the freshness of seafood. However, it is still a challenge to create biopolymer-based intelligent active films with favorable color stability, antibacterial and visual freshness indication functions. Herein, cobalt-based metal-organic framework (Co-MOF) nanosheets with ammonia-sensitive and antibacterial functions were successfully synthesized and then embedded into carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) matrix to develop high performance and multifunctional CMC-based intelligent active films. The influence of Co-MOF addition on the structure, physical and functional characters of CMC film was comprehensively studied. The results showed that the Co-MOF nanofillers were homogeneously embedded within the CMC matrix, bringing about remarkable promotion on tensile strength (from 45.3 to 62.2 MPa), toughness (from 0.7 to 2.3 MJ/m3), water barrier and UV-blocking performance of CMC film. Notably, the obtained CMC/Co-MOF nanocomposite films also presented excellent long-term color stability, antibacterial activity (with the bacteriostatic efficiency of 99.6 % and 99.3 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus), and ammonia-sensitive discoloration performance. Finally, the CMC/Co-MOF nanocomposite films were successfully applied for real-time visual monitoring of shrimp freshness. The above results demonstrate that the CMC/Co-MOF nanocomposite films possess huge potential applications in intelligent active packaging.

Effect of pH on the Synthesis of Silica Sol-Gel Tetraethylorthosilicate-Trimethylchlorosilan (TEOS-TMCS)

Sol-gel synthesis of silica employing the co-precursor trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and the precursor tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) was accomplished. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain how pH affected the properties of synthetic silica. The synthesized hydrophobic silica was characterized using FTIR, TGA, and GSA to determine the effect of pH adjustment on the functional group characters, thermal properties, and pore morphology. The ratio between TEOS/TMCS was fixed at 75:25 and varied the pH (4, 6, 7, 8, and 10) and the calcination temperature (without calcination, 300℃ and 500℃). FTIR analysis showed that the number of C-H and Si-OH groups in the xerogel decreased with increasing calcination temperature. Xerogel formed at pH 6 provides the highest thermal stability among other pHs. The results from the BET analysis revealed that changes in pH directly affect the physical characteristics of the surface, making the resulting gel network less rigid and more susceptible to shrinkage of pore volume and diameter in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, in an alkaline medium, continuous condensation will occur so that the pore diameter and volume decrease. The high pore diameter and volume imply that pH 7 is ideal for preparing xerogels.

Vegetation cover and seasonality as indicators for selection of forage resources by local agro-pastoralists in the Brazilian semiarid region

Local knowledge and uses of forage resources are highly dynamic, and can be mediated by multiple factors, such as seasonality, floristic diversity and the morphophysiological characteristics of plants. We investigate how seasonality and vegetation cover mediate the use of forage resources. The study was carried out with agro-pastoralists from two areas of Brazilian semiarid region. To select the areas, we used the normalized difference vegetation index. We selected one area with low vegetation cover (Area I) and another with high vegetation cover (Area II). Respondents were selected using the snowball technique. Using semi-structured interviews, we collect the information about forage use in the dry and rainy seasons, preferences of ruminants and specific characteristics of plant species. A total of 57 informants were interviewed in the two areas. We used the Chi-square test to assess differences in the richness of species cited between areas, seasons (dry/rainy), origins (exotic/native) and strate (herbaceous/woody). Our results revealed that agro-pastoralists living in the area with the highest vegetation cover (Area II) cited a greater number of species. We found that the use and selection of species is guided by a series of functional characters, related to palatability and nutritional value, which change between seasons. These results highlight the vast knowledge of ecological characteristics of species and diet of ruminants acquired by agro-pastoralists during field experience, with seasonality defining the use of species. Different from what we expected, the richness of exotic species mentioned did not differ between areas. This diversity of information contributes to a better understanding of the use of forage resources and indicates the importance of including local experiences as strategies to ensure proper use and provide insights for the conservation of local resources.

Effect of operating conditions of a solid‐state fermenter on structural and pasting properties of finger millet flour as applied to bread quality

AbstractThe effect of operating conditions such as bed thicknesses (0.075, 0.15, and 0.225 m) and air velocities (0.12, 0.24, and 0.36 m/s) of a solid‐state fermenter on the structural, rheological, and pasting properties of finger millet during solid‐state fermentation. Also, α‐amylase activity of solid‐state fermented flour was determined. Then, the breads were made from solid‐state fermented finger millet flour to assess the suitability of solid‐state fermented flour for bread making without adding the additives. The color and textural profiles of the bread were assessed. The results showed that the structural and pasting properties of solid‐state fermented finger millet got modified due to bioconversion during fermentation. However, the color values and textural characteristics of bread made from solid‐state fermented finger millet were not up to acceptable level. The study concluded that the operating conditions of solid‐state fermenter affected the bioconversion.Practical applicationDespite the phytochemicals and glycemic value, finger millet flour cannot be used as such for baking without adding additives as it has low dough functional characters. So, the functionalization of finger millet can be improved by solid‐state fermentation. The changes in structural characters, rheological, and pasting characters depend on the operating conditions of solid‐state fermenter. So, for better bioconversion of finger millet and scale up of solid‐state fermentation process, the knowledge about effect of operating conditions on modification of finger millet properties is required.

Functional and Molecular Characters of Cancer Stem Cells Through Development to Establishment.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are small subpopulation sharing similar properties like normal stem such as self-renewal and differentiation potential to direct tumor growth. Last few years, scientists considered CSCs as the cause of phenotypic heterogeneity in diverse cancer types. Also, CSCs contribute to cancer metastasis and recurrence. The cellular and molecular regulators influence on the CSCs' phenotype changing their behaviors in different stages of cancer progression. CSC markers play significance roles in cancer diagnosis and characterization. We delineate the cross-talks between CSCs and the tumor microenvironment that supports their intrinsic properties including survival, stemness, quiescence and their cellular and molecular adaptation. An insight into the markers of CSCs specific to organs is described.

Adsorption behavior of fluoroquinolone(ciprofloxacin) using zinc oxide impregnated activated carbon prepared from jack fruit peel: Kinetics and isotherm studies

Ciprofloxacin is a pharmaceutical component used for treating various tract infections. This is considered as an emerging contaminant due to the release of unreacted components getting disposed into the water bodies. This component is effectively treated using renewable biomass, which is converted into a useful renewable low-cost adsorbent material. Discarded Jack Fruit Peel (JFP) is used as an activated carbon incorporated with zinc oxide nanocomposite. The prepared activated carbon in this experiment was characterized by determining their functional groups, morphological characters, and nature of the adsorbent material by analyzing the Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) characterization. Further, the prepared composite's correlation coefficients and equilibrium sorption of the adsorption process were calculated using Ultra Violet (UV)-Visible Spectroscopy and analyzed with isotherm models (Langmuir model, Freundlich model, and Temkin model) and kinetic models (Pseudo-first-order kinetics, Pseudo-second-order kinetics, Intraparticle diffusion model, and Elovich model). Among the different models, the Zinc oxide impregnated activated carbon show Freundlich Isotherm and Pseudo Second order equation having a maximum correlation with experimental studies indicating double-layer adsorption, which suggests that the process is chemisorption. The operational parameters, including the effect of pH, dosage of activated carbon, and contact time of adsorption was calculated to identify the optimal condition for maximum adsorption.

Exotic species elicit decoupled responses in functional diversity components of freshwater fish assemblages in Chile

In the freshwater basins of central Chile, 28 exotic species have been introduced, which have contributed to increase taxonomic diversity. Nevertheless, how these species have modified the components of functional diversity in these assemblages, a key aspect in learning about their present and future stability within an ecosystem, is unknown. In this study, we analyzed how the introduction of exotic species affects the functional diversity components of richness (FRic), divergence (FDiv), specialization (FSpe), and functional originality (FOri). Additionally, we simulated the effect of the loss (extinction/extirpation) of threatened native species. To do so, we gathered information on the distribution and functional characters of native and exotic species. Through Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCo), we obtained three independent axes (PCoA1, PCoA2, and PCoA3), which allowed us to define a multidimensional space and then to calculate FRic, FDiv, FSpe, and FOri. Our results indicate that richness and functional originality have increased significantly with the introduction of exotic species (263% and 32%, respectively). In contrast, functional divergence and specialization have remained the same. The possible extinction of threatened native species may promote increases in functional originality, decreases in functional richness and divergence, and unchanged functional specialization. On the other hand, a subset of exotic species presents novel features, while another shows redundant features with native ichthyofauna. We emphasize that the possible extinction of native species currently classified as threatened may lead to the disappearance of unique functional groups, which puts at risk the persistence and stability of these assemblages.

The characteristics of habitat, functional traits and medicinal components of Eucommia ulmoides from Guizhou.

To find out the genuine characteristics of Eucommia ulmoides produced in Guizhou.The habitat, functional characters and the content of medicinal components of Eucommia ulmoides in Guizhou were studied by using the method of sample survey combined with typical survey, related laboratory experiments and quantitative analysis. The results showed that the yield of Eucommia ulmoides plantation in Guizhou was divided into low altitude, low middle and high temperature rain slope latitude mixing, short sunshine hours type(A type), medium altitude, low longitude and latitude, high temperature rain, positive oblique steep slope, medium sunshine hours type (B type), middle altitude, low longitude and latitude, moderate high temperature rain, shady side and sunny side have gentle deflection steep slope, medium sunshine hours type (C type), High altitude, low longitude and latitude, low temperature moderate rain, positive gentle slope, long sunshine hours type (D type); Different types of Eucommia ulmoides plantation, Different habitat quality, B type is intensity karst rocky desertification habitat, A type is potential karst rocky desertification habitat, the C and D types are light and moderate rocky desertification areas, respectively, the species diversity of shrub layer in Eucommia ulmoides plantation was higher in D type and B type, A type and C type followed; There was no significant difference in root carbon content and leaf nitrogen content in 4 types of Eucommia ulmoides plantation, Among the four types of A, B, C, D, there were significant or extremely significant differences in other indexes of plant functional traits; Both genipinic acid and aucubin had the highest content of root bark, followed by trunk bark and lowest leaves, Chlorogenic acid is the opposite, The content of geniposide was higher in trunk bark and lower in root bark and leaves; Genipinic acid is higher in D type, Aucubin is higher in A and D type, Chlorogenic acid has higher leaves content in B type, Geniposide was the highest in trunk bark of D type; The element enrichment coefficient K and Mn leaves are the largest, the largest in trunk bark is Ca and Zn, Fe root bark is the largest; Effects of soil potassium, phosphorus, pH value and bulk weight on the functional traits of Eucommia ulmoides were significant. The contents of medicinal components in root bark, trunk bark, and leaves was influenced by species diversity of shrub layer, The contents of geniposide in root bark, aucubin in root bark and trunk bark, genipinic acid in bark and chlorogenic acid in leaves were particularly affected by soil physical and chemical indexes and metal element contents, The functional traits of Eucommia ulmoides can affect the content of medicinal components in root bark, trunk bark, and leaves, Especially on the root bark, trunk bark, and leaves in the content of aucubin content; The content of medicinal components of Eucommia ulmoides was high and stable. The above research results have important theoretical reference significance for the cultivation of Eucommia ulmoides and the cultivation of target medicinal components and the comprehensive exploitation and utilization of resources.