Natural Conditions Research Articles

The circadian clock affects starvation resistance through the pentose phosphate pathway in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Disruption of the circadian clock can affect starvation resistance, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. Here, we found that starvation resistance was significantly reduced in the core gene BmPer deficient mutant silkworms (Per-/-), but the mutant's starvation resistance increased with larval age. Under natural physiological conditions, the weight of mutant 5th instar larvae was significantly increased compared to wild type, and the accumulation ability of triglycerides and glycogen in the fat bodies was upregulated. However, under starvation conditions, the weight consumption of mutant larvae was increased and cholesterol utilization was intensified. Transcriptome analysis showed that beta-oxidation was significantly upregulated under starvation conditions, fatty acid synthesis was inhibited, and the expression levels of genes related to mitochondrial function were significantly changed. Further investigations revealed that the redox balance, which is closely related to mitochondrial metabolism, was altered in the fat bodies, the antioxidant level was increased, and the pentose phosphate pathway, the source of reducing power in cells, was activated. Our findings suggest that one of the reasons for the increased energy burden observed in mutants is the need to maintain a more robust redox balance in metabolic tissues. This necessitates the diversion of more glucose into the pentose phosphate pathway to ensure an adequate supply of reducing power.

School Literacy Movement Implementation Strategy in Forming Effective Schools in State Elementary School 02 Kalikuda, Adipala District, Cilacap Regency

This study aims to determine the extent of the implementation strategy of the school literacy movement in forming effective schools at SD Negeri 02 Kalikuda, Adipala District, Cilacap Regency. The research method used is a descriptive qualitative method, which examines the natural condition of objects with the researcher acting as the key instrument. The goal of this qualitative research is to provide an in-depth, detailed, and comprehensive depiction of the empirical reality behind the phenomenon. Data were collected through observation and interviews with informants or participants. The research results indicate that the implementation strategy of the School Literacy Movement (GLS) comprises three main stages: the Habituation Stage, which includes activities such as reading for 15 minutes before lessons start, Literacy Thursdays, and building a literacy-rich physical school environment; the Development Stage, involving the creation of reading corners in classrooms, development of other facilities (UKS, canteen, school garden), and creating text-rich materials, as well as fostering a literacy-rich school environment; and the Learning Stage, which includes reading activities for 15 minutes before class with both lesson and non-lesson content, integrating literacy activities into the curriculum, and implementing various comprehension strategies in thematic lessons. The results of this research will be published and presented in international journals or proceedings.

Context-dependent benefits of forest soil addition on Aleppo pine seedling performance under drought and grass competition.

Seedling establishment under natural conditions is limited by numerous interacting factors. Here, we tested the combined effects of drought, herbaceous competition, and ectomycorrhizal inoculation on the performance of Aleppo pine seedlings grown in a net-house. The roots of all pine seedlings were strongly dominated by Geopora, a fungal genus known to colonize seedlings in dry habitats. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) inoculum significantly increased seedling height, biomass, and the number of side branches. However, under either competition or drought, the positive effect of EMF on seedling biomass and height was greatly reduced, while the effect on shoot branching was maintained. Further, under a combination of drought and competition, EMF had no influence on either plant growth or shape. The discrepancy in pine performance across treatments highlights the complexity of benefits provided to seedlings by EMF under ecologically relevant settings.

Peculiarities of the use of "outdoor activity" with persons of the second mature age in health fitness

The article examines the peculiarities of the use of "outdoor activity" means with persons of the second mature age in improving fitness. Materials and methods: The research was conducted on the basis of the "Freestyle" fitness club in Kyiv. A total of 45 people of different sexes (41 men, 4 women), aged from 36 to 60 years (second mature age) took part in the research (survey). Results: We analyzed video recordings of "outdoor activity" training sessions on the Internet and evaluated their effectiveness for people of the second mature age according to the following criteria: physical component of programs, social component of programs, natural conditions for classes, variability of programs, effectiveness of programs, safety of programs, availability of programs, psychological advantages of programs, financial aspect of programs. The most effective measures and fitness programs with "outdoor activity" that can be considered the most useful for those who engage in independent or group training sessions in the health direction in the second mature age among women and men and the prevalence of using "outdoor activity" programs were also determined in order of decreasing significance. Conclusions: based on the results of a comparative analysis of various "outdoor activity" programs, it was established that outdoor fitness classes improve mood, reduce stress levels and increase emotional well-being. In today's wellness fitness outdoor activity programs for adults can have varying popularity based on various factors, such as accessibility, effectiveness, advertising, social support, physical limitations of participants, and others. With the help of a questionnaire, it was determined what was the main motivation for the respondents (n = 45) to use "outdoor activity" (improvement of physical fitness and endurance - 53.3%, weight loss - 24.5%, relaxation and stress reduction - 17.7%, feeling of nature and fresh air - 2.5%), which are the most relevant obstacles and problems when using "outdoor activity" (no obstacles - 20%, weather conditions - 37.7%, lack of time - 42.3%, lack of motivation - 2, 2%).

Recent evolutionary divergence in a plant ring-species is not accompanied by floral phenology or pollinator shifts

Background and aims – The study of factors and processes involved in evolutionary divergence can inform how biodiversity is generated and maintained. We evaluate shifts in phenology or in pollination systems as potential barriers to gene exchange and thus promoters of divergence at the population-species boundary in the plant ring-species Euphorbia tithymaloides in the Caribbean. Material and methods – Combining collections-based and field-based observations and measurements, we evaluate evidence supporting that shifts in tempo of reproductive activity (floral phenology) or pollinator guilds (using visitation as a proxy) could be acting as mechanisms promoting divergence in E. tithymaloides. We focus on the geographic region where evolutionary divergence in this species has been documented: Greater and Lesser Antilles. Phenology data were derived from herbaria and online databases, for a total of 376 records across the Greater and Lesser Antilles. We quantified and characterized reward (nectar n = 13 sites) and gathered visitation data using direct observation (n = 12 sites) for a total of over 133 hours of observation/site. Key results – The peak of floral activity of E. tithymaloides is in winter, when days are short (~late October–late May). Under natural conditions, plants in the Antilles produce up to 22.4 µL of nectar, with mean sugar concentrations of ~ 46.5 ºBrix that amount to up to 10.3 mg of total sugars, with no significant differences observed between plants of the Lesser and Greater Antilles. Hummingbirds are the main floral visitors of E. tithymaloides in both areas: Greater Antilles: 61%, Lesser Antilles: 85%, and network analyses support a floral visitor community turnover across islands/countries. Conclusion – Evolutionary divergence in Caribbean E. tithymaloides along the Greater and Lesser Antilles is not accompanied by shifts in floral phenology or pollinator systems. Other factors, like pollinator turnover or pollinator-plant trait matching, might be at play. We outline hypotheses to this effect.

Strategic Integration of Catchment Level Natural and Structural Methods of Sustainable Flood Management: A Case Study of River Wharfe Catchment Area

Water has a crucial place in the advent of humankind the flourishing of mega population centres, and is an essential source of food, water transportation, and irrigation. The anthropogenic activities in taming the natural water streams to the optimum benefit of human beings disturb natural flood plains, ecology and habitat. The channelisation of streams and hydromodifications in dams, barrages or reservoirs result in climatic variations locally/ regionally and impact transborder stream flow. Researchers have been endeavouring to restore the flood plains to their natural conditions. Still, huge hydromodifications and the development of megacities right in the flood plains or adjacent to the streams have resulted in irreversible disturbances to the natural lay of ground/ landscape. Therefore, to avoid flooding disasters, further structural interventions are undertaken to augment the natural flood prevention methods using advanced materials like cement concrete, steel, and polymers rather than increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases. Considering the strategic necessity of engineering structures as an integrated catchment level solution to augment the natural methods, the researchers/ engineers are now focussing on the use of sustainable, eco-friendly materials and demountable/ hydraulic structures to minimise the carbon footprints of hydromodifications and to decrease the obstruction to the natural flow of streams by using the flood prevention structures/ gates/ walls/ reservoirs only in case of disastrous flooding and otherwise keeping them unemployed during normal stream discharges. This study has been used to review sustainable flood management using natural and structural techniques in the Wharf River catchment in the UK, reviewing the existing research/ flood management schemes giving the pictorial coverage. The study suggests that natural flood management techniques have restricted application parameters and must be augmented by engineering structures to achieve effective flood management against heavy flooding. Low CO2 embodied greener infrastructure structural materials containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) can be a beneficial option for an environmentally friendly flood management strategy.

Topical Reviews of Research on Resilience to Natural Environment in Fujian Traditional Dwellings of China

Abstract The original purpose of resilience design for traditional architectures is to be coordinated with and adapted to the natural environment. The natural environmental resilience of traditional dwellings refers to the ability of the dwellings to maintain the residents’ comfort, safety, and health in the face of natural environmental challenges including various disasters. In the process of designing traditional dwellings, the wisdom contributed to improving living environment conditions is of significant reference value. Therefore, this paper reviews the main literature on the resilience of traditional dwellings to the natural environment in Fujian of China. A topical review framework is proposed to cover the resilience performance of traditional dwellings in Fujian under various natural environmental conditions. Specifically, it is divided into two aspects: internal comfort resilience and external disaster-resistance resilience, based on which researchers in related fields can establish a clearer classification of resilience research in their future studies. In terms of internal comfort resilience, this paper focuses on relevant perspectives such as humidity, temperature, brightness, noise, etc. In terms of external disaster-resistance resilience, this paper summarizes the adaptability of traditional dwellings in the face of disasters triggered by natural hazards such as fires, floods, earthquakes, and typhoons. Based on this framework, this paper reviews the current research status, discusses the limitations and shortcomings in this research area, and proposes corresponding prospects for future research.

«Печально зимой в Булуне»: А. В. Боголепов о повседневности заполярной Якутии в 1913–1916 гг.

Goals. The article introduces an unknown manuscript by A. Bogolepov titled ‘Bulun Village of Verkhoyansk District (Yakutsk Oblast)’ and compiled during an exile to the isolated Arctic locality of Yakutia. The narrative was written before the revolutionary events of 1917 and is of certain interest since it lacks any political bias, being characterized by restrained neutrality and sufficient depth of observations over everyday realias of the small northern settlement. A. Bogolepov’s text is attractive for the breadth of issues covered, its consonance with the social and cultural problems faced by the era and discussed by the advanced public. So, it seems reasonable enough to publish the identified document for further discussion in an interdisciplinary perspective. Materials and methods. The manuscript was discovered at the State Archive of Irkutsk Oblast (Coll. 293 ‘East Siberian Department of the Russian Geographical Society’). Furthermore, in search of additional data on the former’s author we investigated the State Archive of Altai Krai (Barnaul), State Archive of Krasnoyarsk Krai (Krasnoyarsk), National Archive of Sakha-Yakutia (Yakutsk), Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow) and its St. Petersburg Branch, and the efforts have yielded a variety of precious finds. The methodological basis rests on the principles characteristic of the field the researchers are actually engaged in — cryoanthropology. Results. The discovered materials open a previously unknown page in the Yakut pre-Soviet Northern studies. A. Bogolepov’s manuscript is rich in data on natural conditions, economic and cultural activities in the small remote settlement somewhat representing the polar world in miniature. The author highlights the interpenetration of Russian and Yakut cultures, mentions some specific local sociocultural phenomena resulting from the geographical location and climatic features. The long cold period — as is stressed by A. Bogolepov — shapes the entire life cycle of the settlement: it completely determines the functioning of the transport network, household and trade agendas, everyday life and leisure pursuits of locals. The isolation and scarcity of social activity, temporal and event-based ‘frozen’ everyday life of the northern society are emphasized. The manuscript is an important source for the research of cryoanthropology, and also contains valuable information on Yakutia’s socioeconomic and cultural history throughout the early decades of the twentieth century.

New lentil variety RKL 58F-3715: a case study depicting the emergence of desirable transgressive segregants

Lentil is one of the world’s most important cool-season grain legumes. The frequency of natural recombinants and segregants under natural conditions is very low in lentil due to their cleistogamous flower. The present investigation depicted the emergence of desirable transgressive segregants obtained from spontaneous mutation. Exploiting these hypervariable mutants, a highyielding lentil variety RKL 58F-3715 (Kota Masoor 4; KM 4) was developed from the progeny of a natural variant. The identified single deviated plant from the seed production plot of DPL 62 was probably a spontaneous mutation. During generation advancement, the progenies showed hypervariable segregants, especially for seed morphological traits, such as size, shape, colour and texture. The breeding cycles following rigorous selection under modified pedigree and single seed descent delivered the high-yielding stable genotype KM 4. Hypervariable progenies were obtained from natural mutants, distinguished in morphological traits such as earliness, light foliage colour, and prominent tendrils from the parent variety. The national weighted mean over locations over the year of KM 4 for grain yield was 1865 kg/ha, with yield superiority of 22.80% over national check DPL 62. Considerable resistance against major diseases, i.e., wilt and rust, makes it a durable genotype for commercial cultivation in major lentil-growing areas of India.

Response of mungbean genotypes for resistance against mungbean yellow mosaic virus

Mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) is an important viral disease across mungbean growing areas and causes severe yield loss in mungbean especially during the spring/summer season. The present study was envisaged to identify MYMV donors in mungbean. A total of 104 mungbean genotypes were evaluated for MYMV under natural field conditions during summer, 2019. The results revealed that MYMV severity ranged from 0% to 100% among mungbean genotypes. Out of 104 genotypes, 32 genotypes were completely free from MYMV, two genotypes exhibited resistant reaction (R), 22 genotypes were found moderately resistant (MR) and the remaining 48 genotypes were susceptible to highly susceptible reaction to MYMV. Thus, the identified 34 promising lines of mungbean were further evaluated against MYMV along with susceptible check DGGV-2 under epiphytotic conditions during the summer of 2020 and 2021. Pooled data of MYMV over the two years indicated that six genotypes namely, IPM-1205-2, IPM-2-14, IPM-410-3, IPM14-10, IPM-205-7 and IPM-1604-1 were showed stability for MYMV resistance. These identified stable resistant genotypes will serve as potential donors for the mungbean breeding program to develop resistance cultivars.

Arachis pintoi Krapov. & W.C. Greg.–A multifunctional legume

AbstractArachis pintoi, commonly known as pinto or forage peanut, is used mainly in consortia with grass pastures and as cover plant. In addition to increasing the productivity of livestock and plantations, it contributes to the mitigation of environmental impacts (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and soil improvement (nitrogen fixation, reduction of fertilizers use), as well as to pests and disease management. Several cultivars that are tolerant to specific climates and soil conditions are suitable to be used as ground covers in agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, orchards, and plantations. Biotechnological and phytochemical investigations revealed the potential of pinto peanut as a sustainable source of resveratrol and other stilbenoids. Extracts from plants grown under natural conditions and from materials obtained in vitro displayed allelopathic, anthelmintic, or antioxidant activities. Other studies revealed the potential of pinto peanut for erosion control, phytoremediation, seed and essential oils production, materials for animal tissue engineering, synthesis of nanoparticles for drug delivery, and as green biorefineries to produce proteins, biochemicals, and biomaterials.

First ontogenesis and bioecological study of Sciobia bouvieri (Orthoptera, Gryllidae), a North African endemic species

This study aimed to investigate the bioecology and life cycle of the Algerian endemic Sciobia bouvieri, which remained unknown until recently. A combined approach of field sampling through direct searching and captive rearing of S. bouvieri nymphs under natural conditions was employed to determine the population ontogeny. The life cycle was found to comprise three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The embryonic development period ranged from 22 to 30 days. Females laid an average of 9.4 ± 1.3 eggs per clutch. The nymphal stage consisted of six instars, lasting an average of 306.5 days. Adult longevity varied, with males living 32.3 ± 16.2 days and females living 23.9 ± 22.4 days. The duration of the ontogenesis cycle of Sciobia bouvieri in nature showed that it has a univoltine life cycle with summer and winter diapauses occurring during the fourth and fifth larval stages, respectively. These diapauses are likely controlled by photoperiod and temperature. This is the first study of the bioecology and life cycle of this North African endemic species.

Study on the influence of branch slope on smoke movement mechanism in bifurcated tunnel fire under natural ventilation

In order to investigate the impact mechanism of branch slope on fire smoke in underground bifurcation spaces, a series of small-scale fire experiments were conducted. This study measured relevant data under natural ventilation conditions for four different branch slopes and six fire power levels, focusing on the highest ceiling temperature in the tunnel and the attenuation pattern of ceiling temperatures along the longitudinal direction in both the main and branch tunnels. It also analyzed the temperature field, velocity field, and pressure field at the bifurcation. The results indicate that a decrease in branch slope leads to an increase in the highest temperature in the main tunnel, primarily due to the enhanced chimney effect that intensifies the entrainment of smoke and accelerates the flow of fire smoke. A modified model for the highest temperature, considering the influence of branch slope, was proposed. Branch slope has a certain impact on the longitudinal temperature attenuation of the tunnel ceiling, with a relatively weaker effect on the main tunnel. Based on empirical formulas, a formula for longitudinal temperature attenuation involving slope, including both the main and branch tunnels, was developed. Fire smoke accelerates at the bifurcation point, a phenomenon that intensifies with an increase in the slope of the branch tunnel. The research in this paper provides a reference for fire safety issues in bifurcated tunnel structures.

Adaptive Polarizing Suppression of Sea Surface Glare Based on the Geographic Polarization Suppression Model

As a strong interference source for the all-time optical imaging surveillance of maritime targets, sea surface glare is difficult to mitigate accurately because of its time-varying characteristics due to lighting conditions and seawater fluctuations. In this paper, we propose an adaptive suppression approach to sea surface glare, which establishes a geographic polarization suppression model based on real-time information regarding geographic positioning and the orientation information of the floating platform, and also combines dynamic polarization control and pixel normalization to achieve adaptive suppression of sea surface glare. Experimental results show that this approach can mitigate the influence of rapidly changing glare effectively, and the SSIM indexes between the images without glare and those with glare suppression of the same scenes exceed 0.8, which is suitable for all-time glare suppression on the sea surface under natural lighting conditions.

Monitoring the impact of forest changes on carbon uptake with solar-induced fluorescence measurements from GOME-2A and TROPOMI for an Australian and Chinese case study

Abstract. Reliable and robust monitoring tools are crucial to assess the effectiveness of land mitigation techniques (LMTs) in enhancing carbon uptake, enabling informed decision making by policymakers. This study, addressing one of the scientific goals of the EU Horizon 2020 Land Use Based Mitigation for Resilient Climate Pathways (LANDMARC) project, examines the feasibility of using satellite solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) in combination with other satellite data as a monitoring proxy to evaluate the effects of LMTs on carbon uptake. Two distinct cases are explored: (1) instantaneous vegetation destruction caused by a 2019 eucalyptus wildfire in southeast Australia and (2) gradual forest gain resulting from reforestation efforts in northern China in 2007–2012. The cases are monitored using SIF from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2A (GOME-2A), respectively. Comparing the temporal variability in SIF across the affected areas and nearby reference areas reveals that vegetation dynamics changed as a consequence of the land-use changes in both cases. Specifically, in the Australia case, TROPOMI demonstrated an immediate reduction in the SIF signal of 0.6 mW m−2 sr−1 nm−1 (−72 %) over the eucalypt forest right after the fire. Exploiting the strong correspondence between TROPOMI SIF and gross primary productivity (GPP) at the nearby representative eddy covariance Tumbarumba site and through the FluxSat product, we estimate that the Australian fire led to a loss in GPP of 130–200 GgC in the first 8 months after the fire. Over the northern Chinese provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Shanxi, we report an increase in GOME-2A summertime SIF of 0.1–0.2 mW m−2 sr−1 nm−1, coinciding with reforestation efforts between 2007 and 2012. This increase in the SIF signal is likely driven by a combination of increasingly favourable natural conditions and by the reforestation effort itself. A multivariate model that takes into account growth factors such as water availability and maximum temperature as well as satellite-derived forest-cover data explains the observed variability in GOME-2A SIF in the Chinese case reasonably well (R2=0.72). The model suggests that increases in both forest cover and soil moisture have led, in step, to the observed increase in vegetation activity over northern China. In that region, for every 100 km2 of additional forest cover, SIF increases by 0.1 mW m−2 sr−1 nm−1 between 2007 and 2012. Our study highlights that the use of satellite-based SIF, together with supporting in situ, modelled, and satellite data, allows us to monitor the impact of LMT implementation on regional carbon uptake as long as the scale of the LMT is of sufficient spatial extent.

Study on Spatialization and Spatial Pattern of Population Based on Multi-Source Data—A Case Study of the Urban Agglomeration on the North Slope of Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang, China

The urban agglomeration on the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains is a pivotal place in Western China; it is essential for the economic growth of Xinjiang and acts as a critical bridge between China’s interior and the Asia–Europe continent. Due to unique natural conditions, the local population distribution exhibits distinct regional characteristics. This study employs the spatial lag model (SLM) from conventional spatial analysis and the random forest model (RFM) from contemporary machine learning techniques. It integrates traditional geographic data, including land cover data and nighttime light data, with geographical big data, such as POI (points of interest) and OSM (OpenStreetMap), to build a comprehensive indicator database. Subsequently, it simulates the spatial population distribution within the urban agglomeration on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in 2020. The accuracy of the results is then compared and assessed against the accuracy of other available population raster datasets, and the spatial distribution pattern in 2020 is analyzed. The findings reveal the following: (1) The result of SLM, combined with multi-source data, predicts the population distribution as a relatively uniform and nearly circular structure, with minimal spatial differentiation. (2) The result of RFM, employing multi-source data, better captures the spatial population distribution, resulting in irregular boundaries that are indicative of strong spatial heterogeneity. (3) Both models demonstrate superior accuracy in simulating population distribution. The spatial lag model’s accuracy surpasses that of the GHS and GPW datasets, albeit still trailing behind WorldPop and LandScan. Meanwhile, the random forest model significantly outperforms the four aforementioned population raster datasets. (4) The population spatial pattern in the urban agglomeration on the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains predominantly consists of four distinct circles, illustrating a “one axis, one center, and multiple focal points” distribution characteristic. Combining the random forest model with geographic big data for spatialized population simulation offers robust scientific validity and practicality. It holds potential for broader application within the urban agglomeration on the Tianshan Mountains and across Xinjiang. This study can offer insights for studies on regional population spatial distributions and inform sustainable development strategies for cities and their populations.

Screening of Mung bean Germplasm for Resistance against Cercospora Leaf Spot under Natural Field Conditions

Mung bean is an excellent protein source pulse crop grown throughout the world. Punjab province accounts for 80% area and production of mung bean in Pakistan. Mung bean is cultivated on a large scale for its green manuring ability and grain consumption. Mung bean is prone to economically important fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases. Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by Cercospora canescens is one of the most serious disease concerns in Pakistan. The pulses program at the National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad is trying hard to get the resistant germplasm against CLS. Sixty-eight advance lines/approved varieties were evaluated in the augmented design under natural field conditions. Forty-one advance lines/approved varieties were found resistant and twenty-five advance lines/approved varieties were found moderately resistant. Two advanced lines/approved varieties did not perform well and were susceptible to CLS infection. This data indicates that the germplasm at pulses program is excellent in resistance against CLS under natural field conditions in the Arid Zone and can serve as potential future varieties.

Food-plant choice of seven dominant grasshopper species in the Xinjiang grasslands

Feeding habits and competitive interactions among dominant grasshopper species in the Xinjiang grasslands (China) were studied under natural conditions through microscopic analyses of insect crop contents. Sex-specific and interindividual differences in feeding habits and interspecific competition were investigated. Analyses of ecological niche width and overlap revealed potential competition among grasshoppers. The results showed significant difference in the sex-specific variations in the feeding habits of the seven grasshoppers; sex-specific variations in feeding range and preferred plants were observed, with females feeding more extensively on host plants, and female and male adults choosing to feed on different plant species. Individuals of all seven grasshoppers showed different degrees of dietary variance, with oligophagous grasshoppers (Oedaleus decorus males, Dericorys annulata, and Bryodema gebleri males) showing a smaller degree of individual dietary variance than polyphagous grasshoppers (Oedipoda caerulescens, Calliptamus coelesyriensis females, Calliptamus barbarus, and Notostaurus albicornis); Calliptamus coelesyriensis and Notostaurus albicornis showed the greatest individual variance in their diets. Oedaleus decorus, Bryodema gebleri, and Calliptamus barbarus consumed primarily Poaceae and exhibited varying foot-plant choice. For example, Oedaleus decorus was observed to have high- preference feeding for Poa annua, Bryodema gebleri for Stipa capillata, and Calliptamus barbarus for Setaria viridis. Dericorys annulata fed primarily on Amaranthaceae, Notostaurus albicornis fed primarily on Poaceae and Amaranthaceae, and Oedipoda caerulescens fed primarily on Asteraceae. Calliptamus barbarus exhibited strong interspecific competition with Oedaleus decorus and Calliptamus coelesyriensis, and Bryodema gebleri demonstrated the strongest interspecific competition with all six other species. Considering the influence of sex on interspecific competition among grasshoppers enhances our understanding of interspecific competitive relationships.

Detection of small ruminant Lentivirus proviral DNA in red deer from Poland

Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) are widespread and infect goats and sheep. Several reports also suggest that SRLVs can infect wild ruminants. The presence of specific antibodies against SRLVs has been identified in wild ruminants from Poland, but no studies have been conducted to detect proviral DNA of SRLVs in these animals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine samples from Polish wild ruminants to determine whether these animals can serve as reservoirs of SRLVs under natural conditions. A total of 314 samples were tested from red deer (n = 255), roe deer (n = 52) and fallow deer (n = 7) using nested real-time PCR. DNA from positive real-time PCR samples was subsequently used to amplify a CA fragment (625 bp) of the gag gene, a 1.2 kb fragment of the pol gene and an LTR-gag fragment. Three samples (0.95%) were positive according to nested real-time PCR using primers and probe specific for CAEV (SRLV group B). All the samples were negative for the primers and probe specific for MVV (SRLV A group). Only SRLV LTR-gag sequences were obtained from two red deer. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these sequences were more closely related to CAEV than to MVV. Our results revealed that deer can carry SRLV proviral sequences and therefore may play a role in the epidemiology of SRLVs. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing SRLV sequences from red deer.

Indoor-Light-Activated Blue TiO2-Molecule-WO3 Visible Photocatalyst for Antibacterial Performance against Escherichia coli.

Currently used visible light catalysts either operate with high-power light sources or require prolonged periods of time for catalytic reactions. This presents a limitation regarding facile application in indoor environments and spaces frequented by the public. Furthermore, this gives rise to elevated power consumption. Here, we enhance photocatalytic performance with blue TiO2 and WO3 complexes covalently coupled through an organic molecule, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, under indoor light. Antibacterial experiments against 108 CFU/mL Escherichia coli (E. coli) suspensions were conducted under indoor light exposure conditions. They showed a sterilization effect of almost 90% within 70 min and nearly 100% after 110 min. The complex generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as •OH and O2•-, under natural air conditions. We also showed that h+ and •OH are important for sterilizing E. coli using common scavengers. This research highlights the potential of these complexes to generate ROS, effectively playing a crucial role in antibacterial effects under indoor light.