Natural Light Conditions Research Articles

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.

Gene expression regulation of the effect of shading on chlorophyll content in Fuding White Tea (Camellia sinensis L.).

Shading is an important practical method to improve the quality of green tea. Previous research of our group found that because the biosynthesis and distribution of theanine in tea plants were affected by down regulation of gene encoding amino acid permeases, theanine content in tea leaves which grown under shading condition was significantly higher than those under natural light. In this study, our group analyzed the changes of tea leaf area, free amino acid content and photosynthetic parameters under natural light and shading conditions, to ensure that moderate shading did not reduce but improve the quality of tea. Transcriptome sequencing and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were conducted to reveal the expression levels of genes related to chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a/b ratio under natural light and shading conditions. Experimental results revealed the presence of the following differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism pathway of tea under natural light and shading conditions: the up regulation of CPOX expression may lead to an increase in the accumulation of raw materials of chlorophyll synthesis, while the down regulation of SGR expression may lead to a decrease in chlorophyll degradation. The combined effect of these two genes may lead to an increase in the total chlorophyll content of tea. The down regulation of NOL expression may lead to the obstruction of chlorophyll b transform to chlorophyll a, that is, the decrease of the chlorophyll a/b ratio. This study investigated the molecular mechanism of chlorophyll content and component alteration in Fuding white tea under natural light and shading conditions, and elucidated the effects of different light intensities on the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism pathway of tea. Thus provided deep understanding of chlorophyll regulation under shading condition in tea cultivation, which could contribute to high-quality matcha production.

Circadian rhythm of salivary and serum urea concentration in alpacas and sheep receiving diets with different levels of protein.

All vertebrates possess a daily rhythm, encompassing a comprehensive set of physiological, cognitive, and behavioral patterns that manifest throughout a 24-hour period. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of crude protein (CP) levels in the diet on the daily rhythm of urea in serum (US) and saliva in alpacas and sheep. Ten alpacas and ten sheep, adult, clinically healthy males, were used; they were maintained in natural light conditions and fed ad libitum with two levels of CP (16 and 7%). Blood and saliva samples were taken every 4h for 48h. A two-way ANOVA was conducted to analyze the parameters, including adjusted mean rhythm (MESOR), amplitude, and acrophase. It was found that both US and saliva urea exhibited circadian rhythms with a peak during the midday (10:59 - 12:16h). The MESOR with low CP diets was higher (P < 0.05) in alpacas. The MESOR of urea levels in saliva was greater (P < 0.05) at the highest level of CP in the diet, with no differences between alpacas and sheep (P > 0.05). The amplitude was greater (P < 0.05) in alpacas and at the high level of CP compared to the low level of CP in the diet. Our findings reveal that both serum and saliva urea levels in alpacas and sheep follow a daily rhythm and the MESOR of US was higher in alpacas when they consume food with low CP content, and this difference disappears when CP levels are increased in the diet.

First report of Colletotrichum incanum causing leaf spots on common bean in Europe (Slovenia).

A Phaseolus vulgaris L. leaf showing necrotic spots was collected in an experimental bean field in central Slovenia in August 2021. The field contained diverse common bean lines sourced from genebank collections, with each line represented by 10 plants. While symptomatic leaves were seen across various lines, the reported species derived exclusively from a Huasca Huallaga Colorado plant (single-seed descent, USDA accession PI153714, doi: 10.18730/H7P9N), a Peruvian landrace. After incubating the leaf for 2 d at ambient temperature in a moist chamber, setose acervuli developed producing curved, distally tapering and proximately truncated conidia. Single-spore cultures developed equally-shaped conidia measuring 14.5-21.5 (avg. 18.5) × 3-4 (avg. 3.5) μm (n=60) on corn meal agar when mounted in lactic acid. Obtained morphological characters and sequences of the partial actin (GenBank accession, OR208162), beta-tubulin (OR208164), and histone 3 (OR208165) gene identified the isolate as Colletotrichum incanum H.-C. Yang, J.S. Haudenshield & G.L. Hartman. Sequences were identical to those from CBS 133485 (= NRRL 62592, IL6A), ex-type strain of C. incanum (KC110823, KC110814, and KC110796). Partial sequences of the chitin synthase (CHS) gene (OR208163), not available for the ex-type strain, was identical to sequences of other C. incanum strains reported from China (KP145539, ON189040, and OQ613679-OQ613686) or differed in two nucleotide positions (OL471268 and OL471269). The strain from Slovenia was deposited in the CBS biobanks of the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (Utrecht, The Netherlands) as CBS 150848. Pathogenicity of the strain was tested by spraying ca. 3×105 conidia as a watery spore suspension onto each leaf of 6 greenhouse-grown and 3 wk-old common bean plantlets (cv. KIS Amand). Nonsterile commercial substrate (Potgrond H, AGRO-FertiCrop) was used and natural light conditions at ambient temperatures (18-23°C) applied. Sterile water was sprayed on 6, equally grown negative control plants. Treated plants showed small brownish spots after 3 wks similar to those described by Yang et al. (2014) on soybean. Setose acervuli formed within 5 days after detached leaves were incubated in moist chambers. No acervuli formed on negative control plants. Conidia re-isolated from these acervuli and obtained cultures were morphologically identical to originally obtained conidia and cultures and those used for performing the pathogenicity test. Anthracnose is an important disease of common bean attributed to various races of C. lindemuthianum (Sacc. & Magnus) Briosi & Cavara (Nunes et al. 2021). Reporting an additional agent potentially able to cause diseases in common bean and so far not known to occur in Europe is of high relevance as the various genetic bean lines used in Europe may show alternative susceptibility levels to it. However, symptoms caused by C. incanum seem to be less severe as those caused by C. lindemuthianum and the species belongs to the C. spaethianum species complex, whose members have so far not been considered as pathogens of economic importance (Talhinhas & Baroncelli 2021). Yang et al. (2014) based C. incanum on isolates from soybean petioles (USA) and associated it with common bean by re-identifying strain ATCC 64682 obtained by Tu (1990) in Canada. Database queries revealed that it was encountered also on sugar beet (USA; Hanson et al. 2023) and on various crop hosts in China (e.g., chili; Diao et al. 2017), but not in Europe. The work was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and conducted as part of research programs P4-0072 and P4-0431, financed by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency ARIS, and the Horizon 2020 project INCREASE funded by the European Union.

Effects of UV-B Radiation Exposure on Transgenerational Plasticity in Grain Morphology and Proanthocyanidin Content in Yuanyang Red Rice.

The effect of UV-B radiation exposure on transgenerational plasticity, the phenomenon whereby the parental environment influences both the parent's and the offspring's phenotype, is poorly understood. To investigate the impact of exposing successive generations of rice plants to UV-B radiation on seed morphology and proanthocyanidin content, the local traditional rice variety 'Baijiaolaojing' was planted on terraces in Yuanyang county and subjected to enhanced UV-B radiation treatments. The radiation intensity that caused the maximum phenotypic plasticity (7.5 kJ·m-2) was selected for further study, and the rice crops were cultivated for four successive generations. The results show that in the same generation, enhanced UV-B radiation resulted in significant decreases in grain length, grain width, spike weight, and thousand-grain weight, as well as significant increases in empty grain percentage and proanthocyanidin content, compared with crops grown under natural light conditions. Proanthocyanidin content increased as the number of generations of rice exposed to radiation increased, but in generation G3, it decreased, along with the empty grain ratio. At the same time, biomass, tiller number, and thousand-grain weight increased, and rice growth returned to control levels. When the offspring's radiation memory and growth environment did not match, rice growth was negatively affected, and seed proanthocyanidin content was increased to maintain seed activity. The correlation analysis results show that phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), and 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) enzyme activity positively influenced proanthocyanidin content. Overall, UV-B radiation affected transgenerational plasticity in seed morphology and proanthocyanidin content, showing that rice was able to adapt to this stressor if previous generations had been continuously exposed to treatment.

Effect of diel light cycles on vertical migration patterns of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer, 1837) copepodids measured in an in situ mesocosm

The ectoparasitic salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Krøyer, 1837) persists as a major hindrance for continued growth of the Norwegian salmon industry. Shielding technologies or management strategies are being used to reduce the likelihood of contact in the net pens between the salmon and the sea lice’s infectious copepodid stage. Knowledge about the vertical distribution and diel migration patterns of the planktonic sea lice stages are inevitably a premise for such water-depth-dependent avoidance technologies to be efficient; however, not many studies have investigated diel vertical migration patterns of sea lice in situ or in relevant scales. In this work, we aimed to monitor the diel migration of L. salmonis copepodids in the vertical plane without the influence of hydrographical forces, using sufficient water column depth of 11 m, natural thermoclines, and natural exogenous light conditions. We followed a cohort of copepodids over the course of 4 days and measured their vertical distribution in the water column twice per hour in a custom made mesocosm, using automatic particle detection and machine learning to analyse position and migration patterns. The L. salmonis copepodid population displayed reverse diel migration, and we found a statistically significant interaction between depth and time. During the day, copepodids were found in the upper 1 m of the water column, before the majority of the population descended to 1–2 m depth during night-time. A small fraction of the population remained in the upper part of the water column also during night-time. A significantly higher fraction of the copepodid population resided in the upper metre during daylight hours compared to other depths. These results could be utilised as input in sea lice dispersal models which are important management tools in today’s sea lice prevention strategies and regulatory frameworks.

0180 Crew Sleep During a 36-day Arctic Transit: Preliminary Results

Abstract Introduction Extreme environmental conditions (e.g., natural light conditions, time zone transitions), and specific operational conditions (e.g., ship motion due to ice breaking) combined with a variety of other occupational stressors (including shift work, psychological stress, and performing physically strenuous activities), poses unique challenges when conducting polar operations. The overarching aim of this project is to assess the unique challenges sailors experience when operating in polar regions in order to identify performance-limiting factors derived from operating an icebreaker in extreme latitudes. This abstract shows preliminary results of crewmember sleep. Methods A naturalistic longitudinal approach assessed 53 of the ship’s crewmembers (median age of 29yrs; 71.7% males; 66.0% enlisted) while performing their normal duties during a 36-day transit from Kodiak, AK (8/26/23) to Tromsø, Norway (1/10/23). Participants wore ŌURA rings and completed weekly questionnaires throughout the study. Mixed effects analysis was used to assess the effect of age, occupational group, time underway, and watchstanding status on variables of interest. Results are presented as mean◻standard deviation. Results Over the entire data collection period, participants’ sleep duration was 6.81◻0.57 hrs/day with 68.9% sleeping &amp;lt; 7 hrs/day and 8.89% sleeping &amp;lt; 6 hrs/day. All participants napped at least once; 68.1% napped at least once every 4 days. Self-report sleep regularity index (SRI; lower numbers translate to poorer sleep) was 73.1◻5.80 for watchstanders, 83.8◻6.19 for non-watchstanders, and 78.3◻5.16 for crewmembers with a hybrid work schedule. Age was associated with decreased heart rate variability (p=0.006), increased percentage of light sleep (p&amp;lt; 0.001), decreased percentage of deep sleep (p&amp;lt; 0.001), and increased percentage of REM sleep (p=0.021). Officers and watchstanders had a lower percentage of REM sleep compared to enlisted (p=0.030) and non-watchstanders (p=0.025) respectively. Also, over the course of the underway the percentage of light sleep increased and the percentage of deep sleep decreased. Specifically, compared to Week 1, Week 3 had a higher percentage of light sleep (p=0.027), and a lower percentage of deep sleep (p=0.019). Conclusion Results showed that Arctic operations can affect crew sleep. Crew members slept less than the daily recommended 7+ hr/day sleep duration. Their sleep was also related to age, watchstanding status, and time underway. Support (if any)

Wind-Induced Cooling Effects on Photovoltaic Panel Performance

This investigation evaluated the performance of a photovoltaic (PV) panel system under varied cooling speeds of a calibrated wind generator. The objectives encompassed the calibration of wind speed, integration of the wind generator with the PV panel system, monitoring the performance of the PV panel with wind-induced cooling, and analyzing overall performance under different wind generator settings. Parameters assessed included open circuit voltage, short circuit current, PV panel surface temperature, and power output. The tests were carried out both with and without wind cooling and under artificial and natural lighting conditions. Under artificial lighting conditions, the solar PV panel demonstrated suboptimal short circuit current compared to natural lighting conditions, leading to an overall decrease in power output. Moreover, the findings revealed a significant relationship between simulated wind speed and the overall performance of the PV panel, with notable variations in surface temperature, voltage level, current level, and power output. The statistical analysis supported these findings, with all dependent variables exhibiting statistically significant differences. The practical implications of these observations are pertinent to the design of more efficient and sustainable PV and PV-wind cooling systems. By comprehending the influence of wind on PV panel performance, system designers and operators can make informed decisions to maximize energy production and enhance the overall efficiency of the PV system.

Evaluation of electrode separators and the external resistance in electrochemically assisted constructed wetlands

A proton exchange membrane increases the electrical performance of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). New inexpensive materials should be sought, especially in a constructed wetland microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC). Here, in a laboratory-scale system of five CW-MFCs, wet clay, wet earth or mud, and non-woven cloth were used as inexpensive separators with long-term stability. The five CW-MFCs were planted with Typha latifolia, fed with synthetic wastewater, and packed with natural porous material. Graphite felt was used as electrodes and the experimental system had a hydraulic residence time of 3 days, operating under shade and natural conditions of temperature and light. Electrodes were connected to current collectors (copper wire) and to an external resistance, with a change every 20 days, starting in open-circuit and following with 20000, 18000, 15000, 10000, 5600, 1000, 560, and 10 Ω. These laboratory-scale CW-MFCs reduced concentrations of nitrates, ammonium ion, and sulfates without inhibiting electricity production. Microbiological analyses indicated that anaerobic, facultative, aerobic, and denitrifying bacteria may have caused these reductions. The reactor with the live plant and with the wet earth or mud separator achieved the highest production of electricity (22.6 mW/m2), and may be worth further attention.

When night becomes day: Artificial light at night alters insect behavior under semi-natural conditions

Light is the most important Zeitgeber for temporal synchronization in nature. Artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts the natural light-dark rhythmicity and thus negatively affects animal behavior. However, to date, ALAN research has been mostly conducted under laboratory conditions in this context. Here, we used the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, to investigate the effect of ALAN on insect behavior under semi-natural conditions, i.e., under shaded natural lighting conditions, natural temperature and soundscape. Male crickets were placed individually in outdoor enclosures and exposed to ALAN conditions ranging from <0.01 to 1500 lx intensity. The crickets' stridulation behavior was recorded for 14 consecutive days and nights and their daily activity patterns were analysed. ALAN impaired the crickets' stridulation rhythm, evoking a change in the crickets' naturally synchronized daily activity period. This was manifested by a light-intensity-dependent increase in the proportion of insects demonstrating an intrinsic circadian rhythm (free-run behavior). This also resulted in a change in the population's median activity cycle period. These ALAN-induced effects occurred despite the crickets' exposure to almost natural conditions. Our findings provide further validity to our previous studies on ALAN conducted under lab conditions and establish the deleterious impacts of ALAN on animal behavioral patterns. TeaserArtificial light at night alters cricket behavior and desynchronizes their stridulation even under near-natural conditions.

Novel cost-effective Hibiscus flower based colorimetric paper sensor containing anthocyanins to monitoring the quality and freshness of raw fish

This article described the low-cost hibiscus flower based colorimetric paper sensor to monitor the quality and freshness of raw fish. The extract of hibiscus flower was used to develop pH sensing paper strips for qualitative analysis. The sensitivity of paper sensor was checked by colorimetric detection of ammonia gas and then it was implemented to monitor the freshness of fish visually. The extract of hibiscus flower containing anthocyanin molecules are the key molecule for visual detection of spoiled food. The above molecule was spectroscopically analyzed with change in pH of the solution before and after the interaction of food products. We also studied the variation of both color and shade of paper sensor with change in pH at natural and artificial light conditions. The color information extracted from images and their relationship with pH was explored in red, green, blue (RGB) and hue, saturation, and value (HSV) color spaces by the image-J software for qualitative monitoring of food. Anthocyanin based paper sensor is used as a convenient and real time smart food sensor in packaging application.

Algal-bacterial shortcut nitrogen removal model with seasonal light variations.

The algal-bacterial shortcut nitrogen removal (ABSNR) process can be used to treat high ammonia strength wastewaters without external aeration. However, prior algal-bacterial SNR studies have been conducted under fixed light/dark periods that were not representative of natural light conditions. In this study, laboratory-scale photo-sequencing batch reactors (PSBRs) were used to treat anaerobic digester sidestream under varying light intensities that mimicked summer and winter conditions in Tampa, FL, USA. A dynamic mathematical model was developed for the ABSNR process, which was calibrated and validated using data sets from the laboratory PSBRs. The model elucidated the dynamics of algal and bacterial biomass growth under natural illumination conditions as well as transformation processes for nitrogen species, oxygen, organic and inorganic carbon. A full-scale PSBR with a 1.2 m depth, a 6-day hydraulic retention time (HRT) and a 10-day solids retention time (SRT) was simulated for treatment of anaerobic digester sidestream. The full-scale PSBR could achieve >90% ammonia removal, significantly reducing the nitrogen load to the mainstream wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The dynamic simulation showed that ABSNR process can help wastewater treatment facilities meet stringent nitrogen removal standards with low energy inputs.

A colorimetry-enhanced tri-functional film with high stability by polyphenol-anthocyanin co-pigmentation/conjugate: New prospect for active intelligent food packaging

A highly stable “tannin-anthocyanin conjugated” trifunctional active intelligent film was developed by incorporating bilberry anthocyanins (BA) as an indicator and tannin acids (TA) as a co-pigment into a sodium alginate-carrageenan polysaccharide matrix (SC-BA/TA). The doping of TA conferred outstanding antioxidant (DPPH scavenging rate > 90%) and antibacterial properties to the film, particularly effective against S. aureus. The SC-BA/TA films effectively blocked UV rays (close to 0%, effectively impeding most UVA, as well as nearly all UVC and UVB) within the range of 200–320 nm. The TA-BA co-pigment effect significantly improved the anthocyanins' storage and color stability (retention rate > 70% under UV and natural light conditions). TA forms conjugate with anthocyanins by π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions with co-pigmentation rate increases of 10.5% and 11.0% for pH 2 and pH 3, respectively. The film exhibited good responsiveness to volatile amines within 4 min, and offered real-time monitoring of beef freshness, as indicated by visualizing color changes (from red to dark yellow color). Furthermore, the integration of the film's RGB value with beef quality via a smartphone App effectively reduces the variability in visual recognition among individuals. To sum up, composite films based on the “tannin-anthocyanin conjugate” approach hold great potential in the field of food freshness monitoring, opening new possibilities for the development of highly stable active smart packaging films.

Enhancement of photocatalytic oxidation by water-driven piezoelectricity using MoO3/P(VDF-TrFE) mixed matrix membranes

In this study, novel mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) composed of MoO3/Poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) with distinctive piezo-photocatalytic properties were prepared. The membranes were made from dopes containing a high ratio of MoO3 to P(VDF-TrFE) (2:1 wt%/wt%) through a modified solvent evaporation method. The addition of MoO3 particles significantly impacted the crystallization and self-polarization of the P(VDF-TrFE) matrix, leading to a substantial increase in total crystallinity from 46.4% to 88.9% and a transformation from α to β phase. The flow-induced piezoelectric potential created an internal electric field, enhancing the spatial separation of photogenerated carriers through the piezoelectric effect. Controlled water flow further promoted the spatial separation of carriers. The developed MMMs demonstrated a high Rhodamine B degradation rate, reaching 83.1% within 45 minutes and over 99% within 90 minutes under natural light conditions. The MoO3/P(VDF-TrFE) MMMs exhibit promising piezo-photocatalytic attributes and hold potential for diverse applications due to their unique combination of piezoelectric and photocatalytic properties.

Exposure to Light of the Abaxial versus Adaxial Side of Detached Kalanchoë blossfeldiana Leaves Affects Anthocyanin Content and Composition Differently.

The accumulation and composition of anthocyanins in leaves of Kalanchoë blossfeldiana, detached and kept for five days under natural light conditions, were investigated. The presence of fifteen derivatives of cyanidin, petunidin, and delphinidin was found. Changes in the content of each anthocyanin in the leaves before and after exposure to light on the abaxial (naturally upper) and adaxial (naturally lower) sides of the leaves were compared. When the adaxial side was exposed to light, the anthocyanin contents of the leaves did not change. In contrast, when the abaxial side of detached leaves was exposed to light, there was enhanced accumulation of delphinidin-rhamnoside-glucoside, cyanidin-rhamnoside-glucoside, cyanidin-glucoside-glucoside, and two unknown derivatives of petunidin and delphinidin. Application of methyl jasmonate (JA-Me) on the abaxial side exposed to light inhibited the accumulation of these anthocyanins. This effect could probably be due to the presence of these anthocyanins in the epidermal cells of K. blossfeldiana leaves and was visible in the microscopic view of its cross-section. These anthocyanins were directly exposed to JA-Me, leading to inhibition of their formation and/or accumulation. The lack of significant effects of JA-Me on anthocyanin mono- and tri-glycosides may indicate that they are mainly present in the mesophyll tissue of the leaf.

Outdoor cultivation and metabolomics exploration of Chlamydomonas engineered for bisabolene production

Demonstrating outdoor cultivation of engineered microalgae at considerable scales is essential for their prospective large-scale deployment. Hence, this study focuses on the outdoor cultivation of an engineered Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain, 3XAgBs-SQs, for bisabolene production under natural dynamic conditions of light and temperature. Our preliminary outdoor experiments showed improved growth, but frequent culture collapses in conventional Tris-acetate-phosphate medium. In contrast, modified high-salt medium (HSM) supported prolonged cell survival, outdoor. However, their subsequent outdoor scale-up from 250 mL to 5 L in HSM was effective with 10 g/L bicarbonate supplementation. Pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry and metabolomic analysis further validated their improved photosynthesis and uncompromised metabolic fluxes towards the biomass and the products (natural carotenoids and engineered bisabolene). These strains could produce 906 mg/L bisabolene and 54 mg/L carotenoids, demonstrating the first successful outdoor photoautotrophic cultivation of engineeredC. reinhardtii,establishing it as a one-cell two-wells biorefinery.

Chickpea Sprouts as a Potential Dietary Support in Different Prostate Disorders-A Preliminary In Vitro Study.

Prostate cancer (PC) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common health problems in the aging male population. Due to the unexplored and unconfirmed impact of food containing isoflavones, like sprouts, on the development of the management of BPH and prostate cancer, we decided to extend the knowledge in this area. We have demonstrated for the first time that chickpea sprouts may play an important role in the chemoprevention of prostate disorders. However, attention should be paid to the isoflavone content in the sprouts, as in our study, chickpea sprouts with a moderate concentration of the compounds, harvested in natural light conditions (CA10L) and blue LED light (CA7B), showed the best scores in terms of their potential towards prostate disorders. Chickpea seeds were grown in LED chambers. The methanol extracts from sprouts were quantitatively defined using the HPLC system. Experiments such as the determination of PSA, 5-α-reductase, and dihydrotestosterone were performed on PNT2 and LNCaP cells. For anti-inflammatory assays (determination of NO, IL-6, and TNF-alpha release), murine RAW264.7 macrophages were used. The role of legume products as a diet element should be deeply evaluated for the development of future dietary recommendations for prostate cancer and BPH prevention.

Latitude-dependent implications of lighting regimes on lettuce physiology and resource utilisation in decoupled aquaponics systems

Aquaponics, a circular agri-aquaculture system, offers the potential to enhance food production resilience across diverse environmental contexts. Plant physiological processes that regulate water and nutrient fluxes in decoupled aquaponics are responsive to environmental dynamics such as stomatal behaviour. In greenhouses, these dynamics are largely driven by changes in natural solar radiation. This research investigates plant physiological dynamics of lettuce traits to various natural light conditions in a fully climate-controlled environment mimicking geographic latitude-based light variations and lighting application modes. We explored the physiological and resource utilisation effects of these regimes as basis for a geographic-adjusted planning of climate-resilient aquaponic systems. For that, four lighting scenarios were applied in a climate chamber over a period of 21 days in decoupled aquaponic setups, involving two daily light integrals (DLIs) and two daily light dynamics (DLDs) for lighting application modes: North (LAT 59° 54' 41.37'' N) natural sunlight dynamics, North static, South (LAT 40° 25' 0.39'' N) natural sunlight dynamics (Sn), and South static (Ss). DLIs and natural sunlight dynamics were derived from Northern (Oslo, Norway) and Southern (Madrid, Spain) Europe in March 2022. Observed plant physiological variables were plant growth, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, stomatal conductance and morphology, and net photosynthesis (Pn). Resource-use variables at leaf level, including CO2, light, water, and nutrient utilisation, were also estimated. Latitude-dependent DLIs, in general, significantly affected lettuce growth, quality, and physiological responses; with lower latitudes (Sn, Ss) improving Pn by 68% compared to North-DLI treatments. Resource utilisation was also positively impacted in South-DLI treatments, e.g., light use efficiency was in average 2.2 times higher in South-DLI (0.75 g [CO2] mol−1 [PPFD]) than in North-DLI (1.62 g [CO2] mol−1 [PPFD]) treatments. Lighting modes had limited effects, and interactions between DLIs and DLDs were largely absent. These findings indicate the significance of geographic differences in natural solar radiation dynamics on designing climate-resilient aquaponics facilities, and highlight the influence of geography on crop productivity and resource efficiency.

Diurnal variation in genetic parameters for locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster assessed under natural thermal conditions.

In nature, organisms are exposed to variable and occasionally stressful environmental conditions. Responses to diurnal and seasonal fluctuations, such as temperature and food accessibility, involve adaptive behavioural and physiological changes. While much work has been done on understanding the genetic architecture and evolutionary potential of stress tolerance traits under constant thermal conditions, there has been less focus on the quantitative genetic background in variable environments. In this study, we use the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to investigate the locomotor activity, a key behavioural trait, under variable natural thermal conditions during the summer in a temperate environment. Male flies from 100 DGRP lines were exposed to natural thermal and light conditions in Drosophila activity monitors across three experimental days. We found that activity was highly temperature and time dependent and varied between lines both within and between days. Furthermore, we observed variation in genetic and environmental variance components, with low to moderate estimates of the heritability for locomotor activity, consistently peaking in the afternoons. Moreover, we showed that the estimated genetic correlations of locomotor activity between two time points decreased, as the absolute differences in ambient temperature increased. In conclusion, we find that the genetic background for locomotor activity is environment specific, and we conclude that more variable and unpredictable future temperatures will likely have a strong impact on the evolutionary trajectories of behavioural traits in ectotherms.

Microalgae Haemococcus pluvialis, Cultured in OHM Medium under Stressful Conditions: Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity

Haematococcus pluvialis, a unicellular green microalgae, is able to accumulate the large amounts of astaxathin under stress conditions. Nutritional factors such as nitrate or phosphate and light intensity play an important role in the growth, accumulation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity microalgae H. pluvialis. In this study, H. pluvialis was cultured under three conditions of stress, nutrient depletion, denitrification of nitrate and addition of NPK fertilizer, and natural light in OHM medium to investigate the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the biomass of H. pluvialis microalgae. The results showed that, under denitrification of nitrate and addition of NPK fertilizer, the phenolic content reached a high value (8.054 µg gallic acid/g) and there was no significant difference with the two conditions of nutrient depletion (4.115 µg gallic acid/g) and natural light (4.707 µg gallic acid/g) (p&lt;0.05). However, no differences were found between the antioxidant capacity under denitrification of nitrate and addition of NPK fertilizer (51.390%) and natural light (52.301%) (p=0.552) that were higher than nutrient depletion (45.257%) (p&lt;0.05). Thus, under the stress conditions of nitrate depletion and high light intensity, H. pluvialis has the ability to synthesize and accumulate high amounts of bioactive compounds and microalgae biomass can be applied in dietary supplement and cosmeticeuticals.