Plant Mixtures Research Articles

Combined effects of warming and drought on plant biomass depend on plant woodiness and community type: a meta-analysis.

Global warming and precipitation extremes (drought or increased precipitation) strongly affect plant primary production and thereby terrestrial ecosystem functioning. Recent syntheses show that combined effects of warming and precipitation extremes on plant biomass are generally additive, while individual experiments often show interactive effects, indicating that combined effects are more negative or positive than expected based on the effects of single factors. Here, we examined whether variation in biomass responses to single and combined effects of warming and precipitation extremes can be explained by plant growth form and community type. We performed a meta-analysis of 37 studies, which experimentally crossed warming and precipitation treatments, to test whether biomass responses to combined effects of warming and precipitation extremes depended on plant woodiness and community type (monocultures versus mixtures). Our results confirmed that the effects of warming and precipitation extremes were overall additive. However, combined effects of warming and drought on above- and belowground biomass were less negative in woody- than in herbaceous plant systems and more negative in plant mixtures than in monocultures. We further show that drought effects on plant biomass were more negative in greenhouse- than in field studies, suggesting that greenhouse experiments may overstate drought effects in the field. Our results highlight the importance of plant system characteristics to better understand plant responses to climate change.

Identification of minimum essential therapeutic mixtures from cannabis plant extracts by screening in cell and animal models of Parkinson's disease.

Medicinal cannabis has shown promise for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but patient exposure to whole plant mixtures may be undesirable due to concerns around safety, consistency, regulatory issues, and psychoactivity. Identification of a subset of components responsible for the potential therapeutic effects within cannabis represents a direct path forward for the generation of anti-PD drugs. Using an in silico database, literature reviews, and cell based assays, GB Sciences previously identified and patented a subset of five cannabinoids and five terpenes that could potentially recapitulate the anti-PD attributes of cannabis. While this work represents a critical step towards harnessing the anti-PD capabilities of cannabis, polypharmaceutical drugs of this complexity may not be feasible as therapeutics. In this paper, we utilize a reductionist approach to identify minimal essential mixtures (MEMs) of these components that are amenable to pharmacological formulation. In the first phase, cell-based models revealed that the cannabinoids had the most significant positive effects on neuroprotection and dopamine secretion. We then evaluated the ability of combinations of these cannabinoids to ameliorate a 6-hydroxydopmamine (OHDA)-induced change in locomotion in larval zebrafish, which has become a well-established PD disease model. Equimolar mixtures that each contained three cannabinoids were able to significantly reverse the OHDA mediated changes in locomotion and other advanced metrics of behavior. Additional screening of sixty-three variations of the original cannabinoid mixtures identified five highly efficacious mixtures that outperformed the original equimolar cannabinoid MEMs and represent the most attractive candidates for therapeutic development. This work highlights the strength of the reductionist approach for the development of ratio-controlled, cannabis mixture-based therapeutics for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Stable nitrogen-cycling capacity in relation to fertilization and intercropping in a sub-boreal grassland

Grasslands are important in sub-boreal climate agricultural systems and are managed with various combinations of N fertilization and plant species. Ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying microorganisms are key players in determining the fate of nitrogen (N) and thereby also the yield in grassland systems and their impact on gaseous N losses and leaching. We established a three-year field study in southern Finland with fertilizer treatment as a main-plot factor, including organic and synthetic fertilizers and plant species and mixtures thereof as the sub-plot factor. We quantified six genes encoding key N-cycling enzymes by quantitative PCR to determine the abundance of the communities involved in N-transformation processes and also included previously published data on crop yield, soil properties and the overall bacterial community composition. With the exception of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), which were primarily affected by fertilization, the abundances of all other N-cycling communities changed over time with either an increase or decrease from summer to autumn. Differences in gene abundances between plant species treatments and in fertilizer by plant species interactions were detected mainly in the beginning of the cropping season during the first year. The nirS-type denitrifiers and nosZII nitrous oxide reducers responded more to changes in soil properties than their functional counterpart nirK and nosZI communities. Using structural equation modeling, we show that the overall microbial community composition and diversity played an important role in mediating the management effects on crop yield, genetic potential for N retention and N2O sink capacity. However, a trade-off between the genetic potential for N retention and N2O sink capacity was detected, indicating the challenges in managing grasslands in a sustainable way.

Geochemical Features of Lacustrine Shales in the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation of Changling Sag, Songliao Basin, Northeast China

The organic-rich shale of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation is an important hydrocarbon source rock in Northeast China. In this study, taking the lacustrine shale in the Qingshankou Formation as an example, geochemical analysis, including total organic carbon (TOC), Rock-Eval pyrolysis, maceral compositions, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and biomarker analyses, were carried out on twenty-four shale samples to evaluate the geochemistry and environmental features of this shales. The Qingshankou lacustrine shales contains mainly Type I/II1 organic matter and is oil prone, with a good to excellent source rock. Vitrinite reflectance and Rock-Eval pyrolysis parameters show that the Qingshankou lacustrine shales is mainly in the mature stage and within the oil window. Biomarker composition of the shales provide evidence that the Qingshankou lacustrine shales was formed in a reductive sedimentary environment with relatively high salinity water. The organic matter came from a mixture of plankton, bacterial and land plants.

Nutrient Dynamics and Ecosystem Metabolism of Megacity Rivers: Influence of Elevated Nutrient Concentrations in Beijing’s Waterways

This study evaluated nutrient flux (nitrate (NO3−), ammonium (NH4+), phosphate (PO43−), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at the sediment-water interface and river ecosystem metabolism (REM) to investigate how these ecological functions vary in Beijing’s urban waterways. Three tributaries of the River Beiyun were selected. Water quality varied across the study sites as each receives a mixture of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and tributary inflows. A chamber technique was applied where water-specific nutrient concentrations were measured at two exposure times (3 and 10 min). Under the actions of physical and biological processes, NO3− and NH4+ flux was primarily controlled by equilibrium concentration and the N-cycle. However, bioabsorption appeared to regulate DOC flux. Specifically, NO3− flux ranged from −0.31 to +0.30 mg/(m2·s), NH4+ was −0.01 to +0.05 mg/(m2·s), PO43− was −0.01 to +0.01 mg/(m2·s), DOC was −0.04 to +0.13 mg/(m2·s). We applied the nighttime slope regression to estimate gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER). Except in summer, net ecosystem production (GPP+ER) less than 0 indicated heterotrophic study reaches. Structural equation modelling revealed that nutrient dynamics and water temperature were the primary factors driving REM. Our study provides the needed systems-based understanding of vital ecological processes to improve in-stream management.

A mesocosm experiment testing the competition between the invasive species Heteranthera reniformis Ruiz & Pav. and the endangered fern Marsilea quadrifolia L.

Biological invasion is one of the most severe threats to biodiversity, with invasive species altering ecosystem functioning and services. Once they arrive in the recipient community, invasive species are likely to spread and outcompete natives through higher competitive ability, with phylogenetically distant species expressing lower degree of competition than close related species. We present the results of a mesocosm experiment where a wet habitat was reproduced aiming at understanding the competitive ability of the threatened fern Marsilea quadrifolia L. and the invasive monocot Heteranthera reniformis Ruiz & Pav., two species that can coexist in paddy fields of S-Europe. The species were cultivated both in monoculture and in mixed cultures at different proportions. We assessed interspecific competition using relative growth rate, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, chlorophyll content, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content as main indicator of plant efficiency in acquiring resources and physiological stress. Contrarily to what we expected, M. quadrifolia expressed high competitive ability in terms of plant growth versus the invasive species, with H. reniformis maintaining some of the traits typical of invasive species, i.e., higher specific leaf area, nitrogen and phosphorus content. The performance of the threatened species depended on plant mixtures, whereas H. reniformis performed best in monoculture. Although higher competitive ability of the invasive species cannot be ruled out in crop cultivation context, the mesocosm experiment demonstrated that the threatened species M. quadrifolia may have chances of survival in co-occurrence with the invasive species H. reniformis. In view of a robust conservation plan for the species, field-based experiments in the real context need to be performed to completely understand the relationship between species, also taking into account the crop species.

Phytotherapeutic treatments of gynecological diseases and fertility disorders in cattle - a veterinary historical analysis

Fertility problems are the main reasons for culling dairy cows. Diseases of the female genital tract are also often the cause of antibiotic or hormonal treatments in bovine practices. The use of medicinal plants could expand the available therapeutics. The aim of the work was to analyze historical literature before the introduction of antibiotics in veterinary reproductive medicine. Five books in German language, published in Germany and Switzerland between 1878 and 1921, and one handwritten therapy booklet by the rural veterinarian Carl Ammann-Honegger (1879-1960) were systematically examined regarding the descriptions (AW) on gynecological diseases. The herbal and additional ingredients of the recipe, the target animal species, the type of administration and the indication were recorded in detail for each AW. The six literature sources contained a total of 103 AW (79 administered orally, 13 locally, and 11 both orally and locally). Almost two thirds of the AW (61) were based on a mixture of different plants (two to seven plants), and one third of the AW (31) on a single plant. A total of 55 plants were recorded. The most frequently mentioned medical plants were plants of the genus Juniperus (J. communis L. (19 AW), J. sabina L. (13 AW)) and Linum usitatissimum L. (18 AW), Matricaria chamomilla L. (13 AW) and Gentiana lutea L. (12 AW). The treatment of the Retentio secundinarum was the most frequently mentioned indication (44 AW), followed by parturition preparation (17 AW) and endometritis treatment (15 AW). The most frequently recorded plants can be divided based on their ingredients and their effect into (a) energy- and protein-rich forage plants, (b) generally appetizing, digestive- and metabolism-enhancing plants, (c) medical plants with a specific gynecological organotrophic effect and (d) according to current knowledge, predominantly toxic plants. Besides the antimicrobial active immunity to defence against bacterial infections, a stable barrier funcion of the endometrium contributes to uterine health. The plants classified under (a) - (c) have at least the potential for a positive effect on the immune system and the endometrial barrier function and thus contribute indirectly to the uterine health.

Long-term blast control in high eating quality rice using multilines

Combining genetic heterogeneity and crop homogeneity serves a dual purpose: disease control and maintaining harvest quality. Multilines, which consist of a genetically uniform mixture of plants, have the potential to suppress disease while maintaining eating quality, yet practical methods that facilitate commercial use over large geographical areas are lacking. Here, we describe effective rice multiline management based on seed mixture composition changes informed by monitoring virulent blast races in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The most elite nonglutinous cultivar, Koshihikari, was converted into the multiline, Koshihikari BL (blast resistant lines) and planted on 94,000 ha in 2005. The most destructive rice disease, blast, was 79.4% and 81.8% less severe in leaves and panicles, respectively, during the 2005–2019 period compared to the year 2004. In addition, fungicidal application was reduced by two-thirds after the introduction of BL. Our results suggest that seed mixture diversification and rotation of resistant BL provides long-term disease control by avoiding virulent race evolution.

The Supplementary Effect of Some Medicinal Plant Mixtures on the Productive Performance of Saidi Lambs

The Supplementary Effect of Some Medicinal Plant Mixtures on the Productive Performance of Saidi Lambs

Multicomponent leakage and diffusion simulation of natural gas/hydrogen mixtures in compressor plants

Mixing hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline network is the most effective and economical way to transport a large amount of hydrogen while resulting in more danger when gas mixtures leak in the confined compressor plant space. Existing studies on the diffusion behavior of CH4/H2/air mixtures ignore the physical property difference between the natural gas and hydrogen, resulting in a bias in evaluating the explosions regions in compressor plants. In this paper, an improved Fick diffusion matrix for CH4/H2/air mixtures is proposed which considers the interaction between CH4 and H2 components. After that, a 2D gas mixture diffusion model is built to research the effect of the gas pressures, leakage hole diameters, and ambient wind speeds on the diffusion range of the CH4/H2 mixtures in air. The method is subsequently extended to a 3D confined compressor plant space with different leak positions, leakage lasting time, and H2 volume concentrations. Results demonstrate that the leakage hole diameter is the main factor influencing the diffusion behavior of CH4/H2/air mixtures in the compressor plant among three factors (the H2 mole fraction, leakage hole diameter, and leakage point). The CH4/H2/air mixtures easily accumulate both on the roof and at the corner of the confined plant. Particularly, the hydrogen concentration may fall within its explosion limit scope and induces an explosion at the position close to the leakage hole, where the natural gas does not easily cause the explosion because the natural gas concentration often exceeds its explosion up-limit. Finally, some suggestions for gas detector installation in compressor plants are proposed according to simulation results, which can give guidance for the safety management of compressor plants.

Variety is the spice of life: Flying-foxes exploit a variety of native and exotic food plants in an urban landscape mosaic

Generally, urbanization is a major threat to biodiversity; however, urban areas also provide habitats that some species can exploit. Flying-foxes (Pteropus spp.) are becoming increasingly urbanized; which is thought to be a result of increased availability and temporal stability of urban food resources, diminished natural food resources, or both. Previous research has shown that urban-roosting grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) preferentially forage in human-modified landscapes. However, which land-use areas and food plants support its presence in urban areas is unknown. We tracked nine P. poliocephalus roosting in Adelaide, South Australia, between December 2019 and May 2020, using global positioning systems (GPS), to investigate how individuals used the urban landscape mosaic for feeding. The most frequently visited land-use category was “residential” (40% of fixes) followed by “road-side,” “reserves” and “primary production” (13–14% each). However, “reserves” were visited four times more frequently than expected from their areal availability, followed by the “residential” and “road-side” categories that were visited approximately twice more than expected each; in contrast, the “primary production” category was visited approximately five times less than expected. These results suggest that while residential areas provide most foraging resources supporting Adelaide’s flying-fox population, reserves contain foraging resources that are particularly attractive to P. poliocephalus. Primary production land was relatively less utilized, presumably because it contains few food resources. Throughout, flying-foxes visited an eclectic mixture of diet plants (49 unique species), with a majority of feeding fixes (63%) to locally indigenous Australian native species; however, in residential areas 53% of feeding visits were to non-locally indigenous species, vs only 13% in reserves. Flowering and fruiting phenology records of the food plants visited further indicated that non-locally indigenous species increase the temporal availability of foraging resources for P. poliocephalus in urban Adelaide. Our findings demonstrate the importance of residential areas for urban-roosting P. poliocephalus, and suggest that the anthropogenic mixture of food resources available in the urban landscape mosaic supports the species’ year-round presence in urban areas. Our results further highlight the importance of conserving natural habitats within the urban landscape mosaic, and stress the need for accounting for wildlife responses to urban greening initiatives.

Heterogeneity of alkaline lacustrine source rocks of the lower Permian Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, northwestern China

The alkaline lacustrine source rocks in the lower Permian Fengcheng Formation in the Mahu Sag, Junggar Basin, China, exhibit significant heterogeneity. However, most previous studies have focused on the vertical variability of the source rocks, and the lateral variability is poorly understood. This study investigated recently drilled samples of the Fengcheng Formation in the Manan area to assess the lateral variability of the source rocks. The geochemical characteristics of the Fengcheng Formation source rocks in the Manan area are variable, with low–high abundances of organic matter, which comprises types I–III kerogen that is mature to high-mature. These features differ from the typical Fengcheng Formation source rocks in the Wuxia–Fengcheng area, which have a high abundance of organic matter with substantial hydrocarbon and shale oil generation potential. Biomarker data show that the organic matter in the Fengcheng Formation source rocks in the Manan area is a mixture of higher plants, algae, and bacteria, which differs from the Wuxia–Fengcheng area where algae and bacteria are dominant. The Fengcheng Formation source rocks in the Manan area were deposited in an oxic to anoxic environment characterized by large variations in water salinity and stratification. Mudstones were deposited rather than carbonate rocks. This differs from the strongly reducing, hypersaline, and water-stratified depositional environment of the Fengcheng Formation source rocks in the Wuxia–Fengcheng area. These two areas are separated by the Dazhuluogou Fault, and there are no alkaline lacustrine deposits in the Manan area. The distribution of the alkaline lacustrine source rocks was controlled by the paleogeography and sedimentary environment, which was characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity.

Produksi Minuman Kesehatan Teh Uirame di Kampung Koya Tengah, Distrik Muara Tami, Jayapura

Koya Tengah is one of the villages in Muara Tami District, Jayapura City. KKN organized by Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Cenderawasih University took the theme “Papua Tangguh”. Which aims to contribute to build Papuan community into a resilient community in the health sector. KKN participants provide program about the benefits of spices that are around that can be used to make herbal product “Uirame Tea” that are useful for increase body immunity. Uirame Tea is made from a mixture of various herbal plants from leaves, twigs, and wood shavings. Herbal plants with many benefits can be processed into a health food or beverage product such as Uirame Tea which needs to be developed because the composition come from spices with antioxidant content. Therefore, in the implementation of Thematic KKN Papua Tangguh, there will be socialization about the benefits and ways of making Uirame Tea to the community, with the aim of understanding the efficacy of uirame tea spice ingredients and knowing how to make Uirame Tea traditionally. This program is carried out for 21 days starting from August 16 to September 5, 2021.Keyword: Uirame tea; Koya Tengah village; PapuaÂ

Environmental assessment of carbon dioxide methanation process using mixed metal oxide and zeolite-supported catalysts by life cycle assessment methodology

Carbon dioxide methanation process is a well-known carbon dioxide utilization technology, not only on account of its ability to subside carbon dioxide in the atmosphere but also to produce methane, which is of serious industrial significance. Although this process is promising in terms of tackling greenhouse gases and global warming, it can, on the other hand, release toxic emissions into the atmosphere, rivers and soil during the process. At this point, life cycle environmental assessment emerges as a crucial tool to reveal the overall effects of this technology. This paper presents a life cycle assessment case study for carbon dioxide methanation process to evaluate all aspects of its environmental impacts. Different scenarios for this purpose were considered by changing catalyst types, namely, mixed metal oxide and zeolite-supported metal catalysts. The results showed that the toxic wastes formed and emissions released when using the Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst were less compared to the other cases. Not only did the change in material type in the catalyst affect the total emissions, but the catalyst conversion and selectivity had an influence on the life cycle impact of the system as well. Various power generation alternatives considering renewable and non-renewable sources were evaluated, while a combination of natural gas and wind turbines for the initial sources of power generation was found to perform better in terms of environmental impact. • CO 2 methanation on Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst is more environmentally-friendly. • Using natural gas for CO 2 capture emits fewer pollutants than using coal. • Conversion and selectivity factors can affect LCA results of a reaction-based process. • A mixture of natural gas power plants and wind turbines can reduce environmental impacts. • Perovskite solar cells show toxic effects on climate change and metal depletion.

Herb-drug interaction resources: The PHYDGI database

BackgroundAccording to the WHO, about 60% of the world's population currently uses traditional herbal remedies as complementary or alternative medicine and 80% of the population in developing countries depends almost totally on them for their primary health-care requirements. Due to a lack of knowledge on the action mechanisms of plant compounds or mixture, concerns regarding the safety of potential Herb-Drug Interactions (HDIs) have been raised. Over the past two decades and by 2018, 124 WHO Member States had implemented regulations on herbal medicines. However, databases of interactions between plants and modern allopathic drugs are still limited. MethodsThis study aims to build a database containing the information required for the proper concomitant use of chemical drugs and plant remedies. To develop the HDI database, scientific research articles were searched online using Medline, Scopus and Google scholar databases. Specific key-words, including plant names and “herb” “drug” “interactions” were questioned. Articles were then selected on the availability of required information including the fine identification of the plant extracts. Peculiar attention was paid on data reliability, and redundancies in interaction data increased their credibility. To inform about this reliability, a specific grade was applied. Besides, a grade based on the strength of pharmacokinetic changes was also given. ResultsAs of February 2022, the PHYDGI database allows health care professionals, researchers and manufacturers of plant-based remedies and dietary supplements to search an entity amongst 58 plants and its potential interactions with a given drug amongst 114 commonly used medical substances. ConclusionThe PHYDGI database integrates scientific data on HDI in well-structured forms including reference to the scientific sources. It provides herbal entities and their interactions as well as the level of strength for the pharmacokinetic interactions. This database which will be available for health practitioners, for phyto-drugs and food supplement manufacturers should help reducing potential HDI and developing safe use of plant-based remedies or supplements.

Synergistic antioxidant activity of selected medicinal plants in Brunei Darussalam and its application in developing fortified pasta.

Developing functional foods by utilizing plants can often lead to compromised sensory properties. Thus this study investigates the combination of plants to produce synergistic effects and to incorporate these plant powders into a pasta formulation without affecting its sensory acceptance. Six common Brunei medicinal plants were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activity determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (IC50 ), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenziazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay. Aqueous extracts of Amaranthus tricolor, Breynia androgyna, Manihot esculenta, Polygonum minus, Apium graveolens and Coriandrum sativum were prepared. Breynia androgyna had the highest FRAP value of 74.3 ± 5.33 mg g-1 ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE), with DPPH IC50 antioxidant activity of 70.3 ± 3.14 μg mL-1 and ABTS scavenging activity of 44.0 ± 2.80 mg g-1 AAE. This correlates well with the total flavonoid, flavonol and phenolic content (50.5 mg g-1 gallic acid equivalents (GAE), 50.6 mg g-1 GAE and 24.3 mg g-1 GAE, respectively). Plant species powders were combined in pairs and evaluated for their synergistic antioxidant properties. With potential synergistic plant mixtures, fortification of these mixtures into functional food can be developed to improve its overall antioxidant capacity. Based on the synergistic IC50 results of these mixtures, three fortified pastas were formulated by incorporating selected plant powder combinations of Amaranthus tricolor + P. minus, Apium graveolens + P. minus, and P. minus + B. androgyna into wheat pasta at 1:100 (w/w). Fortification of pasta with the plant powder blends resulted a significant increase in DPPH antioxidant activity, while successfully maintaining indistinguishable features from the control pasta, including minimal cooking loss, agreeable measure of cohesiveness, springiness and chewiness, with good overall sensory acceptability. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

A plant-based diet supplemented with Hermetia illucens alone or in combination with poultry by-product meal: one step closer to sustainable aquafeeds for European seabass

BackgroundIncreasing demand for high-value fish species and pressure on forage fish is challenging aquaculture to ensure sustainable growth by replacing protein sources in aquafeeds with plant and terrestrial animal proteins, without compromising the economic value and quality of the final fish product. In the present study, the effects of a plant protein-based diet (CV), two plant-based diets in which graded amounts of plan protein mixtures were replaced with Hermetia illucens meal alone (VH10) or in combination with poultry by-product meal (PBM) (VH10P30), a fishmeal (FM) diet (CF) and an FM diet supplemented with H. illucens (FH10) on growth performance, gut health and homeostasis of farmed subadult European seabass were tested and compared.ResultsFish fed the VH10 and VH10P30 diets showed the highest specific growth rates and lowest feed conversion ratios among the tested groups. Expectedly, the best preservation of PI morphology was observed in fish fed the CF or FH10 diets, while fish fed the CV diet exhibited significant degenerative changes in the proximal and distal intestines. However, PBM supplementation mitigated these effects and significantly improved all gut morphometric parameters in the VH10P30 group. Partial substitution of the plant mixture with insect meal alone or PBM also induced most BBM genes and activated BBM enzymes, suggesting a beneficial effect on intestinal digestive/absorption functions. Regarding intestinal microbiota, fish fed diets containing H. illucens meal (FH10, VH10, VH10P30) had the highest richness of bacterial communities and abundance of beneficial genera such as Lactobacillus and Bacillus. On the other hand, fish fed CV had the highest microbial diversity but lost a significant component of fish intestinal microbiota, the phylum Bacteroidetes. Finally, skin pigmentation most similar to that of farmed or even wild seabass was also observed in the fish groups fed CF, FH10 or VH10P30.ConclusionPlant-based diets supplemented with PBM and H. illucens pupae meal have great potential as alternative diets for European seabass, without affecting growth performance, gut homeostasis, or overall fitness. This also highlights the importance of animal proteins in diets of European seabass, as the addition of a small amount of these alternative animal protein sources significantly improved all measured parameters.

Geochemical characteristics and natural gas-oil-source correlation of the Shulu depression in the Jizhong Subbasin, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China

Buried-hill reservoirs in the Shulu Depression of the Jizhong Subbasin, Bohai Bay Basin have shown great exploration potential. However, the origins of natural gas and oil resources in buried-hill reservoirs are still uncertain, hindering future exploration. The present study is the first to provide a comprehensive investigation on geochemical characteristics and sources of natural gases and oils from buried-hill reservoirs in the Shulu Depression. The results show that the source rocks in the lower first member of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Es1L) in the Shulu Depression were deposited under anoxic brackish-water environments containing inputs of immature to low-mature organic matter (OM) derived from algae and planktons. In contrast, the lower third member of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation (Es3L) source rocks were deposited under suboxic fresh-brackish water environments with inputs of high-mature OM sourced from a mixture of planktons and land plants. The natural gases only presented in the paleo-uplifts in the East Sag of the Shulu Depression are characterized as shale-sourced gases and primary cracking gases, and mainly generated by the Es3L source rocks. Relative to the crude oils in the East Sag, the oils from the West Slope exhibit lower maturity and have experienced various degrees of biodegradation. Such spatial difference is probably due to the various depth and localities of corresponding source rocks. Low mature-mature oils in the shallow buried-hill reservoirs of the West Slope are mainly derived from the Es3L source rocks that are shallowly buried at the western edge of the East Sag. By comparison, highly mature oils in the deep buried-hill reservoirs are predominantly derived from the Es3L rocks deeply buried in central East Sag. In addition, variations in oil physical properties between the West Slope and the East Sag are probably caused by various maturations of source rocks and biodegradation of oils. Collectively, the results provide insights into the origins of hydrocarbons in the buried-hill reservoirs in the Shulu Depression and better knowledge needed for optimizing future exploration and production.

Tree species admixture increases ecosystem service provision in simulated spruce- and beech-dominated stands

Climate-adaptive forest management aims to sustain the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services and biodiversity (ESB). However, it remains largely unknown how changes in adaptive silvicultural interventions affect trade-offs and synergies among ESB in the long term. We used a simulation-based sensitivity analysis to evaluate popular adaptive forest management interventions in representative Swiss low- to mid-elevation beech- and spruce-dominated forest stands. We predicted stand development across the twenty-first century using a novel empirical and temperature-sensitive single-tree forest stand simulator in a fully crossed experimental design to analyse the effects of (1) planting mixtures of Douglas-fir, oak and silver fir, (2) thinning intensity, and (3) harvesting intensity on timber production, carbon storage and biodiversity under three climate scenarios. Simulation results were evaluated in terms of multiple ESB provision, trade-offs and synergies, and individual effects of the adaptive interventions. Timber production increased on average by 45% in scenarios that included tree planting. Tree planting led to pronounced synergies among all ESBs towards the end of the twenty-first century. Increasing the thinning and harvesting intensity affected ESB provision negatively. Our simulations indicated a temperature-driven increase in growth in beech- (+ 12.5%) and spruce-dominated stands (+ 3.7%), but could not account for drought effects on forest dynamics. Our study demonstrates the advantages of multi-scenario sensitivity analysis that enables quantifying effect sizes and directions of management impacts. We showed that admixing new tree species is promising to enhance future ESB provision and synergies among them. These results support strategic decision making in forestry.

The Antagonistic and Synergistic Comparison of the Antimicrobial Characteristics of Extracts of Some Herbs

In the present study, the antagonistic and synergistic effects of Achillea millefolium L., Anthemis cretica L., Cichorium intybus L., Euphorbia seguieriana Necker and Hypericum perforatum L plant extracts collected from Samsun were investigated. Gram negative bacteria; Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella typhimurium, Gram positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes were used as research materials. In the research, methanol and diethyl were used as solvents. The antibacterial activities of the extracts were determined by microbroth dilution method. According to the results of the research; all plant extracts obtained using both methanol and diethyl ether solvent were determined to be more effective against gram positive bacteria. While the whole plant extract showed the most effect on Bacillus cereus bacteria, Hypericum perforatum L. methanol extract was the most effective plant against gram positive bacteria. Achillea millefolium L.: Cichorium intybus L., Achillea millefolium L.: Hypericum perforatum L. and Cichorium intybus L.: Hypericum perforatum L. methanol mixture extracts and Achillea millefolium L.: Hypericum perfarotum L. diethyl ether extract showed a synergistic effect, while other plant mixture extracts showed semi-synergistic or ineffective properties.