Simpson Index Values Research Articles

Dynamics of gut microbiota in patients suffering from hematologic malignancies after allogeneic hematopoi-etic stem cell transplantation

In this study, we described the dynamics of intestinal microbiota of 32 patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). After HSCT, on 14th day and 30th day, the inverse Simpson index value was more than 3 times lower compared to the pre-HSCT period. Biodiversity became more similar to the pre-HSCT level by 100th day. The correlation between diversity of microbiota and development of post-HSCT complications wasn’t observed. Our findings indicated individual-specific changes in the taxonomic structure of patients’ microbiota after HSCT. Changes in the relative abundance of the bacterial families Streptococcaceae, Actinomycetaceae, Acidaminococcaceae, Akkermansiaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae, Prevotellaceae, genera Streptococcus, Clostridioides, Phascolarctobacterium, Paraprevotella, Bilophila, Akkermansia, Coprococcus, Sutterella, Alistipes appear to be associated with the development of post-HSCT complications. High abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, families Actinomycetaceae and Streptococcaceae, genus Streptococcus before HSCT can be considered as a potential predictor of graft-versus-host disease development in the post-HSCT period.

A Study on Aquatic Macrophytes Diversity of Lake Kharungpat, Manipur, India

Aquatic macrophytes are considered as an important component of the aquatic ecosystem not only as food source for aquatic invertebrates, but also act as an efficient accumulator of heavy metals. The infestation of freshwater bodies by aquatic weeds influences water management in waterways, rivers, reservoirs and canals which interfere with the use of water, or in some way constitute a nuisance to man or hazard to human welfare, or growing on a water body where it is not desired.The present study was conducted during September, 2019 to August, 2020 in lake Kharungpat of Manipur which is situated towards the southern lowlands of the central valley of Manipur in the Kakching district. Five numbers sampling Site namely Site 1 (Longitude 93º 92' E and Latitude 24º 58' N), Site 2 (Longitude 93º 91' E and Latitude 24º 56' N), Site 3 (Longitude 93º 93' E and Latitude 24º 54' N), Site 4 (Longitude 93º 96' E and Latitude 25º 55' N) and Site 5 (Longitude 93º 96' E and Latitude 24º 58' N) were selected to make the study statistically sound. A total of 26 aquatic macrophytes were identified from lake Kharungpat during 2019-2020. The identified aquatic macrophytes comprised of 26 species belonging to 23 genera, 15 families and 11 orders. Phragmites karka species was the most dominant aquatic macrophytes of the lake in case of species occurrence and percentage contribution, alone contributing 81 percent to the total macrophytes vegetation during the study period. The overall total infestation percentage of macrophytes was recorded maximum (76.67 percent) in the month December, 2019 and March, 2020 with minimum 41.39 percent in the month August, 2020.The Simpson index, Shannon index and Evenness richness index value ranged between 0.7398 to 0.9386, 1.712 to 2.956 and

Plant Species Classification and Diversity of the Understory Vegetation in Oak Forests of Swat, Pakistan

The forest ecosystem has understory vegetation that plays a vital role in sustaining diversity, providing nutrients, and forming a useful association for developing a balanced ecosystem. The current study provides detailed insights into the plant biodiversity and species classification of the understory vegetation of Swat, Pakistan. The floral diversity of the area was comprised of 58 plant species belonging to 32 families. The physiognomy of the studied area was dominated by herbaceous growth form with 47 species. The dominant life-form class was hemicryptophytes with 19 species (33%), followed by nanophanerophytes with 15 species (26%) and therophytes with 13 species (22%). Of the 58 species, 43 plant species were associated with group III clustered by applying Ward’s agglomerative clustering that indicated wide sociability of the species in the studied oak-dominated forests. Group III had higher species richness (10.3), α-diversity (2.74) and β-diversity (9.85), and Margalef index values (3.95). While the group I had maximum Pielous and Simpson index values of 0.97 and 7.13, respectively. Redundancy analysis revealed that seven variables (i.e., latitude, elevation, clay, wilting point, bulk density, saturation, and electric conductivity) were significantly influential concerning the understory vegetation of oak-dominated forests. The understory vegetation of these forests plays an important role in the forest ecosystem of the region. The present study reveals floral divergence and physiognomic scenario of the unexplored study area, which could be an important reference for future ethnobotanical, phytosociological, and conservational endeavors. Moreover, this information is important to the success of efforts intended to prevent the loss of species diversity in these forests by destroying their natural habitats.

Detection of Campylobacter jejuni diversity by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) from an animal farm

Background Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial pathogen that causes foodborne illness worldwide. Because of genetic diversity and sophisticated growth requirements of C. jejuni, several genotyping methods have been investigated to classify this bacterium during the outbreaks. One of such method is to use clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR).ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to explore the diversity of C. jejuni isolates with CRISPR from an animal farm.MethodsSeventy‐seven C. jejuni isolates from an animal farm were used in this study. The day‐old broilers were reared with other poultry and farm animals, including layer hens, guinea hens, dairy goats and sheep. A small swine herd was also present on an adjacent, but separate plot of land. Isolation and identification of C. jejuni were performed according to the standard procedures. The CRISPR type 1 was PCR amplified from genomic DNA, and the amplicons were sequenced by the Sanger dideoxy method. The direct repeats (DRs) and spacers of the CRISPR sequences were identified using the CRISPRFinder.ResultsThe CRISPR sequences were detected in all 77 isolates. One type of DRs was identified in these 77 isolates. The lengths of the CRISPR locus ranged from 100 to 560 nucleotides, whereas the number of spacers ranged from one to eight. The distributions of the numbers of CRISPR spacers from different sources seemed to be random. Overall, 17 out of 77 (22%) C. jejuni isolates had two and five spacers, whereas 14 out of 77 (18%) isolates had three spaces in their genomes. By further analysis of spacer sequences, a total of 266 spacer sequences were identified in 77 C. jejuni isolates. By comparison with known published spacer sequences, we observed that 49 sequences were unique in this study. The CRISPR sequence combination of Nos. 16, 19, 48 and 57 was found among a total of 15 C. jejuni isolates containing various multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST) types (ST‐50, ST‐607, ST‐2231 and ST‐5602). No. 57 spacer sequence was unique from this study, whereas the other three (Nos. 16, 19 and 48) sequences were found in previous reports. Combination of Nos. 5, 9, 15, 30 and 45 was associated with ST‐353. To compare the CRISPR genotyping with other methods, the MLST was selected due to its high discriminatory power to differentiate isolates. Based on calculation of the Simpson's index of diversity, a combination of both methods had higher Simpson's index value than those for CRISPR or MLST, respectively.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the MLST from C. jejuni isolates can be discriminated based on the CRISPR unique spacer sequences and the numbers of spacers. In the future, investigation on the CRISPR resolution for C. jejuni identification in outbreaks is needed. A database that integrates both MLST sequences and CRISPR sequences and is searchable is greatly in demand for tracking outbreaks and evolution of this bacterium.

Environmental Factors Associated with the Eukaryotic Microbial Community and Microalgal Groups in the Mountain Marshes of South Korea.

The diversity indices of eukaryotic microalgal groups in the Jeonglyeongchi, Waegok, and Wangdeungjae marshes of Mount Jiri, Korea, were measured using Illumina MiSeq and culture-based analyses. Waegok marsh had the highest species richness, with a Chao1 value of 828.00, and the highest levels of species diversity, with Shannon and Simpson index values of 6.36 and 0.94, respectively, while Wangdeungjae marsh had the lowest values at 2.97 and 0.75, respectively. The predominant species in all communities were Phagocata sibirica (Jeonglyeongchi, 68.64%), Aedes albopictus (Waegok, 34.77%), Chaetonotus cf. (Waegok, 24.43%), Eimeria sp. (Wangdeungjae, 26.17%), and Eumonhystera cf. (Wangdeungjae, 22.27%). Relative abundances of the microalgal groups Bacillariophyta (diatoms) and Chlorophyta (green algae) in each marsh were respectively: Jeonglyeongchi 1.38% and 0.49%, Waegok 7.0% and 0.3%, and Wangdeungjae 10.41% and 4.72%. Illumina MiSeq analyses revealed 34 types of diatoms and 13 types of green algae. Only one diatom (Nitzschia dissipata) and five green algae (Neochloris sp., Chlamydomonas sp., Chlorococcum sp., Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp.) were identified by a culture-based analysis. Thus, Illumina MiSeq analysis can be considered an efficient tool for analyzing microbial communities. Overall, our results described the environmental factors associated with geographically isolated mountain marshes and their respective microbial and microalgal communities.

Effects of different application methods of Bacillus subtilis agent on soil microbial diversity and growth of muskmelon

Continuous planting of muskmelon and excessive application of chemical fertilizers have caused a series of problems, such as imbalance of the soil micro-ecological environment, serious soil-borne diseases and yield loss. Application of Bacillus subtilis agent is an important way to improve soil micro-ecological environment, prevent soil-borne diseases, and promote plant growth. In this study, B. subtilis was used as experimental agent to analyze the effects of different application methods on the soil microbial diversity and growth of muskmelon in greenhouse. The number of culturable microorganisms in soil was measured by dilution-plate method. The diversity of soil uncultivated microorganisms was determined by Illumina Miseq sequencing technology. The yield of muskmelon was measured by weighing method. The number of culturable bacteria in the root irrigation, hole application and dipping root application groups was higher than that of the control in different muskmelon growth stages, but there was no significant difference among the three different application methods. The number of soil fungi from B. subtilis agent treatment groups in flowering stage was significantly lower in comparison to the control group. However, B. subtilis agent treatment did not cause significant difference on soil fungi number at the fruiting and pulling stage. Diversity analysis of uncultured microorganisms showed that the Shannon index values of bacteria were higher and Simpson index values were lower respectively in the three B. subtilis treatment groups than that in the control. Moreover, the dipping root treatment produced the lowest Shannon index value and the highest Simpson index value of fungi. NMDS and cluster analysis showed that B. subtilis agents dipping root treatment significantly affected the bacterial and fungal flora, both of which were clustered into one independent branch. The application of B. subtilis agents, especially dipping root treatment, significantly decreased the abundance of Bacteroidetes, increased the abundance of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria. The B. subtilis agent treatment didn't produce significant effect on the diversity of fungal flora except Chytridiomycota. The height, stem diameter and leaf area of muskmelon increased by applying B. subtilis agents, and dipping root treatment produced the most significant effect. As a new type of environmental protection fertilizer, B. subtilis agent can increase the number of soil culturable microorganisms, improve soil microbial diversity, and promote growth and yield. This study would provide a scientific basis for the rational application of B. subtilis.

Comparison of culture-independent and dependent approaches for identification of native arsenic-resistant bacteria and their potential use for arsenic bioremediation

Arsenic is a common contaminant in gold mine soil and tailings. Microbes present an opportunity for bio-treatment of arsenic, since it is a sustainable and cost-effective approach to remove arsenic from water. However, the development of existing bio-treatment approaches depends on isolation of arsenic-resistant microbes from arsenic contaminated samples. Microbial cultures are commonly used in bio-treatment; however, it is not established whether the structure of the cultured isolates resembles the native microbial community from arsenic-contaminated soil. In this milieu, a culture-independent approach using Illumina sequencing technology was used to profile the microbial community in situ. This was coupled with a culture-dependent technique, that is, isolation using two different growth media, to analyse the microbial population in arsenic laden tailing dam sludge based on the culture-independent sequencing approach, 4 phyla and 8 genera were identified in a sample from the arsenic-rich gold mine. Firmicutes (92.23%) was the dominant phylum, followed by Proteobacteria (3.21%), Actinobacteria (2.41%), and Bacteroidetes (1.49%). The identified genera included Staphylococcus (89.8%), Pseudomonas (1.25), Corynebacterium (0.82), Prevotella (0.54%), Megamonas (0.38%) and Sphingomonas (0.36%). The Shannon index value (3.05) and Simpson index value (0.1661) indicated low diversity in arsenic laden tailing. The culture dependent method exposed significant similarities with culture independent methods at the phylum level with Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, being common, and Firmicutes was the dominant phylum whereas, at the genus level, only Pseudomonas was presented by both methods. It showed high similarities between culture independent and dependent methods at the phylum level and large differences at the genus level, highlighting the complementarity between the two methods for identification of the native population bacteria in arsenic-rich mine. As a result, the present study can be a resource on microbes for bio-treatment of arsenic in mining waste.

Zooplankton diversity of three dam lakes in Turkey

Abundance, community composition, diversity and density of zooplankton were analysed in Tercan, Kuzgun and Demirdoven Dam Lakes between January-December 2014 seasonally. During the study period a total of 38 zooplankton species have been observed, with 25 species of Rotifera, and 8 species of Cladocera and 5 species of Copepoda. 28 species in Tercan Dam Lake, 26 species in Kuzgun Dam Lake and 27 species in Demirdoven Dam Lake were identified. Rotifers were the dominant group among zooplankton community, constituting 65.7% of the total zooplankton population. The highest (H′=2.75) and the lowest (H′=0.68) Shannon diversity index values were recorded at Demirdoven Dam Lake. And also the highest value of Simpson index (D=11.63) was recorded in Demirdoven Dam Lake indicating low species dominance in spring. Pielou evenness (J) index value was showed its maximum value with 0.98 indicating uniformity in zooplankton community.

Land structure and level of fragmentation in typical small-marginal agricultural holdings in India

Farming in the Indian subcontinent is essentially small and marginal. With time, land size is fast declining and farmers are under pressure of generating more and more surplus under extreme resource competition. Land fragmentation has also increased severely in recent times, which might pose a threat to sustainability and food security soon by making agriculture unprofitable. The present study aims to portray the dismal condition of the land structure and level of land fragmentation of 141 small-marginal farming households in one of the most fertile agro-ecological villages of West Bengal in India, Rautari village in Chakdah block situated in Nadia district. Present investigation was conducted through well-structured field studies during 2016–17. The study reveals the existence of very traditional patriarchal land ownership patterns, and lack of women’s inclusion from property ownership rights. Farmlands are extremely fragmented with a high value of Simpson Index. Moreover, farmers with high technical efficiency fragment it even more to accommodate a greater number of crops in one growing season. A positive relation between farm area and production is derived from field data. Based on the prevailing situation, indicated by results, the study designed a comprehensive community and land resources utilization plan for the development of the community in the study area. The proposed comprehensive community and land resources utilization plan is a structured tool for extension services which will strengthen the capacity building programs for small-marginal farmers.

Diversity study of aphids and associated predatory fauna occurred in major Kharif and Rabi crop ecosystems of Akola, Maharashtra, India

The present investigation entitled “Aphid diversity and associated predatory fauna in different crop-ecosystems of Akola” was carried out during the year 2017-2018. During study period total 1810 specimens of aphids and 205 specimens of predatory fauna associated with aphids collected from various Kharif and Rabi crops agro-ecosystem. The collected data revealed that total seven species of aphids and sixteen species of predators were collected from different crop agro-ecosystem. In aphids seven species viz; Aphis gossypii (Glover), Aphis craccivora (Koch), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), Aphis (Taxoptera) citricidus (Kirkaldy), Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), Hysteroneura setariae (Thomas) and Uroleucon compositae (Theobald). Aphid’s population varied in the Kharif and Rabi crop season in the various crop fields, maximum population of aphids was observed in the month of November-December. However, moderate to rich species biodiversity of aphids species was noticed as per Shannon Biodiversity Index (H’=1.545) in Akola vicinity during kharif 2017-18. Simpson index value was 0.75. The Evenness index had a value of 0.79. Species wise data of aphids showed rich fauna of U. compositae with 37.24 per cent.

Natural Regeneration of Indigenous Tree Species in Broussonetia papyrifera Invaded Sites in Pra -Anum Forest Reserve

Broussonetia papyrifera invasion poses a serious threat to indigenous tree species in Ghana. Many conservation scientists therefore emphasize the need to control, manage, and possibly eradicate the species. However, attempts at control and management require adequate knowledge of its ecology and impact on invaded ecosystems. Employing a complete randomized design with twenty-four (24) 20 m × 20 m plots, 12 each on invaded and uninvaded sites, this study assesses the indigenous species regeneration potential under Broussonetia papyrifera-invaded sites in the Pra-Anum forest reserve. The study provides evidence of the negative impact of Broussonetia on the regenerative capacity of the reserve, as 335 seedlings per 4800 m2 distributed over 43 species were recorded on the uninvaded site compared to 156 seedlings per 4800 m2 distributed over 31 species on the invaded site. The study, however, observed some level of resilience of species belonging to the Ulmaceae and Lecythidaceae families, as they appeared fairly represented on the invaded site. Floristic diversity was also observed to be negatively impacted by Broussonetia invasion as mean Shannon and Simpson index values of 2.39 ± 0.71 and 0.89 ± 0.08 and 1.39 ± 0.24 and 0.64 ± 0.08 were recorded on the uninvaded and invaded sites, respectively. Furthermore, the Broussonetia invasion compromised the productivity of the forest ecosystem as 4.9 ± 1.61 mean economic tree species per 400 m2 plot were recorded on the invaded site compared to 13.8 ± 1.28 per 400 m2 plot on the uninvaded site. The study, therefore, concludes that Broussonetia invasion poses a serious threat to the integrity and productivity of the Pra-Anum forest reserve. Consequently, the study recommends the control of the spread of the species to protect the integrity of the Pra-Anum forest reserve. Also, restoration efforts in invaded areas of the reserve could consider the use of native species belonging to the Ulmaceae and Lecythidaceae families as they appear to be resilient to Broussonetia invasion.

Показатели биоразнообразия как критерий оценки экологического состояния водоемов г. Астрахани

The article presents an assessment of the quantitative and qualitative composition 
 of zooplankton in the zoocenosis of the water bodies of Astrakhan. There have been analyzed 
 bioindicators that allow to determine the structure of zooplankton during the research period. 
 A comparative characteristic of the reservoirs has been carried out, according to the indicators 
 of species density (species richness), complexity of the community structure and dominating species. Samples of zooplankton collected in the autumn of 2016 and 2017 in the water bodies within the city limits (the Tsarev river (stations Strelka, Bridge) and the Kutum river (station Strelka opposite the Civil Registry Office and nearby N. Ostrovsky Street) served as the research material. According to the analysis results of biodiversity indices, it has been found that the highest increase in quality indicators (almost doubled in 2017, compared to 2016) was observed in relation to the density of organisms in the Tsarev river. At the same time, the indicator of complexity of the plankton community structure, expressed in quantitative terms, showed an increase by 1.4 times at all stations in 2017, compared to 2016. This is a signal of improvement in the environmental component in urban water bodies. According to the Simpson index values in 2017, plankton species can be assumed to dominate in the zoocenosis. The population of the zoocenosis in the water bodies of Astrakhan is exposed to the anthropogenic impact, which causes changes in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of communities and their structure. However, increasing values of all three considered biodiversity indices in 2017 indicate a gradual restoration of the biocenosis structure, and an increasing proportion of species in composition of the plankton community.

Dynamics of microbial contaminants is driven by selection during ethanol production.

Brazil is the second largest ethanol producer in the world and largest using sugarcane feedstock. Bacteria contamination is one of the most important issues faced by ethanol producers that seek to increase production efficiency. Each step of production is a selection event due to the environmental and biological changes that occur. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of the selection arising from the ethanol production process on diversity and composition of bacteria. Our objectives were to test two hypotheses, (1) that species richness will decrease during the production process and (2) that lactic acid bacteria will become dominant with the advance of ethanol production. Bacterial community assemblage was accessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing from 19 sequential samples. Temperature is of great importance in shaping microbial communities. Species richness increased between the decanter and must steps of the process. Low Simpson index values were recorded at the fermentation step, indicating a high dominance of Lactobacillus. Interactions between Lactobacillus and yeast may be impairing the efficiency of industrial ethanol production.

Anaerobic production of valeric acid from crude glycerol via chain elongation

Glycerol from biodiesel production was used as a substrate for valerate production in a 13.1-L anaerobic filter with an open microbiome. Ethanol at 15% of the influent chemical oxygen demand was supplemented as an additional electron donor source. The 114-day experimental period was divided in three phases which included initial adaptation phase, external sludge addition from a caproic acid producing reactor and valerate extraction using a pertraction system. Propionate (0.63–1.75 g COD L−1 day−1) and valerate (0.86–1.81 g COD L−1 day−1) were the main carboxylates formed throughout all operational phases. An increase in production rates of butyrate (0.26–0.31 g COD L−1 day−1), caproate (0.01–0.08 g COD L−1 day−1), and 1,3-propanediol (0.43–0.52 g COD L−1 day−1) was observed with addition of external caproic acid producing sludge rich in Clostridium members. In the operational phase with pertraction, a sudden decrease in 1,3-propanediol and concomitant increase in acid production were verified. Propionate and valerate reached higher production rates compared with the other two phases, suggesting that the pertraction system favored the oxidative pathway of glycerol fermentation. Valerate extraction reached a maximum of 30 g COD m−2 day−1. The filter microbiome was highly diverse with Simpson index values close to 0.1 for the four sludge samples collected, and a concomitant increase in Megasphaera elsdenii and an increase in valerate production rates were observed. Hence, high valerate production and extraction rates through the carboxylate platform are a feasible alternative for crude glycerol valorization with a great potential for improvement in future research.

Phytosociology of rainfed barely along the western Mediterranean Coast, Egypt

The exponential decrease of precipitation and increase of temperature in many dry regions in the world affect negatively the growth of main crops. The presence of associated weed species with these crops may add more adverse impact on yield. The present study aims at investigating the phytosociological structure of its associated wild species with rainfed barely (Hordeum vulgare L.) at Marsa-Matrouh Governorate, Egypt. Forty-eight stands were assigned at Marsa-Matrouh city for estimating the number of associated species with rainfed barely and its visual cover. Seventy-five species belonging to 63 genera and 24 families were recorded as associated species with rainfed barley. The most dominant families were Asteraceae followed by Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae. A total of 48 species were recorded as annuals. On the other hand, 25 species were perennials. Two species were biennials. Therophytes were the dominant life form. The application of TWINSPAN on the cover estimates of 75 associated species recorded in the 48 sampled stands of barley, led to recognition of eight vegetation groups.The main indicator species for vegetative groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8): Glebionis coronaria, Carrichtera annua, Elymus farctus, Erucaria microcarpa and Malva parviflora are native species at the Mediterranean coastal strip. Carrichtera annua-Erucaria microcarpagroup (VG 3) had the highest value of species richness. Moreover, Erucaria microcarpa- Vicia monantha (VG 6) showed the highest value of species turnover. Erucaria microcarpa- Vicia monantha (VG 6) showed the highest value of shannon index. Elymus farctus- Erucaria microcarpa (VG 5) showed the highest value of Simpson index. The present study will help in improving the understanding for the phytosociology of rainfed barely and will help in improving the agricultural practices to increase the yield of this plant under the prevailing harsh conditions.

A comparative study of microbial community and dynamics of Asaia in the brown planthopper from susceptible and resistant rice varieties

BackgroundThe brown planthopper (BPH) is likely the most destructive, piercing and sucking monophagous insect pest of rice that causes substantial economic losses to farmers. Although yeast-like symbionts (YLS) and virus transmission have been observed in the BPH, the bacterial population inhabiting the BPH has received minimal research attention. Labelling BPH-associated bacterial species may shed light on BPH biology and the interaction between the BPH and rice to provide novel approaches for the efficient control of this insect pest.ResultsWe examined RNA-seq results to identify bacterial populations present in different generations of BPHs maintained on susceptible or resistant rice varieties. Overall, 87 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were determined from the BPH-F0, F6 and F16 generations. These OTUs had Shannon and Simpson index values of 0.37–0.6 and 0.56–1.19, respectively. The evenness values of 0.7–1.00 showed the vastness of the bacterial diversity recovered from the BPH samples. The results showed high species diversity in the BPHs collected from susceptible rice and a high number of members of unclassified bacteria in the BPHs isolated from resistant rice. We noticed that Proteobacteria OTUs were predominant across all samples. Furthermore, PCR data of Asaia species showed variable DNA amplification across the BPH samples collected from susceptible or resistant varieties. The identification of Asaia in BPH eggs and BPH-egg-infected rice revealed its influence on the interaction between the BPH egg and rice.ConclusionsThe BPHs had clear differences in their microbiomes and in their ability to feed on different rice hosts. These variations could have an essential impact on host adaptation and interaction. These results provide a better understanding of the bacterial diversity and interaction of the microbiome of different generations of BPHs. Furthermore, PCR data of Asaia sp. variation across the BPH samples (isolated from different host genotypes selected from the field and laboratory, including BPH eggs and egg-infected rice tissues), suggest that Asaia could be an important member of the insect microbiome involved in adaptation, its interaction with rice and, most importantly, as a paratransgenic tool for insect control.

The Vaginal and Urinary Microbiomes in Premenopausal Women With Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome as Compared to Unaffected Controls: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study.

Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (ICBPS) may be related to an altered genitourinary microbiome. Our aim was to compare the vaginal and urinary microbiomes between premenopausal women with ICBPS and unaffected controls. This cross-sectional study screened premenopausal women with an O'Leary-Sant questionnaire (ICBPS if score ≥6 on either index; controls <6 on both). Women completed questionnaires on health characteristics, pelvic floor symptoms (OABq, PFDI-20), body image (mBIS), and sexual function (PISQ-IR). Bacterial genomic DNA was isolated from vaginal and clean-catch urinary specimens; the bacterial 16 rRNA gene was sequenced and analyzed using the QIIME pipeline. We performed UniFrac analysis (β-diversity) and generated Chao1 estimator (richness) and Simpson index (richness and evenness) values. We analyzed 23 ICBPS and 18 non-ICBPS patients. ICBPS patients had increased vaginal deliveries, BMI, and public insurance as well as worsened OAB-q, PFDI-20, mBIS, and PISQ-IR domain scores. Lactobacilli was the most abundant genus in both cohorts, and anaerobic or fastidious predominance was similar between groups (p = 0.99). For both the urine and vagina specimens, Chao1 and Simpson indices were similar between ICBPS and unaffected women. Weighted and unweighted UniFrac analyses showed no differences between groups. A significant correlation existed between the urinary and vaginal Simpson indices in ICBPS women, but not in unaffected women. Premenopausal women with ICBPS, despite worsened socioeconomic indicators and pelvic floor function, were not found to have significantly different urinary and vaginal microbiomes compared to women without ICBPS.

Research on risk assessment and early warning mechanism of agricultural non-point source pollution in Bai-gui Lake watershed by GIS

Weight value of disturbance and Simpson Index of indigenous plant species diversity along agro-disturbance of Bai-gui Lake watershed in Ping-ding-shan City. We concluded that there is a significantly negative correlation between Simpson Index of indigenous plant species and weight value of disturbance (P

Diversity, composition and structure of understorey vegetation in the tropical forest of Achanakmaar Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, India

The present study was conducted on the floristic composition, structure, diversity and biomass of understorey vegetation in the dry tropical forest of Achanakmaar Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR) of India using phyto-sociological analysis in each forest type by randomly laying ten sample plots of 1 × 1 m size. The herbs were enumerated for their girth and height in sampling plots. The structure, diversity and biomass of herb communities were analyzed at forest type level and the study found 2919 plant individuals belonging to 66 species, 62 genera and 31 families. The most important family as determined by the Family Importance Value (FIV) was Poaceae in herbs layer. In terms of Importance Value Index (IVI), the herb Arthraxon hispidus (Poaceae) was the most vital species in the herbaceous community. The present study revealed that the density of herbaceous community ranged from 0.40 to 244.80 herbs ha−1 in various forest types, Basal area was recorded highest in Sal mixed forest (0.00373 m2 ha−1) and lowest was found in Bamboo forest (0.00188 m2 ha−1). The number of species in different forests varied from 14 to 32. Similarly, the Shannon index values in different forest types varied from 2.18 to 3.64, Simpson index values ranged from 0.045 to 0.17, the values of species richness from 16.69 to 30.52 and species evenness ranged from 0.81 to 0.95 in herb vegetation of different forest types. Shannon index values recorded in Sal mixed forest and Bamboo forest were found to be minimum. In contrary, Bamboo forest recorded maximum dominance of species as compared to other forests. Interestingly, beta diversity values ranged from 3.12 to 7.36 and it was observed to be highest in Bamboo forest and lowest in Sal mixed forest. However, the total herbaceous biomass varied from 86.28 g m−2 to 321 g m−2. The study recommends adopting intensive conservation measures especially in the open mixed forest and immature Teak plantations. In addition to it, encouraging and improving sal regeneration in sal mixed forests will not only help in reducing the biotic pressure but also in restoring and conserving the fragile dry tropical forest ecosystems of India.

Hoşrük Çayı (Elazığ-Türkiye) Zooplanktonu

Hoşrük Çayı‘ndan Mart 2104 - Şubat 2015 tarihleri arasında aylık olarak 3 istasyondan zooplankton numuneleri alınmıştır. Çaya ait su sıcaklığı, çözünmüş oksijen ve pH değerleri arazide portatif ölçüm cihazları ile belirlenmiştir. Shannon Wiever (H'), Simpson (D) ve Margalef (M) indeks değerleri ilgili formüller kullanılarak aylık olarak hesaplanmıştır. Araştırma süresince toplam 28 zooplankton türü teşhis edilmiştir. Bu türler içinde 18 tür Rotifera, 8 tür Cladocera 2 tür ise Copepodan grubundandır. Rotiferler takson sayısı, birey sayısı ve ortaya çıkış sıklığı bakımından ilk sırada yer almıştır. Rotiferlerden Polyarthra dolichoptera 11 örneklemede tespit edilerek, tüm zooplankton türleri içinde en fazla ortaya çıkan tür olmuştur. Copepoda‘dan Cyclops vicinus 9 ay gözlenerek ikinci dominant tür olmuştur. Mayıs ayı en fazla taksonun (20 tür) kaydedildiği ay olurken, ocak ayı en az taksonun (2 tür) kaydedildiği ay olmuştur. Shannon Wiever tür zenginliği indeks değeri (H') en yüksek değerine H= 1,51 ile temmuz ayında ulaşmıştır. Margalef indeks değeri de M=2,22 ile en yüksek mayıs ayında, Simpson indeks değeri D=0,89 ile mart ayında en yüksek değerinde hesaplanmıştır. H' indeks değerinin her ay düşük çıkması çayın tür çeşitliliği bakımından fakir olduğunu göstermektedir.