Aggregation Of Species Research Articles

Food and Feedings of Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) from Nagavali River, Andhra Pradesh, India

Small indigenous fish species perform vital role in indigenous people food habitat and their empowerment. Mystus tengara is a well-known and commonly available food fish species, and one of the candidate ornamental fish species in ornamental fish firms. A total of 145 specimens of Mystus tengara (Hamilton, 1822) species were collected from a small distributary of Nagavali River of Andhra Pradesh. 35 food items were observed in the gut of Mystus tengara. The present study has been performed on the food and feeding habits, Gastro Somatic Index, Relative Length of Gut, Fullness and feeding Intensity, and Gut Content Analysis of Mystus tengara. Present study results very close to the earlier studies and revealed that Mystus tengara is a carnivorous fish and zooplankton is the basic food group for this fish species and observed food and feeding indicating sustainable growth and development in different river environments.

Niche-related processes explain phylogenetic structure of acoustic bird communities in Mexico.

Acoustic communities are acoustically active species aggregations within a habitat, where vocal interactions between species can interfere their communication. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) explains how the habitat favors the transmission of acoustic signals. To understand how bird acoustic communities are structured, we tested the effect of habitat structure on the phylogenetic structure, and on the phylogenetic and vocal diversity of acoustic communities in a semi-arid zone of Mexico. From autonomous recordings in three types of vegetation (crop fields, tetecheras, and mesquiteras), which differ in terms of complexity and canopy openness, we evaluated sound attenuation, and estimated metrics of phylogenetic structure and diversity as well as acoustic diversity with the use of two indices. Mesquiteras showed greater vegetation density, more attenuation, more vocal diversity, as well as a phylogenetic structure that tended towards overdispersion, in contrast to crop fields that showed less vegetation density, less attenuation, less vocal diversity and more phylogenetic relatedness, while tetecheras showed intermediate patterns. Phylogenetic structure was explained by vegetation density and excess attenuation. The higher vocal diversity, phylogenetic structure tended towards overdispersion. These results suggest a role for environmental filters in the crop fields, where more closely related species with similar vocal characteristics coexist (supporting AAH), and probably competitive exclusion in the mesquiteras, where more distantly related species coexist, promoting vocal diversity. This study offers information about the influence of habitat on the acoustic community structure, which could inform our understanding of the distribution of species from acoustic perspective.

Distribution, size composition and feeding of the barred snailfish <I>Crystallias matsushimae</I> (Liparidae) in the Russian zone of the Sea of Japan

The results of studying the bathymetric and spatial distribution of the barred snailfish Crystallias matsushimae are presented according to bottom trawl surveys in the Russian waters of the Sea of Japan. The species does not form dense aggregations, although it is not as rare as was previously thought: in bottom trawl catches on the continental slope, the frequency of its occurrence is about 30%. The main areas of the species aggregations are the western part of the Peter the Great Gulf and the deep-water section of the Tatar Strait between the mainland and Sakhalin Island. Despite the relatively wide range of water temperature and depths at which the snailfish was found in catches, the species prefers rather narrow thermal and bathymetric ranges: 0.6–1.5°C and 200–500 m. Mysids, amphipods and decapods dominate in the diet.

Controllable Microwave Heating for Energy-Efficient and Universal Synthesis of Atomically Dispersed Metals on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanofibers.

Carbon-supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) have shown great potential in electrocatalysis, whereas traditional synthesis methods typically involve energy-intensive carbonization processes and unfavorable atomic migration and aggregation. Herein, an energy-efficient and universal strategy is developed to rapidly fabricate various SACs on nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous carbon nanofibers (M-TM/NPCNFs, TM = Fe, Co, Ni, FeCo, and FeNi) by electrospinning and controllable microwave heating technique. Such microwave heating technique enables an ultrafast heating rate (ramping to 900°C in 5 min) to greatly suppress the random migration and aggregation of metal species. Meanwhile, the energy consumption and time can be reduced to 2.5% and less than half an hour, respectively, compared to traditional pyrolysis methods. As a proof of concept, the synthesized M-Fe/NPCNFs with abundant Fe-N4 sites exhibit remarkable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with a high half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.88 V) in alkaline media, excellent performance in Zn-air battery with a large discharge specific capacity (801 mAh g-1) and long-term cycle durability (over 1000 h), demonstrating the great potential of the microwave heating technique in efficient fabrication of SACs for energy related applications.

Tracing the Structure-Activity Correlation in Cobalt-Doped Heteroatom-Enriched Nanoporous Material for CO2 Electroreduction

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to value added chemicals (CO, HCOOH, CH4, CH3OH, C2H5OH etc.) utilizing renewable energy sources has attracted considerable attention to close carbon cycle. [1,2] It has several advantages over other approaches such as 1) CO2 could be reduced under mild temperature and pressure conditions, 2) process could be controlled by adjusting the various reaction parameters such as potential etc., and 3) process is compact and feasible for scale up application. [1-3] However, this process has some limitations such as high overpotential, low selectivity & faradaic efficiency for products. Therefore, the designing of highly active electrocatalysts is required to improve catalytic efficiency. Among various reported catalysts, cobalt doped nitrogen enriched materials with atomically dispersed Co–N sites have displayed superior activities and selectivity in electrochemical process for the reduction of CO2. [1-4] However, the effect of synthesis conditions and composition of active species on product selectivity is not rigorously studied yet.In this research, a series of Co-doped multifunctional nitrogen-enriched nanoporous polymer (n-Co@MNENP) with amine and hydroxyl functionalities has been synthesized by condensation of 2-hydroxy-1,3,5-benzenetricarbaldehyde and melamine with calculated amount of cobalt chloride hexahydrate for incorporating n% (n = 10, 50 and 100) of Co content followed by pyrolysis at temperature 550 (designated as n-Co@MNENP-550) and 700 °C (designated as n-Co@MNENP-700). The structure of the synthesized in-situ and pyrolyzed specimens was confirmed by spectroscopic investigations such as FT-IR, and XPS. The Co content was estimated from ICP analysis. The thermal stability of the specimen was investigated using TGA/DTG. The FE-SEM and EDAX revealed almost spherical agglomerated nanoparticles with homogeneous distribution of Co species. PDF and total scattering (TS) analysis confirmed the presence of Co-N species in 10% and 100% samples while 50% sample has metallic Co(fcc/hcp) and CoO/N active species. Further, synthesized specimens have been explored for CO2RR. Among all the electrocatalysts, n-Co@MNENP-700 have shown the higher activity in CO2RR in which 10-Co@MNENP-700 and 100-Co@MNENP-700 could only produce CO, while 50-Co@MNENP-700 results in CO and C2H5OH production. These results reveal that atomically dispersed cobalt–nitrogen sites are responsible for CO generation while CoO, metallic Co species in combination with Co-N sites are responsible for CO and C2H5OH generation which confirmed that the compositions of Co-based catalysts greatly influence CO2RR activity and selectivity.

Microbial keratitis in north-western Spain: a review of risk factors, microbiological profile and resistance patterns.

To review the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and microbiological profiles of microbial keratitis cases, as well as the antibiotic resistance patterns of bacterial isolates in the region of Galicia, Spain. This retrospective case series includes patients with culture-positive non-viral microbial keratitis between 2010 and 2020, treated at nine hospitals within the region of Galicia, North-West Spain. The standard protocol involved Gram staining for bacterial infections and calcofluor white staining for fungal or amoebal infections, identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry or microscopy, and antimicrobial susceptibility interpreted according to EUCAST or CLSI guidelines. 780 microorganisms were isolated from corneal scraping cultures from 654 patients. 36.9% resided in urban areas, and 63.1% in rural areas. Isolates were more frequently collected in spring and summer. The median time to corneal scraping was 0 days (IQR 0-2), and the median time to epithelialisation was 24.0 days (IQR 11-49). Most cases had a single corneal infiltrate (509 cases; 77.8%) and affected the stroma (432; 66.1%), with small (< 3mm) epithelial defects (347; 53.1%). Significant risk factors included contact lens wear (24.2%) and exposure to organic matter (4.9%). The most frequent bacteria was CoNS (207; 26.4). Fungi (77; 9.9%) and amoebae (6; 0.8%) were less common. Steroid use and eyelid disease increased resistance in CoNS species. An increase in the percentage of MRSA (compared to MSSA) was detected over the study period (p = 0.045). In Galicia (Spain), microbial keratitis was mostly attributed to CoNS. An increase in MRSA keratitis was observed. Analysis of risk factors may help in suspecting antibiotic resistance. Surveillance programs for detecting the development of antimicrobial resistance are necessary to provide treatment guidelines based on local data.

Design and modeling of an eco-friendly anchored fish aggregating device with artificial reef subjected to wave and current

Anchored fish aggregating devices (AFADs) and artificial reefs play a vital role in enhancing marine biomass and biodiversity for marine ecosystem restoration. Improving the coastal ecosystem remains a significant challenge worldwide. However, AFADs are highly vulnerable to damage under marine conditions, which can lead to significant marine pollution. An AFAD, in which an artificial reef is applied as the anchor, is designed to enhance the efficiency of marine ecosystem restoration. This system consists of a biodegradable raft, cotton rope, and concrete artificial reef. Numerical modeling is conducted to simulate the hydrodynamic performance of the AFAD based on an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach with a realizable k–ε turbulence model. Wave forcing based on the Euler overlay method is applied for wave dissipation, followed by theoretical verification. The effects of wave parameters, relative raft length, rope length, raft diameter, and sinker weight on the motion response amplitude operators and relative rope tension are considered. The results show that the wave parameter has a significant effect on the hydrodynamic performance of the AFAD. With a relative raft diameter of 0.6, relative rope length of 2.6–2.8, and relative sinker weight of 0.8, the motion response amplitude operators and relative rope tension are minimized. The proposed AFAD can provide a stable three-dimensional zone to efficiently enhance the aggregation of marine species.

Highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries: N, S dual-doped carbon encapsulating sulfur vacancy-rich FeCo/Fe-CoS nanoparticles

In this research, we present a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst, N, S dual-doped carbon framework encapsulating sulfur vacancy-rich FeCo/Fe-CoS nanoparticles (VS-FeCo/Fe-CoS/NSC), synthesized via co-precipitation, sequential pyrolysis and sulfidation process. The prepared electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional performance in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs). The VS-FeCo/Fe-CoS/NSC-based ZAB demonstrates outstanding bifunctionality, exhibiting high specific capacity of 793 mAh gZn−1 and peak power density of 164.68 mW cm−2. These values surpass those of noble metal-based ZAB, highlighting the superior electrochemical performance of the VS-FeCo/Fe-CoS/NSC catalyst. Such superior activity stems from synergistic effect of abundant heterointerfaces and sulfur vacancies in FeCo/Fe-CoS structure, resulting in enhanced charge transfer efficiency and reaction kinetic performance. Furthermore, the encapsulation of nanoparticles within the heteroatom-doped carbon matrix prevents aggregation and dissolution of active species, ensuring long-term stability during the battery operation. The electrochemical reversibility and stability of VS-FeCo/Fe-CoS/NSC are confirmed through extensive cycling tests, highlighting its potential for practical applications in energy conversion and storage systems.

Performance of Cobalt-Doped C3N5 Electrocatalysis Nitrate in Ammonia Production

In this experiment, C3N5 was synthesized by pyrolysis of 3-amino-1,2,4 triazole material, and then 1% Co-C3N5, 3% Co-C3N5, 5% Co-C3N5, 7% Co-C3N5, and 9% Co-C3N5 were synthesized by varying the mass ratio of cobalt chloride to C3N5 by stirring and ultrasonic shaking. SEM, XPS, and XRD tests were performed on the synthesized materials. The experimental results showed that Co atoms were successfully doped into C3N5. The electrocatalytic reduction experiments were performed to evaluate their NH3 yields and electrochemical properties. The results showed that the ammonia yield obtained by the electrolysis of the 9% Co-C3N5 catalyst as the working electrode in a mixed electrolytic solution of 0.1 mol/L KNO3 and 0.1 mol/L KOH for 1 h at a potential of −1.0 V vs. RHE was 0.633 ± 0.02 mmol∙h−1∙mgcat−1, and the Faraday efficiency was 65.98 ± 2.14%; under the same experimental conditions, the ammonia production rate and Faraday efficiency of the C3N5 catalyst were 0.049 mmol∙h−1∙mgcat−1 and 16.41%, respectively, and the ammonia production rate of the C3N5 catalyst was nearly 13-fold worse than the 9% Co-C3N5, which suggests that Co can improve the Faraday efficiency and ammonia yield of the electrocatalytic reduction of NO3−. This is due to the strong synergistic effect between the cobalt and C3N5 components, with C3N5 providing abundant and homogeneous sites for nitrogen coordination and the Co-N species present in the material being highly efficient active sites. The slight change in current density after five trials of 9% Co-C3N5 and the decrease in ammonia yield by about 12% in five repetitions of the experiment indicate that 9% Co-C3N5 can be recycled and work stably in electrocatalytic reactions and has good application prospects.

Mass occurrences of Sandeels (Ammodytes spp.) causing aggregations of diving ducks

In autumn 1999, large, compact flocks of foraging diving ducks, particularly Common Eiders Somateria mollissima, were observed within and at the mouth of Trondheimsfjord in Central Norway. Some of these aggregations were at places previously not known as particularly rich feeding grounds. This situation continued through the winter, and still existed in March 2000. Investigations on these feeding grounds showed that the only possible prey species occurring in significant quantities was Sandeel (only Ammodytes tobianus was verified). Although most of the fish were swallowed before the birds reached the surface, some ducks (including Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca and Goldeneye Bucephala clangula) were observed eating Sandeels. Sandeel populations fluctuate in size annually and shoals are very patchily distributed. Consequently, the very variable occurrence in time and space of this food resource may occasionally bring about unusually dense and patchy aggregations of various species of diving ducks. Due to the specific habitat requirements of the Sandeel, these aggregations may also occur at localities that are not generally preferred feeding grounds for diving ducks, as was the case here. These findings may be relevant for some monitoring projects involving populations of diving ducks in marine environments.

A novel peptide-based tau aggregation inhibitor as a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.

As aggregation underpins Tau toxicity, aggregation inhibitor peptides may have disease-modifying potential. They are therefore currently being designed and target either the 306VQIVYK311 aggregation-promoting hotspot found in all Tau isoforms or the 275VQIINK280 aggregation-promoting hotspot found in 4R isoforms. However, for any Tau aggregation inhibitor to potentially be clinically relevant for other tauopathies, it should target both hotspots to suppress aggregation of Tau isoforms, be stable, cross the blood-brain barrier, and rescue aggregation-dependent Tau phenotypes in vivo. We developed a retro-inverso, stable D-amino peptide, RI-AG03 [Ac-rrrrrrrrGpkyk(ac)iqvGr-NH2], based on the 306VQIVYK311 hotspots which exhibit these disease-relevant attributes. Unlike other aggregation inhibitors, RI-AG03 effectively suppresses aggregation of multiple Tau species containing both hotspots in vitro and in vivo, is non-toxic, and suppresses aggregation-dependent neurodegenerative and behavioral phenotypes. RI-AG03 therefore meets many clinically relevant requirements for an anti-aggregation Tau therapeutic and should be explored further for its disease-modifying potential for Tauopathies. Our manuscript describes the development of a novel peptide inhibitor of Tau aggregation, a retro-inverso, stable D-amino peptide called RI-AG03 that displays many clinically relevant attributes. We show its efficacy in preventing Tau aggregation in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models while being non-toxic to cells. RI-AG03 also rescues a biosensor cell line that stably expresses Tau repeat domains with the P301S mutation fused to Cer/Clo and rescues aggregation-dependent phenotypes in vivo, suppressing neurodegeneration and extending lifespan. Collectively our data describe several properties and attributes of RI-AG03 that make it a promising disease-modifying candidate to explore for reducing pathogenic Tau aggregation in Tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease. Given the real interest in reducing Tau aggregation and the potential clinical benefit of using such agents in clinical practice, RI-AG03 should be investigated further for the treatment of Tauopathies after validation in mammalian models. Tau aggregation inhibitors are the obvious first choice as Tau-based therapies as much of Tau-mediated toxicity is aggregation dependent. Indeed, there are many research efforts focusing on this therapeutic strategy with aggregation inhibitors being designed against one of the two aggregation-promoting hotspots of the Tau protein. To our knowledge, RI-AG03 is the only peptide aggregation inhibitor that inhibits aggregation of Tau by targeting both aggregation-promoting hotspot motifs simultaneously. As such, we believe that our study will have a significant impact on drug discovery efforts in this arena.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Utilization of Mediator Subunits for Crop Improvement.

The Mediator complex is a multisubunit transcription coregulator that transfers regulatory signals from different transcription factors to RNA polymerase II (Pol II) to control Pol II-dependent transcription in eukaryotes. Studies on Arabidopsis Mediator subunits have revealed their unique or overlapping functions in various aspects of plant growth, stress adaptation and metabolite homeostasis. Therefore, the utilization of the plant Mediator complex for crop improvement has been of great interest. Advances in genome editing and sequencing techniques have expedited the characterization of Mediator subunits in economically important crops such as tomato, rice, wheat, soybean, sugarcane, pea, chickpea, rapeseed and hop. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of how the Mediator complex regulates crop growth, development and adaptation to environmental stress. We also discuss the conserved and diverse functions of the Mediator complex in different plant species. In addition, we propose several future research directions to deepen our understanding of the important roles of Mediator subunits and their interacting proteins, which would provide promising targets for genetic modification to develop new cultivars with desirable agronomic traits.

Upregulation of NFE2L1 reduces ROS levels and α-synuclein aggregation caused by GBA1 knockdown

Biallelic mutations in the GBA1 gene result in Gaucher disease (GD), and both patients with GD and carriers of a single GBA1 mutation have an increased susceptibility to Parkinson's disease (PD), but the underlying mechanisms of this association are not yet clear. In previous studies, we established Gba1 F213I point mutation mice and found that homozygous Gba1 F213I mutant mice died shortly after birth, while heterozygous mice could survive normally. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomic changes in the brain tissue of Gba1 F213I heterozygous mice, identifying 138 differentially expressed genes. Among them, Nfe2l1 was the most significantly downregulated gene. Inhibition or knockdown of GBA1 in BE(2)-M17 cells resulted in decreased expression levels of NFE2L1. Knockdown of GBA1 or NFE2L1 could lead to an elevation in intracellular aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, while upregulation of NFE2L1 effectively mitigated those cellular manifestations induced by GBA1 knockdown. In summary, our in vitro results showed that upregulation of NFE2L1 may provide a therapeutic benefit for cellular phenotypes resulting from GBA1 knockdown, providing new insights for future research on GD and GBA1-associated PD.

Utilizing citizen science data to rapidly assess changing associations between wild birds and avian influenza outbreaks in poultry.

High pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is a rapidly evolving virus causing significant economic and environmental harm. Wild birds are a key viral reservoir and an important source of viral incursions into animal populations, including poultry. However, we lack a thorough understanding of which species drive incursions and whether this changes over time. We explored associations between the abundances of 152 avian species and outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry premises across Great Britain between October 2021 and January 2023. Spatial generalized additive models were used, with species abundance distributions sourced from eBird. Associations were investigated at the species-specific level and across species aggregations. During autumn/winter, associations were generally strongest with waterbirds such as ducks and geese; however, we also found significant associations in groups such as non-native gamebirds and rapid change in species-specific associations over time. Our results demonstrate the value of citizen science to rapidly explore wild species as potential facilitators of disease incursions into well-monitored populations, especially in regions where viral surveillance in wild species is limited. This can be a critical step towards prioritizing targeted surveillance that could inform species-specific biosecurity measures; particularly for HPAIV, which has undergone sudden shifts in host range and continues to rapidly evolve.

Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry Reveals Conformational Heterogeneity in Megadalton-Sized Monoclonal Antibody Aggregates.

Aggregation of protein-based therapeutics can occur during development, production, or storage and can lead to loss of efficacy and potential toxicity. Native mass spectrometry of a covalently linked pentameric monoclonal antibody complex with a mass of ∼800 kDa reveals several distinct conformations, smaller complexes, and abundant higher-order aggregates of the pentameric species. Charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS) reveals individual oligomers up to the pentamer mAb trimer (15 individual mAb molecules; ∼2.4 MDa) whereas intermediate aggregates composed of 6-9 mAb molecules and aggregates larger than the pentameric dimer (1.6 MDa) were not detected/resolved by standard mass spectrometry, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), capillary electrophoresis (CE-SDS), or by mass photometry. Conventional quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF MS), mass photometry, SEC, and CE-SDS did not resolve partially or more fully unfolded conformations of each oligomer that were readily identified using CDMS by their significantly higher extents of charging. Trends in the charge-state distributions of individual oligomers provides detailed insight into how the structures of compact and elongated mAb aggregates change as a function of aggregate size. These results demonstrate the advantages of CDMS for obtaining accurate masses and information about the conformations of large antibody aggregates despite extensive overlapping m/z values. These results open up the ability to investigate structural changes that occur in small, soluble oligomers during the earliest stages of aggregation for antibodies or other proteins.

Scale dependence and mechanisms of grazing‐induced biodiversity changes depend on herbivore type in semiarid grasslands

Abstract Grasslands support a variety of herbivores that profoundly impact biodiversity and ecosystem functioning at local and regional scales. Understanding how different herbivores influence plant diversity across multiple scales is crucial for effective biodiversity conservation. However, most studies have focussed on the effects of grazing intensity on plant diversity, neglecting the impacts and associated mechanisms of different herbivores across scales. Based on a 7‐year grazing experiment with 16 plots in Inner Mongolia's typical steppe, we compared the scale‐dependent effects of different herbivores (cattle, sheep and goats) on plant diversity at moderate grazing intensity. We used the species–area relationship (SAR) and linear mixed models to analyse the changes in species richness across multiple scales (1, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024 m2). To understand SAR slope changes, we examined four potential mechanisms: overall species richness, total number of individuals, species abundance distribution and species aggregation. We found that grazing had scale effects on plant diversity, as indicated by a significant decrease in the SAR slope. This decrease in slope suggests that the negative impacts of grazing were more pronounced at larger scales. Additionally, the scale effects of different herbivores on plant diversity varied. Cattle had stronger positive impacts on diversity than sheep and goats at both small (1 m2) and large (1024 m2) scales. Conversely, sheep and goats had stronger negative effects on diversity than did the control at the large scale (1024 m2). The decrease in the SAR slope was mainly caused by changes in overall species richness and species abundance distribution. This was primarily because cattle had a stronger impact on dominant species, whereas sheep and goats had a stronger impact on rare species. Synthesis: Our results demonstrate that even at the same intensity, the grazing effects on species diversity vary with the study scale, herbivore type and their interaction. This finding has important implications for the conservation of grassland biodiversity given that grazing typically occurs at larger scales than in studies with quadrats and involves various herbivores with distinct effects on plant diversity.

Environmental Factors Affecting Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Crop-Exploiting Species: Implications for Coexistence Between Agricultural Production and Avifauna Conservation in Wetlands

Bird communities in agroecosystems bring both ecosystem services (e.g., pollination) and disservices (e.g., crop exploitation) to farmers. However, in the proximity of wetland reserves, farmers disproportionately experience harvest yield loss due to large aggregation of bird species that can utilize various agricultural resources. This often results in negative human–wildlife interactions which lower conservation support among farmers. Knowledge about the distribution of avian species that negatively influence yields, and its environmental drivers is thus fundamental to reconcile crop production and bird conservation. This study aims to examine the spatio-temporal patterns in richness and abundance of bird species known to cause agricultural yield loss as well as species-specific distribution patterns for the six bird species that are most challenging for local farmers. In combination with interview surveys of local farmers (n = 367) and seasonal bird surveys (n = 720), we investigated distribution of crop-exploiting avian species in the Indawgyi wetland ecosystem in Myanmar. Our results showed high richness and abundance of crop-exploiting species in the water habitat across all seasons, with most challenging species exhibiting higher presence closer to these water sources. The crop phenology had positive effect on species richness and abundance during the growing season. The agricultural use of crop-exploiting species was season- and species-specific, where the presence probability in the agricultural habitat was higher in habitat generalists than wetland specialists. Therefore, we suggest improved management of natural wetland habitats (e.g., habitat restoration), sustainable coexistence mechanisms in farms close to water (e.g., bird-friendly rice farming and Ecolabel certification) to reduce avian impacts on the farming communities and, at the same time, to promote bird conservation in wetlands of international importance.

Targeting the hydrophobic region of pyroglutamate-modified amyloid-β by tyrocidine A prevents its nucleation-aggregation process and its "catalytic effect" on the Aβsaggregation.

Pyroglutamate (pE)-modified amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides play a crucial role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. pEAβ3-42 can rapidly form oligomers that gradually elongate hydrophobic segments to form β-sheet-rich amyloid intermediates, ultimately resulting in the formation of mature amyloid fibrils. pEAβ3-42 can also catalyze the aggregation of Aβ species and subsequently accelerate the formation of amyloid senile plaques. Considering the recent clinical success of the pEAβ3-42-targeting antibody donanemab, molecules that strongly bind pEAβ3-42 and prevent its aggregation and catalytic effect on Aβs may also provide potential therapeutic options for Alzheimer's disease. Here, we demonstrate that the natural antibiotic cyclopeptide tyrocidine A (TA) not only strongly inhibits the aggregation of Aβ1-42 as previously reported, but also interacts with the hydrophobic C-terminus and middle domain of pEAβ3-42 to maintain an unordered conformation, effectively impeding the formation of initial oligomers and subsequently halting the aggregation of pEAβ3-42. Furthermore, TA can disrupt the "catalytic effect" of pEAβ3-42 on amyloid aggregates, effectively suppressing Aβaggregation and ultimately preventing the pathological events induced by Aβs.

Aspergillus Cell Surface Structural Analysis and Its Applications to Industrial and Medical Use

The hyphal surface of cells of filamentous fungi is covered with cell wall, which is mainly composed of polysaccharides. Since the cell wall is the first structure to come in contact with the infection host, the environment, and the fungus itself, the elucidation of the cell wall structure and biogenesis is essential for understanding fungal ecology. Among filamentous fungi, the genus Aspergillus is an important group in the industrial, food, and medical fields. It is known that Aspergillus species form hyphal pellets in shake liquid culture. The authors previously found the role of α-1,3-glucan in hyphal aggregation in Aspergillus species. In addition, extracellular polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan contributed to hyphal aggregation as well, and dual disruption of biosynthesis genes of α-1,3-glucan and galactosaminogalactan resulted in complete hyphal dispersion in shake liquid culture. The characteristic of mycelia to form pellets under liquid culture conditions was the main reason why the growth measurement methods used for unicellular organisms could not be applied. We reported that hyphal growth of the dual disruption mutant could be measured by optical density. A real-time plate reader could be used to determine the growth curve of the mycelial growth of the dual disruption mutant. This measurement approach not only provides basic microbiological insights in filamentous fungi, but also has the potential to be applied to high-throughput screening of anti-Aspergillus drugs.

Deactivation effect of elemental mercury oxidation over a V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst by Pb in simulated coal-fired flue gas

Lead (Pb) is a typical heavy metal in the flue gas of coal-fired power plants, which can cause the deactivation of SCR catalysts. In this study, Pb-doped vanadium-based catalysts were prepared and investigated for the deactivation effect and mechanism of elemental Hg oxidation caused by Pb. The results showed that doping Pb on vanadium-based catalysts led to severe deactivation, which was more pronounced with increased Pb content. Further investigation illustrated that the introduction of Pb not only weakened the BET surface properties of vanadium-based catalysts but also increased the aggregation of surface species on the catalysts. After Pb introduction, the adsorption capacity toward elemental Hg, proportion of highly oxidized V5+, and surface Oβ ratio significantly decreased severely weakening the activity of the catalyst. In addition, we demonstrated that the reaction between Pb and active VO/V−OH groups of the catalyst formed inactive V−O−Pb species, which was the direct cause of catalyst deactivation.