Survival Strategies Research Articles

Solving optimal power flow frameworks using modified artificial rabbit optimizer

The present study introduces a nature inspired modified artificial rabbit optimizer (MARO) for solving the non-convex engineering optimization issues. The traditional artificial rabbit optimizer (t-ARO) reflects the survival strategies of the rabbits’ behaviors to avoid being hunted by the enemies, for which rabbits followed the detour scavenging and hiding strategies. However, the t-ARO still suffers from the stagnation complication and may cause of wrong in solution. To avoid early stagnation problem in t-ARO, the study proposes the three novel modifications in this approach. First modification is based on the fitness-distance balance (FDB) mechanism to boost up the searching capability of the rabbits’, while the second and third modifications are implemented to improve the exploitation strength of the t-ARO via prairie dogs (PD) and combination of quasi with opposite-based learning (QOBL) boosting mechanisms. To validate the effectiveness of the MARO, the statistical and non-parametric tests are conducted via standard benchmark functions. Furthermore, MARO is implemented to handle the single and the multiple objectives power flow frameworks using IEEE 30-bus and 57-bus standards. For authentication, the performance of proposed MARO is compared to the well-known techniques such as antlion optimizer (ALO), whale optimization algorithm (WOA), sine-cosine algorithm (SCA), dandelion optimizer (DO), artificial hummingbird algorithm (AHA), equilibrium optimizer (EO) and traditional artificial rabbit optimizer (t-ARO). The simulation outcomes declare that MARO establishes great superiority over the state-of-the-arts techniques.

Challenges of Nigerian Book Publishing Industry in Post-Covid-19 Economy and Survival Strategies

Book publishing, like other sectors of the global economy, has experienced unprecedented challenges in the post-COVID-19 era, which include disrupted supply chains, reduced purchasing power on the part of students and teachers, and increased competition from digital media. The pandemic has also occasioned a change in business model and marketing strategy leading to transition from physical to virtual platforms. In addition, the book publishing industry has equally experienced paper shortages, printing delays, and heightened costs of production thus, encroaching on the publishers’ profit margin. The study, anchored on Free market theory and instinctive theory of motivation, attempted to put book publishing in perspective using qualitative research that relies on secondary data. The study also looked at the effect of Covid-19 on the global economy in general and the book publishing industry in particular. The study discovered the crucial role the advent of digitalization played in the interface of post-COVID-19 economy and book publishing sub-sector. Besides, it revealed the manifold challenges engendered by COVID-19 in the book publishing industry globally and specifically in Nigeria, which include lack of capital, inability to provide adequate numbers of high-quality books, book piracy, proliferation of unqualified author-publishers and poor reading culture, to the extent the sub-sector is struggling to survive. To endure this inclement economic era, the study suggested the following strategies: publishers need to adopt innovative strategies by investing in digital infrastructure so as to be able to publish printed and e-books as well as opening physical and online sales outlets to boost the revenue base, and different publishers can form a consortium to negotiate and minimize the cost of buying raw materials. Additionally, two or more publishing outfits can come together under merger and acquisition arrangements to bolster their capital base and stay competitive. In conclusion, the study made some recommendations that can help to support this industry to stay afloat in this trying time.

From Trypomastigotes to Trypomastigotes: Analyzing the One-Way Intracellular Journey of Trypanosoma cruzi by Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, also called American trypanosomiasis. This neglected tropical disease affects millions of individuals across the Americas. To complete its life cycle, T. cruzi parasitizes both vertebrate hosts and its vector, commonly known as the 'kissing bug'. The parasite's survival and proliferation strategies are driven by the diverse environments it encounters. Despite being described by Carlos Chagas in 1909, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the parasite's various life forms and adaptive capabilities in response to environmental cues. In this study, we employed Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy to explore the intricate journey of T. cruzi within the host cell. Upon entry into the host cell, trypomastigotes undergo folding, resulting in intermediate forms characterized by a rounded cell body, anterior positioning of basal bodies, and a shortened flagellum. The repositioning of basal bodies and the kinetoplast and the shortening of the flagella mark the culmination of intracellular amastigogenesis. Furthermore, we analyzed intracellular trypomastigogenesis, identifying discrete intermediate forms, including leaf-shaped stages and epimastigote-like forms, which suggests a complex differentiation process. Notably, we did not observe any dividing intracellular epimastigotes, indicating that these may be non-replicative forms within the host cell. Our detailed examination of amastigote cell division revealed semi-closed nuclear mitosis, with mitotic spindle formation independent of basal bodies. This study provides new insights into the morphological and cytoskeletal changes during the intracellular stages of T. cruzi, providing a model for understanding the dynamics of intracellular amastigogenesis and trypomastigogenesis.

Aquatic environment drives the emergence of cell wall-deficient dormant forms in Listeria

Stressed bacteria can enter a dormant viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. VBNC pathogens pose an increased health risk as they are undetectable by growth-based techniques and can wake up back into a virulent state. Although widespread in bacteria, the mechanisms governing this phenotypic switch remain elusive. Here, we investigate the VBNC state transition in the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. We show that bacteria starved in mineral water become VBNC by converting into osmotically stable cell wall-deficient coccoid forms, a phenomenon that occurs in other Listeria species. We reveal the bacterial stress response regulator SigB and the autolysin NamA as major actors of VBNC state transition. We lastly show that VBNC Listeria revert to a walled and virulent state after passage in chicken embryos. Our study provides more detail on the VBNC state transition mechanisms, revealing wall-free bacteria naturally arising in aquatic environments as a potential survival strategy in hypoosmotic and oligotrophic conditions.

Ecological interactions and unique resource partitioning between dolphins in the ultraoligotrophic eastern Mediterranean Sea

This study delves into the eco-dynamics of three dolphin species in the ultra-oligotrophic waters off the southern Israeli Mediterranean coast - two neritic: the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and one pelagic: the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). It utilizes compound-specific stable isotope analysis of individual amino acids to investigate carbon and nitrogen source variability and trophic positioning among the three species. Muscle samples from stranded individuals were analyzed for carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic ratios of amino acids, with Δδ15N (Glutamate-Phenylalanine) acting as an indicator of relative trophic position. The findings reveal minor differences in carbon source signatures and trophic position among species, but distinct nitrogen source signatures. The latter indicate discrete foraging habitats for bottlenose and striped dolphins and suggest that common dolphins transition between shallow benthic and deep pelagic feeding areas during the day and night, respectively, as part of their survival strategy.

Vertical heterogeneity enhances network complexity and stability of co-occurrence microbes in the eastern Indian Ocean

Microbes are core to driving biogeochemical cycles and differ between sun-drenched surface and relatively dark deep oceans. However, their distinct contributions to the organization and association of communities are still remaining elusive. Here, their assembly and co-occurrence stability are systematically researched along the surface and vertical gradients in the eastern Indian Ocean. The distribution of surface microbes was grouped tightly with closer phylogenetic distance and broader niche breadth, and separately from those vertical samples. Clear distance-decay of community similarity was observed in surface microbes with lower richness, while more diverse microeukaryotes and prokaryotes were observed in surface and vertical environments, respectively. Co-occurrence microbes along vertical gradients had a more complex network that was dominated by prokaryotes, while exhibited a lower modularity compared to the surface network. Microbial associations along vertical gradients were more stable and resilient, with lower robustness, higher vulnerability, and a relatively consistent fragmentation. Moreover, prokaryotes contribute greatly to the network topology and stability compared to microeukaryotes in surface environments, emphasizing their distinct functions and survival strategies in maintaining community stability across spatial variations. Environmental selection and community differentiation led to the divergence in organization and potential function of microbes. This study shed light on new perspectives on how marine microbes were associated with and influenced by spatial heterogeneity and their distinct roles in community organization in the face of environmental fluctuations.

SY12-1 Up-to-date strategies for prolonged survival and potential cure in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

SY12-1 Up-to-date strategies for prolonged survival and potential cure in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Metagenome sequencing and 982 microbial genomes from Kermadec and Diamantina Trenches sediments

Deep-sea trenches representing an intriguing ecosystem for exploring the survival and evolutionary strategies of microbial communities in the highly specialized deep-sea environments. Here, 29 metagenomes were obtained from sediment samples collected from Kermadec and Diamantina trenches. Notably, those samples covered a varying sampling depths (from 5321 m to 9415 m) and distinct layers within the sediment itself (from 0~40 cm in Kermadec trench and 0~24 cm in Diamantina trench). Through metagenomic binning process, we reconstructed 982 metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) with completeness >60% and contamination <5%. Within them, completeness of 351 MAGs were >90%, while an additional 331 were >80%. Phylogenomic analysis for the MAGs revealed nearly all of them were distantly related to known cultivated isolates. The abundant bacterial MAGs affiliated to phyla of Proteobacteria, Planctomycetota, Nitrospirota, Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, and Chlorofexota, while the abundant archaeal phyla affiliated with Nanoarchaeota and Thermoproteota. These results provide a dataset available for further interrogation of diversity, distribution and ecological function of deep-sea microbes existed in the trenches.

Dźwiękowe emanacje oporu i strategie przetrwania w Litzmannstadt Ghetto

The history of the creation and activities of the Lodz Ghetto is a tale of escalating terror techniques. The structure of repression included isolation, starvation, slave labor, persecution on personal, cultural and religious grounds, as well as measures that reinforced social and material stratification. Against this background, practices of resistance of an acoustic nature – one of the few forms of resistance that could slip through the dense web of oppression – take on particular significance. Acoustic strategies of survival include, on the one hand, artistic creation or singing during work, strikes and opposition gatherings, and on the other, practices that ensured survival: deliberate silence, listening to the radio, or secret communication systems between those in hiding. The article illustrates the multifaceted nature of the resistance undertaken by those imprisoned in the ghetto, emphasizing the importance of sound strategies – hitherto overlooked in Holocaust studies. Key-words: Holocaust audiosphere, sound history, holocaust, Lodz ghetto, sound studies

Microbial ecophysiology: Shedding light on the re-greening of chlorotic cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria, key contributors to aquatic CO2 fixation, employ sophisticated acclimation strategies for survival under nitrogen-limited conditions. A new study reveals that red light influences the resuscitation of chlorotic cells through mechanisms involving the dark-operative protochlorophyllide reductase, which facilitates chlorophyll biosynthesis and re-greening under low-light conditions.

Survival strategies of Bar-tailed Godwit in tropical sand beaches: Straight-line and zigzag foraging techniques

The near-threatened Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) makes the longest non-stop endurance flights among shorebirds. They are regular winter visitors to the Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu Community Reserve and adjoining sand beaches along the west coast of India. The research investigates their foraging strategies within sand beaches, observed over six years (2016-2022). Extensive field observations across major sand beaches documented two distinct modes of continuous stitching behaviour; a straight-line mode and a zigzag mode. Despite predation pressure and human disturbances, Bar-tailed Godwits achieved high prey capture rates, likely due to the abundance of benthic invertebrates. The study also revealed the prevalence of this behaviour and its association with rate of prey consumption, particularly focusing on the availability of Cosmonotus crabs, the dominant prey species. The zigzag pattern, was associated with higher prey capture rates, suggesting an adaptive response to prey distribution. Our findings suggest that, this unique foraging strategy allows Bar-tailed Godwits to optimize prey capture while conserving time and energy, especially in resource-scarce environments. Furthermore, the implications of these behaviours are discussed in the context of prey availability, nutrient content, and the energetic demands of long-distance migration, shedding light on to the adaptive mechanisms employed by shorebirds in challenging habitats.

Response of Leaf Traits and Photosynthetic Fluorescence Characteristics of Fraxinus malacophylla Seedlings to Rainfall Patterns During Dry and Rainy Seasons in Southwestern China.

Global climate change has led to a shift in rainfall patterns. And as water is an essential ingredient for plant photosynthesis, shifts in rainfall patterns will inevitably affect plant growth. This study was conducted in Kunming, southwest China. In this study, the response of leaf traits and photosynthetic fluorescence properties of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings to rainfall patterns during the dry and rainy seasons was investigated using a natural rainfall interval of 5 days (T) and an extended rainfall interval of 10 days (T+) as rainfall interval treatments and a monthly average rainfall as a control (W), with the corresponding rainfall treatments of a 40% increase in rainfall (W+) and a 40% decrease in rainfall (W-). The results showed that Pn, Gs, and Tr basically all tended to increase and then decrease with increasing rainfall in the dry season and generally reached the highest under the W treatment; Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr mostly remained high at 5 days relative to 10 days; PI was overall higher under the W treatment throughout the dry season. Extending the rainfall interval at the beginning of the rainy season significantly reduced Fm; throughout the rainy season, Gs, Ci, and Tr basically showed a decreasing trend with increasing rainfall, reaching the highest under the W-treatment and mostly higher at 5 days than at 10 days. These results suggest that natural rainfall intervals and natural rainfall amounts are more favorable to the growth of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings in the dry season; reduced rainfall and multiple rainfalls in the rainy season tend to promote photosynthesis in Fraxinus malacophylla. This study reflects the different survival strategies of Fraxinus malacophylla under different rainfall patterns, as well as provides a theoretical basis for understanding how Fraxinus malacophylla can grow better under rainfall variability and for future management.

Alteration of soil microbiomes in an arsenic and antimony co-contamination zone after dam failure

Arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), two toxic metal(loid)s, behave similarly and commonly occur in mine tailings. Yet, responses of microbes to As and Sb co-contamination in tailings dam failure-affected area remain limited. Herein, soil microbiomes (archaea, bacteria and fungi) across two contrasting sites (tailing-contaminated farmland and nearby undisturbed forestland) at a Sb-Au mining district in Chizhou, China were investigated by high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that As and Sb occurred mainly in the residual form, accounting for 55.82% and 52.04%, respectively. The bioavailable form was 12.77% and 10.39% in contaminated farmland compared to 13.31% and 11.66% in undisturbed forestland, respectively. Contrary to archaea and fungi, bacterial alpha-diversity significantly increased in contaminated farmland. The taxa-taxa interactions in archaea were most robust, followed by bacteria; and fungi were the weakest, which was corresponding to the habitat niche breadth. Microbial communities were affected by the deterministic processes with a modified stochasticity ratio (MST) value of 36.36%, whereas more stochasticity (MST = 49.71%) was raised in contaminated farmland than in undisturbed forestland (MST = 36.98%). The microbial function based on taxonomy-based inference indicated that nitrogen and carbon metabolisms associated with archaea and bacteria increased in contaminated farmland, as well as plant pathogen, wood saprotroph and endophyte related with fungi. The turnover of soil microbiomes was tightly correlated with As and Sb speciation. Collectively, this study reveals that the soil microbial survival strategies to As-Sb co-contamination after dam failure, providing guidance for the development of bioremediation and tailings management strategies.

Microbial production of methyl-uranium via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway

The misuse of uranium is a major threat to human health and the environment. In microbial ecosystems, microbes deploy various strategies to cope with uranium-induced stress. However, the exact ecological strategies and mechanisms underlying uranium tolerance in microbes remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the survival strategies and tolerance mechanisms of microbial communities in uranium-contaminated soil and groundwater. Microbial co-occurrence networks and molecular biology techniques were used to analyze the properties of microbes in groundwater and soil samples from various depths of uranium-contaminated areas in Northwest China. Uranium pollution altered microbial ecological strategies. Uranium stress facilitated the formation of microbial community structures, leading to symbiosis. Furthermore, microbes primarily resisted uranium hazards by producing polysaccharides and phosphate groups that chelate uranium, releasing phosphate substances that precipitate uranium, and reducing U(VI) through sulfate- and iron-reducing processes. The relative abundance of metal-methylation genes in soil microorganisms positively correlated with uranium concentration, indicating that soil microorganisms can produce methyl uranium via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. Furthermore, soil and groundwater microorganisms demonstrated different responses to uranium stress. This study provides new insights into microbial responses to uranium stress and novel approaches for the bioremediation of uranium-contaminated sites.

How to Cope With Stress in the Desert-The Date Palm Approach.

Increasing desertification constitutes a global environmental problem, mainly driven by climate change and inappropriate land-use that limits agriculture, forestry and human colonization. The selection of suitable plant species to mitigate desertification is particularly challenging, as it usually requires simultaneous counteraction against a whole set of unfavourable environmental conditions, including heat, drought, high tropospheric ozone and salinity. It therefore seems useful to identify the survival strategies of plants native in desert environments. Date palm constitutes a plant species native in desert environments and cultivated worldwide in arid regions that have been studied intensively for stress defence during the last decade. The present review summarizes the current state of biochemical stress defence mechanisms including avoidance, osmotic and metabolic adjustments and reactive oxygen species scavenging, addresses whole-plant regulations and trade-off between stress compensation/defence and growth of date palms. The review advances our knowledge about how this typical desert species copes with both individual and multiple environmental stresses at the cellular to the whole-plant level, and identifies areas of future research required to fully understand the strategies of this plant species to survive in the desert, thereby contributing to efforts for the mitigation of climate change and desertification.

Survival strategies of microalgae in response to fluctuating brine environments in Saroma-ko Lagoon sea ice, Hokkaido, Japan.

This study investigated the changes in sea ice temperature, microalgae species distribution, shape changes, and photosynthetic activity observed in the first-year ice that forms in winter in Saroma-ko Lagoon, Hokkaido, Japan. Temperatures at the bottom of the ice remained constant at -1.7°C, near the freezing point, while they varied between -6 and -1°C with diel fluctuations at the surface layer. Carefully collected algal samples showed high photosynthetic quantum yield and acclimation to the light intensities of individual ice layers; this indicates that the algal photosynthetic activity responds to dynamic changes in the ice environment, such as variations in temperature, salinity, and brine space. The algal communities consisted of more than 95% diatoms. Smaller algal cells were distributed in the upper layer of the sea ice compared to the lower layers. Chaetoceros sp., the dominant small-cell species, was evenly distributed throughout the layers. In contrast, Detonula confervacea, the dominant large-cell species, was unevenly distributed in the lower layer, with smaller colony size and cell volume in the upper layer. The shape differences observed in this species were thought to be a response to the changing environment within the first-year sea ice.

Галло-римская аристократия на службе у варваров: к истории полководца Эвния Муммола

The article analyzes the life and career of Eunius Mummolus, a native of a Gallo-Roman family, famous for his generalship and participation in the speech of Gundowald. The main source of Mummol's biography is the "History of the Franks" by Gregory of Tours. The example of Eunius shows that career opportunities for Gallo-Romans were not limited to church service – the most famous because of the large number of sources of the "survival strategy" in post-Roman Gaul. In turn, the Frankish monarchs not only attracted the local nobility to govern, but also tried to follow the late Roman traditions.

Antimicrobial and Enzymatic Activities of Mangrove-associated Actinomycetes

This study delves into the enzymatic and antimicrobial capabilities of actinomycetes isolated from the Setiu Wetland mangrove in Terengganu, Malaysia. A total of eighteen actinomycete bacteria were isolated and characterized from the site. These isolates underwent antimicrobial assessments targeting a representative range of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and a fungus were employed for the testing. The results of the antimicrobial evaluations demonstrated pronounced effectiveness of the majority of isolated actinomycetes against Gram-negative bacterial strains. Intriguingly, a notable observation was the inhibition against Streptococcus uberis on nutrient agar by 27.7% of the isolates. In conjunction with the antimicrobial investigations, an array of enzymatic assays encompassing amylase, protease, lipase, phosphate solubilization, urease, and cellulase were executed. The outcomes revealed that a substantial portion of the examined actinomycetes exhibited positive reactions in at least half of the conducted assays, with amylase and protease production being particularly prominent, were observed from 94% of the isolates. These findings, drawn from the amassed dataset, underscore the remarkable diversity of antimicrobial and enzymatic activities within the actinomycetes thriving in the mangrove environment. This diversity exemplifies the adaptability of these mangrove-associated actinomycetes, underscoring their capacity to generate a versatile spectrum of secondary metabolites and biochemical responses as a strategy for survival within this unique ecosystem.

Wild ungulates employ spatio-temporal niche partitioning to coexist with livestock in resource-limited Trans-Himalayan rangelands, India

Understanding interactions between wild ungulates and livestock is critical for the conservation and management of rangelands. Sympatric animals use a diversity of strategies such as differential use of space or time to avoid interspecific interactions, especially competition and conflict. This study investigated the seasonal (summer and winter) spatial and temporal interaction of three wild ungulates; Tibetan argali, kiang, and blue sheep with livestock (sheep and goat) using camera trap data collected between 2020 and 2022 in different seasons (14,340 camera trap days and 234 locations). Blue sheep and livestock show the highest level of temporal overlap in summer and winter as both are diurnal irrespective of the season. The highest spatial overlap is observed between kiang and livestock in summer and winter. In the summer, kiang shows multiple activity peaks throughout the day as well as night i.e. cathemeral activity, possibly a strategy to avoid competition with livestock by using the same space actively and repetitively but for shorter periods. This allows them to access forage and water as needed. A significant avoidance of livestock by argali in terms of space use was observed. Based on our analysis, we argue that avoidance behavior by argali is a survival strategy in response to anthropogenic pressure and hunting in the past. The spatio-temporal coordination at a finer scale facilitates coexistence in our study area, which allows ungulates and livestock to exploit resources more effectively in the study area. The findings of this multi-scale spatio-temporal analysis provide insights into habitat preferences of wild ungulates and livestock and species-specific behaviour to avoid competition. These insights are critical to develop robust strategies and policies to conserve biodiversity while also supporting the livelihood of local communities in a multi-use landscape.

Leptospira interrogans biofilm transcriptome highlights adaption to starvation and general stress while maintaining virulence.

Life-threatening Leptospira interrogans navigate a dual existence: surviving in the environment and infecting mammalian hosts. Biofilm formation is presumably an important survival strategy to achieve this process. Understanding the relation between biofilm and virulence might improve our comprehension of leptospirosis epidemiology. Our study focused on elucidating Leptospira's adaptations and regulations involved in such complex microenvironments. To determine the transcriptional profile of Leptospira in biofilm, we compared the transcriptomes in late biofilms and in exponential planktonic cultures. While genes for motility, energy production, and metabolism were downregulated, those governing general stress response, defense against metal stress, and redox homeostasis showed a significant upsurge, hinting at a tailored defensive strategy against stress. Further, despite a reduced metabolic state, biofilm disruption swiftly restored metabolic activity. Crucially, bacteria in late biofilms or resulting from biofilm disruption retained virulence in an animal model. In summary, our study highlights Leptospira's adaptive equilibrium in biofilms: minimizing energy expenditure, potentially aiding in withstanding stresses while maintaining pathogenicity. These insights are important for explaining the survival strategies of Leptospira, revealing that a biofilm lifestyle may confer an advantage in maintaining virulence, an understanding essential for managing leptospirosis across both environmental and mammalian reservoirs.