Wide Distribution Research Articles

Biological Potential of a Bibenzyl Compound ‘Gigantol’ for the Treatment of Human Disorders: Pharmacological Activities and Analytical Aspects of an Active Phytochemical Isolated from Orchid

Background: Dendrobium chrysotoxum Lindl. is an important medicinal plant of the genus Dendrobium from the Orchidaceae family. Gigantol is one of the key bioactive phytochemicals found in Dendrobium plants. Gigantol is reported to have diverse pharmacological activities Aims: This narrative review explores the analytical aspects along with pharmacological activities of gigantol as reported in different scientific publications. Methods: To find appropriate information related to Dendrobium plants and gigantol, extensive data extraction was done using ScienceDirect, Google, PubMed, and Scopus databases, and diverse facts were collected, arranged and analyzed to know the therapeutic potential of gigantol. Analytical aspects of gigantol were also discussed in the present work. Results: Gigantol has a wide distribution in the Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium chrysanthum, Dendrobium crystallinum, Dendrobium aphyllum, and Dendrobium devonianum. Available data indicates diverse pharmacological activities of gigantol. Preclinical studies have shown its effectiveness in the treatment of cataractogenesis, liver injury, leishmaniasis, nephrotoxicity, spasm, and skin disorders. Gigantol has been found to control hepatocellular cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer. The neuroprotective, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasorelaxant, immune modulatory effect, antimalarial, and anti-herpetic properties of gigantol have also been observed. Applications of different analytical techniques for the isolation and characterization of gigantol were also discussed in detail. Conclusion: Gigantol has significant and diverse pharmacological activities that must be explored in clinical setup to develop therapeutic leads for different diseases and health conditions.

Holocene biome reconstruction on the Chinese loess plateau based on pollen

Reconstruction of past vegetation changes is critical for sustainable development in the fragile and highly eroded ecosystems on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) under global change, particularly in light of future warming events. In this study, we collected fossil pollen data from 40 sites to reconstruct the Holocene (since 11 ka) vegetation pattern of the CLP using the biomization method. The results demonstrate that the CLP vegetation during the entire Holocene was dominated by grassland landscapes in most areas and periods, whereas the forest landscape only developed in some areas during certain periods. Steppe vegetation rather than forest vegetation was distributed in the central region of the CLP. Six forest biomes were primarily distributed in the southwestern and northeastern plateau high-altitude areas, showing notable expansion toward low latitudes and longitudes during the early to mid-Holocene. The steppe biome showed a rather wide distribution, primarily in the center and south, and especially in the expanded western region during the Early Holocene. Minor variations were observed for the widely distributed steppe biomes that shifted to high longitudes and latitudes during the Holocene. The desert biome was identified in the relatively restricted western and northern regions of China. Reconstructed biome spatial distributions showed a large vegetation gradient on the CLP. This suggests that variations in forest biomes on the CLP were potentially influenced by changes in precipitation. Different topographies within the same area led to different biomes. In addition, increased human activity may cause vegetation destruction.

Phytochemical profile and antifungal activity of essential oils obtained from different Mentha longifolia L. accessions growing wild in Iran and Iraq

BackgroundMentha longifolia L. is a perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family that has a wide distribution in the world. M. longifolia has many applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its terpenoid and phenolic compounds. The phytochemical profile and biological activity of plants are affected by their genetics and habitat conditions. In the present study, the content, constituents and antifungal activity of the essential oil extracted from 20 accessions of M. longifolia collected from different regions of Iran and Iraq countries were evaluated.ResultsThe essential oil content of the accessions varied between 1.54 ± 0.09% (in the Divandarreh accession) to 5.49 ± 0.12% (in the Khabat accession). Twenty-seven compounds were identified in the essential oils of the studied accessions, which accounted for 85.5-99.61% of the essential oil. The type and amount of dominant compounds in the essential oil were different depending on the accession. Cluster analysis of accessions based on essential oil compounds grouped them into three clusters. The first cluster included Baziyan, Boukan, Sarouchavah, Taghtagh, Darbandikhan, Isiveh and Harir. The second cluster included Khabat, Kounamasi, Soni and Mahabad, and other accessions were included in the third cluster. Significant correlations were observed between the essential oil content and components with the climatic and soil conditions of the habitats. The M. longifolia essential oil indicated antifungal activity against Fusarium solani in both methods used. In all studied accessions, the fumigation method compared to the contact method was more able to control mycelia growth. In both methods, the inhibition percentage of essential oil on mycelia growth increased with an increase in essential oil concentration. Significant correlations were found between the essential oil components and the inhibition percentage of mycelium growth.ConclusionThe studied M. longifolia accessions showed significant differences in terms of the essential oil content and components. Differences in phytochemical profile of accessions can be due to their genetic or habitat conditions. The distance of the accessions in the cluster was not in accordance with their geographical distance, which indicates the more important role of genetic factors compared to habitat conditions in separating accessions. The antifungal activity of essential oils was strongly influenced by the essential oil quality and concentration, as well as the application method. Determining and introducing the elite accession in this study can be different depending on the breeder’s aims, such as essential oil content, desired chemical composition, or antifungal activity.

Engineering Long‐Releasing Hollow‐like or Condensed Progesterone Hormone Microcrystals with Controlled Polymorphism

Progesterone is an endogenous steroid hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. Progesterone crystallization techniques have previously reported. Among these techniques, solvent crystallization and different solvent:anti‐solvent systems are considered. Herein, the selective development of either hollow‐like or condensed progesterone microcrystals in elevated yield with controlled polymorphism, habit, and release is described for the first time. For the hollow microcrystals, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and double‐deionized water (DDW) system is developed as solvent:anti‐solvent, while acetonitrile (AcN) and DDW system are developed for the condensed microcrystals. The microcrystals obtained from both developed crystallization systems are thoroughly investigated with varied microscopic techniques, including brightfield and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and crystallography by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and single XRD, and have been compared. Results show that the crystals of the IPA:DDW crystallization system are hollow and exhibit several habits, whereas the microcrystals of the AcN:DDW crystallization system are more condensed. However, both systems are found to have a wide crystal size distribution of one stable polymorph and are thus highly useful for tunable release. More importantly, these microcrystals exhibit elongated and slow release for 14 days under an expedited release conditions model, indicating suitability for long‐term and potential localized release applications.

Numerical Simulation of Rainfall-Induced Erosion on Infiltration and Slope Stability

In slopes where a mixture of coarse and fine particles is present, the infiltration of rainfall can cause the migration of fine particles. This migration alters the hydraulic properties of the soil and has implications for slope stability. In this study, the slope under investigation is a tailings dam composed of loosely consolidated soil with a wide particle size distribution. Due to rainfall infiltration, fine particles tend to migrate within the voids of the coarse particle framework, leading to changes in hydraulic properties and inducing slope instability. The classical internal erosion constitutive model, known as the Cividini and Gioda erosion criterion, is commonly used to predict the behavior and effects of fine particle erosion in geotechnical engineering. However, certain parameters in this erosion criterion equation, such as long-term density, are challenging to obtain through experiments. To investigate the coupled evolution of seepage and erosion within landfill slopes under the influence of rainfall infiltration and to understand the mechanisms of slope instability, this research assumes the erosion of fine particle suspension and adopts the Worman and Olafsdottir erosion criterion to establish a coupled model of unsaturated seepage and internal erosion. The developed model simulates the coupled response of seepage and erosion in unsaturated landfill slopes under three different rainfall intensities. It is then combined with the infinite slope model to quantitatively analyze the impact of fine particle migration on soil permeability and slope stability. The numerical simulations provide the following findings: The Worman and Olafsdottir erosion criterion, unlike the Cividini and Gioda erosion criterion, only requires the determination of the soil’s gradation curve to estimate the erosion rate. Internal erosion primarily occurs within the leading edge of moisture penetration, accelerating the advancement of the wetting front and reducing slope stability. When the rainfall intensity is lower than the saturated permeability coefficient, the influence of internal erosion can be disregarded. However, under rainfall intensities equal to or greater than the saturated permeability coefficient, considering internal erosion results in a difference in the depth of the wetting front of up to 34.2 cm after 6 h in the R2 scenario. The safety factor without considering internal erosion is 1.12, whereas considering internal erosion yields safety factors between 1.08 and 1.09. In the R3 scenario, the difference in the depth of the wetting front reaches 53.8 cm after 6 h, with a safety factor of 1.12 without considering internal erosion and safety factors between 1.06 and 1.07 when considering internal erosion.

Spatiotemporal interaction of risk‐spreading strategies for a seed‐dimorphic plant

Abstract For plants, the risk of stress‐induced reproductive failure can be spread temporally and spatially by increasing the variation in stress tolerance and dispersibility, respectively. Yet, we have limited understanding on how intraspecific stress tolerance can be interactively adjusted by these two risk‐spreading strategies. Seed‐dimorphic plants, which are frequently found in stressful and fluctuating environments, can produce dimorphic offspring with different stress tolerances and dispersibilities. Using a seed‐dimorphic Asteraceae, Synedrella nodiflora, we illustrated how maternal‐drought‐induced changes in drought tolerance and dispersibility may interactively increase intraspecific drought tolerance variation, and thus potentially improve adaptation to various water conditions. Maternal drought stress increased the mean or variation of drought tolerance of the less‐dispersible (R‐type) offspring, whereas it had variable effects on the drought tolerance of the more‐dispersible (D‐type) offspring depending on maternal seed morph (R‐type vs. D‐type) and habitat (dry vs. wet). Because the relative abundances of these two types of offspring remained largely unchanged by maternal drought, there was an overall increase in the intraspecific mean and variation of drought tolerance under maternal drought stress, driven by the changes in the less‐dispersible offspring. Synthesis. Our results indicate a strong interaction between stress tolerance variation and seed dispersibility in seed‐dimorphic plant species. Using drought tolerance as an indicator, we demonstrate a potential pathway for the adaptive evolution of seed‐dimorphic plants that may contribute to their wide distribution. More importantly, our findings highlight the ecological significance of seed dimorphism and the variation of stress tolerance to avoid reproductive failure under various environmental conditions.

The Relationship between Intelligence and Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphism at Site of 15925 Base Pairs

Intelligence has a huge influences and is very closely related with human’s life. Because intelligence is indefinable, scholars have specified it through testing tools and named it intelligence quotient (IQ). In measuring IQ, researchers have found that IQ has a wide distribution and tried to find out the reasons by assessing the brain's functional level and environmental and genetic factors. One study reported an association between IQ and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence 15,925, and this study investigated the association in Koreans. The number of participants was 57 in the mental retardation group without chromosomal abnormalities and 148 in the normal group, respectively. PCR technique and direct sequencing analysis were used to know participant’s mtDNA sequences. At 15,925 base, all participants had only wild type C and no variant type of m.15,925 C > T. We further studied variants in mtDNA sequences 15,926-15,927. At 15,926 base, the variant type of 15,926 C < T was found in only one case (0.7%) in the control group. At the 15,927 base, variant type of 15,927 G < A was found in 9 cases (6.1%) in the control group and 1 case (1.8%) in the retardation group, respectively. As a result, the polymorphisms of mtDNA sequences at bases 15,925-15,927 had no statistical significance in the Korean control and mental retardation group.

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Street Foods: A Systematic Review

Street food may be a vehicle of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to humans. Foods contaminated with ARB entail serious problems or challenges in the fields of medical care, animal husbandry, food industry, and public health worldwide. The objectives of this systematic review were to identify and evaluate scientific reports associated with ARB isolated from various street foods. “Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis” (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The bibliographic material covers a period from January 2015 to April 2024. Six electronic scientific databases were searched individually for full-text articles; only those papers that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. Seventeen papers were included in this systematic review. This study highlighted the wide distribution of ARB resistant to β-lactams and other antibiotics, posing significant health risks to consumers. High resistance levels were observed for antibiotics such as ampicillin, ceftriaxone, and tetracycline, while some antibiotics, such as ceftazidime, clavulanic acid, cefoperazone, cotrimoxazole, doxycycline, doripenem, fosfomycin, vancomycin, and piperacillin-tazobactam, demonstrated 100% susceptibility. The prevalence of ARB in street foods varied between 5.2% and 70.8% among different countries. The multiple resistance of various bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and Klebsiella, to multiple classes of antibiotics, as well as environmental factors contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR), emphasize the urgent need for comprehensive approaches and coordinated efforts to confront antimicrobial resistance (AMR) under the “One Health” paradigm.

Phylogeny, character evolution and historical biogeography of Scurrulinae (Loranthaceae): new insights into the circumscription of the genus Taxillus

BackgroundExploring the relationship between parasitic plants and answering taxonomic questions is still challenging. The subtribe Scurrulinae (Loranthaceae), which has a wide distribution in Asia and Africa, provides an excellent example to illuminate this scenario. Using a comprehensive taxon sampling of the subtribe, this study focuses on infer the phylogenetic relationships within Scurrulinae, investigate the phylogeny and biogeography of the subtribe, and establish a phylogenetically-based classification incorporating both molecular and morphological evidence. We conducted phylogenetic, historical biogeography, and ancestral character state reconstruction analyses of Scurrulinae based on the sequences of six DNA regions from 89 individuals to represent all five tribes of the Loranthaceae and the dataset from eleven morphological characters.ResultsThe results strongly support the non-monophyletic of Scurrulinae, with Phyllodesmis recognized as a separate genus from its allies Taxillus and Scurrula based on the results from molecular data and morphological character reconstruction. The mistletoe Scurrulinae originated in Asia during the Oligocene. Scurrulinae was inferred to have been widespread in Asia but did not disperse to other areas. The African species of Taxillus, T. wiensii, was confirmed to have originated in Africa from African Loranthaceae ca. 17 Ma, and evolved independently from Asian members of Taxillus.ConclusionsThis study based on comprehensive taxon sampling of the subtribe Scurrulinae, strongly supports the relationship between genera. The taxonomic treatment for Phyllodesmis was provided. The historical biogeography of mistletoe Scurrulinae was determined with origin in Asia during the Oligocene. Taxillus and Scurrula diverged during the climatic optimum in the middle Miocene. Taxillus wiensii originated in Africa from African Loranthaceae, and is an independent lineage from the Asian species of Taxillus. Diversification of Scurrulinae and the development of endemic species in Asia may have been supported by the fast-changing climate, including cooling, drying, and the progressive uplift of the high mountains in central Asia, especially during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene.

Rapid iodine oxoacid nucleation enhanced by dimethylamine in broad marine regions

Abstract. Recent experiments have revealed a vital nucleation process of iodic acid (HIO3) and iodous acid (HIO2) under marine boundary layer conditions. However, HIO3–HIO2 nucleation may not effectively drive the observed rapid new particle formation (NPF) in certain coastal regions influenced by urban air masses. Dimethylamine (DMA) is a promising basic precursor to enhance nucleation considering its strong ability to stabilize acidic clusters and the wide distribution in marine atmosphere, while its role in HIO3–HIO2 nucleation remains unrevealed. Hence, a method combining quantum chemical calculations and Atmospheric Cluster Dynamics Code (ACDC) simulations was utilized to study the HIO3–HIO2–DMA nucleation process. We found that DMA can preferentially accept the proton from HIO3 as a basic precursor in the most stable configurations of HIO3–HIO2–DMA clusters. Kinetically, the participation of DMA in the cluster formation pathways of the iodine oxoacid system could be significant at the 10−1 to 1 pptv level of [DMA]. Furthermore, DMA can enhance the cluster formation rates of the HIO3–HIO2 system in marine and polar regions near DMA sources more than 103-fold. Compared to the classical nucleation mechanism, the HIO3–HIO2–DMA mechanism exhibits strong nucleation ability, worthy of consideration as a promising mechanism in marine and polar regions rich in amine sources. The newly proposed HIO3–HIO2–DMA ternary mechanism might provide an explanation for some missing fluxes of atmospheric iodine particles.

EXPLORING STAFFING PATTERNS AND MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS IN TEACHING JAPANESE AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Multilingual classrooms are becoming more common worldwide due to increasing mobility. Teaching foreign languages using the mother tongue in multilingual classrooms has become problematic; some of the significant concerns in Japanese language acquisition – such as the high contextuality of the language, vocabulary and kanji learning – make the direct teaching method confusing for many students, especially at the beginner and elementary levels. This article provides the preliminary results of a study carried out as a component of a more extensive empirical research project on instructional languages in classrooms teaching Japanese as a foreign language. It aims to gather, analyse and synthesise data from a survey conducted at a supranational level. The results of the first two sections of a questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions were used for a quantitative analysis of the profile of Japanese language instructors with a focus on finding possible connections. The wide geographic distribution of the respondents (274 teachers from fifty-seven countries and regions) made it possible to collect data from a more representative sample and draw meaningful conclusions about the spread of multilingual classrooms that would be impossible in smaller-scale research. The study’s primary results show the proportion of multilingual classrooms among countries in different regions and across different educational stages, the distribution of Japanese language instructors in various educational stages depending on the highest level of formal education attained, and the proportion of part-time instructors working in different academic institutions.

Investigation of the Impact of SSSC-Based FLC on the Stability of Power Systems Connected to Wind Farms

The integration of renewable energy sources into power systems has increased significantly in recent years. Among various types of renewable energy, the use of wind energy is growing rapidly due to its low operating cost, wide distribution worldwide, and no greenhouse gas emissions. However, power systems integrated with wind energy may face stability and reliability issues due to the intermittent nature of wind power. Therefore, in power systems connected to wind farms, it is usually required to use some compensators such as static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) to increase the system performance under abnormal conditions. On the other hand, for an SSSC to be effective in improving the system performance, it must be equipped with a suitable controller. In this paper, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is used for the SSSC because of its advantages over conventional controllers. Extensive research has been conducted in power systems with wind turbines in which SSSC or FLC has been used; however, their simultaneous application in such systems has received less attention. Therefore, this article aims to fill this gap. The proposed method is implemented on two power systems and the simulation results are analyzed. In both systems, the dynamic behavior of three different wind farms is examined. In the first and second wind farms, either a squirrel cage induction generator (SCIG) or doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) are used, whereas in the third one which is a combined wind farm (CWF), an equal number of SCIG and DFIG are employed. In wind farms with SCIG or DFIG, an SSSC is also utilized. Furthermore, an FLC is employed for the SSSC to improve its efficacy. A proportional integral (PI) controller is also considered for the SSSC, and its results are compared with FLC results. The simulation results confirm the superiority of FLC over PI controller.

Aquatic nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ) phylogeny and environmental distribution

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas and a major cause of ozone depletion. One-third of atmospheric N2O originates in aquatic environments. Reduction of N2O to dinitrogen gas (N2) requires the nitrous oxide reductase enzyme, which is encoded by the gene nosZ. Organisms that contain nosZ are the only known biological sinks of N2O and are found in diverse genera and a wide range of environments. The two clades of nosZ (Clade I and II) contain great diversity, making it challenging to study the population structure and distribution of nosZ containing organisms in the environment. A database of over 11,000 nosZ sequences was compiled from NCBI (representing diverse aquatic environments) and unpublished sequences and metagenomes (primarily from oxygen minimum zones, OMZs, where N2O levels are often elevated). Sequences were clustered into archetypes based on DNA and amino acid sequence identity and their clade, phylogeny, and environmental source were determined. Further analysis of the source and environmental distribution of the sequences showed strong habitat separation between clades and phylogeny. Although there are more Clade I nosZ genes in the compilation, Clade II is more diverse phylogenetically and has a wider distribution across environmental sources. On the other hand, Clade I nosZ genes are predominately found within marine sediment and are primarily from the phylum Pseudonomonadota. The majority of the sequences analyzed from marine OMZs represented distinct phylotypes between different OMZs showing that the nosZ gene displays regional and environmental separation. This study expands the known diversity of nosZ genes and provides a clearer picture of how the clades and phylogeny of nosZ organisms are distributed across diverse environments.

Death simulation behavior of the lizard Lygodactylus klugei of the Gekkonidae (Reptilia: Squamata) family in northeastern Brazil

Natural selection favors primary defense strategies that reduce the chance of prey being spotted and discovered by a potential predator, such as camouflage, aposematism, and secondary defense strategies that include tail loss and escape, immobility, and thanatosis. The behavior of thanatosis (playing dead) or tonic immobility (body paralysis) is a strategy adopted by the prey, in which the animal simulates immobility to avoid being ingested. This simulation is effective against visually oriented predators or predators that do not feed on dead prey. Belonging to a complex of cryptic species, Lygodactylus klugei is a gecko that has a wide distribution in Northeast Brazil, occupying areas of the Caatinga and Cerrado, and that has a diurnal habit. On August 25th and September 2nd, 2021, three individuals of L. klugei were observed exhibiting thanatosis behavior during plant suppression work in the Curaçá municipality, Bahia state, Brazil. This behavior is reported for the first time in for L. klugei, and the species may use it if it is unable to escape from visually oriented predators. However, we suggest that future observations may generate new hypotheses about the benefits of this behavior in the species. Our observation adds important data to the behavioral repertoire of lizards from the Gekkonidae family, providing important natural history data to try to understand the defense mechanisms adopted by lizards in general.

A replicating RNA vaccine confers protection in a rhesus macaque model of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne febrile illness with a wide geographic distribution. In recent years the geographic range of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and its tick vector have increased, placing an increasing number of people at risk of CCHFV infection. Currently, there are no widely available vaccines, and although the World Health Organization recommends ribavirin for treatment, its efficacy is unclear. Here we evaluate a promising replicating RNA vaccine in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) model of CCHF. This model provides an alternative to the established cynomolgus macaque model and recapitulates mild-to-moderate human disease. Rhesus macaques infected with CCHFV consistently exhibit viremia, detectable viral RNA in a multitude of tissues, and moderate pathology in the liver and spleen. We used this model to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a replicating RNA vaccine. Rhesus macaques vaccinated with RNAs expressing the CCHFV nucleoprotein and glycoprotein precursor developed robust non-neutralizing humoral immunity against the CCHFV nucleoprotein and had significant protection against the CCHFV challenge. Together, our data report a model of CCHF using rhesus macaques and demonstrate that our replicating RNA vaccine is immunogenic and protective in non-human primates after a prime-boost immunization.

Phytogeographic Considerations on the Flora of Mt. Abu

The Aravallis intersect the State of Rajasthan in a southwest-northeast direction. Mt. Abu on the Aravallis is the highest point in the wide gap between the Himalayas and the Nilgiris, and thus has phytogeographlc significance. The flora of Mt. Abu has been compared with that of other hilly regions of India, and also with the flora of adjacent regions of the dry zones. It is observed that : i. the flora of Mt. Abu has some representation of mountain element belonging to subtropical and temperate regions of India. This element comprises three groups of plants, namely, (a) those occurring in all or most hilly regions of India, such as in Himalayas, Parasnath, Pachmarhi, Western Ghats, Nilgiris, etc. (26 species); (b) plants found in the Himalayas or moist places of northern India, whose southern limit is the Mt. Abu (19 species); and (c) plants found in the Ghats and hills of Deccan Peninsula and whose northern limit of distribution is Mt. Abu 38 species).ii. there are only a few plants of alpine regions in this flora;iii. large number of plants are of wide general distribution;iv. biotic factors are resulting in increase of xerophytic species on this hill.A study ofthe world distribution of the plants of Mt. Abu shows that:i. out of 469 species, 267 are tropical;ii. 80 species are eastern, southeastern, Asian and Australian;iii, 46 species are African-Arabian; andiv. 22 species are American. The American plants are mostly weeds of cultivation.

Statistical Analysis of Multi-Year South China Sea Eddies and Exploration of Eddy Classification

Mesoscale eddies are structures of seawater motion with horizontal scales of tens to hundreds of kilometers, impact depths of tens to hundreds of meters, and time scales of days to months. This study presents a statistical analysis of mesoscale eddies in the South China Sea (SCS) from 1993 to 2021 based on eddies extracted from satellite remote sensing data using the vector geometry eddy detection method. On average, about 230 eddies with a wide spatial and temporal distribution are observed each year, and the numbers of CEs (52.2%) and AEs (47.8%) are almost similar, with a significant correlation in spatial distribution. In this article, eddies with a lifetime of at least 28 days (17% of the number of total eddies) are referred to as strong eddies (SEs). The SEs in the SCS that persist for several years in similar months and locations, such as the well-known dipole eddies consisting of CEs and AEs offshore eastern Vietnam, are defined as persistent strong eddies (PSEs). SEs and PSEs affect the thermohaline structure, current field, and material and energy transport in the upper ocean. This paper is important as it names the SEs and PSEs, and the naming of eddies can facilitate research on specific major eddies and improve public understanding of mesoscale eddies as important oceanic phenomena.

Construction of Hydrogels with Highly Salt-Resistant Honeycomb Porous Structures for Solar Desalination and Steam Generation.

Interfacial solar desalination is a method for desalinating seawater using solar energy, and the long-term use of this technology requires a stable evaporation rate and some ability to prevent salt crystallization. To address these issues, carbonized polydopamine-coated bentonite (C@PBT), poly(vinyl alcohol), and cellulose nanofibers were used to construct a three-dimensional oriented hydrogel evaporator with a multilayered honeycomb porous structure for long-term desalination. Carbon nanoparticles transferred between the layers of the bentonite, which increases the spacing of the layers and confers a more effective solar light trapping ability. The evaporation rate was 2.26 kg m-2 h-1 in 20 wt % NaCl solution, and no salt crystals were precipitated from the surface of the evaporator in 12 h of continuous operation. This phenomenon occurs due to the wide distribution of pore sizes and the large size of the pores within the evaporator, which create ample space for salt ions to move freely. Furthermore, after undergoing 300 cycles of compression, its internal pore structure remains intact, and the rate of evaporation remains stable. It ensures the evaporator stability during outdoor cycles. The research work provides an effective method to solve the salt accumulation problem and shows its great potential for application.

Comparative genomics reveals high genetic similarity among strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis isolated from multiple sources in Brazil.

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (Salmonella Infantis) is a zoonotic, ubiquitous and foodborne pathogen of worldwide distribution. Despite Brazil's relevance as a major meat exporter, few studies were conducted to characterize strains of this serovar by genomic analyses in this country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the diversity of 80 Salmonella Infantis strains isolated from veterinary, food and human sources in Brazil between 2013 and 2018 by comparative genomic analyses. Additional genomes of non-Brazilian countries (n=18) were included for comparison purposes in some analyses. Analyses of whole-genome multi-locus sequence typing (wgMLST), using PGAdb-builder, and of fragmented genomes, using Gegenees, were conducted to compare the 80 Brazilian strains to the 18 non-Brazilian genomes. Pangenome analyses and calculations were performed for all Salmonella Infantis genomes analyzed. The presence of prophages was determined using PHASTER for the 80 Brazilian strains. The genome plasticity using BLAST Ring Image Generator (BRIG) and gene synteny using Mauve were evaluated for 20 selected Salmonella Infantis genomes from Brazil and ten from non-Brazilian countries. Unique orthologous protein clusters were searched in ten selected Salmonella Infantis genomes from Brazil and ten from non-Brazilian countries. wgMLST and Gegenees showed a high genomic similarity among some Brazilian Salmonella Infantis genomes, and also the correlation of some clusters with non-Brazilian genomes. Gegenees also showed an overall similarity >91% among all Salmonella Infantis genomes. Pangenome calculations revealed an open pangenome for all Salmonella Infantis subsets analyzed and a high gene content in the core genomes. Fifteen types of prophages were detected among 97.5% of the Brazilian strains. BRIG and Mauve demonstrated a high structural similarity among the Brazilian and non-Brazilian isolates. Unique orthologous protein clusters related to biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components were detected among Brazilian and non-Brazilian genomes. The results presented using different genomic approaches emphasized the significant genomic similarity among Brazilian Salmonella Infantis genomes analyzed, suggesting wide distribution of closely related genotypes among diverse sources in Brazil. The data generated contributed to novel information regarding the genomic diversity of Brazilian and non-Brazilian Salmonella Infantis in comparison. The different genetically related subtypes of Salmonella Infantis from Brazil can either occur exclusively within the country, or also in other countries, suggesting that some exportation of the Brazilian genotypes may have already occurred.

Role of Provenance Trials in the Study of Population Differentiation

Wide distribution of many Linnean species across climatic, edaphic and biotic barriers may be either due to a wide ecological amplitude of the species as such, or to the presence of a number of distinct local populations, well adapted to the respective ecoclimates. These populations may show continuous variation along an envirormental gradient (ecocline) or discontinuous variation (ecotypes). The morphological or physiological adaptive characters are genetically fixed. Although a number of genecological techniques have been developed in the recent past, to differentiate such ecologic populations, the provenance trial technique has gained much importance. In the present communication the technique as well as some important results obtained through its use, both within and outside India, have been briefly discussed.