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Postural sway has not been investigated before or after a neck exercise intervention in individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). The aim of the study was to investigate postural sway in individuals with chronic WAD grades 2 and 3: (a) compared with healthy matched controls at baseline; (b) after three months of neck-specific exercise and (c) to investigate the correlation between postural sway with self-reported dizziness during motion and balance problems/unsteadiness. This is a longitudinal prospective experimental case-control intervention study. Individuals with WAD (n = 30) and age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (n = 30) participated. Postural sway was assessed using an iPhone application. Measurements were carried out at baseline, and for those with WAD a second measurement was performed at the three-month follow-up when neck-specific exercise intervention ended. The WAD group performed significantly worse than the healthy group in both pathway and ellipse area double stance eyes closed at baseline (main outcome), but not at the three-month follow-up. The WAD group significantly improved after rehabilitation in both pathway double stance eyes closed and pathway single stance eyes open. The correlation between postural sway and self-rated dizziness during motion and balance problems was low to moderate. One may conclude that postural sway was improved after a neck-specific exercise programme. The study results strengthen earlier findings that individuals with WAD have worse balance outcome when they have to rely on neck proprioception (eyes closed). The study results may be important for the development of improved rehabilitation methods for WAD., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The impact of different vegetation types on soil organic carbon (SOC) is a key focus in global warming research. Bryophytes, commonly found in karst urban forests, significantly contribute to carbon accumulation in surface soil. However, the changes in soil organic carbon fractions under moss and the influencing factors remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, the study examined the organic carbon content, soil physicochemical properties, and associated environmental factors in both moss-covered soil and bare soil under six different forest species within an urban park. The results showed that the SOC contents under moss cover in evergreen coniferous forest (127.28 g/kg), bamboo forest (144.70 g/kg), deciduous broad-leaved forest (87.63 g/kg), and evergreen shrub (109.28 g/kg) were significantly higher compared to bare soil. Moss cover also had a significant impact on soil readily oxidizable carbon (ROC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC), and heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) (P < 0.01). The soil under moss had a higher content of stable organic carbon fraction, which is conducive to the stability of the soil organic carbon pool. The interaction between moss cover and stand type had the most significant effect on soil organic carbon, especially in bamboo forests. Canopy density, moss biomass, and soil moisture were the main environmental factors affecting the content of soil organic carbon and its fractions, while soil organic carbon content was mainly affected by soil nitrogen and phosphorus. This study establishes a theoretical framework for investigating the carbon cycle in karst urban underforest ecosystems, offering a scientific basis for the management and preservation of urban green space ecosystems. Future studies should include bryophytes in the assessment of dynamic factors affecting the soil carbon pool under forest cover and further explore the function and ecological significance of bryophytes in understory ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A panorama ensures a stunning wide-angle field of view up to 360° representation of a scene, exceeding the limits of a normal photograph. Panoramic cameras satisfy the single-viewpoint characteristic. There are several types of panoramic cameras for 360-degree imaging. Multi-camera panoramic imaging systems pose a difficulty in obtaining a single projection center for the cameras. In a variety of practical implementations of panoramic cameras, it is possible to calculate three-dimensional coordinates from a panoramic image, especially using the Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) method. In this study, not only a defining method of the non-uniform image coordinate system is presented by utilizing the C-Means algorithm for a single panoramic image, captured with a Ladybug2 panoramic camera in a panoramic calibration room but also the use of an elliptical panoramic projection coordinate system is defined by the Singular Value Decomposition method in a panoramic view. The results of the suggested method have been compared with the DLT algorithm for a single panoramic image which defined a conventional photogrammetric image coordinate system. It has been observed that the proposed method provides more accurate results for the 3D coordinate definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change reduces snowpack, advances snowmelt phenology, drives summer warming, alters growing season precipitation regimes, and consequently modifies vegetation phenology in mountain systems. Elevational migrants track spatial variation in seasonal plant growth by moving between ranges at different elevations during spring, so climate-driven vegetation change may disrupt historic benefits of migration. Elevational migrants can furthermore cope with short-term environmental variability by undertaking brief vertical movements to refugia when sudden adverse conditions arise. We uncover drivers of fine-scale vertical movement variation during upland migration in an endangered alpine specialist, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) using a 20-year study of GPS collar data collected from 311 unique individuals. We used integrated step-selection analysis to determine factors that promote vertical movements and drive selection of destinations following vertical movements. Our results reveal that relatively high temperatures consistently drive uphill movements, while precipitation likely drives downhill movements. Furthermore, bighorn select destinations at their peak annual biomass and maximal time since snowmelt. These results indicate that although Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep seek out foraging opportunities related to landscape phenology, they compensate for short-term environmental stressors by undertaking brief up- and downslope vertical movements. Migrants may therefore be impacted by future warming and increased storm frequency or intensity, with shifts in annual migration timing, and fine-scale vertical movement responses to environmental variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic activities like trade facilitate increasing rates of biological invasions. Asian long-horned beetle (ALB), which is naturally distributed in eastern Asia (China, Korean peninsula), was introduced via wood packing materials (WPM) used in trade to North America (1996) and Europe (2001). We used 7810 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived by a genotype-by-sequencing (GBS) approach to decipher the introduction patterns into Europe. This is applied for the first time on European ALB outbreaks from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, both from still active and already eradicated infestations. The genome-wide SNPs detected signs of small and highly structured populations within Europe, showing clear founder effects. The very high population differentiation is presumably derived from multiple independent introductions to Europe, which are spatially restricted in mating. By admixture and phylogenetic analyses, some cases of secondary dispersal were observed. Furthermore, some populations suggest admixture, which might have been originated by either multiple introductions from different sources into the new sites or recurrent introductions from an admixed source population. Our results confirmed a complex invasion history of the ALB into Europe and the usability of GBS obtained SNPs in invasion science even without source populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prominent neurodegenerative disease around the world. Although it is known that PD is caused by the loss of dopaminergic cells in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the decisive cause of this inexorable cell loss is not clearly elucidated. We hypothesize that "Energy deficiency at a sub-cellular/cellular/systems level can be a common underlying cause for SNc cell loss in PD." Here, we propose a comprehensive computational model of SNc cell, which helps us to understand the pathophysiology of neurodegeneration at the subcellular level in PD. The aim of the study is to see how deficits in the supply of energy substrates (glucose and oxygen) lead to a deficit in adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The study also aims to show that deficits in ATP are the common factor underlying the molecular-level pathological changes, including alpha-synuclein aggregation, reactive oxygen species formation, calcium elevation, and dopamine dysfunction. The model suggests that hypoglycemia plays a more crucial role in leading to ATP deficits than hypoxia. We believe that the proposed model provides an integrated modeling framework to understand the neurodegenerative processes underlying PD.

In terrestrial ecosystems, leaf litter is the main source of nutrients returning to the soil. Understanding how litter decomposition responds to stand age is critical for improving predictions of the effects of forest age structure on nutrient availability and cycling in ecosystems. However, the changes in this critical process with stand age remain poorly understood due to the complexity and diversity of litter decomposition patterns and drivers among different stand ages. In this study, we examined the effects of stand age on litter decomposition with two well-replicated age sequences of naturally occurring secondary forests and Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations in southern China. Our results showed that the litter decomposition rates in the secondary forests were significantly higher than those in the Chinese fir plantations of the same age, except for 40-year-old forests. The litter decomposition rate of the Chinese fir initially increased and then decreased with stand age, while that of secondary forests gradually decreased. The results of a structural equation model indicated that stand age, litter quality and microbial community were the primary factors driving nutrient litter loss. Overall, these findings are helpful for understanding the effects of stand age on the litter decomposition process and nutrient cycling in plantation and secondary forest ecosystems., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

We studied the food web structure and functioning of a coral reef ecosystem in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, characterized by low coral cover, high sea surface temperature and meso- to eutrophic waters. The Marquesas constitute a relevant ecosystem to understand the functioning of low diversity reefs that are also subject to global change. A multi-tracer assessment of organic matter pathways was run to delineate ecosystem functioning, using analysis of fatty acids, bulk and compound specific stable isotope analysis and stable isotopes mixing models. Macroalgae and phytoplankton were the two major food sources fueling this food web with, however, some marked seasonal variations. Specifically, zooplankton relied on phytoplankton-derived organic matter and herbivorous fishes on macroalgae-derived organic matter to a much higher extent in summer than in winter (~ 75% vs. ~ 15%, and ~ 70 to 75% vs. ~ 5 to 15%, respectively). Despite remarkably high δ15N values for all trophic compartments, likely due to local dynamics in the nitrogen stock, trophic levels of consumers were similar to those of other coral reef ecosystems. These findings shed light on the functioning of low coral cover systems, which are expected to expand worldwide under global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patchy distribution of trees typical of savannas often results in a discontinuous distribution of water, nutrient resources, and microbial communities in soil, commonly referred to as "islands of fertility". We assessed how this phenomenon may affect the establishment and impact of invasive plants, using the invasion of Opuntia stricta in South Africa's Kruger National Park as case study. We established uninvaded and O. stricta-invaded plots under the most common woody tree species in the study area (Vachellia nilotica subsp. kraussiana and Spirostachys africana) and in open patches with no tree cover. We then compared soil characteristics, diversity and composition of the soil bacterial communities, and germination performance of O. stricta and native trees between soils collected in each of the established plots. We found that the presence of native trees and invasive O. stricta increases soil water content and nutrients, and the abundance and diversity of bacterial communities, and alters soil bacterial composition. Moreover, the percentage and speed of germination of O. stricta were higher in soils conditioned by native trees compared to soils collected from open patches. Finally, while S. africana and V. nilotica trees appear to germinate equally well in invaded and uninvaded soils, O. stricta had lower and slower germination in invaded soils, suggesting the potential release of phytochemicals by O. stricta to avoid intraspecific competition. These results suggest that the presence of any tree or shrub in savanna ecosystems, regardless of origin (i.e. native or alien), can create favourable conditions for the establishment and growth of other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past environmental changes are expected to have profoundly impacted diversity dynamics through time. While some previous studies showed an association between past climate changes or tectonic events and important shifts in lineage diversification, it is only recently that past environmental changes have been explicitly integrated in diversification models to test their influence on diversification rates. Here, we used a global reconstruction of tropical reef habitat dynamics during the Cenozoic and phylogenetic diversification models to test the influence of (i) major geological events, (ii) reef habitat fragmentation and (iii) reef area on the diversification of 9 major clades of tropical reef fish (Acanthuridae, Balistoidea, Carangoidea, Chaetodontidae, Haemulinae, Holocentridae, Labridae, Pomacentridae and Sparidae). The diversification models revealed a weak association between paleo-habitat changes and diversification dynamics. Specifically, the fragmentation of tropical reef habitats over the Cenozoic was found to be a driver of tropical reef fish diversification for 2 clades. However, overall, our approach did not allow the identification of striking associations between diversification dynamics and paleo-habitat fragmentation in contrast with theoretical model's predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive phosphorus (P) applications to croplands can contribute to eutrophication of surface waters through surface runoff and subsurface (leaching) losses. We analyzed leaching losses of total dissolved P (TDP) from no-till corn, hybrid poplar (Populus nigra X P. maximowiczii), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus), native grasses, and restored prairie, all planted in 2008 on former cropland in Michigan, USA. All crops except corn (13 kg P ha−1 year−1) were grown without P fertilization. Biomass was harvested at the end of each growing season except for poplar. Soil water at 1.2 m depth was sampled weekly to biweekly for TDP determination during March–November 2009–2016 using tension lysimeters. Soil test P (0–25 cm depth) was measured every autumn. Soil water TDP concentrations were usually below levels where eutrophication of surface waters is frequently observed (> 0.02 mg L−1) but often higher than in deep groundwater or nearby streams and lakes. Rates of P leaching, estimated from measured concentrations and modeled drainage, did not differ statistically among cropping systems across years; 7-year cropping system means ranged from 0.035 to 0.072 kg P ha−1 year−1 with large interannual variation. Leached P was positively related to STP, which decreased over the 7 years in all systems. These results indicate that both P-fertilized and unfertilized cropping systems may leach legacy P from past cropland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing fishing effort, including bycatch and discard practices, are impacting marine biodiversity, particularly among slow-to-reproduce taxa such as elasmobranchs, and specifically sharks. While some fisheries involving sharks are sustainably managed, collateral mortalities continue, contributing towards > 35% of species being threatened with extinction. To effectively manage shark stocks, life-history information, including resource use and feeding ecologies is pivotal, especially among those species with wide-ranging distributions. Two cosmopolitan sharks bycaught off eastern Australia are the common blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus; globally classified as Near Threatened) and great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran; Critically Endangered). We opportunistically sampled the digestive tracts of these two species (and also any whole prey; termed the 'Russian-doll' approach), caught in bather-protection gillnets off northern New South Wales, to investigate the capacity for DNA metabarcoding to simultaneously determine predator and prey regional feeding ecologies. While sample sizes were small, S. mokkaran fed predominantly on stingrays and skates (Myliobatiformes and Rajiformes), but also teleosts, while C. limbatus mostly consumed teleosts. Metabarcoding assays showed extensive intermixing of taxa from the digestive tracts of predators and their whole prey, likely via the predator's stomach chyme, negating the opportunity to distinguish between primary and secondary predation. This Russian-doll effect requires further investigation in DNA metabarcoding studies focussing on dietary preferences and implies that any outcomes will need to be interpreted concomitant with traditional visual approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-human primates (NHPs) are, due to their close phylogenetic relationship to humans, excellent animal models to study clinically relevant mutations. However, the toolbox for the genetic modification of NHPs is less developed than those for other species like mice. Therefore, it is necessary to further develop and refine genome editing approaches in NHPs. NHP pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) share key molecular signatures with the early embryo, which is an important target for genomic modification. Therefore, PSCs are a valuable test system for the validation of embryonic genome editing approaches. In the present study, we made use of the versatility of the piggyBac transposon system for different purposes in the context of NHP stem cell technology and genome editing. These include (1) Robust reprogramming of rhesus macaque fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); (2) Culture of the iPSCs under feeder-free conditions even after removal of the transgene resulting in transgene-free iPSCs; (3) Development of a CRISPR/Cas-based work-flow to edit the genome of rhesus macaque PSCs with high efficiency; (4) Establishment of a novel protocol for the derivation of gene-edited monoclonal NHP-iPSC lines. These findings facilitate efficient testing of genome editing approaches in NHP-PSC before their in vivo application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shortly after the enactment of restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, various local government and public health authorities around the world reported an increased sighting of rats. Such reports have yet to be empirically validated. Here we combined data from multi-catch rodent stations (providing data on rodent captures), rodent bait stations (providing data on rodent activity) and residents' complaints to explore the effects of a six week lockdown period on rodent populations within the City of Sydney, Australia. The sampling interval encompassed October 2019 to July 2020 with lockdown defined as the interval from April 1st to May 15th, 2020. Rodent captures and activity (visits to bait stations) were stable prior to lockdown. Captures showed a rapid increase and then decline during the lockdown, while rodent visits to bait stations declined throughout this period. There were no changes in the frequency of complaints during lockdown relative to before and after lockdown. There was a non-directional change in the geographical distribution of indices of rodent abundance suggesting that rodents redistributed in response to resource scarcity. We hypothesize that lockdown measures initially resulted in increased rodent captures due to sudden shortage of human-derived food resources. Rodent visits to bait stations might not show this pattern due to the nature of the binary data collected, namely the presence or absence of a visit. Relocation of bait stations driven by pest management goals may also have affected the detection of any directional spatial effect. We conclude that the onset of COVID-19 may have disrupted commensal rodent populations, with possible implications for the future management of these ubiquitous urban indicator species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent arrhythmia and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its early detection is challenging because of the low detection yield of conventional methods. We aimed to develop a deep learning-based algorithm to identify AF during normal sinus rhythm (NSR) using 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) findings. We developed a new deep neural network to detect subtle differences in paroxysmal AF (PAF) during NSR using digital data from standard 12-lead ECGs. Raw digital data of 2,412 12-lead ECGs were analyzed. The artificial intelligence (AI) model showed that the optimal interval to detect subtle changes in PAF was within 0.24 s before the QRS complex in the 12-lead ECG. We allocated the enrolled ECGs to the training, internal validation, and testing datasets in a 7:1:2 ratio. Regarding AF identification, the AI-based algorithm showed the following values in the internal and external validation datasets: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.79 and 0.75; recall, 82% and 77%; specificity, 78% and 72%; F1 score, 75% and 74%; and overall accuracy, 72.8% and 71.2%, respectively. The deep learning-based algorithm using 12-lead ECG demonstrated high accuracy for detecting AF during NSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By improving resource quality, cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies may boost demographic rates of consumers in recipient ecosystems, which in turn can affect population and community dynamics. However, empirical studies on how nutrient subsidies simultaneously affect multiple demographic rates are lacking, in part because humans have disrupted the majority of these natural flows. Here, we compare the demographics of a sex-changing parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) between reefs where cross-ecosystem nutrients provided by seabirds are available versus nearby reefs where invasive, predatory rats have removed seabird populations. For this functionally important species, we found evidence for a trade-off between investing in growth and fecundity, with parrotfish around rat-free islands with many seabirds exhibiting 35% faster growth, but 21% lower size-based fecundity, than those around rat-infested islands with few seabirds. Although there were no concurrent differences in population-level density or biomass, overall mean body size was 16% larger around rat-free islands. Because the functional significance of parrotfish as grazers and bioeroders increases non-linearly with size, the increased growth rates and body sizes around rat-free islands likely contributes to higher ecosystem function on coral reefs that receive natural nutrient subsidies. More broadly, these results demonstrate additional benefits, and potential trade-offs, of restoring natural nutrient pathways for recipient ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of extended dry periods and high intensity rainfall, common in the southeastern US, leads to greater variability in soil moisture and consequently increases uncertainty to microbial processes pertinent to soil carbon (C) mineralization. However, field-based findings on soil moisture sensitivity to soil C cycling are very limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 on a soybean (Glycine max L.) cropland in the southeastern US with three soil moisture treatments: drought (simulated using rainout-shelter from June to October in each year), rainfed (natural precipitation), and irrigated (irrigation and precipitation). Soil respiration was measured weekly from May to November in both years. Soil samples were collected multiple times each year from 0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm depths to determine microbial biomass C (MBC), extractable organic C (EOC), hydrolytic enzyme activities, and fungal abundance. The cumulative respiration under drought compared to other treatments was lower by 32% to 33% in 2018 and 38% to 45% in 2019. Increased MBC, EOC, and fungal abundance were observed under drought than other treatments. Specific enzyme activity indicated fewer metabolically active microbes under drought treatment compared to rainfed and irrigated treatments. Also, maintenance of enzyme pool was observed under drought condition. These results provide critical insights on microbial metabolism in response to soil moisture variation and how that influences different pools of soil C under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although awareness of side effects over the course of psychotherapy is growing, side effects are still not always reported. The purpose of the present study was to examine side effects in a randomized controlled trial comparing Metacognitive Training for Depression (D-MCT) and a cognitive remediation training in patients with depression. 84 patients were randomized to receive either D-MCT or cognitive remediation training (MyBrainTraining) for 8 weeks. Side effects were assessed after the completion of each intervention (post) using the Short Inventory of the Assessment of Negative Effects (SIAN) and again 6 months later (follow-up) using the Negative Effects Questionnaire (NEQ). D-MCT and MyBrainTraining did not differ significantly in the number of side effects. At post assessment, 50% of the D-MCT group and 59% of the MyBrainTraining group reported at least one side effect in the SIAN. The most frequently reported side effect was disappointment in subjective benefit of study treatment. At follow-up, 52% reported at least one side effect related to MyBrainTraining, while 34% reported at least one side effect related to the D-MCT in the NEQ. The most frequently reported side effects fell into the categories of "symptoms" and "quality". Our NEQ version was missing one item due to a technical error. Also, allegiance effects should be considered. The sample size resulted in low statistical power. The relatively tolerable number of side effects suggests D-MCT and MyBrainTraining are safe and well-received treatment options for people with depression. Future studies should also measure negative effects to corroborate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constituting one of Earth's major biomes, steppes are characterised by naturally treeless extra-tropical vegetation. The formation of the Eurasian steppe belt, the largest steppe region in the world, began in Central Asia during the Neogene. In the glacial stages of the Pleistocene, steppe displaced forest vegetation, which in turn recolonised the area during the warmer interglacial periods, thus affecting the distribution of plants adapted to these habitats. Krascheninnikovia ceratoides (Chenopodiaceae) is a plant characteristic of dry steppe and semi-desert formations. Earlier studies showed that the ancestor of this autochthonous steppe element originated in Central Asia during the Miocene/Pliocene, i.e., in the same region and at the same time as the first appearance of steppe vegetation. However, as the extant lineages of Krascheninnikovia ceratoides diversified only 2.2 ± 0.9 Mya, it may represent a modern element of current dry steppe and semi-desert formations, rather than a component of the first steppe precursors of the Miocene. As such, it may have capitalised on the climatic conditions of the cold stages of the Quaternary to expand its range and colonise suitable habitats outside of its area of origin. To test this hypothesis, phylogeographic methods were applied to high-resolution genotyping-by-sequencing data. Our results indicate that Krascheninnikovia originated in western Central Asia and the Russian Altai, then spread to Europe in the West, and reached North America in the East. The populations of eastern Central Asia and North America belong to the same clade and are genetically clearly distinct from the Euro-Siberian populations. Among the populations west of the Altai Mountains, the European populations are genetically distinct from all others, which could be the result of the separation of populations east and west of the Urals caused by the Pleistocene transgressions of the Caspian Sea.

In this study we demonstrate that 2 month old APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, a transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease, exhibited intact short-term memory in Pavlovian hippocampal-dependent contextual fear learning task. However, their long-term memory was impaired. Intra-CA1 infusion of isoproterenol hydrochloride, the β-adrenoceptor agonist, to the ventral hippocampus of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice immediately before fear conditioning restored long-term contextual fear memory. Infusion of the β-adrenoceptor agonist + 2.5 h after fear conditioning only partially rescued the fear memory, whereas infusion at + 12 h post conditioning did not interfere with long-term memory persistence in this mouse model. Furthermore, Intra-CA1 infusion of propranolol, the β-adrenoceptor antagonist, administered immediately before conditioning to their wildtype counterpart impaired long-term fear memory, while it was ineffective when administered + 4 h and + 12 h post conditioning. Our results indicate that, long-term fear memory persistence is determined by a unique β-adrenoceptor sensitive time window between 0 and + 2.5 h upon learning acquisition, in the ventral hippocampal CA1 of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. On the contrary, β-adrenoceptor agonist delivery to ventral hippocampal CA1 per se did not enhance innate anxiety behaviour in open field test. Thus we conclude that, activation of learning dependent early β-adrenoceptor modulation underlies and is necessary to promote long-term fear memory persistence in APPswe/PS1dE9.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common dyskinesia disease, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR) may be directly or indirectly involved in the occurrence and development of PD, although the exact mechanism is unclear. We established a dopaminergic neuronal-like cell model of PD, by overexpression of PGC-1α to detect evaluate the expression of proteases and molecular chaperones of involved in the mtUPR, as well as the expression of PGC-1α and LRPPRC, illustrated the distribution of LRPPRC. Remarkably, the mtUPR activation reached maximal at 24 h after MPP + treatment in SH-SY5Y cells, which the protein and transcription levels of the proteases and molecular chaperones reached maximal. The proteases and molecular chaperones were significantly increased when overexpressed PGC-1α, which indicated that PGC-1α overexpression activated the mtUPR, and PGC-1α had a protective effect on SH-SY5Y cells. The expression levels of PGC-1α and LRPPRC were significantly improved in the PGC-1α overexpression groups. LRPPRC was markedly reduced in the nucleus, suggesting that PGC-1α overexpression may play a protective role to the mitochondria through LRPPRC. Our finding indicates that overexpression of PGC-1α may activate mtUPR, reducing the oxidative stress injury induced by MPP + through LRPPRC signaling, thus maintain mitochondrial homeostasis.

Harsh environmental conditions limit how species use the landscape, strongly influencing the way assemblages are distributed. In the wake of repeated coral bleaching mortalities in Lakshadweep, we examined how wave exposure influences herbivory  in exposed and sheltered reefs. We used a combination of i. field observations of fish herbivore composition, abundance and activity across 6 exposed and 6 sheltered reefs; ii. experimental manipulations in a subset of these reefs (herbivore exclosures); and iii. opportunistic observations of fish recruitment, to determine how exposure influences herbivore biomass and herbivory. Species richness, biomass, abundance, total bite rates and species-specific per capita bite rates were lower in exposed compared to sheltered reefs, linked to strong environmental filtering of species composition, abundance and behaviour. For some critical species, this environmental filtering begins with differential recruitment and post-recruitment processes between exposures. Bite rates at sheltered sites were dominated by just a few species, most being laterally compressed surgeonfish that may find it difficult accessing or surviving in wave-battered shallow reefs. Exclosure experiments confirmed  that exposed reefs  were less controlled by herbivores than sheltered reefs. In post-disturbed reefs like Lakshadweep, environmental gradients appear to be key mediators of critical functions like herbivory by determining species composition, abundance and behaviour.

The widespread paradigm in ecology that community structure determines function has recently been challenged by the high complexity of microbial communities. Here, we investigate the patterns of and connections between microbial community structure and microbially-mediated ecological function across different forest management practices and temporal changes in leaf litter across beech forest ecosystems in Central Europe. Our results clearly indicate distinct pattern of microbial community structure in response to forest management and time. However, those patterns were not reflected when potential enzymatic activities of microbes were measured. We postulate that in our forest ecosystems, a disconnect between microbial community structure and function may be present due to differences between the drivers of microbial growth and those of microbial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of crop row spacing on the belowground ecosystem, especially at an aggregate scale, remains unexplored. To explore how row spacing influenced nematode community and ecosystem function at the aggregate scale, four row spacings i.e. equidistant-row (ER, 50 cm-inter-row distance, 33 cm-intra-row between plants in each row) and non-equidistant-row including NR1 (100 cm + 50 cm row distance and 22 cm intra-row), NR2 (100 cm + 50 cm inter-row and 25 cm intra-row), and NR3 (60 cm + 40 cm inter-row and 33 cm intra-row) were compared, and four soil aggregate fractions i.e. >2 mm, 1-2 mm, 0.25-1 mm and <0.25 mm were separated. Row spacing did not impact C and N, but significantly influenced P. The regulation effect of acid phosphatase on soil available P was aggregate-scale dependent. Nematode faunal analysis indicated that NR3 within 0.25-1 mm was less disturbed or relatively undisturbed environments. Structural equation model showed row spacing pattern directly affected multifunctionality, while aggregate fractions indirectly contributed to multifunctionality mainly by regulating the richness of total nematodes and trophic groups. It was concluded that NR3 had potential to construct more stable food web, and therefore was possibly the suitable planting pattern.

Valosin-containing human protein (VCP) or p97 performs enzyme functions associated with the maintenance of protein homeostasis and control of protein quality. Disruption of its normal functioning might be associated with the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Tissues of mice with toxin-induced presymptomatic and early symptomatic stages of PD, as well as 52 treated and untreated patients with newly diagnosed PD and nine patients with a "predicted" form of PD, were investigated. Significant changes in Vcp gene expression were observed in almost all studied mouse tissues. A significant decrease in VCP expression specific for PD was also detected at both the late preclinical and the early clinical stages of PD in untreated patients. Thus, a decrease in VCP expression is important for changes in the function of the nervous system at early stages of PD. Analysis of changes in VCP expression in all patients with PD and in Vcp in the peripheral blood of mice used as models of PD revealed significant decreases in expression specific for PD. These data suggest that a decrease in the relative levels of VCP mRNA might serve as a biomarker for the development of pathology at the early clinical and preclinical stages of human PD.

Transition of populations from rural to urban living causes landscape changes and alters the functionality of soil ecosystems. It is unclear how this urbanization disturbs the microbial ecology of soils and how the disruption influences nitrogen cycling. In this study, microbial communities in turfgrass-grown soils from urban and suburban areas around Xiamen City were compared to microbial communities in the soils from rural farmlands. The potential N2O emissions, potential denitrification activity, and abundances of denitrifiers were higher in the rural farmland soils compared with the turfgrass soils. Ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) were more abundant than ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in turfgrass soils. Within turfgrass soils, the potential nitrification activities and AOA abundances were higher in the urban than in the suburban soils. These results indicate a more pivotal role of AOA in nitrification, especially in urban soils. Microbial community composition was distinctly grouped along urbanization categories (urban, suburban, and rural) classified according to the population density, which can in part be attributed to the differences in soil properties. These observed changes could potentially have a broader impact on soil nutrient availability and greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the death of dopaminergic neurons and by accumulation of alpha-synuclein (aS) aggregates in the surviving neurons. The dopamine catabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL) is a highly reactive and toxic molecule that leads to aS oligomerization by covalent modifications to lysine residues. Here we show that DOPAL-induced aS oligomer formation in neurons is associated with damage of synaptic vesicles, and with alterations in the synaptic vesicles pools. To investigate the molecular mechanism that leads to synaptic impairment, we first aimed to characterize the biochemical and biophysical properties of the aS-DOPAL oligomers; heterogeneous ensembles of macromolecules able to permeabilise cholesterol-containing lipid membranes. aS-DOPAL oligomers can induce dopamine leak in an in vitro model of synaptic vesicles and in cellular models. The dopamine released, after conversion to DOPAL in the cytoplasm, could trigger a noxious cycle that further fuels the formation of aS-DOPAL oligomers, inducing neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree species identity and tree genotypes contribute to the shaping of soil microbial communities. However, knowledge about how these two factors influence soil ecosystem functions is still lacking. Furthermore, in forest ecosystems tree genotypes co-occur and interact with each other, thus the effects of tree genotypic diversity on soil ecosystem functions merit attention. Here we investigated the effects of tree species, tree genotypes and genotypic diversity levels, alongside soil physicochemical properties, on the overall and specific soil enzyme activity patterns. Our results indicate that tree species identity, tree genotypes and genotypic diversity level have significant influences on overall and specific soil enzyme activity patterns. These three factors influence soil enzyme patterns partly through effects on soil physicochemical properties and substrate quality. Variance partitioning showed that tree species identity, genotypic diversity level, pH and water content all together explained ~30% variations in the overall patterns of soil enzymes. However, we also found that the responses of soil ecosystem functions to tree genotypes and genotypic diversity are complex, being dependent on tree species identity and controlled by multiple factors. Our study highlights the important of inter- and intra-specific variations in tree species in shaping soil ecosystem functions in a subtropical forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]