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PeerJ 2024The volcano rabbit () is a lagomorph endemic to the central mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and is classified as threatened at extinction risk. It is a...
The volcano rabbit () is a lagomorph endemic to the central mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and is classified as threatened at extinction risk. It is a habitat specialist in bunchgrass communities. The annual wildfires that occur throughout its distribution range are a vulnerability factor for the species. However, the effects of wildfires on volcano rabbit populations are not fully understood. We evaluated the occupancy and change in the volcano rabbit relative abundance index in the burned bunchgrass communities of the Ajusco-Chichinautzin Mountain Range during an annual cycle of wildfire events. Additionally, we assessed the factors that favor and limit occupation and reoccupation by the volcano rabbit using the relative abundance index in burned plots as an indicator of these processes. The explanatory factors for the response of the volcano rabbit were its presence in the nearby unburned bunchgrasses, the height of three species of bunchgrass communities, the proportion of different types of vegetation cover within a 500 m radius around the burned plots, heterogeneity of the vegetation cover, and the extent of the wildfire. Statistical analyses indicated possible reoccupation in less than a year in burned bunchgrass communities adjacent to unburned bunchgrass communities with volcano rabbits. The relative abundance index of volcano rabbits was not favored when the maximum height of the bunchgrass community was less than 0.77 m. When the vegetation around the burned plots was dominated by forest (cover >30% of the buffer) and the fire was extensive, the number of latrines decreased per month but increased when the bunchgrass and shrub cover was greater around the burned plots. While the statistical results are not conclusive, our findings indicate a direction for future projects, considering extensive monitoring to obtain a greater number of samples that contribute to consolidating the models presented.
Topics: Animals; Wildfires; Mexico; Ecosystem; Lagomorpha; Rabbits; Poaceae
PubMed: 38952973
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17510 -
RSC Advances Jun 2024The adsorbent material humic acid-coated FeO nanoparticle-modified biochar from filamentous green algae was fabricated by introducing the composites of humic acid-coated...
The adsorbent material humic acid-coated FeO nanoparticle-modified biochar from filamentous green algae was fabricated by introducing the composites of humic acid-coated FeO nanoparticles onto biochar from filamentous green algae using the co-precipitation method. Then, the removal of U(vi) from solution by humic acid-FeO/BC was carried out through batch experiments. The results of the characterization showed that the reaction conditions had an important influence on U(vi) removal by humic acid-FeO/BC. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model better illustrate the adsorption process of U(vi) on the surface of humic acid-FeO/BC. The adsorption processes were dominated by chemisorption and monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of U(vi) by humic acid-FeO/BC could be calculated, and it could reach 555.56 mg g. The probable mechanisms of U(vi) removal by humic acid-FeO/BC were reduction reaction, inner-sphere surface complexation and electrostatic adsorption. The high stability and reusability of humic acid-FeO/BC made it more promising in U(vi) removal applications.
PubMed: 38952931
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra03421j -
Frontiers in Physiology 2024The present study aimed to investigate a) the associations between bilateral performance utilizing countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), speed and unilateral CMJ,...
PURPOSE
The present study aimed to investigate a) the associations between bilateral performance utilizing countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), speed and unilateral CMJ, isokinetic peak torque in knee extension and flexion with angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s and tensiomyography (TMG) parameters; b) whether the asymmetries derived from unilateral tests are associated with bilateral CMJ, SJ and speed in elite female soccer players.
METHODS
Thirty-five elite female soccer players (average age: 20 ± 5 years) completed CMJ, SJ, speed, isokinetic muscle strength and TMG tests.
RESULTS
Compared to the non-dominant leg, the dominant leg demonstrated greater peak torque output in both knee flexion (7.4%) and knee extension (5.6%) isokinetic tasks, as well as m. vastus medialis contraction time (7.6%), and soccer-specific agility test (4.1%). Conversely, the hamstring to quadriceps peak torque ratio at 180°/s (8.5%) was significantly greater in the non-dominant leg. The associations between CMJ, SJ and speed performance were positive and ranged from weak ( = 0.350) to high ( = 0.710). For speed and TMG-derived variables, correlations were negative and ranged from weak ( = -0.345, = 0.042, for vastus medialis contraction time) to moderate ( = -0.530, = 0.001, for biceps femoris contraction time). Furthermore, both bilateral CMJ and SJ negatively correlated with TMG-derived variables, ranging from weak ( = -0.350, = 0.039, for vastus lateralis contraction time) to moderate ( = -0.537, = 0.003, for rectus femoris contraction time).
CONCLUSION
The overall significant, albeit inconsistent, correlations between the diverse performance scores obtained highlight the necessity for a multifaceted and thorough diagnostic strategy in female soccer players.
PubMed: 38952868
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1298159 -
Virus Evolution 2024Animal rotaviruses A (RVAs) are considered the source of emerging, novel RVA strains that have the potential to cause global spread in humans. A case in point was the...
Evolution of DS-1-like G8P[8] rotavirus A strains from Vietnamese children with acute gastroenteritis (2014-21): Adaptation and loss of animal rotavirus-derived during human-to-human spread.
Animal rotaviruses A (RVAs) are considered the source of emerging, novel RVA strains that have the potential to cause global spread in humans. A case in point was the emergence of G8 bovine RVA consisting of the P[8] VP4 and the DS-1-like backbone that appeared to have jumped into humans recently. However, it was not well documented what evolutionary changes occurred on the animal RVA-derived during circulation in humans. Rotavirus surveillance in Vietnam found that DS-1-like G8P[8] strains emerged in 2014, circulated in two prevalent waves, and disappeared in 2021. This surveillance provided us with a unique opportunity to investigate the whole process of evolutionary changes, which occurred in an animal RVA that had jumped the host species barrier. Of the 843 G8P[8] samples collected from children with acute diarrhoea in Vietnam between 2014 and 2021, fifty-eight strains were selected based on their distinctive electropherotypes of the genomic RNA identified using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Whole-genome sequence analysis of those fifty-eight strains showed that the strains dominant during the first wave of prevalence (2014-17) carried animal RVA-derived VP1, NSP2, and NSP4 . However, the strains from the second wave of prevalence (2018-21) lost these , which were replaced with cognate human RVA-derived , thus creating strain with G8P[8] on a fully DS-1-like human RVA backbone. The G8 VP7 and P[8] VP4 s underwent some point mutations but the phylogenetic lineages to which they belonged remained unchanged. We, therefore, propose a hypothesis regarding the tendency for the animal RVA-derived to be expelled from the backbone of the progeny strains after crossing the host species barrier. This study underlines the importance of long-term surveillance of circulating wild-type strains in order to better understand the adaptation process and the fate of newly emerging, animal-derived RVA among the human population. Further studies are warranted to disclose the molecular mechanisms by which spillover animal RVAs become readily transmissible among humans, and the roles played by the expulsion of animal-derived and herd immunity formed in the local population.
PubMed: 38952820
DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae045 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... May 2024The microbiota can promote host health by inhibiting pathogen colonization, yet how host-resident fungi, or the mycobiota, contribute to this process remains unclear....
UNLABELLED
The microbiota can promote host health by inhibiting pathogen colonization, yet how host-resident fungi, or the mycobiota, contribute to this process remains unclear. The human skin mycobiota is uniquely stable compared to other body sites and dominated by yeasts of the genus . We observe that colonization of human skin by significantly reduces subsequent colonization by the prominent bacterial pathogen . secreted products possess potent bactericidal activity against and are sufficient to impair skin colonization. This bactericidal activity requires an acidic environment and is exacerbated by free fatty acids, demonstrating a unique synergy with host-derived epidermal defenses. Leveraging experimental evolution to pinpoint mechanisms of adaptation in response to the skin mycobiota, we identified multiple mutations in the stringent response regulator Rel that promote survival against . Similar Rel alleles have been reported in clinical isolates, and natural Rel variants are sufficient for tolerance to antagonism. Partial stringent response activation underlies tolerance to clinical antibiotics, with both laboratory-evolved and natural Rel variants conferring multidrug tolerance. These findings demonstrate the ability of the mycobiota to mediate pathogen colonization resistance, identify new mechanisms of bacterial adaptation in response to fungal antagonism, and reveal the potential for microbiota-driven evolution to shape pathogen antibiotic susceptibility.
HIGHLIGHTS
- reduces colonization of human skin by - Bactericidal activity of is exacerbated by features of the skin niche - Rel variants are sufficient for tolerance to antagonism - Evolved tolerance to yeast antagonism coincides with multidrug tolerance.
PubMed: 38952794
DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.03.592489 -
IScience Jun 2024Plasticity during the critical period is important for the functional maturation of cortical neurons. While characteristics of plasticity are diverse among cortical...
Plasticity during the critical period is important for the functional maturation of cortical neurons. While characteristics of plasticity are diverse among cortical layers, it is unknown whether critical period timing is controlled by a common or unique molecular mechanism among them. We here clarified layer-specific regulation of the critical period timing of ocular dominance plasticity in the primary visual cortex. Mice lacking the endocannabinoid synthesis enzyme diacylglycerol lipase-α exhibited precocious critical period timing, earlier maturation of inhibitory synaptic function in layers 2/3 and 4, and impaired development of the binocular matching of orientation selectivity exclusively in layer 2/3. Activation of cannabinoid receptor restored ocular dominance plasticity at the normal critical period in layer 2/3. Suppression of GABA receptor rescued precocious ocular dominance plasticity in layer 4. Therefore, endocannabinoids regulate critical period timing and maturation of visual function partly through the development of inhibitory synaptic functions in a layer-dependent manner.
PubMed: 38952682
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110145 -
Ecology and Evolution Jul 2024Despite their crucial role in determining the fate of seeds, the type and breaking mode of seed dormancy in peatland plants in temperate Asia with a continental monsoon...
Despite their crucial role in determining the fate of seeds, the type and breaking mode of seed dormancy in peatland plants in temperate Asia with a continental monsoon climate are rarely known. Fifteen common peatland plant species were used to test their seed germination response to various dormancy-breaking treatments, including dry storage (D), gibberellin acid soaking (GA), cold stratification (CS), warm followed cold stratification (WCS), GA soaking + cold stratification (GA + CS) and GA soaking + warm followed cold stratification (GA + WCS). Germination experiment, viability and imbibition test, and morphological observation of embryos were conducted. Of the 15 species, nine showed physiological dormancy (PD), with non-deep PD being the dominant type. Four species, , , , and exhibited morphophysiological dormancy. Two species, and , demonstrated nondormancy. Overall, the effect hierarchy of dormancy-breaking is: CS > GA > WCS > GA + CS > D > GA + WCS. Principal component analysis demonstrated that seed traits, including embryo length: seed length ratio, seed size, and monocot/eudicot divergence, are more likely to influence seed dormancy than environmental factors. Our study suggests that nearly 90% of the tested peatland plant species in the Changbai Mountains demonstrated seed dormancy, and seed traits (e.g. embryo-to-seed ratio and seed size) and abiotic environmental factors (e.g. pH and temperature seasonality) are related to germination behavior, suggesting seed dormancy being a common adaptation strategy for the peatland plants in the temperate montane environment.
PubMed: 38952654
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11671 -
Ecology and Evolution Jul 2024Urban environments expose wildlife to levels of anthropogenic noise they would not experience in rural areas (e.g., traffic noise), and research suggests that many...
Urban environments expose wildlife to levels of anthropogenic noise they would not experience in rural areas (e.g., traffic noise), and research suggests that many species adjust their acoustic signals for optimal transmission in urban soundscapes. However, our understanding of anuran (order Anura) responses to noise pollution in urban environments of the southeastern United States is limited, particularly for species that can breed during winter. Our goal was to examine how vocal anuran advertisement call characteristics during winter varied with increasing distance from roadways in bottomland hardwoods of Louisiana, USA. We deployed acoustic recording units at two sites (i.e., rural and urban) perpendicular to Interstate 10 at 200-, 400-, and 600-m intervals (i.e., close, middle, and far) from November 2019 to January 2020. We detected Cajun Chorus Frogs () and Cricket Frogs ( spp.) at our rural site, and only detected Cricket Frogs at our urban site. At the rural site, Cajun Chorus Frogs produced longer duration notes at the far location compared to the middle location. At the urban site, Cricket Frogs produced higher dominant frequency calls at the close location compared to the far and middle locations and longer duration notes at the far location compared to the close location. We were unable to account for additional factors in our models (e.g., temperature, noise levels), but our results generally align with previous research. Our study provides baseline data for future research to examine the potential effects of traffic noise on winter advertisement calls in locations with similar environmental conditions and species.
PubMed: 38952649
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11679 -
Journal of Physical Therapy Science Jul 2024[Purpose] This study aimed to determine whether applying electrical stimulation to the deltoid and extensor digitorum muscles could lead to a reduction in fixation force...
[Purpose] This study aimed to determine whether applying electrical stimulation to the deltoid and extensor digitorum muscles could lead to a reduction in fixation force during shoulder joint adduction and grip strength. [Participants and Methods] Fifteen healthy adult males participated in this study. In the shoulder adduction force experiment, the middle fibers of the deltoid muscle of the dominant arm were electrically stimulated. In the grip strength experiment, the extensor digitorum muscle of the dominant arm was electrically stimulated. The forces exerted with and without the electrical stimulation were measured. [Results] The torque of the shoulder adduction force decreased significantly with electrical stimulation, while no significant change was observed in normalized grip strength with electrical stimulation. [Conclusion] The response of antagonist muscles to electrical stimulation varied according to location.
PubMed: 38952462
DOI: 10.1589/jpts.36.378 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) is a key pathogen for the swine industry at a global level. Nine genotypes, differing in epidemiology and potentially virulence, emerged...
INTRODUCTION
Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) is a key pathogen for the swine industry at a global level. Nine genotypes, differing in epidemiology and potentially virulence, emerged over time, with PCV-2a, -2b, and -2d being the most widespread and clinically relevant. Conversely, the distribution of minor genotypes appears geographically and temporally restricted, suggesting lower virulence and different epidemiological drivers. In 2022, PCV-2e, the most genetically and phenotypically divergent genotype, was identified in multiple rural farms in North-eastern Italy. Since rural pigs often have access to outdoor environment, the introduction from wild boars was investigated.
METHODS
Through a molecular and spatial approach, this study investigated the epidemiology and genetic diversity of PCV-2 in 122 wild boars across different provinces of North-eastern Italy.
RESULTS
Molecular analysis revealed a high PCV-2 frequency (81.1%, 99/122), and classified the majority of strains as PCV-2d (96.3%, 78/81), with sporadic occurrences of PCV-2a (1.2%, 1/81) and PCV-2b (2.5%, 2/81) genotypes. A viral flow directed primarily from domestic pigs to wild boars was estimated by phylogenetic and phylodynamic analyses.
DISCUSSION
These findings attested that the genotype replacement so far described only in the Italian domestic swine sector occurred also in wild boars. and suggested that the current heterogeneity of PCV-2d strains in Italian wild boars likely depends more on different introduction events from the domestic population rather than the presence of independent evolutionary pressures. While this might suggest PCV-2 circulation in wild boars having a marginal impact in the industrial sector, the sharing of PCV-2d strains across distinct wild populations, in absence of a consistent geographical pattern, suggests a complex interplay between domestic and wild pig populations, emphasizing the importance of improved biosecurity measures to mitigate the risk of pathogen transmission.
PubMed: 38952451
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1412615