Classifying the evolutionary and ecological features of neoplasms

Abstract Background Relapsing fever (RF) borreliae are arthropod-borne spirochetes and some of them cause human diseases, which are characterized by relapsing or recurring episodes of fever. Recently, it has been classified into two groups: soft tick-borne RF (STRF) borreliae and hard tick-borne RF (HTRF) borreliae. STRF borreliae include classical RF agents and HTRF borreliae, the latter of which include B. miyamotoi, a human pathogen recently identified in Eurasia and North America. Results In this study, we determined the genome sequences of 16 HTRF borreliae strains: 15 B. miyamotoi strains (9 from Hokkaido Island, Japan, 3 from Honshu Island, Japan, and 3 from Mongolia) and a Borrelia sp. tHM16w. Chromosomal gene synteny was highly conserved among the HTRF strains sequenced in this study, even though they were isolated from different geographic regions and different tick species. Phylogenetic analysis based on core gene sequences revealed that HTRF and STRF borreliae are clearly distinguishable, with each forming a monophyletic group in the RF borreliae lineage. Moreover, the evolutionary relationships of RF borreliae are consistent with the biological and ecological features of each RF borreliae sublineage and can explain the unique characteristics of Borrelia anserina. In addition, the pairwise genetic distances between HTRF borreliae strains were well correlated with those of vector species rather than with the geographical distances between strain isolation sites. This result suggests that the genetic diversification of HTRF borreliae is attributed to the speciation of vector ticks and that this relationship might be required for efficient transmission of HTRF borreliae within vector ticks. Conclusions The results of the present study, together with those from previous investigations, support the hypothesis that the common ancestor of borreliae was transmitted by hard-bodied ticks and that only STRF borreliae switched to using soft-bodied ticks as a vector, which was followed by the emergence of Borrelia recurrentis, lice-borne RF borreliae. Our study clarifies the phylogenetic relationships between RF borreliae, and the data obtained will contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary history of RF borreliae.

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Current plant ecological features reflect historical forest management systems in semi-arid oak forests

Ecological Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 167 ◽

pp. 106268

Author(s):

Mehdi Heydari ◽

Sina Attar Roshan ◽

Reza Omidipour ◽

Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja ◽

Bernard Prévosto

Keyword(s):

Forest Management ◽

Management Systems ◽

Oak Forests ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Plant Ecological ◽

Historical Forest ◽

Semi Arid

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Larval description of Drusus bosnicus Klapálek 1899 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae), with distributional, molecular and ecological features

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.3957.1.7 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3957 (1) ◽

pp. 85 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

MLADEN KUČINIĆ ◽

ANA PREVIŠIĆ ◽

WOLFRAM GRAF ◽

IVA MIHOCI ◽

MARIN ŠOUFEK ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Features

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Two new species in the Ficinia indica complex (Cyperaceae, tribe Cypereae) from South Africa

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.295.1.4 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 295 (1) ◽

pp. 49

Author(s):

ALUWANI A. TSHIILA ◽

SAMSON B.M. CHIMPHANGO ◽

JAN-ADRIAAN VILJOEN ◽

A. MUTHAMA MUASYA

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Region Growing ◽

Distinct Species ◽

Cape Floristic Region ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Similar Species ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Dichotomous Key ◽

As Species ◽

Two New Species

Unclear boundaries between species hinder identification in the field and in herbaria, especially in species groups that can only be distinguished on the basis of subtle morphological and ecological features. One such taxon is Ficinia indica, widespread in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, growing on deep sandy soils between sea level and 1000 m elevation. Within its range, several phylogenetically related and morphologically similar species co-occur or occupy distinct habitats. Studies in herbaria show species in the Ficinia indica complex to be largely misidentified based on the use of qualitative information. Here, we investigate whether the six taxa recognized, based on one or a few characters, are supported as distinct species based on multivariate analysis of macro-morphological data. Two of the taxa were mostly separated whereas the other four taxa overlapped in multivariate space, but all the taxa could be distinguished using a single or a combination of morphological and ecological characters. We uphold the four previously recognized taxa (Ficinia argyropus, F. elatior, F. indica, F. laevis) as species, describe two new species (F. arnoldii and F. montana), and provide a dichotomous key for their identification.

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Biogeochemical and ecological features of sinking particulate matter in the deep Ionian Sea (E. Mediterranean) during a 10-year time series study: impacts of atmospheric and oceanographic variabilities on carbon production and sequestration

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-15201 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Gogou ◽

Constantine Parinos ◽

Spyros Stavrakakis ◽

Emmanouil Proestakis ◽

Maria Kanakidou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particulate Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Carbon Cycle ◽

Atmospheric Deposition ◽

Water Column ◽

Particulate Organic Carbon ◽

Nutrient Dynamics ◽

Ionian Sea ◽

Ecological Features ◽

The Impact

Biotic and abiotic processes that form, alter, transport, and remineralize particulate organic carbon, silicon, calcium carbonate, and other minor and trace chemical species in the water column are central to the ocean&#8217;s ecological and biogeochemical functioning and of fundamental importance to the ocean carbon cycle. Sinking particulate matter is the major vehicle for exporting carbon from the sea surface to the deep sea. During its transit towards the sea floor, most particulate organic carbon (POC) is returned to inorganic form and redistributed in the water column. This redistribution determines the surface concentration of dissolved CO2, and hence the rate at which the ocean can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The ability to predict quantitatively the depth profile of remineralization is therefore critical to deciphering the response of the global carbon cycle to natural and human-induced changes.Aiming to investigate the significant biogeochemical and ecological features and provide new insights on the sources and cycles of sinking particulate matter, a mooring line of five sediment traps was deployed from 2006 to 2015 (with some gap periods) at 5 successive water column depths (700, 1200, 2000, 3200 and 4300 m) in the SE Ionian Sea, northeastern Mediterranean (&#8216;NESTOR&#8217; site). We have examined the long-term records of downward fluxes for Corg, Ntot, &#948;13Corg and &#948;15Ntot, along with the associated ballast minerals (opal, lithogenics and CaCO3), lipid biomarkers, Chl-a and PP rates, phytoplankton composition, nutrient dynamics and atmospheric deposition. &#160;The satellite-derived seasonal and interannual variability of phytoplankton metrics (biomass and phenology) and atmospheric deposition (meteorology and air masses origin) was examined for the period of the sediment trap experiment. Regarding the atmospheric deposition, synergistic opportunities using Earth Observation satellite lidar and radiometer systems are proposed (e.g. Cloud&#8208;Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization - CALIOP, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer - MODIS), aiming towards a four&#8208;dimensional exploitation of atmospheric aerosol loading (e.g. Dust Optical Depth) in the study area.Our main goals are to: i) develop a comprehensive knowledge of carbon fluxes and associated mineral ballast fluxes from the epipelagic to the mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers, ii) elucidate the mechanisms governing marine productivity and carbon export and sequestration to depth and iii) shed light on the impact of atmospheric forcing and deposition in respect to regional and large scale circulation patterns and climate variability and the prevailing oceanographic processes (internal variability).AcknowledgmentsWe acknowledge support of this work by the Action &#8216;National Network on Climate Change and its Impacts &#8211; CLIMPACT&#8217;, funded by the Public Investment Program of Greece (GSRT, Ministry of Development and Investments).

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Ecological Features of Spontaneous Vascular Flora of Serpentine Post-Mining Sites in Lower Silesia

Archives of Environmental Protection ◽

10.2478/aep-2014-0014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 33-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Dorota Kasowska ◽

Anna Koszelnik-Leszek

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Seed Dispersal ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Mining Waste ◽

Soil Reaction ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Waste Dumps ◽

Trophic Preferences ◽

Study Sites ◽

Lower Silesia

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the ecological characteristics of vascular plants colonizing serpentine mining waste dumps and quarries in Lower Silesia. The investigated flora was analyzed with regard to species composition, geographical-historical status, life forms, as well as selected ecological factors, such as light and trophic preferences, soil moisture and reaction, value of resistance to increased heavy metals content in the soil, seed dispersal modes and occurrence of mycorrhiza. There were 113 species of vascular plants, belonging to 28 families, found on seven sites in the study. The most numerous families were Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae and Caryophyllaceae. Only 13% of all plants recorded occurred on at least five of the study sites. The most numerous were species related to dry grassland communities, particularly of the Festuco-Brometea class, which included taxa endangered in the region of Lower Silesia: Avenula pratensis, Salvia pratensis, Festuca valesiaca. Apophytes dominated in the flora of the investigated communities. Hemicryptophytes were the most numerous group and therophytes were also abundant. The serpentine mining waste dumps and querries hosted heliophilous species which prefer mesic or dry habitats moderately poor in nutrients, featuring neutral soil reaction. On two study sites 30% of the flora composition consisted of species that tolerate an increased content of heavy metals in the soil. Anemochoric species were the most numerous with regard to types of seed dispersal. Species with an arbuscular type of mycorrhiza were definitely dominant in the flora of all the study sites, however, the number of nonmycorrhizal species was also relatively high. It was suggested that both the specific characteristics of the habitats from serpentine mining and the vegetation of adjacent areas had a major impact on the flora composition of the communities in the investigated sites.

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Morpho-structural and ecological features of a shallow vermetid bioconstruction in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean Sea, Italy)

Journal of Sea Research ◽

10.1016/j.seares.2017.10.004 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 131 ◽

pp. 61-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Luigia Donnarumma ◽

Roberto Sandulli ◽

Luca Appolloni ◽

Floriana Di Stefano ◽

Giovanni Fulvio Russo

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Tyrrhenian Sea ◽

Ecological Features

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Landscape genetics in mammals

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mammalia-2012-0142 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 78 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Claudine Montgelard ◽

Saliha Zenboudji ◽

Anne-Laure Ferchaud ◽

Véronique Arnal ◽

Bettine Jansen van Vuuren

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Gene Flow ◽

Landscape Genetics ◽

Metapopulation Dynamics ◽

Local Adaptations ◽

Future Developments ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Genetic Patterns ◽

The Individual

AbstractThe focus of this review is on landscape genetics (LG), a relatively new discipline that arose approximately 10 years ago. LG spans the interface between population genetics and landscape ecology and thus incorporates the concepts, methods, and tools from both disciplines. On the basis of an understanding of the spatial distribution of genetic diversity, LG aims to explain how landscape and environmental characteristics influence microevolutionary processes and metapopulation dynamics, including gene flow (i.e., connectivity) and selection (i.e., local adaptations). LG is concerned with events that occurred during the recent time scale, and the individual is the operational unit. As a discipline that combines spatial genetic diversity with ecological features, LG is able to address questions relating to different evolutionary processes. We illustrate some of these here using examples taken from mammals: population structure; gene flow and the identification of barriers; fragmentation, connectivity, and corridors; local adaptation and selection; there are two different questions: applications in conservation genetics; and future developments in LG. We will then present the methods and tools commonly used in the different steps of LG analyses: the genetic and landscape sampling, the quantification of genetic variation, the characterization of spatial landscape structures, and finally, the correlation between genetic patterns and landscape features.

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Ecologically safe methods for presowing treatment of cereal seeds

Ukrainian Journal of Ecology ◽

10.15421/2019_77 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 198-207

Author(s):

V. V. Bezpal'ko ◽

L. V. Zhukova ◽

S. V. Stankevich ◽

Yu. H. Ogurtsov ◽

I. I. Klymenko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Seed Production ◽

High Frequency ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Spring Barley ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Extremely High Frequency ◽

Presowing Treatment ◽

Before And After ◽

Crop Capacity

We analyzed various sources of scientific literature and our data at the experimental field of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences Plant Growing Institute named after V.Ya. Yuryev within 2010-2013. The irradiation of winter wheat and spring barley seeds with the electromagnetic fields of the extremely high frequencies (MWF of EHF) was carried out with the help of the equipment of the Kharkiv Technical University of Radio Electronics. The treatment of seeds with the microwave oscillations of the extremely high frequency electromagnetic field (MWF of EHF) that is widely used for the operation of many radio and home microwave devices was done at the frequency range of 2.5-3.4 GHz, at the power of 0.9-1.8 kW for 5-95 seconds per 1 kg of seeds. The sowing quality of the seeds before and after treatment was determined in accordance with the current State Standard of Ukraine 4138-2002 in the laboratory of the seed production and seed science of the Plant Growing Institute named after V.Ya. Yuryev. The field experiments were performed in the crop rotation laboratory of the seed production and seed science. Pea for grain was sown before spring barley and the black fallow preceded winter wheat. During the experiments the area of the studied plot was 20 m2, the recurrence was four-times, and the placement of the plots were systemic.We suggested the optimum regimes of seeds irradiation with the microwave field of an extremely high frequency (MWF of EHF). They should be at range of 2.4-3.4 GHz with the power consumption of 0.9 kW per 1 kg of seed and at exposure of 45 seconds of 1.8 kW per 1 kg of seeds and exposure of 15-20 seconds. Such regimes cause the increased energy of germination, seeds sprouting, and crop capacity. We proposed to use this solution for improving and increasing the ecological features of winter wheat and spring barley by using the presowing microwave irradiation of seeds instead of chemical treatment. We considered the complex presowing treatment of seeds with MWF of EHF in combination with the plant growth regulators should be adopted and further enhanced.

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Ecological and botanical features of the railroads flora of the Middle Volga Region

Samara Journal of Science ◽

10.17816/snv201871117 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 91-97

Author(s):

Nikolay Alexandrovich Nikitin

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Decisive Role ◽

Volga Region ◽

Individual Growth ◽

Middle Volga Region ◽

Biological Features ◽

Railroad Tracks ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Functional Zones ◽

Middle Volga

The paper summarizes the study of ecological characteristics of the Railways flora in the Middle Volga Region. The author comes to the conclusion that in most cases there arent any significant differences between aboriginal and alien species of the Railways flora, as well as their settlement of functional zones. The most significant differences have been recorded between aboriginal and alien species in the addition of families, which in turn does not have a decisive role in their addition to the flora as a whole. The author thinks that ecological features of the territory of individual growth are more important than biological features of species and families in the formation of the Railways flora. The developed scale of oppression allowed to determine characteristics of a particular individual. In the course of the research the dependence between the degree of oppression of plant organisms and the distance to the railroad tracks was established. The author found no significant differences in reactogenicity between the indigenous and alien species at active human impact on the Railways - both groups showed similar trends of oppression.

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