Lineage Divergence and Vector-Specific Adaptation Have Driven Chikungunya Virus onto Multiple Adaptive Landscapes

Since its introduction into the Caribbean in October 2013, CHIKV has rapidly spread to almost the entire neotropical region. However, its potential to further spread globally, including into more temperate climates, depends in part on its ability to be transmitted efficiently by Aedes albopictus , which can survive colder winters than A. aegypti .

Assessment of Weather and Climate-Related Risks to Human Health in Different Areas of the Krasnoyarsk Region

Introduction: Extreme climate conditions have a negative impact on human health. Purpose: The study aimed to assess weather and climate-related risks to human health in different areas of the Krasnoyarsk Region by effective temperatures estimated during two long-term observation periods. Materials and methods: We analyzed ambient temperatures (average monthly and minimum), wind speed (average and maximum), and relative humidity in the subarctic and temperate continental zones estimated during the periods of determining climatic norms in 1961–1990 and 1991–2020. The health risk was assessed on the basis of effective temperatures. Results: In the subarctic zone, the wind strength (average and maximum values) decreased, the duration of such periods increased just like the ambient temperature while the relative humidity did not change. In temperate climates, all indicators have changed. In the subarctic zone, in the second observation period, frostbite was possible within 20–30 minutes during two months (versus 3 in the first). In the temperate climate, there was no such risk to humans. At the minimum temperature and maximum wind speed in the subarctic zone, the risk of frostbite is possible during 5 months (versus 6): after 10–15 minutes during two months and after 20–30 minutes – during three months of the year. In temperate climates, frostbite is possible within 20–30 minutes during two months (versus 3 in the first period). Conclusions: In the interval of establishing climatic norms (1991–2020), a significant increase in effective temperatures was determined: in the subarctic zone with the average wind strength and temperature in February–April and June, with maximum wind and minimum temperature – in March–July; in temperate climates, in April and June, respectively. The duration of periods of health risks posed by cold temperature exposures in the subarctic climate with average wind and temperature values equaled two months (I–II), with maximum wind speed and minimum temperatures – five months (XI–III); in the temperate climate, it was null and 2 (3) months (I, II, and XII), respectively.

Endophytes from African Rice (Oryza glaberrima L.) Efficiently Colonize Asian Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Stimulating the Activity of Its Antioxidant Enzymes and Increasing the Content of Nitrogen, Carbon, and Chlorophyll

Bacterial endophytes support the adaptation of host plants to harsh environments. In this study, culturable bacterial endophytes were isolated from the African rice Oryza glaberrima L., which is well-adapted to grow with poor external inputs in the tropical region of Mali. Among these, six N-fixer strains were used to inoculate O. glaberrima RAM133 and the Asian rice O. sativa L. cv. Baldo, selected for growth in temperate climates. The colonization efficiency and the N-fixing activity were evaluated and compared for the two rice varieties. Oryza sativa-inoculated plants showed a fairly good colonization efficiency and nitrogenase activity. The inoculation of Oryza sativa with the strains Klebsiella pasteurii BDA134-6 and Phytobacter diazotrophicus BDA59-3 led to the highest nitrogenase activity. In addition, the inoculation of ‘Baldo’ plants with the strain P. diazotrophicus BDA59-3 led to a significant increase in nitrogen, carbon and chlorophyll content. Finally, ‘Baldo’ plants inoculated with Kl. pasteurii BDA134-6 showed the induction of antioxidant enzymes activity and the maintenance of nitrogen-fixation under salt stress as compared to the unstressed controls. As these endophytes efficiently colonize high-yielding crop varieties grown in cold temperate climates, they become good candidates to promote their growth under unfavorable conditions.

Relict groups of spiny frogs indicate Late Paleogene-Early Neogene trans-Tibet dispersal of thermophile faunal elements

Background The Himalaya-Tibet orogen (HTO) presents an outstanding geologically active formation that contributed to, and fostered, modern Asian biodiversity. However, our concepts of the historical biogeography of its biota are far from conclusive, as are uplift scenarios for the different parts of the HTO. Here, we revisited our previously published data set of the tribe Paini extending it with sequence data from the most western Himalayan spiny frogs Allopaa and Chrysopaa and using them as an indirect indicator for the potential paleoecological development of Tibet. Methods We obtained sequence data of two mitochondrial loci (16S rRNA, COI) and one nuclear marker (Rag1) from Allopaa samples from Kashmir Himalaya as well as Chrysopaa sequence data from the Hindu Kush available from GenBank to complement our previous data set. A Maximum likelihood and dated Bayesian gene tree were generated based on the concatenated data set. To resolve the inconsistent placement of Allopaa, we performed different topology tests. Results Consistent with previous results, the Southeast Asian genus Quasipaa is sister to all other spiny frogs. The results further reveal a basal placement of Chrysopaa relative to Allopaa and Nanorana with an estimated age of ca. 26 Mya. Based on the topology tests, the phylogenetic position of Allopaa as a sister clade to Chaparana seems to be most likely, resulting in a paraphyletic genus Nanorana and a separation from the latter clade around 20 Mya, although a basal position of Allopaa to the genus Nanorana cannot be entirely excluded. Both, the placements of Chrysopaa and Allopaa support the presence of basal Paini lineages in the far northwestern part of the HTO, which is diametrically opposite end of the HTO with respect to the ancestral area of spiny frogs in Southeast Asia. These striking distributional patterns can be most parsimoniously explained by trans-Tibet dispersal during the late Oligocene (subtropical Chrysopaa) respectively early Miocene (warm temperate Allopaa). Within spiny frogs, only members of the monophyletic Nanorana+Paa clade are adapted to the colder temperate climates, indicating that high-altitude environments did not dominate in the HTO before ca. 15 Mya. Our results are consistent with fossil records suggesting that large parts of Tibet were characterized by subtropical to warm temperate climates at least until the early Miocene. They contradict prevalent geological models of a highly uplifted late Paleogene proto-Plateau.

Climato-Economic Origins of Variations in Uniqueness of Nickname on Sina Weibo

In the world of social media, people are free to choose names based on their preferences, which may potentially reflect certain levels of uniqueness. In this study, we have attempted to explore the possibility of applying the ecological theory of individualism/collectivism in the context of social media. We, thus, examined provincial variations in the uniqueness of nicknames among more than 13 million Sina Weibo users. Initially, the nickname uniqueness indicator was set at the provincial level. It was found that the uniqueness of nicknames was the highest in provinces with temperate climates, for example Guangdong, and the lowest in provinces with demanding climate, such as Ningxia. Regression analysis results partially supported that inhabitants in provinces with temperate climate were more likely to use unique nicknames on social media compared to those from harsh climate. This finding is significant in terms of ecology.

Prunus serotina (black cherry).

P. serotina is a deciduous, single-stemmed tree, often medium- to large-sized, up 38 m in height and over 1.2 m or more in dbh in its native range in the eastern USA, though south-western varieties are much smaller. However, where introduced in Central Europe, P. serotina is mostly a shrub, only rarely a tree up to 20 m in height. Black cherry was among the first American trees to be cultivated as an ornamental in European gardens, introduced to England in 1629. In many places it has become naturalized and appears to be highly invasive. The invasive behaviour of this species in several northern and central European countries should be taken into account when considering future introductions to moist, temperate climates.