Mathematical model reveals that heterogeneity in the number of ion transporters regulates the fraction of mouse sperm capacitation

Capacitation is a complex maturation process mammalian sperm must undergo in the female genital tract to be able to fertilize an egg. This process involves, amongst others, physiological changes in flagellar beating pattern, membrane potential, intracellular ion concentrations and protein phosphorylation. Typically, in a capacitation medium, only a fraction of sperm achieve this state. The cause for this heterogeneous response is still not well understood and remains an open question. Here, one of our principal results is to develop a discrete regulatory network, with mostly deterministic dynamics in conjunction with some stochastic elements, for the main biochemical and biophysical processes involved in the early events of capacitation. The model criterion for capacitation requires the convergence of specific levels of a select set of nodes. Besides reproducing several experimental results and providing some insight on the network interrelations, the main contribution of the model is the suggestion that the degree of variability in the total amount and individual number of ion transporters among spermatozoa regulates the fraction of capacitated spermatozoa. This conclusion is consistent with recently reported experimental results. Based on this mathematical analysis, experimental clues are proposed for the control of capacitation levels. Furthermore, cooperative and interference traits that become apparent in the modelling among some components also call for future theoretical and experimental studies.

Assessment of African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) Population Structure in Kilwa District, Tanzania

Overharvesting and limited conservation efforts have posed a serious threat to future availability of Dalbergia melanoxylon in Tanzania in recent years. The study was conducted between 2018 and 2020 covering Mitarure Forest Reserve (MFR) and 2 surrounding community forests of Ngea and Nambawala in Kilwa District. The purpose of the study was to assess the existing population status of the species in Tanzania. A total of 36 circular plots in Mitarure and 15 plots in each community forest were laid down. Data were recorded for the number of stems per plot, and then converted on per hectare basis where the basal area and densities per hectare were calculated. Data was disaggregated into 5 Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) generated distribution classes ranging from DBH 0 to more than 45 cm. The results revealed that, there was a contrast between the Mitarure Forest Reserve and community forests in terms of individual number of trees per unit area, basal area and densities. The numbers of stems per hectare for the species were found to be 16, 10 and 8 stems/ha in Mitarure, Ngea and Nambawala forest, respectively. Dalbergia melanoxylon in Mitarure forest was normally distributed. The respective basal area was over 80 m2 per ha in Nambawala against over 60 in MFR and Ngea. The results suggest success of the communities in conserving the species after previous overharvest. Authorities should frequently visit forests to increase the population of the species and reduce unauthorised harvesting. Keywords: Dalbegia melanoxylon, Population structure, Mitarure forest reserve, Ngea and Nambawala community forests.

Horseradish Essential Oil as a Promising Anti-Algal Product for Prevention of Phytoplankton Proliferation and Biofouling

Increased proliferation of algae is a current problem in natural and artificial water bodies. Controlling nutrients is the most sustainable treatment of increased algal proliferation, however in certain cases, it is not sufficiently available, or it does not provide results fast enough. Chemicals derived from natural sources, which could be effective in low concentrations and are biodegradable, may have an advantage over conventional chemical treatments. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-cyanobacterial and anti-algal properties of allyl-isothiocyanate-containing essential oil produced from horseradish roots with a complex approach of the topic: on laboratory strains of cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae, on microcosms containing natural phytoplankton assemblages, and on semi-natural biofilms. The results show that acute treatment can significantly reduce the viability of all the tested cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae. Results of microcosm experiments with natural phytoplankton assemblages show that horseradish essential oil from 7.1 × 10−6% (v/v) is applicable to push back phytoplankton proliferation even in natural assemblages. The individual number in the biofilm was dropped down to one-fifth of the original individual number, so 7.1 × 10−6% (v/v) and higher concentration of the essential oil can be considered as a successful treatment against biofouling.

POTENTIAL OF CARBON STORAGE IN ANGSANA PLANT (Pterocarpus indicus Willd) IN ILIR BARAT I DISTRICT, PALEMBANG CITY

This aims of the study is to determine the potential for carbon deposits and uptake in Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus Willd) tree species. This research was carried out in December 2019. To determine the potential for carbon storage, the Allometric Equation formula was used to estimate biomass stored in it. A half of the biomass is carbon content stored. The results of this study showed that the largest estimation of carbon storage in green space of Ilir Barat I District at the point of observation of GOR / PSCC with a total carbon content of 17,999 tons / ha with an individual number of 23 species of Angsana plants (Pterocarpus indicus Willd). For the District of Ilir Barat I in the City of Palembang, it is expected to increase the number of Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus Willd) plants because these plants can absorb enough carbon and have strong roots

o2geosocial: Reconstructing who-infected-whom from routinely collected surveillance data

Reconstructing the history of individual transmission events between cases is key to understanding what factors facilitate the spread of an infectious disease. Since conducting extended contact-tracing investigations can be logistically challenging and costly, statistical inference methods have been developed to reconstruct transmission trees from onset dates and genetic sequences. However, these methods are not as effective if the mutation rate of the virus is very slow, or if sequencing data is sparse. We developed the package o2geosocial to combine variables from routinely collected surveillance data with a simple transmission process model. The model reconstructs transmission trees when full genetic sequences are unavailable, or uninformative. Our model incorporates the reported age-group, onset date, location and genotype of infected cases to infer probabilistic transmission trees. The package also includes functions to summarise and visualise the inferred cluster size distribution. The results generated by o2geosocial can highlight regions where importations repeatedly caused large outbreaks, which may indicate a higher regional susceptibility to infections. It can also be used to generate the individual number of secondary transmissions, and show the features associated with individuals involved in high transmission events. The package is available for download from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) and GitHub.

Podometrics in Japanese Living Donor Kidneys: Associations with Nephron Number, Age, and Hypertension

BackgroundPodocyte depletion, low nephron number, aging, and hypertension are associated with glomerulosclerosis and CKD. However, the relationship between podometrics and nephron number has not previously been examined.MethodsTo investigate podometrics and nephron number in healthy Japanese individuals, a population characterized by a relatively low nephron number, we immunostained single paraffin sections from 30 Japanese living-kidney donors (median age, 57 years) with podocyte-specific markers and analyzed images obtained with confocal microscopy. We used model-based stereology to estimate podometrics, and a combined enhanced–computed tomography/biopsy-specimen stereology method to estimate nephron number.ResultsThe median number of nonsclerotic nephrons per kidney was 659,000 (interquartile range [IQR], 564,000–825,000). The median podocyte number and podocyte density were 518 (IQR, 428–601) per tuft and 219 (IQR, 180–253) per 106μm3, respectively; these values are similar to those previously reported for other races. Total podocyte number per kidney (obtained by multiplying the individual number of nonsclerotic glomeruli by podocyte number per glomerulus) was 376 million (IQR, 259–449 million) and ranged 7.4-fold between donors. On average, these healthy kidneys lost 5.63 million podocytes per kidney per year, with most of this loss associated with glomerular loss resulting from global glomerulosclerosis, rather than podocyte loss from healthy glomeruli. Hypertension was associated with lower podocyte density and larger podocyte volume, independent of age.ConclusionsEstimation of the number of nephrons, podocytes, and other podometric parameters in individual kidneys provides new insights into the relationships between these parameters, age, and hypertension in the kidney. This approach might be of considerable value in evaluating the kidney in health and disease.

Mathematical model reveals that heterogeneity in the number of ion transporters regulates the fraction of mouse sperm capacitation

Capacitation is a complex maturation process that mammalian sperm must undergo in the female genital tract to be able to fertilize an egg. This process involves, amongst others, physiological changes in flagellar beating pattern, membrane potential, intracellular ion concentrations and protein phosphorylation. Typically, in a capacitation medium, only a fraction of sperm achieve this state. The cause for this heterogeneous response is still not well understood and remains an open question. Here, one of our principal results is to develop a discrete regulatory network, with mostly deterministic dynamics in conjunction with some stochastic elements, for the main biochemical and biophysical processes involved in the early events of capacitation. The model criterion for capacitation requires the convergence of specific levels of a select set of nodes. Besides reproducing several experimental results and providing some insight on the network interrelations, the main contribution of the model is the suggestion that the degree of variability in the total amount and individual number of ion transporters among spermatozoa regulates the fraction of capacitated spermatozoa. This conclusion is consistent with recently reported experimental results. Based on this mathematical analysis, experimental clues are proposed for the control of capacitation levels. Furthermore, synergistic and interference traits that become apparent in the modelling among some components also call for future theoretical and experimental studies.Author SummaryFertilization is one of the fundamental processes for the preservation of life. In mammals sperms undergo a complex process during their passage through the female tract known as capacitation which enables them for fertilization. At the present time it is accepted from experimental observation, though not understood, is that only a fraction of the sperm is capacitated. In this work, by means of a network mathematical model for regulatory spermatozoa intracellular signaling processes involved in mice capacitation, we find that the variability in the distribution of the number of ion transporters intervenes in the regulation of the capacitation fraction. Experimental verification of this suggestion could open a line of research geared to the regulation of the degree of heterogeneity in the number of ion transporters as a fertility control. The model also uncovers through in silico hyperactivation, loss of function and knockout of network elements, synergetic traits which again call for experimental verification.

o2geosocial: Reconstructing who-infected-whom from routinely collected surveillance data

Reconstructing the history of individual transmission events between cases is key to understanding what factors facilitate the spread of an infectious disease. Since conducting extended contact-tracing investigations can be logistically challenging and costly, statistical inference methods have been developed to reconstruct transmission trees from onset dates and genetic sequences. However, these methods are not as effective if the mutation rate of the virus is very slow, or if sequencing data is sparse. We developed the package o2geosocial to combine variables from routinely collected surveillance data with a simple transmission process model. The model reconstructs transmission trees when full genetic sequences are not available, or uninformative. Our model incorporates the reported age-group, onset date, location and genotype of infected cases to infer probabilistic transmission trees. The package also includes functions to summarise and visualise the inferred cluster size distribution. The results generated by o2geosocial can highlight regions where importations repeatedly caused large outbreaks, which may indicate a higher regional susceptibility to infections. It can also be used to generate the individual number of secondary transmissions, and show the features associated with individuals involved in high transmission events. The package is available for download from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) and GitHub.

Results of an empirical study on the effectiveness of urgent measures in the Republic of Serbia

Contemporary legislation, not only criminal and criminal proceedings law, has entered a new stage, that is currently underway and that is reflected in significant reforms and new legislation, as well as seeking new solutions to increase efficiency in preventing and combating domestic violence. The Republic of Serbia embarked on this path by adopting the Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence, which should primarily intensify the preventive action of the competent state bodies in cases of domestic violence. The Law on Prevention of Domestic Violence started to be applied on June 1, 2017 and given the fact that it has been applied for the past three years, it is necessary to carry out an adequate analysis and to evaluate whether it has increased efficiency when it comes to combating domestic violence. In this regard, the subject of this paper is primarily the analysis of the practical application of urgent measures provided by the Law imposed by the police, the public prosecutor and the court. This research will cover a period of two years of applying of the law, i.e. the period from June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2019. During the research, the statistical method was used along with the methods of analysis, deduction, comparison and description. The paper will analyse: both the total and the individual number of urgent measures imposed by the police; territorial distribution of the imposed urgent measures on the territory of the Republic of Serbia; imposing of extended urgent measures by the court, and a significant aspect of this research will be dedicated to the issue of violations of the imposed urgent measures.

Keanekaragaman Makrofauna Tanah Di Zona Rehabilitasi Taman Nasional Gunung Ciremai Blok Pasirbatang Desa Karangsari Kabupaten Kuningan

Abstrak: Blok Pasirbatang adalah wilayah taman nasional gunung ciremai yang aktif untuk direklamasi disamping juga digunakan untuk wisata bumi perkemahan. Keberadaan organisme penghuni tanah berperan sangat besar dalam perbaikan kesuburan tanah tetapi juga menjadi ancaman bagi para pengunjung. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui keanekaragaman makrofauna tanah. Tanah di wilayah buper pasir batang adalah tanah latosol coklat-hingga coklat kemerahan dengan rerata pH normal 6, KTK tinggi, suhu udara mencapai 18-23, sedangkan suhu tanah dapat mencapai 17 C. �Makrofauna yang terdapat di Buper Pasir Batang terdiri dari 1 filum arthropoda dengan 10 ordo dan 13 famili. INP terbesar adalah rayap walaupun yang didapati adalah larva dengan jumlah individu larva mencapai 305. �Peran makrofauna di dominasi oleh detrivore dan juga ada jenis fauna tanah yang harus diwaspadai sebagai predator. Keanekaragaman makrofauna termasuk dalam kategori sedang dengan distribusi yang relatif merata pada semua lokasi dengan nilai C<1. Untuk rehabilitasi/penanaman perlu adanya input bahan onganik tambahan untuk meningkatkan kolonisasi makrofauna tanah sehingga akan dapat meningkatkan peran makrofauna tanah dalam mineralisasi bahan organik. Jenis Makrofauna tanah sebagai predator perlu diwaspadai agar tidak melukai pengunjung buper. Kata kunci: Tanah, makrofauna tanah, zona rehabilitasi�Abstract: �Pasirbatang Block is an area of mount ciremai national park that is active to be reclaimed in addition to also used for campground tours. The existence of soil-dwelling organisms plays a huge role in the improvement of soil fertility but also becomes a threat to visitors. This research aims to find outthevarious uniformity of soil macrophauna. Soil in the buper area of sand rods is brown-to-brown latosolsoil with a normal pH average of 6, high KTK, air temperature reaches 18-23, while the soil temperature can reach 17 C.� Macrophauna found in Buper Pasir Batang consist of 1 arthropod phylum with 10 order and 13 families. The largest INP is termites although what is found is the larvae with an individual number of larvae reaching 305.� The role of macrophauna is dominated by detrivores and there are also types of soil fauna that must be alerted as predators. Macrophauna diversity belongs to a medium category with a relatively even distribution of all locations with a value of C<1. For rehabilitation / planting there needs to be additional onganic material inputs to increase colonization of soil macrophauna so that it will be ableto increase the role of soil macrophauna in mineralization of organi materialk.� Types of soil macrophauna as predators need to be vigilant so as not to injure visitors buper.Keywords: Soil, soil macrophauna, rehabilitation zone