Eighty-four per cent of all Amazonian arboreal plant individuals are useful to humans

Plants have been used in Amazonian forests for millennia and some of these plants are disproportionally abundant (hyperdominant). At local scales, people generally use the most abundant plants, which may be abundant as the result of management of indigenous peoples and local communities. However, it is unknown whether plant use is also associated with abundance at larger scales. We used the population sizes of 4,454 arboreal species (trees and palms) estimated from 1946 forest plots and compiled information about uses from 29 Amazonian ethnobotany books and articles published between 1926 and 2013 to investigate the relationship between species usefulness and their population sizes, and how this relationship is influenced by the degree of domestication of arboreal species across Amazonia. We found that half of the arboreal species (2,253) are useful to humans, which represents 84% of the estimated individuals in Amazonian forests. Useful species have mean populations sizes six times larger than non-useful species, and their abundance is related with the probability of usefulness. Incipiently domesticated species are the most abundant. Population size was weakly related to specific uses, but strongly related with the multiplicity of uses. This study highlights the enormous usefulness of Amazonian arboreal species for local peoples. Our findings support the hypothesis that the most abundant plant species have a greater chance to be useful at both local and larger scales, and suggest that although people use the most abundant plants, indigenous people and local communities have contributed to plant abundance through long-term management.

Schwann cells contribute to keloid formation

Keloids are disfiguring, hypertrophic scars with yet poorly understood pathomechanisms, which could lead to severe functional impairments. Here we analyzed the characteristics of keloidal cells by single cell sequencing and discovered the presence of an abundant population of Schwann cells that persisted in the hypertrophic scar tissue after wound healing. In contrast to normal skin, keloidal Schwann cells possess a repair-like phenotype and high cellular plasticity. Our data support the hypothesis that keloidal Schwann cells contribute to the formation of the extracellular matrix and are able to affect M2 polarization of macrophages. Indeed, we show that macrophages in keloids predominantly display a M2 polarization and produce factors that inhibit Schwann cell differentiation. Our data suggest a contribution of this cross-talk to the continuous expansion of keloids, and that targeting Schwann cells might represent an interesting novel treatment option for keloids.

IL-15 and PIM kinases direct the metabolic programming of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes

Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are an abundant population of tissue-resident T cells that protect and maintain the intestinal barrier. IEL respond to epithelial cell-derived IL-15, which is complexed to the IL-15 receptor α chain (IL-15/Rα). IL-15 is essential both for maintaining IEL homeostasis and inducing IEL responses to epithelial stress, which has been associated with Coeliac disease. Here, we apply quantitative mass spectrometry to IL-15/Rα-stimulated IEL to investigate how IL-15 directly regulates inflammatory functions of IEL. IL-15/Rα drives IEL activation through cell cycle regulation, upregulation of metabolic machinery and expression of a select repertoire of cell surface receptors. IL-15/Rα selectively upregulates the Ser/Thr kinases PIM1 and PIM2, which are essential for IEL to proliferate, grow and upregulate granzyme B in response to inflammatory IL-15. Notably, IEL from patients with Coeliac disease have high PIM expression. Together, these data indicate PIM kinases as important effectors of IEL responses to inflammatory IL-15.

New evidence on the relationships between Hypnophila Bourguignat, 1859 and Gomphroa Westerlund, 1902 (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Azecidae)

Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea) and Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller) are among the most invasive aquatic molluscs found in Europe. Both species were recorded in the Adriatic part of Croatia for the first time in 2019 although in the Danubian Croatia they were more common. An abundant population of S. woodiana was found in an oxbow of the Cetina River; mussels with shell length of ca. 12–17 cm dominated. A population of C. fluminea was recorded in the freshwater section of the Zrmanja River above the Jankovića Buk waterfall which forms the border between the brackish and the freshwater sections of the river. Possible pathways of their introduction and reasons for their rare occurrence in contrast to the Danubian Croatia are discussed.

First records of Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) and Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller, 1774) (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from the Adriatic part of Croatia

Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea) and Corbicula fluminea (O. F. Müller) are among the most invasive aquatic molluscs found in Europe. Both species were recorded in the Adriatic part of Croatia for the first time in 2019 although in the Danubian Croatia they were more common. An abundant population of S. woodiana was found in an oxbow of the Cetina River; mussels with shell length of ca. 12–17 cm dominated. A population of C. fluminea was recorded in the freshwater section of the Zrmanja River above the Jankovića Buk waterfall which forms the border between the brackish and the freshwater sections of the river. Possible pathways of their introduction and reasons for their rare occurrence in contrast to the Danubian Croatia are discussed.

The impact of midlife on migraine in women: summary of current views

Migraine is three times more common in women than in men and is the 4th leading cause of disability in women. Onset of migraine increases at menarche, with peaks in prevalence in the late 30s, and a rapid decline after menopause. While the prevalence is highest among women of childbearing age the frequency of headache and burden of migraine frequently worsens during midlife. Abundant population data suggest that hormonal factors may trigger headache attacks and influence onset and remission. The midlife worsening of migraine is attributed to hormonal fluctuations characteristic of the menopausal transition. Drops in estrogen presumably lead to increased migraine attacks at the time of menses as well as during the menopausal transition. During the menopausal transition, recommended approaches include both acute and preventive non-hormonal and hormonal options as well as behavioral approaches. Herein, is a brief review on the presentation of migraine in women across the lifespan, with special emphasis on midlife and the menopausal transition and implications for treatment.

ANALISA ASPEK REPRODUKSI IKAN TOMAN (Channa micropeltes) DI SUNGAI BELIDA KABUPATEN MUARA ENIM

Management of snakehead fish resources in swamp waters need to be done to anticipate a decline in stock in the waters. At this time the area where snakehead fish still have an abundant population is in southern sumatera, precisely in the Belida River, Muara Enim Regency. Until now there has been no information regarding the reproductive aspects of snakehead fish, their location and spawning season. The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the reproductive aspect of snakehead fish which includes sex ratio, gonad maturity level. Gonad maturity index and egg fecundity. The research was conducted in September-December 2019. The location was determined based on the natural conditions of the Belida River and human activities. Fish sampels were caught using experimental gill nets with ½ mash net size. Sampling of fish is done every 4 months with a time interval of once a month. The resuls of study in the male and female fish ratio 1,6:1. This ratio consisted of 109 fish (62,3%) and 66 female fish (37,7%). Gonadal maturity indeks for male snakehead fish ranged from 0,21 to 0,86, while female snakehead fish ranged from 1,18 to 2,30. snakehead fish egg fecundity were 24.786 eggs with a diameter of 2,20 – 2,51

Comprehensive proteomics analyses identify PIM kinases as key regulators of IL-15 driven activation of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes

SUMMARYIntestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) are an abundant population of tissue-resident T cells that protect the gut from pathogens and maintain intestinal homeostasis. The cytokine IL-15 is transpresented by epithelial cells to IEL in complex with the IL-15 receptor α chain (IL-15Rα). It plays essential roles both in maintaining IEL homeostasis, and in inducing IEL activation in response to epithelial stress. IL-15 overexpression also drives the gluten-induced enteropathy Coeliac disease, through cytotoxic activation of IEL. In order to better understand how IL-15 directly regulates both homeostatic and inflammatory functions of IEL, we set up quantitative proteomics of IL-15/Rα stimulated IEL. We reveal that high IL-15/Rα stimulation licenses cell cycle activation, upregulates the biosynthetic machinery in IEL, increases mitochondrial respiratory capacity and induces expression of cell surface immune receptors and adhesion proteins that potentially drive IEL activation. We find that high IL-15/Rα selectively upregulated the Ser/Thr kinases PIM1 and PIM2 and demonstrate that PIM1/2 are essential for IEL to proliferate, grow, and upregulate Granzyme B in response to high IL-15. Significantly, IEL from Coeliac disease patients express high levels of PIM kinases. These unexpected findings reveal PIM kinases to be key determinants of IEL responses to elevated levels of IL-15.

Morphological and molecular characterisation of Neometadorylaimus coomansi (Ali, Farooqui & Suryawanshi, 1971) Jairajpuri & Ahmad, 1992 (Dorylaimida: Tylencholaimidae), with the first report of its male and new insights into its phylogeny

Summary The rare genus and species Neometadorylaimus coomansi is characterised based on an abundant population found in West Bengal, India. New morphological and morphometric data are provided, together with SEM observations and the first description of its male. Molecular analyses (18S and 28S-rDNA sequences) were also done. A comparison of the present population with the two previously known ones, all from India, showed a remarkable variability in some features, especially the body length that ranges from 1.75 to 3.29 mm. The male is distinguished by its 1.83-2.06 mm long body, 54-55 μm long spicules, and nine or ten ventromedian supplements lacking an hiatus. New insights into the phylogeny of the genus are provided with an integrative approach combining morphological and molecular data. The monophyly of the Tylencholaimidae is supported, and a tentative relationship between Tylencholaimidae and other dorylaims lacking the pars refringens vaginae is suggested.

The High Energy View of FR0 Radio Galaxies

A new class of low-power compact radio sources with limited jet structures, named FR 0, is emerging from recent radio-optical surveys. This abundant population of radio galaxies, five times more numerous than FR Is in the local Universe (z < 0.05), represent a potentially interesting target at high and very-high energies (greater than 100 GeV), as demonstrated by a single case of Fermi detection. Furthermore, these radio galaxies have been recently claimed to contribute non-negligibly to the extra-galactic γ -ray background and to be possible cosmic neutrino emitters. Here, we review the radio through X-ray properties of FR 0s to predict their high-energy emission (from MeV to TeV), in light of the near-future facilities operating in this band.