Mode of carbon gain and fungal associations of Neuwiedia malipoensis within the evolutionarily early-diverging orchid subfamily Apostasioideae.

Background And Aims: The earliest-diverging orchid lineage, Apostasioideae, consists only of two genera: Apostasia and Neuwiedia. Previous reports of Apostasia nipponica indicated a symbiotic association with an ectomycorrhiza-forming Ceratobasidiaceae clade and partial utilization of fungal carbon during the adult stage. However, the trophic strategy of Neuwiedia throughout its development remains unidentified.

Mycoheterotrophy in the wood-wide web.

The prevalence and potential functions of common mycorrhizal networks, or the 'wood-wide web', resulting from the simultaneous interaction of mycorrhizal fungi and roots of different neighbouring plants have been increasingly capturing the interest of science and society, sometimes leading to hyperbole and misinterpretation. Several recent reviews conclude that popular claims regarding the widespread nature of these networks in forests and their role in the transfer of resources and information between plants lack evidence. Here we argue that mycoheterotrophic plants associated with ectomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi require resource transfer through common mycorrhizal networks and thus are natural evidence for the occurrence and function of these networks, offering a largely overlooked window into this methodologically challenging underground phenomenon.

Novel insights into orchid mycorrhiza functioning from stable isotope signatures of fungal pelotons.

Stable isotope signatures of fungal sporocarps have been instrumental in identifying carbon gains of chlorophyllous orchids from a fungal source. Yet, not all mycorrhizal fungi produce macroscopic sporocarps and frequently fungi of different taxa occur in parallel in orchid roots. To overcome this obstacle, we investigated stable isotope signatures of fungal pelotons extracted from orchid roots and compared these data to the respective orchid and reference plant tissues.

Isoscapes of remnant and restored Hawaiian montane forests reveal differences in biological nitrogen fixation and carbon inputs.

Deforestation and subsequent land-use conversion has altered ecosystems and led to negative effects on biodiversity. To ameliorate these effects, nitrogen-fixing (N-fixing) trees are frequently used in the reforestation of degraded landscapes, especially in the tropics; however, their influence on ecosystem properties such as nitrogen (N) availability and carbon (C) stocks are understudied. Here, we use a 30-y old reforestation site of outplanted native N-fixing trees () dominated by exotic grass understory, and a neighboring remnant forest dominated by canopy trees and native understory, to assess whether restoration is leading to similar N and C biogeochemical landscapes and soil and plant properties as a target remnant forest ecosystem.

Capture of mammal excreta by Nepenthes is an effective heterotrophic nutrition strategy.

Background And Aims: While isotopic enrichment of nitrogen (15N) and carbon (13C) is often used to determine whether carnivorous plant species capture and assimilate nutrients from supplemental sources such as invertebrate prey or mammal excreta (heterotrophic nutrition), little is known about how successful the different strategies deployed by carnivorous plants are at obtaining supplemental nutrition. The collection of mammalian faeces by Nepenthes (tropical pitcher plants) is the result of a highly specialized biological mutualism that results in heterotrophic nitrogen gain; however, it remains unknown how effective this strategy is in comparison to Nepenthes species not known to collect mammalian faeces.

Methods: We examined how isotopic enrichment varied in the diverse genus Nepenthes, among species producing pitchers for invertebrate capture and species exhibiting mutualisms for the collection of mammal excreta.

Impacts on food web properties of island invertebrate communities vary between different human land uses.

Human land use is of growing concern for island ecosystems. Besides direct impacts on biodiversity, land uses can alter the functioning and structure of ecosystems. Central to this are impacts on food webs.

Distinguishing carbon gains from photosynthesis and heterotrophy in C3-hemiparasite-C3-host pairs.

Background And Aims: Previous carbon stable isotope (13C) analyses have shown for very few C3-hemiparasites utilizing C4- or CAM-hosts the use of two carbon sources, autotrophy and heterotrophy. This 13C approach, however, failed for the frequently occurring C3-C3 parasite-host pairs. Thus, we used hydrogen stable isotope (2H) natural abundances as a substitute for 13C within a C3-Orobanchaceae sequence graded by haustoria complexity and C3-Santalaceae.

Allochthonous resources are less important for faunal communities on highly productive, small tropical islands.

Ecosystems are interconnected by energy fluxes that provide resources for the inhabiting organisms along the transition zone. Especially where in situ resources are scarce, ecosystems can become highly dependent on external resources. The dependency on external input becomes less pronounced in systems with elevated in situ production, where only consumer species close to the site of external input remain subsidized, whereas species distant to the input site rely on the in situ production of the ecosystem.

Impact of Global Climate Change on the European Barley Market Requires Novel Multi-Method Approaches to Preserve Crop Quality and Authenticity.

Most recently in 2018 and 2019, large parts of Europe were affected by periods of massive drought. Resulting losses in cereal yield pose a major risk to the global supply of barley, as more than 60% of global production is based in Europe. Despite the arising price fluctuations on the cereal market, authenticity of the crop must be ensured, which includes correct declaration of harvest years.

Disseminated tumour cells from the bone marrow of early breast cancer patients: Results from an international pooled analysis.

Purpose: Presence of disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow (BM) has been described as a surrogate of residual disease in patients with early breast cancer (EBC). PADDY (Pooled Analysis of DTC Detection in Early Breast Cancer) is a large international analysis of pooled data that aimed to assess the prognostic impact of DTCs in patients with EBC.

Experimental Design: Individual patient data were collected from 11 centres.

Use of social service counseling by cancer patients: an analysis of quality assurance data of 6339 breast cancer patients from 13 certified centers in Germany treated between 2015 and 2017.

Background: Integrated social care may help to mitigate social risk factors in order to achieve more equitable health outcomes. In cancer centers certified according to the criteria set out by the German Cancer Society, every patient must be given low-threshold access to qualified social workers at the center for in-house social service counseling (SSC). Previous analyses have demonstrated large variation in the utilization of these services across individual centers.

Trastuzumab treatment of patients with early, HER2-positive breast cancer in 17 certified German breast cancer centers.

Purpose: Since 2008, guidelines recommend that patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer (BC) should receive adjuvant chemotherapy in combination with trastuzumab in Germany. However, recent studies highlight that a substantial share of patients do not receive trastuzumab. We investigate which patient characteristics are associated with a tumor board recommendation for trastuzumab in Breast Cancer Centers (BCC) certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG) and the German Society for Senology, and if the recommendation differs between BCCs.

Partial mycoheterotrophy is common among chlorophyllous plants with Paris-type arbuscular mycorrhiza.

Background And Aims: An arbuscular mycorrhiza is a mutualistic symbiosis with plants as carbon providers for fungi. However, achlorophyllous arbuscular mycorrhizal species are known to obtain carbon from fungi, i.e.

Stealing sugar from the honey fungus.

This article comments on: GeSUT4 mediates sucrose import at the symbiotic interface for carbon allocation of heterotrophic Gastrodia elata (Orchidaceae).

Clinical relevance of circulating tumor cells in ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancer.

Purpose: Presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is associated with impaired clinical outcome in several solid cancers. Limited data are available on the significance of CTCs in gynaecological malignancies. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the dynamics of CTCs in patients with ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal cancer during chemotherapy and to assess their clinical relevance.

Mucoromycotina Fine Root Endophyte Fungi Form Nutritional Mutualisms with Vascular Plants.

Fungi and plants have engaged in intimate symbioses that are globally widespread and have driven terrestrial biogeochemical processes since plant terrestrialization >500 million years ago. Recently, hitherto unknown nutritional mutualisms involving ancient lineages of fungi and nonvascular plants have been discovered, although their extent and functional significance in vascular plants remain uncertain. Here, we provide evidence of carbon-for-nitrogen exchange between an early-diverging vascular plant () and Mucoromycotina (Endogonales) fine root endophyte fungi.

An ecological perspective on 'plant carnivory beyond bogs': nutritional benefits of prey capture for the Mediterranean carnivorous plant Drosophyllum lusitanicum.

Background And Aims: Little is known about the evolutionary and ecological drivers of carnivory in plants, particularly for those terrestrial species that do not occur in typical swamp or bog habitats. The Mediterranean endemic Drosophyllum lusitanicum (Drosophyllaceae) is one of very few terrestrial carnivorous plant species outside of Australia to occur in seasonally dry, fire-prone habitats, and is thus an ecological rarity. Here we assess the nutritional benefits of prey capture for D.

Complementary use of H NMR and multi-element IRMS in association with chemometrics enables effective origin analysis of cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.).

Within the cocoa market (Theobroma cacao L.), quality and prices are often determined by geographical origin, making traceability indispensable. Therefore, to investigate possibilities of tracing by analytical methods, 48 carefully selected cocoa samples from 20 countries have been profiled using a combination of stable isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR).

Picky carnivorous plants? Investigating preferences for preys' trophic levels - a stable isotope natural abundance approach with two terrestrial and two aquatic Lentibulariaceae tested in Central Europe.

Background And Aims: Stable isotope two-source linear mixing models are frequently used to calculate the nutrient-uptake efficiency of carnivorous plants from pooled prey. This study aimed to separate prey into three trophic levels as pooled prey limits statements about the contribution of a specific trophic level to the nutrition of carnivorous plants. Phytoplankton were used as an autotrophic reference for aquatic plants as the lack of suitable reference plants impedes calculation of their efficiency.

Light limitation and partial mycoheterotrophy in rhizoctonia-associated orchids.

Partially mycoheterotrophic (PMH) plants obtain organic molecules from their mycorrhizal fungi in addition to carbon (C) fixed by photosynthesis. Some PMH orchids associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi have been shown to flexibly adjust the proportion of organic molecules obtained from fungi according to the habitat's light level. We hypothesise that Neottia ovata and Ophrys insectifera, two orchids associated with saprotrophic rhizoctonia fungi, are also able to increase uptake of organic molecules from fungi as irradiance levels decrease.

Unveiling community patterns and trophic niches of tropical and temperate ants using an integrative framework of field data, stable isotopes and fatty acids.

Background: The use and partitioning of trophic resources is a central aspect of community function. On the ground of tropical forests, dozens of ant species may be found together and ecological mechanisms should act to allow such coexistence. One hypothesis states that niche specialization is higher in the tropics, compared to temperate regions.