Rapid radiation of a plant lineage sheds light on the assembly of dry valley biomes.

Southwest China is characterized by high plateaus, large mountain systems, and deeply incised dry valleys formed by major rivers and their tributaries. Despite the considerable attention given to alpine plant radiations in this region, the timing and mode of diversification of the numerous dry valley plant lineages remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the macroevolution of Isodon (Lamiaceae), a lineage commonly distributed in the dry valleys in southwest China and wetter areas of Asia and Africa.

Detection of genomic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 across gastric cancer patients using next generation sequencing.

Objectives: To explore the landscape of BRCA1/2 mutations in gastric cancer patients.

Methods: Next-generation sequencing (NGS), Sanger sequencing, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Immunohistochemistry, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), gnomAD, and DAVID.

Results: With 95% of bases boasting a phred score surpassing 30 and a minimum coverage depth of 500X, our NGS approach ensures high-quality data acquisition.

Characterization of phenolic compounds and evaluation of anti-diabetic potential in L. seeds: and studies.

Moroccan L. seeds were investigated for their phenolic profile and antidiabetic potential. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis revealed a rich phenolic composition, including benzoic acid, cannabisin B, genistein, and epicatechin.

A roadmap to sustainable management of commercial medicinal and aromatic plants, fungi, and lichens in Nepal.

Thousands of plants, fungi, and lichen species are traded every year. Although sustainable use is critical for livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, insufficient data prevent detailed sustainability assessments for most species. How can the sustainability of trade in such data-deficient species be enhanced? We considered a country-level example of 300 medicinal and aromatic plant, fungus, and lichen species traded in tens of thousands of tons worth tens of millions of US dollars in and from Nepal annually.

Redistribution of soil water by mature trees towards dry surface soils and uptake by seedlings in a temperate forest.

Hydraulic redistribution is considered a crucial dryland mechanism that may be important in temperate environments facing increased soil drying-wetting cycles. We investigated redistribution of soil water from deeper, moist to surface, dry soils in a mature mixed European beech forest and whether redistributed water was used by neighbouring native seedlings. In two experiments, we tracked hydraulic redistribution via (1) H labeling and (2) O natural abundance.

The Renaissance of Reproductive Science: Leonardo da Vinci's Anatomical Contributions.

Leonardo de Vinci is considered one of the greatest artists that has ever lived. His work includes the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper are celebrated worldwide. His talents expand beyond his art and his contributions to disciplines such as engineering, astronomy, geometry, botany, geology have revealed is him as a polymath.

Evaluating the antibacterial efficacy of bee venom against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Enterococcus faecalis.

Bee venom (BV) represents a promising natural alternative to conventional antibiotics, particularly significant given its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and potential to address the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms (AMR) is a global burden that affects human health and the economies of different countries. As a result, several scientific communities around the world are searching for safe alternatives to antibiotics.

Therapeutic Scrutiny of Lentinus polychrous with Attention to Its Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Attributes.

Mushrooms, being a source of therapeutically active compounds, are of great interest to researchers due to their historical usage in traditional therapies and the significant role that natural products have played in the development of contemporary medications. Lentinus polychrous is one underutilized mushroom species collected from the laterites of West Bengal, India. Our study aims toward its taxonomic validation, deciphering the secondary metabolic fingerprint, and testing its efficiency in countering many clinical issues, including oxidative stress, growing microbial drug resistance, and cancer.

Bioleaching of lanthanum from nickel metal hydride dry battery using siderophores produced by Pseudomonas sp.

There is still much to be learned about the properties of siderophores and their applications. This study was designed to characterize and optimize the production of the siderophore produced by a marine bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain ASA235 and then evaluate their use in bioleaching of rare earth elements (REEs) from spent Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

Ancient reticulation, incomplete lineage sorting and the evolution of the pyrenoid at the dawn of hornwort diversification.

Background And Aims: Resolving the phylogeny of hornworts is critical in understanding the evolution of key morphological characters that are unique to the group, including the pyrenoid. Extensive phylogenomic analyses have revealed unexpected complexities in the placement of Leiosporoceros, the previously identified sister taxon to other hornworts. We explore the role of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and ancient reticulation in resolving interrelationships and comprehending the diversification and evolutionary processes within hornworts.

Foliar image-based characterization of airborne particulate matter in an urban area and its implications for remediation.

This study addresses the pervasive issue of particulate matter (PM) emission in urban areas, proposing a better approach using scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques to identify plant species effective in airborne PM removal. Conducted in Bilaspur city, the research strategically selected six plant species across four distinct sites and applied the SEM-Image J method for analysis, yielding significant insights, especially in the respirable PM range. Among the tested plant species, Senna Siamea and Dalbergia Sissoo emerged as consistent and standout performers, displaying the highest PM removal efficiency across all sites.

Multiple mutations in polyketide synthase led to disruption of Psittacofulvin production across diverse parrot species.

Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are crucial multidomain enzymes in diverse natural product biosynthesis. Parrots use a type I PKS to produce a unique pigment called psittacofulvin in their feathers. In domesticated budgerigars and lovebirds, the same amino acid substitution (R644W) within malonyl/acetyltransferase (MAT) domain of this enzyme has been shown to cause the blue phenotype with no psittacofulvin pigmentation, proposing a strong evolutionary constraint on the mechanism.

Consequences of insecticide overuse in Hungary: assessment of pyrethroid resistance in Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Background: Mosquitoes, as vectors of various pathogens, have been a public health risk for centuries. Human activities such as international travel and trade, along with climate change, have facilitated the spread of invasive mosquitoes and novel pathogens across Europe, increasing the risk of mosquito-borne disease introduction and their spread. Despite this threat, mosquito control in Hungary still relies predominantly on chemical treatments, which poses the risk of developing insecticide resistance in local populations.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Source, Extraction, Stability, Bioactivity, and Functional Food Applications.

Nature has been acknowledged as a fundamental source of diverse bioactive molecules. Among natural carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and their oxidative metabolites are specifically deposited in the macular region of living organisms. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids primarily found in green leafy vegetables, eggs, and various fruits.

Evolution of interorganismal strigolactone biosynthesis in seed plants.

Strigolactones (SLs) are methylbutenolide molecules derived from β-carotene through an intermediate carlactonoic acid (CLA). Canonical SLs act as signals to microbes and plants, whereas noncanonical SLs are primarily plant hormones. The cytochrome P450 CYP722C catalyzes a critical step, converting CLA to canonical SLs in most angiosperms.

Climate change and the cost-of-living squeeze in desert lizards.

Climate warming can induce a cost-of-living "squeeze" in ectotherms by increasing energetic expenditures while reducing foraging gains. We used biophysical models (validated by 2685 field observations) to test this hypothesis for 10 ecologically diverse lizards in African and Australian deserts. Historical warming (1950-2020) has been more intense in Africa than in Australia, translating to an energetic squeeze for African diurnal species.

Drought in a warmer, CO-rich climate restricts grassland water use and soil water mixing.

Soil water sustains terrestrial life, yet its fate is uncertain under a changing climate. We conducted a deuterium labeling experiment to determine whether elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO), warming, and drought impact soil water storage and transport in a temperate grassland. Elevated CO created a wetter rootzone compared with ambient conditions, whereas warming decreased soil moisture.

Nano selenium modulates ripening of Capsicum fruit under postharvest storage: Cellular redox and related physiological characteristics.

In the background of antioxidation properties of selenium (Se) in plants, the role of nano‑selenium (Se-NPs) was justified in the modulation of Capsicum fruit ripening. In our study, exogenous application of 8 mg L Se-NPs on fruits through 7 days (D) of postharvest storage regulated decay rate, water loss and fruit coat firmness. Se-NPs recovered fruit coat damages with reduction of ion leakage, lipid oxidation, and accumulation of polyamines.

Biodegradation of acetaminophen: Current knowledge and future directions with mechanistic insights from omics.

Acetaminophen (APAP), one of the most frequently used antipyretic and analgesic medications, has recently grown into a persistent organic contaminant of emerging concern due to its over-the-counter and widespread use. The excessive accumulation of APAP and its derivatives in various environmental matrices is threatening human health and the ecosystem. The complexity of APAP and its intermediates augments the need for adequate innovative and sustainable strategies for the remediation of contaminated environments.

Single cell derived multicellular meristem: insights into male-to-hermaphrodite conversion and de novo meristem formation in ceratopteris.

Land plants alternate between asexual sporophytes and sexual gametophytes. Unlike seed plants, ferns develop free-living gametophytes. Gametophytes of the model fern Ceratopteris exhibit two sex types: hermaphrodites with pluripotent meristems and males lacking meristems.

Tinagl1 restores tamoxifen sensitivity and blocks fibronectin-induced EMT by simultaneously blocking the EGFR and β1-integrin/FAK signaling pathways in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells.

Tamoxifen (TAM) is employed to treat premenopausal ER-positive breast cancer patients, but TAM resistance is the main reason affecting its efficacy. Thus, addressing TAM resistance is crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes. This study explored the potential role of Tinagl1, a secreted extracellular matrix protein, whose expression is compromised in TAM-resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells (MCF-7R).

Exploring the Interface Between Planetary Boundaries and Palaeoecology.

The concepts of planetary boundaries are influential in the sustainability literature and assist in delineating the 'safe operating spaces' beyond which critical Earth system processes could collapse. Moving away from our current trajectory towards 'hothouse Earth' will require knowledge of how Earth systems have varied throughout the Holocene, and whether and how far we have deviated from past ranges of variability. Such information can inform decisions about where change could be resisted, accepted or where adaptation is inevitable.

Beauveria felina Accelerates Growth When Competing With Other Potential Endophytes.

The fungus Beauveria felina is often classified as one of the so-called good biocontrol agents. However, no information is available about the growth of this entomopathogenic fungus in the presence of other endophytic fungi, which are usually found in plant tissues. Effects of fungal interactions vary from inhibiting the activity of a biocontrol agent to stimulating its effect on the targeted pathogen.

Nineteenth-century land use shapes the current occurrence of some plant species, but weakly affects the richness and total composition of Central European grasslands.

Context: Historical land use is thought to have influenced plant community diversity, composition and function through the local persistence of taxa that reflect ecological conditions of the past.

Objectives: We tested for the effects of historical land use on contemporary plant species richness, composition, and ecological preferences in the grassland vegetation of Central Europe.

Methods: We analyzed 6975 vegetation plots sampled between 1946 and 2021 in dry, mesic, and wet grasslands in the borderland between Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.

Reproductive and persistence strategy of the liverwort Arnellia fennica after the last glaciation in the area of disjunction in Central Europe (Polish Tatra Mountains, carpathians).

The liverwort Arnellia fennica has a circumarctic distribution with disjunct and scarce localities in the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees. Within the Carpathians, it is only known from the Tatra Mountains (in Poland), where so far only four occurrences have been documented in the forest belt of the limestone part of the Western Tatras. The species is considered a tertiary relict, which owes its survival during the last glaciation period to low-lying locations in areas not covered by ice.