Belowground ecological interactions in dioecious plants: why do opposites attract but similar ones repel?

Dioecious plant species exhibit sexual dimorphism in various aspects, including morphology, physiology, life history, and behavior, potentially influencing sex-specific interactions. While it is generally accepted that intersexual interactions in dioecious species are less intense compared with intrasexual interactions, the mechanisms underlying belowground facilitation in intersexual combinations remain less understood. Here, we explore these mechanisms, which encompass resource complementarity, mycorrhizal fungal networks, root exudate-mediated belowground chemical communication, as well as plant-soil feedback.

Leaf Extract-Induced Apoptosis in the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line by Increasing Intracellular Oxidative Stress.

Background: is one of the plants used in the diet of Iranian people. Previous studies have investigated the antioxidant and antibacterial effects of this plant extract, but no study has been conducted on its anticancer properties.

Objectives: In this study, we investigated the effect of extract on MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Male, female, and mixed-sex poplar plantations support divergent soil microbial communities.

Males and females of dioecious plants have sex-specific adaptations to diverse habitats. The effects of inter- and intrasexual interactions in poplar plantations on composition, structure, and function of soil microbiota have not been explored in degraded areas. We conducted a series of greenhouse and field experiments to investigate how belowground competition, soil microbial communities, and seasonal variation nitrogen content differ among female, male, and mixed-sex Populus cathayana plantations.

Feasibility of using vertical farming in northern Iran: A multiple necessity.

Agricultural production in vertical farms (VF) will play a prominent role in preventing environmental crises, its good governance and maintaining food security for everyone in the world. The ecological footprint in Guilan province significantly exceeds its biological capacity, indicating considerable pressure on its natural resources and ecosystems. This problem, which is mostly due to the use of traditional production methods in the agricultural sector, requires a change in lifestyle and production methods.

Distribution of infectious and parasitic agents among three sentinel bee species across European agricultural landscapes.

Infectious and parasitic agents (IPAs) and their associated diseases are major environmental stressors that jeopardize bee health, both alone and in interaction with other stressors. Their impact on pollinator communities can be assessed by studying multiple sentinel bee species. Here, we analysed the field exposure of three sentinel managed bee species (Apis mellifera, Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis) to 11 IPAs (six RNA viruses, two bacteria, three microsporidia).

In Vitro Antibacterial and Antioxidative Activity and Polyphenolic Profile of the Extracts of Chokeberry, Blackcurrant, and Rowan Berries and Their Pomaces.

The chemical composition of berries and berry pomaces is diverse, containing polyphenolic components that may have both antibacterial and antioxidative properties. In the present study, in vitro antibacterial effect of the extracts of chokeberry, blackcurrant, and rowan berries and berry pomaces against , , , and was studied. In addition, the polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activity of these extracts were investigated.

When details matter: Integrative revision of Holarctic Edwards (Diptera, Mycetophilidae), including mapping of its mitogenome, leads to the description of four new pseudocryptic species.

Background: The small genus Edwards, 1941 of the subfamily Gnoristinae (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) is so far known to harbour four species from the Palaearctic, Nearctic and Neotropical Regions. Extensive DNA barcoding of fungus gnats of the family Mycetophilidae through the International Barcode of Life project (iBOL) have initiated integrative studies resulting in taxonomic upgrades and a better understanding of many species and their delimitation. The opportunity was also taken to describe the mitogenome of a member of for the first time.

Movement of avian predators points to biodiversity hotspots in agricultural landscape.

Global agricultural landscapes are witnessing a concerning decline in biodiversity, and this trend is predicted to persist. To safeguard these biodiversity-rich areas, it is crucial to pinpoint hotspots effectively. In doing so, we used various species of avian predators as suitable sentinel animals due to their mobility and dependence on prey diversity and abundance.

Global fine-resolution data on springtail abundance and community structure.

Springtails (Collembola) inhabit soils from the Arctic to the Antarctic and comprise an estimated ~32% of all terrestrial arthropods on Earth. Here, we present a global, spatially-explicit database on springtail communities that includes 249,912 occurrences from 44,999 samples and 2,990 sites. These data are mainly raw sample-level records at the species level collected predominantly from private archives of the authors that were quality-controlled and taxonomically-standardised.

The Effect of Fruit and Berry Pomaces on the Growth Dynamics of Microorganisms and Sensory Properties of Marinated Rainbow Trout.

Plant pomaces in suitable forms (powders, extracts) can be used in foods of animal origin to increase the nutritional value and safety of these foods. In the present study, water extracts of apple, black currant, rhubarb and tomato pomaces were used in fish marinade solutions to evaluate their effect on the growth dynamics of microorganisms and the growth potential of by challenge testing. The results showed that mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, spp.

The Variability of Isolates Collected from Estonian Islands in the Baltic Sea.

Knowledge of a pathogen's genetic variability and population structure is of great importance to effective disease management. In this study, 193 isolates of collected from three Estonian islands were characterized over 3 years using simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker data complemented by information on their mating type and resistance to metalaxyl. In combination with SSR marker data from samples in the neighboring Pskov region of Northwest Russia, the impact of regional and landscape structure on the level of genetic exchange was also examined.

Seeds Extract in Combination with Vincristine Mediates Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cells through Regulation of Involved Genes and Proteins Expression.

Background: seeds, a member of the Apiaceae family, have historically been consumed as part of the Iranian diet.

Objective: While many of this herb's biological properties have been fully investigated, there is currently no reliable information about its anticancer/cytotoxic properties.

Methods: Herein, we first determined the major bioactive compounds of B.

Pesticide use negatively affects bumble bees across European landscapes.

Sustainable agriculture requires balancing crop yields with the effects of pesticides on non-target organisms, such as bees and other crop pollinators. Field studies demonstrated that agricultural use of neonicotinoid insecticides can negatively affect wild bee species, leading to restrictions on these compounds. However, besides neonicotinoids, field-based evidence of the effects of landscape pesticide exposure on wild bees is lacking.

An Inverse Scaling Relationship between Stomatal Density and Mean Nearest Neighbor Distance: Evidence from a Hybrid and One of Its Parents.

Stomata are involved in transpiration and CO uptake by mediating gas exchange between internal plant tissues and the atmosphere. The capacity for gas exchange depends on stomatal density (SD), stomatal size, and pore dimensions. Most published work on stomatal quantification has assumed that stomatal distribution and stomatal density are spatially homogeneous across the leaf, but this assumption has been seldom tested.

Untargeted metabolomics and conventional quality characterization of rowanberry pomace ingredients in meatballs.

In this study, a rowanberry pomace defatted with supercritical CO (2%-AC), its ethanolic extract (1%-E) and extraction residue (2%-R), were tested in meatball preparation. The meatballs with 1%-E demonstrated the highest in vitro radical scavenging capacity. In the case of 1%-E the pH of meatballs was significantly lower compared to the control sample (P = 0.

Standardized ileal digestible tryptophan and lysine affects the eating and sleeping behavior of 15-30 kg barrows.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of standardized ileal digestible (SID) tryptophan (Trp) and lysine (Lys) levels on eating and sleeping behavior and the respective feed intake of barrows. Sixty-four pigs, averaging 15.00 ± 1.

Improving photosynthetic efficiency toward food security: Strategies, advances, and perspectives.

Photosynthesis in crops and natural vegetation allows light energy to be converted into chemical energy and thus forms the foundation for almost all terrestrial trophic networks on Earth. The efficiency of photosynthetic energy conversion plays a crucial role in determining the portion of incident solar radiation that can be used to generate plant biomass throughout a growth season. Consequently, alongside the factors such as resource availability, crop management, crop selection, maintenance costs, and intrinsic yield potential, photosynthetic energy use efficiency significantly influences crop yield.

Allelochemicals and soil microorganisms jointly mediate sex-specific belowground interactions in dioecious Populus cathayana.

Little is known about how sex differences in root zone characteristics, such as contents of allelochemicals and soil microbial composition, mediate intra- and intersexual interactions in dioecious plants. We examined the processes and mechanisms of sex-specific belowground interactions mediated by allelochemicals and soil microorganisms in Populus cathayana females and males in replicated 30-yr-old experimental stands in situ and in a series of controlled experiments. Female roots released a greater amount and more diverse phenolic allelochemicals into the soil environment, resulting in growth inhibition of the same sex neighbors and deterioration of the community of soil microorganisms.

Global taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of bees in apple orchards.

An essential prerequisite to safeguard pollinator species is characterisation of the multifaceted diversity of crop pollinators and identification of the drivers of pollinator community changes across biogeographical gradients. The extent to which intensive agriculture is associated with the homogenisation of biological communities at large spatial scales remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated diversity drivers for 644 bee species/morphospecies in 177 commercial apple orchards across 33 countries and four global biogeographical biomes.

Application of Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for Predicting Damage Severity in a Diverse Panel of Caused by .

Linn., also known as teak, is a highly valued species with adaptability to a wide range of climatic conditions and high tolerance to soil variations, making it an attractive option for both commercial and conservation purposes. In this sense, the classification of cultivated teak genotypes is crucial for both breeding programs and conservation efforts.

A diabetes-like biochemical and behavioural phenotype of induced by predator stress.

Predation can have both lethal and non-lethal effects on prey. The non-lethal effects of predation can instil changes in prey life history, behaviour, morphology and physiology, causing adaptive evolution. The chronic stress caused by sustained predation on prey is comparable to chronic stress conditions in humans.