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Geraniol and carvacrol in essential oil bearing Thymus pulegioides: Distribution in natural habitats and phytotoxic effect /
No full textPhenolic and non-phenolic chemotypes of Thymus pulegioides L. are common in Europe. Essential oils of these chemotypes, as various compositions of allelochemicals, can have different phytotoxic effects on neighboring plants in natural habitats. The aim of this study was to establish the distribution of carvacrol and geraniol in T. pulegioides, growing wild in Lithuania, and compare phytotoxity of essential oils of carvacrol and geraniol chemotypes on selected plant species. In investigating 131 T. pulegioides habitats, essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Phytotoxity of essential oils extracted from carvacrol and geraniol chemotypes transmitted through water and air to selected plants was determined under laboratory conditions. Pharmacologically valuable Hypericum perforatum L. and the important forage grass Phleum pratense L. were respectively selected for experimentation from among 35 medicinal plants and 10 feed Poaceae species, growing in T. pulegioides habitats. Field results showed that carvacrol is common throughout Lithuania’s territory, whereas the geraniol is predominantly located under the continental climatic conditions of the eastern region of the country. In the laboratory experi-ment, it was established that there was stronger inhibition of P. pratense seed germination by the essential oil of the geraniol chemotype than the carvacrol chemotype. None of the H. perforatum seeds germinated after exposure to the essential oil of the geraniol chemotype. In general, this study builds on previous studies by providing further evidence that different T. pulegioides chemotypes have contrasting phytotoxic effects on neighboring plants within their natural habi-tats
Cocirculation of Leptospira spp. and multiple orthohantaviruses in rodents, Lithuania, Northern Europe /
No full textIn Europe, zoonotic Leptospira spp. and orthohantaviruses are mainly associated with specific rodent hosts. These pathogens cause febrile human diseases with similar symptoms and disease progression. In Lithuania, the presence of Dobrava-Belgrade orthohantavirus (DOBV), Tula orthohantavirus (TULV) and Leptospira spp. in rodent reservoirs is still unknown, and Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV) was detected in bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) at only one site. Therefore, we collected and screened 1617 rodents and insectivores from Lithuania for zoonotic (re-)emerging Leptospira and orthohantaviruses. We detected Leptospira DNA in six rodent species, namely striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), bank vole, common vole (Microtus arvalis), field vole (Microtus agrestis) and root vole (Microtus oeconomus). Leptospira DNA was detected with an overall mean prevalence of 4.4% (range 3.7%–7.9% per rodent species). We detected DOBV RNA in 5.6% of the striped field mice, PUUV RNA in 1% of bank voles and TULV RNA in 4.6% of common voles, but no Leptospira DNA in shrews and no hantavirus-Leptospira coinfections in rodents. Based on the complete coding sequences of the three genome segments, two distant DOBV phylogenetic lineages in striped field mice, one PUUV strain in bank voles and two TULV strains in common voles were identified. The Leptospira prevalence for striped field mice and yellow-necked mice indicated a significant negative effect of the distance to water points. The detection of (re-)emerging human pathogenic Leptospira and three orthohantaviruses in rodent reservoirs in Lithuania calls for increased awareness of public health institutions and allows the improvement of molecular diagnostics for pathogen identification
Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities /
No full textAim: Comprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. Expert range maps often represent a species' only available distributional information and play an increasing role in conservation assessments and macroecology. We provide global range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species harmonised to the taxonomy of the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) and the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World (CMW). Location: Global. Taxon: All extant mammal species. Methods: Range maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species). Results: Range maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use. Main conclusion: Expert maps of species' global distributions are limited in their spatial detail and temporal specificity, but form a useful basis for broad-scale characterizations and model-based integration with other data. We provide georeferenced range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species as shapefiles, with species-level metadata and source information packaged together in geodatabase format. Across the three taxonomic sources our maps entail, there are 1784 taxonomic name differences compared to the maps currently available on the IUCN Red List website. The expert maps provided here are harmonised to the MDD taxonomic authority and linked to a community of online tools that will enable transparent future updates and version control
Evaluation of phenolic compounds and pigments in freshwater Cladophora glomerata biomass from various Lithuanian rivers as a potential future raw material for biotechnology /
No full textFreshwater macroalgae produces a wide range of bioactive compounds, and interest in utilizing its biomass is growing rapidly. Meanwhile, exploiting renewable sources for biomass collection could lead to more sustainable biotechnological chains. The aim of this study was to investigate Cladophora glomerata biomass from Lithuanian rivers as a potential raw material for biotechnology. For this reason, phenolic compound profiles, antioxidant activity and pigment concentrations were determined in macroalgal biomass samples collected from the following four Lithuanian rivers: Dubysa (B1), Šventoji (B2), Nevėžis (B3) and Jūra (B4). The highest total phenolic compound content was determined in B3 (1.32 mg GAE/g). Three phenolic acids were identified, namely gallic (12.94–35.13 µg/g), p-hydroxybenzoic (23.97–29.05 µg/g) and p-coumaric (1.79–6.46 µg/g). The results indicate significant C. glomerata antioxidant activity; the highest reducing power reached 0.737 AU (B3), the total antioxidant content was 1.47 mg Trolox/g (B3), DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging was 11.09% (B3) and 97.86% (B1) and FRAP activity 20.86 µmol/L (B3). The content of pigments ranged from 0.56-0.74, 0.39–0.57, 0.17–0.23 to 0.11–0.17 mg/g in chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids, and lutein, respectively. To conclude, C. glomerata macroalgal biomass may have the potential to act as a functional raw material, as several groups of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities were observed
Two new species of the genus Cyana Walker from Myanmar, China and Vietnam (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) /
No full textTwo new species of the genus Cyana Walker, 1854 are described: Cyana triapotamia sp. n. (northern Myanmar: Kachin State, and Southwest China: Yunnan) and Cyana meiomena sp. n. (Southwest China: Yunnan, and Northern Vietnam). Both the new species belong to the Cyana divakara (Moore, [1866]) species complex within the Cyana dohertyi (Elwes, 1890) species group. Adults, and male and female genitalia of the new and the other similar species are illustrated
Strong earthquakes on the southern slope of the Kungei Ala-Too Range, Northern Tien Shan, and their structural position in the earth's crust /
No full text: The morphostructures and paleoseismicity of the southern slope of the Kungei Ala-Too Range (Northern Tien Shan) have been studied. It has been found that the main seismogenic structures in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene were adyr (foothill) faults, that is, thrusts, strike-slips, and normal dips. With a general thrusting of block folds of the basement southwards (toward the Issyk-Kul Basin), there are also northward-moving underthrusts. The past seismic activity along the adyr faults is expressed by single seismogenic scarps, as well as by stair-like series of alluvial-proluvial and fluvioglacial surfaces, upthrown in the hanging walls of faults. In addition to the easily identifiable vertical component of slips along the faults, we have also identified significant horizontal slips, which often greatly exceed the vertical ones. In addition, a unique structure, that is, a neotectonic ramp graben bounded from the south and north by oppositely directed thrusts, was studied on the slope of the Kungei Range. The mentioned faults were also studied by trenching. It was found that in the middle–second half of the Holocene three strong morphogenetic seismic events occurred on the South Tegerek adyr fault and three strong earthquakes occurred on the North Tegerek adyr fault. The ages of four strong earthquakes were determined by the radiocarbon method. The maximum ages of the first three events are 3970–3755 BC, 220–405 AD, and 1380–1450 AD, while the minimum age of the last event is 1720–1815 AD. The magnitudes of historical and paleoearthquakes that occurred on the studied adyr faults range from M = 6.6–6.9 ± 0.5 (South Tegerek fault) to M = 6.8–7.4 ± 0.5 (Kultor adyr fault). Seismic events of similar magnitudes lead to deformations of the earth’s surface and in building constructions, which can be estimated on a macroseismic scale at I ≥ IX. Our data obtained in this study can be used for a comparative analysis of similar post-platform orogens in Russia (e.g., Altay and Sayan mountains), as well as in compiling the new general seismic zoning map for the Kyrgyz Republic
Genomic sequence capture of Plasmodium relictum in experimentally infected birds /
No full textBackground: Sequencing parasite genomes in the presence of host DNA is challenging. Sequence capture can overcome this problem by using RNA probes that hybridize with the parasite DNA and then are removed from solution, thus isolating the parasite DNA for efficient sequencing. Methods: Here we describe a set of sequence capture probes designed to target 1035 genes (c. 2.5 Mbp) of the globally distributed avian haemosporidian parasite, Plasmodium relictum. Previous sequence capture studies of avian haemosporidians from the genus Haemoproteus have shown that sequencing success depends on parasitemia, with low-intensity, chronic infections (typical of most infected birds in the wild) often being difficult to sequence. We evaluate the relationship between parasitemia and sequencing success using birds experimentally infected with P. relictum and kept under laboratory conditions. Results: We confirm the dependence of sequencing success on parasitemia. Sequencing success was low for birds with low levels of parasitemia (< 1% infected red blood cells) and high for birds with higher levels of parasitemia. Plasmodium relictum is composed of multiple lineages defined by their mitochondrial DNA haplotype including three that are widespread (SGS1, GRW11, and GRW4); the probes successfully isolated DNA from all three. Furthermore, we used data from 25 genes to describe both among- and within-lineage genetic variation. For example, two samples of SGS1 isolated from different host species differed by 11 substitutions across those 25 genes. Conclusions: The sequence capture approach we describe will allow for the generation of genomic data that will contribute to our understanding of the population genetic structure and evolutionary history of P. relictum, an extreme host generalist and widespread parasite. Graphical : [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
Experimental study on primary bird co-infection with two Plasmodium relictum lineages-pSGS1 and pGRW11 /
No full textBackground: Co-infections are common in the wild. Thus, studies focused on parasite interactions are essential. We aimed to (i) follow the development of two genetic lineages of Plasmodium relictum—pSGS1 and pGRW11—during single infections and co-infections and (ii) evaluate their impact on bird host health. Materials: Twenty-four domestic canaries were allocated to four groups: two groups were infected with parasites of a single genetic lineage, one group was infected with parasites of both genetic lineages, and one group was considered as the control group. Parasitemia, the number of polychromatophils, changes in body weight, and hemoglobin levels were all quantified up to 32 days post-infection. Results: Three birds infected with pSGS1 died within 20 days post-infection. The prepatent period and the peak of parasitemia did not differ significantly between groups. Differences in hemoglobin levels between the control and experimental groups were observed and there was an abnormal increase in the number of polychromatophils in infected birds. In all infected groups, correlations were detected between the number of polychromatophils and parasitemia (positive), and between the number of polychromatophils and hemoglobin levels (negative). Conclusion: This study shows that co-infection with two phylogenetically closely related P. relictum parasites does not alter overall parasitemia and does not cause higher virulence to the host
Lietuvos Nepticulidae mitybinių ryšių ir minavimo sezoniškumo apžvalga.
No full textThis study provides updated summarised data on host-plant preferences and mining seasons of the Nepticulidae of the Lithuanian fauna. It revealed that the Lithuanian Nepticulidae are trophically associated with 34 genera and 14 families of host plants. Four of these host-plant families stand out in a number of mining Nepticulidae species and all together host about 80% of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae. As regards feeding specialisation, the fauna of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae consists of three constituents: monophagous species (about 44%), narrow oligophagous species (about 48%), and true oligophagous species (about 8%). There are two distinctive peaks of mining: the summer peak from mid-June until mid-July and the autumn peak from early September until mid-October, when most species mine simultaneously
