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The Dolichol kinase (DOLK) gene encodes the polytopic DOLK protein associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) N-glycosylation pathway catalyzing the final step in the biosynthesis of dolichol phosphate. Dolichol phosphate is an oligosaccharide carrier required for N-glycosylation of DOLK protein, with its deficiency leading to a severe hypo glycosylation phenotype in humans which can cause congenital disorders of glycosylation and death in early infancy. The aim of the present study is to identify the phylogenetic relationship between human and ortholog species based on their conserved sequences in DOLK gene. Sequence alignment of DOLK was carried out in this study and the evolutionarily conserved regulatory sequences were identified using bioinformatics. Promoter sequence of human DOLK was compared with orthologous sequences from different organisms. Conserved non-coding sequences (CNS) and motifs in promoter regions were found by analyzing upstream promoter sequences of Homo sapiens DOLK and its orthologous genes in other organisms. Conserved sequences were predicted in the promoter regions in CNS1 and CNS2. Conserved protein sequences were also identified by alignment of the orthologous sequences. Organisms with similar gene sequences are assumed to be closely related and the ER N-glycosylation pathway is conserved in them.

ABSTRACTSpecies distribution modeling and niche dynamics of alien plants can aid in understanding the existing and future invasion potential in the wake of climate change. We describe the niche dynamics of S. viarum Dunal, and report on its present and predicted future distribution in Pakistan under scenarios of climate change. The results revealed that S. viarum had an extensive range of prospective distribution zones in Pakistan, with Central Punjab, Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Southern Balochistan being the most suitable. According to ROC curve data, the MaxEnt model has a great prediction precision and credible outcomes. The most important variables influencing S. viarum latent distribution may be precipitation and temperature. The current potential area of S. viarum is approximately 105,750 km2 (12%). Under climate change regimes, the highly suitable area for S. viarum increases by 2–9% under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The outcomes of this study could help to develop control of regional invasions and climate change approaches in Pakistan. More importantly, the findings of niche dynamics in native and invaded S. viarum areas contribute to a better understanding of the nature of niche modifications in invasive species and the potential for invasion under climate change.

Plant communities that occur along water corridors are termed riparian vegetation. Although relatively narrow and long, riparian zones do provide an extensive spatially linear network of connectivity between existing habitats, allowing species to move more easily in response to changing microclimate conditions. Knowledge of riparian ecosystems in the Himalayan Region of Kashmir has not been explored, even though this region is unique and comprises some of the most important hotspots for Himalayan biodiversity. The current study characterizes the vegetation community along a riparian ecosystem in the Zabarwan Range, where there is no information on community characterization. After preliminary surveys, the three sites representing the study area were selected for detailed field sampling (Community-1 at the lower end of the stream; Community-2 at the middle of the stream, and Community-3 at the upper end of the stream). Data on the communities were gathered using the T-transect vegetation sampling method, and indicator plant species along the riparian zones were identified using Analysis of Indicator Species (AIS). A total of 71 plant species were collected, which were divided into 64 genera and 38 families. With nine species, the Rosaceae family was the largest, followed by the Asteraceae with six species. Three community associations, Ulmus-Parrotiopsis-Oplismenus, Salix-Rosa-Oplismenus, Celtis-Viburnum-Fragaria, were identified on the basis of an important value index. Diversity indices show significant differences in riparian vegetation between the types of plant communities. Shannon Diversity was also found to be higher in communities 2 and 3, indicating that the vegetation there was more diverse. Ulmus villosa is a common indicator species in Community-1 and Community-2, while Prunus tomentosa is a common indicator species in Community-3 and Community-1. Rosa webbiana was found as an indicator species in Community-2 and Community-3 while Celtis australis and Viburnum grandiflorum were restricted to Community-3. The identified indicator species in the vegetation associations can be employed for restoring riparian zones because of their excellent ecological performance and capacity for regrowth in these environments.

The basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) superfamily is the most widespread family of transcription factors in eukaryotic organisms, which can activate the expression of genes by interacting with specific promoters in the genes. The bHLH transcription factors direct the development and metabolic process of plants, including flowering initiation and secondary metabolite production, by attaching to specific sites on their promoters. These transcription factors are essential for encouraging plant tolerance or the adjustment to harsh environmental conditions. The involvement of bHLH genes in anthocyanin formation in fleshy fruit-bearing plants, as well as the role of these genes in response to stimuli including drought, salt, and cold stress, are discussed in this article. New concepts and goals for the production of stress-tolerant fruit species are suggested. Furthermore, solid evidence for the critical role of bHLH genes in the growth and development, as well as anthocyanin biosynthesis in fleshy fruit plants, are also presented in this article. This review identifies several future research directions that can shed light on the roles of bHLH genes in fruit-bearing plants and will assist the use of these genes in efforts to breed fruit crop varieties that are more resistant to stress. Generally, there has been little research carried out on the role of bHLHs transcription factor family genes in fleshy fruit-bearing plant species and more in-depth studies are required to fully understand the diverse role of bHLH genes in these species.

Assessments of forest ecosystem health for use in adaptive management need an integrative multi-indicator examination at the stand scale. To assess forest health, we exained multiple forest indicators including diversity, age structure, regeneration, and edaphic factors of the dominant and associated tree species in their natural forest habitats. A stratified random cluster sampling strategy was used to gather vegetation samples from the five main forest types in the Zabarwan Mountain Range—Acacia forest (ACFT), Broad leaved forest (BLFT), Oak forest (OKFT), Pinus wallichiana forest (PWFT), and Scrub forest (SRFT). The Pearson method and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to investigate the relationship between tree species and edaphic factors. A total of 22 tree species were found, of which 13 were exotic and 9 were native. The proportion of exotic species was highest in OKFT (85%), followed by BLFT (75%), and the least (50%) SRFT. The BLFT forest type had the highest Shannon diversity while the lowest was the SRFT. ACFT and BLFT forest types have significantly higher Shannon diversity indexes than other forest types. Based on the density-girth class distribution, ACFT & SRFT forest types showed an Inverse-J distribution pattern, indicating a stable population structure. The dominant tree species, such as Populus alba in BLFT, demonstrated comparatively no regeneration, whereas Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana in SRFT, Pinus wallichiana in PWFT, Quercus robur in OKFT, and Robinia pseudoacacia demonstrated adequate regeneration performance. Overall exotic tree species such as Robinia pseudoacacia, Prunus cerasifera, Celtis australis, and Ailanthus altissima showed high/sufficient regeneration performance. The average seedling/tree value for all forest types in the area was 2.14, with the highest value at BLFT (3.61) and the lowest value at SRFT (0.71). In the CCA it showed that SRFT forests were greatly influenced by salinity and organic carbon, whereas ACFT and OKFT forests had comparable habitat preferences and were mutually influenced by electrical conductance and phosphorus availability. Prunus cerasifera was the only species positively associated with available calcium. By combining the data of numerous field-based indicators into a single integrated study, our research will give decision-makers an update on a forest's current and anticipated health.

Nanotechnology is an emerging field of science that has significant applications in applied sciences. In this study, silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were synthesized utilizing the leaf filtrate of Rubus ellipticus. SNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction patterns to determine their morphology and chemical composition. The surface plasmon resonance of SNPs revealed a peak at 415 nm. The synthesized SNPs were mainly spherical crystals with an average size of 21.43 nm. When compared to plant extract and positive controls (AgNO3 and penicillin), SNPs demonstrated significant bactericidal activity against all the tested bacteria (gram-positive and gram-negative). The most effective bactericidal activity was found against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1.25 µg/mL. In addition, a dose-dependent antioxidant activity of SNPs was found against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical with an average IC50 value of 72.84 µg/mL. The photocatalytic activity of Methylene blue (MB) dye decomposition under sunlight was studied. The results showed that MB degraded by 98 % after 150 min in the sun. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that R. ellipticus biosynthesized SNPs may have bactericidal and photocatalytic effects.

Introduction Research highlights the complex psychological needs that patients and their families can face following a burn injury, regardless of the objective severity of the injury and often beyond the timeframe of physical healing. Identification of psychological needs at different stages post-burn recovery is therefore a key role of clinical psychologists working in burn care services. Method This paper presents audit data collected across a two-year period in routine paediatric and adult multidisciplinary team follow-up clinics in a UK burns service. 808 clinical contacts (331 adults, 477 paediatrics) were recorded. Data gathered related to the identification of patient and/or family psychological need and the level of psychology input within clinic. Results For 43% of adult patients and 46% of paediatric patients seen in clinic, some degree of psychological need for the patient and/or family was identified during the consultation. A large majority of concerns related directly to the burn injury. This is consistent with previous research into the psychological impact of burns. Even for patients with no identified psychological needs, psychology presence enabled the opportunity for brief screening, preventative advice or signposting to take place during clinic. Discussion A substantial number of individuals and families presented with some level of psychological concern in relation to a burn injury when attending burns multidisciplinary team follow-up clinics. Conclusion A substantial number of patients and families presented with psychological needs in relation to a burn injury when attending burns MDT follow-up clinics. The presence of Clinical Psychologists at burns MDT follow-up clinics is beneficial for the identification of burns and non-burns related psychological concerns and is a valuable use of psychological resources within a burns service. Lay Summary The Regional Burns Centre holds regular outpatient scar clinics to monitor recovery and healing. As well as the medical professionals, the clinics are joined by Clinical Psychologists who can assess, refer, and support individuals struggling with their burn or scarring on a mental level. Over 15 months, data was collected about patients attending the clinics and the involvement of the psychologists. 43% of adult patients and 46% of paediatric patients were identified as having some psychological need, either related to their burn or to other aspects of their life. This demonstrates the benefits of having psychology presence within scar clinics, as nearly half of the patients seen in clinic received an assessment and further support (such as signposting and referrals to psychological support). Burns staff also felt that psychology presence enhanced conversations and increased collaboration with decision making around treatment.

The fruit of Monotheca buxifolia is among the underutilized wild edible fruits that grows in Hindukush and Suleiman range mountains of Pakistan. Mountain communities consume this wild fruit as a food, medicine and it provides an important source of income. In this study, we aimed to investigate the total yield and the effect that altitude plays on its proximate composition and mineral contents as determined through phytochemical screening of this economically important wild fruit. Our results indicate a significant increase in the total fruit yield with increasing trunk diameter (R2 = 0.98), height (R2 = 0.95) and cover (R2 = 0.92). The proximate composition shows that the crude fat and carbohydrate contents of Monotheca fruit significantly varies (P

Roads are a widespread feature of anthropogenic landscapes, and roadsides serve as disturbed habitats suitable for ruderal plant species colonization. While roadside plant species are often exotic to a region, in some ecosystems such as the Florida scrub, roadsides are also home to numerous endemic, often imperiled species, that capitalize on open, disturbed habitat. Importantly, the co-occurrence of endemics and exotics along roadsides could threaten the populations of the endemics, yet it is unclear how frequently the two groups co-occur. Here, we conducted vegetation surveys across seven habitat types in the Florida scrub ecosystem to (1) examine the distribution and co-occurrence of scrub endemic and exotic species along sandy roadsides, and (2) determine the factors that best predict the occurrence of endemic and exotic species. We found that sandy roadsides were more frequently colonized by endemic rather than exotic plant species and that endemic and exotic species rarely co-occurred. Endemic species occurrence was best predicted by adjacent habitat type, while exotic species occurrence was best predicted by proximity to likely propagule sources. Overall, our study showed that scrub endemic and exotic species largely establish in distinct roadside areas. Our work informs our understanding of the role of roadside in species conservation as well as the potential role of biotic resistance against exotic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songbirds provide a powerful model system for studying sensory-motor learning. However, many analyses of birdsong require time-consuming, manual annotation of its elements, called syllables. Automated methods for annotation have been proposed, but these methods assume that audio can be cleanly segmented into syllables, or they require carefully tuning multiple statistical models. Here, we present TweetyNet: a single neural network model that learns how to segment spectrograms of birdsong into annotated syllables. We show that TweetyNet mitigates limitations of methods that rely on segmented audio. We also show that TweetyNet performs well across multiple individuals from two species of songbirds, Bengalese finches and canaries. Lastly, we demonstrate that using TweetyNet we can accurately annotate very large datasets containing multiple days of song, and that these predicted annotations replicate key findings from behavioral studies. In addition, we provide open-source software to assist other researchers, and a large dataset of annotated canary song that can serve as a benchmark. We conclude that TweetyNet makes it possible to address a wide range of new questions about birdsong.

Here, we present the genome sequence of the dark septate fungal endophyte Microdochium bolleyi (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Xylariales). The assembled genome size was 38.84 Mbp and consisted of 173 scaffolds and 13,177 predicted genes.