Quantum information processes in protein microtubules of brain neurons

We study biologically ‘orchestrated’ coherent quantum processes in collections of protein microtubules of brain neurons, which correlate with, and regulate, neuronal synaptic and membrane activity. In this situation the continuous Schrodinger evolution of each such process terminates in accordance with the specific Diosi-Penrose (DP) scheme of ‘objective reduction’ (‘OR’) of the quantum state. This orchestrated OR activity (‘Orch OR’) is taken to result in moments of conscious awareness and/or choice. We analyze Orch OR in light of advances and developments in quantum physics, computational neuroscience and quantum biology. Much attention is also devoted to the ‘beat frequencies’ of faster microtubule vibrations as a possible source of the observed electroencephalographic (‘EEG’) correlates of consciousness

TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATE SPECIES FROM THE THREE EDITIONS OF „THE RED BOOK OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA”: LIMITING FACTORS AND PROTECTION MEASURES

In the paper a short study history and analysis of 4 groups of terrestrial vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) from the four editions of „Red Book” are presented: 2 from soviet period (first edition of Moldavian SSR from 1978 and second edition of USSR from 1984) and 2 after the independence of the republic (second edition from 2001 and third one from 2015). The number of listed species in these editions are growing, in the third editions from 2015 being described 219 vertebrate animals, including 30 mammal species, 62 bird species, 9 reptile and 7 amphibian species. According to IUCN criteria the listed species are included in the following: vulnerable (VU) 45 species; endangered (EN) 20 species and critically endangered (CR) 43 species. The factors that provoked the species number decrease and the measures for preventing their disappearance are indicated for each species

Indukcja kalusa i akumulacja biomasy in vitro z owocu aronii (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot)

In this study, the following features were determined: biological (the optimal histogen as explant and the optimal age of donor fruit), biotechnological (type, dosage and combination of growth regulators supplements in culture medium Murashige and Skoog as well as sucrose dosage), and physical (light regime), to induce callusing and biomass accumulation in vitro from the succulent chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot) fruit. It turned out that it was much easier to induce callus from explants composed of the epicarp and hypoderm cut from fruits at 50–60 days after flowering. The role of light regime and varied supplementation of the basic MS medium with different doses of growth regulators was established; they resulted in four pigmented carpomass: violet, cream-pink, cream-white and green. The best combinations for the proliferation of fruit callus were culture media with 0.2–2.5 mg × dm-3 2,4-D+0.5 mg × dm-3 KIN +60 g × dm-3sucrose, while for fruit biomass accumulation enriched with phenolic substances – 2.5–3.5 mg × dm-3 NAA+0.5 mg × dm-3 KIN+60 g × dm-3sucrose. The chemical study of phenolic compounds by HPLC coupled with the mass spectrometry method identified chlorogenic acid, hiperozide, quercetrin, isoquercitrin and rutozide quantitatively and qualitatively in all pigmented carpomass and fruits; an exception is p-coumaric present only qualitatively in green carpomass and absent in fruit and quercetol absent in green carpomass.W przeprowadzonym badaniu najpierw określono następujące cechy: biologiczne (optymalny histogen jako explant oraz optymalny wiek owocu dawcy), biotechnologiczne (rodzaj, dawka i kombinacje regulatorów wzrostu dodanych do pożywek Murashige i Skooga oraz dawki sacharozy) i fizyczne (cykl świetlny), w celu indukcji kalusa i akumulacji biomasy in vitro z owocu aronii (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliot). Okazało się, że o wiele łatwiej jest indukować kalus z eksplantów złożonych z egzokarpu i hipodermy wyci ętych z owoców mających 50–60 dni po kwitnieniu. Określono rolę cyklu świetlnego oraz uzupełnienia podstawowej pożywki MS zróżnicowanymi dawkami regulatorów wzrostu; zastosowane regulatory wzrostu spowodowały powstanie kalusa o czterech zabarwieniach: fioletowym, kremowo-różowym, kremowo-bia- łym i zielonym. Najlepszymi kombinacjami do rozmna żania kalusa z owocu były pożywki zawierajżce 0,2–2,5 mg × dm-3 2,4-D+0,5 mg × dm-3 KIN +60 g × dm-3 sacharozy, podczas gdy dla akumulacji biomasy owocu wzbogaconej o substancje fenolowe, pożywki zawierające 2,5–3,5 mg × dm-3 NAA+0,5 mg × dm-3 KIN+60 g × dm-3 sacharozy. Na podstawie analiz chemicznych związków fenolowych przeprowadzonych przy użyciu HPLC w połączeniu z metodą spektrometrii mas oznaczono jakościowo oraz ilościowo kwas chlorogenowy, hiperozyd, kwercetrynę, izokwercetryn ę i rutozyd w zabarwionym kalusie i owocach; wyj ątkiem jest kwas p-kumarowy, który był obecny wy- łącznie jakościowo w zielonej masie kalusa i nieobecny w owocach, oraz kwercetrol, który był nieobecny w zielonym kalusie

A species-level trait dataset of bats in Europe and beyond

Abstract Knowledge of species’ functional traits is essential for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting the impacts of global environmental changes, and assessing the efficiency of conservation measures. Bats are major components of mammalian diversity and occupy a variety of ecological niches and geographic distributions. However, an extensive compilation of their functional traits and ecological attributes is still missing. Here we present EuroBaTrait 1.0, the most comprehensive and up-to-date trait dataset covering 47 European bat species. The dataset includes data on 118 traits including genetic composition, physiology, morphology, acoustic signature, climatic associations, foraging habitat, roost type, diet, spatial behaviour, life history, pathogens, phenology, and distribution. We compiled the bat trait data obtained from three main sources: (i) a systematic literature and dataset search, (ii) unpublished data from European bat experts, and (iii) observations from large-scale monitoring programs. EuroBaTrait is designed to provide an important data source for comparative and trait-based analyses at the species or community level. The dataset also exposes knowledge gaps in species, geographic and trait coverage, highlighting priorities for future data collection