Does a long‐term shift in Wood Stork diet foreshadow adaptability to human‐induced rapid environmental change?

To preserve biodiversity, identifying at‐risk populations and developing conservation plans to mitigate the effects of human‐induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) are essential. Changes in diet, especially for food‐limited species, can aid in detecting populations being impacted by HIREC, and characterizing the quality, abundance, and temporal and spatial consistency of newly consumed food items may provide insight concerning the likelihood of a species persisting in a changing environment. We used Wood Storks (Mycteria americana) nesting in the Florida Everglades as a model system to study the possible effects of HIREC on a food‐limited population. We compared the diets of Wood Storks in 2013 and 2014 with those reported during the 1970s before major anthropogenic activities affected the Everglades system and prey availability. Wood Storks in our study consumed more large‐bodied sunfish species (Lepomis spp.), fewer native marsh fishes, and more non‐native fish species than during the 1970s. Large sunfish and non‐native fish are relatively rare in the drying pools of Everglades marshes where storks traditionally forage, suggesting that Wood Storks may be using novel foraging habitats such as created wetlands (i.e., canals and stormwater ponds). Although created wetlands have long hydroperiods conducive to maintaining large‐bodied fishes and could provide alternative foraging habitat when prey availability is reduced in natural marshes, additional studies are needed to determine the extent to which these wetlands are used by Wood Storks and, importantly, the quality of prey items potentially available to foraging Wood Storks in created wetlands.     

Central Place Foraging in Nonpatchy Habitats

This paper deal with a model of optimal foraging in a habitat with arbitrary food distribution. It takes into account an arbitrary risk cost related to the distance to the animal's nest. Food acquisition and risk cost are accounted for in common units of fitness. The resulting problem is solved in the context of Calculus of Variations. The optimal duration of absence from the nest and the optimal spatial allocation of foraging time are obtained: the optimal strategy leads to separate the habitat into a region to exploit and a region to ignore. The definition of these two distinct regions depends on the relative importance of risk and food availability. With realistic risk costs, the resulting strategy indicates a highly selective behaviour when far from the nest, as observed in field studies. The model is also extended to take account of the need of returning to the nest to guard it or to feed the young.     

Synthesis,in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory potential and molecular docking study of thiadiazole analogs

α-Glucosidase is a catabolic enzyme that regulates the body’s plasma glucose levels by providing energy sources to maintain healthy functioning. 2-Amino-thiadiazole (1–13) and 2-amino-thiadiazole based Schiff bases (14–22) were synthesized, characterized by ¹H NMR and HREI-MS and screened for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. All twenty-two (22) analogs exhibit varied degree of α-glucosidase inhibitory potential with IC₅₀ values ranging between 2.30 ± 0.1 to 38.30 ± 0.7 μM, when compare with standard drug acarbose having IC₅₀ value of 39.60 ± 0.70 μM. Among the series eight derivatives 1, 2, 6, 7, 14, 17, 19 and 20 showed outstanding α-glucosidase inhibitory potential with IC₅₀ values of 3.30 ± 0.1, 5.80 ± 0.2, 2.30 ± 0.1, 2.70 ± 0.1, 2.30 ± 0.1, 5.50 ± 0.1, 4.70 ± 0.2, and 5.50 ± 0.2 μM respectively, which is many fold better than the standard drug acarbose. The remaining analogs showed good to excellent α-glucosidase inhibition. Structure activity relationship has been established for all compounds. The binding interactions of these compounds were confirmed through molecular docking.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of phenanthroimidazole derivatives as stabilizer of c-myc G-quadruplex DNA

c-myc G-quadruplex DNA, which plays a central role in tumor progression and resistance, has been extensively investigated as potential target of antitumor drugs. In this paper, a series of phenanthroimidazole derives have been synthesized under irradiation of microwave in yields of 51–80%. The antitumor activity of these compounds against various tumor cells has been evaluated, and the results show that these compounds exhibit great inhibition to MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and Hela cells, especially 5 inhibit the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells with IC₅₀ about 3.6 μM. The further studies show that 5 can bind and stabilize c-myc G4 DNA in π–π stacking mode, which confirmed by the hypochromise in the electronic spectra of 5 with the increasing of c-myc G4 DNA. When dealt with 5, the strength of CD signal attributed to c-myc G4 DNA is decreased and the FRET melting point of c-myc G4 DNA is increased. Moreover, the molecule docking calculation was conducted to show that 5 suitably stack onto the 5′ G-quartet surface, and parallels to the surfaces of the G5 and G-quartet consisting of G7, G11, G16, and G20. As a result, the replication of c-myc oligomers is blocked by 5. In a word, this type of phenanthroimidazole derives can act as potential inhibitor against breast cancer cells by binding and stabilizing c-myc G4 DNA through π–π stacking.     

Synthesis of 3′,4′-difluoro-3′-deoxyribonucleosides and its evaluation of the biological activities: Discovery of a novel type of anti-HCV agent 3′,4′-difluorocordycepin

Upon reacting 3′,4′-unsaturated cytosine (8 and 9) and adenine nucleosides (13 and 14) with XeF₂/BF₃·OEt₂, the respective novel 3′,4′-difluoro-3′-deoxyribofuranosyl nucleosides (10–12 and 15–18) could be obtained. Formation of anti-adducts (11, 16 and 18) revealed that the fluorination involved oxonium ions as incipient intermediates. TBDMS-protected 3′,4′-unsaturated adenosine provided the β-face adducts as sole stereoisomers whereas α-face-selectivity was observed with the TBDPS-protected adenosine 14. The evaluation of the novel 3′-deoxy-3′,4′-difluororibofuranosylcytosine-(19–21) and adenine nucleosides (22–25) against antitumor and antiviral activities revealed that 3′,4′-difluorocordycepin (24) was found to possess anti-HCV activity. The SI of 24 was comparable to that of the anti-HCV drug ribavirin. However, sofosbuvir, FDA-approved novel anti-HCV drug, showed better SI value. Our finding revealed that the introduction of the fluoro-substituent into the 4′-position of cordycepin derivatives decreased the cytotoxicity to the host cell with retention of the antiviral activity.     

Morphology,phylogeny and novel chemical compounds from Coolia malayensis (Dinophyceae) from Okinawa,Japan

Marine benthic dinoflagellates within the genus Coolia have been reported to produce natural products, some of which are known to be toxic (i.e., cooliatoxin). To date, five species of Coolia have been reported in tropical and temperate waters around the world; however, very few studies have combined detailed morphological and molecular data with chemical analyses. In this study, a clonal culture of Coolia malayensis was isolated and mass cultivated from a coral reef on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Analysis of the thecal plate morphology and molecular phylogeny from 28S rDNA strongly supported the close relationship between this new isolate of C. malayensis from Okinawa and other isolates of C. malayensis from around the world. Following methanol extraction of 250 L of mass culture, chemical analyses using NanoLiquid chromatography mass spectrometry revealed the mass profiles of water-soluble and ethyl acetate-soluble parts. High-resolution mass spectrometry derived the molecular formulas of three novel disulphated polyether analogs of yessotoxin (C₅₆H₇₈O₁₈S₂ 1102.4 (Compound 1), C₅₇H₈₀O₁₈S₂ 1116.4 (Compound 2), and C₅₇H₇₈O₁₉S₂ 1130.4 (Compound 3)); two potential homologous compounds (Compounds 4 and 5) were also observed on the high-resolution mass, albeit with low signal intensity. The five compounds in the C. malayensis from Okinawa are composed of less oxygen, compared to cooliatoxin and other analogs of yessotoxin, suggesting the metabolites produced by C. malayensis are unique to those previously reported from other strains of Coolia.     

Fairy wrasses perceive and respond to their deep red fluorescent coloration

Fluorescence enables the display of wavelengths that are absent in the natural environment, offering the potential to generate conspicuous colour contrasts. The marine fairy wrasse Cirrhilabrus solorensis displays prominent fluorescence in the deep red range (650–700 nm). This is remarkable because marine fishes are generally assumed to have poor sensitivity in this part of the visual spectrum. Here, we investigated whether C. solorensis males can perceive the fluorescence featured in this species by testing whether the presence or absence of red fluorescence affects male–male interactions under exclusive blue illumination. Given that males respond aggressively towards mirror-image stimuli, we quantified agonistic behaviour against mirrors covered with filters that did or did not absorb long (i.e. red) wavelengths. Males showed significantly fewer agonistic responses when their fluorescent signal was masked, independent of brightness differences. Our results unequivocally show that C. solorensis can see its deep red fluorescent coloration and that this pattern affects male–male interactions. This is the first study to demonstrate that deep red fluorescent body coloration can be perceived and has behavioural significance in a reef fish.