WormPose: Image synthesis and convolutional networks for pose estimation in C. elegans

An important model system for understanding genes, neurons and behavior, the nematode worm C. elegans naturally moves through a variety of complex postures, for which estimation from video data is challenging. We introduce an open-source Python package, WormPose, for 2D pose estimation in C. elegans, including self-occluded, coiled shapes. We leverage advances in machine vision afforded from convolutional neural networks and introduce a synthetic yet realistic generative model for images of worm posture, thus avoiding the need for human-labeled training. WormPose is effective and adaptable for imaging conditions across worm tracking efforts. We quantify pose estimation using synthetic data as well as N2 and mutant worms in on-food conditions. We further demonstrate WormPose by analyzing long (∼ 8 hour), fast-sampled (∼ 30 Hz) recordings of on-food N2 worms to provide a posture-scale analysis of roaming/dwelling behaviors.     

Spectral studies of Amaranthus tristis Linn. in Bioremediated Silk dyeing effluent with mixed biofertilizer inoculants

Microbial degradation as a treatment, with the combination of mixed inoculants of the Biofertilizer of Pseudomonas sp., Azospirillium sp. and Rhizobium sp., was employed for the remediation of Silk dyeing effluent. Remediating studies was undertaken to assess the feasibility of the mixed biofertilizer inoculant source for degradation of the Azodye effluent from the Silk dyeing Industry. The Green leafy vegetable (GLV), Amaranthus tristis Linn used as investigational prototypical plant species is selected for examining the phytochemicals, functional groups and its compounds grown in the effluent and biotreated environment and compared. The laboratory scale investigation showed that leaves, stem and root of the Amaranthus tristis Linn was qualitatively analysed for 20 phytochemicals which was grown in the different treatments of raw effluent and the biotreated effluent and the results showed the phytochemicals on the effluent’s influence reduced from strong positive to trace amounts while recovered on the biotreated environment. The FTIR analysis of the GLV grown in effluent and biotreated environments on comparison resulted in the functional group Alkene rescued in the biotreated effluent environment compared to the effluent contaminated area. The HPLC analysis of methanolic extracts of A. tristis grown in fresh water has 6 peaks of retention time of 2.6, 3, 3.9, 4, 4.2, and 4.6 RT whereas GLV effluent had only one peak of retention time of 4.1 RT. In the GLV from biotreated environment have 4 peaks were found with the maximum percentage area of 95.2% which proves that the compounds are rescued in the biotreated environment and few active compounds were confirmed in GCMS analysis. The Soil analysis results also indicate that the biotreatment of mixed inoculant of biofertilizers in the biotreated soil had influence resulting in improved levels of Ca, N, P and K with 114, 213, 10.5, 268 kg/ha respectively in the mixed inoculant biotreated soil. Similarly the micronutrients suchas Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn ranges to 4.1, 20.22, 2.13, 1.13 ppm respectively in the mixed inoculant biotreated soil within the optimal range. The study revealed that mixed biofertilizer inoculant has the recovery effect on the Silk dyeing (Azodyes) effluents effective reducing the pollutant capacity thereby meeting the discharged standards.     

Effect of cooling water chlorination on primary productivity of entrained phytoplankton at Kalpakkam,east coast of India

We studied the effect of various concentrations of chlorine, used in the cooling system of Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), on the primary productivity of entrained phytoplankton from October 1988 to December 1990. The rates of primary productivity (gross) were lower at the discharge point than in the intake area. The reduction in productivity ranged from 30 to 70% at low-dose chlorination (residual chlorine 0.05–0.20 mg l⁻¹ at the discharge point). During shock-dose chlorination, when residual chlorine at the discharge point ranged from 1.10 to 1.50 mg 1⁻¹ the reduction in productivity was 80–83%. A reduction of 16–17% was recorded without chlorination.     

Molecular characterization of endangered endemic plant Aloe pseudorubroviolacea using chloroplast matK and plastid rbcL gene

An endangered and rare species Aloe pseudorubroviolacea from the plant family Asphodelaceae which is presently recorded as endangered in Saudi Arabia collected from Al-Baha region of Saudi Arabia its GPS Latitude and Longitude coordinates 19.8345, 41.5481. The chloroplast matK and rbcL gene was considered in this study based on molecular identification the size is about 571 and 664 bp respectively. From the sequence analysis the gene matK and rbcL confirm that this species is very much closely related with A. rubroviolacea and also inter related with the species Astroloba rubriflora, Chrysopogon gryllus, Chortolirion angolense shows about 98.7% sequence homology. The partial matK and rbcL gene sequence discriminate Aloe pseudorubroviolacea from the closely related plant species, A. rubroviolacea. The gene sequence of rbcL discriminates the species from Chrysopogon gryllus and Chortolirion angolense, demonstrates the nucleotide variations in 3 different sites (623C/T; 653C/T; 700C/A). This study showed that matK and rbcL sequence region of chloroplast gene used to authenticate the samples of A. pseudorubroviolacea and which provide to help in correct identification and conservation process of this medicinally valuable endangered plant species.     

A novel polyculture growth model of native microalgal communities to estimate biomass productivity for biofuel production

Native polyculture microalgae is a promising scheme to produce microalgal biomass as biofuel feedstock in an open raceway pond. However, predicting biomass productivity of native polycultures microalgae is incredibly complicated. Therefore, developing polyculture growth model to forecast biomass yield is indispensable for commercial-scale production. This research aims to develop a polyculture growth model for native microalgal communities in the Minamisoma algae plant and to estimate biomass and biocrude oil productivity in a semicontinuous open raceway pond. The model was built based on monoculture growth of polyculture species and it is later formulated using species growth, polyculture factor (k_value), initial concentration, light intensity, and temperature. In order to calculate species growth, a simplified Monod model was applied. In the simulation, 115 samples of the 2014–2015 field dataset were used for model training, and 70 samples of the 2017 field dataset were used for model validation. The model simulation on biomass concentration showed that the polyculture growth model with k_value had a root-mean-square error of 0.12, whereas model validation provided a better result with a root-mean-square error of 0.08. Biomass productivity forecast showed maximum productivity of 18.87 g/m²/d in June with an annual average of 13.59 g/m²/d. Biocrude oil yield forecast indicated that hydrothermal liquefaction process was more suitable with a maximum productivity of 0.59 g/m²/d compared with solvent extraction which was only 0.19 g/m²/d. With satisfactory root-mean-square errors less than 0.3, this polyculture growth model can be applied to forecast the productivity of native microalgae.     

An artificial sweetener stimulates the sweet taste in insect: dual effects of glycyrrhizin in Phormia regina.

Glycyrrhizin, found in the root of licorice (Glycyrrhizia glabra), has been used extensively as a non-sugar sweetener for humans and also as a medicine. As far as we know, the present work is the first report describing that a non-sugar sweetener for humans induces a sweet taste in insects. In behavioural experiments, we found that glycyrrhizin induced the feeding response, including full proboscis extension in the blowfly, Phormia regina. Glycyrrhizin also induced impulses of the sugar receptor cell in the labellar chemosensillum, which is highly specialized for the tastes of sugars and nucleotides. The optimum concentration of glycyrrhizin was 3.0 mM, which is much lower than that of sucrose. It has been established that multiple receptor sites, the pyranose receptor site (P site) and the furanose receptor site (F site), are present in the sugar receptor cell of the blowfly and the fleshfly. The inhibitors specific to the P site, starch and PCMB (p-chloromercuribenzoate), partially inhibited glycyrrhizin-induced responses but not levan (an inhibitor to the F site), indicating that the P site on the sugar receptor cell is involved in the glycyrrhizin action but not the F site. When 30 s stimulation with 3.0 mM glycyrrhizin was repeated with an interval of 3--10 min, the impulse frequency to the second stimulus was higher than that to the first one and doubled within 6 min. The first stimulus lasting longer than 10 s potentiated the impulse generation and reduced the adaptation rate during the second stimulus. These results suggest that, in addition to the action via the P site, an additional mechanism, possibly in the signal transduction cascade of the sugar receptor cell, may be involved in the action of glycyrrhizin.     

Impact of power plant heated effluent on the abundance of sedentary organisms,off Kalpakkam,East coast of India

The impact of heated effluents from the condenser outfall of the Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), on the flora and fauna settled on an iron pile in the discharge area was studied. At temperatures ranging between 27.2 to 31.0 °C, the sedentary community was composed of epiphytic algae, sea anemones, tubeworms, polychaetes, crabs, amphipods, barnacles, periwinkles, mussels and ascidians. During January–February, ambient temperature ranged between 37.0 to 37.6 °C, and almost all the macroepifauna and flora, except for periwinkles and Cthamalid barnacles perished.