Differences in spatial versus temporal reaction norms for spring and autumn phenological events.

For species to stay temporally tuned to their environment, they use cues such as the accumulation of degree-days. The relationships between the timing of a phenological event in a population and its environmental cue can be described by a population-level reaction norm. Variation in reaction norms along environmental gradients may either intensify the environmental effects on timing (cogradient variation) or attenuate the effects (countergradient variation). To resolve spatial and seasonal variation in species' response, we use a unique dataset of 91 taxa and 178 phenological events observed across a network of 472 monitoring sites, spread across the nations of the former Soviet Union. We show that compared to local rates of advancement of phenological events with the advancement of temperature-related cues (i.e., variation within site over years), spatial variation in reaction norms tend to accentuate responses in spring (cogradient variation) and attenuate them in autumn (countergradient variation). As a result, among-population variation in the timing of events is greater in spring and less in autumn than if all populations followed the same reaction norm regardless of location. Despite such signs of local adaptation, overall phenotypic plasticity was not sufficient for phenological events to keep exact pace with their cues-the earlier the year, the more did the timing of the phenological event lag behind the timing of the cue. Overall, these patterns suggest that differences in the spatial versus temporal reaction norms will affect species' response to climate change in opposite ways in spring and autumn.

The Conservation and Study of Macromycetes in the Komarov Botanical Institute Basidiomycetes Culture Collection-Their Taxonomical Diversity and Biotechnological Prospects.

Culture collections (CCs) play an important role in the ex situ conservation of biological material and maintaining species and strains, which can be used for scientific and practical purposes. The Komarov Botanical Institute Basidiomycetes Culture Collection (LE-BIN) preserves a large number of original dikaryon strains of various taxonomical and ecological groups of fungi from different geographical regions. Started in the late 1950s for the investigation of Basidiomycetes' biological activity, today, in Russia, it has become a unique specialized macromycetes collection, preserving 3680 strains from 776 species of fungi. The Collection's development is aimed at ex situ conservation of fungal diversity, with an emphasis on preserving rare and endangered species, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and strains useful for biotechnology and medicine. The main methods applied in the collection for maintaining and working with cultures are described, and the results are presented. Some problems for the isolation and cultivation of species are discussed. The taxonomical structure and variety of the strains in the collection fund are analyzed, and they show that the taxonomical diversity of fungi in the LE-BIN is commensurable with the largest CCs in the world. The achievements from the ex situ conservation of the diversity of macromycetes and the main results from the screening and investigation of the collection's strains demonstrate that a number of strains can be prospective producers of enzymes (oxidoreductases and proteases), lipids, and biologically active compounds (terpenoids, phthalides, etc.) for biotechnology and medicine.

Author Correction: Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology.

We present an extensive, large-scale, long-term and multitaxon database on phenological and climatic variation, involving 506,186 observation dates acquired in 471 localities in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The data cover the period 1890-2018, with 96% of the data being from 1960 onwards. The database is rich in plants, birds and climatic events, but also includes insects, amphibians, reptiles and fungi. The database includes multiple events per species, such as the onset days of leaf unfolding and leaf fall for plants, and the days for first spring and last autumn occurrences for birds. The data were acquired using standardized methods by permanent staff of national parks and nature reserves (87% of the data) and members of a phenological observation network (13% of the data). The database is valuable for exploring how species respond in their phenology to climate change. Large-scale analyses of spatial variation in phenological response can help to better predict the consequences of species and community responses to climate change.

The Brown Roll-Rim Mushroom, Paxillus involutus (Agaricomycetes), as a Promising Biomedical Research Resource.

The brown roll-rim mushroom (Paxillus involutus) quickly produces biomass in nature, although, being a mycorrhizal fungus, it is rather poorly maintained in culture. Information about its toxic properties is controversial. Until the mid-20th century, the species was considered as an edible fungus; however, data later accumulated regarding its poisonous properties, leading to the term "Paxillus syndromeP. involutus. Since mushrooms can have quite a few unidentified antigens complementary to B-lymphocyte receptors, this is a hidden danger of using unfractionated mushroom raw materials for preventive and oncotherapy purposes, and we hope that this article stimulates immunological groups worldwide to identify the "X" antigen related to the Paxillus syndrome. Oncotherapy effects of the known bioactive complexes of P. involutus are associated with a specific inhibition of some growth receptors of the cancer cell, whereas experimentation with purified substances of P. involutus and various families of growth receptors of cancer cell has good prospects. A clear speciation is fixing within the P. involutus complex. The key for identification of species of P. involutus complex is given and cultural characteristics of P. involutus strains kept at Komarov Botanical Institute Basidiomycetes Culture Collection are presented.

Cancer without Pharmacological Illusions and a Niche for Mycotherapy (Review).

In this review we outline a framework in which mycotherapy is effective in the field of oncology. We suppose that irreversible epigenomic changes in cancer cells and achieving their replicative immortality when cancer-specific targets are absent should take away any illusions about a fundamental possibility of pharmacological blockage of the cancer process once ontogenesis begins. At the same time, however, we believe that effects of both traditional and alternative medicines on cancer clonogenic units within a particular range can lead to prolonged remission; with this in mind, we carefully consider the various possibilities of mycotherapy in controlling cancer activity. The aforementioned range is limited to nondisseminated cancer processes and depends on the absence of large secondary tumor nodes and the inexhaustibility of immune depots after chemotherapeutic treatment. The main therapeutic effect of fungal bioactive complexes is dectin-1-mediated immunity, including the reprogramming of dendritic cells, which significantly increases the period during which tumors generate immune tolerance. An inhibitory effect of fungal bioactive complexes on some molecular mediators of proliferative signaling and components of proinflammatory (synergistic with cancer) immunity can be considered less significant. The effect of fungal bioactive complexes on vital (including overexpressed) targets of cancer cells is even more limited. The results of this study stress that mycotherapy is only one of the tools that can be used to balance remission. Palliative mycotherapy is associated with polyphenols composites, which contribute to detoxification and to the suppression of inflammation and pain sensation.

Profiles of Little-Known Medicinal Polypores: Haploporus odorus (Agaricomycetes).

The purpose of this study was to compile a comprehensive characterization of little-known polypores, which have recently been found to possess anticancer activity and thus can also be used in cancer target therapy. Haploporus odorus is a polypore of Holarctic distribution and has been found by harvesters working in taiga floodlands and broadleaf forests of the Northern Hemisphere. A substance known as haploporic acid A was determined in methylene chloride extract from the dried basidiomata of H. odorus. This substance can be used in cancer therapy; more details of its health benefits could be used in mycotherapy.

Wavelet transform: A better approach for the evaluation of instantaneous changes in heart rate variability.

The aim of our study was to validate the Vaidyanathan wavelet tool for HRV analysis during orthostatic testing. Two groups of normotensive male subjects were studied: 13 adolescents and 27 young adults. Both groups consisted of subjects with negative, (N-), and with positive family history for hypertension, (N+). These subjects underwent 5-minute active standing upright, preceded and followed by 5-minute periods in supine position. Continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded and HRV indices were calculated using wavelet (WT) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) simultaneously. WT and FFT data showed high level of correlation (>0.9). Due to its inherent properties, WT proved to be more informative than FFT in the analysis of the non-stationary ECG signal during orthostatic testing. WT revealed HRV dynamics more accurately since it allowed HRV evaluation for shorter intervals (60 s) than FFT (256 s). During the initial and recovery period lower parasympathetic activity (P < 0.0001; P < 0.02) and higher ratio of autonomic balance (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic) (P < 0.0001; P < 0.02) were evidenced in (N+) as compared to (N-). The upright posture was accompanied by a prompt decrease in HRV and by an elevation of the index of autonomic balance. These alterations were more pronounced in N(+). In conclusion, we believe that wavelet analysis is an appropriate approach for the estimation of HRV dynamics in non-stationary conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate certain essential alterations in the autonomic modulation of the cardiovascular system in young normotensives with positive family history for essential hypertension.