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Topic Review
The Role of Commensal and other Non-Pathogenic Bacteria
Not only pathogenic bacteria are reservoirs of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, commensal bacteria, and mutualistic bacteria (here named non-pathogenic for simplification) may also carry resistance and virulence genes. However, contrary to pathogenic strains, which are the target of the immune system, non-pathogenic bacteria can colonize hosts for prolonged periods because hosts do not need to be rid of them. Thus, the basic reproductive number of a non-pathogenic bacterial strain, a measure of the strain’s fitness and denoted as R0, is likely to be much higher than one. That is, the expected number of colonized hosts by a single colonized host in a population not yet colonized by that strain is higher than one, which implies that this strain can spread exponentially among hosts. This spread has peculiar consequences for the spread of virulence and resistance genes. For example, computer models that simulate the spread of these genes have shown that their diversities should correlate positively throughout microbiomes. Bioinformatics analysis with real data corroborates this expectation.
  • 2.2K
  • 07 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Application of Environmental Enrichment Strategies in Sea Turtles
Environmental enrichment (EE) is a series of techniques and methods aimed to improve the welfare of animals in captivity and/or under rehabilitation. It uses external stimuli to enhance their psychological and physiological wellbeing to promote natural abilities and behaviors.
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Street Dog Sterilisation Programmes
Humane Society International (HSI) facilitates dog sterilisation programmes internationally, which includes population surveys of street dogs to gain basic demographic information and to set a baseline for future monitoring operations. HSI has developed a web and mobile application suite called ‘HSIApps’ with custom tailored workflows to improve the efficiency (lower programmatic cost) and improve the welfare of dogs in care throughout the sterilisation process.
  • 2.1K
  • 30 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Montology
"Montology" is the holistic, integrative and transdisciplinary science of mountains, inclusive of physical, social, theoretical and empirical disciplines, as well as humanities and arts associated with mountainscapes.
  • 2.0K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Mangrove Tree Distribution
As of 2012, mangroves are found in 105 nations globally. Although distributed across 105 nations, the top 10 mangrove holding nations contain approximately 52% of the global mangrove stock with Indonesia alone containing between 26% and 29% of the entire global mangrove stock. The largest continuous area of mangrove forest is likely in-and-around the Sundarbans National Park in India and the Sundarbans Mangrove Forests in Bangladesh, which are both recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Although existing almost exclusively in the tropics and near-tropics, warm ocean currents support mangrove forests as far north as Walsingham Nature Reserve (Idwal Hughes Nature Reserve) in Bermuda and as far south as Snake Island, Australia.
  • 1.9K
  • 09 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Population-Resources Dynamics
Dynamics of population and resources symmetries are investigated and a model of ecological interaction that fits with empirical behavior was obtained. It was observed how variables in these dynamics are in recurrence considering parameters such as time, frequency, iteration and interaction. Variables investigated are the consume, time and supply mechanics. Time series analysis of these variables indicated a possible phase space formation of the phenomena. The main conclusion leads to a nonlinear dynamics of the  ecological interactions of the organisms and resources symmetries.
  • 1.9K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Soil Microorganisms on Plant Performance
The spatially heterogeneous distribution of soil nutrients is ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems and has been shown to promote the performance of plant communities, influence species coexistence, and alter ecosystem nutrient dynamics. Plants interact with diverse soil microbial communities that lead to an interdependent relationship (e.g., symbioses), driving plant community productivity, belowground biodiversity, and soil functioning.
  • 1.9K
  • 11 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Functional Ecology
Functional ecology is a branch of ecology that focuses on the roles, or functions, that species play in the community or ecosystem in which they occur. In this approach, physiological, anatomical, and life history characteristics of the species are emphasized. The term "function" is used to emphasize certain physiological processes rather than discrete properties, describe an organism's role in a trophic system, or illustrate the effects of natural selective processes on an organism. This sub-discipline of ecology represents the crossroads between ecological patterns and the processes and mechanisms that underlie them. It focuses on traits represented in large number of species and can be measured in two ways – the first being screening, which involves measuring a trait across a number of species, and the second being empiricism, which provides quantitative relationships for the traits measured in screening. Functional ecology often emphasizes an integrative approach, using organism traits and activities to understand community dynamics and ecosystem processes, particularly in response to the rapid global changes occurring in earth's environment. Functional ecology sits at the nexus of several disparate disciplines and serves as the unifying principle between evolutionary ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics and genomics, and traditional ecological studies. It explores such areas as "[species'] competitive abilities, patterns of species co-occurrence, community assembly, and the role of different traits on ecosystem functioning".
  • 1.8K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Net Primary Productivity of Forest Ecosystems in Karst
The net primary productivity (NPP) of forest ecosystems is an important factor for understanding the carbon budget of forest ecosystems. There have been many studies on the spatialtemporal characteristics and change trends of the NPP in southwest areas based on observation and remote sensing models. With serious water and soil loss and rocky desertification the environment has become sensitive and fragile, so karst areas have become one of the most vulnerable ecological areas in China. The delicate ecological environment and frequent human activities make it difficult to restore the vegetation in the karst area once it is damaged; the damage affects ecosystem services and other functions and leads to fluctuations in the carbon sequestration and sink enhancement capacity in the area. Therefore, combining, analyzing and summarizing the research regarding forest NPP in karst areas is of great importance for improving the estimation accuracy and assessment of carbon storage and sequestration potential in this area.
  • 1.8K
  • 14 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Larval Feeding Guilds
Larval feeding guilds may affect pollinator ecology, evolution and diversity. I propose to evaluate the nutritional demands of pollinating insects from different larval feeding guilds and the nutrient supplies offered by their host plants/other larval food to explore the nutritional dimension of the ecology and evolution of pollinators and their host plants.
  • 1.8K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Upcycling of Brewers' Spent Grains
Brewers' spent grains (BSGs) are the most important by-product of the brewing industry and are rich in protein and fiber. However, abundant amounts of BSGs are discarded annually worldwide. This project aimed to employ and compare innovative drying techniques to introduce snacks with protein sources derived from leftover BSGs. This study explored the dehydration kinetics of BSGs and the effect of three different drying methods—oven drying (OD), freeze drying (FD), and vacuum microwave drying (VMD)—on their protein content and functionality. Then, an energy and exergy analysis for the drying methods was given. Accordingly, a snack product (baked chips) using the dehydrated BSGs was developed by a sensory panel study to assess consumer acceptability of the final products. It was found that the VMD process took less drying time (48 min) compared to OD (50 min), with higher effectiveness as a drying process. VMD-treated BSG also showed moderate protein functionality and the highest overall acceptability when used in baked chips. Thus, VMD might be used as a sustainable drying technology for thermal treatment and valorization of BSG. In addition to having implications for dietary health, findings can help improve the economy of the breweries and other industries that deal with the processing of grains by valorizing their process waste and contributing to sustainability.
  • 1.8K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
The Role of Flavonoids in Plant Terrestrialization
Plants evolved an impressive arsenal of specialized metabolites to cope with the novel environmental pressures imposed by the terrestrial habitat when moving from water. Flavonoids are maybe the most important specilized metabolites that show multifarious roles in the sucess of plant terrestrialization. These compounds modulated auxin transport and signaling and promoted the symbiosis between plants and fungi (e.g., arbuscular mycorrhizal, AM), a central event for the conquest of land by plants. AM improved the ability of early plants to take up nutrients and water from highly impoverished soils. Therefore, flavonoids were essential to plant development in the “new world” scarce of water and nutrients.
  • 1.7K
  • 30 May 2022
Topic Review
Opuntia (Cactaceae; Opuntioideae) Flower-Visiting Insects
Opuntia species are cacti with high ecological, economic and conservation interest in semiarid environments, particularly in Mexico. Despite the economic and cultural importance of Opuntia, there is a significant lack of knowledge about the flower-visiting insects and their taxonomic identity. Although some Opuntia species could be visited by birds such as hummingbirds, the most dominant taxonomic group of pollinators are the insects. 
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Jan 2022
Topic Review
European Mouflon on Vegetation
The mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon) is an introduced ungulate in continental Europe. It has adapted well to its occupied habitats over the last 150 years. Its growing population has drawn increasing attention to its impact on autochthonous species, especially in endangered ecosystems. Its allochthonous character, habitat selection, and feeding led scientists to question the raison d’etre of mouflons. The mouflon’s space use and foraging strategies highlighted some pressure elements it exerts on those habitats. Mouflon trampling damage may be behind the degradation of rare, endangered grasslands.
  • 1.7K
  • 26 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Forest and Landscape Restoration
Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) is considered worldwide as a powerful approach to recover ecological functionality and to improve human well-being in degraded and deforested landscapes.
  • 1.7K
  • 25 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Sea Slug Elysia crispata
Some species of sacoglossan sea slugs are able to steal chloroplasts from the algae they feed on and maintain them functional for several months, a process termed “kleptoplasty”. One of these photosynthetic slugs is Elysia crispata, found in coral reefs of the Gulf of Mexico. This sacoglossan inhabits different depths (0–25 m), being exposed to different food sources and contrasting light conditions.
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Bacterial Degradation of Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons occur in fossil fuels such as crude oil and consist mainly of hydrogen and carbon. They are natural chemicals, crude oil refining results in commercial products with new physico-chemical properties, which can increase their complexity and toxicity, and hamper their degradation. The presence of biodiverse natural microbial communities is a prerequisite for an effective homeostatic response to the various hydrocarbons, that contaminate ecosystems.
  • 1.6K
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Microbiome in Oil Reservoirs
Microorganisms inhabiting subsurface petroleum reservoirs are key players in biochemical transformations. The interactions of microbial communities in these environments are highly complex and still poorly understood. This work aimed to assess publicly available metagenomes from oil reservoirs and implement a robust pipeline of genome-resolved metagenomics to decipher metabolic and taxonomic profiles of petroleum reservoirs worldwide. We noticed that the oil reservoirs with a lower level of intervention were the most similar to the potential functional core, while the oil fields with a long history of water injection had greater variation in functional profile. These results show how key microorganisms and their functions respond to the distinct physicochemical parameters and interventions of the oil field operations such as water injection and expand the knowledge of biogeochemical transformations in these ecosystems.
  • 1.6K
  • 03 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Asteraceae Paradox
Excessive pollen harvesting by bees can compromise the reproductive success of plants. Plants have therefore evolved different morphological structures and floral cues to narrow the spectrum of pollen feeding visitors. Among “filtering” mechanisms, the chemical and mechanical protection of pollen might shape bee-flower interactions and restrict pollen exploitation to a specific suite of visitors such as observed in Asteraceae. Asteraceae pollen is indeed only occasionally exploited by generalist bee species but plentifully foraged by specialist ones (i.e., Asteraceae paradox). During our bioassays, we observed that micro-colonies of generalist bumblebee (Bombus terrestris L.) feeding on Taraxacum pollen (Asteraceae) reduced their pollen collection and offspring production. Bees also experienced physiological effects of possible defenses in the form of digestive damage. Overall, our results suggest the existence of an effective chemical defense in Asteraceae pollen, while the hypothesis of a mechanical defense appeared more unlikely. Pre- and post-ingestive effects of such chemical defenses (i.e., nutrient deficit or presence of toxic compounds), as well as their role in the shaping of bee-flower interactions, are discussed. Our results strongly suggest that pollen chemical traits may act as drivers of plant selection by bees and partly explain why Asteraceae pollen is rare in generalist bee diets.
  • 1.6K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Glyphosate Effection on Marine Invertebrates
Glyphosate is the active ingredient of numerous commercial formulations of herbicides applied in different sectors, from agriculture to aquaculture. Due to its widespread use around the world, relatively high concentrations of glyphosate have been detected in soil and aquatic environments. The presence of glyphosate in aquatic ecosystems has aroused the attention of researchers because of its potential negative effects on living organisms, both animals and plants. Generally, data obtained in acute toxicity tests indicate that glyphosate and its commercial formulations are lethal at high concentrations (not environmentally realistic), whereas results of long-lasting experiments indicate that glyphosate can affect markedly biological responses of marine invertebrates. This review intends to summarize results of studies aimed at evaluating the effects of glyphosate (both as active ingredient and component of commercial formulations) on marine invertebrates.
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Oct 2020
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