Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Gut Microbial Characterization of Melon-Headed Whales
Although gut microbes are regarded as a significant component of many mammals and play a very important role, there is a paucity of knowledge around marine mammal gut microbes, which may be due to sampling difficulties. Moreover, to date, there are very few, if any, reports on the gut microbes of melon-headed whales.
  • 761
  • 14 Mar 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Probiotics as Antibiotic Alternatives for Human and Animal Applications
Probiotics are live microorganisms recognized as natural candidates to substitute antibiotic substances, usually used to treat bacterial infections responsible for numerous human and animal diseases. Antibiotics are mostly prescribed for treating infections caused by bacteria. However, their excessive and inappropriate use has resulted in the increase of bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and host microbiota imbalance or dysbiosis phenomena. Even though antibiotics are the most well-known lifesaving substances, the AMR within the bacterial community has become a growing threat to global health, with the potential to cause millions of deaths each year in the future. Faced with these worldwide issues, it is high time to discover and develop antibiotic alternatives. There exists some evidence of probiotic roles in antagonizing pathogens, modulating immune systems, and maintaining general host health by restoring the gut microbiota balance. The multi-antimicrobial action mechanisms of such beneficial living microorganisms are one approach to practicing the “prevention is better than cure” concept to avoid antibiotics. The current review proposes a comprehensive description of antibiotic-related AMR issues and the potential of probiotics as antibiotic alternatives, while discussing pros and cons, as well as some evidence of beneficial uses of probiotics for human and animal health protection through recent results of experimental models and clinical trials.
  • 761
  • 15 May 2023
Topic Review
Biological Demalication and Deacetification of Musts and Wines
Grape must sometimes reveal excess acidity. An excessive amount of organic acids negatively affects wine yeasts and yeast fermentation, and the obtained wines are characterized by an inappropriate balance between sweetness, acidity or sourness, and flavor/aroma components. An appropriate acidity, pleasant to the palate, is more difficult to achieve in wines with high acidity due to an excess of malic acid because the Saccharomyces species generally cannot effectively degrade malic acid during alcoholic fermentation. One approach to solving this problem is biological deacidification by lactic acid bacteria or non-Saccharomyces yeasts, like Schizosaccharomyces pombe, that can degrade L-malic acid. Excessive volatile acidity in wine is also a problem in the wine industry. Free or immobilized Saccharomyces cells have been studied to solve these problems since these yeasts are wine yeasts that show a good balance between taste/flavor and aromatic compounds during alcoholic fermentation.
  • 760
  • 13 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Function of Methylcitrate Cycle in Pathogenic Fungi
In fungi, the methylcitrate cycle converts cytotoxic propionyl-coenzyme A (CoA) to pyruvate, which enters gluconeogenesis. The glyoxylate cycle converts acetyl-CoA to succinate, which enters gluconeogenesis. The tricarboxylic acid cycle is a central carbon metabolic pathway that connects the methylcitrate cycle, the glyoxylate cycle, and other metabolisms for lipids, carbohydrates, and amino acids. Fungal citrate synthase and 2-methylcitrate synthase as well as isocitrate lyase and 2-methylisocitrate lyase, each evolved from a common ancestral protein. Impairment of the methylcitrate cycle leads to the accumulation of toxic intermediates such as propionyl-CoA, 2-methylcitrate, and 2-methylisocitrate in fungal cells, which in turn inhibits the activity of many enzymes such as dehydrogenases and remodels cellular carbon metabolic processes. The methylcitrate cycle and the glyoxylate cycle synergistically regulate carbon source utilization as well as fungal growth, development, and pathogenic process in pathogenic fungi.
  • 759
  • 19 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Detection of persistent virus-DNA in Formalin Fixed samples
The DNA damage and cross-linking induced by formalin fixation can hinder nucleic acid screening. This is of particular concern in the detection of low-abundance targets, such as persistent DNA viruses, present only as a part per million of the total DNA in a sample. We evaluated the analytical sensitivity of the detection of persistent viruses in tissue specimens fixed in formalin for up to 10 days. To this end, we used short amplicon qPCRs and targeted enrichment plus Next-generation sequencing.
  • 757
  • 20 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Role of the Microbiota in Skin Neoplasms
The skin and the gut are regularly colonized by a variety of microorganisms capable of interacting with the immune system through their metabolites and influencing the balance between immune tolerance and inflammation. Alterations in the composition and diversity of the skin microbiota have been described in various cutaneous diseases, including skin cancer, and the actual function of the human microbiota in skin carcinogenesis, such as in progression and metastasis, is currently an active area of research. 
  • 757
  • 13 Oct 2023
Topic Review
PPARs and Mycobacterial Infection
The mycobacterial cell wall is composed of large amounts of lipids with varying moieties. Some mycobacteria species hijack host cells and promote lipid droplet accumulation to build the cellular environment essential for their intracellular survival. Thus, lipids are thought to be important for mycobacteria survival as well as for the invasion, parasitization, and proliferation within host cells. However, their physiological roles have not been fully elucidated. Recent studies have revealed that mycobacteria modulate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling and utilize host-derived triacylglycerol (TAG) and cholesterol as both nutrient sources and evasion from the host immune system.
  • 756
  • 30 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Clones
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belonging to several clonal complexes are widely distributed throughout the world. MRSA poses a serious threat to public health worldwide, due to the rapid spread and diversification of pandemic MRSA clones with increasing virulence and antimicrobial resistance.
  • 756
  • 21 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci
Staphylococcus aureus, in particular methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), can cause a variety of infections from superficial skin and soft tissue infections to life-threatening septicaemia. S. aureus represents a serious public health problem in hospital and community settings, as well as an economic and animal welfare problem.
  • 755
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Enterocin DD14
Enterocin DD14 (EntDD14) is a two-peptide leaderless bacteriocin (LLB) produced by Enterococcus faecalis 14, a human strain isolated from meconium. Studies performed on EntDD14 enabled it to show its activity against Gram-positive bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus.
  • 754
  • 25 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Bacteria and Their Association with Plants
The salinization of soils is a growing agricultural concern worldwide. Irrigation practices, drought, and climate change are leading to elevated salinity levels in many regions, resulting in reduced crop yields. However, there is potential for a solution in the microbiome of halophytes, which are naturally salt-tolerant plants. These plants harbor a salt-tolerant microbiome in their rhizosphere (around roots) and endosphere (within plant tissue). These bacteria may play a significant role in conferring salt tolerance to the host plants. 
  • 754
  • 12 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota and Clostridiodes difficile
Clostridiodes difficile can lead to a range of situations from the absence of symptoms (colonization) to severe diarrhea (infection). Disruption of gut microbiota provides an ideal environment for infection to occur. Comparison of gut microbiota of infected and colonized subjects could provide relevant information on susceptible groups or protectors to the development of infection, since the presence of certain genera could be related to the inhibition of transition from a state of colonization to infection.
  • 752
  • 14 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Accessory Gene Regulator Control in Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a leading global pathogen that causes a considerable and hard-to-estimate number of moderately severe skin infections, but also more severe and sometimes fatal infections of the blood, bones, and lungs. The accessory gene regulator (Agr) system is undoubtedly the best-studied staphylococcal regulatory system, both in terms of its quorum-sensing mechanism and regarding its regulon and mechanisms of target gene control. It consists of an operon of four genes, agrB, agrD, agrC, and agrA, which form the quorum-sensing circuit.
  • 752
  • 01 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Diversity of Soil Microbes in Rhizosphere
Plant roots aid the growth and functions of several kinds of microorganisms such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, endophytic bacteria, actinomycetes, nematodes, protozoans which may impart significant impacts on plant health and growth. Plant soil–microbe interaction is an intricate, continuous, and dynamic process that occurs in a distinct zone known as the rhizosphere.
  • 751
  • 23 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Bacteriophages and Their Interactions with Bacterial Hosts
Bacteriophages (or phages) are viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria at the end of the phage infection cycle, causing bacterial cell death and lysis.
  • 751
  • 14 Nov 2023
Topic Review
BolA Function and Regulation
The BolA-like protein family is widespread among prokaryotes and eukaryotes. BolA was originally described in E. coli as a gene induced in the stationary phase and in stress conditions. The BolA overexpression makes cells spherical. It was characterized as a transcription factor modulating cellular processes such as cell permeability, biofilm production, motility, and flagella assembly. BolA is important in the switch between motile and sedentary lifestyles having connections with the signaling molecule c-di-GMP. BolA was considered a virulence factor in pathogens such as Salmonella Typhimurium and Klebsiella pneumoniae and it promotes bacterial survival when facing stresses due to host defenses. 
  • 750
  • 15 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Drought-Adapted Mediterranean Diet Plants
The Mediterranean diet features plant-based foods renowned for their health benefits derived from bioactive compounds.
  • 750
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Intestinal Microorganisms Enhence Utilization of Sulforaphane
Sulforaphane (SFN) was generated by the hydrolysis of glucoraphanin under the action of myrosinase. However, due to the instability of SFN, the bioavailability of SFN was limited. Meanwhile, the gut flora obtained the ability to synthesize myrosinase and glucoraphanin, which could be converted into SFN in the intestine. However, the ability of microorganisms to synthesize myrosinase in the gut was limited. Therefore, microorganisms with myrosinase synthesis ability need to be supplemented. With the development of research, microorganisms with high levels of myrosinase synthesis could be obtained by artificial selection and gene modification. 
  • 742
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Insects for Sustainable Aquaculture
One of the greatest challenges to achieving a sustainable aquaculture is finding alternatives to fishmeal as a primary protein source in aquafeeds. Insects represent one of the most promising alternatives being explored and produced as replacements for this ingredient.
  • 738
  • 23 May 2023
Topic Review
BipD of Burkholderia pseudomallei
Melioidosis is a severe disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei (B. pseudomallei), a Gram-negative environmental bacterium. It is endemic in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, but it is underreported in many other countries. The laboratory diagnosis of melioidosis is challenging due to its non-specific clinical manifestations, which mimic other severe infections. The culture method is considered an imperfect gold standard for the diagnosis of melioidosis due to its low sensitivity. Both antibody and antigen detection assays have been tested for the diagnosis of melioidosis; however it presents certain limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity.
  • 735
  • 13 Apr 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 52
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback