Topic Review
History of Zoology Since 1859
This article considers the history of zoology since the theory of evolution by natural selection proposed by Charles Darwin in 1859. Charles Darwin gave new direction to morphology and physiology, by uniting them in a common biological theory: the theory of organic evolution. The result was a reconstruction of the classification of animals upon a genealogical basis, fresh investigation of the development of animals, and early attempts to determine their genetic relationships. The end of the 19th century saw the fall of spontaneous generation and the rise of the germ theory of disease, though the mechanism of inheritance remained a mystery. In the early 20th century, the rediscovery of Mendel's work led to the rapid development of genetics by Thomas Hunt Morgan and his students, and by the 1930s the combination of population genetics and natural selection in the "neo-Darwinian synthesis".
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  • 21 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Malacostraca
Malacostraca (from New Latin; from grc μαλακός (malakós) 'soft', and όστρακον "shell") is the largest of the six classes of crustaceans, containing about 40,000 living species, divided among 16 orders. Its members, the malacostracans, display a great diversity of body forms and include crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, prawns, woodlice, amphipods, mantis shrimp and many other, less familiar animals. They are abundant in all marine environments and have colonised freshwater and terrestrial habitats. They are segmented animals, united by a common body plan comprising 20 body segments (rarely 21), and divided into a head, thorax, and abdomen.
  • 1.8K
  • 31 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Human Remains Detection Dogs
Human remains detection dogs (HRDDs) are powerful police assets to locate a corpse. However, methods used to select and train them are as diverse as the number of countries with such a canine brigade. First, a survey was sent to human remains searching brigades (N Countries = 10; N Brigades = 16; N Handlers = 50; N questions = 9), to collect their working habits. It confirmed the lack of optimized selection and training procedures. Second, a literature review was performed in order to outline the strengths and shortcomings of HRDDs training. A comparison between the scientific knowledge and common practices used by HRDDs brigade was then conducted focusing on HRDDs selection and training procedures. We highlighted that HRDD handlers explained to select their dogs by focusing on behavioral traits while neglecting anatomical features, which have shown their importance. Most HRDD handlers reported to use a reward-based training, which is in accordance with training literature for dogs. Olfactory training aids should be representative of the odor target to allow a dog to reach optimal performances. The survey highlighted the wide diversity of homemade olfactory training aids, and the need to optimize their composition. In the present document, key research topics to improve HRDD works are also provided.
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  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Fungicides
Fungicides are considered a vital tool for agriculture, protecting crops against fungal diseases and therefore securing high agricultural productivity. The evolution of technology can provide novel chemical fungicides, such as nanofungicides and chiral fungicides, to address plant resistance development. The extensive use of chemical fungicides leads to a risk for public health, natural waters, and non-target organisms.
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  • 08 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is responsible for a large part of many health benefits associated with Mediterranean diet as it is a fundamental ingredient of this diet. The peculiarities of this golden highly valued product are in part due to the requirements that must be met to achieve this title, namely, it has to be obtained using exclusively mechanical procedures, its free acidity cannot be greater than 0.8%, it must not show sensory defects and it has to possess a fruity taste. All these characteristics are key factors to EVOO quality, thus the chemical composition of these many health-promoting compounds, such as unsaturated fatty acids (which are also the major compounds, especially oleic acid), as well as minor components such as tocopherols or phenolic compounds (which behave as natural antioxidants) must be preserved. Due to the presence of all these compounds, the daily consumption of EVOO entails health benefits such as cardioprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor properties or acting as regulators of the intestinal microbiota, among others. Taking all together, conserving EVOO chemical composition is essential to preserve its properties, so it is worth to control certain factors during storage like exposure to light, temperature, oxygen presence or the chosen packaging material, to maintain its quality and extend its shelf-life until its consumption.
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  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Association between Membrane Proteins and Disease
Cell membranes, including membrane carrier proteins, membrane channel proteins and ATP drive pumps, are the main transporters. Membrane transporters have wide, but specific tissue distributions. They can impact on multiple endogenous and xenobiotic processes. Transport proteins constitute approximately 10% of most proteomes and play vital roles in the translocation of solutes across the membranes of all organisms. The receptor proteins on the cell membrane are also important structures involved in substrate transport and signal communication. The obstacles of cell transport-related proteins directly lead to the lack or excess of certain substances in cells.
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  • 04 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Coffee Berry Borer (Hypothenemus hampei)
Coffee berry borer (CBB) is the most serious insect pest of coffee worldwide, causing more than US$500M in damages annually. Reduction in the yield and quality of coffee results from the adult female CBB boring into the coffee fruit and building galleries for reproduction, followed by larval feeding on the bean itself.
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  • 23 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Lysine Acetylation
Acetylation of lysine residues is a key post-translational modification for protein functions in all eukaryotic organisms. Acetylation of lysine residues can be catalyzed by lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) or modified by abundant Ac-CoA through nonenzymatic mechanisms. Conversely, lysine deacetylation is catalyzed by lysine deacetylases (KDACs).
  • 1.8K
  • 20 Oct 2020
Biography
Thomas Gold
Thomas Gold (also known as Tommy Gold),[1] (May 22, 1920 – June 22, 2004[2]) was an Austrian-born astrophysicist, a professor of astronomy at Cornell University, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the Royal Society (London).[2] Gold was one of three young Cambridge scientists who in 1948 proposed the now mostly abandoned "steady state" hypothesis of the universe
  • 1.8K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cartorhynchus
Cartorhynchus (meaning "shortened snout") is an extinct genus of early ichthyosauriform marine reptile that lived during the Early Triassic epoch, about 248 million years ago. The genus contains a single species, Cartorhynchus lenticarpus, named in 2014 by Ryosuke Motani and colleagues from a single nearly-complete skeleton found near Chaohu, Anhui Province, China . Along with its close relative Sclerocormus, Cartorhynchus was part of a diversification of marine reptiles that occurred suddenly (over about one million years) during the Spathian substage, soon after the devastating Permian-Triassic extinction event, but they were subsequently driven to extinction by volcanism and sea level changes by the Middle Triassic. Measuring about 40 centimetres (16 in) long, Cartorhynchus was small animal with a lizard-like body and a short torso; it probably swam in an eel-like manner at slow speeds. Its limbs bore extensive cartilage and could bend like flippers, which may have allowed it to walk on land. The most distinctive features of Cartorhynchus were its short, constricted snout, and its multiple rows of molar-like teeth which grew on the inside surface of its jaw bones. These teeth were not discovered until the specimen was subjected to CT scanning. Cartorhynchus likely preyed on hard-shelled invertebrates using suction feeding, although how it exactly used its inward-directed teeth is not yet known. It was one of up to five independent acquisitions of molar-like teeth among ichthyosauriforms.
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  • 04 Nov 2022
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