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:
Hottest Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Type:
All Topic Review Biography
Topic Review
Beauveria bassiana Secondary Metabolite Gene Expression in Insects
Entomopathogenic fungi are extensively used for the control of insect pests worldwide. Among them, Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) produce a plethora of toxic secondary metabolites that either facilitate fungal invasion or act as immunosuppressive compounds.
  • 587
  • 13 May 2022
Topic Review
Cladosporium Entomopathogenicity
The range of interactions between Cladosporium, a ubiquitous fungal genus, and insects, a class including about 60% of the animal species, is extremely diverse. Conventionally, Cladosporium species are not considered full-right representatives of the guild of entomopathogens, which is generally restricted to specialized fungi such as Beauveria, Metarhizium and Lecanicillium/Akanthomyces. However, like other fungi that are widely associated with crops such as Trichoderma and Talaromyces, the evidence is increasing that Cladosporium may also infect insects and cause epizootics in pest populations or promote plant defense reactions.
  • 63
  • 02 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Hyalomma Ticks and Human and Animal Health
Ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites that act as vectors for many important human and livestock pathogens worldwide. Like spiders and scorpions, they belong to the class Arachnida. Within the order Ixodida, most species of ticks belong to one of the two main large families, Argasidae or Ixodidae. The latter are known as “hard” ticks since they have a sclerotized dorsal plaque or scutum. In contrast, those belonging to the family Argasidae lack this physical feature and are therefore known as “soft ticks”. Tick-borne infectious diseases spread following the bite of infected ticks, which can carry and be infected by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Some of the most important bacteria-infecting ticks include species of the genera Rickettsia, Borrelia, Francisella, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia, as well as viruses such as the Crimea–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus, the West Nile virus, and the tick-borne encephalitis virus, among others.
  • 400
  • 05 May 2023
Topic Review
Spodoptera frugiperda and Prostephanus truncatus Biological Invasions' Impacts
Invasive alien species have environmental, economic and social impacts, disproportionally threatening the livelihood and food security of smallholder farmers in low- and medium-income countries. In most cases, farmers and governments often invest huge sums of money towards synthetic pesticides, the major and first control option used against invading pests, seldom trading off other important sectors, e.g., healthcare and education. Given pesticide resistance, many of these insecticides are often ineffectiv. Furthermore, resource-poor farmers in developing countries usually cannot afford personal protective equipment and lack the knowledge and understanding of chemical pesticides and their safe use, which compromises their proper use and risks exposure to toxic substances, resulting in accidental poisonings. Widespread and indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides also undermine environmental quality (biodiversity loss and pollution of air and water) and the pest control services provided by natural enemies. Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), two of the most important field and postharvest IAS, respectively, that have invaded Africa. 
  • 180
  • 11 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Adaptive Immune-Response to Tick-Borne Hemoparasites
Interactions between tick-borne pathogenic hemoparasites and different host effector mechanisms of T- and/or B cell-mediated adaptive immunity, involved in the late and long-lasting protective immune response. 
  • 638
  • 02 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Applications of BNF and NWR Strategies in Insects
Nitrogen is usually a restrictive nutrient that affects the growth and development of insects, especially of those living in low nitrogen nutrient niches. In response to the low nitrogen stress, insects have gradually developed symbiont-based stress response strategies—biological nitrogen fixation and nitrogenous waste recycling—to optimize dietary nitrogen intake. Based on the above two patterns, atmospheric nitrogen or nitrogenous waste (e.g., uric acid, urea) is converted into ammonia, which in turn is incorporated into the organism via the glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase pathways.
  • 487
  • 21 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Autofluorescent Biomolecules in Diptera
Light-based phenomena in insects have long attracted researchers’ attention. Surface color distribution patterns are commonly used for taxonomical purposes, while optically-active structures from Coleoptera cuticle or Lepidoptera wings have inspired technological applications, such as biosensors and energy accumulation devices. In Diptera, besides these optically-based phenomena, the ability of some biomolecules to fluoresce makes them to act as markers of bio-metabolic and structural features useful for vector control studies. Resilin or chitinous compounds, with their respective blue or green-to-red autofluorescence (AF), are commonly related to biomechanical and structural properties, helpful to clarify the mechanisms underlying substrate adhesion of ectoparasites’ leg appendages, or the antennal abilities in tuning sound detection. Metarhodopsin, a red fluorescing photoproduct of rhodopsin, allows to investigate visual mechanisms, whereas the AF of NAD(P)H and flavins, commonly correlated to energy metabolism, favor the investigation of sperm vitality. Lipofuscins are AF biomarkers of aging, as well as pteridines, which can be involved in the synthesis of pigments and, similarly to kynurenines, are also exploited in metabolic investigations. 
  • 298
  • 02 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Avian Malaria Vectors in Host-Seeking Behaviour
Vector-borne infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever) result from a parasite transmitted to humans and other animals by blood-feeding arthropods. They are major contributors to the global disease burden, as they account for nearly a fifth of all infectious diseases worldwide. The interaction between vectors and their hosts plays a key role driving vector-borne disease transmission.
  • 392
  • 20 May 2022
Topic Review
Bagworms in Indonesian Plantation Forests
Bagworms are polyphagous, with many hosts; for example, the defoliator P. plagiophleps was found feeding on 22 plant families, in annual crops and perennial trees. Bagworm infestations occur not only in plantation forests but also in natural forests. In many cases, the dynamics of a pest infestation are not well understood. For example, in India, P. plagiophleps, previously known as an insignificant pest of Tamarindus indica L., was involved in outbreaks in 1977 in F. moluccana, followed by Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf. and Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile. Understanding the diversity of bagworms and the factors that influence their development are important for sustainable plantation forest management.
  • 631
  • 23 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Beavers, Bugs and Chemistry
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and cottonwoods (Populus spp.) are foundation species, the interactions of which define a much larger community and affect a threatened riparian habitat type.
  • 510
  • 04 Mar 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 8
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Fungi
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Feedback