Hasil untuk "Natural history (General)"

J. BelBruno

Molecularly imprinted polymers are synthetic receptors for a targeted molecule. As such, they are analogues of the natural antibody-antigen systems. In this review, after a recounting of the early history of the general field, we specifically focus on the application of these polymers as sensors. In these applications, the polymers are paired with a reporting system, which may be electrical, electrochemical, optical, or gravimetric. The presence of the targeted molecule effects a change in the reporting agent, and a calibrated quantity of the target is recorded. In this review, we describe the imprinted polymer production processes, the techniques used for reporting, and the applications of the reported sensors. A brief survey of recent applications to gas-phase sensing is included, but the focus is primarily on the development of sensors for targets in solution. Included among the applications are those designed to detect toxic chemicals, toxins in foods, drugs, explosives, and pathogens. The application of computational chemistry to the development of new imprinted polymers is included as is a brief assessment of future developments.

Professor Dr. Friedrich Ruttner

Author W. M. Corden

P. Lange, J. Parner, J. Vestbo et al.

I. Raskin

H. Fong

in dogs lasting up to 40 days following moderate doses of 1600 rads in eight treatments of X-irradiation. There is a discussion of the difficulties encountered in attempting to irradiate gastric mucosa with radioactive sources placed directly within the stomach. The techniques of external beam treatment used at the University of Chicago are described in detail. Finally, the clinical results and complications are presented for this rather considerable experience, over 3000 patients treated during a 35-yr period. The treatment of benign ulcer disease with X-irradiation is certainly controversial and has not been widely accepted for general use in most medical centers. The results of this considerable clinical experience are difficult to assess because of the variability in the natural history of this condition. Most encouraging are the results of a randomized prospective study carried out by Erwin Levin with 68 patients, all of whom were treated with intensive medical management, half of whom were randomly selected to receive approximately 2000 rads to the fundus and body of the stomach in about ten total treatments. The control group had significantly more failures in therapy than the irradiated group. In a 5-yr period over 70% of the nonir-radiated patients had recurrent ulcers compared to only 11 % in the irradiated group. The irradiated patients showed decreased levels of basal and Histalog stimulated free acid excretion. Particular emphasis is placed on the examination of the possibility of radiation induced neoplasia. Careful followup of the patients treated at the University of Chicago gives no indication that this is a significant complication. A number of criticisms may be offered. The general format of the book, a number of small independently written chapters, leads to disorganization, fragmentation, and needless repetition. In many instances the details of the radiation technique and the suggested mechanisms of action are not up to the standards of modern radiation therapy and radiobiology. This will be more annoying to radiation therapists than other readers. When describing what is clearly a nonuniversally accepted treatment, it might have been useful to include a brief presentation by a gastroenterologist not enthusiastic about this technique. In a very brief chapter, five pages, Dr. Melvin Griem, one of the country's leading radiation therapists and Director of the Tumor Institute at the University of Chicago, describes the techniques and dosimetry used at that institution in great detail, but conspicuously fails to discuss the usefulness of the treatment and …

L. Hutcheon

K. K. Goldewijk

Y. Liaw, N. Leung, J. Kao et al.

Large amounts of new data on the natural history and treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have become available since 2005. These include long-term follow-up studies in large community-based cohorts or asymptomatic subjects with chronic HBV infection, further studies on the role of HBV genotype/naturally occurring HBV mutations, treatment of drug resistance and new therapies. In addition, Pegylated interferon α2a, entecavir and telbivudine have been approved globally. To update HBV management guidelines, relevant new data were reviewed and assessed by experts from the region, and the significance of the reported findings were discussed and debated. The earlier “Asian-Pacific consensus statement on the management of chronic hepatitis B” was revised accordingly. The key terms used in the statement were also defined. The new guidelines include general management, special indications for liver biopsy in patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase, time to start or stop drug therapy, choice of drug to initiate therapy, when and how to monitor the patients during and after stopping drug therapy. Recommendations on the therapy of patients in special circumstances, including women in childbearing age, patients with antiviral drug resistance, concurrent viral infection, hepatic decompensation, patients receiving immune-suppressive medications or chemotherapy and patients in the setting of liver transplantation, are also included.

T. Monk, V. Saini, B. C. Weldon et al.

Michael Drexler, Elizabeth B. Cerny-Chipman, Megan J. Peterson Williams et al.

Climate change requires managers to bolster long-term resilience of fisheries and concurrently improve short-term responsiveness of management systems to prevailing ecological conditions, all while avoiding unintended harm to stocks in a highly uncertain context. There has been substantial effort dedicated to developing the scientific information and tools needed to inform climate-ready fisheries, yet implementation of these approaches has been limited in the United States management system. Meanwhile, climate impacts on fisheries are already occurring, making fish and fishing communities highly vulnerable to sudden, and often detrimental, changes. There is a need to accelerate adaptation efforts, and near-term action is critical even without the full complement of information and tools in hand. Here, existing climate-ready approaches were compiled and synthesized to offer a comprehensive and structured perspective on priority actions that can be taken in the next 1-2 years to increase the resilience and adaptability of fish stocks and communities that rely on them. From the review there are three main findings: 1) 45% of the management actions can be implemented in this short timeframe, 2) Nearly all actions identified can be implemented in the current fishery and regulatory framework, and 3) While new approaches are needed, managers should proceed with caution to avoid maladaptation and choose a no- or low- maladaptation risk approach wherever possible.

Runnan Ha, Linyun Wei, Haoguang Li

This article examines China’s evolving legal framework for ship-induced oil pollution damage liability system, focusing on the 2024 Draft Amendment to the Maritime Law. Historically, the development of this system in China has been achieved through accession to international conventions, domestic legislative transformation, and the improvement of supporting systems. However, fragmented rules and outdated liability limits hindered effective compensation. DAML introduces a dedicated chapter on oil pollution damage, establishing strict liability for shipowners, defining compensation scope, and mandating an “Insurance and Fund” dual safeguard system. It further clarifies joint liability for multi-ship spills and conflict-of-law rules favoring the lex loci damni. The study argues that this revision bridges gaps between international standards and domestic law while addressing judicial inconsistencies. In order to refine this system, this article conducts an analysis in conjunction with DAML revision text and puts forward optimization suggestions from four perspectives: improving the legal system, providing case law guidance, enhancing government supervision, and perfecting supporting legal safeguards.

Kent H. Redford, Jack A. Gilbert, Raquel S. Peixoto

Kai‐Philipp Gladow, Marla Jablonski, Nayden Chakarov et al.

The loss of top predators has been shown to lead to drastic changes in community structure. An important part of this is the shift in behaviour of other species. The understanding of such changes is scarce because recordings of behavioural reactions towards lost species are rarely done. This is important for predators experiencing predation pressure themselves, known as intraguild predation. Re‐colonizations offer the unique possibility to fill this knowledge gap. However, only a few studies tested experimentally how subordinate predators change their behaviour towards differently sized top predators. Birds adjust the level of nest defence in response to perceived threats. Therefore, we expected birds of prey in intraguild predation systems to show an appropriate level of nest defence against the predator they are faced with, with the highest level shown against the largest predator. We tested this by placing models of eagle owls Bubo bubo and goshawks Accipiter gentilis close to nests of common buzzards Buteo buteo and measured the reaction. Overall, aggression by common buzzards towards eagle owls was greater than towards goshawks, but effect sizes were small and had relatively large confidence intervals. We therefore conclude that the largest predator and the second‐largest predator provoke similarly high nest defences. This shows that in ecological communities the largest predator and smaller predators may not belong to different categories from the viewpoint of intraguild prey. Different top predators might be perceived as comparable threats.

Wepf Roger, Friedrich Martin, Thoß Andreas

Juarez C.B. Pezzuti, Jansen Zuanon, Priscila F.M. Lopes et al.

Lula’s presidency in Brazil offers great hope for the environment but plans for hydroelectric dams in Amazonia represent an area of concern. The Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant that Lula promoted in his previous administrations and still defends illustrates the contradictions. In 2015 Belo Monte diverted water from the Xingu River through a canal that, since 2019, has left a 130-km river stretch with less than 30% of its natural annual discharge. This has compromised the food security of three Indigenous groups and of traditional non-indigenous river-dwelling people dependent on the river’s fish and turtles. Endemic (and threatened) species and unique ecosystems are now being eliminated. The pending renewal of Belo Monte’s operating license poses a test for the Lula administration’s socioenvironmental commitment. We offer suggestions for improved governance for existing dams like Belo Monte but conclude that no more large dams should be built in Amazonia.

Frontiers Production Office

Carlos Alberto Saenz Cortez, Johanna Mariel Vilela Saldarriaga

Mediante monitoreos ornitológicos realizados en las ex relaveras de Azalia y Chonta del 9 al 12 de marzo de 2021, ubicadas en el Distrito de Goyllarisquizga (Pasco), se ha determinado que la calidad ambiental es de ponderación Media. Señalándose, además, que es importante la restauración y reforestación de los componentes ecológicos de ellas ya que, según los resultados obtenidos, el 89.06% de las especies encontradas se encuentran registradas en la Lista roja de especies amenazadas de la UICN, catalogadas como Leves según la versión 3.1 de la segunda edición de las Categorías y criterios de la Lista roja de la UICN. Asimismo, el 10.92% de aves son endémicas de la zona, que significaría que solo pueden habitar ese tipo de ecosistemas, y el 3.36% de aves son catalogadas como CITES y se ubican en el Apéndice II de CITES, por lo que se puede concluir que el 89.06% de las especies son sensibles.

Shiekh Marifatul Haq, Muhammad Shoaib Amjad, Muhammad Waheed et al.

Evaluations ecosystem health-based field studies can assist decision-makers in formulating more targeted conservation policies to better manage ecosystems and landscape. To analyze forest characteristics in the Zabarwan Mountain Range we used the Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) technique to evaluate the ecosystem health status of the vegetation. According to our findings, the forest area showed an FQAI rating of 61.41. The FQAI ranked 54 of the plant species growing in the forest region at 0, 30 species at 1–3, 51 species at 4–6, 30 species at 7–8, and 17 species at 9–10. Of the 54 alien species ranking 0, thirteen species were invasive, 36 were naturalized, and five were casual. Amoung the forest types, the Broadleaved forest harbored most alien species (35%) and the scrub forest the least (6%). Based on habitat-wise distribution, the largest (38%) species pool was observed in natural forest habitats, while human-modified habitat types harbord 51% of species. Roadsides exhibited the by far highest alien species number (45%) together with other anthropogenic habitats. The investigation of indicator species revealed a separation between the various ranking groups, as evidenced by high indicator values. Important alien indicator species ranking 0 were i.e., Aesculus indica, Ailanthus altissima, Celtis australis, Daucus carota, Poa bulbosa, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus cerasus, Quercus robur, and Salix alba, which showed a significant p-value for indicator species analysis. The findings of this study provide a method for measuring vegetation communities' responses to alien invasions and as a result can serve for developing management methods to preserve ecosystems, particularly in protected areas, from this biodiversity threat.

Wanjie Cai, Wanjie Cai, Haokun Liu et al.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of substitution of dietary fishmeal (FM) by compound plant protein supplemented with essential amino acids on growth performance, plasma physiology, and muscle growth-related genes of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). Four diets with equal digestible protein were prepared, where 30FM (control feed) contained 30% FM and land animal protein as a protein source, 10FM contained 10% FM, PMAa contained full plant meal (PM) supplemented with crystalline amino acid, and PM contained full PM feed. There was no significant difference in the specific growth rate (SGR) with 30FM, 10FM, and PMAa diets (p > 0.05); however, the SGR of PM group was the lowest with significant difference (p < 0.05). Feed efficiency of the PM group was the lowest with significant difference (p < 0.05). The whole-body crude protein content of fish in PMAa group was significantly higher than that in each group with additional FM (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and free amino acid profile of 30FM, 10FM, and PMAa groups (p > 0.05); however, they were significantly higher than that in PM group (p < 0.05). The expression of key genes in the TOR signaling pathway (tor, s6k1, 4e-bp2, and eif4e), autophagy (ulk1 and atg13), and ubiquitin–proteasome (trim63 and znrf2) system of the PMAa group was similar to that of the FM group (p > 0.05), indicating that the muscle growth-related biomarker genes were positively regulated by the appropriate dietary amino acid composition at the transcriptional level. These results suggest that FM in gibel carp diet can be totally replaced by PM without negative impact on growth performance and muscle growth-related biomarkers at the transcriptional level, which provided the requirement of digestible protein and balanced amino acid profile is satisfied.