Lepidium draba (hoary cress).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Weyl
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Low Latitudes ◽  
Hoary Cress ◽  
Alkaline Conditions ◽  
Noxious Weed ◽  
Lepidium Draba ◽  
Pathogenic Agents

Abstract Lepidium draba is found in a wide range of habitats ranging from roadsides (highly disturbed sites) to rangelands, meadows and pastures, cultivated fields, home gardens, national parks and wasteland. It exists at high and low latitudes, above and below sea level. It is found under irrigation and in soils of high moisture content and also exists in arid regions. It invades all soil types, although it prefers alkaline conditions and can germinate in saline soils. All of these characteristics and adaptations provide exceptional advantages for this noxious weed and reflect its high potential to invade different agricultural systems. The absence of L. draba plants from plantations or sites where it has not been reported may not be due to the species' ability to invade, survive, grow or develop in these sites but rather to the absence of initial infestation. The weed can invade both agricultural and natural ecosystems (Larson et al., 2000). In summary, L. draba is a serious threat to agriculture and the environment. It is of a high ecological tolerance and is potentially harmful to human and animal health. Its ability to invade and reproduce by different means and to host plant pathogenic agents make this weed invasive with significant problems to man and natural resources.

scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of Enzyme Breaker for Fracturing Applications under Simulated Reservoir Conditions

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3133
Author(s):  
Yuling Meng ◽  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Xianwei Jin ◽  
Yun Feng ◽  
Gangzheng Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Shear Resistance ◽  
Ammonium Persulfate ◽  
Fracturing Fluid ◽  
Medium Temperature ◽  
Fracture Conductivity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reservoir Conditions ◽  
Alkaline Conditions ◽  
Resistance Performance

Fracturing fluids are being increasingly used for viscosity development and proppant transport during hydraulic fracturing operations. Furthermore, the breaker is an important additive in fracturing fluid to extensively degrade the polymer mass after fracturing operations, thereby maximizing fracture conductivity and minimizing residual damaging materials. In this study, the efficacy of different enzyme breakers was examined in alkaline and medium-temperature reservoirs. The parameters considered were the effect of the breaker on shear resistance performance and sand-suspending performance of the fracturing fluid, its damage to the reservoir after gel breaking, and its gel-breaking efficiency. The experimental results verified that mannanase II is an enzyme breaker with excellent gel-breaking performance at medium temperatures and alkaline conditions. In addition, mannanase II did not adversely affect the shear resistance performance and sand-suspending performance of the fracturing fluid during hydraulic fracturing. For the same gel-breaking result, the concentration of mannanase II used was only one fifth of other enzyme breakers (e.g., mannanase I, galactosidase, and amylase). Moreover, the amount of residue and the particle size of the residues generated were also significantly lower than those of the ammonium persulfate breaker. Finally, we also examined the viscosity-reducing capability of mannanase II under a wide range of temperatures (104–158 °F) and pH values (7–8.5) to recommend its best-use concentrations under different fracturing conditions. The mannanase has potential for applications in low-permeability oilfield development and to maximize long-term productivity from unconventional oilwells.

scholarly journals Detection of Rickettsia raoultii in Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis inermis ticks in Slovakia

Biologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basma Ouarti ◽  
Basma El Hamzaoui ◽  
Michal Stanko ◽  
Maureen Laroche ◽  
Oleg Mediannikov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Role ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Molecular Study ◽  
Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Molecular Tools ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Rickettsia Raoultii ◽  
Pathogenic Agents ◽  
Transmission Models

AbstractTicks are vector arthropods responsible for the transmission of several pathogenic agents that affect both human and animal health worldwide. In this study our objective was to analyse, using molecular tools, the bacterial community of Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis inermis ticks collected in south-eastern Slovakia. Using real-time PCR, we identified the presence of Rickettsia spp. DNA at levels of 14/59 (23.72 %) and 29/173 (16.76 %) in D. reticulatus and H. inermis, respectively. In addition, using standard PCR and sequencing, we identified the presence of Rickettsia raoultii DNA in 13 ticks belonging to the two investigated species. Rickettsia raoultii blast results revealed an average identification percentage of 99.62 %. Following the results of this molecular study there is a possibility that D. reticulatus and H. inermis play a potential role in the transmission of R. raoultii. To prove the possibility of validity of this hypothesis, we suggest performing experimental models in future studies. Our results can serve as preliminary data for future transmission models.

Secretory Proteases of the Human Skin Microbiome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wisely Chua ◽  
Si En Poh ◽  
Hao Li
Keyword(s):  
Human Skin ◽  
Hydrolytic Enzymes ◽  
Microbial Interactions ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Protein Cleavage ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Range Of Functions ◽  
Diverse Community ◽  
Secreted Proteases ◽  
Pathogenic Agents

The human skin is our outermost layer and serves as a protective barrier against external insults. Advances in next generation sequencing have enabled the discoveries of a rich and diverse community of microbes - bacteria, fungi and viruses that are residents of this surface. The genomes of these microbes also revealed the presence of many secretory enzymes. In particular, proteases which are hydrolytic enzymes capable of protein cleavage and degradation are of special interest in the skin environment which is enriched in proteins and lipids. In this minireview, we will focus on the roles of these skin-relevant microbial secreted proteases, both in terms of their widely studied roles as pathogenic agents in tissue invasion and host immune inactivation, and their recently discovered roles in inter-microbial interactions and modulation of virulence factors. From these studies, it has become apparent that while microbial proteases are capable of a wide range of functions, their expression is tightly regulated and highly responsive to the environments the microbes are in. With the introduction of new biochemical and bioinformatics tools to study protease functions, it will be important to understand the roles played by skin microbial secretory proteases in cutaneous health, especially the less studied commensal microbes with an emphasis on contextual relevance.

scholarly journals Invasive Lantana camara L. Shrub in Ethiopia: Ecology, Threat, and Suggested Management Strategies

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firew Bekele Abebe
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Lantana Camara ◽  
Dire Dawa ◽  
Dispersal Agents ◽  
Agricultural Loss

Lantana camara L. is one of the worst invasive alien species that are categorized worldwide. The objective of this review paper was to review the dispersal and threats posed by Lantana camara L. in Ethiopia and based on review results, to suggest management strategies that can bring solutions to the threats posed by the weed. Both biological characteristics of Lantana camara L. and its dispersal agents have contributed to the success of its dispersal. Even though Lantana camara L. is dispersed in other places within Ethiopia, Debrezeit, Dire Dawa, Harar and Somali are the hotspot areas for the weed. Biodiversity and potential agricultural loss, human and animal health problems and infestation in national parks are the identified threats that Lantana camara L. posed within the country. Utilization of Lantana camara L. for various purposes, prevention of its further dispersal into non-infected areas, use of fire, mechanical and biological control and awareness creation are the suggested management strategies that can bring solutions to the threats posed by the weed within the country.

scholarly journals Application of the real-time PCR in veterinary practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Maksim Doronin ◽  
Dmitriy Lozovoy ◽  
Aleksey Scherbakov ◽  
Vladimir Makarov
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Biological Material ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
The Body ◽  
Suspected Infection ◽  
Virus Content ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pathogenic Agents

To date the molecular genetic methods of analysis are widely used for laboratory diagnostic tests in various infectious diseases of animals. This discourse reflects information about the history of the invention of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RV), the nature of the processes that occur during this reaction, the main stages of the reaction, the preparation of biological material for research in PCR-RV. The spectrum of possibilities of using the PCR-RV method for a qualitative study of biological material in cases of suspected infection of animals with certain viral and bacterial agents, as well as a quantitative assessment of the virus content in tissues, organs or in the body by analogy with conventional methods for titrating infectiousness without direct manipulation with pathogenic agents, is presented. . A quantitative PCR-RV option allows veterinarians to evaluate the pathogenetic dynamics of the development of the disease, monitor the effect of antiviral and antibacterial therapy, and monitor the emergence of pathogen variants with high resistance to the drugs used. Thanks to the development of ARRIAH, the qualitative and quantitative PCR-RV method can now be used in domestic veterinary science and laboratory practice for the diagnosis of a wide range of animal infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Possibilities and limits for using the gut microbiome to improve captive animal health

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Diaz ◽  
Aspen T. Reese
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Host Health ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Outstanding Question ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Captive Animal

AbstractBecause of its potential to modulate host health, the gut microbiome of captive animals has become an increasingly important area of research. In this paper, we review the current literature comparing the gut microbiomes of wild and captive animals, as well as experiments tracking the microbiome when animals are moved between wild and captive environments. As a whole, these studies report highly idiosyncratic results with significant differences in the effect of captivity on the gut microbiome between host species. While a few studies have analyzed the functional capacity of captive microbiomes, there has been little research directly addressing the health consequences of captive microbiomes. Therefore, the current body of literature cannot broadly answer what costs, if any, arise from having a captive microbiome in captivity. Addressing this outstanding question will be critical to determining whether it is worth pursuing microbial manipulations as a conservation tool. To stimulate the next wave of research which can tie the captive microbiome to functional and health impacts, we outline a wide range of tools that can be used to manipulate the microbiome in captivity and suggest a variety of methods for measuring the impact of such manipulation preceding therapeutic use. Altogether, we caution researchers against generalizing results between host species given the variability in gut community responses to captivity and highlight the need to understand what role the gut microbiome plays in captive animal health before putting microbiome manipulations broadly into practice.

scholarly journals The Ecology of British Upland Landscapes. Ii. The Influence of Policy on The Current Character of The Uplands and The Potential for Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G.H. Bunce ◽  
Claire M. Wood ◽  
Simon M. Smart
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Second World War ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Community Ownership ◽  
Mountain Habitats ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Local Initiatives ◽  
Second World

Abstract The paper demonstrates that the British Uplands have been influenced to a great extent by policy - for example, the planting of almost a million hectares of exotic conifers since the Second World War, and the extent of designated areas. Otherwise, climate change transcends policy and is locally important to coastal and high mountain habitats. The different policies affecting the Uplands, such as the Common Agricultural Policy, are described, as are the wide range of designations such as National Parks, which may have a stabilising effect in times of great change. A new trend has started in Scotland in the last 20 years of local initiatives, such as the community ownership of Eigg, however large landowners still dominate. An impact table is presented of the habitats that make up the Uplands and their links to driving forces, with potential changes described that are likely to take place under future policies such as Brexit. Dwarf shrub heath is the habitat affected by many management drivers, whereas habitats such as Inland Rock, are relatively stable but most likely to be affected by climate change.

scholarly journals Molecular Diagnostic of Ochratoxin A with Specific Aptamers in Corn and Groundnut via Fabrication of A Microfluidic Device

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepshikha Shahdeo ◽  
Azmat Ali Khan ◽  
Amer M Alanazi ◽  
Yun Suk Huh ◽  
Shruti Shukla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ochratoxin A ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Colorimetric Assay ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Colorimetric Detection ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Detection Range ◽  
Vis Spectroscopy ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Analytical Device

Abstract Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the predominant mycotoxins that contaminate a wide range of food commodities. In the present study, a 36-mer aptamer was used as a molecular recognition element coupled with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for colorimetric detection of OTA in a microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPADs). The µPADs consisted of three zones: control, detection, and sample, interconnected by channels. The biophysical characterizations of aptamer conjugated AuNPs were done by UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The developed colorimetric assay for OTA showed a limit of detection of 242, 545, and 95.69 ng/mL in water, corn, and groundnut, respectively. The HPLC detection method achieved acceptable coefficient in standard curves (r2 = 0.9995), better detection range, and recovery rates in spiked corn and groundnut samples as 43.61 ± 2.18% to 87.10 ± 1.82% and 42.01 ± 1.31% to 86.03 ± 2.64% after multiple sample extractions and cleanup steps. However, the developed µPADs analytical device had the potent ability to rapidly detect OTA without any extraction pre-requirement, derivatization, and cleanup steps, thus illustrating its feasibility in the animal health sector, agricultural, and food industries.

scholarly journals Graphitic Nitrogen in Carbon Catalysts Important for the Reduction of Nitrite Revealed by 15N NMR Spectroscopy at Natural Abundance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Chen ◽  
Aleksander Jaworski ◽  
Jianhong Chen ◽  
Tetyana Budnyak ◽  
Ireneusz Szewczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽  
Reduction Reaction ◽  
Nitrite Reduction ◽  
15N Nmr ◽  
Carbon Catalyst ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Alkaline Conditions

Metal-free nitrogen-doped carbon is considered as a green functional material, but the structural determination of the atomic positions of nitrogen remains challenging. We recently demonstrated that directly-excited solid state <sup>15</sup>N NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the determination of such positions in an N-doped carbon at natural <sup>15</sup>N isotope abundance. Here we present a green chemistry approach to the synthesis of N-doped carbon using cellulose as precursor, and a study of the catalytic properties and atomic structures of the related catalyst. The N-doped carbon (NH<sub>3</sub>) was obtained by oxidation of cellulose with HNO<sub>3</sub> followed by ammonolysis at 800°C. It had a N content of 6.5 wt.% and a surface area of 557 m<sup>2 </sup>g<sup>–1</sup>, and <sup>15</sup>N ssNMR spectroscopy provided evidence for graphitic nitrogen besides of regular pyrrolic and pyridinic nitrogen. This structure determination enabled probing the role of graphitic nitrogen for electrocatalytic reactions, such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and nitrite reduction reaction. The N-doped carbon catalyst (NH<sub>3</sub>) had higher electrocatalytic activities in OER and HER under alkaline conditions and a higher activity for nitrite reduction, as compared with a catalyst prepared by carbonization of the HNO<sub>3</sub>-treated cellulose in N<sub>2</sub>. The electrocatalytic selectivity for nitrite reduction of the N-doped carbon catalyst (NH<sub>3</sub>) was directly related to the graphitic nitrogen functions. Complementary structural analysis by means of <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>1</sup>H ssNMR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and low-temperature N<sub>2 </sub>adsorption were preformed and provided support to the findings. The results show that directly-excited <sup>15</sup>N ssNMR at natural <sup>15</sup>N abundance is generally capable to provide information on N-doped carbon materials, and it is expected that the approach can be applied to a wide range of solids with an intermediate amount of N atoms.

Formation and structure of the biota of Kamchatka's natural ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatoliy Smetanin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Education ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Functional Structure ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Nature Protection ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Teachers And Students

The formation of the modern flora and fauna of Kamchatka, paleogeography, natural ecosystems are considered. The biological diversity of the most important groups of biota is analyzed: vascular plants, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, insects, fish, birds, mammals. The most prominent representatives, including economically significant ones, are highlighted. Brief information on paleodendroflora is given, a brief analysis of currently flourishing vascular plants is given. The fossil forms of extinct and currently living animals inhabiting the natural ecosystems of Kamchatka are described. A polytomic analysis of the biota was performed and its functional structure was established. For researchers in the field of ecology and nature protection, teachers and students of relevant academic disciplines, as well as for a wide range of readers in order to learn about the nature of the region and environmental education.

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