scholarly journals Blow fly stable isotopes reveal larval diet: A case study in community level anthropogenic effects

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249422
Author(s):  
Charity G. Owings ◽  
William P. Gilhooly ◽  
Christine J. Picard
Keyword(s):  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Larval Diet ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Blow Flies ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Isotope Record ◽  
Living Organisms

Response to human impacts on the environment are typically initiated too late to remediate negative consequences. We present the novel use of stable isotope analysis (SIA) of blow flies to determine human influences on vertebrate communities in a range of human-inhabited environments, from a pristine national park to a dense metropolitan area. The refrain “you are what you eat” applies to the dietary isotope record of all living organisms, and for carrion-breeding blow flies, this translates to the type of carcasses present in an environment. Specifically, we show that carnivore carcasses make up a large proportion of the adult fly’s prior larval diet, which contrasts to what has been reportedly previously for the wild adult fly diet (which consists of mostly herbivore resources). Additionally, we reveal the potential impact of human food on carcasses that were fed on by blow flies, underscoring the human influences on wild animal populations. Our results demonstrate that using SIA in conjunction with other methods (e.g., DNA analysis of flies) can reveal a comprehensive snapshot of the vertebrate community in a terrestrial ecosystem.

scholarly journals Enzymes, Reacting with Organophosphorus Compounds as Detoxifiers: Diversity and Functions

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1761
Author(s):  
Ilya Lyagin ◽  
Elena Efremenko
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Organophosphorus Compounds ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chemical Transformations ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Biological Targets ◽  
Oxidation Reduction ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Living Organisms

Organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) are able to interact with various biological targets in living organisms, including enzymes. The binding of OPCs to enzymes does not always lead to negative consequences for the body itself, since there are a lot of natural biocatalysts that can catalyze the chemical transformations of the OPCs via hydrolysis or oxidation/reduction and thereby provide their detoxification. Some of these enzymes, their structural differences and identity, mechanisms, and specificity of catalytic action are discussed in this work, including results of computational modeling. Phylogenetic analysis of these diverse enzymes was specially realized for this review to emphasize a great area for future development(s) and applications.

scholarly journals DN Testing as a Branch of Forensic Technology: Problems of Formation and Directions of Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-99
Author(s):  
Р. Л. Степанюк ◽  
С. І. Перлін
Keyword(s):  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Forensic Identification ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Forensic Dna Analysis ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
Legislative Regulation ◽  
Living Organisms

The authors of the article have studied the problems and perspectives of the formation of specific branch of forensic technology, which is devoted to DNA analysis in order to solve the tasks arising in criminal proceeding. Particular attention has been paid to the lack of a corresponding component in the domestic system of forensic technology, unlike the forensic science of foreign countries. The necessity of development of forensic DNA analysis as an independent branch of forensic technology has been argued. It is confirmed by the following main arguments: the methodology of this field of research is based on the theory of forensic identification; its objects are traces of human and other living organisms; DNA analysis technologies are developed using the achievements of different sciences and adapted to solve problems of crime detection and investigation; they are aimed to ensuring the activities of law enforcement agencies in counteracting crime; the scope of DNA analysis application in crime combating should not be limited to forensic activities; legislative regulation of collecting and using personal genetic data is essential; DNA analysis technologies in terms of practical significance and fundamental scientific basis exceed all other branches of forensic technology. The authors have offered to define forensic DNA analysis as the branch of forensic technology that studies individual genetic characteristics of living organisms contained in their DNA, in order to identify them and solve diagnostic tasks in the detection and investigation of criminal offenses. Its structure has been determined. The authors have provided perspective development directions of forensic DNA analysis: ensuring the appropriate state of legislative regulation of relations in the field of selection and use of personal genetic information; implementation of effective means and methods of detection and removal of biological traces and samples; improvement of methods of forensic DNA testing; formation of recommendations concerning the peculiarities of using DNA analysis results for proving; development of the latest technologies of forensic DNA analysis.

scholarly journals The photosynthetic pathways of plant species surveyed in Australia’s national terrestrial monitoring network

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Munroe ◽  
Francesca A McInerney ◽  
Jake Andrae ◽  
Nina Welti ◽  
Greg Guerin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Photosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Ecosystem Research ◽  
Photosynthetic Pathways

The photosynthetic pathway of plants is a fundamental trait that influences terrestrial environments from the local to global level. The abundance of different photosynthetic pathways in Australia is expected to undergo a substantial shift due to climate change and rising atmospheric CO2; however, tracking change is hindered by a lack of data on the pathways of species, as well as their distribution and relative cover within plant communities. Here we present the photosynthetic pathways for 2428 species recorded across 541 plots surveyed by Australia’s Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) between 2011 and 2017. This dataset was created to facilitate research exploring trends in vegetation change across Australia. Species were assigned a photosynthetic pathway using published literature and stable carbon isotope analysis of bulk tissue. The photosynthetic pathway of species can be extracted from the dataset individually, or used in conjunction with vegetation surveys to study the occurrence and abundance of pathways across the continent. This dataset will be updated as TERN’s plot network expands and new information becomes available. This manuscript is currently in review with the journal "Scientific Data" and was submitted on 17/11/2020

scholarly journals Isotope analysis combined with DNA barcoding provide new insights into the dietary niche of khulan in the Mongolian Gobi

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248294
Author(s):  
Martina Burnik Šturm ◽  
Steve Smith ◽  
Oyunsaikhan Ganbaatar ◽  
Bayarbaatar Buuveibaatar ◽  
Boglarka Balint ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
C4 Grasses ◽  
Diet Change ◽  
Wild Ungulates ◽  
The South ◽  
Winter Diet ◽  
Dietary Niche

With increasing livestock numbers, competition and avoidance are increasingly shaping resource availability for wild ungulates. Shifts in the dietary niche of wild ungulates are likely and can be expected to negatively affect their fitness. The Mongolian Gobi constitutes the largest remaining refuge for several threatened ungulates, but unprecedentedly high livestock numbers are sparking growing concerns over rangeland health and impacts on threatened ungulates like the Asiatic wild ass (khulan). Previous stable isotope analysis of khulan tail hair from the Dzungarian Gobi suggested that they graze in summer but switch to a poorer mixed C3 grass / C4 shrub diet in winter, most likely in reaction to local herders and their livestock. Here we attempt to validate these findings with a different methodology, DNA metabarcoding. Further, we extend the scope of the original study to the South Gobi Region, where we expect higher proportions of low-quality browse in the khulan winter diet due to a higher human and livestock presence. Barcoding confirmed the assumptions behind the seasonal diet change observed in the Dzungarian Gobi isotope data, and new isotope analysis revealed a strong seasonal pattern and higher C4 plant intake in the South Gobi Region, in line with our expectations. However, DNA barcoding revealed C4 domination of winter diet was due to C4 grasses (rather than shrubs) for the South Gobi Region. Slight climatic differences result in regional shifts in the occurrence of C3 and C4 grasses and shrubs, which do not allow for an isotopic separation along the grazer-browser continuum over the entire Gobi. Our findings do not allow us to confirm human impacts upon dietary preferences in khulan as we lack seasonal samples from the South Gobi Region. However, these data provide novel insight into khulan diet, raise new questions about plant availability versus preference, and provide a cautionary tale about indirect analysis methods if used in isolation or extrapolated to the landscape level. Good concordance between relative read abundance of C4 genera from barcoding and proportion of C4 plants from isotope analysis adds to a growing body of evidence that barcoding is a promising quantitative tool to understand resource partitioning in ungulates.

scholarly journals Protection of avifauna for the provision of the Kyiv urban ecosystem stability

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 60-64
Author(s):  
М. М. Radomska ◽  
I. V. Horobtsov
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Urban Territories ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
A Chain ◽  
The Stability

The transformation of ecosystems at urban territories imposes serious threats to the well-being of its inhabitants, both human and non-human. Modern cities represent a random combination of natural and technogenic landscapes, which often have no connections, and therefore are not able to support animal populations. However, the stability of such clustered ecosystem is impossible without the provision of stable flow of energy and matter ensured by living organisms. Being vulnerable to the negative factors of the urban environment, animals are also able to reflect its condition, so by contributing to the diversity of urban fauna it is possible to increase the overall quality of living conditions in a city. However, animals in cities are represented by insects, rodents, domesticated animals and single ubiquist organism, which either cannot be monitored, form real populations or are not desired. Therefore birds are considered to be that part of zoocenosis, which are worth investing efforts in support and development. The research has been conducted to study the avifauna of Kyiv City and major threats to its diversity and populations. The major risks for birds at the territory of Kyiv are formed by the fragmentation of natural landscapes, introduction of new species, pollution of the environment, waste accumulation and physical factors of pollution, namely light and noise. In order to provide the conservation of existing bird associations it is offered to unite a chain of landscapes, joined by close location, well preserved phytocoenosis and favourable conditions for birds' living activity, into protected objects with corresponding legal status. The fundamental element of the future protected areas is chosen to be water bodies of the city. The analysis of suitable and available areas has output a structure of 4 cores, based on lakes of Svytoshynsky, Osokorky, Obolon and Desnyansky districts of Kyiv. They all possess the necessary feature to apply for protected status and are already habitats of urban avifauna. The success of this initiative should be supported by the creation of single management body for all protected areas of Kyiv. The investments in the implementation of the project are estimated and cover organizational and technical actions.

scholarly journals Ancient DNA analysis of food remains in human dental calculus from the Edo period, Japan

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rikai Sawafuji ◽  
Aiko Saso ◽  
Wataru Suda ◽  
Masahira Hattori ◽  
Shintaroh Ueda
Keyword(s):  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Dental Calculus ◽  
Edo Period ◽  
The Past ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
Food Species ◽  
Genus Oryza ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Objectives: Although there are many methods for reconstructing diets of the past, detailed taxon identification is still challenging, and most plants hardly remain at a site. In this study, we applied DNA metabarcoding to dental calculus of Edo people for the taxonomic identification of food species. Materials and Methods: DNA was extracted from 13 human dental calculi from the Unko-in site (18th-19th century) of the Edo period, Japan. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing were performed using a primer set specific to the genus Oryza, because rice (Oryza sativa) was a staple food and this was the only member of this genus present in Japan at that time. DNA metabarcoding targeting plants, animals (meat and fish), and fungi was also carried out to investigate dietary diversity. Results: We detected amplified products of the genus Oryza from more than half of the samples using PCR and Sanger sequencing. DNA metabarcoding enabled us to identify taxa of plants and fungi, although taxa of animals were not detected, except human. Discussion: Most of the plant taxonomic groups are present in Japan and include species consumed as food at that time, as confirmed by historical literature. The other groups featured in the lifestyle of Edo people, such as for medicinal purposes and tobacco. The results indicate that plant DNA analysis from calculus provides information about food diversity and lifestyle habits from the past and can complement other analytical methods such as starch analysis and stable isotope analysis.

The physicochemical properties and distribution of aluminum in the environment, the effect on living organisms, the reduction of its toxic effect

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-36
Author(s):  
Victoriia E. Kutai ◽  
Vasiliy Yu. Tsygankov
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Toxic Effect ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Mammary Glands ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Musculoskeletal Systems ◽  
Agricultural Food

The review examines the physicochemical properties, distribution in the environment, the effect on living organisms, including toxicity and ecotoxicity, ways of removing aluminum and its compounds from the human and animal organism. Analysis of scientific literature has shown that the widespread use of aluminum in nature, its use in the agricultural, food, cosmetic, aluminum, oil-producing industries, medicine, water treatment processes and other fields of activity leads to an increased intake of this element into the human body. The cumulative nature of the toxic effect of aluminum and its compounds leads to negative consequences for the respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal systems, and mammary glands.

scholarly journals Editorial

2005 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-119
Author(s):  
Beatriz Villanueva
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Livestock Species ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fitness Traits ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Related Individuals

There is certainly nothing new in saying that inbreeding, the mating of related individuals, has negative consequences in farmed animal populations. Inbreeding leads to loss of genetic variation and most importantly to reductions in performance (i.e. inbreeding depression) particularly in traits related with fitness such as fertility and viability. Reductions in fitness traits can eventually make further progress imposible despite the presence of genetic variance. Even large populations are experiencing large increases in the rates at which inbreeding accumulates. Examples include US and UK Holstein dairy cattle populations where the worldwide use of few elite sires is leading to current rates much higher than those observed in the past and where deteriorations in health and reproductive traits have been observed. Broadening the breeding objectives for livestock species (Simm et al., 2001) would alleviate this but still effective methods for controlling inbreeding need to be applied.

scholarly journals The Variations of Satellite-Based Ecosystem Water Use and Carbon Use Efficiency and Their Linkages with Climate and Human Drivers in the Songnen Plain, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Li ◽  
Fang Huang ◽  
Shuai Chang ◽  
Ning Sun
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Carbon Assimilation ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Climate Factors ◽  
Songnen Plain ◽  
Carbon Use Efficiency ◽  
Use Efficiency

Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) and carbon use efficiency (CUE), as two of the most important ecological indicators of an ecosystem, represent the carbon assimilation rate of unit water consumption and the capacity of transferring carbon from the atmosphere to potential carbon sinks. Revealing WUE and CUE changes and their impact factors is vital for regional carbon-water interactions and carbon budget assessment. Climate affects carbon and water processes differently. Compared to WUE, the variations in CUE in response to climate factors and human activity remain inadequately understood. In this study, ecosystem-level WUE and CUE variations in the Songnen Plain (SNP), Northeast China, during 2001–2015, were investigated using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data. The relationships between WUE, CUE, main climate factors, and human impacts were explored. The results showed that ecosystem WUE and CUE have fluctuated over time, with regional average values of 1.319 gC·kg−1H2O and 0.516, respectively. Deciduous broad-leaved forests had the highest average WUE but the lowest CUE. The multiyear average CUE of grassland ranked in first place, while the lowest WUE indicated that a lesser capacity of net productivity was generated by the use of limited water supply. WUE and CUE showed a downward trend in most areas of the SNP, indicating that the carbon sequestration capacity of the terrestrial ecosystem became weaker in the past 15 years. Annual precipitation and relative humidity had positive influences on WUE and CUE in more than 60% of the study area. The total annual sunshine duration and annual average temperature negatively affected WUE and CUE in most areas. Human activities had a positive effect on ecosystem WUE changes in the SNP but might inhibit CUE variations. Our findings aid in understanding the biological regulation mechanisms of carbon-water cycle coupling and provide a scientific basis for formulating sustainable regional development strategies and guiding water and land resources management.

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