Potential of a large-scale functional analysis to reconstructing past human activities at the Final Palaeolithic site of Lommel-Maatheide

Background: Bacteriocins (Bac1, Bac2, and Bac3) from Weissella confusa MBF8-1, weissellicin- MBF, have been reported as potential alternative substances as well as complements to the existing antibiotics against many antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Previously, the genes encoded in the large plasmid, pWcMBF8-1, and the spermicidal activity of their synthetic peptides, originally discovered Indonesia, have been studied. Three synthetic bacteriocins peptides of this weissellicin-MBF have been reported for their potential activities, i.e. antibacterial and spermicidal. Objective: The aim of this study was to construct the recombinant Bacteriocin (r-Bac) genes, as well as to investigate the gene expressions and their functional analysis. Method: Here, the recombinant Bacteriocin (r-Bac) genes were constructed and the recombinant peptides (r-Bac1, r-Bac2, and r-Bac3) in B. subtilis DB403 cells were produced on a large scale. After purification, using the His-tag affinity column, their potential bioactivities were measured as well as their antibacterial minimum inhibitory concentrations against Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Micrococcus luteus, were determined. Results: Pure His-tag-recombinant Bac1, Bac2, and Bac3 were obtained and they could inhibit the growth of L. mesenteroides and M. luteus. Conclusion: The recombinant bacteriocin could be obtained although with weak activity in inhibiting gram-positive bacterial growth.

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Human and Climate Effects on the Hamoun Wetlands

Weather Climate and Society ◽

10.1175/wcas-d-18-0070.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 609-622 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Saeideh Maleki ◽

Saeid Soltani Koupaei ◽

Alireza Soffianian ◽

Sassan Saatchi ◽

Saeid Pourmanafi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Time Series ◽

Water Stress ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Human Activities ◽

Large Scale ◽

Upstream Region ◽

Ecosystem Recovery ◽

Climate Effects

Abstract Negative impacts of climate change on ecosystems have been increasing, and both the intensification and the mitigation of these impacts are strongly linked with human activities. Management and reduction of human-induced disturbances on ecosystems can mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance the ecosystem recovery process. Here, we investigate coupled human and climate effects on the wetland ecosystem of the lower Helmand basin from 1977 to 2014. Using time series climate-variable data and land-use changes from Landsat time series imagery, we compared changes in ecosystem status between the upstream and downstream regions. Results show that despite a strong and prolonged drought in the region, the upstream region of the lower Helmand basin remained dominated by agriculture, causing severe water stress on the Hamoun wetlands downstream. The loss of available water in wetlands was followed by large-scale land abandonment in rural areas, migration to the cities, and increasing unemployment and economic hardship. Our results suggest that unsustainable land-use policies in the upstream region, combined with synergistic effects of human activities and climate in lower Helmand basin, have exacerbated the effects of water stress on local inhabitants in the downstream region.

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Attribution Analysis of Hydrological Drought Risk Under Climate Change and Human Activities: A Case Study on Kuye River Basin in China

Water ◽

10.3390/w11101958 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 1958 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zhang ◽

Wang ◽

Zhou

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

River Basin ◽

Human Activities ◽

Large Scale ◽

Research Area ◽

Drought Severity ◽

Drought Risk ◽

Drought Duration ◽

Recurrence Period ◽

The Impact

This study conducted quantitative diagnosis on the impact of climate change and human activities on drought risk. Taking the Kuye river basin (KRB) in China as the research area, we used variation point diagnosis, simulation of precipitation and runoff, drought risk assessment, and attribution quantification. The results show that: (1) the annual runoff sequence of KRB changed significantly after 1979, which was consistent with the introduction of large-scale coal mining; (2) under the same drought recurrence period, the drought duration and severity in the human activity stage were significantly worse than in the natural and simulation stages, indicating that human activities changed the drought risk in this area; and (3) human activities had little impact on drought severity in the short duration and low recurrence period, but had a greater impact in the long duration and high recurrence period. These results provide scientific guidance for the management, prevention, and resistance of drought; and guarantee sustainable economic and social development in the KRB.

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Coastal Landscape Vulnerability Analysis in Eastern China—Based on Land-Use Change in Jiangsu Province

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17051702 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 1702

Author(s):

Yangfan Zhou ◽

Lijie Pu ◽

Ming Zhu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Human Activities ◽

Large Scale ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Eastern China ◽

Landscape Management ◽

Vulnerability Index ◽

Jiangsu Province ◽

Assessment Model ◽

Rapid Urbanization

The unreasonable land use in rapid urbanization areas induced by large-scale urban construction activities have caused massive ecological issues. In this study, landscape vulnerability index (LVI) and landscape human interference index (LHAI) were originally addressed and calculated using multi-temporal land-use data from 2000 to 2015. Then, the spatial-temporal relationship assessment model of landscape fragility caused by human activities were constructed for each county of Jiangsu Province, China, so as to analyze the spatial distribution of landscape vulnerability and determine the impacts of artificial disturbance on landscape vulnerability. The results showed: (1) The number of counties with middle and high landscape vulnerability increased from 20 in 2000 to 27 in 2015 with a peak value (33) in 2010. (2) Counties with high-intensity human activities showed an upward trend. (3) Land use generally has a significant and diverse impact on landscape vulnerability. At the county level, the LVI was positively correlated with the LHAI before 2010 and was followed by a negative correlation of them. As concluded from this study, a total of four sub-regions (continuous benefit zones, variable benefit zones, continuous harmful zones, and variable harmful zones) have been identified for sustainable landscape management in the future. (4) The LVI suggests that the landscape vulnerability in Jiangsu did not continue to deteriorate in the study period. Further, accelerated land exploitation has produced a positive impact on regional economic development and ecological protection. This study provided an effective method set for analyzing the environmental impacts caused by human activities and promoting future ecosystem management in coastal areas.

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Copula-Based Abrupt Variations Detection in the Relationship of Seasonal Vegetation-Climate in the Jing River Basin, China

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs11131628 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (13) ◽

pp. 1628 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Jing Zhao ◽

Shengzhi Huang ◽

Qiang Huang ◽

Hao Wang ◽

Guoyong Leng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Human Activities ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Large Scale ◽

Vegetation Index ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Potential Evapotranspiration ◽

Change Points ◽

Vegetation Coverage ◽

The Relationship

Understanding the changing relationships between vegetation coverage and precipitation/temperature (P/T) and then exploring their potential drivers are highly necessary for ecosystem management under the backdrop of a changing environment. The Jing River Basin (JRB), a typical eco-environmentally vulnerable region of the Loess Plateau, was chosen to identify abrupt variations of the relationships between seasonal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and P/T through a copula-based method. By considering the climatic/large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns and human activities, the potential causes of the non-stationarity of the relationship between NDVI and P/T were revealed. Results indicated that (1) the copula-based framework introduced in this study is more reasonable and reliable than the traditional double-mass curves method in detecting change points of vegetation and climate relationships; (2) generally, no significant change points were identified during 1982–2010 at the 95% confidence level, implying the overall stationary relationship still exists, while the relationships between spring NDVI and P/T, autumn NDVI and P have slightly changed; (3) teleconnection factors (including Arctic Oscillation (AO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Niño 3.4, and sunspots) have a more significant influence on the relationship between seasonal NDVI and P/T than local climatic factors (including potential evapotranspiration and soil moisture); (4) negative human activities (expansion of farmland and urban areas) and positive human activities (“Grain For Green” program) were also potential factors affecting the relationship between NDVI and P/T. This study provides a new and reliable insight into detecting the non-stationarity of the relationship between NDVI and P/T, which will be beneficial for further revealing the connection between the atmosphere and ecosystems.

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Morphodynamic Process of Dachan Bay in Pearl River Estuary Affected by Human Activities

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.638-640.1257 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 638-640 ◽

pp. 1257-1260

Author(s):

Rong Yao Ji ◽

Qun Xu ◽

Si Ping Mo

Keyword(s):

Tidal Flat ◽

Human Activities ◽

Large Scale ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

River Estuary ◽

Pearl River Estuary ◽

Pearl River ◽

Landsat Images ◽

Change Analysis ◽

Factors Affecting

The surrounding area of the Dachan Bay in the Pearl River Estuary has one of the highest economic development rates of China. Rapid industrialization and urbanization has resulted in extensive changes in land use, including the tidal flat reclamation and harbor construction. For the analysis of the morphological changes of the Dachan Bay, multi-temporal Landsat images have been digitized by using the integrated RS and GIS technique, and the digital elevation modes in different years were set up in combination with topographical and nautical data. From the change analysis, it can be concluded that the sea area of the Dachan Bay decreases to 6.0 km2, by 87.6% between 1907a and 2011a due to the large-scale tidal flat reclamation, and the maximum downcutting depth of the seabed in the entrance area is over 10m mainly caused by extensive harbor construction. Based on the research of the morphological change in recent decades, it is suggested that the human activities have become one of the major factors affecting the morphological processes of the Dachan Bay.

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