scholarly journals Scientometric analysis of scientific production on the genus Campomanesia Ruiz & Pav. (Myrtaceae) and most studied species - research trends involving native Brazilian plants

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e19111124639
Author(s):  
Rosa Maria de Brito Steckelberg ◽  
José Realino de Paula ◽  
Camila Aline Romano ◽  
Danilo Brito Steckelberg

Brazil has rich biodiversity, harboring native plants with potential for medicinal use, including species of the Campomanesia genus. Although public policies to encourage phytotherapy advocate the best use of plant biodiversity, most species listed in official forms and monographs are exotic species. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify research trends involving the Campomanesia and main species, using scientometric tools, so that, by viewing and knowing the scientific production on the genus and species of pharmacological interest, possibilities for research with native species so that they can be integrated into Brazilian’s unified health system (SUS). The research resulted in 302 publications up to September 2021. Bibliometric analyzes on genus were then carried out with data from the WoS platform and social network analysis through of scientometric mapping, using the Vosviewer (VOS) application. Species of the genus with more than 10 publications indexed in WoS were also analyzed. Brazil leads research on the genus and C. xanthocarpa (120/302); C. adamantium (70/302); C. pubescens (33/120); C.phaea (25/302); C. lineatifolia (21/302) and C. guazumifolia (10/302) were the species with the highest publication volume. It is the first work that analyzes the scientific production on these genus of Myrtaceae family and the aforementioned species, which revealed itself a promising field of research, yet little explored, which might encourage new studies aimed at better use of Brazilian biodiversity and the safe and effective use of native plants that may bring benefits to people's health and well-being.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ganau ◽  
M. Paris ◽  
G. K. Ligarotti ◽  
M. Ganau

The advancements in basic sciences and the availability of sophisticated technological aids to surgical removal of gliomas have led over the last few years to the rise of innovative surgical strategies, the identification of better prognostic/predictive biomolecular factors, and the development of novel drugs and all are meant to profoundly impact the outcome of patients diagnosed with these aggressive tumours. Unfortunately, the treatment protocols available nowadays still confer only a small survival advantage at a potentially high cost in terms of overall well-being. In this review we identified the potential and limits of the most promising research trends in the management of glioma patients, also highlighting the related externalities. Finally, we focused our attention on the imbalance between the technical and behavioral aspects pertinent to this research area, which ultimately represent the two sides of the same coin.


2020 ◽  
pp. paper81-1-paper81-12
Author(s):  
Aida Khakimova ◽  
Dongxiao Gu ◽  
Oleg Zolotarev ◽  
Maria Berberova ◽  
Michael Charnine

Due to the increasing popularity of new research in medicine thisstudy was conducted to determine recent research trends of predictive, preventive and personalized medicine (PPM). We identified the terms relevant to PPM using own search engine based on neural network processing in PubMed database. We extracted initially about 15000 articles. Then we carried out the statistical analysis for identifying research trends. The article presents the results of solving the problem of evaluating research topics at the level of thematic clusters in a separate subject area. An approach based on the analysis of article titles has been implemented. Identification of terms, connections between them and thematic clustering were carried out using the free software VOSViewer, which allows to extract terms in the form of noun phrases, as well as to cluster them.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0260390
Author(s):  
Kowiyou Yessoufou ◽  
Annie Estelle Ambani ◽  
Hosam O. Elansary ◽  
Orou G. Gaoue

Understanding why alien plant species are incorporated into the medicinal flora in several local communities is central to invasion biology and ethnobiology. Theories suggest that alien plants are incorporated in local pharmacopoeias because they are more versatile or contribute unique secondary chemistry which make them less therapeutically redundant, or simply because they are locally more abundant than native species. However, a lack of a comprehensive test of these hypotheses limits our understanding of the dynamics of plants knowledge, use and potential implications for invasion. Here, we tested the predictions of several of these hypotheses using a unique dataset on the woody medicinal flora of southern Africa. We found that the size of a plant family predicts the number of medicinal plants in that family, a support for the non-random hypothesis of medicinal plant selection. However, we found no support for the diversification hypothesis: i) both alien and native plants were used in the treatment of similar diseases; ii) significantly more native species than alien contribute to disease treatments particularly of parasitic infections and obstetric-gynecological diseases, and iii) alien and native species share similar therapeutic redundancy. However, we found support for the versatility hypothesis, i.e., alien plants were more versatile than natives. These findings imply that, although alien plant species are not therapeutically unique, they do provide more uses than native plants (versatility), thus suggesting that they may not have been introduced primarily for therapeutic reasons. We call for similar studies to be carried out on alien herbaceous plants for a broader understanding of the integration of alien plants into the pharmacopoeias of the receiving communities.


2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Clark ◽  
Tânia Lisboa

Success in the performing arts, like sports, is dependent upon the acquisition and consistent use of a diverse range of skills. In sports, an understanding of safe and effective use of the body is required to facilitate long-term involvement in that activity. In order to assist athletes to attain their performance goals, and ensure healthy and sustained involvement, long-term athlete development (LTAD) models have been devised and adapted by professional sporting bodies throughout the world. LTAD models emphasize the intellectual, emotional, and social development of the athlete, encourage long-term participation in physical activities, and enable participants to improve their overall health and well-being and increase their life-long participation in physical activity. At present there is no such long-term development model for musicians. Yet musicians must cope with a multitude of career-related physical and mental demands, and performance-related injuries and career burnout are rife within the profession. Despite this, musicians’ training rarely addresses such issues and musicians are left largely to learn about them through either chance or accrued experience. This paper discusses key concepts and recommendations in LTAD models, together with music-specific research highlighting the need for the development of a comprehensive long-term approach to musicians’ training. The results of a survey of existing music training programs are compared to recommendations and the different development stages in LTAD models. Finally, implementation science is introduced as a methodological option for identifying how best to communicate the body of evidence-based knowledge concerning healthy and effective music-making to young student musicians.


Author(s):  
Sara E. Kuebbing

Abstract In 1999, Daniel Simberloff and Betsy Von Holle introduced the term 'invasional meltdown'. The term and the concept have been embraced and critiqued but have taken a firm hold within the invasion biology canon. The original formulation of the concept argued two key points: first, biologists rarely study how non-natives interact with one another. Second, nearly all the conceptual models about the success and impact of invasive species are predicated on the importance of competitive interactions and an implicit assumption that non-natives should interfere with establishment, spread and impact of other non-natives. In response, Simberloff and Von Holle called for more research on invader interactions and proposed an alternative consequence of non-native species interactions - invasional meltdown - where facilitative interactions among non-natives could increase the invasion rate or ecological impacts in invaded systems. This chapter outlines the primary pathways in which direct and indirect interactions among non-natives could lead to invasional meltdown. It provides examples of how different types of interactions among non-natives could lead to net positive effects on the invasion success of non-native plants or the impact of non-native plants on invaded ecosystems. Direct effects are by far the most commonly explored form of non-native- non- native interaction, primarily focusing on plant mutualisms with pollinators, seed dispersers or soil microbial mutualists. There are, however, also examples of non-native plants that benefit from commensal and even herbivorous interactions with other non-natives. Indirect interactions among non-natives are very infrequently studied. Although examples are scarce, non-natives may indirectly benefit other non-native plants through trophic cascades, apparent competition and indirect mutualisms. It remains unclear whether indirect effects are important pathways to invasional meltdown. More work is needed on studying ecosystems that are invaded by multiple non-native species and we need to consider the full range of interactions among non-natives that could either stymie or promote their spread, population growth and impact. Only then can we address how common facilitative interactions are relative to competitive interactions among non-natives or provide robust suggestions on how to manage ecosystems.


Author(s):  
M. Celeste Díaz Vélez ◽  
Ana E. Ferreras ◽  
Valeria Paiaro

Abstract Animal dispersers are essential for many non-native plants since they facilitate seed movement and might promote seed germination and seedling establishment, thereby increasing their chances of invasion. This chapter reviews the published literature on seed dispersal of non-native plant species by native and/or non-native animals. The following questions are addressed: (i) Are interactions between non-native plants and their animal dispersers evenly studied worldwide? (ii) Which are the distinctive traits (i.e. geographical origin, life form, dispersal strategy and propagule traits) of non-native plants that are dispersed by animals? (iii) Which are the most studied groups of dispersers of non-native plants around the world? (iv) Does the literature provide evidence for the Invasional Meltdown Hypothesis (non-native plant-non-native disperser facilitation)? (v) What is the role of animal dispersers at different stages of the non-native plant regeneration process? Our dataset of 204 articles indicates that geographical distribution of the studies was highly heterogeneous among continents, with the highest number coming from North America and the lowest from Asia and Central America. Most of the non-native plants involved in dispersal studies were woody species from Asia with fleshy fruits dispersed by endozoochory. More than the half of the animal dispersal agents noted were birds, followed by mammals, ants and reptiles. The dominance of bird-dispersal interactions over other animal groups was consistent across geographical regions. Although most of the studies involved only native dispersers, interactions among non-native species were detected, providing support for the existence of invasional meltdown processes. Of the total number of reviewed articles reporting seed removal, 74% evaluated seed dispersal, but only a few studies included seed germination (35.3%), seedling establishment (5.4%) or seed predation (23.5%). Finally, we discuss some research biases and directions for future studies in the area.


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1100600
Author(s):  
Sandra Sharry ◽  
Marina Adema ◽  
María A. Basiglio Cordal ◽  
Blanca Villarreal ◽  
Noelia Nikoloff ◽  
...  

In Argentina, there are numerous native species which are an important source of natural products and which are traditionally used in medicinal applications. Some of these species are going through an intense extraction process in their natural habitat which may affect their genetic diversity. The aim of this study was to establish vegetative propagation systems for three native forestal species of medicinal interest. This will allow the rapid obtainment of plants to preserve the germplasm. This study included the following species which are widely used in folk medicine and its applications: Erythrina crista-galli or “seibo” (astringent, used for its cicatrizant properties and for bronchiolitic problems); Acacia caven or “espinillo” (antirheumatic, digestive, diuretic and with cicatrizant properties) and Salix humboldtiana or “sauce criollo” (antipyretic, sedative, antispasmodic, astringent). The methodology included the micropropagation of seibo, macro and micropropagation of Salix humboldtiana and the somatic embryogenesis of Acacia caven. The protocol for seibo regeneration was adjusted from nodal sections of seedlings which were obtained from seeds germinated in vitro. The macropropagation through rooted cuttings of “sauce criollo” was achieved and complete plants of this same species were obtained through both direct and indirect organogenesis using in vitro cultures. The somatic embryogenesis for Acacia caven was optimized and this led to obtain a high percentage of embryos in different stages of development. We are able to support the conservation of native forest resources of medicinal use by means of vegetative propagation techniques.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7586
Author(s):  
Andrea Parra-Saldívar ◽  
Sebastián Abades ◽  
Juan L. Celis-Diez ◽  
Stefan Gelcich

Urbanization has impacted biodiversity and ecosystems at a global scale. At the same time, it has been recognized as a driver of the physical and emotional gap between humans and nature. The lack of direct contact with nature can have a negative impact on several aspects of human well-being and change knowledge and attitudes of people towards the environment. However, this phenomenon is still poorly understood in megacities outside developed countries. Here, we explore the relationship between ecological knowledge and self-reported well-being in an important urban park in Santiago, Chile. We conducted semi-structured surveys of park users to explore their beliefs, preferences, ecological knowledge of plants and birds, and self-reported well-being. Citizens associated urban parks mainly with “nature,” and particularly with the presence of trees and plants. Trees were recognized as the most relevant elements of urban parks; in turn, birds were ranked as the less relevant. Regarding formal ecological knowledge, respondents correctly identified an average of 2.01 plants and 2.44 birds out of a total of 10 for each taxon, and exotic species were more likely to be recognized. Park users also reported high scores for self-reported well-being. Interestingly, variance of self-reported well-being scores tended to increase at low levels of ecological knowledge of trees, but no significant relationship was detected with knowledge of birds, nor native species. Ecological knowledge of trees was positively related to self-reported well-being. Results suggest that parks can positively contribute to bring people closer to nature in middle-income countries. Improving ecological knowledge can be critical to restore the relationship between humans and nature in megacities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Michael R. Ngugi ◽  
Victor John Neldner

Naturalised non-native plants that become invasive pose a significant threat to the conservation of biodiversity in protected areas (areas dedicated and managed for long-term conservation of nature), economic productivity of agricultural businesses, and societal impacts including community, culture infrastructure and health. Quantifying the spread, potential dominance and invasion threat of these species is fundamental to effective eradication and development of threat mitigation policy. But this is often hampered by the lack of comprehensive data. This study used existing ecological survey data from 2548 sites and 64 758 Herbarium specimen records to document the status and abundance of non-native plants in two case study bioregions, Cape York Peninsula (CYP) and the Desert Uplands (DEU) in Queensland covering a total area of 186 697 km2. There were 406 non-native species in the CYP, 186 (45.6%) of which are known environmental weeds and 159 non-natives in DEU, of which 69 (43.5%) are environmental weeds. Inside the protected areas, there were 98 species of environmental weeds in CYP, 27 of which are listed as weeds of State significance (Weeds of National Significance (WONS), Queensland declared and non-declared pest plants categories). In DEU, there were 18 environmental weeds inside protected areas and none of them was listed as a weed of State significance. Non-native species that recorded foliage cover dominance in the ecological site data are generally recognised as environmental weeds in Queensland. The threat of weeds from outside of protected areas was serious, with 41 weeds of State significance found in CYP, five of which are WONS, and 25 weeds of State significance found in DEU, 10 of which are WONS.


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