scholarly journals Heterogenous Impact of Water Warming on Exotic and Native Submerged and Emergent Plants in Outdoor Mesocosms

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1324
Author(s):  
Morgane B. Gillard ◽  
Jean-Pierre Caudal ◽  
Carole Deleu ◽  
Gabrielle Thiébaut
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Plants ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Carbon Allocation ◽  
Soluble Sugars ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Emergent Plants ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Outdoor Mesocosms

Some aquatic plants present high biomass production with serious consequences on ecosystem functioning. Such mass development can be favored by environmental factors. Temperature increases are expected to modify individual species responses that could shape future communities. We explored the impact of rising water temperature on the growth, phenology, and metabolism of six macrophytes belonging to two biogeographic origins (exotic, native) and two growth forms (submerged, emergent). From June to October, they were exposed to ambient temperatures and a 3 °C warming in outdoor mesocosms. Percent cover and canopy height were favored by warmer water for the exotic emergent Ludwigia hexapetala. Warming did not modify total final biomass for any of the species but led to a decrease in total soluble sugars for all, possibly indicating changes in carbon allocation. Three emergent species presented lower flavonol and anthocyanin contents under increased temperatures, suggesting lower investment in defense mechanisms and mitigation of the stress generated by autumn temperatures. Finally, the 3 °C warming extended and shortened flowering period for L. hexapetala and Myosotis scorpioides, respectively. The changes generated by increased temperature in outdoor conditions were heterogenous and varied depending on species but not on species biogeographic origin or growth form. Results suggest that climate warming could favor the invasiveness of L. hexapetala and impact the structure and composition of aquatic plants communities.

The Impact of Plant Bioactive Compounds on Aging and Fertility of Diverse Organisms: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 1287-1299
Author(s):  
Muhammad Akram Mohd Noordin ◽  
Mahanem Mat Noor ◽  
Wan Mohd Aizat
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Antioxidant Defense ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
Human Clinical Trial ◽  
Fertility Reduction ◽  
The Impact

It is expected that in 2050, there will be more than 20% of senior citizens aged over 60 years worldwide. Such alarming statistics require immediate attention to improve the health of the aging population. Since aging is closely related to the loss of antioxidant defense mechanisms, this situation eventually leads to numerous health problems, including fertility reduction. Furthermore, plant extracts have been used in traditional medicine as potent antioxidant sources. Although many experiments had reported the impact of various bioactive compounds on aging or fertility, there is a lack of review papers that combine both subjects. In this review, we have collected and discussed various bioactive compounds from 26 different plant species known to affect both longevity and fertility. These compounds, including phenolics and terpenes, are mostly involved in the antioxidant defense mechanisms of diverse organisms such as rats, mites, fruit flies, roundworms, and even roosters. A human clinical trial should be considered in the future to measure the effects of these bioactive compounds on human health and longevity. Ultimately, these plant-derived compounds could be developed into health supplements or potential medical drugs to ensure a healthy aging population.

scholarly journals Review: Impacts of shade on cattle well-being in the beef supply chain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily N Edwards-Callaway ◽  
M Caitlin Cramer ◽  
Caitlin N Cadaret ◽  
Elizabeth J Bigler ◽  
Terry E Engle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Stress Susceptibility ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Shade is a mechanism to reduce heat load providing cattle with an environment supportive of their welfare needs. Although heat stress has been extensively reviewed, researched, and addressed in dairy production systems, it has not been investigated in the same manner in the beef cattle supply chain. Like all animals, beef cattle are susceptible to heat stress if they are unable to dissipate heat during times of elevated ambient temperatures. There are many factors that impact heat stress susceptibility in beef cattle throughout the different supply chain sectors, many of which relate to the production system, i.e. availability of shade, microclimate of environment, and nutrition management. The results from studies evaluating the effects of shade on production and welfare are difficult to compare due to variation in structural design, construction materials used, height, shape, and area of shade provided. Additionally, depending on operation location, shade may or may not be beneficial during all times of the year, which can influence the decision to make shade a permanent part of management systems. Shade has been shown to lessen the physiologic response of cattle to heat stress. Shaded cattle exhibit lower respiration rates, body temperatures, and panting scores compared to un-shaded cattle in weather that increases the risk of heat stress. Results from studies investigating the provision of shade indicate that cattle seek shade in hot weather. The impact of shade on behavioral patterns is inconsistent in the current body of research, some studies indicating shade provision impacts behavior and other studies reporting no difference between shaded and un-shaded groups. Analysis of performance and carcass characteristics across feedlot studies demonstrated that shaded cattle had increased ADG, improved feed efficiency, HCW, and dressing percentage when compared to cattle without shade. Despite the documented benefits of shade, current industry statistics, although severely limited in scope, indicate low shade implementation rates in feedlots and data in other supply chain sectors do not exist. Industry guidelines and third party on-farm certification programs articulate the critical need for protection from extreme weather but are not consistent in providing specific recommendations and requirements. Future efforts should include: updated economic analyses of cost versus benefit of shade implementation, exploration of producer perspectives and needs relative to shade, consideration of shade impacts in the cow-calf and slaughter plant segments of the supply chain, and integration of indicators of affective (mental) state and preference in research studies to enhance the holistic assessment of cattle welfare.

scholarly journals Stress, Burnout, and Resilience among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Emergency: The Role of Defense Mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5258
Author(s):  
Mariagrazia Di Giuseppe ◽  
Gianni Nepa ◽  
Tracy A. Prout ◽  
Fabrizio Albertini ◽  
Stefano Marcelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Psychological Resources ◽  
Defensive Functioning ◽  
The Impact

The experience of working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 healthcare crisis has presented a cumulative traumatic experience that affects healthcare professionals’ well-being. Psychological resources such as resilience and adaptive defense mechanisms are essential in protecting individuals from severe stress and burnout. During September 2020, 233 healthcare workers responded to an online survey to test the impact of demographic variables, COVID-19 exposure, and psychological resources in determining stress and burnout during the COVID-19 emergency. Frontline workers reported higher scores for stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization (p < 0.001) as compared to colleagues working in units not directly serving patients with COVID-19. Mature defensive functioning was associated with resilience and personal accomplishment (r = 0.320; p < 0.001), while neurotic and immature defenses were related to perceived stress and burnout. Stress and burnout were predicted by lower age, female gender, greater exposure to COVID-19, lower resilience, and immature defensive functioning among healthcare professionals (R2 = 463; p < 0.001). Working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to provoke greater stress and burnout. On the other hand, resilience and adaptive defense mechanisms predicted better adjustment. Future reaction plans should promote effective programs offering support for healthcare workers who provide direct care to patients with COVID-19.

scholarly journals Assessment of ergot (Claviceps purpurea) exposure in pregnant and postpartum beef cows

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (4) ◽  
pp. 688-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Grusie ◽  
V. Cowan ◽  
J. Singh ◽  
J. McKinnon ◽  
B. Blakley
Keyword(s):  
Ergot Alkaloid ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Ergot Alkaloids ◽  
Maximum Size ◽  
Beef Cows ◽  
Plasma Prolactin ◽  
Claviceps Purpurea ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Beef Cow ◽  
The Impact

Cows were fed ration for 9 wk containing 5, 48, 201, and 822 μg kg−1 ergot alkaloids. The objective was to evaluate the impact of ergot consumption in beef cow–calf operations. Ergot alkaloids up to 822 μg kg−1 did not alter the weight of peripartum and postpartum beef cows (P = 0.93) or nursing calves (P = 0.08), rectal temperature (P = 0.16), or plasma prolactin concentrations (P = 0.30) at moderate ambient temperatures. Ergot did not influence the time (>1 ng mL−1; P = 0.79) or the progesterone concentration (P = 0.38) at the time of first postpartum rise or the size of the first (14 ± 0.6 mm; P = 0.40) and second (13 ± 0.5 mm; P = 0.41) follicles to ovulate. The maximum size of the first postpartum corpus luteum (CL) was 4 mm larger in the 822 μg kg−1 ergot group compared with the control (P = 0.03) for the first ovulation post partum, but not for the second (P = 0.11). There was no effect of ergot exposure on the number of days until the appearance of the first (43 ± 4 d; P = 0.95) or second (52 ± 4 d; P = 0.98) CL post partum. Ergot alkaloid concentrations up to 822 μg kg−1 did not affect pregnancy rates (X2 = 0.36). In conclusion, ergot alkaloid exposure for 9 wk to concentrations as high as 822 μg kg−1 did not alter performance in pregnant and postpartum beef cattle at moderate ambient temperatures.

Use of aquatic plants by moose: sodium hunger or foraging efficiency?

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 2345-2351 ◽  
Author(s):  
James G. MacCracken ◽  
Victor Van Ballenberghe ◽  
James M. Peek
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Plants ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Aquatic Habitats ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Sex Structure ◽  
Emergent Plants ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Emergent Species

Use of submergent aquatic plants by North American moose (Alces alces) has been linked to sodium hunger. Habitat preferences, seasonal diets, forage abundance and quality, and population surveys indicated that emergent plants in small shallow ponds were important to moose on the Copper River Delta, Alaska. However, sodium was abundant in terrestrial browse. We propose that foraging in aquatic habitats, particularly on emergent species, may be highly efficient based on the following habitat attributes and behavioral observations: (i) ponds dominated by either emergent or submergent species produced about 4 times more forage than terrestrial habitats, (ii) emergent and submergent plants were more digestible and had higher concentrations of minerals than browse, (iii) use of aquatic habitats followed trends in forage production over the growing season, (iv) indirect evidence suggested that forage intake rates were greater in aquatic habitats, and (v) use of aquatic habitats by male and female moose was in proportion to the sex structure of the population. These data provide consistent circumstantial evidence that use of emergent species, and possibly submergents, may maximize the intake of nutrients and also reduce conflicts between cropping forage and vigilance during a foraging bout.

Energy intake and fur in summer- and winter-acclimated Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (2) ◽  
pp. R519-R527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Kauffman ◽  
Alessandra Cabrera ◽  
Irving Zucker
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Energy Intake ◽  
Ventral Surface ◽  
Phodopus Sungorus ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Siberian Hamsters ◽  
Daily Food ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Few studies have directly addressed the impact of fur on seasonal changes in energy intake. The daily food intake of Siberian hamsters ( Phodopus sungorus) was measured under simulated summer and winter conditions in intact animals and those with varying amounts of pelage removed. Energy intake increased up to 44% above baseline control values for approximately 2–3 wk after complete shaving. Increases in food intake varied with condition and were greater in hamsters housed in short than long day lengths and at low (5°C) than moderate (23°C) ambient temperatures. Removal of 8 cm2 of dorsal fur, equivalent to 30% of the total dorsal fur surface, increased food intake, but removal of 4 cm2 had no effect. An 8-cm2 fur extirpation from the ventral surface did not increase food consumption. Food intake was not influenced differentially by fur removal from above brown adipose tissue hot spots. Fur plays a greater role in energy balance in winter- than summer-acclimated hamsters and conserves energy under a wide range of environmental conditions.

Response of dry grassland vegetation to fluctuations in weather conditions: a 9-year case study in Prague (Czech Republic)

Biologia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Dostálek ◽  
Tomáš Frantík
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Weather Variability ◽  
Grassland Vegetation ◽  
Dry Grassland ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe extreme habitats of dry grasslands are suitable for investigations of the response of vegetation to local climate changes. The impact of weather variability on the dynamics of a plant community in a dry grassland was studied. Correlations were found between different functional groups of species and individual species and weather variability. During a 9-year study in five nature reserves in Prague (Czech Republic), the following responses of dry grassland vegetation to weather conditions were observed: (i) wetter conditions, especially in the winter, affected the dominance and species richness of perennial grass species and the decline of rosette plants; (ii) the year-to-year higher temperatures in the winter produced a decline in the dominance of short graminoids and creeping forbs; (iii) spring drought adversely impacted the overall abundance, especially the abundance of dicotyledonous species, and the species richness. However, these relationships may be manifested in different ways in different locations, and in some cases the vegetation of different locations may respond to weather conditions in opposite manners.

Comparison of mayfly (Ephemeroptera) taxocenes of permanent and intermittent Central European small streams via species traits

Biologia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavla Řezníčková ◽  
Tomáš Soldán ◽  
Petr Pařil ◽  
Světlana Zahrádková
Keyword(s):  
Global Climate ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
High Oxygen Demand ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe recurrent drying out of small streams in past decades has shown an urgent need to pay attention to the impact of global climate change. The objectives of this study were to describe the effect of drying out on the composition of the mayfly taxocene and evaluate the relevance of individual species traits for survival of mayflies to drying out. The mayfly taxocenes of two model localities, one at an intermittent and one at a permanent brook, were investigated in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Compared with the permanent stream, the taxocene of the intermittent stream was short of nine species, foremost rheobionts and high oxygen demand species. To explain further differences between both stream types in survival and recolonisation ability, 15 species traits were evaluated. These included so-called “ecological traits” (e.g., habitat and substrate range, density, distribution, current velocity adaptation) and “biological traits” connected with life cycle and larval/adult adaptations. Species showing the highest number of advantageous traits (with only exception of Electrogena sp. cf. ujhelyii — species of taxonomically unclear status) were able to successfully survive under the unfavourable conditions of the intermittent brook. Biological traits considered more important in many respects seem to be good predictors for assessing sensitivity to extreme temperature changes, hydrological regime fluctuations and the survival/recolonisation ability of species in exposed habitats.

scholarly journals Mineral Micronutrients in Asthma

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4001
Author(s):  
Dominika Zajac
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Redox Status ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Medical Issues ◽  
Persistent Inflammation ◽  
The Impact

Asthma represents one of the most common medical issues in the modern world. It is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by persistent inflammation of the airways and disturbances in redox status, leading to hyperresponsiveness of bronchi and airway obstruction. Apart from classical risk factors such as air pollution, family history, allergies, or obesity, disturbances of the levels of micronutrients lead to impairments in the defense mechanisms of the affected organism against oxidative stress and proinflammatory stimuli. In the present review, the impact of micronutrients on the prevalence, severity, and possible risk factors of asthma is discussed. Although the influence of classical micronutrients such as selenium, copper, or zinc are well known, the effects of those such as iodine or manganese are only rarely mentioned. As a consequence, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how disturbances in the levels of micronutrients and their supplementation might affect the course of asthma.

scholarly journals Insectivorous bats are less active near freeways

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247400
Author(s):  
Manisha Bhardwaj ◽  
Kylie Soanes ◽  
José J. Lahoz-Monfort ◽  
Linda F. Lumsden ◽  
Rodney van der Ree
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Insectivorous Bats ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
The Road ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Wildlife Populations ◽  
Roadside Verges ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Plant Pollinator

Traffic disturbances (i.e. pollution, light, noise, and vibrations) often extend into the area surrounding a road creating a ‘road-effect zone’. Habitat within the road-effect zone is degraded or, in severe cases, completely unsuitable for wildlife, resulting in indirect habitat loss. This can have a disproportionate impact on wildlife in highly modified landscapes, where remaining habitat is scarce or occurs predominantly along roadside reserves. In this study, we investigated the road-effect zone for insectivorous bats in highly cleared agricultural landscapes by quantifying the change in call activity with proximity to three major freeways. The activity of seven out of 10 species of bat significantly decreased with proximity to the freeway. We defined the road-effect zone to be the proximity at which call activity declined by at least 20% relative to the maximum detected activity. The overall road-effect zone for bats in this region was 307 m, varying between 123 and 890 m for individual species. Given that this road-effect zone exceeds the typical width of the roadside verges (<50 m), it is possible that much of the vegetation adjacent to freeways in this and similar landscapes provides low-quality habitat for bats. Without accounting for the road-effect zone, the amount of habitat lost or degraded due to roads is underestimated, potentially resulting in the loss of wildlife, ecosystem services and key ecosystem processes (e.g. predator-prey or plant-pollinator interactions) from the landscape. We suggest all future environmental impact assessments include quantifying the road-effect zone for sensitive wildlife, in order to best plan and mitigate the impact of roads on the environment. Mitigating the effects of new and existing roads on wildlife is essential to ensure enough high-quality habitat persists to maintain wildlife populations.

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