Iron saturation and binding capacity of lactoferrin - development and validation of a colorimetric protocol for quality control.

Among the numerous biofunctional properties of lactoferrin, its ability to bind iron ions can be considered a core function. The saturation level with ferric iron affects the stability and functionality of the protein. To reliably quantify the iron saturation, an assay based on the color reagent Ferrozine was developed and validated concerning the lower detection (0.

Navigating causal reasoning in sustainability science.

When reasoning about causes of sustainability problems and possible solutions, sustainability scientists rely on disciplinary-based understanding of cause-effect relations. These disciplinary assumptions enable and constrain how causal knowledge is generated, yet they are rarely made explicit. In a multidisciplinary field like sustainability science, lack of understanding differences in causal reasoning impedes our ability to address complex sustainability problems.

It's about time: Feeding competition costs of sociality are affected more by temporal characteristics than spatial distribution.

For most herbivorous animals, group-living appears to incur a high cost by intensifying feeding competition. These costs raise the question of how gregariousness (i.e.

Mechanistic population models for ecological risk assessment and decision support: The importance of good conceptual model diagrams.

The use of mechanistic population models as research and decision-support tools in ecology and ecological risk assessment (ERA) is increasing. This growth has been facilitated by advances in technology, allowing the simulation of more complex systems, as well as by standardized approaches for model development, documentation, and evaluation. Mechanistic population models are particularly useful for simulating complex systems, but the required model complexity can make them challenging to communicate.

Ecology needs to overcome siloed modelling.

Bahlburg et al. re-implemented eight growth models of Antarctic krill and showed that their predictions are all over the place. The authors discuss the reasons for this and how more coherence in modelling could be achieved through systematic model comparison and integration.

Local buffer mechanisms for population persistence.

Assessing and predicting the persistence of populations is essential for the conservation and control of species. Here, we argue that local mechanisms require a better conceptual synthesis to facilitate a more holistic consideration along with regional mechanisms known from metapopulation theory. We summarise the evidence for local buffer mechanisms along with their capacities and emphasise the need to include multiple buffer mechanisms in studies of population persistence.

Structure elucidation and biological activities of perylenequinones from an Alternaria species.

The KEAP1-Nrf2/ARE pathway is a pivotal cytoprotective regulator against oxidative stress which plays an important role in the development of many inflammatory diseases and cancer. Activation of the Nrf2 transcription factor by oxidative stress or electrophiles regulates antioxidant response element (ARE)-dependent transcription of antioxidative, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory proteins. Therefore, modulators of the KEAP1-Nrf2/ARE pathway have received considerable interest as therapeutics to protect against diseases where oxidative stress constitutes the underlying pathophysiology.

Digital twins: dynamic model-data fusion for ecology.

Digital twins (DTs) are an emerging phenomenon in the public and private sectors as a new tool to monitor and understand systems and processes. DTs have the potential to change the status quo in ecology as part of its digital transformation. However, it is important to avoid misguided developments by managing expectations about DTs.

COVID-19, normative attitudes and pluralistic ignorance in employer-employee relationships.

Employment relationships are embedded in a network of social norms that provide an implicit framework for desired behaviour, especially if contractual solutions are weak. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about major changes that have led to situations, such as the scope of short-time work or home-based work in a firm. Against this backdrop, our study addresses three questions: first, are there social norms dealing with these changes; second, are there differences in attitudes between employees and supervisors (misalignment); and third, are there differences between respondents' average attitudes and the attitudes expected to exist in the population (pluralistic ignorance).

Simulation of Varroa mite control in honey bee colonies without synthetic acaricides: Demonstration of Good Beekeeping Practice for Germany in the BEEHAVE model.

The BEEHAVE model simulates the population dynamics and foraging activity of a single honey bee colony () in great detail. Although it still makes numerous simplifying assumptions, it appears to capture a wide range of empirical observations. It could, therefore, in principle, also be used as a tool in beekeeper education, as it allows the implementation and comparison of different management options.

Large-scale PVA modeling of insects in cultivated grasslands: The role of dispersal in mitigating the effects of management schedules under climate change.

In many species, dispersal is decisive for survival in a changing climate. Simulation models for population dynamics under climate change thus need to account for this factor. Moreover, large numbers of species inhabiting agricultural landscapes are subject to disturbances induced by human land use.

Chronic and Acute Effects of Imidacloprid on a Simulated BEEHAVE Honeybee Colony.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are important pollinators for wild plants as well as for crops, but honeybee performance is threatened by several stressors including varroa mites, gaps in foraging supply, and pesticides. The consequences of bee colony longtime exposure to multiple stressors are not well understood. The vast number of possible stressor combinations and necessary study duration require research comprising field, laboratory, and simulation experiments.

Forecasting effects of transport infrastructure on endangered tigers: a tool for conservation planning.

The rapid development of transport infrastructure is a major threat to endangered species worldwide. Roads and railways can increase animal mortality, fragment habitats, and exacerbate other threats to biodiversity. Predictive models that forecast the future impacts to endangered species can guide land-use planning in ways that proactively reduce the negative effects of transport infrastructure.

Fluctuations in Density-Dependent Selection Drive the Evolution of a Pace-of-Life Syndrome Within and Between Populations.

AbstractThe pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis posits that suites of traits are correlated along a slow-fast continuum owing to life history trade-offs. Despite widespread adoption, environmental conditions driving the emergence of POLS remain unclear. A recently proposed conceptual framework of POLS suggests that a slow-fast continuum should align to fluctuations in density-dependent selection.

Energy-mediated responses to changing prey size and distribution in marine top predator movements and population dynamics.

Climate change is modifying the structure of marine ecosystems, including that of fish communities. Alterations in abiotic and biotic conditions can decrease fish size and change community spatial arrangement, ultimately impacting predator species which rely on these communities. To conserve predators and understand the drivers of observed changes in their population dynamics, we must advance our understanding of how shifting environmental conditions can impact populations by limiting food available to individuals.

Collecting eco-evolutionary data in the dark: Impediments to subterranean research and how to overcome them.

Caves and other subterranean habitats fulfill the requirements of experimental model systems to address general questions in ecology and evolution. Yet, the harsh working conditions of these environments and the uniqueness of the subterranean organisms have challenged most attempts to pursuit standardized research.Two main obstacles have synergistically hampered previous attempts.

[Opportunities and Risks of Vaccination Progress].

The success of the vaccination campaign in Germany depends decisively on the availability of vaccines, vaccination capacities and the willingness to vaccinate. On the basis of model calculations, this article presents the possible scenarios of the vaccination progress and discusses requirements for the organisation of the vaccination campaign. It also addresses the long-term perspectives and challenges, e.

While shoot herbivores reduce, root herbivores increase nutrient enrichment's impact on diversity in a grassland model.

Nutrient enrichment is widespread throughout grassland systems and expected to increase during the Anthropocene. Trophic interactions, like aboveground herbivory, have been shown to mitigate its effect on plant diversity. Belowground herbivory may also impact these habitats' response to nutrient enrichment, but its influence is much less understood, and likely to depend on factors such as the herbivores' preference for dominant species and the symmetry of belowground competition.

Movement and Seasonal Energetics Mediate Vulnerability to Disturbance in Marine Mammal Populations.

AbstractIn marine environments, noise from human activities is increasing dramatically, causing animals to alter their behavior and forage less efficiently. These alterations incur energetic costs that can result in reproductive failure and death and may ultimately influence population viability, yet the link between population dynamics and individual energetics is poorly understood. We present an energy budget model for simulating effects of acoustic disturbance on populations.

Extensions of the SEIR model for the analysis of tailored social distancing and tracing approaches to cope with COVID-19.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide face the challenge of designing tailored measures of epidemic control to provide reliable health protection while allowing societal and economic activity. In this paper, we propose an extension of the epidemiological SEIR model to enable a detailed analysis of commonly discussed tailored measures of epidemic control-among them group-specific protection and the use of tracing apps. We introduce groups into the SEIR model that may differ both in their underlying parameters as well as in their behavioral response to public health interventions.

A Review of Key Features and Their Implementation in Unstructured, Structured, and Agent-Based Population Models for Ecological Risk Assessment.

Population models can provide valuable tools for ecological risk assessment (ERA). A growing amount of work on model development and documentation is now available to guide modelers and risk assessors to address different ERA questions. However, there remain misconceptions about population models for ERA, and communication between regulators and modelers can still be hindered by a lack of clarity in the underlying formalism, implementation, and complexity of different model types.