"Scatter degree" method is generally blamed for not capable of reflecting the subjective information of evaluator in comprehensive evaluation and for the complexity, uncertainty, and variety of the factors affecting river ecosystem health. In this paper, the "scatter degree" method was improved and applied to comprehensively evaluate the ecosystem health status of the upstream, midstream, and downstream of Beiyunhe River which flowed through Beijing and Tianjing. The ecosystem health value of upstream, midstream, and downstream was evaluated as 0.539, 0.521 and 0. 546, respectively, indicating that these streams were in sub-health condition. The environmental status of flowing water was the most important factor affecting the River' s ecosystem health. With the application of the improved method to evaluate river ecosystem health, both the evaluator' s subjective judgment and the data's objective information could be included, the evaluation process was transparent, and the evaluation results were scientific, reasonable, objective, and reliable, suggesting that this method could be served as a technical support and a basis for the comprehensive treatment of rivers.
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Sci Rep
December 2024
MARE - Marine and Environment Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Ispa - Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal.
While numerous studies have established correlations between parasite load and negative effects on their hosts, establishing causality is more challenging because parasites can directly compromise host condition and survival or simply opportunistically thrive on an already weakened host. Here, we evaluated whether Ixodes uriae, a widespread seabird tick, can cause a decrease in growth parameters (body mass, bill length and growth rates) and survival of chicks of a colonially seabird, the black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) breeding on New Island (West Falkland). To investigate this, we daily removed the ticks from 28 randomly selected chicks during their first 14 days of life (treated chicks) and compared their growth and survival with 49 chicks of a control group.
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December 2024
AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Sukarrieta, Spain.
Marine brown algae produce the highly recalcitrant polysaccharide fucoidan, contributing to long-term oceanic carbon storage and climate regulation. Fucoidan is degraded by specialized heterotrophic bacteria, which promote ecosystem function and global carbon turnover using largely uncharacterized mechanisms. Here, we isolate and study two Planctomycetota strains from the microbiome associated with the alga Fucus spiralis, which grow efficiently on chemically diverse fucoidans.
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December 2024
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
The mechanism(s) underlying gut microbial metabolite (GMM) contribution towards alcohol-mediated cardiovascular disease (CVD) is unknown. Herein we observe elevation in circulating phenylacetylglutamine (PAGln), a known CVD-associated GMM, in individuals living with alcohol use disorder. In a male murine binge-on-chronic alcohol model, we confirm gut microbial reorganization, elevation in PAGln levels, and the presence of cardiovascular pathophysiology.
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December 2024
Imperial College Parturition Research Group, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Lactobacillus species dominance of the vaginal microbiome is a hallmark of vaginal health. Pathogen displacement of vaginal lactobacilli drives innate immune activation and mucosal barrier disruption, increasing the risks of STI acquisition and, in pregnancy, of preterm birth. We describe differential TLR mediated activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB by vaginal pathogens and commensals.
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December 2024
Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
The mechanisms underlying the impact of probiotic supplementation on health remain largely elusive. While previous studies primarily focus on the discovery of novel bioactive bacteria and alterations in the microbiome environment to explain potential probiotic effects, our research delves into the role of living Lactiplantibacillus (formerly known as Lactobacillus) and their conditioned media, highlighting that only the former, not dead bacteria, enhance the healthspan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).
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