210,726 results match your criteria: "Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; University of Helsinki; Helsinki[Affiliation]"

Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss.

Nature

January 2025

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Conservation Genetics Specialist Group (CGSG), .

Mitigating loss of genetic diversity is a major global biodiversity challenge. To meet recent international commitments to maintain genetic diversity within species, we need to understand relationships between threats, conservation management and genetic diversity change. Here we conduct a global analysis of genetic diversity change via meta-analysis of all available temporal measures of genetic diversity from more than three decades of research.

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Turnover in species composition through time is a dominant form of biodiversity change, which has profound effects on the functioning of ecological communities. Turnover rates differ markedly among communities, but the drivers of this variation across taxa and realms remain unknown. Here we analyse 42,225 time series of species composition from marine, terrestrial and freshwater assemblages, and show that temporal rates of turnover were consistently faster in locations that experienced faster temperature change, including both warming and cooling.

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Zoonoses are infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Bats have been suggested to harbour more zoonotic viruses than any other mammalian order. Infections in bats are largely asymptomatic, indicating limited tissue-damaging inflammation and immunopathology.

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Graphene, a two-dimensional material featuring densely packed sp-hybridized carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, has revolutionized material science. Laser-induced graphene (LIG) represents a breakthrough method for producing graphene from both commercial and natural precursors via direct laser writing, offering advantages such as simplicity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This study demonstrates a novel approach to synthesize a composite material exclusively from a porous organic polymer (POP) by direct femtosecond laser writing on a compressed imide-linked porous organic polymer substrate.

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Convergent evidence for the temperature-dependent emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants.

Nat Commun

January 2025

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.

Research on silicon (Si) biogeochemistry and its beneficial effects for plants has received significant attention over several decades, but the reasons for the emergence of high-Si plants remain unclear. Here, we combine experimentation, field studies and analysis of existing databases to test the role of temperature on the expression and emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants. We first show that Si is beneficial for rice under high temperature (40 °C), but harmful under low temperature (0 °C), whilst a 2 °C increase results in a 37% increase in leaf Si concentrations.

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Extreme smells - microbial production of volatile organic compounds at the limits of life.

FEMS Microbiol Rev

January 2025

Center for Volatile Interactions (VOLT), Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs) are diverse molecules produced by microorganisms, ranging from mere waste by-products to important signalling molecules. While the interest in MVOCs has been increasing steadily, there is a significant gap in our knowledge of MVOCs in extreme environments with e.g.

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Systematic conservation planning (SCP) involves the cost-effective placement and application of management actions to achieve biodiversity conservation objectives. Given the political momentum for greater global nature protection, restoration, and improved management of natural resources articulated in the targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, assessing the state-of-the-art of SCP is timely. Recent advances in SCP include faster and more exact algorithms and software, inclusion of ecosystem services and multiple facets of biodiversity (e.

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Given the need to reduce animal testing for environmental risk assessment, we aim to develop a fish invitrome, an alternative fish modular framework capable of predicting chemical toxicity in fish without the use of animals. The central module of the framework is the validated RTgill-W1 cell line assay that predicts fish acute toxicity of chemicals (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Test Guideline (OECD TG) 249). Expanding towards prediction of chronic toxicity, the fish invitrome includes two other well-advanced modules for chemical bioaccumulation/biotransformation and inhibition of fish growth.

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Neurotoxic Effects and Cognitive Decline Induced by Aniline Blue Dye in an In-Vivo Zebrafish Model.

Toxicology

January 2025

Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address:

Aniline Blue is a synthetic dye extensively used in various industries, including textiles, plastics, and biological research due to its effective staining properties. However, its environmental and health impacts, particularly its neurotoxic effects, are poorly understood. While the dye has been associated with carcinogenicity and organ toxicity, the neurobehavioral consequences of Aniline Blue exposure remain underexplored.

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Multifunctional quaternary ammonium-modified TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers and MIL-100 with encapsulated laccase for efficient removal of anionic arund cationic dyes in wastewater.

Int J Biol Macromol

January 2025

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, P.O. Box 19839-69411, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

The increasing prevalence of micropollutants like cationic and anionic dyes in wastewater creates an influential environmental challenge, mainly due to their toxic effects and persistence. Current methods often lack the efficiency and versatility to cope with a wide variety of contaminants. This study explores the modification of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF) using (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) to enhance their cationic properties.

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Cadmium-cardiolipin disruption of respirasome assembly and redox balance through mitochondrial membrane rigidification.

J Lipid Res

January 2025

Physiology and Pathophysiology of Cells and Membranes, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany. Electronic address:

The environmental pollutant cadmium (Cd) poses a threat to human health through consumption of contaminated foodstuffs culminating in chronic nephrotoxicity. Mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key to Cd cellular toxicity. Cd-lipid interactions have been less considered.

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Circadian rhythms driven by biological clocks regulate physiological processes in all living organisms by anticipating daily geophysical changes, thus enhancing environmental adaptation. Time-resolved serial multi-omic analyses in vivo, ex vivo, and in synchronized cell cultures have revealed rhythmic changes in the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome, involving up to 50 % of the mammalian genome. Mitochondrial oxidative metabolism is central to cellular bioenergetics, and many nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins exhibit both circadian and ultradian oscillatory expression.

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Carbon dioxide, global boiling, and climate carnage, from generation to assimilation, photocatalytic conversion to renewable fuels, and mechanism.

Sci Total Environ

January 2025

Program in Environmental and Polymer Engineering, Graduate School of INHA University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Engineering, INHA University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

The increasing CO concentration in the atmosphere has substantial impacts on the global temperature. For energy sustainability and minimization of the effects of global warming, an approach to understand CO capturing and a carbon neutral culture is extremely essential in the present circumstances. The CO emission from vehicles and industries can be minimized using energy cost-effective techniques and can be converted more selectively into reusable fuels via thermochemical, electrochemical, photochemical, photocatalytic, electrocatalytic, biological and inorganic carbonate-based approaches.

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Comparative analysis of global urban land surface phenology between the MODIS and VIIRS products and extraction methods.

J Environ Manage

January 2025

Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland; State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, China.

The reliability of land surface phenology (LSP) derived from satellite remote sensing is crucial for obtaining accurate estimates of the phenological response of vegetation to future climate change in urban ecosystems. Differences in phenological definition and extraction methodology using remote sensing can generate systemic errors in estimating the phenological temperature sensitivity to predict the biological response of vegetation. Here, we evaluated the start of the season (SOS), the end of the season (EOS), and the growing season length (GSL) between the Terra and Aqua combined Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Cover Dynamics (MCD12Q2) and the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership NASA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Cover Dynamics (VNP22Q2) over 1470 urban clusters worldwide.

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On the formation and stability mechanisms of diverse lipid-based nanostructures for drug delivery.

Adv Colloid Interface Sci

January 2025

Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

In the evolving landscape of nanotechnology and pharmaceuticals, lipid nanostructures have emerged as pivotal areas of research due to their unique ability to mimic biological membranes and encapsulate active molecules. These nanostructures offer promising avenues for drug delivery, vaccine development, and diagnostic applications. This comprehensive review explores the complex mechanisms underlying the formation and stability of various lipid nanostructures, including lipid liquid crystalline nanoparticles and solid lipid nanoparticles.

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The Strait of Sicily, a vital marine passage with diverse fauna, is seeing a steep rise in the planning of offshore wind farm projects. This study assesses the acoustic impact of these wind farms on local marine species. Underwater propagation was modeled for three proposed floating wind farms using JASCO's Marine Operations Noise Model (MONM), which integrates a parabolic equation method for frequencies from 10 to 800 Hz and a beam-tracing model for 1 to 25 kHz.

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Background And Aims: It is assumed that trees should adapt their above and belowground organs as they age. However, most studies to date have quantified these trait adjustments in homogeneous forest stands, confounding the effect of stand aging on soil properties and the intrinsic response of trees to aging.

Methods: Here, we examined 11 morphological, architectural, anatomical and mycorrhizal fine root traits of each of the first five orders for 66 Pinus koraiensis individuals of 16 to 285 years old in northeast China, while accounting for soil characteristics (pH and total C, N and P concentrations).

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At this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, most infections are "breakthrough" infections that occur in individuals with prior severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure. To refine long-term vaccine strategies against emerging variants, we examined both innate and adaptive immunity in breakthrough infections. We performed single-cell transcriptomic, proteomic, and functional profiling of primary and breakthrough infections to compare immune responses from unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals during the SARS-CoV-2 Delta wave.

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Climate change aggravates bird mortality in pristine tropical forests.

Sci Adv

January 2025

Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus 69060-001, Amazonas, Brazil.

Stable understory microclimates within undisturbed rainforests are often considered refugia against climate change. However, this assumption contrasts with emerging evidence of Neotropical bird population declines in intact rainforests. We assessed the vulnerability of resident rainforest birds to climatic variability, focusing on dry season severity characterized by hotter temperatures and reduced rainfall.

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Parasitoid wasp venoms degrade imaginal discs for successful parasitism.

Sci Adv

January 2025

Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan.

Article Synopsis
  • Parasitoid wasps, a highly diverse group of animals, use their venoms to manipulate the physiology of host larvae for their benefit.
  • Researchers discovered that a specific wasp can cause the death and dysfunction of its host's tissue precursors, a process called imaginal disc degradation (IDD).
  • The study identified two venom proteins crucial for IDD, showing how the wasp's venom strategically ensures the host grows but inhibits its transformation into adulthood.
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Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexota cooperate to structure light-responsive biofilms.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

February 2025

Department of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305.

Microbial mats are stratified communities often dominated by unicellular and filamentous phototrophs within an exopolymer matrix. It is challenging to quantify the dynamic responses of community members in situ as they experience steep gradients and rapid fluctuations of light. To address this, we developed a binary consortium using two representative isolates from hot spring mats: the unicellular oxygenic phototrophic cyanobacterium OS-B' (Syn OS-B') and the filamentous anoxygenic phototroph MS-CIW-1 (Chfl MS-1).

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The daily light-dark cycle is a recurrent and predictable environmental phenomenon to which many organisms, including cyanobacteria, have evolved to adapt. Understanding how cyanobacteria alter their metabolic attributes in response to subjective light or dark growth may provide key features for developing strains with improved photosynthetic efficiency and applications in enhanced carbon sequestration and renewable energy. Here, we undertook a label-free proteomic approach to investigate the effect of extended light (LL) or extended dark (DD) conditions on the unicellular cyanobacterium ATCC 51142.

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Electronically Nonadiabatic Quenching of Excited States of O by Collisions with O Atoms.

J Phys Chem A

January 2025

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Computational Chemistry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.

The kinetics of electronically inelastic quenching of O(Δ) and O(Σ) by collisions with O(P) have been investigated using mixed quantum-classical trajectories governed by adiabatic potential energy surfaces and state couplings generated from a recently developed diabatic potential energy matrix (DPEM) for the 14 lowest-energy A' states of O. Using the coherent switching with decay of mixing (CSDM) method, dynamics calculations were performed both with 14 coupled electronic states and with 8 coupled electronical states, and similar results were obtained. The calculated thermal quenching rate coefficients are generally small, but they increase with temperature.

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The rapid advancement of nanotechnology, particularly in the realm of pharmaceutical sciences, has significantly transformed the potential for treating life-threatening diseases. A pivotal aspect of this evolution is the emergence of "green nanotechnology," which emphasizes the environmentally sustainable synthesis of raw materials through biological processes. This review focuses on the biological synthesis and application of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) from probiotic bacteria, particularly those sourced from wastewater.

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