View article: Declining oxygen in the global ocean and coastal waters
Declining oxygen in the global ocean and coastal waters Open
Beneath the waves, oxygen disappears As plastic waste pollutes the oceans and fish stocks decline, unseen below the surface another problem grows: deoxygenation. Breitburg et al. review the evidence for the downward trajectory of oxygen le…
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Cyanobacterial blooms Open
Cyanobacteria can form dense and sometimes toxic blooms in freshwater and marine environments, which threaten ecosystem functioning and degrade water quality for recreation, drinking water, fisheries and human health. Here, we review evide…
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Cadmium toxicity in plants: Impacts and remediation strategies Open
Cadmium (Cd) is an unessential trace element in plants that is ubiquitous in the environment. Anthropogenic activities such as disposal of urban refuse, smelting, mining, metal manufacturing, and application of synthetic phosphate fertiliz…
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Microbial Extracellular Polymeric Substances: Ecological Function and Impact on Soil Aggregation Open
A wide range of microorganisms produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), highly hydrated polymers that are mainly composed of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. EPS are fundamental for microbial life and provide an ideal environme…
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Global Estimates of Fine Particulate Matter using a Combined Geophysical-Statistical Method with Information from Satellites, Models, and Monitors Open
We estimated global fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) concentrations using information from satellite-, simulation- and monitor-based sources by applying a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to global geophysically based satellite-deri…
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The Role of Soil pH in Plant Nutrition and Soil Remediation Open
In the natural environment, soil pH has an enormous influence on soil biogeochemical processes. Soil pH is, therefore, described as the “master soil variable” that influences myriads of soil biological, chemical, and physical properties an…
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Silage review: Interpretation of chemical, microbial, and organoleptic components of silages Open
The goal of making silage is to produce a stable feed with a high recovery of dry matter, energy, and highly digestible nutrients compared with the fresh crop. Microbial fermentation in the silo produces an array of end products and can ch…
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Plant food anti-nutritional factors and their reduction strategies: an overview Open
Legumes and cereals contain high amounts of macronutrients and micronutrients but also anti-nutritional factors. Major anti-nutritional factors, which are found in edible crops include saponins, tannins, phytic acid, gossypol, lectins, pro…
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Mechanisms of action of plant growth promoting bacteria Open
The idea of eliminating the use of fertilizers which are sometimes environmentally unsafe is slowly becoming a reality because of the emergence of microorganisms that can serve the same purpose or even do better. Depletion of soil nutrient…
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Defining a Healthy Diet: Evidence for the Role of Contemporary Dietary Patterns in Health and Disease Open
The definition of what constitutes a healthy diet is continually shifting to reflect the evolving understanding of the roles that different foods, essential nutrients, and other food components play in health and disease. A large and growi…
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Root Exudation of Primary Metabolites: Mechanisms and Their Roles in Plant Responses to Environmental Stimuli Open
Root exudation is an important process determining plant interactions with the soil environment. Many studies have linked this process to soil nutrient mobilization. Yet, it remains unresolved how exudation is controlled and how exactly an…
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Carbon input by roots into the soil: Quantification of rhizodeposition from root to ecosystem scale Open
Despite its fundamental role for carbon (C) and nutrient cycling, rhizodeposition remains ‘the hidden half of the hidden half ’: it is highly dynamic and rhizodeposits are rapidly incorporated into microorganisms, soil organic matter, and …
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Waste Management through Composting: Challenges and Potentials Open
Composting is the controlled conversion of degradable organic products and wastes into stable products with the aid of microorganisms. Composting is a long-used technology, though it has some shortcomings that have reduced its extensive us…
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Critical vulnerabilities of food selections based on nutrient content claims and reference amounts of food and creating a reliable procedure Open
Computing the food component (nutrient) amount in 100 kilocalories, 100 grams or 100 milliliters, the reference amount customarily consumed (RACC), or 50 grams of food demonstrates the food component amount of some foods unsuitably. So, se…
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Selenium, Selenoproteins, and Immunity Open
Selenium is an essential micronutrient that plays a crucial role in development and a wide variety of physiological processes including effect immune responses. The immune system relies on adequate dietary selenium intake and this nutrient…
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Agronomic biofortification of cereals with zinc: a review Open
Summary Zinc (Zn) still represents an important health problem in developing countries, caused mainly by inadequate dietary intake. A large consumption of cereal‐based foods with small concentrations and low bioavailability of Zn is the ma…
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Twenty-first century ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and upper-ocean nutrient and primary production decline from CMIP6 model projections Open
Anthropogenic climate change is projected to lead to ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, reductions in near-surface nutrients, and changes to primary production, all of which are expected to affect marine ecosystems. Here we asses…
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How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar Open
We synthesized 20 years of research to explain the interrelated processes that determine soil and plant responses to biochar. The properties of biochar and its effects within agricultural ecosystems largely depend on feedstock and pyrolysi…
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Source and sink mechanisms of nitrogen transport and use Open
Contents Summary 35 I. Introduction 35 II. Nitrogen acquisition and assimilation 36 III. Root‐to‐shoot transport of nitrogen 38 IV. Nitrogen storage pools in vegetative tissues 39 V. Nitrogen transport from source leaf to sink 40 VI. Nitro…
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Fermentation and germination improve nutritional value of cereals and legumes through activation of endogenous enzymes Open
Cereals and legumes are outstanding sources of macronutrients, micronutrients, phytochemicals, as well as antinutritional factors. These components present a complex system enabling interactions with different components within food matric…
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Insights into global diatom distribution and diversity in the world’s ocean Open
Significance Diatoms, considered one of the most diverse and ecologically important phytoplanktonic groups, contribute around 20% of global primary productivity. They are particularly abundant in nutrient-rich coastal ecosystems and at hig…
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Global nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer use for agriculture production in the past half century: shifted hot spots and nutrient imbalance Open
In addition to enhancing agricultural productivity, synthetic nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) fertilizer application in croplands dramatically alters global nutrient budget, water quality, greenhouse gas balance, and their feedback to the…
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Vitamin D: Nutrient, Hormone, and Immunomodulator Open
The classical functions of vitamin D are to regulate calcium-phosphorus homeostasis and control bone metabolism. However, vitamin D deficiency has been reported in several chronic conditions associated with increased inflammation and dereg…
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Dietary copper and human health: Current evidence and unresolved issues Open
Although copper (Cu) is recognized as an essential trace element, uncertainties remain regarding Cu reference values for humans, as illustrated by discrepancies between recommendations issued by different national authorities. This review …
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New Insights on Plant Salt Tolerance Mechanisms and Their Potential Use for Breeding Open
Soil salinization is a major threat to agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, where water scarcity and inadequate drainage of irrigated lands severely reduce crop yield. Salt accumulation inhibits plant growth and reduces the ability t…
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Biochar boosts tropical but not temperate crop yields Open
Applying biochar to soil is thought to have multiple benefits, from helping mitigate climate change [1, 2], to managing waste [3] to conserving soil [4]. Biochar is also widely assumed to boost crop yield [5, 6], but there is controversy r…
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Mineral vs. Organic Amendments: Microbial Community Structure, Activity and Abundance of Agriculturally Relevant Microbes Are Driven by Long-Term Fertilization Strategies Open
Soil management is fundamental to all agricultural systems and fertilization practices have contributed substantially to the impressive increases in food production. Despite the pivotal role of soil microorganisms in agro-ecosystems, we st…
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Nutrient Requirements of Ruminants in Developing Countries Open
This book was assembled using the latest information for compiling the nutrient requirements of sheep, goats, cattle and water buffalo. Because of the complexity of the interactions between an animal, its diet, its physiological state, and…
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Climate Change and Harmful Algal Blooms: Insights and perspective Open
Climate change is transforming aquatic ecosystems. Coastal waters have experienced progressive warming, acidification, and deoxygenation that will intensify this century. At the same time, there is a scientific consensus that the public he…
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Long-term nutrient inputs shift soil microbial functional profiles of phosphorus cycling in diverse agroecosystems Open
Microorganisms play an important role in soil phosphorus (P) cycling and regulation of P availability in agroecosystems. However, the responses of the functional and ecological traits of P-transformation microorganisms to long-term nutrien…