Interactions between natural selection and environmental change are well recognized and sit at the core of ecology and evolutionary biology. Reciprocal interactions between ecology and evolution, eco-evolutionary feedbacks, are less well studied, even though they may be critical for understanding the evolution of biological diversity, the structure of communities and the function of ecosystems....

Herbivores as well as other vertebrates are not capable of producing cellulases and/or hemicelullases. Instead, a lot of herbivores form symbiotic associations with bacteria, protozoa and fungi which produce these enszymes and therefore are capable of degrading the plant polymers. In return for the relatively constant environment and continuous flow of plant material, the microorganisms of the ...

Epoxy ternary systems were prepared from the diglycidylether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA), epoxidized castor oil (ECO), and nano-CaCO3 using a thermally latent initiator. The effects of ECO and the nano-CaCO3 contents on the thermal stability and mechanical interfacial properties of the prepared DGEBA/ECO/nano-CaCO3 ternary systems were examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Izod impact tests,...

The paper combines two new original concepts about eco-energetic systems. The first one is related to the M.E.N. (Mega-Eco-Nega-Watt) paradigm, which is based on three different but complementary ecological economic spaces: MEGAWATT, as needed energy, ECOWATT, as ecological energy, and NEGAWATT, as preserved energy, even the renewable energies and technologies, in the context of electrical ener...

Development of a gene delivery system with high efficiency and a good safety profile is essential for successful gene therapy. Here we developed a targeted non-viral delivery system using a multifunctional lipid ECO for treating Leber's congenital amaurosis type 2 (LCA2) and tested this in a mouse model. ECO formed stable nanoparticles with plasmid DNA (pDNA) at a low amine to phosphate (N/P) r...

A real time system has been developed to collect plant's growth information comprehensively. Plant eco-physiological signals can be collected and analyzed effectively. The system adopted embedded technology: wireless sensors network collect the eco-physiological information. Touch screen and ARM microprocessor make the system work independently without PC. The system is versatile and all parame...

Eco-labeling signals that a product has been eco-certified. While there is increasing use of eco-labeling practices, there is still little understanding of the conditions under which eco-labels can command price premiums. In this paper, we argue that the certification of environmental practices by a third party should be analyzed as a strategy distinct from although related to the advertisement...

Ecological destruction in human-dominated landscapes has significant impacts on environment sustainability internationally. Landscape planning can play a role in mitigating the effects of human-related activities. One element of landscape planning involves the analysis of the biological, spatial and social arrangement of areas in an urban environment and identifying characteristics that are und...