Our study focused on oyster shell concentration as a determinant of fouling assemblages over time. We enriched polybutylene succinate (PBS) with three different concentrations of oyster shell to investigate the dynamics of biofouling formation over 18 weeks at the Nelson Marina, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Consequently, there is a growing demand for more eco-friendly replacements of conventional plastic polymers, ideally with fit-for-purpose properties and a well-understood life cycle. Along with other environmental effects, MPD can serve as a vector for marine hitchhikers, facilitating unwanted organisms' transport and subsequent spread.
Virgin plastic is often cheaper to manufacture than recycled plastics, increasing rates of plastic released into the environment and thereby impacting ecosystem health and functioning. Impacts of Marine Plastic Debris (MPD) on marine ecosystems are among the most critical environmental concerns of the past three decades. Network analyses is a free, easy-to-implement and straightforward visual tool that can be widely used to reveal shifts in native communities and elucidate the role of multiple invaders into communities. Controlling the spread of the alien species identified here as keystones should help managing potential invasion in surrounding areas. Alien species acting like keystones within the Chilean grassland communities might exacerbate the threat posed by biological invasions for the native biodiversity assets. We found that community structure differed between the native and the invaded range, with alien species displaying a higher number of connections and, therefore, acting as keystones to sustain the structure within the invaded community. This useful methodology is presented as a step forward in invasion ecology studies and conservation strategies. We used a novel approach, based on network analysis applied to co-occurrence analysis in plant communities, allowing us to study the coexistence of native and alien species in central Chile. Here, we compared the community resemblance of plant communities in Mediterranean grasslands from both the native (Spain) and invaded (Chile) ranges. Mediterranean grasslands provide an excellent scenario to study community assembly following transcontinental naturalisation of plant species. Yet, the differences in community assemblage between native and invaded ranges remain unclear. This was further indicated by bacterial taxa predicting the response in both CD and UC patients (area under curve > 0.8).įaecal bacterial and fungal microbiota composition could provide a predictive tool to estimate IFX response in IBD patients.Īssociated with the introduction of alien species in a new area, interactions with other native species within the recipient community occur, reshaping the original community and resulting in a unique assemblage. Non-responders had lower abundances of short chain fatty acid producers, particularly of the class Clostridia and higher abundances of pro-inflammatory bacteria and fungi, such as the genus Candida, compared to responders. The response to IFX was evaluated by colonoscopy and clinically at twelve weeks after initiation.īoth the faecal bacterial and fungal profiles differed significantly between response groups before start of IFX treatment. Amplicon sequencing approach targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS 1 region separately was used to determine the microbiota profiles in faecal samples collected before IFX therapy, two, six, twelve weeks and one year after initiation of therapy. Our aim was to investigate the faecal bacterial and fungal communities during IFX therapy and find predictors for IFX treatment response in IBD patients.ħ2 IBD patients (25 CD and 47 UC) started IFX therapy and were followed for one year or until IFX treatment was discontinued. No reliable biomarkers are available for prediction of IFX response. Infliximab (IFX), a TNF-alpha blocker, is used to treat IBD patients successfully though one third of the patients do not respond to therapy. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are globally increasing chronic gastro-intestinal inflammatory disorders associating with altered gut microbiota.
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