Open Access Published since September 19, 2014

Open Life Sciences

ISSN: 2391-5412

Editor-in-chief: Thomas Litman

Submit manuscript

About this journal

Topical/Special Issues:

We are currently recruiting Guest Editors for upcoming Special Issues:
- Advances in Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Treatment
- Applications of Nanoparticles in Biology and Medicine

You can also submit your Special Issue proposal by contacting Managing Editor at Izabela.Zarczynska@degruyter.com

Open Life Sciences is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, devoted to scholarly research in all areas of life sciences:

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES including cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, neuroscience, cancer biology, bioinformatics and computational biology, case reports of rare diseases
PLANT SCIENCES including plant anatomy and physiology, plant genetics and biotechnology
ANIMAL SCIENCES including zoology, veterinary sciences, animals in agriculture
ECOLOGY and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE including evolutionary biology, populations, ecosystems and landscapes, ecotoxicology, air and soil pollution and control, environmental microbiology, biomass and bioenergy, biodiversity, conservation biology, marine ecology
AGRICULTURE including crop production, livestock and poultry breeding and nutrition
FOOD SCIENCE and NUTRITION including Functional Food, Food Microbiology, Food Metabolomics, Food By-Products, Food Waste Management
BIOENGINEERING and BIOTECHNOLOGY including tissue engineering, biomaterials, nanotechnology, bioreactors

The published content includes research articles, review articles, communications, case reports, commentaries, and letters to the Editor.

Open Life Sciences assures the top quality of published data through critical peer-review and editorial involvement throughout the whole publication process. Thanks to the Open Access model, it also offers unrestricted access to published articles for all users.

The journal aims to facilitate the communication and collaboration of scientists across different countries.

Why read

The journal publishes research from all areas of the life sciences, including the most recent and significant findings
Researchers use it to reveal data that is likely to advance the direction and the thinking of the field
It is an international forum for the dissemination of research data across the entire spectrum of biology
The publication is designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas between researchers from different countries

Why submit

The journal is included in the ISI Master Journal List, Science Citation Index Expanded and Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate Analytics)
Transparent, comprehensive and fast peer review
Secure archiving by De Gruyter and the independent archiving service Portico
Free language-correction services for authors from non-English speaking regions
Worldwide dissemination and unrestricted access to all published articles
Promotion of each published article

Abstracting and Indexing

Open Life Sciences is covered by the following services:

AGRICOLA (National Agricultural Library)
Arianta
Baidu Scholar
CABI (over 50 subsections)
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) - CAplus
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) - SciFinder
Chronos Hub
CNKI Scholar (China National Knowledge Infrastructure)
CNPIEC - cnpLINKer
Dimensions
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
EBSCO (relevant databases)
EBSCO Discovery Service
Engineering Village
Genamics JournalSeek
GeoRef
GoOA
Google Scholar
Index Copernicus
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
J-Gate
Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition
JournalGuide
JournalTOCs
KESLI-NDSL (Korean National Discovery for Science Leaders)
MyScienceWork
Naver Academic
Naviga (Softweco)
Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, Series and Publishers
Pathway Studio
POL-index
Polish Medical Bibliography/Polish Medical Library
Primo Central (ExLibris)
ProQuest (relevant databases)
Publons
PubMed
PubMed Central
QOAM (Quality Open Access Market)
ReadCube
Reaxys
Scilit
SCImago (SJR)
SCOPUS
Semantic Scholar
Sherpa/RoMEO
Summon (ProQuest)
TDNet
Ulrich's Periodicals Directory/ulrichsweb
WanFang Data
Web of Science - Biological Abstracts
Web of Science - BIOSIS Previews
Web of Science - Current Contents/Agriculture, Biology, and Environmental Sciences
Web of Science - Science Citation Index Expanded
Web of Science - Zoological Record
WorldCat (OCLC)
X-MOL
Yewno Discover

Supplementary Materials

Topics

External Links

Volume 18 Issue 1

January 2023

The P2RY1 receptor is known to cause cancer by activating the ERK signal pathway, and its DNA methylation status and corresponding regulatory mechanism remain unknown. This study used the DNA methylation chip to profile the genome-wide DNA methylation level in gastric cancer tissues. The proliferation and apoptosis of the SGC7901 gastric cancer cell line were determined after treatment with a selective P2RY1 receptor agonist, MRS2365. The promoter region of P2RY1 was found to be highly methylated with four hypermethylated sites (|Δ β value| > 0.2) in diffuse gastric cancer and was validated by bioinformatics analysis in the TCGA database. Also, immunohistochemical staining data obtained from the HPA database demonstrated the downregulated expression of proteins encoded by P2RY1 in stomach cancer tissue. The analysis of MRS2365-treated cells by annexin V/propidium iodide staining and caspase-3 activity assays indicated the induction of apoptosis in SGC7901 cells. The P2RY1 receptor activation in human SGC7901 gastric cancer cells via the MRS2365 agonist induced apoptosis and reduced cell growth. High DNA methylation in the promoter region of P2RY1 might have contributed to the reduced expression of P2RY1’s mRNA, which was likely responsible for the “aggressive” nature of the diffuse gastric cancer.

Open Access March 3, 2023

Association between the VEGFR-2 -604T/C polymorphism (rs2071559) and type 2 diabetic retinopathy

The treatment of preeclampsia is delivering women and extracting the placenta, but the Chinese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines do not recommend the delivery of babies without severe features. The objectives of the study were to compare the effectiveness and safety of nifedipine and phytosterol in combination with nicardipine for the management of severe preeclampsia. Women (19–32 years; gestation age ≥ 30 weeks) with the complication of severe preeclampsia have received 10 mg of oral nifedipine (pregnant women received 10 mg of oralnifedipine, n = 112) or 1 mg/h intravenous nicardipine (pregnant women received 1 mg/h intravenous nicardipine (ND cohort), n = 115) or oral 10 mg nifedipine and 500 mg phytosterol (pregnant women received oral 10 mg nifedipine and 500 mg phytosterol (np cohort), n = 111) until 150/100 mmHg blood pressure was achieved. The time required to achieve the desired blood pressure control was 13 minutes shorter in the NP cohort compared to the NF ( p < 0.0001, t = 11.605), and 3 minutes shorter compared to the ND ( p < 0.0001, t = 2.79) cohorts. Stillbirths were reported in 14 (13%), 28 (24%), and 10 (9%) infants, and 13 (12%), 26 (23%), and 10 (9%) infants died from the NF, ND, and NP cohorts, respectively. The undesirable tocolytic effect was reported in 17 (15%) women of the ND cohort. Phytosterol with nifedipine has a synergistic or additive effect on the management of preeclampsia with fewer adverse outcomes.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is a global environmental problem. It is of great significance to find a kind of pasture that can grow normally in a cadmium environment, especially in the Tibetan Plateau. We studied the fruit germination and fruit growth of Elymus sinsubmuticus S.L. Chen and Elymus tangutorum (Nevski), native plants of the Tibetan Plateau, in different cadmium environments. The results showed that with increased cadmium stress, the fruit germination rate, final germination rate, fruit-vigor, average germination time, and germination-speed index for the two grass species gradually decreased, and the 50% germination time for the seed gradually increased. Root length, biomass, and the number of leaves decreased in both species. We quantified the fruit germination and growth of plants in the cadmium environment and found that E. sinosubmuticus S.L. Chen had better fruit germination and fruit growth, and it had the development potential of cadmium pollution control.

The composition and diversity of microbial communities are of considerable significance to the quality development of Camellia sinensis (Fuzhuan tea). In this study, we examined differences in the bacterial community structures of loose, lightly-pressed, hand-made, and machine-pressed Fuzhuan teas and raw dark tea. We observed notable differences in the bacterial communities of the five groups, where there were only 51 consensus sequences. ASV/OTU Venn diagram, Chao1, Ace, Simpson indices, and dilution curve analyses consistently revealed that machine-pressed tea exhibited the highest bacterial diversity. Taxonomically, Actinobacteria , Firmicutes , Proteobacteria , and Cyanobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla in each group, whereas Corynebacterium , Methylobacterium , and Bifidobacterium were the dominant genera. Our findings revealed significant differences in the bacterial community structures of different Fuzhuan tea products derived from the same raw material, with bacterial diversity rising with increased product compaction.

Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Open Access January 24, 2023

Biocompatibility and osteointegration capability of β-TCP manufactured by stereolithography 3D printing: In vitro study

Jialiang Li, Jiaxi Li, Yubing Yang, Xijing He, Xinyu Wei, Qinghua Tan, Yiqun Wang, Siyue Xu, Sue Chang, Weiwei Liu

Article number: 20220530

More Download PDF

Abstract

Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) bioceramics have an inorganic composition similar to the human bone. While conventional methods can only produce ceramic scaffolds with poor controllability, the advancement of 3D-printing, especially stereolithography, made it possible to manufacture controllable, highly precise, micropore ceramic scaffolds. In this study, the stereolithography was applied to produce β-TCP bioceramics, while ZrO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Ti6Al4V, and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) were used as controls. Phase analysis, water contact angle tests, and Micro-CT were applied to evaluate the surface properties and scaffold. Hemolytic toxicity, cell proliferation, and morphological assessment were performed to evaluate the biocompatibility. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, mineralization, and qRT-PCR were measured to evaluate the osteointegration. During the manufacturing of β-TCP, no evident impurity substance and hemolytic toxicity was found. Cells on β-TCP had good morphologies, and their proliferation capability was similar to Ti6Al4V, which was higher than the other materials. Cells on β-TCP had higher ALP levels than PEEK. The degree of mineralization was significantly higher on β-TCP. The expression of osteogenesis-related genes on β-TCP was similar to Ti6Al4V and higher than the other materials. In this study, the β-TCP produced by stereolithography had no toxicity, high accuracy, and excellent osteointegration capability, thus resulting as a good choice for bone implants. Graphical abstract

Agriculture

Open Access January 24, 2023

Biofertilizer and NPSB fertilizer application effects on nodulation and productivity of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) at Sodo Zuria, Southern Ethiopia

Melkamu Dela, Dereje Shanka, Dawit Dalga

Article number: 20220537

More Download PDF

Abstract

Common bean is among the vital legumes cultivated for nutrition, foreign currency earnings, and income generation. Common bean production is constrained mainly by nutrient deficiencies. A field experiment was conducted at Sodo Zuria Woreda to assess the effects of blended N–P–S–B fertilizer rates and Rhizobium strain on yield and yield traits of common bean and income of farmers. Treatments were five different rates of blended NPSB fertilizer (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha −1 ) and two types of Rhizobium strains (HB-A15 and HB-429 ( Rhizobia etli )) and control (without inoculation). Randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications were used. Results showed that interaction of blended NPSB rate and Rhizobium strain type had significant effect on the number of effective nodule, grain yield, and above ground dry biomass. Application of 150 kg NPSB ha −1 along with inoculation of Rhizobium etli resulted in the highest grain yield (3017.7 tons ha −1 ). Similarly, economic analysis indicated that the highest net return of 38298.545 ETB ha −1 was obtained from combined application of 150 kg NPSB ha −1 along with Rhizobium etli . Thus, it could be concluded that using Rhizobium etli strain with 150 kg NPSB ha −1 was found to be appropriate for common bean production in the area.

Open Access March 23, 2023

On correlation between canopy vegetation and growth indexes of maize varieties with different nitrogen efficiencies

Xia Zhao, ShuaiLi Wang, Tao Wen, Jiamin Xu, Bao Huang, Shufeng Yan, Gangqiang Gao, Yali Zhao, Hongping Li, Jiangfang Qiao, Jinliang Yang, Lianhai Wu, Hongwei Wang, Tianxue Liu, Xinyuan Mu

Article number: 20220566

More Download PDF

Abstract

Studying the canopy spectral reflection characteristics of different N-efficient maize varieties and analyzing the relationship between their growth indicators and spectral vegetation indices can help the breeding and application of N-efficient maize varieties. To achieve the optimal management of N fertilizer resources, developing N-efficient maize varieties is necessary. In this research, maize varieties, i.e., the low-N-efficient (Zhengdan 958, ZD958), the high-N efficient (Xianyu 335, XY335), the double-high varieties (Qiule 368, QL368), and the double inefficient-type varieties (Yudan 606 YD606), were used as materials. Results indicate that nitrogen fertilization significantly increased the vegetation indices NDVI, GNDVI, GOSAVI, and RVI of maize varieties with different nitrogen efficiencies. These findings were consistent with the performance of yield, dry matter mass, and leaf nitrogen content and were also found highest under both medium and high nitrogen conditions in the double-high variety QL368. The correlations of dry matter quality, leaf nitrogen content, yield, and vegetation indices (NDVI, GNDVI, RVI, and GOSAVI) at the filling stage of different N-efficient maize varieties were all highly significant and positive. In this relationship, the best effect was found at the filling stages, with correlation coefficients reaching 0.772–0.942, 0.774–0.970, 0754–0.960, and 0.800–0.960. The results showed that the yield, dry matter weight, and leaf nitrogen content of maize varieties with different nitrogen efficiencies increased first and then stabilized with the increase in the nitrogen application level in different periods, and the highest nitrogen application level of maize yield should be between 270 and 360 kg/hm 2 . At the filling stage, canopy vegetation index of maize varieties with different nitrogen efficiencies was positively correlated with yield, dry matter weight, and leaf nitrogen content, especially GNDVI and GOSAVI on the leaf nitrogen content. It can be used as a means to predict its growth index.

Open Access May 23, 2023

Exopolysaccharides from Pseudomonas tolaasii inhibit the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelia

Yanyan Xu, Taimei Yao, Haiyan Yan, Longzuo Xin

Article number: 20220601

More Download PDF

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) extracted from Pseudomonas tolaasii on the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelia was determined. P. ostreatus mycelia was cultivated with different concentrations of P. tolaasii EPSs, and their mycelial growth rate, protein content, and enzyme activity were measured and compared. The results showed that EPSs inhibited the growth of P. ostreatus . The proline and vitamin C contents of P. ostreatus increased at an EPS concentration of 40%. The cellulase, α-amylase, protein, and glucose utilisation rates of P. ostreatus gradually decreased with the increase in EPS concentration. Altogether, P. tolaasii EPSs had a significant inhibitory effect on mycelial growth. Therefore, we concluded that in addition to tolaasin, EPSs may also be the virulence factors responsible for the pathogenesis of P. tolaasii .

Animal Sciences

Open Access February 23, 2023

Effect of ketogenic diet on exercise tolerance and transcriptome of gastrocnemius in mice

Jie Zhang, Bo Chen, Ke Zou

Article number: 20220570

More Download PDF

Abstract

Ketogenic diet (KD) has been proven to be an optional avenue in weight control. However, the impacts of KD on muscle strength and exercise endurance remain unclear. In this study, mice were randomly allocated to normal diet and KD groups to assess their exercise tolerance and transcriptomic changes of the gastrocnemius. KD suppressed body-weight and glucose levels and augmented blood ketone levels of mice. The total cholesterol, free fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyric acid levels were higher and triglycerides and aspartate aminotransferase levels were lower in KD group. There was no notable difference in running distance/time and weight-bearing swimming time between the two groups. Furthermore, KD alleviated the protein levels of PGC-1α, p62, TnI FS, p-AMPKα, and p-Smad3, while advancing the LC3 II and TnI SS protein levels in the gastrocnemius tissues. RNA-sequencing found that 387 differentially expressed genes were filtered, and Cpt1b, Acadl, Eci2, Mlycd, Pdk4, Ptprc, C1qa, Emr1, Fcgr3, and Ctss were considered to be the hub genes. Our findings suggest that KD effectively reduced body weight but did not affect skeletal muscle strength and exercise endurance via AMPK/PGC-1α, Smad3, and p62/LC3 signaling pathways and these hub genes could be potential targets for muscle function in KD-treated mice.

Open Access May 23, 2023

Combined analysis of mRNA–miRNA from testis tissue in Tibetan sheep with different FecB genotypes

Wu Sun, Shike Ma, Xiayang Jin, Yuhong Ma

Article number: 20220605

More Download PDF

Abstract

Testis size is important for identifying breeding animals with adequate sperm production. The aim of this study was to survey the expression profile of mRNA and miRNA in testis tissue from rams carrying different FecB genotypes, including the wild-type and heterozygous genotypes in Tibetan sheep. Comparative transcriptome profiles for ovine testes were established for wild-type and heterozygote Tibetan sheep by next-generation sequencing. RNA-seq results identified 3,910 (2,034 up- and 1,876 downregulated) differentially expressed (DE) genes and 243 (158 up- and 85 downregulated) DE microRNAs (miRNAs) in wild-type vs heterozygote sheep, respectively. Combined analysis of mRNA-seq and miRNA-seq revealed that 20 miRNAs interacted with 48 true DE target genes in wild-type testes compared to heterozygous genotype testes. These results provide evidence for a functional series of genes operating in Tibetan sheep testis. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression trends of randomly selected DE genes in testis tissues from different genotypes were consistent with high-throughput sequencing results.

Cadmium (Cd) could pose threats to human health by affecting Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) safety. Cd enrichment trait and its effects on the active ingredient synthesis in SM remain unknown. Here we investigated the Cd concentration using ICP-MS-based method, physiologies (contents of malondialdehyde and proline, and activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase [POD], and catalase [CAT]), and LC-MS/MS-based metabolites of SM under 25, 50, and 100 mg kg −1 Cd stress. The results revealed that Cd concentrations, as it rose in soil, increased in roots and leaves of SM with transfer factors and bioconcentration factors below 1 in Cd-treated groups; POD and CAT activities and proline content increased and then declined. Amino acids and organic acids (especially d -glutamine [ d -Gln], l -aspartic acid [ l -Asp], l -phenylalanine [ l -Phe], l -tyrosine [ l -Tyr], geranylgeranyl-PP [GGPP], and rosmarinic acid [RA]) contributed more in discriminating SM roots of different groups. GGPP was negatively related to l -Tyr and l -Phe, and RA was positively related to d -Gln and l -Asp in SM. These results revealed that SM belonged to a non-Cd-hyperaccumulator with most Cd accumulated in roots, Cd could enhance phenolic acid synthesis via regulating amino acid metabolism and might inhibit tanshinone synthesis by declining the GGPP content, and proline, POD, and CAT played vital roles in resisting Cd stress. These provided new ideas and theoretical basis for further study on medical plants’ response to heavy metals. Graphical abstract

Special Issue on Computing and Artificial Techniques for Life Science Applications

Open Access May 23, 2023

Novel risk prediction models for deep vein thrombosis after thoracotomy and thoracoscopic lung cancer resections, involving coagulation and immune function

Jianhua Li, Futao Zhang, Xinyan Lan, Feifei Li, Chunrui Tan, Wangkai Cao

Article number: 20220617

More Download PDF

Abstract

Graphical abstract Abstract The main focus of this study was to compare the predictive value of coagulation, fibrinolysis, thromboelastography, stress response, and immune function in predicting the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in lung cancer (LC) patients undergoing thoracoscopic LC resection vs thoracotomy LC resection. To do that, a prospective, single-center, case-control study involving 460 LC patients was conducted. The risk indicators affecting patients with DVT after LC resection in the testing cohort were determined using logistic regression and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses. One validation cohort was used to assess the risk prediction models. DVT incidence was higher in the thoracoscopic group (18.7%) than in the thoracotomy group (11.2%) in the testing cohort ( χ 2 = 4.116, P = 0.042). The final model to predict the incidence of DVT after thoracoscopic LC excision (1 day after surgery) was as follows: Logit( P ) = 9.378 – 0.061( R -value) – 0.109( K value) + 0.374(α angle) + 0.403(MA) + 0.298(FIB) + 0.406(D-D) + 0.190(MDA) − 0.097(CD4 + /CD8 + ). For thoracotomy LC resection, the final model (3 days after operation) was: Logit( P ) = –2.463 − 0.026( R -value) − 0.143( K value) + 0.402(α angle) + 0.198(D-D) + 0.237(MDA) + 0.409(SOD). In the validation cohort, this risk prediction model continued to demonstrate good predictive performance. As a result, the predictive accuracy of postoperative DVT in patients who underwent thoracoscopic LC resection and thoracotomy LC resection was improved by risk prediction models.

Open Access May 27, 2023

Studies on macrofungi diversity and discovery of new species of Abortiporus from Baotianman World Biosphere Reserve

Lu Tie, Zhao Lang, Li Deng, Zhao Junqiang

Article number: 20220614

More Download PDF

Abstract

This research focuses on macrofungi in Baotianman Biosphere Reserve and their relationships with plant ecosystems. The findings demonstrate the reserve’s macrofungal resources. The study collected 832 specimens, among which 351 macrofungi species were identified, belonging to six classes, 19 orders, 54 familiae, and 124 genera, and one new species of Abortiporus was found. Among them, 11 familiae with a total of 231 species were dominated, accounting for 20.37% of the total number of familiae and 65.81% of the total number of species; 14 genera with a total of 147 species were dominated, accounting for about 11.38% the total number of genera and 41.88% of the total number of species. The richness of macrofungi at the species level was considerably different across the four vegetation types in the reserve, showing that the vegetation types had a bigger influence on macrofungi. In the evaluation of macrofungal resources, a total of 196 species of edible fungi, 121 species of medicinal fungi, 52 species of poisonous fungi, and 37 species of macrofungi with unclear economic value were counted. Abortiporus baotianmanensis is a new species of podoscyphaceae in the genus Abortiporus . The new species display the reserve’s richness. Next, the project seeks to generate and conserve macrofungal resources. Graphical abstract

Volume 9 (2014)

Volume 8 (2013)

Volume 7 (2012)

Volume 6 (2011)

Volume 5 (2010)

Volume 4 (2009)

Volume 3 (2008)

Volume 2 (2007)

Volume 1 (2006)

5-year Journal Impact Factor	1.293
CiteScore	1.5
Journal Impact Factor	1.311
Journal Citation Indicator	0.28
SCImago Journal Rank	0.249
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.379

Submit

Manuscripts should be submitted to the journal via online submission system Editorial Manager available for this journal at http://www.editorialmanager.com/openbiol. In case of problems, please contact the Editorial Office of this journal at Izabela.Zarczynska@degruyter.com.

EDITORIAL POLICY

Unpublished material: Submission of a manuscript implies that the work described is not copyrighted, published or submitted elsewhere, except in abstract form. The corresponding author should ensure that all authors approve the manuscript before its submission.
Ethical conduct of research: The authors must describe and confirm safeguards to meet ethical standards when applicable. See Editorial Policy for details.
Conflict of interest: When authors submit a manuscript, they are responsible for recognizing and disclosing financial and/or other conflicts of interest that might bias their work and/or could inappropriately influence his/her judgment. If no specified acknowledgement is given, the Editors assume that no conflict of interest exists. Authors are encouraged to fill in the ICMJE Conflicts of Interest Form (available here) and send it in the electronic format to the Managing Editor.
Copyright: All authors retain copyright, unless – due to their local circumstances – their work is not copyrighted. The copyrights are governed by the Creative-Commons Attribution Only license (CC-BY) which is compliant with Plan-S. We may also publish a paper under CC-BY-NC-ND license on author's request. The corresponding author grants the journal the license to use of the article, by signing the License To Publish. Scanned copy of license should be sent to the journal, as soon as possible.
Authorship: Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be named in an Acknowledgement section. The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors (according to the above definition) and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the author list of the manuscript, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.
Peer Review process: Our standard policy requires each paper to be reviewed by at least two Referees and the peer-review process is single-blind. The Editors reserve the right to decline the submitted manuscript without review, if the studies reported are not sufficiently novel or important to merit publication in the journal. Manuscripts deemed unsuitable (insufficient originality or of limited interest to the target audience) are returned to the author(s) without review. The Editor seeks advice from experts in the appropriate field. Research articles and communications are refereed by a minimum of two reviewers, review papers by at least three. Authors are requested to suggest persons competent to review their manuscript. However, please note that this will be treated only as a suggestion, and the final selection of reviewers is exclusively the Editor's decision. The final decision of acceptance in made by Managing Editor or, in case of conflict, by the Editor-in-Chief.
Scientific Misconduct: This journal publishes only original manuscripts that are not also published or going to be published elsewhere. Multiple submissions/publications, or redundant publications (re-packaging in different words of data already published by the same authors) will be rejected. If they are detected only after publication, the journal reserves the right to publish a Retraction Note. In each particular case Editors will follow COPE’s Core Practices and implement the advices.

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief, Biomedical Sciences
Thomas Litman, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Editor-in-Chief’s Assistant Editor, Emily Beaman

Managing Editor
Izabela Żarczyńska
Izabela.Zarczynska@degruyter.com

Assistant Managing Editor
Kumaran Rengaswamy
AssistantManagingEditor@degruyter.com

Editors

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Biochemistry
Anna Shestakova, University of Utah School of Medicine, USA
Marc Poirot, INSERM – Toulouse University, France
Marco Tutone, University of Palermo, Italy

Cell and Molecular Biology
Arnab Banerjee, Serampore College, India
Dorota Dymkowska, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Poland
Eric Ghigo, Aix-Marseille University, France
Jiannan Guo, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Mark Wiser, Tulane University School of Public Health, USA

Structural Biology
Alexander Serganov, New York University School of Medicine, USA

Stem Cells and Cell Therapy
Zvonimir Koporc, Croatian Catholic University, Croatia
Ferenc Uher, National Medical Center, Hungary
Henning Madry, Saarland University, Germany

Cancer Biology
Vladimir Jurisic, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
Pavel Vodicka, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Lianwen Zhang, Mayo Clinic Molecular Medicine, USA
Mustafa Ozen, Baylor College of Medicine, USA
Jiacong You, Tianjin Medical University, China
Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Jarosław Paluszczak, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poland

Neuroscience
Alexander Pisarchik, Technical University of Madrid, Spain
Simon Podnar, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Slovenia
Malik Zaben, Cardiff University, UK

Pharmaceutical Sciences
George Patrinos, University of Patras, Greece
Ravi Kiran Sajja, Texas Tech University, USA
Rabab Kamel, National Research Center, Egypt

Biophysics and Computational biology
Csaba Bagyinka, Biological Research Center, Hungary
Leandro Cristante de Oliveira, São Paulo State University, Brazil

Bioinformatics
Alexandre de Brevern, Paris Diderot University, France
Ahmed Farouk, South Valley University, Egypt
Stefano Pascarella, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Rituraj Purohit, Vellore Institute of Technology, India
Mohammad Shabaz, Model Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET), Jammu

Virology
Paweł Zmora, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

ANIMAL SCIENCES

Development and Differentiation
Michal Zurovec, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic

Invertebrates and Vertebrates
Elena Mente, University of Thessaly, Greece
Veterinary Medicine - Microbiology
Jean Mukherjee, Tufts University, USA

PLANT SCIENCES

Plant Anatomy and Physiology
Anket Sharma, Zhejiang A & F University, China

Plant Genetics and Biotechnology
Maria Oszvald, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
Zheng Li, University of Melbourne, Australia
Juozas Lazutka, Vilnius University, Lithuania
Lóránt Lakatos, University of Szeged, Hungary
Mehdi Rahimi, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran
Barbara Tokarz, University of Agriculture, Krakow, Poland

ECOLOGY and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Soil and water bioremediation, water productivity, water resources, halophyte-culture, drought-tolerant plants, salt-tolerant plants:
Ameneh Mianabadi, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Iran

Environmental Microbiology
Dmitri Mavrodi, Washington State University, USA

Mycology
Evgenia Bogomolova, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Phillip B. Gannibal, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Russia
Derek Peršoh, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

Entomology and Plant-Insect Interactions
Adrian Łukowski, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland

Bioenergy - Biofuels and Biomass
Elia Tomás Pejó, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies, Spain
Fabiano Avelino Gonçalves, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Meisam Tabatabaei, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran, Iran

FOOD SCIENCE and NUTRITION

Agro-environmental and food chemistry, sustainable food production, food quality and safety:
Jesus Simal-Gandara, University of Vigo, Spain

Bioactive Compounds, Functional Food, Food Waste Management
Przemysław Kowalczewski, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland

Selenium, Food Enzymes, Food Microbiology, Food Waste Management
Marek Kieliszek, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), Poland

Food Proteomics, Food Transcriptomics, Food Pathogens
Alberto Valdés, University of Alcala de Henares, Spain

Food Metabolomics, Food By-Products, Food Bioactivity
Gerardo Alvarez, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain

Food Safety, Pesticides, Contaminants
Barbara Socas, University of Lund, Sweden

Gut Microbiota, Fermented Foods, Probiotics
Lorenzo Nissen, University of Bologna, Italy
Marcin Schmidt, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland

BIOENGINEERING and BIOTECHNOLOGY

Chemical Engineering, Nanotechnology
Beom Soo Kim, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
Pedro Viana Baptista, New University of Lisbon, Portugal

Chemical Engineering, Microbiology
Nuno Filipe Azevedo, University of Porto, Portugal

Editorial Advisory Board
Miguel B. Araujo, Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Spain
Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch, University of Innsbruck, Austria
Sergey Y. Bershitsky, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Laszlo Buday, Semmelweis University School of Medicine, Hungary
Eulogio Castro Galiano, University of Jaen, Spain
Alexander B. Chetverin, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Keith A. Crandall, George Washington University in Washington, DC
Olga Dontsova, Moscow Lomonosov State University, Russia
Petr Draber, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Richard S.J. Frackowiak, University College London, UK
Karl Friston, University College London, UK
Mikhail S. Gelfand, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Eliane Gluckman, Hopital Saint-Louis, France
Everett Peter Greenberg,University of Washington School of Medicine, USA
Yi Guan, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Tasuku Honjo, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
Tim Hunt, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, UK
Miklos S.Z. Kellermayer , Pecs University Medical School, Hungary
Beom Soo Kim, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
Saulius Klimasauskas, Institute of Biotechnology, Lithuania
Stanislav S. Kolesnikov, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Oleg A. Krishtal, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine
Hans Lehrach, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Germany
Marie Lipoldova, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Mark P. Mattson, National Institutes of Health, USA
Karen E. Nelson, The J. Craig Venter Institute, USA
Jozef Nosek, Comenius University, Slovakia
Jacek Otlewski , University of Wroclaw, Poland
Krzysztof Palczewski, Case Western Reserve University, USA
Miklos Palkovits, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
Laurent Poirel, Hôpital de Bicetre, le Kremlin–Bicetre, France
Jaanus Remme, Estonian Biocentre, Tartu University, Estonia
Balazs Sarkadi, National Medical Center, Hungary
Joseph Schlessinger, Yale University School of Medicine, USA
Vladimir P. Torchilin, Northeastern University, USA
Vladimir N. Uversky, University of South Florida College of Medicine, USA
Marc Van Montagu, Ghent University, Belgium
Philippe G. Vidon, State University of New York, College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, USA
Ulrich von Andrian, Harvard Medical School, USA

Language Editors
Cindy Bongard, University of Toronto, Canada
Kevin J. Bown, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, UK
Daniel Burke, University of Toronto, Canada
Iain R. Caldwell, University of British Columbia, Canada
Jacob Crouse, The University of Sydney, Australia
Robert Farrell, Penn State University, USA
Suzie Ferrie, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia
Dariush Garber, University of California at Davis Medical Center, USA
Caitlin Gillett, University of Minnesota Duluth, USA
Perry Hartfield, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Andrea Huston, University of Toronto, Canada
Jennie Latham, The ōbex project, UK; King's College London, UK
Daria Lukasz, National Institutes of Health, USA
Antonino Malacrinò, Linköping University, Sweden
Lawrence Mok, University of Melbourne, Australia
Amy Moss, University of Sydney, Australia
Dawn Patient, University of Cambridge, UK
Matthew Price, University of Portsmouth, UK
Genevieve Phillips, The University of Queensland, Australia
Kuldeepsinh P. Rana, Colorado School of Mines, USA
Bradley Rhodes, Bucknell University, USA
Brent Roberts, University of British Columbia, Canada
Joel Schwartz, The City University of New York, USA
Efe Sezgin, National Cancer Institute, USA Hanna Valpuri Sovero, University of Illnois, USA
Blake Turner, University of Toronto, Canada
Emma Weeks, University of Florida, USA
Anne Vardo-Zalik, The Pennsylvania State University-York, USA

Publisher
DE GRUYTER Poland
Bogumiła Zuga 32A Str.
01-811 Warsaw, Poland
T: +48 22 701 50 15

Editorial Contact
Izabela Żarczyńska
Izabela.Zarczynska@degruyter.com

(Deutsch)

Type: Journal
Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Open Access
First published: September 19, 2014
Publication Frequency: 1 Issue per Year
Audience: Students and researchers at various stages of academic career, specializing in life sciences topics