Herbivores Research Articles

Processes regulating local community assembly of plants and spiders in high latitude mountains

AbstractAimMountains are often used to study how environmental factors influence biodiversity. However, we have limited understanding of the processes causing biodiversity variation in mountains and whether such processes vary across trophic levels and spatial scales. The aim of this study was to evaluate (i) whether community assembly processes varied along elevational gradients, (ii) whether there were differences in such variation between primary producers (vascular plants) and secondary consumers (spiders) and (iii) whether there were scale dependencies in any elevational variation in community assembly.LocationFennoscandia, Northern Sweden.TaxonVascular plants, spiders.MethodsWe used phenotypic and phylogenetic dispersion to quantify how elevation influenced community assembly of vascular plants and spiders and whether there were any scale dependencies in such influences. Our original data of plant and spider communities came from our own field surveys, phenotypic dispersion was calculated based on matrices of ecological traits, and phylogenetic dispersion was calculated from phylogenetic trees for each organism group. Trait matrices were based on a combination of literature values and our own measurements. The phylogeny for vascular plants was based on a published plant super‐tree, whereas the phylogeny for spiders was created by ourselves based on the DNA sequences at the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI).ResultsPlants were environmentally filtered throughout all elevations and scales, but the importance of convergent evolution increased with elevation. For spiders, the importance of environmental filtering as well as niche conservatism increased with elevation. For both groups, communities at smaller scales were more influenced by biotic regulation and niche conservatism than at larger scales.Main ConclusionsOur study highlights both taxonomic differences and scale dependencies in how elevation influences community assembly. We argue that these results can have broad ramifications for our understanding of how spatial variation in biodiversity is generated and maintained. This may have particular relevance for our ability to predict the ecological consequences of climate change. Our results further highlight that high elevation specialists may suffer increased risks of climate driven extinctions due to a combination of increased competition and increased fragmentation of suitable habitats. Particularly for spiders, which had high elevation specialists clustered along specific lineages, such extinctions could lead to significant loss of phylogenetic variation.

The smallest angiosperm genomes may be the price for effective traps of bladderworts.

Species of the carnivorous family Lentibulariaceae exhibit the smallest genomes in flowering plants. We explored the hypothesis that their minute genomes result from the unique mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) mutation. The mutation may boost mitochondrial efficiency, which is especially useful for suction-bladder traps of Utricularia, but also increase DNA-damaging reactive oxygen species, leading to genome shrinkage through deletion-biased DNA repair. We aimed to explore this mutation's impact on genome size, providing insights into genetic mutation roles in plant genome evolution under environmental pressures. We compiled and measured genome and mean chromosome sizes for 127 and 67 species, respectively, representing all three genera (Genlisea, Pinguicula, and Utricularia) of Lentibulariaceae. We also isolated and analyzed COX sequences to detect the mutation. Through phylogenetic regressions and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models of trait evolution, we assessed the impact of the COX mutation on the genome and chromosome sizes across the family. Our findings reveal significant correlations between the COX mutations and smaller genome and chromosome sizes. Specifically, species carrying the ancestral COX sequence exhibited larger genomes and chromosomes than those with the mutation. This evidence supports the notion that the COX mutation contributes to genome downsizing, with statistical analyses confirming a directional evolution towards smaller genomes in species harboring these mutations. Our study confirms that the COX mutation in Lentibulariaceae is associated with genome downsizing, likely driven by increased reactive oxygen species production and subsequent DNA damage requiring deletion-biased repair mechanisms. While boosting mitochondrial energy output, this genetic mutation compromises genome integrity and may potentially affect recombination rates, illustrating a complex trade-off between evolutionary advantages and disadvantages. Our results highlight the intricate processes by which genetic mutations and environmental pressures shape genome size evolution in carnivorous plants.

Tobin's Q dan Determinannya: Studi Empiris

This research aims to analyze factors that influence firm value, including profitability, leverage, liquidity and firm size. Research on 56 Primary Consumer Goods Sector Companies in Indonesia with an observation period of 2017 to 2021. Data analysis carried out using multiple linear regression shows that profitability has a positive effect while leverage has a negative effect on firm value. This research fails to prove the role of liquidity and company size in explaining changes in firm value.

Food odors elicit feeding behavior through the activation of the olfactory system in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala)

Olfaction plays an important role in the survival and reproduction of various organisms. Aside from being a nutrient, in many fish species, amino acids also function as attractants to induce feeding behaviors. As the herbivorous fish, blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) commonly consumes an aquatic plant, Hydrilla verticillata. Here, we studied the effect of food odors on the feeding behavior of blunt snout bream using a mixture of amino acids and H. verticillata extract. The behavioral and electro-olfactogram tests demonstrated that the mixture of amino acids and H. verticillata extract induced an attractive reaction and olfactory response in blunt snout bream, respectively. Through Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses, we confirmed that ciliated and microvillus neurons are distributed on the olfactory placode. The results of phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinases (pERK) showed that a large number of microvillus and ciliated neurons were activated under the stimulation of 10−5 mol/L amino acid mixture and 0.005× H. verticillata extract. The calcium signal imagery demonstrated that the nerve signals of the olfactory bulb were activated by the food odors. The quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed significant changes in the expression of representative olfactory receptor genes in the olfactory bulb and brain of blunt snout bream upon stimulation with food odor. Collectively, these results provided evidence and preliminary explanations for the mediating role of olfaction in the feeding behavior of fish.

Transfer Learning in Multimodal Sunflower Drought Stress Detection

Efficient water supply and timely detection of drought stress in crops to increase yields is an important task considering that agriculture is the primary consumer of water globally. This is particularly significant for plants such as sunflowers, which are an important source of quality edible oils, essential for human nutrition. Traditional detection methods are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and rely on advanced sensor technologies. We introduce an innovative approach based on neural networks and transfer learning for drought stress detection using a novel dataset including 209 non-invasive rhizotron images and 385 images of manually cleaned sections of sunflowers, subjected to normal watering or water stress. We used five neural network models: VGG16, VGG19, InceptionV3, DenseNet, and MobileNet, pre-trained on the ImageNet dataset, whose performance was compared to select the most efficient architecture. Accordingly, the most efficient model, MobileNet, was further refined using different data augmentation mechanisms. The introduction of targeted data augmentation and the use of grayscale images proved to be effective, demonstrating improved results, with an F1 score and an accuracy of 0.95. This approach encourages advances in water stress detection, highlighting the value of artificial intelligence in improving crop health monitoring and management for more resilient agricultural practices.

Characterization and Theoretical Analysis of the Venus Flytrap Trigger Hair

The Venus flytrap, which possesses a number of mechano-sensitive trigger hairs, is a typical carnivorous plant that effectively senses and catches insects to survive in nutrient-poor habitats. When insects touch the trigger hairs on a leaf, once they reach the threshold, the Venus flytrap induces an action potential and sharply closes to capture the prey. In this paper, the trigger hairs obtain a special cantilever beam structure with a stiff hair lever and a flexible basal podium, and there is a noticeable notched structure at the basal podium, which differs from a common homogeneous hair. Based on the characteristics of the Venus flytrap trigger hairs, we established a three-dimensional model and conducted theoretical and finite element analysis. The results show that the unique hollow heterogeneous cantilever structure of the Venus flytrap trigger hair can achieve high sensitivity and optimal tactile perception. Overall, the morphology, structure and mechanical characteristics of Venus flytrap trigger hairs were characterized in detail, which may provide a deeper understanding of the trigger hairs’ tactile perception mechanism. And the mechanical simulation and optimization analysis of Venus flytrap trigger hairs had an important theoretical basis and parameter support for the further design of state-of-the-art tactile sensors with high sensitivity inspired by Venus flytrap trigger hairs.

The Influence of Profitability, Leverage, Liquidity and Company Size on Dividend Policy

This research aims to determine the influence of profitability, leverage, liquidity and company size on dividend policy. This research uses quantitative methods, purposive sampling techniques, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS 26. 27 primary consumer goods sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) for the 2019-2022 period constitute the population in this study and the number of observation samples is 108. The methodological approach uses purposive sampling, namely a non-probability sampling technique, to ensure the intended sample size, namely with the criteria of companies that distribute their financial reports in rupiah, companies that earn profits every year, and companies that distribute dividends. This research shows the results that liquidity has a positive and significant effect on dividend policy, leverage has no significant effect on dividend policy, profitability and company size have no effect on dividend policy.

Resource utilisation and trophic niche overlap of coralline intertidal benthic amphipods: an isotopic perspective.

Benthic amphipod feeding groups are a well-established trophic classification that is mostly based on field observations and laboratory tests and are used in ecological studies to monitor the ecological state of benthic ecosystems. Globally, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio investigations have provided confirmation of, and novel insights into, the trophic ecology of benthic animals, such as polychaetes. However, stable isotopic examinations of benthic amphipods have been limited. Here, we used microgram samples to compare the species-specific dietary sources, trophic positions, and isotopic niche overlap of selected benthic amphipods from the Gulf of Kachchh, Marine National Park, using elemental analyser-isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) of carbon and nitrogen. Overall, all primary carbon sources presented wide variation in the isotopic values of δ13C (6.3‰) and δ15N (greater than 13‰). Conversely, the amphipod taxa displayed relatively narrow range for δ13C (3.9‰) and wider range for δ15N (more than 10‰). The results of the Bayesian mixing model revealed that the benthic amphipods had species-specific feeding preferences. However, the predominant carbon source was organic matter in sediment which reinforced benthic pathways for energy flow for most species. According to the estimated trophic level values (1.62-3.39), these species play a significant role as primary and secondary consumers serving as crucial trophic intermediaries in the food chain, connecting the base to the top consumers. High overlapping ecological niche amongst species was detected by SIBER analysis which indicated co-existence of the benthic amphipods in their respective microhabitats. This signifies wider utilisation of resources and inter-specific feeding preferences with minimal competition amongst amphipod species.

The power of nostalgic emotion: how Hong Kong traditional tong sui influences generation Z's purchase intentions

PurposeOf the studies covering culinary tourism and traditional culture, Generation Z remains an underexplored group despite being the primary consumers of future tourism. Research into young consumers’ motivations is hoped to clarify, protect, and sustain Hong Kong Tong sui among this generation. As such, this study focuses on Generation Z to understand the types of novel experiences Tong sui can create for them, and it is worth exploring in depth the diet that young people are interested in from the perspective of traditional food.Design/methodology/approachBased on Creswell’s guidelines for quantitative research, we investigated the relationships among multiple elements of Hong Kong Tong sui and Generation Z tourists. A corresponding questionnaire was designed to gather information for statistical analysis and contains five sections. The first part solicited basic respondent information. Sections 2–5 presented several key terms (nostalgic emotion, food authenticity, FCV, and purchase intention) to frame the questionnaire in terms of our hypotheses. Items were scored on 7-point Likert-type scales for ease of processing in SPSS 26.0.FindingsAll hypotheses were supported, with nostalgia having the most significant influence on Generation Z’s purchase intentions. Besides, young generations are willing to buy traditional food when exposed to the restaurants or enterprises have nostalgic elements and inspire nostalgia in consumer. Generation Z’s thoughts about food authenticity notably played a more significant role than FCV in terms of the nostalgia of traditional food. In addition, food authenticity and FCV were found to indirectly mediate the relationship between nostalgic emotion and purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsExamining these types of campaigns geared toward Generation Z tourists to advertise traditional food has enriched this tactic’s applicability. The approach also constructs a foundation to scrutinize the appeal of traditional dishes among young consumer groups to potentially strengthen such food’s influence.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the importance of leveraging nostalgia and understanding the emotional connection that Generation Z has with traditional cuisine. It suggests that enterprises can develop new products or revive traditional recipes that cater to the nostalgic preferences of Generation Z. Marketing innovations, such as using social media influencers, can also be employed to create awareness and generate interest in traditional food. Traditional food can contribute to tourist destinations' promotion and differentiate them from competitors, boosting the tourism and catering industries and creating employment opportunities.Social implicationsThe promotion and preservation of traditional food can contribute to the preservation of cultural identity and heritage. By engaging local communities in culinary initiatives and fostering community pride, traditional food tourism can strengthen the connection to cultural heritage and encourage the preservation of traditional culinary practices. This engagement can lead to sustainable development by promoting local traditions and ensuring the participation of the local community in tourism activities.Originality/valueThis study offers novel theoretical insights into traditional food consumption and food marketing, thus narrowing gaps in research on young consumers and traditional food. Results enrich the understanding of Generation Z’s intentions to purchase traditional food by highlighting tourists’ preferences. Guidelines are also provided for the operators on creating nostalgic campaigns that appeal to young generations.

Bioaccumulation, transfer, and impacts of microplastics in aquatic food chains

Plastics have become a pervasive global contaminant since the mid-20th century, causing harm to organisms at all levels. Preventative measures to reduce plastic pollution and awareness-raising campaigns about the damaging effects of plastic debris on the environment and its inhabitants are crucial; however, most plastic assessments focus on singular trophic levels. Microplastics, tiny plastic particles ranging from 25 μm to 5 mm, have emerged as a widespread form of pollution found in ecosystems worldwide. They can enter the environment directly or through the breakdown of larger plastic debris and are thought to be mistaken for food by foraging animals. This leads to microplastics circulating through ecosystems via direct and indirect consumption, ultimately impacting even higher-order predators. Here, we assess the impacts of microplastics on Chlorophyll a concentrations, algal community structure, copepod survivorship, and fish behavior in experimental trials, in addition to simulated top-predator foraging success on plastic-exposed fish. Our results indicate that microplastics have detrimental effects on algal growth and copepod survival. We also observed the trophic transmission of small plastic spheres from copepods to fish predators, highlighting a concerning pathway for microplastic pollution within aquatic ecosystems, where fish consumed plastics through direct and indirect means. Primary consumers, like copepods, face dual pressures from top-down forcing, as they are preferred over plastic particles as food sources, and bottom-up resource depletion, as algal food supplies can be limited by microplastic exposure. Our findings demonstrate the system-wide impacts that can occur when microplastics are included in food chains and underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate the entry of plastic debris into aquatic ecosystems.

The Chinese longsnout catfish genome provides novel insights into the feeding preference and corresponding metabolic strategy of carnivores.

Fish show variation in feeding habits to adapt to complex environments. However, the genetic basis of feeding preference and the corresponding metabolic strategies that differentiate feeding habits remain elusive. Here, by comparing the whole genome of a typical carnivorous fish (Leiocassis longirostris Günther) with that of herbivorous fish, we identify 250 genes through both positive selection and rapid evolution, including taste receptor taste receptor type 1 member 3 (tas1r3) and trypsin We demonstrate that tas1r3 is required for carnivore preference in tas1r3-deficient zebrafish and in a diet-shifted grass carp model. We confirm that trypsin correlates with the metabolic strategies of fish with distinct feeding habits. Furthermore, marked alterations in trypsin activity and metabolic profiles are accompanied by a transition of feeding preference in tas1r3-deficient zebrafish and diet-shifted grass carp. Our results reveal a conserved adaptation between feeding preference and corresponding metabolic strategies in fish, and provide novel insights into the adaptation of feeding habits over the evolution course.

Eksplorasi Mikroflora Alami Cairan Nepenthes mirabilis (Lour) Druce di Kawasan Hutan Penelitian dan Pendidikan Biologi Universitas Andalas

Indonesia is a country that is rich in flora and fauna diversity, one of the unique flora in Indonesia is Nepenthes. This bag serves to trap insects or other small animals, the Biology Education and Research Forest (HPPB) is located in the Andalas Limau Manis University campus area which is classified as lowland tropical rain forest which is the habitat of Nepenthes, in the Biology Education and Research Forest (HPPB) this type of pitcher plant, namely Nepenthes mirabilis. Nepenthes mirabilis is a plant that is able to digest insects trapped in pockets at the ends of its leaf tendrils, so it is classified as a carnivorous plant. Microorganisms play an important role in breaking down organic materials into inorganic ones available to plants. Types of bacteria and bacterial populations greatly determine the decomposition process of animals that have been trapped in the bag as a source of nutrients for Nepenthes plants. This study aims to explore the natural microflora of Nepenthes mirabilis fluids, determine the proportional presence of potential bacteria, and determine the in vitro potential of chitinolytic bacteria from Nepenthes mirabilis fluids. This study used a survey method which was analyzed descriptively. The results showed that Nepenthes mirabilis fluid contained the presence of Fermentative, Amylolytic, Proteolytic, Chitinolytic and Lipolitical bacteria. Nepenthes mirabilis liquid in open bags contained chitinolytic bacteria, the highest presence of chitinolytic bacteria was found in MBB samples (20,104 cfu/ml) and MBA samples (18,104 cfu/ml). .28), fermentative (2.33 and 2.00), amylolytic (1.42 and 1.28), proteolytic (2.00 and 2.00), lipolytic (1.75 and 1.28).

The Effect of Green Intellectual Capital, Good Corporate Governance, and Growth Options on Sustainability Performance

Global climate change, deforestation, plastic pollution, and other environmental issues have made sustainability performance an increasingly researched topic. This study investigates the impact of green intellectual capital, good corporate governance, and growth options on the sustainability performance of primary consumer goods sector companies in Indonesia. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of public ownership. We measure sustainability performance using a composite index based on the sustainability balanced scorecard and the G4 Global Reporting Initiative's sustainability reporting disclosure framework. To our knowledge, this study is the first to employ this specific measurement method. Using a random effects estimator on 144 observations, we estimated our models. The findings indicate that good corporate governance, growth options, and public ownership positively influence sustainability performance, while green intellectual capital does not. Furthermore, the study reveals that public ownership strengthens the effects of green intellectual capital and growth options on sustainability performance. This suggests that in companies with low public ownership, green intellectual capital alone may not sufficiently enhance sustainability performance.

Graph reinforcement learning for flexible job shop scheduling under industrial demand response: A production and energy nexus perspective

Amidst the global energy crisis, the industrial sector is facing unparalleled energy conservation challenges as a primary energy consumer. Industrial demand response (IDR) is a promising strategy to enhance the energy efficiency of manufacturing enterprises. This paper introduces a graph reinforcement learning (GRL)-based method for flexible job shop scheduling under IDR from a production and energy nexus perspective. The scheduling problem is initially formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP). On this basis, the scheduling state is represented by a unique heterogeneous disjunctive graph incorporating IDR features, and the reward is constructed through a tailored generalized electricity consumption index (GECI). Moreover, a mixed graph neural network scheduler is designed to tackle this MDP, which integrates the heterogeneous attention mechanism and adaptive greedy sampling strategy. Furthermore, a proximal policy optimization algorithm is employed for training to obtain optimal scheduling schemes. Empirical case studies indicate that the proposed method can reduce GECI by up to 14.44% and 2.22%, respectively, outperforming existing well-known dispatching rules and another scheduling method based on GRL.

In vitro evaluation of antiviral activity in carnivorous plant species

Sarracenia purpurea is a carnivorous plant historically used to treat smallpox infections. Our previous data found S. purpurea had broad spectrum antiviral activity in vitro. S. purpurea is one of several hundred identified carnivorous species of plants. Carnivorous plants have evolved through convergent evolution in at least ten independent events, usually in response to harsh environments where nutrition from prey is required for growth. These prey are known vectors of plant viruses that might introduce novel biotic stressors and defense pathways in carnivorous plants. This study evaluated the antiviral activity of several non-carnivorous and carnivorous plants from four evolutionarily distinct clades. Results demonstrated that carnivorous plants have evolved antiviral activity, a trait that is not present in related species of non-carnivorous plants. The antiviral trait may be due to the plant-prey relationship with insect vectors and an evolutionary need for carnivorous plants to have more robust antiviral defense systems.

Do Arabinogalactan Proteins Occur in the Transfer Cells of Utricularia dichotoma?

Species in the genus Utricularia are carnivorous plants that prey on invertebrates using traps of leaf origin. The traps are equipped with numerous different glandular trichomes. Trichomes (quadrifids) produce digestive enzymes and absorb the products of prey digestion. The main aim of this study was to determine whether arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) occur in the cell wall ingrowths in the quadrifid cells. Antibodies (JIM8, JIM13, JIM14, MAC207, and JIM4) that act against various groups of AGPs were used. AGP localization was determined using immunohistochemistry techniques and immunogold labeling. AGPs localized with the JIM13, JIM8, and JIM14 epitopes occurred in wall ingrowths of the pedestal cell, which may be related to the fact that AGPs regulate the formation of wall ingrowths but also, due to the patterning of the cell wall structure, affect symplastic transport. The presence of AGPs in the cell wall of terminal cells may be related to the presence of wall ingrowths, but processes also involve vesicle trafficking and membrane recycling, in which these proteins participate.

Exploration and origin studies of high levels of β-glucosidase in carnivorous fishes spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus)

In order to more efficiently utilize the abundant cellulose resources in nature, increase the utilization rate of cellulose in aquaculture, implement precise feeding and save aquaculture costs, we have conducted research on cellulase genes related to the spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus). Cellulose, as the most abundant renewable resource, is a cornerstone in the intricate ecological balance of diverse ecosystems. While herbivorous fish are recognized for their utilization of proteins, sugars, and fats, the extent of cellulose utilization by carnivorous and omnivorous fish remains an enigma. Here, through field sampling and behavioural observations, O. punctatus' omnivorous diet has been demonstrated (stomach contents contain approximately several species of algae in the Bacillariophyta (1.12 %), Streptomyces (0.55 %), Chlorophyta (0.35 %), Rhodophyta (0.16 %), and Euglenophyta (0.19 %) phylum). Additionally, the high cellulase activity in the intestine of O. punctatus has been detected first discovery (enzyme activity up to 4800.15 U/g), indicating its ability to digest cellulose. By employing whole-genome scanning and high-throughput sequencing, a single cellulase gene (β-glucosidase) within the genome of O. punctatus, suggesting the absence of a complete cellulose digestive system. However, microbiological analysis revealed the three crucial role of microorganisms, including Actinobacteria (25.80 %), Bacteroidetes (18.93 %), and Firmicutes phylum (0.82 %), were found to play a crucial role in the decomposition of plant cell walls, thereby facilitating plant material digestion to help the host to complete the process of cellulose digestion. Expression patterns and proteomic analysis of the β-glucosidase were notably high in the gonads. In situ hybridization confirmed the expression of the β-glucosidase gene in the intestinal contents and gonads, highlighting its role in supplying energy of gonads. These discoveries shed light on the dietary habits of O. punctatus and its cellulose utilization, offering insights that can inform the development of customized feeding strategies to enhance aquaculture sustainability and minimize resource expenditure.

The Moderating Role Of Intellectual Capital In The Relationship Between Tax Avoidance And Firm Value

This research examines the relationship between tax avoidance and firm value by placing intellectual capital as a moderating variable. The research was conducted on companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) operating in the primary consumer goods sector, especially those in the food and beverage industry for 2019-2022. The method uses multiple linear regression panel data analysis to test the hypothesis. There were 68 samples used in testing after purposive sampling was carried out. The research results show that tax avoidance does not affect firm value. The presence of intellectual capital also cannot moderate the relationship between these two variables. It is hoped that this research can add to the literature for further research regarding the relationship between tax avoidance and firm value by including intellectual capital as a moderating factor. This research also contributes to investors making investment decisions related to tax planning policies in companies in the primary consumer sector, especially those in the food and beverage industry.

Factors Affecting Stock Price and Firm Value as Intervening Variable: The Case of Consumer Sector Firm-Listed at Indonesian Stock Exchange

The object of this research is primary consumer sector companies registered on the IDX, where the data is in the form of financial reports for the 2019-2023 period. The research method that is appropriate for this research is associative research because the author wants to know the influence of the Current Ratio, debt-to-asset ratio, and Net Profit Margin variables on stock prices with company value as an intervening variable. In this research, the operational variable is the stock price. (Z) as the dependent variable, company value (Y) as the intervening variable, while the independent variables are Current Ratio (X1), Debt to Asset Ratio (X2), and Net Profit Margin (X3). The indicators for share prices are closing prices; company value is price to book value; current ratio is current assets and current liabilities; debt to asset ratio is total debt and total assets; net profit is profit after taxes and sales. Based on the criteria for determining the sample size, 59 primary consumer sector companies meet these criteria. The following conclusions can be obtained: 1. The Current Ratio and net profit margin have a negative and insignificant effect on company value; 2. The Debt-to-Asset Ratio positively and significantly affects company value; 3. Net Profit Margin has a negative and insignificant effect on company value; 4. The Current Ratio has a positive but insignificant effect on share prices; 5. The Debt-to-Asset Ratio negatively and significantly affects share prices; 6. Net Profit Margin has a negative and insignificant effect on share prices, 7. Company value has a positive and significant effect on share prices

The comparative toxicity of biobased, modified biobased, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based microplastics on the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis

The escalating production and improper disposal of petrochemical-based plastics have led to a global pollution issue with microplastics (MPs), which pose a significant ecological threat. Biobased and biodegradable plastics are believed to mitigate plastic pollution. However, their environmental fate and toxicity remain poorly understood. This study compares the in vivo effects of different types of MPs, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) as a biodegradable plastic, polylactic acid (PLA) as a biobased plastic, β-cyclodextrin-grafted PLA as a modified biobased plastic, and low density polyethylene as the reference petrochemical-based plastic, on the key aquatic primary consumer Diaphanosoma celebensis. Exposure to MPs resulted in significant reproductive decline, with comparable effects observed irrespective of MP type or concentration. Exposure to MPs induced distinct responses in redox stress, with transcriptional profiling revealing differential gene expression patterns that indicate varied cellular responses to different types of MPs. ATP-binding cassette transporter activity assays demonstrated altered efflux activity, mainly in response to modified biobased and biodegradable MPs. Overall, this study highlights the comparable in vivo and in vitro effects of biobased, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based MPs on aquatic primary consumers, highlighting their potential ecological implications.