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Journals in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

    • Ecological Complexity

      • ISSN: 1476-945X
      An International Journal on Biocomplexity in the Environment and Theoretical EcologyEcological Complexity is an international journal devoted to publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed articles on the complex nature of ecological systems, observed and theoretical and special issues on related and emerging topics. In addition to ecological questions, the journal welcomes papers that ask ecological questions by linking natural and social processes at various spatio-temporal scales.Ecological Complexity will publish research into the following areas: • Ecosystems and the biosphere as complex adaptive systems • Self-organization of spatially extended ecosystems • Emergent properties and structures of complex ecosystems • Ecological pattern formation in space and time • The role of biophysical constraints and evolutionary attractors on species assemblages • Ecological scaling (scale invariance, scale covariance and dynamics across scales), allometry, and hierarchy theory • Ecological topology and networks • Studies towards an ecology of complex systems • Approaches to complex systems for the study of dynamic human-environment interactions • Using knowledge of nonlinear phenomena to better guide policy development for adaptation strategies and mitigation to environmental change • New tools and methods for studying ecological complexityThe papers that should appear in this journal are characterized by: • Biocomplexity related to the environment and vice versa • Inter disciplinarity (e.g. biology, ecology, environmental science, mathematics, modelling) • Integration of natural and social processes (esp. over time)
    • Food Hydrocolloids

      • ISSN: 0268-005X
      Food Hydrocolloids publishes original and innovative research concerned with the characterisation, functional properties and applications of hydrocolloid materials used in food products. Hydrocolloids are defined as polysaccharides and proteins of commercial importance that are added to food products to control, for example, the texture, stability, rheology and sensory properties. The key focus of the research should be on the hydrocolloids themselves. The source and nature of the hydrocolloid materials should be fully described and details of their physicochemical characteristics provided. Manuscripts should clearly outline the specific aims and objectives of the research and must include a fundamental discussion of the research findings at the molecular level and their significance. Manuscripts that simply report data without providing a detailed interpretation of the results will not be accepted for publication in the journal. Studies on hydrocolloids in complex formulations should focus on their influence on the overall properties and their mechanism of action. Simple formulation development studies that primarily aim to optimize proportions of mixed ingredients and/or processing conditions to enhance formulated product properties will not be considered for publication.The main areas of interest are:Chemical and physicochemical characterisation of hydrocolloid materialsThe rheological properties of hydrocolloid solutions including viscosity, viscoelastic properties and gelation behaviourThe influence of hydrocolloids on food microstructure, texture and organoleptic propertiesThe interfacial properties of hydrocolloids including stabilisation of dispersions, emulsions and foamsInteractions in mixed hydrocolloid systems including phase behaviour, complexation and conjugationThe film forming properties of hydrocolloids with application in edible films, coatings and active packagingThe function and performance of hydrocolloids in 3D printing formulations for food applicationsThe encapsulation and controlled release of active compounds for inclusion in food formulationsThe modification of hydrocolloid functionality through chemical, biochemical and physical processesThe physicochemical characteristics and application of hydrocolloid materials from non-traditional sources with commercial potential in foodsHealth aspects, particularly the role of hydrocolloids as dietary fibreManuscripts that deal with the use of hydrocolloids in medical settings such as encapsulation of drugs, wound dressings and tissue engineering or research involving animal studies will not be considered for publication in Food Hydrocolloids. Such work would be more appropriate for publication in Food Hydrocolloids for Health. This is an open access companion Journal devoted to hydrocolloids applied in human health and nutrition.The Food Hydrocolloids Journal publishes Review articles that provide a focussed overview of the latest developments in emerging topics of specific interest to researchers in this field of activity.
    • Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part B: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

      • ISSN: 1096-4959
      Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology (CBP) publishes papers in comparative, environmental and evolutionary physiology.Part B: Biochemical and Molecular Biology (CBPB), focuses on biochemical physiology, primarily bioenergetics/energy metabolism, cell biology, cellular stress responses, enzymology, intermediary metabolism, macromolecular structure and function, gene regulation, evolutionary genetics. Most studies focus on biochemical or molecular analyses that have clear ramifications for physiological processes.All four CBP journals support and follow the editorial direction from all the major societies in the field:Australia & New Zealand Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (ANZSCPB)American Physiological Society (APS)Canadian Society of Zoologists (CSZ)Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft (DZG)European Society of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (ESCPB)Japanese Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (JSCPB)South American Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry (SASCPB)Societe de Physiologie (SDP)Society for Experimental Biology (SEB)Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB)Benefits to authorsCBP journals are focused on promoting the authors and the work published in the journal:All articles are carefully evaluated directly by the Editors-in-Chief who are leading experts in their field.Availability: contact the Editor-in-Chief for any questions you may have.The Journal will provide upon request free PDFs to all authors who may not have access to their articles via their institution or library.Publication is free to authors (no color or page charges).Supporting open access: if your funding body or institution requires your article to be open access, CBP offers that option. Please see details here.Reuse figures from any CBP article via "get rights and content" hyperlink available within each article (below author names and affiliations) on ScienceDirect.Please click here for more information on more general author services.Other CBP journals Part A (CBPA): Molecular & Integrative Physiology Part C (CBPC): Toxicology & Pharmacology Part D (CBPD): Genomics and Proteomics
    • Forest Ecology and Management

      • ISSN: 0378-1127
      Science to Sustain the World’s ForestsForest Ecology and Management focuses on scientific articles linking forest ecology with forest management, with potential application of biological and ecological knowledge to the management and conservation of plantations and natural forests.The journal encourages communication between scientists in disparate fields who share a common interest in ecology and forest management, bridging the gap between scientists and forest managers. A peer-review process ensures the quality and international interest of the manuscripts accepted for publication. Authors are invited to benefit from editorials that provide advice for constructing strong papers.We encourage submission of papers that will be of strong interest and value to the Journal's international readership. Some key features of papers with strong interest include: 1. Clear connections between the ecology and management of forests; 2. Novel ideas or approaches to important challenges in forest ecology and management; 3. Studies that address a population of interest beyond the scale of single research sites (see the editorial, Three key points in the design of forest experiments, Forest Ecology and Management 255 (2008) 2022-2023); 4. Review Articles on timely, important topics. Authors are invited to contact one of the Editors to discuss the suitability of a potential review manuscript, which can be a regular review, an Mini review or a Tamm review (see the Guide for Authors for details about each type of review article).We invite to read the following editorial article with more advice in relation to preferred articles: How to avoid having your manuscript rejected: Perspectives from the Editors of Forest Ecology and Management, Volume 473, 1 October 2020, 118321.The Journal encourages proposals for special issues examining important areas of forest ecology and management. Potential guest editors should contact one of the Editors to initiate a discussion about topics, potential papers, and other details.
    • Agricultural Systems

      • ISSN: 0308-521X
      Agricultural Systems is an international journal that deals with interactions - among the components of agricultural systems, among hierarchical levels of agricultural systems, between agricultural and other land use systems, and between agricultural systems and their natural, social and economic environments. Manuscripts submitted to Agricultural Systems generally should include both of the following:substantiv... natural science content (especially farm- or landscape-level biology or ecology, sometimes combined with social sciences), and substantive analysis and discussion of the interactions within or among agricultural systems components and other systems.Preference is given to manuscripts that address whole-farm and landscape level issues, via integration of conceptual, empirical and dynamic modelling approaches.The scope includes the development and application of systems analysis methodologies (diagnosis, simulation and mathematical modelling, participatory modelling, multi-criteria assessment, trade-off analysis, participatory design, etc.) in the following areas:agroecology and the sustainable intensification of agriculture as well as transition pathways for sustainable intensification; decision-making and resource allocation in agricultural systems; the interactions between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes; the multiple services provided by agricultural systems from food security to environmental services; adaptation and transformation of agricultural systems in the era of global change; development and application of tools and methods for agricultural systems design, assessment and management; innovation systems and multi-stakeholder arrangements that support or promote change and/or informs policy decisions; and big data and the digitalisation of agriculture and their effects on agriculture.The following subjects are discouraged:economet... descriptive or other statistical analyses that exclude systems considerations, landscapes, land use change studies, or other economic analyses without substantive natural science content; development of typologies unless the typology developed forms the basis for further systems analysis; results from crop or livestock trials unless from systems trials or the results address systems issues; studies focusing on social or political outcomes that lack a clear systems framework and direct application to agricultural systems (i.e. the farm production system or landscape, their activities or components, their interactions or synergies); conceptual frameworks without empirical implementation (unless submitted as a short communication); studies focusing on specific chemical constituents of plant or animal species or their products; studies of the operation or efficiency of agricultural or food processing machinery, or of agricultural supply chains without a substantive biological component; life cycle analysis (LCA) studies that are primarily descriptive unless LCA is combined with other types of methods that address interactions within agricultural systems or between those systems and their environment.Such subjects are not considered for publication unless they clearly provide substantive and highly generalizable new insights regarding processes operating at farm or landscape levels or describe novel analytical methods applicable to a wide variety of agricultural systems.
    • Trends in Plant Science

      • ISSN: 1360-1385
      Trends in Plant Science is the original and leading monthly review journal in plant science, featuring broad coverage of basic plant science, from molecular biology through to ecology. Succinct and readable reviews and opinions on basic research topics provide instant overviews of current thinking and new developments in plant biology. Aimed at researchers, students and teachers, our articles are always authoritative, and are written by both leaders in the field and rising stars.Articles for Trends in Plant Science are generally invited by the editor, but proposals for articles are welcome. Prospective authors should use the presubmission enquiry form at https://www.cell.com... note that Trends in Plant Science is not a primary research journal and thus cannot consider manuscripts that rely on unpublished data.ReviewsReview articles form the core of each monthly issue and are invited from leading researchers in a specific field. These articles offer a balanced account of newly emerging or rapidly progressing fields and provide a guide to the most relevant recent literature and prospects for future research.OpinionsOpi... articles present a personal viewpoint of a field- or research-related subject. They can cover timely controversial topics or debates, provide a new interpretation of an old problem or current issue, or speculate in depth on the implications of some recently published research or data. Opinion articles aim to stimulate debate rather than provide a comprehensive review of a topic.FrontmatterThe front section of the journal contains letters, forum articles, scientific life, spotlights, science and society type articles, and book reviews articles:Letters usually discuss a recent article in Trends in Plant Science or, very occasionally, a matter of general interest. Where letters discuss a Trends in Plant Science article, the author of that article will normally be invited to reply, thereby providing a forum for debate within the journal.Scientifc life are short essays written on topics relating to a scientist?s life and career aiming to provide commentary on broader issues relevant to the community.Forum articles featuring single-point hypotheses and novel models are intended to provide a forum for discussion of issues and advancements that are of broad significance to the plant science community. Possible topics can include future outlook essays that serve to introduce or encourage research in a new field, reflections and new insights on long-standing questions and debates, and general analyses of common scientific practices or tools used in a field.Spotlight articles are intended to provide a forum for discussion of events and advancements that are not limited to a discussion of previously published research articles. Possible topics can include both, future outlook essays that serve to introduce or encourage research in a new field and general analyses of common scientific practices or tools used in a field.Science and society type articles aim to discuss important issues at the interface of academic research and society, such as those relating to policy, environment or health. These articles will be aimed at a broad audience, written in a journalistic style and are intended to be provocative and to stimulate debate.Visit the Cell Press website for more information about Trends in Plant Science - http://www.cell.com/...
    • Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

      • ISSN: 0167-8809
      An interdisciplinary journal on the interactions between agroecosystems and the environmentAgricultu... Ecosystems & Environment is a leading interdisciplinary forum that publishes research investigating all aspects of agroecological science. Our objective is to advance understanding of the patterns and processes governing agroecosystem functions, interactions with the environment and provision of ecosystem services. A central theme is how agriculture influences the environment and how changes in that environment impact agroecosystems.Agric... Ecosystems & Environment publishes novel, high impact research conducted at various spatial scales - from experimental plots and field trials to farm-, agroecosystem- and landscape-level investigations - with preference given to hypothesis-based and/or data-rich investigations. We particularly encourage broadly significant studies of agroecosystems that deal with cross-scale interactions, bridge scientific disciplines or integrate new knowledge and perspectives relevant to agroecosystem management or agri-environmental policies. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment rarely publishes papers focused on the management of a specific agricultural system in a particular environmental setting unless the research produces new and compelling findings; therefore, submissions should be placed in an international and/or widely comparative context.All manuscripts are initially screened on their topic suitability. AGEE's core subject-matter fields/topics include (but are not limited to): • Mechanisms governing bio-physical features and functioning of agroecosystems (e.g., the biogeochemistry, ecology, and sustainability of agricultural systems) • The interplay between agroecosystems and the environment (soil, air, and water) and the role of ecological processes in provision of ecosystem services • Agroecosystems and their role in catalyzing/mitigatin... global change (climate change, greenhouse gases and biodiversity loss) • Ecological consequences of land use intensification and other human impacts (soil degradation and erosion, water and waste management, and associated mitigation approaches) • Environmental implications of agricultural land use and land use change (biodiversity conservation and land management, and ecological restoration and stewardship)The following topics are discouraged unless they provide new information that complements AGEE's core subject-matter areas: • Inventory and survey analysis (including life cycle and energy analysis) • Impact assessment and environmental/compli... monitoring investigations • Exclusively greenhouse- or laboratory-based studies • Studies on the development of models or methodologies and pure model applications • Studies that are purely agronomic, socio-economic, or political
    • Food Chemistry

      • ISSN: 0308-8146
      The Aims and Scope of Food Chemistry are assessed and modified on an annual basis to reflect developments in the field. This means that research topics that have been deemed in scope previously may now fall outside of the scope of the journal as our scientific and technical understanding of the fields evolve and topics become less novel, original or relevant to Food Chemistry .Food Chemistry publishes papers dealing with the advancement of the chemistry and biochemistry of foods or the analytical methods/approach used. All papers should focus on the novelty of the research carried out. The assessment of the manuscripts considers a number of elements including novelty, scientific rigour, scientific advancement of a particular field and the overall interest to the readership.Research advancing the theory and practice of molecular sciences of foods or cure/prevention of human diseases will not be considered for inclusion in Food Chemistry .Topics featured in Food Chemistry include:Chemistry relating to major and minor components of food, their nutritional, physiological, sensory, flavour and microbiological aspects;Bioactive constituents of foods, including antioxidants, phytochemicals, and botanicals. Data must accompany sufficient discussion to demonstrate their relevance to food and/or food chemistry;Chemical and biochemical composition and structure changes in molecules induced by processing, storage, distribution and domestic conditions;Effects of processing including novel ones and different extraction methods on the composition, quality and safety of foods, co-products, bio-based materials, , and processing wastes;Chemistry of food additives, contaminants, processing aids, and agro-chemicals, together with their metabolism, toxicology and food fate.We also accept Analytical Papers related to the microbiological, sensory, nutritional, physiological, authenticity and origin aspects of food. Papers should be primarily concerned with new or novel methods (especially instrumental or rapid) provided adequate validation is described including sufficient data from real samples to demonstrate robustness. Papers dealing with significant improvements to existing methods, or data from application of existing methods to new foods, or commodities produced in unreported geographical areas, will also be considered.For Analytical Papers, especially those dedicated to the development and validation of methods, authors are encouraged to follow internationally recognized guidelines, such as EURACHEM - for chemical compounds (https://www.eurache... or FDA - for microbiological data (https://www.fda.gov... and proper statistical methods should be applied. Special attention should be given to linearity, selectivity, determination of LOD/LOQ, repeatability and reproducibility of the analysis. Authors should also pay attention to trueness and, when possible (quantitative methods), determine the uncertainty of measurement. Overall, real samples should be analyzed by the state-of-the-art and the newly developed method for validation purposes. The results from new and novel methods (including sensors) should be compared with an acceptable reference method as part of the validation procedure (e.g. AOAC, CEN etc).Methods for the determination of both major and minor components of food especially nutrients and non-nutrient bioactive compounds (with putative health benefits) with proper validation in real samples will be considered.Results of method inter-comparison studies and development of food reference materials for use in the assay of food components;Methods concerned with the chemical forms in food, nutrient bioavailability and nutritional status;General authentication and origin [e.g. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Certificate of Specific Character (CSC)] determination of foods (both geographical and production including commodity substitution, and verification of organic, biological and ecological labelling) using chemical markers, providing sufficient data from authentic samples should be included to ensure that interpretations are meaningful.The following topics/manuscripts will not be considered for publication in Food Chemistry, unless otherwise stated.Clinical or engineering papers without contribution to chemistryPharmaceuti... or non-food herbal remedies;Traditional or folk medicines;Food supplements, botanicals and herbal extract including Royal Jelly and Propolis, bee pollen and pollen, unless they are added to food as part of functional food development;Survey/s... data;In silico studies and/or network pharmacology, or computational simulations without proper validation in vitro/in vivo;Papers containing a high proportion of molecular based content (these papers will be offered a transfer to our companion journal Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences);Work that is incremental and does not present significant advances in current scientific knowledge.
    • Aquacultural Engineering

      • ISSN: 0144-8609
      Official journal of the Aquacultural Engineering Society (AES)Aquacultural Engineering is concerned with the design and development of effective aquacultural systems for marine and freshwater facilities. The journal aims to apply the knowledge gained from basic research which potentially can be translated into commercial operations.Problems of scale-up and application of research data involve many parameters, both physical and biological, making it difficult to anticipate the interaction between the unit processes and the cultured animals. Aquacultural Engineering aims to develop this bioengineering interface for aquaculture and welcomes contributions in the following areas:– Engineering and design of aquaculture facilities – Engineering-based research studies – Construction experience and techniques – In-service experience, commissioning, operation – Materials selection and their uses – Quantification of biological data and constraintsMore basic studies in supporting disciplines (e.g. imaging, computer sciences, mechanical engineering) with little reference to aquacultural engineering will not be considered for publication.Style of presentation is flexible, but those papers dealing with specific problems should attempt to define them clearly in terms of systems engineering, quantifying the constraints, proposing solutions, implementing and detailing the design, and finally evaluating the outcome.
    • BioSystems

      • ISSN: 0303-2647
      BioSystems encourages theoretical, computational, and experimental articles that link biology, evolutionary concepts, and the information sciences. The journal is dedicated to publishing research on self-organizing information systems—with the goal of obtaining a better understanding of the origins of biochemical, genetic, epigenetic, physiological, cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, and biological organization and evolution.The scope of the journal encompasses the fundamental nature of biological information and (self)-organization. This includes quantum phenomena in information transfer, natural computing, biological coding systems, biological complexity, theoretical biology, artificial life, computational modeling of complex biological systems, evolutionary models of computation, application of biological principles to the design of novel computing systems, and the use of biomolecular materials to synthesize artificial systems that capture essential principles of natural biological information processing.The journal does not publish purely medical, computational, or ecological research, unless it is clearly linked to the basic and conceptual aspects of biological organization.The editors encourage articles that deal, in particular, with the following topics:Biological computationMolecular recognitionPhysical foundations of biologyQuantum phenomena in biological systemsCellular controlNeuromolecula... computingBiological coding systemsMolecular computing processesSelf-organi... and self-replicating systemsOrigin of the genetic codeOrigins and evolution of genomesStochastic evolutionary algorithmsOrigins and evolution of mind and languageEcological evolutionary developmental biologyReticulate evolution (symbiosis, symbiogenesis, lateral gene transfer)Simulation of genetic and ecological systemsApplications (neural nets, machine learning, robotics)History and philosophy of scienceIn addition, the editors encourage the following types of papers for submission: Papers that extract novel biological insights from multidimensional data, using AI-driven language modelsBiological hypothesis papers producing new insights based on a body of pre-existing empirical researchPerspectives papers intended to stimulate scientific discussions and provide guidelines for future directions