Search Results (1,651)

The Rhiniinae (Diptera: Calliphoridae), a recently reclassified subfamily of blowflies, comprise approximately 400 species across 30 to 39 genera, which occupy diverse ecological associations, including flower visitation and specialized associations with social insects, yet their phylogenetic relationships remain poorly established due to lack of molecular data. We sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of six representative Rhiniinae species, with which the phylogenetic analyses were conducted. The monophyly of Rhiniinae was robustly supported and the internal relationships were clarified. Rhiniini and Cosminini were both recovered as well-supported monophyletic tribes using comprehensive mitogenomic evidence for the first time. In contrast to the purifying selection prevailing in most protein-coding genes, the COII gene showed consistent signatures of positive selection, potentially linked to the functional optimization of cytochrome c oxidase. Overall, this study provides foundational mitogenomic data and a robust phylogenetic framework, offering valuable resources for future research on mitochondrial evolution and systematics within this ecologically intriguing lineage. Full article

The family Lecithoceridae represents one of the most diverse yet understudied groups within Lepidoptera, with numerous unresolved taxonomic problems that require urgent attention. This study reports one new species and four newly recorded species of the genus Amaloxestis Gozmány, 1973 from China. Amaloxestis similinepalensis Yu is described as new to science, while A. astringens Gozmány, 1973, A. callitricha (Meyrick, 1910), A. chiloptila (Meyrick, 1921) and A. nepalensis Gozmány, 1973 are newly recorded from China. All treated species were identified based on morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic evidence. Additionally, the females of A. chiloptila and A. nepalensis are described for the first time. Full article

This study investigates the regulatory effects of dietary supplementation with DMG-Na on growth performance, immunity, and intestinal development in IUGR lambs. A total of 45 lambs were used: thirty IUGR (3.10 ± 0.16 kg) lambs were randomly assigned to IUGR or IUGR + DMG-Na (0.1% in milk replacer from days 7–56) groups, with fifteen normal birth weight lambs as CON (4.32 ± 0.17 kg). At 56 days of age, eight lambs per group were slaughtered for sample collection. Compared to CON, IUGR lambs showed a significantly lower final body weight and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.01); IUGR also severely compromised intestinal structure, markedly decreasing villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio across all small intestinal segments (p < 0.01); immune function was impaired, with highly significantly lower jejunal secretory IgA (sIgA) (p < 0.01); and antioxidant capacity was diminished, evidenced by reduced jejunal GSH, catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities (p < 0.05) and increased jejunal MDA content (p < 0.01). Compared to IUGR, IUGR + DMG-Na group had highly significant increased final body weight and significant increased ADG (p < 0.01); it enhanced intestinal morphology, notably increasing villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio in the duodenum and jejunum (p < 0.01); immune markers improved, with elevated jejunal sIgA (p < 0.05); and antioxidant status was restored, demonstrated by increased jejunal GSH and CAT activities (p < 0.05) and decreased jejunal MDA content (p < 0.01). In conclusion, DMG-Na effectively counteracted IUGR-induced deficits by promoting intestinal development, immunity, and antioxidant capacity, ultimately improving growth performance. Full article

The monophyletic lineage Phytoptidae s. str. (Acariformes, Eriophyoidea) comprises ~75 described species in 17 genera associated with angiosperms. Since the last keys to the world genera of Eriophyoidea were published in 2003, five new phytoptid genera have been described: Neoprothrix (Reis & Navia 2014), Borassia Chetverikov, Craemer 2017, Solenoplatilobus Chetverikov & Craemer 2016, Solenocristus Chetverikov et al. 2018, and Calventer Chetverikov 2025. Here, we provide an updated generic key for the tribe Sierraphytoptini (Phytoptidae), describe a new genus Nothofagicola, propose a new combination N. nothofagalis n. comb. (Chetverikov et al. 2018) (transferred from Solenocristus), report the first findings of N. cf nothofagalis from Nothofagus pumilio and No. antarctica from Southern Chile and describe three new species of Nothofagicola collected in Central Chile from stems of three Nothofagus species (Fagales: Nothofagaceae): N. alpinae n. sp. from No. alpina, N. bicristata n. sp. from No. alessandrii, and N. licanteniensis n. sp. from No. glauca. We also provide a corrigendum to our previous paper and state that the correct accession numbers for mitogenomic sequences of Leipothrix aegopodiae and L. cf knautiae are OR268621 and OR268622, respectively (vice versa in the paper). Full article

Neosporosis, caused by N. caninum, is an emerging protozoan disease responsible for significant economic losses in the global dairy and meat industries, primarily due to abortion in cattle. Dogs serve as both definitive and intermediate hosts and play a key role in the parasite transmission cycle. Currently, effective control strategies remain limited, partly due to insufficient information on infection status. In Vietnam, data on N. caninum infection are scarce and mainly limited to cattle and buffalo. In this study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) based on recombinant NcGRA4 protein was applied and evaluated for the detection of anti-N. caninum antibodies in dogs. A total of 142 shelter dogs from Hanoi, northern Vietnam, were tested to determine seroprevalence. The NcGRA4-based iELISA detected an overall seroprevalence of 28.87% (41/142), whereas the indirect fluorescent antibody test (iFAT) showed a lower prevalence of 14.08% (20/142), indicating substantial exposure to N. caninum among shelter dogs in this region. Using iFAT as the reference method, the NcGRA4-based iELISA demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.00%, a specificity of 81.15%, and an overall accuracy of 82.39%. These findings indicate that the NcGRA4-based iELISA is a suitable screening tool for seroepidemiological surveillance of N. caninum infections in dogs. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses showed no significant associations between N. caninum seropositivity and the investigated variables, including age, sex, breed, and housing conditions. This study also provides the first serological evidence of canine exposure to N. caninum in Vietnam. Full article

As a dominant group of microzooplankton, the tintinnid ciliates (Ciliophora: Tintinnida) play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems by linking the microbial food loop with the classical planktonic food web. However, taxonomic understanding has been greatly hindered by lorica polymorphism, combined with limited data on living cells and infraciliature, which in turn constrains progress in related fields such as ecology and physiology. In the present study, two freshwater tintinnids, namely Tintinnopsis wangi Nie, 1933, and T. tubuformis Chiang, 1956, collected from the Weishan Lake Basin, China, were redescribed based on living observation and protargol staining. Furthermore, the ciliary pattern of T. wangi is first reported, while that of another species corresponds well with its Shanghai population, indicating relatively high intraspecific stability of ciliary patterns in Tintinnida. In addition, based on the comparison of morphological characteristics, T. anhuiensis Nie, 1933, and T. sinensis Chiang, 1956, are considered synonyms of T. wangi. The characteristics of all species were compared with their original descriptions and further studies. Full article

To date, the problem of mastitis in cattle remains relevant for both the industrial sector and scientific research. Despite numerous active investigations, the causes of this disease have not been fully established. It is postulated that several factors may be involved, such as bacterial pathogens, animal husbandry practices, and weather and climatic conditions. In this study, we selected cows from farms in Yakutia to investigate microbial isolates present in the milk of cows affected by mastitis and treated with antibiotics. Five identified Staphylococcus aureus isolates were investigated using whole-genome sequencing (Illumina sequencing and nanopore sequencing), followed by analysis of virulence factors in the genomes and cultural properties of the isolates. The profile of S. aureus virulence genes (exotoxins, cytotoxins, superantigen-like proteins, adhesins) was identified via WGS. Hemolysin gene (hla) was detected in all isolates. An investigation of the cultural properties of the isolates, specifically through hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes and Western blot analysis of the culture liquid of S. aureus, revealed different expression levels of alpha-hemolysin among the strains. One isolate (17-21) exhibited the highest secretion level of about 320 ± 37 ng, both in the hemolysis test and immunoblotting assay. An investigation of the isolates’ antibiotic resistance showed that all isolates exhibited multidrug resistance, as confirmed by the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in these isolates. One isolate (7-7) exhibited the broadest range of phenotypic resistance and was resistant to all tested antibiotics (except clindamycin). Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the evolution of these isolates occurred independently in their respective ecological niches, although their transfer from cattle to humans, and vice versa, is possible. Isolates 7-7, 18-22, 33-40, and 35-42 are most typical to Yakutian cattle, while isolate 17-21 might have been introduced from a different region. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-depth study into a range of S. aureus isolates associated with mastitis infection in Yakutian cattle. Full article

The objectives were: (i) mapping of bibliometric characteristics of publications related to sheep and goats internationally, (ii) comparison of publications related to each animal species, and (iii) comparison of characteristics in a 55-year long timespan from 1970 to 2024. The Web of Science was used with the following search terms: [sheep OR ovine OR Ovis aries] or [goat* OR caprine OR Capra hircus].account, and 165,052 papers related to sheep and 67,637 papers related to goats were considered. There was a progressive increase in papers published annually, with a higher proportion of papers related to goats published recently. Most papers were published in Small Ruminant Research (2.2% and 4.4% of papers related to sheep and goats, respectively), the journal with most published papers for 21 (sheep) and 29 (goats) years. Most papers originated from the United States of America, the country with most published papers for 52 (sheep) and 41 (goats) years. Most published papers related to sheep or goats were classified in the Dairy and animal sciences topics-meso. The two predominant topics-micro were Ruminant nutrition and Livestock reproduction for published papers related to sheep and papers related to goats. Overall, 31.7% and 34.9% of papers related to sheep and goats, respectively, were published under open access, with a progressive increase yearly. On average, papers related to sheep had received 0.93 citations annually and papers related to goats 0.73 citations annually. Full article

The evolutionary history and contemporary biogeography jointly shape the genetic architecture of marine species. This study investigates the phylogeny and population genetics of two closely related syngnathid fishes, Trachyrhamphus serratus and Trachyrhamphus longirostris. We report the first record of T. longirostris along the mainland coast of China, with samples collected from Yantai, Kenting, Zhanjiang, and Beihai. Population genetic analyses reveal genetic differentiation within T. longirostris, which exhibits low levels of genetic diversity across all sampled populations compared to T. serratus. The star-like haplotype network and significantly negative neutrality test values collectively indicate a recent population expansion event in T. longirostris. This study offers important insights into the evolutionary dynamics and biogeographic patterning of syngnathid fishes, with clear implications for their conservation and management. Full article

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is an important dietary source of health-promoting long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). As rearing conditions significantly influence fillet quality, this study evaluated the effects of warm and cool rearing temperature and photoperiod regimes on salmon growth, lipid profiles, and antioxidant capacity. Atlantic salmon (210 days old) were reared for 92 days under low temperature (14 °C, 12 h light) or high temperature (21 °C, 24 h light) conditions to simulate relevant seasonal conditions, winter and summer respectively. At day 302, conditions were reversed to create low-to-high (L→H) and high-to-low (H→L) treatments, continuing until day 362. Growth parameters, muscle lipid content, fatty acid profile, and antioxidant activity were measured at 302 and 362 days. Lipid content and fatty acid profile were also measured based on fillet location and fish sex. High rearing temperatures accelerated weight gain and increased total and neutral lipid contents, but elevated saturated fatty acids (SFA) and decreased PUFAs in structural polar lipids. High temperatures also significantly increased antioxidant activity, indicating elevated oxidative stress. Conversely, low temperatures suppressed growth but preserved essential PUFAs and maintained oxidative stability. Following the temperature shift, the H→L group had enriched polar lipids with PUFAs and maintained oxidative stability. On the other hand, L→H group showed lower PUFAs accumulation in polar lipid and enhanced oxidative stress. Total lipid content was higher in the head region, followed by the middle and tail sections of the fillet. However, fatty acid composition remained largely uniform across all three sections of the fillet. There were no significant differences in total lipid content between fish sexes. In conclusion, production efficiency and nutritional quality can be optimized by initially rearing salmon at high temperatures to promote rapid growth, followed by low temperature finishing phase to increase essential PUFA content and maintain oxidative stability. Full article

Livestock production significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) originating from enteric fermentation and manure management. This study quantified the GHG emissions and cumulative carbon footprint of four commercial sheep farms (SF1, SF2, SF3, and SF4) in the Bursa region of Türkiye, with flock sizes of 200, 500, 150, and 800 adult Merino sheep (mature ewes and breeding rams), respectively. Using the IPCC Tier 2 methodology, the biogenic carbon footprint was estimated at 15.6 kg CO₂-eq per kg of boneless sheep meat. However, when indirect inputs were included, the cumulative carbon footprint reached 28.8 kg CO₂-eq for ewes and 32.3 kg CO₂-eq for breeding rams. These results indicate that indirect emissions from feed production account for the primary environmental load (49.8%), while on-farm energy-related emissions represent a minor portion (0.3%) of the total impact. The results demonstrate that while enteric fermentation (32.5%) remains a critical biological factor, the environmental burden of the feed supply chain is equally significant in intensive systems. These findings highlight that excluding indirect inputs leads to a substantial underestimation of the climate impact, suggesting that mitigation strategies must integrate nutritional optimization with enteric methane reduction to decarbonize sheep production effectively. Full article