Search Results (205)

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of pigmented cells, is critical for visual function through its interaction with the neural retina. In healthy eyes, RPE cells exhibit a uniform hexagonal arrangement, but under stress or disease, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), dysmorphic traits like cell enlargement and apparent multinucleation emerge. Multinucleation has been hypothesized to result from cellular fusion, a compensatory mechanism to maintain cell-to-cell contact and barrier function, as well as conserve resources in unhealthy tissue. However, traditional two-dimensional (2D) imaging using apical border markers alone may misrepresent multinucleation due to the lack of lateral markers. We present high-resolution confocal images enabling three-dimensional (3D) visualization of apical (ZO-1) and lateral (α-catenin) markers alongside nuclei. In two RPE damage models, we find that seemingly multinucleated cells are often single cells with displaced neighboring nuclei and lateral membranes. This emphasizes the need for 3D analyses to avoid misidentifying multinucleation and underlying fusion mechanisms. Lastly, images from the NaIO₃ oxidative damage model reveal variability in RPE damage, with elongated, dysmorphic cells showing increased ZsGreen reporter protein expression driven by EMT-linked CAG promoter activity, while more regular RPE cells displayed somewhat reduced green signal more typical of epithelial phenotypes. Full article

In recent years, global agriculture has encountered several challenges exacerbated by the effects of changes in climate, such as extreme water shortages for irrigation and heat waves. Water-deficit stress adversely affects the morpho-physiology of numerous crops, including soybean (Glycine max L.), which is considered as promising crop in Bangladesh. Seaweed extract (SWE) has the potential to improve crop yield and alleviate the adverse effects of water-deficit stress. Remote and proximal sensing are also extensively utilized in estimating morpho-physiological traits owing to their cost-efficiency and non-destructive characteristics. The study was carried out to evaluate soybean morpho-physiological traits under the application of water extracts of Gracilaria tenuistipitata var. liui (red seaweed) with two varying irrigation water conditions (100% of total crop water requirement (TCWR) and 70% of TCWR). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that among the four treatments, the 70% irrigation + 5% (v/v) SWE and the 100% irrigation treatments overlapped, indicating that the application of SWE effectively mitigated water-deficit stress in soybeans. This result demonstrates that the foliar application of 5% SWE enabled soybeans to achieve morpho-physiological performance comparable to that of fully irrigated plants while reducing irrigation water use by 30%. Based on Pearson’s correlation matrix, a simple linear regression model was used to ascertain the relationship between unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-derived vegetation indices and the field-measured physiological characteristics of soybean. The Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE) strongly correlated with stomatal conductance (R² = 0.76), photosystem II efficiency (R² = 0.78), maximum fluorescence (R² = 0.64), and apparent transpiration rate (R² = 0.69). The Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) had the highest correlation with leaf relative water content (R² = 0.87), the Blue Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (bNDVI) with steady-state fluorescence (R² = 0.56) and vapor pressure deficit (R² = 0.74), and the Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (gNDVI) with chlorophyll content (R² = 0.73). Our results demonstrate how UAV and physiological data can be integrated to improve precision soybean farming and support sustainable soybean production under water-deficit stress. Full article

A detailed morphological characterization is presented for Oriboglyphus maorianus gen. et sp. nov., a newly discovered modern representative of the relict family Schizoglyphidae, found in a nest of the termite Stolotermes ruficeps in New Zealand. This is the second extant schizoglyphid species known from modern material, and its discovery provides rare insight into a transitional stage in the evolution of astigmatid life cycles. The phoretic stage appears to be a tritonymph—rather than the typical deutonymph—based on key morphological traits including three-segmented palps, three pairs of genital papillae, and the presence of a pharynx. These features suggest that early astigmatid mites evolved multiple ontogenetic routes to dispersal, including tritonymphal, deutonymphal, and possibly adult phoresy, before the canalization of life cycles around deutonymphal dispersal. The persistence of putatively ancestral traits in schizoglyphids, along with their apparent ecological conservatism in termite nests, indicates the role of environmental stability in preserving modes of life history that otherwise appear extinct. We also provide a key to describe Schizoglyphidae species and discuss the implications of this discovery for understanding the origins of phoresy-related metamorphosis in Astigmata. Full article

Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of the supplementation of protease sources on growth and carcass response, gut health, nutrient digestibility, and cecal microbiota profiles in broilers fed poultry-by-product-meal (PBM)-containing diets. Methods: In total, 800 one-day-old mixed-sex broilers (Arbor Acres) were weighed and allocated to one of the four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, with eight replicates and 25 birds each per replicate. The treatments were as follows: (1) T₀, control diet (without protease supplementation and 3% PBM); (2) T₁, control diet supplemented with acidic protease at 100 g/ton (50,000 U/g); (3) T₂, control diet supplemented with alkaline protease at 200 g/ton (25,000 U/g); (4) T₃, control diet supplemented with neutral protease at 200 g/ton (25,000 U/g). Results: Protease supplementation enhanced (p < 0.05) body weight gain and the feed conversion ratio, predominantly in broilers fed PBM-based diets containing alkaline protease. Alkaline protease supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the apparent ileal digestibility of proteins (AIDP) by 4.3% and the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids (AIDAA) by up to 5.8%, except for ornithine. Increments (p < 0.05) in carcass, breast, and leg quarter yields due to protease supplementation were evident, particularly in broilers fed diets containing alkaline protease. Alkaline protease improved (p < 0.05) the duodenal villus height (VH), reduced the crypt depth (CD), and increased the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VCR). Alkaline protease supplementation reduced (p < 0.05) cecal counts of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium in the broilers, whereas it increased (p < 0.05) the Lactobacillus counts. Conclusions: the supplemented alkaline protease resulted in improved growth performance and carcass traits, better gut health, as well as improved ileal digestibility of nutrients, including crude protein (CP) and acid insoluble ash (AIA), with a more balanced cecal microbial composition in broilers. Full article

Agrobiodiversity decline depends on wider-scale landscape ecological traits. Studying inter-scale patterns helps in understanding context-specific farm-scale biodiversity issues and needs. In this study, we investigated the drivers of agrobiodiversity in four Po Plain sites (northern Italy), an intensively impacted agricultural district. Farm-scale floristic–vegetational indicators reflecting anthropic disturbance (biological forms, chorological traits, and maturity traits) were studied for their relationship with species richness and phytocoenosis α-diversity values. Their correlation with local- and extra-local-scale landscape ecology traits was also studied. Species richness and α-diversity were negatively related to floristic contamination and therophytes; they tended to increase with the Eurasiatic and phanerophyte ratio, suggesting a role of disturbance conditions on diversity values. Extra-local/local scale showed similar relationships with farm-scale floristic–vegetational traits; correlation was higher for local scale. Species richness and α-diversity tended to increase with higher landscape natural components, landscape diversity, biological territorial capacity, and connectivity. These landscape traits also tended to be positively related to Eurasiatic, hemicryptophyte, chamaephyte, phanerophyte, and maturity values, while they were negatively related to adventitious, wide distribution, aliens, and therophytes. Corridors’ ecological quality apparently influenced disturbance-related species amount. Maps representing these inter-scale biodiversity facets are provided (land-use-based support ecosystem service maps integrated with landscape diversity maps). The detected patterns orient context-specific multi-scale biodiversity support. They confirm the theoretical frameworks and should be validated on wider datasets to strengthen their representativeness. Full article

The genus Musa L. is one of the most important genera worldwide due to its use in food as a source of carbohydrates. A morphological characterization was performed to evaluate the potential of 100 accessions of Musa spp. from the Amazon region of Ecuador, applying 73 qualitative and quantitative descriptors in addition to the ecogeographic characterization. The multivariate analyses identified four large groups: The first is composed of the Musa AAB Simmonds ecotype “Hartón Plantain” and the “Cuerno Clone”. The second group is composed of the Musa acuminata Colla ecotype “Orito”. The third group is composed of the Musa acuminata ecotype “Malay plantain or red plantain”; and the fourth group is composed of the Musa × paradisiaca L. AAB ecotype “Barraganete” and banana or banana materials and the Musa AAB Simmonds ecotype “Plátano Dominico”. The qualitative descriptors with the highest discriminant value were the shape of the ♂ floret bud, the appearance of the rachis, and the pigmentation of the compound tepal, and the quantitative discriminant characters were the height of the pseudostem, the length of the leaf blade, the width of the leaf blade, and the weight of the raceme. The analysis with CAPFITOGEN of these 100 accessions through the ecogeographic characterization map identified 23 categories, highlighting category 20 with a coverage of 40.35%, which mainly includes the provinces of Orellana, Sucumbíos, part of Napo, Pastaza, and Morona Santiago. This category occurs within an annual temperature range between 21.6 °C and 27 °C, an apparent density of 1.25 to 1.44 g cm⁻³, and a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 4 to 29 Cmol kg⁻¹. The morphological characterization of 100 Musa accessions revealed significant phenotypic variability, with four distinct morphological groups identified through cluster analysis. Key differences were observed in traits such as bunch weight, fruit length, and vegetative vigor. This variability highlights the potential of certain accessions for use in genetic improvement programs. The findings contribute valuable information for the efficient conservation, selection, and utilization of the Musa germplasm in Ecuadorian agroecosystems. The results demonstrate the existence of an important genetic variability in the INIAP Musa Germplasm Bank in the Ecuadorian Amazon region. Full article

Birds exhibit naturally high blood glucose concentrations, a physiological trait that, unlike in mammals, does not lead to typical pathological consequences such as diabetes mellitus. This review explores the unique features of glucose metabolism in birds, with a particular focus on the anatomy and function of the avian pancreas, the roles of key hormones such as insulin and glucagon, as well as the distinctive mechanisms of glucose absorption and utilization. Evidence suggests a dominant role of glucagon over insulin, along with adaptations such as insulin resistance and antioxidant defenses, which may contribute to birds’ apparent resilience to hyperglycemia-related complications. Despite these adaptations, cases of diabetes mellitus have been reported, primarily as secondary to other pathologies, including pancreatitis, hemochromatosis, infections, and toxicities. Diagnosis remains challenging due to interspecies variability and the lack of standardized assays. Treatment, mainly via insulin therapy, has shown mixed outcomes, often limited by the underlying disease severity. This review highlights the need for species-specific diagnostic tools and a deeper investigation into the pathophysiology of glucose regulation in birds, aiming to improve clinical outcomes, develop standardized therapies, and ultimately broaden the perspectives of comparative endocrinology. Full article

Waxy sorghum–soybean intercropping is a sustainable and intensive farming system in southwest China. However, there is limited knowledge about the effects of intercropped soybean combined with nitrogen application on nitrogen uptake and utilization in waxy sorghum. A two-year (2023 and 2024) field experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design with three planting patterns and three nitrogen application rates to explore the responses of grain yield formation and nitrogen uptake, accumulation, transportation, metabolism physiology, and utilization of waxy sorghum for intercropped soybean combined with nitrogen application. Planting patterns included sole cropped waxy sorghum (SCW), sole cropped soybean (SCS), and waxy sorghum intercropped with soybean (WSI), and nitrogen application rates included zero nitrogen (N0), medium nitrogen (N1), and high nitrogen (N2). Results showed that the dry matter accumulation amount, nitrogen content, nitrogen accumulation amount, nitrogen transportation amount, nitrogen transportation rate, contribution rate of nitrogen transportation to grains, nitrogen metabolizing enzymes activities (including nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase), and active substances contents (including soluble sugar, soluble protein, and free amino acid) in various organs of waxy sorghum among planting patterns and nitrogen application rates were in the order of WSI > SCW and N1 > N2 > N0, respectively. In addition, the nitrogen uptake efficiency, nitrogen agronomy efficiency, nitrogen apparent efficiency, nitrogen recovery efficiency, nitrogen partial factor productivity, and nitrogen contribution rate of waxy sorghum among planting patterns and nitrogen application rates were in the sequence of WSI > SCW and N1 > N2, respectively. The changes in above traits resulted in the WSI-N1 treatment obtaining the highest grain yield (6020.66 kg ha⁻¹ in 2023 and 6159.81 kg ha⁻¹ in 2024), grain weight per spike (65.22 g in 2023 and 64.51 g in 2024), 1000-grain weight (23.14 g in 2023 and 23.18 g in 2024) of waxy sorghum, and land equivalent ratio (1.41 in 2023 and 1.44 in 2024). Overall, waxy sorghum intercropped with soybean combined with medium nitrogen application (220 kg ha⁻¹ for waxy sorghum and 18 kg ha⁻¹ for soybean) can help enhance the nitrogen uptake and utilization of waxy sorghum by improving nitrogen metabolizing enzymes’ activities and active substances’ contents, thereby promoting its productivity. Full article

This study investigated the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with high-protein cottonseed meal (CSM) and de-phenolized cottonseed meal (DPCSM) on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, serum biochemical parameters, slaughter traits, and meat quality in yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 5760 one-day-old male Liangfeng Hua broilers were randomly divided into five groups with eight replicates per group. The control group was fed a corn-SBM diet (SBM group), while the CSM₅₀, CSM₁₀₀, DPCSM₅₀, and DPCSM₁₀₀ groups replaced 50% and 100% of the equivalent protein from SBM with CSM and DPCSM, respectively. Compared to the control group, the CSM₅₀ and DPCSM₅₀ groups showed no significant negative effect on growth performance; however, dietary calcium digestibility was significantly reduced on day 21. Furthermore, CSM₁₀₀ and DPCSM₁₀₀ adversely impacted growth performance, significantly reducing crude fat digestibility and increasing serum urea nitrogen levels on day 42. The broilers in these groups also had reduced pre- and post-slaughter body weights, while those in the CSM₅₀ and DPCSM₁₀₀ groups exhibited decreased half-clearance rates. In addition, the CSM₁₀₀ group had significantly increased pectoral muscle drip loss and a* (24 h) values. pH values measured at 45 min and 24 h were significantly elevated in the DPCSM₅₀ and DPCSM₁₀₀ groups. In conclusion, the replacement of SBM with CSM and DPCSM in yellow-feathered broiler diets should be limited to 50%. Full article

The experiment was conducted to determine the interaction effects of parity and DFM supplementation from early gestation (G 21) to lactation (L 21) on reproductive performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), colostrum IgA and IgG, and mature milk composition. Three hundred pregnant sows were blocked by parity (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6–9) and randomly assigned to two experimental diets in a randomized complete block design, with a control (CON, n = 150) group and direct-fed microbial (DFM, n = 150) group. The DFM contained 5 × 10⁷ cfu/g of Bacillus subtilis and 2 × 10⁶ cfu/g of Lactobacillus spp. Reproductive traits recorded included total born (TB), born alive (BA), litter weight (LW), piglets born dead (PBD) weaning weight (WW), number of weaning pig (NWP), and PWM. Two separate 14 d ATTD trials were conducted on G86 to G100 and L7 to L21. Colostrum samples were collected at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h post-partum and mature milks were collected at L7 and L14 for Ig and composition analysis, respectively. Total Ig concentrations were measured by an ELISA. The interaction between diet and parity was found on LW, colostrum IgG, milk lactose, and protein (p < 0.05). Regardless of parity, sows fed DFM had greater reproductive performance with higher BA, LS, LW, and lower in PWM (p < 0.05). DFM also improved the ATTD of organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and ether extracts (EE) (p < 0.05) at G100 and gross energy (GE), CP, and EE (p < 0.05) at L21. Entire IgG and 3 h post-partum IgA in colostrum were higher in DFM than in the CON diet (p < 0.05). Parity effects were seen on NWP, LW, CP, and EE, colostrum Ig at 12 and 24 post-partum, milk protein, and lactose at L7 (p < 0.05). Moreover, the parity showed linear effect on TB, BA, LW, litter size (LS), WW, total PWM, the ATTD of OM and EE, colostrum IgG at 12 h and IgA at 12 and 24 h post-partum, milk fat at L7 and L21, and milk lactose at L14 (p < 0.05). Stepwise prediction for average colostrum IgG (mg/mL) by using nutrient digestibility = −112.97 + 0.706GE(%) + 0.518CP(%) + 0.267EE(%) (n = 267, R² = 0.38, RSD = 6.7, p < 0.001). In summary, supplementing dietary DFM during early gestation through weaning had positive effects on production, the lifetime of sows, and better nutrient utilization, resulting in better milk quality and better piglet growth. Full article

Avocado seeds (which are discarded during fruit processing) generate residue that could be utilized in pig feeding. The objective of this study was to test the effects of dietary inclusion of dried-milled avocado seeds (DAS) on pig performance, nutrient and energy digestibility, plasma biochemical parameters, and carcass and meat traits. Twenty-four Landrace × Large White barrows (24 kg body weight, BW) were randomly allocated to three experimental treatments: control diet (CO; 18% CP, 1.12% Lys, and 14 MJ ME/kg), and two diets in which 100 or 200 g DAS/kg partially replaced a CO diet (S10 and S20, respectively). Pigs were individually housed (22 ± 1 °C), and feed and water were provided ad libitum. Animals were weighed weekly and individual intake was monitored daily. The total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD) and nitrogen balance were determined. The experiment ended at 40 kg BW, when the animals were slaughtered for blood and tissue sampling. Voluntary feed intake was not affected by the addition of up to 200 g DAS/kg to the diet. However, growth, nutrient TTAD, and nitrogen retention were depressed at the highest DAS inclusion level. The nutritional characteristics of longissimus lumborum muscle were not affected by DAS ingestion. The inclusion of up to 100 g DAS/kg in the diets of growing pigs could be used to add value to this waste product. Full article

Lilium davidii var. unicolor is an important genetic resource for the origin of Asiatic hybrid lilies and a vital edible lily resource in China. To develop new lily germplasm combining ornamental and edible values, this study conducted five hybrid combinations between Lilium davidii var. unicolor (abbreviated as LDU) and Tiger/Pearl series Asiatic hybrid cultivars. Fourteen quantitative traits, along with spot patterns and flower color, were measured in 196 individual plants from the hybrid population, encompassing plant growth and ornamental traits. The brightness (L*), red–green component (a*), and yellow–blue component (b*) of flower color were measured and analyzed. Additionally, the genetic variation in growth and ornamental traits among the hybrid progeny was investigated. Studies have shown that the progeny of Lilium davidii var. unicolor and hybrids with lilies of different ploidy levels exhibit significant diversity in growth traits. Specifically, the F1 generation is characterized by increased plant height and larger flower diameter. Regarding tepal spotting, all five combinations produced both spotted and non-spotted individuals, with a ratio ranging from 3:1 to 5:1. Notable variation in spot distribution and density was observed among spotted individuals, with four combinations exhibiting apparent heterosis, particularly in two combinations involving tetraploid parents. Spots displayed diverse patterns, including scattered, concentrated, and ring-shaped distributions. Cluster analysis based on brightness (L*), redness–greenness (a*), and yellowness–blueness (b*) values categorized the flower colors of the hybrid population into four major types: orange, yellow/yellow-white, light pink, and red. Notably, the hybrids predominantly exhibited enhanced brightness (L*) and yellowness–blueness (b*), with the orange color spectrum being the most prevalent. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the improvement of ornamental traits and germplasm innovation in lilies. Full article

While the differences between domesticated crops and their wild relatives have been extensively studied, less is known about their rhizosphere microbiomes, which hold potential for breeding stress-resistant traits. We compared the rhizosphere microbiomes of domesticated wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and its wild ancestor (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) in a typical agricultural field using 16S rRNA and ITS gene sequencing. Our results revealed a high level of conservation in the rhizosphere microbiomes between wild and domesticated wheat, with minimal divergence in community composition and microbial network structure. However, domesticated wheat exhibited a higher prevalence of fungal pathogens and increased functional redundancy, with significant enrichment of genes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling. The microbial community assemblies in both wheats were predominantly governed by deterministic processes. This suggests that long-term conventional agricultural practices have imposed minor effects on the compositional differences between the microbiomes of wild and domesticated wheat. Nonetheless, the lower abundance of apparent pathogens in the rhizosphere of the wild wheat suggests greater natural biota or innate host plant resistance against pathogenic fungi. This study may provide valuable insights into the host selection, assembly patterns, and functional potential of microbial communities in wild versus domesticated wheat, with implications for manipulating microbial communities in future crop breeding. Full article

Background: Autism spectrum disorder has been argued to involve impairments in domain-general predictive abilities. There is strong evidence that individuals with ASD have trouble navigating the dynamic world due to an inability to predict the outcomes of particular events. There is also evidence that this is apparent across the diagnostic criteria of ASD and common among correlates of ASD. However, the question remains as to whether this impairment in predictive abilities is domain-specific or domain-general, with little research investigating prediction in linguistic measures. Methods: The current study investigated whether individuals with ASD showed atypicalities in linguistic prediction using a cloze probability task. In Experiment 1, 33 individuals with ASD were compared to 64 typically developing individuals in an offline cloze task. Results: There was no significant effect of an ASD diagnosis on the cloze probability. However, individuals with higher levels of autistic traits were significantly more likely to produce lower-probability (non-modal) cloze responses. In Experiment 2, 19 individuals with ASD were compared to 22 typically developing individuals in a lab-based cloze task, in which we also measured the reaction times to begin speaking (i.e., voice onset time). The results showed that individuals with ASD had significantly slower reaction times (~200 ms) but, similarly to Experiment 1, did not show differences in the cloze probability of the responses produced. Conclusions: We conclude that individuals with ASD do show inefficiency in linguistic prediction, as well as indicating which ASD traits most strongly correlate with these inefficiencies. Full article

Global climate variability is projected to result in more frequent and severe droughts, which can have adverse effects on New Zealand’s endemic tree species such as the iconic kauri (Agathis australis). Several studies have investigated the physiological response of kauri to medium- and long-term water stress; however, no research has used hyperspectral technology for the early detection and characterization of water stress in this species. In this study, physiological (stomatal conductance (g_s), assimilation rate (A), equivalent water thickness (EWT)) and leaf-level hyperspectral measurements were recorded over a ten-week period on 100 potted kauri seedlings subjected to control (well-watered) and drought treatments. In addition, plant functional traits (PTs) were retrieved from spectral reflectance data via inversion of the PROSPECT-D radiative transfer model. These data were used to (i) identify key PTs and narrow-band hyperspectral indices (NBHIs) associated with the expression of water stress and (ii) develop classification models based on single-date and multitemporal datasets for the early detection of water stress. A significant decline in soil water content and physiological responses (g_s and A) occurred among the trees in the drought treatment in weeks 2 and 4, respectively. Although no significant treatment differences (p > 0.05) were observed in EWT across the whole duration of the experiment, lower mean values in the drought treatment were apparent from week 4 onwards. In contrast, several spectral bands and NBHIs exhibited significant differences the week after water was withheld. The number and category of significant NBHIs varied up to week 4, after which a substantial increase in the number of significant indices was observed until week 10. However, despite this increase, the single-date models did not show good model performance (F1 score > 0.70) until weeks 9 and 10. In contrast, when multitemporal datasets were used, the classification performance ranged from good to outstanding from weeks 2 to 10. This improvement was largely due to the enhanced temporal and feature representation in the multitemporal models. Among the input NBHIs, water indices emerged as the most important predictors, followed by photochemical indices. Furthermore, a comparison of inverted and measured EWT showed good correspondence (mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) = 8.49%, root mean squared error (RMSE) = 0.0026 g/cm²), highlighting the potential use of radiative transfer modelling for high-throughput drought monitoring. Future research is recommended to scale these measurements to the canopy level, which could prove valuable in detecting and characterizing drought stress at a larger scale. Full article