Search Results (1,345)

Understanding seasonal patterns in mammals’ diversity and spatial distribution is vital for effective biodiversity conservation. This study examines seasonal variations in mammal diversity and distribution in the Pénéssoulou Classified Forest (northwest Benin). We hypothesized that (i) species richness and abundance are highest during the rainy season due to greater water and food availability; and (ii) small mammals exhibit spatial clustering, whereas large mammals are more spatially dispersed. We carried out negative binomial regression to analyze the effects of season, vegetation type, and proximity to waterholes on species richness. Spatial patterns were analyzed using Moran’s I index across size categories. We found lower species richness in the dry season (β = −0.812 ± 0.375, p = 0.030), which supports our hypothesis and is likely driven by increased resource availability. Contrary to our expectation, small mammals tended to be more dispersed during the rainy season, while larger mammals showed greater dispersion in the dry season. Significantly lower species richness was observed in gallery forests (β = −2.794 ± 1.144, p = 0.015), probably due to seasonal flooding, which limits access to resources. Our findings underscore the importance of incorporating seasonal and habitat-specific variables into wildlife monitoring and management. Full article

Rice is one of the world’s most important staple crops, and outbreaks of insect pests pose a persistent threat to yield stability and food security in major rice-growing regions. Reliable field-scale rice pest detection remains challenging due to limited datasets, heterogeneous imaging conditions, and inconsistent annotations. To address these limitations, we construct RicePest-30, a field-oriented dataset comprising 8848 images and 62,227 annotated instances covering 30 major rice pest species. Images were collected using standardized square-framing protocols to preserve spatial context and visual consistency under diverse illumination and background conditions. Based on RicePest-30, YOLOv11 was adopted as the primary detection framework and optimized through a systematic hyperparameter tuning process. The learning rate was selected via grid search within the range of 0.001–0.01, yielding an optimal value of 0.002. Training was conducted for up to 300 epochs with an early-stopping strategy to prevent overfitting. For fair comparison, YOLOv5s, YOLOv8s, Faster R-CNN, and RetinaNet were trained for the same number of epochs under unified settings, using the Adam optimizer with a learning rate of 0.001. Model performance was evaluated using Precision, Recall, AP@50, mAP@50:95, and counting error metrics. The experimental results indicate that YOLOv11 provides the most balanced performance across precision, localization accuracy, and counting stability. However, all models exhibit degraded performance in small-object scenarios, dense pest distributions, and visually similar categories. Error analyses further reveal that class imbalance and field-scene variability are the primary factors limiting detection robustness. Overall, this study contributes a high-quality, uniformly annotated rice pest dataset and a systematic benchmark of mainstream detection models under realistic field conditions. The findings highlight critical challenges in fine-grained pest recognition and provide a solid foundation for future research on small-object enhancement, adaptive data augmentation, and robust deployment of intelligent pest monitoring systems. Full article

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne pathogens poses a major threat to global public health and food safety. Using 9393 U.S. isolates of Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, and Escherichia coli/Shigella collected from poultry, cattle, and swine between 2015 and 2025 and archived in the NCBI Pathogen Isolates Browser, we applied multivariate statistical analysis to characterize antimicrobial resistance patterns in isolates showing resistance to one to six antimicrobials (AMR-1 to AMR-6). Six antimicrobials—tetracycline, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, ampicillin, nalidixic acid, and ciprofloxacin—were identified through PCA-guided clustering and frequency profiling as the principal axes of co-resistance across pathogens. Tetracycline emerged as a foundational driver of multidrug resistance, while C. jejuni contributed almost exclusively to single-drug resistance and Salmonella enterica dominated higher-order AMR categories, reflecting species-specific ecological and genomic constraints. Gene analyses revealed a progressive, modular accumulation of resistance determinants, led by efflux pumps (mdsA, mdsB), tetracycline genes (tetA/B/O), aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes, sulfonamide genes (sul1/sul2), quinolone resistance determinants (gyrA, acrF, mdtM), and β-lactamases (bla_EC, bla_OXA, bla_CTX). Together, these results demonstrate that multidrug resistance in U.S. foodborne pathogens evolves through coordinated gene–drug–pathogen interactions rather than isolated events, underscoring the need for integrated surveillance and targeted stewardship strategies focused on the dominant antimicrobials and high-risk foodborne pathogens. Full article

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is an important economic and oil-bearing tree species, and the nutritional quality of its kernels is influenced by multiple environmental factors. Elevation is an ecological gradient that integratively reflects variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light availability and shows a certain degree of correlation with kernel nutritional quality. The aim of this study was to clarify the regulatory effect of elevation on the nutritional quality of walnut kernels in Chongqing and to optimize the layout of high-quality walnut production areas. This study used 181 walnut germplasm resources collected from 16 natural populations (production areas) in Chongqing. Six elevation ranges were defined (I: 200–600 m, II: 600–900 m, III: 900–1200 m, IV: 1200–1400 m, V: 1400–1600 m, VI: 1600–1800 m), and twelve nutritional traits of walnut kernels were systematically analyzed, including total fat, protein, soluble sugar, tannin, saturated fatty acids (stearic acid, palmitic acid, arachidic acid), and unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, cis-11-eicosenoic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid). The results showed that the fat content of walnut kernels was generally higher than 60%, with the highest value in zone VI (62.93%). The protein content was the highest in zone III (17.71%) and the lowest in zone VI (16.06%). Soluble sugar and tannin contents were relatively low, both peaking in zone II (3.10% and 10.85%, respectively). The overall content of saturated fatty acids was low, being slightly higher in zone II, with little variation among components across elevations. Among monounsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid was dominant, showing a decreasing–increasing trend with rising elevation, with the lowest value in zone II (20.98%) and the highest in zone VI (26.93%), while palmitoleic acid and cis-11-eicosenoic acid were maintained at low levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were dominated by linoleic acid, ranging from 51.22% to 61.04%, with the highest content in zone II and the lowest in zone VI. Comprehensive evaluation and cluster analysis grouped the six elevation zones into three categories, with zone II showing the best nutritional quality, particularly in terms of soluble sugar, stearic acid, and linoleic acid, while zone I had the lowest score. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the selection of high-quality walnut production areas and the precision cultivation of nutrient-rich walnut fruits, as well as important data support for the scientific planning and high-quality development of the walnut industry in Chongqing. Full article

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are nature-based solutions that integrate ecological processes for water purification, climate regulation, and biodiversity enhancement. However, biodiversity monitoring in CWs has often been underprioritized, limiting its recognition as a functional driver of ecosystem service performance. This study first developed the Biodiversity-based Ecosystem Service Index (BBESI), a hierarchical framework for evaluating biodiversity contributions to regulating services, and then systematically identified representative indicators from the literature to operationalize this framework. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 39 studies spanning tropical, temperate, and arid climatic regions were reviewed across six ecosystem functions: pollutant removal, nutrient retention, biological uptake, carbon storage, greenhouse gas regulation, and microclimate control. Indicators were considered representative when they demonstrated clear functional relevance to CW ecosystem processes and were repeatedly supported across the reviewed studies. These included microbial diversity metrics, nutrient-cycling functional genes, plant–microbe functional complementarity, and vegetation structural attributes. Each indicator was mapped to the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) framework, spanning Genetic Composition, Species Traits, Community Composition, Ecosystem Structure, and Ecosystem Function to provide a standardized basis for biodiversity assessment, using a rule-based assignment that prioritized the biological signal of each indicator rather than its functional category. Although all EBV classes were represented, this pattern reflects the available literature and is influenced by uneven reporting across microbial and plant indicators and across climatic regions, which limits broad generalization of indicator strength. The BBESI offers a transferable framework because its EBV-aligned structure and commonly measured indicators allow application across diverse CW designs and environmental contexts provided that multiple EBV co-signals are present rather than reliance on single-indicator measurements, with flexibility for future integration of various quantitative weighting approaches. Full article

The study of cognitive processes in sheep (Ovis aries) has gained interest in recent years, particularly for their potential as a model species in translational medicine. This scoping review aimed to identify, classify, and describe cognitive tasks developed to assess executive functions in sheep. A literature search followed PRISMA guidelines and used CAB Abstracts, PubMed, and Scopus to identify studies on cognitive tasks in sheep from 1 January 2010, to 4 August 2025. The search yielded 2873 records; after removing duplicates and applying inclusion criteria, 20 studies were analyzed. Data on animal categories, test methods, and timing were collected. The selected studies were grouped by cognitive domain: memory and flexibility (13), sensory discrimination (6), and problem-solving (6). All studies describe specific testing apparatuses tailored to assess distinct cognitive functions, detailing materials, apparatus dimensions, and the importance of pre-test periods, as well as the necessity of a reward system. The review emphasizes ethical testing that minimizes animal stress, supporting welfare. Standardizing cognitive tests can improve reliability, and comparability while integrating neurobiology, ethology, and welfare knowledge advances research and livestock care. Full article

Marine mammals have been successfully maintained under human care; however, the media, public, and professionals within the field frequently voice welfare concerns. This study systematically surveyed peer-reviewed (PR) literature from 1948 to 2024 (n = 1308) and included an opportunistic sample of non-peer-reviewed (NPR) literature from the past 40 years (n = 756) to evaluate research efforts associated with species housed in zoos and aquariums. The current study updates and extends previous efforts to assess research categories. The findings indicate that the volume of research published mirrors the species abundance in human care. Across taxa, PR papers concentrate on science that enhances the understanding of biological functions (Acoustics, Biology, Breeding, Behaviour, Health) but is not necessarily tailored to improve management or optimal care. In contrast, a substantial portion of the NPR literature focuses on daily handling and management, highlighting Environment and Management and Enrichment-related activities. While welfare-related research has increased in both PR and NPR literature, this review underscores the need for additional welfare-related empirical studies to further enhance animal care and wellbeing. We encourage those involved in the practical care of such taxa to empirically evaluate these interventions and disseminate their findings in the PR literature. Full article

Uganda is home to a rich diversity of bats, which carry high ecological and socioeconomic value through the ecosystem services that they provide. However, critical bat habitats, including caves, are facing increasing anthropogenic pressures, and the types and frequencies of disturbances to cave-roosting bats are not well understood in Uganda. Therefore, we examined the role of anthropogenic disturbances in caves to assess the threats posed to bat populations. We used the Bat Cave Vulnerability Index (BCVI) framework to score 14 caves inhabited by bats within the study region. We included qualitative surveys with human communities to better understand various aspects within the BCVI. All bat species recorded were of the IUCN category “Least Concern”. The BCVI indicated 50% of the caves (with insectivorous and frugivorous bats) require urgent conservation interventions due to high bat diversity and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., guano collection). Most of the caves studied were highly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances, as assessed in the study. All the caves we studied (except two) are outside the protected area, and due to their imputed vulnerabilities, interventions ought to be implemented to balance cave conservation and human use in the Mt. Elgon area. Such interventions should integrate human factors. Full article

Background: There are many methods of identifying microbial resistance to therapeutic agents; however, they can generally be classified into two main categories: phenotypic and genotypic. The study aims to determine drug sensitivity and to analyze the correlation between the results obtained from cultures on commercial chromogenic media Brilliance^TM CRE (OXOID) and Brilliance^TM ESBL (OXOID) and the occurrence of specific resistance genes carbapenemase (IMP, NDM, VIM, KPC, OXA), ESBL β-lactamase (TEM, SHV, CTX-M), and AmpC (CMY, DHA), which will be used in drug sensitivity tests. Methods: The present study used bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Escherichia coli, obtained from patients hospitalized in military hospitals in Poland. All strains were plated on the commercial chromogenic media and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Additionally, molecular assays detecting three main classes according to the mechanism of action, enzyme type carbapenemase (IMP, NDM, VIM, KPC, OXA), ESBL β-lactamase (TEM, SHV, CTX-M), and AmpC (CMY, DHA) were performed using the real-time PCR method. Results: The results of the studies indicate the presence of carbapenemases and ESBL genes. Among K. pneumoniae strains, the dominant gene was CTX-M-15 (88.89%), followed by the SHV (84.12%), NDM (46.03%), TEM (41.26%), KPC (34.92%), and OXA-48 (19.04%). In contrast, A. baumanii was dominated by carbapenemases from the OXA family (OXA-51 in 96.00% and OXA-24/40 in 84.00%). E. coli exhibits a high prevalence of CTX-M-15 (53.85%), TEM (46.15%), NDM (38.46%), and CMY-2 (30.77%). It was observed that the CTX-M-15 gene was commonly co-identified with SHV (n = 43). All tested strains grew on chromogenic Brilliance^TM CRE medium. In the case of Brilliance^TM ESBL medium, the genes determining the resistance mechanism were detected in 41.7% for A. baumannii, 53.8% for E. coli, and 100% for K. pneumoniae. Chromogenic media perfectly differentiate strains to species. A moderate positive correlation of the occurrence of the antibiotic resistance genes was observed for OXA-51 and OXA-24/40 genes, which were resistant to meropenem (rho = 0.45, p < 0.001). K-means cluster analysis performed on integrated genotype–phenotype data allowed for the identification of three distinct clusters characterized by distinct resistance gene profiles. These results demonstrate that selective agar media enable faster identification compared to other conventional techniques; however, the obtained results should be confirmed by other validated phenotypic methods, and, if possible, by a molecular assay. Full article

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) residues represent a promising and sustainable category of silage additives, with the potential to modulate fermentation and enhance nutrient preservation. This study investigated the effects of two CHMs, Astragalus membranaceus L. (Astragali Radix, AR) and Inula helenium L. (Inulae Radix, IR), on the fermentation profile, nutritional composition, and bacterial community structure in barley silage. The forage was ensiled without additive (control, CK), or with 1% or 2% (w/w) of AR or IR for 75 days. The results showed that all additive treatments significantly improved fermentation quality, as evidenced by lower pH and reduced ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N) content compared to CK. The 2% IR treatment was most effective in promoting homolactic fermentation, yielding the highest lactic acid content and lactic acid-to-acetic acid ratio. Nutritionally, additives significantly increased dry matter, starch, and water-soluble carbohydrates, while decreasing neutral and acid detergent fiber contents. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that both herbal additives profoundly reshaped the microbial community. They suppressed undesirable bacteria and significantly enriched beneficial Lactobacillus species. Principal component analysis confirmed a distinct separation in microbial community structure between control and treated silages. These findings underscore the potential of these herbal residues as natural modulators of the silage microbiome for improved forage conservation. Full article

Iris speculatrix was described from plants collected in Hong Kong and is accepted to extend through southeastern China. The species is scheduled under the Forestry Regulations and is regarded as endangered (EN) according to the IUCN categories. This enigmatic plant exhibits multiple morphological connections to other congeners, and was classified in contrasting groups such as the “Chinenses” or the “Ensatae” irises. Molecular work placed it as an isolated lineage sister to the beardless/uncrested subgroup of the so-called “Xiphion s.l. clade”. In this contribution, we integrate molecular analyses, including the plastid sequence data of I. speculatrix, together with a re-evaluation of morphological, ecological, karyological, chorological and phylogenetic data on the Hong Kong plant, to describe the new genus Portiodora. Three-taxon statement analysis was employed as a primary analytical tool, helping to clarify phylogenetic relationships and support the recognition of Portiodora. Two new combinations are established, and an identification key is presented for the “Iris-flower clade”. Relationships to other Chinese taxa often related to P. speculatrix, such as I. grijsii, I. cavaleriei and I. fujianensis are discussed, and their inclusion in Portiodora is not favoured based on the available data. Furthermore, the contribution of taxonomic resolution to biodiversity conservation is discussed. Full article

Fusarium species are destructive phytopathogens that cause devastating crop diseases worldwide. The development of botanical pesticides offers a promising strategy for sustainable disease management. This study investigated the antifungal efficacy and mechanism of dihydrochelerythrine (DHC) against Fusarium oxysporum. In vitro assays demonstrated that DHC exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect by compromising fungal cell membrane integrity, resulting in the leakage of water-soluble carbohydrates and intracellular proteins. Transcriptomic profiling revealed substantial alterations in global gene expression patterns following DHC exposure. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis classified the differentially expressed genes into two principal categories: Biological Process and Molecular Function. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis identified 13 significantly up-regulated and 5 down-regulated pathways. Our integrated analysis demonstrates that the antifungal activity of dihydrochelerythrine involves multi-target synergism: it directly disrupts cellular integrity by damaging the cell membrane, while concurrently downregulating key metabolic and signaling pathways, including MAPK signaling, porphyrin metabolism, and mitophagy, thereby impairing stress response and energy homeostasis. These findings identify promising molecular targets—such as ABC transporters and the MAPK pathway. Full article

Background: Biofilm-associated infections remain a major challenge in modern medicine due to their high resistance to antibiotics and immune defences. Advances in materials science, chemistry, and nanotechnology have led to the development of innovative, non-antibiotic approaches to prevent or eradicate biofilms. Methods: This review summarises antibiofilm strategies reported between 2020 and 2025, grouped into chemical, enzymatic, physical–photonic, nanomaterial-based, and biological hybrid categories. Results: Chemical methods such as silver-based chemical systems, nitric oxide donors, and biosurfactants disrupt bacterial membranes, generate reactive oxygen species, and inhibit quorum sensing. Enzymatic coatings with DNase I or lysostaphin effectively reduce Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis biofilms, showing stability after sterilisation and high biocompatibility. Physical–photonic techniques, including photocatalytic and light-activated coatings, provide controllable and renewable antibacterial activity. Nanomaterials such as silver nanomaterials, chitosan-based carriers, magnetic ferrites, and catalytic nanozymes enable targeted, ROS-mediated biofilm disruption. Biologically derived systems, including bacteriophage hydrogels and plant metabolites, offer eco-friendly, biocompatible alternatives. Conclusions: Recent antibiofilm innovations mark a transition from conventional antibiotics to multifunctional and adaptive systems integrating chemical, enzymatic, and physical mechanisms for effective biofilm control on medical surfaces. Full article

The Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP) program was conceptualized in 1985 to monitor coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests at multiple sites across the wider Caribbean. Mangrove monitoring was focused on the dominant Caribbean species, red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). Forest structure and productivity were monitored at 21 sites (18 countries) across different geomorphological settings, from tropical to subtropical mainland and island systems. Here, we provide the key findings from the CARICOMP mangrove data collected, mostly from 1992 to 2013, to assess spatial and temporal variability across the region. Red mangrove above-ground biomass averaged 190 t ha⁻¹ (far higher than previously reported) but ranged widely across sites from 33 to 590 t ha⁻¹, equating to an average above-ground ‘blue carbon’ of 84 t ha⁻¹ (range 15–260 t ha⁻¹). Tree density averaged 3237 trees ha⁻¹, tree basal area averaged 19.7 m² ha⁻¹, tree height averaged 6.1 ± 2.8 m, and seedling density varied from 1.2 to 74 seedlings m⁻² across the sites. Among the environmental factors that influence mangroves, local temperature and rainfall explained 48% of the variability in measured tree structure parameters. Annual litterfall, as a proxy for productivity, measured on average 1.24 ± 0.70 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹, with 60% of the total litterfall composed of leaves. Litterfall varied seasonally by 42%. No relationship was apparent between litterfall and seasonal ocean–atmosphere climate indices (ONI and AMM). With exception of the three most southwesterly CARICOMP sites, hurricanes and tropical storms impacted the mangrove sites repeatedly, resulting in considerable damage. A direct strike by a category-4 hurricane in 1998 in Dominican Republic killed 67% of the red mangrove trees, lowered above-ground biomass by 91%, basal area by 89%, litterfall by 63%, and resulted in the subsequent growth of many tall and thin saplings, totally changing the structure of the forest ecosystem in the first few years after the hurricane. In comparing mangrove systems, major differences may be explained by time elapsed since the last destructive event (hurricane) affecting each site. This highlights the fact that despite an increasing focus on preserving these valuable ecosystems, they are still highly vulnerable to natural hazards and likely to face a poor outcome under ongoing climate change. Full article

Farm animal welfare has become a key focus in contemporary discussions on ethical food production and sustainable agriculture. Public discourse and evolving consumer attitudes reflect a growing and increasingly sophisticated awareness of animal welfare issues. This study investigates how Italian consumers evaluate the welfare of different farm animals and how such evaluations are influenced by socio-demographic factors, personal attitudes, and the level of knowledge in livestock production systems. Using survey data from 391 respondents and applying regression analysis, the study highlights significant variation in perceived welfare across species. In general, attitudinal variables are the most consistent and significant predictors of perceived animal welfare across all animal categories. Moreover, respondents with professional experience in livestock production tend to view the welfare of cattle and swine more favorably. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to align animal welfare standards with public expectations and to promote more informed, ethical consumer choices. Full article