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Topic Review
Oriental Small-clawed Otter
The Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea) is the smallest otter species in the world, native to freshwater and coastal habitats across South and Southeast Asia. Distinguished by its diminutive size and unique feature of partially webbed claws, this otter species exhibits a highly social nature, often living in extended family groups and engaging in cooperative hunting and grooming behaviors. As a skilled hunter of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, the Oriental Small-clawed Otter plays a vital ecological role in maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems throughout its range.
  • 434
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Reversible Methylation of N6-Methyladenosine in Plant Virus Infection
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification in the mRNAs of many eukaryotic species. The abundance and effects of m6A are determined by dynamic interactions between its methyltransferases (“writers”), demethylases (“erasers”), and binding proteins (“readers”). It has been indicated that there is a strong correlation between m6A and virus infection in mammals. In the case of plant virus infection, it appears that m6A plays a dual role. On the one hand, m6A acts as a plant immune response induced by virus infection, inhibiting viral replication or translation through methylation of viral genome RNAs. On the other hand, m6A acts as part of an infection strategy employed by plant viruses to overcome the host immune system by interacting with m6A-related proteins. 
  • 433
  • 25 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Types of Cultivation in Greenhouses
Greenhouse cultivation includes two types: conventional and hydroponic (cultivation substrate in soil, and cultivation substrate in water-based nutrient solution, respectively). Greenhouse cultivation systems have garnered substantial attention due to their ability to create a controlled environment for crop growth, resulting in higher yields, improved quality, and reduced water usage. 
  • 433
  • 17 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Plant Secondary Metabolites Involved in Biotic Stress Tolerance
Plant secondary metabolites are categorized into terpenoids (such as saponin), phenolics (such as flavones, lignin, isoorientin, tannin, flavonoids, and glyceollin), and nitrogen compounds (such as sinigrin and dhurrin). Different secondary metabolites show different metabolisms, which help to suppress the growth and development of herbivores. Phenolic metabolites with volatile compounds repel herbivores and protect the plant.
  • 433
  • 29 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Wearable Devices to Characterize Animal Behavior
The information that can be deduced from animal behaviors is diverse. Unlike in the past, these behaviors can now be monitored for extended periods of time, thanks to the many advanced tools and sensors. The changes in behavioral patterns can provide many indications and clues about various aspects of the animals’ needs and status.
  • 433
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Soil health in Pasture
The USDA-NRCS (United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource Conservation Service) defines soil as (i) the unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the Earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants, (ii) the unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on the surface of the Earth that has been subjected to and shows effects of genetic and environmental factors of climate (including water and temperature effects), and macro- and microorganisms, conditioned by relief, acting on parent material over a period of time. Soil health is an emerging paradigm for which much research in row crop agriculture has been undertaken. Research involving grazing lands and soil health has not been as active, a feature partially attributed to (i) greater erosional rates in cropland, (ii) loss of soil organic matter and reduced soil structure attributed to annual tillage practices, (iii) cash flow from cropland is easier to visualize than the value-added nature of grazing lands, and (iv) there exists more competitive grant funding sources for croplands. Grazing lands do require soil quality augmentation and investment in soil health to optimize their ecosystem services potential.
  • 432
  • 04 Nov 2021
Topic Review
The Nero Lucano Pig Breed
The Nero Lucano (NL) pig is a black coat colored breed characterized by a remarkable ability to adapt to the difficult territory and climatic conditions of Basilicata region in Southern Italy.
  • 431
  • 13 May 2021
Topic Review
Potential of Flow Cytometric Approaches in Food Industry
Microbial contamination, including the carryover of infectious microbes, is a global public health concern. An alternative technique that serves as a powerful, rapid, and highly sensitive method for the specific and non-specific detection, monitoring, enumeration, and characterization of microorganisms is flow cytometry (FCM).
  • 431
  • 12 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Grazing on Animal Productivity and the Environment
Grazing lands provide ecosystem services including regulation and storage of water flows, nutrient cycling, and C sequestration. Livestock grazing is the most important factor shaping and stabilizing pasture biodiversity. Some opportunities for pasture feeding are the health-promoting and nutritional qualities of milk and milk products, especially milk from pasture-fed cows. The beneficial effects of pasture feeding on animal health and welfare are not insignificant. Available organizational innovations can help better manage livestock grazing and, above all, better understand the impact of the grazing process on the environment and climate change.
  • 431
  • 17 May 2023
Topic Review
Diagnosing Staph Infections with VOC Biomarkers
Staphylococci are broadly adaptable and their ability to grow in unique environments has been widely established, but the most common and clinically relevant staphylococcal niche is the skin and mucous membranes of mammals and birds. S. aureus causes severe infections in mammalian tissues and organs, with high morbidities, mortalities, and treatment costs. S. epidermidis is an important human commensal but is also capable of deadly infections. The development of volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles for the detection and identification of pathogens is an area of intensive research, with significant efforts toward establishing breath tests for infections.
  • 430
  • 13 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Adverse Vaccine Reactions in Pets
A number of studies have demonstrated adverse reactions in pets after administering vaccines to both dogs and cats. Concern about adverse effects has led to revised guidelines that alter the recommended frequency and methods/locations for both vaccination of dogs and feline vaccination.
  • 429
  • 01 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Listeria in Conventional and Alternative Egg Production Systems
Listeria continues to be a persistent foodborne pathogen that is responsible for human cases of listeriosis when contaminated food products are consumed. Human subjects considered to be most susceptible include the elderly, immunocompromised, and pregnant women. Listeria is characterized as a saprophytic organism with the capability of responding and adapting to constantly changing environments because it possesses multiple stress response mechanisms to overcome varying temperatures, salt concentrations, and pH, among others. Primary foods and food products associated with listeriosis include dairy products and ready-to-eat meats such as turkey products. Historically, chicken eggs have not been identified as a primary source of Listeria, but the potential for contamination during egg production and processing does exist. Listeria species have been isolated from egg-processing plant equipment and are presumed to occur in egg-processing plant environments. Whether Listeria is consistently disseminated onto eggs beyond the egg-processing plant is a risk factor that remains to be determined. 
  • 429
  • 29 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Tannery Solid Wastes for Animal Feed
The animal food industry boasted a remarkable global trade value of USD 40.9 billion in 2021. Out of 1217 traded products, it secured the 110th spot, meaning that animal food represents a commanding presence, accounting for the top 9% of all traded commodities.
  • 429
  • 20 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Big Data on the Farm
The demand for poultry meat and eggs is predicted to considerably increase in pace with human population growth. Although this expansion clearly represents a remarkable opportunity for the sector, it conceals a multitude of challenges. Pollution and land erosion, competition for limited resources between animal and human nutrition, animal welfare concerns, limitations on the use of growth promoters and antimicrobial agents, and increasing risks and effects of animal infectious diseases and zoonoses are several topics that have received attention from authorities and the public. The increase in poultry production must be achieved mainly through optimization and increased efficiency. The increasing ability to generate large amounts of data (“big data”) is pervasive in both modern society and the farming industry. Information accessibility—coupled with the availability of tools and computational power to store, share, integrate, and analyze data with automatic and flexible algorithms—offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop tools to maximize farm profitability, reduce socio-environmental impacts, and increase animal and human health and welfare. A detailed description of all topics and applications of big data analysis in poultry farming would be infeasible. The principles and benefits of advanced statistical techniques, such as machine learning and deep learning, and their use in developing effective and reliable classification and prediction models to benefit the farming system, are also discussed.
  • 429
  • 15 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Housing Risk for Pigs in European Fattening Farms
Pig welfare is affected by housing conditions, the minimum requirements of which are set up by EU legislation. Animal and non-animal-based measures are useful indicators to investigate housing risk factors for pig welfare. An observational study on 51 pig farms in seven EU countries, aimed at investigating housing risk factors for the welfare of finishing pigs, showed body weight and presence of bedded solid floored resting area (BED) identifying three clusters of farms. Farms with BED were featured by no or limited tail docking, larger availability of manipulable materials and lower number of pigs per farm and per annual work unit. In these farms, less skin and ear lesions were found, compared with lean pigs of farms without BED, which were characterized by lower pig space allowance, mortality rate and medication cost. In farms without BED, heavy pigs were featured by more space per pig, more pigs per drinker and higher mortality rate and medication cost per pig, compared to lean pigs. No statistical difference in tail lesions was found between the three farm clusters, although tail docking was performed in all farms without BED and not performed on most farms with BED. 
  • 428
  • 22 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Economic Effects of Drone Usage in Plant Protection
Drones equipped with thermal cameras can detect temperature differences in plants, which can be an early indicator of pests or diseases.
  • 428
  • 20 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Malagasy Civet
The Malagasy Civet (Fossa fossana) is a unique carnivore endemic to the island of Madagascar, characterized by its slender body, short legs, and distinctive facial markings. Despite its name, the Malagasy Civet is not closely related to true civets and belongs to its own taxonomic family, Eupleridae. This elusive nocturnal mammal inhabits a variety of forested habitats across Madagascar, where it plays a vital role in controlling insect populations and contributing to ecosystem dynamics.
  • 428
  • 15 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Ferroptosis and Kidney Diseases
Ferroptosis is a newly identified form of regulated cell death driven by iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Ferroptosis has distinct biological and morphology characteristics, such as shrunken mitochondria when compared to other known regulated cell deaths. The regulation of ferroptosis includes different molecular mechanisms and multiple cellular metabolic pathways, including glutathione/glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4) signaling pathways, which are involved in the amino acid metabolism and the activation of GPX4; iron metabolic signaling pathways, which are involved in the regulation of iron import/export and the storage/release of intracellular iron through iron-regulatory proteins (IRPs), and lipid metabolic signaling pathways, which are involved in the metabolism of unsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes. Ferroptosis plays an essential role in the pathology of various kidneys diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
  • 427
  • 08 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Mechanism of Melatonin in Horticultural Plants
It has been discovered that melatonin, a hormone that is known for its involvement in regulating sleep-wake cycles in mammals, has a range of different functions in horticultural plants. Research has shown that melatonin plays an important role in many physiological processes in plants. This includes the regulation of growth and development, stress tolerance and antioxidant defense. Melatonin has been found to be beneficial in supporting seed germination, roots, shoot growth and biomass accumulation in horticultural crops. It also has a key role in regulating vegetative and reproductive growth stages, floral transition and leaf senescence. Moreover, melatonin helps to improve stress tolerance in crops by regulating root architecture, nutrient uptake and ion transport. Additionally, melatonin acts as a broad-spectrum antioxidant by effectively scavenging reactive oxygen species and enhancing antioxidant activity. The mechanism of melatonin's action in horticultural plants involves gene expressions, hormone signaling pathways and antioxidant defense pathways. Melatonin interacts with other plant growth regulators, including auxins, cytokinins and abscisic acid, to coordinate different physiological processes in plants. Melatonin has become a versatile chemical entity with diverse functions in horticultural plants and its potential applications in crop production and stress management are being increasingly explored. 
  • 427
  • 28 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Virus Mutations and SARS-CoV-2
The COVID-19 virus strains were named after Greek alphabetical letters, and the designation is based on the positions and number of mutations. There are some disagreements regarding mutations belonging to specific strain groups, probably because different mutations evolved and spread further on different continents and states.
  • 426
  • 30 Jan 2022
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