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Topic Review
Beef Cattle Metatarsal Growth Plate Lesions
Young beef bulls are predisposed to develop diseases of the growing skeleton, especially growth plate lesions. These lesions jeopardize both welfare and production, often leading to anticipated culling and reduced weight gain. However, beef cattle are prey animals and do not exhibit signs of pain and lameness until the disease becomes extensive and severe. Fast methods to screen for growth plate lesions' presence could lead to prompt treatment of the affected animals, enhancing recovery and diminishing losses.
  • 826
  • 19 Jan 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. 
  • 826
  • 29 Aug 2023
Topic Review
New sdRNA LBC Helper Virus from Killer Yeasts
The T. delbrueckii Kbarr2 killer strain contains two M killer viruses (Mbarr1 and M1) and a LBC virus (TdV-LBCbarr2), which has helper capability to maintain both M viruses. The genomes of TdV-LBCbarr1 and TdV-LBCbarr2 were characterized by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Both RNA genomes share sequence identity and similar organization with their ScV-LBC counterparts. They contain all conserved motifs required for translation, packaging, and replication of viral RNA. Their Gag-Pol amino-acid sequences also contain the features required for cap-snatching and RNA polymerase activity. However, some of these motifs and features are similar to those of LA viruses, which may explain that at least TdV-LBCbarr2 has a helper ability to maintain M killer viruses. 
  • 825
  • 13 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Gut Microbiota and Osteoarthritis
Some say that all diseases begin in the gut. Interestingly, this concept is actually quite old, since it is attributed to the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who proposed the hypothesis nearly 2500 years ago. The continuous breakthroughs in modern medicine have transformed our classic understanding of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and human health. Although the gut microbiota (GMB) has proven to be a core component of human health under standard metabolic conditions, there is now also a strong link connecting the composition and function of the GMB to the development of numerous diseases, especially the ones of musculoskeletal nature. The symbiotic microbes that reside in the gastrointestinal tract are very sensitive to biochemical stimuli and may respond in many different ways depending on the nature of these biological signals. Certain variables such as nutrition and physical modulation can either enhance or disrupt the equilibrium between the various species of gut microbes.
  • 825
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Bioacoustic Detection of Wolves
Wolves (Canis lupus) are generally monitored by visual observations, camera traps, and DNA traces. However, several studies use acoustic devices to monitor wolves.
  • 825
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Questionable Boundaries between Biological Disciplines
Recent and ongoing debates in biology and in the philosophy of biology reveal widespread dissatisfaction with the current definitions or circumscriptions, which are often vague or controversial, of key concepts such as the gene, individual, species, and homology, and even of whole disciplinary fields within the life sciences. To some extent, the long growing awareness of these conceptual issues and the contrasting views defended in their regard can be construed as a symptom of the need to revisit traditional unchallenged partitions between the specialist disciplines within the life sciences. I argue here that the current relationships between anchor disciplines (e.g., developmental biology, evolutionary biology, biology of reproduction) and nomadic concepts wandering between them is worth being explored from a reciprocal perspective, by selecting suitable anchor concepts around which disciplinary fields can flexibly move. Two examples are offered: a generalized anchor concept of generation that may suggests new perspectives on development and reproduction) and a species concept as unit of representation of biological diversity that may lead to a taxonomic pluralism to be managed with suitable adjustments of current nomenclature rules.
  • 823
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Leptospira in Slaughtered Fattening Pigs in Southern Italy
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis occurring worldwide, caused by pathogenic spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira, transmitted through direct contact with the urine of infected animals or a urine-contaminated environment. It has a negative economic impact on farm animals, causing economic losses and serious human diseases and mortality.
  • 822
  • 17 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress and Poultry
A challenge facing the poultry industry is related to the spread of pathogens within commercial farms and, consequently, its high dependence on antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Although the inclusion of antibiotics at sub-therapeutical levels in broiler diets has proven to be an efficient strategy through which to suppress the pathogenic bacteria in the gut and enhance animal performance, their usage as growth promoters has been banned in Europe due to concerns regarding the consequences of antibiotic resistance on human health. Under this context, plenty of phytochemicals and antioxidants are being explored in broiler diets.
  • 822
  • 15 Apr 2024
Topic Review
Preclinical Urethral Tissue Engineering Studies
While the reasons the positive results obtained in preclinical studies for urethral repair have not been reproduced in the subsequent clinical trials are complex, poorly designed experiments and a lack of quality in reporting might be some of the main reasons that hinder clinical translation. However, the quality of reporting in preclinical urethral tissue engineering studies remains unclear. Moreover, it is unknown if the quality of reporting has improved as a consequence of the introduction of the ARRIVE guidelines.
  • 821
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Marine Polysaccharides and Pigs Weaning
Weaning is the most crucial event in commercial pig farms in terms of animal productivity and health. The newly weaned pig not only transits from milk to a solid and more complex diet, but is also subjected to additional stressors including separation from sow and littermates, co-mingling with unknown pigs, adaptation to new environmental settings, and increased pathogen exposure. All these stressors result in reduced feed intake, lasting up to 48 h post-weaning, which is the main driver of the observed gastrointestinal dysfunction, poor performance, and post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD). Marine polysaccharides from macroalgae and chitin provide an interesting source of novel bio-actives and are interesting group of natural dietary supplements for use in pig nutrition due to their prebiotic, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory activities. Hence, they offer great potential as preventatives and prophylactics in pig diets.
  • 820
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
UASs Application in Viticultural Scenarios
New technologies for management, monitoring, and control of spatio-temporal crop variability in precision viticulture scenarios are numerous. Remote sensing relies on sensors able to provide useful data for the improvement of management efficiency and the optimization of inputs. unmanned aerial systems (UASs) are the newest and most versatile tools, characterized by high precision and accuracy, flexibility, and low operating costs. 
  • 818
  • 15 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Herbivory in Rewilding
The vision of rewilding is to return ecosystems to a “natural” or “self-willed” state with trophic complexity, dispersal (and connectivity) and stochastic disturbance in place. The concept is gaining traction, particularly in Europe where significant land abandonment has taken place in recent years. However, in reality, the purest form of rewilding (Rewilding Max) is constrained by a number of context-specific factors whereby it may not be possible to restore the native species that form part of the trophic structure of the ecosystem if they are extinct (for example, mammoths, Mammuthus spp., aurochs, Bos taurus primigenius). In addition, populations/communities of native herbivores/predators may not be able to survive or be acceptable to the public in small scale rewilding projects close to areas of high human density or agricultural land. Therefore, the restoration of natural trophic complexity and disturbance regimes within rewilding projects requires careful consideration if the broader conservation needs of society are to be met. Here we highlight the importance of herbivory as a key factor in rewilding.
  • 817
  • 26 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Targeting Platelet Activation in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is defined as permanent dilatation of the abdominal aorta, which most commonly occurs in the infrarenal region in humans. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a potentially fatal vascular disease that involves complex multifactorial hemodynamic, thrombotic, inflammatory, and aortic wall remodeling processes. However, its mechanisms are incompletely understood. It has become increasingly clear that platelets are involved in pathological processes of vascular diseases beyond their role in hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelet activation with membrane receptors and secreted mediators promotes thrombus formation and the accumulation of inflammatory cells, which may play an important role in the development of AAA by destroying the structural integrity and stability of the vessel wall. Turbulent blood flow in aortic aneurysms promotes platelet activation and aggregation. Platelet count and heterogeneity are important predictive, diagnostic, and prognostic indicators of AAA.
  • 817
  • 21 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Effects of Respiratory Viruses on the Bronchial Endothelium
Endothelial cells (ECs) comprise the inner surface of blood vessels as a single-cell layer that has the function of a semi-permeable barrier between circulating blood and underlying tissue; with a similar function in lymphatic vessels. ECs largely influence the spectrum of tissues that a virus can reach via circulation. ECs are effectors of the host response to viral infections; however, activation of host response to viruses occurs both in infected as well as uninfected cells, due to the diffusion of second messengers across intercellular gap junctions, and the secretion of paracrine mediators
  • 815
  • 30 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Jatropha Biodiesel Source
Environmental pollution is one of the most pressing challenges in today’s world. The main cause of this pollution is fuel emissions from automobiles and other sources. As industrialization progresses, people will be unable to compromise on the use of energy to power heavy machines and will be forced to seek out the best options. As a consequence, utilizing green fuel, such as biodiesel derived from natural sources, is a realistic option. Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) is recognized as the greatest feedstock for biodiesel production throughout the world, and it has gained a huge market value in the recent years. Conventional cultivation alone will not be sufficient to meet the global need for the plant’s biomass for the production of biodiesel. Adoption of plant tissue culture techniques that improve the biomass availability is an immediate need.
  • 812
  • 24 May 2022
Topic Review
Mechanisms of Fe Deficiency in the Rhizosphere
One of the most significant constraints on agricultural productivity is the low availability of iron (Fe) in soil, which is directly related to biological, physical, and chemical activities in the rhizosphere. The rhizosphere has a high iron requirement due to plant absorption and microorganism density. Plant roots and microbes in the rhizosphere play a significant role in promoting plant iron (Fe) uptake, which impacts plant development and physiology by influencing nutritional, biochemical, and soil components. The concentration of iron accessible to these live organisms in most cultivated soil is quite low due to its solubility being limited by stable oxyhydroxide, hydroxide, and oxides. The dissolution and solubility rates of iron are also significantly affected by soil pH, microbial population, organic matter content, redox processes, and particle size of the soil. In Fe-limiting situations, plants and soil microbes have used active strategies such as acidification, chelation, and reduction, which have an important role to play in enhancing soil iron availability to plants. In response to iron deficiency, plant and soil organisms produce organic (carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, phytosiderophores, microbial siderophores, and phenolics) and inorganic (protons) chemicals in the rhizosphere to improve the solubility of poorly accessible Fe pools. The investigation of iron-mediated associations among plants and microorganisms influences plant development and health, providing a distinctive prospect to further our understanding of rhizosphere ecology and iron dynamics.
  • 811
  • 16 May 2023
Topic Review
Floral Volatile Terpenoids
Floral volatile terpenoids (FVTs) belong to a group of volatile organic compounds (VOC) that play important roles in attracting pollinators, defending against pathogens and parasites and serving as signals associated with biotic and abiotic stress responses. Although research on FVTs has been increasing, a systematic generalization is lacking. Among flowering plants used mainly for ornamental purposes, a systematic study on the production of FVTs in flowers with characteristic aromas is still limited.
  • 810
  • 26 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Conservation
The biodiversity of our planet is under threat, with approximately one million species expected to become extinct within decades. The reason: negative human actions, which include hunting, overfishing, pollution, and the conversion of land for urbanisation and agricultural purposes. Despite significant investment from charities and governments for activities that benefit nature, global wildlife populations continue to decline. Local wildlife guardians have historically played a critical role in global conservation efforts and have shown their ability to achieve sustainability at various levels.
  • 809
  • 13 Jun 2023
Topic Review
California Sea Lion
The California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) is a charismatic marine mammal found along the western coast of North America, particularly in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Known for its sleek, torpedo-shaped body, intelligent demeanor, and remarkable agility in both water and on land, the California Sea Lion captivates observers with its playful antics and social behaviors. As opportunistic feeders, they primarily prey on fish, squid, and occasionally crustaceans, employing their keen senses and adaptability to thrive in diverse marine environments.
  • 808
  • 28 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Tail-Biting in Pigs
Tail-biting is globally recognized as a welfare concern for commercial swine production. Substantial research has been undertaken to identify risk factors and intervention methods to decrease and understand this vice. Tail-biting appears to be multifactorial and has proven difficult to predict and control. 
  • 807
  • 12 Nov 2021
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