Diabetes and seeds: New horizon to promote human nutrition and anti-diabetics compounds in grains by germination.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex and heterogeneous chronic metabolic disorder disease that is associated with high blood sugar. Because of the side effects of synthetic drugs on T2D patients and their economic burden, interest in plant-derived functional foods like grains with biological activities has developed. Based on scientific reports, whole grains are rich sources of energy, nutrients, and bioactive compounds and are assumed to have beneficial health effects on glucose enzymes regulation or hyperglycemia. Nowadays, different methods have been applied to enhance whole seed healthful properties and anti-diabetic compounds, and germination is one of them. Germination (sprouting) is a cost-effective method for boosting the activity of endogenous seed enzymes and modifying the structure of macromolecules. Some of these macromolecules like bioactive peptides, polyphenols, dietary fiber, and vitamins are related to diabetes management. Determining the best germination condition can help to promote these anti-diabetics properties of compounds. This study presents relevant information about diabetes, the effect of seed germination on releasing bioactive compounds, and optimizing environmental germination conditions to improve the anti-diabetic compounds in seeds for reaching functional food.

Metabolome expression in Eucryphia cordifolia populations: Role of seasonality and ecological niche centrality hypothesis.

The ecological niche centrality hypothesis states that population abundance is determined by the position in the ecological niche, expecting higher abundances towards the center of the niche and lower at the periphery. However, the variations in the conditions that favor the persistence of populations between the center and the periphery of the niche can be a surrogate of stress factors that are reflected in the production of metabolites in plants. In this study we tested if metabolomic similarity and diversity in populations of the tree species Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. vary according to their position with respect to the structure of the ecological niche. We hypothesize that populations growing near the centroid should exhibit lower metabolites diversity than plants growing at the periphery of the niche. The ecological niche of the species was modeled using correlative approaches and bioclimatic variables to define central and peripheral localities from which we chose four populations to obtain their metabolomic information using UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS. We observed that populations farther away from the centroid tend to have higher metabolome diversity, thus supporting our expectation of the niche centrality hypothesis. Nonetheless, the Shannon index showed a marked variation in metabolome diversity at the seasonal level, with summer and autumn being the periods with higher metabolite diversity compared to winter and spring. We conclude that both the environmental variation throughout the year in combination with the structure of the ecological niche are relevant to understand the variation in expression of metabolites in plants.

Global evaluation of inhibitor impacts on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils: A meta-analysis.

Inhibitors are widely considered an efficient tool for reducing nitrogen (N) loss and improving N use efficiency, but their effectiveness is highly variable across agroecosystems. In this study, we synthesized 182 studies (222 sites) worldwide to evaluate the impacts of inhibitors (urease inhibitors [UI], nitrification inhibitors [NI] and combined inhibitors) on crop yields and gaseous N loss (ammonia [NH3 ] and nitrous oxide [N2 O] emissions) and explored their responses to different management and environmental factors including inhibitor application timing, fertilization regime, cropping system, water management, soil properties and climatic conditions using subgroup meta-analysis, meta-regression and multivariate analyses. The UI were most effective in enhancing crop yields (by 5%) and reducing NH3 volatilization (by 51%), whereas NI were most effective at reducing N2 O emissions (by 49%). The application of UI mitigates NH3 loss and increases crop yields especially in high NH3 -N loss scenarios, whereas NI application would minimize the net N2 O emissions and the resultant environmental impacts especially in low NH3 -N loss scenarios. Alternatively, the combined application of UI and NI enables producers to balance crop production and environmental conservation goals without pollution tradeoffs. The inhibitor efficacy for decreasing gaseous N loss was dependent upon soil and climatic conditions and management practices. Notably, both meta-regression and multivariate analyses suggest that inhibitors provide a greater opportunity for reducing fertilizer N inputs in high-N-surplus systems and presumably favor crop yield enhancement under soil N deficiency situations. The pursuit of an improved understanding of the interactions between plant-soil-climate-management systems and different types of inhibitors should continue to optimize the effectiveness of inhibitors for reducing environmental losses while increasing productivity.

Variation in feather corticosterone levels in Alpine swift nestlings provides support for the hypo-responsive hypothesis.

In birds, feather corticosterone values (CORTf) are increasingly used as a retrospective and integrative proxy of an individual's physiological state during the period of feather growth. Relatively high CORTf values are usually interpreted as an indicator of exposure to energy-demanding or stressful conditions during feather growth. However, in nestlings this interpretation might not always hold true. The reasons are that, firstly nestlings (especially altricial ones) still develop their hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity during the growth of their feathers. Hence, at a young age, nestlings might be unable to mount a substantial adrenocortical stress response. Secondly, some species are able to down-regulate their metabolism during food scarcity and therewith probably also their CORT release. Consequently, CORTf values may not unambiguously reflect whether nestlings have suffered from energy-demanding or stress situations. Relatively high CORTf values might indicate either energy-demanding or stressful conditions ('stress responsive hypothesis'), or - conversely - favourable conditions during the period of feather growth ('hypo-responsive hypothesis'). In the altricial Alpine swift (Tachymarptis melba), we tested which factors help to distinguish between the two hypotheses by considering factors which affect CORT release (brood size, weather) and factors which are affected by high CORT levels (nestling size and condition). We measured CORTf in 205 nestlings over 7 years and collected data on brood size, body size, body condition and prevailing weather. Nestling CORTf values were positively correlated with body condition and negatively with adverse weather, supporting the hypo-responsive hypothesis. Results from the Alpine swift study, supplemented with a survey of the literature, show that relatively easily collected parameters on brood size, nestling size and condition, and environmental factors can help to distinguish between the two hypotheses. A meaningful interpretation of nestling CORTf should only be made in the context of species-specific traits.

The coupling interaction of soil organic carbon stock and water storage after vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau, China.

Vegetation restoration may increase the soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) but decrease the soil water storage (SWS) of terrestrial ecosystems in arid and semiarid regions. To guarantee the sustainability of restoration, it is critical to evaluate the coupling interaction of SOCS and SWS. Here, we examined the spatial distributions of SOCS and SWS across a 0-200 cm soil profile in a grassland, forestland and shrubland on the Loess Plateau and determined the driving factors that affected their variations. Our results showed that SOCS and SWS varied across the 0-200 cm soil profile and considerably accumulated in the deep soil layers (100-200 cm). In comparison to SOCS, SWS generally had higher relative benefits in most studied plant communities, which ensured sustainable restoration. In addition, land use played a less important role than local environmental conditions in determining the variations in SOCS and SWS. Specifically, the interaction between SOCS and SWS was mainly strong in the surface soil layers (0-20 cm). Topography was a predominant factor that affected SOCS and SWS in the deep soil layers (100-200 cm), while soil texture was a stable driving factor influencing their variations across the whole soil profile (0-200 cm). Given the low moisture consumption of grasslands and the lowest root mean square deviation (RMSD) of Hippophae rhamnoides, we proposed an advanced scenario for ecological restoration on the Loess Plateau: establishing reasonably large Hippophae rhamnoides patches with fewer edges in a contiguous grassland matrix. Furthermore, this scenario should be tailored to local environmental conditions, such as soil water, texture and topography, followed by natural vegetation succession.

Simultaneous recording of subcutaneous temperature and total locomotor activity in Bos taurus and Bos indicus raised in a subtropical region of Argentina.

The aim of this study was to evaluate some physiological parameters as total locomotor activity and subcutaneous temperature in two different bovine breeds under tropical environment. In this study, total locomotor activity and subcutaneous temperature were evaluated in 18 clinically healthy female cows. All cows were divided into 3 groups: group A1 was constituted by 6 Holstein Bos taurus, group A2 was constituted by 6 female Herford Bos taurus cows, and group B was constituted by 6 female Bradford Bos indicus cows. Data recording of total locomotor activity (TLA) and subcutaneous temperature (ST) was performed by means of a subcutaneous thermometer (Thermocron) and an actimeter ACTIWATCH® (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd.) based on accelerometer technologies equipped on all subjects to record TLA. At the same time, thermal and hygrometric recording were carried out, considering the subtropical climate of Santa Fe. The application of GLM for statistical analysis showed a significant effect (P < 0.05) on statistical model and time of the day on TLA and ST for all groups; no significative effects on animal parameters were found for ST and TLA except for group B. Circadian parameters have been evaluated according to the single cosinor procedure of ST that showed a diurnal daily rhythmicity for all investigated groups and TLA which is focused almost during the photophase for groups A1 and A2 and during scotophase for group B. Considering different species and breeds, and different environmental conditions, this study suggested that some subjects may be much more able to adapt themselves to environmental stress than others. During their evolution from Bos taurus, zebu cattle (Bos indicus) have acquired genes that confer thermotolerance. Subjects from Bos indicus breeds are better able to regulate body temperature in response to heat stress than Bos taurus subjects.

Seasonal changes in yolk hormone concentrations carry-over to offspring traits.

Yolk hormones are substances which transmit non-genetic factors from the mother to the next generation. The systematic changes of yolk hormone concentrations within asynchronously hatching clutches have been interpreted as a means to adaptively shape the offspring's phenotype. However, in synchronously hatching clutches the role of yolk hormones is less understood. We investigated whether seasonal changes between eggs in the yolk hormones testosterone (Testo), progesterone (Prog) and corticosterone (Cort) also occur in the grey partridge, a synchronously hatching precocial species without direct food competition between siblings. Specifically we asked whether yolk hormone concentrations systematically vary with season and whether they affect the offspring's hatching mass, mass gain, circulating baseline and stress-induced Cort. Additionally, we investigated the effect of genetic background and food availability on yolk hormone concentrations by subjecting grey partridge hens of two strains (wild and domesticated) to two different feeding regimes (predictable vs. unpredictable feeding) during egg laying. We hypothesized that egg hormone concentrations change over the season, but breeding in captivity over many generations and ad libitum food access could have resulted in domestication effects which abolished potential seasonal effects. Results showed that progressing season had a strong positive effect on yolk Prog and yolk Testo, but not on yolk Cort. Feeding regimes and strain had no effect on yolk hormones. Offspring mass and mass gain increased and baseline Cort decreased with progressing season. In addition, yolk Testo correlated positively with offspring mass gain and negatively with baseline Cort, while yolk Prog had a positive correlation with baseline Cort. Strain and feeding regimes of the mother had no effect on offspring traits. In conclusion, grey partridge chicks hatching late in the season might benefit from the increased concentrations of the growth-stimulating yolk Testo and by this catch-up in development. Hence, yolk hormone concentration could adaptively shape the offspring phenotype in a precocial species.

Socio-demographic and environmental factors associated with diarrhoeal disease among children under five in India.

BACKGROUND: Globally, diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children under five and a major public health problem. Despite several health care initiatives taken by the government, a large proportion of children still experience diarrhoeal diseases which cause high childhood death in India. This study aims to examine the socio-demographic and environmental factors associated with diarrhoea in children under five in India. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed using secondary data from the recent round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), conducted in 2015-16. A total of 247,743 living children below 5 years of age were included in the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were carried out to assess the factors associated with childhood diarrhoeal disease. RESULTS: In India, about 9% of under-five children experience diarrhoeal disease in the past 2 weeks preceding the survey. Children living in rural areas (Adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.09), children belonged to scheduled tribe (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.89) and other castes (aOR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.97), Muslim children (aOR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.24), and children resided in the central (aOR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.52, 1.70) and west (aOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.15) regions were significantly associated with higher likelihood of diarrhoea in the past 2 weeks. Concerning environmental factors, child stool disposal (aOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.09), floor materials (aOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.12) and roof materials (aOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.13) of the household were found to be significant predictors of childhood diarrhoea occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhoeal disease is common among children who lived in rural areas, scheduled castes, Muslims, and children from poor families. Regarding environmental factors, stool disposal practices in the household, dirt floor, and thatch roof materials of the household unit are risk factors for diarrhoeal disease. Targeted approach should be initiated to mitigate the problem of the poor health status of children by providing adequate health care. The policy-makers and stakeholders should address adverse environmental conditions by the provision of latrine and improved housing facilities.

Effect of different sources and inclusion levels of dietary fat on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens raised under hot environmental conditions.

Objective: This experiment aimed to investigate the effect of different sources and inclusion levels of dietary fat on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens raised under hot environmental conditions. Method: A total of 480 Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 31 wk of age were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 experimental diets. The control diet contained 2,800 kcal/kg AMEn with no fat addition. Four additional diets were prepared by adding 2.0 or 4.0% of animal fat (AF) or soybean oil (SO). Energy and nutrient concentrations were consistent among all diets. Diets were fed to hens for 4 weeks. Average daily room temperature and humidity were 26.7 ± 1.52°C and 77.4 ± 4.50%. The heat stress index was approximately 76, indicating that hens were raised under heat stress conditions. Results: Final BW was greater (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing 2.0 or 4.0% AF than for those fed the control diet or diets containing 2.0 or 4.0% SO. The BW gain and feed intake were greater (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing additional AF or SO than those fed the control diet. Eggshell thickness were the greatest (p<0.05) for hens fed the control diet, but the least (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing 4.0% SO. Egg yolk color was the greatest (p<0.05) for hens fed to the control diet, but the least (p<0.05) for hens fed diets containing 4.0% SO. Conclusion: Inclusion of supplemental fat (AF and SO) in diets exhibits preventative effects on BW loss for hens raised under hot environmental conditions when energy and nutrient concentrations in diets were maintained. The effects were greater for AF than for SO. However, inclusion of supplemental fat in diets decreases eggshell thickness and egg yolk yellowness, possibly due to a reduction in Ca absorption and intake of egg yolk colorants.

Effects of sawdust thickness on the growth performance, environmental condition, and welfare quality of yellow broilers.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of litter thickness on growth performance, immune status, environmental condition, and welfare quality in yellow broilers. In total, 1,800 one-day-old Suqin yellow broilers were raised for 21 d. On d 22, 1,600 birds of similar BW (404±12 g) were randomly selected and placed into 20 indoor pens (8 birds/m2, 10 m2/pen). These birds were assigned to a litter treatment of 4, 8, 12, and 16 cm. Each treatment was repeated in five pens. The results showed that a thicker litter was related to increased BW, daily weight gain, and daily feed intake (P<0.001). Feed conversion ratio and mortality were unaffected by litter thickness (P=0.320, P=0.353, respectively). Absolute and relative liver weights showed a significant linear response to increasing litter thickness (P=0.01, P=0.001, respectively). The litter moisture content, air ammonia, and CO2 content decreased, whereas the air dust content increased with increasing litter thickness (P<0.001, P=0.017, P=0.033, P<0.001, respectively). Litter thickness had no effect on gait, plumage damage, hock burn or breast skin crusting (P = 0.076, P=0.964, P=0.131, P=0.401, respectively). Plumage cleanliness, foot pad dermatitis, hock swelling and breast blister varied significantly with litter thickness (P=0.027, P=0.011, P=0.014, P=0.042, respectively). The results of this study suggest that an increasing litter thickness has a beneficial effect on the growth performance, environmental condition and welfare of birds.

Annealing condition influences thermal hysteresis of fungal type ice-binding proteins.

The Antarctic sea ice diatom Navicular glaciei produced ice-binding protein (NagIBP) that is similar to the antifreeze protein (TisAFP) from snow mold Typhula ishikariensis. In the thermal hysteresis range of NagIBP, ice growth was completely inhibited. At the freezing point, the ice grew in a burst to 6 direction perdicular to the c-axis of ice crystal. This burst pattern is similar to TisAFP and other hyperactive AFPs. The thermal hysteresis of NagIBP and TisAFP could be increased by decreasing a cooling rate to allow more time for the proteins to bind ice. This suggests the possible second binding of proteins occurs on the ice surface, which might increase the hysteresises to a sufficient level to prevent freezing of the brine pockets which habitat of N. glaciei. The secondary ice binding was described as that after AFP molecules bind onto the flat ice plane irreversibly, which was based on adsorption-inhibition mechanism model at the ice-water interface, convex ice front was formed and overgrew during normal TH measurement (no annealing) until uncontrolled growth at the nonequilibrium freezing point. The results suggested that NagIBP is a hyperactive AFP that is expressed for freezing avoidance.

Effects of temperature, humidity, light, and soil on drug stability in hair: a preliminary study for estimating personal profiles using micro-segmental analysis of corpse hair.

PURPOSE: Micro-segmental hair analysis (MSA), which enables detailed measurement of the distribution of drugs in a single hair strand, is useful for examining the day of death and drug use history of a person. However, corpses are often found in severe environments, such as soil and freezers, which affect the drug contents in hair. Therefore, we examined the effects of temperature, humidity, light, and soil on drug stability in hair as a preliminary study to estimate personal profiles using MSA of corpse hair. METHODS: Four hay-fever medicines (fexofenadine, epinastine, cetirizine, and desloratadine) were used as model drugs to evaluate drug stability in hair. Reference hair strands consistently containing the four medicines along the hair shaft were collected from patients with hay-fever who ingested the medicines daily for 4 months. The hair strands were placed in chambers with controlled temperatures (- 30 to 60 °C) and relative humidities (ca. 18 % and > 90 %), exposed to light (sunlight and artificial lights) or buried in soil (natural soil and compost). RESULTS: Sunlight and soil greatly decomposed the hair surfaces and decreased the drug contents in hair (up to 37 %). However, all analytes were successfully detected along the hair shaft, reflecting the intake history, even when the hair was exposed to sunlight for 2 weeks and buried in the soil for 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although the exposure to sunlight and storage in soil for long times made drug-distribution analysis difficult, MSA could be applied even to hair strands collected from corpses left in severe environments.

Laboratory studies on the infectivity of human respiratory viruses: Experimental conditions, detections, and resistance to the atmospheric environment.

The environmental stability of infectious viruses in the laboratory setting is crucial to the transmission potential of human respiratory viruses. Different experimental techniques or conditions used in studies over the past decades have led to diverse understandings and predictions for the stability of viral infectivity in the atmospheric environment. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on the effect of simulated atmospheric conditions on the infectivity of respiratory viruses, mainly focusing on influenza viruses and coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. First, we summarize the impact of the experimental conditions on viral stability; these involve the methods of viral aerosol generation, storage during aging and collection, the virus types and strains, the suspension matrixes, the initial inoculum volumes and concentrations, and the drying process. Second, we summarize and discuss the detection methods of viral infectivity and their disadvantages. Finally, we integrate the results from the reviewed studies to obtain an overall understanding of the effects of atmospheric environmental conditions on the decay of infectious viruses, especially aerosolized viruses. Overall, this review highlights the knowledge gaps in predicting the ability of viruses to maintain infectivity during airborne transmission.

Do Weather Conditions Still Have an Impact on the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Observation of the Mid-2022 COVID-19 Peak in Taiwan.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the role of weather conditions in influencing transmission has been unclear, with results varying across different studies. Given the changes in border policies and the higher vaccination rates compared to earlier conditions, this study aimed to reassess the impact of weather on COVID-19, focusing on local climate effects. We analyzed daily COVID-19 case data and weather factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and a diurnal temperature range from 1 March to 15 August 2022 across six regions in Taiwan. This study found a positive correlation between maximum daily temperature and relative humidity with new COVID-19 cases, whereas wind speed and diurnal temperature range were negatively correlated. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was identified between the unease environmental condition factor (UECF, calculated as RH*Tmax/WS), the kind of Climate Factor Complex (CFC), and confirmed cases. The findings highlight the influence of local weather conditions on COVID-19 transmission, suggesting that such factors can alter environmental comfort and human behavior, thereby affecting disease spread. We also introduced the Fire-Qi Period concept to explain the cyclic climatic variations influencing infectious disease outbreaks globally. This study emphasizes the necessity of considering both local and global climatic effects on infectious diseases.

Grassland health assessment based on indicators monitored by UAVs: a case study at a household scale.

Grassland health assessment (GHA) is a bridge of study and management of grassland ecosystem. However, there is no standardized quantitative indicators and long-term monitor methods for GHA at a large scale, which may hinder theoretical study and practical application of GHA. In this study, along with previous concept and practices (i.e., CVOR, the integrated indexes of condition, vigor, organization and resilience), we proposed an assessment system based on the indicators monitored by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-UAVCVOR, and tested the feasibility of UAVCVOR at typical household pastures on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Our findings show that: (1) the key indicators of GHA could be measured directly or represented by the relative counterpart indicators that monitored by UAVs, (2) there was a significantly linear relationship between CVOR estimated by field- and UAV-based data, and (3) the CVOR decreased along with the increasing grazing intensity nonlinearly, and there are similar tendencies of CVOR that estimated by the two methods. These findings suggest that UAVs is suitable for GHA efficiently and correctly, which will be useful for the protection and sustainable management of grasslands.

Heavy metals and metalloid in aquatic invertebrates: A review of single/mixed forms, combination with other pollutants, and environmental factors.

Heavy metals (HMs) and metalloid occur naturally and are found throughout the Earth's crust but they are discharged into aquatic environments at high concentrations by human activities, increasing heavy metal pollution. HMs can bioaccumulate in higher organisms through the food web and consequently affect humans. In an aquatic environment, various HMs mixtures can be present. Furthermore, HMs adsorb on other environmental pollutants, such as microplastics and persistent organic pollutants, causing a synergistic or antagonistic effect on aquatic organisms. Therefore, to understand the biological and physiological effects of HMs on aquatic organisms, it is important to evaluate the effects of exposure to combinations of complex HM mixtures and/or pollutants and other environmental factors. Aquatic invertebrates occupy an important niche in the aquatic food chain as the main energy link between higher and lower organisms. The distribution of heavy metals and the resulting toxic effects in aquatic invertebrates have been extensively studied, but few reports have dealt with the relationship between HMs, pollutants, and environmental factors in biological systems with regard to biological availability and toxicity. This review describes the overall properties of individual HM and their effects on aquatic invertebrates and comprehensively reviews physiological and biochemical endpoints in aquatic invertebrates depending on interactions among HMs, other pollutants, and environmental factors.

Metagenomic insights into the distribution, mobility, and hosts of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge under starvation stress.

Extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) are important emerging environmental pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Nutritional substrate deficiency (i.e., starvation) frequently occurs in WWTPs owing to annual maintenance, water quality fluctuation, and sludge storage; and it can greatly alter the antibiotic resistance and extracellular DNA content of bacteria. However, the fate and corresponding transmission risk of eARGs in activated sludge under starvation stress remain largely unknown. Herein, we used metagenomic sequencing to explore the effects of starvation scenarios (carbon, nitrogen, and/or phosphorus deficiency) and environmental conditions (alternating anaerobic-aerobic, anaerobic, anoxic, and aerobic) on the distribution, mobility, and hosts of eARGs in activated sludge. The results showed that 30 days of starvation reduced the absolute abundances of eARGs by 40.9%-88.2%, but high-risk dual and multidrug resistance genes persisted. Starvation, particularly the simultaneous lack of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus under aerobic conditions, effectively alleviated eARGs by reducing the abundance of extracellular mobile genetic elements (eMGEs). Starvation also altered the profile of bacterial hosts of eARGs and the bacterial community composition, the latter of which had an indirect positive effect on eARGs via changing eMGEs. Our findings shed light on the response patterns and mechanisms of eARGs in activated sludge under starvation conditions and highlight starvation as a potential strategy to mitigate the risk of previously neglected eARGs in WWTPs.

Magnitude and efficiency of straw return in building up soil organic carbon: A global synthesis integrating the impacts of agricultural managements and environmental conditions.

Enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) through straw return (SR) has been widely recommended as a promising practice of climate-smart agriculture. Many studies have investigated the relative effect of straw return on SOC content, while the magnitude and efficiency of straw return in building up SOC stock remain uncertain. Here, we present an integrative synthesis of the magnitude and efficiency of SR-induced SOC changes, using a database comprising 327 observations at 115 sites globally. Straw return increased SOC by 3.68 ± 0.69 (95 % Confidence Interval, CI) Mg C ha-1, with a corresponding C efficiency of 20.51 ± 9.58 % (95 % CI), of which <30 % was contributed directly by straw-C input. The magnitude of SR-induced SOC changes increased (P < 0.05) with increasing straw-C input and experiment duration. However, the C efficiency decreased significantly (P < 0.01) with these two explanatory factors. No-tillage and crop rotation were found to enhance the SR-induced SOC increase, in both magnitude and efficiency. Straw return sequestrated larger amount of C in acidic and organic-rich soils than in alkaline and organic-poor soils. A machine learning random forest (RF) algorithm showed that the amount of straw-C input was the most important single factor governing the magnitude and efficiency of straw return. However, local agricultural managements and environmental conditions were together the dominant explanatory factors determining the spatial differences in SR-induced SOC stock changes. This entails that by optimizing agricultural managements in regions with favorable environmental conditions the farmer can accumulate more C with minor negative impacts. By clarifying the significance and relative importance of multiple local factors, our findings may aid the development of tailored region-specific straw return policies integrating the SOC increment and its environmental side costs.

Temporal dynamics of the cecal and litter microbiome of chickens raised in two separate broiler houses.

In this study, we investigated the dynamics of the ceca and litter microbiome of chickens from post-hatch through pre-harvest. To achieve this, six hundred one-day old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were raised on floor pens for 49 days in two separate houses. We performed short-read and full-length sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene present in the meconium and in cecal and litter samples collected over the duration of the study. In addition, we determined the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenotype of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. isolated from the meconium and the ceca of 49-day old chickens. We monitored the relative humidity, temperature, and ammonia in each house daily and the pH and moisture of litter samples weekly. The overall microbial community structure of the ceca and litter consistently changed throughout the course of the grow-out and correlated with some of the environmental parameters measured (p < 0.05). We found that the ceca and litter microbiome were similar in the two houses at the beginning of the experiment, but over time, the microbial community separated and differed between the houses. When we compared the environmental parameters in the two houses, we found no significant differences in the first half of the growth cycle (day 0-21), but morning temperature, morning humidity, and ammonia significantly differed (p < 0.05) between the two houses from day 22-49. Lastly, the prevalence of AMR in cecal E. coli isolates differed from meconium isolates (p < 0.001), while the AMR phenotype of cecal Enterococcus isolates differed between houses (p < 0.05).

Individual variability in diving behavior of the Black-vented Shearwater in an ever-changing habitat.

Oceanic mesoscale systems are characterized by inherent variability. Climatic change adds entropy to this system, making it a highly variable environment in which marine species live. Being at the higher levels of the food chain, predators maximize their performance through plastic foraging strategies. Individual variability within a population and the possible repeatability across time and space may provide stability in a population facing environmental changes. Therefore, variability and repeatability of behaviors, particularly diving behavior, could play an important role in understanding the adaptation pathway of a species. This study focuses on characterizing the frequency and timing of different dives (termed simple and complex) and how these are influenced by individual and environmental characteristics (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, bathymetry, salinity, and Ekman transport). This study is based on GPS and accelerometer-recorded information from a breeding group of 59 Black-vented Shearwater and examine consistency in diving behavior at both individual and sex levels across four different breeding seasons. The species was found to be the best performing free diver in the Puffinus genus with a maximum dive duration of 88 s. Among the environmental variables assessed, a relationship was found with active upwelling conditions enhancing low energetic cost diving, on the contrary, reduced upwelling and warmer superficial waters induce more energetically demanding diving affecting diving performance and ultimately body conditions. The body conditions of Black-vented Shearwaters in 2016 were worse than in subsequent years, in 2016, deepest and longest complex dives were recorded, while simple dives were longer in 2017-2019. Nevertheless, the species' plasticity allows at least part of the population to breed and feed during warmer events. While carry-over effects have already been reported, the effect of more frequent warm events is still unknown.