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Intraspecific morphological variation of organisms is known to be influenced by several factors, but the role of habitat availability has been scarcely investigated. Studying bird wing morphology is ideal to explore this topic, given the usually rapid response of birds to environmental changes, but other factors such as sexual dimorphism, habitat structure, climate and elevation need to be considered. Here, we investigated the effects of habitat availability, local climate and elevation on the wing morphology of a high-elevation specialist bird (Montifringilla nivalis), while accounting for sexual dimorphism. We hypothesized that birds relying on less extended suitable areas around their breeding sites show wing traits allowing a more energy-efficient flight, given their need of more frequent and longer movements to find foraging areas in the post-breeding period and the longer dispersal distances. We also expected that individuals breeding at higher elevations show wings traits allowing higher flight efficiency, given the higher hypoxia risk. We derived wing traits (isometric size, pointedness and concavity) by measuring primary feathers of individuals from 7 breeding sites in the European Alps, and we obtained habitat availability from detailed habitat suitability maps. Consistently with the need for a more energy-efficient flight, birds relying on less extended suitable habitat showed larger and more concave wings, and individuals breeding at higher elevations showed more concave wings. Local climate had a less clear effect. The observed patterns may result from local adaptations and could represent one of the ways mountain birds cope with the harsh and unpredictable environment they inhabit.

The morphology of bird wings is subject to a variety of selective pressures, including migration, predation, habitat structure and sexual selection. Variation in wing morphology also occurs at the intraspecific and intrapopulation level, and can be related to sex, age, migration strategy and environmental factors. The relationship between environment and intraspecific variation in wing morphology is still poorly understood. In this work, we studied the relationship between wing morphology and breeding environment in a high‐elevation specialist bird, the water pipit Anthus spinoletta. We calculated wing isometric size, pointedness and convexity of 84 birds mist‐netted at breeding sites in year 2021 in the European Alps. We then searched for associations between these traits and potentially relevant breeding site characteristics (vegetation structure, elevation, latitude). For all wing traits, sex and one or more environmental factors best explained the variation, with environmental factors explaining between 3 and 8% of the variation. Wing size was negatively related to tree cover and wing convexity was negatively related to bush cover. Elevation contributed to explain variation in wing pointedness, but the direction of its effect was unclear. The negative relationship between wing size and tree cover could be due to intraspecific competition, i.e. to the relegation of smaller winged low‐quality individuals in marginal grassland areas. Higher wing convexity could improve predator escape ability in areas with scarce protecting vegetation, with possible effects on habitat choice. These findings represent one of the few demonstrated cases of wing morphology–environment relationships at the intraspecific level.

Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) transmission is strongly related to the distribution and density of FMD-susceptible animals. In this study, we applied a model to simulate the spread of FMD in three Italian regions with different livestock demographics (densely, medium, and sparsely populated) in order to assess the cost effectiveness of the disease control options within the framework of the Italian contingency plan. The results of the simulations showed that stamping-out was sufficient to control the outbreak in the sparsely and medium populated areas whereas, in densely populated areas, only vaccinations could effectively control an outbreak. We also estimated the economic resources needed for the adoption of different control strategies, considering livestock indemnity, cleaning, disinfection and disposal, surveillance, vaccination and personnel costs. The results obtained showed that indemnity due to culling had the highest impact on the costs in all scenarios and vaccination resulted in the most cost-effective option to apply in densely populated livestock areas. The results of this study can be a useful aid to Competent Authorities in the preparation of contingency plans against FMD.

Abstract Background Rice is one of the most salt sensitive crops at seedling, early vegetative and reproductive stages. Varieties with salinity tolerance at seedling stage promote an efficient growth at early stages in salt affected soils, leading to healthy vegetative growth that protects crop yield. Saltol major QTL confers capacity to young rice plants growing under salt condition by maintaining a low Na+/K+ molar ratio in the shoots. Results Marker-assisted backcross (MABC) procedure was adopted to transfer Saltol locus conferring salt tolerance at seedling stage from donor indica IR64-Saltol to two temperate japonica varieties, Vialone Nano and Onice. Forward and background selections were accomplished using polymorphic KASP markers and a final evaluation of genetic background recovery of the selected lines was conducted using 15,580 SNP markers obtained from Genotyping by Sequencing. Three MABC generations followed by two selfing, allowed the identification of introgression lines achieving a recovery of the recurrent parent (RP) genome up to 100% (based on KASP markers) or 98.97% (based on GBS). Lines with highest RP genome recovery (RPGR) were evaluated for agronomical-phenological traits in field under non-salinized conditions. VN1, VN4, O1 lines were selected considering the agronomic evaluations and the RPGR% results as the most interesting for commercial exploitation. A physiological characterization was conducted by evaluating salt tolerance under hydroponic conditions. The selected lines showed lower standard evaluation system (SES) scores: 62% of VN4, and 57% of O1 plants reaching SES 3 or SES 5 respectively, while only 40% of Vialone Nano and 25% of Onice plants recorded scores from 3 to 5, respectively. VN1, VN4 and O1 showed a reduced electrolyte leakage values, and limited negative effects on relative water content and shoot/root fresh weight ratio. Conclusion The Saltol locus was successfully transferred to two elite varieties by MABC in a time frame of three years. The application of background selection until BC3F3 allowed the selection of lines with a RPGR up to 98.97%. Physiological evaluations for the selected lines indicate an improved salinity tolerance at seedling stage. The results supported the effectiveness of the Saltol locus in temperate japonica and of the MABC procedure for recovering of the RP favorable traits.

Conventional agriculture relies on non-renewable rock phosphate as a source of phosphorus. The demand for food has led to increased phosphorus inputs, with a negative impact on freshwater biodiversity and food security. The importation of phosphorus fertilizers makes most food systems vulnerable to phosphorus supply risks. The geopolitical instability generated by the pandemic and the current Russia–Ukraine conflict, which has led to a 400% increase in phosphorus commodity prices, offers the international community and institutions an opportunity to embrace the global phosphorus challenge and move towards a more circular system. Here, we discuss an integrated and multi-stakeholder approach to improve phosphorus management in agriculture and increase the efficiency of the whole chain, highlighting the contribution of conventional breeding and genetic engineering, with a particular focus on low-phytic-acid (lpa) crops, whose grains may help in reducing phosphorus-management-related problems. In recent decades, the choice of short-term strategies—such as the use of phytase as a feed additive—rather than lpa mutants, has been carried out without considering the long-term money saving to be derived from lpa crops. Overall, lpa crops have the potential to increase the nutritional quality of foods and feeds, but more research is needed to optimize their performance.

Abstract Trained immunity is the capacity of innate immune cells to produce an improved response against a secondary infection after a previous unrelated infection. Salmonellosis represents a public health issue and affects the pig farming industry. In general, vaccination against salmonellosis is still facing problems regarding the control of distinct serovars. Therefore, we hypothesized that an immunostimulant based on heat inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (HIMB) could have an immune training effect in pigs challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) and decided to explore the amplitude of this non-specific immune response. For this purpose, twenty-four 10 days-old female piglets were randomly separated in three groups: immunized group (n = 10) received orally two doses of HIMB prior to the intratracheal S. Choleraesuis-challenge, positive control group (n = 9) that was only challenged with S. Choleraesuis, and negative control group (n = 5) that was neither immunized nor infected. All individuals were necropsied 21 days post-challenge. HIMB improved weight gain and reduced respiratory symptoms and pulmonary lesions caused by S. Choleraesuis in pigs. Pigs immunized with HIMB showed higher cytokine production, especially of serum TNFα and lung CCL28, an important mediator of mucosal trained immunity. Moreover, immunized pigs showed lower levels of the biomarker of lipid oxidation malondialdehyde and higher activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase than untreated challenged pigs. However, the excretion and tissue colonization of S. Choleraesuis remained unaffected. This proof-of-concept study suggests beneficial clinical, pathological, and heterologous immunological effects against bacterial pathogens within the concept of trained immunity, opening avenues for further research.

The ability of plants to release chemicals that affect the growth of other plants offers potential benefits for weed management and sustainable agriculture. This review explores the use of Camelina sativa as a promising cover crop with weed control potential. Camelina sativa, known for its high oil content and adaptability to diverse climatic conditions, exhibits allelopathic potential by releasing chemical compounds that inhibit weed growth. The crop’s vigorous growth and canopy architecture contribute to effective weed suppression, reducing the prevalence and spread of associated pathogens. Furthermore, the chemical compounds released by camelina through the solubilization of compounds from leaves by rain, root exudation, or deriving from microbial-mediated decay of camelina’s tissues interfere with the growth of neighbouring plants, indicating allelopathic interactions. The isolation and identification of benzylamine and glucosinolates as allelochemicals in camelina highlight their role in plant–plant interactions. However, the studies carried out on this species are outdated, and it cannot be excluded that other chemicals deriving from the breakdown of the glucosinolates or belonging to other classes of specialized metabolites can be involved in its allelopathic potential. Camelina sativa also demonstrates disease suppression capabilities, with glucosinolates exhibiting fungicidal, nematocidal, and bactericidal activities. Additionally, camelina cover crops have been found to reduce root diseases and enhance growth and yields in corn and soybeans. This review sheds light on the allelopathic and agronomic benefits of Camelina sativa, emphasizing its potential as a sustainable and integrated pest management strategy in agriculture.

Rice is the most salt sensitive cereal crop and its cultivation is particularly threatened by salt stress, which is currently worsened due to climate change. This study reports the development of salt tolerant introgression lines (ILs) derived from crosses between the salt tolerant indica rice variety FL478, which harbors the Saltol quantitative trait loci (QTL), and the salt-sensitive japonica elite cultivar OLESA. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and Kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASPar) genotyping, in combination with step-wise phenotypic selection in hydroponic culture, were used for the identification of salt-tolerant ILs. Transcriptome-based genotyping allowed the fine mapping of indica genetic introgressions in the best performing IL (IL22). A total of 1,595 genes were identified in indica regions of IL22, which mainly located in large introgressions at Chromosomes 1 and 3. In addition to OsHKT1;5, an important number of genes were identified in the introgressed indica segments of IL22 whose expression was confirmed [e.g., genes involved in ion transport, callose synthesis, transcriptional regulation of gene expression, hormone signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation]. These genes might well contribute to salt stress tolerance in IL22 plants. Furthermore, comparative transcript profiling revealed that indica introgressions caused important alterations in the background gene expression of IL22 plants (japonica cultivar) compared with its salt-sensitive parent, both under non-stress and salt-stress conditions. In response to salt treatment, only 8.6% of the salt-responsive genes were found to be commonly up- or down-regulated in IL22 and OLESA plants, supporting massive transcriptional reprogramming of gene expression caused by indica introgressions into the recipient genome. Interactions among indica and japonica genes might provide novel regulatory networks contributing to salt stress tolerance in introgression rice lines. Collectively, this study illustrates the usefulness of transcriptomics in the characterization of new rice lines obtained in breeding programs in rice.

Water-limiting conditions can severely affect rice yield. Therefore, increasing plant tolerance to water stress is a priority for many rice breeding programs. However, improving rice tolerance to this abiotic stress comes with several complications related to the seeding practices, the adopted water management system and the growth stage where water stress occurs. For this reason, it is challenging to outline single ideotypes showing traits suitable for overcoming drought at different times during the life cycle of rice in diverse cropping ecosystems. The current knowledge of genomics and biochemicals can contribute to drawing rice ideotypes flexible towards diverse water availability conditions. Traits identified in accessions of the wild ancestor of cultivated rice, as well as other wild rice species, in Oryza glaberrima and weedy rice were demonstrated to confer enhanced tolerance to water stress, while screenings of cultivated rice germplasms identified several genes/loci improving water stress resistance. New frontiers are represented by the dissection of the epigenetic control of stress tolerance and the implementation of the contribution of favorable microbiota. Innovative breeding technologies, whose feasibility is related to advancements in genomic analyses, are contributing to enhancing the knowledge-based development of water stress-tolerant rice varieties.

The bidirectional fluxes of cadmium and calcium across the plasma membrane were assessed and compared in subapical maize root segments. This homogeneous material provides a simplified system for investigating ion fluxes in whole organs. The kinetic profile of cadmium influx was characterized by a combination of a saturable rectangular hyperbola (Km = 30.15) and a straight line (k = 0.0013 L h−1 g−1 fresh weight), indicating the presence of multiple transport systems. In contrast, the influx of calcium was described by a simple Michaelis–Menten function (Km = 26.57 µM). The addition of calcium to the medium reduced cadmium influx into the root segments, suggesting a competition between the two ions for the same transport system(s). The efflux of calcium from the root segments was found to be significantly higher than that of cadmium, which was extremely low under the experimental conditions used. This was further confirmed by comparing cadmium and calcium fluxes across the plasma membrane of inside-out vesicles purified from maize root cortical cells. The inability of the root cortical cells to extrude cadmium may have driven the evolution of metal chelators for detoxifying intracellular cadmium ions.

Poultry is the most likely source of livestock-associated Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC)-producing E. coli (EC) for humans. We tested the hypothesis that farming methods have an impact on the load of ESBL/pAmpC-EC in the gut of broilers at slaughter. Isolates (n = 156) of antibiotic-free (AF), organic (O), and conventional (C) animals were characterized for antibiotic susceptibility and antibiotic resistance genes. Thirteen isolates were whole-genome sequenced. The average loads of ESBL/pAmpC-EC in cecal contents were 4.17 Log CFU/g for AF; 2.85 Log CFU/g for O; and 3.88 Log CFU/g for C type (p < 0.001). ESBL/pAmpC-EC isolates showed resistance to antibiotic classes historically used in poultry, including penicillins, tetracyclines, quinolones, and sulfonamides. Isolates from O and AF farms harbored a lower proportion of resistance to antibiotics than isolates from C farms. Among the determinants for ESBL/pAmpC, CTX-M-1 prevailed (42.7%), followed by TEM-type (29%) and SHV (19.8%). Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), belonging to ST117 and ST349, were identified in the collection. These data confirm the possible role of a broiler as an ESBL/AmpC EC and APEC reservoir for humans. Overall, our study suggests that antibiotic-free and organic production may contribute to a reduced exposure to ESBL/AmpC EC for the consumer.

Phytic acid (PA) is an anti-nutritional factor for monogastrics and contributes to phosphorus pollution. The low phytic acid (lpa) trait can provide several benefits to the nutritional quality of foods/feeds and to environmental sustainability. In maize, four lpa1 mutants have been isolated, and lpa1-1 is the most promising. Nevertheless, these mutations are frequently accompanied by many negative pleiotropic effects affecting plant performance. One of these is a greater susceptibility to drought stress, probably caused by an alteration in the root system. In this work, we set up an experiment in hydroponics and two in mesocosms, where pots were built using transparent PVC sheets to better access the roots. The results suggested that neither root architecture nor root depth are limiting factors in mutant plants. In hydroponics, the dry weight of the mutant and the root area per unit of length were twice that of B73. However, lpa1-1 exhibited a reduced efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm, 0.810 vs. 0.800) and a reduced leaf temperature (−0.5 °C compared to wild-type), probably due to increased water loss. Furthermore, molecular analysis performed on genes involved in root development (rtcs, rtcl, rum1, and BIGE1) revealed the abundance of rtcs transcripts in the mutant, suggesting an alteration in auxin polar transport.

Abstract Background Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) infection causes a systemic disease in pigs. Vaccination could represent a solution to reduce prevalence in farms. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy of an attenuated strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium ΔznuABC) against S. Choleraesuis infection. The vaccination protocol combined priming with attenuated S. Typhimurium ΔznuABC vaccine and boost with an inactivated S. Choleraesuis vaccine and we compared the protection conferred to that induced by an inactivated S. Choleraesuis vaccine. Methods The first group of piglets was orally vaccinated with S. Typhimurium ΔznuABC and boosted with inactivated S. Choleraesuis, the second one was intramuscularly vaccinated with S. Choleraesuis inactivated vaccine and the third group of piglets was unvaccinated. All groups of animals were challenged with a virulent S. Choleraesuis strain at day 35 post vaccination. Results The results showed that the vaccination protocol, priming with S. Typhimurium ΔznuABC and boosted with inactivated S. Choleraesuis, applied to group A was able to limit weight loss, fever and organs colonization, arising from infection with virulent S. Choleraesuis, more effectively, than the prime-boost vaccination with homologous S. Choleraesuis inactivated vaccine (group B). Conclusion In conclusion, these research findings extend the validity of attenuated S. Typhimurium ΔznuABC strain as a useful mucosal vaccine against S. Typhimurium and S. Choleraesuis pig infection. The development of combined vaccination protocols can have a diffuse administration in field conditions because animals are generally infected with different concomitant serovars.

Climate changes impose adoption of water-saving techniques to improve the sustainability of irrigated rice systems. This study was aimed, by a two-years side-by-side comparison, at verifying the hypothesis whether “Alternate Wetting and Drying” (AWD) affects the concentrations of health-related compounds and minerals in brown grains of three japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cvs (‘Baldo’, ‘Gladio’, and ‘Loto’) usually grown in temperate areas in continuous flooding (CF). Due to the rotational turns in water distribution imposed by local authorities and to the weather behavior, different AWD timing and severity occurred in the two years of the study. AWD induced in both seasons yield losses in ‘Baldo’ and ‘Gladio’ but not in ‘Loto’. In the brown grains of ‘Loto’, AWD increased the concentrations of total tocols, γ-oryzanol, flavonoids, and the antioxidant activity. AWD affected the concentrations of minerals, particularly increasing copper, cadmium and nickel, and decreasing manganese, arsenic and zinc. In the sensitive cultivars, ‘Baldo’ and ‘Gladio’, AWD seems to affect plant yield, rather than for severity of the dry period, for prolonged absence of ponded water that exposes plants to cooler temperatures. The selection of suitable cultivars, like ‘Loto’, tolerant to AWD-related stresses, could combine environmental, yield-related, and nutritional benefits improving the product quality.

An active index consists of a network of index cells. This paper demonstrates the application of active index to the management of e-learning activities in e-learning courses. An e-learning system is a distributed intelligence system where the instructors and students are intelligent human beings. What we want to demonstrate is how to augment human intelligence by an active index. Further research will demonstrate how sensors, mobile communications and search engines can be incorporated into the distributed intelligence system for e-learning.