Transforming food systems with trees and forests.

The global food system is failing to deliver sufficient and nutritious food to all, while damaging the earth and unsustainably drawing down its resources. We argue that trees and forests are essential to solving these challenges. We outline the current contributions of trees and forests to the global food system and present recommendations to leverage these contributions as part of the efforts to reshape food systems to better support healthy diets and environmental sustainability.

Synthesis and Characterization of Tetracycline Loaded Methionine-Coated NiFeO Nanoparticles for Anticancer and Antibacterial Applications.

In the present study, nickel ferrite (NiFeO)-based smart magnetic nanoparticles were fabricated and coated with methionine. Physiochemical characterization of the obtained Met-NiFeO nanoparticles revealed the presence of methionine coating over the nanoparticle surface. Drug release study indicated that Tet-Met-NiFeO nanoparticles possess pH-responsive controlled drug release behavior for tetracycline (Tet).

In vivo therapeutic efficacy of Curcuma longa extract loaded ethosomes on wound healing.

Since ancient times, medicinal plants are widely accepted to promote the health and wellness of animals and mankind. The medicinal plant-based therapies have limitations of delayed onset of action, inconsistent absorption, low bioavailability, oxidation, and poor solubility. The encapsulation studies suggested improved efficacy.

Repeatability of Health and Welfare Traits and Correlation with Performance Traits in Dairy Goats Reared under Low-Input Farming Systems.

The objectives of the study were to estimate the repeatability of health and welfare traits and investigate their association with performance in three breeds of dairy goats reared under low-input farming systems in Greece. A total of 1210 goats of Eghoria (n = 418), Skopelos (n = 429), and Damascus (n = 363) breeds were assessed. Udder health, parasitic resistance, welfare, milk yield and quality, and body condition score were recorded monthly for two milking periods.

Does Abiotic Host Stress Favour Dothideomycete-Induced Disease Development?

Dothideomycetes represent one of the largest and diverse class of fungi. This class exhibits a wide diversity of lifestyles, including endophytic, saprophytic, pathogenic and parasitic organisms. Plant pathogenic fungi are particularly common within the Dothideomycetes and are primarily found within the orders of Pleosporales, Botryosphaeriales and Capnodiales.

Dendrimers as nanoscale vectors: Unlocking the bars of cancer therapy.

Chemotherapy is the first choice in the treatment of cancer and is always preferred to other approaches such as radiation and surgery, but it has never met the need of patients for a safe and effective drug. Therefore, new advances in cancer treatment are now needed to reduce the side effects and burdens associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients. Targeted treatment using nanotechnology are now being actively explored as they could effectively deliver therapeutic agents to tumor cells without affecting normal cells.

Effect of type of fatty acid attached to chitosan on walnut oil-in-water Pickering emulsion properties.

The effect of fatty acid type bonded to chitosan on the emulsifying properties of chitosan-based particles was investigated. Capric acid, myristic acid, and stearic acid were attached to chitosan chains. Longer fatty acids in the structure of chitosan lead to the better and more uniform formation of chitosan nanogels.

Deposition of trace metals associated with atmospheric particulate matter: Environmental fate and health risk assessment.

Anthropogenic and natural sources influence trace metals (TMs) bound to different sized particulate matter (PM) in dry and wet atmospheric deposition, which can create ecosystem and human health issues in the long run. Limited reviews are available summarizing worldwide concentrations in TMs in atmospheric PMs, their sources and pathways. Simultaneously, quantitative assessment of the potential human and ecosystem health risks imposed by the atmospheric particulate matter has not been adequately reviewed.

Enhanced biogas production potential analysis of rice straw: Biomass characterization, kinetics and anaerobic co-digestion investigations.

Present study of the biofuel potential of rice straw (RS) waste biomass materials. The average activation energy of rice straw was determined from KAS, FWO and Starink are 84.11, 89.

The potential post-hatching growth of domestic birds is sufficiently described by the Gompertz function.

1. It has been hypothesised that, for post-hatching domestic birds reared under good conditions, the relative growth rate R = (dW/dt)/W = dlnW/dt is a linear function of lnW; W is body weight. It followed that dW/dt = B.

Review: Preference elicitation methods for appropriate breeding objectives.

Breeding objectives of livestock and other agricultural species are usually profit maximising. The selection emphasis placed on specific traits to achieve a breeding objective is often informed by the financial value of a trait to a farm system. However, there are alternative, and complementary approaches to defining both the breeding objective and the selection emphasis placed on traits that are included in associated selection tools.

Highly efficient poly(acrylic acid-co-aniline) grafted itaconic acid hydrogel: Application in water retention and adsorption of rhodamine B dye for a sustainable environment.

The present study used a free radical co-polymerization approach to synthesize a smart hydrogel of itaconic acid grafted poly(acrylic acid-co-aniline) (ItA-g-poly(AA-co-ANi)). ItA-g-poly(AA-co-ANi) hydrogel was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Rhodamine B (RhB) dye was removed from an aqueous medium using ItA-g-poly(AA-co-ANi) hydrogel.

Shipping in the north-east Atlantic: Identifying spatial and temporal patterns of change.

Maritime traffic is increasing globally, with a four-fold increase in commercial vessel movements between 1992 and 2012. Vessels contribute to noise and air pollution, provide pathways for non-native species, and collide with marine wildlife. While knowledge of shipping trends and potential environmental impacts exists at both local and global levels, key information on vessel density for regional-scale management is lacking.

Prism-like integrated BiWO with Ag-CuBiO on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as an efficient and robust S-scheme interfacial charge transfer photocatalyst for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater.

Photocatalytic hybrid carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-mediated Ag-CuBiO/BiWO photocatalyst was fabricated using a hydrothermal technique to effectively eliminate organic pollutants from wastewater. The as-prepared samples were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), UV-vis Diffuse Reflectance spectrum (UV-Vis DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) studies. The photocatalytic performance of fabricated pristine and hybrid composites was examined by photo-degradation of toxic dye viz.

Field evaluation of diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of common tests for amoebic gill disease (AGD) and complex gill disease (CGD) in cultured Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Scotland using Bayesian latent class models.

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) and complex gill disease (CGD) are the most significant marine gill diseases in salmon aquaculture in Scotland. Little is published about diagnostic performance of tests to detect these diseases, making it difficult to interpret test results. We estimated diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) of common tests for AGD (gross AGD score, qPCR for Neoparamoeba perurans, histopathology) and CGD (gross proliferative gill disease (PGD) score, gross total gill score, histopathology).

Crop residue burning in South Asia: A review of the scale, effect, and solutions with a focus on reducing reactive nitrogen losses.

This paper reviews the literature on crop residue burning - a widespread practice in many regions in South Asia. Specifically, we examine evidence from studies highlighting the scale of the practice in South Asia, the environmental implications, the drivers of the practice and the remedies to the problem. The studies provide evidence that the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is a hot-spot for atmospheric pollutants, with seasonal crop residue burning being a major contributor.

A Systematic Review on the Link between Animal Welfare and Antimicrobial Use in Captive Animals.

This systematic review aimed to assess the link between animal welfare and antimicrobial use (AMU) in captive species (i.e., farm, zoo, companion, and laboratory animals) and its effect.

Do Hens Use Enrichments Provided in Free-Range Systems?

Hens in free-range systems are given enrichments to increase foraging and limit injurious pecking, but the efficacy of enrichment types requires investigation. We studied hen behaviour and feather cover in eight commercial free-range flocks each given access to four enrichments within the shed. Sheds were split into quarters, in which two enrichments (jute ropes (R) + other) were installed.

Serial passage in resistant sheep drives the infectivity and fitness of Teladorsagia circumcincta in susceptible lambs: Experimental evidence.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of small ruminants have adapted their life history strategies to thrive in diverse and fluctuating environments. Environments which alter their expression of life traits may also drive changes in the infection or transmission dynamics, particularly if transferred to a foreign setting. This study aimed to explore how repeated exposure to a resistant sheep host environment would alter the life history traits and infection dynamics of Teladorsagia circumcincta when consequently infected in susceptible lambs.

Biosynthesis of Rubellins in -Genetic Basis and Pathway Proposition.

The important disease Ramularia leaf spot of barley is caused by the fungus . The disease causes yield and quality losses as a result of a decrease in photosynthesis efficiency due to the appearance of necrotic spots on the leaf surface. The development of these typical Ramularia leaf spot symptoms is thought to be linked with the release of phytotoxic secondary metabolites called rubellins in the host.