Analysis of contaminant residues in honey bee hive matrices.

Pollinators provide ecological services essential to maintaining our food supply and propagating natural habitats. Populations are in decline due to environmental stressors including pesticides, pathogens, and habitat loss. To better understand the impacts of pesticide exposures on colony health, a field survey in Ohio, USA was conducted to monitor the potential contamination of honey bee colonies by pesticides.

Transcriptome Response of Differentiating Muscle Satellite Cells to Thermal Challenge in Commercial Turkey.

Early muscle development involves the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells (satellite cells, SCs) in the mesoderm to form multinucleated myotubes that mature into muscle fibers and fiber bundles. Proliferation of SCs increases the number of cells available for muscle formation while simultaneously maintaining a population of cells for future response. Differentiation dramatically changes properties of the SCs and environmental stressors can have long lasting effects on muscle growth and physiology.

Transcriptome response of proliferating muscle satellite cells to thermal challenge in commercial turkey.

Thermal stress poses a threat to agricultural systems through increased risk to animal growth, health, and production. Exposure of poultry, especially hatchlings, to extreme temperatures can seriously affect muscle development and thus compromise subsequent meat quality. This study was designed to characterize transcriptional changes induced in turkey muscle satellite cells (SCs) cultured from commercial birds under thermal challenge to determine the applicability of previous results obtained for select research lines.

Sequential fungal pretreatment of unsterilized Miscanthus: changes in composition, cellulose digestibility and microbial communities.

A sequential fungal pretreatment of Miscanthus × giganteus was conducted by mixing unsterilized Miscanthus with material previously colonized with the white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. For three generations, each generation started with inoculation by mixing unsterilized fresh Miscanthus with end material from the previous generation and ended after 28 days of incubation at 28 °C. After the first generation, the cellulose digestibility of the material doubled, compared to that of the unsterilized Miscanthus, but the second and third generations showed no enhancements in cellulose digestibility.

Cold Conditioned: Discovery of Novel Alleles for Low-Temperature Tolerance in the Vavilov Barley Collection.

Climate changes leading to higher summer temperatures can adversely affect cool season crops like spring barley. In the Upper Midwest region of the United States, one option for escaping this stress factor is to plant winter or facultative type cultivars in the autumn and then harvest in early summer before the onset of high-temperature stress. However, the major challenge in breeding such cultivars is incorporating sufficient winter hardiness to survive the extremely low temperatures that commonly occur in this production region.

Perspectives on Low Temperature Tolerance and Vernalization Sensitivity in Barley: Prospects for Facultative Growth Habit.

One option to achieving greater resiliency for barley production in the face of climate change is to explore the potential of winter and facultative growth habits: for both types, low temperature tolerance (LTT) and vernalization sensitivity are key traits. Sensitivity to short-day photoperiod is a desirable attribute for facultative types. In order to broaden our understanding of the genetics of these phenotypes, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and identified candidate genes using a genome-wide association studies (GWAS) panel composed of 882 barley accessions that was genotyped with the Illumina 9K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip.

Effect of alkaline pretreatment on photo-fermentative hydrogen production from giant reed: Comparison of NaOH and Ca(OH).

Giant reed was the first time used for photo-fermentative hydrogen production with HAU-M1 bacteria. Effects of NaOH and Ca(OH) pretreatments of giant reed on structural changes, enzymatic digestibility, hydrogen production, and energy conversion efficiency were evaluated. Compared to Ca(OH) pretreatment, NaOH pretreatment removed more dry matter and lignin at the same loading.

Research Note: Effect of selection for body weight on the adipogenic conversion of turkey myogenic satellite cells by Syndecan-4 and its covalently attached N-glycosylation chains.

Adult myoblasts, satellite cells, will proliferate, and differentiate into myotubes in vitro. However, changes in environmental and nutritional conditions will result in the satellite cells differentiating into adipocyte-like cells synthesizing lipids. Prior research has shown that levels of N-glycosylation and heparan sulfate can promote or prevent the adipogenic conversion of myogenic satellite cells.

Development of Fast E-nose System for Early-Stage Diagnosis of Aphid-Stressed Tomato Plants.

An electronic nose (E-nose) system equipped with a sensitive sensor array was developed for fast diagnosis of aphid infestation on greenhouse tomato plants at early stages. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by tomato plants with and without aphid attacks were detected using both the developed E-nose system and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. Sensor performance, with fast sensor responses and high sensitivity, were observed using the E-nose system.

Nutrient restriction and migration of turkey satellite cells.

Post hatch muscle growth and the repair or regeneration of muscle after myofiber injury is mediated by satellite cells. Satellite cells proliferate, migrate, differentiate, and fuse with growing or regenerating myofibers. The proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells are affected by nutrition, but it is unknown how nutrition impacts satellite cell migration.

The effect of nutrient restriction and syndecan-4 or glypican-1 knockdown on the differentiation of turkey pectoralis major satellite cells differing in age and growth selection.

Skeletal muscle growth is mediated by the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells, whose activity is affected by both nutrition and the expression of syndecan-4 and glypican-1. Previous research has not addressed if there is an interactive effect of nutrition with the expression of syndecan-4 and glypican-1. Thus, the objective of the current study was to determine if the response of satellite cells to nutrient restriction was altered by syndecan-4 or glypican-1 knockdown and if age and growth selection are factors.

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation to Manage Soilborne Diseases in Muck Soil Vegetable Production Systems.

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) was evaluated as a tool for managing the root-knot nematode in lettuce () and clubroot disease, caused by , in mustard greens () produced on Ohio muck soils in Huron and Stark Counties. In two consecutive years of field trials, wheat bran (20.2 Mg ha), molasses (10.

The effect of nutrient restriction on the proliferation and differentiation of turkey pectoralis major satellite cells differing in age and growth rate.

Myogenic satellite cells are critical for posthatch muscle growth, and their activity is sensitive to nutritional regime during the immediate posthatch period. The objective of the current study was to determine if the response of satellite cells to nutrient restriction was dependent on bird age and/or growth rate. Satellite cells were isolated from the pectoralis major (p.

Thermal challenge alters the transcriptional profile of the breast muscle in turkey poults.

Extremes in temperature represent environmental stressors that impact the well-being and economic value of poultry. As homeotherms, young poultry with immature thermoregulatory systems are especially susceptible to thermal extremes. Genetic variation and differences in gene expression resulting from selection for production traits, likely contribute to thermal stress response.

Metaxa2 Database Builder: enabling taxonomic identification from metagenomic or metabarcoding data using any genetic marker.

Motivation: Correct taxonomic identification of DNA sequences is central to studies of biodiversity using both shotgun metagenomic and metabarcoding approaches. However, no genetic marker gives sufficient performance across all the biological kingdoms, hampering studies of taxonomic diversity in many groups of organisms. This has led to the adoption of a range of genetic markers for DNA metabarcoding.

Effect of incubation temperature on neuropeptide Y and neuropeptide Y receptors in turkey and chicken satellite cells.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an appetite stimulating peptide released from the central nervous system and impacts the function of many different cell types. A recent transcriptome study showed that NPY expression was altered when turkey breast muscle satellite cells were incubated at low or high temperatures, suggesting NPY may mediate temperature effects on satellite cells. However, to date minimal information exists describing the expression and function of NPY in satellite cells.

Plant Pest Detection Using an Artificial Nose System: A Review.

This paper reviews artificial intelligent noses (or electronic noses) as a fast and noninvasive approach for the diagnosis of insects and diseases that attack vegetables and fruit trees. The particular focus is on bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, and insect damage. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from plants, which provide functional information about the plant's growth, defense, and health status, allow for the possibility of using noninvasive detection to monitor plants status.

Sequential dark and photo fermentation hydrogen production from hydrolyzed corn stover: A pilot test using 11 m reactor.

Pilot tests of sequential dark and photo fermentation H production were for the first time conducted in a 11 m reactor (3 m for dark and 8 m for photo compartments). A combined solar and light-emitting diode illumination system and a thermal controlling system was installed and tested. With dark fermentation unit maintained at pH 4.

Anaerobic digestion for bioenergy production: Global status, environmental and techno-economic implications, and government policies.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a mature technology that can transform organic matter into a bioenergy source - biogas (composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide), while stabilizing waste. AD implementation around the world varies significantly, from small-scale household digesters in developing countries to large farm-scale or centralized digesters in developed countries. These differences in the implementation of AD technology are due to a complex set of conditions, including economic and environmental implications of the AD technology, and stimulus provided by a variety of polices and incentives related to agricultural systems, waste management, and renewable energy production.

Comparison of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide pretreatments of giant reed for enhanced enzymatic digestibility and methane production.

NaOH pretreatment with leachate reuse and Ca(OH) pretreatment were compared for improved enzymatic digestibility and biogas production from giant reed, a promising energy crop. The NaOH pretreatment with leachate reuse increased glucose yields during enzymatic hydrolysis by 2.6-fold, and methane yields during anaerobic digestion by 1.

Classification of infectious bursal disease virus into genogroups.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes infectious bursal disease (IBD), an immunosuppressive disease of poultry. The current classification scheme of IBDV is confusing because it is based on antigenic types (variant and classical) as well as pathotypes. Many of the amino acid changes differentiating these various classifications are found in a hypervariable region of the capsid protein VP2 (hvVP2), the major host protective antigen.

CBF2A-CBF4B genomic region copy numbers alongside the circadian clock play key regulatory mechanisms driving expression of FR-H2 CBFs.

The C-Repeat Binding Factors (CBFs) are DNA-binding transcriptional activators that were identified using Arabidopsis thaliana. In barley, Hordeum vulgare, a cluster of CBF genes reside at FROST RESISTANCE-H2, one of two loci having major effects on winter-hardiness. FR-H2 was revealed in a population derived from the winter barley 'Nure' and the spring barley 'Trèmois'.

Photo-fermentative hydrogen production from crop residue: A mini review.

Photofermentative hydrogen production from crop residues, if feasible, can lead to complete conversion of organic substances to hydrogen (and carbon dioxide). This mini review lists the studies on photofermentative hydrogen production using crop residues as feedstock. Pretreatment methods, substrate structure, mechanism of photosynthetic bacteria growth and metabolism were discussed.

cis-Cinnamic Acid Is a Novel, Natural Auxin Efflux Inhibitor That Promotes Lateral Root Formation.

Auxin steers numerous physiological processes in plants, making the tight control of its endogenous levels and spatiotemporal distribution a necessity. This regulation is achieved by different mechanisms, including auxin biosynthesis, metabolic conversions, degradation, and transport. Here, we introduce cis-cinnamic acid (c-CA) as a novel and unique addition to a small group of endogenous molecules affecting in planta auxin concentrations.