Bioinoculant-induced plant resistance is modulated by interactions with resident soil microbes.

Background: Entomopathogenic fungi are increasingly used as bio-inoculants to enhance crop growth and resistance. When applied to rhizosphere soil, they interact with resident soil microbes, which can affect their ability to colonize and induce resistance in plants as well as modify the structure of the resident soil microbiome, either directly through interactions in the rhizosphere or indirectly, mediated by the plant. The extent to which such direct versus indirect interactions between bio-inoculants and soil microbes impact microbe-induced resistance in crops remains unclear.

An agar medium-based method for screening somatic incompatibility in Agaricus bisporus.

To visualize the nonself recognition reaction in the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus, we developed a method using the azo dye Evans blue. The use of Evans blue highlights dead mycelial sections, which are produced following nonself recognition in the interaction zone between two individuals. This method can differentiate between distinct heterokaryons, as well as between closely related heterokaryons constructed from siblings.

Increased fish abundance, biodiversity, and body size near a North Sea oil and gas platform.

In the North Sea, offshore oil and gas (O&G) platforms must be totally removed through decommissioning at the end of their productive life. However, the role of O&G platforms in marine ecosystems, especially for fish assemblages, is not well enough defined yet. Here, we document the association between an O&G platform in the North Sea and the fish assemblages along a distance gradient of 1-600 m from the platform.

Continuous Production of Influenza VLPs Using IC-BEVS and Multi-Stage Bioreactors.

The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) has been an asset to produce biologics for over 30 years. With the current trend in biotechnology shifting toward process intensification and integration, developing intensified processes such as continuous production is crucial to hold this platform as a suitable alternative to others. However, the implementation of continuous production has been hindered by the lytic nature of this expression system and the process-detrimental virus passage effect.

Harnessing the synergy of Urochloa brizantha and Amazonian Dark Earth microbiomes for enhanced pasture recovery.

Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils from the Amazon rainforest that harbor microorganisms with biotechnological potential. This study aimed to investigate the individual and potential synergistic effects of a 2% portion of ADEs and Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu roots (Brazil's most common grass species used for pastures) on soil prokaryotic communities and overall soil attributes in degraded soil.

Sleep for infants after discharge from a neonatal ward: Expert- and parent endorsed strategies.

Background: This study aims to outline sleep strategies grounded in scientific research and endorsed by sleep experts, integrating parental input into the evaluation process, to assist parents in supporting infant sleep after discharge from a neonatal ward.

Methods: A Delphi method, consisting of three rounds, was employed. Sleep strategies based on scientific literature were presented to sleep experts and parents of infants discharged from a neonatal ward.

Dual RNA sequencing of a co-culture model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and human 2D upper airway organoids.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that is notorious for airway infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) subjects. Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) coordinates virulence factor expression and biofilm formation at population level. Better understanding of QS in the bacterium-host interaction is required.

Fermented foods affect the seasonal stability of gut bacteria in an Indian rural population.

The effect of fermented foods on healthy human gut microbiota structure and function, particularly its seasonal preference and frequent long-term consumption, has been largely uncharacterised. Here, we assess the gut microbiota and metabolite composition of 78 healthy Indian agrarian individuals who differ in the intake of fermented milk and soybean products by seasonal sampling during hot-humid summer, autumn and dry winter. Here we show that, seasonal shifts between the Prevotella- and Bifidobacterium/Ruminococcus-driven community types, or ecological states, and associated fatty acid derivatives, with a bimodal change in Bacteroidota community structure during summer, particularly in fermented milk consumers.

A new approach to children's work that prioritises resilience, well-being and agency: emerging findings from a 'cash plus' intervention in Bangladesh.

Background: Criticism of mainstream approaches to child labour is widespread and well-established. The Child Labour Action Research in South and Southeast Asia (CLARISSA) Cash Plus pilot sought to address these critiques through an innovative programme that prioritised the development of household resilience and well-being, and through increasing household capacity to make alternative choices around children's work.

Research: Funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, this pilot delivered unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) and needs-based case management and community mobilising across an entire slum neighbourhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Effects of low phosphorus diets on phosphorus balance and plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, and carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks during the transition period in dairy cows.

Our aim was to determine the effects of P intake on P balance, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and bone resorption during the final 4 weeks prepartum and the first 8 weeks of lactation. Sixty pregnant multiparous Holstein Friesian dairy cows were assigned to a randomized block design with repeated measurements and dietary treatments arranged according to a 2 × 2 factorial design. The experimental diets contained 3.

Appetite and childhood malnutrition: A narrative review identifying evidence gaps between clinical practice and research.

Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is a critical global health issue, contributing to approximately one-half of all child mortality worldwide. SAM management guidelines recommend the use of appetite assessment determined by an "appetite test" to distinguish between complicated and uncomplicated SAM, subsequently guiding clinical decisions regarding outpatient versus inpatient care and discharge from hospital. Despite the widespread utilization of this recommendation, its validity lacks substantial evidence within the existing literature.

Risk characterisation of chemicals of emerging concern in real-life water reuse applications.

Water reuse is a viable option to address temporal or structural water shortages. However, the ubiquitous presence of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in natural systems, especially the aquatic environment, represents a significant obstacle to water reuse and the receiving environment. Therefore, an extensive literature review was performed to identify current water reuse practices at field scale, reported types and levels of CECs and their associated risks for human and environmental health.

Microaerobic biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbon mixtures: strategies for efficient nitrate and oxygen dosage.

The biodegradation of organic aromatic compounds in subsurface environments is often hindered by limited dissolved oxygen. While oxygen supplementation can enhance in situ biodegradation, it poses financial and technical challenges. This study explores introducing low-oxygen concentrations in anaerobic environments for efficient contaminant removal, particularly in scenarios where coexisting pollutants are present.

Assessing chronic effects of chemical pollution on biodiversity using mean species abundance relationships.

Since chemical pollution poses a persistent threat to freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, innovative methodologies are required to address the ecological risks associated with such pollutants. This study predicts the long-term impacts of chemicals based on an equation that describes the time-dependency of the median lethal and effect concentration (L(E)C50) with the Critical Body Residue concept. This way, the methodology can predict Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs) for any given time point.

Synthetic photorespiratory bypass improves rice productivity by enhancing photosynthesis and nitrogen uptake.

Photorespiration, often considered as a wasteful process, is a key target for bioengineering to improve crop yields. Several photorespiratory bypasses have been designed to efficiently metabolize 2-phosphoglycolate and increase the CO2 concentration in chloroplasts, thereby reducing photorespiration. However, the suppression of primary nitrate assimilation remains an issue when photorespiration is inhibited.

Next step towards point-of-care molecular diagnosis of female genital schistosomiasis (FGS): evaluation of an instrument-free LAMP procedure.

Detection of spp. DNA in gynaecological samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is considered to be the reference diagnostic test for female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). However, qPCR needs expensive laboratory procedures and highly trained technicians.

Urbanization enhances body condition, but not innate immune defences, in a common waterbird.

There is a growing body of evidence that urbanization can affect body condition and immune function in wild birds, although these effects may be complex and taxa-specific. Here, we assessed the effects of urbanization on body condition (size-corrected body mass and haemoglobin concentration) and innate immune defences (haemolysis-haemagglutination assay, haptoglobin concentration and bacterial killing assay) in 136 Eurasian coots () from three urban and three non-urban populations across Poland. We also quantified the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio to control for the potential effect of physiological stress on immune defences.

Differences in maternal diet fiber content influence patterns of gene expression and chromatin accessibility in fetuses and piglets.

This study investigates the impact of maternal gestation diets with varying fiber contents on gene expression and chromatin accessibility in fetuses and piglets fed a low fiber diet post weaning. High-fiber maternal diets, enriched with sugar beet pulp or pea internal fiber, were compared to a low-fiber maternal diet to evaluate their effects on liver and muscle tissues. The findings demonstrate that maternal high-fiber diets significantly alter chromatin accessibility, predicted transcription factor activity and transcriptional landscape in both fetuses and piglets.

The edaphic factor and orchids: Gymnadenia conopsea from contrasting geologies in the Central Balkans.

Two different strategies for the distribution of macro- and trace elements can be observed in the terrestrial orchid Gymnadenia conopsea. Most trace elements are not translocated to the above-ground parts, whereas for macro-elements the trend was reversed, with the highest accumulation in the distal parts of the plants. Edaphic stress is one of the main factors affecting plant fitness, but it is still poorly understood, even in rare plants such as orchids.

Home-made vs industry-made: Nutrient composition and content of potentially harmful compounds of different food products.

Many consumers perceive industrially processed foods as lower in quality and potentially harmful to health, with concerns about poor nutrition, additives, and harmful compounds formed during processing. Epidemiological studies have highlighted risks associated with "ultra-processed foods," but empirical comparisons between industrial (IND) and home-made (HM) foods are scarce. This study aimed to compare nutritional values and harmful compounds in IND vs.

Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in the countdown to 2030.

Due to complex interactions, changes in any one area of food systems are likely to impact-and possibly depend on-changes in other areas. Here we present the first annual monitoring update of the indicator framework proposed by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative, with new qualitative analysis elucidating interactions across indicators. Since 2000, we find that 20 of 42 indicators with time series have been trending in a desirable direction, indicating modest positive change.

Cellular damage triggers mechano-chemical control of cell wall dynamics and patterned cell divisions in plant healing.

Reactivation of cell division is crucial for the regeneration of damaged tissues, which is a fundamental process across all multicellular organisms. However, the mechanisms underlying the activation of cell division in plants during regeneration remain poorly understood. Here, we show that single-cell endodermal ablation generates a transient change in the local mechanical pressure on neighboring pericycle cells to activate patterned cell division that is crucial for tissue regeneration in Arabidopsis roots.

Observational study: effect of varying transport durations and feed withdrawal on the physiological status and health of dairy calves.

Long-distance transport and associated fasting of unweaned calves have the potential to compromise the animals' welfare. This observational study aimed to determine how transport and fasting durations impacted the physiology and health of 115 transported calves in three transport groups; IRE (n = 20, mean age 29.8d; short road transport (~ 29 h incl.

Predictive equation derived from 6,497 doubly labelled water measurements enables the detection of erroneous self-reported energy intake.

Nutritional epidemiology aims to link dietary exposures to chronic disease, but the instruments for evaluating dietary intake are inaccurate. One way to identify unreliable data and the sources of errors is to compare estimated intakes with the total energy expenditure (TEE). In this study, we used the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water Database to derive a predictive equation for TEE using 6,497 measures of TEE in individuals aged 4 to 96 years.