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In recent decades, animal welfare science has evolved to utilize a multidisciplinary approach to assess the welfare of animals in accredited zoos and aquariums. Science-based animal welfare assessments have become an essential component of management programs and widespread application is expected by animal care professionals. Management practices for bottlenose dolphins in accredited facilities incorporate several programs that potentially impact animal welfare including environmental enrichment and animal training. Additionally, habitat characteristics, such as the dimensions of the habitat, have been proposed to affect welfare. While accredited facilities are required to meet high standards of care, habitat characteristics and management practices are not standardized across locations. Knowledge and subsequent application of these practices and habitat characteristics can enhance our understanding of factors associated with positive welfare. As part of a larger study of dolphin welfare titled “Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums” (colloquially called the Cetacean Welfare Study), survey data were collected from 86 bottlenose dolphins in 40 habitats at 38 facilities in seven countries. The major aims of this paper are to provide general descriptive information regarding dolphin management in accredited zoos and aquariums and to provide supplemental context to the other research published from the Cetacean Welfare Study data set. This paper provides a review of current habitat characteristics and management practices at those 38 accredited zoos and aquariums. These data enabled the identification and quantification of how cetacean management practices differed between participating facilities accredited by the Alliance for Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Variables were selected based on their potential association with welfare including the physical habitat, environmental enrichment, and training programs. The variables were also used for subsequent research in this collection of related papers to investigate important connections between potential indicators of welfare and habitat characteristics, environmental enrichment, and training programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly deadly for residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This paper analyzes COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes during the first wave of the pandemic in the United States during the spring and early summer 2020. By combining data on facility-level COVID-19 deaths during this period with data on the neighborhoods where nursing home staff reside for a sample of eighteen states, this paper finds that staff neighborhood characteristics were a large and significant predictor of COVID-19 nursing home deaths. Even after controlling for the county where a facility is located, one standard deviation increases in average staff neighborhood (Census tract) population density, public transportation use, and non-white share were associated with 1.3 (p < .001), 1.4 (p < .001), and 0.9 (p < .001) additional deaths per 100 beds, respectively. These effects are larger than all facility management or quality variables, and larger than the effect of the nursing home’s own neighborhood characteristics. These results suggest COVID-19 outbreaks in staff communities can have large consequences for the facilities where they work, even in highly-rated facilities, and that disparities in nursing home outbreaks may be related to differences in the types of neighborhoods nursing home staff live in.

Recently, Cicer species have experienced increased research interest due to their economic importance, especially in genetics, genomics, and crop improvement. The Cicer arietinum, Cicer reticulatum, and Cicer echinospermum genomes have been sequenced and provide valuable resources for trait improvement. Since the publication of the chickpea draft genome, progress has been made in genome assembly, functional annotation, and identification of polymorphic markers. However, work is still needed to identify transposable elements (TEs) and make them available for researchers. In this paper, we present CicerSpTEdb, a comprehensive TE database for Cicer species that aims to improve our understanding of the organization and structural variations of the chickpea genome. Using structure and homology-based methods, 3942 C. echinospermum, 3579 C. reticulatum, and 2240 C. arietinum TEs were identified. Comparisons between Cicer species indicate that C. echinospermum has the highest number of LTR-RT and hAT TEs. C. reticulatum has more Mutator, PIF Harbinger, Tc1 Mariner, and CACTA TEs, while C. arietinum has the highest number of Helitron. CicerSpTEdb enables users to search and visualize TEs by location and download their results. The database will provide a powerful resource that can assist in developing TE target markers for molecular breeding and answer related biological questions. Database URL: http://cicersptedb.easyomics.org/index.php

Background Several meta-analyses of the relationship between endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) T-786C gene polymorphism and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been published. However, the results of these studies were inconsistent, and it is undetermined whether sample sizes are sufficient to reach a definite conclusion. Objective To elucidate the relationship between T-786C and CKD by combining previous studies with our case-control sample and incorporate trial sequential analysis (TSA) to verify whether the sample size is adequate to draw a definite conclusion. Methods PubMed and Embase databases were searched for relevant articles on eNOS T-786C and CKD before February 28, 2021. TSA was also incorporated to ascertain a conclusion. A total of 558 hemodialysis cases in the case-control study was recruited from nine dialysis centers in the northern area of Taiwan in 2020. Additionally, 640 healthy subjects of the control group, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, were selected from participants of the annual elderly health examination program at the Tri-Service General Hospital. The functional analysis was based on eQTL data from GTExPortal. Results After screening with eligibility criteria, 15 papers were included and eventually combined in a meta-analysis. The result of the TSA showed that the sample size for Caucasians was adequate to ascertain the correlation between eNOS T-786C and CKD but was insufficient for Asians. Therefore, we added our case-control samples (n = 1198), though not associated with CKD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69–1.46), into a meta-analysis, which supported that eNOS T-786C was significantly associated with CKD in Asians (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.04–1.85) by using an adequate cumulative sample size (n = 4572) analyzed by TSA. Data of eQTL from GTEx showed that T-786C with the C minor allele exhibited relatively lower eNOS mRNA expression in whole blood, indicating the hazardous role of eNOS T-786C in CKD. Conclusions eNOS T-786C genetic polymorphism was of conclusive significance in the association with CKD among Asians in our meta-analysis. Our case-control samples play a decisive role in changing conclusions from indefinite to definite.

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat infections that are of viral origin contributes to unnecessary use which potentially may induce resistance in commensal bacteria. To counteract this a number of host gene transcriptional studies have been conducted to identify genes that are differently expressed during bacterial and viral infections in humans, and thus could be used as a tool to base decisions on the use of antibiotics. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate the potential of a selection of genes that have been considered biomarkers in humans, to differentially diagnose bacterial from viral infections in the pig. First porcine PBMC were induced with six toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists (FliC, LPS, ODN 2216, Pam3CSK4, poly I:C, R848) to mimic host gene expression induced by bacterial or viral pathogens, or exposed to heat-killed Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae or a split influenza virus. Genes that were differentially expressed between bacterial and viral inducers were further evaluated on clinical material comprising eleven healthy pigs, and six pigs infected with A. pleuropneumoniae. This comprised three virally upregulated genes (IFI44L, MxA, RSAD2) and four bacterially upregulated genes (IL-1β, IL-8, FAM89A, S100PBP). All six infected pigs could be differentially diagnosed to healthy pigs using a host gene transcription assay based on the geometric average of the bacterially induced genes IL-8 and S100PBP over that of the virally induced gene MxA.

Linear aggregation is present in some animals, such as the coordinated movement of ants and the migration of caterpillars and spinylobsters, but none has been reported on rotifers. The rotifers were collected and clone cultured in the laboratory at 25 ± 1°C, under natural light (light intensity ~130 lx, L:D = 14:10). The culture medium(pH = 7.3) was formulated as described by Suga et al., and rotifers were fed on the micro algae Scenedesmus obliquus grown in HB-4 medium to the exponential growth stage. When density was high (150 individuals ml-1), the behavior of rotifers was observed using a stereo microscope (Motic ES-18TZLED). In this paper, linear aggregation in Brachionus calyciflorus was found for the first time, and experiments were carried out to verify the correlation between linear aggregation and culture density of B. calyciflorus. With the increase of density, the number of aggregations increase, the number of individuals in the aggregation increased, and the maintenance time of the aggregation was also increased. Therefore, we speculate that the formation of aggregates is related to density and may be a behavioral signal of density increase, which may transmit information between density increase and formation of dormant eggs.

The paper discusses the analysis of the effect of using sewage sludge for fertilization on the level of soil and groundwater contamination with drug-resistant bacteria. Other sanitary contaminants in these environments were also analysed. Composted sewage sludge was introduced into the sandy soil over a period of 6 months. The examinations were conducted under conditions of a lysimetric experiment with the possibility of collecting soil leachates (in natural conditions). The following doses of sewage sludge were used: 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 t/ha calculated per experimental object containing 10 kg of sandy soil. The research were carried out within the time frame of one year. Dactylis glomerata grass was grown on the fertilized soils. In soils and leachates from soils (which may have polluted groundwater) collected from fertilized experimental objects, the sanitary condition and quantity of drug-resistant bacteria (mainly from the families Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus) were analysed one year after fertilization. Their drug resistance to selected antibiotics was also analysed based on current recommendations. The study showed that fertilization with sewage sludge (even after stabilization and hygienization) results in contamination of soil and infiltrating waters with many species of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. The lowest level of contamination of soil and water environment was found after the application of sewage sludge at a dose of 10 t/ha. The isolated drug-resistant strains of intestinal bacteria were less sensitive to older generations of antibiotics including cefazolin, ampicillin, and co-amoxiclav.

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) can cause significant pain leading to limitations in societal participation and physical activity. PFP is usually associated with athletes undergoing intensive physical training, or military recruits; but recent evidence shows that PFP is common in the general population. The relationship of PFP with physical activity is not entirely clear. Our aim is to provide a better estimate of the general population prevalence of PFP and to relate this to the level of physical activity, and demographic characteristics. The Survey instrument for Natural history, Aetiology and Prevalence of Patellofemoral pain Studies (SNAPPS) was developed as a PFP screening tool to be used in the community. The electronic version of the SNAPPS (eSNAPPS) has recently been validated and was used to survey attendees at mass-participation running events. We will use an electronic survey to collect data from a sample of 1100 Rugby League World Cup spectators. The survey will have four sections: i) general and demographic; ii) knee pain (eSNAPPS); iii) level of physical activity; and iv) quality of life in relation to knee pain. The primary analytic approach will be descriptive of PFP prevalence. Secondary analyses will explore the relationships of the presence of PFP and the other variables. We will disseminate this work by publication of peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals, presentations at scientific conferences, and on the dedicated SNAPPS website https://www.snappspfp.com/.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify a list of common, candidate genes associated with the three components of fitness, specifically cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and anaerobic power, and how these genes are associated with exercise response phenotype variability, in previously untrained participants. A total of 3,969 potentially relevant papers were identified and processed for inclusion. After eligibility and study selection assessment, 24 studies were selected for meta-analysis, comprising a total of 3,012 participants (male n = 1,512; females n = 1,239; not stated n = 261; age 28 ± 9 years). Meta-Essentials spreadsheet 1.4 (Microsoft Excel) was used in creating the forest plots and meta-analysis. IBM SPSS statistics V24 was implemented for the statistical analyses and the alpha was set at p ≤ 0.05. 13 candidate genes and their associated alleles were identified, which were associated with the phenotypes of interest. Analysis of training group data showed significant differential phenotypic responses. Subgroup analysis showed; 44%, 72% and 10% of the response variance in aerobic, strength and power phenotypes, respectively, were explained by genetic influences. This analysis established that genetic variability explained a significant proportion of the adaptation differences across the three components of fitness in the participants post-training. The results also showed the importance of analysing and reporting specific gene alleles. Information obtained from these findings has the potential to inform and influence future exercise-related genes and training studies.

Soil microorganism plays an important role in nitrogen (N) fixation process of paddy field, but the related information about how soil microorganism that drive N fixation process response to change of soil phy-chemical characteristics under the double-cropping rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy field in southern of China is need to further study. Therefore, the impacts of 34-years different long-term fertilization system on soil N-fixing bacteria community under the double-cropping rice paddy field in southern of China were investigated by taken chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) method in this paper. The field experiment were set up four different fertilizer treatments: chemical fertilizer alone (MF), rice straw and chemical fertilizer (RF), 30% organic manure and 70% chemical fertilizer (OM), and unfertilized as a control (CK). This results showed that compared with CK treatment, the diversity index of cbbLR and nifH genes with OM and RF treatments were significantly increased (pcbbLR gene with OM, RF and MF treatments were increased by 23.94, 12.19 and 6.70×107 copies g-1 compared to CK treatment, respectively. Compared with CK treatment, the abundance of nifH gene with OM, RF and MF treatments were increased by 23.90, 8.82 and 5.40×109 copies g-1, respectively. This results indicated that compared with CK treatment, the soil autotrophic azotobacter and nitrogenase activities with OM and RF treatments were also significantly increased (p

Epilepsy is a complex neurological condition characterized by repeated spontaneous seizures and can be induced by initiating seizures known as status epilepticus (SE). Elaborating the critical molecular mechanisms following SE are central to understanding the establishment of chronic seizures. Here, we identify a transient program of molecular and metabolic signaling in the early epileptogenic period, centered on day five following SE in the pre-clinical kainate or pilocarpine models of temporal lobe epilepsy. Our work now elaborates a new molecular mechanism centered around Wnt signaling and a growing network comprised of metabolic reprogramming and mTOR activation. Biochemical, metabolomic, confocal microscopy and mouse genetics experiments all demonstrate coordinated activation of Wnt signaling, predominantly in neurons, and the ensuing induction of an overall aerobic glycolysis (Warburg-like phenomenon) and an altered TCA cycle in early epileptogenesis. A centerpiece of the mechanism is the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) through its kinase and Wnt target genes PDK4. Intriguingly, PDH is a central gene in certain genetic epilepsies, underscoring the relevance of our elaborated mechanisms. While sharing some features with cancers, the Warburg-like metabolism in early epileptogenesis is uniquely split between neurons and astrocytes to achieve an overall novel metabolic reprogramming. This split Warburg metabolic reprogramming triggers an inhibition of AMPK and subsequent activation of mTOR, which is a signature event of epileptogenesis. Interrogation of the mechanism with the metabolic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose surprisingly demonstrated that Wnt signaling and the resulting metabolic reprogramming lies upstream of mTOR activation in epileptogenesis. To augment the pre-clinical pilocarpine and kainate models, aspects of the proposed mechanisms were also investigated and correlated in a genetic model of constitutive Wnt signaling (deletion of the transcriptional repressor and Wnt pathway inhibitor HBP1). The results from the HBP1-/- mice provide a genetic evidence that Wnt signaling may set the threshold of acquired seizure susceptibility with a similar molecular framework. Using biochemistry and genetics, this paper outlines a new molecular framework of early epileptogenesis and advances a potential molecular platform for refining therapeutic strategies in attenuating recurrent seizures.

Yasuní National Park in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. The fungi in this tropical rainforest are also diverse but have received little research attention. This research paper focuses on an important group of fungi in the family Polyporaceae and examines the genera Polyporus, Atroporus, and Neodictyopus that form aerial melanized cord-like structures called rhizomorphs. Phylogenetic analyses, macro and micromorphological descriptions of basidiomata and rhizomorphs, as well as cultural characterization were completed to better understand these ecologically important fungi. Here we describe four new species: Atroporus yasuniensis, Atroporus tagaeri, Neodictyopus sylvaticus, and Polyporus taromenane, and a new variety Polyporus leprieurii var. yasuniensis. The information presented in this study adds important new knowledge about the unusual rhizomorph producing fungi found in Yasuní National Park, Ecuador and other tropical rainforests.