An overview of biostimulant activity and plant responses under abiotic and biotic stress conditions

Currently, extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as heat waves, drought, frost, and heavy precipitation, have become a threat to agriculture by detrimentally affecting plant productivity and quality. The overuse of synthetic fertilizers is another major concern damaging the soil quality and water and air quality. In this regard, biostimulants could be a promising and potent solution to address these environmental concerns and meet the need for developing sustainable and green modern agriculture. Biostimulants that are primarily composed of natural substances and/or microorganisms can be broadly divided into non-microbial and microbial categories. In this review, the applications of the main types of biostimulants to plant growth and development are discussed, and the possible associated mechanisms of action are described as well. Furthermore, the current status and challenges relating to commercialization and large-scale implementation under changing climate conditions are covered. Overall, this review article could offer insights and knowledge of biostimulants’ uses in agriculture for both academia and industrial sectors.Tunistrong Technologies IncMitac

Examining predictive factors of relational aggression among adolescents

Relational aggression is defined as the intentional harm inflicted upon peers through rumors, manipulation, and social exclusion (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). This behaviour peaks during adolescence, and is a pervasive and serious issue, generating social and emotional concerns, underscoring the need to understand the mechanisms underlying such behaviour. Although previous research has explored the link between parental attachment and adolescent relational aggression, investigations into the influence of peer attachment remain limited. Callous-unemotional traits have been consistently linked with aggressive behaviours, and popularity has been recently examined as a possible motivation for relational aggression. The present study investigated the role of peer attachment, callous-unemotional traits, popularity, and wellbeing, on relationally aggressive behaviour, both online and offline. The primary objective of this study is to present an integrated model for relationally aggressive behaviour in adolescents. Utilizing a community sample of 327 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, the current study employed self-report questionnaires to assess peer attachment, CU traits, perceived popularity, wellbeing, and tendency to engage in relationally aggressive behaviour, either in-person or online (e.g., social media). Results from this study reveal that the predictors account for a significant amount of variance in online and offline relational aggression. Additionally, it was observed that perceived popularity acts as a mediator in the relationship between CU traits and relational aggression, in online and offline and offline contexts. The study concludes with a comprehensive discussion of the findings and a critical appraisal is offered which highlights methodological considerations and clinical insights. Keywords: Relational aggression (RA), adolescents, attachment, perceived popularity, callous-unemotional traits (CU traits)

Effect of skeletal muscle mitochondrial phenotype on H2O2 emission

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a key output of the skeletal muscle mitochondrial information processing system both at rest and during exercise. In skeletal muscle, mitochondrial ROS release depends on multiple factors; however, fiber-type specific differences remain ambiguous in part owing to the use of mitochondria from mammalian muscle that consist of mixed fibers. To elucidate fiber-type specific differences, we used mitochondria isolated from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) red and white skeletal muscles that consist of spatially distinct essentially pure red and white fibers. We first characterized the assay conditions for measuring ROS production (as H2O2) in isolated fish red and white skeletal muscle mitochondria (RMM and WMM) and thereafter compared the rates of emission during oxidation of different substrates and the responses to mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS) pharmacological modulators. Our results showed that H2O2 emission rates by RMM and WMM can be quantified using the same protein concentration and composition of the Amplex UltraRed-horseradish peroxidase (AUR-HRP) detection system. For both RMM and WMM, protein normalized H2O2 emission rates were highest at the lowest protein concentration tested and decreased exponentially thereafter. However, the absolute values of H2O2 emission rates depended on the calibration curves used to convert fluorescent signals to H2O2 while the trends depended on the normalization strategy. We found substantial qualitative and quantitative differences between RMM and WMM in the H2O2 emission rates depending on the substrates being oxidized and their concentrations. Similarly, pharmacological modulators of the ETS altered the magnitudes and trends of the H2O2 emission differently in RMM and WMM. While comparable concentrations of substrates elicited maximal albeit quantitively different emission rates in RMM and WMM, different concentrations of pharmacological ETS modulators may be required for maximal H2O2 emission rates depending on muscle fiber-type. Taken together, our study suggests that biochemical differences exist in RMM compared with WMM that alter substrate oxidation and responses to ETS modulators resulting in fiber-type specific mitochondrial H2O2 emission rates

Factors influencing evidence-based practice among newly graduated Registered Nurses in Prince Edward Island, Canada

This study analyzes the factors influencing evidence-based practice (EBP) among newly graduated Registered Nurses in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. Evidence-based practice involves the application of the best available evidence to guide nursing practice. Nurses use their critical thinking skills and scientifically valid knowledge to provide quality care. Evidence-based practice helps nurses make effective clinical decisions, avoid habitual practice, and achieve better outcomes. However, achieving EBP is not without its challenges. The study involved 26 Registered Nurses who had graduated within the last three years. Using a cross-sectional survey design, it explored three areas of EBP: the sources of knowledge nurses use to inform their practice, the barriers and facilitators to finding and reviewing evidence, and the evaluation of nurses’ skills in finding and using evidence. The data were collected using the self-administered Development of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (DEBPQ). Key findings reveal that nurses rely heavily on local policies, protocols, and patient-specific information to make clinical decisions, while medical, research, and journals/publications are infrequently used. Time constraints, lack of resources, and lack of authority to implement findings in practice were identified as significant barriers to EBP. Despite these challenges, nurses reported that their colleagues were generally supportive of changes in nursing practice. However, support from doctors was less robust. Nurses demonstrated a high level of skill in areas such as using the internet and reviewing and using organizational information to change practice. However, they lacked confidence in finding and applying research evidence. This suggests a possible need for additional training and support. These findings underscore the importance of addressing these barriers and providing additional training and support to nurses to promote EBP and continual improvement in nursing to optimize health care outcomes

Application of systematic review and meta-analysis methods in dairy science

Systematic reviews (SRs) identify and synthesise all available studies relevant to a particular research problem to obtain a complete and accurate picture of the evidence base. SRs start with formulating a research question, then literature search and retrieval, data extraction, and bias assessment of the individual studies. A crucial and integral part of most SRs is the quantitative synthesis of the results extracted from the retrieved studies i.e. meta-analysis (MA). Animal health reviews often address complex clinical research questions where multiple measurements of one underlying construct need to be assessed to fully understand the clinical picture and/or multiple interventions are administered to assess their comparative efficacy. Moreover, studies conducted in animal health often vary in the ways of reporting the outcome measured (assessment unit, time, and methods) and interventions administered (dose, route, and frequency of administration). Such complexities required more adaptations and extensions of the conventional SR and MA methods. Data extraction is challenging in complex reviews because of the several linked treatment groups and/or outcomes. Further, Cochrane risk of bias assessment tools, ROBINS-I and ROB2 tools, were primarily developed to be applied in human health reviews of interventions. Therefore, the unique clinical settings of the enrolled participants, administered interventions, and measured outcomes in animal health studies can impede their direct application in animal health reviews. Most meta-analytic models assume independence among the treatment effect estimates. In the traditional (univariate) MA, only one treatment effect estimate extracted from each study is synthesised across studies to obtain an overall summary estimate. This approach is adequate to answer simple research questions. However, in animal health reviews, multivariate MA is often required to simultaneously synthesise multiple effect sizes coming from multiple outcomes and/or interventions. A dependence between treatment effect estimates extracted from the same study stems from using the same participants to calculate the treatment effect estimates for multiple outcomes. In multi-arm studies, treatment groups share a common reference treatment, and therefore, their treatment effect estimates are correlated. Multivariate MA allows to incorporate the degree of dependence/correlation between the treatment effect estimates and true treatment effects within- and between-study, respectively. This thesis was inspired by a joint project with a general goal of assessing the efficacy of different dry cow therapy (DCT) strategies on intra-mammary infections (IMIs) using SR and MA methods. Two objectives of the project are addressed herein: the assessment of adding a teat sealant to antimicrobial treatment at dry-off on the incidence and prevalence of IMIs and the evaluation of the comparative efficacy of different antimicrobials to cure Staphylococcus aureus IMIs. In addition, the thesis covered some methodological aspects of SR and MA and their application in animal research. The thesis comprises five research chapters (manuscripts); the second is a protocol that describes the proposed SR and MA methods used in the above-mentioned project to assess the efficacy of different DCT approaches to eliminate and prevent IMIs. The third chapter aims to establish a set of practical steps for planning and constructing data extraction tools that can suit complex SR projects and facilitate data comparisons between reviewers. The fourth chapter contrasts Cochrane risk of bias assessment tools, the ROB 2 and ROBINS-I, explains the adoption of the ROBINS-I tool to the specifics of the studies assessing the efficacy of DCT strategies and argues for the feasibility of a uniform application of the ROBINS-I tool in both randomised and non-randomised studies included in animal research reviews. In the fifth chapter, we used multivariate MA to simultaneously synthesise the incidence and prevalence data of the overall (i.e. composite) and pathogen species-specific IMIs for the effect of adding teat sealant to an antimicrobial at dry-off. Then, in the sixth chapter, we used network MA to compare the efficacy of different treatment regimens used to cure S. aureus IMIs

Real-time peak flow prediction based on signal matching

Real-time peak flow prediction under heavy precipitation is critically important for flood emergency evacuation planning and management. In the case of emergency evacuation, every second matters as a slightly longer lead time could save more lives and reduce the associated social, economic, and health impacts. Here, we present a model (named SIGMA) based on the principle of signal matching to facilitate real-time peak flow prediction at sub-hourly scales (e.g., minutes to seconds). The SIGMA model divides the target watershed into small zones and the heavy precipitation falling into each zone is collected into a small water tank. As the water tank moves downstream and arrives in the watershed outlet, it will discharge the collected precipitation and generate a small single-pulse streamflow signal. By combining all small signals coming from all zones within the watershed, we will be able to generate a synthesized peak flow signal. The proposed model is applied to simulate the peak flow events observed in a real-world watershed to verify its effectiveness in real-time flood prediction. The results suggest that the presented model can reasonably predict three key aspects of a peak flow event, including the peak flow rate, the arrival time of peak flow, and the duration of the peak flow event. The proposed model is demonstrated to be effective in real-time flood prediction and can be used to support flood emergency evacuation planning and management

Identification of new amoebae strains in rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss , Walbaum) farms affected by nodular gill disease ( NGD ) in Northeastern Italy

Nodular gill disease (NGD) is an emerging condition associated with amoeba trophozoites in freshwater salmonid farms. However, unambiguous identification of the pathogens still must be achieved. This study aimed to identify the amoeba species involved in periodic NGD outbreaks in two rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farms in Northeastern Italy. During four episodes (February–April 2023), 88 fish were euthanized, and their gills were evaluated by macroscopic, microscopic and histopathological examination. The macroscopic and microscopic severity of the lesions and the degree of amoebae infestation were scored and statistically evaluated. One gill arch from each animal was put on non-nutrient agar (NNA) Petri dishes for amoeba isolation, cultivation and subsequent identification with SSU rDNA sequencing. Histopathology confirmed moderate to severe lesions consistent with NGD and mild to moderate amoeba infestation. The presence of amoebae was significantly correlated with lesion severity. Light microscopy of cultured amoebae strains and SSU rDNA analysis revealed the presence of a previously characterized amoeba Naegleria sp. strain GERK and several new strains: two strains from Hartmannelidae, three vannelid amoebae from the genus Ripella and cercozoan amoeba Rosculus. Despite the uncertainty in NGD etiopathogenesis and amoebae pathogenic role, identifying known and new amoebae leans towards a possible multi-aetiological origin.BCA DepartmentCzech Science Foundatio

Introduction—Building infrastructural lives: Mobile and creative livelihoods in India and Vietnam

Articles in this special issue compare and contrast how secondary roads and wireless communication devices shape mobility and connectivity for four communities affected by economic, political, and ethnic marginalisation in socialist Vietnam and democratic India. Drawing on the concept of ‘infrastructural lives’, two urban case studies explore the ways by which marginalised migrant communities in India’s Hyderabad and Vietnam’s Hanoi use, adapt, or resist their states’ desires for all residents to embrace secondary roads, greater internet and cellphone interconnectivity, and digital monitoring. In parallel, and by comparing the realities of the Sino-Indian and Sino-Vietnamese borderlands, two rural case studies explore whether upland ethnic minority groups similarly modify or adapt their livelihoods to the expanding secondary roads and wireless communication technologies across the rural highlands of northern India and Vietnam. Taken together, this issue asks: How do the creative engagements of marginalised communities with these infrastructures shape infrastructural lives

A review of Znln 2 S 4 ‐based photocatalysts for producing hydrogen by water splitting under visible light: Fundamentals and recent advancements

Hydrogen (H 2 ) is a clean energy carrier widely used in oil refineries, fertilizers, chemicals, and steel manufacturing. Presently, the majority of H 2 is produced from either steam methane reforming of natural gas or coal gasification; however, these technologies result in a massive amount of CO 2 emission. Alternatively, the use of photocatalysts for producing H 2 via water splitting is an eco‐friendly and sustainable approach, among which the selection of highly efficient, stable, and cheap photocatalysts is the key. In this review, Znln 2 S 4 ‐based photocatalysts are thoroughly described in terms of the fundamentals and thermodynamics of water splitting, fabrication methods, and different heterostructure photocatalytic systems. After this, recent developments in the large‐scale implementation of photocatalytic reactors are discussed. Finally, a summary of future research directions and major conclusions is provided. With proper modification, such as heterojunction systems and the selection of proper fabrication methods, Znln 2 S 4 ‐based photocatalysts could be superior materials for water splitting. In short, this review article could offer meaningful and useful insights and guidance for the development of Znln 2 S 4 ‐based photocatalysts in water splitting for producing H 2 under visible light

Fisheries management in a changing climate: insights from the Prince Edward Island lobster fishery

The one hundred-and-fifty-year-old lobster fishery of the Northwest Atlantic is a management success story, boasting increases in abundance and value since the 1980s. However, there are signs that these trends are changing, and this may be related to climate change. This study attempts to illustrate the adaptive capacity of Prince Edward Island (Canada) lobster fishers through the lens of social capital in the context of climate change and 'islandness'. With data gathered through semi-structured interviews, personal observation and grey and scholarly literature, features of social capital and how it is mobilised are compared and contrasted between two groups of Island fishers with different fishing customs. One group operates with ‘territorial use rights in fisheries’ (TURFs); the other does not. The data suggests that TURFs may have less adaptive capacity in response to some climate impacts on lobster. It also indicates that micro level features of social capital, such as attitudes and practices of collective action, may have less influence on the adaptive capacity of Island fishers than macro level features, which include formal relationships, structures, and participation in the policy process. Lasty, this study and numerous others indicate that continued effort to improve the working relationships of scientists, regulators, processors and fishers is key to strengthening the adaptive capacity of the fishery, as is smaller-scale research and planning