Distribution, autecology, genetic characterization, and conservation of the Western Mediterranean endemic dragonfly Orthetrum nitidinerve (Selys, 1841): insights from Italy

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are a primary component of freshwater ecosystems and one of the most threatened by anthropogenic pressures. Among them, dragonflies are a charismatic group of growing scientific and social interest. However, little is known about the natural history of several species. One paradigmatic example is the declining Orthetrum nitidinerve, a Western Mediterranean endemic anisopteran. We reviewed published and new data on this species, addressing distribution, autecology, and conservation (with a focus on Italy), and provide its first genetic characterization and phylogenetic placement within the genus. In Italy, the species is known from 50 sites so far (only 17 breeding populations) located in Sardinia and Sicily (1841–2019, only 22 from 1990 onward). Records from continental Italy are due to misidentification. The flight period in Italy spans between May and September. Habitat consists of permanent freshwater (mostly helocrene sources, seepages, and small brooks), slow-flowing, shallow, with muddy bottom deposits at elevation from the sea level up to 1000 m asl. All the breeding populations are found in open and sunny landscapes, almost invariably in extensive pasturelands. The species has strongly declined in Sicily, whereas several large populations still occur in Sardinia. The major threats identified so far are agriculture and grazing intensification or abandonment and drought/source desiccation determined by water overexploitation and climate change. The first ever provided mitochondrial COI barcode and ITS nuclear sequences allowed a first tentative phylogenetic placement of the species as a sister group of the O. brunneum/O. lineostigma lineage

Scalable software framework for real-time data processing in the railway environment

Background: Ticks are obligate haematophagous ectoparasites of vertebrates and frequently parasitize avian species that can carry them across continents during their long-distance migrations. Ticks may have detrimental effects on the health state of their avian hosts, which can be either directly caused by blood-draining or mediated by microbial pathogens transmitted during the blood meal. Indeed, ticks host complex microbial communities, including bacterial pathogens and symbionts. Midichloria bacteria (Rickettsiales) are widespread tick endosymbionts that can be transmitted to vertebrate hosts during the tick bite, inducing an antibody response. Their actual role as infectious/pathogenic agents is, however, unclear. Methods: We screened for Midichloria DNA African ticks and blood samples collected from trans-Saharan migratory songbirds at their arrival in Europe during spring migration. Results: Tick infestation rate was 5.7%, with most ticks belonging to the Hyalomma marginatum species complex. Over 90% of Hyalomma ticks harboured DNA of Midichloria bacteria belonging to the monophylum associated with ticks. Midichloria DNA was detected in 43% of blood samples of avian hosts. Tick-infested adult birds were significantly more likely to test positive to the presence of Midichloria DNA than non-infested adults and second-year individuals, suggesting a long-term persistence of these bacteria within avian hosts. Tick parasitism was associated with a significantly delayed timing of spring migration of avian hosts but had no significant effects on body condition, whereas blood Midichloria DNA presence negatively affected fat deposits of tick-infested avian hosts. Conclusions: Our results show that ticks effectively transfer Midichloria bacteria to avian hosts, supporting the hypothesis that they are infectious to vertebrates. Bird infection likely enhances the horizontal spread of these bacteria across haematophagous ectoparasite populations. Moreover, we showed that Midichloria and tick parasitism have detrimental non-independent effects on avian host health during migration, highlighting the complexity of interactions involving ticks, their vertebrate hosts, and tick-borne bacteria

Birds of a feather flock together:a dataset for Clock and Adcyap1 genes from migration genetics studies

Birds in seasonal habitats rely on intricate strategies for optimal timing of migrations. This is governed by environmental cues, including photoperiod. Genetic factors affecting intrinsic timekeeping mechanisms, such as circadian clock genes, have been explored, yielding inconsistent findings with potential lineage-dependency. To clarify this evidence, a systematic review and phylogenetic reanalysis was done. This descriptor outlines the methodology for sourcing, screening, and processing relevant literature and data. PRISMA guidelines were followed, ultimately including 66 studies, with 34 focusing on candidate genes at the genotype-phenotype interface. Studies were clustered using bibliographic coupling and citation network analysis, alongside scientometric analyses by publication year and location. Data was retrieved for allele data from databases, article supplements, and direct author communications. The dataset, version 1.0.2, encompasses data from 52 species, with 46 species for the Clock gene and 43 for the Adcyap1 gene. This dataset, featuring data from over 8000 birds, constitutes the most extensive cross-species collection for these candidate genes, used in studies investigating gene polymorphisms and seasonal bird migration.</p

Management of Breast Abscess during Breastfeeding

(1) Background: Breast abscess (BA) is a condition leading in the majority of cases to breastfeeding interruption. Abscesses are commonly treated with antibiotics, needle aspiration or incision and drainage (I&amp;D), but there is still no consensus on the optimal treatment. Since there are no well-defined clinical guidelines for abscess management, we conducted a retrospective, observational study with the aim of assessing ultrasound (US)-guided management of BA without surgery, regardless of the BA size. The secondary objective was the microbiologic characterization and, in particular, the S. aureus methicillin resistance identification. (2) Methods: our population included 64 breastfeeding mothers with diagnosis of BA. For every patient, data about maternal, perinatal and breastfeeding features were collected. All patients underwent office US scans and 40 out of 64 required a more detailed breast diagnostic ultrasound performed by a radiologist. In all cases, samples of milk or abscess material were microbiologically tested. All patients received oral antibiotic treatment. We performed needle aspiration, when feasible, even on abscesses greater than 5 cm. (3) Results: most of the women developed BA during the first 100 days (68.8% during the first 60 days) after delivery and 13 needed hospitalization. Four abscesses were bilateral and 16 had a US major diameter greater than 5 cm. All patients were treated with antibiotic therapy according to our clinical protocol and 71.9% (46/64) underwent fine needle aspiration. None of them required I&amp;D. The average duration of breastfeeding was 5 months (IR 2; 9.5) and 40.6% of women with BA continued to breastfeed for more than 6 months. Only 21 mothers interrupted breastfeeding before 3 months. (4) Conclusions: our observational data suggest, regardless of the size and the clinical features of the BA, a conservative approach with antibiotic therapy targeted at the Methicillin-Resistant Staphilococcus aureus (MRSA) identified and needle aspiration, if feasible. In our experience, treatment with needle aspiration is a cost- effective method. Unlike drainage, it is an outpatient procedure, easily repeatable, with no cosmetic damage. In addition, it has lower risk of recurrences since, differently from surgical incision, it does not cause interruption of the ducts. Moreover, needle aspiration is less painful, does not require the separation of the mother-child dyad and allows for a quicker, if not immediate, return to breastfeeding

Data from: Brood size, telomere length, and parent-offspring color signaling in barn swallows

Trade-offs select for optimal allocation of resources among competing functions. Parents are selected to maximize production of viable offspring by balancing between progeny number and “quality.” Telomeres are nucleoproteins, at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, that shorten when cells divide. Because shortening below a certain threshold depresses organismal functioning and rate of shortening depends on environmental conditions, telomeres are good candidates as mediators of trade-offs. We altered brood size of barn swallow Hirundo rustica and found that brood enlargement caused a reduction in relative telomere length (RTL). Reliable signals of offspring quality should evolve that mediate adaptive parental care allocation. Because nestlings with darker coloration receive more care, we analyzed the covariation between RTL and coloration and found that RTL increased with plumage darkness, both within and between broods. Hence, we provide unprecedented evidence that signals relevant to parent-offspring communication reflect telomere length and thus offspring reproductive value

Length of the growing R₄ in relation to time since feather removal.

<p>Length of the growing R₄ relative to the length of the original R₄ in relation to time since removal of the original R₄. The continuous lines represent the Gompertz functions fitted to the data.</p

A Trade-Off between Reproduction and Feather Growth in the Barn Swallow (<i>Hirundo rustica</i>)

<div><p>Physiological trade-offs mediated by limiting energy, resources or time constrain the simultaneous expression of major functions and can lead to the evolution of temporal separation between demanding activities. In birds, plumage renewal is a demanding activity, which accomplishes fundamental functions, such as allowing thermal insulation, aerodynamics and socio-sexual signaling. Feather renewal is a very expensive and disabling process, and molt is often partitioned from breeding and migration. However, trade-offs between feather renewal and breeding have been only sparsely studied. In barn swallows (<i>Hirundo rustica</i>) breeding in Italy and undergoing molt during wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, we studied this trade-off by removing a tail feather from a large sample of individuals and analyzing growth bar width, reflecting feather growth rate, and length of the growing replacement feather in relation to the stage in the breeding cycle at removal and clutch size. Growth bar width of females and length of the growing replacement feather of both sexes were smaller when the original feather had been removed after clutch initiation. Importantly, in females both growth bar width and replacement feather length were negatively predicted by clutch size, and more strongly so for large clutches and when feather removal occurred immediately after clutch completion. Hence, we found strong, coherent evidence for a trade-off between reproduction, and laying effort in particular, and the ability to generate new feathers. These results support the hypothesis that the derived condition of molting during wintering in long-distance migrants is maintained by the costs of overlapping breeding and molt.</p></div