Sorgoleone, an allelochemical exuded from root hairs of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], has proven herbicidal activity on several weeds and crops. Due to its hydrophobic nature and affinity for organic matter, sorgoleone can persist in the soil for a long period. Although sorghum residues are beneficial for weed suppression, growers in the southeastern United States have raised concerns that these residues may negatively affect wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) emergence in double-crop systems. Two independent laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate sorgoleone activity: (1) weed species/wheat variety study, which included four weed species, Italian ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot], large crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.], sicklepod [Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin & Barneby], and velvetleaf [Abutilon theophrasti Medik.], and two wheat varieties, ‘USG3251’ and ‘Shirley’; and (2) wheat variety and group study, which included a total of 20 varieties distributed in four wheat groups. In both studies, sorgoleone was applied at 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.30 g L−1 to seeds grown in petri dishes under laboratory conditions. In Study 1, sorgoleone activity had a stronger effect on grass weeds than on broadleaf weeds. Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum was the most susceptible weed, showing 77% growth reduction at 0.3 g L−1 of sorgoleone. At the same concentration, D. sanguinalis showed the second-highest response, with a 32% growth reduction, followed by A. theophrasti and S. obtusifolia, with reductions of 23% and 20%, respectively. No effect of sorgoleone was observed on wheat varieties. In Study 2, growth reduction was only observed for six wheat varieties at the highest sorgoleone concentrations. Furthermore, in between group comparisons, Hard Red wheat presented higher response to sorgoleone. These findings demonstrate strong herbicidal activity of sorgoleone on grass weeds, particularly L. perenne ssp. multiflorum, while having minimal effects on most wheat varieties.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a serious disease and increasingly prevalent in children. MASLD is associated with health consequences such as type 2 diabetes and CVD. While vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that has been proposed to improve liver function and cardiometabolic health including liver markers, lipid profile, glycaemic control and anthropometric measurements. A comprehensive search was conducted up to March 2025. Data on anthropometric measures, liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT)), glycaemic indices (fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)), lipid profiles (total cholesterol (TC), TAG, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol) and serum vitamin E levels were extracted. Statistical analyses were performed using a random-effects model. Eleven randomised controlled trials involving 665 participants were included in this study. Vitamin E significantly reduced ALT (weighted mean difference (WMD) = −5·23 U/L; 95 % CI: −7·72, −2·75; P < 0·001) and AST (WMD = −3·00 U/L; 95 % CI: −4·59, −1·41; P < 0·001), reflecting improved liver function. It also decreased TC (WMD = −5·77 mg/dl; 95 % CI: −11·46, −0·09; P = 0·04) and HOMA-IR (WMD = −0·82; 95 % CI: −1·28, −0·37; P < 0·001), while significantly increasing serum vitamin E levels (WMD = 9·16 mg/l; 95 % CI: 3·29, 15·03; P = 0·002). No significant changes were observed in the BMI, GGT, FBS, insulin, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol or TAG levels. Vitamin E supplementation in paediatric MASLD appears to favourably influence key liver enzymes such as ALT, AST and certain metabolic factors including TC, and HOMA-IR levels, supporting its potential role as adjunctive therapy.

In Colombia, monitoring biodiversity studies is hindered due to logistical, economic and security issues due to armed conflict. This study aimed for the application of environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor mammalian diversity following riparian outlets along the Colombian Pacific coast. Fieldwork was conducted during two different periods, August to November 2021 and February to May 2022. A total of five orders of terrestrial mammals were recorded, distributed in ten families and 17 species. The most abundant orders were Rodentia and Didelphimorphia, with a total of six and five species each. Our methodology can detect relevant and emblematic terrestrial species reported for the region with traditional methods, such as Chironectes minimus and Cabassous centralis, as well as species that had not been confirmed to occur in that area, like Speothos venaticus. Our results demonstrate the high potential for the development of the eDNA tool in Colombia for detection of vulnerable species and, in the future, supporting conservation processes.

The aim of this study was to examine the potential mediating role of intuitive eating in the relationship between food insecurity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. A total of 1039 adults aged between 20 and 64 years living in Niğde, Türkiye, were evaluated using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included items on participants’ general characteristics, dietary habits, the Household Food Security Survey Module – Short Form, the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener and the Intuitive Eating Scale-2. Intuitive eating was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between food insecurity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Food insecurity was directly and negatively associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and this association remained significant even after the inclusion of intuitive eating as a variable in the model. In conclusion, food insecurity was found to negatively affect adherence to the Mediterranean diet not only directly but also indirectly by weakening intuitive eating skills. Interventions aimed at promoting intuitive eating may help mitigate unhealthy dietary behaviours associated with food insecurity; however, improving food access and living conditions remains essential for a long-term solution.

Dairy cow longevity affects production economy, climate footprint, and cow welfare. Based on data from the Danish Cattle Database, this research paper evaluates the relationship between early-life risk factors associated with the period before first calving and cow longevity, including data from all Danish dairy cows culled in 2019–2023. Explanatory variables for linear mixed models included calf size, twinning, and age at first calving. Information about the length of productive life (LPL) (mean: 1,074 days) and lifetime milk yield (mean: 32,088 kg energy-corrected milk) was available for 767,305 and 716,120 cows, respectively. Milk yield per day of life increased from 7 kg in cows culled during the first lactation to more than 20 kg in cows culled in their fifth or later lactations. For cows born as singletons, LPL was one month longer for cows born as large calves than for medium-sized calves, and 2 months longer than for small calves. Cows born as twins had 2 to 3 months shorter productive lives compared to cows born as singletons. For singletons, lifetime milk yield was 1,200 kg higher for large calves than for medium-sized calves, and 2,100 kg higher than for small calves. Lifetime milk yield was 1,500 to 3,500 kg lower in cows born as twins. Cows being among the third quartile of age at first calving had an estimated productive life 2.5 months longer, and a lifetime milk yield more than 2,600 kg higher than cows calving among the first quartile of age. The results from this study clearly demonstrate the importance of ‘a good start’.

Snapmelon is an indigenous crop of Indian origin that has contributed resistance genes against major melon diseases. Despite its importance, Snapmelon is an under-utilized crop, and its cultivation may be limited due to its very short post-harvest life, fruit-bursting on maturity and very thin pericarp that is unsuitable for long-distance transportation. Studies on the inheritance of melon fruit bursting are scanty, and according to the available literature, it is due to complementary gene action. The inheritance of fruit bursting in Snapmelon in our work was studied through an inter-botanical cross between Snapmelon (IC632170, bursting fruit type) and Chandalak melon (Kashi Madhu, non-bursting fruit type). F2 and backcross populations were developed, and all three populations were evaluated for fruit bursting under polyhouse conditions for two seasons. Chi-square analysis indicated non-significant deviations from the expected 3:1 Mendelian ratio for non-bursting: bursting type fruits in the F2 population, suggesting the monogenic control of fruit bursting. The backcross with parent Kashi Madhu exhibited 1:0 (non-bursting: bursting) ratios, while the backcross with parent IC632170 revealed 1:1 (non-bursting: bursting) ratio. Selective genotyping in the F2:3 population of Kashi Madhu x IC632170 using 86 polymorphic Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed the association of the marker CMCT505 for fruit bursting at maturity. Knowledge on the genetic basis of fruit bursting is crucial for designing effective breeding strategies aimed at developing non-bursting Snapmelon varieties suitable for commercial cultivation and improved post-harvest handling.

During a biodiversity survey conducted in the Gulf of Izmit (Sea of Marmara, Türkiye), 87 individuals of bat star Asterina stellifera, whose native distribution is along the South Atlantic coasts of South America and Africa, were identified. The population seems to be well adapted to a mixed substrate composed of coarse sand, silt, and shell fragments of Mytilus galloprovincialis between 4 and 8 meters of depth range. DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene showed over 99% identity with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank sequences from South America, indicating the possible origin and shipping as the mode of introduction. This is the first record of this species outside of its native range.

There is scant information about seed germination and seedling emergence of common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.), even though it is a common and widespread weed in North America. This study was conducted to determine the influence of several environmental factors on its seed germination and seedling emergence from three North American populations in autumn. In alternating light (12 h)/darkness (12 h), maximum germination (89.7% to 97.7%) of freshly matured seeds occurred at alternating temperature regimes ≥25/15 C, and germination was lowest (0% to 80.3%) at the coolest temperature regime of 15/5 C. In comparison to seeds incubated with an alternating light/dark photoperiod, germination was lower when seeds were exposed to continuous darkness, indicating that seeds were positively photoblastic. Cold stratification at 4 C enhanced germination, with seed dormancy alleviated after 4 to 8 wk, depending on the study population. For freshly matured seeds, germination exceeded 67% in test solutions ranging from pH 3 to 10, and was highest (80% to 100%) at neutral or near-neutral pH. Germination exceeded 84% in solutions with osmotic potentials ranging from 0 to −0.4 MPa, and germination was observed at osmotic potentials as low as −0.8 to −1.0 MPa, depending on the study population. Seedling emergence was only observed for seeds sown on the surface of soil or buried to depths ≤2 cm. Thus, seeds of O. biennis are positively photoblastic and exhibit germination characteristics associated with type 2 non–deep physiological dormancy at maturity, with seeds being capable of germinating under a variety of climatic and edaphic conditions.

In tropical forests, the relative thermal and climatic stability contrasts with the seasonal oscillations, mainly due to rainfall patterns, that structure life cycles in temperate zones, leading to different ecological strategies among species. This study investigates the seasonal activity patterns and size-abundance relationships of four sympatric Goliath beetle species (Goliathus goliatus, Mecynorhina confluens, Mecynorrhinella poggei, and Fornasinius russus) in the Mabira Forest Reserve and in other forest areas, Uganda. Over three years (2021–2023), 1,231 individuals were sampled monthly using standardised traps and random transects. Time series analyses were used to explore patterns of abundance. We found a significant negative correlation between body size and abundance (r = –0.78, P < 0.05), with the smaller species, M. confluens and F. russus, being most numerous. Time series and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed significant sinusoidal patterns of seasonality for G. goliatus, M. poggei, and F. russus, while M. confluens showed non-significant cyclical trends, indicating potential stochastic fluctuations or greater ecological flexibility. Seasonal peaks were species-specific and generally occurred during transitional periods between wet and dry seasons, diverging from previously reported insect patterns peaking during the wet season. These findings suggest that differing phenological strategies may facilitate coexistence and niche partitioning, particularly among species differing in body size. Furthermore, larger species appeared to emerge earlier in the year, possibly reflecting life history adaptations or competitive dynamics. Our study highlights the importance of long-term, species-specific monitoring to understand ecological roles and vulnerabilities of tropical beetles, especially large-bodied taxa increasingly threatened by habitat loss and climate variability. Such insights are essential for informing conservation strategies in biodiverse tropical ecosystems.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the fermentation characteristics, losses, aerobic stability and nutritive value of the silage of three cultivars of cactus pear {‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’ – OEM (Opuntia sp.), ‘IPA Sertânia’ and ‘Miúda’ [Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm Dyck.]} mixed with three levels of inclusion of Leucaena [Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit] hay (0, 15 and 30%). The design was completely randomized in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, corresponding to cactus pear varieties and Leucaena hay levels, with four replications. Gas and effluent losses, pH, organic acids, aerobic stability and nutritional value of silages were evaluated. The silages of the cultivar OEM without the inclusion of Leucaena hay had a higher pH (4.95) compared to Miúda (4.11) and IPA Sertânia (4.17). The aerobic stability was maintained for more than 60h after opening the silos. The inclusion of Leucaena hay (up to 30%) increased the pH and reduced losses by effluents without compromising the fermentative characteristics of the silages, indicated by the predominance of lactic acid (93 g/kg).