BACKGROUND: Phlebotomus (Larroussius) perniciosus (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the most common and predominant vector of Leishmania infantum in the Western Mediterranean region. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by vertebrates are important cues affecting the behaviour of blood-feeding insects. Generally, the identification of putative behaviourally active VOCs involves three distinct phases: extraction, chemical characterization and chemoreceptivity evaluation using electrophysiological techniques. Here, we present a simplified gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-electroantennographic detection (GC-MS-EAD) setup adapted for screening bioactive compounds in sand flies, in which the chemical identification and antennal responses are recorded simultaneously. METHODS: The method integrates: (i) a flow-splitter that balances the flow rate of the two outgoing streams, (ii) GC columns with different lengths and diameters in the two sections splitter-MS and splitter-EAD and (iii) an antennal signal amplifier. The GC-MS-EAD analysis was applied to headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) extracts from a healthy dog, and antennal responses were recorded in female P. perniciosus sand flies. RESULTS: The canine VOC profile was predominantly composed of aldehydes, with hexanal and nonanal eliciting the strongest antennal responses in P. perniciosus. CONCLUSIONS: This simplified GC-MS-EAD system shows promise for broader application in the study of host-vector interactions. Its use across different host-vector pairs may enhance our understanding of these relationships and inform the development of strategies for integrated vector monitoring and control.

• Keywords
• Leishmania infantum, Electroantennography, HS-SPME, Leishmaniasis, Phlebotominae, Psychodidae, Semiochemicals,
• MeSH
• Insect Vectors physiology   chemistry   MeSH
• Solid Phase Microextraction MeSH
• Phlebotomus * physiology   chemistry   MeSH
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry methods   MeSH
• Dogs MeSH
• Volatile Organic Compounds * analysis   MeSH
• Arthropod Antennae * physiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Dogs MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Volatile Organic Compounds * MeSH

An 8-week feeding experiment was carries out to explore the impacts of dietary tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) on growth and gut integrity in spotted seabass (Lateolabrax maculatus) under heat stress (33 °C). Three hundred fish (2 ± 0.02 g) were allocated to triplicate groups and fed five diets containing graded levels of TUDCA at 0, 10, 20, 30, or 40 mg/kg (designated as Con, T10, T20, T30 and T40 diets). Growth performance was significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced in fish receiving ≥30 mg/kg TUDCA compared to the control group. Progressive increases in intestinal total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activity, accompanied by decreased malondialdehyde concentration, were observed as TUDCA dose increased. TUDCA application modulated the expression of intestinal antioxidant-related genes, downregulating keap1 and upregulating nrf2. Notably, supplementation with 40 mg/kg TUDCA improved intestinal morphology, as evidenced by increased villus height and number. Furthermore, in the T40 group, a marked downregulation of pro-apoptotic genes (caspase3, caspase8, caspase9, and bax) and reduced immunofluorescence intensity were observed, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl was significantly up-regulated. Additionally, the expression of pro-inflammatory genes (il-1β, il-8, and tnf-α) and immunofluorescence intensity were significantly reduced in the T40 group compared to control. In contrast, the expression of anti-inflammatory genes (il-4, il-10, and tgf-β) was markedly upregulated. Furthermore, dietary inclusion of 40 mg/kg TUDCA suppressed the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (grp78, chop, perk, atf6, and ire1) and activated the bile acid receptor gene tgr5 in the intestine. Concurrently, TUDCA treatment enhanced the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, contributing to the inhibition of apoptosis. The data generated in this study demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 40 mg/kg TUDCA promotes growth, activates the Nrf2-Keap1 and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways, enhances intestinal antioxidant defenses, suppresses inflammation and apoptosis, alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress, and mitigates the physiological impacts of heat stress in L. maculatus reared at elevated temperatures.

• Keywords
• Apoptosis, Endoplasmic reticulum stress, Growth, Gut health, Lateolabrax maculatus, Tauroursodeoxycholic acid,
• MeSH
• Antioxidants metabolism   MeSH
• Diet veterinary   MeSH
• Animal Feed analysis   MeSH
• Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid * administration & dosage   metabolism   MeSH
• Random Allocation MeSH
• Bass * growth & development   immunology   physiology   MeSH
• Dietary Supplements analysis   MeSH
• Heat-Shock Response * drug effects   MeSH
• Intestines drug effects   MeSH
• Hot Temperature adverse effects   MeSH
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antioxidants MeSH
• Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid * MeSH
• ursodoxicoltaurine MeSH Browser

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, blood meal analysis has been the primary method used to assess feeding patterns of insects. In contrast, parasite detection is commonly applied to monitor parasite circulation and prevalence in vectors, but rarely to study host feeding patterns. Our study aimed to test whether broad-target screening for haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites could complement blood barcoding by revealing additional host associations. We hypothesised that combining both methods would provide a more comprehensive understanding of vector feeding behaviour than either method alone. In addition to evaluating the two methods, we also analysed the vector species composition and their abundance, providing important faunistic and prevalence data that contribute to the broader understanding of local vector-parasite dynamics. METHODS: Mosquitoes and biting midges were trapped over a 5-year period at three localities in Czechia. Blood-fed individuals underwent blood meal barcoding analysis. In parallel, parasite detection was conducted using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gut dissection techniques. RESULTS: A total of 10,152 mosquitoes were collected, with Culex pipiens (66%) and Aedes vexans (18%) being the predominant species. In addition, 1701 biting midges, primarily Culicoides pictipennis (61%) and C. festivipennis (12%), were captured. Among the collected samples, 281 mosquitoes (3%) and 52 biting midges (3%) were blood-fed. Parasites were detected in 468 mosquito pools (5%, 341 trypanosomes, 127 haemosporidians) and 21 midge pools (1%, 8 trypanosomes, 13 haemosporidians). Blood meal barcoding of engorged Aedes, Anopheles, Culiseta, and Mansonia samples revealed only mammalian hosts; however, parasite detection indicated previous feeding on birds. Culex displayed stronger ornithophily according to parasite detection, although blood meal analysis showed a more opportunistic behaviour, with the detection of avian, mammalian and even amphibian blood. Avian parasites were detected in five Culicoides species (Culicoides alazanicus, C. festivipennis, C. kibunensis, C. nubeculosus and C. pictipennis) while human blood was detected only in C. pictipennis. Overall, four Haemoproteus lineages and 15 Plasmodium lineages were identified, 11 of which were new records for Czechia and 4 were newly described. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating blood meal analysis with parasite detection provides a more comprehensive understanding of insect feeding patterns and vector-host dynamics. Blood meal analysis remains the gold standard for identifying recent host interactions, offering direct and often species-level evidence of feeding events. In addition, parasite detection extends the window of detectability beyond the digestion of host blood and can reveal additional or otherwise-overlooked host associations. Together, these complementary approaches increase the likelihood of detecting interactions with a broader range of hosts, including humans, who might be missed by parasite screening alone.

• Keywords
• T. theileri, Avian trypanosomes, Biting midge, Blood meal, Haemosporidians, Host feeding patterns, Method comparison, Mosquito,
• MeSH
• Ceratopogonidae * parasitology   physiology   MeSH
• Culicidae * parasitology   physiology   MeSH
• Haemosporida isolation & purification   genetics   MeSH
• Insect Vectors * parasitology   physiology   MeSH
• Host-Parasite Interactions MeSH
• Mosquito Vectors * parasitology   physiology   MeSH
• Blood * parasitology   MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Feeding Behavior * MeSH
• Trypanosoma isolation & purification   genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

Background/Objectives: Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are crucial for assessing an individual's autonomy, encompassing tasks such as eating, dressing, and moving around, among others. Predicting these activities is part of health monitoring, elderly care, and intelligent systems, improving quality of life, and facilitating early dependency detection, all of which are relevant components of personalized health and social care. However, the automatic classification of ADLs from sensor data remains challenging due to high variability in human behavior, sensor noise, and discrepancies in data acquisition protocols. These challenges limit the accuracy and applicability of existing solutions. This study details the modeling and evaluation of real-time ADL classification models based on batch learning (BL) and stream learning (SL) algorithms. Methods: The methodology followed is the Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM). The models were trained with a comprehensive dataset integrating 23 ADL-centric datasets using accelerometers and gyroscopes data. The data were preprocessed by applying normalization and sampling rate unification techniques, and finally, relevant sensor locations on the body were selected. Results: After cleaning and debugging, a final dataset was generated, containing 238,990 samples, 56 activities, and 52 columns. The study compared models trained with BL and SL algorithms, evaluating their performance under various classification scenarios using accuracy, area under the curve (AUC), and F1-score metrics. Finally, a mobile application was developed to classify ADLs in real time (feeding data from a dataset). Conclusions: The outcome of this study can be used in various data science projects related to ADL and Human activity recognition (HAR), and due to the integration of diverse data sources, it is potentially useful to address bias and improve generalizability in Machine Learning models. The principal advantage of online learning algorithms is dynamically adapting to data changes, representing a significant advance in personal autonomy and health care monitoring.

• Keywords
• ADL, HAR, activities of daily living, algorithm comparison, batch learning, human activity recognition, stream learning,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The influence of machining parameters on the generation of dust particles during the machining of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites remains insufficiently understood. These particles, which stay suspended in the air, pose a serious health risk to operators. This study examined the effects of cutting conditions-specifically cutting speed, feed per tooth, and depth of cut-and the impact of delaminations formed during CFRP drilling on the size, shape, and quantity of hazardous dust particles. Experiments were conducted using a commercially available uncoated cemented carbide cutting tool. The analysis of dust particle size and morphology, as well as the evaluation of delamination, was performed using microscopic and tomographic methods. The results demonstrate that reducing the cutting speed led to a decrease in particle size for the investigated CFRP material. Furthermore, it was observed that tool wear results in the generation of smaller particles. Simultaneous delamination during drilling was found to significantly affect the structural integrity of the composite material.

• Keywords
• CFRP, CT tomography, delamination, drilling, dust particles, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, respiratory hazard,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Soybean is an important legume crop and a leading source of dietary protein and oil in animal feed, as well as an important food for human consumption. The objective of our research was to study soybean genetic resources in context of future protein self-sufficiency both in human and animal nutrition. METHODS: Collection of 360 different accessions from various regions worldwide was evaluated across four European locations during two consecutive years in phenotyping trials. The five most important traits of soybean - plant emergence, plant length, protein content, seed yield, and R8 stage - were carefully analysed, revealing significant variability. RESULTS: Ten exceptionally stable genotypes were identified based on their protein content and yield, presenting promising candidates for breeding programs. DISCUSSION: Our findings underscore the importance of integrating genotype-environment interaction analyses into breeding initiatives, considering the observed variability in phenotypic traits across diverse environments and genotypes.

• Keywords
• Glycine max, field trials, genotype-environment interactions, morphological and phenological traits, weather data,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND: Ticks, hematophagous Acari, pose a significant threat by transmitting various pathogens to their vertebrate hosts during feeding. Despite advances in tick genomics, high-quality genomes were lacking until recently, particularly in the genus Ixodes, which includes the main vectors of Lyme disease. RESULTS: Here, we present the genome sequences of four tick species, derived from a single female individual, with a particular focus on the European species Ixodes ricinus, achieving a chromosome-level assembly. Additionally, draft assemblies were generated for the three other Ixodes species, I. persulcatus, I. pacificus, and I. hexagonus. The quality of the four genomes and extensive annotation of several important gene families have allowed us to study the evolution of gene repertoires at the level of the genus Ixodes and of the tick group. We have determined gene families that have undergone major amplifications during the evolution of ticks, while an expression atlas obtained for I. ricinus reveals striking patterns of specialization both between and within gene families. Notably, several gene family amplifications are associated with a proliferation of single-exon genes-most strikingly for fatty acid elongases and sulfotransferases. CONCLUSIONS: The integration of our data with existing genomes establishes a solid framework for the study of gene evolution, improving our understanding of tick biology. In addition, our work lays the foundations for applied research and innovative control targeting these organisms.

• Keywords
• Comparative genomics, Duplication, Hematophagy, Parasite, Retroposition,
• MeSH
• Biological Evolution * MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Genome * MeSH
• Ixodes * genetics   classification   MeSH
• Evolution, Molecular * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied by narrow interests, difficulties in communication and social interaction, and repetitive behavior. In addition, ASD is frequently associated with eating and feeding problems. Although the symptoms of ASD are more likely to be observed in boys, the prevalence of eating disorders is more common in females. The ingestive behavior is regulated by the integrative system of the brain, which involves both homeostatic and hedonic neural circuits. Sex differences in the physiology of food intake depend on sex hormones regulating the expression of the ASD-associated Shank genes. Shank3 mutation leads to ASD-like traits and Shank3B -/- mice have been established as an animal model to study the neurobiology of ASD. Therefore, the long-lasting neuronal activity in the central neural circuit related to the homeostatic and hedonic regulation of food intake was evaluated in both sexes of Shank3B mice, followed by the evaluation of the food intake and preference. In the Shank3B +/+ genotype, well-preserved relationships in the tonic activity within the homeostatic neural network together with the relationships between ingestion and hedonic preference were observed in males but were reduced in females. These interrelations were partially or completely lost in the mice with the Shank3B -/- genotype. A decreased hedonic preference for the sweet taste but increased total food intake was found in the Shank3B -/- mice. In the Shank3B -/- group, there were altered sex differences related to the amount of tonic cell activity in the hedonic and homeostatic neural networks, together with altered sex differences in sweet and sweet-fat solution intake. Furthermore, the Shank3B -/- females exhibited an increased intake and preference for cheese compared to the Shank3B +/+ ones. The obtained data indicate altered functional crosstalk between the central homeostatic and hedonic neural circuits involved in the regulation of food intake in ASD.

• Keywords
• Autism spectrum disorders, Food intake, Food selectivity, FosB/delta FosB, Reward system, Shank3B mice,
• MeSH
• Homeostasis * physiology   MeSH
• Microfilament Proteins * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Disease Models, Animal MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice, Knockout MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Sex Characteristics * MeSH
• Autism Spectrum Disorder * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Food Preferences physiology   MeSH
• Eating * physiology   genetics   MeSH
• Nerve Tissue Proteins * genetics   MeSH
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos metabolism   biosynthesis   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Microfilament Proteins * MeSH
• Nerve Tissue Proteins * MeSH
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos MeSH
• Shank3 protein, mouse MeSH Browser

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) have recently received particular attention in freshwater and marine ecosystems, but less is known about their impact on terrestrial species. Ants can be used as biological indicators for many types of pollutants and are therefore a good candidate to explore the effects of MNP pollution. In the present study, we investigated the ability of workers from seven colonies of the acrobat ant Crematogaster scutellaris to detect MNP in their food. After two days of starvation, groups of ten ants were tested for their preference toward control and polyethylene-treated solutions. Every 5 min over a total 20 min period, the number of workers feeding on either solution was counted. The results showed that C. scutellaris workers could detect and avoid contaminated food, feeding more often on the uncontaminated solution in the first 10 min. However, after 10 min the food preference was no longer significant between the groups, likely owing to feeding satiation. We then assessed whether this feeding behaviour is sufficient to cause the accumulation of MNP in the ant. We thereby provided a solution containing fluorescent MNP (fMNP) at the same concentration as in the previous experiments. Observation of the ants' mouthparts using fluorescent light microscopy showed that after 10 min dense aggregations of fMNP were visible. Further investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms of detection of MNP by ants, and the accumulation dynamics in ants' bodies. Moreover, the effects of MNP on the integrity and fitness of ant colonies, as well as the potential transfer across terrestrial trophic chains should be explored.

• Keywords
• Crematogaster scutellaris, Food choice experiment, Pollution, Polyethylene, Social insects,
• MeSH
• Ants * physiology   MeSH
• Microplastics * MeSH
• Environmental Monitoring MeSH
• Plastics MeSH
• Feeding Behavior MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Microplastics * MeSH
• Plastics MeSH

LM5 alloy is suitable for metal castings for marine and aesthetic uses due to its admirable resistance to corrosion. In order to make intricate shapes in the LM5 alloy, this study intends to assess the impact of Wire Electric Discharge Machining process variables, like Pulse on Time (Ton), Pulse off Time (Toff), Gap Voltage (GV) and Wire Feed (WF) on responses like Material Removal Rate (MRR), Surface Roughness (SR), and Kerf Width (Kw). The LM5 aluminium alloy plate was produced through stir casting process. SEM, EDAX and XRD images confirm the LM5 Al alloy's microstructure and crystal structure. WEDM studies were conducted using design of experiments approach based on L9 orthogonal array and analysed using Taguchi's Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N) analysis. Pulse on Time has the greatest statistical effects on MRR (68.25%), SR (79.46%) and kerf (81.97%). In order to assess the surface integrity of the WEDM machined surfaces, the SEM study on the topography was conducted using the optimum surface roughness process variables: Ton 110 μs, Toff 50 μs, GV 40 V, and WF 9 m/min. SEM images show the recast layer and its thickness. The average absolute error for MRR is 1.69%, SR is 3.89% and kerf is 0.88%, based on mathematical (linear regression) models. The Taguchi's Signal to Noise ratio analysis is the most appropriate for single objective optimization of responses.

• MeSH
• Aluminum * chemistry   MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Surface Properties * MeSH
• Alloys * chemistry   MeSH
• Materials Testing MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Aluminum * MeSH
• Alloys * MeSH