Effects of sexual maturation and Salmonella infection on the expression of avian β-defensin genes in the chicken testis

Rooster infertility is a major concern in the poultry industry and protection of the male reproductive organs from pathogens is an essential aspect of reproductive physiology. During the last years, research on antimicrobial protection has elucidated the critical role of the antimicrobial peptides avian β-defensins (AvBDs) in the innate immunity in chickens. AvBDs have been reported to be expressed in the hen reproductive organs, providing protection against microbial pathogens including Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). However, mechanisms of antimicrobial protection of rooster reproductive organs and especially the testis, mediated by AvBDs are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the complete family of the 14 AvBD genes, in the rooster testis in vivo, to determine whether sexual maturation affects their testicular mRNA abundance and to investigate whether SE infection alters their expression. Expression analysis revealed that 9 members of the AvBD family, namely AvBD1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 14 were expressed in the testis. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the mRNA abundance of three AvBDs was up regulated and of three AvBDs was down regulated with respect to sexual maturation. In addition, SE infection resulted in a significant induction of AvBD4, 10, 12 and 14 in the testis of sexually mature roosters. These findings provide strong evidence to suggest that an AvBD-mediated immune response mechanism exists in the rooster testis providing protection against bacterial pathogens including Salmonella species.     

Mating disruption of the pink bollworm<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Pectinophora gossypiella</Emphasis> (Saund.) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using gossyplure PB-rope dispensers in cotton fields

The effects of mating disruption on population densities and percentage of damage of the pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) were investigated in a cotton field in central Greece, in 1992 and 1993. A 10-ha field was divided in two parts of 5 ha each. PB-rope dispensers were installed in mid-season in one part, whereas the other was used as a control field. Catches of pink bollworm moths in pheromone-baited traps and damage caused were recorded in both the treated and control fields. Results showed that moth catches were highly reduced in the treated field and, therefore, mid-season installation of dispensers was successful. Damage (%) was significantly less in the treated compared with the control field. Consequently, the field size of 5 ha seems to be adequate for the effective implementation of mating disruption.     

Educational needs and perceptions of the sustainability of precision agriculture: survey evidence from Greece

Precision agriculture (PA) constitutes a dynamic production method which is gaining attention in several parts of the world. Its environmental and economic sustainability has been examined in terms of its ability to reduce the adverse effects of agrochemical use—by regulating their application to the levels needed at the land parcel level—and of its contribution to higher incomes and profitability. At the social level, PA has been linked to collective action although little insight is available regarding the role of various actors and education. This study tackles PA through an assessment of the attitudes of farmers towards the elements of its sustainability and of their educational needs. The analysis of survey data of a sample of young farmers in Greece showed that the majority of respondents were not familiar with PA. Significant differences were found between the attitudes of knowledgeable and non-knowledgeable farmers, the former demonstrating better acknowledgement of the environmental, economic and social sustainability of PA. Important educational needs were also detected, with group and individual methods being the most preferred ones for education and information campaigns. The results of the analysis could be of use for the design of Common Agricultural Policy Pillar II measures for the promotion of PA targeting to specific audiences and actors.     

Expression of chicken LEAP-2 in the reproductive organs and embryos and in response to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salmonella enterica</Emphasis> infection

In recent years host antimicrobial peptides and proteins have been recognised as key mediators of the innate immune response in many vertebrate species, providing the first line of defense against potential pathogens. In chickens a number of cationic antimicrobial peptides have been recently identified. However, although these peptides have been studied extensively in the avian gastrointestinal tract, little is known about their function in the chicken reproductive organs and embryos. Chicken Liver Expressed Antimicrobial Peptide-2 (cLEAP-2) has been previously reported to function in protecting birds against microbial attack. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of cLEAP-2 gene in the chicken reproductive organs, as well as in chicken embryos during embryonic development, and to determine whether cLEAP-2 expression in the chicken reproductive organs was constitutive or induced as a response to Salmonella enteritidis infection. RNA was extracted from ovary, oviduct, testis and epididymis of sexually mature healthy and Salmonella infected birds, as well as from chicken embryos until day ten of embryonic development. Expression analysis data revealed that cLEAP-2 was expressed in the chicken ovary, testis and epididymis as well as in embryos during early embryonic development. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that cLEAP-2 expression was constitutive in the chicken epididymis, but was significantly up regulated in the chicken gonads, following Salmonella infection. In addition, expression of cLEAP-2 during chicken embryogenesis appeared to be developmentally regulated. These data provide evidence to suggest a key role of cLEAP-2 in the protection of the chicken reproductive organs and the developing embryos from Salmonella colonization.     

The Impact of Cl ?? Cd Interrelationship on Planning Wastewater Reuse in Cabbage

Two greenhouse pot experiments were conducted in Agrinion, Greece, using a randomized block design in four replications, respectively, as follows: The first one included five levels of treated municipal wastewater (TMWW), being used as an irrigation water source. The second one, five levels of applied Cl at a constant soil applied Cd level of 10.36?mg/kg soil, the plants being irrigated with fresh well water. The purpose of these experiments was to study the impact of the Cl ?? Cd interrelationship on planning TMWW reuse, for the irrigation of Brassica oleracea var. Capitata (cabbage) cv F1 Gloria, ehich was used as test plant, in both of these experiments. It was found that the TMWW Cl content, originating mainly from the procedure of wastewater chlorination, was synergistically interrelated with the toxic heavy metal Cd, increasing its soil availability and cabbage plant leaf uptake (edible plant part). As this increase is directly associated with the consumer??s health, it was suggested that the TMWW be subjected to dechlorination process or the disinfection be made by ozonation or UV, which do not include Cl.     

Aquaculture Feed Management System Powered by Renewable Energy Sources: Investment Justification

Fish feed accounts for more than 50% of aquaculture farms’ operating costs and thus careful feeding planning is vital. In the case of the Mediterranean, most farms have their installations in coastal waters, hence this is relatively easy to perform. Low magnitude environmental conditions (winds, waves and currents) as well as easy and quick access ensures high consumption rates and smooth operation. Nevertheless, as competition for these waters increases the option of moving to offshore waters is seen as a solution. Moving further away from shore means exposing installations to harsher environments and lower degree of onshore monitoring. As a result, environmental conditions must now be monitored on-site, especially the ones affecting operations and feeding planning. For this reason, this article presents a feed management system powered by a stand-alone renewable energy sources system. The system provides energy independence and mobility by wirelessly transmitting important parameters onshore. An investment appraisal cost model is also described. The model compares the system’s costs over the fish feed cost saved by a priori feeding planning through better monitoring of on-site conditions. It concludes that such synergies have profitable potentials.     

Towards sweet cherry (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Prunus avium</Emphasis> L.) breeding: phenotyping evaluation of newly developed hybrids

An increasing demand for cherry production (Prunus avium L.) in Greece led to the development of new high quality sweet cherry cultivars. Self-incompatibility in cherry is one of the most challenging issues for the species’ cultivation and top breeding priority. Τhe present study focuses on the development of new hybrids with improved traits such as productivity, fruit size, organoleptic characteristics and self-compatibility. For this purpose, thirty different cultivars were crossed and produced hybrids that were evaluated according to 34 morpho-physiological characteristics. The results were analyzed using the XLSTAT (version 2014.1) software and a dendrogram was constructed using the agglomerative hierarchical clustering method. Optimal hybrid clustering was achieved when characteristics of great economic importance such as fruit shape and size, growth habit and days to blooming were included in the analysis. Based on the results, new sweet cherry hybrids with the special character of self-compatibility were developed. Our findings provide crucial new information for sweet cherry future breeding programs and cultivation.     

Lipophilic Caffeic Acid Derivatives Protect Cells against H(2)O(2)-Induced DNA Damage by Chelating Intracellular Labile Iron

Naturally occurring cinnamic acid derivatives are ubiquitously distributed in the plant kingdom, and it has been proposed that their consumption contributes to the maintenance of human health. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their health keeping effects remain unknown. In the present investigation, we evaluated the capacity of several cinnamic acid derivatives (trans-cinnamic, p-coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids, as well as caffeic acid-methyl and -propyl esters) to protect cells from oxidative stress-induced DNA damage. It was observed that effective protection was based on the ability of each compound to (i) reach the intracellular space and (ii) chelate intracellular "labile" iron. These results support the notion that numerous lipophilic iron chelating compounds, present abundantly in plant-derived diet components, may protect cells in conditions of oxidative stress and in this way be important contributors toward maintenance of human health.