These results are promising and indicate that the use of Huh6 cells in genetic toxicology may contribute to the reduction of the use of laboratory rodents; further experimental work to confirm this assumption is warranted.The genome sequences of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) bacteria and their functional analyses can lead to the genetic engineering of the bacteria for use as biocontrol agents. The bacterial symbiont Photorhabdus heterorhabditis strain ETL isolated from an insect pathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis zealandica strain ETL, collected in the northernmost region of South Africa was studied to reveal information that can be useful in the design of improvement strategies for both effective and liquid production method of EPN-based pesticides. The strain ETL genome was found closely related to the type strain genome of P. australis DSM 17,609 (~60 to 99.9% CDSs similarity), but closely related to the not yet genome-sequenced type strain, P. heterorhabditis. It has a genome size of 4,866,148 bp and G + C content of 42.4% similar to other Photorhabdus. It contains 4,351 protein coding genes (CDSs) of which, at least 84% are shared with the de facto type strain P. luminescens subsp. laumondii TTO1, and has 318 unknown CDSs and the genome has a higher degree of plasticity allowing it to adapt to different environmental conditions, and to be virulent against various insects; observed through genes acquired through horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, non-determined polyketide- and non-ribosomal peptide- synthase gene clusters, and many genes associated with uncharacterized proteins; which also justify the strain ETL’s genes differences (quantity and quality) compared to P. luminescens subsp. laumondii TTO1. The protein coding sequences contained genes with both bio-engineering and EPNs mass production importance, of which numerous are uncharacterized.Bacterial disease outbreaks in filter feeder bivalve Hyriopsis cumingii as water contamination become more frequent in the water ecosystem, especially in intensive aquaculture habitats. To characterize host-pathogen interactions between H. cumingii and bacterial infection, we investigated the effects of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia HOP3 and Aeromonas veronii GL1 on the antioxidant response, tissue invasion and transcriptome expression of H. cumingii by infectivity trials. We showed that bacterial infections resulted in tubular necrosis of the hepatopancreas and induced the acute immune response in H. cumingii. The transcriptomic study identified a total of 5957 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after A. veronii challenge. These DEGs were implicated in 302 KEGG pathways, notably in Apoptosis, Phagosome and Lysosome. The results showed that the relative expressions of all six immune-related DEGs were effectively stimulated with A. veronii, accompanied by tissue differences. Overall, these findings will contribute to an analysis of the immune response of H. cumingii to bacterial infection at the transcriptomic level and its genomic resource for research.The industrial farming and slaughtering of animals may be considered one of the most pressing ethical problems of our time, yet consumers remain empathically disconnected from food animals and continue to eat meat. Therefore, animal advocacy groups have started using virtual reality (VR) outreach to promote consumers’ concern for food animals and persuade them to eat less meat. In this study, we examined whether a short 360° documentary depicting the life cycle of factory farmed pigs (from their lives on the farm to their death in the slaughterhouse) experienced in a VR format versus in a regular video format increases participants’ intentions to eat less meat via an increased feeling of presence and empathic concern. Using a single factor experimental design, we randomly allocated participants (n = 84 after data-cleaning) to answer a questionnaire following one of both conditions (VR versus video documentary, each n = 42). Results confirmed our hypothesized serial mediation model; VR (versus video) had a positive influence on presence and additionally on empathic concern, leading to higher intentions of reduced meat consumption among participants. Yet, VR (versus video) also had a direct, negative effect on empathy when controlling for presence, so no total effect of medium format on intentions to reduce meat could be found. This counter-effect of VR on empathic concern could be explained by an increased level of speciesism among participants exposed to the VR (versus video) documentary, a finding that is consistent with prior literature on speciesism, cognitive dissonance and dissociation, and requires further confirmatory investigation. Limitations and implications for theory and practice of the study are considered.Excessive sugar intake is one of the factors contributing to the alarming rates of childhood obesity and overweight in Portugal. Children’s preferences and food consumption patterns are largely determined by the foods that are more familiar to them. Parents and caregivers are responsible for shaping children’s eating habits since they are the ones who choose the food available in the household. The present study explores parental perceptions about sugar and sugar intake and its consequences on children’s health. Moreover, we also examined the practices that parents use to regulate their children’s diet, namely, to promote the consumption of desired foods (e.g., vegetables) and limit the intake of undesired food (e.g., sweets), and the perceived barriers and facilitators of sugar intake regulation. To this end, 42 interviews were conducted with parents of school-aged children (ages 6-10 years). A thematic analysis revealed that parents perceive sugar as highly negative (e.g., “evil”, “poison”, “addiction”) and its consumption as harmful (e.g., hyperactivity; overweight). Alectinib research buy Nonetheless, the view that sugary food consumption is not necessarily problematic was also common. Indeed, most parents considered that sugar intake should be regulated but not forbidden. To control the intake of sugary foods (e.g., sodas, cookies), they reported using strategies such as restriction, explanation, or negotiation. Several barriers to sugar intake regulation were identified (e.g., birthday parties, parents’ lack of knowledge), but also a few facilitators (e.g., bringing food from home to school). Our findings may inform the development of interventions or policies to promote healthier eating habits in school-age children.