Impact of Predator Exclusion and Habitat on Seroprevalence of New World Orthohantavirus Harbored by Two Sympatric Rodents within the Interior Atlantic Forest

Understanding how perturbations to trophic interactions influence virus–host dynamics is essential in the face of ongoing biodiversity loss and the continued emergence of RNA viruses and their associated zoonoses. Herein, we investigated the role of predator exclusion on rodent communities and the seroprevalence of hantaviruses within the Reserva Natural del Bosque Mbaracayú (RNBM), which is a protected area of the Interior Atlantic Forest (IAF). In the IAF, two sympatric rodent reservoirs, Akodon montensis and Oligoryzomys nigripes, harbor Jaborá and Juquitiba hantavirus (JABV, JUQV), respectively. In this study, we employed two complementary methods for predator exclusion: comprehensive fencing and trapping/removal. The goal of exclusion was to preclude the influence of predation on small mammals on the sampling grids and thereby potentially reduce rodent mortality. Following baseline sampling on three grid pairs with different habitats, we closed the grids and began predator removal. By sampling three habitat types, we controlled for habitat-specific effects, which is important for hantavirus–reservoir dynamics in neotropical ecosystems. Our six-month predator exclusion experiment revealed that the exclusion of terrestrial mammalian predators had little influence on the rodent community or the population dynamics of A. montensis and O. nigripes. Instead, fluctuations in species diversity and species abundances were influenced by sampling session and forest degradation. These results suggest that seasonality and landscape composition play dominant roles in the prevalence of hantaviruses in rodent reservoirs in the IAF ecosystem.

Soil contamination by Echinococcus multilocularis in rural and urban vegetable gardens in relation to fox, cat and dog faecal deposits

Echinococcus multilocularis eggs are deposited on the ground with the faeces of the carnivore definitive hosts. A reliable assessment of the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis eggs in environments used by humans is crucial for the prevention of alveolar echinococcosis (AE). This study was conducted in 192 rural and 71 urban vegetable gardens in AE endemic areas of north-eastern France. Its objective was to explore the relationship between the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis estimated from the collection and molecular analysis of two types of samples: faeces and soil. A total of 1024 carnivore faeces and 463 soil samples were collected and analysed by real-time PCR. No fox droppings and no positive soil samples were collected from the urban gardens. Positive soil samples, positive carnivore faeces, or both, were found in 42%, 24% and 6% of the sampled rural gardens, respectively. No significant association was found between the detection of E. multilocularis in soil samples collected from 50 gardens during a single sampling session and the extent and frequency of deposits of fox and cat faeces collected during repeated sampling sessions conducted in the previous months. In 19/50 gardens, E. multilocularis was detected in the soil while no positive faeces had been collected in the previous 12 months. Conversely, in 8/50 gardens, no soil samples were positive although positive faeces had been collected in the previous months. Collecting and analysing faeces provide information on soil contamination at a given time, while analysing soil samples provides an overview of long-term contamination.

Temporal-Microclimatic Factors Affect the Phenology of Lipoptena fortisetosa in Central European Forests

The objective of this study was to determine the correlations between the abundance of Lipoptena fortisetosa on new potential hosts and selected temporal-microclimatic conditions in a forest at the beginning of the host-seeking period. Louse flies were collected between 6 May and 15 July of 2019 and 2020 in a natural mixed forest in Poland. Keds were collected by three investigators walking along the same forest route during each sampling session. The number of captured keds and the date (time), temperature (°C), relative humidity (%), air pressure (hPa) and wind speed (km/h) were recorded. A total of five measurements were performed during each sampling session. The influence of temporal-microclimatic conditions on the number of collected ectoparasites was evaluated with the use of a Generalized Additive Model (GAM). A total of 1995 individuals were obtained during field surveys. The results of the GAM revealed a correlation between the number of host seeking L. fortisetosa vs. time, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. An increase in temperature was most highly correlated with the abundance of louse flies in the environment.

Iberian pig adaptation to acorn consumption: I. Net portal appearance of metabolites

Most valuable cured products from Iberian pigs come from pure bred animals raised for a final grazing-fattening period where pigs eat mainly acorns, a low protein energy rich fruit. This is a nutritional challenge for animals fed equilibrated diets from weaning. The aim of the study was to determine net portal appearance (NPA) of metabolites in gilts fed acorns and evaluate adaptational changes after one week of feeding. Two sampling periods were carried out (after one day and after one week of acorn feeding) with six gilts (34 kg average BW) set up with three catheters: in carotid artery and portal vein for blood sampling, and ileal vein for para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) infusion to measure portal plasma flow (PPF). Pigs were fed at 2.5 × ME for maintenance a standard diet in two portions, at 09:00 (0.25) and 15:00 h (the remaining 0.75). On the day prior to the first sampling period, pigs were fed 2.4 kg of oak acorns. After feeding 0.25 of ration a 6 h serial blood collection was initiated. Following an identical protocol, a second sampling session was performed 1 week later. Adaptation to acorn consumption decreased NPA of ammonia (47%,P < 0.001). Although there was a transfer of urea from the gastrointestinal tract to the circulation in both sampling periods, no differences in NPA of urea was found (P > 0.05). NPA of glucose was not influenced by sampling period (P > 0.05), but NPA of lactate was greatly increased (231%,P < 0.001). There was a negative NPA of albumin although adaptation to acorn feeding did not alter it. Although NPA of triglycerides and cholesterol were unchanged, a subtle increase in arterial and portal cholesterol was noticed (9.6%,P < 0.01). Pigs fed a protein deficient diet for one week adapted decreasing NPA of ammonia for saving metabolic energy as less ammonia would become available for conversion to urea.

Tourism as a Support in the Compiling of Data for SMES in the Process of Internationalization

Obtaining information is key to business success. However, to achieve this is generally costly (in both monetary and time terms). This is complicated even more for those firms which need information from foreign markets. Moreover, it has to be considered that information based on secondary data is not always available or easy to get, and that to attain it based on primary data requires a great effort. The aim of the present research is to show a procedure which helps SMEs to obtain this market-relevant information. To do so, a new methodology is used which enables these firms to know in broad terms how consumers of the different country-markets behave, as well as getting information related to the product's commercialization. A pilot experience has hence been used, whose target population is tourists in the city of Seville. A sampling session of the product was carried out, via which, and through a questionnaire, information was gathered concerning the countries of origin of the participants in this study. Its flavor is appreciated by the consumer in the four varieties considered, and in appearance, the product also has a very good acceptation. It is worth considering what is going to be the packaging for the product's commercialization and its labeling. The different varieties also have their markets and all of them should be adapted to the local tastes.

Prevalence and characterisation of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from beef cattle fed with prebiotics

Ten Holstein Friesian calves were divided into two groups of five: one group was given prebiotics in their food, while the other group served as the control group. Every two weeks from birth up to 18 months, samples of feces were taken from the rectal ampulla to determine the concentration of E. coli. At each sampling session, three aliquots per sample were collected. The arithmetic mean was calculated and all values (converted into logs) were analysed with GraphPad InStat for analysis of variance, followed by the Tukey-Kramer test. A total of 69 E. coli strains were detected, 29 (42.03%) from treated animals and 40 (57.97%) from the control group. The isolates were analysed by PCR for the presence of the stx-1, stx-2, hly and eae genes and by the Kirby Bauer test for susceptibility to the most commonly used antimicrobials in cattle breeding. Hierarchical clustering of the isolates was done using Ward’s method. Thirty samples were positive for the stx-1 gene, 18 for stx-2, 12 for both stx-1 and stx-2, 8 for hly, and 10 for eae. 4.3% were resistant to sulfamides, 8.6% to tetracycline, 1.4% to gentamicin, 94.6% to cephalothin, 2.8% to chloramphenicol, 13% to ampicillin, 13% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, 7.2% to sulphonamides, 4.3% to ceftriaxone, 5.7% to nalidixic acid, 34.7% to ticarcillin, 88.5% to erythromycin, and 5.7% to streptomycin. The isolates from the samples taken from day 210 to day 300 were grouped into a single cluster. Bacteriological examinations showed a reduction in the concentration of E. coli in the feces of the treated animals compared to the control group. The presence of strains with shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli virulence profiles and the reduction of these in the treated animal group demonstrated that diet can play an important role in reducing E. coli prevalence in cattle.

Influence of pigskin on Salmonella contamination of pig carcasses and cutting lines in an Italian slaughterhouse

Ninety pig carcasses and twenty one food contact surfaces (FCSs) were tested for <em>Salmonella</em> in a slaughterhouse processing <em>ca.</em> 380 pigs/h between 2014-2015. Sampling was performed during seven sessions. Four carcass sites of 100 cm² each (back, belly, jowl externally, and the diaphragmatic area internally) were swabbed after evisceration. Meat conveyors and dressing tables were tested swabbing areas of 200 to 400 cm². After pre-enrichment in buffered peptone water, samples were tested by <em>Salmonella</em> MDS^® assay and the presumptive positives were confirmed by the ISO 6579 method. <em>Salmonella</em> isolates were serotyped following the Kauffman- White-Le Minor scheme and genotyped by XbaI pulsed field gel electrophoresis. <em>Salmonella</em> was isolated from 16/90 [17.8%; confidence interval (CI) 95%=11.2-26.9] carcasses and 4/21 (19.0%; CI 95%=7.7-40.0) FCSs. Four serovars were identified on carcasses. <em>S. enterica</em> 4,[5],12:i:- was the most prevalent (43.75%), followed by <em>S.</em> Rissen (31.25%), <em>S.</em> Derby (12.5%) and <em>S.</em> Bovismorbificans (12.5%). Two serovars were found on FCSs, namely S. Derby (75%) and <em>S.</em> Livingstone (25%). During one sampling session, a failure in carcass dehairing occurred and caused significantly higher prevalence of carcass contamination (60%) than in the remaining sessions. Moreover, in the same session, <em>Salmonella</em> prevalence was marginally significantly higher on FCSs than in the remaining sampling days, suggesting that dehairing affects contamination not only on carcasses, but also on the working surfaces.

Accuracy of Online Language Sampling

This study investigated the accuracy of online language sample data collection. Language samples were collected from 22 preschoolers (11 with language impairments and 11 typically developing) using a semiscripted, play-based sampling procedure designed to elicit 50 target verbs. During each sampling session, examiners recorded the target verbs a child produced. The online target verb repertoire for each child was then compared with the target verb repertoire extracted from transcription of the audiotape. Results indicated strong positive correlations between target verb repertoires recorded online and those obtained from transcription. Our results indicate that online transcription can be a useful procedure for clinicians who may be restricted in their ability to use language sampling procedures because of the significant time required for transcription and subsequent sample analysis. Although the current study revealed strong accuracy in online recording for one relatively focused aspect of language production, additional investigation will be needed to evaluate real-time recording for a broader range of linguistic abilities.