PET AND CAPTIVE BIRDS AS POTENTIAL RESERVOIRS OF ZOONOTIC BACTERIA

Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are zoonotic bacteria, commonly harbored in the enteric tract of avian species. This survey aimed at verifying the presence of these microorganisms in a heterogeneous Italian population of pet birds and captive birds of prey (e.g., Passeriformes, Psittaciformes, Accipitriformes, Falconiformes, and Strigiformes) that live in close contact with humans. A total of 151 individuals were tested for thermophilic Campylobacter spp. and 444 for Salmonella spp. Six C. jejuni and one S. Livingstone were isolated from birds of prey: 4 Accipitriformes (2 Buteo regalis, 2 Parabuteo unicinctus), 1 Falconiformes (Falco peregrinus) and 1 Strigiformes (Strix aluco) were positive for C. jejuni, and 1 Falconiformes (Falco peregrinus) for S. Livingstone. Five C. jejuni strains were genotyped by Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) and identified as ST 2116, assigned to ST-353 CC. Results of this study suggest that these microorganisms are not common inhabitants of the digestive tract of pet birds and captive birds of prey, but occasional findings. However, as potential reservoirs of zoonotic bacteria, pet birds should be monitored in order to preserve human health.     

A bacterium against the tiger: further evidence of the potential of noninundative releases of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection in reducing fertility of Aedes albopictus field populations in Italy

BACKGROUND

Incompatible insect technique (IIT) is a population suppression approach based on the release of males with manipulated Wolbachia infection inducing egg inviability in wild females. We here present results of multiple field releases of incompatible ARwP males carried out in 2019 in a 2.7-ha green area within urban Rome (Italy) to assess the effect on Aedes albopictus egg viability. Data are compared with results obtained in 2018, when the approach was tested for the first time in Europe.

RESULTS

An average of 4674 ARwP males were released weekly for 7 weeks, resulting in a mean ARwP:wild male ratio of 1.1:1 (versus 0.7:1 in 2018). Egg-viability dynamics in ovitraps significantly varied between treated and control sites, with an estimated overall reduction of 35% (versus 15% in 2018). The estimated proportion of females classified as mated with ARwP males was 41.8% and the viability rate of eggs laid by these females (9.5%) was on average significantly lower than that of females only mated with wild males (87.8%); however, high variability in fertility was observed. Values of ARwP male competitiveness were 0.36 and 0.73 based on the overall viability rate of eggs in ovitraps and on female fertility, respectively; thus, well above the conventional 0.2 threshold for an effective suppressive impact in the field.

CONCLUSIONS

Results further support the potential of IIT as a tool to contribute to Ae. albopictus control in the urban context, stressing the need for larger field trials to evaluate the cost-efficacy of the approach in temperate regions. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

A new phoretic association: Bursaphelenchus minutus (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) and Orthotomicus erosus (Coleoptera: Scolitydae) recorded on Pinus pinea (L.)

A new phoretic association between Bursaphelenchus minutus and the bark beetle Orthotomicus erosus collected on Pinus pinea is described for the first time. Nematode identification was based on morphological observation and biometric measurements of males and females. Moreover, B. minutus was characterized by ITS sequences and RFLP profile.     

Variations in the Composition,Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Cystoseira compressa during Seasonal Growth

The underexplored biodiversity of seaweeds has recently drawn great attention from researchers to find the bioactive compounds that might contribute to the growth of the blue economy. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of seasonal growth (from May to September) on the in vitro antioxidant (FRAP, DPPH, and ORAC) and antimicrobial effects (MIC and MBC) of Cystoseira compressa collected in the Central Adriatic Sea. Algal compounds were analyzed by UPLC-PDA-ESI-QTOF, and TPC and TTC were determined. Fatty acids, among which oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, and palmitic acid were the dominant compounds in samples. The highest TPC, TTC and FRAP were obtained for June extract, 83.4 ± 4.0 mg GAE/g, 8.8 ± 0.8 mg CE/g and 2.7 ± 0.1 mM TE, respectively. The highest ORAC value of 72.1 ± 1.2 µM TE was obtained for the August samples, and all samples showed extremely high free radical scavenging activity and DPPH inhibition (>80%). The MIC and MBC results showed the best antibacterial activity for the June, July and August samples, when sea temperature was the highest, against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis. The results show C. compressa as a potential species for the industrial production of nutraceuticals or functional food ingredients.     

Incidental capture of Caretta caretta in trammel nets off the western coast of Sardinia (Italy): statistical models of capture abundance and immediate survival

• 1. Trammel nets are one important cause of sea turtle mortality resulting from incidental capture. This study presents findings over a 10‐year period during which loggerhead turtle by‐catch in trammel nets, set off the central west coast of Sardinia (Italy) in the summer months, was recorded by 17 fishing vessels.
• 2. Since the by‐catch registered represented counts of a rare event, data from the 17 vessels were used in the zero‐inflated Poisson (ZIP) model to determine the abundance of turtle by‐catch in trammel nets of the entire fleet, while a binomial generalized linear model was used to assess the probability of immediate survival for sea turtles incidentally caught in this gear.
• 3. The ZIP model quantified in about 45% the probability that 0.6 turtles have been caught by each vessel using trammel nets during summer over the 10‐year period. In addition, the model estimated a total of 916 by‐catch if the entire small‐scale fleet was to use trammel nets in the study area in the summers between 1992 and 2001, with a direct mortality rate of 69%.
• 4. The probability of immediate survival for sea turtles caught in trammel nets seems to be directly related to the size of the specimens caught; however, this relationship is plausible only when incidental capture in the net occurs shortly before gear retrieval.
• 5. The study area represents a region where the abundance of sea turtle by‐catch per vessel in trammel nets was much higher in July and August than in June and could represent a potential hot spot for the presence of juvenile loggerhead turtles, with high levels of interactions between the species and this fishing gear. Further research should better characterize the incidents of by‐catch and assess potential innovative solutions that allow small‐scale fisheries to coexist alongside sea turtles. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Evaluating wildlife tourism exposure to Florida manatees using citizen science,public interviews,and trail cameras

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Nutritional Quality,Physical Properties and Lipid Stability of Ready-to-cook Fish Products are Preserved during Frozen Storage and Oven-cooking

ABSTRACT

Ready-to-cook clean label products were formulated based on two ratios (50:50 and 30:70, R1 and R2) of mechanically separated European sea bass and rainbow trout. R1 and R2, tested as raw and oven-cooked, were stable during 90 days at ?18^°C in terms of proximate and fatty acid (FA) composition, shear force, pH, color, and lipid oxidizability. Raw and cooked R1 and R2 were rich in protein (13.76 g/100 g) and unsaturated n3 FA. Shear force and b* of raw R2 were higher than R1 (P < .05). Overall, R2 (more trout) better preserved its characteristics and oxidizability than R1.     

High-pruning of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.): work efficiency for target pruning as a function of tree species,pruning height,branch characteristics,pole saw type and operator

The objective of this study was to establish an operational model of productive work time per tree (work efficiency) for high-pruning of young European beech and pedunculate oak depending on tree species, pruning height, branch characteristics, pole saw type and operator. The final model included all of these independent variables with branch characteristics specified in terms of number of live branches and cross-sectional area of the thickest branch at the cut. Work time increased with increasing values of each of the three numeric variables. For a given pruning height the size of the largest branch was for all practical purposes more influential than the number of live branches. Beech took 28% longer to prune than oak. The German Ergo-Schnitt saw was 21% slower than the Japanese Silky Hayauchi saw. The variation in worker performance within our study was larger than that attributed to tree species and pruning equipment.