Detection of hepatitis E virus RNA in rats caught in pig farms from Northern Italy

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains belonging to the Orthohepevirus genus are divided into four species (A–D). HEV strains included in the Orthohepevirus A species infect humans and several other mammals. Among them, the HEV‐3 and HEV‐4 genotypes are zoonotic and infect both humans and animals, of which, pigs and wild boar are the main reservoirs. Viruses belonging to the Orthohepevirus C species (HEV‐C) have been considered to infect rats of different species and carnivores. Recently, two studies reported the detection of HEV‐C1 (rat HEV) RNA in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients, suggesting a possible transmission of rat HEV to humans. The role of rats and mice as reservoir of HEV and the potential zoonotic transmission is still poorly known and deserves further investigation. To this purpose, in this study, the presence of HEV RNA was investigated in the intestinal contents and liver samples from 47 Black rats (Rattus rattus) and 21 House mice (Mus musculus) captured in four pig farms in Northern Italy. The presence of both Orthohepevirus A and C was investigated by the real‐rime RT‐PCR specific for HEV‐1 to HEV‐4 genotypes of Orthohepevirus A species and by a broad spectrum hemi‐nested RT‐PCR capable of detecting different HEV species including rat HEV. The intestinal content from two Black rats resulted positive for HEV‐C1 RNA and for HEV‐3 RNA, respectively. None of the House mice was HEV RNA positive. Sequence analyses confirmed the detection of HEV‐C1, genotype G1 and HEV‐3 subtype e. The viral strain HEV‐3e detected in the rat was identical to swine HEV strains detected in the same farm. Liver samples were negative for the detection of either rat HEV or HEV‐3.     

Physiological and morphological responses of olive plants to ozone exposure during a growing season

We studied physiological (gas exchange and stomatal aperture) and morphological (individual leaf area and stomatal density) responses in leaves of five-year-old olive plants (Olea europaea L. cvs. Frantoio and Moraiolo) exposed to filtered air containing < 3 ppb O(3) or 100 ppb O(3) for 5 h day(-1) for 120 days in fumigation chambers. After 100 days of treatment, leaf drop and development of necrotic spots were observed in O(3)-fumigated plants of Moraiolo but not of Frantoio. Significant reductions in photosynthetic activity (57%) and stomatal conductance (69%) were detected in O(3)-fumigated plants of Frantoio compared with control plants. In O(3)-fumigated plants of Moraiolo, the decrease in photosynthetic activity (17%) was not statistically significant, but a significant reduction in stomatal conductance (40%) was observed. In both cultivars, leaves that developed after exposure to O(3) showed decreased stomatal aperture (63.6 and 54.8% with respect to the Frantoio and Moraiolo controls, respectively) and one-sided leaf area, and increased stomatal density compared with control leaves. Actual transpiring stomatal surface decreased substantially in both Frantoio (59.8%) and Moraiolo (56.3%) in response to O(3) treatment. Relative transpiring stomatal surface (RTSS) in Frantoio decreased from 0.54 (control) to 0.27% (O(3) treated) of total leaf surface. The corresponding values for Moraiolo were 0.79 and 0.42%. However, because the RTSS of Moraiolo leaves in the O(3) treatment was 0.42 versus 0.27% in Frantoio, the potential uptake of O(3) was higher for Moraiolo plants than for Frantoio plants. The large O(3)-induced reduction in transpiring stomatal surface in both cultivars could have significant effects on olive productivity in the Mediterranean area, where high O(3) concentrations persist for long periods during the year.     

Towards sustainable rural landscapes? a multivariate analysis of the structure of traditional tree cropping systems along a human pressure gradient in a mediterranean region

The worldwide increase of human pressure in rural areas has resulted in a progressive fragmentation of agro-forest landscapes. Relatively few studies have identified processes of landscape modification and patch fragmentation reflecting long-term human activity from those caused by recent urbanization stimulated by economic development, population growth and improved accessibility of rural areas. In rural districts dominated by high-quality crop mosaics and exposed to increasing levels of human pressure, urbanization-driven changes in the use of land have determined complex and non-linear processes of landscape fragmentation which deserve further investigation. Multidimensional procedures and data mining are appropriate to explore such transformations, basing on a comprehensive assessment of landscape metrics. The present study investigates changes in land-use and landscape structure (2000–2008) in three districts of Latium (central Italy) featuring different cropping systems, physiographic attributes and level of human pressure. A principal component analysis was run to identify a core set of metrics aimed at (i) evaluating the role of traditional cropping systems in the preservation of traditional agro-forest systems and (ii) inferring the relationship between spatial heterogeneity in rural landscapes and socio-ecological processes of change. Our results indicate that crop intensification has contributed to landscape homogeneity and simplification in all areas studied, in contrast with the effects of urban expansion resulting in a more fragmented and diversified landscape with relict tree crop patches. The findings of this study clarify the contribution of traditional tree crop systems to sustainable structures and functions of rural landscapes by preserving the place-specific eco-mosaic complexity.     

Environmental factors and agronomic practices associated with Savi’s pine vole abundance in Italian apple orchards

Journal of Pest Science - The development of an integrated rodent pest management strategy requires the adoption of protocols that should be based on a good knowledge of species–habitat...     

Aboveground respiratory CO2 effluxes from olive trees (Olea europaea L.)

The accurate assessment of respiration by woody vegetation, still a challenge in plant productivity models, is generally a problem of correctly scaling-up the process from organs to the whole plant. We used a large (41.6 m³), canopy chamber to enclose mature olive trees and to measure aboveground respiration (R _ag ) under natural environmental conditions in an irrigated olive orchard in Córdoba (Spain). The 3-year study assessed nocturnal and seasonal R _ag patterns in terms of temperature (T), plant dry matter composition, and phenology. The relative contributions of maintenance and growth respiration to R _ag were determined empirically via an independent experiment. Although short-term variations in R _ag rates were explained mainly by T variations, over seasonal time-scales this relationship was modulated by the vegetative composition of the olive trees and the contribution of growth respiration to R _ag when the plants, in different seasons, allocated most of the new assimilates to actively growing shoots, flowers or fruits. Leaf mass and fruit load were the main determinants of R _ag , which was weakly affected by differences in woody biomass since woody tissue respiration accounted for just 15 % of R _ag . Respiration in olive trees during fruit setting periods is composed of approximately 30 % growth and 70 % maintenance. This study provides an independent evaluation of how, and to what degree, seasonally varying plant organ composition determines total respiration. Improved modelling of ecosystem respiration can be achieved by accounting for plant biological patterns characterising energy-requiring growth and maintenance processes, since biochemical kinetics alone cannot explain the observed seasonal variability.     

Moisture content and strain relation in wood by Bragg grating sensor and unilateral NMR

The paper describes a low-invasive experimental apparatus designed for the accurate determination of mechanical deformation and moisture content (MC) relationship on macroscopic wood samples. The device is particularly indicated for monitoring wooden handwork whose mechanical deformation is especially critical in relation to its role such as, for example, works of art or architectural works. The MC of wood is measured with a portable single-sided NMR probe and mechanical deformation by a fiber Bragg grating optical sensor. The data obtained are of high accuracy, despite the dimensions of the sample. The methodology provides an effective tool for investigating the dynamic relation between environmental relative humidity, MC, and shrinking–swelling of wood. Adsorption results collected for longitudinal deformation in silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) are presented to show the sensitivity of the optical sensor. Interesting findings include the detection of two different mechanisms of elongation and the time evolution of water mobility versus hydration and strain.     

Analyses of BioVOCs variation related to vegetation predominance in the natural park of ampezzo dolomites, UNESCO world heritage area of dolomites

The determination of emitted Biogenic Volatile Compounds (BioVOCs) profile via Field Air Analysis (FAA) — Solid Phase Micro Extraction (75 μm Carboxen/PDMS portable field sampler) was performed using GC-MS. The six sampling sites located in the Natural Park of Ampezzo Dolomites, part of the UNESCO’s World Heritage List, are characterized by different predominating vegetation. The ubiquitous compound hexanal was chosen as internal standard, in order to compare the amounts of the different compound in the different sites. The main terpenes identified were α-pinene, β-pinene, δ-3-carene and d-limonene, while 1,8 cineole was the highest abundant oxygenated terpene. In the site next the national road a higher amount of benzene derivatives (benzene, toluene, o-xylene, p-xylene and ethylbenzene) were observed. In the site relatively close to the road a marked decrease of benzene derivatives was observed. In the sites close to conifers (i.e. Fir, Pine and Larch) the terpenic content observed was higher than in the site close to the mixed forest (mainly large-leaf and some conifers). Some terpenes were observed also in the high-quote meadow site, although of lower abundance than in the other sites. The highest abundance of terpenes was observed in the Pinus cembra (Swiss Pine) site.     

Vegetable oil formulation as biopesticide to control California red scale (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aonidiella aurantii</Emphasis> Maskell)

During laboratory tests, mineral oil in water emulsion (2%), containing Brassicaceae seed meals (2 g l⁻¹), induced total mortality (100%) among adult female California red scales on detached orange fruits, whereas only 47.5% of insect mortality was observed with the same mineral oil when used alone. These results were partially confirmed by two preliminary field trials. With the aim of improving biodegradability and the environmental impact of the insecticidal formulation, mineral oil was replaced by a vegetable oil without observing any significant variation of the product’s efficacy. In addition, a clear “dose-effect” of meal in mineral and vegetable oil was also demonstrated. The formulation, essentially based on oil, meals and some minor additives, shows the following advantages: (1) high insecticidal activity against an insect pest difficult to control such as Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell); (2) simultaneous control of several pathogens seems to be possible; (3) non-appearance of resistance phenomena in plant pathogens; and finally, (5) absence of phytotoxicity.