Dogs are highly susceptible to the leptospiral infection, notably stray and sheltered dogs. Unsanitary conditions often observed in dog shelters may predispose the introduction and spread of ...leptospires among sheltered populations, potentially increasing the chances for the inadvertent adoption of asymptomatically infected animals. The present work describes a longitudinal study using a multidisciplinary approach for the identification of chronically infected dogs and the characterization of potentially pathogenic strains circulating among stray and sheltered dog populations in São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 123 dogs from three populations were included. The initial evaluation consisted of blood and urine quantitative PCR testing (qPCR), the detection of specific antibodies by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), physical examination and hematological and serum biochemistry analyses. The qPCR-positive dogs were prospectively examined, and reevaluations also included culture from urine samples. Positive qPCR samples were subjected to 16S rRNA and secY gene phylogenetic analysis. The recovered strains were characterized by Multilocus Sequence Typing, polyclonal serogroup identification and virulence determination. Leptospiruria was detected in all populations studied (13/123), and phylogenetic analysis revealed that 10 dogs had L. interrogans infection. Three dogs (3/13) had L. santarosai infection. The secY phylogenetic analysis revealed that the L. santarosai sequences clustered separately from those obtained from other hosts. Ten leptospiruric dogs were reevaluated, and three dogs presented persistent leptospiruria, allowing culturing from two dogs. The strains were characterized as L. interrogans serogroup Canicola (virulent) and L. santarosai serogroup Sejroe (not virulent). Serum samples were retested by MAT using the DU92 and DU114 strains as antigens, and no increased seroreactivity was detected. Asymptomatic L. santarosai infection was observed in all populations studied, suggesting a possible role of dogs in the chain of transmission of this leptospiral species. The results suggest a genetic distinction between lineages of Brazilian L. santarosai maintained by dogs and other animal hosts. Our findings revealed that dogs could act as maintenance hosts for distinct pathogenic Leptospira, highlighting also that asymptomatically infected dogs can be inadvertently admitted and adopted in dog shelters, potentially increasing the risks of zoonotic transmission.
A collection of 126 pigs was screened for carriage of colistin-resistant
in a farm in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Out of this collection, eight colistin-resistant
isolates were recovered, including one ...from Minas Gerais State producing a new MCR-3 variant (MCR-3.12). Analysis of the lipopolysaccharide revealed that MCR-3.12 had a function similar to that of MCR-1 and MCR-2 as a result of the addition of a phosphoethanolamine group to the lipid A moiety. Genetic analysis showed that the
gene was carried by an IncA/C
plasmid and was embedded in an original genetic environment. This study reports the occurrence of the MCR-3-like determinant in South America and is the first to demonstrate the functionality of this group of enzymes as a phosphoethanolamine transferase.
Brazilian poultry meat samples were screened for colistin-resistant Salmonella enterica. Sixty Salmonella isolates were tested for in vitro colistin resistance and mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3 and mcr-4 ...genes. Two isolates harbored the mcr-1 gene and whole-genome analysis determined the serovar to be Schwarzengrund, ST96, harboring the IncX4 plasmid. This is the first report of mcr-1-harboring Salmonella enterica serovar Schwarzengrund in Brazil.
•First report of mcr-1-harboring Salmonella enterica serovar Schwarzengrund.•Assessment of commercial poultry meat as reservoir of colistin-resistant Salmonella.•Colistin-resistant Salmonella did not present multidrug resistance phenotype.
The relationships and interactions between rural and urban spaces have long been of interest in the territorial sciences. However, the approaches taken to these questions have evolved in line with ...the changing characteristics of the two types of territories, reflecting new relationships and structures. From these premises, we update the concept of rural–urban interaction by means of an extensive bibliographic review, which, among other results, highlights: (1) the profound change that has taken place in recent years in rural–urban interaction through processes such as de-agrarianisation, the tertiarisation of the economy and improvements in transport and communication infrastructures; (2) the resulting obsolescence of earlier typologies and procedures focused on discrimination between rural and urban environments, rather than on the interaction between them; (3) the difficulty of establishing valid, widely applicable typologies, given the profound differences in terms of (a) the scale and content of the statistics available in each country and (b) the territorial background in terms of economic functions and the characteristics, ancient and modern, of human settlement; (4) the predominance of an urban-centric approach, to the detriment of more traditional rural functions, such as agriculture, the importance of which is diluted by its low relative weight in terms of employed population and contribution to GDP. Consideration of these findings leads us to propose a new approach to the question of rural–urban interaction, reflecting the multifunctionality of rural spaces, and we identify useful areas for future research.
Clinical endometritis causes serious economic losses in dairy farms, mainly due to its negative health impact on fertility and milk production, as well as the additional costs of medicines used to ...treat the affected animals. The therapy for uterine diseases is principally performed with antibiotic treatment; however, its indiscriminate use in dairy herds can favor the increase in the resistance of pathogenic bacteria, leading to treatment failures. In this regard, the use of unconventional treatment may be a good option to reduce the use of antimicrobials in milk production. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of cinnamon, oregano, and thyme essential oils, and their combinations, against bovine uterine pathogens. The antibacterial activities of these essential oils were evaluated by the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC), and Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) indices against Escherichia coli and Trueperella pyogenes, which were isolated from dairy cows with clinical endometritis. Among the essential oils evaluated, the lowest MIC and MBC values observed were obtained with cinnamon essential oil alone. The association among essential oils showed different kinds of interactions, and in some situations, antagonism was observed. This study demonstrated a promising antimicrobial activity of cinnamon's essential oil, indicating that it has excellent potential to be explored as a possible alternative in the treatment of clinical endometritis in dairy cows.
•The combination of the essential oils (EO) did not show significant synergistic effect against tested pathogens.•Cinnamon EO (CEO) proved to have good potential for the in vitro control of pathogens that are frequently isolated from cows with endometritis.•CEO showed the lowest inhibitory concentrations against Trueperella pyogenes, and Escherichia coli isolated from cows with endometritis.
This study observes the relationship between employment policies and the evolution of the productive system, applying the theoretical framework of local development to an average-sized town in a ...semi-peripheral area of the European Union, during the period from 1975 to 2015. To do so, a case analysis was made of the outcomes of employment policies via their effects on the variables impacting on the productive fabric. The following data sources were used: grey literature related to public policies; published statistics on demographic variables and economic activity; and local press reports. The following results were obtained: (a) the responses of economic agents owe more to the changes in the international scenario than to employment policies; (b) it is essential to analyse the evolution of demographic factors to properly interpret the relationship between labour supply and demand. We conclude that (a) corporate culture significantly influences the success or otherwise of employment policies, and (b) in the semi-peripheral area discussed, unemployment is an endemic problem that successive cohesion and employment policies have failed to resolve. Therefore, the use of innovation-oriented theoretical and practical approaches should be reconsidered.
Due to the lack of consensus on the Sustainable Disclosure (SD)–Sustainable Performance (SP) relationship and the absence of a robust theoretical framework base, this research tests this ...relationship. Based on Ullmann’s argument that the execution of corporate responsibility regarding SD, SP and EP (economic performance) is determined by the management’s (unobservable) overall strategy, we apply Partial Least Squares, introducing EP, size and membership in sensitive sectors and subjecting them to a multiplicity of external pressures (social, environmental and legislative) as determinants of the SD–SP link. There is a moderate SD–SP relationship, with a significant effect due to EP and conditioned by size. Specifically, (1) the companies that are concerned and which act sustainably have a higher SD, (2) the greater the EP, the greater its effect on this SD, but (3) when the sample is segmented by size, the moderating effect is only positive and significant for large companies. An awareness of the added value of the sustainable business model exists, more than simply reporting (actions beyond words), but the value that its profitability yields will not be determinant for SP, though it will affect SD, despite there being no direct relationship between performance and SD.
Purulent vulvar discharges, primarily caused by genito-urinary tract infections, are an important source of economic loss for swine producers due to sow culling and mortality. However, the agents ...that compose the vaginal microbiota of sows and their changes during infections are not well understood. The first goal of this study was to characterize and compare the vaginal bacterial content of healthy (HE, n = 40) and purulent vulvar discharge sows (VD, n = 270) by a culture-dependent method and MALDI-TOF MS identification. Secondly, we performed 16S rRNA targeted metagenomic approach (n = 72) to compare the vaginal microbiota between these groups. We found a wide variety of bacteria, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota being the most abundant phyla in both groups, as well as Escherichia-Shigella, Streptococcus, and Bacteroides at the genus level. Most agents identified in the sequencing method also grew in the culture-dependent method, showing the viability of these bacteria. Alpha diversity did not differ between HE and VD sows, regarding sample richness and diversity, but a beta-diversity index showed a different microbiota composition between these groups in two tested herds. ANCOM analysis revealed that Bacteroides pyogenes were more abundant in VD females and can be a marker for this group. Other agents also require attention, such as the Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Staphylococcus hyicus found in remarkably greater relative abundance in VD sows. Network analysis revealed important positive correlations between some potentially pathogenic genera, such as between Escherichia-Shigella, Trueperella, Streptococcus, Corynebacterium, and Prevotella, which did not occur in healthy sows. We conclude that the alteration of the vaginal microbiota between healthy and purulent vulvar discharge sows, although not extreme, could be due to the increase in the relative abundance of specific agents and to associations between potentially pathogenic bacteria.
The relation between tourism and rural development has been strengthened by planning frameworks such as rural development (the LEADER programmes) and by the management of protected natural areas. ...This relation also contributes to the concept of the multifunctionality of agricultural land. However, in the management of protected areas in Spain, the role of tourism and the public use of areas of maximum protection are often prioritised to the detriment of the agrarian societies with a permanent presence in these surroundings. In this paper, we analyse the impact of environmental planning and rural development on the characterisation of private tourist services in the Sierra de las Nieves natural park (near Málaga, Spain), using statistical sources, surveys and interviews with stakeholders. The results obtained show that the geographic distribution of private facilities is largely unrelated to public considerations. We view this outcome as a consequence of the disjunction between the agrarian traditions of local society and the new measures adopted to promote tourist activities.
The desynchronization of physiological and behavioral mechanisms influences the gut microbiota and eating behavior in mammals, as shown in both rodents and humans, leading to the development of ...pathologies such as Type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Recent studies propose resynchronization as a key input controlling metabolic cycles and contributing to reducing the risk of suffering some chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome. In this analytical review, we present an overview of how desynchronization and its implications for the gut microbiome make people vulnerable to intestinal dysbiosis and consequent chronic diseases. In particular, we explore the eubiosis-dysbiosis phenomenon and, finally, propose some topics aimed at addressing chronotherapy as a key strategy in the prevention of chronic diseases.
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